12/23/17 - On 12/15, I got a bad cold/flu type symptoms so I did not do anything about lay around.  I would support a fever off and on. 

12/20, we got up at 5 00 am and took Robyn and Aunt Ada to the airport since they are spending Christmas with her son Ron and his family.  They will be gone 10 days.  I have offered to house sit/ dog sit for Robyn so Aunt Esther packed up some things and moved into Robyn's house.

12/22, we ran some errands and Aunt Esther did a little shopping.  Otherwise, not much else is going on.

Today, plan to do a little laundry and finally it is going to be a high o 68 degrees.  It has been cold and windy for the past week.

12/09/17 - I meant to post a picture of our decorating

                                                Took it when it was too dark - not very good

12/09/17 - On 12/5, Aunt Esther and I made corn beef and cabbage and took it over to Aunt Ada's house for dinner.  Robyn met us as well.  It was a good evening. 

12/8, Aunt Esther and I met at Aunt Ada's house and went to a Women's Christmas luncheon at the Nazarene Church.  They decorated all the tables, had a great lunch and then some singing and a guest speaker.  It was really nice.  In the evening, we went back to church to hear a concert by the Allen Family. 

Today, we did some Christmas decorations at the RV.  We did not get much else accomplished.

12/02/17 - On 11/29, we started to put things away and get ready to depart San Diego for Phoenix.

11/30, I decided it was just too long to drive all the way to Phoenix so we left a little later from San Diego and decided we needed to get some things from Walmart so decided to stay at the Walmart in Yuma, Arizona for the night.  We had good traveling and there was not very much wind over the pass and I was so excited about that.  I did have some wind when driving over the flat desert but was not bad. 

12/1 - We left Walmart and had great traveling to San Diego.  We stopped at a truck stop and got gas and had lunch.  We got to Phoenix at 1 30 pm.  I already had the number to get in the gate and the space number so we drove in, unhooked the car and then we parked the RV and I did the leveling and Aunt Esther hooked up the electric, water and sewer with the help of a RV'er two spaces down from me that I had met before.  We got settled in but did not do much more. 

Today, we slept in, did some computer work, got some groceries and I am calling it a day.

12/02/17 - On 11/16, I had an appointment with the financial advisor at 4 00 pm.  Otherwise, did some unpacking and went to bed early again since I was getting up really early.  I guess I was dealing with jet lag!!

11/17, Cleaned up the RV, got some laundry done and soon I was ready to not do much of anything.

11/18, I picked Aunt Esther up at the airport at 4 30 pm and took her back to the RV and then I went to Anne and Laura's since there was a big party for Anne's graduation from Grand Canyon University.  It was really nice to see alot of people.

11/19, I took Aunt Esther downtown San Diego to see the Gaslamp District and the harbor.

11/20, It was a really warm day, we decided to go to the beach to cool off but there was no breeze so it was kinda useless but we did sit there for a while.

11/23, We went to Anne and Laura's for Thanksgiving dinner.  There was thirteen of us and it was really nice.  We both had a good time. 

11/24, Out for dinner with my friends to say goodbye.

11/25, Went to lunch with my friend Jane.  We went to the Bernardo Inn.  It was really nice.  Left my leftover Caesar salad but then went back to retrieve it and learned that they decided to make me a new one.  That was really nice of them.  I had such a good visit with Jane.

11/26, Caught up with Anne and Laura for the last time and said my good byes.

11/27, Went to the office to tell everyone good bye and then out for dinner with Louise to say good bye.

11/28, Took Aunt Esther to La Jolla to see a different part of the beach area and we saw lots of seals and the waves were really big.  It was neat to listen to the waves crashing on the rocks.  We then stopped off at Dr. Mona Mofid's office to ask her to freeze a couple of more skin tags and to say good bye. 

12/02/17 - On 11/14, We got up 7 00 am and met the group that was left at 8 00 am for our last breakfast since all of us were leaving the same day but at different times.  Deborah, Manuel and I were leaving at 1 30 pm so I took the morning to pack and relax while Deborah walked the city.  We left for the Capetown airport at 1 30 pm and got there at 2 00 pm.  Manuel helped us check in and get to our gate and then he left at 4 00 pm for Victoria Falls, Africa and we left at 505 pm for Johannesburg.  We left for JFK New York at 9 35 pm and had a 16 hour flight.  I was a little worried about making my domestic flight since I only had two hours and 20 minutes and would need to go from the international terminal to the domestic terminal but all was well. 

11/15, We arrived at JFK at 6 50 am so were only 10 minutes late.  Customs is now done on the computer at a Kiosk and Deborah helped me with that so there was not a long line, next we had to go through passport control and that line was a little longer but not bad.  We then went to baggage claim to pick up luggage and Deborah helped me to the door and then I was off to the area for baggage re-check and they already had my name and tag ready so things were moving right along.  Now, off to domestic terminal to Jet Blue.  It was quite a walk but did have a cart come by and she had a sign on her cart that she does not take any tipping and she just wanted to help people!!  I had the longest line to go through security again but got to the gate and they started to pre-board but I did not sit before we were boarding everyone and we pulled away from the gate at 8 55 am.  I arrived at San Diego at 12 10 pm and was picked up by Louise.  We stopped off for lunch and then went home.  I was very tired so did not do much but went to bed very early.

12/01/17 - On 11/13, we got up at 7 00 am and breakfast at 8 00 am.  Deborah and I then walked to the castle. On our way, we walked by the Parliament and got a picture of the balcony where Nelson Mandella had his first speech after his release.  The castle was open for a self tour. Deborah went up on top of the castle to walk around and I walked thru a war museum and then sat on a bench since I learned there would be a ceremony to open the doors to the castle and ring the bell on the outside. It was quite interesting.  We then caught a taxi to the waterfront.  Deborah wanted to get some coffee and shop and I decided to sit at a picnic table and watch people.  Well, at the picnic table was a gentleman that talked and talked.  Finally, Deborah came back and stated that we needed to get in line to get on the ferry to go to Robben Island.  We got to the island, boarded a bus that took us around the line and gave us a lot of history.  We then had a walking tour around the buildings that had the kitchen, dining area and the actual cells of the political prisoners.  One of the guides was a prisoner for 7 years at the young age of 17.  It was a very interesting tour.  We took a taxi back to the hotel and then walked to a restaurant called "The Fork" for dinner.  Back to the hotel.  Deborah did a lot of her packing since she wanted to do some walking around the city in the morning before we had to meet our ride to the airport.

