Happy Valentines Day and Curtains

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs around 68°F. North northeast wind to 9 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 45%. Precipitation amounts up to one quarter inch possible.


Happy Valentines Day!!!! 

Be sure to give that loved one in your life a big hug today!!!

Jim and Linda went over to the house yesterday morning and got the curtains up up in the living room. Of course, this wasn't just a simple matter of putting them up on the existing rods. Some of the rods were in bad shape and had to be replaced, and all of them had to be re positioned to accommodate the the new curtains, so it took quite awhile.

After the curtains were up, the furniture was put back where it belonged.

By this time, both Jim and Linda were worn out, so they relaxed for awhile in their new living room before coming back here. ; )

Linda says that she's very pleased with the way the house is looking inside and says that she knows she'll be very comfortable there. Jim also really likes the home and is looking forward to getting back to doing some small "woodworking" projects out in the shed during the winter months.

On the way back here, they stopped at Winn Dixie and picked up a few groceries. Then, for dinner, Linda made some tacos.

I don't have any idea what's happening today. I suppose Jim and Linda will take some more "stuff" over to the house and I know that Linda wants to get going on making those bedroom curtains.

Oh well, whatever they do, it probably won't effect me much. I'll just stay here and watch all the people coming and going. : )

Did you know that California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America?

Happy New Year

DeBary, FL.

46 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 72F. Winds from the ENE at 5 to 15 mph shifting to the SE in the afternoon.

Hope all of you have a very safe and Happy New year. : )

Nothing much happened around here yesterday. Jim dumped my tanks, Linda did some laundry and both fooled around with the computers and watched football on TV.

I don't know if I"m supposed to say anything yet or not, but it looks like there's going to be some big changes coming in 2013. Jim and Linda have been doing something that they've asked me not to tell you about, but it looks like soon, they will.

Yeah, I know, it's mean to not tell you, but I really do need to respect their wishes.

You can be sure that you'll be the first to know when I get the go-ahead.

Did you know that the tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year was started by ancient Greeks around 600 B.C? They would carry a baby around in a basket to honor Dionysus, the God of Fertility and symbolize his annual rebirth.

I'ts Been Awhile

DeBary, FL.

39 deg. clear, NW wind @ 2 mph.

Forecast = Clear. High of 57F. Winds from the North at 10 to 15 mph.


It's been awhile since I last posted, so I thought I'd better let you know that I'm still here in DeBary and everything is fine.

Jim and Linda haven't been doing much. Oh, they've been doing things like grocery shopping, going out to eat once in awhile and other normal day to day things. The park has been pretty quiet since Christmas and some of the people in the park are already starting to take down decorations.

The weather has been pretty strange here this year. We have been having cold fronts that come through the area about every 3 or 4 days. It drops the temperatures down into the 30's at night with highs in the 50's or 60's. Then in between the cold fronts, it warms up, so that the temperature is in the mid to upper 70's, (Even getting into the 80's at times), before another front, (with rain and sometime storms),  comes through and drops the temperatures back down again.

A lot of people are getting colds and are blaming it on the wide temperature swings, but I don't know if that's what's causing it or not.

They're having a New Years Eve party over at the clubhouse Monday night but Jim and Linda aren't planing on going. They both prefer to just stay home and watch a movie on TV or something.

I don't know if I'll be posting again before the New Year, so I want to wish all of you a safe and Happy New Year. Please stay safe and watch out for all the crazy drivers out there if you're going to be traveling.

Did you know that the Roman emperor Julius Caesar officially declared January 1 to be a New Year in 46 B.C? Romans worshiped God Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward. The month of January was named after this Roman God and it gave an idea to the emperor to establish January as a gate to the New Year.

A Very Good Christmas Day

DeBary, FL.

65 deg. mostly cloudy, NE wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers. High of 79F. Breezy. Winds from the South at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30 mph shifting to the WSW in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60%.

Hope all of you had a great Christmas Day!!!! : )  Jim and Linda had a great day!!!

In the morning, Joe called from Virginia Beach to wish Jim and Linda a Merry Christmas. He and his family were in the middle of opening presents and had just opened the package that Jim and Linda had sent up there.

Then, Laura called and said that she, Lindsey and the girls were coming over for a little while. In about 20 minutes, they arrived and everyone sat and talked for about 1/2 an hour.

