SANTA ROSA NEW MEXICO TO GALLUP NM…AT LAST, WE’RE COMING DOWN THE HOME STRETCH:))

HALLOWEEN NIGHT IN GALLUP NEW MEXICO

My body is having a little trouble adjusting to the time zone difference. Thinking it was 5 a.m. it conspired with my brain to wake me up at 3 in the morning. Pheebs was confused too & decided it was time for her & I to get up.  Besides, she figured it was time for a bathroom break anyway.  So, that was it.  Clock said 3:15 a.m. as we headed out the door for a walk around the moonlit camp ground. Good thing I had on my pajamas & housecoat because it was pretty nippy at that hour of the morning Spotted one of my favorite constellations in the southern hemisphere....Orion.
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No big hurry to get rolling this morning because we did not want to land ourselves in the middle of the Albuquerque morning rush. Albuquerque is the last city of any consequence before we reach Congress. However, after deciding not to leave too early, we left early anyways. But, not before dumping our tanks....or should I say tank. For our first dump of the season we had us a good news/bad news situation. Last year in Arkansas we had a little mishap with our black tank, but this year all went well with Mr. Black. However, when I pulled the gray water tank lever......nothing happened, zero, zilch, nuttin!! The lever pull handled functioned but the inside valve did not open. Therefore, we were unable to dump our gray water this morning. Had been looking forward to getting rid of that weight. Oh well, we'll deal with that when we get to Congress. Had ourselves back on I-40 about 7:30.

 

No big hurry today so I just set a comfortable speed on the cruise control, put my feet up, relaxed & sat back watching the great southwest scenery rolling by. If it hadn't been for a dozen or more hills & long grades repeatedly kicking us into overdrive I might have been able to grab myself a few winks.

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Thanks to a reader in Shout Box I was able to correct the spelling of our 'Made In The U.S.A'. items in Tuesday's blog. Bought three colorful bowls, not bowels. I have since corrected that. I'm sure we know bowels are made in more countries besides the U.S. Of course bowls & bowels have some similarities. Both are filled & emptied on a regular basis:))

Forgot to mention, but Kelly did phone her Mother a couple days go in Spencerport NY to see how she made out with Hurricane Sandy. Aside from some wind & rain, everything was fine on Coleman Avenue although there were a few parts of town that did lose some electricity for a bit. Back home at our 5 Seasons Park in Bayfield we heard the electricity was out for over 12 hours but no damage from the wind blowing Pine trees or their limbs down.
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Another nice advantage of a Motorhome is the freedom of moving around while driving, & especially for pets. Pheebs likes to lay between our front seats on the low profile engine cover. Sometimes she will walk back & bring up one of her squeaker toys. Kelly throws the ball down the length of the rig & Pheebs goes rumbling after it. I like how she comes & sits beside either Kelly or for some scruffles. Pretty nice way to travel, with your best Pal, or Pals, sitting right beside you:))

JUST A GREAT WAY TO TRAVEL

No egg salad sandwiches on this trip but I have had some other interesting things make their way forward from our mobile galley. For breakfast Tuesday morning I had a raw wiener plus a peanut butter & honey sandwich rolled up in a piece of flat bread. Chased that down with a tall cold glass of Skim milk. Now, how's that for some fine mean cuisine. Other things making themselves forward for the driver have been, yep, some more peanut butter & honey sandwiches, orange & cranberry juice, bananas, small piece of a chocolate chip cookie, & part of a scrumptious Sub. Think there were a couple hand fulls of Almonds in there somewhere too.

HEADING WEST THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS EAST OF ALBUQUERQUE

We rolled through Albuquerque New Mexico at the ideal week day time of 11 a.m. Now, maybe I have lived a sheltered life, but I have never seen pollution soooooo bad in a city as we saw this morning in Albuquerque. And, it was definitely pollution because I could smell it for miles & miles. I wonder if they have some big coal factories or something around there. About 5 or 10 miles west of Albuquerque we spotted a Camping World & pulled in. From Camping World we could look back down the valley to Albuquerque & it was lost in a thick low hanging cloud of pollution.

