Internet woes....again

The Wilson antennae and amplifier that I have do a good job of giving me reception. However, I have had an intermittent problem with the 12 volt hook-up, and today it appears to have died. I don't know if and when I'll be able to post again until this problem is resolved. I've got an 800 number to call tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have enough reception to do that. What a pain!!

Today was laundry day and grocery day and time to excersize the generator. Temps were close to 90, and this has been one of the ten coolest July's in Missouri history. I'm sure glad for that! I'm not crazy about extreme temps in either direction. :)

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

The Sunday Blast from the Past

After I finished my stint as campground host at Lewis and Clark State Park in October of 2006, I headed 100 miles northwest to the Washington coast. I spent an enjoyable week at Ocean City State Park.

It was foggy and rainy much of the time I was there, but that's to be expected. One benefit of all the moisture was the abundance of mushrooms that could be seen.

While I enjoyed taking pictures of the shrooms...

another creature found a more practical use for the fungi.

These slugs appeared to be adorned in camoflauge. They were about five or six inches long. I've never seen such huge slugs!

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I took many walks along the beach and collected several nice sand dollars.

I encountered this crab on one of my walks.

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It was a restful week in between assignments, and the last night even produced a beautiful sunset.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

Plans shaping up for the fall/winter

Yesterday was pretty much a catch up day...recuperate from the busy week and all the driving, and prepare for today at the visitor's center. Being at the visitors' center today was a real bust. I was in there for ten hours, and not one person came in. That makes for a long day. Once again, I put a movie into the projector, watched "Radio" without any interruptions, and played a lot of solitaire and Flip Words.

I have been working on where I'll be going in the fall, and many possibilities have passed through my mind. I have committed to return to Balcones Canyonlands NWR in the middle of February (can't beat mainly doing bird stuff), and campground hosting at Rice Lake from Sept. 1-19, but had the time in between open. I've been talking to Cibola NWR in AZ, but they're not sure there is an opening available. So, when I was visiting Robyn, I made reservations at Indiana Dunes State Park for the week of Sept. 21-27. I'll be meeting my new fourth grandchild that week. Then I thought I might go to the Gypsy Journal Rally in Celine, OH. I haven't signed up for that yet, but I probably will. Then I got a Workamper News email, and there was a volunteer position at a Corps of Engineer Park in Louisiana that sounded interesting. I talked to them today, and have committed to be there from Oct. 15 until the end of the year.

I also got a call, yesterday, from Stephanie Martinez, the volunteer coordinator at Anahuac NWR in Texas. Anahuac, and it's buildings and equipment, was pretty much destroyed by hurricane Ike. Stephanie is trying to rebuild the education program and was looking for a little input from me. I volunteered there in the spring of '06 and '07. There's the possibility that I could help her out for about six weeks after I finish in Louisiana. We'll see what happens.

Lot's of possibilities and new experiences ahead..........

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

A long drive, new friends, and coming home.

Well, I got on the road just a bit after seven this morning to begin the long trek back to Swan Lake. I stopped to pick up Emma at the boarding house, and she obviously had a good time there. There was a fenced yard for her to run around in, and she was treated like a queen. As I got her into the car and prepared to leave, Karen, the owner, gave me a hug and thanked me for all I do volunteering at our nation's National Wildlife Refuges. Wow, that was a pleasant surprise!

About a hundred miles down the road, I pulled off at Rantoul to find a campground where the authors of the Myrddin blog I follow were camped. I met Jim and Linda (and Myrddin) and we had a pleasant hour chatting about our respective lives on the road. I couldn't stay long, since I had another 300+ miles to go. It was nice to meet a couple of my cyber-friends. :)

It was around 4:30 when we finally pulled in at Swan Lake, and it was great to get home. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Robyn and Dennis', but it's always good to come home. I refilled the bird feeders and Emma and I spent the evening outside relaxing, playing a game of ball, and just being pleased to be back. She is now passed out on the dashboard, and I'll soon be heading to bed also.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

Happy Birthday to Me!

Normally, I wouldn't post anything about it being my birthday, but today was a special one. Early in the morning, Robyn, Avery, and I headed out to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore about 40 miles from Robyn's house. I was on a mission. I turned 62 today, so I wanted to purchase my America the Beautiful Senior Pass (formerly known as the Golden Eagle Pass). For the princely sum of $10.00, I now am the proud owner of the Senior Pass that will allow me free entrance to all National Parks, Monuments, Nat'l Wildlife Refuges, and all other national sites for the rest of my life. In addition, I will get half off on all camping fees at these facilities and Corps of Engineer Parks. Yee Haa!! I plan to make good use of this pass starting in two weeks when I meet my sister and brother-in-law at a Corps of Engineer Campground near Hannibal, MO.

While in the area, I also checked into the possibilities of camping at the Indiana Dunes State Park campground this September when I return here to visit my newest grandchild. I won't be able to stay with the motorhome in Robyn's driveway since they will be having quite a bit of construction going on at the time and their driveway will not be available. When we got back to the house, I made reservations at the park for Sept. 21-27.

For dinner, we all went to Red Lobster, and, yes, I had lobster. I do like that crustacean! Afterwards, Dennis, Avery, and I went to Best Buy (after dropping Robyn at the house to work on a recommendation she had to write for a fellow Army Reservist). Can't understand why she thought it might be easier to do with the rest of us out of her hair. :) I'm thinking about a GPS unit and a hard drive to back up my computer, and Dennis was very helpful giving me input on these devices while we "window shopped" and gave Robyn some calm time.

After watching the latest episode of Deadliest Catch, the young folks headed off to bed, and I retired to my room to do this blog and some computer time. I've got to pick up Emma in the morning, visit Myrddin, and drive 419 miles back to Swan Lake. It will be another long day tomorrow, so I'd better pack it in for today.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

I can't believe I did this.

When I arrived, yesterday, at my daughter's house in Dyer, IN, the first thing I did was run to the bathroom. I'm used to traveling in my RV and if the need arises, I pull over and use the on board facilities. Well, let me tell you that on the drive from Missouri, there was a stretch of 200 miles where there were no rest areas. From a mature bladder point of view, that can be a challenge! Anyway, as I stood up and turned to flush, up came my right leg to find the flush pedal! (for those of you that don't RV, you have to flush the toilet with your foot on a pedal) All I could do was awkwardly stand there like a crane and chuckle. I never thought I'd forget how to flush a toilet in a house. I guess full timing has become second nature for me now!

Today, was a very busy day. It started out with me babysitting my granddaughter, Avery, while her mother went to have her semi-weekly check-up at the doctor. Her next baby is due in a little over a month. What a great time I had keeping up with all the activities of a 17 month old! Once her mom returned, we were all off to drop her at daycare so Robyn could go to a hospital in Napersville to pick up some equipment for her work, and then on to visit my mother in the nursing home in Schaumburg, IL. That took several hours just to get there. The visit went very well. My mother was happy to see all of us arrive. My two brothers and one sister-in-law were also there, so it was quite a gathering. I dropped off the walking stick I had made to my older brother, and Robyn cut my mother's hair. She looked so much better after the new "do."

After my brothers left, Robyn and I continued our visit and my mother related a story about having seven baby teeth removed at once when she was young, and how her grandfather sat and entertained her that entire day to keep her mind off of her pain. Apparently, my great grandfather was normally not quite so understanding and solicitous. My guess is that probably happened about 1923 or so. I had never heard that family story before, and I was touched to watch her reliving it in her mind. Watching one's parent grow old can be heart wrenching at times.

As we finally returned to Dyer, it was time to pack up once again and head a short distance over to my son-in law's, Dennis', parent's home for a cook out. We had burgers on the grill, fresh corn on the cob, a salad, and Dennis' mother's special party pudding. Good eats, good company, and a good time.

I look forward to another busy day tomorrow. Oh, yes, it looks like I'll be stopping to meet Myrddin (check out my favorite blogs) on my way home to Missouri on Thursday.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

Dyer, Indiana

This will be a short post! After 419 miles, including a stop along the way to ensconce Emma in a boarding kennel near Chicago Heights, IL., I finally made it to Robyn's house. All together, it took me about 8 1/2 hours to complete the journey.

It's been about a year and a half since I've been to Dyer, and time marches on. I noticed a new skate board park on the way in that seems to be very popular with the young skate boarders. I'd like to stop while I'm here and watch them strut their stuff. Hope I have time for that.

It was great to see Robyn, Dennis, and Avery. Avery is as cute as a button. Robyn and I put her in the stroller and walked to the nearest park so she could slide and swing and just play after dinner. I'm pooped from the drive, so it will be an early night for me.

Tomorrow, I'm meeting my two brothers at the nursing home that my mother is residing at. She will be 92 next week, and sorry to say, I think she is beginning to fade mentally. That is a sad thing for me.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy