The Decision Is Made and Tomorrow's The Big Day

DeBary, FL.

67 deg. cloudy, WSW wind @ 16 mph.

Forecast = Today: Mostly sunny. Highs around 64°F. West northwest wind to 21 MPH, gusting to 29 MPH.
Tonight: Clear. Lows around 41°F. Wind chill around 34°F. West northwest wind 7 to 16 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH.

Jim and Linda have been busy trying to figure out what to take to the house and what to keep in me to transfer to their new (to them), Motorhome. They've probably taken more to the house than they should have, but until they actually get the Motorhome, they really won't know just how much will fit into the smaller cabinet space and storage compartments.

The other day, (I think it was Monday), Laura brought Anna to the house to see it. If you remember, Anna lives up in Jacksonville and was down here to visit.

Anyway, both Jim and Linda said that it seems like Anna really liked the house and she and Laura even helped Linda make some changes to the curtains in the Florida Room which runs across the front of the house.

Thanks Anna!!! : )

OK, it's time to announce who's going to take over this blog.

After much persuading, Blaine, (Jim and Linda's pet), has agreed to give it a try. He's really hesitant, but I've assured him that all of my followers have been very understanding when I made mistakes and that I was sure that you would be tolerant with him too.  

So,  ,  ,  ,  why Blaine??? Well to be honest, he probably knows more about Jim and Linda than most anyone else. He's been with them since before they went full-timing, he's traveled to all the places that they have gone during the last 12+ years, and he will be in the RV when they're traveling and in the house when they're not.

He could even ride along when Jim and Linda take CLT (Cute Little Truck), someplace! ; )

I don't know just yet how we'll make the transfer, but in the next couple days, he and I will get it figured out. I've helped him start a new main page, so there will be a new URL. There's no post on it yet, but I'm sure he'll post in the next few days. As soon as he gets the page set up and makes his first post, there will be a link to it here.

Tomorrow is the big day!!!! Jim and Linda will take me to the dealer in the morning and then, after the inspection of the new MH and the papers are signed, the new MH and myself will be taken to a CG in the area where Jim and Linda will transfer the rest of their belongings.

After that, Jim and Linda will bring the new MH back here to Highbanks and someone from the dealership will come an take me to the dealer's lot.

A little about my time with Jim and Linda.

I've had a great time, and it's been fun taking them to the places they wanted to go. I'm really sorry that I'm just too big to go to some of the parks that they want to go to though. Jim says that he really likes how I handle the Interstates, and both of them seemed to have really enjoyed my spacious interior, but they both like to get "off the beaten path" when they travel, and, as Jim found out, I'm really too large to do that comfortably. (At least for him).

I also understand that since they've decided to buy the house that I'm just too big for their needs. There's really no sense putting a 45' MH in storage for at leas 1/2 of the year and in fact, it would be very hard on me.

So, hopefully I'll find someone who wants to travel long distances and stay in larger RV parks. I'm sure I will. I'm really in pretty good shape for my age.

All in all, I've had a great time and have enjoyed writing this blog. I'll miss Jim and Linda, their family and all of their friends that I've met, but things change and I'm used to that. After all, I am a house that has wheels, and I never know where I'll be on any given day.

Who knows, buy this time next year, I could be on my way to Alaska!!! ; )

Did you know that today is "Oreo Cookie Day"?

Just one last thing.

I would like to thank all of you who have followed this blog. It has really meant a lot to know that so many of you were interested in my ramblings. Thank You!!! Thank You!!! Thank You!!!!!

Please follow Blaine's Blog when he starts posting.

Moving Linda's Chair and First Guests

DeBary, FL.

36 deg. clear, NW wind @ 9 mph.

Forecast today - Mostly sunny. Highs around 57°F. West northwest wind 11 to 17 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH.

Tonight: Clear with patchy frost. Lows around 37°F. Wind chill around 29°F. West wind 8 to 15 MPH, gusting to 21 MPH.


It felt really cold here yesterday. I don't think the temperatures ever got out of the 50's and there was a 25 to 30 mph wind blowing most of the day. That didn't stop Jim, Lindsey and Denny from moving Linda's recliner over to the house though.

Denny came over around 10:00 and Lindsey and Laura came just a short while later. Within a few minutes, the guys had the legs off of the chair and were very carefully maneuvering the chair down my steps and through my door. With the 3 of them, it went pretty well and soon the chair was in the back of CLT and on its way to the house.

Getting the chair into the house was much easier because of the wider doors and steps, and soon it was sitting in the living room with it's legs back on. : )

By a little after 11:00 Jim and Denny were back here and Laura and Lindsey were back home.

Thanks everyone!!!!!! : )

Denny had seen a little of the house when he helped to take the chair over there, but Bev and not, so  about noon, Jim, Linda, Denny and Bev headed over there.

After taking a tour of the house, everyone sat and talked for awhile. This is Bev relaxing on the love seat,

and Denny and Linda relaxing on the couch.

Both Jim and Linda said that Denny and Bev seemed to really like the house and gave it some very nice compliments.  While they were talking, Jim made the observation that Denny and Bev were the first people to visit the house that weren't family. Later, he said that he's glad that the first guests at the house were Denny, (probably his oldest friend) and Bev. : )

After visiting for awhile, everyone came back here to the CG. Denny and Bev went to their RV, Jim was tired, so he took a little nap, Linda watched some TV. Later in the afternoon, Linda put together a ham casserole and baked some brownies. Then around 6:00 they headed over to Denny and Bev's where they all enjoyed a very nice meal of casserole, corn, warm bread and brownies.

Around 8:00 Jim and Linda came back here and then watched TV until bedtime.

Another very good day with family and friends.

Thanks everyone, for all your help.

Today, Denny and Bev will be leaving. : (   They have reservations at a campground on the coast North of Daytona. They'll stay there for a few days before heading up to S. Carolina to see Denny's sister and then heading back to Illinois.

Did you know that March is "Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig month"?

Oh!!!! And thanks everyone for the great comments and congratulations that you left on yesterday's Blog!! They are very much appreciated.

WOW!!!!!

DeBary, FL.

46 deg. clear, W. wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Highs around 61°F. Northwest wind 8 to 18 MPH, gusting to 29 MPH.
                  Tonight, Partly cloudy. Lows around 37°F. Wind chill around 29°F. West wind 8 to 16 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH.


All I can say is WOW!!!!!!

I knew that Thursday, Jim and Linda were going to head over to an RV Place, (LaMesa RV), near here to start looking for a Class C to take my place, but I never imagined that on their very first day of looking, they'd find one!!!!

Yep!!! You read that right!!!! I couldn't believe it either, but when they came back here, CLT (Cute Little Truck), told me that they had found an RV that they liked, taken it for quite a long ride, and was pretty sure that they'd made a deal on it!!!! I knew that they had been gone for quite a long time, just to look at RVs, but I never imagined that they would find a unit that they liked this soon!!!!.

You could have knocked me off of my jacks with a feather!!!!! : O

So, what kind of RV is it??? Well, I don't know a whole lot about it yet, just what I've overheard, but from what I can gather, it's a Class "C" 2006 Gulf Stream BT Cruiser with a Ford 450 chassis and the V10 engine. It's 27' long, has 2 slide-outs, and appears to have been used very little.

The RV had just been traded in and wasn't even cleaned up yet so Jim and Linda got to see it before the dealership did their "magic" on it to make it look nice. Both Jim and Linda said that it definitely needed cleaning, but nothing in or on it seemed to be excessively worn or abused. And, Jim said that when he took it out for a test drive on city streets, 2 lane roads and the Interstate, it handled very well and seemed quite stable for a Class C.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  when will the trade be made??? This coming Thursday, March 7th!!!!

Now, this brings us to a big change of plans for Jim and Linda!!! If you remember, they were scheduled to leave here this Thursday and they were going to head out to try to find an RV. Well, being that they've already found one, they have decided to stay here at Highbanks for an additional month, get the new RV all set up and ready for their summer travels and leave Florida on or about the 7th of April.

By this time, they should also have the house ready, and have most everything set for their return this fall.

Early yesterday afternoon, just as Jim and Linda were coming back from taking more "stuff" over to the house, Denny and Bev arrived here at Highbanks. Their Winnebago Brave is parked in a site just a short distance from me. Denny has been over here to see me and yesterday evening, Jim and Linda went over there and had a nice meal of Pizza with them. Then, after talking for a couple hours, Jim and Linda came back here and watched TV for awhile before heading to bed.

Both Jim and Linda said that it was really good to see them again, and are really glad that they were able to stop by for a couple days. : )

This morning, Denny is going to help Jim and Lindsey move Linda's recliner over to the house. Like I said, it's probably going to be quite a job to get it out of my door because even with the wooden legs taken off, and the chair turned on it's side, it's as wide as my door.

It came in through that door though, so they should be able to get it back out. ; )

Then, this afternoon, Jim and Linda will take Denny and Bev over to the house so they can see it. They are some of my faithful Blog followers, so they have some idea of what it looks like, but would like to see it in person.

OK!!! I know this post is getting quite long, but I have just one more thing I wanted to tell you about.

I think I may have found someone to take over this Blog!!! : )   It's still too early to tell for sure but I think I've convinced him to do it. I've agreed to help him get started and we have already gotten some of the intro and the layout of it set up. He hasn't totally agreed to to this yet, but I'm confident that with a little more help, I'll be able to convince him that he can do it and that it will be fun.

So,  ,  ,  ,  stay tuned!!! As soon as I'm sure that he's going to do this, I'll introduce him to you.

Did you know that yesterday was Jim and Linda's 28th wedding anniversary?

Shopping, Moving and Company Coming

DeBary, FL.

47 deg. clear, NW wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Highs around 73°F. Northwest wind 9 to 15 MPH, gusting to 21 MPH.


Tuesday ended up being a grocery shopping day. That is, after the rain and storms finally cleared the area. We didn't have any storms here in DeBary, but it did rain quite hard for awhile.

While it was raining, Jim and Linda were going through drawers, cabinets and other storage places inside of me to further try to decide what stuff they still need to take to the house.

This has been one of the hardest parts of moving and downsizing RVs. If they leave too much inside of me, and there's not enough storage in a smaller RV that they purchase, then what do they do with those items? On the other hand, they need to be sure that they have enough along to be able to live comfortably for the next 2 or 3 weeks, or however long it takes to find an RV.

Yesterday, they took a whole bunch of stuff over to the house and put it away. Jim also loaded up his bike and took it over there so he wouldn't have it in the back of CLT. Then, after they returned and were resting/napping, Laura called and wanted to know it they'd like to meet over a Steak N Shake around 5:30 for dinner?

Well, again, that was a "no brainer", so around 5:15 they headed over there and had a nice visit with Laura and Lindsey while enjoying a sandwich. : )

Oh, do you remember that around the 1st of February I mentioned that Denny and Bev, (part of the Illinois Bunch), were going to stop by for a few nights? Well, tomorrow they'll be arriving here at Highbanks and will be staying for 2 nights!! They'll be coming in their Winnebago Brave but as of today, there's no sites empty real near me, so I may not be able to see him.  : (

I'm sure Jim and Linda will have a good time visiting with Denny and Bev though and they've already planned a Pizza dinner for tomorrow night. : )

It should be a fun time!!! : )

 Did you know that today is "National Tooth Fairy Day"?

A Call, Wally World, The Texas Roadhouse and Carpets

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, S. breeze @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with areas of fog. Highs around 81°F. South southwest wind 5 to 11 MPH, gusting to 16 MPH.


Haven't posted the last few days because there really hasn't been much to post about, but yesterday, a few things happened.

First of all, yesterday morning, Jim called Roland. (He had called the afternoon before, but Jim and Linda had missed the call.) If you remember, Roland and Louise have recently bought a double wind down in Frosproof, (about a year or 2 ago). He hadn't been following this blog, and had just found out that Jim and Linda had bought the house here in Debary, and was wanting to hear all about it.

They talked for about 1/2 an hour and got pretty much caught up on what's been happening. : )

Unlike Saturday and Sunday when Jim and Linda just took more totes and boxes full of stuff to the house, yesterday, not only did they take some boxes and totes of stuff to the house but CLT also took them to Wally world where Linda bought some curtains for the living room and some material to make curtains for the bedroom.

As they were leaving Wally World, Laura called and asked Linda if she would like to see Ashley's new house. Ashley and one of her girl friends are renting a house up in DeLand had just moved into it. Anyway, Linda said that she'd like to, so Laura met them over at the house and picked Linda up.

Then, last night, Jim and Linda met Laura, Lindsey and Ashley over at the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant in Orange City for dinner.

You see, Jim had told Laura and Lindsey that for helping them with the house, he would buy them a dinner at a restaurant of their choice, so they chose this one. Everyone said that the food was excellent, the service was great and they would definitely go back there again sometime in the future.  : )

Today, is rug cleaning day at the house. Jim and Linda will rent one of those "Rug Doctor" machines and then  around 10:00 Laura is going to meet them over there and help clean all the carpets.

It would have been nice if they could have cleaned the carpets before all the furniture was in the house, but it just didn't work out that way, so now, they'll have to move the furniture around. : (

Did you know that on this date in 1892,  President Lincoln's birthday was declared to be a national holiday?

Russell Stover and A Big Surprise

DeBary, FL.

59 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Highs around 81°F. South wind to 17 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 25%.


It was about 9:40 when CLT pulled out of his parking spot next to me to take Jim and Linda to Wildwood. He said that they went to Sanford where they picked up RT 46 and took it over to the Mt. Dora/Eustis area where they turned onto 441, and followed it to RT. 44. 44 took them into Wildwood and to the Russell Stover outlet store, on the West side of town.

Linda found a whole bunch of Sugar Free Chocolates at the store and purchased quite a few different varieties. ; )

After they finished shopping they stopped at a Waffle House for lunch. Jim said that the food was good, but the place wasn't very clean. In fact Jim went into the restroom and said that the place was filthy.

By the time they finished eating it was about 12:45 so they headed over to Monte and Donna's. When they got there, they were in for quite a surprise!!!  It seems that last October, Donna had a heart attack and since then has had quadruple by-pass surgery!!!!

She's doing fine now, but she's had some rough times. Hopefully she'll regain her strength and will feel better soon.

Anyway, Jim and Linda stayed and visited with Monte and Donna for awhile and then headed back here to DeBary. This time, they took US 301 North out of Wildwood until they came to County Road 42. Turning East on 42 brought them almost all the way to DeLand where they picked up US 44 which brought them into DeLand and where they turned South on 15A. 15A took them to US 17/92 which brought them back here to DeBary.

Returning this way was longer, and took them a little longer, but the driving was much easier with much less traffic. Jim says that in the future, they'll probably go by this route.

After they returned, both Jim and Linda were talking about how nice it was to see Monte and Donna again. : )

A Point to Ponder : It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

Moving More Stuff and Planning A Trip To Wildwood

DeBary, FL.

58 deg. very light sprinkles, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Highs around 75°F. East wind 1 to 8 MPH.


Jim and Linda took some more stuff over to the house yesterday afternoon. While they were there, a lady that lives down at the end of the block stopped by to welcome them to the neighborhood and to give them some park/area information. She also told them about some of the park activities and invited them to come to the gatherings/meals that will be occurring.