I-40 & I-25 INTERCHANGE IN ALBUQUERQUE

Camping world is like Mecca for RV folks. Just about anything & everything one needs for their travels including large service bays plus a parking lot full of new & used RV's.  And, this is a large Camping World. Figured we needed a new gray tank valve for sure so we picked one up. Kelly had been looking for a BBQ & we managed to snag one of them as well. The inside of our Motorhome is beginning to look like a Home Depot warehouse.

THIS LITTLE DITTY IN CAMPING WORLD CAN BREW 4 CUPS OF COFFEE, MAKE TOAST IN THE TOASTER OVEN & FRY A COUPLE EGGS ON THE GRILL ON TOP…NO, WE DID NOT BUY ONE

It was exactly 10 years ago tonight Kelly & I moved from our old country farm house near Fullarton Ontario to our place at the 5 Seasons Estates in Bayfield. It was Halloween night & it was cold, dark, & pouring rain as we rolled out of the old farm laneway for the last time with both our Dodge pick-up truck & Mazda car loaded to the rafters. Kelly drove the car while Max & I were crowded in the truck with a pile of clothes between us. Aw, the stuff memories are made of. Now, here we are 10 years to the day, about to move stuff into our Congress house Thursday sometime.  Also, this is our third Halloween night on the road. First was Ellis Kansas back in 07 & another, 3 years ago in Columbus New Mexico. And tonight, it is Gallup New Mexico:))

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Because I had been awake since 3 a.m. I began to fade around 1 o'clock, so set my sites on Gallup New Mexico today. And, that is where this post is coming to you from tonight. Rolled into Gallup's Walmart parking lot about 3 p.m. & just shut er down for the day. MapQuest tells me we did a relaxed 253 miles today.  And yet, tonight, I feel like I drove a thousand miles to day:((  Probably the nosiest spot we have ever had because we are only a few hundred yards north of I-40. Oh well, it's all part of our kind of RVing & we're just fine with that. With a bit of luck, we'll be at our Congress house sometime Thursday:)))))))))))

I LOVE YOU MOM

GROANER'S CORNER:(( It was visitor's day at the asylum. All the inmates were standing in the courtyard singing "Ave Maria" and singing it beautifully. Oddly, each of them was holding a red apple in one hand and tapping it rhythmically with a pencil. A visitor listened in wonderment to the performance and then approached the choir director. "I am a retired choir director," he said. "This is one of the best choirs I have ever heard." Yes, I'm very proud of them," said the director. "You should take them on tour!" said the visitor."What are they called"? "Surely that must be obvious," replied the director....."They are the Moron Tapanapple Choir."

--------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

WEATHERFORD OKLAHOMA TO SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO…WE’RE IN AN RV PARK. WHAT!!!!

A TEXAS REST AREA
We have already traveled through a couple time zones, so already we are 2 hours behind Bayfield time. When we reach Arizona it will be a 3 hour difference. And, by the way, because of the time changes now, my blog will publish at a different time than usual.

Another good sleep Monday night & we woke up with 'shopping' on our minds this morning. What!! Shopping!!!! Yep, while in Walmart Monday night picking up a few groceries, Kelly noticed an Acer Notepad on sale. Her 6 year old Toshiba laptop is slowly dying so we had already decided to replace it before we have a total computer crash. We were back in the Walmart at 7 a.m. this morning.  The smaller & cheaper Acer fits Kelly's needs perfectly.   Did we go with Microsoft’s new Windows 8……..? Nope, we're sticking with Windows 7:))

JUST A HAPPY GUY ROLLIN DOWN THE ROAD:))
While in Walmart we also decided it was a good time to pick up a television, blue ray DVD player & a small micro-wave for our Congress home. Once we get there it will be a long time before we are in any big box stores again so just made sense to grab these things while we could.  Got ourselves a light weight flat screen 32" LED Samsung TV which we will take back to Bayfield with us & put in the sunroom for the summer. Totally amazing how cheap the price of televisions have become over the years. Also picked up 3 little colorful kitchen bowls with an amazing sticker inside each one saying.....'Made in the U.S.A.’ Wow Walmart, bet you didn’t know you had those in the store:))
 
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO SWITCH NAVIGATOR’S, & SOMETIMES THE NAVIGATOR FALLS ASLEEP

I ALWAYS GET A KICK OUT OF WHEN KELLY SAYS ON THE DEER PARK LODGE PHONE, “UMMM, I’M NOT AT THE OFFICE AT THE MOMENT”
Rolled out of the Weatherford Walmart about 8 this morning, picked up some fuel & headed west on I-40. Beautiful sunny morning & what a great feeling it was to be motoring down the road watching scenery slowly morphing into scenic open plains & tall plateaus. Yes, this is the great south-west we so dearly love. Crossed the Texas State line about 9:20 & the New Mexico State Line 4 hours later. Gotta love the sweeping horizon to horizon vistas.  Watched for & spotted the first small mountain at Tucumcari.  It's the kind of territory that brings out the little wannabe cowboy kid in me.

I knew Albuquerque was too far for us today plus we are now in the area of the States we prefer so from here on in we are basically home for the winter. MapQuest reflected that feeling as we throttled back to a shorter 352 miles.  Today’s miles landed us on the doorstep of a little town called Santa Rosa New Mexico, right alongside I-40. Hauled ourselves off the Interstate about 2:30 & decided on an RV Park for the night. What!! An RV Park!!!! Yep, every once in a long while the Bayfield Bunch just throws in the sponge, pulls into an RV Park, hits the showers, burns up some real electricity, & cracks on an unlimited water supply. Also time to dump a couple tanks & lose a bit of weight. And, we even have Wifi for a change. I'm thinking it's maybe a year & a half since we were last in a private RV Park.  Don’t want to over-do it you know………..

SPOTTED OUR FIRST CACTUS TODAY
The SANTA ROSA CAMPGROUND RV PARK is on the north side of the wide main street & we like it. Very neat & clean campground. Eighty foot pull through’s, site picnic tables, great water pressure, nice Mesquite trees etc. etc. Especially liked the showers. Lots of endless hot water & hooks to hang clothes on. Two thumbs up for the Park & despite high surrounding hills & mountains we were still able to pull in about 10 TV channels with our rig’s aerial up. Pet area is too small though & pets have to stay on the roads or they will get stickers in their paws. Pheebs got 2 flat tires right off the bat when I tried to walk her in a nearby field. Goats beard stickers I think. Wifi was fine until late afternoon when more RV'ers rolled in & jumped on their computers. We had to switch back to our Verizon system…but it too was slow:((

SANTA ROSA CAMPGROUND RV PARK, SANTA ROSA NEW MEXICO


Say, did I mention how warm it is.  Yep, drove along today with the driver’s side window open & switched into a short sleeve shirt this afternoon.  Awwwwwwww. In the word’s of The Honeymooner’s Ralph Kramden…..“how sweet it is”:))

TUCKED AWAY IN AN RV PARK
GROANER’S CORNER:(( And, in the word’s of Rodney Dangerfield……..
. I was such an ugly kid...When I played in the sandbox, the cat kept covering me up.

• I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.
• I was such an ugly baby...My mother never breast fed me. She told me that she only liked me as a friend.
• I'm so ugly...My father carries around a picture of the kid who came with his wallet.
• When I was born, the doctor came into the waiting room and said to my father, "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but he pulled through."
• I'm so ugly...My mother had morning sickness, after I was born.

--------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

SULLIVAN MISSOURI TO WEATHERFORD OKLAHOMA…A FINE DRIVING DAY SO WE JUST KEPT GOING

WE HAVE SOME COLORFUL NEIGHBOR’S PARKED NEAR US FOR THE NIGHT

Despite the obvious people noise from local business's all around us, we were both surprised at how well we slept. Especially Kelly, who can usually be woken up by a fly landing on a hamburger bun 6 blocks away. A cold night so we are very much looking forward to driving into warmer south-west temps in a couple days. Glad to be west of the Mississippi River now as well. Off with my baseball cap & on with my cowboy hat. Yahooie Louie:))

