Raft, Hike, Kayak, then EAT

 

We arrived at Roan Creek Campground on June 4th.  As soon as we unhitched the fifth wheel and opened the slides, the grandsons doffed their clothes, donned their swimsuits, grabbed their tubes, and headed for the creek.  The boys got into the creek in front of our campsite and floated on their tubes downstream about a quarter mile.  There's a bridge at the entrance to the campground with a small beach down below where we told the boys we'd be waiting for them.  

After about a week of these short rides in fairly calm water, we drove the boys with their tubes a few miles up the road so they could have a longer ride.  There are a couple of drop-off places for rafters up the road that dramatically change the ride down the creek,  There are cascades to pass over, and a small waterfall that drops three or four feet that will get your adrenaline pumping.

Our grandsons spent the month of June with us leaving a few days after Independence Day.  The days were full of rafting and hiking.  We managed at least one six-mile hike each week they were here.  Consort and I went on a difficult hike last year to Laurel Falls that included a 250-foot drop in elevation.  The climb down into the basin of the falls was exhausting, but it was the climb back to the top that elicited a promise to myself that I would never, EVER, hike this trail again.  

Well, here we are, pictured above, ready to set out on the selfsame hike.  I'm even wearing the same t-shirt as on that fateful day last June.  Our friend from the campground, D, had us park our truck at the bottom of the mountain.  He then drove all of us, including D.O.G., to the top of the mountain and dropped us off.  He assured me this hiking trail was much easier as it's all downhill.  He told us to follow the creek and there was no way we could get lost.  At one point in the hike, we came up against a solid rock wall.  We had been forewarned, but still had a difficult time locating, and then navigating, the inches-wide footpath we had to follow between the rock wall and the five-foot drop to the creek.   

Obviously, I'm sitting here typing away at my computer, so we did make it safely back.  None of us are experienced hikers, we had no maps, and we seldom ran into other hikers.  There were definitely times when we felt turned around and a little lost.  Thanks to our middle grandson, who kept his eye on the downstream flow of the creek, we made it out unscathed -- at least most of us did.

Here at Roan Creek you can park an RV, pitch a tent, rent one of their cabins or a glamping tent.  There are tube and kayak rentals available.  Apparently, I have been confused about kayaks.  When I think of a kayak, I think of this.  I have always known I am not coordinated enough to man a sit-in kayak.  I have visions of floating upside down in the creek banging my pretty little head against the rocks on the bottom as I slowly drift downstream.    

The kayaks here at the campground are sit-on-top kayaks.  Big difference!  Much more manageable.  I will be kayaking the Salt River next time we're in Phoenix!

Consort minding the steaming tamales.

It's been a couple of years since I've been with my grandsons on a daily basis and I had completely blocked out forgotten how many groceries these boys can put away.  While we were in Brownsville this past winter, I learned to make tamales.  The tedious part of making tamales is spreading the masa onto the cornhusks.  Actually, placing the filling on the masa and then rolling the husks is pretty mind-numbing work, too, unless you're sitting in the kitchen with R&A and drinking mango margaritas.  I brought both masa and cornhusks (as well as mango margarita mix) with us when we came out to Tennessee; one never knows what may or may not be available at the local market.

Big thanks to R&A for the tamale lessons!

My goal was to spend a morning rolling tamales with the grandsons.  If you make the full tamale recipe, you'll end up with something like 150 to 200 tamales.  The boys were agreeable to helping and eagerly joined in.  After about 15 minutes of spreading, stuffing, and rolling, their interest began to wane.  At just about that same time, consort made an appearance.  He said he was going to help D use a chain and tractor to pull out some logs caught in the creek under the bridge.  Any volunteers to help?  The next thing I know, the cat and I were left alone in the trailer with a mound of masa and piles of cornhusks.  Even the dog abandoned us for more exciting times.  I dutifully finished the task alone, politely refusing the cat's offer to spread masa on cornhusks.

The boys, consort included, finished their logging work and eventually returned to the camper.  Consort set up a propane-powered crab boil pot in the yard with just enough water to steam the tamales.  Three hours later and, Aqui esta tu cena.  Disfruta!

