February 2002 |
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Our 3 months here is coming to an end, doesn't time fly when you are retired and lazing about. Spent most of the last two weeks in the same way as the previous 11 - beachcombing, birdwatching, relaxing and eating out occasionally. We made another trip to St Jo (deserted island), walked about 10 miles and collected large shells only leaving the sand Dollars for others.
Cheap Beer Night - Our neighbours from Wisconsin (CheeseHeads of course), invited us out to a local bar. Beer? (Bud & Miller) was $1 a can which made for a cheap night for Judy, Jerry & Wullie but Linda was drinking Coke and that was FREE with 3 beers. A good night was had by all as the men beat the women at table Shuffleboard. The live music was quite good if a little noisy but as the Shuffleboard was as far away as we could get that reduced the volume. Everybody in the bar was very friendly and wanted to speak to the people with the strange accent. Wullie was introduced to an English couple who some local people had met in Corpus Christi and invited over to the Island for the night. The man (an ex Squadron Leader in the RAF) thought we lived in Texas until Wullie put him right, just like old times - Wullie keeping Officers right?
Flights Home - Since we had decided we would come home for 6 months or so in April (3 years up!) it seemed like a good idea to surf the WEB for cheap flights. Our good friends Dale & Donna Wilson in Illinois had offered us storage for the RV & truck on their farm so we would fly out of Chicago, a major hub to Europe. Dale will give our Ford TOUGH truck a run every now & then just to keep it ticking over, but I have warned most people in the township that if they see him in a newish Ford pickup it is ours. This will also give us the opportunity to spend more time visiting the rest of the Wilson family before flying home and on our return later in the year. We eventually obtained flights at a reasonable price, considering it was a 6 month return. We fly out of Chicago on 25th April arriving in Edinburgh on the 26th, via Amsterdam. We return to the USA on the 25th October and the intention at the moment is to spend another 18 months touring in the USA, could we be putting off making big decisions?
On our return Linda has decided she would like to visit Florida to see the Keys & Everglades NP. We decided we wanted to stay in the Fort Myers area (west coast of Florida) and once again surfing the WEB paid off as we got a month at a big RV Resort for $99 + electric, Nov. 15th to Dec. 15th. Since RV parks in Florida are usually over $600/month and around $1000/month from mid December on then this was a REAL bargain. If Linda decides she wants to see other eastern states we could be here for ever? At the moment her pet subject is Alaska in 2003 but Wullie is ignoring her!
Our first trip with the RV for 3 months would be around 400 miles so we did all the work the previous evening, even connected the RV to the truck so in the morning bright & early all we had to do was disconnect the Satellite TV and go, having breakfast on the road. Judy and Jerry (Packer fans) were up early to bid us farewell and presented Linda with one of Judy's hand made tissue box covers, in shell material which was very appropriate with all the shells we had collected over the past three months.
The ferry was very quiet at 7 a.m. (it's a wonder the pelicans were up?) so we made good time to our breakfast stop at the Bakery cafe in Aransas Pass. We took the quieter but slightly more direct route around Houston, avoiding I-10 and made good time to Hidden Ponds RV Park, Sulphur, Louisiana. We would be leaving the RV there while on our curling trip to Wisconsin and Illinois. A large RV site near to 3 National Wildlife Refuges, Lake Charles, and two casino's which we may visit if we have time - not necessarily to gamble but we have been told the seafood buffet is very good.
Sabine National Wildlife Refuge - A large refuge, situated between the Intracoastal waterway and the Gulf of Mexico, which is mainly marshland as is typical in this part of Louisiana where a lot of rice is grown. We hiked the 1.5 mile trail around the swamps which are a great habitat for birds, especially water birds and waders. On a clear sunny day we added Marsh Sparrow and Glossy Ibis to our list during our 3 hour stroll. There wasn't as many Alligators as we expected (we saw about 40, mainly small) especially not on the trail, but we didn't complain!
Lake Charles - On a hot clear sunny day we drove to the lakeside at Lake Charles, parked the truck and strolled along the water front past the casino, to the man made beach. Nobody was swimming today as it was only in the low 70's a bit cool for the locals. On our return trek we called into Harrahs casino for a look around and Wullie came our with more quarters than he went in with. There is a lot of Oil activity around this area and there a few large petrochemical plants between Sulphur & Lake Charles. It seems strange to us that in a country with so much space petrochemical works and tourist attractions (casinos & beach) are so close together.
Left early on a clear sunny morning. Made good time through Louisiana and Mississippi on I-10 & I-55 but the further north we went the darker the skies became. By the time we arrived at Memphis, Tennessee, it was windy, cold and raining. We visited the Tourist Information office for information on Graceland (Drug Addicts house?) in Memphis and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for when we return in April. Whilst in Memphis we will probably take in a basketball game as the Portland Trailblazers (greatest basketball team in the USA) will be giving lessons to the Memphis Grizzlies (There are of course no Grizzlies in Memphis but the team only just transferred from Vancouver?). We drove a further 80 miles through the eastern corner of Arkansas into Missouri before heavy rain and the spray from the big trucks made visibility very poor and dangerous. We had driven over 550 miles before stopping at a Motel so we ordered a Pizza watched 2 hours of TV and went out like a light.
The morning dawned with dark clouds just like the night before. Fortunately the rain let up after about 100 miles making for a pleasant journey. All the reports were of a very mild winter in Illinois and looking at the fields covered in surface water, which last year had been covered in ice, supported that view. We arrived at Lady Wilsons in mid afternoon to a very warm welcome and were informed we were playing in the club mixed curling that evening (we need the practise). We ate dinner at the Curl Inn, then enjoyed our first game of curling and the chat afterwards. Bed was rather inviting after another hectic but enjoyable day.
Never a dull moment at the Wilson's, we met all the family at a local restaurant for a very good brunch. In the afternoon we watched the USA/Canada ladies curling for the Bronze medal in the Olympics before setting off for Wisconsin.
The drive through Kettle Moraine forest was beautiful especially with the dusting of snow that had fallen throughout the day.
We arrived early evening at Chris & Jerry Helding's, our hosts for the weekend, to a warm welcome from Chris - Jerry was already at the ice rink making preparations for the Bonspeil as they were a big part of the organizing committee. We accompanied Chris, stopping at the local supermarket en-route to load the car with boxes of supplies for the hungry curlers and pick up some Pizza for the hungry workers. At the curling rink, Linda told Wullie to watch the ice (he would be skipping this weekend for the first time in 3 years!) while she helped out in helped in the kitchen. The Kettle Moraine facility is terrific with a very large kitchen area so well equipped they can easily cater to over a hundred people. We were back in the house by 10 p.m. and after cocktails it was early to bed.
Kettle Moraine Mixed Bonspeil - Since our first game was not until 3 p.m. we decided to take the Kettle Moraine scenic drive, which today was even more beautiful - the snow that had fallen on the previous day had frozen and hung like icicles on the trees, needless to say the camera was out.
We arrived at the curling rink in early afternoon to a warm welcome from the rest of our rink - MaryAnn and Chuck from Warrens, Wisconsin. Apparently we had met them four years previously at Waltham Bonspeil but as that was our first visit we met so many people we could not remember. MaryAnn teaches school and acts as a guide on trips to Europe in the summer. Chuck is a Cranberry farmer and travels with her when he can. Both have visited England but have not yet made it to Scotland but after curling with us, hopefully they will put that right one day. From the very beginning we knew this was going to be a good weekend with very good company. Before our first game and over the rest of the weekend we renewed some old acquaintances and met some wonderful new friends.
The Ice was in very good condition, with a good draw on both hands which increased as the game progressed. Although the first rink we played was skipped by a local curler (Jim Buege) the good ice negated any advantage this gave him and we sneaked a victory. We enjoyed the company of Jim's rink after the game over a beer or two, and during the cocktail party afterwards were introduced to Jim's wife Millie (she missed the game as she had to work!). What a wonderfully warm, friendly lady, full of fun with some really witty stories to tell. We would be sharing a table with Jim, Millie, "Mister Dick" & "Madam" Sheri Smith from northern Wisconsin.
Our second game pitted us against the the previous years winners the La Plante rink from Racine curling club, Wisconsin. As they were last years winners they had a reserved parking space, for the weekend, nearest the curling rink door (a nice touch by Kettle Moraine CC), something to aim for. We lost a 1 at each of the first 3 ends, took a 4 at the fourth and never looked back. Having 2 wins puts us in the hot seat, 1 more win and we are guaranteed a medal but if we lose we are out and get nothing.
The third (vital) game introduced us to the O'Connor rink from Madison, Wisconsin, We controlled the game until the 6th end when Linda got a pick up with her 2nd stone which promoted them to the pot lid and they subsequently scored 2. This lifted them and they finished the stronger, although our skip had a draw with his last stone to tie the game but left it short! What a plonker? This meant we were out of the competition and would be spectators on Sunday. The one consolation we had in defeat was we had been beaten by four very nice people who went all the way to the final of the 1st event.
Saturday evening we travelled to the local Brewpub for the dinner dance, you can imagine Linda's delight (a p--- up in a Brewery?) This was an excellent social evening enjoyed by everyone. Because we had travelled so far to play in the Bonspeil Kettle Moraine CC presented us with a leather bound copy of "America" by Rand McNally. Linda was so thrilled, she told Wullie to make a thank you speech (travelled from Scotland?) and asked everyone to sign the inside cover for us. The excellent meal, complete with wine, was followed by a local band, who asked if we wanted some Cabaret before starting dancing. This was greeted with unanimous approval and we were treated to a insight into Wisconsin life and humour. These guys were terrific and had the whole audience eating out of their hands. During their playing of an Irish Jig, Linda did her impression of a Highland Fling/Jig and was joined by Mary Jo O'Connor. Everyone clapped until they collapsed into their seats with exhaustion after such a big meal. Often when a band is a good cabaret act they are not the best of dance bands but these were terrific. The only disturbing note of the evening was the downright refusal of all those wonderful people from Wisconsin to allow us to buy a drink. Each time Wullie visited the bar someone would buy the drink for reasons such as, I love your accent (everybody has it where I come from!), thanks for coming, you guys are great. To all of the many people we met and talked with (too many to mention) thank you very very much for making us so welcome.
The four of us got home about 1.30 p.m. (no problem we are spectators now) to find Jerry & Chris waiting up for us so we joined them for a drink before retiring to bed after a most wonderful day.
Sunday was spent watching finals while chatting to many of the nice people we had met and meeting some new people even at this late stage. Bid fond farewells to MaryAnn and Chuck who headed north in the afternoon to get home before dark.
After Curling - On Sunday evening it was nice to relax and spend time socializing with Chris & Jerry. Chris had always intended to have Monday off work and as the evening progressed Jerry gradually arrived at the same conclusion.
Nobody was up too early on Monday morning, as Chris & Jerry showed us some of the surrounding sights. The Kettle Moraine area is fairly flat and low lying so Holy Hill, Wisconsin's highest shrine church at over 1,100 feet ASL, is visible from miles away and the view from the top is extensive, including the high rise of Milwaukee. We called at Milwaukee curling club but unfortunately it was closed so we did the next best thing we visited Warren & Sandy Arnst, 2 of Milwaukee's finest curlers. Warren invited us into his basement bar where he dispensed beer, cocktails and lots of good humour. The newspaper cutting on the bar wall told how two bars in Milwaukee went bankrupt when Warren went on the wagon a few years ago? (Believe that if you will!)
As it was a very cold day with an even colder wind chill factor, our stop to view lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee was short. The new art museum on the lakeside is a very unusual and interesting piece of architecture. Passed by the new Milwaukee Brewers baseball stadium which unfortunately did not have tours on a Monday. It would have been interesting to tour this stadium as the grass is real so the roof was designed to be open most of the time. Milwaukee seems to be a nice sized city, not too big with gentle rush hour traffic. Since Chris & Jerry were working the following day we made our farewells in the evening. It wasn't too sad as we would be seeing them the following weekend at Waltham Curling Bonspeil. They made us so welcome and looked after us so well we would struggle to repay their hospitality, but hopefully some day the opportunity will arise.
Note: If I have misspelt anyones name or confused names please do not take offence, just let us know and we will make the necessary correction. Meeting so many people in such a short space of time makes it difficult to remember exactly. At my advanced time of life I should really carry a notebook & pen but in my youth my memory for names was terrific and ego yearns for youth! (As long as we don't have to go back to work?)
We had toyed with the idea of spending a day or two in Chicago before going on to the Waltham Bonspeil but the weather forecast was for cloudy, snowy & cold weather. The relatively short journey down to Illinois was completed in light snow which in places drifted across the highway slowing our progress slightly. Arrived in Ottowa to a warm welcome from Mary Lou and Ronnie.
Pre Bonspeil - The evening after our arrival we went along to Waltham curling club where Wullie got a game with the men. Linda was invited to play in a mens rink (they were 1 curler short) which aroused some spirited discussion amongst the lady members present. Apparently women are never asked to play on mens night, so we assumed either they don't consider Linda a woman? or their politeness & kindness to visitors overcame their chauvinist tendencies?
Archie, Alice & Sheila were due to arrive from Scotland the following evening so Ronnie & Alan were going to Chicago airport to pick them up. Since Ronnie was supposed to be curling, Wullie was designated as his substitute. Evie (Lady Wilson) accompanied Alan to Ottowa and we all had a good blether before eating a light supper at Hardees on the way to the Curling. The airport party arrived part way through the curling and it was hugs & kisses all round.
The following day we lunched at Lady Wilson's and the Scottish contingent were slightly less jet-lagged than the night before. The Wilson family and all us visitors ate dinner at the Curl Inn before the ladies went curling. Archie studied the ice and Wullie helped the locals prepare the fish for Fridays fish fry.
Waltham Mixed Bonspeil - After some offers & counter offers it was decided that Dale Wilson would Skip, Linda would play third, Wullie second & Dawn (Dale's daughter) would lead. With the playing positions sorted out democratically the Ladies played their hearts out and the men were terrible, in fact Wullie hardly turned up. Needless to say we lost the first game to the Reid rink from Chicago. This meant a projected start time of 11.0 p.m. for the second game but this was certain to be late as extra ends etc. earlier in the day would build up. Whilst watching the curling and waiting to go on two of the locals challenged Dale & Wullie to a game of Euchre, another 10 dollars to the KEIR'S retirement fund.
We eventually started the second game, against Charlie & Beth Dana's rink, at 12.15 a.m. with the snow coming down very heavy outside. We had enjoyed a good laugh with the Dana's at the Kettle Moraine Bonspeil and Linda had conned Charlie out of his baseball hat. The men played somewhat better (not difficult) but we lost narrowly, a game we should have won. Worst of all we had to play an extra end which meant it was gone 3.0 a.m. before we left the ice and we were back at 10.0 a.m. The only good thing was the road gangs had been out and cleared the roads of snow, which earlier had been very bad apparently.
The following morning after 4 hours sleep Mary Lou likened Wullie to Mr. Grumpy as he complained about the prize for winning the 10.0 a.m. game was another in the afternoon, immediately before the dinner dance. The Kettle Moraine rink we played that morning wanted to lose more than we did I think and we shook hands after 4 ends. After some social discourse it was of to Lady Wilson's for a lie down. The Scottish contingent were doing as well or as bad as us so the possibility of us meeting was growing.
The little bit of shuteye seemed to work wonders as we played our best curling of the weekend against the Boyd rink from Chicago. We shook hands in the seventh end and rushed to Ottowa to get washed & dressed for the dinner dance. Now we would meet Archie, Sheila, Alan (Wilson) & Alice in the semi-final of the third event. This was sure to draw a big crowd as most people expected a friendly rivalry amongst the visitors, but Wullie wondered about the Wilson clan rivalry?
