Flowers at Haas Lake Campground

Welcome to followers:

Wild Blue Yonder

Sherry and Charley

tobie eckert

Ron and Jan

Thanks for joining us!
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A while back, I noticed how many people at Haas Lake RV Campground have flowers.  When we registered and checked in back in April, we were told that 70% of campers at the campground are seasonal.  That make explain why so many plant flowers.

After I went for a run, I decided to snap a few shots of the many flowers:

They really add to the beauty of the area.

Yesterday, we ran a few errands, Pam got her haircut, I went for a bike ride and we enjoyed the beautiful day.  I cooked hamburgers on the grill and then we went for a walk around the lake.  On the way back we stopped to see our friends Roger and Joyce and talked with them until the sun went down.  It was another sunny day in  beautiful Michigan.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Errands and Hanging Around the Campground

Yesterday was a beautiful day at Haas Lake Campground.  The sun was out all day and the gentle breezes blew...the temperature was in the low 80's.

I ran a couple of errands early and went to Home Depot to get a vinyl gutter for the sewer hose.   I found the section that had the gutters, then borrowed some tin snips so I could cut it into a four and six foot section.

I noticed our neighbor uses one and decided to give it a try.  So far the results are inconclusive because I have a slight incline from the coach to the dump hole at the campsite.  I will keep it and see if it comes in handy another time.  Sometimes the accordion stand for the sewer hose I currently use is not as stable as I'd like so now I have another option.

From there I looked at WalMart and a few auto supply stores for Klasse All In One

My friend Mark Hall cleans his Tiffin more than anyone I know so I asked him what he uses between his treatments of

the Solution.   I have used the Solution for over a year now and really like it but Pam asked if we ever need to wax this coach?  I didn't really know, so I asked what Mark does.  He uses the Klasse All In One so I may order some online.  Nothing like a spiffed up RV...

Next, I came back to the Roadrunner and went for a run.  I am inching up the time between intervals and had the best run in ages.  I took it easy but still had a great workout.  I really like this campground with the miles of dirt roads.  It is nice to be able to run with out dodging traffic or being on pavement the whole way.  This track is scenic also!

We had lunch and spent time with Adam.  He is heading out to Washington DC for a few weeks and after lunch we took him to the Flint, MI airport.  He was saying it was small and it really is.

But it was very convenient and looked like a nice facility.  He had a connection in Detroit and made it to DC later in the night where he was picked up by a buddy he is staying with.

Pam and I watched some tennis after dinner and then spent a nice evening with a campfire out back watching the lake and contemplating life.  It was a beautiful evening.

Pam is feeling pretty good and her stamina is increasing so we are going to do more in the coming days.

For now, thanks VERY much for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Father's Day and the US Open

It was a pretty lazy day for me on Father's Day yesterday.

Pam and I got up and went to church at OakPointe Church in Novi.  We heard a good message from Bob Shirock entitiled 'Surrounded'.  It was based on two verses: 1 Corinthians 16:13,14: 'Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all be done in love.'


It was one of the best talks I have heard!  He also wove in a clip from Band of Brothers where one GI tells the captain, "We're surrounded!" and the captain calmly says, "We're supposed to be surrounded, we're paratroopers!!"  The point for me was ~ We are dads... There is supposed to be conflict and challenge and issues. It is part of the deal.  Don't check out...Man Up!

It was still the middle of the morning by the time church was over, so we went over to Golfsmith, Dick's Sporting Goods and REI before we found a pair of running socks that were not a six pack.  I wanted a single pair only.  Then we headed back to the Roadrunner.  Adam was up and working on his computer.  After lunch Adam and Pam headed over to get all the laundry done while I took a siesta.  (Did I say it was Father's Day?  :)

The US Open at Pebble Beach was on so we watched that all afternoon.  I found the 'Marquee Group' button on Direct TV and we were able to watch Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els the entire round.  That was pretty cool!  Unfortunately for Phil the highlight for the day was on hole number one where he curled in a 25' birdie.  It was one disappointing hole after another after that.  Good for Graham McDowell ??? who won it after leading for a couple of days.

We grilled some talapia and had a great dinner before we went out back and sat by the fire as the sun was going down over the water...  It was a nice day at Haas Lake!

Hope you have a good week.  We will be here another three weeks. Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Golf and a Picnic

First of all,  thanks to new Followers:

Dennis and Donna

Karen Kardamon

We appreciate you joining us!!

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Bill and Marg made the two hour drive from Petrolia and got to our campground about 10:30 AM.  The sun was out and we were in for a beautiful Saturday.  I threw my clubs into Bill's van and off we went to the Links at Novi which is about 10 minutes away.

While we played golf, Marg and Pam went shopping, had lunch and enjoyed the beautiful day in the backyard on the lake.

After Bill and I settled up in the Pro Shop, we went directly to the first tee.

It was about 11:00 AM and we didn't see anyone.  Our open holes quickly evaporated and we were in for a long day.  I should have known better.  Most good courses on the weekends in the mornings are packed.

You'd never know it from these shots but the folks in front of us were slow.  Packed means 5 hours plus for a round of golf.  Ugh!

Since we had such a long time to wait between shots most of the day, Bill showed me a new use for a wedge.  I have never seen that one before, but it worked great!

Despite the long waits, we enjoyed ourselves, hit some good shots, hit some bad shots and I was OK with an 84.  I haven't played since February in Tucson, so I hit some unexpected shots.  :)

We returned back to Haas Lake Park RV Campground and found Pam and Marg hanging out by the water enjoying the beautiful day.

Some folks in their pontoon boats were enjoying the day also.  It was hot so it was a good thing the breeze was blowing.

Not too much later, it was time get ready for dinner.  It was such a beautiful day outside we ate on the picnic table.  I put the pork tenderloin on the grill and got that going.

Pam made some broccoli salad and baked beans.  

We had a great meal and a wonderful day.  Marg and Bill left for the two hour drive back to Petrolia.  Sometimes the two hour drive can be longer.  It depends on the back up at the border in Port Huron.  She emailed me after 9:00 PM that they got back safe and sound.

We watched the US Open and saw some great play by Woods and a sloppy kind of round for Phil.  It doesn't look like he is going to win it this year.  But you never know what may happen on the last 18 holes.  We will be watching!

It was a gorgeous sunset and a pleasant evening!

That's it for us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Happy Father's Day and thanks for joining us!

Getting Ready for the Weekend

Pam and I went shopping yesterday to get ready for the weekend.  We stopped first at the Sporting Goods store to get a pair of running socks.  The two varieties came in 6-packs so I declined.  I just need a pair, maybe two.

Next we drove by the golf course where Bill and I have a tee time for Saturday.  The course looks pretty good.  It has a lot of little rolling hills and it looks pretty wide open.

It has been ages since I have played but I am really looking forward to it.  For $35 including the cart it seems like a pretty good deal.  If I can manage a few good shots.  It should be a fun day.  While Bill and I are on the course, Marg and Pam are going shopping.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

Speaking of shopping we went to Costco and stocked up for the next couple of months.  I don't remember the last time we bought so much meat, fish and chicken.  We cleaned off the cutting board each time and sliced it all up into portions for two.

Then we bagged it all and put it in the freezer.  Catfish, salmon and a whole lot more.  Grilling here we come!

I went for a run in the heat of the afternoon and it felt pretty good.  It was an easy day.  I usually mix easy, then hard, then easy runs.  I vary the course too.  One day I run it one direction, the next time the other.

After a quick shower and dinner, we drove over to Ann Arbor and met Adam at the bus.

He was returning from Chicago where he had been for a few days seeing a friend.

Later, we watched the coverage of the US Open.  Wow!  What a day for Phil.  He needed a good scoring round to get into contention.  Now to keep it up for two more rounds.

