Joy, I was so sorry to hear about Bobbie passing.
 
We were also good friends and I avidly followed her adventures across country.  I kept all her journal entries and pictures.  Unfortunately I lost them all when my old computer crashed.

Another SeniorNetter y'all may remember was "Maril" from the LA area.  She also travelled like Bobbie and the two of them spent part of a winter in Slab City, California which really was interesting.  Sandy, did you ever get to Slab City in your travels?

Bobbie's van broke down in Ft Worth when she was heading home and she spent several months with another SeniorNetter Alice Wyatt until her van was fixed.  My daughter Cathie and I met them for lunch and a good visit.

Christmas Eve 2014 she drove to Canton, OH to get a new dog which she named Holly. I remember her saying January would have approved of Holly .

Mary

I do not know all the In's and outs, but we only cut it in the winter when the sap is down. but we cut branches and strip the bark and or chunk it. and the tea is a blood thinner. I did not get in gear in time so next winter. have a good rest of the day and good night and sweet dreams.

Lloyd

Haha, Rick, if you have to ask.............   Seriously, when I first took my sons camping without their father, their biggest deal was chopping down dead trees marked by Rangers with the orange paint, and building a fire. We saved birthday candles to light & start the small twigs, works like a charm. The fun was finding ways to make it all easier with very little "stuff", like we take along now. My husband was not a happy camper so I didn't force him, explained I wouldn't follow him around the golf course griping and he didn't go camping & grip the whole time...worked for us.

Our daughter never went camping but the boys love it & still try to outdo each other with some new toy each year. I'm along for the ride & get a chance to feed my boys, and we do eat good! 

The rest rooms are so much nicer than when we first started camping, I'm really not into digging a "cat hole". Back in the early years we would tie a clothesline type rope around several trees and with clothes pins & a roll of black plastic, we would create our own bathroom with port-a-pot & a 5 gallon plastic sink that had a pump & drain hose so the water didn't get under foot.

I have a 28' 4-Winds Thor motorhome, self contained that the cats & I sleep in, the boys sleep in #1 son's Flagstaff A frame that takes only a few minutes to set up. They watch movies, have solar panels charge all day. When raining we eat inside my RV but the youngest has a super nice canopy with lights that covers the picnic table & we spend a lot of time out there. The boys grill out & I usually fix breakfast, biscuits, gravy, bacon, eggs & whatever else sounds good. This is MY treat so I insist on paying with the excuse "I'm spending their inheritance and getting to enjoy with them"...

Youngest son has been driving out with me & helps drive, our fav spot is about 550 miles one way. When I go to MO I drive by myself without any trouble, managed to not get any tickets in the 6 years with the bigger RV, but got one on last trip in Rialta. I was going UP a hill, slow person sight seeing (40mph) in right lane so had to pass & the guy kept speeding up, I was running out of highway near the top & cars behind so couldn't slow down... after the leveling out, that car with the red dinger on top pulled up behind me. I stopped & asked what's the matter?  He said I was doing 83 in a 65 zone. My comment, "really?!" to which he said, "I didn't believe it either so checked both radar guns". No need denying, I didn't look at the speedometer going UP the hill in a 15 year old Rialta motorhome. Cost me $220. Now I warn all travelers to watch for those passing zones, always a cop near. I didn't try to explain why, he knew there was no other choice or chance hitting an oncoming at the top. Ah, well.

In case some of you have never been camping, most campers are friendly, family types and just happy to be out. You can tell that I love it but can still feel Joan rolling her eyes at the thought. So, Rick, no connection but both important features. 

Shirley I just smile no tickets here, I am old and act my age just let,you young at heart and lead feet pas me and i smile, I fiend I have more time than money. good night and sweet dreams.

Lloyd

Good Night for last night.  I hope Everyfriend slept peacefully and woke refreshed.

Good Morning for today!  We had thunderstorms overnight so everything is wet.  Temps will get up to 80 today.  I wish you all a lovely day.  Make it your own in ever way!

Good Morning everyone, is 71º and clear here now and calling for high in upper eighty's today and partly sunny. hope you all have a good day. was a short night for me, late to bed and restless to sleep. hope you all have a good day.

Lloyd

Good afternoon everyone.

It rained in the night here and is cooler, I'm glad to say. In fact I have just noticed it is still raining now. I put a dish out last night to catch rainwater, as our vet told me Gracie (cat) must drink more, and gave me a leaflet that said some cats prefer rainwater. So far G remains unimpressed.

Last night we watched Paul O'Grady's For the Love of Dogs, which comes from the famous Battersea Dogs' Home in London. It always sets my husband off on his wish to have another dog, but that is not going to happen until and unless he retires I'm afraid. One of the homeless dogs they showed last night was adopted by Rod Stewart and his wife - that dog certainly fell on all 4 paws, their garden in Surrey was more like an estate, and Penny Stewart clearly loves dogs (she already had one before adopting the new one.)

I am going to make Pasta Puttenesca for dinner - the translation Delia Smith gives is 'Tart's Spaghetti'

Have a good day everyone,

Rosemary

Good morning everyone..

Yesterday was interesting,we struck out for the cheese factory only to find it didn't open until 11, we were there at 9:30. So off we went to the city..The highlight of reaching the city...they had washrooms open in Walmart!!!  Stopped at a grocery store that also  carries wholesale products for restaurants  and found the crushed pineapple.  Bought 4 100 oz cans  so now my friend and I have it along with 1lb bags of yeast for each of us. Thoroughly enjoyed our day out.

Our wood man called and said he would be on his way so we got ready for him moving things that may be in the way and opened the gate for him. Nice big pile of wood in the back yard that the pup is having fun with now. Then our friend phoned asking Kyle to build a trug for her granddaughter so  after we go pick up lumber my day  is pile wood .

Better get a move on it..slept in again.

Enjoy your day everyone..

 

Good morning everyone. 58 now but forecast said going up to 78 this afternoon. Might have rain and thunderstorms later in the evening.
That is about all the news I have. Yes terday was a gloomy day, overcast all day and that is what I see when I look out now.

BUBBLE strawberries will be the first thing ripe here and that will be the beginning of July. Rhubarb around here is expensive now and so thin and limp not worth wasting money on.

JOY  I remember Bobbie and her wonderful pictures from around the country. When she was here in Rhode Island she came to see me with January. I asker to stay overnight but she wante to go to a campground. She was back for lunch the next day and I gave her a goodie bag to take with her. January was the most calm dog I think I ever saw and she would sit near me with her head on my lap so I could pet her. Bobbie was very interesting to talk with. Love the was she had the front seat in her van so she could see her computer as she was driving. She had the back packed so neat and on the drivers side she had her bed.

SHIRLEY  no grapefruit in any form when taking high cholesterol meds either. I do love the red/pink ones and never spoiled the taste with sugar. Sasparilla andd sassafras roots or twigs have the same flavor, similar to rootbeer. I used to love camping, no matter what I made for meals it tasted better than at home and after meals we all helped with the clean up. No matter where one camped in those days everyone was very friendly.

JANE  we get the rain and thunderstorms tonight.

Think I will go make my oatmeal, getting hungry.

Have a good day ans keep safe.

Gloria, and everyone that loves camping, think about it, maybe in that next life we can meet in a big campground and trade stories, good food & laughter. Sounds like Heaven to me! We are in the 90s this week so not happy, must sort out the stuff in the RV to be ready to roll tomorrow to get that sky light sealed again. Kind of forget that every single item must be in place, on the no skid mats so they don't fly around with every turn or stop. Wouldn't take much to make me want to sell it after this last trip to CO. But I would still like to have something like the old conversion vans we had before, that fit into a garage. Scarlett will worry about that tomorrow.

Amy, was telling my daughter about the trugs, she wants to grow tomatoes & garlic but her yard is very formal & taken care of by landscapers with no imagination for "outside the box". I think if she could get a couple of those to put in the right spots that would fill the urge to plant, don't you?  Do you line them with anything before putting in the dirt? I do think she will be looking for them as soon as she gets home so any tips appreciated.

Morning to all, hope it is a beautiful one where ever you are.

Good morning.

Mary from Texas,  yes,  I had become friends with Alice Wyatt, but I never did know Maril. I knew the name, but never had any contact with her.  Although, I remember Bobbie  talking about her.

