A FINE DRIVING DAY LANDS US IN HASKELL, TEXAS

AN 1883 RESTORED HOUSE BESIDE US TONIGHT IN HASKELL, TEXAS

Cracker Barrel opened at 7 this morning and we were seated for their $5.99 breakfast special at 7:15.  From there it was a short hop over to Wal-Mart for some groceries.  I had forgot to bring along my 3 year old Wal-Mart road Atlas this trip so picked me up a new 2012 one today.  I do like computer maps but still prefer paper maps in the long run and this big road Atlas is packed with lots of great info for only $6.97. 

After receiving a few directions on how to navigate all the construction in the area we rolled out of Wal-Mart, navigated a bunch of orange cones and picked up I-30 to highway 69 leading north out of Greenville. 

A COMMENTER MENTIONED SOCK MONKEY’S SO HERE’S A BUNCH OF THEM AT CRACKER BARREL

Had planned on heading up to Sherman and Gainesville on our usual long detour around Dallas but at the very last minute I made a snap decision to try highway 380 again from Greenville to Jacksboro Texas.  I say ‘again’ because we tried this 130 mile route a few years ago heading home from Jacksboro to Greenville.  I remembered it as being a nightmare of heavily congested stop and go traffic, construction everywhere and probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 75 traffic lights along the way.

The decision to try this route again despite my misgivings about it turned out to be a great ‘right on’ decision.  It was definitely not as bad as I had remembered it and I attribute that to three things.  Last time across this stretch of highway was mid to late afternoon I think and I’m sure we got buried in the north Dallas afternoon rush hour.  Also, I am positive that we missed the truck route around Denton last time too so that meant we would have been dragged right through Denton.  And, I think a lot of the construction we ran into 3 years ago is done.  So, the 380 route I have been pooh poohing for the last 3 years is now a route I would recommend.  We will go this way from now on instead of our other looooong route.  Just remember, if your going this way, do this 380 route between Greenville and Jacksboro between rush hour times and and be sure to use the truck route to get around the north side of Denton.

OUR TUESDAY NIGHT OVERNIGHT SPOT AT CRACKER BARREL IN GREENVILLE, TEXAS

Once we got west of Decatur the rolling Texas countryside began to open up and we saw our first bunches of Prickly Pear and Beaver Tail cactus.  The tall beautiful multicolored leaves of Arkansas trees were far behind us now and we were in yet again another beautifully different landscape.  Joined our old familiar route with a left hand turn in downtown Jacksboro.  With that turn we were off on the first leg of a long journey across the great plains.  Trees became fewer and smaller.  Soon we were onto the Texas plains with visibility across the flat lands for miles and miles.  Nice to pass through dusty familiar little western towns we had passed through a half dozen times before.

It was a perfect driving day with light winds, dry roads and an overcast sky for perfect visibility.   What a treat from the previous 3 days.  Gas mileage greatly improved and all was well except our warm temperatures sure took a drop somewhere along the line and by the end of the day the winds had really picked up again….but with clearing skies:))

 

SAW THIS CROW DRINKING A DR. PEPPERS IN A WAL-MART PARKING LOT THIS MORNING 

We had the little town of Haskell in our sites today because we have stayed at a Park there before.  Pulled in about 1:45 p.m. and found us a suitable spot.  The Park’s not fancy but there is free water and electricity plus showers and sewage dumps at the sites.  We find it fine for an overnight stop.  It’s in the southeast side of town beside a large ball diamond.  There is also a historic old 1883 restored house here. 

OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT IN HASKELL TEXAS TONIGHT >>>

Have had some comments about driving on rain soaked highways or windy days.  Many of my jobs over the years have had to do with driving  whether it was cars, vans or stake trucks.  I, like many others drove in all kinds of whether including ice and snow.  When people had to get to the Toronto Airport years ago it didn’t matter if it was pouring rain, foggy, a snow storm going on, icy roads or high wind gusts.  People had to catch their flights so you learn to drive in all weather conditions regardless of how bad they are.  Each person has their own comfort level of driving skills so it’s a personal decision when it comes to weather and road conditions. 

I should also add that it is easier driving a Motor Home on rainy days simply because the driver sits higher off the road where visibility is far better.  The lower you are to the road the poorer the visibility is through all the wet road spray.   Ever notice how fast those big trucks are moving along the Interstates on wet days.  Those guys have the advantage of seeing where they are going.  A Motor Home driver sits about the same level as a truck driver.   Ground fog can totally impair a car driver’s visibility but just a few feet higher the air may be perfectly clear.  So, I guess the bottom line is simply to drive at your own comfort level depending on how confident you are with your own driving skills.  Just my opinion of course.  And, as stated in previous posts, I am one of those fellas who totally enjoys driving and do not find it stressful for the most part.  Of course there are exceptions and I do prefer to keep my stress levels at an acceptable level by avoiding large cities or heavily congested traffic areas.

And no, we never dump our black tank unless it’s totally full either.  What made me decide to dump the tank Tuesday I don’t know but I’m sure glad I hadn’t waited until the tank was full to make the mistake I made!!  

And, a big welcome to new Blog Follower Jeff who I see has just joined the Bayfield Bunch for this winter’s trip. By the looks of your profile picture Jeff I'd say you are a fellow RVer:))

Today was our 5th day on the road and we are so pleased at how well Pheebe has taken to the traveling lifestyle.  She is just as exuberantly happy on the road as she is at home.  No change in her behavior or attitude at all.  She is just a natural happy born dog.  I often call her, ‘Happy Buns’ because of her furiously wagging tail.  She is definitely the most affectionate dog I have ever met.  We are sooooo fortunate to have found ourselves such a great little RV dog.  As I type this she is on my bed beside me sound asleep with her paws a twitching and legs a wigglin.  Nose is a twitching and she is letting out some little snorts and whimpers.  She is obviously dreaming of Squirrels chasing her again and I just might have to come to her rescue in a minute.  After all, that’s what Doggy Dad’s are for you know:))

And, speaking of Pheebs…..she wants to send a big ‘shout out’ to her former owners in Zurich, Ontario.   Pheebs says, “Hello to Crystal, Matt and my special little Pal Adella.  And hello to Gramma and Grampa too.  I’m having a blast out here being a happy and super good little RV dog.”  And, my new Dad says, ‘Yahouie Louie’:))”

  

GROANER’S CORNER:(( At the end of the great flood, Noah opens up the ark and lets all the animals out. "Go forth and multiply," he says, as the animals scurry down the gangplank.
But as Noah is closing the great doors of the ark, he notices two snakes sitting in a dark corner.
"Didn't you hear me?" he says to them. "You can leave now. Go forth and multiply."
"We can't," say the snakes. "We're adders

---------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

HAZEN ARKANSAS TO GREENVILLE TEXAS…WET, WET, WET……AND WET!!

T-RICK’S MAY NOT BE EVERYBODY’S CUP OF TEA…..BUT I LIKE THE SCENERY HERE  (ALL OF TONIGHT’S PICS TAKEN WITH MY CANON SX210iS)
Sure got noisy real fast in our rig this morning at 4:30 a.m.  A hard driving rain was quickly upon us and anyone in an RV knows what a clatter on the roof that can be.  Even had us some good old thunder boomers going on.  Woke the whole crew up except for me who was already up of course.  Going backwards through these time zones is not easy for folks like myself. 
In case anyone is interested in seeing a few scenic Autumn photos or reading why I think this T-Rick RV Park we stayed at fell on hard times you can access my post from October 26/09…T-RICK'S RV PARK. Remember, this Park may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but we have found it handy for an overnighter now and again.
And a big welcome to JED’S MOM as our latest Blog Follower.  Nice to have you aboard on our latest journey to the great American Southwest.
Dennis and Donna from THE CAVE DWELLERS left Sandwich Illinois for Louisiana Monday morning and were a day behind us on the I-57 route.  Because of tornado warnings in the Memphis area they stayed put at Rend Lake for an extra day.  Rend Lake is only a few miles north of Ferne Clyffe where we stayed a couple night’s ago.  Despite the high winds it looks like we made it through that Memphis area just in time.
We were in no hurry to land ourselves in the Little Rock morning rush so it was 9 p.m. before we rolled out of the T-Rick RV Park in Hazen, Arkansas.  We had the windshield wipers on full tilt from the time we left Hazen, all the way through Little Rock and right on down I-30 to Arkadelphia.  Rains were heavy and visibility at times was very poor.   But, that’s all part of the traveling excitement.  And we did slip slide our way through Little Rock with no problem.

