Spring! In Texas? A Taste of Spring!

Feeling like spring here in Texas!  It is in the mid 70's for the weekend! But of course next week another cold front will be passing thru, so the roller coaster of temps continues!  And I wonder why my sinuses keep giving me fits!

Got back all in one piece from Alabama. It was a nice week and it was good seeing the kids and grand kids! The "little ones" are growing up sooooo fast!  Just helps me to feel all the more "old"! But except for the normal everyday aches and pains....still can't believe I will be 62 this year!  Too bad my body can't keep up with my brain!  

Pelen and Abbie consider me their personal doorman!

And Jolene is just growing too fast!

 And I can't wait to get back up to Sunny Gulch!!!

This is the way things are supposed to be!!!

Until later....Happy Travels to All!!!

On The Road to TX

It has been a good trip so far....no really bad weather, got a fair amount accomplished in Alabama, good visits with the kids......now back to reality!

Have a ton of pictures to go thru and scan and divide up. Brought a few things back for the folks. Will have to go  back the first part of May and get a little more done in the house. If all goes well, should be done by the fall!  LOL!  It is just so time consuming and at times seems almost overwhelming! But slowly & surly getting thru it all.

I hit 3 different traffic jams last night...this one in Jackson, MS was a goodie! Between the three of them they cost me about 3+ hours of road time!

Mother's Magnolia is doing well! It is amazing what happens when someone pours I'm not sure how many gallons of "Miracle Grow" directly on the root ball of a plant when it is young! This thing is huge!

Olivia and I spent a fair amount of time playing! She is going to be a handful when the time gets here. Has already gotten pretty good at getting around...they really grow up just so fast that it passes by right in front of you...and quick!!

Addie has really gotten the skill of "big sister" down pat....at times....almost too well!  But that is just another part of growing up. 

And Sylvia is growing up so fast!  And she loves her Uncle Josh!!

The winter storm of 2016 was a flop....in Alabama, anyway! It came...it was....it was gone!!!! 

And I had a good time going thru pictures...at least some of them! I have seen pics this week that I don't remember having ever seen before.......

Sidekick was full for the run back....and what you see in this next pic...except for the shopping bag...all those boxes are full of pictures!!!  I have my work cut out for me in the coming weeks!

And I'm not sure where this came from or how it got in the boxes....but the Frog now has a Micky D's collector prize....A Frog!!

About to head on into the house...about 3 or so hours out...time to roll!

C'ya!!

 Here I sit in the deep south....waiting for the snow and ice to get here!  LOL!  The temp here was 51 at 11am....by 4:30pm it was 29....and is expected to drop another 3-5 degrees tonight. So even if we don't get but about 1/2-1 inch of the lumpy white stuff....the roads will  be GREASY/SLICK by in the morning, so I'm also interested to see just how many idiots will be out running around in their 4X4's....you just can't tell some folks that ice & rubber treads just don't mix!

I had originally planned on heading back to TX tomorrow, but as of now I'm planning on heading that way on Monday. The roads should be cleared off by then, and the temps are supposed to be coming back up some by then also.

I've been going thru boxes of pictures here for the past 2 days....and I've seen pictures that I have never seen before!  So the next few months will be very interesting as I go thru all the pics and digitally copy them and sort them, there is no telling what I might happen to learn about my kids family tree!

 

These pics of Mother and her parents I've never seen before....Awesome!

And these pages were in the front of her "wedding book"....so it gives a little more ammunition for the kids to track down more of our family tree....never know what we might find!!

"Warm" in Texas!! Kinda!! LOL!

It is still warmer in Texas than in Idaho! So I do believe that I will continue coming south for the winters! In fact, today, the high will be around 66*, and the high in Stanley is supposed to be 28*....I'll take 66*!!  

I have to admit, even though the price of oil keeps dropping, and soooo, the price of gas here keeps dropping also....I still don't think the economy is doing all that great! In case you have not been keeping up with the Stock Market....it has dropped for a 10% "correction"...and oil keeps dropping....and people keep eating out....and the "national personal debt" keeps going up....and the US national debt keeps going up....it will all catch up with us before too long!

And one of the things that amazes me is that there are so many "paper tags" running around here! Paper tags means new cars....and they are all over the place! I can't remember ever seeing so many new cars....is is just amazing.

It has been nice being able to hang out with part of the "grandkid herd"! Jolene is growing like a weed! And before too long I will be running out to Alabama to see that part of the herd before too many more months go by.

I'm getting Bertha sorted out and cleaned up a bit more each day...and putting things into storage...but there is still time for Snickers to play fetch! 

As you can tell from the pic below, Pelen is just the old man of the house and makes a good subject for pics! I do believe that you could say that he was completely relaxed here!

And I just couldn't pass up putting this pic in! Now this is what you call a work of love and imagination!  I love this thing!

The following is on the end of one of my "Universe" dvd's...look at the second paragraph...I don't think they have missed much in their description of where it is NOT allowed to be shown!

Back in Gadsden, AL we have "Nocalula Falls"...and my son Joshua posted several videos and pics of the falls during the heavy rains that they were having there. It has been a long time since I have had a chance to see the falls that full and overflowing! 

In the pic below, the "dark line" in the middle of the pic, in the middle of the creek, is a foot bridge that is normally about 6' over the creek in the middle of the walk over. Not that way in the pic! And the noise of the falls if just fabulous in this type of a flow!

I do believe that brings me about up to date with life here. I've gotten a lot done on the inside of Bertha, now I am getting ready to do the work that needs to get done for the run back up to Idaho this May. It keeps me out of trouble!!

Take care and more soon!  :-)  C'ya!

Another Year....Come & Gone!!

As I sit here on a construction site I'm looking at the old train station in downtown Ft Worth....and the downtown "old" Post Office....it makes me think about how, in today's society/system the "old things" seem to be relegated to somewhere in the closet/basement/attic....it's just not "relevant" in this advanced/progressive/technological age in which we are living! What seems rather strange to me is that the old buildings have to be torn down (even those that are in "bad shape")...get many of the newer buildings seem to have a hard time just staying up!

Granted, as things age, they take more upkeep than when new...but if they are looked after they offer a utilitarian style of almost exotic lifestyle for those that become involved with them. But old & exotic is just so much more interesting!  Things that have stood the test of time are the things folks look at to get a sense of stability in their lives.

1/7/2016.....

Adding a little bit more to the post....the New Year has started! And it has rained most of the time, more or less!!  LOL!  Today the sun is shining!  YEA!!! I come south to get away from most of the cold....but this year the relative cold and rain has followed me! But I can deal with it!

Looking a little bit more at "the old things"....the new is better is the oft used refrain....but when you balance out the cost of purchasing/paying for the new (taxes, insurance, additions, etc...) compared with being able to work on something yourself, lower insurance, no interest....just have to think about the possibility of keeping the "old" thing!!

That being said...the next few weeks will involve more "updating" on Bertha, ripping and replacing a few things, getting the propane system working, a tune-up, some painting (interior and exterior) to ready her for the upcoming summer to Idaho.  SideKick has to have a tune-up and a turn-signal/parking light socket rewired in (since one of our furry friends here decided to try to make a bed under the hood and chewed off 3 wires from it!) But that issue will hopefully be fixed by this afternoon - thanks to Cary helping (actually doing) the soldering of new wires onto the socket!

Don't know if I mentioned it or not, but last year ended up being the wettest year on record for this area of Texas...over 62 inches for the year. All the ponds, lakes, resivoirs (however you spell it!) are full and the ground is like a full sponge....but still not complaining about the rain! We're out of drought now.

Time to get to work. Hope everyone is having a great new year and looking forward to a full year!!

Doing Security in Ft Worth. :-)

Well....I'm back to working with SiteWatch doing construction security in Ft Worth. But this site is really good...right downtown, in the middle of it all. That is a good view of the buildings...but not as good as my mountains in ID!  LOL

I'm also learning to "make do" with what I have available to me for getting my NCAA Football fix each week during the college season and then the bowl games!  

It is snowing blizzard style in El Paso for that game right now. And we have nasty weather coming in here and there is the "Dallas Bowl" going on right now at the Cotton Bowl here. It is going to be getting real cold (real cold for DFW that is) starting tonight, and we even have a good chance of getting some frozen mix here. Right now we have tornado warnings all over the place.  

Just had a "people powered" trolley from "Cow Town" come rolling by. Not a good focus..but that is hillarious!

As much as I don't like "the big city" I have to admit that I understand why people like it....you can find almost anything that interests you, meets you epiurian needs, socialization needs....it is all here.  And if there just wasn't so many people here I would probably like it too! But there is just too much of a crush of humanity here for me to be able to really enjoy any of it. I have not been in one yet that is quiet and peaceful that unless it was either $70+/person or Vegan!  LOL!

Every time they cut in with a weather update it just keeps looking worse! Another hour and I'm headed for the house. Hopefully I'll be home before it starts for real here!

Since I started tis update we had a massive group of storms come thru the area, mainly SE from where we are. We got LOTS of rain and thunder...but on the other side of DFW they had 10 tornadoes....most have been registered as EF3 or EF4 size. They tore up Garland, TX and Rowlett got it pretty bad also. There were a total of 8 or 9 deaths and I have forgotten the house destroyed count. The really mangled that side of town! Just keep those folks in prayers & good thoughts!

I'm muddling along each day. Still doing food delivery and also Security work (as I started out this update with). Doing work on Bertha still. Lining up what parts I will be having to order to get the front end fixed. I also got a 4X5 storage room at the U-Haul place close by. So I'm also sorting out what I don't need with me all the time and getting it setup. Will probably put some of those plastic storage shelves they have at Lowe's in it and it will be about perfect for what I have/need to store.

I guess that about covers it for now. Had a quiet Christmas and will have a quiet New Years (working this weekend also).

So I will close with hoping you had a great Christmas and that your New Year will be just everything that you are hoping for it to be!

HMMMMM.....Oil is DOWN....Again!?

Hey kids, just had to take a moment to get on here and update a little bit!

Still doing the "deliver food" gig!  And actually still loving it. Have to keep reminding myself that the company is young...growing....learning....and using LOTS of young folks!!!  So it has and is a very good way for me to work on my "patience quotient"!!!  Heheheh! 

I'm almost done with Christmas shopping...first year in a bunch of years that I have actually do shopping...be it that I am wearing out Lakeside Collection and Amazon...both online....and they deliver!!!  LOL!

I'm also deep into keeping up with the oil prices....and it doesn't look except for us end users. The price of crude Brent opened today under $37....that's not a good thing. And just read an article dealing with how "supply" numbers are about to take a very big beating ( http://oilpro.com/media/ec?l=642743939&r=1979684 ) and an "open letter" that everybody should read...to maybe think about the issues the the O&G field has to deal with every day to meet "our needs/wants" ( http://oilpro.com/post/20785/open-letter-to-anyone-tired-og-industry-causing-climate-change-bo?utm_source=DailyNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=2015-12-11&utm_content=Article_5_txt ).

Folks, we all need to decide what we are going to leave for our grand and great-grand children....where are you in this thought process????

Christmas is on the way!

Christmas is getting into full swing here.....well.....at least full swing as far as the outdoor lights & decorations!  LOL

These shots are from an area in Addison, Tx called "Vitruvian Way"

Winter is here?? Could Be!! LOL!

Well, the coldest in the past 8 months was here about a week ago and the past several nights and days have been pleasantly cool.  The low here at Bertha last night was 38*,  hi for today is supposed to be about 56*. Still better than Stanley..they have already seen -6* and snow on the ground. I do believe that this is why I tell folks that I'm a "modified snowbird"!!  LOL!  I've seen enough snow in my years to do me for the rest of my life! So I'll just go south to see the kids and grandkids for the winters and then go back to Idaho to do the camphost thing for the summers.  :-)

Slowly getting a few things done on Bertha. Not sure just how much will get done by next spring, but she will be in much better shape for the run north when we head out in April '17.  Right now just trying to get into the habit of getting things done each day!  Like keeping the house cleaned up!!  LOL!  And doing some rearranging. Will probably start doing some painting in Bertha this coming week. Hoping that I have finally gotten all the leaks stopped. I guess I'll know for sure this coming weekend, supposed to rain some on Sunday.  Also have to start pricing out the parts to rebuild the frontend on Bertha. That will be a job and a half...but have to get that done before I head out north. And probably will have to replace shocks and possibly beef up the springs on the rear of Bertha.

Sidekick is doing great. Getting about 25mpg in town delivering. On the run to AL averaged about 30-31mpg on the highway. Couldn't ask for better!!  And she is still a joy to have...I enjoy every day with Sidekick.  And haven't seen another one on the roads around here since I got here....so I guess she is almost a novelty!  :-)  And since I wrote the beginning of this, on the way to work yesterday I pulled up behind a twin to Sidekick! Same color, JX model, original spare tire cover....a twin....all the way down to having a towbar mounted on the front!  LOL!  First one I've seen....and it had Oregon tags on it!  LOL

Speaking of rain, this area has had 58.78 inches so far this year...that is about 25.5 inches over the annual amount or rain.  And we still have December to get thru and they say it is usually one of the wettest months of the year...so there is no telling just how much the total will end up being for the year.  I can assure you of one thing, whenever it rains now about 90% of the water runs off, headed for waterways or lakes, because the soil here is totally saturated. And the lakes are very close to being beyond full!  But after all these past years of drought, it is actually a pretty pleasant "issue" to have!  :-)

For those of you that are following my blog, especially my campers, I have "re-activated" my Facebook page, and I have created a "Sunny Gulch Campground" page also.  I also started a page called "America, You Need To See It" page. So if you have a chance, check them out.

Time to finish getting ready for the day...have to dump tanks on Bertha today, Abbie needs a spa day, need to get propane and a some more "sealant" to try adding to the roof...have slowed down all leaks, but still have a couple that still have to be "plugged"!  There are times that I consider possibly getting a "newer" rv...but Bertha is what I was looking for, and once I get it all done, there is no way I could buy one setup the way that I would want one, so the "restoration" goes forward!  Not to mention some updating of the insides of her!  :-)

Have a great day and I'm trying to get more consistent with the updates!  :-) 

Some things never change!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-16/oil-theft-soars-as-downturn-casts-u-s-roughnecks-out-of-work

Not my normal post.....

Folks,  this is not what I normally post about,  & i usually stand clear of these types of subjects.....but i truly feel that everyone needs to take the 7-9 minutes to read this article.

I don't really care what your politics are,  but this surpasses politics....this his at the basic base of our culture & our overall daily living....both in the near term & the future for our kids & grandkids!

Take the time.....and think about it.....

http://m.truthdig.com/report/item/the_most_brazen_corporate_power_grab_in_american_history_20151106

Rain, Rain, Rain!!

Things are going well here in Texas! I've been totally amazed at the weekly income that I've been able to attain doing food delivery! It is crazy to me! The neat thing is that we deliver from any food/deli operation! I've done Taco Bell, Wendy's, Olive Garden, Pei Wei, Burger Street, Best Thai, sushi, Indian, Wing Stop, Phil's Philly Grill, Little Greek Grill....And I have been to 5 Star places and hotdog joints!!  It is cool!  And I have found some really neat little hole in the wall places that I will be going back to try personally!!

We had rain and storms last weekend, a few days of dry & sun, and now we are bracing for another night of storms! And the humidity here is unreal right now for this area! Cool...but muggy!

It's time to get ready for another night of delivery!  So this little short update is done!!  C'ya!!  B-)

More Rain!!!

We are getting wet again!  And seriously wet!  I woke up this morning to a very heavy rain, and it has been raining off and on all day....and now we have wind coming into the picture!  But it has made the temps here very comfortable and almost "fall like"!

I've gotten most of the leaks in Bertha taken care of...for the time being anyway!  Just still have one around the front roof vent...I'm hoping to conquer it tomorrow!! If it wil stop raining for a few hours.  But at least the "major" leaks are apparently stopped....so now to get the rest of them "plugged"!

It's about time to head to work...another night of delivering food!!  And seeing if I can find more "little" hole in the wall restaurants that I want to go back and give a try!!  So far have found several that actually spark an interest in me!  And I am not one that is big on eating out!

C'ya in a day or two with an update!!  :-D

This makes for a good read on economy!

The gov't and Wall Street are a little in the dark about the average "US Consumer"...and their income and their spending of what monies they have. This little read was and should be an eye-opener to a lot of folks that say "Oh, well, we are doing well"....are we????

http://nr.news-republic.com/Web/ArticleWeb.aspx?regionid=1&articleid=49946537&source=blogger

The HEAT Is Still Here!! (Late to Publish!)

For those of you that are in the "cooler" parts of the country....stay away from Texas!!  The record hi here for today is 99...calling for 98 today.  The record hi for tomorrow is 92...calling for 96!  Today's record Hi is 105 years old...tomorrows was set in 1999.  I know I said I was going south for the winter where it was "warmer"....but this is ridiculous!!  LOL!  Checked this morning at 0830....it was 34 in Stanley....sob, sob!!  :,)

Oh well, next year I'll just waint a couple of extra weeks before I head south for the summer!!!  :-D

And I thought I would add a couple of photos of my current "campsite"!  :-)

Since I've been here...for a month!  LOL...It has been HOT, fairly cool at times....and RAIN!!!  This past weekend, in case you missed the news...Texas almost got drowned!!  Here in NRH we had about 6 inches...but just south of Dallas, in Corsicana, they had over 22 inches in 3 days, and over 13 of that fell in one day!  It has been unreal!!

I have found my "winter job"...I'm delivering food!  And really overall enjoying it! The company I'm with is called "DoorDash". I've picked up and delivered food from high-end French restaurants to Taco Bell to Wendy's to Pizza places to smokehouses to Panera Bread to oriental & Greek!  So needless to say I have found some really neat places to go and try out eventually! 

That about does it for tonight...got in late from work and I'm ready for some sleep!  I'll try to get some more pics on in a few days and give you an update on Bertha and what has and is going to be done on her in the coming weeks!  :-)

YUP!!! I'm in Texas!!

It's nice to have a spot to stay....and "enjoy" the scenery!!  :-)

Back In TX...Looking Back @ The Summer!

I have been sitting here thinking about this past summer....and all that went on and all the great campers I have met....and just started looking at pictures of it....and thought I would send some a few of them back up again!!

....a lot of good folks that really enjoy being in the outdoors.....

....introduced me to a few "new" tastes......

...I have an "office" there that most folks just dream of...plus things just taste better when you're in the woods.....

I just had to pass along a few thoughts of the summer again while I was sitting here! But it is now time for staying a little warmer during the winter months...but I have decided that next year I will wait a couple of more weeks before I head south...it has been in the 90's here ever since I got here...just a little bit warmer than I would like!!!

C'ya soon!!  :-)