Thursday, July 23, 2020 - Arrowhead Point RV Park, Day 3 of July Casual Campout

Thursday, July 23, 2020 - Arrowhead Point RV Park, Day 3 of July Casual Campout

I woke to a beautiful morning at 5:30.  The day before we left Oswego to arrive here in Osceola, the Weather Channel report for the week was rain almost daily.  Fortunately it changed and we've been blessed with very nice weather.  The park is very shaded in the northern part where most of us were parked.  We've had a decent breeze most of the time. I finished writing the blog for yesterday, however I needed to download a picture from Dean's phone.  Before I could get that done, Dean and I decided to take a walk.  Picture overload is coming - making up for the past few days!

Part of our group - located across from the clubhouse.

As we walked back from the highway we passed the back of the clubhouse where we've had our meals.

Part of our group, across the road from us.

The park office and another meeting room to the north.

The loop to turn around and return to the campground, after checking in at the office.

Bathhouse to the left and small rental cabin to the right

A cabin rental

Another cabin rental

The Cedar Creek Row

Cabin Rental

Breakfast/Lunch Truck

Menu - we are going to try out the Breakfast Burrito tomorrow before we leave, if they open early enough.

Storm Shelter on site,  you enter the door and go downstairs

Our meeting area for the week

Around 9:00 Drena and Linda were getting ready to walk to the Quilt shop located at the end of the lane to the RV Park.  The shop is located on the east side of the park's entrance.  They invited me to walk along with them.  I do enjoy looking at the various things they have available.  Right now I do not have the time, and at this time no inclination to do this type of craft, but I've always thought it might be fun to try a small project.  Maybe someday I'll do more than think about it.  As always, they are good company, and it's good to be up and moving.

Between 9:30-10:30 most everyone had moved their chairs under Alvin and Linda's canopy or to the shaded area around it for a morning visit.  We have a plan for this afternoon.  At noon, we rode with Alvin and Linda to the nearby towns of Osceola and Collins, MO.  We bypassed Collins for now, driving to Osceola where we made a couple of stops, with the first being a flea market near Osceola, MO.  Linda was looking for fabric, and was successful.  Dean and I just enjoyed walking through and looking.  It was a very nice and interesting place.  We enjoy going to flea markets.

Our next stop was at the Osceola Cheese Store.  There was so much to choose from.  We bought a package of white cheddar cheese curds and a bag of caramel puffs.

After we paid and were heading back to Alvin's truck I received a text message from Drena letting us know they were at Smith's Restaurant in Collins, MO, a few miles back down the road.  I told them we were headed that way.  Smith's was worth the stop!  WOW!

I couldn't believe it when they set my meal in front of me!  

My pork tenderloin sandwich.  I only ate half of it at the restaurant.  I cut the portion outside of the bun off, then stacked it on top of the other, added mayo, pickle, lettuce, tomato, salt & pepper.  It was delicious.  I wanted a piece of their blackberry cobbler so I had to save the other half for later.  I was beyond stuffed after this.  

Dean's patty melt and french fries.

 The desserts were amazing, as you can see:

blackberry cobbler

peanut butter pie

Dean getting ready to eat his peach cobbler with 2 scoops of ice cream, Linda behind him checking out the desserts.

We waddled out of Smith's.  We would not hesitate to stop here again.  They had an amazing menu and everyone was very happy with their meal, and their desserts!

One of the waitresses took our picture
L side:  Keith, Drena, Linda, Don, Mike, Alvin
R side:  Dean, Me, Sally, Ross, Maryann, Linda

While the guys were paying, Linda and I enjoyed looking at the flowers outside.  That's Linda standing by the wreath in the above picture with her mask on.  


We had one last stop to make before we returned to the campground.  That was Gordon's Crossing - a fruit and vegetable stand.  I don't know how I could even feel hungry after that meal and dessert, but when I saw those beautiful red tomatoes I knew we had to get a few, as well as some peaches, a cucumber and a zuchinni squash.  Before we left we agreed to share a small watermelon with Alvin & Linda.  

The ride back to the campground was about 10 miles and it was getting hard for me to stay upright - I was so sleepy from all that food.  We returned to our rig and I promptly fell asleep for at least an hour, maybe longer.  It's now 6:30 and no one is stirring, but I expect we'll gather again this evening for an hour or two since it is our last night here.

It was around 7 when everyone started walking over to Alvin & Linda's site and before long we had everyone present.