THIS PRETTY WELL SUMS UP OUR WHOLE DRIVING DAY
Crossed the Texas State line at 12:10 and 20 minutes later we were seated in a particular Cracker Barrel in Texarkana that we have been to 4 or 5 times before.  There is a big vacant field next door so it was a good spot to let the guys out for a good run.   Kelly too. Cracker Barrel has $5.99 lunch specials so that’s what we ordered.  Kelly had a pile of green leafy looking rabbit food stuff and I had yummy mashed potatoes, beans and meat loaf:))    The thought occurred to me sitting there that this was probably our last Cracker Barrel for awhile because there are no large city areas ahead of us now for quite awhile.  Little did I know we would be in another Cracker Barrel parking lot just three and a half hours later.

KELLY AND THE PHEEBS DO A FEW LAPS BEFORE WE HEAD INTO THE TEXARKANA CRACKER BARREL
Headed southwest on I-30 heading towards Dallas.  Sometimes we cut off at Boston Bar and begin a long detour north around Dallas but today I figured we would try something a little different and slip in closer to Dallas as far as Greenville and then head around Dallas via highway 69 to Sherman and Gainesville.
Kelly spotted a Wal-Mart coming into Greenville so figured we would just hole up there for the night.  This whole area has been under construction for 3 years now so we kind of got ker-fuddled somewhere.  In attempting to get ourselves back on track in the increasing traffic Kelly spotted a Cracker Barrel, so we wheeled ourselves in.  Cracker Barrel welcomes RV folks for overnight stops so that is where I am typing this from.  Nice spot in the parking lot with a large field for the doggy guys right beside us.  In appreciation for Cracker Barrel’s overnight RV policy we will have breakfast here in the morning.  Wednesday night I suspect we will be out on the Texas plains somewhere.  And how the heck did Cracker Barrel sneak two pieces of Chocolate Pecan Pie and ice cream into the rig tonight anyway??
 
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IN A CRACKER BARREL….THIS IS THEIR GIFT CLUTTERED LOBBY….I’M NOT MUCH FOR GIFT SHOPS BUT I DO LIKE THE COZY COLORS AND LIGHTING
Ok, about the black tank incident…..since you asked.  The problem actually began last May when I drove the Motor Home over to Exeter Ontario where there is a dump station in a city park.  Had a bit of goop left in the tank from the final days of our return trip home at the end of March.  Hooked up my aging sewer hose and pulled the valve.  ‘Poof’…..part of the hose gave way around the clamp creating a small mess before I rammed the valve closed again.  Now I had a problem.  Still some soup in the tank but no sewer hose to get it out with now.  Cleaned up the mess, hopped into the rig and drove a few blocks to a Canadian Tire Store where I bought a brand spanking new Rhino extendable fancy-do sewer hose.  Back to the park, hooked it up and finished up the job at hand.  Hubba Bubba no trubba. 
Never had occasion to use that new hose again until Monday afternoon at the T-Rick RV Park in Hazen, Arkansas.  Hadn’t planned on emptying the black tank because there was only 3 days of grumblys in it but thought, what the heck I might as well get some practice in with my new hose.  Well, I was obviously out of practice because I do not think it was a problem with the new hose.  I think it was a problem with my ‘not paying attention to what I was doing!!’  The end of the hose is slightly different than my old one and I think I did not fasten it onto the pipe securely.  Pulled the lever and….’Whooooosh!!’  Jumped back so fast I did not get the lever pushed back in and within seconds I had the whole contents of the tank dancing along the edge of the concrete pad running under the motorhome to the other side and out onto the road.  I immediately pulled the lever on the gray tank and let that water pour out right behind the goopy stuff to chase and dilute the mess I had just made.  I followed that with the garden hose and hosed down the whole area including the bin.

Despite the obvious big mess, I quickly realized two things had worked in my favor.  First, the tank was not full and two, all the neighboring RV’ers were away at work.  Construction workers from Kansas working on an I-40 road project nearby.  I was able to have everything cleaned up before anybody arrived home.  If anyone had asked about all the water on the road I was prepared to tell them I just washed the Motor Home.  I could just imagine the response I could have got…."well, your Motor Home must have been pretty dirty because that water sure looks brown and muddy.  Oh dear!!

