...Hummer/Bird Celebration....Rockport,Texas

...Hummer/Bird Celebration....

...it should have been called "Mosquito Fest"....seriously, we saw hundreds of hummingbirds in one location AND thousands of mosquitos at the same time...not a problem...everyone was wearing the same perfume..."off" and "cutters"...he he...rumor even has it that Walmart ran out of insect repellent....if you have any interest in these little birds you should attend next year...there were 25 homes opened to the public for viewing...one house even had 39 feeders...they said they have to refill at least twice a day during the migration period...these little hummers have to double their body weight to fly all the way across the gulf to Mexico for the winter... then it happens all over again in the spring when they come back on their way north...some even fly all the way to Canada....we also were able to take part in the banding...can you imagine the little tiny band they put on their legs...this is vital in their tracking and record keeping...lots of workshops, lectures and yes, two malls of arts and crafts...he he...something for everyone...we had a great time and will be back next year...met lots of wonderful people and got many ideas for Bill to do in the back yard when we get home...which will be day after tomorrow...this will probably be my last posting until we get home....it's been a wonderful trip...two and 1/2 months and 22 states....we'll get home...check things out, rest up and head out again....he he...thanks for taking the journey with us....

...destination...Rockport, Texas....

...we are here...got the hummingbird feeder out...got the car and Gus in the shade and we are ready for the week....yes, one whole week in one spot...we are excited to be here...

...don't feed the alligators...

...yep, that was in the rules for the campground at the FamCamp at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana...and the lake did look a little spooky...the campground was great, beautiful trees and wonderful large concrete pads...we spent four rainy days there...I got my ID renewed,we toured the 8th Air Force Museum, and of course, visited the commissary, BX and class 6...one of the exhibits in the Museum was a video of President Bush's address to the nation on Sept 11 2001....I hadn't realized he was at Barksdale when he spoke to the people about the attacks....he had flown to Barksdale to deliver the speech...our next stop....the Lone Star State....

Vicksburg, Mississippi

...Vicksburg, The Fortress City....

...after hooking everything up and beginning to relax, our electrical connection went kaputt...in other words, our rig was 95 inside and 98 outside and no air conditioning...we had to head out to...what else, a Walmart...but no luck on a part we needed...we did find the part at The Home Depot..."our electrician" spent a good hour cutting and rewiring the cord and today we are cool as cucumbers...it was scary because the plug part of the cord started melting...it was a good thing we were there...Vicksburg was a very interesting city...we've been there before, but just for overnites...this time we really had a chance to tour the city...we saw the old candy story where coke was first bottled and the old County Courthouse had the largest collection of Civil War relics I've ever seen in one spot...all local findings and donated by local people...we spent one whole day touring the battlefield...we rented an audio/visual gps "thing" to show and tell us everything we needed to know about all the spots in the battlefield...it was outstanding...I'd recommend it to anyone...I think we missed a lot by not doing that at Gettysburg...I guess we'll just have to go back...he he...it was interesting to find out the town of Vicksburg did not celebrate July 4th for 100 years because Pemberton had surrendered to Grant on July 4th....the cemetery had the largest number of Union Soldiers buried there...the story of the Ironclad Cairo was unbelievable...it had set on the bottom of the Mississippi River for almost 100 years and was able to be restored...there were so many artifacts that were found inside....very interesting...next stop is another FamCamp at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana....

Horn Lake, Mississippi

...Elvis and the Blues...only in Memphis....

...we arrived in Horn Lake, Mississippi Thursday...we thought we were going to have a hard time getting a spot over the Labor Day Weekend, but it was not a problem...Yogi was there to greet us...Horn Lake was within a few miles from Memphis, Tennessee...as a matter of fact, part of the city was in Mississippi and part in Tenn...it was also located about 15 miles from Tunica...a little Las Vegas, or so they would like for it to be...there were nine casinos and yes, we made them all...playing the penny machines and only playing a dollar we weren't going to get rich...he he....we also took a ride on the Mississippi, River on the Tunica Queen...great relaxing ride and learned alot about the river....we were excited the next morning when we had a little visitor to our hummingbird feeder...Sunday we drove downtown Memphis...a walk thru the famous Peabody Hotel to see the ducks...we were too late to see their "march" thru the hotel but did get to see them in the fountain...we then walked down Beale Street...found a great blues patio and listened to the music...I had to have a "big ass beer"...Ms Louisiana Mojo Queen was very good...it wasn't Westfest but it had to do....he he...we ended our day driving past Elvis' mansion...neither Bill nor I had any desire to fight the huge crowds to take the tour...we couldn't leave Memphis without some of that great Bar B Q...Interstate Bar B Q was featured on the food network so we figured it had to be great and we were not disappointed....

Hayti, Missouri

...in them ole cotton fields back home....

...literally, the campground was in the middle of cotton fields...I don't remember the cotton plants being that tall...only stayed a couple of nights, but did manage to tour Cape Girardeau on the Mississippi River...home of Rush Limbaugh...yes, we drove by his boyhood home...the one that he threw water balloons at people out the second story window....AND took pics of the Wall of Fame of all the famous people born in Missouri...that was impressive on the wall along the river...we had lunch in the Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant which is the oldest building on the waterfront and was Grant's headquarters during the Civil War....that evening we had dinner at the famous "Lambert's", the home of the throwed roll....yes, they do throw the dinner rolls across the restaurant...it was something to experience....he he...

...basketball...clabber girl...donkeys....

...what???...yes, after our scary morning with the fire, we departed...driving thru Indiana, we had to stop at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame...WHY??...because they had a huge tennis shoe...he he...we did arrive in Terra Haute, Indiana just after the Colts finished their training camp so no luck in seeing Peyton...we did stay in a nice campground...lots of trees and donkeys.... yes, we woke up to them saying "Good Morning"....they were so cute....we just have one adventure after another...never knowing what is around the corner...who knew Clabber Girl Baking Powder has its home in Terra Haute AND a museum...you gotta love this country...off to Hayti, Missouri....

...oh my gosh...dial 911...

...we had had a great time visiting the Air Force Museum and had retired to bed early because the next day was a driving day...the weather was just beautiful and we were able to sleep with the windows open...around 6 am we were awakened to the sounds of someone shouting "dial 911"...I looked out the window and the RV across from us had fire coming from underneath...we jumped out of bed and Bill grabbed out fire extinguisher and ran to help...both of the people got out...the base fire trucks arrived in about 10 min...it didn't take long for the whole rig to be in flames...so sad...the couple from North Dakota lost a pet cat and most all their belongings....we helped as much as we could and then had to leave....a very unsettling morning....

Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio