ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA

ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10, DARRELL AND I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR THE BODY WORK, AND PICKED  UP OUR RENTAL CAR.

AFTER PICKING UP THE RENTAL CAR, WE WENT GROCERY SHOPPING, WE HAD A WORKING REFRIGERATOR AGAIN!

THE LITTLE CAR FIT NICELY IN OUR PARKING SPOT!

I FOUND A PET NANNY ONLINE AND CALLED HER TO SEE IF SHE COULD LET  MAGGIE AND MARLEE OUT ONCE WHILE WE WENT WITH JACOB AND SONYA ON MONDAY. THERE WAS NO ANSWER, BUT SHE CALLED LATER AND LEFT ME A MESSAGE SAYING HER PHONE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND FOR ME TO EMAIL HER WITH THE SPECIFICS. I DID AND SHE ANSWERED BACK SAYING, YES SHE COULD DO THAT AND WOULD CALL TO SET UP A TIME TO COME OVER AND MEET THE GIRLS. I WAITED AND WAITED ALL WEEK FOR HER CALL, FINALLY I CALLED HER ON SATURDAY SAYING I NEEDED TO KNOW IF SHE WAS COMING OR NOT. SHE FINALLY CALLED BACK ON SUNDAY EVENING WANTING TO COME OVER. I DIDN'T BOTHER CALLING HER BACK. WE WENT OVER EARLY MONDAY MORNING AND HELPED LOAD ZACK'S STUFF. I WAS DISAPPOINTED, I WANTED TO SEE ZACK'S APARTMENT.
I  REQUESTED OUR MAILTO BE  SENT TO JACOB AND SONYA'S , WE WERE EXPECTING IT LATER ON  THIS WEEK. BY FRIDAY WE HAD NOT GOTTEN IT, SO STARTED TRACKING IT. IT HAD BEEN SENT TO SAULK CENTER, NOT SAULK RAPIDS. THEY HAD SENT IT BACK TO RAPID CITY. ON MONDAY MORNING, WE NOTICED THAT IT HAD GOTTEN TO SIOUX FALLS AND THEY HAD  SENT IT BACK TO SAULK CENTER. DARRELL CALLED OVER TO SALK CENTER AND YES, THEY HAD IT, HE ASKED THEM  TO  HOLD IT FOR US, WE WOULD DRIVE OVER TO GET IT. WE DID, AND IN THE MAIL WAS THIS BEAUTIFUL CARD FROM THE WHITE  HOUSE CONGRATULATING US ON OUR 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.

PROJECTS!!

WE WOULD HAVE MORE TIME TO WORK ON PROJECTS, WAITING FOR THE RV SPOT TO OPEN UP. SONYA WANTED NEW TRIM PUT UP IN ZACK'S OLD BEDROOM, SO, DARRELL AND JACOB STARTED THAT PROJECT.

WHILE THE GUYS WORKED ON THAT, SONYA AND I STARTED A COUPLE OF PROJECTS. HER OUTSIDE CEMENT BENCH NEEDED SOME SPRUCING UP. WE FOUND SOME PAINT THAT MATCHED AND GAVE IT A GOOD COAT OF POLYURETHANE.

WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE OF THIS. THIS HAD BEEN OUTSIDE FOR A FEW YEARS AND WAS ALL FADED.  WE FOUND SOME METALLIC PAINT THAT LOOKED BEAUTIFUL ON IT.

THIS WASN'T WORK........THIS WAS FUN!!

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!  SONYA HAD ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS ALL FADED, SO WE PAINTED THAT ONE TOO.

I WANTED TO START A NEW FLANNEL RAG QUILT FOR OUR BED. SONYA AND I STARTED SHOPPING FOR MATERIAL. WE FOUND SOME FLANNEL ON SALE, WE SET UP A WORKSPACE IN THE GARAGE AND WHILE JACOB WORKED ONE DAY, DARRELL CUT ALL THE SQUARES FOR ME.

THERE WERE A LOT OF SQUARES!

ANOTHER DAY WE LAID IT OUT ON THE  LIVING ROOM FLOOR.

I PLANNED ON MAKING IT THIS WINTER, BUT AT LEAST IT WAS CUT AND WE HAD A PATTERN.
THAT AFTERNOON WHILE  WE WERE LAYING OUT THE QUILT, WE LOOKED OUT THE LIVING ROOM WINDOW AND SAW THIS HOT AIR BALLOON THAT  WAS FLYING REALLY LOW AND  JUST ABOUT LANDED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ACROSS THE STREET!

IT DIDN'T LAND AND WE NEVER FIGURED OUT IF HE HAD PLANNED IT THAT WAY OR HE WAS IN TROUBLE.

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, WE PACKED THE RV UP AND MOVED TO THE RV PARK.

WE HAD A GREAT RV SPOT, IT WAS QUIET AND PRIVATE, LOT # 66.

THAT NIGHT JACOB INSISTED ON TAKING US OUT FOR DINNER.

THE COYOTE MOON GRILL WAS JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE RV PARK.

IT WAS A DELICIOUS MEAL! ZACK WOULD BE LEAVING THE NEXT WEEKEND FOR COLLEGE, SO WE HAD TO GET A FEW PICS.

JACOB AND SONYA INVITED US TO GO WITH THEM NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY TOOK ZACK'S STUFF UP TO HIM. 

SAULK RAPIDS, MINNESOTA

WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME WITH  JACOB, SONYA AND ZACHARY, IT HAD BEEN WAY  TOO LONG!  THREE YEARS!  ZACHARY  WAS HOME FROM COLLEGE AND WOULD BE HOME FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE GOT TO THEIR HOUSE EARLY AFTERNOON.  DARRELL AND JACOB UNLOADED WHAT WE NEEDED OUT OF THE RV. DARRELL TOOK OUT THE TABLE AND SEVERAL CRATES IN THE UNDERBELLY  SO THE REPAIR FOLKS WOULD HAVE ROOM TO WORK. WE WOULD BE STAYING WITH  JSZ WHILE THE NEW  RV REFRIGERATOR COOLING UNIT WAS BEING PUT IN. MONDAY, AUGUST 3RD, WE WOULD HEAD OUT TO ST. CLOUD/CLEARWATER RV PARK.  DARRELL AND JACOB TOOK THE RV OUT TO PLEASURELAND RV LATER THAT AFTERNOON.
SONYA HAD LINED UP PROJECTS FOR THE GUYS......I HAD BEEN TELLING HER DARRELL NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO! SHE HAD A LIST. THE FIRST PROJECT WAS THIS LITTLE CEMENT PROJECT.

IT LOOKED REALLY NICE!

ON THURSDAY, JULY 30 DARRELL AND JACOB TOOK THE TRUCK FOR THE ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE WAS $$3,392.33.  GEICO WROTE US A CHECK AND ST. CLOUD COLLISION WOULD START THE WORK ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10. GEICO WOULD PAY FOR US A RENTAL CAR.

DARRELL AND JACOB PICKED UP THE RV FRIDAY AFTERNOON, WITH NO CHARGE TO US. DOMETIC HAD PAID THE WHOLE BILL, WE THOUGHT DOMETIC WOULD PROVIDE THE COOLING UNIT AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR TO INSTALL. WE WERE HAPPY AND SURPRISED! THE REFRIGERATOR WAS COOLING!!  WE PARKED THE RV BETWEEN THEIR HOUSE AND THE POND. IT FIT GOOD.

ON SUNDAY, JACOB THOUGHT WE  SHOULD DRIVE OUT TO  ST. CLOUD/CLEARWATER RV PARK OUT TO CHECK IT OUT.  I AM SO GLAD WE DID......DARRELL DIDN'T THINK WE COULD GET THE RV IN THERE. IT WAS REALLY TIGHT WITH LOW GROWING TREES. WE CHECKED  OUT ANOTHER  RV  PARK  IN CLEARWATER, IT WAS WORSE. ON THE WAY HOME WE ASKED JACOB TO SHOW US THE ST. CLOUD RV PARK. WE DROVE THROUGH AND LOVED IT. SONYA SAID, " LET'S JUST STOP AND ASK, MAYBE THEY'VE HAD A CANCELLATION."  DARRELL AND I WENT IN AND TOLD THE MAN BEHIND THE COUNTER THAT WE HAD CALLED ABOUT A RESERVATION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING AVAILABLE IN A 50 AMP SITE. WE ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY 30 AMP SITES AVAILABLE. HE LOOKED AT HIS COMPUTER FOR A WHILE AND THEN SAID HE WOULD HAVE A 50 AMP PULL-THRU SITE AVAILABE THE 9TH OF AUGUST FOR A MONTH. WE TOOK IT! WE WERE SO HAPPY, IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO JACOB AND SONYA'S HOUSE. 

GRANITE FALLS, MINNESOTA

WE HAVE DRIVEN BY GRANITE FALLS SEVERAL TIMES AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO CHECK IT OUT. NOW, I HAD THE CHANCE, WE WOULD BE HERE A WEEK.

WE WERE GLAD WE "HAD ARRIVED". THE RV PARK WAS VERY NICE, CEMENT PADS, WIFI,  INDOOR SWIMMING POOL AND HOT TUB. WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM NOW!

WHEN WE CHECKED IN, SEAN ASSURED US THAT IF A FULL HOOK UP SITE OPENED UP THAT HE WOULD SAVE IT FOR US.

LOTS OF ROOM  TO WALK  MAGGIE AND MARLEE.

THIS WAS TUESDAY, WE COULD ONLY STAY IN THIS SPOT UNTIL FRIDAY, UNLESS A  FULL HOOK UP SITE OPENED UP, WE WOULD BE IN AN ELECTRIC ONLY SITE FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY.  THIS WAS THE NICEST CAMPGROUND WE HAVE STAYED IN FOR QUITE A WHILE AND WE WERE ENJOYING IT!  WE GOT SET UP AND DROVE INTO GRANITE FALLS AND SAW A FARMER'S MARKET SIGN. WE WENT TO CHECK IT OUT....NO TOMATOES OR CUCUMBERS YET! DARRELL NOTICED THESE PELICANS ON THE RIVER BEHIND THE FARMER'S MARKET.

PELICANS IN MINNESOTA!!

BIG WHITE PELICANS!!

THE NEXT MORNING WE DROVE OVER TO MONTIVIDEO TO BUY NEW BATTERIES FOR THE RV. WHILE WE WERE THERE, SEAN FROM THE CAMPGROUND  CALLED TO SAY THERE HAD BEEN A CANCELLATION  AND WE COULD MOVE TO A FULL HOOK UP SITE FRIDAY. THE SITE WE WERE ON  HAD BEEN RESERVED FOR THE WEEKEND, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE. WE WERE HAPPY CAMPERS!

THE HOT TUB WAS WONDERFUL, WE WERE IN IT ALMOST EVERY DAY.

ON FRIDAY, WE PACKED UP TO MOVE A FEW SITES DOWN FROM US. WE GOT TO THE SITE AND I HEARD A LOUD CRASH. DARRELL HAD UNHOOKED THE RV FROM THE TRUCK TOO SOON AND THE RV HAD FALLEN ON THE RAILS OF THE TRUCK.  WE WERE VERY LUCKY DARRELL WAS OUT OF THE WAY, HE COULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED. WE HAD DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND THE RV.

THE TRUCK RAILS WERE PRETTY BAD, BUT THE RV WAS HARDLY DAMAGED.

IT DIDN'T REALLY DENT THE RV JUST CRACKED THE FINISH. IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT, BUT WE WERE HAPPY WE HAVE INSURANCE. DARRELL CALLED GEICO RIGHT AWAY. THEY ASSURED US WE WERE COVERED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN ESTIMATE ON THE TRUCK ON JULY 30.
I HAD BEEN LOOKING ONLINE FOR US  JOBS  AFTER THE CHRISTMAS TREES, WE FOUND A VOLUNTEER JOB IN CALIFORNIA, BUT IT WAS 30 MILES FROM A TOWN AND NO CELL OR  INTERNET SERVICE. THAT WASN'T FOR US. I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE WORKAMPER MAGAZINE AND SAW AN AD FOR CAL-AM RESORTS. EVEN THOUGH THEY ADVERTISE  THAT THEY NEED WORKERS FROM OCTOBER TO APRIL, I DECIDED TO SEND IN OUR RESUME. CAL-AM IS THE LARGEST OWNER/OPERATOR OF 55+ RV RESORTS IN ARIZONA. THIS WAS SATURDAY EVENING, WHEN I TURNED ON MY COMPUTER ON SUNDAY MORNING, THERE WAS A REPLY. YES, THEY HAD JOBS AVAILABLE IN JANUARY. SHE OFFERED US JOBS WORKING IN THE OUTDOOR BISTRO BY THE POOL. DARRELL WASN'T INTERESTED IN WORKING IN FOODS, SO I EMAILED HER AND TOLD HER I WAS INTERESTED IN THE JOB AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE AVAILABLE FOR DARRELL. WITHIN A FEW HOURS SHE EMAILED ME BACK SAYING THEY ALWAYS NEED SOMEONE WITH DARRELL'S CARPENTRY SKILLS. WE ACCEPTED THE JOBS.

 WE WILL EACH  WORK TWELVE HOURS  FOR OUR FULL HOOK UP SITE. WE WILL WORK FROM JANUARY TO APRIL. WE WERE EXCITED TO BE WORKING AT SUCH A  BEAUTIFUL RESORT. I HAD A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH MIKKI BONNER, SHE TOLD ME TO LOOK ONLINE AT THE RV RESORTS IN  MESA AND CHOOSE WHICH ONE WE WANTED TO BE IN. THERE ARE FIVE IN MESA. WE CHOSE SUN LIFE, THE SMALLEST WITH 750 SITES.

I WAS RELIEVED TO KNOW WE HAD A PLACE TO GO AFTER THE CHRISTMAS TREES WHERE IT WILL BE WARM WITH LOTS TO DO.
WE LEFT GRANITE FALLS ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 TO GO TO SAULK RAPIDS TO VISIT JACOB AND FAMILY  FOR A MONTH. PLEASURELAND WILL  PUT IN THE NEW COOLING UNIT ON THE 30TH.  WE WILL ALSO  HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE ON THE TRUCK AND RV.