For my next dump I will insure I have that hose on securely and then will pull the valve on my gray water first and see if everything holds together.  Then, I will tie a long rope on the black valve and go stand behind a large tree and give the rope a yank.
Now, to add a little insult to my misadventure I can tell you that before dumping the black tank I had had a shower and put on a pair of clean jeans and shirt.  Boy, I sure got that procedure in the wrong order didn’t i.  And ‘NO’ I did not take any pictures!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  When his eyes began to give him trouble, a man went to a ophthalmologist in Prague.
The doctor showed the patient the eye chart, displaying the letters CVKPNWXSCZ.
"Can you read that?" the doctor asked.
"Can I read it?" the Czech replied. "I dated his sister!"
---------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.


 

WINDY TRIP FROM GOREVILLE ILLINOIS TO HAZEN ARKANSAS

THIS BRIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MARKS THE STATE LINE BETWEEN ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI
First thing I heard upon waking this morning was rain on the rig’s roof…not good!! Second thing I heard was wind in the tree tops and that was not good either. Third thing I heard was a happy little dog waking up in the chair beside my bed. Now, that was good:))

LITTLE MOTORMOUSE PLAYING IN A PILE OF LEAVES THIS MORNING AT FERNE CLYFFE
We have moved to Central Time now so instead of waking up at 4:15 I was wide awake at 3:15.  Yep, knew right then and there it was going to be another long day.  But not a long boring day like at home.  Can’t even begin to tell you how great it is to be back in my element and on the move again.  Halleluiah Brother:))    

 
BREAKFAST AT OUR HOUSE THIS MORNING
Couldn’t believe how warm it was first thing this morning with the temps later in the day reaching 80F.  The rain ended long before we had the wheels rolling at 7:45 but the heavy cloud cover stuck around.  Still big wind gusts but knew we should be OK all the way down I-57 to the bridge over the Mississippi because of the sheltering forests.  We crossed that bridge at 8:35 into Missouri’s flat farmland heading in a westerly direction.    As expected this brought us broad side on to the southerly cross wind again which beat us up pretty good for about 30 miles before reaching I-55.  We were able to swing our nose back into the wind again heading south all the way to the west side of Memphis.

LOOKING SOUTHWARD DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WHILE CROSSING THE BRIDGE TO MISSOURI
Upon nearing Memphis we swung off the I-55 ramp at 11:30 landing ourselves on I-40 heading west.  As mentioned before, this is always a pivotal point in our trip and switches us from our north/south part of the trip to our east/west part of the trip.  We now have the great American Southwest in our crosshairs.  Quite often in the past when I referred to the Southwest I was in the habit of mentioning only New Mexico, Arizona and California.  I should have been including the great State of Texas all along and from here on in I will do just that. 

THIS IS THE RAMP FROM I-55 TO I-40 WHICH HEADS US STRAIGHT FOR THE SOUTHWEST
The winds began to back off around noon and I actually kicked on the dash Air.  We had a mixture of sun and clouds as we approached Hazen Arkansas about 40 miles east of Little Rock around 2 p.m.  There is a little RV Park called T-Ricks right off I-40 that we have used maybe half a dozen times over the years.  The Park has fallen on hard times but we like it because there are usually not too many people there.  T-Rick’s is also a CITGO fuel stop so we decided to call it a day, gas up the rig and stay for the night.  I had my first huge black tank disaster late this afternoon but I am not going to even mention that!!!

