Rock A Bye Baby

Our resident alligator near the nature trail just had babies. There are at least 30 and maybe 50 or more tiny striped babies and they are so much fun to watch. Mama delivers every summer and it is quite an attraction here. The babies are about a week old and swimming and sunning under Mom's watchful eye. In the top photo they are swimming next to Mom's head. Photo #2 she is watching a pile of babies in front of her. In photo #3 one little guy is already using his teeth on a plant and the bottom photo Mom has turned sideways to show the spectators her length. She kept a watchful eye on the humans on the edge of the lagoon.

California Girls

Just another day at the beach. Jeff and I went "down the shore" yesterday and spent two hours at Folly Field Beach. The water was warm and the waves were just right. It is so good to be home and we are enjoying reconnecting with friends.

Good Night Irene

We're home! About 12,500 miles and back safely. We had a pleasant ride through Tennessee and northwest North Carolina. Saw no rain or wind and got home about 5:30 pm and unpacked essentials. It is hot and we are tired. Ziggy seems happy to be home and is sleeping in every room. Watching TV to relax and soon will go to bed. We are lucky that Hurricane Irene didn't strike here and wish well to everyone in her path. We passed lines of utility trucks heading north on I-95. Thanks to all who help.

Sunday I Got Friday on my Mind

No pictures today, just driving and fixing things. We woke up at 9:30 all refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. We got ready to leave and all was good. We pulled over to the sani-dump to leave our sewerage and that's when the troubles started. Jeff keeps the sewer hose under the slide-out room and needed to put it out one foot. He got rid of our poo and shower/sink water and got back inside. When he pressed the button to retract the slide-out nothing happened. Now that is weird and all of our hydraulics were not working. This is both slides and the jacks we use to level us when parked for the night. Jeff figured it was a fuse and checked everywhere to no avail. Finally we called the folks who make the hydraulic unit and then Winnebago. They told us where the fuses are and had no more suggestions except that the pump must have failed. So, Jeff hooked up the winch and manually wound the room in with lots of sweat and strength. We got on the road after one o'clock and stopped for gas and lunch and by then it was after 2:30. So we drove through beautiful Kentucky and then arrived in Tennessee. Outside of Knoxville we got into a huge traffic jam and sat and sweltered. The we continued on and got into another back up which confirmed that I hate driving in cities with traffic. Meanwhile we were monitoring the progress of Hurricane Irene and making sure there was no rain or wind on our route. We got to a campground near Sevierville, TN at 7:30. We didn't realize that this area is near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, home of DollyWood. Luckily it is pretty quiet and the campground is more than half empty. What a day! Good news is that we are safe and sound and should be home on Sunday.

My Old Kentucky Home

We are only 10 hours from home! We drove almost 8 hours today from the middle of Illinois and through Indiana. Arrived in Louisville, KY and sat in traffic forever and with 90+ degree heat. I hate traffic and now want to go home. Tonight we are in Frankfort and will cut through western North Carolina tomorrow. We passed a huge Jim Beam "Old Grand Dad" factory near here. We are monitoring Hurricane Irene and won't go home until we're sure she won't be visiting. A view from the bridge of downtown Louisville. Next time we'll take time to visit.

Fight Fiercely Bradley

This afternoon we visited the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. I started college here in 1967 and spent 2 1/2 tumultuous years during the Viet Nam war and did lots of growing up. The campus was larger and quite different than I remembered and there are many new buildings. We met a professor who explained about some of the changes since I was a student. Jeff snapped my picture in front of Bradley Hall, the main classroom building which has been expanded. A new statue of Lydia Moss Bradley, founder, is situated where there used to be a grassy quad.

We were glad to see that they have the Osher Lifelong Learning Center (OLLI) on campus as we attend and teach in that program at USC near Sun City. It was fun to visit and reminisce and then we continued on our way home. Oh - I stole the title song from Tom Lehrer's Fight Fiercely Harvard. We had the Bradley Brave, but I don't remember a song.

Ol' Man River

The view at our Wisconsin campground is fantastic. We slept late and then crossed the Mississippi back to Iowa and visited the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. This center is located on the riverfront of Dubuque. The river is dammed just above Dubuque and they have also built a flood wall. The city is cute with some very nice buildings and several large casinos and paddlewheelers along the river. Jeff is standing outside the museum which had two buildings - one is about the Mississippi and the other covers other rivers. There are several aquariums that hold fish and other creatures found at the mouth of the Mississippi and in the Gulf of Mexico. We also saw three interesting movies. One was about barges navigating the Mississippi and the other about the river and narrated by Garrison Keillor. Another movie showed canals and how they affected American life. All in all a good stop.

We headed south and turned east into Illinois and time for a little siesta in the heat of the day.