This is D.O.G. taking a break during a six-mile hike.  I mentioned above that most of us walked out of the forest unscathed.  D.O.G. is the one who did not.  When we returned to camp, we noticed he was limping, favoring his back right leg.  He was definitely having trouble getting into a standing position.  We have now been to the vet and learned he has some arthritis in his back right stifle (knee), and a degenerated disc in his lumbar spine.  He was prescribed an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer and is nearly back to normal.

While we were stopped in Amarillo, D.O.G. got a grass awn stuck in his paw.  We saw a vet and had the barbed seed removed.  While in the doctor's office, D.O.G. was weighed.  He gained five pounds over our winter in Brownsville making him officially 20 pounds overweight.  We have become laser focused on this issue.  The good news we received at the vet here in Tennessee is that D.O.G. has lost the five pounds gained over the winter.  While he still has a long way to go, at least we're headed in the right direction. 

These are the falls at the end of the Gentry Creek hiking trail.  We had Kae with us that day.  Kae is the granddaughter of our friends here at Roan Creek, Bella's new owner, and the recipient of this Raggedy Ann I made.

Found this "K" made of sticks at the side of a hiking trail.

The bright yellow circle is a mushroom.

Annie

This is Annie when she was a show dog, quite possibly the most beautiful dog I've ever seen.  During her time as a show dog, Annie was the top-ranked female Puli in the USA in 2015 and 2016.  She was retired in 2017, and we adopted her in 2018.  

Last year, Annie developed a laundry list of problems.  We spent a month's worth of weekly visits with our vet last fall trying to find a way to alleviate her pain and increase her quality of life.  We tried a lot of different things, but nothing had any long-lasting effect.  In December, she stopped eating, became incontinent, and whimpered when we would pet her.  After weeks of trying to make things better, consort and I knew it was time to have her put down.  Rest in peace, pretty girl, we miss you still.

Crossing Kentucky

 

While we were still anchored in Arizona and working on travel routes headed east, we learned that the bridge on I-40 crossing the Mississippi River in Memphis had been closed due to damage.  Consort began looking at alternative routes to reach our summer destination of Roan Creek Campground in NE Tennessee.  After a few days looking at options, he came up with the idea of heading a little north to drive across Kentucky.  He suggested we add a couple of days to our drive allowing time to stop at places of interest; specifically, Mammoth Cave and the Ark Encounter.  I wholeheartedly agreed.

Although the interior of the Ford F-350, in my opinion, is nearly large enough to live in, it was pretty close quarters in the backseat of the truck once everything was loaded.  Each of the three boys had a bag filled with books, games, and electronics that took up a great deal of the floorboard, in addition to their legs and feet jockeying for position.  In spite of the fullness, we managed to fit D.O.G. in with the boys (Fulton, the cat, rode in the front seat with me).  Try as we might, we could not keep D.O.G. on the floor.  As you can see in the picture above, D.O.G. considers himself an equal with the boys and wants to be included in ALL activities.  He rode on the seat squeezed between two of the boys.

Prior to leaving our campsite at Bluff, I did some pre-cooking so we would have dinners while on the road.  Each morning before heading out, I made lunches for everyone -- although that did not preclude the consumption of  pizzas and McDonald's along the way.  It took two days of driving to reach Mammoth Cave located in west-central Kentucky.  We dry-docked our first night in a Walmart parking lot in Missouri.  Our second night on the road was spent in the parking lot of Cabela's in Bowling Green.  We left the lot at Cabela's early on a Tuesday morning and drove a couple of hours over to Mammoth Cave.  "At 336 miles, Mammoth Cave is the longest system of caves in the world." ~ Wikipedia 

After spending an afternoon wandering through the cave system, (we had the fifth wheel with us, so the animals stayed home in the trailer) we loaded back into the truck and headed north to our next destination, the Ark Encounter.  We had a three-hour drive and ended the day at the Northern Kentucky RV Park.  

The next morning we were up early and ready to head out to see the ark.  We had all eaten breakfast and stowed away our overnight gear.  The grandsons, dog, and cat were all loaded into the truck.  Consort and I had only to bring in the slides and hitch the rig before taking off.

As luck would have it, a cable broke on our infamous slide.  We have been averaging a broken slide cable every other month since we've been on the road.  It is infuriating!  Although we do not have the skills to repair the slide ourselves, we do carry all the necessary parts for an RV technician to do the job.  Consort immediately got on the phone and, amazingly enough, was able to locate an RV service tech familiar with replacing the cable and who was able to come to our site at once.  

