Cleaning Frenzy

 

We have been on a cleaning kick like you wouldn’t believe.  We have cleaned the truck inside and out, washed the RV, cleaned all the shelves inside the RV and purged so much stuff.  I had about 6 Atlases, and no one needs that many.  I just love looking through them, but since we are older, we now only use the large print ones, so why hang on to all of them.  I took them to the laundry room, where the book trading shelf is, went back a little later with some other books, and all the atlases were gone.  That makes me feel better.  I hate throwing perfectly good books away.

 

Want to welcome my new followers cathouse*adventures.  I love her site.  If you get a chance check it out.

 

We are still doing our walking every day and we feel so much better after doing it.  I did get some pictures this morning that I want to share with you.

 

 

This is taken from the opposite side of the lake that we are camped at.  This is the tent camping area, and most week ends it has a few tents set up.  That’s Donnie walking ahead of me.

 

 

This landscaping is in front, where you first drive in.  The kids that own this park are constantly trying to improve it.  Seems like they are working on it from sunup to sundown.

 

 

Again, this is looking over to the side we are camped at.  It is a really cool place to walk in the mornings.

 

 

They have a very large lot to the side of the RV Park that people store their RV’s in.  This Colt’s shuttle leaves every Sunday that there is a game at home.

 

 

I really like these new Open Range RV’s.  They are a light gray with dark gray on the bottom.  I think they are classy looking.

 

You all stay safe.  :-)

Indianapolis Wins

 

Let me start by saying it was one of the better matched games they have played in a while.  We weren’t sure till the last few seconds if Indy was going to pull if off or not.  The Broncos have an excellent team this year, and they really gave us a run for our money yesterday, but Indy won in the end.  I love the Colts, but I also love my Husband, so it was a hard game to watch.

 

We got over to Charlotte’s house a couple of hours before the game started so we could play some cards.  Uncle Boone loves playing Euchre, and always says he would rather play cards than just about anything.  Makes no difference how he feels when we start, he always seems to forget his illness while we are playing, and we are grateful for that.   We played 2 games and then had some very good BBQ and potato salad.  We also had some chips and dip and an Italian Crème Cake.  It was good, but very, very rich.  Thanks Charlotte for a great time.

 

Took my brother down to the hospital this morning, but his count came back at 8.8, so he didn’t need a transfusion.  His biggest problem now is the pain in his neck and back.  The Doctor called him a little while ago and said he was going to up the medication he is giving him for it.  If he can get it under control, maybe he would feel like eating more, and getting out more.

 

When I got back to the RV Donnie and I went for a real long walk.  I forgot to take my camera with me, so didn’t get any pictures.  I wanted to get a picture from the other side of the lake, but I will do it next time.  I’m hoping we can get back into our routine of walking every day.  We both feel a lot better when we do.

 

After getting back from our walk,  I made us a tossed salad for lunch.  I like to cut up some Romaine Heart leaves, add a few grape tomatoes and some sliced mushrooms, for lunch.  I also had a cantaloupe that needed eating, so I cleaned that as well, and we both had some of that too.  A veggie and fruit lunch.  My favorite kind of lunch.

 

I finally broke down and bought some of the un-caged, chicken eggs that Judy and Gypsy had told me about.  They are a bit pricey is why I hesitated.  A dozen eggs were almost $4.00, but I must admit they sure look good.  I have some ham left from some ham steaks, so I am either going to make omelets tonight or maybe just some of the eggs scrambled with ham on the side.

 

Fall weather has certainly hit Indiana.  No pretty colors, but the weather has cooled down a lot.  It was 49 when I got up this morning.  It is 65* degrees as I write this at 4:25 pm.  Really unusual weather for us.  It is usually hot right up till winter, but not this year.  I don’t think there will be any pretty color here this year.  The leaves are just falling without turning.  Bummer!!!

 

You all stay safe…

A Wedding

 

We had a wedding to attend yesterday in Bloomington, Indiana.  A university town, about 60 miles south of Indy.  The wedding was at 4:30 yesterday evening, so we left here around 2:30 to get there on time, and in case we got lost.  As it turned out, we were an hour early, but this gave us time to freshen up and visit with Lois and Wayne.(Mother and Father of the Groom).  Don’s younger brother, Denny and his wife were also there, so we all had a good little gab fest.

 

The wedding was one of the most romantic I have ever been too.  All of the songs sung before the actual ceremony were sung in French.  Their wedding march was the classical version, and while they were greeting all their guests, as the new Mr. and Mrs.  Scott, a flutist was playing in the background.  It was not a fancy wedding, but just very classy, I thought.

 

After leaving the church, we all headed to the Eagles Pointe Golf Course for a reception.  Of course there was plenty of food and merriment, so I won’t bore you with all the details, but just let me say, the food was delicious, and fun was had by all.  I took lots of pictures for my own use, so I will just post a collage of a few.

 

 

We are getting ready to head to Charlotte’s house for some good BBQ, potato salad, and great football.  It’s a bit up in the air just where we will be watching the game.  She says her daughter, Keri has invited us to come watch on the big screen, but we will just play it by ear.  Doesn’t matter to me; just as long as I get to see the game.  The Broncos play the Colts today.  Yes, Donnie and I will watch together, but it isn’t easy when his team plays mine.  May the best team win…. :-)

 

Wanted to say thanks to Carol and John for becoming my 40th followers.  They are also located here in Indy and have very graciously asked to meet us at a breakfast or campfire.  We love meeting readers, and fellow bloggers, so we are working on a meeting right now. 

 

Also want to mention that my posts may not be as often.  There is just so much you can write about doing laundry and cleaning, but I will post anything I think might be interesting to you, and especially our day trips and visits. 

 

I have a couple of pictures of my daughter and her husband on their biking trip a couple of weeks ago.  I don’t think my butt could take a whole week of riding anymore, but they sure had a ball.

 

 

 

They always have such a good time.  In the bottom picture they had just finished a tour in a Winery.  Drink a glass for me kids!! 

 

Gonna run and get some clothes on.  I need to run to the store and get a Sunday paper.  Catch you later….

Hotter Weather Prevails

 

Our cool weather only lasted one day.  The heat came back with a vengeance.  We are expected to break another record today.  It was 95 record-breaking degrees 2 days ago, and the last time I checked it was 91* today.

 

Welcome to my new follower, heyduke50.  Hope you enjoy the ride!!

 

Called my brother this morning and invited him out for breakfast.  He said he was glad for the company.  We tried to get Charlotte to go too, but she had a house to clean today.  Uncle Boone likes to go to Waffle House, so that is where we went.  He ate pretty good.  Had a 1/2 order of biscuits and gravy, 1/2 order of bacon and 2 or 3 cups of coffee.  He started taking his Mary Jo pills yesterday, and by golly, I think they are already starting to work.  Its a good thing he has good insurance, cause for just one month, those pills are $487.00.  Can you believe that?  I guess if you don’t have ins., you just starve to death.  I suppose there are programs to help the indigent, but my goodness, that is really high for a plant that anyone could grow, if it were legal.

 

After eating breakfast, he felt like a ride, so we headed up to Eagle Creek Park.  It is a city park, and my brother likes to go fishing there, when he is up to it.  He asked me today if we could maybe get a picnic together one day, and go up there and cook out.  I said sure, sounds like fun to me.  Want to report that the little rehab girl that he had while in the Nursing Home, did indeed bring him some fishing equipment.  That was so sweet of her, and he really appreciates it.  We all do.  I will share a few pictures with you.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, this is a really nice little park, and they have lots, and lots of picnic shelters, hiking trails, and lots of places to fish.  We didn’t have to pay to get in; my brother buys a pass every year, so we got in on that.  If your in the area, it is worth a look.

 

We are planning a trip to Brown County, Indiana.  At least Charlotte and myself.  The guys aren’t sure if they want to go or not.  It is definitely a “Tourist Trap”, but I have always enjoyed going through all the little shops.  They usually offer tours on fudge making, and pretzel making, and all that kind of thing.  The fall colors in this area also rival any in any other place in these United States.  It’s one of the things Brown County is known for.

 

After leaving the park we stopped at Wendy’s and each had a chocolate frosty.  He got a large and ate it all.  Good old Mary Jo…. :-)

 

Charlotte tells me that the Flea Markets we normally go to in the area of Brown County have been closed down, so we will have to see if we can find out where they moved to.

 

I have House Finch and Sparrows coming to my bird feeder, so I am a happy camper.  No hummers, but I think it may be a little late in the year for them. 

 

You all stay safe.

Home Depot

 

After getting up and eating a big breakfast of fruit, oats and toast, I jumped in the shower and then tried on the clothes that Charlotte had loaned me for the wedding this week end.  Good thing I did, cause the top was way too small.  So, that meant a shopping trip today.  I hate those, but sometimes you just can’t get around them.  We knew Donnie needed some pants too, so we struck out for Penny’s.  He found some pants, and after looking the whole store over, I finally found a blouse that is presentable.  I have a problem with all the clothes now days.  I am sorry, but to me, they look slutty.  I am a mid-west, pastel type of person, so all of these fancy doo dads, are just not my cup of tea.

 

After getting through with that, we needed to find a hardware store.  That is not a simple thing in Indy.  All of the smaller hardware stores have been run out of town by Home Depot and Lowes.  We did finally find a Home Depot over on 135 or Madison Ave, and Donnie was able to go in and get what he needed.  Our tripod that he sticks under the fifth wheel hook-up, on the front of the rig, had a bolt missing and he needed to replace it to use the tripod.  It does help stabilize the fifth wheel.  Keeps it from rocking in the wind so bad.

