Home sweet home
Well we arrived back home just as spring was beginning to pop out. It was time to get the gardens and yard in shape for summer. Carol spent a lot of time with our gardens, including the vegetable garden, the 7 or 8 flower gardens, the water garden, etc. As if that weren't enough she volunteered to work on two gardens over at Runge for the summer and spent quite a bit of time doctoring those including a vegetable display garden and a wildflower garden.
Vegetable garden in May
While we didn't make any major trips in our truck camper this summer we did spend quite a few weekends enjoying the camping areas here in our home state.
Hiking the Ozark Trail in April
Camping at Berryman Campground in April
Beside a small creek on the Ozark Trail
In April we went over to the Kansas City area and camped at Longview Lake a Jackson County lake and a very nice campground. What an experience, but I think Annabelle and Andrew really enjoyed it.
Camping at Longview Lake by Kansas City
Carol and Annabelle and Andrew in camper
Annabelle and her pancake face
Andrew eating smores
In May I found a little teardrop camper for sale here in Jefferson City so I snapped it up for Shelby, who had been looking for something like this for a couple of years. We pulled it out to Denver for her the week before Memorial Day weekend. While we were out there we managed to squeeze in time to build a pergola behind here house.
Shelby's teardrop right after purchase
Back of Shelby's house before pergola
Back of Shelby's house after pergola
Shelby and Carol admiring her new teardrop
In mid May we went to Kansas City to see Rebecca (Becky) receive her Master's Degree. We were both so proud of her. Just to think, at one time we never thought she would finish her undergraduate degree. Way to go Beck.
Becky and her kids at graduation
In July, the weekend before July 4th weekend, we pulled the fifth wheel down to Cross Creek Campground at the Lake of the Ozarks for Rob, Becky, Annabelle, and Andrew to stay in. We joined them in our truck camper for a couple of days. It was a very hot and muggy time for all, with much time spent in the pool. After the trip to Lake of the Ozarks the grand kids came home with us for a few days. It helped me remember why younger people have kids and not us old fogies.
Camping at Cross Creek Campground
Becky and Andrew in the pool
Carol and Annabelle enjoying a hayride
Annabelle swinging at our house after the camping trip
Andrew patiently waiting for his turn to swing
I spent some time this summer repairing the truck camper again. The corner jacks were getting a little weak so I tore apart the mounting area and made a pattern out of 1/8“ plywood and had a machine shop weld up a metal assembly to put inside so if the corner jacks come loose now the whole camper corner will pull out, yikes!!!!!!!!
I think this was one of the muggiest summers I can remember with the humidity being very high with little break through most of June, July, and August, it seemed. This helped the gardens grow though, and it was a bumper year for flowers.
Carol in the garden, at least one of her gardens
Monarch on Purple Coneflower
We both spent time volunteering at Runge with Carol working her gardens and helping with kids programs, and me taking groups hiking to such places as Spring Creek Gap, Three Creeks, Hart Creek, Ha Ha Tonka, Meramec Springs, Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Rock Bridge State Park, along with some personal hiking on the Ozark Trail, Clifty Creek, Hughes Mountain, and Bennett Springs State Park, with my hiking companion Bob McCoy. When Shelby came home for a visit this summer we went ziplining down at Meramec Caverns. What fun that was.
Shelby ziplining
Me on the zipline
Carol on a hike at Three Creeks
This fall we spent some time over at Rob and Becky's helping them with a couple of home projects as well, including completing the deck roofing, and building a small tree house for the kids.
Grandpa and the grand kids enjoying the treehouse
This fall our old friends from Springfield, Dave and Linda Bryan, Don and Linda Haddock, Bob and Jan McCoy, all pulled our campers to Daniel Boone Conservation area and camped for a few days. What fun. We were scheduled to go to Duetch Country Days in Marthasville but we never did make it there since we were just enjoying the camping and fine weather. We did make it to Hermann though and toured the Stone Hill Winery. We really enjoyed that, and I think the other folks in our wine tasting group did too. Becky, Rob, Annabelle, and Andrew stopped by the campsite to visit us as well, so everyone got caught up on our grand kids :-).
Camping with the gang at Daniel Boone Conservation Area
Grandma and the grand kids
Linda, Carol, and Linda making camp stew
Thanksgiving we went out to Denver to be with Shelby. Carol and I went to the Denver Art Museum one day, and all three of us went hiking another day. It was great weather and we had a great time.
Us with Shelby Thanksgiving
Carol and I hiking in Colorado
Now we are preparing for the holidays and I am looking forward to, and planning a trip to Quartzsite, Arizona in January. This is a major RV event that takes place each winter. I have read about it for years and have to go experience it for myself. Stay tuned for future postings on this trip.
