Greetings From Vancouver BC

Last week we packed up and flew off to Vancouver to visit our daughter and her family for a while.

This will go down as one of our worst trips ever.  The wind storm we drove in from Pharr to Austin was unbelievable.  There aren’t many pictures to share since I had two hands on the wheel all the way.  What should have been about five hours was close to seven.

 

 

I tucked in behind a semi for a while and felt pretty good about it – until – the wind almost put him into the side of another truck. He avoided a collision by a couple inches through good luck only.  The Smart car felt very unsafe at that moment and we backed off to fight our own battle.  We watched one motor home driving along, slowly, tilted about 20 degrees to the right.  He looked decidedly out of control.  I got away from him pretty fast to.

 

 

We finally got to Austin and checked into the hotel.  I had planned to take Bernie out for a nice Texas steak dinner before an early tuck in.  Not to be, we were both too tired for anything but a delivered pizza.  Gotta love Pizza Hut, they always come through.

Up early the next day to get to the airport in lots of time to get good seats on the four + hour flight to San Francisco.  To our dismay 3 hours early on a domestic flight isn’t enough.  We ended up with two window seats, on opposite sides of the plane, and in different rows.  Good old Air Canada.  We tried to do seat selection when we booked and couldn’t, only to be told at the airport we should have done seat selection when we booked.  Figure that one out.

Ok – so accept the fact you can’t sit together, that’s a done deal.  Now we head down the ramp and comment on two basketball player tall, football player wide, guys in front of us.  Remember this is a small commuter jet, no 747’s here.  Guess who ends up squished like a wee little canned sardine in a window seat beside one of these two jolly green giants.  Four plus hours of this?  Oh NO, can it get worse?  Turned out he was a nice guy, we had a good chat, but seating was VERY TIGHT.

Now  we have almost almost four hours in San Fran. before a nice flight into Vancouver.  All excited to see the kids - we walk outside, straight into a torrential rain.  This wasn’t your average Vancouver rain this was some kind of a special event with “rain warnings.”  Yup - rain warnings – it’s so nice to be back on the WET coast.

Actually despite the rain it is nice to be here.  We get to spend time with Colleen, Tim, and the kids.  We get to visit with old friends and we get to enjoy the West Coast of B.C. which has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Our rented condo is nice, we’re healthy, and our kids are all good. What more could one ask for?  Ya OK, the lotto would be nice, but think off the hassle that would create.  J

Thanks for stopping by.

Neal and Bernie

Can Tab Social

As you may recall from previous posts Bernie and I collect aluminum can tabs to help a young fellow with Cystic Fibrosis.  He is the nephew of our good friends Denis and Therese LeBrun.  These tabs go to the Cystic Fibrosis Association who use the proceeds to help fund machines that help these young folks breathe, leading to a much more normal life.

Last year at this time we gave our collected tabs (just over 5 lbs) to them and promised to try and double that effort and get 10 pounds for this year.

So as some of you will know I started, at this time last year, harassing everyone I know to help me.  In this world there are people that like to help and some who don’t.  Bernie and I are blessed with a beautiful family and a great circle of terrific  friends who are willing to help.

So last night the 2012, 2013 effort came to a conclusion with a small get together at our place.  I called it the can tab social, where we had some fun and some food, to bring the collection all together.  We had to weigh it to see IF we had met our 10 pound goal.   I thought this would be a good place to post some pictures of our first “Can Tab Social.”

 Told you I could get a smile Gary

 

 Good friends, good food, and for our friends up North - 80 ABOVE ZERO

It's only fair, before discussing the end result that I recognize the efforts of those who helped us.  The 2012 collection all started when a neighbour friend, Kent B., brought us an ice cream pail half full last March and we were on our way.  It continued all summer, fall and winter, with help from all over the continent.

Each of our five children helped out and I want to thank them all right off the top.  Second, I really want to thank Grandsons Cole and Brendan for an extra special effort.

Friends Ken and Doreen B. collected a whole bunch from everyone they could find.

They had a bit (lot) of help as we all contribute to their collections during Happy Hour at their place all winter long.  Friends Ron and Karen A. brought us two huge bags which Karen collected by  (according to husband Ron) “dumpster diving.”  She actually worked hard, all summer long, collecting them at every tee at their golf course.  Not really dumpster diving but a ton of work.  Thank you Karen, we missed having you two here yesterday.

 

My sister Jan and her co-workers at First Calgary, in Calgary Alberta, helped us out a ton.  Jan sent us two packages, each weighing two or more pounds.  Thanks sis and please thank your co-workers for me.

 

Many, many, of our friends took the time and made an effort to collect and contribute tabs.  Some people had their own collection system going, some just kept a jar at their home.  Some got a few, some got a bunch, thank you all for doing what you could.  The amount each person collected is not the point of this.  This is to thank everyone for helping out and making life a little easier for those that have to deal with this nasty disease every day of their lives.

 

Remember this picture from last year?

 I introducted you to Raphael, the young fellow who is indirect beneficiary and the motivator for our efforts.

Now a year later.
 

 This is Raphael and his younger brother with last year’s collection effort.

 Meet Denis and Therese Lebrun our good friends and Raphael’s Uncle and Aunt who spearhead this whole effort.

So now finally, how many tabs did we collect this year? 

 This is the pile.

It takes about 1600 tabs to make a pound and this pile weighed in at 24.2 pounds.  About 2.5 times our goal and somewhere in the area of 38,500 tabs.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH TO ALL WHO HELPED OUT.

I don’t want to appear ungrateful but the effort continues and we must start now on next year’s collection.  The goal - we’re looking to collect a minimum of 15 ponds this year, somewhere in the area of 25,000 tabs.  We need all the help we can get.  PLEASE.

Ten tabs or ten thousand tabs we'd love to have you at next year's "Can Tab Social."

Neal and Bernie

The People Of Tropic Star

As we travel around with the RV, or travel around in the Rio Grande Valley, many folks ask us “Why Tropic Star?”  Why that particular resort?

Bernie and I first came here because of the gym.  Yup – the gym.  We were at home, in Winnipeg, searching for a place to stay when we got here.  We found pictures on the Tropic Star web page of the gym and decided to start here.  The plan when we left The Peg was to spend a week here while we searched through the valley for what we wanted.  That was six winters ago and it’s likely we’ll be back for a seventh.

So back to the question at hand, “Why Tropic Star?”

With six winters almost finished we have visited most of the parks in The Valley.  Maybe a dance, a craft show, visiting, or maybe just plain snooping.  We have met hundreds and hundreds of people from all over and chatted, sometimes at length, about what makes their park, their choice.  Most of the better RV Resorts have similar things to offer, some a bit more, some a bit less, some a bit more expensive, some cheaper, but most have similar offerings.

Lil, Lois, and Gaylord

The first time we came to Tropic Star we were checking out the resort looking for a lot to call home for a week or so.  We bumped in Lil T. who told us we had to come to her side of the park and recommended her street.  What a great way to start, a really nice lady, on a really nice street, and a great first winter.  Lil and Bill are still here each winter and are looking forward to seeing them later this week.

As newbies we were anxious to get to the pool and did so at the first opportunity.  While cooling our jets in that beautiful pool we met Lois M. who asked us what we were doing for Thanksgiving dinner a few days later.  Since we had no plans she invited us to join them at their table in the dining room.  We did go for dinner and, yes – you guessed it - Jim and Lois have become very good friends.  You may recall my posting about our stops in Oklahoma City.  That’s where Jim and Lois are and we look forward to seeing them every single time.

And then there was Gaylord.  As nice a guy as the Good Lord put on this earth.  Bernie and I were doing laundry, shortly after arriving here, and in walks this guy with a pony tail and big black motorcycle boots.  He told us his hot water tank was broken so he had come over for a bucket of hot water.  HMMMMM what’s this all about, we thought.  Remember we’ve been here only a few days at that point and were pretty unsure of the whole thing.  So then he asked if we want to go for a drink at Peppies, or maybe Sophies, or how about a day trip to Progresso.  We had no clue what Peppies, Sophies, or Progresso were but over the next few days Gaylord took us to each of them.  We enjoyed them all and now enjoy seeing Gaylord at church every Sunday.  Not what we expected that first day in the laundry room.  Now the guy in the laundry room is – yup – you guessed it – a good friend.

 

Gaylord T.

The volunteer base in our park is unbelievable.  As we talk to folks from other resorts we often hear about their inability to get things done because nobody wants to help.  It’s not like that here.  We are blessed to have a group of volunteers that give, and give, and give some more.  We have had countless meals, gone to countless events, and had countless good times here.  Each time volunteers are manning the show in one way or another.  Literally seven days a week, volunteers are making this place a home for all of us.  Some are in the kitchen cooking a five star meal, some are playing the music, or singing in the 40 member choir, or ushering 400 +/- or us to our chairs on Sunday, or teaching a ceramics class, or a painting class, or a stained glass class, or giving swimming lessons, or giving tennis lessons, or maybe sewing lessons, or taking out the bike riders, or working the two bingo nights, and the list goes on and on.

Oh – and let’s not forget Square Dancing.  Bernie and I don’t square dance but hundreds and hundreds of people do.  As a matter of fact they consider The Rio Grande Valley to be the Square Dance Capital of The World.  Joe Saltel, http://www.joesaltel.com/ one of the top Square Dance callers in the U.S. calls Tropic Star home.  Joe calls all over the world and here at Tropic Star he has Square Dances and/or classes six days a week.  A couple of weeks ago we went to a Country Dance(not Square Dance) in our ballroom where Joe and a friend of his, Jerry Storey, another world class caller http://www.jerrystory.com/ spent three hours singing and we spent an equal amount of time on the dance floor.  This event was so successful that as the event was winding down the crowd quit dancing.  We all stood around the stage just listening and singing along to great music.  Where else can you get to spend an evening up close and personal with two “World Class” entertainers.  Square Dancers come here from all over the valley so you can imagine how many people show up all week long.  Hundreds is not an exaggeration.

The people of our resort are huge givers.  Giving is a personal thing so I won’t go too far into this.  I do believe one of the main reasons this is such a happy place is because it’s giving place.  The people here are generous beyond belief.  One of the streets here, Banana St., has a charity auction each year where people donate things, baking, new, used, etc and then everyone in the resort is invited to come over for the event to buy something.  All proceeds go to a shelter for battered women.  They have a real life, auctioneer doing his thing.  We watched people pay silly amounts of money for things they wanted, maybe even thought they needed.  Like $25 for a used picnic basket or $8 for a loaf of someone’s home made bread, or $20 for a pie.

 Banana St. Auction.

Until the drug cartel made it impossible, one of the people here, went to Sam’s Club with his pick up every week.  At his own expense he bought hundred pound bags (many) of rice and delivered them to the poor in Mexico.  Many people volunteer at the hospital, or the animal shelters.  Every Sunday there is a basket set out for food donations for the poor.  We have coat and blanket drives in early winter each year and there is a teddy bear luncheon.  This is a ladies only event held in Dec. every year.  The price of admission is a ticket and a Teddy Bear.  The Teddy Bears (a couple of hundred +) are given to the local fire department who then distribute them to the poor.  This only scratches the surface of the giving here at Tropic Star.  The resort and giving go hand in hand.

And - now back to the original question “Why Tropic Star?”  The answer is The People of Tropic Star.  Without the people it would just be a nice chunk of real estate owned by some super rich dude.  The people make Tropic Star and that’s why we come back, looking forward to seeing our friends, doing what time permits with each of them, and feeling like we’re a small part of the Tropic Star family.

If you’re clooking for a place to call your "winter home" give Tropic Star a look over. http://www.tropicstarrv.com/gallery.html      http://www.tropicstarrv.com/

Thanks for stopping by, maybe we’ll see you here.

Neal and Bernie

PS, no I didn’t get paid for this huge, free, ad for the resort.  :-)

Happy Anniversary Broughtons'

We have been blessed to meet and become friends with the Broughtons', a family from Alberta.  On the full time RV, and winter Texan, circuit we meet people from time to time who are traveling, or spending time, with a brother or sister.  In the Broughtons’ case there are three of them, two brothers and a sister, all spending their winters together here at Tropic Star.  All three of them are here with their spouses, and each of the couples has been together for 50 or more years.

