October 7th - We Bought a MacBook - A Whole New World -
Over the last few months, the program that I use to create my web page, has begun to have lots and lots and lots of annoying side effects. I realize now that
these side effects have come from various upgrades that the software has had. Apparently the people who work for the company have no idea how to fix what is
broken and, as a result, my web page looks like a moron might have created it. One glitch, that the newest and last upgrade I promise to ever do, no matter
what they say, takes one line of text and repeats it and repeats it over and over and deletes everything else I have written. Not only on new pages I have
created, but past pages that I hardly ever look at. Of course I searched out each and every page and spent hours re-writing them, only to find the same thing
happened again... two weeks later. So, I do apologize if a section or two or twenty on a certain page makes no sense. We are working very hard to fix this issue.
After many testy conversations with the inept people that answer the phones, I started looking at other software to replace the current pile-o-crap we are using.
After many many hours of research and friends input, it seemed that the software I was looking for was no where to be found unless I wanted to spend hundreds
and hundreds of dollars... ... and then! We started to look into MacBooks. We went to the Apple store and asked them every question about everything we
could possibly think of and have been having issues with. It seemed that our prayers had been answered. After I spent about an hour fiddling around with one of
the display computers, I found that the iWeb software was very close to what I have been searching for. So... ... we are now the proud owners of a bouncing
baby MacBook, okay so bouncing it might be bad, but you know what I mean. I have begun the tedious task of transferring all our adventures over and might I
just add... Wow! We have done a lot of stuff over the past three and a half years. Some things I even forgot about. So as lengthy as this task might take it's a lot
of fun re-reading and looking at all the pictures. Bear with us, it might be a while to complete and hopefully the web page won't get too funky in the process.
Over the last few months, the program that I use to create my web page, has begun to have lots and lots and lots of annoying side effects. I realize now that
these side effects have come from various upgrades that the software has had. Apparently the people who work for the company have no idea how to fix what is
broken and, as a result, my web page looks like a moron might have created it. One glitch, that the newest and last upgrade I promise to ever do, no matter
what they say, takes one line of text and repeats it and repeats it over and over and deletes everything else I have written. Not only on new pages I have
created, but past pages that I hardly ever look at. Of course I searched out each and every page and spent hours re-writing them, only to find the same thing
happened again... two weeks later. So, I do apologize if a section or two or twenty on a certain page makes no sense. We are working very hard to fix this issue.
After many testy conversations with the inept people that answer the phones, I started looking at other software to replace the current pile-o-crap we are using.
After many many hours of research and friends input, it seemed that the software I was looking for was no where to be found unless I wanted to spend hundreds
and hundreds of dollars... ... and then! We started to look into MacBooks. We went to the Apple store and asked them every question about everything we
could possibly think of and have been having issues with. It seemed that our prayers had been answered. After I spent about an hour fiddling around with one of
the display computers, I found that the iWeb software was very close to what I have been searching for. So... ... we are now the proud owners of a bouncing
baby MacBook, okay so bouncing it might be bad, but you know what I mean. I have begun the tedious task of transferring all our adventures over and might I
just add... Wow! We have done a lot of stuff over the past three and a half years. Some things I even forgot about. So as lengthy as this task might take it's a lot
of fun re-reading and looking at all the pictures. Bear with us, it might be a while to complete and hopefully the web page won't get too funky in the process.
She has no idea her branch isn't part of the tree
Cable ties, an amazing invention
Ian and Ty ride the surfboard behind the boat
A photo shoot at the Kovacevich home
| Taryn watched us all play on the lake |
A view of our lake house from the water
A little friendly visit from the local wildlife
Our nightly visit from the momma ducks
I might look like a dork, but I had a blast
| Good thing they told us it's waterfront, we might not have noticed |
We beached the boat on an island for awhile
September 15th - Giant Mushrooms in Alabama -
As we drove this morning, I had to take a picture of the traffic around us. Why
would I do such a random thing you ask? Because as I watched a man, all
dressed up for work, yelling at the traffic in front of him, throwing up his hands
and pounding his steering wheel with an empty cup holder, I figured he must
be a little upset having to sit in the same traffic I was sitting in. However I was a
bit more comfy since I was still in my PJ's reading on the couch enjoying my
morning coffee. Sorry buddy, maybe you too should have a fun commuter
vehicle such as ours. Later down the road... ... we stopped at a rest area and
noticed the most enormous mushrooms. The first few pictures I took
As we drove this morning, I had to take a picture of the traffic around us. Why
would I do such a random thing you ask? Because as I watched a man, all
dressed up for work, yelling at the traffic in front of him, throwing up his hands
and pounding his steering wheel with an empty cup holder, I figured he must
be a little upset having to sit in the same traffic I was sitting in. However I was a
bit more comfy since I was still in my PJ's reading on the couch enjoying my
morning coffee. Sorry buddy, maybe you too should have a fun commuter
vehicle such as ours. Later down the road... ... we stopped at a rest area and
noticed the most enormous mushrooms. The first few pictures I took
| As I saw the red dirt roads, country music started going through my mind. |
Next time we'll know to get two Concretes
The poor potty-less commuters
Ennis Texas is 100 years older than me
An in action self portrait
The finished tower on race day
During construction of the tower
Before... Well actually more like during
Cough, cough, gag gag
Frank, Kurt, Steve and Ken
Suzy, Philly, Carol and Diana
The car proudly shows off the new sponsor
The crowd lines up as the Monster Men sign
Tommy's number one fan
Breaker, breaker nine-nine
Lily sure loved the salsa
Sweet little six week old Jack
360 degrees of beautiful views from our site
didn't seem too impressive, so I added a quarter to the top of the mushroom to show it's enormity. This evening, as we stopped at our destination for the night, I
of course had to take a photo of the sunset. Just as I snapped the picture, I noticed a custard shop across the way so Frank and I took a nice evening walk and
enjoyed a Concrete, which is creamy frozen custard stuffed so full of fresh bananas and strawberries that you can literally turn the cup upside down and your
treat won't fall out. Yum! We decided to share one, since the cups looked pretty big, but once we got home we realized we both could have finished our very own.
of course had to take a photo of the sunset. Just as I snapped the picture, I noticed a custard shop across the way so Frank and I took a nice evening walk and
enjoyed a Concrete, which is creamy frozen custard stuffed so full of fresh bananas and strawberries that you can literally turn the cup upside down and your
treat won't fall out. Yum! We decided to share one, since the cups looked pretty big, but once we got home we realized we both could have finished our very own.
September 30th - 'Welcome to Moe's' with the Treicks -
As you walk into Moe's Grill you are greeted by a barrage of "Welcome to Moe's" shout
outs from all the cashiers and cooks. At first you feel put on the spot, but after you realize
they shout it out to everyone that comes in behind you, you almost want to shout with
them and no longer feel awkward. We sat outside on the patio since it was a pretty day
and each time we would go in to refill our sodas we would again be greeted. Now each
time Frank walks into the motor home I feel the urge to shout out "Welcome to the bus"
and yet I refrain. After we said goodbye to Joel, who had to head back to work, the five of
us headed back up Lookout Mountain where Lily went down for a nap, Frank played the
guitar and I snuggled with little Jack until his nap time came as well. Once Lily woke up she
joined in on the music playing and strummed right along with Frank and showed us how to
ride her very fun light up zebra. We had a relaxing afternoon all curled up on the couches
catching up on the 6 months of each other's happenings. Once back at the motor home
Frank and I sat out with the birds until the sun went down and the biting bugs came out.
As you walk into Moe's Grill you are greeted by a barrage of "Welcome to Moe's" shout
outs from all the cashiers and cooks. At first you feel put on the spot, but after you realize
they shout it out to everyone that comes in behind you, you almost want to shout with
them and no longer feel awkward. We sat outside on the patio since it was a pretty day
and each time we would go in to refill our sodas we would again be greeted. Now each
time Frank walks into the motor home I feel the urge to shout out "Welcome to the bus"
and yet I refrain. After we said goodbye to Joel, who had to head back to work, the five of
us headed back up Lookout Mountain where Lily went down for a nap, Frank played the
guitar and I snuggled with little Jack until his nap time came as well. Once Lily woke up she
joined in on the music playing and strummed right along with Frank and showed us how to
ride her very fun light up zebra. We had a relaxing afternoon all curled up on the couches
catching up on the 6 months of each other's happenings. Once back at the motor home
Frank and I sat out with the birds until the sun went down and the biting bugs came out.
September 29th - See Lily Run - Raccoon Mountain - Chattanooga, Tennessee -
A pile of rocks, lots of grass and three colorful parrots were more than enough to keep little Lily entertained this afternoon. She wanted so badly to hug the birds
and didn't quite understand why she couldn't. They look so soft and cuddly, and when you're a year and a half old, they're not quite like anything you've seen
before. She would run around the field after Cody as he flew with Frank and every so often would stop to pick up and toss some of the rocks that lined the
roads. Once we were inside the motor home she was in heaven. She looked at herself in all the mirrors and the frig and the closet doors. Then she would run
up to the front and have Frank put her in the driver's seat, talk on the CB and walk up and down the stairs while Kate, her mother, and I had some time to visit
and I got some snuggle time with sweet little Jack, the newest addition to the Treick family. After lots of playing we headed out to dinner at a great Mexican food
place where Lily loved the chips and salsa, as did we all. It's always a great day when you get to spent it with lifelong friends and tomorrow we get another!
A pile of rocks, lots of grass and three colorful parrots were more than enough to keep little Lily entertained this afternoon. She wanted so badly to hug the birds
and didn't quite understand why she couldn't. They look so soft and cuddly, and when you're a year and a half old, they're not quite like anything you've seen
before. She would run around the field after Cody as he flew with Frank and every so often would stop to pick up and toss some of the rocks that lined the
roads. Once we were inside the motor home she was in heaven. She looked at herself in all the mirrors and the frig and the closet doors. Then she would run
up to the front and have Frank put her in the driver's seat, talk on the CB and walk up and down the stairs while Kate, her mother, and I had some time to visit
and I got some snuggle time with sweet little Jack, the newest addition to the Treick family. After lots of playing we headed out to dinner at a great Mexican food
place where Lily loved the chips and salsa, as did we all. It's always a great day when you get to spent it with lifelong friends and tomorrow we get another!
September 27th - An Autograph Session - Memphis, Tennessee -
In celebration of qualifying for this weekend's race and since the guys were in a great mood, they all decided to jump in on one of Tommy's autograph sessions.
The crowd loved it and the line when on for blocks, well race car blocks that is. We are on Crew Chief #4 for the year and it seems that little by little and Crew
Chief by Crew Chief our car runs better. Let's hope our good running car from this weekend stays with us for the rest of year, which translates to only three more
races. I can't believe the racing season is almost over. This year has been a lot of fun on so many levels and yet heart breaking at times to see the crew guys
work so hard and never get very far on race day. Perhaps tomorrow's race will change all of this, It sure was great to see smiles back on the guys faces today.
