HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

Hey everyone; 

I would like to thank everyone for the prayers for my elbow.
The surgery went well, taking over two hours, 30+ stitches,
two pins & 2 figure 8 wires.  Needless to say it is sore!!  The
stitches come out next Wed, so shall see how it goes.  Can
do a lot left handed from the years in floral design, so am not
totally helpless.  Pray for Mike having to do so much extra.

We got the rig emptied with Jacki's help & drove it to the
dealer for all the maintenance repairs after the trip.  I am go-
ing to miss the rig.

Has been wonderful to see everyone again.  Will enjoy
spending time with family & friends as I am not allowed
to do much.  Am not going to promise Christmas cards this
year, see how I do.  Am so thankful I left my tree up from
last year, ha ha.

Want to thank everyone for following the blog as we
journeyed over 14,000 miles, plus another 10,000 miles in
my truck.  We saw a lot of amazing sights, met a lot of
wonderful people & will  enjoy it over & over through my
pictures. (which exceeded 15,000)   Pray I can share them
with you sometime.

Love & blessings always,  Mike & Dee

WE'RE HOME!!!!!

Hey there . . .   I don't know where to start. . .
first off,  we had a wonderful time in Natchez.  Really liked
all the history and the antebellum homes were awesome.  The
campground was right on the river so could watch the barges
pass.  steamboats were cool.   We were able to spend an aftn
with a former coworker of mine,  and they showed us Vicksburg.

We made really good time heading east and stopped at a camp-
ground in Bremen, Ga.  I was taking a picture and turned, tripped
on a raised piece of asphalt & went down HARD.

 My first ambulance ride!!!!  The elbow is broken and  3 stitches
in the one finger.  They released me to see my Dr here in Franklin.

Dr Kessler will be doing surgery this aftn or Fri aftn.  I  ask for
prayer that he will be able to fix it. 

In the meantime,  we will try to get the house opened up & some
heat on.  What a mess!!!  On top of that, the credit card got
hacked this morning!!!  We should have stayed on the road!!!

Will post a final time once we get settled at the house.  Hope you
can make this out as doing one handed with the left hand.  Its
the right elbow.  Pray you are all doing well.

Love & prayers,   Mike & Dee

TEXAS & TEMPS !!!

Hey there!!!   How is everyone doing?  Everyone staying warm??
What a bummer w/ this cold front.  We stayed in Dallas longer than
planned as the winds were awful!!  This rig don't do so good in the
high winds!!   Luckily we were at a really nice campground just
east of Dallas.  Time to rest and also met really nice people,  Ben
& Tammy Davis who were just starting full-time.  They will have
a blast.  Every full-timer we talked to wouldn't do anything else!!

While there we took a day & went to the Geo Bush Presidential
Library.  Never been to one, so we really enjoyed it.  You can see
from the pic that the Oval office desk was pretty cool!!  Good
thing I wasn't talking to Obama, ha ha ha!!!

We have made it to Natchez, MS & will wait out the cold snap
here.  We are right on the Mississippi River.  Can watch the barges
go down river.  A nice campground & hope to do some  "good-
eatin".  I love gumbo!!!

Hard to believe we only have a week or so left before we back in
Franklin.  Will take a bit to get the house open & things unpacked.
Will do another post when we get there

We pray everyone is doing well & we are always glad to hear from
you.  Stay warm & keep in touch!!!

Love & blessings,    Mike & Dee:)

TOMBSTONE & CARLSBAD!!

Hey everyone!!   How are you all doing?  Really good we hope.  All
as glad as we are that the election is over???   Yeah . . .

We had a wonderful time w/ cousin Suzanne & a super fun time in
Tombstone!!  Dee got pulled from the crowd for a shoot-out skit.  What
a hoot!!  At least I got the bad guy, ha ha.  Purdie got called a "fur-bie"
and was a hit w/ the crowd.   They really have the tourist thing down to
an art, but Mike loved it all.  Boot Hill & the Courthouse were all inter-
esting.  We had a really pretty day too.   Lots of pics!!

We headed to Carlsbad and went thru El Paso.  Got close to the border
and glad we did no stopping!!  Pretty country even tho so very barren.

We stopped at Guadalupe Nat'l Park & the mountains are really pretty.
Now Carlsbad Caverns was another of those "over the top" fun times.
Took lots of pics, the formations were breathtaking & the park does a
super job on letting you see so much!!! 

We head for Texas tomorrow, so will be few days on the road.  Pray
the weather holds for us.   Enjoying the cooler weather a lot. . . .

Prayers that all is well w/ everyone.   We love to hear from Ya'll!!
Love & Blessings,    Mike & Dee:)

FUN IN TUCSON !!!

Hey there . . . .  How is everyone?   Happy Halloween!!  There is a party
at the campground tonight, so should be fun!!  Packing a costume at Easter
when we left didn't happen, so its . . . as is,   ha ha!!

We had a really fun week in Tucson with our friends, Mike & Susan.  And
can't forget their Lucy (beagle bandito).  At our campground there, was a
pom named Sassy next door, see if you can tell the difference!!

We went to Saguaro Nat'l Park & Mike just likes these cactus.  Lots of pics
and saw a gila monster.  My pics were of those three taking pics of this
ugly thing.  So funny!! 

We also went up to Mt. Lemmon.  Now that was pretty!!  The higher we got
the more it reminded me of home.  Got to take pics of fall colors & the
views were really pretty!!!  So much to see.

One day we went over to the San Xavier Sol Bac Mission.  The white dove
of the mtns.  Ever so pretty & the tour was very informative.  So much
history.  Back to the 1700.  Needless to say, lots of pics.

We got to rest too,  which Mike needed.  The weather has been record
breaking heat here.  Start to cool more at night tho.

We are in Benson, AZ now & will see Mike's cousin Suzanne.  Hope to
go to Tombstone & see the sights.    Then on to Carlsbad Caverns.   We
had some sad news from our home church, so will be heading home after
that.  See how the weather & the rig does as to when we make it.

Hi to everyone.  Love & Prayers,        Mike & Dee:)

PRETTY PHOENIX !!!

Hey everyone!!!   How are you all doing?  Is it cooling off by you?  We are still
in the heat!! Hitting 95* tomorrow.  We have loved hearing from everyone this
week.  Kids are glad we are heading east!!!

We had a wonderful week w/ Mike's cousin Gwen & her Bill.  They took us on a
tour around Phoenix & that is a real pretty city.  Clean. Lots to do & see.

The highlite for me was going to the air museum & seeing a B-17.  My Dad was
a tail gunner on a B17 in WW2 & was a pow in Switzerland when they crashed.
Was so awesome to see the plane & see where Dad was.  So many pictures!!!

We spent another day on the Apache Trail.  Mike likes his western movies &
books, so this was neat for him.  So many different cacti, awesome!  But so hot!

We spent a whole day w/ Gwen & Bill up in Sedona!!  Over the top is the only
way to describe it.  Their son Jon knew where to go, so got to see all the good
sights, including the Vortex thing.  Pictures are phenomenal & Bill was a real
trooper w/ 3 people in the car taking pictures non-stop.  Did some hiking & no
time for shopping, so save that for next time, ha ha!!   Also saw the Chapel of
the Holy Cross.  No adjectives do it justice!!!

We drove to Tucson today & that was a nightmare.  An accident on I-10 & a
2 hour trip took 6 hours!  In the heat, so tonight we are really tired.  Will spend
time here w/ our friends, Mike & Susan that we did the whole Alaska trip with.
Lots to see here too.  Need to rest up here too!!

Prayers that all is well w/ everyone.  Love to hear from you all.   Take care.
Love & Blessings,    Mike & Dee:)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Hey everyone!!  How are you all doing?  Won't be long & it will be
Halloween, time is flying!!!     We are heading east, so coming down
the home stretch!!!

We had a wonderful time in Redlands, CA with the Rosaasen's. 
Tom was Mike's boyhood friend & we have kept in touch w/ him &
his wife Barbara over the years.   We were able to spend time with
them at their home, plus we were able to see his brothers, Harry,
Eddie (wife Judy) & Kenny.  Mike got to talk w/ Jerry too.  This
was a big highlite of the trip for Mike.  Been too many years since
he had seen them all.

We took in some sights in Redlands also, but when we left we did
stop at Joshua Tree Nat'l Park.  Again, it was just so much more
than I expected!  Lots of pictures!!

We are handling the heat pretty well.  It cools off nice overnite, so
can get some relief. 

We are at Quartzite, AZ, heading toward Phoenix.  Mike has not
seen his cousin Gwen (her husband Bill) in over 40 yrs, so are really
looking forward to spending time w/ them.  The desert has a beauty
that can grow on you.  

Prayers that all is well w/ everyone.  We are doing well, Purdie too,
and will  touch base when we leave Phoenix.    Take care all,

Love & Blessings,    Mike & Dee:)

ORANGE GROVES !!

Hey everyone!!   How are you all doing?   We are trying to cool off!!
Days get really warm here in Bakersfield, but nights cool off nice.  We
have had a great visit w/ our friends, Tim & Julie Watts whom we met
in Mesa Verde N.P.   We just had lunch w/ them at a basque Spanish
restaurant.  Talk about food.......so yum!  They also took us for a ride
in the area,  so much agriculture & so so so  dry!   Lots & lots of oil
wells too.  Surprised us.

We went up to Tehachapi one day & found us another bakery!! ha ha.
German this time & over the top sticky buns.  e'clairs so big you  got
sick finishing it.  Like the heavy breads for dipping.  They are famous
there for the railroad Loop.  We were lucky to see one come thru long
enough to "catch" its tail.  Fun to see!!   Also got great pics of a black
tail deer  - 8 pt buck.  Cool!!

We were able to get the rig repaired OK.  Mike talk to the mechanic &
able to fix it himself.  So thankful he is so handy, ha ha !!
We got up at 2 am to see the "blood" moon eclipse!  Cool to see.

So back on the road in am, heading to Redlands, CA.  Going to see
Mike's childhood friends for a few days!!  Travel when it is cooler.
Prayers that all is well for you.

Love & blessings,     Mike & Dee:)

THE HIGH SIERRAS

Hey everyone!   How are you all doing?  All's well we pray.  Sure
is starting to feel fall isn't it.   How is the color in Carolina???

We have had a busy week.  We moved over to Fresno, CA & we
found Peace Lutheran Church for sunday services.  Very nice.
After church we went to Forestiere Underground Gardens & that
was really neat.  Italian fella built whole acres of catacombs under
Fresno to beat the heat & grew citrus trees.  Ingenuity !!!

We had a great day at Yosemite!  Up to Glacier Point & the views
were awesome!!  The drought has really hurt the Park & all the
waterfalls were dry except for Bridal Veil.  At least saw some
water.  The Valley's El Capitan & Half Dome were awesome to see.
A little adventure w/ a park ranger (funny) really capped the day!!

Then we spent a day at King's Canyon / Sequoia N.P.  So glad we
had a pretty, cool day.  The trees are just over the top gorgeous!!
Needless to say I took a lot of pics!  Some construction there so
not time to see everything, but was a really good day.   The high
light of the day was seeing a black bear w/ her cub!  So cute.
The General Sherman Tree & Grant Tree were great hikes!!

We are going to be dodging the heat in So. Calif. for the next few
days.  Heading to Bakersfield & Redlands.  Pray it cools off some.
Are having a rest day (laundry, etc).  Purdie likes her rest days too.

Pray all is well & love to hear from everyone!!   Take care,
Love & Blessings,    Mike & Dee:)



  

BIG SUR !!!!

Hey everyone . . . .    How are you all doing?  Getting into fall?   We see it
here in California, even tho is so dry.  We had a shower this morn'g.  First
since Washington.  Pray it helped the fire situation.

We have enjoyed the campground here.  Sunday they had church services
here & that was good.  Nice people.  Cooler here than we had the week be
fore.  So all's good!!!!

We have been to the pacific & really enjoyed that.  Big Sur was over the
top!  You can't believe the pics.  Just keep snapping.   Went along the beach
in Monterrey too & saw Cannery Row &  all the exquisite homes!.  Very
high $$$$.   Have to tell the guys we went thru Pebble Beach Golf Course
in Carmel too.  No water shortage there!!!   This was along the 17 Mile
Drive they call it.  Really really pretty.    Mike enjoyed all the animals.  The
seals are barking & fun to watch.   Pics will tell the story!!

We also went down to Pinnacles Nat'l Park.  A new one & the landscape is
very stark.  Was an enjoyable day.  Purdie likes to go with us & she is such
a good traveler.  Hard to believe we are on the San Andreas fault line.

We have had a couple of rest days too.  Really needed those & catch up with
maintenance on the rig.  The area is really heavy on agriculture too.

We have taken in two more of the California Missions.  We saw the one in
San Francisco (Mission Dolores),  Here we saw the San Juan Bautista one
which was awesome & then the Carmel Mission.  The story on these is a
wonderful  thing.  All so pretty!

We are heading to Yosemite & Sequoia next.  Pray it is not too hot  again.
We pray that all is well with everyone & love to hear from you!!!
Love & blessings,
Mike & Dee:)

WINE & SAN FRAN

Hey everyone!!   How are you all doing?  Fall is really here now, huh?  Hate
to think of winter, yuk!!        We had a great time visiting Mike's cousin Don
in Yuba City, CA.  Got to see all the family & Don showed us around all the
agriculture in the area.  Everything grows here,  even tho so very very dry!!
Water is becoming a serious issue throughout the state tho.

Our friends from FL came in and we had a great time doing the Sonoma and
Napa Valleys.  The winerys are very impressive and the tastings were great!.
Had lunch at the one winery like a castle, a picnic on the grounds.  Really
liked Sonoma as not as commercial as Napa.  But are so gorgeous to see.  The
one had a gondola ride to the top to see the winery.  The food is as good as the
wine in the area too.  On yogurt afterwards, ha ha!!  We will have to have a
tasting of our own when we get back!!!  

We did the Wine Train Dinner & that was a fun time.   Very ornate compared
to the Durango train.  The meal was really good & got lots of pics. , Is a whole
culture out here.  Wine, food & sunshine.  (lots of neat cars too, ha ha)

We also went into San Francisco . . .  The Golden Gate was really awesome.
Don had told us where to go to see it & was super!   Great pics again & most
of them are on my camera!!  Did the Coit Tower (awesome views),  Lombard
Street (crookedest),  Fisherman's Wharf, the Painted Ladies (houses) and we
did Chinatown for lunch (they let us bring Purdie into the restaurant, a blast).
So much to see and we had a pretty day.  We came back on the Oakland Bay
Bridge & that was neat too.  A lot cooler in San Fran than inland too!!

We are keeping a close eye on the fires.  So scary how fast they come up.  The
wind changes & they can get on you quick.  We are heading to Monterey area
tomorrow.  A few days to rest & see if fire in Yosemite area gets under control.
Playing it by ear at this point.

We pray that all is well with you & will post again soon.  Pray for rain here!!
Love & blessings,      Mike & Dee:) 

THE ROGUE & THE REDWOODS !!

Hey there,    How is everyone?  Pray all is well w/ you & yours.  Hard to believe
we are going into fall.  See the leaf change here already.  Hot days,  cool nights!!

We had a wonderful day up to Crater Lake Nat'l Park.  What a sight to see.  Never
seen such blue water.  Was a cool morning, but was so much fun.  Not able to go
all way around due to construction part way.  We took in the Hwy 138 waterfalls
& so seeing Toketee Falls was a highlite.  Did a lot of hiking & seen some pretty
falls.  You know how I like my waterfalls.   Good exercise & cooler than the valley.

On the way back we took in the Rogue River gorge.  Now that is something to see.
I've never seen such a chasm & also a natural bridge where the water goes under
the rocks & comes out down the river.  So so pretty!!          

Another day we drove down to the Redwood Nat'l Park.  What a sight that is too.
We went on Howland Hill Rd (gravel thru a natural stand) and hiked thru Stout
Grove.  Cannot believe how big the trees are & so so tall.  Really enjoyed that.
Drove thru a redwood with the truck, pics are on the other camera.  We also got
to find an overlook & watch for the gray whales.  The fog moved in so hard to
spot.   Mike seen the one, but also the seals frolicking in the waves.  Pray the pix
turn out.  Very cool at the beach, but very hot inland, like 40* difference.

We found another nice church just down the road from the campground, so really
enjoy that.  A young pastor w/ the "knows it".  Had to check out a winery that was
just up the road.  So many in the valley.  Neat historic towns too.

Today has been a rest day.   The smoke from the No. Calif. fires at Happy Camp
has been bad the last couple days.  Long way away, but the dry air & wind carries
it this way.  Don't know how people who live here deal with the smoke???

We leave in the morning for California.  Are seeing Mike's cousin Don Kuiken
and then meeting friends in the San Francisco area for the Napa valley.  Praying
that the earthquake issue is under control.

Love hearing from you & nice to keep in touch.
Love & Blessings,    Mike & Dee:)   

BACK TO THE RIG !!

Hey there!   How is everyone?  Really good we hope!!   Well, the Lord was
really good and I was able to make the trip to Minnesota without any problems.
Met my brother Darrell & his wife Cindy (Wyoming) at the airport & we went
directly to Renville for the viewing Fri nite.  Is always so nice to see all the
family even tho we are there for such a sad occasion.  Dorothy is with the
Lord & so is a celebration, even tho we miss her terribly. 

Sat for the service my brother Harold was able to bring Mom to the service &
she looks so good.  So glad I got to see her again this summer.    We left MN
on Mon am early & I landed in Portland where Mike could pick me up as the
campground was only 15 min away.  He & Purdie did good while I was gone!
I even got a pic of the motorhome from the air!

Coming back I was upgraded to a window seat & able to take pics of Mt.
Rainier from the air, also Mt Adams.  Was a clear day & was really neat !!  I
just kept clicking away, imagine that, ha ha!

Tue morning we headed south & we are between Grants Pass & Medford.  We
plan to take in the Redwoods & also Crater Lake area.   I was really tired so
today was a catch-up day.

We so look forward to hearing from everyone & pray that all is well w/ you.
Love & Blessings,     Mike & Dee:)

GORGEOUS OREGON !!

Hey there!   How is everyone?  Prayers that all is well.  We have been seeing
the sights in No. Oregon & like Utah, the whole area should be a Nat'l Park.

We spent a day on the coast & able to see the Pacific for the first time!  Ever
so pretty.  Walked the beach & they were having a kite festival so the photos
are fun.  Waterfalls, caves, huge rocks, all so neat.  We spotted a gray whale
at one of the overlooks & fun to see him "blow". 

We have really enjoyed the Columbia River Gorge & all the history & beauty.
Multnomah Falls was a high light but there were a lot of falls along the
historic route.  We spent another day up at Mt Hood.  I can't believe we have
had such gorgeous weather & have seen all the "tops".  Just keep snapping !!

We are at a Campground just up the road from the Portland Airport.  My aunt
Dorothy has passed & I fly out Fri am to Mpls for the funeral on Sat.  Mike is
staying w/ the rig & Purdie.  Really really a tough one for me, but am so
thankful we were near an airport & I could go back.  One of those "need-tos".

We plan to head to Grant's Pass, OR when I get back.  Giving the Napa area
a chance to settle down before we head that way on Sept 12.  Is still a go as
most of the area is ok.  Pray the aftershocks are not too bad & so thankful
that no one was killed.

We have been so blessed on this trip, big things & so so many little things.
The Lord is so good !!  The church here in Portland was really a blessing too

Will post when I get back.  Pray for the family as we all travel.  Will get to
see my Mom too.

Love & Blessings,      Mike & Dee:)

Our first blog

Today, Jan 18, 2014, we set up the blog for our first
retirement trip.

Hopefully everyone will be able to follow all of our
adventures.