. . . up to Canada

Continuing our journey we drove into Indiana and camped at a lovely wooded campground just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. We kicked back and took a day off, unhooked, and drove on into Louisville - I had to take Les to the Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory as he is such a baseball fan. I’d been there before had gone through the museum but didn’t go into the factory. It was very interesting and would have been more so had it not been for the fact that all of the workers were on break. They came back just as we were about to complete the tour.

The next day we arrived at my sister and brother in law, Gayla and Tim’s house, in Brownstown. The hours these guys work and the time spent on the road as he works in Louisville, KY and Gayla in Indianapolis, IN! Brownstown lies in between these two big cities. I happily volunteered to take over the dinner duties and cooked up a batch of fried chicken the first night and made some of my (in)famous Spaghetti Sauce the second night - mostly for Tim, who remembered it from our days in southern California, when he almost lived with us. We had a very nice visit, Les played on the riding lawnmower, we went out to a Karaoke Bar, and the day we left we had time to drive to a neighboring city and sample their hand packed ice cream.

On June 13th, we rolled out of Brownstown and headed for Chicago, which caused me some anxiety. However were we going to find my sister and brother in law, Nikki and Fernando’s house in that humongous city? Well, I asked directions. Okay, Les and I asked directions from Gayla and she gave us some good ones. We stopped one night in Renesslaer, IN, and made a leisurely Saturday morning drive into Chicago. We ended up camping (by special permission) in the lot of the local Chicago Police Station, for two nights. Now how safe could we be?

Nikki’s birthday was the day we arrived, June 14th. We partied hardy, celebrating with her, the family and their friends. Great food and the “frozen” tequila shots went down easily. (Came up not quite so easily the next a.m.) We had an absolutely delightful time with them and their adorable daughters, Maria, Elena, and Lauren. The girls were so sweet and tried so hard to win the $5 that Uncle Les promised them if they could touch their elbow to their ear.

Rather reluctantly we left Chicago and started up through Michigan. Now, Michigan, that’s another story. Pretty country – and the State Park System makes sure you pay for it. Guess we got used to the reasonably priced Indiana State Parks.

We drove along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, but was way up the shoreline before we got a good look at the great lake. Stayed the night at the Leelanau State Park just outside of Northport, MI. There was even a lighthouse in the park. Sunset was wonderful. Mosquitoes were not.

We spent the weekend in Mackinaw City, Michigan, just a couple of miles short of the Mackinac (still pronounced Mackinaw) Bridge that spans the Upper and Lower Peninsula’s of Michigan State. We decided to kick back at this nice little RV Park we found. Parked between two big shade trees and had electricity and everything! We made our way into the Mackinaw City and walked the streets, ate ice cream, and found a little Irish Pub. Our thanks to the family and friends who said they’d be right over to drive us to the Casita, when we called them and told them we needed a ride home. Well, it used to work in Portland!

After a slow start on Monday, we drove the 50 plus miles into Sault Ste. Marie, pronounced Sue Saint Marie, just on the US/Canadian border. We stocked up on supplies and spent the night in a Walmart Parking lot. I think there is an unwritten law somewhere that says to be a proper RV-er you have to spend a certain amount of nights at Walmart. :-)

After this posting we will head up over the border. Hopefully we will have access to the computer so we can keep you updated, but just in case, don’t be worried if you don’t hear from us for the next couple of weeks.

Take care all!

Joy

and Les . . .

Les' Readers Digest Version:

-Visited Joys Sister, Gayla and Husband Tim in Brownstown Ind. (and daughter Erin, she is a sweetheart)
-Got to mow their acreage with his 25hp zero turn mower. Outside of trying to push the fertilizer spreader thru the end of the garage before I even got started, it was fun.
-Beat feet to Chicago for Joys sister Nikki’s Birthday bash. Visited with husband Fernando, and girls. Something I will never forget was we stayed two nites in the camper, in a north Chicago Police station parking lot. It was a couple blocks from their house.
-I got calls for Fathers day. AND a hand crafted card from Nikki and Fernando’s girls. It reads “Dear Uncul Less, Happy Fathers day you rock and role. I love you a lot. You are crazy. And that’s what I like about you.” “Love Elena & Maria”
-There you have it folks, I’ve been diagnosed, print the legend.- We are in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Now.

On the road AGAIN

We left Wichita on Thursday, June 5th.

Amazing the things you put off until the last minute. But we managed to get everything together - after the list of things Les had to do to get the Casita and the Jeep ready and the "refresh" of the Casita of a new window, linens, drapes, etc. (Yes, I finally finished the drapes) we are looking pretty good!

Driving I-135 N we had the wind at our back. Then we "turned left" at Salina, going west on I-70 and the storm that hat been threatening all morning started blowing. Clouds had been gorgeous all the way, but now they took on a different feel. This stretch of I-70 has always been beautiful with it's rolling hills, stone post fences, and old windmills, but with the building of the wind farms there is new majesty to it. Those windmills are huge! On the way back from Oregon last year we kept passing the trucks that were carrying these blades... did I say they were huge? Just after admiring the wind farms, the storm hit. The rain came down harder and faster than anything I'd ever seen. It was like someone had turned a hose on the windshield. Les had to pull over - as did most of the other drivers, but believe it or not there were one or two truckers that actually passed us!

We got to Russell, visited with Les' Dad that afternoon and again the next morning. Then headed on to Topeka. Another day of beautiful sights. We got to Adam's & Fawn's in time to have a great visit with them and their two sons. Fawn had been busy scrap-booking and we got to see them... she did such a wonderful job. Those boys are so cute and it looked like they had a very good time in Hawaii. Adam grilled some pork chops for dinner - didn't know they turned out so well on the grill!

The third night we stayed in Finger's Lake State Park, just outside of Columbia, MO. and yesterday we drove through St. Louis, where I didn't get to take a picture of the Arch because my batteries were down in my camera and the new ones were in the Casita. Darn! Another Photo Op missed because of dead batteries! Finally got through St. Louis into Illinois and drove through to Mt Vernon where we stayed last night. Settled down, turned on the air conditioner until it cooled off outside and then walked down to Sonic for Ice Cream. MMMMMM - life is great!


Les' Readers Digest Version:

Left Wichita June 5. Heading to lake Huron for some FISHING.
Visited 93 Year Old Dad in Russell Kansas.
Stopped in Topeka Kansas and visited Nephew and Family, Adam, Fawn, RJ, Alias. I really enjoy visiting with them.
Had "check engine" light come on, east of Kansas City. Stopped in Auto Zone, had them read the code. Bought two transmission speed sensors ($70). Put them in, in Columbia Missouri campground. No check engine light.
Drove by the St. Louis Arch yesterday.
Spent last night in Mt Vernon Illinois.

Oldest Moser Child Graduates from College

It is Friday May 16 at The Wichita State University, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and REBECCA ELLEN MOSER, gets a Degree.

It is a LAS degree in Literature. We are so proud of this single mother with 3 girls of her own.

My question is.... Joys YOUNGEST child, Vala, got her College degree a couple years ago, And my OLDEST just gets her degree. Does that make me about 20 years younger than Joy????? It doesn't feel that way. Congradulations Becca, Daddy Loves You.

Joy's Readers Digest Version:

Went to Becca's graduation.

Was long, but Becca got her degree.

Go Becca! Go Becca! Go Becca!

Congrat's (The wicked stepmom loves ya too!)

Weekend at Kingman Lake

Les and I and Jake and Jessica went camping at Kingman Lake, about 45 miles west of Wichita, this weekend. Les and Jake did some work on the Taj (pop up tent trailer) so they couldn't wait to see how it turned out, and face it, they wanted to do some fishing. So out to Kingman Lake we went.

Friday afternoon was beautiful - by the evening it was just gorgeous. Les caught a catfish. We had a nice campfire and the stars came out! Wonderful. Got a little chilly over night.

Saturday morning we saw a mother goose, goslings, and the daddy too. Jake caught a really nice crappie. While the others took a nap in the afternoon, I spotted a little turtle, not much bigger than an old time silver dollar. He was so cute, and feisty! I kept him long enough to take pictures, then I let him go. Of course, both my son, Patrick, and my grandson, Skyler, asked why I didn't bring him home to them. Wouldn't have he had a wonderful time getting all the way to Oregon, via Ontario, Canada. Jake and Jessica drove back to Wichita for his softball game - double header, they won both games. Wind starting kicking up and went on High Wind Alert throughout the evening.

Sunday was beautiful, got calls from kids wishing me a Happy Mother's Day - wind started winding down, and we came home. Home, Sweet, Home.

'til next time....

Joy
& Les

Les' Readers Digest Version;
Weekend of May 9, 10, 11 - went to Kingman Co. Fishing Lake with Jake and Jessica.
Fishing wasn't too good. Had a good time getting out.

Th’ Gatherin’ Ancient Festival O’ Beltane

We arrived at the Beltane festival on Friday afternoon with forecasts of rain/hail/snow and some wind. Although the wind whipped for a while, it calmed down, we got no snow, but the temperature dropped to 28 degrees. We were cozy, on the hill, in our Casita.

