Mike celebrated his 64th birthday yesterday, he says he doesn't feel any older and decided he would try and quit smoking on his birthday, today he is having withdrawals other then that he is handling it very well.  I wish I could join him just not ready to quit but have cut down a lot. The rain has stopped and it is cloudy with the temp in the mid 60's today.  Talked with my sister yesterday Fran (in Tucson) and the weather there is in the high 90's.  I won't be complaining about the rain the cold or even the snow as this is much better then the heat.

We don't have water here in the park this weekend, that will be fun for all of the campers.  They are digging pipe to take water out of the lake for a golf course on the other side of the hills and broke a water main.  It has been fixed but the well ran dry while fixing it, takes about 2-3 days to fill the well and, Joe another ranger, says he won't be turning it on until it is full.  Thank goodness Mike had just filled our tank, I feel sorry for the campers as they have to get in there car and go to the day site area to use the bathrooms no showers, at least there won't be any bathroom clean up this weekend. Already our door bell has been ringing all morning as the campers want to know want to do.

I have a good tip for all campers, rv'ers and anyone who has a rig when backing into spaces
GET A WALKIE TALKIE, I have listened too many times in the last few days of the woman yelling at the husband when backing in.  I know it is hard to learn how to back the driver in, but with practice it can be done easily, the yelling should be constructive not mean!  Using a WALKIE TALKIE will let you and your partner only hear the instructions, also it is a very important safety feature as you will not have to stand where you might get injured.  So please get a divice that you two can communicate with, it will ease the stress of backing in and the help those around you.!   Mike and I have used a WALKIE talkie for years, when we had the boats and with all rigs we have owned, they are not that expensive and it does save the voice.

Until tomorrow WOW June is here!

Love Carol

This is what we see from our porch that is on the Camp Host site, the setup is great, we have a patio, there in the back of the RV left picture you can see our Ramada (every site is set up with a Ramada, grill and fire pit, the place is really clean. Doesn't look too hard to manager. We will have our first taste of the job starting tomorrow as the 38 sites are all reserved and will be full till Tuesday. There are several beaches and a boat dock just before you get too Juniper Lake, inside the park are about 6 campgrounds ours are the only one with full hook-ups,  to our knowledge there is one other Camp host and he and his wife are staying here year around. 

I love just sitting outside watching the river flow along with the bald eagles who are nesting right here on Michael's property, I will miss visiting them here in Ut. wish they weren't moving to Montana.  When we arrived there was still snow on the mountains and yesterday it snowed here in Avon where we are, it melted right away but it was nice to see knowing it would melt by mid morning.

We are leaving for our summer job at Rockport State Park Thursday morning and will take pictures there also updating the journal.

Meanwhile stay safe and out of the snow!

Love Carol

 

St Joseph Catholic church were Grandma and I went when I was there in the 60's

Thanks everyone for giving us a great time and Uncle Jerry for putting together at a last minute notice a wonderful feast! By the way out 14 kids, there is only 3 left and with only 2 of them at the party and there kids we made up around 30, I asked Jerry if everyone were still alive and we had a reunion how many would be there and he gave me the family tree and it comes to over 700, relatives. WOW would have loved to meet all of them, in our trips we are finding out were some cousins are living and trying to meet them. So if you are a member of this tree email me and tell me where you live, I try and visit you.

Now let me tell you about getting asked to leave the RV park there in Oil City, it all started with the signing in. The manager and I had talked on the phone for the reservations and I asked for 50 amps was told yes, then we get to the park and find out no 50 amps, then we are told that we will be charged $2. for every person that comes to the reunion, which they knew we were having, but did not mention this on the phone then on top of all of that we are to pay a mandatory $6 for the band that was coming in on Sat. that was the topper as I explained to the manager we were not going to attend but that didn't matter according to them this was a state law (ya right, when talking to another couple who came in they said they had been coming for years and only paid if they attended and now they had to pay they didn't like that either).  Anyway I was so upset I made the comment on the Trailer Life Directory about all of this and the mangers got the email about the comment and that is how we ended up leaving the day after we got there.

The moral and lesson learned was NEVER say anything until you leave the park!  If you need to stay in the area.

Ok,Ok, Carol has been harping on me to write a page on the journal, for about the last monthly. I guess that is long enough, anyhow I can't take it anymore. The pressure of this retirement is really tough. All the responsibilities that you have to live up to. Heck, at work, you could always find someone else to point the finger at. But here, well, don't go looking in a mirror, you just might find the person that is suppose to pick up the ball and carry it.

Let's see, where do I start. Ok, let's start in Nashville. If ya every get the itch to go there, plan on about 2 wks min. There is a lot to see and you are not going to get it done in 4 days, like I tried to do. Hey, I don't really care for much mud hole stomping music. All they do is blow out there nose, carry about 4 notes, just repeat them, and have no more that 12 words, that they repeat over and over again. Yuk. Now if you want to talk about the ballads, that is a whole different story.. Yep, Marty Robbins is my Hero. Now don't get all upset, Carol, drives me nuts by playing country music all day, and not at a low volume. She says she wants to feel the music, and not just hear it. Ahh Man, where is the hearing aid when ya need it.

Although, I must admit the Grand Ole Opry was great. There were some that didn't appeal to me in the music since, but man were they foxy. Hey, some of those southern girls are pretty nice. Leather vests and tight pants. WOW!
After saying all that, we got to figuring out that that show would have probably cost us somewhere around $1000.00 to see all the stars that we saw. Figure it out. Most tickets to a concert are around $100.00 and up for each person that you see, and we got to see a whole lot more. By the way, this is where, if they have a new song, that has not been put on a disk yet they will sing it at the show.

Now for something that I didn't know. The Grand Old Opry is the longest RADIO STATION running. Yep, it is a radio show. And they are still putting it on. If my memory serves me right it is on 650am dial in 28 states. They are on all the time and when they have a show at the Grand Old Opry they are broadcasting over the air. Yep, you get all the commercials and everything. The master of ceremonies is standing at a desk at one end of the stage do what a disk jockey does.
It really was kind of neat. Soooo, if ya would like to go to the Grand Old Opry in your living room, just dial in around 7 o'clock eastern time and you will here it live. Just like you where there. Well, almost, you have to use your imagination of seeing the performers.

After leaving Nashville, came up to Indiana. Man, is it pretty and nice and cool.
Been checking up on the weather in Tucson, and the 95+ and 100's you can keep. I really don't really remember what it feels like, I just know that I didn't like it. Right now I am outside under the awning typing in 65 to 70 degrees and a clear blue sky. Love it.

Plan on leaving in 4 days and go to Oil City, Penn. Now for us that is a long way, so I figure we will spend one night on the road. Carol, only likes to travel about 3 to 4 hours a day, and it is about 6 to 8 hrs to Oil City. That is not counting all the rest stops, turn outs to see what is there and any other thing that might come up. Like a cup of coffee around every thirty min. Carol can't go by a Wal-Mart and I can't seem to get by the truck stops, I just know that there is coffee there, and I want some. That is the main reason for the rest stops. What goes in has got to come out, or bust a gut trying to hold it in.
Hey until the next time

Mike
 

Driving to Nashville we stopped at Huntsville Space Museum, in Alabama here you can see where we parked under the sign

Huntsville is where they make the Saturn missile and was the place that Apollo 16

was built. Here is the actual capsule that went into space.

We then headed to Nashville where we had a whirlwind 4 days. Staying about 20 min. from Nashville was the County RV which is a passport America park. (sorry did not take pictures too busy sight seeing)  First stop The Grand Ole Opry and Hotel.

We went to Music Circle to get our tickets and while there we toured Ernest Tubbs Record shop, bought some great old country music CD's and Mike found a guy who knew where he might purchase sheet music. Got the tickets and returned back to the coach. 

We left for the show at about 5:30 PM show started at 7 and boy where we glad we did, the parking lot was full and there were buses and buses leaving people off, everyone had there ticket so there was no waiting to get inside. And if there was it would have been worth it.  Terri Clark, sang a new song "Dirty Gal" the stars sing there new songs here at the Opry before they come out, so we were among the first to hear it. It's not bad.

the next day we went to find Mike his sheet music this took us into another section of Nashville, the freeways here are great and easy too find your way around the town.  I did not know that this town was so large. It is spread out and the green hills are a wonderful site.  Getting back to my story, the Old Music store did not sell sheet music however they did sell new and used guitars, so Mike found a guitar that he wanted and out we walked with his 3rd guitar.  I have yet too hear him play but with the kind of guitars he now has he should be able to play any kind of music. This particular guitar was owned by a famous player Jim Pass (I haven't heard of him but others when we motion his name have) anyway it was made especially for him and is a epiphone guitar. Joe Pass has since passed away and now Mike has his guitar. This makes me happy as now I do not have to look for a birthday gift for him.
 
The guitar below is the one he practices with most, it is called the Traveler.

The next day we went to Music Venue where all of the musicians have been one time or other, this is where the Honky Tonks are, and where stars like Willie Nelson, Tammy Waynett, Charlie Daniels and others got there start. We also went to the Charlie Daniels Museum and shop. Wow want a display, of course I just had to buy his CD

Here is the story behind this picturethis stadium is right across the street from the Stage in above picture, as we were walking I asked Mike what are the Titans, his reply was they are an Ice Hockey team.  We went into the stadium museum and looked around, seeing all of the Titans t-shirts etc., when we left we happened upon a couple whom we meet at the Opry show, asking them if they had been to the stadium, and they replied of course the Tennessee Titans the home town Football team.  It then hit me of course I had heard of the Titans and I looked at Mike and he said I am not into football, I guess not so if you are a Titan fan I apologize for calling them a hockey team.

The rolling hills of Tennessee will be something I will not forget, here is a place I would love to spend more time.  Maybe the next time we come this way we will be able to stay longer.

We finished the 4 days and are now in Batesville Indiana, the drive here was rough, lots of concrete roads but once you are over them the scenery is all green and again with trees.

Until tomorrow may the wind be at the back of your coach and may your drive be smooth