Still here!-October 29, 2012

We are "enjoying" the far outer bands of Hurricane Sandy. The winds have been unbelievable. However, we are still here, thankfully. I feel sorry for the people north and/or east of us. We met friends from Mississippi today at the Roadkill Cafe ("You kill 'em, we'll grill 'em"). They have a great buffet and we enjoyed it very much. When you get ready to pay, you get to draw from a bag of chips. If you get a red chip, you get your meal free. All other chips are white. We paid for our meals! We didn't mind at all. It's a fun place and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting with our friends. On the way there we saw that the soybean field next to this park is being harvested and just a few feet down the road the machines are shaking the pecan trees to get the pecans to drop to the ground for harvest. We are really enjoying watching all of this.

German Sausage Festival-October 27, 2012

We made it to the festival today inspite of strong cool winds. We had fun and enjoyed great food. They always have a variety of bands that play all sorts of music. They leave the space in front of the music gazebo open so people can dance. We watched the same woman dance whom we've watched for nearly 10 years. She is no spring chicken, let me tell you. But it appears she loves to dance and lives to dance. Until this year, her husband has danced every dance with her. This year he could not dance non-stop. So, she got up and danced by herself! Let me tell you that you have not seen dancing until you have seen 90 year old people doing the polka to Mustang Sally played as polka music. It was all we could do to keep from laughing our heads off as we sat on the grass and had our delicious lunch What fun! On the way home I stopped to take a couple of pictures. Perhaps you have seen these crops before, but just in case, here they are. It is harvest season here and we are enjoying watching it.

This is a really nice cotton field that has been defoliated

and is ready for harvest.

 

 

Soybeans. They are dried and ready to harvest also.

 

Currently the farmers are harvesting peanuts. I am sure the drought caused all of these crops to mature at the same time. Ordinarily there would be staggered harvests. There are some nice farm fields here this year.

 

Have a very blessed and peaceful Sunday!

 



 

 

 

Busy time-October 26, 2012

We are working very hard to get everything done but there's still so much to do. We were lucky enough to find time today to have lunch at Wolf Bay Lodge in Foley. It was fabulous. They have the best broccoli salad in the country, hands down. No joke. We may have finally settled in here. Jerry has started cleaning the outside of the coach. Yesterday we went to Freightliner in Pensacola to order a part. The minute I turned on Copter Street I recognized a very old and abandoned military base. We asked and sure enough it was Ellison Air Force Base during WWII. I am trying to get more information on it but it seems to be eluding me at the moment. As we drove up to Freightliner, I could clearly see we were driving on the old landing strips. How interesting. I did get to snap one quick picture today. These are very common sights in this part of the state.

The other side has an empty chair beside the sign.

 

Tomorrow is the German Sausage Festival here in Elberta. When we lived here we went to every one. It's a really happy time. It is supposed to cool down tomorrow, thank goodness, so we will head over that way in the morning. I'm going for my ususal red beans and rice. Not sure what Jerry will get yet. We always browse the booths but seldom buy anything for some reason. Good food. Good music. Good exercise.  

Day two lunch-October 24, 2012

What a wonderful day to have lunch at Sunset Grill in Perdido Key, FL. We've always loved that place because the food is so good. It is still wonderful. It sits on the water, right on the intracoastal waterway. We were entertained by a really large dolphin that was swimming very slowly. We watched beautiful butterflies with pelicans and seagulls circling over the water looking for lunch. Then we had a very tiny little lizard running around the edge of the deck. Remember this is outdoors so you have no control over what comes in and walks through. It's all good fun. Again I forgot my camera. I don't know what's wrong with me.

Beautiful view to enjoy during lunch.

 

 

We got our flu shots yesterday. I encourage you to do the same. We have also voted. I encourage you to do that, too. I love the South Dakota Secretary of State website. We knew when they received our request for an absentee ballot, when they mailed it to us and when they received it back from us. It's all posted for us to see. There were 43,000 absentee ballots requested in South Dakota. So far, 31,000 have been returned for counting. I think that's amazing.



 

Day One-October 23, 2012

We completed three of our tasks today and got started on two more. A big one is on tap for tomorrow. In the middle of our "work" we stopped and had lunch at the Oyster House in Gulf Shores. We have not eaten there in quite some time. We had forgotten how pretty the view is and how much fun it is to watch the fish jumping out of the water and chasing each other. It takes so little to entertain us.

Nice view from the restaurant, isn't it? Sorry about having

my fingers on the phone! I'll do better next time.

 

 

The weather was quite nice today. It was only warm for a couple of hours, then it started cooling back down again. We had also forgotten what a sea breeze feels like but were quickly reminded when we came out of the restaurant. 

Lower Alabama (LA)-October 22, 2012

We are in Elberta, a little German town north of the coast. We chose not to be on the Gulf so we don't have to deal with the tourists and snowbirds. It is extremely nice here and we are looking forward to a fun stay. Once again, this will not be a vacation. We have more work to do than we ever have. But we have to get it done. We'd like a trip here where we can just be a visitor. Our drive here was so eventful. We started out this morning leaving Hoover and an immense vibration started in the steering wheel and Jerry said he could not drive it to the coast. So, we backtracked to the dealership who did the service on the chasis last week. I called and they were waiting for us as we drove in. They even offered to meet us and tow it in. But it was not that bad. They took everything apart and come to find out, the left wheel was not in the exact position it should have been. I will spare you the explanation of how that happened. We lost about 2 hours but still feel very blessed that it could have been so much worse. It did not cost us a dime, only lost time. We arrived safely in Elberta and we are very happy. Yes, it was a mistake made by Long Lewis in Birmingham, but it could have happened anywhere and they were so gracious and apologetic that we are not upset at all. A good night's sleep and tomorrow we start scheduling doctor's appointments. We look forward to getting everything done and coming home to a nice peaceful place in the evening. Life is good. Oh yes, we paid only $3.89 for diesel today. No complaints here. I hope your day was as good as ours!

Delicious barbecue-October 20, 2012

Last night's Pig Iron barbecue was so much fun. We had a great time and enjoyed sampling all different kinds of bbq. Some we did not like because it was vinegar based. We lean more toward a sweeter sauce. All we had to do was get a plate and allow someone to put food on our plates. We could have as much or as little as we wanted. This was a perfect event for kids. They had numerous activities for kids to enjoy. Afterall, it was a fundraiser for Children's Hospital. It's hard to explain how wonderfully this event was put together. I cannot imagine how many volunteers it takes to pull off something like this. We know the entry fee for the barbecue competition was $1500 but we don't know what the prize was. We did get to sample the winning entry.

Today we spent with Mother. It was a pretty day. We had some great food and a long and fun visit. I stepped outside to take a couple of pictures.

Old Glory on a glorious day!

 

 

Some of the trees in Mother's yard are trying to change colors.

 

 

Tonight there is a high school and college band competition in the baseball stadium by our park. It has been going on all day. We just heard the band from Jacksonville State University and they were fabulous. We could hear their music clearly. Some of the bands we can only hear the drums. Never a dull moment in this park. We just hope they finish before the wee hours of the morning. Here's wishing you a wonderful day tomorrow. Have a blessed Sunday. 

 

Coach is happy-October 18, 2012

We got the routine service done on the coach's chasis today. It is happy and so are we. We didn't think we would get there today based on the rain we had last night. If it had continued this morning we would have changed the appointment. It rained cats and dogs and then it rained some more. We are thrilled we are parked on top of a hill and not in a valley. The drive into this park is so pretty. I just love it. I think I have posted pictures twice before but I cannot resist sharing yet another one.

Such a peaceful drive.

 

 

The barbecue teams have arrived, well at least some of them, for the Pig Iron Barbecue competition. The smoking has begun. We are excited to taste the food tomorrow. We are not sure if this park will remain open for our return next year. The Birmingham Barons are moving to a new fancy stadium pretty far from here. This park is open for their fans and family. We hope they keep it here however. It's a good location, fairly close to everything we need. And then there's that pretty drive into this park.  

Stuff-October 17, 2012

We were notified yesterday that our United Healthcare policy is being discontinued effective Dec 31st. We will be finding a post office today to mail in our absentee ballots. That is as political as I will get in this blog. However, I have lots to say through other venues. Here in the park, they are getting ready for the barbecue competition on Friday. We are certainly looking forward to it. This is not a stop that becomes a tourist stop. We have lots of business to take care of, family and friends to visit and the barbecue. So, this week is rapidly getting away from us. I hope your week is going well. This is certainly a nice time of year. Get out and enjoy it.

Birmingham, AL-October 15, 2012

We arrived here this afternoon. The drive here was really rough. I-65 southbound from Decatur is one of the worst interstates we have been on since we started this adventure. And trust me, we have been on some bad roads. The truck traffic was heavy, too. Thankfully, it was a safe trip. When we arrived here we were really surprised to see 2/3 of the park fenced off. We found us a decent spot and connected. We then found out that there is an event called Pig Iron Barbecue on Friday. Teams come in and barbecue. A winner is chosen during the day. Beginning at 5:00 PM it is opened to the public and for $10 one can eat all they want. It benefits the Children's Hospital here. We do plan to attend and eat!

