Nightmare on Winnebago Street...

It is Friday morning - we are in Texarkana, Texas.  For the past few days (since arriving in Cincinnatti) I have been feeling a bit under the weather.  Feels like a cold coming on - so when I wake up the Friday morning - I am running a fever, coughing and generally feeling very poorly.  Karen does what we all do - she calls Maureen to diagnose my condition.  Before I know it - I have Karen staring down my throat - confirming all sorts for Maureen who decides it could be strep throat...or it could be a cold.  I have a thermometer shoved in my mouth every 15 minutes until finally Karen got a 100.9 reading and decided that she would drive me in this Winnebago to the nearest hospital - and trying to get Maur to back her decision so I will go along with it.  Not only will I not go along with it - I think I finally refused to talk to either of them - for fear that they would cook up some new scheme.

Needless to say - what I did need was a little bit more rest.  I stayed in bed until about 11am.  Then Karen said we needed to take the RV to the nearest Walmarts to pick up the medicine that Maur recommended and I figured once we have broken down the campsite - why not just hit the road and get as far down the way as possible.  So that is exactly what we did.  We left Texarkana and did a short day - settling into an RV park just west of Fort Worth in a town called Weatherford. 

Karen began showing similar symptoms to me - which made me think it wasn't anything more serious than the cold.  Maur had us pick up a bunch of medication - which Karen faithfully slings down my throat every 4 hours...as well as her own.  I shall not go into all of the gory details of our illnesses - suffice it to say that it is a good thing we sorted out the toilet systems. 

Me getting ready to pull out of Weatherford

This morning - we left Weatherford and began the trek west - going down past Abilene, Midland, Odessa and finally stopping for the night somewhere called Van Horn...all of this after we both got sick in the night and Karen was again sick while we were driving.  Troopers that we are - we never let it put us down - as we have to make Tuscon for the beginning of the week, Phoenix afterwards and still be in LA for Friday.  I can say that if ever there was a country that defies logic for settling down in - the land we traveled through called West Texas is it...no offense to our Texas lovers out there - but I can find no reason in the world to live anywhere near here.  Apart from cotton fields, wind farms, oil refineries, and nodding donkeys - there ain't much...Hopefully - today will bring new sites to renew my love of the diversity of this country as we are awaken to what I think are the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas.  Far prettier than yesterday's trek. 



A nodding Donkey along a West Texas highway 



We are on the Road again...

I know that I have been a bit lax when it comes to updating this blog - the main reason being that for the past month - my routine has been pretty much the same - I get up - make coffee - lounge about watching the world wake up (in this case - the world consists of Maur, Jim, Sam and Karen) and then go see Dad.  In between these exciting moments - I played with the puppies, and helped Karen get the Motor Home fitted out.

Needless to say - it was hard going - but someone had to do it...

On Sunday we got together with my nephew Richard and his wife Barb to celebrate his 40th birthday which occurs this week. God - I must be getting old if Richard is 40 already.  It has been really great just relaxing at Jim's taking life on a day by day basis - but it is time to head on.  Since we have been at Jim's, his washer, new dryer, stove, home electric circuits, wireless router and just about every other electrical appliance has had to be either repaired or replaced.  We are now known as Lei and Karen - the Rack and Ruin twins - although I don't think that we quite deserve this nickname.  Other than the home electrical circuits shorting out (mainly due to too heavy a draw on the home circuits by my Motor Home),  I don't think I was responsible for the other stuff.  Jim tried to blame me for the dryer - said the 2 loads I did without emptying the fluff was the cause - but I am not buying it. 

So Tuesday morning - we left Michigan for warmer parts - although it has been slow finding the warmer bits.  We stopped in Cincinnatti on Tuesday night - had dinner with a friend from Hilton Head and put up in a county park that is open year round if all you want is electrics.  No water, toilets or sewage - so the fact that we got up early and managed to skip off without paying for the site (we left so early - I didn't get dressed - just put my robe and slippers on and hit the road - boy - do I love the RVing thing...) didn't bother me too much.  Couldn't see paying $15 to park overnight - which is about all that site had to offer.  We set our sights on Jackson, Tenn. where we spent the next night.  To get there though - we had to go through a snow storm in Kentucky - lovely to look at - but definitely not the WARM I was looking for. 

 Once again, our site in Jackson gave us electrics - but for the rest - we were out of luck.  Now we are a bit desperate to get to the warmer parts.  I am sure that they are out there somewhere - we just need to get far enough south to find them.  On Thursday we got to Texarkana where when we pull into a RV park whose full service sites were exactly that - full service.  Great  - no need to complain any more about not getting full service with the sites.  No more issues with water or sewage - except for one small problem...When Maur was showing me everything about the motor home that they had gone over with her - it was just too cold to go outside and cover those misc. bits like - water systems, sewage hookups, hot water heater, etc.  So now - we arrive in Texarkana in the dark - I haven't a clue on what to do - and Karen is politely standing there - wondering how I ever managed to direct men in building cars and tractors when I couldn't organise myself to learn how to fill my water system and get the toilet in operation.

It took a couple of calls to Michigan - the first to Maur who said - "if you read my notes about winterising it - just reverse all of that and it should be fine".  Thanks Maur - the logic was flawless - but perhaps just a bit beyond me.  I got everything working on city water - but couldn't get my water pump or heater to work.  The next morning on Friday I called a service rep I met prior to leaving Michigan at the RV site where we purchased the home.  With minimal effort and seemingly endless patients - she walked me through it all and we now have a functioning motor home.  I am sure that there are little odds and ends that we will learn about as we go along - but for now - it is fully self contained and that makes everyone happy.

And the Puppies grow...

To show how confused I have been - I thought that this blog had been posted to the site long ago - and just realised that it was hanging about in draft form...so I have posted it along with another one that languished in drafts - I will try and catch up to now.  Sorry about that...

Sorry for the long delay in posting.  Things have been much fun here, as Abbey, Jim and Maur's dog had 3 puppies! They were born 16th December, the day after mum passed away and so they became a distraction in the sad times. Abbey is a very small dog, a cross between a Miniature Poodle and a Shitzhu. She produced 3 very cute pups. One is a fudge colour, one sandy and the third is pure black. Life has been so funny watching these grow and I am full of admiration for the way dogs nurture their little ones. Abbey has been a very good mother in feeding and tending to her little ones. we were all like little kids when we were waiting for the eyes to open! The black one was always the first to do everything_ open eyes, grow the needle like teeth, get up and move around, get to the teat!!!  Her hair is very soft and thick, in fact all the puppies have fabulous coats.

I know that puppies grow fast but I swear these were growing before our very eyes..they were always feeding and Abbey was so patient. In fact as these grew Abbey visibly thinned. It certainly has taken it out of her.  Shows what motherhood is all about.  We had planned on taking the the sandy haired one with us on this road trip as well as back to Scotland - but sense took over and we realised that we risked this poor puppy to Quarentine on arriving into the UK.  That - and the realisation that they must travel into the UK in the cargo compartment - which I was hopeing to avoid.  So - Karen and I have decided not to take a puppy with us on our travels.  I would have loved to take one - but this is the far more sensible options...as you can see by the video - they would definitely be a handful...

So in the meantime - we watch them grow and play with them.  The black puppy has been named Ms Emma Black, and will go and live with Becca and her brood...The toffee colored one (the darker of the two) has been named Coffee and will definitely remain with Sam, Jim and Maur.  The last one, we were calling her Cassi has yet to be claimed - although many have tried.  I wouldn't be surprised if Cassi wasn't still in St Charles with Mom and sister when we return.  Maur was developing a soft spot for her as well as Coffee when last I looked. 

May you all have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

Happy New Year to all.  We celebrated quietly last night with just the family.  Becca and her family came round to keep the noise level high enough so that you would have thought that we were at a full grown party of 100 drunks - but no - it was just 4 kids and a few crazy adults.  Jim and I spent time with Dad prior to the get together and he was pleased we weren't suggesting that we take him from the home to go to this party.  Actually - based on the noise level - I think I would have enjoyed his place as well.  We took some pictures of the passing of 2010 - the one of Jim and Dad is a better one of Dad than his and mine - so that is the one I decided to download...

We have yet to get our motor home back from the repair shop - Karen is quickly losing patience with me  as the last time I called they were still waiting on authorisation from the aftermarket warranty company.  I think I am going to have to be a bit more forceful on Monday when they open again after the holiday.  What should have been a couple of day repair has turned into over a week - and I really want to get it back to the house so that we can start fitting it out for the journey.

Now, I have gotten many emails/facebook messages about these puppies that I mentioned.  Sam has a dog - Abby - who is a cross between a shih tzu and miniature poodle.  She gave birth to three lovely puppies just after Mom passed and we are deciding whether to have one.  It would be great to take it on our travels with us this year - and we are working out the details of how to get it back home to Scotland without going through quarantine.  Once we are sure that we can do this - then we shall grab one and go...I have attached a photo of them just so that you have the opportunity to go ahhhh!!!

Becca (Jim's daughter) has already selected and named the black one - she will be Balla...Maur and I will arm wrestle over the other two (I suspect that she will get first choice and I will take the remainder - which is OK with me...) but Karen and I haven't named her yet - waiting for final confirmation that this is all going to work out as well as getting to know her personality prior to lumbering her with a name that doesn't fit.  We shall keep you posted on what is happening once we know.

So 2011 is for beginnings.  May all of you experience joy and prosperity in the coming year.  I am hoping to visit with some of you over the coming months and am looking forward to that.  So - keep your eyes peeled for us in your neighborhood!!!

After the Holidays...

It is the morning of Dec 28th - christmas is past, Maureen is now officially 60 (it was her birthday yesterday) and we are starting to recover some semblence of normal...Dad is still having a hard time as one would expect - but there are days when you can see the 'old Clayton' in his eyes and words.  Hoping that we can start getting it to be more often.  We brought him out to Jim's on Christmas day - but it became a bit too much for him so we took him back early.  He enjoyed the pie though - that I can guarentee.  We got a picture of him with Jim and I.  By then though, all he wanted to do was go home - not take pictures - so we cut that short this year.

Karen arrived in Michigan on the 21st and it has been full on ever since.  The one thing she hasn't seen is the new motor home as we took it in for some warranty service the day before she got here and it isn't back as of yet.  I am hoping that it gets here soon - or she will begin to think that there isn't really a motorhome at all - and that it was all a joke. I have seen it - driven it - so I know that Jim and Maur actually bought one - didn't just pocket the money (not that Maur would - its just Jim you can't be too sure about).  Now I just have to get it back so that Karen can see it too.  I did show her the spot on the driveway where it stood during the snow storm - so she knows something quite large was there...

Abby (Sam's dog) had puppies the day after Mom passed.  Seems that with endings comes beginnings.  They are lovely things - 3 in total - and still being quite good.  Not getting into anything as of yet.  Karen and I have decided that if we can manage it and can get them back into the UK without going through quarentine - we will take one.  Now we just have to wait till they are weened so that we can take one in the motorhome with us...I will post pictures of them in the next few days - they are cute.

In memory of Jennie Howell - Aug 2nd, 1921 to Dec 15th, 2010

I lost my mother yesterday.  She was so tired and wanted to go - but she waited.  For the past 8 months I have lived with the knowledge that she was failing and that if she were to go - there was nothing that I could do.  I couldn't travel, be with her or Dad or with others as we celebrated her life.  She knew that - so she waited - waited until I could get there, waited until she was sure that we would all be there for Dad, waited until everyone was ready.    I thank her for that. 

She lived for 89 years - the last 14 were a bonus - due to her tenacity and determination as well as Dad's extraordinary care for her.  We were suppose to lose her in 1996 - the family had gathered around her and the Bishop came and gave her the last rights.  Instead - she recovered and started looking at life as a bonus.  She enjoyed small things, took life on a day to day basis and loved her family. 

In late Nov, she was doing well, having a day sharing memories with my sister-in-law, Maureen.  She was having some trouble remembering things that had gone before and Maur was helping her, reminding her of funny times, loving times and even sad times.  At some point - she told Maur she couldn't remember what she looked like - so Maureen took her picture to remind her - and here it is.  She probably wouldn't be too happy that I am sharing it (perhaps not her best picture) with the world on the Internet - but I think it is a wonderful picture - one of her best.  When you get past the wrinkles - it is the smile I remember and I thank Maur for having taken it. 

So I will miss you Mom, love you always and am so very glad that I had the chance to know you these past 58 years...

Settling in...

Here I am in Michigan now.  Arrived here Wed. night - stopping by my cousin's Sharon's home on the way to Jim and Maur's.  Sharon had been baking cookies most of the day with a friend - and she wanted me to take some up to Dad - so I needed to pick them up, see her and generally relax from the trip up.

On Thursday, I finally got to see Mom and Dad after a year away.  Mom is still in the ICU at St Mary's Hospital in Saginaw.  She is on the ventilator, under some sedation, and not really aware of anyone when they are visiting.  Dad is doing OK although he definitely is missing Mom a lot.  When I arrived in his room, he was really pleased to see me, but a bit shocked at how short I have taken to wearing my hair lately.  I explained that it is in the process of growing and I am sure that it will eventually get back to a more normal length, but in the meantime - he just needs to appreciate my 'Judy Dench' look. 

Karen stayed back in Hilton Head for the next 10 days to try and finish up some of the things that we wanted to get done prior to the next rental season.  Smart move on her part as the snow came in droves on Thursday making driving quite hazardous.  Took me a bit of time to get use to Michigan winter driving again.  Ran a couple of stop lights when I couldn't get the car to stop just to prove it.  Nothing more fun than watching your car careen into an intersection - blowing your horn all the time trying to get all cross traffic to stop for you - being optimistic that they are any more capable of stopping than you are...Fortunately - it did work out and I managed to make it around - see everyone and still get home in one piece.

So now - I will settle in for the next 6 weeks or so - driving Jim and Maur crazy - getting the motor home ready for the big trip.  I don't have my camera here - so I will try and borrow someones, and download a picture or two of the travelling mega home in the next couple of days.  In the meantime you will all just have to take my word for it - it will be big enough for us...