OWFISH Travelblog

Biloxi, MS

2011-11-28T20:26:00.002-06:00

We were up, had breakfast and on the road by 7:15 this morning. After 8 hours, we made the last 400 miles of this trip. We're staying with Barb's daughter and her family on Keesler Air Force Base here in Biloxi.

On our way to Biloxi

2011-11-27T19:27:00.004-06:00

We were up and leaving Oklahoma City by 9:00 this morning on our way to Biloxi, MS. After traveling 400 miles today in 9 hours, we stopped for the night in Shreveport, LA. 400 miles to go.

Oklahoma City

2011-11-17T21:51:00.005-06:00

After driving another 500 miles today we finely made it to Oklahoma City where we are staying with our friend Suzi until after Thanksgiving. While we're here, we will load up our clothes dryer that's been in storage at our daughter Evon in-law's place for a few years. We gave it to my sister Lovina when we moved out of our mobilehome 8 years ago. She put it in storage after moving into an apartment in Oklahoma City and didn't need it any more. We'll also clean out the stuff that we've had stored in a mini-storage here for the last 3 years.

Heading south

2011-11-16T20:41:00.004-06:00

We left the house at 7:30 this morning on our way south for 6 weeks. 500 miles and 10 hours later we stopped at the half way point in Osceola, IA for the night. This is our first trip going south without the motorhome. This year we left the motorhome in Wisconsin and are driving our pickup south and will stay with friends and family. Our first destination is Oklahoma City where we'll stay with our friend Suzi until after Thanksgiving, then will continue on to Biloxi, Mississippi where we'll stay with our daughter Angel and her family until the first of the new year.

Sault Sainte Marie

2011-09-07T19:05:00.005-05:00

We were on the road again this morning leaving Marquette around 9AM heading to Sault Sainte Marie, MI/Ont. The city of Sault Ste. Marie is a multinational city whereas part of it is in Michigan, USA and the other in Ontario, Canada separated by the Saint Mary River between them. The city dates back as far as 1668 when the area was first settled by French Jesuits. The name translates to "Saint Mary's Rapids" or "jump Saint Mary's".

Upon enter the city, we first found a parking lot and had a picnic lunch. Suzi and I first then went to the Soo Locks and watched a ship move from the lower Saint Mary River to the upper river then on into Lake Superior. Barb wasn't feeling well so she stayed behind with the truck. Afterwards, we crossed the International Bridge to the Canada side where we checked into the Bel-Air Motel.

Marquette, MI

2011-09-06T15:24:00.007-05:00

We got on the road at 8:00 this morning heading first the Da Yoopers Tourist Trap & Museum in Ishpeming, MI. This is a must stop for anyone coming to Yooperland. Then on to Marquette where we found a picnic table along the shore of Lake Superior for a picnic lunch. We opted to stay at the Americas Best Value Inn in Marquette. Tomorrow we'll continue our road trip to Sault Sainte Marie in Ontario, Canada.

Door County

2011-09-04T20:05:00.007-05:00

We took a road trip to Door County today stopping in the Village of Egg Harbor for lunch then on to Fish Creek. The Egg Harbor/Fish Creek area is a 100 mile road trip but only 30 miles by boat.

While there, we visited 2 wineries and had lunch at Shipwrecked Restaurant, Brew Pub & Inn. We also checked out the marinas for a future boat trip.

Sheboygan

2011-08-30T18:43:00.003-05:00

We drove down to Sheboygan for lunch today leaving Oconto around 9:00 this morning. On the way back, we took the Lake Shore Highway back up through Cleveland, Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Kewaunee and Algoma, getting back to Oconto around 6:00 PM. While in Sheboygan, we visited with our friends Frank & Jill Welti.

Swimming hole

2011-08-20T23:01:00.002-05:00

We went back out to the swimming hole again today. Barb piloted the boat there & back. She even docked us in our slip without hitting anything. A few more times & she'll be a pro at it. Then we'll have to start calling her Cap'n Barbie.

A Cruise to Hawai'i

2011-07-22T06:22:00.010-05:00

Our trip to Hawai'i just got a dozen steps closer. We have just booked a 14 Night Hawai'i Cruise aboard the Golden Princess leaving from Los Angeles on Oct 24, 2012. Yes that's next year but it gives us time to pay off the credit card and save up some more money for the trip.

Our cruise will take us from Los Angeles to Hilo on the Big Island (where I used to live), to Honolulu, to Nawiliwili on the Island of Kaua'i, to Lahaina on the Island of Maui, to Ensenada, Mexico, then return to Los Angeles.

Shakedown Cruise

2011-07-16T21:07:00.001-05:00

We launched the Shangri-La last Sunday but I still had to complete some systems before going out with her. So after finishing hooking up the fresh water system, and making sure I had a working head (toilet) on the boat, Barb and I left the docks for a short shakedown cruise down the Oconto River, out a quarter mile or so into the Bay of Green Bay, then returned back to the yacht club. The boat run good and handled well.

We're In!

2011-07-10T19:15:00.012-05:00

After working on our boat almost everyday for the last 2 months, we finely got it in the water today. We still have a lot to do on our renovation, but at least the problems that I was dreading with hull issues are fixed.

As we were getting ready to lift it off it's jack stands, I had Barb get our camera to take pictures of today's events. But unfortunately, the camera batteries were dead. But fortunately, another member had his camera and took these pictures for us.

Paid Off

2011-07-02T12:46:00.005-05:00

This weekend finds our boat, the Shangri-La, with a lien-free title. Yesterday Barb and I drove down to Sheboygan, partied, and spent the night. Today at breakfast we made our last payment to our friends Frank & Jill Welti and now fully own our boat. Now to get our pickup and motorhome paid off.

City Council Meeting

2011-06-14T21:22:00.007-05:00

We've been here in Oconto going on 2 months now. We really haven't gone anywhere except for a few shopping trips to Green Bay to pickup supplies and to the VA medical clinic in Appleton. I've been working on the boat trying to get it in the water for the summer but that's been slow awaiting for work to be completed on it by others that I've had to hire to do things that I can't do.

When we first got here, we parked in a temporary spot until the yacht club was through building the new RV sites. All that work was completed almost a month ago but we've been waiting for the local power company to connect a new electrical service to the marina. Maybe this week they'll be out here to complete their portion. The club has spent thousands of dollars upgrading the electrical service and putting in the new RV sites.

Today Barb and I attended the Oconto City Council Meeting with their main agenda allowing the yacht club to park RVs on the club property. The city is all for it but one property owner next to the club is against it. The club has had an on going problem with this guy for years, and he doesn't even live here in Oconto. After the third vote by the city council, they finely had their two-thirds votes needed to decide to allow it or not. Their decision was in our favor, for another year anyway.

