I blew it !!

In last Sunday's Blog, I wrote about our upcoming travels and Rallies that we will be attending and I put the dates.  Only I put the wrong Month!!  I put September and it should have been October.  One good reader made a comment and told me that I was going to MISS those Rallies because the month of September was about OVER!!!!!  Wow, how could I make a mistake like that?  I proof read the thing a couple times and Ms Pat proofs it, too, but we both sure missed it. My face is red and I'm embarrassed.  If I continue to do this Blog, I must be more careful.

Then to top that off, I received an email from someone that I had put a picture of on the blog, asking if I would please remove their LAST name.  That's a FIRST but I guess I can understand with all the identity theft that's going on!  I must admit this Blog is wearing on me a little right now. Maybe it's just because a lot has been going on lately. Mostly they have been exciting things and good things and I have always been one to enjoy excitement...and challenges. But I can't help but wonder what is happening to me.  I always stood up under pressure very well in the past.   Is this a sign of something?  Is my life changing too much, too fast? It could be.  Maybe...maybe not??

Ok, enough of those foolish thoughts.  Don't worry, I'm OK and as I would have said in my earlier life, "Buckle Down...move on...get over it"! It's not always fun and games, especially getting old.  I never in my life realized what it would be like in the last quartile of your life.  I am so thankful to our Father, God Almighty, that I have the opportunity to experience it.  I sometimes can't help but wonder why things happen. Why did my only brother Richard die when he was 53 and my youngest Son Scott at 47, then my oldest Son Mikel at 55? Why them and not me? God only knows the answer to that but I have learned that he does have a reason and he has a plan. Here I am entering into the last part of my life and I'm a little scared.  I'll admit that. But, why should I be?  Many have experienced it before me and I now realize the experience they felt.  I've heard many times that getting old isn't easy and it's not for sissies. Well I never worried before because I'm for sure not a "sissy".....Or am I???

I thought I was tough and could handle anything...anything at all....just bring it on. Hummm, I'm having lots of different thoughts now days.  I'm questioning my self a lot lately but I do know that the many things I have seen in the past few years make me certain that you have to have FAITH...FAITH in someone...and that someone for me is God.  God is calling the shot's. Now I have had faith in a lot of people in the past and still have faith in many more. But several of those that I had faith in are gone.  My Parents, my brother, my uncles, aunt's and  Scott and Mikel. I never gave a thought to all those loved ones passing on.  What, leave me here all alone.  Never?  I should have thought of that...I sure should have! If you haven't thought of it, do it right now.  Someday, hopefully, you too may experience getting old.  You can Thank God if you do experience it.  I have learned to put my faith in God.  He will be there for me and his plan may not be always what I want it to be but he will never leave me. I am so Thankful for the many things in my life that I have and have been allowed to experience.  That's why I put my Faith in God.

Monday we had a great day for the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park.  We headed out before daylight and got in line.  Cars were backed up for at least 6 miles.  The crowd was extremely large, around 14,000 was the count. The biggest Roundup ever but the staff handled it well. I especially enjoyed seeing all my old friends that we used to work with....plus the weather was just Outstanding.



This is Duane Stanley, one of the first Law Enforcement Rangers we met when we came to the Black Hills for the first time way back in 1995.  Duane is Head of Law Enforcement at Angostora State Park south of Hot Springs where we spent our 1ST year working for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. He was up here helping with the Roundup at Custer State Park.  Doesn't Ms Pat look happy and content.  She immediately fell in love with this entire area and it has been her love since.



The first Buffalo in the herd began to show up coming over the Hills, the entire herd was not too far behind. Look at those clear skies!

Soon the entire herd was in the corrals after thundering right by us.  What a beautiful sight.  This was our first experience as a spectator.  It is exciting, but not near as exciting as being out there in one of those trucks herding them in.

I was glad to see my ex-boss, Ron Tietsort, made the ride in good shape and was about to unsaddle his horse as we walked up. This Saddle always touches my heart and brings back many memories  I won this saddle back in 1953 when I was doing the Rodeo circut.  My mind goes back to that summer day

way back in 1953...some 57 years ago.  I was a mere 18 years "young".  I was young, proud and probably a little wild but I had one of the best days of my life that day....especially in the Rodeo business.  It was almost a flawless day.   I won or placed in every event I entered.  That included the Bareback and Saddle Bronc riding, Bulldogging, Calf Roping, Wild Cow Milking and Bull Riding.  When it ended up, I had enought points to win the "All Around Champion Cowboy" title and won this beautiful Saddle and many other gifts, awards and money.

