Time with Friends

This is Jimmy and Sandy Joyce, friends who, like us, winter in Elite Resorts at Citrus Valley, Clermont, Fl. Unlike us, they have a beautiful "sticks and bricks " home, which is in Martinsville, VA.  As part of our summer travels, we stopped in Martinsville, for a longer stay than intended. We have had two opportunities to share with them.  First, we were invited to their home for dinner. Yesterday, one of the most weatherly perfect days I can remember, we went to Smith Mountain Lake for lunch.

It is hard to see what is happening here, but the 3 people with their backs to us are watching a carp feeding frenzy at Smith Mountain Lake. Never before have I seen fish gather to be fed as we witnessed here. Someone on the dock was feeding them popcorn, and the fish gathered en masse. It was quite a sight.

After lunch, we went to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA. This was an unexpected moving experience. Neither Sandy nor Jimmy had seen it, so together we experienced it for the first time. The Memorial is in Bedford because that town/county suffered the most severe per capita loss of the nation that June 6, 1944. The sculptures were incredible, done by Jim Brothers.  Sandy and I were most touched by the many wreaths that remained from the recent 75th commemoration of the greatest combined military effort of all time, an event which culminated in the defeat of Hitler and victory in Europe.

A Unique City Center

We are continuing to enjoy our respite here in Martinsville, VA. At least I am. I have developed a somewhat irregular schedule.  Following my quiet time each morning, I usually do the Daily Puzzle of the two computer games I am playing, Word Stacks and Uncrossed. I am mostly into Word Stacks now, and finished 1st out of 50 in a tournament last weekend. After the daily games, I will probably work on a sermon or bible study for next season at our home base. So far I think I have outlined 3 sermons and at least 3 bible studies. Then I will either read or do more Word Stacks puzzles. In the evening I will do what I didn't do in the afternoon, read or more puzzles. We don't have good TV reception here, so I have had to find alternatives.

Yesterday we went to Roanoke, just north of Martinsville about 50 miles. There we found the most wonderful city center. It is a square of buildings with the most wonderful shops, restaurants and breweries.  We ate lunch at 3 Notch'd Brewery. Neither one of us had beer. Ed had a red wine and I had a delicious Cherry Limeade. The food, unfortunately, was mediocre at best. We made a bad choice among many options. But some of the other shops we explored were great! We went to a place called Chocolatepaper.  I am a paper person and a chocolate person, so how could I resist? There was also a wonderful Kitchen store called Ladles and Linens. My memory isn't good, i am reading receipts. 

Respite

The last 2 weeks have been draining and frought with fear. Our coach completely died after sitting more than 4 days without power in a Freightliner lot in Kenova, WV.  I wondered if the coach would ever be the same, or if i could change the negative feelings about it that i currently had. After they got the coach into travel mode, but still dead on the inside, we headed for Greensboro, NC for help with some unknown electrical problem between key fob and ignition. We were refused entrance and service for at least 3 weeks at that Freightliner. By that time, we had at least restored lights, toilet and dash cam. Even while sitting outside the Freightliner, we contacted Newmar. Thanks to a customer service rep. named Erica, we got our fridge and microwave on. It seemed we were back to full power, until I found out that the wall outlets were not operative. The GFCI had been tripped. I corrected that problem, which I had probably caused the day before, and we are fully functional.

The two weeks within which this all happened were emotionally charged. I am not a screamer, but I came close several times. I did lose some cognitive ability, unable to think about or do things which normally come easily. My husband Ed several times told me to stop whining. I thought I had a right to whine, but it wasn't really whining.  I was just so close to tears, and trying to prevent them as I spoke, it sounded like whining.

The main evidence of my emotional state was produced when Ed asked me to get a Sunday paper. When I looked at the date on the papers in the rack, I saw that it was May 19. I was truly shocked! It was my daughter Sandra ' s birthday, and I hadn't had a clue! I have never missed the birthday of one of my children. I may not always know the year, but month and day I don't forget. I apologized to Sandra, without offering any excuse. We are friends on FB, so I assumed she had been following our travails.

While still outside the Greensboro Freightliner lot, I called Indian Heritage RV Park to see if they could get us in early. We were not scheduled to be there until June 12, but with what we had been through, I needed a respite.

Indian Heritage RV Park, Martinsville, VA,  is one of the first RV parks we stayed at when we began  RVing  in 2016. The owner, A.C. Wilson, was very kind to us as we began this adventure. At that time we had problems with our toad, a Jeep, not our 12 year old motor home. The park has grown a great deal, but we have everything except cable or antenna TV.  It is a great place to recoup and prepare for the largest part of our trip, exploring the Northeast.

First Travail

Oh, the indignity!

As we got ready to leave the parking lot of Walmart, in Ashland, KY, Ed couldn't shift gears. We had a message that said "shift inhibit." We immediately  called Newmar, who hooked us up with Freightliner. Alex from Frtlnr gave us some direction that might have helped the problem. It didnt. So the coach had to be towed to a Freightliner dealer. Hooking up for towing was a very extensive process, but not as expensive as I might have thought. The kicker, however, is that if the local Frtlnr can't  solve the problem, the coach will have to be towed to Charleston. Since the gear pad reads "4", it is likely that Ed shut down in 4th gear, thus probably causing the problem. We have 5 weeks until our next scheduled stop, so we will see what happens. Right now, we are heading for a motel.

Derby Week Wrap Up.

I wrote yesterday, but we were in the dead zone of Frankfort and it didn't publish. Now, can I remember what I said?
The weather at Churchill Downs was miserable!! We supposedly had covered seats, but they were right on the edge of the end section, the end from which rain, wind and cold were coming. I thought I would never stop shivering! I love watching the horses run, but I really couldn't get excited! I had planned to make some exotic wagers on the Derby, but no enthusiasm to figure them out.
I did get to sit with a couple that we shared the dinner theater seats with, and I was happy about that. It was exciting to see the shuttle buses--both city and school buses-- line up outside the Downs. There must have been about 50 of them running continously all day. The lines to get on after the races were horrendous!
The result of the Derby was very interesting! It was fun to see responses go from ecstasy to devastation--and the reverse--in such a short time. I think we probably benefited from the disqualification.  We had bet on both horses to show, but made a higher wager on Maximum Security. It's all good.
Here, hopefully are some pics from the day.

 We both actually kept our hats on all day!

If you look to the right of the stadium, you will see a line of white. That is the line of shuttle buses, going up over the hill and beyond.

Good bye to Churchill Downs!

Derby Week Day 6

I have titled this Derby Week, but thought at one point I should call it horse week. We went to a Thoroughbred Training Center a nd the Kentucky Horse Park. We went to the Derby Museum and had breakfast on Millionaire ' s Row. But it hasn't been all about horses. Yesterday we went to the Louisville Slugger factory and the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Below are some pics from the week.

Today is Oaks day, what is called Louisville ' s Derby. Tomorrow is the big day, Derby, but rain is forecast for both days, all day. Once we get to our covered seats, it will be okay, but getting there could be a big problem. I have an idea about what horses to bet on, but not what my betting budget will be.

Have met some nice folks here, and while hectic, it has really been a special week. Here are some pics.

You can't really see it well, but this was a table full of mint juleps

and bottles of Maker's Mark that greeted us at the Claudia Sanders Dinner House (site of birthplace of KFC.)

One of the gorgeous white thorobreds that are at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. Tomorrow, there will be way more than one person in that shot!

Outside the Louisville Slugger Museum. That bat is massive!

Couldn't resist climbing into this chair at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Here we are at 6:45 lining up for breakfast before one of our long days.

On our bus approaching the Belle of Louisville for a dinner cruise. The food was good, but entertainment was lacking. Weather was very comfortable. We met a couple who were married on the date of the 100th Derby and will celebrate their 45th anniversary on the date of the 145th running. There are some very interesting stories here, very interesting people. 

As we approached the Belle, I heard people talking about the high water. That didn't really make an impression on me until I saw these park benches seat - deep in the Ohio river. These benches sit along the frontage of the dock .

Derby Week 2019

Here are six of the seven RVS in our cluster. Ed is standing next to our Newmar New Aire. There are several clusters like this throughout the RV area at the KY Fair and Expo center, all part of the Fantasy Tours/FMCA Derby Week event.

There are a couple of million dollars in this cluster alone, including a 2 - story Prevost (right rear).  Haven't met many people yet, but registration and orientation are today. Tonight we have a Dinner Cruise on the Belle of Louisville, a paddle wheel riverboat. One of the Derby events we enjoyed when we lived here in Louisville was the race between the Belle and Cincinnati ' s Delta Queen.

Yesterday we attended St. Stephens Baptist Church, a multi - campus church that is basically an African American church. It is one of the 100 largest churches in the country. The preacher yesterday, Rev. Ken Jobst, was white, the Executive Assistant minister of St. Stephens. The senior pastor, Rev. Kevin Cosby, was away celebrating the 18th anniversary of one of the other campuses. The service was an hour and a half, longer than any service I've been in for a while, but not really long by the cultural standards. We were blessed by the music of a 50 - voice youth choir.

The temps here are a surprise. Right now it is 52 degrees, heading for 80. Yesterday it didn't get out of the 50s. Derby Day is looking good, temps predicted to be in the 70s.

2019

We arrived at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY on Saturday afternoon, a day earlier than planned, but no problem.  I immediately met 4 men, three of whom were named Harold. What are the odds?!

We are here with RV'ers from FMCA for a week of Derby activities, culminating in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4, 2019.  This is the beginning of my summer travels, which will cover the east coast and other eastern states this year. That will complete our map of the continental U.S. in 3 summers of travel. Mileage wise, this will probably be our shortest trip.  See ya later.

Nappanee Notes 2

We are still here at the Newmar Service Center having work done on our coach. The service center here is immaculate. A man who worked on aircraft engines said that this place was as clean as his work environment. As I watched our service tech clean up, I thought that they needed to be housekeepers along  with all the other skills required for employment.

This is Kirk, our very - knowledgeable service tech. He has been very helpful, not only in what he can do, but in his ability to communicate what he is doing. He sees that our coach is picked up at the lot in the morning--Ed doesn't drive in the dark--and gets it back in great shape in the afternoon. He has worked for Newmar for 9 1/2 years. I am very grateful  that he has been assigned to us. I have seen him advising other service techs, and that adds to my confidence in his work. Thank you, Kirk.

Nappanee notes

Here we are, finally, at the Newmar complex in Nappanee, Indiana, ready to begin the process of having work done on our coach. Some of it will be repair, some maintenance and most repair work still under warranty.  We are scheduled for seven work days. They will pick our coach up at 6:15 a.m. Each day and return it at closing, a time I am not yet familiar with. Meanwhile, we will find ways to occupy ourselves. Since we are not towing this year, we will have to make arrangements for transportation, once we decide what we want to do.
Nappanee is a bit of a dead zone for wifi, so I am behind in posting. Two stops on the way here are worthy of note.

This winery was in Cologna, Illinois, off I 80 on U.S. Hwy 6. We stopped for what turned out to be a scrumptious lunch. I had a wonderful chicken mandarin salad.

This is what was left as I was beginning to think I was full. But the coup De grace of the day was the desert.

Ed and I shared what may have been the most delicious rum cake I have ever had. Of course we couldn't leave the winery without doing some shopping. I bought some wonderful wine items and a bottle of a chocolate wine. I haven't opened it yet, so will report on it later.
As we passed through Chicago Heights on U.S. 30, we had lunch at a restaurant called Carlos'. Even if I hadn't known where I was, I would have guessed I was in the Chicago area. That old, well-maintained Italian restaurant just said "Chicago" to me. There were some classy touches, like salad dressing served in mini gravy boats.

The food was good. Ed had an enormous Italian sausage sandwich and I had broccoli shrimp fettucine. As we left the restaurant, Ed said "that is my kind of restaurant."

Bluegrass and quilts

Bluegrass came to my attention in the Adirondacks of New York in 2004, when the Upper Hudson Bluegrass Festival was initiated. We attended most of those concerts until we left the Adirondacks in 2009. We have attended 2 Bluegrass Festivals on this trip, both in Iowa. We took our coach to the first, the Backbone Bluegrass
Festival in Strawberry Point. The jacks went so deep in the mud that I thought we would have to dig them out.

