FALL FOLIAGE and FRENCH/INDIAN WAR RE-ENACTMENT @ SCHOENBRUNN

We are now trying to return to normal after we did a five day trip south to the Florida panhandle to store the motorhome for early winter. We left Ohio the 7th of October.

Scenery along the way was nice as it was just the beginning of the change in colors of the leaves, especially going through Tennessee. Our days began early as you can see by the sunrise. When in the car Gary was doing the picture taking for a change.  It was a nice trip but very taxing. I suppose a lot of that was because of the stress facing us back in Ohio.

Above is the campground where we stayed before beginning the return trip on Monday. The weather was awesome so we picked up pizza for dinner and spent the afternoon sitting in the shade of the motorhome and read for relaxation. Nice few hours!

This was another sight along the way in Alabama! Enjoy the humor!

Hang on tight!!

Gary's sister is not doing too well so we felt a need to stay close by to take care of her needs and to keep the burden from our son since he is a working man. We felt that while we are here we might as well stay for the holidays before going south again. We hope to leave again right after Christmas. But only time will tell.
Janet is in Essex for the time being for rehab, but we are not sure how she will fare with that. Again, only time will tell.

Thursday evening, the 6th, before leaving for Florida, we had friends, Ron and Donna over to visit. It was a great evening especially as it had been so long since I had seen Donna.

Donna does a bit of re-enactment herself. She had some pictures of some of her costumes, so I took a couple pictures of them to share.

We had a great evening! Ron and Donna please stop back some time soon since you live so near our new home.

The fall colors were beginning to  get pretty when we traveled last Saturday, the 15th, to Schoenbrunn in Ohio. I have to show you those even though I have more colorful ones from this week that are just gorgeous!

Uhrichsville had some very nice century homes that we just had to snap pictures of:

A little country church that you could see for a few miles:

And then the re-enactment at Schoenbrunn:

Check back in with us from time to time and I will try to keep you up to date on our activities, though it seems that what we do mostly is eat out. Not good!!
On Tuesday Gary met his friend Rick for breakfast and then Wednesday evening I met my friend Louise at Paniera Bread to catch up on all of the news. Gary is working today with scouts to unload the food for the spaghetti dinner to be held Saturday at the Methodist Church. Bill even called from Arizona to recruit us to both work for the dinner! Guess we can't say that we are not busy most of the time now.
I have my scrapbooking albums and pictures spread out over the dining room table to plan for some work days with the girls. It has been so long since I have worked on it that I have to refresh and regroup. And Gary is busy again working on his drawings. He is doing some from the pictures taken at Schoenbrunn.
Take care and enjoy the fall and the awesome weather!!

FOURTEEN MORE STATES TO GO, Then we will need to start over!

Today I did something that I have been thinking about doing for a long long time. I just never took the time. We have not kept an accurate list of what states we have been in to do anything more than just drive through. Today's list shows of the 48 states we have been in 34. So we have done more than we had thought. Just 14 more to go. But as I told the HSL gals last evening when they were here, we have hardly touched the tip of the ice burg of things to see in the states that we have been in. So much more to see!!
However, today I am here to tell you that we have postponed our trip south. We were to leave this Friday, but having put Gary's sister in the hospital Monday evening, we will postpone it a little and just take the time to run the motorhome south to put it in storage there to avoid the winter's zero weather here in Ohio. As we RVers says, all plans are written in Jello, they can be changed.
Since we have been home this summer, Janet has been in the ER four times and this is the second time hospitalized. The last time it was five weeks and two hospitals. So it has been a busy summer, but glad that we can help.
Fall is beginning to show more in the trees, mums and the sky!!  Beautiful time of the year.

We have been doing more visiting since the last Blog. I had one evening out with my friend, Louise, to go to Lisbon to Pondi's for their Lobster Pot. Needless to say, I did not count calories that night! Gary and I also met up with my cousins, Tom, Judy and Bill in Niles at O'Charley's for dinner. That is always a great visit. We were sorry that Barb was not feeling well and had to have them take her back home shortly after starting out. We missed you, Barb!!  Sure hope to do it again soon!!
Last week we joined another couple at Chad Anthony's Italian Restaurant here in Boardman.  Great evening and great food.

We brought Ray and Linda back here to the condo to visit longer.  So glad that we did not miss this opportunity!
This past Saturday was a Class of '63 breakfast at B B Rooner's as Danny Engle's guests.

He was from Gary's class of '63.

Wife, Margie, with Danny and Polly Yarnell
who will soon do the unveiling.

Rudy with Danny, Quaker Sam with inscription "Class of '63"
and Polly 

This turned into a special event where the class had chosen to honor Danny by presenting him with a special gift made especially for him by another classmate, Rudy Hrovatic. It was an awesome gift and great breakfast. You will have to stop in to see the gift after Danny finds a safe place to display it. He has to make sure it can not grow legs!

Joyce, Janet, Debbie, Norma, and Debi 

Last evening was a gathering of the Home Savings Salem gals who were together most of my years with HSL. It made us realize how much we miss getting together. Our lives have gotten so busy, but we must continue to make the effort.  You girls who missed this evening will have to join us next time! We will bug you again next time.  Lots of laughs were had by all!!
While we laughed and fed our faces, Gary went to his monthly "First Tuesday" at Youngstown Sportsman's Club to meet the guys who worked together over the years, especially those from E.W.Bliss Co. No shortage of food there either.
Today was Gary's SES Retiree's lunch at Frank's in Alliance. More guys were there than were present last month. Gary figures that was because it was not at a Mexican restaurant. Again good food and much conversation.
Guess we might have to keep on this roll!! Get the calorie counter out!!

Stay with us and hopefully we will get south some this winter. Do keep us in your prayers!!