The Prime Rib dinner was most enjoyable but the highlight of the early evening was Evie winning prizes galore in the raffle, the star prizes at that. She was in danger of needing a security escort. We circulated amongst our fellow curlers spreading good cheer and occasionally sipping at a light alcoholic beverage. The entertainment was provided in the form of a Karaoke/Disco and the lady organizer asked Wullie? to sing Tennessee waltz (sure to empty the room). Thankfully he refused but the lady was curious as to what he was doing in Illinois with his accent, and in the ensuing conversation seemed to think Mary Lou was his wife who had adopted this amazingly perfect American accent (It seemed to be assumed Linda was the cleaning lady?).
Sunday morning and its the Scots & Wilson versus the Scot/English & Wilsons. As expected a big crowd has assembled behind the glass, all professing to be neutral but we wonder? This was a tight game all the way through but we took a 2 at the 7th to go 2 up and Archie ran out of stones in the 8th end. We only had a 30 minute break before we were back on. Just time enough for some soup, a sandwich and a beer.
The 3rd Event final was a very close game against a Chicago rink and went to the last stone of the 8th end. at that time we were lying shot but their skip changed the situation in their favour and they ran out deserved winners. A thoroughly enjoyable Bonspeil once again. The people of Waltham CC put on a great spread, welcome us with open arms and make us all want to return next year - thanks to Waltham CC.
Post Bonspeil - After the prizegiving and before our annual dinner at the Curl Inn Wullie's old Euchre adversary, Charlie, feels a need to make his annual contribution to the KEIR retirement fund and issues a challenge. Wullie & Dale oblige Charlie and his new partner (he's now used just about everyone in the Curling Club!) by lightening their wallets to the tune of $5. The journey to the Curl Inn is absolutely freezing, we have never felt so cold. The temperature is down to -2F, our denim jeans are like lumps of cardboard. Later on that night as we drive back to Ottowa it drops to -4F. 
After consulting with Lady Wilsons lodgers we decide to spend the afternoon at the Empress Casino at Joliet. Our contingent from Ottowa get there early and partake of the excellent Buffet Lunch - all you can eat for $9. At the slot machines Wullie drops $50 as does Archie, but whereas Wullie fritters all of his away Archie drops another $150. The happy chappie walks away with $160 in winnings. We call into Arby's for a soft drink and end up drinking through a coffee stirrer (who picked those up Sheila?). Ronnie is the only one with a proper straw, which is when we realize what we are doing. This along with 7 people sharing a Cinnamon bun (well nobody was hungry) causes great amusement, who says the Scots aren't generous? On the way out Archie is trying on Western boots, his winnings are burning a hole in his pocket. Wullie & Archie are curling tonight. After the curling another Euchre challenge is made which Wullie refuses. The challenger speaks to Ronnie and so yet another $5 makes it's way in the KEIR'S direction. (Wullie's luck is bound to run out some time, and boy will he get some ribbing when it does!)
Since we are driving back south towards Louisiana on Wednesday we spend the morning getting a minor service on the truck (oil change) and do some shopping. Tuesday evening is dinner at Dave & Jane Wilsons, always a good occasion. We shoot some pool, watch film of Dave & Alan rafting down the Grand Canyon in their youth and have a good blether. After making our good-byes we leave early and call into the curling club to say good-bye to Dale and some of the other members. It's always hard to say goodbye but this time we will be back in April so its not too far away.
Wednesday morning we bid farewell to Ronnie & Mary Lou our super hosts for the week. They looked after us so well, and even smiled at MR Grumpy. Thanks for making us feel so relaxed and at home, perhaps one day we will be able to do the same for you. (Keep working on that American accent Mary Lou!)
NEXT MONTH: Return trip to Louisiana, Swamp and New Orleans trips, plus other exciting things.
Miles travelled this month: 3,532
Accumulative miles: 70,814
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