BIG

One of our favorite campgrounds is a primitive one not too far from our docking port.  It is called Big Fir Campground and it is located out on Housley Point In Lake Ouachita. The two Ouachita Rivers, North and South are on each side of it.

When we went to town to get propane, they were closed for lunch and we drove over to see what it looked like in eight inches of snow.

The weight of the snow and the wind had broken some tree limbs off.

The outhouse is up in the trees further and the snow had accumulated more.

We discovered that the squatter up on the upper loop is still there after two continuous years.

Here is a look at some of the tree limbs that are down.

The old hand pump well house.

The center loop campsite

Looking East down Lake Ouachita.

The lake is down right now and the sand bar in the foreground is usually under five or six feet of water.

It’s gona’ be great to cast a few jugs and eat a few catfish there this Spring !

CARGO

We love a Jeep ! We have the coolest adventures in the various jeeps that we have owned. But they ain’t a pickup truck. We compensate for that somewhat, by putting a cargo basket on the back. Hauling all kinds of stuff, you might think that we had seen it all. But, not so ! This was a new one for us. Here is a look.

The bare place on the cargo basket is where the propane tank was strapped down. Here is what it looked like.

Now, that ice in the valve will make it impossible to fill the tank at the propane place ! Oh, my, now what to do ? Here is the redneck fix.

The Jeep provides another solution ! This is the exhaust melting off the ice so the tank can be filled.

He, he, ain’t Jeeps cool ! Here is a look at the Jeep yesterday.

Here it is today.

Yepper’ we been out a’ Jeepin’ and though the dually is still snowed in, the jeep is melted off. Happy new year everybody !

CARDS

At amazon’s SDF-1 everyone has lots of cards, mostly hanging around our necks for quick and ready access. Here is a look at ours.

Because we work around moving machinery, the lanyard has a break away feature, and the cards are on a thumb bolt swivel clip. The ID card works with a bar code and also a magnetic proximity strip.

Next to the ID card is a LED flashlight, because we work in a very large building with no windows. It is on the lanyard so that it is there for an emergency. The other cards have various bar code “tools” that can be infrared scanned at the computer terminals.

On the lanyard also is a 3 years peak service pin. We haven’t heard if we will get a 4 years service pin for this year yet. They are usually given out at the last day’s work during the exit party.

The peak of the season is in full swing, it won’t be long before it is over, and we head to Arkansas for the Holidays.

Merry CHRISTmas !

DECORATIONS

With limited space in our RV’s, most of us chose things like seasonal decorations carefully. Here is a look around Indian Ridge campground.

Our choice is a LED lighted inflatable Santa.

Not every one chooses inflatables, instead limit size and quantity.

Ribbons take up little space and they go nearly anywhere.

This clever stabilizer decoration brings back memories of crepe paper chain decorated CHRISTmas trees.

Though large when inflated, they will store quite small.

Some inflatables are quite clever and their actions are a real attention getter !

BIRTHDAY

For my 70th birthday, Betty took me out for a birthday breakfast date. We were on a day off, so we had slept out by 0530 hours. One of the few places open to eat at that time of day is the Huddle House. They have a breakfast that I like called the MVP breakfast. It has a little bit of everything, waffle, eggs, bacon, hash brown and biscuits with gravy.

Coffee as we waited and a large cold milk with the meal. Here is my wonderful date sipping on coffee.

It was a wild celebration  ! We even listened to Sirius XM’s channel 60, Outlaw Country !

It was a pretty wild time alright, I expect that the 911 center received several calls about our atrocious behavior,  and I still can’t believe we managed to get out of town without the Police getting involved !

IMBUED

Betty and I were raised by members of the worlds greatest generation. The World War Two Veterans. For us this simply means we are imbued with a serious work ethic that causes us to feel better about ourselves if  we are productive. We bring this prospective into retirement with us.

Our travels about America’s Heartland are saturated with what we call “blue collar working adventures”. There are lots of benefits for us in this. First and foremost, it is pretty cool to be holding your own in a work place filled with 20 something’s when you are 70 years old.

Another cool thing is that it gives us  “disposable income” for eating out, entertainment and travel to cool places that we want to see.

Sometimes our sightseeing destination is actually the campground where we work, and the surrounding area.

As we write this, we are making plans to work at a new Colorado Summer adventure, up high where it is cool, in the Brainerd Lake Recreation Area. We will be at 10,300 feet of elevation.

As our time here at Amazon’s SDF-1 plant, where we work as one of Santa’s Elves, draws to a close, we are looking forward to being in Arkansas with Family and Friends for the Holidays. Merry CHRISTmas !

JUICE

Orange Juice and a honey bun while checking email, is kind of a early morning ritual, as Betty prepares breakfast.

Sitting in the office slide out with the television on a news channel, I catch up on world events and weather for the day. One of the slide out’s window valance’s is just the perfect place to put my cell phone while it is charging.

Thus it has been for the four years that we have been full timing in the fifthwheel. However, today as I adjusted the window shade, I bumped the phone  .  .  .  .  .

Prompting the most accurate high dive into the orange juice. The laptop was ok, but the phone was immersed. I immediately grabbed the phone and jerked the battery out. Then put it in front of the electric heater after drying it with paper towels.

I waited nervously for hours before I powered it back up and, SWEET !, it works !

Did I ever get lucky or what !!

CABIN

During the Civil War battle of Tebbs Bend, a log cabin was used as a makeshift dispensary and hospital. It was rescued, restored and moved to the USCOE visitor center at the Green River reservoir.

We have been trying to visit and look at it for three years now, with out being able to.

There are signs out on the highway that leads to the dam, that list the visitor center and the civil war cabin as tourist attractions. Yet, the gate is always closed and locked.

Oh, well, so much for getting information or touring the cabin. Corps of Engineers, what’s up with that ?

 

Here is a paste from the USCOE website about the cabin: Just outside, visitors can tour The Atkinson Griffon Log house which was used as a civil war hospital, have a picnic or take in one of the many hiking trails. The Center is also a one stop shop to get information and brochures on all there is to do at Green River Lake and the surrounding area. So, on your next visit to Green River Lake, make it a point to stop by the Visitor Center and learn all that Green River Lake has to offer.

Though the visitor center and cabin is touted on their website as being located at the heart of the Green River reservoir, in three different years of trying, I have yet to find it open.

HUNDREDS

One of the department managers announced jubilantly over the PA system that we had 796 Camperforce members enrolled ! The response was a roar that could be heard all over the building, drowning out the CHRISTmas music for several seconds !

Last evening we learned that there were over 600 people on night shift ! As these little tidbits of information arrive, they are interesting, but one the things that we appreciate is the regular visits from HR department members. Last evening a lady that Betty and I hadn’t met yet, came by to see how things were going for us. Before she left she gave us a small token of appreciation for our work.

A certificate for free fries at McDonalds !These constant reminders, that folks are glad we are here to help with the rush season, are ever so cool !

GENERAL

A new Dollar General store has opened on the outskirts of Campbellsville. It is the nearest place, from our campground,  to get a jug of milk or a loaf of bread. And, that was Betty’s intent when she stopped in. It turned out to be their grand opening.

As she came through the door they gave her a “goodie” bag. In the bag was several small items that we use on a regular basis.

The yellow rectangle is a band aid holder with several sizes of band aids inside. The white square is a tupperware type sandwich holder. The magnetic note holder is always handy. Then there is the spray bottle of mean green cleaner. Betty has put to use already.

Hey, this new Dollar Store may well turn out to be one of our favorite stops !

AMISH

As we travel around America’s Heartland, we are always on the lookout for those small, wonderful, Amish country stores. They always have great basic staples at good prices.

Typing is going slow as I snack on fresh whole wheat bread with just made pimento spread.

Here is a look at some of the supplies that Betty picked up at the “Tastes Like Home” store.

Today has been a “laid back” day off, the week before Thanksgiving.

CARDS

In past CHRISTmas rush seasons at Amazon, we have received gift cards. Enough of them that when we headed out for our campground assignment earlier this year, Betty paid for our extensive grocery list with the gift cards. Today at WalMart we received these just for knowing the secret word which was CAMPERFORCE.

A few days ago Betty was at Kroger and received these.

We are on our second week of 5 hour days in the single toys department. The peak hasn’t started yet, so there have been no gift cards so far.  However, it looks like the Gift Card season is getting off to a early start this year !

PIES

Betty’s Mom made them this way, and so does Betty. Here is a look:

Today, after the Amazon meet and greet, Betty made some “half moon” apple pies. Just the way that Mom used to.

She decided to try the Black and Decker space saver toaster oven that is mounted under the kitchen cabinet, instead of the oven in her kitchen range.

 

Who would have thought that the toaster oven could turn out such pretty and tasty pies !

THROWED’

We were a bit early and were ahead of the lunch rush crowd at Lambert’s home of the throwed’ rolls. As is usual, the okra, hot rolls and sorghum syrup came around first. It sure would be easy to make the whole meal of them ! Here is a look.

How about the size of that iced tea mug !

The menu, oopz, I cut it short !

Plenty of butter for them fine rolls !

My meal.

Betty’s meal.

Betty collects smashed pennies, here she scores a Lambert’s smash.

All the time we are eating, servers come around with fried taters, mac and cheese and more of that wonderful okra !

Yes, we were driving slow across the two bridges crossing the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers as we crossed over into Kentucky !