Happy Birthday Lauren

Today is Lauren's 9th birthday. Wow...I am not sure where time goes. It just seems like yesterday my own children were this age and now I have grandchildren this age. But...understand, I am not getting any older. LOL

I hope you had a great day...you are such a beautiful young lady and we are very proud of you.

Love, Moppa and Poppa

Getting Back On Track

I know...I have let a whole week pass by without a single word. When we arrived home last Tuesday, it was quite busy around here as Karen and the kids were still out of school from the flu scare. We got the motor home set up and settled in. The rest of the week was filled with kids, laundry, kids, hair appointments, kids, etc. I think you have the picture. Karen returned to school on Thursday to get her classroom cleaned and ready for the kids to return on Friday. Yeah...things are almost back to normal.

We also had friends, Weldon and Sandy, in town. They were in from East Texas at the local Camping World to get their refrigerator replaced in their motor home. Which by the way had to be replaced/installed twice as the first one didn't work. What a chore. So, they stayed a couple of days to make sure the refrigerator was working properly which allowed us to have a good visit with them. I am sorry you guys had to come to town for repairs, but glad we got to see you.

Saturday, we went to Zachary's baseball game and did a little shopping in preparation for Mother's Day. Yesterday, Mark and I got up and decided that instead of going to our church service, we would go to church with my mom. I am so glad we did...it was a great service and I am glad I got to share it with her on a special day. Afterwards, we stopped by to visit with his mom. We then spent a quite afternoon before all the kids and grand kids came to have Mother's Day. I always love it when they are all here...we

ate Pizza...and then

it was outside with all the grand kids....Lauren and Zachary are trying to get a game of baseball started, while...

Andrew just wants to drive the Kubota and

Kourtney is trying out Caden's tricycle while

he is occupied with the wagon.

After we had fun playing outside, it was time to go inside for dessert of chocolate dirt pudding. Yummy. And then the kids gave me a couple of really great Mother's Day gifts....

I got this really nice HP/Photosmart wireless wifi printer and

these really great Weight Watchers scales. I might say I now need these after pizza and dirt pudding in the same meal. LOL

Thanks kids for a great Mother's Day...Love, Mom

Today is Monday and we woke to a rainy day. However, we are trying to get back on track as this promises to be a busy week. Several doctor/dental/eye appointments are scheduled as well as the everyday chores that need to be worked through. My biggest chore for the next several days is to get back to the cleaning in the craft room. I sort of had to put that on hold when the remodelers were here...so now it is a double mess. And, we all know that Mark's biggest chore is getting out the wax bottle. He is also working on a few items for Karen the remodelers overlooked. We will also be working in some grand kid activities....baseball games, field days, talent shows, and award ceremonies.

I better get this journal wrapped up for now and get to the business at hand or this day too will be gone. See you soon.

What Happened To The Weekend?

Wow, it was just Friday, and we were doing all that cleaning inside and out...when Jim and Ellie arrived in Tunica to claim that site we were holding for them. They got settled in, we all caught our breath for a minute, had dinner, and the fun began.

We spent the evening showing Jim and Ellie around casino row and finally settled in at Harrah's were we each spent our allotted funds. But, what a fun way to spend your money. I get more enjoyment out of my $25 at the casino than I do at the movie theater buying popcorn. We had fun evening, but it had been a long day for all of us, so we went back to the RV Park and settled in pretty early. Then, sometime in the night the rain also settled in and remained with us for the entire weekend. Thank goodness, it was just rain, rain, and more rain...but no severe weather.

We did not let the rain stop us...and on Saturday we decided to drive up to Memphis for lunch. We ate at the famous Neeley's Interstate Barbecue as seen on Food TV. Mark and I have been there before, but Jim and Ellie wanted to experience Memphis Barbecue. Now, they can mark that off their list. It is good food, but they said in comparison it wasn't as good as the barbecue they ate at Aurthur Bryant's in Kansas City. I guess I am going to have to go there to judge for myself.

After lunch, it was still raining, so just did a little site seeing from the car. We drove them by Graceland. I am sorry to report that we did not see "The King" out anywhere. Then we drove by Davis Motor homes where we purchased our Phaeton. His lot looked like he had a few motor homes to sell. We then stopped at the grocery for a few items and then it was back to Tunica where we spent the rest of the rainy afternoon at the outlet mall. I think Mark and Ellie are the only ones that found something to spend their money for. As for as Jim and I, we were saving ours for the casino later that night. We decided since it was raining, we would just stay at the Hollywood and Resort casinos which are the two casinos located next to the RV Park. We started at the Hollywood and then walked over to The Resorts. However, once again, I am pretty sure we each left our allotment with the casino. Better luck tomorrow!

We woke again yesterday to still more rain, but with the promise of it letting up later in the day. We just hung out until about noon and then we headed to Harrah's....straight past all slot machines, up the stairs to have lunch with Paula. Yes, once again Mark and Jim had a date with Paula Deen for lunch. It was more than yummy. Mark and Jim tried it all. Ellie tried the chicken, I had pork roast and grilled oysters. And, all the veggies were very tasty. I think it has something to do with all that butter she uses. LOL Then...the desserts were to die for and absolutely up to Paula's standards. I had my all time favorite bread pudding and sampled the Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake. Ellie chose Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake, while Mark and Jim tried pecan pie, ice cream, peach cobbler and who know what else. Needless to say, that was our only meal for the day. We all think her buffet at Harrah's is better than eating at the restaurant in Savannah. Be sure to put this place on your list. The only thing that would have made our lunch experience better was for John and Bridget to have been there to enjoy it with us. They were suppose to drive up from Jackson yesterday, but Bridget hasn't been feeling well the last few days. Hope you are better soon and I hope we will catch you guys down the road sooner than later.

Well, now after that big lunch, we decided that we should work off some of those calories by walking around the casino and dropping a few coins in the slots. Sounds like a good exercise to me. I am not sure about the official outcome of the afternoon, but I do know that at one time Jim had paid for one lunch and I was working on paying for our lunch. I think I finally won enough for lunch and to have a little left for the evening. At this point, we decided to head back to the RV Park for a while...but on the way, and even though it was raining, we drove to the Tunica Riverwalk. This is a little museum on the Mississippi River and where the Tunica Queen, riverboat is docked. Sorry, no tours today in the rain. So, we sat out on the big covered porch for a little while, watching the river and the birds. I was sorry it was raining because they have a beautiful nature walk trail. Maybe next time.

Last night we decided to try our luck at Fitzgerald's Casino, which is Mark's favorite. We arrived and all headed out to look for which game was going to accept our money for the evening. Mark went straight upstairs to the back corner where he likes to play. Ellie and Jim too disappeared. I spotted a new video slot game I hadn't played before, so I was off to try my luck. Well, it was pretty nice to me and I got to go to several bonus rounds pretty close together and before I knew it I was up several dollars. Okay, I had enough fun there, so I was off to find another game. However, not so much luck at this slot and there went my extra bucks. I am still ahead for the day. It was then I decided to settle in at another game I hadn't played...and like the first one, I was getting bonus rounds left and right. It was one of those bonus games that finished with well over what I started with. Okay, I could play this some more, but...that is when I heard Joe, (Speedy) saying....CASH OUT! I heard you Joe, pushed the button, and walked away. He would have been proud of me if he had been there.

Okay, I was off to catch up with the others. I found them all upstairs hanging out at the hot dog vendors. Well, that is Mark and Jim. They were spending their last few dollars on supper. Ellie too had found a game that had been really nice to her. And, yes, Joe...she cashed out too.

By this time, we decided to call it an evening and head back to the RV Park as tomorrow, which is now today is a travel day for all of us. When I woke up before 7 this morning, Mark was already up drinking his Kona coffee that Ellie had shared with him. Well, that pure coffee must have really wound him up because he was ready to get this day under way and I found myself pulling out of the park by about 8:45. LOL....Ellie, said, no more Kona for him. It is really okay, as we needed to be out early anyway as our destination for today is Shreveport, LA. That makes us travel about 350 miles today. That is a big day. Then, tomorrow we will be heading into our home base in Fort Worth. We will be there for the next six weeks or so. Ellie and Jim also will be traveling today into Sheridan, Arkansas as they start the trek across to Colorado Springs where they will be visiting with family and friends for the next month. Safe travels and see you guys in Custer if not before.

As I post this journal, we are traveling south down Highway 61 in Mississippi from Tunica to Vicksburg. There we will pick up I-20 West into Shreveport, LA. The weather is rainy, but with a promise of sun a little later. I had a phone call just a little while ago from our friends, Weldon and Sandy. This was the weekend they have been in Canton, Texas at The First Monday Trade Days, where they are vendors. We were going to try to meet up with them on the way to Fort Worth, but it didn't seem like it was going to work out. Well, now it looks like they will be in Fort Worth before we can get there. I am glad we are going to get to see them, but, the main reason they are coming to town is to make a trip to Camping World just south of Fort Worth. It seems that their refrigerator has gone out and they are having to replace it. OH NO! Camping World had to order it, so it will be tomorrow or Wednesday before they get the work done. We all hate it when we have to do things like that, but these RV's are really no different than having to take care of a house. Things do break, go out, get old, etc. We still have to plan and still save for those things. Hey, Sandy, don't spend all your money at Camping World...we need to make a trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and I know a really good Mexican Food Restaurant. Hope you guys can plan to stay on with us for the rest of the week so we can get in a good visit. See you tomorrow.

