A special day-August 28, 2011

First, let me say there is no more sweet corn at this residence. It is all in the freezer. Thank goodness! There is more corn at Derrick's second garden which we will eat until it's gone. Today the three of us went to Denver, to IKEA furniture store. When we got to the corner where we had to turn, we should have known what we were headed into. There was a traffic cop there. His job is to prevent traffic from backing up. They have people directing traffic on the street, into and out of the parking lots. Just going to the rest room (it's a long drive to Denver) should have given me a sense of how many people were in that building. I was surprised there was no one at the door with a cattle prod. This store is just gigantic. You pick up a bag or a cart to carry your small purchases. After you go through, you have to go to the warehouse and pick up your own furniture. Then you check yourself out where you have to buy a bag to carry your purchases out. And for this honor, we paid them! The walk to and from the parking lot was very long. I am pretty sure the number of bodies in that place exceeded the fire code. It was almost so crowded you could not move on your own. You had to go with the flow. They had some fascinating items especially kitchen wares. I got a fabulous new wok. Derrick got one, too. We all agreed it was worth the trip but not sure we'd go again. It would be easier to order online. On the way back, we decided at the last minute to eat at the Hacienda restaurant. Talk about wonderful, wow, it was just great. Great atmosphere, great food, great waitress. A nearby airport was having a WW II demonstration of airplanes and war games. We saw a huge plume of thick black smoke before we went in and hoped it was a planned demonstration. There were planes flying above us while we ate and we could hear the fake bombs dropping. It was sort of odd, but did not take away from the food. Then for safe measure, on the way home, we stopped at yet another warehouse furniture store. So, we all got plenty of exercise today. It was a fun day and a really unique day. I hope you had a good one, too.

Veggies-August 26, 2011

I have always loved fresh vegetables, but I'm telling you I have picked, cleaned, cooked, canned and frozen so many I think I am having nightmares. Okra and corn are chasing me in my dreams. I think I am going to turn red from all the tomatoes. The beautiful purple eggplants are hiding and waiting to jump out at me on a moment's notice. I used to love cherry tomatoes but after picking and cleaning probably close to 1000 of those puppies, I do not get very excited when I see more red ones on the plant. He only has one cherry tomato plant, thank goodness. That plant is big enough to be called a tree. One tomato plant is an Heirloom tomato. It is non-hybrid. Therefore, when allowed to dry on the plant properly one single tomato will produce a number of seeds we do not know yet. Every seed produces another non-hybrid tomato plant exactly like its parent. Honestly, I was excited when we were able to buy those seeds, but I'm thinking about giving them away in Christmas cards! I cannot wrap my mind around that many more plants. However, they are some of the best tomatoes we have ever eaten. The odd part is that they are a slightly pinkish color, not beet red. But the meat is as red as a fire truck. Tomorrow I think I understand we are freezing corn and canning tomatoes. Can somebody come rescue me????? I'll pay you!!

More random thoughts-August 23, 2011

The Cajun Boil on Saturday was wonderful. We all had a great time. And the clean up was so quick and easy. The weather was perfect so we were able to stay outdoors for the whole evening. Today the sky is full of lenticulars, so we know high winds are coming later today. We have now added eggplant and 3 kinds of potatoes to the list of fresh veggies we have eaten out of Derrick's garden. And I have made two batches of homemade noodles. I thought I would have lost the knack after all these years. Nope, it went great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The three of us are going to Denver this weekend to a gigantic furniture store called IKEA. We want a recliner for the coach and Derrick needs new living room furniture. We saw 3 or 4 hummingbirds last week, ran out and bought a feeder and food, then they disappeared. Is it possible to scare them off? We love what some grocery stores do here for their customers. You get a discount on the price per gallon according to the points you earn. We have 258 points which right now gives us 20 cents off per gallon until the end of September. If we get to 300 points we can get 30 cents off per gallon. Can you believe that? And the store where we shop is a King Soopers Marketplace. It has a jewelry store inside of it, plus outdoor furniture, limited home furnishings and a toy department. All of this in addition to food. I found the rod for the Harley Davidson curtains I am still working on in this store. We are just thrilled to get any kind of reduction in gas prices. That would make a gallon of regular cost $3.03 per gallon. Isn't that great? I have more thoughts but need to get busy before the afternoon gets away from me. Enjoy the world around you.

Canning and curtains-August 19, 2011

I finally got started on those Harley Davidson curtains today. I think I have taken on a pretty big project. We have been canning like maniacs. It takes all 3 of us to complete the task. It all looks good. Can't wait to taste it. Tomorrow is the big party, the Cajun Boil. Everything is ready including two pies I made this afternoon. Thanks to the person who told me I could freeze juice from the fruit of our lime trees in our backyard on Ono. The trees never grew tall but they did produce nice Persian limes. So I made key lime pie this afternoon for tomorrow. Next week Jerry and I have pledged to take a couple of days off for some fun. We should make it to the mountains at least one day and hopefully to Denver a couple of times. There's a lot to do here but we have not had time to enjoy it. I'll share the adventures asap. We are both getting antsy to get on the road. We like to move around. It's great to spend time with Derrick, but we are ready to go to South Dakota and then come back here for Christmas. Wish I could bottle this weather and share it with you!

Oh, no, not work-August 15, 2011

I never thought to pay attention to the freezer in our land barge. It is not frost free, so lucky me got to defrost today. It was just thrilling. It is a bit overcast today, thankfully, or I would have been unhappy to be inside. The two of us often sit outside in late afternoon and watch the clouds. (Retirement really is tough!). The sky is such a vivid blue and the clouds are snow white. Sometimes they look like dollops of whipped cream. Sometimes they look like wispy feathers. Then there are the lens shaped ones that are called lenticulars. They mean high winds aloft. Pilots don't like lenticulars. And sometimes the clouds are just plain lumpy. We can see thunder heads (the tops of thunder storms) building in the distance over eastern Colorado or even southeastern Wyoming. It's just fascinating.  And to imagine we can just sit and watch it. I am quoting a man named Dave Branon when I say that seeing the clouds overhead is seeing part of the "embroidery of the earth". Rolling plains, majestic mountains, river streams, fields of wheat are also part of that embroidery. I like his words. And I love the scenery. I hope each of you can take just a moment to find something pretty around you and then be thankful for it. Let me not forget that Derrick is planning to have a Cajun Boil on Saturday afternoon with about 20 of his closest friends and the two of us. Guess what we will be doing all day Friday and then on Saturday morning. Yippeeee!

Random thoughts-August 13, 2011

It is cloudy and very cool today. It's fabulous. To use Derrick's words, he and I are going to have some mom/son bonding time while he cans pickles and okra and I am his sous chef. * One TV weather person said the heat of the summer is over. For each 30 minutes of daylight lost, the high for the day drops 2°. On the same day, another weatherman said next week will be the hottest temps Colorado has seen to date. The only thing I am sure about is that one of them will be wrong. * We had dinner at On The Border last night with Derrick and 6 of his friends. We had a wonderful time. I wonder if they know how good it makes us feel that they want us old folks around? One of his friends has been jokingly calling me "mom". I call him my adopted son but tend to disown him when he gets carried away. He is one of the funniest younger people I've ever been around. * When we all got back from dinner we stayed outside and talked for a very long time. I happened to look up and see two objects moving in the gorgeous night sky. They were very high up and were definitely not airplanes. They were not UFOs, that's for sure. They were definitely in orbits. We all think they were satellites. Is that possible? If so, did somebody see us outside laughing our heads off? * Tomorrow is Sunday. I wish all of you a very restful day. Whatever weather you like and prefer, I wish that for you also.

Wonderful weather-August 10, 2011

It is hard to post a travel blog when you are parked in your son's driveway. However, we will be taking some side trips as soon as we get our "chores" done. I finally got some time today to go for a long walk. The weather is so gorgeous that it is hard to stay indoors and clean or do other things. I will be making Harley Davidson curtains starting tomorrow. But I might have to still go for a walk. I can smell a difference in the air. I had grown so used to the salt air that as soon as we got settled in I smelled the mountain air smell. And the water has a different smell, too. How interesting. The lack of moisture in the air is great fun now, but as soon as it dries out my hair and fingernails I will be less pleased. For now I love it. We will be watching Derrick make salsa tonight. He is so creative that we are sure they mixed up the babies at the hospital the night he was born. To sleep with cool, dry air coming in the window is indescribable. Hang in there and we'll be back on the road in 3 weeks or so. I'll post every once in a while until then.

Chilly-August 9, 2011

It was wonderfully chilly inside this morning. 66°. I wish you all could see how blue the sky is. Last night Jerry got on the tractor he assembled at work and mowed Derrick's pasture while Derrick picked veggies. There is nothing better than cooking veggies right out of the garden. We had fried okra, tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans. The corn and potatoes are not ready yet. We are salivating while waiting on them. He has had a bumper crop of okra and green beans this year, so my brave son is learning to can. He even pickled some okra. I never had the courage to do that. He's at work and we are planning our day. We were out and about all day yesterday. It's just too pretty to stay indoors. It was even fun to wash the Cute Red Vehicle which actually had started looking not so red. I wish I could bottle this weather and send it to all of you who are in the heavy humidity of the coast. Hope you have a wonderful day no matter what your weather.

Arrived!-August 8, 2011

The drive into Colorado on I-70 from the Kansas border is quite spectacular. The farm fields and plains roll for as far as the eye can see. The bright blue skies and unique snow white clouds create a great canopy. There are no trees to block the view. Then the Rocky Mountains come into view. They have snow on them which is not that common this time of year. They get larger and larger and then the skyline of Denver appears. It is a sight to see. Then the traffic hits and it is easy to come back to reality. We arrived at Derrick's house yesterday afternoon. He was out picking vegetables from his garden for us to eat for supper (or dinner if you prefer). We had a great meal. It was wonderful to see him. He said he is glad we are here for a longer time so we don't have to push so hard to do everything we want to do. We will be out and about today, probably nothing to write about. We need wheel covers for the coach and we are not sure where we will have to go to get them. This area of the country is not welcoming to RVers. Very few parks and no one selling supplies. It's ok. Everything will be fine. I must tell you before I sign off that it was beyond heavenly to sleep with the windows open last night and actually get chilly. The lows here at night, because it is an arrid climate, drop to the high 50s or low 60s. It's very restful. It appears we have a beautiful day ahead of us. I hope you have a great one, too.

Seibert, CO-August 6, 2011

We never, ever dreamed we would spend our anniversary in Seibert, CO. Our intentions were to stay in Goodland, KS, but that did not work out so we kept on driving. When we checked in to this nice quiet little park, we asked where we could go eat tonight? She replied, "Sit down or burgers?". Hmmm, think we will celebrate when we get to Derrick's house. We're in state #14. As we have moved about in these 14 states, the change in scenery has been stark. We went from the coast with palms trees, to trees dripping moss that hung over the streets, to interstates with huge thick trees on the side, to short trees growing crooked from a constant south wind to no trees at all. The crops have changed just as much. We saw our first sunflowers, as a cultivated crop, in a long time today. We have seen more acres of corn and sorghum than we've ever seen before. Corn is finally worth the effort for farmers to grow. And the gigantic wind farms have reappeared. There's one in Kansas that goes as far off the highway as one can see and runs about 20 miles or so in length beside the highway. It was puzzling to us why only about 1/4 of those turbines were turning. You would think with our country's pathetic power grid and the extreme high temps, that they would want more power generated. However, it is a catch 22. It takes electricity to turn the wind turbines on, to govern them and to shut them off. So, maybe it is less taxing on the power grid to leave them off. It is in the low 90s here, dry and extremely pleasant. It's just an overnight stay. The people next door are from Florida and are on their way to Loveland. It is a small world. Tomorrow is Sunday. I wish all of you a blessed day of rest.

LIndsborg, KS-August 5, 2011

Lindsborg is the Sweden of Kansas. In it's hayday it must have been something to see. Like the rest of the country, it is struggling financially. We walked the entire downtown area, bought a thing or two, had lunch and left. They had Dala horses everywhere, almost on every corner. Like Pensacola did Pelicans, Lindsborg did Dala horses. They were delightful. Then we stopped at a store called Menard's. We have seen that name on NASCAR hoods but didn't know what it was. Imagine a Sam's, a Home Depot, a Lowe's and a grocery store all rolled into one. That's Menard's. It was so massive we could not take it all in. Most of their prices were much better than Wal Mart and their selection was the best we have ever seen in any store we have shopped. They had brands we have not ever seen. It was just fascinating. We did buy some good things there and enjoyed walking for what felt like miles. We prepared to walk today and wore out new tennis shoes. It was 93° today but very pleasant. It rained cats and dogs last night, almost all night long, but the sun came out quickly today. We are anxious to be near the Colorado border tomorrow and then on to Derrick's the following day. In a sense this has been a long trip. In a sense, we've not had enough time to do it all. I guess that's part of RVing.

Relief, at last!-August 4, 2011

We rode out a storm last night in that park in the middle of nowhere, Kansas. It was just horrible. We love the sound of rain on the roof of this coach, but do not care for the sound of hail. The wind was supposedly about 60 mph. The electricity was off for hours. Thank goodness for a generator. We had to open the windows to cool us down. During the night it started raining again and Jerry said he woke up to moisture hitting his face. So, he rolled over and went back to sleep. Is that a form of turning the other cheek?? We woke up this morning with electricity and a ton of mud on the car. It was cloudy so our travel today was very pleasant. We made it to Salina, Kansas. It was only 93° and much less humidity. They predicted a chance of storms. We still have sunshine right now. Very, very nice and such a relief. We are staying an extra day here so we can go to Lindsborg. It is a Swedish Village south of here that we have wanted to see for a long time. We are back on roads that we have traveled for many, many years so we are more comfortable. Derrick got the 50 amp hook-up installed at his house today so he is partially ready for his Alabama migrant farm workers to camp in his driveway. This is going to be an adventure in itself. He said it is supposed to be in the 90s in his area this weekend. We can handle that. Our pomegranate tree will be one happy camper to be able to be outside again. We will enjoy it, too.

In the middle of nowhere-August 3, 2011

We got up really early this morning so we could get on the road before the sun came up and started baking our little brains. The problem with that is that we had to stop earlier. The heat and traffic got to us, so we stopped in the middle of nowhere, literally, in South Haven, Kansas. I mean there is nothing here. But we had to stop somewhere. We had a first this morning. In parts of Oklahoma there is some construction so interstates are forced down to one lane. We were in line like everybody else, following a semi. There was a pick up truck behind us that was loaded with glass windows. When we went back out to two lanes, he tried to dive at our front wheels and force us off the road. He was an idiot. We are a whole lot bigger and a whole lot heavier. He would have lost that battle badly. But Jerry refused to do battle with a man with no brains, so he just held the wheel until the goon got around us. There are some extremely rude people on the road. We just stay the course and keep calm. We are going to make a decision shortly on where we want to land tomorrow. I will say it is much cooler here than Oklahoma, only 103°! We wish we could find another park as nice as the one in Thackerville. That was fabulous.

Hot birds, hot people-August 2, 2011

We did not leave Oklahoma this morning as planned. It was too hot at our destination. Seriously. We saw that it should be a little cooler there tomorrow, only about 105°.  We thought we'd be better off here and not on the road. Neither of us has ever felt this kind of heat. It is very dangerous. There's a huge fire station and EMT station a couple of  blocks from this park. The ambulances roll frequently. We were told by someone who works here that people are dropping from heat exhaustion. The poor little birds are not doing much better. They are standing under our a/c drain and trying to drink the water and get themselves wet. I'm not being funny. It is sad to watch. If our a/c units survive this, it will be a miracle. We cannot get cold or even cool water out of our faucets. It is very hot water. I guess that saves the hot water heater, if we want to find something positive. We do know we will never travel in this kind of weather again. But we had to do it this year to try to get our more mobile life established. This time next year, "the good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise", as the old saying goes, we will be far north staying cool. Then we'll move around in the south for the winter. I am so sorry for anybody who has to be out in this. The rain quit following us and we feel badly about that. Rain is so needed here. It's going to get better. We have faith that it will. If you are suffering this intense heat, please take care of yourself.

Toby Keith-August 1, 2011

Where did July go? Goodness. We have been in 12 states so far in this coach. We ate at Toby Keith's restaurant tonight. He is a local boy. The food was acceptable but not really anything to brag about. When we left, our car thermometer had 110° on it. The heat is so bad nobody works outside past about 11:00 AM. The place is desolate in the afternoons. We met a couple from Odessa, Texas today. It is not only hot there but they have mandatory water rationing because they have had no moisture since last September. See, we don't have to look very far to realize how blessed we are. At least we have seen rain and even walked in it lately. The water here is so soft I bet the tribal medicine man is really busy prescribing meds for high blood pressure. I am not going to wash any clothes here. I am afraid I'd never get the soap suds out of my washing machine. We are off tomorrow as early as we can get out of here headed for Kansas, if we can stand the heat while traveling. Coming up here we had 3 a/c units running (one up front and two on the roof) and it still got to 88° in the back. It took a long time to cool it back down. Tomorrow will be hotter, so if it gets too hot in here we will have to stop. It's ok. We know it will be only a few more days until we get to cooler weather. Not cold, just cooler. Don't let yourself get overheated. Drink lots of fluids!