MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We wish you all the best holiday ever and the greatest new year yet. While many of our friends are cold and the snow is flying, we're enjoying the sun in south Texas. Yes, it's cruel to remind you of our luck, but it's just not possible to hide our joy in being here. It's been a bit rainy and chilly, but today is about as perfect as we could ask for. We hope you enjoy the time you spend with your families and friends and know that we will be thinking of all of you. We plan a quiet day at home with a nice juicy steak from the grill and all the trimmings. Yum! If it's warm enough, we may even eat outside. There we go again, rubbing it in!! No matter the weather, no matter where you are, may it all be a wonderful time for you. The Claphams

Donna, Texas

Victoria Palms RV Resort, Donna, TX

Vic Palms Dr.

We are finally in Donna, Texas, our winter destination. We were lucky to get a great site this year and although we haven't met all of our neighbors, the ones we have met seem nice. We've managed to connect with some of our old friends too. The weather has been a bit chilly since we've been here, so neither one of us has ventured to water aerobics, but will very soon. It won't be tomorrow though as the high is suppossed to be 45 degrees! Already, many of the residents have their Christmas decorations up and the park looks festive.

Now, we will settle in for lots of activities, (water aerobics, exercise class, parties, making hats for cancer patients, stained glass work, going to Mexico, etc.) and the winter will fly by way too fast. We love it though. It's like summer camp for adults. Tom is already frequenting the hot tub - one of his very favorite activities.

We're still getting used to the new rig. We both enjoy it and there are also some things that we are missing, i.e., the convenience of our computer set up in the old rig, the back door, are two of the biggest things. As time goes on I'm confident we'll find ways to make things more comfortable. Tom just gets frustrated because his "cheese has been moved". Most of the things I can remember where I put them, but some things are just not located. All that will get better with time though. We do love the hickory wood and all the windows in the living area. It makes for a panoramic view for us.

Our time in San Antonio was busy and fun. We were able to do a lot with Tom's sister, Toni and her friends. We even made it to the hill country one day and went to our favorite barbeque place, Saltlick in Driftwood. Yum!!! Funny how we always seem to find good food spots!

More later. . . . .

Happy Birthday, Tom, Nov. 19, 2009

Tom chowing down!

Homemade German Chocolate!

Onion Rings.....OMG

Fried Chicken cooked to order!

Sister Toni, Me, Donna and Friend Phyllis (Cheri taking pic)

Yes, it was Tom's birthday last Thursday. Tom's sister, two of her friends and I all celebrated with him by going to one of his favorite restaurants for lunch, Tiptop. He had onion rings and fried chicken to his heart's content. It was so much fun and a place that he and Toni have gone to since they were children. After lunch, we went to Toni's and played a couple of games of Phase 10 (cards) and had German chocolate birthday cake. Once again, the man was in heaven! I think he really enjoyed the day and we are all a little fatter for it.

Sunday we went to Sunday class and church with Toni then stayed for Thanksgiving lunch - it was great. Today we moved to Braunig Lake which is on the south east side of San Antonio. Since we're heading out to the valley next Monday, this gives us kind of a head start on our way. It's very pretty here and best of all, Tom has access to a hot tub. He's a happy camper for sure. Life is good for the Clapham's.

We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and safe travels if you'll be on the road. We think of all our family and friends so often and always look forward to seeing all of you.

NEW JOURNEY!!!!

Bedroom in hickory

New Hickory wood interior

Come on....let's go!

New Journey raring to go!

Yes, folks, we did it! We traded in our old Journey for a new one. This one is also named Journey (II). We had such adventures in the first Journey, we couldn't change the name now. We bought our rig on November 4 and spent the next four or five days, moving in to it. What a job! The new rig is two feet smaller than the old one - 33', so it was a challenge to find places for everything. The configuration is very different also. The living room is in the rear, the kitchen in the middle and we have an open bath in this one. There are some great features in this rig that we didn't have in the other one and there are some features we had in the other one that we'll miss here. Good news - we found a place for almost everything. When we sit in the living room, the rig actually feels larger than the old one because it's so open.

We stayed at the dealership for a week after we purchased the rig and we were treated like family. RV Sales owners and staff are the tops with us. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a new or used Excel. They just can't do enough for their customers. What a great experience.

We are now in San Antonio, TX, and Tom is so happy to be home again. He just about did a happy dance in the middle of I-10 at the border crossing. We've had Texas barbecue, Mexican food, Chinese and one morning soon we'll be going to Taco Cabana for Tom's favorite Mexican breakfast. He literally moans when he eats it! You all know how Tom loves his food, so that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

We'll be here until November 30, then head on down to Donna, TX, for the winter. Always on to new adventures is the best way to live!!!

Laughlin, Nevada - Happy Halloween!

Mel Tillis's Tour Bus. Very Dirty, but Nice.

I'm getting some strong hints from several people about updating the blog, so here goes. We are about halfway to Albuquerque, NM, where we plan to just take a look at the new 5th wheels there.

Two weeks with our granddaughter and Donna's daughter and son-in-law just went so fast for Donna. Tom isn't fond of Ukiah, but he manages to suffer through it. I think Julia helps make the time happier for him. We managed to spend quite a lot of time with Julia when she wasn't in school and it was a lot of fun. She loves coming to our "moving house" and playing games. Her favorite is hide and go seek. Since we don't have much space, we usually hide something small to find. We really miss them already. They may come to Texas this winter for a little visit - hope so.

We made it across the desert in a couple of days - not too warm at this time of year. We saw a huge wild turkey. It was probably hiding out with Thanksgiving not far away. We are staying here in Laughlin a couple of nights to get laundry done and just kick back. We aren't traveling really long days though and that's helping a lot. I thought I might want to go and do some gambling, but it just hasn't appealed to me. The weather is beautiful here although a bit on the windy side. This park has several levels and we're glad we aren't on the top one. Tom took a walk up there and he said it was very windy. One interesting note - Mel Tillis has a big Prevost two sites down from us. We haven't spotted him yet, but Tom tood a picture of his rig.

We stopped on our way east at Sacramento to visit "Monaco Mama" or Becky as I call her. Tom helped her repair the string in one of her shades for her rig. She spent the day with us and we had a good time. She and Tom had plenty of time to catch up on their mutual friends and GM too. She works at a GM dealer so there's plenty of shop talk for them.

We have stayed at several Elks Lodges on the way so far and have enjoyed them. They have all been pretty good spots to stay and the members are so friendly and welcoming to us. It makes it a good overnight stay.

Hope you all have a great Halloween.

IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY!!

Today it's one year of Donna being cancer free. What better news than that is there!!!! I'm celebrating all day long - every day - but especially today!!!!

Pacific Highway 101

Elks Lodge RV Park in Florence, OR

Tug and Journey cozy in the country setting of Elks RV Park Florence, OR

From Florence, OR, to Ukiah, CA, we traveled Hwy 101. It was a spectacular drive all the way. We drove along the Pacific Ocean for miles and then inland to quiet redwood forests. We took our time and traveled a day then stayed two nights before continuing on. It took us 6 days to reach Ukiah. On the way we stayed exclusively at Elks Lodges RV parks. The first one in Florence was out of town and in the woods. It had signs to watch out for bears but we never saw any. We found out that it took seven years for Elks' volunteers to build the park. It was very peaceful and quiet. It definitely was the best Elks' rv park we've every stayed in. We stayed in Brookings, OR and then Eureka, OR for two nights each. It was a great way to travel so we didn't feel worn out when we reached Ukiah.

We are in Ukiah to visit our daughter and family. Our granddaughter is now in Kindergarten and very busy with her new life. The changes in her since June are amazing. They grow up way too fast. We plan to be here until the last week in October and then head south and west for Texas.

Victoria, B.C.

The Famous Fairmont Empress Hotel

Enjoying the famous "High Tea" with our friend Barb

View from Barb's Apartment of the Inner Harbor

We have returned from our trip to Victoria, B.C. We had a great time with our friend, Barb. First we left on 9/28 and went to Port Angeles, WA, to spend the night at a B & B. It was very nice and we enjoyed our time there. On Tuesday, we took the 2:00 pm ferry to Victoria. We wanted to take our time and enjoy the trip as much as the destination. We arrived at 3:30 pm and Barb was waiting right outside the ferry terminal. She directed us to her apartment and we were blown away by the fabulous view. She lives on the 12th floor and when we looked out the window, we were looking at the inner harbor and to our right was the Empress Hotel. To the left, the cruise ships docked. It was amazing. Both of the bedrooms also had the same view. That night we went for pizza and settled in for an evening relaxing. The next two days, Barb took us on driving tours of the island. We saw one of her favorite beaches, French beach, where large waves roll in. It was exciting. The tide was coming in and where we sat would soon be covered by water, but we stayed a while and just enjoyed the wildness of the waves. In contrast, the next day we went to a very small, very private, quiet beach that she loves. What a difference. She took us to the site of the new HUGE WalMart complex that is being built. It will not only house WalMart, but shops, restaurants and condos. It is over 850,000 square feet. On Friday, we went to the Empress Hotel for tea. It's one of those things everyone should do when they go to Victoria. Being served tea on gold embossed plates, tea out of silver tea pots and cups you could almost see through was a thrill. All of us even managed to get our pinkies up as we sipped our tea! We also had a great view of the inner harbor and were treated royally by the staff. It's not something one would do every day as it's quite pricey, but it's a fun thing for the "bucket list". Saturday we took a ride on the little ferries in the harbor and learned more about Victoria. It's such a wonderful city to visit. Two of the nights we were there Barb took us to her friends' houses for dinner. We were happy to meet her friends and the dinners were exceptional. We all laughed so much, our stomachs hurt! Even with our sightseeing and visiting friends, we took plenty of time to just relax and spend time visiting and catching up. Barb's apartment is so cozy and nice that it was easy to feel at home. Sadly, Sunday we boarded the ferry at 4:00 pm to head back to Portland. It was just such a great week and the time with Barb was exceptional. We feel so fortunate to have met such a wonderful person in our travels. Thanks again, Barb, for a great week.