 

 

 

When we got back to the RV Park, we noticed this cute little RV had pulled in and parked.  I think they are adorable, but can’t for the life of me figure out where everything is in one of them.    As near as we can tell, this one only has an electric hook-up, so don’t think it has a bathroom or even a water hook-up.  I could be wrong though.

 

 

It has tanks on the front of it, so it must have a stove and some kind of furnace, but we could see no a/c anywhere on it.

Late in the night last night the Heaven’s opened up and it was raining really hard.  It was hitting the roof of the RV and almost sounded like hail, but wasn’t.   There has been a bad drought here, so any moisture is very welcome.  Just a few minutes ago we had another downpour.   It still looks like we could get a lot more.  It sure has cooled the temperatures down.  It was in the 90’s yesterday at this time.  Right now it is 72* outside.  What a difference a little rain can make.

 

Stay safe… :)

White Castle Hamburgers

 

If you are not familiar with White Castle Hamburgers, when you come back East, you have a surprise in store for you.  I crave the darn little things, but Donnie doesn’t really care for them.  So, he had  something else, and I headed for White Castle.  I have been eating them since I was very young, and I must say, they are about the only thing in my life that has stayed the same.  They are a little, tiny burger, but they fry the onions they put  on it, and it makes the little buns all warm and gooey.  Really good, you need to try them.

 

 

 

 

That picture is a little blurry, but as you can see they are very small.  I usually polish off about 3 of them and an order of mozzarella cheese sticks.  I like those a lot better than fries.  Whose counting calories?  Not me….

 

I spent the whole day with my brother yesterday.  We first saw his Hematologist, and then had to go to the Bone Marrow Unit, where he receives his transfusions.   He had to get another 2 units yesterday.  That makes 178 units of blood since all of this started.  The Doctor prescribed muscle relaxers for his stiff neck, and hang on to your hat, marijuana for his appetite.  Yes, that is pot!!!  He is giving it to him in pill form though.  The Doctor told us that it has worked for millions of people who have lost their appetite.  I just hope it works.  He did gain 3 pounds last week, but we think it might be fluids.  The Doctor didn’t say.

 

After getting through with the hospital, I ran the 2 prescriptions over to Wally World and dropped them off.  My brother went and picked them up later.  They wouldn’t give him the pot yet; it has to be cleared by a board or something.  Whatever…

 

I was so tired when I got home yesterday evening that I actually sat down in my recliner and went to sleep.  I spent very little time on the computer, so am behind on all the blogs I read.  I will get caught up today though.

 

This morning Donnie and I went to the grocery, and filled the truck up with diesel.  I kept my eyes peeled yesterday for diesel prices and they all seemed to run around $2.98 a gallon, so was very pleasantly surprised this morning when we only had to pay $2.85.  I still can’t figure out why the people in Indy let them get away with charging different prices for things, in different areas of town.  We didn’t need a whole lot from the grocery, so were back home pretty quickly.

 

Just got back from Charlotte’s house.  She offered to let me borrow an outfit to wear on Saturday.  I hate buying clothes just to wear once, and then they just hang in the closet for ever.  She had to wear a lot of dress clothes for her job, so has lots of nice outfits.  I picked some fall colors, so am all set.  Thanks again, Charlotte.

 

We got our bird feeders back out today.  I am probably a little late for the hummers, but the other birds are still around.  I love watching them, so I don’t care if they are just the little brown ones, or the really pretty Cardinals or Goldfinch.  I love them all. 

 

Going to get off here and get this posted.  My Hubby just cleaned a big bowl of grapes and sat them in front of me, so I guess I need to get busy on those.  Stay safe.

Great Game Today

 

I am really looking forward to watching my game tonight.  Peyton Manning will be playing his brother, Eli and the Giants.  They are such great guys, and both so full of talent.  It should be exciting.

 

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that this RV Park is also very convenient to lots of things around us.  Indy is only 7 miles up the road.  Brown County Indiana is just a short drive away.  There are any number of things to do in this area.  Flea markets, shows, shopping is unbelievable in Indy.  You can even go see a football game, if you can afford it.  We prefer watching on TV.  All kinds of restaurants.  You get the idea..

 

I wanted to get all of my pictures moved to one file today and get them stored on my external hard drive, but for some reason haven’t gotten around to it.  It is not a hard job, so will get it done soon.

 

Tomorrow will be an early rise day, and a very long day.  I will be taking my brother to see his specialist at IUPUI Hospital in downtown Indy, in the morning.  We will also have his blood count checked, to see if he needs more blood.

 

I got a call from my cousin, Charlotte this morning.  She has been in Florida since the 11th, and it is her house that my brother lives at.  She just got home yesterday or early this morning. She says she got him all kinds of things to eat, while she was gone,  and he did not touch a one of them.  I know how frustrating this must be for her, but he says it makes him sick to eat.  I don’t know what the Doctor will decide to do, but something needs to be done.  I think he has lost his urge to fight.  And, I think he is very tired.  He is also not sleeping and can’t seem to get comfortable.  This is very hard for all of us girls in this family because he has always been our rock.  To see him suffering is almost more than I can take.  Please keep us in your prayers.

