Livingston, TX

Judy's knee is getting better but she's still staying off of it, makes her easier to catch. We rode around Livingston today and found a nice hole in the wall donut shop. We haven't been in one since we left Michigan but we were today. We did a little shopping and stopped at the local museum but it was closed on Saturdays. I did get a pic of old number 5 sitting in the downtown park. I washed the truck in the hot sun when we got back at noon and we are now in a thunderstorm, a wet one. We are expecting Larry & Lynn over this evening to play cards, if they can swim over.

Livingston, TX

This morning we tinkered around home sweet home and at 11 we toured the Escapee Care facility. This is adult day care for RVers. They will feed you, wash clothes, clean your RV, care for you during the day, take you shopping and to medical appointments and give you a place to park you RV next to their facility. They even have a 2 bedroom home for visitors. The concept is that an ailing RVer will be taken care of allowing the spouse freedom during the day and both spend the night in their unit. In the afternoon we tinkered some more and talked with others.

This afternoon I gave Judy a snuggie and unfortunatly she twisted her knee and isn't moving very well. I hope the afternoon resting and tonight starts to heal her. Otherwise I might have to leave her at the Care facility when I leave. I'm documenting this here so I can read it later to refresh my memory so I can find her again.

Livingston, TX

OK, a cloudy start today but sunshine and 70 at noon. Today we toured the Escapee HQ's building and their mail forwarding service, the largest in the US. It processes more mail than the Livingston post office and has its own ZIP code. We spent time this afternoon with a bike ride checking the park and RVs out and visiting with several other campers. Most of the RVers here aren't snowbirds but full time RVers spending a few days, weeks or a couple months here. We went out for supper with a group of 40 to a great Mexican restaurant, Texas Pepper.

Livingston, TX

We made it to the Escapee Rainbows End RV Headquarters about 2pm after a short 180 mile trip. We hadn't even registered and Paul Anderson wandered by saying....HEY, I know you. Judy and I attended the Escapee's Bootcamp training with Paul & Connie in September in Indiana. After a short chat we set up and then visited more with Paul & Connie at the parks social hour. They started full timing in October and had just arrived today from Florida and are leaving tomorrow for Quartzite, AZ. That is a major RV gathering (1000+ RVs) in the desert on government property. We had supper with them at a local restaurant, Florida's Kitchen, recommended by locals for their BBQ. Judy had the ribs (not quite as good as the ones in Sedalia, M0....still her favorite) while I had catfish for a change of pace. This is a good test of our Sprint internet access using the outside antenna and amplifier as the Sprint signal is weak. It's passing with flying colors!
One thing that still amazes me is the comfort and secure feeling while being inside our home; the layout, furniture, belongings, etc do not change. Just like all our previous homes. Once you look out the windows or step outside the door......everything changes when you move. It's like something old and something new at the same time. Hello Texas.

Kinder, LA

We have escaped from Alabama! It was a long day, we pulled out at 9am and arrived at 4:15 after 380 miles and crossing the Mississippi River one more time. This was the longest travel day and only one stop. Judy planned a stop at a rest area just inside LA but it was closed, OK, another one 30 miles down the road, it was closed. OK, a truck stop next but there were so many trucks there we couldn't find a parking place and had to drive through the weight scales to get out, it also had the largest and most pot holes I have ever seen. Off to the next truck stop......it also was so crowded we couldn't get in! About the time I was to pull off so she could get inside the trailer we found an open rest stop, boy was she happy. We saw a guy on a galloping horse in the expressway median between lanes after another fellow was struggling to ride his bicycle down the median. Judy was wondering what many of the flooded fields with red buckets were, we thought maybe rice. Well, watching the news tonight we learned they were crawfish farms! Yum yum! The CG we are in is the Red Shoes RV Resort in the "Sovereign Nation of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana". Red Shoes led a group of Indians here from Alabama in the late 1700s. Here's to ya Red Shoes! We visited the casino, very nice, new, and full of retirees. You had to use a card and not coins to play the slots which irritated Judy so we saved tons of coins as she wouldn't play. This should made Randy & Jody happy as this will add to their inheritance.

I hear from Randy the honeymoon is over (Kristi had him painting!) but the marriage is strong.

Dr Bahnmiller started her intern's surgery rotation today. Bruce is happy because he can blow leaves around his home.

Gulf Shores, AL

Last posting from Gulf Shores until November! We think we are good to go. We had the truck's oil changed this morning and went to see Jody & Bruce. We dropped off out Christmas decorations for them to store! Payback time! We had lunch, but not as planned. Judy bought a coupon book when we arrived in November and had picked out a BBQ place in Mobile for lunch. Once again the restaurant was closed and our plans foiled once more! We got home about dusk and packed up outside until the skeeters chased us inside. We said good bye to Irene and Benny then packed up inside and finalized our travel for tomorrow.

Gulf Shores, AL

Saturday 1/5 and Sunday 1/6. Saturday Judy did Curves in the morning while I had an LP gas tank filled and we did some final grocery shopping at Brunos. I did a little routine maintenance preparing for travel. Judy made a great meat loaf, baked potato and coleslaw supper. Yum yum. Sunday morning she did the laundry while I topped of the trailer tires with air then we went to the church service at the park. Irene & Benny made burgers for lunch then we all went to the beach with our lawn chairs to watch the gulf and all the people while enjoying the 74 degrees and sun. On the way home we stopped for ice cream. Tonight we played euchre for the last time and neither of us did very well.