lilliansloft

2009-06-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

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Washington is beautiful! There seems to be water everywhere. Of course while we were there we stayed on Fidalgo Island so of course there was water everywhere. We visited Deception Pass State Park which has a neat story concerning it's name. Look it up on Wikipedia or enlarge the picture and read the sign. But beside the island there are lakes and rivers throughout the state. I wasn't quick enough to get pictures of waterfalls coming off the mountains due to melting snow, darn, and we passed a lot of them. Most of the Eastern state lands are state or federal parks I definitely want to visit again. The snowmwelt created some raging streams that were in contrast to still frozen lakes. Logging is a major business and we saw many truckloads of very large Lincoln Logs. Some years ago Jim worked at one of the shipyards on Fidalgo Island which was part of the reason for our visit. Across the cove is British Columbia, the Orca Islands and several others I don't know the names of. When the season is right you can whale watch but we missed the time when they come close to shore. It was a fabulous place to visit and if it weren't so cold I think I'd love living in the quaint fishing town . Hope everyone enjoys the pictures I've posted.

2009-06-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Oregon was a quick drive through and my camera batteries died so I didn't get many shots. This time through. As with all states the difference between city and rural areas is drastic. See you in Washington next!

2009-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Driving through California is a contrast in terrain. Twisting roads go through mountainous areas with forrestry or totally bare. Suddenly you find yourself in a large valley of agricultural use. There can be miles of oranges, almonds, or cranberry bogs. Where the groves exist you won't see a home or outbuildings but if there are ground crops it reminded me of driving through Wisconsin complete with barns and silos. Along the ocean shore the big metropolis' exist and traffic is horrendous. There you will find refineries, shipyards, mega corporations, and houses on the hills. I've tried to post some of each. The white peak belongs to Mt Shasta. It's stark contrast to the surrounding area is breathtaking. Enjoy our roadside tour.

2009-06-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Bob and Tina are the reason we headed north through California. Bob and my son John have been friends since middle school on through college. He is now director of the YMCA Camp of the Redwoods in Boulder Creek, CA. It was a little out of our way but well worth it. They are wonderful, warm people. Unbeknownst to us the road to the camp was narrow with lots of twists and turns. Our rig has the scratches to prove it! The camp is as beautiful as Bob said and the story of the Redwood tree is remarkable. I wish I could have recorded and posted Bob's telling of it. Everyone reading this should look on line and become as inspired as I was. We had a great time together and since we all know "the Lord works in mysterious ways." Our meeting definitely had more meaning than we knew at the time. Later posts will explain the truth in this statement. Thank you Bob and Tina.

When we come back again we'll leave our rig in town although I will miss our camping site. LOL

2009-06-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

How would you like this view from your office? Bob isn't too pleased with the functionality of the office building, but he must admit the view is awesome.

2009-06-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

This view is from the window of our RV. Best campsite we've ever had. We even had the sound of the creek passing by. Hated to leave!

2009-06-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Bob and I standing inside the trunks of Redwoods! Talk about feeling like an ant, no comparison. I felt more like a mite!

2009-06-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Chapel in the Woods at the Y camp.
Beauty, serenity and a definite oneness with God can be found here.

2009-06-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Around the YMCA campgrounds. Wish I were a kid again!

2009-06-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Since Las Vegas is old home to me I didn't carry my camera around with me. Unfortunately I missed getting pictures of many friends I got together with at a NAMH meeting, and the 14 family members we took to dinner which included my daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law, brother, son, etc. But I did get a picture of the most important person...my Mom. Bless her heart, she's 89 and manages to run my sister ragged. The handsome fellow is my nephew Jeff who happened to be in town during spring break. He and I have renewed contact with one another since Jim and I decided to travel thereby facing new lifestyle changes and adventures every day. Jeff has also transplanted himself from his beloved Chicago and is now in his 1st year of teaching at an inner city school in the Bronx, NY. We are all filled with nostalgia for the old while being excited about the new. His blog is linked to mine..great reading! I thank God that the love we share with one another travels with us and that no matter where home is, the door is always open.

2009-06-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Carlsbad and beyond! So-o-o much has happened since my last post that I've decided to just pick up where I left off and fill in the events as I come to them. Therefrore here are some pictures taken in Carlsbad caverns and our northward trip through New Mexico.

2009-05-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

More from the "Living Desert". Still to come, Carlsbad Cavern, driving through New Mexico, Las Vegas, California, Washington, and finally Idaho. I have a lot of catching up to do. That is rough while you're on the road!

2009-05-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

Roadrunner. Finally got to see a live roadrunner at the "Living Desert" zoo and park in Carlsbad. They really do run fast! If he hadn't been in a caged area I'd have never gotten these shots. I remember when Amy came back to IL after her 1st visit to AZ she brought me a toy roadrunner. It took a lot of years but now I've seen one up close. Thanks for the memory Amy.

2009-05-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

New Mexico RV repair. These pictures show work in progress, Bill Parsons the one man repair service and the final results. The paint couldn't be matched perfectly, but it's not too terribly bad. Now that all the Safari Cheetah decals have been removed from the back we are going to put an American flag with eagle onto the back upper panel. This will be in keeping with our "we are American" theme. Post that picture when we scratch it off the list of things to be done.

2009-03-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

Stockton, TX and the US Postal Service mailbox. We spent the night of the 28th at a truck stop in Stockton. We were between 2 semis with their motors/generators running. At first the steady rythym was soothing, but by midnight I was trying to sleep with a pillow over my head. Needless to say we were up very early. Had our morning coffee and decided to kill some time at a nearby WalMart. It's amazing what a mile drive can do. The parking lot was small and when Jim was making a turn this mailbox with a top scoop for dropping mail into punctured our side. Unable to back up, forward we went. It then caught the lower rear panel of the RV. The pictures tell "the rest of the story".

After talking to police and insurance people we had to decide what to do next. It was Sunday morning and nothing would be open for estimates or repairs. We had reservations at a campground in Carlsbad, NM and there happened to be an RV service center right next door to the campground. Since the pulled out section seemed to be firmly wedged onto our towbar (we couldn't get the car off) we drove the 137 miles to Carlsbad. Fortunately it was a reasonably straight and smooth road. When the doors to the service center opened Monday morning we were at the door. Turns out they do not do body work but a fellow who had worked for them for 20 years did. He now had his own business and specializes in fiberglass repairs. We are now waiting for approval of the estimate. With damages along the entire back panels we don't want to take a chance of further damages so I guess we'll spend a few weeks in Carlsbad. Found a motel that will give us weekly rates and while repairs are being done will stay there. Luckily we have "trip interuption" coverage that will take care of most of the expenses. Of course we've had to cancel all of our reservations for our planned month long trip to Idaho. Now, when we can go, we'll just hit the road and stop wherever we can. We're still going to stop in Vegas to see family and friends there. Can't make any definite plans because we no longer have a definite time frame.

Are we having fun yet? Of course we are! When the knots in your tummy untangle it is best to smile and "Be Happy".

2009-03-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

No more Pflugerville! We pulled out at 6:35 a.m. on the 23rd of March, 09. Spent the day at Campers World having our oil changed and some other problems documented for future warranty repairs. Don't have the time to have them taken care of right now. Then we checked in at COE Potters Creek on Canyon Lake. Nice views from our campsite and set up. The deer still own this park but we saw some Canadian geese and a white Ibis flying around. The weather was wet and windy. I felt sorry for the many tent campers. Jim did a day trip to Chicago on Wednesday and got his IL drivers license and ID. Now we are driving totally legal. Our next stop will be in Carlsbad, NM Post again when we get there.

2009-03-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Jims projects have been many. He made the picnic table when we first got here. It is ver-r-ry well made and heavy. Dan is inheriting it when we leave. The fence was put together using scrap construction lumber. We have pictures of eagles facing in or out to put onto the windshield flag(s) bar. Jim also made a terrace light from a rounded lumber section. This he also painted red, white, and blue and we bought a carriage style light for outdoor use. I'll have to post a picture of it when it's set up in Idaho. The drawers he made for our storage area are fantastic. Now we just sllide a drawer out to get whatever we want. No more pulling out crate upon crate trying to get at the one item we need. The Deangelo sign was his first attempt at using the router he found at a pawn shop. That was Dan's housewarming/birthday gift. Not pictured is the cabinet he cut back, had a door made for, and the mounting of our new flat screen HDTV. He's had to replace 2 light fixtures, and 1 toilet (difficult job in limited space). For convenience he added an outside electrical outlet and fans to blow on driver and passenger. Normal maintenance had him replacing 1 house and 2 engine batteries. Although there have been other projects these were the major ones.

I probably won't post again until we're set up in Idaho. Be prepared for pictures from our travels through New Mexico (Carlsbad Caverns and Gallup), Las Vegas (family and friends), California (San Diego Zoo, San Francisco, Camp Campbell Camp of the Redwoods), Oregon, Washington, Montana, and finally Idaho (30 miles south of Canada). Whew!!! Sounds exhausting but we're allowing 30+ days to see it all.

On the road again..........

2009-03-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Orange Finch

Red Wing Blackbirds
Mockingbird
Starling
Doves
Jackrabbit

Feathered and furry friends. We have 2 birdfeeders up and we, they, go through about 50 pounds of birdseed a week and 2 suet bars daily. I can almost tell time by when the birds show up. The redwing blackbirds are beautiful when they spread their wings but my reflexes aren't fast enough to get a shot of that. The Finches are very colorful and very serene birds. They come when most others are gone. I love looking out my window and see them perched on the fence. The doves are too big to sit on the feeders so they get whatever the wind blows down to the ground. The Starlings feathers sparkle with irridescent colors when sitting in the sun. We have only seen a few Mockingbirds although we hear they are quite plentiful here in Texas. There are also cowbirds and blackbirds but I don't bother taking their pictures. Until hunting season opened we had numerous jackrabbits running around. Now we only see them once in awhile. We had a resident skunk for a few months but he's gone now. There are a few stray cats and cat fights do occur.

I've tried to label each picture with the correct breed, but I won't guarantee they will be published the way I labeled them. Wish us luck!

2009-03-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Some nice people we've worked with are Dan, the tall fellow, and Julio, the shorter guy. They are the site manager and assistant manager respectively. The worker taking a break on Jims worktable is one of the site cleanup crew. The overturned gravel truck didn't make the I35 turnaround. The road was blocked for quite awhile for the cleanup. It was interesting to watch the operation. 1st they had to get the gravel out of the truck bed. This took guys with shovels and a front end loader. Then a "Big Bertha" tow truck expertly hooked up to the semi and got it upright. Fortunately the driver was not injured and the truck was still driveable. There was lots and lots of emergency equipment blocking all access to the road!

2009-03-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Almost complete apt complex. It appears that our time remaining here is almost over so I want to post the end results of the dusty lot we came to in June 08. There were some overlooked archetectural items that have been corrected after the fact. There are only 16 3 bedroom apartments. 4 of them had front doors that exited onto a sidewalk and then a nice drop into a retention area. I told the site manager that I would be afraid my kids would run out the door and go right down the incline. There is now a fence around the retention areas. The picture posted is before fence. Another funny item was when you walked through the passage into the common area you walked into bushes. The landscaping has now been removed and sidewalks put in. There is a group of buildings on the east side of the property and they ring the clubhouse and pool area. The group on the west side had nothing in the common area. They are now putting in a BBQ pit, gazebo, and picnic area. There is no playground for children, no shower by the pool, or even easy access from the pool into the clubhouse to use the bathroom. I find these things odd. Another oversight we find comical. Each building has 1 handicap accessable apartment on the 1st floor. The patio railings for these had to be redone with a gate to escape the apt if necessary. This is good, but if I was in a wheelchair I could get off my patio and drop down into a tree or bush. If I landed upright I still would have difficulty getting away from the building. It has been interesting seeing a dit lot transformed and understanding what goes into completion of a building. Don't know that we'll ever do this again.

2009-03-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Alphabet Game. Just in case you think I have been sitting here idle all these months I feel this entry is very important. As you know our RV sits right next to Interstate 35. I have the pleasure of watching traffic go by 24/7. So-o-o I started playing the Alphabet game. My rules are that the letters have to be on a vehicle. Over the months I have forced myself to play at the challenger level. Like all levels the letters have to be found in order, A, B, C, etc. Challenger level is played by finding full words that start with each letter. No more abbreviations like Inc., Fed EX, J B Hunt, although I can use Hunt for the letter H. Here in Texas I find that the letter J is the hardest to find along with Q, X, and Z. Fortunately there are several Xpress trucks that go by and I allow myself to use this as a word. Reading slogans helps a lot with the hard to find letters. @King of beers, makes your life better, expect more pay less. The real killer is the letter Z. As the sun starts to set I find myself praying for an Auto-Zone or a Zenith truck to go by. I become obsessed with finding a Z anywhere! I become so frustrated that I know I won't sleep until I find some Z's. In desperation I call Papa Johns. We all know they deliver after dark, and we all know what they deliver! Success, now I can sleep with a full tummy and lots of ZZZZZ's.

