AGING GRACEFULLY

Yesterday, I flew from Sacramento to Memphis to resume my favored lifestyle, being a perpetual tourist and blogging about it.  It helps to have the proper tools for our active lifestyle and that demands  good health and physical fitness.  My whole life is now defined by before the accident and after the accident.  I was taking two prescription drugs, blood pressure medication, and prescription strength ibuprofen  as needed for  osteo arthritis. I could climb mountains, bike up hill, swim, walk all day.  Life was good, and still is. At one point after the accident I was taking 13 more drugs. I studied on-line and took myself off most of them.

I’ve had a set back with some intense pain. I’m not using this venue to complain about the accident, but  I’m as frustrated as everyone else  who has gone through test after test and procedure after procedure, poking,prodding, trying this and trying that.  Before leaving home my doctor shot me up with cortisone, six shots, and they aren’t working. I’ll be seeing an acupuncturist in Memphis,  soon.  The bills from the accident are already at 79,000 plus. Luckily I have good insurance.

Unprecedented for me, I chose “Assistance” for my flight and was grateful that I did. Jim calls it aging gracefully, but that isn’t going to fly with me. I’m going to fight it all the way, even if it is going to be a slow recovery.  All through this process I checked with the latest health news through John Hopkins and other leading medical sites and waded through original studies to assess what my doctor was recommending for me. I believe, we have to be our own doctors. With information on-line, we can.

Here is what I am sending to my doctor this morning and my insurance company.  I hope it is sent by you to your doctor and your  insurance company. Maybe we can put some sanity and intelligence back into our medical care so I don’t have to “age gracefully”, but live life at the age I feel, instead of the age I am. This is IDOCTOR.
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/rock-center/50582822#50582822

Be warned this video is lengthy and has a five second ad in front of it.

And, while you are

watching, I’ll continue to enjoy my pictures of the funky sunset we saw last night: Life is good and it is going to get better.

Abbeville, Louisiana

The motorhome is currently parked at VFW Post #9822 in Duson, Louisiana.

Yesterday we drove the Bronco the about 15 miles south to visit the Town of Abbeville which you can read about by clicking this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbeville,_Louisiana

First stop was in the central square where there are some beautiful huge old Oak trees. I would say without a doubt that these Oak trees are the largest we have seen during this current visit to Louisiana. Several of the branches are so long and heavy they have to be supported by metal poles…

Here are some photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Then we crossed the street into the Abbeville Museum in which the docent Cheryl was very knowledgeable and helpful by describing all of the artifacts. You can read about the museum by clicking their official website link…
http://www.abbevillemuseum.org/

In early November, Abbeville has a giant 5,000 egg omelet festival which you can read about by clicking this link…
http://www.giantomelette.org/

After Hurricane Rita in 2005, Abbeville was under water…

A short walk to the nearby church…

Around the side of the church we saw these huge Steen’s syrup cans. We didn’t stop in, but here’s their website link…
http://www.steensyrup.com/

To the cemetery in the back of the church…

Back at the motorhome later in the afternoon I shot these two photos of the sunset which I decided to do in black and white…

All in all…another nice day.

Enjoying historical towns is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

THE CREOLE NATURE TRAIL

The Creole Nature Trail is 187 miles long and is filled with millions of birds.  Alligators outnumber the population of the parrish and butterfly’s flock here in the spring.  The most logical launch place is Sulphur. We drove to the first stop, called Blue Goose Trail, a little over a mile and a half long.

It was bitterly cold and windy. We never did see any water, just some muddy runnels. One bird was feeding  close to the entrance than nothing but tall grass and sedges.

We abandoned the trail before we reached the halfway point and moved on to the Nature Trail with board walks, about 10 miles farther up the road.

We walked the mile and a half trail. An observation platform gives a good view of the area with  plenty of ponds and low sedge grasses.

I spotted an alligator well hidden in the grass. Jim couldn’t see it at all. The light made it difficult in the camera. I missed the end of his tail.

To estimate the size of a gator, you estimate the space between his eyes and the end of his snout. If it is 6 inches, this guy is six feet long.

We saw crows and sparrows. The weather warmed a bit. We sat for awhile watching the tall grass plumes dance in the wind. The stems are segmented and resemble  bamboo. I tried several sites on the internet and could not get a name for this beautiful  tall grass.

We moved on to Holly Beach for the night. This town was completely destroyed by a hurricane and has not completely rebuilt. It was once known as the Cajun  Riviera where everyone gathered with families for vacations and fun.

I took a walk on the beach, but Jim wouldn’t come out of the motor home with swarms of mosquitoes on the windows. He gets bitten badly while they ignore me.

A couple of guys were setting up to do some night fishing in the surf.

Both are stationed at a nearby army base. This guy was from Pensacola, Florida.

His buddy is from Pennsylvania. Both are MP’s and don’t know much about Louisiana and borrowed poles and decided to go fishing for the first time since landing here. The ocean here forms a ridge and when the tide comes in, some of the water is captured.

The setting sun turned everything pink and pretty.

And,this morning, the sun came up…

…but by the time I ran down to the beach, it was already above the horizon. We see the sun set and rise every day at this time of year.

 

WE CROSSED INTO LOUISIANA

The sun has set on Texas for us. This picture of sunset was taken at Brownsville, Texas. We crossed into Louisiana yesterday with a light rain and woke this morning to rain and fog.

Another sunset at Port Lavaca.

Port Aransas.

South Padre Island.

Wadsworth.

Port Arthur.

When I’m in Murphys, I rarely go outside and watch the sunset. But, on the road, the sunset is a treat as close as your table. Beautiful sunrises, too.

Today is a bad weather day and we will do the laundry and move to Sam Houston Jones State Park, named for a former Louisiana Governor. And then…Mardi Gras Lake Charles style, which is to say, old-fashioned Mardi Gras. Less commercial than New Orleans. Probably not as exciting, but unique.

 

MADE IN AMERICA

Normally when my son Ken visits, he leaves in a suit and tie. He is transitioning from Nevada to California, and stays with me periodically. This time, he was dressed as a huntsman. He brought 4 smoked pheasant for Christmas dinner and took clients hunting again on Friday. I’m not overly enthused about hunting in this day and age, but the hunt clubs provide birds just like stocking a lake. So, I guess I shouldn’t diss the practice too heavily. Better than depleting wild stocks of duck, pheasant and quail.

 

Anyway, he had wet socks from Thursdays hunt and went to Big 5 to buy another pair. They were identical to his 10-year-old socks he still wears.   A big sign at Big 5 proclaimed, Proudly Made In America. Quality in a pair of socks that will see him through another ten years.

Yesterday, I picked up my wounded Toyota and stopped in Stockton to buy some art supplies, and a few items.  At a Marshall’s store I was surprised to find under garments made in America and socks, made in Italy. There was plenty of goods made in China, as well, but at least I had a choice.

I guess I’ve come to the point where I don’t want to buy anything made in China even though I like and respect the hard-working Chinese people.

I don’t often have a chance to eat Indian food, but at Swagat, I met Misty. She pointed out that Swagat is the best Indian restaurant in Stockton and pointed me to her favorite dishes. All was delicious and such a bargain.

It was nice to get out and away from the rain for a day.

The cook made some of the best tandoori chicken I’ve ever tasted. My own recipe is from a family friend is good, but this was better.

I drove home with the sun setting in my mirror. It was spectacular, but by the time I found a spot to pull over, it was nearly over.

I like it that I can go to nearby Stockton and come home with a bit of India, Italy and Made In America. Don’t we live in a wonderful country?

Roscoe, Texas

Mary remains at home in California tending to medical issues.

Yesterday I drove the motorhome the about 125 miles from Lubbock to Roscoe, Texas. In doing so I dropped from 3,256 to 2,358 feet in elevation and from 229,000 to 1,322 population. I was driving southeast on U.S. Highway 84 and fighting a constant 30+ mile per hour wind hitting the motorhome broadside on the passenger side. It was a very tiring 2.5 hour drive driving directly into the sun once again. When you are in West Texas you are in WIND COUNTRY! I saw hundreds of wind generators along the way.

I’ve got the motorhome hiding behind American Legion Post #217 trying to shelter it from the wind which still manages to come around the side of the building. I’ve done a lot of rocking and rolling since I arrived here just before noon yesterday.

