Harry L Swartz Campground

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Dolly and I decided last week we would take the MH out for a few nights.  This would give us a chance to check things out before heading out for a three month  journey.

I had recently read that Chris and Cherie of Technomadia stayed at this campground several weeks ago.  We only live 50 miles away and had never heard of the campground, so we decided to check it out.

Several days ago, I changed the oil in the MH and in the generator, so today, we packed up, and headed out.  First, we stopped to fill the propane tank and then I hooked the jeep to the MH and started southeast. 

Traveled I-74 for about 10 miles towards Champaign, Illinois and then exited on Hwy 136 due east for 40 miles.  The campground is located in the Champaign County Forest Preserve District

There is a lake at the campground and it was full of geese.

The trees are all ready turning and beginning to look like fall.

There are only about three campers in the campground.  Here is a view from our site.

Looks like Yuma and Fergie are ready for bed.  Hope it isn’t too crowded for the four of us.

See you later.

Fall is Close

Saturday, September 19, 2015

As far as the eye can see, there are soybeans.  At the forefront is a corn field with one swath already harvested.  We had rain last night and the clouds are puffy today and there is a brisk, cool north wind.  A common, but beautiful sight in the mid west this this time of year.  Won’t be long before the land is baron, waiting for the winter winds and snow.

Yuma and Fergie are slowly beginning to tolerate each other.  Yuma is okay with Fergie, but Fergie still wishes Yuma was someplace else.  Yuma is very possessive of me and does not like me holding Fergie.  To keep peace in the house, Fergie sits with Dolly and Yuma with me.

 

 

There have been a number of events over the past month.  I have passed my 70th birthday and my youngest son, Jim has just turned 40.  Dolly and I celebrated our 49th anniversary too.

Fall flowers and football.  Our grandson, Nick is playing on the junior varsity.  He is number 26 on the near left.  Can’t believe, he and Lane are 9th grade high school freshmen now.

Our grand daughter, Erin (second from the left) is a cheerleader for the 5th grade school football team.

 

 

 

Lane, is in a band and we went to several of his gigs over the summer.  He is the one in the center with an electric guitar.  Had to play over the arrival of an Amtrak train right behind them.

We had a nest of four rabbits right outside our window and Yuma could hardly stand watching them hop around eating the grass right in front of him.

It has been a pleasant and quiet summer for us.  We plan to drive over to Indianapolis for Steve’s marathon next month.  He has run in all eight they have had there.

If all goes well for the next three months, Dolly and I plan to head for the south west once more.

See you later.

Rte. 66 Road Trip to Atlanta, IL

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Old Rte. 66 passes through Normal and Bloomington on its way to California.  So, this morning, Yuma and I decided to follow it south about 30 miles to Atlanta, Illinois.

After leaving Bloomington, it follows the I-55 interstate and passes through the villages of Shirley, Funks Grove and Mclean before reaching the town of Atlanta.

 

 

The road is well maintained and used extensively by those living in this area.

I took a short trip across the bridge into Shirley and stopped at Sam’s Auto Body shop.  I met Sam many year’s ago and knew he had a shop there.  With a population of under 400 and only about four buildings in the whole area, it wasn’t hard to find.  Had a nice visit and was on my way.

During my short drive from Shirley to Funks Grove, two police cars passed me.  When I arrived to the accident, it was on a road just off Rte. 66 leading into Funks Grove.  It was crowded with ambulances and and a fire truck.  There was a farm implement half way across the road and to the right of the road on the railroad tracks was a large track laying machine.

No idea what happened and did not want to bother anyone, so I just kept going.

Yuma spotted this old fire truck in a farmers front yard.

Atlanta is not very big.  Population 1692 in 2010 census.  Has a beautiful octagon shaped city library and museum.  There is a beautiful tower clock next to it.

They have a Paul Bunyon giant holding a hotdog.  Don’t see those often.

See you later.

Carlock Cemetery

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Late this morning, Yuma and I decided to take a jeep run on the country roads north of here.  The village of Carlock is about 10 miles north and as I skirted the houses to the east on a one lane blacktop, I came across the White Oak Carlock Cemetery.

We parked the jeep and took a walk through it.  Way to the back is the old cemetery,

There were many stones of residents of the Carlock area that died in the 1800s.  Found many with the name Crump.  This was and is a large family in this area.  Also found the Carlock family here too.

Took a few photos on the way home.

 

See you later.

Dog Days of Summer

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Each morning, noon and night, Yuma, Fergie and I take walks down our road and sometimes through the corn.  Yuma loves hunting for shrews, grasshoppers and even butterflies as we walk.  We could get lost walking the drainage paths through the 8 foot corn growing for acres near our home.  It has been a rainy summer, so everything is green and growing.

I’m thinking that we won’t be traveling to Glacier National Park this summer.  Our son, Steve wants to run the Boston Marathon next spring and we plan to go with him to see him run and visit the Boston area.  This will be our second visit.  Steve ran the marathon there in 2010 and we had a great time so we will do it again.  He has run so many marathons over the years I lost count a long time ago.

Our plans now are for Dolly and I to visit the southwest again this winter and then go to Boston in the spring for a week.

Our two grand sons, Lane and Nick play on the city baseball league.  Steve has been an assistant coach for the team since the beginning.  They are sponsored by Meatheads restaurant, so they are the “Meatheads”. 

It is play-off time and they are still in the it.  They have played baseball together for six years now.  Amazing the difference in their abilities since those first years when it was a miracle when someone hit or caught a ball.  Almost every base was made from a walk because of the terrible pitching and lack of hitting the ball.  Games would end in the third inning because of the two hour time limit.

Now they can do everything with many fewer mistakes,  Pitching is good and the guys can catch the ball, throw runners out and hit it a mile. 

Unfortunately, this is their last year.  Next year they both start high school and Lane is more interested in wrestling and Nick is into football.  Neither plans to continue baseball into high school.

See you later.

Have a Great 4th

July 4th, 2015

See you later.