Backbone Bluegrass Festival, Strawberry Pt., Iowa

We drove our rental car to the Festival at Central City. The most unique  thing about this festival is that it was indoors.

Concert site at Linn County Fairgrounds, Central City, Iowa

I didn't know much about any of the groups playing at either venue. There was one duplication. Annie Savage was at both. She was with her group The Savage Hearts at Backbone, but at Central City, she sang with Bob Black and Banjoy. That was my favorite group at Central City.

Hanging from the rafters in Central City were a collection of quilts. I am not sure of their purpose. I heard someone say something about "accoustics" in regard to the quilts, but they seemed too far spread out to be helpful for that purpose.

A Bluegrass Quilt

Displays many symbols of Bluegrass and various venues.

Nostalgic Foods

As we returned from Jefferson City, MO to our campsite in Urbana, IA, I just had to stop at a roadside store advertising A & W products. Turns out they had a full A&W stand. I ordered a pork tenderloin sandwich, which was good, but not the highlight of my meal. The best thing was my root beer float. I have never imbibed carbonated drinks, but have always loved the flavor of rootbeer. I was delighted in my youth to find that ice cream reduces the carbonation in floats, so root beer floats became a standard, with A&W as my favorite. I just haven't been able to find draft A&W for quite a while, and canned or bottled root beer just isn't the same. I was delighted by this find yesterday, and really enjoyed that float!

There was also a Godfather's Pizza in the same building.  Ed and I have been trying to remember where we lived that had a Godfather's pizza. I remember that it was pretty good pizza, but I was more interested in a root beer float yesterday.

DODS and the survivors

Our travels this year brought us to this special place at this special time. This day is marked on my mental calendar as DODS: Day of Deepest Sorrow. 6 years ago today my oldest grandson Kyle left this world by his own hand. He was a beautiful young man, full of potential and the father of 3 little girls, including a set of twins. His death seemed to be the result of a disagreement with his girlfriend,  the mother of his children, but she is the only person on earth who really knows.

These are some of the survivors of that fateful day. My husband and I, grandparents. Then there is Ryan, his sole surviving brother, and Sandra, his mother. It is very special that we were able to be together at this special time to remember in this place. Kyle ' s uncle Scott, who was very close to Kyle, has shared in this time of memories also, but was not able to meet with us last night.

The Soul of the matter.

This is the vehicle we have rented for our stay in Jefferson City, Mo.,a KIA Soul. There are three reasons why we should not be driving this vehicle: (1) We were expecting a larger vehicle; (2) When KIA first introduced this vehicle, it was depicted as being driven by rats, which turned me off; and (3) our oldest son Darrel, with strong military ties, is offended by the manufacturers' name, KIA,  because of that significance to the military community. This all got me thinking about the various reasons we accept and reject things. Some of those reasons have little validity in the big picture. Actually, the car is quite roomy on the inside. I don't feel cramped at all. I hardly ever think of the rats in the ads, and, as far as Darrel ' s objections go, we aren't buying the car. Just using it for this period, however, will help me consider other rejections and acceptances I will make in the future.

On Hotels and RVs

We are in Jefferson City, MO, on what I call my vacation. I do that not only because when we are here we see family, but because I don't have to cook and clean and do all the other things I have to do when we travel in our RV.

These are pictures of the breakfast room at the hotel. There is much more of a variety than I would offer at home. We could have the ubiquitous make - your - own waffles, omelets, cereal, pastries, fruit and beverages. This morning I had a biscuit with not - too - bad sausage gravy. 

It has occurred to me that staying in a hotel room is really little different from RV life, except for the immobility and lack of cooking facilities. I like having maid service and going out to eat. I like the occasional retreat from normal living responsibilities, and I love the opportunities to see family. I will, however, be glad to get back to our home waiting for us in Urbana, Iow

Turning 70

On my recent birthday, I turned 70. That landmark meant that I had lived 19 years longer than my father lived, as cancer took him at the age of 51. It also meant that, if my mother and maternal grandmother were any guide, I might live at least 11 more years. Both of those women left this life at the age of 81. But there was something more significant about this birthday. Many of my friends are turning the same age. This is something I haven't been aware of, or at least haven't given much thought to. I've had many of these friends since grade school. In recent years, we have

been brought back together through Facebook. We all participate in the Palm Beach High School Facebook group. Even in recent years, however, I haven't been aware of birthdays, except to note who is having one. This year, however, many of us are talking about our age. 70 seems be a hallmark that is important to us. We all have friends, family and classmates who didn't make it to this point, and I guess we celebrate 70 with a bit of gratitude mixed with sorrow. We may also be realizing that many of us won't be around to celebrate 80. 70 is a special mark in the journey of life. I don't feel 70, and sometimes I find myself surprised that I am there. But I am. I hope to make the most of this special year, and wish the best to all my friends who are sharing it with me.

Puzzle and Gourd Dance

This morning I was doing a word search on a cereal box with a yellow hi-liter. I kept coming to words on the list I knew I had found. I realized then that as the hi-liter was drying, it was disappearing. It reminded me of a time when I wrote a check for a license plate with a black pen. The clerk soon brought the check back to me. It was completely blank of everything I had written. I was really frustrated until we discovered that I had inadvertently used erasable ink, which had disappeared because of the heat from the photo copy machine. Needless to say, I no longer carry erasable ink pens in my purse.

About a year ago, we were in Oklahoma City. It was an extended visit because of having work done on our car, which got hit as we towed it, part of the reason we are not towing this year. During the time we were there, we saw many things and got to spend some time with a long-time friend, David Flick. David is a member of an Indian tribe, Cherokee I believe, but don't really remember. We had the privilege of being taken by David to a Gourd Dance. While what we witnessed was within the confines of a gym-like structure, there were many things going on outside. It was an experience that could not be duplicated. I was most impressed by exchanges of money and goods. It was like a competition to see who could be the most generous. It was truly something I will never forget.
                                                          

The white-bearded man is our friend David

Too bad I can't capture the action

 

These are the Princesses

Peace in the midst of the storms

We are in the middle of a forecast of a rainy, stormy week. It began on Saturday night, intensifying last night and is predicted to continue on and off through the week. It is a wet time for northeastern Iowa. I don't know what stage crops are in, but I think it is at least close to time for harvest, a time when rain is not desired. Other than close down our satellite dish, we make little special coach preparations for storms. We do unhook unnecessary electronics like computers, and make sure windows are shut, but we don't bring in slides (we have four) as some do. I do certainly spend a lot of time through wind, lightning and rain in prayer.

Before the rains began on Saturday, Ed and I shared a special time. We played miniature golf--I failed to mention that course in my last blog--and we had our first campfire. Can you imagine? We have lived the RV life for almost two years now, and just shared our first campfire. It was a special time for me because it was part of the peaceful time we are sharing. While I doubt I will ever intentionally schedule a month at any particular place again, the time here has been relationally peaceful. I hate actually being on the road, and become a shrew while we are driving, relaxing only when I drive and when we are camped. This month off the road has been special. And there is more to come. This weekend our son Scott will come pick us up--we are not towing this year--and take us to Jefferson City, MO for a week. That time will be spent in a hotel. That is what I call my vacation. We have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in Missouri, and hope to see most of them.

Iowa Musings

I wish I could appropriately describe this beautiful sunset. Along with the expected pinks and oranges, there were greens and grays and colors I don't think I can describe.

I really think I have to put in a word for this beautiful park in which we are spending the month. I chose it randomly, but it is really all I could ask for. The sites are larger than we have ever seen. But there is much more.

 

The park is called Lazy Acres, in Urbana, IA, but it really isn't designed for lazy people. There are many things just to walk around and look at:

Petting Zoo

No climbing

Heads are made of milk cans

Giant watering can

Bikes are provided for children to ride

Along with many things to see, there are plenty of things to do:

Ed and I stopped for a swing

A croquet set awaits on the porch

Children can ride on Saturdays

Horseshoes anyone?

Can't forget the Frisbie Golf Course

Don't know what Ga Ga ball is, but there's the set up for it.

Where the pool used to be; now just a pretty place to gather

 There is also a basketball court, a volley ball court and some things I can't identify. If you are in this part of the country, this is the park to visit. A unique treat.