Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 72 degrees, high 85 degrees, mostly cloudy all day, sprinkles late
After my morning walk in cooler than normal weather with clouds, we went with Terri to look at a house for sale in Northport. The house is located in a nice subdivision of older homes built in the 1970s. The yards are bigger than normal and the trees and ornamental plants are mature, providing good shade. This house has been well cared for and was updated in 2002. We will be checking into this one a little more.
We are using a Tracfone for a telephone number to sell the items that Terri has for sale. Yesterday, we bought more minutes for the phone, and it took me until this morning to figure out how to add the minutes. The problem was that the instructions were not that clear, and I am probably technically challenged when it comes to the new electronics. Why is it that kids seem to pick up the intricacies of electronics faster than an adult does? Anyway, I finally figured out what to do, and now I can add minutes to the phone. Here's hoping I don't need to do it again, because I'll probably forget what I did.
The US Open golf tournament is being played in San Diego this weekend, and we watched part of it tonight. It was great sports to watch the golf pros and the problems they had on the course. By the end of today's round, the best in the world, Tiger Woods, had proven again that he is the best, even though he has not played in two months because of knee surgery. It was obvious that his knee was bothering him, but he gritted it out to finish today with a one shot lead. If he maintains this lead, he will win his 14th major championship tomorrow. We'll be watching.
Today was a slow day, maybe tomorrow I will have more to write about.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Big Pine, California: Come Play In Our Backyard
Not all who wander are lost.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sold Pressure Washer
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 72 degrees, high 86 degrees, mostly cloudy, a shower in the afternoon
Earlier this week, I placed ads in the newspaper for some items Terri is trying to sell. Today, I sold the pressure washer, had a nibble on the 5500 watt generator, and a looker at the dirt bike. At the rate I'm going on selling this stuff, I'll be finished in about nine months.
Just kidding. Should be finished by January, 2009.
It appears the people who looked at the house last week can't swing the financing, so we will probably be listing the house with a real estate firm next week. With the market like it is, selling may take awhile. In the meantime, it doesn't take much to keep everything in the house and on the property in good shape. We should be able to take more trips like yesterday. That makes us feel good, because we need to remember that we are retired, or at least we were when we came up here.
Thomas is back from church camp. He said he had a good time, and is already looking forward to next year.
We had a nice shower in the afternoon at Terri's house that cooled things off and kept me from having to do any watering of plants. The only negative is that the grass will grow faster, meaning that I will have to mow before long. Ah, the burdens of retirement.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Vallejo, California: The Bay Area’s Number One Gateway City
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 72 degrees, high 86 degrees, mostly cloudy, a shower in the afternoon
Earlier this week, I placed ads in the newspaper for some items Terri is trying to sell. Today, I sold the pressure washer, had a nibble on the 5500 watt generator, and a looker at the dirt bike. At the rate I'm going on selling this stuff, I'll be finished in about nine months.
Just kidding. Should be finished by January, 2009.
It appears the people who looked at the house last week can't swing the financing, so we will probably be listing the house with a real estate firm next week. With the market like it is, selling may take awhile. In the meantime, it doesn't take much to keep everything in the house and on the property in good shape. We should be able to take more trips like yesterday. That makes us feel good, because we need to remember that we are retired, or at least we were when we came up here.
Thomas is back from church camp. He said he had a good time, and is already looking forward to next year.
We had a nice shower in the afternoon at Terri's house that cooled things off and kept me from having to do any watering of plants. The only negative is that the grass will grow faster, meaning that I will have to mow before long. Ah, the burdens of retirement.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Vallejo, California: The Bay Area’s Number One Gateway City
Not all who wander are lost.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Pickens County, Alabama
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 74 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear in the morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon
The original courthouse was burned by Union troops in 1865. The replacement courthouse was supposedly burned by a freedman (former slave) in 1875. Allegedly, while the freedman was being held in the courthouse, the image of his face was imprinted on a courthouse window by the flash of a lightning bolt. The current courthouse was built in 1876.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Carrollton, Alabama - Home Of The Face In The Window
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 74 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear in the morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon
Since we didn't have much to do today, we decided to take a drive over to Pickens County, which is west of Coker next to the Mississippi state line. Pickens County is about as rural as a county can get, with small towns and no industry to speak of except some logging. The county is probably one of the lowest in per capita income in the state.
