Big Adventure. . . Chapter 3

Friday, May 27

Well, it was a little longer drive than we expected due to high winds, but we MADE IT to our favorite fishin' hole in Arkansas. . only to find out that we could not pull in to our reserved spot due to the potential for flooding along the north fork of the White River near Norfork, Arkansas.  But all was well, we just pulled into another spot on higher ground for a couple of days.  We are currently in our reserved spot with a great view of the river.  It is Memorial weekend and the park is beginning to fill up today.  The river at Norfork remains to0 high to rent a boat or fish on as you will see from the pictures but we have a variety of alternate fishin' spots thanks to Steve!!  I may have to walk through the mud and weeds but I have boots now so I am good to go!! 





We have never seen so much water coming over the dam.  The rocks you see in the foreground were completely covered when we arrived and now that the water has receded some we could see that the entire boat ramp and paved parking area had been washed completely away by the flood waters.  The Army Core of Engineers is gonna be very busy!!



Steve's first trout !!!!!



?????????????????????

We like to fish both of these spots. . . but maybe on the next visit.




The view from our campsite was perfect!!



This is the type of light Steve lived by as a kid.  They had no electricity growing up.  It was called a coal oil lamp and this one looks just like the one he had as a kid while taking a bath in an old steel tub next to the coal stove in the kitchen. 

 "I also want you kids to know that I had to walk a mile and a half both ways up hill in the snow bare foot to go to school."  Steve Cain :)

Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29

As the Memorial Weekend campers moved in Steve and I decided to take a little trip to an antique show in Conway, Arkansas.  It was about a two hour drive down a long, winding, hilly road.  After all it was my birthday weekend!!  When I was 17 I used to think people my age now were old.  How's come I don't feel that old?  Steve treated me to a pedicure at 'The Classic Cut" while he had a hair cut.  It was a small shop in an old strip mall.  The normal pedicure technician was off that day so one of the other ladies did it for me.  I was a little skeptical but all you ladies know how hard it can be to paint our own toenails, well, that is!!  When all was said and done, it wasn't the best but my feet sure do look and feel alot better!!  We stayed all night in Conway, had dinner at Chili's, (I didn't have to cook), watched TV, (which we haven't done for a while), and we each took a LONG, HOT bath!! (actually two long hot baths!)  On Sunday we flea-market hopped our way back 'home'. 



The view from those long, winding, hilly roads can be the best view!!



Just one of the many places we stopped on our trip home. There must have been over 100 deer heads hanging from the walls! 

Monday, May 30th

Most of the weekend campers left this morning and Steve and I hope to get our favorite fishin' spot back this evening!  Tomorrow we will be leaving Mountain Home, Arkansas and heading toward Caddo Lake State Park just west of Shreveport, Louisiana into Texas.  We will be there from May 31st - June 2nd and then head on down the road toward Austin, Texas. 

      STAY TUNED. . . .  .

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big Adventure. . . Chapter 2

Well, I thought we were going to be at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park which I thought included all of the nearby Rend Lake Campgrounds but I was incorrect. . . the first time this trip! Ha Ha!!  But we lucked out and ended up with a great campsite.  It is Sunday night, we are watching the Billboard Music Awards, and then leaving in the morning for Arkansas and some trout fishin'!  We have had a great time time in Illinois with a little fishing, antiqueing, and sightseeing.

Wednesday, May 18

Steve initially wanted to bank fish which is why I wanted some snake boots.  So we walked about a quarter of a mile along a bridge, carrying 4 poles, a bucket of fishing supplies, 2 camp chairs which we never used, a cooler, and my bag of necessities, and then we crawled, yes crawled down the rocky bank, they were actually boulders, to the place he had picked out from the last time we were here.  Needless to say, from past experience, I was on HIGH ALERT for snakes!!  I didn't see any this day but there were some spiders!!  YIKS!!  We only stayed for an hour because our butts were getting pretty sore from sitting on those darn boulders.  We did catch a few small striped bass but we threw them back! 

Thursday, May 19

Today we rented a boat to fish.  It wasn't our Bass Tracker but it also wasn't sittin' on boulders either!!  We started at 9:00 am and returned at 4:30 pm.  We had to get our $75.00 worth!! 

