GETTING THE 5TH WHEEL WEIGHED

Tuesday, November 6 –  Our voting precinct is right here in Rainbow's End, so we were able to walk over and cast our ballots early today.

Only in Livingston would you find this type of sign.

We also are getting the 5^th wheel and truck weighed today. We first drove the truck fully loaded with fuel and supplies, as it would be on a typical travel day onto the scales.

Mark Nemeth reads the scale.

We then returned to our campsite and hooked-up the 5^th wheel. We returned to the weighing sight for the final weighing.

Chris helps out with the weighing.

The results were very good with all four corners of both the truck and the 5^th wheel coming in way under maximum allowed weight.

Chris and Mark go over the results with Paul.

We now need to download tire statistics so we can adjust inflation rates. Since we are under weight, we can reduce the tire pressure in both the truck and 5^th wheel tires.

After weighing, we pulled-out for the two hour drive to the Stafford Elks Lodge on Route 59 just South of Houston. We are frequent visitors of this Lodge, staying here whenever we are in town visiting our daughter, Carrie. We are at site #6 and will be here through the Thanksgiving holiday.

Look at that blue sky, and the temperature is in the 80's….ahhhhhhhh! 

It still looks like summer here with all the green trees and bushes still in bloom.

Most of the afternoon was spent trying to aim the satellite dish properly and get reception on the TV. Two of the neighbors were here offering their advice, Marsha was on the phone with Direct TV, and eventually we were successful in getting reception. We did find out that it will be necessary for a service technician to pay us a visit to fix our receiver. We do have a picture, we just can't record on the DVR.

With the TV working, we settled back to watch the election returns and spend the evening unwinding after four hectic days traveling from Ohio.

ON A SIDE NOTE: While taking pictures at our weighing session today at Escapee's Rainbows End, Marsha was reading the SmartWeigh poster.

She looked closer and noticed a picture of us at our last weighing in Livingston two years ago. It was on the poster advertising Escapee's Smart Weight Program. Then later that evening while reading the latest edition of the Escapee's magazine (November/December 2012), Paul saw the same picture on page 96, the last page in the magazine. Pretty neat!

That is our Phaeton in the upper-right hand corner and Paul and Mark.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

MARSHA IS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER TODAY

Monday, November 5 – It's been a year since we were “HOME” in Livingston, TX. Rainbow's End Escapee's Park is the national headquarters for the Escapee RV Club and is our official mailing address. We have all our mail sent here, where it is sorted and forwarded to us upon request. We are very satisfied with our mail service here at Escapees.

Boy, is this place packed! Many are here to vote, or snowbirds on their way South, or arrivals for the Boot Camp seminar coming up later this week. Glad we are only going to be here one night. We want to vote, pick-up our mail, and get the 5^th wheel weighed. We should get that all taken care of by noon, and we'll be on our way to Houston.

Site #114 – pull through for overnight stays.

We are parked right across the street from the office.

Looking right.

Looking left.

We had a catastrophe today! When Marsha went in to set-up the 5^th wheel, she was greeted with dishes smashed all over the floor. Two cupboards flew open during our travel and dumped the contents on the floor. She felt so bad. Several of these dishes were her grandma's and others were wedding gifts we received when we got married. She said she traveled three years fulltime in the motor home and never had this happen.

In talking with one of the neighbors here in the campground, we learned we need to bungee those cupboard doors closed. Wish we had been told that earlier. So we ran out to Walmart to get the necessary supplies to secure the cabinet doors that have breakable dishes in them. Sort of like locking the barn doors after the cows got out..... :<((

Thanks to a suggestion from Donna and Karen, we tried Bella in her kitty carrier today. She still is an unhappy kitty while traveling. She rode for about an hour in it and then stuck her head right through the darn thing. The zipper is broken and of course Bella jumped right out. We purchased a new one at Walmart. Sure hope this one works.

A very unhappy kitty.

"Mom, why are you doing this to me?"

"Now this is much better. I knew I would get my way sooner or later."

Siesta time. How does she sleep like that?

One thing we both noticed today was the absence of any sway on the 5^th wheel/truck combination when large trucks wiz by on the road. We traveled on I-30 today. It was filled with trucks. Even with the motor home, we experience an occasional “hair raising moment” when trucks flew-by. We seem very stable driving the Ford 350 dually and towing the Cameo. Could it be a result of the DUALLY tires on the Ford? Hope it rides as well in windy conditions.

Get out there and vote!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day.

IS IT A MINERAL, ROCK OR ORGANIC MATERIAL?

Monday, June 20 – After I finished with the road clean up, I went to lunch with my dear friend, Fran. We had a delightful time. She then took me to the home of a church friend who collects every type of rock or mineral imaginable. Tom was not at home at the time but his wife, Ruth, was a very gracious hostess.  She gave me a great history lessons about the rocks.

Tom worked for Exxon as a chemist and was relocated to Saudi Arabia. They fell in love with the area and stayed seven years. While there, he began to collect rocks…not just any ordinary rocks but crystals, quartz, agate, gems, petrified anything from wood to mushrooms, etc.  He has his collection displayed all over the house. Here is a picture of the display case in the downstairs family room. The top shelf is petrified wood from Saudi Arabia.

I felt like I was in a real museum. He has one cabinet that contains drawers that pull out with examples of different types of rock and their names.

My favorite were the "sand roses" he brought back from Saudi Arabia. Ruth explained how Tom would "do a dig" in different areas to uncover these beauties.

Some beautiful examples of Tom's collection.

He has an office with more of the petrified wood that he has cut and mounted himself. I didn't get to see the saw but Ruth told me it has a 25" blade that he uses to cut the wood.

The pieces are so beautiful. He makes individual holders for each piece. Tom attaches a number on the base and then cross references it on his computer. Each entry contains the correct name of the wood, where it was found, and the date.

Ruth showed me an area that contains findings that he hasn't had time to get through. I think he will have to live another lifetime before he will get it all done.

I want to thank Ruth for all the time she spent showing me this "one of a kind" collection. Also, thanks to my good friend, Fran, for being so kind in taking me to Ruth and Tom's house. What a neat experience.

These two live in a beautiful setting! Here is just one picture of their backyard and the gorgeous pond.

 

I found a book in the library that I thought Paul might like…guess Bella had different plans for it.

Tuesday, June 21 – After being delayed from departure in Canton, arriving late in Detroit so much so that Paul had to RUN thru the airport and finally landing 30 minutes after his scheduled time in Houston, he is back home and LOVING it.  He needed to come back to relax after all the partying in Canton. There goes Marsha's peace and quiet!

Wednesday, June 22 – We woke-up to rain this morning! The first measurable rain in this part of Texas since mid-January. All the locals were thrilled. “Isn't this wonderful weather!” Being from NE Ohio, it's unusual to hear people saying a rainy day is wonderful. It really was refreshing after umpteen days of 90 to 100 degree temperatures. By midday, the rain was gone, and the humidity was back. Surprisingly, the temperatures remained in the high 70's or low 80's. It only took about ten minutes for everything to dry....LOL.

Thursday, June 23 - Paul is busy today with his pre-travel inspections on the MH and using The Solution and his California Duster to wipe the dirt off after yesterday's rain. Rainbow's End has gravel sites and mud splashes up on the lower sections anytime it rains.....JEESH!......waaaay to anal.

Friday we head to Arkansas, so stop back and check-out our next adventure!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon.Have a great day!

UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

Saturday, June 18 – What a nice surprise Marsha had today. As she was cleaning the motorhome in her dyed-stained tank top, shorts to short for her age and hair half in a pony tail half hanging down, she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door and said, "Hi." The gentleman said, "You don't know me, but I follow you on your blog." What a GRAND surprise. Ron and Carla Harbour were picking up their MH that they had stored here at the park. I invited them in, and we had a wonderful visit. What a delightful couple! Ron and Carla have just recently begun full timing. They were on their way to their first workamping position in Florida and just wanted to stop and say Hi. They were both somewhat disappointed that Paul wasn't back yet. I asked if they had a blog and Ron said it is a work in progress. Don't forget, Ron, let us know when we can share the blog address with everyone. After about an hour visit, the two had to leave and head for Huntsville. They were having a good-bye dinner with their daughter. THANKS for stopping by you two, and THANKS for not noticing what a mess I looked…LOL.

Sunday, June 19  - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!! Paul spent a wonderful day with Marsha's dad and family. They had a Father's day cookout at Stacie, Marsha's sister's, house.

Marsha met Carrie in Humble for some shopping and lunch. They both were looking for specific items but with very little luck. Marsha found a small bag she had been looking for and poor Carrie didn't find any dresses to wear to her many weddings. Oh well, there is always tomorrow!

 
Monday, June 20 – The Escapees group adopted two miles of road in front of the park for clean up. Each time we visit this park, we ask if they have plans to clean the road. Each time we have received a NO…but not this time. Today is the day, and Marsha got her chance to volunteer.

Twenty-one members met in the clubhouse at 7:45, were given instructions, vests, a nail pole and told go for it.

The trolley dropped us off in groups of two at designated areas along the road. We began the dirty job of clean up.

What is WRONG with people? This is what we found along the road on both sides.

Why would someone throw this out the window?

Of course the "main" staple…21st Century Tumbleweed.

Someone tell me why this would be laying along the side of the road? My strangest find for the day.

After an hour, our side of the road looked really good.

1 hour – 1 full bag each

After we returned to the clubhouse, I got to thinking…what if someone thinks I really didn't do the work and just drove along the road taking pictures. Well, here I am…hot but happy.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

A HIDDEN TREASURE IN LIVINGSTON

Sunday, April 24 – HAPPY EASTER! We hope you have a Blessed Easter day.


Saturday, April 23 - On Thursday, Marsha took a mystery trip with our friends Fran and Wayne. Fran only told her that they were going to a mercantile right outside town, and that Marsha will love it. Well, Fran was not wrong! They went to Thomas Mercantile on Old Hwy 35 N in Livingston.

Terry, owner, is out front. To your left is Debbie, employee, and Mr. Thomas, Terry’s dad. More on him later in the blog.

All these times we have been in Livingston, months on end, and we never new this place existed. Fran arranged for Terry, the owner, to take Marsha on a tour of the house and give her a history lesson. WOW…Marsha LOVED this place.

The house was built in 1913 by Terry’s grandparents. When they passed away in the 60’s, Terry’s parents just locked the door and walked away. Last April when Terry was visiting her Aunt that lives next door, she parked in front of the house and had a sudden need to look inside. Six months later she opened the Thomas Mercantile. What a treasure. For privacy reasons, Marsha didn’t take any pictures of the living area, but said it is awesome. Everything is exactly as it was in the original house. All the beds, even the one her dad was born in, claw bathtub, lights, etc. were all there.

Terry is very proud of her father. He is WWII Veteran. Now this is an amazing fact, he was M.I.A and a POW. He served in Normandy when he became M.I.A. He was then found to be in a concentration camp where he was forced to work on the railroads for the Germans. At last, he was rescued by General Patton! It is a fascinating story with a very happy ending.

Thomas Mercantile carries only Texas made items or small number of other U.S.A. products. You won’t find any foreign stuff in this store. It is packed with wonderful items.

Cat fan

The counters are filled with food products, special beauty items, cups, etc.

Terry carries some very unusual gifts. One item is handbags made from feedsacks. The handle are discarded seat belts. They are so darling…Marsha’s words NOT Paul’s!

Thomas Mercantile carries their own line of hand cream, soap and body spray. You guessed it…Marsha brought some hand cream home with a bunch of other stuff she couldn’t live without. I will say that it does smell pretty good.

Marsha says, “If you are in Livingston, be sure to stop in and see Terry and this lovely store.”
Side note: When the train goes by, give the conductor the blow your horn sign. If he does, you get 20% off your purchase.

After their visit to Thomas Mercantile, Fran and Wayne took Marsha to a Mexican Restaurant where they treated her to lunch.

Fran recommended the Chicken DiBlanco. Marsha could only eat one of the four pieces of chicken wrapped with bacon. So Paul got to eat lunch at home..YUMMY! The portions were large and prices very reasonable. We will eat here the next time we are in town. Wayne picked up the bill…Thank You Wayne! Fran and Wayne were just full of surprises today.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all later. Have a great day!

JUST RELAXING!

Tuesday, April 19 – With all the storms blowing through the southern part of the USA, we decided to change our travel plans....AGAIN! We've already delayed our departure from Livingston, TX by a week. We've been so busy visiting with old friends, we decided to stay until after the Easter weekend.

After talking with a friend here at Rainbow's End and discussing parts of Texas we haven't seen, we decided to visit the Prairie and Lakes region and then head to the Pan Handle Plains in the NW part of the state.

From Livingston, we'll head West to College Station, TX (home of Texas A & M), Waco, San Angelo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, Amarillo, and then near the end of May (hopefully the weather will have settled by then) to Oklahoma City for the NCAA Softball Super Regionals and Women’s Softball World Series. We'll visit the areas we planned to see in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma another time.

So instead of tornados, hail, and damaging winds, we'll be on the look-out for grass fires in the draught stricken Texas Plains.....crazy!

We have met a new couple here in the park. They are Jan and Dave.

What a delightful couple from Wisconsin. They have a Tiffin Phaeton exactly like ours, including the same paint scheme, except it is a 2006, one year newer. They stopped by one day to chat, and we have been friends since then. We went over to their last Saturday for happy hour. What a great time.

Wednesday, April 20 – We've been “chillin'” outside recently (no the weather isn’t chilly – 90 humid degrees here in Texas). Marsha has been doing some basket weaving, and Paul is busy watching construction across the street. The people across the way are having a roof built over their parking area. It's a pretty heavy duty carport – much more robust then the average cover around here. The frame is heavy I-Beam, galvanized steel instead of the usual aluminum, that others use. Boy, is it high. They'll have plenty of room to run around on the roof of their 5th-wheel under that beast! That sucker has to cost a pretty penny!

It originally was to take them only three days but they ran into problems on Tuesday. If this thing gets done before we leave on Monday, we will post a picture. We aren’t holding our breath!

We try to take a walk each day around the park.

The flowers are in full bloom.

Magnolia tree

Roses of every color.

Cacti are showing off their colors.

We would like to leave you with a thought…Do you think this is overkill?

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!