Bernie and I enjoy their company so very much and this post is devoted to wishing them a Happy Anniversary.

Once a year Tropic Star has a dinner and a re commitment service for those that are celebrating their 50^th anniversary.  Some people wait a year or two, or more, to participate.  Pat and her husband Peter, waited a couple of years so that the three couples were able to celebrate it together.  Last night Ken and Doreen invited us, as their guests, to come to the anniversary dinner.  Today, Sunday, in the afternoon the six of them will participate in the re commitment service.

Janet Ashcroft, the activity director, here at Tropic Star, her husband Jack, and a number of volunteers created a five star dinner for us.  The food was great, the company was fantastic and the evening was first class.

 

Happy Anniversary Ken, Doreen, Robert, Helen, Pat and Peter 

 

Back row, Ron Adams (another friend) yours truly, Ken Broughton, Peter Toporowski, Robert Broughton, Front Row, Bernie, Doreen Broughton, Pat (sister) Toporowski, and Helen Broughton.  Missing Karen Adams who is home helping her Mom.

 

 

More later, this post is just for the Broughtons.

 

Neal and Bernie 

Merry Christmas Everyone

First of all Merry Christmas to anyone who may read this. 

This Christmas we seem to have spent quite a bit of time, with friends, reminiscing about our kids, childhoods, parents, brothers and sisters and so forth.  It really makes us realize how blessed we really are to have our health, a great family, super friends, and the opportunity to do what we're doing.  To live the life most of us have here in North America.

Christmas makes us all think of Christmas's past and who we celebrated them with.  We were so blessed to have spent a couple of them with Thom and Dwaina Sprague.  You may remember from previous posts that Thom passed away last summer.  He's been on my mind allot and I know I'm only one of many people missing him this Christmas. 

RIP Bro.

Thom, third from the right, on a Dirty Dogs Tour, in Boise Idaho, summer 2004

 

For some reason this young lady has been on mind allot also.  She is the Afgany girl who was shot in the head by a Taliban "hero" because she was outspoken on wanting an education for women in her country.  She fooled them and lived.  I know  she doesn't celebrate Christmas but we do, and I hope you join me in keeping her in your prayers.

Malala Yousufzai, a real "Hero."

 

We had a fabulous Christmas eve with some of our friends from dancing.  Ron and Elaine O'Neil invited us to their home where we enjoyed the company of many good people and lots of great food. 

Guys enjoying O'Neil's (Ron in Red) patio

 

Girls inside, Elaine in green, with Bernie at the back

 

This link will take you to Ron's schedule.  If you're in the valley, like good music, and/or dancing, check him out some night.  For dancing we think he's the best in the valley http://wintertexaninfo.com/Bands/RonONeil_A-Party-Of-One.html

 

Christmas day we had a really great time chatting with all of our kids and grandchildren.  This year they were scattered more than usual.  We had a couple of them in Cabo San Lucas Mexico, one in Langely BC, and two in Winnipeg MB.  Getting in touch was easy but conections weren't great.  We use our computer for these calls as a few billion others do on Christmas day.  The connections were tough so we'll just have to do it again soon.  Not something we mind doing.  They were all having a good time.

 

In the afternoon we got together with good freinds Ken and Doreen Broughten at their home for our 5th Christmas dinner at their place.  They have three Broughtons there with their spouses, along with us, and another couple.  It has become a wonderful Christmas tradition here, one we enjoy and treasure.  Thank you Ken and Doreen.

 

As usual we ate way toooooo much.  As seems to be the case this year we spent a couple of hours reminiscing about our childhoods, parents, kids, and so forth.  Maybe it's us, mabe not, but either way it was fun to share stories with friends.

 

So now - well - today we were going out to do a bit of shopping.  In S. Texas they don't do "Boxing day" like we do in Canada.  That day is called Black Friday here and it happens at Thanksgiving.  They do have sales all over the place today but we just don't have the energy to take it on.  Bernie has her Kindle and a cup of coffee.  She's curled up in her recliner - I could be wrong but I think she's done for the day.  I made it to the computer and I think this is all I'll accomplish today.

 

So for now, I'm done, Merry Christmas.

 

Thanks for stopping by and please do leave a comment when you can.

 

Neal and Bernie

 



 

 

 

 

 

 





Something you won't see every day

In fact unless you are in this wee corner of Texas it’s unlikely you’d ever see one North of Mexico or Central America.
 

  “Black Bellied Whistling Ducks” sitting outside our RV.

 

 This guy seemed to be the alpha male, the lookout, maybe the “boss” duck, I don’t know but he always maintains an “I’m cool” stance away from the others.

 

We’ve seen them other years, sitting on telephone lines, resting in trees, exhibiting very un –duck like behaviour.  This year they have taken a liking to the empty lot beside us so we get up close and finally a couple of decent pictures.   They aren’t great shots because they’re through the window.  As soon as I go outside they’re outta here in a heartbeat.

Hope you enjoyed them.

Thanks for stopping by and please do say hi when you can.

Neal and Bernie

And Now - from Pharr Texas

Well we've made it to Texas and are settled in for the winter.  The temperatures are running in the mid 80's every day with the humidex hitting 100 twice this week.  We'll put up with it, somebody's gotta do it.

You know you've hit S. Texas when the bugs are messing up your windshield and everything is flat and green.  We love this part of the drive each year, on Hwy 281, the last 100 miles or so S. of San Antonio.  I sort of relax at that point, the drive is almost done, the bugs are destroying the windshield and the Rio Grande Valley is just ahead.  Friends and warmth are around the corner .................

 

Flat and green with bugs on the windshield

 

Forty "flat" miles that way to the Gulf of Mexico

 

 

And Then The RIO GRANDE VALLEY

 

I'm not sure where it actually starts but for us the Palm Trees in the center mean we're in the Valley.  That's always good for a high five and that big smile on my bride's face.

And Then TROPIC STAR

 

The driveway into Tropic Star.  Right here, every year, a thank you prayer for another safe trip.  Feels like coming home.

 

 

And so winter 2012/2013 begins,

 

Those are orange trees outside our front door and a big old oak tree giving our rig afternoon shade.

 

This is home for the next three months.  We're back at Tropic Star but on a different lot this year.  They created a half dozen pull through lots for those of us with longer rigs and we decided to take advantage of the opportunity.  It lets us keep our truck with the RV which is a "big deal" to me.  I like the old girl and keeping her close is important.  :-)

It didn't take long for the "winter Texan" rush to set in.  Bernie and I sat down with a calendar yesterday to try and figure out how we'll fit it all in every week.  It turned out we will be going seven days a week with no down days.  Every year we say "it's going to be different" and every year we end up going seven days a week.

Each year we spend as much time as "our bodies will allow" taking dance lessons, going to dances, and enjoying the circle of friends we have around that activity.  This means two lessons, one or more dances per week, a lunch or two, and maybe a dinner with our dance buds.  Now - I can assure you - we won't be Dancing With The Stars anytime soon, but we do have allot of fun and the exercise is good. 

On top of the dance schedule Bernie goes to the gym three mornings a week, walks four or more miles a few times a week, I'm in the stained glass room three days a week, Sat. mornings I work with the Pancake Crew in the dining room, church on Sunday morning, and that's our regular winter schedule.  We also try to get together with friends as often as we can.  You can see why Winter Texans say they have to go home in the spring to "rest up."

Dancing The Night Away

 

 

Fun with some dance friends

 

 

A daughter comes calling
 



Once again, for the second time in two years, Amber came from Calgary for an extended weekend visit.  We had a great time and loved every minute of it.

There's something about dad's chair that makes a girl feel -  "comfortable."

 

 Of course a walk into Mexico for lunch is a "must do."  The food was good and the company - fabulous.

 

 Amber and Bernie hard at work
"Let's Twist again like we did last summer"
"Let's Twist again like we did last year"

 

Thanksgiving two

 

Being Canadian we get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice.  The first one at home with
family and the second one here with friends.  Doesn't get any better than that and we do have a lot to be Thankful for.  Once again for at least the fourth year Ken and Doreen hosted a fabulous dinner where we ate way way way too much - again.

 

 



Doreen (back left) and Ken (front right)

 

Bernie and Doreen, they act like sisters

 

 

And so now we'll get ready for Christmas where, once again, we'll eat too much.  Once again we'll say "never again" which really means - until next year.