Like everyone else that Jim and Linda have met in the park, she was very friendly and seemed to sincerely want to welcome them to the community.

After getting the stuff that they had taken over there put away, Jim and Linda came back here and rested for awhile. Then, about 5:00 Jim cooked a hot dog and a brat out on the grill for dinner.

Oh, just before Jim went out fire up the grill, Linda called Monte and Donna who live over in Wildwood, FL to see if they would be home today. Linda wants to go over there to the Russell Stover Candies Store to buy a bunch of Sugar free candy and then she and Jim want to stop and see their long-time RVing friends who now live in a double wide.

Linda talked to Monte, and he said that they'd  be home and told Linda that they were looking forward to seeing her and Jim.

So, this morning, (probably about 9:30 or 10:00), CLT (Cute Little Truck), will take Jim and Linda over to Wildwood. It's about 60 miles and they'll have to go through some fairly large cities along the way, so it'll probably take them around an hour and a half. Once the they get there, they'll do their shopping, grab a bite to eat and then head to Monte and Donna's.

It should be a fun day. ; )

A Point to Ponder : Worrying works! 90 percent of the things I worry about never happen.

A Big Change For Jim and Linda Part 6 My Future

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. light fog, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 81F. Winds from the SE at 5 to 10 mph.

I know that many of you have more questions about this big change for Jim and Linda. Today, I'm going to try to address a question that I know many of you are asking. This question concerns my future.  

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  What does this big change mean for me?  Well, I’ve known for at least a year that Jim has not been happy with the choice that he and Linda made to purchase a 45 foot Motorhome.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, Jim really likes the way I cruise down the Interstate highways and how well I handle the crosswinds and rough roads. And, he and Linda really enjoy all the room inside of me and the solidness of my construction.  But soon after he and Linda purchased me, they realized that they had sized themselves out of many of the national parks, state parks, county, city parks and COE parks that they really enjoy.

They also can’t get me into a few of the commercial RV Parks that they really like, including a few of the Escapees Club parks. 

Jim and Linda are figuring that at this time, (and this may change in future years), they will be spending 6 or 7 months out of the year at the house down here in Florida, and travel the other 5 or 6 months. They still have family and friends up North that they will want to see as well as doctors, their financial advisor, and they definitely will still want to see Mike and his family in NC and Joe and his family in VA each year. And, they also want to be able to go back out to Portland to see Jeff and Heather again in a couple years.

There's also the problem of where to store me when they're living in the house. There's a storage lot at Highland Country Estates where the house is, but there's not enough room for an RV my size. All of this means that they will be selling or trading me off on a smaller RV. Right now, they’re thinking a Class C or B+ motor home, but a small Class A is not out of the question. 

As of right now, the plan is to keep me at least until Jim and Linda take possession of the double wide. The reason being that once they take possession, they can move a lot of what I, Myrddin before me and Mariah before that, have been carrying around for the past 12 years. 

They will take all of the off season clothes, extra bedding, towels, and anything else that they’ll not need for the next few months and put it in the double wide. Then, when they’ve unloaded everything out of me that they can, they’ll start looking for a much smaller RV. 

Being that they’ll need an RV for their summer travels, (beginning on or about the 1st of May), they’ll need to either trade me off on a different RV, sell me and buy another RV, or keep me until they return to Florida in the fall.

It will all depend on what kind of a deal they can get.

A Point to Ponder : Why do grocery stores buy so many checkout line registers if they only keep 3 or 4 open?

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?

Full-Timing?

DeBary, FL.

61 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 72F. Winds from the West at 10 to 15 mph shifting to the North in the afternoon.



I know that some of you reading this blog are full-timers like Jim and Linda are. Some of you want to go full-timing in the future and are working your way towards that dream. Others are thinking about the lifestyle and a few of you would never think about giving most of your possessions away, selling your house and moving into an RV.

So, what possesses people to get rid of almost everything that they've worked so hard to accumulate throughout their lives, move into a little box on wheels, say good-bye to family and friends that they've had for years and go full-timing?

I'm sure the answer is different for everyone, but here's a few of the reasons.

Some people are wanderers and just can't stay in one place for any length of time. It's easy to understand why they would want to go full-timing. Others are just plain fed up with the "rat race" they've been living and have decided that there just has to be a better way to live. Some have children who have grown up and moved to different parts of the country so the full-timing lifestyle is a good way to travel to different locations to see them.  And, I think some people have always wanted to travel and see the country and have decided that full-timing would be a good way to do it. There are also a few that are trying to run away from problems that they are having while living in a stix and brix house.

Now, "on the other side of the coin",  ,  ,  ,  Why don't some people feel that they can or want to full-time?

Well, here again, there are are all kinds of reasons but a couple of the reasons I hear the most is "I don't want to be away from my family", or "I couldn't possibly get rid of all of my "stuff" and move into an RV."
Some folks say they would "love" to go full-timing but come up with all kinds of reasons why they can't. They feel that they don't have enough money, they don't want to be "homeless", they can't because of health reasons, or they say that they're afraid to make such a big change in their lives.

Of course there are many more reasons on "both sides of the coin" but these seem to be the main ones.

So, where am I going with this?

Well, being that this post is getting pretty long already, you'll just have to wait for my next post to find out!!! : )

I promise that I won't keep you in suspense too long. ; )

A Point to Ponder :   The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

Shopping, A New Friend and Highbanks

DeBary, FL.

42 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 70F. Winds from the NNW at 10 to 15 mph shifting to the East in the afternoon.


As soon as Linda got up and had her breakfast Tuesday morning, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed for Jacksonville. You see, by accident, quite a few years ago, they had found a shoe store in a shopping center on the North side of Jacksonville.  It's called Rack Room Shoes and they sell all kinds of shoes.

And, they carry shoes in Jim's size, (14). : )

The soles of one of Jim's pair of shoes had split.  So being that we were in the area, they headed over there and ended up buying Jim 2 pair, since the second pair was 1/2 price.  : )

By about 12:30 they were back to the CG.

Oh, I want you to see my new little buddy that came into Kelly's Monday evening.

He's brand new and lives up in the central part of Pennsylvania. His owners brought him  down to Florida to visit family and friends and now he's on his way back home. I wished him a safe journey as he pulled out of the campground yesterday morning.

Speaking of yesterday morning,  it was about 9:50 when we pulled out of Kelly's. Once back on US 301, we retraced our route back to Callahan and then followed US 1 down to I-295. 295 took us around the west side of Jacksonville and joined back up with I-95 on the South side of the city. Once back on 95 we took it South to exit 329 where Jim pulled me into a T/A Truck Stop and topped off my tank with some of that good old #2 diesel fuel.

You see, since I'll be setting in a RV Park for at least 2 months, Jim wanted to get my tank as full as possible so there's not so much chance of condensation. My furnace also uses diesel fuel when it gets colder, so that was another reason to stop and fill up.

From the Truck Stop, we continued South on 95 and followed it down to Daytona Beach, where we turned SW on I-4. I-4 then brought us down here to DeBary and the Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort, where I'll be spending the next 2 or 3 months.

It was 12:50 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us exactly 3 hours to stop to top off my tank and travel the 147 miles down here.

After going into the office and talking to the nice ladies inside, Jim came out and unhooked CLT from the back of me and parked him across the road in a parking area. Then, the park manager led me into the park and to my site. By about 1:15 I was backed into my site, (the same site I was in last year, #198), and Jim was getting a ride in one of the workers golf carts, back up to the office area, to retrieve CLT and pay for my site.

I've only been here once before, but Jim and Linda have been here often enough that many of the folks in the park wave and welcome them back, as was the case as we drove through the park to get to my site. In fact, Jim and Linda both made the comment that it was good to be back in this park and this year especially, it kind of felt like they were coming back home.

Much of the afternoon was spent getting me set up for the long term. Extra attention was paid to getting me real level and getting all the utilities hooked up and looking as neat as possible. Then, because they were both tired and didn't want to cook, they headed over to the Steak & Shake Restaurant for dinner.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  this is where I'll be for quite awhile. There'll be many days where there's nothing to post about, so I won't be posting near as often. But, you can be assured that I'll let you know when there's anything new happening.

Did you know that DeBary Hall Historic Site is the restored winter home of Samuel Frederick de Bary, the first settler in this region? Built in 1871, the 8,000 sq. ft. Italianate architectural style mansion is open to the public with artists. displays, multimedia programs, and docent-led tours. DeBary Hall Historic Site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1972.

A Great Visit

Forest City, NC

63 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = partly cloudy, high temp. 79 deg. SW wind @ 5 to 10 mph.


I've been having a great time visiting with Big Herb. I think I've been able to pick up his spirits a little. Like I said, he's had to stay in his RV port for most of the summer, and now it sounds like he'll have to stay here all by himself through the winter. : (

There is some good news for him though. It sounds like Roland and Louise are planning on taking him on an extended trip to the Midwest next summer and he may even come and visit me in Rantoul! : )

Jim and Linda have been visiting with Roland and Louise these last 4 days. Louise had to go a doctor's appointment in Charlotte yesterday, but they weren't gone too long. Linda put together a casserole one night, but  Louise has made most of the meals with Linda bringing side dishes to contribute, and last night, Roland cooked brats and hot dogs on his grill.

They sure smelled good!!!!!! ; )

These last 5 days have really gone by fast and it's been great to see Roland, Louise and Big Herb again, but today, we'll be leaving here and heading for Apex, NC to see Mike and his family. (We'll be staying  at an RV Park in Moncure, NC. which is close to Apex).  In fact, Mike called yesterday to make sure we were still coming today and arrangements were made for Jim and Linda to head over to their house for dinner tonight.

Did you know that October is "National Popcorn Poppin' Month"?

Visiting With Roland And Louise And Big Herb

Forest City, NC

69 deg. cloudy, rain.

Forecast = Overcast with rain. High temp. 72 deg. NE wind @ 5 to 10 mph. 90% chance of rain.


I've been having Internet connection problems here at Roland and Louise's house. Most of the time I have a weak signal, but then all of a sudden I'll lose it completely.

So, this is just a short post to let you know that we're all having a great time visiting. (Jim and Linda with Roland and Louise, and me with Big Herb. : )

Jim took a few photos the other day. In the photo below, you can see me backed up to Big Herb's RV port. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you should be able to see him inside, right behind me.

Not much else to report. We're just visiting and enjoying each other's company.

Did you know that October is "National Chili Month"?

Waynesville NC To Forest City NC

Forest City, NC.

63 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = High temp. 77 deg. mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of t-storms, W. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.


After backing me and CLT straight back, Jim was able to make the swing out of the site and onto the road. I ended up going across the corner of the patio and across the grass, but at least Jim didn't have to unhook CLT. : )

It was 10:00 when we pulled out of the CG and headed back to I-40. Once on 40 we followed it Southeast to Asheville where we turned South on I-26, which took us down to Columbus, where we turned East on US 74. 74 brought us over to Forest City and to Roland and Louise's house.

We did have one little glitch. When we got to Forest City, we turned off of US 74 at the wrong exit and ended up going right through "Beautiful Downtown Forest City"!!! If we had turned off at the right exit, we would have missed the downtown area with all the stores and traffic, but it wasn't too bad and by 11:35 we were pulling into Roland's driveway. : )

Even with our wrong turn, it only took us 1 hour and 35 minutes to travel the 85 miles over here.

Roland must have seen us coming because before I was completely stopped in the driveway, he was coming out of the house to greet us. After h and h, (hugs and handshakes), Jim unhooked CLT from the back of me and with Roland's help and a large field next to the driveway, Jim got me turned around and backed right up to Big Herb's RV Port.

When Roland built this house with a RV port for Big Herb, he planned on having a place for RVing friends to park their RV when they came to visit. So, he put in both 30 amp and 50 amp outlets, a water faucet on the side of the building and a sewer connection so that the RVs tanks could be dumped.

In other words, full hook-ups!!!!

Jim and Roland and Linda and Louise have already done a lot of visiting. We went down to Frostproof, FL to see them back in February but a lot has happened to both couples since then, so there's a lot to catch up on. I'm sure that our time here will go really fast.

Jim didn't take any photos yesterday, but I'm sure he will in the next few days. If I can, (slow air card connection here), I'll post them right away.

Did you know that what is now Forest City began as a crossroads on the Shelby-Rutherfordton and Spartanburg-Lincolnton Roads? Originally, the town was incorporated as Burnt Chimney in 1877. A replica near the site of the original chimney adorns the public square today. The "chimney" was the remains of the McArthur home that marked the crossroads.

KY, TN, NC and The Creekwood Farm RV Park

Waynesville, NC

52 deg. foggy, no wind.

Forecast = Day: Mostly sunny this morning...Then becoming mostly cloudy. Patchy fog this morning. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Visibility one quarter mile or less at Times this morning. Highs around 70. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.


We left Berea, KY right at 9:30 and continued heading South on I-75. When we got into Tennessee, Jim pulled me into a Pilot Truck Stop and bought me another drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. After my drink, we continued South on 75, down to Knoxville, where we turned East on I-640. 640 took us around the North side of the city and brought us out on I-40, heading East. Following 40 then brought us down into North Carolina and to the Creekwood Farm RV Park.

It was 1:40 when we pulled into the CG so it had taken us 4 hours and 10 minutes to travel 219 miles and stop for my drink.

The Creekwood Farm RV Park is a nice park. The 2 ladies in the office were supper nice and one of them led me to my site with a golf cart. The park is very well maintained, the gravel roads are in very good condition and it's a Passport America Park, so I'm staying here for for only $18 a night. : )

But,  ,  ,  ,  , who ever laid out this park, was not an RVer.  Almost all the sites are at a right angle to the road, the gravel parking area is very narrow, so you must drive across the grass to get into the site, and there are also utilities at some of the sites that are positioned so that you can't make the swing into the site.

Jim got me into site #80, which is a pull-through site, without unhooking CLT from the back of me, but I really don't see how I'm going to get out of this site without having to back up and jockey around a post on my side of the street and a sign on the other side. : (

It wasn't long after Jim had me hooked up to the utilities the phone rang. It was Roland and Louise, and they were wondering when we would be getting to their house. Linda talked to Louise first, and then Jim talked to Roland and went over the best way to get to their house.

Roland said that it should take us somewhere between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get to their house from here, so if we leave about 10:00, we should get there around noon, which is a good time for them.

I'm really looking forward to going to Roland and Louise's house to see Big Herb again. He's probably lonesome and down in the dumps because he's been sitting in his RV port almost all summer and hasn't been out on the road hardly at all. : ( 

We'll be staying there for 4 or 5 days, so maybe I can raise his spirits a little.

Did you know that today is "Ask a Stupid Question Day"?

Hmmmmm!!! That shouldn't be too hard!!! ; )

Final Preparations For Travel and Visiting

Rantoul, IL.

36 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Clear. High of 70F. Breezy. Winds from the SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20%.


Being that it was quite chilly yesterday morning, Jim and Linda decided to go to the grocery store in the morning so that it would be a little warmer when Jim started doing things outside.

By the time they returned and had the groceries put away, it had warmed up some.

One of the first things he did was to clean my windshield and some of my side windows. They had gotten really yucky over the 2 months that we have been here and really needed cleaning. While he was doing that, Russ and Debby came by to dump some garbage, (the dumpster is right across the street from my site), and to say good-bye and thank Jim and Linda for talking to them and giving them information about full-timing.

After finishing the windows, Jim dumped my tanks and put all the sewer and water hoses away.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the Bears game on TV, checking all the basement compartments for unsecured items and visiting with Denny, (one of the "Illinois Bunch"), when he stopped by on his way home from taking a motorcycle trip on his big Honda Gold Wing. : )  He couldn't stay long because he was wanting to get home, but he was here for about 1/2 hour or so.

Oh, Good News!!!!  I did learn that he and Bev are planning on going down to Florida this winter, so we'll be able to meet up with them and their Winnebago Brave sometime in February. : )

After Denny left, Jim and Linda walked over to the office and talked with Louise for awhile and paid for my stay here. While they were there, Paul came in, so they were able to talk to him for a little while too.

The evening was spent watching TV and getting a few more things put away inside of me.

This morning, about all that's left to do outside is to hook CLT to the back of me and disconnect my electric cord. Linda has most of the inside stuff put away, so there's not much to do there either.

The plan is to leave here sometime between 9:30 and 10:00. I'm thirsty, so we'll need to stop for fuel someplace and then head over to Indianapolis to see Linda's cousin, Mike and his wife, Sandy.

It's been a good stay here in Rantoul. I really like this campground and am looking forward to coming back here again next summer. But, I'm also looking forward to getting back out on the road and seeing Jim and Linda's families and friends in IN, KY, NC, VA and FL. ; )

A Point to Ponder : You never see a hearse with a luggage rack.

Getting Ready and Dinner With Paul And Louise

Rantoul, IL.

42 deg, clear, W. wind @ 6 mph.

Forecast = Clear. High of 64F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.


Friday, Jim took CLT and headed over to Rural King. He wanted to buy a few thing there before we leave the area. He also stopped by ACE Hardware to find some kind of thermostat, but they didn't have what he wanted in stock.

In the afternoon, he installed the tow-bar back on the front of CLT and rolled up all my awnings before it started raining. Then, since it was raining, he fooled around with the computer for awhile and then took a nap. : )

Yesterday, after it warmed up a little, (It was only about 50 degrees with a 15 to 20 mph wind blowing), Jim went out and checked the air pressure in all my tires. After that, he took his bicycle's front wheel off and put the bike and the wheel into the back of CLT and secured it.

Around Lunchtime, Louise came over and told Jim that she and Paul wanted to take Jim and Linda out to dinner. She said that they had planned to have a cook-out, but being that it was quite cool and windy, they decided it would be better to go to a restaurant. 

She told Jim that she and Paul would pick them up about 6:30.

Wow!!! What a nice surprise!!!

During the afternoon, Jim added some water to my fresh water tank and went through some of my basement compartments to make sure everything was secure. Then, he cleaned and put away the awning tie down straps and anchors.

Linda is still working on her Family Tree Maker program. She keeps finding more and more people to add, and also additional information about the people she already had found. She's also been doing laundry and has been starting to get the inside of me ready to travel.

About 6:30 Paul and Louise pulled up in front of my site, picked up Jim and Linda and headed to Gifford, (which is a very small town about 6 or 8 miles East of Rantoul), and to the Longbranch Restaurant. Jerry and Lorie, (a couple who help Paul and Louise with the Campground on the weekends), followed along in their car.

Jim and Linda had been to the Longbranch with Paul and Louise a few years ago, and just like that time, the food was very good, with good service.

Of course the best part of the meal was visiting with Paul, Louise, Jerry and Lorie. : )

Louise and Paul insisted on paying for Jim and Linda's meal. What great people!! It's no wonder Jim and Linda have been coming back to this Campground for years. : )

Thank you so much, Paul and Louise!!!

After returning, Jim and Linda watched some college football on TV and then headed for bed.

Today, Jim and Linda want to make one last run to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items. Then, later, Jim will dump my tanks, put away all my hoses and probably hook CLT up to the back of me.

Tomorrow morning, all he'll have to do is unhook the electric.

Did you know that on this date in 1962 "The Jetsons" premiered on ABC-TV? It was the first program on the network to be carried in color.

Meeting Debby and Russ

Rantoul, IL.

49 deg. clear, SE wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Overcast with thunderstorms and a chance of rain. High of 72F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the West in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50% with rainfall amounts near 0.2 in. possible.


The other day when Jim was servicing my batteries, a lady that was walking by on the street, turned up the sidewalk into my site and introduced herself as Debby. She told Jim that she and her husband Russ were camping here at this park, down in the area where I was last year. She said that they were selling their house and are now living in their Class "B" motor home. They have a new MH on order, but they won't be getting it until later in October.

The reason she had stopped by, was that they had noticed my South Dakota plates and were wondering if we were full-timers. You see, they are just getting started with this full-timing thing and were looking for someone to talk to who had some experience with mail forwarding services and transferring residency to a different state.

Jim said that he and Linda would be glad to share information and suggested that they get together and talk sometime later in the week.

Well, yesterday morning, Jim walked down to their site and asked Debby and Russ if they'd like to come over to my site to talk? 

