Leaving Ypsi

Well, I went to Windsor, Canada for a quick buying trip and got more than I bargained for.  Crossing into the country, I informed the border patrol that I intended to go to the Duty Free Store to buy some scotch, perfume and maybe some chocolate.  There was so much construction going on and poor signage, I immediate got lost and wound up in a restricted area where I wasn't supposed to be.  A very nice lady offered to guide me out, having to pass another guard in the process.  He informed me that I had to be in Canada for 48 hours in order to buy duty free, but I figured what the heck, I'd Burged it for nearly an hour to get there so I would give it a try.  After weeks of dreaming about Bell's scotch, they didn't have it.  So I settled for a bottle of Dewar's, some nice perfume, Belgium chocolate and headed back.  While attempting to enter the gate for customs, not one but two cars cut me off and forced me to brake hard at a blockade.  When I pulled up to the guard, he asked "how many people cut you off out there?" and I answered, only two.  When he asked what I had to declare, I told him and he said "technically, you're supposed to be there for 48 hours before bringing things back duty free, but I'm not going to send you back this time."  What a relief!  I guess he figured I'd risked my life for some booze and perfume and needed a little break.  Thank you officer! 

It took some doing to get my TV fixed, as the cable connector had been ripped from it as it flew off the wall mount.  Good ole curvy mountain roads! I had to figure a new way to replace a stripped wing nut, then noticed a leaking grease seal on a trailer wheel.  So I had all the wheels re-packed this morning before departing Ypsilanti for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  It was an uneventful day and I haven't taken any good pictures in over a week, but I hope to tomorrow as I cross a very big bridge.

The best part of Ypsi was visiting friends from Sun and Fun in Florida.  Debbie and Walt Williams had me over for a cookout and to enjoy their pool.  The water was a little cool (73 degrees), much warmer than Sliding Rock, but cold to these Yankee folks.  The food and drink were very fine and I appreciate their warm hospitality.   What a treat to travel that far and see friendly and familiar faces!  That was definitely a high point of my time there.   I also enjoyed seeing other fine folks. 

Tonight I'm in Traverse City, MI, and will leave in the morning for the UP and points west.  Once again I put too much trust in the GPS and allowed it to take me on some not-so-good paths.   The adventure continues!

Short Memory

Preparing to leave Forest and the Crowder's, this is the current version of "the rig".  The new truck is higher off the ground than the old Silverado, which caused me problems loading and unloading the Burgman.  It got stuck on the ramp and tore a panel loose from the bottom of the scoot.  It's going to be a challenge figuring this one out!

It seems that some lessons are harder to learn than others for me.  Blindly following a GPS without looking at a map is not a good idea.  Thought I'd learned that lesson, but I did it again leaving Forest and followed 43 across the Blue Ridge Parkway to 615, 621 and 616, passing through Eagle Rock and on to Low Moor.  The road was 1 1/2 lanes wide, a ditch on one side and steep drop off on the other.  I was hoping and praying I wouldn't meet another car, and I only met one, in a wide place in the road, thank goodness.  As I began to get irritated with my fate, I remembered this is an adventure, which I wanted, and I know to be careful about what you ask for.  I saw this beautiful horse and slowed down to take a picture, which helped calm me down a lot.  And then, near the end of this trek, I saw this sign:

I've never seen a sign like this before and hope I don't see one again!  Map checking is a must before following GPS routing - remember that! 

Thursday night was spent in the trailer near Wooster, Ohio in the middle of Amish farm country.  It was a very nice place for the night or even longer. The bad news was my TV fell from the wall mount and hit the floor, pulling the cable connection from the back of the set.  It will still play DVDs, but may not receive a signal again.  Bummer. 

 Friday I finally arrived in Michigan to discover the worst paved road I've ever traveled.  It was cement and just like a washboard.  The speed limit was 55, but I could only manage 40.  It seemed like it went on forever.  Once again, I had followed the GPS without checking the map and wound up on a bad secondary road.  Short memory strikes again! 

The RV park is very nice and I'm getting used to the area.  It is so good to see old friends again and catching up has been great fun.  I hope to go to Canada one day just to look for Bell's scotch, my favorite.  Thanks for stopping by!

Fun Days in Forest-2

On Tuesday Houston had his braces removed after almost a year of enduring that hardship/blessing.  There are no good words for me to describe his happiness.  And, I managed to capture the exact moment when the first one was taken off.  Hard to do with a digital camera.

The dentist gave him a bag full of "forbidden fruits", which included pop corn and sticky candies.  I thought that kind of ironic, but then realized it could be good for business.  But when he got home, his favorite was there waiting for him.

I think the candies were called Neerdo, or something like that.  There was a crunchy outer shell and a soft jelly bean inside, sorta like Sweet Tarts.  Man they were good!  I had to keep trying them to get all the nuances....yeah, right. 

On Wednesday Barbara took Houston and four of his friends to Otter Creek, up on the parkway.  Patrick was in cub scout camp or he would have been there, too, of course.  Barb is part of a child care co-op that rotates responsibility during the week so none of the families have to shell out for child care.  It was a fun afternoon!  Houston actually caught a bream in a hand net after baiting them with bread.  Everyone was impressed!  Even me. 