I remember getting home about 3am after the rodeo and my Parents were sound asleep. I quietly carried the new Championship Saddle in and spread it out on the kitchen table. I knew they would see it immediately when they woke up in a few hours. I then went to bed after a long, hard day.  I will not forget the yell my Dad made when he saw that saddle I had won.  He was a proud Guy, just as I was.  My Mom never was too happy about me following the Rodeo circut, but she smiled and said "nice"......Then she asked "Are you hungry?"  You bet Mom, I sure am!

This is Rollie, Gina and I while we were talking with Ron. I loaned Ron that saddle a couple years before we retired from the Park.  It's his as long as he wants to use it.  He loves the saddle and I'm glad to see him use it and enjoy it.

We plan on leaving this Sunday morning, only 4 short days away.  We are continuing our task of preparation to leave and winterize everything we leave behind. Rollie and Gina are finishing up on a few items and giving us a hand. We appreciate them so much!  They make life so much easier for us...as you all know.

Mark and Dale are leaving us this morning and we're going to miss them but we'll see them again real soon at the HDT Rally in Hutchinson, KS.  They treated us to a real nice dinner last night at the Alpine Inn in Hill City.  Thanks Mark and Dale and travel safe.

I will try to get a short Blog out Sunday before we depart. However if I don't, you will know why.  I will be back ASAP and keep you posted on our travels and adventures. 

It is a GREAT WEEK!

Thanks for stopping by, God Bless you all...

Mike

This Blog is Published every Wednesday and Sunday..

It's GREAT having the Kid’s Home!!

Remember last Wednesday I told you the Kid’s would be here shortly, as they stopped for the night just 30 miles away? Well, I was keeping my eye out for them but they still managed to roll into our driveway without me seeing or hearing them. When I glanced out....there they were. I let out a holler to Ms Pat, “There they are”! Ms Pat hit the door in a flash and I was right behind her.  This is what I saw...


Gina was running towards us as fast as she could run and Rollie was a short distance behind her.  It sure was GREAT to see them.  After some good old “southern” hugs, they came into our "New 2 Us" Motorhome…. They had just seen pictures of it and were excited to check it out.

We had so much to talk about.  We sat down and listened to all the exciting things they had seen up in Montana and Canada during the last 5 weeks.  We told them all about our “hunt” for our new RV and our trip south to Texas.

Gina presented us with these beautiful “hand etched” glasses that she had done personally for us.. She does good work.  Her talent simply amazes me.  One glass has a Cabin and the other has a Moose. These glasses were made special for our "Cabin in the Hills".  Thank you so much Gina,...you are so thoughtful and they are beautiful!!

Thursday it rained almost all day.  Then just before “Happy Hour”, the sky began to clear. We had some "special” guests come and join us.


Barry and Cindy (last name removed by request) were in the area and we invited them over. They are waiting for the Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park, which is Monday (tomorrow). They are our very first Foretravel owners to visit our little piece of Heaven. They are long time Foretravel owners and I learned a lot about our new “travel home”. Everyone enjoyed meeting them and we will see them again soon in Colorado Springs, Co. at our FIRST Foretravel Rally.
 
Friday, Rollie, Gina, Pat and I went to Rapid City for many items that we needed. A trip there nearly always takes ALL DAY!! However, we hadn’t been there for several weeks and we needed a lot of life's necessities.

Saturday (yesterday), we all went to the big Buffalo Roundup Art’s and Craft’s Festival in Custer State Park. It is an annual event and since we hadn’t been there for several years, I was amazed at how BIG it had grown.  WOW, there must be triple the Craft’s booth’s they had when we worked in the Park. I was impressed…… Plus, the weather was absolutely beautiful!!

Here we all are at the Crafts Festival.  That’s Dale Bruss, Me, Ms Pat, Rollie, Gina and John and Michal Bagley. You can’t quite see them in this picture but there were several  Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep in those trees right behind us. See the picture below:


There are lots and lots of booths with some mighty fine handy work. It was enjoyable seeing all those beautiful creations, many made by local crafter’s. Here are a few: (click on pictures to enlarge)



Here is Rollie trying out a hand carved Walking Cane.  Looks pretty good doesn’t he? All he needs now is a “tin cup”!:-)……



There were dozens more.  They even had live "local" entertainment going on all the time.

