Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Dec 14 – 31... Another 2 weeks are gone. It’s been below zero for almost the whole time. It never quite made it to -30 below but it was definitely in the -20’s! The daytime highs for the most park didn’t make it above zero until the last 4 days. We now are in the 30’s but the wind is blowing (a bunch). We have received 29 inches of snow this month, way more than normal! We are hoping for a break or it’s going to be a loooooong winter! The Christmas shopping got completed for another year. Mom had 2 more chemo treatments and continues to experience minimal side effects. We are very thankful for that. Christmas Eve was spent attending church and dinner Dixie made with Mom, Dad, Doug and Fran. On Christmas Day Danny and Lexi arrived from California and Denita, Steve & boys came from the farm. We all had a wonderful Prime Rib dinner at Doug and Frans! Denita, Steve and Shay stayed overnight with us on Thur and Fri. We had a family photo taken the day after Christmas. The weather is constantly changing...the snow is melting one day and the next it is snowing more – making for some icy road conditions. Mike had a follow up Dr. appt from his Bone Density scan where he found out he has Osteopenia. Having this makes you a high risk for Osteoporosis. He is having further blood tests and xrays. We had a New Years Eve dinner a night early at Mom and Dad. We feasted on Lobster and Crab! We intended to drive to the farm today, the 31st but the weather didn’t cooperate – the roads are icy and we didn’t want to get snowed in! We hope to go to a small club/restaurant this evening to listen to a band...they play from 6p-9p which just the right time for us!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
It's Winter in Montana!!!!
Here's 2 weeks worth of blogs!!!!
Dec 8 - Dec 13 – Happy Birthday to Dad on the 8th. We had a wonderful dinner at Doug and Fran’s to celebrate. Mom had her first chemo treatment and is feeling pretty good so far. We trimmed our fresh cut tree on Tue. Dixie worked at Fran’s on Wed. On Fri. we took a drive with Doug and Fran to Helena to do some shopping. Along the way we drove some back roads that had beautiful mountain scenery. We went to a ghost town called Marysville on the way to the Great Divide ski run. Once in Helena we had a nice lunch and walked through the old downtown area and drove by the State Capital and the old Governors Mansion. Since we are expecting -31 degrees below zero on Sunday we decided to move the motorhome to an RV site where we could hook up to electricity. We got that taken care of Fri evening before the snow began during the night. SAT - It’s snowing in Montana! We woke up to 2 ft snow drifts at our door. It continued to snow and blow all day! We ventured out in the afternoon as Denita and family are in town, coming especially to see “Sesame Street Live”. Four year old Shay was very excited & thought Elmo was pretty neat! Sun we woke up to ‘no water’...the pipes were frozen. After several calls the builder and the plumber arrived – the empty condo units next to use caused the problem. The heat tapes had not be put on the pipes in the empty condos. By early afternoon we had running water once again! We spent most of the day at Fran and Doug’s where the girls made cookies and such. After all that we had a wonderful dinner there. Stay tuned to the next blog to find out how ‘cold’ it really gets tonight. The forecast is for below zero every night this next week – also more snow!
Dec 8 - Dec 13 – Happy Birthday to Dad on the 8th. We had a wonderful dinner at Doug and Fran’s to celebrate. Mom had her first chemo treatment and is feeling pretty good so far. We trimmed our fresh cut tree on Tue. Dixie worked at Fran’s on Wed. On Fri. we took a drive with Doug and Fran to Helena to do some shopping. Along the way we drove some back roads that had beautiful mountain scenery. We went to a ghost town called Marysville on the way to the Great Divide ski run. Once in Helena we had a nice lunch and walked through the old downtown area and drove by the State Capital and the old Governors Mansion. Since we are expecting -31 degrees below zero on Sunday we decided to move the motorhome to an RV site where we could hook up to electricity. We got that taken care of Fri evening before the snow began during the night. SAT - It’s snowing in Montana! We woke up to 2 ft snow drifts at our door. It continued to snow and blow all day! We ventured out in the afternoon as Denita and family are in town, coming especially to see “Sesame Street Live”. Four year old Shay was very excited & thought Elmo was pretty neat! Sun we woke up to ‘no water’...the pipes were frozen. After several calls the builder and the plumber arrived – the empty condo units next to use caused the problem. The heat tapes had not be put on the pipes in the empty condos. By early afternoon we had running water once again! We spent most of the day at Fran and Doug’s where the girls made cookies and such. After all that we had a wonderful dinner there. Stay tuned to the next blog to find out how ‘cold’ it really gets tonight. The forecast is for below zero every night this next week – also more snow!
A trip to the Highwood Mountains
Nov 28 -Dec 7 – We went with Mom on Tue and Wed when she had an endoscopy & colonoscopy – both were to rule out cancer in these areas. We received good new from both of them . On Thur we met once again with the Oncologist. He feels that Mom most probably has what is called a Intrahepatic Cholangio Carcinoma -- a tumor inside the liver ducts, covering a large portion of the right lobe. He intends to treat it with Chemotherapy – IV and pills every other week. On Sat., with Doug and Fran, we decided to drive about 40 miles to the Highwood Mountains in the Lewis & Clark National Forest. The purpose of the trip was to find and cut (harvest) a Christmas tree for each of our homes. We obtained the proper permit and tag from the Forest Service and headed out. The weather was unseasonably warm at around 45 degrees but there was still some snow and slush on the ground. After searching for the “just right” trees and climbing up the side of some very steep hills, we found what we were looking for. We had a good time and the view was superb! We continued our drive and once we got back into town we met Mom and Dad and all had Chinese food. Sunday we made a trip to the emergency room with Dixie. She was in a lot of pain with a bowel blockage problem. She is feeling much better but continues to treat a fissure. Stress is getting to us all!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Nov 27 – HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We hope that everyone had a wonderful day with family and are thankful for health and happiness! We had the family over for Thanksgiving dinner and had a great day eating too much.
The last couple of weeks have been very difficult ones for us. Dixie’s Mom was diagnosed with Cancer. It all started just over a month ago with some pain in her right side and a ‘hard spot’. After 2 weeks of doctoring, the testing started. She went through an ultra sound, CT scan and a liver biopsy all within a weeks’ time. We found out last Tue that the tumor is on her bile duct covering a large portion of the right lobe of the liver. This week she will have an upper endoscope. This is being done to determine the actual type of cancer – Bile Duct cancer which is a rare cancer or if it originated elsewhere. We meet again with the oncologist this Thursday to find out the results and treatment options. Keep us in your prayers!
We did make it to Leavenworth, KS to visit with Brandon, Katherine, Bailey & Nicholas the weekend of the 14th. Once again flying was not fun! It took all day to get there and another all dayer to get back. Mike, Brandon and the boys took in the Texas Longhorn & Kansas football game and had a great time. The weather was a bit chilly but they bundled up!
The last couple of weeks have been very difficult ones for us. Dixie’s Mom was diagnosed with Cancer. It all started just over a month ago with some pain in her right side and a ‘hard spot’. After 2 weeks of doctoring, the testing started. She went through an ultra sound, CT scan and a liver biopsy all within a weeks’ time. We found out last Tue that the tumor is on her bile duct covering a large portion of the right lobe of the liver. This week she will have an upper endoscope. This is being done to determine the actual type of cancer – Bile Duct cancer which is a rare cancer or if it originated elsewhere. We meet again with the oncologist this Thursday to find out the results and treatment options. Keep us in your prayers!
We did make it to Leavenworth, KS to visit with Brandon, Katherine, Bailey & Nicholas the weekend of the 14th. Once again flying was not fun! It took all day to get there and another all dayer to get back. Mike, Brandon and the boys took in the Texas Longhorn & Kansas football game and had a great time. The weather was a bit chilly but they bundled up!
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Settled in the new Condo!
Nov 9 – Here it is again almost 3 weeks since out last update! We have now been in our new condo for 4 weeks. We have been busy getting it all put together. We have finally put the last nail in the wall (at least for this year). The landscapers came a few days ago and put in some trees and scrubs and then covered the ground with rocks. We still have not grass and not sure that it will happen before spring. What have we been up to --- well Dixie has been working for Fran off and on and contemplating getting a seasonal job at the mall! It’s hard to think about going to work for $7 an hour but it would be some extra $$ coming in. Mike as been going to the Peak (gym) regularly. We went with Mom & Dad to a couple of our nephew, Tyler’s basketballs games in nearby towns. We attended a couple of the local high school football games where’s Dixie’s cousins son play quarterback. We’ve hosted & attended a few dinners for relatives in town. Of course more trips back and forth to the motorhome getting more stuff! Every storage tub in the garage has been sorted through. Dixie got an old dresser from Fran and proceeded to refinish it as well as a mantel shelf, mirror and picture frame. That completes our spare bedroom – now we just need some ‘guests’ to use it. Tomorrow we plan to get a new cell phone number – we will finally give up our Texas number and get a local MT one. Tomorrow is also Mike’s Birthday – we have tickets for a local community concert with Mom & Dad so we will take that in. Later in the week we will fly to Kansas City to spend the weekend with Brandon, Kat, Bailey and Nicholas. We are looking forward to seeing them and their new home.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
We are finally in our new Condo!
Oct 21 – Well, it’s been awhile since we’ve reported on our “goings and comings” but I assure you, we’ve been busy. We felt the pains of the mortgage crisis but still managed to close on Oct 9th. With the help of family, we finally got moved in to our condo the weekend of October 10. We were lucky to get all of the heavy things moved on that day, Friday, because we woke up Saturday to white stuff falling from the sky. Dixie’s response was “welcome to Montana”. Over the next two days we received about 4 inches of heavy wet snow. Temps returned to normal on Monday and it was gone by that afternoon. We’re really enjoying having “roots” again and our condo is just perfect for us. Dixie’s mom and dad live about 10 minutes from us as does her brother and sister-in-law when they are in town and not at their home “at the farm” in Hogeland. Our original intent was to get moved in and then head for Arizona with the motorhome on or about November 1st. However, now the plan is to stay in Great Falls until after Christmas. We had to winterize the motorhome when that snow storm came through plus the fact we’re really enjoying our new home. The contractors are busily installing the sprinkler system for our building (which has 6 units) and hopefully next will come the sod. A little grass will improve our appearance a whole lot. We had concrete put down on our back patio which was also just completed...the patio furniture and grill will wait until spring! We will put more pictures on as things get completed.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sept 11 - 29...two blogs in one!
Sep 23 – 29 ... We check out the condo progress regularly and they are moving right along. We helped cousin Loni once again with her jewelry business. This week she worked the farmer’s market and Dixie worked a craft show. Dixie’s sister, Denita and family came to Gt. Falls on Sunday so we all got together for dinner at Mom’s. Monday morning we received a call that the builder was ready for the lights so we quickly took them to the condo. While there we found out we had to change our plans for our flooring in the bathrooms....just one more last minute change! We are still on track for a closing date of next Tue. Oct 7th. It will be tight but they are hoping to get it finished by Monday...right down to the wire. We don’t want to postpone it further as this financial mess and getting a mortgage has us a bit concerned. We have locked in our interest rate but we can’t hold it and go much beyond our date. Have we told you that we wouldn’t recommend ‘building a home’? Buy something already built!!!!!! Stay tuned to next weeks saga!
Sep 11 – 22, ... Sat. the 13th we made a quick trip to Helena, 89 miles from here. We went to pick up the “Texas” lights we ordered through Lowes. While there we purchased most of our other lighting for the condo as well. On Sunday we completed our ceiling fans/lights purchasing. We’re ready when they are!!!!. While there we received more bad news that a high school friend of Dixie’s (MaryAnn Wolery) passed away (it’s been a tought couple of months). On Monday the 15th we drove with Mom & Dad to Seeley Lake to visit Aunt Shirley. We had a wonderful time relaxing and enjoying her peaceful setting in the woods. Friday the 19th, we caught a Horizon Air flight from Great Falls to Seattle to visit Micheala and her family. They live in North Bend, WA which is about 30 miles East of Seattle. Even though the weather was cool and rainy, we enjoyed the visit with her, her husband Tim and their two children, Adriana and Dillon. Saturday, Mike went on a short hike with Tim and the kids. Along the way, they picked enough blackberries to make a pie when they got home. Dixie helped Micheala rearrange some things around the house. Sunday, we went to the Puyallup County Fair in Puyallup, WA. The weather was ok and it was fun to watch the kids enjoy themselves on the rides, eat cotton candy and hot dogs on a stick. After about 5 hours, we were all ready to return home. We returned to Great Falls on Monday.
Sep 11 – 22, ... Sat. the 13th we made a quick trip to Helena, 89 miles from here. We went to pick up the “Texas” lights we ordered through Lowes. While there we purchased most of our other lighting for the condo as well. On Sunday we completed our ceiling fans/lights purchasing. We’re ready when they are!!!!. While there we received more bad news that a high school friend of Dixie’s (MaryAnn Wolery) passed away (it’s been a tought couple of months). On Monday the 15th we drove with Mom & Dad to Seeley Lake to visit Aunt Shirley. We had a wonderful time relaxing and enjoying her peaceful setting in the woods. Friday the 19th, we caught a Horizon Air flight from Great Falls to Seattle to visit Micheala and her family. They live in North Bend, WA which is about 30 miles East of Seattle. Even though the weather was cool and rainy, we enjoyed the visit with her, her husband Tim and their two children, Adriana and Dillon. Saturday, Mike went on a short hike with Tim and the kids. Along the way, they picked enough blackberries to make a pie when they got home. Dixie helped Micheala rearrange some things around the house. Sunday, we went to the Puyallup County Fair in Puyallup, WA. The weather was ok and it was fun to watch the kids enjoy themselves on the rides, eat cotton candy and hot dogs on a stick. After about 5 hours, we were all ready to return home. We returned to Great Falls on Monday.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Slow on the blog!
Aug 25 – Sep 10, ... On September 1st, we moved the motorhome out of storage to a monthly site at Dick’s RV Park in Great Falls. Due to construction delays, we were recently informed that we’ll not be able to move into our condo until Oct 7th at the earliest. Bummer!! We continue to occupying much of our time shopping for interior items for the condo. Items such as ceiling lights, ceiling fans, bathroom mirrors, bedding, and more. Dixie has been coordinating most of this project and has done an excellent job.
We made a 12 mile bike ride on the 'River Trail' bike path. It was a beautiful ride but a long one since we have not been on the bikes since last Feb. The paved path follows the Missouri river- we made it to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center and then to the state park for lunch. It was a long ride back as we were going against the wind!
Last Saturday, we helped our cousin Loni with in her jewelry booth at the weekly “Farmers Market” in downtown Great Falls. It was a fun time and the weather cooperated. Dixie did some ‘billing’ work for Fran in between shopping! The family all came up for Labor Day and we had a wonderful ‘harvest is complete’ dinner at The Sting. This past Thursday we went to “Live at 5”, a weekly gathering in different locations downtown. This week’s band was a 50’s group. Doug & Fran went with us and despite a little rain we had a good time –except that Mike or Fran didn’t win the Harley that they bought a raffle ticket for! We went to the Voyages playoff baseball game on Sunday afternoon. The y won and the first game in the championship was today but it rained most of the day and it was postponed until tomorrow. The weather is suppose to be nice tomorrow so we will most likely take in the game. Tue. Mike & Dad went golfing while Dixie and Mom cleaned house. Later in the day we all shopped and then hung curtains at Mom and Dads! Wed. Dixie worked at Frans and Mike went to the gym again.
We made a 12 mile bike ride on the 'River Trail' bike path. It was a beautiful ride but a long one since we have not been on the bikes since last Feb. The paved path follows the Missouri river- we made it to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center and then to the state park for lunch. It was a long ride back as we were going against the wind!
Last Saturday, we helped our cousin Loni with in her jewelry booth at the weekly “Farmers Market” in downtown Great Falls. It was a fun time and the weather cooperated. Dixie did some ‘billing’ work for Fran in between shopping! The family all came up for Labor Day and we had a wonderful ‘harvest is complete’ dinner at The Sting. This past Thursday we went to “Live at 5”, a weekly gathering in different locations downtown. This week’s band was a 50’s group. Doug & Fran went with us and despite a little rain we had a good time –except that Mike or Fran didn’t win the Harley that they bought a raffle ticket for! We went to the Voyages playoff baseball game on Sunday afternoon. The y won and the first game in the championship was today but it rained most of the day and it was postponed until tomorrow. The weather is suppose to be nice tomorrow so we will most likely take in the game. Tue. Mike & Dad went golfing while Dixie and Mom cleaned house. Later in the day we all shopped and then hung curtains at Mom and Dads! Wed. Dixie worked at Frans and Mike went to the gym again.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Another trip to the Farm!
Aug 18 – 24, Mon-Sun ... On Tuesday, we left early from Great Falls and drove to Havre where Dixie had a blood test done at the hospital. After stopping at the grocery store to pick up supplies for the farm, we continued on to Hogeland. While Hamilton Farms is in full harvest mode of wheat and barley, we have been helping out where needed. It’s been a bit frustrating for them because of weather and equipment issues keep slowing the process. On Sat. Dixie’s Mom come back with us to Great Falls. We left Dad behind to help with the harvest. Sunday we went to church as did some errands. Dixie & Mom went to visit cousin Loni.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Busy Times in Montana ---
Sorry we are behind on our blog postings. We have been a bit overwelmed with our condo dealings. Here's a quick overview of our last 2 weeks
Aug 11 – 18, Mon-Sun ... We found out on Monday evening that we will be shooting for a Sept. 30th closing on the condo. We have spent the week selecting cabinets, countertop, flooring, appliances and water faucets. It’s a bit different in that we go to specific businesses and make our selections. Of course we have found that the allowances for these items are bare minimums so we pay for any upgrades! We thought (or Dixie thought) it would be fun to select everything....little did we know how difficult and time consuming it would be. (that’s a lot of decisions to make for retired people)! Amongst all that we shopped for Insurance. We have also done a lot of furniture shopping and even made a living room set purchase today (Sat). Since we sold most all of our furniture when we left TX, we have several items to purchase! We checked out a few garage sales Sat. Dixie’s Dad and Doug & Fran came back to Great Falls on Sun. evening as there was a break in the harvesting. Dad is still here but it looks like we will go to the farm on Monday for a few days. Dixie managed to get a few hours of working in with Fran earlier in the week. The weather has been very nice (not too hot). We went to the Voyagers Baseball game on Tue. evening. Friday evening we went to Bill & Gloria Brinkmans house to visit with several of Dixie’s 2nd cousins. Dixie’s Aunt Shirley will be coming for a quick overnight on Sunday. Hopefully next week we will rest a bit at the farm --- no shopping, except ‘online’!
Aug 4 – Aug 10, Mon-Sun ... We’ve had a good time this week visiting with family and kids while at “the farm” in Hogeland. Steve, Levi and Mike went on a long four-wheeler ride Monday over the hills and valleys or “coolies” of the area. Dixie’s brother Danny and daughter Lexi came with us so Dixie has enjoyed “playing” with her and 4 year old Shay. Mike helped out by sweeping some 24 grain bins. On Thursday, with the exception of dad, we decided to return to Great Falls. Dad stayed behind to help drive a combine since Doug was just getting started with the harvest. On Friday, we looked once again at the condos we are interested in and made the big leap. We signed a buy/sell agreement on a 2 bedroom condo in Great Falls. The exterior of the 6 unit building is completed but the interior isn’t finished until purchased. So now the fun begins. We started Sat. looking at flooring and lighting. Danny and Lexi flew back to California on Sun.
Aug 11 – 18, Mon-Sun ... We found out on Monday evening that we will be shooting for a Sept. 30th closing on the condo. We have spent the week selecting cabinets, countertop, flooring, appliances and water faucets. It’s a bit different in that we go to specific businesses and make our selections. Of course we have found that the allowances for these items are bare minimums so we pay for any upgrades! We thought (or Dixie thought) it would be fun to select everything....little did we know how difficult and time consuming it would be. (that’s a lot of decisions to make for retired people)! Amongst all that we shopped for Insurance. We have also done a lot of furniture shopping and even made a living room set purchase today (Sat). Since we sold most all of our furniture when we left TX, we have several items to purchase! We checked out a few garage sales Sat. Dixie’s Dad and Doug & Fran came back to Great Falls on Sun. evening as there was a break in the harvesting. Dad is still here but it looks like we will go to the farm on Monday for a few days. Dixie managed to get a few hours of working in with Fran earlier in the week. The weather has been very nice (not too hot). We went to the Voyagers Baseball game on Tue. evening. Friday evening we went to Bill & Gloria Brinkmans house to visit with several of Dixie’s 2nd cousins. Dixie’s Aunt Shirley will be coming for a quick overnight on Sunday. Hopefully next week we will rest a bit at the farm --- no shopping, except ‘online’!
Aug 4 – Aug 10, Mon-Sun ... We’ve had a good time this week visiting with family and kids while at “the farm” in Hogeland. Steve, Levi and Mike went on a long four-wheeler ride Monday over the hills and valleys or “coolies” of the area. Dixie’s brother Danny and daughter Lexi came with us so Dixie has enjoyed “playing” with her and 4 year old Shay. Mike helped out by sweeping some 24 grain bins. On Thursday, with the exception of dad, we decided to return to Great Falls. Dad stayed behind to help drive a combine since Doug was just getting started with the harvest. On Friday, we looked once again at the condos we are interested in and made the big leap. We signed a buy/sell agreement on a 2 bedroom condo in Great Falls. The exterior of the 6 unit building is completed but the interior isn’t finished until purchased. So now the fun begins. We started Sat. looking at flooring and lighting. Danny and Lexi flew back to California on Sun.
Monday, August 04, 2008
To the Farm!
Jul 29 – Aug 3, Tue-Sun ... Things are sort of getting back to normal as we plan to drive to “the farm” on Saturday for about a week visit. Mike may help with the grain harvest if needed. Thursday, Dixie, mom and Aunt Marge drove to Havre for Dr. appointments while Mike stayed with the motorhome and later that morning moved it to a storage site at Dick’s RV park. We did a little more house hunting this week but saw nothing too exciting. It seems like everything we look at is either too expensive or too old. A new construction condo seems to be the way we’ll eventually go. Dixie’s brother Danny and daughter Lexi arrived late Sat. night from California. Today, Sunday, we’ll all drive to Hogeland for a visit with family. We’ll be there until next Friday or Saturday.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
More Family Tragedy
Jul 21 – 28, Mon-Mon ... Monday brought more house hunting with our very patient realtor, Lorilei. That evening we went to a ball game of the Great Falls Explorers, a professional baseball team associated with the Chicago Whitesox. We had a good time and they even won the game. Tuesday, Dixie and I had dentist appointments and fortunately, no major issues to be concerned about.
On Wednesday, everything came to a standstill when we learned that Dixie’s 81 year old aunt, Eleanor Struck, was in a serious automobile accident while on her way to the library to do volunteer work. She was taken to the intensive care unit with massive head injuries. Needless to say, we spent a great deal of time at the hospital Wednesday afternoon. Later that evening when Dixie and many of her family were at the hospital, Aunt Eleanor passed away. The balance of the week as well as the weekend was mostly spent visiting with family and friends who came to pay their respects. The memorial service was held on Monday, July 28th at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church where the sanctuary over flowed with people. It was a beautiful service that, in a small way, depicted her wonderful life and service to her fellow man. She will be missed. We were fortunate to have seen and visited with her the previous Friday and Sunday. She was such a healthy, active person that it is very difficult to imagine not seeing her again. Needless to say our first 2 weeks in Montana have not been pleasant.
On Wednesday, everything came to a standstill when we learned that Dixie’s 81 year old aunt, Eleanor Struck, was in a serious automobile accident while on her way to the library to do volunteer work. She was taken to the intensive care unit with massive head injuries. Needless to say, we spent a great deal of time at the hospital Wednesday afternoon. Later that evening when Dixie and many of her family were at the hospital, Aunt Eleanor passed away. The balance of the week as well as the weekend was mostly spent visiting with family and friends who came to pay their respects. The memorial service was held on Monday, July 28th at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church where the sanctuary over flowed with people. It was a beautiful service that, in a small way, depicted her wonderful life and service to her fellow man. She will be missed. We were fortunate to have seen and visited with her the previous Friday and Sunday. She was such a healthy, active person that it is very difficult to imagine not seeing her again. Needless to say our first 2 weeks in Montana have not been pleasant.
Monday, July 21, 2008
On to Montana!
Jul 14 – 20, Mon-Sun ... Today, Monday, was the long ... and I mean a long drive day. Starting out in Reno around 7:30a.m., we drove 500 miles to the little town of Declo, ID. It’s about 45 miles east of Twin Falls. Dixie drove part of the way as most of it was interstate highway driving.
Tuesday, we continued on to Butte, MT which was another 320 miles. We spent two days visiting friends and relatives brought together, unfortunately, due to the passing of Dixie’s uncle Warren.
Thursday evening, we headed out from Butte to Great Falls (150 miles) with Dixie’s parents and brother in the motorhome with us. We reserved two weeks at Dick’s RV park in Great Falls which is only about a mile from Dixie’s parents home. Since arriving, we have been working with a realtor in hopes of finding a small home or condo to purchase.
Friday afternoon we attended a dinner party at the home of Dixie’s cousins, Russ and Cheryl. They have a beautiful home on a golf course outside the city of Great Falls. The weather has been outstanding bringing warm 80 degree days and cool nights.
Sunday, after church Dixie’s Dad went with us to about 15 open houses (that’s a tiring job). After all that about 20 relatives got together at Dixie’s parents home. We had a good time cooking hamburgers and visiting. This week will consist of more house hunting!
Tuesday, we continued on to Butte, MT which was another 320 miles. We spent two days visiting friends and relatives brought together, unfortunately, due to the passing of Dixie’s uncle Warren.
Thursday evening, we headed out from Butte to Great Falls (150 miles) with Dixie’s parents and brother in the motorhome with us. We reserved two weeks at Dick’s RV park in Great Falls which is only about a mile from Dixie’s parents home. Since arriving, we have been working with a realtor in hopes of finding a small home or condo to purchase.
Friday afternoon we attended a dinner party at the home of Dixie’s cousins, Russ and Cheryl. They have a beautiful home on a golf course outside the city of Great Falls. The weather has been outstanding bringing warm 80 degree days and cool nights.
Sunday, after church Dixie’s Dad went with us to about 15 open houses (that’s a tiring job). After all that about 20 relatives got together at Dixie’s parents home. We had a good time cooking hamburgers and visiting. This week will consist of more house hunting!
Monday, July 14, 2008
The most 'unique' player of the tournament....Jim McMahon, former Quarterback for the Chicago Bears. He plays golf 'barefoot' and wears a different pair of 'flashy' pants everyday!
Beautiful Lake Tahoe & the Celebrity Golf Tournament
Jul 7 – 13, Mon-Sun... On Monday, we moved to the Horizon Casino parking lot which is about 100 yards from the entrance to the Edgewood Golf Course where we will be working for the next week during the American Century Celebrity Championship tournament. Although most of the week was extremely hazy due to forest fires some miles away, this is a magnificent golf course on the banks of the majestic Lake Tahoe. We helped our friend Ross set up his merchandise booth of golf memorabilia in the morning. That afternoon, Mike rode the 55 miles to Reno with Ross where he had some business to attend to. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were practice rounds prior to the main event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not only did we help Ross with sales at his booth, we also did a lot of printing of his sales material. Thursday, Dixie began working as a tournament volunteer in the Hospitality area of the gorgeous clubhouse of this golf course. She’s had a fun time checking in andtalking with many celebrities and sports legends as well as former Vice President Dan Quayle who patted her on the back (she found out his caddie for this tournament is a Continental Airlines employee that she knew). On Wednesday, we attended a VERY elegant dinner function at Harrah’s Casino for all the participants of the tournament. There was entertainment during dinner, however, the big surprise was a live show done by Jay Leno himself. Although the sound in the auditorium was not the best, it was a very funny show, nonetheless.
On Saturday, we got the sad news that Dixie’s Uncle Warren had passed away. We will leave South Lake Tahoe Sunday afternoon so that we can be in Butte, MT by Tuesday for the service on Wednesday or Thursday.
We stayed to the end on the tournament on Sunday and then headed to Reno about 6pm. We spent the night there and headed out Monday morning around 730p.
On Saturday, we got the sad news that Dixie’s Uncle Warren had passed away. We will leave South Lake Tahoe Sunday afternoon so that we can be in Butte, MT by Tuesday for the service on Wednesday or Thursday.
We stayed to the end on the tournament on Sunday and then headed to Reno about 6pm. We spent the night there and headed out Monday morning around 730p.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Goodbye to Yosemite and Hello to Lake Tahoe!
Jun 30 – Jul 06, Mon – Sun ... One of the highlights of this week was going back to Yosemite Park and going on a 3.75 mile hike, with an 800 ft climb, through Mariposa Grove. The magnificent Sequoia trees are in this area and have been for hundreds of years. What an impressive sight these trees are. Thursday, we moved 22 miles from the Bass Lake park to an Escapees park near Coarsegold, CA. This is a very nice, quiet and friendly park made up of mostly retirees. On Friday, Independence Day, a complimentary barbeque lunch was served in the large park clubhouse. We met some nice people at our table; people who used to travel as much as we do but can no longer because of age or health issues. So today, while Dixie does laundry, Mike will do the necessary engine checks before our departure tomorrow, Saturday. That’s when we begin our journey to South Lake Tahoe to be a part of the Celebrity Golf Tournament July 8 – 13. Our first night on the road will be at a Walmart in Placerville, Ca. It’s about 60 miles from our destination. Well, the Placerville overnight didn’t work out. There were signs in the parking lot prohibiting RV’s from overnighting. Dixie called the park where we were booked for Sunday and they suggested staying at one of the casinos in South Lake Tahoe. With that information, after a bit of Walmart shopping, we continued the 65 trip to SLT. The drive is at times steep and very curvy on highway 50. The trip starts out at approximately 2,000 ft above sea level and ends at over 7,000 ft at the summit. Then it’s downhill for 4 miles to Lake Tahoe. We spent Saturday night in the back parking lot, along with about 10 other rv’s, at the Montbleu Casino.
On Sunday we moved to “Campground on the Lake”. We decided to stay here only the one night and then move to the Horizon Casino which is just across the street from the golf course. We didn’t have any hookups at the campground and have to pay $23 a nite so we decided to save a few $$ and have the convenience of being within walking distance to the tournament.
On Sunday we moved to “Campground on the Lake”. We decided to stay here only the one night and then move to the Horizon Casino which is just across the street from the golf course. We didn’t have any hookups at the campground and have to pay $23 a nite so we decided to save a few $$ and have the convenience of being within walking distance to the tournament.
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