Wednesday June 12, 2013-Goshen Fairgrounds

We had a very "interesting" day today. We went over to the Shipshewana flea market with Bernie and Judi and had lunch again at the Auction Barn restaurant. I went to cap a couple of Munzees that Bernie had put out over there but one of them had been removed. People sometimes do that, perhaps they don't know what the stickers are for, or perhaps they want to place their own. They don't realize that the location is locked and no other Munzee can be deployed within 50 feet when another Munzee is deployed there.

We came back home and I got a message from TxBobcat, that he had retrieved my pictures from my old computer and was ready to load them on my new computer. I took the new computer over to the Elkhart Campground where Bob was and we got it all done. I stopped by the Dodge dealer and got a new battery for my remote door opener and came on back home to high drama.

A serious storm was heading our way and we made preparations for it by putting up any loose items-chairs, tables, mats, anything that would blow away in high winds, and began to hunker down. We heard reports of possible 80-90 mph winds, very heavy rains and possible tornadoes so we decided to go into the underground shelter here at the park. This was a first for both of us. We took a computer, our phones, chargers and other paraphernalia for them and of course, Cassie and Tramp and went to the shelter. It wasn't too bad down there because it was air conditioned, had a good water fountain and rest rooms. A few people brought some snacks and games and it turned into a big ol' party! We visited with friends and came back home about 10:30. I had to get up early the next morning for a tour, so I went to bed soon. All we had was some rain and no winds at all! We certainly dodged a bullet! With all the expensive rigs in this park, it could have been disastrous night.

So long.

Tuesday June 11, 2013-Moving Day-Elkhart Campground to Goshen County Fairgrounds

Well, the big day has arrived and the big rally starts later today. Our friends Dan and Karen came in last night for an overnight stop before going over to Goshen. Remember Fred and Gloria, the friends that we met earlier in the week? Their trailer repairs were completed and they came in last night too and will go over today also. We're going to have a pretty good convoy over to Goshen!

We made pretty good time this morning and pulled out about five 'til 9. Dan followed us but Fred and Gloria weren't ready yet so they will be over later. We made the grueling 20 mile trip without incident and were soon in our site and hooked up. We'll be in this temporary site until this weekend. There is another large group in here this weekend but their rally ends on Friday and they will start pulling out on Friday. Of course, there will be some that want to stay until the last minute, so we may be delayed until Monday. I'll let you know when it happens.

There are lots of folks here already that we know, and certainly more to come. The Munzers in the group went out and put out lots and lots of new Munzees and Bernie and I went out this afternoon and started capping them. We worked for about 3 hours before my battery gave out and my sunburned dome started smarting and we came back home.

I sat outside with many of our friends all afternoon, after a well deserved nap. Hey I was up early, getting things ready to move! Then I went out and captured all those Munzees and got sunburned too, so I deserve it! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So long.

Monday June 10, 2013-Elkhart Campground

I have been capturing and deploying Munzees with my friend Bernie every day. This game has really addicted me, and Bernie is world class. I just reached 2100 points but Bernie has over 62,000!

 Here are our friends Tom and Marti, capturing a Munzee when we were in Boerne. I'm not sure if they are still playing the game but hope so.

Here is a pretty little river shot where we found a Munzee. Thats just one of the fun things about this game, the scenery. It's a great way to get some exercise outdoors but you can still play the game by driving to the find and capturing it.

I invite you to try the game. Just go to Munzee.com on your computer and then download the app on your smartphone or Android device. I believe you could play it on an I-Pad or similar tablet that has a built-in GPS. Please let me know if you do join and I'll add you to my friends list.

So long.

Thursday June 6, 2013-Elkhart Campground

We have been enjoying the weather here for the past few days. It's nice to be able to sit outside and visit with our friends, go for walks or capture and deploy Munzees. This game has become addictive to me and I am really enjoying it.

We found the Flippin Cow, a good hamburger joint here in Elkhart and decided to eat there on Wednesday with our friends Bernie and Judi. Luckily for us, there was a special of a full size hamburger for $1.99! It was very good and we enjoyed our meal. On our way back home, we saw a small car show at another restaurant and stopped in to see what they to show.

 This is an Isetta (sp) with matching trailer. I remember seeing cars like this one many years ago  but haven't seen one for a long time. Talk about tiny! How'd you like to go on a long trip in one of these? 

 I had a 1965 and a 1966 Mustang like this one, but of course my dad was a Ford dealer, so they were my "demo". Loved those cars...

I thought this was a good looking old car that has been well restored and modified. Cool-looking ride!

 My sister had a car like this one, just in another color. It was nice to be a car dealer's child, although we didn't realize it at the time. 

This 1957 Chevy was one of the best looking cars ever made. This one has been maintained well and restored where necessary and is another great looking car to be 56 years old. 

I didn't pay attention to the year model of this old Lincoln, but it is a nice one. The only thing that I saw wrong with the car is the leather seats need to be replaced badly. I guess the owner is only interested in keeping fuel in the car to keep the 429 cubic inch V8 going. I remember that engine and it NEVER got good mileage!

Did you know that Lincoln got it's name from President Abraham Lincoln? I didn't either. Henry Leland, a former Cadillac manager and his son Wilfred formed Lincoln Motor Company in 1917 but was bought by the Ford Motor Company in 1922. Just a quick history of this luxury car.

We went over to Goshen to help the early arrival crew and to see our friends that had arrived. We folded some rally shirts and got them ready for stuffing them into bags. We came on back home later in the afternoon and stopped at the North Garden oriental restaurant for a good supper. We have found that Burger King has .50 ice cream cones, so we stopped there and had a cone before coming home for the night. Just a few days until rally time!

Oh yeah, we did have some fun with Michael and Kelly (2psnapod1 & 2). They were stopped for a traffic light when we turned right in front of them. Both Bernie and I both blew our train air horns at them and Michael started looking for the train. I guess they really do sound like a train!

So long.

Monday June 3, 2013-Elkhart Campground

First of all, I want to say how sorry we were to hear of the deaths of four Houston Firefighters over the weekend. Although I was never a fireman, I hold a special place in my heart for them as fellow first responders with all the perils they encounter in their job. I feel for their families who must suffer through their loss.

I would also like to express more sadness for the residents of Oklahoma and the others that were affected by the tornadoes of recent. We were forecast for some storms but no tornadoes resulted. We did have a lot of rain but no serious damage occurred. We have been very lucky!

I posted about a Pre-Pre rally get together here at the Campground and got some response from people coming up for the big rally that will be here a bit early and was surprised to see three new Heartland trailers in here. One of them are some of our new friends from the Indiana rally, Keith and Kim but they had just come in for the weekend and went back home on Sunday. Another couple from California, Fred and Gloria, were here for the weekend as well but took their trailer in to the factory for work, as did another fellow that we met, Ron from Alberta Canada. We had nice visits with all of them during the weekend, but the place sure looked bare this morning when they all pulled out. Other will replace them soon.

Our friends Bernie and Judi came in Sunday afternoon and they will stay until we leave for Goshen. I think I told you about my beginning to play a game called Munzee, a cross between geo-caching and a scavenger hunt. Well, my friend Bernie is THE MAN as a Munzer. He is very high ranked, and on my friends list, he is #1 ranked. I have 16 people in my friends and I am #10, with 685 points. Bernie has over 62, 600 points! He has been #1 in the world a couple of times, but the lead changes daily, and sometimes more than once a day. It is a growing game to play, so if you want to get some exercise and have fun at the same time, take up Munzeeing! Please let me know if you do so I can add you to my friends list and track how you are doing.

The four of us (Bernie, Judi, Stella and I) went over to the Heartland factory today to work on the door prizes. We completed the inventory and bundled some of the gifts together and got things ready to take over to the Fairgrounds on Thursday. We stopped for coffee and pie at Perkins Restaurant when we were done. Bernie and Judi went grocery shopping and Stella and I went to the Goodwill store to look at their selection of clothes. I found a pair of Levi's jeans which I bought  because it's hard to find the petite size that I wear. They have 50% off every Saturday, so we will go back and shop more then.

Bernie and I went out and deployed and capped some Munzies, so it was a good way to end the day. We came back to the park and hung out with them. Our friends Gary and Donna came by and said they are leaving in the morning, so we bid them goodbye. Good day...

So long.

Friday May 31, 2013-Elkhart Campground

Below you will see some of the things that we have been doing during the past week or so. Having lots of fun!

 A small group of Heartlanders got together at Bobcat's trailer for lunch. From the left, Stella (in white blouse), Pat (Mrs. Bobcat), Bobcat, George and Marilyn from Montana, and Donna from Georgia.

We were joined by Andy and Joanna in their brand new Big Country. They had a few "brand new unit" issues that the dealer and Heartland took care of for them, and they pulled out for their Louisiana this morning. Safe travels friends!

Yesterday we went to the RV/MH Hall of Fame with Andy and Joanna. There is a great history of RV's there and is worth the trip when you get to the Elkhart area. We have been before but still enjoyed it.

Pictured are a couple of the elk in front of the museum that have been painted up. Similar painted elk are found all over town in Elkhart.

Several other HL owners will arrive beginning Sunday, and I wish you could be here with us to enjoy it.

So long.

Tuesday May 28, 2013-Elkhart Campground

We woke to more cloudy and rainy-looking weather this morning so we decided to put off any activities until this afternoon to see what it was going to do. It had rained off and on all day yesterday which kept us at home all day. It's nice to be able to stay home when it rains.

We went out to see our friends George and Marilyn, in their new Bighorn trailer, as they pulled out to leave. They are from Montana and have decided to head up east from here, perhaps the east coast but more likely Niagara Falls and then decide how much further they want to go. 

Later in the morning I got a call from Andy and Joanna, who had come up here to pick up their new Big Country trailer from the local dealer. They have taken delivery and are staying at the dealership for a couple of days to "shake it down" and want to take a factory tour. I called the factory and set up the tour for this afternoon. Since I had to go over to the dealership, I offered to take them to the factory for their tour since they may not have been as familiar with the area. They had a very nice time at the tour and learned a lot about the construction of their trailer. 

After dropping them off at RV Capitol, I returned home and Stella fixed some great hamburgers for supper tonight. It had stormed earlier this afternoon and continued to shower into the evening. About 11 last night a storm blew through that Stella said sounded like a tornado. The rain beating on the roof woke me up and I learned that the power had gone off for a few minutes, but since we didn't hear any commotion or sirens, we settled back down for the rest of the night.

I was asked about the birds that were growing in a nest on the ladder on the back of our trailer. Unfortunately the birds didn't make it. One of the eggs never opened and three of the birds that were born didn't survive. We found one of the dead babies after we moved that the Momma bird had removed from the nest. I don't know what happened to the other two but only one bird was still alive when we changed sites. This little bird did not survive that day. I don't know why the birds didn't make it but am sad to have to report this. 

So long.