 

I am going to make this a short post and get a little more done before my long day tomorrow.  Take care and I will catch you later…

 

Lake Haven Retreat

 

I made a big mistake yesterday, and I just want to take a moment to explain.  A few bloggers that I read had been making comments about Health Ins., so when I received an email on the subject that I thought was funny, I thought I would share it.  As soon as it was published, I knew I had made a mistake.  One of the unwritten rules in blogging is no discussion of politics.  I wish to apologize to anyone who took offence by that posting, and, as you can see, I deleted it as soon as I could figure out how to do it.  Let me assure you this will not happen again.

 

Want to welcome my 2 new followers, Susan and Karen.  Hope you enjoy the ride.

 

I hope I didn’t leave the impression that this is a fancy RV Park, because it is not.  It is nice and she keeps it very clean, but we are stacked in here like sardines.  That is probably why it is cheaper, but the grounds are nice and they are very helpful with any problems that may arise. 

 

 

As you can see, there is pavement part of the way around this side of the park, but it is mostly gravel, with smatterings of grass.  Not putting it down, just trying to describe what it is like.  As you will be able to tell from the picture of the lake, there are more sites on the other side of the lake.  They are cheaper, by the month, but offer no cable and very weak wifi.  They also offer a small amount of tent camping, and there are often people here tenting.

 

 

There is also a gaggle of geese here.  They were here last year.  I love watching them, but don’t like stepping in their doo doo.  There is a small beach for swimming, but no life guard on duty.

 

Want to answer a question about the type of GPS we use for our geo-caching hobby.  I use a Garmin hand-held.  It seems to work very well, but can be hard on batteries.  It is light and easy to carry, so we like it really well.

 

I am adding a picture of the office and Laundry room/showers/bathrooms.  The building in the middle and to the left of the office is a club house, but not for the RV patrons.  They rent it out for office parties, conventions and that type of thing.

 

 

If you would like to read more about this Park you can check out their site at www.LakeHavenRetreat.com.  Sarah, one of the owners, is very sweet and will answer all questions.

 

I went over to Wally World earlier and picked up a few things for us and a few for my brother.  On top of all his other health problems, he now has a stiff neck.  I took him my hot pad and some Flexal, so hope one of them gives him some relief.

 

Gonna run and see what I can stir up for supper.  We both had large breakfasts and lunches, so might just have a sandwich for supper.  Stay safe…

Indianapolis, Indiana

 

We took our time leaving this morning.  We only had a short 175 miles to go.  We even took highway 37 instead of going how everyone else goes.  We usually take 37 up to 64, 64 to 265 bypass(around Louisville, Ky.), and then 65 north up to 465 and then to the park.  If you take 37 all the way, you do have a lot of twists and turns, but you don’t have all the traffic.  Another bad part about 37, that I had forgotten about, is all the stop lights in the little burgs you go through.  But, we were in no hurry and enjoyed the drive.

 

 

 

None of the photos I am posting today are mine, just some of my favorite fall shots… 

 

We were given a very warm welcome back into the park we are staying in.  It really feels like home.  We were here for almost a year the last time.  They have mostly pull-thru sites, full hook-ups, cable and free wifi, all for $465.00 a month.  It has gone up $15.00 a month, but she explained to me that they had been doing lots of work, and put in a new internet system that is a lot faster.  She is right, it is much better than when we were last here.  Their laundry, bathrooms, and showers are always spotless.  They have also got a really nice lake for catch and release fishing.  I will get out and take some pictures tomorrow or Sunday and share them with you.  The Park’s name is “Lake Haven Retreat”.

 

 

Right after arriving, we jumped in the truck, picked up some lunch and went straight over to see my brother.  He is having a lot of problems right now.  One of them is no appetite, so the Doctor has put him back on ensure.  Has to drink at least 3 a day.  I took him a sandwich, fries and a chocolate shake.  He didn’t take one bite.  He did drink a little bit of the shake, but very little.  I will be taking him back to the Doctors on Monday and hopefully they can tell me what is going on.

 

When we got back to the park there were two couples next door playing a game out on their picnic table.  I think it was some kind of naughty adult’s only game. We gabbed for a minute, but didn’t want to bother them while they were playing.  I can still hear them laughing, so they are having a good time.

 

I am hoping to get back out soon and do some more geo-caching.  For those of you that don’t know about this hobby or would like to know more about it, here is the site geocaching.com.  I have gotten way behind on my plan.  I wanted to have 500 finds by now, but only have a sad 267.  We love this hobby and it sure gets you out, and if your not careful, you might even get some exercise.

 

 

I am glad to report that I had no trouble at all with my meds. today, so must have adjusted to them.  Maybe I was just having a wonky day.  Going to get off here and start some laundry.  You all stay safe and I will catch you later…. :-)

Big Horn Sheep

 

I don’t have a whole lot to say today, but wanted to share these great pictures my cousin sent me in an email.  They were taken at the Buffalo Bill Dam in Cody, Wyoming.  Just unbelievable!!

 

 

 

I just thought these pictures were fantastic.  How do they do that?  I think the caption said they may be licking the salt off the wall.  I guess no one is sure why they do it.

 

I’m just a tiny bit out of it today.  I took Donnie down to his brother’s garage to play cards again, but wasn’t sure I would make it back.  It is the medicine that is making be bonkers, but after 3 doses, I am getting a little more adjusted to it.  Have really been hitting the fluids too.  I think it does help.

 

If you haven’t checked out Freelylivinglife today, you have got to see it.  It is unbelievable today.  Beautiful song, and a beautiful post.  Thanks Angie…

 

We are planning on leaving early in the morning for Indy.  My sister, Jean talked to Uncle Boone yesterday, and she says he doesn’t sound good and seems to have lost all hope.  Not what I wanted to hear.

 

Going to get off of here because my brain seems to be freezing up today.  Stay safe.

My Grand Daughter

 

My grand daughter did come out and spend the night with me last night.  We had a lot of good talks and fun.  That made getting up early and running her back to town this morning all worth it.  She was on her phone texting a lot, but show me any 15 year old that isn’t.  She has been grounded from it a few times, but has learned to tow the line, if she wants to keep it.  I am proud of my son and his wife.  I think they are doing a good job with her. Its hard for me to believe that in less than a year she will be driving, and I’m sure have her own car.

 

 

I love this picture of her, but not sure Mom and Dad feel the same way.  They think it makes her look to grown up.  I just think she is adorable, and I might add, has a personality to match.

 

I made our reservations in Indy today.  The lady at the park really acted like she was glad we are coming back.  That always makes you feel good.

 

I had to run back to town later to pick up my meds. that the Doctor ordered for me yesterday.  Geez, you need a college education to know how to take all of this stuff.  Since I am supposed to start taking it before breakfast, I will wait and start it tomorrow.  I just hope it works.  I am not one to handle illness well.  I like to be on the go and feeling fine. 

 

After leaving Wally World I stopped by my baby sister’s house.  I had picked up some knitting patterns for her, and wanted to drop them off.  We usually try to go out and eat or something, while I am home, but we will not be here long enough for that this trip.

 

After leaving her house I went back to see my Best Buddy and my little brother.  She helped me figure out how to take my meds.  I am glad to report that she looks really well, and seems to be doing good with her condition.

 

After leaving their house, I stopped at the County Court House to pick up 2 applications for our absentee ballots.  There wasn’t much to that, but do have to get them mailed back in, so they can send us our ballots in time for them to count.

 

The leaves here in Perry County are already starting to turn.  Not unlike a lot of other places, they have had a drought this summer, so don’t know if that is why they are already turning or not.

 

Want to welcome my new follower, Chelsi.  Since I mail her alerts when I post, she didn’t even know she could be a follower, so we added her last night.  She doesn’t care much about reading it, but likes to see all the pictures I post.

 

Donnie is with his brother and brother-in-law today.  They will be playing cards and having a few cold ones.  I don’t know how they can stand the heat.  The garage they play in doesn’t have air, but it doesn’t seem to bother them.  It is in the 90’s here today.

 

The girls are coming out tonight and bringing a pizza for supper, so I am going to run and get things ready.  You all stay safe.  :)

We Made It Home

We made it back to Indiana about noon yesterday.  We had visitors as soon as we got here.  My son Jon was home on a 3 day leave and he was here.  Also my grandson Nick was here, so we visited with them for a while.

My son has 24 more days in the service and then he will retire after his 20 years of duty.  He says he is really just tired of being away from his family and home, so I understand where he is coming from. 

Later yesterday we went in town to see my best Buddy and my little brother Herby.  Of course, we always have lots to talk about.  Some political and some family stuff, so I won’t bore you with our ramblings'.  We always have great fun talking to them.  I also had some questions about what I should take as far as Medicare benefits.  I’m not sure if I should get A, B, and D or just A and B.   Should I carry a supplement or not.   You know, all the questions that plague a 65 year old.

Later we all hopped in the truck and went out to eat supper.  We went to Julie’s place.  She is a lady that I worked with for about 10 years till she branched out on her own.  She is doing very well and I am very proud of her.  She is also a big Colt’s fan, so we have that in common.  I don’t even want to discuss their game on Sunday.  It was horrible!!