LOOKED LIKE STORMY SKY’S AHEAD FOR AWHILE THIS MORNING BUT THE CLOUDS MADE WAY FOR LOTS OF SUNSHINE & WARMER WEATHER

We 'un-Cracker Docked about 8 a.m. & climbed aboard I-44 minutes later. I had no intentions of driving all the way to Oklahoma City or beyond today but that's just what we did. We are presently Wally Docked in Weatherford Oklahoma about 120 miles east of Amarillo Texas.  We rolled in here about 5 o'clock this afternoon. This is the same Walmart we overnighted at on our way home from Congress 7 months ago. MapQuest tells me we traveled 502 miles today. Weather was great with a mix of sun & cloud, no wind & the roads were bare & dry. Always seems to me the traffic west of the Mississippi is not as intense as traffic east of the Mississippi.

A HAPPY LITTLE PHEEBS RACES ACROSS THE PARKING LOT TO GREET KELLY COMING BACK FROM A McDONALD’S THIS MORNING

Nice country west of St. Louis with rolling hills, rock cuts, valleys, lots of colorful Autumn forests & long winding highways. Fair number of narrow laned construction zones along the way just to keep drivers on their toes. One just north of Oklahoma City on the Turnpike sure caught my attention right quick when a red van ahead of us clipped a retaining barrier but managed to maintain control.  Construction lanes were way too narrow.  Made 3 fuel stops today because I have been keeping the weight down by not traveling on a full fuel tank.  Our Motorhome has been humming along like a fine tuned clock & I'm thankful we put all new tires on the rig a couple years ago. Two new front tires in Clinton Ontario & 4 new rear tires in Kingman Arizona 6 months later.

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No route mistakes today, no missed exits or entrances. Always managed to be in the right lane at the right time moving through the heavier traffic areas. The Pilot & the Navigator were on the same page all day. It is so much easier traveling with a partner & I would be very hard pressed to go back to the days of traveling alone when I made solitary trips to both the east & west coasts of Canada. ED FREY, a lone traveler, left a comment in last night's post on just how he goes about planning his trips & doing everything himself.

SPENCER LOOKS QUITE PUT OUT ABOUT MR. PUMPKIN HEAD SITTING ON OUR JEEPS ENGINE HOOD AT A REST STOP AREA TODAY

This trip to Congress Arizona & last Aprils trip from Congress back to Bayfield were & are different from our usual way of travel. In the past we have mainly used Interstates east of the Mississippi & side roads, secondary roads & back roads west of the Mississippi. We once totally lost ourselves in the backwoods of the Ozarks when on a whim, we swung off the Interstate east of Joplin Missouri & somehow found our way out of the woods near Fort Smith, Arkansas. That was in December of 04. On our old southern route we always preferred & enjoyed the back roads through much of Texas. I have pooh poohed Interstate travels in the past but if one decides to make the best traveling times with the shortest routes & probably the best gas mileages, then the Interstates it is.

I’M THINKING THAT ROAD ON THE RIGHT IS PART OF OLD ROUTE 66…NEAR JOPLIN MISSOURI

Our Internet connection here in Weatherford was very poor so we hauled out our Wilson Sleek, plugged it in, used our metal step down stool as an antennae base & 'Walla' we had ourselves a right good blogable connection. I remember how disappointed we were in our Sleek when first trying to use it in Congress last March, but here in Weatherford tonight, our Sleek is totally slick:))

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We sure are out of the loop on info about the storm on the east coast. At home we probably would have had CNN or whatever on & been keeping up with the storm updates. When we stop for the night we put our rig's antennae up & pick up half a dozen local channels. Not much coverage about the storm. While driving along today, Kelly was catching me up on storm details from her laptop. Sad to hear about the H.M.C.S. Bounty going down.

KELLY READS ALOUD HURRICANE SANDY’S UPDATES

I’m not totally certain about this but I think I was aboard the Bounty when it was anchored in St. Petersburg Florida in 1965.  I have photos at home of my Mother, my Aunt Jean, & myself all standing on her deck by the large wooden steerage wheel.  And I’m pretty sure it was the one ‘Mutiny On The Bounty’ was filmed on.  I had flown to Florida after I got out of boot camp at H.M.C.S. Cornwallis near Digby, Nova Scotia.  My Aunt Jean was living in Bradenton at the time & my Mother was there visiting.  Pretty sure it was the Bounty.  When we get back to Bayfield I will post those photos.