Yesterday's walk-October 14, 2012

We were very fortunate to be able to take another long walk through Point Mallard park yesterday. This is a huge place with miles of walking and bike trails. We have explored only a small part of it. Once again we were walking through thick woods along the river. Warm sun and a canopy of colored trees make it very relaxing. I cannot resist sharing a few more pictures with you.

I wish you could see this in person. It was an extraordinary sight.

 

 

Look at the odd angle of this tree. I wonder what happened

to cause it to grow along the ground and then up another tree?

 

 

Looks inviting, doesn't it?

 

 

There are more pictures but I will spare you. This is such a pretty place. I'm happy we have had the opportunity to see this.





 

Have a very blessed day!!

A long walk-October 12, 2012

The rain stopped and though the sun did not come out very strongly, we jumped in our tennis shoes and  headed out to find the Tennessee River. We found it! And along with the river we found a fabulous walking trail that is longer than we even want to know. What a beautiful walk. It was still muggy but the lack of intense sun made it tolerable. I took 15 fun pictures. Now I have to choose a few to share with you.

What a beautiful walking path/bike path they have created beside the river.

 

 

A little back water pushed there by the river.

 

The "other" side of the river

 

It is possible to walk completely around the golf course, too,

but we did not make it today.

 

It ended up being a beautiful afternoon and early evening. So glad the rain stopped!

 



 

 

 

 

So much fun-October 12, 2012

This has not been quite the stop we had planned, but we have nothing but time, so we are fine. Yesterday we got the oil changed on the Cute Red Vehicle. The Honda dealer here was even nicer than the one in Pensacola. It's nice to find a dealership that cares about people. They even washed our dirty little vehicle when they finished. Today was the day we wanted to walk down by the Tennessee River and take pictures. It has rained cats and dogs all day, so we have had time to complete our paperwork and it's all ready to go to the post office. Yippee!! Maybe it will clear up tomorrow so we can get some nice pictures. On a fun note, we have been able to play Mexican trains twice with friends who live here. That's such a good time. Cross your fingers I'll have some good pictures to post tomorrow.

Sign-October 9, 2012

SAY WHAT??????

 

 

This sign is right beside the exit to this RV park. The golf course is part of of this park. After we stopped to laugh ourselves silly over this sign, Jerry said, "Only in Alabama........". So do you use a pocket fisherman/driver combo?

Decatur, AL-October 8 2012

We drove on another 60 miles of the Natchez Trace to get to Decatur today. Three nights of rain surely did add to the beauty. Everything was clean and fresh looking. No dirt or dust. We really enjoyed the drive today. The traffic in Decatur was another matter. Since there is nothing we can do about it, we just slowed down and took it easy.

See how clean everything is on the Natchez Trace. The clouds

were giving way to blue sky. It was a very pretty drive.

 

 

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway which is now referred to as Ten-Tom.

 

 

The Natchez Trace was the way the Indians traveled from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Back then it would have been just a gigantic forest. It had to have been a hard trek from one city to the other. Now it is a very pleasing drive. There are over 200 species of animals in the forest. We saw a total of 2 squirrels and that's all. Tomorrow we start working on what we need to do here. I bet we sleep well tonight. We are both tired from all the road construction on the road to Decatur.



 

 



 

Elvis' Birthplace-October 6, 2012

It rained all night long so today was overcast and cool. No complaints here. We went to Elvis' birthplace. He came from such humble beginnings it sort of touches you. The house was tiny by anybody's standards.

Elvis' parent's bed. The lady guarding the bed seemed so sweet,

but I suspect she could tackle anybody who crossed that red rope

like an NFL player. She had memorized a little speech which she

shared with all who entered the front door.

 

The house from the outside. It had no running water and no electricity.

 

 

Inside the chapel. The more I looked at the stained glass, the more

I could see. You can see a likeness of him in a white jumpsuit at the center

bottom panel. This was very pretty. It goes without saying Elvis music

was playing softly in the background.

 

 

We watched a 20 minute film of "Elvis: The Younger Years" before we started the walking tour. It began with Elvis singing a song I have never heard in my life. The words were "Home is where the heart is. My heart is where you are". Wow, that was tough to hear in his voice. It was a beautiful song. It did tell more about how young he was when he actually started singing. Elvis was raised the right way. He was incredibly generous. He was so respectful to his parents and loved them dearly. What a tragic ending to a wonderful voice. This is a place I have wanted to see since Elvis died so it was a real treat to me to walk this ground. I am so glad we had the opportunity to see this.

 

So many cities have tributes to their city. There are cows, horses, catfish, hearts, etc. It almost goes without saying that Tupelo has guitars. They are delightful.