PIT STOP AT AN ARKANSAS REST AREA WEST OF MEMPHIS
New bloggers Rick and Kathy Rousseau from IT'S ABOUT TIME have just joined us on our Blog Followers list and we welcome them aboard for this years adventures in the Southwest.
And, a big shout out to fellow RV’ers back home in that there Seaforth town.  Ron and Gloria Riley will soon be on the road for Arizona’s Superstition Mountain in their 34’ Carriage Fifth Wheel.  Happy trails guys and don’t forget to drive the Apache Trail when you are there.  If you type Superstition Mountain or Apache Trail into our blog sites search bar you can see our pics and blogs from our time spent in that area. 
Now, to answer the comment question regarding our route. Yes, swinging west on I-70 and heading on down through St. Louis and Oklahoma to Arizona is technically shorter, but is it. First, I have an aversion to large cities and we’ve driven through St. Louis a couple times before and that was enough of that!! No need to reach Arizona through Albuquerque NM or the traffic chaos of Phoenix either because it is southern Arizona we are now heading for. By running south on ‘big city free’ I-57 and I-55 we hook up with I-40 west of Memphis to Little Rock Arkansas and I-30 to Texarkana. By then we are already further south and in line with Southern New Mexico and Arizona. We detour north around Dallas through Gainesville Texas and pick up a quiet two lane road leading to Jacksboro where we pick up highway 380 all the way to Tularosa New Mexico. I like 380 with it’s tired little dusty western towns along the way, people free rest areas, lite traffic, a couple of free county parks and easy access over the mountains through the Apache Pass.
And, I have a correction to Saturday’s post. I mentioned it was a router we were having problems with not getting on-line but in actual fact it was our Verizon modem. Not the modems fault but ours. Having not used it since last March we forgot to charge it and then failed to remember about the ‘on/off switch. Yikes, these aging memories of ours!! All is well now and our internet access is working fine. Lots of TV channels accessible by antennae on this side of the country too.
Tuesday morning we will mix it up with the Little Rock traffic, but we generally get through there without any trouble anyway.  There is a Cracker Barrel in Texarkana we have frequented in the past so I have a feeling we just might re-frequent it again in the morning.  Texarkana sits on the State Line between Arkansas and Texas and it is here where the landscape begins changing. 

NO ROOM ON MY BED TONIGHT SO LOOKS LIKE I WILL BE THE ONE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR:((
GROANER’S CORNER:((       Two highway patrolmen stop a driver for speeding on the state highway in Waxahachie, Texas. As they are writing up the ticket, one trooper turns to the other and asks, "How do you spell Waxahachie?"
The other one replies, "I don't know."
"What are we going to do?" the first one asks. "If we spell it wrong, the judge will dismiss the charge."
"Well," says his partner, "why don't we just let him go and stop him again when he gets to Waco?"
---------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

    

TOUGH DRIVING DAY WITH HEAVY WIND GUSTS EVERY MILE OF THE WAY

PHEEBS KEEPS AN EYE ON AN RV MOVING IN A BIT CLOSE TO US AT FERNE CLYFFE STATE PARK, GOREVILLE ILLINOIS
The winds gusted all night and Kelly had to finally pull in the bedroom slide.  Not the best night’s sleep and yes, we had the proverbial train whistles in the background. But, that’s OK because there is something very hauntingly reassuring about train whistles in the night.

PIT STOP AT AN ILLINOIS REST AREA
Sunday night’s weather channel issued a wind advisory for Sunday saying the winds would pick up as the day went on so we figured we had better get an early start and make some fast tracks out of the area.  Our tracks weren’t fast enough…….Rolled out of the Cracker Barrel parking lot at 6:35 a.m. and as soon as we climbed aboard I-94 and pointed our nose to the southwest we were buffeted by heavy wind gusts.  Not good!!  Fortunately, because it was Sunday we did not have a lot of traffic to deal with and making our way through the maze of concrete and pavement in Gary Indiana went well.  I prefer to do heavy traffic areas on week-ends if at all possible.
  
KELLY, ALWAYS ON THE JOB, FIELDS A DEER PARK LODGE CALL
Picking up I-57 put us head to head with the hard charging southwest winds and for the next seven and a half hours we went toe to toe with the heavy wind gusts.  At one point about 60 miles north of Effingham we rounded a long curve in the road and the winds began hitting us broadside with enough force to move us into the accompanying lane several times.  Only thing we could do was cut our speed and hang on tight.  This is all very flat farm land between Chicago and Effingham with few trees or wood lots to break the wind whipping across the flat landscape.   I knew if we could get ourselves south of Effingham we would be in better shape because of all the forests along that stretch.  I would have to say we experienced some of the strongest wind bursts today that we have ever been in.