After they left, Linda called her brother, (Glenn), who lives up in River Falls, WI. and her sister, (Nancy), who lives in Plainfield, IL. Both of them seem to be doing well and were having good holidays.

After that, Jim called Jeff out in Portland OR. but got their answering machine, so he left a message. Then, he called Mike in Apex, NC and talked to him for while. He, Gina the girls and Dillon were having a great time opening presents and enjoying the day.

Later in the afternoon, Jeff returned Jim's call and they talked for about 1/2 hour. He and Heather also had a good Christmas and were having a quiet day at home, enjoying each others company.

For dinner, Linda cooked one of Jim's favorite meals of cube steak, boiled potatoes and gravy. That along with the left over rice/vegetable dish that Linda had made to take to Marv and Inez's made for a very nice meal.

The rest of the day was spent snoozing playing with the computers and watching TV.

A very good Christmas.day!    ; )

Did you know that in 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holidays a little happier for children by organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy youngsters?

Christmas Eve

DeBary, FL

52 deg.scattered clouds no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 79F. Winds from the SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

I hope all of you are having a Merry Christmas today. Be sure to take a little time to remember the true meaning of the day.

Yesterday, Linda spent some of the day getting things ready to take to Laura and Lindsey's. Then about 4:45, Jim took all of the food that Linda had prepared and put it in the back of CLT and they left.

Soon after they got there, they opened presents. While they were opening the presents, Marv and Inez stopped by and then after all the presents were opened, they all ate roast beef sandwiches, crackers and chips with cheese, sausage, dip or salsa sauce on them.

Of course there were cookies and candies to finish off the meal with. ; )

About 8:00 Marv and Inez left and soon after Jim and Linda came back here to the park.

After returning and getting the food put away, Jim and Linda watched some of the Christmas specials on TV before going to bed.

Yesterday was a great day. Jim and Linda were able to spend some time with family and they received some neat presents. Today I think Jim and Linda are just going to kick back and enjoy each others company. They'll probably watch some TV and fool around with the computers, but much of the time will be spent just being together.

I hope all of you have a great Christmas.

Did you know that St. Nicholas was bishop of the Turkish town of Myra in the early fourth century? It was the Dutch who first made him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to America where his name eventually became the familiar Santa Claus.

Dinner At Marv And Inez's

DeBary, FL.

48 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 75F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 15 mph.


Jim and Linda headed over to Marv and Inez's house about 10:30 yesterday morning. Again, the meal that Inez put together for her family was just fabulous. There was ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, a couple kinds of vegetables, and of course, deserts like pies, cookies and puddings.

Both Jim and Linda said that there was more food than even that large family could possibly consume!!! : )

After eating, Marv and Inez's family exchanged gifts. Jim and Linda even received some small jars of jam that Inez had made and a scented candle.

It's so nice of Marv and Inez to include Jim and Linda in their family celebration. Jim and Linda really appreciate it and are very grateful. Thanks!!!

About 5:00 today, Jim and Linda will be heading over to Laura and Lindsey's house to exchange presents with them. It should be a fun evening.

If for some reason, I shouldn't post tomorrow, Jim, Linda, CLT and I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!!! Have a great day!!!! : )

Did you know that the Christmas season begins at sundown on 24th December and lasts through sundown on 5th January? For that reason, this season is also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Cookies and Christmas Plans

DeBary, FL.

31 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 66F. Winds less than 5 mph.


Brrrrrr!!!!! 31 deg and it may go down another degree or so because as I write this, it's just starting to get light outside. At least they're forecasting warmer temperatures for today and tomorrow, so it should be nice for the Holiday.

Linda baked a whole bunch of cookies yesterday and then decorated them. She also put together a rice dish to take to Marv and Inez's today for a Christmas dinner. Some of the cookies are boxed up and ready to go and the rice dish will just have to heated up before Jim and Linda leave here around 10:30.

I imagine that Inez will have a big meal prepared again. She's a very good cook and is used to making large meals to feed Lindsey, his 3 brothers and their families. Inez's sister will probably be there too, so there'll be lots of people. Also, sometime, (either before or after the meal), Lindsey's family will exchange presents.

Then, because Laura has to work on Christmas Day, tomorrow evening, Jim, Linda, Marv and Inez will go to Laura and Lindsey's. That's when Jim and Linda will exchange gifts with Laura and Lindsey, Ashley and Anna.

