May 21, 2020 - It's not easy

. The link to the left goes to one of many articles I've read about coping with (there is no "getting over") the death of your spouse. Hazel and I were married for 53 years, and I miss her terribly every day. Not just once a day, but pretty-much all the time. . Hazel passed away surrounded by family at sunrise on Sunday, August 25, 2019 after struggling with cancer for several months. This is Memorial Day weekend, time for barbequing, getting together with friends and family, but the coronavirus situation has changed all of that. I'm...

May 5, 2020 - RV Park Laundry Room Goodies

. My wife and I were on the road for several months a year for about 10 years, even putting the motorhome on the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland a couple of times, we went almost everywhere. Except Texas. Hazel never wanted to go to Texas, and I asked her one day why that was. "Well", she said "Texas has capital punishment". "What the heck are you planning to do?" I asked. She just smiled. . It didn't take me long to figure out that if you have something in your RV that you aren't using, and it is too good to just throw away, if...

Mar 30, 2020 - Another Bailout - This Time Smelling Even Fishier!

From Atlanta and heading on to Minneapolis and lastly to Zootown. And thanks to our daughter delivering our vehicle to the airport, finally to Corvallis! Yeah...! _____ From VOX: Trump says he won’t comply with key transparency measures in the coronavirus stimulus bill The administration says it won’t provide documentation for audits into $500 billion in corporate bailout funds. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will not adhere to a portion of the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill that would authorize an inspector general to...

Jan 9, 2020 - Repairs at the sub pen

. From Wikipedia: . A submarine pen is a type of submarine base that acts as a bunker to protect submarines from air attack. The term is generally applied to submarine bases constructed during World War II, particularly in Germany and its occupied countries, also known as U-boat pens. . From the galley to the head, to the captain's quarters (bedroom) in the back, recreational vehicles are nautical, and heading home after a long trip always makes me think of the WWII German U-boats heading for repairs at the sub pens along the French...

Dec 9, 2019 - Useful RV Websites and Product Links

. . allstays.com/Campgrounds (almost every possible place to camp) allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations.htm (which Walmarts allow overnight parking) Allstays smartphone applications (Find RV parks, Walmarts allowing parking, and more on your phone.) adventurerv.net (a good supplier of RV parts and accessories) Awning LED Lights (Fits in the 1/4" utility slot, no need to remove before rolling up the awning, stays installed.) Bathroom Scale (very compact, take it on cruises with an "all you can eat" buffet) boondockerswelcome.com (be...

Oct 5, 2019 - Montana to Wisconsin

We left Livingston to drive the 80...yes 80...miles to Billings across a flat crater like area ringed with rocky limestone-like bluffs. We then turned south to Wyoming following I 90 up into and through the Bighorn Mountains. We crosssed the Crow reservation, saw lots of battle sites and climbed to two passes around 4000-6500 feet. Mountains were rounded and green. At Buffalo we turned east. To the west we could see the snow-topped Tetons. Other than stopping for a picnic lunch in the sunshine along the Powder River we did not stop. Low...

Sep 25, 2019 - Still in Red Wing

We spent our second cruise day in Red Wing because of a problem with the boat. The cruise line had to fly in a specialist from Connecticut to make the repair. Apparently it had something to do with software used to run the ship. A far cry from the steamboats of Mark Twain's day. There were some excursions hurriedly scheduled for the day in Red Wing, but we decided to stay on board, relax, and eat. As with most cruises there's always plenty to eat and drink. The plans were to get underway at 9:00PM and head downstream to Lacrosse, WI where...

Sep 24, 2019 - Father's Hometown

We drove up to Belview (about 100 miles north of Fairmont) to see my parent's grave. Very small towns are easy to check out every street. Some of the landmarks that we had remembered was the Rainbow Cafe (out of business for sometime), the Odeon (where Dad had played HS basketball, it is still there) and a grain elevator, lol. We drove into a lady's driveway next to the Belview Historical Society's museum and reconstructed one-room school house. We explained who we were and asked when the museum was open. She had the key. She let us in and...

Sep 24, 2019 - Onboard America

We took a bus to Red Wing, MN this morning to board the sternwheeler America to begin our cruise down the Mississippi River. We're docked along the waterfront and it was a short walk to main street of the town. I walked to the Red Wing Shoe Company store where they have the World's Largest Boot, a size 638-D that weighs over a ton. According to the description, it is too big for the Statue of Liberty to wear. So far the food has been good on board. We'll probably gain 10 lbs. before we get to St. Louis. We were scheduled to leave Red Wing...

Sep 23, 2019 - Ready to Cruise

We left for Minnesota Sunday after leaving Winnie in a self-storage lot. We made it to St. Paul, MN Monday afternoon after a 2 day (overnight in Cedar Rapids, IA)drive through Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. Most of the ride was through farm country. The fields are green, gold, and brown with many ready for harvest. The cruise line made arrangements for those arriving early to stay at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown St. Paul. On a short walk around the downtown area, I found the ice rink where the Minnesota Wild practice, so it was...

Sep 23, 2019 - On the farm

This is one of the more interesting connections we have made. Going back, maybe 35 years, Patti and I attended another class reunion in Fairmont. While I was off talking to others, Patti struck up a conversation with Bill Bulfer, a classmate that stayed on the family farm. Through three or four reunions that we attended since, they have stayed in touch. Patti has a genuine interest in farming, having spent a lot of time on the family farm in western NY. Anyway, Bill invited us out to his farm to answer the age old question: "How do they...

Sep 21, 2019 - HS reunion

Ah yes, the high school reunion. Everyone should attend their 50th, at least once, lol. I guess I was struck by the fact that I really only knew a handful of these folks. Most people "knew" me as the principal's kid. Everyone was very cordial and had fun remembering the year that we landed on the moon. I was very happy to find a good golf buddy, Bob Mauss. The last time I saw him was when we walked into the commencement ceremony half way through. We were returning from the state HS golf tournament in Minneapolis (we hopped a North Central...