Today I had my Doctor’s appointment and Lab work done.  Glad to report the Doctor says my heart is ok and my problem is mostly stress related.  All my Lab work came back fine also, but I do have a very bad sinus infection and he says that is what is causing a lot of my bad headaches.  So, he has me on some very strong antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines, which I start in the morning.  He also told me that I am dehydrated.  That one was hard for me to  swallow, because it seems like I drink all the time.  But, he is the Doctor, so if I pay him all this money for his opinion, I guess I should listen to him.  He did run an EKG and said it was fine.  In fact they ran it 3 times, just to make sure.  Being away from my brother (Uncle Boone) when he had his surgery is really when my problem started, so the Doctor may be right about the stress.

My sister-in-law, Lois and her husband are coming out tonight for a visit and I think my grand daughter, Chelsi is coming out tonight to spend the night with me.  I will have to get up early in the morning to take her to high school, but that is no big deal.  Since she is a teenager I will take any time I can get with her.

I am not sure how long we will be here in Tell City.  I am really anxious to get to Indy and see my brother.  He had to get 2 units of blood yesterday and is urinating blood again, so I don’t think they ever really cleared up his bladder infection he got right after his surgery.  He has gained some of his weight back though, so that is one good thing.  I know he is terminal, but I keep praying for a miracle cure.

Want to welcome my new follower, Dave.  Welcome aboard and I hope you are enjoying the ride.

Going to get off of here and get something done, so I will catch you later.  Stay safe…

Eldon Hazlet State Park

 

We certainly didn’t pick a very good day to go exploring.  We only made it a few miles down the road when the Heavens opened up.  We must have gotten at least 3” of rain in the last couple of days.  Some one had told us that this State Park was a very good park to camp in with an RV, so we wanted to check it out.  They were right.  It has all kinds of spots for small, medium or large sized RVs.   Not all have water and electric, but a lot do.  We didn’t see any with sewer hook-ups, but they do have a nice big dump station.  It was raining so hard I couldn’t get any really good pictures of the lake or the campgrounds, but I did get a couple I will share with you. Carlyle Lake is the largest man-made lake in Illinois.  It is 18 miles long and 5 miles wide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can tell from the pictures, it was very rainy and foggy.  Not good weather for pictures at all.

 

After we left the park we had intended to visit the South Side State Park, but it was just too nasty, so we opted to go back into Vandalia and do some more Antiquing. 

 

 

I did find a nice candy dish for my best Buddy, so I took some pictures of it and sent them to her.  I talked to her this morning and she did want it, but when we went back over this morning they were closed again.  The sign said working the harvest again, but I don’t know how that could be, with all the rain we have gotten, but who knows, they may have to work on the tractors or something.

 

I just noticed that the last picture I posted didn’t turn out right, but it gives you some kind of idea how big this place was.  It took us a couple of hours to get through it.

 

I did talk to Uncle Boone again and he is still hanging in there and has had no blood transfusions for weeks now.  He also wanted me to thank my readers for sending him the Get Well cards.  He said even though he doesn’t know these people, it made him feel so much better and you all are in his prayers.

 

We did stop at Wally World this morning and picked up a couple of $5.00 movies to watch today and tomorrow.  Our TV stations, that we are bringing in on the antenna, will only stay on a few minutes and then they are gone.  You have no idea how glad we will be to get out of here!!!

 

 

I’m going to run over to the office and get this posted.  Hopefully when I get to Shannon’s house I will have internet again and can get caught up on all my blogs I read.  This will be my last post till we get to Shannon’s, so stay safe…  :)

Vandalia Lake

 

 

Located a short distance outside of Vandalia, this lake is oriented toward the whole family.  There is fishing, boating, camping, swimming and picnicking.  Also a nice playground for the kids.  We had about 30 minutes before we could get into the Antique Shop we were going to visit today, so we drove on out to the Lake.  It is a 660 acre lake.  There were fisher persons on the lake while we were there.  I think it is a very pretty place and would be ideal for camping with the family.

 

 

 

   

 

We left the lake to head back into town and to Antiques and Stuff, but were in for a surprise.  When we got to the store there was a big sign that said “ Working on the Harvest, will be back when it rains”.  This is the first time we have run in to this excuse, but I understand her wanting to be a part of the harvest.  I always liked to be at my girlfriend’s farm during the harvest.  It was always a joyful time of year.

 

Instead of doing any antiquing there, we went to a grocery and stocked up on some items.  I had been seeing a lot of adds for an Aldi Store, and since we had never been in one we thought we would give it a shot.  It’s ok, but it isn’t up to Kroger’s standard or Meyers'.  I can hardly wait to get back to Indy and shop in Kroger again. 

 

After we brought the few groceries home, we loaded up  one of the propane tanks and took it up to the office to be filled.  We had to pay for it, then drop it off at the filling station, then pick it up later.  We got back a little after 4:00pm and it still hadn’t been filled.  This whole place is kind of out of whack.  I don’t know whose fault that is, and don’t even want to hazard a guess, but it sure is disorganized.    Just a couple of minutes ago they brought us our filled tank.

 

I am so grateful for all the comments I have been getting.  I really miss reading all of my favorite blogs and being able to leave comments.  I am so thankful that I moved to BlogSpot.   Everyone here is so warm and welcoming.  I still have a few blogs on mytripjournal that I like to read too.

 

I have had quite a few phone calls in the last few days.  My girlfriend Bertie called to see when we would be home and if we would have time to go out and eat or go to flea markets.  I told her I just really didn’t know yet.  We will just play it by ear.  I called my best Buddy too.  She is doing really well with her blood platelets and goes back to the Doctor on the 21st.   I also talked to Uncle Boone and his blood count is still high enough that he didn’t need a transfusion this week either.  That is really good news.

 

I also got a call from my beautiful daughter, Shannon.   Her and her husband, Mark are getting ready to leave on vacation.  They are going on a two state motorcycle trip.  I hope she has a good time.  She works really hard all year and deserves some down time.  She is in, what I think is a very stressful job, working for two heart specialists.  She seems to love it though.  

 

I also got a call from my little sister Dottie.  She is a Grandma again today (Thursday).  Her and Mark’s first Grandson.  They had to take him C-section because her Daughter in-law had gestational diabetes, and the baby was having trouble breathing, but when she called, baby and Mom were both doing fine.  Congratulations Joe and Kirsten, and Grandma and Grandpa…  :)

 

Going to get off here and fix us a bite to eat.  You all stay safe…

Fayette County Museum

 

We both slept like the dead last night.  At least it was quiet here last night.  About 6:00  we heard all the motors starting, so I am sure a lot of the people here are still working.

 

My opinion of this place has not changed in the least.  I went to the office this morning to use the internet, and just did not feel welcome at all.  I wish there were some  place in one of the little towns near here to get online, and I wouldn’t even bother going to the office at all.

 

We did go to both little towns this morning.  One is to the East and one to the West.  Vandalia, Ill. has a little Museum called Fayette County Museum.  We stopped there and walked through it, but there just wasn’t a whole lot to it.  We met the sweetest little old lady though.  Her name is Mary and she walked through with us and told us some stories about the little town of Vandalia.  We all 3 decided that one way to lower everyone’s taxes would be to do like they did in the old days, and just have one building that they used for everything.  It really hasn’t been that long ago that school, Church, town hall meetings, even dances were all held in the same building, and no one minded at all.  The ladies would even hold their sewing bees, quilting clubs and banquets for the sports teams in the same building.  Those buildings were always considered the heart of a small city.  I am afraid those days are gone forever…

 

 

 

 

I won’t bore you with a bunch more pictures from the museum.  This one did hold a very interesting tool that Abe Lincoln used to make shingles for his home.  The picture of that didn’t turn out though.  I couldn’t use my flash and parts of the museum were very dark.

 

After leaving the museum we stopped at the L & M Antique shop.  We love going through them and often they hold things that we both had in our families growing up.  I have been looking for several months for knitting patterns for doll clothes for my little sister, Jean.  She has 3 little Grand daughters and likes to knit them doll clothes, so I lucked out today and was able to pick her up a few patterns.

 

I think tomorrow we will probably stay in and get the laundry all caught up.  I also need to make some more ice.  I am sure there are other things around here that need to be done as well.

 

I am going to have an all vegetable and fruit supper tonight.  We took Gypsy’s advise and stopped at a Farmer’s market while we were still in WI.  We bought yellow zucchini, cantaloupe, onions, tomatoes, and I have a few apples that I am going to stew.  I had never tried the yellow zucchini.  I have eaten lots of green and lots of crook neck yellow squash.  Anyway, I like to wash it, slice it in the round, dip it in egg, then Italian bread crumbs and fry it in olive oil.  When it is done cooking I sprinkle it with parmesan or Romano cheese.  This is about the only way I ever eat squash, so if anyone out there has a good recipe they would like to share, I would love to have it.

 

Again, I am sorry about not being able to read or comment on everybody’s blogs this week, but I’ll get back to it as soon as possible.   

 

Nothing else exciting going on here, so I will get off of here and try to get something done.  Stay safe. 

 

Way Too Far

 

I don’t know what made me do it, but I had us on a route yesterday that was over 400 miles.  I must have had my mind on something else when I made this one.  That is too far for us old people to pull the RV, in one trip.  We were both bitchy and really tired when we arrived.

 

To make matters worse this RV Park, on a scale of 1-10, would be a 3.  On line it sounded perfect, but when we drove in, we knew we had screwed up.  To begin with the office is in the middle of the park instead of at the front like most of the places we have been to.  Then to top it off, I pulled clear up to the office and come to find out it is a dead end, so I had no place to turn this big rig around.  The sign that tells you to pull up the hill, instead of down to the office, is not in plain site, so I didn’t even see it.  This is a Pass Port America Park, and I guess for full hook-ups and 50 amps its not too much at $140.00 a week.  They advertise WiFi, but you have to go to the office to get on line.  I hate that.  I like getting a coffee in the morning, and while still in my pj’s, answer my emails and so forth.  So, I guess I will write my blogs here at the RV and then run up there to post them.

 

I won’t be able to leave any comments this week on all my favorite blogs, but I will get caught up with everyone when I am back on line in the comfort of my own home.

 

After we leave here we will be going back to Tell City, In. for a few days.  I have been having a little bit of trouble with my heart and feel I need to see the Doctor, so I will do that before we head on back to Indy.

 

I will post a few pictures of this RV Park, but I don’t really like posting the name of a place that I  would not recommend.  If any of you would like the name, email me, and I will gladly share the info with you.

 

 

 

 

As you can probably tell, most of these RV’s are here permanently.  Most don’t look that bad, but some have that worn-out look.  Maybe I am just tired, but I don’t think parks should be allowed to advertise things they don’t really have.

 

Going to get off here and scare up something to eat.  She also advertised nice places to eat.  All we can find is a Quick Pick type of place that sells beer and chips.

 

Stay safe….

God’s Day

 

I would like to share this video with you. I hope it works.    It is one of the prettiest ones I have ever gotten.  Andie’s Isle

 

We haven’t done a whole lot today.  I tried to get some of my emails cleared out.  It seems like the further I go, the behinder I get.  I love getting them, so don’t take me wrong, but trying to forward the ones I want to share, and deleting the ones I don’t, can be a real chore sometimes.

 

We did go over to a very large Antique Shop and Craft shop.  They were in two separate buildings, but the buildings were right together.  We only picked up a couple of things.  I got my daughter a little snow globe, for her Christmas tree, with her name on it.  We mostly just like walking around and looking.

 

We also took a drive out to the Mirror Lake State Park.  I should have taken a hint from all the traffic, but it seems I never learn.  When we got out to the park, it was so packed with people, there wasn’t even a parking place to be had, so we turned around and came back to the RV.  The people in WI sure take their holidays seriously. 

 

We took a small drive over in the Dells yesterday evening and this must be what they are talking about when they say “rat race”.  Every museum, adventure park, amusement park, everything was full to the brim.  I think this is why a lot of people choose to go camping. 

 

I hope someone out there in blog land can tell me what this is all about.  When we were driving out to the park we saw a herd of cattle, probably around 20 of them, and they were all huddled up in a circle with their heads all turned in.  15 minutes later when we came back by, they were still in this same huddle.  Has anyone out there ever seen anything like this?  Too much traffic or I would have stopped for a picture.  Never have seen anything like this.

 

I think we are getting ready to have a big storm.  The lighting just started and now we are getting some very loud thunder.

 

I’m going to get off here and shut the windows up.  It has been very cool since we got here.  Only 69 for the high today.

 

Stay safe…. :)

Baraboo Candy

 

We were going to hang tight here at the park this week end, then I got a comment from Judy.  She told me about a couple of different things we might want to check out, so off we went. 

 

The first was the Baraboo Candy Company, home of the original Cow Pies.  So, of course we had to go there to see what they were all about.  They are actually turtles that are made out of Pecans, Carmel, and chocolate.  But, these turtles are as big around as your hand, and they are delicious.  After browsing around in there for a while, we decided on a few other kinds.  We bought a peanut butter bowl, and orange, strawberry, mint and peanut butter meltaways.  Then as fast as he could, Don got me out of that place.  If you would like to see what all they have here is their address: www.baraboocandy.com .

 

 

 

Next we took Judy’s advise and went to the International Crane Foundation.  Their address is: www.savingcranes.org . We were greeted by 2 ladies that had their hands full.  I guess all the tourists in the area had the same idea, so the place was packed.  Most of the people were there for the guided tour, but we were just going to take the self guided tour, and we are glad we did.  The crowd was so large and noisy, that we wouldn’t have been able to hear them anyway.  We were able to stay far enough ahead of them not to be in their way, nor them in ours.

 

It was very interesting, but a lot of the cranes on display would not come out.  I don’t know if it was feeding time or just too cold for them, but we did get to see quite a few of them, and it was well worth the money.  We also know the money is going for a very good cause.

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

I wish the pictures could be better, but with them in the fence and me outside, this is the best I could do.  I did get a video, but haven’t mastered the technique of adding that to the site yet.  I will have to check Rick’s book and see if I can figure it out.

 

I wanted very badly to see the Sandhill Cranes out in the wild, but we didn’t.  We met a very nice couple at the Foundation from WI.  They said that there are hundreds of them here and sometimes they stop traffic.  I would love to see that, and maybe we will before we leave here.

 

Again, thanks Judy for the suggestions.  Hope to maybe return the favor one day.

 

Going to get off of here and throw something together for supper.  We have both had so much candy today that we are on sugar highs.  You only go around once so, you might as well enjoy the trip… :)

 

Stay safe and I hope you all are having a great week end.  This place sure did fill up….