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I have had some emails coming in from folks that I intend to get back to just as soon as I can when all this traveling dust settles down. Thanks folks:))

WALLY-DOCKED IN WEATHERFORD OKLAHOMA ALONGSIDE I-40

GROANER’S CORNER:((Latest news reports advise that a cell of five terrorists has been operating in the Harlem area.
Police advised earlier today that four of the five have already been detained. The Regional Police Commissioner stated that the terrorists: Bin Sleepin, Bin Drinkin, Bin Fightin and Bin Pimpin have already been arrested on immigration issues. The police advise further that they can find no one fitting the description of the fifth cell member: Bin Workin, in the area. Police are however, confident that anyone who looks like Workin will be extremely easy to spot in the community.

--------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

SPRINGFIELD OHIO TO SULLIVAN MISSOURI…ROLLIN, ROLLIN, ROLLIN:))

HEY, ARE WE IN ARIZONA ALREADY??  … NOPE, THINK IT’S JUST A LAND FILL SITE IN INDIANAPOLIS

Because we were both tired from a long driving day Saturday, we went to bed on the early side. Only problem with that is, we were then up on the early side too. Me at 4, Pheebs at 4:01 & Kelly at 5:00. Rolled out of Cracker Barrel at 6 & continued our journey west. It was 8:20 before the sun lumbered up over the eastern horizon & lit up Indianapolis ahead, just as we were entering the east side of the city.

MORNING PIT STOP IN A REST AREA WEST OF EFFINGHAM ILLINOIS

Many years ago I belonged to CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) & had them as our roadside assistance people. They provided something called Trip Tiks (route maps) that I remember using once or twice. They are fine if you stick to the route, but I seldom did. Last week, Kelly mentioned that her Mother still has a Triple A membership.  (American Automobile Association)  Gene & Frank were long time Snow Birders. Gene had mentioned to Kelly about getting us a trip tik for the shortest route to Congress Arizona. I said, 'naw, don't bother, we'll figure it out ourselves". Well, Gene went ahead & got one anyway & I'm glad she did. It is so easy following our updated route, page by page, mile by mile. Makes it a lot easier for navigator Kelly as well just glancing down at each page & telling me where the turns are coming up, etc. A bit of older technology working out kind of nice for us. In an unusual move I think we might just stick to the planned route this time..........for a change:))

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Weather wise, it was a perfect driving day. Blue skies, dry roads & no wind. What a pleasant change from our previous day. Kept my eye in the rear view mirror in case Hurricane Sandy heard we were making a run for it & decided to speed up & chase after us but we crossed the Mississippi River this afternoon & I heard on the news tonight they didn't expect any problems west of the Mississippi.  What a great piece of weather luck for us to have spent last week in Spencerport & not this coming week.

LAST WEEK’S DRIVEWAY HAIRCUT IN SPENCERPORT…MY KINDA BARBER SHOP:))

The city of Indianapolis has tangled us up a couple times in the past, so to be on the safe side this morning we did fire up our GPS system, Garmin Gertie. True to form she & Kelly masterfully talked me through the lane changes, exits, entrances & just about anything else I didn't really have a clue about. We ended up taking the southern by-pass route around the city & I must admit, I do find the audio side of our GPS system most helpful.  Kelly programs in the destinations & I, for the most part, follow Garmin Gertie’s directions.   Well, most of the time anyway.  We have had our disagreements in the past!! 

ROLLING BY THE ‘FED EX’ SECTION OF THE INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT

With Indianapolis behind us, I set my sights on St. Louis. We have tangled with St. Louis a few times before as well so I knew it was important to get it well behind us before we stopped for the day.  Did not want to deal with St. Louis on a week day morning.  Once again we ended up taking a southern by-pass around the city.  Both the Indianapolis & St. Louis traffic was light & that was simply because it was Sunday.   Crossed the Mississippi around 2 p.m. & just kept on rolling west until we decided to stop at a Wal-Mart in Sullivan Missouri. Would you believe this Wal-Mart had low overhead beams across their entrances to prevent high clearance vehicles from entering their parking lot. That effectively blocks all truck & RV traffic so we were out of luck for picking up any groceries or staying for the night. Pooh Pooh on you Walmart.  We will just take our $1.49 grocery budget & go elsewhere…..so there!!

CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SOMEWHERE WEST OF ST. LOUIS

Checked out a nearby Lowes but couldn't find a level spot in the whole parking lot so it was back up onto I-44 & headed for the next exit where Kelly had searched out a Cracker Barrel. Managed to wiggle our way into a very small RV spot & that is where we are for the night. We have an all night gas bar about 50' in front of us, a drive-thru 'Lions Den' fast food joint about 30' to our left, a busy road behind us & of course a crowded Cracker Barrel to our right. Not the best spot for the night, but it will do. In DONNA'S words, I guess you could say we are 'Cracker Docked' for the night:))

YEP, WE’RE CALLING THIS HOME FOR THE NIGHT & NO THAT IS NOT OUR AWNING OUT, IT’S THE ROOF OF THE GAS BAR IN FRONT OF US

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Here is an old Groaner's Corner from a few years ago when I used a bunch of Puns to put together some punable fun using fellow RV Bloggers at the time. I geared some of the Puns toward events happening in people’s lives.  Many of these folks are still around & some have just kind of faded away…………......
Did you know that JANNA once fell into her upholstery machine and is now completely recovered.
RETIRED ROD sent RICK some dead batteries the other day – free of charge.
DONNA is known around her town of Sandwich as quite a recycler.
Yesterday she rode her bike twice.
BIG DAWG & FREEWAY said they knew a fellow who quit dating the telephone operator because he felt disconnected. Besides, she had too many hang-ups.
WANDERING WILLY stole a calendar once. He got twelve months but emailed his friends to say, I grew herbs and worked in the jail’s kitchen where I served my thyme.
JOHN B. over in Texas stretched out in his chair & thought to himself, I'm inclined to be laid back.
THE WANDERING WISHNIES came to the conclusion that the mechanic at the local transmission shop seemed a little shifty.
MIKE & GERRI a few weeks ago said the lights were too bright at the Chinese restaurant so the manager decided to dim sum.
FROGGI DONNA brought it to our attention about a new type of broom that has come out, it is sweeping the nation.
Folks over at THE MOHO figured the ankle was an arch enemy of the heel because the heel had a sole that could neither toe the line nor keep instep.
DOUG figures the triangular computer monitor business was just a big pyramid screen.
LOREE tells us she used to do rock climbing as a youth, but was much boulder back then.
And JOHN says if you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you’d be in Seine
GYPSY dropped a big tub of margarine in the kitchen of her new Lance camper…now she has a Parkay floor.
IVAN couldn’t be on-line this afternoon because he’s on his way to visit some old girlfriends in Cuba. I hope he’s Havana good time.
LAURIE out in Sacramento says if you believe restaurants always overcook steaks, then you probably order them rarely.
WAYNE & ROBERTA knew a bowler who preferred to enter and exit his apartment via the fire escape because it was right down his alley.
JUDY says, show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I’ll show you A-flat minor.
And RANDY said, it wasn’t school he disliked, it was just the principal of it.
Did you know JENNIFER nearly married a TV repair tech once. The reception would have been great!
ED signed up to be an organ donor; he really put his heart into it.
CHUCK & ANNEKE wondered if we had heard about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
SAM wanted to run an on-line origami school, but it folded.
On the track team, JERRY had a fear of hurdles, but he got over it.
SANDRA up there in cold old Canada tells us about a dog that gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
And MIKE tells us of the two silk worms that had a race up at North Ranch. They ended up in a tie.
And KAREN said, once her & Steve were sitting in their kayak & became chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and heat it too.
And lastly, did you hear about AL who sent more than ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

--------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

SPENCERPORT NY TO SPRINGFIELD OHIO…A RAIN SOAKED DAY:((

THIS PHOTO PRETTY WELL SUMS UP OUR DAY

Didn't hear any rain on the roof during the night so figured we got off lucky for our early morning start. No such luck. Opened the door to a steady drizzle & everything was wet & dripping. Little did we know we would spend the next 6 hours driving in a steady rain. We are both early risers so were up somewhere shortly after 5 & quietly slipped out the Coleman Avenue driveway into the rain soaked darkened morn.  It was 6:35 a.m.

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No destination in mind so we just kept plodding west for as long as we felt like driving, which turned out to be just short of 9 hours.  Long distance driving has never bothered me so for the most part, I don’t mind the grind.  A couple New York State toll roads kicked us for $19.20 but hey, we probably saved that in gas by simply not trying to avoid them. Rains were heavy at times but traffic was light & moving well. It is one of the reasons I always prefer to begin long journeys on a Saturday morning. Saturday & Sunday gives us 2 full days with lighter traffic, no rush hours, & fewer trucks on the roads & highways. And, construction is usually shut down for the week-end. That was a huge bonus today as we breezed our way through some major construction zones along the 4 lane highways & Interstates. Had it been a week day with construction going on, there would have been some major delays for sure.

A RAIN SOAKED PIT STOP AT A REST AREA TODAY

There is also an advantage to driving a Motorhome on rainy days.  Like a truck, a Motorhome driver sits much higher off the road than car drivers.  That height puts the driver above all the watery spray coming off surrounding vehicles making visibility ahead much clearer.  That sometimes happens with low ground fog as well & explains why trucks are able to move quicker than the low fogged in cars around them.

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A tip of my hat & a quiet 'thank-you' to AA co-founders Bill Wilson & Dr. Bob as we swung around Akron, Ohio this afternoon. Akron is where Alcoholics Anonymous took root back in the mid 30's.

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One gas stop in rain soaked Painesville Ohio & one stop at an even wetter soaked rest area nearby carried us all the way from Spencerport NY to Springfield Ohio just northeast of Dayton. Found us a nice Cracker Barrel just off I-70 & called it a day about 3:30. We kind of make it a tradition on our first day on the road to wind things down with supper at a Cracker Barrel. We have a ton of food on board but, tradition is tradition, & besides, after a long day on the road, it’s just nice to get out of the vehicle & go sit somewhere else for awhile:))

OUR OVERNIGHTER SPOT IN SPRINGFIELD OHIO, & WE EVEN HAVE A TREE (notice our new Cracker Barrel flag pole on the back of the rig:))

I like the old time looks & ambience of Cracker Barrel.  And, the warmth & smell of burning Hickory in that big old stone fireplace gets me every time.  Today walking in, I heard Hank Williams his very self, up there in the rafter speakers a beltin out, 'Praise the Lord, I Saw The Light'. Now, how's that for a real howdy doo welcome:))  Kelly had a Pork BBQ something or other & I had myself a conglomeration of stuff off the breakfast menu that had a couple eggs, a mess of biscuits & buns, some of that gritsy stuff, gravy, & a swoosh of potato casserole.  Definitely not the normal healthy breakfast I am accustomed to, but boy oh boy, did it ever yummily taste like we were back in the good old U.S. of A:))

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Sunshine finally broke through a heavy cloud cover about 5:30 this afternoon. Maybe we will have a clear driving day Sunday. After today's deluge of water, that would be nice.  I think we did about 450 miles today.  And, how fortunate we are to have such a great traveling companion in Pheebs.  She is just no trouble at all.  Our little Spooky Pants is just the greatest:))  

NOTHING LIKE A GOOD OLD GAME OF TOYS AT THE END OF A LONG DRIVING DAY 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Senior Ads seen in a Florida newspaper.....…………..

MINT CONDITION:  Male, 1932 model , high mileage, good condition, some hair, many new parts including hip, knee, cornea, valves. Isn't in running condition, but walks well.
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LONG-TERM COMMITMENT: Recent widow who has just buried fourth husband, looking for someone to round out a six-unit plot.  Dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath not a problem.
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SERENITY NOW:I am into solitude, long walks, sunrises, the ocean, yoga and meditation. If you are the silent type, let's get together, take our hearing aids out and enjoy quiet times.

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WINNING SMILE: Active grandmother with original teeth seeking a dedicated flosser to share rare steaks, corn on the cob and caramel candy.

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BEATLES OR STONES? I still like to rock, still like to cruise in my Camaro on Saturday nights and still like to play the guitar. If you were a groovy chick, or are now a groovy hen, let's get together and listen to my eight-track tapes.

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MEMORIES:  I can usually remember Monday through Thursday. If you can remember Friday, Saturday and Sunday, let's put our two heads together.
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FOXY LADY:Sexy, fashion-conscious blue-haired beauty, 80's, slim, 5'4' (used to be 5'6'), searching for sharp-looking, sharp-dressing companion. Matching white shoes and belt a plus.

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR LAST DAY ON COLEMAN AVENUE, SPENCERPORT NY

First thing to check this morning of course was the weather. With winds & rain heading for the area from the southeast & a rain front converging from the west we figure we’re probably gonna get ourselves wet Saturday no matter which way we go.  But, we have opted for the shorter route & decided to head for Buffalo & beyond.

MORNING VISIT IN THE MOTORHOME

  

EVEN SOME OF THE MAILBOXES ON COLEMAN AVE HAVE SHELTER

With the possibility of rain starting later in the day or overnight, I decided to move the Motorhome off the grass & onto the paved driveway for an early morning departure. Hooked the Jeep on because I didn't want to have to do that in the dark or in possible rain come morning. Just get up, pull the slides in & boogie on down the road.

Busied myself checking solar battery levels & re-distributing the rig's load a bit this morning. Checked all 6 locks on our hitch assembly & everything's good there. I remember somebody trying to steal JANNA & MIKE'S Jeep off their Motorhome last December while on their way to Florida.

Just a beautifully warm sunny day here again with a pleasant October breeze rustling through the Autumn leaves.

KELLY & HER BROTHER PETER
Kelly & her Mom did some rooting around in her Mom's attic for awhile.  Last two mornings in a row Pheebs has gone into the house & jumped up on Gene's bed smothering her in smooches trying to get her up. Pheebs & Gene have become quite the Pals.

  

Knowing we were leaving first thing in the morning, Kelly's brother Peter & wife Leslie dropped over to say goodbye just after lunch.  They hadn’t been in our Motorhome since we rid ourselves of the uncomfortable furniture a few years ago so a little tour was in order.

 

RV KELLY CONDUCTS THE TOUR

Kelly & Peter slipped out & brought back a couple huge great tasting Subs. Peter, an education Professor at Roberts Wesleyan College has spent the last couple days hosting Vancouver BC author Steven Galloway who wrote the book, 'Cellist Of Sarajevo'. (BOOK REVIEW) Peter set up a program at the College several years ago whereupon he selects a book for the school & community to read. He then brings the author to the College for a few days where lectures are given & the author is in attendance at the College's writing classes. Peter has taught at Roberts since 2008 & before that was Director of Education for Rochester New York. He is looking forward to his retirement this coming December.

KELLY & PETER HEADING OFF TO GET THE SUBS…HEY, IS THAT A PEACE SIGN I SEE THERE

After re-locating the rig to the driveway & hooking on the Jeep, Pheebs & I took a last walk down around the creek.  I can understand why Kelly’s Dad enjoyed his time there.

Kelly’s cousin Nathan & wife Lori dropped around to say good-bye.  Kelly later slipped out to bring some fish & chips back for a late night supper.  And…..more Abbotts frozen custard.  I think we are leaving here just in the nick of time or else both Kelly & I would have trouble fitting through the Motorhome door.  We normally do not eat so much, but this week just seemed to be right out of control.  For sure, we should not eat again until we reach Arizona!!

WE’RE READY TO ROLL FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

No idea where we will spend Saturday night.  Every travel day is different for us.  No rules, no regulations, no scheduled stops, no reservations.  It’s just the way we roll……….Westward Ho:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day.  The Russian said, "We were the first in space!"  The American said, "We were the first on the moon!"  The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!"   The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads.  "You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!"

--------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com