FUEL STOPS ARE ALWAYS A TWO PERSON OPERATION FOR US…KELLY DEALS WITH THE GAS PUMP COMPUTER AGGRAVATIONS AND I AM THE GAS JOCKEY WHO ‘FILLS ER UP"’
The destination I had in mind since leaving the Indiana State Line was a quiet place in a forest that we had been to several times before.  FERNE CLYFFE STATE PARK is about 2 miles east of I-57 near a little place called Goreville Illinois which in turn is about 200 miles north of Memphis Tennessee.  I knew if we could make Ferne Clyffe we would have a sheltered place from the wind for the night.  Kelly and I, on our way back from Big Bend in Texas back in 04 actually pulled in here on New Year’s Eve of 04/05.  Not a soul around and we spent a quiet restful night totally alone in winter’s big silent forest.  I like memories like that:))

  
WALKING A FERNE CLYFFE TRAIL THIS AFTERNOON 
Because of being beat up by the high winds today our gas mileage took quite a hit.  Filled up in Gary Indiana this morning and filled up again this afternoon in Mt. Vernon Illinois.  Wanted to keep the tank on the full side to give us extra weight.  We do have an onboard computer that will give us our miles per gallon but those are numbers I really did not need to see today!!  On the positive side, we have had many great tailwinds over the years that have whisked us up and down the highways and byways with barely a foot on the gas, so today was just a little payback time for us:))

NOT OFTEN YOU SEE THE BAYFIELD BUNCH PARKED ON A SOLID FLAT PAVED SURFACE (FERNE CLYFFE STATE PARK)
Both Kelly and I both got a hankering for peanut butter and toast this morning while southbound on I-57.  With a simple push of a switch on the dash I had the generator running.  The cook was in the Galley, the toast was in the toaster and minutes later I had a big Cheshire grin on my face and a big slice of toast and peanut butter tucked nicely away in my tummy.  Yep, I sure like this rolling Motor Home concept alright:))

NICE TO BE OUT OF THE TRAFFIC AND BACK INTO A PEACEFUL FOREST SETTING
I think one of the greatest feelings while traveling is that point of destination, wherever it is at the end of the day.  After shutting down the rig, putting out the slides and taking care of any other set up procedures there comes a very precious moment of the trip.   You walk over to your favorite spot whether it’s a recliner, couch, bench seat at the breakfast nook table or just a good old comfy favorite chair and you just kind of collapse yourself in a very relaxing and comfortable heap.  A big sigh of relief, an immediate release of stress, and a warm sense of accomplishment knowing that you didn’t screw anything up too badly since getting up that morning.  I think that is always my favorite part of any traveling day. 

KELLY FINDS A VERY LARGE SYCAMORE LEAF >>>
I think our highs today reached the mid 70’s and and just now at 6 p.m. I see it is 71F.  I was just outside with the Pheebs and I could hear crickets and frogs in the darkening woods beside us.  The wind was roaring in the treetops and we were as snug as a bunch of bugs on the forest floor below.  Now, how nice is that.
 
COMFORTABLY IN…..’MY SPOT'
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A college boy takes his girlfriend to a football game. It’s the first football game she’s ever seen, and afterwards he asks her how she liked it.
"Oh, I really liked it," she says, "but I just couldn't understand though why they were killing each other for 25 cents."
"What do you mean?"
"All they kept screaming was: Get the quarter back. Get the quarter back."
-------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

A GOOD FIRST DAY ON THE ROAD…..BUT, NO INTERNET YET:((

THIS IS MY HAPPY RVING FACE TODAY:))
Saturday November 12th 2011……..As expected, we ran into some unexpected problems hooking up our Verizon equipment Saturday night!!
Hauled my frame out of the recliner for the last time this year at 4:28 a.m. Saturday morning.   Surprisingly, Kelly was already up and had coffee brewing.  Lots to do and everything single thing was last minute stuff…again.  Still dark outside under a clear starry sky as we loaded the last few things into the rig.  Big bright moon.  Pre-ignition and systems check at 6 a.m. with main ignition 35 minutes later.  Lift off at 6:38 a.m.  We are finally underway.  Destination….the great American Southwest:)

<<< OUR ANNUAL MORNING DEPARTURE PHOTOS
Unlike like last years snow and fog on the way to the border we had a beautiful morning going for us.  Not cold, cloudy or raining.  Fiery sunrise into a clear blue sky.  Reached the four lane highway 402 at 7:45 and the border at 8:05.  It will either be Jacksboro or St. Jo Texas before we get to set our wheels back on a good old secondary two lane highway again.  I will answer the question of why I prefer this route over going through St. Louis, Oklahoma City, etc in a later post.
Thought we were cooked at the border crossing for sure because the lane we picked had a young male border officer checking each vehicle closely.  Opening car doors and trunks for a look see.  Sent the SUV two vehicles ahead of us to the guard house.  Figured for sure he was the kinda guy to pink slip us for an agriculture check for sure.  But no, just the standard dozen questions or so and he handed our passports back and waved us through with a, “have a good day folks.”
 
 
IT’S QUITE A SNUGGLY CREW WE HAVE ABOARD:))
We barely had time to savor our good fortune when just a quarter mile from the border we were siphoned off down a ramp into what turned out be a long and poorly marked detour through the very heart of downtown of Port Huron.  Road work was apparently being done on I-69 but we eventually found our way back to the Interstate without any wrong turns. 
We had heard there was some confusing road construction around Lansing Michigan but we never did see any.  Picked up I-94 and headed for Kalamazoo.  Made a couple Rest Area doggy pit stops along the way and the guys did fine.  Pheebs was so excited at every stop she nearly jumped out of her fur.  We noticed a big change in Motormouse too.  She was so happy to be traveling again because at each Rest Area she was out running around like a happy little puppy dog.  It was fun to watch both her and the Pheebs playing together.
 
We reached our day’s Wal-Mart destination of Benton Harbor shortly after 2.  Way to early to be coming off the road for us but we slipped in for some groceries while we were there anyway.  This was the same place we stayed on our first night a year ago.
Back on the road we continued west for another hour and a half to Gary Indiana.  Kelly had found a Cracker Barrel using our ‘Next Exit’ book so figured that’s where we would do our overnighter.  This location turned out to be a bonus find because Cracker Barrel is right next door to the nicely landscaped and state of the art Indiana Welcome Center.   There is even a small lake here.  Even found a large vacant parking area for the guys to rip and tear around.  You can actually see the excitement in their little doggy eyes.  The Welcome Center had a very impressive Christmas theme going on inside based on the movie, ‘The Christmas Story.’  I will include more pics of this display in the days leading up to Christmas.

 
OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT BEHIND CRACKER BARREL AND THE INDIANA WELCOME CENTER
A great supper at Cracker Barrel with Kelly having some of those shrimp things and Al having a yummy open faced roast beef sandwich including mashed potatoes and gravy.  Mashed potatoes and gravy sure beats the heck out of Shrimp things in my book.  At the moment I am typing this in our rig parked directly behind Cracker Barrel.  Both Motor and the Pheebs are sound asleep from all their tearing around today.  Pheebs is right beside me on my bed and Motor is curled up in my fleece lined blue jean jacket.  My bed is not wide enough for both Pheebs and I so this will be the first night she will not be able to sleep with me on my bed.  She will have to get used to her own padded doggy bed on the floor.  Motor will sleep on one of our two chair.  We’ll see how our first night goes.  We all have a lot of adjusting to do now that we are on the road.  It’s all a part of being a Snow Bird:))
In the morning we will slip over to a nearby McDonald’s before hitting the road and see if we can check our email and maybe get this blog posted.    Right now our Verizon router is in the process of charging and we are hoping that is all our problem is.  We’ll know tomorrow. (update)  It’s 4:30 Sunday morning and Kelly just got us online) 

THIS INDIANA WELCOME CENTER HAS A CRACKER BARREL RIGHT BESIDE IT AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE FOR OUR FIRST OVERNIGHTER:))
We are currently being buffeted by wind gusts and did hear on the 6 o’clock news there will be a wind advisory in this area tomorrow.  Yep, sure is good to be back on the road again alright…….10-4:))  I’ll get Groaner’s Corner up and running later today.

ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO, WE ARE ON THE LAUNCH PAD AND THE COUNTDOWN IS ON…..T MINUS 10:))

WE ARE SOOOOOOO READY TO RUMBLE……….

