Left Dickinson, ND this morning around 9:00 a.m. (MST). A beautiful day to travel. The wind was at our back pushing our motorhome eastward, the sky was partly cloudy so it wasn't too hot. Just a perfect day. It is so absolutely green here in North Dakota. The entire country has been hearing about the flooding in parts of the state due to the heavy winter snowfall in Montana as well as the rains that have been going on all spring and summer thus far. All of this moisture has resulted in beautiful heavily grassed fields. Of course all of the rivers and lakes are exceptionally full as well.
Arrived in Bismarck, ND at about 12:30 p.m. (CST). The road from the interstate to the KOA Campground is being torn up so that it can be widened to a four lane road. Wow! Messy! Made it just fine to the KOA and checked in. Got one of our favorite campsites. The trees don't block the satelite signal for our DirecTV. Awesome. Got our motorhome all set up and then tried to get our laptops hooked up to the free WiFi here at the campground. Major difficulties. The owners of the campground are really accommodating. Sat beside Mike and telephoned the Internet provider and tried everything to get connected. Couldn't get it done at that point in time, but assured us they would keep trying to get the problem resolved.
Left to head down to Mike's mom's house. Mike's sister Colette is already here. Got to visit with her and mom and then Valerie and Leroy arrived. Really nice seeing everyone and visiting with them all. Looking forward to the next ten days with Mike's family.
It's really interesting how time seems to move alot faster when you change time zones. Came back to the campground to get some sleep. Checked to see if we could access the campground free WiFi and as you can all see, we have success.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wendy, Larry and Hana Arrived Today!
Wendy, Larry and Hana arrived at my Dad's house in Dickinson today. I could not wait to get my little Granddaughter out of her car seat and into my arms. To my surprise, she let me take her out and hold her and she didn't squirm out of my arms. It has been six months since we last saw her and she made me feel as if she hasn't forgotten me at all. She is just so sweet and so special.
I got all of the baking done for my dad yesterday. I baked him cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal date cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies. His freezer is once again well stocked with goodies. Mike finished all of the chores on his list as well. He pruned all of the bushes and trees, changed the oil and did all of the car service checks on my dad's car, and replaced a ceiling light fixture. And people think we actually are on vacation when we come to North Dakota. Really?????
My Dad decided that Larry and Wendy should have homemade rhubarb strawberry jelly and homemade rhubarb sauce to take to their new home in Washington. So he picked all of the rhubarb in his garden. Mike, Larry and I cleaned it all and Mike and I cut it into pieces. Then Dad gave me the recipe cards so that I could make the sauce and the jelly. Of course there was plenty of rhubarb so that I could also make jelly and sauce for him as well as jelly for Mike and me. So needless to say, my chores have not ended yet. Maybe tomorrow when I get the jelly done? One can only hope.
Thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my little Hana while her mommy and daddy went and did a little shopping with Mike. I am just a very proud Grandma. Had such a nice visit with Wendy and Larry when they returned. I can't believe how much Wendy has grown up in the past year. It truly is a wonder what motherhood will do to a person.
Of course, I also thoroughly enjoyed whooping her in a game of pool too!!!
I got all of the baking done for my dad yesterday. I baked him cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal date cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies. His freezer is once again well stocked with goodies. Mike finished all of the chores on his list as well. He pruned all of the bushes and trees, changed the oil and did all of the car service checks on my dad's car, and replaced a ceiling light fixture. And people think we actually are on vacation when we come to North Dakota. Really?????
My Dad decided that Larry and Wendy should have homemade rhubarb strawberry jelly and homemade rhubarb sauce to take to their new home in Washington. So he picked all of the rhubarb in his garden. Mike, Larry and I cleaned it all and Mike and I cut it into pieces. Then Dad gave me the recipe cards so that I could make the sauce and the jelly. Of course there was plenty of rhubarb so that I could also make jelly and sauce for him as well as jelly for Mike and me. So needless to say, my chores have not ended yet. Maybe tomorrow when I get the jelly done? One can only hope.
Thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my little Hana while her mommy and daddy went and did a little shopping with Mike. I am just a very proud Grandma. Had such a nice visit with Wendy and Larry when they returned. I can't believe how much Wendy has grown up in the past year. It truly is a wonder what motherhood will do to a person.
Of course, I also thoroughly enjoyed whooping her in a game of pool too!!!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
Today is Father's Day. I think the last time I was able to celebrate Father's Day with my Dad was when I was 18 years old. Needless to say, that was a long time ago. Started out the day with my Dad coming out to the campground to have a special breakfast with us in our motorhome. I made my famous crescent breakfast sandwiches. Of course we started out with toasting Father's Day with a Bloody Mary. After breakfast we cleaned everything up and then headed over to my Dad's house for the day.
A very good friend of Mike's, Walt Heath telephoned Mike and let him know that he and his family are on 30 minute mandatory evacuation notice due to the Memorial Fire located near their home in Sierra Vista, Arizona. This is so absolutely devastatingly unbelievable! Walt just retired a couple of months before Mike did. This is no way to enjoy a person's retirement, by worrying that they may lose everything. Mike and I are both praying very hard for Walt and Bea's safety as well as the fire not coming anywhere near their property!!!! Please Lord up above, hear us loud and clear!!!!!
As I mentioned earlier, once we cleaned up the breakfast dishes we headed to my Dad's house for the day. Yesterday Mike started pruning the bushes and hedges surrounding my Dad's house and today he finished the last three that he needed to complete. The only tree left is the apple tree. Mike would have completed that task if it hadn't started to rain. You sure don't want to be using electric power tools when it is raining with lightening and thunder. A little bit of a death wish if you do.
Wendy, Larry and Hana called to wish Mike a Happy Father's Day. We thought they were still down by Mount Rushmore and would be heading to the Kilzer farm near Lemmon, South Dakota tomorrow. We were wrong. They had already finished their visit to Mount Rushmore and arrived today at the Kilzer farm. They will be spending the next couple of days visiting with Mike's sister Katherine and brother-in-law Bob, and then they will be heading to Dickinson where we will be able to see them and spend five days with them while they are here visiting my Dad.
We had dinner this evening with Dad. My cousin Clare Ann had given my Dad some homemade sausage that she and her husband had made using her Dad's delicious recipe. Dad saved the sausage for when Mike and I came and we had it tonight with Dad's homemade baked beans. Quite delicious! It has been years since I have eaten either one of these two food items.
After dinner we sat and visited for a while, then Mike and I headed back up here to the motorhome.
A very good friend of Mike's, Walt Heath telephoned Mike and let him know that he and his family are on 30 minute mandatory evacuation notice due to the Memorial Fire located near their home in Sierra Vista, Arizona. This is so absolutely devastatingly unbelievable! Walt just retired a couple of months before Mike did. This is no way to enjoy a person's retirement, by worrying that they may lose everything. Mike and I are both praying very hard for Walt and Bea's safety as well as the fire not coming anywhere near their property!!!! Please Lord up above, hear us loud and clear!!!!!
As I mentioned earlier, once we cleaned up the breakfast dishes we headed to my Dad's house for the day. Yesterday Mike started pruning the bushes and hedges surrounding my Dad's house and today he finished the last three that he needed to complete. The only tree left is the apple tree. Mike would have completed that task if it hadn't started to rain. You sure don't want to be using electric power tools when it is raining with lightening and thunder. A little bit of a death wish if you do.
Wendy, Larry and Hana called to wish Mike a Happy Father's Day. We thought they were still down by Mount Rushmore and would be heading to the Kilzer farm near Lemmon, South Dakota tomorrow. We were wrong. They had already finished their visit to Mount Rushmore and arrived today at the Kilzer farm. They will be spending the next couple of days visiting with Mike's sister Katherine and brother-in-law Bob, and then they will be heading to Dickinson where we will be able to see them and spend five days with them while they are here visiting my Dad.
We had dinner this evening with Dad. My cousin Clare Ann had given my Dad some homemade sausage that she and her husband had made using her Dad's delicious recipe. Dad saved the sausage for when Mike and I came and we had it tonight with Dad's homemade baked beans. Quite delicious! It has been years since I have eaten either one of these two food items.
After dinner we sat and visited for a while, then Mike and I headed back up here to the motorhome.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Visiting with Dad
My Dad is 87 years old and he never ceases to amaze me! The last time I saw my Dad was 2 years ago and I couldn't get over how much he seemed to have aged in the one year that I had not seen him. Now it has been 2 and I swear he has gotten younger! He just doesn't seem to age. I thank God for that! I love my Dad and want him around for as long as the good Lord will allow me.
Went grocery shopping with Dad this morning so that he could pick up all of the ingredients for things that he wants me to make for him while I am here. Needless to say, for all of you who have heard our stories from past visits, these ingredients included lots of flour, sugar, yeast and chocolate chips. So you know his freezer will once again be stocked with chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal date cookies, and cinnamon rolls before I leave.
After we got back to his house and unpacked all of the groceries and put them away, Mike suggested we go for a little ride and check out where this other campground we heard about is. So we all piled into the little Geo and drove down to the southwest side of town and checked out Camp on the Heart. It really is quite a bit nicer than Northpark. We are unsure as to whether we will camp there as the price is a bit higher than Northpark. From Camp on the Heart we continued our little drive about town by heading to this little fabric store I found in the phone book. Dakota Sew and So is the name. I went in and Mike and Dad stayed outside in the car. I was the only customer in the whole place. Found two fabrics I just had to get. So I got a yard of each and left the store. We then went to lunch at Subway. We got there just in the nick of time. After we got our food, the girls' basketball team from South Heart came in. This was in addition to all of the other customers who were there getting lunch.. The three girls preparing the sandwiches were just running. Wow! It was unbelievable. Mike and I remarked how good they were at keeping the line moving. Believe it or not, they got through that entire line in less than 15 minutes. It truly was remarkable. We finished eating and as we were leaving, another bus full of girls from Linton High School started lining up to order their food. Unbelievable. Those girls sure earned their wages today!
We then drove around a little bit more and then drove back to Dads' house. We went downstairs to my favorite room, the rec room and listened to Dad's stories. What an enjoyable day!
Went grocery shopping with Dad this morning so that he could pick up all of the ingredients for things that he wants me to make for him while I am here. Needless to say, for all of you who have heard our stories from past visits, these ingredients included lots of flour, sugar, yeast and chocolate chips. So you know his freezer will once again be stocked with chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal date cookies, and cinnamon rolls before I leave.
After we got back to his house and unpacked all of the groceries and put them away, Mike suggested we go for a little ride and check out where this other campground we heard about is. So we all piled into the little Geo and drove down to the southwest side of town and checked out Camp on the Heart. It really is quite a bit nicer than Northpark. We are unsure as to whether we will camp there as the price is a bit higher than Northpark. From Camp on the Heart we continued our little drive about town by heading to this little fabric store I found in the phone book. Dakota Sew and So is the name. I went in and Mike and Dad stayed outside in the car. I was the only customer in the whole place. Found two fabrics I just had to get. So I got a yard of each and left the store. We then went to lunch at Subway. We got there just in the nick of time. After we got our food, the girls' basketball team from South Heart came in. This was in addition to all of the other customers who were there getting lunch.. The three girls preparing the sandwiches were just running. Wow! It was unbelievable. Mike and I remarked how good they were at keeping the line moving. Believe it or not, they got through that entire line in less than 15 minutes. It truly was remarkable. We finished eating and as we were leaving, another bus full of girls from Linton High School started lining up to order their food. Unbelievable. Those girls sure earned their wages today!
We then drove around a little bit more and then drove back to Dads' house. We went downstairs to my favorite room, the rec room and listened to Dad's stories. What an enjoyable day!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Travel Day to Dickinson, ND
Well we left our friend's Pam and Rick Perry's house in Billings this morning. It was a beautiful travel day. Hardly any breeze what-so-ever, so wind was not a bother to the motorhome.
Filled the motorhome with fuel on our way out of Billings. Mike depended totally on the Garmin to get us back onto the highway. Mike already knew how to get there, but decided to let the Garmin lead the way. Sheesh, it only took us three miles out of our way through Billings. Quite interesting to say the least. But we got on the highway and were on our way to good ole North Dakota.
While traveling along Interstate 94 beside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Mike told me to keep an eye out for buffalo. Believe it or not I actually saw one climbing up the hill. I still can't believe how huge they are. The ones that they have in the zoo's out in California are the size of baby calves compared to the full grown version in the wild. They are just beautiful! Dangerous but beautiful!
Arrived in Dickinson around 5:30 p.m. and went straight to the campground. We actually arrived a day earlier than anticipated due to good travel/driving times. Once we got all checked in and got to our campsite, Mike busied himself with getting the motorhome set up. I did all of the inside tasks of getting things set up inside as well as getting the TV satellite set up. That was interesting. It took quite a while for the DirecTV dish to find the satellite signal. But luckily it did and we have TV. Cool!
Tomorrow we head over to my Dad's house to begin our two week visit with him. Looks like we will be here for Dickinson's Roughrider Days. That should be fun if we get a chance to go to any of the events. Time will tell.
Well, we are tired and needing to get to bed. Can't believe we've already been gone from California for a week!
Filled the motorhome with fuel on our way out of Billings. Mike depended totally on the Garmin to get us back onto the highway. Mike already knew how to get there, but decided to let the Garmin lead the way. Sheesh, it only took us three miles out of our way through Billings. Quite interesting to say the least. But we got on the highway and were on our way to good ole North Dakota.
While traveling along Interstate 94 beside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Mike told me to keep an eye out for buffalo. Believe it or not I actually saw one climbing up the hill. I still can't believe how huge they are. The ones that they have in the zoo's out in California are the size of baby calves compared to the full grown version in the wild. They are just beautiful! Dangerous but beautiful!
Arrived in Dickinson around 5:30 p.m. and went straight to the campground. We actually arrived a day earlier than anticipated due to good travel/driving times. Once we got all checked in and got to our campsite, Mike busied himself with getting the motorhome set up. I did all of the inside tasks of getting things set up inside as well as getting the TV satellite set up. That was interesting. It took quite a while for the DirecTV dish to find the satellite signal. But luckily it did and we have TV. Cool!
Tomorrow we head over to my Dad's house to begin our two week visit with him. Looks like we will be here for Dickinson's Roughrider Days. That should be fun if we get a chance to go to any of the events. Time will tell.
Well, we are tired and needing to get to bed. Can't believe we've already been gone from California for a week!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Out and About in Big Sky Country
Today Pam and Rick took us for a beautiful drive. We drove through Bridger, Red Lodge, and Laurel here in Montana. There were other little towns that seem to be escaping my memory recall right now. None-the-less it was a beautiful drive through gorgeous countryside. Of course Pam obliged me with many an opportunity to check out the interesting stores as well as feed my fabric shopping habit. Just had to purchase a couple of hunks of fabric that I have never seen out in So Cal.
The mountains around here are really packed with snow. Pam and Rick even said that they doubt that the snow will all melt before this Autumn when the new snow will be falling once again. The rivers are just running full and hard with all of the runoff as well as the water from all of the rain that they have been experiencing here in recent weeks. It's just unbelievable.
Of course the best part of this whole trip is being afforded the opportunity to visit and spend time with our friends that have left So Cal for better parts of this country. We have truly missed them all tremendously. Being with them has made us realize just how much we have missed them!
The mountains around here are really packed with snow. Pam and Rick even said that they doubt that the snow will all melt before this Autumn when the new snow will be falling once again. The rivers are just running full and hard with all of the runoff as well as the water from all of the rain that they have been experiencing here in recent weeks. It's just unbelievable.
Of course the best part of this whole trip is being afforded the opportunity to visit and spend time with our friends that have left So Cal for better parts of this country. We have truly missed them all tremendously. Being with them has made us realize just how much we have missed them!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Day of Travel from Idaho to Montana
Spent the day yesterday with Carol shopping in Idaho Falls once again. We had a blast looking for cute doggy beds and darling doggy shirts and sweaters for Carol's new little dog, Brutus. Then we also checked out a sewing machine store to look at embroidery/sewing machines. Carol is really thinking about getting one after seeing how much fun it is to do machine embroidery. I brought my machine with me and embroidered a couple of vests for her. I warned her that it is very addicting. Phil may never see her again if she gets one of the machines. At least that is pretty much what Mike has experienced since he bought me mine. Wait a minute! Maybe that was his intent. I think a serious interrogation is needing to take place very soon!
Today we left Carol and Phil's in Teton, ID and headed for Pam and Rick Perry's in Billings, MT.
We left Teton this morning at about 9:00 a.m. It was raining, cloudy and gloomy. Guess you could say the day fit my mood with having to leave my BFF's. Goodness knows when I will have the opportunity to spend time with Carol any time soon.
We took a route through West Yellowstone, north to Bozeman. OMG, talk about beautiful territory! The streams and rivers were all so full and running so hard, it was actually kind of frightening to realize that a person couldn't have any chance of survival if they fell into any of these swollen rivers or streams. We stopped along side of a gorgeous stream to have lunch. Scenery like that is priceless. As we traveled north we actually climbed above the snow line. Here it is the middle of June and there is still quite a bit of snow in the Yellowstone forest.
Once we turned east after going through Bozeman, we continued to experience intermittent rain storms. One rain storm a few miles east of Billings was unbelievable! It was raining humongous drops of rain and then the wind whipped up and was blowing the rain sideways into us. It actually became difficult to see the road through the rain for a few minutes. To say it was a bit scary would be putting it lightly!
Mike kind of miscalculated the distance between Teton and Billings. As a result we got to Pam and Rick's a day before anticipated. We called them to ask if they were ready for us to come a little bit early. Rick said, sure no problem. Then he asked how far away we were. Mike kind of giggled and said, about 18 miles. Wow! So we are here with our other good friends Pam and Rick.
Pam and Rick bought a their house here in Billings about 3 or 4 months ago. Man is this place nice! And talk about a change from their house in Forest Falls, CA! I honestly think that you could fit their entire Forest Falls cabin in part of the first floor of their new home! After a complete tour of their house and property, we headed out for a wonderful dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. Absolutely love this restaurant! Fantastic steaks! We always make sure we go to the Texas Roadhouse when we go to Bismarck, ND. So this trip we get to go to it here in Billings as well. Awesome! At least that is what my taste buds and tummy say. The scale will see it entirely differently in the morning. UGH!
After dinner Pam and Rick took us for a drive and showed us Pam's office and college campus where she is Director. I was totally impressed. She has done an absolutely fantastic job with this place thus far and explained her future plans. Wow! Then they took us for a drive onto the Rim here in Billings. The city is beautiful at night with all of the lights.
Getting to bed and looking forward to an awesome day with friends tomorrow.
Today we left Carol and Phil's in Teton, ID and headed for Pam and Rick Perry's in Billings, MT.
We left Teton this morning at about 9:00 a.m. It was raining, cloudy and gloomy. Guess you could say the day fit my mood with having to leave my BFF's. Goodness knows when I will have the opportunity to spend time with Carol any time soon.
We took a route through West Yellowstone, north to Bozeman. OMG, talk about beautiful territory! The streams and rivers were all so full and running so hard, it was actually kind of frightening to realize that a person couldn't have any chance of survival if they fell into any of these swollen rivers or streams. We stopped along side of a gorgeous stream to have lunch. Scenery like that is priceless. As we traveled north we actually climbed above the snow line. Here it is the middle of June and there is still quite a bit of snow in the Yellowstone forest.
Once we turned east after going through Bozeman, we continued to experience intermittent rain storms. One rain storm a few miles east of Billings was unbelievable! It was raining humongous drops of rain and then the wind whipped up and was blowing the rain sideways into us. It actually became difficult to see the road through the rain for a few minutes. To say it was a bit scary would be putting it lightly!
Mike kind of miscalculated the distance between Teton and Billings. As a result we got to Pam and Rick's a day before anticipated. We called them to ask if they were ready for us to come a little bit early. Rick said, sure no problem. Then he asked how far away we were. Mike kind of giggled and said, about 18 miles. Wow! So we are here with our other good friends Pam and Rick.
Pam and Rick bought a their house here in Billings about 3 or 4 months ago. Man is this place nice! And talk about a change from their house in Forest Falls, CA! I honestly think that you could fit their entire Forest Falls cabin in part of the first floor of their new home! After a complete tour of their house and property, we headed out for a wonderful dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. Absolutely love this restaurant! Fantastic steaks! We always make sure we go to the Texas Roadhouse when we go to Bismarck, ND. So this trip we get to go to it here in Billings as well. Awesome! At least that is what my taste buds and tummy say. The scale will see it entirely differently in the morning. UGH!
After dinner Pam and Rick took us for a drive and showed us Pam's office and college campus where she is Director. I was totally impressed. She has done an absolutely fantastic job with this place thus far and explained her future plans. Wow! Then they took us for a drive onto the Rim here in Billings. The city is beautiful at night with all of the lights.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Awesome Time at the Wall's
Today Carol took us to the local fabric/craft store. It was fantastic! The woman who owns and runs this shop has got fabric I have never seen before. I could have spent hours and hundreds of dollars there. Love this place! I did manage to escape with only three yards and a fat quarter of fabric. I just have never seen these fabrics. Compound that with the awesome friendly service and you have a huge winner!
From there we went to Idaho Falls and got to see the actual water falls that were the reason for Idaho Falls' name. They are just beautiful. We've all been hearing about the flooding around the Mississippi as well as in North Dakota around the Little Missouri River, but we haven't been hearing about the high water levels and flooding that they are experiencing here in Idaho. The Snake River is extremely full. Every bridge we see is only 2 to 3 feet above the water level. There are fields that have been turned into lakes and the Idaho Falls were running wildly. It makes for some dangerous beauty. Mother Nature at her best.
In Idaho Falls we went to one of Carol's favorite thrift stores. Wow! They had some pretty neat stuff there. I bought a vase to put the lilacs in that I cut off of Carol's lilac bushes. I love them. They are so pretty and awesomely fragrant. After we found our "treasures" in the thrift store, Carol drove us around some more and then we all went to lunch at Red Robin. We all ate way too much. Misery with an overfull stomach. Ugh.
On our way to Idaho Falls we drove past this store that Carol said just opened a couple of weeks ago. It is a store that sells handmade cheese. We all decided we had to go there to check it out on our way back from Idaho Falls.
Manwaring Cheese Inc. is unbelievable! Even though we were all so full from lunch, we couldn't help but taste the four cheeses that they were offering for tasting. I don't think I have ever tasted a Sharp Cheddar or Swiss Cheese that was better than these. Just had to buy a chunk of each. I asked the owner about a couple of other cheeses that he had curing in the cooler. He said that he likes to combine different ingredients in his cheeses. One of the cheeses had honey and cinnamon incorporated in the sharp cheddar. One also had red pepper flakes mixed in. The most interesting one was cheddar cheese with raspberry jam pressed into it. Mike said "Oh man, that sounds good." The owner showed us how he was experimenting with pressing the jam into the cheese. Before we knew it, he went back into the rear cooler and came out with a 2-inch high by 6-inch diameter round of the cheddar with raspberry jam that he just gave to us free of charge. He said that it has to cure in the refrigerator for six weeks and would like us to let him know what we think. Can you believe this? Free of charge? If this were good ole So Cal, they would have said we are a little unsure of this combination, but if you would like to try it we will sell it to you at a 50% reduction in price and then proceeded to tell us that they were going to sell it for $10 per pound! I love the midwest and the people in it. They are just a different breed!!!!!
We came back to the Wall residence and were still so full, we couldn't even fathom eating anything for dinner. So, guess what Carol and I did? Can anyone spell, machine embroidery? Yup. Carol picked out a couple of designs she really liked, I broke out my embroidery machine and threads, and Carol picked out two denim vests she wanted embroidered. We had such a good visit while my machine was doing its thing.
Looking forward to tomorrow and spending another day with my BFF!
From there we went to Idaho Falls and got to see the actual water falls that were the reason for Idaho Falls' name. They are just beautiful. We've all been hearing about the flooding around the Mississippi as well as in North Dakota around the Little Missouri River, but we haven't been hearing about the high water levels and flooding that they are experiencing here in Idaho. The Snake River is extremely full. Every bridge we see is only 2 to 3 feet above the water level. There are fields that have been turned into lakes and the Idaho Falls were running wildly. It makes for some dangerous beauty. Mother Nature at her best.
In Idaho Falls we went to one of Carol's favorite thrift stores. Wow! They had some pretty neat stuff there. I bought a vase to put the lilacs in that I cut off of Carol's lilac bushes. I love them. They are so pretty and awesomely fragrant. After we found our "treasures" in the thrift store, Carol drove us around some more and then we all went to lunch at Red Robin. We all ate way too much. Misery with an overfull stomach. Ugh.
On our way to Idaho Falls we drove past this store that Carol said just opened a couple of weeks ago. It is a store that sells handmade cheese. We all decided we had to go there to check it out on our way back from Idaho Falls.
Manwaring Cheese Inc. is unbelievable! Even though we were all so full from lunch, we couldn't help but taste the four cheeses that they were offering for tasting. I don't think I have ever tasted a Sharp Cheddar or Swiss Cheese that was better than these. Just had to buy a chunk of each. I asked the owner about a couple of other cheeses that he had curing in the cooler. He said that he likes to combine different ingredients in his cheeses. One of the cheeses had honey and cinnamon incorporated in the sharp cheddar. One also had red pepper flakes mixed in. The most interesting one was cheddar cheese with raspberry jam pressed into it. Mike said "Oh man, that sounds good." The owner showed us how he was experimenting with pressing the jam into the cheese. Before we knew it, he went back into the rear cooler and came out with a 2-inch high by 6-inch diameter round of the cheddar with raspberry jam that he just gave to us free of charge. He said that it has to cure in the refrigerator for six weeks and would like us to let him know what we think. Can you believe this? Free of charge? If this were good ole So Cal, they would have said we are a little unsure of this combination, but if you would like to try it we will sell it to you at a 50% reduction in price and then proceeded to tell us that they were going to sell it for $10 per pound! I love the midwest and the people in it. They are just a different breed!!!!!
We came back to the Wall residence and were still so full, we couldn't even fathom eating anything for dinner. So, guess what Carol and I did? Can anyone spell, machine embroidery? Yup. Carol picked out a couple of designs she really liked, I broke out my embroidery machine and threads, and Carol picked out two denim vests she wanted embroidered. We had such a good visit while my machine was doing its thing.
Looking forward to tomorrow and spending another day with my BFF!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Made it to Teton, Idaho
Well, we made it to my best friend Carol's in Teton, Idaho today.
We got up pretty early this morning and got on the road. We were worried about rush hour traffic in Salt Lake City and it wasn't bad at all. Of course all of the road work didn't make it particularly lovely, but all-in-all it really wasn't that bad. Mike was totally surprised. I on the other hand really didn't like the reduced lanes and big vehicles.
As we headed further into northern Utah we hit weather. Surprise, surprise! Actually hit some heavy rain outside of Pocatello. What was interesting is the fact that if you looked really close at the low clouds hanging over the foothills you realized it was actually snowing!!!!! There was fresh snow on the green grass. Unbelievable. Isn't it June?? Went back to the bedroom in the motorhome to check the outside thermometer and it was only 42 degrees outside. BRRRRRRRR!
Got to Carol and Phil's house a little before noon. OMG it was so good seeing them after all of this time. You really don't realize just how much you miss someone until you get the chance to see them and spend some time with them.
Carol and Phil have got an absolutely beautiful home (it's actually 100 years old)! They have got an awesome amount of property as well. I just love their house!!!!!! Carol let me cut some lilacs off of her bushes. They are making the motorhome smell absolutely awesome. Love those lilacs, always have. They bring back such fantastic childhood memories.
Our awesome friends took us out to lunch. Wow was that fabulous pizza! I would have to rank it in my top favorite three! They then took us to a couple of Carol's favorite shopping haunts. Talk about great deals!!!!! I got two pairs of brand new Levi's jeans for $6.99 each and a brand new Jones of New York dress denim jacket for $7.99. There is no way I could have found these kind of deals in good ole So Cal! Thank you Carol!!!!!!!!
Had dinner after Carol's delicious fruit drinks aka "Berry Wallbangers." Then called it an early evening since Phil has to get up at 4:00 a.m. to go to work tomorrow in Yellowstone National Park. Just remember, if you visit Yellowstone National Park and drink any of the water, thank Phil. He is the Supervisor for their fresh water treatment plant.
Looking forward to another fantastic day with my best bud tomorrow!
We got up pretty early this morning and got on the road. We were worried about rush hour traffic in Salt Lake City and it wasn't bad at all. Of course all of the road work didn't make it particularly lovely, but all-in-all it really wasn't that bad. Mike was totally surprised. I on the other hand really didn't like the reduced lanes and big vehicles.
As we headed further into northern Utah we hit weather. Surprise, surprise! Actually hit some heavy rain outside of Pocatello. What was interesting is the fact that if you looked really close at the low clouds hanging over the foothills you realized it was actually snowing!!!!! There was fresh snow on the green grass. Unbelievable. Isn't it June?? Went back to the bedroom in the motorhome to check the outside thermometer and it was only 42 degrees outside. BRRRRRRRR!
Got to Carol and Phil's house a little before noon. OMG it was so good seeing them after all of this time. You really don't realize just how much you miss someone until you get the chance to see them and spend some time with them.
Carol and Phil have got an absolutely beautiful home (it's actually 100 years old)! They have got an awesome amount of property as well. I just love their house!!!!!! Carol let me cut some lilacs off of her bushes. They are making the motorhome smell absolutely awesome. Love those lilacs, always have. They bring back such fantastic childhood memories.
Our awesome friends took us out to lunch. Wow was that fabulous pizza! I would have to rank it in my top favorite three! They then took us to a couple of Carol's favorite shopping haunts. Talk about great deals!!!!! I got two pairs of brand new Levi's jeans for $6.99 each and a brand new Jones of New York dress denim jacket for $7.99. There is no way I could have found these kind of deals in good ole So Cal! Thank you Carol!!!!!!!!
Had dinner after Carol's delicious fruit drinks aka "Berry Wallbangers." Then called it an early evening since Phil has to get up at 4:00 a.m. to go to work tomorrow in Yellowstone National Park. Just remember, if you visit Yellowstone National Park and drink any of the water, thank Phil. He is the Supervisor for their fresh water treatment plant.
Looking forward to another fantastic day with my best bud tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Day one of our 2011 road trip
Today was a complete travel day. Got onto the Northbound 215 at precisely 8:00 this morning. Traffic wasn't bad at all. Unfortunately San Bernardino has so many parts of the 215 torn up for added construction, parts were pretty dicey. At least from my point of view.
Still hate going through Las Vegas! Do people not realize that a 36 foot motorhome towing a car does not need room???????? Of course there was one truck driver who thought he needed parts of our lane too when we were beside him. Argh!!!!!!!!!!
In all the trips though the Virgin River Gorge, we have never seen the river so full! It was actually full from bank to bank and running with small rapids. Usually it is just a trickle of a creek. It was really pretty. We also have never seen so much snow in the Utah mountains. Wow! We are venturing to guess that there is so much that it won't completely melt before snow begins to fall in the winter. Sure makes for beautiful scenery.
We drove 602 miles today and are spending the night in the East Bay RV Resort just outside of Provo, UT. Wonder if Donny and Marie Osmond are home and would like some company? What ya think? I think Mike and I should just get some rest and head out to Teton, ID tomorrow for a much anticipated visit with my best friend and her hubby. Haven't seen them in a very long time.
Still hate going through Las Vegas! Do people not realize that a 36 foot motorhome towing a car does not need room???????? Of course there was one truck driver who thought he needed parts of our lane too when we were beside him. Argh!!!!!!!!!!
In all the trips though the Virgin River Gorge, we have never seen the river so full! It was actually full from bank to bank and running with small rapids. Usually it is just a trickle of a creek. It was really pretty. We also have never seen so much snow in the Utah mountains. Wow! We are venturing to guess that there is so much that it won't completely melt before snow begins to fall in the winter. Sure makes for beautiful scenery.
We drove 602 miles today and are spending the night in the East Bay RV Resort just outside of Provo, UT. Wonder if Donny and Marie Osmond are home and would like some company? What ya think? I think Mike and I should just get some rest and head out to Teton, ID tomorrow for a much anticipated visit with my best friend and her hubby. Haven't seen them in a very long time.
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