Crazy??? YES!!

We are indeed crazy!  We are living in another persons house, sitting on extremely uncomfortable furniture,  sleeping in a bed that is super uncomfortable and eating left over food from the campers kitchen refrigerators.  Are we happy??  YES! 

Everyday is refrigerator surprise day!  I invent what I can with what is available.  It is a total hassle to go on the ferry to the grocery store.  You just don't realize how lucky you all are to jump in a car, run to the grocery and get back before you food molds or goes bad. OK that really doesn't happen but it could.  We are 5 minutes from the ferry dock.  The ride to St Thomas is 8 minutes. The walk to the grocery is maybe 10 minutes.  There is a great selection of food and beverage at the Pueblo Grocery but the workers are on snail time.  If you are not a local you are definately put on the back burner.  You have to have, or aquire massive patients if you are to live here.  If you know me at all, you know that this may take some time.  I am never in a hurry but I do not know if I can tolorated lack of customer service.  The clerks can chat for 10 minutes, ignoring you while you wait in line.  It is crazy!!  For this reason alone I am happy to eat what ever the campers leave after their stay at the campground.  This is stuff that has not been opened (for the most part).  We get all kinds of meat, bread, butter, vegies, and of course alcohol can not be taken back with you so we have never had a more well stocked frig or liquor cabinet.  Mostly rum but we will get over it.  The other day we made the most amazing margaritas from scratch. Limes included. Fear not we are not withering away to nothing and after all this venting.....we are happy!

Beach day yesterday!  There was only one person checking in (because all other cottages are full)  so we grabbed our beach cooler, some beer and the towels and drove to Honeymoon beach.  The water was fab and the crowd was thin.  We hung out with a couple other couples that are staying at the camp.  We hang with the folks that are camping when we can, and for multiple reasons.  Mostly because they are so cool and nice but also so they can let us know what they are doing on their vacation. In doing this we gain knowledge of the islands, touristy things, foody joints, charters and all the other fun stuff.  We can pass this info on to other then since we have no time to explore this stuff right now.  It will slow down and we will get out.  Hurricane season is upon us so reservations are winding down for the summer.  August looks to be slower and we are closing a couple cottages down completely mid month and securing it with cables so they don't blow away.  Sound crazy??  Yes!  It is a different life style.  I have hang out the laundry every day.  9 rental units, tons of guests, a million sheets, pillow cases, matress pads, beach towels, bath towels & cleaning rags!  NO dryer.  I think back to my younger days when I complained about hanging out diapers every day.  That was a cake walk compared to this.  On top of that....The wind is so strong I almost died when I got body smacked by a beach towel. This is real.

If this all sounded like a giant complaint....it isn't!  Just wanting you all to know we love it and we are having a great time. We accept the challenges and change our ways. Going with the flow! Enjoy the pictures!!

The islands MON!!!

We have been here a few weeks now and have little to show for pictures and what we do have would not do this island justice!!

Lots of cool sunrises, sunsets, moon rises, and crazy creature!

We are the green dot in case any body wants to know! Just south of St Thomas!

We have been super busy making all kinds of repairs and shopping for supplies. Kind of a pain in the ass to have to take a ferry to the grocery then back to the ferry to get home but it is a way of life we will figure out!  Today I went shopping, loaded the truck with $700 woth of stuff, put a tarp over it, left it parked at the marina and tomorrow Dick will go over and put the truck on a truck ferry and bring all the stuff back.  Who just puts a tarp over $700 worth of stuff and leaves it. Me! I guess that's the norm!! Crazy!! The truck needs new tires, breaks, and oil change while over here so I guess Dick puts on his mechanic hat! They say the fix it guys screw you over on St Thomas so we do our own maintenance then ferry that truck back over with the four tires from the other truck to get new tires then bring the new tire over on a private rented boat to put back on the what we call the garbage truck. So....do you get it. Yea, me neither, but we will!!

Certainly a different way of life. Now I must drink vodka!! Until next time........

This is it

Count down to the Virgin Islands is on.  We have had a great time in Wisconsin visiting with all kinds of  family and friends. We have been to Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, Fountain City, Genesee, and even made a stop in North Prairie.  I can not name all the great people we visited because there were way to many.  But know that we enjoyed the visits with each and every one of you and we hope you will visit us at the Virgin Island Campground!!  Virgin Islands Campground  If not we will see you all again in 2 years!

