Minnesota

Sunday, September 26, 2010 - Monday, September 27, 2010

Crookston Central Park

Sunday, September 26, 2010
Crookston, Minnesota Central Park Campground, electric only, 48 degrees and sunny.

Jean Strickler

Mostly sunny and breezy day temperature just up to a cool 60 degrees. We visited with Jean Strickler 89 last May, in Crookston, MN. Jean is Bonnie's father sister (Jean Tiedemann) Her daughter Marilyn, her husband and daughter came in for a while also on their way home to Fargo, ND. After dinner with Jean we drove thirteen miles to Euclid and visited with Dorothy Tiedemann and her son Gene and two of his grandchildren.

Marylin, Bonnie, Jean, Stan

Monday, September 27, 2010
Partly cloudy 55 degrees high to 74 degrees and sunny.
This morning we went to Dorothy Tiedemann's and she took us around the family farm Bonnie seeing the many changes since she lived there. It has been 49 years since she lived there on the farm. Her mother & fathers & Grandparents houses are gone and cousin Gene & wife have built a home there. Then lunch with Dorothy at her house in Euclid. After lunch we went to Don & Ellen Strickler's farm (Jean's son) and returned to Buster in Crookston.

Dorothy Tiedemann

George, Ellen & Don Strickler

Minnesota

Thursday, September 23, 2010 - Saturday, September 25, 2010



 Thursday, September 23, 2010

Apple Vally, MN

63 degrees and rain off and on, rain over night. Buster has been into twenty three states since he started traveling. In 2008 Florida our start, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas New Mexico, Arizona, California.
2009 Buster added; Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana.

Now in 2010 Buster added; Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and probably some more before we reach The Ranch in New Mexico. This rainy day was a good day to visit the Mall of America as there is covered parking and walkway into the mall. It was a slow day with the rain and a weekday to boot. The only thing is our camera stayed with Buster, no pictures.

Alexandra, Minnesota

Friday, September 24, 2010
52 degrees and rain light & hard heavy all day yesterday with wind picking up over night. It went all the way to nice (sixty degrees for a high) at sunset. While driving it was cloudy & WINDY we would get the gusts like spikes from the south pushing Buster on the side. Buster stopped in Alexandra, Minnesota for the night

Saturday, September 25, 2010
48 degrees and rain off and on, rain over night. Up to 68 degrees and sunny.
I need to look into another antenna for TV as setting the tripod is getting old. I contacted an antenna seller - installer who is traveling and we will meet in Oklahoma City Oct 4 to install a Wineguard Traveler DISH 1000. They were at the Escapade in Goshen, Indiana but I was still thinking od getting the King Dome to work. That is the plan meeting in Oklahoma City on our way to the Ranch. The installer is on his way to Albuquerque, NM Balloon Festival from Louisiana .

Minnesota

Monday, September 20, 2010   -   Wednesday, September 22, 2010


Monday, September 20, 2010

Driving thru Iowa

63 degrees and clear going to sunny 85 degrees nice Indian summer day. Buster had a 9:00 AM appointment with the leveling jacks manufacturer for service. Great service department. They have nice friendly people working there and the labor rates are reasonable. New springs will solve most of the problems these new ones are slightly stronger and three pistons needed nipples to prevent the pad from sliding off. They also replaced the face plate on the control panel. After service we still had time to drive on to Charles City, Iowa a hundred and fifty three miles. It was a great day for traveling.  

Tuesday, September 21, 2010
72 degrees and mostly Cloudy light rain on wake up today. Turned into a nice day into the upper 70's and sunny for traveling to Apple Valley, Minnesota. I went to King Controls the maker of Buster's King Dome for satellite televison reception. Purchased the power supply and tuner. I got it connected and came up to a fault - azimuth, so it seams there in a problem inside the dome. I am not going on the roof to resolve this and as of now I will return the tuner and power supply. King Controls does not have any service on the unit (motorhome) and will direct customers to dealers and dealers I am trying to avoid as for one thing they do not stock any spare parts. The persons I talked with at King Controls were mentioning the age of the antenna so I think I want to go in another direction. I will talk to them Wednesday.

Entrance apple Valley CG

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
45 degrees and clear to partly cloudy 59 degrees for most of the day then rain off and on. Done with King Dome satellite televison antenna, maybe another manufacturer. We move on to the north tomorrow.

IOWA

Friday, September 17, 2010   -   Sunday, September 19, 2010
52 degrees and Fog turning to Partly Cloudy to sunny. Up to 83 today. Buster is in Illinois and stopped two nights west of Joliet. Leisure Lake campgound Interstate 80 & I 55. Buster was lucky to get an early start leaving the fairgrounds. Some rigs pulled out Thursday getting an early getaway as there were over 800 rigs at the Escapade. We went and dumped the tanks and were on the road before nine thirty. Most rigs only had water & electric (30 amp) connections but the fairgrounds has manny tank dumping locations. Traffic on interstate 94 & 80 was moderate to heavy, we pasted into central time zone west of South Bend Indiana thus we parked Buster early for the day, good short driving day for Buster with Sally following close behind.

It is relaxing to now have the two rally's behind us and moving to Iowa for the leveling jacks on Monday. HWH hydraulics will check over our leveling jacks, one slow to raise and one had leaked. The control panel raise switch is also defective. We will travel on Sunday to Moscow, Iowa for the Monday work.

When that's complete it is then off to Bloomington, Minnesota. I am going to check with King Dome about our satellite dish on the roof of Buster that needs a control box to operate correctly.

From there it is on northwest to Euclid, MN where Bonnie has family, and there are getting cold mornings 36 degrees as I write this.

Saturday, September 18, 2010
63 degrees and clear to wake up to but it turned to an all day rain. Bonnie got to see Florida State Football team win the game on ESPN this afternoon. They were playing at home against BYU, and we are in Illinois that is great.

Sunday, September 19, 2010
52 degrees and Fog turning to Partly Cloudy to sunny. Up to 85 today and turned to drizzle. We arrived in Tipton, Iowa today and tomorrow 9:00 AM service on the leveling jacks. From Joliet to Tipton 171 miles we did not start until almost 11:00 AM as I went to Home Depot for a water filter cartridge. The water pressure was down after being there two days (a noticeable change from when we arrived) and it has been more than a month since changing the filter. I needed to replace the backup I keep onboard Buster.
We stopped in Walcott, Iowa at the biggest truck stop and had lunch-dinner in the restruant then moved Buster to Tipton, IA. Early go for Buster tomorrow.

Checking In

Art Fennell & George

Thursday, September 9, 2010   - 43 degrees & clear light breeze, After morning coffee time we set up tables and chairs for a pot luck dinner on Friday. We attended a dinner at Elkhart Elks lodge # 425, the business part of our Rally. We are donating $ 2,000 to Escapees Care for electrical improvements. I was elected Vice President of the Escapees Elk BoF along with a other new officers (Art Fennell President). Our next rally is January 18-21, 2011 in Quartzsite, Arizona, Boondocking on BLM land.

Friday, September 10, 2010  - 46 degrees and clear. Bonnie made macaroni & cheese for the potluck dinner to close out the Elk BoF Rally at Elkhart Campground.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

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58 Degrees and rain all morning. Moved to Elkhart County Fairgrounds a twenty mile drive for Buster and Bonnie followed driving Sally. Did not pay to hookup the tow bar for such a short distance. buster is parked in the infield of the harness race track. Temerary water and electric lines were set for three groups of twenty rigs. there were 800 rigs in attendance

Sunday, September 12, 2010

54 degrees and clear. Orientation meeting at the fairgrounds.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Buster

57 degrees and clear getting over 80 degrees. Big thing was a pot luck dinner for Elk BoF members then Bingo with the main group. Nice day all day with temperatures up to 80. I have been bad bo pictures taken, I need to move the camera to the door area so I see it when going out.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010
50 degrees and clear. Sunny and reached 82 degrees today. Visiting and seminars during the day. Then it was 4:30 and time for the Escapade Happy Hour and Door Prizes (still didn't win anything). It was Fun and Games day with a competition to see which teams of 4 could stuff the most balloons inside panty hose being worn by three different contestants. Dinner with four other couples from the New Mexico Ranch. Bonnie went to Bingo again & I went to a seminar for digetal camera.

George & Soren Walther

Wednesday, September 15, 2010
52 degrees and clear got to the high 70's today. Banner parade Chapters, Co-op's & C- BoF's, #23 Chili Chapter - New Mexico and Elks BoF and The Ranch Co-op. On the side of the banne the round patches are one thousand dollars donated to the Escapees Care, a retired escapee program for people needing assitance in later life. Seven couples from the New Mexico Ranch gathered at ponderosa restaurant for dinner after the escapade Happy Hour,  Gillavins, Irlands, Keefes, Stuvils Tennisons Todd & Walthers.
Thursday, September 16, 2010

Ranch Hands

63 degrees and cloudy, some light rain over night. Buster got some new fresh water hose. These have real solid brass end fittings and 200 PSI rated, with custom lengths 10, 11 & 17 feet allowing many variations and combinations with a combined length of 38 feet. We also have a twenty five foot hose for the rare long haul.




other end



RV & MH Hall of Fame

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 47 Degrees partly cloudy less wind


After morning coffee time we caravanned to the RV & MH Hall of Fame which is two miles east of the Elkhart Campground. RV & MH Hall of Fame has a Winnebago motorhome there like we had in california in the 1970's.

1968 Winnebago

Thursday, September 9, 2010

43 degrees clear light breeze, After morning coffee time we set up tables and chairs for a pot luck dinner on Friday.

RV & MH Hall of Fame

Elk C-Bof Rally

Saturday, September 4, 2010 - 51 degrees fair

Sunday, September 5, 2010 - 46 degrees and fair broken clouds all day

Monday, September 6, 2010

Rain last night, 64 degrees this morning. Moving to Elkhart Campground Elkhart, Indiana just north of the Indiana Toll Road (I80/90) between exits 92 & exit 96. This Toll Road runs close to the Michigan state line under two miles where the campgound is and 3 tenths of a mile east about the 107 mile point. Total trip for Buster twenty miles, we got Buster checked into a 50 amp water and electric only site. There is a dump station available

First Happy Hour

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Rain shower this morning windy, 70 degrees. Rally registration, I assisted, with 35 Rigs in attendance. This is a large campground with other rally's last week and other people hanging here waiting for escapade. Early arrivals starting Friday and Saturday, we go in on Saturday also. The current Escapee, Elk, Birds of a Feather (BoF) Vice President Soren Walther is on the right edge standing presenting an announcement when I took this picture.

Camelot Jones, Michigan

Thursday, September 2, 2010


Waking up to rain pattering the roof today with 70 degrees. First rain here in more than two weeks. Just a puttering inside day today with an all day rain. Took a spin arround the park past the lake.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Camelot Lake, Sunrise

Cloudy and 64 degrees this morning, clouds moving east to help hurricane Earl (banging into the North Carolina coast)? Picture of the sun reflecting on the lake this morning. Took it slow around the campsite today. Long term people are coming into the park today. There were very few here until last night when they started trickling in.



Merry likes the new position we put her little bed, in the cornner of the new desk by two windows that she can lookout.

Merry in Bed

Desk with Merry's Bed 

Buster Moves Across the Street

Busters New Site
I am updating the header picture today to show I added a new state Michigan and some of the great lakes. Just last month I had no idea that Buster would be traveling to a new state for him this year. Plans are constantly changing as Buster goes down the road. This year as of today there at least three more new to Buster, states to be traveled in our plans. We were asked about Kentucky, we are not avoiding Kentucky just the routes we are taking did not involve Kentucky, my only plan now is next year

The heat is still ON, day time temperatures are still well into the 90's although the mornings are nice. No rain and the trees are losing leaf's as it is real dry. On Monday I had an unusual occurrence when leaving Focal Wood Products where I had connected my HHR and made left turn immediately and another in a little less than the length of the coach. When straight now on the road it felt like there was a flat tire. I stopped immediately to check all the tires finding nothing wrong? Continuing down the road no further conditions, everything normal. 

Merry on Desk Watching Printer

the Old Bag Factory

Here at Camelot Campground in Jones, Michigan we were on 30 amp electrical power, and we kept tripping the circuit breaker. First Monday evening and later yesterday. Well we changed to a 50 amp campsite and all is well. The road now in front of Buster was on the right side a corner site.

With only 30 amp electrical power, we cannot use two air conditioners, and other things like the battery charger, washer and electric tea kettle, refrigerator and micro wave oven over load a 30 amp circuit when too many of them are in use at one time. There are no problems with 50 amp as there are two separate circuits bringing in the power as opposed to only one circuit. When researching this campground there was no reference to what power they supplied and on check in I accepted 30 amp campsite thinking they only had that. Actually it was when I lifted the cover on the electrical pedestal is when I found only a 30 amp receptacle available.

Tuesday we traveled back into Goshen, Indiana and stopped at the Old Bag Factory.