tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71910765559465853302024-03-05T17:33:02.877-08:00The Big Beastly Adventure aka 2 Fat People in an RV2 "people of girth" take to the road in an RV nicknamed The BeastNuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-31399107193381312502018-09-06T22:28:00.003-07:002020-04-27T14:34:56.104-07:00Oh, The Challenges We Have Met!<br />
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One of the big challenges we have encountered is trying to
figure out what day it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also what time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also where we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it doesn’t help when the authorities put
cities where they don’t belong and then call states by names that don’t appear
on any maps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can imagine our
confusion when we arrived in Kansas City, only to find out that it wasn’t in
Kansas but it was in Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even worse,
Google doesn’t recognize Kansas City as being anywhere near Kansas or Missouri but
tells you that you’re in Independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And if you ask anyone, they’ll tell you that you’re not in Missouri, you’re
in Missourah, which doesn’t appear anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When you ask why they pronounce it Missourah, they look at you funny and
say “We don’t say Missourah…. We say Missouraaah, because that’s how it’s
spelled”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By that definition, Mississippi
should be Mississipaaah, I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirknl20Gqiv4UmuX-OMr3r3xj3mTGxwjNNgZkrKsQg9Sae93XVnFo3dy5jQrh5y0Lfq3u2E7uaXi0M3PyOMTJDjbQZrUz6R8g1K1yaHCSZU8W4vK1nGZUngyAqytdHdaaXUPhgIZCWtiUC/s1600/cavern+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirknl20Gqiv4UmuX-OMr3r3xj3mTGxwjNNgZkrKsQg9Sae93XVnFo3dy5jQrh5y0Lfq3u2E7uaXi0M3PyOMTJDjbQZrUz6R8g1K1yaHCSZU8W4vK1nGZUngyAqytdHdaaXUPhgIZCWtiUC/s200/cavern+2.JPG" width="150" /></a>After spending a couple of days in Kansas City and/or Independence
and possibly in Missouri somewhere, we headed for Springfield, which is also in
Missouri and doesn’t seem to come with any other names. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is so much to do in that area!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first we finally met one of our big challenges:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after only 18 months and 10 States, we found
bottles of Smuckers Sugar Free Syrup in a little tiny grocery store near the RV
resort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a momentous
occasion!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we went back there
twice to stock up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAutN0dmMNz-m9EXkTVYCU5eNS9t_ocBdPwFCp7tzGtM4qfSAwNwjSRFhTdCURdViQiUG9_g7aL-HH95O8gNyZRJy0nfyjLK_j0FBtMLYXltzOD3m8ugJoDxzhIJIgsaC8Q2QqtcVE25kh/s1600/fantastic+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAutN0dmMNz-m9EXkTVYCU5eNS9t_ocBdPwFCp7tzGtM4qfSAwNwjSRFhTdCURdViQiUG9_g7aL-HH95O8gNyZRJy0nfyjLK_j0FBtMLYXltzOD3m8ugJoDxzhIJIgsaC8Q2QqtcVE25kh/s200/fantastic+1.JPG" width="200" /></a>Then we spent a great afternoon taking a trolley tour
through the Fantastic Caverns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
like rocks this is the place to see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And they weren’t just local rocks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nope….they even had rocks from Sudbury! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe it’s pronounced “Sudburaaah”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4M9eIN5AdmaDW8GgqOafBRJ9r_66GLI5dhC57QgIxdMoTSAsuOiiBAlQXc8BP2cspWDBI-PFMLj9RsIsLEmU_RrTel17fDD0KXWCX0U-PFJV92G9tgpzGQI887YoSQQbeU6dUAXgaGsL7/s1600/cavern+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4M9eIN5AdmaDW8GgqOafBRJ9r_66GLI5dhC57QgIxdMoTSAsuOiiBAlQXc8BP2cspWDBI-PFMLj9RsIsLEmU_RrTel17fDD0KXWCX0U-PFJV92G9tgpzGQI887YoSQQbeU6dUAXgaGsL7/s200/cavern+3.JPG" width="150" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZ3mYNvU2wJoWWArUxcl3my-wQEFOSf3xZyAJ8yO3dlWj59wzlo6eoXZX__O_akpIH_I8KY9NGE-Qk-pIdnP5_ql66lyUJD_GPJqQ62y4egJLywQNsw1ykv7Atn8ttN7_GPL-3RhOytHB/s1600/precious+moments+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZ3mYNvU2wJoWWArUxcl3my-wQEFOSf3xZyAJ8yO3dlWj59wzlo6eoXZX__O_akpIH_I8KY9NGE-Qk-pIdnP5_ql66lyUJD_GPJqQ62y4egJLywQNsw1ykv7Atn8ttN7_GPL-3RhOytHB/s200/precious+moments+3.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWAFfBbrKsK_9YFpq4yobCXDTWJpor29dbOkLE7ts2X5xD5adzl4BHzNHt0IvC_kdnbEUAifbUVmyWM4zRhHO23YAYdBEWa9CxJPajJgAtHa9GZhpUbFhuPxUC2a3JVVNNnxvYLdc19bU/s1600/precious+moments+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWAFfBbrKsK_9YFpq4yobCXDTWJpor29dbOkLE7ts2X5xD5adzl4BHzNHt0IvC_kdnbEUAifbUVmyWM4zRhHO23YAYdBEWa9CxJPajJgAtHa9GZhpUbFhuPxUC2a3JVVNNnxvYLdc19bU/s200/precious+moments+1.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdw0HZqaMrOlz29P0Qv-TD8YWw32_aLgUYpQAKYoLbG2BQg6und6z6sA-usB0-X3HRo4gKLDT5KEirrNtFrr_S9WSmprXhz_PheX3WPezBygGJI2Wx3yWZ-RQWOnXK7KfgpIRjgLNQEjW/s1600/precious+moments+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdw0HZqaMrOlz29P0Qv-TD8YWw32_aLgUYpQAKYoLbG2BQg6und6z6sA-usB0-X3HRo4gKLDT5KEirrNtFrr_S9WSmprXhz_PheX3WPezBygGJI2Wx3yWZ-RQWOnXK7KfgpIRjgLNQEjW/s200/precious+moments+2.JPG" width="150" /></a>An hour away, we spent a great day at the Precious Moments
Museum and Chapel which is absolute proof that some people have way too much
time on their hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Precious Moments
figurines are adorable and there is literally one for every occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is a bit over the top though, to
see them featured in a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, if you can’t get to Rome, this is the
next best thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being early October, it
was also time to start thinking about Christmas (?) so they put up a gorgeous
tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most amazing part of the day,
though, was that all three of us walked out of there without buying anything!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another challenge met and conquered!</div>
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<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-57243584320722242832018-09-04T12:21:00.002-07:002018-09-04T12:24:36.635-07:00Potty Problems….. Slide Sorrows…. And Lots of Hair<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDIlzo6V7kFQzGMzPQJI70RTj1JF1ZtxDzlQOGAXCMT4b4GFYMKG9zHtjJpFZP6yi45M2YA-zP0crhuV4zriAIC0OqKbr-T9Jwvd5QgU7t9kft4uH8abhDhU_BspGfNVVi_LgeS25GU1T/s1600/Jeff+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="291" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDIlzo6V7kFQzGMzPQJI70RTj1JF1ZtxDzlQOGAXCMT4b4GFYMKG9zHtjJpFZP6yi45M2YA-zP0crhuV4zriAIC0OqKbr-T9Jwvd5QgU7t9kft4uH8abhDhU_BspGfNVVi_LgeS25GU1T/s200/Jeff+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I named my new Beast, Jeff – after the big, grey insatiable beast
in Men in Black. Turns out Jeff is also
insatiable…. for money.</div>
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First of all, let me explain about the toilet system in the RV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>STUPID</u></i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you flush, it makes a very loud,
grinding sound for 90 seconds both inside and outside the RV. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know how long 90 seconds can be when
you’re trying to be discreet? The thing all but screams “Hey everyone, I’m
going to the bathroom!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To really make sure that the system is as stupid and inefficient
as possible, the geniuses who designed it put the pump right under the bed – so
that you can’t flush at night without waking everyone up within 500 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
then they put the only access directly under the bed with a little, tiny panel
that might, if he hasn’t eaten a big lunch, fit a five-year old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out that there aren’t that many skinny,
five-year old mechanics out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have written to Fleetwood to tell them that they win the Award for Stupidity in
Design.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So there I was, on day 2 with Jeff and the little light in
the bathroom showed red all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
brochure said it should have been green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since I had never seen or heard of a toilet system like this, I wasn’t
all that concerned until it stopped flushing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now here’s an interesting thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no matter what time of year it is, or how
many RV repair places you can find, no one will look at your rv for 3
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seemed a little long to go
without flushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention it was
going to snow at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately,
the Cummins repair shop in Kansas City agreed to have a look – a fact I’m sure
they regretted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then in St. Louis, my big slide-out wouldn’t slide in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mobile RV repair person told me I had
sheared off a tiny little bolt which, apparently, holds up the entire weight of
one side of the RV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He replaced it, the slide
came in and I was on my way to Kansas City with both toilet and slide repair
now on the list.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They found a skinny mechanic who opened the panel and
discovered – no doubt to his horror – that the entire pump assembly had exploded
and the whole compartment was flooded with stuff…. and not nice stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of really smelly, ugly stuff that I will
leave to your imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The repairs for the toilet and slide came to $3000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
sure that $2000 of that was for pain and suffering.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrCwlm9VzPARu6xJn3M9bd9dZvRf0y-QUmXegAzbfCYxkL2uQgZW1_MPKvUzGxe6lIhONrwC34USJvzu-wAgvGTqfKfpHSCKAymO25bgAO-MYz5FKuA-rsgo7JAaTyVWybg4oaPVONsnI/s1600/hair+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrCwlm9VzPARu6xJn3M9bd9dZvRf0y-QUmXegAzbfCYxkL2uQgZW1_MPKvUzGxe6lIhONrwC34USJvzu-wAgvGTqfKfpHSCKAymO25bgAO-MYz5FKuA-rsgo7JAaTyVWybg4oaPVONsnI/s200/hair+3.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajt3lSrk_xd-A1J1EZ2OgADPb11rgZWlmQTF-vXtOye-GNthhQmTiS5WbtM9G_ch82ulboRUqVs2bowe2MRgYB-BTI_lM2BNdVIiqmERbCdxYofB_4dqHTW5koVBbseYM8SQJiHVdMg72/s1600/hair+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajt3lSrk_xd-A1J1EZ2OgADPb11rgZWlmQTF-vXtOye-GNthhQmTiS5WbtM9G_ch82ulboRUqVs2bowe2MRgYB-BTI_lM2BNdVIiqmERbCdxYofB_4dqHTW5koVBbseYM8SQJiHVdMg72/s200/hair+2.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMIv_17xJ0rYAV2GLhDA8ePnoPlyY-0E2o8Mbif_9PfmHktEV-poW5jYsN5rZfkCWLt_7n7oGOfKkPL9xluLt8wxryeQTVZEvZMjcUHsMrrjvk9ITbVQkXlbeYlCn8dE2-ULjp8Y0R5JV/s1600/hair+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMIv_17xJ0rYAV2GLhDA8ePnoPlyY-0E2o8Mbif_9PfmHktEV-poW5jYsN5rZfkCWLt_7n7oGOfKkPL9xluLt8wxryeQTVZEvZMjcUHsMrrjvk9ITbVQkXlbeYlCn8dE2-ULjp8Y0R5JV/s200/hair+1.JPG" width="150" /></a>Meanwhile, Woodchuck, Deadeye and I checked out a Hair Museum
in Kansas City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in Victorian times, the thing to do was make wreaths, jewelry and pictures out of the hair from dead people in your family. I have
visions of all these corpses being laid to rest after they’d been shaved
bald. To be fair, some of the hair was
taken from live persons too. It was
really quite an interesting thing to see and I came to the conclusion that
Victorians had way too much time on their hands. </div>
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We could have taken a course in how to do
hair weaving but it was $2500 for 3 days and, besides, all of our brothers are
bald so the wreaths wouldn’t have been complete. Plus I have no artistic talent.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgCnLOnFHru59GXwkqVmeQyuX5WgCdFVgCDX8h2WkWkPpZ5LkD8wiCn3BA57yePAswULqh4OEifqDKht6DOY02WajS9X3ThPEo4_YV60NRVKADPNC3nxlVD-g4WzX-HYqc8GUnXg7GNKM/s1600/hair+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgCnLOnFHru59GXwkqVmeQyuX5WgCdFVgCDX8h2WkWkPpZ5LkD8wiCn3BA57yePAswULqh4OEifqDKht6DOY02WajS9X3ThPEo4_YV60NRVKADPNC3nxlVD-g4WzX-HYqc8GUnXg7GNKM/s200/hair+4.JPG" width="150" /></a> Then we were off to Springfield and then Branson, Missouri. I got Jeff back and was happy to learn that I
could flush my toilet as often as I wanted, except at night. My slide, on the other hand, was still
causing problems.<br />
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<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-566081147941928412018-09-04T10:53:00.001-07:002018-09-04T10:55:58.231-07:00Where Did The Year Go!?I just checked my blog and realized I hadn’t written in a
year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My deepest apologies to the
person(s) who watched and waited in vain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know it’s been hard!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
plus side, you’re now going to have a year’s worth of reading to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much fun is that!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you should buy a case of beer first.<br />
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Where to start?<br />
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Well, after last year’s summer of mud, I left for BC on
September 12<sup>th</sup> which, amazingly, is the day that the gods suddenly
remembered that Ontario hadn’t had a summer yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think it’s any big coincidence that I
am, without a doubt, the cause of bad weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I show up, the temps drop by 10 degrees and it starts to rain or
worse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seriously thought of renting
myself out to those people who have major forest fires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could just show up and the weather gods
would take care of the problem. Last year was a bit excessive, though, even for
the rain gods.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN_nH1w2tnVH82kFD2-h-GnOqSAG4eQ_TraJGi7KbqAi-RkStR7LTQtPBlYmjin7j3X86tVGPemk0RPG6cdsyDSI395ATiyUodhhrFRTUhiZ0AwKOW-UnqiSsfEEHHYX0sEa28H87Jw5Y/s1600/Jeff+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN_nH1w2tnVH82kFD2-h-GnOqSAG4eQ_TraJGi7KbqAi-RkStR7LTQtPBlYmjin7j3X86tVGPemk0RPG6cdsyDSI395ATiyUodhhrFRTUhiZ0AwKOW-UnqiSsfEEHHYX0sEa28H87Jw5Y/s200/Jeff+2.JPG" width="200" /></a>All this time, I was waiting to take possession on the new
RV I bought in June 2017 to replace the poor old Beast, which ended its travels
by taking out a tree at the Pinery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s
a word of advice:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NEVER buy a vehicle
outside your home province!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
nightmare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before they would register
it, ICBC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">had</i> to see the RV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wouldn’t accept my photos or even the
dealer’s description and photos – nope they had to see it live and in
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I arranged for the unit to
be driven from Ontario to Cranbrook, BC, which was the closest town to the
Alberta border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After only 5 days of travel,
2000 miles, several hundred dollars worth of gas, and $600 dollars for my own
flight to Cranbrook (oh yeah…they had to see me too), it arrived in the parking
lot of the insurance company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ICBC rep
went out to see it and confirmed that yes, by god, it was an RV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took all of 3 minutes and that included
the walk across the parking lot.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDV73zeQE2CFLrCDwi0slnkY0QEQF2ahyphenhyphenx5zLHtQ1l70P1lVk5t0vDfd9up-SzqWvGA9u9YmG4xW7IAuZ0yTHK87BsHZjpyFk4d35Ii70P4gi3ff4pAmjaD9dpkvsmazdipE2gu6b8LNg7/s1600/Jeff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDV73zeQE2CFLrCDwi0slnkY0QEQF2ahyphenhyphenx5zLHtQ1l70P1lVk5t0vDfd9up-SzqWvGA9u9YmG4xW7IAuZ0yTHK87BsHZjpyFk4d35Ii70P4gi3ff4pAmjaD9dpkvsmazdipE2gu6b8LNg7/s1600/Jeff.JPG" /></a>But there was more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
turns out the dealer hadn’t sent the correct paperwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After only 8 hours of trying to figure out how
to insure the RV, we had to give up and wait for the correct paperwork to be
sent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I flew back to Vancouver to await
delivery and, 4 days later, flew back to Cranbook for round 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ICBC rep had to go back out to the RV to
confirm that yes, by god, it was still an RV but now it had to be weighed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, is anyboby’s guess since the weight of
it was clearly written on the door panel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the guys found a place that would weigh it and got that out of the
way but only because the insurance agent knew the guy weighing it and agreed
with his assessment that it was, by god, an RV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After only 4 hours, the RV was registered and insured and the guys were
ready to leave except for one little problem:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the weather gods figured out where I was and closed the one and only
highway out of town by dumping several inches of snow all over it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But eventually the highway was reopened and
the guys brought my RV back to Ontario, all safe and sound.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_Szko4RbcA6pd-RQpIupGicseEjM2H8DJ-YYOkZgYk4_3xQxUEOMdXw-IU1FGMH5c9T_C5G6N5RPJaYrfKldv5rfCLie3zaXoQyOfB_saJdKtzQ8PsIFVJq8tuGlK6cpJqOGcaLZfpi4/s1600/Billy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_Szko4RbcA6pd-RQpIupGicseEjM2H8DJ-YYOkZgYk4_3xQxUEOMdXw-IU1FGMH5c9T_C5G6N5RPJaYrfKldv5rfCLie3zaXoQyOfB_saJdKtzQ8PsIFVJq8tuGlK6cpJqOGcaLZfpi4/s200/Billy.JPG" width="200" /></a>Meanwhile, back in BC, my brother, Rusty Lugnuts and his
wife, Lulu Lugnuts, and I decided to spend an afternoon idly looking at RVs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out it wasn’t so idle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They bought a gorgeous 38 foot Holiday Rambler
they nicknamed “Billy” (as in Billy Holiday).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems that there’s going to be a Prieur convoy starting in 2018!</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-47723460200057192392017-09-03T09:40:00.001-07:002017-09-03T09:53:41.310-07:00Whaddaya Mean, It's September!?<div class="MsoNormal">
Where did August go?
Or for that matter, July? If we’re
going to get a heat wave, the weather gods had better get a move on! I bought 2 cords of wood in June and I’ve
still got a half a bag left! Normally, a
bag of wood lasts me 3 weeks.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Y63rPvwc61rlmG9abXubu6VPbTPnmDrp1r_HrEqOiyKeeQk1ewxdY9as66NhhSv2rzYJiu4CDYLYrkedevgw4nIC-Ye2tAf1WTrq4IcLMxhXcb74rbz8RxDt4K-gyHepPoZtoETDD6ov/s1600/image2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Y63rPvwc61rlmG9abXubu6VPbTPnmDrp1r_HrEqOiyKeeQk1ewxdY9as66NhhSv2rzYJiu4CDYLYrkedevgw4nIC-Ye2tAf1WTrq4IcLMxhXcb74rbz8RxDt4K-gyHepPoZtoETDD6ov/s200/image2.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYm4Z_1VAf87G9E-xVnX1sDAZUua0BDyJb-6YNtrxzxerf9SuZxA-QMgBxvCuw6JT4fhXN-NbTH8Y3uvEKO8nddBqbjylHnarCS5a7gIwmbtIc-C0eGqrDN5HsncUXeK0v1Bc2lhRRbei1/s1600/Lake+Agnew+falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYm4Z_1VAf87G9E-xVnX1sDAZUua0BDyJb-6YNtrxzxerf9SuZxA-QMgBxvCuw6JT4fhXN-NbTH8Y3uvEKO8nddBqbjylHnarCS5a7gIwmbtIc-C0eGqrDN5HsncUXeK0v1Bc2lhRRbei1/s200/Lake+Agnew+falls.jpg" width="150" /></a>We’ve had an action packed month, though. Loads of visitors (as per previous
post). Plus we went to visit our brother
Denis and sister-in-law Lynne at the private campground they’re in. If I could get a private campsite like they
have, I’d give it some serious thought.
This place is beautiful! We spent
a glorious day on their boat. Woodchuck
and Deadeye tried fishing but all they caught was grass. On the plus side, Agnew Lake now has several
feet of new sandy beaches thanks to them.
The worm population is kind of glad we left, though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9s29nGA-RsWuW1Y2BiV4BvNg-5cYpKLT4h0tsNaWo99-yQD_juLn_qJKy0ForU7xuPdxIOS9ZepvC3REcEY2vnUciGZOG91jGlLgfphVWi7GD3ioqOk_yPXb_J5fUFd3XNlCk97tYlbk/s1600/Jac+fishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9s29nGA-RsWuW1Y2BiV4BvNg-5cYpKLT4h0tsNaWo99-yQD_juLn_qJKy0ForU7xuPdxIOS9ZepvC3REcEY2vnUciGZOG91jGlLgfphVWi7GD3ioqOk_yPXb_J5fUFd3XNlCk97tYlbk/s200/Jac+fishing.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hairy dude in the pic is Denis<br />
Woodchuck is cleaning the lake and drowning worms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And RRR (Road Rage Rita), my travelling companion and communications engineer, turned 88 in August. And she still has more energy than I have!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We kicked off September with Woodchuck’s birthday. A nice breakfast complete with surly server
followed by a tour of the French River Trading Post, which included, of course, the purchase
of fudge, a visit to the French River Information Centre, which has been on our
to-do list for many years, and then an afternoon playing dominoes in the
sun. That’s right…..sun! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD_56DCsPtcwfAo2yshn-JRH92790A0IkzYwyWh-xau2CAcSBuzr2_3t-s1ojXFRSuTsiDkneFPAT6AtkFtMDSCdmg_Wb1JFTX6zJlj2yTHukzb6gAoZjQWXFh447cbV5C16i-v8_VnZM/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="565" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD_56DCsPtcwfAo2yshn-JRH92790A0IkzYwyWh-xau2CAcSBuzr2_3t-s1ojXFRSuTsiDkneFPAT6AtkFtMDSCdmg_Wb1JFTX6zJlj2yTHukzb6gAoZjQWXFh447cbV5C16i-v8_VnZM/s200/IMG_1671.JPG" width="200" /></a><o:p>My sisters are packing up to leave on Tuesday and I'm going to tough it out for another week. Mostly that's so I can get the kayak dry - every time it comes close, we get rained on!</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>Still don't have the new Beast. It turns out that it's very hard to purchase a vehicle in another province when you don't intend to bring it home at any time. I've done the mountains 3 times....that's 3 times too many. Ah well, it'll all work out!</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-81130027864445183822017-08-25T08:35:00.003-07:002017-08-25T08:43:17.976-07:00The Summer of Mud<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxk6NyPwJ9Lk0ayR9BSuXQ3Kg2NjAElYUJK1Bk57CB-ab9Ut_AfRURwLXhAsWkbVq1TUkWzKKqPfD2Ue3DJO7WMukGN3ldd1qT544gQb3NIO8BvHp-lh04vl2cejDRUfqIMW84aPrCxbs/s1600/IMG_2171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxk6NyPwJ9Lk0ayR9BSuXQ3Kg2NjAElYUJK1Bk57CB-ab9Ut_AfRURwLXhAsWkbVq1TUkWzKKqPfD2Ue3DJO7WMukGN3ldd1qT544gQb3NIO8BvHp-lh04vl2cejDRUfqIMW84aPrCxbs/s200/IMG_2171.jpg" width="150" /></a>It’s pretty bad that you have to wait for WINTER in order to
have some hope of a hot, sunny day. On
the other hand, if you’re a big fan of mud, Grundy Lake is the place for
you. It felt like we were sitting on a
giant pottery wheel – clay and mud everywhere.
Some puddles have never dried up.
We were getting a tan, somehow, until we figured out that it was just
rust.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
How wet was it? For
the first time in our memory, they cancelled 155 reservations because the lots
were underwater, in early July. Some
people had up to eight skids on their lots, just so they could walk around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUFR3vJt8QXXYDQllM8pWAy19ilc0xcCLz8usxIKWBvBNIt9DNlrqzRlt4a_V42U08iMSWVHZm8BziiKSmpB4p2_8yi2cfPyLgybWrrGdkqAdfQ-aCZ_D3fiD6pM5sEuxgZFWcMNG1oUG/s1600/IMG_2180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUFR3vJt8QXXYDQllM8pWAy19ilc0xcCLz8usxIKWBvBNIt9DNlrqzRlt4a_V42U08iMSWVHZm8BziiKSmpB4p2_8yi2cfPyLgybWrrGdkqAdfQ-aCZ_D3fiD6pM5sEuxgZFWcMNG1oUG/s200/IMG_2180.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzsH-tLlBqjLuBbTlZ3IoZBpNhjdcipD5V_3n4FUHp-Ade369sfFhHgbr_cJsK-d-B-c_z_wakoJar-vly7I-xVibVT4685YHC9HTJaA_YY-qDVmfay3N4KUhBaNawyeozon8wc4iah0Z/s1600/IMG_2175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzsH-tLlBqjLuBbTlZ3IoZBpNhjdcipD5V_3n4FUHp-Ade369sfFhHgbr_cJsK-d-B-c_z_wakoJar-vly7I-xVibVT4685YHC9HTJaA_YY-qDVmfay3N4KUhBaNawyeozon8wc4iah0Z/s200/IMG_2175.jpg" width="150" /></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a few days of sunshine and sort of warmer weather,
but mostly we’d get a couple of days of sunshine followed by several days of
rain and/or cold. Normally, I would swim
every day and there was a stretch where I swam 5 days in a row. However, in August I’ve been down to one or
two swims a week. My svelte, swimmer’s
body is taking a beating.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq81ofzr2ijJ9bp9sDhhGLbXyMKlt5xzeLBBqjGqnmNpwksESvsgGaBeMxOpP44J-KiEt5RcPqeqzE7RqK-sCrLJv_EfvOXLmRc-klLtSespTPoJNu6wRHr0X-kVmjAK3YHFw1qS3clZsG/s1600/Addy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq81ofzr2ijJ9bp9sDhhGLbXyMKlt5xzeLBBqjGqnmNpwksESvsgGaBeMxOpP44J-KiEt5RcPqeqzE7RqK-sCrLJv_EfvOXLmRc-klLtSespTPoJNu6wRHr0X-kVmjAK3YHFw1qS3clZsG/s200/Addy.jpeg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40GMTK_HJf3J8GFpPbydh9Mrh0IjlsOf3qL93yAW1eW1jpugvTl7Wn5GXPkhNJcY-GDoCPZlWPNY6md8GL_eUhonqkuEzmvjS5UN6x5CcoUtiBF6ZZdH0pAX6oSYGbyboempqqvMUAJBa/s1600/addy+kissing+cat+%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1117" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40GMTK_HJf3J8GFpPbydh9Mrh0IjlsOf3qL93yAW1eW1jpugvTl7Wn5GXPkhNJcY-GDoCPZlWPNY6md8GL_eUhonqkuEzmvjS5UN6x5CcoUtiBF6ZZdH0pAX6oSYGbyboempqqvMUAJBa/s200/addy+kissing+cat+%25282%2529.jpeg" width="200" /></a>But a bad day at Grundy is still better than a good day anywhere
else. We’ve had quite a few visitors
this year including our brother Denis and a bunch of “greats”, that is a great-niece and two
great-nephews, along with their parents who are just as great but not great, if
you know what I mean. They’re just plain
old nieces and nephews but it was great (get it?) to see Ryan and Megan and
Addison and Kris and Isabelle and Luke and Nikki and Isaac and David. Little Addison was just about to turn one and
kept us on our toes all day. It was hard
to get a photo of her: it redefined the
need for a zoom lens. We did get a great
shot of Addy kissing Tessa’s tail though.
We’re not sure Tessa was impressed.
The boys were hilarious and full of energy: I can see why parents look more tired than
their kids sometimes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A highlight was when our cousin Carmen and her partner Ted
came out and brought our Uncle Pete.
Stupidly, we forgot to take a picture.
It sure was nice to see them and we had a great afternoon visit. Also on a sunny day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Hmmm…. sunshine and heat:
although they all came on separate days, amazingly they all picked times
when the weather was excellent. I’m
sensing a theme here: maybe the idea is
to have a flow of visitors so the weather gods will look kindly upon us. Easier than sacrificing a virgin or a goat,
which was plan A. We’ll talk.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-3313842041741219422017-08-18T11:26:00.003-07:002017-08-18T11:29:50.741-07:00Requiem For The Beast<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mBv793HBTn7J1i9pPE66R-_YK77Hjle1tLPWt4IwavIuUh0zFxr3PIwg4YRQLxwTm5dDXDNtxhCfpcu6H35X2YcksfQRjbBZJmTGmQUvRWV3gT4_WGdyNSXnhflDOhZZaUkGV3OPODIa/s1600/IMG_2887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mBv793HBTn7J1i9pPE66R-_YK77Hjle1tLPWt4IwavIuUh0zFxr3PIwg4YRQLxwTm5dDXDNtxhCfpcu6H35X2YcksfQRjbBZJmTGmQUvRWV3gT4_WGdyNSXnhflDOhZZaUkGV3OPODIa/s200/IMG_2887.JPG" width="150" /></a>Several issues arose this year, during my travels with the
Beast. The passenger window is so fogged
up that I can barely see the mirror:
cost to fix it is $1000. There
are 3 other windows that are also fogged – and also would cost $1000 each to
fix. Then we discovered that the seal
around the dining table window was leaking – I should say that Woodchuck
discovered this when her butt got all wet during a game of dominoes. On the plus side, her butt soakage dried up
the cushion. Then there was the Kankakee
Spark Plug Incident of ’17. And finally,
many parks are getting kinda snooty when it comes to what they will let into
their little oases, and units have to be no more than 10 years old. The Beast is going to be 19 and it’s showing
its age – particularly since 2 panels got crunched when I hit a tree.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Over the past couple of years, I’ve put a lot of money into
repairs and replacing worn out things. After
awhile, it started to add up. And with a
19 year old vehicle, it was going to add up pretty fast.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnrXWJ5WmWU5eHII0JS4lv5NJeD3dU3DnBIk3TZ506jTQIzI0BkX5G5w5Yb-Z6uR3OWgjlkiLwuEf_S8r4AnH4cj0H-oqyKfp37MLrmhdy5kDIdDQiMjSiPC0wQkmDByL9rKPu7Ayz49D/s1600/IMG_2085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnrXWJ5WmWU5eHII0JS4lv5NJeD3dU3DnBIk3TZ506jTQIzI0BkX5G5w5Yb-Z6uR3OWgjlkiLwuEf_S8r4AnH4cj0H-oqyKfp37MLrmhdy5kDIdDQiMjSiPC0wQkmDByL9rKPu7Ayz49D/s200/IMG_2085.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhki3q0PhQAf6ZDEn2R1nhRk8fNRykFuNPbgnoczi5qq6ZeQK_RxId6FOFffVEfH3ipVObxmWZVhRES6DBuQ0HOKysDla1vPqNFOU6xME2o_rjOmYoAa7k8qs-NmqwdL5t-uRK10Ldj2LeK/s1600/IMG_2093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhki3q0PhQAf6ZDEn2R1nhRk8fNRykFuNPbgnoczi5qq6ZeQK_RxId6FOFffVEfH3ipVObxmWZVhRES6DBuQ0HOKysDla1vPqNFOU6xME2o_rjOmYoAa7k8qs-NmqwdL5t-uRK10Ldj2LeK/s200/IMG_2093.JPG" width="200" /></a>The end result is that
I decided to retire Beast 1 and move onto Beast 2. I’m going to miss the old guy – loads of
room, a table big enough to play
dominoes on, reliable (except for spark plugs), and just altogether a “me” kind
of RV. But it was time to move on and so now, meet
Beast #2. I’ll be taking possession just
before we leave for Yuma. I love the
layout and all those snooty parks will be happy that its not an old, bagged-out
unit. At least, until I hit a tree.<o:p></o:p></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-29366981615143209672017-08-12T12:01:00.001-07:002017-08-12T14:28:59.764-07:00Easter Eggs and Blown Spark Plugs<div class="MsoNormal">
We headed north from Memphis, stopping overnight in Benton
and then heading for Kankakee. Mostly we
wanted to go to Kankakee because the name Kankakee is really cool. Kankakee…..Kankakee. See what I mean?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-1lFfghVvcsENSCQVeVf_z6zvPnMUMMv_msc-O5qZ8ALmwoun0FzLCGHTGpt-3ixS1KTEKbg9S4HfDlnbQKPAX87hiVcmbOsf8l3XJ9snVm2m2QOzPvaaEP9DniONn_Ezh4sfotSW0_f/s1600/IMG_1649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-1lFfghVvcsENSCQVeVf_z6zvPnMUMMv_msc-O5qZ8ALmwoun0FzLCGHTGpt-3ixS1KTEKbg9S4HfDlnbQKPAX87hiVcmbOsf8l3XJ9snVm2m2QOzPvaaEP9DniONn_Ezh4sfotSW0_f/s200/IMG_1649.JPG" width="200" /></a>About 20 miles outside of Kankakee, the Beast decided it had
other plans. I had just finished telling
Lulu that the old boy was doing pretty well, when a familiar banging/rattling
noise issued from the engine. Yup….blew
another spark plug. Fortunately, I had
remembered to renew Coachnet so, a couple of hours later a tow truck appeared
and took us to the town of Watseka for service.
Watseka is tiny – you can’t even find it with Mapquest - but it has a
huge Ford dealership and the people couldn’t have been nicer! We boondocked overnight in the parking lot
and the next day repairs got started on the Beast while we went out and took in
the sights. It took about 20 minutes
(the sightseeing, not the repairs). We
found a little second-hand shop where I bought really cool birdhouse lights and
we found a Chinese food buffet which was really good. We had a bit of a scare when they told us
that the previous repairs to the spark plugs might require extensive work, but
in the end everything worked out and we were on our way to Kankakee.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLalHg130qd-bHiZ0s6iK5VPuYzdNI4xTH3zTIbSVxOao3ZFIa3hX5Hm27KYmav8sPdaMVgBEpV1hUto87ZymGyzwoyINrX_w_s8DHYW-Y-2u9aO_bqSKP9dImm-rONcyOBNHtFfhgwMv/s1600/IMG_2860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLalHg130qd-bHiZ0s6iK5VPuYzdNI4xTH3zTIbSVxOao3ZFIa3hX5Hm27KYmav8sPdaMVgBEpV1hUto87ZymGyzwoyINrX_w_s8DHYW-Y-2u9aO_bqSKP9dImm-rONcyOBNHtFfhgwMv/s200/IMG_2860.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<br />
Since we were only staying one night, we did what we do
best. Food. Specifically, Easter Egg cookies. We decorated them all up and admired them for
about 30 seconds before eating them. Are
we the wild and crazy ones or what?!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-21148524969374562462017-08-11T13:25:00.004-07:002017-08-11T21:14:55.158-07:00Walkin' 'Round With Your Lip Poke Out<div class="MsoNormal">
Memphisians….that is, Memphisites….that is the people of
Memphis are bilingual. Both languages
are English but one is an English that the majority of non-Memphians can
understand and the other, isn’t. We
learned this one day, during a tour of the city, when a number of non-tourists
sat on the bus and proceeded to relate a story about someone that had been or
was in the process of doing something upsetting or was having something (or
perhaps had had something) upsetting done to them or to someone they knew. We couldn’t understand much of what they were
saying except for the last part: it
seems the person in question was “walkin’ ‘round with his lip poke out”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I don’t know about you, but I thought that that was
perhaps the best description of someone in the throes of upset that I have ever
heard!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpDmg5E2kZu8hNWZqzETREuS9ZWTh6kfWFKAyGDrc8gfbKrifTasX_LjXCl4b5WrKEt4ynLpkMpT0Zik68CgVdfPpMf0NbduHwduvUCXonCXZVKX3eSe-yGhKPqm0YsP5Jdk-Lf7OPHrl/s1600/IMG_1600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpDmg5E2kZu8hNWZqzETREuS9ZWTh6kfWFKAyGDrc8gfbKrifTasX_LjXCl4b5WrKEt4ynLpkMpT0Zik68CgVdfPpMf0NbduHwduvUCXonCXZVKX3eSe-yGhKPqm0YsP5Jdk-Lf7OPHrl/s200/IMG_1600.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoH1bvfI_KBSueo9LILWoccjoTi0FDI2ASRJ3qIWbXOp0Lt6RKrDFraf4ayKVnKYLofM8yGyefiR1PTe4rgApyWu4VqvpSuyxXrlY67vP_AJvadGyAK5BTuue8PEZOdwtMWTk8aHzLrJK/s1600/IMG_1597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoH1bvfI_KBSueo9LILWoccjoTi0FDI2ASRJ3qIWbXOp0Lt6RKrDFraf4ayKVnKYLofM8yGyefiR1PTe4rgApyWu4VqvpSuyxXrlY67vP_AJvadGyAK5BTuue8PEZOdwtMWTk8aHzLrJK/s200/IMG_1597.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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So we were back in Memphis and had a great time. Lulu and I took an interesting tour of the
city which showed us Graceland, the pyramid that is the Bass Pro Shop, Beale Street
and a ton of other sights.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEZq7NK-JDIlmaG6SOol52k7CGpPaaWVX10-lOLxHsCYBmCJEEEpZSf6Rc7q4eclQFT35-GGAhrefs_M-0vAWzLEIVGLpXUKaaXZNU2oSTxehpMf5CO3nlfTW5Fl_WCj4Q-1anBw0xF55/s1600/IMG_1617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEZq7NK-JDIlmaG6SOol52k7CGpPaaWVX10-lOLxHsCYBmCJEEEpZSf6Rc7q4eclQFT35-GGAhrefs_M-0vAWzLEIVGLpXUKaaXZNU2oSTxehpMf5CO3nlfTW5Fl_WCj4Q-1anBw0xF55/s200/IMG_1617.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xm7NlTAhhli4o3BUui20BpBDyCbvE3574vSJ1DZehtUGTP6FzZvMv4ZG3rzayTSceQeJjripZ-hOM0Hnmis6zo7nduRHlg2nDBqoJYCKJWHPL2A1VTqwTmn_Pj5IsUXu6HsAiDqdnvdd/s1600/IMG_1616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xm7NlTAhhli4o3BUui20BpBDyCbvE3574vSJ1DZehtUGTP6FzZvMv4ZG3rzayTSceQeJjripZ-hOM0Hnmis6zo7nduRHlg2nDBqoJYCKJWHPL2A1VTqwTmn_Pj5IsUXu6HsAiDqdnvdd/s200/IMG_1616.JPG" width="200" /></a>Once JJ and Deadeye arrived, we started to wander
around a bit more. The highlight for us
was the Pink Palace. It’s a great place,
full of history, costumes and fossils and, arguably, the slowest cafeteria
staff in the world. How slow are they,
you ask? A slug would lap them. We arrived one hour before an iMax show we
wanted to see and we were still waiting for sandwiches long after the movie
started. And they weren’t even fancy
sandwiches! Our lips were poked out at
that point, but the rest of the day made up for it.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o5NhPK86tIufQW3l4-dPSy009eMyX6uamuW5CVD78qUemjR0uH7O0t-PSWY377iILKVdkqu8ZfRMTpqlnMOO_MvSPNHfafQAlOSLfjVgYCoOPcN-ZBUzzIsz9-V0XN1pcvT85f_GdijY/s1600/IMG_1622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o5NhPK86tIufQW3l4-dPSy009eMyX6uamuW5CVD78qUemjR0uH7O0t-PSWY377iILKVdkqu8ZfRMTpqlnMOO_MvSPNHfafQAlOSLfjVgYCoOPcN-ZBUzzIsz9-V0XN1pcvT85f_GdijY/s200/IMG_1622.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was made from hair!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrzykDxHcvEnsBLo0M9Oy406em7g7myz15JeRVQCqVxVV5njM6H4bHwvn_VqYLPBo9wqnfWYJlU9JP5DMkV5clQnThfux4JIyS64LJenlEfO1oAFluOg0WvzLeP0CTpGkiXF1IetbPOZf/s1600/IMG_1610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrzykDxHcvEnsBLo0M9Oy406em7g7myz15JeRVQCqVxVV5njM6H4bHwvn_VqYLPBo9wqnfWYJlU9JP5DMkV5clQnThfux4JIyS64LJenlEfO1oAFluOg0WvzLeP0CTpGkiXF1IetbPOZf/s200/IMG_1610.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC3P22brHDNZZnla5FGmuwoiiE_oW6nQC6oGn7jm69Dv18zT9ld-k-ffRAqYaQGJYz3qmx1J657CQRqwKtLlimugZ0CCihXluZAijxQ95PCbnpAP2DjObHSzjDwDaOKtwZajIbhBJUiau/s1600/Memorial_Park_Cemetery_Crystal_Shrine_Grotto_Interior_Memphis_TN_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC3P22brHDNZZnla5FGmuwoiiE_oW6nQC6oGn7jm69Dv18zT9ld-k-ffRAqYaQGJYz3qmx1J657CQRqwKtLlimugZ0CCihXluZAijxQ95PCbnpAP2DjObHSzjDwDaOKtwZajIbhBJUiau/s200/Memorial_Park_Cemetery_Crystal_Shrine_Grotto_Interior_Memphis_TN_4.jpg" width="200" /></a>We also made it to the Crystal Shrine Grotto which is
located in a beautiful cemetery. The
outside of the grotto looks like an elf’s house but the inside is covered is
semi-precious stones and features religious scenes. It’s impressive as heck.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXprfhki6DPLqxjXOpDYzFwIcfSu2bAeOuLjdVSl2uJZ5r-OTaGSQ0sJLKIlAuYWXCJJ2baGyFSb92Z3HMsVj6yCwe_HOUH0ylkgpJZKfvYTNitUCu4N9s9UESqCMVC4T_OQ8xWDF2Zao/s1600/crystal-shrine-grotto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="550" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXprfhki6DPLqxjXOpDYzFwIcfSu2bAeOuLjdVSl2uJZ5r-OTaGSQ0sJLKIlAuYWXCJJ2baGyFSb92Z3HMsVj6yCwe_HOUH0ylkgpJZKfvYTNitUCu4N9s9UESqCMVC4T_OQ8xWDF2Zao/s200/crystal-shrine-grotto.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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We didn’t stay in Memphis long…. But we sure had a good
time!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-17421190826873991852017-08-10T22:33:00.000-07:002017-08-11T21:14:23.810-07:00A Tad Windy, But The People Are Really Friendly<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_UHjYdrjHmXqjtBg9lzDfZhyphenhyphenJ4oKAD3OSp27pTb3dYcapxX3yG_ctvudVM0VYYCXMpzLygLvol2XlT57-2J29bYNXBWCTfJObUZ_Ktdfz23MS_QafCj2RDcEszWHziHYGQ5dXnDHTqJQ/s1600/IMG_1559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_UHjYdrjHmXqjtBg9lzDfZhyphenhyphenJ4oKAD3OSp27pTb3dYcapxX3yG_ctvudVM0VYYCXMpzLygLvol2XlT57-2J29bYNXBWCTfJObUZ_Ktdfz23MS_QafCj2RDcEszWHziHYGQ5dXnDHTqJQ/s200/IMG_1559.JPG" width="200" /></a>After Louisiana, we headed north to Mississippi. Now, the accent in Texas is fairly easy to
understand. The accent in Louisiana is
completely different (almost French) but still easy to understand. Just go a few minutes north of there, though,
and you would swear you were on another planet.
The accent in Mississippi….well, let’s just say that we spent a lot of
time asking them to repeat themselves.
And they had trouble understanding us!
You could tell by the way they would stare at our mouths, trying to make
out the words.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiUUI6uPtAczMJGl2upoH5Q540xvDFmH7m2EDNIKUYQtG4sYaqtX7urm2zl5djZ4GoQbH3O3LhfOFqHqGTJCVhB_31TbMIDIxAyjgTs5S9WCBn4R8Br_f6eopmyWDInLYitMWOgzLLot9/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiUUI6uPtAczMJGl2upoH5Q540xvDFmH7m2EDNIKUYQtG4sYaqtX7urm2zl5djZ4GoQbH3O3LhfOFqHqGTJCVhB_31TbMIDIxAyjgTs5S9WCBn4R8Br_f6eopmyWDInLYitMWOgzLLot9/s200/IMG_1566.JPG" width="200" /></a>We arrived in Vicksburg and fell in love with that city all
over again. There is so much to see and
do in that area: the murals, the
antebellum homes (complete with cannonballs), the incredible civil war memorial
park, the crawfish boil, the Mississippi Fever sauce, the tornado warnings. But the thing that stood out the most was
just how friendly the people are. It has
to be the friendliest town in North America. At first, you’re a bit nervous – like in those
movies when all the friendly people turn out to be a cult that is trying to
lure you into demonic sacrifices – but after awhile you just go with the flow
and really start to enjoy it.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJMTKWgvJuRk5-kcZCOyssw2AiKrq4UZzFhcn3-7khguQ41Gw2xSnhaMxv8fCRvyZ1S3BtouIgB_76aNl-ytouQcA5ReCGF7g_WFlQqVC-3MX-b6Xd1KQP_aXUXBuUYxOCzUCw4u6k88t/s1600/IMG_1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJMTKWgvJuRk5-kcZCOyssw2AiKrq4UZzFhcn3-7khguQ41Gw2xSnhaMxv8fCRvyZ1S3BtouIgB_76aNl-ytouQcA5ReCGF7g_WFlQqVC-3MX-b6Xd1KQP_aXUXBuUYxOCzUCw4u6k88t/s200/IMG_1554.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lulu Started Xmas Shopping!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7jQVo2SUFYZWCYhuR_1Nf8dCDxjkariKXf-CxdHVyk5GPT2-mIHTkN2myp8ojjAFpt39IbAbdAoF_egA7lt8Ccl47i7hyhBIR-rtRODKX2C6SlDIxTT2XNbdzx6h3U5Nuu9Hbw11iHna/s1600/crawfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="238" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7jQVo2SUFYZWCYhuR_1Nf8dCDxjkariKXf-CxdHVyk5GPT2-mIHTkN2myp8ojjAFpt39IbAbdAoF_egA7lt8Ccl47i7hyhBIR-rtRODKX2C6SlDIxTT2XNbdzx6h3U5Nuu9Hbw11iHna/s200/crawfish.jpg" width="200" /></a>Lulu Lugnuts and I were sitting at a café, just taking a
breather, when a rough-looking guy pulled up in a massive pick up truck. He rolled down his window and wished us a
nice day! Not two minutes later, another
guy came jogging around the corner, slowed down as he went by and also wished
us a pleasant afternoon. Then there were
the people at the casino who took time out of their evening to come over and
give us a crash course in decapitating crawfish. The crawfish boil was great but a little too
much work for minimal return, in my humble opinion. And
the friendliness lasted throughout our stay:
my two sisters, JJ (don’t let her near anything covered in icing sugar) and
Deadeye (don’t let her near a gun), told me they were pulling out of the RV
park and two teenage girls stopped on the sidewalk to wave to them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIov1Dtm-Hse4xhM4TcpIphHWbn0lqWGk9xV2Plni7Em9BzNCMPCyZh6KW00no7sXTN5QRH5cSbExsziaMrzAcaf8p-C2Fkt-fRC3-G1hGImJnN2aH97ZKEp5MF34MiAUyvdf5Fk8LlwT/s1600/IMG_1537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIov1Dtm-Hse4xhM4TcpIphHWbn0lqWGk9xV2Plni7Em9BzNCMPCyZh6KW00no7sXTN5QRH5cSbExsziaMrzAcaf8p-C2Fkt-fRC3-G1hGImJnN2aH97ZKEp5MF34MiAUyvdf5Fk8LlwT/s200/IMG_1537.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVljg3tBqwseUfJQvI2NkysC_LzEhFJCtiu2tIJiCbUW8ejHl-qBMZvqL-f7-Nzm4z9uKFR4Ax3cgPrNBgbn6kdh4AOj294lMulU5sXYbMVGmW1SjH9lpMQcBAeB3HflTFj_vHTcYYKnP7/s1600/IMG_1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVljg3tBqwseUfJQvI2NkysC_LzEhFJCtiu2tIJiCbUW8ejHl-qBMZvqL-f7-Nzm4z9uKFR4Ax3cgPrNBgbn6kdh4AOj294lMulU5sXYbMVGmW1SjH9lpMQcBAeB3HflTFj_vHTcYYKnP7/s200/IMG_1546.JPG" width="200" /></a>We were awed by the civil war memorial park and spent an
entire day there, looking at all the monuments. We were then treated to a fantastic crawfish
boil at a local casino. You pile a huge
metal pan full of the mudbugs, tear their heads off and eat the tails. It’s messy and you only get one biteful of
food at a time but it’s great fun. Last
but not least we tried our first (and probably last) mint juleps while sitting
under a Lalique chandelier in an antebellum mansion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NACpMRpI6GCKgI5xlnNBAqpq_5TnDJxpibmoAMPaBRrabof5e5-2fqH2Sz9Qt2AOJMYlI7RoSnGqfeVpfV-8zUmWAccAI-3zj0F0a9YtMQQxrKNx87KgHr6hdQAsoDPcDPJ4xEu5Wygm/s1600/IMG_1576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NACpMRpI6GCKgI5xlnNBAqpq_5TnDJxpibmoAMPaBRrabof5e5-2fqH2Sz9Qt2AOJMYlI7RoSnGqfeVpfV-8zUmWAccAI-3zj0F0a9YtMQQxrKNx87KgHr6hdQAsoDPcDPJ4xEu5Wygm/s200/IMG_1576.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3-WsXauluzFU58n4EGpHvIFxuL7GWLi7Xa38ObC_FGqikMbAXwXhbi-z-wuZUM128bjmaioSP6mWza5u9K68w7ZZHiYqdx5rH0rGlTe-rbQ0Zpm58SMEtEqkLzpwHlcNDAD_8140OWCF/s1600/IMG_1579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3-WsXauluzFU58n4EGpHvIFxuL7GWLi7Xa38ObC_FGqikMbAXwXhbi-z-wuZUM128bjmaioSP6mWza5u9K68w7ZZHiYqdx5rH0rGlTe-rbQ0Zpm58SMEtEqkLzpwHlcNDAD_8140OWCF/s200/IMG_1579.JPG" width="150" /></a>Not all was sunshine and and mint juleps in Vicksburg,
though. We got a tornado warning….several
of them in fact. To the point where we
wanted to hide our phones because they wouldn’t stop bleating out
warnings. What to do? What to do? It was pitch dark out, raining heavily, there
was well over 6 inches of water on the ground with whitecaps on the waves and
almost everyone in the park was heading to the office for shelter. So we did the only thing possible. That’s right…. We ordered pizza. And true to the friendliness of the people of
Vicksburg, the pizza delivery guy said “you know there’s a tornado warning,
right?”. Uh huh. But our thinking was that a) we weren’t going
to abandon the cat and she sure as heck was not going to be happy getting all
wet, b) we were all together so if we
died, well at least we were all together, c) little boys who lie grow up to be
weathermen so you can’t trust their predictions, d) there wasn’t enough pizza
for everyone in the shelter and e) it was really good pizza. So we rode out the storm which touched down
about a mile from us and caused some damage.<br />
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After drying out, we headed for Memphis on our way
home. But we’ll be back!<o:p></o:p></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-12387956984207296862017-08-08T22:03:00.001-07:002017-08-08T22:11:48.001-07:00Beignets, Boudin and Bayous<div class="MsoNormal">
We love Louisiana!
You really can’t beat a place that can offer both Beignets and Boudin
Balls as an everyday meal and then entertain you with a 10 foot alligator
coming up beside your boat in a sex-crazed frenzy. You just can’t get that in Canada.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Em_CRgufQqbUBPhC3kgCJFlqFlSIwAiBE77A7zapQtnEeM6eVNDs-d9Pt0q1qr87nsFae72oE5yiQ9GUbXxV6e8_p6-7JAok1r2kS803c_mW2IEkXdL1CzSKXn0lt99nGg1KCp_SMN7Q/s1600/IMG_1361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Em_CRgufQqbUBPhC3kgCJFlqFlSIwAiBE77A7zapQtnEeM6eVNDs-d9Pt0q1qr87nsFae72oE5yiQ9GUbXxV6e8_p6-7JAok1r2kS803c_mW2IEkXdL1CzSKXn0lt99nGg1KCp_SMN7Q/s200/IMG_1361.JPG" width="150" /></a>We left Texas and drove to Opelousas, Louisiana. We picked Opelousas because we liked the
name; plus, the park where we were staying offered a full-service spa complete
with hydro-massage and wellness coaches.
And it did have a spa and possibly even some wellness coaches but we never
got to see them because the spa stayed closed the entire time we were
there. The name Opelousas was still cool
though! And there was a “Billy’s Boudin
Balls” emporium just up the street.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-SEjYC_i2cueQkk87BxYxEFP4A3twU3WKaybsfSA3BvjyMk5eC9vWj1nBrTZB2U6D7LCkrw7-nimDX9zua7-XZDFqLP3a6S_AcVu_Zx9Qs_5dv9PJwi2b42O8QaFt1JUFtogeGSIF08c/s1600/IMG_1359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-SEjYC_i2cueQkk87BxYxEFP4A3twU3WKaybsfSA3BvjyMk5eC9vWj1nBrTZB2U6D7LCkrw7-nimDX9zua7-XZDFqLP3a6S_AcVu_Zx9Qs_5dv9PJwi2b42O8QaFt1JUFtogeGSIF08c/s200/IMG_1359.JPG" width="150" /></a>On our first day, we headed for New Orleans. Our first stop was Café du Monde, home of
Beignets (donuts but soooooo much better!).
Biting into an icing-sugar coated beignet….well, it’s like angels dancing
on your tongue. Lots of angels because,
at Café du Monde, each person gets 3 beignets per order. For those of us who are diabetic, it’s a bit
of a concern. That’s why I blew some of
the icing sugar off…. one does have to make concessions. When it gets windy, all that icing sugar just
floats in the breeze like a super-sweet blizzard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHz8YCfPzF1tOkWFirpoG6XIvLqjfGmxah_e7blfzyp6BloF8u4LzYeopO8lc4aqEe_quh-rGuMMLJWktiETGnGRgtNkotHkohZgoCXY9KUp2842Y4hwWruEg-MRUTJfKbmAVd-uQk1Jv5/s1600/IMG_1363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHz8YCfPzF1tOkWFirpoG6XIvLqjfGmxah_e7blfzyp6BloF8u4LzYeopO8lc4aqEe_quh-rGuMMLJWktiETGnGRgtNkotHkohZgoCXY9KUp2842Y4hwWruEg-MRUTJfKbmAVd-uQk1Jv5/s200/IMG_1363.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5eBCtRe21KSFLZtLb8h_YfcuT6XpebQnPIIO9HaOvQcd5DAqaDd5t1oGL6Ig4iorceNK4nRU6RLT7b3DWLmu3K4G_mtju_x9QfiwtbXB-b4KTc3L2YUz5pscRF4xqb_DH2LptYCGUJZi/s1600/IMG_1375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5eBCtRe21KSFLZtLb8h_YfcuT6XpebQnPIIO9HaOvQcd5DAqaDd5t1oGL6Ig4iorceNK4nRU6RLT7b3DWLmu3K4G_mtju_x9QfiwtbXB-b4KTc3L2YUz5pscRF4xqb_DH2LptYCGUJZi/s200/IMG_1375.JPG" width="150" /></a>From the Café, we walked towards Bourbon Street and checked
out all that downtown N’Awlins has to offer.
What a great city! From “huge ass
beers” to an icon to a voodoo priestess to a store full of really weird and
wonderful Mardi Gras masks, this place has something for everyone. It’s definitely on my list of places to see
again!<o:p></o:p></div>
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For dinner, we stopped at Billy’s and loaded up on Boudin
Balls and craquelin! I would move to
Louisiana just for the boudin, which is a sausage mixed with bread stuffing and
deep fried into giant balls. Next to
beignets, they’re heaven on earth. <i>(Note
to self: maybe don’t tell my doctor
about this)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NlqpDdL5vAdQ2FUOGveXyE2lfu92x4kbSip4w7F242WPVk6C-Wb33m_qA5nnmRbiL6f98HT1G-P0_czQGVth9ZNeoum6x3YriIWBy19aW7pgU9nb8fL_FjcrCZZcm9jFDgeI3TJXaIuX/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NlqpDdL5vAdQ2FUOGveXyE2lfu92x4kbSip4w7F242WPVk6C-Wb33m_qA5nnmRbiL6f98HT1G-P0_czQGVth9ZNeoum6x3YriIWBy19aW7pgU9nb8fL_FjcrCZZcm9jFDgeI3TJXaIuX/s200/IMG_1388.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSunU4UsKJ_gmNmrF1oTj1Bh5Ne9hokCl4SsNjOCM53ldqkyxQ5IFyK2boHrsPsNB61wlSHxtU2C_PVWXFCcuOenXNsr2BhL41hm2ljG2FFEsccr83HLwCRn1SBMFsx42knyUndOLTggKT/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSunU4UsKJ_gmNmrF1oTj1Bh5Ne9hokCl4SsNjOCM53ldqkyxQ5IFyK2boHrsPsNB61wlSHxtU2C_PVWXFCcuOenXNsr2BhL41hm2ljG2FFEsccr83HLwCRn1SBMFsx42knyUndOLTggKT/s200/IMG_1498.JPG" width="150" /></a>The next day we headed for Champagne’s Swamp Tours. We’ve done these tours before and it’s
different each time. This time, we got a
really cute bayou guide which was somewhat distracting. However, it didn’t take long before we began
to pay attention to the scenery. Because
it was spring, the gators were feeling frisky and mating season had begun. Our guide got pretty excited when a huge
gator just appeared out of nowhere right beside our boat. He looked kinda grumpy too (the gator, not
the guide)…like we’d interrupted something.
Our guide decided to just move away…..fast. All in all, another successful day!<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFktkog-574ZRfl9emJgjvEHjnf9LzfJIbmv0fQ7NpIScsiOA0LgEUrrDV0nzum_qTjIdxajRF7jH9aoodcmWQT1jibzZQmzXO7vX9XSzOnBXzMtoHcUyEOgmtCuV2k-WtasaSRc8K2qhL/s1600/IMG_1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFktkog-574ZRfl9emJgjvEHjnf9LzfJIbmv0fQ7NpIScsiOA0LgEUrrDV0nzum_qTjIdxajRF7jH9aoodcmWQT1jibzZQmzXO7vX9XSzOnBXzMtoHcUyEOgmtCuV2k-WtasaSRc8K2qhL/s200/IMG_1417.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9dw2Bd2Rk41YtYKV0MSfhXqxhP475Rd4GGqNjQpfs8_0N16IB2tJa_HbRGt2zkNXhXgQBxP1z4VYkh6FuomTg7UHWvubcDPSdK9eUvVgMYRU78gyNLl6UHfpqwmdpZ927H8Zhdt7Uovi/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9dw2Bd2Rk41YtYKV0MSfhXqxhP475Rd4GGqNjQpfs8_0N16IB2tJa_HbRGt2zkNXhXgQBxP1z4VYkh6FuomTg7UHWvubcDPSdK9eUvVgMYRU78gyNLl6UHfpqwmdpZ927H8Zhdt7Uovi/s200/IMG_1422.JPG" width="200" /></a>That night, there was a tornado warning for our area. It got really dark and quite windy but we were so full from the beignets and boudin that I doubt a Force 5 could have moved us.</div>
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As for the wellness coaches....well, they have their work cut out for them!</div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-41551292707262477692017-03-25T09:45:00.000-07:002017-08-07T09:51:48.475-07:00First Mondays, Big Cats and Little Cats<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwJbcRnDhb4Ma_iuUwYtYPRUkmKn83Re2plOWHGk0rSRHQMkE0GK5W251QgOocUSFJf-ONxDSuuodGzNTD0r0hzfZAR9h7JJ2wuyNiVYVrtlG4AeE3ivhnTsk3Tjw2EMtMztHJsd6PKVz/s1600/IMG_1353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwJbcRnDhb4Ma_iuUwYtYPRUkmKn83Re2plOWHGk0rSRHQMkE0GK5W251QgOocUSFJf-ONxDSuuodGzNTD0r0hzfZAR9h7JJ2wuyNiVYVrtlG4AeE3ivhnTsk3Tjw2EMtMztHJsd6PKVz/s200/IMG_1353.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can buy just about anything in Canton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hmO7lyi2gfSA0lHlY7kLmHRLzBGBheiH8QYJvnEgX7dEbMhjS2Pb_luTmRMnYpUKnOIPLw2C1RQ84Y5pXFqhBhU6ie9Zy-AEaoZxeHI4Smdw4kPzlAgDmPIraMtaqEzJD4N5FgLrL6lr/s1600/the+mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hmO7lyi2gfSA0lHlY7kLmHRLzBGBheiH8QYJvnEgX7dEbMhjS2Pb_luTmRMnYpUKnOIPLw2C1RQ84Y5pXFqhBhU6ie9Zy-AEaoZxeHI4Smdw4kPzlAgDmPIraMtaqEzJD4N5FgLrL6lr/s200/the+mountain.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too bad it wasn't open!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our next stop was the village of Wills Point, near
Dallas. Other than a really nice main
street, there wasn’t a lot that was remarkable about the place UNLESS you
figure it was 3 miles from Canton, Texas, home of First Mondays. What are First Mondays, you ask? Well, the town of Canton is basically closed
for 3.5 weeks a month. Oh sure, there
are a couple of restaurants open and a couple of places that sell giant
colourful Mexican pots (still haven’t figured out what they’re used for). But the town is mostly warehouses and parking
lots. Until, that is, the first Monday
of the month. Then the entire town
becomes a giant flea market! All the
businesses and restaurants open up, all the parking lots are full and you can’t
get into an RV park unless you reserve months in advance! They even have shuttle buses! There’s a small group of very old, very
colourful buildings called “The Mountain” which is quaint and which would be a
real tourist draw if they only opened up more than 1 weekend a month. It’s a very bizarre thing. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay for the
actual First Monday because the park we were in was fully booked and we had to
go. We’re definitely going back though!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrtnvzzpCBT2647RqF7J-7Tx_wxMZeRaJ7vnI77TFBP_ZZzy7oG9bceQmSrtjr5JJWVSu1WFVfR7uG8OuUd6rC3NXVpn2vC3kvKBYjjzr5120JdDwNvCpFV_39LIyU0WBQF1PlxtxPloP/s1600/tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrtnvzzpCBT2647RqF7J-7Tx_wxMZeRaJ7vnI77TFBP_ZZzy7oG9bceQmSrtjr5JJWVSu1WFVfR7uG8OuUd6rC3NXVpn2vC3kvKBYjjzr5120JdDwNvCpFV_39LIyU0WBQF1PlxtxPloP/s200/tiger.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qBp_0XxmamhXsUubO0Kh5IsKIp-WLHWh3OWlBxBZAeBDVW_FDGUUO49w6kRMtwToeeD50i1Zyt_vngNaIHvI2s6_Qpuh_1dsps82grIUXkQLbl6vvcwcxwdVb7wrFhdhRmb1Q87dYdU7/s1600/wildcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qBp_0XxmamhXsUubO0Kh5IsKIp-WLHWh3OWlBxBZAeBDVW_FDGUUO49w6kRMtwToeeD50i1Zyt_vngNaIHvI2s6_Qpuh_1dsps82grIUXkQLbl6vvcwcxwdVb7wrFhdhRmb1Q87dYdU7/s200/wildcat.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7vK93UICAZl-o0lyW20FSDpDkE34jEgk9_v-4HwQ8PYzyvbk6PLYqlm9RUwGvPDV_L56DRfGMX4nrSRkk68VVyLVvVCm8wDOSvvnEWGaQLsZbZm1yQwRBEyv-TFGmBGG95wssiu9GViy/s1600/cougar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7vK93UICAZl-o0lyW20FSDpDkE34jEgk9_v-4HwQ8PYzyvbk6PLYqlm9RUwGvPDV_L56DRfGMX4nrSRkk68VVyLVvVCm8wDOSvvnEWGaQLsZbZm1yQwRBEyv-TFGmBGG95wssiu9GViy/s200/cougar.jpg" width="200" /></a>While we were there, we took a side trip to Tyler Texas to go visit the Big Cat
Animal Rescue. Wow! We walked around for a couple of hours,
gaping in awe at the tigers and lions and cougars and assorted cat
critters. These are all animals who have
been rescued from private homes, circuses, etc. One of the workers was telling us about their idiosyncracies. There was one cat who <i>hated</i> ATVs and would
start howling whenever one appeared so they had to park away from his enclosure
and walk in. Lol!<br />
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
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So, back at home, we were watching TV and a little cat came
to the door. We learned that there were
numerous feral cats in the area. This
poor little thing was starving.
Naturally, I threw her some food.
Also, naturally, she came back the next day. I gave her more food but, instead of eating
all of it, she jumped up and just wanted to cuddle! On the third night, I got her back to my RV
and put the food dish inside. She just
came right in and made herself at home.
Mostly, though, she just wanted to cuddle. So, we called her Myrtle and tried to entice
her into using a make-shift litter box.
That freaked her out and she managed to hold it in for 2 days. Then, with what can only be described as an
indescribable sense of relief, she peed all over me. Ahhhhhhh!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGaevtu10JY6GTUK0_e9LL8QaDTLgQyRbJvp0YW5DfNfD19WYWl5VfiLM9LnlgTIHdKqv8hVxaQceJu1XXgQs4Fe6e0qQB9vUUn5yUrGv_CCNX2aWKmZ2RUcL8RkcqsU8gWFSNaOIkitQ/s1600/IMG_1355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGaevtu10JY6GTUK0_e9LL8QaDTLgQyRbJvp0YW5DfNfD19WYWl5VfiLM9LnlgTIHdKqv8hVxaQceJu1XXgQs4Fe6e0qQB9vUUn5yUrGv_CCNX2aWKmZ2RUcL8RkcqsU8gWFSNaOIkitQ/s200/IMG_1355.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myrtle making herself at home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I really thought hard about keeping her but it was just too
impractical. Luckily I found the <b>Kaufman
Cat Rescue </b>organization and Lynn came out and picked up Myrtle. I’m happy to report that she was adopted
within a week. Thank heavens!<o:p></o:p></div>
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On our last day in the Dallas area, we picked up our
sister-in-law, Lulu Lugnuts, who just retired and decided to come out and play
the RV way. The next day, we took off
for Louisiana.<o:p></o:p></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-9456251497417837732017-03-17T09:40:00.000-07:002017-08-07T11:20:53.120-07:00They’ve Got Some Big Boats Down There<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUzibSb_q5BTRlAabUvIR0u4o7SUNvCUIiNqdL0672O0bba8vFWJFR1gNMoxjkH-aI41aBDqfNXRsLzqVe85e484ZB0IoRaiNTdPrnC7rZAvpTCV4FeK9iw7rpiYAAYrVUK6KIiKp8dCm/s1600/IMG_1324+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUzibSb_q5BTRlAabUvIR0u4o7SUNvCUIiNqdL0672O0bba8vFWJFR1gNMoxjkH-aI41aBDqfNXRsLzqVe85e484ZB0IoRaiNTdPrnC7rZAvpTCV4FeK9iw7rpiYAAYrVUK6KIiKp8dCm/s200/IMG_1324+-+Copy.JPG" width="150" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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Off we went to the bustling city of Corpus Christie to see
the Lexington aircraft carrier, which was a WWII state of the art ship until it
got blown up and sunk. Then it became
salvage and they hauled it to CC, fixed it up, installed a nice little
restaurant area and let tourists walk all over it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivjZh9URqbTWEt8z5DwsfMY8puZZpR2iKJHXypMsDoxYfYWfnqgibcI1u5kPpw7nUNK6EZlo3DFlARxF9lJtfPNcHr-01j5wy0gcUswujfw-RR5g6EW16iQErCTxqJkihI0xGP0_Lehhk/s1600/IMG_1333+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivjZh9URqbTWEt8z5DwsfMY8puZZpR2iKJHXypMsDoxYfYWfnqgibcI1u5kPpw7nUNK6EZlo3DFlARxF9lJtfPNcHr-01j5wy0gcUswujfw-RR5g6EW16iQErCTxqJkihI0xGP0_Lehhk/s200/IMG_1333+-+Copy.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXtGz-U3cA0cLwtyTih2ssMO0bUiM1cu0FA8RySS2sc_vngmO34aBO1q_VsSwo-nzK2f3NdDHGrsfPVw71TBFWb4d9g9i4dwtQwaaHqZcOsxWXr4Uec6SX0ZYrPt8lD2uriynPObt2dek/s1600/IMG_1343+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXtGz-U3cA0cLwtyTih2ssMO0bUiM1cu0FA8RySS2sc_vngmO34aBO1q_VsSwo-nzK2f3NdDHGrsfPVw71TBFWb4d9g9i4dwtQwaaHqZcOsxWXr4Uec6SX0ZYrPt8lD2uriynPObt2dek/s200/IMG_1343+-+Copy.JPG" width="200" /></a>It didn’t take long for us to discover that
seamen, in the 1940s, were all skinny little things who could climb like
goats. The stairs (aka ladders) were
scary. The bunks were the size of
shelves. Even the Brig was skinny. And why did they even need a brig on a boat that size? If someone misbehaved, you just had to make him go up and down stairs a few times to burn off the testosterone. And if it was really bad, you just throw him overboard. Boating accidents....happen all the time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK3Kd1BR-e9LwZum16naSyh0xnm5Nh_ZDaQRKB78TnOy2-_Y9qORnZiDi-w1jcRaHM6MG4hIgrPKDFfYd0cvgryDYmaV31r9woStSaiy-C-Mk3exKtDg3MfUnMf0YJxXKbAgXztNm5eLj/s1600/IMG_1337+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK3Kd1BR-e9LwZum16naSyh0xnm5Nh_ZDaQRKB78TnOy2-_Y9qORnZiDi-w1jcRaHM6MG4hIgrPKDFfYd0cvgryDYmaV31r9woStSaiy-C-Mk3exKtDg3MfUnMf0YJxXKbAgXztNm5eLj/s200/IMG_1337+-+Copy.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yklOHjznIKRxKcYy-ZHC05CD0yXOBwU3e3sv8wb4rlGtlhbGqQv4Ou8lP7VBvU0W2HwiLQM_rdlWXSxr4gwPc2pEcLKUrax6qcV3sVlBggD1uwe0ZfBNGEkbsvSy6qN3BMYap9XxC82t/s1600/IMG_1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yklOHjznIKRxKcYy-ZHC05CD0yXOBwU3e3sv8wb4rlGtlhbGqQv4Ou8lP7VBvU0W2HwiLQM_rdlWXSxr4gwPc2pEcLKUrax6qcV3sVlBggD1uwe0ZfBNGEkbsvSy6qN3BMYap9XxC82t/s200/IMG_1345.JPG" width="200" /></a> But it was all very neat and
grey and very well laid out. What amazed
us most was how short the flight deck was!
They must have to rev those babies up a lot to get them airborne because
otherwise they’d be swimming. Some of
those planes were huge! And all the wings folded up! I don't know about you, but I'd be wary of a plane like that. Just my luck the wings would decide to auto-fold when I was 30,000 feet up. </div>
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I didn’t even
want to imagine landing one of them on a moving boat in high seas. Maybe that’s why seamen were so skinny – the
adrenaline levels alone would have done it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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It was a great day.
Corpus Christie is a beautiful place, right on the Gulf Coast. It’s too bad we can’t stay there because the
salt air will rust the RVs faster than a billy goat sailor can climb a
ladder. It’s a nice place to visit,
though!</div>
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<o:p></o:p>Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-50397287080764101482017-03-16T12:35:00.000-07:002017-04-08T13:07:35.149-07:00Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'......SortaWe left Mission on Thursday, March 16th at 9:05, 9:30, 9:43 10:11, 10:34 and 10:56 a.m. <br />
<br />
Sometime during the winter months, one of my house batteries ran dry and blew its top. We filled it with water and one of the guys (Thanks, Dave!) came over one day and made sure everything was topped up and ready to roll. Sure enough, on the day of the big move, everything worked beautifully: the slides came in, the jacks came up, the engine purred like a deranged cat and off I went....for 12 whole feet. Just as I was about to venture forth, I noticed that none of my lighter receptacles were working and therefore I had no GPS and, even worse, no audiobooks to listen to on the iPod.<br />
<br />
The guys in the RV park were incredibly helpful. They swarmed over the Beast, inspecting all of the fuses (and believe me, in an RV there are a lot) We eventually found one dead fuse and one tripped circuit breaker. Jim (our neighbor across the street) volunteered to run to the store and buy me the required fuses. Although it was replaced, still nothing worked. Fortunately, Jim had also bought a lighter receptacle which he wired into my CB radio and which (tada!) gave me GPS access.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG2lt0U4xjSisY4jY8KoNOYANp_W9sXJJRecINJXF0JQnWifupuraVpJ6JwVmxl4ww_KVmU8vvsxJDPGKRd6NoPK4kDeh9j3GSKXQ9N77xA8pE8IzicT0IMeyB-CTtr-5I88cDBQelJSI/s1600/battery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG2lt0U4xjSisY4jY8KoNOYANp_W9sXJJRecINJXF0JQnWifupuraVpJ6JwVmxl4ww_KVmU8vvsxJDPGKRd6NoPK4kDeh9j3GSKXQ9N77xA8pE8IzicT0IMeyB-CTtr-5I88cDBQelJSI/s320/battery.jpg" width="320" /></a>So off we went, with me following Jackie and Carm just in case the GPS didn't keep working for the whole trip. They think I drive slow! I think they drive like maniacs. We always seem to manage to get to the same spot at the same time. Go figure. <br />
<br />
Anyhow, halfway through the drive, the lighter receptacles started working. Unfortunately, the fridge started beeping and telling me that it had not switched over to the propane setting. And it still wouldn't - even after I bashed all the rust out of the pipes. That's when I had my "aha" moment. I needed new batteries. It was a very slow "aha" moment because it took until I got to Wills Point to try to find new batteries, but still.....Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-46988286792066871402017-03-11T22:58:00.000-08:002017-04-08T12:35:29.095-07:00Don't Make A Prieur Girl MadWe got our chance to try shooting real guns at real honest to goodness targets in a real shooting gallery this week. Jackie's friend, Tracy, is a competitive shooter and she agreed to show us how it's done.<br />
<br />
None of us had high hopes, especially when she showed us the little tiny targets she expected us to hit. Let's face it, most of the time we can't see anything in front of us even with our glasses on! Expecting us to hit a black target the size of a margarine tub in a darkened room at 30 yards was expecting a bit much!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpxIsUraigPXcUrK865w9Ozu7z39DZrlVGJWyxxi5LajyKV4kb6KZKppQ-fYJb7FFhDg6mkpbm8nV-hQC5u4pA9lqcg5V49-sbOPElNNr9y0h4ZNyRGfsP4dtrA_dK8zaSC54V2eis8mn/s1600/IMG_1313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpxIsUraigPXcUrK865w9Ozu7z39DZrlVGJWyxxi5LajyKV4kb6KZKppQ-fYJb7FFhDg6mkpbm8nV-hQC5u4pA9lqcg5V49-sbOPElNNr9y0h4ZNyRGfsP4dtrA_dK8zaSC54V2eis8mn/s200/IMG_1313.JPG" width="150" /></a>But we were game to try so Tracy set us up with 22 caliber bullets. We asked if this is what she used and she said "No, if you have to shoot someone, the 22's just tease them. To really get their attention, you want to use a 9 mm shell." Ah - good to know.<br />
<br />
It turns out, we were pretty good. Or, more specifically, Tracy is a very good teacher. Carm especially was a dead-eye. Jackie was really good too. I started out a bit iffy, but then I switched to a left-handed grip and I managed to hit the target each time.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3FWNb2mAvYnAWvTkg6wzn4m8Qs3ykww8Sj6nksJbNlvdaK_AWfGTdlMsdXHvCXaK_cKG87c1H8M6RhsvCmP-jLBMaRGua-rpNJHofAcA_v8NtMgB6-tF5OOAWAa7Z2tUA5kBlHadkibc/s1600/IMG_1316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3FWNb2mAvYnAWvTkg6wzn4m8Qs3ykww8Sj6nksJbNlvdaK_AWfGTdlMsdXHvCXaK_cKG87c1H8M6RhsvCmP-jLBMaRGua-rpNJHofAcA_v8NtMgB6-tF5OOAWAa7Z2tUA5kBlHadkibc/s200/IMG_1316.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My target - note the bullseyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And Tracy was right - the 22's were great but when we fired the 9 mm shells, you sure felt the difference. It would get someone's attention, alright. Not for long though, because they'd have a great big hole in their heads. Or wherever it is we managed to hit them.<br />
<br />
So be warned out there.... we Prieur girls are not only card-carrying members of the Bitch Club, but now we know how to shoot. Be afraid..... be very afraidNuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-35545399740557171682017-03-10T16:30:00.001-08:002017-03-10T17:02:03.546-08:00Prayers and Prom Dresses Let me first say that I would like to apologize to the people of the Rio Grande Valley. It's my fault that we are getting flooded out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfHvcekJiuITgpKRFAtL-bj15XNWtyNmTljM7HJrTEkgfur9za4iOLJbt3xJ7VGKa8g00QPksOXf634Jf72JeSXHGHBdeqH7ILYCjaJ3r7S2cHKLFfiBAfHQfZgC2HBTZ9vIZo-DAVvRW/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfHvcekJiuITgpKRFAtL-bj15XNWtyNmTljM7HJrTEkgfur9za4iOLJbt3xJ7VGKa8g00QPksOXf634Jf72JeSXHGHBdeqH7ILYCjaJ3r7S2cHKLFfiBAfHQfZgC2HBTZ9vIZo-DAVvRW/s200/IMG_1294.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc2PBKo9ON1s2yZ5flq_lZvZIvFpcRHzbN5dwSPBVLNr7QZvAEujCaj12IBqslekaE5Ba77KphqFYPFRxJx78S677tbd8WGLcJX8CsSpxXli-DusMsxQ2D7p9xIVujqKbBVu_o5ZeH-vR/s1600/IMG_1290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc2PBKo9ON1s2yZ5flq_lZvZIvFpcRHzbN5dwSPBVLNr7QZvAEujCaj12IBqslekaE5Ba77KphqFYPFRxJx78S677tbd8WGLcJX8CsSpxXli-DusMsxQ2D7p9xIVujqKbBVu_o5ZeH-vR/s200/IMG_1290.JPG" width="150" /></a>On Wednesday, we were supposed to go to a shooting gallery about an hour away but it was an outdoor range and it was raining over there. There was only a 30% chance of rain in Mission. Since it was still nice out here, we decided to go visit a church to look at the stained glass work. <br />
<br />
Now, anyone who knows me will understand that churches and me don't mix. In fact, Jackie said she'd let me walk ahead of them just in case we got hit with a lightning bolt. We weren't in there for 10 minutes when the skies opened up and it started to rain, complete with thunder and lightning. We can expect several more days of storms and flash floods.... I knew I was playing with fire, but dang!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRidHCgUyTMpv3XqGbbmC8glhv85pcOmoKciiqO-0BdFwMGb32tiPYl2_do91GTbH3SIy7s0TO0t0TDb-hOHYjlAgjl1N_WAGW_zbfVqYMjE16MN-kHc_FKo6cKMRG1pXfH_0IT84whdc/s1600/IMG_1301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRidHCgUyTMpv3XqGbbmC8glhv85pcOmoKciiqO-0BdFwMGb32tiPYl2_do91GTbH3SIy7s0TO0t0TDb-hOHYjlAgjl1N_WAGW_zbfVqYMjE16MN-kHc_FKo6cKMRG1pXfH_0IT84whdc/s200/IMG_1301.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwJtDFv6wBXNpn60-QO7U8s-jqBnuhC4MnHJhsXyV6iZttPgGfXxh05HGU6JdJgHPW9oyYfylEEFLBTzRTyCq8AOkdiX_1ajyT9X5xtvJDK5bkI4kZx6d7T_iNhHAcLRSm3JG4u8cP915/s1600/IMG_1298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwJtDFv6wBXNpn60-QO7U8s-jqBnuhC4MnHJhsXyV6iZttPgGfXxh05HGU6JdJgHPW9oyYfylEEFLBTzRTyCq8AOkdiX_1ajyT9X5xtvJDK5bkI4kZx6d7T_iNhHAcLRSm3JG4u8cP915/s200/IMG_1298.JPG" width="150" /></a>It was a pretty cool place though. From the outside, the windows looked cool but inside it was amazing. I don't know what all the religious symbols were, but there were some really neat glass pieces including a dog, horses and lemon and orange trees. Too cute. The glass was really thick too.<br />
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It's funny, but I've been to more churches since I've retired than I ever had in the past half a century. Next thing you know, I'll convert (Note: there isn't that much lightning possible).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b2GuCGhXVYEm4KPD7-6lUazrNzus2tjQ3J8CecEqtQDEmuVp5s3_ppxLDtctz3figg9k-0ibwuNtszSBfwXHzFWe5kwKy2g1Mv5bk8aFdEj5YkoliT27WVVAs1RX2KLiB2-ZGldv77L6/s1600/dresses+ropa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b2GuCGhXVYEm4KPD7-6lUazrNzus2tjQ3J8CecEqtQDEmuVp5s3_ppxLDtctz3figg9k-0ibwuNtszSBfwXHzFWe5kwKy2g1Mv5bk8aFdEj5YkoliT27WVVAs1RX2KLiB2-ZGldv77L6/s200/dresses+ropa.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI56lg0ZPgsP94-maR7iYjWDGCs1VbsD6T7wOKGLUOqE4VCkVljDOX4wJLitjs66ApIKn5IyYJazyll3xX8gVfFfX3567l3F-3nH4a06sIXnSxqcYBBVO48NX0df3gerfwpiEVISrtD2uX/s1600/ropa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI56lg0ZPgsP94-maR7iYjWDGCs1VbsD6T7wOKGLUOqE4VCkVljDOX4wJLitjs66ApIKn5IyYJazyll3xX8gVfFfX3567l3F-3nH4a06sIXnSxqcYBBVO48NX0df3gerfwpiEVISrtD2uX/s200/ropa.jpg" width="200" /></a>After the church visit, we went to a high-end Ropa. Ropas are places where they sell second-hand clothes by the pound. The going rate is about 30 cents a pound, although you can go as high as 60 cents. This place was wall to wall dresses with lace and glitter and flowers and tulle and flounces and fancy stuff dangling all over. Some of them were quite beautiful. Others might have been an acquired taste. BUT.... they wanted $15.00 for the dresses. $15 whole dollars!!!! We had to say no. Although I do know where I'm going if I ever need a dress for dress-up night on a cruise.<br />
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<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-89475220582503113732017-03-09T22:08:00.003-08:002017-03-09T23:33:24.355-08:00Getting Crafty In Our Old Age<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizK76D-nJapnLmgJv65Mq9u2WeS-CAguoF8XM0Q6XXC5DAHkVnBjr7O-apgi3Wr7zxruDDqGrjz2GXHKZGsZ5sPYpk2s6pBwu6BNAJNqIrI-WlaZmZolc5VkU1tyi6n-d6SMt_NPA-OGdd/s1600/IMG_1252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizK76D-nJapnLmgJv65Mq9u2WeS-CAguoF8XM0Q6XXC5DAHkVnBjr7O-apgi3Wr7zxruDDqGrjz2GXHKZGsZ5sPYpk2s6pBwu6BNAJNqIrI-WlaZmZolc5VkU1tyi6n-d6SMt_NPA-OGdd/s200/IMG_1252.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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Last year, a lady at a craft fair showed me how to use a cute little die to make a cute little hummingbird out of an old beer can which, in theory, was going to be hung on my screen door for decoration (the hummingbird, not the beer can).<br />
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I thought this was such a great idea that I immediately bought myself a die cutting machine and a couple of bird dies, in spite of the fact that a) I detest decorations on my doors or walls, b) I don't know anyone who would want to hang anything from their screens either, c) I had to drink dozens of cans of assorted beverages in various colours in order to provide the bases for the diecuts d) I have never successfully completed a craft project in my entire life and e) I don't like birds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s9_tTXAm1GClcYXKfdeJBAzh3QYnACsGbZUeS42Efy9VCkoBCzU1XsdsMqwDA0ybDviakk7PPwZi1L5txwfIzeK53JeVWglW4u6A9-7M9nZF4abSy7QXn-427W32iJB_1PTLZ2JLqNKD/s1600/IMG_1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s9_tTXAm1GClcYXKfdeJBAzh3QYnACsGbZUeS42Efy9VCkoBCzU1XsdsMqwDA0ybDviakk7PPwZi1L5txwfIzeK53JeVWglW4u6A9-7M9nZF4abSy7QXn-427W32iJB_1PTLZ2JLqNKD/s200/IMG_1283.JPG" width="150" /></a>So it was that, by December, I had exactly 4 hummingbirds in stock. Then the activities director suggested I should take my wares to the park craft show. Since it was a slow time in January and (as previously noted) nature abhors a vacuum, I decided to start a) drinking pop like there's no tomorrow and b) cutting dies. With the help of my sisters, we bashed out about 100 of them in a variety of colours and dang..... they just about sold out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yUkfxmVVNU8AXpBPrBEJzobAjZuZFQHjCBdwZXQU2EcMGiGlS2m29WM7WJbe0Ur4gsKrBu6v6IOUAL65NI8ihOphDj_SrqXNQcOT7CjyMxU6tNyJHHRM-KYCxMexdfW79KqPDsG-Oloi/s1600/IMG_1319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yUkfxmVVNU8AXpBPrBEJzobAjZuZFQHjCBdwZXQU2EcMGiGlS2m29WM7WJbe0Ur4gsKrBu6v6IOUAL65NI8ihOphDj_SrqXNQcOT7CjyMxU6tNyJHHRM-KYCxMexdfW79KqPDsG-Oloi/s200/IMG_1319.JPG" width="150" /></a>So I drank more pop, cut more dies and went to another craft show in February.... and darned if they didn't sell even better.<br />
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I also got addicted to Fanta Grapefruit Soda....which is a whole other story.<br />
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So naturally, I bought a whole bunch more dies and drank a lot more pop and produced dozens and dozens of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, cats, dogs and bunnies for the March craft show.... in spite of the fact that many people had left the park already. And wow... that one was the best of all!<br />
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Just to show you how unhinged I've become, I even hung some of them on my own screens. I didn't want to be the only person in the park who didn't have any.<br />
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Guess I'll be doing craft shows from now on. No rest for the retireds, I guess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVGHfuwfL-kG1oxeVs-W8q_0w41A83Atvv40aE2TqsCAJfOUkT12VK6_11ZnHzMyRYPTNnQ80_SxBEFDQa0ke2GIz2xVZnOs1R4MiqLsrG64JW6WX1EZOKRyW4O-a4706HYCU7tfLzpQZ/s1600/cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVGHfuwfL-kG1oxeVs-W8q_0w41A83Atvv40aE2TqsCAJfOUkT12VK6_11ZnHzMyRYPTNnQ80_SxBEFDQa0ke2GIz2xVZnOs1R4MiqLsrG64JW6WX1EZOKRyW4O-a4706HYCU7tfLzpQZ/s200/cake+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRMFT0ta3q3rLrrZcohjLTP6gqLzfTUuYELQXHjh9ajnyn2zh0CY4xPdhnJdbliWh551YlHvwqwxxHKKMa6IH124H8URS6zdpwXkHDJzSQ5FdQulfQyANMB2Y0HqHvuyJ4Pzq_020Ii8g/s1600/cake+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRMFT0ta3q3rLrrZcohjLTP6gqLzfTUuYELQXHjh9ajnyn2zh0CY4xPdhnJdbliWh551YlHvwqwxxHKKMa6IH124H8URS6zdpwXkHDJzSQ5FdQulfQyANMB2Y0HqHvuyJ4Pzq_020Ii8g/s200/cake+1.jpg" width="200" /></a>In order to satisfy their own crafting urges, my 2 sisters volunteered to produce flowers for a 90-year old woman's birthday cake. This lady loves peonies and her daughter thought it would be nice to have a specially made cake to mark the occasion. Then the lady's friends also said they'd be coming and they were also celebrating 90th birthdays. So the girls made flowers for over 5 weeks to cover 2 huge cakes. The flowers were made out of sugar and were absolutely beautiful! Peonies, carnations, lilies, roses and baby's breath were heaped on the cakes.<br />
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At the end of it all, we all felt that we were "crafted-out" and we plan to lay low for awhile. Or at least until the next craft fair.Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-47250128046606085692017-03-09T14:29:00.002-08:002017-03-09T14:33:06.287-08:00Introducing the Texas TutusFrom the time I arrived until New Year's Eve, life was a bit of a blur. Shopping, cleaning, wrapping, baking, sight seeing and catching up with the sisters left very little free time. After Christmas however, there was a bit of a lull. Naturally, nature abhors a vacuum so the only thing to do was fill the time with something creative. I offered to give Hula lessons.<br />
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Hawaiian anything is not a major force down here, although I did find an Aloha Car Wash. But you can't find a bowl of poi anywhere. I figured I'd get about 10 people to attend the class. It was a bit of shock when about 35 people showed up to the class! After about week 3, the Texas Crud (an actual disease that you get down here), a cruise and a bunch of other activities, winnowed the group down to about 10 people.<br />
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The ladies did spectacularly well! We named them the Texas Tutus and, by the end of February, they had mastered "Just Hang Loose" and were doing really well on basic Tahitian dance. I even got them making "grass" skirts out of twine and garbage bags. Considering they're the only act in town, I can see a big future for them :-)<br />
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Aloha Nui, Tutus!!!<br />
<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-62301071043989269532017-03-08T22:50:00.000-08:002017-03-08T22:54:16.970-08:00A Wedding and a Long, Long Road Trip<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifIURtG3G2q_A3i1x6jFOlIpRzYNdhzWIJjoVqQYjsqAeaMMbu4FFcg26sBVPgkvFR7M_8jamozQyhlp0A635cs6etc2Ia48iCvk79ZqbiI793hJQg_1-F-QSLpaCuCISuUq7GWIhAE8i/s1600/IMG_1172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifIURtG3G2q_A3i1x6jFOlIpRzYNdhzWIJjoVqQYjsqAeaMMbu4FFcg26sBVPgkvFR7M_8jamozQyhlp0A635cs6etc2Ia48iCvk79ZqbiI793hJQg_1-F-QSLpaCuCISuUq7GWIhAE8i/s200/IMG_1172.JPG" width="150" /></a>A little late getting caught up.....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGVCHao-x3uTVxW4uKql4rF2oDHpf7jPblgw2ZntosErGlMi4v9taTcPG0hoBsEufBAymT5wjOV9RA4M-qMbIYOpmSUAsH5f7iefqAHVD_6hYL4YsiKWrzEtGjr0my12rJVQwwmI6hEx3/s1600/IMG_1187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGVCHao-x3uTVxW4uKql4rF2oDHpf7jPblgw2ZntosErGlMi4v9taTcPG0hoBsEufBAymT5wjOV9RA4M-qMbIYOpmSUAsH5f7iefqAHVD_6hYL4YsiKWrzEtGjr0my12rJVQwwmI6hEx3/s200/IMG_1187.JPG" width="150" /></a>In October, I headed back to Sudbury to attend the wedding of my nephew Kris and his beautiful bride Isabelle. It was great!!! We had so much fun! For 3 days we laughed and danced<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVkS3rYacCm1ZhDjz4w493ope3RsScqLDJBREqUlgRV68ODwZpEG712r1_2r5MGwVCPtbcQ9cSehd3JCntMEe2t_fzyfLKq82A9zXpHB7yiMWMwjeYHk0vzBY0yR951ZrAN4zma8WJOCY/s1600/auntie+rita+wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVkS3rYacCm1ZhDjz4w493ope3RsScqLDJBREqUlgRV68ODwZpEG712r1_2r5MGwVCPtbcQ9cSehd3JCntMEe2t_fzyfLKq82A9zXpHB7yiMWMwjeYHk0vzBY0yR951ZrAN4zma8WJOCY/s200/auntie+rita+wedding.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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and ate and had a fun and somewhat exhausting time with family and friends. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRIYgFQHghfoDsqC8rovn8aD0y59VSfNA4NJ9mm0FDLVrNa7K8Dj6_BRMXG_jyDjaVGSp5cWCc2ec_hPEf7VGvOqnWkdbwAEP83Qsq025xMkpLAieqyrbvpIg2f4jqovPOUHzlYOuSPrH/s1600/IMG_1208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRIYgFQHghfoDsqC8rovn8aD0y59VSfNA4NJ9mm0FDLVrNa7K8Dj6_BRMXG_jyDjaVGSp5cWCc2ec_hPEf7VGvOqnWkdbwAEP83Qsq025xMkpLAieqyrbvpIg2f4jqovPOUHzlYOuSPrH/s200/IMG_1208.JPG" width="150" /></a>Road Rage Rita was there, dancing up a storm. And the newest addition to the family, our great-niece Addison (aged about 2 months) was there but she didn't dance at all. In fact, we got a great pic with Addison and her great-great aunts and an uncle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Ray, Auntie Pauline, Ryan (holding Addison), Megan and Auntie Rita</td></tr>
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On the Monday, I woke up to a raging cold and fever. That was the day that I had picked to leave for Texas. Just to add to the fun, it started to rain. Sigh.... So what started out as a 6 day trip to Texas actually lasted me 10 days. I spent most of that cleaning the Beast because, sometime between Grundy and October, the RV became home to a mouse. Lucky for me I'm retired and I've got nothing but time.<br />
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For the record....the mouse is dead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Lulu</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqDoPFCc5BpxWbh34MVbq_MdGA-wrPPI9S93FQ5jLr-BUknZ0hyAQl6r7nD93Dw-J0bXW2lWKOWhcj5ubcPe_0c3kKX-D2rA2hW04Pgb4pQRVecnrJHTvAgrO-8_OZOSn2C9WkjKr4iab/s1600/IMG_1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqDoPFCc5BpxWbh34MVbq_MdGA-wrPPI9S93FQ5jLr-BUknZ0hyAQl6r7nD93Dw-J0bXW2lWKOWhcj5ubcPe_0c3kKX-D2rA2hW04Pgb4pQRVecnrJHTvAgrO-8_OZOSn2C9WkjKr4iab/s200/IMG_1224.JPG" width="200" /></a>I got back just in time for Hallowe'en. I got to dress up at our monthly dance workshop. I haven't dressed up in a long time. Strange though.... I didn't get any chocolate. <br />
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-73709408584033405692017-02-21T21:34:00.000-08:002017-02-21T21:55:14.117-08:00Things to do In Vancouver When You're RetiredAh yes, there's so much to do and so little time. When I got home in September, I gleefully amassed all the information I could find on Lapidary classes, anthropology classes, Mandarin classes, Spanish classes and also checked out the schedules for water aerobics, film showings, philosophy corners and trips to art galleries. The list was amazing! It was astounding! It was exciting! Every day was going to be filled with wonder and I was going to come home exhausted but fulfilled.<br />
<br />
That was the plan, anyhow.<br />
<br />
The truth is that most people who retire apparently do so because they've lost their minds. I mean, for years we were forced to get up at some ungodly hour to make it to work at some equally ungodly hour. So, naturally, once a person retires you would assume that they would get rid of the alarm clock and sleep in to a more humane hour. Consequently, you would think that the people who organize classes would start them later in the day in order to accommodate said retirees' more humane schedule.<br />
<br />
Nope.<br />
<br />
It turns out that 99% of retired people get up at the crack of dawn and they're rarin' to go by 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. So the organizers schedule their classes for times when the freakin' sun isn't even up yet. Of course, it doesn't pay the organizers to have things start later because those same old people who get up in the middle of the night are the same ones who have to be in bed by 8 pm, before the sun even sets.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeEMKQvdvDmEfd3dUaNkKiV6owUlKACaPePJxyfxGBoCiYntYGx7bCynKAh2-gh8hs0OdBGjEjgdFRdzf8J-YFTxhjUqamOhnPvWDAUuvTyrBZYrVyHIx1W10eTjwPOg8K-xbSwxCYAsp/s1600/lucifer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeEMKQvdvDmEfd3dUaNkKiV6owUlKACaPePJxyfxGBoCiYntYGx7bCynKAh2-gh8hs0OdBGjEjgdFRdzf8J-YFTxhjUqamOhnPvWDAUuvTyrBZYrVyHIx1W10eTjwPOg8K-xbSwxCYAsp/s320/lucifer.jpg" width="320" /></a> There is no force on this earth that would tempt me to wake up even earlier than I did when I was working, just for the privilege of learning a language or polishing some rocks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUna_osfWIAyf1ke3PGJht2A82I7PrTY0KRqKchBMGSQRALa5ibvJB9rfvAXhX1ZR4hCmissygSXB9Sba5ZcIt8cjaY7Kva8_Cb7M-4Vw_f4gZ8SklMBeYDzWX5ka7VeeMPyNmhRp2rbGA/s1600/tardis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUna_osfWIAyf1ke3PGJht2A82I7PrTY0KRqKchBMGSQRALa5ibvJB9rfvAXhX1ZR4hCmissygSXB9Sba5ZcIt8cjaY7Kva8_Cb7M-4Vw_f4gZ8SklMBeYDzWX5ka7VeeMPyNmhRp2rbGA/s200/tardis.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, I got home in September and I found back episodes of Lucifer and Doctor Who, and I watched TV. A lot of TV. Luckily it was only for 6 weeks and then I was back on the road again.<br />
<br />
Maybe I'll try again in April. Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-17347012116072723582016-08-08T22:50:00.000-07:002017-02-18T22:57:04.106-08:00Not Quite Ready For The Olympics<div class="MsoNormal">
As I have mentioned previously, it is vitally important that
you keep your fluid levels up with an assortment of cold adult beverages, in
order to avoid making bad decisions. A
sudden drop in liquid levels can therefore be the only explanation for our
decision to buy inflatable kayaks. It seemed
like a good idea at the time: according
to the video, you just had to inflate them, hop on gracefully (and easily) and
propel yourself with minimal effort through calm waters and let nature kiss
your soul.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lXVm_bdP4q9XUcXqIHlaFJAFKEq0KqdmZx1gPZKYKG0I5MroWOy610ROoxz-QmsDlfspCOqWJQvBsYbYvcDCPNzBSdMo-RM5pG4h6sw1IBwoqPjH6jeO-1cdK9jufFA-NTldnBLrMlrA/s1600/2000014137_smgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lXVm_bdP4q9XUcXqIHlaFJAFKEq0KqdmZx1gPZKYKG0I5MroWOy610ROoxz-QmsDlfspCOqWJQvBsYbYvcDCPNzBSdMo-RM5pG4h6sw1IBwoqPjH6jeO-1cdK9jufFA-NTldnBLrMlrA/s200/2000014137_smgroup.jpg" width="200" /></a>The first thing I kissed was the bottom of the lake when I
did a faceplant into slimy, swampy water trying to get onto the kayak. The
thing they don’t tell you in the video is that the minute you put the kayaks in
water, they move and not in any predictable fashion. The end result was that I had to adopt the
Nui Method of Kayak Embarkation: rather
than sitting gracefully and moving my legs into position, I just kind of fling
myself backwards and hope that my butt lands somewhere near the seat. Getting off the kayak is almost as difficult
but by that point I’m usually already wet so it makes no difference.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another interesting phenomenon we discovered was the Law of
Suckage. When you inflate the kayak, all
the air going into the boats obviously creates a hole in the atmosphere, which can
only be filled by having high winds blow non-stop for days in order to replace
the air you’ve used. This also explains
why we were only able to use the kayaks about 5 times all summer – the high
winds whipped up the lakes something fierce.
Plus, being inflatable, the
winds make you feel like you’re riding a kite sometimes. I mean, we were getting lapped by 5 year olds
in those little hard kayaks, for pete’s sake.
Still, we looked cool!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We've decided that the Olympic Kayak team doesn’t have to worry
about being replaced just yet. But watch
out next summer!<o:p></o:p></div>
Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-79022393075605594922016-05-07T17:41:00.000-07:002017-02-18T18:48:54.413-08:00Be Careful What You Wish For....It turns out that it's easy to say you'd like to go back to roughing it, given the reasonable expectation that it will never, ever happen. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I went from camping in a tent, to a 19 foot trailer, to a 28 foot trailer and then to the ultimate in grandeur (ok, ok....grandeur might be a bit of an exaggeration)....a 34 foot RV which is old,rickety and pre-dented. I've always said, though, that I really missed camping in a tent. Ummmmm....</div>
<div>
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Fast forward to the end of April in BC. My brother - Rusty Lugnuts - and his wife - LouLou Lugnuts - decided rather suddenly that it was time to downsize from a home to a condo. Now, normally, you would expect that the buyer (the Lugnuts) would go to the seller (Yorkside) and say that they wanted to buy a condo. At that point, they would look over the models, pick a suite, pay a deposit and exit happily on their way to Dairy Queen for a sundae in celebration. You would be wrong!<br />
<br />
Yorkside told people that they would open pre-sales on May 7th but, before that date, anyone interested in buying had to line up outside the sales office for pre-buying pre-sale pre-sales. You got it - anyone interested in even potentially buying a suite had to line up 24/7 outside the sales office, get a number (the Lugnuts got #30) and wait for 10 days for the real pre-sales to open up.<br />
<br />
Now anyone with half a brain - or at least a bit of common sense - could see the stupidity of this plan. Or maybe the brilliance - after all, it generated a lot of publicity and even TV and newspaper articles. To be fair, the TV and newspaper articles intimated that it was a ridiculous way to sell condos, but still.... On top of that, the developers chose to feed all of us dinner AND give us $100 in gift certificates every single night - all while saying that they couldn't understand why so many people would line up for pre-sale pre-sales.<br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMIh3WGB7k1FAOACXXLfKXu8x1_0fx9OD_nNA9Yp6o88n2RlwAhtkOZe-hcPlbvguwGG1YeiF-J-atXkLhig7k_46RcnC6gEiSPmj7DN2S1_hdJusoF6Tqs6iUHhX8KtuLPWSIL5DGWVK/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMIh3WGB7k1FAOACXXLfKXu8x1_0fx9OD_nNA9Yp6o88n2RlwAhtkOZe-hcPlbvguwGG1YeiF-J-atXkLhig7k_46RcnC6gEiSPmj7DN2S1_hdJusoF6Tqs6iUHhX8KtuLPWSIL5DGWVK/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" /></a></div>
And so it happened that I wound up outside the pre-sales office, prepared to camp out for the cause. The first night I brought my air mattress and 2 thin afghans..... I'd forgotten that 99% of my blankets were in the RV, in Ontario. Lucky for me, the temps were reasonably mild and it wasn't raining, for a change. So, for the first time in my life, I slept outside with a bunch of strangers, a bunch of dogs, and several porta-potties on a busy street in Langley. The next night, we got a tent which, at that point, looked like the height of luxury. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDohuZE6yMqFVhjP63kkmi4AqD-2uWL16v4i4dSK_okRB3hVkUlI02VyEe4rKXL1aDI1zshKugDVsV0kn56vrHoOquEihDPqVzEMw7hKhyUwFbN0-ernsWMTgL9C_jN_ZrM1_LQ_it6ob/s1600/IMG_1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDohuZE6yMqFVhjP63kkmi4AqD-2uWL16v4i4dSK_okRB3hVkUlI02VyEe4rKXL1aDI1zshKugDVsV0kn56vrHoOquEihDPqVzEMw7hKhyUwFbN0-ernsWMTgL9C_jN_ZrM1_LQ_it6ob/s200/IMG_1105.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
Although it was a stupid way to sell condos, the truth is that it was a lot of fun. And, you know what, I still miss camping in a tent. But, just in case, I'll keep the RV handy.<br />
<br />
The best part is that the Lugnut family got the suite they wanted and will be moving in to their new condo in about a year! Yay!<br />
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Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-45388338439616766312016-04-10T14:06:00.000-07:002017-02-18T17:35:47.437-08:00WTF!??? Snow in Mid-April<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopZcFLID2gAQyw7avumcKhWy29Gp1sln5c3rVb94MmrJNAmcY5_7Qu_eBd6UBG9-ZzPW3G-bWt3kIauL_dl9tRAgXAUZUO6RPbjwi6rz39wSSNgxUhmzegnkdjnrRWs8eBoaPBx4p3HNm/s1600/snow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopZcFLID2gAQyw7avumcKhWy29Gp1sln5c3rVb94MmrJNAmcY5_7Qu_eBd6UBG9-ZzPW3G-bWt3kIauL_dl9tRAgXAUZUO6RPbjwi6rz39wSSNgxUhmzegnkdjnrRWs8eBoaPBx4p3HNm/s320/snow.JPG" width="240" /></a>Last year, we got back to Orillia on April 7th, only to have snow and freezing rain hit us the next day. It had been so cold that Jackie's water pipes were still frozen. So this year, we decided to delay our return by a week and guess what?!.....it fricken' snowed in Indiana and there's a winter advisory for Flint Michigan, our next stop. I always swore I would never see snow again after I retired. So much for that prediction. I managed to avoid having to drive in it (so far) but we did hit fairly heavy rain today between Indianapolis and Angola. On the plus side, it did clear a few bugs off the windshield.<br />
<br />
All I can say is that the idea of sacrificing a virgin to the weather gods is looking like a pretty reasonable alternative right now.<br />
<br />
Next year, I'm not coming back until June.<br />
<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-29251825696286922272016-04-09T17:15:00.001-07:002016-04-09T19:41:34.672-07:00I May Have to Rethink Some Eating AdventuresI've written about eating tripe (urk!) and boudin (yum!) and crawfish (jury's out), but I didn't tell you about some of our other culinary excursions.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-qjG1XyJsXOAX7ispvVZK5fBl7pmPs1f3A2YkpU8TPbQeTa-DPBBryMfZYqQ0-jVMzAb4XLiDNe2U5VNW9Ln0SQPG5OC7d5qg9xxXzUi0DrsItI0qJ1RrhOassI33xoanAk2m4bE1iBj/s1600/yogurt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-qjG1XyJsXOAX7ispvVZK5fBl7pmPs1f3A2YkpU8TPbQeTa-DPBBryMfZYqQ0-jVMzAb4XLiDNe2U5VNW9Ln0SQPG5OC7d5qg9xxXzUi0DrsItI0qJ1RrhOassI33xoanAk2m4bE1iBj/s200/yogurt+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>In Yuma, one of the grocery stores featured yogurts with flavours such as Pineapple Kiwi Spinach and Blueberry Cucumber. Naturally, I bought everything they had including Dark Cherry Beet, Lemon Zucchini and Spiced Apricot Butternut Squash.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVf_X9Ztn12_7hdTbZX4VbG8ey7xNrccuQ8aeTCA0u4Nbn0OBZWriSo27tpfKatNTuMFF9Bhyphenhyphen3rvkd6qbfkPQ-MK7cPAFL0Wb1zxXDRee9S40DKo5YBd-rZiocmexycXctR9h3gMKwRUJ/s1600/yogurt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVf_X9Ztn12_7hdTbZX4VbG8ey7xNrccuQ8aeTCA0u4Nbn0OBZWriSo27tpfKatNTuMFF9Bhyphenhyphen3rvkd6qbfkPQ-MK7cPAFL0Wb1zxXDRee9S40DKo5YBd-rZiocmexycXctR9h3gMKwRUJ/s200/yogurt+1.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrnj0nskmSKtqMiL5DTFZr4kn4NZkbzrD3c5oPdRww1PiZUgdVU2XH8iYBwv8zbv5GYSWoYanE5K54r785tK6IcfIe5h87EgX_qiJoNRJmMm_aEOsOWlKAYyp9pmt12GkMJVESTdlFAB1/s1600/yogurt+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrnj0nskmSKtqMiL5DTFZr4kn4NZkbzrD3c5oPdRww1PiZUgdVU2XH8iYBwv8zbv5GYSWoYanE5K54r785tK6IcfIe5h87EgX_qiJoNRJmMm_aEOsOWlKAYyp9pmt12GkMJVESTdlFAB1/s200/yogurt+3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
Let me just say, for the record, that ALL of these are a very bad idea. I tried the first two and just about gagged. I couldn't even face the other ones. I opened them up, took one sniff and tossed them into the trash. I know you're supposed to eat vegetables and all, but, quite frankly, I'd rather risk scurvy than dip into these again. They even made tripe look good.<br />
<br />
So, not to be outdone, my two sisters prepared a little taste testing event last night featuring pop (aka soda) they picked up in Tennessee or possibly Mars.<br />
<br />
The first one (Sample A) smelled like old shoes and didn't taste a whole lot better. The second one (Sample B) tasted like something you would pour on pancakes, only sweeter and wetter. Sample C seemed okay at first, once you got past the gag reflex. However, it definitely had an afterburn that was reminiscent of that feeling you get when you kind of puke but don't quite get there. The final one (Sample D) was bright green and smelled like a combination of mouthwash and old dusty books. That same old book taste lingered for quite awhile. ALL of the samples were thrown out the Beast's window in very short order. Want to know what we were drinking?<br />
<br />
Sample A: Ranch Dressing soda<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfEccLbHuUaW42vRer637ewGh6pOfFPAKZzsQnUS1eupxpOjC7dXsL0AhnL3y-TYZ06BPc6pnB0MSIRV3hz3kJ6zvcN4uzyuld24pzVtHECPZIvE5iM5Z9WT6cUDVjq8_PbyYRzY-kUiZ/s1600/pop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfEccLbHuUaW42vRer637ewGh6pOfFPAKZzsQnUS1eupxpOjC7dXsL0AhnL3y-TYZ06BPc6pnB0MSIRV3hz3kJ6zvcN4uzyuld24pzVtHECPZIvE5iM5Z9WT6cUDVjq8_PbyYRzY-kUiZ/s320/pop.JPG" width="240" /></a>Sample B: Maple Bacon pop<br />
Sample C: Buffalo Wing pop<br />
Sample D: Cucumber soda<br />
<br />
Kind of makes me crave a big glass of milk and a bologna sandwich.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, we said goodbye to the girls last night. They are off to Michigan for some final RV repairs. We are off to Flint, Michigan and then home to Sudbury. Sudbury....where it snowed 30 cm in the past two days. yay<br />
<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-1774649308724620542016-04-07T18:53:00.000-07:002016-04-07T19:30:40.338-07:00Vicksburg....drop everything and go there<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVeQ_yoI-jzyQls_wJAQwhK6nHt8WTql3_Tq7sV5hsGcxzeo8FvWm-grAaHuZAW_Q-fIOQZAH6i1e2QXdS33YRojBlkJB-qaI9MICCjLaag6_qmG8tikUyAAQ8MdeKsUwIefV_eEvy8yI/s1600/IMG_1062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVeQ_yoI-jzyQls_wJAQwhK6nHt8WTql3_Tq7sV5hsGcxzeo8FvWm-grAaHuZAW_Q-fIOQZAH6i1e2QXdS33YRojBlkJB-qaI9MICCjLaag6_qmG8tikUyAAQ8MdeKsUwIefV_eEvy8yI/s200/IMG_1062.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hl_RGk1hQE8fnq_1UJ0pQny6qIM9LS-RAr4MpIlIQi3dA4tAdXkMUgYsHkojdkxHre6JfLF9cigmyArbNdJSSramiftoJpC-a4n-kNRF8maBO0lNA69pE6R68-y-diVK5xuDgvohPGOg/s1600/IMG_1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hl_RGk1hQE8fnq_1UJ0pQny6qIM9LS-RAr4MpIlIQi3dA4tAdXkMUgYsHkojdkxHre6JfLF9cigmyArbNdJSSramiftoJpC-a4n-kNRF8maBO0lNA69pE6R68-y-diVK5xuDgvohPGOg/s200/IMG_1058.JPG" width="150" /></a>For the first time, we have turned north. Our path took us to the town of Vicksburg, which was a huge civil war battle site and is now home to half a dozen casinos and one huge riverboat. What a gorgeous town! Everywhere you look there's a mansion or a statue or a mural or a cannon or ironwork decorations or cobblestone streets. We spent 3 days there and I plan to spend a whole lot more time in the Fall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFFxC7vzlo9KgCGkguhL1uwyPEyfB25ciaozECCxHFoWHmQ2Aa45L0MdWgxc_iJCOW4p6zxT-kkt16x-v25-NvVaLo42EJVL8x7q5xmxLduUf47Mtsqp6ZFjQNjCowsMHQ158J8RJDHeL/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFFxC7vzlo9KgCGkguhL1uwyPEyfB25ciaozECCxHFoWHmQ2Aa45L0MdWgxc_iJCOW4p6zxT-kkt16x-v25-NvVaLo42EJVL8x7q5xmxLduUf47Mtsqp6ZFjQNjCowsMHQ158J8RJDHeL/s200/IMG_1037.JPG" width="150" /></a>The mansion tours just about did RRR in: she had said, just the day before, that she should be walking more. Be careful what you ask for!!! And, for some odd reason, people in the 1800s really liked stairs..... a lot! It must have been so they could make grand entrances in their hoop skirts. <br />
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RRR was not thrilled with the mansions - she felt they needed a good cleaning. The first one was a "town house" and was actually quite small (and a bit dingy) although it did feature a hand-crafted carpet done in petit-point (check out the photo).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXl_C3TmQOwqQvjaDABxKqrn_qVniU6mlK4d4Sey8X3lO4WDcXPwqzT8wXUQtbqwBhIsRAaLTBgSSHmyVFdL9Rg5C9wbxTD78srIAAok-A7b9X81Bavy1KUYENetNjKjW40dHqL_8en9q/s1600/IMG_1054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXl_C3TmQOwqQvjaDABxKqrn_qVniU6mlK4d4Sey8X3lO4WDcXPwqzT8wXUQtbqwBhIsRAaLTBgSSHmyVFdL9Rg5C9wbxTD78srIAAok-A7b9X81Bavy1KUYENetNjKjW40dHqL_8en9q/s200/IMG_1054.JPG" width="150" /></a> The second one - Cedar Grove - was gorgeous. It also featured a canonball from the civil war, which was lodged in the wall. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM3RX-nJhexly2gPLsEsF4C_JVCNEXO7ZArmF8WH4y2r2RLX3wmTxTSDm7h5qQ9KMoMd6w0Kj4x0ZIu_hfMENAjmq4HfFF6TWdYIaSHVRNbyLXVo_jVwtfl981pkF5TtnfOHtPXdiMLDA/s1600/canonball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM3RX-nJhexly2gPLsEsF4C_JVCNEXO7ZArmF8WH4y2r2RLX3wmTxTSDm7h5qQ9KMoMd6w0Kj4x0ZIu_hfMENAjmq4HfFF6TWdYIaSHVRNbyLXVo_jVwtfl981pkF5TtnfOHtPXdiMLDA/s200/canonball.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-otPXon6sHVaOUQf6R2kd8C-oMy7EeYhKA9KCaVy7g61B5BxTyv-Tr7-eKE1ay8kj2vZwtc7pDvAi1kK9g29Sa4Yrcr-HzQxDi30kUkGvGAwbayyNjrhp442iuyGHMU1aYSopc6crPSS/s1600/IMG_1044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-otPXon6sHVaOUQf6R2kd8C-oMy7EeYhKA9KCaVy7g61B5BxTyv-Tr7-eKE1ay8kj2vZwtc7pDvAi1kK9g29Sa4Yrcr-HzQxDi30kUkGvGAwbayyNjrhp442iuyGHMU1aYSopc6crPSS/s200/IMG_1044.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNjqfEZW5TqNiCx-vBaqeyXXA1LQlGngaJgRtpa20d5ggxRa8EXr8juPIXOM3p6R6H4nqbx8yKfnYQ4nml6gHfZNaGJ3uZV0qWvEQA6geasPYTDNFZzYrt0jNjpKsIG7HLgSoXHEA9zeM/s1600/IMG_1051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNjqfEZW5TqNiCx-vBaqeyXXA1LQlGngaJgRtpa20d5ggxRa8EXr8juPIXOM3p6R6H4nqbx8yKfnYQ4nml6gHfZNaGJ3uZV0qWvEQA6geasPYTDNFZzYrt0jNjpKsIG7HLgSoXHEA9zeM/s200/IMG_1051.JPG" width="150" /></a>The colours were amazing - one room was done all in Wedgwood Blue, another was dusty rose, another was forest green. There was even a pink Lalicque chandelier and a piano that was valued at $1.5 million. Even more impressive was a huge safe that sat in the formal dining room: it looks just like a buffet table, but was actually a 3000 pound safe that the owner used to hide his valuables when the Union army commandeered the house as a hospital. No one ever guessed that the side table hid all of his money. I was so busy kicking it (they said we could), that I forgot to take a photo.<br />
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One interesting thing I learned about was the paintings which you see everywhere: they are usually of little kids in very uncomfortable looking clothes that no parent in his/her right mind would ever dress them in. It turns out that, because of the bad winters, painters would paint a selection of bodies in various costumes and with various backgrounds. Then, in good weather, they would travel to wealthy homes and people would pick out their favorite outfit and the background and the painter would just paint in their faces and hands. This led to some weird combos: in this case, there is a painting of a little girl but the face and hands are those of a much older woman. It's kinda creepy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yHGUXPErrEAFjfYz4rSRmDiXEY9lNkQ1oxmyyqqqcvHw5IFD8HKaD7Pnwozbjz4gI0Pt4L_wwyRPFwn3DLtyNRyH_67k0JL9TKGiI_hrtloXdjaIEfnltJ9l-Krc0rz7uAKzL3rqoScn/s1600/IMG_1073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yHGUXPErrEAFjfYz4rSRmDiXEY9lNkQ1oxmyyqqqcvHw5IFD8HKaD7Pnwozbjz4gI0Pt4L_wwyRPFwn3DLtyNRyH_67k0JL9TKGiI_hrtloXdjaIEfnltJ9l-Krc0rz7uAKzL3rqoScn/s200/IMG_1073.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT_lyN411_QhpJ_GC5vCpZdGqQWLKuTtXVmwCCZqtMfS4h7Bo9OC6DwAxQ1RPyW_p2DWBIRXm1F2AsxZyGLNvQoRDtMYKk1Hq-CRH8S00-24TXkYPii_9wr_bkhDcseJyD0ERlf4UwzMg/s1600/IMG_1071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT_lyN411_QhpJ_GC5vCpZdGqQWLKuTtXVmwCCZqtMfS4h7Bo9OC6DwAxQ1RPyW_p2DWBIRXm1F2AsxZyGLNvQoRDtMYKk1Hq-CRH8S00-24TXkYPii_9wr_bkhDcseJyD0ERlf4UwzMg/s200/IMG_1071.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Also creepy was the doll museum..... it's kind of unnerving to have all these little eyes staring at you everywhere you turn. My favorite was the X-files Barbie and Ken. I had to have that picture.<br />
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And just across the street was the Coca-Cola museum where I spotted a Jabba the Hutt lunchbox. What little kid wouldn't like to bring that to school!? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOQf9dYWbKD6YgKWviNPmvZnBm_KU182mARb9lAQZtVCDMRkQHlkzpgbPBELf5L5Cg9mI5VJOJ3KiTAn4qD8qwOgaGlPzfk5uAfWO3N1coJYXY6IwMhJf3RoobsadIWWUXnHtZokfWlXi/s1600/IMG_1076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOQf9dYWbKD6YgKWviNPmvZnBm_KU182mARb9lAQZtVCDMRkQHlkzpgbPBELf5L5Cg9mI5VJOJ3KiTAn4qD8qwOgaGlPzfk5uAfWO3N1coJYXY6IwMhJf3RoobsadIWWUXnHtZokfWlXi/s200/IMG_1076.JPG" width="150" /></a>All in all, Vicksburg is a memorable place. I really need to spend some time there to indulge my interests in the civil war era. The place just drips with history!!!<br />
<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191076555946585330.post-27624608260346823042016-03-29T15:54:00.000-07:002016-04-06T16:35:50.384-07:00Aiyeeee......dat's good eatin'<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cHu8_BVHSuz-e6881qtXHgQYbC5OLfqI2_DdAfsyIW4RXn-H3LIyw5t1ZKXeFK9jT461uh1ptVOW8zcOiZLOSmWmFknjWB4PUtZn1M8LmAnIp13S-yfSrf2bWS9iQOEy27s8dGKKNKFE/s1600/IMG_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cHu8_BVHSuz-e6881qtXHgQYbC5OLfqI2_DdAfsyIW4RXn-H3LIyw5t1ZKXeFK9jT461uh1ptVOW8zcOiZLOSmWmFknjWB4PUtZn1M8LmAnIp13S-yfSrf2bWS9iQOEy27s8dGKKNKFE/s200/IMG_0900.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for Mardi Gras</td></tr>
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We headed for Louisiana a day early in order to beat what the weatherman said were severe thunderstorms. I guess it's true what they say: little boys who lie grow up to be weathermen. Except for one short bout of rain (we weren't even home), there was nothing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb_mcFYWQwWudt6fPTBy7GKVCfLnq7rXzGHk1rb5fE2ZXWFJGNv-wzDhVc_NcXjQLjS9G3qYsFKM9WzXuiqr7oCAauB9sk2qzVZKyOX_p8TV6oODLvSk4t-sswz6ZYa7jyzgeSISY_b-w/s1600/IMG_0899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb_mcFYWQwWudt6fPTBy7GKVCfLnq7rXzGHk1rb5fE2ZXWFJGNv-wzDhVc_NcXjQLjS9G3qYsFKM9WzXuiqr7oCAauB9sk2qzVZKyOX_p8TV6oODLvSk4t-sswz6ZYa7jyzgeSISY_b-w/s200/IMG_0899.JPG" width="200" /></a> Anyhow, made it back to Lafayette and immediately started looking for Billy's Balls. This is the Boudin capital of Louisiana and everyone sells them, along with cracklins (fried pig skin) and crawfish (mudbugs). Boudin are pork sausages but Billy makes them even better by stuffing them into balls and deep frying them. RRR really didn't like them but I think they're worth a trip to Louisiana whenever you can get there.<br />
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We also took a tour of the oldest rice mill and saw how rice was produced. Very interesting and lots of fun rice products to look at.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcxOIV-qcGKom1oYuZy_cX8ArqOjJSZKZv7_ZLIGg-ZJEJWA7jNuCVh6XEv0c78i19tnrBpA1eQzhsyxPDt3wwl_KmatumAVP_ilhzXT0mwEHtV2tUAGR6oHRuFbJrdWfCgfVhoA7L_WM/s1600/spindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcxOIV-qcGKom1oYuZy_cX8ArqOjJSZKZv7_ZLIGg-ZJEJWA7jNuCVh6XEv0c78i19tnrBpA1eQzhsyxPDt3wwl_KmatumAVP_ilhzXT0mwEHtV2tUAGR6oHRuFbJrdWfCgfVhoA7L_WM/s200/spindle.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2fx4f6g9uaZgM_4oVjUx7nTMGg2hCkR3wj5ZDYw23qOHJ4QTVVtK50gVmkQE2IKHbHB10zEOmhLnwnEIYRDw5rRLsDGB8dhmc2dRAcM7XlGAuLNvzI_nnsrmrZAyDedW_QPtlfFC8UCC/s1600/old+house+Lafayette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2fx4f6g9uaZgM_4oVjUx7nTMGg2hCkR3wj5ZDYw23qOHJ4QTVVtK50gVmkQE2IKHbHB10zEOmhLnwnEIYRDw5rRLsDGB8dhmc2dRAcM7XlGAuLNvzI_nnsrmrZAyDedW_QPtlfFC8UCC/s200/old+house+Lafayette.jpg" width="200" /></a>We toured Vermilionville, which was the original Acadian settlement. This place was amazing. They had people in period costume, artisans sculpting wood, people in the smithy and a woman who showed up how to clean, card and then spin cotton into thread. It was a really interesting afternoon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssS6Pu5WULKkDFZ2EbAwD3KJoMrpDl1LqfeC7MyGXLSpT6aEC-wtH0_cnPRELZ6urgJtdfFGovcZLOsmCnVPyVb-s8ThhYNAzATVrPvkVae8WN8j1TRZZJy9vu3NLAGa8eMKqRs8VW7Mk/s1600/ferry+vermilionville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssS6Pu5WULKkDFZ2EbAwD3KJoMrpDl1LqfeC7MyGXLSpT6aEC-wtH0_cnPRELZ6urgJtdfFGovcZLOsmCnVPyVb-s8ThhYNAzATVrPvkVae8WN8j1TRZZJy9vu3NLAGa8eMKqRs8VW7Mk/s200/ferry+vermilionville.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ7obbhQwZVorEfm_kpVaoLYrUHwoWLOa5Z1w12VRWqiqfmpleLmUSSpyl8VjwHRFfQXR6DMBpMz9Vxklknhh53g6S_yZ6UPSMTytrITtNWaudIxU1YwSs-VMXZvQZs_VaM5G9w0oK_jP/s1600/IMG_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ7obbhQwZVorEfm_kpVaoLYrUHwoWLOa5Z1w12VRWqiqfmpleLmUSSpyl8VjwHRFfQXR6DMBpMz9Vxklknhh53g6S_yZ6UPSMTytrITtNWaudIxU1YwSs-VMXZvQZs_VaM5G9w0oK_jP/s200/IMG_0929.JPG" width="200" /></a>The best, though, was Champagne's Swamp Tour. We spent 2 hours on the boat and saw some amazing sites: birds, bugs, turtles, little alligators and some huge 'gators. This is my second time on the tour and I'd go again - it is so beautiful!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzfkOJJl6jjzlLsTo-In9Ij1ByRWzO8KdMCXmov-ewI5U957WdhJ1EWqR9ApjPTnymQeQwaP5_g0AgoG4OXB_6dj9dNiQzLUBrbUpuXaFjRuaSvN386zG_ojQoY7TRVTj4KQV5NZzJuMo/s1600/IMG_1020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzfkOJJl6jjzlLsTo-In9Ij1ByRWzO8KdMCXmov-ewI5U957WdhJ1EWqR9ApjPTnymQeQwaP5_g0AgoG4OXB_6dj9dNiQzLUBrbUpuXaFjRuaSvN386zG_ojQoY7TRVTj4KQV5NZzJuMo/s200/IMG_1020.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP0heYw6JlXTn9gbIW0sV0HxnjFyYlCc8YvNoA0ycgeeYUWYYI9v5FoA5Zr4dn3ytzx2tyARYwozbWm-UvBhmHA9aUe_qFhS_2Ag6mEU4W8SdXQu99OuyFRyWKJRknNDE_LXwPSd9wxdW/s1600/IMG_0981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP0heYw6JlXTn9gbIW0sV0HxnjFyYlCc8YvNoA0ycgeeYUWYYI9v5FoA5Zr4dn3ytzx2tyARYwozbWm-UvBhmHA9aUe_qFhS_2Ag6mEU4W8SdXQu99OuyFRyWKJRknNDE_LXwPSd9wxdW/s200/IMG_0981.JPG" width="150" /></a>Last stop was Avery Island, where they produce Tabasco Sauce. Also a very interesting tour, lots to see and the Jungle Gardens are amazing. We got 3 little tiny bottles of Tabasco sauce when we registered: for me, that's a lifetime supply.<br />
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Of course, I couldn't leave Louisiana without trying crawfish. At Avery Island, I had a big dish of crawfish etouffee (that means stuffed or choked - which would be nearly impossible, given the size of the mudbug). Anyhow, it turns out that they are delicious..... much better than tripe (thank gawd). It's sort of like shrimp, but with a swampier taste. Another reason to come back to Louisiana.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kZTDF2avz6OmPa4sIliBbcuqJ_oSiZq9nL2lFeDvJO6z4YWNXvkLmKixnJiUjP4SKSjs7To6OaIDjf58aX_JdRjOk0tYv9iY2u7gu9ftkO_cpp4IEo_uSNEvtKfkhbi77__zUGV49J4k/s1600/IMG_0939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kZTDF2avz6OmPa4sIliBbcuqJ_oSiZq9nL2lFeDvJO6z4YWNXvkLmKixnJiUjP4SKSjs7To6OaIDjf58aX_JdRjOk0tYv9iY2u7gu9ftkO_cpp4IEo_uSNEvtKfkhbi77__zUGV49J4k/s200/IMG_0939.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<br />Nuiloahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12199477597213344222noreply@blogger.com0