Where do I start?

This was the view out the front door enroute to Arkansas. We've made a habit of stopping off at the Terribles Casino and RV Park in Osceola, Iowa both for the easy pull through stay and for the affordable buffet. The best part of the buffet is it's position on the perimeter of the building. You wouldn't know you were at a casino if someone dropped you there and asked where you were. As with most places this summer, the casino's RV Park has suffered from so much rain. So many units have dropped their wheels off the concrete while parking that there are terribly deep trenches which need filled in. Some of them have been there long enough that they are populated with frogs.

As you can see we picked up a few bugs enroute too. Scrubbing the trailer, at least the nose, is absolutely on my short term to-do list. You can see a bit of our glorious view in this shot; more photos later of that. You can also see the potted tomato plant which made the trip safely from Iowa ........................ in the toilet.    ;-P

Believe it or not, this was the first critter to welcome us to Arkansas. This is not my photo as I was a bit too FREAKED OUT to get my camera! This photo was taken in Arkansas, however and looks very much like the male tarantula we encountered on the driveway of the park. That night I researched tarantulas in Arkansas and was able to calm my fears. By the information I found, the spider we saw was a male out 'looking for love' as this is their mating season. Fortunately, from the perspective of this aracnophobe,  that male will not have a chance to propagate as Bubba ended his life with a shovel shortly after Mijo discovered him.

This little beauty appears to be the master of the pond. He is 5 times larger than all other frogs I spotted and had no fear as I wandered around and scared the rest of the little squeekers into the pond. 

We are so spoiled and so blessed to have the Garcia family as our family and home away from home. When we arrived Sunday evening around 6 Rene was at the grill flipping burgers and toasting buns. He helped us get backed in and hooked up and took us home with him for supper. The meal was delicious, the company fantastic and Cecila even spoiled Bubba by baking him a sugar free apple for desert while treating the rest of us with pumpkin/chocolate chip cookies. DELICIOUS!!!! 

Since we've been back here we've been able to get reconnected with the whole family. I've had ample opportunity to talk to Tiffany and hold her week old son Tristen. I've gone to lunch and shopping with Theresa, Cecilia and Trina, Cecilia's sister from Florida here for the week. I've even been able to tease Theresa, who just had back surgery a week ago, about her back brace fitting like a bustier! I haven't had a chance to talk to Nick yet because he's been working long hours but am sure I will before long. 

Living with them here reminds me how much I miss my own family and my church family, and it helps me to appreciate them more. 

Bubba spent the first three days out working with Rene, as expected. I think they're both delighted to be the Dynamic Duo once again. We plan to be here through the third week in October and I believe they're planning to build a storage barn for Theresa's golf cart while we're here. 

Its time to get busy at another of the projects I've started this week. I'm two lessons into Rosetta Stone, learning to speak Spanish. I'm hoping I can work at it often enough to practice with Rene. I know that if I don't use it I will lose it, so I will encourage Bubba to get started with it too and practice with me. I also picked up a flute for the first time since the fourth grade. That one will be a little harder. The lesson plans I've found aren't quite as easy for me to comprehend as the language lessons, but I will keep working at it. I currently have four unfinished crochet projects; I hate it when that happens. I seem to start them and lose interest lately, and they're not even that big a project. Oh well, none of them is a planned gift yet, just inventory for eventual sale.                      I continue to babble on ............

More later .......

PRAY OFTEN

LIVE WELL

LAUGH OFTEN

LOVE MUCH