Joan on the Road

Search complete! At least so far :) We did not go see the 10 month old puppy because we got a call from the other basset rescue that they had a 1.5 year guy that we might like. And we did! We went to see him this morning up near Milwaukee, much closer than Gomer was.

We both immediately liked his looks and his behavior. He is pretty frisky and strong but when he hopped in the car he settled right down and rode the 45 miles with no problem. He seems to be adjusting well and has "bonded" with us already. He also seems to like the recliner chairs :) ....so some adjustments will need to be made. Oh...his name is Flash. Don't know if we'll keep that but he does respond to it. So far so good :)

Posted by Joan at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We've been enjoying lovely mild days but looks like the next week will be upper 80s and very humid. Gotta love that humidity. Makes you feel like doing nothing. So yesterday we gave in and turned on the AC to keep Mr. Blue more comfy and to give us energy to accomplish something. We just run the back AC during the day and usually by 10 PM we can turn that off and sleeping temps have been good. But I think that will change too.

I recall the year we were married here in Gurnee when the temp was 90 plus and while we were in the church the rain started coming down and flooded the streets. My brother-in-law put me inside the huge flower box to keep my dress and train dry and carried me out to the car. We had to take a detour to get to my Mom's house because the overpass was flooded. I'll bet during a good rain that same overpass would flood today :)

We watched the Angel's game on ESPN Monday Baseball. I have to watch the schedule carefully so I can pick up those few games that are nationally broadcast. What a great game to see! Angel's beat Red Sox 7-4. As often happens they were the comeback kids and got 6 runs in the 6th inning. I love Angel's baseball!

Also we were on the phone with two basset rescue groups last night. We have an appointment to "meet and greet" Gomer on Wednesday. There are several other possibilities if we decide he's not the one. These rescue groups serve several states so the dog we're interested in may be quite a drive away from us. Gomer is about 1.5 hours from here. If he's the one he'll get a name change. We'll wait to introduce him to you :)

Posted by Joan at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seems like the days just go lazily by here. The weather contributes to the lazy feeling because the days hover around 80 and it's fairly humid so working or playing hard is not going to happen. Everything moves at a slow pace. But that's OK ;)

No doggie yet. We are waiting for one puppy (10 months old) to be ready to go so we can visit him. I don't know. I'm having some second thoughts when I think about giving up my "sleeping in" mornings. However, walking the dog was almost always a pleasure and that will surely be beneficial for me. LIke many things, having a pet is a trade off. I recall way more fun and good times with our dogs than any bad times.

Our days here are filled with visiting, shopping, reading, cooking and movies. Last night my cousin Cathy and her family stopped in. She had some very old family pictures to share. Black and white and wrinkled. I think I'll scan a few and see how I can restore them.

This week I hope we get the old computer formatted and out of here. We are overloaded with computers. Jim's new one is working fine. We now have matching monitors. I think he just wanted the new computer to get a monitor like mine ;)

Last night's dinner was fresh wild trout cooked in foil on the grill. I put lemon slices, capers and butter in the middle of the trout and Jim cooked it for 12 minutes. It was delicious.

We'll see what this week brings. Maybe I'll find something interesting to take a pix of :)

Posted by Joan at 07:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The weather here in Gurnee, IL is totally lovely...75-80, light breezes...perfect. Nothing too exciting is happening EXCEPT we have decided to look for a Basset hound to adopt! Ever since we met Henry in Missoula I've been longing again for one of these lazy, funny dogs.

We discovered that Northern Illinois is served by two rescue organizations and neither of them require that the adopting family have a fenced yard (CA and MT rescue groups both have that absolute requirement). I have been on the phone with one of the groups this evening and they are OK with us adopting even though we are RVers. So ...this looks like a good place to find a dog. We'll see what develops.

Today Jim had an eye doctor appointment which always takes a few hours but the reward is having lunch at Maggiano's. I chose the special salad of spring greens, red onions, pine nuts, strawberries and crispy chicken tenders with a strawberry dressing. It was realllly good!

Also connected with a couple of girlfriends and set up some brunches. Things are looking good :)

Posted by Joan at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're at Mom and Harry's parked in the backyard drive. What a joy to see Harry back to normal, driving his "rounds" and keeping the house going. (If you missed his hospital adventures check the archives for last fall/winter.)

We had a nice weekend in Oakdale, WI...nice for me because I got to see two Angels baseball games and they won both against the Red Sox. I loved it! The weather is warm, humid midwest but nice.

We arrived here about 2 PM and juggled around the back yard to find a good parking spot. After an hour or so we were all set up and then had a nice dinner and visit with the parents.

Jim's new computer was delivered here and he's in the midst of setting it up. So he'll be occupied for a few days. Guess I'll have to call a girlfriend and go out to lunch :)

Posted by Joan at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Blue skies, puffy white clouds, warm winds and away we go to the Spam Museum located in Austin, MN. SPAM is a Hormel product and when you get off the freeway to head for the Museum you pass by the factory. But no factory tours. Probably too blood and gutsy. (When we stopped for gas on the way to Austin there was a semi-trailer full of hogs making a lot of noise. Wonder if they knew where they were headed?)

Here's the Museum entrance. Looks art deco to me.

I don't know what Spammy is doing here but Jim looks pretty happy!

We took about an hour to tour the Museum. It's totally filled with SPAM memorabilia, history, collectibles and unique displays that tell about the product. What is SPAM? SPiced HAm. Probably the reason it's sort of a cult food is that in WWII Hormel sent millions of cans of SPAM to feed the troops and to pass out as aid to war torn countries. Although tin to make cans was rationed, Hormel was exempt because they were making a vital product.

Our family has "fond" memories of SPAM:) I used to do the traditional SPAM stuck with cloves with a pineapple/brown sugar glaze, baked for 30 minutes. Or how about sliced SPAM and pineapple rings on the grill? We had some samples at the Museum that were pretty tasty.

Although there are no factory tours Hormel has been given many awards for the cleanliness of their plant. The Hormel product line is quite large now including House of Tsang Asian sauces and Carapelli Olive Oil, both of which we use. I was amazed at the product line.

I think Austin must be a factory town, not much else there. The downtown, like many we see, has lots of empty buildings and many little specialty stores. We had a sandwich in The Coffee Shop, an eclectic little place with cozy tables and quiet music. Then we stopped at the HyVee to pick up a few groceries.

And it all started when "this little piggy went to market."

And now I can say, "Been there, done that!"

Posted by Joan at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Joan at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

We headed out about 9 AM with storm clouds all around. After about an hour it started to pour and it rained the rest of the day. For about 20 miles is was a downpour and everyone slowed to about 40 mph. Here's a little show to give you a feel for the day...

We played tag with the wind turbine oversize load. We've also seen several sections fo the turbine towers enroute. The blades are just immense...maybe 100 ft long. You can see the larger version of the pix on my Picasa Albums

When we arrived at the Albert Lea KOA it was still raining but we figured to just do our setups from inside. Wrong! The site they assiged us, the only one they had, has a tree right in the middle that hangs down and touches the satellite. Mr. Moto would not be happy with that. So we had to unhook, juggle vehicles to get the Mr. Moto in the right position and to allow room for the slide to extend. Once that was done we put down jack pads because it is so wet and muddy. I don't think we'll stop here again because the big puddles of water are the same as they were 4 years ago!

So now we're all set up ...and the sun is shining! But the forecast is for more severe storms tonight. Last night they never materialized. Don't you just love the midwest weather?

Anyway...sorry my fans! No pictures of my lovely hairdo today. I'm pretty frazzled and frizzled.

Posted by Joan at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

288 miles...Rapid City to Mitchell, SD. How many times have we done this route? :) But something happened to the SD roads. Buh-bump all the way and miles of one-lane or two-way traffic due to construction. So aside from the rocky-rolly ride and the wind blast from the side....it was a good day :)

We have our RV parks that we like along the way so tonight we're at the KOA in Mitchell, SD. There are severe storms forecast but right now at 6 pm the sky is clear blue. We crossed the wide Missouri about 50 miles back and it is really wide this year. It's amazing how green everything is and how much water is still standing or flowing in creeks and rivers. But the corn is not very high due to the cold and wet June.

Jim is outside doing his fave (joking) job...cleaning bugs off the front of Mr. Blue. You gotta do it right away or they just get baked on. It's one of the joys of travel in the heartland...bug city. So while he slaves away I'm writing to you and making a skillet of Spanish Rice. Now that is one of our faves!

Posted by Joan at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well I did it! I went to the Regis Salon at Rushmore Mall and got my short hair permed. Now this may not seem like a big deal to you but I've had straight, short hair for over 20 years so this is a big change. But I love it :) The curls are pretty tight today but in 48 hours or so they'll loosen up. And I know the first rule of permology, from Legally Blonde, is do not wash the perm for 24 hours. So no pictures yet. (But Hilly it's just as curly as yours and I had to pay for it!!!)

Jim took his new girl out to lunch at the Olive Garden and then we went grocery shopping to stock up before we travel again. Our grocery store here is Family Thrift, formerly Albertson's. It's a pretty nice store with a good sized organic section and huge fresh fish counter. One item we've really been enjoying in Montana and SD are red raspberries. They seem to be less expensive than in the past, two containers for $5. They keep well for several days.

Only other big thing today was that we figured out how to secure my desk so it doesn't move when we travel. In my new computer setup we put the computer against the wall with some padding and snugged the desk up to it. Only problem was that this all just barely fit on the slide out section. Last week in our travels the desk bounced a bit and slipped off the edge of the slide platform leaving the computer to bounce a bit. So Jim got some long bolts and screwed the desk to the slide floor. Seems pretty solid so now I won't have to keep looking over my shoulder to check it out. We needed this done before we hit the horrendous section of 90 through Minnesota (unless by some miracle they fixed it.)

Tonight we enjoyed the season premier of The Closer, my fave TV show. I just enjoy and get so many laughs watching the tough, powerful but very feminine Chief Brenda Johnson. The cast of characters is pretty good and the stories usually have some kind of twist or turn.

Today's Favorite Food: Garlic Shrimp at The Olive Garden. But someday I'm just going to have the Frozen Tiramisu Dessert :) and no entree!

Posted by Joan at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today was an easy 222 miles to Rapid City with no wind! When I wrote about travel weather I didn't mention that most of the bad driving days are caused by wind. The 300 miles to Buffalo a couple of days ago was a realllly bad wind driving day. But we survived. I don't usually drive in the wind but today was just breezy so I put in a couple of hours in the driver's seat.

We are at our "home" park, Hart Ranch, in Rapid City. It is a C2C and RPI Resort, probably one of the best on the list! We have a very nice spot with a medium size tree for shade and a great view out over the rolling hills. Weather was in the 80's and has now dropped to a cool 65. We really enjoy this place as long as the wind is not blowing or it's not hailing :)

Nothing exciting on the road today. We didn't even stop for gas because it was a fairly short drive and there is gas right here at the ranch....oh bummer..they were out of gas :) Oh well. But we paid $4.58 yesterday in Wyoming and here it is $3.97. So we hope they get stocked up so we can fill up when we leave.

We're stopping here for 3 nights....it's only 2 bucks a night :) And I'm going to be very brave tomorrow and get a body wave perm. I can't remember the last one I had but I am soooo tired of straight hair and just feel the need for a change. Especially with my new CJ Banks wardrobe. Oh and CJ sent me a $10 off of my next purchase and guess what? There's a store right here in Rapid City :)

Posted by Joan at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We stayed an extra day in Buffalo, WY so we could relax and visit the old town as our host here at Deer Park suggested. Buffalo is nestled at the foot of the Big Horn Mountain range and on the old Bozeman Trail. Main Street follows the path of the trail as it dips down to cross Clear Creek and then rises to the other side. I could envision the cattle drives and wagons doing that.

I really wanted to see the old Occidental Hotel which has been restored to historical condition but with niceties added in the rooms. They spent a million dollars on it to make it modern yet have the look and feel of the old place. Lots of famous or infamous western figures stayed at the Occidental including Wild Bill, Sundane Kid and company and Calamity Jane. Here are some shots from the hotel.

The Virginian Dining Room has maybe 10 tables and looks very old, authentice and classy! Next time we come through I think we'll plan dinner here and make reservations in time. It is said to be the best restaurant in Wyoming :)

After walking Main Street we headed out on Highway 16 for a 35 mile drive to the Cloud Peak pass on the mountains...at 9600 feet. The temperature dropped to 55 and we weren't prepared for that. But the highway was very nice although it had some heavy duty grades and sharp curves. This is one of the ways into Yellowstone so we talked about how our Mr. Blue would manage the ups and downs.

I spotted a beautiful buck with large antlers but no place to pull off for a shot. Also saw some elk and babies. It is a heavily wooded area and the forest floor was covered with blue lupine and tiny snow flowers. Very lovely.

There is a lot going on in here including a blue grass festival and rodeo at the fairgrounds. It was $40 per person for tonight and that seemed a bit pricey to me. We opted out. We also skipped the Jim Gatchell Museum which sounds interesting but will have to wait for next time.

I'm really glad we stayed the day and did a little exploring. This is a nice park and we stay here often on our northern trek so I'm happy to be more familiar with this beautiful section of Wyoming.

Posted by Joan at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've been involved in another computer hassle and I neglected to write about our "Freedom Anniversary!" July 4th marked the completion of 5 years on the road. You can read about how it all started on this blog entry.

Why do I call it a freedom anniversary? When I think back over all the events of 2003 as we prepared to hit the road I'm still amazed at the weight that lifted as we got rid of our "stuff." It's also a freedom from house repairs, utility bills, bad neighbors, local politics, the stress of work and the "same old" daily life. If the neighbors are bad, the weather is lousy or we're bored....we move!

Here's one of my favorite shots (June 2006) of our rig at one of our fave places...Mackay Resevoir in Idaho. (Of course, the car is usually being towed.) Beautiful settings like this are abundant in our road life.

Is life on the road all sunshine and roses? No, of course not. The biggest challenge is having a health problem on the road and not having your support system of family around you. We've had major issues but got through them. Having your "house" breakdown is also a challenge but we've weathered that, too :) Writing about all the challenges and high points in this blog was one of the smartest things I did. Many thanks to son-in-law Tom for the idea and son Jim for setting it all up and getting me started on this journal. How else could I remember all the wonderful days?

Today we traveled 200 miles from Missoula to Bozeman, MT. We've been here at Bear Canyon before and have one of the lovely sites that looks directly out to the mountains. I expect we'll get some deer wandering through here later. This was another uneventful, beautiful travel day. I'll bet 90% of our driving days have been smooth sailing. Even on the bad days, once we're parked, the slide is out, the satellite is connected and the computers are hooked up....we are home!

Posted by Joan at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love a parade and I’ll miss this year’s family gathering in Corona for the Main Street Parade. However, I hear the weather is pretty hot there, so I’ll just look at my pictures and enjoy my cool mountain air.

We took the June birthday kids, Laura and Steve, out for dinner to the Blue Canyon in Missoula. We enjoyed a good dinner and relaxing conversation. Laura and I were anxious to dress up in our new clothes.

We have spent more time shopping together this summer than any other time in our lives! Today was another spree to CJ Banks. I had a 30% off coupon so how could I resist. But now I’m done. I think I’ve spent my years clothing allowance but feel I’ve got a very nice summer wardrobe. And since we live in summer temps all year…it is well worth it!

Today is Zachary’s birthday so we send him 17 good birthday wishes and hope he has had a wonderful day!

Posted by Joan at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took another video especially for Evan but thought I’d post it here, too, because I’m trying these different ways to show good video clips. This one is made with Windows Movie Maker and then uploaded to YouTube. Let’s see how it works. (NOTE: After watching this one I think there is too much motion...that's why it is pretty blurry. I was panning while the carousel was moving!)

One thing that cracked us up is that everyone on the Carousel has to wear a seat belt!! Give me a break!! There is even a sign posted " Buckle up For Safety!" In Montana there's a movement to require booster seats for kids until they are 4'9"!! Jeez, I know some adults who are not much taller than this :) Anyway, This is taken at Caras Park on the Clark Fork River. It’s a nice, relaxing park with a covered pavillion where local events are held….festivals, fairs and food events.

We got home from the park just before the first big raindrops fell. The temperature dropped and it rained, off and on, all evening. So that was a nice change of pace. Today it’s partly clouder and in the mid 80’s, very pleasant.

Today’s Cleaning Tip: Wow! I found a way to clean the pleated day / night shades! Ours are getting a little spotted so first I vacuumed, then thought I’d try good old FOLEX! Spray a little, wait a few seconds and sponge with a microfiber cloth. I wound up cleaning one whole shade this way. IF YOU TRY IT…try a small spot first. See if it works for you.

Posted by Joan at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today we went down to the old part of Missoula along the Clark Fork River to see the carousel. I made a video there for Evan and then we strolled along the walkway. We spotted a kayaker getting ready to run a small rapid and I managed to catch a little video of him. Click the play button, turn up the sound and wait a few secs for it to load.

This video is different than YouTube. It's called MyDeo and I think you have to pay after a month. SO..this video may disappear if I decide not to pay :) But wow....I think the quality is great. I made this video with Windows Movie Maker...quick and easy. So I'm still learning and you get to particpate! Whatcha think?

Posted by Joan at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)