Mesa, AZ My Happy Spot

   After Globe I returned to Towerpoint RV Resort.  I've spent the winter here the last few years.  Love what the resort and area have to offer.  This was the earliest I've arrived. Hardly any people were here at that time.  I had the chance to experience some HOT days and the rains from the Pacific hurricanes.  I walked down my little resort street in calf-deep water.  The flooding only lasts a few hours around here.
   I helped paint the laundry room and grout the new bar since there weren't many here to do the work. Now that the snowbirds are returning, I am back to doing lapidary crafts and exercise classes.  I am not working here this year, as I have for the last two years.  Instead, I am trying to volunteer at the school for the deaf, which is not far away.  I've had to do the fingerprint background check.  It's been approved, but I am still awaiting the AZ card that I need.  Then I go for an interview at the school.  It's been almost 6 weeks waiting for that card.
     So far I have visited a copper mine, visited Taliesen West, (Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home), Old Scotsdale, and last weekend went to Tucson for the day.  I visited the DeGrazia studio/gallery.  He's a southwestern artist.  I really like him.  The studio and grounds which he did all himself are amazing.
Then to Old Tucson Studios.  Hundreds of western movies and TV shows were done here.  Now it's a tourist trap.  It was fun to walk around there and see the shows.

Arizona Reservation Ministries- Globe, AZ

     It took 4 days/3 nights for me to get to Globe.  It was perfect traveling weather.  While at ARM I cleaned the office, vans, and toys on the bus.  I also went out on the bus each day.  This is what I had done before when I was here.  I spent a lot of time here a few years ago, but this year it's just ten days.

The bus goes out each day to a different neighborhood on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The team (now including Apache women) teach a Bible lesson, have a craft, offer a snack, and have some games.  This is all after school for an hour and is basically controlled chaos.  

     On Saturday I had the priviledge to attend a baptism that ARM did for those interested.  It was in the  river.  Awesome.  Then they provided everyone with sloppy joes.  Doesn't get any better than that!

     One day on the way to a neighborhood a large Diamondback rattler crossed the road in front of us.  Glad I was in a vehicle.

     Another day, I experienced my first monsoon.  The wind blew fiercely from every direction, it seemed.  The rain poured and hail pounded- fun in an RV.  Then it was gone.  It lasted about 20 minutes, but it closed roads for a short time as the water rushed through the washes.  

Now it's on to Towerpoint RV Park in Mesa, AZ.  Let the fun begin!

Branson, MO

     While spending time in Indpendence, MO I was able to visit various family members, tour the Truman Library, and attend the annual Santa Cali-gon Days.  During this festival the center of town is closed to traffic and for 4 days there are vendors, rides, and activities to enjoy.  The name comes from the three historic trails that converge in Independence- Santa Fe, California, and Oregon.
      I then traveled a few hours to Branson, MO.  The KOA was filled with members of NOMADS for over a week.  The 317 members came to participate in our Annual Meeting.  We had inspirational speakers, board meetings, seminars, entertainment, and lots of food.  We also were able to enjoy tours of area sites and attend shows.  What fun!!  It was great to see those friends- old and new.
      After the 10 days I spent in Branson, I was then on the road to Globe, AZ

Independence, MO

I am spending a couple weeks here. I went with brother to Ohio so he could get some medical things done. I had the chance to visit with several friends and some family. It was a great trip-medically and socially. We had good traveling weather and had a good time.  I did find that a car is a little more peppy than a motor home and got a little blue paper from one of Ohio's finest patrols.   Ugh.

After my stay here, I am headed to Branson, MO for the NOMADS annual meeting. That should be a  good time.

Pictures

The last several posts did not have pictures.  I have now added pictures to them. (if you're interested)

Lake Huron Retreat Center

     The two weeks I spent in Indiana were good.  Great campground, got a lot of my unfinished projects finished.  The interesting thing about being there was that it is right on the time zone line.  My phone would change time zones morning and night.  I kept my clocks set to separate times so I would know what time it actually was.  One person said that the phone would change just walking from one room to the next at her house.  crazy.  confusing.
     It was time to get back to work and I headed to Fort Gratiot Twp, Michigan.  Our nine member team has nowbeen working here for two weeks.  One more week to go.  We are demolishing most of a cabin and rebuilding it.  It is right on the elbow of a river entering Lake Huron.  The Center would not be able to get permits to completely demolish and build a new cabin at this site.  So the foundation, floor, and one wall were left.  This coming week we will be putting on the roof.  Well...others will, I will hand them what they need.
     The facility is quite modern and has beach front property.  It's been a beautiful place in which to work, but the work has been one of  the hardest in which I've been involved in 5 years.
     Yes,  I have been a full-time RVer for 5 years this month.  What a blessing it's been to be able to travel, see friends and family (saw a neice and her children while here), make new friends, and do some good work along the way.

Happy Independence Day!!

Hope everyone has a great holiday.
I am currently at a campground in Indiana, having a little R&R.  I have been busy traveling since I left Moore.  I spent a few days in Independence, MO visiting my brother.  Then I headed to Madison, WI to visit my daughter.  We had a good time shopping and sightseeing at the House on the Rock.

I flew from there to NYC to see the older daughter.  She is in a cute new apartment.  We spent time walking, shopping, and dining in her new neighborhood.  Very nice area including a park that is along the East River.  You can see the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower in the distance.  We went to Coney Island.  I had never been there before.

When I flew back to Madison, I was picked up by a friend I'd met in AZ.  She lives nearby in a beautiful log home beside a lake.  I spent a couple days with her and went back to Madison and spent a little more time with visiting with daughter.  When I go to Madison I stay at a little county park and the RV stayed there while I was out and about.

I then left for this campground.  So far I have escaped any damage from severe storms.  My phone went off with a tornado warning one night in Madison.  Though, a tornado touched down a couple miles away,  the campground had no problems.  There were high winds with a storm the other night.  I did spend time in the storm shelter, a.k.a. bathroom, but nothing happend.

I will next be heading to the Port Huron, MI area for another NOMADS project.

Moore, OK

     I forgot to mention the flowers in TN and AL.  Wisteria, magnolias, and honeysuckle were all in bloom.  The honeysuckle was thick and all over the roadsides.
     The first week in OK, I worked at a new build of house in a town outside of Moore.  We were putting in trim, caulking, and painting the porch ceiling.  That house is just about finished.  The owners were quite excited.
     That weekend I was able to spend time with a high school friend who lives in the area.  We had quite a nice time catching up.
     The second week I was in Moore, I worked in a house in town.  I laid laminate floor and washed windows.  This was a rebuild.  Lots more work to be done there.
     Driving through Moore, one can see where the storms went through.  A lot of homes in various stages of rebuilding, empty stores and parking lots, and gas stations where there there is nothing left.  The hospital is still in a tent-like temporary facility.
     The weather was hot and muggy while I was there, but no storms.  I left there and took a couple days to get to Independence, MO to visit with family.

AL - OK

The project at Camp Sumatanga went very well.  They treated me like part of the family and told me to come back home soon.
I then had a week to travel to the Oklahoma City area.  Each day I only traveled a couple hours.  I spent one afternoon at Graceland.  I was going right by it, might as well, right?  It was a nice tour and walk through the various museums.
I was able to meet up with NOMADS friends who were having an extended stay at Toad Suck Park (yep, that's right) in Arkansas.
I then made it to the OKC area and spent two days with other NOMADS friends at their home.  They took me around the city and we toured the National Memorial and Museum remembering the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.  We were invited to have lunch at the home of yet another NOMADS couple.
I arrived, finally, in Moore, Ok.  NOMADS have been here for a couple of months helping to rebuild homes from last year's tornados.  There are 9 people on my team and I will be here for two weeks.

Gallant, AL

After Tennessee, I drove for a day and arrived at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, Alabama.  It is by far the most beautiful camp I've been at.  The buildings and the grounds are amazing.  Unfortunately, I've been unable to upload a picture.  I'll try again later.
This camp is 1700 acres with a 55 acre lake.  There is a paved walking trail around the lake.  There is a mountain trail to the chapel, haven't gone up that yet.  There are 35 buildings that can house 900 people.  There's the original camp area and a new retreat area with hotel style rooms.  The RV park is very nice.

I have been painting bathrooms, covering graffiti and helping in the kitchen.  There have been various groups in for retreats, meetings, conferences the whole time I've been here (so I get to have meals with them).

When I leave here I will take a week to drive to the OKC area.  Along the way I will be doing some sightseeing and visiting with some other NOMADS friends.

Eva, Tennessee

I left Mesa, AZ on April 13.  It took me a week to get to Eva, a small town between Memphis and Nashville.  I only drove about 300 miles/day and I allowed an extra day in case there was bad weather, causing me to layover.  But the weather was good, so my layover was visiting a NOMADS couple who offer their hook-up at their home for those passing through.  I had worked with this couple in Wyoming and it was good to see them again and relax a little.  I arrived at Lakeshore UM Assembly, a church camp, in Eva the Saturday before Easter.  The team all arrived the same day, so that we could attend Easter services together.  There are 12 on the team.

The next 3 weeks we worked at the camp doing a variety of jobs.  A deck was built, as was a shed.  I helped clean cabins, paint window trim, paint bunks, paint walls, paint yellow caution strips on steps.  So painting was a high priority for the camp to get ready for the summer season.  The camp is one of the most modern that I’ve been at, the buildings and cabins are very nice.  It is on the side of a hill (mountain) that leads down to Kentucky Lake, a part of the Tennessee River.  It is quite remote so cell service was spotty and internet was available only at some of the main buildings, and TV signal was non-existent.  The RV sites were in a beautiful part of the camp, but a bit of a distance away.  

We visited the near-by state park and learned that the area is known for the mussels in the river.  We visited a mussel farm, where mussels are harvested and used for freshwater pearls.  Needless to say, I bought more jewelry.

After this, I will be headed to another church camp in Alabama.  

For those of you who know about my problems with my in-dash multi-media center (gps, radio, Sirius, bluetooth, DVD), I now have the 5th one and it seems to be working wonderfully.