Thursday, October 25, 2018 - Travel Day to Wichita

Thursday, October 25, 2018 - Travel Day to Wichita

Today is moving day and it is raining!  Fortunately it is not a downpour but according to the weather it looks like it will stay with us most of the day.  Our plan is to arrive in Wichita between 12-12:30.  

The rain kept us from walking today but we do get a fair amount of exercise on moving day - just from putting things away in preparation for a move, and then going through the set-up process.  We have a system and it works pretty good but does require some steps which is a plus.

We pulled out of Hillside RV Park in Oswego at 9:19.  We planned to head north on Montana Road to US 400, but I was making a long distance call to reserve a campsite for our trip to the southeast with some friends next year.  I didn't want to take a chance of loosing the connection so Dean turned at the golf course to take US 59 instead.  Because of that he decided to go through Altamont and Cherryvale rather than drive through Parsons.  It added a few miles, but as we left Cherryvale there is a nice rest stop before we get on 400 and by then we (I) needed to stop.

We had to make two more potty breaks before we made it to Wichita, but we managed to make it by 12:45.  We are staying at a new campground this trip.  We typically stay at All-Seasons on West Maple in Goddard, but they did not have a site for the 5 nites we will be there.  About two miles down the road is Maple Village Trailer Community.  It is mostly house trailers, but the west side is set aside for RV's.  We pulled up to the office where I found a note on the door that she was out, with her phone number.  I called her at 12:50 and she said we could take any of the sites except 14 or 16.  We pulled around to the west side of the park and drove down the road looking for a site.  Unfortunately it had rained quite a bit here and the ground was pretty saturated.  While the pads where the RV would set were not too bad to pull on to, the entrance areas where you would need to enter the RV were mostly standing water.  We found a couple we thought might work but they had reserved signs on them.  We drove through twice, got out and walked (in the rain) looking at each site hoping one might work for us.  

We were both tired, wet and hungry which is not a good mix.  I told Dean I was calling Air Capital RV to see if they had any sites available.  Unfortunatley, they did not have a site that was open for five nites.  At this point I called Sandy back.  I asked her again what sites we could not use, because there were reserved signs on the sites that we liked.  She said, "Oh, I just haven't got those down yet - all of those sites are open".   Well, at least now we know we will have a site for the next several days!  We chose E21A, the best site we could find as far as not holding water for access to the RV and around it.  We were able to get backed in pretty quickly.  It was 1:29 when we finally got parked in our site.  

Needless to say we were both a little irritated with the situation, besides we were wet and hungry.  We quickly got things set up enough that I could heat up the leftover Hamburger Helper we had a couple of nights ago.  After having 30 minutes to relax, all was well!  Even though it was a bit of an irritation because of the time frame of getting settled in a site, we commented in the big picture it may have been a blessing.  If it was not raining when we arrived, and we had chosen one of the sites where several inches of water was standing outside the door, we would have really been unhappy if it had rained after we chose one of those sites and we had to deal with standing water at the door.  You have to try and see the silver lining in each event.  We always say God is looking out for us and maybe he was in this instance too.  You never know about the weather! 

We have no plans for today as both boys are working, so once I had everything taken care of inside, I had a couple of things I wanted Dean to help me with.  The cornice box around the window next to Dean's chair came loose.  He fixed it once but it came loose again.  He bought a larger L bracket and repaired it today.  Hopefully this will be a permanent fix.  Now that we have the chairs in here I wanted to try moving the table so it would run lengthwise with the length of the room, rather than towards the island.  He loosened the table from the floor and we turned it.  After moving things around, and checking measurements, I decided to have him make the change permanent.  

In a previous post I mentioned purchasing a small ottoman from my friend Joyce.  I loved the size of it and the fact it had a good amount of storage that I could use for my desk items and a few other things when we move from one site to another.  The back side of the top is a good solid surface that you can use to set items on if needed.  We've had it sitting by the couch but it makes the living area look a little small, so I decided to move it next to the dining table, flip the lid, and set the printer on it.  The printer has been sitting on the floor even when we use it.  Now with it raised up it will be so much easier to have access to it.  I also had a couple of things I could "hide" behind it that I use, but not on a regular basis.  If I need to get to them, it will not be difficult to pull the ottoman out for easy access.

When we eventually add the desk we have been looking at, it will be better yet, but we've decided to wait until next year for that project since we have made several major purchases this year.  For now I think this set up will work just fine.  Clutter bothers me, and for now this is an improvement!

Jarred called us earlier today to see if we would want to watch Emerson this evening.  Andrea's work is taking everyone out for dinner tonight.  Of course, we said yes!  At 4:30 we left to make the drive to their house.  After visiting for a little bit, we stopped at Freddy's on the way back to pick up burgers for Dean and I.  Emerson wanted a hot dog (which I have at the RV) and she will share some of Dean's fries.  

We had a great evening playing with her.  She was a busy girl, dancing for us, 

Snapshots I took while she was dancing

showing us her gymnastic moves (mostly somersaults) and singing songs.  When she got tired she wanted to listen to music.  I found some children's songs for her on her IPad.  Around 8:30 she wanted me to lay down with her so we went upstairs.  She was tired, but it was Nana who fell asleep.  She came downstairs, so Papa made up a bed for her on the couch.  She ended up back in bed with me and finally fell asleep.  Dean woke me up when he was ready to go to bed, and we moved her to the couch for the night.  A queen size bed isn't big enough for all three of us.  

It was another great day!  We have big plans for tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

I had to be up really early this morning to take my cousin Barbara to Galena for a couple of tests.  We had to leave Oswego by 5:15, so I set my alarm for 4:00 to be sure I had plenty of time.  I felt pretty good when I got up which surprised me since I had a hard time falling asleep last night.

Dean has plans for today and needed the truck, so Barbara drove out to get me and I drove her car to and from Galena.  It's nice not to have a lot of traffic on the road - 5:15am is a good time to travel.  We turned at 4 corners and headed south toward Galena.  A few miles down the road I thought I saw a shadow and put on the brakes.  A deer was in the left lane and one on the right shoulder.  Fortunately, they both stopped and did not move while I passed between the two of them.  I just thank God everyday for his protection.  He tells us to trust him - and I'm learning to do just that.   

I dropped Barbara off at the entrance and parked the car.  After she finished checking in we visited in the waiting room.  It wasn't too long before they came to get her.  It was a good time to start reading my RV blogs.  Before I knew it, they called me back so I could sit with her until it was time for her procedures.

Once she left, I went back to the main waiting room and it didn't seem like much time had passed before they came to get me so I could talk to the doctor.  When he finished giving me the report, he walked me back to Barbara's cubicle.  

We left State Line Surgery around 8:30 and I drove into our site at the RV Park before 9:30.

Dean showed up about 15 minutes later and was surprised I was back already.  He had a few things he wanted to get done around the RV before we leave tomorrow.  So he went on outside to work on them.  I worked on a blog post and did a little around the RV but I was tired.

The nurse at the Cherokee Health Center called me after the results of my blood test came back and wanted to change two of my prescriptions,  We were driving at the time, so I told them I would call them back with the address of where to send it to - thinking I would have it sent to Wichita to one of the boys' houses.  Sometimes things do not get mailed when you think they will and rather than have them get here after we leave, we decided to drive to Vinita and pick them up.  It turned out to be a good decision - I napped most of the way - and I felt much better when I woke up.  After picking up the RX we stopped at McDonald's to get something to drink before driving over to Bernice, OK just to look around, and then down by Horse Creek Resort.  We had travel trailers at both of these locations for several years.  Grand Lake is really special to us.  We enjoyed lots of fun times with our kids and friends here for most of the time pre-Bently.  We enjoyed the drive and visiting together.

Once we returned to Oswego I worked on some travel plans we have for next year.  We plan to head northwest after our trip to Colorado in June.  I wanted to input the information in a new app, RV WIzard.  It was quite a challenge working through a new program.  I have a 30 day trial period, which means I need to stay with it to see if it's going to work for me or not.  If I'm not happy I can get a refund for the fee of $39.  The jury is still out on whether I'll like it any better than RV Parky which I've been using for 4 years and is free.  RIght now I'm not too impressed with the map size compared to RV Parky, but one day using it isn't really a fair comparison.  For some reason I was under the impression it integrated with Roadtrippers, and I have not found that to be true.  Most likely my error, and if so, I'm not sure it will be worth the fee.  

I wanted to say thank you to my sisters who each brought me the nicest birthday cards.  I am so blessed to have sisters who are also my best friends.  I love you!

For supper tonight we had the rest of the "beef tips" I made the other night - I'm so glad we both love leftovers.  On a night like this it sure was easy to fix and easy to clean up afterwards.

We are leaving Oswego tomorrow headed to Wichita for several days to see the oldest and youngest of the boys and their families.  It will be a busy, but fun time.  

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - What A Day!

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - What A Day!


We were up early to leave for Vinita by 7:10am for my routine doctor appointment at the Cherokee Health Center.  After having blood drawn and getting a flu and pneumonia shot, we made a stop at McDonald's.  Since I had to fast this morning I was pretty hungry, so we went to McDonald's  (the big one on the Vinita to Tulsa turnpike). The road from the Health Center went right to it.  How convenient was that?

From there we headed to Joplin on I-44 (making use of our I-Pass for OK, KS & TX for the first time).  Our next stop was at Lowe's.  I wanted to pick up some paint samples - not for painting, but to get a color palette for the colors I want to use in Bentley to brighten things up a bit.  

My step-dad now lives near Lowe's, so we stopped there next.  We got to visit with Larry & his wife Verna for about an hour before we needed to move on to our next stop.  We had a really nice visit with them.  Love them so much!

Dean needed to go by Battery Outfitters to get some new golf cart batteries.  That didn't take too long, and then we moved on to Best Buy.  I have been wanting a new computer - and decided a Chromebook would do just fine for me.  I have done quite a bit of research and had decided on the one I wanted.  Best Buy had exactly what I wanted - a Samsung Chromebook Plus.  Today is my birthday and this was my present from my sweet husband.

Since we ate breakfast late - almost 10, we passed on lunch, but splurged on dessert and had ice cream at Braum's before heading back to Oswego.  I was anxious to get the Chromebook charged.  It finished charging shortly before 5 - just in time because.....

We had a dinner date with our two grandkids, Dacy & Tucker.  We picked them up about 5:30 and visited with Renae for awhile before we headed to Columbus for Mexican food.  We sure enjoyed our time with these two.  I wish I had thought to take a picture, but we were too busy talking and eating!!  Lol!

We made it back home about 7:00.  What a beautiful moon on display tonight, and a pretty nice sunset, too.  I actually did take a picture of it once we made it back to the RV Park.

Today was a wonderful day!

Monday, October 22, 2018 - Catching Up; Thinking of My Mama Today

Monday, October 22, 2018 - Catching Up; Thinking of My Mama Today

When I woke up and looked at the alarm clock, it was already past 6:00 a.m., I realized I forgot to reset my phone alarm after Jaxson left.  I guess the extra sleep was needed, since I usually am already awake before my phone alarm sounds.  

I turned on the coffee pot, did my morning exercises (for my neck, back, and legs), and by then it was time to enjoy the first cup!  I have been a little lax in doing the exercises the past couple of weeks and I can already tell a difference - not a good difference either.  They take so little time (10-15 minutes) and I feel so much better when I do them.  I hope to build this habit back again.  I grabbed Dean's laptop (so much easier to use than mine) and got to work catching up the past several days of blog posts.  

Today is my Mama's birthday.  She would have been 80 today.  We lost her in February, 1993 to breast cancer.  Even though it's been a long time and it's not as hard as it was right after we lost her, some days I miss her a lot.  Her birthday is one of those days.  I was born a little over 3 hours after her 18th birthday.  I always felt special that our birthdays were only a day apart.  I feel extremely blessed that my Mama knew Jesus Christ and lived her life for him.   So, until we see you again, Happy Heavenly Birthday Mama!  I love you!

Dean had a few errands to run today.  He took the truck to Coop to have the inside dual tires moved to the outside, and then waited while they balanced them.  While he was gone I sorted the laundry and got the first load going.  

I worked on the blog off and on all afternoon between, washing, drying and folding clothes, making the bed, doing the dishes I left setting in the sink last night because I was too tired to do them, and then straightened up everything else that needed it.  When Dean returned sometime after 11:30 or so, I had just finished eating breakfast. Since it was close to noon Dean made a sandwich and watched his favorite noon show - Gunsmoke.  

A short time later he called the Chevrolet dealership in Parsons to make an appointment to have the oil changed in the truck.  Surprisingly, they had an opening at 3:00 this afternoon, so he left a short while later.  

I had just posted the first of three posts I will be working on today when he returned.  It only took them about 30 minutes to change the oil, so he was only gone 1.5 hours.  He came in and set down to visit for a few minutes before he headed outside to unload everything from the basement so he could take the air compressor out.  He has been storing it behind the wall of the basement, but he has found it to be a bit of a nuisance for some uses, so now he'll need to find another place to store it.

Tonight for dinner I made "faux beef tips" for dinner.  I used stew meat, seared it in the instapot, seasoned it with seasoning salt, garlic salt and some pepper, then added 2 cups of beef broth and a package of Pioneer brown gravy mix following the directions on the package.  I set the Instapot for 24 minutes on high.  Once the 24 minutes was completed I did a natural release for 18 minutes before turning it off.  I added some water to a heaping T of cornstarch to thicken the gravy up.  The meat was so tender!  

Dean said it would be awhile before he would be inside so I waited until he was almost done before making rice and warming up some corn to go with it.  I will definitely make this again.  It would be good on noodles or mashed potatoes as well.  My sister Cindy shared a similar recipe with me over the weekend.  It sounded too good not to try it.  Thanks for sharing that idea Cindy!

We have a very busy day planned for tomorrow, and we need to leave the house by 7am, so I'm going to get some sleep.  Good night.  

Saturday, October 20, 2018 & Sunday, October 21, 2018 - Catching up with Misti & Marc

Saturday, October 20, 2018 & Sunday, October 21, 2018 - Catching up with Misti & Marc and their families

Saturday - One of the things we miss while traveling is seeing and spending time with all of our kids.  While we saw both my daughter Misti and son Marc at Logan's "leaving for the Navy" dinner with family and friends, we didn't get to visit too much one on one.  Marc and I talked on the phone while we were in Oklahoma.  When I found out he and Jennifer had things going on Saturday and Kamron would be involved too, I asked about having Jaxson come and spend today with us and stay overnight with Papa and I.  

After breakfast, I ran over to G&W to get the groceries we will need for the week.  After bringing them back and putting them away, I then headed to Parsons to pick up a few things at Walmart before I stopped to get Jaxson.  He was ready to go, with his whales and clothes in tow.  

I called Misti earlier to see if she wanted to come by while Jaxson was here.  She suggested we just come by when we get back to Oswego, so we did.  We had a good visit with her and Haleigh.  I've mentioned before that Misti was accepted into the physical therapy assistant program at Labette Comunity College.  She spends a good part of her time either in class or studying.  Fortunately, we arrived while they were having lunch so we didn't have to take her away from her work too long, since she has a major test on Monday she is preparing for.

One of her study tools is a magnetic body puzzle.  On one side it shows the skeleton, and the other side shows muscles and maybe tissue (I can't remember - but Jaxson did - because he told his mom and dad what it was).  Misti pointed out various bones and he remembered the locations of the humorous, clavicle and ribs.  He was able to tell his mom and dad where they were located when we took him home on Sunday.   I think if he had one of those puzzles he would have all of the parts memorized in no time.   

During his stay with us at the RV we talked about whales, A LOT!  We also talked about the solar system, A LOT!  He is like a sponge when something interests him; he soaks up every little detail, which he shared with me several times.  It was fun and I learned A LOT!  

It was cute when he was telling me about the solar system though.  He said Nana, what is the planet closest to the sun, and then leaned in to me and whispered, Mercury; as if I wouldn't have a clue what it was.  He did this each time he asked me which planet was next.....and he knew the exact order.  He could also tell us what kind of planet it was, what made up the solar system, how many planets there were, etc.  It was as if he had read it and was repeating it out of an encyclopedia.  

His dad shared a video with me a few days ago of Jaxson "teaching his class".  It was so fun to watch him ask his class members questions, call on different students and then walk to the board, point to what was there and explain the answer to the question he was asking the class.  I was impressed that at 6, he mimicked the role playing as a teacher so well.

He also loves dinosaurs.  We do not have children's shows on Dish anymore, so Papa took a look on Amazon Prime and found Dina's Dino Adventure.  He said, Oh, I like that show.  He watched several episodes throughout the day when we were not playing or talking about whales and solar systems.  

He also likes to play video games.  I told him we would try to find one on my Kindle that he could play for awhile.  We found Fishdom.  It amazes me how quick kids can catch on to these games and know what to do!  I enjoyed watching him play that for awhile before we had a little snack and then got him ready for bed.  

All too soon it was bedtime.  I made up his bed on the couch and he was asleep pretty quick.  We had a very enjoyable day.  


Sunday - I turned the alarm off on my phone last night so it wouldn't wake Jaxson up this morning.  I came downstairs a little after 5 and started the coffeepot and did a few exercises while waiting for it to perk.  The exercises help the time go by while the coffee perks, so a win-win!  I hoped that I wouldn't wake Jaxson up with the coffee pot perking.  I read some blog posts and played a game while waiting for Dean and Jax to wake up.  When I turned on the small light behind our chairs it did not come on, so I guess I need to replace the bulb.  Needless to say I could not read with no light.  Dean came down a short time later, and it was almost 7 before Jaxson finally began to stir.

He picked right up where he left off last night talking about whales and the solar system.  He really eats that stuff up.  There was another subject we mentioned that he also told us alot about, but right now it doesn't come to mind.  (If only I had his memory)  I told Marc we would drive Jaxson back to Parsons and we planned to leave between 10-10:30, after some clothes finished up in the dryer.

We stayed and visited with Marc, Jen and Kamron for awhile.  Dean went outside with Marc to take a look at the new shop he built for his "side" business, The Sawshack Redemption.  He keeps very busy with projects.  I also had to check out Kamron's newly painted and decorated room.  It is a soft pink on the two large side walls and grey on the smaller end walls. She has a beautiful, new bedspread and pillow shams.  They plan to put new flooring down soon, and she said her dad is going to build her a desk.  She was really proud of her room and I understand why.  She loves art and decorating.  For only 13, she does an excellent job at it.  

When Dean and I left we needed to make another stop at Walmart for a couple of things I forgot to get yesterday, plus a few more things Dean thought of later.  It didn't take us too long.  Since it was getting close to 12:30 and I'm going to my sister Crystal's house for our sisterfest today, which starts at 1, we stopped at Taco Bell on the way home for lunch on the go.  It wasn't too bad and it was cheap, so that was good.

Dean dropped me off at Crystal's where the four of us girls visited for a couple of hours, and Sister Cindy took me back to the RV

I was so tired I just fixed Hamburger Helper for supper.  I try to keep a package on hand for nights like this and I was sure glad I did.  A quick, simple meal.

Dean watched the Chiefs game while I read blogs and "played that silly game I downloaded for Jax" for a little while.  It WAS fun!  

Sunday, October 14, 2018 - Friday, October 19, 2018 - Escapees Casual Campout (Last one for 2018)

Sunday, October 14, 2018 - Friday, October 19, 2018 - Escapees Casual Campout (Last one for 2018)

Sunday - We were not in a big hurry to leave today because check-in time at Sequoyah State Park campgrounds is after 2:00 pm, so we took our time getting around.  A little before 9, I received a call from Michelle (my step-dad's niece).  Michelle and her sister, Stacey, were very young when my mom and step-dad married, so I've known them most of their lives.  I've always enjoyed visiting with these two cousins by marriage.  Michelle and her husband Dan were on their way to Chetopa, KS (8 miles south of Oswego) to help a good friend with an auction and wondered about stopping to say hello to us on the way.  I was thrilled that she contacted me, and of course I said yes.  

They arrived at the park around 11:15, and we had a nice visit for 30 minutes or so.  I wish we'd had more time but they needed to get to Chetopa and we needed to get on the road after a quick lunch.  I hope when we have some time to spend in the Kansas City area we can visit with them and enjoy more than 30 minutes together.

Today was similar to many other "moving days" recently.  As we began to hook up, it started to mist, eventually turning into rain and it continued most of the way to Sequoyah State Park at Hulbert, OK.  Fortunately, it was never a heavy rain.  It did clear up shortly before we arrived and it turned out to be a pretty nice evening.

Once we arrived at the campground, we found our site and were soon parked.  Our friend Alvin must have pulled in behind us somewhere on the road, as we noticed he was waiting patiently behind us while we pulled into our site, and then he parked next to us.  Once we were set up Phil & Janelle, who arrived before both of us, walked down to visit a bit.  

We enjoyed watching the deer while we visited.

A deer on the right and a bit in front of Bentley.

Alvin's wife, Linda drove out in their car a short time later.  It was so good to see these two couples again.  We've missed this group and look forward to the next few days to see everyone who is coming. It warmed up a little in the afternoon, and we all had a nice visit before returning to our RV's late in the afternoon as the temperatures began to drop again. We are expecting 3 or 4 more couples to arrive tomorrow.




Monday - With an overnight low of somewhere around 38 degrees, it was pretty cold in the RV this morning.  The wind was blowing and continued until later in the day.  My first cup of coffee helped warm me up a bit until the electric fireplace took over and added a little extra warmth to the room.  We leave the furnace running around 62-65 overnight, and then I turn the fireplace on when I get up.  If I turn the furnace up it wouldn't be very comfortable for Dean, since the bedroom is so small and the ceiling so low it gets warm up there pretty quick.  With the door closed - it's even worse.  Therefore, I don't mess with the propane furnace while he is still sleeping.  The electric fireplace makes the living area toasty within a short time.  I try to do a few exercises while the coffee perks - so between that and the fireplace, it doesn't take long for me to be comfortable.  

It was a short time after lunch before two more couples pulled in, Keith & Drena parked next to us, and then Stan & Linda next to them.  We have at least one more rig coming in and possibly a second yet today.  Once it appeared Keith & Drena were set up, I saw Drena outside, so I walked over.  It was so good to see her again.  We visited for a bit, before Dean and I left to go to into Wagoner with Alvin & Linda.  They needed to run by their house to get a few things and I needed to stop at Walmart.  I've decided I need some long handled underwear and a pair of sweats if we are going to set around the fire at night.  It is just too cold without something a little warmer than jeans and a sweatshirt.

I worked on the blog when we returned before we all left to go eat dinner at Lopez's in Wagoner.  Phil & Janelle are the camp hosts for this casual campout and have planned our activities for the week.  They live in Wagoner and Lopez's is one of their favorite restaurants.  Alvin & Linda had their car, so Dean & I and Keith & Drena rode with them to the restaurant.  Stan and Linda rode with Phil and Janelle.  As we left the park, we met Bob & Patty just a short distance from the park entrance.  Drena sent a text to let them know where we were going, but they replied they'd see us later at the campground. Patty hasn't been feeling too well, but since they had their reservations they decided to come on down for the week. 

Typically I order the carnitas at Lopez's, some of the best I've ever had; but I'm trying to cut back so I just had a taco and an enchilada.  The food was very good but the company around the table was even better.  It was fun to visit and catch up with everyone.  

After a little discussion, once we returned from dinner, we decided it wasn't too cold to sit out by the campfire (well, by the "Flame Genies").  Three couples have flame genies.  They keep you warm without the smoke and when you are ready to call it a night, you just stop feeding it pellets and the fire shuts down pretty quickly compared to a wood fire.  I enjoy campfires, but the smoke does bother me, so I really appreciate not having to deal with it.  Phil and Stan (parked next to each other) brought their "Genies" out on Phil's campsite. Between the two, they kept the twelve of us pretty toasty - along with our hats, gloves, blankets, coats, etc.  Fortunately the wind died down so with the warmth of the fires it really wasn't too bad....but that might have been because I was wearing my new long handle underwear, sweats, a heavy sweatshirt, a jacket and had a full size quilt wrapped around me, plus a stocking hat and heavy gloves.  

There are a lot of deer here in Sequoyah State Park.  That is to be expected with a thick woodland all around us.  I think we counted nine deer at one time this evening. Through the evening there were groups of five or seven around us several times, that included a few fawns.  They are so much fun to watch.  The deer are timid, but somewhat used to all of the campers that stay here, so they aren't too skittish either.

About 9 we called it a night.




Tuesday -  After breakfast, I decided to go ahead and make deviled eggs for our potluck dinner tonight.  I am making Carolyn M.'s "loaded" deviled eggs.  Mine aren't as good as hers (she adds more ingredients) but they aren't too bad, and no matter how they are made, they are one of Dean's favorite foods.  I'm also making a peach crisp and Mexican cornbread, so I prepped as much as I could for those until I'm ready to bake them for our 5:30 meal.

Dean was outside working on a few things.  While we were in Putnam, IL it rained most of the time we were there.  When we first arrived on a beautiful, very warm day, we put out our large ground mat out so we could sit in our chairs outside under the awning.  It started raining the day after we arrived, and continued to do so most of the time we were there.  We had to put it up wet and it was a muddy mess.  So Dean washed and scrubbed it this morning.  He also took a scrub brush to our metal steps into the rig.  Mud was packed into the grooves on the steps and they looked horrible.  They both look pretty spiffy now!   

While he was doing that I got the last part of the blog for the remaining time we were in Oswego posted and started on a post for our time here.  After we ate a sandwich, we took our chairs down to Phil & Janelle's site.  We'll be having our potluck dinner here so we left our chairs for later, and we took a walk around the campground and then out to the main road and back.  It was a beautiful day.  I had to end up taking my coat off and carrying it.  If the sun would come out entirely from behind the clouds it would have almost felt like summer. 

I took a few pictures as we were walking:

We are just a short walk away from the restroom, and you can see the lake from our site as well.

This area is across the road from our site - the road is a large circle with several camping sites along most of it, except for the area closest to the lake.

Our Bentley

Alvin & Linda, and behind them Bob & Patty

Keith & Drena, Stan & Linda, with Phil & Janelle at the end.  Cindy was parked across from Stan and Linda, but she had not arrived when I took these pictures.

We carried our contributions to dinner down to Phil & Janelle's shortly before 5:30 and soon after we were filling our plates.  Phil smoked an excellent brisket.  I love brisket when it is cooked right and Phil knows how to do that.  It was so tender and they had warmed it in its own juices to keep it moist.  Of course, there were many side dishes and desserts to choose from as well.  Everything was delicious!  

After dinner, and taking our leftover dishes back home, we returned to Phil & Janelle's for another campfire around the Flame Genies, where we enjoyed some great conversation and lots of laughs.


Wednesday - Janelle planned for the ladies to go into Wagoner this morning to visit a couple of gift shops and have lunch.  Linda offered to drive us.  Patty and Bob went to visit a friend of Patty's today who has been ill, so she didn't go along with us this morning.

Our first stop was at a Drug Store that included a gift shop.  I don't think anyone left without purchasing something here.  Several of us bought these neat little holders for our chapstick/lipstick that you can attach to your purse.  

Chapstick/Lipstick Holder

I spied the cutest hat that was brown and with an olive green bill.  As soon as I saw it, I thought of Linda B. and called her over.  I told her she needed this hat, that it had her name written all over it.  She tried it on and it looked so good on her.  She ended up purchasing it and wore it several times during the rest of the campout.  

Linda is on the right with her new cap on.  

The gift area had a number of unique items and even though I walked around the store several times I continued to find things tucked in here and there, even as we were walking out the door.  I love places like that. 

Janelle told us the building was originally her aunt's home.  The drug store had purchased it and totally remodeled it.  Whoever the contractor was did an amazing job.  

From there we moved down the street to a flower/gift shop where they also serve lunch.  We enjoyed looking around in here as well.  Again, they had many cute things.  I was tempted to buy a couple of things but I passed in the end.  

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch here.  Me and several others chose 1/2 chicken salad sandwich on a croissant, and a bowl of potato soup that came with a fruit cup.  The meal was delicious!  I particularly enjoyed the potato soup - and I typically am not a big fan of it.  It was pureed - no chunks, except for some pieces of bacon in it.  It was delicious!  We had such a nice time visiting during our meal as well.  It was a lovely outing with these five ladies.

We returned to the campground a short time later.  The guys had done their own thing and ended up eating lunch at The Lodge, located in Sequoyah State Park.  

Everyone brought their leftovers from last night back to Phil & Janelle's for dinner, then we enjoyed another evening sitting around the flame genies.  The weather has been wonderful with the last two days being a little warmer each day.  We didn't have to bundle up near as much as Monday night.  This is fall break for children from school here, and the campground has started filling up with families.  Halloween decorations are at many of the sites.  

A few Halloween decorations on display at this camper here for Fall Break.

The deer aren't quite as brave coming to the campsites with the additional traffic and noise.  However, we can still see them first thing in the morning and in the evening if we just look around.

Linda L, Stan, Janelle, Cindy & Drena

Phil, Cindy, Drena and Linda B

Bob, Alvin, Keith & Dean

Keith & Dean

Bob & Alvin - I'm not sure but it looks like Alvin might be napping!

A better picture of Linda L and husband Stan, with Janelle and Phil.

Thursday - I asked Dean to get my bicycle down from the rack on the back of Bentley yesterday so I could ride with Linda this morning.  We started off and I noticed it was really difficult to pedal so I switched gears thinking I must have it on low gear since we were on a slight incline. That didn't make a difference and then I noticed I could only turn the shifter to 3 of the gears and not all 7, so it was very difficult trying to pedal at all, especially with an incline.  After trying to pedal only a block or two I had to stop and return to the RV.  The gears were not working at all.  Dean is definitely going to have to do some work on it before I will be able to ride it.  My legs were shaking so hard by the time we got back I'm surprised I was able to ride it back.  So much for that.  Alvin had brought his bike too, so he joined Linda for her bike ride.  A little later, after my legs recovered, Dean and I took a walk around the park to get a little exercise as well.

Shortly before noon, we caravanned to Tahlequah to eat lunch together at the Restaurant of the Cherokees.   Linda and Stan rode with us today.  The restaurant has a buffet, or you can order from their menu.  We all chose the buffet and the food was delicious.  They had a large table for our group, but by the time we got our food the table was full, so Dean and I set at a nearby booth with Alvin & Linda.  

In line at the buffet 

Alvin and Keith are making plans for a couple of trips that several members in our SKP group plan to enjoy next year.  Alvin and Linda are planning a trip that will actually be our SKP June casual campout, to be held in Nathrop, Colorado.  Dean and I have only been to the eastern part of the state around Colorado Springs so we are excited to visit more of this state, even though it means crossing some major mountain passes.  Eek!!  We enjoyed visiting a little about the trip during lunch.

Keith has been putting together another trip that will take several of us from Arkansas to the east coast and back over a period of about four weeks.  Dean and I will join them somewhere in Louisiana after we leave Texas around the end of February or first of March.  We will break off from them for a few days when they visit Florida, to stop and see my step-brother who lives in Florida for a couple of days before rejoining them for the remainder of the trip.

After lunch, we all drove to and visited the Mullins House which is located on the Cherokee Nation grounds.  Dean and I had never visited here so we took the tour through the home.  It was interesting and it is the only antebellum mansion left standing in Oklahoma today.  Of course, I took a number of pictures as we walked through the home, and I've included a few of them below:

The Murrell Home

Living Room 

Master Bedroom

Dining Room

Kitchen

Our next stop was at the Cherokee Heritage Center, where Dean and I visited last year prior to attending the October casual campout with this group.  Dean enjoyed it so much, he wanted to take the tour again.  It is led by a native Cherokee through the village they have set up to introduce others to their way of life in past years.  Alvin & Linda, Cindy, and Keith and Dreana joined us on the tour along with a few other folks visiting the center today.  It was just as interesting and enjoyable as it was the first time we were here.  

This was the waiting area before the tour began.  (Drena & Keith at far end)  The young lady to the right was our host during the tour.

Alvin, Linda and Cindy.

Once we returned to the campground I spent some time putting away as many things as I could in preparation of leaving tomorrow.  It is supposed to rain, so Dean also emptied our waste tank so he would not have to deal with that in the morning.  While he was outside working and putting away some other things, I decided to make some brownies.  I just had a need for some chocolate I guess.  A little later, Linda sent a text inviting us to come over and enjoy the fire around their flame genie.  Phil and Janelle's son and family arrived while we were gone to the Cherokee Center.  They are going to be camping in a tent at Phil and Janelle's site tonight.  The rest of the group gradually joined us and I was so glad to share my brownies with all of them.  Now I won't gorge myself!  (I would have frozen them, but I still would been tempted, so I was very glad it worked out as it did.)  

Our last evening around the campfire together.  It has been a wonderful week and for Dean and I, it was great to spend time with these folks.  We missed all of those that were not able to attend and sure hope to spend some time with them in the coming year's camping season or at one of the monthly luncheons in Springfield before we leave for Texas.

Several deer were enjoying their time at Alvin & Linda's site.

Alvin had just added more pellets to the fire - made for an interesting picture!

It was fun watching these deer - noses to the ground!

Friday - Well, as we have encountered with most departures from a campground for a while, it started to rain in the night and continued on throughout the morning.  We are all going to eat breakfast at the Lodge here in the Park this morning at 9:00, so Dean and I took advantage of the time before we left to pack up as much as we could.  When we get back about all we will need to do is hook up to the truck and unhook from the electric.

We rode over to the Lodge with Alvin, Linda and Cindy.  Everyone came for breakfast including Phil and Janelle's son and his family.  We asked Lane if they got wet last night in their tent and he said they did, however, they were able to move together pretty good and make it through the night without it being too bad.  I remember many rainy nights spent camping in a tent.  I have some great memories of those times - especially when I was in Girl Scouts.  I can't remember one time that we camped that it did not rain at least one night though.  As a kid it was adventurous.  Today.....probably not!

Breakfast was very good and plentiful!  As usual the visiting around the tables was great and we enjoyed this last time together before we all head our separate ways.  All too soon, we were loading up to head back to the campground.  Dean and I quickly finished the last of our work and we pulled out shortly after 11.

Fortunately there was a lag in the rain shortly before we left and while it did continue to rain, it was light.  However, soon after we were on the road the rain picked up and it rained on us the entire trip back to Oswego, where we arrived shortly before 2.  We pulled into the same spot we were in before.  We will be here through Wednesday of next week.  

Neither of us were hungry since we ate such a late breakfast so once we were settled I went to the grocery store to get a few things we were out of.  It was a quiet day and I only ran into one person, Tina.  Funny, that her mom was one of the ladies I enjoyed visiting with at the store last week.

About 2 or so I went over to my sister Cindy's and visited for a couple of hours.  When we got back, Dean and I were both getting hungry.  There were no leftovers, so we decided we would order a pizza; but no one answered the phone when I called in a pickup order.  We decided to drive to Columbus and get hamburgers from McDonald's instead.  We watched some TV and soon called it a night.