What's for Breakfast ?

I am a fan of Banquet pot pies. A chicken or beef pot pie is fine with me for lunch or dinner.

 

 

This morning I tried the Banquet Deep Dish Sausage & Gravy. It was very tasty and had more sausage than I expected. 5 minutes in a 1100 watt microwave and "Breakfast is served".

 $.88 @ Wal-Mart seems a fair price for a warm breakfast.

 

 

OK, now for the part you are thinking about. Banquet also makes "fruit pot pies".

Winter Home

We are spending the winter at Azalea Acres RV Park, north of Gulf Stores, Alabama about half way between Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.

I have never seem a privately owned rv park with this much room between lots. There could be another rv between the lots. Mostly retired snowbirds and at $315 and change a month for full hookups with 50amps and free "fast" internet, it is hard to beat.  $315 will not pay the utilities for most homes.

I started a weekly "Texas Hold'em" card tournament and everyone seems to look forward to it, I know I sure do.

We were really needing to stop for some r&r after a very busy summer.

Utility Trailer/Camper

While camping at Eastbank Campground just over the Georgia line from Chattahoochee, Florida this rig pulled in and you know me. I had to check it out.
















Standard 6x10 utility trailer converted into a nice little camper/sleeping unit. A window was added to each side and an A/C unit on the front with electricity being supplied with an extension cord thru a r/v receptacle in the front of the trailer that fed a breaker box on the inside.

Swing out the back door and pull out the "slide-out".





You enter from the two swing out doors in the rear slide out. The white box contains a small 120 volt mini  kitchen and used as a step to enter the camper doors.
















This is a view from the rear. This unit was used by a couple and their pre-teen son. They were always outside cooking, walking, hiking, or riding bicycles and just used the camper for sleeping.

Catching up

 

After leaving Zac and Sweetie Pie ( both are finishing their Ph.D's in French) in State College, Pa.

 

 

 

 We headed for Maine. The Adirondacks and Sararoga, New York (I used to be a big horse racing fan) were great as were Vermont and New Hampshire.

 

 



 

 

 



We had to stop at "Mayberry" I mean Mt. Airy, North Carolina hometown of Andy Griffith.

 

 

 

 

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina is home (closed in 1996) of one of the original Nascar tracks.

 



 

 

 

 

We are now on Lake Hartwell, just south of Clemson, South Carolina. We have a nice pull thru site and we didn't even unhook the pickup and we are here for five days and will not be going anywhere. A much needed rest is in order. This was taken from our front door.

 



Tioga

We are camping in Ives Run Campground near Tioga, Pennsylvania. Another C.O.E. park that is well maintained with nicely spaced spots. We just love C.O.E. parks and we have 50amp, water, sewer at you site plus we have great coverage for our satellite tv, cell phones, and internet via aircard. Life is good.

I walked down toward the 680 acres and turned back for this photo our our camper.

Standing in the same spot, this is facing the lake.

To the right is this empty spot (occupied before we returned from the lake).

To the left was this site. Empty now but the park will be full for the weekend. We reserved the last spot online last night.



My Nittany Lion

We are here at Penn State visiting my son and his "cutie pie". They are both finishing their PhD's in French and we are trying to visit without interrupting too much.

We are in Fort Bellefonte Campground just up the road in Bellefonte, Pa. For a huge football venue, there are only two campgrounds here. The other campground is a KOA. For you non campers, a KOA campgrounds only purpose is to see just how much someone will pay to camp.
We have been here a week and plan to stay until the end of the month.

Saturday I called a friend back in Arkansas and asked to borrow a light jacket. It was 110 in Arkansas and 62 here. I didn't get a jacket but he did warm me with a few choice words. It was since moved back in the low 80's.

There is a Reason

The two main reasons for putting "comments" on moderation are:

Porn: I already know how to find it!! (don't say you never look)

Politics: This time of year I am bombarded with mindless rhetoric. You will not change my mind so don't even bother.

Hope everyone is having a great 4th.

Paris, Tn.

Not trying to take the thunder from

Paris, Tennessee and their smaller version of the Effiel Tower,

   but nothing is like the real one in Paris, France.

Union City, Tn.

Union City is a town of about 11,000 in northwest Tennessee and not what you would call a "destination" but more of a pass thru sort of place. Well that will change in the fall of 2013, but first a look around town.

Union City is the county seat for Obion county and has a rather nice courthouse.      

                            

This statue at the courthouse honors Congressman Robert A. "Fats" Everett. No, I never heard of him but liked the saying on the statue "If a man don't want to work, he hadn't ought to hire out". A simple concept that is lost on a lot of people.

This beautiful church with copper colored dome was just off the courthouse square.

This is the county museum and this is what I previously mentioned that was going to transmit Union City into a destination. The museum is presently closed and everything is being cataloged because they are building a new 50 acre $60,000,000 show place. I had to type the number because "sixty million" written just doesn't have the same impact. Remember this is a small town of only 11,000 people. There are also several large warehouses around town used for collecting objects for the new place. Eleven log building are also to be moved.

