Merry Christmas

Just a quick wish for you - We wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Major Dilemma

After several years of sporadic postings to this blog, I have reached a major dilemma.  As of last week, we are no longer "two wanderers who have settled in the small west Texas town of Marathon".  We are again kind of wandering around towards South Carolina in anticipation of the birth of our first grand child.  So now for the dilemma - Do you try to change the name of the blog, add a sub-title or leave it as it is.  I guess with my great frequency of posting it probably doesn't make any difference and my few followers will know how to find me.


Anyway. . . .  We left Marathon in a huge rental  truck towing a trailer loaded with our mini van behind.  We stopped for the first night in the town of Big Spring, TX where we parked in the 'truck lot' of the motel.  During the night, the skies opened and a very infrequent desert rain turned the lot into a quagmire.  Big trucks and trailers don't like mud.  At all.  Not even a little.  With some major help, we got on the road again and two days later we're out of Texas and across Louisiana.  If you've never driven across LA, you don't know what you're missing.  I'm afraid to open the back of the truck and see how the load has rearranged itself.  Problem is how to open the door (rolls up) and jump out of the way at the same time.


Stay tuned, there might be quite a story.


Onward and eastward, the wanderers proceed!!

Where We Are Now

 We were sitting outside this morning with our coffee  and

I thought you might like to see where we're staying right now.  This photo(above) is 

the view from our deck.

 This is our setup.  We have a nice deck to enjoy

and don't have to climb steps to get into the trailer.

 We've got lots of trees to shade us from the late morning

and afternoon sun.

 As you can see, there aren't lots of trailer and other RV's 

crowded in around.

While you can't see it in these photos, just over the hill

is a small pond and beyond that is the Saluda River.  

We like it here for now while we wait to meet our new Grand Daughter!!

Stay around with us and eventually you'll get to see pictures of her (but 

not till December.)

Greenville, sc

What a great day.  We're in Greenville, SC, and today we went to the local farmer's market.  Great selection of vegetables, fruit meat and other food and crafts.  As usual, we bought way too many fruits and veggies, now we just have to eat them.

This area is really pretty, and we have found a nice campground with good spaces, and the one we are in has a nice deck at walk out height so there's no negotiating steps. 

We also had an opportunity to check out the library, very nice and we'll soon have cards there.  We'll have pictures next time (I hope), but wanted to let you know we're still around.

A nice after dinner walk

Another Break from Projects

We've been with Heather in NC for the last week, working on projects on her house.  What better time than summer with 90+ degree temps, nearly equal humidity and daily thunder storms to do outside and inside projects. 

You'd think there would be before and after photos, but that's just thinking!  We put trim on her mud room, posts and rails on the front porch, Pat did cleaning and painting baseboards and trim and prep work for ceiling repair in the kitchen. 

Textured ceiling and new lights followed.  It all looks very nice, and Heather's animals are quite happy that we have finished for now so they can get back to their normal life.  So am I. 

She lives outside of Raleigh, so it's still a 30 mile drive for supplies, but at least there is LOTS more selection than going to Alpine and McCoys.

We've got more to do, but we're going to wait for warmer weather (August) to do those. 

Keep tuned in for more earth shattering updates.

Seeing the Green

I almost feel guilty, all the green, all the rain, but the all the humidity kicks in and with it the realization that there are goods and bads with everyplace.  We've traveled on to South Carolina and spent some time with Karen, Spencer and 'the bump'.  It is really a kick to watch Pat talk to Karen's belly and both (Pat and Karen) be so excited about looking for baby stuff and talk about all the goings on.  It's good that time flies or it would be a long time till December.

We did get our Devereaux's fix.  Went to dinner with Karen there on Wednesday and had a wonderful dinner.  Spencer did his wonderful stuff and fed us some very super food.  Thank goodness for small portions, otherwise there's no way to have eaten it all.  I'd tell you what we ate if I could remember what it all was. 

After Greenville, we journeyed on to Roanoke for some time with Nikki.  We're having a nice time here.  It's fun to come back and see all the changes in a place where we lived and worked.  I still haven't got the photo thing worked out, but don't give up, I haven't.

Till next time.....

Still Going Strong

Sometimes I wonder why I say I'm going to blog more frequently - and then don't.  Oh well, so goes life.  We're still on our sporadic trip eastwards.  When I last left you, we were in Indiana, and have now moved on.  We spent several days in Cincinnati which we thoroughly enjoyed.  What did we do? Well by now you should know we love grocery stores, and first out we had a very interesting visit to an extremely unique store.  We found Jungle Jim's International Market.  What an overwhelming experience. 6 acres of store under one roof with more olives (42 varieties), sausages & deli meats (5 or 6 cool cases), cheeses (another 5 o4 6 cool displays), wine (12 double sided isles), beer (6 rows & 2 walk ins), a very complete kitchen store and many sections of international food.  For the first time ever I think, we were both so overloaded we gave up and left.  Minus a few dollars of course.

We went to lunch at Skyline Chili and had wonderful ice cream at Graeter's Ice Cream, both recommended by our hosts at Winton Woods, the Hamilton County Park where we stayed.  Both the chili and ice cream were worth the visit.  After lunch, our waitress introduced us to another diner who gave us many wonderful suggestions of places to visit and things to do while in Cincinnati.  All worthy of many more visits.

High on the list was the Butterfly Show at the Krohn Conservatory, as we understand it an annual event.  Also on the top of the list was the Cincinnati Union Terminal Museums.  There was a most interesting Cleopatra exhibit currently showing, and in the OmniMax Theater was the movie, Tornado Alley.  After our experience in Kansas City, this was awesome.


There is enough to do in the Cincinnati area to justify a return trip in the future.  I'll try to sort out some photos and send them along for you enjoyment.

As of today, we're in the greater Knoxville area.

Still Wandering

OK, we've been in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.  We actually stayed in all except Illinois where we just drove through.  We're in Chesterfield, IN for a couple of days and then plan on moving on to the Cincinnati area for a few days.  We haven't been there and plan on doing a little exploring.

 Our visit in Viroqua, WI was very pleasant, it had a warm small town feel and very friendly folks.  It was good to visit with our friends we haven't seen in several years and do major catch up with them.  We also went to the small town of Westby and got some great cheese at the local dairy and meats at the small butcher shop.  Great pork, wish we had space to get lots more.

We're not taking lots of photos, so there aren't a lot to share, we'll try to do a little better. 
WIFI is spotty, but we'll try to keep caught up as we can. 

We Found it!

We got up this morning and found that cooler weather had found us.  It got all the way up to 61 today and was quite chilly after the warm weather.  I was really glad it was cooler when I had to change a flat tire before we could leave the park where we were camped.  We found a good place for the tire repair and then got on the road, a little late but with no other problems.

Tonight we're in Madison, WI, with computer but not much.  More tomorrow (hopefully)

Filled in our Maps

A close review of our "States Visited" map will show that we have now completed the MN and WI maps as having been visited.  That leaves Vermont and Rhode Island the only two 'lower 48' that we haven't visited together.  Before O2 is done, we will have completed those also.
You will also note that our tentative travel map has been somewhat altered.  As you know, we use plans as a very fluid target that may or may not be close to where we travel.  Who knows where we will actually go.

We had a wonderful stay in the Kansas City area, had some fantastic steaks and good BBQ.  Leaving there we journeyed to Decorah, Iowa to check it out with neighbors from Marathon.  They had been there last year and were very excited about this city.  Having spent a week there with them, it is easy to understand why they like it.  It is a very enjoyable community, and as anyone who knows us is aware, there was some wonderful food there also.

Leaving them there for a few more days, we made our way north into Minnesota and from here across to Wisconsin, there to visit friends we made as they wandered through Marathon several years ago.  We're still wondering though, where is the cool weather.

Stay tuned for more updates as we traverse parts of the 'Great River Road'

Skywatch

This is one scary looking sky.  We were in Kansas City and they were having tornadic weather.

 

This photo was taken about two days after the major tornado hit Joplin, MO.  We were very aware of the weather since we had been through Joplin the day of the tornado, but before it struck.  

For more awesome photos, please visit Skywatch.

Kansas City

As promised, here are a few photos from our visit in Kansas City.

Pat with Birthday flowers from someone 'special'

Beautiful and amazing statues at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City

Badminton anyone?

Clouds that make you very nervous (especially after all the tornadoes in the area)

We really enjoyed our stay in the Kansas City area. Its hard to know what to expecton your first stay somewhere, but we were really surprised with all we were able to see anddo here. Oh, and we had some great steaks downtown, and of course, BBQ at Arthur Bryant's.

Back on the Blog

OK folks, after a few days trying to get computers replaced, realigned and working, I'm back.  I am really going to try to keep this somewhat timely.  Our biggest adventure so far has been the weather.  Our trip from McAlester OK to Kansas City was tentatively planned with an overnite stop in Joplin, MO.  We decided that it was early enough in the day to travel on to KC.  That was the evening the tornado hit Joplin.  Never have I been so glad to have a longer travel day. 

While we were in McAlester, we decided to stay for the 'Italian Festival'.  There was to be a big Italian feed set up, but it wasn't operating while we were there.  It would have been the only Italian thing we saw.  There were a lot of vendors set up with crafts, etc, and a sort of carnival, but that was it.  Live and learn. 

Kansas City has been a good visit.  There's really a lot to see and do here, and if you're really unlucky, you can spend some time in the storm shelter while tornadoes touch down in several places in the county near your RV Park.  At least there ARE storm shelters! 

There are also fabulous free Museums, and at Union Station Pat got to see the Diana Exhibit.  Yesterday was for visiting a couple of Farmer's Markets and lunch at an Irish Pub. 

Hopefully there will be pictures in the next edition, stick around and see.

Safe and Sound

Not much today. We're safe in KC, not near all the damage in Joplin.
Sent from my iPhone

Rain?

We're still in McAlester. Today we're watching water fall out of the sky. I think they call it rain!
2.87 inches reported

Out of Texas

Well, we're out of Texas. We made it to Krebs OK today. Got to shop in a
Wonderful little Italian grocery, then broke our diets
At a great Italian restaurant. We've decided to stay through
The weekend for their annual Italian festival. We'll
Let you know all about it.

Great Beginnings

We've traveled for days and days now, ok two days and made it all the way to Mineral Wells, TX.  Had to wait for the appointment in Odessa and then the store and, and, etc.  Got up this morning and didn't make much progress.  This west Texas wind is wonderful with the trailer.  Oh well, we are making progress.

Stay tuned for more developments.

Countdown is On

Well, the trailer is loaded, and I mean loaded, the house is as empty as it's going to get.  Tonight we'll move into the trailer to make sure all works ok, settle in tomorrow and then Monday morning we hit the road. 

We have to stop in Midland for one last appointment, then off to our great new adventure.  This journey will be called O2.  When we set off for our first big trip in our motorhome, it was the Odyssey and it was very good.  This is O2 (Odyssey2) and we have many expectations.  Now for the start.

Our VEEERRY tentative travel plans

As we plan, we go through many, many permutations of where our trip might take us.  As we start, we plan on going to Decorah, IA to visit neighbors who will be there also.  After that, the line gets tentative and may or may not be followed. 

I guess you'll just have to follow along and find out with us.

limited access

As we begin to travel again, I intend to keep up better about where we are and what we're doing.  I don't however want to share this with the whole world, so I am trying to restrict access to this blog.  I hope to hear from you about this idea.

A Beautiful Morning for Skywatch

This is the photo that's supposed to be with the last post, so where

did it go? I've obviously forgotten how to do this. For more great photos

check out Skywatch!

We've recently had numerous wildfires in our area and quite frequently mornings have been smokey and grey.

Imagine my joy to look up from the computer and see this view out my back door! How can such a

beautiful view be anything but glorious.

Have a great day. It's been far too long, but look for this photo and more on Skywatch!