Not A Very Nice Day

It started raining around 10:00 p.m. last night and had been raining on and off all night and this morning so no walk. It was 13C (55F) when I got up around 8:30 a.m.

So, after my morning rituals, I lay down on the couch to read, fell asleep, woke up, read some more, lunch etc. About 2:30 p.m. I got myself off the couch and since it had stopped raining, I went for my walk. It was cloudy, humid and our high was 18C (66F) but at least it didn’t rain on me. While I was out I saw a pretty little blue bird but I didn’t have my camera and it wasn’t close enough for me to take a photo of anyway. Hopefully we’ll have more birds around than blackbirds and robins. I have seen a couple of goldfinches around the park.

Rain started again on and off late this afternoon and is supposed to continue for the next couple of days with tomorrow being cold and windy. Not nice!

Lazy Monday

This morning I didn’t start out on my walk until 8:40 a.m. and it was 16C (60F) and sunny with a breeze. It continued to be sunny during the day but the breeze picked up this afternoon. We reached a high of 21C (70F).

Didn’t do much today – read, did puzzles and vegged out. We met our neighbor that arrived yesterday, Jean. She and her husband, John are just starting a year long trip in their new Open Roads fifth wheel. They will be here for six weeks as John is finishing up a contract so I expect we’ll see more of them.

Today while my computer was on but I was elsewhere, Firefox decided to update itself so that when I came back I had to turn on my computer again. It was then I found out that my bookmarks were lost AGAIN. I think this happened a while back. I thought I had made a copy of my bookmark folder but it wasn’t up to date so I had to start recreating from my History file again. Lots of work but then I’m retired. I’ve got time to do this kind of thing.

I had a request in my comments yesterday for the Butterscotch Pie recipe. Unfortunately it’s not my recipe to give out so at this time I can’t part with it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Taken at the end of the street that runs along the campground - the Mississippi River

It got down to freezing here last night! When I got up it was 9C (48F) again but very bright and sunny and continued to be bright and sunny all day warming up to about 16C (60F).

I watched a movie around lunch time and then went out to get fixings to make stew as it’s still kind of stew weather (cool at night). Michelle called just as I was getting back from the grocery store so I had a chat with her for a while. She’s going to email me her butterscotch pie recipe. She gave me a gluten free pie shell when we were down there so I need the ‘real butterscotch pie’ recipe (the recipe was Gordon’s mother’s recipe) to make it right.

I got my stew made. We try not to eat it on the day its made letting it steep in its juices for at least a day so dinner for tomorrow is ready!

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there!

A Quiet Day at Tranquil Acres

It turned cold overnight so even though I got up late again (8:45 a.m.) it was only 9C (48F) and partly sunny so I dressed appropriately and took off for my walk. Unfortunately there isn’t too much around here to photograph that I haven’t already done.

When I got back and after breakfast, I posted our May receipts so far to my spreadsheet. The replacement of the tires and our weekend trip is really going to put us over our budget this month. However tires is something that’s a fact of our lifestyle and something that we have to be sure are safe. After that I backed up my computer to my hard drive that I bought in Port Aransas and cleaned out one of my cupboards under the sink and lined it with the rubbery shelf liner that RVers use.

The rest of the day was spent reading my book and various magazines that I’ve collected from my sister as well as my RVing magazines that I got when we first picked up our mail at my younger sister’s place.

We went for a walk late this afternoon just around the park but didn’t find anything to photograph so I’m borrowing another photo from Gordon that he took this morning at sunrise.

More Housekeeping

It was sunny and 70F when I went for my walk, later than usual this morning. Yesterday when I walked before 8:00 a.m. there was lots of traffic so I waited till 8:45 this morning and it gave me an extra ½ hour or so to sleep in.

Sun rapidly changed to cloud however I had decided to go into Carleton Place to do laundry today so it didn’t matter. Carleton Place has the cleanest Laundromat I’ve ever been in and I’ve been in quite a few in the last couple of years. One of the managers came in this morning and I complimented him. They also have three couches instead of plastic chairs to sit in. There are no ‘Out of Order’ signs and either Terry or Kelly are in and out several times during the day.

After laundry I stopped to fill our water bottles at Home Hardware. It is apparently the only place in Carleton Place to fill water bottles. However, you can buy water in gallon jugs for the same price so I think I’ll just buy them rather than refilling. When you can refill for a quarter or so in the U.S., it’s worth it but it seems the farther north you go, the more expensive water is – almost $1.00 per gallon/4 litres here.

Two grocery stores later, I was home. I had washed the balloon curtains in our bedroom and that took a while to get them back up, unpacking laundry, unpacking groceries. Too much like work!

No photos today.

Just Hangin' Out

Photos from around the campground

This morning was 16C (60F), damp, cloudy and humid for my walk. The black flies were also out.

This morning we went into Ottawa and went to our chiropractor, Dr. Ken Dick for our first treatment in 2007. I also had to stop and pick up a couple of prescriptions that we were running out of before our medicals on Wednesday. After a stop at Dollarama (a great Dollar Store in our area where everything’s $1) and Bulk Barn to load up on candy we headed back to the RV for lunch.

I sat outside and read until the bugs got me, also took some flower photos around the park. It’s so quiet here right now as we are the only ones here other than the owners.

Our high today reached 26C (79F). We did have some sunny breaks but mostly cloudy.

Molly Maid

My stomach was upset last night so I got up and lay down on the couch and took a gravol. When I woke up this morning I felt better but was very sleepy from the gravol so I went back to bed and got up just before noon! I haven’t done that in years! Felt good though. When I got up the temperature was 25C (77F) but mostly cloudy.

I did a good cleaning of the RV today, wiped down around windows, cupboards (outside and 2 inside that badly needed it), vacuumed, washed floors, cleaned sinks and bathrooms – took about 2 hours.

After that, I just relaxed and read. It was very warm and humid today. The temperature got to 27C (81F). It’s warmer than in Comstock, TX. One of the fulltimer RVers whose blog I read is there right now. It’s only 17C (62F)!

I didn’t take any photos today so I borrowed one that Gordon took on Saturday when we were at the butterfly conservatory.

Back at Tranquil Acres or Home Again!

Saying goodbye to the ducks at Rideau Acres this morning

Our site at Tranquil Acres - we've never been in this site before

What a beautiful day! This morning was 14C (57F) so I got to walk with just a sweater on.

We took our time packing up this morning as we had only a short drive from Kingston to Carleton Place, about 1 ½ hours. We left at about 10:20 a.m. and arrived just about noon. It is so nice of the owners of Tranquil Acres Campground, Shonagh and Dave to let us come in early. They only open on May 15^th this year. This was our very first campground and we come back to it every year. It’s a very pretty spot on the river but gets quite flooded after the winter. We are on one of the high spots well away from the river. We’ve booked in for at least a month. We’ll have to see when we have our medicals next week what other appointments we have to make so as to determine how long we’ll be in the area. I have 3 medical/dental appointments next week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We’ve decided that we will fast the day we go to the doctor and get the bloodwork done right after we see her.

After we got set up, I sat outside in the sunshine and read for a while. The high reached 25C (77F). That’s the kind of weather I like!

Just Resting

Today was very low key. I had a short walk this morning but we had to return the rental car at around 9:00 a.m. After that, we went to Food Basics and picked up some stuff and walked around the Frontenac Mall. It’s mostly a discount place since Walmart has moved out.

Nice and sunny but a bit breezy – high around 17C (62F).

When we got back I lay down to read and of course, fell asleep. Still tired from the weekend, I guess. Had another walk this afternoon. That’s it for today.

Tree in blossom

Wild flowers

Rally section of the campground - lots of new sites put in last year

Home Again!

Gordon got up for sunrise and went down to the pier in Cobourg and took some photos around the Cobourg East Pierhead Light. For a photo, click here. We didn’t rush to get around this morning. When Gordon went out this morning and started our rental there was a ‘check engine’ light that came up so we called their 1-800 # and they told us to keep driving it that there are all kinds of sensors and stuff that could be causing it. We had breakfast at the hotel, had an hour’s worth of internet time in our room and left around 10:00 a.m. We checked out most of the little parks in Cobourg and we definitely want to go back to the RV park in their downtown area sometime, not because of the parks but it’s just a cute little town (city).

We drove along Hwy 2 till Napanee through all the towns but didn’t see all that much that was worth photographing. At Napanee, we took the 401 back to Rideau Acres. It was sunny and beautiful all the way. Can’t tell you the temperature as our rental didn’t come with all those conveniences. We sure missed the cruise control, temperature gauge, mileage and compass gauges that we have in the truck! Small cars apparently don’t come equipped with cruise control. My sister has a mini Cooper and it doesn’t have cruise either. Can’t imagine being without it now we’ve had it for so many years in all our vehicles.

When we got home, our RV was fine. It’s something we worry about when we leave it which isn’t often. This weekend was a treat, having a hotel room, eating out a lot and not having to tow!

After unpacking, I lay down on the couch to read and decided I needed a nap so moved to the bed and slept for nearly 2 ½ hours. This having a good time makes you really tired!

Thanks for the comment on yesterday’s blog, Laura & Steve. Yes, I did indeed wear a hat (the only person at the wedding that did). One of the older gentlemen commented on it on the way into the church. He remembered when ladies always wore hats to church. I still like hats however there’s not much room for storing such items in an RV nor is there room to wear one while riding in a Hyundai Accent!

A Very Busy Saturday

We were up at 6:30 a.m. today to get packed and ready to head to Kitchener to attend the wedding of my long-time friend, Laura and her significant other, Steve. We left Toronto around 8:00 a.m. and arrived at Laura’s church shortly after 9:00 a.m. The wedding wasn’t till 10:00 a.m. so we just sat around and waited. When we went into the church Laura and Steve were there dressed in their choir gowns. They are both very musical and I guess had been singing before we arrived. We got to say hi and give hugs and then we were seated. They had a string quartet playing in the church until the wedding started and they were VERY good. They also had a choir comprised of choirs from both of their churches and again they were VERY good.

My husband described the wedding as traditional but unique. How often do you have a string quartet at a wedding? How often do the bride and groom go from the choir back to say their vows then back to the choir and so on? One of the three ministers was Laura’s cousin and he was the minister that married them. They also had the pastor of the church and the pastor from Steve’s church. Very well done Laura and Steve! Be happy!

We had told Laura that we wouldn’t stay for the reception as she needed to know by April 20^th and we didn’t know what the weather would be and if it was below freezing at night, we would be heading right back to Kingston to be sure our pipes didn’t freeze in the RV. If it was a beautiful day, the plan was to go to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls and stay overnight there leaving for home on Sunday and visiting some of the little towns along Lake Ontario on the way home.

Plans change as they so often do. On our way to the wedding we saw a sign for a Butterfly Conservatory at Cambridge so on our way east on the 401 we stopped at the Information Centre and asked about it. It is smaller than the one at Niagara Falls but also closer. The drive to Niagara Falls would have taken 2 hours putting us there sometime around 2:00 p.m. and we hadn’t eaten so we decided to go to the one at Cambridge. It’s called Wings of Paradise and is very well done. They had lots and lots of butterflies of all kinds and colours. A couple of them even landed on my hand and a few landed on our hats while we were walking around. We spent a couple of hours there and then started east getting off the 401 at Port Hope and driving through Port Hope and then on to Cobourg. Both are very pretty little towns and worth a trip back. There is an RV park right behind the beach in Cobourg that is owned by the town. It’s not open yet but we walked through it and it’s within walking distance of downtown. I had heard about it from someone at the coffee klatch at Double M in Lindsay last year so it’s definitely a place we want to stop at for a few days at some point.

We were both tired and it was getting on to 6:00 p.m. so we stopped at the Best Western in Cobourg and got a room, had dinner in their restaurant and then back to the room for the night. They have high speed internet but Gordon is using it right now so I’ll post this when I get a chance.

Thanks to Betty & Garth for dinner and allowing us to overnight at their place and also thanks to Bonnie for coming for dinner to see us. It was a great but tiring couple of days!

Visiting in Toronto

Traffic through Toronto

Dinner at Betty's - L to R - Gordon, Garth, Bonnie, Betty

We picked up our rental car this morning and after returning the truck to the RV, we headed for Toronto at 9:30 a.m. All went well on the 401 till just before Yonge Street when traffic backed up both on the Express lanes and the collector lanes, then all of a sudden traffic thinned out and away we went until around Hwy 400 when it backed up again. It wasn’t bad though as it used to take me 30 minutes from Betty’s condo to State Farm in Scarborough and this took us 45 minutes. It seemed like a long time though.

We arrived at Betty’s condo around 1:00 p.m. and chatted for the afternoon. Betty also got caught up on my blogs. Luckily we were able to pick up wifi from her condo.

Garth arrived shortly after 4:00 p.m. and Betty’s friend, Bonnie whom I’ve known for years and also traveled with arrived for dinner around 6:00 p.m. Betty prepared a really good dinner of roast beef with potatoes, carrots, salad and ice cream for dessert.

We’ve got a long day tomorrow so will be hitting the sack early!

A Visit in Brockville

This morning was sunny again and 9C (48F). I actually had to take my jacket off on my walk this morning. The sun was warm!

This morning I decided I could see some roots so I coloured my hair. It’s so much easier to colour when it’s short.

I got an email from my Aunt Ruth in Brockville this morning so we went down to see her this afternoon. I can’t believe I forgot to take photos. Her son-in-law, Glen came in while we were there and I got distracted. I’m glad we got to see Aunt Ruth and having Glen arrive too was a bonus!

The store called when we were on our way to Brockville to let me know that my duvet cover was in so we went straight to the shopping mall and picked it up and had Subway and Taco Bell for dinner.

When I got home I put the new duvet and shams on to be sure they fit and then started packing for our weekend in Toronto, Kitchener and possibly Niagara Falls.

I may not post tomorrow night as we’re staying at Betty’s and she doesn’t have internet access.

Our new duvet & shams

Laundry and Not Much Else

Today was a bright sunny day with a little breeze. When I got up the temperature registered at 9C (48F). I saw the peahen this morning. She looked like she was waiting for the store to open. I saw her hop up on the bench but then she started looking in the window – too funny!

Because of my gastrointestinal relux disease sometimes I get what feels like a sore throat even with the medication so I have to sleep basically sitting up. If I was in a regular bed in a house I’d raise the head of the bed on books or something but you can’t do that in an RV so I usually sleep on the couch for a couple of nights. That doesn’t give me a very good sleep and after only one night it hasn’t helped my throat either but I’m not sure I can take another night on the couch as it doesn’t do my back any good. It’s good for naps during the day though.

I had a huge pile of laundry to get done but when I went for my walk this morning the laundry building was being worked on by some construction guys. They told me they were replacing the roof and the laundry would be open so around 10:00 a.m. Gordon drove me over (there was no parking in front of the laundry today due to the roofing and since we just got new tires yesterday we didn’t want to be anywhere near nails) and helped me take the laundry in. It took over two hours to get it done as there are only four dryers and I couldn’t get enough washers when I first arrived but at least now it’s done so we’re ready for our trip to Toronto and Kitchener this weekend.

While at the laundry, I chatted with a lady who has been here for six years. She has a park model in the area where you can stay for 9 months of the year. The other three months she either stays with friends or rents a hotel room in Gananoque. She says the reason for all the units here that are for sale is mostly circumstance – spouses passing away, jobs taking people elsewhere etc. She said it’s a lovely park and the people who own it are very nice and have owned it for 28 years. So that answers a question I had earlier this week.

This afternoon after putting all the laundry away, I just sat around and read and did puzzles. Our high today was 17C (62F)

April Expenses and More Spending

I took this photo yesterday on my morning walk. Pretty, isn't it?

This photo was taken at sunset. It's within the campground. Very pretty lighting.

We now have confirmation that we will be at Tranquil Acres near Carleton Place from May 8^th for at least a month depending on medical appointments.

The sun was shining when I got up so went for my walk around the park. I was specifically looking for the peacocks but they were specifically avoiding me apparently as all I saw were ducks and geese and of course robins, starlings etc. The sun went behind a cloud shortly after I got back.

The Dodge dealer called this morning to let us know the tires were in and we made arrangements to go in for 1:00 p.m. to have them put on. While Gordon was at the dealership, I got my hair cut and walked around the Cataraqui Town Centre. I actually found a nice duvet cover and shams for a good price. Unfortunately they didn’t have queen size in stock but should be in by Thursday so the clerk will hold a set for me when they come in.

We now have new tires and a front end alignment for $1200.00+. Oh well, we really needed new tires!

April Expenses
We returned to Ontario on April 24^th, therefore to make things easier, I’ve transferred all the amounts from the 24^th on into American funds. April was NOT a good month!

Campground - $662.23
Groceries/Wine/Spirits - $424.55
Laundry - $18.50
Entertainment/Parking/Restaurants - $198.66
Truck Fuel - $837.99
Propane - $43.30 (back to the cold weather!)
Repairs RV/Truck - $806.86
Fixed Expenses - $359.37 (insurance, internet, TV, cell phone)
Medical/Dental - $0.00
Gifts & Misc - $558.02

Total - $3909.48

Our biggest expense this month was the truck service, first to have the oil changed in the rear which is always about $7-$800 and then our deductible for the warranty work on the differential. Since we were traveling north this month and diesel just kept going up and up, we had a large total for fuel. We also had a big month for gifts so our total for the month in U.S. funds at $3909.48
is a killer for being in the U.S. That sound more like an Ontario total! Sure hope we don't have many like that one but looks like May might be !

Accomplishments

It was a fairly nice day today, windy, some sun, some cloud with a high of 17C (62F).

We got quite a few things accomplished today:
1. Returned rental
2. Picked up the behemoth (our truck)
3. Got some things at Walmart that we needed
4. Deposited some cheques that came over the winter
5. Got some groceries
6. Vacuumed and washed out the interior of the truck (I think I finally got all the pelican poop out from our ferry crossing from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas)

That’s about it for today!

Around the Area

When I got up this morning it was already 10C (50F), warmer than it had gotten all day yesterday but there was still some misty rain falling so I only walked to the dumpster with the garbage and back again.

The sun came out around 10:00 a.m. so Gordon went out and took some photos but the sun only shone briefly so he was back quickly. I sat around and read and looked at the Sears catalogues that I had gotten with my mail.

My sister had mentioned that she and her husband might drive from Ottawa to see us today so I hung around till 1:30 p.m. and then we went for a short drive north on Hwy 15 as the sun was going in and out and there were some interesting clouds in the sky. We stopped a couple of times to take photos but returned to the RV after about an hour. The sun was definitely out in full force so I sat outside to read but had to change to shorts it had gotten so warm in the sun. The thermometer was reading 18C (65F) which was our high for today.

One thing we’ve found with our rental – a Dodge Dakota truck – V8 is we get much better fuel mileage (when we’re not towing) with our 1 ton diesel than with the V8. You can almost see the gas gauge moving in the Dakota. We get our own truck back tomorrow. YEAH! Even though I don’t like driving our truck around the city all that much, I like it better than the rental!

Late this afternoon we took a walk around the park hoping to see the peacocks but all we saw were a couple of muscovy ducks, a mallard and a beige duck, probably a female of some species.

A new Desperate Housewives tonight!

Happy Birthday Danica and Lilly!

Sorry, this is belated. For some reason this didn't post on Saturday.

Taken near Portland, Ontario

Our niece, Danica is 19 today and our granddaughter, Lilly is 2 today.

We left Ottawa this morning under gray skies. Since there is no thermometer in the rental, I have no idea of the temperature although when we reached the RV our thermometer read 9C (48F) and for late morning, that wasn’t very high. It was also raining by then.

I suggested rather than returning by the same route we take Hwy 16 and take Regional Road 6 (which turns into 4) to Smiths Falls. We’ve gotten so used to the compass in the truck that we missed it a lot. I was completely turned around. Fortunately my husband has a good built in compass so we got to Smiths Falls without a problem. Continuing south on Hwy 15 we stopped at a few places to snap a few photos even though the day wasn’t really conducive for photography.

We arrived at the RV before noon, had something to eat, proceeded to sort the mail (tons of it), read and had a nap. It was just that kind of day!

Our Day in Ottawa

Friday was rainy and nasty but we had to go to Ottawa so we left at about 8:15 a.m. and arrived in Ottawa at 10:15 a.m. Gordon’s camera needed to be dropped off for repair, we had banking to do, income tax to look after and tried to find a campsite.

No sites at Rideau Heights except electric and water only. We didn’t want that. We couldn’t see the satellite and I don’t like to use their washrooms as they aren’t very clean. We tried to stop at Ottawa Municipal but they don’t open until May 1^st and the gate was up so we still don’t have a campsite.

We had a late breakfast at the Bella Vista in the Alta Vista Shopping Mall and while we were there we got a call from the Dodge dealer in Kingston telling us that our truck was ready and that warranty was covering it and the rental. We told them we couldn't get to them until Saturday but they are closed till Monday so we'll pick the truck up on Monday morning and hopefully the rental will be covered for the weekend. If not, at least we didn't have to pay for the repairs to the truck! Gordon had asked them to price new tires for the truck as well and they came back with a good price so they'll be putting the new tires on sometime next week as well.

We arrived at my sister’s at about 2:45 p.m. She had just gotten home from work so we sat around and chatted for a while. Danica was home and she had just finished the last exam of her first year at Ottawa U and Saturday (28^th) is her birthday so she was happy.

Nick and Becky arrived at about 5:30 p.m. for dinner with all of us so I got to see their whole family at one sitting! Danica took the car to a party she was attending so I volunteered us to drive Nick and Becky home since it was such a rainy, nasty night.

We had been invited to stay overnight rather than drive the two hours back to Kingston in the rain so shortly after our return to Margie’s, we hit the sack – long day!

I can’t believe I didn’t take any photos at all – must have been tired!

Bad News and Good News

This morning was very foggy and 6C (43F) for my walk around the park. I walked around the area where the seasonals are and found that there are quite a few for sale here. I wonder why.

Yesterday when we were out we noticed a whining coming from the truck. We thought it might be the tires as they need to be replaced and we are looking into that however Gordon decided this morning to take it into the Dodge dealer and found out that it is probably the differential however the technician at the first dealer he went to is on course and they couldn’t do anything about it including order the parts until Wednesday next week and we have to go to Ottawa tomorrow but Enterprise Rent A Car don’t have any cars and that’s who the Dodge dealer uses.

Since there are two Dodge dealers in Kingston, he went to the other one who started on the truck right away, got us a rental so we’re set up for going to Ottawa tomorrow. The only fly in the ointment is that the dealer says sometimes the warranty doesn’t cover these things even though our warranty is paid for, up to date and well within the warranty period. Go figure!

Since we’re supposed to leave Rideau Acres on Tuesday and we can’t tow with the truck the way it is, I went to the office and signed us up for another week (it was $80 more for next week than it was for this week even with Passport America during the week and Good Sam discount for the weekend).

However, the good news is the differential waited until we were back in Ontario so we weren’t stuck somewhere in the U.S. past the six months allotted for staying in the U.S. and on the side of some highway in the middle of nowhere!

Since we’ll be in Ottawa tomorrow and staying for dinner at my sister’s house, we may stay overnight so there might not be a posting tomorrow night.

Our First Day in Kingston

It was mostly cloudy and 8C (46F) this morning and I had a nice walk around the park. Rideau Acres is a fairly large park and is on a point so has water on three sides. They have increased the size of the park and now have sites for rallies with just water and electric in one part of the park. As well as the usual ducks and geese around, they now have a pair of peacocks. The male didn’t spread his tail and show off for me but he was pretty just the same.

This morning I called Ottawa Municipal and the site we want has been booked for others for about eight days in the month so I called Rideau Heights and he can put us in an electric and water spot for a week or so and then maybe move us to a full hookup. We’re going to stop in and see him when we go to Ottawa on Friday to sign our income tax forms. Both campgrounds have put their prices up – Ottawa Municipal from $660/month to $704.00 and Rideau Heights from $749.50 to $500.00. Electric is included in both those amounts.

After lunch we decided to see what there was to see at each of the exits off Hwy 401. There isn’t much right near the highway but the fifth exit, being Gardiners Road is actually the shopping district. Bath Road is also a shopping area and there is shopping in downtown Kingston as well. We headed to Bath Road as I knew there was a Food Basics there and I needed to pick up some groceries, especially perishables. I finally was able to get some nice fresh fruit. It’s amazing that I had to return home to get it. Apples and plums are less expensive than most of the places we were in the U.S. Bread is also cheaper. Unfortunately wine is not. It’s about three times the price that we’ve paid all winter.

We drove through downtown Kingston on the way back. They now have the Farmer’s Market area ready. It’s been under construction for the past year or so.

We got home around 3:30 p.m. and I read for a bit. The sun started to come out around 4:30 p.m. and the temperature reached only 12C (53F).

Back in Ontario

We left Erie, PA at about 8:00 a.m. under sunny skies and 46F. It was sunny all the way to Kingston, ON. There were low lying clouds for some of the way but they didn’t affect our sun. It didn’t get as warm today, only 55F and quite windy. We didn’t have nearly the mileage we got yesterday. I think we averaged about 13.0 mpg on our 398 mile trip.

We reached the border at around 2:00 p.m. and a temporary sign was up telling RVs to use the truck lane. We were asked a bunch of questions, then asked to pull over to the right where there was a big white truck. We had to get out of our truck and the x-ray machine x-rayed the whole RV. Then they wanted the slides out and the doors open to the storage areas. Don’t know what they were looking for but they were very neat about it and didn’t rip anything apart. I’m not sure how they decide who to check and who not to check. The whole thing took about 20 minutes, then we were on our way to Rideau Acres at Kingston. We arrived at about 3:00 p.m. but it took almost ½ hour to get checked in. We were set up including satellite dishes by 5:00 p.m.

We’re only staying a week here as their prices have gone up so will have to make reservations in Ottawa. Ottawa Municipal doesn’t open until May 1^st and that’s the day we’re leaving Rideau Acres so we’ll either go there or Rideau Heights. I’d rather stay at Ottawa Municipal until our medical appointments are over as it’s quite near our doctor and it’s easier to get in and out of than Rideau Heights. Traffic on Prince of Wales (Rideau Heights is just off P of W) is usually very busy especially at rush hours. I was hoping for a relaxing three weeks here but it’s not to be!

The photo is of our site here at Rideau Acres.

Two Family Birthdays Today

Happy Birthday Ian and Becky! Gordon’s son, Ian is 30 something today and Becky, Nick’s wife is 20 something.

We were on the road at 9:00 a.m. this morning under cloudy skies and 68F (20C). It was quite warm overnight and we had one of the bedroom windows open all night. We had a great tailwind all the way coupled with Ohio’s 55 mph speed limit we were able to achieve 16.4 mpg at one point and 16.3 mpg for the overall trip! That’s a record!

Here's the photo of our 16.4 mpg record

We arrived at Hill’s Family Campground at Erie, PA under partly cloudy skies with some rain but only in patches and only for a short time at about 1:30 p.m. and were set up by 2:30 p.m. We set up the internet but not the TV satellite as they have free cable here.

It was really windy making us feel like we were back in Texas. The wind gusts were rocking the RV. The temperature was 75F (24C).

Our site at Hill's Family Campground

After we settled in, we went to check out the Erie KOA which is at the same exit but south of I-90. It is a lot farther from the exit than Hill’s and there are a lot more trees around so a possibility of not being able to access the satellites.

Then we drove to Presque Isle State Park but by the time we got there the sun which had come out for a while had mostly gone. We took some photos anyway and then came home. We had a real burst of rain and some wind before dinner. After dinner Gordon headed back to Presque Isle SP for more photos but I stayed behind and cleaned up and did the dishes and just relaxed. Tomorrow is a long day and includes border crossing!

A view in Presque Isle State Park

Our Last Day in Columbus

It was 44F and sunny again this morning and turned into a beautiful sunny day with a high somewhere near 81F. At least when I noticed the thermometer in the truck around 6:00 p.m. it was 81F so it could have been warmer.

This morning I went to Walmart and picked up some last minute items. When I got home, Gordon went out and filled our empty propane tank. I spent some time sitting outside reading and I had to get my shorts out it was so beautiful.

Late this afternoon, Gordon decided that his weather station wasn’t working (it was 7 degrees off on temperature and it never did record the wind) so we took it back to Walmart for a refund and got another thermometer. We’ll have to look next year when we’re in the west to see if we can find his wind thermometer.

We stopped to say good-bye to Michelle, Eric and the kids, picked up Taco Bell and came home for dinner. Michelle had surprised Gordon yesterday with his favorite, his mother's butterscotch pie recipe so we brought the remainder of it home with us tonight. It's very yummy!

Tomorrow we head north and expect to stop at Hill’s Family Campground in Erie, PA for the night. Don’t know if the internet satellite will be hooked up or not so just in case I don’t post, we’ll post when we arrive in Ontario on Tuesday.

Paper Work!

This morning was 40F (4C) and very sunny. I took what has become my usual walk this week.

Gordon left early to go to the Columbus Zoo. Michelle and the kids were meeting him there after Luke’s morning nap. I elected not to go as I still had to go through all our receipts and get them straightened out for the border. While I was at it I went through our little filing cabinet that we have in the form of a coffee table in the living room and sorted through all the papers and tried to get them organized. It took a long time!

After that I settled down to see what I could do on this month’s Conde Naste Where Are You contest but I think it’s got me stumped this month. It’s definitely somewhere in South America but the clues have me confused. I’ve relayed what I have to my sister, Betty who is also involved in this contest with me every month so maybe she can make some sense of it.

We got to a high of 70F (21C) today. A really beautiful spring day!

Gordon stayed at Michelle’s for dinner so I didn’t have to make dinner either. Bonus!

Back to Dayton

A security guard patrols the parking lot on a segway at the new mall, The Greene, in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, OH.

This morning was cooler than it has been but it was very bright and sunny and 41F (5C). I took the same road south from the campground as I did yesterday.

After breakfast and getting ready we headed back to Dayton where Gordon had made arrangements to meet Mel and Janice (our friends who visited us in Ottawa last summer) and some folks that used to work with Mel that Gordon knew of or had met. We met at The Cheesecake Factory at a new mall called The Greene in Beavercreek. It was great to see Mel and Janice again. Both have had serious health problems since we last saw them but they both looked well today. We had an excellent lunch (I had the best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever had) and met the other people (10 in all counting us).

We had left Columbus early so took a detour to Gordon’s boyhood home area in New Carlisle. We arrived at the mall early and walked around. It’s one of the new concept malls that are all outside. This one is built in streets and even has a town square. My preference, however, is for indoor malls but this one was interesting anyway.

After lunch broke up around 3:30 p.m. we headed back to Columbus to read and nap! Today was a beautiful day and we hit a high of 72F (22C).

More Family Visiting

More Photos of Luke (below)

This morning was mostly sunny and 44f (7C). Across the road from the campground there’s a road that goes south so I walked along it this morning. It has more of a shoulder than the one I walked on yesterday.

Late this morning we went over to Michelle’s but she had called to say she had to go out so we went to a new store near them called Whole Foods Market – quite expensive, I thought, then went to Taco Bell for lunch.

This afternoon, Gordon’s sister, Carol drove up from the Cincinnati area to Michelle’s to see the kids and Michelle and visit with us as we didn’t stay very long in their area this time. It’s always good to see Carol. She has a very positive outlook and besides that she reads my blog every day (almost).

Although it was cloudy most of the day, the temperature did reach 65F (18C) and the sun came out late in the day.

We stayed at Michelle’s for dinner (and an excellent one it was) and Eric arrived home after two days of being away flying executives around the country. We got back to the RV around 7:30 p.m. – very tired!

Housework and Shopping

This morning was 44F and mostly sunny when I went out for my walk. I headed west on Hwy 40 and then turned right on Cole Street and walked a ways down that road. There are no shoulders but luckily the traffic was sparse so I didn’t get run over!

After getting the vacuuming done yesterday I decided I’d better get the laundry done as it was piling up so I had Gordon drop me at the local Laundromat (this campground doesn’t have laundry facilities). It was done and I was back before noon.

Today I had the first shower I’ve had all winter in the RV. The washrooms here are closed for repair and their shower facilities aren’t the best so we usually use our own facilities when we’re here.

After lunch, I went to Meijer. Meijer is a Walmart type store but it’s only in the Midwest states. It’s more expensive than Walmart but has a better quality of things for the most part. I also found that they don’t carry some items that I usually buy at Walmart so I guess I’ll have to make a stop at Walmart before we leave. We're stocking up on things that we can't buy at home.

When I got back, Gordon went out and got a much needed haircut!

No photos today!

We Visit With Michelle, Luke, Faith and Grace

Grandpa and Luke

Grace with Faith on her back

Luke having his lunch

At the Playground

Faith on the slide

Grace rock-climbing

Grace and Faith on the slide

Grace wanted me to take her picture when we were in the van on the way home from the playground

Grace on her scooter in front of their house

This morning was bright and sunny, 39F (4C), with no wind. Quite a change from the wind we had yesterday. The RV park here isn’t very large so I usually walk around the small town. Even with doing that it only took me about 20 minutes so I probably didn’t walk for ½ hour today but then I haven’t been doing that lately anyway. There’s something about being back in the cold weather that doesn’t motivate me very much.

Late this morning we got ready and headed over to Gordon’s daughter, Michelle’s. Grace (our oldest granddaughter) was at school and Luke was asleep. Faith wasn’t interested and went downstairs to watch TV so we sat and talked to Michelle. When Luke got up he went right to his Grandpa. At that point Faith too became interested. Grace got home from school at lunch time and after we had lunch, we all went out in Michelle’s van to look at some scenic spots around the west side of Columbus. We found a new playground that the girls were really fascinated with. They had rock climbing walls, lots of slides, swings and things to climb on. They also had a fireman’s pole which the girls really had fun on as well.

When we got back from our drive, we headed home, stopping to fuel up – 2.89.9/gal. and I doubt it will get any cheaper as we head towards home.

Back in Columbus, OH

This morning was 1 degree warmer than yesterday but bright and sunny. We left Lebanon at 11:15 a.m. under bright sunny skies, 46F (8C) and very windy. For most of the 88.7 mile drive to Columbus, OH it was a crosswind.

We arrived around 1:00 p.m. and Sue, who owns the park came running out when she saw us arrive and guided us to our spot. It’s a different spot than we’ve had before and was more of a parallel park along the side of the park but Gordon did it without much problem. We got at 50 amp spot this time as it was so cold when we were here in October/November. We can run our electric heater on high with 50 amp. It took us till about 3:00 p.m. to set up with all the satellites including getting checked in and paying for the site. When we were set up I drove down the road to Kroger, a local Ohio grocery store and picked up a few things we were out of.

Gordon talked to his daughter, Michelle and told her that we weren’t coming over today as we were tired and we read and had a nap.

When I turned the TV on at dinner time, the satellite dish had moved so Gordon had to go up and tune it in again. The wind was very strong all day although our weather station only measured it at 9 mph. It had to be at least 35 mph so we’re not sure what’s wrong with the weather station.

Another Day With Family

It was only 36F this morning when I got up, later than usual but at least there was no snow and it wasn’t raining so I got to go for my walk. I think the grandchildren really wore us out yesterday. Just watching them run around is exhausting!

This morning we didn’t do much. I read and napped while Gordon was on his computer. At noon, we headed north to Dayton to visit Ian, Tracy and the kids stopping at Walmart on the way as I was out of fruit.

We spent about 2 ½ hours at Ian and Tracy’s place visiting and interacting with the kids. Lilly was asleep when we arrived and slept for about 1 ½ hours but Caden was up and playing his favorite video game on their new HD TV.

Another exhausting day although we got home a lot earlier – about 4:30 p.m.

Tonight we’ll be watching TV and getting ready to leave for Columbus tomorrow.

Thanks to Gordon for the photo of me with Lilly.