The reason I mention this particular slide repair is because of the information we received from the service tech.  The tech told us the cable slide on our particular model fifth wheel suffers from a poor design.  The slide itself sets atop four rubber rollers and is attached to the fifth wheel with cables at the top and bottom on each side of the slide.  There is nothing more holding the slide in place.  As we travel down the road, the slide bounces with the trailer causing it to move in a forward-backward direction.  When this happens, the slide is no longer setting squarely on the roller tracks.  If the slide is off center when it is opened or closed, the cable tension becomes unequal putting excessive stress on one of the cables which, over time, causes it to fray and then break.  (The service tech used an analogy of a sewing machine's thread and tension.)

Here's the really great part:  He knew how to fix the problem -- a bladder jack, also known as an AirShim.  By simply inserting a small bladder jack into the opening between the frame of the fifth wheel and the frame of the slide, we can ensure the slide is in exactly the right position to open and close.  The service tech had tried out this theory, and assured us it will eliminate the constant fraying and breaking of cables.  The jury is still out; only time will tell.

The slide repair took a couple of hours out of our morning, but didn't put us too far behind schedule.  Once the repairs were complete, we hitched the trailer and drove about 15 miles to the ark.

Mammoth Cave was a great side trip.  The grandsons enjoyed it immensely.  But the ark!  The ark was magnificent!  I have known the story of Noah and the ark since I was a little girl.  To see the ark in person, built to the specifications in the Bible, filled me with awe.  It was fascinating to tour the ark and see how the multitude of animals were kept and cared for, the workshops and living quarters.  I highly recommend a visit!

We left the ark late Wednesday afternoon and drove three hours south to Middlesborough, Kentucky, where we dry-docked in a Walmart parking lot.  Thursday morning we took off early for the final leg of our roadtrip, a three-hour drive to Roan Creek just outside Mountain City, Tennessee.  The trip was completely wonderful, but after five days on the road, we were all ready to park in one place and spread out.

The grandsons passed the "long distance riding in the truck" test and will always be welcome in our future travels.  We'll let curiosity lead the way.

Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote, and I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.  ~Michael Palin

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

 

We left Amarillo on an early Sunday morning in mid-May headed for our hometown of Broken Arrow.  We had reservations to spend two weeks at our favorite campsite, Bluff Landing, a COE campground ten miles east of Broken Arrow on the Verdigris River.

Consort and I really enjoy this nomadic lifestyle we've adopted, but every now and again, I yearn for home.  Not my current home on wheels, but my solid, stays-in-one-place house anchored in downtown Broken Arrow.  Each time we visit Broken Arrow, I insist on driving past the old homestead.  (Think sentimentalist, not stalker...)  

I was pleasantly surprised when we drove by our old house, pictured above, during this visit.  I asked consort to circle the block so I could take a picture.  The 100-year-old house looks well-maintained and loved.  There were new flower gardens and a pergola.  The center of the sunflower painted on the fence is a doggy window; something consort and I discussed adding, but never got around to.  It is obvious the new family loves the house as much as we did.  I can rest easy now; someone is taking care of the old lady; no more drive-byes are necessary.  Sigh....  Doesn't she look pretty?

Our purpose in visiting Broken Arrow was two-fold:  To spend time with three dear friends -- shout out to R in BA and J in Independence! -- and to pick up the three grandsons to take with us on a month-long vacation.  Although we were busy most days, we had a very relaxing two weeks.  There's a lot to be said for familiarity with a city -- I still haven't found a decent alternative to Waze.  A good deal of our evenings were spent at the local sports complex watching two of our grandsons play baseball.  The picture above is of my youngest grandson taking a swing at an offspeed pitch.  This particular grandson is a bad-ball hitter (which is fairly important when playing against six- and seven-year-olds) and managed to land a tater.  It was all very exciting!

I don't typically publish pictures or names of people on this blog, 

but with the consent of all those pictured above, here you go.  

Start with me on the left; my daughter, Jenna; my "red-headed stepchild," Summer;

and her beautiful momma, my dear friend, Karol.  

Love you ladies!

