Heading North Tennessee, Kentucky, now Ohio

Monday


Got up early. Yes those that guessed it was a new iPad were correct.

New iPad

 It was easy to set up and I left it hooked to the computer to sync over 10,000 pictures. Bonnie slept in and then got up and headed to the Super Wal-mart to restock on the food for the trip home.  I got out the ladder and cleaned the windshield and then on the inside cleaned one of the Fantastic Fan screens and blades.

Right after lunch we headed towards Robby's

Can you see our new travel buddy

Meet Mean gnome

We are over at Robby's sitting out with the kids they started Spring break today. We are moving up to Elizabethtown Kentucky tomorrow to see the sights? Oh Bonnie is reading from my Kindle, will wonders never cease.

Using the Kindle for the first time.

Fun time watching the kids, all of them.

Having some of the left over hotdogs for supper.  Ashley is working so once she gets home we will say our goodbyes and head home to the MH.  We headed to the MH after 9 but then got a call and had to turn around as my pocket knife was laying on the couch and Gracie wanted to make sure I got it back.

Now time to relax and recharge.  Tomorrow we hope to cover just under 300 miles.  Heard it is to be in the low 20's back home tonight so we will not be in too much of a hurry.  Just checked and its 25 now burr.

Tuesday


Travel day, we head North toward the cold weather today.  I was up at 7 and plan to pack up starting at 9 and plan to leave by 10am.  We are planning about a 230 mile drive to Elizabethtown, KY.  Had my breakfast and Bonnie just got up as the big truck came to dump the trash dumpster.  So time for me to get busy and dump the tanks and get them unhooked.  So far a nice beautiful sunny day.

We got hooked up and pulled out of the campground just after 10am.  A late start especially since we will change timezones and lose an hour.

Hooked and ready to roll

We had a good day driving just lots of traffic and the people in and around Nashville are all crazy and drive that way also.  We stopped at a rest area for lunch and it was almost full I got like the last truck and RV parking spot.  I noticed that I had oil on the wheel again put just a little.

We pushed on and got fuel one exit before our campground.  We are now in Elizabethtown, KY and set up.  A small campground sandwiched into a neighborhood and just off the interstate in fact we can here the  traffic but its not too bad.  I went out and cleaned off the wheel and could see it is leaking from the axle cover.  Not much leaks out during the day but it sure does make a mess.

Will have to scrub this tire when I get home.

I tightened tese nuts the best I could not sure how tight the should be.  Looks like they used too much RV sealer.

Here are a few shots of the campground.

Met Keith when he checked us in around 4 today.

Site 36 we did not have to unhook as it was too late to go sightseeing.

There is even a small pond

Bonnie made a nice supper with rice and chicken, it sure was good, I was ready to eat more.  We have cable here so we are watching a little TV before we head to bed.  Not sure how far we will make it tomorrow as the weather is to turn wet and windy.  We are hoping to visit some friends in the Cleveland area.

Wednesday

We slept later than we should have this morning getting a late start hoping to make it to Wellington, OH.
We were on the road by 9am, pretty good for getting up late.  Traffic was crazy in Louisville, Cincinnati, and Columbus people going every which way but the GPS kept me in the right lane and we made it through just fine.  The wind really started to blow as we got to Columbus and for the last 100 or so miles we really got knocked around.  It was totally broadside to us for the last 20 miles on the 2 lane road leading up to the state park.  But we made it and we were in Findley State Park near Wellington, OH by 3:45.

Bonnie had to hold Mean Gnome by the feet to get him to pose for the picture

We made contact with some friends we have not seen in ages and we will be having supper with them tomorrow night.  Tomorrow we plan to visit the old neighborhood and see how much it has changed.

Tonight we drove into Wellington and had supper at the Hunan Kitchen.  It was pretty good and the first meal we have eaten out on this trip.

Wonton Soup

Broccoli and Chicken

General Tso Chicken

Fried rice

We ate the egg rolls before I got a picture.  It was all very good and less than 20 bucks.  The town is pretty old and they have restored the historic downtown area which is where we ate.  There are some very nice large old houses that we enjoyed looking at.

Back at the MH I checked the back wheel and no oil drips yet tonight I will check in the am.  We will be here a couple nights and should be home Friday afternoon.  Its nice and quiet in the park and only a couple other units are camping.  We have electric but no water or sewer hook ups.  Well thats it for tonight.  Having a little ice cream now and then maybe some TV before we call it a night.

Thanks for Checking In.

Harvest Time (spending time in Harvest Alabama)

Thursday

Spending time in Harvest, Al with our family.  I was up before 7:30 this morning I had a good nights sleep.  Bonnie slept in until I went in at 9:30 and told her it was time to get up. We had a lunch date with Gracie at her school.  We got our showers and dress and ready to go a little before 11.  I checked the left rear wheel where I had cleaned up the grease when we had arrived.  Sure enough I have a small leak of rear axle lube.  Can't do anything now off we went to school.

Wow a hundred or so kids can make a lot of noise in the cafeteria.

Bonnie and Gracie

Gracie's class is at this table with her teacher.

Lunch lasted a very noisy 40 minutes and then she was back to class and we left to see Ashley.  Bonnie had a couple more cakes to bake for the party.  I made a couple calls and talked to a RV Tech at Coach-Net who told me he thought the leak was probably just a gasket on the axle cover.  I will check to make sure they are tight tomorrow and maybe get a new gasket.  He also told me RTV will work just fine.  Hoping I can safely make it back to NY.  Waiting now for Robby to get home and see what needs done to get ready for the party.

Robby got home and cut some wood for the party then we went in and ate a delicious pot roast, vegetables and cornbread that Ashley had prepared.  Then we watched the kids and chatted.

Gracie is here with us and is spending the night.  Then Robby will be picking her up so she can make it to school, I think he is going to be here at 6am (way to early for me).  Then later we will go to the house so Bonnie can work on frosting the cake.  We had a good time today here are some shots and videos of the kids today.

Lunch at Gracie's school

Gracie with her class and Grandma

Our son Robby

Reagan after her bath

Harrison and I

Gracie and Bonnie

Gracie and I

Reagan and Bonnie

Robby and his Kindle Fire

Well we will watch TV for a little while and then get some sleep, morning will be here before we know it.

Friday


Bonnie got up a 5:45 with Gracie and Robby picked her up for school about an hour later.  Then Bonnie got back in bed and is still there at 9:30.  I got up at 8 and had breakfast.  It has rained hard off and on all morning so far but looks like it should clear out of here soon.  I hope to go out and look at the axle cover this morning if it dries up a little and see if it just can be tightened a little to stop the leak.  I am hoping we can make it home and fix it properly there.

Plans for today are to work on the cake and do some wash.  There is also some more prep for the big party tomorrow that needs to be done.  Ashley was to work from 7am to 7pm today but just called and said she is getting off at 3pm so that will help a lot.

It cleared off and I got Bonnie up and then went out to check on the rear wheel.  I can not see a leak any where and there is no additional oil or any drips.  At this point I think it is just left over from last falls repair.  I will have to keep an eye on it but I think we will be ok.

We are off to visit Ashley at the emergency room to get a tour.  Its a brand new hospital and she works in the emergency room.

This is in the lobby

In front of the water wall at Madison Hospital

Then over to the house where Bonnie worked on icing and decorating the birthday cake.  When the kids got home we sat outside and watched them play.  Its nice as the neighbors come out and come over and visit for a while.  Ashley brought pizza for supper and then then her and Robby went to pick up some tables and chairs for the party.

Finally back at the rig its late and we are all tired.  So off to bed early before 11.

Saturday

Up at 7am and Gracie was awake when I got up.  She laid with Grandma for a little while but they were both up before 8.  We have played the amish game for a while and Bonnie tries to read.  She is very active and likes to be entertained.  We are leaving soon for the house.  Party is at 3.

Discussing what to have for breakfast

 It ended up being jello and a banana

Amish numbers game

Wonder who will win, Gracie won

We ate an early lunch and then headed over to help with the final preparations for the party.  Decorating was in full swing when we got there.

3 hours before the party

There was to be cake, peanuts, hot dogs, cotton candy, pop corn, candy, animal crackers, and lemonade.

Cotton Candy was a big hit with young and old

The sky got dark just before the 3 pm start of the party.

40 minutes before the party we knew it was coming

Yes it rained everything got moved to keep it dry.  Then it stopped and the sun came out.

Robby trying to dry out the bounce house

The boys enjoyed the fishing pond

Lots of activity at the craft table

Ashley untangling some of the decorations after the wind twisted them up

After the brief rain the party moved outside and continued and then the clown showed up.  Her face painting was a big hit.

Doo Lolly arrives

Reagan meets the clown

Just before it was time to sing Happy birthday another rain storm moved through so we moved everything again and everyone came inside out of the rain.

The birthday girl struggled to blow out the two candles but she got it done.

Here is another shot of her between the rain storms.

Such a pretty dress

We are back at the MH pretty tired, Bonnie is exhausted and I am really tired.  She is reading as I update the blog and then it will be another early night, but its already 9:15.  I would like to read a little I feel asleep trying to read last night.

Sunday

Cold morning here down in the 40's.  Down to 51 in the front of the MH so I turned on the furnace just to take the chill off.  Now the sun is up high enough to shine in the windows and that will warm us up nicely.

Along about 10am we headed over to attend church at Robby and Ashley's church, Capshaw Baptist.  We enjoyed the service.  Robby was teaching a class and so we did not see him or the family.  After church we headed over to one of the local malls and visited a couple stores.  Bonnie went to the Fossil store to try to get some links for a watch band and I went to the Apple Store.

What could be in the box

I picked up a couple things to be revealed later.  Bonnie has to call to get her links and she also picked up a couple things at the Gourmet kitchen store.

We stopped and got a sandwich at Quiznos and it was pretty good.  Then on to Robby's house.  Ashley had to go to work and Robby had taken the girls to a birthday party, but Harrison was home.  So we chilled out, I watched some NASCAR and Bonnie read the paper.

It was not long until Robby and the girls came home.  Reagan took a nap and Gracie played.  Once Reagan got up we sat outside for a while.  We planned to get some BBQ for supper when Ashley got home shortly after 7.  Robby and I went to get the food but the place was closed.  We both got on our phones and called about 10 places before we found one that was still open.  Robby located one and we took off picked up a family meal and headed home.  It was pretty good smoked turkey and since everyone was hungry it disappeared rather quickly.

Then Bonnie and Gracie gave each other foot massages, with Reagan's assistance.

Sure looks relaxing

Reagan excels at opening the lotions and creams

It was after 10 when we headed for the coach and now well past midnight at home.  I had coffee earlier this evening so am still going strong.  But thats about all the news for this update.  Tuesday we will start to work our way North and plan to be home late Friday or midday on Saturday.

Every day we drive through the path tornados took a couple weeks ago.  The damage is horrific, please keep all those that lost their homes or suffered damage in your prayers.

Thanks for checking in.