The Long Way Home (part 3)

 During our return trip from Alaska we had made many a stop, it was now September the 15th and we had made it to Mobile AL.  Right on time, out of all the stops we had made this one was important most of all.  I hadn't seen my son and his children in such a long time, my first trip back to Mobile in 10 years. Life has a way of just getting away from you.  Everyone is busy it seems with jobs and school.  My grands had grown so much over those years.  They had made visits during the years, but not all of them together.  My son was an owner operator of a semi truck and he would bring one of the kids on his trucking trips and make a stop over to see me.  On our visit it was good to see them all together.  My granddaughter Savanna was busy with a school project, she missed the group picture so I stole one from her album.

 

 

 

Kathie and I would visit with them when their time allowed.  During those non visit times we played tourist and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Mobile and the local area.  One of our trips was to Dauphin Island and Fort Gaines.  This is a precivil war fort that is famous for the quote...."Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"  There is lots of history about this fort and it's importance to Mobile Bay.  I won't go into all that history but it's worth a visit if you're in the area. 

 

 

 

 

Kathie and I spent our time at the fort winding in and out of the many buildings and rooms of the complex.  We walked the gun emplacements and saw the powder magazines, as well as cannon balls and shot for the  cannons and rifles of this 1800's fort.  We were there for several hours and attended a demonstration on blacksmithing. There were no hardware stores during those early days of history.  Most everything needed of iron was the work of the blacksmith, making everything from cooking utensils, garden tools, weapon parts and door or gate hinges and even nails.  It was educational to watch the blacksmith heat, bend and pound the raw material into a work of art.

 

 

  

 

 

 

Just before leaving the fort we encountered one of the volunteers whose dress was that of an 1800's period soldier.  He plucked a hibiscus bloom from it's bush and quickly offered it to Kathie.  I'm sure that female companions were scarce during a soldier's tour in the 1800's at this duty station.  Should I say something as a jealous husband?  Heck no, as he had a long rifle and not knowing if it was loaded I remained silent.  I was able to shoot both of them with my camera, proof that my woman was in the arms of another.

 

 

All that activity made us hungry and we went off in search of lunch.  We found a nice little quiet place at the golf course.  After a tasty lunch of shrimp we took a drive thru the local housing of the Island.  We like to see the homes of the area's we visit.

 

 

 

 

This Island was almost destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.  A lot of it was swept into the ocean, lost forever.  Building is on going and every inch of space will have a home on it sooner or later.  We're not a fan of crowded places, we want more open space between us and our neighbor.

 

On another outing we drove past the U.S.S. Alabama Battle Ship.  It sat quiet in it's berth, no longer part of our active Navy.  By the time we got there it was late and closing tours for the day.  I thought we might take the grands on the up coming weekend but that too we couldn't work out due to time.  That will have to wait for our next visit.

 

  

Our week went by much too fast and soon it was time to go.  Hitching up our mini road house we were once again on the road and our next stopover would be in Cleveland GA.  The drive from Mobile to Cleveland took less than 8 hours.  I was happy about that as the long drive of many days was wearing on me.  The stopovers even for a week didn't seem long enough.  Cleveland had been our home for the past 3 years, prior to selling our house this past February.  We thought that a drive by to see our former home was a good idea, wrong, it wasn't a pleasant sight.  The beautiful yard of flowers was now one large overgrown weed patch.  The before and after pictures don't even look like the same place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My love of gardening was shattered with that drive by.  All those beautiful and special plantings.  How could someone pay so much for that place and let the overgrowth of weeds trash and pull down the value so quickly.  I had to remind myself it wasn't my home anymore.  I had sold it and the new owner now owned it, weeds and all.  Still it was my pride that was hurt and I was angry that all my hours and money spent to make it a beautiful place seemed to have no importance to the new owner.

 

Our stay in Cleveland was to be a week, then push on to Kingsport TN.  This was Kathie's time to visit and spend time with her family.  As soon as we arrived the youngest daughter and her children were there to welcome us home.

 

 

 

The kids were excited to see us, I think they did miss us.  Maybe not so much me but their Momma as they call Kathie.  We had been gone seven months, it didn't seem that long but it was.  We would spend time with family and try to host a pizza party for friends and family that could make it.  It was last minute and those who could, came out to share that time with us.

 

 

Kathie's Mom was also excited to have us back, even if it was for only a week for this trip.  We needed to be in TN on the 1st of October for a doctors appointment for myself.

 

 

 

 

It isn't always easy to get everyone to one place with a last minute notice.  We had fun and it was a good time spent with family and a few friends.  Kathie's son was in Japan on a work assignment with Kubota and his children wouldn't be able to make it, we'd not see them on this visit.  We would be back in a couple of weeks and we'd see them at that time.

 

Like all good things and how time is measured, our stay in Cleveland was up for this trip.  We would push on to TN and retire our mini road house.  I think that Kathie and I were both ready to move back into our new fifth wheel that we had bought and lived in for five weeks before we took off on our Alaska travels.

 

We arrived back in TN and headed to Warriors Path State Park in Kingsport.  It is a campground we had stayed at many times on visits to the area.

 

 

Warriors Path State Park is a great area for camping with lots of walking trails and right on Patrick Henry Lake.  It was October and the trees were dressed in their fall colors of crimson, red, yellow, brown and gold.

 

 

Our transfer from the small travel trailer to our large fifth wheel trailer wasn't the joyful event we had hoped for.  During our absence away on our Alaska travels we had placed our fiver back with the dealer for repair and warranty work.  I had made several calls to that dealership to assure that the work had been done and they knew our day and time of pickup.  Once we arrived I knew that in spite of what I had been told and promised, nothing had been done.  I wasn't very happy and we spent the entire day waiting for repairs that we were told had been done.  From that day to this it only got worse.  I lost all respect for the dealership and tired of the excuses and stalls we were getting.  Finally I had to make a call to the factory and arrange for parts to be shipped that I might get a serious problem resolved.  I am still agitated and find it frustrating to work with that dealership.  Even with the issues we were happy to have more room in our RV.

 

 

 After being in TN for a couple of weeks we were headed back to Cleveland, GA.  Kathie was scheduled for a couple of procedures by her physician, wellness tests.  We decided to remain there for two weeks and not be in a hurry to return to TN.  I had a few wellness tests scheduled as well.  I'm starting to wonder if we are now at that age.

 

Our visit back at Cleveland we stayed again at the Leisure Acres RV Park.  The owners are great folk and give a big discount to active and retired military.  It's conveniently located for us as well.  During this trip we'd get to spend time with two of our favorite friends.

 

 

Tom and wife Debbie work 6 days a week in their sub and pizza business.  The only day they take off is Sunday, they came over to relax with us at our CG.  We actually had their pleasure for two Sundays, "play dates" as Debbie likes to describe them.

 

 

The weather was beautiful for both our outings with Tom and Deb. We enjoyed that time spent with our friends.  We try to see them every time we are in the area.  They own a food business, and me, I'm always ready to eat.

 

During this visit we would also celebrate Kathie's mom's birthday.  We would do this a couple of weeks early because we'd not be there on her actual birthday.  Born November 17th 1933, this was baby Jane at about age two.

 

 

Then she grew up and got wiser over the years.  I told her she looks good, better than cars of the same era.

 

 

 

That last comment didn't win me any points with my mother-in-law.  But I made it up to her by taking her out for a prime rib dinner with all the trimmings.  Those pina colada's also had a calming affect and took all the fight out of her, haha.

 

 

Those two weeks passed before we realized it, then it was off again to TN.  We were starting to know this route by heart.  How many times had we driven it over the last three plus years that we lived in GA.  It was mid October and the leaves were brilliant in all the fall colors.  It was a great drive thru the mountains.  I think TN has the best of colors during this time of year.

 

 

It was also our anniversary month.  We managed to go off to Gatlinburg for a day, back to the cover bridge where we tied the knot.  We decided to spend the night and return the following day.  We had decided when leaving we'd take a change of clothing as that might happen.  Actually I knew that would happen :)

 

 

 

The day ended with a great sunset on the Blue Ridge, and then on to Pigeon Forge for the night.

 

 

The next morning we were up and on the road by 9 am.  It was a beautiful fall day in the Smokey Mountains of TN and we were in no rush.  We don't get in much of a hurry these days with no jobs or anywhere we have to be at any certain time.  It's a lifestyle we seem to be growing into.

 

Back at our CG at Warriors Path State Park we hosted a cook out with some of our friends.  We wanted to share some of the Caribou, Reindeer, and Yak meats we had purchased when leaving Alaska.  We ate a lot of unique stuff while on our road trip to Alaska and back.  Not all of it we liked, but we were willing to try it.  It was a great day and a great time spent with friends celebrating the fall season.

 

 

Friends Ray and wife Susan are always a fun couple.  They never miss an opportunity to fuss at one another, always laughing the whole time.  They have been married so long they wouldn't know what to do without one another. He knows the way there and she knows the way back.  He starts the conversation and she finishes it.

 

Our friend Roy who we lovingly refer to as a "Billy Graham" look alike, had suffered the loss of his beloved wife during the summer while we were gone.  It is hard for him to be out without her.  There's not a lot you can say to others during these times.  He's working thru it the best he can for now.

 

We spent our first Halloween in our RV.  By then we had moved to another CG and thought we might get a trick-or-treater or two.  As it worked out, I now have a full bag of candy to eat.  We did dress up the Gnome and Moose in costume, however no one left them any candy.   It was my first year that I didn't dress in costume myself.  Last year I dressed up but Kathie wouldn't take me out.  I don't know why?  I thought I looked just as good as I felt :)

 

 

 

We have had a great time this past year.  We traveled to Alaska, spending the entire summer.  Our trip there and back was an adventure as well.  The past 10 months we have settled full time into the RV lifestyle.  Now we have once again come to a crossroads and making decisions for our future needs.  I'll tell of that in our next blog.

 

Until then.

Dutchey and Kathie

 

 

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