I Didn’t Promise You A Rose Garden

 

We got up at our usual early o’clock. Made the coffee sat around DA TADA TADA. You got the picture. We had to move this morning before 12:00 noon so we had time to get it all ready and not get in a big hurry. It is funny when you have time to get ready seems like your ready so early and then you have to wait. Well that is the way it was this morning. We had plenty of time and before you we knew it we were ready an hour early.

Mike and Leslie decided to head west with us to Tyler. They too were taking there time….difference was they knew we had until 12:00 noon and Sherri and I were thinking 11:00. Oh well we were ready to go and they were still doing what we had agreed on doing…take our time. It was funny when we found out we had an extra hour “OH well,” we said no big deal we can relax now.

It was not too long after that we were all ready and pulled out of the casino…waved good-bye to all our money and hit the west bound lanes of  I20 on our way to Tyler Texas. We had not been on the road too long and I noticed that my side control door was open. I radioed Mike and told him I would have to pull off at the Texas Welcome Center Rest Area. He OK’d that and we pulled off. I found that the latch bar on the inside had come unscrewed and had fallen on the shelf of the compartment. I attached it back and locked it back up and we were on our way once more. Mike said the only thing I lost was a rag I had stuffed in there before leaving.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and soon we were pulling into Tyler’s #1 RV Park. That is the name of the park…but I would have to agree that it would  be the best in Tyler as far as I am concerned . Sherri and I spent a lot of time last time we were here trying to find better but never did. This is a PA Park at $17.00 a night…for 5 nights total. Not that big of a bargain but it has nice level sites good electric Free WIFI cheap propane and convenient to shopping. Sites are close together but we have a common area between our sites with plenty of privacy.

After getting settled in we had to go and relieve our Chinese food craving. I say ours…meaning mine and Sherri’s. I am not sure if Mike and Leslie had that big of a craving for Chinese? Well they were gracious about it and went with us and we enjoyed their company.

After eating we followed our GPS to the store location where Sherri would be working. This gives her an idea how to get there from the RV Park. Then it was on to the Tyler Rose Garden. Leslie and Mike had been there years ago but Sherri and I had never been. We were really impressed with the layout and the beautiful blooms that were still on the bushes. Some of the fragrance had gone due to the time of year but many were still in good condition and smelled good. I am not much on flowers but this garden was so pretty with all the time and effort that had gone into the design. Many organizations have contributed to the upkeep of the Tyler Roses.

 

 

We enjoyed our walk thru the garden. The weather was just right and after the Chinese buffet the walk was just what we all needed.

 

We returned home after our tour and decided to set out for a bit. Mike and I programmed the outside TV so we could catch up on the ballgames being played. We had missed most of them but saw some highlights and then turned over to the weather channel to see what was in the future for this area. Looks good this week until the weekend and then more rain.

That just about sums up this day here in Tyler. Tomorrow is wash day and if the weather holds I might do some waxing….no not on me…the RV silly. Stay tuned and we will keep you informed on what is going on in our lives…

Somewhere in Time  

More Dreamers come to visit

 

Once again we were a little slow in getting up and going this morning. We sat and drank our coffee and milled over our plans for the day. Don and Cheryl were coming over and Mark and Dortha would be here around 3:00 this afternoon. We had to put together a plan that would work for all of us.We finally decided to just let the chips fall where they may and enjoy our friends.  

We all just took our time getting ready this morning. I played on the computer and chatted with some folks on the other side of the country. Don and Cheryl said that they would be over at 11:00 and then we would plan our day when they got here.

When Don and Cheryl got here we visited for about an hour and then decided to go on over to the river and walk around…find some place to eat and let the girls shop.

We first stopped at Cheesecake Bistro to eat…but after examining the prices here we decided that it was out of our budget.

 

Fuddruckers was next on the stops. Prices seemed to be acceptable to all and we headed inside.

I ordered the 1 pounder and did all the fixins myself. It was cheaper than the full meal deal with all the trimmings….and good to boot.

After eating we got on the trolley and traveled up the street to some shops the ladies just had to stop at.

