May 30th we are catching up on our journal as the past several days we were getting ready for the Memorial Day weekend as we went from an almost empty campground to every site filled and long hours of work throughout the weekend. Jon did get to talk to both his sisters and mother the other day as they were finishing up on their pajama party. Jon’s one sister came up from Florida and his other sister who is still recovering from her operation picked up mom and took her to a Hotel for the night and they had a great time. We would of liked to see them but that was not possible, as we were quite busy here. His sister from Florida flew up on Friday and returned Sunday, so we know that she had a busy weekend to say the least. Jon drove the hay ride on Saturday and that went from 2 to 6 pm, as after going through the campground they go to a local farm and get to see the animals there, and some great scenery along the way.
May 24th we left early to go down to Lancaster County. Our first stop we picked up two 55 gal drums of fire wood, this comes from a planning mill and makes great starter wood as it is hard and dry, best was the cost of .50 cents per barrel. We loaded this in the back of the car and it filled it up. From there we visited Jon’s mom and had a nice visit and got an update on all that is happening in the family, and a lot is happening that is for sure. We then went to Kathleen’s son’s home as she is going to babysit Sammy for the afternoon and Jon is going out for a round of golf. Kathleen bought some PENNSYLVANIA STRAWBERRIES, something she has been craving for the past several years. They are indeed the best! We then returned home in time to unload the car, stack the wood and reload the car with everything we took out yesterday. Kathleen cleaned the strawberries and made shortcake, which we practically gobbled up. We got all of that done in time to sit down and watch the final episode of “24” which is one of the few TV shows we watch with any regularity, we are saddened that this was the last of the series, but at least Jack wasn’t killed! Another great day and the Lord was with us during the day.
May 23rd as we got up we drove the hour to get to the church that we attend while we are usually in the area. We hadn’t been there since we were in Pa. as for the first several weeks we were in the Lancaster area and the drive was just too far, so we went to a local church in that area. After church we sat around and caught up with a lot of friends and had some nice chats. We then went and did some shopping, buying some tomato plants and zucchini that we can plant in a small area that is on our site. After shopping we went out to get a bite to eat and used some of the gift cards we got from Kathleen’s family for Mother’s day and for helping them do some spring cleaning. We then returned home and weeded our very small garden. Jon plans to grow his tomatoes in a pot that is 2 feet off the ground and hopefully protected from the animals in the area. The other day Jon found a double sheppard’s hook and Kathleen is putting some flowers in that. We then unloaded the car as we are going to visit tomorrow. Another great day to be at a camp ground.
May 22nd today was the day we had worked for the last several days and that was to complete the solar panel we made to heat the pool water. It is about 8ft by 16ft and has about 600 ft. on poly tubing inside, painted black and a plastic covering on it. After getting it out of the shop with much fan fare we got it on the skid loader and moved it to the pool house and set it on the roof, put it into position and secured it. We than drilled two holes through the wall for the piping and will connect it another day. While inside the office Kathleen is making a lot of progress in the computerized reservation system, as it takes a while to set up and make all of the data input. We had a good day and found out that we would have the next two days off.
May 17th we awoke to another day off and we had planned to drive to Lebanon for the day, and wouldn’t you know it we got lost less than 10 miles from the campground, as we are still learning the area and we paid for it, Ha-ha . Then when we were about 5 miles from our first stop Jon discovered that he left his wallet back at the camper and had .73 cents with him, so it was Kathleen to the rescue to pay for the day. Our first stop was Millers Restaurant where a cup of coffee is still a dime, we had breakfast there and as usual it was more than you can eat and the price is quite low. We then went to Kathleen’s brothers home for a short visit and then to see Jon’s mother and had a nice visit there as well. After that we did a short stop to do some internet work as we still can’t get it at the campground. We arrived at Kathleen’s son’s place as she was going to babysit Sammy for the afternoon; Jon decided that he would get in a round of golf and hopefully make it before the rains came. He finished up and went back and picked up Kathleen and then we started to drive back to the campground. We didn’t get far till the rains came and we drove home in the rain, made it back alright and were all snuggled in for the night and got ready to watch “24”. Just another great day.
