WE SAW "INDIANA JONES: THE DIAL OF DESTINY"

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 58 Cloudy A Thunderstorm in Spots High 80) 

 

We saw the 5th, and hopefully final, Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny.

 

 

We say hopefully the final installment because the series has sadly run its course. Seeing a older man running around was something you just can't erase from your mind. He was an old man trying to be like a young man. Compare that to Sean Connery in the 3rd installment where he was an old man and played an old man perfectly.

The plot involves the search for Archimedes' Dial of Destiny. Of course there were Nazi's in the movie, car chases (actually Tuk Tuks), and action on a moving train. Pretty much the same plot as the other movies. An added twist to this movie was time travel.

It's hard to recommend this movie, but fans of the series may want to watch it at least for nostaglia reasons.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob & Jo

WE SAW 'SOUND OF FREEDOM'

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 64 Clouds Yielding to Sun High 82) 

 

We just saw a great, heart wrenching movie, "Sound of Freedom" starring Jim Caviezel playing Tim Ballard.

 

 

Tim Ballard is a former Department of Homeland Security agent tasked with fighting human trafficking, especially dealing with children. This is a true story of a man who quits his job and risks everything to shine a light on the horrific practice of child human trafficking for sex. 

 

We highly recommend this movie!  

On a side note it was great to see Mira Sorvino in a movie after she had to deal with the Harvey Weinstein situation.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

FIREWORKS AND CATS (HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY)

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 64 Mostly Sunny Hot and Humid High 95) 

 

Happy Independence Day!!

 

 

Our kittens continue to amaze us. We started celebrating Independence Day on June 30th by visiting Jo's niece and nephew at their places on the lake. We got home much later than planned and didn't realize that fireworks would start on Friday night. 

We got home and the cats were nowhere to be seen. Eventually the fireworks ended and we coaxed the wild eyed cats out from their hiding places and calmed them down. Each upcoming night the fireworks in the neighborhood would start up again. We made a point to be here and noticed that the cats were a little less scared each night, culminating with last night the cats sitting in their cat towers and watching the fireworks!

They never cease to amaze us!!!

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

NINJA WOODFIRE OUTDOOR GRILL & SMOKER

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 58 Mostly Sunny High 87)

 

Although we increased square footage from 400 sq. ft. to 740 sq. ft. Bob downsized from a Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett (219 sq. in. cooking area) to a Ninja Woodfire Pro Outdoor Grill & Smoker (141 sq. in. cooking area). 

 

Although to just call it a grill & smoker is a vast understatement. With a built-In Thermometer, this is a 7-in-1 that is a Master Grill, BBQ Smoker, Air Fryer, Bake, Roast, Dehydrate, Broil. With limited square footage in both the RV in Kerrville and the apartment here in Raymore we need to have things that can do multiple things. With this and a crock pot we may not have to buy an Instant Pot.

 

So far we have grilled hamburgers and hot dogs (4 hamburgers and 8 hot dogs at same time), steaks a couple times and smoked chicken drumsticks (10 at same time). Both results were excellent and cleanup was a breeze.

 

 

Till next time,

 

Bob & Jo

WE DO MISS OUR RV - PART 1

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 68 Variable clouds with a couple of thunderstorms High 79) 

 

Subtitled: Storage and Power Outage

 

As we adjust to living in a sticks and bricks for the first time since 2009 we have come to realize we do miss the RV. A couple of items to note:

 

Storage - surprisingly our 400 sq. ft. RV parked in Kerrville has an amazing amount of usable storage compared to this 740 sq. ft. S&B. We do hope to make more of the cabinet storage usable by adding slide out drawers (you know RV folks love our slide outs!).

Power - we had a power outage yesterday for about an hour and a half. Luckily it was early in the morning so a lack of an air conditioner wasn't a big deal. During the power outage we commented on how it would be in the RV. Again luckily it was early in the morning so lighting wasn't an issue but in the RV our lights were 12v so we still would have had lights. If the power outage lasted longer the RV would have offered a very significant advantage; a generator to run the air conditioner if needed. The RV also has a gas stove that we could have cooked breakfast so Bob had to go out and get takeout from a place that had power since we are all electric.

I'm sure we will adjust to our new role as summer birds in Raymore, can't really call us snow birds since Texas is our home.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO RAYMORE MISSOURI

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 60 A Stray Afternoon Thunderstorm High 78)

 

We recently took our first extended trip in the Tucson from Kerrville Texas to Raymore MO. This was certainly different than our last 14 years in the SUV versus towing the RV. Plus for the first time our cats traveled with us instead of back in the RV (more on that later).

Since it was the first time for our new mode of travel, and considering we were taking some stuff from Kerrville that will remain in Raymore, we got a later start than we would have liked about 2p, instead of our normal 10a-2p travel days.

About an hour before we left we gave the kitties a mild sedative. 30 minutes into the trip we wish we would have given them more! That being said the kitties did adapt pretty well. By the end of the first day Probie had found her perch to ride out the trip and LJ slept on the console between us.

 

Our first stop was at the Homewood Suites in West Fort Worth (Cityview) TX. We got there in time for the evening reception of soup and salad. We struggled whether to give the sedatives again for the 2nd day but eventually decided to.

Our next stop was the Home2 Suites in Muskogee OK (a Hilton HHonors Hotel). The cats were amazing this leg. Probie immediately crawled up to her perch and LJ got on the console. Home2 Suites provides a hot breakfast but not an evening reception so Bob headed out to an all time favorite for supper; Taco Bueno. It was as good as we remember.

The next day after a hot breakfast at Home2 Suites we departed for Raymore MO. Since the cats were so good yesterday we decided not to sedate and it was not needed. Probie again immediately crawled up to her perch and LJ got on the console. 

 

We already had plans to get a pizza from Minskys in Raymore once we got there but what we didn't know was that this location of Minskys was going to close after it closed on Sunday night. So we got a large pizza for leftovers and then Saturday night we split and order of chicken parmesan and a side salad.

We have been here awhile, been real busy getting the new place furnished and setup.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

GETTING READY FOR FIRST TRIP NORTH

Currently in Raymore MO (Low 60 Sun and Some Clouds High 87)

Catching up on a blog entry we thought we had posted earlier.

 

We hate to admit it but although we are seasoned travelers we are a little anxious about our first trip north from Kerrville Texas to Raymore Missouri. It will be our first trip in the Tucson and the first time we are leaving the RV behind.

 

 

We brought the slides and set the air conditioner on a high temperature. We also turned the water off and opened the low point drains leaving water tubs in the shower and island sink for humidity concerns. 

As far as packing goes it will be a learning process. One thing is certain is that we can't leave any items behind that might be subject to high temperature concerns like medications, supplements, vitamins, etc. We keep telling ourselves that there are Walmart stores everywhere and if we forget something we can always buy some more.

 

We are currently in Raymore and are spending about 5 months in Raymore getting our new apartment fully furnished and seeing friends and family. We'll blog about our trip north in the near future.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

TRYING TO FIND 'THE PLACE'

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 42 Warmer with Plenty of Sun High 90) 

 

As we prepare for our first trip in the SUV and not the truck towing our RV we are having trouble finding 'the place', you know, 'the place', where you put something so that you can easily find it again. We started setting things aside that we knew would go north with us as we traveled in the Tucson.

 

 

Even though we only have 400 sq. ft. in our RV here in Kerrville 'the place' continues to elude us. Bob spent half a day looking for something we knew we had, we knew had seen it recently and was put it somewhere to find easily, but man it wasn't easy!

Found it but dang, there must be another, 'the place', because some of the other things we were looking for weren't there.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT BWE, WHAT ABOUT BGE?

