Cold, wet with more to come

The sun is long gone, it was raining when we got up.  Wet and cold, ish.  We went out for breakfast and then came home to read the Sunday newspaper.

Brenda came over in the afternoon with some rhubarb she got at a Farmer's Market.  The rain stopped long enough for us to grill some steak.  I hope this depressing weather changes.

Sun!

It is nice to see the sun for once!  Knowing the next few days will be cold and rain.  This weather is getting tiresome.  We worked around the house in the morning.  Don power washed the deck.  In the evening we went to HyVee groceries for Chinese dinner.  It was good, now our favorite Chinese take-out.


Hate seeing snow on RV's.  Just taken at Custer State Park in SD.

Another motorhome check

Back out to the motorhome to check on the heat as last night was even colder.  All was well.  Then to HyVee for some groceries.  They have what we think is the best meat around so bought some on sale.

We went to Panera for dinner.

Snow!

We went to check on the motorhome this morning.  It got down to freezing and wanted to make sure the furnace was working and it appears it did run.  We had some slushy rain this morning but on our way to the motorhome we saw snow in roofs, in evergreen trees, etc.  To be even colder tonight, is this April - where is the nice weather?

We needed a couple things at Sam's Club and stayed for some cheap, but good pizza.

In the afternoon we spent some time updating addresses which required phone calls to verify that we are actually us!

I made Chili for dinner, a good cold day meal.

Photo by my friend Sue.

Motorhome business today

It is suppose to get to freezing tonight and tomorrow night so we went to the motorhome and sat the propane heat.  Don't want any broken water lines!  Will in the area we had breakfast at Little 6 Casino, I had their great French toast.  Then we went to the nearby RV repair place to see it they could fix our cab air conditioner since the Ford place told us it was a manufacture problem.  Suprise, they could fix it and would take our extended insurance.  We have an appointment for next week.  We spent a good part of the afternoon looking for a storage spot for our motorhome as the one we had counted on appears will not be available.  Finally we found a place, not sure how secure it is but then other than our 4 TV's we don't have much of value inside.

We have had a LOT of rain in the last 24 hours, we are ready for some dry, sunny, warm days!  It's Spring after all!!!

Taco Tuesday

This morning we went to Walmart and Cub Foods for groceries and other stuff.  Was good to get out after being inside all day yesterday.  It started raining mid afternoon.  We had newspapers and computer things to catch up on.

Being it is Taco Tuesday, we brought home taco's for dinner/

Cloudy Monday

As predicted we have a cloudy day.  I cleaned the house while Don took the car in to have the tires balanced, past due!  Brenda came over for a visit in the afternoon.

Dinner at home, a quiet - stay at home day.

Sunday

We went to Cracker Barrel for Breakfast today and then out to check on the motorhome (which was fine).  We came home to start to read the Sunday newspaper and finished it in the afternoon.

For dinner we grilled some "bacon wrapped tenderloin pork chops" which I purchased on sale at HyVee.  They were great, very tender.

Seems this will be the last nice day for awhile, where is Spring?

Earth day!

Time to get some housework done.  I cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms, washed towels, etc.  Then we went outside and I supervised Don trimming the evergreen bushes in front and I trimmed back my old geranium that has been with us for 18 years.  Every so often I trim it back drastically, fertilize and put it in the sun.  It comes back looking great!

We went to Panda Express for dinner.

Happy Earth Day!

Shopping

We went to Panera for breakfast, been a long time since we have done that!  I think I drank too much high powered coffee.  Then we went to Target and HyVee Foods.  We got more groceries than we probably needed, the refrigator is full.  About time we start eating at home!

We did stay home the rest of the day and had fish out of the freezer for dinner.

Motorhome problems, again

We got the call from the Ford garage that they had looked at the cab air conditioner and the problem was when it was manufactured a hose was crimped and a RV dealer will have to do the repair.  The RV repair place in Alabama told us it would have to be repaired by a Ford dealer.  I am not surprised we get the run around, everything else on the MH has been like that.  So now we need to see if the manufacturer, Fleetwood, will cover the repair as it was  their fault.  If so, then if a local RV repair place can and will do the repair.  We retrieved the motorhome and took it back to the RV park until we can get it into storage.  While we were hooking up the car to the MH a man walked by and asked us if it was our MH.  We felt like saying no, we just want someone else to have our car.  Dumb question.

We stopped by Arby's for a gyro for dinner.

Motorhome repair, again

It was up and out again today to the motorhome.  We took it in to get the cab air conditioner fixed.  I went to Kohl's and then we went to Menard's just to take up time.  While leaving Menards, a different one than we usually shop at, I noticed a Harbor Freight - Don's second favorite store.  So it was turn around the car!  We ate lunch and went to check on the progress of the repair, they were not done.  We went home and a good thing, later they called and said it won't be done until tomorrow.  Fine with me as I don't want to get out in the cold rain we are having today.

More cleaning

Cleaning day at the motorhome and what a big job that was to do.  The refrigator and shower took most of the time but then had to clean the rest.  We didn't do the floors, with the rain they wouldn't stay clean for long.  Will get them done before we store the MH.  We decided to leave it at it's current campground another week and then maybe a storage site at the place we stored it last year will open up.  It goes in for cab air conditioning repair tomorrow.

Of course it stopped raining when we got home but remained a chilly day.  Was good to stay home for dinner!

Cleaning and Cubs

Cleaned the house, with moving stuff back in it had gotten in the need of a good cleaning, putting away stuff that lingered and vacuuming the carpet.  Looks so much better.

We went out to the motorhome for a check and to turn on the water heater for tomorrows big clean.  Afterwards we stopped at Cub Foods for "a couple of things" and got $32 worth.  We picked up some of their good fried chicken for dinner.

Different takes on camping!

Easter

We went out for breakfast and then came home and read the Sunday newspapers.  I prepared the salad we are taking to Easter Dinner at our son-in-law's sister's house.

We had a good time, lots of good food.  It was so good to have a home cooked meal!  We stayed awhile and visited before going home.  Not hungry for any more food today.

More motorhome

Back to the motorhome this morning.  We got what is probably the last of the stuff.  The motorhome is a mess and will need a good cleaning, our next challenge but that will have to wait as we are taking tomorrow, Easter, off the motorhome trip list.

After visiting the MH we went to Walmart, badly needed some groceries.  We got a couple sandwiches to bring home for lunch and then a well deserved nap before I started washing MH rugs and pillows.  Also caught up on reading the newspapers.

We went to Chili's for dinner, had their good ribs.

Good Friday

More trips to the motorhome today.  My arms hurt and I am tired.  I went on the morning trip but Don made the afternoon trip by himself while I stayed home and washed bedding, etc.  from the motorhome.  Put away stuff and tried to make some order to the house but failed.

We got a pizza for dinner, almost too tired to eat.


Good Friday---

Daughters!

Two trips today to the motorhome for a packed car full of stuff, we have hardly made a dent!  I am exhausted.

The best part of the day was our daughters came over for a visit in the evening.  So good to see them again!  Think I have missed them more this time than ever.


A trip to a National Park is my favorite thing to do!

HOME

Made it HOME or at least to a campground in the area.  We packed up what we needed for the night and went to the house.  So good to be out of the motorhome and knowing we don't have any major travels soon.

We made another trip for more stuff in the evening, a lot to move!

Everything was fine at our house, but we knew that because our daughters have been checking on it all winter!

Another favorite group at Branson, The Presleys

Branson to Osceola, Iowa

On the road again today, first it was many long hills - up and down and again and again, etc.  The next challenge was getting through Kansas City.  We have been known to take a wrong turn, but today we did it perfectly and endured the traffic.  From there it was free sailing to Osceola, Iowa for the night.

We got gas three times, unusual but third time was just before we parked so we are ready to head right out tomorrow.  No problems with having to wait in the RV lanes.

Went to the nearby Arby's for a sandwich for dinner.



Not a political statement, just thought this was funny!

Last day in Branson

Started the day by cleaning the motorhome inside, won't be long until we are moving out to our land house, but still needed cleaning!

Then I made my annual doctor appointments, you would think I'm a real sickie by the number of appointments.  Just want to get it DONE.

In the evening we went for dinner at Fudruckers and did a short tour of the town.

Eating, touring and watching

We had breakfast at McFarland's, it was super good.  Then we went for a ride around the damn and finally stopped at Menards (again).  Don saw someone he knows from Prior Lake,  MN!

We went out to dinner at the Catfish House, Home of the Tossed Rolls.  It was good as usual and we caught a couple of their fresh out of the oven rolls!  Then we watched the show Now You See Me 2, it was good and fun.

Branson show

It was good and needed to get a good night's sleep.  A train that just had to blow it whistle for a long time, woke us up about 3 AM.

After drinking coffee, we went out to get tickets to The Haygoods, to Walmart and to lunch at a favorite place - The Grand Country Buffet.  Home to take a nice nap and the we went to the new Menards Home Store.  Don was so happy to go to a Menards after over 3 months without seeing one!

