tues 12/23/14

Well it seems that Christmas is almost here, can you believe it. I can't and I have zilch spirit.  I mean I haven't had any for years but this year its less than ever.  Jeff will not be coming to spend it with us but he is off and will be spending it with a close friend and family.  He and Leroy just were together so it isn't like we haven't seen him much.
I tried rereading my blog to see what I missed. I forgot to tell about needing to go to a quilt store on a sun.  Well as i said, they are all closed here then.  I found a lady that answered a phone and she said she really didn't run a store but she was open so come over.  It wasn't far.  Well it was a lady who used to have a store and now just does custom quilting.  Her building is in her back yard and is as big as a double garage, maybe bigger.  It is packed with quilts and machines and material.  She was so much fun and so interesting I have thought of going back to visit her.  She did have some material I needed and she sold me a yard at a very discounted price. She had lots of quilts she designed and she is pretty good.  Anyhow, we had the best afternoon.
One day when Leroy was gone I went looking for quilt stores in the area.  I found three really nice ones.  Hey Donna, three shops.  Anyhow, one made patterns that they sell and I was so impressed because they looked so big company perfect. One lady had her two Italian greyhounds in the back.  That was cool.  Diesel got to go in a couple of stores and truly enjoyed the extra attention.
We went to Denton one day after Leroy came back to look around.  We will probably move up there in that area when we are ready after the first of the year.
We or rather I got the job I wanted selling photos taken of farms from the sky.  Had the last interview today and got all our info sent in.  Then he is sending me the stuff I need.  Thank goodness they don't require any money and only give you a little bit of inventory to have on hand.  It really makes sense, has good commission, and is a good company.  Lots of workkampers work for them and are really happy with them.  I can do it where ever I want to be, work as much or as little as I want, and Leroy can help if he wants or is not busy.  The company is based out of Everett, isn't that a kick.  I could have been doing this the whole last year.
Weather here is cool, a fair amount of rain and mist.  Feels like  Washington. Would like some warm weather.
Haven't gotten together with my friends down her but with holidays everyone is busy with family.
Did I tell you that we went to the Amon Carter Art Museum.  Carol met us there.  It was really nice.  They had Rembrandt's and other art right down to western art, especially by famous sculptures.  It was really a lovely afternoon.   Then Leroy and I went Billy Bobs for barbecue sandwiches.  That's an interesting place but not near what it gets played up to be.  I think the barbecue is better at the Railhead which is just around the block from us.
We have no special plans for Xmas.  Probably will go to church tomorrow pm and then if the weather is nice we will probably take a walk with the dogs.  We spend time with Jeff when he is with us and play games usually.  But not this year.  Did you hear the movie that Korea is up in arms about is being debuting here this weekend.
Molly and Justin Sindelar come home tomorrow with their new little baby Zeke.  He is a real cutie and from the pictures seems to be a happy baby, so guess the orphanage didn't harm him.  He has a cleft lip and he is walking age so think he is 7-8 mo old.  They are so terribly excited and they have worked so hard to get to this point, its really perfect.  They will be wonderful parents.  Justin is Mike sindelars son (Shirley's  great grandson).
I really don't think much else going on.  We are staying close to home so we can save some money.
I made Xmas cookies today, and ate so many and so much dough that I had a terrible belly ache.
Leroy's Xmas present was to sign up for an online photography class. He is just getting it set up now and it starts in Jan.  I think he will really enjoy it. Its becoming a real hobby for him, so he might as well enjoy it. He can't work like he did on the farm but if he can keep busy other ways that's good.
Guess that is all I have for update.  I told you my life is pretty boring.  I want to get back to hiking country.  I am having to work my exercise routine here in the RV and borrrrring.

Mon 12/8

Am sure I don't have as many followers as in the beginning but know that this is mostly for friends and family that really care and will forgive the boring part of it.  It is also my travel diary really.
I took Leroy to the airport today and he got on the first flight to Seattle.  He flys passes, thanks to our wonderful son ,so you have to be flexible.
I drove to the airport and practiced and did fine.  Yeah for me.  Well on our dry run the other day it was a disaster as we couldn't get out of the airport due to detours and etc and we ended up getting in a fight and it wasn't pretty and ruined the day.  But today when i left there was no detour i realized but had already gone past the spot so had to circle again around the airport so i could go out the correct way.   GOOD GRIEF.  Anyhow I got myself out finally and with no detour it was a snap.   I was even brave and got off the one freeway at Saginaw so I could go to a quilt store.  Damn, it was closed.  Out here they are all closed on Mon.  I can not figure that out.  Carol says a lot of things are closed on sun/mon.  Whats up with that?
But we got back on the freeway and the dogs and I arrived home safely and celebrated with a walk.
Now 4 days to live on my schedule and do as I want, which isn't much different than when Leroy is here. I pretty much do as I want as it is.
Since I am here I may try to post some pictures.  I did post some of the horse ones on facebook, but I have more damn trouble with that.  Sometimes share gives me post,message,link choices and sometimes its public or mine.  I never know if I am sharing things correctly or not.

 Here I am telling Darktanion how much I love him and that I will be back again to see him.

 Here I am brushing one and Solo wants another go at it so she is mouthing my hair to butt in.

 This is Solo's mother.  Aria. She and Darktanion have produced the wonderful gelding Solo.

 This is Kaz, an Arabian that came to Heather skin and bones last year (we saw her, beaten and starved) and now she is wonderful and fat and show quality.  And a big baby,

 This is Lessa.  She is a Darktanion and Shade filly foal and she is full blooded Friesen.

 Can't remember which one this is, some of them have names that are similar.  This is not shade, so it may be Besa

 This is my wonderful Friesen stallion that I love and is as safe and gentle as the day is long.  Yes, she is leading him around by a halter but it was quicker than saddling him up.  Now remember I haven't been on a horse bareback for 30+ years but it was the only way I rode as I couldn't afford a saddle.

My beautiful boy, how much more beautiful could you be.  And this is with his winter hair, tho i did brush him first.

sat 12/6

Well, we went to my friend Carols for thanksgiving and had a great afternoon.  They just treated us like family and it was just a great old fashioned holiday.  I loved it.  Had a smile on my face when coming home.  And they even let the dogs come, isn't that nice?
We went to visit a friend the next day and did some herding, while Leroy did some fixit things for her.  That was also a great day.  She teaches herding and she felt Iris (as the rest of her clan) has a real talent.  She owns Iris' brother.  It was so fun.
Hooked up with another of my friends who owns a relative of Iris (2 actually) and that was so fun also.  Hope I have a chance to see all of them again.  Probably will as I don't think we have seen the last of Texas.  It kinda fels like a second home to us.  Leroy is pretty good finding his way around.
We met with Carol on Tues and went to the Amon Carter Art Museum.  It features mostly western art but it also features other famous artists.  Its a huge place and you could be there way longer than we were.  There were Rembrandt and Georgia O Keefe, and I can't even remember all the other famous artists works there.  I have such a rotten memory anymore.  I think it is cause I have to much to remember. Anyhow, it was a stimulating afternoon. It was painting, photography and sculpture.  I would advise others to go if ever have the chance.
After the museum we went to Billy Bobs for sliced beef sandwiches.  It is quite a place, tho imagine it is really jumping during the evening hours.  I am probably to old for that but wouldn't mind trying.
Since then we haven't done much.  I told Leroy and Jeff something was wrong with my computer but as usual they thought I was crazy.  We took it in and it did need a new wireless board.  See, I was right.  I may not know WHAT'S wrong with things I don't understand but i sure know when something IS wrong.  So that took a week of fixing.  I also cleared up a couple things with my phone still confusing me and learned a lot from the samsung girl.
I have sewn a couple things, projects from the Superior University I was getting every month but never got done. That has been fun.  We also figured out how to keep the birds mess from getting anywhere near my sew machine.  We got some plastic sheeting, see thru, and can hang it between the birds and me when i have my sew machine out.  It will work well.
The birds have been even more fun lately, doing silly things.  Speaking of silly things, in petsmart yest, Sallee decided she wanted these treats off a shelf.  She NEVER asks for things there or even acts interested.  These were a dog biscuit on a stick, like a sucker.  She tried to get one by the stick and pull it out of the box it was in (standing up) and get it down.  She ended up pulling the whole box down and continued to try and pick it up by the stick.  After cleaning up the mess, I decided if she wanted it that bad she should get one, so, she got one and one for Iris.  And also the other treats like it that she was interested in.  They are pumpkin and vanilla and are in a latte cup.  They smell incredible.  Since she never asks we figured she deserved it.  Trixie was like that, she would pick up the largest container of the liver treats she liked, pick it up by the lid and carry it over to Leroy who was usually pushing the cart.  Now how in Gods green earth can you say no to that.
Today we did a dry run to the airport in back with me driving so I can take Leroy to the airport on Mon.  A friend of ours has some of our stuff in her house and she is moving so he has to go and get the stuff that is there and move it into one of our two storage units.  Jeff is helping him as he has three days off.  So we will be here on our own.  Hopefully the weather will be wonderful this time and not cold and miserable. Anyhow I figured it out but let me tell you I hate driving the car for him.  I can't seem to do anything right.  Guess that is a husband and wife thing for many people.
I have worked further to get the job selling air photos to farmers and such.  I talked with the guy and unless there is some terrible thing I am not aware of I should think I will get the job.  I am very excited to do it as it pays well and I think I would enjoy it.  So say a prayer and we will see.  Will post if i get it or not. Funny thing is, they are based out of Everett and I could have been doing this for a long time, can you believe it.   Leroy didn't get the job in the desert he applied for.   Our resume is online at Workkamper.com and it gets looked at a lot but so far very few offers.  Don't know whats wrong with us, they couldn't find better workers.  So anybody reading this, please don't be surprised if you get a call, i listed some of you as references.  Think I have told you but just in case I didn't.
Tomorrow, unless weather prohibits we are going to my friend east of Dallas, that has the
friesen horses, and see her and my favorite horses.
Guess that's as up to date as it gets for now.