This place is so peaceful.  These 5 boys played together for several hours without a single altercation of any kind.  They were never bored.   They were moving constantly.  A dead rat floating down the stream was the first thing to catch their attention, but far from the last.  There were crawdads, minnows, bream, suckers and all kinds of critters. 

Wednesday is "Men's Night" at the Crowder's, so we went fishing...me, Trey and the boys.  And did we ever have a grand time!  We caught 25-30 fish among us, with me missing the most by a large margin.  All but 2 were bass, and Trey caught the largest ones, as that is what he was fishing for.  Once we had 3 fish on at the same time!  And more than once we had 2 on.  It was one of the best times I've ever had fishing.  We really had a ball!

We laughed a lot, teased a lot and even when Houston got hit with a bream caught by Patrick, we still laughed a lot!!!  Because it was funny.   Houston insisted that I get a pic of this fish, although I'm not sure why.  Anyhow, here they are.

The memories of this day will stay with us for a long while.  The boys had never caught this many fish on an outing and it was surely a big day for me.   The fish tales began as soon as we got home and I hope they will continue for a while.  That's such a big part of the fun!!!

I had a big time at Barbara's and this pic captures that very well.  It's a hayfield, looking to the right of their back yard.  Their house is at the end of a cul-de-sac, which is true of most of the houses I've owned.  So there are no neighbors on that side, as you would expect.  It is just beauty.  Plain and simple. 

The next few days will be full of travel and business.  So it may be a few days before I post again,  Thanks for stopping by!

When I arrived here in Wooster, OH, I was bummed to find my TV lying on the floor, having jumped off its' wall mount.  I haven't had the courage to try it and see if it still works, but I will.  

Just had a huge bowl of gazpacho and I loved it!!!  And whether you like it or not, it does build character!!!!

Fun Days in Forest

I left Forest, VA this morning after several days with Barbara's fine family.  We enjoyed good talks, wonderful food, a baseball game (see above) and the guys went fishing last evening.  That will be on the next posting.  It was dollar night at the Hillcats game, so I treated for food and drink.  What a deal!  And Trey came through with the tickets.  I almost caught a tee shirt, but only managed to spill my beer in my lap for the effort.

Gary and Katie Davis and their kids came over for a visit Sunday and it was sooo good to see them!  Their kids are practically grown it seems, and their youngest, Max, is the spitting image of Gary.  Now that's kinda spooky!  Another Gary?!  Oh yeah!!!  A beta version!

Back to the ball game.  Besides this funnel cake, we consumed pizza, hot dogs, peanuts, beer and soft drinks.  It was Houston's last night with his braces and he did not let them slow him down, at all!

Just had to get one more shot of the metal mouth before the big change.  That will be part of the next post. 

I'm near Wooster, OH, on my way to Michigan, in the middle of nowhere at a lovely RV park.  It is calm, quiet, I can see the lake and may have to go fish a little before eating some fresh gazpacho and writing another post.

Bye.  See ya later!

Itinerary Update

Thanks to Lynn for pointing out the gaps between dates in my itinerary.  It was done a while back, right after making all the reservations and my head was still swimming from that!  I think I got it right this time, but if you see an error, please let me know. 

It's quiet here at the Crowder's today with Barb and Trey at work and the boys at camp or with a friend.  Tonight we're going to a baseball game to watch the minor league home team, which ought to be a good time.  I've been cleaning the awnings on HOWHEE and am about to go for a ride on the parkway.  After all, that is where I was inspired to live the life of a traveler just 2 years ago.  Perhaps there's another inspiration in store for me.  I do love it up there!

Sure enjoyed seeing Gary and Katie Davis and their kids yesterday.  It had been a long time and it was good to reconnect.  Gary is a big fan of this blog and inspires me to keep it going.  Thanks G! 

Celebration!

Grandson Patrick proudly displayed his project, "Spring Break at Hilton Head, SC" accompanied by a verbal presentation.  He did a better job than many adults in business I've seen. He took the pictures, did the word art and put it all together.  Great job, young man!  I also learned that he has been accepted into the gifted reading program at school.  What a great start for his academic life.  He'll be in the 3rd grade next year.  Both he and Houston had excellent report cards for the year.  I'm very proud of you guys!

Me, Dave, Houston, Linda, Laura, Nancy and Trey

Saturday night was a birthday celebration for me and Dave Green, husband of Trey's sister, Laura.  There were more than a few shots and toasts, wonderful food prepared by Houston and Linda, Trey's parents, and his Aunt Nancy.  There was a delicious pepper dip, grilled pork and chicken with a lime marinade and a tasty salad of brown rice, black beans, corn, pepper and green onion.  We ate, drank, laughed, danced and had a very fine time.  Thank you all for a fun celebration!

Laura, Barbara, Nancy and Dave

Cooper, Houston, Savannah and Patrick

The kids spent most of their time outside playing in the sprinkler and squirting each other with water guns.  I was tempted to join them they were having so much fun! 

Of course Dave and I had to blow out some candles before we could have dessert.  Our choices were chocolate mint brownies, key lime pie or blackberry cobbler with ice cream.  I had to try all three of course.  They were sooo good!!!

The Card of the Night Award went to this one, entitled "A Poem for Your Birthday 'All About Farts' ", to me from Dave and his family.  Trey read it aloud in one of his best Dr. Seuss voices and everyone laughed long and hard.  The card from Derick, "Rate Your Personality" was also a big hit, but too hard to describe here. 

"A fart can be quiet, a fart can be loud,
Some leave a powerful, poisonous cloud...
A fart can be short or a fart can be long,
Some farts have been known to sound just like a song...
A fart can create a most curious medley,
A fart can be harmless, or silent, but deadly...
A fart might not smell while others are vile,
A fart may pass quickly, or linger a while...
A fart can occur in a number of places,
And leave everyone with strange looks on their faces...
From wide-open prairie, to small elevators,
A fart will find all of us sooner or later...
But not all farts are bad, this is simply not true-
We mustn't forget...
Dear, sweet old farts like YOU!"

We finished off the evening back at Barbara and Trey's in the "Man Cave" watching the end of the Carolina baseball game, which they won!  Barbara now has an easy chair down there and hers is called the "Edith" chair and his "Archie's" in honor of the Bunkers from All in the Family. 
It was a wonderful way to celebrate my 64th and I'm grateful to everyone for making it so.  Thank you!!!

"When I'm 64..."

That was a famous line from a Beatles song many years ago, and today it came true for me, as now I am 64!  Way back then it seemed so far away that it would never arrive.  Now that it's here, it's kinda hard to believe.  My annual physical yesterday made it real, though, with high blood pressure and high cholesterol now tops on my list of physical priorities.  Thought they were under control, but obviously need more work.

Last Thursday began a whirlwind of activity for me with Thirsty Thursday at McCormick Field, home of the Asheville Tourists baseball team.  They serve 12 ounce beers for $2, and I had a few Highland Gaelic Ales, one of my local favorites.  The home team eked out a 4-3 victory which wasn't decided until the last pitch of the last inning.  It was a very good game!

On Friday I traveled east to visit family and attend a wedding.  That night Derick and I went to a street party in beautiful downtown Varina, NC, and I discovered Aviator Brewing Co., a local brewery with fine beers that began just down the street from Derick's house.  We had a very fine time and were up until 3am!  Yep, you read that right.  "Dead Fred" stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning!

I rarely read the hand washing signs in bathrooms, but for some reason this one caught my attention and gave me a good chuckle.  Very creative folks!  And their beer is very good, too!

On Saturday I went with Derick and the granddaughters to the home of his friends, Tony and Karen, to enjoy their pool on a hot summer day. It was so much fun!  I talked Leah into feeding me corn chips while I stayed in the pool.  We laughed a lot and just enjoyed each other and the cool water.

That night I attended the wedding of long time friend Bruce Curran and his beautiful bride, Sudi Swirles, at their lovely home in Durham, NC.  Bruce and I met when we were both employed at Carolina Power & Light Co ( now Progress Energy) back in the 80's.  I was manager of training and he was in charge of video program production.  We discovered that we both had gone to school at Carolina and both flew in the Air Force, with his favorite plane being the one I trained pilots in.  Later on we became golfing buddies and thoroughly enjoy each others' company.  It was a very fine wedding and I'm so happy for them!  As you see, their dog, TJ, was the ring bearer.

Sunday morning left me with some time to spare before church, so I headed for Shelly Lake, just a few blocks from where LaVern and I lived and the place where we often walked our dogs.  It was also the place where I proposed to her several years ago.  Over time I had gone from walking with the her and our 2 dogs, to her a 1 dog, then me and her, and finally just me.  The sad moment came so quickly, I was shocked.  I was also coming down with a cold and hadn't slept well the previous 2 nights, leaving me more than a bit vulnerable.  So I did what I had done so many times before and recited the Serenity Prayer.  As always, it calmed me down and brought me peace.  All those sad changes have lead to many happy changes and so "life is like the river, it flows on and on", said Lao Tse.

Sunday afternoon I had lunch with good friends Alan Briggs and Cathy Butler.  It was so good to catch up with them and the goings on at Unity Church, where I was so involved for so long.  That night I had dinner at the home of good friend Jan Wynns, and as you see, the setting was lovely.  We had lamb on the grill with corn on the cob, a delicious salad and wine.  It was a thoroughly delightful day with old friends. 

Tomorrow I leave Fletcher for Forest, VA and a week with Barbara and family before beginning my westward trek.  I'm still recovering from this cold, a rare occurrence, and sore arms from 2 shots, so my excitement level is not as high as it might normally be.  But I am excited!  It will be one of the greatest adventures of my life for many reasons and I hope to keep you posted as it unfolds.  Here are a couple of major headlines from my birth year, 1947:

"31 million radios are in use in America but another medium is slowly being built by the radio companies - television.  By the end of the year, America has 139 TV stations, but only about 9,000 TV sets. "

Prices:  Milk, $.80; postage stamp, $0.03; Bread, $.12;  and the big one, gas, $.18.

My oh my how far we've come!  Or have we?