Autumn Picture Postcard

Since I have not blogged in a while and there is so much that has happened, I think I will try to catch up by sending you a picture postcard from our 2016 end-of-the-year adventures and other happenings that affected our lives.

October 7, 2017

 Our friends Dave and Mary "Titmouse" Whisler invited us to attend a Train Meet.  Dave built his own trains and here he hauls them in this trailer to this Train Meet, unloads them onto the Roundhouse's  elevated rail..........

 ...then proceeds to give us a ride around all the miles of track that have been laid here.

 There are all kinds of people, and all kinds of trains here!

 It is all laid out so authentic to a real rail line complete with everything but in miniature size.  What a fun afternoon!

 So fascinating!  And what a group of talented individuals!

October 22-29, 2016

 Erma went with some of her Saddlebag women friends on a 5-day Caribbean Cruise.  Favorite time of day was each morning watching the glorious sunrise.

 Friends Lanette and Gill kayaking in Cozumel while Erma enjoyed sitting comfortably on the beach under the shade of a palm tree, people watching, reading, relaxing with the ocean breeze.

                  Loved these gorgeous bougainvillea blooms we saw while at Progresso, Yucatan!

Then on our way back to the ship, a giant owl swooped in and grabbed Erma!    FUN!

                            Enjoying yet another incredible sunrise. 

So happy to arrive back home and enjoy Tom's brother, Tim, and his wife Kathy here for a visit.

November 7-10, 2016
Well, we got our 4-person backpacking tent to go on another adventure..........

 ...up to Suck Mountain in northeastern Arkansas to help out on another Shelter build on the Ouachita Trail.

 With the help of much hard work from many volunteers by hand chiseling into bedrock, and this portable jack hammer run by a portable air compressor we got all the holes dug for the foundation on day one, Tuesday.

 Bags of concrete go into each hole with the large square timbers. 

Day two, Wednesday, is a day off to allow the cement to set up and harden.

 We arrive at our planned campsite, Rocky Shoals Campground, that we had checked out online previous to this trip.  When we pull in we see the sign that says day use only.  What?!  Oh well, they need to fix their website to reflect this.  We are here so we set up our tent and cross our fingers that no one comes in to tell us to move.  We are the only one here.

The next morning, on our way to breakfast, we hear on the car radio that we have an "unexpected" new president.

We get an earful from all the locals while at this local eatery.....apparently these Arkansas folks have had enough of the Clintons, they are glad for a change. 

We spent our day sightseeing.......

                    Blakeley Dam on Lake Ouachita.

Had lunch at the "famous" Bluebell Café.......famous with hikers anyway......and locals.

Last night's campground was right near a highway bridge crossing on the Ouachita River.  We did not like is so we decided to try a different campground tonight, Dragover Campground.

 It is in such a beautiful setting on the Ouachita River.

 Once again we see the sign about Day Use Only......their website said open for camping year round.

 Once again we are the only one here, and we are at the dead end of a long gravel road, so Tom built us a nice campfire.  Little did we know that by morning the temperature would dip down to about 38*.  We stayed toasty warm in our warm sleeping bags. 

By the end of day three, Thursday, the shelter was really taking shape.

 All this great group of FoOT volunteers finished it up the next day, Friday,
without us.......
we were on our way to Galveston!