SWEET HOME ALABAMA

My dad grew up in southern Alabama.  It was his first love and mainly where he took us on vacations.  As a result, I grew up to love the state.  

We thought John and I would retire to the Gulf Shores or Orange Beach area.  I just new I did not want to put up with neither Indiana's cold, snow and ice during the winters nor their heat and humidity in the summer.  I know, the Gulf breezes counteract the humidity when one is living of the Gulf.  

Then....we purchased our first motorhome, a Winnebago Adventurer.  Our home on wheels was first intended to provide a place for us to stay as we traveled to my fiber art shows.  Who knew, at that time, that full time travel was in our future.

Today, Monday, we are in Alabama.  I might mention that the temperatures here in northern Alabama are nicer than parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southern California.  

We have been visited by the service coordinator and been given two estimates of time to complete the work on our Tiffin Bus.  We may be out of here in approximately two weeks if they can get their fabricator to make the wheel well right away.  If not, then we will be here until after the first of 2014.  

Wednesday brought good news.  The wheel well will be ready by the end of the week.  Repairs will start as soon as the insurance company give a thumbs up.  Hopeful, we will be out of here in two weeks.  I am ready to move on and we have not been here a week.


We have been into the Christmas decorating attitude. Hopefully, we will be finished today.  Just trying to find a way to hang garland in the "living room."  Last night, I tried to tuck it above the slide, almost finished and woosh, down it fell!  It is hard when you don't want to deal nails, tacks etc in the wood.  

The weather warmed to a pleasant, outdoor walking and sitting temperature.  What was a ghost village now had clusters of people and talking and walking until today.

Today, it is still warm, but we have had a few showers.  John has busied himself with more Christmas decorating.  

Now he is watching the Army / Navy football game as I bake a pumpkin pie and roast the pumpkin seeds.  

Since it is the weekend, the campground is quiet.  Some of those awaiting service have left for the week end and a few had had their work completed, moving us up in the cue. 

We are considering attending a living nativity in a small town in Mississippi tomorrow evening.

Monday, Tiffin will install our new television.  It will be nice to have it off the dash board.  In addition to the TV, they will install a sliding shelf, and construct a new cabinet where the bedroom TV was.  

A huge thanks goes out to the shopper that ordered through our Amazon link here on the blog.  


Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One

Thanks to all of you for stopping in.  Enjoy the weekend.  

God bless

ON THE MOVE

We decided to leave Lake Perris State Recreational Area a day earlier than we estimated.  Visitors were beginning their long weekend early and we could see that it was going to be a noisy day.  

You are right.  We are spoiled.  We love the absence of human voices.  The discussions as to how to erect a huge tent for the first time, with each person having a different solution.  People talking on their cell phones so loudly that they probably didn't need to be heard back home..... since they were yelling into their phones, etc, etc.  

The flies and mosquitoes were already there awaiting their meals arrival in their cars, trucks pulling  RVs and the motorhomes.    How is that for a multi-day banquet?

We moved south on the 215 and looked for a place to park for the night.  And here we are in the palatal estate of the Home Depot!  This is a huge lot and we do not hear one voice, the buzzing of mosquitoes or flies!  We will take the monotonous buzz of traffic any time over the voices of people that we do not know.  

In Jojo's town, is allowable to park a motorhome on the street for three days.  Tomorrow, Friday, we will park in front of her house and will leave Monday morning.  Hopefully, by then, we will have a place to land for the next five weeks.

The hot, hot weather is not "supposed" to hit the area until early July or late June.  June "gloom" is supposed to keep us cooler.  

Jojo's birthday is July 8 and we want to celebrate her birthday with her for the first time in twenty years.  Then, we are heading for cooler weather.

Where?  Not sure.  Our desire is cooler temperatures and no humidity.  Both are essential elements for keeping John healthy.  Any suggestions?  

We must be back in Indiana late October / early November for all of John's appointments with various physicians.  

We also need to schedule a visit to Red Bay, Alabama.  We want Tiffin to make a few repairs on the motorhome including a boo-boo that John got when he had a fight with a large rock.  

Leigh and Bryan from the blog found here always have great meals that Leigh posts in her blog.  I asked her how she manages to have all the ingredients.  She actually plans her menus for a week then makes her shopping list.  A great  big duhhhh here.  

Yesterday, I made a meal plan for the next seven days.  I put all the ingredients on my phone's grocery list and today, we purchased everything I will need for the next week.  We will see how this goes.

What is so neat is that Leigh and Bryan hardly eat the same thing over.  They go from one tasty recipe to another.  John and I think this is a neat idea and are willing to follow their lead.  

If you are looking for some good plant based recipes check out their blog!  The meals are to die for!  

We met Leigh, Brian and Curtis (Olivia's friend) at Clark Dry Lake in Borrego Springs last March.  Then they found us again we we all camped at Blair Valley.

They are making their way to Washington state where they have land to park their Airstream during the summer months. 

Yesterday was our great-grand Harper's second birthday.  

She has changed a bit from this photo!  

And she is going to be a big sister in January!  

As an answer to our prayers, Kelly of The Bayfield Bunch has a diagnosis and is receiving treatment after a visit to the emergency room.  Read all about it in Al's blog.  

With that good news, I'm outta here!

God's blessing on each of you.  Travel safely...