Broken Arrow Public Schools let out the last full week of May.  The grandsons, and both consort and I, were ready to stow their luggage and begin our summer excursion.  Before the boys arrived, I cleaned out three drawers for them to keep their clothes in, and we made space in the living room to stow their sleeping bags and pillows.  Our last night in Broken Arrow, daughter brought the boys over and we enjoyed a picnic-style dinner outside by the river.  After a delightful evening, we said our final good-byes and waved to daughter as she drove away.

"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"

Strange Street Signs in Amarillo

 

When we left Flagstaff, we bookdocked our way across New Mexico, then parked for a short time in Amarillo.  I really enjoy staying at the Big Texan RV Ranch in Amarillo.  It may have something to do with this, or possibly this.  Whatever the reason, I never complain about a stopover in Amarillo.

While in Amarillo, we discovered there are hundreds of weird street signs throughout the city.  The signs were placed by oil magnate Stanley Marsh III, who is also the creator of the Cadillac Ranch, Combine City, and the Floating Mesa.

There are no maps showing the location of the signs, just random sightings as you drive around town.  The photos above are a few of the signs we saw.

The drive from Flagstaff to Amarillo, 610 miles, was without incident.  We drove over some really rough roads, but no death wobble.  That diesel mechanic in Mesa, Arizona, may have single-handedly restored our faith in the auto service industry.  Maybe not, but it's definitely a good start!

Five Minutes in Flag

 

We left the Valley of the Sun the end of May and headed north to Flagstaff.  The town of Flagstaff is at an elevation of 7,000 feet.  The air is thin, the temps are cool, and the scenery is magnificent.  We caught up with old friends from Tulsa, now living in Flag, and set out on a week-long adventure.

Jerome, Arizona,

America's most vertical city, was once known as the wickedest city in the west.

The drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff was the first time we had the truck, with the trailer attached, out on the highway since having the death wobble repaired.  Despite consort assuring me there would be no problems, I think it's safe to say we were both jittery.  We drove to Flagstaff on a Saturday morning.  The traffic was heavy forcing us to drive at a slower rate of speed than we do normally.  That alone alleviated a good deal of my nervousness.  Thankfully, the drive was uneventful.  There were several instances of rough roadway that should have sparked the death wobble, but nothing occurred.  We are cautiously optimistic that the problem is finally resolved.

Pictures from Jerome.  Loved the sign in the liquor store!

The commodes... toss a penny, make a wish?

Grand Canyon, Duck on a Rock

We had a great time with our friends in Flag.  The week flew by much too fast.  Although the sightseeing was grand, the time spent with old friends was priceless.  As our week came to an end, we once again stowed our various and sundry belongings and began checking maps for a route to our next destination.  Our friends were getting ready for a trip in their new fifth wheel.  They were heading out to California and Napa Valley to tour the wine country.  We plan to spend time on the road with them in our future travels.

Consort washing dishes in appreciation of a home-cooked meal.

Kitty gets a new hat.

Newsworthy

We’re a little flooded here. Safe, so far, but flooded. 

Last day in Apache Junction

The pictures do not lie, but neither do they tell the whole story.  They are merely a record of time passing, the outward evidence.  ~Paul Auster

Our last day with brother and sister-in-law in Mesa.

We stopped at the fire department to check out nephew's engine.

The truck needed to be taken "out of service" for a quarter hour,

so nephew agreed to take us for a ride.

Headphones and seatbelts required.

No lights or siren.

It was really pretty cool.

I found this lamp at the local Goodwill store.  I fell completely in love with it.  It is not practical as the lamp is made of glass bowls and saucers.  Notice the palm trees?  My indulgent sister-in-law went back to the Goodwill unbeknownst to me and procured the lamp for me.  We paired it with a lampshade we picked up earlier while shopping at IKEA.

Night falling on our final night in Phoenix.

Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.

~  Nathaniel Hawthorne

Murals of Phoenix

One beautiful afternoon, brother and SIL, consort and I decided to drive downtown Phoenix and go on a walking tour of the Murals of Phoenix.  It's interesting to note that while I am the navigator in our travels, every time I try to navigate while walking, we get lost.  Seriously, I just did it again today.  We did manage to locate quite a few of the murals and I'm including the visuals for your enjoyment.

Hands down best sign I saw all day.