We headed northwest on US 82 and the first town we came to was Gordo. After driving through the downtown area, which reminded us of some of the smaller towns in Texas, we took Alabama 86 west to Carollton, the county seat of Pickens County. This has to be the smallest county seat that we have seen. There was the old courthouse, and a square around the courthouse with some old buildings. That was about it.
The original courthouse was burned by Union troops in 1865. The replacement courthouse was supposedly burned by a freedman (former slave) in 1875. Allegedly, while the freedman was being held in the courthouse, the image of his face was imprinted on a courthouse window by the flash of a lightning bolt. The current courthouse was built in 1876.
This is the view of the courthouse as you drive west on Alabama 86.
These statues are in the front of the courthouse, and commemorate the sacrifices made by the men and women who supported the Confederacy, as well as the people who served in The Spanish-American War and World War I.
This is the courtroom on the second floor. Can you imagine how uncomfortable this room was before air conditioning?
We continued west from Carrolton on 86 to Pickensville, which is an intersection. There is a nice Corp of Engineers campground on the Tombigbee Waterway. The campground has 176 spaces, and is the perfect place to go for people looking for fishing and a slow pace. The Visitor's Center is impressive, and resembles an 1800 plantation house. The hostess said the Corp had tried to copy the original as much as possible, and I have to say they succeeded. Below is a picture of the visitor's center.
After leaving Pickensville, we headed back to Coker. Along the way, we saw a water tower with a shape unlike anything we have seen before. Can you imagine what a drunk would think if he saw the water tower below in a flash of lightning at night?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Carrollton, Alabama - Home Of The Face In The Window
Not all who wander are lost.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Too Many Trips To Town
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 71 degrees, high 97 degrees, mostly clear until late in the afternoon, then mostly cloudy
Some days it feels like I stay in the truck all day running errands of one kind or another. Today was one of those days. Normally, we try to plan our errands so that we can get as much accomplished as possible with as few trips as possible. Unfortunately, today was one of those days where I had to make four separate times because combining trips did not work. In addition to being as efficient with my time as possible, I try to save a little money on diesel by combining trips. No money saved on diesel today.
On the last trip to town, we stopped at the WalMart Mall (my favorite store - if WalMart doesn't have it, you don't need it) for a few groceries. One item we buy with some regularity is tortillas. We grew to like them while living in Texas, and hardly ever buy any other kind of bread. We use them as rollups for all manner of foods, including hotdogs, ham, chicken, salad (yes, salad with a piece of meat is good), peanut butter and jelly....... Carolyn also makes quesadillas and home made tortilla chips with them. A side benefit is that tortillas are lower in calories and fat.
On one of my trips today, I went by the Tuscaloosa newspaper and placed ads for three items in it for the next week. In addition, there is a weekly shopper's paper in Northport that allows free ads, so I placed five ads in that paper. We are hopeful that we will be able to sell some more of Terri's unneeded items using this method of advertising. During that trip to town, I took a quart of paint by the paint store to get them to add some tint to the paint for touch up work in the house. That little task was successful, and the man at the store did a great job of getting the tint correct.
On one of the other trips, Carolyn and I met a realtor to view a house for sale in Northport. This house has been up for sale for approximately 14 months, which gives an idea of the real estate market in this area. At first glance, it appears the house may work for Terri and Thomas, so we made an appointment for them to see the house on Saturday. I'm not sure what will come of this viewing, but we have to keep looking until we find something that will work.
I hope tomorrow is a little slower. I'm wore out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Scottsboro, Alabama: Lost Luggage Capital Of The World
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 71 degrees, high 97 degrees, mostly clear until late in the afternoon, then mostly cloudy
Some days it feels like I stay in the truck all day running errands of one kind or another. Today was one of those days. Normally, we try to plan our errands so that we can get as much accomplished as possible with as few trips as possible. Unfortunately, today was one of those days where I had to make four separate times because combining trips did not work. In addition to being as efficient with my time as possible, I try to save a little money on diesel by combining trips. No money saved on diesel today.
