Cowboy Museum and Tornadoes

Location: Lake El Reno RV Park (el 1,400 ft); El Reno, Oklahoma

all pictures taken with Nokia Lumia Icon 929 Cell phone
(click pictures to enlarge)

Current Location

I arrived at this little City Owned campground early yesterday afternoon. It's a first come, first served campground so that means no reservations. The town of El Reno is about 20 west of Oklahoma City on Interstate 40. There are two choices at this campground: one with water/electric only and the other full hook-ups. I chose the full hook ups since I didn't empty my tanks at the last "bad ju ju" campground (I didn't want to chance it with the Ju Ju getting inside Liberty more than it already had). I'm still disappointed in that place. Every Corp of Engineer's park I've ever stayed has been wonderfully maintained and well designed. Oh well, if that's the worst thing that happens on this trip I'll be very lucky.

Lake El Reno RV Park

Lake El Reno

Speaking of lucky. Tornadoes have been touching down to the west and southwest of me all afternoon. So far they keep missing me and it looks like the possibility is getting less and less as I type this post. They are suppose to start up again tomorrow afternoon but since it is moving day for me, I hope to be west of them by noon. The wind around here starts getting stronger and stronger as the heat of the day warms things up. It's not too bad up till about noon, but after that it can be a little dicey if towing. 

I finally was able to do some exploring today. I've been back on the road for three days and haven't seen much of anything I haven't seen before. Today's exploration was the National Cowboy Museum. I had heard it was a great museum so I wanted to see for myself. I've seen a lot of museums since I've been on the road and on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being terrible and 10 being great, I would score this one a 6. To me, paintings of cowboys is not something I would expect in a cowboy museum. I was looking for actual items, which there were some and a little history, and there was a little of that too. Maybe I'm just getting jaded about places like this. But overall it was good to get out and see something, anything.

This statue was outside. I tried to find the story about the Indian with an umbrella, but finally gave up.

This statue was impressive in size. It it bright white which is why it doesn't take a good picture. It was good work.

This was a mock-up of a chuckwagon and camp. These were the best parts of the museum.

A nice outdoors statue

The man, John Wayne. A great actor, person and American. My mother had a crush on him while I was growing up. The statue didn't look like him in the face, but the plaque said it was him.

I also went to the city park and saw the Oklahoma Land Run statues. Yeah, they call it "land run" now. I thought in school we were taught it was the "land rush". I guess things change. I wonder why they change? Is it just too confuse us older folks? Yeah, I could believe that.

These statues of the "land rush" were very detailed.

It was a small park but the statues were very good. You can see the whole thing in less than 30 minutes.

Tomorrow is moving day and I'll be heading a couple hundred miles west. Traveling this quickly is a good way to get me back in the swing of moving, but I'll have to find a place to hole up for a few days to let time catch up.

Wouldn't you know it, I was able to find a nice bench in a cool place at the Cowboy Museum.

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.

Go!! (ut oh, campground bust)

Location: Juniper Point COE Campground (el. 625 ft); Gordonville, Texas

all pictures taken with Nokia Lumia Icon 929 cell phone
(Click pictures to enlarge)

I woke early and got rolling at 8:30 a.m. Everything went smoothly while hooking up. The drive, although longer than usual, was a good one. The weather was nice and the gas stop was easy. Man, everything was just clicking along. 

Changing landscape from the Piney Woods of Northwest Louisiana to the open farm lands of North-Central Texas

Campground turn to the right.
Lake Texoma in the distance.

I arrived at the campground around 1:00 and checked in with the office. The check in process was easy and quick. I drove to the campsite and even with it being a "right-hand" back-in, I had no problem backing in. The site was level fore and aft, but side to side required 3 blocks. Uhmmm,,, that seemed unusual for a Corp of Engineers campground. They are usually designed and built very well. I plugged into the electric pedestal and my Surge Guard said everything was good to go so I continued setting up. 

Peaceful looking campsite, uh?

I noticed the water spigots were quite a ways away from the campsite. I carry about 75 feet of water hose and wasn't sure that would be enough. I decided not to add any fresh water to my tank and would just use the water I already had in my fresh water tank. There would be enough to last me the two days I planned to be here. Besides, I could stretch the fresh water out by using my 2 1/2 gallon collapsible water jugs. One for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. I turned the water spigot on and let it run for a minute then filled up the jug. The water looked as if it came straight out of the lake without any treatment. I tried again and got the same results. Oh well, that just would be for the bathroom and I didn't fill the other for the kitchen. I sure am glad I didn't just automatically add the water to my fresh water tank. This is a good reminder to me that I've have been slack in the past in not visually checking the water source better. Anyway, I had enough water to make it for the couple of days and the lake looked pretty and peaceful. There were only a couple of other campers so it was very quiet.

The wind started picking up as the sun went down and that caused the electricity to turn off and on. After a few times, I went to check the Surge Guard and it was showing High Voltage and Reversed Polarity. The Surge Guard was doing its job and protecting Liberty and me. I decided to turn the power off and just use my batteries. It was a little warm but not too bad and I slept well.

Three strikes for this campground: 3 blocks needed for level, bad water, bad electricity. Not good. Beside, the place just doesn't have a good vibe. Something just isn't right with this place. 

I checked the weather forecast and it shows a clear day for today (Wednesday) but storms are due to return for Thursday and Friday. I made an executive decision to leave today and forsake one days worth of fees in order to get into a better place for the coming storms. They may not be as bad as predicted, but this time of year in Oklahoma, better safe than sorry. So, I'll be packing up after posting this to the blog and moving to a small city campground outside of Oklahoma City. I hope to be there a few days to see a couple things in OKC. 

Not too exciting of a blog post and I hope this campground isn't an indicator of things to come. 

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.

Ready,,,Set,,,,,

Location: New Rockdale RV Park; Mansfield, Louisiana

The wedding was great. Everyone had a good time. 

Wedding Rehearsal.
Yep, it was in a barn.
That's my son on the left and the bride on the right in blue.

I got back to Mansfield on Sunday afternoon and after resting a little bit began organizing things for traveling. It is hard to believe I've been stationary for 7 months but once wheels start rolling, everything will be OK. The reason I had to come back to Mansfield was to see my Optometrist to see if the eye drops were reducing the high pressure in my eyes. Bingo. They worked. After only 10 days, my pressure dropped 5 points in each eye to new pressures of 18 and 20. Anything 20 and below is considered OK. The eye drops will continue to reduce the pressure for about the next 5 weeks at which time it will plateau out. My doc and I were happy with the results. I told him I would see him in the fall, maybe around Thanksgiving. He was the final doctor to give his OK for me to travel so tomorrow the adventure begins again. 

Everything is prepared for an early start tomorrow morning. I've cleaned Freedom's windshield which had "love bugs" all over it. I also bought some boudin and have it in the freezer for later on down the road when I need a little cajun fix. :) My tanks are empty and hoses stored. I hope to be rolling by about 9:00 am with a little less than 300 miles to my next destination which is Juniper Point (Corp of Engineers) Campground on Lake Texoma at the border of Texas and Oklahoma. I have a little concern about nasty weather coming out of New Mexico which should hit Oklahoma Tuesday night. I thought about changing directions and heading a little farther south to avoid it, but decided to go ahead with the original plan. As long as it's not too bad, I really like stormy weather and I should have a good view of it coming across the lake. We will see how it works out. 

I'm looking forward to hitting the road but will be missing my family a lot.

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.

Southern Louisiana

Location: Red Shoes RV Park (Coushatta Indian Casino) (el. 60 ft); Kinder, Louisiana

I hitched up yesterday in grandpa gear slo-motion to try to make sure I didn't forget a step and drop Liberty on the ground or even worse, drop her on Freedom. Everything went smooth and I connected on the first attempt and heard that sweet "click" that only "fifth wheelers" can truly appreciate. It reminded me of a verse from an old song and I sang it to myself, "Well, hello there. My, it's been a long, long time." (extra points to those who recognize the song)

Wheels were rolling by 11:00 a.m. with a 3 hour tow ahead of me. It was mostly interstate so it was easy going with hardly any traffic. I kept the music off and just  listened as Freedom and Liberty got to know each other again. It was a good sound and it felt like they both were happy to be back on the road. Me too. Ok, here is where ya'll think I may be crazy or as some southerns say it, "touched". It never has been real clear to me as to who or what is doing the touching. Anyway, crazy or not, the three of us got to know each other again and it was good. 

