Because we moved sites at the Roebuck Campground this year and had bought paving tiles for the old site last year, we needed to recover the tiles before someone else claimed them. So here I am doing exactly what caused the hernia last fall ... not much learning from the ol' landscaper, eh.

We then built a new patio on site number 4 our new home for the summer. This site now has the much coveted 50 amp power that we as mucho power users really need. Yes, the flamingos are there; just to the left off camera. This is a brand new site with the new power and is new fill and grass (ie mud not too deep) that we will get looking nice by mid-summer.

In addition to the higher power capability is the view of the forest and pond which is unrestricted. While we can have trailers on either side of us there will never be one in this view out of the massive picture window. Our favorite spot now for bird and chipmunk watching.

And as Buster just had his short summer haircut and the nights still are in 40 degree range he had to be covered up to keep from shivering.

For a look at our typical diet here in the Meaford area we offer the following, all sampled in the last couple of days.

To start the day off right you need to hit Ted's Range Road Diner (the Quonset hut in previous blogs) for Ted's Gastronomical Breakfast. 3 eggs, peameal bacon, onions, tomatoes, sprouts, mushrooms, cheese, special sauce, German style hash browns, and rye bread.






For the lunch snack you need to hit the European Bakery in Owen Sound for the black bean and cheese quesedillas, or the chicken and and spinach wrap with asiago cheese and hot tea. Minestrone soup was super as well.





Then for dinner you need to head to Thornbury to the Alphorn Swiss restaurant for their renowned schnitzel,"Best Wienerschnitzel in Canada as selected by Canada Magazine." The wienerschnitzel is on the right and a portion of plain schnitzel on the left ... both excellent! And all washed down by some excellent Erdinger weitzen beer.

Of course you already hit the market for your supply of appropriately named desert wafers to ensure all the above gastronomic over indulgence doesn't remain for more than a few seconds!

And of course we haven't gained a pound!

Leigh and Brooks left on Sunday the 15th at 2pm as scheduled but the events leading up to the departure were interesting at best.

On Saturday the 14th as we had been borrowing Bill Martin's Taurus as we lent ours to the kids, I decided to get it over to the squirt wash as we had trashed it pretty good. I washed it up a bit and then moved it over to the vacuum station ... all in the light 40 degree drizzle typical of the season.

Once I parked it at the vacuum station and had gotten done I went to start it and ... nada. Brother in law Rick came over and we got a new battery and tried without success to get it started.

So then we had to call a tow truck and have it towed to the nearest Ford dealer to wait for Monday to have the starter replaced.

OK rainy cold day and the crisis was averted, eh.

We then went to the Alphorn restaurant to have schnitzel which was excellent and then went home. We left the kids at the Thornbury condo because we were to pick them up there the next day and take them to Toronto to fly home to Dallas on Sunday.

Well .... at 10pm Leigh called and said that Brooks was having a severe pain in his leg and needed to go to emergency ... now. They had already called the Meaford emergency room and the staff was waiting so we got in the car and drove the 10 miles over to Thornbury then the 10 miles back to Meaford to the hospital here.

They were taken care of quickly and the doctor on call came in and with a shot or two of morphine and muscle relaxant Brooks was able to go home at 5am. Total cost was $265 for the evening in emergency ... if it happened in the US you could have just added a zero or so to the tab.

We then picked up the kids and grandson at about 9am and got them to Toronto for their scheduled flight back to Dallas.

It was really beautiful on the waterfront and the sunrises were spectacular especially with all the rain and some clouds.





Before the kids left we took them to Coffin Ridge Winery which we have talked about before. Here's the tasting room which is exceptionally nice.





And then as the weather was pretty good we sat outside on the veranda to enjoy their cheese and bread plate with some "Back from the Dead red" wine. Great luncheon and good wine and good fun.

The red blanket was there in case it was too cold but we we managed to stay warm with the cheese and wine.

When we first got to Meaford it was an average of 38 degrees in the morning and maybe 55 in the afternoon, but fairly clear. When the kids were here we managed to have some nice 55 degree days with mostly sunshine.

On Monday as we decided to leave Memorial Park in Meaford for our spot on the hill it was 38 with a 20 MPH wind blowing off the water ... cold! I assume the wind chill was close to 28 as I was trying to get the Flying Scotsman unhooked and ready to move.





This shot from a few days ago in the sunshine shows the snow still on the ski slopes at the Peaks resort ... May 15th and you could still do some sliding on that stuff.





And then the suit-up for the inclement crap as I got ready to get Buster out for his twice daily walk. It is pouring hard and 38 degrees but the poor little guy still has to go, eh.

Brooks and Leigh arrived on time in Toronto on Saturday the 7th. Little Ev on his first flight was apparently a perfect traveler and here he is with a comment on the extra bag fees.




After we picked them up and got them into their condo in Thornbury they came over to look at our beach in Meaford. The weather here was about 58 degrees and pretty calm winds ... nice day!

As we got the bambino over to the Martin house he instantly became the center of attention; and rightfully so ... cute little dude.

The newest member of the music family is practicing for the next performance.

Not sure where the coon-skin cap appeared from but it seemed to fit pretty well!






On one of our tourist ventures we drove and then hiked down to the Eugenia Falls landmark area which is about 20 minutes south of Meaford and a really pretty setting.

The kids were here from the 7th to the 15th of May, today, and we just got back from driving them the two hours down to Toronto to catch the plane back to Dallas. Obviously more to follow on this week's activities.

On Tuesday the 3rd of May we rolled into Meaford and set up camp on the beach. We'll be here until the 16th as Leigh and Brooks will be coming into Thornbury a couple of miles down the road. After that we will move back to our site on the hill at the Roebuck campground.

The reason is pretty simple ... while the view here is great, at $40 a night it gets pretty costly for the long term. The Roebuck site away from the water is still $1350 for the year ... yup the year ... not much math required here.

Here is the view on our first night in Meaford of the wonderful Georgian Bay.





And a shot of the Flying Scotsman looking out at the water. We elected to get a site facing the water for the advantage of our huge picture window but it involves being in the row just off the water. When we arrived the park wasn't actually open (opens on May 7th) so we had the pick as we were the only ones here.





And like I said the views can be pretty picturesque, especially in the 45 degree crisp weather. It's about 52 for the high in the day and then down to 38 at night with our furnace running all night.





As I said the views can be pretty picturesque ... and then the Trailer Park Boys moved into the lot directly in front of us ... let's see 200 sites and two vehicles in the park ... go figure. But the fellow's gesture on the right seems to sum it up.

Leigh and Brooks fly into Toronto on Saturday for a visit to Great Grandpa so we will be busy with them for the next week but I'm sure we'll get a bunch of pictures to share.

And then tonight ... what a difference!!

This is the KOA in Port Huron where we have stayed several times. As there are about 6 RVs in the 300 spaces, we were given one of the good ones at a cheap price. And the same price, $40, that we paid last night for the large grassy field with the dirt and mud in Elkhart.

If you look at the trees here you can see that we are just at the very beginning of spring. Today was a really nice partly cloudy day and about 60 all day. Tonight will be a low of 48.

This is a first class park for all levels and configurations of campers and families.

Tomorrow off to Canada and we should be in Meaford by the afternoon.

We then decided that the next 200 mile run would be to Elkhart, IN, as it is the Mecca for RV stuff. Well ....

To be fair we arrived on a Sunday and the whole town was closed up tight. We picked the Elkhart Campground as it was rated very high by both Wodalls and the Good Sam folks. Well ... here it is.

This is a very unimproved grassy field with us in the 50 degree rain .... wow. Elkhart seemed to be an old working class town that hasn't changed much in the last 40 years or so and the local park (the best in a 50 mile radius) left a lot to be desired. Level lot with a sewer ... 'bout it.

On the 30th we rolled into the Terre Haute KOA. The last time we were here was in 2007 and it was the first KOA we visited with our new Georgetown RV at the time. It was actually the third park we ever vistited as we were really the new guys on the block at the time. Now, four years later, it is still a good park ... still a KOA in the woods with wet ground and fire pits. They did have a restaurant and did still have the donkeys ...




We have the pictures of when Buster first met the donkey here four years ago. Now there is a Mrs Donkey and this ol guy and a brand new one. I guess if the spanish for these critters is burro a little one is a burrito eh?




Buster's little tail was wagging and he actually got nose to nose with the adult and all appeared quite happy about the encounter.