Looking back at 2009

We started the year at the Plantation RV Park located near Foley, AL.  While there we purchased a small 26 foot trailer to go to Alaska in.   We stored our 5th wheel at the Plantation.  We traveled 8 months in the small trailer.  We had fun but don’t think we will do that again. (Barb says “never, no way!!)

Here are some of the statistics of our travels:

We traveled 36,492 miles through 27 states and 3 provinces. We burned 2740 gallons of diesel fuel which equates to about 13.3 miles per gallon.  We stayed in 82 RV parks,some more than once.

Some of the highlights of this year:  Our granddaughter Danielle getting married, our trip to Alaska with Diane and Wayne, visiting with Barbs cousin in Palmer, AK, meeting 2 former Marine  Corps buddies, visiting my niece in Montana and going to my 55th class reunion.  We also found ourselves in or near snow in months that should not have snow.  We have had a wonderful year and have seen and done a lot. Here are some pictures from this year, it was very hard to select these.   These pictures start in Florida and go to Alaska and back to Florida.

Our summer home                                        Diane and Barb Resting                              Cattle Drive Fort Worth, TX

 

Spring Flowers on the desert                         Mt. Shasta                                                      Moodonna The metal cow 

Josh and Danielle -  Wedding Day                              Sunset at  Barview, OR                     Barb holding a Burrowing owl

 

Baniff Gondola                                              Baniff from the Gondola

  

     Wayne and Diane looking cold       Glen & Barb braving the cold       The whole gang                         Glen killing mosquito

    

White Pass & Yukon Railroad                       Reindeer waiting for Christmas                       The wolf  Denali, AK

 

Grizzly eating Dandelions                               Mt McKinley                                          The Fishermen

Halibut                                                              Time Bandit                                           Valdez  Glacier

Barb in front of the glacier                               Silver Salmon                                       Black Bear, Hyder, AK

    Eating out again                                     Hummingbird   Washington                          Bucking Bronco, Helena, MT

Buffalo calf nursing, North Dakota                  Grain Harvesting, North Dakota        Steam Engine driving a threshing machine

Snow, Blooming Prairie, MN                       The house I grew up in, Tomah, WI                                    Beautiful

Blue Heron, Florida                       Christmas Cactus, Bushnell, FL

                     

This is our 42nd Wedding Anniversary picture on 31 December, 2009.    Happy New Year everyone!!!!!

Christmas

Christmas Eve found us at the club house for a gift exchange and lots of finger foods.  Some of the gifts exchanged hands more than once as we could take from someone else if they had something we wanted.  I chased my naked dead chicken around the room before I got him back to the table.  We had lots of fun and laughs.

 

Christmas day found us back at the club house for Christmas dinner ( more food).  The park provides turkey and ham, the ladies decorate the tables  and the attendees provide all the side dishes. As always lots of food and fellowship.  We had about 100 people attending dinner.  We had a large variety of  food  to include  dirty rice, rutabaga, dressing, Waldorf salad, and assorted desserts. We all ate to much as usual. 

   

Today we are kicked back.  We don’t go shopping the day after Christmas but we will go out to lunch (more eating).

Sumter Oaks RV Park, Bushnell, Florida

 

We are at Sumter Oaks RV Park, Bushnell, FL.   As we were checking in  several ladies that we knew came in to the office.  It was like old home week. An old friend Al Peterson was checking us in then Betty, Brenda and Joann came in.  Really great to see them.  Then as we were parking their husbands, Glenn, Jim and Carl came around.  Later Don the banjo player came by.  We are going to be here at least thru the end of the year and then we’ll see.  It is good to be stopped for a  well.  We have been here several days and have had some nice and not so nice weather.  The day after we arrive it poured down rain all day and night.  I thought we would have to get some paddles. We have had rain showers and sunshine, temps from the 40’s to the 70’s.

  WE have been taking morning walks around the park and here are some of the local wildlife.

These two sandhill cranes are eating our of a bird feeder.  As I was taking their picture they started to leave and then went back as there still was feed in the feeder.

     

This squirrel was scolding us as we were walking by.

   

A view of the swamp behind the park, the light color thru the trees is early morning fog.  The next are our home sitting amongst the trees. I really enjoy this park with the live oaks and cypress trees with Spanish moss hanging and moving gently with the breeze.  Some views from our site.                  

      

The burros next door.  There are 7,  we feed them carrots and other veggies. 

I tried to get her to smile.