May 1-----Travel day

Jimmy  Susan  Patricia

supper time

We packed up our things this morning and headed out about 11:30 am. We made it to Texarkana and then filled up our trucks. While in Texarkana we decided to eat lunch. We stopped at a Mexican food place and found Jimmy and Vicky Lovett already there. It was just chance as we were meeting in Benton, Ar.  While we were there Patricia called and said they were already at the campground in Benton. They left yesterday evening and the spent the night at the walmart parking lot in Nacogdoches.
  Jimmy and Vicky left ahead of us .  When we were on our way Vicky called and said they had a blow out on the trailer. By the time we got there Jimmy had it almost on.  Luckily it was on the side where his awning was because it was raining. We all made it to the campground. No one unhooked as we are leaving in the morning. Pat had brought chicken salad for supper and also baked a cake. It was all good.Tomorrow we head to Tennessee.

Dean & Pat

Jimmy    Big Mike

April 30-----Casino Winner

The day started with me and Big Mike headed fishing. We didn't have much luck. I caught one gasper gou.  The one saving grace was the weather was cool and the scenery was great. Really a peaceful morning. When we got back to camp I had to repair a small water leak and then we ate brunch. We decided to go to Shreveport to the casino to eat the supper buffet and to do a little gambling. I don't gamble but Susan will play some slots.  We took a nap  and then i picked up a few things to load as we leave here tomorrow. About 5:30 we headed off. The buffet was great and I ate way too much. We all headed to the slot machines and the race was on. Mike and Lavonna lost money but Susan was the nights winner for us. She spent twelve dollars and won $272.00 . She decided to quit for the night a winner. Tomorrow we are going to leave here and meet two more couples { Jimmy/Vicky Lovett & Dean/Pat Winslow} in Benton, Arkansas. We will leave the next day for Tennessee.

The Big Three hitting the slots

Buffet at Samstown

Taylor"s right ear looks like it has been chewed up

Great scenery

Big Mike among the cypress trees fishing

Susan won big

April 29==Caddo lake

We had another quiet relaxing day here. The weather was nice and we just chilled out all day. Not really much to talk about. Susan made potato salad amd I smoked a ham and sasuage for supper. I did a little reading and napping today and Susan did a little sewing and napping also. In the morning Big Mike and I are going to try and do a little fishing.

picnic area by the boat ramp

the park has a nice boat ramp

April 28------Caddo Lake

We spent a nice quiet relaxing day. I took Maggie for a pretty long walk thru some trails. The weather was cool and nice. Later in the day I took my Sea Eagle inflatable kayak and  cruised around for a couple of hours. Susan didn't go as she worries about gators. I think maybe she will go tomorrow. It was great easing thru the cypress trees. The wind got up a little it when I got to the main bayou but it wasn't too bad. I didn't do any fishing but may try later in the week. When I got back we just sat around camp and chilled. Big Mike and I ran out to Uncertain (a small community near here on the lake) to just look around. I did pick up some mayhaw jelly at the general store there. Will try it out in the morning. For supper we grilled pork fajitas with rice and beans.  It was another good night.

fishing pier  

some one left a cork high in a tree

my Sea Eagle kayak

Maybe a beaver lodge 

almost back

April 27 Travel day to Caddo Lake State Park

We met Mike/Lavonna in Moss Hill about 7:15 am. Our plan was to eat breakfast in Lufkin at a little cafe we had eaten at many times. To our surprise they are building a new highway right before 59N. Our little cafe was no longer there. Looks like a new freeway where it used to stand. Oh well, on we went and found a little place on the other side of Nacogdoches. Left  there and made Caddo Lake about 12:15. We had never been here before and didn't know what to expect. It is a really beautiful state park. Our spots are pull thru and right across the road from each other. We didn't do much after we set up but just sit around and visited. We cooked hamburgers for supper and then went in for the night. We will start exploring the park tomorrow,

Toledo Bend---April 19-22

On Friday Susan and I headed up to Toledo Bend. George & Delilah bought a new place on the lake and we haven"t had a chance to go see it.  We kinda of got a late start Friday, I picked up a U-haul trailer for Kevin that morning and then went to the dentist for a cleaning. I didn't get out till 12:30. Whew I thought we would be on the road by then. When I got home Susan was packed and waiting but on the phone with Delilah. It seems that George might have to work things are unsure. We headed up anyway hoping that they would make it. By the time we got there Delilah texted that they were on  there way and would see us about 7. We found the house and got everything set up . We brought hamburger meat to supper but was still frozen so I put it in a sunny spot hopeing it would thaw. We scooted over to see Jeff & Ladonna who had came up on Thursday. We spent the rest of the weekend visiting,fishing and just chilling out. It was a good weekend. George and Delilah have a beautiful place.  It was good to get away for a couple of days. Now we have to get the trailer ready to roll. We leave for Tennessee next Saturday and we can"t wait.

April 10----Its tough getting old

I have not written a blog lately because we have been too busy and we have not traveled anywhere. We have finially finished with our remodling in the house. We don"t have everything back in yet but Susan can now get her car back in the garage.We really like how it all turned out. It is a more open space from the kitchen to the living room and then Susan has a huge sewing room. So far we have been careful what we have put back in the house.. It seems to be tought for some people (Susan) to get rid of things that we nvever use. We have already donated a 16 foot lowboy trailer full of appliances and "stuff". Still have a third of the garage to go through. We are just taking our time.
 We spent Saturday thru Tuesday babysitting our Grandkids. Actually Susan went over Saturday and I went over Sunday. I stayed Till Sunday as I was helping Kevin do a few projects down at his house like putting in a new toilet and bathe shower connections. I also mowed the yard as its supposed to rain just as we get back. I had to go back Monday morning as Kevin called and said my water well pump had lost its prime. I had been having problems but hoped it would wait till we got back home but nope it wouldn"t. One thing about living in the country is you get to work on a lot of different things most people take for granted. I pulled the well pipe and put a new foot valve in it.( That sounds easier than it was ). Back in service and problem fixed. Back to Grand kid Heaven. One thing I didn't mention was the night before I fell twice in Kristi/Mikes new house. They just moved into a new house last week. I had only been over there once and was not very familiar with the layout. All the guest bedrooms are upstairs. I hate stairs and two level houses. My back and knees just don't like them. All the kids don"t understand but one day they will get old and then they will understand.  Anyway I went downstairs in the sort of dark house. I missed the last stair on the staircase and gracefully plopped down on the floor. Susan came of of the bedroom upstairs to see if I was ok and said to watch the steps going to the living room. Actually there are two different set of steps as I found out. Made the first one fine but then I found the second set. As I was laying on the living room floor I couldn't help but laugh hoping that when I finished I would be able to get back up.   Well I did and got the pillow I wanted and crawled back up. Wasn't able to sleep that night cause of my back pain and stiff neck. Made for a tough day. ( driving back home to fix well and then driving back) I got back and put the Tinns unit  (shock therapy"on my Back and Neck and layed on couch till the kids got home.  It really helped my neck and made a lot of progress on my back. Was able to sleep that night and felt great the next day. That evening we had six kids for awhile but they were all great . When Kristi and Mike got home we headed home. I went to bed and slept all night and didn"t wake up even one time which is a miracle for me. I also sleep till 6 which is late for me. 

Sammi ( aka The Texas Tornado)

Swimming in their new pool