I expect to depart later this morning. Here are some photos…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Driving into the sun once again…

Here I am hiding behind the American Legion Post…

Looking out the motorhome windshield and using the zoom lens overlooking the railroad tracks you can see some wind generators along the highway…

I might as well show you the trains going by. !00+ car trains passed by about every hour. I did not get a great night’s sleep…

And I always like to show the view from the dinette widow…

Finally, sunset over Roscoe, Texas at 6:30 PM…

Dealing with strong and constant winds is not another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico – Day 72

The motorhome is still parked at Heron Lake State Park about 20 miles south of Chama, New Mexico.

I’ve been here for several weeks now and have photographed everything worth seeing within a 30 mile radius. I’m still not feeling that well that I care to drive lots of miles in search of photographs. The doctors told rest should be my #1 function.

Lake Heron has an amazing number of widely varied sunrises, sunsets and cloud formations. I’ve got some really neat photos to share. I’ve already taken them and will portion them out over the next several days.

 While they are similar because of the momentary setting…they are all very different and unique. I hope you will open each one and enjoy their uniqueness. I particularly like to enjoy the colors and the shapes. Just like staring at a fire from moment to moment…you never see quite the same thing…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Enjoying beautiful sunsets is another joy of the full-time RVing lifestyle!

I am recovering from my May 27th accident. To read about my recovery status, click this link… http://otrwjam.wordpress.com/recovery-status-page/

While I’m recovering, Mary remains at her home in California tending to doctor’s appointments, her rentals and other miscellaneous business.

If you have not checked out my new Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico – Day 70

The motorhome is still parked at Heron Lake State Park about 20 miles south of Chama, New Mexico.

I’ve been here for several weeks now and have photographed everything worth seeing within a 30 mile radius. I’m still not feeling that well that I care to drive lots of miles in search of photographs. The doctors told rest should be my #1 function.

Lake Heron has an amazing number of widely varied sunrises, sunsets and cloud formations. I’ve got some really neat photos to share. I’ve already taken them and will portion them out over the next several days.

 While they are similar because of the momentary setting…they are all very different and unique. I hope you will open each one and enjoy their uniqueness. I particularly like to enjoy the colors and the shapes. Just like staring at a fire from moment to moment…you never see quite the same thing…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Enjoying beautiful sunsets is another joy of the full-time RVing lifestyle!

I am recovering from my May 27th accident. To read about my recovery status, click this link… http://otrwjam.wordpress.com/recovery-status-page/

While I’m recovering, Mary remains at her home in California tending to doctor’s appointments, her rentals and other miscellaneous business.

If you have not checked out my new Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico – Day 65

The motorhome is still parked at Heron Lake State Park about 20 miles south of Chama, New Mexico.

I’ve been here for several weeks now and have photographed everything worth seeing within a 30 mile radius. I’m still not feeling that well that I care to drive lots of miles in search of photographs. The doctors told rest should be my #1 function.

Lake Heron has an amazing number of widely varied sunrises, sunsets and cloud formations. I’ve got some really neat photos to share. I’ve already taken them and will portion them out over the next couple of weeks.

How about some rainy day photos…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Enjoying beautiful rainy days is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

I am recovering from my May 27th accident. To read about my recovery status, click this link… http://otrwjam.wordpress.com/recovery-status-page/

While I’m recovering, Mary remains at her home in California tending to doctor’s appointments, her rentals and other miscellaneous business.

If you have not checked out my new Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…
http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico – Day 39

The motorhome is still parked at Heron Lake State Park about 20 miles south of Chama, New Mexico while I am recovering from my May 27th accident.

The poppings, with the associated pains, in my chest have finally stopped! My right ribcage area remains slightly swollen and tender to the touch. The mild, constant burning chest muscle remains. I recently started my morning walks once again. Every day a vigorous two-miles with moderate up and down hills. I believe it’s causing a slight increase in my chest muscle pain, but I also believe that it is more benefiting my general overall recovery. It feels good to be out walking again.

I continue taking Ibuprofen, icing my ribcage area 2-3 times a day and wearing an elastic bandage abound my chest. The doctors told me to expect 6-12 weeks for recovery. The accident occurred eight weeks and six days ago today. Can you tell I’m ready for the recovery to be finished and be back on the road again?

A few days back I took the Bronco and drove through the hamlet of Los Ojos, New Mexico. Here are a few photo that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Wandering through small hamlets is another joy of the full-time RVing lifestyle!

Oh by the way, we had another beautiful sunset last evening…

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust