Another year finished

Another end to another year. In looking back over the many years, a lot of things have changed. From the way we live, eat and sleep as well as what we do.

I remember years of working, some times 7 days a week to retiring and working part time to going on the road and traveling this beautiful country.

Were still working part time at engraving and working as many hamfest as we can find that are on or near our travel path.

For the past two years we have worked our way west for the winter. We generally spend January and part of February in Mesa, AZ then going to Quartzsite and Yuma with a quick weekend trip to a hamfest in Palm Springs, CA. Then back to Yuma for the Gypsy Journal Rally in March and then work hamfests in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois and back to Indiana.

We did make a side trip to Taos, NM for a 3 day hamfest which was the first time we had done a convention of this type, but it worked out well. Next year they are planning on having it near Bryce Canyon in Utah. We will not be able to make it as we will be in the Eastern part of the country.

This year we will do about the same, except we will go to Mississippi for the Handicapped Travel Club rally and then back to Indiana for our round of Dr. appointments and then we plan to work our way back to Florida and do the hamfests in that area and spend the winter in that area.
All we have to do is decide on which hamfests we will work without driving all over the place and from one state to the other. Just a matter of sorting them out.

Last evening we went to the Organ Stop Pizza restaurant for a great pizza and great organ music from a huge organ, one of only a few in the country.

So, here's hoping you all have a safe New Year's eve as well as a great New Year.

Here is a photo of Nancy and I and our "professor" mentioned in the blog. Sorry for the out of focus photo but it is the best we had of the old man.

Christmas is over and we hope all had a very Merry Christmas and will have a happy and safe New Years celebration.

Not a lot going on here in Arizona. A bit cool at night but warms up nicely as soon as the sun comes up.

Today we took a ride on the Light Rail. It runs from Tempe all the way to the north west side of Phoenix, probably some 40 miles or so. It is propelled by two power units that are located between the three cars with a drivers position at both ends. When they get to the end of the line the driver pulls down the shades and goes to the other end for the trip back across town.

We rode to the end of the line, got off, had lunch and got back on and came back to where we started, got in the van and drove home.

They are planning on continuing it on to the east side of Mesa in the near future, so it will go a few miles farther to the east.

Shortly after we got on an old fellow got on with a back pack and an arm load of files and papers. Promptly sat down, cross legged, and proceeded to drop a bunch of papers on the floor. He picked them up and just stuffed them in a folder and proceeded to shuffle through all kinds of papers, all in disarray and shove them in somewhere else.


He proceeded to open up the backpack take out a set of headphones and hook them up to some device and seemed to talk into it as if making notes or something. He loosened his tie, rolled up his shirt sleeves and continued to shuffle papers from one place to another all the way to the ASU campus stop. He grabbed everything up and got off the train, and proceeded to roll down his sleeves, adjust his tie and pull up his pants and walk off.

We finally decided that maybe he was a Professor at the university. He appeared to be a very unorganized individual.

People were getting on with bicycles, baby carriages and all sorts of things. No one seemed to have a ticket and no one was checking for them, only the driver appeared to be an employee. People just seemed to come and go when ever it stopped.

An interesting day with quite a variety of individuals encountered.

It was cold again this morning. I do not know how cold as the sun was up early and shining on the sensor for the thermometer and it said something ridiculous like 87 degrees and you know that is wrong with all the snow on the ground.

We talked with the park manager and she said that I10 was closed in both directions until the afternoon due to the snow and ice buildup. You can only imagine the mess of traffic that was backed up in both directions.

We got away about 9:30 and headed west. I saw a gas price of $2.99/gal and I pulled in and filled up. That is the cheapest we had paid for the motorhome.


The rest of the drive was uneventful and boring as is most interstate travel generally is. One big truck after another and speeding cars trying to get ahead of everyone.

We did see an interesting thing however, last night as we were approaching Deming, NM we passed a relatively slow moving vehicle with its emergency lights flashing. It really was two vehicles, one towing the other. They both were Honda Elements and the front one had been hit in the left rear and the rear one had been hit in the left front and down the side. Both were probably totaled and someone bought them and will put a rear clip on the front one and make one good car out of them. We ask each other how long they were going to drive like that? Well, this morning when we pulled in to get gas, there they were, just as we had seem them, the night before, getting fuel. Apparently they stayed in Deming somewhere and were headed west and to a new home.

The photos are of the snow in Deming, NM and a mountain in western New Mexico.
The Arizona sign and a photo of the Texas Canyon between Wilcox and Tucson, AZ.

We are currently in Mesa, AZ and will be here for 5 or 6 weeks until we go to Quartzsite and on th Palm Springs, CA and then to Yuma.

It was cold this morning in Ft. Stockton, only 23 degrees and windy with just a skiff of snow on the ground. We got unhooked and on the road a little before nine and headed west on I10.

Shortly after we got on I10 and a few miles before it joins with I20 we came to a stand still in both lanes. We could see vehicles for miles just sitting and not moving. I turned on the CB radio and learned that a semi had spun out attempting to get up the grade (over the mountain) and was blocking both lanes. The amount of snow laying along the highway had been increasing and the pavement was wet and the bridges were beginning to get some slick spots, so driving was getting a bit dicey.

Before long a sand truck came along on the berm and up a ways he cut down over the side of the embankment and on to a frontage road and on up the hill to the next exit and came back and apparently they got the guy going again and things began to move, but only at a snails pace.

The sun had come out from under the clouds and was beginning to melt the snow and ice on the road. By the time we got closer to the hill the snow was much more evident and even after we got over the hill the traffic was moving at about 30mph for many miles and then things got back to normal. We only sat for about 45 minutes.

We stopped at Van Horn, TX for fuel and a Subway and then changed drivers and Evelyn drove about 90 miles to the next rest area while I took a quick nap or two. We changed drivers and headed for El Paso and took I10 through town rather than the Mountain Express, which we learned later had been closed by snow earlier in the day. Traffic was heavy but it moved pretty good without any big delays.

As we got near the west edge of town that the east bound traffic was backing up and finally stopped for some reason. Shortly after we got out of town we crossed into New Mexico and about 10 miles before Las Cruses there is an inspection station that is being refurbished and the right lane is closed for some road work as well. The traffic was backed up for 7 miles when we got in line and much farther back as we were in line for 1.5 hours before we finally got moving again. We finally made it to Deming, NM and the Dreamcatcher RV Park, our destination at 7:30. I had been behind the wheel for over 5 hours, not driving but just in the seat watching the semi in front of me.

The snow increased from the state line and it looks like there is 3 or 4 inches on the ground here.

I did hear on the CB that I10 had been closed this morning in New Mexico. Not sure just where but it could have been on most of the grades as there was still a lot of ice along the road and it appeared to have been plowed in some areas.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better, however it is 26 degrees as I write this. The sky was clear so maybe it will be sunny tomorrow and the roads clear.

Our photos are of some of the snow along the highway today. The antenna tower was most interesting as the frost was heaviest on the upper portion as you can see. The mountains were beautiful with the new fallen snow.

We are back on the road. We left the Lone Star Corral this morning where it has been cool and rainy for the last few days. Tonight, we are in Fort Stockton, TX and at 8pm the temperature on our outside thermometer says 30.7 degrees and it is not very warm inside either, so it will be early to bed with the bed warmer and electric blanket on.

The trip across US90 was fairly good with a fairly strong wind from the north. It kept your attention staying on your side of the road.

we turned north on US285 at Sanderson, TX which was a nice two lane road with very little traffic but a headwind that would hardly let you stay in overdrive at nearly full throttle. So I do not expect the fuel mileage to be real great.

Tomorrow it is off to ElPaso and points west on our way to Mesa, AZ.

The photo is the mascot at the Lone Star Corral

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all. I hope you all had a nice day an had a chance to thank God for all the blessings we enjoy here in the USA.

We have been enjoying our visit to the Lone Star Corral just west of Hondo, Texas. We have been here for nearly 3 weeks and will be here until the the 4th or 5th of December when we will head west to Mesa, AZ.

We have been resting, playing bridge, eating and enjoying the fellowship of others that are here. Lot owners are coming in every day to spend the winter here, away from the cold of their summer travels.

The park is about 80% full with owners and guests that are renting spaces that are available. There is always room for another, if even in the boon dock area with no facilities and only $5.00 per day, but they have full access to the facilities available to all members and guests.

The photos are of our parking space along the back of the park with a view of the club house. It has a nice concrete drive and a nice storage building. We do not have access to the building but do have use of the covered porch when needed.

Most all activities are held in the club house which is available 24 hours a day to anyone that needs it. The laundry is in the clubhouse with relatively new washers and driers.

We had nearly 100 members and guests for Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. The cost was $4.00 each which included Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing and cranberry sauce. Each table pitched in and brought all the other items as needed. An excellent meal for the price and great fellowship.

We have been enjoying some of the specials that the restaurants in Hondo offer on Tuesday afternoon. Places like Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen and others have specials for seniors. You can go to the senior Center and have a nice lunch for $3.00 each. So life is good and enjoyable with weather in the upper 70's and lower 80's.

We got away from New Braunfels about 10am and headed south on I35 toward San Antonio. Picked up Loop 1604 which circles the city about 10 miles out. West and then south to US90 and west to Hondo, TX.

We did some shopping at Walmart and headed about 7 miles west to the Lone Star Corral where we will stay for a month or so before heading on west to Phoenix and Palm Springs, CA.


The photos are of the entrance to the Lone Star Corral as well as some cotton ready to be picked up and taken to the gin to be processed. The field had already been cultivated and replanted with the next crop, probably winter wheat.

Things are very dry here and not all crops do well in these conditions.

Yesterday driving was a handful due to the wind. It was from the west and south and we were trying to go southwest and that goes for an exciting drive.

We covered a lot of miles and stopped south of Ft.Worth and as it was supposed to be windy today we decided to stay for two nights.

We are at the Whitney Lake VFW that had a fairly nice park. It is quite windy this afternoon and it is supposed to blow a lot for 3 or 4 hours tonight then clear off. Hopefully it will be nicer tomorrow and we can get on toward San Antonio.

We plan to be in Hondo, TX and the Lone Star RV park on Friday afternoon and settled for a month or so.

Our photos are from the drive through the Boston Mountains in Arkansas.

We did not get away from our park very early today. Just seemed to be a lot of little things to get done, but we finally got away before noon.

We first stopped at Walmart to get fuel. We saved $0.10/gal. by using the Walmart card for a cost of $3.08 per gallon. We wanted to fill up in Missouri as it is a bit higher in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

We are at Lakeside RV park near Sallisaw, OK. less than 200 miles from where we started this morning. Tomorrow we will get an earlier start and hopefully make a lot more miles toward our destination.

Our photos are of the Boston Mountains in Western Arkansas. They are quite picturesque this time of year with all of the changing colors and the rolling terrain.

The weather is warmer and we have had sunshine the last two days, so maybe it will stay nice and the wind down for the rest of our trip.

This is the office and our parking spot in Cuba, MO where we spent last night. They were really gearing up for Halloween with hay rides and all kinds of scary stuff.

We drove to Cuba after attending the hamfest near St. Louis. It was about a 70 mile drive. The hamfest was a bit discouraging as there were a lot of people but they kept their hands in their pockets. We sold several name badges but most were one and two line badges. Very few of the 3 line and those with emblems, etc. We about made expenses but not what we expected with an attendance that large.

We are currently in Carthage, MO where we have stayed several times, the Big Red Barn campground. The drive was quite windy and it was from the west and sometimes the southwest, Tomorrow we will be off toward Oklahoma and Texas and Hondo in the next few days.

As you know our plans are set in jello and sometimes they get changed around.

On Wednesday night we spent the night at the KOA west of Springfield. That evening I received a reply to an e-mail I had sent while we were in Illinois regarding a hamfest in Kirkwood, MO. Their website stated that all tables were sold out but I knew it was a fairly large hamfest and really wanted to go.

They said they had a table for us if we were interested. They knew we were in Springfield, many miles away. We decided to go back and attend anyway. We traveled back east to Cuba, MO for last night and tonight we are at the hamfest site in Kirkwood, MO and are all set up to go to work at 6:30am in the morning.
They have 100+ tables and are expecting 1000+ in attendance. We have backtracked 1 tank of fuel but we will make that back in a short time in the morning. Then, it will be back west toward our destination of Hondo, Texas.

We could not get the baseball game last night and was surprised to hear that St. Louis won in 11 innings. Being in a surburb of St. Louis we have a good picture and are enjoying the game.

We may go back to Cuba tomorrow afternoon for the night.

Our photos are of the fall colors along I44 in Missouri.

This morning it was off from the beautiful lake and back on US50. We traveled west toward St. Louis and the famous arch and I44.

The traffic in St. Louis was quite heavy and there were 3 highways to keep track of, all going basically different directions from the city. At one place the are 4 lanes that split, all going the same way and place. So it makes no difference if you take the two lanes to the left or two lanes to the right, they all come out the same place. A very strange situation, but the signs do say that all lanes (highways) go to the same place.

Some time after we left St. Louis the phone rang and it was our good friends Carol and Richard. They have been on a 3+ week vacation to the west coast and were on their way to Ozark, MO to eat at Lamberts restaurant, the home of 'throwed rolls'. They were to call us when they were ready to get back on the road and after some quick calculations we decided to meet at exit 88 on I44. We arrived first and found a TA travel plaza and gave them a call. They arrived a few minutes later and we had a nice visit with them. What a nice way to meet good friends way out in the middle of the country both going different directions.
They were on their way home and will be there tomorrow and we are just starting our winter journey to the southwest and warmer weather.

Tomorrow we will be off toward Oklahoma and more interesting country to see.

We are still on the lake. The winds came up during the night and have continued all day. There are white caps on the water and the wind has been gusting to 20-30mph all day. It is supposed to bring in rain tonight. We may stay another day depending on the rain as well as the wind.

Today we took a tour of Carlyle, a nice little town that seems geared to the lake and tourism.

We will see what happens in the morning. we may hit the road or we may stay another day. We are not in a big hurry so another day or two will not make a difference. Camping here is only $9.00 per day, so it is not that expensive and you have to eat wherever you are.

We have some more photos of our parking spot on the water as well as the colors and the rough water we have seen all day.

Maybe tomorrow we can get back on the road.

This was not necessarily a day of rest, but one for appreciating a beautiful day and a spectacular lake. The water is alive with fish. The shad were jumping all day almost everywhere you looked. The gulls were having a heyday feeding on all the fish.

The colors are really beautiful this time of year. There were several sail boats out today. I am sure there were a lot of them on the water over the weekend.


We enjoyed the day with a tour of the campground and the sun was out all day with a light breeze making for a very enjoyable afternoon.

Our photos are of the lake looking toward the dam, some beautiful colors and a shot toward the marina and all the sail boats.

It is off tomorrow for St.Louis and points west.