Should be a fun couple of days!! : )

Did you know that Christmas trees are known to have been popular in Germany as far back as the sixteenth century. In England, they became popular after Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who came from Germany, made a tree part of the celebrations at Windsor Castle. In the United States, the earliest known mention of a Christmas tree is in the diary of a German who settled in Pennsylvania.

Decorations and Christmas Plans

DeBary, FL.

45 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 77F. Winds less than 5 mph.


It's been pretty quiet around here lately. Oh, people have been out and about, doing things to get ready for the holidays but nothing much else happening. Jim's allergies have really been bothering him the last few days. He has to be very careful about what medications he takes for his allergies as many of the meds cause him some very undesirable side effects.  : (

He did go out one day and take some more photos of the decorations here in the park. These were taken just before it got dark, but they had already turned on the lights for the evening.

In this photo of me, you can see the little Christmas tree that is sitting on my dash.

The weather around here has been really nice for the most part. The temperatures have been in the 70's and even into the lower 80's a few days. Jim and Linda haven't been outside too much though because the mosquitoes have been really bad this year. If there isn't a pretty strong breeze blowing, it's almost impossible to sit outside without covering yourself with bug spray.

Plans are starting to come together for Christmas. As of now, it' looks like Jim and Linda will be going to Marv and Inez's (Lindsey's parents) house the Sunday before Christmas and then go to Laura and Lindsey's on Christmas Eve. As of right now, there are no plans for Christmas day. They're having a Christmas dinner here at the park. but neither Jim or Linda seem too interested in going to it.

Linda suggested that maybe they could go out to eat someplace, but they're finding out that most of the restaurants in the area will be closed.

Oh well, they can always stay here and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  ; )

Did you know that the first president to decorate the white house Christmas tree in the United States was Franklin Pierce?

Storms and All Presents Shipped

DeBary, FL.

68 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with thunderstorms and rain showers. High of 84F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the WNW in the afternoon. Chance of rain 80%.


So far, the storms down here in Florida have missed the area I'm in. A couple days ago there was a tornado touchdown about 25 miles from here with about 30 homes being damaged, but nothing here but a lot of rain.

I think I told you that Linda had finished wrapping all the presents. Well yesterday, Jim and Linda got them all boxed up in those "if it fits it ships" boxes. Then it was off to the Post Office to get them sent on their way!!  Both Jim and Linda said that it was a big relief to have that project finished. ; ) 

Now, Linda can concentrate on baking cookies, making TV mix and getting things ready for Christmas.

They're still putting up more Christmas Decorations here in the park. They've decorated the office and the clubhouse, the bridge going over the spill-way between the pond and the river, and have put up other decorations throughout the park.

Very nice!!! : )

Laura and Lindsey were out and about so they stopped by for while yesterday, Jeff called from Portland OR to let Jim and Linda know that they had received their first package and Joe also called from Virginia Beach for the same reason. Both seemed to be doing well and are really busy getting ready for the holidays.

Don't have much else to write about, so I'll let you go. If anything of any importance happens, I'll be sure to let you know right away. ; )

A Point to Ponder : You can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, making a wrong turn with an RV, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

Whew!!!

DeBary, FL.

51 deg. clear, N. breeze @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 73F. Winds from the NE at 10 to 15 mph.


Whew!!! Jim and Linda didn't win that Power Ball thing that everyone has been talking about!!! You see, I'm sure if they had won it, they would have had many changes in their lives and one of them, especially with that kind of money, probably would have been to purchase a new Motor Home that has all the latest and greatest  gadgets on it. And, you know where that would have left me,  ,  ,  ,  sitting in an RV lot somewhere waiting for someone to come along and buy me!!!!! : (

Penny came to visit me again. Laura brought her out here to the park for about an hour yesterday morning. At one point while Jim , Linda and Laura were sitting outside under my awning, she tried to get under me, but Laura pulled her back out with the leash that she had attached to her harness. Laura said that it probably wouldn't be good for her to be under me because she'd probably get really dirty. ; )

After lunch, Jim and Linda headed over to the Mall area in Sanford and did some more Christmas shopping. The way it sounds, they found most of what they were looking for and now they only have a few more gifts to buy.

