We're Mobile!

God has been so very gracious to us. We thought we'd have to give up our dream of traveling the U.S.  - but here we are - ON THE ROAD AGAIN! There is no doubt we had to make some accommodations - and we probably need to find a rig I can drive more easily as the doctors suggest - but we're on the road! We did not make it all the way to Eugene.  Michael seems to have "sleep attacks" sometime in the afternoon; so we'll drive in the a.m. and stop as needed. I suggested stopping 1/2 way in Yreka, CA - but he's stubborn. He wanted to be over the Siskiyou Pass before we stopped.  He was doing fine - so we did it. We're within a couple of hours of Eugene....I think.

Any travel day that ends with a campsite by the river is a good travel day! 

We ran off to visit the river while the guys set up the hoses, jacks etc
I knew I'd be making dinner shortly

I prayed we'd have the "wind at our back" when we took off - would you believe we were on the road about 15 min when a wind advisory was put into effect for our area? 25 - 45 mph coming W/NW - we fought a head wind the whole way.  Stacia LOVED it when a gust would hit us and Michael had to fight to keep it in the lines. I wasn't so excited about this and fought motion sickness all day. I didn't want to take pills as I wanted to chat with Michael. There was even a touch of snow blowing in the wind coming over the pass which totally made Stacia's travel day.

The kids rock! Even after five months of being parked, the skills came back quickly and we were all ready to hit the road an hour after we started the routine.

We stopped, set up camp, got  Country Veggie Pot Pies in the oven, the boys and Michael took a walk (Stacia opted to read)  and then Michael and I walked along the Rogue River.

Nolan

 My man

 Um....so....."If you have Parkinson's WHY am *I* always on the ground????"  Yep - the state park jinx...another twisted ankle - but it's the other one and it's barely swollen as opposed to the size of a grapefruit. 

Perfect Travel Dinner

We've stayed here in the summer, the fall and now the spring - any time of the year, Valley of the Rogue State Park , is a nice spot to overnight. We'll meander the rest of the way to Eugene tomorrow.

Final Day at Beale Fam Camp

We woke up bright and early, thankful to navigate the shower house and make it on time for church.  Always a good time - and we're going to miss this church greatly.

We enjoyed our first Easter lunch in The Caboose,  then set about buttoning things up for an easy getaway tomorrow. Michael took wheels and pedals off bikes so they ALL fit in the back of the van. This will simplify the inside prep in the a.m. - and it will also make it harder for someone to steal bikes out of the van on travel days. They won't get far even if they do break in during our lunch.

When we'd finished we went for a walk - our mission to feed the ducks in the lake....doesn't everyone feed the ducks with sticks.....

We enjoyed ice cream around the fire.....and visiting with neighbors.

Nolan is still working on his book 

The Game - a funny thing happened with the game last night.  These two were walking around and around the loop.They'd done this for HOURS. The rest of us were content to chat around the fire. It was nearly quiet time - 9:50 p.m. A small white truck pulled into our loop, stopped in front of the kids and began talking. I heard Alex say, "My trailer is over there." The conversation continued. By this time I deducted someone was worried about Stacia and quizzing Alex. Social situations he has not anticipated are not his forte. He was making a gallant effort, however, and wasn't saying anything wrong......I could tell he was getting flustered. I walked over and it was security forces. He said he'd noted they were walking around and he was "just checking to be sure the young girl was o.k." I  thanked him. He said he didn't mean to scare them - but I was happy to know they were checking up on the kids' safety and that Alex  handled an unrehearsed social situation well.  The trooper couldn't see me by the fire. 

I settled down to do a final blog by this Beale campfire.....my fingers stung a bit. A cinder landed on my keyboard. I flicked it off - but it left a melted spot. Hot Metal!

It's a bit "sad" to pull away from Beale again - but if you're going to live in an RV, staying in one spot 5 months is a bit too long. We're happy to find  new adventures.  We'll pass through again on our way to TX and then on the way to ID......and....we'll be back in September to see the doctors again. LOL

Fam Camp and Lake Blackwelder

Beale Fam Camp has been a nice home for us while we worked out the details of Michael's diagnosis. We're ready to move on. Check out the link to see what it looked like before all this rain. LOL

Goodbye Swooshes!

Michael wanted us to spend the day on some maintenance issues around The Caboose. We planned to wash and wax the van and trailer, possibly replace a valve.....and begin storing some of the outside "stuff" in preparation for our Monday departure. 

The Caboose has legs!

Unfortunately, the BX did not carry buckets OR a long-handled brush. Plan B....the van is done. I went to the commissary and filled the freezer and cupboards.  Our laundry is done - 0530 is a nice time to do laundry at an RV park. We began work to remove old, sun-faded, peeling decals from The Caboose.  The directions we found online were pretty straight-forward....heat with a blow dryer, peel with your fingernail, clean with goo gone and wash right away.  I have no fingernails left - the kids discovered old motel room keys work great.

In reality, it was harder than we expected. The swooshes on the front are gone. We'll borrow a ladder and work on the Outback in OR.  If we ever buy one of these from the factory, we are going to get a "snowball" - keep the swooshes! They don't hold up well in the sun.

Why yes - it is delaminating - AFTER we fixed it - and this is nothing!
 The back is worse. #NeverKeystoneAgain

I first envisioned a pithy retiree saying, "Not all who wander are lost," "This is what retirement looks like,"  or some such thing. Next, I envisioned a full-color landscape photo (but seriously we are saving for a new rig - why pay THAT much?). Now, I'm envisioning a simple black logo - Courageous Joy - not sure at all what that looks like in a logo. ::snort:: BUT we have some pretty white spots becoming available.  Hmmmm....maybe "How's my driving?" 

 It was a great day.....I'm happy our lifestyle which allows for this....whether it's chronic fatigue  or sudden sleep attack as a result of the meds - Parkinson's makes a guy tired.  I'm  thankful he has the luxury of resting when needed -  playing, exploring  and working when he's feeling energized.  It's been a tiring week for all. {Editor's note: Seems I caught our first sleep attack on film- now he knows what it feels like.}

Nolan is desperately trying to finish this library book
before we leave on Monday.

Aeorspace Museum of California

We have heard about, and wanted to visit, the Aerospace Museum of California since we arrived in 2013. We simply haven't had time to drive to Sacramento and do it....but this week....on Friday....the day of Michael's last VA appointment.....we took the kids and WENT.  We were sad they don't belong to the ASTC (Association of Science - Technology Centers) reciprocal program. FREE is always a good price, but it was worth the  $33 for our family of 5 to tour. 

The museum is at the old McClellan Air Force Base - McClellan Business Park.  They've got quite a few planes inside....but we LOVED the historic planes OUTSIDE - a lot of them. If you are in the area,  "open cockpit" day for ALL the planes is on Armed Forces Day - 21 May, 2016.  They will have pilots and crews from each plane. It should be fascinating. I'm sorry we will miss it. 

The sign clearly said, "Do not touch." However, this gentlemen asked Michael if he'd like to sit down and give the simulator a try. It didn't take him long to realize Michael is a pilot....and a chaplain ::snort:: 

While Michael flew over the Golden Gate bridge and such.....this gentlemen gave the kids and I a complete tour of the planes and engines in the museum.  The personal stories of the docents make this a phenomenal learning experience. It was fun for us to follow this man down memory lane.

We had a whole crew of docents outside who wanted to take us around. I knew we'd best find Michael or we'd never get back on the same tour.   Michael will have to add plane names and captions....but I was impressed with this plane. This VERY PLANE flew several missions in to Normandy on D- Day.

We had to sit and remember what we've learned, the price so many young men and women played for freedom to thrive, we imagined what it would be like to be 18 - 20 and about to jump on to Normandy Beach...and we remembered Uncle Jim, our personal Normandy hero.

We took this photo for Ron and Margaret. This is the VERY PLANE Ron loved and worked on when assigned to McClellan Air Force base - back in the day. 

Still one of our favorite planes, the A 10 - the star of  Desert Storm. The docent of this plane spoke JAPANESE....what fun it was to hear again....though we were a bit bumfuddled and didn't have our Japanese whits about us. I kept saying, "I recognize what you are saying, but I don't remember what it means." Ah - but Wakadimasen - is always in style. LOL 

 Amazing men - so many stories, such a legacy to pass on! The gentlemen on the left is a true American hero.....he is a WW2, Korean War, and Viet Nam vet.  I could sit and listen to these men's stories for hours.

I think buying and assembling a kit like this would be a lot of fun.....

This was a great day of Roadschooling! We loved seeing the planes we've discussed in school, meeting men who had fought in the very places we discussed, hearing Japanese and sharing Misawa memories with the vet/docent of  the A-10 and so much more. 

I think this would be a fun volunteer opportunity for Michael to look into. He knows his planes  and wars. I've seen him give better tours about the SR 71 than museum docents. He thinks I'm joking. I'm not. 

#WYFF - DONE WITH VA APPOINTMENTS

I am drained!

I am so drained that I opted to stay home, while Michael and the kids go out for pizza and then the FREE movie at the base theater. I knew I'd sleep through it as tired as I am.

Michael spent some time early in the week making sure he was 100% sharp on what was in his medical records.

We've gone back and forth to Sacramento quite a bit but TODAY.......all of our feet were found at....

Yep - as of NOW - this was the very last VA appointment for Michael. Now, we wait for the raters to contact us with a determination. The doc said 1 - 3 months. Our VSO said 60 - 90 days.  We're not sure what all this will mean for us. It should mean  a portion of our retirement will be tax free, and possibly even a bit more depending on the rating. Depending on the level of rating it could include things such as a waived VA funding fee if we buy a home, the right for care in the VA system,  free camping and fishing in some states, a free license plate.....and I'm hearing more about rights of survivorship and such....all we know at this point is that we were advised not to put it off and to get this done as he left the military - so we are.

ALL DONE with our intake appointments! 

We've completed THREE WEEKS of school this week...and I believe that is a direct answer to the prayers of two special groups of women - the #BibleBabes and the gals at #RSMBibleStudy.  The kids really buckled down, while we went back and forth to the VA.  We're now four weeks ahead of our school schedule.

The electricity has been out here at the campground for a couple of days - the laundry is going to be amazing when we all try to do it at once tomorrow....and we're down to one dryer. LOL

We DID take time for a field trip today - but I'll have to write about it tomorrow.  I'll leave you with this funny......a snapshot of our future. On our drive in today, we saw a sweet old couple merging on to the freeway. The lady was driving, merging on to six lanes of traffic. Her husband was in the passenger seat - with his hands covering both his eyes!  It was so funny - and we are seriously going to be there one day.....some days this week looked about like this. LOL

Michael opts for dark glasses rather than hands over his eyes.

Michael doesn't seem to be having any terrible side-effects from upping the dosage of his Parkinson's meds. VA appointments are over. What does it mean to be done with the intake appointments? THERE IS NO MORE REASON WE HAVE TO STAY AT BEALE. We are cleared for travel!!!!

 We are going to head for OR on Monday. I am praying he continues to have no driving issues as I do not want to pull the Caboose over the passes. 

#WYFF (Where's Your Feet Friday) is sponsored by Fulltime Families. View more of our Friday exploits by clicking the #WYFF tab above. 

Visitors at the Caboose

It's great fun to have visitors at The Caboose.  Today, we hosted Rob and Michelle on to base. They are the pastors of The Rivers Foursquare church, where we've been attending. It was great fun to have them to ourselves for a couple of hours. We showed them around the base, chatted and they even met a couple of the chaplains here.

We have really loved our months at The Rivers. Pastor Rob has a heart to disciple this body of believers. He is a teacher at heart and this flavors the Sunday services. I've never seen so much give and take during a Sunday morning service - and I love it. If someone doesn't understand what he is saying, they ask right then. In January we focused on what the GOSPEL is, what it means, how to communicate it....really good stuff. He is concerned we be able to clearly understand and share the gospel with others. In February we looked at the vision and purpose of this specific church. YES....and moving into March we've been talking about what a healthy church looks like. Pastor invited Michael to preach the services last week.  What an honor and a blessing for us. This was the first time Michael has preached since retiring from the chaplaincy and receiving the Parkinson's diagnosis. I think it was good in a variety of ways....the message was powerful and one several responded to....we loved being able to give back to Pastor and this body in some way, and it was good for Michael to be "back in the saddle" again.   After church we were invited out for lunch with Eric and Theresa - a fun conversation and a great lunch! We are going to MISS this church. Our only regret is not having joined the evening discipleship classes as we thought we'd be moving on before they finished the series.

We had just gotten back from spending time with Rob and Michelle when the C family dropped by. Michael and I enjoyed catching up with Stephanie and the kids were happy for a break from school!

Nolan, Cole and Alex

Hello, Elise! 

Clara Beth and Elise

It's amazing how GREEN everything is in our area this year. There is rumor El Nino may make for rain in the summer too.....in any event we're enjoying the GREEN.

Our other visiting opportunity wasn't at the Caboose, but Michael and I were able to stop in and visit Ron and Margaret during one of our trips to the VA. It was so good to see them.

The Game

This has been a common sight around our home for years!

Plumas Lake

It's rather complex and difficult to trace the origins of The Game. It began  around 15 years ago (we think) when Jared (8)  Arielle (5) and Nolan (3) played a spy game. It later became more of a fantasy game with Arielle and Nolan and then Nolan and Alex.  It's an imaginary world the kids invent and populate and then experience grand adventures.  We suspect the older Gherkins had their own version of the game....but this is as far back as Nolan's (17) memory goes. 

It's always a bit sad as the kids grow up and morph into video games, books and more grown up activities...like Algebra 2 and Chemistry.

Alex and Stacia remember playing the game from the time she was 3 and he was 6 1/2.  For years they were secretive as the older ones "made fun" of them - seriously, I think this is an erroneous conclusion. I think the older kids liked remembering their imaginative games...but nonetheless they went "underground."  

We began noticing they would go out for long walks.....around and around our yards in Misawa and then Plumas Lake. Every day....they were playing the game. Theirs is a world full of dragons, elves, wars, kings, knights, dwarves.....water people, fire people, wind people......and a random princess warrior....they each play multiple parts. 

I wondered if the game would end when we moved into the Caboose. Space would be limited both inside and outside and the kids are growing up......it made me a bit sad. 

Fort Stephens State Park

But - no! They've kept up their walks....adding new scenery and adventures to their old characters. I've seen them play the game in the Redwoods, at the ocean, in state parks (above) and here at Fam Camp (below).

Beale Fam Camp

They're still rather secretive and don't pose for photos - but I've taken a few. They've caught the attention of our campground neighbors and so they've shared a bit about their game with a few folks.....I love the connection they have. I love that the game morphs as their interests change. For a long time it was simply acting out Lord of the Rings.....they've both begun books based on various parts of "the game."

Seven years and going strong....that's some imaginary world.

On a side note - this has actually been fantastic for Alex to learn to let others into his world.....and that world has expanded.