I arrived at Red Shoes RV Park which is part of the Coushatta Indian Casino in Kinder, Louisiana. I'm here for two reasons. The first, I did today, which was to visit my sister, niece and nephew in Lafayette which is about 70 miles away. It was a nice visit and will have to last until I get back sometime around Thanksgiving. The second reason is to attend and be the best man in my oldest sons wedding. The rehearsal is tomorrow (Friday) followed by a crawfish boil. The wedding will be Saturday evening. I'll head back to Mansfield for a final doctor appointment on Monday before hitting the road in a western direction bright and early on Tuesday morning. 

I thought I was going to enjoy a nice buffet dinner at the casino but when the hostess said $40.00 dollars I passed on it. I don't think I could eat $40.00 dollars worth of food even if it was Taco Bell. I found a Burger King and enjoyed a Texas Double Meal for less than $10.00. My refrigerator and freezer is almost empty because I'm planning to defrost it sometime Sunday and hopefully re-stock it before leaving. We will see if it happens or not. 

Some sights from Southern Louisiana. 

Red Shoes Campground. About 20% full, but should increase over the weekend.

I thought some of my Yankee friends might want to see what a crawfish pond looks like. The little red things are crawfish traps. They are baited with either fish or processed pellets and checked daily. 

The ponds are very shallow so a special boat is needed to check the traps. This boat is propelled by the big wheel in the back that "walks" on the bottom of the pond and pushes the boat. Notice the one crawfish trap on the side of the boat. That one is the last trap emptied from the day before. It is needed to replace the first trap on today's run. As he picks up one trap and empties it on the table, the boat is still moving towards the next trap. As he arrives at the next trap, he has the empty trap rebaited and drops it next to the next trap before picking up the next full trap. It is all a continuous movement. The table in front of the chair is used to sort out the crawfish by size and throw back the smaller ones. It is an interesting operation to see. 

This is the final product. A table full of boiled crawfish. It's not just crawfish. You can put just about anything in the pot including potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage, etc. It is up to the cook. It's good eating, so if you're coming through Louisiana, stop and "pass a good time" with some boiled crawfish. (I did not take this picture, it was borrowed from the internet)

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road. 

Making Preparations

Location: New Rockdale RV Park; Mansfield, Louisiana

The "calling of the road" is building up. It is a combination of excitement and a touch of fear. Yeah, fear, just a little though. It is a respectful type of fear. The type that makes you careful and thoughtful. Going to cities and places that are unknown to me, means I have to be more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. A small amount of skepticism, cynicism, "head on a swivel", and situational awareness are healthy things when being on the road alone.  

To me, traveling is seeing places I've never seen. That is what I do most of the time, but in some of those special places, the other senses get involved. Smelling is good for things other than smelling great food. I remember smelling the blooming jasmine and honeysuckle in the south, the creosote bushes in Arizona, the ocean smells from the crashing waves along the Oregon coast (just to name a few). But the best smell on the road is the smell of Freedom. The freedom to turn left or right, to stop or go, to drive a little ways or a long way, to camp along a lake or in the desert. I know this may sound strange to many people and to some it is frightening to not be on a set schedule of, do this or that, at this time or that time. To me, it helps open all of the senses.

I've settled on a route. There are things I want to see in Oklahoma City, so I'll be headed there with one stop at a Corp of Engineers park before getting there. After Oklahoma City, I'll head due west along I-40 all the way to Flagstaff, Arizona with stops about every 150 to 200 miles. I'm not sure which direction I'll be going after Flagstaff. I like traveling along the interstate highway when towing Liberty. Interstates are faster and safer than the 2-lane (blue highways). I'll travel those 2-laners when it is just me and Freedom or when I have no choice of an interstate. 

I've finished some of the maintenance on Liberty. I greased her wheel bearings the other day. She is equipped with E-Z lube bearing system which just requires me to connect a grease gun to the fitting on the end of the spindle and shoot some grease. Once I see the new grease coming out, I know the job is done. Very easy. I also change the anode rod in the hot water heater. I waited longer than usual to change it this time but it was still OK. I've back flushed the waste tanks. Liberty has a black tank sprayer but the grey and galley tanks don't. I use a "flush king" to do the trick on all three tanks. I'll also be adding some Calgon and dawn detergent to the tanks right before leaving. The traveling with agitate the fluid in the tanks and will help clean the sensors and sides. I also changed out the main water filter. I thought long and hard about just removing the filter and canister permanently but realized I was not a contortionist and would therefore have difficulty rerouting the water lines. I changed out the water pump, mistakenly thinking it was causing a problem. Now I have a new pump installed and a used one for a reserve. I will add an extra dose of Clorox to the fresh water tank before I leave. I've greased up the fifth wheel hitch in Freedom and will have her serviced before I leave.

Flush King at work

Difference between new and used anode rods.
The old one is 18 months old.

Since I use my fresh water tank all the time
and with staying in so many different campground,
I add some Clorox to my tank every now and then.
The red "ketchup" bottle with an oil spout attached is the
perfect size for 1/4 cup per 10 gallons. 

There are other things I've done in preparation for leaving, but this post is getting too boring. I guess I'm out of the habit of blogging. Oh well, maybe it will come back in time.

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.

Hit the Road Next Week

Location: New Rockdale RV Park; Mansfield, Louisiana 

Well, well, well, looks like I'll be hitting the road next week. I plan to leave here on the 10th and move to Kinder, Louisiana where I'll be close enough to participate in my oldest son's wedding on the 13th. I'll then return back to here so I can check in with one of my doctors on the 15th. At that point, everything should be good to go, with a take-off date of May 16th. I will be heading west to Flagstaff, Arizona. There isn't anything special for me to see there, except it is a decision point for me to either continue west or to turn north. The problem I'm having is deciding which routes to take. In the past, the routes I chose were pretty easy decisions without a lot of second guessing. Now I find myself developing 3 or 4 different routes with each having their own advantages. I've rarely been indecisive in my life and hope this affliction does not continue. Perhaps it will improve once I'm on the road again.

Some of the things that have kept me around here for a while are: 

My oldest son will be getting married on May 13th and I'm the best man. That event will be held in DeQuincy, Louisiana which is in the southwestern part of the state just north of Lake Charles. He is a marrying a nice girl (woman) who likes to ride horses in barrel racing events. They are a good match with each having a son. I'm sure they will blend into a very nice family. There will be more on that event, after it happens. 

My son, Jerry and his bride, Jennifer

Jennifer and her son, Cooper

My youngest son, Brandon, who's been diabetic since he was 9 and celebrated his 32nd birthday yesterday, had a kidney/pancreas transplant evaluation on Wednesday of this week. His kidney function (GFR) is at 23 with 20 being a line for kidney failure. His kidney doctor had set up the evaluation but Brandon will not be eligible for a kidney transplant until his GFR drops below 20. So it is a wait and see. He will not need dialysis until his GFR drops below 15 which hopefully he will have a transplanted kidney by that time. It is unpredictable, but it could be several months or much longer before his GFR drops below 20. The good news is that when he gets on the transplant list, it will be for a kidney and pancreas transplant. They said the waiting list for the combination of organs is actually shorter than if you just receive a kidney. If successful and Brandon's body doesn't reject the pancreas, Brandon will become a non-diabetic for the first time in 23 years. So, Brandon is in a very stable condition with his stroke and diabetes. He stills drives his truck and just renewed his drivers license yesterday. He has started going to the gym and walks on the treadmill for 45 minutes to an hour. He went to the gym 6 days in a row but will probably settle into a routine of every other day. His spirits are still high. With all of the curve balls that life has thrown his way, he has hit each and every one out of the park.

I have also been to the doctors. I've had a stress test and was given clearance to travel by my cardiologist. My GP said my cholesterol was a little high, which was no surprise. I was surprised when he told me I had Type 2 diabetes. I'm taking a pill and checking my blood sugar every now and then as well as checking my ketones. A side effect of the diabetes is that I accidentally lost 10 pounds. My GP and I agreed to continue on my current medicines. My eye doctor is concerned about my high eye pressure (23) combined with what his machine says is a loss of peripheral vision. Those two things usually predict glaucoma in the future. The good news is that my optic nerve shows absolutely nothing wrong with it which contradicts the glaucoma prediction. So, he is scratching his head a little bit but we decided eyes drops should be started to lower the pressure, just in case. I will check back with him to get an up to date pressure check the day before I leave. That reminds me, I need to check the pressure in Liberty's tires too. I will consider doing a laser procedure in the fall when I return. Since I have only rarely used eye drops over the course of my life, the doctor told me how to use them. In the past, I've always held my eyelids open and tried to hit my eyeball with the drops. He told me a better way, which is to lay flat on your back, close your eyes, place the drops on your tear duct, then open and close your eyes several times. The drops will naturally go into your eyes. It works well.

My brother-in-law passed away a few days before Christmas. He was a fireman and it was the first time I've seen the "last call" at a funeral. It was very sad and moving. I will be writing a post about the funeral and how he and my sister met, split up and re-met in a future post. A couple of my work friends also passed away since I've been home. One of them died on the way to the funeral of the first friend. It was a sad time for lots of people.

My brother-in-law, Sam.

I've been able to see a lot of my granddaughter, Olivia. She just turned 3 years of age and is playing "wee-ball". I will miss her and all of my family while I'm on the road.

Me getting a hug from Olivia.
It was a really good hug.

Olivia in the dugout. Great eyes, uh?

Keeping her eyes on the ball

Hands on hips, Ut oh.
That is her father behind her.

A nice family picture. My son-in-law,
Robert, Olivia and my daughter Brittanie.

 Me and Olivia playing with dolls.
Yeah, that's right, dolls. :)

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.

Getting Caught Up

Location: New Rockdale RV Park; Mansfield, Louisiana

Wow, it's been over a month since I've made a post. Since I'm not traveling, I figured there isn't much that would interest readers so I've been putting off making a post. I've received several comments and emails asking if everything is OK. My lack of posting worried some readers and for that I'm sorry. Everything is OK. I've been visiting with family and friends with a little RV maintenance and doctor's visits thrown in for good measure. 

My last post was the day before the election. The political pendulum has swung the other way. As with each new president, we need to give them a chance to show the country and the world if they are up to the challenge of running this wonderful, one of kind, country of ours. Good luck, Mr. President (but remember, we will be keeping our eyes on you). 

Thanksgiving was great. All of my kids and grandkids were were here as well as future, past and present in-laws and one Ex. It was a good family get-together with everyone bringing pictures from the past to share. The food was very good with everyone pitching in to prepare it. It was a great day.

Pictures will finish out this post and I promise to not be so delinquent in posting again.

Olivia "the good witch" at Halloween

She's a cutie and those eyes are so expressive

Sunrise over the campground

Another picture of Olivia

My daughter making dessert with help from Olivia and Tucker

Some LSU girl

Olivia and her great Dad and my son-in-law

   

That is Tucker, Cooper and Olivia. I gave them my loose change from the last several months. I told them if they counted it and separated it into equal thirds, each could keep a third. Olivia got tired so she rested while the boys did all the work. Female in training??? LOL

Olivia showing me some leaves

Olivia thinking of the answer to a question I asked her about the leaves

Brandon and Olivia enjoying some snacks

Mother teaching daughter how to lick the beaters

Mimi giving Olivia decorations.

Olivia the tree decorator.

A little help

Help with the top

All done!!

Time for a post-decorating snack

Brandon and Sofie checking out the backyard

My daughter's 3rd grade class had asked questions about how bridges are built over water. Since I was familiar with the work, she invited me to talk with the class about it. It was a very enjoyable time with a couple dozen questions. The kids seemed to enjoy it too. :)

My Christmas decoration are up and yes, that is duck tape on the stocking sock. 

Merry Christmas Everyone

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.