SweetLifeRVing Dale's Comment Archive

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Dale's Comment Archive:

July 29,2003

It is Tuesday morning and I as sit here in front of the computer I am trying to focus my eyes and wake up. Have only been out of bed for 20 minutes, but am determined to be more regular about sharing a little of what goes on in our lives. It is quite a challenge changing my procrastinating ways.

Saturday morning we had a two and a half hour drive to Imperial Beach, south of San Diego, to see the U.S. Championship Sandcastle Contest. We stayed at the Chula Vista RV Park, a very large park on the bay with a tall fence surrounding it so you can not see the water. The park has a heated pool, and was pretty much full. It was very nicely maintained and everyone there was extremely friendly.

Next door is the Chula Vista Marina which has a nice restaurant. Saturday late afternoon we hit "happy hour" at their outside patio bar and we each had a Margarita and some coconut shrimp. Sunday we stopped before driving home and had a cheeseburger and soda each. During "happy hour" drinks and food were at least a couple of dollars off. Better than coupons.

Saturday we drove over to Imperial Beach to see the children's competition, an informal event (pictures in the "photo section"). They did things I am not sure I can do now. We walked down the beach were we thoroughly enjoyed the work of the young artists, the beautiful blue skies and temperatures in the eighties and a slight breeze. Tried out the water temperature by going in up to our ankles, man was it cold, not like Florida's beachwater. We then walked back up the street where there were vendors booths. Of course we ate some junk food. Was proud of ourselves that we did not overdo the junkfood though.

Sunday we made it an all day affair by packing a lunch, taking our folding chairs, and taking our 45 sunscreen. Walked up and down the beach at least three times and watched as the adults competition progressed. There was the amateur (amateur my foot), and the masters competition side (they had to have won at least one competition in the past). The Sand Diego Zoo group were actually professional sand sculptors.

Then the two and a half hour drive home. Was it worth it? You betcha. Can not get much more relaxing then 2 days at the beach.

July 23,2003

We have now been in the Palm Springs area for three and a half weeks. It is a beautiful area with plenty to do within several hours of where we are. Oh and the restaurants. So many of them we hate to go any of them twice no matter how good they are.

Last Saturday Denny and I went to "The Living Desert" which is the zoo here. All the animals are either threatened species or have been hurt, rescued, and are non-releasable. Denny says, "you see one zoo you have seen them all", but I enjoy seeing the graceful, beautiful animals. The only part I did not like was the heat. By the time we left at 12:30 it was over 110*F.

Speaking of heat, do you ever get used to it? People here say you do but I have a hard believing it. Give me Florida humidity and temperatures under 100*F.

Sunday we were headed to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway but between smog and smoke from the fires in Riverside which is about an hour from here we could not see the top of the mountain, which of course means we would not have much of a view. Another weekend we will give that a try.

So what did we do instead? Took a two and half hour drive north west. We took route 10 through Los Angeles to route 1 and drove for an hour or two up the California coast. Beaches, sun, views, temperatures in the 80's and lots of traffic. Oh well, can not have everything. But as far as I am concerned well worth the drive.

This coming weekend we are heading to Imperial Beach (which is just north of Mexico and south of San Diego) to see the U.S. Championship Sandcastle Contest. I am looking forward to cooler temperatures, beaches, and neat sandcastles.

June 17, 2003

Well it is the end of another contract. Every job is a unique experience that I take on with open arms. They all have their pros and cons and I look forward to each new experience.

We are on the road again. As our last hurrah before leaving Monroe. Louisiana Denny and I hit the Ruston Peach Festival on Saturday. A little bit of drizzling rain, but not enough to dampen our spirits. The crafts were many and a few were tempting, but we have to remember to keep our weight down. Too bad we could not remember that when it came to the food. We tried peach cobbler, chicken on a stick (yummy spicy), peach ice cream, peach turnover, peach lemonade, peach cheesecake, shrimp boudin, and more peach lemonade. Only the peach turnover was a disappointment. The rest was delicious, as my dang scale verified the next morning

Sunday we drove to Tyler, Texas to see their beautiful rose gardens. Monday morning we went to their Rose Museum. I thought it would be boring but was very pleasantly surprised. FYI: 1) Tyler has an ongoing Rose Festival every October since 1933 which thousands show up for.
2) Over one third of the commercial rose bushes sold in the United States are grown within 50 miles of Tyler, Texas.