On the last trip to town, we stopped at the WalMart Mall (my favorite store - if WalMart doesn't have it, you don't need it) for a few groceries. One item we buy with some regularity is tortillas. We grew to like them while living in Texas, and hardly ever buy any other kind of bread. We use them as rollups for all manner of foods, including hotdogs, ham, chicken, salad (yes, salad with a piece of meat is good), peanut butter and jelly....... Carolyn also makes quesadillas and home made tortilla chips with them. A side benefit is that tortillas are lower in calories and fat.
On one of my trips today, I went by the Tuscaloosa newspaper and placed ads for three items in it for the next week. In addition, there is a weekly shopper's paper in Northport that allows free ads, so I placed five ads in that paper. We are hopeful that we will be able to sell some more of Terri's unneeded items using this method of advertising. During that trip to town, I took a quart of paint by the paint store to get them to add some tint to the paint for touch up work in the house. That little task was successful, and the man at the store did a great job of getting the tint correct.
On one of the other trips, Carolyn and I met a realtor to view a house for sale in Northport. This house has been up for sale for approximately 14 months, which gives an idea of the real estate market in this area. At first glance, it appears the house may work for Terri and Thomas, so we made an appointment for them to see the house on Saturday. I'm not sure what will come of this viewing, but we have to keep looking until we find something that will work.
I hope tomorrow is a little slower. I'm wore out.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Scottsboro, Alabama: Lost Luggage Capital Of The World
Not all who wander are lost.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Another Slow Day
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 71 degrees, high 91 degrees, partly cloudy
Today was a little cooler, which made my morning walk easier. What really made my day was that I didn't have to do any weed eating. Have I mentioned how much I don't like that job?
We looked at another house for Terri today. Can you believe this house had particle board as the sub floor? That stuff is notorious for falling apart if it gets wet. So that's one more house off the list. That's too bad, because the outside of the house and yard looked good. We have an appointment to see another one tomorrow.
After looking at the house, we went back to the RV so I could do some power meditating. I don't get to do much of that since we have been here with all the work. Thomas is gone to church camp in Kentucky this week, so we don't have as much to do. After the meditation, I did some yard work around the RV. We expect rain sometime this week.
Since we had not been to Terri's house today, we went out later in the afternoon. I fed and watered the dogs, watered some plants, and puttered around. Carolyn did some small chores in the house, then prepared fried shrimp for supper. After supper, I brushed the dogs down in an attempt to remove some of their winter fur. They are outside dogs, so they developed a thick coat as protection against the cold winter. Now that the weather is hot, they are suffering from the heat. After brushing them, I collected a WalMart plastic bag full of fur to get rid of. Maybe the brushing will help the heat issue for the dogs.
As you may have already gathered, today was a quiet day for us. We have been needing some days like this.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Helena, Alabama: Home Sweet Home
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 71 degrees, high 91 degrees, partly cloudy
Today was a little cooler, which made my morning walk easier. What really made my day was that I didn't have to do any weed eating. Have I mentioned how much I don't like that job?
We looked at another house for Terri today. Can you believe this house had particle board as the sub floor? That stuff is notorious for falling apart if it gets wet. So that's one more house off the list. That's too bad, because the outside of the house and yard looked good. We have an appointment to see another one tomorrow.
After looking at the house, we went back to the RV so I could do some power meditating. I don't get to do much of that since we have been here with all the work. Thomas is gone to church camp in Kentucky this week, so we don't have as much to do. After the meditation, I did some yard work around the RV. We expect rain sometime this week.
Since we had not been to Terri's house today, we went out later in the afternoon. I fed and watered the dogs, watered some plants, and puttered around. Carolyn did some small chores in the house, then prepared fried shrimp for supper. After supper, I brushed the dogs down in an attempt to remove some of their winter fur. They are outside dogs, so they developed a thick coat as protection against the cold winter. Now that the weather is hot, they are suffering from the heat. After brushing them, I collected a WalMart plastic bag full of fur to get rid of. Maybe the brushing will help the heat issue for the dogs.
As you may have already gathered, today was a quiet day for us. We have been needing some days like this.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Helena, Alabama: Home Sweet Home
Not all who wander are lost.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Weed Eating
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 81 degrees, high 99 degrees, partly cloudy until late in the evening, then cloudy
Last week, I mentioned in a post that I really don't like to weed eat the yard, especially one as big as Terri's house has. When you consider how big the area is, the heat and humidity, sun beating down, poson oak, poison ivy, fire ants, and, oh, yeah, dogs snapping at the string on the weed eater, it is an experience I'm glad I don't have to do but every three weeks. Maybe this house will sell soon, and we can get rid of the loud, hot, heavy weed eater that Terri has. I might take a hammer and beat it to pieces.
