Joe and Betty headed to Missouri.

This morning we received a message from our friends Joe and Betty saying they would be heading our way for a visit. Yeah!!! It will be good to see them. This is a great surprise.

Up this morning to a nice 51 degrees. Good weather for the morning walk. Fred and I left on the walk shortly after 8:00 a.m. We were an hour earlier this morning so we missed the regular walkers. Below are a few pictures of the view along the walking trail.

The park is getting ready for a Halloween Spook Walk and the employees were out early this morning setting out the decorations. They are also planning a week of Halloween themed events. It should be a lot of fun.

This afternoon Mike, Leslie, John and I returned to the I-Max theater for our second feature film on Australia. The photography on this documentary film was outstanding.

Our next stop was Wal-mart for various supplies and more groceries. What would we do without Wal-mart???

Tonight we had French fried onion chicken, mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli for dinner. Of course we had to top that off with something sweet so we finished off the Cream Sherry Cake and Leslie’s fudge. That just hit the spot. LOL

As usual we decided to play a couple rounds of 10 Penny. Leslie won the first round and John won the second. Tonight I came in third on both rounds. Maybe the next time we play I can move into second place.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Putt Putt Golf and the return of Mr. Squirrel.

Up around 9:00 and out with Fred for the morning walk.  The walking trail in the park is well maintained and scenic so the walk is very relaxing.   Each morning when Fred and I walk we see some of the same people with their dogs.  It is a good way to meet fellow campers.

This afternoon Mike, Leslie, John and I played a round of putt putt golf in the campground.  I started out keeping score but after a while stopped keeping count.  We all had a good time whacking those golf balls.

Here is John about to whack the ball at the 18th hole.

He made a hole in one. 

After the round of putt putt we went over to Andy’s Frozen Custards for a treat then drove over to the local craft mall.  We looked through the mall but did not see anything we wanted so we returned to the campground and sat outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

Fred sitting on Mike’s lap enjoying the weather.

While we were sitting at our site we heard noises coming from the trees on Mike and Leslie’s site…..guess who was back…….Mr. Squirrel!   He was jumping from limb to limb shaking off acorns again.

Here is Mr. Squirrel perched on the limb above Mike and Leslie’s RV after shaking acorns.  He is a persistent little fellow.

Tonight John cooked a pot of chili with some Mexican cornbread.  Leslie and Mike brought over some fixings to go with it plus some homemade fudge for dessert.  Everything was delicious.  Of course we had to play a couple rounds of 10 Penny.  John won one round and Leslie won the other. 

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Stick in the sewer hose.

This morning Mike, Leslie, John and I were up early taking care some banking business. We returned to the campground and as we pulled up in front of Mike and Leslie’s RV Mike noticed a stick plunged into his sewer hose. That is never good. His first thought was “it had to be the squirrel.” For some unknown reason a squirrel has been shaking the acorns off the tree on to their RV. I guess that is the squirrel’s favorite tree. We were all joking about the squirrel yesterday and then this happens with the sewer hose. Mike laughed and said, “The squirrel probably did it.” LOL It reminds me of the movie Caddyshack where the gopher continues to wreak havoc on a golf course. Mike now has a new sewer hose that he will install tomorrow. We can’t wait to see what Mr. Squirrel does next.

Here is the sewer hose with the stick plunged into it.

This afternoon we all loaded up and went to the Mount Pleasant Winery. It is the newest winery in Branson. We tasted the complimentary ones but did not purchase any this time. We just did not find anything we couldn’t live without.

The hour was growing late when we left the winery so on to Wal-mart we went for a few more groceries. John and Mike grilled burger for dinner complete with sautéed onions and mushrooms. They were very very good.

Tonight we played two rounds of 10 Penny. Mike and I came in on the bottom again. What is up with that? LOL We need a rematch.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Cream Sherry Bundt Cake

Fred and I took a 40 minute walk this morning on the park’s walking trail. While on our walk I met several people out for a stroll enjoying the cooler temperatures.

Later in the day John and Mike made a Wal-mart run. Leslie was at the laundry mat so I walked down to visit with her while the men were gone. When they returned we all decided to go for a ride. We rode over to Silver Dollar City to check out the Harvest Festival but found out the park was closed on Monday and Tuesday. So we rode around some more and ended up at the Stone Hill Winery. A tour was just about to start as we entered. The tour consisted of a movie, and a partial tour of the premises and ended with wine tasting. John and I found a couple of wines we liked and also some cream sherry.

By the time the tour was over it was getting close to dinner time so we returned to the campground and started preparing dinner. I cooked honey pineapple chicken with rice pilaf and Leslie cooked a delicious squash casserole to accompany it. Ok…..we decided to make a cake with the cream sherry we purchased at the winery. It was outstanding!!!!

Cream Sherry Bundt Cake (recipe supplied by winery)

The cake is very moist and fluffy. We all loved it. Here is the recipe in case someone would like to try it:

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Cream Sherry Bundt Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. Mix yellow cake mix with 4 eggs, ½ cup oil, ½ cup cream sherry and ½ cup water.

Chop ½ cut nuts, sprinkle some in bottom of pan. Pour in batter, top off with remaining nuts then bake 50 to 60 minutes.

Boil ½ cup butter, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup cream sherry. Pour over cake before inverting. Let set for 1 hour.

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Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Mr. Squirrel, Outlet Mall & Charlie’s.

Yesterday while John and I were at Mike and Leslie’s the acorns seemed to be raining down on their rig. As I made my morning rounds with Fred this morning I noticed this little squirrel frantically going from limb to limb shaking the limbs so the acorns would fall. It was the tree right over Mike and Leslie’s rig. I got the camera to get a picture of the squirrel to show Mike and Leslie. It is funny because we laughed about the acorns yesterday and said, “It is probably some squirrel shaking the limbs just so he can get the acorns”. Every time the squirrel shook the limb it sounded like it was raining acorns.

Here is the squirrel hard at work.

Mr. Squirrel on the ground sitting at the bottom of the tree pigging out on acorns.

This afternoon the four of us ventured over to the I-Max theater and watched the movie about Alaska. Our next stop was the outlet mall. Leslie and I browsed in the Kitchen Collection store then moved on to the Name Brand Shoe Store were I found a pair of croc sandals on the clearance rack. Yeah!!!!! It is rare for me to find shoes in my size. Mike and John were hanging out in the Black and Decker store then caught up with us as we were leaving the shoe store. Next Mike and John went to the Harry and David store while Leslie and I walked over to the Le Gourmet store. After browsing for a few minutes we left to go join Mike and John…….they were still at the Harry and David store. You know they had a few samples before we got there. LOL Mike and John had sampled the chocolate covered cherries and suggested we try them. The sales clerk was kind enough to open a new bag just for us. They were yummy. Ok….you know everything in the store tastes good so we purchased some goodies. As we were checking out John asked the clerk for a restaurant suggestion. She suggested Charlie’s Steaks, Ribs and Ale .

On the way to the parking lot we passed some child rides. Mike dared me to sit in one. I thought I could fit but NOT!!!!LOL

Here I am trying to fit into this ride. It is amazing what you will try on a dare. We were all laughing. I was just hoping I wouldn’t get stuck. LOL

We passed another ride so it was John’s turn. Since I made a fool of myself we dared him to sit on it.

Awe look I think that is Barney sitting next to him.

Ok……on to Charlie’s we went. John and Mike had the rib eye steaks with baked sweet potato and salad. Leslie had the grilled pork chop with baked sweet potato and salad. I chose the filet mignon with baked potato and salad. The food was good with the exception of Leslie’s grilled pork chop and Mike’s roll. Her pork chop was overcooked and dried out and Mike’s roll was scorched. They informed the server and she replaced the roll and apologized for the pork chop and told us they had a new cook.

We returned to our RV and played a couple rounds of 10 Penny. Leslie won both rounds. Wow… Mike and I tied on one round and John came in last on the other one.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Bruce and Margie.

We were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Bruce and Margie, fellow full time RV’rs who were killed by someone’s senseless act. We had not had the pleasure of meeting personally but were acquainted through blogging. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce and Margie’s family.

Today was travel day for us as well as Mike and Leslie. Our destination, Treasure Lake Resort in Branson, Missouri. John told Mike and Leslie that we would stop for lunch at Lambert’s Cafe in Ozark, Missouri so they could experience the thrown rolls. LOL We arrived at Lambert’s at 11:00 a.m. and there were lots of people already waiting. Our wait was only 35 minutes….not too bad.

Front view of Lambert’s cafe.

Mike and Leslie. (sorry for the blurry picture….I guess I moved when taking it)

Here is the roll guy about to throw one. I guess that is why the picture is a little blurry. Oops….I cut the guys head off in the picture.

Here is John’s plate. Look at that pork steak. Yum Yum.

This is my plate. Grilled chicken, carrots and potatoes with no gravy. I am trying to be good.

This is Mike’s plate. Don’t those chicken and dumplings look good?

This is Leslie’s plate. Great tasting meatloaf.

Of course there is no way Leslie and I could eat all of the meat that was on our plates. We had to get a “to go” container. LOL

Shortly after lunch we arrived at Treasure Lake Resort and got settled in. We all rested this afternoon for a while before heading out to drive around Branson. During our ride we stopped in at Andy’s Frozen Custards. It was just too good to pass up. Everyone ordered something different.

We returned to the campground and ended the night by playing two rounds of 10 Penny. Mike won the first round and John the second. I just can’t catch a break. I was at the bottom of the scoreboard on both rounds. Oh well, I will get them next time. LOL

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Wine tasting, Jim Bob’s and a Casino.

Today our adventure started when Mike, Leslie, John and I rode in to Carthage to attend the wine tasting at the White Rose B&B and Winery. Upon entering the wine tasting area you purchased a White Rose wine glass for $5.00 then proceeded to each tasting table. We stopped at the first table and everyone sampled a different kind. These were so awful we poured them out. The other three weren’t much better. I did find one that I liked enough to purchase a bottle. It was called Irish Raindrops from the Keltoi Winery. Before leaving the grounds of the winery we noticed several large trees which had leaves changing colors….just what we were looking for to photograph.

This is a picture of the wine tasting area on the grounds of the winery.

Leslie and Mike.

John and I.

By the time we left the wine tasting it was time to go in search of lunch. We ended up in Joplin, MO at a placed called Jim Bob’s Steak and Ribs. Mike and Leslie chose the BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, John had the chef salad and I had a large baked potato with steamed vegetables. The food and service were great.

Our last stop was the Downstream Casino in Quapaw, OK.

Entrance to the casino.

John waiting for Mike, Leslie and me to catch up with him.

Once inside we got our player’s cards and played for a while. John and I both lost the money we played on. Leslie had a little luck with hers. Mike did pretty well. He played the slots for a while then moved on to the Black Jack tables where Lady Luck seemed to be on his side. Good for Mike.

Around 8:30 p.m. we headed back to the campground and had some roast beef sandwiches for dinner. Of course we couldn’t call it a night without playing a round of 10 Penny. John was the winner tonight.

Tomorrow will be a travel day for us. Destination….Branson, MO.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

The Sassy Spoon, Chili and Duke Mason

Today Mike, Leslie, John and I ventured into Carthage in search of a place to eat lunch. We stopped in at a place on the town square called the Sassy Spoon. Leslie and Mike ordered the half chicken salad sandwich with a side of jelled cranberry salad. I chose the half mesquite chicken sandwich with a side of jelled cranberry salad. John ordered the salad plate which consisted of chicken salad, tuna salad, green leaf salad and jelled cranberry salad. Everything was delicious. This place even has homemade desserts. We all enjoyed the bread pudding. I gave my dessert to John but he shared a bite or two. LOL

Mike, Leslie and I in front of the Sassy Spoon. I had cut my finger on something and Leslie was getting me a band aid. Don’t we all look mad. LOL

This is the building on the square across the street from the Sassy Spoon. I think it is the county courthouse building. I thought it was a cool looking building so I wanted a picture.

Of course while we were in town we had to make a Wal-mart run. But before the Wal-mart run Mike drove us around to look for maple trees with changing leaves. We actually found a few and got a picture or two.

The next two houses were just cool looking to Leslie and I so we wanted pictures of them.

Tonight was chili night at the Mobile Suites rally. There was chili with all the fixings and several desserts. We met a couple, Jim and Lynnea, who have been RVing fulltime for 13 months. We shared information about repairs they had had done to their 09 Mobile Suites and repairs that we are taking ours back to the factory to have made. After dinner Duke Mason arrived for the entertainment. He is a 46 inch tall front man for a local band of international acclaim. He sings everything from Elvis songs to country and gospel and is very entertaining.

After the entertainment John and I went over to Billy and Carole’s Mobile Suites to get a picture of modifications made for the electronics cabinet by the factory. We are having some of the same issues and John wanted to get pictures so that we could get ours fixed also.

Jim and Lynnea, who have a 09 Mobile Suites came by for a tour of our 11 Mobile Suites. We learned from them that the stretched seams on our sofa were just like the ones they had on theirs. I think the sofa will be another item added to our list of things for the factory to look at.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Trip to Joplin and Mobile Suites Dinner

Up this morning to a cool 51 degrees.  Yesterday when we got here I forgot to take a picture of our site as I usually do.  So this morning I made sure I took the picture before we got busy.

Our site.

Mike and Leslie’s site. 

For lunch Leslie and I put together some roast beef sandwiches and chips.  Leslie had some delicious roast beef that she shared with us.  Thanks Leslie.  After lunch we all rode into Joplin for a look around.  While driving around we found a Kohl’s. Yeah!!!  You know we went in there. LOL

Tonight John and I attended a dinner at the Mobile Suites Rally. We had BBQ ribs, pulled pork, potato salad, baked beans, and for dessert, a brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.   We met a couple there who also has a 2011 Mobile Suites.  They have a different model than us but have had a few of the same issues that we have.  After the dinner they invited us to look at the modifications they had made to their rig. 

Later on we stopped by Mike and Leslie’s to see if they wanted to play a round or two of 10 Penny.  We ended up playing two rounds.  John won the first one and Mike won the second.   It was almost 11:30 when we finished playing so we called it a night.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.