It is now almost lunch time on Tuesday and we are near Odessa, Texas.

Tomorrow we hit Rock Hound State Park in New Mexico were you get to keep any gemstones you find. Then on to Palm Springs in southern California.

May 18, 2003

Oh my, two years since my last update. Alot of has happened in our lives in that period of time, including losing Denny's father. Thank goodness Denny is better at keeping up with things than I am, and since he is, I am not going to backtrack too far or too much.

We are have been in Monroe, Louisiana, a town of approximately 55,000, since March. Many people who live here ask me what we do for entertainment. Unfortunately, like most places we visit, the natives do not know what they have available to them, and have not tried looking too far past their own front door, which is truly a shame. There are usually plenty of things to see and do if people would just look into it. We have had opportunities to see New Orleans Bourbon Street on a Saturday night (an adult spring break year around), see the American Rose Society's Gardens twenty-five acres of rose bushes in full bloom in Shreveport, and go to a Cajun pig roast (they cook above the ground in an upright position so the fat melts off, and it is deliously succulent) in Mansura a town of 1,800.

This past Saturday we drove down to Natchez, Mississippi (a city older than New Orleans) and saw two antebellum homes. We stayed overnight in the Eola Hotel, which is the oldest hotel in the city. While we were checking in they were setting up for a wedding in the lobby. I can not imagine having my wedding in a hotel lobby right next to where people are checking in. The reception was held upstairs in a private room.

Sunday Denny and I drove up Natchez Trace which was an old Indian Trail. It is now a National Park and a beautiful drive of over 400 miles (we only had time for about one quarter of the distance) with plenty of stops with history about the trail. Sometime I would love to drive the motorhome from one end to the other with plenty of time to truly enjoy the stops.

They say a picture is worth more than a thousand words and of course Denny has taken some beautiful ones and put them on our photo page. Please enjoy some of the beauty that surrounds us. Hope to talk to you all again soon. Signing off for now, Dale.

May 28, 2001

As I said before, time sure does fly. I did not realize how long it had been since I lost wrote (yes Denny does remind at least once a month). So on to a small portion of what has happened our lives.

After Wisconsin we went to Delta, Colorado for a five week job. Delta is a town of about 6,500 of the friendliest people. I worked in a 20 bed hospital with one other ultrasonographer. There was one full time and one part time radiologist. They were a little limited on the type of exams they did, but what they did do kept them with a steady work load. Cheri, the woman I worked with is a runner with asthma who got to carry the torch for the Olympic run.

While in Colorado we did some hiking. One weekend we went to Utah and went hiking around the Arches Canyons in the snow. That was a different, cold, and fun experience.

Another weekend we took a 1 hour drive to go snow mobiling for the first time. It was supposed to be a group tour, but we were the only ones there. Our own private tour out into the pristine woods and snow. They provided us with the proper outfits and boots that kept us nice and warm and able to enjoy the stupendous views.

After Colorado we took some time off for the holidays to see family and get our yearly doctor appointments in. The one thing I miss with traveling is seeing my mother and Denny's parents on a more regular basis. We get to see the rest of my family more often as we pass through the places they live. You "give to get" as they say.

After the holidays we took some time off and relaxed around Atlanta, Georgia for a while until I got a job here in Florence, South Carolina. I am working in a vascular lab with a group of women who truly believe in team work. The job has been a true learning experience and I will be sorry to be leaving in two weeks.

Florence itself, according to the visitors center, does not have a whole lot in the way of activities. On the weekends though there is plenty to do in a one to three hour drive. We have gone to Myrtle Beach (very commercialized) and been surprised to find very little seafood and not much to do. Southern Pines, North Carolina to see a cousin and his wife who I have not seen in thirty years. Wilmington, North Carolina to see a battleship from World War I (very interesting but exhausting going up and down the ladders), and had some of the best seafood we have had in quite a while. Last weekend we went down to Charlestown, South Carolina to see 2 different southern rice mansions from the Civil War period. The gardens were lovely even though they were just past full bloom. This weekend I am on call and trying to catch up on a few things. Next weekend I am really looking forward to. We are going down to Savannah, South Carolina and meeting up with my mother, Denny's parents, and my sister Sharon and her husband. That will most likely be one big party.

Well lunch is just about ready and my beeper has gone off. Food and then off to work I must go.

October 3, 2001

They say "time flies when you are having fun," and I must agree. Wisconsin is a beautiful state with beautiful weather in September. Denny and I have been busy going to quite a few festivals and parades.   This past weekend we went to Octoberfest on Saturday and Warren's Cranberry Festival on Sunday. Although we have enjoyed ourselves at all of them, enough is enough. We are "fested" out.

My sister Michelle and her husband Orin visited a couple of weekends ago and we all enjoyed a good hike in Hixon Forest (see photos) on the edge of town. Fortunately we had stunning weather for hiking. Denny again dropped the cell phone during the hike and had to back track to search for it. Luckily he met two women who had found it and returned it to him. Does anyone know of a good cell phone holder that stays clipped on the belt and does not rip out the back of the cover? We are both getting a little frustrated with the cell phone falling so often.

Feels like the cooler weather is on the way in. Yesterday the temperature got into the low seventies with lots of beautiful sunshine. Today it is gray and in the sixties. The weather forecasters say as the week goes on the highs will be in the fifties. Fortunately we already have the winter coats out (we have had some pretty cool nights). Do hope it will not get too much colder before we leave two and a half weeks from now.

The campground is getting emptier each week that we move towards the end of October and the days get cooler. Weekends are still busy because it is near the end of camping season (most campgrounds close around the end of October up here) and people are enjoying the changing of colors of the leaves.

Duck hunting season started a couple of days ago. Each morning we wake to hear guns shooting starting around dawn. It is a little disconcerting when you are not raised around this kind of atmosphere. I know what I eat, but have a hard time with the reality of it. Deer hunting starts in November. I am glad we will be gone for that.

Having a hard time believing the time is coming for us to move on. Have enjoyed working with pleasant co-workers and easy to get along with radiologists. My only complaint is call. Ugh. It has not been that bad here compared to other jobs I have had in the past, but, getting out of bed in the middle of the night never gets any easier as far as I am concerned. I would like to thank Jill, Mindy, Cecilia, and Michelle for making my stay so pleasant. I do hope you will keep in contact. You never know if our paths will cross again somewhere else.

August 18, 2001

Last time I wrote I was whining about the heat. Well, things have changed and the weather is absolutely beautiful. This is what people meant when they were talking about temperatures not being the norm before.

I am now sitting outside the RV watching Shadow snap at flies at they annoy him. Do not think he has caught any yet. Will be interesting to see when he finally does.

There is alot of activity in the campground right now as there is a Harley Davidson Rally going on here this weekend. No matter where you go   Harley Davidsons are parked or driving by. They have a long way to go to meet the Daytona Bike Week though. I am enjoying looking at the beautiful bikes at their polished and shiny best.

Gross, Shadow just caught a fly and he keeps licking his chops.

Denny and I went up to the Holman Annual Kornfest. The parade started at 11:00 A.M. and we made it at just the beginning. It lasted for approximately 1 and 1/2 hours and we enjoyed the floats, bands, and so much more. Never saw so many princesses and their courts for so many different organizations. They all had their waves down just right. Had to have practiced that just a little bit.

