The Views from my Campsite

Thought you would enjoy - and envy - the views I see from front, back and sides of Winnie.

Casper to Cody!

What a way to spend Mother's Day - calls from both my boys to wish me a great day and a drive that took me through some of the most beautiful, desolate, mind-blowingly beautiful, rugged, magnificent country I have ever seen. I can't begin to describe in words what I experienced - a feeling of being insignificant in such a wide-open spaces, under an azure sky, with hardly any other vehicle sharing the road with me so early on a Sunday morning.

I made my way slowly, and in some instances, just barely crawling along, stopping at every opportunity to take pictures which don't begin to do Wyoming justice. You just must see it for yourself.

I arrived at my 'home', the Yellowstone Valley Inn and RV Resort, located between Cody and the east gate of the Park at 12:30 p.m. They were packed with over 300 guests enjoying the season opening Mother's Day brunch. I just jumped in and started cleaning tables, greeting guests and answering phones. Got to meet quite of few of the folks I'll be working and living with and all seem quite nice. Tomorrow I'll get Willie off the trailer and return it to UHaul then find the Direct TV serviceman, as my antenna only picks up 3 very fuzzy stations. Wyoming isn't going HD in June, like the rest of the country. Seems that things happen a lot slower here in the West.

Until next time - enjoy the pictures and take care of each other!

ReAnn

A Chilly Farewell to the Black Hills

The owner of Rancher J Bar RV resort came by on Friday night to say that the weather gurus were predicting 27-28 degrees overnight and they were planning on turning off the water so the lines wouldn't freeze. Well, they were right and I forgot to unhook my hose - which of course froze. No damage but sure was nippy when I got up and went outside to get ready to head to Wyoming.

Huddled under my tire was this very adorable little bird. It wasn't afraid of me and just sat and wandered around. Looked like a grouse, but couldn't find it online - so all you with the Audubon Bird books, please let me know what this little feller is.

Saturday I drove over the back roads of South Dakota into Wyoming. Now was the time that I really got to see what 'big sky country' really meant. The horizon is never-ending, the spaces are vast and the size of the ranches run into the hundred of thousands of acres. Winnie and Willie handled the hills just fine (now that I knew about overdrive!).

I came in a little south of Casper, where I had reservations at the Ft. Casper Campground, located right on the banks of the Plate River. The campground was founded by the Izack Walton League and the Ft. Casper Museum and original homestead are right on the premises. A friend picked me up and gave me a wonderful tour of the Casper area and enjoyed a great dinner downtown at the bar that Ernest Hemingway used to frequent.

Sunday, Mother's Day, will see me drive the last leg on my cross-country journey and will arrive at the Yellowstone Valley Inn and RV Resort ready to start my job working the front desk for the summer season.

Until tomorrow....take care of each other.

Re

The Residents of Custer State Park & Crazy Horse Memorial

The Black Hills of South Dakota

Winnie, Willy & Me - On the road together - Cond.

As Winnie really struggled to climb the Black Hills and I struggled to remember what both Sean and Eric had told me about how to downshift, when to take off the overdrive and more, I was so relieved to see a small RV repair shop, which also sold gas and propane, on my side of the road. I pulled in and had a long talk with a very nice young man who was kind enough to do a class for me on "How to Drive on Steep Grades 101." When I pulled out, I had full tanks of both gas and propane, and a much better understanding of what to do driving through the Black Hills and those to come.

I was so happy to pull into Raffers-J-Bar RV resort and find packed just in front of my spot my friends John & Susanne, whom I had met at the campground in Carlock, IL. We had kept in touch with each other as we divided out travels near Chicago and decided how fun it would be to see the Black Hills area together. And that's what we have done for the past 2 days!

Susanne had a delicious dinner prepared when I arrived and we got reacquainted. That evening we went to Mt. Rushmore to see the awe-inspiring carvings of the 4 presidents lite at night by giant floods. Because it's not 'high season' yet, we were allowed to enter the park without paying and without 1000's of other people jostling us for space. It was just beautiful and amazing, and though the next 2 days, I photographed the faces from many different angles through-out the area, it never ceased to be a jaw-dropping sight.

Along with both of their dogs, yesterday we all piled into John's big truck and off we went to Custer State Park and the Crazy Horse Memorial for a photo safari. We saw buffalo, burros, deer, wild turkey all up close - even sticking their noses in the truck windows! Though most of the day was overcast, the scenery was just magnificent. We stopped many times and just listened to the quiet, realizing that if you removed the roads and park signs, this massive piece of land would be just as it was when Custer was losing to Sitting Bull and the buffalo roamed by the 100 of thousands. We enjoyed a great lunch at the Blue Bell Lodge in the park and last night we went into Hill City for dinner at the Alpine Inn (they only have one item on their menu).

Unfortunately, for me at least, John and Suzanne are starting their trip back to their home in South Tahoe today, so we have to say good-bye. We've agreed to meet at the Burning Man happening in September and will certainly keep in touch throughout the summer. What these wonderful people have taught me is that there are many fun, interesting and great folks traveling our highways in RVs right along with me. If I'm lucky, I'll meet many of them along the way.

Hope you enjoy just a few of the pictures I've taken of the area in the past 2 days! Until next time...take care of each other.

ReAnn

Winnie, Willy & Me - On the road together!

I left Lake Elmo at 9 a.m. with new family member Willy in tow and headed down I-35 to Albert Lea. Once past the sprawl of the Twin Cities, you remember that this country is fed by the local farmer.

Black cows and red barns, newly turned black earth and enormous, green John Deere's dot the landscape. Turning due west of I-90 the land is fertile and flat and nothing much changes until you get to about Sioux Falls, SD. Then the subtle differences that you have crossed an invisible line into another state start to show.

Not only does South Dakota maintain it's portion of I-90 better than MN, it is somehow flatter, more windswept and desolate. Where MN is dotted along the way with small farming communities, SD has few towns and they are far between. The land is given over to horses that stand on small rises and gaze at a distant horizon, long fences enclosing acre upon acre of land, and the ever-present and overwhelming amount of road signs advertising everything from not-to-be-missed Reptile Gardens to the 1000's of "See Wall Drug" signs!

Winne, Willy and I are speeding down the highway at the great pace of 60MPH when into view comes a large ribbon of river - the mighty Missouri is now to be crossed. With that crossing, the land begins to undulate, Winnie grinds down into a lower gear as we head up the first meaningful grade we have faced and behold we are at the very tip of the Badlands. As far as the eye can see is grass waving in the wind, small hills rolling across the prairie and to the left, jagged rocks as if a large claw had reached down and grabbed a piece of earth and ripped it away. It's like you are alone in a deserted corner of the world - and many times I was. The roads had very little traffic - I would sometimes go several miles before a semi or car would come rushing past. Early May is certainly a good time to vacation in this area if you don't want to be crushed by tourists.


My stop of the day was the world-famous Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD and then overnight at the Family n' Fun Campground on the west side of town.

I was leery about pulling Winnie (with Willy attached) into town, any town, but without the tourists, Mitchell is a quite little town and directions to the Corn Palace are very well marked. They even have parking just for RV's. It was after 4 p.m. when I arrived and walked around front to take in this very weird edifice. The building is totally decorated with corn cobs, corn stalks, corn tassels-well and grains which are grown locally. As you can see in the pictures, is quite a site. I don't know what I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't what I expected.

First, it's free. It was originally built in 1892 as a way to draw migrants farmers and their families to the area to settle. Every year a new theme is chosen and the outside of the Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with fresh corn and grains. My tour guide, a lovely lady of at least 85, informed me it was the largest 'bird feeder' in the entire world! Inside are pictures of every year's decorations and in the middle a large gym/stage where local events are held. For more detailed info you can click on http://www.cornpalace.com.

I was up early and on the road by 7:30 a.m. ready to make my way into actual Badlands and from there into the Black Hills to see the sites! But before reaching Hill City, where I had reservations for 3 nights, I just had to stop and actually see Wall Drug. (Advertising does pay!) What a disappointment. It's just a big, commercial building in downtown Wall that has grown from a tiny, little drug store into the purveyor of lots of tacky tourist junk. Not worth your time if traveling this way. I snapped a couple of pictures and was on my way!

Between Wall and Rapid City you again notice the change in the landscape and the grades on the road getting steeper. Tall mountains are now part of the horizon and I saw patches of snow still caught in the deep crevices along the side of the road. Though the temperature was almost hitting 70, winter hasn't completely let go of this portion of the country.

I turned off I-90 and headed south on US 16 to the Rafter-J-Bar RV resort just outside of Hill city. I had chosen this place specifically because of it's very close proximity to Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park, none of which are further than 8 miles. And they also offered rental cars, which I thought I would need, before I decided to purchase Willy.

Once you are off the interstate, the hills become higher, the grades steeper and driving becomes much harder when towing so much extra weight. I had to stop and get help and advice!

To Be Continued......

Winnie Had a Baby!

Meet Little Willie, so named by previous owner's Eric & Eileen of St. Paul, MN. This wonderful young couple are the long-time, best friends of my youngest son, and Eric is the best car mechanic ever! So when they asked if I would please stop by on my way West, it was so very easy to say yes! They live in Lake Elmo, the Scott family home for many, many years. It has been so much fun to visit and be welcomed by a couple who I have know since they were teenagers, and tour the old neighborhood on the back of Eric's new toy Harley.

Sometime during the one of our conversations the fact that at some point in the near future I was going to have to purchase a little car which I could tow and use getting around to places where it is just impossible to take Winnie. Sightseeing is limited because of her width and girth and so is getting in and out of shopping centers!

Eric said that he was interested in selling the cute little, black, 2001 Jeep Wrangler Safari he had sitting in the drive (known as 'little Willie). A few telephone calls and 2 hours later, off we went to the DMV to sign the papers. We picked up a trailer from UHaul, as no one had the exact trailer that would haul a Jeep in stock, got it all hooked up and then took a test drive around the lake and then out on the interstate. Everything worked just fine, drove perfectly.

Tomorrow morning Winnie and I will head off to South Dakota and a visit to the Cow Palance with a new member of the family literally in tow!

Until later...take care of each other.

ReAnn

Hello from "Up North"

I've just enjoyed 2 wonderful days in Minong, WI - population 352 - gas $2.15 a gallon! Good friends Don & Carrie have their summer cabin here on lovely Pokegama Lake. They leave their winter home in Ft. Myers to come back up North in the early Spring to late Fall. I just seem to have followed them this year.

As I left Carlock I had planned to stop about half-way and overnight in central Wisconsin. But I forgot that I'm back where the Spring is just now starting to happen and campgrounds don't officially open until May 1st. I had to forgo the overnight and drive a straight 10-hours, to arrive before sunset. My back and my butt were really hurtin'.

Don was home when I arrived, but this being fishing opener for Wisconsin, he headed off to meet his 2 sons and grandson to catch whatever was biting. Carrie and I had just a totally relaxing day on Friday and did nothing more strenuous than walking to the mailbox and taking some photos of the local moose who hangs out at the pond down the road. We did find the energy to go to Grandma Links and enjoy a really great fish fry - a must if you're ever in Wisconsin on a Friday night.

Today we drove over to Hayward, a town of 2192 and also the home of the one-and-only Muskie museum, the 40' tall, 1/2 city block long 'Shrine to Anglers'. You can walk out to the end of the mouth to the observation deck and have your picture taken. Carrie & I wandered the quaint downtown and had a great lunch at the Angry Minnow. Right now we're sitting in front of a roaring fire, enjoying a glass of wine and getting ready to enjoy one of Carrie's delicious dinners.

Tomorrow I head down to the Twin Cities. Another short driving day and lots of special time with old friends.

Until next time....tkae care of each other.

Re

Good Morning from Carlock , IL

And what a wet, gloomy, LOUD, morning it is. But I get to that later.

After leaving Mt. Airy, NC, I spent the next night at the Bean Pot Campground in Crossville, TN. What a lovely campground. The folks were wonderful and helpful and the park lovely, with RV sites nestled amongst freshly-budding dogwood trees. But what actually amazed me was when a huge RV came in towing (well, look at the picture!) a car and a boat, stacked double-decker style! And I'm still scared of the thought of towing a little car behind Winnie.

Next I spent 2 lovely days in Metropolis, IL (the hometown of Clark Kent) where a gaggle of my cousins live and surround. If you don't have a map, Metropolis, known as the hometown of Superman (see photo for proof) is located at the very tip of southern Illinois, just across the Ohio River from Paduach, KY.

I parked Winnie in cousin Robbie's drive and soon cousins Mary, Gae, Sherry, Rex and Max, along with their spouses, and even some of their children and in-laws arrived to say hello and catch up. It's been 9 years since I have seen the majority and 40 years since Mary and I were last together.

These are folks I grew up with and we had a ball telling stories about all the fun we had running barefoot across the farm pastures (warm cow poop), chigger bites dotted with bright red fingernail polish covering our legs, fishing in the creek, throwing rotten eggs at each other, jumping out of the hay loft, and locking each other in the corn crib! And we remembered all the wonderful food our mother's made - hand-churned, homemade ice cream, crimped-edged, fresh-fruit pies, cobblers, fresh-baked rolls and bread, and real cream right from the cow - who's name we knew! Relatives are wonderful - even if you don't see them often. They remind you of the person you were and have almost forgotten.

After leaving Metropolis, I drove north on I-24, but for the first time, my GPS took me off the interstate and onto US 51. It winds directly through Decatur, where I stopped to see more relatives. Had a wonderful lunch with my cousin Gary and his parents, the last of my uncles and aunts, Doris and Nobel.

From there, just another hour to Carlock, IL where I had a reservation at the Kozy Kampground. It sounded so nice in the campground book - but it's not! It isn't that the sites are bad - they're fine. It's just that it's right next to the freeway where trucks rumble by 24/7 and there's the railway track that borders the south side and trains run throughout the night (they don't tell you those little details). And to top off an almost sleepless night, the rain started about 2:30 a.m. and pounded Winnie's roof.

But I did meet a lovely couple from South Tahoe, CA who pulled in towing an Airstream Flying Cloud. Of course I had to say hello as I still covet one of these wonderful trailers. John and Susanne are new RVers and are traveling Route 66 across the country. John is an artist and a muralist and Susanne a retired school counselor. We enjoyed a few glasses of wine while I gave them ideas of what to see and do during their visit to downtown Chicago. They are heading off through the Badlands to see Mt. Rushmore as well, so we might be lucky enough to meet-up again. They also told me all about the Burning Man festival which is held annually in desert outside of Reno each year. John does body-painting during the festival and they invited me to join them this coming September. Take a look - http://www.burningman.com/.

Well, must think about getting out in the rain, unhooking and getting on the road. Today I want to get into the middle of Wisconsin - Osseo hopefully. Then to Minong for a few days with Don & Carrie, into the Twin Cities to visit with Eric & Eileen, Albert Lea to say hey to Dave & Theresa and from there - straight west across South Dakota!

Until next time...take care of each other.

ReAnn

Pictures:

Back on the road....

....but it was terribly stressful just getting here. I took Winnie to get her North Carolina 'omissions inspection' on Tuesday, a requirement of all NC vehicles to be registered and plated. It was the first time I had started the engine and drove her since parking on the beach a whole month before. My good friend and hairdresser extraordinaire, Jodell, wanted to ride along with me to see what it was like. We picked probably one of the windiest days in a long time - 40 mph winds (tropical storm strength) - but made it downtown okay and Winnie passed with flying colors. Had the guys check the tires and pressure as well, as wanted to be sure they were ready for the next 2600 miles.

With my 'passing certificate' in hand, Laura picked me up and off we went to the DMV. I had a huge packet of papers I had received from LaMesa when I purchased Winnie and all the insurance forms, driver's license and checkbook - anything I could think of they might need to process Winnie. But when the lady (Donna - whom I got to know on a first-name basis by the end of the next 2 days!) asked me for the title, I just looked at her. She informed me that the dealer would/should have mailed the title to me or sent it directly to the DMV. No title, no plates, no leaving the state.

With my blood pressure rising quickly, I called LaMesa from the DMV, was transferred 4 times before reaching someone who said that the lady in charge of titles for all 8 of LaMesa's sales offices had been out sick for the past 6 weeks. I asked what I considered a very intelligent question - was she the only one in the entire company that issued titles for every sale they made?!!!! After several minutes of conversation, it was agreed that LaMesa would overnight the title for Winnie to the DMV office in Wilmington to the attention of lovely Donna.

The next morning I waited until 10 a.m. and was thrilled to learn that FedEx had already delivered my title and paperwork. Called Laura, my resident taxi driver, and we were at the DMV office by 10:30, only to learn that LaMesa had not notarized the title - something that the state of NC requires. Back on the phone - this time Donna and the folks in Tucson talked directly to each other. When they finished, it is decided that the title must be over-nighted back to Tucson, notarized, and returned to the NCDMV, which would probably take till Monday or Tuesday.

There goes my schedule! Nothing more I could do, so Laura and I went out to lunch and I had several de-stressing beverages! While we were enjoying a delicious lunch of Pad Thai, my phone rings and it's the lovely Donna! She and the folks at LaMesa have both called and chatted with the big-wigs at the DMV in Raleigh. They came to the conclusion that since I purchased Winnie out-of-state, and since AZ doesn't require their titles to be notarized, NC will let me register and get my plates with the paperwork the way it is!!!!

So I was only set back one day, which LaMesa very graciously agreed to pay the extra-day campground fee, and this morning, with shinny new license plates, I drove off Carolina Beach after 31-days.

Tonight, as you can see from the pictures, I'm in the lovely Blue Ridge mountains, just outside Mt. Airy, NC. The funny-looking mountain is called Pilot Mountain and Mt. Airy is the birthplace of Andy Griffith and was the town that the fictional Mayberry was based upon. It's a brand-new campground and really nice. My neighbors all stopped by to say hello, and the owner came over and personally invited me down to the 'gathering area' to listen to some 'live pickin'. Grabbed a beer and a chair and really enjoyed listening to a couple of local, good ol' boys singin' and playing some great country music. And you wonder why I like this life?

Today was an easy 5-hour drive and I realized as I was moving down that road that my hands no longer held the steering wheel in a death-grip, nor did I jerk every time a 16-wheeler went whizzing past, my stomach didn't reside in my throat and I was actually enjoying the ride! I think I might actually have gotten over the 'new RV-driver jitters.' And I really get a hoot out of pulling into a rest stop and parking with the truckers instead of the cars.

It's time to turn off the computer, plop in front of the TV and relax before getting a good night's sleep. Tomorrow I'm off to Crossville, TN for a night at the Bean Pot Campground. Part of the fun deciding how far I want to drive and choosing where I want to spend the next night. What did we do before computers?!

Until next time....take care of each other.

ReAnn

Westward Ho!

Just 2 more days left here on Carolina Beach before I bring in the slides, unhook the water and sewer hoses, unplug the electric and 'wheels-up.' It's been a great month - especially spending quality time with some great friends. And let me say right here and now a great, big THANK YOU to Laura, JoDell, Beth, Eloise and Janet & Bob. You are the best friends in the entire world! And to top off the month, I got to spend this past weekend with Sean - Son #2 - playing a little golf and meeting his lovely girlfriend, Nicki.

But I'm ready to get movin' again. I have a noon meeting with my property manager (why can't renters just be nice people and do what they're suppose to do?) so with a late start, am planning to make it as far as Mt. Airy, NC on Thursday. Have a reservation at the Mayberry Campground. Yep, Mt. Airy is the home of Andy Griffin and is the town that the fictional Mayberry is based upon. I'm going to spend a few days with my family in southern Illinois before heading northwest to the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park and finally, driving into Cody, WY for my summer work/camp position.

Thought I would list my route - in case you are along the way and want me to stop in and say 'hey' or know of someplace special I should stop...

NC - I-40, I-77
VA - I-77, I-81
TN - I-40, I-24
IL - I-24, I-57, I-74, I-80
IA, NE - I-80
NE, SD - I-29
SD, WY - I-90
WY - I-90, Hwy 16, Hwy 20

I have always loved maps, figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B, and 'taking the road less traveled.' But I have realized that I can't just do that anymore when you're driving a 29' big box that acts as a kite in high winds. While sitting on the floor, 2 Atlas and state maps spread out around me, laying out the route I want to take, I realized that #1 - I really didn't want to take Winnie over Michigan's Machinaw Bridge - even though I was invited and would have loved to see friends in Michigan and upstate Wisconsin.

The bridge is beautiful and joins lower Michigan to the Upper Peninsula where Lake's Michigan and Huron meet. Last summer I drove this same route in my PT Cruiser. It was a beautiful day and I had the top down, so not a lot of surface for wind resistance. Even on a beautiful day my little Cruiser was really being buffeted around on the bridge. When I stopped for lunch in St, Ignace on the other side, I jokingly asked my waitress if anyone had ever been blown off the bridge and her answer was - at least once a year! Not a good choice in my RV unless I want to park and wait for a calm, windless day - which are few and far between in that area.

Then there was the #2 portion of the route that I choose to not even try attempt in Winnie. Pick up any atlas and look how I-90 takes a traveler from Rapid City, SD into Wyoming. Now find Cody on the map. You will see a nice little short-cut on US 14/Alt 14 that goes from I-90 at Ranchester directly into Cody. Perfect - right? NOT!

Last time I was in a Camping World, the lady at the register, when she learned I was heading West, said I really must buy a copy of the "Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV and Motorhome Drivers." The subtitle to this little book is "Locations and Descriptions of over 400 Mountain Passes and Steep Grades in 11 Western States." On the atlas US 14/Alt. 14 look like a nice, little roads that would cut a lot of time off my trip. Then you look up this route in the Mountain Directory and learn this 'little shortcut' via Alt. 14 is known by locals as the "OH MY GOD HILL!!" and just plain old Granite Pass (elv. 9033) and Shell Canyon on US. 14.

The written description is enough to make one gasp! A posted 10% grade for 10 miles down OMGH and then an additional 9 miles of 5-7% grades with many 20-25-30 mph switchback curves. And this is open range country, often with livestock on the roads. In boldface, the books says "All trucks, RV's and vehicles with trailers must stop and read sign at turnout ahead where US 14 splits. US Alt. 14 has turnouts for trucks and RV's to check breaks, 3 runaway truck ramps, turnouts to cool breaks--10% downgrade for 10 miles --sharp curves---3600' drop in elevation in 10 miles. (Sign doesn't mention the 4 miles of 8% grade after the 10 miles of 10%)"

After reading this I very quickly decided it was going to be worth every extra minute it takes to take I-25 back down to Casper and travel back up to Cody on the fairly flat US 20! I emailed my boss Ron at the Yellowstone Inn and told him what I had been planning and he said don't be such a whimp! He re-routed me from I-90 through Buffalo onto Hwy 16, up and over the Bighorn Mountains through Powder River Pass. A little less 'exciting' than the OMGH and a nice, big road with places to pass and pull over and take pictures! The things you need to learn when driving an RV! But you could bet I wouldn't miss driving the 'Oh My God Hill' if I still had my little convertible!

Well, now that the sun is up and shinning, it's time to get on my bike and peddle to the local Food Lion for one last grocery-run before I leave. Borrowed JoDell's car yesterday and spent time at the laundromat. Still trying to decide where I will store my bike during the trip - either inside or bungie'd and locked to the roof ladder.

Until the next time somewhere along the road West....take care of each other.

ReAnn

Easter on the Beach

The weather cooperated and Easter weekend was fabulous!

Saturday friends Janet & Bob invited me over for a pre-Easter dinner and to meet all their wonderful and crazy neighbors and friends. Janet is one of those people who loves to decorate 'on a theme' and what better than bunnies? The chair covers were a hoot - as you can see! We each received our own, chocolate-filled basket (no Peeps) besides a delicious dinner served with much wine.

Sunday I woke, threw on my sweats and peddled to the beach for sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. The bright glowing ball of tangerine rose out of the sea while about 1000 people crowded the boardwalk to hear the message of Easter. A free pancake breakfast was being served for all those attending, but I had to rush back to Winnie, change into a more normal Easter outfit, as Eloise was picking me up at 8 a.m. to attend regular service at Unity. We were both so moved by the beautiful cantata that the choir performed and saddened that it was the last Sunday that our pastor would be overseeing the services here in Wilmington. Russell is off to become an associate pastor at a huge Unity Church in St. Petersburg. A wonderful opportunity - but he will be missed.

I met a very nice man at the Food Lion on Saturday while we were both digging through a pile of spiral-cut hams. He was bemoaning the fact that all the ones they had were so big - 10 lbs plus. I told him I had the same problem, and then asked if he would like to split one with me? Perfect solution, butcher did it in a flash and I got to have the yummy brown-sugar glaze in my 1/2 for coming up with the idea. So after church Eloise took me to her home where I baked ham, she did all the side dishes while we both sipped Bloody Marys and prepared to settle in front of the TV and watch The Masters. It was a wonderful day - we both even took a little nap, which a good round of golf on TV seems to always provide:) It was a perfect Easter weekend - thanks again to my dear and generous friends.

Now you might be saying, the picture of those two, curly, browned-eyed, sweet-looking things are not Easter bunnies! Nope - meet Harley (curly) and Angela (slick-haired). Brother & sister, 12-week old Chesapeake Bay retrievers who were my RV neighbors for the Easter weekend. Much better than bunnies - and what a pair of lovers and lickers. I wanted to steal at least one of them until I was told then would each weigh about 150 lbs when full-grown. Take a look at those paws and yep, they're going to be big puppies! Just a wee bit too big to be an RV dog.

I hope each of you had a wonderful Easter. Until next time...take care of each other.

ReAnn