wed 11/26

Can you believe its almost thanksgiving.  Good grief, this month really has gone fast for us.  I find that days go slower the more you live in the moments, so evidently i haven't been doing that.
I have been down all month due to whatever it is I had.  God, growing old is the pitts, as my mother used to say.  But I still intend to make the most of it and fight the worse affects off as long as possible.
Can you believe that Leroy never got the bug I had but he carried it out to Jeff and he got it the day his dad came home.
I think we finally got my computer straightened out and my phone too.  I am not sure if we have our signal strength thing working right yet, but it seems to be better.
Lets see, what has happened since I last wrote on the17th.
I know I was going to post two dumb things that only people that know me will understand.   I had a pet fly.  His name was Boeing, and he was just a little guy and he lived in the bathroom.  He was a nice fly and had none of those nasty fly habits.  I made Leroy swear to not touch him, as he is hell with the swatter.  Boeing just sat and watched me, never crawled on me and he was a nice little companion.  But unfortunately they don't have long lives and he died.  I found his body and Leroy swears he didn't kill him.
Then one night Leroy found a couple ticks in one spot on Iris.  He pulled them off (they were dead) and she wanted to see them.  Then he got rid of them and she was obsessed to where they went for 2 days.  She kept looking for them in the same spots, she wanted Leroy to show her something.  It was hilarious.  Leroy figures she was attached to them (pun) and she figured if I could have a fly as a pet she could have a wood tick.  She finally gave it up but it took at least 2-3 days.  My dog is as weird as I am.
We are still here at Cowtown. Its a fair RV park, nothing fancy but  has 5 dog runs.  It is filled with a lot of people that work, on the oil fields or etc  We have been here going on 2 weeks and will stay another.   We haven't had enough chance to visit friends.  We did have supper with one and Iris got to play with her family (brother and half sister).  The half sister has EXACTLY the same bark and if you weren't looking at them you couldn't tell who was barking.  Sallee was totally enthralled with the brother.  He is sable and white and we think it reminded her of Trixie.  It was so cute, she wanted him to play but he thought she was nuts. It was a fun evening.  We ate at the Railhouse which is just around the corner from here.  We ate there last year.  Man, that is the best beef.  I had a pulled beef sandwich and Leroy and Virgie had a rib sandwich.  Think not sandwich but 4 or 5 of the most beautiful ribs laying on a piece of bread.  We were in heaven.  Sorry Cows, I was born and bred a beef eater. 
We had a defrugalty with our debit card that kept us locked in our house for a couple days cause we couldn't get cash and we didn't have ANY, so that needs to be better planning in the future.
We have been invited to my friend Carols for thanksgiving.  I think that is so sweet.  I worked with her on Whidbey.  Its so fun to see her now away from any work connections.
We are going to the Amon Carter museum next tues with her, and maybe the cowgirl museum.  I have wanted to go there so am looking forward to it.  We were going this week but our financial status screwed that up.
We went back to a trail we found last year.  It links Mineral Wells and Weatherford.  Its a great trail. We made it half way from weatherford this year so next time on it we will start at mineral wells and go half way until we can do the whole thing at once.
I love washing clothes here as they have it in three different places so its usually not busy and its cheap.  So washing clothes is my reading or catch up time.
Sitting outside in the sunshine writing this.  Thankfully I now have a computer I can see the screen outside. Diesel is in the chair beside me and the other two are on a rug next to the chair.  They love just sitting outside at these places if they can, lots to watch and the weather is great.  That was Iris job on the farm, just watching.  She and Iris broke the place up and eached watched a different area.  Trix usually found a sunny spot and just slept.
We have a lead on a job, its a fill in at an ATV focused RV park south of palm springs calif for the winter.  Its a maintenance job for Leroy, I figure I would just sit by the pool all winter and read and enjoy myself.   But I have a resume in for a job selling photos of farms and ranches from the sky.  I would love that, would be home health without trying to take care of people.  We had one of those photos, everyone on the farms did, and I still have it to this day.  I loved it so its something I could be enthusiastic about.   It pays well and its on your schedule so I might apply for that if they get back to me. And I could do it wherever we are, cool huh? The maintenance job he applied for covers full lodging and some money for work, minimum wage but hey.
Leroy finally got his new phone.  The story on that.  When we were in Arkansas Leroy lost his phone.  We looked and looked for it and finally since we have insurance called for them to replace it.  After a while and the phone hadn't come guess what we found the phone but since he was getting an upgrade we just waited for the phone.  It came but now he has to learn to use it.  So that was a bit of a tight time as we only had one phone and that one wasn't working well.
Lets see, what else.  Oh the trees are just turning color here and they are so lovely.  Those that know me know how much I love fall color. So I have just been enjoying myself these last two years, i get to enjoy fall for months and months.
Dogs need baths and there is the best pet store next door.  I would do it today but she said last year they had 29 baths the day before thanksgiving, so guess we will wait till another day.  Fri we are meeting a friend at her house and doing some chores in exchange for some herding lessons.  She teaches herding so it works out great, we save money, she gets chores done, we get a lesson and she gets to teach, how much better could it be?
The weather was cold for a few days, not as cold as when Leroy was in Washington but cool at nite and jackets during the day. Then we got rain last weekend, man Sat it poured.  The rest of the country is not like Washington, when it rains it rains like hell but then when it stops it is stopped. We had high winds too, so we snuggled down inside and Leroy worked on fixing little things and it ended up being pretty decent days.  We took the dogs for walks, but it was funny, people were more holed up in their RV's than us.  Walking and getting soaking wet doesn't really bother me so that wasn't a big issue.  I hate wind usually, (its not my favorite element God) but when its not bitter below zero windchill's I don't mind it, or I can at least tolerate it. Now the weather is perfect for me.  Probably been in the 40's at nite and 60-70's during day.  Perfect by my bodys standards.
I can't think of anything else to post.  Pretty Boring Huh?
May you all have or had a great  Thanksgiving and looking forward to a holiday season filled with love and grace and remembrance of what its all about.

mon 11/17/14

Lets try this again.  One of the worst things in all this, the traveling, is not getting decent signals.  The parks all say they have signals but they are so unreliable.  We have a plan to fix that soon, just haven't had time.
I am well, tho let me tell you, it is true, things hit you harder the older that you become. This was a bitch and it took me forever.  I still get pretty tired but that won't last long.  I will build up strength fast.  Thank goodness for my training.  I need to get back into the swing of my exercise program and training.
We ran an errand on Fri and sat and sun the weather was so crummy we stayed holed up in the house.  The dogs are sick of being stuck in the house with me being laid up and the weather.  Hopefully it should be warming up and we can hit some trails, or see Iris relatives.
We have talked with some friends down here but haven't seen anyone yet.  We are here for at least a week so should see them sometime during that.  We will be here a week and will reassess at the MD of that time.
We are at Cowtown in Aledo like we were last year.  It is cheaper daily and a lot cheaper as they offer a weekly rate and tho the other one was nicer it was more expensive and didn't offer a weekly rate.
We did get a call on our resume tonight.  A animal sanctuary in Arizona.  I need to do some more research on it to see if we want to take it but at least someone called.  We must have impressed someone anyhow.

wed 11/12

Finally I can sit at the computer for a while so will get this up to date.  Mon following the last post I can't remember what we were doing.  Think we were hanging around for a package that was coming in the mail.  My dear friend Donna is our mail carrier and I am not sure how long she wants that crappy job but I so appreciate it.
Tues we went to the Heber Springs Humane Society.  We had cleaned out and had some xtra things since we were down to one cat that we wanted to donate.  While we were there I decided to see what kind of dogs they had.  They had many pit crosses but some really really nice dogs. Makes you wonder why they end up in the shelter.  Are people too lazy to try and train a dog that will end up being the best friend you ever had?  Do people not realize that training a dog creates an incredible bond between you, more than you will have ever been able to have without it?  Do they look at animals as dispensable? Rarely are dogs in shelters, or cats, because of a legit reason, such as death or etc?  Usually its some dumb reason that could be worked out if they had asked for help and been willing to accept and learn, but that's the key, willing to accept .  So anyhow, I shan't go on and on.  It was funny they didn't have hardly any black dogs (like the whidbey island black dog society at our shelter).  They did have a sign up that had 10 or 12 reasons for adopting a black cat.  So I guess there is a (Arkansas black cat society) instead.
I spied one dog I would have loved, a Pyrenees/yellow lab crossed.  Man if I had a stable place he would have gone home.  But he was slated to be managed by a rescue that saves certain ones so they don't get put down.  I also spotted a little mostly black dog who reminded me of one of Donna's wonderful dogs (mocha who looked like waldo)  both wonderful dogs.  She was not slated to be saved.  I sent a picture to Donna who on the spot wanted to save her.  The shelter has a wonderful thing, they let you sponsor a dog by paying the adoption fee and then it can't be put down but if someone wants to come in and adopt the dog and can't afford it (like elderly) they can get the dog with no cost.  You can sponsor a specific dog, or put money in for someone and let them find themselves the dog.   So on the spot we decided we had to at least do that.
We went home and tried to figure out how to do it. In the meantime, I could not imagine this shelter.  A good shelter, relatively clean, run by caring individuals who are paid minimal wage doing the best they could and it was packed. NO VOLUNTEERS, just the occasional work release people or community service ordered people.  I couldn't stand it and said I would come in every morning and work till we left and do what we could.
I went in on wed and Thurs.  I worked my butt off.  I cleaned cat cages, floors, dog kennels, the babies, I washed linens, I alerted them to a couple of animals to watch closely, I cleaned up, I organized stuff.  If it was there to be done I did it.  Made everyone else look like slackers I might add.  I am a demon when I get going.  Of course I was exhausted every nite and dying but damn it felt good to be doing something worthwhile.
In the meantime we formulated a plan.  We would adopt the black dog.  In fact, it was veterans month and Leroy could adopt for free.  Then we would drive her to Dallas where Leroy could fly her to Seattle free (thanks to our darling son) where she could then be united with her forever home.  Donna and Gherry Taylor. So off we went on Fri am.
Only glitch in the plan was that Thurs pm I got deathly ill.  I was puking and diarrhea and fainty and painful like I haven't ever had in many years.  I was so sick.  I figured it was a 24 hr bug.   Thank God we have the motor home as I could lie in bed for most of the trip to Dallas.  It was a horrendous 24 hours, I don't even want to post the details.  Well, 24 hrs baloney!  It went into 48 and on.  We got to Dallas Sat pm late.  We found a place, expensive, but we just wanted to stop so I could recover. Leroy spent the rest of the time trying to care for me, get things in place so I could live here alone while he was gone. So he had me sick, our 3 dogs to deal with and cat and my demanding little birds and a new dog with no history that he had to get ready to ship.  The place was just trashed cause we were just keeping heads above water. He finally got a flight out Mon pm.  I thought I was feeling better but did have another siege after he left. Anyhow he and black dog with no real name left on Mon.  They arrived in Seattle late Mon nite and not only were the Taylor's there but Jeff as well.  She rode like a trooper and tho I am sure she still does not know what her forever home is like.  I am sure things will settle down for her and she will settle in and be happy. She is a ladies dog so she has already it sounds, started bonding with Donna. She also got a name.  Sophie.   Perfect for her.  She is sweet and lady like and gentle and has the sweetest gentlest eyes.
So that brings us to today.  Leroy is unable to get a flight out home today but should return on Thurs.  He, thank God, is being a sweetheart and taking a taxi home.  We are camped about 15-20 min from the airport but the airport is a nightmare.  We had a hell of a time to get him there and I got lost trying to get back.  It is not well signed I think.  We ended up going in circle after circle in that "I can't get there from here" mode.
I think I must have picked a parasite or something up at the shelter.  I kept saying I had parvo but no one seemed to appreciate my sick sense of humor. I am afraid I may have gotten c-diff, but only will time tell if that's true.  I have existed now for 24 hours with no terrible bouts and able to keep some mild things down, so hopefully I can get some hydration back.  I lost 11 lbs in less than 4 days.  Great diet.
Terrible thing is, I had made some delicious potato soup before I got sick I can't stand to look at and some wonderful easy microwave fudge which I couldn't even stand the smell of.  Leroy made me use one of our popcorn bowls for an urp bucket so guess I won't be eating PC any time soon either. So it may have put me on the start of a wonderful diet.
For those of you who care, it seems that Iris very well may have inflamatory bowel syndrome but we have gotten things regulated with a high fiber no grain food (Blue) and a bid dose of Metamucil that she takes in canned food.  It seems to be working and her appetite is good and she isn't shunning the plan yet.  Usually things don't work for very long for her but right now she has been going strong for at least 2 weeks.  Thank you Robin Kletke and the vet in  Heber Springs for suggesting Metamucil. A great natural way to manage some awful symptoms and boy is she happier.  I swear the whole thing gave her a few more gray hairs.  She had a pretty sore butt for a while and now I sympathize with her so we commiserated about that.
The weather here in Texas is sunny but cool 40's and windy.  I look like an Eskimo going out to potty the dogs.  So they are getting minimal exercise and attention, tho we are hanging out together.
When Leroy gets back we will go from there about what to do next.   We seem to live life from day to day, but guess we always did.  Jobs just gave us structure we had no flexibility with.  I think we are at heart, nomads or Gypsy's.  We both come from the generation of hippy thinking and I think there is a lot of people out here like us, which we seem to meet daily.  Maybe we aren't strange, its the rest of you.
Oh in the midst of this, Leroy lost his phone, scheduled to get a new one and then found his after they had taken care of getting him a new one.  (Wouldn't you know).  Mine still has some glitches in it that Leroy hasn't had any luck getting someone to fix.  So hopefully he will be able to address that when he gets back again. So our abilities to communicate with the outside world have been a bit stifled. 
That sums up our last week, and hopefully I will be back on line again for a while.

Sun 11/2

Today is Sallee's 10th birthday.  We placed Frisbee till both of us were exhausted.  Then we had a nice long walk alone and some obedience training time.  The rest of the time she was outside until supper and then she came in and is about to crash.  Iris played a lot today too and with being outside and it being Sallee's bday she must have just worn herself out.  She is also exhausted.  Diesel was outside all day too, and tho he was mostly in a blanket all the time he is tired too.  They all ate good tho
The Metamucil seems to be working for Iris bowels.  She is going and I know if we could get her regulated her butt wouldn't hurt so much and then she wouldn't have that urge to go all the time and not have anything there. We have a script we can use should we want to try it but i would like to avoid it if possible.  She takes her Metamucil in about a tsp of canned food in a bowl before she eats and she has been scarfing it down and eating more food than usual tonight.  So yippee if we can fix it, cause I can't show her in anything if she will probably poop in the ring.  Today we took a really long walk together and she never stopped to poo once.
It has been pretty cold the last few nites.  We have been disconnecting water every nite.  The Am's have been in the 30's.  The campground is mostly deserted, just a few hardy souls left.  Leroy's friends across the way left today, too bad.
Today was the last day of his fishing license.  He went out and was gone hours.  He finally brought home a trout tonight.  It was only one but he has been discouraged never catching them tho he loves sitting around on the beach.  I told him where i thought he should fish based on the rangers suggestions and to use what he suggested and he had lots of bites but only caught one. So i hate to say so but I was right, ha ha ha
As i said the nites are cool and the days are cool fall beautiful days.  It was so peaceful to go out walking today.  I should be sewing but it has been so nice getting caught up on stuff, feels so freeing.
Think it is all for now

10/30 Fri (I assume)

Another beautiful fall day.  What is it where you are?  Wish I got more comments on this blog, feel like I am all alone.  Tho it is my own diary so to speak.
We have been having fires each nite, even when it is cool.  I read our homework out loud and we discus it.  We are perfecting our resume and learning what there is out there and where we want to dig deeper.  Our resume has been being looked at daily numerous times.  It is thru workkamper news and employers go there to find people for there jobs.  They also give us leads as where to go to get what we are looking for.  I think we may take volunteer positions to start with and then go from there.  I am strongly considering getting a position with a helicopter group that uses workkampers and they photograph farms and then the people on the ground sell them.  Some people have worked for them for over 10 years.  No investment just work as much as you want to.  Since it is something I grew up with and loved and something I would love doing I may try for that as a supplement and then do it as we travel and maybe after we settle if we ever do.  We may die on the road so to speak. Anyhow that is how we spend our evenings.   Yest. we went on a hike on Collins creek.  my photographer friend suggested that for pictures.  It was a great walk. Dogs loved it. A creek that runs thru the woods.
Still in the process of reloading my computer.  It may take a long time.  I lost things that I can't get back readily.  Contacts are coming along, I had many in another area but there will still be some I need to scrounge to get.  Anyone that reads this and wants to send me an email feel free and then I can get it from that if I don't have it.
Did I say I fell in a hole the other nite.  My first fall since I quite wearing my glasses when I walk.  I stepped in a hole in the pitch dark so I don't think that really counts.
Leroy has been fishing every day, Am's and sometimes PMs, and there has been days he has out 3x.  I mean it is only a short block across the campground (about 300feet he says) to the river.  And with the fall colors it is so pretty.  He took some great pictures and if I can get them on to my computer I will post one especially.
Well,all from the road for now.

10/29 Wed pm 2

The stew was excellent.  I had beef, potatoes,peas, baby limas, okra, a few of Leroy's dried hot peppers, onion, carrots and red peppers in it.  I always make thing up as I go along but the flavors blended and it was so good I even liked it and I am past being a big stew person.  So it was a success.
Did I tell you when we were in Park Rapids we met some little (middle school age) girls that were holding up a sign on the corner for a hot dog and drinks at the high school for the basketball team.  I talked to them thru the window and they informed us the high school was the opposite way we were turning.  So we went around the block and up by the girls again in the other lane, asked for directions (she came out on the street to give me directions) and headed for the school.  Who could not like those girls and Leroy is such a sucker for kids trying to earn money.  We went up there and the hot dogs were exceptional, fries, and drinks for nothing (just donation) which Leroy found some money to give.  Then they gave us 3 sacks of potatoes (10 lb bags + or -) and carried them to the car for us besides.  The potatoes were free and were donated by the big potato grower up there, they even gave me 3 potato peelers too.
We gave away lots of potatoes but still have plenty for ourselves so trying to find lots of ways to use them. If you don't know what to fix for a meal just give Leroy a potato and he is happy.
Had to share that with you.

While we were sitting there eating a younger man sat down with us, and his dau.  He started a conversation and we went along.  He seemed like a young farmer to me, Leroy thought a teacher.  I asked him what he did and found out he was the superintendent.  We had a nice long discussion then on the roles of the superintendent and the school boards and etc. Leroy gave him his idea that is a take off from a commercial where kids say use the paid vacation days that go to waste each year.  Leroy's idea is if everyone would contribute one days vacation pay to their school district or school of their choice just think how many programs we could save. Anyhow, he thought about it and we discussed how it could get started and he said he might see what he could do with that.  So if you see the ads for that and that promotion, remember it came from Leroy.  He figures if you don't take your vacation day then put it to charity and write it off.  You really wouldn't even notice it.  Good idea huh?

10/29 Wed pm

I think I forgot to put in that while Leroy was gone the other day I met a photographer on the river that was giving a class.  We visited for quite a while when he was waiting for his students to arrive.  After they arrived I tried to horn in on the class to learn all I could.  He was fine with that.  I pointed out a few shots to him, before and while students were there and he said "You have a good eye"  and then turned to his students and said " If this lady tells you to look at something make sure you start your camera, cause she has a good eye"   He went on during the class to tell me that I should get a larger camera and gave me ideas of what to get that would be good for me.  And he helped me with my small camera a little.
Funny thing was when i went down to the same spot at sunset there was a wildlife photographer there and we had another nice conversation.   What are the chances of meeting two photographers in one day.
But I was very excited he said that two me and was really puffed up for a while.  I told Leroy he would be hearing me say that now, he said "I know"  so guess I better keep my patting on my back to myself.
I plan on looking thru my pictures tonight and if any of them are good I will post them.

Wed 10/29

Guess we will be in Heber Springs till Sun at least.  Hopefully by then we will have figured out our next step.
The weather turned cooler today.  Probably high 60's.  The sun shone part of the day and it is really bright even when its not shining.  We are in a river valley with the Ozarks going up on both sides.  Today there were a couple gun shots from somewhere and they rang thru the valley.  Who knows was it a hunter, or a domestic?  :)   But anyhow, sounds echo down here and are amplified.  Keeps you from getting in a fight or everyone would hear it, ha ha.  The colors are just changing here and the hills (or Ozark Mts as they are called) are a mix of yellows and orange and red and browns and greens.  It is beautiful country, really.  If you haven't been here you should give it a tour.
The campground is empty this week with may of the workkampers gone now and we filled up the sites.  Just a few local Arkansans spending time here, and one workkamper going home from working 8 mo in the Core of Engineers spots.  But of the many spots in this park, very few have people.  Not sure if they will fill up this weekend or not.  I forget that people in these warmer areas can camp all year long.  Its a concept that is foreign to me from my days in Minn. tho we did camp all winter in some form or another.
The people that live down here are very friendly and helpful to visitors.  The guy fixed the brake lights on the jeep yest for Leroy and never charged him one cent.  It was a relay switch and Leroy could not find it.  I mean how good is that.
Today he had to exchange the faucet he bought for the bathroom.  Got another just like the one we have and it still won't fit but in looking at it he figured out how to fix the old one so guess we are off and running on that.   The swivel handle on the bathroom faucet just swiveled itself right off.
I have been spending my time trying to catch up on paper work, bible studies, and playing with the dogs as well as cooking and cleaning and I did go wash clothes on sun.  Life goes on no matter where you live.
Yest I fixed beef stew but it wasn't done so we will eat it tonight.  It has sat for a day and a half so it should be quite good.  It was good for the first taste so I was proud.  Was fun knowing I did remember how to cook.
Iris went to the vet yest.  Then we had to drive to Conway to get some food for her.  Conway is a pretty large town with just about anything you need.  Leroy figured it is a bedroom town of Little Rock.   Iris had nothing special he could see so he suggested we put her on psyllium (Metamucil) 2x/day and get her a food that was as high in fiber as we could find.  Since she was already out of food we drove up to Conway to get food and Metamucil.  Getting plain old Metamucil wasn't easy, its all orange flavored now. Didn't think she would like that.  If all this doesn't help her bowel problem he said it really with all the other stuff they have tested for a very good chance she has inflammatory bowel disease.  I really don't want to go there so please pray that isn't the case.  Poor girl, except for her butt hurting and straining all the time she is doing fine and looks fine.   Still causing a stir here at the campground.
They have lots of Sonics here so we have had a few days of shakes as we like them  We are also in the Chick fil A and Steak and Shake places but haven't gotten to any of them yet.  They did turn into our favorites tho.
We did take a walk the other day to Bridle Veil Falls which didn't have much water going over it at this time of the year but the rock formations were certainly interesting.  Took some good pictures tho.  I take pictures of textures and formations and things like that.  I like them plus I always think they are good ideas for quilts or quilting.
Guess that's all for my entry today.

sun 10/26

I decided I am not descriptive enough in my blog to share the things with you that happen.  I will try to do a better job so its not such boring reading.
Today is our first day after the end of the seminar.  Some people are still attending RV inspection classes.  So I washed clothes today,  Leroy went out fishing this am and now I am at the community center for a while using their Internet. 
The weather here went into the 80's about 4 days ago and I guess there is still another day of it to come.  I love love the weather but I remember why I hated Minn summers.  I absolutely hate humidity tho I am handling it better than I used to thanks to menopause being over.
I don't have long to write as I need to get the bills done before the center shuts down.
Guess we will be here in this area a while longer as Leroy bought a 2 week fishing license so he may be hitting a few more of the pristine rivers in Arkansas.
I will say, Iris has been a hit. Everyday people come over to see her that say, " I heard about the beautiful collie, and I had to see her"  So she is quite a hit.  Many have had collies in the past or raised them. Not to forget Sallee, they like her and compliment her but one guy did want to take her.
So all for today.

