July, 2002

The first week of July brought us a "heat index" of 100* and more.  Each day seemed hotter and more oppressive than the last.  Maybe it was because we were working so hard.  But, really, the temperature was 98* for several days in a row.  On the 1st, we drove the Bounder up to the RV resort in Monroe, Michigan and got it all hooked up.  Meanwhile the man who had bought most of our "stuff" at the auction was cleaning out all the stuff he had stored in our garage over night.  And we started dusting and vacuuming.  We think the house got larger by the minute as we worked.  Boy was there a lot of cupboards and carpet!

On Tuesday we helped our nephew, John, who had been our wonderful house sitter for the past 19 months, move out his things into an apartment nearby.  The heat and the second floor location "did us in" and we moved a little more slowly the rest of the week.  John and his crew also helped us get our last few things into storage and we began staying in the Bounder at the RV resort.  Josie, our dependable cleaning lady of many years, also came to lend a hand and by late Thursday afternoon (the 4th of July), the place was ready to be "handed over."  Tom and I went to Waterville to enjoy fireworks with Kathy and Dennie.
On Friday, July 5 we arrived early at the house to wait for the meter readers and new buyers, whom we never have met.  We also did the last loads of laundry and had a picnic lunch once again on the neighbors deck.  The buyer's real estate agent and some helpers arrived to meet the new buyers and unload their truck, but traffic in Chicago had put them well behind schedule, so we gave the keys to the agent and were on our way....OFFICIALLY FULLTIMERS!
It was too hot, even for the squirrels in our back yard.

The next several days were spent trying to find spots for all the things we had merely thrown into the Bounder from the house.  Much of it was things we'd had places for in the past, but we did do some rearranging and cleaning out and manage to get the place looking pretty decent again.  We were leaving several bags of trash out each day in the process.  By the end of the week we were quite organized once again, and had also purchased a new canister vacuum to fit in the closet.

Friday, July 12 we were up and on the road from the RV park in Monroe down to Maumee and St. Luke's Hospital.  Tom checked into the Outpatient area at 7am and by 8 they were at work removing his gallbladder.  The surgery took longer than expected, but they were able to complete it laproscopically.  After an overnight stay, Tom was able to come home and recover in the peace and quiet of the Bounder.  He took it easy for the next several days, walking through the park a little further on each try.  At a visit with the surgeon on Wednesday, Tom was given a "thumbs up" to resume whatever activities he felt comfortable doing. 

From the doctor's office, we headed to Marysville and spent the night at Ann's.  On Thursday afternoon we brought our two oldest granddaughters, Coffey and Chloe, with us back to Monroe.  We tired them out in the swimming pool before getting them to bed.  It was a good plan...they slept well through the night.  On Friday morning we got the Bounder ready and headed to Harbor Beach, MI to attend the Michigan-O-Bounders gathering.   27 rigs camped together at the North Park Campground and had a great weekend.  We watched some jet-ski races and walked along the shore of Lake Huron.  The girls enjoyed the playground and gathering around the campfire for hot dogs and making "S'mores."  They fell asleep in our laps while watching the fireworks on Saturday night.  We returned to Monroe on Sunday afternoon for more swimming, and then drove them back to Marysville on Monday.  Ann since has reported that the girls could tell her all about RV living, including chores we need to do to get ready to travel.  On the way home  from Marysville, we stopped in Bowling Green to visit with Tom's sister, Judy and her husband Ron.  Since they were on their way out to dinner, we joined them for "Chinese."
Grandpa and the girls sharing a moment at the campground.
Coffey and Chloe playing "Martha Stewart" in the RV.
Last year at the RV America Rally in Mesa, AZ we met a wonderful group of friendly RVers.  Rich and Diane Emond were one of those couples and on Tuesday, July 23 they were camped in Port Clinton, OH.  So we drove down to visit with them and their Dutch Star motor home.  We had a great time sharing RV living adventures and a delicious outdoor lunch at "The Garden" across the road from Lake Erie.  After lunch we drove out to the Marblehead lighthouse.
Fulltimers Diane and Rich Emond
Wednesday was laundry and cleaning day and then Tom's sister, Judy and her husband, Ron, came up for dinner.  We had a nice visit and grilled burgers in our fire pit at the campsite.  Thursday was a day for errands and visiting in Toledo.  On Friday, July 25 it was "on the road, again" as we headed the Bounder to Loudenville, OH and the Buckeye Bounders campout at Wally World. The hot and steamy weather we'd had for several weeks continued, with thunderstorms added for a little more excitement.  After a great breakfast with the group on Saturday morning, we took a walk in the rain and watched the brave and shivering canoe enthusiasts beach their canoes at the livery next to our campground. We decided not to join them.  The campground was busy with many families and campfires into the late evening.

The last few days of July were busy ones.  We had several medical appointments and some with county offices concerning the Medicaid process for Tom's mother.  We also managed to get an oil change in the Olds and get to the bank, post office and grocery.  Tom did some minor repairs on the storage bay doors and super-flushed the holding tanks (a "favorite" job!!)  On Monday, July 29 we went to dinner with Mary's brother Bill and his wife Beth.  On Tuesday we drove to Lake LeAnn and had a nice lunch, fun boat ride and great visit with old friends Jan and Jim Duwve.  The have retired to a house just down the street from where Mary's parents lived for many years and it was interesting to see how the lake has changed over the 40 years since we first started going there.  In the late afternoon we went on up to Jackson and visited with Mary's mom and step-dad.  Wednesday was another errand day in the Toledo area topped off with a meal at our favorite place..Don Pablo's.

Back at the RV Wednesday night we once more did laundry and got things ready for travel.  We have decided that since we want to be in the Marysville area two weekends in a row, we'll just head down there and stay for ten days or so.  We plan to come back to Harbortown in Monroe later in the month of August.  We hope by then that the weather cools down.  They announced on the weather news that the average temperature for July in this area was 89.5*, with the humidity almost that high.  Needless to say, our air-conditioning has been running almost constantly.  We have enjoyed being at this park.  It was designed and built well and the people are friendly.  Because we were gone most weekends we didn't participate in the theme activities, but it looks like there was plenty to do.  We noticed this week that they'd had a mini-RV show over the weekend and one of the units had a "sky-deck" - an interesting concept.  Another RV visiting the park has a rear end "patio" or screened in porch - another interesting idea.    We'll be on our way tomorrow (August 1)....stay tuned for reports from Kings Island and birthday parties!