In celebration of qualifying for this weekend's race and since the guys were in a great mood, they all decided to jump in on one of Tommy's autograph sessions.
The crowd loved it and the line when on for blocks, well race car blocks that is. We are on Crew Chief #4 for the year and it seems that little by little and Crew
Chief by Crew Chief our car runs better. Let's hope our good running car from this weekend stays with us for the rest of year, which translates to only three more
races. I can't believe the racing season is almost over. This year has been a lot of fun on so many levels and yet heart breaking at times to see the crew guys
work so hard and never get very far on race day. Perhaps tomorrow's race will change all of this, It sure was great to see smiles back on the guys faces today.
September 26th - Suzy Gets Published -
Today will go down as one of the most exciting days of my life. I've always had aspirations of becoming a writer and today was a great step in that direction. About
two weeks ago I submitted an article about the fun time we had back at Lake Norman and it was published today on Marathon Coach's web page under the
heading of Stories From the Road. Another bit of great news is that they would be interested in future stories of our travels as well. I am SO excited, my mind is
racing and I can guarantee I won't be able to sleep tonight. However Frank won't sleep much either since I will have to share my bursts of excitement with
someone each time they hit me and he'll be the closest, lucky lucky him! They even posted a picture of Frank wake boarding along with the article and gave
Parrottrek a great plug. Have I mentioned how excited we are????? Check out the link to my article at Marathon's website Stories From the Road
Today will go down as one of the most exciting days of my life. I've always had aspirations of becoming a writer and today was a great step in that direction. About
two weeks ago I submitted an article about the fun time we had back at Lake Norman and it was published today on Marathon Coach's web page under the
heading of Stories From the Road. Another bit of great news is that they would be interested in future stories of our travels as well. I am SO excited, my mind is
racing and I can guarantee I won't be able to sleep tonight. However Frank won't sleep much either since I will have to share my bursts of excitement with
someone each time they hit me and he'll be the closest, lucky lucky him! They even posted a picture of Frank wake boarding along with the article and gave
Parrottrek a great plug. Have I mentioned how excited we are????? Check out the link to my article at Marathon's website Stories From the Road
September 24th - The Peabody Ducks - Memphis, Tennessee -
Back in the early 30's there was a group of duck hunters. After a long day that
involved a little duck hunting, and a lot of sipping whiskey, these hunters
headed back to their hotel in downtown Memphis. Not knowing what to do with
their live decoy ducks, and considering their present inebriated state, they
thought it would be funny to leave their decoys in the fountain of the hotel
lobby. Quite to their surprise, their ducks were still swimming in the fountain the
next morning and surrounding the fountain was a very large crowd of people.
The management, of course, seeing how many people were drawn to the
ducks, didn't reprimand the men. No, in fact they welcomed the ducks and the
Back in the early 30's there was a group of duck hunters. After a long day that
involved a little duck hunting, and a lot of sipping whiskey, these hunters
headed back to their hotel in downtown Memphis. Not knowing what to do with
their live decoy ducks, and considering their present inebriated state, they
thought it would be funny to leave their decoys in the fountain of the hotel
lobby. Quite to their surprise, their ducks were still swimming in the fountain the
next morning and surrounding the fountain was a very large crowd of people.
The management, of course, seeing how many people were drawn to the
ducks, didn't reprimand the men. No, in fact they welcomed the ducks and the
crowd applauded as the ducks were escorted out of the fountain and back out for another day of duck hunting. Once the ducks were gone, the owner of the hotel
decided to find someone that could train other ducks, 1 male and 4 female ducks, to spend their days swimming in this same fountain. They also wanted the
ducks to be trained to enter and leave the fountain at a certain time each day and walk across a red carpet that lead to their own elevator that lead to their own
fancy suite upstairs. I can't recall how long it took to train the first group of ducks, but today's group of ducks minded perfectly and there was a very large crowd
along with us to watch them being led by the 'Duck Master' back to their warm and cozy suite with plates of food for each of them. After watching the infamous
Peabody ducks, we drove around the town of Memphis and saw a few familiar sights,which we have heard about, from our most recent book on tape written by
John Grisham that took place in Memphis with a lots of reference to the Shelby County Courthouse.
decided to find someone that could train other ducks, 1 male and 4 female ducks, to spend their days swimming in this same fountain. They also wanted the
ducks to be trained to enter and leave the fountain at a certain time each day and walk across a red carpet that lead to their own elevator that lead to their own
fancy suite upstairs. I can't recall how long it took to train the first group of ducks, but today's group of ducks minded perfectly and there was a very large crowd
along with us to watch them being led by the 'Duck Master' back to their warm and cozy suite with plates of food for each of them. After watching the infamous
Peabody ducks, we drove around the town of Memphis and saw a few familiar sights,which we have heard about, from our most recent book on tape written by
John Grisham that took place in Memphis with a lots of reference to the Shelby County Courthouse.
September 20th - Cody and Bridgette Take a Bike Ride -
Since we got home nice and early this evening we took Cody for a bike ride. Even before we got up to speed he called out "Come on" until Frank held him out to
flap. We started off talking Bridgette with us, who fit perfectly in my bike's basket and looked darling in it, but she got a little nervous once her mama was out of
site and since I was a little nervous she might jump out of the basket we took her home after one lap. This weekend we had a new sponsor on the car. The Air
Force is 'testing us out' to see if the NHRA and it's 24 races a year would be a good venue to recruit. Another great thing about this weekend has been the
weather, which is a treat after last weekend and might just make us like Texas again. Although, when we drove past the actual city of Dallas we realized that
living in the country and becoming a chain smoker might be more healthy for one's lungs than too much time spent in the smog infested town of Dallas. YUCK!