May 16th we arose this morning with the day off. Even though we had off Jon went up and did work on the pool as we are getting it ready for opening on Memorial Day weekend which is quickly coming. We also decided that we needed to do some work around the camper, as we never really got set up as it was raining when we got here and we were working ever since. In the afternoon we traveled to Carlisle to do some shopping and one was to buy parts for our leaking hot water base board system. When we came home we started a fire so that we could cook our dinner, it is so great to be able to cook over an open fire.
May 13th the day dawned better then the last few and it was somewhat warmer. Jon started out by working on a road roller to repair the vibration feature of the roller, after doing some basic checks he found that the switches were bad and he fixed them and then made a cover for them so they are protected from the weather. After that he worked on one of the skid loaders to secure the hydraulic lines from becoming cut while being operated. He then helped to cut wood to make a solar heater for the pool, which we hope to have in the near future. Kathleen was in the office and was working on the new reservation system and working out some of the bugs, as well as learning the way the office works and to become knowledgeable in its operation. After that we went to Newport to get supplies which is about a 20 mile drive, and while there we even treated ourselves to a stop at Subway. It was another good day and we are feeling the pains of getting back to work, after a 6 month layoff, it does feel good.
May 12th in the morning we met with the owners, and got started; mainly Kathleen in the office/store complex and Jon was shown all of the utilities layout. We both jumped right in as Jon was driving the dump truck in the cleanup of an old building. It was a cool damp day and you needed to be dressed warm. After that Jon was taken to the local building supply store and was introduced to them and that he had authority to made charges for the business. It was a good day.
May 11th Jon arose early this morning and drove up to Jonestown to get a haircut from his brother in law, and catch up on all of the gossip in the area as Jonestown is a small community and the barber usually gets all of the information in town, probably more informed than even the mayor. After that he went to breakfast at Miller’s Restaurant, still the home of the 10cent coffee, where each and every cup is 10cents, they also prepare some monster meals at very reasonable prices. Now this is not gourmet food but just great good down home cooking. He then returned as Kathleen was getting the inside ready to be moved, after all of the prep work we moved out at about 10:45 am, we traveled the scenic back roads and had an nice easy drive. About three miles from our destination it started to rain and even after an hour of talking to the owners and other staff we decided to unhook the car and start to set up, even in the rain. We are level, have water, electric, sewer and even set up the dish for TV. After that we just sat in for the night and watched it rain. It was still a good day in a campground and now we have new scenery.
May 10th this is our last full day in Stevens, Pa and we have truly enjoyed being here. We got a start on packing up for our short 2 hour journey tomorrow, always good to get an unrushed time to make sure everything is done. After that Kathleen went to baby sit Sammy after she came home from kindergarten and they had a great time at her house. They played in the basement and kicked the soccer ball around outside as Sammy’s mother slept, as she works the midnight shift. This has been a great help to her over the past several weeks. Jon went out in the wind and played a round of golf. When he had last checked there were no golf courses in the area were we will be working this summer. It worked out that Kathleen’s son brought her home as she would have had to wait well over 2 hours for Jon to pick her up. Jon did get home later and also did some relaxing from the day.
May 9th “Happy Mother’s Day” what a great time we had today as Kathleen’s two sons had a nice Mother’s day feast. Actually it took several people to bring it all together as all kicked in a little bit. Her oldest son had it at his place and his wife’s dad supplied the meat, which was filet minion thinly sliced that took about 4 minutes to grill. It melted in your mouth as well as the rest of the dinner. We just truly loved being with the family and being that we are nearby this summer we hope that we can make even more gatherings. We want to send out our wishes to all that they had a Happy Mother’s Day.
May 8th as usual this morning Sammy woke up starving. We all managed to eat and get the day started. Sammy and Kathleen went to the playground after the rain stopped and Jon did some e-mails and caught up on some internet stuff. We have to go to the camp office to get on the ‘net’. Dave came to get Sammy and we made a camp fire and roasted some hot dogs and even had some s’mores. After that Dave loaded up Sammy’s toys and bicycle to be taken home as she wouldn’t be here anymore as we are leaving in a few days. We then went to visit Jon’s mom at the home as they were having a Mother’s day event a day early, it was very nice and we got to spend some quality with her, always great to be with family. In the last several weeks that we are in the local area we have had a lot of talks with her and it is wonderful, we won’t be that far away this summer so we can stop in for a visit when we are near. She will be 93 this July and we are so happy that she is in good health. We came back to the MH and went to a Saturday night service at church as we have plans for tomorrow. Another great day of camping.