2008-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Another Texas sunset. Isn't it beautiful?

These shots are from August 10th and as you can see the building has almost reached us. Can't wait for the garage near us to be finished..we plan on reserving one! Not much to talk about except the need to constantly clean up the blowing debris. Between plastic bags, cups, cans, bottles, and lightweight building stuff our patio seems to be decorated everyday. Have fun watching the birds fight over all the food scraps the workers toss around but will talk about that some other time.

(Not so) Funny experiences of RV living. When we 1st got here there was no electricity yet so we had to use our generator which works off our propane tank. Apparently there are 2 lines from the tank. One line feeds the generator and the other our stove and fridge. Had no problem for a few days then all of a sudden we could not light our stove. Assumed we had run out of propane. So we had to pack everything up and drive to get a refill. This is a real pain and the only thing I don't like about a motorhome versis a 5th wheel or trailer. There is no removable, easy to take and get refilled, tank. With the class a the whole unit has to go with the tank. Anyhow, it turned out that the tank was not empty and the guy at the station said we have a problem with the valve. Got back to our site and when Jim backed in he went a little too far and the RV went down over the pad built for it. Luckily there were a lot of heavy duty tractors around so we got a front end loader and the driver pulled us out with no trouble. Saw this happen to an RV in TN and it cost $500.00 for this service. Our guy wouldn't even take a Coke. It did however cost us $150.00 for another guy to come and fix our valve. Seems there is a built in safety valve and if the tank is not shut off while filling this valve closes. The repairman said the pressure jamed this safety valve shut tight.

Lesson learned. Since we will be stationary on jobs for long periods of time we are going to purchase an auxilary tank that can be removed as needed. Also watch the filling mechanic to make sure the valve is closed before pumping.

2008-10-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

We'd been here at the construction site for 1 month when these pictures were taken. You can see that construction is moving closer to our RV site. We have had very little rain and building is ahead of schedule. We had to put boards down after it did rain because the clay built up on our shoes so bad we grew a few inches and they were hxxx to clean.

Jim built the picnic table thinking we would be able to sit in the shade under our awning. That was when we had an awning. Texas has terrible, out of nowhere, wind gusts. One of them came by and took our awning off. The anchor bars to the RV just yanked and twisted out. Fortunately the replacement was covered by insurance. Since we have to remain on property during our contract the hard part was finding a repairman to come here for the estimate and replacement. That took over a month but we do not put the awning up anymore. We tried a tarp staked to the ground...wind got that too. So we just sit and enjoy the Texas sun and sunsets.

On the job experience. When the site boss leaves for the day we lock the access gates and anyone working late on property has to come and get us to let them out. I drive around every 45-60 minutes to check. I always count vehicles when I drive around. One evening we were down to 1 truck left. I waited at the RV until it was getting really dark out, then drove to where the truck should have been, but it was gone. I checked every gate, we have 5, and they were all locked. I'm hysterical by now, how could I have lost a truck! I called Dan, the site boss, and he just started laughing. They took a gate off the hinges he said. We construction guys do it all the time! Jim still thinks they had a key but everyone I have talked to laughed and said the same thing. When I told our security boss he said I can tell you exactly what happened. They took the gate off the hinges. It is apparently standard proceedure. So I made up cards with a picture of a lock and key with our phone #'s and handed them out to anyone working late or coming in on the weekends when the gates are always locked. Since most workers are Spanish the picture sends the message. Hasn't happened again.

2008-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 weeks since the last pictures were taken and you can see the progress. The roads around the complex have been blacktopped and buildings have started to be erected. These were taken with the zoom to show better detail. For a week we got to listen to BIG rollers packing down the gravel. The rollers would go by followed by the water truck to keep the dust down. Over and over again! Then an oil truck comes in and coats the compressed soil. When this has a chance to set the blacktop itself if poured on. Then, guess what, more rollers to pack the asphalt down and get any airpockets to pop. While this was being done we had to park our car outside the gates and walk in.
We laughed at what a tough job this security thing was. Just sit in your RV and look out over the property!

Black eyed susans grow all along the fence. Another TX wildflower in abundance. My patio itself is cruddy but my garden is beautiful. Better yet nature did the planting! Whenever I post I'll include a flower.

Lest everyone think this is all fun and games we have had a few problems along the way. Heading down to TN we hit some really, really, REALLY Rough road and one corner of the RV's underside storage area pulled loose. We got a welder to come and attach upright braces to the frame. What did we learn...eliminate excess weight and try to stow items so there is minimal shifting. Also learned that the area involved must have been sagging prior to purchase because after the brackets were welded on we had a very hard time getting a cooler out. That cooler had gone in with no problem and of course we didn't think to empty the area before lifting it permanently. Other confessions will follow but I can only handle one at a time. Ah the joys of homeownership!

2008-09-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Our wandering days are over (for awhile), and on June 16th we arrived at our new home site, place of employment for the next 8-10 months. Right now there are dirt roads, construction materials, and heavy traffic along I-35 which is our next door neighbor.

Nothing was ready for our arrival so the 1st night we were really grateful to have a self contained unit. Only bad part was no electricity to run the AC. It was a hot night with no breeze and the noise from the interstate did nothing to allow for a good nights sleep. They found a corner of the construction site that would be about the last area developed, took a pile of gravel, crushed it, and rolled it down for a place to park our rig on. The electricians set up a box for us to plug into and water pipes were run from a hydrant (with potable water - we checked with the city!). Ever since we entered TX I have been amazed by the wildflowers growing everywhere. I've posted 1 that is along the fenceline of what I call our patio. HaHa. It's going to be interesting to see these pictures change as this site will be transformed into a 13 building, 280 unit apartment complex, with pool and clubhouse.

2008-09-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Easily recognized buffalo, donkey, llahma, and I had to post a picture of the squirrel because we've seen so few of them here in Texas.

2008-09-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Zebra weren't out on our 1st drive around so we went again and this time found them.

2008-09-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

If anyone is looking for Bambi I can send you directions.

2008-09-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

This spot is for the birds!

2008-09-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here are various and sundry long horned animals. Can you imagine the damage one of them could do to your car?

2008-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

As you hopefully can tell these are Giraffes, a camel, a lemur in the childrens zoo, and a couple of lazy rhinos.

2008-09-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

TX Wildlife Safari, San Antonio was our last sightseeing before reporting to work. Entering these pictures brings me back to the reality of life. Therefore I have procrastinated! Truth be told these were taken on June 12th. It was a fun place to be. Most of the animals that roam around are range animals. We thought it was interesting how the animals were incouraged to "visit" with the guests.
We were 2nd in line when the gates opened. You pay admission and you can buy bags of feed pellets for a buck, I mean a dollar. They are to feed the bucks! You can drive around all day if you like. There is also a petting zoo and cafe.

Anyhow, just before opening they place flakes of hay along the roadside..this is sure to bring the animals out. A little later they dropped corn kernels along the road..more inticement to come out. Add people with bags of tasty pellets and you can see why the animals are so friendly. It's amazing that they all don't look like hippos!

The animals in cages are either dangerous or in the case of the Giraffes, are being bred for other locations. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures that follow this post. All are from TX Safari. This is where your shirt and book came from Lee!

I seem unable to get multiple photos on each line no matter how I try to position them so---I decided to publish groups of pictures 1st, then my comments last so that this post will be 1st. Got that!

I was wrong again! Apparently because I created this 1st and published last, it showed up here instead of before the pictures...blankety, Blankety, BLANK!!!

2008-07-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Canyon Lake, TX is about halfway between San Antonio and Austin. We still weren't
positive when our start date on the construction site would be so we set up at a COE park on Canyon Lake. Here the deer owned the grounds and tolerated humans.

This was the 3rd COE campgrounds we stayed at and again discovered how different each is. At Obey River the main wildlife was water birds and the area was primarily a sports fishing paradise. Cedar Breaks had next to no wildlife and signs were posted everywhere not to feed what there was. Georgetown Lake is almost entirely pleasure boating and we saw only a few waterfowl. Canyon Lake also is for pleasure boating, fish and fowl are few, but the deer are many. These shots were taken during our stay there June 8th-16th.

2008-07-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

Aransas Pass Wildllife Preserve was our last stop during our Gulf Coast visit. We almost ran out of gas because it was a 45 mile drive from Fulton and there wasn't anything more than farmland in between. We had to go beyond our designated turnoff in order to reach a gas station. For a time we thought about visiting a farm and hoping they had gas! We went there late in the afternoon figuring that more wildlife would be out then. Other than the crocs we didn't see much until we were leaving the preserve. Then we saw herds of deer and flocks of wild turkeys. And when I finally had lots of things to take pictures of my batteries went dead. Turned out that my back up batteries hadn't been replaced. But we did get a few good shots. Hope you enjoy.

2008-07-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

OOPS! This is the windmill in the tree mentioned in my previous post.

2008-07-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Fulton Mansion in, of course, Fulton, TX was built in 1871. Several features made it unique. It's size. They call it 4 stories but I say 3 with an English basement. It had central heat and air conditioning, and it had indoor plumbing. Things like this were never seen on a Texas ranch. The kitchen was in the basement and a dumb waiter was used to bring food upstairs. The 1 upstairs bathroom was a Jack & Jill arangement with a tub big enough to drown in. Although the comode was one of those upflush jobbies the water for the tub had to be carried up by the servants. I know how grateful they must have been that baths weren't taken too often! The archetecture and furnishings are of European design and materials that they had shipped in. Final cost was around $100,000.00. It is truly a beautiful building with a breathtaking view overlooking the Gulf. It has withstood several Hurricanes. Remarkable workmanship. The windmill in the tree had been on the original property and the later builders kept it intact. I wonder if they could remove it. Anyhow the story is that the windmill was in place and the tree grew up around it. Hope you can make it out. This was our June 6th adventure. More to come!!!

2008-07-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kings Ranch, Kingsville, TX. Since I'm still catching up on posting, these pictures were taken on June 6th. We went on a driving tour of the ranch and although it is a working ranch it is not at all like you see in the western movies. Other than our tour bus driver we saw no real Kininos working with the animals. Herds and/or individual animals are pastured according to their purpose. Mating, birthing, grazing, waiting to be shipped off for slaughtering. Each animal has a record of statistics from birth to death. It is all very technical. Instead of riding out and rounding the animals up when needed, although it is sometimes done, the ranch has a sweet treat that the animals know awaits them when called. Not much work involved. Each horse is assigned to a cowboy when it is born and no one else works with it. This is done to gain trust and makes breaking the horse easier. I wonder what happens when the horse is sold and knows only one human!

Workers are allowed to live off the ranch but residency is preferred. Homes are build on an as needed basis. There is even a school on the ranch which currently has 150 students.

Many ranch hands are decendants of the original Mexicans who came with King to start the ranch in the 1800's. He had gone to a small village to buy cattle and realized that with the cattle gone the villagers could not survive. He promised all who came back to TX with him a place to live, food, and wages.

The original house is now maintained as a hotel for King family members. There are maids and a chef in the building at all times. Actual ranch administrators live in homes on the ranch.

I threw in the picture of the tree because of it's unusual shape.

2008-07-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Our Gulf Coast adventure took us to Padre Island then back to the mainland via ferry. We could see dolphins in the waters but the camera didn't catch any. I was amazed at the undertow in the gulf and the claylike "sand." The ground leading to the water is more like clay and as I walked I left footprints on top. Not at all sandy like Ca or even Lake Michigan beaches.. Wading out was fun but I got wetter than I planned due to the cresting waves. Getting back to shore took a bit of an effort. There is definitely a strong undertow trying to pull you out into the ocean.

2008-07-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

CC Botanical Gardens was my favorite stop in Corpus Christie. My love of flowers shows from all the pictures I've posted. The orchids are grown in a special conservatory and as you can see some are really beautiful. It's a shame they have so little fragrance to go with their beauty. I thought the colorful flowerpot was neat and had to share it. Take a close up view of the sofa if you can. It is stone! The design is ceramic tiles. I couldn't understand why a sofa would be in a garden but as I approached I could really appreciate it's uniqueness and beauty. Surprisingly it wasn't uncomfortable either although I can't say I sat there very long. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. (Thanks again kids).