Fri 10//24

I am starting this but forgive mistakes.  It is tiny on my computer and I don't know how to increase the size and I have no one around to ask. I think I must have figured it out.  This windows 8 has quite a learning curve. But I am getting it.
I can't believe I haven't written since Minnesota. I made some notes as we went along but have had poor reception so couldn't get on the web and some spots I couldn't even make a phone call. So forgive me any of you that wonder why I dropped off the face of the earth.  I couldn't do a lot on the road as the roads are so bumpy anymore.  Every state has terrible roads any more so it seems no state has money to fix them.
Lets see, some stories.  I am not sure if I told this or not but we were in a town and before leaving we drove by a coffee shop.  An old cowboy was leaning on the post outside the door drinking his coffee waiting for his partner who was getting his.  As I walked up he said to me " That's a pretty long wagon train you got there".  I just got a kick out of that.  So we are a wagon train.
We got tshirts in San Antonio when I gave blood that were promotions from the Silver Spurs basketball team.  I wore mine the other day, or I thought it was mine, and the day was more than 1/2 over and I realized that it had all sorts of holes all over it.  The more I looked at it, tho embarrassed I figured it looked like a lot battery acid holes.  Leroy agreed.  Could not figure out how that would have happened to me. That nite I checked his closet, sure enough, mine was in his closet.  I could prove it by the size.  So all day I wore his holey t shirt and it probably WAS battery acid and here I had been wondering if I had moths or if I had done something to it in the wash and he never even  gave me any slack that maybe it was his.  Mine was in perfect condition.  MEN!!!
We saw a large Holstein cow statue and a large sandhill crane statue.
Jeff had a birthday and he celebrated it by getting some pieces for his camera.  Would you believe it someone busted his car window and stole his camera.  Poor kid, it really put a damper on his birthday.
It kind of seems I wrote all this but when I looked back at the blog I couldn't find it.  I write these things in my mind and then when I do write it it kinda seems like dejavue.  So it may be but it may be just that I can't remember if I did it or not.  My brain is so full of stuff I have spill over at ties
We left the cities and spent an evening with Heidi and had such a nice time.  I wish she was well but she has a true tough spirit that seems to run in this family and it seems to keep carrying her along.  I spent a day and overnight with my sister Kathy and I always enjoy seeing my sisters.  We went out for lunch and took Leroy to the walk-in clinic.  He had fallen in the creek in Montana when he was fishing in Montana and hurt his shin.  He ended up with cellulitis.  So he had to be on antibiotics and it was sore for a few days.  Then I went down and spent a day and nite with Bonnie after we all met for lunch together to celebrate her birthday.  That was fun and Bonnie and I spent a long time going over her family tree that seems to be growing and growing. Before I left Rennie came in the morning so it was fun to see him, it always is.  He is one hell of a kid.
Then we started out to get to Arkansas as soon as we could. We drove some long days. Poor Leroy, he wouldn't let me help because the wind was so terrible he thought it might have been out of my line of expertise in the driving department.  I would have to have my log to know what days we went and where we stayed (which is not with me now).  I just know they were long long days.  We stopped at a quilt store in Iowa, I think we stopped in Missouri too, oh yeah, that was a really cool store.  I have hit one here in Arkansas that wasn't so spectacular but had lovely people running it.
We had one thing on our mind and that was getting to our destination here in Arkansas.  We are in Heber Springs Arkansas.  We came to go to a Workkamper Rendezvous.  It has been 4 days of the most informative seminars and we have learned so much that will help us with our lifestyle and working on the road and about our rig and cooking and resume writing and new electronic classes and I can't even repeat all we have learned.  Our minds are just boggled.
We met some of the nicest people the minute we got out of the RV.  We made good friends out of the people that were parked on both sides of us and had some fun. May keep in touch with these people for a long time.  I have really learned how one of the attractions of workkamping  is the relationships you make and I have learned this is really true for us all along.  Now we have a common bond with others in the same place and time as us.
So the first day we had breakfast and lunch here at the seminars.  We have seminars in am and pm and some group seminars.  The next day was seminars and a home show of some of the RV's.  Little did I know Leroy volunteered our rig for one of the home shows so I had to quickly clean it and make it presentable which is hard when you have 5 animals in there. The next day (yesterday) we had seminars again and we had a huge barbecue in the evening as an ending.  Today was bonus sessions and Leroy had one on tax secrets and such.  He also has a RV weigh session tomorrow am.   He is considering doing the education and testing to become an RV inspector and RV campground technician to help us make money and save money by doing our own work.
The whole thing officially ends today.  We plan on staying here thru Monday and maybe longer if we aren't sure what we are doing.  We will now try to find a position that will suit us.  Maybe for $ and a campsite, maybe volunteer just for a campsite.  We aren't sure what the next step will be.  We just wait til the Lord tells us what it is.  We just do this journey based on faith.   That was another thing that was cool, this workkamper business is a christian based business and it is family run and let me tell you they are THEE coolest family you can ever imagine.  I can't tell you how much we have learned and taken away from these days.  Its a great feeling to be part of such a great organization.
It has been held in the community center here and it is the nicest facility.  The food was catered by a local restaurant called Good Times. It is run by the sweetest black lady who learned to cook in New Orleans.  The food has been incredible.  I have had thee best mac and cheese that I have ever had. And we became friends and when we went to her restaurant she gave us an appetizer and a desert free.   The appetizer was the most different and delicious onion rings I have ever eaten.   The desert was a cream cheese roll (it had a fancier name) and it was like an egg roll with cream cheese in it and covered with fresh apple compote.  She also fixes green beans with bacon and such that was so good.  Good southern comfort food.
We are sitting in the community center catching up on computer stuff since we can't get a signal at the campground and I didn't want to use up all our gigs on the hot spot.
I don't know where we will be in the next few days.  We may change to a different park so we can get wifi better. We are staying in the Corps of Engineer parks that are so lovely and it really feels like camping. Plus with out senior parks card it is only costing us $11/noc and we can't hardly beat that.  It is so beautiful here I must take some pictures and post them.  Think this is all for today.

Mon 10/13.

I think I have my days screwed up.  Sorry, those of you who are following this.  We ended up going as far as Detroit Lakes on the 11th.  Long day and we ended up there cause we couldn't find anything else.  The we headed to Shakopee via Park Rapids on an errand.  We got in to Prior Lake, the casino late sat.  We had supper with the family and crashed.  We set up the RV on sun after church and then spent the late aft and evening with Shirley and family and saw Mike and Sandy.  We went to Mikes church and he is an excellent minister and knows how to preach a sermon more like a lesson and it is very good.
Today I tried to catch up on the cleaning of this place, and the bird cages and cat box and all that crap that goes with day to day living.  It was a mess in here.  I hope to get some wash done at Shirley's. 
I want to see my niece Heidi and my sisters but time is flying by so have no idea what is ahead.
Leroy spent the morning trying to find someone to fix our electrical problem we have with this unit (probably the inverter).   Word to Wise:  Do not get a completely electric unit with an inverter, it is nothing but trouble in that regard.
So things are in the wind, do i go to Rochester/Racine by myself, how long does it take for the RV to get done, can I see my family before we leave, was this a bust to come here so late.  I am a bit stressed and overwhelmed.    It would seem we will have to come back in the spring or summer and see the family then when we can make more time.  In the meantime we need to get to our Workkamper workshop/seminars in Arkansas and see if we can find a way to work as we travel before we go completely broke.
I plan on posting some pictures that go with the previous blogs.  I am going thru my pictures and naming and organizing them so you may get some out of order but they are pictures to share.                  Sorry to share my frustration with all of you.  I love flexibility and uncertain schedules but not when they depend on others and I affect others and I have to coordinate with others.  Then I get a little discombobulated.
Oh we did stop in Miles City Montana and tried to get to see the two surviving white buffalo but they were on winter pasture so we missed them,

 This is the campsite and the river of the place in Big Timber Mt.

 This is at the North Dakota Badlands.  Doesn't that look like a buffalo head.

 More butts for my but quilt

 I decided I would let him pass, we didn't want to get to friendly.

 This is the biggest cow in the world.

I always wanted long legs, see, I got them.

