About That "On The Road Again" - (August 4 - 13)

Dear Family and Friends,

Whoo Hoo, we are on the road again!!! How we have dreamed of this during the last two months!!! We learned a lot about ourselves during this period and are most grateful to have such dear family and friends who shared their homes with us during the time our Tour spent getting repaired at Camping World.

We left Camping World and Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday, August 4. The technicians ably put our beautiful home back together so that it looks like new. We will miss their continually positive attitudes when working in the 100 plus degree humid heat this summer.

We travelled to Parsons, Kansas, where we again enjoyed the hospitality of Roger's aunt and uncle. Their daughter Kathryn, joined us as well. Roger loved seeing the sites of his family's farm and hearing more stories from his Uncle Jud.

On Sunday, we drove to Lake Melvern near Topeka, where we intended to stay for a week. At this Army Corps of Engineers park we tried several sites before determining that there was too much slope to level the Tour.  Happily we found an RV park in nearby Lyndon that had level sites. The park was surrounded by soybean and corn fields, making it a beautiful place to live for a week.

Bear says it is time to get on the road again!

What a pleasure to fill up before setting out on our trip to Lake Melvern!

The Carnegie Library in Lyndon.

Roger and Bear posing in front of the Lyndon Court House.

Our RV Park was surrounded by soybean fields.

Bear taking himself for a walk!!!

Our Tour in the RV Park.

Truly "home sweet home."

On Tuesday, Roger, Bear and I drove thirty miles to Topeka, for a day of sightseeing. We enjoyed visiting the capital of Kansas, the Governor's Mansion, Old Prairie Village at Warde Meade and the site of Brown vs. The Board of Education. The following pictures give you an idea of our day.

The Kansas State Capital

The restoration project will take many years.

                                     

Corinthian Columns
Can you name the other two types of Greek columns???

The Governor's Mansion

Old Prairie Town Village is a collection of buildings that give you the idea of what it was like to live in small towns on the prairie of Kansas pre Civil War. This is a typical one room school house.

Roger and Bear on the front porch of an inn on the stagecoach route.

Topeka's Botanical Garden

Ionic Columns
Other than Corinthian and Ionic, can you name the third type of column?

Railroad Station

Monroe Elementary which played an important part in the 1954 landmark decision of the Supreme Court, allowing schools to be integrated and paving the way for the civil rights movement of the 1960's. The school houses a museum.

On Wednesday we journeyed to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Bear decided to take a break from sightseeing and stay in the Tour. Today less than 4% of North America's tall grass prairie (think 8 - 10 feet high blue stem grass) is preserved with the help of the Nature Conservancy and National Park Service. This National Preserve is headquartered in the Spring Hill Ranch which was a working cattle ranch in the 1880s. 

We also visited the nearby town of Cottonwood Falls where we met KJ, Carolyn and their children, Ian and Kathryn for lunch. KJ is the grandson of Roger's aunt and uncle from Parsons. KJ is actually Father Lackey, an Episcopalian priest, whose parish is located in Emporia. It has been most gratifying to watch him grow from a baby to a very inspiring young man who with his family, makes a difference to many people.

Original barn at Spring Hill Ranch

Tallgrass Prairie (lack of rain finds the grass not as tall as usual)

Spring Hill Ranch

Cottonwood Falls Court House

Father Lackey, Ian, Kathryn is hiding, Carolyn and Roger

Thursday and Friday found us riding our bikes in the surrounding area. For us, it was such a thrill to get back on those bikes and see local areas at a slower pace. 

Cycling in Eisenhower State Park gets a two thumbs up from me.

Saturday begins our two day trip to Colorado Springs. We have had such a great time in this area of Kansas. Bear, Roger and I thank you for reading our blog.

About That Peaceable Kingdom: Part Two (July 24 - August 3)

Dear Family and Friends,

Apologies to all avid blog readers! I am tardy in getting the blog out this week and you will find out why
in the last paragraph. It is good news!  I will resume the typical Saturday posting on August 13th.

Hopefully all of you are staying cool and surviving this summer of extremely hot temperatures and little rain. Roger, Bear and I finished our second week at Peaceable Kingdom aka Mary and Kathryn's home in Stockton, Missouri. Mary and Kathryn have hosted us for more than three weeks total as we worked our way through the issues of repair work on the Tour. They are relatives, but also true friends in every sense of the word. We can never thank them enough for their incredible hospitality.