Snow

2011-04-19T22:24:00.005-05:00

Well we didn't get the 8" of snow here in Oconto as they were predicting like they got in the Green Bay area, but at least we're up here and hopefully it will start warming up before long.

Back in Oconto, Wisconsin

2011-04-18T20:13:00.007-05:00

We made it back to Oconto today getting here around 5:30 this afternoon. We left Kellogg, IA around 8:00 this morning and drove the last 434 miles in 9 hours driving time. As soon as we get here we find that there's a winter storm warning out for Tuesday and Wednesday expecting around 8" of snow here. At least I don't have to drive in it. We'll be here until the end of October.

From the time we left Oconto last year, we drove the motorhome 3479 miles, used 453.465 gallons of fuel, costing $1629.45, which averages out to 7.67 MPG, $3.593 per gallon, $0.468 per mile driven. We spent $3244.12 staying in RV Parks this past winter.

Kellogg, IA

2011-04-17T15:05:00.005-05:00

Once again we were able to get on the road by 7:30 this morning leaving from Homewood, KS to continue our trek to Wisconsin. Today we drove 297 miles with a fuel stop in Des Moines, IA where I topped off with 68.6 gallons of diesel costing $280.00. We have averaged 7.9 MPG since leaving Oklahoma City. We have stopped for the night staying at the Kellogg RV Park in Kellogg, IA. Tomorrow we should make Wisconsin before stopping for the day and make it to Oconto by Tuesday afternoon.

Homewood, KS

2011-04-16T14:12:00.004-05:00

We were able to get on the road this morning leaving around 7:30 AM. There were some winds today but not like yesterday. We drove 295 miles and stopped for the rest of the day staying at the Homewood RV Park in Homewood, KS. 747 miles to go to get to Oconto, WI.

High winds

2011-04-15T11:08:00.009-05:00

We were planning on leaving out this morning continuing our trek to Wisconsin for the summer but opted to stay put here in Oklahoma City for another day due to the high winds here in Oklahoma and Kansas. That will give us another day to enjoy the indoor hot tub here at the RV park. It is 1025 miles from Oklahoma City to Oconto that will take us 3 to 4 days to drive.

Oklahoma City, OK

2011-04-08T14:10:00.004-05:00

We left Gainesville around 8:45 this morning on our last leg to Oklahoma City. We pulled into the Rockwell RV Park around 11:15 AM. As soon as we got here, we went out to lunch with our daughter Evon. We will be here for about a week then continue our trip to Oconto, Wisconsin.

Gainesville, TX

2011-04-07T17:00:00.005-05:00

We left the Welcome Center around 7:30 this morning getting as far as Gainesville, Texas where we stopped for the night at the Gainesville Outlet Shops RV Park. This outlet mall used to be worth driving down from Oklahoma City but not anymore. Most of the stores have closed over the years. We'll be in Oklahoma City tomorrow for about a week.

On the road to Oklahoma City

2011-04-06T17:07:00.004-05:00

Well we were able to get on the road this morning leaving around 9:30 AM on our way us to Oklahoma City. We have stopped for the night in the Texas Welcome Center just outside Waskom, TX.

Blow Out

2011-04-05T16:51:00.006-05:00

We were getting ready to leave Lake Arthur this morning when I found that my inside right rear dual tire was flat and wouldn't hold air. On the way here last Friday, I heard a noise and pulled over on the side of the highway but didn't see anything so I kept going.

Well I called our road service and they found someone about 40 miles from us who could bring us a new tire and put it on the motorhome. Total price for a new tire was $503.17.

Since it was already after noon by the time the repairs were completed, we opted to spend one more night and will leave out tomorrow morning on our trip to Oklahoma City.

Lake Arthur, LA

2011-04-01T16:45:00.006-05:00

We left New Iberia around 10:15 AM this morning heading 55 miles away to the Mermentau River RV Park & Marina in Lake Arthur, LA.

Crawfish Pie (Des tartes d'écrevisse)

2011-03-23T15:28:00.001-05:00

Crawfish pie for dinner tonight.

Recipe for Crawfish Pie
Des tartes d'écrevisse
from
The Top 100 Cajun Recipes of All Time

3/4 medium bellpepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs of celery, chopped

3/4 cup of butter

6 tablespoons of crawfish fat (optional)

1-1/2 pounds of peeled crawfish tails

1/2 cup of chopped green onions

1/2 cup of minced parsley

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of red pepper

1/2 teaspoon of garlic power

cornstarch

dough for a double-crust pie

1. Sauté bellpepper, onion and celery in butter until tender; add crawfish fat and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Add crawfish tails, green onions, parsley and seasonings. Thicken if necessary with a little cornstarch; let cook long enough to thicken gravy.

3. Place half of the pie crust dough in a nine-inch pie pan. Fill with the cooled filling. Place top crust on pie, moisten edges and seal edges. Cut two or three one-inch-long slits in the top crust.

4. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees; lower oven to 375 degrees and cook for 35 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.

Note: Individual pies can be made using muffin pan with large cups. Bake as above.

Click on play button to play Crawfish Pie
Download Crawfish Pie from Amazon.com

Two Weeks

2011-03-18T11:03:00.006-05:00

Well our friend Suzi left this morning after spending 2 weeks with us. She really needed that time to get away from stress-induced Oklahoma and relax. We'll be here in New Iberia for another 2 weeks then we too will leave on our 3 day trek to Oklahoma before heading to Wisconsin for the summer. We go through Oklahoma each year at this time to renew our vehicle tags and visit with family and friends there before going to God's real country.

Louisiana Swamp Tour

2011-03-16T20:15:00.018-05:00

One of the things on Suzi's "list of things she wanted to do while in Louisiana" was to take a swamp tour. So, Barb, Suzi and I got out of the house today and went on a swamp tour on Martin Lake with Champagne's Swamp Tours of St. Martinville. The last swamp Barb and I went on was back in June 2005 on Bayou Black.

Don't trust an alligator with a shit eating grin!
"just a little closer now ..."

Hawai'i Bound?

2011-03-15T08:40:00.002-05:00

Barbie and Ken's Hawaii Adventures: Hawai'i Bound?: "My daughter Evon and I left the Big Island in February of 1986 and flew to Oklahoma. Talk about culture shock. We stayed with my mother livi..."