Now we're on the road again and we'll be sending more frequent posts of our travels.

Great news!

I know it's been a while, but here I am (Donna) updating the blog again. That's not the great news. The great news is that I saw the oncologist on Monday and my primary care doctor on Tuesday and all reports are very good. My cholesterol is great, my blood pressure is great and generally all is in good shape. What a great way to start on our winter trek.

We leave on Monday for Victoria, B.C. to visit our friend, Barb. This is our "vacation" after working for 5 months. It's also our present to ourselves for our anniversary and birthdays. We really like this kind of present.

When we get back on the 5th, we'll spend the night here in Portland and then head out for Ukiah on Tuesday. We'll take our time getting there so probably won't be there till close to the weekend. Can't wait to see Julia again. Of course, we also look forward to seeing Beth and Jim. It will be hard to leave Sarah behind, but we're already making plans for when I return in the spring.

No other exciting news from the Clapham's, but we think of our family and friends and hope all is well with all of you. Happy Fall!!!

Anniversary and Birthday

Double click on photo to enlarge

No speeding on my watch!!!

Yesterday, Tom and I celebrated our 14th anniversary and my 62nd birthday! I'm officially eligible for Social Security and expect my first check mid November. Hurray! Also, I'll be getting my lifetime National Park Pass for only $10.00 at the first National Park we get to. There are definitely some perks to becoming a senior citizen. The next big perk will be Medicare at 65. I'm still not believing I could be this old yet. Like every other 60 something, I wonder where my life went! Luckily, I've had some great experiences with having my kids, granddaughter, traveling and getting to do some many wonderful things. Oh - and don't forget, I married Tom. Sure I've had some sad things happen too, but the good definitely has countered the bad and over all, I'm a very happy person. Anyone who knows Tom also knows that he's about the happiest person you'd ever meet. He always has a smile and good word for everyone he meets and no one ever has to worry that the conversation will lag when he's around. If there's a story to be told, he'll know and he'll tell it. He's very handy around the house too. Without him, the whole RV experience would be impossible for me. He knows more about all different kinds of things than the average bear and is always willing and ready to take care of any issues with the truck and Journey. No job is too big or too small for him! So as we look back on this last year, we are so thankful for our life together, our children, our granddaughter, our extended family and friends and look forward to another year of good times. Hope all of you are having a great day today!

Tom's Notes: My lovely bride is being awfully gracious today. What nice things she says about me. Don't know if I'm worthy of all that, but I'll TAKE IT!! She makes my life so full with all the things she teaches me everyday about being a better person. She is the most ethical and truly caring person I've ever known. She gives of herself from the heart without wanting anything in return. That's why I chose her to be my life partner! I love you honey! Tom

Julia goes to school

Julia on her first day of kindergarten

August 24, Julia, our granddaughter, started kindergarten. She was a little shy when she first got to school, but quickly was surrounded by her friends and has loved every day. She is learning lots of new things and looks forward to going back tomorrow. It still doesn't seem possible that she could be in school and her mother says she's changed so much in a week it's unbelievable.

We are still enjoying our summer jobs but also looking forward to hitting the road in October and seeing old friends, family and making new friends. We're going to Vancouver Island for a week then heading down to Ukiah to spend some time with Julia when she can make time for us! She said it would be okay for us to pick her up from school.

No other big news here - just keeping busy and enjoying the beautiful weather.

20 YEARS AND COUNTING!!!!

Twenty years ago today, Tom and I met. He was only 37, the same age as my oldest daughter is now! It doesn't seem possible. He took me to a lovely dinner this evening as a surprise. During our time there, we talked about the last twenty years. The first six years, we were dating and a large part of that time was long distance. We remembered some of our wonderful trips, cruises, trips won while Tom worked at GM, going to England, Hawaii and so many other places - and that was before we retired! Now we've traveled all over the U.S. in our truck pulling our "moving house" behind us. We still love the lifestyle we've chosen and are happy with our little place. Soon we'll celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary.

Another thing to celebrate today was Donna's 10 month anniversary of being cancer free! That has been the best thing ever. We feel so fortunate that we're where we are in our lives right now.

Our granddaughter will be starting kindergarten on Monday. She is looking forward to it and we are going to visit her in October so we'll get some first hand views of the new exciting things happening in her life. She has already told us we can pick her up at school when we're there.

Hope you have a great weekend. More later. . . . . . .

Mid August already!!!

Miss Julia, the frequent flyer queen!

The summer is flying by at an amazing pace. We are still in Portland for another 6 weeks or so. The weather has gone from cool to broiling hot to cool and supposed to go back to over 100 for at least one day this coming week. Things in the park are still going pretty strong, but looking ahead at the reservation list, it's slowing down. After Labor Day it will take a big dive in business due to school starting again.

Speaking of school starting - Julia, our granddaughter, is starting kindergarten in one week. I think she's going to have a great time but we are still trying to adjust to the fact that she's almost five years old. She has travelled so much in her young life - several times back and forth to Hawaii, Connecticut, Missouri, Oregon, California, Yellowstone National Park and states in between, Colorado and I'm sure I've left some out. She's racked up more airline miles than I have!! Her latest thing is that when she grows up she wants to marry her daddy and be just like her mommy. How long do you think that will last? I tell them both to appreciate that sentiment as long as possible.

Donna's new Kindle e-reader should be here in the next couple of days. For those who don't know, I've wanted an e-reader for years and finally have made the leap. Now I can carry as many books as I want in an 11 ounce "book" and read to my heart's content. Everyone I've talked to that has one has been happy with it and I'm looking forward to being added to that group. If my eyes get tired, it'll even read to me! What a deal!!

Tom is still working on projects around the rig. It seems there are always projects to be done. He has an unending list. If he ever finished it, he would be lost. The latest was putting new valves on the gray and black tanks. I wouldn't even know where to start, but he just took the new valves and went to it. Both the truck and the rig are waxed and look great. What a guy!

It's off to water aerobics and on to another day. We are dreading the day the close the pool as the water aerobics has been the best consistent exercise we ever do. Our plans are to continue them where ever we have a pool.

Special Post for Virg

This is a license plate on a nice motorhome in our park. I misinterrupted it as "coon ass" instead of the intended " see you in Arizona". My mind simply works that way....sorry! I still don't think the owner understood what I was talking about!!! Tom

There has been some rumblings from our friend, Virgil, that it's been too long since our last blog. We've been a little busy. Donna has added yet another "job" to her week. I'm watching a 2 month old baby girl for a friend of my daughter's on Wednesdays. However, last week, I watched her from Wednesday through Saturday besides working at the RV office. I didn't know if I was coming or going! She's a sweet baby but going through a colic stage and for anyone who's had a baby, you know that takes a lot of time and patience. I'm definitely building up my arm muscles though.

We had a great visit with our friend, Barb, and miss her a lot. We plan to go visit her before we leave the northwest though. She was a great guest and we'd love to have her come again anytime! The last weekend she was here, the girls went to the beach at Lincoln City for a couple of days. It was wonderful weather (low to mid 70's) and then we came back to over 100 here in Portland. It is cooling off now though.

I can't believe it's August already and we have less than 2 months before we hit the road again. For those of you who don't already know, we are heading back to Donna, TX, this winter to Victoria Palms. We'll be there from December 1 to April 1, 2010. We are looking forward to being back with our old friends, making new friends and having new adventures.

Tom is still working on all kinds of projects on the rig. This week he replaced the valves in the gray and black tanks. What would I do without his expertise? He definitely keeps the rig in tip top shape.

Both of us are still enjoying our jobs and look forward to working each week. Hope summer is great for all of you.

Okay, Virg, are you feeling better now?

A visit from a special friend

Barb at Mt. St. Helen sporting a brand new hat!

We are enjoying a visit from our special friend, Barb Murphy. In fact, it's half over already. It's hard to believe it! We have had time to relax, visit, play cards, eat out, go to Mt. St. Helens, shop, do water aerobics and I can't remember what else! Barb has also done some great stone paintings and made lots of crocheted coasters. No wonder the time is flying by. She will have to rest up when she gets home. Tomorrow she and Tom are heading to Oregon City to check out the end of the Oregon Trail and also the only outdoor municipal elevator in the U.S. Sunday we are heading to the beach for 3 days of girl fun (no men allowed!). We want this to be a visit to remember.

The visit to Mt. St. Helens was very thought provoking. Standing five miles away from the volcano felt like we were right next to it. We could see the steam whirling up from the volcano and the wind was very strong. There was grit in the wind - maybe it was ash. Information told us that the volcano could erupt again some day. It's definitely worth a trip there to learn about that very memorable part of our history.

Only two months left before we start heading south again. We are having so much fun this summer and are also looking forward to this winter in Texas. Yes, we've made a decision to go to Donna, Texas, once again to stay at Victoria Palms for four months. We have such a great time there and it will be great to hook up with our RV friends again.

Hope the summer is going great for all of you.

Summer is flying by!

Our park squirrel buddy!

Donna has increased her work hours as the park is getting very busy with summer visitors. I don't mind though. It's so much fun working with my co-workers and also meeting so many people who come in to the park. Most of them are so happy to be here and fun to take care of. It's rare to encounter anyone who isn't happy. Makes for a fun job!
Water aerobics is going along. We don't have as many participants as we'd hoped for but we go ahead and do our thing anyway. It's fun and great exercise.
We have a special visitor coming to Portland next week. Our friend, Barb Murphy, who we met this winter in Hemet, CA, is coming to visit us for a while. We are all excited about the opportunity to get together and enjoy each other's company once again. She lives in Victoria, BC, so it's not a real long trip for her. In October, we plan to go to Victoria to visit her also.
We miss Beth and Julia but I console myself with spending time with Sarah, my youngest daughter. She's gone back to college, so her time is limited as she also works full time. I'm so proud of her. It's a big challenge but she's definitely up to it.
Tom is busy waxing the Journey again. He bought an electric buffer for the job this time and it is looking very nice. People keep coming by and asking him if he wants to come and do theirs! I don't think he's too interested in doing that!
Hope your summer is great. Keep in touch with us!

The last day of June!

The Grotto Meditation Chapel, Portland, OR

The Cave at the Grotto

I can't believe it's already the end of June. It doesn't seem possible that we've been here two and a half months and it's almost July! Our time flies faster each day. Beth and Julia left on Monday and we were sad to see them go. We enjoy them so much and Julia brings something new into our lives every day. As always, we would love to live closer to them but are just grateful they are living on the mainland where we can see them more often.
Tom and I have both been down with summer colds, but although it slows me down a lot, Tom seems to keep on trucking along. He's a tough one for sure. He still loves his job as do I and we find a lot of pleasure in meeting and helping the people in the park. It's surprising how many people have a hard time finding the trash bins! It gives us lots of entertainment.
We haven't been doing much sight seeing since we've been here this year, but I did manage a visit to one of my favorite spots - The Grotto. Beth, Julia and I went last week and wandered around the grounds enjoying the beauty of it all. Julia especially loved the meditation chapel where she could see the city and all the planes flying by. It's a spectacular sight and one that everyone should try and see when in Portland.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July and we'll catch you all later.

Summer is almost here!

Grandma Donna and Julia in the kitchen! Julia loves to help!

Where is the time going? We've been in Portland now for almost two months!! Soon, we'll be over halfway through our commitment here to work. We are both enjoying it very much. The park is getting busier as the summer approaches so both of us are busier. We like it that way.

Our granddaughter should be up to see us this week. We're waiting with baited breath! She is always so much fun. She will be starting school in August so these impromptu trips will be more difficult. It's hard to believe she'll be five in September.

Big news - Donna applied for Social Security last week! It's just not possible that I'm old enough to apply for Social Security! I always thought I'd get older, but just didn't think it would happen so soon. I guess that little check will help make up for the getting older part!

We met another Excel couple last week - Ken and Lee. We had them come over for a visit, then the next week, they had us over for some wild card game. It was fun and great to meet such nice people. That's still one of the nicest parts of our life style. It seems we make new friends every where we go. Some of them will be life long friends too.

Hope where ever you are, the weather is great and you're enjoying it.

Home again!

One of my many girlfriends at Smith Center, KS

rockintom sporting a hat made with dyed chicken feathers

Tom just returned from a five day trip to Kansas via Denver, CO, to attend the Excel family reunion. Excel is the brand name of our 5th wheel and every three years, Excel owners are invited to travel to Smith Center, KS, to a "family reunion". This year there were fewer rigs than three years ago - about 150 less, but it didn't deter all the fun loving people who attended - Tom being one of them. They ate a lot of food, had seminars, dances and saw so many friends new and old to visit and catch up on all the activities since they were last together. Time passed way too quickly and before he knew it, Sunday morning came and he was back on the road again. Tom was fortunate to be invited to stay with some of our Excel friends, Tim and Roseanne. Thank you guys for showing him such a good time. I hope he was a good guest!

Donna chose to stay in Portland to keep the home fires burning and to start leading the water aerobics class starting this morning. There were a total of five people in the class today and we expect the crowd to grow as word gets around. The time Tom was away was a great opportunity for Donna to spend some enjoyable time with her daughter, Sarah. With the part time job here in the RV park and the volunteer job at the hospital, Donna is keeping busy. It's a change from the full retirement life.

Our granddaughter will be coming back to Portland in the next few weeks to visit us again and we're looking forward to it. She always adds joy to our days.

We celebrated completing four years full timing today. June 1, 2005, we began our journey in our brand new 5th wheel. It's gone so fast and we still love what we're doing. We can't even imagine a life more full and fun than we're having.

Hope you are all well and happy.

Weekend of Fun

A shining example of the folks you meet at the Portland Saturday Market!

Julia trying out a mask at the Portland Saturday Market

Last weekend, we were blessed with our granddaughter's presence. Her parents were going to an outdoor concert and asked us to keep her for the weekend. We had her with us from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. Donna had to work on Friday afternoon, so Bubba was in charge. He and Julia fed the ducks, went for a walk, played games, picked flowers and decorated the rig with them, watched a movie and fixed dinner! They had a great time just the two of them. Saturday, bright and early, we took the MAX (light rail) from Gresham to downtown Portland to the Saturday market. Julia loved the ride and the market was full of all kinds of people, booths with many different artists' renderings, food of course and plenty of fun. After walking around for a while, we had lunch then headed for home. We had a short stop at a shopping center before we continued our trip. Julia was ready to keep on going, but grandma Donna was pooped! Sunday Julia, Sarah (Donna's other daughter) and Donna took off for a girls' adventure. It was fun in the parks of Gresham. Julia was very happy to run and play to her heart's content. Sunday afternoon her parents returned, tired, dirty and happy. It took the whole week for me to recover, but it was worth it all.

Work is going well for both of us and Donna started her hospital volunteer job last week - loves it. We've already been here a month and time is flying by. Hope everyone is having a great spring soon to be summer. Happy Memorial Day!!

Great News!

Portland Fairview RV Park Workcampers Summer 2009

Today I went to the oncologist and after a quick exam, he told me he'd see me in 6 months! Yay!!!! I had blood work done and they'll let me know if anything comes up but he seemed confident everything was fine. I feel fine so I think he's right! The sun is shining today and we are so happy with life! Work is going great for both of us. I had a wonderful Mother's Day with Sarah, my youngest daughter. It's the first time in at least 9 years that I was able to spend Mother's Day with one of my daughters. What a thrill! It doesn't get any better than this. Hope spring has sprung for everyone and that life is good for all of you.

Rainy days

Rockintom's new sunglasses! Don't think he'll be recognized in these!

Spring has sprung here in Portland!

It's "rainy days and Mondays" here in Portland, but that's what makes it so beautiful and green. I've finally started working in the office at the registration desk on the computer and answering the phones. It's a lot of fun meeting new people and all my coworkers are very pleasant to work with. I've had my orientation for the volunteer work at the hospital but no start date yet. We're taking advantage of being back here to catch up on our preventive medical appointments. This morning it was off to the dentist for a cleaning - we are both doing great with our teeth! Then off we went to the eye doctor's to get an adjustment on my glasses. Tom decided he definitely needed a new pair of sunglasses to give him that extra zing in life and of course, get him some more attention. I think the above picture will demonstrate how desperate he is for attention! Life is great and we do have sunny days too.

Portland, Oregon

The boss is on duty....where's all the happy hours?

2 beautiful camelia bushs on our site!

We're "home sweet home" for the next five months. It's not our actual home, but it sure feels like it. We arrived last Wednesday and were greeted by numerous friends glad to see us back again. We have a beautiful site this year as Tom is Camp Host for the season. We are parked at the front of the park directly across from the pool and club house. Tom started working last Thursday and really enjoys it. He gets to meet a lot of new people and be hospitable. Talk about a perfect job!! I haven't started my new job yet but will probably start this week. Not only do we have a free site and electricity, but I'll be getting a salary! That's going to be different after the last four years of retirement.I will also be volunteering at the store where I was fitted after my surgery. So, it should be a busy, fun summer. Yesterday, as a Mother's Day present, my daughter, Sarah, took me to see "Grease". It was fantastic and Taylor Hicks (former American Idol winner) was in it. We got within about 15 feet of him in the lobby of theater as he was signing autographs. What fun. I couldn't think of a better present. Girls day out is so much fun. Our good friend, Barb Murphy, is coming to visit us this summer and we're already giddy with anticipation. Also, our granddaughter will be coming up at least twice from California. Nothing but fun in our sights. What more could we ask for? The spring here is just gorgeous beyond words! We have been so fortunate this year to have a long spring from Hemet, CA all the way to Portland. Hope this finds all of our family and friends well and happy.

On the road again. . . .

Julia Rose with goggles ready for a little swim!

We left Ukiah, CA, this morning and although we're happy to be on the road again, we already miss our sweet granddaughter. We had a wonderful two weeks with her and her parents and the time went so fast. We are in Eureka, CA, tonight at the Elks Lodge. Tom is definitely taking advantage of becoming an Elk and we are enjoying the clubs along the way in our travels. Our ultimate goal is Portland, probably by Wednesday. We aren't in any hurry and love traveling Hwy 101. Seeing the giant redwoods, all the blooming flowers, the beautiful trees made for a wonderful day of travel for us. Tomorrow evening we'll probably stay at 7 Feathers Casino in Canyonville, OR. They have a great park and we haven't stayed there yet. Tom is already looking forward to a hot tub soak. We've both been nursing colds but I think we're also both on the mend now. We have to be as our new jobs will probably start as soon as we get to the RV park in Portland. No more loafing for us. We'll also be celebrating our four years on the road the beginning of May. Where has the time gone? Tomorrow is 6 months since I had my surgery and I feel wonderful and so happy to be cancer free. Life if great for us!!!