 

                             

                     My cat fish!!!



Steve's cat fish!!!!

          I cooked the smaller one.  Steve ate some!

                 I, on the other hand, did not!!

Some of you may have thought I was a little crazy when I said I needed a pair of snake boots.  Well take a look at this.  It was hanging in the brush that over hung the water nearby where we were fishing from the bank on the previous day.  No, I do not have any boots.  But you can be darn sure that when we get farther south and out west I will have the best pair of snake boots I can find, even if they are cammo!

This is only the beginning.  I will continue to be on a Code Red HIGH ALERT!!!

Friday, May 20

Today we did a little sightseeing and hiking.  Yes, the old folks can hike.  We just take a lot more breaks than all of you young'uns!

The Garden of the Gods was my idea and I think Steve had his reservations. It was an hour drive but well worth it as you will see by the pictures.  Of course, Steve is much braver than I!!  The rock formations were absolutely beautiful and the mountain range, the Shawnee Hills, are over 320 million years old and were orginially covered by a giant inland sea.

              

 

Steve especially liked this one.

 

Saturday, May 21

Today was a goof off day. Surely you don't want to hear about this stuff.  So on to the GOOD stuff!

Sunday, May 22

Today we are making some plans to head to Arkansas as you can see by the tackle boxes.  Trout fishin' is in our near future and we are looking forward to it.  Do you think he has enough tackle??

A little more sightseeing was also in our plans.  Based on the Illinois liscense plate, it is the "Land of Lincoln".  My parents took my brothers and I on a Lincoln history trip when we were small children.  I can recall looking at all sorts of log cabins, and historical statues.  My mom read every plaque word for word.  I love you Mom. :)  And look what I am doing now!



What goes around comes around!

Steve and his buddy Honest ABE !!

Holy Gamollies, is that a BIG cross or what!!!???  This is Bald Knob Cross, located near AltoPass, Illinois.  It stands 111 feet tall above the 1034 ft. high Bald Knob Mountain.

 

Additional note. . . . . One night we had a visitor. .  . .but we didn't know that night until Steve got up the next morning and noticed all of the minnows were missing from his minnow bucket.  So the next night Steve left our little visitor a bucket full of fish guts.  As soon as we heard the bucket tip over we both jumped up, Steve with the flashlight in hand and me at the window, to find a big, well-nourished raccoon scampering off into the night.  I have always had a soft spot for raccoons ever since dad let us kids keep a baby raccoon whose mother had not survived.  My brothers and I named him Racky and had him for several years until he got too big to handle and a little bit mean!! :)  It was a sad day when we let him go but he was a wonderful pet while we were growing up in the country.

 

Well that is about it for now.  We will be heading to the White River in Arkansas in the morning and I will be recording the events for chapter 3 of Steve and Kim's BIG Adventure.  So long for now. . . .

Big Adventure: Chapter 1

Forget days 3, 2, and 1 I was toooo busy!  It is now Sunday, May 15th and this is the first opportunity I have had to sit down at the computer. Day 1 arrived and is now history.  Expected departure time:  noon.  Actual departure time:  1:00 pm.  Not too bad for a couple of amatures .  We stopped at Shelbyville, Indiana to weigh and we will be able to add in 1500 pounds of antiques before we top out our weight limit!!  Steve's top speed was 70 mph  for about one mile going down hill and his low speed was 51 mph so far.  Steve says that we have become those people in the RV that you can see about 15 cars ahead of you going up hill and it takes 15 miles before you have an opportunity to pass and once you do you honk and some of you may giv'em the  bird.  Just be careful it could be us you're flippin' off.  I will try to keep him at a speed above 50 mph! Oh, and for you techies, my Verizon wireless internet connection is working great!

We are currently at Prophetstown State Park near Whitney's at West Lafayette, Indiana.  We visited Jack and Trey's School for their Spring Fling on Friday evening, watched Chase and Trey play baseball on Saturday morning, and then spent the evening at Whitney's, where all of the grandkids had a great surprise for GrandDad's retirement. Today we did a little antiqueing and are now chillin' at the campsite.  It has been a little rainy today but we hope to have a campfire tonight.  We are currently on our second round of margaritas and life is GOOD on the road!

Jack and Trey love to ride with GrandDad.



                  

                         Father and Son moments for
                  Tyler and Chase



Another future major leaguer!

and another!!!!  Go get'em Trey!!

 And now for some sweetness:  



                                    

                                   Tess Elena Daugherty
                                  She's lovin' her ice cream!

                                                 

                           Emma and Jace, Numero Uno and Numero Nueve!

Monday, May 16

Yes, there was yet another party for Steve and his semi-retirement.  Each grandchild made a presentation to GrandDad:  The Top Twelve Things We Love About GrandDad.  Even upcoming number twelve got in on the party.  Grandchild number 12 likes it when GrandDad rocks him/her (yet to occur).   Number 11, Mia Flora, likes it when GrandDad feeds her cheese.  Number 10, Tess Elena, likes dancin' with GrandDad.  Jace Michael, Number 9, likes to splash in the hot tub with GrandDad.  Number 8, Chase Dylan, and Number 7, Ethan Cain, both like fishin' with GrandDad.  Cade Jameson, Number 6, likes to throw rocks in the river with GrandDad and he also likes to throw the frog into the pond!!  Number 5, Trey Andrew, and Number 4, Benjamin Gale, also like to fish with GrandDad and drive the boat around and around in circles at the lake!!  Jack Tyler, Number 3, loves to camp with GrandDad and we can always count on him to keep the campfire at a full burn!!  Number 2, Dalen Errol, likes a lot of things about GrandDad:  fishin' in Wisconsin, skittles, and eating at the Mexican restaurant when we visit, especially the chips and salsa!!  And then there is Number 1, Emma Olivia.  She says. . ."He's fun. . . He's sweet. . .  the best GrandDad you'll ever meet!" She also loves eating those huge blueberry pancakes at the notorius BOB'S in Chetek, Wisconsin!

Next stop:

Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park,

at Rend Lake, Illinois!! 

See you then!

Countdown continued...continued...continued!!

DAY 6, 5, AND 4

These days were spent doing a few things that needed done before we leave. 

• Sunday:  Steve continues to work with Aaron on updating the electric system at Aaron and Ashley's.  They are almost finished and the rest will have to wait until we return home. I babysat Mia.
• Monday:  I picked Mia up at 10:00am so GrandDad and I could take her to Parky's Farm in the afternoon. 



Before we go can I have
more cheese please!!!

Now that's a proud GrandDad!!!

• Tuesday:  You are not gonna believe it but Steve and I went to the mall together and he actually helped me pick out a couple pair of capri pants and a couple blouses.  The lady's at Macy's were completely impressed.  I have not been able to find a pair of boots yet although Bass Pro has a pair actually called 'Snake Boots' but they are knee high cammo and at the moment I am puttin's the nix on cammo.  :)  The yard is getting mowed before it rains (again) and Steve continues to pack up the RV!

stay tuned. . . we are quickly approaching day 1





Countdown continued. .. . continued

DAY 7:  PLAYING GRANDMA

It was Grandma and Mia Day.  Rumor has it that Mia loves chicken nuggets and yes. . . it is indeed true.  She also thinks she likes cheeseburgers until she has a bite and then spits it out all over herself and looks cute doing it! 

Why don't I ever remember it being so hard and that's with just one child, not three or four. 

Picture this: 

Me holding Mia, ordering food, trying to get money out of my purse, still holding Mia but decided to let her stand right beside me because I can't seem to find my billfold in that bottonless pit I call a purse.  She is soooooo sweet standing right beside me holding on to my leg.  Now that the food is ready: chicken nuggets, a single, a french fry, and a diet coke, I pick Mia up, grab the tray and head to a table in the back.  Uh Oh. . . Mia has dropped her babydoll.  Thank goodness for the kind lady who picked it up for me. 

Now that the tray of food is on the table I am in search of a highchair, still holding Mia.  The search is now complete and we head back to the table.  Darn it, I left Mia's milk in the truck along with the disposable placemats.   Where were those in the 80's?  Opps. . . I forgot napkins.  Again, thank goodness that an employee was cleaning off a nearby table and kindly went up front to get some napkins for us.  One minute later and no help in sight. . .Opps. .. . no straw.  Now there is no option. . . I can't leave Mia sitting there all by herself so out she comes from her highchair and up front we go to get a straw.  Back to the table, back in the high chair and eating commences.  She's talking to me but I can't speak 'baby' so I have no idea what she's saying but we giggle and laugh and have some very memorable granddaughter/grandma moments! 