While that was going on, we built a 'canopy' over the sofa bed to give Adam a little privacy.  I am usually up sometime before 5:30 every day so we wanted to see if something would work.

I fastened eye-hooks into wood behind the crown molding on top.  Then we used nylon rope to string from one end to the other.  We also got some wire which was near the curtains and other hardware, but that didn't work out.  I was afraid it would scratch and scar the wood.  Instead, we threaded curtains we bought from IKEA earlier in the week with thin nylon rope.  Seems like it will work ~ we will see.

Thats all from this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles except:  Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there!

Thanks for joining us today!  We love hearing from you, and adding more Followers.  Who will be next?

Thursday at Haas Lake

It was a beautiful day a Haas Lake RV Park Campground.  We had to be at the doctor's office at 9:00 AM so we left at 8:15 AM.  We arrived in plenty of time.  Huron Valley - Sinai Hospital Women's Center is a very nice facility.  The doctors we have been seeing are in a medical group uses this hospital and we are very happy with it.

Pam had a followup mammogram and ultrasound from her initial one earlier in Galveston.  Everything was fine so we are good for another six months.  One of the things we wanted to do was get all checked out while we are here in Michigan for a while and we certainly have seen a lot of doctors.

I will be glad when Pam finally gets to feeling 100%.   She will be too. We are almost there but she still doesn't have energy like she did a month ago.  We'll be patient and take it easy though.

We came back to the Roadrunner for lunch.  We stopped by at the Campground Registration Office and checked our mail and said 'hi' to Linda.  While we were at it, we paid our campground fee for the next few weeks.  It turns out is will be cheaper to pay for a month even though we will be heading out on July 8.

Surprise!  We got our first electrical bill and it was for $81.39 for the first two months.  I had forgotten we had to pay for electric so that jumps our daily rate up some.  We are still under the $25/day budget but I hate those surprises.  We probably heard about it when we checked in but after paying each month and not getting one, it was a shock to have one as we start month three.

Next, I went over to the bank and got a debit card so I could do some online banking with Bank of America.  We have had accounts for a long time but we got rid of the debit and credit cards long ago.  But you need a debit card account to transfer money online so we ordered those.

Nearby, I stopped at the Home Depot to pick up some hardware for our next project:  a canopy for the sofa bed.  We are trying to find a way to make some privacy and/or darkness over the bed for whomever sleeps there.  I know Adam would appreciate it, so we will probably work on that today.

We set the traps again and our mouse is not tempted yet.  So far he's ahead.  I heard him in a new place but have a hard time believing he is really up in the roof or the front vents?  (He is taunting me.  I hear him as I am writing this and have no idea how to get at him.) Sooner or later he will make a mistake...

I went running in the late afternoon.  It was hot and sunny and beautiful.  Just gorgeous these last couple of days.  I had another good run and am enjoying it.

Most of the activity of the day was watching parts of the US Open at Pebble Beach.  Who would have guessed BOTH Phil and Tiger would fail to get a single birdie yesterday?  My hopes are still with Phil.

And I am not really a Kobe Bryant/LA Lakers fan but I don't follow anyone on the Boston Celtics enough to root for them.  Anyway ~ glad basketball is finally over.   It always seems like a winter sport and here we are in the middle of summer.

It was a beautiful sunset.

That is all for today on the Roadrunner Chronicles, thanks for stopping by!

Running and A Few Roadrunner Projects

It took me a while to get going, but I went for a run again.  I have been running consistently since we returned from Tennessee last week and I can feel my stamina increasing.

Last week I ran 3 minutes, walked 1 minute and kept that up around the 2.9 mile campground road system and finished up walking 8 minutes to cool down and stretch again.  This week I increased the running to 4 minutes, then walking 1 and it seems to be OK.  My goal is to run 8 min, walk 1 min and then pick up the pace.  Then I will take on more distance.

I know of people who have run marathons doing the 8/1 interval thing and hope to get up to a half-marathon (13.1 mi) one day.  Years ago (back in the day...) I ran four marathons (26.2 mi).  Over the years age, injury, laziness, lack of motivation etc have overtaken my running.  But who knows? Maybe things will change if I keep it up.

After running, it seemed as if yesterday was our day to get a few projects done.  Two days ago we bought a bike hitch that sits vertically off the RV tow hitch.  We have tried a hitch off the back of the toad (Honda).  They seemed to get really wet and bounce a lot back there.

We also tried putting the bikes in the back of the Honda when we travel.  We have had the Honda only a year and I am afraid it is getting a little beat up moving bikes in and out of it.  So we are giving this solution a try.

The hitch on the rear of the RV looks like it will give pretty good protection compared to hanging off the back of the Honda which we also tried for a while. I like the two locking mechanisms on the hitch.  With the protective bike bag, it should all work well.  We will see.

After that, I patched up the hole in the basement ceiling around some pipes and cords.  Quite a few months back I was trying to get to a leak in the shower and chipped away the foam insulation that was there and never re-filled it.

We were thinking maybe our mouse friend entered the coach through this gap in our defenses but I don't know how it could have gotten into the basement in the first place?  Nevertheless, I sprayed the foam and filled the empty spaces in the area.

That was a messy job.  I used disposable gloves and tried to move the foam around but it was a gooey mess.  We will see what it looks like later to find out if more work is needed there.

Next, we put a temporary fix on the window handle in our 'dining room'.  The metal handle/locking mechanism separated from the window a while back when we tried to open it.  I called the Tiffin factory and they suggested I use GE silicone on it.   Pam scraped off the old adhesive and put the new stuff on.

We only need it to last a couple of months and then we are going to Red Bay to get the windows replaced.  Back in January, we spoke with the CEO, Bob Tiffin, and he said he would replace the double-paned windows which have fogging issues.

Next, it was time to attack our mouse problem.  I figure it is 0-5 so far with the mouse winning.  His tracks were on a sticky trap we have under the sink.  That didn't seem to work.

It was supposed to catch him but he escaped with ease.  Now we are trying the old fashioned spring loaded trap to see if we can entice him.  To be continued...

In the late afternoon we went over to Rod and Lisa's.  We haven't seen those guys for a number of weeks so it was great to share a meal and catch up.  We always love hanging around them and they have made us feel quite welcome of the past few months.  It was another good evening again.

We got back in time to go straight to bed and get ready for another beautiful day here at Haas Lake RV park.  Hope you are having a good week and thanks for stopping by the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Buses, Grass Cutting, the US Open and Hanging Out

Adam left for Chicago and we dropped him off at the Park and Ride in Ann Arbor not far from I-94 interchange.  We made it on time (by 9:00) but there was a bit of a line.

He has traveled on low-cost buses quite a bit over the years with trips to/from NYC and Wash DC when he lived there.  The price is right (under $25) for the budget minded clientele.

Afterwards we found a Tim Horton's and have never seen one co-located with another fast food chain.

Wendy's was in the other half of the building but not open yet.  We took our time and enjoyed the morning.  Pam is still dealing with the effects of Thrush and may have burned her tongue a few days ago so her taste buds are still on the mend.

Next we found Camping World again and picked up a water heater and bike rack.  I am going to install on on the Roadrunner hitch that goes vertical up against the back of the coach.

We never were completely satisfied with the bike rack off the back of the Honda because the bikes always got wet and dirty.  Even with the bike bag they were not completely protected.  So we will see how well it works when we hit the road next month.

We got back to the campground for a really late lunch and Pam needed to rest.  Two days out in a row is still a little too much.  While she rested, I got motivated to mow the yard.  That took about 45 minutes and looks a lot better.  Nothing like a trimmed up place to put one in a good mood.  Kind or like washing the car, vacuuming the house ~ you know those kind of things.

Afterwards the Golf Channel had some things going on about the US Open Golf Championship at Pebble Beach.

There was a pre tournament interview with my favorite with Phil Mickelson.  He's finished second 5 times and I would love to see him win it this year finally!

Who can forget the debacle on the 18th hole at Winged Foot in 2006.  Phil had it won and couldn't put his drive in the fairway and lost it to Jeff Olgivie.  I hope he wins this one.  Sometimes your chances run out and before you know it the years slip by and you're to old to contend.  Like one of my old favorites Greg Norman.  He lead all four majors at one time after the third round and only won the British Open.  But that's golf.  We will see what happens this week.

We had tacos for dinner which hit the spot.

I put the mouse traps in a good spot so they'd be handy when I went to set them.  And I couldn't find what I did with them.  They are still in a package somewhere??  Guess I'll get some more today.

Later, we could see Roger and Joyce sitting outside enjoying the evening so we decided to go over to their place with our camping chairs and sit and chat for a while.  That was fun!  After that, we came back to the Roadrunner and watched some baseball and called it a night.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  We always look it when regular readers decided to become 'Followers' and add themselves by clicking on the "Follow" button~ who will be next?  We are almost at 120 heading for 200!

Mouse Scones Cracker Barrel

The good news is that I confirmed it with my eyeballs:  We have a mouse house guest (or two).  I knew I should have plugged up that hole in the basement with spray foam underneath the sink months ago...  If that is the place where he entered the house.  Yikes!

I was sitting here at the computer early yesterday morning and noticed something out of the corner of my eye.  Then a few minutes later he darted from the PS seat over to underneath the slideout with the sofa bed.  Later, we saw he had eaten a pistachio in the front drawer by the front door.  And some cookies in the snack drawer had munch marks all over them.

The mouse wars begin!  We bought traps and will set them.  I don't want to get rat poison and have him go off and die somewhere that I can't get to and then have to endure that odor.  The thought of him scampering around is bad enough.  The smell would really be bad.  So we will see what happens in the next couple of days.

Pam got up and made scones.  This time she put blueberries in them.

Not surprisingly they were great!

Then about 10:30 Pam and I were off to meet Marg (Meghan's mom) in Port Huron at Cracker Barrel.

We had a great time and talked for couple hours.  As you can see Pam is doing a lot better too.  She is about at 80% now and getting back to normal.

Then we went next door to make reservations at an RV park we will use the middle of August.  We will be in the area to attend Brad and Christine's (Meghan's brother and fiance) wedding and then we will be off heading south for Texas.

Later, we returned to the Roadrunner and I went over to a neighbor's and talked for a while.  We have a real good campsite and some good neighbors so that makes it nice.

Adam arrived back from his weekend in Toronto and we had dinner.  Before it got too dark, we went down to Roger and Joyce's said hi for a few minutes.

Roger wanted the plans for the flag stand so I copied them and we gave them to him.

It was a good Monday.  Hope you are having a good week too!  Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles today.

New Friends at Haas Lake RV Campground

Fellow full-timers and bloggers Joyce and Roger send us a message on FB a few days ago and indicated they were parked a few sites away.  We scheduled some time together and got to meet them today.

They started full-timing in July last year after their house sold in 11 days Plymouth, MI!  They have a Mobile Suites 5th wheel and have been traveling between Michigan and Texas for the last year.  They will be here for another month or so and then will head to the Michigan Upper Peninsula for some time this summer up there.

It is always great to meet folks that have similar but different experiences.  We spent a couple of hours talking and getting to know each other and will likely see them again next week.

Earlier in the day we went back to OakPointe Church in Novi and were not disappointed.  We saw Bruce again.  His wife Anne is away for a few days working on their cabin they will be staying in for a while this summer.

We also ran over to Wal-Mart, then watched some golf and took it easy this afternoon before the Sunday night baseball game started.

That was our Sunday ~ hope you had a great weekend!  And thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!