We could hardly see the buildings through the layers of green death haze that covered them.
Since we got home nice and early this evening we took Cody for a bike ride. Even before we got up to speed he called out "Come on" until Frank held him out to
flap. We started off talking Bridgette with us, who fit perfectly in my bike's basket and looked darling in it, but she got a little nervous once her mama was out of
site and since I was a little nervous she might jump out of the basket we took her home after one lap. This weekend we had a new sponsor on the car. The Air
Force is 'testing us out' to see if the NHRA and it's 24 races a year would be a good venue to recruit. Another great thing about this weekend has been the
weather, which is a treat after last weekend and might just make us like Texas again. Although, when we drove past the actual city of Dallas we realized that
living in the country and becoming a chain smoker might be more healthy for one's lungs than too much time spent in the smog infested town of Dallas. YUCK!
We could hardly see the buildings through the layers of green death haze that covered them.
September 16th - Ennis Texas -
Since the track isn't letting any of us park there yet, a bunch of us have turned the local mall into our own RV park. We were all on our way to Chili's for dinner,
when an old run down passenger bus pulled up with a bunch of very tired looking EMTs and Paramedics. We talked to them for a little bit and found out that
they had to drive up here to the Dallas area to find a grocery store, from Houston, because all the stores in between have been rampaged and most of the
shelves are empty or the delivery trucks won't risk trying to deliver to them. We gave them as much Monster as we had on hand, since they have each only slept
about 8 hours total in the last 4 days and took a photo of some of them outside Ken and Diana's Monster trailer. They told us all sorts of stories that they have
come across in the last few days, and we have gained even more respect for those who are willing to sacrifice their lives to help fellow Americans.
Since the track isn't letting any of us park there yet, a bunch of us have turned the local mall into our own RV park. We were all on our way to Chili's for dinner,
when an old run down passenger bus pulled up with a bunch of very tired looking EMTs and Paramedics. We talked to them for a little bit and found out that
they had to drive up here to the Dallas area to find a grocery store, from Houston, because all the stores in between have been rampaged and most of the
shelves are empty or the delivery trucks won't risk trying to deliver to them. We gave them as much Monster as we had on hand, since they have each only slept
about 8 hours total in the last 4 days and took a photo of some of them outside Ken and Diana's Monster trailer. They told us all sorts of stories that they have
come across in the last few days, and we have gained even more respect for those who are willing to sacrifice their lives to help fellow Americans.
September 14th - The Latest and Greatest Drag Strip - Concord, North Carolina -
A year ago, the place we stand today, entertaining our 75 guests, wasn't here. It was only a drawing on a scratch pad of a man named Bruton Smith, one of the
most imaginative men in the racing world. He owns a few other tracks and all of them are state of the art facilities. Bruton decided that since he already has a
very successful NASCAR track here on his property, he would add a dragstrip and invite the NHRA. The community around him protested this and the city
initially told him no. He in turn told the city "Fine, if you don't let me build this dragstrip, then I will take my NASCAR track down and move it up to the road to the
next city that would love to have all the revenue that these events bring... see ya!" The city quickly responded with "Just kidding, please do whatever you'd like
on your very own property and we will happily take the extra money that you bring into the community. The track was built in record time, considering they broke
ground sometime around the end of February. Everyone, including the drivers have only wonderful things to say about it, except for the fact that it could be
about 20 degrees cooler. But at least it didn't rain. The stands were sold out on Saturday and on Sunday which is unheard of at most of the tracks we visit.
A year ago, the place we stand today, entertaining our 75 guests, wasn't here. It was only a drawing on a scratch pad of a man named Bruton Smith, one of the
most imaginative men in the racing world. He owns a few other tracks and all of them are state of the art facilities. Bruton decided that since he already has a
very successful NASCAR track here on his property, he would add a dragstrip and invite the NHRA. The community around him protested this and the city
initially told him no. He in turn told the city "Fine, if you don't let me build this dragstrip, then I will take my NASCAR track down and move it up to the road to the
next city that would love to have all the revenue that these events bring... see ya!" The city quickly responded with "Just kidding, please do whatever you'd like
on your very own property and we will happily take the extra money that you bring into the community. The track was built in record time, considering they broke
ground sometime around the end of February. Everyone, including the drivers have only wonderful things to say about it, except for the fact that it could be
about 20 degrees cooler. But at least it didn't rain. The stands were sold out on Saturday and on Sunday which is unheard of at most of the tracks we visit.
September 5th - Lake Norman Motorcoach Resort - North Carolina -
Every time we drive over a bridge, no matter what highway we are on or what state
we are in, we always look below. Many times we see a dried out riverbed or a
railroad track,or just another paved highway or road. However on those occasions
where we see a lake below, our gut instinct is to drive off the next exit and explore.
To drive until we find that perfect place on the lake's shore and park the
motorhome for as long as we can, until of course work calls us back to reality. So
today we did just that, however it was a little more planned then the spontaneous
trip above, since driving a 40ft vehicle off an unknown exit could end up getting a
little dicey. We are on the banks of Lake Norman and it's everything we hoped for.
Every time we drive over a bridge, no matter what highway we are on or what state
we are in, we always look below. Many times we see a dried out riverbed or a
railroad track,or just another paved highway or road. However on those occasions
where we see a lake below, our gut instinct is to drive off the next exit and explore.