Easter Sunday

The Salomones the Elks Lodge. Jim, Beth, and Julia

Julia Rose with the Easter Bunny at the Elks Lodge Ukiah, CA

We've been in Ukiah, CA, a week today and have a week to go. Yesterday we celebrated Easter with Julia, Beth and Jim. We had a wonderful time. We started out a little after 8:00 am and went to an Easter Egg hunt at the Elk's club. Julia did very well and had a blast. The Elks did a wonderful job with all the kids and everyone received an Easter basket and an opportunity to have their picture taken with the Easter bunny. The hunt was followed by breakfast at the Elks club, then play time at home. Late afternoon, Tom prepared some very good barbequed ribs and we took them over to the kids' house and had an outdoor picnic. After a few hot games of "Skip-Bo", we came back home. It was such a pleasant time being together for the day. Our week has flown by and we haven't done anything spectacular except spend as much time as possible with Julia. She's so much fun and loves our "moving house" so comes over at every opportunity. The weather is back to being beautiful again so we'll probably do more outside things this week. The park is one of Julia's favorites and is very close to their home. Next Monday we'll be off to Portland. Although we really look forward to being there, we'll miss our kids here.

Saying goodbyes

Tri-Tip Roast we served on our farewell dinner

Farewell Dinner With the Gang in the Journey

Sadly, many of our friends are leaving the park for their summer destinations. One of our dearest friends, Barb, left on the 31st and we were torn between hating to see her go and excitement that she'll be back on the road again. We plan to go see her on Vancouver Island in the fall when she returns from yet more of her adventures. Other friends, Bob and Cheryl, Norm and Susan, and Fred and Bonnie and too many others to mention have left and Wayne and Marianne are leaving the same day we do. The park is looking very empty now. We can see almost to the fence. Our leaving day is Saturday and we're slowly getting ready. Since we've been sitting still for over 3 months, there will be more outside things to do. Tom is very adept at handling all of that.

We've really enjoyed our winter here and have found some great restaurants in town - Dattilo's, La Fogata, Coco's and others. We would highly recommend both the RV park and the town as a great place to winter. Our activities are also winding down, but with getting ready to leave, that's okay. Saturday we'll be off on another adventure heading toward Ukiah to spend a couple of weeks with our granddaughter. More from the road.

Dr. Phil and the family visits

Family Photo

Flamingo at the San Diego Zoo. Julia's favorite of the day!

We've had a busy time for the last week. First, we spent two days in a row going to see the Dr. Phil show. The first day, the trip there was probably more memorable than the show itself. We had a woman on the bus who had what we believed to be a heart attack. She was right across the aisle from us and our friend, Barb, was sitting next to her. I happened to glance over and saw a strange look on Barb's face and the woman appeared to have fainted. I jumped up and told Tom to tell the tour escort and I went to see if I could help. When the tour escort asked if there was a nurse or doctor on board, no one volunteered, so I told her I used to be an emergency medical technician a long time ago. When I felt for a pulse, I couldn't find it, so I shook her and called her name. I was ready to move her to the floor for CPR when she suddenly took a breath and her eyes opened. An ambulance was called and while we waited I kept her awake and responding to my questions. It was a long 10 or 15 minutes before the paramedics arrived, but the good news is that she is doing well. I spoke with her today and she said she had atrial fibrillation. By the time we arrived at Dr. Phil, we had all calmed down considerably. The second day was uneventful but a lot of fun. Besides seeing another Dr. Phil show, we went to the Farmers Market in Los Angeles. President Obama was in LA the same day we were. We kept an eye out, but never saw him. Two days in a row was pretty exhausting but we were glad we had the experience of seeing Dr. Phil in person.

The second exciting thing was our daughter and family came down for a visit. Our granddaughter (4 1/2) loved all three swimming pools. She had so much fun trying them all out and even met a little girl to play with at the pool one day. We also took a trip to the San Diego Zoo where Julia claimed the flamingo birds the best part! Tom and I liked the huge hippo as we have an affinity for them. The kids headed home this morning.

We only have about 10 days left here and we're sad to leave but looking forward to new adventures. Spring in Portland will be beautiful and we're looking forward to starting our summer jobs.

St. Patrick's Day

We're having a "large" time at the Hemet Elks Lodge

The Queen Bee and Sir Elton!

Okay, so we're a little early! We actually went to the Elks Club yesterday and had our corn beef and cabbage dinner. We'll be going to the Dr. Phil show on St. Patrick's Day, so decided to celebrate Sunday with a big gang of people. The food and entertainment were great and a good time was had by all. Tom particularly enjoyed himself and met of his new Elk brothers and sisters. They are a great group of people. Hope you have a great St. Patrick's Day and enjoy the green beer!

Where does the time go?

Tom and Donna at the gate of the Playboy Mansion (Hugh Hefner's crib)


Oh for goodness sakes....we are in Hollywood now!

It can't be that two weeks have gone by since our last post! We've been having fun mostly in the sun. The weather although cool is very comfortable. Tom's sister, Toni, was here for a whirlwind visit this week. We went to Hollywood, saw Grauman's Chinese Theater, Sunset Blvd., Hugh Hefner's gate (couldn't get in of course) and other fences that surround stars' houses. Our friend, Barb Murphy, went with us and we had great fun being star struck tourists. I think we did more eating than anything else while Toni was here! It would be great to tell you all about last week, but I can't remember what we did! Today, Tom went to a car show and Donna spent the day with the girls. We went to Riverside and had a marvelous lunch at the Mission Hotel on the patio. Although it was a chilly day, they had patio heaters so we were toasty warm. Our time is going all too fast and we'll be on the road again. Next week, our granddaughter is coming for a short visit - yes, her parents are coming too. We're going to the San Diego Zoo while they're here. It will be so much fun. Hope all is well with you. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Saltan Sea

Tom all dressed up for his Elk's initiation

This week has been a busy one for the Claphams. On Wednesday, we went to the Saltan Sea with our friend Barb Murphy. Our final goal was to go to the "Fountain of Youth" RV Park in Niland, CA. We started out after water aerobics and made our way leisurely toward our destination. We didn't even make it out of Hemet before we stopped for coffee. We took the scenic route on 74 and drove through some pretty country. We arrived at Palm Desert about lunch time and decided to stop at the Elephant Bar for lunch. It was fun and reasonably priced. We took our time and visited through our lunch. Palm Desert is a beautiful town with lots of flowers and green grass. As we left the city, we were suddenly in the desert again. When we were in Palm Desert, we were truly in an oasis. By the time we were back on the road, it was almost 3:00 PM so we began to revise our original plan. We definitely wanted to see the Saltan Sea, but it was still quite a long drive to Niland. When we reached the Saltan Sea State Park, we pulled in to check it out. We spent 30 or 40 minutes walking around the visitor's center and going down to the water. We took pictures of the birds - I'm not sure what they all were. There were people fishing and it was a gorgeous day. By then it was after 4:30 PM and we were still 60 miles from Niland, so we conferred and decided to head back home. It was a fun day for all of us.

The other news is that Tom is now officially an Elk. He was initiated last evening. He looked very dashing all dressed up in his suit. We took lots of pictures because it's such a rarity for him to get that dressed up. Now it's time to put the suit back in the corner again. I think he's walking a little differently now (probably to keep his antlers straight!). Seriously, the Elks is a good organization that helps a lot of people in need and we're proud to be associated with them.

Water aerobics is calling us so we're off to work at those waistlines again!

Another great week in Hemet

Glider overhead of our site heading toward nearby airport

We have had another great week here in Golden Village. It rained a few days, but it just makes everything greener. Although we haven't had any exciting trips like the "Ellen Show", we're keeping very busy. Our "Dr. Phil" show trip for Feb. 24 has been postponed to March 17, so we'll be going two days in a row! How fun will that be? We were disappointed but it's going to work out well as the 24th is Tom's indoctrination at the Elks and it was going to be a close call whether we'd be back in time for it. Just think, one more week and there will be an Elk in the family! Our daughter, Beth, and granddaughter, Julia, are back from a month in Hawaii. We've missed them so much but they'll be down to visit us next month for a few days. They had a wonderful time and are spending a few days in Portland, OR, with our other daughter, Sarah. Thank goodness, the snow is all gone there. That's the news so we'll be checking in again in a week or so. Have a great week!

The Ellen Show

Ellen sign on side of Warner Bros. studios

Donna, Sandy, Tom and Joei waiting to see the "Ellen" show in Burbank

Today we went to see the "Ellen" show. It is going to be aired tomorrow, Thursday, February 12. We did not dance with Ellen. They had a dance contest, but we weren't chosen to participate. It was great fun and she had Steve Harvey on as one of her guests. He has written a book, "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man" and we all got free copies. He also said the mystery word (Cupid) and we all got $100 in Starbucks gift cards. I thought that was awesome. We had quite a long wait before the show (about 2 hours) but they had benches for us to sit on, food and drink to buy and bathrooms. The time went quickly as we people watched and also watched some of the "Ellen" show from yesterday. During the show, there is so much energy with people clapping, shouting and dancing. The hour passed all too quickly. She also had on the quarterback for the Arizona football team, Kurt Warner and a veterinarian who donates his care when people can't afford treatment for their pets. All in all it was a great experience - one we thought we'd never have. It was a long day - we left Hemet at 9:00 am and arrived home a little after 9:00 pm. I'm still excited so decided to write and tell you all about it yet tonight. I have no idea if we'll be in any audience shots, but I'm sure going to watch tomorrow and tape it for posterity. Only 12 more days until we go to the "Dr. Phil" show. I don't know if I can take the excitement!!