Que it up Willie...On the Road Again.......

Saturday we got to attend Devyn's second soccer game, she got an assist on one goal; not bad considering she's playing with older girls. They won 5 to 2 and are 1/1 for the season. Randy has succeeded in tuckering me out splitting and stacking wood this week. I'm pooped. I will admit that every time we work on his wood pile it hurts a little less. We had goodbye supper with Devyn this week and then again with Randy & Kristi. They are all doing fine and we'll miss them but after two months in MI it's time to leave so we can all return to our normal lives. Patches had a difficult time bidding farewell to all her cousins,

Nick, Dollar, Jack, Holly (the horses); Anne & Remmy (the goats); and Tom, Jerry, Brad, Jovi, Bubby, Itty Bitty, Squeeky & Strippy Girl, & Reggie.

We were planning on leaving last Sunday but a couple medical appointments popped up so we hit the road Thursday afternoon. Our first stop was Elkhart, IN at the MOR/ryde facility so they could check the softer rubber suspension they installed a couple weeks ago. After only 200 miles of travel all is well and their inspection passed. We left a little before 8 this morning (Friday) and made it 330 miles to Litchfield, IL; about an hour east of St Louis. It was very windy but we have to be in Chanute, KS Monday. We decided to travel longer days and get there Saturday, tomorrow, rather than Sunday so we can rest Sunday.

Today also showed us the modified suspension is working well. Time to get the blog going again.

Soccor & back to school

I know we have been busy the last couple weeks but I'll be darned if I can remember busy doing what. We have been back to Elkhart two days to have some work done on the trailers new suspension system, so far so good. We went to Devyn's first soccer game in the rain and she's back in school, middle school no less! We have been visiting with family, Judy's sister Jean and my sister Bev; friends Don & Zola and Chet & Anna and Al & Joan as we are getting ready to head west in four of five days. We have also been busy with doctor appointments, only one left tomorrow. The weather the last few days has been really nice, 70s daytime and 50s at night. Cool enough for Randy to make me earn my keep by helping him split and move wood for the winter season.

Doctor Jody Bahnmiller

Doctor Bahnmiller has successfully completed her medical education and residency and has her Florida & Mississippi medical licenses. She has also passed her board exam and is board certified! Today she started working in Long Beach, Mississippi for Hospital Corporation of America at a clinic that another doctor has started. The clinic is associated with Garden Park Medical Center. She saw 16 patients on her first day, all survived. Congratulations daughter. Mom & Pop

The Hoosier Honey Beauty Contest

Today Judy and I attended a couple seminars, not any of early (9am) ones though. I attended Gypsy Journal FAQ while Judy attended (of course!) Honey Let's Clean the RV. In the afternoon I went to Managing Digital Photos with Picassa while Judy went to For Women Only. We both went to Beginning Genealogy by left after 20 minutes....too dry. We both attended the Google Earth presentation. Before the evening entertainment started Dennis Hill (RV Driving School) warmed the audience up in his orange outfit, his favorite color (might be due to all the orange cones he uses in the RV driver training). At 7pm Nick gave away more door prises (we won a book on RV Maintenance last night) then about 7:30 the Hoosier (Hooter) Honey Beauty Contest started. The winner, wearing the tierra, was Carmalita Camelback. RV rallies aren't always serious. If you want to see more of the beauty contest here's a YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIuLgUDa8R4

From the pasture to the Gypsy Gathering rally

At the Gypsy Gathering rally.

Terry & Nick Russell, rally organizers.

The campground & our site in Elkhart, IN

Patches herding the horses.

We spent the week after the M&M rally back at Randy, Kristi & Devyns. As you could expect we had lots of fun with Devyn. Judy has taught her to play cribbage this week, the last I heard D can beat Judy already! Randy has helped with a couple tasks on the HitchHiker, an upgrade to the Demco hitch and beefing up the entry steps.

On Sunday we made the 116 mile trip to the Elkhart CG for the Eastern Gypsy Gathering rally. We attended the Western Gypsy Gathering rally in AZ two years ago and enjoyed it. Sunday afternoon we met up with Roger & Barb from LA (they were at the M&M rally too) and went to supper with them. Monday we registered for the rally, (& met some more RV friends) went to lunch and an RV surplus store with Roger & Barb before the rally festivities started in the afternoon.

Michigan Mini HitchHiker rally

This has been a busy but relaxing week. There have been 11 HitchHikers here for the rally. Sunday afternoon we had a welcoming burger cookout, Monday we went to a nice Mennonite restaurant, Hearthstone Oven, for lunch, then Uncle John's Fruit Farm for some wine tasting, then a stop at a nifty outdoor yard ornament place and off to a buffet restaurant in Middleton for supper.
Tuesday morning started off with Judy making muggles for everyone and it was game time for the rest of the day. I don't remember what we did Wednesday! Thursday we had a potluck dinner. All during the week there were ladder ball, washer toss and card & board games going in the gazebo. There was, of course, lots of RV talk and tire kicking all week. The weather has been great. Tuesday & Wednesday it was so comfortable outside that we didn't have to run the A/C, this was the first time since May. We all had enough fun and fellowship we started to plan next years M&M Rally in Manistee, MI.

Sumner, MI for the Michigan Mini Rally & Ithaca, MI

Today we hit the road for the Michigan Mini rally after 3 weeks in Randy, Kristi, & Devyn's pasture with the cats, horses and goats. It was a short 2 hour trip north just outside Ithaca, Michigan. It's the first time, as far as we can remember, to Ithaca. After setting up home sweet home we went back for supper and some groceries. The small city is the county seat for Gratiot County and we were impressed with how neat and tidy the entire city is. Here's a couple pics of the firehouse (check out the wind vane on top of the building!), the grain mill and county building. Very pretty little city, looks like it's thriving.