I guess that is all the news from here on the road for now anyway. I had some pictures to post, but can't seem to get them out of the camera right now? Maybe later. So for now, I am just going to enjoy the journey...may each of you have a blessed day where ever you are.

Cleaning Inside and Out

Boy, did we collect a lot of dust during our stay in Red Bay. But, when you are parked on a gravel parking lot with motor homes going up and down the road in front of you and up and down the road behind you what do you expect. But, when every thing turns white, it is time to clean.

So, having slept in to 7:00, taking a nice walk, and having breakfast, it was time to tackle the cleaning. I started inside at the front and worked myself all the way around and from top to bottom, and side to side, I cleaned cabinets, windows, the dash, and the furniture. Then out came the Pine Power for the floors and the Solution for the counter tops and the mirrors. The rugs went to the laundry, and the sheets were changed. Yeah, my house is clean once again. The only thing left to do is the window screens. And, that will have to be another day.

Now, while I was doing all of this, guess where Mark was. Three guesses and the first two don't count. Oh, you got it...outside with his Solution in one hand and his wax in the other. LOL

By the time all of this cleaning was done, it was well into the afternoon and first thing I knew Jim and Ellie were pulling around the corner. We said a quick hello, and then let them get set up, the visiting would come soon enough. As is the rule, on travel days, you don't cook. So, I had planned dinner for the four of us. We had pan grilled chicken, rice and hoppin john. Ellie did bring over some left over salad. I also made a cherry dessert. After dinner, Ellie helped me with the dishes and then while Mark and Jim continued to visit, Ellie and I took a quick walk. By the time we finished, Mark and Jim decided we would go find a little casino action. No jackpots to report here.

Tomorrow, we are going to show Jim and Ellie around the town and see if we can find some Memphis BBQ!

At Last!

Yes, after 18 days in Red Bay, we are finally finished. This morning

we made one last trip through the paint bay for a little touch up and some buffing. As soon as they were finished in the paint booth, Mark was directed

to the opposite end of the service center where the issue with the jack was addressed. It was determined that it had gotten into a bind and needed to be replaced. While Mark was taking care of all this, I went to take care of the last of the laundry. We both arrived back to the campsite about 10:00. WOW...we just looked at each other like...are we really finished and what are we going to do for the rest of the day?

He asked, did I want to go to Fulton or Russelville to Walmart? I thought for a minute and said I had a better plan. And, it went something like this...the slides are in, everything is packed away, and yes, I need to go to Walmart, so.......let's head on to Tunica, get set up, brush away some of this Red Bay dirt, and go to Walmart in South Haven. He agreed...so he started picking up everything outside, while I double checked the inside. Now for the rest of the story...

Something told me to check the blind that had been worked on. OH NO, it won't work. It still bunches up and rolls crooked. As I am about to cry, Mark heads off to find Daniel, our service tech, who tells us to pull up behind bay #5 and he will take a look at it. I knew it was too good to be true. So, out came the blind with the question of how long to install a new one? The first answer was maybe next week. At that point, Mark explained...that is not acceptable and I suggest you call whoever can get this blind replaced in about the next hour. Guess what, I got a new blind shortly after lunch. Works great.

With that accomplished, we were back to our plan. While Mark was getting the car hooked up, I went to the office to check out. OH NO, I was 4th in line and not to bore you with all the details, let's just say that little job took about an hour. However, it was worth the wait and I left the check out without paying them anything. In fact, they are sending me a reimbursement check for some work we had to have done away from there. Hey, that's not too bad of a deal. Next, stop was the campground office to officially check out of the campground. And, once again, I didn't have to pay anything. The policy at the campground is "no charge" for the first year while the motor home is in warranty.

Now...don't look back, don't check out anything else...LOL...let's go.. At last, we are pulling out of Red Bay. Next stop, Tunica, Mississippi...

This is one of the roads to Tunica. It is highway 4 which takes you from 78 to I55 which then heads you north towards Memphis. Well, as we were enjoying this little road,

this was the site in front of us, which soon turned our little road

into this. Thank goodness, it only lasted for a short time and soon we were

seeing this blue sky and

this sign which let's me know it isn't too far to

this sign, which leads us to

to here. And when we pass this sign, it is just down the road to the

Hollywood RV park where we are all settled in for the weekend. Now, we are just waiting for Jim and Ellie to get here tomorrow

to claim this site.

We also look forward to John and Bridget joining us on Sunday for lunch and an afternoon visit.

What a fun weekend to look forward to. We will probably even have to make ourselves have dinner at Paula Deen's Buffet at Harrah's. And, there is always shopping at the outlet mall...and oh yes, there is a slot machine or two to be found.

One Last Bay?

Today we were up early just in case they called us to come to a bay. And, sure enough around 9:00 a.m. they called and told us to report to Bay #19 for paint. So, we pulled in the slides, put a few things away so Mark could pull out of our site to make an immediate right turn and straight into the bay. The trip took maybe 2 minutes. LOL Anyway, we got settled into the bay and Mark pointed out to Stacy all the nicks, scraps, and scratches he wanted addressed. While Stacy got started, Mark was off to locate our missing window shade. Daniel said he gave it to Greg. So, now to locate Greg. It wasn't too hard to find Greg, but he seemed to be too busy to hang the shade...probably not today....maybe Friday...maybe next week. He wasn't sure. At that point, Mark made it very clear to him that he had been without a window shade for 2 weeks and he wasn't planning on being here for any of those choices. So, Greg said he would give the shade back to Daniel and he or his helper could reinstall it. Well, it wasn't long until it started to rain and the window shade is riding around in the back of Greg's cart. So, once again, Mark was off to find Greg or Daniel and his window shade. He did find Greg and retrieved his shade from the rain. As it turned out with the rain, Greg couldn't finish the job he was in the middle of, so he would come down after lunch and rehang the window shade. Finally, one more item off the list. Now, we just have to finish with the painters.

At the end of their work day, all was finished with the exception of the top of the front and rear caps that were a little shy of clear coat. Stacy made arrangements for Mark to be back in the paint bay at 7:00 in the morning. So for now, we were off to the campground....but when we returned, parked and were getting set up, we realized that the right front jack was not extending all the way to the ground. Oh, brother! Quickly, Mark headed back over to the service bay to let someone know that we were having a problem. Too, bad, it is time to go home, so they will have to address that problem tomorrow after we finish in the paint department. We are not sure if it just failed or if something happened to it yesterday when we were at Brandon's getting the add on's done? Guess we will have to wait and see what they find out.

Bottom line...they need to get things wrapped up as we are planning on leaving here on Friday... or not? And, so goes life at Camp Red Bay.

Waiting On Paint

Yesterday we were up and getting ready to head out to our assigned service bay, but...the man that was parked in front of us was a little more anxious. He left

without unhooking his water or or electric. Along with a few sparks, he left this puddle of water! Oh, No!

Okay, with that excitement over with, Mark pulled out to make his way over to

bay #5 where the service techs starting working on

crossing these items off the list. When they were finished with all they could do, we then made our way to bay #27 where the cabinet shop added

this nice little "stop" to the end of the counter top. Now, I don't have to worry about knocking something off and it falling down into the slide mechanism. While the glue was drying, the techs changed a couple of clips on the closet door that were bent and

worked on leveling our table. After these things finished, we were finished for the day so they sent us on our way back to the camp ground. Now, we are just waiting on someone to bring back our window shade and waiting for our number to come up for the paint bay. Yes, we are almost finished with that list.

Today...
we went to Custom RV to have some extra's "by choice" items installed. Mark wanted some seelevel gages to replace the ones that had been installed at the factory. They are suppose to be very accurate in reading the levels in the gray, black, and fresh water holding tanks. I quickly agreed...now, no more complaints from the person that dumps the holding tanks. LOL

In addition, I too had ask for a couple of items...

Chris added this plug beside the driver's seat so I can plug in my table lamp

and he installed this under the counter light over the work station side of the stove.

By the time he finished it was well after lunch and we headed back to Red Bay. Mark stopped to fill up with propane so he could calibrate the LP gage on the new set of gages and I stopped in at Subway to pick up sandwiches. Once we were back at the campground, we had to check in with our service techs to find out that it would probably be tomorrow before someone came to reinstall the blind they are replacing. And, it looks as if they may call us tomorrow to come to the paint bay. If not tomorrow, then Thursday, and bar any other problems, we should be ready to head out of here on Friday. At which time, we have made plans to meet up with Jim and Ellie in Tunica, Mississippi for the weekend before we head to Texas and they head to Colorado.

The rest of the evening we spent just sitting outside enjoying the beautiful evening and being entertained by...

this guy that kept flying over the campground. What a great time he was having!