May 7th this morning we went to Sammy’s school where her class, along with the rest of the school, had a “Race for Education” and each class had sold pledges and then had to run for ½ hour around the baseball field. It was probably 250 yards or more per lap and we are thinking that she did this for a least 5 or 6 times. Not bad for a kindergarten student. After that we went to Dave & Missy’s place and helped them do some spring cleaning, Kathleen trimmed a lot of bushes and trees while Jon looked at an air conditioner unit that was beyond repair, so they replaced it instead. The new unit was slightly larger and took a little time to get in place. After that we went to Elmer’s place and had a pork and sauerkraut dinner and just had a great visit. Sammy was a little nervous about going but that lasted about 5 seconds. They had just returned from a western trip and they saw many of the same sights that we had in 2008 and it was nice to talk about them. After that we came home and Sammy stayed for the night.
May 6th as we awoke, we had a lot to do today first we went to visit with Jon’s mom, and a delightful time we had. After that Jon dropped Kathleen off to babysit Sammy and Jon went to play a round of golf. It was good that the day was nice, even though windy because Jon’s golf game was not all that good. Actually it was the putting that really left him down. He played with Jeff and two other men from Jeff’s workplace. Playing golf in the area as opposed to playing in Florida is quite different as the grass is a lot lusher here and it does make a difference. He then went back and picked up Kathleen as she was tired out from babysitting. Kathleen had taken Sammy to two different playgrounds and just plain tired her out, not to tell you there is a lot of play in Sammy. We did a little bit of shopping and came back to the MH to prepare a later than usual dinner. Another good day here at the campground.
May 5th another beautiful day as we awoke this morning. After the morning chores Kathleen went to babysit Sammy, but today she took her to the campground that we stayed at in the past. Sammy has some friends there and it was great to watch her play with them, after that they had ice cream at the camp store. Kathleen then took her to a playground in her home town and she met several friends there, hopefully she was one tired girl after that and Daddy and Mommy had a relaxing night. During this Jon stayed around the camper and did some internet work catching up on e-mails and the like. He also lit a campfire so that we could cook our dinner for the night. Sure is a shame that he can’t have his granddaughter’s as we know that they would like the playground and enjoy the campground setting. It was another great day.
May 4th in the morning Jon repaired the heating system in the MH and as he finished up Kathleen went to pick up Sammy and brought her back to the campground. Sammy really enjoys coming here to play and she has a great time with the other children here. After returning her home we started a fire and cooked over it, isn’t it great to cook over a camp fire. Another great day and the weather is nice and drying everything up.
May 3rd yesterday we attended church and it was our first time at this church, and we totally enjoyed it. Jon kept saying that it was not your typical conservative Lancaster church service as it was quite lively. The rest of the day we just lounged around the campground. Today we awoke to the end of a rain storm were we had in the area of about 3 inches of rain. Jon was going to play golf this afternoon, but all of the area courses were closed because of the weather. Kathleen babysat for Sammy in the afternoon and Jon went to see his mom, trouble was she was not there as she had an eye exam and Jon’s sister had taken her to the Doctor. We the n met up with Jeff and Shirley for an enjoyable dinner. After that we came home and had a great day.
May 1st finally the day Jon was looking for and that is to say he is now on Medicare and has some insurance, the next thing is to try and find a doctor that will treat him. In the late morning Sammy called and said she would like to come out for a while and we went to get her. She has a lot of friends here at the camp and they were glad to see her. During that time Jon went back to his old campground and met up with Fox & Linda as it has been a while since we last saw them, he went out on Mike’s raft and they visited on it in the middle of the lake. Later in the day we met up with Kathleen’s two sons and their families at Pizza Hut for dinner and then we had reservations at the local bowling alley to bowl. We all had a great time and it was a lot of fun being with family enjoying the night together. Sammy had a few great games and we were happy to see her do so well. Another great time and a great day at a camp ground.
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