One year ago....

October 1, 2011 to October 1, 2012

It's hard to believe that it has been one year that we have been "full-time RVers".  There has been some exciting times and some lean times but all in all it has been worth it.

I have been asked alot "What do you do if you need a doctor?".  Let me tell you there is always some one out there that will take you and take your money!!!!  Luckily, we really haven't been to terribly sick that warrants going to a doctor on a regular basis.  I had to find a chiropractor, no problem.  Abby has had to go to a vet on 3 occasions and we found several vets along the way.  Jim signed up with the VA clinic system and have used them for blood tests to check on his PSA levels.  Which by the way, has been low and the doctor says he is cancer free (Yeah!!).  There will be future tests just to keep an eye on things though.  We found an awesome dentist in Mexico and will return again this winter for more work.  While in Mexico we will stock up on any medications that we need for the year.

We have met some really neat people along the way and have still continued with the friendships we had left behind.

There are more things to see and do and we hope to see and do as much as we can for the time we have to do them in.

As we prepare to leave Ohio, the leaves are turning beautiful colors but it is getting to chilly for me.  We are off to Arizona for a little warmer weather and lots of sunshine!!!!

Now that we have the Dune Buggy there will be more adventures and different pictures of rocks!!!

Until later......live long and prosper!!!

Having a great time...wish you were here.

Barb and Jim.

Home to Ohio

August 1 through October 1, 2012

We planned to return to Ohio for the month of August then off to new adventures.....the best laid plans of mice and men.

I didn't think much would happen when we got back to Ohio so we really didn't plan for much.  First thing when we got back Cassie shared with us that they had sold their house and had to be out by the 19th of Sept.  So we helped with the move (so we extended our stay into Sept.) and I got to baby sit for a few weeks until Cassie was able to find a qualified sitter. (Do you know how hard it is to keep up with two little ones when you are use to doing nothing all day!!).

We were invited to Anderson's (grandson) Karate exhibition on the first Saturday we got back.

Hi Ya!!!!

Then there was the Medina County Fair...



Riley,  cute as a bug......in a bug!!!!

 Then we had planned to go on a camping trip with the Good Sam's "Fire Side Sam" Group #50 the third weekend in August.  While we were with them we found another Covered Bridge....


 

This may become a hobby on our travels!!!!



We had a chance to visit with family and friends while we were in Ohio.  On one of my trips to Cleveland to visit with my friends at SIRVA I had a chance to stop at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park office to pick up a souvenir pin to add to our collection.  On the porch of the Rangers station there was a lady enjoying her day (she said so!!)



What a way to spend your day..enjoying what you like to do.



I also got to pick up Anderson from his first day at school....



It was easy to pick out the kid with the green arm
in the sea of children coming out of the building
all at one time!!!!

Anderson managed to fall off of the swing set in his back yard just a few days before school started.  He is in first grade this year. 

It really doesn't sound like a lot but we really were busy....oh yeah, there is one more thing that managed to keep us (at least Jim) so busy......we bought a new toy.  Actually, we traded the golf cart even up for it.  It is a 1964 Volkwagen beetle/dune buggy.  Street legal and off road capable.



It looked cute!!!!

There was the tear down......














Then there was the rebuild....



It's cute again...only better!!!!
















It goes under it's own power.....




Abby loves to ride in it!!!!





                       If it fits...it ships!!!!!


Just like it belongs there!!!!


Now you know what we have been up to.  We can't wait to get it out west to do some off roading and have a great time!!!!!

Speaking of which, we were planing on going to the Outer Banks, NC then on down to Florida for November and December but our plans have now changed.  On October 1st we will once again leave Ohio for Arizona.  It's warmer out there and it's sunny.  Works for us!!!

Till later....stay safe and enjoy life!!!!

Barb and Jim.

EAA AIRSHOW IN OSHKOSH, WI

July 18 to 29, 2012

We left Iowa on July 17th and stopped that night at a campground named "Red Barn Campground" just inside the WI border.  In the morning when I looked out my window I saw this tree:
 

"I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree"

While we were at this campground we discovered the front right landing gear on the camper was no longer working properly.  Jim took it off to see how it ticked and discovered it was broken and couldn't put it back on the camper.  So we found a place near Oshkosh that we could order a new landing gear and the camper stayed hooked up to the truck for a week until the part came in.  Thankfully we were on a level spot and didn't have a problem with leveling the camper.

Oshkosh, WI is the home of the largest airshow in the US.  Jim has been coming up to the airshow since 1982 with some buddies.  This year I got to came along for the airshow.  It was very impressive at the sheer number of aircraft that came and went out of the airfield and that parked there for the week for the airshow.  The Saturday night airshow was pretty spectacular also.

I think I mention in another post.....this isn't the first airshow/air museum you will see us at nor will it be the last.  Jim really enjoys aircraft, and misses his airplane terribly.  We sold our airplane back in 1995.  It was either do a major overhaul on it or send Cassie to College...Cassie won!!  And we still love her!!!

Now on to the Airshow......

There were War Birds...

And Fighters....

And Planes all the same color....

And really, really Big airplanes......

And some little ones too.

The formation flying was amazing as well......

Abby just wasn't impressed when the Goodyear blimp would fly over the camper...and she let them know it too.



It kept flying over our camper!!!!

Lots of neat airplanes at the EAA Museum......



We took a ride over to the Sea Plane Base also.....by the time we got there most of the planes had left.

I can understand why Jim likes to go up there.  There are lots of different airplanes and he has made great friendships with the people that go there year after year.

Another life experience that we can check off of our bucket list!!!!!

Till later.......Travel safe and enjoy life!!!

Barb and Jim Denning

The Bridges of Madison County

July 15, 2012

The Bridges of Madison County are located in Madison County, Iowa.  If you haven't been living under a rock some where there was a book and a movie made about the bridges.  Even Oprah Winfrey came to Winterset to interview the author of the book for her show.  It was a love story between Francesca (Meryl Steep) and Robert (Clint Eastwood).

There were 22 bridges originally with only 6 remaining.  They have fallen either to decay or vandalism.  The remaining 6 bridges have surveillance cameras to discourage vandalism.

CUTLER-DONAHOE BRIDGE

The Cutler-Donahoe Bridge was built in 1870 and is 79 feet long.   The Bridges were given names from the local farm-owners that lived close by.  Two families claimed "naming rights" for this Bridge, the Cutlers and the Donahoes.  It was moved from it's original location crossing the North River near Bevington, IA to Winterset for protection in 1970.  This bridge was also located in the city park where we were camping for the week.

CEDAR BRIDGE



Cedar Bridge was built in 1883 and is 77 feet long.  It is the only remaining covered bridge open to car traffic.  This is the bridge that was in the movie The Bridges of Madison County and was also on the cover of the Book.  This is the Bridge that Oprah Winfrey recorded her show in the spring of 1993.  There were over 300 people that showed up for the taping of her show when she interviewed Robert Waller, the author the Bridges of Madison County.

IMES BRIDGE

Imes Bridge was built in 1870 and is 81 feet long.  Imes Bridge originally crossed the Middle River, west of Paterson, Iowa.  It was moved in 1887 then again in 1977 into the community of St Charles. Iowa.  The move was prompted by a desire to protect the bridge from vandalism.

HOGBACK BRIDGE

Hogback Bridge was built in 1884 and is 106 feel long.  Most of the covered bridges in Madison County were named for landowners nearby, however, there were no records of any Hogback family names in the genealogy record.  Hogback have have acquired its less-than-romantic name because of the wooded hills surrounding the bridge.  The wind turbine and a solar panel on the bridge is the source of power for the surveillance camera.  I thought it was cool that someone planeted a whole field of black-eyed susans.

Farmers living nearby, to defray their Poll Tax, maintained many of the covered bridges.  This was a tax placed on every citizen, which had to be paid before one was allowed to vote,  Thus, any able-bodied man, who could not afford to pay the Poll Tax would grade the roads and shingle and paint the bridges to pay off this debt.



HOLLIWELL BRIDGE

Holliwell Bridge was completed in 1880 and is 110 feet long.  The bridge has always been at this location but the supporting abutments were often washed out by flooding, so they have changed the angle that the bridge crossed the Middle River.  This bridge was also featured in the move of The Bridges of Madison county.

ROSEMAN BRIDGE

The Roseman Bridge was constructed in 1883 and is 106 feet in length.  The Roseman bridge claim to fame when it was featured in the move, "Bridges of Madison County".  The southwest side of the bridge is where 'Francesca' tucked her note to 'Robert' , telling him to come for supper "anytime the white moths fly".  There are little holes where she placed her love notes.  A little repulica of the bridge was built as a bird house and placed near the bridge.

The bridge had been renovated and painted a bright red just before thee film company came to shoot the movie.  Clint Eastwood, the Producer/Director/Actor wanted the bridge to look old and in disrepair so he devised a plan to return the bridge to its former look.  The crew mixed powered milk, Karo syrup and another ingredient to paint the three bridges that would be used in the films scenes.  After the "paint' was dry a blow dryer was used to crack the paint and make it curl and peal, adding to the old, weathered look.  A few of the boards were also removed from the sides, completing the 'look'.  The county was assured that, after a few rains, the mixture would wash off, restoring the bright red color once again,  However, a number of rains did not wash away the weathered look and workmen had to come back and repaint the three bridges.

There you have a bit more history lesson with a touch of Hollywood thrown in.

Until later......safe travels to all.

Barb and Jim

Pella, Iowa

 July 11, 2012

Pella, Iowa....does the name sound familiar????  As in Pella Windows and doors.  The original name of the company was Roll up screen company.  Some how that just doesn't do a lot for a company.

Oh well, that is not really the true beginning of this town.  It originally was a town established in 1847 by a Dutch clergyman that brought his wife and children and 800 followers to the new world.  The Dutch purchased 18,000 acres for $1.25 per acre. They named of the town Pella, a city of refuge.

There was the working windmill with a replica of the millers quarters on
the second floor of the windmill.
The large wooden shoes were just sooooo tempting!!!!

There was a replica of the original town with original artifacts.
Note the McCaskey Register Company was located in Alliance, OH.

There was a replica of a town in the Netherlands, complete with a
little house with a tulip garden.

The town buildings had a Dutch flare to them also.

Let us not forget to mention the trip to the Bakery.  The pastry was wonderful.  There was a pastry there in the shape of the letter "S".  This pastry is usually made at Christmas time for Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas).  Here is a bit of the history:

"Saint Nicholas (later known as Sinterklaas) lived from 271 to December 6, 342 A.D. in Myra, Asia Minor. He became the patron saint of fishermen and as a priest, was known for good deeds all through the Mediterranean area. He is the patron saint of Amsterdam. As Dutch trade grew, so grew the tradition of Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas arrives by boat from Spain and rides through the streets on a white horse. He is accompanied by his Moorish servant, Piet, and many helpers. Sinterklaas rides over roof tops listening at chimneys to check children’s behavior. Wooden shoes are left by the fireplace with carrots or hay for the horse. Piet exchanges the carrots and hay for a small gift or candy.
Sinterklaas Eve, December 5, and Sinterklaas Day, December 6, are days of festivity and merriment. Sinterklaas parties consist of jokes, rhymes, simple gifts camouflaged in strange wrappings and lots of festive fun and laughter. Traditional spice cookies, hot chocolate, apple fritters and Dutch donuts are served. Chocolate letters are special Sinterklaas Day treats."

This bit of information was taken from http://www.pella.org./

Just a really neat little town to visit.  I'm glad Bill and Nancy decided to share it with us.

Until later.....stay safe.

Barb & Jim

Winterset, Iowa

July 10 - 17, 2012

Winterset, Iowa is located 13 miles southwest of Des Moines, Iowa.  It is a small town with alot to offer.

First of all for the reason for going to this little town was to visit with some new friends we met when we first started out full-timing.  We met Nancy and Bill in Wichita Falls, TX the first of October 2011.  We have kept in touch and decided to met up again after wintering in different locations.  Bill and Nancy were gracious tour guides and took us to some really interesting places.

Before we get into "places to go", Nancy gave me the neatest tip on how to get dried on bugs off of the front of your car or camper (in our case).  You just wet a Snuggle dryer sheet and wipe it on and just wipe off the bugs.  It is that easy.  I found Snuggle dryer sheets worked better than Bounce dryer sheets.  You have to rinse off the residue when you are finished....but the camper smelled good after I got done cleaning off the bugs.  Let me know if you try this tip.

Ok, things to see in Winterset.  In the Campground where we were staying there was several neat things.


The Maze with Sun Dial

 

The Clark Tower, in memory of Caleb & Ruth Clark.




This is the Bridge that Francisca's children read her diary.





The following was not in the City Park but was nearby in the area:



A local Air Museum  honoring Iowa Aviators.



The Freedom Rock by Ray Bubba Sorenson II
thefreedomrock.com



Winterset, IA is the birthplace of John Wayne.

There was quite a few things to see and do in such a little town.  Bill and Nancy also took us to Pella, IA and to see all of the Bridges of Madison County. (Look for two more posts on these places).

Having a great time....wish you were here!!!!

Until later.

Barb and Jim

Nebraska

July 8 - 9, 2012

Ok, it took us 8 months to get out of Arizona.  We were in Utah for three weeks, and we were in Colorado for 3 weeks. Nebraska, which is a much bigger state.....2 days.  We did make one stop in Nebraska to mention.

The Strategic Air Command museum.
Located between Lincoln & Omaha NE

My favorite....the SR71, Blackbird.
A super secret spy plane.

And here are a few of Jim's favorites:



Jim and his airplanes!!!!

 Have you noticed, this is NOT the first airplane museum and it will not be the last!!

Until later.


Barb and Jim