High Point, NC

We're here for a week visiting Donna & Craig this week in High Point, NC.  Craig is still battling cancer, so it's a rough time for their family & friends.  We're trying to provide some moral support, but there's not a lot we can do.  Just try to help when we can and stay out of the way the rest of the time.

Been a rainy visit for us.  Came in with light rain and then it got heavy.  Got out in the rain to get an oil change for the truck.  Today was the first non-rain day for us.  I got a couple of pictures in with the sun out before the clouds rolled in, again.  The best one is at the top.

We're at the Oak Hollow Family Park in High Point, and it's a beautiful little campground.  Loops A & C are the prettiest.  We're in loop B which is all gravel with lines painted to delineate the sites.  Not as pretty, but great for big rigs as there's no tree limbs to dodge & the loop is satellite TV friendly.  WiFi seems OK, weak Verizon signal (OK phone, poor data), and there's cable TV at most RV sites.  Tent sites have wooden platforms off the ground.  Some tents sites also have shared electrical outlets, too.

So here we sit.  If all goes well, we'll move to Stone Mountain State Park the first of next week for a two-week stay there visiting Doug & Louise.  Early weather predictions are for a wet ride down.

So that's it from here.  Everyone have a great weekend!  Later, David

Weekly Update

Our three-week stay here outside Fredericksburg is coming to an end.  We finally got all the doc appointments done.  I think Donna's visited everyone.  Donna trying to get a few follow-ups with friends before we leave.  And we're already scheduling visits for  people to come see us at Gulf Shores.

Lost a pair of expensive glasses in the process.  Probably get a new pair when we get to Gulf Shores.  Foster Grants are good temporary replacements, but I do miss the progressive lens when working around the computer.

Speaking of computer, the thought passed through my mind that we were coming up on two years with my current laptop last week & that I probably should start planning for a replacement over the winter.  Well the keyboard started acting up and the "numbers" pad locked on the digit "7" last night (that is, pressing any key on the "numbers" keypad gets you the number "7").  Guess I should start looking for a replacement laptop sooner rather than later.

The truck continues to have it's random, once per month electrical issue.  This month it was the cruise control quit.  While the cruise control quitting is annoying and inconvenient, it's also the first thing that goes when the high pressure fuel pump starts failing.  So it's a little more exciting as that runs about $10,000 to fix and loss of the use of the truck from two to three weeks.  Anyway, cruise control started working the next day.   Hopefully, this is just an annoying electrical glitch or we may be late to Gulf Shores, again.

So that's our week.  The KOA is beginning to fill for the weekend.  We plan to go to High Point, NC Monday if all goes well.  Everyone have a great weekend!  David  

Weekly Update - KOA gets a present

We're in the middle of our three week visit to Fredericksburg and all our doc appointments.  We've had an unusual problem with appointments being canceled  (without our knowledge) or people being available to complete the appointment.  Hopefully, we can get them all in before we leave.

We continue to eat out too much.  All our packages arrived.  Paul & Tricia invited us out to this morning's Prayer Breakfast where one of the "Blackhawk Down" pilots spoke.  They showed some of the scenes from the movie. I'm not sure how someone who experienced that combat action in Somalia can watch scenes from the movie, but he did.  Excellent speaker!

As luck would have it, I was walking around the campground when the KOA got two new cabins.  I took a couple of pictures while one of the campground staff videoed the whole thing.  I'm told the cabins are late.  Complicating matters is the campground is also upgrading it's TV cable & WiFi.  So the roads are a little narrow as all the utility work is going on.  I'm told this upgrade is two months behind schedule.  So goes life!

Anyway, I'm updating the blog while Donna is out visiting and buying a new pair of shoes.  Hope the shoes fit.  Everyone have a great weekend!  David  

Dark Hollow Falls, Shenandoah Natl Park

After getting our weekend at Shenandoah Natl Park rained out, we managed to get back there for a day visit on Tuesday with hikes to Dark Hollow Falls & Limberlost trails plus lunch at Big Meadows Lodge.  We also checked out the new showers and restrooms at Big Meadows Campground (they're excellent!)

Otherwise, we're hanging out at the Fredericksburg KOA visiting friends, having friends visit us, doc appointments, clothes shopping (actually buying), getting the truck detailed, dropping off stuff we're not using to Goodwill, taking advantage of Beth & Frank as a package receiving depot,  and eating out too much.  Typical visit for us.

Weather's been pretty good since the north easterner passed by. High 70s the last couple of days though a cold (cool?) front seems to be coming through this evening. 

Suppose to get the trailer detailed tomorrow and more doc appointments next week.  At least that's the plan.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.  The KOA here is beginning to load up with kids.  Yep, autumn is here.  David

Fredericksburg, VA

After an interesting service appointment, we've moved down to Fredericksburg, VA for about three weeks.  Returning to Lagrange, IN for service, a nice gentleman pointed out that the trailer was towing to one side.  Watching the mirrors for a few minutes while traveling confirmed that the axles were out of alignment - we were towing the trailer slightly to the passenger side.  Once in for service, they found a broken rear leaf spring.  A temporary fix was made to get us to the alignment shop the next morning where they had the correct leaf spring.  We were in & out of the alignment shop (Bob's Body Shop, Elkhart, IN) in about 2 and a half hours and on the road to Shenandoah Natl Park.  Or at least headed that way.

We'd gotten an email noting that rain was predicted for the weekend we'd plan to be in Shenandoah and would we still camp there.  Funny I thought.  It's suppose to rain the weekend we're there.  So?  We live in the trailer.  Do people think if it's raining, we move to a hotel?  That email was more prophetic than I thought. 

We were aware of the hurricane, but had no insight into the nor'easter that was coming.  As we got closer to Virginia, it became clear the real problem was we'd planned to come off a very wet mountain the same day a mid-Atlantic landfall of the hurricane was predicted.  We decided Thursday to make the safer play and either go on to Fredericksburg early or wait in Pennsylvania for everything to pass.  Turns out the Fredericksburg KOA could arrange for our site to be available for Friday, so we chose to come on down to Fredericksburg. 

Of course two hours after making all the arrangements, the Weather Channel reports a predicted course change of the hurricane to move east out to sea!  We know that course change is still just a prediction, but we'd like to have known that before changing plans. I apologize to everyone that was planning to come up to the mountain to visit, but sometimes you choose to take the safer option.  Yes, we'd been wet - but the waterfalls would be spectacular!  Donna & I plan to go up to Shenandoah mid-week during at least one of the weeks we're here to see the place.  I at least want to see the new showers & restrooms at Big Meadows Campground.

With all that said, we're here!  Be here through the 25th is the current plan.  Everyone enjoy their weekend!  David