Carol's on the mend!

Carol went to the dentist this morning and, since we were leaving tomorrow, he could not do any extensive work. He took xrays and saw the problem. She now has a prescription for antibiotics and pain killers. After the infection is cleared up, if she continues to suffer pain or discomfort, she will probably need a root canal or extraction. We will be set up in Rockport, TX next week for two weeks so, if need be, she will have it taken care of then. Otherwise, she is good to go for a while. We paid one more visit to Will, Grace and The Boys today and Sunny got another good romp in the fenced back yard. She is still handicapped by not knowing how to play, yet, but we will teach that to her as we travel this winter and spring. She sure is a happy camper now, though. Poor pup, every day somewhere or someone new. She must really be confused now but she is very comfortable with us and seems to enjoy it all.

Sunny ran in the Jerden Stakes, today!

Sunny was allowed to run without a leash today for the first time since we adopted her. We were visiting Will and Grace Jerden in Arlington, TN and they have a large, fenced in back yard. She did not quite know what to do when we took off her leash but soon began to enjoy the freedom to run. We were just reminded of how much we have to teach her. She does not even know how to play, yet. After the romp, we went to PetSmart and had her toenails trimmed. She was very good there. From her racetrack days, she was handled and treated a lot so she was fairly comfortable during this procedure. Tomorrow Carol goes to the dentist nearby and then we will probably travel again on Tuesday. Tomorrow the temps are supposed to be above freezing for the first time in ages for us so we will hopefully be able to have running water. Last night the power went out some time before 4:00AM and I was awakened when the temperature inside was 43 and dropping. Outside it was 9. Was able to hook up to the power box in the next site and finished the night in comfort.

Hurricane Mills, TN to East Memphis, TN

This was a short jaunt today, about two hours. We are in Lakeland, TN, just east of Memphis. We went to see Will and Grace Jerden and they had their children and several neighbor children there to meet Sunny. Sunny was to skitterish for the kids so they went on to play elsewhere and Sunny lay down and watched a football game on television while we talked. Tomorrow we will go back in the afternoon. It will be sunny and cold but they have a large fenced in back yard so Sunny should love to run for awhile. She should also be less shy around the kids because this will be a return trip. Monday Carol will go see a dentist here and then Tuesday we will take off again into Arkansas - maybe to the Hot Springs area. The weather is supposed to warm up next week so we all are looking forward to that.

Crossville, TN to Hurricane Mills, TN

Carol came down with a toothache under a relatively new crown. Her jaw started swelling and so this morning we called a dentist in Crossville recommended by our friends, Bob and Barb Krichke. We quickly learned that dentists do not work on Fridays in Crossville. They would be happy to make an appointment for Monday so we called friends in Memphis, Will and Grace Jerden. They recommended their dentist so we took off driving toward Memphis. We got to Waverly, TN and went to a Passport America RV Park. We had called and were advised that they were open. When we started up the drive to the park we saw that it was long and steep. Near the top there was snow across the road. When we hit the snow we started sliding. We then started slowly backing down the hill and promptly slid off the road into a tree, causing small damage. We were able to get back onto the driveway and finally backed 300 feet or so down to the road and split. We called the manager and he could not understand why we were upset. "I can't be responsible for the weather!" We came back one exit to a KOA campground in Hurricane Mills, TN where we are snug and comfortable. Carol and Sunny are snoozin' and I am about to do the same. Tomorrow we go to Memphis where we will be staying until at least Monday mid-day, after Carol's dentist appointment. The weather on this journey has been horrible but the companionship of Carol, Sunny and me have made it great inside the Monty and the great time we had visiting old friends in Crossville. Now we will spend a weekend in Memphis visiting more friends so who could ask for more?

Berea, KY to Crossville, TN

Wednesday, we moved from snowy, frigid Berea, KY to sunny, frigid Crossville, TN. The surface roads were snow covered and slippery but the interstate had been salted and was driveable. Soon after entering Tennessee, we noticed a bright ball in the sky. At first we were perplexed because we did not know what it was. Then we realized that it was the sun - just had been a long time since we had seen it and apparently forgot what it looked like. The temps stayed in the 20s for the rest of the trip but the sun made it feel balmy when we got out of the truck. Even the frozen spring water falls along the highway brightened up with the sunshine. Today, Thursday, we are staying another night because they are calling for a couple of inches or so of snow followed by another Alberta Clipper bringing the temps back down into the single digits. We visited with our friends in Crossville, Bob and Barb formerly from Michigan, and they swore that it is usually in the 40s here this time of year and he has never shoveled snow in the three years they have lived here. Did we bring this with us? If the interstate is clear in the morning, Friday, we will leave for at least Nashville. Then on to Memphis. This entire area is under a Winter Weather Advisory for snow and cold so it will be a day by day decision as to whether to go or stay.

MI to OH and then to KY BRRR!!!

We left Monday and, since we left later than expected, we only made it to Wapakoneta, OH. Good Grief, its cold! We had light all the way to Wapakoneta and the cold, along with the wind, was bitter! The only hookup we got here was electric so we took a "splash" bath. It was too cold to walk to the shower room and then back while damp. Sunny is taking to the RV lifestyle very well. She saw herself in the floor to ceiling mirror in the bedroom and thought she had a new friend. She was so excited until she figured out that the image was not real. Had her going for a while, though. She has real mixed feelings about the new environments she is traveling to. She gets excited to go out and explore and "do her business" but then wants to jump right back into the 5th wheel to warm up. Today, the truck did not start when we were getting ready to hook up and travel to Berea, KY. The man making the service call said starter, not battery, so he got it started and we took off for Berea. We are not in Berea and it in the teens again and the Ford garage was closing soon after I made a call. Hopefully it will start in the morning so that I can get it in for repairs. Then we are off to Crossville, TN, where we will visit with Bob and Barb Kritchke, old friends from Detroit and Livingston County. Carol and Sunny both crashed in the living room a little while ago. Don't they look content? I am going to grab a bite and join them.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

A check with the "Weather Bug" and have named Monday as the day that we leave! Looks like we will have a decent window in the weather, especially south of Cincinnati. Cinci is where we were sideswiped by a semi on our way to Florida a couple of years ago in a heavy rain/sleet storm. Once past there, I will feel more comfortable. We are hoping to make Berea, KY for the first night. Sunny is more than ready to leave for warmer climes. She "guarded" the CHRISTmas tree until it was taken down because that was one of her favorite places to sleep under. Whodathunkit? Yesterday we got a winter coat for Sunny. The one she was wearing out in the Michigan tundra was a spring/fall coat and she was freezing. Greyhounds have very little body fat and very short fur so she needs better protection when venturing out into this weather. She is much more comfortable, now. This is the dog that raced in Miami so she will be back in her element in South Texas and Arizona.