11 and Counting

I've been busy this winter crocheting blankets for Project Linus. So far, I've completed 11 afghans for this noble group. Here are a few of them. If you are interested in donating blankets or yarn to Project Linus, visit projectlinus.com to find out more.

Shadows on the Lake

Many years ago we visited a plantation outside of New Orleans named "Shadows on the Teche." For a variety of reasons I thought of that plantation this morning as I walking by the lake. The water was still. The reflections were perfect. The Spanish Moss was hanging just the right way. All that was missing was the fine old antebellum mansion and the bugs.

The Pop-Up Camper

There's at least one more type of camper. It's usually a "Starter" unit -- a graduation up from a traditional tent. Think of it as a tent on wheels with a few mod-cons. In fact some pop-ups have roof-mounted A/C and satellite dishes! Most have indoor kitchens and room for a portapotty

Here are 2 examples. The first picture is a typical pop-up camper. The second has 3 slide out trays meaning it can sleep 6 people who are really good friends.

Signs of Spring

Flowers -- they are starting to emerge. I love it.

#79

Back in the 1950s the best RV you could buy was an Airstream travel trailer. They were sturdy silver bullets that wandered highways all over the world.

If you had an Airstream you probably belonged to Wally Byam's club too. Each Airstream in the club had a number. The earlier the number the better.

Caravans of these silver monsters went everywhere. I've seen chronicles of them in China and Africa. Talk about a safari RV style!

The other day #79 rolled into park. It's a 1953 beauty with lots of stories to tell.

Class B

The other day I ranted about RVs and I talked about different varieties. What is pictured below is a Class B motor home. Think van that has been popped on top and made a bit longer. Perfect for weekend get-a-ways.

Rambo

The last few nights we have been viewing the Rambo series with Sylvester Stallone. They seem to be part of American “culture” so it was time we saw what it was all about. The movies are “First Blood,” “Rambo: First Blood, Part II,” “Rambo III” and “Rambo.”

The movies span a quarter of century, from 1982 to 2008, as we follow our hero coming to terms with who he is and what he stands for. If you see them in a row, you see the character evolving from a young troubled Vietnam Vet to an older troubled Vietnam Vet. We see Stallone age…a big hulking guy who wears a flimsy undershirt to a big guy who never takes off his shirt. He never says a lot…he just stares and fights. He’s the underdog, the under-estimated man, who wins!

The first 3 movies are filled with murder and mayhem, with some humorous moments as the “underdog” wins! There’s hardly any profanity, just lots of bust ‘em up action. The last movie is more “modern” with the “f-word” used more than it should…and the murder and mayhem is far more graphic and ugly. I wonder if this is a statement on how we expect things to be. I liked the earlier 3 movies for being more naïve.

It’s interesting to see how things change. In the 3^rd movie, Rambo is in Afghanistan – and he’s helping the “good guy” freedom fighters. Today those “good guy” freedom fighters are the Taliban and we are fighting them.

Rambo is a myth. Is there a “Rambo” in the American psyche that says we will always win?

Hugo

Tonight we saw the movie, Hugo. It’s up for 11 Academy Awards including “Best Picture.” We did not see the movie because it’s has the most Academy Award nominations for 2011; we saw it because we thought it sounded like a good movie. It was a good movie!

Asa Butterfield plays the main character, a 12 year old boy. He does an amazing job...yet he’s not up for an award. Only 2 children have won Academy Awards, Tatum O’Neal and Anna Pacquin, so it’s not surprising that this youngster was not nominated for such an award.

We were waiting for the movie to be released as a DVD, but alas that is not happening. If you have a chance, see the movie. It’s worth it!

It’s an RV: To JA Jance, the Wall Street Journal and others who need to know:

What is an RV? It’s a group of vehicles that are used for leisure.

One sub-group of RVs is the motorhome. There are at least 3 flavors of motorhome: Class A, Class B and Class C. I have pictured a Class C which is built with a van front, and Class A motorhome which is usually built to look something like a bus.

 MOTORHOMES, 

Class C Motorhome

Class A Motorhome

Another group of Recreational Vehicles are those that are trailed behind a car or truck. They are called Trailers and there are many varieties of these. I’ve included a picture of a Fifth Wheel Trailer and a Conventional Trailer.

FIFTH WHEEL TRAILERS

CONVENTIONAL TRAILERS

Another group of RVs are campers that are put in the bed of a pickup truck. I’ve pictured two of those

PICK UP CAMPERS

SHELL CAMPER

The generic name for all of these vehicles is RV (which is short for “recreational vehicle). Some folks think a motorhome is an RV and the rest of those vehicles are not. WRONG.
 
What got me on this little tirade is a book I just finished. In JA Jance’s Damage Control she talks about a family who owns a Mobile Home Park where people drive their mobile homes to in order to enjoy the warm Arizona winter! You cannot drive a mobile home! (See picture below) You drive a motorhome. Big difference.

MOBILE HOME

The Wall Street Journal makes the same mistake. Several times a year, the WSJ will publish an article about folks driving their mobile homes down the highways and byways of the US enjoying the great outdoors. Again a mobile home does not move!  Can you picture the above mobile home rolling down the street?

It’s simple. A mobile home cannot be driven and it is not mobile. A motorhome is part of the group of leisure vehicles called RVs. Other RVs include trailers and campers.

Sorry for my rant. I needed to set the record straight!

Morning Surprise

This morning I found a natural archway made up of old oak trees. I've walked this park for a long time yet I've never seen this little grove before. It is fun to find a surprise in familiar a place!