After finishing the previous blog we packed up and finished the journey to our destination in New Auburn, Steve Krug and Kathy Duffy's place somewhere in the north of Wisconsin.
As we drove up the drive these little signs greeted us one by one (left to right).
We got a warm greeting and parked the RV.
We were soon eating lunch outside on their patio with a view.
In the afternoon we took Buddy for a a walk up the road to the county line and back.
We ate well (as we always do when Kathy prepares food) and talked until a relatively early bedtime of 10 - I'd find out why we needed sleep the next day.
Friday 8th October
We got up before 8 and it's another beautiful clear day in Wisconsin but it is cool.
After breakfast I find out what I have to do to earn our keep. They had moved their shed to a new location but the roof was not yet re-installed so that was our mission for the next few days.
We both suffered with splinters in the hands requiring drastic action.
Another day of super meals as Kathy tried to use up all their remaining food before they leave to go to their boat in the Florida Keys.
Steve and Kathy are movie nuts so we got to see the The Thirteenth Floor - a strange sci-fi kind of thing but entertaining.
Saturday 9th October
Continued on with the shed and got the boards on the roof while Carol and Kathy did what they like to do.
We finished early for a trip into the closest big centre Eau Clair which is 50m away. My Nikon point and click camera had died so time to buy a new one. This time a Kodak.
After some shopping we visited Paul and Cindy, friends of Kathy and Steve from their co-operative days, for some fruit crumble dessert.before heading off to the University to watch a Bahamian movie Children of God - excellent indie film.
Sunday 10th October
A lazy Sunday lying around the house. And what a house! They built it themselves and originally they were totally off the grid (note the solar panels).
It was intended to be a co-operative housing thing but that fell apart so at some point they decided to turn it into a B and B. This is the entrance to the B and B 'wing' which has its own entrance and is connected to the rest of the house only by going down these stairs.
There are three 'suites'. This was our bedroom.
and this was our living room.
In the other part of the house are a couple of lounging rooms.
a surprisingly compact kitchen.
Watched lots of movies: The Samurai (French movie with Alain Delon that was redone in the US as Way of the Samurai), intrudced Steve and Kathy to the Big Empty and The Damned United.
Monday 11th October
Back at the shed putting a rubber membrane on the roof and installing windows and doors. Movie of the day: Unconditional Love with Kathy Bates & Rupert Everrett - thumbs up.
Tuesday 12th October
Even colder in the morning but it still warmed up during the day with lots of sunshine.
Steve's Jetta needed a timing belt change and to save the $1000 the garage would have charged, he decided to do it himself - a braver man than I.
I assisted (by supplying the music) and handing the occasional tool.
Movie of the day: Dinner Games - French movie recently remade (very badly) by Hollywood as Dinner For Smucks. Why does Hollywood think it can remake a very funny French comedy?
Wednesday 13th October
On with the timing belt but Steve has to wait for replacement belts for a pulley. It's our last day in this beautiful spot and last chance to capture the lake in fall colours.
We went our to visit Martha and Patricia, friends of Kathy and Steve who live close by. We had to go in the RV as Steve's car was no longer mobile. Nice people and they fed us too.
Thursday 14th October
Time to get on the road again and get to somewhere warmer. So it's goodbye to Kathy and Steve, don't know when we'll see them again but you never know.
Back down the I-39 past Madison and into Illinois and an overnight stay near Utica at Hickory Hollow.
Friday 15th October
On down through Illinois on I-39, then I-74 to I-57 until I-24 heads SE into Kentucky and our next stop in Grand Rivers, Kentucky and possibly the most crowded campsite we've ever stayed in - free Internet though.
Saturday 16th October
Back on I-24 south through into Tennessee and pretty much through the middle of Nashville, into Georgia for a few miles then back into Tennessee and on to I-75 at Chattanooga, then back into Georgia again.
We stopped for the night in Adairsville and met Berry and Cherry.
who were having trouble with their car. He's from Yorkshire and she's from Herefordshire. Berry, the 80 yearold campsite owner and I went off to the local auto parts store while the ladies went food shopping. I bought a wireless camera backup set for the RV.
Sunday 17th October
Carol has relatives in Villa Ricca which was not far away so we decided to visit them. However, the RV front brakes started to make a bad noise so we went looking for somewhere to get them looked at. On a Sunday that proved to be difficult. Either they didn't have the parts or they couldn't get the RV in their shop. So we ended up in the Wal-Mart parking lot to spend the night until we could go to a brake place on Monday morning.
Carol's relatives came to visit US there:
Left to right is Tim, husband of Kimberly, Kimberly and then Kimberly's grandmother Elizabeth, otherwise known by Carol as Aunty Betty who Carol hasn't seen in 30 years.
They stayed for a couple of hours and then we were left alone but were sooned joined by other RVers.
Monday 18th October
We found a great place to get the brakes fixed. They replaced the brake pads and machined the rotors in two hours and charged us $150 - amazing.
The day before, Tim had noticed we had a low tire which turned out be shot so we spent the rest of the day replacing that and then heading back to the same campsite we'd been in two days before. Bery and Cherry were still there.
Tuesday 19th October
Back on the road but back to the tire place to replace the spare which was anything but usable. Back on I-75 we went through Atlanta, past Macon and into Florida to stay for the night.
Wednesday 20th October
The final leg on Florida's Turnpike to West Palm Beach and a few days with Ira and Ann.
Finally we're somewhere warm - maybe too warm.
Thursday 21st October
Big day shopping. First though, it's way too hot for Buddy's coat length so he got dropped off first. Then propane for the RV, computer stuff from Comp USA and then a Costco run.
Back at Pet-Smart we find that Buddy has a tick and it's become infected so he had a short visit with the resident vet and he got some antibiotics. But he seems much happier without all the hair.
Friday 22nd October
Mostly hanging out round the apartment doing computing stuff and using Ira's new highspeed Internet while the girls do what the girls like to do.
Beer out on the patio is kinda nice.
with views of the complex.
Saturday 23rd October
Took a trip out to the movies and went to see The Social Network - most excellent movie.
Sunday 24th October
West Palm Beach has weekly free concerts in the park downtown next to the Intracoastal Waterway.
This week it was Christopher Cross if anyone remembers him from the 80's.
He and his band were very good.
Monday 25th October
It got really warm so it was another indoors day. But there's always something interesting going on outdoors.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment