Well, our wheels on the motor home have been rolling right along. Like us, things seem to occasionally break or quit working like they should; but with a (usually) quick repair job, we manage to keep on trucking.
We left home (Tulsa) a couple of days later than we expected so that we could meet our Alaska Caravan group in Edmonton. In case you missed all the national headline news, our area of Oklahoma was experiencing record-breaking flooding. We managed to find a day that wasn’t raining to begin our trip. As we traveled north into Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, we realized that it was flooding everywhere we traveled. Once we crossed the border into Canada, however, it was as though the big water faucet in the sky was immediately turned off. When we got to Edmonton, the forest fires and smoke were so bad that a lot of people wore masks outside because of the poor air quality.
June first was the official start date for our 44-day trip through Canada and Alaska. We loved everyone in our group. No whiners or complainers in this group. Please look for the article in another section of this magazine about our amazing trip.
After the caravan disbanded, we made our way toward home. We stopped in Washington and visited with Mike and Carol Lowery, former Region Two Directors. We also made an unplanned stop for two nights when I discovered that my grandson and his wife, who had been traveling all summer in their Air Stream trailer, were only about 10 miles from us. We boondocked two nights with them in an off-road Vehicle campground. That was quite an experience! Although we stuck out like a sore thumb, we had a lot of fun. Larry and the grandson did some off-roading. They broke down about two miles from any road and had to walk out. Needless to say, Larry was a little sore the next day.
We also picked up a new family member while visiting with our grand-kids. They travel with their 10-year old cat and their one-year old Australian Shepherd. The cat had not been feeling well for quite a while. The vet suggested that it was the stress of traveling that was making him sick. In fact, she suggested that the cat might be developing ulcers. In other words, he wasn’t a happy camper. To make a long story short, we volunteered to bring Archie, the cat, back home with us. The good news is that he seems to be thriving now that he has plenty of space to roam and lots of soft, quiet places to snuggle up for a nap.
We have started planning next year’s Region Three Rally. It will be held in Vidalia, Louisiana, on April 7-11, 2020, at River View RV Park. The rally will begin the same day the Cajun Rally ends. Since Vidalia is only two hours from Rayne, we thought that it would be just a hop, skip, and a jump over to Vidalia. We have already found a really funny comedian for our entertainment after the Welcome Dinner. We are in the process of choosing caterers and deciding on other activities at this time. The Natchez Pilgrimage will also be going on during the time we are in Vidalia. Save the date! April 7-11, 2020.
As we write this article, it is almost time for us to head north again. We have a few places to stop for maintenance before we head to Syracuse for the International Rally. We’ve been in touch with several of the people in our region who have been kind enough to volunteer to help. This year the Region Three duties at the International Rally include: stage and decorations, morning announcements, setting up for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Flags, Morning Walk, Bulletin Boards, and Games. Can’t wait to see everyone!
God Bless and Safe Travels…
Larry & Patsy Wood (12255-L)
Region Three Directors
