Friday, September 30, 2011

Extending Our Stay, Impressed and Friends

Williston, FL.

67 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s near the coast and in the lower 90s inland. North winds around 10 mph becoming northwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.


After some discussion, it was decided that if they would have me, we'd stay here until Monday morning and then head down to Lakeland. So, , , , Jim went to the office, told the nice ladies what we would like to do and without any hesitation at all, they registered me for 3 more nights. : )

Jim and Linda continue to be impressed by this RV Park and the people who are running it. Yesterday morning, Jim walked over to the bath house / laundry and looked around. He said that everything is spotless, the park is very well maintained and all the employees seem to be very friendly.

On the way to the bath house / laundry he walked through this neat little area where you  can sit down to rest a little and enjoy the piece and quiet. (Remember, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them if you want to see them better).

These two pictures are of the inside of the laundry room. There are 5 washers, 8 driers and a nice big folding table.



After checking out the laundry, he walked over to the clubhouse to see what it was like.

Again, he was very impressed by what he saw. The picture below is looking off to your right as you walk in. There is an area just as big, with at least as many tables as you look to your left. There's also a stage and a kitchen.

After checking out the clubhouse, he walked across the street and took a look at the swimming pool.

Again every thing was spotless and the water was crystal clear and looked very inviting. ; )

As you can probably tell, Jim, Linda and I are very impressed by this park and as long as they continue to honor the Passport America prices, I'm sure we'll be stopping by here again. Oh, and by the way, their monthly rates are pretty good too, so that's something to think about for some future time.

Today, Jim and Linda have made plans to go see some friends, (Donna and Monte), who live over in Wildwood, FL. From what I understand, they've know them for many years and met them up in Rantoul, IL, when they were full-timing.

Tomorrow, another friend, (Barb), who lives in Ocala, is going to come out here to the park to see me. She used to live up in Illinois, (where Jim and Linda used to live), and has been a friend of Linda's since way back before Jim and Linda were married.

A Point to Ponder : Do pigs pull ham strings?

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Georgia To Florida and A Very Nice Campground

Williston, FL.

70 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the late morning and afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s near the coast and in the lower 90s inland. Northwest winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent


To leave the City of Roses RV Park in Thomasville, I had to go out the "In" road and entrance because there was no way that I could make the tight u-turn that you had to make to exit the right way. I don't think anyone minded though because I imagine there have been more large RVs that have had to do that.

After getting out of the CG we headed back to US 84 and then turned South on US 19 which brought us down into Florida. Continuing South on 19 after crossing I-10 brought us down to Perry, FL where Jim pulled me into a gas station and filled my fuel tank with #2 diesel. After I had my fill, we continued down to Chiefland, where we turned SE on U S Alt 27. Following Alt. 27 brought us over here to Williston, FL and the Williston Crossings RV Resort.

We left Thomasville at 9:50 and got here to Williston at 12:50, so it took us exactly 3 hours to travel 150 miles and stop for my drink of diesel fuel. : )

This CG was once supposed to be one of those Resorts where you buy your site and then pay annual maintenance fees. The builder had big ideas but before the park was finished, he ran into trouble and the completion of the park with all the bells and whistles came to a screeching halt. They had by this time, built a very nice CG though. Until just recently, the price to stay here was more than Jim or Linda wanted to pay, so they just drove on by when in this area. Now, the park has joined Passport America and you can get a great pull-through site with a cement pad and full hook-up for less than $20!  ; )

#330, the site I'm in, has to be over 100' long, is a pull-through, has the cement parking pad and patio area, blacktop drive front and back, vegetation for privacy on both sides, 50amp electric, water, sewer, cable TV and free wi-fi. There are also sites that are more open if you prefer.




The picture below is taken looking back towards the entrance of the park. I'm actually about 1/2 to 3/4 mile from the office / entrance.

I'm hoping that Jim will take some more pictures of the entrance and other parts of this park. If he does, I'll be sure to post some of them here.

Oh, one more thing. When Jim checked in and paid for two nights, he asked if he could get the Passport America rate if we decided to stay longer. On the Internet, is says that they will only give the PPA rate for Sunday through Thursday nights, but they told him that since they weren't busy they would honor the rate if we decided to stay for the weekend. : ) 

I don't know how long we'll be staying here. It's less than 3 hours from here down to Lakeland, FL. where Lester, the mechanic that I'm going to see is. So, we could stay here until Monday morning, unless he wants me there the first thing in the morning. Then we would have to leave here sometime Sunday.

Since neither Jim nor Linda felt like cooking last night, they headed to the Driftwood Grill. They had been there before, (on their travels in this area when they were visiting friends), and weren't dissapointed in the food. The prices however, seem to have gone up quite a bit and the meal, although very good, was kind of pricy.

Did you know that Florida is the only state that has 2 rivers both with the same name? There is a Withlacoochee in north central Florida (Madison County) and a Withlacoochee in central Florida. They have nothing in common except the name

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ranting and Alabama To Georgia

Thomasville, GA.

deg. 71 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 90. West winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.


I don't believe it!!!!!! 4:40 AM and this idiot is warming up his RV before leaving!!! It ran for at least 15 minutes and the last few minutes were at a high idle!!!! What are these people thinking? Don't they have any consideration at all for the other people in the CG?????  : {

OK! I'm done ranting!!
It was right at 10:00 again when we pulled out of the Deer Run RV Park near Troy, AL. Once back on US 231, and heading South we moved right along until we came to Dothan. Now, don't get me wrong, Dothan us probably a very nice place, but their traffic it horrible!!!

Before you ever get to the belt route that runs all the way around the city, you have many, many traffic lights to deal with. Then as you go around the city on the belt route you have many, many more, as it's not a limited access by-pass route. : ( 

Jim says that it's been that way for years and can't understand why they don't built a real by-pass around the city.

Once past Dothan, and heading East on US 84 we started making some pretty good time again. In fact, it didn't seem to take long at all until we were crossing into Georgia. Then, it was just another hour or so until we were going around Thomasville on US 84 by-pass.

Once back to Business 84 we turned towards town and in just a few blocks we were at the City Of Roses RV Park.

It was right at 2:20 Eastern time when we got here, so it took us, (lets see now, I have to figure this out), . . . . . . . .  Got it!!  3 hours and 20 minutes to travel 187 miles.

This is not a bad park, but it sure isn't anything special. But, for $15 a night, (Passport America rate), for a full hook-up site with 50 amp electric, you can't really complain too much. ; )

Today we'll continue heading South. I don't think we'll go any long distance because we really don't have that far to go, and my appointment with the mechanic isn't until Monday. Jim says that if they have a place to park me where he can plug me in, we may go there on Saturday or Sunday so I'll be there the 1st thing Monday morning.

He'll have to call down there to see if they have a spot.

Oh, depending on where we end up today, Jim says that there are a few places where we may stay that I  may not have an Internet connection. So, I you don't hear from me, hang in there, I'll get you caught up on my wanderings as soon as I can. : )

Did you know that Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A Few Pictures and A Little Of This And That

Troy, AL.

64 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Patchy fog early in the morning. Thunderstorms likely. Highs in the upper 80s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.


Well, Jim finally got out his camera and took a few pictures. This first one is of me in my site here at the Deer Run RV Park. As you can see, I'm parked on a cement pad which is plenty long for me, and is level enough that I actually wouldn't need my levelers. : )

This second picture shows the sites from 2 roads in front of me. The only drawback of this park is that the sites are kind of close together and if the park was full, it could feel a little crowded.

This picture shows the other section of the park as viewed from close to my site and across the small lake.

Like I said yesterday, this is a very nice park and could be a good place for a longer stay.

Jim and Linda went to a Food World Grocery Store in Troy yesterday. From what I understand it's a really nice store and quite large. They didn't buy much though cause they only needed things like bread, milk and a few other small items. After they came back here, Jim took and nap and Linda entered some more information on her family tree program. Then, because it was quite hot Jim fooled around with trip plans on this laptop computer.

For dinner, Linda heated up a bunch of left-overs. Jim had some roast beef and green beans and Linda had chicken fried steak and noodles.

Today, we'll continue heading towards Florida. I don't know which route we'll be taking, Jim has been working on 2 different routes. One is to continue down into the panhandle of FL on 231 and the other is to cut over into Georgia before heading down into FL.

I guess it really doesn't matter which way we go, we've got plenty of time. ; )

Did you know that the word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Still In Alabama

Troy, AL.

70 deg. flog, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Patchy fog early in the morning. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

We left the CG near Cullman right at 10:00 again yesterday morning. Once we were back to the the Interstate junction, Jim pulled me into a gas station and bought me a nice drink of diesel fuel. After my drink, we got back on the Interstate and continued heading South.

When we got down to Birmingham, the traffic picked up and we had a lot of construction zones. The traffic moved well though, and we didn't have any serious delays. When we got down to Montgomery, the traffic picked up again, but it wasn't as heavy as in Birmingham and we didn't have the construction.

In Montgomery, we turned East on I-85 and followed it for 9 miles to Taylor Road. Turning South on Taylor and following it for a few miles brought us to US 231 where we turned SE and followed it for about 32 miles until we came to the Deer Run RV Park .

It was 1:30 when we pulled up to the office so it took us 3 1/2 hours to get my drink of diesel fuel and travel 182 miles.

This is a nice park that Jim and Linda had been to before. There are shaded and open sites and they have a couple small lakes that are kind of nice. The Owner was very friendly and led me to my site with her golf cart, and made sure that Jim knew to contact her if he had any questions or problems.

Jim signed me up for 2 nights.

I don't know how my posting from here will go. Last night I wasn't able to get on the Internet at all, but this morning there was no problem.

Did you know that the world's first Electric Trolley System was introduced in Montgomery in 1886?

Indiana To Alabama

Saturday, 9/24/2011 
Cullman, AL

48 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = high temp. 76 deg clear, light winds


We’re at the Cullman Campground here in Cullman, AL, and I can’t get on the Internet, so I’m writing this on a word processor and will paste it to my blog as soon as I can.

We left the Clarksville CG right at and got back on I-24 heading towards Nashville. In Nashville, we picked up I-65 and followed it down into Alabama and here to the Cullman Campground.

As we were slowly making our way along the narrow, hilly, twisty road going back to the CG, Jim remarked that this looked familiar. Once to the CG, Jim said, “We’ve been here before!!”  Come to find out, Jim and Linda’s records showed that indeed they had been here before and it was in August of 2008!

It was when we pulled up in front of the office so we had been on the road for 3 hours and 20 minutes and traveled 187 miles.

Anyway, this park is OK. It’s kind of small and if you come in with a 40’ or 45’ MH or large trailer, be ready to do some careful driving. We made it to site #70, with the nice lady from the CG leading me with her golf cart, but there were a few turns that I just barely made it around. : O 

Except that I don’t have an Internet signal, (there is supposed to be wi-fi in the park), I kind of like it here. It’s quiet, there are song birds singing, all the people that I’ve seen seem very friendly and the folks running the park are really nice.

In fact, Jim found some fire ant hills at this site so he went to the office and told the owners about them and in just a few minutes the man was here spraying them. Then, Jim mentioned it would be nice if we had a picnic table, so he went back, got his farm tractor and brought us a nice new looking table. : )

For dinner, Jim used the picnic table and his grill to cook some burgers and Linda put together some vegetables inside.


Sunday, September 25, 2011
Cullman, AL.

56 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = mostly sunny, high temp. 87 deg. S. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Not a whole lot happened around here yesterday, just kind of a “kick back” day.

Jim checked the air pressure in my tires, dumped and flushed my tanks and added some water to my fresh water tank. Linda did a load of laundry, made some entries to her family tree program and worked on her current embroidery project.

For  dinner Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Cracker Barrel over by the Interstate. When they got back, CLT told me that they also scouted out a couple gas stations to see if I could get in to get a drink of #2 diesel fuel. He said that they found one that should work. : )

Today the plan is to leave here and continue our wanderings towards the SE. Jim and Linda know of a nice CG down by Troy, AL., so I think we’ll be heading there.

I sure hope I can get on the Internet there so I can get this posted.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Canceling the Appointment At SMI and Indiana To Tennessee

Clarksville, TN,

55 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Decreasing clouds. Scattered showers. Highs around 70. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Jim did call and tell Kyle at SMI that he didn't feel comfortable trying to get me into their parking lot. Kyle said that he understood, but was sure that they could get me in and out of the lot. Well, Jim didn't want to take the chance, so he made arrangements to go over there and purchase a kit.

By this time, Linda was up and ready, so she and Jim took CLT and headed over there. By a little after 10:00 they were back from SMI, CLT was hooked to the back of me, and we were pulling out of the Fairgrounds.

From the Fairgrounds, we headed North on US 41 for a few miles where we tuned East on I-64. 64 took us over to I-164 where we tuned South and followed it around Evansville until we came back to US-41. Going South on 41 took us across the Ohio River and into Kentucky where we got onto the Pennyrile Parkway and followed it all the way down to I-24. Turning SE on 24 took us into Tennessee and here to the Clarksville RV Pk, in Clarksville. It was about 12:25 when we pulled up to the stop sign in the park, so it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to travel just about 130 miles.

The Clarksville RV Pk is pretty nice but kind of expensive. Jim and Linda have stayed here before because it's convenient but think it's overpriced for what you get.

Jim hadn't slept very well the night before, so as soon as he had me hooked up to the utilities, he and Linda both took naps. : )

Today, we'll be heading down into Alabama. Jim found a couple CGs down there that will work and are reasonably priced.

Oh, and I want to thank Eric and the other followers who have either e-mailed Jim or left a comment on this blog. Your suggestions of what may be wrong with my slide may be correct, but since I have some other issues, we're going to go on down to Florida to have them all addressed. Then, hopefully we can have a nice relaxing trip up to NC and VA to see Jim and Linda's kids and grand kids. : )

Did you know that Tennessee has more than 3,800 documented caves?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Back to Tuesday, Faircamping and A Partial Plan

Evansville, IN.

67 deg. clear, no wind

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs in the lower 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


I'm going to back up to Tuesday when we left Rantoul after finally getting my slide retracted.

We left Rantoul about 9:30 and the first thing Jim did was take me to an F S station in Rantoul and fill me up with diesel fuel. After I had my fill, we headed South on US 45 until we came to I-74 down by Champaign. Then we followed 74 East to Danville, IL, where we tuned South on IL Route 1. Rt 1 took us down to I-70 where we turned East and followed it into Indiana. A little ways into Indiana, we turned South on US 41 and followed it all the way down here to the Vanderburgh 4 H Fairgrounds.

The CG here is pretty nice, but it was filled up with RVs as they are having a craft show this weekend here at the fairgrounds. : (    But, Cindy, the nice lady in the office, arranged for me to be parked next to a small building in another section of the fairgrounds where there is a 30 amp electric connection and a water hydrant. : )

I'm kind of in the middle of a parking lot, but the electric is good, (119 volts), and the blacktop parking lot is level here where I'm parked. It's not the best place I've stayed at, but here in Evansville, you really don't have much else to choose from. And, for $18 a night, I can't complain too much. ; )

Yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to SMI to check the area out and to find exactly where they're located. CLT says that he was surprised at how small their parking lot is, since the one at their old location was much larger. He says that I could get in there OK, but he's not sure how I'd get turned around to head back out onto a busy 4 lane road.

Jim must have thought the same thing because I'm pretty sure that he's going to call SMI this morning to cancel the appointment and see if he can just purchase the kit and either try install it himself or have the mechanics install it when we get down to Florida.

Depending on how things go, we'll be leaving here sometime this morning. I don't know how far we'll get today, (it depends on when we'll be getting out of here.) There are a few campgrounds within a couple of hours of here, but if we decide go farther than that, we'd have to go quite a bit farther to find another one.

When Jim called Lester down in Florida he told Jim that he could get me in on the 3rd of October, so we actually have quite a bit of time to get down there. Jim has already made a trip plan and pretty much knows what roads we'll be taking down there.

 Now, if he can find CGs for me to stay at along that route, we'll be all set. ; )

Did you know that on May 15,2011, Evansville, IN was featured in an brief article in Newsweek called "America's Most Sleep-Deprived Places", as one of the top 10 towns for insomniacs?

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I Have A Problem and A Big Change Of Plans

Evansville, IN.

68 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.


I have a problem!! : (

When Jim and Linda getting me ready leave Rantoul, Jim pressed the button to bring in my living room / kitchen slide and after it came in about 1/2 way, it stopped!!! Then after moving the slide back out a little he started bringing it back in. It came in, but only after making a bunch of noise and jumping. It seemed like the top of the slide was sticking or there was something wrong with the track under the slide. : (

So, the slide is in and I can be fully used with that slide in, but it's really crowded with it in and very inconvenient. Needless to say, Jim and Linda are not "happy campers".

So, what are we going to do? Well, I don't know right now. CLT and I have that appointment at SMI tomorrow and after that, there may be some big changes to our travel plans!!

Oh wait!!!! Jim just called a mechanic that used to work on Myrddin!!

What???? We're going to Florida???? Now???

Yep. you read that right!!! After the appointment tomorrow, we're going to head down to Florida!!

The mechanic's name down there is Lester, and as many of you probably know, from Myrddin's blog posts, Jim and Linda trust him completely and know that he or the other mechanics down there will do the job right.

Now, I know you have all kinds of questions but I really don't have any details yet. Besides the slide I do have some other problems, (nothing major), so all of them will be taken care of while we're down there. Then, after the repairs I think Jim and Linda are still planning on going back up to North Carolina and Virginia to see Mike, Joe and their families.

You know, that's one of the best things about full-timing. You can change plans if you need to and go to repair shops and mechanics that you trust instead of someone who may or may not know what they are doing.

That's why we went to the HWH factory to get my levelers repaired and that's why were here in Evansville to go to the SMI factory to get the auxiliary braking system installed. These people know what they're doing, kind of like specialist doctors.

As soon as I learn more about our travel plans, I'll be sure to post them here.

Did you know that although Indiana means, "Land of the Indians" there are fewer than 8,000 Native Americans living in the state today?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Still Here

Rantoul, IL.

50 deg. fog, no wind.

Forecast = Areas of dense fog early in the morning. Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.


Yep, we're still here. Jim made that phone call yesterday morning and changed the appointment.

I guess you're wondering what kind of appointment he could be making down in Evansville, Indiana?  Well, it's an appointment to have an SMI brake system installed on me and CLT. If you're not familiar with RVs and towing, this is a unit that will activate CLT's brakes when mine are activated. In other words, CLT will help both of us stop or slow down as we're traveling. It even has a break-a-way feature that will activate CLT's brakes in case he should ever become disconnected from me as we're traveling down the highway.

The appointment isn't until Thursday morning, but we'll start heading down there today.

Also, yesterday morning, Jim took CLT back to Corky's. If you remember they installed new belts on CLT's engine and the air conditioner belt wasn't quite tight enough and would squeal once in awhile when the compressor kicked on.  : (

They tightened the belt a little more and now CLT doesn't squeal anymore. ; )

Jim and Linda decided to go out for dinner, but before they went, they stopped over at Paul and Louise's RV to tell them we are leaving today and say good-by. Paul wasn't there, but they ended up inside, talking to Louise for about 1/2 hour. During the conversation, Jim and Linda mentioned that they were going to go down to Champaign to go out to eat. Well, Louise told them about a Montana Mike's Steakhouse that had recently opened down there, so after hugs, that's where they went.

Louise had said that the food was really good with reasonable prices, and by all accounts, she was right!! : ) Both Jim and Linda said the food and the service was very good and were pleased with the cost.

I don't know where I'll be tonight. Jim says that there's a CG on the way down to Evansville that they've stayed at before, but he doesn't know if they have any vacant sites. If we can't get in there, we'll probably go on down to the Evansville area where Jim has found a couple of parks that would work.

Did you know that it was on this date in 1973 that Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in a battle of the sexes tennis match?

I sure hope this fog lifts by the time we're ready to leave, It's really getting bad now!!! : (

Monday, September 19, 2011

Thanks, A Very Nice Visit and One More Day?

Rantoul, IL.

65 deg. overcast, light rain, SW wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Decreasing clouds. Chance of showers in the morning... then a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

First of all, Jim wants to thank everyone who wished him a happy birthday yesterday. All the wishes helped make yesterday very special. ; )

Jeff, (Jim's Son), called from Oregon yesterday morning and they talked for quite a while. He's going through some changes with his work out there and besides calling Jim to wish him a happy birthday, Jim says he thinks he wanted to talk about the job thing too.

Judy was able to make it down here yesterday morning. She pulled up in front of me a little after 11:00. Once she came inside and relaxed a little, Jim gave her the "tour" and I think she liked me a lot, cause she gave me some very nice compliments. : )

After talking for awhile, it was decided that they would all head over to Pizza Hut for lunch. After a lot of talking and a little eating, Judy left from there to head back to her MH and Jim and Linda came back here. (She had to get back because she had left Emma in the MH while she came down here). It wasn't a long visit, but a very enjoyable one, and I got to meet Judy!

I really liked her and am looking forward to meeting her MH one of these days. : )

While they were at the Pizza Hut, Greg called and said he could come here to the CG at about 2:30 to install that extension cable on the little wi-fi antenna and answer any other questions that Jim and Linda may have about the new computer or the operating system.

Jim and Linda had made a list of things to ask him so after he came and installed the cable, he answered their questions and made some changes that affected how a few of the programs operated.

The rest of the day was spent inside of me because it was raining.

I'm pretty much ready to travel, but I'm not sure we'll be leaving here today. Roland, (Jim and Linda's friend who lives in North Carolina and who we were going to stop and see on the way out to the East Coast), called to wish Jim a happy birthday and also tell Jim and Linda that he and Louise were not going to be there by the time we got to their area. : (  They work with the "Nomads" organization and have signed up to do some volunteer work at that time.

I was looking forward to seeing Big Herb again and I know Jim and Linda were looking forward to seeing Roland and Louise again, but it's just not going to happen on this trip. : ( 

Anyway, because we won't be stopping at their house on the way, we'll have some extra time. So, if Jim can change an appointment that he made at a place down in Evansville, IN., we'll stay here one more day and I won't have to travel in this rain we're having and that is supposed to last most of the day, (especially over in Indiana).

He'll call them after 8:00 and then the decision will be made as to weather we'll stay here one more day or not.

Did you know that about 3 billion pizzas are sold each year in the U.S?

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Getting Ready To Travel, Dave And Dee Dee Stop By and An e-mail From Judy

Rantoul, IL.

57 deg. overcast, E. wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning... then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.

Because the weather gurus were forecasting rain for today, and the plan is to leave here tomorrow, Jim and Linda tried to get most of the things done where they had to be outside and I think they were pretty successful.

The first thing that Linda did was to do another load of laundry, then she and Jim took CLT and headed to Walgreen's to get another prescription for Jim filled. From there they headed to the grocery store to pick up some things that they were out of. After they returned and had the groceries put away, Jim got busy outside, draining and flushing my tanks, putting a little more water in my fresh water tank and then putting away all the hoses.

Today, they'll concentrate on the inside of me. There's not a real lot to do, but they surely don't want to leave everything for tomorrow morning. : (

Dave and Dee Dee stopped by yesterday!! While they were here with the "Illinois Bunch" last week, he found out that I needed a converter box for my outside TV. Well, he had one that he wasn't using and being that he and Dee Dee were heading up to Kankakee yesterday, they stopped by and dropped it off.

That was sure nice of them. I don't expect that Jim and Linda will be watching that TV very much, but it will be nice to be able to use it if they want to. ; )

One more thing. Judy sent Jim and e-mail last night, (that he didn't find until this morning). In it she was wondering if he and Linda would have a little time today as she was thinking about driving down here in her car for a short visit?

Well Judy, Jim, Linda and I would love to have you come down for a visit. That way, I'd get to meet you and Jim and Linda would get to see you again. : )  I'm sure Jim will be sending you an e-mail as soon as I'm done with this blog post.

Did you know that September is "National Mushroom Month"?

Thanks Dave and Dee Dee!!!! : )

Oh, still another thing. I don't think he wants me to say anything, but Linda said that I should mention that today is Jim's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jim. ; )

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Good To Go!!!

Rantoul, IL.

54 deg. overcast NE wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs around 70. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

About 8:15 yesterday morning, Jim remembered that he had forgotten to get CLT and drink of 87 octane, so he took him and headed to the nearest station, which happens to be a Casey's. By the time they came back here, Linda was ready so they headed down to the little town of Savoy, (which is just South of  Champaign), to Jim's 9:30 eye doctor appointment.

CLT says that they got there with a little time to spare.

Again, they checked his vision and eye pressures and then put some drops in his eyes to dilate the pupils so the eye doctor could look in his eyes to see if there was anything wrong.

Well, she couldn't find anything seriously wrong, so she told Jim to keep on putting the drops in that she had prescribed and that he was "good to go" until next summer when we return to Illinois. : )

Good News!!!!!! : )

On the way back here to the CG, they stopped at the Urbana Gardens Restaurant and had breakfast for lunch. When they got back here, Jim took a nap as his eyes were still bothering him from being dilated. While Jim was sleeping, Linda worked with her family tree program and took a little nap herself. ; ) 

After Jim woke up, he went outside and checked my engine fluid levels, re-installed the tow bar on the front of CLT and checked my generator. While he was doing that, Linda washed a load of laundry and then worked on the computer some more.

Unless there's a glitch, we'll be leaving here Monday morning and start wandering our way towards the East Coast. : )

Oh, It doesn't sound like I'm going to get to meet Judy and her RV. : (  The place where they towed her MH to in Illinois, can't seem to fix it so now they're going to tow it back to Indiana!! She was in Indiana when all if this started, I'm wondering why they didn't tow it to a repair facility there in the first place?

You can click on this link to view her blog, Travels with Emma . If you have time, add a comment to her blog to let her know that we're all hoping she'll kick that "Murphy" guy in the "you know where", and get back on the road real soon. ; )

Did you know that light colored eyes dilate faster than dark colored eyes?

Friday, September 16, 2011

The New Computer and Jim's Appointment

Rantoul, IL.

48 deg. clear, NE wind @ 6 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

It was about 10:30 by the time Greg arrived with Jim and Linda's new desktop computer. The setup went pretty smoothly but there was a couple little glitches. You see, the way the desk is set up, (being fastened to the wall), you have to run the cables around the end to get them up to the monitor. Well the cable wasn't long enough, so he had to get a longer one out of his car.

This new computer also has a wi-fi card with an antenna attached to it. The cable going to the antenna is only about 3 feet long so it's too short to allow the antenna to be up in front of the window, where the reception should be much better.  Greg didn't have an extension for this cable, so as of right now, the antenna is sitting under the desk, until he brings one.

The computer seems to be working well. It's picking up the CG's wi-fi, Linda can use her Family Tree program, and in fact, has already started entering information that she got from Jim's cousin Adeline, when they visited her a few weeks ago. : )  Of course the new computer has Window's 7 installed on it and Jim is having a little trouble getting it to do what he wants, but I'm sure he'll get it figured out.

This morning, Jim has an appointment to go back to the eye doctor. I can tell he's not looking forward to going, but like some of my followers have said, "the eyes are nothing to fool around with". 

If everything goes well, he and Linda should be back here before noon.

Did you know that the first online version of an encyclopedia and the first one on CD was Grolier?

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Weather and The New Computer Is Coming Today

Rantoul, IL.

43 deg. clear, N. wind @ 13 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.


Yep. I was right. The big news here is the weather.

It rained almost all day yesterday, not hard, not much accumulation, but it hardly ever let up. During the afternoon, the temperature started to drop and then after dinner, the rain quit. By midnight, the skies were clearing and then the temperatures really dropped. It feels really cold with the wind blowing at over 10 mph this morning, but I'd hate to think how low the temperatures would have dropped if there wasn't any wind. : (

I do have some other news too, though. Greg, from GeekyGuys e-mailed Jim and Linda yesterday and asked if it would be OK if he came at 10:00 this morning to set up the new computer!  Linda has been really missing her desktop computer and is quite excited about getting the new one. ; )

Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Red Wheel Restaurant for dinner yesterday. Again, the food was OK, but nothing special.

Haven't heard anything more from Judy. I sure hope she can get her Motorhome repaired soon. I'm sure she has places to go and things to do and doesn't want to be waiting around at an RV dealer. : (

Did you know that the first GPS satellite was placed into orbit in 1989?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Starting To Get Ready and The Weather Forecast

Rantoul, IL.

57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Much cooler. Highs in the upper 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Not a whole lot to report today. Jim has started getting me ready to travel. Yesterday, he checked the air pressure in all my tires and repositioned some stuff in one of my basement compartments. The rest of the day was spent visiting with the neighbors, (Ron and Marilyn, who are leaving here tomorrow) and Paul and Louise.

He and Linda also went to the Post Office to pick up the last mail that will be sent here and to mail a package.

For dinner Jim cooked some burgers on the grill and Linda got out some potato salad that they had bought the other day at the store, along with some chips and condiments. 

I think the weather is going to be the big news around here for the next few days. Yesterday the temperature was in the mid 80's, today the high is supposed to be in the upper 60's and tomorrow the high is forecast to be in the low 60's with overnight lows getting down to the lower 40's or upper 30's!!!! Brrrrrrrr!!!!

Oh, and Judy, who was coming to visit us, still has the problem with her MH and now it sounds like it's being towed to a RV dealer. I sure hope they can get the problem repaired soon because I still have hopes that she can stop by here.

A Point to Ponder : Why are women and man's shoe sizes different?

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Where's Judy??? and Almost Ripped Off

Rantoul, IL.

65 deg. clear, SW wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs near 85. West winds around 10 mph.


Where's Judy and her RV????  Well, to make a long story short, her RV has some problems and she couldn't make it yesterday. It seems that her Motor Home's emergency brake is either stuck or broken and won't release, so it can't be moved!!!!! : O 

Judy called Jim and told him what was going on and told him that she didn't know when she would be able to get it repaired, but would call as soon as she got it fixed and if possible still come here to the CG.

I sure hope she'll still have time to stop by.

Early yesterday morning, Jim took CLT over to Corky's to have the brakes, exhaust system, and fan belts checked and have the fuel filter changed.

If you remember, I told you yesterday that a tire shop had told Jim that the front brake pads were almost worn out and needed to be replaced. Well, when they checked the brakes at Corky's, they found out that there was at least 60% of the brake pads left, and about the same on the rear brake shoes.

In other words, the Tire Kingdom store down in Deland Florida was trying to rip Jim off and sell him new brakes for CLT when they weren't really needed. Also, they told Jim at the same time that the front wheel bearings were loose and needed to be checked. Also not true!!

So, if you're ever in Deland, FL. I highly recommend that you drive right past the Tire Kingdom store and find somewhere else to get any work done that your vehicle may need. They are not to be trusted!!!

On the other hand, Corky's here in Rantoul is very trustworthy. They did not try to sell Jim brakes or any other parts that weren't needed for CLT, and in fact, found only a minor problem with the exhaust that was easily repaired. They did replace the fan belts because they had cracks, the fuel filter and the air filter that was very dirty. All of it at a fair price.

All of this work was accomplished quickly and by noon, CLT was sitting back in his parking place here at the CG. : )

Being that Judy was not able to make it yesterday and CLT was out of the repair shop, Jim and Linda decided to go to Walgreen's to pick up a few items and get their flu shots. After that, they headed over to Wally World to pick up a few more items.

By 3:30 they were back here.

The rest of the day was spent just doing normal things.

Did you know that on this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key penned a poem which was later set to music and in 1931 became America's national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner?"

Monday, September 12, 2011

They're Gone, More Company Coming Today and CLT Goes In For Repair

Rantoul, IL.

68 deg. clear, W. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.


They're gone!!!!  : (  Yep, Gordy and Dorthy left around 10:00 and Dave and Dee Dee, and Denny and Bev left a little before noon. : (

I don't know when we'll see them again, but I'm hoping that Jim can juggle his trip plans around enough so that we can stop and see them down in Florida, for a least a few days. 

Not a whole lot happened after they left. When Jim and Linda came inside of me, they turned on the TV and watched da' Bears win their season opener. Then, between naps, they watched some other football games on TV. Sometime during the afternoon, Jim carried the garbage down to the dumpster and then stopped and talked to Louise and Paul for awhile.

Today, Jim and Linda's friend Judy is going to be stopping by. Judy writes a blog titled Travels with Emma, and if you remember, Jim and Linda went out to eat with her at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant when we were out in Sioux Falls, SD in July.

I've never met her or her RV, but that will soon change when she spends the night here at Prairie Pines Campground.  : )

This morning, Jim is going to take CLT (Cute Little Truck) in to have his brakes checked. Quite awhile ago, when CLT was at a tire shop for an alignment, Jim was told that the front brake pads were just about worn out, so Jim talked to Paul and then made an appointment for CLT at a place called Corkey's where Paul has had repairs done.

CLT also has an exhaust leak and a few other minor problems so they're going to look at those too while he's in the shop.

Did you know that The NFL's Chicago Bears were first known as the "Staley Bears"?

Sunday, September 11, 2011

9-11 and Another Great Day With Friends

Rantoul, IL.

64 deg. haze, NW wind @ .6 mph.

Forecast = Patchy dense fog early in the morning. Partly sunny with a slight chance of showers. An isolated thunderstorm possible in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Light west winds. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.


Please take some time to remember all those people who died in those terrorism attacks 10 years ago today. I was only a year old at the time, but I can remember what it was like watching the horror on TV, just like it was yesterday.

Looking back on some old files on the computer, for back at that time, I see that Jim and Linda had just started Full-timing in June of that year and in fact were right here in this Campground on that day. In one of the files, Jim states that he believed that life in the United States would be forever changed and was worried about how it would affect all peoples lives.

9-11 did change every one's life. Because of the attacks we have lost some of the freedom we had. The people now have to go through all kinds of security checks, you can no longer cross into Canada and come back with just your drivers license and a copy of your birth certificate. People are being watched by cameras almost everywhere they go in public places, and security in general has increased greatly.

But, you know what? We still live in the greatest country in the world. We can still travel from one end of the country to the next, and pretty much come and go as we please. We still have more freedom than many others in this world have.

We must never forget 9-11 or let down our guard, or it could happen again.

Yesterday was another great day and Jim and Linda spent a good part of it visiting with the "Illinois Bunch". For dinner, Jim and Linda went with Dorthy and Gordy to a Chinese Restaurant here in Rantoul. The others, (for one reason or another), decided not to go, but instead put something together here.

The evening was spent sitting around a campfire over by Denny and Bev's RV and talking.

Today, the "Illinois Bunch" will be leaving here and heading back to their homes. It's been a good 4 days and I know Jim and Linda have really enjoyed them being here. I've enjoyed meeting their RVs and have gotten to know them a little.

Hopefully we can get together again in the near future. : )

Today, instead of a "Did you know" or "Point to Ponder", take a few minutes to watch this Video of the beautiful places in our country.

Be proud and enjoy, but never forget!!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

RVs, A Cookout and What's He Doing?

Rantoul, IL.

62 deg. Hazy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with patchy dense fog into mid morning. Isolated showers early in the morning...then scattered showers in the late morning and afternoon. Isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Light east winds. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Even though the forecast yesterday was for a good chance of rain, the weather actually turned out pretty nice and everyone was able to spend time outdoors.

In the morning, Jim went out and snapped a few pictures of the RVs that the "Illinois Bunch" have.

This first one is of Denny and Bev's Winnebago Brave and it is parked almost directly across the street from me.

This is Gordy and Dorthy's Holiday Rambler and is parked in the site next to Denny and Bev's Brave.

On the other side of Gordy and Dorthy's Holiday Rambler is Dave and Dee Dee's Open Road 5th wheel.
I can't really see the 5th wheel from my site because it is down the street a little and kind of behind Gordy and Dorthy's MH.

By the afternoon, the weather looked like it was going to be OK, so it was decided that they would have a cookout. From what I can understand, this has become a kind of tradition when the Illinois Bunch" come here to the CG. Dave and Denny both brought some firewood and about 4:00 or so, Dave and Denny started a fire in the fire ring between Denny and Gordy's motor homes.

Then, about 5:00 or so, everyone brought food that they had prepared along with hot dogs, and brats that they cooked over the fire. Being that all this took place right across the street from me, I could see what was going on and it sure seemed like everyone was enjoying the meal and having a great time. ; )


After the meal, everyone was sitting around the fire and talking so Jim took this picture. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you'll be able to see the people better.

Sitting around the fire, from the left is Dorthy, (with the pink pants), Dee Dee, Dave, Gordy, Denny, Bev and Linda.

By the time this picture was taken it was starting to get a little chilly and everyone was enjoying the warmth of the fire. : )

So, it turned out to be a great day with great friends and good food.  And, like Jim says, "What more could you ask for?"  ; )

Oh, one last picture.

Can you figure out what Dave is doing here? Everyone was having a good laugh watching him. ; )

Did you know that in 2010, consumers spent more than $1.6 billion on hot dogs in U.S. supermarkets?

Friday, September 9, 2011

3/3 of the "Illinois Bunch" Are Here

Rantoul, IL.

63 deg. light rain, N. wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Cloudy with scattered showers. Highs in the lower 70s. Light east winds. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.


This is probably going to be real short this morning. I've already had all kinds of Internet problems. The CG wi-fi is down and I keep getting knocked off line with the air card.

Denny and Bev pulled in late last night after having battery problems with their Winnebago Brave MH. There was light rain / mist coming down when they got here so Jim went over and helped them get into their site and get the electric hooked up.

Denny had put some water in their fresh water tank, so he didn't have to hook up the hose or anything else last night.

Jim, Linda and the rest of the Illinois bunch spent quite a bit of time outside yesterday. At times they had to move under someones awning when it sprinkled, but it sounded like they were having a good time visiting. ; )

I don't know what's going on today. It's going to be hard to get together outside if it continues to rain. They're saying on TV that there should be times when it isn't raining, but it sure doesn't look good now. : (

OK, just got knocked off of the Internet again. I'll write more later if I can.

Did you know the comedy showcase "Second City" was founded on North Wells Street in Chicago in a former Chinese laundry in 1959 ?

Thursday, September 8, 2011

2/3 Of The "Illinois Bunch" Arrive

Rantoul, IL.

55 deg. clear, N. wind @ 12 mph.

Forecast = Partly sunny in the morning...then cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Jim and Linda spent some of the morning cleaning and straightening up the inside of me yesterday, cause they wanted me to look nice when the "Illinois Bunch" got here. I wasn't too dusty or messy, so it didn't take them long. : )

It was early afternoon, when I saw a Holiday Rambler MH pull into the CG and then heard Jim tell Linda that Gordy and Dorthy were here. Then, Jim grabbed his hat and went out to greet them. After Louise led them around and into their site, he stayed over there to make sure they got into their site OK, help unhook their toad and get set up.

While Jim and Gordy were getting the MH set up, Dorthy walked over here to see me and Linda. : )

About the time they were finished setting up the MH, a truck pulling a big 5th wheel pulled into the park and I saw Jim walk over and greet them. I later found out that this was Dave and Dee Dee. Jim walked over to the office with Dave and then after he was checked in, Jim went over to a site next to Gordy's and waited for Dave to drive around to the other street where Louise met them a led them into the site.

While Jim was talking to Dave and watching him get the 5th wheel set up, Dee Dee walked over to see me too. ; )

Linda gave both Dorthy and Dee Dee the "tour" and I think they both liked me, cause they both made some very nice comments. : )

After Dave had the 5th wheel pretty much set up, Jim came back here and took a little nap. Then, about 4:00 Dave came over to see me and Linda. After he got the "tour", he and Jim walked back over to Gordy's MH for "Happy Hour".

So, 2/3 of the "Illinois Bunch" are here. We still haven't heard anything from Denny and Bev, so everyone is hoping that they'll be coming today. I understand that even if they can come, it'll probably be later in the day by the time they get here.

I sure hope they can come.

Did you know that it was on this day in 1900, a Category 4 hurricane riped through Galveston, Texas  killing an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Groceries and Virtualization

Rantoul, IL.

52 deg. clear, N. wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.


Grocery shopping was the first thing on the agenda yesterday, so as soon as Linda finished doing her morning routine, she and Jim took CLT and headed, first to the Post Office to get their mail, and then to the County Market Grocery Store. They were gone for quite awhile and I just knew that they were buying lots of groceries, so I was prepared when they started bring in all the bags.

After getting everything put away, Jim took a little nap and Linda finished up her embroidery project. : )

I didn't realize it, but Jim and Linda have decided to get a new desktop computer. I knew that Jim had been talking to Greg from GeekyGuys but I thought it was just about Linda's family tree program.

Well, it was about the program, but it was also about Greg building a new computer for Jim and Linda and how to get the program to run in Window's 7. You see, it's a very old program and Linda has hundreds of ancestors entered into the database, so it was essential that it could be transferred to the new operating system.

Anyway, like I said, it is a very old program, it's called "Parents" and was a "shareware" program that was installed on the current desktop computer way back when it was purchased in about 2000. The author of the program was found and there are some updates, but somewhere along the line the format was changed and the data from the old version of the program can not be easily transferred to a newer version. : (

So, what to do?

Well, Greg, being the head GeekyGuy, has figured out a way. Right now I don't really understand it, but it's something about some fairly new technology called "virtualization" and he says that by using it, Jim and Linda should be able to run all of their older programs from their old computer on the new one.

So, Greg stopped by here last night, talked about the price of a new computer, the new technology and then took Jim and Linda's old computer with him so he can transfer all the programs to the new one as soon as he gets it built. (Which should be less than a week).

After Greg left, Jim and Linda watched some TV and then went to bed after the news.

Today, the first of the "Illinois Bunch" are coming here to the CG. I'm really looking forward to meeting them and their RVs. It should be a fun 4 days. ; )  Haven't heard anything more from Denny and Bev. Hope they're able to get their MH out of the shop in time for them to come tomorrow.

Did you know that the word “computer” was first used to describe a mechanical calculating device in the year 1897?

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Windy And Cooler and The Illinois Bunch Is Coming?

Rantoul, IL.

48 deg. clear, N. wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Breezy. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

It was windy all day yesterday and it sounds like it's going to be windy again today. Jim doesn't much like wind so it's hard for him to go outside to do anything when it's like this. He says that he didn't know it until a few years ago, but his oldest son, Jeff, who lives out in Portland Oregon doesn't' like to be out in the wind either.

Hmmm! wonder if it's hereditary?

It never got into the 70's yesterday and with the strong winds it must have felt kind of cool to some of the folks who were packing up to head for home, cause some of them were wearing light jackets.

Speaking of packing up, there was a mass exodus of campers yesterday and now the CG here in Rantoul is pretty empty again. I expect it will be staying that way for the rest of the season. 

Today, Jim and Linda need to go to the grocery store to restock the pantry and get a few things to have when the "Illinois Bunch" get here. 2 of the 3 couples will be coming tomorrow and hopefully the 3rd couple will be getting here on Thursday. I say hopefully because Jim got an e-mail from Denny and Bev, and found out that their MH is in the shop for brakes and some other work and they're not sure if the parts to repair it will get here on time. : (

I sure hope so. I'd really like to meet them and I know that Jim and Linda would like to see them again.

A Point to Ponder : If all the nations in the world are in debt, where did all the money go?

Monday, September 5, 2011

Favorite Holiday. A Little Rain and Watching

Rantoul, IL.

55 deg. scattered clouds, NW wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.


Happy Labor Day!!!!!

Today is Jim's favorite Holiday. You see, this is the last holiday of the summer and the last "Hurrah" for all the weekend campers.  After this holiday, the state, county and COE parks will be easier to get into on the weekends, and in fact, almost all campgrounds, including National Parks, will be much less crowded and quieter.

Now, of course this doesn't hold true for the RV parks and campgrounds in the Southern states where all the "Snowbirds" go with their RVs for the winter. ; ) 

They all fill up. : (

It sprinkled off and on all morning yesterday so Jim pretty much stayed inside. He did go out between sprinkles though to drain my holding tanks as they were getting really full and all RVers know that you don't want "overfull" tanks. : (

Phew!!!!

Jim was outside some during the afternoon, talking to the neighbors and doing "stuff". Linda was busy all day, working on her embroidery project, playing with the computer, reading and taking a little nap.  Then for dinner, Jim cooked a steak on the grill, that he and Linda shared, while Linda cooked vegetables on my stove.

The evening was spent watching the PBS channel on TV.

Today, I'm going to watch most all the RVers here at the CG pack up and head for home. It can be really fun to watch and you soon know which RVers are new to RVing and which ones have been doing it for awhile. The inexperienced ones usually don't have any kind of routine and jump back and forth from one task to another in no special order.

And, I'm sure at least one RV will go out of the CG with it's TV antenna still up. : O

If you're traveling today, please be careful. There will be a lot of people in a hurry to get home after celebrating this Holiday.

Did you know that Congress passed a bill to establish Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894? President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Cooler Weather and Company Coming

Rantoul, IL.

68 deg. clear, NW wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers in the morning...then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.


Had a cold front go through this area yesterday evening. It got quite windy for a short time and there was some lightning, thunder and rain, but none of it heavy. I'll have to wait until Jim looks at his rain gauge this morning, but I'd be surprised if we had even a 1/2 inch of rain.

For most of yesterday it was quite hot again, with temperatures in the mid 90's, so except for a short time in the morning, hardly anyone was out and about. Jim spent most of the day fiddling around with the computer and watching TV while Linda worked on an embroidery project and watched TV.

This next week is fore casted to be much cooler with highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's, so it should be really nice when the "Illinois Bunch" starts coming in on Wednesday. ; )  They'll be here until next Sunday and it's supposed to be cooler the whole time.

I don't think there's any real plans for today or tomorrow. I know that Jim needs to dump my tanks soon and he'll probably be cooking something on the grill. More folks will be out and about here at the CG so I'll be watching them. Then tomorrow, I'll get to watch all of the RVers pack up and head back home.

Oh, I just remembered, Judy, who is one of my faithful followers and who Jim and Linda met up with when we were in Sioux Falls, SD in July, may stop by for a visit next Monday! She'll be passing through this area on her way to Rend Lake in Southern Illinois and she made a comment on yesterday's blog saying that she may stop. Jim e-mailed her and it sounds like I'm going to get to meet her. ; )

Wow!!! I've got all kinds of company coming!!!! ; )

Did you know that by 1893, more than half the states were observing a "Labor Day" on one day or another?



Saturday, September 3, 2011

Eyes, Another New Plan and The CG Is Filling Up.

Rantoul, IL.

69 deg. clear, S. wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Hot. Sunny. Highs in the upper 90s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


I'll bet you thought I fell into a pothole or something, didn't you? Well, I didn't. I've been just waiting to find out what is going on with Jim's eyes.

If you remember, Jim went to the eye doctor on Tuesday and he found, by doing a scan of the back of the eye, what he thought may be some serious problems. An appointment was made with another eye doctor for yesterday, and so yesterday afternoon, Jim and Linda went to see her.

After an inspection of Jim's eyes and more tests, it was determined that there were no serious problems at this time and that what problems there were should be able to be taken care of my medication.

Whew!!!! : )

What the first doctor saw was, what looked like, damage from someone who has glaucoma, but Jim didn't have high eye pressures or any other signs of the disease. There is however, a type of glaucoma where the eye pressure does not raise significantly but the same damage occurs, only at a slower rate.

This is what the first doctor thought may be going on.

Anyway, if there is any glaucoma damage at all, it's very slight and by using medication, Jim should have good vision for many years to come. : )  Jim still has to go back for a follow-up appointment on the 16th of this month but the eye doctor said that she saw no reason why we wouldn't be able to head out of here right after that.

So, . . . . .the big eraser came out again and now, as plan "E" shows, we'll be leaving here on Monday, the 19th. A few days later than was originally planned, but still very do-able without too many changes.

What has been going on around here the last few days? Nothing!!! The temperatures have been in the upper 90's every day, there has been no activity here in the CG, and to be honest, Jim didn't feel like doing anything because he was quite worried about his eyes and what it could mean as far as his and Linda's future as far as full-timing.

Yesterday, quite a few RVs came into the CG and today there should be a lot more. Louise says that every site is booked for the Labor Day weekend. Tonight they are forecasting storms and then cooler temperatures after that. I don't like the idea of storms but I hope they're right about the cooler temps because the "Illinois Bunch" will be coming to see me next week and it would be good if the weather co-operated so everyone can enjoy being outdoors. : )

Did you know that the first big Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882?