What an ordeal

Rain, cold and wind continue.  Yesterday was one of the worst days I have spent in the motorhome.  Hard to keep warm, too wet to go out.  It has been too cold to run the heat pumps so we ran the propane furnace a lot.

The highlight of the day was a visit from Sheila and Zach in the evening!  After they left we turned up out two electric space heaters and then turned on the TV.  It was all too much for the electric circuit so about half our outlets went dead including both TV's.  No problem we thought, just reset the circuit breaker - except it wasn't off.  All the breakers looked fine as did the fuses.  Don thought it was a GSI outlet in the bathroom that had been pesky so he replaced it (had one on hand as he knew it was going out soon) but that didn't help.  We finally went to bed about 11 PM.  Neither of us slept well as we keep going over what could possibly have happened.  This morning we tried several other things but none helped so we called a RV repair person that comes to the site.  He was not available, left a message.  While waiting I picked up my Kindle Fire and went online to research "Fleetwood Excursion Electrical Problems".  Right away a message from another Don popped up.  He had the same problem caused the same.  He had gotten a reply that there are two breakers on the inverter (located outside), one had probably popped.  Reset it and you are back in business.

I told Don if I had the solution would he buy me the tablet computer I wanted, he agreed.  I told him what I had found and in a couple of minutes our problem was fixed.  This is about a crazy as it comes, we would have never guessed the problem was the inverter. ..

 Didn't get a table but got a new printer!

A littler warmer today and can use the heat pumps, got to the grocery store and Best Buy.

Rainy Sunday

Rain, rain, rain.  It rained all night, high wind gusts and turned cold.  It has rained most of the day.  We went out for breakfast and Don's first visit to his favorite store Menards.  In the afternoon Brenda and Rebecca came for a visit.   Sheila called later.  Looks like this weather will be with us for awhile.

Last lap to Minnesota

We got a good start heading north, weather good except for a east wind that is making it hard to stay in our lane.  We stopped for lunch at a rest stop and Don started the car to charge the battery.  We also started the generator as we hadn't run it for awhile.  When we were ready to leave we turned off the generator and started to drive off.  Don said something is wrong and then at the same time we both said CAR.  The car was still running and in PARK.  We had pulled the car about 5 feet in Park leaving skid marks.  I reset the car and we were off.

When we got to Dakotah Meadows our electricity would not come on.  The outside surge protector was giving us no error messages but the inside one said dl 3.  We tried various things but nothing would work.  I remembered that our former motorhome once had the same problem and Don was checking circuit beakers and flipping switches.  One switch was on the generator which was near all the other electrical stuff in that motorhome.  SO I asked him to go the our generator which in in front and see if there was a switch.  He didn't think it would make any difference - but it did.  After he flipped that switch the electricity came on, thankfully.

We beat the storms, rain, etc. The forecast doesn't look good, cold and wet.  We are not accustomed to seeing trees with no leaves.

Day on the road

We got out of our campground around 8:15 and headed north.  Most of the trip went well,  BUT pulling into the Flying J for diesel we had to turn sharply to miss a car and ended up with the MH wheel on the curb.  No problem for the motorhome but for our tow car it would not end well.  So we disconnected the car, which started but just barely, and I drove it around to where we could reconnect.

Moving on a few miles:  I told Don it was .9 miles to our turn but he liked the closer turn better so we ended up going East rather than North.  Had to exit off the highway and make a turn which would have been fine but the car in front of us was having problems.  Finally we got on the highway and almost took the South exit, thankfully no one was beside us and we were able to readjust and go North at last.

We got to Osceola, Iowa, our stop for the night at a casino, about 4PM.  More diesel at Pilot/Flying J.   All is well that ends well!!!

Last day in Branson

We went for lunch at the Grand Buffet - again.  Then to Target.  I saw one of the men from Duck Dynasty (who are appearing locally) roaming around trying to look incognito in his sun glasses.  I could have cared less.

We went to Casey's General Store and gas station for pizza.  We had heard it was very good but we found it average.

In the evening we went to The Baldknobbers.  They seemed like they were on auto pilot, but I would be if I had to perform 6 nights a week for 55 years.  Not an exciting show, too little music - too much from the "comedians".  Oh well we got the tickets for $5 each as a campground promotion.

Grands

Today we had breakfast at the incredible Grand Buffet.  In the evening we went to a show we had seen a few years ago, The Grand Jubilee.  It was as good as before.

Celebrating Earth Day

We celebrated Earth Day.  Don power washed the roof of our motorhome and then applied the wax/sealer.  This is a once a year job and now good to have it done.  We get so much tree sap and green stuff from the Live Oak trees in our park in Florida that the top was a mess.  He found a half dead fog that had taken residence in an air conditioner.  (Hope Mr. Frog can heal here in Branson.) I spent the time on the computer trying to find an answer to problems I was having with our printer and my new phone.  I got the phone problem solved and think the printer problem is solved.  We weren't the only ones having the problem by far.

In the evening we ate at Fall Creek Steak and Catfish House, Home of the Tossed Rolls.  We had a good dinner and a couple tossed rolls.

Happy Earth Day!

Easter Monday

Easter was a beautiful day!  We ate breakfast at McFarland's,  we were going to the Gospel Service in the same complex but would have had to wait 1.5 hours.  We fixed dinner at home and later talked to our daughters.

Today we went to the Grand Buffet for lunch.  This is our all time favorite Buffet.  All the food is good and fresh.  We then went to Walmart mostly to walk off the full feeling and got a few groceries.

Easter

                         Happy Easter!

 

Getting things done

Don debugged - cleaned the bugs off the front of the motorhome and we had plenty!  I straightened things inside and put out some flamingos to cheer the place up.  In the afternoon we took a good nap being still tried from the long trip.

We went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner and had a very good Asiago Peppercorn steak, best steak we had had for a long time.  Of course we are getting further north where the cattle don't look anorexic.  We had excellent service as well.  Good to have something besides a sandwich like we have been eating all week.

Tablerock dam and fish hatchery near Branson

Yet another day on the road

On the road again today, no rest----  We traveled from Tunica, MS to Hollister (Branson, MO), about 7 hours.  The first part of the trip was good, mostly interstate.  The intersections around Little Rock are now done with construction so it was no problem.  Then off the interstate - we first go through an area which has a lot of traffic pulling into the road and slowing down to turn and lots of traffic lights.  To make maters worse is the curbs on the road that Arkansas seems to love so much, but they just bounce us into the other lane if we hit them.  Then came the mountains (which are beautiful), hills, curves and more hills and curves.  Finally we get past Harrison and it is clear sailing into Turkey Creek RV Resort.  We got a good site and it was good to get backed, leveled and slides out and motor off.  We went to Fudruckers for a hamburger for dinner.

The weather is nice, low 70's.  Trees are just budding and flowering.

Our motorhome be flowering tree

Long, long day on the road

We put in a 10 hour day on the road from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Tunica, Mississippi.  Had to stop for diesel twice and two rest stops.  When we got close to our campground at Sam's Town our GPS went on strike.  It took up around some narrow county roads, seemed like we were going in circles.  Finally I reset the GPS and it decided to cooperate and got us on the right road.  I think it was as tired as we are but it just made matters worse.  My map was useless.

After we got parked we went to a near Subway and brought home sandwiches for dinner.  At least the weather has been nice today and for awhile we had a tail wind which really makes a difference on our mileage.

A day off

It rained hard last evening and most of the night.  We had lots of lighting and thunder, some very close lighting strikes and thunder that rattled the motorhome.  A lot of sirens went by, we wondered if something got a lighting strike.  This morning the ditches were full of water and we could see where water had run over the road.

This was a welcome day of not traveling or being repaired.  We went again to Don's Waffle House for breakfast and then took a drive along the shore.  We stopped at Pottery Barn where I picked up a few items while Don waited in the car.  For dinner we brought home Chic-fil-a.

Another repair day

I love repair days - NOT.  Today we went to Camping World, had to be there by 8 AM.  Lots of people came in at the same time so we had no idea when the motorhome would be worked on.  We went to Krispy Cream for warm donuts and great coffee and then for a ride by the beaches.  I always want to stop at Pottery Barn so spent some time there and got a few things.  Then it was lunch at Abby's.  Camping World was suppose to call when they were done replacing the black water valve and installing the new toilet, they had not called so we decided to see how much longer it would take.  Surprise, they were done!

