Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Shopping and A New GPS

Rantoul, IL.

70 deg. clear, no wind.





Forecast = Mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


Jim went for a little ride on his bicycle yesterday morning before it got too hot, and then about 11:00 Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed down to the Mall in Champaign. Their first stop was JC Penney to buy some socks for Jim. From there, they headed over to an Office Depot store to pick up a few office supplies and to check out GPS units.

You see, the GPS unit they have is starting to blip out every once in awhile, has trouble calculating routes at times, the map is way out of date and the unit has a very small viewing screen.

Now, Jim didn't go into selecting a new GPS unit without doing some research. He looked at the GPS units that are set up for RVers, but they run between $300 and $400.  Right now, after spending a lot of money on our trip out west, Jim and Linda didn't feel that they wanted to spend that much money, so they chose a lower priced unit (about $150), that has free lifetime map updates and quite a few more features than their old unit has.

By the time they were done at Office Depot, it was lunch time, so they headed over to the Urbana's Gardens Restaurant, which was not too far away. It's a family style restaurant and they've eaten there many times in the past. The food and service are always good and it's easy to get to.

After lunch, they came back to Rantoul and went to the Post Office to check on their mail. From the Post Office, they headed back here to the CG.

Once they got back here, Jim dug into the GPS box, checked to make sure everything was there and plugged the new unit in to charge up the battery.

It was over 90 deg. by the time they returned so the rest of the afternoon was spent watching the Olympic Games on TV, playing with the new GPS and taking naps. ; )

After having sandwiches for supper, (they had a big meal for lunch at the restaurant), Jim walked over to Paul and Louise's and visited with them for awhile. Then he came back here and he and Linda watched the games on TV.

Did you know that the first time Olympic athletes marched into the stadium behind their nations' flags was in London in 1908?



Monday, July 30, 2012

No Big Deal

Rantoul, IL.

66 deg clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.




I didn't want to make a big deal about it and I don't  want you to think you need to send cards or anything, but yesterday was my birthday. : )  Yep, my Newmar Corporation Label says that I was manufactured on 07/29/99 as a 2000 model, so that makes me 13 years old!!! : (

Wow!!!! I don't feel that old!!!!

Jim and Linda didn't go shopping yesterday. In the morning, Jim got busy changing the tube in his bike tire. It wasn't a job that should have taken very long, but as he was putting the wheel back on the bike, he noticed a problem with the chain and had to work on that before he could put the wheel on.

In the afternoon, both Jim and Linda got interested in the Olympic games on TV and really didn't feel like going shopping, so the decision was made to go today, instead.

We still haven't had any rain here in Central Illinois, and every thing is getting drier and drier. The threat of grass and field fires is climbing and in some areas, there is a ban on any kind of fires, including charcoal grill fires. Of course the crops in the fields are suffering more and more, and if we don't get rain pretty soon, there won't be any crops left to harvest. : (

Did you know that the five Olympic rings represent the five major regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceana, and are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained from these international competitions? The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world.










Sunday, July 29, 2012

Not Much To Report

Rantoul, IL.

65 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.






Not much to report on today. Jim's been keeping busy working on getting tie down straps set up for my main awning, getting his bike out of the back of CLT and getting it ready to ride, (it has a flat tire that won't hold air, so he going to have to repair it),  talking to the neighbors, and just doing "stuff". 

Linda's been working on the computer, (catching up on financial projects), and doing laundry.

Oh, and they've both been watching the Olympic Games on TV from time to time.

For dinner, Jim cooked a steak on the grill, Linda cooked some Kohlrabi on my stove and made some garlic bread.

It sure all smelled good and both of them said it all tasted really good too. ; )

Don't know what's happening today. They may take CLT and head down to Champaign to do a little shopping.

Oh, and I'll bet that they'll be watching some more of the Olympics on TV also. : )

Did you know that 12-year-old Inge Sorensen from Denmark won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1936, making her the youngest medalist ever in an individual event?

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Opening Ceremonies and Prairie Pines CG Photos

Rantoul, IL.

65 deg. clear, NW wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.


Did you watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games last night? I thought they were quite good, but not spectacular like the last ones from China.
Today I thought I'd post some photos from the Campground here in Rantoul.  As you can see, because of the lack of rain, the grass is almost completely brown.

In the photo below, this is the sign you see at the entrance of the Campground.


 The view as you turn into the CG.



As you enter the park, you'll see the bath house/laundry off to your right.



You'll need to stop and register when you come to this stop sign.



You'll register at this little office building off to your left. It's a small office that was built with donations and volunteers, but it sure is better than registering at a picnic table in the rain.

2 sites past the office on your left, you'll see me in my site.

As you can see, the sites are quite large and in this site, I have trees on the South side of me, so I'm mostly in the shade during the hottest part of the day.

I'll be posting more photos of the Campground from time to time while we're here.

Did you know that all athletes competed in the nude at the ancient Olympics?

Friday, July 27, 2012

Photos From The Reunion and Other Stuff

Rantoul, IL.

67 deg, clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs around 90. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Here at the Prairie Pines Campground in Rantoul, I have wi-fi and it's pretty fast, so today, I'm going to bore some of you with photos from the reunion that I wasn't able to post earlier because of slow Internet connections.  As always, you can click on the photo to enlarge it to see details or the text that Jim has added.

These first to photos are of the other house on the lake where Glenn and his family stayed.


It too had a nice deck on the back, facing the lake.

Laura and her girls who flew up from Florida to come to the reunion


Linda's sister, Nancy and David who drove up from the South side of Chicago.


Nancy's son Aaron and his family who live close to Nancy


Linda's Brother Glenn and his wife Jeanette who drove down from River Falls, WI.


Glenn and Jeanette's son Ed and his family who live in River Falls


Glenn and Jeanette's daughter Mary and her family who also live in River Falls.


Below are a couple other photos that Jim took of people just sitting around and visiting.




Well, I hope I didn't bore you too much, but I really wanted to post these photos so that those who are interested, could see them.

Jim went out an hooked me up to the sewer yesterday morning because Linda said that she wanted to get started on the laundry. After that, he went over and talked to Louise for awhile before coming back here.

While he was gone, Linda put in a load of laundry and worked on justifying 2 bank statements. : ( 

Later, Jim brought some stuff in from my basement compartments for Linda and then walked down to the other end of the park and talked to a man named Ron for awhile. Jim had met Ron a few years ago but didn't really get to know him until last year when I was parked in the site right next to them when Jim and Linda first brought me here.

Ron and his wife Marilyn, work down in Texas during the winter and then come up here to visit family and friends during the summer. They'll be here until about the middle of September.

For awhile it looked like we were going to get some rain yesterday afternoon, but it just fizzled out and all we got were a few drops. (The same thing happened in the evening.)   : (  The weather people on TV are still forecasting a chance of rain, but I wouldn't bet a quart of diesel that any will come.

Not much planned today. There's a letter that needs to be mailed and Jim wants to go to the new Ace Hardware Store here in Rantoul, to get a new filter for my Air Conditioner, but other than that, nothing.

Now, I am betting that quart of diesel that he'll find a lot to look at and spend quite a bit of time at Ace. ; )

A Point to Ponder : Do sore thumbs really stick out?







Thursday, July 26, 2012

Davenport, IA To Rantoul, IL.

Rantoul, IL.

83 deg. cloudy, SSW 13 MPH Gusts 17 MPH

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Not as hot. Highs in the lower 90s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.


After a pleasant nights stay at the West Lake CG in Davenport, we left at 9:05 and continued South and East around the Quad Cities area on I-280. Once into Illinois, we picked up I-74 and followed it all the way through Peoria, Bloomington/Normal, and to just past the little town of Leroy, where we turned East on US 136. 136 brought us right over here to Rantoul and the Prairie Pines Campground.
It was 12:30 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 3 hours and 25 minutes to travel the 187 miles over here.

I have a great site this year. I'm in site #23 which faces East so the afternoon and evening sun aren't shining into my windshield, there are large trees on the South and West sides of the site, so there is shade during the hottest part of the day. Jim says that he has always considered site #23 one of the best sites in the park.

 The temperatures were in the upper 90's when we got here, so Jim just hooked up my electric and water. My tanks are almost empty, so the sewer can wait for a day or 2 if necessary.

After they relaxed for  a little while, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the County Market Grocery store to buy some much needed groceries. They didn't buy a whole lot, but did get some necessities, like bread, milk, beer and TP.

Oh, and they also bought some chicken, potato salad and home made bread from the bakery/deli for dinner. ; )

After they returned and had all the groceries put away, the both took a nap before dinner.

After it cooled down a little, (The temperatures here got up to 102 degrees yesterday afternoon), Jim and Linda walked over to Paul and Louise's, (the campground hosts),  and visited for awhile. Both Jim and Linda said that it was good to see them again and catch up on what's been happening since we left here last fall.

They must have had a lot to talk about because they were over there until about 9:00. : )

The weather in this area has been very hot and dry. Some of the crops in the fields look really bad and they're saying that much of the Illinois corn crop may have been lost already. Today, they're forecasting a chance of rain and every one's excited with hopes of salvaging some of the corn and the soy bean crop.

I hope we get some rain. It's so sad to see all those fields of corn and beans just drying up and turning brown. : (

I don't think Jim and Linda have any big plans for today. I think Linda wants to start getting caught up on laundry, so that means Jim will have to go out and hook up my sewer hose.

Did you know that on this date in 1775 A postal system was established by the 2nd Continental Congress of the United States?  The first Postmaster General was Benjamin Franklin.

Thanks for saving site #23 for me Louise, I really appreciate it!!!! : )

The roads were good for the most part. We had a few construction areas but they were short and did not cause any delays.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Kieler WI to Moscow IA and Surprise! Surprise!

Davenport, IA.

73 deg. clear, East wind # 6 mph.

Forecast = Breezy...Sunny. Near record high around 103. South wind 10 to 15 mph shifting to the southwest 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.


Because Jim and Linda wanted to make sure that I wasn't late for my appointment at HWH in Moscow, IA, we left the Rustic Barn CG around 9:10 yesterday morning and headed into Iowa on US 151/61. Once through Dubuque 151 headed West and we continued South on US 61. 61 brought us down to to I-80 near Davenport where we turned West and followed 80 to the HWH factory in Moscow.

It was 10:55 when we pulled up to the factory so we had traveled exactly 100 miles in 1 hour and 25 minutes.

As soon as we pulled up, Jim went into the office to let them know that we were there. Ashley, the gal in the office said that he should unhook CLT from the back of me and pull me into bay #4. Within 15 minutes, there was a mechanic checking out my jack and after cleaning the oil and dirt off of the jack, determined that it was a fitting that was leaking and not the cylinder!. : )  He removed the fitting, cleaned everything up and re-installed the fitting and line with new sealant, then, tested the jack.

Everything tested out fine, so he had Jim sign a paper and told Jim that he could back me out of the bay. Jim asked him about paying for the work, and he told Jim that there was No Charge!!!!!

Surprise, Surprise!!!!

The mechanic had worked on me for almost an hour, and Jim thought for sure that there would be a labor charge, but he again said that there would not be a charge.

Wow!!!! How often do you get service like that?  I was taken in early, repaired at no charge and was back out of the bay before my appointment was even supposed to start!!!!

In fact it was only about 12:05 when Jim backed me out of the bay!!

Now, a decision had to be made. Neither Jim nor Linda had planned on getting me getting repaired so quickly. In fact, they were prepared to stay overnight if necessary. There seemed to be 2 options. The first one was to stay at a County Park in Davenport, (that we stayed at last year when we were in the area), and the second option was to head to Rantoul, which was about 210 miles away.

Well, if you read the location that we're at, on the top of this post, you already know that Jim and Linda decided on option # 1. We're at the West Lake County Park that is just off of I-280, on the West side of Davenport.

It was only 33 miles over here from Moscow and it only took us 40 minutes to get here.