2008-07-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

USS Lexington Aircraft Carrier is docked next door to the Aquarium. Took snapshots but decided not to go onboard for the tour. I remember taking a tour of a Submarine when it was docked at Navy Pier and it was depressing. It really makes you grateful to all the Navy men who live at sea for months at a time. My Dad was Navy and served on a PT boat in WWII. Life amid combat --- they all deserve a medal. I know there's more room on a ship than in my RV but 500 bunkmates!!! Need I say more.

2008-07-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Corpus Christie, TX. Once we crossed the bridge overNueces Bay and got into CC proper we were able to see what we came to see. 1st on our list was the TX State Aquarium. It was ok but we have been spoiled with visits to the Shedd in Chicago. I watched the dolphin show and Jim thought he was video taping. Oops, someone forgot that you had to depress the record button. Oh well, I'm sure you all have seen dolphin shows!

2008-07-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Breakers Point Park is just east of Corpus Christie at Nueces Bay. We found it by accident when Jim took a wrong turn. There was nobody else there and it was just beautiful to see and to hear the waves crashing on shore. One of those times when a wrong turn is actually the right turn!

2008-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Rockport, TX. Raintree RV Park. We wanted to see the Corpus Christie area but didn't want to be too close to the city. We found this park just east of CC and it had an affordable price tag, wifi access, and laundry facilities. It's amazing what full time RV'ers look for isn't it! The ducks are orange billed and their feathers range from light tans to dark browns. Very unusual coloring, but they're still ducks. The owner was starting to put pylons around one pond to stop erosion. I'm sure the ducks and turtles are not going to be happy loosing the easy access. Rockport is an artist community and there was a young man tent camping in the park who came to the area to pursue an artists life. Right now he's working for the park. He was quite good and I hope he achieves his dream.

Future posts will show what we saw during our stay along the gulf.

2008-06-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Georgetown, TX. RV park on Georgetown Lake. This is another COE campground. We saw this deer the 1st day we set up there . After that we didn't see anything! According to Jim we were in a Cedar Forrest and animals did not take kindly to the setting. Cedars as we all know repel bugs, which was nice, but after TN I missed having animals to watch. One very nice thing was that each site had a covered picnic shelter. Both RV pad and shelter are concrete floored. Had a funny occurance. As I said we didn't see any animals however one morning we woke up, went outside and found a bag of peanuts on the ground. Bag open, peanuts neatly shelled. From the tracks we determined it was raccoons. Whats interesting is that out storage gates were down but not latched shut. We had 3 sealed bags of peanuts in a plastic WalMart bag. Somehow the coon(s) went under the gate, into the storage area, and took only one bag of peanuts out. Jim knew imediately they were smart raccoons because they took the White Sox bag and left the Cubs bag untouched. We had our 1st disagreement!

We stayed here from May 26th until June 1st. We are waiting for a start date for our new jobs a construction site security which should be within a week or so. Have decided to go see the Gulf of Mexico before we're on site for ??? months. I'll keep posting.

2008-06-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

My apologies to Sara. This picture was taken May 22nd. In Steve and Sara's house. Yes, that is Lee playing with a balloon! Sara had picked me up at the airport and on the way home we stopped for dinner. I forgot all about Sara's dislike of balloons s-o-o on the way out I got one for Lee. We put it in the car with us and tied it to a chair when we got home. Sara never said a word or showed her normal emotions about balloons. She went to Jackies graduation so she was gone when Lee got up. After breakfast this morning he had a great time playing with this wilting balloon. I didn't realize it was a new experience for him until Steve got home and reminded me. Sorry Sara. Since this is possibly a one time only shot I had to post it.

2008-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

We got fired after only 3 days! We had answered an ad in Workamper that sounded unusual. It was to take care of exotic animals at the companys corporate headquarters. We would have an RV site with full hookups including cable TV and Wifi for working 20 hours each, and receive 1000.00 a month salary. We left Obey River in TN and spent Fri night just south of Little Rock, AR and Sat night just west of Ft. Worth, TX. The RV park in TX belonged to a couple who had wanted to hire us but we didn't decide soon enough for them so they hired someone else, who didn't show up. They offered the positions to us again but we had already committed to the gig in Austin so had to turn them down. Anyhow...we got to the job site which is on the sw edge of Austin on Sun evening. Very rural property with a long narrow driveway lined with stone and beautiful trees, bushes and plantings on one side and a creek, pond with waterfall on the other. About a mile up we saw a gentleman outside a building and stopped to talk to him. Introduced ourselves and he explained about the company and the property. The current exotic animals included kapibarras, 2 donkeys, 2 goats, 1 two towed sloth, a mean rooster and several laying hens. I jokingly asked him if this was something like Michael Jackson and Nevernever Land. He laughed and said no Jackson would never set foot on this property. The next day I learned that this was his property...open mouth, insert feet. Our 1st day was meeting the animals and learning what they ate (twice a day) went to the post office to get the mail, the feed store for pet food. Got a call that afternoon that my ex father-in-law had passed away. Tues tried to find out what more specifically our duties would be beside feeding animals twice a day, and no one seemed to know. Wed morning I flew back to IL to attend the wake and funeral. Wed evening got a call from Jim telling me we had been fired and had to be off the property by 9 the next morning. Later the owner apologized to Jim but by then it was too late and Jim said we'd be out in the morning. On the road again!!

2008-06-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Final days in TN. Due to a few problems with our RV site at the Obey River Campground and the lack of communication with the outside world we decided to leave TN. We had talked to the Ranger and had found another couple to replace us there so we left on good terms. As I promised here are the pictures of the Geese babies. George and Gloria had 8 babies and they are about 1 week old in these pictures. Glen and Glenda only had 2 that survived and this picture shows them right after their 1st swim. I miss them! We pulled out on May 16th headed for a new job in Austin, TX. Looking forward to our new adventure as animal keepers in TX!

2008-05-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. My daughter gave me this book to read and it changed my life drastically.

This March, I sold the mobile home, bought a 38' motor home, and Jim and I have figuratively "hit the road." 1st picture is of Steve, Sara, and Lee. We parked in their driveway while we got registered in Il. Cheaper plates and insurance. It was against the rules to park there but the local police were really nice about it. If a neighbor had complained then we'd have been ticketed. 2nd is of Rachael, Pam and me. They came to see us a couple of times while we were at Steves. Ray even came with them once. It was so great seeing everybody we hated to leave. (not really) 3rd is of Kayleigh and me just before she left for Wales and we hit the road. 4th is Our first stop in Mammoth Cave Park, KY. Turned out to be a home resort and we stayed there at no charge. Finally got some of my 20 year investment back. 5th is our new fulll time home. It has queen size bed in the bedroom, kitchen with ref/freez, double sink, stove/oven, microwave, and dining area. Full bathroom with sink and shower. Living room with sofa, TV, and area where we put a desk for our computer. 6th is a picture of Moniqua and Megan when we stopped by their house on our way down to Mammoth Cave. 7th is a view from our campsite at Obey River in TN.

Our plans were to travel the country for a year but with the increasing price of gas we are instead work camping. Obey River is our first job. We give the Corp of Engineers 20 hours a week as day use hosts in return for a free campsite with full hook ups. The only problem here is that we are almost totally out of communication. Our AT&T cell service doesn't work here and to use our WiFi we have to go to the library in town. But as you can see from the pictures the location is georgous. Lots of birds, a few deer and squirels.

We have just joined an on line network called Workampers. This is a system that posts emmployers looking for workers and workers looking for jobs. A lot of positions pay a wage as well as free campsite. Each is different and we are in the process of learning the jargon.

I guess that's enough for now and I'll try to keep updates in a more timely manner.

2007-01-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

Just have to go into more detail on our weekend around the Mohave Desert. We started in Laughlin where we stayed at the Colorado Belle. Our room was on the top floor (6th) facing the river. It's a shame the weather wasn't nice enough to sit on our balcony, complete with ornate wrought iron railings and posts. Took off Saturday morning and went down to Lake Havasu in AZ. Walked under and over the London Bridge. What a feat of dismantling and rebuilding that must have been! Of course it is a very touristy area with many shops and eating places. Everything is set back from the water so it looked quaint rather than gaudy. From there we headed out of town until Jim saw a dirt road. Jim can't resist dirt roads in the middle of nowhere! It was off of this road that we found the Havasu Wildlife Preserve. We had actually passed it but I had seen a little sign so we turned around and went back. No trails or anything. Just a parking area, boat ramp, little pier and dock, and a bathroom. This is where I noticed the grafitti on the dock. What a shame! The area was so beautiful and tranquil I could have stayed there for a long time. Headed north through AZ on back roads. Took a couple of side trips on "goes to nowhere" dirt tracks. Got to see cactus and rock formations up real close! Then it was back through Laughlin until we got to Christmas Tree Pass road in the Lake Mead domain. The sign said only street legal, SUV, truck vehicles recommended. We got half way through before there was a sign saying 4 wheel drive recommended from this point on. As far as I was concerned the whole trip was 4 wheel drive rutted, dipping, twisting, and jaw jarring terrain. When we got about 3 quarters of the way there was a stopping point where you could look through the mountain pass and see the specks of civilization that is Bullhead City, AZ. Breathtaking would put it mildly! Of course Jim saw no reason to continue over the flatland west of the mountains that would take us back to NV 95. So we turned around and went back the same way we had come. Bump and grind! It was fabulous. Stopped at a place called Grapevine Pass. The rock formations look like the namesake of the area. Bunches of rock grapes twineing their way around the mountain. Unfortunately I learned that I would not have made a good pioneer. It was getting dark so we headed back to the Belle. I was asleep by 7:30 (unbelievable huh). Got up Sunday and headed towards home on the major highways until we got to Searchlight. Headed back east and went to Lake Mohave. Got to go on the houseboats they rent out. Some of them are bigger than my manufactured home! 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen with disposal and dishwasher, jacuzzi on the roof. In season they rent for 6000.00 plus gas a week. Lake Mohave has a marina with big bucks boats, a trailer park, cafe and store. Government regulations allow the owners of homes there to live on premises only 6 months a year. If anyone is looking for a job you can get one there. They said they went through 85 people last summer in the cafe/store. It's quite a commute if you don't live on property. Employees can hook up their motor homes free..an added bonus for sure. Interesting information..the park management is placing floating "johns" onto the lake for boaters and campers to use. Overnight campers along the shore will be asked if they have sanitation facilities on their sight and if not they will be fined. The floating johns are to curb pollution. I personally can't see myself getting up in the middle of the night, starting the boat, and going out looking for a floating outhouse. I guess they think others will. Mayby I misunderstood and the outhouses will be placed on shore at strategic spots around the lake. That makes more sense to me but then I don't work for the government! Anyhow headed back west through Searchlight down the Joshua Tree road which goes through Joshua Tree Forrest. I use the term forrest lightly. As we drove through I found myself thinking "so this is where powder puffs grow." Stopped in a town called Tipton, CA population mayby 25. General store had a good book on Windshield Tours which I bought. By now we were low on gas so Jim opted out of taking anymore back roads to Primm. He did talk to the lady at the store who told him the roads he was talking about were pretty much washed out and there wasn't much left of the ghost town he wanted to show me. We gased up in Primm and headed for home. Neither of us is feeling 100% well but it was a fun weekend.

We bought the travel trailer on the way home. These weekends out can get expensive with rooms and meals so we will bring our own. Checked the weight limits for Jims Ford Explorer and the Zeppelin should work well. It's a cute little thing with a lot of stuff in less length that the width of our house! Forgot to mention in my last post that it has an awning and lots of underside storage which really appealed to me. Whatever options were available this one has.

Happy Trails to all. See you ???

2007-01-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Where in the world have the past 2 months gone?

November is a blur-r-r. December was super busy between work and my relationship with Jim.

Noteworthy news...Jim moved in with us the week before Christmas, he cooked Christmas dinner for 18 people, Amy and Matt were able to spend an afternoon of their trip here with us, (luckily I had the right day off that week), got sick on New Years day and am still recovering. This past weekend we took off on Friday night and toured the Mohave desert area. We were in NV, CA, and AZ. Beautiful landscapes. I was dismayed to see grafitti in places so out of the way that I was surprised we found them. I had my 1st experience with 4 wheeling! It was awsome but I did have to take Naproxin when we got back.

Biggest news...we bought a 19ft travel trailer this Sunday. Kitchen with 3 burner stove, sink, oven, microwave, TV set up for cable or satelite or antenna reception, radio with surround sound, heat, air, all with 1 remote control. So if we're in bed we can change the temp, turn on the coffee pot, etc by pushing a button. Am I going high tech or what? It has 1 sleeping area, a bathroom with toilet and shower. We plan on sleeping in the u shaped dining area that makes into a bed. I would feel claustrophobic in the bedroom! Look out world here we come! For now just short trips until we get the thing paid for and Jim can actually retire. We will drive and bring it with us when we come to IL this summer. Of course we have to stop in TX along the way. We pick it up Thursday and will be taking a class on how to do what with what. Jim doesn't need it but I want to take it so at least I'll have an idea of what to do. Or what he's doing and talking about! If you want to check it out on line it's a 2006 Zeppelin, ZP191 model. I'm really excited.

Can't wait to see everyone this year!

2006-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Brianshead, Utah. Finally got to go and see what the kids have talked about. It is absolutely amazing up there. Jim and I left last Friday and drove up to a resort in Pine Valley Utah. It is about 40 miles outside of St George. On Saturday the main roads were closed due to a marathon taking place so we took all back roads to Cedar City. Good thing he has 4 wheel drive! The scenery is breathtaking. Every color imaginable. Between the changing colors of the trees and the remarkable mountain ranges Crayola must be jealous. Jim couldn't handle looking down from the overlooks up at Brianshead but I will never forget the awesome sights. The colors and formations seem impossibly perfect. That this could be the work of nature seems unbelievable.

This week has been all work. Yesterday I had a guest that made me feel like I was being stalked. It was scarry! Security had escorted him from the building but he kept popping in, coming up to me, saying "I'm back Lillian" then leaving. After he had done this 4-5 times I told Nathan to keep a watch and next time he showed to please call security. Sure enough he came back and this time I got "look into my eyes. Do you see my tears? Do you know why I'm crying? A lot more. I went to get him some kleenex and get Nathan. Nathan talked to him and got him to leave that time. But he came back a little while later and when he saw the phone being lifted he left again. I told Nathan when he came back again I was going on break and would not be back until he was off the property. He did come back, I left, and apparently he threatened Nathan. Fortunately Security was now watching our area so they stepped in. He also threatened them so they got him off the property. After shift I had security walk me to my car. What's more frightening is that he had a gift coming so he must come to Boulder regularly. If I see him again I will immediately give my boss a heads up. Exciting huh!!!

Love you all. XoXoXo

2006-10-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd do a quick update while I have the time. This week has been very busy. Sylvias son Steve came in on Friday and Sherry and Marco came in Sunday. Our house is kind of full. Jim and I went to the Don Williams concert Saturday night and of course it was fabulous. I got my shift changed so I could get off work early enough to get to the concert at 8. Left work at 5, got to Jims and he had a filet mignon dinner waiting for me/us. Changed and off to the concert. When we got home he downloaded every Don Williams song and put them on a CD for me. Sunday we cooked dinner for everybody and he made Chicken Salad with the leftovers. I'd have never thought to do that. It was good too! Had enough for lunch for everybody on Monday. Steve went back this morning and Sherry and Marco go Thursday morning. I'll have to do an all nighter Wednesday to get them to the airport by 4a.m. I work Wed 2:30-8:30, have the landscapers coming Thursday morning, Sylvia to the Dr Friday morning, I'm going to crash on Saturday, then back to work Sunday at 6:30 a.m. If I survive I'll post again next week. Love to all.

XoXoXo

2006-09-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

NASCAR 350 Truck race at LVMS. I was totally bored! Not anywhere near as exciting as Bush or Nextel but then I'm not into trucks. Attendance was 1/3 of the car races. Vendors, mayby a dozen. Seats were 1st come 1st served. We were on the aisle just over the start/finish line. If anyone saw the race we were seated where the drivers are introduced and come down from the stands to the track. For me seeing the new track was the best part. I could imagine the cars on it. They can easily go 3 abreast which could be interesting. The field of trucks was so spread out that I saw no close maneuvering. They said the old track produced boring races and I sure hope car races are better than the truck race was. There is still a lot of infield work that needs to be completed before March.

Friday Jim and I drove out to Lake Las Vegas. I had not been there yet and Jim didn't know it existed. It is scenic but it was empty. Don't know how the stores that are there exist.

On Sunday we went to Bonnie Springs Ranch. That was fun but I was offended by the adult inuendos in their performances. If I had children with me I would have left. I was shocked to see that it cost 45.00 for a 1 hour trail ride?

After Bonnie Springs we went to Red Rock Station T-Bones for dinner. What a beautiful room! The food was great (had Chateaubriand) the pianist was superb (and yea I had him play Charriots). Came home exhausted since I was at work at 6:30 that morning. It was a long day, lots of fresh air, and too much to eat.

So much for my excursions. Have to work this week Fri and Sat so nothing special planned. Mayby a trip up to Overton on Sunday. We'll see.

TTY later. XoXoXo

2006-09-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Double Date. Sylvia and I had our male friends over for dinner today. It is interesting that both share the same birthdate, August 27. We had a great time. Both gentlemen are fun to be with. I think I have mentioned Sylvias been going out with Chuck for awhile. They met at the blind center as he is totally blind. He also sings with the Senior Center choir and dances like a pro so they go to the Saturday night dances. Jokes about sore feel when he gets home because Syl is always stepping on them. He plays the spoons fantastically. I haven't heard that in years.

As for my new gent, his name is Jim. Currently manages a 7-11 store. We seem to click because, best of all, his favorite thing to do is "get lost." Has a great sense of humor, tons of travels to tell me about, and is really fun to be with. He loves the out of doors and has always been an avid camper. I get jealous listening to him tell me about the deer and elk and eagles and fishing (no tall tales yet).
Between Chuck and Jim competing to tell the best jokes it was a fun evening. We're planning on doing it again.

Did my 1st MNF last week and was really touched when one of the regulars brought a dozen roses and a note to memorialize Shirley. She had done MNF for years and had been well loved. MNF is co sponsored by 97.1 and I got tickets to the NASCAR truck race next Saturday. Plan on using them too. Only problem is that I have to train a new hire at GG on Sunday morning at 6:30. I told Sharon I may have to pull an all nighter! Took it upon myself to get new stamps for guest entry. The ones we had were tacky (according to me) so I got Boulder MNF with a football on them. Sharon insists on repaying me. Told her it wasn't necessary but she insists policy says she has to.