To drive until we find that perfect place on the lake's shore and park the
motorhome for as long as we can, until of course work calls us back to reality. So
today we did just that, however it was a little more planned then the spontaneous
trip above, since driving a 40ft vehicle off an unknown exit could end up getting a
little dicey. We are on the banks of Lake Norman and it's everything we hoped for.
September 6th - North Carolina - Wake Boarding on Lake Norman -
Back in our boating days, where we would spend as much time at the lake as possible, Frank got pretty good at
doing a few tricks. Considering all the time he had to practice, this was no surprise. Today, however was a bit of a
surprise. We met a friend of ours, Ian Kovacevich who also went to Trinity Baptist, along with his family, about 5
miles up the road from us. Have I mentioned lately just how small this world is? Back in California, Paul, Ian's
younger brother, was a common passenger aboard our ski boat, and many times, when some of us had to work,
Paul, Chris and Frank would go and have a boys trip. Anyways... ... back to today! Since neither of us have been
wake boarding in about 5 years, neither of us were sure of our skill level. Since I was never quite the brave one of
attempting any jumps, I stayed safely behind the boat and just cruised from wake to wake. Frank, on the other
hand, decided to try out a few of his old tricks and to a bit of our surprise, he wasn't half bad. He did lots of jumps,
a few grabs and even tried a few flips. He came soooooo close to landing the flips but the darn water would sneak
up on him at the very last second. Great attempts though. To the left is a slide show of photos I took during one
of these flips. Not too shabby for an old guy who hasn't set foot, no pun intended, on a wake board in about half a
decade. Good thing he stays in great shape for days just like this. Let's hope our arms aren't too sore tomorrow.
Back in our boating days, where we would spend as much time at the lake as possible, Frank got pretty good at
doing a few tricks. Considering all the time he had to practice, this was no surprise. Today, however was a bit of a
surprise. We met a friend of ours, Ian Kovacevich who also went to Trinity Baptist, along with his family, about 5
miles up the road from us. Have I mentioned lately just how small this world is? Back in California, Paul, Ian's
younger brother, was a common passenger aboard our ski boat, and many times, when some of us had to work,
Paul, Chris and Frank would go and have a boys trip. Anyways... ... back to today! Since neither of us have been
wake boarding in about 5 years, neither of us were sure of our skill level. Since I was never quite the brave one of
attempting any jumps, I stayed safely behind the boat and just cruised from wake to wake. Frank, on the other
hand, decided to try out a few of his old tricks and to a bit of our surprise, he wasn't half bad. He did lots of jumps,
a few grabs and even tried a few flips. He came soooooo close to landing the flips but the darn water would sneak
up on him at the very last second. Great attempts though. To the left is a slide show of photos I took during one
of these flips. Not too shabby for an old guy who hasn't set foot, no pun intended, on a wake board in about half a
decade. Good thing he stays in great shape for days just like this. Let's hope our arms aren't too sore tomorrow.
September 7th - A Relaxing Day on the Lake -
Another daydream we often have as we drive over those bridges described
earlier, looking to the water below, is to rent a big pontoon boat and just float
down the lake, jump into the water when the weather gets too warm to feel
refreshed and investigate all the different fingers and coves of that particular
body of water. Since we had so much fun yesterday with the Kovacevichs,
we thought it would be great to spend one more day on the water. So we
decided to pack up a lunch, some towels and a few books and rent the
resort's pontoon boat. After all why put off tomorrow what you can enjoy and
relish in today, right? It was a perfect day and everything we thought it would
be. The weather was about 85 when we left and hit about 90 by late
afternoon. The bimini on the boat covered more than half of the seating
area, so we could lay around and read in the sun or in the shade, whatever
we felt like at that particular moment. The water here is so clear, you can
see your feet as you float along and the temperature was perfect.
Refreshing enough to cool you off when the sun got too hot, but warm
enough not to turn you blue if you stayed in too long. We would float for
awhile and read then jump in and swim. We even found a nice sandy beach
to stop at for awhile but since it was more relaxing to read while the boat
rocked, instead of sitting still, we headed back out into the cove. We saw lots
of beautiful homes with some great lake views but thought, if you live in
these homes, you can't drive them away and have a different view when you
want to. How dull is that?!?
Another daydream we often have as we drive over those bridges described
earlier, looking to the water below, is to rent a big pontoon boat and just float
down the lake, jump into the water when the weather gets too warm to feel
refreshed and investigate all the different fingers and coves of that particular
body of water. Since we had so much fun yesterday with the Kovacevichs,
we thought it would be great to spend one more day on the water. So we
decided to pack up a lunch, some towels and a few books and rent the
resort's pontoon boat. After all why put off tomorrow what you can enjoy and
relish in today, right? It was a perfect day and everything we thought it would
be. The weather was about 85 when we left and hit about 90 by late
afternoon. The bimini on the boat covered more than half of the seating
area, so we could lay around and read in the sun or in the shade, whatever
we felt like at that particular moment. The water here is so clear, you can
see your feet as you float along and the temperature was perfect.
Refreshing enough to cool you off when the sun got too hot, but warm
enough not to turn you blue if you stayed in too long. We would float for
awhile and read then jump in and swim. We even found a nice sandy beach
to stop at for awhile but since it was more relaxing to read while the boat
rocked, instead of sitting still, we headed back out into the cove. We saw lots
of beautiful homes with some great lake views but thought, if you live in
these homes, you can't drive them away and have a different view when you
want to. How dull is that?!?
September 4th - Creative Parronting -
Finding yet another perfect tree to sit under, read a good book and let all three of our kiddos play in it's leaves and
limbs above, always makes for a relaxing and entertaining day. Today, Abbey was, again, content for awhile playing in
the lower branches of the trees. Since her natural instinct is to climb as high as her little feet and beak can reach, but
her nervousness kicks in when she can't figure out how to get back down through the winding branches, she began to
squawk and had to be saved from the perils of what she thought, was a fate worse than death. In the process of saving
her I at one point jumped up to the branch she was on. Meaning only to bring the thin branch closer to me, I was a bit
surprised when the entire length of it broke off in my hand. Thinking quickly, we grabbed the bird's outdoor perch, a
couple cable ties and built Abbey her very own branch. We placed this makeshift branch close enough to the tree to
make her think she was in it, but far enough away so her tree climbing was limited and our reading time was undisturbed.
Finding yet another perfect tree to sit under, read a good book and let all three of our kiddos play in it's leaves and
limbs above, always makes for a relaxing and entertaining day. Today, Abbey was, again, content for awhile playing in
the lower branches of the trees. Since her natural instinct is to climb as high as her little feet and beak can reach, but
her nervousness kicks in when she can't figure out how to get back down through the winding branches, she began to
squawk and had to be saved from the perils of what she thought, was a fate worse than death. In the process of saving
her I at one point jumped up to the branch she was on. Meaning only to bring the thin branch closer to me, I was a bit
surprised when the entire length of it broke off in my hand. Thinking quickly, we grabbed the bird's outdoor perch, a
couple cable ties and built Abbey her very own branch. We placed this makeshift branch close enough to the tree to
make her think she was in it, but far enough away so her tree climbing was limited and our reading time was undisturbed.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Parrottrek Journal 2008
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Hoooray!!!! The last two pieces
Such concentration!
We are victorious!
Katie and Bradley got along quite well
| Sarah and Ryan, deep in the Amazon jungles of Asheville --> |
October 1st - The Puzzle Begins -
We have arrived in Asheville and are staying at the McElhaney's, literally.
Our motorhome fits perfectly in their driveway which is great since we can
visit them whenever we want and the kids can come in and hang out with
the birds whenever they want. Today we started a 750 piece puzzle rated
for ages 12 and up with lots and lots of shades of blue and purple that
didn't seem as close in color until we separated all the pieces in the box
and started in on the puzzle. Sarah, Kate and I worked on it for about 3
hours with the sporadic help of Ryan and Frank. We girls took a break once
our eyes were so crossed we couldn't see straight, had lunch and headed
outside where, with lots of neighbor kids in attendance, Frank, Bradley and
know, I know I lagged on these entries. Sorry but we were having way too
much fun with the McElhaney family all week to write! Life is so good!! :-)
We have arrived in Asheville and are staying at the McElhaney's, literally.
Our motorhome fits perfectly in their driveway which is great since we can
visit them whenever we want and the kids can come in and hang out with
the birds whenever they want. Today we started a 750 piece puzzle rated
for ages 12 and up with lots and lots of shades of blue and purple that
didn't seem as close in color until we separated all the pieces in the box
and started in on the puzzle. Sarah, Kate and I worked on it for about 3
hours with the sporadic help of Ryan and Frank. We girls took a break once
our eyes were so crossed we couldn't see straight, had lunch and headed
outside where, with lots of neighbor kids in attendance, Frank, Bradley and
know, I know I lagged on these entries. Sorry but we were having way too
much fun with the McElhaney family all week to write! Life is so good!! :-)
October 2nd - Fun With the Birds - Camp McElhaney -
Today began with a few hours of work on the very addicting puzzle followed by an amazing brunch with homemade granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, waffles and eggs.
Sheila and Brennen are quite the cooks and have inspired Frank and I to steal their salsa recipe and add it as a staple to breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
Salsa is a great thing to have around and we are firm believers that one can never have too much of it. After breakfast Sarah and I were pulled back to the puzzle
table by a force much stronger than either of us, along with wonderful background music thanks to Frank and the guitar. Katie was entranced by it. After Sarah
and I pulled ourselves away from the now half finished puzzle all 3 kids took their turns taking photos with the birds. Bradley sure loved Kate, especially her cast.
Today began with a few hours of work on the very addicting puzzle followed by an amazing brunch with homemade granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, waffles and eggs.
Sheila and Brennen are quite the cooks and have inspired Frank and I to steal their salsa recipe and add it as a staple to breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
Salsa is a great thing to have around and we are firm believers that one can never have too much of it. After breakfast Sarah and I were pulled back to the puzzle
table by a force much stronger than either of us, along with wonderful background music thanks to Frank and the guitar. Katie was entranced by it. After Sarah
and I pulled ourselves away from the now half finished puzzle all 3 kids took their turns taking photos with the birds. Bradley sure loved Kate, especially her cast.
rocky sandy trails. The views were still pretty, but the challenge of riding a very relaxing beach cruiser became a little difficult. Insofar as looks, mine is pretty
darn cute including the flowery design of the tread. Note to self... pretty flowery tread doesn't work worth a crap when it comes to grabbing the loose soil
beneath you. We were troopers and were not going to give up on the ride until the 1.2 miles, as the sign said with "steep elevation", came to an end. They
weren't kidding about the steep elevation, since it was about 9% most of the way up. We were both standing up pedaling as hard as we could and laughing at
ourselves, which again doesn't help in the uphill pedaling process but makes for a memory not to be soon forgotten. At one point we were both walking our
bikes up the hill, which we realized would be a great ride downhill... as long as we made it to the top. We will!!! We will!!! We kept telling ourselves. And we did!
And it was well worth the agony. The views of the side of the house were ones that you couldn't see from the regular tour. Yes, you could pay extra to get
access to this part of the house, but why pay when you can burn off a few calories and see it for free. We took a few self portraits, posing with the various
statues and then headed back down the mountain. Just as we expected, the ride back to the car took about 5 minutes, compared to the half hour ride up, and
the average speed was about 20 miles an hour. My brakes are toast and I think I got air about three times from sailing over the bumps at Mach speed.
darn cute including the flowery design of the tread. Note to self... pretty flowery tread doesn't work worth a crap when it comes to grabbing the loose soil
beneath you. We were troopers and were not going to give up on the ride until the 1.2 miles, as the sign said with "steep elevation", came to an end. They
weren't kidding about the steep elevation, since it was about 9% most of the way up. We were both standing up pedaling as hard as we could and laughing at
ourselves, which again doesn't help in the uphill pedaling process but makes for a memory not to be soon forgotten. At one point we were both walking our
bikes up the hill, which we realized would be a great ride downhill... as long as we made it to the top. We will!!! We will!!! We kept telling ourselves. And we did!
And it was well worth the agony. The views of the side of the house were ones that you couldn't see from the regular tour. Yes, you could pay extra to get
access to this part of the house, but why pay when you can burn off a few calories and see it for free. We took a few self portraits, posing with the various
statues and then headed back down the mountain. Just as we expected, the ride back to the car took about 5 minutes, compared to the half hour ride up, and
the average speed was about 20 miles an hour. My brakes are toast and I think I got air about three times from sailing over the bumps at Mach speed.
Fall is in the air! The leaves here are beginning to turn the most amazing colors,
another thing one never sees while living in the state of California. Since it was
Biltmore Estate, again after a great breakfast with the Macs. WOW! What an
amazing place the Biltmore Estate is. We arrived around 11 and started out
touring the house, which was floor after floor of bedrooms, elaborate sitting
rooms and more bathrooms than imaginable. The Biltmore Estate was built in
the early 1900's so indoor plumbing wasn't quite yet a concept accept for here
Vanderbilt home. The house is over 1.2 million square feet. The Vanderbilt's
used it to host parties that would last for months on end with their friends staying
as long as they wanted. I got a little happier each floor we explored and each set
of rooms we walked by, realizing that my house is much easier to clean, heat,
cool and furnish and the guest list is a lot smaller. After our exploration of the
house, we walked up the hill to an even better view of the house and had lunch.
Once lunch was done we decided to head to the winery on the property and
taste some wines. We decided that the Chardonnay, not from the oak barrels,
was our favorite and bought a couple bottles. As we left the winery we noticed a
bike trail. Lucky for us, our bike rack is permanently fixed to the Jeep, so off
came the bikes and a new tour of the property began. The path started out
another thing one never sees while living in the state of California. Since it was
Biltmore Estate, again after a great breakfast with the Macs. WOW! What an
amazing place the Biltmore Estate is. We arrived around 11 and started out
touring the house, which was floor after floor of bedrooms, elaborate sitting
rooms and more bathrooms than imaginable. The Biltmore Estate was built in
the early 1900's so indoor plumbing wasn't quite yet a concept accept for here
Vanderbilt home. The house is over 1.2 million square feet. The Vanderbilt's
used it to host parties that would last for months on end with their friends staying
as long as they wanted. I got a little happier each floor we explored and each set
of rooms we walked by, realizing that my house is much easier to clean, heat,
cool and furnish and the guest list is a lot smaller. After our exploration of the
house, we walked up the hill to an even better view of the house and had lunch.
Once lunch was done we decided to head to the winery on the property and
taste some wines. We decided that the Chardonnay, not from the oak barrels,
was our favorite and bought a couple bottles. As we left the winery we noticed a
bike trail. Lucky for us, our bike rack is permanently fixed to the Jeep, so off
came the bikes and a new tour of the property began. The path started out
Next Stop... The Biltmore Gardens -
Once the bikes were back on the Jeep we headed to see all the beautiful flowers grown here at Biltmore. The greenhouse was amazing and the orchids and
roses were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. There were lots of Bumble Bees and one of them even stood still long enough to pose for a photo. They have
mazes of flowers and bushes and grape arbors over each walkway. This is an amazing place and if you're ever looking for a fun vacation, Asheville is a must!
Once the bikes were back on the Jeep we headed to see all the beautiful flowers grown here at Biltmore. The greenhouse was amazing and the orchids and
roses were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. There were lots of Bumble Bees and one of them even stood still long enough to pose for a photo. They have
mazes of flowers and bushes and grape arbors over each walkway. This is an amazing place and if you're ever looking for a fun vacation, Asheville is a must!
October 4th - A Bike Ride Through Fletcher Park -
Since today was another beautiful day, the group decided to pack up all the bikes and head to a nearby park. Fletcher Park is enormous and very fun. We rode
the bikes aways back into it, over some very pretty streams, by lots of ball fields and birthday parties, to find a quiet shady corner to rest for a bit, kick around the
ball and enjoy the day. After a bit we all switched bikes and took a lap around the corn fields. Frank and Cody took Ryan's bike, I rode Frank's and Sheila rode
mine while Brennen, Katie and Ryan stayed in the shade and kicked the ball around. Frank felt a little awkward on the mini bike, but luckily the trail was short.
Since today was another beautiful day, the group decided to pack up all the bikes and head to a nearby park. Fletcher Park is enormous and very fun. We rode
the bikes aways back into it, over some very pretty streams, by lots of ball fields and birthday parties, to find a quiet shady corner to rest for a bit, kick around the
ball and enjoy the day. After a bit we all switched bikes and took a lap around the corn fields. Frank and Cody took Ryan's bike, I rode Frank's and Sheila rode
mine while Brennen, Katie and Ryan stayed in the shade and kicked the ball around. Frank felt a little awkward on the mini bike, but luckily the trail was short.
The kids loved the birds and their tricks
Frank played the guitar for Katie
A busy bumble bee
| The entrance to one of the flower arbors |
Their majestic greenhouse
October 8th - Who Needs Sleep? -
I love love love the MacBook. I can't say enough about it. It is the smartest computer we have ever owned and I keep asking myself and my new computer
"Where have you been all my life?" It hasn't crashed once. When we bought our last PC, which I have nick-named Pile-o-Crap, it crashed about 10 times in the
first week. It is now about 2am and I am forcing myself to go to bed because it's way too late and I can no longer see straight. I have made great progress on
transferring the web page and am very excited seeing it take shape. iWeb is so intuitive and is able to do everything I wanted the old software to do. Good thing
I will have lots of time on the drive to Florida to continue the process. I can't wait till Sunday night and we head to home to beautiful TGO!
I love love love the MacBook. I can't say enough about it. It is the smartest computer we have ever owned and I keep asking myself and my new computer
"Where have you been all my life?" It hasn't crashed once. When we bought our last PC, which I have nick-named Pile-o-Crap, it crashed about 10 times in the
first week. It is now about 2am and I am forcing myself to go to bed because it's way too late and I can no longer see straight. I have made great progress on
transferring the web page and am very excited seeing it take shape. iWeb is so intuitive and is able to do everything I wanted the old software to do. Good thing
I will have lots of time on the drive to Florida to continue the process. I can't wait till Sunday night and we head to home to beautiful TGO!
October 9th - Richmond Virginia - Baking Bird Bread -
With our most recent order of bird food, the wonderful company of Harrison's Bird Food, sent us a free sample of Bird Bread. Once we got home we brought out
all three birds to help us make it. Cody was excited as soon as saw the muffin pan and jumped right in to help. 20 minutes later, at 350 degrees, the Milet and
Flax Bird Bread was done. Everyone chowed on it as soon as it was cool enough to enjoy and have voted to try other flavors and add it to all our future orders.
With our most recent order of bird food, the wonderful company of Harrison's Bird Food, sent us a free sample of Bird Bread. Once we got home we brought out
all three birds to help us make it. Cody was excited as soon as saw the muffin pan and jumped right in to help. 20 minutes later, at 350 degrees, the Milet and
Flax Bird Bread was done. Everyone chowed on it as soon as it was cool enough to enjoy and have voted to try other flavors and add it to all our future orders.
Abbey makes sure each muffin is the same size
Next step- a cup of water
Bradley helps stabilize the bowl as I mixed
October 13th - The Great Outdoors - Titusville, Florida -
We have arrived at our wonderful, tranquil, amazing resort. We have been looking forward to these 11 glorious days for a few weeks now and apologize in
advance if the chronicles of Parrottrek are neglected in the meantime. After all, we did have to work last week, don't we deserve a few days off? I will do my
darndest to pull myself away from the wonderful 10 mile bike rides each morning, lounge time at the pools and the beautiful sandy sunny beaches and update
you, but please stay tuned in case I lag a day or two or 11! We still love all of our faithful readers and appreciate you greatly... ... Stay Tuned!!!
We have arrived at our wonderful, tranquil, amazing resort. We have been looking forward to these 11 glorious days for a few weeks now and apologize in
advance if the chronicles of Parrottrek are neglected in the meantime. After all, we did have to work last week, don't we deserve a few days off? I will do my
darndest to pull myself away from the wonderful 10 mile bike rides each morning, lounge time at the pools and the beautiful sandy sunny beaches and update
you, but please stay tuned in case I lag a day or two or 11! We still love all of our faithful readers and appreciate you greatly... ... Stay Tuned!!!
A happy group of guys head to round two
Ack, who stole the car????
October 15th - STOP THE PRESSES! -
With all the excitement of our up and coming drive, arrival and fun times planned in Florida, we completely forgot to tell you all about our wonderful weekend in
Richmond... well in the racing part of life that is. No offense to Virginians, but I have never been yelled at by random people for things that weren't anywhere
near my fault anywhere in the country so I was more than ready to leave the state, but that's another story. Our Monster Men not only qualified for this race we
actually won a round and had a decent speed doing it. We came mighty close to winning the second round of races but due to a dropped cylinder we lost.
With all the excitement of our up and coming drive, arrival and fun times planned in Florida, we completely forgot to tell you all about our wonderful weekend in
Richmond... well in the racing part of life that is. No offense to Virginians, but I have never been yelled at by random people for things that weren't anywhere
near my fault anywhere in the country so I was more than ready to leave the state, but that's another story. Our Monster Men not only qualified for this race we
actually won a round and had a decent speed doing it. We came mighty close to winning the second round of races but due to a dropped cylinder we lost.
The victorious car returns after first round
| Oh that's right, we get to race again. Almost forgot what that felt like |
| ... or start reading about a different year! |