 

 

This was painted by some elementary school students.

 

 

This was in front of a men's clothing store.

 

 

This is in front of a huge park. It was my favorite one.

 

What a fun and interesting day.

 

 



 

 

Natchez Trace-October 5, 2012

We drove about 160 miles of the Natchez Trace today. Though it was mainly green, it was still very pretty. The best part, however, was the lack of traffic. Had we stayed on the interstate we would have had all those cars and trucks to dodge. As it was we almost had the Trace Parkway to ourselves. We suspect the trees are not going to be pretty reds, purples and oranges this year because of the drought. It appears the leaves are mainly turning brown and falling off. Sad, but lack of rain affects every living thing. Part of the drive was under a canopy of trees. It was soothing and cool.

Nice drive

 

 

 

We drove along 8 miles of the Ross Barnett Lake coastline

 

 

Then we came upon a sign that said "Tornado Damage April 2011". There was a lot of tree damage but it is growing back nicely. They do not clear dead trees from this park. They let the decaying trees replenish the earth.

 

 

The underbrush is growing back nicely but the bark is still stripped from the trees. The green on the trees is cudzu vine.

 

 

It appears the tornado followed the road for about 5 or 6 miles.



 

 

Then we got to this RV park in Tupelo. This is a rather unique park. It is strung out among dense trees and up the side of a hill. The individual sites are terraced to make them level. It is wild just to drive through here. We have a nice spot with shade trees that are trying to change colors.

 

 

It's so dry I doubt the colors will get any brighter, but this is still a nice tree.

 

 

Tomorrow we will go see Elvis' birthplace if we can find it. I've been to Graceland but never seen his birthplace. 

 

 

 



 

Sunset-October 4, 2012

Enjoy sunset on the Mississippi River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicksburg, MS-October 4, 2012

We arrived in Vicksburg this afternoon for a night of rest. We went to the Welcome Center to see if the Natchez Trace is open. We can't travel all of it because it is 444 miles long, but we can at least see part of it. That's on tomorrow's agenda. While at the Welcome Center I got a few pictures of the Mighty Mississippi. It is also the muddy Mississippi. It is down a lot but not quite as low as we expected. It's still a mighty river. It hasn't been that long ago that barge traffic was restricted on the river because the water was so low. They are moving fast today.

There is a barge going under the bridge. Look closely at the bottom support

beam and you can see the foundation peeking out of the water. That means

the water is really low. The white on the other side is a makeshift beach of sorts.

Normally that's under water. The current on this river is unusally strong and powerful.

 

 

Trains get to cross the river here also.

 

We are a little surprised at how hot it is here. And not a single tree has changed color yet. Sad. We were looking forward to the pretty leaves. They are still pretty but green only. Hopefully things will change as we head to Tupelo. 

Million Dollars-October 3, 2012

Last time we were in Shreveport I forgot to take my camera so I could get a picture of the million dollar wall at the Horseshoe. Today I had my phone. This wall is 100 feet long and 11 feet high. The one hundred dollar bills are sequentually numbered. It is really a nice sight. It goes without saying the bills are behind plexiglass and there are cameras everywhere.

Part of the 100 foot wall

 

 

 

I should have gotten closer so you could see the face. Sorry.

 

We'll move on down the road tomorrow. We have lots to get done so we can't stay still too long for now. 

 



 

 

Shreveport, LA-October 2, 2012

We stayed an extra day in Thackerville because the Monday night football game was in Dallas and we knew that meant lots more traffic no matter what time of day we went through that gigantic city. So today was our day through Dallas. Let me tell you Jerry deserves an award! There are no words to describe the traffic. Note: Dallas always has hundreds of thousands of cars on the interestate at any given time. And it normally does not bother us, but we ran into at least 10 miles of interstate construction today. We have never seen anything like it. All Jerry could do was try to keep the coach in between the very narrow lanes. What used to be 6 lanes is now down to 4 (on each side) and the lanes are incredibly narrow. UPS nearly bought us a new mirror. It appears when the work is completed it could be about 12 lanes on each side. I have never seen anything like it in my life. So much concrete being torn up. So much dirt being hauled in. So many workers on the roadway. It was just unreal. But, we made it! As soon as we got ourselves connected here we struck out to find wiper blades for this coach. It has been a real struggle to find them. We finally found them at a Tiffin dealer in Bossier City. We got that task completed and we have new wipers for both sides of the huge windshield.They were not nearly as expensive as we expected, so blessings again! We will be here a couple of days. We want to go back to Bossier City to eat tomorrow. All in all, despite Dallas, this was a nice day and we are so grateful for safe travels.