After the parade we went and got some food at the festival. Tried something completely different, deep fried Oreos. The stand also made funnel cakes, so they dip the Oreos in the batter, put them in the deep fryer and then sprinkle them with powered sugar. Were they delicious! and completely unhealthy. If you are going to cheat might as well make it worth the calories. We then got several ears each of the best sweet corn on the cob I have ever had. (Please take a look at the pictures to see how cooking, buttering, and salting is handled. Made it all that much more fun.) Then did we stop? Of course not. Denny had a bar b que pork sandwich and I had a bracwurst with sourkraut.

We were full and about ready to head home when we caught the beginning of the tractor pull. Enjoyed that for about a hour and then headed home.

Well that brings us to now and Denny and I are hungry so out to a restaurant we will go since it is the cook's night off.

August 8, 2001

La Crosse, Wisconsin. I thought it was supposed to be cooler here. We have been here for 12 days now and the temperature has been in the upper 90's with the heat indexes in the 100's (usually 110-120 degrees). According to my co-workers and the weathermen this is very unusual. Supposedly at this time of year it is normally in the mid 80's during the day and the mid 60's during the night. Prove it. Show me the good weather.

Oh course, with the temperatures being so high we have been taking it rather easy, no hiking or biking.

I said taking it easy, not doing nothing. Last weekend we help celebrate "National Mustard Day," in Mount Horeb, WI. They had a block cut off for some games (all mustard oriented, with a bottle of mustard as prizes), music (pretty good), and free hot dogs. That is,

free if you had mustard on it and a ten dollar surcharge if you wanted ketchup on it. They did ask for donations that were going to the Mount Horeb library. We each gave a dollar, after all a library is a worthwhile cause.

We then went into the Mustard Museum and learned some interesting facts about mustard. There were several hundred jars of mustard from around the world in all sorts of containers and a collection of mustard serving containers for the table. Have to admit it was impressive.

The best part of all. In the back of the museum gift shop was a mustard tasting area with some delightful ladies to help tasters out. What fun. I was most likely there for about half an hour trying mustards that I could not even imagine who would or why they put those flavors together. Of course, Denny wandered around like a lost soul since he is not much of a mustard lover. Finally had to give up when I was so sick to my stomach I could not handle another taste. The most disappointing thing was that I could not decide what flavor to buy and left without buying any fancy mustard.

After leaving Mount Horeb we drove over to see the "house on the rock." The house itself was built by one man by himself, carrying the rocks by basket I believe. The man must have been slightly shorter than Denny and myself since we had to keep stooping over to keep from bumping our heads. I asked a custodian if the dim lighting was to protect things. Was told that he did not like too much lighting and that things were the way he liked them. What a shame, the windows were so covered by beautiful lattice wood carvings that the lovely scenery could not be seen. Could not be seen except in two areas, the sun deck and the infinity deck he added on near the end.

After the house was built and he could not keep people away he started charging admission and then added a museum of many different types of collections which are still being added to to this day (he died in the late 1980s).

The "house on the rock" is one of the top tourist attractions in the state of Wisconsin for good reason. I highly recommend it if you are in the area, just make sure you have some good walking shoes on.

On Sunday Dennis and I took a lovely scenic drive up the Wisconsin side and down the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River. There was beautiful scenery and we were so relaxed that Denny slept off and on for a good half of the trip. Thank goodness I had good music and enjoy my own company.

Well I am getting tired and I am on call at the hospital for the next four days so I better get some sleep now while there is the opportunity. Had call this past Monday and got called back at 6:30 PM, 10:30 PM and 2:30 AM. Yuck. Other than having to take call the job is great. There is plenty of teamwork among my co-workers and the patient flow is steady, but so far nothing terrible. The two young women I work with in the ultrasound department are personable and I am sure I will enjoy being here.

Would love to hear from more of you. Please, if you stop by the website let us know what is going on in your life. Take care of yourselves and God bless. Talk to you all again soon.

July 27, 2001

Ah, vacations. Are they not wonderful? It is amazing how reviving just a few days off can be.

We are in Baraboo, Wisconsin right now with temperatures in the low 80's in the day and the 60's during the night. Love sleeping with the windows open at night with the quilt up to my chin (ears).

Went to Devil's Lake State Park today. Asked the ranger at the entrance what he would recommend for us to do since we had only the one day to be there (the park is over 9,000 acres). He said to hike Parfrey's Glen Trail which was a one mile hike and one of the bluff trails. We choose Parfrey's Glen Trail and East Bluff Trail (1.1 mile one way).

Parfrey's Glen Trail is an easy-medium trail with creek crossings. It passes through a deep gorge and ends at a small waterfall. Absolutely stunning. When we went through the gorge the sunlight was just right, so that the green on the rocks was almost iridescent and gave a surreal look to the moment. There is not much that is as relaxing as a babbling creek and a waterfall, even if you are on a medium trail.

The East Bluff Trail is a medium trail, asphalt with stone steps that winds between bluff edge and adjacent woods. It has scenic views and drop-offs. It became a little more than a medium trail when Denny and I made a wrong turn and followed a well worn path through the woods for about half a mile until we found the right trail. Actually, I am glad we glad we got slightly misplaced. It was beautiful in the woods and slightly more challenging, which we did need after the all the good food we have had in the last couple of days. Once we got back on the correct trail we saw some beautiful views of the lake below the bluffs.

It is amazing how totally different each and every trail and area is to hike. No wonder people do not get tired/bored of traveling this beautiful country we live in.

July 27, 2001

Ah, vacations. Are they not wonderful? It is amazing how reviving just a few days off can be.

We are in Baraboo, Wisconsin right now with temperatures in the low 80's in the day and the 60's during the night. Love sleeping with the windows open at night with the quilt up to my chin (ears).

Went to Devil's Lake State Park today. Asked the ranger at the entrance what he would recommend for us to do since we had only the one day to be there (the park is over 9,000 acres). He said to hike Parfrey's Glen Trail which was a one mile hike and one of the bluff trails. We choose Parfrey's Glen Trail and East Bluff Trail (1.1 mile one way).

Parfrey's Glen Trail is an easy-medium trail with creek crossings. It passes through a deep gorge and ends at a small waterfall. Absolutely stunning. When we went through the gorge the sunlight was just right, so that the green on the rocks was almost iridescent and gave a surreal look to the moment. There is not much that is as relaxing as a babbling creek and a waterfall, even if you are on a medium trail.

The East Bluff Trail is a medium trail, asphalt with stone steps that winds between bluff edge and adjacent woods. It has scenic views and drop-offs. It became a little more than a medium trail when Denny and I made a wrong turn and followed a well worn path through the woods for about half a mile until we found the right trail. Actually, I am glad we glad we got slightly misplaced. It was beautiful in the woods and slightly more challenging, which we did need after the all the good food we have had in the last couple of days. Once we got back on the correct trail we saw some beautiful views of the lake below the bluffs.

It is amazing how totally different each and every trail and area is to hike. No wonder people do not get tired/bored of traveling this beautiful country we live in.

July 23, 2001

Well, we are the road again and are having a delightful one week vacation between jobs. On the way to our next job in western Wisconsin which normally would only take us two days to get too.

Ah, but of course we have allowed ourselves to get side tracked. Is that not one of the fun things about traveling. My sister and her husband Orin live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We have stopped at a campground nearby for two to three days in order to say hello to them and their "children" Bailey (dog) and Pierot (cat).

Last night we had a great bar-b-que dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn on the cob. Nothing like a delicious all American dinner.

Before coming to Chicago we stopped for a day and a half at Hannibal, Missouri, the childhood home of Mark Twain and the birthplace of Molly Brown. Went exploring in Tom Sawyer's cave and visited a few museums (anywhere there was air conditioning). Of course I bought two books, one Mark Twain's autobiography and the other Molly (Margaret) Brown's biography written by her great granddaughter. Impatient to start reading, but no time at the moment. Have to admit I am enjoying reading books on people and places we have been too. Makes it that much more interesting. Of course these people and places are interesting or they would not endured through time as they have.

Well need to head over to Michelle's now so will speak to you later. God bless everyone.

Enjoyed visiting Missouri and seeing so much history and meeting many new people, but we are looking forward to a new location.

July 1, 2001

What a wonderful weekend we just had. It sounds like it was busy, but it was a lot of relaxing.

Saturday we went down to Kansas City for the "1st Annual River City Music and Heritage Festival." There was free music playing on two different stages consisting of jazz, rock, zydeco (Cajun), and Dixieland. The music went from 2:30 PM until 10:30 PM, and then there was a wonderful fireworks display. Dennis and I arrived with our blanket and suntan lotion at about 3:00 and wandered about looking at the cow art (you can see some of it on the photos page) and planning our food layout for later. After doing so we went up the steps to the park and good music. We laid out our blanket on the grass to claim our space, since we were some of the first to arrive. After about a half hour we moved to the shade (hats and suntan lotion can last for only so long).

About 4:00 Susie and Bob (a traveling X-ray technician and her husband) showed up to enjoy the joyous noise with us. They lasted until about 7:00 and then headed back to St. Joseph.

Dennis and I enjoyed it all the way through the fireworks. Since this was their first, hope for others sake they continue on with the festival in the future.

After being up until about 1:30 in the morning we slept in until almost 9:30 Sunday morning. We then got up to go out for breakfast. On the way out of the campground we got the most wonderful invitation from one of the nicest people, Glen. Would we like to go for a boat ride on the Missouri River tonight? No hesitation, you betcha!!

Onward to Cracker Barrel restaurant for pecan pancakes and then the Patee Museum for a couple of hours. What a amazing job they have done on this museum. One of the best in St. Joseph, MO. The next I would recommend is the Pony Express Museum. After wearing ourselves out there, homeward bound for a short nap.

While I was packing the cooler with our drinks Denny drove down the street for some fried chicken to take out on the boat. We followed our hostess Karen and her daughter Jamie in our car and drove up to the local boating club where they had their 26 foot Ciera Bayliner docked up. Someone takes real good care of that baby (heard it usually is their son Garth). We thought it was new and found out it is two years old. On board we climbed for a leisurely cruise up the Missouri River. After about a half hour we pulled over onto a sandy area, brought out the crackers, cheese, and chicken and said this is the life. Someone had previously pulled some dried wood into a pile for a campfire, so we decided to light it and enjoy. About an hour or two later we decided to take a slow ride back to home port. Have to admit we got side tracked on the way. There was a outside restaurant/bar that we docked at and sat in the boat and listened to the live band for about a half hour. Then onward again with a beautiful sunset following behind us. We docked just after dark arrived and drove home to a most welcoming dog who we were just as happy to see.

Well the weekend is over and the work week starts again. Three more weeks here in St. Joseph and we ask ourselves, "Where do we think we will be going next?"

May 24, 2001

Oops. Guilty as charged. It has been a while since I have written. Will try to do better in the future.

We have been in St. Joseph, Missouri for about 5 weeks now. The temperature fluctuates on a daily basis here, mostly on the chilly side. It is now 10:30 A.M. and 51 degrees and windy outside. There are times I miss the Florida weather.

St. Joseph is a small town of about 78,000 people located about 1 hour north of Kansas City, Missouri. The people here are very pleasant.

The hospital I work at is a trauma hospital with 24 hour, 7 days a week coverage in the ultrasound department. I work the middle shift during the week, and am constantly busy. There is wide array of studies of done, though mostly vascular, and that keeps me from being bored. Unfortunately it is hard to find people who want to live in a small town and there are 3 traveling ultrasonographers in this department. There are 7 permanent sonographers also.

We get out and about on the weekends (like always) and have visited several interesting areas.

Atchison, Kansas is about a hour southwest of us and the birthplace of Amelia Earhart. Did not realize she was involved in so much more than flying, since that is what you always hear about. She was very involved with women's rights and abuse. Amelia and her husband also started a clothing line of clothes she designed herself. Bought a book on her life, a little thick with not much time to read, that is quite interesting.

Jamesport, Missouri is about 2 hours northeast of us and a small Amish community is located there. Quite a few shops with knic knacs and antiques there for the shopper. Since we are not really shoppers there was not much for us to do there.

Northwest Missouri seems to have rolling hills which does not give us any hiking areas. It has been very windy while we have been here and that makes it difficult to bicycle.   We like it here but need to find some more active activities.

This weekend we are heading about 3 hours southeast to a Katytrail to do some bicycling. Katytrails are where the old railroads not are no longer being used are being made into trails for biking and hiking nationwide. Check it out on the internet, (also known as rails to trails) it is a wonderful concept.

January 16, 2001

Well we are now in Greenville, South Carolina where my new job is located. The RV park we are staying at is extremely well maintained and owned/operated by a very pleasant couple.

We have met a few of new neighbors in only 3 days because everyone is so friendly here.

The park itself is full of Dogwood and Azalea trees (which are bare at this time) which we are told are full of blooms in early April. Since we will be here until mid April I am looking forward to my first spring experienced as a real season. In Florida we have two seasons, rainy or hot with lovely foliage all year long. I mentioned the trees being bare now, but have to say there is beauty in that too. Enjoy sitting on the patio listening to the babbling brook next to us and enjoying the view and quiet.

Will let you know more as time goes on.

January 11, 2001

Well, the holidays are over and things are starting to settle down. It was wonderful seeing family and friends. Ate way too much good food without enough exercise. Paying my dues now, but it was worth it. Nothing like good company and good food.

On the way to Pensacola, FL we stopped at the Suwanee Bluegrass Music Campground in north central FL. When checking in I asked if there was anything going on that we should know about going on. Was informed that at six o'clock there was going to be a small gathering of "pickers." When we arrived we found out it was actually a local club of bluegrass musicians on their monthly gathering having a pot luck dinner. They invited us to join them by either donating a dish, a small cash donation, or what the heck come on in. We threw five dollars into the pot and had a wonderful meal. After dinner we sat by the large campfire (Which was great, it was COLD!!) and listened to some good music and talked to some pleasant people.

After about an hour took a walk to see the Christmas lights. They had a real southern flair and were professionally done. Very pretty and different from what i have seen in FL.

On our walk we noticed a building with a full parking lot and a bit of noise coming from the inside. We peeked inside and saw an auction going on with things based on horses for sale. There was a horse riding club having a weekend at the campground also. Anyway, we went into the room to watch some of the auction (and get a little warmed up). Denny got carried away halfway thru the proceedings and spent a whole eight dollars on a cowboy hat! What am I going to do with this spendthrift? A couple of days later he decided he would never wear it and gave it away.

We had planned to go the state park and accidently ended up at the Suwanee Bluegrass Music Campground. There were no regrets after such an enjoyable evening. The next day we took off to continue on our way to Pensacola, Fl.

Started the new year in Pensacola, FL. The beaches are a beautiful white there. As you can see on our pictures, the sky was overcast because of an incoming cold front, but the beauty of Mother Nature was still there. Would have loved to walk down the beach, but, for a change Denny was too cold to do so. We will have to go back sometime when it is a little warmer.

After a couple days we were getting itchy feet to move on and found out most of the jobs I was being offered were in North or South Carolina. So we moved on and ended up in Mistletoe State Park in Appling, GA. What a find! We parked our house overlooking the lake facing north. Got to see the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Of course, the unexpected can and will happen. While taking a walk one late afternoon Denny mentioned he did not have the cell phone. I said we most likely left it on the dining room table. Denny said he thought he had it when we started the walk but we would just keep our eyes open on the walk back. As we were coming back a car went by and we heard a clunk, clunk. Looking over, low and behold there was our phone. Three days later we had a new phone. You do not realize how dependent on some of the simple luxuries of life you are until you are without. Hopefully, that will be one of the worst things we have to deal with.

One thing we have found out about this time of year is the campgrounds are almost empty and oh so peaceful. Great for long quiet walks and being able to play Frisbee with Shadow. This may spoil us for the future in the summers when campgrounds are busier and more congested.

Denny and I have repeatedly discussed how amazed and appreciative we are at being able to have this opportunity to travel and live like this at this point in our lives. We do not see ourselves settling down anytime soon as things seem to keep getting better. We did wonder at the beginning how we would handle being together so much, even though we are best friends. We found we love it and have grown closer even after 17 years of marriage. Are we not lucky?

December 09, 2000

Sorry it has been so long since I have written. Work has been steady, we have been seeing alot of Tenn. (as I am sure you have noticed by the rest of the website), then of course losing my father did not help things.

I would like to thank all of you who have sent words of encourgement and sympathy over my father's death. There have been some rough moments, but Dad would have wanted us all to keep on going enjoying life to the fullest.

Have been working at a hospital in Knoxville,Tenn. for nine weeks now, and next week is my last week. The people I have met have all been so pleasant. The department I am in is half ultrasound travelers, so it has been an interesting blend of people. It has been a delightful way to start traveling jobs. I know they all will not be this great, but sure hope a good portion of them will.

Since about a week after we arrived in Tenn. the weather has been unusually cold for this time of year. Was a bit of a shock to my Fla. system at first, but have either acclimated or all the layers of clothing are working. Have to admit I am looking forward to visiting Fla. again in two weeks for the holidays where my mother-in-law says the temperatures are in the 70s and 80s.

Most likely we will be finding out where we go for the next job the first week in January.

Will talk to you again soon.

October 19,2000

We have now been in Knoxville, Tenn. for 2 weeks.

The campground we are staying at has lots of beautiful trees with birds chattering away. Every morning when I leave for work (which is just about dawn) I see at least 3-4 rabbits that the owner has breed and set free.

The first week we were here a cold front went through. Temperatures were in the 30's at night and the 50's to 60's during the day. A rude awakening for a girl born and raised in Florida. I had been hoping the cold weather would hold off until closer to leaving time. Anyway, off to the mall we headed for an electric mattress warmer with dual controls (Dennis handles the cold a little better than I do). Oh nirvana that night.

According to my brother-in-law who has been a firefighter for many years, an electric mattress warmer or blanket is safer than a small electric heater.

The weather finally warmed up so we could enjoy this past weekend.

Last Saturday we went to Dollywood and enjoyed the Gospel music shows that they had for the month and all the great craft displays.

On Sunday we went to the Appalachian Museum where they were having their annual Harvest Festival. There were 3 stages playing continuous bluegrass (there were over 250 musicians playing from Wednesday to Sunday) and plenty of craftsmen. Dennis and I tried for the first time: fried green tomatoes, fried apple pie (with homemade apple sauce), sorghum syrup (the corn was actually pressed by the horse, cooked and cooled right there),and sassafras tea made in a kettle over a fire. The Harvest Festival is held the second full weekend of October near Norris, Tenn.

September 14, 2000

I want to personally welcome you to our website. Dennis and I will be letting you travel with us around the United States.

Being an ultrasound "traveler" I will be getting contracts with different medical facilities around the country of approximately 13 weeks duration.

Let me backtrack a little and tell you how we got to this point in our lives.

About two years ago I took a working vacation and went to Minnesota for a three week assignment. Dennis came with me to see the lovely state on my off hours.

September 1999 we went to Flagstaff, Arizona for a five week assignment. While there we put 4000 miles on our rental car. We saw the Grand Canyon (I now know where the word awesome came from), and all the way south to Tombstone. If you visit Tombstone try to visit during the annual gunfighters rendezvous. What atmosphere.

We both enjoy traveling, and found this is a wonderful way to see the country and still be earning a living.