Michigan to Ohio

Friday, we traveled from Davison, MI to Wapakoneta, OH and spent the night at the Lakewood RV Park. Saturday, we traveled from Wapakoneta, through Columbus, to Marietta, OH. It was great traveling through Columbus listening to the Michigan Michigan State game on WJR. In Marietta, we are camping in a small campground on the Muskingam River, about 1/2 mile from where it flows into the Mighty Ohio River. My sister, Judy, and her husband, John, drove from Northern VA and met us here. We see her so little and it was great getting together again. Today, we had a great day of talking all day long. Tomorrow, we travel to Parkersburg, WV with Sunshine and their dog Rascal. Then we will make a walking tour of Marietta. Our mother spent her early years here and across the river in WV, leaving for MI in the 1930s. I believe that she did this in order for us to not be born Buckeyes. We are eternally grateful. Tuesday, we leave here and continue heading south through WV,VA, NC, SC, GA and into Silver Springs, FL, with a possible arrival date of November 1.

Football and Halloween - What a combo!

Last night, we saw our grandson, Devin, play for Brighton High in their Homecoming game against Howell and winning 42-21. As usual, he was stellar on defense. Here he is shown sacking the Howell Quarterack. Then today we saw our youngest grandson, Ryan, playing flag football. The score was Orange a bunch and black a lot. Devin scored a touchdown. Here he is shown running a long gainer (wearing the black hat). Then, Ryan brought his sister, Sarah, and parents, Richelle and Tim to our campground. Today was our home park's celebration of Halloween. The park was full and most knocked themselves out decorating their rigs and sites for the occasion. There were activities all day long for the kids. Trick or Treating was from 5:00 to 6:30 and the streets were mobbed for the entire time. I have never seen so many people in one location celebrating Halloween. Many of the decorations are lighted and it is eerie walking the streets of the campground after dark. The almost full moon through trees adds to the creepyness and there are still many people strolling the streets enjoying the atmosphere. Screams can be heard all over the park. There were several hundred people lined up to get into the Haunted Trail, cut into the woods of the park. Since this was the first time we have been here during Halloween, we did not know what to expect but next year we will truly be ready.

We're now in our home park...

...in Davison, MI until October 14. After another great Montana Owners Club Rally that included lots of rain, we allowed the wet, cool weather to follow us home. Yup, we've got rain and cool weather turning cold tomorrow. We then leave for a two week journey to Silver Springs, FL, where we will be until April 1. We plan on driving home between Thanksgiving and Christmas, leaving the Montana in FL. What a concept - driving south for the winter and not towing through the ice and snow of early January. First time in years we have done this. Our campground celebrates Halloween early and large. On the 7th, we will be joined by our daughter Richelle and her family so we will be able to watch them in a costume parade and trick or treating. Sounds like this will be a fun weekend. Tomorrow we hope to see our grandson, Devin, leading the Brighton High School defense in another victory. Thank you God - Life it good!

This is more like it!!!

We are in Goshen, IN at the Montana Owners' Club Fall Rally. The people are great. We have seen some old friends and met many new ones. About 1/3 of all attendees this year are "newbies," new to the Rally. After yesterday's factory tour and Montana's showing us their new models and some prototypes, we were seriously considering getting a new rig. Soon after we got back to the rig, reality set  back in and we are once again content in our home away from home. Wednesday is the day we leave the rally and head back to Michigan. We will be camped in our home park in Davison, MI for a couple of weeks and then leaving for Florida probably about October 14 or 15. We will slowly wend our way down planning on arriving at our winter destination, Wilderness RV Resort in Silver Springs, FL on November 1. We will then drive back to MI without the Monty and spend Thanksgiving and Christmas at home near our family and return to FL right after Christmas. That is the rough plan right now, anyway. We may even meet my sister, Judy, on our way down. Trying to make it happen. That would turn a wonderful trip into a great journey!

The Cure for our Hitch Itch is coming!!!

We finally are about to set out again in the Montana. Monday, we take it out of storage and set up in our Home Park in Davison, MI, and get it loaded. We have to do this because we have no place to park it at our condo. We will then leave Tuesday or Wednesday for Goshen, IN and our annual Montana Owners' Rally. We are really looking forward to seeing some old friends and meeting new ones with similar interests (Montanas). Then we return to Davison for two weeks and then our annual Southbound Tour begins. We will be staying in one location in Florida this year for the first time in a long time. We will be in Silver Springs, in Central Florida. We will be taking about two weeks to travel from Michigan to Florida and are not sure which route we will take - probably put the Ford truck in Cruise Control and see where it takes us.

On turning 71

     I just turned 71 last Thursday and the question of the day is "What will the next 71 be like?" I do not wish to go back into my past but do hope and pray that I may learn from it so that, however far I can make it into the next 71, I can keep a good quality of life. The first 36 had been controlled by a power and force much stronger and bigger that me, my drinking. As soon as I believed and accepted this, another power and force took over - belief in God as I understood Him. I had beaten and been beaten, shot and been shot, dumped on and been dumped on, ignored and been ignored, hated and been hated and loved and been loved. Near the 40 year mark, my marriage to Carol gave my life another kick start. It has been a progression since then to my feeling that I now have a life that money can not buy. To my family that stayed nearby, thank you so much. To the family that has been extended since my marriage to Carol, thank you for making a good life even better. 
     What will the next 71 bring? The answer to that is totally out of my control but, with what has happened since my last drink on September 20, 1976, my life seems like a large balloon, just expanding all the time with no signs of letting up at all. It has been a heck of a ride so far and all I can say is "You are welcome to join me so come on aboard, if you wish, but HANG ON!"

Sunshine is almost a certified Therapy Dog

Sunshine has passed all of her tests and observations and her paperwork has been sent in. We are eagerly awaiting the mail delivery that will bring her certificate naming her a Certified Therapy Dog. Carol and I both tested and were observed with her and either will be able to work as a therapy team with Sushine. Hopefully by the end of next week we will be good to go. She has brought so much sunlight into our lives that we only hope to share this with people who really want and need this type of interaction. We are really getting antsy to get started.