Alaska; The Launch!!!

24 May 2015--Launched from Round Rock, TX for our trip to Alaska on 17 May, and it's hard to believe it has been a week already.  Of course it takes a full 2 days just to get out of Texas, but everything gets pretty after that, so time flies!  Here we are pulling out of Round Rock, with Cathy driving and our lucky charms in place on the dash.



We had lots of cloud, some rain, and even heavy fog through some parts of Colorado and Wyoming, but unless it is totally fogged in there aren't too many places in the country that get prettier than this.



Wyoming seems to have a good sense of humor...The buffalo is placed at the top of a hill as you enter from Colorado, but the 3rd pic of a "jackalope" is of an animal that doesn't even exist.  Years ago they used to have signs on the road that warned of jackalope crossings, but I guess they took them down...haven't seen any on our trip.

 

Cheyenne, Wyoming...sight of the "what the heck was that" episode.  That metal piece broke off our left side rear air bag...it is something that affects our ride height...we were fortunate that it only set us back a day as the repair shop was able to fix it pretty easily.  Look at Cathy under there!!!

 

Into Montana we go.  I wonder who thought that "Moose Drool" would be a good slogan???  Seems to have worked...I guess?!



It is crazily beautiful out here...I remember that when we were stationed here from 1988-1991 it was the 1st place I ever traveled where I didn't feel like I had "narcolepsy of the car" syndrome.  It's just too pretty to nod off.  haha



The horses on the left are real, while the ones on the right are metal fabrications.  Why?  I don't know, but it catches your eye as you drive by for sure!  The cowboy is real...he even has spurs on his boots!  haha

  

Some of these pics look like paintings, don't they? Especially the ones with houses or barns in them. Or even like they are movie sets...not real!

    

We are now in Helena, MT...the state capital...on a National Guard base, for 2 days.  Deer on the base...look at the young one on the right, just growing his antlers.  He is in the pic right above him also...I got out of the car to get a better picture and he actually came forward to see what I was doing. I was a little nervous at first...ready to make a run for it had he jumped that fence at me!  haha

 

So this is our first post of "the trip"...we are heading to Great Falls for about a week before crossing the border, but I am more than sure that greater things will follow once we get to Canada and Alaska!!!

This and That at Carefree!

6 Apr 2015--I forgot I had these pictures to post from Carefree...they are from a handful of different events, from dances to lunches to the end-of-season Carefree Band Concert and more!!!

We must have gone to at least half a dozen dances in our 2 months visit and had a ball at all of them. Here, along with Cathy and me, are 1st Gayle and Yvette at a country dance and then Bonnie and Linda at a different one.  Then you can see Terry and Connie trying to show Gayle and Yvette how to do a particular dance during dance class, followed by Terry going in for additional guidance to Yvette!  haha




Went out to lunch at a really nice spot that Jenny and Chris knew about in Punta Gorda, which had a great restaurant right on the ocean and lots of little shops with "touristy" things in them.  Of course, I am a sucker for these funny signs...the one with the old lady laying in front of the car had Yvette and me busting a gut!!!




One of the last events that we attended before we left for Tallahassee was the band's seasonal close-out performance.  They had done lots of practicing, and put on a really good show.  They have only been in existence for 4 years now and do 3 shows a year with all different songs in the line-up, so I was very impressed with what they were able to pull off!



The conductor (I forget her name) was presented flowers and a new baton near the end of the show. This lady is her early 80s I think, from what everyone says is a real task-master (haha), and was performing in world-class orchestras herself from the age of 16!!!!



A short clip of the opening song.



The song "Hallelujah!"...I love this song!!!



And she gets everyone to their feet near the end with a rendition of Edelweiss!!!



Out on Terry and Connie's RV lawn, where they had a bluegrass band come and perform for anyone who wanted to stop by.  They used to be called the "Bean Pickers", but changed their name...and of course I can't remember that either...haha!



Carefree offers dulcimers classes--for beginners, intermediates and advanced players (who knew so many people played the dulcimer?)--and the lady playing here, seated 2nd from the left, is playing a dulcimer.



A whole bunch of us at a restaurant/bar where a couple was playing that someone from carefree knew.  Terry is out by the boat in the 3rd picture...I don't know exactly what she's doing out there, but thought I would post it anyway!   haha



At dinner with Gayle and Yvette before they headed back to Canada, and then the morning they are leaving.  Cathy and I gave them a pickleball in anticipation of our re-match when we all return to Carefree...USA vs Canada II!!!!



Cathy and I entered the shuffleboard beginners competition...Shelley and Cathy were our 1st opponents...Cathy and I took home the winner's certificate!!!  It was actually more fun that I had anticipated...will definitely do it again next year!



Some of the art displayed and on sale from the Art House classes.  In the center picture are a giraffe and an elephant that were really cool...made from palm fronds!!!



The St Patrick's Day dance!



A handful of us went out of the community to watch a pickleball tournament and "support" our fellow Carefree players.  In the 1st pic are Sharon and Anita, who took 2nd place for their age group, followed by Bobbi and her playing partner (in pink), and Bonnie and Gail.  Bobbie took 1st in her age group while Bonnie and Gail took 2nd.  Good job, ladies!!!



So we are in Tallahassee now, and leave Wednesday for San Antonio.  We'll be there for about 5 weeks...and then we "launch" for Alaska hopefully on 16 May!!!  I swear, you gotta ask yourself, "does life get any better than this"???!!!

Stay tuned everyone...the next blog you see will probably be when we cross over into Canada!