Not GOOD NEWS !

This has been SOME week !!!


This is Scott and Ann's place, taken last Sept when we visited. It was just a few days later when the Leukemia was discovered. Its been a LONG HARD 8 months for them.......


As you know we are in Lincoln, Nebraska visiting Son Scott and Ann. Shortly after we got here, it was discovered that the DREADED Cancer was back!!!! We were all devastated, what a shock! Scott has been extremely sick, terrible stomach cramps, diarrhea, and can not keep anything down. Not even his meds. He certainly did not want to have to take any more Chemo. However, that was his only option at this point. Thursday afternoon they began giving him the heavy doses of the drug, plus running several other tests. He will get 4 sessions of treatments that each take 2-4 hours. He was so dehydrated that they had to give him double doses of saline. This chemo, of course, made him even sicker.

Here is Scott's latest post from his Caringbridge web site, posted yesterday:
**********************************************************************
*(quote)*
The results came back positive that the cancer has returned. They started me on more chemo almost immediately. The last several days I have been extremely ill with vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. In fact I was so dehydrated they had to give me fluids before they could start my chemo. They tested me for the return of c-def but it came back negative and they are still looking for the cause. I am going through my fifth round of chemo everyday through the weekend at the hospital. I have to be there tonight (Saturday) and then again first thing in the morning (Sunday). I am allowed home at night, thank goodness.The next steps will entail having my brother return from Arizona to donate more cells. Not stem cells this time but more adult cells to assist in eliminating my original immune system and have his take over. We have to wait on the insurance to approve the procedure and once again they have denied it as of late Friday afternoon. The appeal process has been started but obviously it will be at least next week after the long weekend before anything happens. The logistics of getting my brother here on short notice will be difficult and we can’t set anything up until we get the insurance company’s approval. So we wait and have faith.
Scott and Ann
************************************************************************************ I am so glad we are here during this most difficult time and can offer in some way our support and assistance, although I feel TOTALLY helpless in the situation. It's sure hard to watch someone you love so much go through this. With Scott and Ann's strong faith, they will come through it. It's quite a shock since he seemed to be doing so well.

We contacted his older brother in Tucson, AZ yesterday to begin making arrangements for him to return to Omaha for another type of stem cell donation as soon as the doctors are ready.

Please keep them in your prayers!!!

NEXT SATURDAY is the big pancake feed !!! We are expecting hundreds of people and some of these people I have not seen for years and years. Tuesday I went with Larry Johnson, Scott's Uncle, to the University of Nebraska campus and the BIG RED coliseum. Gee, this place has grown since I lived here!!! Man, what money will buy!! We obtained several footballs, volleyballs, basketballs and baseballs from the respective athletic departments that have all been personally signed by the coaches and some star players. These treasures will be auctioned off at the Pancake feed. Larry's daughter, Christy was one of the Volleyball stars here just a few years ago and is now the HEAD Volleyball coach at the University of Iowa. We are all very proud of her. Scott was one of Christy's BIGGEST fans and watched many of the games she played in.

This has also been a terrible week for storms. Tornado's and flooding all around us!! The winds and thunderstorms kept us up 2 nights in a row. The wind blew so hard, it shook this big TETON and blew over our satellite dish. Luckily, it didn't break the dish....just a small crack...so we managed to get it back up and running. Last night, things remained pretty calm but they say we may be in for another round of storms tonight.
Visit Scott's CaringBridge web site and say hi to him at:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall
Keep him and Ann in your prayers. We are so thankful for all our friends support and prayers, that words cannot describe it. THANK YOU !!

Next week is going to be a GREAT WEEK !!!!!!!!

Mike

Boot Hill and Gunsmoke Territory

We have been to Tombstone territory and we are now in Boot Hill territory!!!!

Early afternoon we pulled into the Gunsmoke RV Park in Dodge City, KS. We had been on the road for 3 fairly long days and it was time for a little break, plus we wanted to see the famous BOOT HILL. We also wanted to meet up with the Marshall MATT DILLON. Matt ranked right up there with John Wayne as one of my "idols".

Entrance to the Campground. See the PISTOL and the SMOKE.....

I thought that Six Shooter was NEAT!!! The campsite was plenty large enough for our rig and made it easy to pull in. We had a PressurePro system to pack up and get to the post office, so we took care of that first thing. http://www.pressureprosystem.com/ Then we came back and settled in to get a little R&R so we would be ready for BOOT HILL tomorrow. The wind was blowing like crazy, so it was good to be off the road!

BOOTHILL is right downtown Dodge City and you can walk through the graveyard and read the headstones (made of wood) of all the BAD guys and other unfortunate ones that didn't survive the early day lawlessness and were gunned down back in the 1870s/1880s.

Back in my younger days, I hung out in lots of bars, but I always wanted to make this one!! THE FAMOUS LONGBRANCH SALOON!! The bartender even gave us a "shot" on the house!!!! NEAT !!

This is the rest of Front Street in Dodge City. You can browse through all the old stores and businesses that were reproduced to an exact duplicate of the originals.....FIREARM's are not allowed in this area, as per Wyatt Earp!!!! So we had to "check our guns".

For more pictures that I took of the area go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/wb4pdo/DodgeCityKSGunsmoke

For more info about the area go to:

http://www.skyways.org/orgs/fordco/dodgecity.html

We were crushed to find out that Matt Dillon was just a "fictional" TV character!!!! Wyatt Earp and "Bat" Masterson were the guys that organized a "Peace Commission" and introduced some Law and Order to the area. Very interesting stuff!!! I probably wouldn't have survived back in those days!!! I surely would have been SHOT or HANGED!!!! :-(

The following day we continued on and finished our trip in to Lincoln, NE where Son Scott and his wife Ann live. We were very anxious to see them....and we are now busy helping them catch up on some chores that needed to be done. As most of you know, Scott was diagnosed with Leukemia in Oct, 07. It has been an extremely hard winter for both of them. He is doing well, but MAN, I was surprised to see how much he has changed. He has lost over 60 lbs, all his hair and is very pale. He is coming along OK, but still has quite a ways to go and fights continuous ongoing problems daily! He is very weak and unsteady on his feet, has no appetite and is nauseous a lot of the time. We went with him Friday to the hospital where he received 2 units of blood, which took a total of 4 hours. This is normal stuff to him; he has been struggling with this for 7-1/2 months!!! It really has to be overwhelming and tiring for him. Ann had to leave her work and be at his side almost continually as they do not want him to be left alone at any time.

Their strong faith and dedication, along with everyone's support and prayers is what has kept them going......and continues to do so.....PLEASE KEEP IT UP!!!!!!! We thank you very much!!

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!

We are glad to be here and hope we can help the kids a little.......

Just 2 weeks until the Pancake feed!!!!!! Please come!

Take care and travel safe...

Mike

On the ROAD again!!!!

We finally got everything put away and ready to head North for the summer. But first, one last ride in the desert with our GREAT friends and neighbors, Paul and Nancy Wilson. What a nice ride!! Paul and Nancy know the BLM desert surrounding North Ranch quite well. It's always such a treat to go with the "pro's". They have been around the ranch for around 10 + - years.


This is the "Fearsome Foursome". Taken just after we completed our last ride for the season. We are all a little dusty, thirsty and tired. We will sure miss these fine folks!!!

Yesterday morning we departed North Ranch at 8:30 am, headed North and East. Destination: Lincoln, Nebraska where Son Scott and daughter-in-law Ann live. It was a nice day and the wind wasn't blowing untill we hit Flagstaff. Surprisingly, it was blowing just the way we were going!!! That doesn't happen much. The BIG ole' Volvo just purred along. I set the cruise on 63 mph and it maintained that speed in easy fashion. Traffic was the usual Interstate BUSY, but it was moving nicely. About 8 hours and 400 miles later, we decided the Bar "S" RV park in Grants, NM would be our home for the night.


This is the office of Bar "S" RV Park. It's a nice, clean park and the young gentleman that greeted us was very friendly and my type of guy. The sights were large and the roads were wide. They advertise that they are "BIG RIG FRIENDLY" and they REALLY ARE!!! Many say "no RV is too big for us". Well, we always call them and warn them of our size. We find it better to warn them than to SURPRISE them!! However, it seems to be a challenge with these RV parks and they normally all say "sure we can handle you, come on in!!!! "

The sites are gravel and they are LONG!! We didn't even have to unhook the Honda. We just shut it off, plugged in the electric, put out 2 of the 3 slides and turned on the computers. Then we sat back and took care of business... Pat had received 2 orders for PressurePro systems as we drove down the road. She wrote them up and I prepared them for shipping. Plus, there was a bunch of email questions. First thing you know, it was 9 pm. I was BEAT!!!

Well, I did stick out a little further than the others,,,,,,,,,,,,maybe "quite" a little!!!! But there was plenty of road left for vehicles to pass.

I knew this place looked "familiar" as we pulled in. Finally, when we got settled in I remembered it. As soon as I heard the first TRAIN blow it's whistle,,,,,,,,,ah, yes, I remember this place!!! BOY, that train is close!! We stayed here 5-6 years ago. So if trains and whistles all night long bother you, this place is NOT where you want to stop. But we were quite tired and it didn't shake us at all!!! We would stop here again.... it's easy to get at and the price with our SKP (Escapee) discount was $14.08. Not bad!!!


We will be up and OUT of here tomorrow morning around 8am. We are 75 miles West of Albuquerque. We'll go through there about 9-10am, so it shouldn't be busy. We plan on going on East to Tucumcari. Thats about 300 miles; plus, we have to fuel up at the Flying J in Tucumcari. UGH,,,,,,don't enjoy that!!! It's well over $4.00 per gal,,,,and I need right at 150-160 gal.:-(

We should be in Lincoln by Wednesday or Thursday. I'll see you all again next week. Thanks for stopping by....

Its was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!

Mike

If you care to follow our daily travels, along with a map of our trail, I put it on this web site:

Where we are.

North Ranch is EMPTY!!

I do believe we are about the only ones still here.


For you that have been here to North Ranch RV Park near Congress, AZ., you will recognize this campground. This is about as empty as I've ever seen it. Just a week or so ago, it was FULL to the brim.

Folks have sure begun to head for their Summer places. Some a little early maybe,,,,,,,like those in Rapid City, SD right now, where they got 12" + of SNOW last week end. From what I hear it was quite a blizzard! Blowing, blinding snow, I-90 was CLOSED. Big snow drifts all over the place.......... NO THANKS!!!! We have been enjoying 50-60 deg nights and 75-85 days. Now why would anyone want to leave that??? That's near perfect weather....

We will be here about another week. Lots to do before we leave. It's quite a job getting things all buttoned up before we can hit the road. More than you would think. For the first 5-6 years of our RV'ing, we could pick up and leave any place in a heart beat! But when you have a lot, with a storage shed, an extra refrigerator to clean out, things including an ATV to prepare for storage, it takes a while. Of course, we don't move as fast as we used to!!! Wonder why that is??

We're anxious to get to Scott and Ann's place in Lincoln, NE. It will be so GOOD to see them and help with some of the spring work they have. They have had a tough winter!!!! Scott's a real trooper or he wouldn't have made it. He is still having problems with the battle that Leukemia dealt him. But he keeps up the long, hard fight. It's been over 7 months now that his world was shattered. His life has been totally changed. It suddenly became a fight to survive. He took it on day by day and with his great companion and loving wife Ann, they have come a long, long way. I know it's been a long and tough battle. Not over yet, but I am real proud of the progress he has made.

Keep up with Scott's progress at this Caringbridge web site:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall

Help us keep cheering him on,,,leave him a note. Tell him I sent you!!! Did I mention I am VERY proud of him!!!! There will be a Pancake feed in his Honor in Lincoln on May 31st. I'll be there flippin' cakes!!! If you in the area, please come!!! (Unitarian Church)

Next week we may see you from out on the road,,,somewhere. Thanks for dropping by, stop back again!!!

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!

Mike


Friends and family of Scott and Ann invite you to a fundraiser......Saturday morning, May 31st from 7 am to 12 pm: Unitarian Church located at 6300 A Street, Lincoln. We will be hosting a pancake feed with a free will donation and silent auction to help Scott and Ann with expenses. Scott was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on October 4th, 2007. He received a bone marrow [stem cell] transplant from his oldest brother in early February. The medical expenses continue to grow at a staggering rate.
We hope Scott will feel up to joining us to meet and greet. Any questions or if you would like to help, contact Jean [Scotts' mom] at phone 402-489-2553, cell 402-440-5048 or vjkrull@neb.rr.com http://donate2scott.pm-webworx.com/

Another TEST----

Just another TEST,,,,and yes, I'll probably fail it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



But I gotta keep trying,,,,,,:-)



Here is the test................Where are we and who is that Statue behind us????

Winner gets to give me a prize of my choice!!!!
In case of a tie, tiebreaker is: Who is that picture of on my T-shirt????

Answer in Sh0ut Box.

Its a GREAT DAY!!!!!

Mike

Maps.Google.com, is Something!!!!

Google Maps is really interesting. I have been working with it for a while and it's amazing what all it will do! Here is a sample:

Where we spend most of our time:

View Larger Map

This is a map I quickly threw together to show you how it works. I have marked all the places where we have purchased RV lots. You can do an unreal amount of things with Google Maps. Click on a few things like "View Larger Map" and "Sat" on the above map for just a sample of a few things you can do.

Try it out here: http://maps.google.com/

Click on the markers on my map above and it will open a little window and tell you where the place is and something about it. You can also put pictures and/or picture albums in these pop ups.

If you go to Google Earth, you can Fly around the country at any altitude you want.


Here is another close-up of our place in Mission, TX

View Larger Map Click on the marker on this map (first click on "View larger map")and open the little box. Now you see a picture of our place in Texas. Click on the picture and it takes you to our Picture Album of the place with LOTS of pictures..... NEAT HUH????? Just think of what all YOU could do with GOOGLE MAPS!!!

Chris Guld of http://www.geeksontour.com/ does a wonderful job of teaching anyone how to use the Maps, plus a ton of other stuff. She puts out a newsletter with a world of information and I really enjoy her Tutorial Videos; they are short and informative. I have learned a lot from them. If I can do it, anybody can!!!! Check her site out and subscribe to her newsletter.

http://www.geeksontour.com/newsletters/


That's it for this week, we are still cleaning up loose ends with numerous Dr. appointments getting ready to leave. As it stands now, the (hopefully) last Dr. we have to see is on May 6TH.
But you know how that goes!!!! Meanwhile, we're just shipping out PressurePro systems all over the USA and Canada...... http://www.pressureprosystem.com/


It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!

Give us a shout!!!! shout box, email, cell phone, etc...

Mike

BEST NEWS SO FAR !!!

We were so HAPPY to receive the following news this week!!! The biopsy tests came back NO MORE LEUKEMIA !!!! Thats GREAT news!!!!!

Below is Scotts announcement from his web site.........

TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2008 11:09 AM, CDT
We got home from Monday's appointment in Omaha kind of late last night so I did not get this journal updated until this morning...Well we got great news, the results of the bone marrow showed no signs of leukemia what so ever.Another great thing happened when the doctor took me off another med, another pill off the long list.The good news continued when the doctor cut us loose to live at home. I will go in for blood work here in Lincoln at the Oncologist and get transfusions if I need them here in Lincoln. We don't have to go back to Omaha for 3 weeks (and about every 3 weeks after). This was pretty much unexpected but very welcome news.Yesterday was a great day filled with great news that I Praise the Lord for and thank all my family and friends for their thoughts, prayers and support.Scott and Ann

This news made our week GREAT,,,,,,nothing else compares!!!!!

This is a picture I took of Scott back in early Feb. when Mikel and I were in Omaha at the Transplant Center. He is just beginning to get his 3rd dose of very, heavy Chemo and about 10 days before the Bone Marrow Transplant. He doesn't have any hair on his head; he is wearing a cap with "hair" built into it that I brought up to him from South Texas.:-) He soon lost his chin whiskers from the Chemo.... I wish we had some current up-to-date pictures. He has come a LONG way since then!!! Thank God!!!!! Bless his heart, he has been fighting this since Oct 1st, nearly 7 months! He still has a long way to go but he gets better every day.

You can follow his progress at his web site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall

We are getting extremely anxious to go to Lincoln, NE and see him. I'm watching the weather very close. Starting to prepare things for the move. It will sure be good to see him and Ann!!!

It was a GREAT WEEK !!!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again next week. All is fine on this end.

Mike

Not a FUN WEEK !!!

We didn't do much last week, not much we can tell you about, or show you pictures of anyhow. It was a week set aside for the DREADED Colonoscopy. Ugh, not fun!!! Those that have been the route know what I'm talking about, I'm sure!!!! It's got to be done, but I dread it!!!! It sure shoots a week, for both of us to go through it. They won't let you both go through it on the same day, because one is the designated driver. You can't drive after the procedure, or at least they won't let you!!

I went on a liquid diet last Monday morning and had nothing but a little jello and some broth. I didn't want much of anything, because what goes in MUST come out!! :-) At 4pm, I began drinking the WITCHES BREW,,,,,,,,,,,,MAN,,,,,,that stuff is BAD!!!!! Why can't they make it taste like ice cream, or a smoothie? Noooo, they make it taste like some sweet crap with salt mixed it. I spent an hour drinking that first QUART,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then I got a WHOLE hour to relax before I had to start on the second QUART.....That took another hour!!! This special brew was called "MoviPrep"! Last time I went through this I had to drink a whole GALLON of "Go-Lightly" (I wonder who comes up with these names). I thought this 1/2 gal would be a piece of cake. Hum,,well not quite!!! Then, ya set around and WAIT, and WAIT,,,,,,,,,,,,Well,,,,,,you know where I spent most of the night!!!,,,,,,,,,right, in that little room!! Sure didn't get much sleep.

Up VERY early the next morning, because we have 50 miles to drive to the Clinic in Sun City West, near the Del Web Hospital and had to be there by 8:00 AM. WE were there at 7: 40!! This time they were doing BOTH an upper and a lower. So we got it from BOTH ends..... !!!

I'm happy to report that we both came out in FINE shape! Actually, the procedure is not bad at all and the anesthesia makes it go without any pain at all. Neither one of us had any "polyps" at all this time. Pat did have a stomach irritation that needs some attention. That explains why she has been having stomach pains!!!!! Dr. wants to see her in 2 weeks.

With Monday and Tuesday spent on my procedure and Wednesday and Thursday with Pats, needless to say the week was about shot!! But so were we !! But GLAD it was all over!!!!

Now wasn't that exciting??????????? NOT!!!!






This is MY FRIEND Del Holowel


Del was a SPECIAL friend and I miss him very much!!!!!

Del was my next door neighbor here at North Ranch. Del passed away in 2005. He had Prostrate Cancer. He was such a delightful guy and I always looked forward to getting back here and spending some time with him. He really enjoyed life and knew EVERYONE. This place hasn't been the same since!!! We were about the same age and had a lot in common. We spent a LOT of time talking. His dear wife Pat still lives next to us and continues to "live on" trying to fill the void left by this GREAT man. She told me that Del always looked forward to Pat and I returning; in fact, she said he missed us terribly when we were gone. Well I want you to know Del, that I know your having a good time up in that GREAT CAMPGROUND in the sky, but my friend, I miss you and think of you a lot!!!! You were one of the special guys in my life and I can see your smiling face and feel your spirit around here a lot, so I know your still here. But I sure miss our talks! LIVE ON MY MAN!!!!!!!! How's your horse doing,,,,,and are there any campsites near you. or is the place full?



We thought we would downsize a little and get a rig like this......Neat Huh????


Maybe next week will be more interesting,,,,but then again maybe not, who knows?
Anyhow, if the Lords willin', we will be here, hope you stop back.

We are STILL ALIVE and WELL,,,so it was a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Son Scott is keeping up his good battle and had a Bone Marrow biopsy done Thursday. We are anxiously awaiting the results. Should hear Monday!!! We are getting extremely anxious to head up there and see them. Hopefully we can dodge the storms and floods.
Again, you can check his site at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall

Have a good week,,,and STAY HEALTHY!!!!! Maybe it's time for you to schedule your Colonoscopy!!! (-:

Mike

Our assignment: ROUND MOUNTAIN !!!

See that mountain in the center of this picture taken from the top of our rig here at North Ranch in Congress,AZ? That's ROUND MOUNTAIN. This is the area where we ride our 4 wheelers a lot. We have ridden all around this Mountain, the front side, the back side and both the left and right sides. It is a Landmark for the area and keeps us from getting lost in this vast wilderness. Isn't the openness of the area outstanding? We love it!!! When we are out riding in the dozens of washes throughout the area and become disoriented, we just get up where we can see ROUND MOUNTAIN and we immediately know where we are.

Since DAY ONE, we have had the desire to go to the TOP of ROUND MOUNTAIN......This was the day!!!!!

OFF WE GO!!


Here we are about half way there.......



We are at the base of the mountain......


At about the halfway up point, with our great friends and neighbors Paul and Nancy Wilson, we decided to hike the rest of the way. It was about 2/3 of a mile on to the top. We could have ridden on up, but we wanted to HIKE IT!!! So we parked here and started the trek UP.



As usual, Pat took the lead. Its steeper than it looks and is very rocky. It would be a challenge to ride up but we'll save that for another day... today we're HIKING!!!! We love to HIKE!!!




It wasn't long and I was chugging along, when I looked up and there Pat was ON TOP!!!!! Whew,,,, I'll be there shortly!!! Chug, chug, chug.



The 360 deg view is quite a sight. These roads are on the back side of Round Mountain.



This is a shot of North Ranch from the top. See our TETON ?



After a little reminiscing, looking and relaxing on top, it was time to start down. Pat's leading, then Nancy, then Paul, then guess who? Yep, I'm bringing up the rear!!



I get delayed a little consuming the beauty of this desert, it is especially outstanding this spring!
I must have taken 2-3 dozen pictures of the flowers, different cacti, etc. on the way down. I'll put them in my web album.


BACK HOME AT THE RANCH....


I just had to show you this beautiful Easter Cactus just a short distance from our place. NO ONE that we know, has ever seen this many Blooms on one cactus at the same time!!! It is something else!!!


People come from as far away as Los Angeles, CA. to photograph this spectactular unusual sight.

Some of you just might recognize Nick Alezakis who now lives in a little community near LA. He and Joanne are our great friends that I introduced you to last week. We worked with them in Custer State Park....


This little jewel is on our property. Its a beauty and this is the way they usually appear, one or two at a time on a plant. They bloom around Easter almost every year. They are not late, Easter was just early this year...... (click on picture to enlarge)



Pat and I enjoy shooting our pistols. Finally this week we got out to sharpen up our aim a little. That's another thing we enjoy about this area, we can find a private place to target practice. Needless to say "I ain't as good as I once was"!!!!!! :-).......I've been shooting a pistol since I was 16 and had lots of formal training while I was on the Highway Patrol and at Custer State Park. I "used" to be a pretty darn good shot. But I don't know what is happening to me!!!! I introduced Pat to Pistol shooting shortly after we met about 23 years ago. She loved it and was exceptionally good at it. In fact she almost out shot me from that first day on the range. Well, she ALMOST did this time too!!!
OH, OK,,,,,,,,,,,,I just as well tell ya, she did OUT SHOOT me this time. But not by MUCH!!!!!:-(
Maybe I better have my eyes checked again!!!!

Hey, its been another GREAT WEEK !!!!!!!
We continue to be very thankful for all we have and enjoy.......

Son Scott seems to be continuing his slow but steady progress and was even cleared to go HOME for the weekend.....HURRAY!!!!!
Read his post on his CaringBridge web site at:http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall
I'm sure he would enjoy a greeting from you if you wish to leave one. Many thanks again to all our friends that have been checking and asking about him and have left him messages. Please continue keeping him in your prayers.........

Thanks for stopping by, see you again next week!!!!

Stay SAFE!!!!!
Mike

Patio,,,,,,All DONE!!!!!!!

Patio and Landscaping all done and we moved back on our lot. It was worth the wait, we really like it......

There "she" is !!!! This was taken from the top of our Teton across the street where we were parked.

We're back on the lot and I took this from the roof.

It is GREAT stepping out on this instead of the plain ole rock!!!

We like the way it turned out. Victor and his guys did a super job!!

Did you notice the pattern Victor put in? This is a close up of the "diamond" he designed. There are 5 of them. Go back to the picture from the roof and click on it to enlarge and you can see the pattern. Soon we will spray the brick with a sealant that will give it the "wet" look. The pattern will stand out more then.

Nick and Terry Russell

The famous "one and only" NICK RUSSELL, Editor of the RV Publication GYPSY JOURNAL and author of many, many books wanted a PressurePro Tire Monitoring System for their conversion bus. We have gotten to know these fine folks quite well over the years and they were only 85 miles away, so we took advantage of the opportunity to drive over and see them and deliver the system.

Their big bus is a 1976 and in superb condition. Ms Terry has done most of the inside conversion, cabinets, etc. It is a masterpiece.......what a delight to go through it.

Nick is installing one of the Wireless Sensor Transmitters on the valve stem as we were installing the system. That Sensor sends a wireless signal up to a Monitor on the dash and gives the tire pressure. Also, it will send you a signal if your tire develops a leak as you're driving down the road. It went on smooth as silk!!! Nick was impressed, plus he was looking forward to not having to get down on his knees to check the air pressure in his tires before trips etc. AHH, now just "press" a button and there it is!!!!! Nick had 8 tires on his Bus and 4 on his Van that he tows behind. He put a Sensor on all 12 tires. He will soon discover, as so many of our other customers, how comforting it is to have this system as you travel down the highway. Knowing exactly how much air pressure you have in each tire and if you should pick up a nail or develop a problem it will let you know before a catastrophe. It's a great feeling!!! Read more about the system at: http://www.pressureprosystem.com/

Everyone visits Nick's GREAT BLOG,,,,,,,it a great daily read. If you don't already follow Nick and Terry, here is his Blog site: http://www.gypsyjournal.net/NicksBlog.htm Look it over!!!

Hey another NICK!!!!!!! WOW, two Nicks in one week!!!! What a TREAT!!!!!

This is Nick and Joanne Alexakis,,,,,,,,,,Great old friends!!!! Now they are not OLD!!! But Nick and Joanne have been friends for a long time. We worked at Custer State Park with them and first met way back in 1996. They had been full time RV'ing for a year or two at that time and we had been at it for about a year. We have enjoyed some great times together, both in the Black Hills and also met them in Florida and in Arizona. They are originally from Minnesota and have worked all over the country since they started full time RV'ing. They drove over from near Los Angeles, CA. in their truck and spent a little time with us...staying at our little Motel in Congress, AZ. It's known as the "Smallest Motel in Arizona", with only 4 rooms. It's always so nice to see them. They are great people!!

Here they are with Ms Pat in front of our NEW patio!!!

A few other interesting things happened this week, but I don't want to wear you out!!!! I'll save some for later......

Son Scott up in Omaha, Nebr. is still desperately fighting to win his battle with AML. (Leukemia) I'm proud and happy to say he is still winning!!!!! Soon he will be getting a Bone Marrow biopsy. That will be the telling tale to see how the transplant went. Please join us in continuing our prayers for him and Ann. As usual here is his Caringbridge site so you can hear from him how he is doing: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall

It was a GREAT WEEK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by. See ya next week, Lord willing!!!!!

Mike

Spring has SPRUNG!!!!!!

Doesn't look like Spring, does it?

A week ago today(Mar 16,08) when we came out of Church it was sprinkling a little. By the time we got 12 miles to our place, it was snowing and sleeting. Neighbor, Paul Wilson took this picture of my truck...........This is Arizona,,,,,,and its only 4 days until Spring?????

I stuck my head out the door and got this picture. You can see the snow coming down if you look closely. That pile of dark sand over to the right on our lot is "white" with snow. Click on picture to enlarge it.

I took this picture out in the desert a few days later. It was 90 deg. So Spring has definitely sprung!! The entire desert is covered with green foliage and beautiful wild flowers...,,,,Truly an enjoyable site to see!!

OK, back to the work in progress.

I had hoped to show you pictures of the completed Patio and our Teton back on our lot today. Didn't happen!!! It turned into a little more work that we originally planned and of course, it took longer. Like I said, things always take longer and cost more than I think they should. I've almost learned to expect that!!!!

We did more dirt work and grading than we planned. This is the back of our lot, it was plain bare dirt. We decided to move the gray rock that was up front to back here. We also moved a lot of dirt to the back of the lot which gives us a lot more "living area" on the lot.

The Patio begins!!! That's Victor on his knees laying out the pattern. Sand has been spread and packed down so the bricks can be leveled. These are heavy duty Paver Bricks, they can be driven on with a truck and won't break. We don't plan on driving on them, but you never know. We wanted them strong, just in case!!!!

She's lookin' good!!! That's a lot of brick and a lot of leveling.

This curving is tough,,,,,,I think we are going to like it!!!!

Next week, a picture of the completed project!!!!! (I hope,,:-)

That's it for this week. Happy EASTER everybody!!! We're off to Church..........

Our thoughts and prayers continue for Scott, and for Ann. He seems to be progressing nicely. Although I know he is tired of the fight. It's been going on for nearly 6 months. he doesn't have an appetite and can hardly eat. Now that's unusual for any of us McFalls!!! He needs cheering up. It's all your thoughts, prayers and notes that keep him going.......Stop over to his website and leave him a note and check on his progress....

Click here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/smcfall

It's a GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!

Thanks for visiting my Blog, come back next week.

Safe travels

Mike