We've enjoyed much beer and Dick has played as many disc golf games as the weather would permit.  I may have mentioned that there are no disc golf courses on Water Island and I am certain over the next two years he will miss it something terribly. He rode his bike many miles into a head wind to go today.  He could have drove but I am sure he wanted to get another speedy ride in on his electric bike.   I know there will be plenty of work on the island to keep his mind off these little life pleasure and will find new hobbies. Snorkeling & paddle boarding to name a few.  I have been actually working this whole last month getting to know the invoice, check in, check out calendar and entering the guest information in a scheduling program that works for us.  I have probably put in more hours than need be but I want a smooth transition when we arrive.

We are headed into the islands slow seasons. The hurricane season is June 1st - Nov 30th and prediction for a higher than normal season by some weather experts is on the way.  I will keep busy on the beaches making footprints in the sand!!

Even though there won't be as many guests, that doesn't mean we will be just lazing around the Glamp! 

I am sure we will have some projects that need to be done since after all we are the fix it/maintain it people as well.  We are so excited to see what this place is all about and as usual, we are excited to meet and talk to new people about their adventures.  Signing off until we are safe on the island!!

**I need 6 months vacation twice a year**

All Packed up!!

 After many, many days we are finally packed up!!!  What a mess it was!

We have been parked at Glenn and Cathy's house in Fond du Lac for the past week.  Nice quiet spot in front of his garage. We are going to store all our stuff inside the house so it is safe from critters and then parking the home on the side of the garage and covering it for 2 years.  I already miss it!!

We finished!!!! Covered and ready a for a long nap. Fun was had in Fond du Lac.  There was coyote killing, fabulous fish fry at cousin Jessies house, cribbage, food, shopping, and just fun.

We are in Waukesha Wisconsin now staying/visiting with Dicks family and plan to go to Fountain City in a couple days to stay/visit with some of my family.  We plan to see as many friends and family as we can before we go.  We think everyone will come visit but are just not sure.  We are letting them know that we just might die in a hurricane so they better come visit.

Life is still good and we are so looking forward to this new adventure!!

**Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones**

Wisconsin......we have arrived!!

We made it out alive from the wind storm on the Texas/Oklahoma border.  What a hellish thing that was.  Who on earth chooses to live in such an environment where this happens all the time??  Crazy people, that's who!!!  We traveled on to Kansas City Missouri and spent a couple of nights at our Sister-in-laws brother Steve's house.  We had a great visit and stayed three nights in his driveway. 

 Steve and his son Jake were very hospitable and we had a great time eating KC BBQ, visiting  a couple breweries, playing cards and disc golf.  He says we can return but I think he was just being nice!😅😅

Dick had a great time playing with Jakes dog as well.  I believe he had his dog fix for the next 20 years.  We know how much it upsets our youngest daughter how we take pictures of our knees so.....here's another just for you Roni!!

We are now planted out side of Dick's mothers house in Waukesha gathering boxes, totes and suit cases to pack all our stuff in.  Hopefully the coppers won't come and hassle us about a giant trailer on the city streets of Waukesha.  We head to Fond du lac, WI this Friday to set the trailer up and really get down to the business of packing and storing.  

Until next time....here is a funny!!!

 

 

 

Tumbleweeds, scary cross bones guy & super high winds!!!

We almost died today driving through the Texas pan handle! Tumbleweeds everywhere!!! I would imagine these can do some serious injury to a hitchhiker.  Good thing we can afford a car.

We stopped for the night at a picnic area that is sandwiched between a railroad track and hwy 54 just south of the Texas/Oklahoma border. I guess Dick was tired and thought this a great place to rest his eyeballs. Well we stayed to long and then to long turned into hell!!! Oh my gosh!!!! We seriously are almost about to die as I write!  The winds are totally rocking the camper beyond any thing I have experienced & the sound of sand and tumbleweeds hitting the trailer is super freaky as are the rattling noises all over.  The sign below is for sure us!  I hope we live to see grandbaby #4!!!

It is dark now and the tumbleweeds look like little ghosts in the headlights of passing cars. We are awaiting the arrival of the creepy guy in a red Chevy who left his skull and crossbones coffee cup and his pack of Marlboro cigarettes on the picnic table during the light hours but took a picture of our camper as he left. He is most likely going to get his friends to come back and kill us and take all of our pancake mix because that is a pretty coveted recipe. Truly that guy creeped me out so much I hid my ID and all money 💰.  I hope his cigs and coffee cup blew away. I am sure we will find out in the morning. Nighty night. Keep smiling!

Albuquerque

We are leaving Albuquerque tomorrow and making our way to Wisconsin!  We had an awesome time visiting with two of our daughters, Charlotte and Veronica and their husbands Steve and Dan for a few days.  We are so happy we got to see them before we take off to Water Island but are super sad we won't be able to see Alex, Andy and our three grand kids, Brennan, Stephen and Lily before we go!😢😢😢

We did lots of fun stuff and ate way to much food. We hiked around a bit and saw some petroglyphs, some awesome carved trees, we went to an amazing frozen pop shop, took a tram to a really high mountain, saw a porcupine in a tree, and visited a few breweries too. 

There were certainly some pretty interesting individuals that we encountered as well.  There were some really awesome cars that were bouncing all over the place and jacked up so high on one side you would have thought the people were going to fall out. 

I cried like a little baby when we said fair well!!

More adventures as we work our way to Wisconsin to pack up our home!!

Change of plans

 Virgin Islands Campground

Virgin Islands Campground | Facebook

Check it out and like the page to see what we are up to for the next 2 years!!  

Doesn't this place sound so tropical!!!  This is a glamping campground on a small island (Water Island) just off of St. Thomas and we happened to stumble across this and thought.......what the hell, lets apply!!!  Guess who they called and interviewed???? US!!!  Guess we are going to manage a GLAMPGROUND!!  We are totally not beach people, but we know we will enjoy the constant warm tropical temps between 75 and 80 with the cool breeze, sunshine and awesome sunset views from the house that is provided for us up on a hill overlooking St. Thomas!!

Who's gonna come visit us there??  Flights are pretty cheap & we know the new managers are awesome.

I am almost certain that there will be many a death story with hurricanes, lizards, snakes, flying roaches, & I am sure the sea turtles will be the size of dinosaurs and bite my feet off when I go swimming (OK maybe not, because I heard they were VEG eaters) but anyhow I gotta say that if a f$#@ing toad stuck to my chair in Texas scared the crap out of me, I can only imagine what a big ugly iguana will do to my heart!!

We will be heading to Wisconsin in a couple of days to settle a bunch of stuff and to store our truck & our home on wheels!!  Moving on to tropical adventures!!!

You never know which door will lead to your dreams,  until you have the courage to walk through it!!

Moooving on!!

Our time here in Texas is winding down.  Although we have had a great time....It is time to move on.  The Care Center has been an amazing place to volunteer.  We have been so lucky to have gained so much  knowledge from the residents who have had years of travel and experience.  We will miss all the residents and if passing by Livingston in the future, we will stop in!!

These last days have been busy with spring cleaning, gardening, and moving lot of stuff from one place to another.   I think you should also know that I almost died from some poisonous thing that was in the seed heads I was splitting or the dirt that I was digging.  I had to be put on some serious steroid to get rid of the itch/rash.  All better now but it was touch and go there for a second!!!

Alaska was calling this year and wanted us up there but we chose to wait until next year.  Canada is being stupid and we are not vacinated and have no intent to do so and they may or may not let us in even with employment/volunteer paperwork.  OH WELL!!  Next year is fine with us.  

There are so many people in this life style that plan, plan, plan, and get dissapointed if things don't work out.  We plan a little, but rarely make reservations and just go with the flow.  We figure that when one door closes, another one opens!!

California here we come.  Redwood trees and the Pacific Ocean are calling.  Kamp Klamath in Klamath, CA is where we will be for the summer volunteering at what looks like an awesome place.  

Kamp Klamath

If anyone is in the area.....come visit us.

In route to California we will get to visit two of our 3 daughters!  Always exciting to see family.  Charley/Steve & Roni/Dan will be in Albuquerque, NM where we plan to spend 4 days galavanting around the area eating all kind of good food and hopefully finding some good beer.  We don't have to be to the Camp in California until May 1st, so we will have some other adventures along the way and hopefully have some pictures.  We haven't been taking to many little adventure here since we have been busy, busy, busy & I know you all miss my nature pictures!  I probably should take more pictures of my near death experiences too so you will all beleive how terribly dangerous it is out hear in retirement land!!

                 Hope you all have a great Easter and somebody makes you these cute pancakes!!

 When life feels too big to handle, go outside.  

Everything looks smaller when you're standing under the sky!!