Oh, while Laura and Penny were here, I heard Jim ask Laura if she though that she would have time to come over sometime to help decorate me for Christmas. She said that she thought she would and would let Jim and Linda know when she could come. I really don't have too many decorations, but it has become kind if a tradition for Laura, and sometimes one or both of the girls, to help decorate. It's just kind of a fun thing that they've enjoyed over the years. ; )

Don't know what's happening today. I do know that CLT needs a drink of 87 octane real soon and Jim wants to go back to the DeLand Truck Center to see if those tire valve stem extensions have come in yet. Linda bought some sewing stuff when they were out shopping yesterday, so she'll be wanting to get started on those projects because they involve the Christmas presents.

A Point to Ponder : People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Thanksgiving Update

DeBary, FL

46 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 72F. Winds from the NW at 10 to 15 mph.


About 1:30 Thanksgiving morning, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Marv and Inez's house. Ashley, her friend Travis and Anna were already there and soon the rest of the family came. Before they ate, Jim got this photo of Lindsey, Laura, Ashley and Anna goofing around out on the deck behind the house.

As you can see, the weather was almost prefect with the temperatures in the mid 70's and plenty of sunshine.

a By a little after noon, everyone was enjoying a great Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, ham and all the trimmings. ; )

After they sat and talked for awhile, Linda started feeling like she had an upset stomach. Soon it was decided that she and Jim would head back here as she wasn't feeling any better. By the time they returned here to the park she was quite sick and spent a good part of the rest of the day in my bathroom.

Of course the first thing that comes to mind was food poison, but no one else got sick and she was running a fever, which probably means that she picked up a "bug" someplace. : (

Anyway, by Friday morning, she was feeling better and spent a good part of the day sleeping. So far, Jim has been feeling fine and it looks like he may have dodged the bullet.

Nothing much happened yesterday. Linda was recuperating so Jim spent some time outside, but stayed pretty close in case she needed something. 

So, the holiday was sort of a "mixed bag". A great meal with great people but ending with Linda getting sick. Jim and Linda had to leave Marv and Inez's pretty quick but want them to know that they really enjoyed the meal the the time that they were able to be there with them.

Thank you so much!!!!

Did you know that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade began in 1924 with 400 employees marching off from Convent Avenue and 145th Street in New York City? During this time the parade was accompanied not with the oversized balloons of our favorite cartoon characters, but with live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo -- from camels to elephants.

Happy Thanksgiving From Florida

DeBary, FL

49 deg clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 70F. Breezy. Winds from the North at 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph.

Jim, Linda, CLT and I would like to wish all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!!!  Hope all of you have a great day!!! : )

Jim and Linda are again invited to Marv and Inez's, (Lindsey's parents), house in DeLand for a Thanksgiving dinner today. They'll be leaving here around 10:30 so they have plenty of time to get there to visit for awhile and help out in any way they can before the dinner is ready at about noon.

It's so nice of Marv and Inez to include Jim and Linda. They'll already have a full house with all of their family  but they insist that Jim and Linda come for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

There hasn't been a whole lot happening here at the park. People are getting ready for the Holidays and are pretty busy. Today, they're having a Thanksgiving potluck dinner over at the Clubhouse for those who don't have family in the area. The park furnishes the turkey and ham and then everyone who attends brings "a dish to pass".

I'm sure they'll have a good turnout as many of the folks here in the park are far away from their families.

Did you know that an estimated 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving?

Veterans Day, Groceries, More Set-UP, Laura And Lindsey

DeBary, FL

 Sunday, 11-11-12

57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 81F. Breezy. Winds from the NNW at 10 to 20 mph shifting to the South in the afternoon.


Please take a moment today to honor all the veterans, past and present. If it wasn't for them, our lives would be so much different.

Below you'll find a quick summary of what's been happening since I last posted. Jim and Linda are slowly settling down into normal day to day living, and I'm sure after we've been here even longer, there'll be less and less to write about.

I'm also sure some of what I'll be writing about in the next few months will be very boring, but they want me to keep posting as much as possible so that in the future, they can go back and see what happened while we were here.  

Today, we're looking forward to seeing Ashley and Anna. Anna is here in DeBary for a few days, (She works and lives over by Jacksonville), and yesterday, Laura told Linda that they want to stop by for a little while.

