The Traveling Cardinal's

Christmas Preparations

2011-12-17T16:09:00.001-07:00

Wow! Only one more week until Christmas. It doesn't seem possible. I have my baking done, my shopping done, my boxes sent to the kids so we are pretty much just going to enjoy this last week with friends.

Bill & I talked about having a Christmas Open House for our friends & street neighbors so we will do that on Monday, Dec. 19th. It isn't suppose to be very warm, but hopefully the rain will have passed by then.

Last Sunday after chapel, Bill & I went with Marquita & Ray to Sweet Tomatoes & then on the way back Marquita spotted a rose garden at the Mesa Community College. Bill & I had passed it on our way back from the doctor's a few days before, but of course, it took Marquita to say, "oh let's stop & walk around". She LOVES to take pictures & I didn't have my camera with. It was a beautiful place to walk off our lunch, spend time with friends & enjoy the warmth of the sunshine. Here are a couple pictures from the rose gardens --

These two didn't turn out as well. Smaller pixel I guess.

I tried to add some of the ones that show how big the gardens are, but Ray took some with his phone, so it might be the reason I can't upload them.

Don't have a lot to write about for this post. Bill and I have been going to the chiropractor every week to try & get the old body in shape & he's been to the regular doctor a couple of times. This past week they did a breathing test on him when he was feeling better from the first time he went & after being put on a second medication. His base line breathing capacity has gone from 44% down to 32%. We just keep plugging along & praying that God will handle anything we can't. If his back starts to feel better he will be doing good. We are still dancing (as much as he can tolerate, which is a lot for him) & playing shuffleboard. I joined one of the park leagues this year & will also play on the "in park" league on Saturday mornings beginning in January.

Today I volunteered to help serve a dinner January 8th for the Young Artists of the Year to be held by Corbett's Studio in our park auditorium. They are the people that I've taken classes from when I've painted my two pictures.

December and January are my months to type the bulletin for our chapel, so that keeps me busy on Friday nights & Saturday mornings. I have to take them to Office Max to get them copied, then I deliver them to one of our friends daughter who folds them for us.

This past week I helped teach another Excel 2007/2010 computer class & we finish up next Tuesday evening. Then we won't teach again until the middle of January.

In the meantime, I just try to stay out of trouble! Sometimes that's hard to do!

As we prepare for this Christmas season, may we all be thankful for the blessings that we have. So many during these hard times are finding it a struggle just to keep their bills paid & a roof over their heads. Let us not forget the Reason for the Season & celebrate Christ's birth by helping those less fortunate. We can give the gift of love, joy & peace, but sometimes a monetary gift helps some child have a Christmas that ordinarily might not have much. When we give to others, we are the ones who actually receive the gift.

May God's love reach down to you through the manger this Christmas season. With love from the Bullock's............Merry Christmas and a very Blessed New Year!

Until next time.......................The Traveling Cardinal's

Ah Haaa, I'm Back In A Week!

2011-11-20T21:36:00.001-07:00

I know, you didn't think I'd make it back on here in a week did you? Well, I'm trying!

This week went pretty fast, just like they all do. Why is it when you get older time seems to fly? Maybe because we learn to let up on the stresses in our lives & learn to live a little. I was going to say slow down a little, but I don't think that always holds true. Seems we are always on the go doing something.

This week we did our usual activities. Bill has been getting up every morning & going for a walk around part of the park & then walking the treadmill for about 20 minutes. I'm so proud of him. He is really gaining by walking longer a little at a time. The doctor has him on two different inhalers & he seems to be doing so much better. Keep praying he continues to do well. I haven't been walking as regularly, as the girls changed their time of walking to earlier & I just can't get in the habit. I did walk 2 nights, but I need to go more often!

Friday afternoon I started with the Hopi Shuffleboard team & we played out of the park. My first time on a league. Well, it was NOT a good start!! I think I had the curviest board in the place & the guy from that park beat me so bad I was embarrassed!!! It was the worst I've ever played. He finally got one in the "Kitchen" (-10) & let me have 15 points at the end. It ended up 63 to 9! The day before on our courts I lost to one of the better players by 1 point, 32 to 31. So I know I can do it! Oh well. It wasn't beginners luck, so it must have been stress & nerves!

Saturday Bill & I went to the club house for breakfast & then came home & went to the Arizona Balloon Festival down off Interstate 10 below Phoenix. That was a wasted trip! They set off some balloons around 5:30-6:00AM & then nothing. We got there & paid $5.00 to park in the handicap lot ($10.00 in the other lot & you had to walk about 1/4 mile) & saw 4 sky divers. We could have gone to Eloy, AZ & seen them for free! There were no balloons set up on the grounds & only a few vendors in there. I was not going to pay $10.00 per person to go in & see nothing. They were to have a "glow" in the evening, but this was 9:30 in the morning!!! Our little PA town of Meadville has them beat by a long shot! I'd go to the Thurston Classic in a minute compared to this. Here is a couple pictures of the sky divers I took (Just to prove we were there!)

This one was pretty cool with the American Flag. I'm sure the flag hit the ground before he did though. Naughty, naughty!

Today, Sunday, we went to Chapel & then went out for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. (Our Favorite or I should say one of our favorites). This afternoon at 4:00pm we went back to the club house ballroom for a concert by the East Valley Chorale. They are a group of about 70 singers from 35 churches in the area. They presented a concert of Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs. They were great. I really enjoyed it & so did Bill. At the end, they stood in the aisles & surrounded the congregation & sang "Written in Red" by Gordon Jensen.

"In letters of crimson God wrote His love on a hillside so long, long ago.

For you and for me Jesus died and love's greatest story was told.

I love you, I love you; That's what Calvary said.

I love you, I love you, I love you written in red."

We got to talk to all the grand kids today, my daughter, my sister-in-law & a voice message from our son, along with talking on the phone to friends.

A great day.

If I don't get on here again before Thanksgiving - May you all have a Blessed Thanksgiving and thank you all for being part of our lives.

Until next time.......The Traveling Cardinal's

I Think I’ll Begin Again

2011-11-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

It has been months, literally, since I wrote a post on this blog. A few people have been bugging me about getting back to it. The last one I wrote was when we were leaving Arizona. We are now back here and it's been a month today already!

I haven't taken my camera out to do much photo shooting since arriving back in Arizona.

So, I guess I'll share a few pictures beginning from the last post last Spring to some of our trip back then hopefully can get back in the groove again. I know I won't be doing it on a daily basis as I get myself too involved in other activities.

This may get long, so if you get bored reading & looking just scroll through fast. I tried doing it in Windows Live. The pictures seem to load faster, but I wasn't excited about doing in there. Will keep trying different ways. Pictures take so long to upload using Blogger.

If some of you don't remember, we didn't leave our AZ home until May 31st as we wanted to time ourselves to get to Virginia for our son's retirement from the Navy by June 10th. We stopped in Georgia to see friends, Frank & MaryJo, but otherwise, we didn't do much sightseeing. We always enjoy being with friends, especially those friendly Georgia people! What hospitality they have! We missed Dianne & David as they were on their way to spend most of the summer traveling through Alaska.

Gaston Lake, VA; Our last camping spot before we get to our son’s in Virginia Beach.

Mark - The last time to spit shine those shoes. Sitting by the pool while Samuel & Grandma swim.

Samuel at the pool

Presentation of Mark's Shadow Box of 20 years of memories of US Navy by John.

Mark giving his farewell speech. What a great speech encouraging those shipmates he was leaving behind.

Last time to leave the deck

Nice Job

Navy Retired license plate from Mom & Dad

Bill after eating raspberry Italian ice at beach - Renee & I told him he was worse than the kids!

A day at the beach

We arrived back at Hidden Valley Campground in NY State on the 15th of June. We had volunteered to bring several boxes of items home to friends Jerry & Sandy who sold their unit at our park in AZ. So we had the back seat full of items that needed to be delivered to them. We couldn't make connections, but did deliver the stuff to their daughter-in-law from Tunkhannock, PA & we met in Binghamton, NY. That was the last weekend in June. Since my niece lives in Candor, NY, we had a great excuse to visit them for 3-4 days. They don't live far from Binghamton.

Randy, Dee's husband, teaches woodcarving in half of his garage to several men in their area. He has entered several of his birds & carvings in world shows. This is one of my favorites (among many). So delicate & detailed! Very nice job, Randy! Click on the pictures of the carvings & you can see the detail much better in the picture.

Randy with his hawk

The other half of the garage is Dee's Day Care Center. Wow! She has the patience of Job!! 5 days a week, most days are 12 hrs.! Here we were all dancing.

One of the days we were there we went for a ride. All of the area around them is hilly & curvy. We came around a bend in the road & wow!!! Marshmallows! Since I was driving I couldn't take a picture, so Dee went back later & took a picture for me. Actually, they are small round bales of hay.

Next we celebrate the birth of our nation, July 4th. At least we did. Went with daughter, Renee, Nick, Noah & Tom to the Warren 4th of July Parade. Back at the campground, owners, Randy & Becky, were having a different kind of celebration. Having to dig up the sewage tank. Right out our kitchen/dining room window.

All in all it was a tough day! Poor Noah loves to come camping with Papa & Grandma, but this day he was wore out. Must have been the late night fireworks.

July 16th brought the celebration of the 50th Birthday of the Brooker Camp. Our N. Warren friends (more like family) have always included us in their celebrations at the camp. It goes without saying, "it's the greatest". Not to be outdone, Cathy had "hot air balloons"!! Not the kind you ride in, but the kind you light & send up in the air. They were beautiful. Of course, more than 50% of the attendees are or have been firefighters & being July was pretty dry, we were a little apprehensive about where they might land.

Summer also brought bridal showers & weddings. Here Latashia is opening bridal shower gifts.

Next comes August with the onslaught of reunions. I guess I didn't take any pictures at the Wiltsie Reunion on the first Sunday of August, but the 2nd Sunday was the Bullock Reunion. It rained in the morning quite hard so it filled up the creek here at Whispering Pines Campground where we met. The kids LOVED it! Played in the water & built a dam. Here Nick is busy stacking rocks. He learned that from his Grandma at the campground at Hidden Valley!

Here Nick & Noah are both working at it. Looks like we have a supervisor too. You know, one of those "sit down on the job" types!

August 20th, took us to Aaron & Latashia's (my great-niece) wedding. A beautiful day, a beautiful bride & a handsome groom!

Beginning in September the Eastern part of NY State & PA were inundated with rain & floods. Owego, NY & Binghamton, NY were very hard hit. Here is a picture of the motel that my nieces & nephews stay at when they go to visit their sister, Dee & Randy. Glad they weren't there then! My brother, Herb, in nearby Tunkhannock, PA (about 3 hrs. away) was also flooded. He lost the basement wall to the home he rented. Not a pretty site!

The 27th of August the campground celebrated Easter. Here you can see Noah & Nick and the Easter hats they created. Silly boys, but they had fun.

While Grandma stayed home with the boys to help decorate hats, Papa went to Warren to see the Band Exhibition. Still a Band Dad at heart. He really enjoyed it. I would have too, but too many things on the same day.

The campground that we live at in the summer doesn't have sewage, so every Monday or Tuesday we have a visit from the "honey-dipper" workers. This year they had a new slogan painted on the honey wagon. Love it! "Yesterday's Meals on Wheels". Thanks Leon & Harold. You do a great job!

July 22nd also brought another wedding to our family. My great-niece Traci married her best friend, Dan on one of the hottest days ever. They were married in Virginia Beach so Bill & I didn't get to go. Thankfully a lot of her aunts & uncles did. Where else can the groom where shorts & flip-flops! And look at his mode of transportation to the wedding! What a hoot! Congratulations Dan & Traci. We love you!

I spent my Wednesday nights this past summer taking line dance lessons again. Here you can see our instructor, Connie (in the green), learning a new dance from another Arizona dancer. Dee, I can't remember your hubby's name. Not only did I line dance this year, but I had a partner to dance with. Fred from our campground started coming to line dance & since he lost his wife last year, he needed a partner. So, because I love to dance, I volunteered! Kerry & Carol are partner instructors in the middle, Sue in the background (sorry Jeff, they cut you out) also teach partner dances. So we dance 1 hr. of beginner line dance, 1 hr. of partner dance & then 1 hr. of intermediate dance. Yup, my feet & I are tired by the time I get home!

Well, that was our summer pretty much in a nutshell. I'm sure I've left out some things, but I tried to find the highlights.

This brings us to the time of our trip back to Arizona. It's always hard to say goodbyes to family at home. I miss my daughter & family. Those little guys get to your heart!! It won't be long & we'll be back though.

This year we decided to leave our 5th wheel at the campground & try just traveling with the truck. Our back seat was packed with totes & suitcases, but we got it all in. We started out Sept. 26th to Virginia Beach to see Mark, Julie, Samantha & Samuel for a week. Bill wanted to spend our anniversary in Virginia. We had a nice meal at Aberdeen Steak House. This is always the week of the Neptune Festival. We didn't spend as much time at the beach this time as we usually do. Harder for Bill to take in all the walking when it's so warm. This year they had the sand sculpturing inside this huge tent. It was nice in that the weather didn't bother the workers, but they charged to see the finished product. Good thing I have a zoom lens!

Beautiful work. They come from all over the world.

On Oct. 3rd we headed out of Virginia Beach toward Atlanta to visit friends in Pine Mountain, GA. This is the typical traffic going toward Portsmouth, VA & the tunnel. It was pretty sun behind us & gray ahead. We knew we would hit some rain in the future with a sky like that.

But, God didn't always promise us sun without rain, but He sure gave us a beautiful rainbow to look at as we traveled along.

We arrived at MaryJo & Frank's right around 6pm on the 3rd. We covered a lot of miles that day. She had a delicious supper waiting for us & Dianne & David were just walking up to the driveway when we pulled it. It was so good to see everyone again & catch up. The next day I went to Bible Study with MaryJo & Frank & Bill spent the morning at the Historical Society where Frank volunteers his time. We took in Calloway Gardens again while there. We met Dianne & David at the Whistling Pig for lunch. Being the South, BBQ is "the" thing on the menu. Bill's favorite place is in LaGrange, GA. Can't ever remember the name of it, but it's a buffet & all home cooking. You can't beat it, $6.99 all you can eat & that includes your drink!! I wonder why he didn't feel good that night when we were playing cards? Suppose it might have had something to do with overeating???

We left MaryJo & Frank's on Thursday morning & headed to Foley, Alabama to visit my niece Amy & husband Bob & their boys, Ethan & Issac. Always have a great time there. Bob & Amy are so hospitable too! Must be the South! Poor Amy was working a lot of hours while we were there though. People off & lots of babies being born & lots of Administrative work. We got to watch Ethan's football game on Friday night. Great game. I cheered at that game as much as if I was in Warren, PA!

Saturday we went to visit the Caribe, where Bob works. The boys went swimming there; Bill sat at a picnic table & watched the Gulf, & Amy & I walked & walked. It was very windy & we were getting pelted with sand.

This is the Caribe where Bob works. He takes care of 13 pools & hot tubs. A lot of maintenance.

They have a lazy river up on top deck.

A golf green

A pool with water slides

This is how rough the Gulf was.

After taking Bob & Amy for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we headed West. Since we didn't have the trailer, we decided to stop in New Orleans, LA. We have always driven around it & never stopped. So we spent the afternoon there looking in shops & taking a wagon ride around the French Quarter. It was interesting, but not a place I care to return to. I guess I'm not a big city person or a bar hopper either.

This is Jackson Square

Waiting for the rest of the wagon to fill up.

There were some interesting sites in the French Quarter. I was taken with all the wrought iron railings around the upper stories of the buildings & lots of flowers.

Our guide pointed out a great place to get a good hamburger. They cook them on the grill, steamed under a hub cap. Got to say, it was good!

Outside the hamburger place on Bourbon St.

These are the trolley lines & tracks.

The next day we went to Brenham, TX to tour the Blue Bell Ice Cream Dairy. Bill loves their Blackberry Cobbler Ice Cream. Here behind the parking lot you can see the tall silos that hold sugar, raw milk, condensed milk, chocolate & other ingredients. I'm sure they don't measure by the cup full!! Nor shake it by hand! Seriously, it was interesting, but we were not allowed to take pictures inside. At the end of the tour, we got a free dish of ice cream.

Here on the sign you can see the cow & the little girl that's the logo for Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Here you can see the fire damage along Hwy. 21 in Texas. A lot of area was burnt on both sides of the road.

How many more miles? Well, it looks like a long ways, but we are getting closer.

Just traveling along with our two "best behaved" puppies & their huggy friend we got from Samantha many years ago. These are the best dogs to travel with. We don't have to stop to let them out, don't have to hear them bark, don't have to feed them & they don't shed!

These iron silhouettes are familiar all along our route in Texas. Some of them depict the entrance to a ranch, or just out there in a field. Sorry about the dirty window!

We have now arrived in Arizona. Oh, well, I guess Alabama isn't the only place they raise cotton! Here they were harvesting it along the back route that comes into Globe, AZ.

Okay, Alabama doesn't have the mountains!

October 13th, home at last. The new paved & cemented entrance to our park.

These are just some pictures of new improvements to our Arizona room. I had bought the matting for this family photo back home but had to buy a frame & put the pictures in. Still need some updated pictures of my boys. Someone told me a secret on how to make copies of their school pictures I have. Haven't tried it yet. Of course, my hubby likes to buy me my favorite flowers!

I bought this arrangement at the Mesa Market Place. A lot cheaper than Hobby Lobby!

My new end table I had to put together.

Cousin Sue's sconces.

Our new railing on the deck. Everyone was afraid someone would fall off. Now we should be okay. Thanks Mike, for your hard work.

Veteran's Day Armed Services Flags

Bill took a lot of pictures, but they didn't turn out very good. Here I'm serving stew in a big bread bowl with Fran.

A great turn out of Veteran's.

I know this is long!!! But, I am caught up & hopefully I can post something on a weekly basis. I know I have posted some of these same pictures on Facebook, so if you have seen them there, I'm sorry it's a double take.

I can't believe this month has gone by already! Thanksgiving is fast approaching & it won't be long & it will be Christmas.

Until next time................The Traveling Cardinal's

Officially "On the Road Again"

2011-05-31T21:31:00.015-07:00

This is what Palm Drive looked like as we were driving out on John Wayne this morning at the stop sign by the pool.
These next three pictures are from Mona B. that I downloaded from Facebook. They did a LOT of work today. The road is all torn up! I don't know if you can click on this little picture to make it bigger or not.
I'm going to dedicate this post to my friends LaVonne & Don. No, I don't have any pictures of dead trees, but you'll see why when you get farther into the post.

Today we left Superstition Sunrise, TWICE. The first time at 9am (I wanted to leave between 8 & 8:30, but you know how that goes). We were well on our way, 16 miles into the trip on Bush Hwy. & remembered we didn't let any of the water out of our fresh water tank. So we found a place to pull in & pump some of the water out. It was at this time that Bill patted his pocket to check for his wallet & remembered it was in the cupboard back at the Park Model! Thank God it was a place we could turn around at! So, back to Apache Junction we went. Needless to say, conversation was quite strained at this point! I make a list & check it off as I do it or ask him if he has done it. Good thing I have a list or he would have forgotten to do some of the things on the list. Oh well. So with the wallet in his pocket we were back on the road, 1 hr. later, but all in all we made good time. By lunch time we had started being able to carry on a civil conversation with each other. My teeth are a little ground down, but my tongue wasn't bleeding!

We stopped for gas & I got out & walked around, then we found a place to pull off in Heber & we went for lunch at June's Cafe & I walked around some more. When I came back into the cafe to eat, Bill was talking to the couple at the table next to us while waiting for our food. Could not believe this. They were from Butler, PA. They moved to Tuscon, AZ 4 years ago. He had been a State Trooper in PA & took an early retirement. They are full time RVers. They also are workcampers. They were on their way to South Dakota to register their residency there.

This stopping every couple of hours to walk is kind of a pain. But I do move my legs a lot in the truck. Thank goodness for cruise control.

A couple of pictures taken in Arizona but looking toward New Mexico.
Oops! Just about missed the sign. It's hard taking pictures going at 65 mph!
New Mexico seems to always have a wind blowing. Today was not bad. At least we haven't encountered any crosswinds yet. I love these mesas with the caves in them. I wonder if the wind has eroded them there?
As many times as we've traveled Interstate 40 across New Mexico, we've never seen these on the hillside. We aren't sure what they are. I asked my friend, Camilla, & she thought they might be Pueblo dwellings. If any one has any idea, please let me know in a comment. Thanks. You can click on the picture to enlarge.
We arrived at our campground for the night around 6:30 mountain time. Lost that hour leaving Arizona. I had looked at the Woodall's book to check for a campground earlier in the afternoon. I thought we had stayed here before & sure enough, once we hit the exit, I remembered. Easy in, Easy out. While I was in registering, Bill was checking out the rig & the truck. Well, my daughter didn't want any phone calls about the buttttttttt, but, we do have a leak, probably in the power steering. There was fluid all over the inside of the front wheel well on the drivers side. We were told it was beginning when we had it to the Chevy garage, but thought we could make it to Virginia to have Dan look at it & fix it. But looks like we need to have it done tomorrow. The gentleman that runs the campground came out to look at it with Bill & he gave us a card of a guy just over the RR tracks that does all his work. So we'll call him in the morning to see what he can do for us.

We only plan to go as far as Amarillo, TX tomorrow so hopefully it will work out okay. We want to try & visit my great-niece, Delanna, tomorrow night.

Okay, LaVonne & Don - This could be your new Q!! This rig is parked right behind us at Bar S RV Park in Grants, NM. We haven't seen anyone around this evening. The girl in the trailer next to us said the truck that goes with it is quite decorated too. I'll have to check it out in the morning.
Love this one!
Now I'm curious as to who they are & what their mission is. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to find out.

So that's it for the first day of our travels. Never a dull moment with us. Always have to visit some repair shop along the way. I just pray it isn't any more than that & this is the first & the last for the rest of the trip. My daughter says, you are NOT going to take the trailer back with you!! I think we may have already decided that. It takes more than "One & A Half Men" to do this job. I'm the one & I think Bill's the 1/2!!

On a sadder note, we ask for thoughts & prayers to be with Bill's cousins as his last surviving aunt (Aunt Ethel) passed away yesterday afternoon in Florida. She was one sweet lady. We helped her celebrate her 90th birthday a year ago last September. Pat, Barb & Jon, we hold you up in our prayers.

So, until next time...............................The Traveling Cardinal's

The Ending of a Great Winter & Spring

2011-05-29T21:13:00.009-07:00

Our 2010-2011 winter season is drawing to a close. While many others have left long ago, there are a few of us stragglers still around. Then there are a few of those who only leave for a brief visit & then return.

I am anxious to get home to see family & friends. I miss the grand kids & can't wait to see them. This is when I sometimes wished that we flew instead of drove those 2600 miles!

When we return to the park next year, it looks like we will be greeted with at least a new entrance street. They began working on Palm Drive on May 25th. They closed the front gates & we have to enter & exit through the south gate. Each side street is blocked off along Palm Drive. Curbing will be added to the north side of Palm Drive & new drainage will be incorporated into the new paving. Katherine Hepburn will be repaved along with James Cagney.

Here you can see the front gated up with equipment inside the fencing.
I talked to this gentleman while he was tearing up Faye & Gene's drive where they park the golf cart. He said, don't worry, we'll have it all fixed up & put back before they come back. He was originally from Minnesota.
Beside Faye & Gene's looking down Palm Drive.
Working at the end of our street, Jimmy Stewart
That's one big hunk of cement at the end of our street.
On Friday, May 27, the park had a Memorial Weekend BBQ. There were about 50 of us there. Had a nice lunch - typical picnic lunch. This was Carol's last day for the summer. She is taking 3 months off.
Festive - Red, White & Blue
That was the last of our activities for the year. Now the hard work begins.

Saturday morning after Bill got his hair cut, we hooked up the 5th wheel & took it out of the park to go get air in the Trail Air hitch. Then when we came back we had to back it in front of our trailer since our street is taped off. You might know, Saturday it was 100 degrees!!! We got a lot accomplished though for being so hot.
Mona, Ed & Alisa came down & we played Golf at our place. I told them it was a good thing it was night time as it was pretty dark in the park model. I put the insulation in the windows on Thursday. Wanted to get it done early to help keep the heat out for Thurs. - Sat.

Today Ed picked us up for church & then we came home & started in again. Got a lot more done & a lot loaded. I even took out time to spend an hour in the pool. If felt great! Hopefully I can do the same tomorrow!
Even got the deck covered & the patio furniture put away. I guess I should make a list of what needs to be done, but I'll do that during the night!
Tonight after supper I went to Mona's to help her with her computer, then came home & did a few more things. Got the fridge wiped out ready to put food in Tues. morning. I'm beginning to see what I can bring back without having to move everything. We'll see what next Fall brings. Maybe, (that's only a "maybe") we won't bring the 5th wheel. We said that last year & changed our minds. But with diesel prices going up & up, we may have to make a decision to leave it behind.

