Day 107, 108, 109, 110 and 111, October 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27, 2008

Day 107, 108, 109, 110 and 111
October 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27, 2008


We have been so busy traveling and visiting that I haven't had time to post for several days, so I am going to try to give you a rundown of where we have been and where we are going.

Day 107
October 23, 2008
Cloverdale RV Park
Cloverdale, IN

We drove from Forrest City, Arkansas to Cloverdale, Indiana today. Poor Merrell. :>( He drove about 450 miles in the rain. It rained all day. I think he was pretty tired by the time we stopped. We fixed hamburgers and french fries because it was fast and filling and we were all pretty tired by that time. It rained so much we couldn't get any good pictures. We tried, but the windows had so much rain on them that it just wouldn't work. The bad part is that the area we were coming through had so many beautiful BARNS!!!! I saw a couple of barns that would have made wonderful homes. They were even NATURALLY air conditioned!! (As in holes in the boards or missing boards) :>)

Day 108
October 24, 2008
Drove fromm Cloverdale, IN to Walbridge, OH

Another day of rain!!! We left the campground around 9:30 a.m. and drove to Lacy and Jerri's in Walbridge, OH. I think we got there around 4 p.m.. Once again it was too rainy to take pictures, so we missed some more beautiful barns and colorful trees. It's so good to finally see green fields and colorful trees. Jerri had fixed a big pot of vegetable soup and cornbread which tasted awfully good on a cold dreary day. Several of her kids and grandkids came over to visit and before we knew it, it was bedtime.

Day 109
October 25, 2008
Walbridge, OH

We just sat around and visited during the day today. Jerri's kids and grandkids came over to visit again. Chuck and Carolee went to see their grandchildren and all those wonderful new great grandchildren!!! They all live over in the area that Chuck and Carolee used to live.
Tamra ordered pizza for us and I had a FIRST in the pizza line. I had NEVER heard of ranch/chicken pizza. Believe it or not, it's really, really good. It has ranch dressing on the crust (lots of it) and then they put shredded chicken, crumbled bacon, tomatoes and lots of CHEESE!!! Merrell and I both really liked it, so I may try to make it at home.
Lacy and Jerri had a wedding to go to at 4 and then we all went to a bluegrass gospel sing at their friend's church in Luckey, OH. We heard some wonderful music and had some yum yum refreshments afterwards. We didn't get back to Jerri's until close to 10 p.m., so it wasn't long before we hit the sack. Carolee stayed with the grandkids, but Chuck came back and spent the night with us in the RV. His shingles are still giving him fits, but they are starting to dry up some now.


Jerri and Lacy's daughter Caitlin on the left and their grand daughter Lindsey on the right.



Merrell and Lacy in their favorite positions. :>)



Jerri, Caitlin and Lacy are all decked out for the "wedding" at their church!!!





Frankie, Frank and Tara (Jerri and Lacy's daughter, husband and their son). Somehow I missed getting a picture of their daughter Alyssa.

Tamra and Ken's daughter Emily giving me "THE LOOK".



Jeffrey (Jerri's son) Emily bowling (Wii game) Dane, Jeffrey's son sitting in the background patiently waiting his turn and Lacy giving his expert instructions on the game of bowling!!! LOL




Jerri's daughter Tamra and her daughter Emily. This picture was taken at Jackie's house.


Jerri's grand daughter Sara (Tamra's daughter).

Somehow or other I missed getting Traci's picture. I'll have to save that for another time I guess. Sorry Traci!!!

Day 110
October 26, 2008
Walbridge, OH

We went to church with Lacy and Jerri this morning. They go to a really nice, small church. The people were super friendly and the minister preached (not really preached, he talked to us) a really good sermon. After church we went back to the house and fixed a quick lunch. Jerri fixed pork chops and mashed potatoes, gravey and green beans and I made a couple pans of biscuits. After lunch, I rode to Delta (where Carolee's Jackie lives) with Tamra, Ken and Emily to see Carolee's family. They all met at Jackies with the babies, so I got to see them all in one place. We had a wonderful visit with all of them and Jackie's Mom Val and Val's grandmother. She is 87 and doesn't look a day over 70. I told her I hope I inherit her wonderful skin!!! Teeheehee


Well, let me see if I can get this straight. What a bunch of grand children and great grandchildren!!! Beginning on the left is Jackie, Wayne's daughter. She is holding her daughter Olivia. Next is Carolee holding Miley on her right and Violet on her left. Miley is Filippo's daughter and Violet is Heathers'. Next is Heather holding Cooper, Jackie's son and last but not least is Filippo holding Mason, who is Miley's half brother.



Carolee with her Great Grandchildren. She is holding Miley (Filippo's daughter) on her right and Violet (Heather's daughter) on her left. Standing behind her is Olivia, Jackie's daughter and Jackie's son Cooper is in the seat at her feet. Mason is the little boy standing in front of her.


Carolee's grand daughter Jackie (Wayne's daughter) holding Filippo's daughter Miley.



Val's great grandmother and Jackie's daughter Olivia. Don't you just love her "pony tails"?



Filippo's daughter Miley. She has the most beautiful eyes!!!!



Val (Jackie's Mom) and Olivia feeding her BABY!!!! Mason is the one in the very front with his back turned.

Tamra and Ken had taken Emily to a birthday party, so they came back and picked us up and took us back to Jerri's so Chuck wouldn't have to come get us. After we got back there, Lacy ordered more of that wonderful Pizza and of course, I had to have a piece of the chicken/ranch!! It was just as good as I remembered. :>) Time passed so fast that before we knew it, everyone had to leave because of school/work in the morning. The closer it comes to our trip being over, the faster time is passing. It's so hard to believe that we only have a couple more days before we get home. I figured I would be the only one that was sad about it, but I think we all have the same feelings. We had anticipated and planned for our trip for so long and we have enjoyed it so much that we can't help but be sad that it is almost over. I know it will be wonderful to be back home and see all of our friends and family and sleep in a KING SIZE BED!!!! Teeheehee BUT, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I could afford it. It's been amazing, marvelous, wondrous, beautiful and all of the other words I can't think of right now. :>)

We are pulling out in the morning and will go as far as the Charleston area. We hope to connect up with Aunt Sue and Uncle Pete and spend the night there and then head on home Tuesday evening. It will only take about 2 1/2 hours from their house. Our son Andy and his family will be there when we get home. They are going there today and crank up the heat so our house will be all warm and toasty when we get home.

Day 111
October 27, 2008
Left Walbridge, OH driving to Hurricane, WV

We left Lacy and Jerri's around 11 this morning. By the time we fueled up and filled our propane tank at the local Flying J, it was around 11:30. Merrell wants to drive through the farming country so I could see my BARNS!!

It's a nice day for driving. At least it's not raining. It's in the 40's and kind of hazy and it's sprinkled rain a couple of times, but it didn't really rain any. At least not yet!! We are driving through farming country right now and we have seen a gazillion barns and I've already run the battery down on my camera. I have one of those docks to put it on to recharge, so I'm charging it now using the inverter. When I see a barn, I grab the camera off of the dock and take a picture and put it back on to charge some more. Teeheehee
There are still some pretty trees in spots. A lot of them have already lost their leaves, but we have seen a few really pretty red maples.



Old abandoned house on our drive from Walbridge, OH to Hurricane, WV. I like the old two story farm houses and wish that more of them could be saved. We are losing our history one abandoned house at a time!!


I also love the little country churches that are fast being replaced by the large "town" churches. They call it progress.............................


This is one of the wonderful barns we saw on the drive through Ohio. I think Ohio had more barns overall than anywhere we have been.






Another Ohio Barn






And yet another Ohio barn.

It was a beautiful drive between Walbridge and Hurricane and you couldn't get tired when there were so many awesome BARNS to see!!!

We got to Aunt Sue and Uncle Pete's house fairly late in the evening and spent the rest of the time "jawing" as they used to call it. I just call it "catching up". Their son Charles Ronald (or Charlie as he is now know) brought his children up to visit with us for awhile. Derek, Rebekah and Loren (I hope I spelled their names right). I thought I took pictures of them, but I thought WRONG!! LOL That's for next time, I guess.

We're leaving by tomorrow afternoon, so the end of our trip is getting closer and closer!!

Catch ya later,
Love, US

Days 102, 103, 104, 105 and 106, October 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2008

Days 102, 103, 104, 105 and 106
October 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2008
Texas and Arkansas

Howdy!!! We've been so busy running around that I haven't had time to post for a few days. I didn't realize it had been so long until I pulled up the blog and saw the dates. My how time flies when you are having fun!!!

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning............... :>)

On October 18th, we left San Antonio and drove to Marble Falls where Carolee and Chuck's son David and his wife Jeanine live. We have been so lucky with weather since the beginning of our trip. We have had mostly sunny, nice days for our travels. I didn't take very many pictures on the drive. I think my camera was in shock!! LOL

We parked our RV behind their house and hooked up to the electric and we were in business. Carolee and I had been talking about getting our ears pierced from the time we left home, but just hadn't gotten it done. Jeanine took us to a place in Marble Falls and we "done the deed". Now, keep in mind, I have 5 holes in my left ear and had 2 in my right!! So, I got one more in my right ear lobe. Carolee had 2 in each ear already and she got one more in each ear lobe. I have never minded having my ears pierced. My sister in law Ruth did my first piercing when I was about 16 when we were living on the farm. If I remember correctly, she used a needle and thread and either numbed them with ice or pinched the lobe until it was numb or something like that. Then she poked the needle through and tied the thread in a knot and I had to turn the thread several times a day until they healed. Barbaric, huh??? :>) The way they do it now is so much easier. The do it with a "gun" that shoots the ear ring right through the ear lobe and it puts the back on the ear ring at the same time. Takes just a second or two and is almost painless.
Carolee, on the other hand, swore that it is REALLY painful to have them pierced and she was surely dreading it. I took my trusty old camera along so I could record her "PAIN" and sure enough, she jumped like she had been shot (which of course she had).





Carolee in SERIOUS PAIN getting her ears pierced!!! Teeheehee

After we got them pierced, we shopped for awhile and of course when you don't want to find anything, you ALWAYS find something you can't live without!! We were in Tuesday Morning and I found a copper pot and skillet that I fell in love with. Copper is one of my very favorite things. I have some copper pots that I cook with all of the time, but these were the larger size and were just AWESOME. As you know, we are traveling in a motor home and it has been getting FULLER at every stop. We have been trying very hard to be good and NOT buy anything, so I decided I could live without them. :>(

Jeanine owns the Marble Falls flower shop (I swear I can't remember the correct name for the life of me, so we'll just call it that). She took us by to show us what she has done to it since she purchased it. It's just beautiful and she has it decorated so well. I took this picture of Jeanine and Carolee at the Christmas display. David built the mantle and fireplace. Isn't it beautiful?



Jeanine and Carolee and David's fireplace...........................

After we got back from shopping we all went out to eat and when we got back to their house, their son Tony came over to visit awhile.



David, Carolee, Chuck, Jeanine and Tony



David and Merrell and their guitars!!



Carolee, Tony and Chuck


On October 19th, we were heading to the Waco area to visit with Howard, Irma and Irma's sister Pat and her husband Larry. We were getting ready to leave David's and I decided I couldn't live without the copper pots, so Jeanine took Carolee and I back to the store and I bought them and a rooster named ALEX. I just knew Alex wanted to go home with me and I couldn't resist him. I figured we are close to the end of our trip and the back seat of the car won't be used tooooooooooo many more time. Teeheehee As a matter of fact, the back seat is getting pretty full. The trunk has been full for a LONG time. :>)
We arrived at Pat and Larry's in the afternoon and had a wonderful visit. We parked the RV in their driveway and connected to their electricity. We ate dinner on their wonderful patio/covered veranda. Pat has a green thumb and her yard was full of beautiful shrubs, trees and flowers. We came away with seeds and starts of plants for our gardens at home. Our motor home just keeps getting FULLER AND FULLER!!
We spent the night there and Pat fixed a big breakfast and we sat around and talked and before we knew it, it was time to head out again. I know you won't believe it, but I forgot to take any pictures until it was too late. I was already in the RV and we were ready to leave before I remembered. Carolee jumped out and took a couple of pictures of Irma and Pat, but Howard and Larry had already gone somewhere, so we didn't get any of them. I can't believe that I FORGOT!!!! I'm really slipping..............................



Pat and Irma in Robinson, TX (close to Waco)

We left in the early afternoon on October 20th heading to Arlington to visit with Carolee and Chuck's son Chuck and his wife Jan. We parked the RV on their side street and they insisted we stay in the house with them, so we took what we needed and stayed in the house. We also got our laundry done. Yeah!! This should get us through until we get home.

The next day on the 21st, Jan took us shopping and of course we DIDN'T buy a thing!! Yeah, right............. The back seat just keeps getting fuller and fuller. :>) We found a GOODWILL and we all found several things there that we just HAD to have. We also went to a Linens and Things that was closing and bought a couple of things. I was so surprised to find out that ALL of their stores are closing. What a bummer. I have always liked shopping there.

We went back to their house and ordered Pizza for dinner and then Jan, Carolee and I got in the hot tub and had a good soak. It was HEAVENLY!!! After that, we went back inside and Merrell and Chuck were playing one of the Wii games, BOWLING and then they started playing HORSEHOES. I decided to try it and had a blast. I can't believe how much like the real thing those games are. I had tried the bowling one before but not the horse shoe one. Merrell was in heaven. He loves both games. Jan and I also played a pin ball game and it was really fun too.




For some reason Jan DID NOT want her picture taken in her Jammies!!! Teeheehee



Jan, Mia, Chuck and Scruffy.


I'm not sure what I was doing in this one. I know I had been taking pictures of Chuck taking pictures!!!


Chuck taking a picture of me taking his picture. :>)





Chuck, Carolee, Donna and Merrell getting ready to leave Chuck and Jan's house.




Carolee, Jan, Scruffy, Chuck, Mia and Chuck, Sr.

Today is the 22nd of October and we left Chuck and Jan's around 10:30 a.m.. We are heading North to Ohio (Not North to Alaska this time). Merrell decided he would just drive until he got tired and we would decide where to stay when the time came. We ended up driving as far as Forrest City, Arkansas. We are staying at a WalMart parking lot. Are you surprised? We're all kind of sad that the end of our trip is coming so fast. Merrell and Chuck are SUPER sad. They are drowning their sorrow in................. Yep, you got it. Looks like REDNECK BEER to me!!! I think they are watching a ball game or something trying to forget that before long they will be back home and have to actually do some WORK!!!



What a life. Four months of lying around watching sports on DIRECTV!!!

Seriously, though. It is kind of hard to believe that in another 10 days or less, we will be back in WV and our long awaited trip will be just a memory. AND WHAT A MEMORY. It will probably take us two days just to sort out what belongs to who. I'm going to take pictures of all of the stuff we unload. We have "stuff" in every nook and cranny of the motor home as well as a full trunk and a mostly full back seat and floorboard of the car. I can't believe our mileage hasn't gone down more than it has with all of the weight we have been hauling around (NO, I don't mean people weight, I mean "stuff" weight).

At least the price of diesel has come down more than $2 per gallon. We paid $3.33 or something like that today when we filled up. That's much better than $5.77 a gallon, right??

Tomorrow we are hoping to make it as far as ?? Indiana and that should put us into Walbridge (Lacy and my sister Jerri's house) Ohio sometime Friday evening.

Gotta go. Catch ya later,
Love, US

Day 101, October 17, 2008

Day 101
October 17, 2008
San Antonio, TX
Faith Baptist Church Parking Lot

Merrell and Chuck washed the motor home and fixed a few things this morning. When they were washing the motor home, Merrell discovered that some of the screws holding the ROOF of the motor home (I think he said it's a one piece roof that fits down over the sides of the RV or something like that??) had rusted off and the roof was loose!!! I can just see us driving down the highway and loosing our ROOF and not knowing it until we get a hundred miles down the road, can't you? Now, that would be a pretty picture, wouldn't it??? Teeheehee Anyway, Merrell had his trusty Tim the Tool Man drill with him and put new screws in the roof and everything is fine now!!! :>)

We spent the rest of the day today with Larry and his family and Mae, Regena, Howard and Irma. Larry grilled burgers and hot dogs and Candy made a wonderful Potato Salad that I had never eaten before. It had pecans in it as well as lots of other good stuff. I have the recipe and am going to try to make it at home. She also made a wonderful pineapple upside down cake. Needless to say, we all ate WELL!!!!

We played a card game for a couple of hours this afternoon and before we knew it, it was time to leave. There never seems to be enough time to do everything you want to do, but we have had a wonderful time with Larry and his family and we certainly appreciate their hospitality.

Howard and Irma left after dinner. They were heading to her sister Patty's house in Waco. We are going to go there on our way to Arlington to see Chuckie and Jan.

We are leaving in the morning and heading to Marble Falls where David and Jeannine live. Our time is passing sooooooooooooo fast. I can't believe it's already October 17th.

Can you believe that neither Carolee or I took pictures today?? We took our cameras with us, but we just didn't take any. I guess we thought we took enough yesterday to do us for a day or so!! :>)

I finally got Carolee's pictures of her grand daughter Monique and her family posted. If you want to check them out, they are in the Post where we were in Phoenix. Monique is a beautiful girl and she has a wonderful family. Ashlynn and Christian are really cute kids and are very well mannered. We didn't get to spend very much time with them, but I was so glad I finally got to meet them.

It's time to hit the sack. I'll catch you somewhere down the road.

Love, US

Day 97, 98, 99 and 100, October 13, 14, 15 and 16, 2008

Day 97, 98, 99 and 100
October 13, 14, 15 and 16, 2008
New Mexico and Texas

We left Santa Fe on the 13th and drove as far as Carlsbad, New Mexico. On the way, we stopped at Roswell, NM, home of the UFO's....................... Even the local WalMart has aliens everywhere you look!!!



Roswell, NM WalMart which is owned by the "GREEN" family!!!




Members of the "GREEN" family. Teeheehee



While we were in Roswell, I worked on our family genealogy. I was amazed to discover a link between my family and the "GREEN" family. Carolee and I met one member of the GREENS on the street in Roswell and he assured us that we are related!!! :>) He told us they were doing DNA testing at the "clinic" up the street and if I wanted to see if we were REALLY related, I could go up and be tested.




Well, here I am at the "DNA" clinic and they told me I am definitely related to this little guy!!! Personally, I can't see too much resemblance, can you???



Carolee and Chuck with our little "cousin".




I think these little guys are the "white sheeps" of the family. Teeheehee




Carolee and I in front of the Roswell UFO museum on main street in downtown Roswell, NM.




This sign was hanging in the museum and I am considering having OUR family reunion there at the same time Loretta has theirs!!! :>)

After we left Roswell, we drove on to Carlsbad, NM and spent the night in a WalMart parking lot. (what else???) We left fairly early the next morning on the 14th so we could arrive in San Antonio before dark. The drive down was uneventful. We were still driving miles and miles without seeing anything except huge fields and an occasional oil rig or windmill.





The closer we got to San Antonio, the greener the landscape became and we started seeing more and more trees.


We also started seeing more mountain ranges and the trees were getting much larger. We saw a lot of live oaks, which is one of our favorite trees.


The leaves were beginning to change in some areas we came through.



We were still seeing a lot of windmills and water tanks. As we came closer to San Antonio we also saw more fields that were being irrigated.


Mae and Regena were already at Mae's son Larry;s house. Larry had made arrangements with his church for us to park on their parking lot while we are in San Antonio. They have RV hookups here because they have camp meeting, etc. and sometimes need a place for RV's to park. It was awfully nice of them to allow us to stay here. We're about a 10 minute drive from Larry and Candy's house. We went over to the house for awhile and had a great dinner of vegetable beef soup with cornbread and biscuits. Mae had been cooking up a storm all day. We were too tired to stay late after the long drive, so we went back to the RV before it got too late.

On the 15th we went over to Larry and Candy's and visited with them again. By the time we got there, Howard and Irma were already there. Mae had been at it again, she cooked a big pot of pinto beans (our family's FAVORITE meal) and cornbread and she had also made fried apple and cherry pies. Since it was Wednesday night, we all went to church with them. Larry and his family sang and another group at the church sang a song and Mae coerced Merrell and I into singing one too. We really enjoyed meeting their church family. They were all so very friendly and made us feel right at home.

Chuck is still having a time with his shingles, so he didn't go over to Larry's and didn't get to go to church with us.

Today (the 16th) we went into San Antonio and took the boat ride at the River Walk. It's such a beautiful spot. It's amazing to see a river and boat tours in the middle of a large city and have it surrounded by restaurants and a HUGE mall.



Donna, Carolee, Howard, Mae and Regena at a waterfall on the River Walk in San Antonio.



Donna, Carolee, Howard, Mae and Regena and a better view of the waterfall. LOL




I think Carolee was showing Regena how the chair turned over with Carolee in it!!! :>)



Merrell and Donna at the River Walk waterfall. I'm sure I was saying something really, really important when they interrupted me by snapping the picture!!



The whole gang at the waterfall. Donna, Merrell, Tiffany, Larry, Candy, Mae, Josiah, Regena, Howard, Irma, Carolee and Chuck!!!



Howard and Irma at the waterfall on the River Walk.


Merrell and Donna in front of the Alamo sign.


Right inside the entrance to the Alamo courtyard area there is this awesome live oak tree. According to the sign it was transplanted there when it was around 40 years old and that was in the early 1900's. It's amazing that they could transplant a 40 year old tree without all of the equipment it takes us to do it now. It's even more amazing that it lived. We transplanted one when we built our house and we had the big "boy toy" equipment to move it and it still DIED!! Left an awful blank place in our yard. :>)



Carolee and Chuck with the Alamo Shrine (church) in the background.



Mae and Regena in front of the Alamo Shrine.



Josiah, Larry, Tiffany and Candy Keeney in front of the Alamo Shrine.



Merrell and Donna in front of the Alamo Shrine.



The Alamo has some beautiful gardens and walkways. Mae decided to play hide n' seek in the bushes.........................


Mae convinced Regena to play hide n' seek with her in the Alamo Gardens.




Mae and Regena in the Alamo gardens.


Mae and Regena behind the Alamo Shrine.


We ate lunch in a Mexican restaurant on the River Walk. The food was great, the view was wonderful and the music was so COOL!!! Authentic movie style Mexican musicians. I felt like I was in one of the old movies I watch on tv. I wanted to get up and dance, but I couldn't find a rose to put in my teeth!! Teeheehee


Josiah and Tiffany in the Mexican Restaurant. I didn't even have to bribe them to sit that close together............................



This was taken from the tour boat at the River Walk.



Another view from the tour boat.


And yet another view from the tour boat. As you can see, the water way is beautiful and the landscaping is wonderful. You almost feel like you are floating down a jungle river (I know, I know. I have watched entirely too many old Tarzan movies). LOL

It was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold. Larry's friends had loaned him a 15 passenger van, so we were all able to ride together, which made it much nicer than if we had taken three different vehicles. AND, Larry has lived here long enough that he knows his way around so we didn't have to worry about getting lost. Merrell was also relieved that I wasn't sitting in front with him and using the brake that is on the passenger side of all of our cars!! :>)

Tomorrow we are going over to Larry's and just have a "together" day before we head to Marble Falls on Saturday.

I guess that's all the news and pictures I have for today.

Take care,
Love, US