Darrell's Chair Archives 2009-04

From Darrell's Chair
April 2009 Entries

Home Page	About Us	Travelogues	Fulltime Decision	Articles	Favorite Links

"From Darrell's Chair" Archives

This page will be used to share my thoughts with you as I sit in my chair and contemplate the daily events that take place during our fulltiming journey. Hopefully you will enjoy the entries, learn a thing or two, and have some chuckles along the way as Judy and I continue "Wandering America".

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
We got the new d tires installed on the RV replacing the Merits that the manufacturer installed. I had the opportunity to compare the Merits to another light truck tire and the weight difference was unbelievable. Merits are way underweight for the load E (3042 pounds) weight rating they are given - no wonder we've had two blow outs. We probably would have been alright with another light truck tire but, now I have total confidence that we have installed the right tire for the weight we are carrying.

Don, the manager at Discount Tire, had told me that the Carlisles had a 3670 pound maximum weight rating but they actually have a 3950 pound rating. We are already at maximum weight for the rig and are 400 pounds overweight for the Gross Combined Weight Rating for the truck. Even though the tires will give us a little extra margin of safety they won't do anything to increase the weight ratings of either the truck or the coach. So we will keep our travel speeds between 55 to 60 MPH (which we prefer anyhow) and I will need to pay real close attention to the distance between us and the vehicle we are following (braking is always a consideration).

Nick Russell, in his blog, recently published ten things that he would do differently if he was starting over. Well, one thing that I would do differently is to have purchased a bigger truck. A three quarter ton is just not enough truck for towing a fulltiming rig. We only had 70,000 miles on the truck and it was paid for, therefore, I didn't want to trade so we bought an RV that matched the weight rating of the truck. Even though the truck is rated for a GCWR of 22,000 pounds, which maybe alright from time to time, it is not a good idea to run the truck at the maximum weight rating for 50% (or better) of its driving time. It wears out tires and it stresses the running gear not to say anything about the suspension and braking capacities. My recommendation for fulltiming would be to not exceed 75 to 80% of the Gross Combined Weight Rating of the tow vehicle.

I put the final coat of polyurethane on the dining room table and it should be ready for reinstallation into the house (subject to the approval of Miss Judy). I may have to refinish the extension as it may not match the finish on the table - time will tell. All of the lambrequins are glued up and ready for sanding and finishing which won't happen until Friday as we are heading north today and will not return until Thursday evening. The katts are staying behind to guard the house (they will not be happy about that but will get over it).

Warren and I worked on some of his "Ta Do List" so we made a lot of progress yesterday. He has one more "two man" project left to do which we'll knock out on Friday or Saturday.

We won't have air card coverage up in the wilderness of Michigan so I won't be posting tomorrow morning but will catch you up on Friday.

Tuesday, April 28. 2009
Yesterday we drove over to Grand Rapids, a two hour trip, to visit with our son. While we were over there we looked at some w Fox truck campers and couple of Winnebago class A motorhomes. The truck campers were too small and the motorhomes were too big; thirty footers which is longer than what we are looking for - we want something less than 26 feet long. After playing for a while we stopped for some "lupper" before making our way back to Holly.

On our way home we stopped by Discount Tire to see if they had some General Grabber HTS tires for the truck. We have decided "bite the bullet" and replace the rear tires on the truck as well since they are getting close to the wear bars. That will bring the total cost of tires close to $1,300; Ouch!! Now we'll have to figure out where the money is coming from. "Honey, check and see if our bailout check is in the mail box?"

It sure would be nice if Heritage would settle our claim for the refrigerator that they approved waaaaaay back in December (don't do business with Heritage Administrative Services, Dimension Service Corporation, or National Services Administrative Services - they are all one in the same and a ripoff). We did call Progressive (our RV Insurance company) and they are coming on Wednesday to inspect the damage done by the blowout. They will cut us a check for the damage and let us get the work done later.

Also, we have another service contract on the tires so we'll attempt to get them to pay for one of the tires on the rig. Note the word attempt - I will NEVER purchase another "extended warranty" service contract again. My advice is to put some money in a savings account and be self insured; it's more reliable and would save you a lot of hassles. But, if you do buy a warranty insurance plan check the issuing company out on the Better Business Bureau website (Heritage has an F rating). Now onto the good stuff.

We're making progress. The dining room table now has three coats of polyurethane on it (one more to go), all the lumber has been cut to size for the lambrequins, and five of them have been glued up. We can only do five at a time since that's all the clamps that Warren has. This morning we'll do five more and then five more this evening.

I enjoy woodworking; the smell of the wood, the feel of the wood, the look of the wood (no, I don't taste it unless I get some sawdust in my mouth). It is fun to layout a project, make the parts, assemble them, and then finish the project with light stain and/or clear polyurethane. Once the project is complete you get to enjoy it for years to come.

I will have two more woodworking projects left to accomplish in the coach - the cabinet under the kitchen sink and a sliding shelf for the printer in the cabinet under the desk. I won't get to those this week. Most likely I will do the printer shelf while we are in New York and rebuild the kitchen cabinet when we return to Rainbow Plantation.

Monday, April 27, 2009
Things are progressing here in Holly, Michigan. I've been working on the dining room table with one coat of polyurethane already applied. It was as smooth as a baby's behind and I will smooth sand between each coat of poly (I will apply at least four).

The lumber for the lambrequins has been smooth sanded and is ready to cut to length (I have all the measurements of each window). After cutting each piece to length, I will join the facing to the standoff by gluing and clamping. Then each piece will be sanded again followed by routing the corners with a quarter round blade and some more hand sanding. Then the lambrequins will be ready for finishing with polyurethane afterwhich they can be installed in the rig. There are nine windows ranging from 21" over the desk to 48" in the living room - that means 18 lambrequins to build.

We only have eight days left here in Holly (counting today) so I had better get busy. Two of those days will be used to visit our son and one will be used to visit Judy's brother. Then a half day will be needed to get the tires installed on the rig so that leaves me four and a half days to build and install the lambrequins. It will be tight considering that I need at least two days just to apply the finish to them.

While looking over the rig after the blow out I discovered that somehow the tire damaged one of the panels under the coach. Warren and I cut a piece of treated plywood that can be screwed on to the framing underneath so that we will have something to screw the plastic panel to in order to hold it in place. That will fill the hole and hold everything together until we get the rig repaired, most likely after we get to New York for the summer. I will call the insurance company this morning and hopefully they can inspect the rig while we are here in Michigan and authorize the repairs for later.

Warren has had a lot of little things around the "farm" that he has needed help with so we have been busy getting those "jobs" behind us. But, his list, just like mine, doesn't seem to have an end to it. If one is not careful the "Ta Do List" can consume your life - even when you live fulltime in an RV. So much "Ta Do" and so little time.

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Yesterday I took the table out of the rig and sanded it. The manufacturer had only put one coat of polyurethane on the table so after three years of use (and being damp wiped) the wood grain began to raise. I started with 60 grit sand paper, then used 180 grit, and finished with 400 grit - now it is smoother than a baby's bottom. Needless to say I will put several coats of polyurethane on it this time.

Judy and Shirley went to Costco, Jo-ann Fabrics, and Best Buy as well as a few other places. Judy needed to get another quilting ruler since she broke her other one. She, also, bought a couple of jars of Almonds at Costco - good girl, she didn't spend a whole lot of money. I will do that on Tuesday when we have the new tires installed on the rig.

Warren and I did some landscaping projects around the pond. Landscaping is fun but it can be hard work, especially when it involves building a stone wall - we needed lighter rocks. Then we put in a patio brick walk way around one end of the pond. Today, if the weather holds out, we are going to have the season's first cookout on the patio (that I helped Warren build a couple of years ago) next to the pond.

I hope to get the lambrequins built for around the windows. I've decided to use poplar since it is half the weight of oak but I still need to find a stain that will match the red oak finish on the rest of the wood work in the house. Two projects that I will not get finished is the cabinet under the sink and the shelf for the printer in the cabinet under the desk (Judy wants a shelf that pulls out to set the printer on so that it will be easier to operate).

Well, it is time to go have breakfast and see what unfolds as the day proceeds. It's nice to not have a specific agenda but the time can get away from you with nothing getting done if you are not careful. Hope you all have a good weekend (what's a week end? - one problem with this lifestyle is that you never get a day off anymore!!)

Friday, April 24, 2009
So here's where my thinking went wrong. I called Warren and told him about the blowout asking if he had a tire dealer in Fenton, Michigan that he did business with. He told me he did so I gave him the information for Firestone Transforce A/T tires that I was looking for. After checking it out he called me back and said that his dealer didn't sell Firestone tires but had some General tires that were comparable to the Firestone and could do all six tires (mounted balanced with new stems) for $720. So I went on line and all that I could find in a light truck tire was the General Grabber HTS. After further searching on the Internet I found that they were better rated than the Firestones; I was ecstatic because that was a great price.

Well, wouldn't you know, that what Warren's dealer had in mind was an entry level tire with the Endura brand name which is made by General. When I asked about the Grabber HTS tires he said he didn't sell them so I asked what he did sell to which he replied Cooper. So he gave me a price on some Coopers which was $829 but it turned out that they were not really Coopers but Deans which is made by Cooper. I finally decided that he likes to toot brand names but sells knock offs. A quick decision was made to look else where.

I found that there was a Discount Tire Company in Fenton as well which is a National Franchise so I gave them a call. He had the General Grabber HTS but it seems that they no longer make the HTS in the trailer size but have a Grabber T/R. After a little more search on the internet I found that the T/Rs have the same problem as the Goodyear G614s, that is, blow outs. After a little more discussion with Don at Discount Tire explaining to him that we were fulltime RVers and everything that we own is riding on those tires and further talking to him about the weight of the rig; he suggested that we go to a Carlisle Trail Radial tire which is a 12 ply specialty tire made for trailers. They are rated for 3640 pounds versus the 3042 pounds of the 10 ply light truck tires that I had been considering, however, I am now looking at $930 for four tires rather than $720 for six tires - sheesh!

So there you have it - my dream has ended and we will be getting four new tires for the rig and wait until fall to replace the rear tires on the truck (which was the original plan). Now you know where my thinking went wrong!!!

Thursday, April 23, 2009
We are in Michigan for the next couple of weeks. First thing on the agenda is new tires then we'll look at our pocketbook to see if there's any money in there to replace the curtains with oak lambrequins. When I priced out the supplies needed to do the job at Lowe's in Foley, Alabama it was around $250. Warren feels that is way too much money and he should know since woodworking is his business. That's music to my ears (and our pocketbook's ears as well). Warren also got me a good deal on 6 new tires - $720 balanced and installed with new stems. I was looking at the Firestone Transforce A/T but will be getting Generals Grabber HTS instead which looks like a better tire based on my internet research.

It was another uneventful day of driving with a little rain along the way. The temperatures got up into the whopping low 50's but things are improving with Friday's forecast in the low 80's - that'll be hot for the Michiganders.

Miss Judy J will be going to the "Market" with her sister today while Warren and I make arrangements to get the tires changed out. Warren and Shirley have a store in the "Market" which is a mini shopping mall with various specialty stores. There will be other things on the agenda as the day flows on but at this point I have no idea what that will entail - don't cha just love it when a plan comes together?

I guess that's about it for today; there's just not much to say about a travel day when there's no sightseeing involved. Oh yes, we've gone from spring to early spring to late winter as the trees haven't even began to bud here in Michigan's winter wonderland.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Short entry this morning as we are hitting the road early today. It's a six hour driving day which means we'll be on the road for at least seven hours with all of the stops we make along the way.

Yesterday was cold and wet so we didn't do much outside. We did go to the Smith-Berry Winery in New Castle, Kentucky where we found some wine that we like as well as our old favorite (Georgia Winery). So we bought a case (12 bottles). I was about to give up on wine as I wasn't finding anything that I really liked. Cheap wine from Walmart just wasn't getting it done but now we have enough to keep us "happy" for a while.