Thats it for now. Miss you all. Keep blogging - I love reading and seeing your sights.

LOL XoXoXo

2006-09-10T23:14:00.000-07:00

Memorable moments in Promotions. Last Sunday we were giving away "Lucky" dogs. They are cute, cuddly, fluffy little stuffed critters. Traffic was light so I was having fun introducing the dogs to their new owners as I gave them away. This resulted in a lot of smiling guests. The most memorable one was a very serious lady. I introduced the dog to her and before I handed it to her I rubbed it's nose on my cheek. The lady looked at me oddly then asked why I did that. I smiled and told her I was saying goodbye to the dog. Still looking dumbfounded she took the dog and started to walk away. Then she stopped, turned back towards me, and took the dogs paw to wave goodbye to me. I don't know about her but it made my day.

Second memorable moment was when I signed a young man up for the football contest. When I handed him his resistration card I explained the purchase included free play on our slot machines. He very seriously told me he was a slot tech at Green Valley and couldn't play slots. I told him my son had also been a tech so I knew the rule. He asked my sons name and all I got out was Stev when he was off and running. "I miss him so much, he was my boss when he left SantaFe, he took us to the monster truck show, he was such a good boss, I got him the Kasey Kane stuff, I hate Kasey Kane but he's Steve's favorite so I got it for him, He was such a good boss, I was in trouble and he got me out of it, he took care of me and got me straightened out, I've got his phone number (he proceded to show me his cell phone with the # on it), anytime I have a problem I can call Steve. I miss him so much." If you detect a bit of mothers pride here - you're right. I thought I really missed my kids but Jeff has to be a close second.

Talked to the younguns today. Blogging is fun but now and then I need to hear their voices. Take care all.

LOL XoXoXo

2006-09-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is me working in the Sports Book on the Great Giveaway. And I didn't want to move back East why! Oh yeh, it's the humidity that bothers me most, I thought. Now I wonder. Going to start working the Monday Night Football parties in the Railhead. Hope it's warmer with all those hyped up hunks. Should be a lot more fun at least.

Acrually it isn't me. Just a picture of an Eskimo in a Parka. Wishful thinking I guess.

Having my front yard redone in the near future. Got the watering system fixed so there's no more rumbling but the shrubs out front died. Decided to perk it up a little. Leaving the main rose bush but the shrubs will be replaced with pink Oleanders. They are evergreen and have nice flowers in the spring, summer and fall. Looking forward to the new look. New rock too.

Nothing else new so I'll sign off for now.

XoXoXo to all.

2006-08-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

I took the Major test and came up with English at 94%, Visual and Performing Arts at 88%, next was Business Management/HR at 75%, down to 0% for foreign languages. It seems like a fun sight. Think I'll try a few others since I'm not going back to school anytime soon. TTY later. XoXoXo to all.

2006-08-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

I'm back to 30 hour weeks for Great Giveaway. Had today off and we went to Sams Town to hear, and dance to, Randy Anderson. It was the best of both worlds for me. They had the Bush series race on the TV so I could at least watch it while I got to listen to great music. Tomorrow should be interesting if it is at all like tonights race. Lots of crunches. I'll be home so I can watch and hear it in comfort. Back to work Sunday but I'm off Mon and Tues so I can go to my art and dance classes. Haven't been for 2 weeks. Then I'm back at work Wed thru Sun. Already wearing my long johns in the sports book!

The Teddy Bear was done for KCB and seems appropriate for my current work area. It was a lot easier to do than people. TTY all later. XoXoXo to all.

2006-08-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is what has kept me busy this past couple of weeks. Jon is a policeman and as I haven't been arrested for defamation of character yet, I think he likes it. Sharon is my boss, and I still have a job, so I don't think she lied when she said it was wonderful.
The Great Giveaway Football contest registration has started and I am now working more hours. Unfortunately I'll have to give up my line dancing classes for a few weeks due to my work schedule. Went to Gilleys the other night and had a ball. Couldn't do half the dances they did but had fun trying. Sticked to the dance floor and stayed off the "Bull", oh darn.

2006-07-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm really behind the times here. This past month has been a blur. So far in July I have had problems with my sprinkler system. Fortunately my brother John took it upon himself to come and fix things. Day 1 he worked in 115 degree weather to repair broken underground pipes. Day 2 the connector pipe broke so he had to come back out to fix that. Now all I have to live with is a jack hammer sound when the water comes on. Needless to say I changed the setting so that it no longer waters at 3 in the morning!

I had 2 days of training at work and I am now a Job Coach. The classes were a lot of fun and I learned what the jobs in several other departments entail. All of us in the class, there were 20, decided we liked our current jobs best.

Have been to a few meetings that were held to introduce us to candidates running for local offices in the upcoming elections. I have decided that if it is an encumbent, I'm not voting for them. I also think I'm going to vote for as many females as are on the ballot. They make more sense than the men.

I've gotten line dance classes started here in my senoir community. The instructor I had originally hired backed out 3 days before the class was scheduled. Fortunately I was able to find another teacher who had that night and time open. Whew! Thank you Jo Jo Pupich.

I have also gotten my first comissioned portrait sketch assignment. I am honored and really scared. I don't think I'm as good as others think I am.

I guess that's it for now. I'm trying to figure out how to get a picture or two on this blog. Someday I may accomplish that. Until then - sorry my sight is boring.

TTY all later.

2006-06-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

This has been a very busy and exhausting week. Daughter Amy with husband Matt and granddaughter Kayleigh had to make an earlier than expected move to Tx. Needless to say I was there to help with whatever packing I could do. Our emotional farewells were overlooked due to troubles with the moving van and my car overheating. By time everything was fixed we were all too tired to do more than say good luck and goodbye. I'll miss them terribly. My son Steve and his wife Sara had move just a month earlier.

I had retired here in Vegas in 99 and was surprised when they moved out here also. I had 6 unexpected years with them before other opportunities took them away. I will miss them all but wish them the very best in their endeavors

I have my part time job and art and dancing classes to fill my time and we will keep in touch via Blogs>

2006-06-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, this is Lil's Daughter - we're putting in her very first message!

This is a picture from Amy's Wedding - in order - Steve, Sara, Moniqua, ME!