Pam and Bob's Vaca!

 

Our July trip was designed to combine hobby interests, coach work, and sightseeing. 

The first stop was in Tulsa, OK for the 42nd annual convention of the National Stereoscopic Association.  Some of you may have seen Bob's odd 2-camera combination.  He has enjoyed 3-D photography since his teens.

 

 

Second stop was to RVFogDR inSearcy, AR.  They did a great job fixing some clouded windows in our coach.

 

 

Then we spent several days in Little Rock, AR which had a ton of interesting things to see.  The Esse purse museum, Saturday Farmers' Market, and camping right next to the Arkansas River where I spotted my favorite bird, a scissor-tailed flycatcher, were highlights.

 

 

Last stop was for a charity pro-am bowling tournament in Houston.  We're lousy bowlers, but have enjoyed it as a hobby ever since we joined the Sandpipers league eight years ago.

 

 

Pam and Bob

Catherine and Bob Join the Circus.

Catherine and I attended the Peru Circus Parade again this year.

  It was yesterday (Saturday, 7/23/16) and the weather was warm but otherwise ideal...big, fluffy clouds, light breezes, no rain.

 

 

We sat on Alex's porch and snacked and drank our way through the parade as usual.

 

Here are a few pictures from the parade:

 

They surely have the finest collection of antique circus wagons and being near Amish country it is easy to get draft horse teams to pull the wagons in the original fashion.

 

There were teams of "Belgians" (the blond ones), "Percherons" (the black ones) and "Clydesdales" (the really big ones with hairy feet).  

 

The stage coach was pulled by a matched team of four "Hackney ponies" (larger than Shetlands and slightly smaller than regular horse breeds).

There were several steam caliopes in the parade but I flubbed up the pictures of the others.

 

Catherine said that the girls riding the elephants were so attractive that some of the men did not realize there were actually elephants in the parade.

 

We had a wonderful time and spent the rest of the day at the pool and in the air conditioning.

 

 

Love,

 

Bob and Catherine

Marilyn & Buddy Do Cypress Cove!

There are 6 Sandpeeps in this picture. Ken & Jacquie, Ken & Freida, and Marilynn & Buddy.

We are visiting beautiful Cypress Cove Nudist Resort

 in Kissimmee, FL.

 

The Parrot Head weekend is one of their biggest events of the year and let me tell you that these people know how to party.

 

Can’t say enough about their facilities, the beauty of the setting, the activities, and the employees here.

 

We’ll be here until September 1^st and I sure hope we can keep up. TOO MUCH FUN!!!!

See you in the fall,

Marilynn

Louise & Tom turn Cowboys!

Well, I was premature on celebrating my graduation from physical therapy.  I am held over for another month!  A month of remedial PT...damn those mushy quads!

But summer travel stories are coming in...enjoy Tom & Louise at the Sheridan rodeo!

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In mid-July, Tom and I joined our daughter

and her boyfriend at the Sheridan, Wyoming rodeo. 

 

I have never done rodeo before so we enjoyed the whole nine yards: bed races down Main Street, the longest parade I've ever seen, two nights of rodeo and, as you can see from the pictures,

the Indian Races.

 

  Several plains tribes hold a Pow Wow and take part in these races. The prize money is $100K, the horses are thoroughbreds (and are very fractious) and the First Nations jockeys can be as young as 14 years old!  The race is a three horse relay, with the exchange coming in front of the grand stand. They ride bareback and must leap onto the horse unaided. 

 

 On more than one occasion the rider misses his leap

 and the horse takes off without him.

It is a genuine melee. 

 

 As you can see, the horses and riders are painted up

as if on a raiding party. 

 

 It was very exciting and the Sheridan Wyo Rodeo is worth seeing. 

We are enjoying our travels, but I am very eager to get back to Sandpipers and my Peeps. 

 

 Hugs to all, Louise

Mini Update on Dick...

Hip news...

Turns out the hip hardware did not "break" but it did seperate from the bone.  It wasn't exactly unexpected as he has had "clunking" noises from his hip for quite awhile. It's been fixed but Jeesh! Shouldn't have happened!

And Dick...no more fainting in the shower please!

*******************

I have one more appt with the pysical therapy geniuses,

then I'm on my own. 

 

 I found out why I have more pain than the average patient.

  Turns out my quads have atrophied, or as Dr. V says,

"They are mushy!"

So my thigh muscles are lazy and not doing their job...BUT, I have been getting electric stimulation to the muscles and am improving...and twitching.

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Send me your travel/summer stories.  Even I am getting bored with my knee updates!

Dick's Hip Problems

As you may know Tall Dick had hip replacement surgery by

Dr. Marquez a little while ago. 

 

 A few days ago he had emergency surgery as the devise broke!  The stem seperated from the ball....probably have the terminology wrong but it sure sounds painful. 

 

He is home now and recovering. 

Yikes! Is all I can say other than get better fast Dick! 

Prayers for Barry

For anyone wishing to send Barry Moore a

Best Wishes Card.
Barry is in Houston at

 MD Anderson Cancer Center receiving treatment

for stage 4 melanoma. ...

 

Address is:
Barry Moore. Rm G1054
MD Anderson Cancer Center
PO Box 300260
Houston, Texas
77230-026(4th number missing-just don't use the 026 and it should arrive just fine)

 

Barry is very ill and needs all of our prayers.

Thanks
Charlie

Three Week Report

It's been 3 weeks (as of yesterday) since I had a partial knee replacement by Dr. Marquez at Cornerstone Hosptal.

 

June 17, Jim's birthday and my surgery date is finally here!  I called the surgery desk a dozen times looking for a cancellation as my original date was Aug. 5!  Got all the paperwork done and am ready to go!

 

June 18...I've been hit by a truck!  At least that's what my knee thinks.  Am up and walking (with a walker) which is good as I HATE the bed pan, am doing leg exercises on the knee bending machine from Hell.  Hospital food is Ok except for dinner this night.  Cold, unseasoned, coagulated brown goopy meatloaf (I think).

 

June 18, Father's Day.  I get to go home, hurray!  Must wrap my leg in a garbage bag to shower but it was bliss!

 

June 21, first visit to the Physical Therapy section at Cornerstone.  Great guys. They are so supportive.

 

Rest of June, Exercises - 6 hours a day on that hellish machine, PT exercises three times a day.  Takes the whole day to do all the exercises but I'm sleeping great, except for the pain.  Turns out the Tramadol I've been given just doesn't do it, and the codeine which will work, I have to wait for as it is no longer stocked by anybody and must be ordered....but it works!

 

July, stitches are out, hellish machine is gone, I'm walking with a cane and sometimes not even that!  Wow!  After three weeks!  I can hardly believe it.  The knee still hurts of course where they did the cutting (did I mention it was assisted by a robot?), but the arthritis pain is long gone.

 

I would recommend Cornerstone Hospital...great service, it's small but well equipped. I now belong to the legion of bionics at Sandpipers.

++++++++++++++

 

Everyone pray for Barry M.  He is at M.D. Anderson for a serious diagnosis-brain cancer.