Hi Everyone!

[paula1961]

Have fun Gayle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy your trip!! Happy Fishing!!

[judy]

Have a great time Gayle!

[Janet]

Stay safe Gayle and have a wonderful time. I really need a vacation so I'll just live vicariously through you...lol. Please take lots of pictures for us!

[gja1000]

Well, our trip took a little detour today!!! Gary and I are still in Austin. We loaded up and headed to Arkansas this morning about 8:00AM. We'd driven about 5 miles when someone honked at us and pointed at the trailer. We pulled over and smoke was coming from behind the rear tire.

Fortunately, we carry emergency roadside assistance through the Good Sam club, which pays for roadside repairs or towing. We have a bearing out on the wheel/axle, which also fried the brake - sooooo, the trailer is at the repair shop and (hopefully) will be fixed by Tuesday-keep your fingers crossed! We plan to leave early Wednesday if the trailer is up and running.

We had quite an adventure with the tow truck, I'll tell you! We were stranded on I35 (a MAJOR interstate highway) for 2 1/2 hours. First there was a wreck and the tow truck couldn't get through. Then, he couldn't tow the trailer due to the wheel problem, so he planned to put it on a dolly - which turned out to not be wide enough - so he took the wheel off (there were 3 more, 2 on one side, and 1 on the other), did something to the axle so it wouldn't be off balance, and he drove VERY slowly the 30 miles to the repair place. It was all very interesting because he didn't speak much English, and we don't speak much Spanish.

Of course, our fridge was loaded up for the trip, so Brooke came over and got all our food and took it to her house - plus she took the boys, who were very worried about what was happening. We also had to get out all of Gary's medicines, c-pap machine, oxygen machine, insulin supplies, and a few clothes we didn't want to live without for 5 days. It was a hassle, but it could have been much worse - it could have happened in the middle of NOWHERE and we would have been stuck in a motel for several days. Fortunately, motel costs are covered with our roadside insurance, but still - who wants to be stuck in nowhere land in a motel!!!

We did have a bit of a problem when we got to the RV repair place - the wheel is covered under warranty - and they are not a dealer for the brand of trailer we have, so they were reluctant to do the work. I know it would have taken them a loooong time to do it, cuz they didn't want to. I got on my phone and found a dealer that sold our brand of trailer just 3 miles down the road, so we went down there and they couldn't have been nicer. They promised that if they have the part to fix the wheel, it will be ready by Tuesday. I really won't be upset if it isn't because i know these things take time and they may not have the right part in stock. I even remembered just a while ago that I left a pound of hamburger in the door of the freezer and because we turned off the fridge, I was instantly panicked at how that was gonna smell after 5 days!!! Diana, I remember your story! LOL! I immediately called them and asked them if they would get the hamburger out of the freezer. Again, they couldn't have been nicer and said they would do it immediately. Guys, this could have been much worse.

So, now I'll have a few quiet days at home before we leave which I am looking forward to! Here's a picture that Brooke took of us on the side of the road. That's the tow truck behind us and we are standing next to our trailer.

Oh yeah, the wind was blowing about 20 mph - that's why our hair looks so goofy! We both have a wind burned face!!!

[Blueyes]

Oh Gayle..what a PAIN!! And on 35 I'm glad you didn't get squished!! I'd be really aggravated after all of that packing and UNpacking! You and Gary look adorable

We just got home this afternoon, too. We were at our friends ranch in the Hill Country, not far from Johnson City. We HAD to put out protein feeders for the stupid deer The wildflowers were so pretty, and there were butterflies everywhere! We saw 21 deer, 3 jackrabbits, 8 hogs, and we heard a lot of turkey. Mike was in wildlife heaven, lol!

[gja1000]

We were very fortunate to be on a stretch of I35 where the shoulder was HUGE. We were at least 10 feet away from the whizzing cars - if you had to be stranded on the busiest highway in central Texas, we were at the ideal spot!!!

Oh Betsi, your getaway sounds heavenly. I just love that the wildflowers are still so beautiful! Gary would have been in wildlife heaven too! LOL! I know you all had a ball!

We are lucky, we have a few days to rest up from our "adventure"

[Blueyes]

Gayle, we need to get together sometime when we are there!!