This photo shows most of the 50 acre site and the impressive tower.

A nice closer photo.

OK, now the "sixty million question", "Where did the money come from?".

Well it certainly wasn't Goodyear Tire and Rubber that closed its plant last year taking the 1800 jobs with it and the distinction of being the only plant licenced to build the tires for the new Chevrolet Corvettes.

Discovery Park of America is being funded by Robert and Jenny Kirkland. Not familiar with those names, how about Kirkland Home Decor Stores.

Tunica, Ms.

Robinsonville, in Tunica county Mississippi is a casino mecca just south of Memphis, Tn. that we have visited for many years and I can say there were fewer people than I have ever seen. It wasn't a ghost town but I think several casinos may not last much longer.

Sam's Town RV Park is closed for renovations after flooding destroyed it. Hollywood RV Park raised their prices $5 but you can bet they will lower them when Sam's Town opens back up.

Occupancy of Hollywood RV park was about 20% and their park rv park office wasn't even manned. You had to go to the hotel to check in. These two park used to be 80-100% full.

We stayed three nights, did our laundry, donated very little money and moved on.

Itchy feet

We plan to head east on Monday as we have been in Arkansas nearly four months. Plan to be in State College, Pa. by summers end. Way too long since I hugged my hairy-legged boy.

Yesterday I took every thing out of the pickup bed, washed it, and rearranged things. Can't say I helped it but I am satisfied with it for now.

Today I changed the anode rod in our hot water heater. It really didn't have to changed but I have been carrying the new one since Fresno, California and just decided to change it. You have to remove it to check it so might as well replace it since it only costs less than $20 and besides if I carry it much longer I will probably loose it anyway. One less thing to worry about.

The weather has been fabulous here. Almost chilly outside at night in a lawn chair with the wind blowing off the river. We have really enjoyed Toad Suck Park. The normal 14 night stay at C.O.E. parks can be extended another 14 nights upon request if the park is not busy.

A Busy Week

We made the trip to Fordyce to buy tags for our pickup and my small dual-purpose motorcycle that I have in storage.

Mission accomplished and we travel on to Shrevesport, La. with b-i-l and s-i-l for a little time at a casino. It made for a very long 400+ mile day. It really turned out to be a little more than I needed. After riding in the back of a car and not sleeping in my own bed, I was worn out.

We had a great time as always with b-i-l and s-i-l and as an added bonus, I rode my motorcycle enough to exercise it.

The wife has an appointment to get "kinky" on Wednesday so that will require another road trip. Why do they call them "permanents" when they are so temporary?

After that we are free to roam.

The Tom Sawyer in me.

We are staying at Toad Suck Park, a C.O.E. park on the Arkansas River just out of Conway, Arkansas. We will be here over the Memorial Day weekend.

                                                                                                                    
 As with all (Army) Corps of Engineers parks we have visited, this one is spotless and we have a spot on the corner that gives us even more space between spots. The  C.O.E. parks usually offer more room than state parks or private parks as they do not have to maximize their spots for profits.

This is our view of the river from our covered picnic table. We have 50amp service and water and with our senior discount pay $10 a night (sweet). This is a "dock and dam" on the Arkansas River and you can see the lower end of the 'lock" through the tree. You are looking at the lower side of the river.

This tug and its barges (the white you see in the photo) entered the lock on the rivers high side.

This photo shows the tug being lowered as the water in the lock is being evacuated.

This is the tug and barges after exiting the lock and headed down  on the river.

This is a closer shot of the tug. The whole process took about 30 minutes. Pure enjoyment as I sat at the picnic table taking all of this in.

Poker with Luther Van Dam

    Luther Van Dam, does that name sound familiar? It's the character Jerry Van Dyke played on "Coach". Jerry lives around here is at Oaklawn often.

    I was playing Texas Hold'em and he took the seat next to mine. Can't say I won any of his money but he didn't get any on mine. We just didn't get playable hands at the same time.

    I played a little over an hour and called it a day with just a small profit. If I play any longer I seem to get bored and stay in hands that I know I should fold.

    We are moving back to Little Rock tomorrow for nine days and who knows where we will be over the holiday weekend.

Good and Bad

The Good = I recieve a senior discount.

The Bad = I don't even have to ask for it anymore.

Ouch!!

We are back at Hot Springs after spending just over $2000 on a new refrigerator with a four year warranty. Ouch!!

Moving

We are moving to Maumelle Park in Little Rock later today because we need to be at Camping World by 8 am. Friday to have our fridge replaced.

We will move back here to finish out our eleven days we still have on our monthly spot. We are really starting to get "hitch-itch" but need to be around until the first of June before we can hit the road again.

