Westbound

Our spring 2023 trailer maintenance rodeo is complete.  Some of the repair parts used to replace the damaged wheel assembly last October were incorrect for our trailer though it allowed for us to travel safely.  The incorrect parts were replaced at this maintenance stop.   We also decided to replace the wheel rim as well.   The fender flair was shattered when the wheel assembly exploded though few people noticed it. A new one was installed. A broken generator exhaust hanger was replaced.  All additional work was just routine maintenance:  Seals checked, caulking checked and replaced as needed, hydraulic fluid changed, wheel bearings repacked, etc

We have a new-to-us electric fireplace that's nice.  It was a used to be one the shop had removed from another trailer and set aside.  It's a newer model than the one we had and is remote controlled.  Our old electric fireplace would heat, but the romantic lights just didn't work anymore.  Donna loves the new one!  We now addicted to the fireplace's remote!

As the title says, we're westbound.  Plan to be in Jackson, WY on Monday, May 8th.  Tonight we set just to the east of the intersection of I-80 & I-39 - about an hour plus west of Chicago.  Plan to move to Newton, IA tomorrow.  We're still in rain, high winds, sleet & snow flurries -  weather that's really hammering the great lakes region.  Tomorrow looks like it'll be our last day of this weather.  We'll see what the next front brings as we continue west.  

I think that gets everyone up to date with us.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  More later, David 

Fredericksburg, VA

We're into our second week here in Fredericksburg. We're fine. We had an uneventful trip up except we spent an hour talking to Canadians at the Virginia State Line Welcome Center on I-85.  Sometimes chit-chat turns into a real conversation!  

It's pollen time.  We've gotten some walks in.  Doc visits are complete.  Donna's visited most of her friends.  She's currently at a VRBO with the "girls" near Myrtle Beach, SC.  She's getting her share of sun based on the photos they've sent back.

The Critchfields have arrived in the area, so I've gotten in a little visiting with Donnie this weekend. He and I tend to become somewhat of bachelors when we're here as our wives take off and see family & friends.

We plan to pull out Tuesday - headed to Dayton, OH to visit friends.  The following Monday we plan to be near Lagrange-Elkhart, IN to start our spring maintenance rodeo.  Lots to fix as usual.  If all goes well, we're head back to Jackson, WY April 29th for the summer.  We're keeping our fingers crossed on that one.  Plan to be at Jackson by May 8th.  As always, that's the plan.

Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us. We'll check back in once we're in Indiana.  David

High Point, NC

After a brief stop in Birmingham, AL to visit Anna and a short visit with Doug and Louise in Decatur, GA, we've moved north to High Point, NC to visit friends for the weekend.  We expect to leave Monday for Fredericksburg, VA  Be there a couple of seeks to visit docs and friends there.

We're doing fine.  Wheels are still on the trailer.  Still significant roadwork on I-85 in South Carolina.  Traffic around Atlanta still a bear to deal with.  Stone Mountain Park Campground still has some nice sites that we took advantage of.  Usually, we're in the peak of pollen while there, but somehow we managed to miss it.  Guess we'll get it while in Fredericksburg.  Looks like spring is either a little behind or we're moving north a little early.

Not much else to add.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  More later.  David

Leu Gardens, Orlando, FL

We had a great two weeks visiting Dave & Mary. We also got in visits with Kitty & Tim and Heather & Tom. Got in a lot of eating out, too!  One of our days out was to Leu Gardens.

Leu Gardens - located in Orlando - is an old winter vacation home (original snowbirds?) & gardens.  Occupied by four families, the last - the Leu family - gifted it to the city of Orlando to make it a botanical gardens and historic location.  We were there in between major bloomings.  We saw a good selection of plants blooming, but there'd be more if we'd made it there a little later in early spring.

Below are several of the pictures that we took while visiting the gardens.  

Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  We're fine.  Wheels continue to roll.  We're setting an extra day near Jennings, FL to let a cold front and its associated weather pass before heading up to Birmingham tomorrow (Sunday).  We expect to arrive at Stone Mountain, GA on Wednesday.  David

Back on the Road

Have new glasses, will ride bicycle

As you can see Donna finally got a couple of days of bicycle riding in before we left Gulf State Park.  It was getting hot, so time to go.  Of course we headed on down to central Florida (which is hotter!)

We managed to leave Gulf State Park on March 1st as planned - traveling to Tallahassee to visit with Randy & Shirley on Thursday.  We left Friday (March 3rd) to head on down to Mt Dora to visit Dave & Mary.  The trailer is at Southern Palms in Eustis (with all its wheels intact.)  We plan to be here for two weeks before heading up to Birmingham, AL for a few days. 

We've enjoyed visiting Randy & Shirley who took down to Leon Sinks Geological Area for a nice hike in the woods.  We're just starting our visit with Dave & Mary. We've had them chauffeur us all across central Florida today looking for and getting a new computer for Donna. We plan to use Dave & Mary's faster internet to update it and load most of the software we want.  It's all new to us being a Windows 11 machine.  Donna really looking forward to getting started with it, tomorrow.

So that gets you up to date with us.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  More later, David

 

 

Mid-February Update

 

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

We're still at Gulf State Park and doing fine.  Donna's eyes are doing well.  We're awaiting her new glasses to see how it all turned out.  Her teeth are still fine.  I broke an old porcelain crown last week.  No pain there other than pulled-pork or pulled-chicken BBQ tends to get caught up in the remnants of the crown.  Plan to get a new one when we're back in Fredericksburg (local dentist advised & recommended).

Trying to plan out what we'll be doing once we leave the fish hatchery in October. We want to spend some time visiting the Utah Nat'l Parks.  After that, it's all about where we'll stay the winter.  Getting lots of inputs, but we've made no reservations to date.

As for leaving here, we head out in two weeks (March 1st).  We're doing our usual trip going to Eustis, FL via Tallahassee before going back to Birmingham & Stone Mountain. After that it's up to High Point, NC & Virginia. That's the plan pending any mechanical failures. 

So that gets everyone up to date.  Post more when we start moving.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  David

Mid-January Update

Happy New Year!

Donna continues to do well with her cataract surgery.  Both eyes are done.  She's currently in that "dead zone" where you can't see with your old glasses, and she can't quite see like she'd like to without glasses.  Things should settle down by the first week of February.

Her toothache was some infection near a tooth that had a previous root canal.  Some antibiotics cleared that up.  This past week she also got a clear bill of health from the dermatologist. She likes her new hearing aids, but still learning how to use them with a cell phone app. She's moving right along with things.

Not much bike riding by her, but we're getting some walking in. Weatherwise, it's been a mostly normal winter down here in Gulf Shores.  Been down at or below freezing a few times.

In other news, we were able to meet Steve and Susan for a New Year's Eve dinner in Pensacola. Hope to see them again before we leave March 1st.

So that gets you up tp date.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  More later, David