Living full time in our motor home allows us to be Ready To Go. . .on to the next adventure!

Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco Skyline as seen from the Marin Headlands - California

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Have You Started Making Plans for the New Year

 

yaaa. . .the holidays are almost over. . .

 

back in our sticks N bricks days, we decorated and hosted most of the family get togethers. . .

now that we don’t do that. . .the holidays just seem so stressful to me. 

Isn’t that weird. . .it should be simpler. . .right?

 

But now we need to figure out. . .who’s hosting?  what time?  what do we need to bring?

we had quite the discussion about the holidays on the RV’ers over 50 group on Facebook. . .

I’m almost to the point that I would like to skip the holiday gatherings

(except the ones with my grands of course)

and just have a big family get together where we can all be outside

and enjoy sitting around together, while the kids run wild. . .but that’s just me!

Here’s hoping all of you had a wonderful Merry Christmas. . .

Holiday - New Year - What's Next 2

Now. . .on the the New Year!

 

What exciting plans do all of you have. . .where ya headed next? 

May it be a wonderful. . .joy filled 2014 for each of you. . .

 

til next time,

Janice and Dave

Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Water Leak equals a Fun Day. . .yeah right

 

I wanted to be sure the black tank was completely flushed out,

since there was a possibility of us being away from the rig

for a couple of days. . .because I’m OCD (shocking to my family, I know)

I choose to take care of that little chore. . .ANYWAY. . .

 

as I turned on the backflush system, Dave’s comes running out. . .

turn it off. . .turn it off. . .something’s leaking. . .

and sure enough. . .water was pouring out the side of the rig,

 

thankfully, he was inside to hear it, otherwise, no telling how long

I would have ran the water, before I decided the tank was clean enough.

 

because the pipe was to the side wall of the rig,

most of the water went to the outside. . .

but of course the flooring that got wet inside was under the cabinets,

and behind the washer. . .yaaaa!

 

Most important thing we learned from having a water leak in our S/B house. . .

you must get it dried, or the flooring and sill plates will buckle AND mold. . .

so. . .after pulling out drawers, and gaining as much access as possible

we mopped up with towels, and stuck a small space heater and a fan

in the cavity. . .we were there to monitor and check on it regularly. . .

 

once it seemed to be dried out sufficiently, we pulled out the heater,

but left a fan running in the space while we were gone to stay

with my sis in law following her surgery. . .

Monaco, RV Repairs, Water Leak

ahhh. . .so this morning the real fun began. . .

because the washer sits up on a raised platform,

we’ve discovered the best way to maneuver it is with

these webbing straps hubby just happens to have on hand. . .

Monaco, RV Repairs, Water Leak

and here’s the culprit. . .water was pouring out of the top of this vacuum breaker

Monaco, RV Repairs, Water Leak

which was attached to these two lines

Monaco, RV Repairs, Water Leak

here’s the new one installed. . .$39 replacement part

Monaco, RV Repairs, Water Leak

safely strapped to the drain pipe,

so it can no longer move around during travel. . .

 

So, that’s been our fun Saturday. . .

It’s cold, wet and dreary here,

we are happy to be inside.

 

What are you guys doing to entertain yourselves

on a winter day in December?

 

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Evans Escapades–What a Week–Already!

Goodness. . .this is turning out to be quite a week.. .

and it’s only Tuesday. . .

 

My hubby, and my sister in law just happened to have

surgeries scheduled on the same day. . .what are the chances?

 

Dave’s trip to the dermatologist last week revealed a

sqamous cell skin cancer on his left temple. . .

they wanted it taken care of right away,

and sent him to a plastic surgeon in Houston to have it removed.

All is well. . .benign. . .he’s sporting a big ole bandage on the side of his head. . .

 

My sis in law’s surgery, much more severe. . .

a benign tumor on her pituitary gland. . .causing massive headaches. . .

actually requiring brain surgery to remove it. . .scary stuff. . .

but she came through with flying colors. . .

we give thanks to the Lord for His hand of protection in guiding the surgeons hands. . .

we will go up to check on her and my brother this morning. . .

 

Tomorrow, we drive to Silsbee TX for our favorite visit of the year. . .

annual check ups. . .ugh! 

Medical check ups are probably the one negative to full time travel. . .

not every doctor will do only annual check ups. . .

most want you to report back every six months. . .

almost an impossibility, when you are traveling thousands of miles away. . .

has anyone else found this to be the case?

