First Blog

Well, I finally got some local help and got a blog set up. I'll try to update regularly but until I get my camera to talk to this vista program on my computer, the pictures may be few and far between. The one thing I have discovered is that I have no control over what order or where my pictures will turn up. So bare with me

I uploaded these pictures in order; however, the blog chose to turn them around. The first picture was at Ft. Gibson Lake by Wagoner, OK. Really back in the boonies. Larry said he hear the coyotes one night. The second picture was our camp at Blasi Campground. This was the first snow in December. I didn't go take a picture of the next snow with the two foot drift in front and back. The last picture is one camp site we had at Lake Afton. We were there for about 2 months. Had to change camp sites every 2 weeks.

So far retirement life is great. We talked to one guy who threw his watch up on the roof of his work as he left for the last time. Hasn't worn one since. We still seem to be on a schedule here at the Escapees camp in Livingston, TX so I'm still wearing a watch. So far we've done two tours - one of the mail facility (largest of it's kind in the country) and the CARE Center which is for Escapee members who need independent living or are just recovering from an illness. Really great facility - again, only one of its kind in the country. Larry went to a Blue Cross/Blue Shield meeting (not me); we went to an acoustic jam session; a computer group this morning after my line dancing class and that was after eating a great breakfast at the CARE center for $3/each. We have another breakfast tomorrow morning and then a Bon Fire tomorrow night. In between, we've washed windows on the camper and washed the truck. Gone for a couple of walks and, of course, eaten out twice - one Cajun and one Mexican. Sunday night is an ice cream social and Monday at 4:00 is a birthday party with cake and ice cream. Yes, weight watching is going to be a serious issue.

The temperatures here have gone from around mid to upper 30's in the morning, to upper 60's and lower 70's by afternoon. Humidity has been running about 30% but I hear it gets worse on some days, even in the winter. We're in shirt sleeves by afternoon. I was even thinking about getting out the shorts.

We plan on leaving here Tuesday morning and heading for San Leon on the Gulf coast south of Houston - close to Galveston.

P.S. For you WSU basketball fans, Mark Turgeon who now coaches Texas A & M is referred to as the Turgeon General. We get lots of Texas A&M news sitting here close to College Station. That TV station is the only good reception we have. The rest of the channels come in from Houston and aren't very good yet. Good thing we have Direct TV.

Our Story:

Larry and I will be married 33 years on the 18th of Jan. We've raised 3 kids and now have two grandsons. Larry turned 65 in December and decided he'd had enough and wanted to hit the road. We had an estate sale and got rid of all of our household and garage items (what the kids didn't want). Shortly after that, the house sold too. We were in our Hitchiker 36' 5th wheel for about 3 months before we hit the road.

Both of our companies gave us very nice retirement parties. We stayed in Wichita long enough to have Christmas with the family. We have not only left our family, we're also missing good friends from our work and our P.T. Cruiser group that we were so active with.

Left on December 27th between snow storms. First stop was in Wagoner, OK where Larry has twin brothers, Don & Dean. Don is in the hospital. We left there on Jan. 2nd and headed for Mt. Vernon to visit Larry's older brother, Wayne. He and his wife, Sharol, have a home on Lake Cypress Springs. We stayed at a campground there and had a really nice visit.

Left there on Jan. 8th and headed for Livingston, TX. Livingston is the home to the Escapee organization. They are a mail forwarding service and have several campgrounds throughout the south. There are lots in all the campgrounds that you can buy to set your camper on or, as in the campground, there are actual stick built homes for sale. They also have an independent residence area for those of us that are off the road but still want to live in our own campers. They provide laundry, 3 meals a day, exercise programs and assistance getting to your doctors. All for $1200 a couple. They also clean your camper every other week. Only one of it's kind in the nation.

The rest of our travels should be chronicled in the blog above.