A typical day of using the weed eater begins by taking it out of storage in the garage. There is a gas can with a mixture of gas and oil that has to be agitated (shook up, for the word challenged) so the mixture is proper. If I'm not VERY careful when putting the gas and oil mixture in the weed eater tank, the mixture will overflow, causing the weed eater to smell before I get started running it. Why is it that I'm VERY careful everytime I put the gas in the tank, but I spill some of it? After putting gas in the weed eater, I check the cutting string, which usually needs to be replaced. Now, where did I put that string. Okay, now that I have the string, where are the pliers?
Finally, I'm ready to start the weed eater. Pump up the bulb to get gas into the weed eater. Put the choke in the on position. Pull the start cord a couple of times. Turn the choke off. Pump up the bulb another three times. Pull the start cord 4-5 times. Whew, it's about time to take a break. Put the choke back on. Pull the start cord another 3-10 times. Finally, the weed eater belches and tries to start. Turn the choke off. Pull the start cord again until the weed eater finally starts, with a roar and belching of smoke. Then the fun starts, as the dogs start snapping at the string. It's strange, but after awhile, I don't even notice the dogs snapping at the string.
As I proceed with the weed eating, grass and debris flies through the air, with most of it seeming to land on me. It's a good thing I always wear long pants when doing this task. The little bit of debris that doesn't land on me lands on the sidewalks or driveways, which means I am not finished when the weed eating is done. Then I have to get a broom or leaf blower to clean the sidewalks and driveways off. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Some of the debris includes fire ants, which sometimes lands on me. That makes for interesting times.
About the time I get going good, the string will break and need to be replaced. Or, sweat will run into my eyes, causing me to temporarily go blind. Or, I will feel like I'm about to have a heat stroke, and have to stop for a break. Great fun.
Just think, if I hadn't made a detour to Alabama, I'd be in Alaska about now.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Tupelo, Mississippi: Birthplace of Elvis Presley
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 81 degrees, high 99 degrees, partly cloudy until late in the evening, then cloudy
Last week, I mentioned in a post that I really don't like to weed eat the yard, especially one as big as Terri's house has. When you consider how big the area is, the heat and humidity, sun beating down, poson oak, poison ivy, fire ants, and, oh, yeah, dogs snapping at the string on the weed eater, it is an experience I'm glad I don't have to do but every three weeks. Maybe this house will sell soon, and we can get rid of the loud, hot, heavy weed eater that Terri has. I might take a hammer and beat it to pieces.
A typical day of using the weed eater begins by taking it out of storage in the garage. There is a gas can with a mixture of gas and oil that has to be agitated (shook up, for the word challenged) so the mixture is proper. If I'm not VERY careful when putting the gas and oil mixture in the weed eater tank, the mixture will overflow, causing the weed eater to smell before I get started running it. Why is it that I'm VERY careful everytime I put the gas in the tank, but I spill some of it? After putting gas in the weed eater, I check the cutting string, which usually needs to be replaced. Now, where did I put that string. Okay, now that I have the string, where are the pliers?
Finally, I'm ready to start the weed eater. Pump up the bulb to get gas into the weed eater. Put the choke in the on position. Pull the start cord a couple of times. Turn the choke off. Pump up the bulb another three times. Pull the start cord 4-5 times. Whew, it's about time to take a break. Put the choke back on. Pull the start cord another 3-10 times. Finally, the weed eater belches and tries to start. Turn the choke off. Pull the start cord again until the weed eater finally starts, with a roar and belching of smoke. Then the fun starts, as the dogs start snapping at the string. It's strange, but after awhile, I don't even notice the dogs snapping at the string.
As I proceed with the weed eating, grass and debris flies through the air, with most of it seeming to land on me. It's a good thing I always wear long pants when doing this task. The little bit of debris that doesn't land on me lands on the sidewalks or driveways, which means I am not finished when the weed eating is done. Then I have to get a broom or leaf blower to clean the sidewalks and driveways off. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Some of the debris includes fire ants, which sometimes lands on me. That makes for interesting times.