Shirley, I am another camping fan.  And, I do so miss our camping days.  We started out in Boy Scout tents when our boys were younger, and graduated to bigger units over the years.  When my husband got sick, that ended our camping days.  We had such fun and met so many nice people.  We spent a couple months traveling the US, but never got as far as we would have liked to have gone.  We used to spend a couple weeks on the Outer Banks during a lot of summers.  The last RV we had was a travel trailer with a front kitchen, and I really liked that.  But, I think my favorite was our pop-up.  It was so open and airy and that is what we used to go to the Outer Banks with.  A little more compact than I would have liked, and I always wound up putting things back in different places and then couldn't find what I was looking for, but I really like the openness of it. Down on the Outer Banks it could be very hot, but with the ocean breezes, the curtains would be standing straight out.  At time time, we camped down at the very end of the island in Ocracoke.  It was very primitive camping at that time, but I really liked it.  We went back there, many years later, and found it a lot less primitive. More motels, and shops and more crowded.

So, you can count me in when you congregate up in the big campground in the sky. LOL

Amy, sorry you didn't get to the cheese shop.  I would love to go to a specialty cheese shop. I love just about every kind of cheese.  A local grocery store in our area,  Wegmans,  have a big selection of cheese, and it is always fun to see all the different kinds.

I have been up for a while now, so need to get myself moving.

Have a great day and be safe.

Joy

We have a great cheese shop in Edinburgh - Mellis.

I will try to add a photo or two. Apologies in advance if they don't work!

Oh well, that did not work!  Here is the link to their website anyway (I hope):

https://mellischeese.net

If that's not right either, it is www.mellischeese.net!

we are @ 91º here now @ 5:31 PM. I am staying in by the AC running pretty steady.

Hope you all staying cool.

Lloyd

Several years ago, there was something called "International Cheeselovers Club". Right now, I can't remember the name of the guy who started it, but they would mail out a catalog/circular every month or so, and had wonderful cheeses (that I had never heard of or tried) for not an exorbitant bit of money.  I sampled many during those years, and really learned to like "real cheese".  Kraft American and Velveeta ceased to interest me!  My Kroger store and also the Tom Thumb have wonderful cheese sections, and I am amazed at the prices.  If you get a block or wedge big enough to last a bit, you've spent half your grocery $$.  I like Emmentaler and various Swisses, but the soft cheeses are so yummy; Brie and Camembert.  That's enough of that, I am now officially "cheese hungry".

Good evening, EVERYFRIEND.

I thought sure I posted yesterday morning, but I do not see it, so??

SHIRLEY, I am so happy the fire ban has been lifted.  Mark, Megan and Jonah are tent camping tonight at Chalk Creek Campground.  Their site is right on the creek. We are definitely going to check on staying in one of the cabins there when you are here so please send me details of the dates as soon as you can so we can get our reservations made.

AMY, sorry to read you were there much too early to get Kyle's cheese for him.   

ROLY, it is AMY who first introduced us to trugs that her husband makes, so I learned the name from  her.  The ones her husband make are wonderful and we ALL wish we lived near by them so we could get her husband to make one for us.  She kindly share instructions to make one, so now allI have to do,is find someone that will do it for me 😘

Tonight is Michele's 50th Birthday Party.  They are having six couples over for a social distancing party.  Dave got little tables and chairs that are all separated and set up with each couples individual drinks and food.  Unfortunately a storm was moving in but we are hopeful that it went around them!  Good news is it cooled down so it will be a lot more comfortable for them. 

JOY, thank you for sharing the news about Bobbi....although I never got to meet her I remember following her and January well on their travels.  She was a nice lady. 

It is about time for you to come in and say goodnight, JANE.  I hope you have a great night of rest.

Pleasant dreams to all.

Jenny

And here I am, JENNY!  Good Night Everyfriend!  I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy, healthy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one.

I hope Michele's party went well with no rain!  And I wish her a Happy 50th and many, MANY MORE to come!

well I was just checking on what may be going on here. do not see where anyone are picking on me so I wish you all sweet dreams and good night. hope to see you all here and in good health tomorrow. we are supposed to have thunder storm's come through here around 3:00 A M. i will be in bed at that time and hope be sleeping sound. we do not wore about bad weather we just say our prayers and go on to bed.

Lloyd

Good morning everyone, another waking at 3am but then I was sound asleep last night a little after 8:30. No rain last night, only 1 weather guesser kept saying rain. Today suppoed to get into mid 80's, an AC day for me.

SHIRLEY  I was much younger in my camping days. We had a tent did not have the comforts of home like your RV but still get out into the woods. Glad you have given your sons the love of camping and you can all go together.

JOY we used to go out near the end of Cape Cod, wonderful faily  campground and we could go swiming in the bay or in the ocean. Last time we went for our week there it had been sold and a bunch of noisy young people had taken over. We stayed the one night  and left.

JENNY  I have 1 son and my SIL who both could make a trug if they saw one ot had the plans for them. Son has a feeling for working with wood. He nade a waterbed and the design on the headboard is inticate and beautiful.  SIL is a train buff and has set up an outside one and has a layout in his hobby room. Always changing them but he took all the measurements for the house in Arizona, back to San Diego and got the wood and made all the parts to the cabinets and countertops. Back to Az. and installed all of them, fit perfect.

LLOYD  now why would we pick on you when you are behaving yourself and staying away from the machinery.

JANE  AMY  PHYLLIS AND ANYONE ELSE i MISSED, have a  great day and stay safe.

Well, short night here. Lloyd, I'll pick on you after your crack about no tickets & acting your age!  Did teach me a lesson, to watch out for those guys doing sight seeing so everyone has to go around them.... and then they speed up so cars can't get back in! Besides, if you ever drive in western Kansas (we checked quite a few of the passing lanes and found cops hiding, guess they discovered a new money maker, especially toward end of month & they haven't met their quota). At least I haven't backed into anything (so far). Don't pick on ME! 

Gloria, in the early years we pulled an Appleby camper, just a tent on wheels. No stove or anything inside but we took an extra mattress for the floor & each boy had their own side to sleep on & I slept in the middle on the floor. We loved it & when I sold it years later the canvas was still like new and I proved to the first people that came to see, that I could put it up by myself. Got the same price we paid for it.  Only one gr-son that likes to camp and he plans to join us again this year.

Jenny, e-mail on the way after I post this. The first few days will be just the boys & me but Andy's wife plans to drive out mid week as well as their son & his significant other in separate cars. She came out last year and loved it. I think in an e-mail from the Lodge, that they will be open but not sure if everything is. We think their food is great but never get the same each year, menu changes. You will probably love the hot springs, people come from all over to soak in them.  Too hot for me, can't take the heat.

Must try to get more sleep today, just over 3 hours so far. Mind on having to take the RV back to have that sky light resealed. Bothers me that the guy would say I "should have done maintenance on it" months after having a new roof put on. Never crossed my mind. I was feeling good to think was one thing I didn't have to worry about for at least a few years! We'll see how it goes today, I don't like being bullied. Supposed to be pushing 100° today, but I hope to stay inside my RV while they work on it, no virus inside it!

Joy and everyone that loves being out camping, remember that in Heaven our bodies will be as youthful and comfortable as we can imagine. We'll talk non-stop! MY Heaven won't have mosquitoes or ants... or ticks!

Shirley and Gloria all I can say it is just human nature. But how dull life would be if we never teased each other. a female singer I do not rember who sang a song just put your man out on the street and watch him go when a little loving at home would made every thing alright. but hind sight is 20 20 or better. it is impossible for a woman to see a man's frustration when he is in the shop and her in the kitchen and vice versa. Patience is the best virtue. Have a great day. it is 68º and cloudy here calling for 85º and sunny here today. Have a great day.

Lloyd

Good morning everyone..

Lovely morning here but can feel it is going to be hot! We lost our power last night.haven't heard the reason why yet. We put the generator on and could watch tv  for a bit. We were both tuckered from the day so called it an early night. Kyle did finish the trug but I didn't finish the wood, that will be done today.

Joy, Jenny, I was in a hurry to get going yesterday and forgot to say we did stop in the cheese factory and Kyle did get his favorite cheese and some curds also.

