text:
Q: How to initialize Javers jv_snapshot with current state if the database is already in use? I have an already populated SQL database where I would like to add Javers auditing. Is there a way to initialize the jv_snapshot table with the current state of objects prior to running the initial update on a specific object? I find that I am losing the previous state as the jv_snapshot table contains the update state as the initial state. I am running a spring boot app with hibernate/jpa.

A: Depending on the size of your database it may take hours or days to sync every record with Javers even if those records may never change from the Initial state.
It may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it works for me.
 // UserService.java

 @Autowired
 private Javers javers;
 @Autowired
 private UserRepository userRepository;

 public void updateUser(UserDTO user){

      User existing = userRepository.findOne(user.getId());

      // Initial Commit Assuming This Record is Not Tracked by Javers Yet
      javers.commit("Initial", existing);

      // Update Logic ...
      existing.setUpdatedTimestamp(LocalDateTime.now());
      userRepository.save(existing);
 }

 public void deleteUser(Long id){

      User existing = userRepository.findOne(id);

      // Initial Commit Assuming This Record is Not Tracked by Javers Yet
      javers.commit("Initial", existing);

      // Delete Logic ...
      userRepository.delete(id);
 }

 // UserRepository.java
 @Repository
 @Transactional
 @JaversSpringDataAuditable
 public interface UserRepository extends JpaRepository<User, Long>{}

With this logic above you will always have the initial state your object was in before an UPDATE or DELETE occurs. In the event of a CREATE the initial state would be captured by Javers automatically.
Hope this helps.

A: If you are asking about some kind of data migration tools -- JaVers doesn't provide any. What I can suggest is using JaVers API only, also for bulk changes.

A: Although a bit late probably, I hope this answer helps expand Bartek's suggestion to do a manual javers.commit(), because I had the same problem and the solution turned out to be very easy.
Basically, I created a job that I can call from a particular controller (e.g. InitialSnapshotJobController) that exposes an endpoint like /api/jobs/initialSnapshot, e.g.
@GetMapping("/api/jobs/initialSnapshot")
public JobResult initialSnapshotJob(){...}

This job has references to all the services of the entities I want to persist, e.g.
@Autowired
public InitialSnapshotJobController(Javers javers, FileService fileService, PriceService priceService){
    initialSnapshot();
}

And what in the job I just do a findAll() on each service, iterate over all the items returned, and commit them to JaVers manually, e.g.
public void initialSnapshot(){
    List<File> files = fileService.findAll();
    files.forEach(file ->{
        javers.commit("InitialSnapshotJob", file);
    })
    ...
}

This worked as expected and now I can store any future changes as updates, which allows me to get only what changed from the baseline without setting the JaVers flag for new objects.
You could also modify the job to receive a list of services instead of hard coding them, and then if later on you need to get a snapshot of a new Entity, you can do so for that one only.


Programming and publishing for children featuring the theme of Anti-Bullying Strategies as found in Dr. Ashley's new book Big Bully Holly Howler.
We are a home furnishings destination rooted in our love for modern design and quality craftsmanship. As a family business 54 years in the making, we recognize that your home is more!
We have a wonderful gift shop with something for everyone. Inspirational and religious gifts, books and decor. Vast selection of angels!


text:
Montjovet é uma comuna italiana da região do Vale de Aosta com cerca de 1.742 habitantes. Estende-se por uma área de 18 km², tendo uma densidade populacional de 97 hab/km². Faz fronteira com Challand-Saint-Victor, Champdepraz, Châtillon, Emarèse, Saint-Vincent, Verrès.

Demografia

Comunas do Vale de Aosta

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Can these bounds, for the deficiency $D(x)=2x-\sigma(x)$ of a deficient number $x>1$, be improved? Let $\sigma=\sigma_{1}$ denote the classical sum-of-divisors function.  Denote the deficiency of the deficient number $x>1$ by $D(x)=2x-\sigma(x)$.
Since $x>1$ is deficient, we have $D(x) \geq 1$. (Note that $D(x) \neq 0$ since deficient numbers cannot be perfect.)
Additionally, since $\sigma(x) \geq x+1$ for all $x>1$, it follows that $D(x)=2x-\sigma(x) \leq x-1$.
Thus, we have the bounds
$$1 \leq D(x)=2x-\sigma(x) \leq x-1.$$
Here is my question:

Can these bounds be improved?

Added July 26 2016
There is a related MSE question here, where it is shown that the deficiency function $D(w)=2w-\sigma(w)$ satisfies
$$D(xy) \leq D(x)D(y)$$
whenever $\gcd(x,y)=1$.
Added August 27 2016
I have a newer (and related) MSE question here.

A: No, they cannot be improved. In particular, there are infinitely many $x$ with $D(x) = 1$ and infinitely many with $D(x) = x-1$. For example, if $x = 2^{k}$, then $\sigma(x) = 2^{k+1} - 1$ and so $D(x) = 1$. On the other hand, if $x$ is prime, then $D(x) = 2x - (x+1) = x-1$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Rebecca Correia Navigation
Q&A with Local Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Rebecca Correia
[From HeraldNews.com]
Rochester native Rebecca Correia will be kicking off the Sunset Music Series at Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery this Friday night, and next month she will be hosting an annual concert series held on her family's farm. Correia, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, invites performers she's met in her travels and touring across the country to the Bennett Farm concert to showcase their talents. Last year she co-wrote a song with Keb Mo, "So Long Goodbye" for his triple Grammy award-nominated album. Here's what else Correia's been up to lately:
What are you working on musically these days?
I've recently done some new recordings in Nashville that I'm thrilled about. I just released a two-song EP on iTunes. And with help from my friends Jenny Lynn Young and legendary guitarist Reggie Young I have a another surprise song we're planning to release soon.
Are you still splitting your time between here and Nashville?
Yes, still splitting my time between Nashville, and Rochester. It's been eight years of this routine!
What's the Bennett Farm concert all about?
Bennett Farm is the family farm and the house that I grew up in. We've been doing this concert since 1996 and it's become a very special experience for artists from all over and for the listeners who attend. We can't wait for this year's event Saturday, July 11!
Tell me about the video for the song "Oh Nashville" that won the International Portuguese Music Award. Were you psyched to win an award on your own turf?
"Oh Nashville" was filmed on location in Tennessee. The idea for making the video came about during a get together in Nashville. My friend Mike Wolfe suggested I make a music video and that he be in it. I thought that was a great idea, so together with Mike's help and my video producer Rob Ranney we made "Oh Nashville." It was a thrill and meant so much to me and others. I was absolutely thrilled that the IPMA panel recognized it. SouthCoast Massachusetts and my heritage is such an important part of who I am.
How did the song you co-wrote with Keb Mo come about? What was it like working with him and do you plan to do so in the future?
Keb is utterly the coolest! I met him through a mutual friend and he caught a few performances of mine. He called me up one day and asked me over to write. The rest is history I guess. It was a complete honor and thrill to sit down and write with him and help him express his story. When they told me the song would be on his latest album I jumped for joy. Being that the record was nominated for three Grammy awards this year, the experience has been magical and I'm grateful to Keb! I absolutely look forward to working with him more in the future.
The Bennett Farm Concert lineup for Saturday, July 11, will include Matt Cusson as well as performances by Renee Armand and Paul Aleman —"Rocky Mountain High," The Music of John Denver, Marion native Adam Robinson and emerging young band Soundstreet. Additional performers will be announced. Tickets cost $30 general admission in advance, $35 general admission at the door and $40 for VIP tickets. Bennett Farm is located at 39 North Ave., Rochester. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/rebecca.correia.
© TEXT REBECCA CORREIA - All Rights Reserved | Site by NOIZEPRO.COM
CONTACT: booking@rebeccacorreia.com

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The Dynamics 365 for Team Members subscription is a named user subscription designed for users who are not tied to a particular function, but who require basic Dynamics 365 functionality. This license includes read access as well as some write access for select light tasks across any and all Dynamics 365 Apps. As a result, as more Dynamics 365 applications are adopted across an organization, any user previously licensed with Team Members subscription would be licensed already to access those additional applications.
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If you are in charge of planning your best friends bucks or hen night, you will want to ensure that you have everything in place to make the evening a great success. The evening could turn out to be one of the best nights in the bride or grooms life, and one of the most stressful in yours.
This is probably the most important part. If you plan everything well in advance, the chances are everything will go to plan. You also want to check up a couple of days before that all of the guests have the correct dates, times and locations.
Buck and Hen parties often involve a specific dress code. It may be that you have chosen for everyone to where a certain attire that fits the venue, or you may have created your own designed t-shirts that add a sense of humour to the evening. Whatever you have decided, you need to inform everyone of the decision long before the event.
It will be down to you as the best man, or maid of honour to choose the venue for the evening. If you are planning a night on the town visiting different bars, check in advance that the venues will allow large parties to gather there.
If you plan to spend the evening in a specific venue, you could request that they put up some decorations or provide you with a VIP area to party the night away.
BusCharter.Com.Au can provide standard coach or minibus hire for your event or if you would like specialist party transport this can be arranged via our sister company Party Bus Guru.
If you have a large group, make sure to book well in advance to ensure vehicle availability.
It can be easy to get carried away on a bucks or hens night so make sure that everyone drinks sensibly and enjoys themselves.
To arrange travel to your event, contact us today to discuss a quote, or use our simple quote form for an instant price.


text:
Featured StoryFeatures
Understanding the Sonic Cycle and what to expect from Sonic Forces
Cristina Alexander May 23, 2017
While some fans were excited about being given the option to create their own Mobian characters in Sonic Forces, à la deviantART, others blew a gasket over why Sonic Team would introduce a concept proven to be successful in other games, such as Dragon Ball Xenoverse. And no sooner had SEGA streamed the Custom Hero trailer on YouTube last week than writer Warren Graff tweeted it with the caption, "Just a game I wrote, no big deal," setting off a firestorm of doubtful tweets such as the following, in no particular order:
Fans complaining over a new gameplay mechanic and the writing techniques of a recurrent story writer ushers in the second phase of the most infamous video game conspiracy theory in the history of the franchise: the Sonic Cycle.
The Sonic Cycle first popped up on the NeoGAF forums on April 7th, 2008, when fans speculated that Sonic Unleashed, as soon as the first set of images and details came to light, would suck based on the quality of its predecessors, among them Sonic '06. Actually, the Sonic Cycle originated from the X Cycle, a viral concept that details a gamer's mood swings brought upon by the anticipation of a new game and/or console. The X Cycle is used to satirize fandoms and video games as a whole, but the Sonic Cycle seems to be the running theme of the concept because hardcore Sonic fans claim that the quality of Sonic games have drowned in the fecal puddle beneath an outhouse in the slums of Mumbai since Sonic '06, if not earlier. Unleashed received mixed reviews, but it still fulfilled every phase of the Sonic Cycle to the letter because not everyone fell in love with "I Was a Teenage Werehog"; in other words, the night stages.
Following Unleased, Sonic and the Black Knight and Sonic Free Riders fell victim to the Sonic Cycle due to poor motion-control schematics on the Wii and Xbox 360's Kinect, respectively. The storylines of both titles were great, but I just can't stand the notion of seeing static images of the characters in lieu of CGI cutscenes, let alone swaying my hips in front of a broken motion-sensing camera.
The one game that broke the vicious Sonic Cycle was Sonic Colors, thanks to the introduction of Wisp power-ups, a new voice cast (save for the charming and incomparable Mike Pollock as Doctor Eggman), candy-eyed graphics, and gorgeous level design. Suddenly, fans were happy that they could trust Sonic Team to make great Sonic games by their standards once again. Sonic Generations received great praise as well, ushering in the new Sonic Cycle that listed positive traits of a new Sonic game instead of negative ones.
In 2014, Sonic Boom was announced for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS, setting the old Sonic Cycle back into motion due to changes in character designs, especially with Knuckles, whose brawn appeared to be more dominant than his brain thanks to steroid use. Rise of Lyric (Wii U) opened a Pandora's Box of negative criticism from both critics and fans because it fulfilled the prophecy of the Sonic Cycle all the way through–poor graphics, slow frame rate, terribly-written dialogue ("An ambush with ice cream?" Really, Tails?), grade-F humor, and Chaos knows how many glitches (Knuckles' infinity jump, anyone?).
Now we're in 2017, and Sonic Forces is showing promise so far–Classic Sonic is back, the graphics are crystal clear, the frame rate flows much quicker, and players get to create their own characters for the first time. But, nevertheless, fans are complaining about the latter.
([á la Heath Ledger's Joker] Bandai Namco introduces character customization in Dragon Ball Xenoverse and no one bats an eye. SEGA introduces character customization in Sonic Forces and everyone loses their minds!)
So, to save everyone the grief of having to choose between a negative Sonic Cycle and a positive one for Sonic Forces, I married the two into one new Sonic Cycle to make things fair for the entire fanbase.
Sonic Forces is about six months away from hitting the shelves and digital stores, so no one knows exactly how the game is going to turn out until the day it's released. As you can see, there are more pros in this edition of the Sonic Cycle than there are cons because, while there are certain things about Forces that concern us, such as the possibility of Tails being written off as either deceased or MIA, and that our custom characters will not come out the same way as we drew them for deviantART, I believe that Sonic Forces will be a great game, assuming there's a compelling storyline, strong dialogue, supportive cast of characters aside from our custom counterparts, and challenging levels.
We got six months until Sonic Forces' release day, so we all gotta be patient with Sonic Team on this one. Keep in mind, they took four years to make it as good as possible.
Sonic Mania officially sells over 1 million copies
Check out Sonic Mania Adventures' first episode here
'Sonic Forces' soundtrack heading west; Ohtani confirms
Super Sonic wasn't originally planned to be in Sonic Forces, DLC permanently free


text:
God Untamed, by Johannes Hartl
Mike Starkey considers theological metaphor plucked from the sea
BACK in 1952, J. B. Phillips wrote Your God is Too Small. In the book, he took pot-shots at some of the shrunken images of God popular in post-war Britain: God as policeman, old man in the sky, remote manager. Johannes Hartl revisits a similar terrain, investigating today's culturally captive pictures of God.
Hartl is founder of the Augsburg House of Prayer in Germany, and a leading figure in Roman Catholic Charismatic circles. Between the 1950s and today, he notes, there has been a seismic shift in our culture and expressions of faith. Today, we are obsessed with self-esteem and discovering our true selves. The result is a me-centred faith, in which theology is reduced to anthropology, morality to tolerance, and spirituality to narcissism.
In his preface, Hartl recalls a wild sea storm that he experienced on the Athos Peninsula of Greece. It threw all his plans into confusion. His description is powerful and evocative, vividly translated from the German. The sea, Hartl says, is fierce and dangerous, and mocks human illusions of control and security. Hence Hartl's image of the person of faith: an island-dweller, living close to an unruly sea.
This image alone is worth the price of the book. The coronavirus pandemic has been a potent reminder to many that there are forces in nature beyond our control, indifferent to human pretentions. Hartl's evocation of an untamed sea was written before current events, but turns out to be an apt metaphor for our times.
Most of the book highlights ways in which today's spirituality thrives on illusions of control and security, and how we avoid themes that make us uncomfortable: judgement, death, holiness, sin. The author invites the reader to embrace a more unpredictable faith, one rooted in awe and astonishment.
Hartl's case is stirring and lyrical. But his call to rediscover the otherness of the biblical God raises huge questions that he only partly explores. He looks at the Book of Job, noting how everything human-centred in it falls away: comfort, health, dogmatic theologies. All that remains is raw encounter with the untamed God.
Yes. But how do you trust a God who is quite so infuriatingly untamed, one who hides, goes silent, ignores your questions, and thinks that a nature documentary is an adequate response to years of pain? How do you pray to that sort of God? As Teresa of Ávila ruefully reflected, "If this is how you treat your friends, it's no wonder you have so few."
The Revd Mike Starkey is Head of Church Growth for Manchester diocese and author of the Faith Pictures course.
God Untamed
Muddy Pearl £12.99
(978-1-910012-69-7)
Church Times Bookshop £11.70
Embodied Liturgy by Frank C. Senn; and others
Created and Creating by William Edgar
Love is his Meaning by Keith Ward
Notice board: theology
Reading the Gospels with Karl Barth, edited by Daniel L Migliore
Every Job a Parable by John Van Sloten
The Calling Window, by Sophie Hacker for Romsey Abbey
Book club: Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift
Virgin and Child, by Maggie Hamand
The Bloomsbury Handbook to Studying Christians, edited by George Chryssides and Stephen Gregg
A Profound Ignorance: Modern pneumatology and its anti-modern redemption, by Ephraim Radner
Radio review: Free Thinking, and Archive on 4: So bad it's good?
Week aheadCommentFeatures


text:
Q: Metal Shading Language - struct does not provide a subscript operator I have a struct in my metal file:
struct Vects
{
    float3 position[100];
};

which will be used to hold the buffer data:
kernel void compute(texture2d<float, access::write> output [[texture(0)]],
                    constant float &time [[buffer(0)]],
                    constant mouseInput &mouse [[buffer(1)]],
                    constant Vects &vects [[buffer(2)]],//<--- Vects
                    uint2 gid [[thread_position_in_grid]]) {
...
sceneSDF(origin, vects);
...
}

which
float sceneSDF(float3 cotu,Vects vects) {

    float a;

    for(int i = 1; i < 3 ; i++){

        float3 u = vects[i-1].position;//<-- error!
        float3 v = vects[i].position;//<-- error!
        a = min(fSphere(cotu + u,0.7),fSphere(cotu + v,0.7));

    }
    return a;
}

I got an error at float3 u and float3 v that

Type 'Vects' does not provide a subscript operator

How can I resolve this?

A: I think you got your order for dot notation and array subscript mixed up in your case. These lines:
float3 u = vects[i-1].position;
float3 v = vects[i].position;

Should be:
float3 u = vects.position[i-1];
float3 v = vects.position[i];

A: you need write like this:
 float3 u = vects[i-1].position[i-1];//<-- error!
 float3 v = vects[i].position;//<-- error!

because vects is not array, so you can't use it that way.The type of u,v is float3, it's the same with vects.position[i]


text:
Kentucky Bourbon Trail – and Beautiful Horse Country
The long-awaited and much-anticipated portion of our Summer 2021 Trip had finally become a reality with our arrival in Taylorsville KY on Saturday, June 26.
As we take this journey, it is important to KNOW what bourbon is! On May 4, 1964, US Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States." To be bourbon, it must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof, must be aged in new, charred oak barrels, and may not be placed into the barrel at higher than 125 proof. It must age for a minimum of 2 years to be called Straight Bourbon and if it is aged for less than 4 years, the label must designate the duration of aging (the youngest whiskey in the blend).
We settled into our camp site and quickly set off for our first adventure into the World of Bourbon – Angel's Envy Distillery in downtown Louisville. This is one of the newer distilleries on the scene in a very competitive world of bourbon. Louisville Distilling Company, a subsidiary of Bacardi Limited, was founded by Lincoln Henderson and his son, Wes that now also includes four grandsons and two more in the wings (still in high school). Lincoln had retired after 40 years with Brown-Forman, a major distiller creating Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and many others. Throughout our time "On the Trail" we learned how brands have changed ownership and distillers have moved between distilleries as years, successes/failures, Prohibition and other forces changed the market landscape.
Lincoln Henderson purportedly had "an idea" for years that he brought to the new venture – the finishing of bourbon into a used port wine barrel, thereby making it a finished bourbon. This finishing process in the port wine barrel lasts about 6 months. As we knew from our Scotch touring experiences, a portion of the spirits are lost each year during the barrel aging process – and that is known as the "Angel's Share or "Angel's Portion". After Lincoln tasted his finished bourbon, he purportedly joked that he finally got a better deal than the angels – and Angel's Envy was born.
The tasting here was exceedingly informational and we were so glad we started here. In addition to fine tastings as well as an interesting history of the Henderson family and Angel's Envy, our host taught us the "correct way" to taste bourbon and it served us well throughout our time on The Trail! First, you "nose" the sample with your mouth slightly open, which allows the alcohol to be minimized and the sampler to detect the aromas of the bourbon. The first sip needs to be held on the tongue for 5-6 seconds, allowing the liquid to numb the tongue and throat, and feel that good "Kentucky Hug" has it burns into your chest! Once the numbing has occurred, the second and subsequent sips can be truly appreciated.
The Henderson Legacy (Lincoln, Wes, 6 Grandsons), Our First Tasting Room, Our Tasting Table
As we walked down Louisville's Main Street, we started to understand why so many refer to it as World Headquarters of Bourbon, but Bardstown, some 40 miles south, has more than a little argument with that! We would be visiting Bardstown in a few days.
We stopped into the Evan Williams Visitors Centre. Our dear friend, Larry Weir, more than a few times spoke of spending a delightful evening with "Uncle Evan", so we felt compelled to pay a visit and took advantage of their cocktail lounge to sample a flight of four of their offerings. Deploying our new found knowledge of tasting, we determined that while Evan was "nice", we truly enjoyed Pikesville Rye Whiskey. You will recall that to be a bourbon, the mash bill (grain recipe) must be at least 51% corn. Anything less would be American Whiskey. In this case, Pikeville's mash bill is 51% rye, 39% corn and 10% malted barley. Whiskey distilling is as old as our early settlers – and Pikesville is the last standing Maryland rye brand, starting in 1895. As with many brands, it changed ownership several times before becoming part of the Heaven Hill Distillery family from Bardstown, currently being produced in their Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. We would learn more about that when we visited Heaven Hill on Monday. We simply felt compelled to stop by the Gift Shop and acquire a bottle of the Pikesville Rye.
Now THAT is a glass of bourbon!
That evening, we found our way to Bourbon's Bistro for a lovely dinner in the historic Clifton district of Louisville in a building dating back to the 1870's. We arrived early, providing an opportunity to sit at the beautiful bar and chat with a very skilled bartender. One of the features of Bourbon's Bistro is a selection of more than 130 bourbons – and a bartender that knows where every bottle is located on the barback. Their southern fare was extraordinary and the service was impeccable – we had a delightful evening and made our way back to Contessa.
Bourbon's Bistro
Sunday, we returned to Louisville and enjoyed a few hours at the Frazier History Museum, which houses an array of information on Kentucky and its role in so many critical stages of American History. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, there are permanent exhibits on Lewis & Clark, the Civil War and Bourbon Whiskey, as well as rotating exhibits that currently include Women Surrogates in Kentucky.
The New White Oak Barrel (correctly charred) is a crucial part of bourbon creation
The copper still on the right was uncovered totally intact while excavating for another distillery!
Another section of the Bourbon Whiskey history was that of Julian Proctor "Pappy" Van Winkle, who is nothing short of a legend in the bourbon industry. In 1893, he became a salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons, traveling around Kentucky & Indiana by horse and buggy peddling Weller's liquors to taverns, saloons and other retail outlets. As is often the case, the salespeople make more money than the distributor/manufacturer, and ultimately he and another Weller salesman bought the firm and the Stitzel Distillery that produced most of the whiskey for the Weller business. They consolidated as Stitzel-Weller and were able to obtain a permit to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes during Prohibition (1920-1933), which was very precious and limited to a very few distillers.
By the end of Prohibition, dozens of distilleries had been shuttered as only 6-8 companies were able to obtain the medicinal purpose license for whiskey production. Stitzel-Weller opened a new distillery on Derby Day 1935, having not only been able to produce and sell during the dark days of Prohibition, but also to maintain their inventory from earlier production. The end of Prohibition was celebrated far and wide – and with a song on the lips of many – "Happy Days Are Here Again!"
Pappy & His Infamous Saying
He brought both his son Julian Jr, his son-in-law, King McClure (married to his daughter Mary "Rip") and eventually his grandson, Julian III. Pappy stayed heavily involved in the distillery until his death in 1965. In 1972, the Van Winkle's were forced out by the Board of Directors, as bourbon sales were declining in the US in favor of white liquors, ie. vodka, gin, rum. The distillery was closed and the brands were sold to a variety of distilleries, with the exception of the Pappy Van Winkle brand and mash bill, which was retained by the Van Winkle family. Today, Julian III and his son Preston own the brands and they are produced and bottled at Buffalo Trace Distillery under strict licensing and oversight. It is a very limited production — if you are lucky enough to find a bottle for sale, it could be in the $3,000/bottle range. Bourbon's Bistro on Sunday evening had a bottle on their "top shelf" at $150 a shot (we did not partake!).
Pappy loved a good round of golf – with his trusted caddy!
We headed east about 25 miles to Shelbyville, to the home of Bulleit Distillery, for a tour and tasting experience. It seems a common theme that lawyers tend to start distilleries – whether it is because the profession has driven them to "the drink" or the profession has provided them the financial backing sufficient to pursue those life dreams might be questioned, but it is certainly a theme we hear often.
In 1987, Tom Bulleit left his law practice and "risked everything" to fulfill a lifelong dream of reviving the recipe of his great-great-grandfather, Augustus Bulleit, who made a high-rye whiskey between 1830-1860. Today, Bulleitt is known for both its high-rye bourbon (90 proof, 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% malted barley) as well as its rye whiskey (90 proof, 95% rye and 5% malted barley).
As we've mentioned before, bourbon has gone in and out of favor with consumers, so when Bulleit was ready to release their first bourbon, they chose to leverage their marketing of "frontier bourbon" with a stylized bottling reminiscent of the old west and not attempt to compete head-to-head with the wide array of bourbon distillers in Kentucky. They went west – to San Francisco and the California coast – marketing their bourbon to bartenders as a perfect bourbon for classic cocktails such as old-fashions and manhattans. It was embraced as its high-rye content provided the spicy component to these cocktails vs. a high-wheat bourbon, which would be sweeter.
Bulleit Tasting Augmented their Tasting with Olfactory Senses in Spice Shakers
Pictures 2 shows the newness and sophistication of Bulleit with automated control rooms
Captain Bill's Private Label of Bulleit
We returned to Louisville for a lovely evening at the River House Restaurant overlooking the Ohio River. It was a bit warm on the deck, but well worth it to avoid the noise of the restaurant and enjoy the live music from the establishment next door (at least most of the time!).
The view of The Ohio River from our table on the porch
On Monday morning, we turned The Toad (Jeep) south to Bardstown, where there are no less than 11 distilleries currently in operation. We have already decided that the Kentucky Bourbon Trail deserves another visit, as there is simply no way to savor and enjoy all that there is to see and do in this beautiful part of our country.
Our first stop was My Old Kentucky Home, a totally restored and treasured mansion owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Originally named "Federal Hill", it was the home of prominent judge and US Congressman John Rowan and his descendants. The main L-shaped mansion was completed in 1818 with 13'6″ ceilings and large 22'x22′ rooms that flank a central hall spanning all three floors.
There are records of John Rowan's cousin, Stephen Foster, visiting Federal Hill and being totally captivated by her beauty and peacefulness. After visiting and drawing inspiration from Harriet Beecher Stowe's abolitionist novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Stephen Foster published "My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night!" in 1853.
Another family of means, they met with many of the maladies of the day, including 7 family members and 8 servants dying of cholera in less than 36 hours from drinking infected cistern water — to John, Jr's young life ending in a tragic accident (walking out a window in the middle of the night while caring for a sick daughter), leaving his young wife, Rebecca, with 10 children and massive debt.
Rebecca removed all her children from school so that they could work the fields, and with time and determination – and funds from her father-in-law's trust finally being released – she was able to stabilize the mansion, gardens, greenhouses and fields that made up the massive property.
On July 4, 1923, Federal Hill was renamed My Old Kentucky Home and ownership of the estate of transferred to the Commonwealth of Kentucky as an historic shrine by Madge Rowan Frost, the last heir of Federal Hill. Having married late in life and having no children, she wanted to insure its viability for future generations. This effectively became Kentucky's first state-owned park.
By 1928, the popularity of Stephen Foster's 75 year old song had continued to gain momentum and the Kentucky State Legislature voted to make "My Old Kentucky Home" Kentucky's state song. Known as "the father of American music", Foster wrote more than 200 songs, including "Oh, Susanna", "Camptown Races", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "Beautiful Dreamer" and many, many more. His life was cut short at the young age of 37, purportedly of an injury sustained from a fall while weakened from a fever. There is, however, much speculation whether the actual cause of death was self-inflicted, as suicide was a common occurrence during the Civil War.
Statue of Stephen Foster and My Old Kentucky Home
We were fortunate to have a "private tour" provided by gentlemen in period costumes
and singing "My Old Kentucky Home"
Sometimes, the "have to" items on your itinerary don't always measure up. Such was the case with The Old Talbott Tavern for lunch, but we certainly didn't let that spoil our day – so off we went for more bourbon! Destinations – Barton 1792 and Heaven Hill.
We made what turned out to be a quick stop at Barton Distillery for a tasting of what we both agreed was a fairly non-descript but certainly enjoyable bourbon. Named for the year that Kentucky joined the United States as a Commonwealth, Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating distillery in Bardstown. They offer a high-rye, a sweet-wheat, a small batch, a single barrel and what they market as a full proof. This was the only distillery during our 10 day Trail that we did not leave the distillery with at least one bottle for our future enjoyment! Oh, My!
But, never fear, there was another distillery yet to be visited! Off we went to Heaven Hill, the largest independent, continuously-owned, family-owned bourbon distillery in the America – and by definition, the world, as bourbon can only be made in America!
When Prohibition ended on December 5, 1933, there were only 34 of the 157 pre-Prohibition distilleries that could afford the costs of reopening and adhering to the new regulations that came with the repeal. In 1935, Ed Shapira and his brothers, Gary, George, David & Mose decided to invest in a new distillery and eventually bought it outright. Each of the Five Brothers had a definite and critical role in what would become their heritage. They purchased land from a family named Heavenhill and an error in the paperwork created the name of their company and their first, bottled-in-bond brand.
The business grew both internally and through acquisitions, such as Evan Williams and Pikesville Rye that we enjoyed on Sunday in Louisville. We smiled as we realized that the Henry McKenna brand was a member of their family. Henry was a great friend of our dear friend and best man at our wedding, Wade Barber. And then, there is Larceny – a bourbon introduced to us by our great friend, Steve Joslyn, a gifted artist who has crafted the lighting for our back porch/room at Dry Dock.
The Larceny brand name is the story of a man named John E. Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was a bonded US Treasury Agent who had access to the rickhouses of Stitzel Distillery, where bourbon barrels were stored and aged. His position gave him the means and the opportunity to steal tastes of some of the best bourbon. Using his keys, he would let himself into the rickhouses, thieve bourbon from the best barrels and take jugs of it home for himself! When it came time to drill and dump the barrels, some were found to be unusually light – and exceptionally smooth. These barrels became known as "Fitzgerald Barrels". Even when the brand was later sold to famous whiskey man Pappy Van Winkle, the Fitzgerald name – and his reputation – endured. What a great story and history for a "new" family of wheated bourbons introduced in 2012.
John E Fitzgerald's Larceny
Under the stewardship of the second generation, led by Ed's son Max, Heaven Hill Distillery has grown to become the sixth largest supplier of distilled spirits in the United States. In 1996, a fire erupted in Rickhouse 1, a wooden warehouse full of wooden barrels filled with alcohol-laden bourbon. Combined with high winds and significant fuel, it quickly spread to three others rickhouses and the distillery. In the span of 4 hours, Heaven Hill had lost one-third of a years' production (over 100,000 barrels) and the ability to produce any more.
The brotherhood of distillers was stronger than the passion of competition and multiple distillers stepped up to assist Heaven Hill by providing their facilities to allow the Shapira Family to continue to produce their products and keep their business alive. That continued for almost three years until Heaven Hill purchased the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville in 1999 and combined their family of products to those of Bernheim. To this day, all the production of Heaven Hill Distillers in done in the Bernheim facility, while the rickhouses and Visitors Center is located in Bardstown.
Just a few days before we visited the Heaven Hill facility in Bardstown, they had opened their new Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen on the Upper Level. After our "standard" tasting, we were invited to proceed upstairs for a tasting of Five Brothers Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, released on June 18, 2021. A small batch blending of five ages of bourbon, Five Brothers Bourbon pays homage to the courage, dedication and solidarity of the five Shapira brothers who started it all in 1935.
The BarBack of Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen
Of course, we just HAD to make our way up the winding staircase to a lovely bar area that truly looked like it wasn't open, yet there was a pleasant bartender and another couple at the bar. The bartender explained that the "official opening" would occur the following week when the public would be invited to enjoy the variety of bourbons, whiskeys and associated cocktails. He also shared with us that the management had decided to delay the opening of the Kitchen (restaurant) portion of the facility until next year. They were sensitive to the toll that COVID had taken on local businesses and did not want to introduce another competitor into their market until they had had an opportunity to recover. With that as a backdrop, and having enjoyed the smooth sipping pleasure of Five Brothers, we simply had to acquire an "initial bottle" for our collection.
We headed back to Contessa and spent another delightful evening by the firepit overlooking the small lake that was the centerpiece of this delightful campground. Purchased about two years ago, Gary and Mable are working hard to get it back into shape after having been closed, neglected and abused for 15+ years. The roads have all been resurfaced, the internet was to be active by the day we were to leave and the new pool is to be ready by fall. The sites closest to the lake, however, presented a few challenges with spacing and not sufficiently level for a coach of our size.
As we were enjoying the sunset and the firepit, Contessa attempted to re-establish a level position without success. Facing having to move her the next morning in an attempt to find a level spot, we elected instead to leave a day early (Tuesday) and head to Lexington to the Kentucky Horse Park Campground. It gave us the flexibility to leave at our leisure and get settled into our new site that we would call "home" for the coming week. Cousin Lee and Sandy Keen and Sister Sue and Rik Davis were due to arrive on Wednesday, so a little preparation (and perhaps give our livers a rest) was in order!
Everything worked out perfectly and by dinner time Wednesday evening, we were all together with steaks and vegetables on the grill! We enjoyed an evening of much conversation and laughter with anticipation of more bourbon experiences the next day!
Thursday dawned rainy – but it didn't dampen our spirits. Off we went to Versailles, Kentucky – pronounced Ver-Sales, because, hey, you are in Kentucky, not France! It was a simply stunning drive through beautiful horse country with absolutely amazing vistas of fencing, frolicking horses and colts and barns/paddocks. As we drove (and drove and drove) by Winstar Farms, we saw a sign for "Funny Cide", winner of the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Little did we know that we would meet Funny Cide later in the week when we visited the Kentucky Horse Park!
We found a local brewery for lunch that, unfortunately, was suffering the same labor shortage that we have seen so much this summer. A restaurant full of patrons and one cook does not make for an expeditious dining experience. We gathered our wits about us and made haste for our 1:10p check-in time at Woodford Reserve Distillery. This is going to be THE Tour of the Trail!
Captain Bill gets to the check-in desk right on time – only to be told that the tour has just been cancelled due to bad weather that prohibits visitors walking on the property and into the rickhouses! Our choices were to receive a full refund or wait an hour for a limited tasting. After a few minutes of sheer disappointment, the Admiral just had to ask "any chance we could re-schedule?" Fortunately, they agreed to add some additional tours on Saturday and we were able to return for our much-anticipated time at Woodford Reserve.
On Friday morning, we set off for Lawrenceburg, KY – another 45 minute drive through beautiful horse country. Four Roses has a quite interesting history! As legend has it, when Paul Jones Jr, the founder of Four Roses Bourbon, became smitten by the beauty of a Southern Belle, he sent a proposal to her. She replied that if her answer were "yes", she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball. Jones anxiously awaited her answer the night of the ball … when she arrived in her beautiful gown, she wore a corsage of four red roses. He later named his Bourbon "Four Roses" as a symbol of his devout passion for the lovely belle.
In 1884, he moved his thriving business to Louisville, where he opened an office in a section of historic Main Street called, "Whiskey Row." Four years later, he trademarked the name Four Roses, claiming production and sales back to the 1860s. In 1922, he purchased the Frankfort Distilling Company, presumably at a fire-sale price as Prohibition had been gripping the industry for two years (with 11 more to come).
In 1943, Seagram's of Canada purchased the Frankfort Distilling Company, to capitalize on the brand. In the early 1950's, the market for bourbon was on a decline in the United States and Seagram's made the decision to discontinue the sale of Four Roses Bourbon in the US and move it to the rapidly growing European and Asian markets. The Four Roses name unfortunately was transferred to a blended whiskey, made mostly of neutral grain spirits and commonly seen as a sub-par brand. Four Roses Bourbon would not return to the US market until 2002, when the Kirin Brewery Company of Japan would acquire the brand trademark and production facilities. Since its return and loads of work in regaining respect in the bourbon world, their Small Batch Bourbon has won several awards, including "Best Bourbon of The Century So Far" in 2020! And yes, we did acquire a bottle of the Small Batch (in fact, we acquired two – one to make into mint juleps that evening and one for our "collection").
Lee, Sandy, Admiral Jann & Captain Bill
Another evening of great cousin time – with many sentences beginning "do you remember when…." Lee is Jann & Sue's first cousin – his Dad was their Mom's brother. It is Lee's sister, Mary, who spent last summer at DryDock with her husband, Kevin, during COVID while their new home was being built. Lee & Jann are just a few months apart in age – and as children managed to get in all sorts of "interesting" predicaments.
But, all good things must come to an end – and at the end of the evening, we bade Sue & Rik so long for this time. They had been "on the road" for most of the last month and felt it was time to head back home and continue to settle in to their new home in southwestern Virginia.
Saturday morning was a picture perfect day and we were so thankful that our tour of Woodford Reserve had been postponed, as it was a perfect day for walking the grounds, touring the distillery and savoring the aroma of the rickhouses! Woodford Reserve was introduced in 1996 by Brown-Forman Distillers.
Our tour guide, Rob, was exceptional – his passion for the spirit and appreciation for Woodford's approach was evident in everything he said. Located in the midst of beautiful horse farms, the distillery is nestled in a valley that provides the pristine limestone-filtered water that is such an integral part of Kentucky's God-given advantage in bourbon making. The distillery itself is a National Historic Landmark, as the art of fine bourbon first took place on this site beginning in 1812. Many of the buildings are built of the gorgeous limestone and have been maintained/restored to their original glory.
Visitors Centre and Warehouse C Circa 1890-1892
Woodford employs several unique methods in their bourbon creation. In the fermentation room, they ferment their mash for a full 7 days, while most distillers have said their fermentation is 3-4 days. They ferment the mash in open, hand-made cypress vats. While these are extremely expensive to make, Rob indicated that they actually have a longer life than the stainless vats used by most other distillers and Woodford believes they add to the smoothness and flavor of the mash. They also return about 10% of their mash back into the next batch, making it a true sour mash – much like a sourdough bread and insures continuity in production.
The mash fermenting in cypress barrels for a full 7 days
From the fermentation room, we moved to the Still Room – and we felt like we had been transported back to Scotland! Here were three signature copper pot stills and a spirit safe. Woodford does a triple distillation, while other distillers hold to the standard two distillation process. There is the beer still, the high wine still and the high spirit still. Each still allows maximum contact of the vapors to come in contact with the copper, which they believe provides the silky smooth texture and flavor of Woodford Reserve. Many of the other distillers use a column still, which gives them much greater throughput/production and a "better" product. And who is to argue – there are many great bourbons. Captain Bill, however, certainly agrees with the Woodford approach!
The Stills were made by Forsyth & Sons in Scotland
The Spirit Safe is along the back wall, used by the Master Distiller
Another unique component to the Woodford creation is that Brown-Forman owns its own cooperage, where the new white oak barrels are made. This gives them increased flexibility in the creation of the barrels and charring, allows them to "experiment" and maintain the proprietary information in that creation. What Rob did share with us is that they "toast" their barrels before they "char" them. For their Distiller's Select Bourbon, the barrel is toasted for 10 minutes and then charred for 25 seconds. For their Double Barrel Bourbon, the second barrel is toasted for 40 minutes, charred for 5 seconds — and then the bourbon is in that second barrel for up to six months.
As we mentioned earlier, we already have a list of places we want to visit during our NEXT Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and top of the list is a Cooperage. So much of the flavoring and all of the color of the bourbon is from the charring of the new white oak barrels and the processes/timing as the liquid transitions through the char as the barrel expands and contracts during temperature changes. Woodford also heats their warehouses, so that during the winter months when bourbon in Kentucky usually just rests, they can warm and cool the barrels, forcing the contents to transition through the char multiple times during the season.
Charring barrels – photo complements of the Kentucky Cooperage
As with many of the distilleries we visited, Woodford is expanding their production capacity in order to fulfill the demands in the 180 countries and 3 blends of Woodford available today. They were not currently bottling on Saturday, but when in operation, it runs at a rate of 100 bottles/minute!
What a beautiful site – ricks of barrels aging Woodford Reserve
The barrels on the gravity rail on the right were produced the night before and are headed to a rickhouse
Lee, Sandy & Captain Bill preparing for a delightful Tasting!
On Sunday, we headed in a direction other than bourbon – The Kentucky Horse Park, which was just next door to our campground.
We were greeted with a handsome bronze statue of Secretariat, undoubtedly THE outstanding thoroughbred of the second half of the 20th century. He won 16 of his 21 starts, including the 1973 Triple Crown — winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes while setting new track records in each race.
Secretariat in the Winner's Circle at the Kentucky Derby
While there were many statues throughout the park, the one that spoke to all of us was Staff Sergeant Reckless of the 5th Marine Regiment – 1st Marine Division. SSgt Reckless served valiantly with the US Marine Corps in the Korean War. During the pivotal five-day Battle of Outpost-Vegas in late March 1953, she made 51 round-trips in a single day — most of them solo — from the Ammunition Supply Point to the firing sites. She carried 385 rounds of ammunition totaling more than 9,000 pounds, and walked over 35 miles, through open rice paddles and up steep mountains, as enemy fire exploded at the rate of 500 rounds per minute.
Reckless provided a shield for front-line Marines, carried the wounded to safety, and was wounded twice. But she never quit until the mission was complete. She wasn't a horse – she was a Marine!
She is buried at Camp Pendleton, Stepp Stables , where she spent her final years before her death at age 20 in 1968.
Staff Sargent Reckless
We walked the grounds and made our way to the Circle of Champions, where we saw Funny Cide, of Winstar Farms – that gorgeous horse farm from earlier in the week.
We then spent a delight 45 minutes being entertained by the Master of Ceremonies at a presentation of 3 of the Outstanding Horses living at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Go for Gin, at 9-to-1 odds, won the 1994 Kentucky Derby
Go for Gin then had close seconds in the Preakness & Belmont
Retired due to injury, he is the oldest living Derby winner at 30 years
His offspring have earned more than $20 million!
Point Given was the 2001 American Horse of the Year winning
Preakness, Belmont, Haskell Invitational & Travers Stakes
becoming the first horse to EVER win four $1M races in a row
Western Dreamer is an American Standardbred
Won the US Pacing Triple Crown in 1997
Western Dreamer is the only gelding of any breed to ever win
a Triple Crown
A Pacing Horse moves both legs on the same side of his body together rather the left front-back right and right front-back left
A Gelding is a castrated male horse – a difficult decision to make for a racehorse re: future stud fees but there are often reasons/benefits
We were fortunate to have an Arabian Horse Show being held the day we were there. Knowing absolutely nothing about judging horses, we still enjoyed the pageantry and marveled at the control the riders had over their horses. It was clear we had no knowledge of judging, as none of the horses Sandy & I chose won!
Monday was to be our last day together, so we had a leisurely breakfast outdoors with our traditional Lox and Bagels. Neither Lee nor Sandy had never had gravlox, so it was a joy to share with them – and they were good sports about it all!
Then it was off to our last distillery – Buffalo Trace in Frankfort. Every distillery we visited over the past 10 days has been about a 30-40 minute drive, but with all the beautiful horse farms, it has not been a problem!
The definition of a "buffalo trace" is a path or trail made by the buffalo as they roamed this part of our beautiful country in the 1700's. In this case, the trail led the buffalo down to the Kentucky River for clear, fresh water. In 1773, Commodore Richard Taylor, an engineer and cousin of Zachery Taylor, was sent to survey the Kentucky River for navigability. He found it to be shallow but useable during most seasons of the year. The ability to move goods and services through the frontier to the port of New Orleans was an essential part of the development of the country, including barrels of whiskey both from upstream and from the surrounding area.
The Kentucky River – Picture on left shows lock now seldom used
By 1858, Daniel Swigert builds a small but "up-to-date" distillery, using the existing warehouse and access to the river. In 1870, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. purchases the distillery and christens it "O.F.C." for Old Fashioned Copper Stills, in the belief that the finest whiskey was produced in OFC.
Having grand plans, E.H. Taylor invests a "small fortune" ($70,000) as he builds a new distillery on the site. The fermenters in the original distillery were lined concrete and held 22,000 gallons in each of six fermenters. Taylor's plan was much grander, so he filled in the concrete vats with dirt and built a concrete pad and building on top. During excavation years later, the original fermenters were saved and have been restored for historical value only.
The fermenter on the right was re-lined with copper for display/knowledge purposes
In 1882, lightning strikes and burns the O.F.C. Distillery and is rebuilt immediately in an even grander manner at an additional investment of $44,000 (after insurance), including a large mashing (cooking) and fermenting wing which remains intact today.
The blackened brick is from the "Angel's Share" that escapes from the barrels!
In 1897, Albert B. Blanton, not wanting to be a farmer, joined the company as an office boy at the age of 16. He would spend the next 63 years working every job at the distillery, becoming President in 1921 at the beginning of Prohibition and navigating the company through that and many others challenges (including the Great Flood of 1937) until his death in 1961.
The grounds are beautiful, as is the statue of A. B. Blanton
He is buried over the hill at the site of his home
It seems as though every distillery had a claim of being the first to do something and often there is no way to verify or question those claims. However, tongue-in-cheek, the Distillery (now known as George T. Stagg Distillery) introduces Blanton's in 1984, the world's first single-barrel bourbon!
As we have heard time and again, with the exception of Heaven Hill, ownership of the distilleries has changed hands many times due to leadership, consolidation, Prohibition and vision. Today, this is a family-owned business after the purchase by the Sazerac Company in 1992.
By 1999, distillery had gone through another major renovation and is rechristened as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The Distillery's new flagship brand – Buffalo Trace – is launched.
Quite an Array of Products from Sazerac/Buffalo Trace
including the Pappy VanWinkle we discussed earlier!
Buffalo Trace currently has one continuous copper still and 13 fermenters that hold 93,000 gallons of mash each, along with all the rickhouses co-located on the banks of the Kentucky River. They are in the midst of a $1.2 billion expansion, including acquisition of 400 acres a few miles away to build additional rickhouses, that will double their production! What an investment – when you realize that the beginning of the return on investment is at least 7 years away when the first bourbon will be drawn from the barrels and available for sale!
The existing column still is in the background, the new still will be right beside it
Captain Bill & Cousin Lee were certainly attentive for the tasting!
Tuesday morning brought the departure of Lee and Sandy – and Primrose and Maggie (their four-legged family). We had a fabulous week with them and are hopeful for other rendezvous opportunities in our NEAR future! They headed out promptly at 8:00a – with the recipe and all the fixings for Mint Juleps to share with their friends.
Nothing better than time with Family!
After all the TV advertisements on The Ark Encounter and recommendations from several friends that had visited, we set off for – you guessed it – a 30 minute drive, this time north to Williamstown, Kentucky.
Out in the middle of Nowhere sits The Ark!
The research and execution of this project was absolutely mind-boggling. We would really like to go back, perhaps some early November, when it is cool and children are in school. While we were thrilled to see the huge number of families visiting a Biblically-based "attraction", the sheer volume of people, strollers, backpacks, scooters for grandparents, etc made every step of the journey a challenge.
With tickets in hand, it took us over an hour standing in 90 degree direct sun to get the ticket exchanged for a wristband and get on the bus that would take us from the parking lot to the site. There is a tremendous amount of reading that tells not only the Story of Noah and the Ark, but also the research and decisions that were made to bring the Ark to reality in today's world.
What started as a "what if" discussion in 2002 led to the purchase of land for development of the Ark site in April, 2010. Official groundbreaking for the construction occurred on May 1, 2014. The first beams were set in place on June 15, 2015 and the ribbon-cutting ceremony opening the Ark occurred on July 5, 2016. Compare that to what we "know" about the timing of the original Ark construction, by people much smarter than I am, who estimate it took 75 years to build it!
The creators of the current Ark attempted to build the structure to the specifications as God gave them to Noah – 500 cubits x 50 cubits x 30 cubits. But, first, one must determine what is the length of a cubit! A common measure in ancient cultures, it was the length from a man's elbow to the tip of his longest finger, estimated to be 17.5″-18″. However, there was also a royal cubit, which added the width of four fingers (approx 3″) to make a royal cubit in ancient times equivalent to 20.4″-21.6″; they elected to utilize the more conservative number of 20.4″ cubit. That makes the Ark 510′ long, 85′ wide and 51′ tall and by volume 1.88 million cubic feet or hold approximately 450 semi-trailers.
While there clearly are no records on how Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives dealt with the animals (watering, feeding, exercising, waste disposal, etc), the creators of this Ark represented methods that could have been used. There are representations of vessels for water capture and dispensing, feed/grain storage, and waste disposal. Workshops they would have needed to maintain the shop, as well as a blacksmith shop are included with cages holding replicas of a wide variety of animal pairs, both extinct and animals we recognize today.
The children were absolutely captivated and it really was enjoyable to watch their eyes light up as Mom and Dad explained what they saw. They seemed to be enamored with the door – where Noah loaded the animals into the Ark, two by two.
We departed mid-afternoon and headed back one last time to the Kentucky Horse Park Campground that had served us so well for a delightful week. We stowed the lights, rugs, grill and trapping that happen when you are somewhere that long and prepared for our departure on Wednesday morning.
Quite a nice site!
Off easily just as planned! Adhering to our target of less than 300 miles per day, we stopped mid-afternoon and had a nice walk around the park. Thursday morning was an easy "Hitch the Toad and Go" and we were home safe and sound by noon, ready to unload and thankful to be home.
We'll be enjoying (and sipping) our souvenirs for a long time!
Contessa will be idle for at least a couple of months as Bill has knee replacement surgery (right knee – making accelerator and brake a challenge afterwards), but you'll know when Contessa and The Toad Get Hitched again!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on July 12, 2021 July 12, 2021 Leave a comment on Kentucky Bourbon Trail – and Beautiful Horse Country
SO Missouri and Branson
The Ozark Mountain region provides beautiful landscapes, canyons, caves and people! We were so thankful that we elected to depart our family a day early. Weather did move in, as predicted, which would have made the mountain roads much more interesting (read challenging). As well, when we arrived in Branson on Sunday afternoon and were disconnecting the Toad, Jann noticed that the right side connection joint of the Blue Ox baseplate was loose. This baseplate with its two connections points are where the Toad hitches to Contessa and it is essential that these two points are solid and secure. If not, the Toad can cause major damage to people and structures!
This is the second time this joint had failed since its installation in mid-July 2017 when we acquired Contessa. Once again, we were so blessed to find good service providers. This time it was Thomas and Sons in Springfield, MO (35 miles away) that was a very knowledgeable Blue Ox distributor and service center. Bill contacted them on Monday morning and the Toad was in their service bay before noon. After a very short time, they determined that the baseplate had been installed improperly in 2017, which is what led to the initial failure in 2018 in Houston and again to the "repair" that was done at that time.
Within about an hour, we had a new baseplate assembly on order (to be received and installed the following day) and on our way in a loaner car, so that we could enjoy our time in Southern Missouri! Every single person we dealt with at Thomas & Sons was amazing – like their #1 goal was to solve any issue we might have and as though they were the owner of the business.
So, Tuesday morning, we set off to Dogwood Canyon, about 45 minutes southwest of Branson. On a hot day in southern Missouri, escaping to a 10,000 acre preserve of cool waters and luscious greenery was perfect. The preserve began with the purchase of 2,260 acres in 1990 by Johnny Morris, CEO of Bass Pro Shops. It was opened briefly to the public but was then closed for restoration and expansion. Over six years, construction of roads, bridges and infrastructure occurred that supports both the use and protection of what is now the home to long horn steer, elk and bison as well as bald and golden eagles and an amazing amount of rainbow trout.
Entrance and Mill House
Amish Covered Bridge, Chapel Built by Staff and Dining Room
Bald Eagle Nest – 5′-6′ in diameter
Not native to the Canyon, they brought in 24 chicks and now have a population of 67
150′ Indian Cliff Falls
Elk – 1 week old, beautiful racks and does cooling in the shade on a hot day
Bison – when it is cooler they reported run like the wind! Not so today on a HOT day!
The Big Guy on the right is Ninja, one of two bulls in the herd
Dogwood Canyon reopened to the public in 1996 and is now part of the Johnny Morris Foundation. There are hiking trails, bicycle paths, opportunities for both self-guided and guided trout fishing adventures, horseback riding and segway & tram tours.
The waters appear totally calm except for the waterfalls – and the trout feeding!
And a Tree House for Children of ALL Ages – built by Treehouse Masters
Complete with 103 birdhouses on the back side – it took them 21 days to build
It is an amazing preservation of a beautiful piece of the world. Johnny Morris has had a major impact on Southern Missouri, having founded Bass Pro Shops in 1972 in 8 square feet of space in the back of his father's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri selling fishing tackle. He is truly an example of the "American Dream" where hard, honest work is rewarded – and is given back! That humble beginning is now a vast enterprise of destination stores, boat & ATV manufacturing, resorts & outdoor destinations and conservation projects.
We spent a delightful day at Dogwood Canyon and as soon as the two-hour tram tour completed, we headed back to Springfield to retrieve the Toad, with her shiny new baseplate. It was ready just as promised, at exactly the price they quoted – what a pleasure to do business with these people!
On Wednesday, we had the extreme pleasure of visiting the College of the Ozarks, located in Hollister, MO, just south of Branson. Their Mission is to "provide the advantages of a Christian education for the youth of both sexes, especially those found worthy, but who are without sufficient means to procure such training." Their Vision is "to develop citizens of Christ-like character who are well-educated, hard-working and patriotic."
Known as Hard Work University, all students at the college work, rather than pay, for their education. No full-time student pays tuition, but rather works at campus jobs. The college openly discourages debt by not participating in any kind of loans and allows students to the opportunity to graduate debt free. Additionally, they gain four years of valuable work experience.
It was founded in 1906 by Presbyterian minister Reverend James Forsythe as a high school called The School of the Ozarks. In 1956, it was renamed The College of the Ozarks as a junior college (closing the high school portion) before becoming a four-year bachelor's program in 1965. In 2012, they re-opened the high school component and in 2015, implemented a kindergarten thru middle school component. They now offer complete K-12 and 4 year degree programs. There are over 50 majors available to students, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
While the Keeter Center is the largest "employer" on campus with an historic hotel, meeting facilities and dining room that serves lunch & dinner daily to the public, there are 100 work experiences from dairy to landscaping, stain glass to farming, greenhouses to candlemaking and millworks.
Keeter Center – Hotel and First Class Dining Experience
Chapel Built by Students – Stonework and Stained Glass Included
Raceway for the Mill, Mill & General Store, the Stained Glass, Candle Shop and Greenhouse
We had the opportunity to speak with many of the students as they worked in the various shops and dining room. It certainly renewed our faith and outlook in the "younger generation" as they spoke of their country, their commitment to their own future and their education. Our server at lunch is entering her junior year in nursing; she plans to work 2 years in ICU/Emergency Room Trauma and then return to school to pursue a degree as Nurse Practitioner.
As we mentioned, the Patriotic component of the education at College of the Ozarks is very prominent. To the left of the main entrance is Patriots Park, where Memorials are honorably presented, maintained and visited by the student body and visitors.
Missouri Gold Star Families
Missouri Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The plaque explains that the division in the wall (similar to the Wall in Washington DC) is meant to represent the division that existing in the country over the war, but the warriors were right in the middle, doing what their country asked them to do.
The Global War on Terror
The Korean Warn Memorial and The Veterans Grove
World War II Flag Plaza
COVID certainly took a toll on the town of Branson, as many of the entertainment venues, as well as motels and restaurants were boarded up or closed. The draw for us to Branson was not the entertainment, but we did decide to spend a couple of our evenings supporting the local establishments. One evening was "New Jersey Nights" – a local rendition of The Jersey Boys, which was quite well done. The second evening was The Six, a group of five (originally six) brothers that have been entertaining in Branson for over twenty years. Billed as one of the best shows in Branson, we left disappointed but glad that we had supported the local economy!
Our campground was extremely convenient, located literally downtown and right on Lake Taneycomo, which looks much more like a river, which connects to Table Rock Lake, a large recreational lake of Southern Missouri. Branson Lakeside RV Park is run by the city, is well maintained and very convenient for everything we wanted to see in the region.
You see all types of "camping" styles – but the one of the right was very unique! A permanent
installation of a unit that is supposed to slide into a pick-up truck bed, on a flatbed. They would then
drive their off-road Jeep up the ramp on to back of the flatbed and pull it all with the large pick-up!
We thoroughly enjoyed our days in Southern Missouri – then we headed back east toward our much-anticipated Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Over the next several days, we were in campgrounds that did not have wifi services of any type, so this blog entry is much delayed. We are currently "on the Trail" sipping Bourbon and taking many notes! You'll hear from us again in a few days!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on July 3, 2021 1 Comment on SO Missouri and Branson
Ratts Reunion – What a Joy!
It's hard to imagine that when, 22 years ago in May 1999, Jann's father said "I don't want this family to loose each other" as we sat in the living room of his brother Leval's home in Salem, Indiana (his last living sibling). We had just left Uncle Leval/Grandpa's Memorial Service – and we were all feeling a bit lost and the beginnings of adrift at sea. "The Farm" with Uncle Leval & Aunt Mary had been where we had ALL gone when we needed to "go home" and now they were all gone – first the farm, then Aunt Mary and now Uncle Leval. It was the farm that our collective great-grandfather had cleared and the anchor we had all clung to all our lives.
But, God does work in mysterious ways! Her Dad's proclamation included not only what he didn't want but what he did – a reunion to be held the following June, on Father's Day, at Shirley Ratts' Home in Memphis, TN! As we all sat in shock, Shirley "kind of" nodded yes – and the Ratts Reunion was born!
Now 22 years later, we have connected in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee – some multiple times and some multiple places. We've grown and we've aged – we've lost and we've added – the circle of Ratts just keeps getting bigger and crazier!
Leslie and Pam Ratts Cooper hosted this rowdy bunch at their Little Slice of Heaven on the White River near Norfork/Mountain Home, Arkansas – the first time eight years ago and again this Father's Day Weekend 2021. We have grown from ~17 people that year to 35 this year! We had 7 that hadn't been able to attend in close to 10 years and 11 that attended two years ago but unable to do so this year, so it is an ever-changing group. As always, it was a bit like herding feral cats.
Views of the White River from a Bluff across from Calico Rock
The Ozark Folk Center is very well done – and deserved a full day, but the Brewery called us!
A RATT Bow – Who Knew!! The Wiede Family Entertained Us
Saturday was "on the White River" – and with temperatures in the upper 90's, even the frigid water temperatures were welcome!
The 4+ mile trip took less than 2 hours – the dam was open & the water was rushing!
After an exhausting day in the sun, Riverside Retreat (one of four properties housing the reunion) provided a wonderful environment for our final evening of cookout, conversation, laughter, games and sharing.
With many hugs and memories made, we bid each other "God Speed" on Sunday morning (some departed VERY early) – with prayers for safe travel and excitement for a Ratts Reunion 2023 in Dodge City, Kansas!
Taken At PJ's Waterfront Restaurant Friday night – with our Traditional Ratts T-Shirts!
The Captain & The Admiral hitched The Toad to Contessa a day earlier than planned and headed to Branson, Missouri on Sunday about 11:00a. She had been in a prime location on Pam & Leslie's property, but rain was forecasted for Sunday night & Monday. We did not want to risk having a 45,000 lb vehicle sink into the lovely lawn!
It turned out to be an extremely positive decision! Details in the next entry!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on June 22, 2021 June 23, 2021 Leave a comment on Ratts Reunion – What a Joy!
Our World Begins to Return to "Normal"
How could we have ever envisioned when we arrived home from California a year ago last April, that we would just now begin to really feel like "normal" is within reach. We have been so blessed in our cocoons – but the butterflies are more than ready to emerge!
We did take Contessa to the west coast of Florida for most of the winter, but like everything else in this world, it was strange and limited. Contessa did her part on our way down – when she had an issue with the transmission, she made sure it was within 25 miles of the absolutely best place on the eastern seaboard to resolve the issue! What could have been disastrous was instead a pleasant and prompt resolution and we have found the right people to service her in Savannah for the foreseeable future.
January, February & March was spent near St. Petersburg and Anna Maria Island which allowed us to have socially distanced visits with a few friends and relatives. Our site at the Tides RV Resort was lovely and while many were open for partying, we kept our distance, which seemed really strange but necessary. We truly tried to keep a balance between safety & sanity!
We returned to DryDock for the spring – and on Thursday, June 10, we "sprung the lines" (that's a boating term) and pointed Contessa west. Having missed the Alaska Adventure last season, we originally thought we would make that our 2021 trip. As we looked at "things" in January, which is when planning had to occur, there were so many unknowns about traveling, Canadian border limitations, time away from home, etc. that we decided to savor a shorter trip this summer – and target the Pacific & Canadian Northwest in 2022.
So, this Adventure is the Ratts Reunion & the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! We'll spend a weekend with Niece Christy & Chris in Nashville TN before heading to North Central Arkansas. We'll spend most of a week there on the property of Cousin Pam and Leslie Cooper, where some 35 Ratts Cousins will converge!
One thing you NEVER do on a boat is to leave on a voyage/trip on Friday. It is simply bad "juju"!! With Contessa, we also plan our first day to be a short one, allowing us to easily close up the cabin, finish any preparations, make sure everything is right with the coach — all without stress and pressure. So, we launched on Thursday, June 10.
We packed the "final" load into the truck to take to Contessa across the river and started to pull up the driveway, only to be met with a wall of trees!
A storm the previous night evidently was all the old maple tree could handle. Unfortunately, as she came down, she took a tulip poplar and part of a rhododendron with it. So, back to the cabin for work clothes & gloves, loppers and chain saw. About an hour and a half later, we had the driveway cleared. Bill was able to cut the trunk of the maple such that we could roll pieces to the side of the drive – as there was no way we could pick them up! Thankfully, our reliable friend Kim Bishop & Crew will finish the job while we are gone. They have the equipment to handle it and we don't have to face it when we return.
We were able to depart Brevard at 1:00p and, with our shortened schedule (~100 miles & fuel stop), arrive at our first overnight destination before 4:00p. Bill says it is always the last mile that is the challenge of every day and this one was low hanging branches & power lines. He navigated around them and we got to our site without issue. The leveling system on Contessa had her workout, but was able to level on a fairly steep site – all is good!
The next morning we delayed departure to avoid "rush hour" traffic thru Knoxville and arrived Nashville at 2:15p CDT. We'll be here until Monday visiting with Christy & Chris and enjoying the hot but exciting city of Nashville!
View from Contessa's front window of J Percy Priest Reservoir
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on June 12, 2021 Leave a comment on Our World Begins to Return to "Normal"
We can certainly relate to Dorothy!
"There's no place like home!"
Contessa pulled into her home port yesterday (Saturday) about 12:30p. And, oh, it is so good to be home, even as we enjoyed the adventure of sheltering in place with the shelter moving.
We had a very productive 4 days in Tampa. All the Dr appointments and tests occurred on the modified schedule, with both of us feeling very safe with the precautions that the medical facilities had implemented. On Thursday morning, the culmination of the week was with Bill's Hearing & Balance specialist, located at Tampa General Hospital. There was a palpable pall hanging over the entire facility. Medical personnel in scrubs walking purposely toward a long day – with their heads down and not making eye contact with anyone.
Before Bill could enter the building, they took his temperature – which provided again a reassuring sense of protection. And the results of the MRI — the tumor on his audial nerve that we have been chasing for 12+years has shrunk since the last scan! This is such amazingly good news – his specialist (who was unexpectedly in the office) said that unless he begins to exhibit any of the symptoms we have watched for – primarily balance & right side facial muscles, there is no reason to return! He said "Go have a good life!" Now, that doesn't mean he has or will regain any of the hearing in that ear, but our concern of additional and frankly more life-impacting effects has been all but erased! Thank God!
We did a little jig in the parking lot of the hospital – and then immediately headed back to Contessa, who was all closed up and ready to head north. We got out shortly after 11 and traveled about 120 miles to Starke FL for the evening. We stayed at a lovely little KOA Campground – totally quiet except for the trains that we love to hear.
We were out at first light on Friday – just anxious to get going, even though we were not trying to make it all the way home in one day. As we crossed the Florida-Georgia border heading north, we saw the barricades on the south bound lanes where Florida State Patrol had set up a total roadblock for all vehicles except semi-trucks. At 8:15a, the back-up was minimal, but we later heard reports of 5-6 mile back-ups. They are interrogating every vehicle, querying specifically those entering from New York/New Jersey/Connecticut. They were taking license/car/phone information and the destination of the passengers – and demanding 14 day quarantine and assuring the passengers that they would be checked on! We missed a similar experience coming into Florida last week – by just a few hours.
With our early departure, we got to our destination for the evening by about lunchtime – HomeStay RV Park near Orangeburg SC (off I-26). What an absolutely fabulous spot for our last night on the road! It is .6 mile down a dirt road to a 40 acre slice of heaven. The owners are building their dream of an event center (barn) and a few campsites (ultimately 10-12) in a several acre clearing around a stocked bass pond. They currently only have one site – so we fundamentally had the place to ourselves, except for the owners in their barn/house.
Saturday dawned bright & beautiful and we savored the many colors of green as spring has definitely come to the Low Country. As we headed north, the dogwoods were in bloom, the red buds were gorgeous and the wildflowers danced in the wind.
We pulled into Brevard about 11:30a Saturday morning, stopped just east of downtown to disconnect the Toad – and we headed up the mountain. Admiral Jann stopped by St. Philip's to get our Palm Cross and admire the Palm Cross on the front of the church.
Since we arrived home, we have been settling in – which means moving all the stuff off the coach (and from the CA casita) into the cabin. That not only requires multiple trips with the Jeep & F-150, but it means figuring out where to put all the "stuff" into a cabin that is already full! By this evening, almost everything is in its place – or at least a temporary place.
So, now we will shelter-in-place like all of our friends & family have been doing. We have enough food for a month – and enough work on the property for at least twice that long, so we will be fine and will have no problem being bored!
It will probably be mid-late May before we learn whether our Alaska Trip will happen – but if not this year, then next. If it happens this year, we'll need to leave by June 1 in order to be in northern Washington State by June 24. So, we'll pause the blog until the next time Contessa & The Toad Get Hitched.
Please take care of yourselves and savor this very special Holy Week! Y'all are always in our thoughts & prayers!
Captain Bill & Admiral Jann
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on April 6, 2020 1 Comment on We can certainly relate to Dorothy!
Whew! Just In Time!
Contessa & The Toad, with Captain Bill at the helm and Admiral Jann navigating, pulled out of Mississippi JUST in time to get across the Florida border on I-10 heading east! We got to Tallahassee, FL on Saturday afternoon -only to learn that they had activated a "checkpoint" for all vehicles entering Florida from the west. Their purpose was to identify and notify anyone arriving from Louisiana (specifically New Orleans) that they should either return home or totally self-quarantine for 14 days. While we would not have had a problem, it would certainly have been unsettling as well as time-impacting.
We did have a good "down day" in and around Gautier, MS. As with much of our travels (especially here in Florida, where we lived for 20 years), it is so disappointing to not be able to connect with great friends! Dirk Young & I worked together at Harris Corp (after I left MOT) and it would have been so great to connect with him and his wife, Amanda. But, sometimes we must be adults, even if we do not want to be!
The Captain & Admiral did check out Huck's Cove Marina & Grill – where they actually had patio dining! The tables were a good 8′ apart and there could be no more than 10 people in any group. We had a lovely respite – and no one even at the closest tables. It was nice to be "out".
Our cruise through downtown Mobile was again rather eerie – even though it was Saturday morning, there was almost no traffic on the roads and not a single slowdown thru the tunnel or anywhere. As we exited "downtown", off to our right was the USS Alabama – what a glorious sight!
After a relaxing evening in Tallahassee, we made our way to Wesley Chapel yesterday (Sunday) to Quail Run RV Resort, where we will be for 4 nights. Ironically, our first night out on this trip was at Quail Run RV Park in Quartzsite, AZ – very different LOL. This is a lovely park with well-spaced lots. Many people are here much longer than they anticipated, but it is a lot better to be here – at least for our neighbor, who is from Long Island NY.
We'll have time to clean windshield, bow of coach & car; re-provision some produce; get our appointments done – and head north on Thursday afternoon.
Stay safe & stay well!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on March 30, 2020 March 30, 2020 2 Comments on Whew! Just In Time!
Back to the Land of Humidity!
Wow, how soon one forgets what life is like in the south! We pulled into our site last evening and just plugging in the coach created a sweat event that I haven't felt in months (except for Zumba!)
We enjoyed our "day off" in San Antonio – again so thankful that we had enjoyed so much of this delightful city on our journey west in the fall of 2018, as everything was shutdown this time. We were amazed at how empty the campground was, as it is very nice KOA facility. We learned that in addition to everything else – this was to have been NASCAR Race Weekend, which was cancelled.
As we did in 2018, we took a drive northeast about 30 miles to the future home of good friends, Ferril & Gayla Sorenson. Much construction has occurred around their lot and it is about to get started for them.
We had a delightful bike ride – and it was the first "ah-ha — there is that humidity". San Antonio has a network of bicycle paths that wind through parks and river/creek ways that will get you to the Riverwalk, but we didn't go that far. Also, there are more hills in San Antonio than in Indio – which my legs told me about later.
We set out early from San Antonio. Even though we are loosing time zone hours as we head east, we seem to leave earlier and earlier. We adjusted our goal for the day to make it the remainder of the way through Texas. We did encounter a bit of rain and were again so thankful to have the windshield wipers in full operation. Construction all across Texas makes for a tense and exhausting ride for the Captain. There are miles and miles of concrete barriers on either side of the highway. The lanes are narrow in Texas (10′) and Contessa is 8 1/2′ wide – which does not give one much leeway – especially when being passed by a semi and his air wake!
We went straight thru Houston – and while there was certainly traffic, not a single slowdown or set of brake lights did we see. Traveling is certainly easier in these times!
After stopping for fuel in Vinton, LA, we made our way to a campground a mile away and had a relaxing evening, complete with delicious ribs! We also marveled – we filled up this beast of a motorhome for $125!!
Yesterday was Louisiana – and, oh, how we dreaded it! So much of I-10 is bridges across the bayou. It makes the Seven Mile Bridge seem short compared to miles and miles of highway that rides more like a roller coaster. BUT, since we had no intention of getting anywhere near New Orleans and its "hotspot", we were able to take I-12 across the north side of Lake Pontchartrain from Baton Route to Slidell. That eliminated 20 miles of travel and it was a smooth, easy road.
We pulled into Gautier MS – with a plan for two days here. Now that we are nearing our destinations, we can take our time a bit more. We found another lovely campground – and again another blessing came our way this morning! Every schedule change has a cascading impact – and Bill's Hearing Specialist office called wanting to move his appt from Friday to Thursday, but that means moving the Thursday appts to earlier in the week, as each is dependent upon the other. Everything worked out – and we will now be able to leave Tampa on Thursday afternoon instead of Saturday morning.
We're off today for lunch out (pick-up & picnic table) and then blood tests in preparation for next week.
Be Safe & Be Well!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on March 27, 2020 Leave a comment on Back to the Land of Humidity!
The Sage in Bloom!
One of the many joys of traveling in Contessa across this great land is the changing topology, especially as spring is emerging! The multitude of shades of green across the hillsides of West Texas are amazing – and the scent of spring and wildflowers are so calming.
Our first night in Texas was in Ft. Stockton – where we had spent a delightful afternoon and evening in November, 2018. We were thankful we had toured the fort and visited a bar (imagine that!) that had recently opened – as nothing was open this time.
We took a nice walk around the campground – greeted (from an appropriate social distance) many folks including two that had been at Las Cruses NM with us the night before. In a "normal world", we would most certainly shaken hands and perhaps shared some time together. Not this time!
Beautiful Warblers
Another indication of spring is the plethora of bees & bugs – that seem to attack our large front window and "bow" of the coach while underway. In an effort to alleviate some of "big yellow splats", Captain Bill used the windshield washer & wipers. Unfortunately, just as he did that – a speeding semi passes us and the bow current from his rig whipped the driver side wiper clean off the windshield and behind the rear-view mirror. Bill pulled over as soon as he could and we were able to prevent it being ripped off the rig.
So, a plan developed to contact a truck or RV repair facility in San Antonio the following day – and say a prayer for no rain during our travels. And, if it did rain, we discussed we would simply have to pull over until the rain passed.
Even though we have "lost" an hour each day for the last two days, we were up and out early this morning – which is our normal mode of travel. The sun was brilliant, which we were thankful for, even if it makes heading east a bit irritating. It didn't take long, however, to have all that sunshine disappear behind dark storm clouds and signs of rain all around us. The roadway was wet – it had clearly rained just minutes ahead of us. We had about 2 minutes of a light mist that dried almost as soon as it hit the windshield. And then, all signs of rain dissipated and we spent the rest of the day with overcast but dry weather! There He goes again – taking care of us!
During the drive, calls were made to SouthWest Mobile RV Repair, who agreed to meet us upon our arrival at the Alamo KOA Campground mid afternoon and to Carlos to get Contessa washed on Tuesday. We also confirmed all our Dr & MRI appointments for next week. Providers are aware we are driving in – so if anything changes, they will advise, but for now, we are all systems go!
Traffic was eerily almost non-existent! There were miles and miles of I-10 where we didn't see a vehicle either head or behind us – both in our lane and in the opposing direction.
The last few miles were the worst of the trip so far, with the confluence of multiple interstates in the center of San Antonio and construction/concrete barriers. Captain Bill, as always, did a marvelous job and we arrived safe & sound at the Alamo KOA Campground at 2:15p. After "settling in", he just couldn't help himself but HAD to start working on the windshield wiper before Levy arrived (we knew he was on his way). Sure enough, he had the diagnosis done before Levy arrived – and together they were able to "save" the wiper arm!
So, here we are for TWO DAYS! It is our first stop for more than an overnight, which many of you know is not our standard 3-3-3. This travel is, of course, quite different and we are doing OK with the rate of travel – even while we are looking forward to a "gentle day" tomorrow.
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on March 24, 2020 1 Comment on The Sage in Bloom!
It was an absolutely glorious day as we continued our trek (Day 3) on I-10! While there is more traffic than we anticipated, it has an interesting mix of around 60% truckers (God bless them!), 25% motorhomes & campers and 15% cars/pick-up trucks.
Yesterday, we enjoyed seeing the saguaro cactus, ocotillos in bloom, and fields of jumping cholla – and we marveled that just two years ago, we could not have identified any of these beautiful creations! Today, it was wildflowers -pink, orange and fields of yellow!
And blooming yucca for miles & miles!
The elevation of southern Arizona added interest to the drive, as we appreciated the mountains in the distance that we did NOT need to traverse. We expect to see snow-capped in northern Arizona (Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff), but yet – in mid-March, southern Arizona has some, as well.
And then, just the rough terrain that is everywhere in this part of our great land!
The topography is amazing
Gives new meaning to "Big Rocks"
We put another state (Arizona) in our rear view mirror, as we entered New Mexico – and lost an hour on our clocks entering Mountain Daylight Time. The topology has a combination of high plains and two "types"of mountains – the Burro Mountains that are granite, and the "fault block mountains" that seem to rise out of the plains floor, the result of volcanic activity similar to Joshua Tree National Park.
We pulled into Hacienda RV Park in Las Cruses, NM just before 3:00p – where we stayed in November 2018 on our first trip to Southern CA with dear friends, Bob & Sue Grote.
We're settled in for the night, after an hour or so of washing the windshield & "bow" of the coach (daily event). A nice walk around the park – nodding to people at an appropriate "social distance" and then a delightful dinner & evening aboard Contessa is on our plan. Tomorrow, we'll go thru El Paso on our way to Ft. Stockton TX. We're keeping our ears & eyes tuned for changes to state & federal plans – while keeping with "our plan" for now.
Yesterday, we shared the Freymiller truck – today is a trucking line (Danny Herman) that we so enjoy, as every one has a scriptural message. This one particularly touches my heart from our Bible Study at Desert Shores this season. It was so wonderful -and so helpful in these days of worry and the unknown – "Anxious for Nothing" by Max Lucado – based on Philippians 4.
For those of you that have sent messages on "Messenger" – we no longer use this app as the number of hacks and disruptions are untenable for us. We would love to hear from you – text message or email work great!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on March 22, 2020 1 Comment on Eastbound & Down
Take Me Home, Country Road!
How all our world has changed in the last two weeks! It is the consummate example of one of our favorite quotes – "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan!".
But, then, we stop and think about all the blessings that we see around us every day. The beauty of people caring for each other (not the hoarders snatching up all the toilet paper), the unbelievable magic that when we decided to sell our RV site in CA that it sold in 14 days – and then closed two weeks later, how our hesitation to "plan" for the allocation of funds from the sale (to not jinx the sale) kept us from putting it in the market and the list goes on and on!
While it was painful to leave our friends at Desert Shores and our church family at St. John's, we knew when we returned to the desert from our Christmas trip home that we needed to be home "more". With our desire to travel with the motorcoach to see this beautiful country (which requires summer travel) – and then being gone for several months every winter – we were not going to be happy and neither would the cabin. We finished up the "last projects" and listed the property at the end of January. We were so thrilled that Dave & Nancy Anderson from Meridian ID fell in love with it – and made it their "second home" by the end of February.
So, we had it all planned – fly to Florida for doctor appointments on April 1, help dear friend Judy by driving her car to NC, spend April & May at home and then return to California in late May, pick up the coach, meet up with friends, Tom & Peggie and head for Alaska. So much for planning!
Then came COVID-19! After spending a few days contemplating our options, we decided that flying into Ft. Lauderdale was not "happening" – neither the airport, the airplanes, nor the uncertainty. With our own social distancing bubble (ie, Contessa), we decided the best course of action was to "Go Home, Country Roads!"
We got on I-10 Thursday afternoon about 2 miles from Desert Shores – and plan to stay on it for 1,975 miles to Lake City, FL. From there, we hope to take the Toad to Tampa/St. Pete for doctor appts and then head north to be home by Palm Sunday. If something happens that those appointments get cancelled, we'll head north at New Orleans and see Nephew Jim in Tuscaloosa on the way home.
We departed about 1:30p yesterday after getting our transmission and coolant system serviced (routine). We made our way to Quartzsite, Arizona for diesel fuel ($1.89/gallon – yahoo!) and spent the night there. Shortly after we hit the road, California Governor Newson ordered "shelter in place" for the entire state. We were the last job our mechanics did for the time being. Yesterday to Tucson was a beautiful drive with loads of trucks (delivering goods to Americans) and motorhomes & trailers heading home. Today is Las Cruses NM!
Loved this – Don & Manya Freymiller were neighbors at Desert Shores!
The Captain & Contessa – with the Arizona Mountains (and I-10) in the background
Please, dear ones, take care of yourselves & each other. We will post along the way – but with everything shut down, our experiences will be limited. But we are safe traveling in our own bubble – and coming home!
Author Contessa & The Toad Get HitchedPosted on March 21, 2020 3 Comments on Take Me Home, Country Road!
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