On The Road Again - Headed Norrth

June 10^th I hit the road for Iowa.  Reservations made in Guthrie OK for the first nite and Homewood KS for the second….to arrive at Shady Oaks Campground, Marshalltown, IA on June 12^th.   Fred was Johnny on the Spot again to make sure I was hitched up, unplugged from the utilities and ready to go!

As usual, on my way out of Gatesville, I stopped at the tire shop and they checked and aired up my trailer tires.  I wish I could say the trip north was uneventful!

Just north of Paul’s Valley – just south of OK City, I heard a ‘pop” – I had just stopped for fuel and done my usual “walk around’ to make sure everything was till lookin’ good.   Ever since I blew that wheel/wheel bearings, I am really funny about checking wheels and tires.

I pulled off the interstate to take a look at what that ‘pop’ may have been – sounded like something hit up under the trailer – it was one of the tires on the trailer – blown to shreds.  Good thing it is a dual axle!  I slowly limped the rest of the way up the off ramp and into a Loves Truck Stop parking lot.  Called my friendly Good Sam’s Road Service, which I pay so dearly for…..that call went out at 1:50PM – at 6:20PM someone showed up!  Was I upset – no, I was MAD – Really MAD – but didn’t want to take it out on the poor service guy!   I guess you know Good Sam got a not so polite and not so well-mannered piece of my mind! 

If it had just been me – but I had the dogs and the cat – and it was, according to the weather man “the hottest day so far this year” and I’m setting in a parking lot with no shade on blacktop!   Yes, it was a truck stop and I could go in for some A/C air, but they wouldn’t let me bring the critters in – so I sat outside with them – fortunately I had ice in my freezer so I could cool down their water – but hot is hot and there wasn’t a cool place for them.   My truck A/C still doesn’t work right when the truck is in park and idling….so no relief there.  Actually, I think we were all overcome with the heat by the time the tire was fixed and we were on our way. 

Will definitely have to have the repair place check that when I get back (along with checking the rear slide….the repair list is growing!)   When the tire blew it took out a section of the wheel well and the sub-flooring!  YIPPEE!   I’m one happy camper!

I kept calling the RV Park in Guthrie to let them know how things were going – they close their office at 8PM and there is no way to register after that.  She told me which spot I was to take and said she would leave an envelope with my name taped to the door – I could pay her in the AM.  That’s one nice thing about staying at the same place year after year!   But…..no worry – she was still open with I got there – she said she decided she’d stay open a little longer to make sure I got in!  Bless her heart!   I was never so happy to be off the road, in shade, with electric and A/C in the trailer in all my life!

Headed out the next morning for Homewood KS – my short day –  about 4 hours.   Another place I regularly stay – called them and told them I was on the way – they don’t open the office until after 3PM (small park!) so she told me, “take any spot and I’ll see you when I open the office.”   These people are spoiling me!   This is the place that gives you a bag of fresh popped pop corn when you register!  Thought that was the strangest thing the first time I stopped – then I realized, during the summer, after being on the road, setting up the trailer, hooking up the utilities – the salty popcorn and a glass of ice tea are just what the doctor ordered!

Of course each morning, in Guthrie and in Homewood, it was push, shove, lift, heft, to get that *&#* slide in!  By the time I arrived at Marshalltown on the 12^th, I had bruises from inside my elbow half way down both arms!   GEEZ!

3 PM, June 12^th, arrived at Shady Oaks Campground, Marshalltown IA!  Yee-Haw!  My sister pulled in right behind me – Mary and Judy (owners) came out – guess I looked a mess, Judy brought me a bottle of ice water!   Randy showed up about 4 PM to get me backed in and help set up and by supper time, I had everything hooked and running!   Home for the Summer!  Officially off the road for at least 3 months!  Life is Good!

At Home in Gatesville (for awhile!)

The trip from Rockport to Gatesville was uneventful.   It is going to take the two new pups (Amber and Brooke) some time to get used to the trailer.  They haven’t been travelers all of their lives like Li’lBit and Holly!   Amber has her momma’s personality and is as laid back as Li’lBit, but then there is Brooke – there isn’t enough room in the trailer for the Chihuahua part of that dog!

It was good to pull into ‘my spot’ at the RV park.  Of course, Fred was there to help me get unhitched and utilities hooked up.   He is a gem!   As soon as I was unhitched and plugged in and the A/C on for the critters, I was out to Johnnies for coffee!   All is well with the world!

First thing the following morning I was on the phone arranging vet appointments and an appointment at the Dodge dealer for my A/C and the trucks “well baby’ check up.   Also needed a trip to the Verizon store since my phone had all but died.   My stay in Gatesville can be the most costly part of my summer travels!   All of the critters get their shots and vet care (some in May; some in Oct).  The truck always goes in for a checkup.  My standard line to the service guys is, “Imagine you are going to put your li’l ol’ grannie in that truck and send her off on a trip.”   They do take care of me quite well.

There was one minor problem this time – I ended up spending the entire day at the Dodge dealer waiting room – good thing they have a good TV!  I had a book, but if I’d known it was going to take all day, I’d have asked them to take me home.  We kept waiting for delivery of a part – it’s gonna be here in an hour; well, it’s gonna be here in an hour or so……..then, once the part was installed, they had to take the truck to another dealer to put it on some sort of machine!  Oh, Please, save me – sounds like my recent medical care!

Managed to get in several lunches and visits with Brenda, Dairy Queen with Brenda, her nieces and her sister, lunch with Donna and Robert in Copperas Cove, lunch with Mary Jane, lunch with Cindy, BBQ with Michael….. do you kinda get the picture – good food, good friends, good times!   All of this and dinner every Sunday with Johnnie and her family and coffee just about every day at Johnnies.  Oh, how I do miss the folks in Gatesville!

It was graduation day for Samantha and Caden…..can’t believe they are finished with high school!  Makes me feel old when I realize I’ve known Samantha since grade school and Caden since he came home from the hospital as a baby!   Two great kids!  Samantha will be off to college in the fall and Caden leaves for the Army in August.

Winter Comes to an End in Rockport

 I’ve been neglectful again and it is ‘catch up’ time.    It’s a little  difficult to get in to the mood to post to the blog when all I have to say is – my lungs crapped out again; can’t seem to catch a good breath lately; I’m tired of meds and respiratory treatments for fluid in the lungs…….and on and on with the complaints.  But, I really shouldn’t complain - any day I can wake up and put my feet on the floor and catch a breath of air is a good day.

I didn’t participate in much at the park over the winter….just didn’t have the ‘oompf’ or the ‘lung power.’   But it wasn’t all set home and whine.  I did manage to get out and about to meet the “in town’ gang for lunch several times and meet Donna at our favorite spots – Whataburger and HuDat’s!   Kathy spent the winter down at Shady Oaks (the southern version!) and that meant a few trips to Shempy’s for fried green beans.

I knew summer was coming and started planning my trip to Iowa.  Needed to get some repairs done on the trailer so I spent several days – well, more like several weeks! – unloading it.    But isn’t that why I got the trailer  – and stocked it so well – so I wouldn’t have to load and unload anything but some foodstuffs, some clothes and the critters?   But, going in for repairs, and I knew they would have to remove the rear slide, I removed everything – lug, tote, cart, carry – just so I could lug, tote, cart, carry when it was time to reload!

Trailer went in the end of March…..hoping to have it back in time to load it and be on the road the middle of May.  Just made it – got it back – only to find the rear slide STILL didn’t work.  The RV service sent out a guy to check it – and it didn’t work!  Isn’t that what I said!!   So it will have to go back in when I get back to TX in the fall.  I’m not delaying my trip north.   It will be another summer of swear words and temper tantrums over the stupid slide screwing up again and again and again!   Fortunately, I will have someone in Gatesville to help me get it back in and someone in Iowa to help.   But I will be fighting with it myself while I’m on the road.

Monday, May 20^th, I hit the road for Gatesville – but only after another trip to the tire place for 2 new tires on the trailer!   Oh, and the A/C went out on the truck the week before I left Rockport!  Here we go again!