Gloria, your son sounds like Kyle, mention something to do with wood and it is soon done.

Shirley, I am another one that loves camping. As kids Dad would set us up (tent, spare tent) and then head home while Mom and us kids stayed for a month at the site.  Hee hee, you tell him (Lloyd) ..we do love his to pieces and love to tease him too.

Rosemary, thank you for the site. Lots of interesting cheeses too! Dad and I loved Blue cheese.....not a taste for everyone though ,same as Stilton cheese.

Guess I had better get this body moving...

Enjoy your day everyone...stay safe.

  Lloyd, you snuck in ..say hello to Nancy please...

Amy - my husband loves blue cheese, but I remember we once took a local blue cheese Strathdon Blue down to my in-laws as a gift. When we were leaving my mother-in-law chased us down the drive waving the cheese and shouting 'Can you take this home - I don't want it in my fridge'! My mother was exactly the same when I brought some fabulous goat's cheese home from my first ever visit to France. It was so delicious, and of course I had never even see it before - my mother went nuts - 'it's making the entire fridge stink!  What's wrong with Cheddar?'  I was so disappointed!

We did a bit of camping when the children were younger. I really enjoyed it but I think my son and I were in the minority. My husband tends to want more luxury than that, and also tended to treat it a bit like an army exercise. I loved being so free and not having to worry about what I looked like. I'd do it again now but I don't think it will happen unless I go with my son and his wife, and these days they are so outdoorsy that I'm not quite sure I could cope!

So far today I have finished Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Vampire Menace, and have baked some scones (ginger, walnut and mixed seeds). I really must try to achieve more than I did yesterday - when we finally end this lockdown and I have to go back to normal life I won't know what has hit me!

Have a good day everyone.

Rosemary

Good morning.  Too early for anything special to talk about.

I am just making an appearance, and I will try to check back later in the day. I slept in a little bit this morning, and need to get some breakfast.  Not sure what I will try to do today. I have just had no motivation to do anything.  I have been reading a lot, and then I get so sleepy. 

Have a good day.

Joy

Good Morning Everyfriend!  It's a gorgeous day in Central PA!

Count me in on the camping!  After 60 years as a Girl Scout and a GS Leader and almost as much family camping counting my growing up years and taking my own family camping, it's in my blood!

I wish you all a great day!
Make it your own in every way!

I was a Girl Scout Co-Leader for several years, and loved when the campout weekends came around.  We camped in several of the local Girl Scout campgrounds, with and without cabins/tent cabins.  Loved the campfire cooking, think I still have the GS campfire cookbook somewhere.  Even enjoyed when the rains came unexpectedly and we all had our black garbage bag raincoats on!  In later years, hubby and I first had a cab-over camper, and we took some trips to various State campgrounds, and couple of out of state lake areas.  Later we had a popup tent camper, which had a lot of good amenities, no A/C of course! Camping in the State of Texas in the summer can really be a dilly as far as heat is concerned. Later when the kids were grown, we gave in and bought a lake house. We'd spend practically every weekend there, raking leaves, picking up deadwood. It was my hide-away.  I'd take extra days off work, go down there, do the raking and burning, listen to tapes, do jigsaw puzzles, walk the various roads, swim in the community pool. So loved it. We kept it for 10 years, and seems like it got to be more work than fun, so sold it.  There have been times when I would wish we still had it, just to get away from the hustle-bustle and traffic of the big City.

I never got to Slab City but
I did meet and spenta very nice day
with Maril....  I was so lucky to meet
a whole bunch of people on my wonderful
cross country adventure!

Time to head for Dreamland!  We had an "off and on" rainy day today but managed to get our walks in between the rain.

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy, healthy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one! 

AMY accused me of sneaking in this morning, was not on purpose. I just look in and if i see something to post on and do not forget before i get it done I do, I am not sneaking out now either. just going to bed and try to get a good night of rest, but I had a couple Naps today so not sure how it will go. good Night and sweet dreams everyone. I watched a couple of video clips about making sourdoe bread. do any of you ever Make it. it sort of rouses my course about it. Good Night, hope to see you all tomorrow.

Lloyd