I started out 2013 with a Surrrrrrprissssse !!!!!!

As usual my daughter Jessica knew I was coming to town. Afterall I need a ride from the airport and she's really good at keeping it from her youngest sister.

I arrived in Juneau on a chilly Saturday night about 9.  Jessica was supposed to pick me up but wasn't there. Since she had to go to work at midnight I figured she had fallen asleep. Fortunately I saw my neighbor getting off the plane and he offerred me a ride when his wife showed up.

I got to Jessica's (my old place) and opened the garage door to see her car gone. I thought oh heck, and my text thing went off. A text from Jessica asking where are you I'm waiting outside (the airport). I texted her to say I was at her house.

Seems she had left as I was headed for her house and we passed each other. Actually she had overslept planning on getting me and staying up so we talked about my adventures and her life.

The next morning I went to church where I planned on surprising her youngest sister Ashleigh and her husband Dan. I was talking to Ashleih's mother-in-law and some friends when she came strolling in with her soon to be 2 year old (Ruby Winter) and the new 1 week old (Imogen Rain). She saw me, smiled, said Hi, then did a double take. Someone took the baby and she gave me a tearful hug. It was great. So, I re-met Ruby, and met Imogen.

The visit went well. I actually think I avoided the Daddy-do lists this time. A lot of relaxing, hanging out with the girls and the grand babies. Slipping on the ice. Guess being in Arizona I had forgotten how to walk on it.
Basically a relaxing month

Got to play with Jessica's Italian Greyhound puppies Apollo, and Chronos. They are active little guys. Like spring wound tops where the spring is always wound. They would know within the minute when Jess was supposed to get home and stand on the couch trembling waiting for her to come through that door.

Went for walks with Ashleigh and the girls

Fortunately for me Ruby took breaks. LOL

Ruby loves her little sister. Always trying to help.

On the 20th Ruby turned 2. I got her a baby carrier where you carry the baby in front like her Mom has. Here she is carrying her baby after she decided that twins were to much. The tent was made by her Mom.

I left February 1st for Montana to attend another granddaughters birthday.

Another daughter Amanda lives in Missoula Montana with her family Jason, Samantha (10), and Taylor who was turning 4.

I arrived Friday night to a really nice evening and went to thier house for the weekend.

Saturday was spent shopping and the routine eating out at Perkins.

Sunday was birthday time (Birthday was actually Tuesday) and this kid was into it more than any other 4 year old I can think of. She was ready. So Sunday the girls and I went out while Amanda and Jason got everything ready.

We went to the mall.

Rode the old 1930's restored Carousel.

How do you pick one or two pictures for the blog LOL

A tent for her bed. She liked that. Dolls, doll stuff, more dolls. (How many dolls can a little girl have? lol)

One of Taylors favorite games is restuarant. So what better than food for her toy kitchen, dishes, a chef costume, and here you see the waitress costume complete with order pad and menu, oh amd serving platter.

Guess who served the cake after taking orders and it was served on ,,,,, you guessed it. The serving platter  LOL

A fun party, a fun day, and a great weekend.

I left the next morning for Tucson where I picked up my Jeep and came out to the RV.

I'm wishing I still had this and it was down here. LOL

Oh, and everyone in Juneau knows I miss my little tractor.

It was soooo much fun. 8)

Bout dang time, LOL

Everyone tells me it's been a long time since I've updated this blog. My response was yeah, yeah, yeah LOL

So today I looked and WOW, last update was August 31, 2012 8)

It's been a good 6 months though. Sometimes I looked like this guy
<<<<<< on the outside looking in but all in all a pretty good trip.

I left Ohio the end of August and headed to Arizona. I had received a call from my brother that I was needed so I headed for his place in Southeast Arizona.

Though he contacted me shortly thereafter to say some people had misunderstood and it was a false alarm I kept heading west.




I stopped in Gallipolis Ohio to visit Jack, Sasha and the boys. That was a nice 2 day visit. We walked and visited, saw Jacks Tatoo shop. Heck I even thought about getting one. I told him I wanted one of a period in true lifesize. Just couln't figure out where so ,,,,,

The last day Sasha, the boys and I went over to West Virginia to a place I had seen on the TV Show Diners, Dives, and Drive-ins.

We had some really good hotdogs in a very unique place. Heck I even got T-shirts all around and a hat autographed by Shawna herself. LOL

After taking them home, and saying good bye I left headed West to Bowling Green Kentucky. Of course the best route just happen to pass the Hotdog place so ,,,,, why not. The front license plate off my RV now hangs in thier License plate tree. They didnt have an Alaskan one. I even got to autograph it. 8(

The Corvette Museum, a dream come true. A long morning spent here, then lunch in the Corvette Cafe (of course) then across the street to the actual assembly plant. Where there was a large parking lot up next to the entrance marked GM Vehicles only. Others will be towed at owners expense. Non-GM vehicles parking in Lot C-2.

Lot C-2 would hold maybe 100 cars. LOL The tour of the plant was really cool. You got to watch a Corvette travel along the assembly line from a bare running gear to a finishied vehicle then watch it start and drive away. Between the assembly line, the sub-assembly areas and the history a really fun day.

While traveling if not in an RV Park for awhile I like to stay in Truck Stops. Safety, convienance, and I can leave the RV there and travel in the Jeep to see the sites.

I made many more stops along the way. These will be individually posted on here or on my webpage where I am slowly moving my blog.

I stopped along the way at places like Lost River Caves where they had a restuarnt Banquet facilty in the cave.

The Truck museum where they had examples and history of heavy haulers from the turn of the century to late model 18 wheelers.

The Antique Acheaology Shop which is better know by it's TV name of American Pickers

The Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth Wisconsin.

Then Montana for Sammy's 10th birthday.

She told me she liked the Dallas Cowboys so ,,,,,,,

I stopped in Marysville Washington for the evening. I had an appointment Monday morning in Seattle with some folk I knew from Government days.

I had a nice visit and dinner with Carri and her family.

Then on to Oregon to visit Jerry and Tracey

This is also Keebler Country. If you remember Jimmy worked there last year and had a really nice visit with Leonardo and the boys.

Driving South I made it to a Truckstop about 150 miles North of Los Angeles. It was hot and getting hotter. I did not want to face L.A. rush hour, I was tired from just driving 400 miles that day and the desert laid on the other side of L.A.

So I made an executive decision after consulting with Jimmy. We decided to leave then, we'd hit L.A. about dark (who knew rush hour went til 10 at night? LOL) then drive all night hrough the desert then on to Tucson to beat the heat.

 A sight for very tired and sore eyes. The Wishing Well RV Park where I spent last winter.

I had began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity whenever I stopped for a week or more back in Oregon so my schedule became somewhat routine. mornings working at Habitat follwed by exploring or ?? in the afternoon.

Randolph J. Middleton

December 6, 1950 - December 28, 2012

R.I.P. Lil Brother

I left shortly after attending my younger brothers passing at TMC Hospital in Tucson Arizona and returned home for a much needed visit.

That will begin my next post

2013

For those that I love back home.

As the sun sets on another day at the North Pole I will end this post

and try to be better ,in 2013 ,,,,,,, yeah right !!!! LOL