We paid and got back to our site before the impending thunderstorms.  Decided to stay home for dinner.

Waffle House in Foley

We went to Don's very favorite place to have breakfast - the Waffle House in Foley, Alabama.  He doesn't like just any Waffle House, just this one.  We had the same server we have had for years, she takes good care of us.  The pecan (pronounced pe-can here in the south) waffles are wonderful!

Later for dinner Don wanted to go to Chic-fil-a forgetting they are closed on Sunday so we ate nearby at Five Guys.

It was good to get a nap after such a long day yesterday!

 

GO

We left the campground about 7:45 this morning for the 9 hour trip.  The traffic was heavy all the way to I 10 and then not too bad.  We stopped for diesel and a couple rest stops, that was all our stops.  When we turned into the Gulf Shores road it was way backed up, just what we needed after a long day.  There was some sort of event in a park, as soon as we got be that traffic was the normal heavy.  We were glad to get parked.  We went out to Zaxby's for dinner.  I love their wings with Tongue Torch sauce.  (Don gets Wimpy sauce.)

We helped a couple women park their RV across the road.  They were having all sorts of problems and I could see they were very tired.  Don backed, I gave directions and we got them in right away.  I think they were very glad for the help.
 
Seen on the road - Take your own lighthouse!

Ready - set -

We moved to a pull-through site so it will be easier to get out early tomorrow to head north.  Some folks were having a picnic and convinced us to join them.  It was good to get a chance to tell everyone goodbye until next fall.  We are as ready as we can be until morning to travel.

Dunkin Donuts again

We went to the new Dunkin Donuts again today.  That is about all we have done today, good to have a day off.  The weather is perfect.

Buffalo in the Black Hills

Suncoast Designers

Yesterday we were surprised when our windows were done already in the late afternoon.  They had said it would be late Wednesday or early Thursday.  We decided to go back to Sumter Oaks right away instead of on Tuesday as rain is forecast for all day Tuesday.  We quick packed up and got back.  It has been in the 90's so we were hot and exhausted when we returned.

The windows look great.  The people at Suncoast Designers were professional. polite and friendly and did a good job.  We would recommend the place to anyone with foggy windows.

It has been raining on and off all day.  It has cooled some but is humid.

Verizon vs. Best Buy

While our motorhome windows are being repaired I decided to get a new phone.  We went to Verizon, waited 45 minutes for a salesperson.  Finally we got one.  He said "What do you want", I told him a Galaxy s4.  He never asked if we have Verizon Service, if our contract is over, our phone number.  He asked what I wanted a powerful phone like that for, maybe I'd be happy with something else.  (Old lady syndrome)  I had done my research and knew I wanted the Galaxy s4, he could care less it he sold it to me.  So we left without a phone.

We went to Best Buy.  They wanted to sell me the phone, we had to wait just a few minutes and then the process moved along.  The phone was half price at Best Buy and they told me I could use my old SD card, the Verizon man said I would need to buy a new SD card and that the phone had no memory in itself, not true.

I am now charging the new phone and then I will have to spend plenty of time setting it up.

I got a blue one

Move to Hudson, FL

It took time and plenty of work but we got the motorhome loaded and moved to Hudson, FL.  We are getting our foggy windows repaired.  We have 5 bad windows ranging from very bad to not so bad but all needing the fog removed from between the dual window panes before they get any worse.  The trip was just an hour.  A hot and humid day.

 

See ya later friends!

Today was the last Escapees luncheon in Clermont until November.  It was a small group of about 35 rather than about 75, lots of people are on the trek north.  It was good to visit again with friends.

In the evening we went to tell some friends goodbye and just stay a few seconds as we know how much needs to be done at the last minute.  They wanted us to come inside and visit for we were there for awhile.

It's kinda sad seeing the campground group breaking up for the season and yet we will be doing the same soon.  "Until next Fall"

Brooksville

We went to Brooksville for hair cuts today - one last time at our favorite place for the winter.  We went to the new Sears Outlet store, they have lots of stuff but we bought nothing.

They have got to be sick of the weather in western South Dakota: