Family visits

Well, we are still in Texas having a grand time.  Soooooo, busy, lots todoin the park. Nice to have friends (neighbors) to visit with.

Craig and I are wrapped up in trying to get a retirement income.  He is now 60 so we can work on income investment dollars.  But moving things from a 401k to an IRA has proved to be a Hugh headache.  We are told that when you leave your job and 401k to move the dollars then.  Lose the bureaucratic of the company.  I don't know what that means but nothing is simple.

Our biggest money-eater-upper has been Medical expense.  Craig's medical. But now the VA has decided to care for him.  We had no idea when he walked out of his work, 3 years ago, that he had VA benefits that would become this important.  If you are a veteran please investigate what you may have earned.

Craig's brother and wife came to visit, what a nice time.  Maybe they will escape the cold of South Dakota and winter down here when they stop working.  Craig's uncle and aunt have winter here for the pass 22 years, they are the reason we can to the valley in the first place.

Uncle Dean, Ann, Chuck, Cyndy and I enjoyeda great dinner.  Craig made a roast.


I think Chuck and Uncle Dean look a lot alike.  They even have the same mannerism.


Dean enjoys grapefruit, so he and Chuck picked grapefruit from our tree.

Not sure what our summer trip will be.  Remember last summer we where in the mountains of Colorado.

Would have pictures today if the blogger program would work!!!!!

Can I remember how to do this

Well, the Louisiana house is in the rear view mirror and Craig and I are both in the Mission, TX house, well trailer.

I drove the Condo (motor home) and pulled a 12 foot long enclosed cargo trailer, with Craig's precious 4 wheeler inside.  Ran into a severe thunder storm in Houston (imagine that) with weekend Christmas traffic.  A real thriller.  Got dark and ten lanes of red tail lights in downtown Houston at the hwy 59 and 610 split.  Well, I thought I needed to be 3 lanes over to the left.  Remember it is just me no other set of eyes to navigate.  Soooooo, I just began to move to the left.  A silly car just stopped right at my driver side (nothing in front of him he could pull forward).  I thought he just was wanting to be hit.  Guess being hit is one thing but being smashed (by a 40 foot moving barn) is not so good, because he pulled forward, thank you very much. It feels good to be big.  All three lane made room and I made it to 59 South.  Two and 1/2 days and I drove 700 miles.  Not very speedy by safe and sound.

So many people here in Hidden Valley are amazed that a woman would and could drive the motor home, all by herself.  I will say that Craig has driven for the last 3 years and I had an adjustment to get back in the saddle.  Not sure if all women could do this or am I'm different, just hard headed.  Tell me I can't and watch me roar.

This is my daddy.  I miss him.

Louisiana House

We left our work camping job on Aug. 13th and arrived here in the Louisiana House Aug. 27th.  A total of 1,200 miles.  Wonderful summer.

We thought we had a buyer for this house but now I believe we have just be taken for a ride.  Got to stop trusting.  Anyway this is what is going on.

This is 53 sheets of sheetrock. 

Welcome new follower

It has been awhile, but I would like to welcome a new follower.  Connie from Louisiana, nice to have you aboard.  I understand Connie and her husband are officially retired and are taking some trips.  First trip out, she did the mountains of Colorado and Yellowstone Park and parts of Oregon.

Must say 'Good job, Connie'  hope to meet up with you at one of these special places. 

Air Force Academy

We drove about 2 hours to the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs,  and did the self guided tour.  Didn't need a person to explain all, because Craig knew all the numbers and info on all the planes.  He did 8 years in the Air Force,  worked on the planes.  Guess he must have really liked that because he knew when the planes where flying and war events that happened with the planes.  Great day.

Craig is commented to work here tell about August 15th.  Because of my attitude sickness I may not make that date.  We are at 10,000 feet and that is extreme.

Working for our rent

We arrived at the campground of the rockies on May 10th.  Craig has done a lot of work, including getting their golf cart going.  He cleans two shower houses here, 5 days a week.

Today we drove Hwy 82 about 20 miles north of Bunea Vista, Co. Over a mountain pass called Independence.  Just beautiful, the pass only open up yesterday and the snow was still there.  Several people where sking.

Made our way over the top and into Aspen, Co.  Wow!

Snow in May, Gunnison, CO

Monarch Pass is just over 11,000 feet and is between us and our work camping job.  Sooooo we are spending 3 or 4 extra nights here at Gunnison RV resort.  Our phone and Internet connection is not very good.

April 4th we left south Texas.  Stopping in Silver City, New Mexico where we experience a severe dust storm, at the Grand Canyon we had several record setting lows, at Zion National Park we discovered how hard it is to find a RV spot,  in Moab, UT we where out of place because everyone owes a Jeep and we don't and now up in elevation in CO we have learned that you can not second guess Mother Nature.

Monarch Pass, on Hwy 50, was going to be a test for Craig, but now with wet snow roads it will be a mess.  I will drive the car and Craig will only have to deal with the motor home.

We will see.  As Howard said "we will figure it out".

Ibu very sick

Our sweet girl Ibu is 14 years old and is now failing.  We don't expect her to make another day.  But we have her home  and she is not in pain, just soooooo tired.

what's a blog without pictures

Try try again.















This posted on the HTML tab not on the Compose tab. I have a lot to re-learn.

Still have company

WE are still in Mission TX.  I am trying to set this computer and printer up.  Would like to get back to blogging, but it seems blogger took something that worked, for me, to something that I can not work.  Problem is posting pictures.  I don't want to blog without pictures.
Let try to post a pic.

I just can not make this work.  Will have to find help.

cleaning bird house

We have company!!  The owners of this property are here.  So I guess when they leave they will no longer own this place. 

Their is a marlen bird house here.  Last spring the sparrows just about took over, sooooo we are cleaning it out.  Amazing how full this thing is.  Craig climbed the ladder and threw all the out.  The Marlins should show up in the couple of months.

I did help.  Not just taking pictures.

can not insert pictures but will post this

Hello Tom and Sam

Reader Tom has mention that I have not blogged.  He said he misses my blog.  Thanks Tom.  I miss writing it.  I believe I will try to do better.  One of the things that set me back was being able to load pictures.  I like blogs with pictures.

Now that Craig and I are settling in one place for a few months I should post.

Both of these are lemons.  The lemon on the left is a ponderosa lemon from a neighbors tree, the little guy is from our lemon tree.  Guess it is true, things are bigger in Texas.

Well, will post this and see if it all works.  Maybe I can get back in the business of blogging.

Back in South Texas

Out of the house in Louisiana.  Finally.  Craig left Oct 22 and drove to South Texas, he has doctor appointments.  I stayed till Nov 15, loaded the CRV to the top (included the two dogs) and drove 14 hours.  Got lost several times.  Somehow I did not have a GPS in the car. 

Arrived in the park, Craig has done a great job setting our winter home up.  Good for him.  But I have had he flu for the last 2 weeks.  But better now.  Will start having some fun.

Last evening we went to the Hidalgo City lights with Larry and Marlene.  Great people great time.  Coming to this park again this winter is the right thing to do.  We have a great time.

Should leave here in April for a trip out west.  Hopefully a Hurriance will not end our trip again.

Post Huricane Issac

Wow, I have lived around these storms all my life and have never had all this damage and work.  We lost Craig's car and my Class B van. When they towed the Van off I cried.  Over a vehicle, can you believe.

The Famous Chief and I had some wonderful travels in that thing. 

Everything was drowned.  The lawn mowers, moped, 4 wheeler, air compressor, all the power tools, vacuum cleaner, camping equipment and the list goes on.   Everything in the fridge and freezers.  All the walls are full of mold and have to be washed down.  The water pump is not working and the AC's will need work.

Even with all of this, we are far better off then some of our neighbors.

We could not even get to the house for 6 days.  Not even by boat.  The LAW said if we put our boats in the water or tired to pass them, they would take away the boat and us.

Of course, when the storm hit I did not even blink an eye.  We where in Cody, WY having a grand time.  After all this storm was only a tropical storm.  A class1 at the last minute.  Not sure why all this water happened.  I think some of the protection for the big city of New Orleans actually backed the water up and flooded us.  We had water where we NEVER had water before.

We will clean, work with FEMA and our car insurance until the end of Oct.   Then back on the road and winter with the snow birds.  Time for 'the old folks spring break' party.

 

Hurricane Issac stops our road trip

End of road trip.  We have turned around and are headed back to the house in Louisiana,  seems we have about 3 feet of water in an area that Craig's car is stored.  This will be a 2,000 mile rush.  I guess, we will try to drive to Mission, Tx and leave the motor home there, if we take it to La. and another storm rows in then the motor home becomes a problem. 

A neighbor called and the electric came back on today, but the road is still not passable, with a normal car.  We should get home by Thursday (we left Cody, Wy Aug 31th).  Here's hoping all goes well.

Out the door, Road Trip

Out the door, Road Trip

Finally we have escaped the stick and brick house.  Seems our wonderful home is a lot of work.  We rented the RV spot, next to the house, and got rid of truck loads of stuff.  Neighbors have gotten a lot of nice stuff for penny's.  Oh, well.  I feel like I am digging my our grave.  This was not my plans when we started a year and a half ago.

Looks like the house will sell, just need to get our clutter out.  But that means staying home and not having our RV adventers, so guess the house will have to wait.

Pulled out of the driveway about 8:30, drove 265 miles and have stopped at a Passport America park on I-49 in Louisiana.  We are headed to Craig's family in Marion, SD and then to Oneida, SD to talk about the TX trailer.  Then on to Montana to visit friends on their ranch.

Doesn't get any better than this.  Peace at last.

misson tx

yes we have not moved.  Hidden Valley Park is becoming a ghost park.  The Winter Texas have headed north.    Craig has several follow up Dr appointements.   Guess my CA plans are over.  We will just have to wait and see what door opens.

Louisiana House

Have not posted for a while.  Blogger constant changing really throws me off.  Not a hard thing.  Seems my post from April 19th never accrued.  Will try to figure these changes out.

Anyway we are having a HUGE garage sale, here in the Louisiana house.  Most ideas are 10 cents.  My neighbors are having a blast walking off with my stuff.  Makes me happy.

We may have sold this place but they would not take it over till Jan. 2013.  We will owner finance, so a lawyer and contact is in order.  This is going to break my heart, I have a lot of blood in this place and Chief (the famous Chief) is buried here.  We are hoping to move to Texas.  Taxes are hirer their but we will be in a 55 plus community and have more to do and less work around the house.

Well, this is it.  Will try to post and maybe later try to post pictures.  We will see.

misson tx

Waiting for the VA to send Craig s ID badge, then we can make a Dr appointoument.  Beginning to get hitch itch.  Would like to be in Phoenic, AZ for March 22nd.  We will move next week to Martin Ranch over by LaJoya.  We will be on concert and have a huge cover and potio.

RGV Vallely TX

Still here!!!!  Craig's cobra health insurance will run out soon.  We have not been able to find a company that will cover him.  Sooooooo, he finally said "let's go to the VA office".

We filed for va disability and health care.  But this is a slow process.  Because we have very little income we qualify for the health care, but now we have to wait on an ID badge and then see a doctor.

Oleander Acres RV Park has had electrical problems sense the day we arrived.    We complained but it was raining and the want-a-be electrical guy wanted to wait for dry weather.  Craig told him the problem was in the transformer coming into the park but no they did not listen.  Ran as much as possible on propane and didn't plug in the computers.  Finally Mon they got it fix.  Guess what it was.

Sense the electric is OK now and the mud is drying out, we have paid to March 5th.  Hoping that all of the VA stuff will be done by then.  Still want to be in Phoenix for the Sam's Club Rally starting March 22nd.

We are doing no site seeing.  We do visit with Craig's Uncle and Aunt but they do not site see.  After 20 years guess they have see all.  Both are over 80 and watch how much they do.