Still Truckin

It's been so long since I last updated our blog, I thought I should take a moment to let you know we haven't driven over a cliff somewhere. We've just been really busy with friends and family.


While still in Ohio, we attended our nephew's wedding and had a nice time visiting with family there. On our way back to camp, we stopped to tour the U.S. Air Force Museum. We really enjoyed this museum. So many planes! So many other interesting things to see and to read about! Two planes just made me laugh! One, a C-123K in the process of being restored, looked like one of those silver bullet RV's, only with wings. The other one, a North Vietnamese MiG-17 Fighter, bore a strong resemblance to a Perch. Do you see it too or is it just me?


We arrived in Minnesota on June 19th, just in time to celebrate Father's Day with Trevor's family. We had a great lunch and visit at his sister's home, before heading to a campground further north, where it was convenient to visit with friends and family in that area. We experienced a bit of deja vu when, on the second night there, a tornado came through town. Much like our Ohio visit, on the second night there, the nearest damage to us was about a mile away from the campground. We were beginning to think we were tornado magnets or something.

Soon the Dog Days of Summer were upon us, the heat at times being pretty unbearable, for me anyway; I hate heat and humidity. The nice thing was, we had already arranged to take vacation time during the hottest week, where we bore it out with our granddaughters at an awesome place called Kamp Dels.


Kamp Dels has everything! A lake with fishing piers, and pontoon boats for rent. A gift shop, store, and snack bar. Tennis courts, basketball courts, mini golf, horseback riding, pony rides, a driving range, and our most favorites of all, a petting zoo, a swimming pool and a water park! Guess where we spent most of our time? When we weren't in the water, we were feeding the animals in the petting zoo, right behind our RV. On our first night there, I heard a strange sound in the middle of the night (4 am). I thought one of our granddaughters was having an asthma (they don't have asthma) attack or something. It turned out to be a young rooster just learning to crow. It was funny to hear, and we especially appreciated him waking all the other roosters up, because we didn't want to get too much sleep while we were on vacation!


Kamp Dels also has many activities going on all the time. They had a Scavenger Hunt one, very hot evening. Because of the heat, none of us wanted to participate, except for my oldest granddaughter. She was bound and determined to do it, whether anyone else joined her or not. We decided to take her to the location in question, but we were going to sit with a bottle of water and watch. When we saw the list, we realized, we had all but 3 of the items in the RV, so at that point we became a team. One of the items we didn't have was a worm. The other one was a cup of lake water. When Trevor stopped to get the lake water, there was a boy fishing on the pier there. Trev borrowed a worm from him. Upon turning our items in at the office, the girls each won a token for a free ice cream cone. When Trevor brought the borrowed worm back to the boy on the pier, my oldest granddaughter gave the boy her ice cream token. The boy wasn't catching any fish, so we're hoping the ice cream made him feel a little better about his day.


We're currently staying in an awesome place where we share a serene setting with wild and tame animals alike. The management is great. In fact, we love them like our own children. Oh wait, they are are our own children. My granddaughters are here, and we've had such a great time together, learning how to sew their first skirt, practicing Krav Maga skills, bike riding, movie going, and traveling in the RV. It's been fun to watch them build “Stuffy Town”. I have a very creative family, and these two are making their own mark at a young age. They've built a whole town for their stuffed animals, with every kind of business you can think of, homes, apartments, etc. The stuffies even went camping with them and their Auntie Pam and slept outside in their own tents!


There are only two more weeks before we leave here to head out for new adventures. In the meantime, we've still got a lot of visiting to do. We'll miss Minnesota, the place where people work hard, play hard, and crash hard, but at the same time, we're looking forward to what lies ahead. I just got my camera out of the shop, so hoping photos at a later date will be better than the ones attached to this post! Take care guys! We love you!


Love, Trevor & Roni

Chillin

After our whirlwind tour around the country this past year and with the price of diesel (and a stay at Myrtle Beach) being so high, we decided we should chill for a while. No, not in Minnesota, but I'm not going to tell you where. If word gets out about this little gem where the rent is cheap, grass and trees are plentiful, and everything you need is within walking distance, it'll ruin it for us in the future.

But I will tell you what's so great about this place. I can write here! There aren't any oceans, mountains, or other distractions. The yard is huge and we don't have to mow it. Our walking/biking path is just outside our door and if you care to swim with all the kids who just got out of school, there's a big pool with a water slide just steps away. For the most part it's very quiet here (or it was until the pool opened), but at the same time, there are lots of activities going on all the time.


We've seen new police recruits being trained in the art of making felony stops (I was so tempted to ask if I could play cops and robbers too!), fire fighters, as they played with their new ladder truck, horses being trained to race, ducks swimming in the yard in ponds left by torrential rains, three kinds of squirrels, red, gray and black, newborn bunnies in their nest, and hens, and roosters as they learn to crow for the first time. There's been a huge garage sale, a Rib Fest, a dog show we didn't attend, and friends and family that have come to visit.


The funniest thing we've seen here is a trouble making rabbit on the race track. We watched him from the grandstand with Christy and Gordon. He'd wait until a racehorse came barreling toward him, then just as the horse came near, he'd run across the track! What a bad little bunny!


One day, we saw a whole fleet of K-9 police cruisers pull in. Within seconds, there were German Shepherds everywhere. Apparently, the whole convention of them had to do their business in the park at the same time. As I watched the dogs, I also watched something in the grass that I thought must be birds. They remained there the whole time the dogs were in the area. Later, as we got ready to go for a bike ride, I asked Trevor what that was in the grass. They'd been there too long to be birds. Our bike ride ended as soon as we approached the things in question and discovered they were two abandoned kittens. Trevor had mentioned earlier, that he heard a cat crying while the dogs were in the park. I was amazed those two little kittens survived the dog invasion. Those are some very well-trained puppies!


It's been almost a year since our dog, Andy died. I still find myself grieving for him. We made a firm decision not to get another dog. A couple of days before we found the kittens, I told Trevor, we've had lots of cats, and when they died, I never grieved for them for a whole year. Maybe we should get a cat. So you can imagine the scenario that was going on as we carried the kittens back to the RV. I had even told our neighbor Mike (the angel with the key to the lights I told you about in our last post), I was thinking about a cat. When he saw those kittens, he said exactly what I was thinking, “It's a sign from God”. Now you have to be very careful about “signs from God”. Not everything is what it appears to be. Remember, the bible says, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV

As the precious little kittens slept snuggled in my arms, Trevor put the phone on my lap with implicit instructions to call him at Walmart if I changed my mind about him buying the cat litter, cat box, scooper, and kitten food. I picked it up once while he was gone, but wasn't going to give them up, if they really were a gift from God. I prayed a prayer I've often prayed when faced with things I want, and am pretty sure I shouldn't have. “Lord, if this is not of you, please take my desire for this away from me.” The desire left, and before I could call Trevor, there was a family of seven gathered beside the RV. They took the kittens home with them and were very pleased to receive the items Trev picked up as well.


Lately, I've been blessed by getting a nice dog fix, almost on a daily basis. We met a man named Danny who walks through the park with his very friendly dog, Angus. Angus always seems happy to see us and he and Trevor have a good time chasing each other around the yard.

Speaking of gifts from God, our friends, Gordon and Christy visited for a weekend recently. It was great to spend time with them and hear all about their plans for the near future.


We decided to go to church together that Sunday and found one listed on the internet that we thought we'd like to attend. So many churches are falling prey to lies they've been taught. Locating one we can bear to sit through is very difficult. This one was amazing. Trevor and I went there again last Sunday and spoke with a really nice couple for about 20 minutes after the service. We planned to get together this week. The woman we spoke with called the other day to say she wouldn't be able to make it this week. I said it was just as well, because I was having trouble with a very sore throat. I know I sounded pretty bad on the phone.

Later that day, a car pulled up near the RV around lunchtime. My morning caller walked up with chicken noodle soup for me, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans for Trev, banana bread, and strawberry pie. How sweet is the love of Christ through others? I won't tell her name, but if you're reading this, you know who you are. Thanks so much and bless you for such a sweet gift!

One VERY special gift I need to share before I sign off. We asked a lot of you to pray for our pastor in Alpharetta who was diagnosed with cancer. He had to go through radiation and chemotherapy before they'd perform surgery to remove a tumor. He had the surgery on May 25th. When they looked inside, the tumor was completely gone! They removed the area where it had been, just to be sure no cancer was left behind. The pathology report came back as all clear! God is good! Thanks so much for your prayers.

We love you and miss you guys. Take care.


Love, Trevor and Roni

“It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...”

-Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford (1830)

It was near midnight on April 19th. The National Weather Service had just issued a tornado warning for our area. While we contemplated just how serious the threat might be to us, the power went out. We thought it might be wise to make a run for it.


With only the beam of a small flashlight and an occasional lightening bolt, we made our way to a nearby building where we thought we might be safe. We hesitated as we drew near the building. Knowing the doors had been open for awhile, we wondered what danger might lurk inside. Would we be able to spot a raccoon in the deep, black, darkness before it spotted us?

We slowly shined our meager light into each stall, all the while listening for movement within and thundering winds without. I soon found myself standing in a puddle. The dampness on my feet, combined with a familiar, distasteful, smell, helped form the decision to tell Trevor we were about to make a dash for the other end of the building. This meant having to go back outside, but there are some things that to me, are worth the risk.

Our steps slowed for the second time that night as we approached the other side of the building. These doors had been open as well, making it necessary to do another thorough sweep of stalls. As we stepped through the door, we stopped suddenly to determine the source of a faint screeching sound. Hearing nothing, we slowly continued to inspect the room. There it was again! Thankfully, it was just the sound of my jacket scraping against the cinder block wall! Relieved it wasn't an animal, we gained the courage to continue the raccoon hunt at a faster pace. I for one, was especially relieved when the task was finished. I thank the Lord our emergency shelter is a restroom building!

I have always had a great fear of tornadoes. As I sent up prayer for protection, the Lord was sent down a lot of peace. At one point the winds sounded like the tornado could be very near us, but as I crouched between two cinder block walls, I didn't feel fear. I felt peace. Peace is nice.

There were no further incidents that night. Since Trevor works in our Living Room, the T.V.'s never on during the day. So it wasn't until the 5 pm News, that we learned there had been extensive damage done by the tornado. As we drove around town the next evening, we could see that the nearest damage to us occurred at the Dairy Queen about a mile away. They lost their sign. Trevor thinks they should now call their Blizzards, Twisters.

Today marks the one year anniversary of our great adventures. We're often asked if we're tired of this yet. We find it hard to believe anyone would get tired of this!





Saying Goodbye -Alpharetta, GA


Badlands National Park -Wall, SD

Medicine Bow Mountain -Cheyenne, WY





Mount Evans in Colorado


West Lafayette, IN



Jim Thorpe, PA








Rockingham, VT


Scarborough, ME

George Washington's Back Yard -Mount Vernon, VA








Skyline Drive, Shenandoa National Park, VA


Mrytle Beach, SC

Destin, FL
Corpus Christi, TX

Van Horn, TX

Usery Mountain Regional Park -Mesa, AZ



Joshua Tree National Park in California













"Bummer" Greenwood, NE

The Little People in MN











Before The Wedding
Our Newest Neighbor

It never occurred to me there'd be another time we'd have to run to that building in the middle of night. Imagine my surprise when close to a week later, at about the same time, we heard the tornado sirens going off. There wasn't even a storm in the area!

Our dear neighbor (who has no fear of tornadoes), saw us making a mad dash to the restroom building. He was kind enough to walk over with a key that turns on the lights. It was great to have light and the pleasure of his company.

When it was all clear, we went back to the RV to get some sleep. As soon as we laid down, some tremendous winds kicked up. They were so strong, we could almost feel a big oak tree falling on us. I have to say, we had an awesome time of worship at 3 am. Singing songs of praise, praying for protection for us and all our loved ones in the South. That was when the peace fell on both of us and we were able to finish the night in a peaceful slumber, even though the winds continued to roar outside.

We were shocked and saddened to hear the morning news filled with details of the devastation that took place through the night. We thank the Lord that our loved ones remained safe. We ask that everyone reading this will join us in prayer for comfort for those who lost loved ones.


We miss you all dearly, think of you often, and pray for you as well. Looking forward to when we can see each of you again. The weather's been crazy this year. Be careful out there! We love you!

Love, Trevor and Roni

Putting Our Sandals Away

We had perfect weather in Surprise, Arizona. Every day was sunny and warm as we hiked, biked, sat by the pool, and hung out with family, and old and new friends.

Then it was on to Yuma, Arizona for a few days. The weather there continued to be sunny, warm and wonderful! Christy's been wanting us to meet her brother since we began our adventures ten months ago. We met Dick about 10 minutes after we pulled into our site at Shangri-la RV Resort in Yuma. We just happened to call him as he was on his way home from playing in the sand with his ATV. It's always nice to meet a fellow full-timer and we hope to meet with him again sometime.


The following evening we enjoyed a great visit and a wonderful dinner with our friends, Rod and LaVee at their home not far from the RV resort. It was great to see them and their dog, Jed again. As we left their house that evening, the mountains near their home looked so beautiful as the setting sun was shining on them. I didn't have my camera with me, so Trev took a picture in the direction of their home at sunset the night before we left Yuma. We regret that we didn't have more time to spend there .We would have loved to have seen the sights with them, but we needed to be moving on to California.

The drive out west is so impressive! I usually like to read or write (or nap) while traveling, but I haven't been able to take my eyes off God's awesome landscaping since we first saw the mountains in Texas. California was no disappointment either! Not only are the mountains awesome, but get a load of the sand dunes at the Imperial Dunes Recreational Area! I'm thinking, our toad (tow vehicle) needs a tad- pull (a.k.a. dune buggy)!


Our stay in California was filled with more sunny days, warm temperatures, and lots of visiting with family and friends. There wasn't much time, but we tried to squeeze in as much sight-seeing as we could between visits. One thing I had my heart set on, was renting a dune buggy and having some fun on those tempting little sand dunes in the area. I thought I found a great place online, but it turned out they didn't rent their dune buggies out; they only gave tours in them. So we took a one hour tour of the area instead. I think if you want to use an actual dune buggy yourself, you need to bring your own. But it was fine. We learned a lot and the winds were so strong, I got a great dermabrasion that day, so that was nice and cheap!


The next day we toured Joshua Tree National Park. What an awesome place. We would love to camp in that park for about a year! It's so big, with so much to see and do. The scenery is awesome! I wish my camera could do more than just take in little bits at a time. Go there if you ever have the opportunity. I don't think they'll let you camp there for a year, but try to stay as long as you can.


The day before we left California we toured a very unusual place called Cabot's Pueblo Museum. The whole story behind the man who built the place and the place itself is so fascinating, it's too difficult to describe in a little blog. You really need to go there. One very useful thing we learned on the tour, was about the security system the man used when he was out of town. He kept rattlesnakes in something like a little trough that was built into a room in his house. When he left home, he let the rattlesnakes out. I know you wouldn't catch me breaking and entering there! I wonder how that'd work for an RV...


We left California, spent the night in Las Vegas, and had breakfast with my aunt and uncle the next day. It was so chilly that morning, we had to break out warmer clothes.


I could not believe how beautiful the drive from Las Vegas to Green River, Utah was! We spent the night in Utah, but didn't get to linger there. If you ever get out that way, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to hang out there for awhile. Trust me! We arrived at Cherry Creek State Park in Denver last Sunday. It's the same park we told you about back in July. It's a little different there during the winter season. We had some very nice visits with family there as well. Again, no time to linger, but I really want to see more of Colorado some day. It's such a beautiful state, but it was pretty cold by the time we left there today!


We haven't been able to spend any time in these gorgeous places, because we're on a mission to get to Minnesota. Our daughter's getting married in 2 weeks, so we had to give ourselves plenty of time to get there, due to the incredible amounts of cold temperatures and snow they've been getting.
I'm glad to be traveling through Nebraska right now, because it's giving me time to catch you up to date with all we've been doing. But with every mile it seems to get colder and colder.

It was time to put the sandals away for a awhile. As I did so, I felt as though I was heading into winter while most of you are welcoming spring. I came so close to getting through an entire winter without seeing snowflakes. I can't believe my daughter's making us come to Minnesota right now! Obviously we love her very much. We're looking forward to seeing her and the rest of our family and joining together in celebration as she marries the love of her life. But we're freezing! And looking forward to when we can get the sandals out again!

Love,
Trevor & Roni


-Sunrise at Sands RV Park and Golf Resort, Desert Hot Springs, CA

Sedona, Arizona

Spontaneous trips are the best! Trevor and I were hiking at White Tank Mountain in Buckeye, Az Saturday morning, when we got the idea to go to Sedona for the rest of the weekend.

By the time we finished our hike, took care of some business in town, booked a room, packed our clothes and made the 2 hour trip to Sedona, it was well past dark when we checked into the hotel. We were tired and under some delusion we'd be checking out of the hotel the next day, so we went to bed early, completely unaware of what surrounded our hotel. When Trevor opened the curtains in the morning, we couldn't believe what we were seeing! The whole town was surrounded by big, beautiful, red rock mountains. It was clear to us we were going to need another day!


As we drove north toward Oak Creek Canyon, the only word coming from my mouth was, “Wow!” The views everywhere were so breathtaking, it was hard to believe it was real.


The landscape changed quite a bit all through our Sunday drive, from the dry, cactus filled rocks of Sedona, to the snow capped mountains of Flagstaff. We arrived back at the hotel just in time to take a little hike on Margs Draw Trail before sunset. We thought about doing this hike earlier in the day, but there was so much to see and since it was located right behind our hotel in the city, we didn't think this trail could have that much to offer. We were so wrong!!!


It's all wilderness up there. The beauty of it is indescribable. Your eyes take in so much more than the camera's able to at one time, so photographs cannot come close to the beauty that your eyes behold.

Margs Draw is linked to a whole bunch of other trails. You could easily hike for days up there, but you could easily get lost as well, so be careful if you get up that way, bring lots of water and pay attention to where you're going. If you have a terrible sense of direction like me, do not hike this trail alone, unless of course, you want to spend the rest of your days in the wilderness. Then is a great place to start!



We've never been disappointed with a spur-of-the-moment trip. We did this one, not even realizing it was Valentine's Day. We could not have planned a more romantic trip!

We hope all of you are doing well. We love you and miss you lots.

Love, Trevor & Roni