About the time I get going good, the string will break and need to be replaced. Or, sweat will run into my eyes, causing me to temporarily go blind. Or, I will feel like I'm about to have a heat stroke, and have to stop for a break. Great fun.
Just think, if I hadn't made a detour to Alabama, I'd be in Alaska about now.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Tupelo, Mississippi: Birthplace of Elvis Presley
Not all who wander are lost.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Looking At Houses
Coker, Alabama
Weather: low 81 degrees, high 99 degrees, clear skies
I cut my morning walk a little short because it was so hot early on. No breeze, high humidity, no shade, whine, snivel, sob. I guess I'm getting to be a wimp.
This afternoon, we met a real estate agent to tour a house that might be of interest to Terri. The house was taken as a trade-in on a new house, and had been for sale for several months. It was obvious when we toured the property that it had not been lived in for at least a couple of years. The builder that took the house as a trade-in has done some repairs to it, but it still has much to be done. The land consists of 1.37 acres on a corner lot, with a lot of landscaping that has been allowed to die or get so big that much work needs to be done on it. After looking at the house and seeing some of it's issues (such as foundation problems, wet dirt under the house where the rain water goes, and on and on and on), we decided Terri did not need a house that would be a project that would take Carolyn and I several months to get in shape. The project at her current house is more than enough, thank you.
After leaving the house, we ate lunch with Terri and Thomas, then separated as Terri had some errands to do in town. We decided to drive around in some of the local neighborhoods to see what types of houses might be available. We found two that may be worth looking at more. One of them had a brochure in a holder outside the house. In looking at the folder, it appears a lot has been to the house in the last year. This may be something we check on tomorrow. The other house is a bank repossession that has been vacant for almost a year. The yard is fairly nice, and the outside of the house looks pretty good. Both houses are in nice neighborhoods, and are only about four miles from Terri's work. Thomas's school is about a mile away. I expect to follow up on these tomorrow.
Thomas has a Yamaha dirt bike that Terri asked me to try to sell. An ad was placed in the paper last Wednesday, and the first person called about it today. I explained what kind of motorcycle was for sale, and that it was not street legal. The person asked if they could look at it, even though they are looking for a street bike. I met them at the house, and we ran the bike for them. In the end, they decided it wouldn't do for their needs. Maybe the next one will buy it.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Tavares, Florida: The Hub Of Lake County
Not all who wander are lost.
Weather: low 81 degrees, high 99 degrees, clear skies
I cut my morning walk a little short because it was so hot early on. No breeze, high humidity, no shade, whine, snivel, sob. I guess I'm getting to be a wimp.
This afternoon, we met a real estate agent to tour a house that might be of interest to Terri. The house was taken as a trade-in on a new house, and had been for sale for several months. It was obvious when we toured the property that it had not been lived in for at least a couple of years. The builder that took the house as a trade-in has done some repairs to it, but it still has much to be done. The land consists of 1.37 acres on a corner lot, with a lot of landscaping that has been allowed to die or get so big that much work needs to be done on it. After looking at the house and seeing some of it's issues (such as foundation problems, wet dirt under the house where the rain water goes, and on and on and on), we decided Terri did not need a house that would be a project that would take Carolyn and I several months to get in shape. The project at her current house is more than enough, thank you.
After leaving the house, we ate lunch with Terri and Thomas, then separated as Terri had some errands to do in town. We decided to drive around in some of the local neighborhoods to see what types of houses might be available. We found two that may be worth looking at more. One of them had a brochure in a holder outside the house. In looking at the folder, it appears a lot has been to the house in the last year. This may be something we check on tomorrow. The other house is a bank repossession that has been vacant for almost a year. The yard is fairly nice, and the outside of the house looks pretty good. Both houses are in nice neighborhoods, and are only about four miles from Terri's work. Thomas's school is about a mile away. I expect to follow up on these tomorrow.
Thomas has a Yamaha dirt bike that Terri asked me to try to sell. An ad was placed in the paper last Wednesday, and the first person called about it today. I explained what kind of motorcycle was for sale, and that it was not street legal. The person asked if they could look at it, even though they are looking for a street bike. I met them at the house, and we ran the bike for them. In the end, they decided it wouldn't do for their needs. Maybe the next one will buy it.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Tavares, Florida: The Hub Of Lake County
Not all who wander are lost.
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