Back In IL

On April 1st we started our trip back to IL. With an eye to the weather we headed east, our first stop was 348 miles away at Elephant Butte Lake State Park in Truth or Consequences NM. Our first winter on the road we stayed at this same park, 8.5 years later it’s still a nice park. As with many places the water levels are way down.

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The next morning we were up and on our way, 324 miles later we were pulling into the Tucumcari KOA. We overnighted here in the fall of 2018, while here then we had visited a nice Mexican Restaurant, once again we enjoyed a meal at Del’s, nice to see they are still around.

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The next morning we were up and on our way, with storms coming behind us we east to Foss Lake State Park in Foss OK. Our friends Curt and Glenda recommended this place and what a beautiful park this was. We stayed in the Cedar Point Campground, with some awesome lake views from our site. We stayed two nights here, the storms came through and we were thankful not to be driving that day.

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All too soon our two nights were up and we were once again making tracks, an early departure, and 384 miles later we were pulling into the Springfield/Route 66 KOA in Springfield MO. A decent place for an overnight.

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On 4/6 we hitched up for the last leg of our trip to IL. Our friends Vic and Phyllis were a few hours ahead of us, so they were tasked with getting the gates open for all of us. 353 miles later we were pulling into Forrest W Bo Woods in Sullivan IL, the gates were locked but our friends saw us arriving and soon had the gates open for us. This year we have a different site, we are in site 113 with lots of privacy. 

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                        

traditional first night back pizza

          

scrounged up some firewood

So what have we been up to since we got here?

Of course, there are flowers to be bought and planted.

flower garden started

                                                                                            

                                                                             

We are the back left site-lots of privacy

                                                                         

                                                                            

                                            

                                                                                            

There are birds galore.

                                                                                        

We enjoyed them until late April when the IL DNR put out a bulletin asking folks not to feed the birds in an attempt to combat the Avian Bird Flu. So the feeders are down until the end of May, though we do still have all the hummingbird feeders up, IL DNR said those feeders are okay. 

We have spent time with my folks, we’ve been making dinner for them once a week and leaving the leftovers at their place. We had to take my mom to Saint Louis to a glaucoma specialist, she will be having surgery in both eyes, separately, this summer. So there will be a few more trips to Saint Louis this summer.

Of course, we’ve been volunteering. Our title here is JOATS, Jack/Jill of all trades, are two main focuses are making sure the cleaners and mowers have the supplies they need, and our loaner life jacket program-making sure there are life jackets at all improved boat ramps and all beaches. Our other jobs are working on the butterfly garden and filling in where needed. It’s been hard to get the garden cleaned up as we’ve had so much rain this April, but little by little we're getting there. After getting our life jackets and supply inventories done, it was time to get everything out where needed. Two of the USACE Lake Shelbyville campgrounds opened on 4/21, so we’ve been making sure the volunteers have the supplies they need. The boat ramps are now stocked with life jackets and we’re getting ready to open another one of the campgrounds on 5/5. The last two campgrounds will open in mid-May. 

Plans have been made with our friends Vic and Phyllis to get out and explore a few places around here. We know friends have plans to come through the area, and we're looking forward to seeing all of them. 

One of the days in April I turned 62, I now qualify for a Senior America the Beautiful pass, which gives us 1/2 price camping at COE parks. That's cause for celebration!!

 Until next time...                                                               

Summer In Illinois

 April 8-July September 14, 2021

I apologize in advance for the length of and quantity of photos, lost my blogging mojo this summer. So grab a beverage and snack and I'll fill you in our summer here at Lake Shelbyville IL.

By the time summer rolled around Dave and I had turned 61, one more year to our lifetime America the Beautiful pass, our 36th wedding anniversary occurred and our 8th RVersary happened. 

At times it seems like we just got here but then a look at the calendar and we’re halfway almost through the summer. In late April I started taking a break from Facebook, I’ve been enjoying Instagram more. Between the break and a laptop that had become cumbersome and sooooo slow, there were weeks that I never turned on the computer.  Recently I finally broke down and purchased a new laptop, we shall see how it goes. I've spent a lot of time with Sandra Brown, Lee Childs, Douglas Preston, J.C. Eaton, David Rosenfelt and so many others, reading the summer away on the patio. 

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4/19/21

When it's cool enough we enjoy a fire

Our container garden did well this summer. The yellow pansies came from our winter in TX, we brought them inside during the February deep freeze, we've enjoyed them this summer but these days they are looking tired. 

The local neighbors.

Soon after arriving, we received our Moderna vaccination so we have been able to get out with my vaccinated folks. There’s always a car ride to go on, a project around their house, extended family to see, and shopping to do. We enjoyed taking Mom on her first grocery store trip in over a year, she enjoyed wandering some of the aisles. We have celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary, and both their birthdays-which are on the same day, with them. 

Lunch with my folks and cousins

Mom's flowers

                                                                              

At least two days a week we actively volunteer for the USACE Lake Shelbyville Project. It is our 4th season at this project, our lead, Erica, decided I could speak, at orientation, about the visitor center position expectations and also how our job relates to all the other volunteer positions, lucky me. Our lead has dubbed us with a new title, JOATS, jack of all trades, seems to fit us. Our volunteer days are filled with gardening first thing in the morning. We then travel to all the campgrounds, beaches, and developed boat ramps where we check on the status of our loaner life jackets, we cull out those that have issues and replace them. Unfortunately this summer and last we’ve had drownings at our beaches. While in the campgrounds we check in with the volunteer cleaners and mowers, getting supply requests or delivering supplies and refueling gas tanks for the mowers. We put on 80+ miles on our trek around the lake. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to pick up litter in the empty sites in our campground, we usually end up with 2+ grocery bags of garbage with 6 bags being the most we’ve picked up in one outing. The most prevalent things we pick up are, cigarette butts, candy wrappers, bread ties, and we’ve even found a few condoms in our day-use area.

Our new information boards/loaner life jacket station.

This year we have made some big changes to the visitor center gardens, in some areas we tilled up the ground and spread wildflower seeds. 

5/5/21

Faye & Ranger Dalton

Faye & Erica-our lead

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7/13

We also volunteer to help with some of the annual programs the USACE sponsors.

Kids fishing day

There is a bike ride, Loop the Lake, around the lake, various lengths, 30+ to 60+ miles, we manned one of the water stations.

Ranger Phil

It’s not everyone who gets two new trucks in 6 months. Soon after arriving, we said goodbye to our old work truck and hello to our new work ride. Now no more complaining from Dave about no power windows.

Of course, there's always the maintenance of the RV that needs to be done, this summer it was replacing the awning. Less than 2 hours and we had the old one off and the new one on. 

My first time on the roof

It should surprise no one that Dave has been keeping an eye on the crops.

6/17

7/23

8/10

9/13

10' corn bordering my folks yard

We've enjoyed many a card game and meal with our friends Vic, Phyllis, and Snoop, who are gate attendants here at Bo Woods. We'll see them this winter when we spend a month in Yuma.

We've enjoyed having Snoop over for a few sleepovers. 

We have made some awesome friends over the last 8 years, and some of them have visited us this summer. We have enjoyed each visit and thank all who took the time to stop by. 

Our friends Curt and Glenda came for a few days as they traveled to the Chicago area. Always a funt time with them no matter what we do. 

Thanks to being a Grand Design RV owner we've made some friends we enjoy catching up with. 

Mike and Kim stopped in on their way to WI.

 Joe and Brenda stopped by on their way to the Grand Design National Rally.

If you ever go out for Asian with us and Dave gets wasabi, this is what to expect.

Then there was the convergence of Maloufs, Lowrys, and McCormacks here at Lake Shelbyville. Curt and Glenda got a motel room nearby and Steve and Debbie were able to piece together a stay over the 4th of July. You can read Debbie's version of events at her blog Down The Road 

The first time friends visit we try and take them to Casey IL, small town big things. They continually add to the big things around town so every year we see something new. 

Then there's always the stop in Gays IL, where they have a 2 story outhouse. 

Of course, there is always food and beer when this group gets together. 

Debbie wanted to do a blog post about corny facts so she asked Dave to pull off the road, we all jumped out and hid in the cornfield. 

We enjoyed the 4th of July show that Lake Shelbyville puts on.

Our good friend, and Dave's fishing buddy, Pat stopped by for a few days. One day we decided to visit downtown Arcola, home of Johnny Gruelle, creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy. At one time Arcola was the center of broom corn production. 

cute flowerbed 

The Kaskaskia River is the river that Lake Shelbyville helps maintain the water level of, from where it meets the Mississippi River the first twelve miles or so has barge traffic. Up here in Sullivan IL above the lake, it's a much different river. This summer we decided to get the canoe out on it. 

We put in at the Old Nelson Boat Ramp, we used the electric motor to go upstream to Denhams's Pit then paddled back. We found out about this late in the summer so we'll plan to finish the rest next year when we're back. 

One last fire to use up our woodpile.

The reason we keep coming back, my folks. 

It's been a great summer, but now it's time to get the wheels rolling on the house. As we've prepped to take off hitch itch has set in!!!

We will be heading to CO, then down to the TX Gulf Coast before heading to Dallas to sell Christmas Trees. Then off to AZ where we'll spend 2 months moving around the Phoenix area, then to Lake Havasu for a week before going to Yuma for a month. Our reservations are in place and we can't wait to catch up with friends and family. 

Tomorrow jacks up, Pershing State Park (MO) is our first destination. 

Until next time...