Panaorama View

It was after 9 before we retreated to our rigs.  I put a few things away after we returned as we plan to leave by 8:30am.  Dean emptied the tanks before the evening gathering, so he would not have to do that in the morning.  We need to make a stop on the way home, and I have a few errands to run once we return to Hillside RV Park in Oswego.

We've had a great time, as we always do with this group.  We were fortunate to have three new couples join us.  We enjoyed their company!

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 - Arrowhead RV Park, Day 2 of July Casual Campout

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 - Arrowhead RV Park, Day 2 of July Casual Campout

Another great morning waking up around 5:30, which is a good time - giving me an extra hour of sleep.  Today I was like the Eveready Bunny - I just kept on going.  Not even a short nap before bed.  

After getting yesterday's post finished, we both had our shakes and were soon ready to head outside.  We walked across the road with our chairs to Alvin and Linda's.  Linda was sitting outside sewing quilt pieces together on her Singer featherweight machine, making good use of her time.  Alvin joined us, then slowly others gathered in, until all 18 of us were visiting until lunchtime.  We visited, laughed and had a great time meeting three new couples and hearing about some of their adventures.  We love having new couples join us, so if you are in the KS/MO/OK/AR area cick on this Escapees website link for more information about our group, and of course Escapees passing through the area are encouraged to join as well.  People drifted in and out throughout the morning, as everyone gradually left and took a break back at their rigs for lunch.  Linda announced to all that we would have ice cream sandwiches and cake in the clubhouse at 2.  While it was warmer today, Alvin and Linda chose a great site for our gatherings.  It offered great shade, along with the canopy they set up, to keep us out of the sun if we just moved our chairs as the sun changed position.  In addition, they brought a few fans to keep the air moving.

Lunch was soon calling, so Dean and I walked across the road to Bentley for a sandwich.  Turkey/cheese/baby spinach leaves/fresh tomato and mayo.  Oh my, it was delicious!  We followed that with a piece of cake leftover from Tuesday night's potluck dinner.  

After lunch, everyone slowly gathered back at Alvin and Linda's for more visiting before we moved to the meeting room for our afternoon snack.  Again, lots of discussion and visiting.  We do like to vist.

Dean and I returned to Bentley and rested for a bit.  About 5, Dean was hungry so I made a baby spinach salad with mandarin oranges, red grapes, strawberries and the leftover grilled chicken from last night's potluck.  It was the perfect light dinner meal after our afternoon snack!

About half of our group in between our RV's on the road tonight.  We were the only ones in the RV park today.

We noticed Linda had moved her chair out to the road near Stan's rig, so we gathered our chairs and headed that way, soon followed by others for an evening of visiting in the road - by the way, we were the only ones here.  I enjoy sharing places to visit, recipes, tips on things to use for various needs, etc.  There is always good laughs, great conversations and just a good time.  It's great to join a circle like this picking different ones to sit by to learn more about them and hopefully we make new members feel welcome.  Linda L and I had a good discussion on Blackstone grills after her husband made popcorn on theirs, then brought it down to share with everyone.  It was very good.  Dean would like to have a new grill and/or smoker, so we are always interested in what others have to say about their experiences with different ones.  The tips and tricks we learn about all aspects of RVing are especially helpful to us all.

It was around 8-9 when the group started breaking up and returning to their rigs.  Dean and I set up until about 10, giving us a little time to wind down before finally calling it a night.

Monday, July 20, 2020 - Early Morning Wakeup; Graveside Services for Longtime Friend; Moving to Arrowhead Point RV Campground; Pop and Smoke!

Monday, July 20, 2020 - Early Morning Wakeup; Graveside Services for Longtime Friend; Moving to Arrowhead Point RV Campground; Pop and Smoke!

For some reason I woke up around 3, needing to go to the restoom - and that rarely happens in the night.  I went back to bed, and after laying there wide awake, I gave up, and got up.  When I wake up, my neck is almost always aching and it was no different this morning.  Typically it goes away after I'm up for awhile.  Since laying in bed just was not working, a little after 3:30 I got up.  It gave me a chance to do the last load of laundry.  By the time I got the coffee pot ready (I didn't turn it on immediately), and loaded the clothes, my neck was fine.  I was too awake by now, to go back to bed.

I waited until after 4:00 before I turned the coffee pot on, then I set down to finish the blog post for the past two days.  I was glad to get it finished this morning as we have another busy day ahead of us.  Sometimes the days are too full to stay on top of it.  Since I had the time, I started putting things away downstairs for our move later this morning.  When Dean came downstairs I went upstairs to make the bed, store the TV and a few other things.

At 9:40 we left Bentley to attend graveside services for a dear friend of ours, Sandra.  I met her years ago when she started attending the same church we did.  My mom and her were good friends.  My sister Crystal lived next door to her for at least 25 years.  Recently, Sandra's health had declined and she went to live with her daughter.  Her son, David was in the same class as Marc and Brett.  When we arrived at the cemetery, my sisters (Cindy & Crystal) were just getting out of their cars.  We pulled in behind them, then walked to the covered structure they use for services.  It is really nice, as it provides protection from the sun, rain, etc.

After the minister gave a short sermon they played a selection of songs.  When they played "I'll Fly Away", I teared up, reminding me of all the times Sandra would sing and either my mom or me was playing the piano.  She wanted to sing it over and over!  She loved Jesus, and just thinking of what it must have been like for her as she entered Heaven made me smile.

It was good to see David and his family.  His children have really grown since I last saw them.  I noticed a young man and woman standing to our right, slightly in front of us.  I was sure I should know him.  It wasn't until later when he took his hat off that I realized it was one of David's (and our sons) classmates, Brad.  I was hoping to speak to him after the service, however before I had a chance he was already at his vehicle.  As we were walking back to our cars, a vehicle was pulling into the cemetery, then parked.  It was another classmate of these boys, Kye, who had just got off work.  Brad had stopped when he saw Kye.  They shook hands and spoke for a minute, then Kye gave me a quick hug, before he left to visit with David.  I turned to Brad and said his name...he said, "I thought I recognized you as Marc's mom, but I just wasn't sure.  He gave me a big hug too.  It was sure good to see those boys and I'm sorry Marc and Brett could not attend, as they had other commitments.

We returned to Bentley, where I dropped Dean off to drive the truck to the garage so I could store the car.  Back at the park, we finished the last few chores before we hooked up Bentley and left the park.  It was 11:10am as we pulled out of our site, headed to Arrowhead Point RV Park near Osceola, MO.  On the way, we made a quick stop at Walmart in Nevada to pick up a few things we needed.

It was an enjoyable ride today, especially since we didn't have to travel too far.  As we neared the park, we almost missed a sign on the right side of the road.  We could barely read the name of the park.  As I turned back toward the road, I noticed another sign on the left, just past what we soon learned was the entrance road.  It came up quickly and with several cars and trucks behind us, we couldn't stop in time to pull in.  Dean pulled into the next entrance.  We were already committed to the turn, when we both saw the sign "Private Drive".  We were on a hilly and curvy part of the road, so we couldn't stop and back up at that point.  We hoped the homeowner would not be too upset with us.  Dean pulled up, then walked to the door and knocked to see if we could turn around in their yard.  Fortunately, it was the owner of the RV Park's home.  Thank you God!  With a back way into the park, he led the way on his golf cart to the office, located at the north end of the park.  There is a loop leading back to the RV sites.  What a nice young couple they were!  We paid, then the owner led us to our site.  What a relief, it all worked out just fine!!

The owner pulled us into the site next to Keith & Drena at 2:52 p.m., a little over 3.5 hours after we left home.  They were outside, so we visited with them for a few minutes before we went inside to go through our setup process.  We were hungry, so I made a light lunch.  It we too late to eat too much, since dinner is only 3 hours away.  I made us each a large insulated cup of ice water before we went out to join our neighbors.  We were visiting away when Alvin walked over, follow by his wife Linda a short time later.  Later Stan & Linda, Mike & Maryann, and Jerry carried their chairs over to join us, practicing social distancing. 

It was nearly 6 when we each returned to our individual rigs for dinner.  I had originally planned to grill prepared chicken breasts I bought at our local grocery store.  We really like them - they roll them, wrap them in bacon with a seasoning added.  However, I forgot to lay them out to thaw, so instead, we had coney's using the leftover chili from yesterday.  They hit the spot - and best of all, it was really easy!

As usual when we arrive at a site, the inside of the rig is usually pretty warm when the temperatures are 80 or higher.  Once I have the slides open, the first thing I do is to turn the air conditioners on at a lower temperature than normal to cool it down.  When we came in for dinner I noticed the bedroom was really cool - it always cools down faster (smaller space and lower ceiling), so I turned the thermostat up two degrees.  I went back downstairs to finish setting up.  After several minutes I realized the air conditioner upstairs was still running, so I went up and turned it up another degree.  As I turned to go back to the living area, I heard a loud pop downstairs.  I hurried down to see what it was, when there was another loud pop.  That is when I noticed smoke coming from the cabinet above the TV where our DVD player, and Wally Dish box is located.  I told Dean (actually I probably yelled), there is smoke coming out of the cabinet.  He ran over to it and quickly unplugged the Dish Box when he saw that's where the smoke was coming from.  The next hour or two was interesting.  Our outside Progressive EMS surge protector was not tripped, but whatever happened toasted the Dish box, and our heavy duty power strip that we use to recharge our phones, laptops, printer and operate our electric reclining chairs.  When Dean took it apart later you could see where both had melted inside.  We've tested everything else we can think of and all seems to work just fine.  At this point we do not know what caused the problem.  No codes showed up on our Progressive EMS that indicated a problem, and no breakers had been tripped.  However, it did take awhile for the air conditioners to come on and stay on.  When we first tried, they would come on and immediately shut off, so we waited awhile before trying it again and since then they have worked just fine.  Dean checked the electrical outlet where our power strip is plugged in and the outlet is working fine.  

I have to tell you it was a little unnerving.  Before going to bed we made sure our fire extinguishers were nearby as well as a couple of flashlights.  As I am writing this on Tuesday morning, we are alive and well and everything is working, except for the two items I mentioned.  We are thankful it was no worse, but we'd sure like to know what caused the problem.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020 - Arrow Point RV Park, Day 1 of the July Casual Campout

Tuesday, July 21, 2020 - Arrow Point RV Park, Day 1 of the July Casual Campout


After a goodnight sleep, I was awake a little after 4:30. Soon I was working on the blog post for Monday. I wanted Dean to read it over, especially about our little Pop and Smoke issue. I copied and pasted it into an email for him to check it for accuracy. Once he had read it over, he told me it was all correct. So I copied and pasted it into my blog post. BIG MISTAKE! It did not work well. My sister sent me a text last night asking me what was wrong. Before I posted it, it looked perfectly fine, but when I went back to look at it after reading her comment, I could see it just strung many, many words into each line, making it impossible to read. Lesson learned - you can't shortcut Blogger. LOL!! I tried to fix it, but it just was not going to reformat, so I deleted it. Since I have the email I sent Dean, I will type it back in in a new post. Oh well, this is how we learn things, right?

Our site at Arrowhead Point RV Park - Osceola, MO

After my morning chores were done, I went outside to sit. It was a beautiful day and the temperatures remained in the 80's all day, with a nice breeze most of the time. When Dean came outside a short time later I asked if he would like to take a walk - it was about 9-9:30. We walked the lane to the highway, then turned around and walked back to the office area. Stan was outside, so we stopped to visit with him for awhile, before walking back to Bentley.

Stan told us he thought about us last night and hoped all would be okay with our RV after the Pop and Smoke incident. Dean said he didn't sleep well at all thinking about it. I slept like a rock. Everything is working well this morning. Maybe the Wally was the problem - maybe it was a surge - maybe, maybe, maybe...will we ever know?

Tonight is our potluck dinner. Dean is going to grill chicken breasts and I am making an Earthquake Cake. It's been quite sometime since I made one. Since they have a meeting room with a kitchen, I can bake it there. It's too hot to use the gas stove in Bentley, and I haven't had much luck using a 9x13 pan in the convection oven, as it has to be turned during the baking process.

At 11:15 or so, we had a sandwich followed by our apple. Soon afterwards, I started the cake process - making the cake mix up first. At that point I wanted to turn the oven on to preheat it, so I walked over to the meeting room to do that, then returned to make the "earthquake" part of the cake. It didn't take long to finish it and get it in the oven. I set the timer, with the help of Alvin, who came to my rescue when I couldn't get the timer to set. I set my phone timer as well, since it needed to bake for 45 minutes, then I returned to Bentley to do the dishes.

We set outside until a few minutes before the cake should be done, then we headed back to the meeting room. Drena and Keith were there checking it out for our meal this evening. Due to Covid, we will be social distancing, only 4 to a table, with separation between us. Two or three of the women are going to serve us. They will be masked, with gloves as we go through the line.

The Meeting Room - very nice.  I loved the decorations.

While we were inside visiting, the last two rigs pulled into the park for our campout, for a total of 9 rigs. They are new members, both from Missouri, who have been traveling together. This stop will be ending their travels that covered over 5,500 miles. Later we all gathered outside at Alvin and Linda's where we had a chance to visit with them before our meal. Around 4, a rain shower blew in. Several ran to their rigs. We stood under the open "tent" Alvin put up last night visiting a bit more. When it let up some, we headed home. Dean put the grill under the cap of Bentley while he grilled the chicken. Soon we were on our way to the meeting room with our table service and food to share.

The meal was delicious as always. So many new things to try!! Afterwards we visited amongst ourselves before heading back home with our leftovers.

Being served by the ladies.  I think Dean is giving the two Linda's a bad time!

Linda looks as if she is preparing for surgery as she puts her gloves on.  Watch out Alvin!

It is always a fun time with these friends!

Back in Bentley, this is when we really missed the Wally and our power strip. There are not enough outlets to plug phones, computers, the chairs, and the MIFI into, along with the other things we have in the kitchen area. There is only one outlet near our chairs, and it's behind the desk. That is where the power strip is plugged in. We will have to pull it through the side opening to get it to the plug in. Dean left a cutout in the back of the desk to allow room for it. Right now, if the computers or the phones die, we can't charge them near our recliners or the table.

Dean is a TV guy!! Without the Wally, we have been using the antenna. We are in a hilly area of Missouri, with no towns nearby, so you can imagine the reception he is getting. The TV is out more than it is working, but he's been a trooper. It may require a trip back to Nevada tomorrow to purchase a new power strip. We also need to call Dish and order a new Wally. I'm not sure if we can get one from a Dish dealer in Nevada, or if they will have to mail it to us, but I'll look into that tomorrow.

We didn't quite make it to 10, before we turned in for the night.

Saturday & Sunday - July 18 & 19

Saturday & Sunday - July 18 & 19 

Saturday, July 18, 2020 - Dacy's HS Graduation; Laundry; Celebration of Life for Our Friend Phil

I was awake around 5:30am, and soon was making the coffee.  I had left a load of clothes downstairs so I could get them started first thing this morning.  After starting the coffee, the clothes went in the washing machine.  I spent a couple of hours working on the blog, hoping to get it finished.  I took on the task of painting my toenails next.  It's that time of year where I prefer wearing flip flops or sandals, so it must be done.  Next we needed to get ready so we could attend our granddaughter Dacy's High School graudation at Columbus, KS.  This was the third date for their graduation and thankfully it went off without a hitch.   We expected it to last longer than it did - but it was only an hour.  Since the event was held outside, I think everyone was glad it didn't last any longer, as it was a very hot morning sitting in the sun.  We chose to move to the bleachers on the west side.  I'm thankful we didn't have to have the sun in our eyes.

Jameson was so good - he never cried, just looked around to see what was going on.

Afterwards, we took a few pictures with Dacy, gave her a graduation card and a little gift, then we said our goodbyes and returned to Oswego.  I asked Dean to stop at the grocery store before going home, as we didn't have a thing to eat for lunch.  I went in for lunch meat, but ended up with a few other things I realized we were out of.  For lunch I made a quick sandwich, added a few chips; followed by our apple and peanut butter.

Dad Brett & Dacy Kate

Papa, Dacy & Nana...too bad I didn't have red shorts - but at least we were wearing red, white and blue!!!

Dean went to the lot to finish mowing and I had a few things to take care of here at Bentley.  He returned at 3:15.  After he showered, we headed to Wagoner, OK to attend a Celebration of Life for our friend and fellow RVer, Phil Mackey.   I wrote about Phil back in March.  He and his wife, Janelle were both diagnosed with Covid-19 and Phil succombed to the virus on March 27.  As with many people, services of any kind have been on hold for several months.  Several of their friends, as well as one of their daughers, their son and Janelle spoke about Phil.  We have many memories of our own of Phil since we first met him in April 2015 at our first Escapees rally.  We will really miss him!  

What a beautiful tree covered setting for the Celebration of Life!

We visited with two other couples in our RVing club during the meal - Alvin & Linda, and Charlie & Jan.  We enjoyed catching up with them.  What a meal Phil's family had for us, pulled pork and smoked bologna (2 of Phil's favorites), along with potato salad, cole claw, baked beans and wonderful desserts - apple, peach or cherry pie/cobbler and two kinds of cookies.  It was nearly 8, when we left.  We made a stop in Wagoner to get gas at Quick Trip, and to use their facilities, before heading home.

Dean and I visited back and forth as we made our way north, and I was even able to get a few pictures of the sunset.  We made it back to Oswego shortly after 10:00pm.  We sit to wind down for a bit, that didn't last but about 15-20 minutes, and that's all it took.  We barely laid down and we were out.  It was another good day!

Sunday, July 19, 2020 - More Laundry; Helping Misti Pack; House Cleaning; Chili For Dinner

As I often do, I took a load of clothes downstairs before going to bed last night, so I could begin my first load of laundry early this morning, right after I turned on the coffee pot.  It was about 5:30 when I woke.  By the time I put some pre-spray on a couple of items, loaded the clothes, added the soap and started the machine, enough coffee had been perked that I was soon enjoying my first cup.  Dean came downstairs a short time later. 

I had sent Misti a text last night to see when she wanted us to come over to help pack things for her move next weekend.  At 6:30 she called to ask what would be a good time, I told her we would be there around 7.  Fortunately, the washer stopped soon aftewards.  I took the clothes out and laid them out (on top of each other) on the kitchen counter, until I could dry them later.  

We were at Misti's shortly after 7 and we all got to work right away.  Dean went through her pantry area clearing out any food that was dated, and packing everything else.  After that he packed up all of the pictures and wall hangings in boxes, helping with other things as we needed him.  Misti and I moved through the house to determine what items she wanted to sell (via Facebook).  I took pictures and she gave me a price as we went through each room.  I posted them to Facebook and by the end of the day she had sold most of the items.  We also started a pile of things to take to a resale shop.  We worked until 12:30-1.  We accomplished quite a bit - clearing out all of the kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, utility room and packing up all of her pictures.  We will finish up next Saturday, then on Sunday we will move everything to her new home in Ponca City, OK.

She had an old washer and dryer that she wanted to get rid of, so I called a friend of mine to see if he would want them.  He gathers metal products from people who want to dispose of them.  He didn't answer, but I'm sure he will give us a call later.

For lunch we had our leftovers from our meal at the Columbus Golf Course.  Dean had beef tips, with three nice size pieces left and I had my alfredo over rice/veggies with philly steak, followed by our apple/peanut butter.

I spent the rest of the day washing clothes and cleaning the RV.  I cleaned out the refrigerator, then washed the dishes from this morning and lunch.  Earlier Dean asked me if I had paid Todd.  It's been so busy since we arrived I had forgotten all about it.  I sent him a text to let him know I was sorry, and to make sure we would have a spot when we returned on the 25th through the 31st.  He said we would, so I made out a check to include through the 31st and walked it up to the shop.  He was outside so we visited for a few minutes.  I mentioned I was headed back to clean the RV, from top to bottom.  He loaned me this really nice brush on an extended pole to use.  I have one, but it's short and not nearly as full as his was.  It was wonderful.  I was able to brush down the ceiling, walls, woodwork, etc.  It made the job much easier than with my smaller one.  I wish I had room to keep one like that in the rig, but I don't.  It had an extendable handle, which made it nice to adjust as I moved through the RV wiping everything down.  When I was finished I took it back.  I was unable to find him so I left it outside his office door and sent him a text to let him know where I put it.

My friend called me back mid afternoon and said he could get the washer and dryer.  I called Dean but the call did not go through.  Sometimes it works well at the garage and other times it doesn't.  I drove to the garage to let him know as Troy might need some help loading it.  We both drove to Misti's and he got both of them outside on the driveway, then waited with Haleigh until he arrived.  

When I returned, my next step was to clean the bathroom, followed by a good vacuuming throughout.  It was almost 5 when I finished. Dean returned just a short time later.  I took a pound of hamburger from the freezer earlier for dinner.  Even though it's pretty warm outside I was in the mood for chili and Dean was fine with it.  It tasted really good this evening!  I washed the dishes then continued with the laundry.  With a combo unit, you have to wash and dry each load in the same machine so each load takes 1.5-2 hours to do.  I washed several loads today, and finished the next to last load at 10pm.  I'll do the last one when I get up in the morning, as I wanted to wash towels and our clothes from today as well.

Dean watched TV and I tried to work on the blog.  After finishing up Saturday's post, I was too tired to write today's; besides my pictures were not downloading fast enough to include in Saturday's post, so I had to lay it aside.  It's been a busy few days.  We both showered before going to bed, so we didn't have to do it in the morning.  Tomorrow we will be moving to a campground near Osceola, MO for our July casual campout.  Before we leave we have something else to do, plus make a stop on our way.  

Thursday & Friday, July 16 & 17 - On the GO GO GO!

Thursday, July 16, 2020 - Visiting our VIP's; Leftovers; Emerson Plays T-Ball; Hanging out with Jarred & Family; Emerson Spends the Night. 

I just finished writing the events for Friday, when I realized I have not yet done a thing for Thursday's posts.  Whew, these two days flew by so quickly I forgot all about Thursday.  Lol!!

I finished Wednesday's blog post before we left Tuttle Creek State Park in Manhattan , however I didn't have time to include the pictures, so that is what I did for the next hour or so as we drove to Wichita.  Maybe that's why I forgot about writing Thursday's post altogether.

After setting up our route on Google Maps, Dean said we would be going by the scenic overlook  south of Manhattan after all if I wanted to stop for more pictures.  Sure - if it's right on the way, and now that we know there is plenty of room to pull in and park with the RV.  

I quickly walked out to take the picture then used our facilities before we pulled out and headed south.  Since I was busy adding the pictures into Wednesday's blog post, I missed a few good pictures.  Even though Dean would say picture, picture - I told him he needed to do that whenever he noticed something interesting for a picture - but today, my camera was not ready until I finished up the blog.  

It was cloudy.  I don't the picture today was as good as yesterday's.

Dean mentioned chinooks at Fort Riley's base, and I managed to snap a picture of those.  When my dad's cousins' family was stationed at Fort Sill, her husband Wayne took us to the base.  He worked on the chinooks as needed, maintenance, etc.  One of the thrills of that trip was to go inside and see the space in one of these massive helicopters.  What an experience for a young girl of about 12!

Chinooks on base.

Fort Riley water tower

 As we moved on down the road, I was able to get the blog pictures added and focus on the scenery.  We enjoyed watching this plane spraying crops alongside of us.  I love to watch these planes since they dip so close to the ground. 

What a beautiful day it was with the clouds, and the bright greens.  You sure don't expect to see green grass and fields like this in mid-July.

It looks as if it goes on forever!

 I 

Beautiful stone barn.

Peabody, KS water tower - reminded me of a dear friend, Susan, who was City Clerk there.

Newton, KS water tower - reminded me of another good friend, John, who I first met while he was with the City of Newton.

 At my first City Clerk Conference in Lawrence, KS I met Dede, who is still today one of my dearest friends.  She was from Whitewater, KS.  Because of her proximity to clerks in her region--like those mentioned, I became friends with many of the other clerks in the area as well.  This drive brought back many memories of our times together at conferences over the years.  

We arrived and were set up at All Seasons RV Park at 1:13pm.  By now we were both hungry so we warmed up our leftovers from Texas Roadhouse for our lunch.  Very good!  We had contacted Heath & Casey earlier to see if we could pick up our first VIP's - their three boys, and take them to Braum's for ice cream.  We picked them up at 2:30.  We had a great time visiting with them for the next hour and a half.  After taking them back home, we returned to Bentley.  Our next VIP's to see was Jarred and family, and attend Emerson's T-ball game.  It starts at 5:45, which gave us a little time to rest before heading to the Y for her game.  We parked and carried our chairs to Field 2.  What a difference in temperatures from the last game.  It was so hot that day and we were sitting in the sun to boot.  Today, was a much nicer temperature, but in addition, we were in the shade the entire game.  Wonderful.  Jarred, Emerson and baby Hayden arrived not too long after us.  I enjoyed holding Hayden through the game, even if she did sleep most of the time.  She still made those cute baby faces I could watch.  Lol!  Jarred and Dean had a chance to visit some while watching the game.  You could tell the kids had now been through several games and their playing had improved somewhat - as much as it can for 4&5 year olds.  Honestly, I could tell a difference from the game we attended a few weeks ago.  Andrea's mom and dad, sister and other family members were in attendance too.  Andrea had an appointment so we'll see her later at their home.

Emerson shading her eyes while looking at us on the sidelines, with her little pink glove in her hand.

After the game, she carried her water bottles back.

Emerson, Dad & Hayden (hdden in the carrier) with a Victory sign.  Of course, they just play two innings and everyone gets to bat twice.  At this age, they are learning more about how to play T-ball, than who wins or loses.

Back at Jarred's, we had some good one on one time with Ms. Hayden, who we finally got to smile....second picture, and visited with Andrea.  

Jarred, the kids, Dean and I went to Jason Deli's for a quick bite to eat.  I ordered a baked potato with brisket and cheese.  When they brought it out to me I could not believe how big it was.  Honestly, it was not only big in diameter, but it must have been 6-7" long.  I might have ate a little over 1/3 of it.  It will be good warmed up for another meal.

Too bad her smiling face was shadowed, but we got the smile, that's what counts!

We stayed to visit with Andrea and Jarred after we returned, then asked if Emmy could spend the night with us.  Mom and Dad said yes, so we loaded up her suitcase and headed back to Bentley.  We spent he next hour or so visiting with her before it was time to go to bed.  I made up a bed for her on the couch, and she was out pretty quick.  It was a great day with some wonderful VIP's - of course, all of our kids and grandkids are VIP's in our book!  


Friday, July 17, 2020 - Moving Day; We Stayed on the Move All Day Long!

I was awake sometime after 4:30, but I made myself stay in bed until about 5:30 since Emerson was asleep on the couch downstairs.  I didn't want to wake her up until closer to 7:30.  Fortunately, it did not faze her one bit that the coffeepot was perking, and I was up moving around.  In fact I had to wake her up.  

Dean drove to Lamar's a few miles away to get doughnuts for us.  Apple Fritter for him, sour cream doughnut for me and a glazed doughnut for Emerson.  I woke her up when he returned.  Her eyes popped open when she heard doughnut.  As soon as Em was done eating, she brushed her teeth and changed into her play clothes.  We gathered up all of her things, then took her home, so Mom or Dad could drop her off at Zoo Camp for the morning.  She has really enjoyed attending it this week and I'm sure she's met several new friends.  She's a very outgoing little girl.

After dropping her off, we wanted to check out climate controlled storage units in the area.  Misti may need one to hold a few things, so we did a little research via Google.  We drove by a couple, however they were not yet open.  Later I did call, gathering information I will share with Misti later today.

Once that was done, we headed back to Bentley, and quickly had everything packed away.  We unhooked and were soon on the way to Oswego at 10:03am.  We made one stop on the way.  We pulled into Hillside RV, where we were parked and set up up by 1:23pm.  

Sorry for the blemish, but this was really a beautiful site.

Always pretty in the Flint Hills!

We were both hungry, so we shared my leftover baked potato topped with brisket and cheese (adding a little extra butter) for our lunch.  That was one BIG potato.  We were both full.

As soon as lunch was over I was in the shower.  I have a hair appointment at 4.  I was barely out of the shower when Marla called to see if I could come early.  In the meantime Dean drove to the Post Office to pick up our mail.  When he returned I was drying my hair.  I had time to get a few other things done before I left for Marla's.  Realizing I had a little time, I drove up and down a few of the streets in town.  It is so sad to see the loss of such beautiful trees.  There was so much debris still stacked at the side of roads from the storm.  There were several homes damaged from falling trees.  City crews and volunteers have worked diligently over the past several days to get things cleaned up.  

Dean left to mow at the lot, and I headed to Marla's.  45 minutes later I was back at Bentley.  I still needed to put on my makeup, and change clothes before we picked Cindy and Elmer up.  We are having dinner at the Columbus Golf Course.  We've talked about trying it out before so tonight's the night.  I was in such a hurry, that when we were just a few blocks from their house I realized I still had my crocs on - I forgot to change into my sandals.  When we left I told Dean we needed to go back to the RV Park so I could change them.  Whew....what a crazy, busy day.

It was a nice drive with time for me to relax a bit before we arrived.  We wanted to get their early before it got busy.  We were fortunate to be the first ones there.  The food was very good and the restaurant was very nice.  They have an outdoor seating area where a couple of musicians provided music.  

A lady walked in later.  I thought I knew who she was, and asked Cindy if it was Andra.  We see her often in the mornings walking in the park, and near Cindy's house.  She didn't think it was because this lady was wearing glasses, but I still thought it might be her.  She went out to the patio area to sit.  After our food arrived, I glanced out there and another lady, Bev from Oswego was sitting with her.  I was now convinced that's who it was.  Before we left, I walked out to visit with them for a few minutes, before we gathered up our leftovers and headed back to Cindy and Elmer's for an evening of Wahoo and Pitch.

Columbus Golf Course Restaurant - what a beautiful space.  Notice the glass garage doors to the right.  These can all be opened to expand onto the large covered patio area.  I can see this being a great venue for a wedding reception.

Too bad I didn't snap this picture with our grandson walking by the door to the kitchen.  Tucker was working in the back this evening, but he did come out before we got our meal to visit with us for a few minutes!

Back at Cindy & Elmer's, the girls won the first game of Wahoo quickly, but then we were robbed of our first place status as the guys won the last three games.  Then we turned our attention to Pitch, which the girls won!  Cindy made peach crisp, adding ice cream for our snack.  I think I've gained 5 pounds this week.  I can't remember the last time I acutally fixed a meal - we've just ate the leftovers from meals we've had after going somewhere to eat.  I'm ready for my own cooking for a few days.  I'm not sure how soon that will happen.  Tomorrow is another busy day!

It was 10 when we left for home.  We both needed a little time to wind down.  It was well after 10:30 before we went to bed.  I had a hard time falling asleep though, but finally fell into a nice slumber.