We’re Alive…February 15, 2010

Yes, we actually are alive and well…hard to believe.  Since coming back from Alaska in September we have spent 3 months in Coffeyville, Kansas working for Amazon.com during Sept, Oct and Nov.  We hooked up with Mark and Susan Didelot and Dan and Rita Desmond while we were all working. We had not seen the Desmonds for probably a year or more. We met Dan and Rita in 2005 while we were all working at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa.

We spent an afternoon with Dan and Rita visiting the site near Coffeyville where Laura Ingalls and her family lived for about a year or so.  Remember the TV show…Little House on the Prairie?

We left Kansas on November 28 and headed for Texas.  We spent a few weeks in Caldwell while we had work done on our house which included the removal of the original slate roof that was put on in 1941 and the installation of the new roof that we hope will last 20 years…it sure won’t outlast the slate.  We also had all of the outside trim repainted.  Hopefully we won’t have to do much for the next few years.  This was before the trim was done.

We always try to spend a few days with my sister and brother-in-law.  While there we drove out to see a winery…this area is outside of Austin.  It was really pretty there but none of us even tasted any of the wine.  But, we did enjoy the Christmas decorations and the winery itself.

We said our goodbyes and our thanks to T&S for being great hosts…as usual my sister prepared lots of great food for all of us to enjoy and we were off to Shiner, Texas for a few days.

We stayed at a really nice city park in Shiner where our friends Janie and Vince joined us for a day.  We had not seen them for almost a year.  Shiner is a very, very small town that is known for the Spoetzl Brewery that produces Shiner beer…the most well known being Shiner Bock. Vince says “We’re here!”

When you enter the gift shop area you are asked to choose to sample one of several beers.  Then you are given 3 wooden coins which you can trade for additional samples.  They ask that you only sample 2 before the tour and the final two after the tour…who were we to argue.  I do think Janie was showing a bit of attitude!

The tour did not last very long but was interesting, especially the copper vats…they have someone that shines them all the time…they were beautiful. 

After leaving the brewery we found the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church that is know as one of the painted churches…it is so pretty and attracts many visitors each year.

Janie and I left the boys on a park bench and we visited some of the little shops downtown…I should tell you that Shiner only has about 2,000 inhabitants.

We were able to visit with friends while in Texas including Bob and Joanne Srutka in Willis, Tx.  We had not seen them since we parted ways in Alaska…we headed for work at Amazon and they continued with their travels.  We enjoyed a wonderful lunch that they prepared for us at their beautiful home in Willis, Texas that was so beautifully decorated for Christmas. 

It is always good to see Precious also…especially when she is calm enough to actually get a picture of her.

And then it was time to say goodbye to Texas and head for Atlanta, GA to spend Christmas with our family and friends there.  Stay tuned for further updates.

Moving On.  

We’re Back!

Well it has been quite a while since my last post…lots going on and yet not much of anything. 

Just to sort of catch you up…on our way back to the lower 48 states we spent a couple of days at Banff and Lake Louise.  They are both beautiful places and I am so glad we had the opportunity to see them but “been there, done that”.  We saw more tourists in these 2 locations than we dealt with in all of Alaska.  Our last stop with Susan and Mark was at Wheat Montana in Three Forks, MT.  We had separated in Calgary but caught up with each other again for one final picture.

Bob and I were going to head for Yellowstone National Park to meet our friends Janie and Vince Fleckinger.  Janie and Vince had been working in Utah this past summer.  Then our plans were to head to Kansas where we would be working for Amazon.com starting on Sept. 27.  But, after talking to friends that were already at Amazon, we decided to forgo the Yellowstone trip and head straight to Coffeyville, Kansas.  We found out that the only part of the RV park that had full hookups was starting to fill and we did not want to be stuck with only 30 amps of electricity for the next several months.  We left Calgary, Alberta on Monday, August 31st and arrived in Coffeyville on Thursday, Sept. 2.  We visited the Express Personnel office on Friday and were able to move our start date up to September 13.  We secured our space at River Crest RV Park and got settled in for a few days.  On Monday we took the rig to Joplin, MO…about an hours drive…for an appointment with Freightliner to have some routine maintenance done.  We spent 4 nights in the Joplin area…actually we were in Quapah, OK…at Downstream Casino.  Downstream is a casino that was built last year.  They have an RV parking area for about 20 rigs with water and electricity…at no charge.  And, they don’t care how long you stay!  They even encourage you to use the pool and work out area at their lovely hotel.  We returned to Coffeyville on Friday and started working on Monday the 13th.  We had lunch at Cheddars one day and were seated next to this little darling who was really enjoying her food.  How cute is she!

We are working nights on the donut shift…we work Monday, Tuesday…off Wednesday…then work Thursday and Friday.  We work from 5:00 PM until 3:30 AM.  Bob has chosen to work overtime on Wednesday nights…yours truly has chosen not to.

It is good to see folks that we have not seen since last year.  Last year they hired 300 workampers and are hiring 500 this year.  Amazon has had such good results from the workampers that they have started the same type of program at their Campbellsville, KY center.  I believe their goal is to hire 50 workampers at that location for this peak season.

Moving on.

Thursday August 27, 2009 / Friday August 28, 2009

We have spent the last 2 nights in Prince George…a city of 70,000 people.  We felt like we were uptown…had a Costco, Walmart and a Canadian Superstore.  We even had a casino that we visited a couple of times…it was pretty much a break even situation for us at the end.  It was not a huge casino but the entire building is smoke/alcohol free.  I believe there was one bar area but no drinking allowed at the machines…we liked it.  Not much else to report about Prince George except that we were able to get our car washed…that is a big thing up here.  Our vehicles get so dirty but that should improve now that we are in Canada and the roads are paved. I choose to call the dirt a “protective covering”.

We are on the road to Jasper, Alberta to the Canadian Rockies.  Again we went through some construction…here is one of the flagmen.

Cissy tried to catch a nap. 

But it’s not always easy.

We arrived in Jasper National Park.  We did not get in until early evening so we did not venture out from the campground.  At 8:00 a program on some of the animals we might find in the park was presented at the amphitheatre by one of the park personnel.  She involved several of the children in the audience in the presentation.  She did a great job and the kids were outstanding as they took on the roles of cougars, fish and birds.  An hour well spent.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera.

Friday morning Bob and I poked around some of the shops in town and then drove out to the canyon for a bit of a walk. The pictures do no begin to show how beautiful this place is.

Before leaving Jasper, Mark takes time for a needed oil change on their Phaeton.

On the Icefield Parkway bound for Lake Louise.  

Moving On. 

And More Bears Sunday August 23, 2009

Sunday we drove back into Hyder to hopefully see some bears at Fish Creek.  Needless to say it was raining again…not that it has ever stopped.  It rains so much here but never a hard rain…more like a really soft rain.  I stayed about 30 minutes at the viewing stand and was cold and bored so I left Bob there and I got in the car and starting driving the road…notice I did not say roads…there is only one road…looking for bear.  I did see one small black bear but he was moving pretty fast. 

Then I spotted this little guy…it was my day for black bears.

 

More pictures of Hyder.    

We decided to give it a break so we came back to coach after a couple of hours and took a nap and ate lunch.  We went back to the viewing area about 7:30 or so and were on our way out when a large black bear entered the creek from the other side of the bridge.  This one was so big and everyone was pretty much running trying to keep up with him/her as she moved up the creek. 

Unfortunately, my camera was not able to do a good job.  I knew I was having trouble while trying to take the pictures.  I must have needed to change the setting because it was dusk and getting hard to see.  But…it was a thrill and worth all the time we spent looking.  We did see a couple of other bear while on the roads but did not get pictures.                          I am so disappointed in the pictures but was so thrilled to see this beauty.

Moving On.