Cajun Jam Session

2011-03-12T20:44:00.011-06:00

Last year while we were staying at Betty's RV Park in Abbyville, we found a small bar in an almost smaller town where they had Cajun music jam sessions every other weekend. Barb and I liked it so well we wanted to do it again. So earlier this afternoon, Barb and I took Suzi to that little bar in Erath, LA and listened to French-Cajun music at one of their jam sessions.

To keep everyone there come dinner time, the bar serves everyone a free Cajun meal. You never know what you're gonna get until they serve it to ya, then you might not want to ask. We enjoyed it. The Museum Cafe, as it's called, is attached to the Acadian Museum of Erath.

Once a month, the museum inducts a local member of the Cajun community as a Living Legend. We were fortunate enough that we were there when they inducted Dotsie LeBlanc into their Living Legends.

Buy Cajun Music from Amazon.com

Amazon.com Widgets

Avery Island

2011-03-09T19:12:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was a wet and windy day. Last night the winds came through and rattled the motorhome. It was like a swamp outside this morning. But after having lunch at Victors Restaurant in New Iberia, we took a trip out to Avery Island, home of Tabasco.

After we got back, we went to the crawfish hut drive thru and pickup 10 pounds of mud bugs for dinner.

Crawfish

2011-03-02T06:40:00.004-06:00

One of the reasons we come to Louisiana is for the crawfish. Last night after getting here, we went to our favorite crawfish hut and got our real Louisiana crawfish of the year.

New Iberia, LA

2011-03-01T15:23:00.006-06:00

We finely got on the road this morning and got out of town. We had breakfast at the Waffle House with our daughter Angel and granddaughter Emily at 7:30 this morning then pulled out of our RV space right around 8:30 heading to New Iberia, LA getting here at 2:00 this afternoon. We're staying at the KOC Kampground. We'll be here until the end of March. From here we'll head to Oklahoma City before heading back north to Oconto, Wisconsin.

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler"

(Let the Good Times Roll)

New Iberia, LA

KOC Kampground

Damn the torpedoes - Full speed ahead!

2011-02-17T10:51:00.029-06:00

Damn the torpedoes - Full speed ahead!

Who said those famous words? How about Admiral Farragut aboard the USS Hartford during the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864.

Yesterday Barb and I decided to get away from the "house" and go for a ride. I looked at the map and thought about taking US 90 west along the Gulf Coast to Louisiana. We've been as far as Bay of Saint Louis, MS this winter but not any further. Then I looks at the map and thought there's one place I'd like to explore, going east on US 90. That was Dauphin Island in Alabama. I don't know what's there and besides it would be a nice drive along the coast.

When we first left out turning on US 90 about a mile from where we are staying, you couldn't see anything from the fog that had rolled in. Well I though this wasn't going to be much of a sightseeing ride but it got us away for awhile and the best thing, Barb and I was spending some alone time together.

By the time we were 10 miles away, the fog had lifted and it was a nice sunny day. I knew as soon as we crossed the Mississippi-Alabama line, not just because the sign that read "Welcome To Alabama", but because US 90 turned from a nice 4-land highway to 2 lanes. "Yep! we're in Alabama" I said.

I've always liked driving the back roads of Alabama because it was like stepping back a hundred years in time. We followed US 90 to the town of Grand Bay, AL where we turned east onto Alabama Highway 188 and then south on Alabama Highway 193. That took us to the 3-mile bridge going over Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island.

Dauphin Island was first known by the French as Massacre Island until they changed it name in 1707 to Dauphin in honor of heir of the French throne: "Dauphin." The island was also the first capital of the Louisiana Territory.

On Dauphin Island, one can catch the ferry across the entrance of Mobile Bay to a long peninsula on the other side of the bay going to Gulf Shores, AL. We followed the a 4-lane boulevard going past the ferry loading docks. Coming around a bend in the road was the Civil War military post of Fort Gaines. I remember reading somewhere about it but it had totally slipped my mind that it was located there. The last old military fort that Barb and I had visited was Fort Frederick on the Island of Grenada. We had nothing else to do so we toured the old Civil War fort.

After we left the fort, we found a little place to get dinner before heading back "home." While there Barb told me that she wanted to live somewhere near the water. I asked her, "where near the water?" "Somewhere it doesn't snow", she said. Pointing out the window of the cafe where we were I ask, "like this?" Then she said, "I'd even go live in Hawai'i with you." We've talked about Hawai'i before. You see, I lived in the Hawaiian Island for 9 years, 2 years on the Island of Oahu, where Honolulu is, and 7 years on the Island of Hawai'i, the Big Island. After I left Hawai'i in 1986, I've always said, "I'd never go back", knowing that if I ever did, I'd never want to leave again. Well....... Boat for sale or will trade for land on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Stay tuned.

Barb's Out

2011-01-07T21:26:00.002-06:00

Barb is doing better. I brought her home from the hospital today.

Update on Barb

2011-01-06T15:53:00.002-06:00

They moved Barb out of ICU last night into another room. She's feeling much better, her blood sugars and blood pressure is back in the normal range. Hopefully she'll be discharged tomorrow and come home.

Emergency Room Visit

2011-01-04T23:23:00.004-06:00

As we travel around the country on our adventures, one adventure that we can do without is visiting a hospital emergency room.

Well we're only 4 days into the new year and things are going bad for Barb. Barb was admitted into the ICU at the Biloxi Regional Medical Center this evening.

We went to the mall here in town earlier today and she started feeling dizzy. She hadn't had anything to eat yet so thinking her blood sugar was low, I took her into a cafeteria in the mall so she could get something to eat. That didn't seen to help so I took her back to our motorhome and checked her blood sugar. It was a little high but not that bad so then I checked her blood pressure. It was way to low.

The VA hospital is only a mile from us so I took her to the ER there. By then it was about 2:30 in the afternoon. There were people in the waiting room complaining that they had been there since 10:30 this morning and they hadn't been seen yet. Well the hell with that. It seems like I have a new favorite quotation when I'm around the VA. I said "fine, I'll take her to a real hospital."

I then took her to the civilian hospital here in Biloxi. They checked her blood pressure and it was back in the normal range but her blood sugar had risen to over 500. They checked it again about a half hour later and then it was over 700. The ER admitted her into the ICU to place her on a slow insulin drip. Barb was feeling fine when I left around 11:00 tonight and I'll check on her in the morning.

New Job

2011-01-03T08:27:00.016-06:00

This year as we return back up to Wisconsin for the summer season, I have a new "job" to keep me busy. I've been elected as the new Rear Commodore for the Oconto Yacht Club. Now what in the hell is a Rear Commodore? In our club, the rear commodore chairs the House Committee which has the general supervision and control of the Clubhouse. In other words, the rear commodore oversees the maintenance and stocking of supplies for the clubhouse, to include making sure that the bar is kept stocked. As the Rear Commodore, I become a flag officer and I get to fly the Rear Commodore Flag on our boat.

Rear Commodore Flag

Merry Christmas, Marina Merle

2010-12-24T09:09:00.008-06:00

Merry Christmas, Marina Merle

The old man sat at the fuel dock on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. He had no decorations, no tree, no lights. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas; just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He and his wife bought the marina years ago ... and it was their life. They had no children. His wife had been gone now for a few years. Working on Christmas Eve just seemed to be the right thing to do.

He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a scraggly looking sailor stepped through. He smelled of fish and cigars ... like he had been on the river for awhile.

Instead of throwing the man out, Merle ... Marina Merle as he was known by his customers ... told the man to come and sit by the space heater and warm-up.

"Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy. I'll just go"...

"Not without something hot in your belly." Merle turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew. Made it myself. When you're done there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the squelch on the VHF radio. "Excuse me, be right back," Merle said.

Coming into the harbor was an old green 1960 Chris-Craft Roamer. Black smoke was rolling from the exhaust. The boater was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the boater with a deep Southern accent. "My wife is sick and the starboard engine has just quit."

Merle opened the hatch. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold; the engine was dead. "Looks like it's gone," Merle said as he turned away.

"But mister. Please help...." The door of the fuel dock closed behind Merle as he went in.

Merle went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, started the truck to warm it up. He went back around the fuel dock to where the couple was waiting.

"Here, you can borrow my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good." Merle helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night.

Merle turned and walked back inside the fuel dock.

"Glad I loaned 'em the truck. That boat's not going anywhere for awhile. But that 'ol truck will get 'em where they need to go..." Merle thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The thermos was on the desk, empty with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," Merle thought.

Merle went back outside to see if the old Chris Craft would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it around to the side of the fuel dock. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just some trash in the strainer.

"Well, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he cleaned it out. "That anchor's not gonna hold that boat in these waters..." So he took the anchor off of he and his wife's old Sea Ray. It was like new and he wasn't using the boat anymore. His wife sure loved that boat.

As he was working he heard a shot fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, " Help me..."

Merle helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention.

"Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The laundry company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound.

"Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," Merle thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back.

"These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there. I'm going to get you an ambulance." Merle said, but the phone was dead.

"Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that radio out in your police car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area." Merle sat down beside him. "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you."

Merle pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. Looks worse than what it is. "Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."

Merle got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best coffee on the river."

Then Merle added: "Too bad I ain't got no donuts."

The officer laughed and winced at the same time. The front door of the fuel dock flew open. In burst a young man with a gun.

"Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and Merle could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked Merle. "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused.

"Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun.

"Put that thing away,"! Merle said to the cop. "We got one too many in here now." He turned his attention to the young man.

"Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need the money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away."

Merle pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time.

The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry.

"I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job. My rent is due. My car got repossessed last week..."

Merle handed the gun to the cop.

"Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes ...but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things."

Merle handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Being stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.

Merle could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door ... guns drawn.

"Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread."

Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man. Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran!"

Merle and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," Merle said. "Just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas, boy. And you too, Merle, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."

Merle went into the back room and came outwith a box. He pulled out a ring box.

"Here you go. Something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw.

"I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied Merle. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

Merle reached into the box again. A toy airplane, a racing car and a wooden boat appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell.

"Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that, too. Count it as part of your first week's pay." Merle said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. We close the marina on Christmas day," Merle said. "See ya the day after." With a hand on his shoulder for comfort, he walked the boy outside and watched as he disappeared on the road for home.

Merle turned around to find that the stranger had returned.

"Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides ... I was getting a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on Merle's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, Merle. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman who was sick is going to bear a son and he will become a great doctor. The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will become a rich man and share his wealth with many people. That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

Merle was taken aback by all this stranger had said.

"And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, Merle. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, Merle, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

Merle watched as the man's old yellow slicker, his ragged fisherman's sweater and his torn denim pants turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room and lit up the river behind his shoulder.

"You see, Merle, it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

~Author Unknown

The sign speaks for it's self

2010-11-24T10:39:00.008-06:00

This is one of several signs like this coming into the RV park.

I wonder why we don't have any barking rats running loose around here?

Happy Birthday Kenny!

2010-11-18T21:23:00.010-06:00

On this date, many years ago in the early 1950's, in the Mojave Desert town of Barstow, California, I came to be.

Barb and I celebrated this day of wonder by having dinner with our daughter Angel and her family here in Biloxi.

Keesler FAMCAMP, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS

2010-11-09T15:32:00.008-06:00

We pulled out of the Pirate's Marina Cove around 8:00 this morning and drove the last 265 miles off this leg of our trip to Biloxi, MS where we are staying at the Keesler Air Force Base campground.

Total miles drove from Oconto: 1562
Total money spent for fuel: $572.17
Total gallons since fill-up before Oconto: 198.458 gallons
Average miles per gallon: 8.3 MPG

Pickensville, AL

2010-11-08T17:26:00.007-06:00

We were on the road by 10:00 this morning. Our destination today is the Pirate's Marina Cove in Pickensville, AL. Pirate's Marina Cove is on the Tombigbee River and is a stopover for members of the America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association doing America's Great Loop. It seemed like a long drive to day driving 247 miles. Tomorrow we'll be in Biloxi, MS where we'll spend the first 3 months of the winter.

Guild, TN

2010-11-07T16:01:00.005-06:00

The last 5 days in Lenoir City were great. We met up with John Winter of John Winter Yacht who gave us a driving tour of the area. John moved here last year from Oconto, WI where he done most of the Phase 1 Renovation work on our boat. Besides stopping to visit John on our trip south, we wanted to see areas of the Tennessee River for consideration of relocating to Tennessee and cruising the over 600 miles of the river. We loved what we seen and John said this was just the tip of the "ice burg".

To see more of the "ice burg", we pulled out of Lenoir City getting on the road by 10 AM this morning and headed to Hales Bar Marina & Resort in Guild, TN for a night or two. Guild is some 20 highway miles west of Chattanooga, TN on the Tennessee River.

We drove 115 miles today, stopping in Chattanooga for fuel, taking on 63.05 gallons costing $185.30.

Lenoir City, TN

2010-11-02T15:35:00.007-05:00

We got a late start this morning but were on the road by 10 AM after having breakfast. Traffic going through Louisville should have been down but there was an accident on I-64 that had the traffic backed up for 10 miles. By the time we got up to it though, they had cleared the road and traffic was moving again.

We stopped at the Flying J travel Center in Waddy for fuel. Usually I go through the truck line because the pumps are a lot faster. 60 gpm compared to 5 gpm at the RV line. But I wanted to fill the onboard propane tank and that's in the RV line. The fuel pump might have been pumping 2 gpm so after 25 gallons I stopped. I would have been there for another 10 minutes before the tank was full.

From there through Lexington, KY the traffic wasn't bad but going south on I-75 from Lexington to Knoxville, through the Cumberland Mountains, the traffic was heavy. I kept looking for a rest area where we could stop for lunch but there is none between Lexington and the Tennessee border until we pulled into the Tennessee Welcome Center. There was no place to park! So I pulled through and stopped on the on ramp before getting back on I-75 long enough for a bathroom break and a fast sandwich.

We finely made it to Lenoir City, TN where we are staying at the Lazy Acres RV Park or a few days. Today we drove 279 miles but it felt like the longest day of driving. Total miles from Oconto to Lenoir City was 935 miles.

Clarksville, IN

2010-11-01T16:27:00.006-05:00

We were on the road by 6:15 this morning as we continue our trip south for the winter. Our planned stop was in a small town east of Louisville, KY at the Flying J Travel Center until we discovered during our lunch stop that we were out of fresh water. I don't know why because I filled up last Thursday at the yacht club. Well a 100 gallons goes fast when your taking showers and washing dishes. So we dug out the campground directories and found a campground on the Indiana side of Louisville, KY for the night called the Add-More Campground in Clarksville, IN. Today we traveled 319 miles. Tomorrow we will try to make the last 280 miles of this leg to Lenoir City, TN.

Minonk, IL

2010-10-31T17:30:00.005-05:00

We pulled anchor at 9:00 this morning on our way south to warmer weather for the winter. We stopped at Waynes for breakfast and over to Holtwood Park to dump our tanks and was on the road by 9:40. Our first stop was for fuel at the Flying J Travel Center in LaSalle, IL, then in Minonk, IL to rest for the night. We drove 337 miles today and took on 48.6 gallons of diesel costing $153.61. Our next planned stop is at the Flying J travel Center in Waddy, KY for the night.

Decommissioning

2010-10-01T17:29:00.006-05:00

We lifted our boat out of the water today for winter storage here at the Oconto Yacht Club. Next I have to winterize the fresh water system and engines, then have it shrink wrapped. Next spring when we come back, I'll continue working on the cabin renovation.

Where did the summer go?

2010-09-25T13:26:00.010-05:00

Well, we've been here at the Oconto Yacht Club now for 6 months. Tomorrow morning's forecast low is 38°. Where has the summer gone?

It's time to pull the Shangri-La out of the water, winterize and shrink wrap it for the winter. It's time to get our mini-storage in order so I can get everything, including our old Ford Ranger, tucked away for the winter. It's time to start thinking about heading south for the winter.

This winter we are planing on going to Gulfport, MS. We found a mobile home/RV community called Southern Oaks Mobile Home & RV Community costing $410 a month. It's about 10 miles from where Barb's daughter Angel lives in Biloxi. We'll stay there for 4 to 5 months, then a month or two in New Iberia, LA before heading back up here, via Oklahoma City, to Oconto next spring.

En-route to Gulfport, we are planing a stop in Lenoir City, TN to visit my friend John Winter. John rebuilt the cabin top and installed the new windows in our boat last winter and summer before moving to Tennessee.

Cruise Blog

2010-06-09T08:10:00.002-05:00

This summer we will be spending a lot of time on our vintage yacht, the Shangri-La. During the summer months, I'll be posting on the blogs that I have set up for our maritime adventures.

Barbie & Ken's Cruise Blog

m/v Shangri-La Renovation Project

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We are in the water

2010-06-04T07:51:00.010-05:00

It's been a lot of work, but, we are in the water. We started tearing out the cabin interior yesterday so we can build that the way we want it.

Oconto Yacht Club

2010-05-21T06:56:00.006-05:00

We've been here at the yacht club for a month now and everything is working out fine for us. We are parked in the back next to a tree line where we get an afternoon shade. We are hooked up to 30 amp power through a marine outlet and near-by water. Our gray water (shower/sink) drains into the lagoon, the same as the boats do, and for our black water (sewage), I empty it once a week into my blue port-a-tank and pull it to the boat pump-out.

Spring Snow

2010-05-08T08:46:00.003-05:00

We woke up this morning with snow covering everything. Barbie questions why we left the warm southern states for this. "It's all about me being able to work on the boat this time of the year Barb."

Oconto, WI

2010-04-21T22:08:00.001-05:00

We are currently parked at the Oconto Yacht Club in Oconto, WI. The idea of staying here at the yacht club for the summer was a great idea, but may not be very feasible. The next few days will tell. We still have our seasonal space reserved at Holtwood Campground here in Oconto.

I've already started making contacts with local people to help us with our renovation project on our boat, the Shangri-La.

Paw Paw, IL

2010-04-20T16:12:00.004-05:00

We had a nice visit in Moberly, MO the last couple of days. This morning started out great getting on the road by 8:30. Stopped in Minonk, IL for a late lunch and took on 62 gallons of diesel costing $190.87. We've stopped for the night in Paw Paw, IL to get some rest after driving 324 miles today. One more day on the road and we'll reach our summer destination in Oconto, WI.

Moberly, MO "The Magic City"

2010-04-18T13:35:00.006-05:00

We have stopped for a couple of days staying at Thompson Campground, part of Rothwell Park, in Moberly, MO, to visit Barbie's nephew Wally.

Moberly is the product of an 1866 railroad auction. The Chariton and Randolph Railroad connected with the North Missouri Railroad Company here. With the coming of the Wabash Railroad Shops in 1873, Moberly seemed to spring from the prairie overnight, and was subsequently dubbed "The Magic City."

From here we'll leave on Tuesday morning on our last leg to Oconto, WI for the summer.

Concorida, MO

2010-04-17T18:40:00.019-05:00

We got on the road around 8:30 this morning heading to Moberly, MO to visit family. After driving 400 miles, we stopped for the night in the small town of Concorida, MO, home of Space Craft Manufacturing. They manufacture custom built RVs. Also just to the south of us is Whiteman AFB, home of the 509th Bomb Wing. The 509th files the B-2 Stealth Bomber. In 1947, the 509th Bomb Group was based at the Roswell Army Airfield in Roswell, NM, where the alleged recovery of extra-terrestrial (alien) debris, including corpses, from an object which crashed near Roswell on, or around July 8th, 1947.

OKC Day 2

2010-04-15T22:32:00.001-05:00

We got the services done today on the motorhome, all vehicle registrations updated for the year, and my Class-A CDL renewed for another 4 years. Oil and filter change on the motorhome engine and generator set us back $500. Tomorrow we take as much as we can out of our local storage, stock up at Sam's Club, have dinner with my sister, then head north early Saturday morning.

Oklahoma City, OK

2010-04-14T20:19:00.007-05:00

We left Texarkana, TX/AR around 7:30 this morning stopping at the Rockwell RV Park in Oklahoma City. We'll be here until Saturday morning then to Moberley, MO for a couple of days. While in Oklahoma City, we are having full services done on the motorhome engine and generator at Cummins Southern Plains. Also while in the city, I have to renew my Class "A" Commercial Drivers License and vehicle registrations for both our pickups and the motorhome.

One of our followers asked me a question about Texarkana. "(Texarkana) Right on the (Texas/Arkansas) border. Who do they cheer for during football season?"

Texarkana, TX/AR

2010-04-13T17:16:00.005-05:00

We left Betty's RV Park around 8:30 this morning on the first leg of our journey to Oconto, WI, stopping sor the night in Texarkana, TX/AR. Next stop will be in Oklahoma City, OK for 3 nights.

Barbie has been sprung

2010-04-12T18:15:00.001-05:00

Barbie was released from this hospital this afternoon. We'll spend the night here at Betty's then head out first thing in the morning.

Update on Barbie

2010-04-09T13:48:00.002-05:00

Barbie is doing much better today. The doctors want to keep her in the hospital through the weekend possibly releasing her on Monday. I brought in her computer for her today but she doesn't have any Internet access. But she has TV in the room and some games on her computer to occupy her time.

Barbie is in the hospital

2010-04-08T16:17:00.002-05:00

Barbie was admitted into the Abbeville General Hospital last night with pneumonia. They are going to keep her there through tonight. We were planning on leaving out next Monday on our way to Oconto, WI for the summer. Our route will take us through Oklahoma City for a couple of days, then to Moberly, MO for a couple of days before our final destination at the Oconto Yacht Club in Oconto.

Betty's RV Park

2010-03-16T19:39:00.009-05:00

After 7 years on the road, Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, LA hands down is one of the best little RV parks that we have stayed at. Betty's RV Park is not a fancy RV resort, there are only 17 sites with hookups at surround her house on a large city lot, they are tight getting into, and the roads are gravel. She has Wi-Fi for those who need to get on the Internet but the signal is weak and you may need to bring your laptop into the pavilion to use it.

But what makes up for it all is Betty herself. She wants to make sure that she is there when you arrive to give you a big welcome. Happy hour is everyday at 4:30 in the afternoon and can last for 2 to 3 hours. You have to bring your own though. You might bring some snacks to share with everyone else too. She arranges tours in the area to places that you would never be able to find on your own. And we have group pot lucks all the time. We are having more fun, met more friends and were treated better than any RV Park we have stayed at before. One thing though, don't bring the kids and please, leave the politics back at your RV.

Betty's RV Park is located at 2118 South State Street in Abbeville, Louisiana. Her phone number is (337) 893-7057. Make sure you call before coming in because she stays full all the time.

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler"

(Let the Good Times Roll)

Abbeville, LA

2010-03-14T20:45:00.007-05:00

After calling Betty's RV Park a little after 2:00 this afternoon to make sure that we were still on for arriving there tomorrow, Betty said she had a space open today. So, within an hour we were on the last leg of this trip to Abbeville, LA. We arrived in time to basically get set up before happy hour. We will be here until around April 14th, then start heading north, through Oklahoma, for our summer destination at the Oconto Yacht Club in Oconto, WI.

New Iberia, LA

2010-03-12T18:15:00.012-06:00

We got on the road a little after 10:00 this morning then waited in line for over an hour for the ferry crossing between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula before we finely got off the island. We had side winds all the way. We have stopped at KOC Kampground in New Iberia, LA for 3 nights before heading 21 miles east to Abbeville, LA where we will spend a month a Betty's RV Park.

After we got settled in, we went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in the area. R&M's Boiling Point for boiled crayfish. Barb just loves them. We had 12 pounds between the 2 of us. During dinner, Barb said "I could do a winter in Louisiana."

Galveston, TX

2010-03-11T12:14:00.012-06:00

We left Palacios just after 9:00 this morning stopping for the night at Bayou Shores RV Resort in Galveston, TX. We'll leave here tomorrow morning heading to KOC Kampground in New Iberia, LA for 3 nights, then to Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, LA for a month.

Getting ready to travel

2010-03-07T11:54:00.006-06:00

We'll be leaving Palacios, TX next Thursday, Mar 11th, heading to Abbeville, LA for a month before heading north for the summer. We'll be staying at Betty's RV Park.

We also got word yesterday that we will be able to park our motorhome for the summer season at the Oconto Yacht Club in Oconto, WI. This will be the first time the club has ever done this so this year will be a temporary trial. Our cost for the whole season, including electric and water hookups, is $700. There is a pumpout near by for our black tank. If everything works out ok, they will consider open it up for 3 member owned RVs. We also have a boat slip there for the Shangri-La costing us $625 for the season.

Back to Palacios, TX

2010-02-22T18:57:00.001-06:00

We left Biloxi at 6:15 this morning on our return trip to Palacios, TX. We stopped in Lake Charles, LA for a crayfish lunch and arrived back to Palacios at 5:15 this evening. While in Biloxi, we checked out 4 other RV parks and found one that Barb and I both liked to stay at next winter season.

Indian Point R.V. Resort

On the road to Biloxi

2010-02-19T20:34:00.003-06:00

We got on the road a little before 8:00 this morning on our 520 mile ride to Biloxi, MS for our granddaughter Emily's 12th birthday. We got here around 5:00 this evening. we'll be leaving going back to Palacios on Monday morning. Emily will be coming back with us for a week then her parents will make that long drive to pick her up.

Getting off the road

2010-02-11T11:49:00.004-06:00

Barb and I have been on the road now going on our 7th year. We (I mostly) keep thinking about settling down some place and be like most of the other people here in America, glued to a community and a small piece of land. This is our second winter in the small coastal town of Palacios, TX and we like it here, during the winter anyway. We even found ourselves a nice little house here in town that we both liked and obtained a pre-approval from a mortgage company. I even got estimates of what it would cost to have our boat shipped down here from Oconto, WI. Being on the bay, the low cost of living, and the better weather down here most of the year, this would be an ideal place for boating. We could go out to the GIWW (Gulf Intercoastal Water Way), turn to starboard (right) and it's 200 miles to Mexico. Or we could turn to port (lift) and it's 200 miles to Louisiana.

We got the paperwork from the mortgage company today and then asked ourselves, "what are we doing?" We love our lifestyle on the road and are not ready to give it up. We are rebuilding our boat to live aboard for several months at a time then cruise the Great Lakes and maybe even the Great Circle Route. That's the rivers and waterways the form a continuous 6500 mile loop around the Eastern USA including the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico with the GIWW to Key West, up the Atlantic coast with it's Intercoastal Water Way to Hudson Bay and River, through the Erie Canal and back into the Great Lakes.

Well, we came to our senses and canceled the loan and we are going to continue with our adventures. If we do decide to buy a new home someday, it will have a big diesel engine in the back and 8 tires on the ground.

Palacios, TX

2010-01-11T13:27:00.017-06:00

We are at Serendipity Bay Resort RV Park & Marina in Palacios, TX,

Bird's eye view of the Port of Palacios.

Home of the largest shrimp fishing fleet in Texas.

Our motorhome overlooking the Serendipity Bay Resort Marina.

Robinson, TX

2010-01-10T19:33:00.001-06:00

We left Choctaw, OK around 11:30 this morning on our way to Palacios, TX, stopping enroute for the night in Robinson (Waco), TX.

Out of the hospital

2009-12-29T22:17:00.004-06:00

Our friend was released from the VA hospital this evening. He's doing much better. We'll spend New Years with him before heading back down south where it's warmer. Our camping friends from Sheboygan, WI has finely made it down to Palacios for the winter. They want us to go down there for a month or so because Jill will be going through kemo therapy and wants Barb to be there for her.

First Snow

2009-12-24T15:36:00.006-06:00

It rained all night last night with threats of freezing rain then a dusting of snow later in the day. It turned out to be the heaviest blizzard in 20 years. Thinking back, I remember that blizzard 20 years ago. It's hard to believe I've been in Oklahoma that long.

Our veteran friend has been in the hospital since Wednesday last week so we are now house sitting for him. We are snug and warm staying in our motorhome next to his house.

Back in Choctaw, OK

2009-10-23T18:59:00.010-05:00

We left Amarillo, TX around 8:00 this morning and drove the last 275 miles to Choctaw, OK where we will spend a few days before heading south into Texas for the winter. There has been no incidents on this 3200 mile trip to California and back until we pulled on the property when we got stuck and had to have a tow truck pull us out. I am happy we have Coach-Net as our road service.

Amarillo, TX

2009-10-22T19:49:00.006-05:00

We left Grants, NM at 9:00 this morning and stopped for the night at the Big Texan Steak House in Amarillo, TX. No one wanted to take the free 72 ounce steak challenge. We'll be back in Choctaw, OK tomorrow evening.

Grants, NM

2009-10-21T19:12:00.006-05:00

We left Kingman around 7:30 this morning on our way back to Choctaw,OK. We went 79 miles farther today than planned stopping for the night at the Bar S RV Park in Grants, NM. Nice little overnight stop with full-hookups for only $15 a night.

Kingman, AZ

2009-10-20T18:39:00.006-05:00

We left Mojave around 8:40 this morning on our way back to Oklahoma, with our next stop in Kingman, AZ where we are spending the night at the Flying J Travel Center. Tomorrow night we will be stopping on the Arizona/New Mexico border.

Mojave, CA

2009-10-19T18:20:00.005-05:00

We left Escalon, CA around 10 this morning on our way back to Choctaw, OK first stopping for the night after 302 miles on the road in Mojave, CA. This is like old home town for me after once living in Rosamond when I worked at Edwards AFB. I was born 60 miles east from here in Barstow, CA.

California State Sticker

2009-10-15T17:09:00.006-05:00

We finely earned the right to place the California State Sticker on the map on the door of our motorhome. For those who know what our requirements are, you know why Barb is smiling. After 6 years on the road we now have 33 states on our map.

Escalon, CA

2009-10-14T17:52:00.003-05:00

We left Bakersfield around 7:40 this morning on our last leg of our trip getting here just before noon.

Bakersfield, CA

2009-10-13T20:02:00.005-05:00

We left Flagstaff, AZ around 7 this morning. Today we traveled 496 miles in 10 hours and have stopped for the night at the Flying J Travel Center just north of Bakersfield, CA on Hwy 99. 205 miles to go.

Flagstaff, AZ

2009-10-12T19:22:00.005-05:00

We put in another 415 miles today leaving Santa Rosa, NM around 7 this morning, stopping for the night at Little America in Flagstaff, AZ. 704 miles to go. Tomorrow night we will stop for the night somewhere on Hwy 58 in the California Mojave Desert.

Santa Rosa, NM

2009-10-11T20:01:00.005-05:00

We got on the road a little after 8 this morning on our way to California. 10 hours and 470 miles later, it was time for me to stop for the night. Our first night back on the road is at a rest area about 20 miles west of Santo Rosa, NM on I-40.

California

2009-09-29T17:04:00.009-05:00

I always thought that I would never place the California state sticker on our map of places we visited with our current motorhome. But unfortunately I'm going to be wrong. Barb got word a couple of nights ago that her godfather in the Modesto/Stockton, CA area had passed away. She has always been close to her godparents. We'll be leaving early on the morning of October 11th on a fast trip out there and back. Barb's sister and brother-in-law from Arkansas will be riding out and back with us.

Choctaw, OK

2009-09-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

We have relocated to a friend's house in Choctaw, OK while Barb is waiting for her shoulder surgery in November. He doesn't have an electrical hookup for us, so, I installed a 50 amp service on the side of his house next to his meter. For sewer hookup, he has a sewer cleanout about 70 feet from our motorhome, so, using a SewerSolution and a 75' 3/4" hose, we have a dump.

BJ Bishop

2009-09-25T11:03:00.007-05:00

We received word a couple of days ago that our friend B.J. Bishop of Marfa, TX passed away last Saturday. BJ was the owner of Loma Paloma RV Park & Golf Course in Presidio, TX where we stayed for 5 winters. BJ will surly be missed by all that knew him.
http://www.bigbendsentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=21&Itemid=52

Surgery Update

2009-09-14T08:37:00.006-05:00

After much deep thought of life-long restrictions and a support group meeting, Barb has cancelled her gastric bypass surgery that was scheduled for tomorrow. Her shoulder surgery is still on for sometime in November. Our other veteran friends who's surgeries we mentioned in earlier post were preformed with no complications.

Oklahoma City update

2009-08-31T07:09:00.028-05:00

We've been here in the Oklahoma City area for 10 days now. Space rent for September, $285 which includes electricity, is due tomorrow. Barb has had 2 medical appointments so far and is scheduled for gastric bypass surgery in 2 weeks. The VA has also scheduled her for surgery on her shoulder which she has been waiting 5 years for. A veteran friend of ours, who had his leg partially amputated earlier this year, has been told that he will have to undergo additional amputation of his leg in the coming days because he is not healing. Another veteran friend of ours will be undergoing breast surgery for cancer in the coming days. They have both been there when we needed morale understanding from friends and we have both assured them that we will be here for them with our morale support. With Barb's medical treatments and follow ups and our morale support for our other disabled veteran friends, we will probably be in Oklahoma most of the winter.

Midwest City, OK

2009-08-21T14:48:00.004-05:00

We are at the Parkway Mobile Home Park in Midwest City, OK.

Grove, OK

2009-08-16T17:59:00.009-05:00

We are at the Bear's Den Camping Resort in Grove, Oklahoma. It's been sixteen months since we were last here. Grove used to be a fun place to go during the summer months but it's drying up like the rest of the rural towns around the area. No activity around Bear's Den Resort either. We have a full hookup site until Friday then I think we'll just head down the road. Barb has some medical appointments next week in Norman and then surgery scheduled next month and we have a daughter and two granddaughters in Oklahoma City. We'll be staying in the Oklahoma City area for 2 months then heading down to the Texas Gulf Coast for the winter.

Hannibal, MO Day 2

2009-08-15T16:58:00.019-05:00

We done a little sightseeing in Hannibal today. First we went up to Lover's Leap for a bird's eye view of the town. A couple of days ago a couple of women drove off the cliff, by accident, and lived to tell about it.

View of Hannibal from Lover's Leap

Lover's Leap from the river.

Next we went and toured Samuel Clemens' (Mark Twain's) boyhood home.

Mark Twain's boyhood home.

The fence that Tom Sawyer had his friends whitewash for him.

Huckleberry Finn's House.

Then we went for an hour excursion aboard the M/V Mark Twain Riverboat. Barb wants to do some more cruising on the Mississippi River now.

The M/V Mark Twain.

Afterwards we went to lunch at the Mark Twain Restaurant, a visit to the Mark Twain Museum and Gallery featuring 11 original Norman Rockwell paintings, then to see a live showing featuring Jim Waddell as Mark Twain back at the campground.

Jim Waddell as Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- Mark Twain

Hannibal, MO

2009-08-14T16:23:00.014-05:00

"I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people than to travel with them."

---Mark Twain

Barb and I have been traveling together for 6 years now and we still like each other.

We left Kieler, WI around 9:00 this morning on our way to the Mark Twain Cave & CampGrounds in Hannibal, MO. We travelled in 4 states today, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois & Missouri, and crossed the Mississippi River 3 times. We went through towns named Dubuque, Key West, Davenport, Roseville, Tennessee & West Point. We'll be here for 2 days leaving out Sunday for Grove, Oklahoma.

Mark Twain wrote...
Tom Sawyer: "By and by somebody shouted, "Who's ready for the cave?' Everybody was. Bundles of candles were procured and straightaway there was a general scamper up the hill. The mouth of the cave was up the hillside - an opening shaped like a letter A. Within was a small chamber chilly as an ice-house and walled by nature with solid limestone that was dewy with cold sweat." -excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

Kieler, WI

2009-08-13T16:17:00.006-05:00

We are staying at the Rustic Barn RV Park in Kieler, WI, just outside of Dubuque, IA, for the night. Next stop will be in Hannibal, MO, home town of Mark Twain.

7th Anniversary

2009-08-01T19:22:00.008-05:00

Today is our 7th anniversary married to each other, our 4th anniversary of buying in as 50% owners of our boat the Shangri-La with Frank and Jill Wilti and our 2nd as full owners of the Shangri-La. We celebrated the occasion with friends by having a prime rib dinner, cooked by Barb, and drinks at the Oconto Yacht Club and then a camp fire at our camp site at the Holtwood Campground here in Oconto.

The Nina and the Pinta

2009-07-22T15:50:00.005-05:00

In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...
Replicas of the Nina and the Pinta sailed into the Menominee River yesterday, docking at the NestEgg Marina in Marinette, WI. The Nina, 65 foot, and the Pinta, 85 foot, have been touring the US and foreign ports since 1992.

Barbie is home

2009-07-18T20:35:00.002-05:00

Barb made it home today flying from Oklahoma City to Green Bay with a stopover in Chicago on United Airways. Home is wherever the motorhome is parked.

Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall

2009-07-04T06:45:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I visited the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall as it came into Marinette, WI. The Moving Wall will be in Marinette from July 2nd until July 6th.

From StarBand Satellite to Verizon Wireless

2009-06-28T08:00:00.013-05:00

We have changed how we access the Internet in our lifestyle. From November 2004 until April 2009, we used StarBand Satellite Internet with a large satellite dish setup on a tripod outside the motorhome. This was cumbersome and time consuming to setup and took up a lot of our storage space while traveling. Our connection was slow, we had to make sure that we didn't have any trees in the way, and it was expensive costing us $150 a month for their fastest connection, 1 mb down and 256 kb up. Our equipment was old and obsolete and StarBand wanted to force us to upgrade our equipment for several hundred dollars. While Barb was in the hospital, I bought a Verizon Wireless aircard so she could get her email and play her online games. While in a Verizon network, our connection speed is much like DSL, while in their Extended Network it is like what we had with StarBand, slow but usable. I also bought a Digi Wi-Point 3G celluar wireless router for the motorhome. We now have our own Wi-Fi network of 3 computers on a celluar connection that works great. No more lugging around the bulky satellite equipment taking up valuable storage space then looking for a clearing to set it up, which in Wisconsin is hard to find at times. We even have an Internet connection while traveling down the road. And with the advancement of celluar, if we have a cell phone signal, we have broadband Internet to all our computers. We have the Verizon Wireless 5 GB data plan, which is basically unlimited, for $60 a month.

Side trip to Eaton, IN

2009-06-28T07:23:00.005-05:00

This past Wednesday, I took John Winter's boat to his brother's house in Eaton, IN for storage. Eaton is 450 miles from Oconto on SR-3 between Muncie and Fort Wayne, IN. I returned to Oconto on Friday.