June 25th to July 1 ~~ Finishing Project & Relaxing

This is a beginning of a busy week, but come next week it is going to be a relaxing one for Dan and I....

June 25th      Monday

I have to say that when I got up this morning, I felt so good, no pain in knees and back, I felt like a new  person.  I knew that it isn't going to last long when Dan said that we have the day planned and it is working on that rock garden. I am not looking forward to it. Just get er done..    I am not going to emphasize on the rest of the day, we both were tired, sore.  It was a long day and I am not a good laborer..

June 26th      Tuesday

Up early again and had to be in Marquette at the Hospital at 8 am for  testing.. I had a stress test and also ultrasound of my heart.. Dr. said I have not had this done for many years and it is time to have it done at this age.  Went grocery shopping and came home as I was really tired... While I was gone Dan finished the Rock Garden... It sure looks really nice and we both said NO MORE ROCKS... it was is to hard on our bodies... Made dinner and we both kicked back again.....  WOW.. What a day...

June 27th     Wednesday
Up early again, did laundry, and planned what I was going to make for meals and what I needed to get last minute groceries. I had some e-mails to answer and return some phone calls. Dan was busy repairing the trailer.  Fixed that one trailer brake that broke on the way home from WY.

June 28th     Thursday

It was a nice morning,  up early and I went to Marquette with Dan as I had to go and have some blood work and Dan needed a haircut.  It was a nice ride in town,

(50 minutes one way) Dan dropped me off at the hospital and then he went to the barbershop.  I was taken right away and then I went down to the coffee shop and had a muffin and some coffee while I sat and read my kindle. Dan had to wait and he called me when he was on the way to pick me up).  Then we went to GFS,(a food service) picked up some items, then went to Perkins for lunch, and then to the grocery store, one last time to pick up last minute items I forgot yesterday. I can not believe how much money one spends when they plan to go camping with a group.  I just have to know that I have enough food to share.  When we got back home, I had to put the A/C on and we vacuumed and dusted.. Had a light dinner and kicked back and relaxed. The temps got into the high 80's and it was sort of humid.. 

June 29th     Friday   COMPANY COMING

Today our friends Ralph and Barb from Valparaiso, IN, came in for the week of the 4th...  Dan is out cutting the grass and I have a few things to finish yet... They arrived about  1 pm, and the dogs had just a blast running around and searching out all the new scents that they found.  I had pizza's for lunch and we sat and visited and catching up with what we both have been doing since we left Texas.   We had a late dinner and  sat by a campfire and before we knew it was getting dark and it was 10 pm..  It was time to say good nite and see ya in the morning....It is amazing how fast the time goes by when you are just relaxing.  

June 30th     Saturday

It was a nice morning and made coffee and got started with Breakfast.  I looked out the window and it seemed strange to seeing a big black Shepard walking around.  Blackjack is a beautiful dog and very well trained in many fields.  He is a therapy dog, search and rescue, and recently have been approached to be trained for Homeland Security.
Herbie gets along with him, maybe he just tolerates him.. Blackjack wants to play with him and Herbie just gives him that "What do you want?" look.. 

Well after breakfast, Dan and Ralph went to Escanaba, to the RV store. He bought us a and Barb and I went to a art show in Munising on the bay.  I just bought 2 pairs of earrings and then on the way home we stopped and bought Pasties for lunch..  They were very good and Ralph and Barb enjoyed them for the first time having them.

Ralph made his own homemade salsa.  Oh my gosh it is good..

Shortly after Jim and Lou DeVoe arrived and they got all settled and hooked up and we had gathered on our porch and had lemonade and visited.

We had lasagna for dinner and before you know it was time to say good night again.

July 1st        Sunday  ~~ Tourist Park, Munising, Mi ~~

Up early again, Barb brought over 2 quiches and I had watermelon and toast and we had a nice breakfast, I called the campground to see if by chance Ralph and Barb could move closer to us.  Good thing I called, they got a nice site in our section with a nice yard for the dogs...  Packed up and we left around 11:30 for Munising.  We all got settled in and then  I had to go back home as I forgot my medicine, Herbies leash and food and water dish. Barb drove me home.  Got back and sat out and enjoyed the sun and the beautiful lake.  It was not choppy, no wind and everyone was enjoying the day.

We grilled hot dogs and I had left over salad and homemade baked beans and we all ate at our camp and then had a campfire.  What a nice sunset.  It was another exhausting day for me...I was tired and so I said "Good Nite" see ya in the morning.

June 18th - June 24th 2012 ~~Heading Home~~

June 18th    Monday

1st full day at Beaver Lake Campground, Custer,SD... Up early, it is still MST, and it is a killer.. The Doggett's were coming over at 10 am and we were going to go driving through the park and site seeing. We drove the Needles Highway and it was so narrow going through the 1st tunnel.. we made it though..  Just beautiful scenery.

We did see some buffalo's and a donkey and of course a few antelope and deer.  We drove up to Keystone and had lunch at a Pizza Deli...Came back to Custer and sat outside and then later we grilled steaks and had salad and baked potato and homemade rhubarb torte for dessert.  After they left, I quick did the dishes and Dan took Herbie out for his evening walk, and I got ready for bed.  It was a long day.....

June 18th    Tuesday

Up early again, and had breakfast.  Dan had to go up to our friend Tom and Gerry Weber and repair a propane line that he had ruined when he had a flat tire on his 5th wheel on the way from Gillette to Custer on Sunday.. It took him about 3 hours and he was back and showered and we were on our way.  Went through the park again and then went to see Crazy Horse Memorial.  Not much was done since the last time we were there 2 years ago.. 

On the way back we went on the wildlife loop and we seen so many animals.  We were really fortunate to see all these animals.. Herds and herds of buffalo, Rams, antelope, prongs, wild turkey's, and donkey's.  What a riot we had with the donkey's. When we left in the morning I took a 3# bag of carrots.  Oh they seen we had carrots and they all came running.  We had our windows open and we all had carrots and they had their heads in the windows begging for more..  Alot of the animals had alot of babies with them and they were just so precious. 

We got back to the trailer and had a happy hour and then we went out to dinner at the Cowboy Cafe...I had liver and onions and the rest had country fried steak.  They had a nice gift shop also.  After dinner Dan and I got back to the trailer and started putting things away so we could leave early in the morning. Then the rains started and it rained and thundered all through the night.

June 19th    Wednesday

Awake at 5:30 and up at 6 PM.. I made a cup of Ginger Peach Tea and watched the sun rise.  It was cold out 49 degrees.. Dan made the coffee and took Herbie out and I got cleaned up and dressed.  We had made plans last night to meet The Doggett's at The Cowboy Cafe for breakfast at 8AM.. We thought that it would be easier to hook up and just leave from Custer restaurant.  We had a nice breakfast and then said our Thank You's and Good byes, and see ya in Texas..  They were behind us when we pulled out and we took Hwy 16a to hwy 36 to hwy 79 to I-90.  Pat called us and said that we had to pull over that something was dragging under our 5th wheel, so Dan found a place to pull over and went and looked and seen that our caliper bracket bolts and a weld broke and the caliper spun around a broke a brake line off.  We stopped at a rest area before Wall, SD and he took the wheel off and removed the broken parts and we drove to Chamberlain with no trailer brakes.  Once we got unhooked we went to Chamberlain NAPA store and he got some parts that he needed to temporally repair it until we get home.. Now we have 3 trailer brakes working at least.  It is a blessing that Daniel knows so much about mechanics and can do his own repairs.

After repairs were done we went across the street and had dinner and came home and relaxed...

June 20th    Thursday

We left Oasis Campground, Chamberlain SD around 8:30 AM.. Weather was a tad chilly and we had our jackets on for a shot while. We decided that we would stay at Albert Lea or Austin Minnesota, well I punch in LaCrosse Wisc, just to see what time we would get there..  Well then we decided that we would go into Wisconsin. We arrive in LaCrosse at 4:15 PM..  There were lots of State troopers in So. Dak and all across, Minnesota..  The corn crops were well over knee hi and the fields were oh so green. Weather was beautiful, not hot and a slight wind.  Not much traffic either, but in Minnesota I-90, the roads were really Ruff.  We chose Pettibone Rv Resort on the Mississippi River.  We have never been here and what a mistake.  It is going on our list of "Not Going Back".. It is a nice looking and kept up park, no sewer sites, Cable is available, but not guaranteed to work and does not work, 30 AMP electric and it is in a flood zone and luckily it is dry.  With our Good Sam discount our bill was 35.00 plus change.  Made leftover's for dinner and made reservations for tomorrow night at Riverside County Park in Menominee, MI.. That is one of our favorite parks and we are about 2 1/2 hours from home.. We need to get home and wash the truck and trailer. In the Black Hills we drove in rain for about 50+ miles.. It is so so dirty..

June  21st   Friday

Up at 5:15 am and sun is shining in the bedroom window.  There is "The Bass Master's Classic" fishing tournament and the boats, all 98 of them are running the river to get their fishing spot.
Stopped in Green Bay at Farm Fleet and picked up a few things. Then headed north to Michigan.

 River Park County Campground, Menominne Michigan

Marinette Marine, on Menominne River

Had a nice ride to Menominne, MI, where we are spending the night at RiverPark, a city park..  We arrived around 3 PM  and then went into Marinette and did some shopping and then went for Chinese food and now, we are chilling out..

June 22nd   Saturday

Arrived home around 12 noon.. "HOME SWEET HOME"  As we pulled in the yard we seen that they grass needed cutting.  We got the camper parked and Herbie hopped out and went a sniffing, Looking to see who was  in his yard.  I was surprised to see my flowers that are blooming. My peonies had bloomed and died already... I missed them..  I went and checked on Mrs. Robin who built her nest on the electrical box.. Well, it looked like she had an empty nest. I then walked on the side of the house and there was a baby that got out of the nest and was hopping around.  I didn't know what to do, so I went in the house and looked out the window and seen MOM by her and she was feeding it and she gave it a nudge here and there..

 I went and watered a few places and then I helped Dan bring in stuff from the trailer.  Lots of Laundry...Dan changed his clothes and went out mowing.  It took him about 3 hours... Yes, we have alot that we cut.  It sure looks pretty when it is done.  I started laundry, and did a few things.  We just have to re-pack the trailer as we are going to go to Camping with our friends, Jim and Lou from Tomah and Ralph and Barb from Valparaiso, IN at Munising Tourist Park on Lake Superior.  Munising has the best 4th of July celebration and fireworks that I have ever seen....  Everyone come home to Munising for the 4th of July. We had a very simple supper and then We hit our chairs to relax and unwind....

June 23rd   Sunday

Good Morning, Happy to be home, I made breakfast for Ron and Eileen and Dan and I this morning..We made Jim DeVoes homemade healthy waffles and sausage.. Yummy, We bought a new waffle iron on our trip and it works great.. Herbie and Molly were so excited to see each other.. After they left, Dan went out and had to cut a tree down.  He hates to cut trees, but this one was getting pretty bad and it was by a garden.  Then we went out and moved some rocks to re- do a garden..    Weather is sunny and warm, it had rained last night and that was good for the flowers. 

It is going to be a busy week for us, getting things ready for our friends to come.