Red Bay, Alabama

We arrived in Red Bay on April 6th and left on April 29th.  During that time they replaced the floor in the passenger front slide, replaced the rail caps, and did some other minor repairs.  Most of it was on their nickel.

It’s wild to look down a row of motor coaches and see so many that look just like ours.  That is ours on the left.

 

One night some people cooked up some chicken and ribs and invited the whole camp over.  We were sitting in the roadway.

 

We even had music.

Here is Cindy in our coach with Trouble. 

Trouble found him a girlfriend that looked almost like him but they ignored each other.

After three plus weeks, we were happy to leave.

New Cabinets and Lights

Here is the new woodwork that we had done on the coach.  This is the opening by the front steps where we always put our keys.  Now they won’t fall out.

They determined that our cabinets over the passenger side couch were sagging a little so Tiffen put in a new brace.

These are the new lights over the microwave.  They really add to lighting up the kitchen counter top.

This light replaced the fluorescent light over the sink.

And this light replaced the fluorescent light on the other end of the counter.

Here are my new cabinets under the window where the couch used to be.  They will house my craft materials.

They also worked on the generator, awning, replaced the seal around one of the driver’s side slides, and made us a test coach for the new slide solenoid that we had been having trouble with.

Bay Diesel replaced the fan clutch today and if the generator starts in the morning we are out of here and headed to Pagosa Springs, Colorado until the middle of August.

New TV and Refrigerator

We went out to Custom RV on Wednesday morning at 7am and Brannon and his crew put in the new Refrigerator, inverter, 4 new batteries, and electric cord reel. The new refrigerator is only a little taller than the other one but the difference is inside. This is a 22 cubic foot refrigerator and I’m guessing the old one was maybe 17 at the most. Without the gas workings behind it, it is much deeper. This one also has an ice and water dispenser in the door.

After we got back to the RV park, Chris came out and installed the new 40” TV and sound bar. It is amazing that the new one fits in the same place as the old 34”.

We spent Thursday emptying the craft cabinet and taking out all of the shelves including the upper one where the old woofer was. Then we put both woofers in the same area and secured them and put all the shelves back.

At about 2:30 Brannon called and said that the last 2 batteries were in so we drove back out so that he could install them.

That evening several of the other couples in the park came over to see the computer desk that TJ built for us several years ago.

Friday we got up and got new LED bulbs to replace several of the bulbs in the coach. They are much cooler and use less energy.

Today we went to breakfast at Swamp John’s (again I did not have the chocolate biscuits). Them we went to the grocery store and farmer’s market before coming home and taking it easy.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we leave Red Bay for Lecanto, Florida to see my cousin, Haydon, and his wife, Lisa. We are staying at an RV park in Beverly Hills, FL that is supposed to be about 15 minutes away. We will stay there a week and then come back to Red Bay.

Breakfast with Wayne’s Brother

On Monday we met one of Wayne’s brothers in Tupelo for breakfast.  Claude Leslie is the next oldest to Wayne and he drives an armored 18-wheeler.  He and his co driver, Mary Ann, often carry valuables across country for museums, banks, etc.  One of them drives while the other one sleeps so they are constantly on the move.

Here are Wayne and Leslie.

It was good to get to see him and to meet Mary Ann.  We had a good visit.

Rattlesnake Saloon

On Saturday, Rich, Karla, Wayne and I drove out to the Rattlesnake Saloon for lunch.  It was about a 45 minute drive.

Shortly after we drove up in the parking lot we were met by the Red Neck Limo.

We drove towards the Seven Springs Lodge.

Then we turned and went down a steep hill towards the Rattlesnake Saloon.  Here is Karla holding on for dear life.

On the way down was this rocking chair under the overhang.

There is a pretty patio down below overlooking a creek.

The Saloon is complete with outhouses.  There are also indoor facilities.

We couldn’t get the full impact of the facility as they had covered most of it with heavy duty plastic to keep it warmer.  Here are some of the tables set under the overhang.

Here is one of two carved rattlesnakes at the entrance to the indoor saloon.

The ceiling fans indoors are all connected and run by a single motor.  The ceiling looks to be pressed tin.

There are rattlesnake skins on all the ceiling braces and animal heads around the room.  The picture of the turkey is the only one that turned out. 

The food was simple but I had one of the best hamburgers I have had in a long time.  We plan on coming back this way next spring so we will have to make a trip out when the plastic is not up.

Coupland School and “Tuff Guy” Trouble

I downloaded my pictures today so I could post some pictures of Trouble our 5 lb ball of fur and found two pictures that I took last week on our way up here.

Coupland School is where I taught two days a week in 1971 – my first year of teaching.  (I taught two other days at Jarrell, TX and spent one day a week at the service center planning.)  If you drive east from Austin on Hwy 290 and turn north at Elgin you soon can see the two story building that was Coupland School.  It was grades K-8 with two grades to a classroom K-6 and the principal taught 7 & 8.  I just googled it and it appears that the school still has grades K-8 with up to 10 teachers.

It was really a pretty old building as you can see from this picture of the back of it.

Now to the real reason for the blog.  Our friend, Emelie, from our travels the past two summers bought a “Tuff Guy” t-shirt for her dog that didn’t fit so she gave it to Trouble.  It fit him perfect and maybe now everyone won’t say how cute “she” is.

Emelie also brought Prince and Bear over to play.  Here is Prince checking out Trouble.

It must have been the shirt because Trouble soon had Prince on his back.

It will probably get cold enough here for him to wear his shirt several times.