The guys went on down to Bass Pro Shop to look at the manly things.

You can’t get much more manlier than this.

While up on the second floor of the store I stepped out on the balcony and took these pictures of the river. It is up about 10 feet out of it’s banks.

Later that afternoon we headed back to the house to wait on Dortha and Mark’s arrival. They called about 4:00 and said they were on their way over so we just hung out until they arrived. We had such a nice visit with all our friends. Many of us had not been together since the 2008 rally in Branson.

We then had to make the plan for the evening meal. I know what you are thinking…Is that all we do make plans on eating. Well today that and the casino run later was a big part of the conversation.

We decided to eat a a new restaurant…The Road Ho… I think they are owned by a Texas group?

They know how to pack you in at the Ho.

We could not eat much because we would never get out of the booth.

Next it was time to head to the casino. I just had to give that last little bit to the folks at Harrah’s.

We had such a good time and we are thankful that we have these friends and this time to spend with them…

Somewhere in Time

Great time at Harrah’s

 

After traveling 3 hours yesterday plus the time Sherri was at work and the time I was packing and repairing the generator exhaust pipe….we were both tired last night and we slept really hard. I woke up and felt better than I had in a long time having slept without any interruptions.

We had out coffee and made some plans for the day…the biggest of which was where to have breakfast. The Casino breakfast was $9. each and we just said that was too high for us PO folks to pay so we made plans on going to IHOP. We found the closest one on the GPS and headed out. After a little winding around we located it and had a great meal.

From IHOP we went down the street to Wally World and picked up some needed supplies. Then it was off to Harrah’s for some well deserved money changing. Upon arrival I found out that Sherri nor I either one had a Harrah’s card so that had to be dealt with. Mike and Leslie also had to get one too and that is when we found out that we would earn a free buffet if we played so much in 30 minutes time! Also when we came to redeem that they would scan our card to see if we won any money to play on.

We took our cards in our hot little hands and began to play like there was no tomorrow. Sherri and Leslie’s tomorrow came much faster than Mike’s and mine did so we had to go into high gear to get our free buffet. We then took our cards back up to the promotions desk to collect our free buffet ticket and have our card scanned for the money. Sherri Mike and Leslie all won $10. each and me…well I came away with a whopping $50. Yes me…unlucky me won $50 and man was I in shock!

Sherri and I took our new found money and went to the first machine that looked promising and started to work on our retirement fund. Well we doubled our money real soon and decided that there was no way to retire so we just put it all up for tomorrows play.

We went ahead and got our free buffet which was tasty and very filling. We all went away from the table full and satisfied. Then it was back in the casino to play some more but that was short lived when we decided to go on back to Diamond Jacks so we would be closer to our homes when it was time to call it a night.

Our time at Diamond Jacks was not that good. None of us did much money making there so we called it a night around 8:30. We drove on home and said our good-nites…see ya in the mornings and went inside.

Sherri and I checked our emails and Sherri watched her soap opera until she feel asleep. We both crashed early….

Somewhere in Time

Two Weeks At Tawakoni And Now It Is Time To Move On

 

 

Sherri had to go to work this morning so we were both up at 5:00 am. Sherri made the coffee this morning while I was trying to wake up. She went back to bed to catch another few minutes of sleep. A few minutes is what she caught too. It seemed like just a second or two and her alarm went off…this time she had to get up. We poured our coffee and visited for a while. We discussed what I needed to do for the Pink things in the trailer. So I got instructions on what needed to be done.

Sherri left for work about 6:30 and I had to get started on all the prep work to get the trailer ready for our move. Everything was going real good until I went around to check the water lines in the service bay. I notice that my exhaust pipe had come loose from the mounts. This meant that I had to stop doing all the prep work and fix the bracket before we could do anything else. I did get it fixed and then went back to getting the house ready for the move.

Sherri got home about 12:30 and she checked out my work. Of course I had not got it all done due to the repair on the exhaust pipe but what I did get done passed. Well should I say with C’s not A’s. She has her way of doing things and it is best if I let her do them but when she is working and we have to get done by a certain time I try to help out.

We were headed to Shreveport La. today and we had planned on being gone by 2:00 at the latest. I put the last few items in the bed of the truck and hooked up the house looked at the clock and it was just after 1:00. How is that for bringing a plan together.

We were soon on the road and the old GPS said that our arrival time would be 4:30…and sure nuff we pulled into the Diamond Jack Casino RV Park at 4:30. We got ourselves checked in and then it was time to make plans for dinner. Where would we eat and what. We had planned on fixing something at the house but Sherri having worked most of the day and with the move we decided to catch the Old Folks buffet at the casino.

Here we are in site #19

The train track is behind us and we hear the rumble of the train now and again 

The buffet turned out to be real good…for me… but I don’t know if everyone was as impressed with it as I was. I am not a picky eater and most everything taste good to me so I am not to hard to please. We finished our meal and then went to the casino to pay our homage to the Casino Gods. I really didn’t do that bad. I played for several hours and won and lost at an even rate. When all was said and done I was down $6.00 but had that much fun. I always say if you have fun and it cost you money then you weigh the fun to the money you spent having it and see if it feels good…I felt good.

Sherri was not having as much fun as I was but she was doing OK. We were both tired and decided to call it a night. We found Leslie…she was sipping a White Russian and winning. What more could a person ask for. We told her that we were headed back to the house. She offered to go too but we had already agreed whoever wanted to leave first would not expect the others to leave also. That is the rule Sherri and I play by if you ever go casino hopping with us. We all do our own thing and we do not expect the folks with us to follow our lead.

Sherri and I got back to the house and set down to read our emails before we went to bed. I got on chat for a short time and said Hi to my friends on line. Then it was time to call it a night and we were ready. We had so much fun today and we know that tomorrow will hold more of the same…

Somewhere in Time

Finished Sheet rocking

 

This morning I got up and turned the coffee pot on and found Sherri  feeling better. She came in and sat in the living room with me. We had to turn the fireplace on to take the chill out of the air. Soon we were warm drinking coffee and planning our trip to Shreveport. I decided to call Don and Cheryl to see if they could free themselves up on Saturday to spend the day with us. We were planning on going to the river walk and let the girls shop and the guys head over to the Bass Pro Shop to ogle over the sporting goods there.

We had our coffee and read some emails bejeweled and then got ready for the day. I called Mike to see when he would be ready to go to Terrell with me to get more Sheetrock to finish the barn project. Sherri and Leslie planned on going to Rockwall to shop for S T U F F and find a Wells Fargo bank for Leslie. We all had a plan and now it was time to work the plan.

Mike and I left for Terrell about 11:30 which was late for us but we were not in a hurry. Sherri and Leslie left shortly after that and they too were going to take their time. We all would meet back up later in the afternoon and visit before it was time to turn in.

Mike and I returned from the barn about 5:00 which was much later than we had worked the day before. We did get the Sheetrock completed and that is what it was all about. We both went our separate ways to clean up. We had decided to heat up the spaghetti and meat balls from the day before and make a salad for our dinner. The girls were still in Rockwall spending money and we could not wait on them.

We ate our dinner and then sat back to watch the World Series. Looks like NY will get another one under their belt. Man what is it about that team that generates so much talent? So many players start out with other teams and do so so. They go to New York and bingo they are the greatest ever and set all the records. Go figure.

The girls wondered in about 7:00 and sat with us a while. They finished up the Panda Express food they had bought earlier and then we all had ice cream for desert. One more fun day was had by all…

Somewhere in Time
 

Tuesday Sheetrock Day

 

 

Well this morning I woke up and I think someone mugged me during the  night. Every inch of my body feels like it took a hit from a very large bat. My legs went into overtime trying to get me to the kitchen to turn the coffee on. No I must have been in a wrestling match that is what it was…I must have wrestled a large bear yesterday. Then I realized that it was all the ups and downs I had done to cut insulation. Reaching up to hold it while Mike stapled it in place…stretched muscles that I have not used in some time. It was a good feeling to know that we had completed the job and now all I had to do was hang the sheetrock.