So for all those traveling this weekend, maybe camping, we hope you have a safe Memorial Day Weekend & don't forget the reason we celebrate this special day -

It is a day to remember our fallen troops that have fought in battles WORLDWIDE.
Remember to thank a veteran, or someone in uniform who serves us all, doing military duty, answering their country's call. Just tap them on the shoulder, Give them a smile, and say, "Thanks for what you're doing To keep us safe in the USA!"

"And I'm proud to be an American, Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, Who gave that right to me....."
- Lee Greenwood

Until next time...................................The Traveling Cardinal's

Friday the 13th, It Was HOT - 103 Degrees

2011-05-13T19:39:00.014-07:00

Okay, it's Friday the 13th. Are we superstitious? No, but we do like the Superstition Mountains!

The weather forecast for today was to be 99 degrees. I figure, give or take a few degrees. Bill & I have wanted to take (or I should say I have wanted to take) a ride to see if we can get some pictures of the saguaro in bloom. I'd like to get high enough to look down on them. We thought today might be a good day to take a drive to the higher country where it might be cooler. I figured we might not see too many saguaro out in the higher country because of the cooler temps & I was right. But we had a nice day. We have been to Superior, Miami & Globe before, but have not stopped in town to check some things out, so today was the day.

We left around 10:30AM to head out Rt. 60.
We stopped at the Information Center in Globe to inquire if we could tour the Copper Mine & they said they don't do those anymore & haven't for a long time. Darn! So we went through the historical museum behind the information center.
Then we went downtown Globe to The Pickle Barrel. As you can see from the pictures they had everything. Someone else's trash, is someone else's treasure. A lot of the store inside had new stuff for sale. A lot of hides for making Indian clothing, beads, bells, leather, you name it. Lots of jewelery. We didn't buy anything, but we looked.
By this time we are getting hungry so we start back toward home. Sorry about the dirty windshield & the reflection of the stuffed animals. I should remember to remove them when I'm taking pictures.
After eating a sub at Subways, I take several pictures of the copper mines. Because these towns are fairly small, I think everyone must work at one or the other of these mines. It is a huge operation. In fact, the lady at the information center said they were going to open one of the mine areas up where they can't get the copper out. They can't pump the water out fast enough to get it, so they have given up on that particular mine. So next year when we come back she said we would be able to see a lot more of what a mining operation does.
Be sure to click on the pictures to get a clearer view of the site.
Heading back down the mountains, we have to go through a tunnel to get to the other side.
Now we have to cross a bridge to get to the next mountain.
Last Sunday, Mother's Day, May 8th, they had a fire along Rt. 60 that burned quite a bit of the landscape. Fortunately they got it stopped right at the entrance to the Bryce Thompson Arboretum. Pictures of the fire damage.
You can see the black area right up the mountain side.
I wish these pictures would turn out as good as the naked eye!
I have always wanted to drive up the Peralta Trail. The beginning of it is paved but then it turns to dirt. It isn't maintained, but it is in pretty good shape. A little washboardy in places, but I told Bill, it's a truck! He was better coming back out than he was going in. I think we drove in about 7 or 8 miles & then back out. It takes you to the back side of the Superstition Mountains from what we normally see from the park.
If you click on the picture you can see lots of buds on the saguaro. A few flowers were out & some had already blossomed. I guess you just have to get it at the right time. We may have been a little early. Next week we'll take a drive in another direction to see what we can find.
Just a pretty view opposite Superstition Mountain.
Superstition Mountain
Tons of buds. I'd love to see them all out at one time, but they usually don't flower like that. Maybe this one would as the buds look to be about the same size.
You can see some of the ones that have already flowered. They turn black & droop over.
Looks like a rock castle in the background.
Some prickly pears were still blossoming. Not many, but a few. Need a toothpick?
This reminded me of a cupcake on top.
This is at the trail head were you can park & begin to hike.
Facing the sun doesn't make for a pretty picture.
Superstition Mountain with an Ocotillo cactus in the front.
I don't know what kind of trees these are, but they grow all over the country side & in town here in the valley.
These are the flowers up close & it does have thorns. As I'm walking around taking these pictures, my eyes are always on the ground. With the temperatures at 103 degrees, I'm always looking for snakes. Every time I got out of the truck to take a picture I checked the ground first. I don't know what I would have done if I'd seen one. Probably passed out & fell on him!
This is another trail head where you can park & begin to hike. That poor Dutchman. I don't think anyone will ever find his gold.
Pretty good size cactus with several buds & blossoms.
We got home around 4:30pm. It was 100 degrees in the trailer! We didn't want to leave the air on since were weren't going to be here. It took all evening to cool it down. Bill read the paper on the computer & I read a little bit then took a nap.

Renee called around 5:45 PM & I talked with here for awhile.

Yesterday we got a call from Bill's sister to tell us that our sister-in-law, Sandy, had fallen & broken her elbow. They did surgery last night at 6PM. Bill talked to Robert Michael & he said surgery went well. She fell on Monday. The doctor put her elbow back in place but it didn't stay. Good thing they did surgery as she had several splinters in there. She is going to stay with her daughter while she is recuperating. Will have a hard cast on for at least 3 weeks.

Bill & I went to a concert in the park in Gilbert last night. It was a beautiful park & a beautiful setting, but we were not impressed with the music. It was country music, but the sound systems was awful. You couldn't even hear or understand what the girls were singing. We left before it was over. It was so nice to sit outside without a coat/sweater & no mosquitoes!! That is one thing about the weather out here. It is never damp in the evenings to sit out. The only problem is, everyone is gone & there isn't anyone to sit out with!! 18 more days & we can head out too.

Okay, I'm going to wrap this up, go eat my free Strawberry/Lemonade treat from McDonald's.

Until next time................The Traveling Cardinal's

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T19:54:00.007-07:00

This is how we spent my Mother's Day 2011.

We went to Desert Chapel U. Methodist Church here in Apache Junction with good friends Mona, Ed & Alisa. A really nice service - like a little bit of home! After church they had a fellowship time with cold drinks or coffee/tea & cake. We sat & visited with other residents from our park who go to that church too. I asked Mona what they were doing for the day & she said probably her & Alisa would go to Wal-Mart. I said what? Ed's not taking you out for lunch? Well, it didn't take him long to change his mind when he found out we were going to Cracker Barrel!! We had a great time & a great lunch. It was nice to dine with friends. The conversation is much more lively!

Peg, Bill, Mona, Ed & Alisa
Notice in all these pictures the mist? I'd never been anywhere to see this. They have mist spraying to keep you cool out on the porch while you wait. Mona says they do this at a lot of places out here. I guess we've never been here when it's been hot enough to see it. I'm sure if you have natural curly hair you wouldn't want to stand too close!
After dinner (and shopping, of course), Mona, Ed & Alisa went to the Bass Pro Shop. Bill's knee was aching so we just came home.

I never get tired of seeing the designs on the sound barriers along the freeways.And the designs in the stones along the freeways.
The Oleanders are blooming everywhere along the stone fences of community living.
See, we do have green trees in our desert area! Lots of pretty yellow flowers too. Sorry about the power boxes, but when you are driving & snapping pictures, you take what you get!
And this is the most depressing picture I took!!! We have bought diesel here all year because they have always had the lowest prices. Well, not this weekend. When I came back from my ultrasound the other day I told Bill the price had gone up. It went up 14 cents since we bought it last week. But when we were riding around the other day, about 3 blocks from here at a Circle K gas station, it was $4.09 & this one was $4.29!! I can't figure it out!
After coming home I went to the pool for a few hours & Bill took a nap. Then we went up to play Hand & Foot with friends Faye & Gene. The first game was sooooo bad. Us girls had to concede. The 2nd game was much better, so we ended with a 1 - 1.

My skin has been drying out & itching after swimming so I've decided to stay out of the pool for a few days to see if it helps. Even showering after doesn't help. There is just no humidity here & you don't realize just how dry you get I guess.

This afternoon I went for my echo cardiogram. I think everything looked good because the tech said the doctor would read them before the day was over & if there was a problem he would give me a call at home. She said I don't think he'll be calling you. I think that was a hint that every thing looked okay. That's good! I still have to follow up with him though.

After leaving there we went to the Chevrolet garage. Mona had told us yesterday our tail light on the passenger side was out. Well, we not only needed a tail light we needed a light on the side in the front. It was taking them forever it seemed. Of course, you know they have to check everything. Good/Bad, I don't know. I only wish they would show you what they find. No more of the good old days I guess. Any how, they said we had a bad carrier bearing. Well, better to have it fixed now than somewhere on the road going home. So their valet service brought us back to the park & will come & pick us up tomorrow when it is finished. He told us a couple other things that need done too, but they aren't at the critical stage yet, so I think we can wait for summer for that. Always something if it's mechanical!

Yesterday when I talked to our son Mark, he said he was having something delivered on Monday. He said if I got it on time for Mother's Day I wouldn't know it was from him since he is always late in doing things. Well tonight when I went to go for my walk I saw the UPS man driving up & down the streets. I said I wonder if he's looking for me. We didn't see him again, but when I got back from my walk there was a basket of beautiful flowers sitting on my deck!! They even have my favorite Stargazer Lilies in it!! He was looking for our last year's address instead of our Park Models. The note from Mark was really cute. Thank You Son. That was the first ever from you. I love you!
Aren't they pretty?The miniature carnations are from my hubby from last week. The two roses are one from the luncheon (red) & one from church on Sunday (white).

Just want to ask my family & friends to keep our friend Tom from Iowa in your prayers. He is in the hospital again & having some serious difficulties with kidney/bladder problems. There is a real possibility he may have to go on dialysis. He has so many other problems & so much medication it is so difficult to regulate everything. Last year he was in for congestive heart failure & they are afraid of that again. Bless you Tom & we are thinking of you & keeping you in our hearts & prayers. Phyllis too!

I'm sure I surprised you all by writing this blog again! I've got to begin to keep it up to date so that when we travel I won't be behind. It's good to get back into reading every one else's that I read too. Some interesting things going on with them. Especially Snookie! She always has a great story to tell. She gives me my humor for the day! If you want to read some great stories, check out The Quinn's Awesome Journey. You'll laugh for sure.

So, until next time............The Traveling Cardinal's

Mother's Day Luncheon at Superstition Sunrise

2011-05-07T19:37:00.006-07:00

These little quail run all around the park. They run so funny & make such a chattering noise. They are fun to watch. Almost impossible to get a good picture because they are so quick.
Friday, May 6th, the Activities Department put on a Mother's Day Luncheon for any lady who would like to attend. Tickets were $5.00. For five dollars we got a Salad with chicken breast, bread, wine cooler, ice tea/coffee/water, a long stem red rose, a chocolate candy, a votive candle, cake & a cup cake & an extra treat of a neck massage and nail painting. I think we all had a great time. It was very nice.

The tables were decorated with candles & roses that were given as door prizes. The girls putting on the finishing touches.
Friends - Judy, Connie, June, Linda & Pat
Friends at our table - Pat, June, Linda, Mary, Connie & Judy (Linda, Connie, Judy & I make up part of the pool patrol!)Rose center pieces/door prizes
One of the cakes for dessert
Cake table
The lady with her back to us on the right side was the next to the oldest mother present.
More of our gathering
Oh, how wonderful that felt! A neck massage & then off to the pool!
This gal & her mom painted flowers either on your finger nails or your toe nails.
I chose to have my toe nails done because I'd never done it before & my nails weren't in the best of shape that day. Sorry I have ugly toes, just look at the flower.
So see, I now am caught up with all my pictures on my blog!

Today Bill & I took our sweet neighbor Laura out for breakfast. She is the older lady that watches over our trailer while we are gone. I had a picture of her on here in a previous post. She is so delightful. We had a great breakfast at IHOP & then we went across the road to Power Square & went shopping. We were too early for most of the stores to be open, but she wanted to check on one store & guess what? It was open. Well, she didn't buy anything, but I did!! By the time I was done shopping the other stores were open. I haven't had this much fun shopping since I went with my Mom many years ago. She said she hadn't been out shopping that long in a long time either! I bought an outfit for Mark's retirement & a couple other outfits & then I shopped for my daughter Renee. I hope she likes what I got. For the prices (clearance & mark downs), I couldn't pass them up. Besides, Laura & I were having fun! Bill was a very patient hubby. He did buy himself a pair of shorts in Vanity Fair.

After we came home I certainly wasn't ready for any lunch after that big breakfast, so I grabbed my water bottle, by towels & noodle & off to the pool I went. Four hours of gorgeous pool time. No more than 6 adults in there at one time! Heaven!

Tonight we are just staying home & relaxing.

We got an email from friends in Iowa today saying that our friend Tom is in the hospital with some kidney/bladder problems. We hope he gets better soon & can get out of the hospital after everything is like it should be. He has so many health problems that when one thing gets out of whack, everything does. Keep him in your prayers.

