Hi All: Know it's been a while since I posted a blog. We have been pretty busy since 10 Sept.





Had a nice visit with Bob and Dorene Boardman, and left there in North Carolina and went to Tom and Judy's in Delaware. Spent 5 nights there and had a super time visiting there. Had super food and did find a Booze store and we are now solvent in Liquour with no sales tax.. hee hee..





I helped Tom install a Electric Switch for his home when the electric is interupted for some reason, such as hurricans etc... He had a generator he uses but had to disconnect the main circuit breaker etc if he loses electricity. With this system he just has to flick a few switches on the new box and hook up the generator and he's all set. Pretty neat system, and we had little trouble hooking it up to the main circuit breaker panel. He says he needs to go out and hit an electric pole to check it out. Would be better just to turn the main circuit breaker off and then check things out. hee hee.





We are now in a campground in Northern North Carolina. We got out of Delaware at 0800 this morning, Hoping that the traffic around Washington, DC would be gone by the time we got there at about 1000. Well, it worked. Traffic was not bad, and we made good time to this campground, and have all things hooked up for the night. Plan to leave early in the morning for one more stop
on the way home around Savannah, Ga I think, so we will get home some time Saturday. Will be good to get home, but both Amy and I would keep going had we scheduled more on this trip. The New motor home is super, and is so comfortable to travel in and also stay in. Glad we bought it....

Semper Fi

Don, Amy & Pharaoh..

Hi All: Know it's been a few days since I did a Blog. I did one a while back, had a bunch of photo's all set up and it was the biggest Blog I've done. Well, I hit some key on this dumb lap top and lost the whole blog. Been upset about ever since.

We are in Huntsville, AL now. Are at the RV campground at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. The town is so much bigger than it was when we were here in 1979. Cannot find my way around without the GPS.

Have had a great dinner and evening with Jim and Sharon Nelson who lives here. Was a super evening with them. Then last night we had another good evening with Bob and Seal Gherdes, with the Nelson's there also. Was another grand evening. Many "Sea Stories" from Bob of course. And another wonderful dinner. Will not fit in my clothes if we stay here much longer..

We have another date with Paul and Pat Gulick tonight. Have not seen them in years as well. Meeting them at a restaurant on the othere side of the mountain we have to go over, then a visit to where they live.

Plan to get together with Jim and Sharon tomorrow for lunch before we get on the road Monday for Ashville, NC for one night, then on to Clayton, NC for a couple days visiting Bob and Dorene Boardman.

Photo's above are of our campsite here in Huntsville; Me standing next to the bottome of the Saturn V nozzles. It sure is a big missile. The biggest ever. Another shot of that missile standing up outside the museum we toured here.

Having a good time here. Did check out the base. Could not find my old office building out there. Did find the PX and Commissary though. Didn't spend much in there. Prices were much higher than Publix at home....

Amy and I are still talking to each other, so all must be going OK. Will try to keep the Blog up to date better from now on..

Semper Fi

Don, Amy & Pharaoh....

Hi All: Well, the trip to the Grand Ole Opry is over. Must say that the show was not as good as the worst one in Branson. Our seats were not real good. 14 rows back, and off in left field. To far to get good photo's of the performers. Amy did get some good shots from the big TV in the back ground on the stage.

We found a Kroger's grocery store yesterday, then thought we'd look up where the Macaroni Grill was. Found it in the "Mills" area next to the river. Well all the stores and restaurants were fenced in and shut down from the flood last year. They said the water even got in to the Grand Ole Opry and covered the stage with 4 feet of water. They did a good job of getting the Opry up and going, but sure picked awful seats. They were just padded (A Little) Church Pews and you crammed everyone in them on each section. Very uncomfortable. And if you got a few of the extra weight folks we see around here they would take up two seats, so you would have no where to sit....May never go back there again. Will go to Branson.

We do have one more show to go to tonight. It's a dinner show that is next to the campground here. We have been there a few times, I think the first time was with Jay and Lou when we travelled together??? Always has been a good show, and the food is pretty good also. But, it is now raining at 1300 and we are to be there about 1500. So may have to drive the short distance so we will be in the rain less that way??? Guess the storm in the Gulf is finally getting some rain up here??? Started last night just after we got home from the Opry..

The photo's above are of Minnie Pearl of course. (Not the real one, She's gone), Then a bad shot of the "White's", who did a good job... Jeanne Seely in the black outfit, and Connie Smith in the white outfit. Jim Ed Brown in the red outfit, sang "Pop a Top Again" his big hit. Of course Little Jimmy Dickens" He was real good for a man of 90 years old... I backed him in Okinawa while I was a member of a band in 1964 on our way to Viet Nam. Then the last performer was Billy Dean. He sang his hit song "Billy the Kid", Then said he has a suprise.. Introduced his 16 year old daughter Hannah Dean to sing a song first time on the Opry. She was super. The best singer of the night. I bet we can expect to hear from her in the years to come. Very moving. She sang Hank Williams song "I'm so lonesome I could Cry". Billy Dean did the back up singing with her. Very good...

It was an OK showing of the Opry. Like I said though, it was not as good as the Worst show we saw in Branson. It was probably our last Opry show we will be spending big money to see. Another thing that botherd me was having to sit and listen to the commmercials during the show. Hate to pay good money to listen to that...????

Semper Fi

Don, Amy & Pharaoh..

Hi All: We made it to Nashville. Got off a little earlier than we wanted, and got here about Noon. No problem in checking in. Got our tickets to the Grand Ole Opry for tomorrow night. The campground is pretty full. We got the last 50 amp site they had. They only have 15 of those sites of the 500 they have here. Amy is happy about that, as the washer/dryer had been going since we got hooked to the electric pole.

Was considering going out for dinner, but decided to stay in and cook here. Will go out for "Lupper" tomorrow, early afternoon so we won't need to eat after the Grand Ole Opry. Doesn't look like we have a great showing for Entertainers that night. List shows: Jim Ed Brown; Connie Smith, Michael Cleveleand & Flamekeeper ?; Little Jimmy Dickens; Jesse McRenolds; Elizabeth Cook; Jeannie Seely, Stu Phillips, Wynn Varble; Opray Square Dancers, Bill Anderson, The Whites, and Billy Dean. I'm sure it will still be a good show.... Will be picked up here at the campground and delivered to the Grand Ole Opery, and brought back home..

Plan to go to the Country Hall Of Fame Monday. That will be a full day. Not shure what beyond that. Have to find a ABC store and a grocery store some time soon also.

Weather here is real hot. It was 114 a while ago on the outside thermometer. It was in the sun though.. Nice and cool in here though. Pharoah seems to be very happy. Doing his exercises as usual. (Sleeping) In the middle of the floor in everyone's way...

We will be here 5 nights, and then off to Huntsvile, AL for a visit with some USMC friends..

Semper Fi

Don, Amy & (Seepy Pharaoh)...