I a little while, they came over and after getting the "tour" of the inside of me, everyone sat down and talked and talked. : )  They had some very good questions that Jim and Linda tried to answer and both Jim and Linda had some suggestions about how they should go about doing certain things to get set up for the full-timing lifestyle.

Of course as most full-timers know, there's really no right or wrong way to go about all of this, so they have some decisions to make, based on how they want/need to do things.

They're a great couple and it seems like they have the right attitude for full-timing. They've been living in their class "B" since spring, so when they get that new, much larger MH in October, they should be much more comfortable and be able to get some of their "stuff" out of storage to take with them.

They were here for a couple hours and before they left, both Jim and Linda told them to be sure and come back and ask more questions if they needed to. They also exchanged e-mail addresses so hopefully they'll be able to stay in contact.

Oh, and Debby and Russ are planning on spending much of the winter down in Florida, so maybe we can even get together with them down there!!! : ) 

I'd really like to meet their new Motorhome!!

Not much else happened around here the rest of the day. Jim took a nap in the afternoon, then he cooked a couple burgers on the grill for dinner while Linda got all the other food ready inside of me. Linda is still working on her Family Tree stuff, trying to get as much information off of the Internet as possible while she has the free wi-fi here at the park, then they both watched TV in the evening before going to bed after the news.

So, it was another great day!!! : )  I really enjoyed meeting Debby and Russ and I know that Jim and Linda did too. Hopefully we'll get to see them again real soon, and many more times down the road. ; )

A Point to Ponder : A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Most Of The "Illinois Bunch" Arrives

Rantoul, IL. 56 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Light northwest winds. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.


Jim and Linda finished getting me presentable yesterday morning. Then, Linda put a load of laundry in my washer and Jim went outside for awhile.

It was a little after noon, when Dave pulled in with his Open Road 5th wheel. There aren't any sites available real close to me, so Louise put him in site 28, which is across the street from me and North a ways. It's a nice site and he should have quite a bit of shade, which will be nice if the temperatures start climbing again.

About 20 minutes or so after Dave arrived, Denny and Bev pulled in with their Winnebago Brave. To keep everyone as close together as possible, Louise put them in site 26, which is also across the street and right next to Dave and Dee Dee. It's also a very nice site with some trees for shade.

If you look way to the left side of the photo above, you can see the very back end of Dave and Dee Dee's trailer. (That's Denny getting his satellite dish set up). 

Not long after Denny and Bev arrived, Dee Dee pulled in with their car. She may need to go someplace, so they wanted to have the car here in case it was needed.

The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting. Dave and Dee Dee's son and his daughter stopped by for awhile and then for dinner, everyone just did their own thing.

Jim and Linda didn't go back over there in the evening, but I think that Dave and Denny built a fire in the fire ring next to Denny's RV.

I don't think there are any real plans for today. Probably just more visiting and catching up on what has been happening since we last saw them down in Florida. Tomorrow, it sounds like Gordy and Dorthy may be driving down here in their car to visit for awhile, and I think a cook-out is being planned while they're here. : )

A Point to Ponder :  Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

He Still Knows How and A Sloppy Joe Dinner

Rantoul, IL.

63 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly sunny. Isolated showers in the morning...Then isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Light northwest winds. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.


Jut to prove that Jim still knows how to take photos, I thought that I'd post this one that he took the other day. It's not a photo of anything special, but I thought the dark blue sky and the puffy white clouds were kind of neat. It was taken from my site, looking towards the North.

Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to the County Market Grocery store yesterday morning. I though that they were only going to pick up a few items, but when they returned, they had the whole back end of CLT full of groceries!!!! : O

Somehow, they managed to get them all put away in my refrigerator, cabinets and basement compartments. : )

The afternoon was spent with Jim taking a nap and doing some cleaning inside of me, Linda cleaning some too, resting and making a desert for Louise's evening meal.

Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to mention that Louise invited Jim and Linda and another couple over for dinner last night?

It was sometime yesterday morning when Louise came over to my site and told Jim that she was having Sloppy Joe sandwiches, home made potato salad and home made slaw for dinner and that he and Linda should come over about 5:30 or so and they would eat around 6:00.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  being that Linda always likes to take something to contribute to the meal, she decided to make one of her sugar-free deserts. 

The one that she made this time, she just calls, "Peach Stuff". I could probably find the recipe if anyone is interested, but I know she uses a cake mix, some peaches, sweetener, and some nuts.

As usual, Louise put together a very good meal. Both Jim and Linda said that her "Sloppy Joe's" were really good and so was the potato salad and the slaw. And,  ,  ,  everyone seemed to enjoy Linda's desert.

After eating, Louise started a fire and everyone sat and talked. Jim and Linda must have had a good time because it was after 9:00 by the time they came back here. ; )

Thanks Louise!!!  : )

Today, Denny and Bev and Dave and Dee Dee will be coming. I don't know when they'll be getting here, but I would imagine that it'll be sometime this morning or early afternoon. I'm really looking forward to getting to know Denny and Bev's motor home and Dave and Dee Dee's 5th wheel a little better.

It's too bad that Gordy and Dorthy won't be coming with their MH. : (

A Point to Ponder :  Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.