Since I finished this up before Mother's Day, I'll again say........Happy Mother's Day to all my readers that are mommies. Have a great day & be blessed.

Until next time..................The Traveling Cardinal's

And Now It's MAY

2011-05-06T22:15:00.013-07:00

Ha, Ha! I fooled you all! I got caught up before we started to "travel on down the road"!

These are two of my favorite ladies! They live on our street & you just can't get one step ahead of them! Laura on the left reminds me of my mom. She is in her late 80's (see I didn't want to tell her age), & she is up every morning at 5am, goes out & picks up every one's newspapers within a 4 or 5 block area & puts them on their porch! She just had hip replacement this past Fall & her daughter came to stay with her for a bit. She couldn't wait until she left. She said she was tired of her telling her what she could & couldn't do! I pray I have her energy when I reach that age! And this little lady on the right.....watch out when she's coming down the road with her golf cart! She'll play chicken with you! She's 95 almost 96! They sit behind us in chapel each Sunday & they are just the sweetest gals! And now, on to the flower show. These are all pictures I've taken either here in our park or close by. The cacti just amaze me. Everyone seems to be so different & so beautiful. I'm so glad we got to stay longer this year to enjoy seeing so many. A lot of them are almost done flowering except the Saguaro. They are just starting. We are hoping to take a ride in the next week to see them from a higher elevation looking down. Since the flowers are all at the top, it's hard to get a great picture sometimes. Hopefully next week.

This is my first flower on my Beaver Tail Cactus. I only had 2 this year. But it has grown so much since I planted it last year. My Barrel Cactus just doesn't seem to do much. This is the Organ Pipe Cactus on the side of the trailer. It has tons of blooms & has been blooming for quite awhile. This is looking out my tinted window so it's not quite as clear. I sure wish I knew what these are. They have been like this for about 2 weeks. They look kind of like a violet. You wonder how they can grow through all those stones.Another different cactus. Catch me today, because tomorrow I'll be gone. I believe these are Hedgehogs. There's a little bee down in the center of this flower. You will have to click on it to enlarge to find him. This is what I hope mine will look like in a few years. Marquita's beautiful roses. This is the only Saguaro I found blooming in the park so far. It's a good thing my camera can zoom in! My friend Janet's beautiful cactus. There were about 6 or 7 others out almost at one time, but I missed them. I saw them but didn't have my camera with me. These are called Century Plants. According to what I've been told, they only blossom once & then die. From the web: Century Plants bloom only once in their life, the blooming spike is so large and grows so fast that it saps all the resources of the plant, which then dies, leaving a tall wooden seed stalk. The plant is called the "century plant" because of this "once a century" bloom (actually the plant lives an average of 25 years). It was also an important plant to indigenous people, being used for medicines, fiber, needles, and food. Beautiful Oleander blossoms with that once again....beautiful Arizona blue sky! This is the cactus that I still don't know what it is called. The blossoms are huge. You have to see it early in the morning because once they come out, they begin to close & then are gone. This past Monday a fellow in the park that plays shuffleboard with us came a callin'. He had a problem. He had a grapefruit tree he needed to pick at another trailer. He had a ladder but it was too much for him to carry it the 5 blocks to the tree. I had the truck, so we struck up a deal. I picked him, his ladder, buckets & boxes up & off to the tree we went. You could not see one grapefruit on that tree from outside. He put the ladder up on the outside & I guided him to where they were from the inside. Some were so huge it took 2 hands to hold them. I could not believe we filled 3 - 5 gal. buckets & 5 boxes of grapefruit. The good part of the deal was I could have all I wanted. I ate one while he walked back home to get his long sleeved shirt (he was getting pretty scratched up); I got to borrow his juicer & got a gallon of grapefruit juice (in my freezer); I got about 8 grapefruit for myself & I sent 16 or so home to my sister & brother-in-law. She was thrilled with "fresh from the tree" grapefruit. Picked on Monday, mailed on Tues. received 2400 miles away on Thurs. That's pretty darn fresh! These are medium, big & bigger. There were no small ones! Look at the sunglasses & then imagine them on the middle grapefruit! And they are pink & tasty! On Wednesday, the 4th, we finally got our numbers painted on the sidewalk in front of our Park Model. This project seems to be taking forever. I almost volunteered to do it, just to get them done!Yesterday I finally remembered to take my camera with me to the pool. Every time I'd get there & look at that beautiful Jacaranda tree I would say, darn, I forgot again. I was afraid the wind would blow all the blossoms off before I got it taken. There are several around town & some of those have very few leaves. This one seems to have more leaves on one side than blossoms. Maybe I waited too long, but it is still pretty. Almost reminds me of a wisteria. The flower is definitely not a wisteria though. Ahhhhh, now to the good part! This week it has been in the 90's so obviously there is only one place to be! Inside the air conditioned trailer - NOT. Maybe for Bill, but not for me. As you can see the crowd has thinned out quite a bit. Linda is standing by the pool & Judy is near this end. There are four of us left to float & chat. Connie will be leaving on Monday, Judy in another week, Linda, not sure yet, but this month & us on May 31st. We have been staying longer this year for multiple reasons.

Bill had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on April 12th & so is recuperating from that. He is getting along pretty good. Still bothers him some, but he is gaining. Still icing it a couple times a day & that helps. He rides the stationary bike & walks the treadmill at the club house a bit most mornings.

I've been having laser treatments, injections & stripping done on my varicose veins ever since November. Had to miss Jan. & Feb. due to insurance changes, but finally got back on track. Still getting injections but will hopefully be done soon so we can travel. May have to have the rest done when I come back next Fall. It certainly has been a blessing. Even though I don't always sleep all night, it isn't because my legs ache. I am so thankful that the constant aching has gone away.

I had an infection the middle of last month & was put on an antibiotic that I apparently was allergic to. The first prescription was fine, the 2nd one after my visit to the PA was the one that reacted. I began having chest pains. 3 during the week went away fairly quickly, the one on Fri. evening didn't. We were on our way out for supper (which we never got to as 1. the restaurant was closed & 2. I drove myself to the hospital). Bill kept saying pull over but it wasn't bad enough that I thought I couldn't get there & besides he couldn't drive yet. It all worked out. They kept me over night in observation after checking everything out when I got there with EKG, chest X-ray, etc. I saw the heart doctor at 6:30am the next morning. He requested that I get a nuclear stress test & an echo cardiogram. I think I passed the stress test fine (had that this past week). Will have the echo cardiogram done Monday afternoon. Had an ultrasound done this last week for the other problem & that came back normal so I think I'm safe there. I have to go to the OB/GYN on the 16th & the heart doctor on the 18th & then I think I am DONE!

This has been quite a year. I never had one cold, sore throat or anything all winter & then all this surfaces. I am 99.9% sure the chest pain was from the medication. Had I stayed on the original prescription I think things would have been different.

The other reason we are leaving later is we are going to Virginia for a special celebration! We are very excited. Mark is retiring from the Navy after 20 years of serving his country. We are very proud of him & his service & it will be just as exciting to see him retire as it was to see him graduate from recruit training at Great Lakes.

We know we will be arriving back at our home campground later than usual, but some things are just too important to miss. So I'm sure in the coming posts I'll have lots of pictures to post. I still have some to get off my camera from our Mother's Day Brunch from today, but I'll save that for another day. I might even get it done before Mother's Day, but don't hold your breath! So, if I don't get on here before Sunday.............A Very Happy Mother's Day to all my friends, family & readers who are Moms!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom who is resting peacefully in God's loving arms.
So, until next time.......................The Traveling Cardinal's

April Catch Up

2011-04-23T20:49:00.017-07:00

Since it is now the Merry, Merry Month of May, I'd better get caught up with April!!

04-03-11 On way to Grease Wood Flat with Ray, Marquita, Kay, Bill & I
Sign going into the restaurant area. This was bikers weekend. Not many there when we got there though. A few more were coming as we were leaving.
Outside eating area. No place to eat inside unless you were throwing a reserved party.
A place to keep warm during the evenings live entertainment or roast those marshmallows for smores.
Inside ready to order. Ray & Bill thought they were going to just "help themselves". Ya right! I wonder if they have an inventory on all those bills?
Rays' pulled pork BBQ sandwich, chips, potato salad & pickle. It was mighty tasty.
I don't know what they hammered out on this anvil, but it was one might big one! Ray, me & Kay.
And whoever told you vehicles in Arizona don't rust was just plain lying! Of course, weather, no matter where you live will rust I guess. Being from the East we always blamed it on the salt on the roadways.
Friends - Marquita, Kay & me
This old jukebox was in the building you could rent for parties.
Bill checking out all the "antiques"? or "junk"?
I wanted this so I could remember the address.
and when it is open. The one I should have taken a picture of stated: "Children must not be more than an arms link away at all times". Good rule! I think every restaurant should state that one!
Now that bottle opener goes with the size of the anvil. Though I must say, I never saw a bottle to coincide with the opener!
On our way from Grease Wood Flat to the Arabian Horse Barn. Los Cedros Citadel. Now this was a horse complex!!! I took this from their website. Entrance & offices are to the back of the picture...........\/
Entrance from roadway
Arena
Statue by driveway
Entrance to offices & rest of complex. Don't you just love our Arizona blue sky???
The requests were the rules that I cut off.
Moroccan decor everywhere. Saddle & pottery
Inside the meeting/conference room
Ceiling in meeting room - gorgeous!!
These doors were painted with egg yolk, egg white & plant colorings. No enamel or latex paint.
Ceiling in alcove/entrance.
Beautiful horses in a beautiful stable setting. These were the dressage, hunters & jumpers.
Entrance to the pool. Narrow so horses do not see the water before they actually step into the pool guided by trainer.
12 foot deep pool
The trainer can walk around the edge of the pool.
My favorite color for any horse!
Los Cedros means cedar, thus the lantern with the cedar tree.
The Arabian Horses
Immaculate stables. This is the ceiling.
This is the arena in the center of the complex, toward the hunter/jumper side from the Arabian side.
The West Arena
Even the landscaping was beautiful This is the outside of the doors leading back into the offices.
A trainer working with a dressage.
This Arabian was stretching his neck way out of the window. Funny to watch him.
Flowers about the grounds
This beautiful black Arabian had just run around the West Arena & stopped for us to take his picture. I think he knew he was a beauty!This ended a wonderful Sunday afternoon with our good friends. We had a great time. Kay & I just wanted to ride so bad. NEXT YEAR. We have put it off for 2 yrs. now. Needless to say, we won't be riding these horses! You cannot board a horse here unless it is through a trainer. It costs $1000/mo. to board. I guess I'll settle for a little ol' sway back to take me on a trail ride.

To read more about this amazing place, visit http://www.loscedros.com. You will be in awe!

Until next time when I catch up some more......The Traveling Cardinal's

I'm Trying to Catch Up

2011-03-31T19:58:00.019-07:00

WESTERN DAYS - 02-25-11
Sheriff Ed B.
Jennifer & June
My honey & I. I picked up the dress at Sunshine Acres Boutique. Thought it would be cute as a nice sundress. A little chilly that day so had to wear a shirt under it.
Jerry picking up a WHAT? Oh, I guess it's fake poop!
Cousins, Wanda & Shirley, Michigan friends.
Neighbors, Brian & Cathy
My friend Jan & I
Ruth - WOW
Friends Connie & Tom
Cowboy Bill - some dancers on the patio
Sheriff Ed taking Ray to jail
Roger in jail with Gert, Donna & Kay. Having way too much fun.
Peg, Jan, Camilla & ?
Friends Camilla & Roger
Snow on Superstition Mountain 02-27-11

Hiking with Fran (from Warren, PA) & gang from Rock Shadows Park 03-04-11

Fran & cousin

Holes show how Indians used to grind corn
Beautiful colors in the rocks
Hieroglyphics

Now that is one OLD saguaro
Little guys like to hike too. Saw them on our way back out.OSCAR NIGHT 03-04-11
Friends Dick & Jan
Alisa & Danny
Mary Ann & Peg
Peg & Friend Nancy from Ogdensburg,NY She has her eyes shut. Too bright lights or too much wine?
EASTERN STATES PARTY 03-08-11
Friends Chuck & Denice, Warren, PA
Friend Nancy from NY
Some of the gang
SuperCom Computer Club 10th Anniversary, March 18th
My Co-Teacher, Ben
Gayle, Marlene, Ben, Peg, Velda, & Rene
A "sea of red" to Support Our Troops each Friday
Neighbors Dorothy & Leland
Computer Club Geeks, Mike & Dick
Flowers at Larry & Carols, 03-20-11
Walking Club Party - Anita was our hostess, but because of rain, we met in the Hopi Room 03-21-11
Peg's Painting of Desert Bloom done at Corbett's Studio 03-22-11
My orange blossoms 03-27-11
Queen of the Night flowers on cactus outside trailer 03-27-11

So now I'm into April and need to catch up again. I just can't seem to get going with this any more. I need more time.... Oh, I forgot, I'm retired. So where does the time go?

I seriously will get more done in the next week or two.

Until next time............The Traveling Cardinal's

We Are Still Alive!!

2011-03-09T19:03:00.022-07:00

Okay, so I'm not very good at keeping this site up-to-date while we are sitting in one spot! I do much, much better when we are traveling.

We seem to be so busy with activities that when I finally get on the computer I read my emails, look at Face Book & then it's time for bed. I find if I don't keep it up, I get so far behind that just getting the pictures uploaded takes forever.

I'll try to be short with my stories, captions, whatever, so I can get caught up a little bit. My family has lost faith in me, in fact, I'm not sure they even check this site anymore.

This is my Christmas Cactus that I haul back & forth from the East to the West each year. This year it blessed me with 117 blossoms!! In fact as I write this (2 mo. later - there are 5 more blossoms, which I guess normally would be about Easter time if it wasn't so late this year!)
January 12th brought another "surprise" party for my birthday. For some reason, I just can't get Bill to understand enough is enough! Next year I'm taking the day & heading some place far away from the park either with a couple friends or all by myself!! He ends up inviting everyone it seems!
Tables up & down the street - but a beautiful day. Couldn't celebrate like this back in PA or NY!
Alisa, David, Mona, Bill
Roger, Jan, Camilla & Tom
Neighbors & Friends
Wasn't a small party was it??
Dorothy, Laura (reminds me of my mom), Joyce, Marilyn
Peg, Bill, Tom, Louise, Chico
Lynda, Lou, Denice & Chuck
Love it! This is the plant that has a history. It started from my Grandmother Wiltsie, to my mom, me, my kids each have one off my original, & this is from my original. The BIG one I had to leave when we sold our house now resides at the gal above sitting in the chair - Denice!
My brother, Herb, arrived Jan 18th. Now the fun begins!
We taught him to play shuffleboard
Ron & Butch

Bill & Herb played the 2nd game
Hmmmm, I think Herb is ahead. Quick learner
Bill & Herb at Organ Stop Pizza
Let the Wurlitzer shine! Entertainment (& the pizza) is always fantastic here. We went with a group from the park so it's buffet.
Outside Organ Stop. You can see the big pipes in the background.
Superstition Mountains
Superstition Old Town gun fight.
Peg & Herb with Elvis at the Elvis Presley Chapel

Typical old miner depiction
Saguaro
Four Peaks
Canyon Lake
On our way to Tortilla Flats, AZ

Tortilla Flats - a quaint stop that's a big hit for tourists
Outdoor patio music
Dollar Bills from everywhere
Curvy mountain road
Herb helping Roger get started on putting on our new mud flaps. Oops! Don't have everything we need. Got my instructions on what to buy. Then Roger hurt his back so the job didn't get done. (Yet - tomorrow 03-30-11, the 2nd one will get put on).
Ready for the Play Offs - Brian & Cathy are from Wisconsin. Now how did you figure that out?
What a spead!
We took Herb to Comedy Club show while he was here. These gals are the meat behind the scenes & also the joking orators. Boy, do they pick on each other. This is Gert & Kay.
Couldn't ask for a prettier view. Sunset? No way! This was Sunrise. We leave on our all day jeep trip at 7:20AM. Suppose this is why they call our park Superstition Sunrise?
Picking up Chuck & Denice. Sorry she's blurry, but she hardly ever stands still!
Herb in the front seat of the jeep with Clay
Superstition Mountains as the sunrise fades into daylight.
The following are some of the paths (not roads) we rode through into Box Canyon & all over God's country. It was a little bit too long of a day for me! My back was killing me by the time we got home at 4:00pm.
Rough ride
Yup, all those tiny roads/paths is where we was or where we was goin'.
What, no guard rails?

You could drop a pop can down this old mining hole & hear it forever before it stopped. I can't remember how many feet they say it is. I want to say 350', but I'm not sure. My memory isn't too good. Remember, it's been awhile since we took this ride, now I'm trying to write about it.
Taking our lunch break
Oh, I want to do this soooooo bad.

Steep, steep, steep. I hope the brakes work! Oh, we already made it down. This was one of the last jeeps.
Carving Show
Beautiful Work

Lapidary Shop
Stain Glass Shop. I made one of those blue & clear pin wheels. The rose was a drawing. Nope, I didn't win. I've enjoyed doing stain glass this year. I'm not interested in doing any big projects, but I would like to make some gifts for family next year.
Rock Shop/Clock Shop - They cut the stones, you pick, put together, put the clock on, pour the clear coating & decorate as you wish. Some beautiful work when they are all done.
Herb with Superstition Mountain in background.
We took Herb, Chuck & Denice & went to Eloy, AZ to watch the sky divers. You sit so close, it's so much fun to watch. Everyone enjoyed the day. This was a tandem jump - probably a first timer.
Another tandem
Herb, Chuck, Denice & Bill
This is where you can go & experience sky diving without jumping out of a plane.
Monday Night Jam Session
Rainbow over the neighbors
My brother, Herb, & me.
Herbie's last night here we took him to the Arizona Opry. It is a great dinner & show. I think he really enjoyed himself. Sad that all great visits have to come to an end. Each place had dessert sitting on the table when we went in. Now, we are both Wiltsie's. Do you think we could leave that chocolate cake until "after" our meal????? No way! It was gone long before our dinner was served. And speaking of which. We had chicken dinner. They served 425 dinners in 23 minutes!
This is Brenda, of the Barleen twins, on the drums. Boy can she play!
The twins (Brenda & Barbara), husband George on left & rest of band.
I can't remember how many instruments this guy can play, but he is definitely a professional!!
Sadly we said goodbye to Herb on Feb. 2nd. I sure hope he comes back another year to visit. We have many more sights to see. I felt bad that the 2nd day he was here, he got word from his son & brother-in-law back home that his house was broken into & ransacked. What a mess. Two have been caught, I'm not sure about the others. Maybe it was a good thing he wasn't there to see the mess or be caught in the middle of a break in.

While we were enjoying a beautiful (but cool) winter, this is what they were getting in Candor, NY. Pictures of Dee's van. I don't think she went anywhere that day. March 7, 2011.

Randy's truck. I do think he had to go to work though.
Well, this catches me up "a little bit". I'll try to get more done in the next week.

Until next time......The Traveling Cardinal's

Happy New Year

2010-12-30T19:51:00.004-07:00

Just one more day left of 2010. It has been a super year, but sad too.

We were excited to have bought a park model in our Arizona park. (now at the end of the year we are wondering WHY!), but we do like being close to everything & all our neighbors so far are wonderful.

We are thankful that our daughter & family have moved from Maryland back to our hometown of Warren, PA. It was so nice to be able to spend so much time with them & the kids this summer. We enjoyed having them camp with us.

We made a trip to Michigan again over Labor Day to party with family, visit with relatives & friends & tour around our friend, Shirley's, hometown of Cedar Springs, MI.

While in Michigan, we got a call that Bill's brother was diagnosed with lung & brain cancer. We cut our visit short & came home to see him in the hospital. We visited as often as we could knowing that when we left to come back to Arizona, we wouldn't get to see him & visit again.

We visited our son Mark & family in Virginia Beach for about 10 days & then began our trek across country.

Stopped in Pine Mountain, GA to visit friends MaryJo & Frank, Dianne & Dave. Had a wonderful time for 4 days. Toured & visited lots.

On to Texas & visited with friends Judy & Jerry for 4 days. While there we spent a day in Madisonville, TX at the Texas Mushroom Festival where a former classmate, Father Mike, has his church & chairs the festival. We had a great time.

Finally we arrived in Apache Junction on Oct. 26th. Bill broke 2 ribs the day we got here. We have made many, many repairs to this candominium. From new water pipes to new wood on outside of AZ room, to new decking & carpet. Still more to be done, but we will get there slowly but surely. If we do it all this year, we won't have anything to do next year. LOL If we could only find where the rain comes in the AZ room & the shed!!!!

We flew home Nov. 18th to attend the funeral of Bill's oldest brother, Bobbie. We are so grateful to God that he did not suffer any more than he did. He was in a lot of pain toward the end, but thankfully he went without further hospitalization. He was able to be at home & even went fishing the week prior to his death. Thank you Lord, for his life & all he did for us over the years. He was a beautiful woodworker. Unfortunately, with not having room in our 5th wheel, we didn't get to keep any of the beautiful things he gave us. That is the sad part!

We returned from PA in time for me to begin having laser surgery on my varicose veins. So far everything has gone very well. A long way to go yet. Will start on the right leg in January.

We spent a nice Thanksgiving & Christmas with friends here in the park. Dinner at the club house with friends & the rest of Christmas day with friends.

This was our year in a nut shell. Nothing very exciting, but at our age, we like it that way!

Today at my stained glass class the girls said "oh look, it's snowing!" Sure enough. For about 2 minutes, Apache Junction had snow!

Looking forward to a fun & busy, and healthy 2011. Happy New Year to you all!

Until next time..............The Traveling Cardinal's

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-26T16:25:00.005-07:00

We hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas and spent the day with family or friends no matter where you were. We missed our little guys at Christmas this year, but we did enjoy the day with friends.

We shared fellowship & dinner with 22 friends at our table at the Club House. Thanks to Norma & Ralph for inviting to share with them. In the afternoon we came back to the trailer & got ready to have good friends, Camilla & Roger, over for the afternoon. We decided the four of us would go down & play some pool, then come back for goodies.

After talking with my daughter, Renee, again, I hit the bed. I was exhausted. I couldn't believe how tired I was & I didn't even have any grand kids around!! I slept from around 8:45pm until 6:30am this morning! That isn't like me at all!

This morning after church we finally reached our son, Mark & his family. They had spent Christmas week in the Bahamas. They returned to snow in Virginia last night. He said they had about 6" & were expecting another 6" before night fall. I hope those crazy drivers there are careful. They aren't used to driving in that stuff. They had a good time on their trip, but the weather was rainy off & on & cool according to grandson, Samuel.

Renee will be jealous to learn that they got to swim with dolphins. I think that is something on her bucket list. Both Samantha & Samuel said it was fun & neat.

Again, no pictures. I didn't take my camera to the Christmas Dinner yesterday & there isn't much to take when it's just two old people opening simple Christmas gifts! Why does it feel so awkward when there is only two of you? Maybe that's a sign to not do it any more. Better to give to those in need instead.

One of the best gifts I received, was that my brother is coming to visit us for a couple weeks the middle of Jan. I can't wait! I don't think we'll fight like we did when we were kids. LOL We hope to show him a little of our area & pray for nice weather while he is here. I certainly will take pictures then!

Our Warren, PA friends, Chuck & Denice will be heading here to their new park model on Thursday. Should arrive on Sunday! We are getting excited to see them & share some quality time with them too!

We wish everyone a blessed & healthy New Year.

Until next time..............The Traveling Cardinal's

Christmas Baking & Candy Making

2010-12-15T20:34:00.005-07:00

No pictures this post. Been a pretty relaxing day. Did Zumba class this morning, played shuffle board then came home & took a nap.

We've been having Internet problems so today we may have got that straightened out. Hopefully anyway.

Last night our friend passed away around 9:40pm. I was there at a little before 7 to visit & I knew it wasn't good. Thankfully he is in a better place & pain free. Our thoughts & prayers go out to Clem's family as they travel back to Nebraska.

Tonight after my walk with the girls I made a batch of cookies, seafoam candy & peanut butter fudge. Bill played cards, but I left some of the dishes for him to wipe when he came home. I'm beat. It's early, but I'm ready to hit the bed.

Tomorrow I have my leg done & won't be able to do anything for a couple of days, so I guess I'll start with resting tonight. Will post sometime this weekend to let you know how things went.

Until next time...............The Traveling Cardinal's

Am I Still a Blogger????

2010-12-13T21:54:00.014-07:00

So much has happened since I lasted posted I don't even know where to begin. I guess I just need to catch up briefly by looking at the pictures.

Shortly after our arrival on Oct. 24th, we had both the 5th wheel & the park model pressure washed. The 5th wheel had tons of bugs & the park model had tons of dirt & dust. Just one of those jobs it takes too long for us to do anymore, so we hire it done. Of course, the first day we arrived, Bill slipped off the running board of the truck & broke 2 ribs. Needless to say, he was out of commission for lifting for the next several weeks. Consequently I did all the moving from the 5th wheel to the park model.