We spent about 3 hours looking everything over and most everyone picked up a little something to their liking.  It was a great day with good friends enjoying this wonderful world out here in the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, our summer home for the last 15 years. We have loved every minute of it.  Praise the Lord for what he has given us.

When we got home and had some lunch, Rollie and Gina went to Hill City to look around. I decided to take advantage of such enjoyable weather and crank up the Harley for a little ride in the Hills!! My riding time is getting short. Ms Pat saw me "leathering up" and decided she would like to go. It was a nice pleasant 50 mile ride. I don’t know why but when I ride in these Hills it just brings out my inner thoughts. I have lots of flashbacks, have a little time to talk to God and to both my boys that I miss so much.  It is precious time to reflect on many wonderful memories. I sometimes get a tear in my eye, but nearly always have a "smile" on my face!

Sunday: This morning it’s off to Church.  This will be our last Sunday for Church at the Crossroads Church in Custer. That’s kinda sad because we enjoy our Pastor Neil so much and have made so many good friends in the Church. That’s one of the hard tasks in this lifestyle we have chosen and love.

After Church, it's home and back to work. We still have many, many things to do in preparation of leaving.  It will be much easier now that we have our “Kid's” here to help. Thank God again and again for sending them to us.

It's only ONE week from today that we saddle up and ride on down the trail and head South for the winter. Next stop will be Colorado Springs for the Foretravel Rally Oct 4TH to 9TH. Then on to the HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) Rally in Hutchinson, KS. Oct 10TH to 16TH. From there we'll go down to Nacodoches, TX to Motorhomes of Texas on Oct 19-20TH. Then we will mosey on down to the Texas Valley in Mission . This is always just a tentative schedule, as nothing with us is written is stone. Any or all of it may change.

Thanks for stopping by……Please stop again.

Be sure to take a look at Rollie and Gina's Blog for more pictures.

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!

Mike

This Blog is published every Sunday and Wednesday..

We are EXCITED today!!

Yesterday, we received word that the "Kids", Rollie and Gina, were headed back this way....that made both Ms Pat and I jump with joy! They got a late start and Ms Pat and Gina kept in contact all day long as they got closer and closer. It was fun following their progress.  I couldn't wait to see them.  I knew, leaving that late, they would never make it in one day. They were in Big Timber, MT and that's 425 miles from Custer. Now that's an easy day for them but not when they leave at noon. I figured they would make about 300 miles, maybe to Gillette, WY. They zipped right on threw Gillette and proceeded on.

Soon they were getting close to Newcastle, WY. which is close to the South Dakota state line. It was getting dark and they were only 30 miles away. I remembered a big pull off on the East side of New Castle so Ms Pat and I suggested they stop there and get some rest. They had to be tired.  They had driven right at 390 miles. So close....but suddenly it was "BLACK" dark outside and the deer are very plentiful around here right now.  There are some winding, twisting roads and construction as they pass Jewel Cave National Park. The moon was nearly full but it wasn't up yet and it was what we call "Pitch" dark. The moon came up around 10-11pm and then it was nice and bright. We were happy they stayed where they were safe and sound for the night.  I'm sure they will be here this morning in a couple hours. We are sure anxious to see them.

Our job of wrapping things up around here and getting the Motorhome loaded with what we can carry is a job that has both Ms Pat and I about exhausted. We both just feel totally worn out. I can hardly make it past 3pm and I'm about ready to drop..  I'm not doing that much work that I should be tired like this. I guess all this running like crazy, making all kinds of important decisions, has taken its toll.  All of a sudden, I'm restless, bored and confused.  I just want to take off.... I'm done caring what I should take, what I should leave, what I must have and what I may need and what I won't need. That kind of stuff drives me bonkers.  As one of my Idol's used to say "Lets head 'em up and move 'em out". (John Wayne)  Lets ROLL!!  

Monday is BUFFALO ROUNDUP time up here in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  This is a picture I posted  of my good buddy and x-boss at Custer State Park, Ron Tietsort. He is head of Law Enforcement.

We worked the Roundup for many years and it was a very memorable, exciting time in our life. We have NEVER been there as a spectator. Monday we will be up before the "crack of dawn" and take Rollie and Gina and Mark and Dale to the annual BUFFALO ROUNDUP.  We will be "Spectator's" for a change!  It will be a Gala Affair, the weather is looking favorable and the crowd is expected to be the largest ever, around 15,000 viewers..  It will be an experience....a good one I'm sure..  It's SOMETHING to see.

Time to get up and around, as I know Rollie and Gina will be coming over the hill and headed up our driveway soon.  We can hardly wait!!!  Hallelujah!!!

Welcome to our latest "Followers":

Wild Blue Yonder
Dave

We are glad to have you folks with us. Please leave us a comment when you can, Blogger's really appreciate that.  That brings our total up to 125...NEAT!! Click on these folks' pictures and you can learn more about them. They might even have a Blog themselves...

Thanks for stopping by....hope to see you again Sunday.

Everyone Travel Safe and God Bless..

Mike

This Blog is Published every Wednesday and Sunday..

A Gentle Reminder....

This week we have had some temperatures that remind us it's time to wrap up the loose ends and prepare to head south. The heating systems on our new Motorhome are getting a good workout. Monday when we got out of bed it was 33 degree's, Wednesday it was 52, Thursday 37 and this morning it's 35.

Yesterday, it was damp, foggy, misty and cool all day. I stepped outside about 7am ready to start on another day of packing the Motorhome and the chill and light mist hit me in the face. It was 36 deg and the kind of cool chill that goes right through you.  I decided since it was a Football Saturday, it would be a great day to just lay low, take the day off and watch my two favorite College teams play Football.  Both teams made me proud. Nebraska beat Washington and Florida State won over BYU.  Way to go!  It felt good to just "do nothing" for a day. It's been a long time since we've done that. The high for the day was only 48. Next week its supposed to warm up again for a while. Today the sky is completly clear and its a beautiful day.

Ms Megabyte2 and I enjoyed watching the Deer graze in our front yard through the windshield of the Motorhome.

Mark Bruss has been working on my Laptop for the last 3 days trying to discover why it is using up so many megabytes. It's using way too much of the 5GB Verizon has allotted to us each month.   Most of it is uploading, so something is happening that shouldn't be. Several days it used up to 2GB in one day.....way too much!!  Most of my days run around 130MB and that runs us close to our limit each month, so with Pat's usage we have to watch it very close.  I have been "grounded" from using it for weeks and it's about to drive me "bonkers".  I have borrowed Ms Pats laptop but it doesn't have the things on it I need to do my Blogs. It's just hard to operate anymore without your own "personal" computer.  I don't see how people exist without one.  That said, I know I sometimes spend too much time on the computer.  You don't get much exercise or any fresh air or any of those things that make you live a longer, healthier life. So, maybe it's good they break down sometimes. It's lengthening our life!!

We continue the long, slow process of getting things prepared to leave these beautiful Black Hills and head back to the beautiful hills and desert area of Arizona. I'm real anxious to get back in our new house at North Ranch.  We're going to South Texas first and see all our friends in Retama Village in Mission.  We need to clean our personal stuff out of the Coach House in case we sell it over the Winter.  Here is the website if you know anyone that's interested.  3903 Lark Drive We have a nice BBQ grill there that is also For Sale, since we have no room to haul it.

We're off to Church this morning and then back to work.  Their is a LOT to do getting one of these places prepared to leave it for 6 months. But we LOVE IT!!!

Rollie and Gina ... we know this has been a tough week for you both.  We've been praying for you every day.  Drive safely.  We love you and can't wait to see you.

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!

Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you down the road.

Remember to tell your kids you love them.  They may not be around forever.

Mike

This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday..

Grandaughter Shala's Wedding, Aug 14, 2010

It was a GALA affair!

Aren't they a good looking couple? It was an outdoor wedding in Lincoln, Nebraska, the weather was warm but beautiful. I am so proud of Shala and Ryan. I have known him for the many years he and Shala have been dating. They are both in the final process of graduating from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

This is my Son Pat escorting Shala down the aisle. I know he was one PROUD Papa....

The wedding vows were given by their Minister. 

"I now pronounce you 'Man and Wife'...you may kiss the Bride"!

They departed hand in hand as we all cheered!!

They were quickly "whisked" away in style by their Chauffeur.........to places unknown!

They later made a grand appearance at a BIG celebration in their Honor!

This is a picture Ms Pat took that I will always cherish.... that's my son Pat in the middle and his son Patrick. I love that look on his face, he looks like a mighty happy Father doesn't he?  It really touched my heart when he was presenting his speech to the group.  He said " I"m very happy that my Dad could make it".  I'll remember that for the rest of my life!! Praise the Lord.

The Newlywed's had the floor for the first dance....

Father and Daughter had the floor for the next dance.....

Ms Pat got in on one of the "fun" dances. 

I waited my turn and got my chance to dance with my Sweetheart. I love you Shala.  May God Bless You and guide and protect you through a great life. You are our pride and joy!

As I said it was a Gala Affair!  What a beautiful Wedding!

We continue to get things ready to roll south.  Mark Bruss and I have been redesigning all the electronics in our new Motorhome and we switched it from DirecTV over to Dish. Wow, what a process.  We put a nice new "LED" TV in the bedroom and reprogrammed the software in the TracStar satellite Dome. We also cleaned up all the wiring and coax.  It's a much neater installation and we are watching "locals" now for the first time in 2 years. Hallelujah!!

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!!

Thank you all for stopping by...........


Mike

This Blog is published every Wednesday and Sunday..

Great Friends and a Super Motorcycle Ride

Our good friends Gregg and Bonnie Gheyssens stopped by to see us a for few days on their way south. They have been on an awesome trip this summer. They left their Toyhauler and Volvo Truck in Canada and rode their Motorcycles to Alaska. They traveled over 7000 miles on their Harleys, with Gregg pulling a little camper trailer. I have showed you pictures on this Blog of them during the summer. That had to be some trip of a lifetime!

I enjoy hearing their tales of this great experience.  They are dedicated Motorcycle riders and Harley enthusiasts. Their Harleys are their only "other" mode of transportation besides the Big Volvo Truck.  If you want to know anything about Harleys, Gregg is about the best guy I know to ask.  I have learned a lot from him and we enjoy riding with him and Bonnie a lot.    

Since they will only be here a few days, I wanted to get in a good ride with them before they had to leave. So yesterday at 10am, we headed out. The weather was outstanding and it was a great time for a ride.  We headed for Custer State Park.

It wasn't long until we were on the Wildlife Loop and amongst the Buffalo.  What a beautiful sight. "Home, Home on the Range....where the skies are not cloudy all day"!  It was an enjoyable ride as we continued all around the park and up to Keystone and across to Hill City. It took us all of 5 hours and we traveled 100 miles of some mighty crooked roads.

We were all pretty worn out out by the time we got home, all except Gregg.  I think he could have gone for another 100 or two.  Gregg has been riding motorcycles for a long time and he has ridden through the Black Hills and Custer State Park a few times before. He comes from Canada and for years he rode his Harley from Canada to South Texas.

I enjoy the kidding I have been getting from a lot of you on the "downsizing". Some can't vision going to a 40' Diesel Pusher as "downsizing" and I can definitely understand.  We have been considering going to a Diesel Pusher Motorhome for a few years and looked at a zillion of them. One of the reasons we didn't make the move was because none of them had anywhere near as much room as our Teton's....not upstairs, nor downstairs in the "basement"....not really anywhere near.  Believe me.

However, I just can't seem to get it into my head that we will not be "full- timing" any longer.  15 years of living in an RV has left me with a one track mind.  I can't visualize just traveling in an RV and not living in it.  I still want to take "everything" I own with me.  It's driving Ms Pat and I both NUTS. First of all, we can only get maybe 1/3rd of what we carried in the 45' Teton and big Volvo Truck in this Motorhome.  What to TAKE and what NOT to TAKE is overwhelming!   Plus, it's a slow process. I have stuff strung all over my shop  and the Toy Barn to the point that it is a MESS.   Somehow, we'll get through this and probably make a lot of mistakes but it's an experience.  When my girl Gina gets back, I know she will have the answer. That gal is the best organizer in the whole wide world.  She gets stuff done! Thank God she will be here in a few days........I can't wait!!!  Hear that girl?

Welcome to several of our latest FOLLOWERS, several have been with us for weeks!

Gail Durham
Me and My Dog
B.W. and Carol
Freely Living Life

WELCOME,,,to you all. We are glad to have you with us. That brings the count way up to 123 now.   Wow!  It was only a while back we didn't even have 50.  I love it!!!

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!!

God works in strange ways, but let me tell you they are great ways and I truly give him praise everyday for everything he gives us...

God Bless you all!

Thanks for stopping by.

Mike

This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday..

From the Frying Pan to the Ice Box!!

Here we are HOME!!! Hallelujah !!! This is our NEW HOME sitting right where the old one sat.  We made it home Sunday after a nice 410 mile trip and the timing was "perfect". We backed into our spot and I hit the air level button. The Foretravel gently leveled itself and Ms Pat put the slides out.  I looked at my watch...3:30pm.  Happy Hour in 30 minutes....PERFECT! Whew!  It was a long trip but it was worth it.

We were lucky to be welcomed home by our good friends Mark and Dale Bruss. They have been traveling the western US all winter and we were expecting them. Fortunately for us, they arrived a few days before we did and we asked them to watch over the place. It's neat to be welcomed home by good friends and someone to enjoy Happy Hour with.  Plus, Dale had a great supper all planned and prepared.  God is so good to us.  Thanks so much Dale and Mark.

My title "From the Frying Pan to the Ice Box" about describes our situation. The "Frying Pan" was where we were in Texas for the last 2 weeks with the temperatures above the 100's and the humidity about the same. Then when we arrived back here in Custer and it was like the "Ice Box". Monday the temperature only got up to 53 deg and Tuesday morning the low was 32 deg.  What a change!   Suddenly it's FALL!!!  Summer 2010 is OVER, seems like it happened overnight.

It's unbelievable that we only have about 3 weeks left before we head back south. Where did the summer go? We still have so much to do. However, it will just have to wait.  It will be here when we get back.  We did accomplish an awful lot. By the time we get this rig all loaded up and ready for the winter, it will be time to head south.

We have so much to learn about our new Foretravel home. We found out on the Foretravel Forum that a few of the members are having a Rally in Colorado Springs on Oct 4th. That would be a wonderful opportunity for us to look and learn and ask questions. We hope we can get things together soon enough to make it.  It will push us but we're getting used to being pushed,  so we'll give it a go.

It is a GREAT WEEK!!!

Thanks for stopping by.........Hope to see you Sunday.

Mike

Rollie and Gina, have fun and hurry home......be safe!!  Love you and miss you lots!!

This Blog is Published every Wedensday and Sunday... 

We're On the Road and Will Be Home TODAY.....by Happy Hour!!

Here we are Thursday right about noon just before we left Motorhomes of Texas heading for home. They had just taken us to the fuel station and filled our tanks with 180 gal of Diesel and filled the 75 lb Propane tank. We had everything we could find wrong all fixed and were ready to hit the road.

Wow....we were excited!! This was going to be an experience! Ms Pat said a little prayer as I jumped behind the wheel.

Let's see, where is everything. Boy, there sure are lots of switches and buttons. Will I ever learn where everything is? First, adjust the tilting, telescoping steering wheel..... OK, now just press the "D" drive button and TAKE OFF...   Ooops, first release the brakes!!  We're OFF!!

Ms Megabyte2 is also excited, look how big her eyes are. We put her bed on the couch and she crawled right into it...........She's thinking.....What have they done now!!

We drove an easy 270 miles to just over the Oklahoma border and parked at the big WinStar Casino. I was very pleased with the way the Foretravel handled.  The 450 hp diesel engine was very responsive and had plenty of power. It handles beautifully!! We spent a very, pleasant night with Security checking the area about every half hour.

From the WinStar casino, we drove 184 miles on up to Stillwater, OK where our good friends Gene and Ann Benson live. We got in there right about lunch time and Gene met us and led us to his beautiful lot on the lake where we spent the night.

We spent the afternoon visiting and helping Gene and Ann get their Motorhome situated on the Tailgating parking area of Oklahoma State Universty where their team was playing a big football game the next day.  Their spot on the lake is beautiful and we had a great night. This is a picture as we were leaving the next morning. Thanks so much Gene and Ann. We hope next time we can stay a little longer. It was so great seeing you both.  We'll see you again at the HDT Rally in a month or so.

It's been 2 weeks since we left home in pursuit of our Dream Motorhome. We were prepared to spend 2 months if it took that long. But Pat and I are are so anxious to get home. This living out of a suitcase and in motels is definitely for the birds....not us!!  Plus, we have lots of things to do before we leave Custer.

We left Stillwater and drove 425 miles to one of my old stomping grounds, Grand Island, NE. This is where I had my first assignment when I went on the Nebraska State Highway Patrol, way back in 1958.  My, how this place has changed. We spent the night in the Sam's Club parking lot after we went in and spent $125.00 for groceries.

Well, you can see that Ms Megabyte2 has learned to relax and has grown quite fond of this new adventure and lifestyle we have chosen.  "Ahhhh", she says, "this is the Life"!!

We are also getting a little more used to our new home as we continue to learn where things are and how they operate.

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!

Thanks for stopping by and we hope to see you Wednesday. 

May God bless you all as He has us.......as we continue to give Him our Thanks.

Mark and Dale, we should be there by Happy Hour!!  See ya soon!!

Mike

This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday..

We are still at NACOGDOCHES..

Last night was our 5th night here at Motorhomes of Texas and they worked real hard on our new Coach yesterday. We discovered the ice maker didn’t work, so the refrigerator had to be partially removed and a new water line installed up the back of it. Now that’s a tough, nasty job. Chester and David worked on it most of the day.
This is the back side of the refrigerator. You can see they have it moved forward and if you think you see “LEGS” , you're correct. That's David up inside the back of the unit!! David is a small guy and this is his speciality..
This is a shot up into the back of the unit where he was installing the line.


Here he is after he just crawled out.  Now that’s not a very big hole to be climbing in and out of, but he says he does it all the time. That’s Chester helping him down. Chester says “Yep! David is my man!!"


This is our parking spot.  We like it up close to the building because we have excellent WiFi plus great electric and water hook ups.

Here we are inside the shop in one of the many bays…


This is the customer lounge. Neat place.  Ms Pat just loves the furniture here. She would like to take it to our new home in Arizona.  We have a "western" theme at the Arizona home, so this furniture, lamps, etc. would look great there.

One of the things I really like about it here is that they will let you go back into the shop area and talk to the mechanics but we try not to bug them any more than necessary. Not many shops allow that any more.

This is David Robertson, Owner of Motorhomes of Texas, congratulating me on our new purchase and welcoming us into his “Family”.  David is a super, nice guy and really treats his customers right. He assures us we can call his service department for questions and troubleshooting anytime and gives us a 10% discount on all parts and will ship them to us.. He spent many years working for Foretravel at the factory. Most all his employee’s worked at Foretravel previously before coming to Motorhomes of Texas. Several I talked to had worked at the factory for up to 19 years.  They work on all makes of coaches, but they really know their Foretravels!

This is Mel Cordray. Mel is in Sales and is the guy that introduced us to Foretravels. Mel is one of those guys that it is just good to know. He is always by our side, caring for our every want and answering all our questions, walking us through everything step by step. Thank God for Mel.  We love him to death..

This is Jason Haskins, Business Manager.  Jason is the one that takes your money. He also looked out after us and graciously allowed us to move out of the Motel into our Foretravel, even before he had full access to the funds we paid him.  A neat, young local fellow.

This is Chelsea, the Receptionist, Greeter and Secretary. She helped Ms Pat mail out several PressurePro systems while we were here and even loaned Pat her computer and printer a couple times.  She even "kitty sat" Megabyte for us so we could take a tour of all the motorhomes on the lot.

That’s just a few of the neat folks here at Motorhomes of Texas. There are many more in the service and parts dept, shop and all over the place. Thanks Mike, David, Chester, Seth and all the other service guys that worked so hard on our new home.

We have enjoyed our stay here and they have us about wrapped up.  It looks like the ice maker is putting out cubes now, so we’re all set. We will probably leave out tomorrow and go a short ways and stop for the night so we won’t be too far away in case we need something else. They have really fixed every little and big item that we asked them to. We can’t say enough good things about Motorhomes of Texas. They have all made this a remarkable  experience.  Before we depart, they have assured us that they will fill our tanks with diesel and propane. With that, AWAY WE GO!!

Remember I said God had a plan for us and it would work out. As Gina says “Have faith Pop’s, our Father in Heaven will take care of us”. Well, my Dear, you were most certainly right.  He did just that....which further strengthens my belief and faith.  I sure do miss my Gina. That girl really looks out for her ole' “Pop’s” and gives me more hugs, love and encouragement than anyone ever has before....Ms Pat says she is "spoiling" me.  :-) Plus, she keeps me on the straight and narrow. Both her and Rollie are Angel’s sent from above, that's for SURE. I can’t wait to see them.
It's a GREAT WEEK!!!

Thanks for stopping by.  God Bless you all!

Mike

PS:  Mark and Dale.....be safe on your trip to Custer.  We'll see you in a few days.

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