The Highland Games themselves started mid morning. We dressed in our kilts after lunch and toured the grounds seeing the vendors, witnessing the blessings of the clans, the tribute to the "fallen warriors" (which included the attendees and locals loved ones who had passed since the last festival), and for the first time I got to see the kids do the Maypole. That evening we went to the Warrior's Feast which was where the winners of the games were announced. We ate, with our fingers, in bread bowls and then went outside to the burning of the Beltane Fires. Although this was originally a Pagan Ritual to welcome the new spring, we have a resident vicar (or two) that help plan the festivities and prays over us all. We bundled up in our blankets, sitting on the lawn chairs into the evening while the fires burned and the children and young folks, okay, some of the oldies too, danced around the fire until it burned down. We stayed until the larger poles where only skeletons in the fire. We had a great view of a starlit sky on the way back up the hill to our camp. It was a good time.

Sunday morning is always sad for me because after the Church Service the party is over and the only movement around is the tents being taken down and the campers pulling out. A couple of children scrounging for lost Mardi Gras beads and the smoldering fire were the last sites I saw as we walked away from the grounds. One look back was a striking view of the tree where the names of the "fallen warriors" were written on long ribbons and attached to its branches, the wind rippling the ribbons in the sunlight. The finishing touch would have been the vicar playing Amazing Grace on his bagpipes, but it was not to be.

We loaded up and headed back to Russell, KS, where we visited Les' 92 year old father and then Les took me out to look for shark's teeth which are buried in an old wash, some layers down, as they are prehistoric. He used to go pick them up as a kid after the thaw before the spring rains. He remembers just picking them up, but now you have to work for them. When we got to this place there was a couple with their niece and nephew, who were happy to show us the stuff they had dug out of the bank. They had several small boxes full of the black sharks teeth, both shards of them and whole ones, big and small. Also some grinder teeth as well as bones of prehistoric fish. This guy found a fin of some prehistoric platapus (he said) some years ago, he notified Fort Hays State University who sent a guy out - guess it got written up somewhere. We puttered around for a while - I didn't find much but Les found a couple of recognizable pieces.

Monday morning we had a really good visit with Les' dad. We had hoped to go looking for some native stone to take back to Wichita, but it started storming so we headed home.

Ahhhhh - it's nice to be home - again!

Take Care, All!

Joy

and Les.

Les' Reader's Digest Version:
Took camper to Ceder Bluff Lake Kansas.
Attended Th'Gaterin of the the Clans, And Beltane festival. The Scottish Highland games were good. I'd forgot how huge some of the western Kansas girls/boys can be. We wore our plaid skirts (kilts). I was on Bodice Patroll and did quite well. Here is a cool site, if you have time: http://shorock.com/folk/gatherin/2008/
Went to visit my 92 year old dad.
Took Joy out to a prehistoric sea bed, North of Gorham Ks, and dug for Sharks teeth. I found two.

Years gone by it would have been to watch Submarine races, but at my age I settled for finding teeth, IN THE DAYLIGHT.
Back in Wichita.

Off to "Th' Gatherin'"

Tomorrow morning we are off to Western Kansas to the Beltane Festival at Cedar Bluffs, KS. http://www.thgatherin.com/index_files/Page266.htm

This is our fourth year at this festival - it's a lot of fun.

Right now I am listening to thunder and lightening and rain and hail falling. Last year at this time we were sitting by our Casita watching the fabulous light show that nature showed us, with lightening dancing from cloud to cloud. The next morning we heard that Greensburg, KS had been blown away while we were watching the light show only 80ish miles away! Did we feel bad!

2006--2007--PreBlog 2008 Recap

Remember us last year when we went to the Arctic Circle? Well, this is just to refresh your memory.... Look at that blue sky and those green trees!

It's been a long rough winter, but there are blue skies ahead for all of us. Just you wait and see!

We stareted doing this Blog at the beginning of 2008. But we retired the first of Sept. 2006. So for those who are interested we will give a short recap of what we were up to get to the start of this Blog.

2006

We left Kansas with our small travel trailer (Casita) and headed North. Turned left at Mt Rushmore. Went to Yellowstone and Devels Tower. Then onto Oregon and Joys Family. Spent Two monthe there looking at housing and stayed till after Thanksgiving. Headed back to Kansas.

2007

After the first of the year we went to the Texas gulf coast, where it was warm. Stayed a couple months. Back to Kansas, then across to Colorado for a wedding. And across the US to Oregon. Then North to Washington, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and to Alaska. North to the Arctic Circle. Back down to Southeast Alaska and the Ferry Boat system back to Washington state. To Oregon and back to Kansas.

2008

Went to the gulf coast of Texas again and on down to the Brownsville Area. Started back in April following the Natchez Trace thru Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Back in Kansas for Oldest Moser childs graduation from College. This is where the Blog begins.

Joy has about bazillion pix (we had to buy another laptop the old one was full of pix). Someday never comes, but we hope to someday post more Pix and stories of the pre Blog year and a half.