In the evening we went to The Haygoods, they put on a great show as always.

Vicksburg, MS to Hollister (Branson), MO.

On the road again - this is by far the worst day of our trip when we come this direction.  First it's LA, Lower Arkansas.  That isn't too bad until about Pine Bluff when the traffic picked up through Little Rock.  Then come the mountains, curves, hills and worst of all the curbs they put right next to the roadway.  If the motorhome hits a curb it sends us into the other lane.  So where we can we move over.  We had a couple scary events today.

Right away, just entering the interstate in Mississippi we took a curve too fast and the refrigerator stuff came sliding out as far as it could with the stretch straps.  So I had to get up and fix the problem, this happened two more times.  Usually doesn't happen at all.

At least it was a cool day, no motorhome problems.  We got to Turkey Creek campground in Hollister (Branson) about 5 PM.  Went to McDonald's for salads for dinner, not great.  We are really tired.

  

Gulf Shores Alabama to Vicksburg Mississippi

We drove out of the campground in Gulf Shores about 8 AM and headed west on Interstate 10, took a cut across and then it was north to Jackson, Mississippi and west again to Vicksburg for the night.  It was only about 7 hours but seemed longer.  We had  wind from the NW we had to fight all day.  Sometimes the motorhome was swaying all over the road.  At least it was cool, no need for air conditioning.

We needed a post office in Vicksburg and on the way spotted a Captain D's so went back for dinner to take home.  Watched some TV, Don had trouble staying awake.

Friend Carol's 79th birthday!

Krispy Kreme day

Another rainy day, the television weather people talked and talked and talked about the impending storms this morning.  It was hot and humid like we could get a storm but just got a few sprinkles.

We went to Krispy Kreme donuts mid-morning and then back to Camping World where Don needed to buy a new sewer hose for the motorhome.  Then to Walmart for a very few groceries.  We picked up lunch at McDonalds to bring home.

We went back to Zaxby's for their  Zalad to take home for dinner.

Motorhome repair day

Up early again to get the motorhome in for repairs by 8 AM.  We had some fog on the way, seems people here don't believe in turning on their car lights in the fog.  After we left the motorhome we went to Waffle House for breakfast, their waffles were noticeably better than the Waffle House we go to in Florida, so I mentioned that to the cook.  She said it was probably because she keeps the batter cold which makes the waffles fluffer - have to remember that!

Then we went for a Gulf shore drive and to Old Time Pottery.  I hoped to get a lot of gifts for summer stuff but only found one.  Then Don went to a tool place, bought nothing.  After that back to Camping World where we had popcorn for lunch and then got the call the motorhome was ready.  Of course we still have a couple other little problems for which they ordered parts, so see them next fall!

We went back into town to Zaxby's for dinner.  It was a lot of food but we ate it all after just having popcorn for lunch.

Clingman's Dome (Smoky Mountain National Park)  Hiked to the Dome twice!

Shrimp and Cheese Grits!!!!

Not sure we feel rested even after a good night's sleep.  We had a major weather front come through with all sorts of dire warnings and weather people talking constantly on all TV channels like it was the storm of the year.  They even canceled schools.  We had a lot of rain, some lightening and maybe 5 hail stones.

Meanwhile I cleaned the house some and washed some clothes along with drinking some good coffee.  The storm passed about noon, but it was HUMID!  We went to a seafood place we found last fall.  It was very good, I had shrimp and cheese grits.  It was as good as I remember last fall.

Bushnell Florida to Summerdale Alabama

Moving Day - we got up at 5:30 AM and left Sumter Oaks at 7:30.  Takes awhile to get ourselves ready and then the motorhome ready.  Then have to get unhooked and move out.  Don had to go by the air pump for the tires.  It was 9 hours on the road with several rest stops and one gas stop.  We pulled right into the RV pumps at Flying J but when we left there were Rv's lined up to the road waiting for one of the two lanes.  Someone with a car pulled into the other side which is not taken lightly among the RV crowd!

It was a hot day and when we turned on Interstate 10 to head west the sun was coming in on Don full force.  I am usually the one with the sun, so now he knows how intense it can be.  Our dash air conditioner is not working so we turned on the generator and ran the roof airs which helped a lot.  Hope it is not so hot the rest of the way!

We were really tired and went to bed early.

April Fools

This is the day before The Moving of the Motorhome, so we are picking up and putting away stuff.  I had a couple loads of clothing to wash, Don washed the motorhome yesterday and the car today.  We are both putting stuff away for the trip.

We went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner and made a stop at Harbor Freight for Don.