I’m sure a lot of it has to do with blood pressure issues. . .and the liabilities of that. . .

but other than the elevated BP we are both relatively healthy,

with no real medical issues to speak of. . .thank the Lord. . .


 

Soooo. . .after visiting the doc. . .we will probably travel to Orange TX

and spend the rest of the week at my brother’s place. . .

I’m sure my sis will need someone to be there with her for a few days. . .

 

And, that’s it. . .exciting week. . .right?

Til next time,

Janice and Dave

Friday, November 29, 2013

Not Many Evans Escapades Happening at the Moment. . .

ahhh. . .we have settled into “winter life” very comfortably indeed. . .

nowhere we necessarily need to be. . .or do. . .

so I’ve decided to take today. . .the day after Thanksgiving,

to just contemplate how much I enjoyed being with the family.



My son, and his love Lori, hosted Thanksgiving Dinner. . .

I did not cook a single solitary thing. . .it was glorious!
Lori made some shrimp and grits that were to die for.. .

I’m still thinking about them. . .

 

We followed up all that goodness  with a pass by Dave’s sisters place

for a visit with the rest of the fam. . .brothers, sisters, in laws, nephews, nieces. . .

Jonah Grey Daniel - Tiffany Nathan 4

and of course. . .the fabulous Mr Jonah. . .

just as adorable as I remember from a month ago in Atlanta. . .

 

If you are spending the day enjoying leftovers. . .good for you!

 

If you are spending the day out shopping with all the crazies. . .

all I can say is. . .Bless Your Heart!

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday Season. . .

Friday, November 22, 2013

Evans Escapades at Lake Conroe

hey, hey, hey. . .

 

We have arrived at what we consider our

“home” park near Lake Conroe. . .

Janice - Get Dressed

and I can tell you for a fact. . .

it has not taken me long to get into this mode!

 

Yes indeed. . .life is good!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Evans Escapades in College Station–It Was A Football Kinda Weekend

 

I’m sure you will find it shocking that

when the Texas Aggies have a home game

Football Weekends in College Station are a wee bit crazy.

 

This is not the first time Dave’s had a class scheduled

on a football weekend. . .so we already knew the drill. . .

RV spaces are gonna be hard to come by. . .

and will be at a premium price. . .

$65 a night at the park we usually like to stay at,

and $50 a night at the one we found a little further out of town. . .yaaa!

RV Parking at the Stadium

or if you are A&M Alumni. . .you can stay at the stadium. . .

2013-11-10 Blog Pics RTG 003     2013-11-10 Blog Pics RTG 004

spaces there start at $90 a night. . .what a deal!

 

Hotel rooms go for premium rates too. . .

sunday morning lineup in the RV Park

and then early Sunday Morning everyone’s hooking up. . .

football season is over. . .let the exodus begin. . .

and rates drop back to normal. . .

Truck and Trailer at the Fire Field

I dropped Dave off at the Fire Field to pick up this bad boy. . .

which they will pull for six hours to South Texas.

 

The big difference between pulling this, and pulling our fiver. . .

this is a gooseneck. . .so none of that nice air ride suspension.

 

I headed back to the nice comfort of the motor home,

and left them to their fun. . .I’ve been catching up on

miscellaneous little chores that get put off when we are in travel mode. . .

 

The most annoying one for me is that I end up with these stacks of papers. . .

seriously. . .am I the only one this happens to?

 

I guess I lay aside these wonderful pamphlets or even

pages I’ve torn out of magazines thinking I’m gonna research it. . .

and then before I know it, I have this four inch stack of stuff to go through. . .

and then I can’t possibly just chuck the entire stack,

because there might be some receipt or something I NEED in there. . .grrrrr. . .

 

so, those are the sorts of things I’ve been doing. . .

cleaning out the fridge, rearranging the freezer. . .

fun stuff . . .I can hardly wait ‘til tomorrow for it to continue. . .oh boy!

 

Oh. . .and now that I’ve cleared out the stack of papers. . .

it’s time to go pick up the mail. . .jumping for joy about that one. . .

 

Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s having this much fun. . .

 

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

 

 

 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Evans Escapades–The Reward was great in Austin

UGH!  Another drippy, rainy travel day on Wednesday. . .

but, the owner at Sunny Hill RV Park called just as

we were pulling in the driveway. . .and said,

“I know you guys are scheduled in another space,

but why don’t you go ahead and go to a premium covered

space, so you can set up out of the rain.”

Monaco - Jeep - in Austin - Liberty Hill - Sunny Hill RV Park

How fabulous is this? 

What a terrific owner. . .we thanked him profusely. . .just lovely!

and of course the reward for our travel. . .

Jaden Carl Reno - Andrea Bryan

the little man. . .Jaden Carl. . .great nephew #5. . .

they were supposed to be home by the time we got there. . .

but you know. . .things happen. . .a long, long, long labor

that ultimately resulted in C Section. . .but Mr Jaden was worth it all. . .

8lbs 11oz – 21 inches of perfection. . .what more could you ask for. . .

I know my brother. . .his Grandpa is over the moon. . .

 

and no trip to Austin would be complete without

visiting our very, very special friends. . .

Roark - Edwin Kristi

how fabulous to just sit, visit and enjoy the company of

Edwin, Kristi and the boys. . .love you guys so much!

 

Although Dave promised to not teach any classes until after the first of the year,

the minute they called wanting to know when he would be back,

and was he ready to teach. . .his answer, of course was yes. . .

so. . . Friday finds us in College Station. . .we had about an hour

from the time we pulled in, until he was scheduled at the Fire Field

to help load a trailer for travel to next weeks class in South Texas. . .

ahhh. . .he loves it so much. . .I could never deny him that enjoyment. . .

so. . .Dave’s in his element. . .

as soon as he gets back. . .I’m going to Lowe’s where I will be in my element,

searching for the new flooring for the rig. . .YES!

 

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

 

 

 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Evans Escapades in Four States

We were rolling out of Atlanta by 8AM
which is awful, awful  early for us,
with an overnight stop planned in Montgomery for. . .you guessed it!
Alabama State House - David - Janice
The Alabama State House. . .very nice
River View RV Park with a view of the Mississippi River just beyond the levee - Vidalia LA
and then on to the River View RV Park in Vidalia. . .
River View RV Park with a view of the Mississippi River just beyond the levee - Vidalia LA
right across the Mississippi River from Natchez. .
.Natchez MS
but. . .it seems as though we’ve entered the rain belt. . .
now truly. . .that is not a complaint, because after the drought of the past few years,
this entire area can really, really use some rain. . .
but it does sort of put a “damper” on sightseeing. . .if ya know what I mean?
City Cemetary -  Natchez MS    City Cemetary -  Natchez MS
a driving tour won’t be so bad. . .you know you’ve truly arrived in the South
when the spanish moss is dripping from all the oak trees. . .so beautiful. . .
Mississippi River - Natchez MS
a view of the Mississippi River from Bluff Park
American Queen Paddle Wheeler that offers cruises on the Mississppi River from New Orleans LA to Natchez MS to St Louis MO and the Isle a Capri Casino permanently docked behind it
the American Queen Paddle Wheeler was in port on her way from New Orleans to St Louis. . .
the Isle of Capri Casino is in the background. . .
Under the Hill - Natchez MS
back in the day, when I used to read 4” thick novels about southern plantation days,
I remember reading stories and descriptions about the sordid, Under the Hill area of Natchez. . .
no self respecting citizen would ever be found down there. . .
Under the Hill - Natchez MS
it seems pretty innocuous these days. . .not much there at all.
Fire destroyed several of the original buildings, and I believe
I read they have been trying to revive the area with tourist shops. . .
didn’t seem to me to be much going on. . .but then again,
we have arrived when tourist season is winding down. . .
Natchez Trace begins - Natchez MS   Beginning of the Natchez Trace Parkway - Natchez MS
The Natchez Trace Parkway begins in Natchez. . .so I wanted to see that.
Our intention in 2011 had been to start at the beginning of The Trace,
and explore most of it. . .due to the severe flooding of the river that spring,
we rerouted our trip. . .so when we return for the Annual Spring Pilgrimage
of the Natchez Mansions. . . perhaps we can  explore more of The Trace then. . .
Eola Hotel - Natchez MS
a lady at the Visitor Center highly recommended the lunch buffet at the Historic Eola Hotel. . .
and boy was she right on the money. . .delicious. . .the best cornbread dressing I have ever had. . .it had shrimp in it. . .delicious. . .
and all the southern eats to go along with it. . .including Sweet Tea. . .life is good!

Friday, Nov 1

on to the next destination. . .we’ve made it through Georgia, Alabama, and into Louisiana
in less than a week’s time. . .coming up today. . .TEXAS! 
Abdo, Karen Moore
close enough to see some of the kinfolk. . .Uncle John and cousins
Karen, Lynn, and Justin with their grandaughter Cara. . .
Abdo, Karen Moore   Abdo, Karen Moore
thanks for driving over from Shreveport for a visit. . .loved getting our hugs!
it surely was great that Justin had a basketball game scheduled in Longview,

Saturday, Nov 2
Our longtime friends, the Clarks, have built a new house in Longview. . .
so of course we needed to see that. . .I was so excited to see them
and to visit, that I forgot to take a single picture. . .just crazy. . .

Sunday, Nov 3
Tamara Boatman
Sunday gave us the opportunity to see on of our “adopted” girls. . .
Tamara and a couple of other girls stayed with us during their
Bible College summer break way back in the day. . .goodness. . .
since we’ve seen her last, she’s become Mommy to four precious angels. . .
so wonderful to have lunch with her and Michael, and the rest of the family!

Monday, Nov 4
Monday and Tuesday brings us to Granbury
Dave and his Aunt Barbara - lunch date in Granbury TX
to see our precious Aunt Barbara. . .
she belongs to Dave really, but I claim her as my very own. . .
She came over to see our “castle” and have chicken tortilla soup. . .
what a wonderful afternoon. . .

We’ll see her again today before we head out in the morning for Austin. . .

Mr Jaden (our newest great nephew) was scheduled to put in an appearance
on Nov 4th. . .but he’s decided to take his time. . .so perhaps today, Nov 5th. . .

We were planning to see him at home. . .but if he keeps up this
lollygaggin’ around, we may visit him in the hospital on Thursday. . .
either way, it will be great to get our hands on him. . .
and to see his Mommy and Daddy of course. . .
and Grandpa, and Grandma, and the other Grandma. . .
and all Jaden’s aunts and uncles
. . .see. . .
family reunion. . .one way or the other.

See you in Austin. . .
Janice and Dave

more pics






Saturday, October 26, 2013

Evans Escapades in Atlanta and at Stone Mountain Park


With a wee bit of a jog on our way home
we could stop over in Atlanta
Meeting Great Nephew Jonah Grey
and meet our newest great nephew. . . Mr Jonah Grey. . .
is he adorable or what?
Meeting Great Nephew Jonah GreyMeeting Great Nephew Jonah Grey
we even babysat the little angelic being,
so Mommy and Daddy could go celebrate Daddy’s birthday. . .
If all goes as planned, they will be transferring back
to Houston soon, so I can get my hands on the little man often. . .
fingers crossed!
of course being this close we wanted to see the Stone Mountain Carving. . .
President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee
and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
the carving doesn’t appear that large, but apparently it actually covers three acres,
and is larger than Mount Rushmore. . .didn’t compute in my mind,
and then here is an article that disputes it. . .so I find that info interesting also. . .
Skylift - Stone Mountain Park - Georgia
regardless of it’s actual size. . .according to our
SkyRide Pilot, dinners for twelve are served up there. . .
I would love to see some pics of that happening. . .
Atlanta Skyline as viewed from the summit of Stone Mountain Park - Georgia
on a clear day, the Atlanta Skyline would be awesome. . .this was the best we could do
get that head covered - Uncle David's Tilley - at Stone Mountain Park with Tiffany, Nathan and Jonah
there was a little bit of wind up there, so Uncle Dave shared his Tilley with Jonah. . .
gotta LOVE that face. . .
at Stone Mountain Park with Tiffany, Nathan and Jonah
but nothing beat spending the day with our niece Tiffany
and her beautiful little family. . .come home soon Tiff. . .

We have a brief stopover in Natchez. . .
Williford - Andrea - Jaden Carl Reno
then on to Texas, where the newest of the new great nephews. . .
Jaden Carl is expected to put in an appearance on Monday. . .


and with nephew Aaron's little man Jensen
expected in March. . .
our great nephew total will be six. . .
with one little instant great niece as a bonus. . .
what a lot of fun. . .
we are blessed indeed!


we love sharing our brothers and sisters grands,
since ours have all grown up on us. . .

til next time,
Janice and Dave






Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Evans Escapades in Atlanta


We were excited to head to Atlanta on Wednesday for two reasons. . .
#1. . .to meet the newest of our great nephews. . .
and to see his Mommy, Tiffany (Dave’s niece) and hubby, Nathan. . .
and
#2. . .there’s a huge Cummins Repair Shop,
where we were hoping to have a repair done to our coach battery’s wiring harness. . .
but alas. . .the shop is slammed from the Good Sam’s Rally that just finished up,
and couldn’t possibly work us in until NEXT Wednesday. . .
we’ll continue limping along to Texas. . .every time the coach won’t start,
Dave pulls the battery tray out. . .it fires right up, and away we go.

It’s not a problem when it happens on travel day morning. . .we just deal and move on. . .
but once. . .when it happened at a busy, busy truck stop. . .with lines everywhere. . .
well. . .that was not fun. . .we know the batteries themselves are fine. . .
Dave’s done a couple of post repairs. . .so we’ll see. . .
Jones RV Park - Norcross GA - easy access from I 85 - nothing special - $30 per night for 50 amp FHU
Jones’ RV Park in Norcross is nothing fancy. . .but more than adequate. . .
$30 for 50A FHU. . .or $165 for a week. . .easily accessible from I-85. . .
and easily accessible to where the new great is. . .ahhh. . .almost within reach!
I’ll be getting my hands on him very, very soon. . .
Golf - Driving Range - David - JaniceGolf - Driving Range - David - Janice
with the coach repair on hold. . .and the little angel’s Mommy and Daddy at work,
what shall we do with ourselves?  Hmmmm. . .driving range. . .that will work. . .
if only I could hit the ball on the course as well as I hit it at the range. . .that would be so great!

and then, of course Atlanta just happens to be the Capitol of Georgia. . .
Georgia State House - Atlanta GA
boy, did I ever manage to get a horrible picture. . .yikes!
Georgia State House - Atlanta GA
another one of those that are hard to photograph. . .so, it is what it is. . .
the funny thing is. . .I googled Georgia State House pics
and sadly. . .the pro’s pics aren’t much better. . .
Georgia State House - Atlanta GA
this is one of those instances where the “drive by” shot from the freeway is almost the better one. . .too funny!

We are off to see the little man. . .so guess whose pics will be next. . .yes indeed!

Janice and Dave

Monday, October 21, 2013

Evans Escapades at Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain


As I said before. . .Ruby Falls in Chattanooga TN
was on our radar, because I read about it on our

now. . .had I done my due diligence as I usually do,
and gone back to reread the post, I would have realized
that the falls was at the end of a 1100 feet deep CAVE. . .

anyone who’s read our stuff very long,
knows that after Mammoth Cave in Kentucky
I told Dave I was done with caves. . .period. . .
well maybe I will repeat Carlsbad. . .but that’s it. . .
Ruby Falls
soooo. . .here we are to see Ruby Falls. . .hello. . .
I’m pretty much feeling like a dummy. . .
’cause evidently I REALLY was not paying ANY attention. . .
Margery and Paul’s blogpost clearly indicates that it’s IN A CAVE. . .
as do the pages where you buy the tickets. . .
Ruby Falls
but oh no. . .I didn’t register any of that part of the story. . .
Ruby Falls
I just wanted to see the falls. . .and they were glorious!
Ruby Falls
the story our EXCELLENT guide told us is
that they don’t actually know where the falls originate,
although many studies have been done. . .intriguing huh?
Ruby Falls - Janice
it was WELL WORTH IT!   Highly recommend. . .
Ruby Falls
and on the way back out. . .my favorite formation. . .steak and potatoes. . .

Now, I highly recommend checking out
because. . .they used a flash. . .
so their pics are much clearer. . .
I didn’t want Dave to use a flash. . .
‘cause I wanted to have that same sensation
of claustrophobia every time I looked at them,
that I had when I was experiencing it. . .what can I say?

and for our last experience in Chattanooga. . .
the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. . .
Chattanooga - Lookout Mountain Incline Railway 72% gradeChattanooga - Lookout Mountain Incline Railway 72% grade
eh. . .if you’ve never done one before. . .
and just feel the need. . .go ahead. . .
but nothing all that exciting,
other than it being at a 72* grade
which all RV’ers understand is crazy grade status. . .
Chattanooga - Lookout Mountain Incline Railway 72% gradeChattanooga - Lookout Mountain Incline Railway 72% grade
the views from the top weren’t any better, if as good
as the views from the lookout at Ruby Falls. . .
and you could easily drive there yourself if you wanted to see the battlefields. . .
just my opinion you understand. . .

but all in all. . .Rock City and Ruby Falls were well worth the adventure!
see you in Atlanta next,
Janice and Dave