WOW! It's Catch-Up Time!
I stayed around Iowa until the middle of October, waiting for an appointment with the eye doc that got canceled! In the meantime, there were a few days of “Indian Summer” but most of the time I had my ‘hoodie’ on and the space heater or furnace running! Not much Iowa blood left in this ol’ gal!
The delay in hitting the road did give me one more chance to meet with Ingrid and Sherri and this time Nancy came up to meet us at Applebee’s in Pella. Of course, the trip to Pella gave me another chance to stop at the Dutch Meat Market and the Bakery for some bologna and Dutch Letters. And, what an exciting trip from Pella to Marshalltown – just as I crested a hill – there he was – State Trooper! You know you can pay speeding tickets on line now!
Pulling out of the park was one for America’s Funniest Home Videos! Don’t ask me how I managed to get the tree in between the truck and the trailer, but I did. We called my sister’s friend Jim and Mick, the grandson of the park owner, and with some direction and maneuvering and Mick behind the wheel, he managed to get me out of the mess and get me on the road!
On the trip back to Gatesville, I stayed at my usual places, Homewood RV Park in Homewood KS and the next night at Pioneer Park in Guthrie OK. It’s nice to stay in familiar places. Coming down from Oklahoma, I stayed just ahead of the dust storm that turned day into night and the winds. I was glad to see the Texas Welcome Sign.
Third day on the road ended when I pulled into the RV park in Gatesville TX! Just one problem – the park was full! Fred, the manager, came out and backed my trailer in right up behind his, there was an extra set of hook-ups available so that is where I stayed for a few days until one of the RVs pulled out and I pulled into my “usual spot!”
Shortly after my arrival in Gatesville, I made a quick trip down to Rockport for the Memorial Service for Ron Hanson, one of the full-timers at the Rockport RV Park. He passed away during the summer and his wife, Carole, after spending some time with family at Minnesota, came back to the park. His passing was quite unexpected. And, the truly sad part of this entire incident, shortly after I returned to Rockport after Thanksgiving, Carole died. It just doesn’t seem right to not see their motor home and that little blue/green truck.
My stay in Gatesville was spent catching up with Mary Jane, Brenda and the girls, Cindy and all the “regulars.” Oh, and this time, I went to Hamilton for Election Day. Lunch, coffee, lunch and more coffee! Of course, the first stop was out to Johnnie’s to get my Johnnie and Coffee Fix! Sunday dinners with Johnnie and her family are a must to rejuvenate me. It wouldn’t be a stop over in Gatesville without a few trips to El Tapatio and Prima Pasta with Brenda – and a stop at Dairy Queen with Brenda and the girls. I’m going to have to stop calling them ‘girls’ – Samantha will graduate from high school this year and Courtney is in college! Candace is a momma to two boys and even Cassandra is such a young lady; it is hard to remember when she was a little girl.
The family grew some while in Gatesville. Brenda brought over Li’lBit’s ‘daughter’ from her last litter with a apricot toy poodle (oops!) and along with the daughter came the daughter’s daughter – so there are now 3 generations of Li’lBit’s family under one roof. Li’lBit seemed a little overwhelmed at all the extra feet in that little 23 ft trailer and Holly – well, Holly’s a cat – who knows what Holly thought, but with her hissing, spitting and nails, she let the new kids know just what they could and couldn't do!
Thanksgiving dinner was with Johnnie and her family – it was so good to see all of them. Johnnie always outdoes herself year after year, putting out a spread that makes everyone’s gut totally miserable by the time they leave. Always good to see Johnnie’s brother and his family and Bobbie’s brother and sister.
The Monday after Thanksgiving, it was time to hitch up – pulled my standard stop at the tire place to check tire pressure and hit the road. All of the routine maintenance had been done while I was in town – the “well baby” check up for the Dodge at the dealer, oil change, etc etc etc. I did have an incident with the A/C not cooling, but the phantom leak was found! The two new family members had been off to the vet for their “well baby” check ups, vaccinations and microchips. Holly and Li’lBit passed their physical exams with flying colors – considering their ages!
So, it was time to hit the road – Critters and truck and trailer, ready to go!
Fortunately the trip from Gatesville to Rockport, even with the traffic tie-ups and road construction was good. When I arrived in Rockport, Ron and Connie were available to help me get into the trailer storage area and unhitched. It’s nice to be home!
There were things that needed to be done – trailer unloaded, trip to the grocery, but all of that could wait. I unloaded the ‘valuables” – my critters and my purse – took a shower and hit the sack! There’s always tomorrow!