Hell of a week

Tuesday the wife's computer (been sick for awhile) decided to not start up. A quick trip to Best Buy and a nice but reasonably priced laptop was purchased to replace the dying or dead former laptop.

Things were still not joyful in Mudville as we have a funeral to attend on Thursday. Upon returning after a long day we just wanted to relax before bedtime. Into the fridge to retrieve a Coke Zero and it was cool but a few degrees warmer than it should be. I changed the setting from a/c to propane hoping the a/c heating element had burned out. No  such luck as I soon started to smell ammonia, the sure sign that the refrigerator had indeed crapped out.

I pull the large ice chest from its hiding place in the bed of the truck nicely out of sight under the tonneau cover. We unload the fridge and I head to the Shell convenience store two block away where I purchased a large bag of ice to be picked up outside from the ice machine. I place the ice in gallon freezer bags and also throw in two blue freezer packs from our small chest freezer.

I decide to run to Wal-Mart to purchase more freezer packs to but in the freezer so they could freeze over night and I would just swap them out and would thus eliminate having to buy more ice.

As the clerk is checking the items, I reach for my wallet and calmly say "never mind I have lost my wallet". Not so calmly I call home as ask if my wallet is on the floor. I got the answer I knew I would get do I headed to the Shell, knowing full well I had my wallet when I left the inside of the store because I remember putting the change from a $10 bill in it after paying for my ice.

I walk in Shell and the lady that checked me out had left for the night. The new guy didn't know about my wallet but looked in the cabinet where lost items are placed and there was my wallet. A relief comes over me until I see the cash is missing. Not an inconsequential amount but at least all my cards were there.

Given what had transpired, I would rather have my wallet than my cash. So goes another week in the life of a fulltime rver.

Addicted

Yes, I have an addiction. I can't stop reading blogs as it seems I am a voyeur in the since I want to read about others.

As a rver I read and follow several rv blogs and have noticed a trend where new rvers think their mental health will instantly improve if they can only "hit the road".

Peace with yourself comes from within. If you are not happy with yourself, no amount of traveling will over come that.

I know of no bigger self centered a**hole than myself but I have learned to live with the fact that I will never change and can at time show a decent side albeit briefly.

Come on people "grow a set" and get on with your life. Ain't nobody responsibly for your life but you.

I will now get off my soapbox and return to my own miserable existence.

50/50

No, 50/50 is not my chances of surviving. Actually we all have 0% of surviving. Everyone is going to die sooner or later.

I have two 50% blockages and one 40% blockage. 70% blockage is the thresh hold at which they will even consider a stent.

My heart rate is in the mid 40's. I guess it will last longer if I the the rpm's low, just like a automobile engine.

Life Goes On

We are back in Little Rock taking care of the things that can only be done in person.

One thing was rescheduling the appointment with my heart doctor I missed back in November. Heck, I was having too much fun in California recovering from a heat attack.

Well after my visit last week, I am scheduled for an Angiogram in the morning. No big deal, he just wants to check me out as my heart surgeon in California said I might need another stent. Is that like your mechanic saying, "Hey, your radiator is clogged but I think your engine will be ok"?

Why the hell didn't he do everything at the time. Guess he was spreading MY money around.

Seems my doctor is a little pissed that I was in California letting another doctor have some of my money. Damn doc, use some of your windfall on bedside manner lessons!!

LBJ Ranch

Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States of America, is buried in his family's cemetery on the LBJ Ranch.

The Texas White House, so named because President Johnson spent about one third of his term at his farm in Stonewall, Texas.

The home is over 8000 sf. but does not look it.

The room on the left was used as "the oval office"

From the rear you can see a better view of the room that now appears on the right.

Any aircraft the president flies on is designated 'Air Force One".

LBJ liked to call this one "Air Force 1/2". The large Air Force One was flown to Austin and this smaller plane was used to reach the ranch.

A grass airstrip was already in place on the ranch and it was paved when LBJ became vice president.

Love him or hate him, LBJ was the president that shaped the nation during my teen years.

Willie, Waylon and the Boys

Lunkenbach, Texas is forever immortalized in the Waylon Jennings song.

We took the very short drive from Fredericksburg to visit the small town (about four building not counting the large dance hall) and this defunct post office being the most famous building.

The building is now a general store and beer bar. Shiner beer, brewed by the oldest brewery in Texas is the crowd favorite.

White Sands

Back in a previous life I was stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas and we often trained at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico but I had never seen the White Sands National Monument and therefor never seen the "white sands".
















The White Sands Missile Range covers 3200 square miles and the White Sands of the National Park is the worlds largest deposit and covers 275 square miles.

The "white sands" are actually gypsum and have a consistency more like talc than sand.

A camel was being used for a photo shoot and looked right at home on the sand dunes.

The road starts as pavement but it is graded sand as one drives deeper into the park.

Being white gypsum (the stuff the sheet rock in your home is made of) the dunes does not attract or hold heat so the dunes can be enjoyed barefoot year round.