At least they waited

Our trip home has been plagued with challenges, but we are happy these came at the end of our trip.  After leaving Missouri, we dropped down into Arkansas and then picked up I-40 into Oklahoma.  The interstate was so bumpy that at one point we actually pulled off the road, thinking we had a flat tire!  We made it to Choctaw, OK, to a beautiful new KOA next to a brand new casino.  The next day we had a bit of rain and wind.  On the I-35 at the outskirts of Fort Worth we hit a hellacious bump in the interstate, which set up a bad "hobby horse" action between the truck and 5th wheel.  This apparently yanked loose a wire in our cableing from the trailer to the truck and for the rest of our trip we have had intermittent but insistent beeping warnings that the trailer is unconnected!!! And then reconnected... and then unconnected... and then reconnected.... you get the idea!  Grrrrr!  Russ has looked and looked but cannot find the loose connection, so we are resigned to the beeps.

That day we traveled to Midland-Odessa, in the middle of the hot, dry, and very booming Texas oil fields.  We were lucky to find one spot in an older, rocky campground, which was filled (as were all the others in the area) with oil field workers.  More rain and thunder that night.

Onward thru El Paso, with a stop at Camping World right before crossing the state line into New Mexico, temp outside - 104.  Just as we pulled into the parking lot at CW, we get a low tire warning.  Turns out we have a sharp rock embedded in the thickest part of the tread on a back tire.  These are the new tires we purchased before the trip, but neglected to add road hazard insurance. Camping World was great, but they could only help us put on the spare.  We hitched up again and linped to Hacienda RV in Las Cruces.  A very nice resort, close to the historic part of town, where we had planned to walk and shop and dine.  But nooo, we could not continue our journey without a spare, so off to a tire shop for a replacement.  More rain and thunder that night!

Next stop, Tucson, and it is already 100 driving through Phoenix at 10am.  It was just a short, half-day to LazyDays RV in Tucscon, we have stayed here before, a very nice campground.  I remarked to Russ that at least we would be out of the afternoon thundershower area now.  Wrong!!  More thunder and rain that afternoon - so no dip in the pool for us.  At least the temps dropped down into the 80's instead of the expected 102.  And a nice steak dinner and live jazz at the resort's Florizona restaraunt.  I had the spicy shrimp, mmmm.

 

Moving on to Blythe - high temp 115!!! Upon arriving at the KOA, right on the Colorado River, we find we cannot lower our landing gear.  A bolt has sheared, and the gears will not turn.  Since this has happened before, Russ had some spare bolts - but could not locate them!  The truck is running to keep the dogs cool, and now I think it may be 120 at the back of the truck where Russ is laboring to replace the bolt with one that he found on another piece of, thankfully, non-essential equipment.  So, we spend another hour in town looking for more bolts, instead of enjoying the pool.

Finally, we trek across California to Ventura, heavy traffic the whole way but no mishaps.  The usually annoying fog never looked so good!  Yea, lots of visits with friends and Russ' daughter, lots of good food and long walks in the cool, beachy breeze.  Let's hope the run up the coast to home is uneventful.

Lazy!

Lazy!  That's what I am!  I have not posted for 10 days, we have been traveling home and I have just been too lazy to fire up my laptop.  I blame it on the IPad!  Really, I do!  *smiley*  I cannot get pictures from my cameras to the 'pad without the laptop as intermediary.   I have just been using the 'pad to check mail and keep up with FB.  And it is really great for navigating around city streets, finding places to go, weather, music, everything else.  Oh, for want of a usb port.  Laugh, you PC tablet users, I know you have one!  Ah, well....

Stage Stop Campground

  We stayed at the Stage Stop Campground in Neosho.  Great little place, especially for kids, with the antique farm equipment and a campfire every night.

Afternoon Croquet

An afternoon playing croquet with the family,
Missouri style rules (use your mallet any way you see fit!)

 My brother Todd and his friend Nick from California
are playing by their own rules, too.

 My sister Barb, husband Jerry,
their son Cory and daughter Beverly.

Jessica's Wedding

Ok, sorry!  I have been having so much fun visiting my family that I have neglected the blog.  We are on our way back now, so I will do a quick catch up.

We wanted to see family and attend our niece Jessica's wedding - we spent the week going from lunch to dinner to coffee, lots of fun but hard on the waistline.  I come from a line of great cooks, and my sister, brother and dad all like to entertain.



Jess's wedding was a beautiful, casual country affair, at their home in Lowell, Arkansas.  Her best friend and her two sisters were bridesmaids.
This photo take by Tracy Owen, her photographer, and posted on Jess's Facebook.

Evan, Dad, Me, Norman

Hmmmm, wonder if I am white-haired too? 
I will never know!!!

Fire Ants!

We stopped in Canton, Texas at Mill Creek Ranch Resort.  Very nice park with the longest sites we have seen on our travels.  Since we were only overnighting, we did not unhitch, so could not take advantage of all that luxurious room.  I think I counted 9 ponds on the property, and fortunately not a mosquito in sight.  However, amid all the abundant and beautiful grassy areas lurked the equally abundant Texas Fire ants.  I blithely stood in the cool grass while awaiting doggy duty when the little horrors swamed and showed their irritation at my intrusion by stinging/biting/whatever-they-do the most tender parts of my feet and ankles!  Lesson to self - when in Texas, wear cowboy boots!!!

Now, for the food.  That's what you are waiting for, right?

We had one choice within walking distance that was not a chain.  Located just at the entrance to Mill Creek Ranch, the tiny Street Taco Shack (www.streettacoshack.com) was recommended to us by the Resort employees.  We ordered the Three Taco combo - chicken, pork al pastor and pork carnitas with rice and beans and the Chips Fiesta with guacamole, queso, and salsa, and quickly scurried (as fast as my itching feet could travel) back to the trailer.  One bite of the carnitas taco and fiery but flavorful salsa and we immediately regretted not buying more food.  Savory, spicy, cheesy, creamy, crunchy.... oh my!  Sorry I did not snap a pic, I was too busy fighting Russ for my share, which in view of my injured condition I reckoned I deserved more than him.  But he has such long arms, and is so fast!!   Anyway, don't miss it if you are in the area.  We might even have to swing back that way - grin!

The Fauna of the Fredericksburg KOA

Every day we walk the dogs over to Kamp K9, the doggie park in the KOA.  On the way we pass these three Texas Longhorn Steers, dubbed Huey, Dewey, and Louey.

They are gentle, and used to people, but dogs have to stay 20 feet from the fence.  Riley, part cattle-dog, would like to get in there and run around; while Holly, part princess, could care less.

They both get pretty excited by the wandering pair of Guinea fowl.  All their scooting and head bobbing and clucking is soooo tempting to canines!  The Guineas sometimes go through the fence to a neighboring ranch where a horse and several miniature donkeys reside.  Wish I had the videocam with me as those donkeys charged around their pasture after the Guineas. 

Riley has tried to scale many trees in pursuit of the tail-swishing defiant little red squirels.  And we cannot even walk them up near the office, where a flock of hens and a rooster or two have the run of the place.   There are so many places for the dogs to walk safely here in the park though, I think Holly might have even lost a pound or two.  I know I have!