Tuesday, December 22, 2009



Our little christmas tree in the motorhome & Blinking stars in front of motorhome

Alamo, Texas

After putting $3200 in tires while in San Antonio we finally made it down the road to alamo. Upon arriving they had a rainstorm that lasted over 24hours and it was cold and blustery. The likes that haven't been seen since 1939. But finally it stopped raining and the sun has been shining the last couple of days and the temperature is in the 70s. It sure feels good. Especially when I see what the temps are back home.

Lud has been working diligently getting the lawn at the campsite planted. The Texas summers kill out all the grass each year. So if you want a green lawn you need to get rid of the weeds and plant grass. It must be a upper midwest thing since most of the southern people don't do anything with theirs and they just keep telling Lud he is working to hard. But this gives him something to do.

The park has a party on x=mas eve and then a dinner on christmas day so will be kept busy those days. Will miss family but since we have several good friends here at the park will enjoy a different kind of x-mas. I put a small x-mas tree in the camper put some decorations on the windshield and some flashing stars and bows on the front of the motorhome. It looks very christmasy.

Have been so busy getting all set up here that haven't done to much participating in the activities at the park but after x-mas I intend to do that. They have something going on every night as well as a golf course, ceramics, craft projects etc.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

san antonio, tx

We have now made are way to San Antonio, TX. It is still rather cold here for San Antonio but it is not snowing and warmer than Minnesota so cant complain. We will be going on the riverwalk tomorrow so will have some good pictures hopefully. It is suppose to be all decorated for x-mas and really pretty,

We did make it to the riverwalk. It was really cold but enjoyable. We rode the barge around the riverfront. It was really pretty with it all decorated then we ate dinner at a restaurant on the river. I had a $12.50 margarita. I didn't know how expensive until I got the bill.


When we left San Antonio on Friday we were going to Camper World to have them install a washer/dryer. While there discovered that our tires need to be replaced and could not do anything about it until Monday morning so spent the next 3 days sitting in the camperworld parking lot. The price was right. Our living room window was directly in front of this fifth wheel trailer that had a ocean scene on the front. So I pretended that we were at south padre and the trailer next to that was a denali. So when I got tired of the Ocean, I could travel to Alaska.

On Monday we finally got six new tires and started our final trip south to the Rio Grande Valley.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Leaving Minnesota

On November 30th after spending Thanksgiving with my family we loaded up the Winnebago and headed it south. We drove through Iowa and stopped for the night at the Terrible Casino which is 30 miles from the southern Iowa border. Lud of course needed to go to the casino. Lucky for us he was a lucky man and Terrible is going to pay for our gas and camping down to Texas. We stayed the night in the casino parking lot for free. In the morning after we were about ready to go Lud comes storming into the motorhome and saying lets get out of here. Apparently our back jacks went thru the asphalt. So if you are ever at Terribles and you see two holes in the side of the parking lot it may have been caused by us. Thank goodness, I didn't see any mad casino workers chasing us down the road.

After we left Iowa we proceeded to Newton Kansas and stayed there a couple of days. Right now there is a very large cold front over the entire middle united states and it was colder than a witch's tit and we experienced the Kansas wind first hand. It was coming from the North otherwise we probably would have been blown back to Minnesota.

In Hutchinson Ks which was 20 miles away there is a large underground salt mine which we toured. It was fascinating. 650'Under ground there was 70 miles of tunnels that have been mined out over the last 80 years. It is still an active mine and provides road salt for much of the country. It also is a large commercial storage area where documents are stored from companies all over the world. The best part of this tour is that it is a constant 68* as compared to 32* above ground. Also, by Hutchinson is a town named Yoder which has a large Memonite/amish community. We stopped there and toured the town, had lunch and enjoyed some great pie.

Today, Friday December 4th we left Kansas and drove down to the Oklahoma border. It is alot warmer here instead of mid 30s it was a balmy 41* when we arrived. Quess what is here. Another casino. It has a very nice campground so not to worry about jacks destroying proberty. While I am writing this blog, Lud is of course again at the casino. Hopefully he doesn't lose all that he gained. We are staying here until Monday morning. He has to see the Vikings play on Sunday night.

From there I think we will probably stop in San Antonio and go to the river walk. It is suppose to be beautiful with all the X-mas decorations.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Retirement ahhhhh

Today I got my first pension check. That is so cool; getting paid for doing nothing!!. I also am thankful that on this icky day, I don't have to leave the house.
Today I made the reservation for 3 months in alamo texas, and paid for my medical insurance.
I am really feeling retired and it feels good. I went to bed last night at 1:00 AM and got up this morning at 9:30 A.M. and will probably take a nap this afternoon since the rain is suppose to change to snow.

We are having our grandchildren this weekend and are going to take them camping. Hopefully we don't freeze are a@%&& off.

We are leaving Minnesota soon after Thanksgiving as Lud says, whenever the spirit moves us. Hopefully by then the motorhome won't be snowbound.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Winnehaha State Rally

September 10-15

Attended the Winnehaha State Rally held at the Dakota County Fairgrounds in Farmington.
Thursday was spent touring Hastings. 16 people toured the LaDuc Mansion first thing in the morning, then had lunch at the Hastings American Legion that is right on the banks of the Mississippi River. From there we toured the Alexis Bailey Winery and had a few sips of Wine. Then it was on to the Little Log House where we got to see the fantastic collection of buildings and other memorabilia of the Bauer Family. Then it was back to the fairgrounds with supper at the American Legion in Farmington.

Friday was busy with several tours and in evening there was entertainment by an Irish threesome. Saturday we had tours of motorhomes provided by Pleasureland, a craft project, some seminars, etc. That evening our own Gary Staken provided the entertainment.

On Sunday most of the attendees left but a few of us stayed on until Tuesday. While the rest of them relaxed I went to work on Monday-Wedneday. After work it was fun to visit with everyone and play a few games of Social Security. It was the men against the women and the women did a great job of showing up the men.

Traveling 9/16-9/28

Been on the road again. On Wednesday night drove up to Pleasureland in St. Cloud and spent the night in their parking lot. On Thursday morning we drove to Sauk centre for the Northwoods campout at the farm of Grant & Eve Johnson. Then it was on to brainerd, where we stayed a few days at the home of our friends the Jankes. On Thursday we spent the day fishing on leech lake with our friends the Pomersons. Fishing wasn't great but was a fun day on the water. Attended the chainsaw carving expo at Hackinsac on Saturday. Now we are back home for my last 4 days of work before I retire. In between sauk centre and brainerd had the misfortune of having to have a root canal done on one of my teeth at a dentist in St. Cloud.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Getting Ready for retirement


I am 30 days away from retirement and have a whole lot to do yet.

First I need to file with MSRS so that I get my retirement. I also have to figure out what I am going to do about insurance. Last but not least I have to survive the next 13 days of work.

Then..... The first thing I am going to do is attend my nieces wedding in Amery Wisconsin. Then is is back home and get the house ready to either rent out this fall (which it looks like we will not be doing) Getting Lud motivated is no easy feat. I think we have different ideas about what we are going to do with the rest of our lives.

If we don't rent it we will have to winterize it as we will be spending the winter in warmer climes.