This is a very nice park. I have a full hook-up site with 50 amp electric, there's lots of trees for shade and the sites are nice and long and very level. And, it only is costing Jim and Linda $19.00 for the night!! (Jim got a 10% senior discount).  I wouldn't mind spending some more time here some day.


For dinner, Jim and Linda headed to "The Corner Grill" in the very small town of Blue Grass, which is about 5 miles west of this park. They had gone to this restaurant the last time we were here and decided to go back, since the food was good at that time. Well, the food is still very good and this time they enjoyed a very good pizza.

This morning, we'll be heading for Rantoul, IL. where we'll stay until sometime in September. It'll be nice to relax for awhile and not travel so much. Linda called Louise after we got here yesterday and told her we were coming. She said that she has a site ready for me and is looking forward to our arrival. : )

Since I've got a little faster Internet signal here, I thought I'd post a few photos from the reunion. This first one is of the house where everyone gathered. It's actually smaller than the other house, but the kitchen/living room area is laid out better for a large number of people.

As you can see it has a great deck on the back which was very nice in the evenings when it cooled off outside.


Once we get to Rantoul, I should have a faster Internet connection and am planning on posting more photos from the reunion. I know some of the family members are looking forward to seeing them.

Did you know that on this date in 1868 - The U.S. Congress passed an act creating the Wyoming Territory?





Tuesday, July 24, 2012

New Lisbon to Kieler, WI

Kieler, WI.

73 deg. overcast, NE wind @ 10 mph

Forecast = Occasional showers and thunderstorms early in the morning...Then mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the late morning and afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100 percent. Highest heat index readings 95 to 100 in the afternoon.

By the time Jim got me pulled out of my site, had CLT hooked to the back of me and dumped my very full tanks, it was 9:55. A right turn out of the CG put us on WI 80, which took us to I-90 where we turned South and followed it to just South of Lake Delton. There, we turned off on US 12 and followed it down to Sauk City where we turned off of 12 and took WI 78 down to Mount Horeb.

Now, if any of you are planning on coming through this area, I strongly advise against taking WI 78!!!

It was one of the roughest roads I've been on in a long time, especially the southern part between Black Earth and Mount Horeb!!!

Form Mount Horeb, we took US 151 to the West and followed it here to the Rustic Barn Campground and RV Park in Kieler.

It was 12:35 when we pulled up in front of the barn, so it took us 2 hours and 40 minutes to travel 137 miles.

This CG is pretty nice. I have 50 Amp electric and water hook-ups at my pull-through site, there's supposed to be Wi Fi here, but I can't get connected to it, even though I have the password. They have quite a few pull-through sites that are long enough for me and CLT, and some of the sites are shaded.

Today, we'll head down to Moscow, IA and to the HWH factory where I have an appointment at 12:30. I have no idea how long I'll be there, it all depends on what they find wrong with my leaking jack.

Did you know that July is "National Doghouse Repairs Month"?

Catching Up Part 2

This a continuation of the previous post. I'll try to get some photos posted at a later date.


The Reunion Day 5

Yesterday morning, (Thursday), Jim went outside and gave CLT (Cute Little Truck), a bath!!!! He’s been following along behind me through all kinds of weather and Jim said that CLT was so dirty that he was embarrassed to be seen driving him!! 

He sure looks spiffy now though!! ; )

About or so, Jim and Linda headed over to the reunion and spent some time visiting with Linda’s sister, Nancy. After visiting and having lunch with her, she left to do some business and Jim and Linda took CLT and headed down to Baraboo, WI, where they first went to a produce stand, (that they’ve been going to for the last 2 or 3 years when we’re up here for the family reunion), and bought some sweet corn, melon, peaches and kohlrabi.

Yes, that’s right, kohlrabi! Jim’s parents used to grow it in their garden years ago, and it’s one of Jim and Linda’s favorite vegetables. It’s very hard to find and this produce stand is one of the few places they have found it.

Many of you may not know what it is, but if you do a search on it, you’ll get a much better description than I can give you.  

Anyway, from the produce stand just North of Baraboo, they headed to the Baraboo Candy Company, where Linda bought a whole bunch of sugar free chocolates. (She says that they have some of the best).  

From there, they went into Lake Delton and stopped at the Market Square Cheese Store, where they bought cheese, summer sausage, and ice cream cones!! ; )

After all that shopping, they headed back here, put all the groceries and food away, and took short naps before heading back over to the reunion for dinner. 

After dinner, there was more visiting before coming back out here to the CG for the night.

Oh, if you’re interested a recipe for Kohlrabi, here’s the one that Linda uses. 

KOHLRABI  IN CREAM SAUCE                                         Vegetables/Cabbage
                        (Not really cabbage , but in the family.   Esther Wichtendahl Smith
                        It means “cabbage turnip” in Italian.)
1 raw kohlrabi
½ cup water
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. flour

1.  Cut off ends.  Slice meat of Kohlrabi into sauce pan.  DO NOT USE WOODY CENTER.  Add water, salt, pepper, and butter.  Cook till tender.
2.  Tip pan.  Push vegetable to uphill side of pan.  Add  flour.  Stir it into the liquid  Add more if not thick enough.  Add water or milk if too thick..  Toss vegetables with sauce.

            (Serves 2.)

____________ 
The Reunion Day 6

Not a whole lot to report on for Friday, (day 6). Jim and Linda went over to the reunion in the morning but came back here right after lunch. It seems that everyone had plans of  one kind or another, like going to the Casino, going shopping or going down to the Wisconsin Dells to go on rides and attractions.

About , Jim and Linda went back over there, had a nice meal with the family and visited until around . 

_____________
The Reunion Day 7

Nothing special happened to report on yesterday, (Saturday). Glenn’s daughter, Mary, and her family had to leave early in the morning, but that was OK because everyone said their good-bye’s to them the evening before. 

Some of the adults and all of the kids went to see movies in the afternoon, but by dinner time, they were back and enjoyed another very nice meal. Then after dinner, most of the people played games and visited.

Today, everyone who is still here will meet at a restaurant for breakfast. Then they will go their separate ways and head for their homes. Jim and Linda will come back here and start getting me ready to travel, and then tomorrow, we’ll leave and head towards Moscow, IA to get my jack repaired.

Oh, and just one more thing.

Happy Birthday Linda!!!!! Hope you have a great day!!!!! ; )

_____________
07-23-12 Saying Good-Bye and Getting Ready

About yesterday morning, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to Mauston and the Oasis Family Restaurant. By the time they arrived, some of the other family members were just arriving too, and in a short while, everyone was there.

There were about 18 people, so it took the restaurant awhile to get them seated and awhile to prepare the breakfasts that everyone ordered, but that gave everyone one last chance to visit.

Then, it was time to say good-bye.  L

So, after lots of hugs and handshakes, everyone got into their vehicles and headed home.

By the time Jim and Linda returned here, it was close to , and they were still talking about how much they enjoyed the reunion and how good it was to see everyone again. : )

Jim and Linda spent the rest of the day getting me ready to travel.

Today, we’ll head towards Iowa. We’ll probably stop at an RV park that Jim and Linda have been to before that is just this side of Dubuque. Jim says that if he remembers right,  they have nice long pull-through sites and he thinks he’ll be able to leave CLT hooked up behind me.  

I’m hoping that we’ll have an Internet connection there, so that I can get some of these last 8 or 9 days worth of blogs posted.



Did Ya Miss Me? and Trying To Catch Up

Did Ya Miss Me?

The last 9 days, I haven't had Internet, Jim and Linda didn't have phone or TV. I've been operating off of 30 amp electric with temperatures running right around 90 degrees, so I've only been able to use 1 phase of my AC to try to keep it cool inside of me.

Luckily, Jim and Linda have been spending most of the days at the house were the reunion is being held and haven't been here at the CG too much.

I've tried to keep track of everything that happened during that time, so I'm going to try to get you caught up on what's been going on.

I'm now at the Rustic Barn RV Park in Kieler, WI., for 1 night only, and will try to get as much posted from here as possible, but I have a weak signal, so I don't think I'll be able to post any photos. : (

_______________
We left the Borderline RV Park near Land O Lakes right at Saturday morning, (the 14th of July), and continued South on US 45. When we got down to Eagle River, we turned off of  45 onto WI 17 and followed it down to Rhinelander.

Everything was going fine until that point, and then things got real interesting real fast!!!!

WI 17 kind of by-passes the city to the east, and there is a section of 4 lane divided road for a couple of miles before you get to US 8.  Well, it was on this section, at one of the crossroads, a car pulled right out in front of me and then stopped!!!! Jim slammed on my brakes, blew my air horn and got me stopped, about 3 feet from the car’s driver door!!!!  : O

Whew!!!!!!!

The driver of the car then took off down the road, and we followed at a safe distance. Once we turned West onto US 8, (a 2 lane road), the driver of the car that had pulled out in front of me, decided to pass the row of cars in front of him. The only problem was that there were cars coming from the opposite direction!!!! The car swerved back into the right lane just in time to prevent a head-on collision with on-coming traffic, and then pulled off on the shoulder of the road and stopped.

We pretty much stopped on the road too because Jim had no idea of what the driver was going to do next!!! Well, as we slowly crept by, both the driver and passenger doors of the car opened and 2 people got out.

It looked like they were changing drivers. 

We don’t know what the problem was, but the elderly man driving the car must have had something wrong with him. The car wasn't swerving around as it traveled down the road while we were following it, but there definitely were some bad decisions made.

Hopefully they made it home safely.

US 8 took us over to Tomahawk where we turned South on US 51/ I-39 and followed it all the way down to Colona, WI., where we turned off on WI 21.

At that intersection, Jim pulled me into a truck stop and bought me a nice drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel, which was about 10 cents a gallon cheaper than in Michigan. : )

Once I had my drink, we followed 21 West to the little town of Necedah, where we turned SW on WI. 80.  80 then brought us down here to the Lil’ Yellow River Campground near New Lisbon.

It was 1:25 when we pulled up to the office so it took us 3 hours and 55 minutes to travel exactly 200 miles, dodge the driver in Rhinelander and stop for my drink of diesel.

Not too bad, considering.

I don’t have any kind of Internet connection here at the CG. We’ll be here for 9 days and I have no idea when any of this will get posted, but I’ll just keep writing using this word processor. Hopefully Jim will find some way to post it for me.

___________________
07-15-12  Lil’ River CG and  Day One Of The Reunion

The Lil’ Yellow River CG is an older park. There’s lots of nice big trees for shade, (which is good considering that we had temperatures in the 90’s yesterday), some of the sites are pull-through, and I think most are pretty level.

The drawbacks are that there is only 30 amp electrical service, no sewer hook-ups, no cable TV, no wi-fi and the CG is getting a little run down. There are trees that need to be trimmed, electrical boxes that need to be repaired and the park just spruced up in general.

I really doubt if this owner will ever do any of that though. You see, he lost his wife a little over a year ago, and I just don’t think his heart is in it anymore. : (  It’s too bad, with a little up-dating and repair, this could be a very nice park.

Jim and Linda didn't do a whole lot yesterday morning. They got things ready to take over to the reunion, (mostly food and beverages), and then about they headed into town and to the reunion.

For the reunion, Linda’s brother Glenn and her sister Nancy have rented two houses that are next to each other. Both houses are on a small lake, have lots of bedrooms, (for the kids and grand kids), large living areas and full kitchens. There are also large decks on the back of the houses, overlooking the lake.

So far, about ½ of Glenn’s family are here and most of Nancy’s family. Laura, Ashley and Anna are supposed to arrive here from Florida today, and the rest of Glenn and Nancy’s family should be getting here too. So, by this evening, everyone who is going to be able to make it this year should be here. : )

I’m hoping Jim will take some photos of the houses and all the people so I can post them.  Of  course, there’s still the little problem of getting on the Internet, that hasn't been solved yet. : (  


_______________

07-16-12  Hail! Hail! The Gang’s Almost All Here!

Yesterday morning, Monday, Jim and Linda loaded up the rest of the food that they were taking for the evening meal into CLT and headed over to the reunion.

About , Laura and the girls called and told Linda that they were still down in Illinois, but were heading up to the reunion and would be there as soon as they could. : )

I didn't get the exact times, but I think it was around when Glenn and Jeanette’s daughter, Mary, and her family arrived. Then around or so, Laura, Ashley and Anna pulled in.

Now, everyone was there except Debbie, (Nancy’s, Son’s, wife), who is still in the Chicago area, because she had to work on Monday. : (   But,  ,  ,  ,  she should be getting to the reunion today, (Tuesday), and that will make it complete. : )

The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting and then Laura and the girls helped Linda make the BBQ, green beans, frost the cakes and get out all the drinks, chips, paper plates, plastic glasses, and everything else needed for dinner.

After dinner, it was more visiting and playing games until about , when Jim and Linda came back here to the CG for the night.  

A very good 2nd day of the reunion!!!! ; )

___________
07-17/18-12  The Reunion, Days 3 and 4

Most of Tuesday was spent visiting. Debbie did make it to the reunion without any problems. Linda, Laura, Ashley and Anna went down to the Wisconsin Dells for awhile in the afternoon. They went to a book store in downtown Dells and then to a cheese shop in Lake Delton. 

It sounds like they had a good time. ; )

Yesterday, (about ),  Laura and the Girls had to leave already. : (  They had to get back down to the Chicago area in order to catch a flight this morning, back to Florida. They weren’t able to stay very long, but everyone was very happy that they could come.

Then, it was more visiting, but since Mary and her family went to the Dells, and Ed and his family went to Milwaukee, there weren’t near as many people there.

Later in the afternoon, Glenn, Jeanette, Nancy and David went to the Casino down in Baraboo, WI., and Jim and Linda came back here for awhile and took naps. Then, for dinner they all met at a restaurant down in Mauston.

After dinner, they went back to the house where they played games, visited and watched TV, while a fairly strong T-storm passed through the area, just to the South of New Lisbon.

Today, I don’t think anything special is happening. Probably just more visiting and catching up on what’s been happening since the last reunion, a year ago.

Oh, I just remembered  one more thing. Jim called and made an appointment for me at the HWH factory on Moscow Iowa to have my right rear leveling jack cylinder looked at next Tuesday.

It’s been leaking a little for quite awhile now, and since we’re going to be passing fairly close to the factory, Jim thought it would be a good idea if we stopped by on our way from here down to Rantoul and have it repaired.

Their labor rates are less than most repair shops, and they should have any parts needed to stop the leak. (Including a new or rebuilt cylinder if necessary).






Saturday, July 14, 2012

Laundry and Just Walked Away

Land O Lakes, WI

deg. 63 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms. Highs 80 to 85. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.



As soon as Linda got up yesterday morning, she started doing laundry. There was quite a bit to do and being that we won't have a sewer hook-up at our next CG, she wanted to get caught up. She also has been getting some food ready to take to the reunion and has cooked some of it and put it in the freezer to be brought back out, probably Monday or Tuesday.

A little after lunch, a fifth wheel pulled up in the site next to me, and as Jim was outside, said "hi" and talked to the couple about their site for a minute.

At that time, he didn't think they were very friendly, but they were busy getting set up.

Later, Jim was outside again, and the man asked Jim if we were from South Dakota? Jim told him that we were full-timing and used SD as our state of residence.

The man looked at Jim and told him that he and his wife were full-timers also and that Texas and South Dakota were, "No d**n good"!!!

Huh???? Where did that come from????

He went on to say that when he registered his trailer and truck in Texas, the price for the plates was so high that he moved back to Wisconsin for his state of residency. 

When Jim asked him about taxes and insurance cost in WI. compared to Texas, the man said that he didn't mind paying taxes, as it helped the state.

Huh??????

Jim sensed that this was going to be a no-win situation, so he just walked away!!

This man did not seem happy at all. He evidently has a problem of some sort, but who knows what the real problem is? I don't know how long this couple have been full-timing, but I can't imagine them being out on the road for too long, as they won't have any friends with an attitude like that!!!

I'm glad we're leaving here this morning. I wouldn't want to spend much time parked next to them.

Later in the afternoon, Jim dumped my tanks and put all the hoses away. Then, he hooked CLT back to to me. They were forecasting possible rain showers for this morning, and he didn't want to have to do a bunch of stuff if it was raining.

I think this next CG that we will be staying at has wi-fi, but I'm not sure. It's also quite a way from any large cities, so I don't know if I'll be able to hook up with the air card either. So, if I don't post for awhile, keep checking, I'll post whenever I can.

Did you know that on this date in 1868 - Alvin J. Fellows patented the tape measure?








Friday, July 13, 2012

Michigan To Wisconsin

This post was written Friday, 7-13-2012 and will be posted to Blogger when I have an Internet connection.

Land O Lakes, WI.

59 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = High temp 87 deg. isolated T-Storms possible in the afternoon.


After some jockeying around in the Campground to get me pointed in the right direction, Jim hooked CLT to the back of me and by 9:45 we were pulling out of the Sunset Bay CG and heading back down US 41 to Haughton, where we picked up Rt.26. We stayed on 26 until we came to US 45. Following 45 South brought us down into Wisconsin and to the Borderline RV Park near the little community of Land O Lakes. (A total of 107 miles.)

This park is only about 2 miles into Wisconsin, and is just off of 45, so it’s easy to get in and out of.

Jim and Linda had been to this park 2 years ago, so they knew the park. Many of the RVs in this park are seasonal folks that come back here every year, but they have some sites for travelers. When we arrived here at there were 4 long pull-through sites available and a few  back-in sites. (All full hook-up and I think all have 50 amp electric).

We’re staying here for 2 nights so that Linda can get caught up on some laundry before heading to New Lisbon, where again, I’ll only have 30 amp electric and water hook-ups. : (

This is a fairly nice park. Most of the people here seem to be very friendly, the park is fairly well maintained, there’s lots of trees, (which Jim and Linda like), the sites are quite large and the interior roads in the CG, although gravel, are smooth and well maintained.

I could stay here for awhile. : )

Jim is planning on taking some photos of the park today, and I’ll try to include them as soon as I have an Internet connection.

____________________________

It's afternoon here now and Jim just found out the code for the CG's wi-fi, so I'm posting now. Here are those photos. You can click on them to enlarge them if you'd like.








Did you know that today is "National French Fries Day"?



Thursday, July 12, 2012

An Alternative CG? and One Last Sunset Photo

Ahmeek, MI.

68 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Very warm. Mostly sunny. Highs around 85 inland to around 77 at The shore. West winds 5 to 15 mph becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.


About noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed back over to Gay, MI, where they had been yesterday. You see, as they were traveling thought the area, they saw this small sign for a CG on the Lake over there, and decided they'd go back today and check it out.

After the owner finally came back, they found out that yes, there were about 3 sites that are near the shore that I could fit into.  Jim and Linda asked about a possible Monthly rate, and the best the owner would do was to give them the weekly rate, (the 7th night free).

The sites are full hook-up with some having 50 amp electric, so that's good, but there is no shade except possibly a little, late in the day. The sites have a great view of Lake Superior, but the sites are not laid out too well and you would have to use a lot of sewer hose and electrical cord to reach the utilities. This CG is at least 12 miles away from any stores, gas stations or restaurants, (except the Gay Bar, that they went to yesterday). That means that there's nothing to do in the area, and you'd have to drive quite a way for just about anything.

The price quoted was $30 a day or $600 per month for a 50 amp site, which I guess is not too bad for a lake-front site, but Jim was kind of put off by the owner because he wouldn't even consider a monthly rate.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  will we be going to that CG if we come back up here? Well, I don't know. It's possible we'd try it for a week or so to see how it would work out, but we don't even know when we'll be coming back up here.

It's something to think about though. Might be better than this CG that only has 30 amp electric and no sewer.

From the CG, they headed back to Mohawk where they had lunch at Slim's Restaurant. After they ate, they bought some bakery goods and then came back here.

The rest of the afternoon was spent taking naps and fooling with the computers. ; )

Today, we'll be leaving here and heading South. We'll get into Wisconsin today and then on Saturday, we'll head to New Lisbon and the CG where I'll be staying at while Jim and Linda go to the Family Reunion.

Well, folks, can you stand just one last sunset photo?

Jim took the above photo last night and that made the record perfect. During our 7 night stay here, we had a beautiful sunset every single night!!!!! : )

Did you know that Michigan has more shoreline than any other state except Alaska?




Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Gay Bar, A Rough Road but Spectacular Scenery

Ahmeek, MI

61 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs 77 to 82. West winds 5 to 15 mph.


By 11:00, Jim and Linda were driving out of the CG in CLT, (Cute Little Truck), and heading SE towards the opposite shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula to do a little sight seeing. Darrell, one of my faithful followers , had told Jim and Linda about the Gay Bar, (no not that kind), in Gay, Michigan.

He said that it was a good place to grab a sandwich, so Jim and Linda stopped in and had a very nice lunch. Jim had a fish sandwich and Linda had the special, the BBQ sandwich. Both were very good. : )
Below is a photo of the Gay Bar from across the street. ; )

From Gay, they headed up along the shore, stopping now and then at little parks along the way. At this one, part of the shore was rocky,

but part of it was sandy, and there were people out there enjoying the water, on what was becoming a fairly warm day.

When they got up to the end of the Peninsula, they drove around in Copper Harbor a little, and then started back down the other side of the Peninsula. (The NW side).

2 years ago, when they were here, Jim and Linda had taken the Brockway Mt. Drive and remembered it to be a very scenic route.  So, being that it runs parallel to the route they had planned on taking, they took it.  Well, the route is still very scenic, but the road up and down the mountain was in very bad condition!!! It is a very hilly, twisty/turny road, but the pavement is breaking up and now is very rough!! : (

Once to the top, the view is spectacular, and you can see for miles and miles in all directions, so CLT said it was probably worth the bumpy ride. They have information signs and maps pointing out things that you can see from the different viewpoints.



Once down off of the mountain, they followed Rt 26 back to Eagle River, (another very scenic part of the drive along the shore),

and back here to the Campground.

CLT said that he really enjoyed the drive, (except for the rough road going up to and coming down from Brockway Mt), and was really happy that Jim and Linda decided to go.

Tomorrow, we'll be leaving here, so I imagine the today, Jim and Linda will start getting me ready to travel. They also want to go back to Slim's and buy some more of those great bakery items that they sell there.

Oh, can you take another sunset photo? We had another pretty one last night. : )

That makes #6!!!! ; )

Did you know that The Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale, formed by the Midcontinent Rift System, are the only sites in the country with evidence of prehistoric aboriginal mining of copper?



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Mail, Papers, Groceries and #5

Ahmeek, MI

52 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs around 79 inland to around 73 at The shore. Light winds.


Had a small thunder storm go through here yesterday morning, so it kind of delayed Jim and Linda's departure. If you remember, they were to go and pick up their mail at the post office and then check their voicemail to see of those papers were ready to be signed.

Well, with the T-storm going through, it delayed them just long enough that if they had left right after the storm was over, they would have gotten to the post office while it was closed for lunch.

So, they waited here for awhile before heading into town.

Once into town, they checked their voicemail and found out the papers were ready, called Linda's sister, Nancy, to check on a few things about the family reunion, picked up their mail and then headed to Calumet to sign the papers.

After they were done with the papers, they headed to the IGA grocery store and bought some groceries that they'll be needing for the reunion and also some items to replenish things they had used out of my cabinets and refrigerator.

By the time they returned here to the CG it was mid-afternoon.

After they got some of the food put away, (I still don't know what they're going to do with all the food they bought to take to the reunion),  Linda baked some cakes and cupcakes for the reunion. After they were done and cooled, she put them in my freezer and will get them out next week when needed.

By the time the cakes were done, it was time to eat dinner, so Linda got out the potato salad and heated up the chicken that they had bought from the store deli. That along with a few chips made a nice quick meal.

After dinner both Jim and Linda fired up the computers and worked on them until # 5 came along.

Yep, that's right!!!! We had another pretty sunset last night. Again, nothing spectacular, but the colors were just beautiful. Jim's little camera couldn't really capture all the different shades of pink, purple and orange, but I think you'll get the idea of how it looked on this photo.

Once the sun set, there were still some pretty colors in the sky, but nothing that Jim could capture on his camera. : (

Today, I think that Jim and Linda are planning on taking CLT and checking out some "scenic drives" in this area.

I hope Jim takes some photos. ; )

Did you know that the average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is 27', making it easily the cleanest and clearest of all the Great Lakes? Underwater visibility in some places in the lake reach a much as 100'.



Monday, July 9, 2012

Comments, Almost Everyone Left and 4 In A Row

Ahmeek, MI.

55 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs 72 to 77. Light winds.

Before I get too involved with today's post, I'd like to comment on a few comments that I've received lately.

I wish we could continue East from here and stop by the shipwreck museum. Jim has wanted to see that for many years, (since he saw a special on it on PBS), and we'd really like to head over to the lower part of Michigan.  But from here, we need to head down into Wisconsin for Linda's family reunion and then into Illinois for the rest of the summer.

Jim and Linda did take CLT and go on the Brockway Mountain drive 2 years ago when they were here and are planning on going on some of the other scenic drives this week.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions, they're really appreciated.

Now, back to today's post!!! : )

Jim and Linda didn't do much yesterday. Kind of just kicked back and watched all the RVs leave the CG. Evidently most of them were here for the Holiday and they have to get back to their jobs today. Right now, there is only 1 other RV, (a travel trailer), in the section that I'm in and there's only 3 tenters across the road in the whole tent section.

It sure did get peaceful and quiet after all of them left yesterday afternoon. ; )

Had another pretty sunset last night. (that makes 4 in a row). It wasn't spectacular, but it's always interesting to watch the colors change as the sun goes below the horizon.

Oh, and Jim did take a few photos of the beach here yesterday afternoon. This first photo you're seeing what the coast looks like to the right.

This one is looking off to the left.

As you can tell, the shore is all rocks here, so hardly anyone goes into the water. I understand that there is a sand beach somewhere close by where people can go swimming.

Today, Jim and Linda's mail should be at the Post Office in Ahmeek, so they'll need to go and pick that up. They'll have to check their voice mail once in town, (no cell phone service out here at the CG), but they may have to drive down to Calumet, MI., (a small town about 5 miles South of Ahmeek), to sign some papers that their financial advisor is sending up here.

Then, as long as they're in Calumet, the plan is to go to a grocery store and start stocking up on groceries for the Family Reunion, plus pick up a few regular items that they're out of.

That should pretty well fill up their day! : )


Did you know that the annual average snowfall for the northern part of the Keweenaw Peninsula, (where we're at now), is between 220 and 250 inches? (Depending on how far north you are and the elevation).






Sunday, July 8, 2012

A Little Shopping, A Litte Lunch and #3

Ahmeek, WI.

61 deg. mostly cloudy, E. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs 75 to 80. Light winds.


Yesterday morning, Eddy and Christine, my neighbors to my left, started packing up to head on down the road. Since we've been here, Jim has been spending some time visiting with them, and in fact, Eddy helped get me backed into my site the day we got here.

They live in Wisconsin, (Tomahawk, I believe), and are a really nice couple who are easy to talk to.

Christine is into photography and she and Eddy were out taking photos of the sunsets every night when Jim was out there, so they visited at those times too.

It was too bad that they had to leave. I was just getting acquainted with their very nice 5th wheel. : (

About 11:00 Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed into Ahmeek where they went to a little gift shop where they sell all handcrafted items made by local people. There, Linda found a bunch of items that she's planning on using for Christmas presents.

From there, CLT took them up to the little town of Mohawk, (just a few miles North of Ahmeek), where they went to the Wood N Spoon.

At this place, they sell all kinds of home made jams and jellies, baked goods, and a little bit of everything else.

By the time they left there, they were getting hungry so they went up the road a little farther to Slim's Restaurant, where Jim had the fish and chips and Linda had a grilled cheese sandwich.

Oh, and they also bake bread and many other bakery products at Slim's, so Jim and Linda stocked up on a bunch of that. : )

It was about 1:30 by the time they came back here to the CG. After getting everything put away, Jim ate 1/2 of one of the apple turnovers that he had picked out at Slim's, and then took a little nap.

And Linda? Well she read a few pages in a book and then fell asleep in her chair. : )

Not much happened for the rest of the day. We did have another nice sunset though.


That's #3!!!

Did you know that the deepest point in Lake Superior, (about 40 miles north of Munising, Michigan), is 1,300 feet below the surface?

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Campground Photos and Mother Nature Comes Through Again

Ahmeek, MI.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny. Highs 73 to 78. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


Today I'd like to show you some of the photos of the Sunset Bay Campground that Jim took on Thursday, shortly after we arrived here.

This fist one is of their little office where you check in. If you've made a reservation and there's no one at the office, you can just go ahead and go to your site if you know the number and set up.

There's a CG map posted to help you find your site.


This would be a typical view of the lake as you enter the main part of the CG. The sites on the lake side of the road are tent sites, but the RV sites are right across the road and the tents don't seem to block the view very much. : )


This is site # 13 where I'm parked. The road is just in front of  me and I'm facing almost directly West and towards the lake.


The view from the road, looking back at my site.


Yesterday, it was cloudy in the morning and then about 3:00 or so, it started raining. There was also some thunder, but nothing close by. By about 6:00 is was raining quite hard and it looked like it was going to rain well into the night.

