Bay City, Texas
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 67 degrees, cloudy skies, breezy
The weather seemed cooler than it was because the wind was blowing. A jacket felt good whenever I was outside. We had planned to put the awning out and eat at the picnic table at out site, but it was just too windy and cold. Instead, we set everything up inside the RV and had a great after Thanksgiving dinner that Carolyn prepared.
We got an early start on the food preparations this morning. Instead of turkey, we bought a baked chicken at HEB, which saved some time and tasted great. This was the first time that we had cooked a lot of food using the gas oven in the RV, and it worked well. Julian and Zoe had asked that Carolyn prepare her garlic mashed potatoes and iced tea. She did, but also cooked squash casserole, turnip greens, cornbread dressing, english peas, and gravy, with cranberry sauce on the side. Lori brought some pies for dessert. Carolyn sent most of the leftovers home with Lori.
After we ate, we went for a walk in the park. I talked to a man who was fishing from the bank of the river, who said that a lot of salt water fish are caught there, even though it is about 20 miles from the coast. Maybe I'll see if I can have any luck this week.
The holidays are nice, and it's always a happy time of year for us, but they sure are tiring. Personally, I'll be glad when the holidays are finished.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Thermopolis, Wyoming: A Past To Behold, A Future To Uphold
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wild Hogs
Bay City, Texas
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 67 degrees, cloudy skies, light sprinkles late in the afternoon
Tomorrow, Carolyn is planning to prepare a belated Thanksgiving meal for Lori and her family, and of course I'll get to enjoy it, also. That meant we needed to go to the grocery store to pick up what was needed. Carolyn's favorite grocery store in Bay City is HEB, a Texas chain. When she shops for groceries, she likes to take her time and make sure she doesn't overlook anything. Since she is doing the cooking, I went along and drove the cart, taking extra care to not say anything about needing to hurry up. We picked up almost everything on her list. Well, I should say we picked up everything on the list, but forgot to put everything on it. I guess I'll have to pick up a few things tomorrow.
After we got back to the RV, Lori and her family came over and visited. After a couple of hours, everyone started getting hungry, so we decided to go to the K-2 Restaurant for lunch. Saturday is the day that they have a special on their hamburger lunches, plus they also have a great nacho bar. We had a nice meal, and after it was over, Lori and her family went home to take care of some chores there. Carolyn and I returned to the RV because I had an important college football game to watch between Florida and Florida State. Florida continued their dominating style of play, defeating Florida State 45 to 15. That was also the fifth straight win for Florida over Florida State. Now it's on to Atlanta for Florida to play Alabama for the SEC championship and a bid to the national championship game. It should be a great game.
I forgot to mention an item from yesterday. While I was walking, a herd of 30 to 40 wild hogs ran across the road about 50 feet from me. That is the most wild hogs I have seen in one bunch before. The wild hogs in this area are considered to be pests, and there is an open year round season on them. These animals cause a lot of damage to property, and also cause harm to the smaller wildlife because they will kill other animals' young and destroy their nests. The picture below is representative of the type of hogs I saw.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Puyallup, Washington: Working To Be Your Community Of Choice
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 67 degrees, cloudy skies, light sprinkles late in the afternoon
Tomorrow, Carolyn is planning to prepare a belated Thanksgiving meal for Lori and her family, and of course I'll get to enjoy it, also. That meant we needed to go to the grocery store to pick up what was needed. Carolyn's favorite grocery store in Bay City is HEB, a Texas chain. When she shops for groceries, she likes to take her time and make sure she doesn't overlook anything. Since she is doing the cooking, I went along and drove the cart, taking extra care to not say anything about needing to hurry up. We picked up almost everything on her list. Well, I should say we picked up everything on the list, but forgot to put everything on it. I guess I'll have to pick up a few things tomorrow.
After we got back to the RV, Lori and her family came over and visited. After a couple of hours, everyone started getting hungry, so we decided to go to the K-2 Restaurant for lunch. Saturday is the day that they have a special on their hamburger lunches, plus they also have a great nacho bar. We had a nice meal, and after it was over, Lori and her family went home to take care of some chores there. Carolyn and I returned to the RV because I had an important college football game to watch between Florida and Florida State. Florida continued their dominating style of play, defeating Florida State 45 to 15. That was also the fifth straight win for Florida over Florida State. Now it's on to Atlanta for Florida to play Alabama for the SEC championship and a bid to the national championship game. It should be a great game.
I forgot to mention an item from yesterday. While I was walking, a herd of 30 to 40 wild hogs ran across the road about 50 feet from me. That is the most wild hogs I have seen in one bunch before. The wild hogs in this area are considered to be pests, and there is an open year round season on them. These animals cause a lot of damage to property, and also cause harm to the smaller wildlife because they will kill other animals' young and destroy their nests. The picture below is representative of the type of hogs I saw.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Puyallup, Washington: Working To Be Your Community Of Choice
Not all who wander are lost.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Left To Our Own Devices
Bay City, Texas
Weather: low 68 degrees, high 83 degrees, thick fog early, partly to mostly cloudy skies
Lori and her family began their day early to take advantage of Black Friday shopping. Somehow, Carolyn and I managed to find something to do by ourselves that didn't involve shopping. I think I have been clear on what I think about shopping, a necessary evil.
We took a ride to Palacios, taking the back roads to the little town 30 miles west of Bay City. Whenever we go to Palacios, we usually take the road around the bay. In the back of our minds, we imagine what it would be like to have a place on the bay. We noticed there is a lot of property for sale in Palacios, but nothing that grabbed us. Driving through the downtown area, which took all of a minute, we saw several vacant buildings, and there were some businesses no longer open. The growth for the town appears to be along Texas 35, and several businesses have opened there, including a new grocery store.
There is a large fishing fleet located in the harbor, with a majority of the boats being shrimp boats. I wonder if Forrest Gump has any boats there?
As we were driving by the harbor, we noticed a new sign for an RV park located next to the water. We drove in and checked the new park out, and both of us think that the new park is a good possibility for a future stay. The water would be about 30 feet from the rear of the RV. I could step out the door and have a line in the water in no time. Another plus for the new park is that the fishing fleet is only a few hundred feet away. Can you imagine fresh seafood right off the boats?
On our way home, we took Texas 35 back to Bay City. Hardly anything has changed along the road to Bay City since we sold our house in 2005. On the way into town, we stopped at the library to check out some books, but they were closed for the holiday.
Since we were getting tired, we decided to go on home and do some meditation. Once I had recovered from the strenuous morning, I hooked up the sewer hose and replaced a compartment door latch.
We discussed what to do for supper, and both of us agreed that seafood sounded good. There is a seafood restaurant in Van Vleck named the Bay Town Seafood Restaurant, so we went there since it had gotten good reviews from other people. I had the fried catfish, while Carolyn had the fried shrimp. Ummmmm, boy!! It was really good, and there was so much we couldn't eat all of it. Lunch is ready for tomorrow.
While we were at the restaurant, I saw Dennis O'Brien and his wife. I worked with Dennis when I was still at the South Texas Nuclear Project. It was nice to see Dennis again. He invited me to play golf when I have the time. He and I played as a team in a golf league when I was still working, and I had a great time with him. One of the things I miss about work (maybe the only thing) is working with people like Dennis.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Collegeport, Texas: Town Of Opportunity
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 68 degrees, high 83 degrees, thick fog early, partly to mostly cloudy skies
Lori and her family began their day early to take advantage of Black Friday shopping. Somehow, Carolyn and I managed to find something to do by ourselves that didn't involve shopping. I think I have been clear on what I think about shopping, a necessary evil.
We took a ride to Palacios, taking the back roads to the little town 30 miles west of Bay City. Whenever we go to Palacios, we usually take the road around the bay. In the back of our minds, we imagine what it would be like to have a place on the bay. We noticed there is a lot of property for sale in Palacios, but nothing that grabbed us. Driving through the downtown area, which took all of a minute, we saw several vacant buildings, and there were some businesses no longer open. The growth for the town appears to be along Texas 35, and several businesses have opened there, including a new grocery store.
There is a large fishing fleet located in the harbor, with a majority of the boats being shrimp boats. I wonder if Forrest Gump has any boats there?
As we were driving by the harbor, we noticed a new sign for an RV park located next to the water. We drove in and checked the new park out, and both of us think that the new park is a good possibility for a future stay. The water would be about 30 feet from the rear of the RV. I could step out the door and have a line in the water in no time. Another plus for the new park is that the fishing fleet is only a few hundred feet away. Can you imagine fresh seafood right off the boats?
On our way home, we took Texas 35 back to Bay City. Hardly anything has changed along the road to Bay City since we sold our house in 2005. On the way into town, we stopped at the library to check out some books, but they were closed for the holiday.
Since we were getting tired, we decided to go on home and do some meditation. Once I had recovered from the strenuous morning, I hooked up the sewer hose and replaced a compartment door latch.
We discussed what to do for supper, and both of us agreed that seafood sounded good. There is a seafood restaurant in Van Vleck named the Bay Town Seafood Restaurant, so we went there since it had gotten good reviews from other people. I had the fried catfish, while Carolyn had the fried shrimp. Ummmmm, boy!! It was really good, and there was so much we couldn't eat all of it. Lunch is ready for tomorrow.
While we were at the restaurant, I saw Dennis O'Brien and his wife. I worked with Dennis when I was still at the South Texas Nuclear Project. It was nice to see Dennis again. He invited me to play golf when I have the time. He and I played as a team in a golf league when I was still working, and I had a great time with him. One of the things I miss about work (maybe the only thing) is working with people like Dennis.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Collegeport, Texas: Town Of Opportunity
Not all who wander are lost.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Bay City, Texas
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 80 degrees, thick fog early, partly to mostly cloudy skies, two light sprinkles
In this time of turmoil and uncertainty, sometimes it is hard to realize how fortunate we are. We count our blessings everyday, and appreciate the opportunities that we have been able to take advantage of. We are thankful for our daughters and grandchildren, and feel blessed that Carolyn's mother is still here with us and in good health. We love our brothers and sisters and all the friends that we have across the country.
There are so many things that we are thankful for, but I want to give a special thanks to the men and women of our armed services, who travel far from home and put their lives on the line everyday so we can continue to live in freedom in the greatest country on earth.
As I noted in the previous blog entry, we got to Bay City late in the afternoon yesterday. As a result, we didn't have enough time to plan and prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. We checked around town and found a restaurant that was serving lunch today, so we met Lori and her family at the restaurant. The food was set up in a buffet line, and had all of the old favorites for the holiday, plus more. Turkey (naturally), ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, desserts of all kind. Then, there were other treats, such as fried shrimp, roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and onions, fried okra.......
I think you might be able to get the idea. There was plenty to choose from, and if anyone left the restaurant hungry, there was no pleasing them.
After eating, we came back to the RV for the traditional post meal nap, I mean meditation. Later in the afternoon, we went to Lori's house and had a nice visit with them. Tomorrow, they are going to hit the stores early for Black Friday. We're going to stay at home. Shopping is not really our thing anymore. We do what we have to do, and no more. Instead of going shopping, we're thinking of going to the beach.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Crystal River, Florida: Gem Of The Nature Coast
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 80 degrees, thick fog early, partly to mostly cloudy skies, two light sprinkles
In this time of turmoil and uncertainty, sometimes it is hard to realize how fortunate we are. We count our blessings everyday, and appreciate the opportunities that we have been able to take advantage of. We are thankful for our daughters and grandchildren, and feel blessed that Carolyn's mother is still here with us and in good health. We love our brothers and sisters and all the friends that we have across the country.
There are so many things that we are thankful for, but I want to give a special thanks to the men and women of our armed services, who travel far from home and put their lives on the line everyday so we can continue to live in freedom in the greatest country on earth.
As I noted in the previous blog entry, we got to Bay City late in the afternoon yesterday. As a result, we didn't have enough time to plan and prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. We checked around town and found a restaurant that was serving lunch today, so we met Lori and her family at the restaurant. The food was set up in a buffet line, and had all of the old favorites for the holiday, plus more. Turkey (naturally), ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, desserts of all kind. Then, there were other treats, such as fried shrimp, roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and onions, fried okra.......
I think you might be able to get the idea. There was plenty to choose from, and if anyone left the restaurant hungry, there was no pleasing them.
After eating, we came back to the RV for the traditional post meal nap, I mean meditation. Later in the afternoon, we went to Lori's house and had a nice visit with them. Tomorrow, they are going to hit the stores early for Black Friday. We're going to stay at home. Shopping is not really our thing anymore. We do what we have to do, and no more. Instead of going shopping, we're thinking of going to the beach.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Crystal River, Florida: Gem Of The Nature Coast
Not all who wander are lost.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Back In Bay City, Texas
Bay City, Texas
Weather: low 49 degrees in Waco, Texas, high 76 degrees in Bay City. Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies.
We left Waco about 0900 hours this morning on our way to Bay City. Before leaving Waco, I took a long walk through the campground, up to Texas 6, and back through the campground to the RV. The weather was great for traveling, and traffic was light. By 1430 hours, we had arrived at Riverside RV Park, owned by the city of Bay City and located on the banks of the Colorado River. The only problems we had were when we actually arrived at the RV park. It appears that the people running the park have not trimmed the trees in quite some time, and that made it difficult to get into our space without damaging the RV. With Carolyn's help, as well as another camper, I was finally able to get in without any damage. I think.
After getting the RV into the space, we spent a few minutes talking to the other camper who helped us. It was amazing the similarities in our history, once we started talking. He retired early at 57 years old, the same as me, but he didn't go back to work like I did. They used to own a house here, and sold it to go on the road and find another place to live. Still sounding familiar? They come back to Bay City to see their daughter. More and more familiar. There were other things that surprised us, and I'm sure we will have some good conversations over the next few days.
When we finished our visit with the neighbor, we set the RV up and got the satellite dish working. Then I sprayed around the landing gear and tires with a pesticide to keep the ants out of the RV. We have to remember that we are back on the gulf coast where the bugs hardly ever die or go dormant.
We rested a short time and then went to Lori's house. After the hugs and excitement were over, the talk turned to where were we going to eat dinner. The choice was Victoria's Mexican Restaurant. We had a good time talking and catching up on what has been happening with them. Then, because we were tired, Carolyn and I came home with a promise that we will all get together tomorrow for Thanksgiving lunch.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Dublin, Texas: Irish Capital of Texas (Also, where the original formula for Dr. Pepper is still used)
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 49 degrees in Waco, Texas, high 76 degrees in Bay City. Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies.
We left Waco about 0900 hours this morning on our way to Bay City. Before leaving Waco, I took a long walk through the campground, up to Texas 6, and back through the campground to the RV. The weather was great for traveling, and traffic was light. By 1430 hours, we had arrived at Riverside RV Park, owned by the city of Bay City and located on the banks of the Colorado River. The only problems we had were when we actually arrived at the RV park. It appears that the people running the park have not trimmed the trees in quite some time, and that made it difficult to get into our space without damaging the RV. With Carolyn's help, as well as another camper, I was finally able to get in without any damage. I think.
After getting the RV into the space, we spent a few minutes talking to the other camper who helped us. It was amazing the similarities in our history, once we started talking. He retired early at 57 years old, the same as me, but he didn't go back to work like I did. They used to own a house here, and sold it to go on the road and find another place to live. Still sounding familiar? They come back to Bay City to see their daughter. More and more familiar. There were other things that surprised us, and I'm sure we will have some good conversations over the next few days.
When we finished our visit with the neighbor, we set the RV up and got the satellite dish working. Then I sprayed around the landing gear and tires with a pesticide to keep the ants out of the RV. We have to remember that we are back on the gulf coast where the bugs hardly ever die or go dormant.
We rested a short time and then went to Lori's house. After the hugs and excitement were over, the talk turned to where were we going to eat dinner. The choice was Victoria's Mexican Restaurant. We had a good time talking and catching up on what has been happening with them. Then, because we were tired, Carolyn and I came home with a promise that we will all get together tomorrow for Thanksgiving lunch.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Dublin, Texas: Irish Capital of Texas (Also, where the original formula for Dr. Pepper is still used)
Not all who wander are lost.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Furnace Repaired
Waco, Texas
Weather: low 32 degrees in Glen Rose, Texas, high 70 degrees in Waco, Texas, clear skies
We awoke to a cold morning, with a low temperature of 32 degrees. Normally, a temperature like that is not a concern for us. This morning, however, our furnace finally bit the dust. It would not come on at all. In an attempt to stay warm, we turned on both of our little electric heaters and put a couple of pots of water on the stove. It started warming up inside, and then the sun came up and started warming the outside. Soon, it was toasty and we were comfortable.
I took Carolyn to the Glen Rose Medical Center for the two tests she had performed today. The preliminary reports are that everything looks good, but we will not know for sure until the doctor reviews the results. While she was having her tests, I went back to the RV and waited on the RV serviceman to come back and repair the furnace. He received the new electronics board about noon. The new board was installed and the furnace worked as expected. It looks like we are ready for cold weather.
After the furnace was repaired and I settled up with the repairman, I went back to Glen Rose and picked up Carolyn. She finished with her tests early enough that we decided to hook up the RV to the truck and move down the road about 65 miles to Waco. We told Jerry and Joyce, the owners of Midway Pines RV Park, and Denise, another of our friends goodbye and headed south.
The trip over to Waco was uneventful, and we pulled into the Speegleville Corps of Engineers campground about an hour later. This campground is a very nice place to stay, and we have 3G speed for our air card, which is how we connect to the Internet. We'll stay here overnight and drive on to Bay City, where our daughter Lori and her family live.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Texarkana, Texas: Twice As Nice
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 32 degrees in Glen Rose, Texas, high 70 degrees in Waco, Texas, clear skies
We awoke to a cold morning, with a low temperature of 32 degrees. Normally, a temperature like that is not a concern for us. This morning, however, our furnace finally bit the dust. It would not come on at all. In an attempt to stay warm, we turned on both of our little electric heaters and put a couple of pots of water on the stove. It started warming up inside, and then the sun came up and started warming the outside. Soon, it was toasty and we were comfortable.
I took Carolyn to the Glen Rose Medical Center for the two tests she had performed today. The preliminary reports are that everything looks good, but we will not know for sure until the doctor reviews the results. While she was having her tests, I went back to the RV and waited on the RV serviceman to come back and repair the furnace. He received the new electronics board about noon. The new board was installed and the furnace worked as expected. It looks like we are ready for cold weather.
After the furnace was repaired and I settled up with the repairman, I went back to Glen Rose and picked up Carolyn. She finished with her tests early enough that we decided to hook up the RV to the truck and move down the road about 65 miles to Waco. We told Jerry and Joyce, the owners of Midway Pines RV Park, and Denise, another of our friends goodbye and headed south.
The trip over to Waco was uneventful, and we pulled into the Speegleville Corps of Engineers campground about an hour later. This campground is a very nice place to stay, and we have 3G speed for our air card, which is how we connect to the Internet. We'll stay here overnight and drive on to Bay City, where our daughter Lori and her family live.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Texarkana, Texas: Twice As Nice
Not all who wander are lost.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pictures Of Chalk Mountain
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 51 degrees, high 67 degrees, mostly clear skies, windy
Even though the low temperature only got down to about 51 degrees, with the wind it felt much cooler. It seems as though the wind blows all the time here. The wind felt cold enough that I turned the collar up on my jacket and wore gloves.
In the morning, we washed two loads of clothes before Carolyn went to El Chico's with her friend Denise for lunch. El Chico's is Carolyn's favorite Mexican restaurant, while I tend to like the local Mexican restaurants more than I do the chain restaurants. I'm glad they were able to get together for lunch before we leave here.
In the afternoon, the RV repairman came back to finish repairing the furnace. The only problem was that the part he ordered was not shipped. Since he knew there was a good possibility that we might be leaving this area tomorrow, he called the technical representative for the furnace manufacturer to see what could be done to get the furnace operating properly. The rep gave the repairman a couple of things to look for, and he found that the on/off switch was actually sticking in the on position. One big problem: the switch is an integral part of the electronic board. That means we need a new board, which had to be ordered. I told the repairman to go ahead and order the part, and it looks like it will be here about noon tomorrow. If it is, replacement only takes about ten minutes. Then, if everything works on the furnace and Carolyn gets a clean bill of health for the medical tests she is having tomorrow, we may leave in the afternoon. Next stops: Waco and Bay City over the next couple of days.
When the repairman left, I went into Glen Rose to return some books to the library. Before coming home, I went back to Chalk Mountain and took some pictures at the picnic area just off US 67, which goes across the mountain. The picnic area is blessed with some of the finest views of the surrounding countryside. Here are a few of the pictures I took.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Binghamton, New York: Carousel Capital Of The World
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 51 degrees, high 67 degrees, mostly clear skies, windy
Even though the low temperature only got down to about 51 degrees, with the wind it felt much cooler. It seems as though the wind blows all the time here. The wind felt cold enough that I turned the collar up on my jacket and wore gloves.
In the morning, we washed two loads of clothes before Carolyn went to El Chico's with her friend Denise for lunch. El Chico's is Carolyn's favorite Mexican restaurant, while I tend to like the local Mexican restaurants more than I do the chain restaurants. I'm glad they were able to get together for lunch before we leave here.
In the afternoon, the RV repairman came back to finish repairing the furnace. The only problem was that the part he ordered was not shipped. Since he knew there was a good possibility that we might be leaving this area tomorrow, he called the technical representative for the furnace manufacturer to see what could be done to get the furnace operating properly. The rep gave the repairman a couple of things to look for, and he found that the on/off switch was actually sticking in the on position. One big problem: the switch is an integral part of the electronic board. That means we need a new board, which had to be ordered. I told the repairman to go ahead and order the part, and it looks like it will be here about noon tomorrow. If it is, replacement only takes about ten minutes. Then, if everything works on the furnace and Carolyn gets a clean bill of health for the medical tests she is having tomorrow, we may leave in the afternoon. Next stops: Waco and Bay City over the next couple of days.
When the repairman left, I went into Glen Rose to return some books to the library. Before coming home, I went back to Chalk Mountain and took some pictures at the picnic area just off US 67, which goes across the mountain. The picnic area is blessed with some of the finest views of the surrounding countryside. Here are a few of the pictures I took.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Binghamton, New York: Carousel Capital Of The World
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Chalk Mountain
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 54 degrees, high 67 degrees, cloudy skies, windy
After the morning walk, I spent some time on the computer reading the news and sports. I have found that when I'm able to access the Internet, I can get the news I want to read without looking for a newspaper. And I don't pay for the advertisements for stuff I have no use for.
After catching up on the news, we took a ride to one of the prettiest areas around here, Chalk Mountain. The mountain is located west of Glen Rose about 10 miles, lying between Glen Rose and Stephenville. It is the highest land mass around, and covers a large area. The mountain is covered with cedar and oak trees, as well as mesquite. The leaves of the oaks have changed to a brilliant red, which contrasts with the green of the cedars. The oaks are changing in bands across the hills, creating red strips with green above and below the red.
Most of the mountain has been owned by large landowners over the years. Recently, smaller plots have sold off with houses being built across the hills. A movement has started by the current landowners to save Chalk Mountain. Now, what I can't figure out is, what is Chalk Mountain being saved from? Is it being saved from development? Or is it being saved to keep a way of life intact? Could it be that the current landowners are trying to restrict who can be allowed to move there? Something doesn't quite feel right about this movement.
After our ride on the mountain was finished, we returned home and meditated. Late in the day, our friend Denise invited us to go to Chili's in Granbury for dinner. This was the first time we have been to a Chili's in some time, but the food was good. Both of us had hamburgers (mine was the original, while Carolyn's was with bacon and cheese). Not bad.
Oh, by the way, after getting back to the RV from Chalk Mountain, we were sitting in the RV doing our thing when we heard a loud explosion and the power went off. I told Jerry, the owner of the park what happened. The explosion sounded like a transformer had blown up. Jerry got his electrical meter and we started checking where power was off. About half the park was without power. We looked at all the transformers, but couldn't find one with obvious damage. Then Jerry noticed a dead squirrel underneath a transformer. Looking at the electrical pole closer, we saw that a circuit breaker had been tripped. Apparently, the squirrel got too close to something up there, and caused the breaker to open. Jerry called the power company, who got the power back on in a short time. That was the excitement for the day.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Lufkin, Texas: See The Forest For The Trees
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 54 degrees, high 67 degrees, cloudy skies, windy
After the morning walk, I spent some time on the computer reading the news and sports. I have found that when I'm able to access the Internet, I can get the news I want to read without looking for a newspaper. And I don't pay for the advertisements for stuff I have no use for.
After catching up on the news, we took a ride to one of the prettiest areas around here, Chalk Mountain. The mountain is located west of Glen Rose about 10 miles, lying between Glen Rose and Stephenville. It is the highest land mass around, and covers a large area. The mountain is covered with cedar and oak trees, as well as mesquite. The leaves of the oaks have changed to a brilliant red, which contrasts with the green of the cedars. The oaks are changing in bands across the hills, creating red strips with green above and below the red.
Most of the mountain has been owned by large landowners over the years. Recently, smaller plots have sold off with houses being built across the hills. A movement has started by the current landowners to save Chalk Mountain. Now, what I can't figure out is, what is Chalk Mountain being saved from? Is it being saved from development? Or is it being saved to keep a way of life intact? Could it be that the current landowners are trying to restrict who can be allowed to move there? Something doesn't quite feel right about this movement.
After our ride on the mountain was finished, we returned home and meditated. Late in the day, our friend Denise invited us to go to Chili's in Granbury for dinner. This was the first time we have been to a Chili's in some time, but the food was good. Both of us had hamburgers (mine was the original, while Carolyn's was with bacon and cheese). Not bad.
Oh, by the way, after getting back to the RV from Chalk Mountain, we were sitting in the RV doing our thing when we heard a loud explosion and the power went off. I told Jerry, the owner of the park what happened. The explosion sounded like a transformer had blown up. Jerry got his electrical meter and we started checking where power was off. About half the park was without power. We looked at all the transformers, but couldn't find one with obvious damage. Then Jerry noticed a dead squirrel underneath a transformer. Looking at the electrical pole closer, we saw that a circuit breaker had been tripped. Apparently, the squirrel got too close to something up there, and caused the breaker to open. Jerry called the power company, who got the power back on in a short time. That was the excitement for the day.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Lufkin, Texas: See The Forest For The Trees
Not all who wander are lost.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Cactus Grill
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 41 degrees, high 56 degrees, cloudy skies, windy
The walk this morning was rather brisk with the wind blowing about 15 miles per hour. Once I got back to the RV, I didn't go out much until a little after lunch because it was so cold, when I adjusted the drain hose for the waste water tanks so it wouldn't have a low spot in it.
In the afternoon, I watched Florida scrimmage against The Citadel in college football. The Gators won 70 to 19, and it wasn't much of a game. Next week should be a better game when the Gators play Florida State.
The highlight of the day came when Jerry and Joyce Brown, the owners of Midway Pines RV Park where we are staying, invited us to go the Cactus Grill in Meridian for dinner. We didn't even know about this restaurant, but what a surprise. The Cactus Grill is located in beautiful downtown Meridian, and has seating for about 35 people. From the outside, it is not much to see, but the inside is decorated nicely with the Texas touch we like so much. And then the food. Ohhhh! It is so good.
I had the rib eye steak, and it was cooked perfectly. Carolyn had the Chicken Piccata, and she said it was very good. Jerry and Joyce had the filet mignon, and they said their food was also good. None of us had room for dessert. When we walked out of the restaurant, we were all ready to go home and take a nap.
A slow day for us, but it ended nicely.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Meridian, Texas: Top of the Hill Country
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 41 degrees, high 56 degrees, cloudy skies, windy
The walk this morning was rather brisk with the wind blowing about 15 miles per hour. Once I got back to the RV, I didn't go out much until a little after lunch because it was so cold, when I adjusted the drain hose for the waste water tanks so it wouldn't have a low spot in it.
In the afternoon, I watched Florida scrimmage against The Citadel in college football. The Gators won 70 to 19, and it wasn't much of a game. Next week should be a better game when the Gators play Florida State.
The highlight of the day came when Jerry and Joyce Brown, the owners of Midway Pines RV Park where we are staying, invited us to go the Cactus Grill in Meridian for dinner. We didn't even know about this restaurant, but what a surprise. The Cactus Grill is located in beautiful downtown Meridian, and has seating for about 35 people. From the outside, it is not much to see, but the inside is decorated nicely with the Texas touch we like so much. And then the food. Ohhhh! It is so good.
I had the rib eye steak, and it was cooked perfectly. Carolyn had the Chicken Piccata, and she said it was very good. Jerry and Joyce had the filet mignon, and they said their food was also good. None of us had room for dessert. When we walked out of the restaurant, we were all ready to go home and take a nap.
A slow day for us, but it ended nicely.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Meridian, Texas: Top of the Hill Country
Not all who wander are lost.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Dinner With Friends
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 35 degrees, high 50 degrees, clear skies, windy
We made a trip to the WalMart Mall in Granbury to buy a few things that we needed. On the way to the Mall, we stopped at a bakery to buy some pigs in a blanket. Since I like apple fritters, we also picked up one of those. Good stuff!!
The Mall was not as busy as we expected, so we were in and out in about 15 minutes. After getting home and putting everything away, I hooked up the drain line and emptied the bath and kitchen tanks. At 1300 hours, the RV serviceman arrived to check out our furnace. He found that the sail paddle was faulty, but he didn't have one like ours with him. He ordered a new sail paddle immediately, which will be here on Monday. He'll install the new part then. In the meantime, we can use the furnace, but will have to turn the fan off manually. By the way, the sail paddle is a relay that tells the fan motor when to start or turn off.
Tonight, we had dinner with Tim and Vivi Wright. Tim is a friend that I worked with at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant. It is always great to see Tim and his wife. We enjoyed the get together, guys. Nice new truck you have there, Tim.
We got word today that our sister-in-law Kathy received a very good preliminary report from her doctors on her battle with cancer. She has had a tough time of it, and is due some good news. Here's hoping that the future prognosis is outstanding.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Houston, Texas: The Space City
Not all who wander are lost.
More later, be safe.
Weather: low 35 degrees, high 50 degrees, clear skies, windy
We made a trip to the WalMart Mall in Granbury to buy a few things that we needed. On the way to the Mall, we stopped at a bakery to buy some pigs in a blanket. Since I like apple fritters, we also picked up one of those. Good stuff!!
The Mall was not as busy as we expected, so we were in and out in about 15 minutes. After getting home and putting everything away, I hooked up the drain line and emptied the bath and kitchen tanks. At 1300 hours, the RV serviceman arrived to check out our furnace. He found that the sail paddle was faulty, but he didn't have one like ours with him. He ordered a new sail paddle immediately, which will be here on Monday. He'll install the new part then. In the meantime, we can use the furnace, but will have to turn the fan off manually. By the way, the sail paddle is a relay that tells the fan motor when to start or turn off.
Tonight, we had dinner with Tim and Vivi Wright. Tim is a friend that I worked with at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant. It is always great to see Tim and his wife. We enjoyed the get together, guys. Nice new truck you have there, Tim.
We got word today that our sister-in-law Kathy received a very good preliminary report from her doctors on her battle with cancer. She has had a tough time of it, and is due some good news. Here's hoping that the future prognosis is outstanding.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Houston, Texas: The Space City
Not all who wander are lost.
More later, be safe.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Dinosaur Capital Of The World
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 62 degrees, clear skies, windy
We had a rather restful day, with no appointments for poking and prodding by doctors. I took a long walk early in the day, and it felt good to stretch some muscles. After a short rest, we went to the library in Glen Rose to check out some books. They have a small library, but seem to have the writers that we like. When we left the library, we went to the courthouse square and took some pictures of the courthouse and the square around it. The town has a population of about 2200 people, and has made an effort to attract tourists by promoting their history and heritage. I would say they are succeeding, considering the fact that this small town has five hotels, with three of them being built in the last year.
Here's some pictures of the square and courthouse.
We left the square and drove out to Dinosaur State Park. This park was created to save dinosaur footprints located in the bed rock of the Paluxy River. Just before the park gates is another attraction created in the last year to capitalize on the history of the dinosaurs in this area.
By the time we had driven around some of the back roads admiring the beautiful hills and scenery, it was time to go home and do some meditation for the first time this week. Tomorrow, we have an RV serviceman coming to the RV to check our furnace. It runs well, but the fan will not turn off when the desired heat is reached. Eventually, even though the furnace is blowing cold air, the fan still does not turn off. It is probably a relay problem, but it's best to get someone who knows more that I do to repair it.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Glen Rose, Texas: The Dinosaur Capital Of Texas
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 62 degrees, clear skies, windy
We had a rather restful day, with no appointments for poking and prodding by doctors. I took a long walk early in the day, and it felt good to stretch some muscles. After a short rest, we went to the library in Glen Rose to check out some books. They have a small library, but seem to have the writers that we like. When we left the library, we went to the courthouse square and took some pictures of the courthouse and the square around it. The town has a population of about 2200 people, and has made an effort to attract tourists by promoting their history and heritage. I would say they are succeeding, considering the fact that this small town has five hotels, with three of them being built in the last year.
Here's some pictures of the square and courthouse.
We left the square and drove out to Dinosaur State Park. This park was created to save dinosaur footprints located in the bed rock of the Paluxy River. Just before the park gates is another attraction created in the last year to capitalize on the history of the dinosaurs in this area.
By the time we had driven around some of the back roads admiring the beautiful hills and scenery, it was time to go home and do some meditation for the first time this week. Tomorrow, we have an RV serviceman coming to the RV to check our furnace. It runs well, but the fan will not turn off when the desired heat is reached. Eventually, even though the furnace is blowing cold air, the fan still does not turn off. It is probably a relay problem, but it's best to get someone who knows more that I do to repair it.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Glen Rose, Texas: The Dinosaur Capital Of Texas
Not all who wander are lost.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Doctor Visits
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 48 degrees, high 81 degrees, clear skies, light breezes
Today's weather was real hammock weather. Highs in the low 80s, light breezes, humidity in the 20% percent range. It doesn't get any better. Last year at this time in this area, we were going through an ice storm. This weather is infinitely better.
We had a busy day as we started our rounds of doctor visits for our yearly checkups. Early this morning, we had our lab work performed. When we went to see the doctor this afternoon, he already had the results. First, the good news - all test and examination results so far are good. The bad news is that our doctor has recommended that Carolyn have a couple more tests, including a mammogram. The earliest those tests can be performed is next Tuesday, 11/25/08. If everything is okay with those tests, we'll be moving on to Bay City to see our dentist on 12/04/08.
I should clarify that our doctor recommending that Carolyn have a couple more tests performed is not bad news. We feel fortunate to have found a doctor that we have confidence in and that understands our lifestyle. He is willing to work with us to ensure we receive the tests and maintenance drugs we take on a routine basis. Some doctors seem to find it difficult to understand what we need so we can continue to live this lifestyle we like so much.
Staying here for another few days is not considered a hardship to us. We like the area, and I like the lower humidity that we tend to experience here. The extra time here will be spent visiting with friends and re-familiarizing ourselves with the area.
After we finished the lab work this morning, we took a short ride around the area to see what has changed in Glen Rose. Three new hotels have been completed since we left, and a few new houses have been built. The rest of the town seems the same. And that's not bad. We like it like it is. When we got home, I noticed that the water hose I bought at the WalMart Mall last night had sprung a leak. Since the leak was close to the female end and I had bought a female end repair part last night, I repaired the hose and we were back in business.
Late in the afternoon, I helped Jerry, the owner of the RV park, set up a satellite dish so he could use the system in one of his rental units. We had some trouble getting a signal until we found that part of the cable was bad. After replacing the faulty cable, a good signal was locked in.
Supper was leftovers from the Mexican restaurant we visited last night. It was just as good the second time around.
Tomorrow, I'll be going for a long walk. I haven't walked for the last three days, and my body is starting to tell me about it.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Glen Rose, Texas: 2004 American Dream Town Winner
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 48 degrees, high 81 degrees, clear skies, light breezes
Today's weather was real hammock weather. Highs in the low 80s, light breezes, humidity in the 20% percent range. It doesn't get any better. Last year at this time in this area, we were going through an ice storm. This weather is infinitely better.
We had a busy day as we started our rounds of doctor visits for our yearly checkups. Early this morning, we had our lab work performed. When we went to see the doctor this afternoon, he already had the results. First, the good news - all test and examination results so far are good. The bad news is that our doctor has recommended that Carolyn have a couple more tests, including a mammogram. The earliest those tests can be performed is next Tuesday, 11/25/08. If everything is okay with those tests, we'll be moving on to Bay City to see our dentist on 12/04/08.
I should clarify that our doctor recommending that Carolyn have a couple more tests performed is not bad news. We feel fortunate to have found a doctor that we have confidence in and that understands our lifestyle. He is willing to work with us to ensure we receive the tests and maintenance drugs we take on a routine basis. Some doctors seem to find it difficult to understand what we need so we can continue to live this lifestyle we like so much.
Staying here for another few days is not considered a hardship to us. We like the area, and I like the lower humidity that we tend to experience here. The extra time here will be spent visiting with friends and re-familiarizing ourselves with the area.
After we finished the lab work this morning, we took a short ride around the area to see what has changed in Glen Rose. Three new hotels have been completed since we left, and a few new houses have been built. The rest of the town seems the same. And that's not bad. We like it like it is. When we got home, I noticed that the water hose I bought at the WalMart Mall last night had sprung a leak. Since the leak was close to the female end and I had bought a female end repair part last night, I repaired the hose and we were back in business.
Late in the afternoon, I helped Jerry, the owner of the RV park, set up a satellite dish so he could use the system in one of his rental units. We had some trouble getting a signal until we found that part of the cable was bad. After replacing the faulty cable, a good signal was locked in.
Supper was leftovers from the Mexican restaurant we visited last night. It was just as good the second time around.
Tomorrow, I'll be going for a long walk. I haven't walked for the last three days, and my body is starting to tell me about it.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Glen Rose, Texas: 2004 American Dream Town Winner
Not all who wander are lost.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Back In Glen Rose, Texas
Glen Rose, Texas
Weather: low 41 degrees in Arcadia, Louisiana, high 72 degrees in Glen Rose, Texas
We had a good day traveling from Arcadia to Glen Rose, with light traffic, good roads, and outstanding weather. We arrived in Glen Rose about 1430 hours and drove on to Midway Pines RV Park, located between Glen Rose and Granbury. We will be staying here at least a few days while we take care of our physicals. When we leave here, we will be going to Bay City.
We spent a few minutes greeting friends at the park before moving the RV into a space. Then we set up and put everything back in its place. When I turned the water on, I found a leak in the fresh water hose. Since I didn't have anther hose, I decided to pick up another one at the WalMart Mall in Granbury later on in the evening. Next on the list of things to do was get the satellite dish up and working. For some reason, I had a lot of trouble getting a signal from the satellite. With our friend Denise's help, I finally got a good signal, which should keep me out of the dog house.
Since we were both tired, we decided to go into Granbury to eat. Denise suggested a new Mexican restaurant, The Jalapeno Tree. We tried it, and I have to say it was very good. There was so much food, we have enough for another meal.
That's about all the excitement we had today. Tomorrow, we go get stuck, poked, prodded, and have other things done to our bodies, which will hopefully give us a clean bill of health for another year.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Starkville, Mississippi: Starkvegas
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 41 degrees in Arcadia, Louisiana, high 72 degrees in Glen Rose, Texas
We had a good day traveling from Arcadia to Glen Rose, with light traffic, good roads, and outstanding weather. We arrived in Glen Rose about 1430 hours and drove on to Midway Pines RV Park, located between Glen Rose and Granbury. We will be staying here at least a few days while we take care of our physicals. When we leave here, we will be going to Bay City.
We spent a few minutes greeting friends at the park before moving the RV into a space. Then we set up and put everything back in its place. When I turned the water on, I found a leak in the fresh water hose. Since I didn't have anther hose, I decided to pick up another one at the WalMart Mall in Granbury later on in the evening. Next on the list of things to do was get the satellite dish up and working. For some reason, I had a lot of trouble getting a signal from the satellite. With our friend Denise's help, I finally got a good signal, which should keep me out of the dog house.
Since we were both tired, we decided to go into Granbury to eat. Denise suggested a new Mexican restaurant, The Jalapeno Tree. We tried it, and I have to say it was very good. There was so much food, we have enough for another meal.
That's about all the excitement we had today. Tomorrow, we go get stuck, poked, prodded, and have other things done to our bodies, which will hopefully give us a clean bill of health for another year.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Starkville, Mississippi: Starkvegas
Not all who wander are lost.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Arcadia, Lousiana
Arcadia, Louisiana
Weather: low in Coker, Alabama was 28 degrees, high in West Monroe, Louisiana was 73 degrees, clear skies
Carolyn's visit to the doctor went well this morning. Many tests have been performed, and so far the news is positive. The doctor is pleased with the results of some injections she placed in one of the nodules two weeks ago, and decided to inject all of them with the same medicine. The next visit is in a month, and we are going to take advantage of that time to go to Texas for our physicals and dental checkups, as well as visit family and friends.
We left Coker this morning at 1020 hours, which was a little later than we wanted, but everything still worked out okay. We are spending the night in an RV campground in Arcadia, Louisiana. Traffic was not bad, the road was in good shape except for a couple of areas, and the weather was perfect for traveling.
Arcadia is located off Interstate 20, about 50 miles east of Shreveport. The word "arcadia" means beautiful hills, and the area is hilly and beautiful. This area is best known for being the place where the infamous outlaws of the 1930s, Bonnie and Clyde, were ambushed and killed. Their bodies were taken to a funeral home in Arcadia while still in the car they were riding in when killed.
The town is fairly small, and appears to be having some success in capitalizing on their history. Below are a couple pictures of the town.
I think I'll cut this post short. We have been on the road most of the day, and we're both wore out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Arcadia, Louisiana: In The Heart Of Louisiana’s Piney Hills Country
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low in Coker, Alabama was 28 degrees, high in West Monroe, Louisiana was 73 degrees, clear skies
Carolyn's visit to the doctor went well this morning. Many tests have been performed, and so far the news is positive. The doctor is pleased with the results of some injections she placed in one of the nodules two weeks ago, and decided to inject all of them with the same medicine. The next visit is in a month, and we are going to take advantage of that time to go to Texas for our physicals and dental checkups, as well as visit family and friends.
We left Coker this morning at 1020 hours, which was a little later than we wanted, but everything still worked out okay. We are spending the night in an RV campground in Arcadia, Louisiana. Traffic was not bad, the road was in good shape except for a couple of areas, and the weather was perfect for traveling.
Arcadia is located off Interstate 20, about 50 miles east of Shreveport. The word "arcadia" means beautiful hills, and the area is hilly and beautiful. This area is best known for being the place where the infamous outlaws of the 1930s, Bonnie and Clyde, were ambushed and killed. Their bodies were taken to a funeral home in Arcadia while still in the car they were riding in when killed.
The town is fairly small, and appears to be having some success in capitalizing on their history. Below are a couple pictures of the town.
I think I'll cut this post short. We have been on the road most of the day, and we're both wore out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Arcadia, Louisiana: In The Heart Of Louisiana’s Piney Hills Country
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Going To Texas - Maybe
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 33 degrees, high 52 degrees, clear skies
It looks like this area is in for some colder weather over the next few days. As I write this post at 2130 hours, the temperature is already down to 33 degrees, and will probably be in the high 20s in the morning. Brrrr!
Tomorrow, Carolyn has a followup visit with the doctor that is treating the nodules on the calves of her legs. She will have some stitches taken out, receive some injections in the area of the nodules that should help shrink or remove them, and get a report on all the lab work that has been done. If there are no complications and the doctor okays it, we will be leaving here after the doctor's visit on our way to Texas to see our family doctor for our yearly physicals. In addition, we will visit our dentist for our periodic dental checkups. The doctor is in Glen Rose, and we will visit friends while there. The dentist is in Bay City, and we will visit our daughter Lori and her family, as well as my brother and his wife, and other friends.
We're looking forward to the chance to do a little traveling and see family and friends. The doctor and dentist? Nice folks, but we could bear missing them. Oh, well, it is that time of the year for all that stuff to be done, so we might as well get it done.
Since we knew that we might be leaving tomorrow, we spent part of the day doing the few things we could in preparation for leaving. I dumped the holding tanks and moved some stuff around in the basement so it will travel better. After finishing those little tasks, I went out to the house and checked things there, with no problems found. It would be nice if it sold while we are gone. Later in the day, we went to Birmingham and picked up Thomas from his visit with his dad over the weekend. By the time we got home, ate supper, and took care of a few more things, it was time to relax and get ready for bed. It should be a good night for staying warm.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Portland, Maine: Forest City
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 33 degrees, high 52 degrees, clear skies
It looks like this area is in for some colder weather over the next few days. As I write this post at 2130 hours, the temperature is already down to 33 degrees, and will probably be in the high 20s in the morning. Brrrr!
Tomorrow, Carolyn has a followup visit with the doctor that is treating the nodules on the calves of her legs. She will have some stitches taken out, receive some injections in the area of the nodules that should help shrink or remove them, and get a report on all the lab work that has been done. If there are no complications and the doctor okays it, we will be leaving here after the doctor's visit on our way to Texas to see our family doctor for our yearly physicals. In addition, we will visit our dentist for our periodic dental checkups. The doctor is in Glen Rose, and we will visit friends while there. The dentist is in Bay City, and we will visit our daughter Lori and her family, as well as my brother and his wife, and other friends.
We're looking forward to the chance to do a little traveling and see family and friends. The doctor and dentist? Nice folks, but we could bear missing them. Oh, well, it is that time of the year for all that stuff to be done, so we might as well get it done.
Since we knew that we might be leaving tomorrow, we spent part of the day doing the few things we could in preparation for leaving. I dumped the holding tanks and moved some stuff around in the basement so it will travel better. After finishing those little tasks, I went out to the house and checked things there, with no problems found. It would be nice if it sold while we are gone. Later in the day, we went to Birmingham and picked up Thomas from his visit with his dad over the weekend. By the time we got home, ate supper, and took care of a few more things, it was time to relax and get ready for bed. It should be a good night for staying warm.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Portland, Maine: Forest City
Not all who wander are lost.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Getting Cold
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 44 degrees, high 52 degrees, cloudy skies, sprinkles, windy
The cold and windy weather made for a cold morning walk. Not to fear, I was dressed for it. Heavy coat, gloves, cap, and made up for what was not covered by walking like I had somewhere important to go. It's amazing how a hard walk can help warm you up when it's cold outside.
I took the laundry with me when I went for my walk, so after I was finished with the walk, I stopped at the laundromat and washed our clothes. Was the laundry busy? It was so busy that.... Anyway, it was busy. At one time, I counted 24 people doing their laundry. Luckily, I got there early enough that I didn't have to wait on washing machines or dryers. About half way through my time there, people had to start lining up to use the machines. I think we'll try to do laundry during the week from now on.
After returning home, I did some reading and helped Carolyn with some minor housekeeping. We got together a grocery list and I went to the WalMart Mall. It was amazing how busy the Mall was, but even more amazing was the fact that the store had apparently planned for the busy day. Every register was open except for three. I don't think I've ever seen that many registers open before, not even during the holidays. When I was ready to leave, I went directly to an open register. How often does that happen?
In the afternoon, I watched some college football (Florida flailed on South Carolina, 56-6). Carolyn worked on some genealogy searches on the Internet, then prepared homemade hamburgers for supper. As much as I like Back Yard Burgers, Carolyn's are the best.
The rest of the evening after supper was more reading, TV, surfing the Internet.... Just a normal evening when the weather is cold.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Cullman, Alabama: City Of Churches
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 44 degrees, high 52 degrees, cloudy skies, sprinkles, windy
The cold and windy weather made for a cold morning walk. Not to fear, I was dressed for it. Heavy coat, gloves, cap, and made up for what was not covered by walking like I had somewhere important to go. It's amazing how a hard walk can help warm you up when it's cold outside.
I took the laundry with me when I went for my walk, so after I was finished with the walk, I stopped at the laundromat and washed our clothes. Was the laundry busy? It was so busy that.... Anyway, it was busy. At one time, I counted 24 people doing their laundry. Luckily, I got there early enough that I didn't have to wait on washing machines or dryers. About half way through my time there, people had to start lining up to use the machines. I think we'll try to do laundry during the week from now on.
After returning home, I did some reading and helped Carolyn with some minor housekeeping. We got together a grocery list and I went to the WalMart Mall. It was amazing how busy the Mall was, but even more amazing was the fact that the store had apparently planned for the busy day. Every register was open except for three. I don't think I've ever seen that many registers open before, not even during the holidays. When I was ready to leave, I went directly to an open register. How often does that happen?
In the afternoon, I watched some college football (Florida flailed on South Carolina, 56-6). Carolyn worked on some genealogy searches on the Internet, then prepared homemade hamburgers for supper. As much as I like Back Yard Burgers, Carolyn's are the best.
The rest of the evening after supper was more reading, TV, surfing the Internet.... Just a normal evening when the weather is cold.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Cullman, Alabama: City Of Churches
Not all who wander are lost.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Mini Road Trip
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 60 degrees, high 78 degrees, cloudy, showers late in the afternoon and evening
My father was born in Brent, Alabama, a little over 91 years ago. Carolyn has an interest in genealogy, and has been able to trace my mother's side of the family a long way back in time. My father's side, however, is another story. She has only been able to get a sketchy idea of where the Simmons side of the family came from or when except for anecdotal conversations with my parents and one of my uncles. All of them have passed on, and now any information we are able to get on my family tree on my father's side will have to come from reviewing census records and other documents that may give us the information we are looking for. Note that I say "may", since it takes a lot of hard work to review the vast number of documents that are available. Even with that review, there is no guarantee that we will be able to find any information beyond what we already know.
Since we didn't have anything major going on today, we decided to take a trip over to Brent, which is located about 30 miles from Tuscaloosa in Bibb County. We tried to imagine what Brent would have been like when my father was born and growing up there. His father was a saw mill operator. Today, we did not see anything that looked like it would have been around when my father lived there. There is nothing there that would tend to make you notice Brent as you drive through the area, except for the number of vacant buildings. They do have a new WalMart Super Center, but that's about it.
After leaving Brent, we drove a few miles to Centreville, the county seat of Bibb County. Below are some pictures we took of Centreville.
The pictures above are from around the courthouse, and several of the buildings are vacant. It's a shame that so many of these small towns seem to be stagnating or dying.
On the way home, we stopped at Haysop Cemetery, the burial site for many of my mother's relatives. We found the gravestones for my great grandparents on my mother's side, which gave me a thrill to know that these people lived long before I was born. As we were walking around looking at the head stones, I was struck by how many infants had died on the same day they were born or shortly thereafter. When people talk about the good old days, they need to think about how far we have come with medical care and other modern day amenities we take for granted.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Brent, Alabama: Building Opportunities
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 60 degrees, high 78 degrees, cloudy, showers late in the afternoon and evening
My father was born in Brent, Alabama, a little over 91 years ago. Carolyn has an interest in genealogy, and has been able to trace my mother's side of the family a long way back in time. My father's side, however, is another story. She has only been able to get a sketchy idea of where the Simmons side of the family came from or when except for anecdotal conversations with my parents and one of my uncles. All of them have passed on, and now any information we are able to get on my family tree on my father's side will have to come from reviewing census records and other documents that may give us the information we are looking for. Note that I say "may", since it takes a lot of hard work to review the vast number of documents that are available. Even with that review, there is no guarantee that we will be able to find any information beyond what we already know.
Since we didn't have anything major going on today, we decided to take a trip over to Brent, which is located about 30 miles from Tuscaloosa in Bibb County. We tried to imagine what Brent would have been like when my father was born and growing up there. His father was a saw mill operator. Today, we did not see anything that looked like it would have been around when my father lived there. There is nothing there that would tend to make you notice Brent as you drive through the area, except for the number of vacant buildings. They do have a new WalMart Super Center, but that's about it.
After leaving Brent, we drove a few miles to Centreville, the county seat of Bibb County. Below are some pictures we took of Centreville.
The pictures above are from around the courthouse, and several of the buildings are vacant. It's a shame that so many of these small towns seem to be stagnating or dying.
On the way home, we stopped at Haysop Cemetery, the burial site for many of my mother's relatives. We found the gravestones for my great grandparents on my mother's side, which gave me a thrill to know that these people lived long before I was born. As we were walking around looking at the head stones, I was struck by how many infants had died on the same day they were born or shortly thereafter. When people talk about the good old days, they need to think about how far we have come with medical care and other modern day amenities we take for granted.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Brent, Alabama: Building Opportunities
Not all who wander are lost.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Another House Looker
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 60 degrees, high 71 degrees, fog early, cloudy skies
I have written many times about how much we like the fall season. That is, except when the weather is like it has been the last two days. Cloudy, damp, foggy, wet, clammy, moist, humid, dripping, soggy, sodden, soaked, damp. Do you get the feeling that I don't like this kind of weather?
This kind of weather makes us feel like we're trapped in the RV, so today we decided to go to Sam's Club since we needed a few of the things that we purchase from them. On the way to Sam's, we stopped at Academy Sports because I like some of their products. What is best about Academy is that when they have things on sale, I can usually find something that I use for about 20% or less of the original price. If it's not on sale, I don't buy it. No luck today, but it wasn't a waste of diesel because I don't go there unless we are in the area for something else.
We continued on to Sam's after leaving Academy. Since the weather was yucky, we took our time and looked at some of the neat appliances and other things that they have stocked for Christmas. They're nice to look at, but we don't have the room for them. That doesn't stop us from looking. While there, we had a pizza prepared and cooked that we brought home for supper. Of course, we had to try a sample before we left the store. Not bad.
After returning home, it was time to meditate. Shopping wears me out. Earlier in the day, we received a call from the Realtor letting us know that they were showing the house to another family at noon time. Late in the afternoon, we went out to the house to make sure everything was okay. No problems there.
We're hoping the weather will be better tomorrow. This dreariness is wearing us out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Jacksonville, Florida: The River City by the Sea
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 60 degrees, high 71 degrees, fog early, cloudy skies
I have written many times about how much we like the fall season. That is, except when the weather is like it has been the last two days. Cloudy, damp, foggy, wet, clammy, moist, humid, dripping, soggy, sodden, soaked, damp. Do you get the feeling that I don't like this kind of weather?
This kind of weather makes us feel like we're trapped in the RV, so today we decided to go to Sam's Club since we needed a few of the things that we purchase from them. On the way to Sam's, we stopped at Academy Sports because I like some of their products. What is best about Academy is that when they have things on sale, I can usually find something that I use for about 20% or less of the original price. If it's not on sale, I don't buy it. No luck today, but it wasn't a waste of diesel because I don't go there unless we are in the area for something else.
We continued on to Sam's after leaving Academy. Since the weather was yucky, we took our time and looked at some of the neat appliances and other things that they have stocked for Christmas. They're nice to look at, but we don't have the room for them. That doesn't stop us from looking. While there, we had a pizza prepared and cooked that we brought home for supper. Of course, we had to try a sample before we left the store. Not bad.
After returning home, it was time to meditate. Shopping wears me out. Earlier in the day, we received a call from the Realtor letting us know that they were showing the house to another family at noon time. Late in the afternoon, we went out to the house to make sure everything was okay. No problems there.
We're hoping the weather will be better tomorrow. This dreariness is wearing us out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Jacksonville, Florida: The River City by the Sea
Not all who wander are lost.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
House Showing
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 70 degrees, mostly cloudy skies with sprinkles late in the day
I took my walk earlier than normal so I could get it done before the rain came through. Just as I left home, there were a few sprinkles, but none after that. The cooler mornings are much better for walking than when it was 100 degrees in the summer. It's also nice to not have the humidity to put up with. Have I said lately how much we like the fall season?
Another party looked at the house today, but we have not heard what the response was. It was not the greatest day for looking at houses, but at least there continues to be interest in it. When we least expect it, the house will sell. And that's fine with us. I went over and made sure everything was okay before the showing. Recently, we were having problems with armadillos digging in the flower beds and shrubs, but that has stopped since I spread some moth balls around. The problem now is that what appears to be a couple of small birds is roosting on the front porch. They leave evidence of their visit on the porch, directly in front of the door. Each time I see they have been there, I get some water and a broom and scrub it up. I don't think it would be appealing for a prospective buyer to see where birds have done their business on the porch.
We watched a movie today I picked up at the library last Friday. It was Departed, a movie by Martin Scorcese, and starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonard DiCaprio, and several other well known actors. The acting was great, as might be expected with a cast like that. Overall, I liked it, but Carolyn was turned off by the violence.
For the rest of the day, it was a little reading, Internet surfing, and stuff like that. Carolyn did some crafts, including working on learning how to knit. Just a slow day.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Lander, Wyoming: Where Rails End And Trails Begin
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 58 degrees, high 70 degrees, mostly cloudy skies with sprinkles late in the day
I took my walk earlier than normal so I could get it done before the rain came through. Just as I left home, there were a few sprinkles, but none after that. The cooler mornings are much better for walking than when it was 100 degrees in the summer. It's also nice to not have the humidity to put up with. Have I said lately how much we like the fall season?
Another party looked at the house today, but we have not heard what the response was. It was not the greatest day for looking at houses, but at least there continues to be interest in it. When we least expect it, the house will sell. And that's fine with us. I went over and made sure everything was okay before the showing. Recently, we were having problems with armadillos digging in the flower beds and shrubs, but that has stopped since I spread some moth balls around. The problem now is that what appears to be a couple of small birds is roosting on the front porch. They leave evidence of their visit on the porch, directly in front of the door. Each time I see they have been there, I get some water and a broom and scrub it up. I don't think it would be appealing for a prospective buyer to see where birds have done their business on the porch.
We watched a movie today I picked up at the library last Friday. It was Departed, a movie by Martin Scorcese, and starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonard DiCaprio, and several other well known actors. The acting was great, as might be expected with a cast like that. Overall, I liked it, but Carolyn was turned off by the violence.
For the rest of the day, it was a little reading, Internet surfing, and stuff like that. Carolyn did some crafts, including working on learning how to knit. Just a slow day.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Lander, Wyoming: Where Rails End And Trails Begin
Not all who wander are lost.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Paul "Bear" Bryant Museum
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 42 degrees, high 67 degrees, mostly cloudy skies
Since we have been here, I have been trying to find the time to tour the Paul "Bear" Bryant Museum, located near the university's football stadium. Today was the day I finally got to go through the museum. Thomas acted as my guide, since he was out of school for the holiday.
The museum was created out of an idea put forth by Paul Bryant, head football coach of the university for 24 years, as a way of honoring and remembering the achievements of past players, teams, and coaches. The museum has several exhibits that honor Coach Bryant's achievements, including the fact that at one time, he held the record of most wins by a coach at 323. His teams won six national championships, among other achievements. He set a standard for excellence that is still the measuring stick for other coaches and programs. Below is a picture of Coach Bryant near the end of his career, watching his team warm up for a game.
There are many other exhibits that depict the history of Alabama football, from the late 1800s up to the present. It was interesting to see how crude the equipment was that was used in the early days, compared to what is being used today.
One thing that I was looking forward to seeing was an exhibit on one of the most storied All-Americans that played for Alabama, Forrest Gump. For some reason, I couldn't find a single entry on Forrest. I was so disappointed. Luckily, it was the only disappointment of the visit. The tour was enjoyable, and Thomas was a great tour guide. I recommend the museum to everyone.
The rest of the day was uneventful for us. Tonight, we had supper with Terri and Thomas. Being the good host that I am, I allowed them to do some trash talk about how Alabama was going to beat Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game scheduled to be held in Atlanta on 12/6/08. I'll let my Gators do their talking on the field.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Claxton, Georgia: The Fruitcake Capital Of The World
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 42 degrees, high 67 degrees, mostly cloudy skies
Since we have been here, I have been trying to find the time to tour the Paul "Bear" Bryant Museum, located near the university's football stadium. Today was the day I finally got to go through the museum. Thomas acted as my guide, since he was out of school for the holiday.
The museum was created out of an idea put forth by Paul Bryant, head football coach of the university for 24 years, as a way of honoring and remembering the achievements of past players, teams, and coaches. The museum has several exhibits that honor Coach Bryant's achievements, including the fact that at one time, he held the record of most wins by a coach at 323. His teams won six national championships, among other achievements. He set a standard for excellence that is still the measuring stick for other coaches and programs. Below is a picture of Coach Bryant near the end of his career, watching his team warm up for a game.
There are many other exhibits that depict the history of Alabama football, from the late 1800s up to the present. It was interesting to see how crude the equipment was that was used in the early days, compared to what is being used today.
One thing that I was looking forward to seeing was an exhibit on one of the most storied All-Americans that played for Alabama, Forrest Gump. For some reason, I couldn't find a single entry on Forrest. I was so disappointed. Luckily, it was the only disappointment of the visit. The tour was enjoyable, and Thomas was a great tour guide. I recommend the museum to everyone.
The rest of the day was uneventful for us. Tonight, we had supper with Terri and Thomas. Being the good host that I am, I allowed them to do some trash talk about how Alabama was going to beat Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game scheduled to be held in Atlanta on 12/6/08. I'll let my Gators do their talking on the field.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Claxton, Georgia: The Fruitcake Capital Of The World
Not all who wander are lost.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Test Results Negative
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 29 degrees, high 65 degrees, clear skies
This morning, the frost looked like a light snow. The roadsides and yards are starting to look like winter has arrived, with everything turning brown.
This was another slow day for us, but Carolyn received some good news from her doctor about the nodules on the calves of her legs that she has been having problems with. Many tests have been run, and so far, the results are negative. There are still a couple more tests to get results from. She goes back to the doctor in a week to have some stitches taken out. At that time, the doctor should have a treatment plan ready. At least we hope so.
Since things were slow today, we decided to try to find Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump's hometown (again). We have made several excursions to try to find Greenbow recently, but have been unsuccessful. Remember how you stop at a place in the country for directions? The directions you get are usually like this: "Go down the road about ten minutes, make a right turn at the old oak tree that looks like it has been hit by lightning. After about a mile, make another right at the old barn that is falling down. Then go about two miles to the Baptist church on the left. Turn right and go about a mile to a sign post for Greenbow that points to the right. Turn right and go about three miles, and there you are at Greenbow."
Huh? Did you keep up with that? It sounded like the directions were describing a circle. And it feels like we have been running in circles when we look for Greenbow.
We did find one man living in the area who said that he had grown up with Forrest. In fact, the man said that he felt he could take part of the credit for Forrest being able to run so fast, because he was one of the bullies that used to torment Forrest when he had braces on his legs. He said he remembers the day when Forrest ran so fast that he ran out of the braces, and looked like a streak as he ran away from the bullies. The man said he regrets tormenting Forrest like he did, but he feels that God has probably forgiven him because Forrest has been so successful in life.
The man in the paragraph above lives in Reform, so he should know where Greenbow is, but his directions were not any better that the others we have gotten. It's almost like the directions are bad so we won't find the town. They wouldn't do that on purpose, would they?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Clanton, Alabama: A Good Place To Visit, A Better Place To Live
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 29 degrees, high 65 degrees, clear skies
This morning, the frost looked like a light snow. The roadsides and yards are starting to look like winter has arrived, with everything turning brown.
This was another slow day for us, but Carolyn received some good news from her doctor about the nodules on the calves of her legs that she has been having problems with. Many tests have been run, and so far, the results are negative. There are still a couple more tests to get results from. She goes back to the doctor in a week to have some stitches taken out. At that time, the doctor should have a treatment plan ready. At least we hope so.
Since things were slow today, we decided to try to find Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump's hometown (again). We have made several excursions to try to find Greenbow recently, but have been unsuccessful. Remember how you stop at a place in the country for directions? The directions you get are usually like this: "Go down the road about ten minutes, make a right turn at the old oak tree that looks like it has been hit by lightning. After about a mile, make another right at the old barn that is falling down. Then go about two miles to the Baptist church on the left. Turn right and go about a mile to a sign post for Greenbow that points to the right. Turn right and go about three miles, and there you are at Greenbow."
Huh? Did you keep up with that? It sounded like the directions were describing a circle. And it feels like we have been running in circles when we look for Greenbow.
We did find one man living in the area who said that he had grown up with Forrest. In fact, the man said that he felt he could take part of the credit for Forrest being able to run so fast, because he was one of the bullies that used to torment Forrest when he had braces on his legs. He said he remembers the day when Forrest ran so fast that he ran out of the braces, and looked like a streak as he ran away from the bullies. The man said he regrets tormenting Forrest like he did, but he feels that God has probably forgiven him because Forrest has been so successful in life.
The man in the paragraph above lives in Reform, so he should know where Greenbow is, but his directions were not any better that the others we have gotten. It's almost like the directions are bad so we won't find the town. They wouldn't do that on purpose, would they?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Clanton, Alabama: A Good Place To Visit, A Better Place To Live
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Columbus, Mississippi
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 30 degrees, high 55 degrees, clear skies, heavy frost early
As I said in yesterday's post, we were going to get out and do some sightseeing today. We decided to take a trip over to Columbus, Mississippi, to see what that town is about. For those who don't know, Columbus is a city of about 27,000 people located in the east-central part of the state, about eight miles from the Alabama/Mississippi state line. Our impression is that the town is fairly prosperous, with an Air Force base located in the area. The town was officially named in 1821. Prior to that, it was known by several other names, including Possum Town, which is still it's nickname.
The city is the home of the Mississippi University for Women, and was the birthplace of playwright Tennessee Williams and sports announcer Red Barber. During the Civil War, the city was used as a hospital town, but also had an arsenal that produced different types of ammunition for the Confederacy. In 1866, a group of local ladies decorated the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers, which led to the founding of Memorial Day. The city has a large collection of antebellum homes, which were spared by the Union forces because of the city being a hospital town.
The downtown area is attractive and clean. It appears that there has been some effort made to revitalize the area. We saw evidence that some of the old buildings were being used for homes.
Below are some pictures of what we saw in Columbus.
The city is proud of their cultural background, especially the influence some of the residents had on the Blues style of music. Below is a historical marker that denotes the significance of Blues music and some of the other local history.
As we were driving into the city, we noticed that they have a Back Yard Burgers restaurant that had just opened. Since they are one of our favorite hamburgers, we decided we would eat lunch there. Good decision, and a good burger.
On the way home, we traveled back roads, and enjoyed the fall colors. It was a good excursion, and helps remind us even with all the problems the country is going through, this is still a great country, with good people.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Columbus, Mississippi: Possum Town
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 30 degrees, high 55 degrees, clear skies, heavy frost early
As I said in yesterday's post, we were going to get out and do some sightseeing today. We decided to take a trip over to Columbus, Mississippi, to see what that town is about. For those who don't know, Columbus is a city of about 27,000 people located in the east-central part of the state, about eight miles from the Alabama/Mississippi state line. Our impression is that the town is fairly prosperous, with an Air Force base located in the area. The town was officially named in 1821. Prior to that, it was known by several other names, including Possum Town, which is still it's nickname.
The city is the home of the Mississippi University for Women, and was the birthplace of playwright Tennessee Williams and sports announcer Red Barber. During the Civil War, the city was used as a hospital town, but also had an arsenal that produced different types of ammunition for the Confederacy. In 1866, a group of local ladies decorated the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers, which led to the founding of Memorial Day. The city has a large collection of antebellum homes, which were spared by the Union forces because of the city being a hospital town.
The downtown area is attractive and clean. It appears that there has been some effort made to revitalize the area. We saw evidence that some of the old buildings were being used for homes.
Below are some pictures of what we saw in Columbus.
The city is proud of their cultural background, especially the influence some of the residents had on the Blues style of music. Below is a historical marker that denotes the significance of Blues music and some of the other local history.
As we were driving into the city, we noticed that they have a Back Yard Burgers restaurant that had just opened. Since they are one of our favorite hamburgers, we decided we would eat lunch there. Good decision, and a good burger.
On the way home, we traveled back roads, and enjoyed the fall colors. It was a good excursion, and helps remind us even with all the problems the country is going through, this is still a great country, with good people.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Columbus, Mississippi: Possum Town
Not all who wander are lost.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Yawn, Ho Hum
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 35 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies
Today was one of those ho hum days, where nothing of any particular importance happened. As can seen by the weather information, the weather was about as good as it can get. I worked on some computer files, cleaning up and deleting stuff no longer needing. Later in the day, I watched some college football. For awhile, it looked like Alabama could have used Forrest Gump. In the end, they won their game in overtime. Florida steam rolled Vanderbilt, but the game got a little sloppy in the second half. Florida and Alabama will play for the SEC championship in about four weeks in Atlanta. If they both keep winning, the team that wins the game in Atlanta will probably be in the national championship game in January.
While I was watching football, Carolyn was working on her genealogy files. She has been doing genealogy as a hobby for several years, and the family she has the most trouble finding information on is mine. It's almost like my ancestors avoided the census takers, because information is very scarce.
We'll try to find something interesting to do tomorrow.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Alabaster, Alabama: A City For Families, Planning For The Future
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 35 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies
Today was one of those ho hum days, where nothing of any particular importance happened. As can seen by the weather information, the weather was about as good as it can get. I worked on some computer files, cleaning up and deleting stuff no longer needing. Later in the day, I watched some college football. For awhile, it looked like Alabama could have used Forrest Gump. In the end, they won their game in overtime. Florida steam rolled Vanderbilt, but the game got a little sloppy in the second half. Florida and Alabama will play for the SEC championship in about four weeks in Atlanta. If they both keep winning, the team that wins the game in Atlanta will probably be in the national championship game in January.
While I was watching football, Carolyn was working on her genealogy files. She has been doing genealogy as a hobby for several years, and the family she has the most trouble finding information on is mine. It's almost like my ancestors avoided the census takers, because information is very scarce.
We'll try to find something interesting to do tomorrow.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Alabaster, Alabama: A City For Families, Planning For The Future
Not all who wander are lost.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thrift Shop Visit
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 56 degrees, high 64 degrees, light rain early, clearing in the afternoon
When we got up this morning, it was obvious that rain was on the way. The only questions were when and how much. I decided to walk a little earlier than normal in an attempt to beat the rain, and it worked. The rain started just as I finished walking, but it was not heavy at all. Instead, it was more like a heavy mist. By the afternoon, it was starting to clear up.
Carolyn wanted to go to a big thrift shop on the east side of Tuscaloosa in an attempt to find some patterns and magazines. She didn't have much success, but we enjoyed the colors of fall, with the brightest colors so far. On the way home, we stopped at the library to replenish our reading material. Carolyn decided to check out the library store, and found a better selection of what she was looking for. Success!
Before we came home, we decided to go check on the house. It appeared someone had driven into the property and looked around outside the house, but there was no sign that anyone had been inside. Hopefully, these people will contact the Realtor to schedule a visit to see the inside of the house.
Tonight, we decided to go to The Front Porch, a local restaurant in Northport. It appeared to us that the number of their menu selections had been reduced significantly since the last time we had been there. In addition, they are not open on Saturdays. I don't know if the economy is to blame, or what the deal may be. Anyway, it seems unusual for a restaurant to be closed on Saturday.
In doing my research on Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump's hometown, I found an article that enlightened to me the process that the University of Alabama used in hiring their most recent head football coach. It appears that Forrest Gump was offered the head coaching position for the football team a couple of years ago, and accepted the job. For those of you who didn't know, Forrest was an All-American football player while Bear Bryant (The Legend) was the coach at Alabama. As I said, Forrest had accepted the job, but when he heard that Nick Saban, the current head coach was available, he immediately offered to step aside so Nick could be hired. Nick has been a huge success, but I think the major praise should go to Forrest for doing what he thought was best for the University and football program. One more example of the kind of person Forrest Gump is. A great American hero.
Hopefully, it won't be much longer before we make a trip to Greenbow and I can include our findings and impressions in the blog.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - St. Mary’s, Georgia: The Gateway To Cumberland Island National Seashore
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 56 degrees, high 64 degrees, light rain early, clearing in the afternoon
When we got up this morning, it was obvious that rain was on the way. The only questions were when and how much. I decided to walk a little earlier than normal in an attempt to beat the rain, and it worked. The rain started just as I finished walking, but it was not heavy at all. Instead, it was more like a heavy mist. By the afternoon, it was starting to clear up.
Carolyn wanted to go to a big thrift shop on the east side of Tuscaloosa in an attempt to find some patterns and magazines. She didn't have much success, but we enjoyed the colors of fall, with the brightest colors so far. On the way home, we stopped at the library to replenish our reading material. Carolyn decided to check out the library store, and found a better selection of what she was looking for. Success!
Before we came home, we decided to go check on the house. It appeared someone had driven into the property and looked around outside the house, but there was no sign that anyone had been inside. Hopefully, these people will contact the Realtor to schedule a visit to see the inside of the house.
Tonight, we decided to go to The Front Porch, a local restaurant in Northport. It appeared to us that the number of their menu selections had been reduced significantly since the last time we had been there. In addition, they are not open on Saturdays. I don't know if the economy is to blame, or what the deal may be. Anyway, it seems unusual for a restaurant to be closed on Saturday.
In doing my research on Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump's hometown, I found an article that enlightened to me the process that the University of Alabama used in hiring their most recent head football coach. It appears that Forrest Gump was offered the head coaching position for the football team a couple of years ago, and accepted the job. For those of you who didn't know, Forrest was an All-American football player while Bear Bryant (The Legend) was the coach at Alabama. As I said, Forrest had accepted the job, but when he heard that Nick Saban, the current head coach was available, he immediately offered to step aside so Nick could be hired. Nick has been a huge success, but I think the major praise should go to Forrest for doing what he thought was best for the University and football program. One more example of the kind of person Forrest Gump is. A great American hero.
Hopefully, it won't be much longer before we make a trip to Greenbow and I can include our findings and impressions in the blog.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - St. Mary’s, Georgia: The Gateway To Cumberland Island National Seashore
Not all who wander are lost.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
More Doctor Visits
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 41 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies, breezy
We had to get an early start this morning because Carolyn had to go back to the doctor to get some test results. Then she had to have more tests done. At this time, it appears the problem may be associated with a visit to a nail salon in March. Ladies, be aware that the doctors are saying that a lot of people are getting infections from those places. Carolyn has only made a handful of visits, but she says she won't be going to another one.
After all the doctor stuff was done, we had to do our laundry. It looks like Thursday is the best day for that activity. There was hardly anyone at the laundromat this morning, and we were able to finish in less than an hour. Not bad for two weeks of laundry.
Since Carolyn had to see the doctor so early, I waited to do my morning walk in the middle of the day. I'm used to seeing a lot of people doing the same thing early in the morning, but I was surprised at how many were using the walking/jogging path later in the day. This area makes good use of their recreation facilities.
We didn't have much going on later in the day. A little reading, Internet surfing, watched a movie, television. Just a typical day after all the hard work over the summer. And I'm glad the political stuff is done.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Navajo, Arizona: Proudly Serving, Continuously Improving
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 41 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies, breezy
We had to get an early start this morning because Carolyn had to go back to the doctor to get some test results. Then she had to have more tests done. At this time, it appears the problem may be associated with a visit to a nail salon in March. Ladies, be aware that the doctors are saying that a lot of people are getting infections from those places. Carolyn has only made a handful of visits, but she says she won't be going to another one.
After all the doctor stuff was done, we had to do our laundry. It looks like Thursday is the best day for that activity. There was hardly anyone at the laundromat this morning, and we were able to finish in less than an hour. Not bad for two weeks of laundry.
Since Carolyn had to see the doctor so early, I waited to do my morning walk in the middle of the day. I'm used to seeing a lot of people doing the same thing early in the morning, but I was surprised at how many were using the walking/jogging path later in the day. This area makes good use of their recreation facilities.
We didn't have much going on later in the day. A little reading, Internet surfing, watched a movie, television. Just a typical day after all the hard work over the summer. And I'm glad the political stuff is done.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Navajo, Arizona: Proudly Serving, Continuously Improving
Not all who wander are lost.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fall Colors
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 43 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies
We spent part of the morning helping Terri take care of some personal business. After that, Carolyn asked me to take her to a fabric store to look for some material. She found the type and color of material she is looking for, but could not find the pattern she wants. So, we'll keep looking until she finds the one she wants.
After returning home, I took some pictures of the fall colors around the RV. Later on, when I went out to the house, I took more pictures that really jumped up and begged to be snapped. While out at the house, I also took a picture of several of the deer we see out there almost daily.
Here's some of the fall colors I took pictures of today.
The pictures do a poor job of capturing the beauty we are seeing. We have been coming to this area for about 15 years, and the colors this year are the best we have seen. Carolyn is loving it, and I'm liking it, too.
A last few thoughts on the election: We were not enamored with either candidate, and the one we finally voted for did not win. Our hope is that we will be pleasantly surprised at how the process has worked out. I have a feeling that the President-Elect will move toward the center of the political spectrum (at least I hope so) as he takes office. I wish him nothing but the best as all of us face the challenges of the future. By the time his presidency is completed, I would like to be able to say I was wrong about him, and he was a great president. And by the way, has anyone noticed that we saw history made?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Red Bay, Alabama: Tammy Wynette’s Hometown
Not all wander are lost.
Weather: low 43 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies
We spent part of the morning helping Terri take care of some personal business. After that, Carolyn asked me to take her to a fabric store to look for some material. She found the type and color of material she is looking for, but could not find the pattern she wants. So, we'll keep looking until she finds the one she wants.
After returning home, I took some pictures of the fall colors around the RV. Later on, when I went out to the house, I took more pictures that really jumped up and begged to be snapped. While out at the house, I also took a picture of several of the deer we see out there almost daily.
Here's some of the fall colors I took pictures of today.
The pictures do a poor job of capturing the beauty we are seeing. We have been coming to this area for about 15 years, and the colors this year are the best we have seen. Carolyn is loving it, and I'm liking it, too.
A last few thoughts on the election: We were not enamored with either candidate, and the one we finally voted for did not win. Our hope is that we will be pleasantly surprised at how the process has worked out. I have a feeling that the President-Elect will move toward the center of the political spectrum (at least I hope so) as he takes office. I wish him nothing but the best as all of us face the challenges of the future. By the time his presidency is completed, I would like to be able to say I was wrong about him, and he was a great president. And by the way, has anyone noticed that we saw history made?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Red Bay, Alabama: Tammy Wynette’s Hometown
Not all wander are lost.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 76 degrees, early morning cloudiness, partly cloudy the rest of the day
After my morning walk, we stayed at the RV waiting for word from Terri on a medical test she had performed this morning. About noontime, she called and said that everything was okay. Whew!
I had some minor chores to do at the RV that took a couple of hours. In the afternoon, I went to the WalMart Mall for a few groceries. After that, I went out to the house to make sure everything was okay. It's a good thing I went out there, because someone looked at it earlier in the day and did not lock up properly. At least we have people looking at the house, even if it hasn't sold. Maybe our new president will give someone the money to buy it. After all, a person should have anything he or she wants, right? And the government should give it to them if they don't have the money to buy it. I've got my eye on a nice beachfront lot in Panama Beach, Florida once the money starts being handed out.
Carolyn decided that she wanted ham, turnip greens, and potato salad for supper. In addition, we had one large sweet potato she baked that was also placed on the table. It was a very good supper, and we had leftovers to enjoy tomorrow.
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm glad the election is just about finished. I wonder how many lies and half truths have been told in an attempt to get a job that takes years off your life. Most of the population blames you for the woes of the country, even though the other branches of government have more power. And we get to start all over tomorrow morning for the next election. Yuckkkk!
I think that what concerns me most about the election is that the power is going to be concentrated in the hands of one party. There is always abuse of power, but it will be even worse if one party gets a 60% majority.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Haines City, Florida: The Heart Of Florida
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 45 degrees, high 76 degrees, early morning cloudiness, partly cloudy the rest of the day
After my morning walk, we stayed at the RV waiting for word from Terri on a medical test she had performed this morning. About noontime, she called and said that everything was okay. Whew!
I had some minor chores to do at the RV that took a couple of hours. In the afternoon, I went to the WalMart Mall for a few groceries. After that, I went out to the house to make sure everything was okay. It's a good thing I went out there, because someone looked at it earlier in the day and did not lock up properly. At least we have people looking at the house, even if it hasn't sold. Maybe our new president will give someone the money to buy it. After all, a person should have anything he or she wants, right? And the government should give it to them if they don't have the money to buy it. I've got my eye on a nice beachfront lot in Panama Beach, Florida once the money starts being handed out.
Carolyn decided that she wanted ham, turnip greens, and potato salad for supper. In addition, we had one large sweet potato she baked that was also placed on the table. It was a very good supper, and we had leftovers to enjoy tomorrow.
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm glad the election is just about finished. I wonder how many lies and half truths have been told in an attempt to get a job that takes years off your life. Most of the population blames you for the woes of the country, even though the other branches of government have more power. And we get to start all over tomorrow morning for the next election. Yuckkkk!
I think that what concerns me most about the election is that the power is going to be concentrated in the hands of one party. There is always abuse of power, but it will be even worse if one party gets a 60% majority.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Haines City, Florida: The Heart Of Florida
Not all who wander are lost.
Monday, November 3, 2008
More Biopsies For Carolyn
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 42 degrees, clear skies
The weather is so boring. Clear skies, cool temperatures, low humidity. We're loving it!
We had a few little chores to do at the RV this morning. Early in the afternoon, Carolyn had another visit to see the doctor about her problems with nodules on the calves of her legs. The doctor said that the good news is that the nodules are not life threatening, but the bad news is that the lab could not pinpoint exactly what the problem is. As a result, the doctor recommended doing several more biopsies on the nodules and testing them in different ways so the problem can be treated properly. The biopsies were performed, blood was taken, and a patch for different allergies was placed on Carolyn's arm. As this is being written, she is a little uncomfortable because of the biopsies.
With the biopsies performed today, it looks like we will not be able to go to Texas for another two weeks. That's okay, because it is important to find out exactly what Carolyn's problem is so it can be treated in the most effective way.
After leaving the doctor's office, we went by to see Terri for a few minutes, then came on home. Tonight, I went over to Terri's apartment and stayed with Thomas while Terri went to a function. Since it was boys' night, we pitched a football around for awhile, then went to MacDonald's for supper. After that, we went back to the apartment and watched manly television, primarily football games.
That's about it for today from here. With everything we had to do today, I didn't have time to look for Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump's hometown.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Fort Bragg, California: The Undiscovered Jewel Of The Mendocino Coast
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 42 degrees, clear skies
The weather is so boring. Clear skies, cool temperatures, low humidity. We're loving it!
We had a few little chores to do at the RV this morning. Early in the afternoon, Carolyn had another visit to see the doctor about her problems with nodules on the calves of her legs. The doctor said that the good news is that the nodules are not life threatening, but the bad news is that the lab could not pinpoint exactly what the problem is. As a result, the doctor recommended doing several more biopsies on the nodules and testing them in different ways so the problem can be treated properly. The biopsies were performed, blood was taken, and a patch for different allergies was placed on Carolyn's arm. As this is being written, she is a little uncomfortable because of the biopsies.
With the biopsies performed today, it looks like we will not be able to go to Texas for another two weeks. That's okay, because it is important to find out exactly what Carolyn's problem is so it can be treated in the most effective way.
After leaving the doctor's office, we went by to see Terri for a few minutes, then came on home. Tonight, I went over to Terri's apartment and stayed with Thomas while Terri went to a function. Since it was boys' night, we pitched a football around for awhile, then went to MacDonald's for supper. After that, we went back to the apartment and watched manly television, primarily football games.
That's about it for today from here. With everything we had to do today, I didn't have time to look for Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump's hometown.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Fort Bragg, California: The Undiscovered Jewel Of The Mendocino Coast
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Eutaw, Alabama
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 38 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies
After a leisurely morning where we got up from sleeping an hour earlier than we have been (I don't like these time changes), I spent a little time cleaning up the truck early in the afternoon. When I clean the truck, one of two things usually happens: it rains or we go for a short road trip. Today, the weather was so clear there was no chance of rain, so we decided to drive south of here to the little town of Eutaw. That helped replace some of the dirt on the truck, and we got to see a town that we hadn't seen before. Plus, Eutaw is in the vicinity of Greenbow, Forrest Gump's hometown, so we got a little scouting out of the way.
Eutaw is the county seat of Greene County. The county was named after Nathaniel Greene, Revolutionary War hero. The town was named after a battle that Greene's troops won in Eutaw Springs, South Carolina. The town looks as though it has seen better days, and the courthouse is one of the plainest that we have seen. One thing the town is proud of is the antebellum homes in the area. Like a lot of the small towns we have seen, it is probably a nice, quiet place to live and raise a family.
Below are some pictures we took of the courthouse and town.
As I said, not a lot to see in Eutaw. Still, we enjoy seeing new places.
After getting back from Eutaw, I went out to the house and trimmed the shrubs and knocked down the wild onions in the yard. It should be in good shape for a couple of weeks if we get to go to Texas this next week.
I don't know about everyone else, but I wish the time would be left at one time or the other. It doesn't really matter whether it is daylight saving time or standard time. Leave it alone. It's tough having to change my internal clock twice a year.
More Later, be safe.
Today's Town - Eutaw, Alabama: Home Of The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 38 degrees, high 77 degrees, clear skies
After a leisurely morning where we got up from sleeping an hour earlier than we have been (I don't like these time changes), I spent a little time cleaning up the truck early in the afternoon. When I clean the truck, one of two things usually happens: it rains or we go for a short road trip. Today, the weather was so clear there was no chance of rain, so we decided to drive south of here to the little town of Eutaw. That helped replace some of the dirt on the truck, and we got to see a town that we hadn't seen before. Plus, Eutaw is in the vicinity of Greenbow, Forrest Gump's hometown, so we got a little scouting out of the way.
Eutaw is the county seat of Greene County. The county was named after Nathaniel Greene, Revolutionary War hero. The town was named after a battle that Greene's troops won in Eutaw Springs, South Carolina. The town looks as though it has seen better days, and the courthouse is one of the plainest that we have seen. One thing the town is proud of is the antebellum homes in the area. Like a lot of the small towns we have seen, it is probably a nice, quiet place to live and raise a family.
Below are some pictures we took of the courthouse and town.
As I said, not a lot to see in Eutaw. Still, we enjoy seeing new places.
After getting back from Eutaw, I went out to the house and trimmed the shrubs and knocked down the wild onions in the yard. It should be in good shape for a couple of weeks if we get to go to Texas this next week.
I don't know about everyone else, but I wish the time would be left at one time or the other. It doesn't really matter whether it is daylight saving time or standard time. Leave it alone. It's tough having to change my internal clock twice a year.
More Later, be safe.
Today's Town - Eutaw, Alabama: Home Of The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival
Not all who wander are lost.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Canning Banana Peppers
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 33 degrees, high 72 degrees, clear skies
I managed to get out for my morning walk just before daylight, even though it was cold. I guess I'm getting used to the cold weather, but that doesn't mean I like it. Just accepting the inevitable.
We had been looking for some canning jars so Carolyn could pickle some banana peppers that our landlords gave us. We finally found them at Family Dollar, and Carolyn spent some time in the afternoon putting the peppers in the jars. More good eating is on the way before long. Just imagine what Carolyn would be doing if we had the room and weight allowances for the RV.
When we got back home, we noticed that our landlords Ruth and Marsha were cleaning mustard greens in a washtub in Ruth's backyard. We walked over to say hello and had a nice visit. They are really nice people, and we feel so fortunate to have found their place to park the RV.
While Carolyn worked on the peppers and other little tasks, I watched college football on TV. In a game that has been hyped for a year, Florida pounded Georgia 49 to 10. I expected the game to be much closer than the final score indicated, but it was really no contest. Florida was obviously the best team. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up the great play and make it into the national championship game.
Our furnace is giving us a minor problem. It still operates, but when the temperature gets to the selected value, instead of the furnace turning off, it clicks every few seconds and keeps running. It appears to us that there may be some dirt or something else on the contacts for the blower fan that keeps the relays from closing or opening. We stopped at Radio Shack and picked up a can of electronic equipment cleaner to spray on the contacts to see if that cures the problem. If that works, we won't have to call a serviceman and will save some money. If it doesn't work, the cleaner can be used on other equipment and it didn't cost much. It's worth a try.
I didn't do any planning on our trip to see Forrest Gump's hometown of Greenbow. Too much going on with being retired.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Spring Hill, Tennessee: The Sixteenth Fastest Growing City In The Nation
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 33 degrees, high 72 degrees, clear skies
I managed to get out for my morning walk just before daylight, even though it was cold. I guess I'm getting used to the cold weather, but that doesn't mean I like it. Just accepting the inevitable.
We had been looking for some canning jars so Carolyn could pickle some banana peppers that our landlords gave us. We finally found them at Family Dollar, and Carolyn spent some time in the afternoon putting the peppers in the jars. More good eating is on the way before long. Just imagine what Carolyn would be doing if we had the room and weight allowances for the RV.
When we got back home, we noticed that our landlords Ruth and Marsha were cleaning mustard greens in a washtub in Ruth's backyard. We walked over to say hello and had a nice visit. They are really nice people, and we feel so fortunate to have found their place to park the RV.
While Carolyn worked on the peppers and other little tasks, I watched college football on TV. In a game that has been hyped for a year, Florida pounded Georgia 49 to 10. I expected the game to be much closer than the final score indicated, but it was really no contest. Florida was obviously the best team. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up the great play and make it into the national championship game.
Our furnace is giving us a minor problem. It still operates, but when the temperature gets to the selected value, instead of the furnace turning off, it clicks every few seconds and keeps running. It appears to us that there may be some dirt or something else on the contacts for the blower fan that keeps the relays from closing or opening. We stopped at Radio Shack and picked up a can of electronic equipment cleaner to spray on the contacts to see if that cures the problem. If that works, we won't have to call a serviceman and will save some money. If it doesn't work, the cleaner can be used on other equipment and it didn't cost much. It's worth a try.
I didn't do any planning on our trip to see Forrest Gump's hometown of Greenbow. Too much going on with being retired.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Spring Hill, Tennessee: The Sixteenth Fastest Growing City In The Nation
Not all who wander are lost.
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