Big Weekend with the Boys

We get to babysit often and we love to be able to do that.  While Kelly and Jon were gone for the weekend we had the boys (Brooks and Harrison).

We spent some time at their house but the big deal was that they spent their first two nights with us at our house.  We let them know back in April when we first got out place that the extra bedroom with two twin beds was “their room.”

We weren’t sure how it would actually go because: 1) they were not in their own beds, and 2) they usually don’t sleep in the same bedroom.  We went through the ‘normal’ routine after dinner with play time, reading books and then getting baths.  Harry, being 2 years younger, goes to be 30 minutes before Brooks.

Usually he goes right to sleep but when it was time for Brooks to go to bed, Harry was still talking to himself and tossing and turning.  We had to turn on the light when Brooks went down so that didn’t help things.  Then they finally both were settled down.  I could hear them talking a little from the other room but I expected some of that.

About 20 minutes after Brooks went down, they sheepishly presented themselves into the hallway and announced they had to ‘go to the bathroom’. Hmmm.  One begins to wonder if this is the first of many ‘up and downs’....  They did their business, got a drink of water again and went back to bed.

Another 20 minutes, I checked on them and Harry was still talking to himself a little and Brooks was out.  Harry followed shortly after that!  Yay!  We all got a good night’s sleep.  Brooks was up earlier than usual the next morning but we went with the flow.  It turned out fine.

We pulled out all the stops with Donut Day, Chick-Fil-A playtime and lunch and then we went to their house (12 minutes from our house) for naps.  We followed by going back over to grandma and grandpa’s house for the rest of the day and night.  We prepped them for the idea of going to our church the next morning.

On Sunday we arrived on time and both were in the same class which helped.  Ms Karen met them and they had a great time.  Unbeknownst to us; the 8 member children’s choir was scheduled to sing “Jesus Loves Me” at the morning service.

We pushed the envelope and decided to stay for that and let the boys participate and it turned out great.

I got permission to share this with you.  After several attempts at different school and such, we hoped for a good video of the kids at their best.  This is it.  Brooks was going for it! And little Harry was trying to keep up with the hand motions the older kids learned that morning.  

It was fun and a milestone weekend.  Kelly and Jon returned on Monday and things got back to normal quickly.

Meanwhile, Pam had some appointments in the last couple of days and we are ready for her breast cancer surgery on Monday Nov 18 at 10:30 AM.  We are very thankful it is Stage 1, it is small and it was caught early.  We are expecting great things.  Thanks for your prayers and interest.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner(less) Chronicles!

Loving the RV Life

Here's a look at the route we've been on since we left Virginia Beach on Saturday.  

Everything doesn't have to be going our way all the time for us to love the RV life.  There are ups and downs.  The last few days have been a wonderful with a few things that went a little sideways.  We notched a couple of "wins" however, and are happily camped at the Roadrunner RV Resort and Campground (private) in Maynardville TN, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

We've been here many times over the years.  This is one the Roadrunner's favorite spots.  We're on Joan and Mike's property with water, 50 amp service and a dump station.

Here are the wins:

• Traveling in beautiful weather
• Visiting with good friends
• Catching an uninvited guest: a mouse
• Attending a good church
• Safely boondocking/dry camping in sketchy area of town
• Terrific early morning breakfast in Greensboro
• Getting in to the Cummins Coach Care facility first thing Monday morning
• Correctly diagnosing the engine hesitation with new fuel filters
• Getting underway before 10:00AM
• Seeing the wonderful Shenandoah Valley
• Not more engine hesitation
• Arriving safely in Maynardville TN

During Saturday's drive from Virginia Beach, we noticed how well the coach was running.  It was a smooth, comfortable ride at 62 mph.   We love traveling done the road and enjoying the ride.

We are grateful for good friends and love to visit when we have the chance to see people.  We had dinner and went to church with D and Jackie and got to catch up with each other.  Great times!

3 or 4 days after Halloween, we had a large bag of candy in our snack drawer.  That is probably not a good idea on a number of levels.  One morning Pam sadly announced we had evidence of a mouse in the Roadrunner.  One had eaten through a candy wrapper and apparently enjoyed a portion of a Reese's cup.  Yikes!  I got out 4-5 mouse traps we carry and set them up.  It took another 6 days before the munchy mouse met his match.

We always enjoy a good church service. We were able to attend Freedom Church with D and Jackie in Lincolnton, NC and were refreshed, renewed and encouraged.

After church, we decided our fuel hesitation issues required us to find a Cummins Coach Care facility and get it properly diagnosed. En route to Denver (near Lake Norman) the Roadrunner began hesitating slightly going up hills.  It has previously been an issue.  We guessed it the coach needed new fuel filters.  A similar issue occurred last December when we left Virginia Beach.  After sitting for months, the coach began slipping going up hills.  We guessed it was the same problem this time.

Unfortunately we had to back track 90 miles and arrived at the Cummins repair shop in Greensboro NC.  The gate was locked and it didn't look as if the electric hookups in back were being used.  We realized we had to find a place to stay overnight.  We first parked on the street outside of the gate. Our  satellite wouldn't lock on, so we looked around and decided on the abandoned restaurant next door.  It  had a parking small parking lot on one side and a staging area for a septic service on the other side of the building.  Surprisingly three truck came and went using that side of the parking lot.

We found a level spot and backed up the street 50 yards into the parking lot.  We were hoping we could stay there all night without causing problems.

We opened the Passenger Side slides but did not put down jacks.  We fired up the generator for a couple of hours.  Our TV satellite dish didn't work in that location, but at least we were off the street. Our Over-the-air (OTA) digital antenna picked up 22 stations and we watch some sports, read, and had frozen dinners.  It also was a restful night.

We were up early and went to breakfast at a local place and it was a real treat.  Lots of local folks there early getting a bite before work plus a few retired people.  Good food, huge biscuits.

We were first in line when the Cummins repair shop opened.  We carry spare fuel filters and left them on the seat of the coach for the mechanic.  It took about 90 minutes and we were done and back on the road.

There was some road construction and detours and we found ourselves on I-81 going through the Shenandoah Valley.  It is one of the scenic drives in America!  It was a clear day and we loved it.

We went up quite a few hills and had no more engine issues!  The Roadrunner ran smoothly up big inclines and we're thankful for that.

We continued over to Morristown TN and then to Tazwell TN before arriving at Joan and Mike's in Maynardville and our site.  It was late afternoon and a nice afternoon.  We got set up and are ready for a nice Thanksgiving.

Hope you and yours are enjoying the week and have a nice holiday.  Where are you for Thanksgiving?


Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

2016 Brothers Reunion - Sunday and Monday

On Sunday morning we drove over to Sonoma to attend church at the oldest Episcopal Church in California.  Since all the brothers grew up Episcopalian, we had some roots there.  It was a nice service with a friendly congregation in a beautiful setting.

 One thing in our genes, is the ability (and desire) to meet people and talk.  So it was not surprising that Marty offered that the right thing to do was to have coffee and meet some people in the church parish hall.  We had a very nice time doing just that.

 After church we walked around downtown Sonoma and found a good place for lunch.

 We discovered a Mexican Restaurant with seating on a balcony overlooking the stream.

 Next we drove back over to Murphys for an afternoon at the theater where we saw Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure'.

 It was another quaint setting and the local players did a good job with the play.  I had never heard of the work before but we all enjoyed it.

I think one of the unwritten goals of our time together was to gain 20 lbs each!  We ended up on Marty's deck for dinner again and were glad to be joined by Margie and Terry who each lived a few houses up the street in Arnold.

 We topped it off we a big chunk of watermelon.  Doesn't everyone eat watermelon over the 4th of July?

On Monday we hit the links again and had some more fun at the Forest Meadow Golf Course in Arnold.  For some reason, none of us were on our game, but golf is like that some time...

 It was still fun playing together and we were glad to be out on the links.

The afternoon schedule included a stop over at Columbia State Park.  This was a fascinating place to say the least!  It was definitely a highlight.  It is one of the best 'Western towns' I've been too.

 It is a place frozen in time -- the Historic 1850's Gold Rush in the Mother Lode country.  All the shops and stores look authentic and it has a couple of well done museums.

 We basically wandered around for a couple of hours and had tickets for their BBQ.

 I thoroughly loved the old museum.  It had a number of displays including explanations of the many ways they mined gold during that historic period in the region.

And then the gem -- a brief explanation of how Cinco de Mayo started.  It began with celebrations right there in the area dating back to 1862.  Now look how it has grow and something that is commemorated all across the country.  Another fascinating tale from our travels.

 Many of the locals were dressed up in costumes of the time period.

While we ate and enjoyed the afternoon, we were entertained by some very good musicians.

 These folks played for quite a while and they were really good.  It was a wonderful afternoon.

We sat around and listened for a while and the events of the weekend came to a close.  The folks in Columbia are like so many in that area and have a keen interest in perpetuating the traditions and culture of those interesting Gold Rush days.

The main locals all gathered in the middle of the street for the annual picture.