But,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  just before sunset, the skies to the west started to clear and we witnessed another beautiful sunset!!! : )  In this first photo the sun was just peaking out from behind the clouds.


Then, as the sun set lower, it started to shine on the bottom side of the clouds and turned them a beautiful orange color!!!!


So, for the second day we again had a beautiful sunset. I really didn't think we'd be able to see the sun set at all, but "Mother Nature" came through again.  ; )

Did you know that the surface area of Lake Superior (31,700 square miles), is greater than the combined areas of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire?

Friday, July 6, 2012

Wisconsin To Michigan and Sunset Bay

Ahmeek, MI.

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy. Highs around 80 inland to around 74 at The shore. Light winds becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.


Jim and Linda knew that we had pretty far to go yesterday, so by 8:25 we were pulling out of the CG in South Range, WI.  To my surprise, when we got back on US 2, we turned West instead of East and took it back into Superior!!!

Well, there was a reason for this as Jim and Linda had spotted a Truck Stop that had an easy entrance and exit with a fuel island that was very convenient.  You see, Jim had looked up the average prices for fuel in Wisconsin and Michigan and had found out that a drink of good old #2 in Wisconsin would cost about 10 cents a gallon less than in Michigan!!!!

So, , , , , , , he filled my tank to the top and soon we were back on US 2 heading East.

2 heading East was a fairly good road with a few short construction areas in Wisconsin. Once we crossed into Michigan, we only went about 10 miles or so before turning NE on MI 28. 28 then took us over to US 45 where we turned North and followed it up to Rockland where we turned NE on MI 26 and followed it all the way up here to Ahmeek on the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Once into Ahmeek, we turned off on a city street and then followed a narrow 2 lane paved road for about 5 miles until we came to a sign that pointed to the Sunset Bay Campground off to the left. Then it was another mile of dirt/gravel road until we came to the CG which is right on the shore of Lake Superior!!!

Now, I knew from listening to Jim and Linda talk that this CG was out in the "boonies", but I really didn't think it was this far out!!!!

On that last mile of road, we met a car and with my right mirror just inches away from a tree, the car was just able to squeeze by!!!! : O

I don't know what would have happened if we had met a larger vehicle!!

For the most part, all the roads were good, and we made pretty good time considering that there were quite a few small towns that we had to go through. Oh, and when we got to Houghton, up here on the peninsula, we had to wait about 20 minutes for a draw bridge to close.

But, even with my stop for a drink and having to wait for the bridge, it was just 1:30 when we pulled into the CG. So, it took us a total of 5 hours and 5 minutes to travel the 228 miles over here.

Jim took some photos of the CG and my site, but this post is getting long enough already, so I'll just post this one photo of our first sunset last night, looking from the CG out over Lake Superior.

They call this CG Sunset Bay CG for a reason!!!! ; ) 

Did you know that Lake Superior is, by surface area, the world's largest freshwater lake?Lake Superior is, by surface area, the world's largest freshwater lake

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Storms Again and I'm Ready

South Range, WI.

67 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy early in the morning then clearing. Highs 90 to 95 inland...And 82 to 87 near lake superior. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.


The RV park's wi-fi is down this morning, so I'm going to try to get a short post posted using a very slow air card connection this morning.

Not a whole lot happened yesterday. the CG ended up being only about 1/2 full.

We had some pretty severe storms go through the area again last night, but nothing major right here. Today, we'll be heading to Michigan, where I hope to have wi-fi at the park we'll be going to. If not, I'm pretty sure that there is no AT&T signal at the park so unless Jim can find a "hot spot" you won't hear anything from me for a week.

I'm all ready to go, and I think we'll be heading out from here pretty early this morning.

I'll post when I can. (Hopefully tomorrow morning).

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy Independence Day!!!

South Range, WI.

68 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny with isolated showers and thunderstorms. Highs 90 to 95 inland...And 73 to 78 near lake superior. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.


Happy Independence Day!!!!!  I hope all of you have a fun, safe holiday!!!

Yesterday, it was the hottest that it's been since we've been here. My thermometer on the North side of me read 92 degrees at one time. : (  That's really hot for this part of the country and it was the main topic on the news last night.

Being that it was so warm, very few people were out and about here at the park. There were a few over at the pool, but even they didn't stay too long. Jim was outside for awhile in the morning, but stayed in all afternoon and evening.

He and Linda did go to a restaurant that they spotted the other day though. It's called The Breakwater Family Restaurant, and located just a little way into Superior as you enter on US 2. Linda had a BLT sandwich and Jim had the meat loaf dinner. Both of them said that the food was very good and the service was excellent.

A place worth remembering if we come back to this area again sometime.

I think I'm pretty much ready to leave here tomorrow. Both Jim and Linda have been slowly getting everything put away and checked out. My tanks still need to be dumped, but that will be done just before we leave so that they're empty when we get to the park in Michigan.

Did you know that the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council state that over 150 million hot dogs are consumed during Independence Day festivities?

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Not What They Needed

South Range, WI.

65 deg. partly cloudy SW wind @ 6 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms early in the morning...Then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the late morning and afternoon. Highs 88 to 93 inland...And 82 to 87 near lake superior. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.


We had a heavy T-storm go through here yesterday evening and that's definitely not what they need in this area. I don't know how much it rained, but it rained really hard for about an hour and then continued on for a good part of the night, many times with strong winds and lots of lightning.

This morning they're reporting quite a bit of wind damage in the area, and with everything saturated, like it is from the past heavy rains, they've issued new flood warnings for parts of the area.

Jim and Linda went back to the grocery store yesterday. They bought quite a bit of stuff, but not enough that they had any problems getting it all put away. ; )

Linda's been doing laundry and Jim has been starting to get me ready to travel. Yesterday he checked my fluid levels and I imagine today he'll check my and CLT's (Cute Little Truck's) tires. He also needs to call their mail forwarding service and have their mail sent up to Michigan and Linda said that she needs to call the bank to take care of some business.

Did you know that Calvin Coolidge, our nation's 30th president, was born on July 4th, 1872? He is the only president to claim this honor.