I'm really looking forward to their visit! : )
______________

Thursday, 11/8/12

About the only thing worth mentioning on Thursday was that as soon as Linda got up and had her breakfast, she and Jim took CLT and headed to the Winn Dixie Grocery store which is only about a mile from here. They were gone for quite awhile so I figured that they were buying a lot of groceries, and I was right, they brought back all kinds of groceries!!!!  : O

They did get them all stashed away inside of me though, so I guess it's OK. ; )
____________

Friday, 11/9/12

Friday, as soon as it warmed up, (it was 41 degrees at 7:00 AM), Jim went outside and got his bike out of the back of CLT. Then, he put out my awnings and tied the main awning down with the straps and bungee cords. When he was finished with that, he removed the tow bar off of the front of CLT and put it underneath me on some small boards, so it doesn't sit right on the ground.

While he was doing that, Linda was doing laundry and working on her Family Tree Program.

You've probably noticed that I haven't mentioned anything about Laura and Lindsey since we've been here. Well, until Monday, they didn't know that we would be arriving a week earlier than planned, and they had already planned a camping trip for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. So, until Friday afternoon, they were on their camping trip, (with their pop-up trailer), at one of Florida's State Parks.

Friday afternoon, they called and said that they were on their way back home and wanted to know if it would be OK for them to come over around 5:00. They also said that they'd stop by and pick up a pizza for dinner on their way out here to the RV Park.

Well, of course Linda and Jim said that the plan sounded great and told them to come on out here as soon as they could.

So, around 5:00 they pulled up in front of me and then after h and h (hugs and handshakes), they all sat down, enjoyed a very good pizza and talked and talked until around 8:00.

It sure was good to see Laura and Lindsey again. It's been almost a year since we've seen them and a lot of things have happened since then.
_____________

Saturday 11-10-12

After airing his bicycle tires up, Jim took a ride around the park. He hasn't ridden it since we were in Rantoul in September, so he didn't go too far on the first day. He says that he's going to gradually increase the distance to get his legs back in shape again.

In the afternoon, Laura stopped by again. Didn't want anything, just stopped by to chat for awhile. I think she misses her mom.  ; )

For dinner, Jim cooked a couple pork chops on the grill and Linda cooked some cauliflower on my stove. 

A Quick Fact. : Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.

More Visiting, The Weather and Progressive Industries

Moncure, NC

48 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Overcast with a chance of rain in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 73F. Winds from the NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Sunday, Jim and Linda went to Mike and Gina's during the afternoon and early evening. The weather was not too good or they would have come out here to the RV Park to see me. You see, we've had a cold front got through the area, and it has brought rain, thunder, some wind and much cooler temperatures than we have been having.

Being that the weather was still not good yesterday morning, (cold with drizzle), Jim got on the phone and called Progressive Industries.  I don't know if you remember or not, but last winter the Electrical Management System, that Jim had to protect all my electronics from surges, low voltages and any other electrical problems quit working and he had to buy a different unit at a Camping World store when we were in Alabama.

The unit that Jim bought at that time was a Surge Guard that seemed to work fine, but he always thought that the Progressive unit was better. We were on our way to Oregon at that time though, so the old unit was stashed away in one of my basement compartments.

Well, yesterday, when Jim called Progressive Industries, which is located in Morrisville, NC, (about 25 miles North of here), and told them about the problem with the unit and explained that we were in the area. They said that he could bring the unit to the factory and they would be glad to check it out.

So, about 10:30, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed up there.

When they arrived, the unit was checked out, and guess what?  Yep!!! The unit worked!!! But, after describing how the unit was acting, (a chattering sound coming from inside of the unit), they said that they have seen that condition before, and handed Jim a reconditioned unit, in a box, that looked like brand new!!!

Now, by this time, Jim had already told them that he had bought the unit way back in 2005, and he didn't even have the sales receipt any longer. They said that it didn't matter, they were now covering all of their units with a lifetime warranty, even though the original warranty on the unit that Jim bought was only for 1 year!!

Wow!!!! What a great surprise!!!!  They are definitely one of the "Good Guys"!!!!