Here you can see Willy cleaning the park model.
Willy's helper cleaning the windows. Hope he remembers there is a prickly cactus behind him!
Now the fun begins. A friend who is a contractor in the park paid us a visit one day & said we'd better get some paint on the AZ room. I said we were told it never had to be painted. He said, oh no, that's just primer & all that trim on the outside is INTERIOR Trim! Oh thanks! Pressed paper! Thankfully we have a very dear friend (or several for that matter) who came to our rescue. Gene is the master mind that helped us get a lot of work done all for a few meals, some cookies & lots of hugs. God bless him!

These are the some of the trim boards I primed & then painted.
Another dear friend, Mark D., painted the outside of the AZ room & then helped Gene with several projects. Here Bill is watching as Gene installs trim around the French doors.
While the guys are working outside, I painted & decorated my kitchen. As you can tell, grapes are my theme. Thanks to my niece Deb from Michigan, I was able to stamp cloth napkins for my curtains & then stamp my walls. Those scrapbook stamps work wonders everywhere!
Since I now have a bigger place than my 5th wheel, I was able to buy back my punch bowl that was my moms. A girl I worked with had bought it & she said I could buy it back, she was just holding on to it for me anyway. That was one of the pieces I didn't want to part with when I sold our home. Now I have it again to enjoy!
The early part of November brought us visitors from home. Rayetta & Fred came to Chandler, AZ to visit their daughter, hubby & twin granddaughters. So they were able to come & spend a couple hours with us & have lunch. The twins are just adorable!!!
On to the next projects. Since we have a dually truck, it wouldn't fit on our patio until we could put extender posts out. These have to be ordered. Here Gene, Mark & Fred are getting them set in cement.
Gene & Mark getting ready to put the top framing on. The roof pieces will come next year. Our expenses are ahead of our income! :)

Oh the projects just keep going!!! We thought when Mtce. put dirt behind the trailer they were doing us a favor. NOT. It was about 4" too high & therefore the rain water would run right into the back of the AZ room. So here I am digging down all that extra dirt. Fortunately we got Mtce. to come & haul it away for us.

Next Gene & Mark put in a French drain for us so the water would have some place to go.
It connects into another drain on the other side of the shed.Now this project we left to the Mtce. guys. We didn't want to be responsible for breaking a water line. We had this big, ugly ornamental orange tree in front. In case you are wondering, you always are cleaning up leaves from an orange tree. Lots of work & no oranges to eat??? I don't think so. We got permission to replace it with an edible orange.
So out came the old tree. Look at the size of those roots!!!
This is the new one. They had to wait until the next day to plant it because.....yup, they broke the irrigation line.
Well, since there are projects going on outside, I have to do inside too. So I ended up painting the bathroom & putting up a border. That's because I moved the toilet paper roll to the inside of the cabinet & then had to repair the wall. Good excuse....we got rid of the pink bathroom! It's now green like the kitchen, but different trim. Notice there is no spigot either!!! That was another projects! Went to replace the spigot in the bathroom & kitchen & the water lines were bad. Kept springing leaks, so on Nov. 20th we had the whole system replaced along with a new hot water tank. Did I say we were running out of $$$$. I'm glad this little home didn't take anymore feet of plumbing!!!!
On Nov. 17th early in the morning, we got the call that we had been dreading since we returned to Arizona. We knew when we left to return to Arizona it was a hard & tearful goodbye to Bill's oldest brother at the health care center where he was. He was diagnosed with cancer of the lung & brain while we were in Michigan over Labor Day week. He will always be missed & loved by his family & friends. He was a wonderful husband, dad, grandpa, brother, brother-in-law & uncle & a friend to many. We just thank God that he did not have to linger & suffer as so many of our friends have done with this nasty disease. May he rest in peace & be pain free for eternity.
While we were home for the funeral, Mark came home too & we got to have part of our family together again. Here we gathered at Renee & Tom's for Mark to cook us a meal. He & Renee did a super job! Nick & Noah love their Uncle Markie.
Our family, plus Noah.
We returned on Sunday, the 21st as I was scheduled for laser surgery on my varicose veins on Monday morning. Everything has gone well so far. I've had 2 treatments & am scheduled for a microphlebectomy on Dec. 16th. Praying for good results with this also.

On to one of the last & final projects for the year. We need a break! Here friend Mike is helping Gene glue down the new carpet for our deck.
The end result is beautiful! We will wait until after the first of the year to put up a railing.
The pattern is called Stone Garden & if you click on the picture you can see it has green in it. Since everything out here seems to be sandy, dusty brown, I wanted some color!
We did do one more project - & that was to replace the trim boards around 2 of our windows. Again, Thank You Gene!

We got a call from some people in the park that wanted to get rid of their sofa/hide-a-bed & we went to look at it. It was so much nicer than the one that was left here. If you look to the left of the picture, you can see that ugly reddish/orange flowered sofa. Yuck! It didn't even sell at the patio sale, so we had to load it up & take it to a 2nd hand store.
The ladies Bible study group sponsor a Ladies Christmas Gathering each year. This year we overflowed the room. Next year it will have to be moved to the ballroom. What a fun time we had.
I bought this Merry Christmas from our group that was selling things at Monday Market to support Sunshine Acres, a childrens home in the area that our chapel supports. I wanted my sister, Romayne, to see it. It is reversible & says Happy New Year on the other side with a poinsettia between each word. I love it.
I finally got some Christmas lights up outside. You can't see the ones on the handrail by the steps as the table is in the way. Look at the size of the poinsettia! It's as tall as the table. We got that from friends, Jim & Ruby. It was setting on our deck when we got back from PA.
Our new Christmas tree.
We bought this rocker/recliner from the lady down the street on patio sale day last Saturday. Matches the rest of the furniture. You can also see our new area rug we bought at the same time we bought the outdoor carpet for the deck. Eventually I'll get the floor painted dark green. I have the paint, just not ready to do the floor yet. Other things have to be corrected before that gets done.
Just had to take a picture of my Christmas cactus! It is loaded with buds! I'm hoping they will start to open by Christmas. This is the first year for this many flowers. I think it's had 3 or 4 before but that is all. It has traveled back & forth across the country with us for 4 yrs. Not sure what I'm going to do this time. It's getting pretty big. I may leave it with the lovely lady down the street who said she would babysit it for me. She is just like having another mom. She is a dear.
Both sides are loaded, some even have double on each leaf.
This is a site that will always mean Arizona Home to us. The Superstition Mountains. No matter where we travel in the area, you know if you are headed toward this you are going toward home. Such pretty colors in it. At night when the sun sets, it has the most beautiful colors of red reflected on it. This was taken from the art studio of the people who come to the park & teach the Bob Ross style of painting. I took their class a couple years ago & I think I might paint a couple this year. Time will tell.
I know I have missed a lot of news, but my brain gets dead after awhile. It's all there, I just can't retrieve it. We have been praying for my niece's husband, Larry, with his Leukemia; Bill's brother-in-law, Neil, who had a stroke & then a stint put in & is doing better; a dear friend, Clem, who is in his final days with cancer; our friend Sandy who is still fighting her pancreatic problems. So many heart wrenching prayers.

But among the bad is always the good. My brother Ray, turned 80 last Monday & we celebrate with him as he enters another decade. Today, my sister, Romayne, celebrated her 79th. I talked with her this morning & she was doing well........sitting by the fire, keeping warm in 16 deg. weather!!! I just fear for all my relatives who have to walk & drive in that nasty snow & ice.

Last week our son-in-law, Tom, was hit by a pickup with a snow plow on it. The lady was going too fast to stop at the red light & slid through. Fortunately Tom was alert & saw her. He gunned it & she hit the back end of his car instead of T-boning him. So thankful that he was not hurt & the kids weren't with him!

This should catch everyone up for the time being. Hopefully I will get back to my blog more often. I seem to update Facebook more frequently with posts & pictures. Here I seem to write too much. Just call me Gabby!

Until next time...................The Traveling Cardinal's

Way Behind Again

2010-10-22T18:27:00.003-07:00

I'm behind again & I haven't gotten pictures ready for here yet, so I should at least catch up on the 30 days of truth.

Day 2: Something you love about yourself - I love to have fun. I don't even care if I make a fool of myself. If it makes me laugh, it's worth doing as long as I don't hurt anyone else. I love that I can make friends easily. I love to "talk" to people & share experiences of travel, kids, grandkids, whatever.

I love to bake (but..........I hate to cook!)

Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for - Something I said or did about 3-1/2 years ago where I hurt someone. I have asked for forgiveness from that person & have not received it. I have asked for forgiveness from my Lord & I have the faith that he has forgiven me.

Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone else for - The same as above. The other person.
(I think I'm a day ahead as I'll be busy at the Mushroom Festival in Madisonville, TX all day tomorrow.)

I'm using a friends laptop, so now I need to quit.

Until next time..............The Traveling Cardinal's

30 Days of Truth

2010-10-19T16:29:00.004-07:00

Okay, my friend & fellow blogger shamed me into doing this. Since I'm not a daily blogger, I'll probably get behind in this too!

But here is what we'll be doing for the next 30 days starting today.....

30 Days of Truth:

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself
Day 2: Something you love about yourself
Day 3:Something you have to forgive yourself for
Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone else for
Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life
Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do
Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living
Day 8: Someone who has made your life hell or treated you badly
Day 9: Someone you didn't want to let go, but who drifted
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn't know
Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on
Day 12: Something you never get compliments on
Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough times
Day 14: A hero that has let you down
Day 15: Something or someone you couldn't live without
Day 16: Something or someone you could definitely live without
Day 17: A book you've read that changed your view on something
Day 18: Your views on gay marriage
Day 19: What is your opinion of religion?
Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21: (Scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you got into a fight a couple of hours before. What do you do?
Day 22: Something you wish you hadn't done in your life
Day 23: Something you wish you had done in your life
Day 24: Make a playlist to someone and explain why you chose those songs
Day 25: The reason you believe you're still alive today
Day 26: Have you ever thought about giving up on life?
Day 27: What's the best thing you've got going for you right now?
Day 28: What would you do if you got pregnant (or got someone pregnant) right now?
Day 29: Something you hope to change about yourself
Day 30: A letter to yourself

You can leave an anonymous comment to answer the question each day.

What do I hate about myself? Hmmmmmm, I don't know where to start! I'm sitting here thinking & I really don't know what to say. I guess I hate that I always try to be a perfectionist & that is not humanly possible. When I do something, I want to do it right the first time. We all know because we are human, no matter how many times we do things, we don't always get it right. I know that is one of the reasons I feel so strongly about my faith. I know if I don't get it right, God will forgive me & let me try again.

That was tough. I'd better start thinking about tomorrow's question! LOL

We are west of Shreveport, Louisiana tonight.

Until next time.........The Traveling Cardinal's

Continuation of Georgia Visit

2010-10-18T17:26:00.015-07:00

We begin another day.....Friday, Oct, 15th. Happy Anniversary to my sister, Romayne & hubby Bob. 55 years! Many more!

Friday David & Dianne took the day off and took us on a tour of Callaway Gardens. We certainly didn't cover it all, as it has over 13,000 acres of lush landscaping.
Our first stop was the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center.
David, Dianne, Peg & Bill. Little cooler today; needed our jackets.
This signs said the week's count was 855 butterflies. Well, we certainly didn't see that many. And, have you ever tried to take pictures of butterflies. I'm a little slow, along with the shutter speed!
Just inside the door you can see butterflies emerging from their cocoons.
They hang & stay in this environment until their wings dry.
I got lucky a few times, but it's hard to get them when their wings are open.
Butterfly attracting flowers.
Now these two had their wings open
This is the one I chased behind the pole on the right & never could get a good shot of it. Had the most beautiful blue color. He looked like he was striving to get out that window. David was a little more patient than I & he got a good picture.
Another lucky shot.
This is another of the blue ones. You can see the color inside but he wouldn't open up. He was right on the step & we were all walking by & waiting to take that picture.
After being disappointed with the number of butterflies we saw, we hopped in David's truck & headed to the chapel. Isn't these the most beautiful pictures?
"Goin' To The Chapel & We're Goin' a Get Married"..... Bill & Peg
Dianne & David.....David's smiling, he must be more excited about it than Bill!
Beautiful little chapel. Even has a stone for altar like our little Interfaith Chapel at Warren State Hospital.
Looking from Chapel toward Lake.
David & Peg. The blackmail picture!
The beauty posing! Ya Right!
After the chapel stop, we went to the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center. This being the fall of the year, beautiful mums were every where.
Don't know the names of all these, just liked the flowers.
Fountain with hanging baskets & mums
I believe this was called Blue Ginger.
I love blue & lavender flowers.
I wonder how they put all those mums in a tree-like form?
Artsy flowers
Mum like trees
Swan sculpture
I thought this was interesting.
Dianne, Bill & David looking down from the 22' waterfall.
Orchids
It was a pretty sight from up above.
Mum design
Banana plant tree. The flower was very unique.
BIG fish in the pond
Mums up close
One worm (David) & one caterpillar. Just kidding David!
Magnolia trees have a pod from where the flower was? Didn't know that.
By now everyone's stomach was starting to growl. We took time to run into town & meet MaryJo & Frank at the Whistling Pig. Oops, didn't take a picture! It is only open for breakfast & lunch & the lunch crowd was starting or had let up by the time we got there. We didn't have a long wait. Just a family run business with all kinds of BBQ items on the menu. Delicious apple cake too! So we got to rest our weary bones & visit then we were off again.

Remember I said there was 13,000 acres. We had only made a dent in the morning. So back to the beautiful wooded roads through Callaway Gardens.

Looking across Robin Lake. The building (floating) that you see across the lake is where Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament (the world's greatest water skiers & wakeboarders converge to compete in a highly prestigious tournament on Memorial Day weekend) is held.
Next we visited Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden

The Victory Garden background porch
Another view of the lake
A beautiful golf course. Hey, Randy, take out a loan & come to Pine Mountain, Georgia to play golf! Rumor has it, it's $95 a round.
Callaway Gardens also has planned communities. Beautiful roadways into the communities.
One of the homes that they are getting spruced up for the Christmas Open House.
There are several homes unoccupied (economy I'm sure), yet others are being built. But then the lot itself is $110,000. Now I think you know why some are For Sale. In one of the planned communities, the houses are quite close together. Beautiful forest setting, but too close together.

Our tour guides returned us to our trailer so we could put our feet up & take a rest. The four GA friends had a night planned to go to Columbus for a play & Bill & I opted to stay at the trailer. Laundry was calling.

Saturday I didn't take ANY pictures. I even left my camera at the trailer.

We all met for breakfast at the local Chipley Restaurant. Bill, Dianne, David & I had the buffet. Very good. Now if you eat like that for breakfast, you don't have to eat until supper. I did hear that Dianne had a snack before her nap though!

David had been away from the work on his house too long so he needed to get some things done. He went home to work, we then went with MaryJo & Frank to change from the car to the truck & then picked up Dianne & we headed out to Whitesville, GA where Frank grew up.

We toured the little Methodist church that Frank attended as a boy & he told us his Daddy did a lot of the work to put a basement under the church. We toured around the cemetery both by the church & across the road to see where his ancestors were buried. A lot of very, very old grave sites. Back in the woods, in unmarked graves, is where slaves were buried.

Some interesting facts about Frank's Daddy:

J.T. moved to Whitesville area in the 1920's after graduating from the University of Ga. He worked as a Extension Agent for Harris County; married a local girl ( Miss Mary Hopkins a school teacher at Sunny Side School) in June of 1925 and raised 6 children. In 1932 he bought the Daniel's place in down town Whitesville. It included a country store, the old griss mill (originally located on mountain creek and moved) and a home.

J. T. built a canning plant and portable hammer mill; to make feed on site at local farms, from grains raised there; later on. The home also came with a DELCO power plant that produced 32 Volt power for lights and appliances. It ran on Gasoline and so did the large ( hit and miss) motor that ran the griss mill. They ran on this electricity till REA came into being.

On Hwy 219 in the heart of old Whitesville , there is the old grist mill, and in the yard of the house next to the mill there is a sign with a bee hive on it and it says IF and When Honey. Bee keeping was a craft J.T Cox got into. It was just one of the many crafts he mastered in his 60 or so years in Whitesville.

He passed down his Bee's and skills, to his Daughter Betty Beagle (Frank's sister). She now has many more hives than Mr. Cox had in his time but she still provides the loving care he did before he passed away. In the back room of the mill there is a work area containing all the tools needed to get honey from the hive to the jar.

Mama B (Betty), as the locals call her, and son Fred do all the hives then take them to the mill to uncap the wax covered cones, put them in the centrifuge to sling the honey out of the frames, then they clean and put the supers back where they came from on the hives.

The honey is then packaged in jars of different sizes to be sold to waiting customers from all over.

Fred keeps another of his Grandfather's honey sales practices in place, On the front porch, by the door of the house, there is a table covered with different size jars of If and When Honey ready for you. The price is on the Jar and a Mason jar with some change is there. Pick your jar, put the money in the Mason jar and get your change. THE HONOR SYSTEM IS STILL HERE! Most of the people buy from the porch and have been stopping by for years.

Our next stop was indeed to the front porch to purchase some of the Cox family honey.

We got back to town, took Bill home so he could read the paper & take a little snooze. MaryJo, Dianne & I took in all the little tourist shops in town. None of us bought a thing! Didn't even see anything to catch my eye. Guess I wasn't in a shopping mood or at least a buying mood!

MaryJo took me back to the trailer & then we met them all again for one final night out for supper. Had a good steak supper at the Aspen Grill. We then went back to Frank & MaryJo's to play Tonk & later had Apple Cobbler. I used my first quart of Apple Pie In A Jar. Should have taken time to make a real apple pie, but I opted for the easy way out!

After a fun night, we all had to say our final goodbyes. We had such a wonderful 3 days with great friends. We certainly are going to miss having them in Arizona with us this year. Good Lord willing, they will be back next year & we will hopefully see them in the spring on our way back East.

This catches us up to our travel across the southern states. We spent last night in Vicksburg, MS & are here again tonight. We went to leave this morning & the front jack on the drivers side has stripped the gears. We put new on in Oklahoma City in the spring on the passenger side, now it's time to replace this one. The RV repair service came out late this afternoon, but was too late to take it to the shop & since we were comfortable here, we stayed another night. They will be here at 8am to jack it up & get it hitched to the truck. We'll then follow them to the service center for them to work on it.

Since were were stuck here, we toured the Coca Cola Museum & downtown Vicksburg. Picture will follow in the next post.

Until next time............The Traveling Cardinal's

Our Recent Visits & Travels

2010-10-16T12:55:00.020-07:00

I've been neglecting my writing again, so this might become a long post. I'll try to keep my comments short! Now that's tough for me. I tend to get a little long winded as you might have noticed, either by reading or talking to me!

Here at Holiday Trav-L-Park in Virginia Beach several campers are getting into the Halloween spirit. I only posted one picture since you all know what pumpkins, witches & goblins look like.
The sweet Sound of Freedom is a constant sound we hear at this campground. In fact, when you leave, it's much too quiet!
Directly behind the campground is an equestrian riding stable for those with disabilities. I love to walk over to the fence & watch the horses.
One of the last few hibiscus in the park.
We've been in V. Beach for a little over a week & haven't gotten to see our grand kids nearly enough!! Mark was working long hours preparing to leave on a short deployment again & we didn't get to see much of him either. The Navy keeps him quite busy. 1 more year & he can retire. Maybe we can visit then!

Here Samuel & I take a break from playing to let Grandpa take a picture. He would rather make funny faces than smile!
While Samuel & I were playing, Samantha was playing with her dad in the truck. Mark was letting her drive around the closed off section of the campground. Good place to practice since the highway is 3 lanes of traffic in most places. Doesn't seem possible she's almost old enough to drive!
After spending a few hours with the kids before they all had to head off to church, we had to say those awful hard goodbyes again. Hopefully it won't be a year this time before we see them again! They grow up too fast.

We thought the kids had off school on Columbus Day the 11th, but they didn't, so Bill & I spent the day at the beach. No pictures. Been there too many times to take the same pictures again & again. We had a great day & the weather was perfect.

We left V. Beach campground around 9:30am on Tues., Oct. 12th to head to Georgia to see special friends we met in Arizona. We spent Tues. night in Spartansburg, SC & arrived in Pine Mountain, Georgia around 1:45pm Wed., Oct. 13th. When I called Dianne & David to say we were here & all set up, he said "is this for real? You're really here"? He must not have really believed we would come to visit! It was so much fun to see the "Georgia Boys" (David & Frank) as Bill calls them and their wonderful, friendly wives, Dianne & MaryJo. We got together Wed. night to go out for Mexican supper & then to play Tonk. Had a great time. MaryJo & Frank have a lovely home & made us feel so very welcome. Of course, between Dianne, Bill & I, we took all their money playing Tonk!

Thursday they were to pour cement at David & Dianne's new home for the driveway, so it was our day to spend with MaryJo & Frank. We had a great day sightseeing the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park & The Little White House.

Here at the park, they have a swimming pool built in the shape of the Liberty Bell. Of course, being this time of year, it's closed & starting to fill with the falling leaves.
Next we stopped going up the mountain (hill) to look out over the valley. Such a beautiful view!
A little further down the road we come to Dowdell's Knob. You can read the information on the plaque. This was one of Franklin Roosevelt's favorite place to come for picnics & to just rest, relax & contemplate.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
FDR & PB
If you click on the picture, you'll be able to read about Franklin's treks to this spot & his connection to Georgia.
Some of the best people in the world.....................Frank, MaryJo & Bill
This was a little BBQ spot we stopped to have a sandwich at in Warm Springs, GA.
Sign inside Mac's BBQ. Thought he was cute!
MaryJo & Frank. Bill's behind the tree.
After our lunch we continued our tour. Yup, that's right. It's not spelled the same, but it's pronounced the same. This is a buffet type restaurant that they say is very good, but $$$. You saw where we ate! :)
Our next stop was Roosevelt's Little White House, museum & pool.
Here again, you can click on the picture to read. The Little White House was in a remote little area that he loved to come to get away from his presidential duties. It is in this home that he died while his picture was being painted. The painting was never finished.
Quilt inside museum. Not the NRA you think of today. The National Recovery Administration can be read about at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal#NRA_.22Blue_Eagle.22_campaign in case you have never heard of FDR's New Deal. This was later declared unconstitutional through the supreme court system in 1935.
FDR's car with hand controls since he could not use the pedals due to his polio.
Click on picture to read the interesting facts about the spring waters that feed the area of Pine Mountain & Warm Springs.
FDR's stage coach
As some of you may remember, FDR was called "The Man of the Hour". Now some of the relatives reading this may remember seeing this clock sitting in their mothers, grandmothers, or my home. It now sits on the piano of my son Mark's home. I remember in my grandmother & grandfather's house.
Some of FDR's polio appliances
Walking between the museum & the Little White House, we did see a few trees with some color just starting.
My favorite, no matter the time of year. Holly is so beautiful. Just don't touch it!
The walkway supports flags of each state, a plaque stating the year it became part of the US & a piece of stone, granite, etc., native to each state. I took pictures of NY, PA, AZ & GA, but this is just from the beginning of the walkway. They are all in alphabetical order, not by order of entry into the union.
Walking down into the entrance to The Little White House. There is a sign "Bump Gate". Now being a blonde, I had to ask. Dah, Mr. FDR had polio & could not get out to open the gate, hence, the bump gate.
You touched it with the front of the car & it swing open either way.
The very simple, elegant Little White House.
Our beautiful good friends, MaryJo & Frank.
Here you can see how the rain/water comes from Pine Mountain, down the Hollis Quartzite, hits the Towaliga Fault & back to Warm Springs.
This is the spring fed pool that FDR swam in for therapy on his visits to Warm Springs, GA. The water coming in is 88 deg.

Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute founded by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1927, Roosevelt Warm Springs continues a tradition of compassion and quality care that spans 80 years. Entering its ninth decade as a comprehensive rehabilitation center dedicated to service, technological advancement, program diversity, research opportunities, continuing education and future development on behalf of persons with disabilities, Roosevelt Warm Springs remains a national treasure and Georgia "point-of-pride." Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation is a state-operated comprehensive rehabilitation center located in Warm Springs, Georgia on a beautiful 950 acre campus. Begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1927 to treat persons affected by polio, the Institute still remains true to its original mission today "to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve personal independence" as a living legacy to FDR. Each year the Institute provides rehabilitation services to approximately 5,000 individuals with all types of disabilities from all over the United States.
That concluded a wonderful day of history lessons. History is so much more fun when you don't have to read it from a history book & you don't have to take a test at the end of the chapter! Hurray for retirement!

But, although some people retire, some people retire & still continue to work themselves crazy! Not really, but David & Dianne, our other "Georgia Boy" have been planning to build a new home for the past 3 years. This year has finally seen their dream take shape. It is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, for us who live in a 5th wheel, it certainly is more room than I want or need, but it sure is a beautiful place to visit & it doesn't even have furniture or flooring yet!!! Can't wait to visit again, possibly in the spring!

Here is David & Dianne outside the front of their beautiful home. David made the stone steps of which both are very proud.
This is their home while building their home. Also their AZ home when we see them at Superstition Sunrise.
Before the driveway concrete was poured on Friday, Oct. 15th.
These shingles are maintenance free. Can you tell they are cement????? Look like wooden shingles even up close!
Front Yard
Looking toward driveway
This is a brick archway inset into the wall in the dining room. Something Dianne saw & liked. Those corners & mortaring upside down was a challenge. Her buffet will set in the inset.
The back porch fireplace
What a beautiful back yard looking out into a pecan grove.
Dianne just loves her little chandelier in the bathroom.
Too bad the neighbors are just on the other side of the fence. I could sit in this jacuzzi tub & read all day!
Front doors made by a man in Atlanta.
Looking from kitchen into living room.
Nice back patio. Door goes right into their master bedroom.
David said "I just need to cut this one more tile & get it in & then we can clean up & go eat!"
This was the end of our Thursday. We went to a Mexican Restaurant in town then went to play Tonk at MaryJo & Frank's after. Dianne cooked for us Friday & we ate at MaryJo & Frank's house & played Manipulation after. That's a fun game that we played with them in AZ too. Of course, it's suppose to be the low scorer wins. I had the highest. As you can see, I don't manipulate very well!

Friday & Saturday activities will follow in the next post. I promised Frank I'd get this blog updated yet! So here you go my friend. I'll work on the next post tonight after I download the pictures.

Until next time..................The Traveling Cardinal's

Virginia Beach, VA

2010-10-07T13:41:00.005-07:00

We finally said our goodbyes to everyone at our summer campground in NY & headed out on Sept. 29th. We stopped to have our tires rotated on the trailer & the trailer inspected.

We then stopped for the hardest visit ever! We visited Bill's brother in the health care center in Marienville. He was in pretty good spirits with us, but not his wife & daughter. It was a tough day. He was determined to leave; he even got his jacket & hat. So very hard for everyone. After our tearful goodbyes, we headed on our journey to Virginia.

We didn't get started from the health care center until around 2:15pm so we only drove to Bedford, PA. Found a nice campground along the river & Interstate but they were calling for 5-7" of rain. Thankfully they put us up away from the river! Needless to say it rained all night & we decided we didn't want to travel the next day either in all the downpour. Our son called us later in the morning & wondered where we were at. We told him & he said that was a good decision as V. Beach had talk of tornadoes & it was very windy. We said we would be there on Friday evening sometime.

This is a favorite place to stop on our way to Virginia. It's called the Virginia Farmer's Market. This time of year they have tons & tons of apples (& samples!). Of course after canning 28 qts. of Apple Pie in A Jar, I don't think I need to buy any more apples! But Bill couldn't pass up a Blackberry Pie!
Bill wanted to take my picture, but I wasn't feeling like a pumpkin, even if I look like one!
We had a beautiful ride on Friday, until we reached Williamsburg, then it was quite overcast, but thankfully, no rain. Visited with the grand kids Friday night & Mark & the kids came to the campground on Sat. Had a nice visit & fun. Samantha wanted to bake cookies so we did, but then I think Grandma at too many. Should have made her take them all home with her!

We haven't even been to the beach yet. The first couple of days we were here it rained, so we were pretty much "trailer bound". We did get sunshine yesterday so went to get groceries, prescriptions & a hair cut. Today has been a beautiful, sunny, warm day. I read most of this morning & Bill is just enjoying being outside & listening to the jets - The Sound of Freedom!

Tuesday night I finally got the ambition to get my curtains made for my kitchen in the park model back in AZ. Want to paint when I get back there & wanted to do something simple for curtains. My niece, Deb in Michigan, helped me with lending me her scrapbook stamps to make grapevines on napkins for my valance over the sink window. The only one I need something for. I bought 4 napkins & decided to use one for on the table, the other three for the valance. Here is my finished project:

Easy curtains, just lay them over the rod. No sewing, no nothing! Of course, they don't match, but what grapevines do? Every bunch is different, just like you & I!
I bought the wine bottle box from a lady back at the campground patio sales this summer. It just clicked in place for what I wanted to do. Now to just make it all happen.

Continue to keep Bill's brother & his family in your prayers. The doctor went down with the family last Monday night to talk with him. He told him if he would quit being so mean to his family, they could move him to a place closer to home. He said if he couldn't go home & he was going to die anyway, he may as well stay there & not be moving all over the place. If he could only comprehend what you are trying to tell him, it would make it easier on the family. He could be closer to home & they wouldn't have to travel so far. All we ask is for God to hear our prayers & answer in His time & His will.

So until next time..............The Traveling Cardinal's

Time to Catch Up

2010-09-19T17:46:00.017-07:00

Our trip to Michigan via Lime Lake RV & Marina began a day early. We had our appt. to be at Lime Lake on Aug. 31st, but we didn't need 2 brakes, only one & they had one in stock that worked on our trailer. Since it was late in the day & we didn't want to get stuck in traffic on the Peace Bridge between Buffalo, NY & Canada, we opted to travel up to Niagara Falls area on the American side & find a campground there. Nice campground, one of those easy in & easy out, but because of the tourist area, it was way more than we like to spend. Being only one night, we bit the bullet & stayed. It proved to be easier to cross the border at Lewiston/Queenston than the Peace Bridge. Thanks to an Ontario resident in our AZ park, we found the new way around Hamilton, ON too that made it easier than pulling hills on the old route.

Our trip across Canada was uneventful. As you can see, it was just a ribbon of roadway.
Getting ready to cross from Canada into Michigan at Sarnia. I never can resist those pictures of flags blowing in the wind.
A beautiful sight from the bridge. We had a l...o....n....g time tie look at the view. It took an hour to cross back into the USA.
Welcome to Michigan
And the temperature was..................Yup, 102 deg.!
We thought we were in diesel heaven when we got to Michigan too. Diesel was only $2.79/gal. Haven't seen those prices in AGES.

Since we got to Deb & Gary's on Wednesday, that meant it was Pizza Buffet night in Marlette. Gary was working late, so Deb, Aaron, Bill & I went for pizza. We took our time eating as it was getting mighty black outside. Sure enough, we got soaked. Not as bad as Aaron, as he was a gentleman & went & got the car for us & picked us up at the door. It just poured. Needless to say, the temperatures started to drop. Thursday Deb & I went to Sandusky & I got a tour of her new office building where she works for mentally & physically challenged clients. Very nice facility. Then after lunch, her, Bill & I went to the Mennonite store & got goodies. Thursday night & Friday found the winds picking up a lot. The rest of Deb's siblings & parents (my sister) started arriving Friday. It was cloudy & cold, but we all wanted to go see Aaron race in a Bump & Run Race. New to us all, but it sure was fun.

Here Aaron is getting ready to go.
Aaron's Car
Randy, Deb & Melissa As you can see by the hairdos, the wind was whipping.
Pick em up & move em out.
Stop the race - everyone was okay.
Here comes Aaron in #205 & his buddy, Chris, in #1229
We were all glad to get home where it was warm. It was after dark when we drove home & on unfamiliar roads we all were pretty cautious watching for deer.

Saturday we celebrated Deb & Gary's 50th Birthday. Again, a very windy, cold day. Darn weather in Michigan anyway!!! I made the birthday cakes on Friday.
This was Gary's.
This one Deb's
The Happy 50th Birthday couple.
Some of the gang inside the garage. In the picture, it almost looks like snow on the ground outside, but it wasn't quite that cold!
An nice end to a nice party though. We only got a sprinkle of rain, but there was a beautiful double rainbow. The 2nd one is faint, but to the right of the bright one.
Monday afternoon, we hitched up the trailer & headed for Midland, Michigan to visit with Bill's cousin Pat & hubby Jim. We decided to stay until Saturday morning to give us time to do a little sightseeing around the state.

Again, the weather wasn't very cooperative. On Tuesday we did some shopping for some craft supplies I wanted & Jim was looking for a new router for his computer. So we spent most of the afternoon doing that & visiting. Did I mention...........we ate our meals at Pat & Jim's & that Jim is the best cook!!! I wanted to take him traveling with us so he could be my chef. Everything he fixed was so delicious. I hate to cook, so this was a really great treat. Thanks Jim & Pat!

On Wednesday we visited Dahlia Hill. On this corner, they have landscaped the hill with hundreds of different varieties of dahlias. Pat said during the summer it was absolutely beautiful with color. It was still pretty, but a lot of the blossoms where on their way out.
Enjoy!
This was huge. Very different
We tried to go to the Bradley Home Museum & Carriage House for a tour, but it wasn't open on
Wednesday, so we decided to go back on Friday. We decided to go to the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art instead. In case you didn't know, Midland, Michigan is the home of Dow Chemical & Dow Corning.
Jim, Pat & Bill are being very studious. I'd rather take pictures!
This was the most unusual carved little rocker I'd ever seen. Absolutely beautiful wood. It was all one piece.
Jim wanted to see if he could cut the rows of corn with this simulated tractor. He didn't do very well........it didn't even simulate! Sorry, Jim, better luck next time. Maybe it needed diesel or gas.
This little camera brought back some memories. I remember my mom & sisters having a couple of these.
The weekend before we were at the museum, they had a HUGE Lego exhibit. It was so fascinating. Wish the boys could have seen it. There was everything from a merry-g0-round, to a train, to carriages, cars, even trees; whatever you could imagine all built with some form of Legos.
The fire escape on this building was so real.
On Thursday, Pat had a meeting & Jim was going to golf. That was great because it gave them a break from us & we got to travel to Cedar Springs, north of Grand Rapids, to visit our friend Shirley that goes to our park in AZ. This was on the way......that golden rod grows everywhere. No wonder we are all sneezing!
It was so good to see Shirley! Like seeing a relative! And her neighbor at her RV park ended up to be Dale, whom I walk with in AZ!! What are the chances of being in the same park & neighbors? So I got to see two friends. Shirley gave us a tour of her little town of Cedar Springs where she grew up & raised her family. Her little town is called The Red Flannel Town. Besides these banners you will see.........
these little red flannel long underwear hanging throughout the town. Cute!
All the street signs are also red.
Just wanted to snap this picture to show Denny how he could remodel the Igloo!
She then took us on a tour of Rockford, MI. The town reminded me of Warren, only a LOT MORE ORGANIZED & UTILIZED!!!! All the store fronts had been painted, remodeled & were being utilized by some business or another! There were very few vacant buildings.
This was an old mill that was the best restaurant!! It was called Arnie's & it had a bakery inside! Oh the smell was delicious! And so was the food!
Shirley & Bill before we ate.
Inside of Arnie's
This is the Bike/Hike/Snowmobile trail that runs way up to the upper part of Michigan. Snowmobiles don't start until on the north side of town, but in the winter it is a very popular trail. A little wider than the bike/hike trail in Warren isn't it guys??????
This is a walkway on the other side of the river. It was beautiful.
A beautiful park all around the dam area.
Looking over top of the dam.
A fisherman fly fishing. Yes he caught one; measured it, but it wasn't a keeper.
Isn't this the most peaceful thing you could find in the middle of town. If you look closely (click on it to enlarge) you can see a older man & lady sitting in chairs on the area you can sit to enjoy the view, reading. They brought their own chairs & a book. I would have loved to join them!
Part of the park from the bridge you drive over into town.
This is an old building called Red Warehouse. It was a yarn, sewing shop.
This concluded our little trip to Marlette, Sandusky, Cedar Springs, Rockford & Midland, Michigan. We didn't get to go back to the Bradley Museum & Carriage House on Friday.

We received a call Friday morning telling us that Bill's older brother, Bobbie, was hospitalized in Erie, PA Hamot Hospital. He was diagnosed with lung & brain cancer. We decided to immediately pack up the trailer & head for home. We left around 11am & arrived in Erie, PA at 7pm. We got to the hospital to see him on Friday night after setting up the trailer in a nearby campground. We stayed until Sunday before coming home. It breaks our hearts to see such a gentle, loving man of only 71 having been struck so suddenly by this disease. The doctors feel he has had the lung cancer for awhile & it traveled to his brain & is making him a man we've never seen before. He is given 1 to 2 months. Please keep Bill & all of his family in your prayers. He is not able to be cared for at home & Hospice & the family are having a difficult time finding a place for him. His temperament is such that some nursing homes don't have the staff to handle him. We pray for God's intervention in so many ways.

Baring no immediate problems, we will be leaving our summer campground at Hidden Valley on Sept. 29th to travel to Virginia Beach to see our son. He is scheduled for eye surgery either Sept. 27th or 28th. We hope we can spend some quality time with him during his days of healing. After our visit there, again, baring no immediate problems with Bill's brother, we will travel straight to Arizona & fly home when the time for us to be here comes.

My writing will probably be sporadic at best, until we are on the road traveling.

So, until next time...................The Traveling Cardinal's