                                                 The balcony where the speech was given

                                            The march at the castle to open the door

                                        Limestone quarry where Mandell worked every day
                                        that ruined his eyes, worked barefooted

11/30/17 - On 11/12, We got up at 6 30 am, breakfast at 7 15am and we boarded the bus for the city tour at 8 00 am.  We took a coastal scenic route and it was beautiful.  We were along the Atlantic Ocean most of the time.  We entered Cape Hope Natural Reserve.  Along the way, we had to stop and let baboons cross the road, then we stopped at the most south western tip of Africa.  We also rode a funicular up to the lighthouse and then some of the group did a bunch of stairs to the top.  We then stopped off for lunch at Blue Marlin Restaurant and it was very good.  Our next stop was to see African Penguins which live in in little mounds made in the sand and dirt although they do swim in the ocean as well.  We could get very close to them.  On our way back to the hotel, we saw some very expensive homes.  When Deborah and I got back,  we walked to St. George's Cathedral for an evensong service.  After the service, we met Paul and Lucille and walked to an ice cream shop.  It was named Cookies and Cream and they baked excellent cookies and then put ice cream between so you could have an ice cream sandwich.  Back to the hotel for the evening.

                                                    Baboon and baby crossing the road

                                               Most South Western Point in Africa

Atlantic coastline

11/29/17 - On 11/11, We got up at 6 15 am, breakfast at 7 00 am and met the group in the lobby at 7 30 am to board a bus for the day.  Our first stop was Table Mountain.  It is a mountain that is kinda flat on the top and one can walk around and see a lot of Capetown from the distance.  We had to take a gondola lift up and it rotated  360 degrees.  It was really interesting as it was going up and going down.  There was a lot of history on the top.  We were very lucky because a lot of the times, the fog comes in and of course then one can not see anything.  Our next stop was the Botanical Gardens.  I learned from Manuel that there was a golf type of cart that takes people on tours.  The cost was 75 rands or just a little over $5.00.  It was great because the driver really became a tour guide of the garden.  We then had the opportunity to be dropped off at the waterfront and there was a food court and some of us got lunch there.  Deborah and I walked around a little, saw the town clock and she checked on our trip to Robben Island.  We then took a cab back to the hotel.  Cab fare was $5.00.  I relaxed at the hotel and Deborah went for a walk and did some shopping.  Because of a big lunch, I just had some hot tea and crackers in the room. 

                                            A view from Table Mountain. Background is fog

                                                         Town Clock on the Waterfront

11/29/17 - On 11/10, We got up at 7 00 am, breakfast at 7 30 am and then we gathered for a talk regarding David Livingston who was very prominent in helping to develop the region.  It was very interesting.  We then gathered for a group picture.  Four of the group were not going on to Capetown but were leaving for home in the afternoon.  On the way to the airport, we stopped and met Manuel's family.  It was so nice to met his family.  Eleven of us left at 11 45 am for Capetown.  We exchanged some money at the airport since South Africa uses rands.  We then checked into the Inn on the Square.  They had some punch for us.  In the evening, we went to a host family in the colored section of town for dinner.  The family consisted of a father, mother, 8 year old and 6 month baby.  In Africa, it is common for towns to be divided into black people, white people and colored people (colored are bi-racial).  The dinner was delicious and had a nice time getting to know the family.  Both mother and father work and grandma does the babysitting.  Back to the hotel for the evening.

                                                                 Group Picture

11/27/17 - Pictures from 11/9

                                             Mom,, Dad and baby rhinoceros

                                                Rhinoceroses and Zebras co-existing

                                                              Male lion and his dinner

                                                            Our beautiful sunset cruise

11/27/17 - On 11/9, We got up at at 5 15 am, breakfast at 5 45 am and then we met some of the others from out group for a game drive to a private reserve where they are working hard to preserve the rhinoceros who are still being poached.  We were very lucky and saw three in one area and two in another area.  We also learned from another driver that there was a lion kill that we could observe from the road.  It was amazing.  The male lion had killed a cape buffalo.  It was very interesting.  The lion actually killed two of them and he shared one with the vultures and then dragged the other one further in the bush and took a rest but guarded it with his life.  After the drive, we went back to the hotel and Deborah left for her swim in the Devil's pool and I got a ride to the border to zip line across the canyon between Zambia and Zimbabwe.  It took them a little bit to get me all hooked up but they were so gracious.  It was a wonderful.  As I met my driver to take me back to the hotel, I saw Chuck and Marilyn and they were getting ready to zip line as well so I and the driver decided to wait for them.  We got back to the hotel and were able to sit for a late lunch.  I had my first hamburger since leaving the States.  I then went back to the room and relaxed until we were to meet in the lobby for our sunset farewell dinner cruise.  We cruised the Zambezi River which feeds into Victoria Falls and the gorge.  We were on the top part of the falls.  Manuel stated we were quite a distance from the falls.  It was a very quiet, smooth sailing and we did see some hippopotamuses and one elephant on the bank of the river.  We had hors d'oeuvres with wine, beer or soft drinks.  We had lots of conversation and after sunset we had a great dinner with decorative lights on the table.  It was a great way to end the trip.  I will put pictures on the next blog.

11/26/17 - On 11/8, We got up 6 00 am, breakfast at 6 30 am and left the camp at 7 00 am for the entrance of the park  where we would then board a bus.  We had a two hour bus ride to Victoria Falls.  We stopped at the Shearwater Explorers Village hotel to pick up Suzanne who had been ill and spent the last three days at the hotel but felt good enough to join us for the tour of Victoria Falls.  I had learned early from the tour guide that the walk around the falls was a little over a mile one way so a total of a little over two miles so it was determined that I would benefit by requesting a wheelchair and hiring a pusher.  We got some orientation at the entrance of the park and on the other side was my chair and pusher.  We met each other and started out although we were going to keep with the rest of my group.  It felt good not to be way behind and be able to stay with the group.  Soon after the entrance, Suzanne passed out and Deborah determined she had a seizure which was caused by the heat and her not feeling well.  I gave up my wheelchair to wheel her back to the bus and back to the hotel.  Soon the wheelchair arrived again and we took off on our journey.  The falls were beautiful even though it was the dry season.  I was told by the pusher that during the wet season, they close some of  the walkway because of all the mist that is created by the falling water.  We even had some mist on several of the walkways.  We went to the bridge that goes over the gorge between Zambia and Zimbabwe.  We then went to an African restaurant and it was a buffet with lots of various types of rice, chicken and fried caterpillars. Deborah decided to taste them but was not really impressed. We then went back to the hotel and checked in and Deborah went on a tour that gave her a ride on an elephant and I stayed in the room and just relaxed.  We then had dinner at the hotel at 7 30 pm.  Pictures of the falls will have to come later since I don't know how to transfer from camera to computer to this web site.

11/25/17 - Pictures from 11/7

                                            School children greeting us with song and dance

                                            School children we sat with for conversation

                                               Making the bricks for the wall

                                                 The cooking stove and kitchen

11/25/17 - On 11/7, We were up at 5 30 am, breakfast at 6 00 am and at 6 30 am we took the game jeep to a location in the wilderness where there was a bus waiting for us to take us to a little town that had a school.  It was St. Mary's Primary School.  When we arrived a group of school kids were singing and dancing for us.  We then went into a room and got some information regarding the school from the principal. After that we had a tour of the school and were able to sit and interact with some 10 to 12 years old. I sat with two 10 year olds and had a great conversation.  One even read a story to me in English and we answered the questions.  We then left for a typical African village or they call it a homestead.  We were met by a young mother who gave some a tour of the area.  We walked a little distance where they go to get the water.  One of the women filled a 5 gallon bucket and put it on her head and carried it back to the middle of the buildings.  We then had a demonstration of how the women build a wall to a building.  They were getting ready to build another building since the family was growing.  The women build the walls, the men build the grass roof.  The men are responsible to keep peace among the family, take care of the garden, fields and the animals.  This homestead had about 6 or 7 goats.  We then sat in a building and were told that was the kitchen where all food was made.  The men eat by themselves and are served by the women.  When served the women have to kneel in front of the man and present the plate of food for the man to accept.  We did have a coffee, tea and cookie break while there.  We also learned how they made flour out of barley and how the got the grass ready to put on a roof. Very interesting but very primitive.  They seem happy but I also realize that is all they know.

We then returned back to the area in the wilderness where we transferred from the bus to the jeeps.  We got back to the camp and were met by the staff with wet washcloths to clean up from the dust.  We then had brunch, a birthday cake for one of the tourist (Bill).  We then had some relaxing time.  Met back at the lodge again for a talk regarding the growing up as an African girl.  Sally was very interesting.  We then went for a late afternoon game drive and it was uneventful.  It was fun because we stopped at a very nice place and had wine, beer or soft drinks and watch the sun go down.  Back to the camp for dinner.  We had dinner around a campfire which was really nice.  They then did some singing and dancing.  We did sing "When the saints go marching in".  We then got escorted back to our tent cabins.  I will have pictures on the next post since this is really long.

11/24/17 - On 11/6, We are up at 5 30 am, breakfast at 6 00 am and left for our all day game drive at 6 30 am.  We saw some routine animals and then went into an area where there was other cabins and found a pavilion where we were able to observe a water hole with lots of elephants and the water hole was shared with lots of other animals. It was so interesting to watch.  Some animals would leave and others would be coming in.  We probably were there for a good hour and half.  We also had our picnic lunch there.  It was scheduled to be outside but the guides changed their minds because of all the baboons that were around the water hole and at times not far from the pavilion.  They set up the table but warns us not to put our plates on the ledge because the baboons were behind us.  One of the girls did not hear the warning and before long here comes a baboon from the back and tried to get the plate to fall down the ledge so they could get the food.  Well, the guide was quick and the baboon only got the edge of the plate so she still had all of her food.  The guide then had his lunch at the doorway to keep the baboons out of our area.  Quite interesting.  We then looked for more animals on our way back to the camp.  We had some leisure time.  We had a talk by one of the girls regarding the African girls.  She told us her own story.  Was very fascinating.  We had dinner and then escorted to our tent cabins.

                                                      The elephants at the water hole

                                                                   The baboons

                                                     Some Giraffes                                         
                                   

11/23/17 - On 11/5,  We were up at 7 00 am, breakfast at 7 30 am and then said our "goodbyes" and departed the camp via jeep for the small airstrip where we boarded the small plane and flew to Livingston.  There we boarded a bus to the border. Went through passport control and then off to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.  We needed to drive to the hotel that we would return to after our trip to the wilderness because we  had a tourist that was too ill to travel to the wilderness and was staying in Victoria Falls to get some medical care. At the hotel, Deborah talked with the concierge desk to schedule a tour to Victoria Falls to swim in the Devil's pool.  A pool on the top of the falls right on the edge and the swimmers can actually pier off the edge!!  We then left for a three hour drive to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.  At the entrance, we met the jeeps to take some us to Kashawe Tented Camp.  We were greeted by the staff with song and dance, a wet towel to clean hands and face.  We had juice and a snack during our orientation to the camp and our tent assignments.  We had a short late game drive and saw some giraffes. Since they were short staff, out tour guide Manuel became one of the drivers and guide.   We got back to the camp and had a very nice dinner. Of course, since it was dark, we got escorted to our cabins.

11/22/17 - On 11/4, Up at 6 30 am, breakfast at 7 00 am and we went on a river cruise (Lufupa River).  We saw lots of hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and birds.  It was a slow cruise and very interesting.   Some of the group elected to fish on the other end of the river and came back to camp with a bucket full of tilapia.   We then went back to camp to pick up a tourist that was not feeling well in the morning but wanted to join us for our lunch in the bush.  We then docked the boat, walked up a little hill and had a very nice lunch right in the bush.  How interesting.  We went back to camp for a little relaxing in the afternoon.  We then rather on the patio and had a lesson regarding the material that we had gotten at the African market.  The material is used for a skirt, a protective head cover to carry supplies and to wrap around the back to carry a baby.  It was very interesting.  We also had a snack, ice tea or juice.  We then took another river cruise on the Kafue River.  We had a beautiful sunset and drinks on the river.  We then went back to camp for dinner.  Sorry, the pictures are out of order.

 

                                          An elephant grazing below the patio of lodge

                                           Our table set for our brunch in the bush

                                                             Our sunset cruise with drinks

Deborah learning to make a skirt

11/21/17 - 11/3, We were up b 5 30 am, breakfast at 6 00 am and 6 30 am off on our morning game drive.  We saw a leopard in the tree and he got down and we followed him a short distance.  We then stopped off by the swamp area for coffee, tea, cookie and bathroom break behind some big rocks.  Back to the camp for brunch and had some rest time.  We then met at the lodge and had a talk on poaching from a gentleman who was a part of the patrol group for poaching.  We then left for an early evening game drive.  We found a lioness and followed her for a while since they thought she might lead us to some more that could have cubs but she decided not to move.  We left and went back to camp for dinner.

                                                                  Leopard in tree

                                                             Leopard on the ground

11/21/17 - On 11/2, we were up at 6 30 am, breakfast at 7 00 am and 7 30 am we departed by jeep for the airstrip to take a flight to Kasana, Botswana.  When arriving to Kasana, we departed by bus for the border to Zambia.  At the border, we got off the bus, walked to the passport control office, then walked to the river that is the border between Botswana and Zambia.  We boarded a small boat to cross the river into Zambia.  They are building a bridge but at this time, it takes a boat or ferry to get across.  In the middle of the river you have Botswana behind you, Zambia in front of you, Namibia on the left and Zimbabwe on the right.  On the other side, we met our new bus driver and are headed for the African flee market where we were given $2 to buy a piece of material to be used later for a learning and discovery time.  We then arrived at Livingston Airport and flew out to a small airstrip in Kafue National Park.  We were then picked up by the camp jeep and headed for Lufupa Tented Camp.  We were welcomed by the staff with music and dance.  Then had a wet towel for us to clean hands and face.  We had a snack and juice, orientation to the camp and our cabin. We went for a short game drive and saw some elephants and pukus.  Back to the camp for a late dinner. 

11/20/17 - On 11/1, up at 6 30 am, breakfast at 7 00 am and 7 30 am, left for our morning game drive which also included a dugout canoe ride on a channel in the delta.  We saw lots of various cranes and birds on this drive because of the water in channel.  We stopped off for a bathroom break, coffee, tea and cookies.  Next was the canoe ride up the channel which had to be cleared from hippopotamuses before we could take off.  Back to the camp for lunch and then we had some time to relax, then we had a talk on the Okavango Delta, coffee, tea and snack before we left at 4 30 pm for a game drive.  There were always two jeeps and we always went different routes to look for animals.  Our drive was uneventful until the guide got a radio notification that in another place of the park, a male lion and his brothers were found.  We had over a half an hour to get to that side of the park and the guide drove like a maniac to try and get us there before dark so we could see them as well.  We bounced up and down like crazy and had to drive through a fairly deep pond but we got there just as it was getting dark. We could see all three of them but was very hard to take pictures because of the darkness.  The huge male lion did get up and walked away until we could not see him any more.  The group was so excited.  We got back to the camp and had dinner set up around an open fire.  After dinner, the staff did some singing and dancing around the fire and we as a group responded back with our own song. We learned there were cape buffalo around the cabin but was OK with our nightly escort to the tented cabin.

11/20/17 - The second picture of the previous post was the elephant that was doing the mud bath but for some reason I could not write the note.

11/20/17 - On 10/31, up at 5 30 am, breakfast at 6 00 am and at 6 30 am off for an all day game drive.  The first time to see wildebeests.  We saw an elephant taking a mud bath to cool down, saw some hippopotamus fight in the water, a hippopotamus out of the water and walking on dry land.  Around 9 00 am, we found a spot for a bathroom break, coffee, tea and a cookie.  Off to look for more animals.  We then stopped for a picnic lunch and off to look for more animals. We got back to the camp and had a snack, juice, coffee and tea. We then had a couple of hours for relaxation before we returned to the lodge for dinner. 

                                                       A little elephant parade with baby

11/19/17 - On 10/30, We were up at 5 00 am, breakfast at 5 30 am and at 6 00 am we said our  good byes and boarded the bus to travel to the airport in Kasane, Botswana to board a small plane for the Okavango Delta. Our plane was a four seater and when we met the pilot he asked me if I wanted to ride in the co-pilot seat.  I was thrilled but getting me up in the plane was a little difficult.  He finally just picked me and put me in the seat!!  It was interesting to watch him get ready for take and the take off.  Since we were headed for a wilderness camp, the runway had gravel and was out in the middle of the bush.  It was amazing.  The terminal consisted of a square area with gravel so we could disembark from the plane.  We were picked up the the jeep driver and found a place to stop for coffee and tea and a cookie.  We then did a small game drive before heading for the Wilderness Tented Camp.  We had lunch and then an orientation to the camp and our cabin assignments.  We had some time to relax, then a talked on African history and dinner.  After dinner, we looked out an there was an elephant within feet of us, casually eating food so we had to wait until he moved out of the way before we were escorted to our cabins.  I should mention that whenever it was dark we were not allowed to walk outside because one never knew how close the wild animals were and all of us were escorted to our cabins.

                                              I was in the plane to the left with pilot

                                                             Our front door to our tent

11/18/17 - 10/29,  We are up by 5 30 am, breakfast at 6 00 am and today is an all day game drive.  We saw hippopotamus in a pond, impalas, warthogs, cape buffalo during the drive.  We stopped around 9 00 am for coffee, tea and cookies.  Some took a bathroom break and as the tour guide calls it they increased the level of the nearby water!!  We then went again in search of animals until time for our picnic lunch.  As the driver and Manuel were setting up the buffet table, we had an audience of monkeys who were watching to see when they could grab some food.  Well, we had to be very careful and two monkeys did grab some food right off one of the plates!!  Back on the jeep to go look for animals.  The afternoon was uneventful.  When we got back to the lodge, we had juice, water, tea or coffee with a snack.  We then had a little time to ourselves before dinner.  At dinner, we experience a typical African dinner and we learned to eat with our hands.  Eventually, some of us had to ask for utensils.  We then had some entertainment from the staff since this was our last night at the Baobab Lodge.  The entertainment was great.  The African people can really sing and dance.  They asked us to portray  our talents and we could not think of anything but then sang "Row, row your boat"!!  A chilly evening and off to bed.

                                                            Anxiously waiting for food

                                                                    Our buffet table

11/17/2017 - On 10/28, we had a wake up call at 5 30 am, with breakfast scheduled at 6 00 am and off at 6 30 am for our first game drive.  We saw lots of impalas, a herd of elephants in the bush walking single file toward the river that is behind the lodge.  There were too many trees in the way to take pictures.  We stopped off at a local village and talked with a gal that owned the little farm and had a little tour.  In a building out back, we found her mother and two sisters sifting maize to get ready to sell.  We then walked a little and got a lesson on how to make baskets and then they had a display of baskets and bracelets for us to buy.  Back to lodge and had a nice snack.  We then had time for a little relaxation before dinner.  Dinner was delicious and a little conversation after dinner and off to bed.  This cabin had a mosquito net over the bed so took a little to get use to it.

                                                       This type of jeep for all game drives
                                                       It holds 10 people but we only had 8

11/17/2017 - On 10/27, We had breakfast at the hotel and then met our traveling group in the lobby at 8 30 am.  After meeting everyone, we got in a bus and headed for the airport.  We left via British Airways for Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.  When we arrived we had to buy a double visa to be able to enter the country twice during our travels.  After buying the visa and getting our luggage we met our tour guide (the travel agency calls them program director) .  Since he had a list of all of us, he called most of us by name.  It was amazing.  His name is Manuel so during the rest of the trip when I talk about Manuel we will know he was the tour guide that is going to be with us all during the trip.  We then boarded a bus for the border.  When we got to the border we learned that we would be changing buses because it saves alot of time to walk across the border to Botswana than to try and get a bus across.  There were alot of trucks waiting to cross as well and we were told sometimes it takes 24 hours to get the paperwork completed so they can cross the border!!  Anyway, we got off the bus, went through passport control and boarded a bus on the other side.  On our way to the Baobab Lodge in Chobe National Park in Botswana, we saw elephants, impalas, zebras, and warthogs.  What an interesting ride.  We arrived at the Baobab Lodge which was located on top of hill with the Chobe River below which divided the two countries (Botswana and Namibia).  We had a wonderful welcome song and dance from the crew when we arrived.  We also got wet washcloths to clean face and hands.  We then had a briefing regarding the lodge rules and given our cabin number.  We then had punch and a snack.  We were than escorted to our cabin and got an orientation regarding the cabin and all the accommodations.  Back to the main lodge area for happy hour and a sit down dinner.  They would serve the soup and then the main course, vegetables and other items on the menu were buffet style.  The chef would also announce the menu and then would serve you behind the buffet table.  Off to bed.

                                                       Our Cabin in Chobe National Park

11/16/17 - On 10/24, at 4 30 pm, Louise stopped by and picked me up to take me to the airport.  We needed to go a little early since she does like to drive at night and it was not a problem for me.  I got some dinner and then left on Jet Blue at 8 40 pm with a non stop to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.  My duffel bag was checked through to Johannesburg.  We arrived at 4 50 am.

10/25 - I had to transfer from the domestic terminal 5 to the international terminal 4.  Since the flight did not leave until 11 15 am, I had plenty of time to get between terminals which was a little of a walk and included taking the train.  When I got to terminal 4, I learned that African Airlines would not be at the desk until for a while so had a little of a wait.  When they did arrived and before they actually opened the ticket counter, I learned that my boarding pass I had gotten in San Diego, had to be re-issued by African Airlines so had to stand  in line for a new boarding pass.  After re-checking in and going through security, I found the gate and waited or my niece Deborah to arrive.  Deborah arrived, we chatted and then left JFK at 11 15 am for Johannesburg.  We were told it would be almost a 14 hour flight.  The plane was not full but by the time we realized that, everyone had already spread out so sleeping was a little difficult but we both managed.

10/26 - We got to Johannesburg at 7 45 am.  We found our duffel bags and then met the O.A.T travel agent outside of baggage.  We were than transported to the O.R. Tambo Protea Hotel and riding with us we learned was a couple (Suzanne and Bill) that would be traveling with us for the next 15 days.  We got to the hotel and were told the rooms were not ready so we spent some time out by the pool waiting for our room.  When we got to the room, we took a nap and were not very hungry because of all the food we got on the plane so we had some snacks with us and just stayed in for the evening.

10/24/17 - I have not blogged lately because not much as been happening except visiting with friends and eating out alot.

Today, I will be leaving for the African Safari tour with my niece Deborah and I will not return until around noon on 11/15 and then will slowly catch up everything.

10/08/17 - On 10/6,  I had dinner with Rolf, Deb, Sarah Ehlers.  I worked with Dr. Ehlers in the office and got to know his wife Deb quite well and we became friends.  Their daughter Sarah also joined us for dinner.  It was a very nice evening and the dinner was superb.

10/7, It was rather warm in the RV and I didn't feel like doing much but did get the dishes done and some things put away.   I then went to Louise's house for dinner and spent the evening with her. 

Today, I cleaned out some shelves since there was some leakage from bottles and now am working on killing ants.  It took only 3 days for the ants to find the RV!!  I have some letters to write and then plan to do nothing!!

10/05/17 - Today, I started to put things away, do some cleaning because everything is quite dirty, ran to the grocery store.  Now, I am ready to call it an evening.

10/05/17 - On Sunday (10/1) and Monday (10/2) we decided to run some errands and had a Himalayan lunch.

10/3 - I had to get up by 6 am to drive into San Diego during rush hour for my test which included a mammogram (normal), dexascan (no major changes from 3 years ago) so will continue the Prolia injection every 6 months, a esophagram because sometimes I get food stuck at the bottom of the esophagus which causes some discomfort and unable to eat more until it goes down which can take some time.  I was told that there is a little hernia but nothing to take care of at this time but I need to chew my food extremely well before swallowing and need to take little bits and eat slow.  He did say some of the muscles around the esophagus are a little worn out from age.  Gee, thank you for that information.  I then had about an hour and half to waste before I needed to go back to the medical office for my Prolia injection.  While waiting for the injection, my friend Lina called and was on her way to Temecula.  She is from Los Angeles and  has about 2 hours to get there and I would have about an hour to get there.  She invited me to meet her for the afternoon and evening since she already had the hotel room, I really didn't have to plan anything.  Since I had no plans, I decided to meet her but needed to get clothes and medications but did not want to drive all the way back to Alpine which is about a 30 mile drive, so went to the RV and got clothes and medications and was told that the RV should be done by late in the afternoon but I informed Mark that I had a chance to go out of town and would plan to pick up the RV the next day.  I left about 2 pm but needed to get gas and something to drink.  I met Lina around 3 15 pm.  We  had a great time catching up.  It had been two years since I had last seen her.

10/4, We had a very leisure morning, had a bagel for breakfast and both left around 12 30 pm.  I drove back to the campground, left my car and Louise picked me up and took me over to pick up the RV.  I got into traffic because of an accident so did not get back to the campground until almost 4 pm.   When I was pulling in, my neighbor (who has gotten a little to friendly) decided to help me park it which he did but then he left and I was not satisfied because I wanted to be closer to the cement patio and I had a terrible time to get it where I wanted it and low and behold,he came back and then of course help me again!! I finally got parked to my satisfaction and got hooked up by around 5 15 pm.  I got the refrigerator going and decided to drive over to Louise's house and have left over food with her for dinner and then get my frozen and refrigerated food.  I got home around 8 30 pm and put things away that couldn't wait and off to bed.

09/30/17 - On 9/27, I learned that there was a problem with the RV and the part would take three days to get here so immediately knew I would be with Louise longer than expected.

On 9/28, Louise had another doctor's appointment so we decided to stop by the RV because I needed more clothes and medications since it has been alot longer than I had planned or hoped for.  I learned now there is an oil leak in the engine so now a couple of more days and of course they don't work on the week end so now I am not sure when I will be back in the RV.   I am trying to be patient but it is really hard.

9/30, I went to Louise to the bank, post office and a little market since she decided to cook a nice dinner for us. We had pork chops, salad and spinach.  It was really good.

Today, neither one of us have any plans so will be a quiet day.

09/25/17 - This morning I was up at 7 30 am since I needed to get the RV ready to move because I took it in for engine servicing, repair of bathroom vent, repair of a gauge in the instrument panel and a few other minor things.  My friend, Louise came over to the campground about 9 15 am and we took off for the repair shop.  She had a doctor's appointment, then some shopping and some lunch and back to her house.  I will be staying with her and I hope not more then two days.  She will actually be going out of time tomorrow for the day, but I will be fine just staying at her house and then hopefully on Wednesday, I will be able to get the RV back and get settled in again.

9/23/17 - On 9/22, I then did have lunch with my friend Judy and we had such a nice visit.  In the evening I had dinner plans with Anne and Laura since Anne had a niece that was coming in from Phoenix for the evening.  For dinner, we had Anne's parents, her niece and friend and myself.  It was a very nice evening. 

Today, I did some work around the RV since I am getting it ready for Monday since it is going in for engine service and a few minor repairs.  Tonight, am going out for dinner with Louise to catch up with her trip to northern California.

9/23/17 -  On 9/21, I was scheduled to meet up with my friend Judy for lunch but then I learned from my nephew Pete that he was delivering dog kennels to an animal shelter in the north county and I decided I wanted to meet him and say "HI" because I knew we would not have much time.  I was informed that they should be at the shelter around 8 30 am so I knew that I had to get an early start since I had about 30 miles north.  Later, I got a text from his wife Lawanda (who travels with him) that they are in a traffic jam and not moving at all so not to be in a hurry. Since I was up already and not sure of traffic I decided to take off and just wait for them.  Later, she texted me and they were out of the traffic jam but now not scheduled in until 10 30 am.  They did arrive at 10 45 am and they were also traveling with another trucker that had a dog kennel as well so they would help each other to unload.  It was great to see them and getting that kennel off the truck and to the place that it needed to be took some time but it was very interesting.  I have attached a couple of pictures

                                                            Pete coming around the corner 

                                            This is the kennel in its proper place

They did not get done until almost 3 00 pm and then left for Sacramento but I think they were just going as far as Bakerfield for the day.  It was so good to see them.

09/23/17 - Sorry, it has been a while since I did a blog.

On 9/12, I went out to eat with my friend Louise since she was leaving for a week to visit a daughter in northern California. 

9/16, I had dinner plans that got cancelled.

9/17, went out to eat with my dear friends Laura and Anne.  We ate at an Italian restaurant and then finished the evening off with a gelato.  It was all very delicious.

9/18, I had an appointment at the office I use to work for because they are planning a 30 year anniversary party and wanted a little history of the practice.  Well, I was ambushed because I thought it was a meeting with the office manager and the lead medical assistant individual and it turned out to be a video interview!!  The individual that was doing the interview, was very nice but I was very uncomfortable and I expressed my anxiety to Jannet  and she told me she knew if she had told me the whole story that I would not have done the interview and she is totally RIGHT.  I am told it will be only about a 2 minute video of me that is already too much for me.  After that, I had a doctor's appointment for my yearly exam and tests.  During that visit, I was told that I was very anemic and I really needed to give up and start to take a daily iron pill and then to absorb it properly I needed to also take a vitamin C.  I can't believe how many pills I am taking.   I then stopped off at the car repair place to make an appointment for an oil change and to look at the muffler since I have an usual noice coming that area.  He does not require an appointment but only a day's notice.

09/08/17 - My dinner with Anne, Laura, Anne's parents was very nice.  It was so good to see all of them again.

9/3, I did not do much but did catch up with my friend Louise at a Mexican restaurant.  The visit was great and she has agreed to let me use her address for a couple of pieces of mail that I need.

9/4 to 9/7, I did some house chores but not much else.  It has cooled down and has been quite comfortable.  I made some appointments for next week which include a schedule for the servicing of the RV, medical appointment and lab work.

Today, Louise stopped by with some of my mail and I did a little bit of grocery shopping but not much else is going on.

9/2/17 - On 9/1, I left the gravel  parking lot behind a Best Western Motel in Kettleman City, CA at 7 00 am since I wanted to make sure that I would go over the grapevine (a pass that is kinda long and steep) before it got too warm.  When I left at it was already 87 degrees so I knew I was in for a hot day.  Since I did not want to overheat the engine, I traveled without air conditioner so did some sweating but was tolerable.  I got to the northern part of Los Angeles around 11 00 am so felt I was on a good schedule.  Well, soon I was in heavy traffic with stop, going and then a brake for a few miles.  I was hoping after getting to the southern part of Los Angeles that the traffic would brake but that was not going to happen.  I had stop and go all the way.  It did not matter what freeway I was on.  I finally got to the Campground at 305 pm and it was 107 degrees with some humidity so very warm.  I did not have all the information that they needed so he gave me the paper to fill out later so I could at least get hooked up.  I would leveled the RV and then drank a glass of tea.  Next was electricity so I could run a fan when I sat and rested.  Then did the water and sewer and drank more tea and rested.  Needless to say, it took awhile but got it done.  I took a shower, turned on the air conditioner, ate some cottage cheese since I was not really hungry because I was drinking so much tea but I did stay hydrated.  When to bed early.

Today, I have to finish the paper work or the office.  I need to put two birthday cards in the mail and finish putting things away.  I need to do the dishes now that I have hot water.  Otherwise, am not planning much else.  Do have a dinner plans with my dear friends, Anne and Laura.

08/31/17 - This morning left at 8 am since I could not sleep.  I had slept on the couch because it was very warm and I had a little more breeze than in the bedroom so I heard more noises during the night.  I also decided to travel much earlier since it is cooler in the morning than in the afternoon and I would sit out the heat in the afternoon.  Sharon and Dave told me about a large gravel parking lot behind a Best Western in Kettleman City, CA so that is where I am parked this evening.  I have a semi truck next to me that was here before I was and just recently a truck towing a car is on the other side of me but they are not in the truck so I think they just parked it for the night.  I had a good traveling day.  Off to bed soon.  Not sure whether it will be the bed or the couch but will be quieter than Walmart.  It is still very warm ad the sun is down so hopefully will cool off soon.  Off to bed

08/30/17 - This morning, I left the truck stop around 8 45 am.  I still had almost a half tank of gas so decided to drive for a while before filling up which turned out to be a mistake since the gas was a lot higher.  Oh, well, what can one do?  I then drove a while again and stopped and had lunch at a rest stop.  Since I still had some small passes to go over some traveling was very slow but the motor did not over heat.  When I was almost out of the mountain area the outside temperature rose from 88 degrees to 104 degrees!!  I just drove about 50 to 55 miles an hour and the motor did fine.  It took me 8 hours to drive my 300 miles.  I must state tho that I did waste about 45 minutes for lunch because I was just tired from driving.  The sun has gone down so now it is starting to cool off.  When I got to the Walmart in Willows, CA it was 101 degrees.  When I started out this morning, I drove through a lot of smoke from the northern California wild fires.  At one time, we all drove with our lights on because you could not see very far in front of you.  I took a picture from the rest stop and you can not even see the outline of the mountains in the background.  I will attach a picture but the picture really does not do justice to how bad the smoke really was.

08/29/17 - I got everything put away, refilled the water tank and left Dave and Sharon's house at 9 50 am.  Today was a very driving day.  Everything went really well.  I got to the Walmart in Roseburg, Oregon, to learn that the city of Roseburg does not allow any overnight parking. There were signs every where "No Overnight Parking".  I thought about taking my chances but then a police car came and cruised the area. So I decided to go in and ask a manager just to make sure  and he informed me that they will make me move later.  There were quite a few homeless people in the parking lot and  one came over in front of me trying to beg money from motorist leaving Walmart.  He informed me that about 9 00 pm the police will come around and make everyone leave.  So I left because I knew of a truck stop about 8 miles down the road so that is where I am for the evening.  Almost dark so will be playing on my phone for a while and then off to bed.

08/27/17 - On 8/26, we met Mike and his family for a picnic at the lake.  He has a boat and after lunch, we went for a ride around the lake.  Here is it very popular to put a large tube between the boat and ride the waves created by the boat.  I just rode in the boat.  We had a lot of fun.  I have attached a picture of Audrey and Sharon riding the tube

                                         Sorry, it is hard to see Audrey and Sharon
                                             Lake Lawrence, Yelm, Washington

Today, Sharon and I went to Walmart and did a little shopping and the rest of the day was very quiet.
Off to bed

08/23/17 - On 8/21, I went early for Mexican food and then over to the baseball park at the school to watch Sharon's granddaughter practice since they have formed a new fall team.  It was interesting to watch.  Her granddaughter Audrey is really athletic and does quite well.  She will be a freshman in high school and just tried out for the junior varsity volleyball team.  They have been doing a lot of practicing.

8/22, Sharon had her 3 year old granddaughter, Alena for the day.  We went to the lake for awhile to pass time.  There is a playground there, a little sandy beach area, Canadian geese.   We then went to pick up Audrey from volley ball practice and they were both here until their Dad came to pick them up.  We then went and got some chicken and steak fries for dinner.

Today, I wrote a birthday card, did some crocheting and just spent the day with Sharon and Dave. Was a very quiet day.  I did try to see if  I could get in the reserved space in San Diego a couple of days earlier but they are really full so that is not happening.  Took care of a toll bill that I got when crossing the Ohio River.  It was $7.00.  My phone conversations are rather short since the reception here is very, very limited but did get three of them in today.  Off to bed.

08/20/17 - Today, I went with Dave, their son Michael, his wife Jolena, daughter Alena to Seattle airport to pick up my friend Sharon, wife to Dave and Michael's daughter, Audrey.  It is alittle over an hour to the airport but we got into some construction so was longer than that but after we picked them up, we stopped off for lunch at Olive Garden.  Sharon and I sat out on the patio and had a great chat.  It was a good day and I am off to bed.

8/19/17 -  On 8/18, I got gas and left the truck stop at 10 00 am.  Soon after I was on the road it got really, really windy so I slowed down to 50 miles per hour.  It took awhile to get out of the windy valley but it then got better.  I had plans to stop a little earlier for lunch since it was the only rest stop before I went through a long mountain pass and there was nothing on the pass or after the pass.  I had planned to hook up the GPS at lunch time since my drive consisted of I-90.  Well, to my great dismay, the rest stop was closed so I started to look for a truck stop and did stop at one but there absolutely was very little space to hand out so on I went.  Got off at another exit but traffic was horrible so decided to go on again.  I had been munching on some chips and crackers so hunger was not the issue.  I was tired of driving and I needed to hook up the GPS.  I did remember what exit to take off the I-90 so got on Route 18 and what a traffic mess.  It was two lanes and I don't know what happened but very, very busy.  I did not know if I was even going the right way so finally found a small cut out in the road and parked.  I called Dave to see if he had any suggestions regarding the route since the GPS was taken me all over the place.  He did not answer so knew I just had to trust the GPS.  I then got on I-5 and that traffic was backed up for miles.  It took 45 minutes to go 13 miles.  I then exited and that two lane road was also backed up for as far as I could see in front of me and between me.  I finally got through that mess and then started on smaller roads.  I finally got to the road with their address but it was at a Lake Lodge and I could not see a road that was marked and the GPS was telling me we were at our destination which was not true.  I made a right since it looked like a tiny street because going left looked like someone lane to their house and I did not want to get stuck.  Anyway, I soon found myself at a very small cul-de-sac and all I could do is try to make the u-turn.  What a mess.  I first had solar lights out by the front and missed the one by inches and then next was the mailbox.  The car was all twisted up from the turn so I put the RV in reverse for just a few inches since it did not involve the car and sure enough, I was able to clear the mailbox but I hit some small leafy branches with the mirror but no damage at all.  I was very lucky.  Anyway, I stopped to ask someone at the Lodge and sure enough to the left was a street!!.  I finally found Dave at 5 03 pm.
We visited for a minute and then decided where to park, got electricity and leveled the RV.  I soon learned from Dave that there is no satellite service and internet was very hit and miss.  So if I don't respond that means I have no internet.  It is very sporadic.  Plans are to be here until 8/28.

Sharon, (his wife and my ex-employee) will return tomorrow from California.

8/17/17 - On 8/9, Onita and I got up very early and headed or Missoula which is about 50 miles since she had cataract surgery scheduled on the one eye.  After surgery, we went to Walmart to pick up my meds, to the bank so I could deposit a check, then lunch at Chipotle's before heading back to Corvallis.  Onita did extremely well with her surgery and now only needs reading glasses.  Stan was off for the day but had alot of errands to run.  In the evening, he started a fire in the pit and we had a nice time.

I need to blog about every other day, because my dates are all mixed up so I will just write what I remember.  One day, Onita took me around to see some of the area and we went to Lake Como and a typical western town named Daly.  They have a great candy/fudge store so of course I had to get some.  One night we stopped off a assisted living place and visited Stan's mother.

8/16, Onita and I went to pick up her mother-in-law and got her hair cut and she needed some items from Walgreens before we took her back in time for lunch.  I was sitting outside waiting for  her, when a gentleman yelled and here was a rather large buck walking down the street.  What a sight.  When Onita and I were leaving, we saw a doe and she slowly walked across the parking lot in front of us, crossed the street and here come two fawns and started to nurse right in the middle of the street.  I never saw anything like it.  I said my goodbyes since Stan leaves early for work.

Today, I got up at 7 45 am and started to put things away.  Onita had to leave at 9 am so I went in to say my finally good bye and thank you.  I left Corvallis at 10 00 am.  I had excellent traveling even though I had to good through several mountain passes but with extra knowledge the motor never over headed.  I am so thankful for a good traveling day.  Since I gained an hour,  also drove an hour extra so now tomorrow won't be so long.  I am at a Love's truck stop in Ritzville, Washington.  I need gas tomorrow and of course since I crossed the Idaho border it has increased 35 cents per gallon!!
Off to bed

08/17/17 - My previous post had the wrong date on it so will write a correction.  8/6 was Sunday and we went to church and Onita made a great Sunday lunch.  We sat out on the patio and had a great visit.

08/08/17 - 8/6, I wrote two circle letters and drove to the post office to mail them.  Also, found a Walmart to fill some medications, worked on getting my refund back from the old insurance on the RV and finally got that done and they will put it back on the credit card which is great.   Onita was gone in the morning since she is activities director for a senior home.  We then had lunch together, sat out on their back patio having a good visit until all of a sudden both of us noticed some action along the patio doors and it was a MOUSE!!  Of course, we both screamed and it ran into a corner.  Onita decided she was going to see if she could find it when it ran into the barbecue grill!!  When her husband, Stan came home we asked him to take care of it and he did see it in the barbecue but we then had some dinner and I do believe he forgot about it.  Oh, well, I am off to bed.

Today, Onita will be at the senior home from 1 00 pm to 4 00 pm so I am doing some computer work, crochet and just take it easy.  It is finally getting a little warmer.  The mornings are really cold but then it does warm up.  Today, the air quality is really bad because of all the forest fires that are burning around them!!  I am going to sit out on her patio and read and play on my phone.

08/05/17 - This morning, I put the gallon of coolant into the radiator and a little in the overflow bottle.  My nephew, Jeremy told me to only fill the overflow bottle to the cold mark and so I did that.  I got everything put away, and left around 9 30 am for Corvallis.  I had 162 miles and one mountain pass to go through.  This mountain pass was not as steep and so climbing was better.  The engine temperature did perfectly so I have decided it was not my engine yesterday but the culprit was the driver!!  I learned a valuable lesson.  So today, I settled my emotions a little and I had a good trip.  The GPS did take me through the town of Missoula and they had some construction and the lanes were a little tight but I made it.  My first cousin, Onita has informed be there is a much easier way so when I leave I will do that and not the GPS.  I got to Onita's house about 1 00 pm.  I took off the car, then she guided me in to the spot that she wanted me to park while I was here.  She went to finish mowing the lawn, and then I leveled the RV and did a few more things to settle in and we decided to do a late lunch.  I have left overs to eat so I took them over to the house, warmed up the food and we had lunch.  We then sat outside and chatted.  We both needed showers so got that done and then watched a little TV and chatted until a little after 9 00 pm.  I came back to the RV, set up the TV, made tea and will be off to bed.  I am so glad to once again be off the road for a while.

08/04/17 - This morning I left Hardin, Montana about 9 30 am.  I had about 277 miles to the Walmart in Butte, Montana.  I drove a while and then stopped for fuel and I had been munching on some chips along the way so decided to drive to the second rest stop.  It was rather warm outside and I was going up hill when all of a sudden the temperature gauge went up between normal and hot.  Much hotter than it had been running all this time.  I was scared because it would not come down and of course I was many miles from an exit but did find a little bit of an turn off so stopped there on the incline so see what was going on.  My little coolant tank in the back was overflowing and I could not figure that out since it was fine before I left.  I then had some coolant in the trunk of the car so decided that I needed to put some in the narrow black container that Aunt Ada and I had done before when I had the huge leak. It must have always been cooled down when we did it.  Well, there was an angel there because I decided to open that and later learned from my nephew Jeremy that it was the actually radiator and as soon as I released it a tiny bit, all kinds of things started to come out of it and the pressure was huge.  Anyway, I did not get burned but had stuff all over my shirt, pants and some evidently on my face because I could taste it!  I let it finish and then lots of steam came out so I waited awhile until no more steam and poured the coolant in, closed everything up, and started out again.  I drove much slower because I had been cruising at about 64 miles per hour.  I went down to 50 miles per hour.  I had about 15 miles to the rest stop and the temperature gauge held at the first mark.  I then had lunch, tried to settle the nerves and took off again.  I drove 55 miles per hour and the temperature was doing well.  I had 72 miles to the Walmart in Butte, Montana.  My scheduled stop for the night.  After leaving the rest stop, I stopped at a Flying J to buy more coolant in case I needed it because I had no idea how much I had lost when it exploded all over the place on the hill.
Things went OK until I started to climb again because I had the continental divide to go over but I was lucky because there was a semi truck who also was in trouble and we made that long climb together at 25 miles per hour.  The temperature did climb to normal but did not go beyond that on my climb.  I made it safely to Butte.  Tomorrow morning before I leave, I will add some more coolant just to make sure the level is good.  I checked the map but could not let if I had any more passes to go through but my first cousin Onita seems to think I might have one more.  I will just plan to drive very slow and also it is suppose to be cooler tomorrow as well.  Jeremy did let me that the outside heat of 93 degrees probably did not help it as well.  Off to bed.