Gulf Shores zoo

On Wednesday morning we went shopping for the zoo animals. D picked up LOTS of food gifts (the zoo had a long shopping list) that we took to the small local zoo. Chuckie, the resident alligator and an Australian bird were favorites but so was feeding the critters. After the zoo we went to the Hangout on the beach for lunch. We had some extra bread & fries so D got to feed some more wildlife!

delayed Christmas

Tuesday evening when Jody got off work Judy had fixed a nice ham dinner then we had Christmas. Devyn had the job of handing out the gifts.

Mobile, Riverside park & Fort Conde

Tuesday afternoon we went to Cooper Riverside Park downtown, 5 or 6 minutes from Jody & Bruce's home. They saw the USS Independence which will be commissioned January 16, didn't quite make Randy want to rejoin the Navy. We also visited and old Spanish fort across the street. We are really enjoying seeing Devyn and letting her see some new sights. Like her hat? She also caught a camelian!! It was cold so the little lizard was moving slow.

The Michiganders have arrived

Sunday Randy, Kristi & Devyn arrived in New Orleans. Judy, Jody & I drove over to welcome them and pick D up. R & K were spending a couple days in New Orleans while we returned to Mobile with D. On the way back we stopped at The Shed in Louisiana for some good BBQ. Monday Judy & I took D to the hospital where Jody is completing her residency. Jody took her on a small tour and we had lunch in the cafeteria then went for a walk outside to see the children's statues that are scattered around the hospital. Judy, D & I returned to our home Monday afternoon & spent the night here.

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! On Christmas Eve Judy & I went to Jody & Bruce's in the afternoon and frosted the Christmas cookies Judy made a week or so ago while we dog sat when Jody & Bruce were in Myrtle Beach, SC so Jody could check out a job. Judy made a good Parisian vegetable soup then we all went to a Lutheran church for their Christmas Eve service before we headed home. On Christmas day Jody & Bruce came to our place and we had a small gift exchange then went to see the movie Blind Side. When we returned home we had a great turkey, dressing, taters/gravy, green bean & roll supper. Judy did a turkey breast in the crock pot & everything was REAL good.

We can hardly wait for Sunday when Randy, Kristi & Devyn arrive! We will all go to New Orleans to greet them and bring Devyn home with us while Randy & Kristi check out New Orleans for a couple days then drive over to Alabama.

Anyone have an ark?

It's been awhile since the last entry but we've not been up to much. Paul & Dottie and Rudy & Linda have left and both headed west but Ray & Barb are still here. We have spent another two days at Jody & Bruce's dog sitting while Jody attended a conference in Montgomery. Judy baked several batches of Christmas cookies & I installed a door latch. Judy continues at Curves and leading a water aerobics session 3 days a week. We play euchre twice a week and Judy plays cribbage once a week. Judy's brother Clayton stopped overnight last week as he was moving the remainder of his stuff from San Francisco to St Augustine. His California house is for sale & he's anxious to hit the road in his new motorhome. I have been doing a few jobs on our trailer and upgraded the converter. Hi Lois....here's a new post for you!

The pictures above were taken when we visited the Mobile Museum and Phoenix Fire House Museums. The Navy ship is the USS Independence
which will be commissioned next month.

My comment about the ark in this entries title refers to all the rain we've had. Lots of it. It has rained all day long today and this is one of several rainy days we have experienced. The ground is saturated and there are small lakes everywhere.

We have had the truck's oil changed, new front brake pads installed and a couple engine gauges changed and a new 12v power outlet added for the rear seat.

Thanksgiving weekend we put up out Christmas decorations, outside we have lights on one tree, a spiral artificial lighted tree, 4 penguins and a lit palm tree. Inside we have colored lights & garland around the ceiling. My favorite was a 3' tall green tree and 3' tall penguin together which we sat on the dinning table. Unfortunately critters got into it this past year while it was stored in Jody's shed and ruined it. So.....we have put up our Charlie Brown Christmas tree and it's red bulb we received from Randy, Kristi & Devyn.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Where does the time go? Judy & I spent a night at Jody & Bruce's dog sitting while they went to Myrtle Beach so Jody could check out a doctors position there. A day later Judy & Jody drove to St Augustine for a few days to see her sister Margaret. Her brother Clayton was there too with Pat so she got to see them also before they left for San Francisco. I was planning on going too but messed up my back & wasn't looking forward to the 7 hour drive and being without my LazyBoy chair.

We have been playing euchre, I tied for third one night. The next night I went with Judy to play Bingo, she split one Bingo and I won two so we took $75 home. This should fund my poker playing for the rest of the winter.

We have been spending some time with fellow HitchHiker friends, Paul & Dottie from PA, Rudy & Linda from TX and Ray & Barb from CA. The weather has been good, a couple days of rain but lots of sunshine and mid to high 60s.

Blue Angels Homecoming airshow

On Friday we went with Paul & Dottie, Ray & Barb & Rudy & Linda to the Naval Air Station Pensacola to spend the day watching the Blue Angels Homecoming air show. We went 2 years ago and enjoyed it again as much as we did then.

We spent Saturday washing the HitchHiker, Jody showed up (she's on vacation this week) so we put the doc to work helping us.

Sunday Judy and I went to Jody & Bruce's to watch their dogs while they were in Myrtle Beach, SC so she could interview for a position & they could check the area out. Patches spent the night sleeping on Judy's tummy on the couch. Monday we returned to our home sweet home.

Our weather continues to be wonderful, 70s daytime, sunny blue skies and 50s at night.

Tropical storm Ida

Friday we moved over two rows to the area were we have spent the last two winters because we have become friends with snowbirds located there. Saturday we went with Jody & Bruce to Gulfport, MS to check out campgrounds because they might be moving there next year when Jody is finished with her residency in Mobile. It was disappointing, all the CGs we checked out were at least $150 a month more and not near as nice as Gulf Shores. We also rode by the hospital she's be associated with and the clinic where she's possibly work. On the way home we stopped at The Shed for BBQ. The food was very good and the place was just a bunch of sheds, really, connected together. Jody & Bruce are off to Myrtle Beach, SC in a few days so she can check out a position there.

Monday we were visited by tropical storm Ida. If you believed the media it was to be a major event with lots of rain and winds 50 to 60 mph with stronger gusts. Several RVers evacuated from the local CGs and headed north. Some closed up their RVs and went to motels. The state park by the Gulf had a mandatory evacuation and there was a county wide curfew from 10pm until 6am. Most stayed put like we did. Everyone retracted awnings and put stuff away so it wouldn't blow away. It did rain a lot, started about 10am and it really was coming down in the late afternoon, evening & night. We waited for the winds, and waited and waited but they never arrived. The trailer trembled a couple times but that was all, I think the winds topped out at 30 to 40mph. The storm was a bust!

Great weather & good times

We have been enjoying ourselves since we arrived. The weather has been great, 70s daytime, low 60s at night and all sunshine. We have been out to eat LOTS of shrimp at Mike's with Ray & Barb and Rudy & Linda our fellow HitchHiker friends. One day we went for a bike ride in the state park with about 10 friends from the RV park. We saw one gater. I think it was 40 to 45 miles that we rode but others insisted it was only 7.4 miles. It was an enjoyable hour & a quarter. On Saturday we went to see Jody & Bruce. We spent the afternoon with them and then watched the 100+ Halloween kids trick or treating. We went to Lamberts, home of the throwed rolls, one afternoon and had lunch with our HitchHiker friends above plus 3 Escapees couples. I met one on the Escapee forum when they were looking to leave AZ for somewhere on the Gulf coast. I suggested Gulf Shores. They brought along 2 other couples and in talking with one lady we discovered she lives 2 blocks from Jody & Bruce, her daughter is finishing her 3 year residency at the university of Southern Alabama just like Jody and both are chiefs! Yes, Jody knows the other doctor, small world huh?