THE TRIP SOUTH NOV. 2008

Morning came early on Tuesday, Nov. 11. We had spent the night at the Flying J Truck Stop at Wytheville, VA. It was a very chilly night, around 30 degrees. The sun was coming up a rosy pink in the eastern sky.

This was taken just outside of Chattanooga, TN. As you can see, the foliage was gorgeous. We enjoyed traveling through the hills of Tennessee.





We spent Tuesday night at Harrison Bay State Park just north of Chattenooga. There was only one loop open in the campground with about 15 rvs present.

We stretched our legs with a walk along the reservoir. That's Bill ahead of me. It must be a large body of water as there were 4 huge covered docks on the opposite side and very large boats moored there.

We found a site where we could pull in and spend the night. Didn't bother to unhitch as we had another long day ahead of us tomorrow. We had a nice chat with the park ranger. He too is interested in fulltiming for a couple of years with his wife. They are a young couple and originally from Oregon.

We spent Wednesday night in a Flying J truck stop in Alabama just south of Mongomery. The way we figure, if we stay at a Flying J we don't have to pay for a campsite, therefore saving money. With the money we save, we treat ourselves to the buffet at the Flying J. Win-win situation. We get a great meal and I don't have to cook!!



We arrived at American Home Base, where we will set up our mail forwarding address in Pensacola, FL around 10:30 am on Thursday. From there we went to Drifters RV park and set up "camp". After lunch we got our Florida drivers licenses and Friday we will get the vehicles transfered to Florida plates.

Friday afternoon, our work all completed, we went to the beach!What beautiful white sand beaches they have in Pensacola, and I suppose, most of the northern gulf coasts. What a glorious day. We spent an hour or so walking on the beach before heading back to the RV and preparing to travel to Melbourne tomorrow.





We left Pensacola on Saturday morning and spent the night at the Flying J just south of St Augustine, FL on the Atlantic coast.

We arrived at Bill's moms around 10 am. Sunday morning. Bill's brother Jim came over to help park the RV in the back yard. As you can see, there's not much clearance, about 8" on both sides. It is rather difficult to back a 39' RV in a straight line that far, sooo.....

Down came the fence! That's Laura, Jim's wife, and Bill working on the fence with Jim supervising! We were VERY glad to have them there to help out. Thanks, Jim and Laura. Bill's niece, Katie was also there, but not in the picture. It took a lot of "eyes" to make sure the RV wasn't going to hit anything.

Here we are, all set up in the back yard. We put the fence back up and now can let the dog out in the yard and not have to worry about her straying away.

"Home is where we park it" and for the next few months it will be in Melbourne, FL. Love the sunshine. Haven't seen rain since Maryland.

Fort Meade Maryland Nov 7-10

We left Meadville for the last time at 7 am and after driving east across Pennsylvania arrived at Fort Meade, Maryland campground around 2:30 pm. It is a very pretty campground with immaculate facilities. That's Bill and Ceilidh on the leff and Emma on the right,

The trees are still changing colors here and we had a very pretty site to enjoy for the next few days.

Emma enjoyed creating pictures and projects with the construction paper and glitter markers we had brought for her.

She kept busy most of Saturday morning.

Emma wanted salmon patties for lunch and was eager to help make them. Actually, she did most of it herself including breaking the eggs, mixing in the bread crumbs, and finally making the patties. We also had noodles and green beans for lunch.

After lunch we went to Emma's football game to watch her cheer for the Fort Meade Cougars 70 pound and under football team. Emma is in the front row, second from the left. These little girls, ages 7-9, do a remarkedly good job of cheerleading!




Sunday morning found us taking a walk around the lake located across the road from the campground. As you can see, the folage was beautiful. That's Bill and Emma on a deck at the side of the lake.

We found this huge tree on the other side of the lake. You can see how big it is with Emma and Barb standing in front of it.

Back at Billy and Beth's we went to the playground that is only about 100 yards from their back door That's Donavin being held by his dad with Emma in the background.

Donavin at the playground. This evening Beth and Billy fixed a delicious pork chop and scalloped potato dinner for us. Thank you!
We had a great weekend.

We left Fort Meade on Monday, Nov. 10. This picture was taken on the beltway around Washington, DC. I'm not sure what the building is but it was an impressive site.

We took this picture at a rest area in Virginia on our way to Front Royal where we caught I-81 South drove down the west side of the Shenandoah National Park. We spent the night in a Flying J truck stop in Wytheville, VA. Since we didn't have to pay for a campsite, we treated ourself to the buffet at the Flying J restaurant. Yummm and I didn't have to cook!

SAYING GOODBYE

Saying goodbye - sometimes you don't realize how many good friends you have until it comes time to say goodbye to them. We have been blessed with many good friends both through the hospital where we worked and camping buddies.

This is one of Bill's friends from the Facility Engineering Department (fancy title for maintenance). Bill used to call John "Dad" and John called Bill "Billy Trump". He's a great guy and good friend. Bill enjoyed working with him.

This is MY friend Barb sitting on Bill's lap. Guess she is Bill's friend too!! I met Barb through volunteering in the hospital Gift and Coffee Shop. She is so much fun to work with. I will never forget the time she was making a chocolate milkshake and the cup came off the milkshake machine - chocolate shake ALL OVER! The wall, the mirror, the floor, Barb's hair, etc. etc.. HaHa! What a sweetheart, I will miss her......

This is George and Reveta. Reveta is the Coffee Shop manager and a great friend. I have really enjoyed volunteering for her. She is one of the most caring, loving, giving people I have ever known. I love you, Reveta! George, her husband, would come in every day for lunch. We had to work hard to keep his coffee cup filled! George always had a smile and always had a joke to tell you. If he couldn't make you laugh, no one could.

Some of our favorite customers, Rich, wife Jan (works at the hospital) and Greg. Rich and Greg are mailmen and stopped for lunch almost every day. We always had a maple frosted cinnamon role and coffee ready for Greg. "Hi guys, wish you were here!!"

This is (was) the Thursday and Friday morning crew, Barb K., Viv, our cook, and me. Viv and I always worked the crossword puzzle in the newspaper together. What great fun we had!!

The Praisner's, Gary, Pat, and Troy. Gary worked with Bill, Pat worked at the hospital for awhile, now has her own office and does transcription. Troy, their son, is now taller than both of them. He was just a little tike when we first met about 11-12 years ago. We always spent New Year's Eve together and "pigged out". They had us over for a delicious steak dinner before we left. Thank you, Pat. We'll have to came back to PA for another one someday...

This is Pat's mom, Mabel. She lives with them. Several years ago when Bill's grandmother died at age 101, we gave Mabel a box of quilt squares and material, knowing she like to quilt, This wonderful lady took the squares that Bill's grandmother had made and quilted them into a pillow sham and a beautiful quilt wall hanging and gave them to us for Christmas one year. It brought tears to our eyes. Thanks you, Mabel.



This is a picture of the stream and bridge going to our vet's office. Ceilidh got a lot of shots here. One day I had walked her to the vets. She was having a good old time until we came to the bridge. She stopped dead in her tracks, knowing what was coming! Goodbye, Dr Hopkins. We been friends since the mid 60's and he's treated a lot of our cats and dogs over the years. Thank you for taking care of all my furbabies!

Our camping friends, Nellie and Gerard Bekker, came down from Ontario and we met at the Mill Creek Mall in Erie on Saturday, Nov. 1, a few days before we left. We had a great time visiting, walking around the mall and finally having dinner at the Old Country Buffet. Hopefully we can meet them in Florida in January when they come down. They are so much fun and have become good friends.



I met my good friend, Linda, on Tuesday, Nov 4 for one last visit. We have been friends since 1st grade in a 2 room schoolhouse. We took a walk on the Ernst Trail in Meadville which meanders along French Creek. We sat on a bench here and had one last chat. Later we had lunch before going on to the notary public.

Linda is married to a farmer and their farm is back a long lane on a dirt road. She seemed to get stuck in the snow a lot, so when we left she became the new owner of our Ford Ranger! What a dear friend she is and I've invited her to Florida to spend some time with us this winter. Hope she comes!!

Finally, the day has arrived, Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. Hitching up in the early morning light, ready to "hit the road" for good!!

Goodbye friends, goodbye Meadville, goodbye SNOW! See ya all down the road.......

We're ready for whatever lies around the next bend.

S O L D ! !

Oct 24, 2008 - SOLD!! This is the first property Barb's parents ever owned, buying it in 1943. Her grandparents lived here in the 1950-90s, then her Uncle Bob until he died in 1998. The house was left back to Barb's mom and she lived here until her death in 2004. Barb moved back to the first house she ever lived in in Aug, 2004 until we finally sold it this October to pursue our dream of living in an RV and seeing the "good, old USA"!! Barb leaves a lot of good memories here.

Saying goodbye to our good friend and neighbor, Norm Gibbons. Norm's grandfather build our house back in the 1930s. Barb used to play with Norm and his sisters when she would visit her grandparents in the summer. While we lived here, Bill and Norm became good friends, always willing and eager to help each other with some project they were working on. Ceilidh loved going over to visit Norm.

Hitched up and ready to go.

Finally on the road! I was following Bill down the Franklin Pike and thought I'd snap a quick picture of our new home. Bill took the RV and got it weighed (20540 #) before we headed out to Lisa's to park until all the papers were signed and Bill turned in his 2 week notice at work.

Lisa and Kevin live back a 900' lane. This was to be "home" for several weeks before we really "hit the road".

Kevin had a full hookup ready when we got there. This will probably be the quietest place we will camp for a long while.

Our first visitors, taken out the back window of the living room.

That's Kevin mowing the field.