FINALLY, MY FOUNTAIN IS ALL SET UP

Since I bought my fountain, I have been bothered by the fact that the water that is spilling from section to section, splashes a little onto the concrete on either side of the fountain, depending on the direction of the wind.  

Last year I tried putting a mat under it, but that didn't help.  

So this year I have put a couple of planters on either side, that can benefit from that over spray.  I think it looks nice and I'm hoping it will solve the problem of the occasional splashing.  



WE'LL SEE  

 

COOL AND RAINY

Well, we are getting settled back in, here in Texas.  A few Winter Texans are trickling into the park, here and there.  The weather this week is cool and rainy so we are not spending much time out on the patio.  Today's high is only going to be around 63 degrees, which is 16/17.  

Just keeping busy with some maintenance chores.   We have tidied up Dwight's trailer, after our trip down and we have removed all our personal belongings.  It's all ready for him when he arrives.  

I have got my patio pretty well all set up the way I like it.  The only thing I haven't set up is my fountain.  I want some plants on either side of it this year and haven't decided what to use to put some plantings in.  I'm still looking for the right containers.  

I'M SURE I'LL FIND SOMETHING NEXT WEEK

MY HOW TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN

It's hard for us to believe, that the first time we crossed the boarder and headed south with our brand new trailer in tow was December of 2008. 

That first year we went straight down to Texas, (the fastest way to get to the warmth from Manitoba), then we headed east, through New Orleans and on to Florida and the Keys, then meandered our way up the East coast, through Ohio then home. 

2009 it was straight down to Texas again, then we followed the Rio Grand out west and on to San Diego, we did the California coast, the Grand Canyon, then home. 

2010 was supposed to be down to Texas then further travels down east, but we sure were becoming rather partial to Texas.  So many Manitobans, everywhere you looked.  It kinda made you feel at home.  And Texas was so much cheaper than anywhere else we had travelled.  We ended up buying a permanent lot for our trailer, with the idea that we would still travel every winter, but Texas would be our home base. 

Well!!!  We have been "Doing" Texas ever since.  Even buying a bigger trailer in 2013 and permanently settling that, onto our lot. 

Now Dan's brother has bought our smaller trailer to settle it next to ours so that all of us and our kids and extended families can have a place where we can all meet up for a winter get away.  

Sort of a "Thacker Compound"  if you will.  

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR  ADVENTURES ARE GOING TO LEAD YOU 

WHY DOES OUR TECHNOLOGY ALWAYS NEED UPGRADING?

I hate the learning curve.  Every time I get really comfortable with my computer system, and don't even have to think about it, to accomplish a job, my computer system gets updated.  GRRRR....

As we left Winnipeg I started to have a slight problem with my computer.  The first night in Grand Forks, I couldn't get onto facebook.  But, I wasn't worried about that.  I didn't really NEED facebook, I would deal with that when we arrived in Texas.  Well, things deteriorated from there.  The next thing to go was my email and by the time we got here, my computer would not do anything I tried.   

So into the shop it went.  Now I have a cleaned out computer with new software that I have never seen before.  As I muddle through, it is taking forever to do anything that would have taken me a couple of minutes last week.  I can understand them changing and upgrading the software, as I guess things have to improve and evolve, but why do they also have to change the terminology.  

I finally figure out how to do something that is kind of familiar, but they are calling it  something completely different now.  

So, I hope anyone that normally reads this blog, will be patient as I muddle along through this learning curve.  I don't even know how to retrieve my pictures with this software.  I'm sure it is similar, I just have to figure out what they now call it and where they have hidden it.  




WISH ME LUCK

FINALLY SOME NICE PARKS

Our first two nights out did not turn out as planned, but things have been looking up since then. 

 

We left Sioux Falls at 9:00 am and pulled into Clinton State Park, just outside of Lawrence Kansas at around 4:30 pm.  Clinton State Park is a lovely park, just 3 or 4 miles off of the Turnpike through Kansas. 

 

 

We had a very uneventful drive, which is what you want when you are hauling a trailer over long distances.  And arrived at a roomy, clean and well equipped site. 

 

 

The site was large and natural and had a combination Fire Pit/Bar-B-Q.  Plus two picnic tables. 

It rained overnight and was still raining a little as we pulled out of this very pretty park this morning. 

 

 

But the sun soon came out and we journeyed on to our favourite park, Clear Bay Lake Thunderbird State Park in Norman, Oklahoma.

 

This is our most favourite campground, we have ever stayed in, in all our camping travels.  A toss up might be "Boyd's Campground" in the Florida Keys.  But this one still wins out for us. 

 

 

Every campsite has the mandatory fire pit, which all campers love, but you don't get in Florida. 

 

 

Every site also has a free standing Bar-B-Q built into it's own  concrete pad. 

 

 

Plus every site has a complete concrete picnic table on it's own concrete pad. 

 

 

 

And to top it all off, every site also comes with a pole to hang your Coleman lantern at two different levels. 

 

 

All of this comes on a completely level concrete pad for your trailer or motor home. 

 

 

Plus you get to enjoy the scenic views of the lake, the wilderness, deer and wild turkeys first thing in the morning. 

 

 

We love this park so much, we are going to stay over an extra night before moving on Saturday. 




NEXT STOP MCKINNEY FALLS IN AUSTIN TEXAS



 

 

 

 

 

WE'RE OFF, BUT NOT VERY FAR

Because we have planned our first nights stop just 75 miles over the border in Grand Forks. we got off to a late start today.  We heard of this relatively new RV Park just across the Red River in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, that we want to check out.  But, this is a town that is so close to home that we have always been reluctant to stop because we have just gotten started, or on the way home we are so close to home we are always anxious to get home and unpack. 

 

Apparently after their devastating flood of 1997 an area of flooded homes along the Red River flood plain, were deemed not viable to rebuild as they would always be subject to flooding.  The town expropriated them and tore them down, leaving all the mature trees and plantings, the infrastructure of streets and lighting, etc.  etc. and turned the area into an RV park.  We have certainly always wanted to check this out.  

After all these years of talking about it we are taking the time to do this and stay over night and see the rebuild of the devastated Downtown of Grand Forks that we saw being so decimated on TV as it was happening. So this was our opportunity to do this.  We finally found it, low on gas and glad to be off the road for the day. 

Well, as Robert Burns said, (and I paraphrase) "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."  We arrived at that park and it turned out that it "Closed for the Season", the day before we arrived.  ggrrr.  

It was a very nice looking park, and I would certainly recommend it it everyone.  And the lady park ranger we dealt with went out of her way to call a privately run campground and told them to hold a spot and gave us directions. 

 

So Dan added gas and off we went to a crappy  private ownership campground that charged us $33.00 for the night. 

 

 Next stop Sioux Falls.  According to the map there is a State Park symbol with the tent symbol right in Sioux Falls, we'll head for that one.   

 

 

There's the Falls, where's the campground?  Well it turned out that this State Park has no campground.  Just great scenery. 

 

 

We asked around and someone gave us directions to a KOA, "Back the way we came." So, off we went to the KOA, only to find that it too, was "Closed for the season." 

 

We expect this kind of thing when we don't travel south until November or December, but here we are in 70 degree weatheer and we are running into "Closed for the Season".  As we sat in the parking lot debating what to do, a fellow pulled in and gave us directions to a nearby "Yogi Bear, Jellystone Park, just 3 or 4 miles up the road."  So, here we go again. 

  

 

This one turned out to be, not only open, but very nice as well.   With lovely campsites and beautiful views.  Much better than that dump we stayed in last night. 

 

 

Well, we are settled in and relaxing, and lets face it how many of us have been to Sioux Falls and never even seen the falls?  Well now we can say "We have", but I wouldn't recommend hauling a trailer down those winding roads, to get there. 

 

 

Tomorrow we are off to Clinton State Park near Lawrence Kansas.  If we ever do find that elusive State Park that is open, we will stay an extra day.




 

WELL, AT LEAST WE ARE ON OUR WAY

 

 

 

 

WINED AND DINED BY OUR FAMILY

This past week we have eaten very, very well, as we are saying our farewells for the Winter.      

 

                                      

It's always nice to get together with family. 

 

 

We went to Tracy Elizabeth and Gary's on Monday for a beautiful turkey dinner with all the trimmings. 

 

 

Their house is really coming along. 

 

  

Then on Thursday, Murray and Wendy invited us out for Chinese Food. 

 

 

They are in the process of selling their house, so their agent was having a showing.  Thanks for the photos Murray. 

 

 

 

We are all ready to go and just dragging our feet and killing time until we had our Flu Shots this morning.  Then I'm cooking my turkey.  Cleaning out my fridge and leaving Monday morning.