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 50 Sunshine Windy and Cooler High 77) 

 

Long time readers of this blog will recognize BWE, the Baskerville Weather Effect, with weather records set (both good and bad, but mostly bad) as we traveled the country.

Today we are introducing the Baskerville Gas Effect (and no, not that gas!). We are talking about filling up at the pump. When we were contemplating selling the truck and getting an SUV we noticed that the fuel prices were about a $1.50 to $1.60 per gallon between diesel and regular gas. 

 

 

With the cheaper prices and high gas mileage we were happy with the savings associated with buying the SUV. Fast forward to now when we are getting ready to take our first trip north to Raymore in the SUV the BGE kicks in, the price difference in Kerrville is now just 30-40 cents per gallon.

 

We apologize that the BGE is effecting everyone.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

WE SAW 'THE JOURNEY'

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 47 Low Clouds May Break; Warmer High 69)

 

We had a great day Thursday as we drove to San Antonio and saw 'The Journey: A Musical Special from Andrea Bocelli'.

 

 

From IMDB, "Merging world-class music with intimate conversations in the awe-inspiring Italian countryside, The Journey is an exploration of the moments that define us, the songs that inspire us, and the relationships that connect us to what matters."

 

Andrea Bocelli goes on a spiritual and musical journey on horseback across Italy and through this movie you can accompany him. With special guests too many to list this is an incredible movie that we highly recommend.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

UPDATE: THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS IS REUNITED

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 48 Sunny and Warm High 82)

As you know in late-December we added Probie, The Cat who came for Christmas.

http://bobandjotravelblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-cat-who-came-for-christmas.html 

 

Probie gets some toys and goes on first car ride.

 

http://bobandjotravelblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/what-have-we-done-part-1.html 

 

Probie gets enough toys for 740 sq ft (Raymore MO) even though we live in 400 sq ft (Kerrville TX).

http://bobandjotravelblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/you-would-think-we-live-in-740-sq-ft.html 

Probie is reunited and it feels so good (we hope). With the changes in the park the family that thought Probie and her twin were their cats, even though Bob and our neighbor were the only ones feeding them, left a couple days. Whenever Probie saw her twin outside she made the strangest noise. We talked to the neighbor who couldn't keep the twin so we adopted yet another cat. Keeping the NCIS theme, meet LJ (short for Leroy Jethro).

 

The introduction didn't go as well as we had hoped. It was quite the shock for LJ to go to a new place being an indoor/outdoor cat and then be confronted by a mirror image that was immediately in his face and now and indoor only cat. We split them up the first night so LJ could gain some familiarity and confidence in his new surroundings. That worked out pretty good but Probie decided she had 2 months of playing with her twin to catch up on and wanted to play, play, play, sometimes a little rough. This overwhelmed LJ so we had to keep an eye on them all the time. For the first few nights Bob had LJ in the bedroom and Jo slept on the recliner downstairs with Probie. It is getting better each day so we hope to remove the isolation protocols soon. We are seeing more times when they can be together w/o playing.

We'll keep you posted on the twins as they adapt to each other and the journey to/from Raymore Missouri twice a year.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

UPDATE: UPDATE ON WHAT HAVE WE DONE, PART 2

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 51 Very Warm with Clouds and Sun High 83)

 

We met the new owner group when they came around and had us sign leases. They seemed nice but were vague on what improvements they might be considering. The only thing that is certain is that the monthly rent is going to go up $50/month beginning March 1st. Certainly expected and as far as we are concerned doable.

 

The new owners are being more stringent with the rules as reflected in the lease and some have chosen to leave already. Others are cleaning up their sites which is good to see.

So far so good, we'll keep you posted as we learn more.

 

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

YOU WOULD THINK WE LIVE IN 740 sq. ft.

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 28 Snow Late This Morning High 35)

Our Kerrville Texas homestead is a 400 sq. ft. RV and you would think we were living in 740 sq. ft. like our place in Raymore Missouri as we have added way too much toys and stuff for our kitten. 

Before we got Probie we had already gotten rid of our sofa sleeper in the RV because the brown pleather had severely peeled off and it look disgusting. That left room in the corner for a cat tree, shown here during Christmas. 

 

We also added a lot of other toys like the flopping fish shown in an earlier posting and balls to chase and a cat scratcher pole.

 

Her new favorite is a tunnel that she will sprint through chasing a feather wand and even falling asleep.

 

Probie does have a weird obsession and that is the sink where the faucet running water on her doesn't seem to faze her.

 

We plan to carry some of her favorite toys back and forth with us and will have some duplicates in both places. There will be certainly more room in the Raymore apartment so having more room will be interesting.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

UPDATE: WHAT HAVE WE DONE, PART 2

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 31 Times of Clouds and Sun and Wind High 55)

The complex that we are staying at (restaurant, RV park, owner's house) has been sold. We really only have this fact, everything else is rumors. When we hear more we will let you know.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WHAT HAVE WE DONE - PART 2

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 45 Breezy and Mild with some Sun High 71)

A potential wrinkle has come up with our plan to leave the RV parked in Kerrville and spend the winters in Kerrville and summers in Raymore Missouri. The park that we are at is up for sale and we just traded in our truck. Can we tow the 5th wheel with our new SUV?

 

 

Bob has researched options online.

 

 

Do you think either of these would work? 🤣

 

Of course there were rumors circulating about the sale. The first one we heard was that the new potential owners were closing the park and redeveloping the area. As you can imagine that rumor was very disturbing to us since we no longer have the truck to move the RV. 

 

Our plan was to sell the RV after a few years of winters here and summers in Raymore but this may change those plans.

We'll keep you posted!

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WHAT HAVE WE DONE - PART 1

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 42 Partly Sunny and Very Warm High 79)

Subtitled: What have we done?

As you know we have a kitten named Probie. We had forgotten how much energy a 8 week old kitten has. We have bought a lot of toys to keep her entertained the latest being the flopping fish shown here.

 

 

At first she was a little frightened of the fish but is now pouncing on it activating the flopping feature. She carries it around and then flips it up in the air. In other news Probie had her first ride in the car and seemed to do OK.

 

 

We did this before her first visit to the vet to get her acclimated since she will be going back and forth with us to Raymore Missouri twice a year. 

 

Subtitled: Getting used to our new SUV 

Just a quick note about driving our new Hyundai Tucson. After over 13 years of driving a one ton pickup we got used to the acceleration and braking of that vehicle. The very first time both of us drove the SUV you would have thought we were driving a manual stick transmission for the first time. We both pressed the accelerator and lurched forward then applied the brake in panic and we lurched forward as the brakes are so much better and stopped us fast. Took a few drives to get used to the sensitivity of the accelerator and brakes.

 

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 42 Partly Sunny and Very Warm High 79)

 

May God's blessings surround you each and every day of the year!

 

Just a quick note about driving our new Hyundai Tucson. After over 13 years of driving a one ton pickup we got used to the acceleration and braking of that vehicle. The very first time both of us drove the SUV you would have thought we were driving a manual stick transmission for the first time. We both pressed the accelerator and lurched forward then applied the brake in panic and we lurched forward in the seats as the brakes are so much better and stopped us fast. Took a few stops and gos to get used to the sensitivity of the accelerator and brakes.

 

So if you see a video online of a white SUV lurching and bucking it just might be us.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

THE SUV THAT CAME FOR CHRISTMAS

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 8 Breezy in the Morning (Windchill of -7), Sunny and Quite Cold High 31)

 

Subtitled: Hanging up the Keys (Sorta)

 

After 13 years 3 months of living fulltime in our RV and towing it with a 2010 Ford F-350 Dually (which was our only vehicle). We had a great time taking short trips from one place to another towing our home with us. It was an incredible journey but the years, various health issues, and our age have taken its toll. So we just traded our F-350 in on a 2023 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD.

