Gosh it is less than 2 weeks ago that I wrote my last blog entry, but we have done so much in that time, it seems like it should be so much longer than two weeks!
While we were still at the Old Red Barn campground in Missouri, we were evacuated (along with everyone else in the campground) to the laundry to wait out a nasty storm that was headed our way. I took a photo as we walked to the laundry (red building in photo). Thankfully the storm passed us by with just a bit of rain, and without the 75 mph/120kph winds predicted. Sadly the next day we read where 30 RVs were overturned due to winds in Mississippi. Yikes.
Two days later we got to experience the Lunar Eclipse of the 15th April - they didn't call it a blood moon for nothing. My girlfriend Kathy in Florida was chatting to me on the phone and alerted me to the impending eclipse that night. I wasn't even aware of it - in the USA it was going to be visible starting around 1am and peaking at 3am. Well, unusually for us, we were asleep by 1am, but I awoke at 2am and resisted my body's efforts to stay in bed (it was -4 C outside) and braved the elements. It was worth it to see the sight. Unfortunately, I didn't own a tripod at the time, and set my camera to 'Night Portrait' scene, and once I increased the magnification, the camera was shaking even though I tried holding my breath. As you can see from the photo below, the camera shook too much to get a good photo. The very next day I went and bought myself a small, lightweight, tripod. There was a more compact tripod for half the price, but it felt to be about 3 times the weight, and it wasn't flexible - it could only be used in one position. I'll be ready for the next total lunar eclipse on 8th October.
If you are looking for a lightweight (weighs 45gm/1.6 oz), flexible tripod for a small digital camera, I have been very impressed with the versatility of the Joby Gorillapod. My nephew bought one a few years ago in Australia, and my daughter has one as well. It was just under $20 here in Walmart. You can get other versions for SLRs etc. Anyway, what I like about this tripod, is that if you have no flat surface to rest a regular tripod on, this one can wrap around a tree, a ladder or whatever you can use so that you can get the camera into a suitable position to take the photo you are after. In the collated photos on the left, I took the top photo to give you an idea of the size of the tripod next to my compact digital camera. The bottom left photo shows the tripod clinging to a tree, and the other photo shows it on our RV ladder.
At our next stop in Topeka, (capital of Kansas), we were warmly welcomed back to the campground by host Mary and her husband James. Mary kindly dropped Murray off to play golf, and picked him up whenever he rang - same as last year. She took me shopping and although I told her I had nothing I needed to get, I wasn't banking on her taking me into a Dollar General store. My goodness. We had fun. Every single thing in the store is $1. Yes Bev, even Microfiber Dish Drying mats! Remember the fun we had in the same store in Oklahoma City last year Jen? Mary was busy preparing an Easter Sunday lunch for 12 people - folks that she had invited from the campground who had no family to be with. She was cooking up a storm - baked ham, hot and cold salads, and a cake for dessert. It was a shame we weren't able to be there, but Omaha was calling. On Good Friday Mary and James took us to Mass with them - a very moving service about the Passion of Jesus.
Mary commented on the nasty winter they had in Topeka this year - seems to be the same story all around the country. I asked her how she kept her water hose from freezing, as we had to remove ours whenever the temperatures dropped below freezing. She showed me the contraption she puts over her water pipe and hose - insulation wrap (must have electrical wires inside them) is wound around them, then they are plugged into power, and they are kept warm continuously.
While we were in Topeka last year we met a couple, Shelliann and Luke, in the laundromat. We chatted to them for a while and had planned to meet for dinner on that trip, but her mother got ill and they weren't able to make it. Once we knew we were heading back to Topeka this year, we contacted them and they were free to join us for dinner - what's a year later between friends? After our first dinner at a restaurant together, they invited us to their place for dinner on another night. So on Easter Saturday, we left Topeka and had a short drive to a State Park in Lawrence, where Shelli and Luke live. It is a College (University) town, and has two universities - the Kansas University and the Haskell Indian Nations University. The historic Oregon Trail passed through here in the mid 1800's. Shelliann cooked up a storm while Luke came out to the campground and picked us up at 2pm. We had several enjoyable hours chatting and eating (and drinking a glass or two of wine) before returning to the campground at 8pm. As we left the house, Shelli presented us with a traditional 'Easter Bread'. It is a sweet dough that is baked with a coloured raw egg in the centre. You don't eat the egg, but the bread was delicious with a cup of tea for Easter Saturday supper back at the campground. Thanks Shelli and Luke!
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| Murray, Luke and Shelliann |
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| Easter Bread - it looks like it has icing on it, but it is only a glaze |
On Easter Sunday morning we were up early and drove the RV to a nearby church for Mass. The choir had an 'English Handbell' section, and it was superb. Certainly put us all in the glorious frame of mind for Easter Sunday. He is risen! After Mass we drove north to Omaha (about 4 hours), and after a stop off at a lake for lunch and a detour due to roadwork, we finally arrived at our campground at around 3.30pm. It was perfect timing as we had arranged with my girlfriend Jan's daughter Jess, husband Mike and young 16 month old son Charlie to call in on us at the campground at 5pm. Initially we had planned on a picnic in the campground, but there was a chance of light rain showers, so we went out to dinner instead. As luck would have it, the Mexican restaurant they had planned to take us to was closed (as were many shops and restaurants on Easter Sunday), but Outback Steakhouse came to the rescue. Mike thought it was funny us going to Outback seeing as I grew up in the actual outback!
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| Charlie with his Australia Koala and his mum Jess and dad Mike |
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| Five of us at Outback |
We only stayed one night in Omaha, and then headed north for South Dakota. We have never ventured north this early in the year before, usually it is summer when we drive this part of the country. Instead of seeing fields green with wheat, corn and other crops, we saw lots of empty fields. Some just had corn stubble in them, while others looked tilled and ready for new crops. Last night it got down to freezing overnight, so I guess the farmers are waiting until the end of the frosts before they dare plant new crops.
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| These fields are usually rows of corn as far as the eye can see |
We continued north into South Dakota and arrived at our campground in the SE of the state. It is attached to a 9 hole golf course, so despite the freezing overnight temperatures, Murray had his breakfast, unhooked his bike from the back, pumped up the tyres, put his golf clubs on his back, took a banana and water bottle, and he was off. I haven't seen him since…I'm guessing he will be keen to tuck into blueberry scones and coffee on his return.
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