2016 Wrap Up

We've been in Oklahoma City about a month. Chris has been here many times during his time driving bus and the two of us spent a week here together a few years ago and there's not a whole lot that we're eager to explore in the area. That, plus the work conditions are strange and the weather hasn't been great (though a few days have been nice) have caused us to ask to be moved. We're still waiting for an answer on that. Fingers crossed.

Although we are currently less than enthusiastic about our location, looking back on 2016 has given us reason to be grateful.

Here are some of the highlights (and a couple low lights).

We've spent at least one night in 12 different states. 2016 seemed to be the year of the casino since we spent four months staying in casino campgrounds (one in MN and one in ND) as well as one night stops at casinos in North Carolina, MN, and South Dakota. We didn't do a lot of gambling, but all in all, we probably came out slightly ahead.

Improvements to the Motor Home:

• a second new TV (yes, that's a lot of TVs for a small space, but now we can lay in bed and watch too)
•  new furniture
•  a magnashield screen for the windshield (it keeps the heat out and also provides privacy even when the curtains are open
•  a new mattress
•  new tires (a hefty but necessary expense)
•  tire covers (to protect the tires from sun and heat damage while we are sitting in one location)
•  new shower head (ahhh, so much better after a long day)
•  a wifi ranger to extend the wifi and strengthen the signal we get (we're still undecided about whether it's been worthwhile, but over time, I'm sure it will be)
• heated hose so our water doesn't freeze in cold weather
• a couple of vintage print curtains 
  

Highlights from our travels

• The Badlands
• Devil's Tower
• FDR's Little White House
• Wall Drug
• Corn Palace
• Ft. Bragg Infantry Museum
• Fagan Flyers Museum
• Mt. Rushmore
• Crazy Horse
• Winnebago Factory
• RV Hall of Fame
• Pipestone National Monument
• Split Rock Lighthouse

Unique Experiences

• Attended a Wacipi (PowWow) at the Upper Sioux Community in MN
• Escape Room in Sioux Falls, SD
• Visiting Duluth to see our favorite scientist and get a tour of her research vessel
• Jolly Green Giant Statue (and other giant sized statues throughout MN including an otter, coffee cup, loon and walleye)
• Eating waffles in an airplane hangar 
• Watching the sugar beet harvest (and having our own sugar beet, Sherm, for a few days)
• Seeing eagles and coyotes in the wild
• Experiencing 70+ mph winds while in our MH
• Chris got to put on a haz-mat suit and go into a chicken farm to survey their gas meter (remember, this is unique experiences, not highlights. LOL)
• Watching the sunrise and sunset over Devil's Lake, ND
• On our tour of the Winnebago factory someone asked the tour guide the difference between Winnebago and Itasca (also made by the same company). The guide held up both hands with one slightly higher than the other and said "Itasca used to be up here and Winnebago was down here." Then he lowered his upper hand and said "but now Itasca has come down a bit and they are about the same." We've been cracking up over that for months. 
• There actually are places in North Dakota with no cell service. 

Food highlights

Best meals---Ruth's Chris, Cherokee, NC

                     The Empire at 138, Tiffin, OH

                      

Best Pizza----Pies and Thighs, Columbus, GA

Best BBQ---The Whistling Pig, Pine Mountain, GA

Best dessert---South Dakota State University Ice Cream

                       Chocolate cake at Mad Mary's, Flandreau, SD

                       Betty's Pies, near Split Rock Lighthouse, MN

                       Pie and apple crisp I made with apples from my friend in ND

Food lowlights

"Shrimp burgers" that we both assumed would be like a shrimp po' boy but turned out to be shrimp that was compressed into a patty and then deep fried into oblivion. 

Most all restaurant food in MN (the shrimp burgers were in MN too). We took a month off from eating out, in part to save money and eat better, but also because we had so many bad experiences. The best place we found to eat in MN was at a Hy-Vee Grocery store. 

The applesauce bread I made and forgot to put the baking soda in. Who knew that it was so important? I ended up with four mini loaves with a hard crust and wall-paper paste like interior. They were thrown away.

Vehicle Highs and Lows

We bought a used truck with the intention of switching to a 5th wheel and also so that if we had two vehicles we could get paid twice as much for mileage when we worked. We thought we'd found a good deal, but a month after our purchase, the engine blew up. We had to sell the truck for salvage and used that money to buy a small car so we have a second one for work. The blown up truck engine and the significant financial setback it caused was the low point of the year. 

Unique Camping Experiences

• Getting our own mailbox in Fergus Falls, MN
• Spending the night in a rest area in Iowa and using the free wifi to stream movies. We were in a narrow space, so kept our slides in. It was an adventure.  
• The steam shower in Pine Mountain, GA
• Visiting Tom and Joni in WV
• Spending a night in a parking lot at ONU (thanks, Pat!)

Favorite Photos

 

Thanks for taking this stroll through 2016 with us. We really have had some adventures. Let's see what 2017 brings! 

Wishing you all peace, love and adventures in 2017. 

P.S. I'm not sure why some of the photos are giant sized. Sorry. 

                       

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Oklahoma City. 

Random Photos

The photos I promised last time arrived in my inbox after we left Whopper Wifi and haven't been hooked up to wifi long term since then. But, today we celebrate Veteran's Day with a morning of Wifi at Hardee's. If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen all of these, but isn't it fun to have them all in one place? The yummy dutch apple pie (my first) that I made from the apples we got from the nice man in Cavalier, ND. 

Sunrise over Devil's Lake. One of the highlights of being in this location is crossing over the lake every morning and afternoon. 

Honest to goodness, when I first saw this sign, I thought it was a hair salon...but if you look closer you'll see two brooms. It's curling, that weird olympic sport that fascinates and confuses us every four years. 

A fat prairie dog (different in appearance at least from his cousins down in the Badlands) from Sully's National Wildlife Preserve. 

View of Devil's Lake from Sully's. 

Bison (pronounced locally as bizzon) at Sully's. There was one right next to the road, but Chris wouldn't stop to let me take its picture. Probably wise, but as an intrepid blogger with at least ten subscribers, I felt obligated to try to get the shot. 

Another sunrise over Devil's Lake. Look at the colors on the water. Beautiful. 

Wild Turkeys in a convenience store parking lot. Do you suppose they stopped by for some turkey jerky? 

This is Sherm the Sugar Beet. The apple is there for perspective. We found Sherm in a field and brought him home. Imagine a parade of semi trucks loaded down with beets like Sherm and even bigger. And the parade lasts for a couple weeks. The next time you scoop up a cup of the white crystals for your cookies and cakes, you can thank Sherm. 

After a tough day of waiting for us to come home, Dooley is relaxing on Chris's lap (and getting dog hair on the afghan I made.)

We've thoroughly enjoyed our time in Devil's Lake. The weather has been unusually warm and sunny, particularly since we're only about 100 miles south of Canada. 

We'll be done here and on our way in about a week. Next stop...Oklahoma City. It was a bit of a surprise to us, but it should be interesting. The plan, as of now, is for us to be there about a month and then move further south after the first of the year. 

Rumor has it, they have wifi in Oklahoma City, so we're pretty excited about that. 

Devil's Lake, ND

Hi, remember me? Sorry it's been so long. We've moved to Devil's Lake, ND and have been here about six weeks. Things are going well, with the major exception that the campground doesn't have wifi. We're staying at a casino campground and we can go to the casino/hotel and use the wifi, but after a long day I'm not always in the mood to pack up and make the trip (1/4 mile, at most) to use the wifi.

But, today we're at Burger King using the Whopper Wifi so I'll try to get you caught up on what we've been up to.

I'd hoped to post a lot of pictures, but for some reason my phone isn't cooperating with the Whopper Wifi so we'll see if the rest of the pictures show up before I get finished here.

So...Devil's Lake. Very nice area and the views of the lake are spectacular. On our way each morning and afternoon we drive over a levee with the lake on either side of us for about 4 miles, which I really enjoy. Sometimes the sun is glinting off the water and other times the clouds are angry, but I love the look either way.

Too bad we aren't into fishing, because there's a lot of that happening on Devil's Lake. 

We've visited several towns in the area---many nearly 100 miles each way, so lots of time in the car. We get paid mileage, so that's been a nice bonus for the end of the season. 

The fall here has been beautiful and we've seen eagles, coyotes and a jack rabbit the size of a cocker spaniel. Chris didn't see the jack rabbit, so he's skeptical of my report, but a local confirmed that they have giant jack rabbits around here. We have yet to see the elusive Jackalope. 

I posted some pictures on Instagram so if you're following me there, you've probably seen some of these. 

The frog slide at the kiddie pool in Cavalier, ND. 

Also in Cavalier, I met a nice man who offered us apples from his tree (not code). He said his wife has MS and he doesn't bake, so I made him a dutch apple pie (and one for us). Soooo good. 

We also visited Sully's Hill National Game Preserve. My pictures didn't get transferred yet, so just go to this link and see the professional photos. We were out for a drive and saw the sign. What a nice surprise and only a few miles away. Click here. 

I think some of you have had more snow than we've had in ND, but we are still eager to get done here and be on our way. We're not sure how much longer that will be. The amount of work that remains to be done will take the two of us 2-3 weeks, maybe more if we have rain days. But, we think that others will be coming here as they finish up their assignments. If that happens soon then we hope to be out of here in two weeks or less. 

After that...who knows? We've been told that it's possible we'd be going to the Houston area, but since these things tend to change on a day by day basis, I don't expect that we'll know for sure until we start the engine. 

I'm disappointed that I haven't been able to get all the pictures transferred from my phone. Once I get that working, I'll post again. 

Leaving Granite Falls

Gee, remember when I used to blog three times a week?

We've finished our job here in Granite Falls, MN and we're waiting to hear about our next assignment, likely Devil's Lake, ND. We found a nice campground in that area, so fingers crossed that it's actually where we go. I'll keep you posted.

So, the wrap up on our time here in Granite Falls.

Here are some of the things we did in the area that haven't been reported here.

We attended a wacipi which is another name for a powwow. I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a nice time and I'm glad we had the chance to go. There were groups of dancers from different tribes who arrived to participate. Each group also had drummers who played and chanted to accompany the dancing. I particularly liked seeing one family with father, mother, a couple toddlers and an infant in their regalia dancing together.

We visited The Fagen  Flyers museum which is just a mile away from us here in Granite Falls.  Click here for their site.  This is a privately owned museum run by the Fagen family. First, the exhibits were all very well done and the place was spotlessly clean. Second, we were able to get right up to the planes, no ropes or barricades. Third, only a couple of the exhibits are "static" meaning that they didn't move. All the other planes were fully functional and are flown regularly. In fact, we often see them flying around on nice afternoons.

I knitted this afghan and here's a picture of Chris modeling it.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and apparently he is too. 

We spent a fun weekend in Duluth where we spent time with our favorite scientist, Susie. She had just finished a month of research on the Great Lakes aboard the Lake Guardian, an EPA research vessel. Duluth is a fun, hip, city and we had a good time. We also got a tour of the ship, which was very interesting. It also made our RV seem spacious. 

Also on that trip we visited Split Rock Lighthouse. 

The rear view of the lighthouse. 

Stairs going up. 

View from the top of the stairs. 

The light.

Oh...and on the way back to Duluth from the lighthouse, we stopped at Betty's Pies. Raspberry Rhubarb on the left and bumbleberry (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) with ice cream. YUM!

Why You (Yes, You) Should Consider An RV For Your Next Vacation

I'm not suggesting that you spend tens of thousands of dollars on a MH or other RV and join us on the road full time (but I'm not saying you shouldn't either...).

There are RV's available for rent at RV dealers and national rental companies. Chances are, you're less than six degrees of separation from someone with a decent RV that they'd rent or loan you. Putting on my lawyer hat---if it's a rental, there might be some liability and insurance issues to check into.

But, aside from possible litigation (why can't I just leave that out?), here are several reasons Why You Should Consider An RV For Your Next Vacation. 

In no particular order:

• There's nothing like a road trip. The open road, a full tank of gas, several credit cards and a fridge full of food. The possibilities are endless. 

•  The view. Traveling in a MH gives you a high vantage point and huge windshield to literally see for miles and miles. Not to mention all the interesting things you can see and do when traveling along the road instead of in the air. 

•  Does the idea of strapping your kids into the family minivan or SUV make you break out in hives? Don't blame you. But, in an RV there's enough room for everyone to have their own space ("Mom...he's on my side again" will be a thing of the past.) Comfortable seats, snacks at the ready, and a TV. You might not be able to watch live TV traveling down the road, but you can play DVDs or Video Games. 

•  Pets. While trying to get your family packed up for a trip, do you have to squeeze in a trip to the kennel to drop of your dog(s)? Does your pet have special dietary or medical needs and you don't really trust the kennel to pay attention to your detailed instructions? Do you just plain worry about your pet when you're gone? And what about the expense? Have all the teenagers in your neighborhood gone off to college or rehab and now you can't find anyone to check on your cats and change the litter? No worries. You can bring them along in an RV. 

*** Note, if you live within range of Good Shepherd Boarding Kennel in Alger, Ohio, you should feel confident that your pet will get all the special care and attention it needs and even some it doesn't.

•  No more public restroom roulette. Do you swing the door open and hope for the best? Are you a hooverer or a toilet paper nest maker? No need when you have your own bathroom traveling with you. 

•  No need to stop each time one of the kids (or you) need to pee. Is your bladder on a different schedule than the rest of your family? No problem, you can just meander (carefully, like a flight attendant) to the restroom. Tip---I learned from personal experience that you want to make sure there aren't any big curves ahead. That's all I'm going to say about that. 

         P.S. You do need to pull over when the driver needs to go.

•  Food. Does someone in your family have dietary restrictions? Picky eaters? Tired of paying $20 for lunch and your kid just eats the chips? Do you tend to overindulge on vacation and go home feeling disgusted with yourself and your lack of self control? With an RV you can fill the fridge and freezer with food your family will eat. I know cooking might not be your ideal vacation, but with pre-prepped food from the grocery store, you can do a pretty good job without much hassle. Or make some casseroles at home and put them in the freezer before you go. 

•  No luggage fees. If you can cram it into the RV, you can take it with you. You probably won't need suitcases at all. Just park the RV in your driveway and carry the clothes out to fill the drawers and closets. 

• Your own linens and pillows. Do those stiff hotel sheets make it hard to sleep? Does your daughter want to sleep with her own blanky and pillow? No problem, just bring them along. 

•  No worries about getting to the airport in time, sitting next to a pest, missing your fight or having your flight cancelled. Does the idea of cramming yourself and your loved ones into airplane seats make you cringe? Do you hate the dirty looks passengers give you when you board with a toddler and infant? Did little Timmy kick the back of your seat for an hour the last time you flew? Are you tired of taking off your shoes and belt to get through airport security? Would you like to bring full sized shampoo with you? Just say goodbye to airport hassles and climb aboard your RV. 

•  Bring home large souvenirs and cases of wine. Did you find a perfect painting to complete your living room decor but hated the idea of paying to ship it home or worried that it wouldn't arrive in tact? There's room in an RV. 

•  The weather. You've got hundreds or thousands of dollars in plane tickets and hotel reservations. Then the day before you leave, the weather takes an ugly turn. No time to re-book. Maybe your tickets are non-refundable. In an RV, you just put on the turn signal and go somewhere else. 

•  If you're visiting friends or family, you can stay at a campground nearby, have an awesome visit without feeling like you're imposing (especially at the homes of your more persnickety friends/relatives) and still go back to your own space. You can even invite them over for dinner. 

•  Flexibility. Find a place you really like? Stay another day. Decided you've seen all the restored villages you can stand, pack up and move on. Is the county fair happening? Get invited to a Native American festival? Did you actually miss the world's largest ball of twine? You're not locked into airline schedules. 

• Hotel Rooms are boring. Basic hotel rooms are  fine for sleeping and showering, maybe watching TV. But otherwise, they are boring. With an RV, you can take a walk around the campground or state park, use the pool or playground. Or just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. 

• Kids + bikes/scooters/skates = happy kids = tired kids = happy parents. Campgrounds usually have very little traffic and lots of paved roads for kids to ride, roll and scoot around for hours. And with an RV, there's room to bring them along. 

•  Friendly people. In a hotel, if you're going into your room at the same time as the guy next door, you both avoid eye contact. In a campground, people are outside and usually friendly. Most people also respect your privacy if you just wave but don't engage in chit chat. 

• Campfires and stars. Campgrounds are usually pretty dark after the sun goes down and often in rather remote locations. At night, you can see an entire sky full of stars. And, FYI---letting your kids microwave a marshmallow in order to make S'mores doesn't count. Make a fire. Burn the marshmallows. Make a mess. 

There might be a few more. But I think you get the idea.  

Look What I Did!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I've joined an organization called Soldiers' Angels. There are a variety of ways that people can do things to support deployed troops. One division is called Operation Top Knot which provides handmade items and other gifts for virtual baby showers for babies born to either active duty soldiers or the wives of deployed soldiers.

There's a list of people to choose from that includes a few details like due date, sex and any details about themes or preferences.

One couple is expecting a son very soon and said that they love Marvel Comics...so this is what I made:

It's supposed to be a Spiderman blanket. I think it came out pretty well. 

Now I just need to get it in the mail before the baby arrives. 

Sioux Falls, Part 2

We decided against vegging out and went to The Falls Park in Sioux Falls. Here's the view from the top of the observation tower.

Pretty impressive, eh? 

The Falls Park is very nice. It's all free, including the observation tower. If you look closely, you can see that people are able to get pretty close to the falls and out onto the stony areas near the river. Lots of families were there enjoying a Sunday afternoon. 

In other news: 

I've joined Instagram. If you want to follow me and see the random photos I post, my username is snclivinglarge

Sioux Falls

The campground where we are staying in Granite Falls, MN is very nice. However, it does not have a monthly rate. The daily rate (which goes up on weekends) is good for a daily rate, but multiplied times 30 is very high.

FYI---we've paid between $20 and $50 for single night camping. Most monthly sites are in the $500-600 range.

But, the good news is that we have decided to leave on the weekends and go adventuring. The last post about Pipestone National Monument was our first excursion. We dry camped that weekend, so no cost for camping, though the cost of gasoline was probably about the same as if we'd stayed at the campground in Granite Falls, but w/the added bonus of getting out and seeing more.

This weekend we're in Sioux Falls staying at a casino about 30 miles north of town. It's our anniversary on the 14th (6 years!) so we're taking Monday the 15th off, which is pretty exciting.

Why Sioux Falls? Well, I have a membership at Massage Envy that I haven't been able to use for several months since we haven't been anywhere close to a Massage Envy location. From Granite Falls, the closest Massage Envy is either Sioux Falls or St. Cloud, MN. I called Sioux Falls and got appointments, so that was the winning location.

After getting set up on Friday, we went in search of a place to eat. The casino had a buffet and a snack bar, and neither of those were appealing. We'd seen a sign for a place called Mad Mary's Steakhouse. We drove around and only found a Subway. We were pretty discouraged, but finally found Mad Mary's and had a very nice dinner. Not too fancy, but good steaks and for dessert we had sour cream chocolate cake and ice cream.

We had massages yesterday (Saturday) and I also had a facial. We were (and still are, but to a lesser extent) so knotted up that the massage therapist suggested we come back very soon for 90 min massages. We'd love to, but it might be a week or two before we're near another Massage Envy.

We're staying in a town called Flandreau which is home to the Royal River Casino. They have RV parking for $10/night which includes electricity. However, it's only 30 amp service and we use 50 amp. We're able to use the 30, but can't run everything at the same time.

Do you remember Green Acres? They had similar issues.

We also look like them.











I plugged in the coffee maker and the refrigerator started beeping because it didn't have enough power.


After our massages we went to Escape 605 and tried a puzzle room. This was a very fun experience and something we'll definitely look into again in different cities as we travel.

Click here to see their site. We were in Aunt Edna's Condo. We were the only ones and that made it fun too. For one thing, the room was rather small, so having more than a couple people in there moving around might have been chaotic.

Puzzle rooms/escape rooms seem to be a pretty new thing, so we're excited that we're actually on the front end of a trend.

We arrived about 20 mins early. There was a sign on the door that said "The door will be locked until 15 minutes before your scheduled time." I tried it anyway, but couldn't get in. Then the receptionist tapped on the window (not the door) and motioned for us to enter. I asked if she'd unlocked the door remotely and she said, "No, it's been unlocked for about an hour."

How can I expect to escape a puzzle room when I can't even get in the unlocked front door?

At the appointed time we were lead to Aunt Edna's Condo, which was a room about 10X12. There were five different containers with padlocks on them and various items around the room that were meant to be clues or possibly red herrings. We had an hour to gather the clues and escape. If we did so without any clues and before time ran out, we would get our  names on the leader board.

There was a video screen above the door w/the time on it and a video camera where an employee was watching and listening. If we needed a hint, we were told to wave at the camera and she'd type something on the screen.

We started out strong, figuring out the clues to the four numbers of the first combination. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get any of the locks to open, so we moved on to something else. I unscrambled some letters and got the message "Look under the table". Beneath the coffee table a set of clues were attached with Velcro. We used them to figure out who/what was Aunt Edna's "beloved Bernard" which was one of the three things we had to find (and the only one we found successfully).

We asked for clues two or three times and might have escaped if we'd had another 30 minutes (that's a big maybe). We did get 2 of 5 locks open and had the combo to a third. We sure had a good time. When time was up, the employee who'd been giving us clues came in to show us what we'd missed. If we'd gotten everything, at the end the back wall would have swung open for our escape.

Get on The Google and find a puzzle room or escape room near you and give it a try. It would be fun w/a group. There was a group of women there for a bachelorette party and they had a good time. Apparently, you can bring alcohol, so you might ask before you can bring refreshments with you. It would be fun w/kids too. The puzzles were clever and a couple were a little tricky, but not so hard that they couldn't be solved or that you'd get frustrated (too much).

After that, we came back to the casino/campground. I went to the only grocery store in town for a few items and found SDSU ice cream.  When we were in Brookings, SD a couple weeks ago, I'd read about an ice cream parlor at the South Dakota State University where the students make ice cream as part of the university's AG department.

I stood in front of the ice cream section, debating. The SDSU was almost $8 per half gallon. Pretty high for ice cream you have to scoop yourself, but I'd read good things about it. There was an employee nearby and so I asked her opinion. She said, "It is really expensive, but it's really good." So I went for it.

Wow. Totally worth the price. I got the cookies and cream. Smooth and delicious.

Then today (Sunday) we went to the casino and Chris won $150. Awesome!

Now we're debating between spending the afternoon vegging out or going back to explore Sioux Falls. I've already had one nap today, but I'm not opposed to a second.

Pipestone National Monument

We visited Pipestone National Monument this weekend. We wanted to take the MH out for a weekend trip and when I saw Pipestone National Monument on the map only about 80 miles away, we decided to check it out. We're glad we did. I think one of the best things about being somewhere for a few weeks is that it gives us a chance to visit some more out of the way places.

Here's what the National Park Service site says about Pipestone;

"When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything."  -Black Elk

For countless generations, American Indians have quarried the red pipestone found at this site. These grounds are sacred to many people because the pipestone quarried here is carved into pipes used for prayer. Many believe that the pipe's smoke carries one's prayer to the Great Spirit. The traditions of quarrying and pipemaking continue here today.

From Wikipedia The quarries are sacred to most of the tribes of North America, Dakota, Lakota, and other tribes of Native Americans, and were neutral territory where all Nations could quarry stone for ceremonial pipes

We walked the circle trail and took these pictures to share with you. 

Winnewissa Falls

The Oracle, Can you see him? 

Night of Excitement!

We've moved about 150 miles southeast of Fergus Falls and now we're in Granite Falls, MN. More on that in another post soon.

Last night (July 16) a major storm came through. We're fine, but it was very frightening. We could see the dark clouds and lightning, but didn't realize just how bad it might be. There was heavy rain and some hail, but the scary part was the wind. We have a windshield screen that is held on by powerful magnets (so strong I had a hard time separating them). It has a guarantee to withstand winds up to 60 mph. It blew off. Fortunately, it wrapped around a small tree next to our site and the magnets stuck together, so it wasn't going anywhere.

But that's how strong the winds were.

It was very scary inside the MH. Serious rocking and rolling. But we came out of it w/only a tiny bit of damage to one of the awnings. Others were not so lucky. The travel trailers seemed to have it the worst. One of them tipped completely over and is now on its side. Fortunately, the family had gone to the storm shelter.

The travel trailer next to us had blocks under their leveling jacks (most do). Evidently the wind lifted the trailer enough that the blocks blew away so that when it came back down the corner wasn't stable. That must have been quite a ride for them, rocking and rolling but being unstable on at least one corner.

The power is still out (as of Sunday morning) and the wifi was out during the storm, so we couldn't look at the weather radar to know what was happening. As you can tell, the wifi is back on.

We have a generator, so we're fine if the power doesn't come back on, though we're trying to use it sparingly.

After the storm, beautiful weather.

We've learned a couple things. Next time we see something like that headed our way, we'll bring the slides in so we have more stability. The trailer that tipped over was on the very end of the row, so they got the brunt of the wind. The neighbors on the "wind side" of us had damage, but the ones on the other side, where we provided some protection against the wind, didn't have any damage. We'll keep those things in mind when choosing a campsite in stormy areas.

Happy Anniversary!

Today, July 9, is the two year anniversary of our purchase of our motor home. Within a few days, we were on our way to New Mexico.

Wow. Sometimes it's hard to believe it's been that long and other times it's hard to believe it's only been two years.

In those two years we have:

• Driven the MH about 8,000 miles. 
• Visited the following states (some just for a night, some for months): 

   Ohio
   Indiana
   Illinois
   Missouri
   Oklahoma
   Texas
   New Mexico
   Tennessee
   North Carolina
   South Carolina
   Georgia
   Virginia
   West Virginia
   Iowa
   South Dakota
   North Dakota
   Minnesota

  Wow...that's 17 states!

  We've also visited Alabama and Wyoming, but those were day trips and didn't include the MH.

• Had 5 different jobs. Two at KOAs, one at Amazon, one at Carowinds and our current job with Southern Cross. 
• Made many upgrades, repairs and improvements to the MH including a new TV, new mattress, tow dolly, two repairs to the jacks, a new cooling unit for the fridge, serious work on the a/c and new furniture. 
• Traded in our small car for an SUV. We also recently bought a used truck so we are now a two vehicle (three if you count the MH) family. 
• Met many nice people and a few goofballs and a couple complete jerks. 
• Stayed in some nice campgrounds and some dumps. Turns out that staying overnight at a rest area in Iowa was better than a few of the campgrounds we've paid for. 
• Visited some states that we might not have chosen to visit (like Minnesota) and found out that we liked them very much. 
• Eaten lots of BBQ. 
• Although we've been places where the temperatures got pretty low, we've only experienced a total of about 4" of snow in two winters. 
• PBS has been our friend. When there's not cable, there's PBS and when that doesn't work, there's the radio. 
• Good wifi is the most important feature of a campground. 

After two full years, it really feels like we're just getting started. Who knows what might be next?

I'm An Angel!

As you know, I like to knit. I usually either make stuff for us or for friends/family or I send to a place in Ohio that distributes to the homeless/people in need. That's all well and good, but it seems that everyone has all the stuff they need (let me know if you're in need of slippers or a hat) and the charity in Ohio really wants things in dark colors for men. I get it and I understand that there's not much dignity for a man to be wearing a wildly striped hat or scarf, but I am a little bored with knitting in black and brown, so I went searching for other places to donate.

I found Soldiers' Angels. I looked around their site and did some Google searches to see if it's a scam (probably not) and decided to sign up.

I've signed up to knit baby items for virtual baby showers for soldiers and the wives of soldiers, afghans for adults who are deployed or in a VA facility and to write letters to a couple soldiers. I also have an epal.

I wrote the epal first and already got a response. She's a woman in her 40s who has been deployed to Afghanistan. There is some info available about the people who are seeking correspondence and I picked her because I thought we'd have a few things in common. In her reply to my initial message, she said it was like a breath of fresh air to hear from me because getting to know someone new helps to pass the time and is a nice distraction from her mission.

If anyone can be a distraction from a mission...it's me.

I have letters ready to send to my other two soldiers and I've started an afghan.

It's only been a couple days since I enrolled, but so far so good. If you're looking for a way to encourage others, you might want to check out their website. Again, I'm new at this and make no endorsements. I know there are lots of scams out there, but this seems legit. You do have to put in a credit card so they can verify your ID and they charge it $1/mo apparently so they know who is active and who isn't. Everything else is on your own and you record how much time and money you spend on each thing you do.

I need to find some small things to include in my letters that could be a fun diversion. Any ideas?

Waffles In A Hangar

We've been seeing signs around town for an event featuring Dad's Belgian Waffles (Click here for their website) at the Fergus Falls Municipal Airport and being fans of Belgian waffles and airports, we decided to attend.

I'll admit that i anticipated folding tables in the grass next to a grass airstrip. I was wrong. Fergus Falls has a very nice airport and we enjoyed ourselves.

This was a fly in or drive in event (we drove), but there were several planes landing and taking off while we were there. There were many families with small children enjoying the waffles, nice weather and planes. The kids were pretty excited to get tours inside a couple planes and a helicopter.

Plenty of seating and they had a steady crowd coming and going while we were there. Note the syrup station in front of the airplane. 

Twenty-five waffle irons (I counted) no waiting. 

The end result with real whipped cream. 

At first glance, it appeared there wasn't much to do in Fergus Falls, but we've found that if we just look a bit more closely and pay attention to the community calendar there are some nice events to attend. Looking forward to seeing what else we find while we're here.

This Makes Me Smile

While I was out buying groceries, a young entrepreneur (about 8 years old) accosted Chris and offered to mow our lawn for $5. She was raising money to send her sister to a camp for kids with special needs. Although the campground takes care of mowing, Chris, of course, struck a deal.

When I got home he told me the story and I commented on the girl's initiative. Chris said, "Yeah, and she even gave me her business card."

I don't think we'll need any rototilling and I sure hope we don't need snow plowing, but I kept the card because it makes me smile every time I look at it. 

Hope it has the same affect on you. 

Big Times in Minnesota

We finally got our own cable and wifi, so I'm back online. Turns out you can get month to month service, so that's what we've done. Thank goodness. I don't think we could handle many more episodes of the Minnesota only PBS station.

After the whirlwind of activity on our trip out here, life is pretty sedate. We've been working here in MN for about a month without too much excitement. The area is beautiful and they aren't kidding about that 10,000 lakes thing, but there's not a whole lot to do.

But don't worry, we've been able to entertain ourselves with finding large statues. It seems that nearly every town has something. Here's a sampling. Each place seems to claim their statue is the "world's largest ____". I'm not going to argue about it. These things are big.

World's largest Otter located in a park about half a mile from our campground. World's best husband standing next to him for perspective and because it's fun to have your picture taken w/a giant otter. Fergus Falls is the county seat of Otter Tail County and the Otter Tail River flows through the county and beyond. All the way to Canada, we've been told. Or it flows here from there, more accurately. 

Giant loon in Vergas, MN. Actually the species is called the Vergas Loon. The other loon is Chris. He's a loon lover. 

Giant clothes pin. I don't know why. 

Giant coffee cup at same location (random gas station along the road) as the giant clothespin. 

World's largest Walleye, Wahpeton, ND>