Now, I have to ask you, what other company can you think of, (other than maybe Fantastic Fan), that has a warranty this good and takes care of it's customers any better?  You can be assured that Jim will recommend Progressive Industries to anyone who is looking for an (EMS), Electrical Management System for their RV and tell them what a great company it is and how well they take care of their customers.  : )

Yesterday evening, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed back over to Mike's. After having another nice dinner, they visited until about 7:30, (time for the kids to start getting ready for bed), and then came back here to the park, without even seeing any more deer on the road. : )

Today, I think that Jim and Linda may go grocery shopping. The last time they went was when we were back in Rantoul, and my cabinets are starting to look a little empty. ; )  Mike has to work late and the kids have activities to go to, so Jim and Linda won't be going over there today. : (

I know this is a day late, but, Did you  know that Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus' voyage since the colonial period?

Happy Labor Day

Rantoul, IL.

70 deg. cloudy, light fog, N. wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 84F with a heat index of 90F. Winds from the NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Happy Labor Day!!!!

It rained, lightly, off and on all day yesterday. Every once in awhile the sun would even come out, but then in a few minutes, it was lightly raining again. : ( There were a few people out and  about between showers here at the park, but most just stayed inside of their RVs.

Today is supposed to be a little better. I hope so, for those who were brave enough to go camping this weekend.

Besides being Labor Day, this is one of Jim and Linda's favorite holidays. You see, after today, most folks will put their campers away for the year, the kids will be back in school, and the campgrounds and RV parks will be much less crowded, even on the weekends!!! : ) 

It will be this way until Memorial Day next year, except in the "Snowbird" areas where campgrounds and RV parks will start filling up with "Old Fogy's", like Jim and Linda, in October and November. ; )

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  I hope all of you have a great Holiday!!! If you're traveling please be careful out there on the highways.



A Point to Ponder : "Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Lots Of Rain

Rantoul, IL.

71 deg. clear, NE wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Periods of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.


Lots of rain!!! I don't think that we'll get the 7 inches of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac that some of the weather stations have fore casted, but we're getting there. As of this morning, Jim's rain gauge had 4.3 inches of rain in it, and they're forecasting more showers for today and tonight.

So far, I haven't heard of any flooding in the immediate area, but then who knows. The local TV stations around here evidently don't think that there is any news to report on the weekends. Oh, they have the evening news, but by that time, much of the news you're getting is almost 24 hours old!!!

Being that it rained off and on for much of yesterday, there's not much to report on from here. Friday, Jim did go to the Rural King store and pick up a few items that he wanted, but other than that, he and Linda haven't done much except watch TV, read, and work/play with the computers.

A lot of RVs came in for the weekend, but there are quite a few sites empty, so there must have been a lot of cancellations. It's too bad that this storm had to come right on the Labor Day weekend because that's the last weekend many people will get a chance to go camping.

So, what's going to happen today?  I really don't have any idea. A lot will depend on the weather. There are still some showers just to the South of us and with the warm muggy air that we have now, more may form this afternoon.

Did you know that on this date in 1935 a hurricane hit the Florida Keys killing 423 people?

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).

Nothing To Post About and Ranting

Portland, OR.

53 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 72F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Haven't posted cause there's really nothing to post about. : (  Jeff and Heather were both busy Thursday and nothing much happened here at the park.

Yesterday, Jeff came out here for a little while in the afternoon and then Jim and Linda went to his house for dinner. Jim and Linda said that Jeff made a great vegetable soup and some corn bread.

For their contribution, Linda put together a fruit salad.

After dinner, Jim helped Jeff put together a small charcoal grill, and then everyone visited until about 8:30. After they returned here, Jim and Linda read books, watched TV and played around with the computers.

Like I said, really nothing to post about.

OK!!!! Now I'm going to rant a little!!!

If you're traveling this weekend, I hope you're not in the Northwest.  While in almost every other part of the country the gas prices have been dropping, here in the NW they've been going up!!!! The story is that one refinery was damaged by a fire months ago and there is another one down for maintenance, so there is a fuel shortage in this area.

Now, even with the refineries down, the price had been dropping in the NW, until about 2 weeks before the Memorial Day Holiday. Now, all of a sudden there is a shortage, (just in time for the Holiday), and they have raised the prices as much as 50 cents a gallon!!!

As of this morning, the average price of regular gas in the rest of the nation is $3.65 and dropping, and here in Oregon, it's $4.23 and rising!!!! Some stations in Portland are selling gas for as much as $4.45 per gallon for regular!!!

Jim filled CLT up a few days ago when the price was at $4.17 per gallon at the local station, (last check it was up to $4.32), and since Jim fueled me up the day we arrived here in Portland, my tank is full. Jim says that unless CLT absolutely needs a drink, he's not planning on buying any gas or fuel until we get to Montana!!

OK, enough ranting!!

Did you know that Memorial Day was first called “Decoration Day” because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flowers?

Dinner With Jeff And Heather and Plans For The Summer

Portland, OR.

50 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers. High of 57F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.


It didn't rain a lot yesterday, just off and on showers all day. Jeff was able to ride his bike out here to the park in the afternoon without getting wet, but just after he arrived, it rained pretty hard for a short time. Heather didn't come with Jeff as she was working, and wasn't able to come until a little after 6:00.

Jim and Linda had invited both of them out here for dinner, so as soon as Heather arrived, they sat down to eat.

After eating, everyone sat and talked for awhile before it was time for them to head for home. Heather's work keeps her really busy, and I was sure glad she could come out here to see me again, even if it was for only a short time.

As they were leaving, I heard Jeff tell Jim that he may have a little time to get together this afternoon, but he would call and let him know how things were going. Tomorrow night, Jim and Linda are invited to Jeff and Heather's for dinner, and then on Sunday, Heather's parents are coming to their house and Jim and Linda are invited then too.

Oh, I almost forgot!!! Jim was busy yesterday morning, working on our trip plan for our return trip back East. He and Linda have made some major decisions about how we'll be going and where we will be staying on our way to Wisconsin for Linda's family reunion the middle of July.

Here's a rough outline of the trip.

We'll be leaving here next Tuesday and will head for Sprague Washington, where Linda hopes to find some information about some ancestors of hers that lived there at one time.

From there, we'll work our way across the northern part of the US to Minnesota, where the plan is to visit Linda's cousin Bruce and his wife Jody, who live North of Bemidji near a little town called Black Duck.

After spending 3 or 4 days with them, we'll head into Wisconsin, and to a Campground near Iron River where Jim has made reservations so that I have a place to stay for the 4th of July holiday.

Then after the 4th, we'll head into Michigan where Jim has made a reservation for me at a park that they have been to before, near a little town called Ahmeek. As I understand it, this is a small CG right on Lake Superior with great views of the lake right from the sites. Both Jim and Linda really like it there.

By the time we've stayed at that park for a week, it will be time to head back down into Wisconsin for the Family Reunion, which is going to be in New Lisbon, WI. (About 20 or 25 miles North of the Wisconsin Dells, where I took Jim and Linda to last year).

From the reunion, we'll head back down to the Prairie Pines CG in Rantoul, IL, where we'll spend most of the rest of the summer.

Whew!!!! A long trip, but it should be fun and I'm looking forward to seeing yet some other parts of the country that I haven't been to with Jim and Linda.

A Point To Ponder : Courage is not the absense of fear, but the conquest of it.

A Rainy Day and The Plan

Lincoln City, OR.

44 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Overcast with rain showers. High of 52F. Winds from the West at 10 to 15 mph.


It rained almost all day here in Lincoln City yesterday. Not just a drizzle, but fairly hard rain. In fact, in most places along the Coast, it set a new record for the amount of rain for the 3rd of May!!

The plan is to leave here today and head a little farther up the Coast. There's a county park, (Barview Jetty County Park), near Garibaldi that Jim and Linda have stayed at before, that they'd like to stay at again, and the hope is that there will be plenty of sites available early on a Friday. It's also pretty early in the season yet, so that's in our favor.

But, being that it's a county park and not real close to any large cities, there may not be an Internet signal. : (  So , , , , , I'll tell you now what the plan is. It's to stay at the county park over the weekend, go up to the Astoria area on Monday and stay at the Ft. Stevens State Park for one night. Then go to the RV Park in Portland on Tuesday.

I'm sure some of you are wondering why we would wait until Tuesday to go to the park in Portland. Well, if we stay for 3 weeks, as planned, that would mean that we would be leaving there the Tuesday after Memorial Day, thus getting the holiday behind us before leaving and not having to be out on the road or worry about finding a site at parks that are busy for the holiday weekend. ; )

Did you know that on this date in 1954 - The first intercollegiate court tennis match was played in the U.S.?  It was between Yale and Princeton.