Am-Pm

A day full of sunshine laced with cool breezes greeted us this morning.  We packed up and drove the two miles or so to the Glass Center to play pickleball for a couple of hours.  After lunch Duane strolled around the lake (twice with a rest between times), trying to catch more bass than he did yesterday .  I lolled on the couch reading, working pencil puzzles and watching tv. I mean I spent a very productive afternoon exercising my intellect with pencil puzzles, elucidating reading, and mind-stretching tv mysteries.  After all of this stimulating exercise, I should sleep like a baby tonight!

More doctors tomorrow.

Louise and Duane

Hop

We did move on Tuesday—down the street and around the corner to Hidden Lake RV Park.  Sheesh!!! that creepy guy followed us here!!!! 

In our quick drive through on Sunday, I reported in the Shoppin’ blog that this park had an office,

a nice lake,

 

and one street of 30 nice sites.

In fact the place looked so nice that we went back on Monday and reserved a spot for 2 weeks.  There were two sites left.  The length of our rig earned us a site on the lake (more expensive, but the other site wasn’t long enough.)

Also in Shoppin’ I said that we didn’t see any other building.  That’s because for some reason we both missed this one right in the middle of the street on the lake side!  (Don’t ask me!)  This nice building houses the restrooms/showers on the street side, and

this nice porch and dock on the lake.

Inside is a clean laundry with 4w/4d, and the library.

Another error that I made in our quick ride-thru was to say that there was a gravel road all around the lake.  The gravel drive on the right of the entrance road led to extra vehicle parking and this overflow from the lake.

Past all of the sites the road leads to a turn-around so that you drive your rig out the way you came in.  It also turns right along this drive which ends in

this private drive.  Turn left and you go to that house.  Turn right and you connect to

this public road

which ends on SR 14, right next to the entrance to our previous park, Northgate.

View of the park from the private drive.

View from our door.

View of the lake from our door.  That’s Duane over there

catching bass.

Up next—???

Louise and Duane

Important Work

This afternoon we drove to Jeremy and Jennifer’s house to do a switcheroo between the truck and our storage unit.  We took the gold mining equipment out of the tool box in the truck bed and put in fishing equipment.  We also managed to reorganize our storage space.  By the time we were finished, Jeremy was home with his rebar for the area under the Fishing Shack.   (I know that in the Balancing Act post I stated that the cement would be poured here by the time we saw it again, but remember—our plans are always made of Jello.)

Duane helped Jeremy to place and wire tie the rebar together.

Luke was in charge of breaking up cement blocks into little pieces,

which he and I placed under the rebar frame.  Now it’s ready for the cement.

Luke and I then did more important stuff, like tossing big rocks in the river to make a satisfactory ‘thwunk’,

seeing if he could throw a rock all the way across the river.

Luke demonstrated the comfy chair he made in the riverbank,

then proceeded to custom make one for me, complete with cup holder next to his.

A throne fit for a Grandma!

Today was actually moving day, but that’s a story for tomorrow.

Louise and Duane

Questions

 

Four activities dominated our day today:  pickleball, getting ready to move tomorrow, slumming around watching tv, and discussing Duane’s knee replacement surgery.  The goal of the discussion was to raise questions that we need to ask, mainly about recovery and about out-of-pocket costs.

After we both read the Patient Guide To Knee Replacement, Duane decided to find out how much of his home health and physical therapy services will be covered by insurance.  I want to know if we may have to rent a car during the first few weeks of his recovery since our truck is high off the ground.  We both want to know, if he opts to have both knees done at once, if his recovery will be feasible in the small confines of our fifth-wheel.  A couple of people have asked if Duane is considering a second opinion.  I told him to examine how he felt about the orthopedist, and to trust his gut.

Originally, we were going to spend the summer tooling around Michigan, Wisconsin, and possibly Minnesota.  After the surgery enter the plans, we thought we would still do that, until we thought of the possibility of bad weather hindering his maneuverability this winter.  I also thought that he would not be able to thoroughly enjoy touring this summer with both knees hurting, and reminding him of his impending ordeal.  Because of these things, we have decided to proceed as though we will be staying here for the summer.  All of this, of course, depends on further discussion with our doctor and with each other. 

Meanwhile, we keep on doing our stuff and enjoying our lives.

Louise and Duane

Shoppin’

To enjoy the continued nice weather on Sunday, we hopped the bike for a short ride.  Around the corner and down the street we happened to see a sign for Hidden Lake RV Park.  The office was closed, but we rode the park to see if we might want to move there on Tuesday when our week is up at Northgate.  This was the whole park—30 sites.  Other than the office (which was closed) we saw no other building such as showers/restrooms or laundry, but a trip to their website said they are there. 

There was a gravel road around the whole lake for walking, biking, or fishing.  This place is slightly less per week than Northgate and, in Texas speak, right next door.  We are thinking of moving here Tuesday when our week is up at Northgate. 

From Hidden Lake we cruised along CR 35, aka Lavender Road.  to check out Five Star RV Park.

We’d stayed here before when we had business in Tyler.  It is a little cheaper than Northgate, but a bit nicer. Actually, most places are nicer than where we are now.  This place is $25 cheaper for a week but farther for us to drive to doctors.  Parking is on gravel.  We were surprised to see that the place was almost empty.  We didn’t cruise this park, but when we were here before there was a walking trail around a pond hidden in those trees.

There are showers

and an office (closed today).  In the right end of the building, up the ramp

is a 2/2 laundry sharing space with

the book/dvd library.

After we checked out these parks we rode to Camping World to spend our $10 credit, and to Walmart for a few fresh vegetables, then home to exercise our newly repaired generator.

Pickleball and decisions tomorrow.

Louise and Duane

Balancing Act

After several inches of rainfall yesterday, we were treated to some absolutely perfect weather.  To celebrate the day we started out with breakfast at Denny’s where we did some research on that picture on the wall (couldn’t find out where it was),

and did creative things.

I am the only misfit who can’t curl my tongue.

Keeping a 12-year-old girl and an 8-yearl-old boy happy at the same time takes a bit of doing, so after breakfast, we decided that a trip to one of the Kilgore city parks was just the thing.  We were pleasantly surprised to find a classic car show.  Allie decided that these cars look much cooler than modern cars. 

Duane’s other fav (besides the pre-Stingray ‘vets) is the ‘66 Pontiac Tempest Convertible.  This one is a ‘67 but looks the same.

Luke’s pick, the General Lee

Elvis crooned his way through several hits.  This guy was really very good.  He actually sounded like Elvis. 

Showing off our skills

Home for a lively game of Uno and lunch of chips, strawberries, blackberries and the last of the cookies we made last night.

Tramp tricks

Mom and Dad finally arrived home well-pleased with their adult time.  We rounded out the afternoon with a bit of fishing at the river.

Kids bait their own hooks. 

Grandpa, Allie, Jeremy, Luke.

Gramps had to show them how it’s done.  He was the only one who caught any fish.  Here he also snagged a mussel!

I caught lots of good pix, including this little frog.  There were lots of these 1 inch jumpers along the river bank.

The next time we see the fishing shack it will have a concrete floor.

Next we plan on doing a lot of –nothing.

Stay tuned to see if that actually works.

Louise and Duane