Well today Mike had once again volunteered to help me hang sheetrock in the ceilings. We got going about 10:00 am…got the sheetrock and were headed back to the barn around 11:00 am. Once again we had to take everything out of the barn and made a place on the deck for our sawhorses. We got the sheetrock cut and in place after a bit of figuring. Hey it looks really good. I will have to take the camera over there and take some pictures of our handy work. Gosh how great is this…having someone to help me do this. I know Sherri is so happy that Mike likes to do this kind of stuff. She is the one that usually ends up holding the sheetrock while I nail it in place.

We only picked up enough sheetrock to do the ceiling. Tomorrow, if Mike wants to I will pick up the materials needed to finish the job. It will be so nice to get Sherri’s room done so I can get to work on my half of the barn. I have enough insulation left to do some of my walls and that will help me stay warmer in the cooler months.

OK after all the S T U F F was returned to the barn Mike helped me wash the truck which was in dir need of it. It sure looked nice when we were finished. The last time I had washed the truck was in Kerrville Texas.

Well after we returned from the barn we made plans for dinner which Sherri was preparing. She was making home made chili. Mike and Leslie came over about 6:00 and we sat and visited for about 30 minutes before we ate. We really have enjoyed being with the two of them and look forward to many more fun adventures to come…

Somewhere in Time

Monday Was Insulation Day

 

This morning it was dark when I opened my eyes. It was 6:00 am and the sun was not quite up yet. I went ahead and got out of bed and went down to turn the coffee pot on. I got dressed and went to the computer for my morning fix. I have to read all my emails and the journals that I follow. I also have to post my entry which I need to create over that first cup of java.

I got all that done this morning and soon realized that it was 10:00 am and I had not eaten anything. I pushed away from the desk and went to the kitchen to fix a brunch of sorts. While I was preparing my meal there was a knock at the door…it was Mike checking to see if we were still going to the barn to insulate today. “Why sure”, I said…when I have someone volunteer to help me work on a project I would be foolish to turn it down.

After I ate I went over to Mike’s and he drove us to the barn. We  got right to work and by 4:00 or so we were finished with the project and putting all the stored items back inside. Sherri called while we were doing that and told me she was coming home. She had a sinus attack and was going to stop by the doctor to get something for it. She would be coming home after she picked up her medicine.

She arrived home around 5:30 and I helped her unload her bags. She was feeling somewhat better after the shot the doctor gave her kicked in. Leslie had fixed dinner for us and wanted Sherri just to come over and not fix a thing. WOW…Leslie and Mike are the nicest two people. They have been so kind to Sherri and I and all we can say is thank you both so much for all that you have done for us…

Somewhere in Time

Sunday Sherri Leaves and we Explore

 

Mike and Leslie enjoy the sunset here at Lake Tawakoni

Yes we made it to Sunday our move day. Well it was our move day. Sherri and I fixed our coffee this morning and while drinking it and putting together the plan for the day we decided not to leave Tawakoni but stay here and Sherri would leave and stay in Ft Worth at a hotel. She would be closer to her work and get her food allowance for the week. I would stay at home and leach off my friends the Kennedys…Not really.

I was told not to be showing up at their house at lunch and dinner time every day. I told her that I would mind and do as she told me but if they were to ask me over for dinner I would bring something so I would not be too big of “Blood Sucking Leach”.

We had to go over to the barn again this morning to complete the laundry and the lawn mowing we did not get to yesterday. Mike went with us because he just had to get his hands on the lawn mower once more. I hated to tell him no…knowing that it would traumatize him if I did not give in to his begging. Thanks Mike for a job well done on the lawn.

Sherri had a few more loads to do before she left for Ft Worth. While she was washing I got some things put away in the shop and dug a hole for the mail box post. I got that all done and then gave Sherri a hand with the storage items she needed to put in the attic.

Once we got all the chores done at the barn Sherri Mike and I headed back to the park. Mike retreated to his house while Sherri and I went inside to eat some lunch and get Sherri packed. She had to leave about 2:30 and with this time change thing going on she was flustered  to say the least. She did get all her things together and was soon pulling out of the drive while Mike Leslie and I looked on waving and wishing her safe travel.

Our plan was to take a hike back in the primitive camping area to see what there was to see back there. The trail was rather  muddy in spots but we managed to get by the mud holes with very little effort. We followed the trail along the side of the lake and down to a point where the lake was up over many of the trees. We saw many interesting plants…you notice I say interesting plants because I have no idea what they are…you can sort them out. There was a swamp area that we came across and it looked a little too snaky for me so we skirted around it at a good distance.

Trail head

Mike checks out the water

Leslie finds a nice point to take a picture from

We found many interesting plants and ….

Berries along the way

Found this dead tree for Howard close to this…

Swamp…

After returning to Mike’s patio to wait on the sunset we had a visitor. I think he wanted some of the peanuts we were snacking on.

We came up on the tent areas and then passed on down to a thick area of underbrush. There was game tracks along the way and plenty of birds to keep us looking. We made the full circle of about a mile and then headed back to the houses for a refresher drink. We sat on Leslie and Mike’s patio waiting for the sun to go down so we could walk over to the water for some sunset pictures. Only thing is…the sun went down behind the trees along the shore so we did not get the shot that we wanted but the ones we did get were good.

We would not get too much of a sunset picture due to the sun going down behind the trees

We did get some interesting colors from the reflection

Some of the shots through the trees came out good.

As it got darker the colors began to change and I found them really pretty.

The moon was full tonight so we took some shots of it. We were taking shots of everything that we saw and I have posted some of them on the journal today. None of these are award winning but it was pretty and I just kept on shooting.

Wish I had a better lens for the moon…it was really cool looking coming up while the sun was setting.

The sky was turning a real neat color of green and pink as the sun got lower…and so did my battery.

I ran out of battery so I had to head back to the house and take a shower put the camera on charge and get ready for dinner at the Kennedy’s house. I am taking two bottles of water and my appetite. That should satisfy Sherri. Better go and get some of that good grub… stay tuned for some more exciting adventures here at Lake Tawakoni. We have another 4 days here and I know we will find plenty to do…

Somewhere in Time

A Day at the Barn…Shopping…and Hunting Spiders on Halloween

Happy Halloween y’all  

This is Saturday morning and it is coffee time for sure. We got up a little later than usual this morning. We did not get home from Canton until late so it was after 10:00 o’clock before we turned in. There was no big rush this morning to go anywhere so we just lazed around and read emails and Sherri played Bejeweled for some time. The plan was to go to the barn and get caught up on our washing. I needed to mow the lawn and Mike wanted to build him some jack stands.

We finally got our coffee down and Sherri got the wash together and we went to the barn. I wanted to check my new water line and be sure I had no leaks in it before Sherri got started on the laundry. After connecting the water to the new line I had a stoppage in the line from some dirt that had got in there during the gluing up process. I got that cleared and then all went well. I got the line covered and started on Mike’s jack stands. Mike and I tagged teamed the mowing for a while until the girls decided that they needed to go to Wally World for something…I have got to the point I don’t even question what it is…I just go.

We had planned on going to the Wally World in Quinlan but that changed when we got there and we went on to Rockwall. By the time we got to Rockwall we were all hungry so we stopped at Soul Mans BBQ. After eating the girls went to several girly shops and Mike and I stayed in the car. I took about a 45 minute nap and Mike did a survey of how many customers going into the store came out with purchases. Our two did not make the high end…they came out empty handed.

We finally left Rockwall with a few items…none of which were purchased at Wally World…no we had to travel back to Quinlan for that and so we did.

Spiders everywhere and we hunted them down when it got dark

Oh yes even Sherri went spider hunting and you know how she fells about spiders.

It was getting on close to the time that we were to go on our Halloween hike in the woods to find spider eyes. No we have not lost it…you take a flash light and shine it on the ground and you will find spiders eyes reflect the light and you can see them. We all had our hike and then returned to our respective homes for the night. We had an interesting day and lots of fun. It was not too long after reaching my recliner that I was dreaming about spiders chasing me through the woods…

Somewhere in Time