Wind At Our Backs

We finally found a fifth wheel!!! After months and months of looking, Hank and I traveled to Hayleyville, AL in order to tour a fifth wheel to see if it were the one for us. AND . . . we bought it! Pearl is a 2023 KZ Durango 301RLT and she's perfect for us. She has so many of our wants on our "must have" list. We look forward to taking her on many trips especially with our "Grands". Music: "Don't Let Go" by Miles Fisher

A new adventure for Hank and me! We drove to Falcon Ridge Farm in Bolivar in search of a Christmas tree. Little did we know that we would find one, a Murphy Fir, which would last so long. While there I met a friendly family of five from Sweden. If I remember correctly, they were living here in the US temporarily while the father was working for Volvo in Jackson, TN. They were quite complementary of the people in the area. As you probably already now, we Southerns are welcoming and friendly to most! :)

While visiting the Iowa Grands in October of 2022 for Hailey Lynn's 1st Birthday, we were able to also "squeeze" in some extra fun!!!

What a blessing and joy to be present for a grandchild's first birthday! Grandma & Grandad can't always make it to birthday parties since ALL of our grandchildren presently live in a different state than us. Maybe one day we'll be closer (physically) to them.

What a "jumping" blast!!! I had such a great time watching the IA "Grands" having fun jumping with their parents, Aunt Maria, and Grandad at Get Air in Waterloo, IA.

Our niece Kelsey and her children, Hunter, Chloe, & Dawson, came for a visit in early September of 2022. We had a great time together playing games; attending an (overcrowded) balloon festival in Collierville, TN; launching rockets in the backyard; and watching Uncle Hank on the four-wheeler. What a privilege for a niece to bring her children to us!

For a long time Hank has wanted to take me to Sugar Creek. Well, that's exactly what we did in September of 2022. It was a beautiful day with clear, blue skies and perfect temperatures. What a wonderful memory for us! Music: "Talk is Cheap" by Don Williams

Early in the month of August, Hank & I took a brief trip to Scottsville, KY to visit our KY Grands. While there Dalton took us to Little Trammel Creek in hopes to do a little swimming and exploring. Unfortunately for us Little Trammel Creek was a little close to overflowing and we were unable to reach the swim beach. However, it was still a fun adventure and as always we thoroughly enjoyed our visit with them.

Hank and I decided that the weather and temperature was perfect for taking a short ride on Lucy to our local Wyatt Earp's for a break. Unfortunately, a few months later the restaurant closed. :(

We've outgrown TC. . . Although Hank and I enjoyed camping in TC, we decided to sell it since it's not quite large enough for us and our "Grands", and at this time we could get more than we paid even after camping in it for 3 years. That sure seems like a win/win to me!

Happy Birthday Mason!!! Mason's party was held a week early which was a blessing because, little did we know at the time, the following week on March 11th (Mason's birthday) snow covered their ground (7 inches) as well as ours (4 inches). Also we were unaware that this would be our final and farewell trip in "TC".

Some of the St.Clair family traveled from three states (KY, SC, TX) in order to spend some time together in November of 2021. What a joy it was to watch cousins meeting, talking, and playing together!!!

What a privilege, to be entrusted with the care of your grandchildren! This time (birth of "IA Grand" #3) I drove Maria's car to Charles City, Iowa in order to assist with Andrew & Bradley while Sabrina and Daniel brought Hailey into our world. What a fun time I had! Sabrina graciously prepared a comfortable room for me & bought specific foods I like, Daniel came home to make things easier for me by putting the boys to bed, the boys and I spent lots of time outdoors, and Sabrina even took me to a local Lions' Club book sale where I picked up a few books to add to my personal home library! :) Welcome Hailey Lynn St.Clair to the family! Music: "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi

Hank enjoyed this lake so much we returned to it in less than two weeks! We arrived on Labor Day afternoon after most of the holiday weekend campers had left. Since campsite #4 (our previous one) was still occupied, we chose the next best one: #5. While backing into a site I usually hop out of the truck to assist Hank if needed. By the time that I made it around the back of TC, our neighbor to the left was already there and had given Hank the necessary assistance! Later he and Hank had a short but sober conversation about current events. Gotta love fellow campers!!! We had so much fun in spite of the brief rain and Mason's temporary sickness. :)

Hank and I may have a found a new favorite place to camp: The Narrows COE Campground in Glasgow, Kentucky. This campground is located about 20 miles from Dalton & Elisa's home. What more could a couple of grandparents ask for? :) The Narrows at Barren River Lake: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233650

A little late, but we made it! Our original intentions were to arrive on or just before Bradley's 1st birthday, July 29th, but due to Hank's work demands, we were delayed and arrived a few days later. We had a great visit with great weather which allowed for lots of outside time. Both Andrew and Bradley enjoy playing outside and going on walks. We spent one afternoon at a wonderful community pool in nearby Hampton. In December of 2020 Daniel and Sabrina moved to a new town, Charles City. Their new home does not have an alley which allowed easy access for parking TC in the backyard, but providentially Charles City does have a wonderful private campground located just a few blocks away their house, along the Cedar River, and adjacent to the bike trail which circles the town. On our last evening there, the Daniel St.Clair family joined us for supper at our campsite! R Campground in Charles City, Iowa: https://rcampground.com/

Boom! Boom! Boom! This year Hank & I were able to make a quick trip to Scottsville to celebrate July 4th with the "KY Grands". Hank took the boys to make some purchases, Dalton oversaw the safety and cleanup, Elisa was inside taking care of Ethan (the noise was a bit much for the "wee one"), and I did nothing but sit back and enjoy the firework show. :)

"The mind of a person plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9. Sometimes things do not go as planned. Upon our arrival at Salt Lick Creek, Hank began feeling ill and shortly after we left the campground the following morning, Rambo began emitting an unsettling rattling sound. Thankfully we were able to proceed homeward without being delayed and somewhere on I-840 the rattling sound disappeared as mysteriously as it began! Back to the campground - Salt Lick Creek is a COE campground located on the banks of the Cumberland River and tucked away in a rural area just outside of Gainesboro, TN. We didn't do much exploring due to our circumstances, but I did meet and talk with our next door neighbors, a couple from Franklin, TN who are on the road approximately 9 months out of the year. Our original plans included taking a tour of the I Love Lucy Museum in nearby Granville and then picking up our "Ky Grands" for a few days of camping together, however as I stated above, things do not always go as planned. Our site (#64) was right on the water and not too far from the bath house. It was rather long, and although it had a slight curve to it, Hank navigated TC superbly. I usually just stand to the side watching and marveling at how well Hank handles the challenges of parking our camper in just the right spot. :) Salt Lick Creek Campground https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232697

Goodbye Vesper, Hello Lucy! Through no fault of Hank's, Vesper was damaged in an auto accident in March. Thankfully Hank was not hurt, but Vesper was totaled. :( It took weeks just to get the paperwork started with the driver's insurance company (Geico), and then even more weeks to finalize the details and receive the check. Through this situation, I learned that Geico may offer great prices, but it lacks good customer service. As Hank began the search for a new motorcycle, it just so happened that a co-worker had one for sale in our price range AND located within just a few minutes of our home! Lucy is a 2004 Harley Davidson V-ROD Cruiser and sounds as good as she looks!

There's nothing in this world like "Grands"! Grandma Mary went along with us in April to not only meet Ethan for the first time, but also spend some time with the "KY Grands". We had such a great time talking, laughing, playing, camping, riding, reading, and eating together. We took Weston & Mason along to Candy's Campers in Scottsville in search of a replacement part for TC. I thoroughly enjoy looking at campers at any time, but I learned that it's so much more fun with a couple of energetic and excited children. My favorite memory was that while we were sitting inside one of the fifth wheels and discussing going camping together, Weston shared that I (Grandma) could help him with his school work at the table where we were sitting and that we could call it Grand School! Needless to say we had a fun time looking, laughing, and dreaming together. How blessed we are to have "grand" moments together such as these as well as a way to record them for enjoyment later.

What better way to avoid the Dog & Pony Show than go camping? Due to a scheduled visit from some "out-of-towners", Hank decided that it was time for our first camping trip of the season. 😉 Our brief visit to Piney Grove COE Campground in Mississippi was exactly what we were looking for: close to home, relaxing, and scenic views. Our campsite (#138) was level and spacious, close to the bathhouse, and right on the water. Throughout the park all of the dogwoods were in bloom and wisteria vines heavy with fragrant clusters were growing along the roadside. The park hosts were friendly and helpful, and one of our fellow campers, Jerry Johnson, shared one of his catches of the day with us. 😊

What an awesome 20th "Gotcha Day" present for Maria! The snow began falling on the 15th of February, Maria's official "Gotcha Day", and hung around for about a week which is quite unusual for West Tennessee. Although it was beautiful, it was a lot of work for Hank since he did his best to keep steps, porches, and autos clear. Of course, anyone who knows him knows that he would rather be outside (no matter the weather conditions) than inside. :)

Fun in the Southern Kentucky Snow What could be more fun than two "good ol' boys" on their four-wheelers in the snow? And in slow motion too! I wish that I could take credit for that fantastic slow motion footage, but I cannot. This video was recorded by Dalton. The music, of course, is the unmistakably "Good Ol' Boys" by Waylon Jennings.

Many hands make light work. The St.Clair family gathered together to assist Matt in cleaning up the outside of his rental house after some nasty and destructive renters left it in a mess. YUCK! Because "many hands make light work" and the right equipment was available, only a couple of hours were needed to clear the trash out.

Hank purchased this fun and educational toy and couldn't wait to share it with the "KY Grands". It was pretty impressive to watch a soda bottle go soaring a couple of hundred feet up in the air.