Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Our Trip South... to Warmth!!




It's been far too cold up here in the northland. Much colder than we remember it during our 13 years in Lincoln. Not sure what happened but we don't like it much anymore! We want to say a great big THANK YOU to Fred Smith. He and Janet not only hosted us in Lincoln on their property, not only looked out for our motorhome while we were away from Lincoln for two months; Fred literally had to blast us out of the snow and ice in his yard before we could start our southward journey. The RV jacks were imbedded over six inches in ice! We warmed them with hairdryers, and Fred pried them loose with a crowbar, which he could only get under the jacks after drilling holes in the ice. Unbelievable! Thank you, Fred and Janet!
We started our trip south in early February, saying a reluctant goodbye to Andrea and family. Spent our first night in Scott AFB FamCamp in Illinois, still too cold! The pipes in the campground were frozen, but we hooked up to one that was working. Got a good night's sleep and moved on to Chattanooga, TN where we overnighted in the parking area of a TA (Travel America) truckstop. Had dinner and breakfast with the truckers and pressed on to the home of our good friends, David and Karen Crippen, in Wildwood, GA. We've known them since the day they welcomed us as "baby" missionaries to Kenya, E.Africa in 1969! David now pastors the nearby Episcopal church, and he and Karen raise, train and show rough collies.
We spent the next day reminiscing and catching-up on our two families which have spread out over the country. Great to be together again, even if it's only a few hours at a time! Thanks for your hospitality, Karen and David!
We moved on to Augusta, GA where we were stationed for six years. Our best friends there, Mike and Susie Felz, welcomed us warmly as usual and we talked non-stop for the next 24 hours! Fun!
The next day we went further south, the length of the state, and spent the night at Eagle Hammock RV Park, on the navy sub base at King's Bay, GA. Very nice park! The following day we finished our trek at the new home of our daughter Stacey and her family in Hernando, FL.
They built a concrete RV pad and hookups for us behind their home, and it was perfect! A place of our own, but only a few steps away to their backdoor. We loved it! And at last we began to thaw!!!
One of our main reasons behind this lifestyle we've chosen is the opportunity it gives to be with our kids, and especially our grandkids, as they're growing and experiencing so much of life. Our distances have been a problem and we've had the chance to "catch up" a little. We want to know all of them so much better than we've been able to in the past.Here's Ashley at her honor student breakfast which we were able to attend. And here's Nathaniel, receiving his Cub Scout awards at his Blue and Gold banquet. We're so thankful we could be a part of these things for the six weeks we were there!


Darren's parents, Darry and Lynn Griffis, live nearby and we really enjoyed their company, getting to eat out together several times as well as attend a fun play one evening. Here we're enjoying a feast at Enrico's, one of their favorite spots in nearby Inverness. Of course, we spent lots of days geocaching with the family. They love it as much as we do.Here we've just found a virtual cache in DisneyWorld! What fun!
We left for San Antonio on March 30. More on that the next time. Thanks for reading.
Roger and Meg