Fri 10/10/14

It is dark out and we are still on the road.  That doesn't happen much.  Leroy wants to make it to Fargo tonight.  We will probably get in late and have to stay in a walmart lot, but what the heck.
Started the day out early by our standards (630 wash time) but we still never get on the road till 10.  We had a two hour time zone difference and it still didn't look early even tho Diesel and I were really tired and did not want to get up.  I ate protein to late last nite and could not go to sleep.  Wide away for most of the nite, finally fell asleep early am after a couple Tylenol.  Well, when I don't sleep, diesel and iris, and occasionally Sallee doesn't sleep either.   I was out on the couch and after a while Diesel came out to check on me and try to get me to go back to bed (leading me there).  I changed his diaper, he was wet but he didn't want to go out (thankgoodness).   I took him back and put him on the bed with Leroy and he curled up.  I went back to the couch.  Soon he came out again and decided if I wasn't going to come in there he would sleep with me on the couch, so he snuggled in.  Then early am when I finally decided I could sleep I took him and back to bed we went.  Well in a couple hours
there is Leroy up, dressed and almost ready to take off. Well, little Diesel was with me, looking at Leroy like he was crazy. We lounged on the bed, then the couch until we both decided we could get up.  Iris was sound asleep in her crate the whole time.  She can come and go in her crate, she knows how to open and shut the door from either side so she goes to bed when she wants.
Before we left town I decided to go get coffee this am instead of slowing Leroy down by making it at home.   He drove up across the street with the rig and i got out and headed to the coffee place.  An older cowboy(yes, the real thing) was standing their drinking his while he waited for his friend to get his.  He looked at me and said, "that's quite a long wagon train you got there"   I love it so now instead of an RV, we have a wagon train.
We came thru the north part of North Dakota.  Its all oil wells, and ranches up here. Saw some fracking

thurs pm

Spent the day in the park, driving and hiking.  Then supper at Boots Bar and Grill and the food, especially the potatoe soup was incredible.
Diesel was facinated by the prairie dogs, have a cute picture of him facinated by them.  All the dogs were really, and Iris was really interested in the wild horses we saw(or free range horses, whatever the case may be).
Hopefully tomorow as we drive i can get some pictures posted so i don't get so far behind.
We are spending the nite in Medora North Dakota and this is a small town.  Good thing the bar and grill had good food as it was to late to cook and it was the only show in town.  Full of young cowboy families and old cowboys.  This is a working mans town!

10/9/14 Thurs

Well we went the north route and are here ready to check out the badlands.  If you have never gotten here they are just as pretty or maybe more than the South Dakota badlands. They were the spot that Teddy Rosevelt found and made him start the national park system.  He ranched out here for a while.
All this beautiful land we have saved for us to look at in this country is thanks to him.  It is a shame that the park system is not getting funding as it deserves it.  People travel all over the world and yet have never seen many of the beautiful things we have here in the lower 48. We have history and we have beauty, you just have to travel and look in the right places to see it.  If I would have any political bandwagon (I am not a political person) would be for the government to save more land, and preserve what we have here, and continue to support what we already have.  We have species here in our own country that need saving, that need appreciating and that need support.  Wild horses for one. Even if you aren't a bird watcher you should try to see some of these species that are here.  The United States is a beautiful and awesome place and we often forget it when we get wrapped up in the daily news of the world and big cities. We need as a population to stop, look, and appreciate what we do have.  People from those countries that every one goes to visit come HERE for their vacations.  I wonder why, maybe we have more in our backyard than we realize.  Check it out folks.

WED 10/8

Well I have to work backwards cause i lose track of days and time and what we did when.  Today we are continuing east thru Montana.  We are taking the north route thru North Dakota so we can see the  North Dakota Badlands again and come down to southern Minn. thru Duluth.  I was born near Duluth in Moose Lake, unless you believe the story about the aliens and Roswell ,New Mexico.
We went thru Billings and stopped at a couple of quilt stores.  One was wonderful, I would move there just to be near the store.  Huge and a wonderful stash of batiks, a quilt machine and lots of space for quilters for classes or like this group today, they just get together 2-3 x a week to sew there.  They just work on their own projects.  Beautiful selection of fabrics.  I could have spent a lot there.  So Donna, you should see the treasure from there you are getting.  The other one was nothing special.  The first one is BackPorch Quilts and they have a big online store too I think.

Today poor little Sam bird's cage tipped over.  Oh what a mess I have as the water and food tipped over and out of the cage and the stuff inside is a mess.  He looks to be unscathed but will know more after the next rest stop.

The lst two nites were spent in Big Timber Montana at an off the road spot.  An RV place set beside the water.  A fiercly rushing stream that leroy spent many of the last two days fishing as it is a good year round trout stream but none was to be caught by him, just a few nibbles.  I spent most of the time sitting outside doing my paperwork and reading, playing with dogs and training the dogs and doing my exercise outside.  So I was relaxed.  As I said I spent the evenings sitting by the Rv listening to the water about 100 yds away and staring at the full moon, drinking wine.  Tho last nite got a bit chilly early.  The days have been in the 70's. 
While we were there I ran into to town and got groceries and stopped at the quilt store.  What a great store, yarn and fabric and friendly folk.  They had the full line of Fiorini threads (as did the one today) and I have never seen their full line.  What beautiful colors.  Many many shades of each color. It was beautiful just to look at.  Fiorini must be a popular thread here.
The shop today had lots of embroidery stuff too, and I could have spent a fortune if I had one.
The shop yest had fun ladies to talk to.  Local ones were getting ready to go to a retreat.  That one is up in the mts and they do their own cooking and sleep on cots, and tho they all raved about it, it didn't sound that great for my old bones.  It cost about $230.  They have the occasional bear scare up there which i guess adds to the excitement and fun.  She said no one ever complains about the sleeping or cooking.  Another lady who was leaving this fri for a retreat and I both decided we needed a bit more luxury at our age.  She was going to one in Red Lodge that is a retreat center and has one tabel and light overhead for each, plenty of outlets, plenty of space and great beds and they cook for you.  It is $200 for the 4 days.  She said her group of 12 never complains either, ha ha.

sat 10/4

Well I can finally relax.     Last nite I wrote the blog and then lost it.   I could not find it anywhere or even get into my blog.  I was panic stricken and as you all know I am dramatic so I worked myself into a tizzy.  Not good as we were already tired, both Leroy and I , so it was high tension in here last nite.  Finally I was able to let go, just cause I was totally exhausted. We both crashed and slept till almost 11.

Now the reason for the above is cause I had to get a new computer  The last one was fried with malware.  So now I have to re enter stuff and reload stuff and learn a new operating system.  I am not to technologically behind times usually but I don't know how to troubleshoot and often not how to solve problems.  I have to say I am getting better though.   This computer has windows 8 on it and I was really comfortable with windows 7 as I had learned it before I ever learned anything else.  So whole new way to get thru life.   Leroy has it on his computer but he doesn't really know it either.

So this am Leroy sat down with me and we called the Geek Squad (the online support system) and we put many hours in but we got things that I was having trouble with straightened out.  Then I had one small glitch yet and I was able to call Jeff and he talked me thru it.

Jeff had set the whole thing up for me so if he hadn't I would still be standing in the store wondering what computer to buy, how to load it and etc.   That kid is a lifesaver.

Which brings me to say, Jeff is the neatest kid in the world and I love him to pieces.  How was I so lucky to get such a great kid when I was such a wicked stepmother.  I hardly feel I deserve him, but now I can't imagine life without him.  He is fun, and funny, and intelligent, sensitive, loving, and any other great adjective I can imagine to say.

The other new news is that my friend Donna's husband is in the hospital for a cardiac procedure and if anyone can spare a prayer send one his way.  Hopefully this will help him get a handle on this heart failure and he can lead a happy and productive life.

Playing catch up

Here I am updating my blog as ordered to by my son and a friend.  Ha Ha

It has been a bittersweet summer.  The weather in the NW has been totally incredible. I have just enjoyed it and soaked it all up.  I haven't missed very many days.

We thought we were helping some friends as payback for the nice things they were doing for us but I think we over did it and it didn't end all as well as I had hoped.  Plus my mouth always gets me in trouble.  I pray I follow Joyce Meyers teachings and learn to keep my mouth and words under control. I can't afford to alienate too many friends.
We were blessed tho by those same friends who gave us lodging (even with all our pets) while we had some body work done on the RV.  We couldn't stay in it because of fumes that would be bad for birds and cats.  It took over a good 6 weeks I bet.   We were trying to pay back by helping the friends with chores but we (I should say I) always over do.  Its my take charge and control issue.  So I don't think we left them with the warm fuzzy feelings we wish we would have.
I have to say our pets adjusted so well. The cats took the separation from us in stride.  The birds seemed to love the changes and the attention. And the dogs are happy as long as they were with us.  Plus they got lots of play and yards and pups to play with and of course lots of attention from others.

So anyhow that was the main part of the summer.  I got to a couple of dog shows but had to go by myself as the rv wasn't around for most of them and  my annie was busy.  Its way .more fun with people to share it with.  Tho I did get to spend some nice time with my dog friends. We didn't do so terribly well at the shows but we had fun anyhow and it seems we really  made some progress as a team Iris and I, plus I tried showing Sallee and that was quite  an experience. So I got to do my fun things I wanted to do.

We didn't get to many other places in the northwest like we had planned but that was ok.  We spent some time in a friends vacant lot next to her house and that was a ball.  Getting to see and be with her was really fun.  We learned a new game (bananagram) and had lots of laughs.
My other friend had a knee replacement and I tried to help her for a while.  I stayed at the hospital for a few days with her as she had some problems with anesthesia and pain meds as I had with one of mine and I just couldn't leave her there.  So glad I was there to help her.  She really didn't need me much after that.  She does an amazing job of recovery.  Made me feel like a real woose.
We spent some time at the fairgrounds in Langley with all the bunnies and tho its nothing special it is rather nice to be isolated there by yourself.  We spent a fair amount of time in the RV park at City Beach in Oak Harbor and have learned to kinda like that little town.  Got lots of walking and biking up there.
I think Leroy kept busy enough this summer he was content.  Doing nothing really isn't what he likes for any length of time. He loves helping people and doing stuff.

I found my lifes dream this summer.  I found an Olympic style boxing gym.  I have wanted to box for at least 30 years and Annie reminded me that a new gym was now available in Clinton.  I went there and found my dream.  Dakota Stone has been a boxer for 20 years at least and now in addition to still boxing occasionally she runs a gym.  She started me out and in less that 2 months I have some muscles, even a little 2pack under all the fat, and less pain, and happier than ever.  She is an amazing trainer and helps you realize that you CAN do it.  When I went back on the road she gave me my own training plan and it isn't as fun as going to her gym but by gummit, I am doing it , and it helps.  My weight is starting to go down but I have really started to build muscle and sculpt my body so not going to worry about the weight loss.  It will come off in time.  For now I just know I look better and I am wearing 2 sizes smaller jeans. I have less pain, and more energy.  So what else could I want?

My little Annie went off to college.  She and I spent a day in Bellingham and had so much fun.  Then Leroy she and I went up on a sat after her first week of class and spent a few hours with her. It was so special to see her.  We really didn't see much of her as with it being her last summer at home, and her job and saying goodbye to all her friends and dealing with all of this. This has been quite a year for her, she has an autoimmune disease which has affected her life and then with lots of changes in her life, its been such a busy time for her I am glad we had any time at all with her.
We did help her and her mom with the dog 4H at the fair, that was fun and I found out I have a gift for announcing.  So if It am around next summer fair I am going to be the announcer.  It was a blast.
We got to spend some time with another friends dau who is into dogs and horses.  She is such a darling and Sallee has fallen in love with her so we got to enjoy that too. Leroy got to judge and he had fun doing that and then has found out he is even getting paid for it.   How lucky is that.

We did had Leroys kite festival and he works hard there and I just enjoyed it.  He also worked with our dog club in helping put on our agility trial.  If there is something to be done, Leroy loves offering to do it.

We changed cars to pull behind the RV, but I think I mentioned that.  We love the jeep liberty that we got and Leroy got a rack built by a friend for the top so he is happy with it.

We just recently (within the last 2 weeks) lost our old cat, or I should say Jeffs cat that became mine, and life is so sad without him.  We had him cremated and Jeff picked up his ashes yest.  He will keep them.  It was so hard for him to lose him, that cat went with him thru some tough times.  Then he came to live with me and enriched my life to no end. So I have no one sleeping on my pillow at nite or helping me with everything I do.

I got to enjoy some really good visits with Ginny, PC, Linda Stafford, Deb Jones, Donna and Joyce so that was fun.  Not sure if I missed anyone but it was a fun summer because of them.  I learned this summer that true friends are always there for you. True friendship doesn't fade away with miles or time and true are their for you when you need them, without you even having to ask them.

We had some nice times with Jeff this summer but afraid I wear him out when he comes home.  He always has to help me with something and he is so patient about doing it.  This week he had to help me get another computer as mine got fried and then he had to load it and teach me how to use it.  He deserves more fun. I always feel bad we are such boring parents cause we wnjoy him so much..

Oh Leroy got to take a little outing to the east side of the mts where he visited with an old friend of his.
I think that is most of our summer I think.

We are now on our way to Minn. to see my family, especially a niece. Then we go to Arkansas the end of Oct. to a Workkamper seminar.  After that we will decide where to go and maybe even get a job with our rv time.   So that might be fun.  Its something we hope to try and see if it will help us financially.  Anyhow, we are checking that out.

We still haven't decided where to settle down or if we want to settle down yet.  So this will let you all know when we decide what to do. Maybe we will go broke and live on a street corner.  who knows.

7/27 Addendum

I was going to mention if anyone is reading this and they think this is what they would like to do there is one major thing.  You HAVE to be flexible, be willing to see beauty in anything.  We meet people all the time, like the ones that just pulled in beside us and had to leave because it just wasn't what they expected.  People don't like the site, they want everything to be perfect, there is to much noise and bla bla bla.  It is never perfect.  Sometimes its noisy, sometimes its a campground that is too manicured, some times it has lots of regulars that may or may not be long timers. Some time you have hook ups, sometimes you don't, sometimes you get power surges (which we have had), sometimes its a glorified parking lot, sometimes its all woods. Some times its close to stuff and sometimes its it the middle of nowhere.  Some times there are dog runs and they are great and large, sometime they are postage stamps, sometimes there's great walking areas, sometimes there aren't.  Sometimes you have great neighbors and sometimes they make you want to hit them.   It may be luxurious camping compared to the old days of a tent and bag on the ground but it is still camping.  You need to see beauty all around you and in everyone around you.  You need to be able to change plans and go to plan B if you need to. You need to be willing to go without something you want or need and you have to remember that your neighbor and/or their kids have a right to be there too.  You are not special and you do not have privilege.  I have learned to be optimistic most of the time, forgiving, more flexible, and willing to settle for less and be happy about it.  We both have and its good.  We are happy for the lessons this adventure has given us and what we have learned about ourselves and each other. We are thrilled for the things we have seen and done that we couldn't have afforded to do otherwise. We aren't ready to give it up yet but we will in time.

So anyone that wants this for a life style needs to really think twice.  Its not a decision you make lightly. But if you go into it with your eyes open its great.   And you definitely don't need to take a much a you think.  We cut things pretty close to the belt when we started out and have still culled out stuff along the way and after we got back here put some stuff in storage and are sure we still have to much. And you need to be friends.  Sometimes that is all that has saved some big issues is that we are above all friends.

7/27 Sun

Hard to believe I haven't been on here for a month.

Well July and the end of june were busy.  We did lots of work around Taylors house as payback for letting us stay there.  I helped donna clean out some areas, we did some outside work and then it kinda slowed down as Gherry started feeling better and didn't want us doing so much.  Still have some things there that we would like to get done but time will tell if it gets done or not.

Gherry had a relapse and ended up in the hospital for a few days which halted everything for all of us for a few days.  Each relapse he has sets him back and takes him longer to recover but he is stubborn so he will probably come back full force.

We finally got the RV back which i think i wrote about.  We ended up in Oak Harbor as there is no place on the south end to stay and we couldn't find a private place with our ad in drews list. We will be here at least thru the fair at the end of the month and then maybe get in at the fair grounds in Langley.  Its not a great place to camp but there is worse.

I see in looking back at the blog better that I did post on the 11 of jul, so really not much has happened since then.

I went to another dog show on Sat for just obedience.  Sallee did pretty good for her firt time in an obedience ring but she laid down on the long sit and blew it.   Iri on the other hand got the last two legs needed for her firt UKC obedience title. So she now has UCD to add to her name with her other titles.  She did pretty darn good and I was proud of her.  It was hotter than heck and inside a building so it was a long hard day.  Out here not every place has airconditioning.  Warm days are rare.

Speaking of the weather, we are having an unusually nice and warm summer out here. So we are really enjoying ourselves since we have become so addicted to sun and warm weather.

Oh I know what I haven't mentioned.  One day Annie and I went up to Bellingham to look at her college for next year.  She is so excited.  She bought me a Western Washington University Grandparent sticker for the window of my car.  We had a really fun day.  We had lunch, looked around, laughed and talked and it was wonderful.  Leroy knows Bellingham better so he plans on taking us up one day so he can show her around.
Can't believe our little girl is a college kid now.  Can't believe our son is a grown man with a life of his own.  How do these things happen?

I have started going to a boxing gym run by a professional boxer.  Female.  she is so great and such a good trainer.  There is a lot to boxing that isn't just punching a bag and all of that training goes to make up a fantastic workout.  I workout about two hours at a time, I sweat like I have never sweat in a workout and I am soaking wet when i am done.  We do everything, stretches, boxing drills, foot work, and I have learned to do full push ups(on my toes not knees) and sit ups and all sorts of drills.  I can already see it making changes in my body.  This is a sculpting workout as well as weight loss.  My walking has helped me lose weight plus 2 pants sizes but not I have something that will also help my upper body.  Plus there is lots of focus training and mind training, and confidence training.  I told her, she teaches a lot more than boxing, and she agreed.  Its been an amazing process.  I am on a break now for 2 weeks while she is on vacation but have my homework to do.  I hope I am around long enough to get enough basics from her so I can work on my own and in gyms along the way till I get back and under her tutelage.  She is Dakota "Solid" Stone.  Look her up.  She still fights professionally just not as often as she is settled here and her life has turned into training.  I think she trains Golden Gloves people too, and she loves working with kids.

So today is my catch up day.  I decided not to go to the dog show today and so I am hanging around the house.  Leroy went to a kite deal at greenbank.

Rin Tin Tin

I have to add a story about my German Shepard, Leo (aka Rin Tin Tin).  One day he was in a separate pen from where we were working.  Iris was with me but not him. I was dragging a tarp of branches down the hill and as  i lazily walked along, stepped in a hole and down I went.  Now I fall like a drunk and usually don't get hurt, as i didn't this time.  Of course Iris came rushing over and started barking at Leroy and was upset.  She always gets upset when i fall.  Leo was on the other side of a 5 1/2 ft tall wood fence.  He came flying over the fence and ran to my rescue.
Later that day Iris wandered off on me so I was in the yard frantically calling for her, well Leo came over the fence again to save the day and did not leave my side till we found her.
Hence he got his name from me Rin Tin Tin.  He is amazing, and gentle and loyal.  Since then we leave him and Maggie (the other Shepard out when we are working) because they all (Iris, Leo, Maggie, and usually Sallee and Diesel) never leave my side.  Just let someone try and hurt me!!!!!!!!!!

Summer update 7/11

Well let's see.  Continuing saga on dogs:   Iris stole 1/2 of Gerry's sandwich off his plate so i guess the time at Taylor's was not good for my dogs.  They learned way to many bad habits.
Iris had the absorption problem resolved and she did gain 2 lbs so before we do to much else we are just watching to see.  We had put some additives on her food so when she eats she gets more fat but she feels good, plays and tho her coat isn't as shinny as it was nothing else seems to be problematic so we will see what happens.  She is a picky eater and if you do to much to her food then she will stop eating that.  So we will probably let nature take its course and see if it doesn't fix its own problem.
She is having such a good time with Leo, one of Taylor's German shepherds.  He is a regular Rin Tin Tin.  I just love him as much as she does and he seems to reciprocate and loves it when we are there working.

We finally got RV back and all seems to be well.  But we got it back just before the 4th so we made Camping world let us stay in their campground behind the store thru the following weekend.  Then we were able to get in at the park here in Oak Harbor. Anyhow this works tho it is a long way to drive to the south end frequently.  Whidbey Island is in short supply of RV parks and there are none on the south end.

The weekend before the 4th I had been registered to go to Argus Ranch to a UKC dog show that i attend every year.  I ended up going alone and none of my other closer friends and support systems were there either.  Its a great group of people so i had a nice time but would have been more fun with friends.  I stayed in their dorm with the dogs.  I don't know how people do it but I had Sallee and iris and we did nose work, obedience, rally and agility for three days.  I put on about 24,000 steps (10 miles) a day trying to coordinate the whole thing by myself.  I could so have used a gopher. I was exhausted and took me two days to catch up.  They both did well if you count success in performances but we only brought home a few ribbons and one new title for Iris.  But they both did so great for me, i was really proud of them and our training.  Got locked out of my room once (them on the inside) and had to traipse around the property in my pj's to find the guy with the key as the dogs would not open it for me.  When i got home i realized i had misplaced my charger for my pain stimulator.  After many days of trying to find it and finally the stimulator going dead dead dead i called there again (Argus) and they had found it, so one day this week was spent driving down there to get it and be reunited.  It was a long day and lots of gas but cheaper than getting a new one.  That would have been many $.

The funny thing is this was on the heels of me thinking i had lost a brand new pair of tennis shoes at the Taylor's and had the whole bunch searching everywhere for them only to remember and verify that they indeed were not there, they had been ordered and would be in the mail.  So the standing statement when i thought i lost something was "check the mailbox".

Not sure if I put in the last post that we changed cars.  Leroy had grown to hate the Kia, me not so much, and wanted an automatic to pull flat.  So i let him go find his own this time. He found a Jeep 2007 Liberty, white.  It is really a nice car and as far as I am concerned it is my Jeep again. He got  almost all of what he paid for the Kia back so we are all happy. Jeep Liberty is almost the only thing that can be towed flat with auto transmission.  I figure I drove the one on the farm, the Willis, when i was 12 or 13 so if I live to be 112 and drive a jeep I can do commercials about "I have driven a jeep 100 years and bla bla bla"  I bet it would be a best selling commercial.

We are still working at Taylor's.  Finally got all the wood cut stacked and hauled away from a couple trees he had taken down.  I am getting flower beds into shape and we are helping Donna cull things out.  Plan on getting some gravel that we can spread too. There is just a lot to do that we want to get done as much as we can before we leave in august sometime.  Her surgery is the 11th.

Oh yes, They did a CT scan on my right shoulder and neck.  The neck showed a bad disc (no surprise) and 4 tears in the shoulder muscles.  4 different muscles and 4 different tears.  Can you believe it.  I never even heard of that.  I imagine I have some in the left shoulder to but no surgery is scheduled for me.  I am not having any more elective surgeries.  In fact with all this work at Taylors it has been feeling just fine.  Just need to keep the other muscles healthy and able to do the work.  Just knowing its not in my head helps and helps that Leroy knows i am not just making it up helps.  They did see a spot on my lung so they did another CT scan on that and it shows just stable areas from the past, so no worries there.

We have made it to church almost every week which is nice as we can connect with friends and our support system.  Its a good church.

Gotten to gether with Jeff a few times and that is always fun.  Leroy helped them move into a larger apt a few weeks ago so i got to go see it yest.  Its really nice.  he has room to do his beading now.  the apt is in the same complex and i just love that place, trees and shade and quiet right in the middle of the airport hustle and bustle. Close to south center mall and light rail transit and buses and their work.

Have been able to get some sewing in and finished a top for Joyce that Donna has yet to quilt for me on her machine and have a top for Annie for graduation and college almost done (99%) and Donna will quilt that one for me.  i will post pictures when they are completely done.

Guess that's enough gabbing on and on from me.  Sorry but told you it would be boring while I was here as if it wasn't before.  :)

thurs 6/19

Well we are still at the Taylor's.  We have been working on their orchard, yard, and flower containers.  I planted tomato plants and one more pot of flowers.  Think I have them all filled now.
We have been pruning the orchard and the worse part of anything like that is hauling the stuff away.
Weather here has been quite beautiful.  They say it will be a warmer than average summer here, how nice.
i found the greatest place to get stuff this week.  Better than thrift stores.  The dump!!!!! Got a couple great treasures there this week.  Now everyone will wonder when they get presents "Where did she find this?"'
I have been working on my drawing lately.  Gherry is helping me with some basic stuff.  Good i have my own teacher.  I used to be pretty good in art class but it has been a while. So who knows whats ahead for me.
Had a couple walks with the dogs up at greenbank.  Not much else.
Oh Sallee (the sheltie) has been interesting this week.  One day she stole a basket off the counter and in it was 18 dog biscuits I had made earlier in the day.  Then that nite when Donna came home she was going to have the last piece of apple pie that was here.  She had it on a plate on the table.  Turned away for a minute and Sallee stole that.  Today she stole a 3/4's left loaf of bread (a french baguette) that was delicious.  She had stolen earlier some dog biscuits but she has taken this to a whole new level lately.  Don't know what her problem is.
Iris had been back to the vet and she had lost more weight.  We are trying to feed her more and use some additives but the vet is worried, not because she only weighs 42 pds but because she is losing it so fast.  It may be an absorption problem so we are waiting to see on a blood test they did.
Well, will write if anything else happens that is interesting in our terribly exciting life.