We took the back roads home so got to see some of Kentucky's beautiful hill country. It really is a pretty state; wish we had had nice weather for hiking. Stopped at the General Butler home which is in the state park but it was nothing really impressive. The Butlers have been prominent military men since the Revolutionary War with General William O. Butler serving in the war of 1812. There will be more about the Butlers and the General Butler State Park in our April Travelogue.

We were back home around 1:30 and being that it was cold and wet a nap "snuck" it's way into the afternoon. After that we had some more paperwork to finish (there always seems to be paperwork to do) followed by a little television - after June 12th we wouldn't be able to watch TV here as there aren't any digital stations available in Carrollton. I really can't believe that but we weren't able to pick any up and Antennaweb.org only shows analog stations available. We are down in between a couple of mountains but are able to get a few analog stations that also have digital signals so I don't know why we can't get them.

I'd better get going - "On The Road Again, I Just Can't Wait to Get On The Road Again!!"

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
We are enjoying the sunrise at 7:30 this morning; that's right, we're not in 'Bama where the sunrises a 6:30 anymore. Our trip from Cedars of Lebanon State Park to General Butler State Park took an hour longer 'cause we drove from Central Time Zone to Eastern Time Zone. We've gotten to like the Central Time Zone better than the Eastern Time Zone but we don't like Standard Time in any zone. Someone once told me that the farmers didn't like Daylight Savings Time because the extra hour of sun light burns up their corps (hee, hee). Well, I don't know about that but we prefer Daylight Savings Time giving us an additional hour of light in the evening. Actually, messing with the clock is one of the stupidest things we Americans do - just put the clock on DST and leave it alone.

The trip to General Butler seemed to take forever considering it should have been only a four hour trip. We stopped and got the rig weighed at a Pilot truck stop in Lebanon, Tennessee then stopped by the KOA in Nashville to say "Hi" to our friends there. One of the new chairs that we bought at Camping World in Robertsdale, Alabama was defective so we returned it at the Camping World in Nashville which is next door to the KOA. Then we lost an hour by changing time zones so it was almost five o'clock when we got set up. The trip itself was uneventful, just the way we like it.

Our weighing reveals that we are 460 pounds overweight. The truck is rated for 22,000 pounds combine vehicle weight and we are at 22,460. The front axle is about 500 pounds under the weight limit while the rear axle is about 80 pounds over weight and the RV axles are 160 pounds overweight. There is more than enough engine, transmission, and differential to pull the weight but suspension and braking is the issue. The Duramax engine and Allison transmission combination that we have is used in larger trucks and we learned that the differential that we have is the same one that is installed in the one ton dually trucks. I have added air bags that helps take the pressure off the rear shocks and springs but that doesn't do anything to increase braking capacity. Bottom line is that we are in an overweight condition and that is not good.

One thing that we have been talking about is getting something smaller to travel in. We think that we would like a motorhome better for traveling but not a 40 foot diesel pusher. We are looking at something considerably smaller, Forest River makes a Class B+ named the Lexington - it is 26 feet long and has two slideouts. Winnebago has introduced a new Class A named Vista which has three floor plans - one is also 26 feet long. We have seen several different brands of Class C with a floor plan that we really like but they are 31 feet long. Our friends, Larry and Cindy, live fulltime in a 32 foot Winnebago Journey diesel pusher with two slides and a floorplan that we like. The advantage of a Class A over the Class B+ or Class C is storage underneath for our toys. The disadvantage of anything over 26 feet long is it would be necessary to tow a car.

Other options that we have discussed is a truck camper or a small travel trailer. Most likely we would leave the fifthwheel at Rainbow Plantation and do extended trips from there. We don't know what option we will choose but just know that we don't want to be dragging a 38 foot fifthwheel that is 13'2" tall everywhere we go. There are places that we want to explore but don't want to be driving a "semi" through small towns as we are Wandering America.

General Butler is a nice state park, however, it doesn't necessarily have the "It" factor - actually non of the state parks have had the "It" factor but Cedars of Lebanon had the best sites. Oak Mountain had a lot of things to do but we still have a day to see what General Butler has to offer. One thing that is available in this area is a lot of wineries to visit. We are pretty much open as to what we are going to do today but rain is in the forecast for this afternoon so after breakfast we'll make some plans. You'll just have to tune in tomorrow to see what we decided.

Monday, April 20, 2009
To go or not to go? That is the question. The weather forecast is calling for showers between here and Louisville, Kentucky but most of the heavy rain has already passed by. Our destination is General Butler State Park which is about half way between Louisville and Cincinnati along Interstate 71. We flipped a coin and I guess we'll be off - it's only about a four hour drive (five hours if you consider the time change).

Yesterday was a "clean the house day" and do a load of laundry at Matt and Jackie's day (we don't have sewer hookups here). That means that it was another grand daughter fix day as well. Catia was in rare form and Kalina wasn't feeling very well (she had a fever of almost 102). However, it is always good to spend time with the grand daughters and grandpa enjoyed holding his little one even if she was a little cranky (I'd have been a lot cranky if I wasn't feeling good.

Saturday was a Patterson family cookout day hosted by Mary and Joel at Joel's house in Tullahoma. After eating some hamburgers and hot dawgs along with all the fixings and side dishes we all went over to Arnold Air Force Base (where Joel is the Manager of the Public Affairs Department). The base encompasses many, many acres with a 4000 acre lake within its border. There is a nice playground and beach where we spent several hours playing. We "swang", we went down the slippery slide, we rode the merry-go-round, and rode on the purple dinosaur (no, not Barney). We walked on the beach and I perched on the Life Guard stand to read a newspaper. We had plenty of fun just enjoying each other's company; boy, did Kalina ever enjoy the swing, the higher she went the more she laughed - it was a big swing with a baby seat on it. Then it was back to Joel's for dessert - a nice strawberry shortcake made with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream - um, um good!!

Well, back to today - it's time to start getting underway. See ya down the road!!!!