Then we were keen to get back to Marty's cabin and hang out some more.  The late afternoon BBQ was our dinner for the evening which worked out great.

Reid led a couple of interesting discussions during our evenings.  One had to do with courage and he began by asking 'When in your life would you say you have been courageous'.  Very revealing and everyone had something to offer.  The last evening together we talked about Legacy and what we can do or are doing to pass on a legacy to our children and grandchildren.

That it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thanks for joining us as we celebrate each other and time together over the 4th of July!

Lunches in Alabama

One of the great things about this RV full timing lifestyle is being able to see friends and family.  Because we were in the military, we have made friends from all over the country.  And while we have been in Florida the panhandle / lower Alabama area we have been able to get together with some friends.

It has been great.

We have been friends with Bill and Linda since 1979.  They were missionaries to U.S. servicemen and women in Korea in Kunsan.  Pam and I were stationed at Kunsan AB and both on active duty at the time. Over the years we have kept up with them and have seen what a wonderful impact they have had on people's lives over the years.

They are in Pensacola for a few weeks while on furlough from Korea and we wanted to get over here to see them.  We had them over to the Roadrunner for dinner one night and then we attended the first night of their home church's Missions Conference.

They had a display set up and had a session where they presented some pictures and explained how they interact with the service men and basically what they do over there as missionaries.  Then Bill played a couple of songs on his Korean dulcimer and gave the message.  There were two other missionary families there for the conference.  One family was serving in Mexico and the other in New Zealand.

Here is a shot of us with Bill and Linda.

The next day we were invited to join the pastor and missionaries and some guests for lunch over in Foley, Alabama at Lambert's Cafe.
What a hoot!
We learned about 'roll tossin' and 'passarounds' and had some great food in a very unique atmosphere.

It is a special place with restaurants at two other locations including Branson MO.  It was fun!

A guy literally walks around with rolls and tosses them across the restaurant to you.  And the helpings of food were big.  Like take home box big! And our servers had all kinds of practical jokes they spring on you.  I jumped high out of my chair when Patti "accidentally" exploded a plastic bottle of mustard all over me.  It was foam strings---but at the time I thought I was had!

And the 'passarounds' are servers who bring: fried okra, black eyed peas, or fried onions and potatoes around and serve it up at no extra cost.  If you haven't been to Lambert's it is a short 35 minute drive from Pensacola and worth the trip.

Then yesterday I was sitting here in the Roadrunner doing some monthly financials when Darrell came up on Facebook and said he and Judy were near by in Summerdale, AL.  I found Darrell's website back in 2008 when I was first researching and learning about RVing.  But we had never met and this was our chance!  It was about 45 minutes from Pensacola so we hopped in the car and went to see them at their place at the Escapees RV park.

We went out to eat at Big Daddy's Grill in nearby Fairhope, AL.  It was another great place to eat.

After lunch we toured the Escapees park and found out Jim and Ellie were there.  We first me them in Red Bay about 18 months ago while we were getting work done on our Tiffin motor homes.  We chatted for a while and took a group shot.

It was great to see friends and meet new ones.  In fact this winter we have seen more friends while we have been in Florida than we expected.  It has really been great!  And there is a bonus, unplanned get together like yesterday.  You never know how the days will turn out some times.

That's it for another edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thanks for joining us.  Until next time...

Oh Canada! - Quebec City

First - I am way behind in my blogging.  Anyone of my readers ever have that issue?  We are now in Virginia Beach where we will be for about six weeks.  But I wanted to do a post on our time in Quebec City so here goes.

We drove from Presque Isle, Maine crossing the border into New Brunswick Canada at Fort Fairfield.  From there we headed north and then west into Quebec.

We stopped at the nearest rest stop/tourist information center for a stretch of the legs.
We traveled along the Saint Lawrence River and had moderately long driving day.

We arrived at our campground (Campground Transit) mid-afternoon.  It was a 243 mile day and we were tired.  We got set up and enjoyed an uneventful evening at a nice campground.

The next morning we drove into Levis and caught the ferry over to Quebec City.  Ferries are always interesting.

We were in the midst of regular 'commuter' folks and some tourists like ourselves.  The approach over to the city is pretty spectacular.

You can see the Citadel, Frontenac and some of the old city.

Once on the island we proceeded to the historic section of the city which was about a two blocks from the ferry.

 In the middle of the old section stands the Notre Dame des Vicotires church.

We had lunch at an outdoor cafe

And we walked around some more after lunch

Along the Promenade

To the Citadel

We came across some street performers before we went back to the ferry

It was pretty day for walking around the old city.

That is all for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thanks for joining us.  Until next time...