 

So what does the future hold? We plan on living most of the year centered around winter in our RV parked at where it has been parked for the last 3 plus years in Kerrville Texas. The rest of the year we will travel in our SUV to/from the Kansas City area and Iowa to visit friends and family centered around summer. While in KC we signed a lease in a 55+ community for a 1 bedroom 1 bath 740 sq ft unit. So combined we have 1140 sq ft 2 bedroom 2 bath living, just in 2 different places. Before we left in November we started furnishing the bedroom and partly the kitchen and bathroom so that when we get back there next year we'll have a bed to sleep in and a TV to watch.

What this means for us exactly is not really that much if you consider we recently stayed parked in Kerrville for 4 years. As far as insurance goes you are considered a fulltimer if you live in an RV for more than 150 days which we will easily do. 

We are looking forward to entering the next phase of our lives, no doubt the comfort going back and forth to the Midwest will be much better in the SUV and the trips will certainly be shorter. After we get settled in the new apartment next year we envision being able to travel to some of our favorite places we found while RV'ng, but in an SUV/hotel mode of travel.

We plan to periodically blog about our progress in our new phase of our lives.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 47 Mostly Sunny, Getting Colder, Very Windy High 49)

Meet Probie, the kitten who came for Christmas, with credit to the great book from Cleveland Armory and secondly to NCIS. 

 

We had told ourselves that we were not going to get another cat, much less a kitten. Our neighbor here in the park mentioned that he was feeding a couple kittens and an older cat. Bob was feeding other feral cats in a different area but these cats kept themselves separate from each other. One day a kitten ventured over to our place. Now the neighbor had let the kitten in and it investigated the surroundings and came right back out. So we thought nothing of it when this kitten wanted in our place. For the first few times the kitten came in, walked around and left. Then the fateful day arrived when the kitten adopted us and decided to stay inside. 

We gave it a couple days and sure enough the kitten decided living inside was pretty good. Now the kitten needs a name and being fans of NCIS and the fact that the kitten would be on probation for awhile we named her Probie. Well Probie, although a typically rambunctious kitten, has passed the probationary period and will be going for her first visit to the vet next week.

Speaking of Christmas we got a new lighted tree.

 

Merry Christmas to all!!

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO KERRVILLE TEXAS

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 55 Some Sun then Turning Cloudy High 66)

After an overnight stop in Brady Texas we departed Thursday for our winter stop in Kerrville Texas. This is the route we took:

 

 

We are here for a few months.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO BRADY TEXAS

Currently in Brady TX (Low 32 Currently Cloudy 37)

Heading to Kerrville TX (Currently 35 Sunshine and Patchy Clouds High 52)

We departed yesterday for Brady Texas. This is the route we took:

We are staying at the Heart of Texas RV Park.

 

We stayed hooked up and are leaving today for Kerrville Texas.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO CISCO TEXAS

Currently in Cisco TX (Low 30 Currently 30 Sunny)

Heading to Brady TX (Currently 31 Breezy this Morning then Partly Sunny High 51)

 

After a couple nights in Wichita Falls TX we departed yesterday for Cisco TX. This is the route we took:

 

 

We stopped at the Executive Inn where we have stayed before.

 

 

After an overnight stop where we stayed hooked up we will depart today for Brady TX.

 

Till next time,

 

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO WICHITA FALLS TEXAS

Currently in Wichita Falls TX (Low 53 Clear Currently 56)

Heading to Cisco TX (Currently 61 Breezy Partly Sunny High 79)

After a couple night in Chickasha OK we departed Sunday for Wichita Falls TX. This is the route we took:

We are staying at the Wichita Falls RV Park.

 

We depart today for Cisco TX for an overnight stay as we continue our trek back to Kerrville TX for the winter.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo