Back in Quartzsite Az.

I have started the blog again. I was talking this afternoon with a friend (Ron Morgan) and he was saying he missed the blog. For several reasons I took some time off, mostly just lazy. But we spent many months just helping some friends or visiting with the kids and grandkids so there was not much to write about. I know many of you enjoyed following the blog and I should of handled it a lot better. But I am back at it and will keep posting. I know there will be times when we are not doing much but will still try and make it interesting. We are in Quartzsite Az and will be here from November until the end of February (2013). We are both doing well, Pepper is having lots of problems with her back legs. She is on meds and has to be helped up stairs. She turned 14 in July so she has a lot of years on her. 

I have a lot of catching up to do on a few things that have happen to us the past few months. So over the next few months I will post a little of what we have been doing and our future plans. But currently we are sitting here in Quartzsite and enjoying the good weather. We were able to sit outside in shorts and tee shirts while having a cocktail. Quartzsite is starting to fill up with the snowbirds. The population during most of the year is around 2000 people but come mid January there will be over 100,000 people in the area. They have a huge flea market and gem and bead show during January and February which draw snowbird from all over the USA. It is expected to have 1400 vendors here selling everything from a pair of socks to a huge motorhome. The pictures posted are from the past few days. Some of the sunrises are worth getting up for. We like to get out into the desert and wander around where no one else goes. We like the feeling of being out where most humans have not walked before.  We found a path most likely made by migrating animals which lead us to an old Ironwood tree, with some research discovered the tree is the oldest living thing in the area at 1050 years old. 

 Have a Merry Christmas from Jackie and I.

We are in Oregon (update)

 Haven't had time to do much on the blog the past two weeks or so. We were here in Albany exactly one year ago and I helped my friend Pat get his home ready to sale, well I am now here helping him fix and correct a few things because it is being bought. There were a couple difficult projects that had to be done. The hardest was cutting and jackhammering the basement floor to reroute a sink and shower drain. Getting to old to do that type of work. The home inspector found a few things that need attention, so we have been fixing some and others require a contractor. We are almost done! I have put some pictures of different places we have parked over the past year. It was a blast to see and do what we did over the past year and have so many more things we want to do. Our plans for the remainder of this year is to slow down some and  spend more time at each stop. Depending on what happens with the sale of Pats house and how much more help he will need our plan is to move on the 1st of July to the Oregon coast. Will spend a month in Waldport, then move down the coast to Eureka Calif and stay a couple months there until it starts to cool down in the Sacramento area. We will visit with the kids and friends near Sacramento for month or so, then work our way to Quartzsite Az. Will spent the winter there and plan our next stage. So for the rest of this year we will be going back to some of our favorite spots. Will try and find new and interesting things to post, stuff we missed our first time at these spots. Some friends and family are planning on visiting us along our way. Hope they all can make it. Weather here has been cool and wet. The past few days it has warmed up and reaching into the mid 70's. Pepper is having a difficult time getting around, her back legs are shot. We have to help her up stairs, I even have a ramp for her to go up to get into the trailer. She turns 14 in a couple weeks, poor girl is starting to really struggle.

 Spent two nights at the Moose Lodge in Gettysburg. They have a 15 acre area just outside of town where they have a pond and a big area to have functions. So we parked there for the two nights by ourselves and toured the town and battlefield. We were surprised by how large of the battlefield area was. We went by the visitors center and got a driving tour brochure which had 16 different stops on it. You could spent days looking at all of the monuments and fields where the battle took place. What I found interesting was that the battle only lasted 3 days. As I posted on the last blog we decided to go to Oregon. We made it yesterday afternoon. We were going to just take our time but have problems with the trailer jacks which allow us to unkook. So we spent 3 days connected to the trailer and moved across the country quickly. Put in several 10 days driving, which is something we don't do. Glad we decided not to try and unhook because I was just able to disconnect and it stopped working. Today my friend Pat and I will trouble shoot the problem. We are staying here for at lease a month. Pat all but has his home sold and as it stands right now will have to be out by the 14th July. Paper work on sale is almost done. I will be helping him do any repairs that the home inspector finds and now looks like some packing. It rained last night, which is not unusual here. Pepper will be glad she doesn't have to travel for a while.

Travel update

The last two stops have had bad internet reception, so I can't post pictures. Will as soon as we can. We made a drastic change in our plans a few days ago. We left the DC area on the way to Gettysburg, when we started talking about the traffic, heat, rain, humidity and Jackie missing seeing the kids. So we decided to head back west to Oregon. These past 8 months we have traveled and seen many things. We plan on continuing but are finding that we now have gotten some of the travel bug out of our system. So we are going to slow down some and over the next several years continue wander around but at a slower pace. We really enjoyed the summer along the Oregon and Northern California coast and our winter in Arizona. So we are going to hit some of our favorite places again, spend a some time visiting with the kids then head out again. For us this lifestyle is always changing and we are learning how to adapt to the changes. Right now the change is saying get your ass to the cool coast of Oregon. We are now near Bloomington Il. and will be in Iowa City Iowa tomorrow. We are going to spend 3 nights at the Moose Lodge, so we are not traveling over the holiday. Weather hot and a little humid. Pepper struggles in the heat so she too will be glad to get somewhere cool.

Reunion and Washington DC

 Had a great time with my friends. We three met somewhere around 1968-69 at Vandenberg AFB. We managed to get in a couple rounds of golf, some sightseeing and lots of good food. One day we drove to Gettysburg and did a quick drive through the battlefield. (Jackie and I are moving to Gettysburg today and will be staying at a park owned by the Moose Lodge. Plan on spending a couple days getting a better look at Gettysburg.) We also took a drive in Washington DC after dark to see the city with its lights. The Capital and Washington Monument were something to see at night. We also did a walking tour. Fred dropped Carl, Jackie and I off at the Metro and we took it into DC. Riding the Metro is an experience in its self. Part is above ground but mostly underground. In DC that is the best way to get around. There was a lot of walking required to see everything but with a couple benches and a few bottles of water we made it. I think this has been one of our best stops, we really enjoyed the visit and getting to see DC was something high on our bucket list. The move today to Gettysburg is only 40-50 miles, we have to go to a rv park to dump our holding tanks before going to the Moose Lodge. Should be set up by noon and off to see Gettysburg. After Gettysburg we are moving a little north toward Lancaster Pa to see the Amish community. After that not sure where we will head. Weather is perfect. Around 75 during the day and a little cool at night, so sleeping is comfortable. Pepper has been having more problems with her back legs, she struggles getting up stairs or hills.

Damascus Update

 We are waiting on the parts for the trailer jack, should be here sometime today. I have the trailer ready to fix the leg so it shouldn't take to long to put it back together. Glad we were parked here. Fred has his garage  full of tools that have sure helped. Haven't toured DC yet. We have played golf and because the weather has been nasty have stayed put. Fred and I are almost finished with a project under his deck. They wanted to put lattice up to block the view under the deck. So we framed it and painted it now just to finish installing the lattice. As you can see they have a beautiful home and 3 acres of grass, which I get to watch Fred move a little later. Tomorrow Carl flies in from Las Vegas. So 3 us old Air Force buddies will have scotch and tell stories. Fred's basement is a mancave! Stereo, tv, pool table, ping pong and a fridge full of beer. Oh, and a bathroom. Once Carl gets here we will start touring DC. Rained hard yesterday afternoon into the night but today it is sunny and windy. A little chilly but better than heat and humidity.

Damascus Maryland

 We made it to our friends Fred and Cyndy's in Damascus, which is just outside Washington DC. Arrived here Saturday and after backing up a very difficult and steep driveway got parked. While trying to unhook our trailer the landing gear (front jacks) broke. So we have not been able to unhook the truck. Of course this happens on a Saturday and we cannot order parts. On Monday Fred and I took the jack leg apart and ordered the parts which will be here Thursday. So we have been hooked to the truck with the trailer tilted and will have to stay that way until I get the parts. Not much planned as far as sightseeing yet. Played golf yesterday in a Coast Guard golf outing. They have one a month and Fred's daughter and son-in-law are Coast Guard officers. The course was nice and just hard enough to make it interesting. These pictures are from a few weeks ago when we were near Darlington SC. Toured the museum and got to look at the track but couldn't get on it. Weather nice with some clouds. Pepper is enjoying it here because Fred has 3 acres and it is all grass. Pepper can run around without the leash.

Another cousin visit

 Well, I think we have visited the last cousin of Jackie. At lease on her mothers side. Spent 3 nights about 25  miles south of Fredricksburg Va. Jackie's cousin Carlene and her husband George live on Lake Anna, which is about 30 miles west of where we are parked. The lake is beautiful and has is shaped so that there are many creeks and coves to explore. They have a boat dock that is covered and a sitting area. We went for a few hour boat ride with them and can see why they enjoy living there. The little known bonus of visiting Jackie's cousins is I had another good meal. Today we move to Damascus Maryland, which is just outside Washington DC. Will be there from the 5th-18th of May. Will be staying at Fred and Cyndy"s place, they have a 3 acre lot, so shouldn't a problem parking. Fred and I served together in the Air Force in the late 60's, early 70's at Vandenburg AFB. Next week on the 11th Carl who we also served with will be flying in for a week. Will be touring DC, so should have lots of info to share. Weather is warm and humid and some thunderstorms night before last. Pepper is doing ok. Walking slow and breathing hard but over all she is hanging in there. She does not like the heat and humidity either.

Richmond Va and Jackie's Cousin

We just spent the week at the Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield Va. Jackie's cousin Daphne and her husband Paul live only a couple miles from the park. We had a real nice visit with her cousin. Had dinner with them several times and also went to their friends home Rich and Connie who also were great hosts. Rich tried to get me drunk but my strong will power won out. Thanks for the great meals. We also toured Richmond, went to the state capital and to the Hollywood Cemetery. At the state capital we went on a guided tour. The statue of George Washington is an exact likeness of him. The sculptor met with him and measured him to get exact size of him. He was 6'-2". The sculptor also made a mold of his face to make the statue as close to him as possible At the Hollywood Cemetery (Hollywood name came from the Holly trees). There are 83,000 graves at the cemetery and it includes two of our past Presidents. The cemetery opened in 1847 and the 1st burial was in 1849 an infant. Some of the gravestones date back prior to 1847 because many were relocated to this one due to growth of the town. The picture of the grave site with the iron structure around it is James Monroe and it is called the Birdcage. The other pictures are of John Tyler. There are thousands of Confederate soldiers buried here including 2000 from Gettysburg.

Today we moved about 60 miles north of Richmond to visit with, get ready for this, another cousin of Jackie's. I was asked if Jackie has a cousin in every state and the answer is apparently yes. We then move on Saturday to Damascus Md. It is just east of Washington DC. Going to be there for 2 weeks visiting with a friend of mine. Weather has been a little stormy with some rain. Now it has gotten warm with humidity.