The day ended at the ballpark where we watched another

future major leaguer show off his baseball stuff!   



Check out the baseball spikes, batting gloves and helmet!
If your gonna do it, DO IT IN STYLE!



Notice the bat and the determination on Cade's face!!
First pitch, first swing, FIRST HIT!!!!  Awesome!!



He's growing up soooo fast. 
GrandDad and I need to capture every moment we can!!
We Love You Cade!



Countdown continued

DAY 12 - DAY 8

I don't think Steve or I had any idea how much 'stuff' needs to be done in order to leave home for two and a half months.  Over the past few days Steve has been getting the truck and the RV ready to go and will continue through next Thursday I imagine!  I, on the other hand, have been working on making sure all of the bills are paid and taking care of how I will continue to manage the everyday business of the household even though we will be gone.  I think we have both made it to the top of the hill and are beginning our descent down to launch day!!

Nevertheless we have still managed to have some fun!!  We had dinner with our friends Bob and Nancy at the Twin Dragon!  Of course, Bob will never forget the 'NEAR-DEATH-RIDE' in the back lot of Kahn's and I always look forward to great conversations and laughs with Nancy!  They are great dinner companions and friends!

We watched a future major leaguer, Jace, play 'Blast' Ball.  "What is that"?, you asked.  When a fielder gets the ball he or she holds it up high and yells. . . . BLAST!  It is actually very cute to see 3 and 4 years olds having such fun! 

                                                                              

You probably can't see it, but if you knew Jace, you would know that he is

smiling ear-to-ear as he winds up for his swing.  And, even though he loves batting, time in the field is not quite as exciting!!

We even had time to take in a Reds game.  Thanks to the 'ticket salesman' outside the stadium we had great seats at a great price.  Steve managed to also take in two sausage sandwiches and I managed one Big Red Smokey and nachos!! 

Food and Fun at the Ballpark!! 

JO-EY, JO-EY, JO-EY

stay tuned. . . .

ANOTHER COUNTDOWN ? . . .

YES, it's another countdown.    "What for?" you ask patiently. 

It's the COUNTDOWN to the start of. . . . . .

STEVE and KIM'S BIG ADVENTURE!!

Departuree Date:  May 13

Return Date:  Unknown

First Stop:  Prophetstown State Park

DAY 13

Today I went through my closet and dresser in order to lay out all of the clothes I think I need to take along.  Steve will probably wait until May 12th to do this but we ladies need preparation time.  There are a lot of things to consider. 

• What if it is cold? 
• What if it rains? 
• What shoes do I want to wear with this outfit?
• What about jewelry?
• fishing outfits, antiquin' outfits, hangin' out outfits, sight-seein' outfits. . . . it's an endless list!
• What if its hot? Oh, it's gonna be hot!
• Fishing sunglasses that won't make me look like a sunburned raccoon!
• swimwear, sleepwear, dress-up once wear, underwear. . . 
• hats, I must have my Hank Parker autographed fishing hat!         

No way is all of this is gonna fit in a suitcase, or two suitcases.  Where am I gonna store it all in an 8ft by 25ft travel trailer?  Where will I hide Hank?  Some ladies have a closet bigger than that!  I am sooooo scre _ ed!

Will I need socks? What about boots?  Oh yes, I need boots, leather boots that cover my ankles just in case a snake or other critter along a rocky lake bank thinks my ankles look tasty.  Look out Bass Pro, here I come!   :)

• jackets, I may need a jacket.  Will it be the jean jacket, the white jacket, the army-green jacket, the black jacket, a hooded sweatshirt, non-hooded sweatshirt. . . sometimes I just don't like a hood.  Will it be the gray sweatshirt, I have three; the blue sweatshirt, the Miami sweatshirt, . . oh crap. .  . how will I ever choose!! 

Hopefully I won't go completely insane by May 13th. 

If I do,  Steve's in for a long trip to looneytown, USA!

stay tuned. . . . .