And this is what happens at the end of a Winter Texan's day.  That's all folks nothing left.................and now you know why I don't post this blog as often as I should.

Bernie grabbed this one - no flash - at the end of a long day but I must admit it's a regular occurence........

 

Thanks for stopping by and please do leave a comment when you can.

 

Neal and Bernie

Loving It - In Oklahoma City

So we find ourselves, once again, enjoying Oklahoma City.  This is the fourth time we have set up camp in OKC and enjoy it more every time.  We enjoy visiting with friends here but beyond that this area seems to have just enough “red neck” to make us feel welcome but not enough to make you uncomfortable.  They just passed some kind of a new law that allows, those properly licenced, to carry their gun on their hip, just like in the good old days.  We didn’t see anyone carrying a side arm but apparently it’s now legal here.  Like I said “just enough” redneck makes one feel welcome.

Remember five days ago we were in Manitoba and 15 (F) degrees.  Here in Norman OK yesterday it was in the 80’s and today in the 70's.  It sucks to have to adjust to the heat but we’ll persevere.  Looking at the Weather Network, Pharr Texas is in the high 80’s to 90’s so we have some more adjusting to do.  I’ll take it.

Today we went out to a fabulous car show.  There was a really nice collection of cars there and even one “BIG” truck.  Now, we all know Bernie’s not very tall but this picture clearly shows this is a “tall” truck.  Yes – the owner does drive it on the street, and it is street legal here.   Just enough redneck, I love it. 

 Bernie and the street legal pick up

 

 

I took these goofy pictures for you Ed (my brother.)  These were both spectacular Galaxy 500’s, 63's I think.  They had your name on them, for sure.

A fabulous 55 Crown Victoria

So tomorrow we pack up and Monday head off South for a while.  We have no particular goal in mind, just working our way South to Pharr and our winter hangout.  We have a place just North of San Antonio we really enjoy so we might hang out there for a few days.  A decision we’ll have to make when we get there.  The RV Park is really nice and we like to go to a small place outside of New Braunfels, called Groene, for lunch.  Time will tell, we’re going to decide on the road.  I tend to want to drive, 6 hrs, 8, 10, 12, who cares, let’s get er done.  But I know that’s not what we’re supposed to be doing out here and Bernie keeps me on track.  Slows me down when she can.

So that’s it for tonight.  Next update will be from someplace South of here, and N or Pharr but where????????  We’ll see.

Thanks for stopping by, please say hi when you can.

Neal and Bernie

Time To Head For Someplace Warm

It's ging to be -9C (15F) tonight and that's cold enough for us.  Time to be "on the road again," Texas - here we come.

The park's almost empty, most of our freinds left a couple of weeks ago, work is finished for the year, the forecast is for some snow, and despite my Nov. 1st goal, we're headed out in the morning.  The park has had to shut off the water becuase everything is frozen - so - Mother Nature Wins - Neal looses.

There aren't many of us left here.

The temps, all the way through the Dakota's look fairly cold so it might be a rather fast trip for the first couple of days.  Bernie's maxed out at about 10 hours.  At 10 hrs I'm just nicely warmed up and ready to rock.  Hmmm - this could be interesting..... 

We loaded up Smartie, and hooked up the rv today.  We even considered a few hours on the road tonight but decided it was wiser to get an early start and be safe.

All loaded, hitched up, and ready to go in the morning.  I know - I know -  the Freightliner is embarrassingly dirty but I got caught up in a snow storm a few days ago and it's too cold to wash her.

 

We'll spend a few days with freinds in Oklahoma city, where the forecast is for some nice warm days.  Our routine in OC is a lunch or dinner at Toby Keith's "I love this bar" and to catch some r&r before the drive to S. Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.  We have come to really enjoy our time there each year.  Thanks to our freinds we have found a nice place to stay and have uncovered all the services we need, and a place to wash the truck.

So I'll post more from the road.  I have no idea what I can say about 3 days on I29 South, but we'll try.

Stay well, be happy, thanks for stopping by, and please leave a comment when you can.

Neal and Bernie

THE END OF A PRAIRIE SUMMER

So What Do You Do With A Manitoba Summer? 

Manitoba is known to have some of the best summer weather on the continent.  We’re hot, but not too hot, we get some rain, but not too much rain, we get some bugs, "big bugs," but not too many (most of the time,) we have 10,000 fresh water lakes to enjoy, we have world class fresh water fishing, we have summer festivals everywhere, there are a couple of internationally recognized music events, and the list goes on and on.

When we’re in S. Texas every winter the decision is always – what do we want to do?  There is never enough time to do it all so, like everyone else, we have to make decisions on what we want to do.  This summer in Manitoba has been just the same.  There wasn’t enough time to do all of things we would want.

This summer was complicated somewhat because I decided to work on my bucket list and spent the summer driving big rigs.  It has been, and still is, a ton of fun.  I spent the spring months driving a water hauler for a local contractor and since July I have been driving for a local farmer.  He had over 14000 acres to harvest which kept me and a few other drivers, “off our feet busy.”  At one point we had 5 combines and 8 semis in the field.  The trucks couldn’t keep ahead of it but we had a really good time trying.  For any, non-agricultural person, reading this please just accept it as “HUGE, really, really, HUGE.”   After we finished the cereal crops it was straight into beans and now we’re finally intro the last 1500 acres which is corn.  We’re had some bad weather and are on hold for a few days.  We should, weather permitting, wrap it up next week.  I’ll be sorry to see it wind down.  Even though there have been lots of 12, 14, and even 16 hr. days, it’s been allot of fun.

For and old Saskatchewan farm boy this has just been a blast.  Things have changed a lot.  When I left the farm in the early 1960’s we could till about 50 acres, or a bit more, in a long day.  He had me on a machine this summer that did 50 acres an hour.   Yes – things have changed.

Bernie has had a nice summer as well.  She spent some time at home, which she enjoys, she spent a few weekends at Falcon Lake with daughter Leslie, John, and their girls, she had a nice week in Vancouver with daughter Colleen, Tim, and their family, and she spent tons of hours at the gym with her friends.  As usual she took great care of her “old fart” husband, which all by itself is a huge undertaking.

 

Bernie finding a few minutes for some sun and a good book

Adios Amigo, my good friend.

I had to say goodbye to very dear friend this summer.  He was one of the best friends I have ever had and I miss him tons.  Thom and I, along with others, spent many thousands of miles riding our motorcycles to far off places like Mexico, New Orleans, and almost every road “worth riding” in Western North America.  Although we didn’t see much of each other since Bernie and I left Vancouver, he was one of those friends that was just “there” and I knew it.  I can only hope he knew it as well. 

 From the left, yours truly, Thom Sprague (and his Blackbird), Ron, and Glenn leaving for Mexico in 2002

To remember, reminisce, and mourn the loss of our friend many of our motorcycle friends got together for the Thom Sprague, Memorial Ride.   Sons Brady, Rob and I rode from Manitoba to Washington State to meet up with the rest of the guys.  It was about 4500 kms but well worth the effort.  Ron rode Thom’s bike for the trip which was really good for all of us.  I spent thousands of miles listening to Thom’s “Blackbird” (motorcycle) growling though the miles and loved HEARING it again.  I always told him his sounded like it was angry all the time.  It sounded even angrier on this trip.  Maybe it was missing Thom as well.

 Rob, Brady, and I in Glacier National Park

This is the whole gang of us in the Canadian Rockies, gathered around Thom’s bike, missing our friend.  RIP THOM, WE WON’T FORGET.

It’s getting cold here and our thoughts are turning to South Texas and our friends there.  Last night we had mid 20’s F. (-6 C) and we’ve had two days of snow and wind.  Looks like we’ll likely head South around the first of Nov. unless the weather gets really bad and we decide to bail out sooner.

This year, since we’re leaving later, we plan to head straight South until the weather warms up a bit and then see what happens.  We want to make a stop near Kansas City to see a 5^th wheel I’ve had my eye on for a while.  We plan to stop in Oklahoma City for a few days to visit friends and after that follow the road wherever it may go until we end up at Tropic Star in Pharr, Texas.

More soon, thanks for stopping by.

 Neal and Bernie