Saturday, April 18, 2009
State Parks = kids and dawgs on the weekends. Yep, we have plenty of kids and dawgs but they all seem to be well mannered. We love to see people enjoying the camping experience as it is a great way to build family memories that will last a lifetime. What we have encountered in the two state parks that we stayed in on this trip is nice people who have taught their "kids" to respect other people. Fortunately it has been families with young children, not at the pre-teen stage that run loose like a pack of wild dawgs.

Yesterday we made arrangements to have all the tires replaced once we get to Michigan. Our brother-in-law, Warren, rebuilds John Deere and Ford tractors as a hobby and has a tire dealer that he highly recommends. He got a quote for us for six new tires with new stems, balanced, and installed for $720. The tires will be Generals Grabber HTS which seem to have an superior to excellent rating from all the research that I have done. I have been running Firestone Transforce ATs on the truck and, according to the reviews/tests results, the Generals out perform them - time will tell. By the way, I checked out Michelins as well and the Generals out performed them as well (Michelins are supposed to be excellent tires but I think they are way overpriced - they cost twice as much as the Generals).

We stopped by Walmart to pick up the remainder of our monthly grocery supplies as well as a few items for our family picnic (more about that tomorrow). On the way home we saw an RV dealer displaying some Starcraft Star Stream travel trailers. They are the ones with the nostalgic design painted either silver or a light blue. So, we just had to stop by and take a peak. They're sort of unique, seem to be well built, and would be a good way to start out RVing.

The weather was just perfect calling Miss J and me outside. The skies were clear with temperatures in the high 70's - aah, just perfect - so out came the folding chairs. I read while Judy did some crocheting. While we were outside some people that we had met at Oak Mountain State Park came by walking their two dawgs - it's funny how small the RVing world is.

Around 5:00 we headed out for Matt and Jackie's for another grand daughter fix. We had prepared a Savoy Chicken dinner in the crock pot to take with us. Crock pots are soooooo convenient; you just throw your "stuff" in it, turn it on, and walk away - viola, dinner's ready!!!!!

We went for a walk around their neighborhood after dinner and then sat for a while with them until it was time to put the little ones to bed. Guess what? Catia and grandpa have pretty much the same bed time!!! However, Judy J and I came home and watched television until ten o'clock and then it was lights out.

Friday, April 17, 2009
Well, not every trip is uneventful and yesterday's was certainly not uneventful. First of all we almost rear ended a bread truck who made a sudden stop on the interstate. We were in a construction zone (you know, the ones where they reduce traffic down to one lane and absolutely nothing is taking place in the other three lanes) and were traveling about 45 miles an hour. Now I leave a quite a bit of breaking space between me and the person I'm following but I hadn't left enough for such an abrupt stop. Fortunately, like stated above, nothing was happening in the other lanes so I was able to pull to the right sending a couple of rubber cones for the ride of their lives.

Next, as we were driving along, minding our own business, a loud "B-A-N-G" occurs with an immediate alarm from our Pressure Pro. Yep, we had a blow out on the rig - this time with some damage to the coach. The front roadside tire just blew out sending pieces of plastic wheel trim into outer space. We were able to pull over and limp along for a mile to an exit where a Luv's Truck Stop lives. A call to Coachnet, a visit from roadside assistance, and a little over an hour later and we were on the road again.

Speaking of tires, if you are looking to purchase a new rig be sure to do a little homework on tires. A lot of fifthwheel manufacturers choose tires based on price and not on durability. This is the second blow out that we have had on otherwise "perfectly" good tires. The problem is that they are "light truck" inadequate for use on an RV so either negotiate a tire upgrade or have them replaced with good tires before doing a lot of traveling. It's bad enough to have a blow out but to sustain damage to the coach is maddening. The only damage was the plastic trim around the wheel well but it probably cost a couple hundred bucks to replace.

The other thing is tire care. I "keep an eye" on our tires to ensure that the pressure is maintained correctly. We are within the weight range for the tires, they have good tread life, and they are within the "date range" but, be that as it may, when we get to Michigan I'm replacing all of them with new tires - that's spelled M-O-N-E-Y, but how much is peace of mind worth?

We arrived at Cedars of Lebanon State Park, which is about 8 miles from the kids' house, around 2:30. They have a lot of nice sites, however, they were constructed among the cedar trees at a time before slideouts were even dreamed of, so you have to choose carefully. There are both 50 and 30 amp services but for some reason the 50 amp sites are shorter than the 30 amp sites (we would fit into the 50 amp sites but would have a hard time parking the truck). Being that we won't be running the A/C units, 30 amp works just fine for us.

At 5:00 we were sitting in Matt and Jackie's driveway waiting for a grand daughter fix. One grand daughter was being hungry and not really interested in grandma and grandpa (typical 9 month old) and the other one wanted to play hard to get, i.e., for about a minute; then it was hugs and "carry me" which grandpa happily did regardless of an aching back. Grandma sat with the kids while Jackie went to school and Matt went to help a friend whose house was damaged by the tornado. Grandpa took off in search of some dinner which he "bagged" at Subway.

Matt came home early so we were home by 8:30 and in bed by 9:30. Today is going to be an exciting day of clean the house, replace the tire, and more grand daughter time. We borrowed Matt and Jackie's carpet shampooer so you can only guess what grandpa is going to do this morning. Then it will be off to get the tire replaced.

Thursday, April 16, 2009
As we sit here in Oak Mountain State Park we find it a little chilly but nowhere near what our friends Randy and Terry are experiencing. They got to drive in some S-N-O-W!!!! I guess we'll just deal with a little B-R-R-R and quit whining. Today we move on heading further north, however, the temperatures should be about the same as here. We'll be staying at Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Well, let's see!!! We had a big day of playing yesterday. The first thing to do was to go and top off the fuel tank in the truck. Once the truck had a full tummy and was happy again we set out on foot. There are several marked hiking trails here at Oak Mountain so, after asking a few questions, we determined that the Yellow Trail would be one of the easiest (keep in mind that all of the trails are through mountains). The Yellow Trail is an 8 mile trail along the ridges of Oak Mountain; we only walked a couple of miles of it which was uphill most of the way (that means it was down hill on the way back). I prefer walking up hill while Miss J prefers walking down hill.