We started the morning off in pouring rain but it soon turned to sleet and light snow for a short while.  It didn’t deter us from our morning walk though as Pheebe and I made our way around the trail.  Stopped for a few thoughts at my favourite young Maple tree and then wrapped up our last Pine forest morning walk for the year.  Yes it’s true…….I talk to trees:))

A SKIFF OF SNOW ON THE TRAIL THIS MORNING AND THE PHEEBS HAS AN APPLE IN HER MOUTH

  

A YOUNG OAK TREE GROWING OUT OF A LARGE OAK STUMP…….AND SLEET ON THE MORNING PATH  

It was a day of cleaning, doing laundry, organizing and rearranging.  We do not shut our place down completely so we put a big thermometer in the window for our neighbour to see because we always leave a bit of heat on.  For anyone doing this it is very important to put fresh batteries in your thermostat.  We didn't do that last year and when the batteries failed in both our electric furnace and remote powered gas fireplace stove at the same time the temps dropped low enough to kill all our indoor plants.  Luckily, the fellow who regularly checks our place caught the problem before any damage was done to our pipes.  A very close call, so be sure to put new batteries in your thermostats folks.
 

YEP, I’D SAY WE ARE GETTING OUT OF HER JUST IN TIME ALRIGHT

Still no idea just where we are headed for first in the southwest but I finally do have an idea on which route we will take when leaving here in just a matter of hours.  Decided to follow our tracks from last year and make our first overnight stop in Benton Harbor Michigan.  Sunday morning we will slip into Gary Indiana on the east side of Chicago, change direction and pick up I-57 heading south down to Effingham Illinois.  Reaching Effingham puts us back onto our old tried and true southern route for the southwest.  We will continue south on I-57 joining I-55 south to the west side of Memphis and the Mississippi River.  We will make the big swing down the Interstate ramp onto I-40 pointing the rig's nose directly at the southwest.  I always look forward to this spot either coming or going in our travels because it is a major change of direction and roughly marks the half way point for us.

PICKED UP THIS LITTLE $3 WALL MOUNTED LAMP AT THE GOODWILL STORE LAST WEEK…..MUCH BETTER THAN THE TIPPY FLOOR LAMP WE USED TO HAVE
Don't want to dwell on this but just want to say thank you to all the folks who have stuck with my blog these past difficult seven and a half months.  I have very much appreciated your support, patience and understanding.  Now, let's see if we can get out there and find us a big breath of fresh air and some new adventures:))

WHEN IT BEGAN TO SNOW AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON I THOUGHT……OH OH!!

Left the History channel on TV all day and found myself continuously drawn to the screen watching programs dealing with the 'Days Of Remembrance.'  Our power went out for about an hour beginning at 10:40 a.m.   At 11 a.m. I was in the Motor Home with the radio on listening to 'In Flanders Fields.'  Years ago in my reading days, the bulk of my reading for many years had to do with factual accounts of the wars.  Maybe that is why I joined the Canadian Navy at age 20.  I remember last year on November 11th at 11 a.m. in the morning we were westbound on I-10 somewhere between Deming and Lordsburg New Mexico.

DECIDED TO TAKE OUR SUN ROOM’S GREEN RECLINER THIS YEAR INSTEAD OF THE SECOND RED POANG CHAIR….KELLY WILL USE IT AND I WILL STILL USE MY RED CHAIR WHICH I REALLY LIKE EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN’T RECLINE

About 3:30 this afternoon I hooked the Jeep up to the back of the Motor Home.  Good thing I remembered how because the last time I hooked it up was nearly 8 months ago  before leaving a campground near Canyon de Chelly in north-eastern Arizona.  Took the rig and Jeep for a test run and everything checked out fine.  Parked it with the door opening into the driveway where we can load up the final things in the morning and that’s it.  We are ready to go……….. at last:))

TAKING THE MOTOR HOME AND JEEP FOR A TEST RUN THIS AFTERNOON AND KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THINGS IN THE REAR VIEW CAM >>>

If by chance you do not see a blog from me Saturday night or Sunday morning it probably will just mean we have had a few technical problems re-activating our Verizon Internet card.  Kelly doesn't feel there will be a problem but I am always a bit more sceptical when it comes to a lot of this new space age techno stuff.  In my world, Mr. Murphy is always just around the corner waiting to mess me up……10-4:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A sweet young thing who has just been shopping is pulled over by a traffic cop and given a ticket for speeding. Rather than fight the ticket, the woman writes a check for the amount of the fine and puts it in the mail.
However, the young woman is anxious. Her husband always examines her checkbook carefully, and she doesn't want him to know about the incident.
Then inspiration strikes, and she scribbles on the check stub: "One pullover, $125."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
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The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.