 Our days in Stockton, were lazy to say the least. Between Mary, Kathryn and their friends we had a built in social network of activities. Thank you to Joe and Bunny for hosting a wonderful cocktail party at their lovely home overlooking Lake Stockton. An avid sailor and gifted wood worker, Joe has restored an early fifties, CrisCraft motorboat that is truly a work of art. Roger definitely had boat envy. Thank you to Jan and Marcia for the drinks party. What fun to see your beautiful home. Now a bit about Lake Stockton.

Lake Stockton is an Army Corps of Engineering project that began with damming the Sac River in 1963 and completing it in 1969. This beautiful lake has 298 miles of shoreline and 24,900 acres of water surface, making it a paradise for sailors, motor boaters, and fishermen. Imagine a lake without any private docks, very few marinas and you have Lake Stockton. It is truly one of the most beautiful lakes that I have ever seen. As mentioned before in another blog, our family in Stockton takes advantage of this pristeen lake with sailing, pontooning and motor boating.

Now for the best news of all!!!  WE ARE BACK IN THE TOUR!!!  After two months to the day, we drove in to Springfield and Camping World and found the most beautiful sight.  Our gorgeous Tour is back together.  We moved back into the Tour on Tuesday afternoon.  We intend to head out on Thursday for Parsons, Kansas, where we will see Roger's aunt and uncle before heading to Melvern Lake in Kansas. Then it is on to Colorado Springs for a month.

Thank you for your continued interest in our travels.  We have appreciated your thoughts and prayers these past two months.

Roger helps Kathryn tune her bike.

Roger is helping Marcia and Jan make buttons for the upcoming Cause For Paws.

Roger shows that making buttons is hard work on the hands!

Suzanne, with Jan's help, makes a button.

Glorious Day, we are back in the Tour!!!

About That Peaceable Kingdom (July 17 - 23)

Dear Family and Friends,

After leaving Albuquerque, we drove to Pratt, Kansas, where Roger lived for six years during his childhood. It was fun seeing his old house and school.  Then it was on to Stockton, Missouri, via Wichita and El Dorado. If Stockton sounds familiar, it was here that we spent our first few days getting the Tour to the Collision Center in Springfield, which is two hours away. Thankfully, Kathryn and Mary welcomed us into their home and we will stay here until repair work on the Tour is complete.

We arrived in Stockton on the 17th which was our fortieth wedding anniversary. Those forty years have gone by quickly, packed with fun, family, friends and rewarding experiences. We are looking forward to many more of those special times in the years ahead.

We made a day trip to Springfield to check on the progress of the Tour. Our spirits soared as we saw the new windshield and refinished exterior in place. In less than two weeks, we should be on the road. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Our week, in what I am calling Peaceable Kingdom for several reasons: 1. Mary and Kathryn have offered sanctuary to us for as long as we need it as the Collision Center in Springfield completes the work on the Tour, and 2. Mary and Kathryn share their home with three cats and two dogs, that get along, and 3. they live in such a lovely area of the country where flora and fauna flourish (great alliteration). The following pictures will prove it.

Roger and I thank you for reading the blog and taking an interest in our life on the road. Next week will find us in Stockton with more shots from the Peaceable Kingdom.

Bear loves the freedom of Kathryn and Mary's backyard.

Frisbee is the game for me!

Kathryn has a great garden growing in Peaceable Kingdom.
This summer squash is huge!

Myrtle and Bear having fun!

More frisbee, please!

Mary cooking pizza on the grill.

Chefs Kathryn, Roger and Mary!

Joe is the alpha dog in Peaceable Kingdom.

Hosting Purple Martins is a fascinating hobby!  Kathryn's upscale Martin house was the home to families (around 70 birds) this year.
In this picture she has discovered that the fledglings are out practicing for their first major flight. The Martins in the area will regroup and together they will fly south for the winter. We learned that it is important to help the Martins as they are  a songbird species that has been endanger of extinction in the past.

I am giving Roger a haircut!

Roger and Bear watching Le Tour. This day was the Col de Galibier climb.
Last August, Roger got to cycle this area of France with our sons, Rob and Michael.
It is much easier to climb in front of the TV in the recliner.

In Peaceable Kingdom, the Batchelor Buttons and Queen Anne's Lace grow abundantly.

About That Tucson, Part Two (July 10 - 16)

Dear Family and Friends,

We continued to enjoy our second week in Tucson. Michael and Bridget were wonderful allowing us to stay with them. Many thanks you two! Your kindness is appreciated!!

Roger completed his quarterly reviews this week. I stayed busy seeing friends and trying to stay cool in Tucson's very hot summer. Bear and I were out the door early in the morning to get some exercise! The Texas Rangers were in bloom while we were there.

This is a short post, but the most important part is that we left for Springfield on Friday, following Roger's final appointment. We drove Interstate 10 east to Demming, New Mexico, headed north to Hatch and caught Interstate 25 to Albuquerque where we spent the night.

Back in Springfield, Missouri, work has progressed on the Tour and we are hoping for an end of July finish. Thank you for reading the blog.

Dexter
Michael and Bridget's beloved English Bulldog

Michael, Dexter and Bridget
They made our stay in Tucson so great!!

Texas Ranger

Michael and Bridget live in a beautiful neighborhood.

A stand of Saguaro Cactus.

Suzanne, Ed and Kay
Our very dear friends in Tucson.

About That Tucson Monsoon Season (July 3 - 9)

Dear Family and Friends,
We are now in Tucson, after a two day drive from Dallas! West Texas is huge!!

It was hard to leave family and friends in Dallas. We had to say goodbye to our son Rob and his family and our dear friend, Becky. The day before we left we got to spend an afternoon with her son, Michael, wife Traci and grandson, Grayson. Thank you for letting us cool off in your pool. Bear loved his swim. I knew Michael when he was 2 years old and we were based at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas. This was in the early seventies.

Our Tucson days have been very busy for Roger. He is in the middle of quarterly reviews with Michael. Roger will do this one more time in October before he truly retires.

Michael and daughter-in-law, Bridget have graciously allowed us to live with them for the two week period of reviews. Bear gets to have fun with Dexter, their English Bulldog. Bear is enjoying long walks or runs in the morning in the desert environment. This has to be done very early in the morning as the temps are in the 100's by the afternoon. Fortunately the late afternoons are cooled by the monsoon season.

The following pics show our great time at Becky's son's home in Dallas.

This week finds us in Tucson. We head back to Missouri on Saturday. Great news, the window on the Tour has been replaced!  Thank you so much for reading the blog. Roger and I appreciate your interest in our travels.

Proud Grandmother Becky and Grayson

Bear loving Michael and Traci's yard!

Grayson having lots of fun!

Roger and Bear are talking to Michael.

About That Blissful Downtime (June 26 - July 2)

Dear Family and Friends,

Ahhhhhh! Bear, Roger and I spent this week at our dear friend Becky's house located not too far from our grandchildren's home in Dallas. We actually had the house to ourselves as Becky made a quick trip to Lake of the Ozarks to visit her friends. True friendship is turning over your home to a couple with their dog. We have known Becky for many years and treasure the time we have been able to spend with each other as we watched our children grow up.
 Our days were spent walking or running Bear, reading Washington--A Life by Ron Chernow (this is a must for American history buffs),  shopping in Dallas (always fun), seeing the grandchildren, eating out with friends and family, and trying to stay cool in the summertime. The following pictures depict our second week in Dallas.

Abby and Jackson love to play with parachutes!

Shaving cream makes a great finger paint!

Playing with clay is fun for adults!

Dinner at Gloria's.
Jackson, Rob, Roger, Suzanne and Suzanne.
Where is Abby? 

Soul Man Jackson loving the bean dip!

Jackson and Rob

Grandad gets a hug from Abby.

Dinner with the Sibs!
Diann (sister-in-law), Charlie (brother-in-law), Suzanne, Sally (sister) and Chris (brother).
Roger took the picture!

After an incredible two weeks in Dallas with friends and family, we leave for Tucson on Sunday.  Roger will be doing quarterly reviews with Michael while I play. We are thrilled that the work has begun on the Tour which is still in Springfield.

We wish all of you a happy Fourth of July. As we travel this great nation, we give thanks for the patriots, who endured so many hardships in establishing our country. How lucky we are are to live in the United States of America!