I love walking in the woods in the spring time while listening to the gentle breeze blowing through the trees which fills your nostrils with the fragrance of evergreen; hearing the birds singing their melodious tunes while the warm rays of sunlight shines through the trees; and listening to the low continual whine from your spouse who is trudging along behind you not fully convinced that the "hill is her friend". Ah, there's nothing like "A Walk in the Woods".

After our little hike, which lasted about an hour, we headed for Double Oak Lake for some kayaking. We have a Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak which is a nice little boat but, there is definitely new kayaks in our future. First of all Judy J doesn't like to share a boat with me - she feels uneasy whenever I move in the boat. Also, sit-on-top kayaks are so much easier to get on and off from and they do paddle a whole lot easier. There was a slight wind blowing and the inflatable boat had a tendency to "drift" off course.

The lake was beautiful, none the less. We enjoyed the views of the mountains from the lake, however, we didn't take the camera with us as we didn't want to get it wet. The Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100's that we are looking at have a dry well right between your legs where we'll be able to put the camera.

After kayaking for awhile we did some "sightseeing" around the park. There is a marina where they rent canoes, kayaks, and peddle boats, a nice beach area with a lodge and reservable picnic "igloos" along the waterfront (some large enough for a family reunion or wedding party or whatever).

We visited the Wildlife Rescue Center which was pretty much a bust. There were a couple of snakes, some squirrels, and three red tail hawks but everything was pretty much hiding out somewhere in their cages.

I spent some time with one of our neighbors who happens to be from Fairhope. They have a brand new pop up and wasn't sure how all of the systems worked. We had a pop-up many years ago and I can tell you that they have come a long way since then. This one has a hot water heater, furnace, refrigerator, holding tanks, water pump, and a toilet/shower area. Slade didn't know how all of his systems worked, evidently he didn't get a walk through from the dealer, so I went through the operation of each of them with him.

It's fun watching these three families enjoying the camping experience. They brought about a hundred kids with them but they are all young and very well behaved. People probably thought the same thing about us when we arrived with our pop-up and four kids way back when.

Time to start hitching up and getting underway - grand daughter fix tonight!!!!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Happy Tax Day - ours has been done for a long time now and we even got a refund. Well, we got underway just before nine o'clock yesterday and had a non eventful trip to Oak Mountain State Park. It took a little over four hours to get here with two stops - one "stretch our legs" break and one fuel stop.

We had hoped for nicer weather but at least it didn't rain, however, it was in the low 50's when we arrived at the park. This is a large state park and we had to drive five and a half miles after entering the park just to get to the campground. State parks draw a lot of families with lots of kids and dawgs and we're "camped" right in the middle of a group of pop ups (two of which are from Fairhope, Alabama). They're all nice folks just looking to have a nice "spring break" camping trip with their families.

We did do a little "drive about the park" yesterday afternoon to get an idea of what we would like to do today. We're thinking about a hike or two and possibly a kayak trip (if it warms up). My body doesn't like the cold and I have had some extreme pain in my lower back - it was a rough night. We're hoping for some sunshine and warmer temps today but it's not very promising (temps are currently in the high forties - brrrrr).

Oak Mountain State Park is the largest Alabama state park with a lot to do within the park itself. There are some neat hiking trails up Oak Mountain where water falls await those who complete the hike to the top. There are three ponds in the park for canoing, fishing, and kayaking. There is a marina on the largest pond where they rent canoes, kayaks, and peddle boats (no outboard motors allowed on the ponds). There is a working farm with horse trails throughout the park, there is a golf course within the park, there is a wildlife rehabilitation center in the park, and BMX bike trails in the park. We're like kids in a candy store - so much to do and so little time.

I have already begun a Travelogue for April which I will publish after our stay in Tennessee (a Travelogue for January, February, and March will follow later). It will include articles pertaining to what we have been doing along with pictures. We just wish it was warmer - yes, we've become cold weather wimps!!

Well, I guess I'd better get going, if my back will allow it. There are adventures that await us.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The weather didn't cooperate so we didn't roll but we are hitting the road at first light this morning (first light is around 8:00 isn't it?). Most everything is ready so it's just a matter of going through the final steps of getting underway. We plan to get to Oak Mountain State Park by 1:00 so we'll still have time to get in a hike after getting set up and before the sun sets.

We did go to Camping World yesterday and pick up a couple of new patio chairs as one of the ones we currently have totally ripped out (and now finds itself in the dumpster) and the other one is getting ready to give way (we'll leave that one in the shed). Other than that we "stood" inside and continued to ready the rig so there will be very few things left to do before departure.

Now that the website had been totally restored it's time for me to get going on another Travelogue for the first quarter of 2009. We do have some pictures to share and did do a few things (other than the routine day to day things at Rainbow Plantation) during the first three months of the year.

Well, the next time you hear from us we'll be at Oak Mountain State Park camping. Yey, "Go Rving!" T-minus 97 minutes and counting.

Monday, April 13, 2009
T-minus 0 and holding but more about that in a minute. Did you have a good Easter? We did, we attended the early church service and then we were greeters for the second service. The music was good, message was good, and the fellowship was good - a good worship experience over all. The best part was the reminder of what God had done to ensure that we can have eternal life. Jesus suffered and died as a sacrifice to pay for our sins, but the story didn't end there - He rose again and there in lies our hope.

Yesterday afternoon we joined in with about a hundred people at the clubhouse for an Easter dinner. The park provided the ham and drinks for two bucks a person and everyone else brought a dish to pass. There was certainly more than enough to eat. We sat with some fellow ERPU residents, Stan and Denise, along with three other couples from the rest of the park. It's neat how we have made so many friends with park residents and ERPU residents as well as the many people who pass through the campground.

Speaking of those who pass through, Saturday afternoon Kirk and Pam Wood arrived here at Rainbow Plantation. I've been following his website since the fall of 2003 (Norm Payne had a link to it from his site). Knowing that they we stopping by we had them over for dinner. They only stayed overnight and were on the road again Sunday morning. It was good to finally meet Kirk and Pam while getting to know them a little better.

Okay, it is seven o'clock and here we sit. We're not sure at this time if we'll be able to get underway 'cause we are under a tornado watch. The rainy weather is supposed to clear here by 10:00 but the issue is what is it doing north of us. I would like to get to Oak Mountain State Park today so we could have all day tomorrow to play. It will take us about five hours of driving to get there so traveling will "eat up" most of the day. We'll just have to stay tuned to see how it pans out. If we can get underway before noon, we'll leave. If not, then, tomorrow's another day.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter

He has risen! He has risen, indeed!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Our sins have been forgiven and there is now eternal life for those who believe.

Take time to worship God today
and give thanks for the greatest gift ever given mankind.

Thank You Jesus!!!

Saturday, April 11, 2009
We had some "excitement" around the Patterson households yesterday afternoon. Our son, Matthew, called at around quarter after two to say that they had just had a severe tornado pass through Murfreesboro and that they were just leaving work to go get the kids. There was no power as the tornado had touched down within a few blocks of State Farm Insurance offices where both Matthew and Jackie work. They had been in touch with the day care where Kalina attends and had gotten a message from the lady that was watching Catia and everyone was alright. They had no idea if their home was still standing as multiple tornadoes had actually passed through the area. We didn't hear from them for the next three hours so Judy phoned them but had to leave a message. Matthew called back and said everything was okay in their neighborhood, however, the neighborhood where the pre-school that Catia attends was hit (that neighborhood is about two blocks west of the State Farm offices). Thank God the school was closed for Good Friday and Catia wasn't there. The pre-school teacher's house wasn't hurt but her neighbors' homes had sustained damage (we don't know how badly that particular neighborhood was damaged but it's in the area where the tornado touched down). Of course the stories are just now hitting the news so I'm sure that we'll hear more details once we arrive there next Thursday. We are relieved that they are all alright but our prayers go out to the families that suffered loss - a mother and her 9 week old daughter were killed, many were hurt, and more lost their homes.

Well, other than that we did our bi-weekly shopping and then came home to keep getting everything ready to roll. Last night we went through our wedding slides (several times) to select the ones we want made into a DVD. Once we finished that endeavor it was beddy-bye for the four of us. One more day and a wake-up, maybe!! Severe weather is predicted to hit us on Monday so we may not get out of here until Tuesday. It maybe T-minus one and holding, shucks!!!!

Friday, April 10, 2009
Yesterday afternoon I took Judy J shopping at one of her "Meccas" - Hobby Lobby. She "needed" more yarn for crocheting and HL has a fairly decent supply to choose from. After that we went to Penny's and Kohl's so Missy could get herself some new shorts. We need to have khaki shorts and pants to wear at LGE (they provide the shirts and hats). Mission was accomplished; on the way home we stopped by PetSmart to pick up some kitty items - wow, everybody got something except dear ol' dad, but dear ol' dad didn't need "nutin'!"

After washing the roof on Wednesday the rinse water ran down the sides of the coach leaving streaks so yesterday morning I washed the entire rig. It is all sparkley clean again; hopefully it will stay that way for awhile 'cause 'tain't gettin' washed again until June or July.

I don't care who they claim to be, if someone calls you and asks for your Social Security Number and/or bank account numbers DO NOT give them out. Nick Russell had someone call claiming to be from the Veterans Administration stating that if he didn't give them the numbers that his benefits would be terminated. I have heard of other callers claiming to be from the Social Security or the Internal Revenue Service. "Gummint" agencies will NOT phone you to ask for this information and your services will NOT be terminated or affected. These are crooks looking to steal your hard earned money so follow Nancy Reagan's lead and "Just Say No!" and then hang up. (You can read Nick's account on his blog.)

Well, t-minus two and counting. See ya' later, Alligator!

Thursday, April 9, 2009
One last dish of fried oysters, just love them oysters. Judy and I joined with Dick and Pat and Ron and Ruth for another farewell dinner at the Market by the Bay Restaurant in Fairhope. This time the farewell was for us as we are planning to leave on Monday, however, Mother Nature is threatening another severe weather day on Monday so we may have to hold up for one more day.

Being that rain is in the forecast for tomorrow (as well as Monday) I decided that I would give the roof another good washing in order to minimize the black streaks. This morning I need to wash the rig again since all of the "rinse" water ran down the sides of the coach leaving all sorts of streaking. As stated yesterday, I have decided to wait until we get to New York to do the waxing.

Yesterday morning we went to the Social Security office in Fairhope and I am now officially signed up for my benefits beginning in September. Yesterday afternoon, after washing the roof, we went to Foley for Judy's hair appointment, to have the oil changed in the truck, pick up some propane, and get diesel fuel. While we were out we stopped at a veggie stand picked up some fresh oranges - they are absolutely positively just yummy.

Well, that pretty much wraps up our yesterday - Three days and a wake up (if Mother Nature co-operates).

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
I lied, yesterday remained windy and coooold so we stayed in most of the day and took care of more "paperwork" items on the Ta Do List. I had to write a letter updating our mailing address and requesting my retirement benefits from JBW to start on August 1st. I, also, submitted our applications to Express Pros for employment at Amazon.com this fall. Now they forwarded back several more forms that need to be filled out for both Judy and me - that's why I have dubbed it the never ending Ta Do List; stike off one item and add two.

If you went on the website last night then you may have noticed it doing some "funky" things. I finished all of the restoration and published 75 files into outer space then I checked all of the links (it took me around six hours). Remember the emphasis on the word "Should" yesterday? Well everything went off just fine except for one minor glitch that created a big problem.

The Homepage has to be named "index.html" and I named it "Index.html" in the new website. That capital "I" caused there to be two Hompages floating around in space so when you logged in you would get the old webpage with the old links. Being that some of the new files have the same names as the old files they over wrote the old files so you would have gotten to the new ones and when you clicked on "Homepage" from them you would have gone to the new "Homepage" which would have linked you to all the new files.

It sounds a little confusing but, basically, there are two Wandering America websites "wandering" around in outer space due to the fact that I renamed many of the files, however, there is now only one "Homepage" (I renamed the new Homepage "index.html" which allows it to over write the old one). I have checked all of the links and it appears that everything is working correctly but if you encounter any issues please email me and let me know where you were in the website and what you were trying to so I can fix the problem.

I still have one issue to fix - it is in the counter display at the bottom of the Homepage. It counts properly but displays two counters (the one on the right never changes). Oh well, that's not very important and I will most likely just remove it from the Homepage all together. I would still be able to get my information from Statcounter; it just won't display it on the Homepage.

Blogspot is definitely much easier but being the control freak that I am I want to have complete command of all of my files and have them saved/backed up on my own devices (both on my computer and own auxilliary hard drive). Plus I can add other pages to the website, such as Articles, that I couldn't have on a blog.

We did go for a short walk yesterday afternoon and stopped by to say Good Bye to Norm and Linda. We won't see them again until next fall. We (Norm/Linda/Judy&I) are planning on attending the Escapees Chapter 26 Rally in Florida at the end of October (if we don't work for Amazon) so that's when we'll see them next (unless they decide to do New York this summer).

No waxing took place yesterday and rain is in the forcast starting tomorrow. I may have to wait until we get to LGE to do the waxing. We will have time since we'll only be working three days a week for the first three weeks. Yep, I just talk myself into waiting. Oh yes, Miss Judy reminded me of one more "job" to do while we are in Michigan. I need to rebuild the printer shelf in the cabinet under the desk. Judy would like it on some sort of shelf that will slide out so she can get to the printer more easily when doing printing. The never ending Ta Do List just keeps on growing!!!!!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Finally, I'm beginning to see the end. All of the Travelogues have been updated and I only have a couple of things left to do to completely restore the website. I have to update "From Darrell's Chair" and reinsert the Statcounter into the new Index (Home) page. Since the links had not been restored I have had to do the daily entries outside of the website otherwise you'd have not been able to link to it from the Homepage. So, I download the "From Darrell's Chair" from the internet and add to it off line then upload it again. Once I get those last two items taken care of I will be able to upload the entire website (page by page) and everything should work just fine - emphasis on the word "should". You should never know that any changes took place - again, emphasis on the word "should".

The wind continued to blow all day yesterday, hard at times. We were "justa" rocking and rolling all day. We took all of the bedding "stuff" to the laundromat to wash and dry it. Now we have nice clean sheets, blankets, pillow cases, and bed spread - everything smells so clean. Even the katts appreciated having a nice clean bed to sleep on. Being that our combo washer/dryer is too small for queen sized blankets (it will handle the sheets) we have to go to the laundromat about four times a year. That's not bad but it does cost between 12 to 15 bucks each time; we're sure glad that we bought the Slendide washer/dryer for the rig.

A couple of months back, I built a "clothesline" out of PVC piping that attaches to the ladder on the back of the rig. Miss Judy likes that in that it adds a nice "fresh air" smell to our clothes as well as saving money on the electric bill. When we are ready to roll, it will just fold up and slide into the basement so we can continue to use it wherever we go.

A little nap "snuck" in yesterday afternoon and last night was our Bible Study Group followed by watching the Michigan State / North Carolina ball game. Being that Judy worked for Michigan State University Extension when we lived in Harbor Springs we are North Carolina fans; ;-), yeah, right. We are definitely Michigan State fans so we were not celebrating the outcome but were happy that our team made it the final game.

Today promises to be a great day with no clouds in the sky and no wind. Hopefully I can get through all my waxing over the next two days. Then I will top off all the tires with air, install the pressure pro, and do our final preps for rolling down the road. T minus 5 days, 8 hours, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds - but whose counting.

Monday, April 6, 2009
My little girl says it was windy last night - no kidding!!! We were-a-rocking-and-a-rolling all night, that's for sure. "Rock-a-bye baby in the RV top, when the wind blows the rig will rock!" Along with the wind, which was coming out of the north, came some cooler weather. They are issuing freeze warnings for tonight which means "Brrrrrr!!!" for us wimps hanging out here in the deep south.

After church yesterday we came home and Miss Judy went for a walk while I washed the RV again. With all of the rain we had last week the ol' black streaks reappeared and you all know what I think of black streaks. I hate 'em - makes the house look old before its time. There were so many of them that the whole house needed to be washed before I could start waxing this week.

Norm and Linda Payne invited us over for a "snack and chat" in their screen room later in the afternoon. They have purchased new patio furniture and we were their first official guests to visit with them in their new home. We had cheese and crackers, BBQ'd mini hot dawgs, potato salad, coleslaw, and wine. It was fun to just sit back, relax, and enjoy each other's company. They have a wonderful view facing the east out of their screen room. I can just imagine getting up in the morning and heading out there with a cup of coffee and the newspaper in hand just to sit and witness the sun rise. Thanks for inviting us guys, we always enjoy our times together.

Then the four of us walked over to the clubhouse for the Sunday Ice Cream Social which rounded out another Sunday here at the Plantation. The countdown continues - seven days and a wake up; then we roll. Hopefully this wind doesn't blow us away before then.

Sunday, April 5, 2009
We did it!!! We managed to get the storage shed cleaned out and reorganized - I just love it when a plan comes together. Now it's just doing the routine things to get ourselves on the road again. We have a couple of appointments and a little more "paperwork stuff" to do and we'll be done (and I mean done)!!

This time of the year is always busy because of our annual doctor appointments as well as a bunch of other things that come due at this time of year (like taxes, etc.). But once we get through with it all we are pretty much free to play for the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see how we pull it all off next year being that we want to be traveling out west beginning in January.

After organizing the shed, making a run to the dumpster, and a run to the "goodwill" table at the clubhouse we climbed aboard our bikes and peddled ourselves over to Norm and Linda's. Now that Don and Gloria have left we didn't want them to get lonely. They were as busy as little beavers - Linda was cleaning out the inside of the car while Norm was washing windows on the house. They are leaving early Wednesday morning and we most likely won't see them again until next fall unless our paths cross somewhere this summer which is not very probable.

Before we leave here we will get to meet Kirk and Pam Woods who are arriving next Saturday. I've followed their website for a long time now and have emailed kirk several times. We even joined the Workampers BOF which Kirk heads up. They stopped by Rainbow Plantation last fall while we were workamping at KOA Nashville, so we missed them. We are looking forward to meeting them this time around.

Well, I had better get my cute little body ready for church so Ta Ta for now.

Saturday, April 4, 2009
Today is another beautiful sun shinny day and Miss J and I have to go to work. Yep, that's right, today is storage shed clean out day. We are going to take everything out of the shed and reorganize it - ambitious little humaniods, aren't we? Also, I need to wash some more black streaks off the rig; there should be a law against black streaks. The pollen has been so bad around here that every time it rains the pollen washes off the roof and runs down the side of the RV leaving those detested black streaks. On Monday I plan to start waxing the house - wax on, wax off.

Yesterday we ran some errands, crossed a few more items off the ol' Ta Do List, took a walk around the Plantation, and attended the social hour before settling in for the evening. Each day brings us closer to our travel date.

We are definitely getting excited about the prospect of moving on. As we slowly make our way to LGE we hope to have some fun. We have our inflatable SeaEagle kayak with us and plan to do a couple of trips at state parks where we will be spending some time (one in Alabama and one in Kentucky). In Mercer, PA we plan to do some hiking and we plan on doing some sightseeing in New York (Catskills and West Point) while staying at the KOA in that area.

I, also, plan to do some remodeling while we are in Michigan. We are going to replace the cloth curtains (that Alex likes to chew on) with oak lambrequins, refinish the dining room table top, and rework the kitchen cabinet under the sink. Then the house will be the way we like; at least for a while. Eventually we want to replace all of the day/night shades with Bali blinds but that is going to have to wait until we get some dinero as it will cost around seven to eight hundred dollars.

Well, it's off to work for me - see ya later!

Friday, April 3, 2009
We were fortunate indeed! There were some severe storms across the country yesterday but we here in Summerdale, Alabama were spared. The real "bad stuff" went either north or south of us leaving us with some rain and a few thunder storms with little to no wind. We were under a tornado watch for most of the day as the potential was present.

Being that we "stood" inside most of the day we continued scratching items off the never ending "Ta Do List". Unfortunately we added more items onto the list then we scratched off. I did spend some time restoring a few more Travelogues, I still have a dozen or so left to do.

We went out to lunch at L. A. BBQ with our neighbors, Bill and Kathy. L. A. BBQ is probably the best BBQ joint in the area but we have certainly had better - it doesn't compare to Memphis or our favorite BBQ place in Natchez, Mississippi. Bill, Kathy, and I had the ribs while Judy had the pulled pork; all the meals were good and medium priced but, as always, the friendship was the best part.

We joined together with our fellow Rainbow Plantation residents for a "Snack and Chat" at the clubhouse last evening. Everyone brought a snack dish to pass and we just took the time to socialize with each other. There will be a lot of us "pulling out" over the next two weeks - during the summer months this place becomes pretty much a ghost town. This is a great bunch of people and we all look forward to coming back together again next fall.

It will be interesting to see when we will return and how long we will stay. Right now we are planning to spend September and October in New England as well as making our way back to Rainbow Plantation. Then spend November and December here at Rainbow Plantation before starting our travels out west in January, however, our plans are carved in putty and subject to change at any time or whim.

Thursday, April 2, 2009
We'd better batten down the hatches today!!! The cute little weather girl is telling us that we are under a tornado watch all day - right up into this evening. The rivers in the area is already hitting the flood stage with all of the rain we've been having so we don't need any more. Miss Judy says she'd rather have snow than tornadoes - I'd rather not have either, just plain good ol' fashioned warm sunny summer days. Well, we'll just have to keep an eye on the weather today to see if we have run for safety.

Judy J had a doctor appointment yesterday which ended up taking her all morning, the doctor had to deliver a baby. So while she was away I cleaned and vacuumed. Yesterday afternoon found us doing our bi-weekly grocery shopping at Wally World. Last night we watched the slides of our wedding - what in the world happened to us? We were so young and skinny. Judy had long hair that came half way down her back, I had a mustache that covered up my upper lip. My hair was quite long considering that I was in the Coast Guard at the time (and, no, I did not get married in uniform). But, enough about us - what ever happened to all of the people who were at our wedding? They were all so young and skinny, too!!!! Father time has certainly done a number on us - I want my old self back again and, yes, I want the old Miss Judy back too!! If only we could have our youth back along with the wisdom that we now posses. It's ashame that youth is wasted on the young!!!

Well. I guess I had better go and start battening down the hatches. I need to put away some of the outside "stuff" and we'll need to get the slides ready to pull in just in case. Hopefully everything will stay out over the Gulf (south of us) leaving us with just a little rain and thunder. We'll let you know what happened tomorrow - if we haven't been blown away!! Hope all of you are having good weather and fair winds.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The first quarter of 2009 is gone which leaves us five more months to financial freedom. Yesterday stayed pretty much overcast all day with all the severe weather going north of us. Miss J and I stayed inside while finishing our clean out list. We have now been through every closet, cabinet, drawer, and compartment inside and out of the house and the rig is now lean and mean; now if I could only get myself that way - that won't happen if we keep having gatherings like we have had the last two nights.

Last evening we joined together with six other couples at The Gift Horse Restaurant which has a huge all you can eat buffet. Everyone had a "buy one, get one free" coupon that made it even nicer. Judy and I both agreed that the meals weren't worth $14.95 each (to us, anyhow) but getting two for the price of one made it a good value. Anyhow, it wasn't the meal but the purpose of the gathering that made it special to us. Don and Gloria Martin are "pulling out" today and it was a "farewell" gathering. We've enjoyed spending this winter with them and will be looking forward to the time that we see them again.

Well, that's it for today. Twelve days and a wake up before we're "on the road again".

Go To "From Darrell's Chair" Archives