2024 Holiday Letter

   Merry Christmas 2024 and Happy New Year 2025!

Dear Friends & Adopted 'Family':

It seems like just it was just yesterday that I was putting the 2023 Holiday letter together; however, here it is nearly the end of 2024!  It has been a very hectic year for us, I will save you the boring details and try to hit on just the highlights! 

We spent last winter in Florida at Sunkissed Village RV Resort in Summerfield.  It is a 55+ Community that we like very much.  In January our dear friends (and adopted ‘family’) Darren and Rozz Housley came to visit us for a week.  It was the first time we have ever had overnight guests in our RV. We had a great time with them and meeting up with our “other” Wyoming friends, Jerry and Sue Hazen, (who were spending the winter in Florida visiting their family here) sightseeing and finding fun places to eat.  Sadly, their trip was just too short.

Shortly after Darren and Rozz left to go home, Bill had an “episode.” He came out of the bank one day and was so exhausted when he got to the truck that he did not have the energy to get in and had to lay down next to the truck in the parking lot for about 20 minutes.  We headed straight to the VA Outpatient Clinic.  By the time Mary parked the truck and got into the building, the Techs had surrounded him and called EMS.  So, on Monday, January 29^th, Bill was admitted to The Villages UF Regional Medical Center.  After stabilizing him they began running tests, which indicated that he had Blood Clots in both lungs.  Further tests indicated that he did not have any clots in his legs, which is where the clots usually start.  His Doc put him on blood thinners to treat the clots.  So, he has been on Eliquis since January.  At some point they will probably take some tests to see how the clots have reacted to the Eliquis.  But we learned a very valuable lesson form this experience: we needed to be closer to medical care than we were in Wyoming.      

On the way to Wyoming from Florida in May, we went through Decatur, IN to have warranty work completed on our RV.  The rear Passenger side slide was making popping and cracking noises when the morning sun hit it.  The Engineers determined that the slide wall was delaminating and that the slide would have to be rebuilt, a project that would take about 3 weeks.  So, we made an appointment for September 30^th and headed to Wyoming for the summer.  The house went back on the market and we spent most of our time completing projects that were designed to make the house more attractive.  We took one day to travel to Jackson to pick up some souvenir “merch.”  With the mortgage rates so high, it seemed that there was very little buyer interest.  We finally had a few showings in July and August.  But nothing exciting.

By the latter part of September, we had given up any hope of the house selling this year and prepared to leave to head back to Indiana to have the slide repair done on the coach.  We left some furniture in the house as well as other personal items.  The realtor called us the day of our appointment in Indiana to tell us she would be showing the house that day.  We said O.K. thinking that that would be the end of the conversation.  That night she called us with an offer!!  We countered the next morning and by that evening we had an executed contract.  Excitement!!  Except, we still had a lot of stuff in the house.  So, leaving the RV in at Decatur in Indiana, we jumped in the truck and drove to Wyoming.  The timing was great, because it gave us something to do while the coach was in the shop.

We were in Wyoming 2 weeks, clearing out the house and cleaning it up.  The Home Inspection identified some items that needed correction, and the ones that we could not handle ourselves, our friend Darren (a GC) and his Electrician completed them for us.  Bill was not about to go up 30 feet onto the roof peak to repair a bent ridge cap, and Mary certainly was not going up there either.  Darren said: “No problem” and had the issue corrected in about 10 minutes. Thank you, Darren.

Closing happened on November 14^th.  It was a cash sale and the entire transaction was smooth.  By this time, we were back in Florida and at the Sunkissed campground again, looking for a house to purchase in The Villages.  We spent a lot of time looking at homes, but were not going to purchase until after the election, assured that with a Trump win, there would be sanity in the world, again.  Since Florida had just had 2 bad hurricanes in a short period, we knew that we wanted a block and stucco house with a golf cart garage, as opposed to stick built with vinyl siding, but block and stucco homes were more expensive, so we settled for a block and stucco over the golf cart garage, and will have to keep the truck on the driveway. And THEN, within 2 days of the election, we started to see homes go pending almost as soon as they hit the market.  So, we changed our planning, deciding to contract a house before all the best ones were gone. We found one in the area that we wanted to be in, that had been on the market for 7 months.  We looked at it several times, and finally decided that it checked enough boxes that it would work for us, if we could buy it for the right price.  Bill used his experience as a realtor and came up with an offering price.  They accepted it, with no counter offer. As a Realtor, he was also able to get a commission for buying it, which helped reduce its cost. We closed on November 25^th.  It has been less than 30 days since we closed, and we have had all new flooring put down, purchased bedroom, living room and dinette furniture.  We also took advantage of Lowe’s Black Friday sale to obtain some new appliances.  Things are finally coming together.  Oops, almost forgot, we bought a rebuilt 2018 golf cart…  a necessary staple for living in The Villages!   

We tried to get a covered storage space for the motorhome, but all spaces are full. So, for the time being, we will be leaving the motorhome at the RV park.  We still have house projects and motorhome projects that will keep us busy for the next month or so.   

Our future plan is to probably rent a car to travel to Wyoming in the Spring, after the Wyoming snow has all melted.  We will pick up our furniture and other items we have in the warehouse, as well as the Explorer and transport everything back to Florida.  Once that project is completed and everything put in its place, we are thinking of doing some traveling with the motorhome, for a change. 

We hope that everything is well with you and your families and that you have a Happy, Healthy and Safe Holiday Season. 

Bill and Mary

Merry Christmas 2024 and Happy New Year 2025!

Our Country is at the Crossroads of a Republican Successful Future as One Nation, and a Democrat Total Failure.

Against US Supreme Court Ruling and 

without approval of Congress, according to the US Constitution

            

                                               VS

Regrettably, thanks to the Biden Administration being so weak and corrupt, it is unclear WHO is in  charge of the white House. What is clear, beyond all reasonable doubt, is that it is NOT the President of the United States.

That said and given the lack of efficiency of the USSS, as a whole, as with the failures of the FBI and the US Dept of Justice, what is also clear is that government agencies, overall, can no longer be trusted to do the jobs the were created for, and have always, previously, done so well. In all cases, upon the inauguration of the Biden Administration's taking over the helm of our nation, they ALL lost their Lustre  through the seduction of their leaders into their radical liberal philosophy, which seeks to tear apart our nation, forcefully taking down all who do not subscribe to their policies. THAT was the plan of the Nazis in WWII, but they FAILED, and so will the Radical Left, because we have too many Patriots, ready to FIGHT for and DEFEND our constitutional way of life.

Since Biden's Day 1, he started to break up our country. He tries to do so either by trying to find loopholes in the Constitution, or by exercising his illegal Executive Orders, or even flagrantly going against US Supreme Court decisions, like their determination that the President cannot arbitrarily 'forgive student loans', as that requires the authority of Congress, which he did not have. Yet, TWICE after that Biden continued to forgive student loans.

There's a school of thought that says that no matter how you feel about the President or Vice-President, one needs to respect the Office. I'm sorry, I can no longer get do that, IF the Office is held by Biden-Harris, because they have  prostituted the office.

But then the Biden Administration got to the point that they started directing (or encouraging) the US Dept. of Justice to prosecute Trump, a political adversary, to keep him from being able to run for President against Biden, and in doing so, allowed the prostitution of the Law and Courts, as long as they could deliver a Guilty verdict to use against Trump, guilty or not. They were NOT SUCCESSFUL because the non-Radical American People could see right through it.

That not working, the next step would be to just take Former President Trump out of the picture altogether. Whether by fear of harm, incapacity by wound, or even by death. However, killing a President or a Former President is not an easy task, as the US elite Secret Service has ALWAYS before protected those at their charge, and because of it there has not been even an attempt to assassinate a President since Reagan on March 30, 1981. Unfathomable as that seemed before the Biden-Harris administration, theirs is an administration that has NO HONOR and works around the law with only one goal in mind... getting their way, no matter who they hurt or how they get there.

So on July 13, 2024 in that Butler County, PA field, as an ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION takes place once again.... with SO MANY FAILURES of the US SECRET SERVICE, the FBI and the local POLICE, it is clear that as citizens, we can no longer trust ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY or STATEMENTS issued by the government.

As such we have to ask ourselves the following questions:

● Can Trump actually still be considered SAFE under the continued protection of the USSS, the same agency that had so many failures in protecting him, and has offered absolutely no statement as to their failures?  WE DOUBT IT.

● Can the American People continue to TRUST Joseph R. Biden as their Leader, or Kamala Harris as their Co-Leader, having done nothing to strengthen our nation, and having done everything to destroy our country, when even countless Democrat lawmakers and citizens have come out calling for their resignation or at least removing themselves from the 2024-2028 election? NO, WE CAN’T.

● Now, the USSS issues a warning that if Trump attends the funeral of Firefighter Cory Comperatore, killed at the Rally in Butler PA, they cannot insure his safety, because of the crowds expected to attend. That sounds like an excuse (in advance) so that another attempt can be made against Trump. Whatever happened to OLD USSS, which was not about excuses of failures, but of successful operations to keep their charges SAFE? So the question that begs an answer is IS THERE A CONTINUED BENEFIT TO KEEP THE USSS, or are we SAFER using PRIVATE SECURITY of Former USSS, FBI, and military personnel, since NOTHING related to this government can be trusted any more?  Some USSS agents may be good and dependable, but like the FBI and the Justice Dept., no one associated to the management of those departments in the last four years can be trusted and should be replaced and those people FIRED and not allowed to work security, law enforcement, or public judicial jobs ever again.  

 I ask myself one more question:

● Was the failed attempted assassination of Donald J. TRUMP, really the act of a crazy 20-year old kid without a real motivation, OR was this a premeditated assassination attempt, conceived and planned by whoever is actually behind controlling the White House, because only one thing is certain, it is NOT BIDEN. (He can't even plan which way to enter/exit a stage, without being given cue cards, in advance.)?

 Many a truth is said in jest, or explained in a supposition, investigated from the premise that an event (or series of events) beg the question of "is it real or memorex"? As such I present to you my version of the "The Pelican Brief", (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pelican_Brief_(film), which is not that far off from it possibly being the best explanation for what is happening in our country, today.

 All these facts bring to mind a novel by John Grisham which was made into a movie in 1993, starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. The story begins with the assassinations of two ideologically divergent Supreme Court justices. Both murders are committed by Khamel, the most wanted hitman in the world. Justice Rosenberg, a liberal, is killed at his home while Justice Jensen, a Republican-appointed swing voter, is killed inside a gay movie theater in Washington, D.C. The circumstances surrounding their deaths, as well as the deaths themselves, shock and confuse a politically divided nation.

THAT was a work of FICTION. However, many a Truth is arrived at based on a suspicious premise, that on further investigation is proven true, if the guilty party or parties cannot or choose not to disprove it, only denying... denying... denying... just like the Director of the USSS, Kimberly Cheatle; the US Attorney General, Merrick Garland; US Sec.of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas; and others, as well as the President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (though they are clearly NOT the at the helm of the White House, being only bobble head figures to fool the public that they are 'in charge'. The real question is WHO is really behind our government? WHO is our Victor Mattiece?

My suspicion is that in reference to the attempted assassination of the Former President Donald J. Trump, it WAS NOT THE ACT OF THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS, an inexperienced 20 year old, who left no explanation as to his motive, showed no clear political affiliation (other than being registered Republican, but claiming on a video that he hates Trump and Republicans... so he hates himself); he carried explosives in his car and a transmitter with him, but neither was linked to the other. Further, as a message of fore-warning, his video message also warns "you have the WRONG GUY".

No, I sincerely doubt that the government’s alleged shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, an inexperienced 20-year old with no agenda, organized, planned and fulfilled this assassination attempt, all on his own, and by himself, without any help from that crooked Kim Cheatle, Director of the NEW US Secret Service. given all the facts that came together to make it possible, for a punk kid to be able to have a rooftop within 150 yards and with a direct line of sight to the Former President’s position, to be able to climb up on (without a ladder) and under which there is a complement of USSS counter snipers, looking out the windows. I wonder how they were planning to fire their counter sniper weapons through closed windows. There are so many obvious questions left unanswered and the Director of the USSS, whose only statement is that the “buck stops with her”, has no explanation to the American people, WHY her department let the American people down so deplorably. At the very least she should have resigned but she won’t; and secondly she should be fired, but the Government won’t. Our country has been let down soooo badly, that we cannot afford to let the Democrats have another term to finish breaking our country apart and feel no duty or obligation to the American people.

The ONLY WAY this could have been accomplished is for the research, planning, and orchestration to have been devised by either the USSS or a number of government agencies, more than likely at the direction of the White House (or whoever is directing it), because Biden and Harris cannot put together a grilled cheese sandwich, and all of which had to work together to accomplish what otherwise would have been impossible, with so many supposedly 'elite' law enforcement agencies on hand.

It is my contention that, at the direction of either the President/VP (or whoever is directing the White House) or in the absence of any formal direction from the White House, then upon appropriated direction of several law enforcement agencies or Democrat lawmakers (at least Secret Service and FBI) who took it upon themselves to try to ‘neutralize’ what they perceive as 'an existential threat' to their own radical agendas. They tried to overcome Trump by making Biden more popular, but poor Biden only mumbled, stumbled and became weaker, whereas Trump was more and more popular and stronger. Then they tried getting the Justice Department to make up bogus charges in NY to find him guilty at all costs, even though the legality of the charges was made up, and they imposed a Gag Order to keep him from being able to Defend Himself, and even finding him ‘Guilty’ and threatening him with putting him in JAIL… all they accomplished was to make him stronger… and more determined. Then, that having failed and on appeals, one by one those charges were found to be unconstitutional, like all of Biden’s governance, so they tried to replace Biden with someone that might have a better chance against Trump, BUT Biden refused to give in to their demands. So, then the options choking them, they figured that the only option left would be to ‘neutralize him’. Interesting word… “neutralize”… which means that they don’t necessarily need him dead, as long as he cannot run and win the Presidency in November. However, IF they can devise a plan to kill him, without it being able to be tied to the government or any government agency, that would work just as well. And so, that is what I believe they did.

The REAL Secret Service of 4+ years ago, would have checked, double-checked and then triple checked ALL security weaknesses, not only days, but at least weeks and more than likely even a month or more in advance, and secured every weakness TIGHT prior to the day of the event, and certainly before they allowed the Former President to enter the arena. They would have had drones (at least) or FBI helicopters, with snipers on them, to secure the air space within at least a 2-3 mile radius. They would have had snipers on EVERY roof within 1-mile from a direct shot to the President; EACH law enforcement officer would have had a SS/FBI and local law enforcement radio/walkie-talkie, all on the same band/station, so that everyone would  to know what is going on and be able to communicate with each other, at least through a central point.

Instead… the security perimeter was 135 yards. Hell, my 18 year old granddaughter can hit a target that far, with a BB gun. In the Army (many years ago when I was 25), as an Armorer and an Expert with the M16A1, I could hit a target at 1000 yards. ALL our country’s government agencies have been deteriorated and are now untrustworthy as a consequence of the present Biden Democrat administration. Americans no longer believe in the integrity of the US Justice Dept, the FBI and now even the US Secret Service. The White House… who the hell is calling the shots there, because it is NOT Biden. He can’t even figure out where he is, where he needs to go, and has no respect for the American People or foreign dignitaries. He is a total embarrassment to our country, in every respect.

Recently we lost two lesbian friends, simply because we voiced our political views and endorsed Trump. We don’t care whether someone is Gay or Straight, Black or White, Christian, Jew or Palestinian, rich or poor, etc. We respect that each person has their own beliefs and that some may be different than ours, but also believe that they need to also respect ours. Now, and for the last four years, I always proudly wear a cammo Trump 2024 Save America Again ball cap, so everyone knows where our loyalties lie. These girls who live directly across the street from us, have always known our political sentiments, but have still been over to our home and shared dinner with us, but when we answered a post to someone else (a friend of theirs) they started the typical democrat rhetoric that denies anything a conservative says, as invalid, and even when shown the reality of our facts, refuse to accept them, even though their rhetoric is based solely of words with no demonstrable validity to them, and solely contrary to whatever we say. All the while they accuse us unimaginable ‘threats’ and ‘fearmongering’, even though all we have offered was our opinions, though be it different than theirs, and even though we offer ‘hearts’. When we stated that WE will NEVER be able to endorsee their President (Biden) or support the Radical Left’s views of forcing kids into gender transitioning and the like… all of a sudden, we became their enemy and monsters that they are now afraid of. THAT is the RADICAL LEFT’s rhetoric and Agenda. DELETE anything that is against their policy. As long as we agree with them, we’re OK, but if we oppose them publicly, then we are SOBs. But they won’t bend to accept our views. Therefore, I fear that there is no UNITY possible between the two sides of our national divide. Our NATION can only survive ONE WAY… United, which the radical Democrats (VP Harris, AOC, Thalib and the crooked swamp, etc. IF you have any doubts, just consider WHO is supporting them, and who they support. George Soros just endorsed VP Harris. VP Harris endorses the radical extremists that invade our universities chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America”. Really? Death to America?? That must mean that they want to be killed, since THEY ARE AMERICANS. But that’s just how sick those folks are. On the other hand we have TRUMP. OK so sometimes he talks too much and tweets too much, BUT he has ALWAYS wanted and worked for nothing other than the BEST life of Americans… ALL AMERICANS Republicans, Democrats, and Independents; Black, White and every Race/Ethnicity; Rich and Poor, etc…. EVERYONE.

HE HAS OUR VOTE and if they try to kill him again, he’ll also have my FIGHT against them.     

NOW Today July 21, 2024, they suddenly state that Joe Biden has decided to withdraw from re-election. but will finish his term (probably so he can pardon Hunter). However, I wonder IF HE REALLY DECIDED THAT ON HIS OWN... OR if they (the powers that be in the White House) put that out for him (since he would not say so in person or in video) and then can kill him and blame the Trump camp, like they blame everything else. We'll have to wait and see. 

APRIL 2024 Back to REV to finish all the WARRANTY REPAIRS on the Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B

It has been four months since our last post. We have been in Summerfield, Florida at a year-long lease in Sunkissed Village RV Resort. After reviewing the 6/7-month Seasonal rates vs the Yearly rates, we came to the realization that they are about the same, so we opted for a yearly lease, so we can go and come as we wish and had the same lot when we come back. It has been such a nice stay that we opted to extend our stay there for another year, so when we return, we'll be back there next year... same lot, same amenities, and same great friends.

Anyway, at the end of our FL stay, since we had an appointment at REV in Decatur, Indiana, we left FL on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, planning to arrive in Decatur by Saturday, May 4, with an easy 250-300 mile a day travel. However, there were storms threatening the route, and after hearing about the weather that our friends Jerry and Sue Hazen had just 1-2 weeks earlier, we opted to avoid trouble by just getting there as soon as we could. So Bill drove 287 miles the first day, 347 miles the second, and then just drove through to our destination, 487 miles and hooked up to electric.

REV (American Coach, Fleetwood, and Holiday Rambler) offers electric hookup (50Amp) but unlike Tiffin does not have sewer or electric connection, so we dumped our tanks and refilled with fresh water... to wait for our appointment at 7:00am on Monday May 6, 2024.

We met with our Service advisor and two (2) Techs (Randy and Mike) and went over all the items on our list of deficiencies... all 40 or so items. That day was a learning experience. Everything seems to have changed at REV. Glenda, the receptionist that loved on Roxy all during our previous stay, is no longer there. Apparently REV has been restructuring the company and many positions have been done away with, including hers. Further, many Service Advisors and Techs have also been reduced. As a consequence, to keep up with the workload, they are now working a 9.5 hour work day. They still pick up the RV around 06:00am and then return it around 3:30pm instead of at 2:00pm. They used to lock the service center in the evening and weekends and gave a pass key to the customers to be able to get into the rest rooms and to use the free washers (3) and dryers (3). No more. It appears that the computer program that would magnetic lock the doors and allow access broke and they have not bothered to fix it, so they just taped over the magnets and now leave the doors unlocked. The washers and dryers are FREE but may or may not work. At least there is a storm shelter always available as there are several tornadoes around here. 

An important thing to note is that though American Coaches are different (though in our opinion just more expensive), between Fleetwood and Holiday Rambler there is very little difference. They BOTH are built in the same factory, on the same line, and have the exact same model numbers and floorplans. The only difference between these two brands is different paint/decor schemes and different option availabilities.  Fleetwood Discovery, for example, comes mostly outfitted with U-shaped Dinettes (unless it was custom ordered with a Credenza and Table/chairs). The Holiday Rambler Armada 44B sometimes is found at a dealer with a Credenza/Table & chairs, whereas the Fleetwood Discovery 44B (like ours) we have not found anywhere with a Credenza/Table & Chairs, which to change after purchased with a Dinette, costs a minimum of $12,000. For our money the Holiday Rambler Armada is a better looking coach with preferred options, and the best thing... it appears to be less expensive, though the name of the Fleetwood Discovery LXE line is considered a higher-end RV. 

Below is the list of deficiencies we have to be addressed on this (2nd) trip:

EXTERIOR
[ ] PAINT: Bad Paint job on cargo bay door P/S, (with electrical equipment) drips and runs
[ ] DIAMOND SHIELD: Tear on diamond shield left of center, air bubbles under it, retains water from rain, which causes it to expand when the water in it heats up with sun.
[ ] ALL HUB CAPS (centers): are bent and look like they are about to come off and will not snap in place.
[ ] DEF TANK: Alignment of DEF tank-too far back, very difficult to get nozzle in or use separate containers. Needs to be placed further out towards the door (or put a nozzle on it so that a DEF filler will be able to be emptied into it.

COCKPIT / ENTRY
[ ] MAIN DOOR: Creaking on main Exterior door, even after lubricating
[ ] MAIN DOOR STRUT: Front door Strut broke AGAIN. This time there was no wind, it was broken when opening the door normally. It broke at the plastic knob end. The knob that it snaps onto is still bent. IT WAS REPORTED IN MAY 2023, but all they did was bend it back a little and put a new strut on it. PROBABLY WHAT CAUSED STRUT TO BREAK AGAIN. Why can’t they figure out that you need to REPLACE the whole base, to keep it from breaking AGAIN? WE NEED IT FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL, NOT JUST PATCHED UP, while patting us on the head and telling us all is well, like we’re stupid.
[ X ] WINDSHIELD Wipers, streak most of the time. Probably needs new wiper blades.
[   ] WINDSHIELD: Has a shadow defect INSIDE GLASS. Impossible to clean from inside OR outside.
[ ] D/S MIRROR: Left rear view mirror vibrates, so does the camera (video). Probably needs the mirror arm to be tightened.
[ X ] BLIND SPOT INDICATOR: Sometimes the Blind Spot Indicators (lights) both flash continuously, at the same time. Current solution, pull over shut down and restart. Once it started to flash again, even after restart.... then 20 mins later stopped on their own. Unacceptable. Controller? Sometimes they begin flashing and eventually stop without having to pull over and turn off the engine. But they are teaching me to disregard them because they are undependable.

[ ] WINDSHIELD DAY SHADE: Sometimes does not go up, sometimes not down, sometimes neither.
[ ] ELECTRONIC DOOR OPENER (FOB & SWITCH): The key fob stopped working. So, we put in fresh batteries. No change. Tried the switch on the dash, inside the coach. Still nothing works to lock or unlock the door. We have had to use the dead bold as the sole source to lock the RV (manually). All these things don’t say much for a $600,000 ‘luxury’ motorhome, does it?
[ ] DRIVER SEAT: Driver right armrest cannot be set comfortably and even to the left armrest (its either all the way down or way too high, like at a 45deg). It needs to be adjusted or replaced.
[ X ] DRIVER SEAT: Original seat was lop-sided (slanted to right). It was replaced with the seat from the wrecked 44B that came in after the accident in May 2023. Sitting in the wrecked RV, the seat was perfect but even after it being transferred to our RV, it still slants a bit to the right... so my surmise is hat the BASE (floor) of our RV is uneven and probably needs a slight wedge on the inside of center) to level it.
[ X ] PASSENGER WINDOWS (by dinette and behind theater-seating): travel vibration causes window to work themselves loose, allowing weather and dust in..
[ X ] AGS: When the generator kicks ON, on AGS, it sometimes causes the Eclipse pads to light up and they stay on all night. Is there a way to turn them off? Also, the washer turns ON and does not go off, either.

UTILITES
[ X ] HOLDING TANK VALVE (Black) Leak in holding tank valve, while traveling. Doesn’t do it on short trips, only on 2+ days on the road.

GENERATOR
[   ] GENERATOR TRAY: we have had a problem with this since day ONE. First it was jammed and would not open then it opened but the latch kept coming undone in travel. In May 2023, it was SUPPOSEDLY FIXED, but NOT... just patched up. I have had at least 8 RV in last 10 years. None have been as hard as this $600,000 top of the line one. Now the latch is hard to undo, to open the slide and sometimes comes unsnapped while in transit on rough roads. It is supposed to be on a spring latched. IT NEEDS A NEW LATCH and the slide should not be hard to open. Also the Gennie slide should open with relative ease. IT SHOULD WORK JUST LIKE ANY OTHER GENERATOR SLIDE. 

MAIN BEDROOM
[ X ] BEDROOM TV: Right-View camera image is reversed on bedroom TV Reported in May 2023. Not
fixed.
[ X ] BEDROOM TV: Camera feed to bedroom TV, sometimes gets no signal, when it just had signal; then signal seems to cut out, then returns after a time. Reported in May 2023. Not fixed.
[ ] P/S SLIDE: Makes LOUD cracking noises every morning. Not so much in evening. D/S = P/S = PASSENGER SIDE

BUNK AREA
[   ] SLIDING DOOR (P/S) is loose (as if off the lower track) which makes it noisy as it moves between
walls.

BATHS/UTILITIES
[ X ] MAIN MACERATOR TOILET (always refills improperly (barely), doesn’t hold the water in the bowl,
and sometimes does not macerate well, requiring adding extra water or multiple flushes. Plus, there is
always a white residue on the black area, even 24-36 hours after it was cleaned.
[ X ] CEILING LIGHTS: One hockey-puck light keeps falling until it finally cracked. Apparently, the light
BASE needs replacing so that the light cover will stay attached.
[ ] CEILING VENTS: ALL Air Returns are so hard to get opened for washing filters that we have NOT been able to clean our return filters ALL YEAR.

SALON / KITCHEN
[ ] CARPET BINDING: P/S Carpet on P/S in front of Theater Seating and in Kitchen by sink/stove, carpeting edges wearing off of the edge.
[ ] LG REFRIGERATOR: right door does not close securely. When the left door is closed it forces the right door to release AND STAY OPENED. NEEDS TIGHTENING OR A NEW SPRING OR SOMETHING.
[ ] D/S MIRROR: Left rear view mirror vibrates, so does the camera (video). May need the mirror arm to be tightened, or it may be inside the mirror itself.
[ ] WINDOW LEAK: Front Passenger seat window leaks, WITH STRONG RAIN... see rusted screws.
[   ] MICROWAVE: Microwave has 2 periodically reoccurring issues: 1. EF2 keyboard error, not listed on Manual. MUST unplug to clear it every time. 2. Keyboard freezes with no error message, must Unplug to clear. At least one of the two errors will happen every other week. It’s CONSTANT and a Pain in the A** THEY SAIDTHEY HAVE A NEW ONE, WAITING FOR AUTHORITY TO INSTALL IT.
[ X ] WINDOW AWNINGS: DS (Fleetwood) Awnings (both), rollers need tightening, after travel the fabric is always pulled loose.
[ ] PAINT: Defects above bunkhouse windows sticking out (will mark with blue tape)
[ ] LOGOS (REAR): “Discovery” and “LXE” logos peeling off around the edges. Need NEW weather-resistant ones.
[ ] WINDOW (behind Main TV): weatherstripping has a gap between them, unlike others.

ADDITIONAL WORK:
[ ] ADD a full-length slide out tray to rearmost cargo compartment. It already has two trays in the wider compartments.
[ ] CHANGE the roof drain spouts from the existing short ones to the long ones that will drain the water away from the coach. The present one drain right down the side of the RV, which stains the walls and windows.

NOTE 1:
[ ] AQUA HOT IS FINALLY WORKING. TWO parts needed replacement, forcing us to wait 10 months and suffer the lack of warranty coverage... thanks to you. Even though clearly this was a WARRANTY ISSUE, you failed to acknowledge it and cost us over $100 and needless suffering. All I can tell you is that what goes around comes around and you will suffer like you cause suffering. HOWEVER, the fuel leak from the system is STILL LEAKING evidenced by the fuel stains, on the pavers, under the Aqua Hot system, so since you insist on being no help, I guess we’ll have to take care of it ourselves, and keep complaining until we find someone above your position, that will honor the warranty to us.

NOTE 2:
We have photos/videos of most of these items, though we cannot imagine what you would want them for, since the last time we sent them to you, we were only asked for them again by the service advisor and techs, as apparently you all don’t share between you.

DAY 1 (May 6):

By the end of the first day they had fixed a few (5) items, nothing major but at least the main toilet was fixed. The 'Duck valve" was defective and it was replaced. We will be identifying the items that are fixed, as they are fixed with an "X" tick mark and a "😀" if it made us SMILE. 

DAY 2 (May 7):

By the end of the second day they had addressed or fixed another few items. They said they addressed and fixed the side-sensor lights coming on without anything being there to trigger them, by means of an update to the computer. I hate all these new systems that depend on computers, because if that is all it needed, then admittedly it can go bad again and then it would need taking it back to service to be updated again, only next time it will be out of warranty, so it will be on our dime. They also said they replaced the wipers. They said they also checked and tightened the black and grey water valves to fix the leaking during long travels, and recalibrated the tank sensors, to try to correct why the tank levels go from 33% too 67% and then back to 33%, which leads to decrease one's confidence in the tank filling system. Unfortunately, there is no real way to duplicate the conditions that lead to the leaking, so we'll not know if it was in fact fixed or not, except by whether it happens again or not (after we have already left here and are several hundred or more miles away.. We can only hope that it was really fixed. They said that they have a replacement windshield to replace the current one (due to a cloudiness within parts of the glass) but haven't installed it yet. They also corrected the leaning of the driver's seat (OMG what a difference). They said that they have the right armrest of the seat, but haven't replaced the one that does not set level, yet. 

Unfortunately, after having to buy our own jack feet, because REV could not install the correct ones, even after three attempts using REV parts, they installed the jack feet we provided and had to buy (as directed by the manufacturer, Lippert). I was going to add Snap Pads to these, but even though we told them NOT to put the jacks down, as I would do so MANUALLY so that I could line them up on the Snap Pads, they went ahead and lowered the jacks before I could secure the front right Snap Pad, and it bent the jack foot. Later, we were able to manually lower the front left jack foot on a Snap Pad and it installed perfectly. When we tried the front right one though it would not install due to the foot being bent. So now I'll have to try to pound that foot down with a 3# hammer and then try it again, well lubricating the Snap Pad. WHY is getting work done properly at REV so difficult, even with having to provide the correct parts ourselves?   

DAY 3 (May 8):

By the end of the third day 

12-31-2023 - NEW YEAR'S EVE 2023

Happy New Year

As the minutes tick into hours, and the hours culminate to end THIS year, we want to reach out to all our friends, some of which have become closer to 'family' than just 'friends', to say.... Thank You for being in our lives. We look forward to 2024 being a better year, if for no other reason than to see the end of the Biden regime and working to TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK. Don't forget to VOTE at State and Federal levels, to make that happen.

NOTICE: Due to lack of time, we are curtailing the posting on this website / Web Log.

 NOTICE about the FUTURE this Website/Blog

Dear Friends, 

We hate to have to say this but we are going to have to greatly curtail the future of this website. In the last two years (post Covid) everything seems to have gotten more and more complicated and products are less reliable. Since purchasing the house in Star Valley Ranch, WY, it seemed that all we ever did was work on updating and upgrading it. We got to do nothing more than work on the house constantly. Then, Roxy's issues started getting worse. And after buying, first the Montana 5th Wheel, and last December, trading it for the brand new 2023 Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B, we had to spend additional time addressing over  40 deficiencies, of which only about half have been taken care of. We still have to take it back to the Factory Service Center in Decatur IN come May 2024.  to let them take care of the remaining issues under the warranty.

As if that was not enough, even the Aqua Hot air and water heating system stopped working, which since there is no propane heaters in these All-Electric pieces of excrement, we have been without hot water or heat (other than the single heat pump, which only works over 40 degrees. It has not worked since about the second month from NEW. We have had to take the rig to Idaho Falls TWICE, because Aqua Hot 'requires' that only an Aqua Hot 'certified' technician work on it, to keep it 'in warranty'. Idaho Falls ID is 95 miles away from Star Valley Ranch WY, but Aqua Hot does not have ANY Aqua Hot 'certified' technician any closer to us. TWICE that he took it to their 'certified' technician, he was unable to fix it, because the recommendation that he gave (to replace the unit), Aqua Hot would not authorize. Eventually we had to leave for Florida, as the weather was getting really cold, and under 40 degrees the single Heat Pump that this rig has is not enough to heat it, Since we have no Aqua Hot, in essence we have a $600,000 'luxury' motorhome... with NO HEAT.

Once in Florida we AGAIN went to an Aqua Hot 'certified' technician (mobile, at a cost to ourselves of $100... some warranty that is) and still, two  months later he still has not been able to fix it, because he says it has several problems and needs several parts; yet, Aqua Hot will only send them to him ONE at a time, and requires a report after the install. Only after the second part replaced (2 months later) were we able to get heating and hot water. IF we ever get another RV, which we hope NOT to, it will NOT have an Aqua Hot system for heating. So, due to all these things going on, and I am sure more to come because something new is constantly breaking on this RV, I am no longer going to keep up with certainly as many posts as we have done in the past, cataloguing every place we go to.

The main reason for this BLOG and website has been to have a record of Mary and my travels, since we met and started to travel, so that our friends could be kept in the loop, without our having to be writing a bunch of emails with photos to each one. Another purpose of it was to serve as our memory as we get older, should a touch of Alzheimer's set in later on. To that end, we think the Blog has served well. However, Life has just gotten too complicated and I keep falling behind on keeping all the posts on-going, which just adds more pressure to the already busy lives we live. 

December 16th, we participated once again in Wreaths Across America.  What a let down that was. The took our money but never gave us the wreaths we purchased for our loved ones, so we had to go to Costco in Wesley Chapel to get more wreaths to place on our loved ones' graves, as when we went back to the cemetery their graves were bare.  We voiced and wrote our complaint to Wreaths Across America, which never even bothered to acknowledge their dishonesty, so WE SHALL NEVER SPONSOR THAT ORGANIZATION AGAIN. We will have to rely on getting our own wreaths at a Nursery, or elsewhere, and take them to the cemetery, ourselves, to be sure our folks are honored for the holiday season.

At a later date, as we have done in the past, we will travel to Sebastian Inlet on Florida's East Coast and cast a wreath into the sea on the outgoing tide.  This is where Mary's father's ashes were launched in 1998-1999.  In this manner the wreath will follow the route of his ashes to join his heritage of Norwegian seafaring ancestors. 

Starting in 2024, we will only add a post on when something special to us occurs, of when we go to a NEW destination, and perhaps when we sell the WY house or buy our winter residence in The Villages, etc.  

We thank all of you who have followed our Blog these past (almost) eight years, since the first post on March 21, 2016. As we look back through the posts, we are so glad to have shared these stories of our wonderful travels and photographs with you.

Holiday greetings and much love, always,

Bill and Mary (and in spirit, Roxy)

PS. We'll still post now and then, but not as regular as we used to.... at least until we sell our WY house and settle in Florida, and then start to travel again.

Our Christmas Letter 2023

 

Annual Christmas Letter

December, 2023

Here we are again, at the end of another year.  As we think about the events of 2023, it has been a year (as usual) of ups and downs.  And there were a lot of downs.

We spent the first 2 months of the year, still in Texas, as we could not get any reservations in Florida.  The weather was cool and wet for the most part.  The first park we stayed in was in Whitney, Texas.  A young man stopped one day to ask if we were REALLY from Wyoming.  He was elated when we said yes.  Turns out that he was from Rock Springs and thrilled to meet some “home folks.”  As he spent his free time fishing, he brought us some great striped bass to enjoy. We gave him some of our Michigan Bratts.

Since Bill really hated the fifth wheel, we spent time looking for a replacement for it.  We settled on a 2023 Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B, which is a bunkhouse model, so it provides some additional flexibility for inside storage.  The fifth wheel had space in the cap closet for a small chest freezer, and the bunkhouse model provided us with a place for it as well.  When we got to Lake Conroe for 3 weeks, we had a local satellite business install an in-motion Starlink on the roof.  It has been great, as it provides 24/7 internet, even while going down the road, so we always have access to map applications and internet searches, while underway and we can stream as many movies as we want, as the plan has 1 terabyte of data each month, before we are throttled, which never happens. 

All totaled, we were in Texas for 3 months, after which we moved to Florida for 7 weeks, where we got to see many of our Florida friends.  We returned to Wyoming, by way of Decatur, IN where we began having initial warranty issues on the new motorhome resolved.  We were there approximately 2 weeks.  We took that as an opportunity to travel to Shipshewana IN and Buchanan, MI to pick up our favorite brats and other favorite selections at Lowery’s Meat and Seafood Market.  One day while in the REV waiting area for the day, Mary saw a coach being towed into the parking lot!  It had been in a serious accident, but the heart stopping part was that it was IDENTICAL to our rig.  The front end was completely smashed in.  Turns out, fortunately, it was not our coach, but one that had been on its way to a dealer for sale.  WHEW!

Just before Memorial Day, we arrived in Wyoming.  Fortunately, the snow had all melted and we were able to start getting the house ready to put on the market.  First, we had to arrange to repair two broken windows.  They were both double pane but only the outer pane had been broken.  Apparently, as the snow shed from the roof and slid down, it curled in toward the building and the pressure broke the outer pane of glass in the process.  That was fortunate, because the inside of the house was still protected.  Because so many folks had the same issue, it took us 2 months to get even the small projects done. 

We started interviewing Realtors to market the house for us.  THAT was an experience.    The first Realtor, gave us a partial CMA, but with an incomplete analysis and no follow up.  The second Realtor handed the lead off to a new Agent, she did a CMA, and she brought it to an interview, but said she needed to complete it after meeting with us.  Never heard anything more on the CMA.  The third Realtor, came prepared with a CMA and we had a thorough conversation about the marketing plan.   However, after that it fell apart.  When she entered the information for the listing, there were some entry errors, and she did not appreciate it when Bill called her attention to the errors, i.e., ‘0 square feet in the house’.   So, she fired Mary, who has NEVER been fired, especially by someone she is paying!  A friend mentioned that there was an Assist-2-Sell in Afton, so we reached out to them.  BINGO!  They came prepared with a CMA and a marketing plan!!  They only charge a 1.5% - 4.5% commission, are energetic and follow through on all promises.  Every time the house was shown they called with a report of how it went.  Sadly, the house did not sell over the summer, but not because it was not marketed well. 

With the house on the market, Bill was able to complete getting his dental implants.  He can now smile fully and chew on both sides of his mouth.  YIPPEE!!

I said at the beginning of this letter that there were ups and downs this year.  We have met many folks during our travels over the years.  Sadly, tragedy struck 4 of the couples.  The husbands in all four couples passed away from cancer.  It was a sobering reminder to take advantage of every day.

Then, in August, Roxy took a turn for the worse.  It was a very sudden and precipitous deterioration.  The Inflammatory Bowel Disorder was no longer being controlled with her diet and medication and then suddenly one day, she could no longer climb the steps into the motorhome.  We made plans to spoil her more than normal for her last days.  We planned to rent a golf cart so she could enjoy the golf cart rides she loved so much when we lived in Arizona, beef bones and ground beef in her food.  Sadly, the only thing she got was an afternoon to chew on a bone.  We ended up taking her to the local Vet on Sunday afternoon.

The Vet brought everything out to the Explorer, so that she would not be stressed by being carried into the clinic.  She loved riding in the back of the Explorer, so she was totally comfortable.  The next morning, they called to say we could pick up her ashes.  Her urn now resides on the shelf next to the sound bar above the TV.  Kaiser, Mary’s original GSD resides on the other end of the shelf.  Now they look down on, instead of across to their peeps, whenever we sit in the theater seating across form the TV, though we also always carry them in our hearts.

We left Wyoming in mid-October, before snow started falling.  Having learned our lesson last year, with not finding a camp site for the season, we arranged to have an annual lease on a site in a 55+ RV Resort just north of The Villages, FL.  The lease runs until September 30, 2024.  The cost is about the same as 6 months on a seasonal rate, and we have flexibility to come and go as we please.  Our plan is to purchase a small place in The Villages to use as a winter base, but to continue traveling in the summer.  However, whatever we purchase will NOT be a fixer upper, will NOT be 3 stories and will be much smaller and all on one floor!!  Looking forward to more travel and adventures in the coming year.

We hope this finds you all in good health, 

Bill, and Mary

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA time again - December 16, 2023

Since 2020 we have partaken of the program Wreaths Across America, which seeks to lay a Christmas wreath at each and every veteran's gravesite, to honor their sacrifices, respect the present men and women who have taken their place in service to their country, and to educate future generations that Freedom is not Free, and is paid with the sacrifice of men and women, who each do their part to protect and defend our nation 'against all enemies, foreign and domestic'. We have been sponsors and volunteers, buying their wreaths and laying them at our veteran's graves, some known and others not... whether they died standing their posts or of old age after doing so, but have paid for our freedoms (or at least those we used to have before BIDEN started taking them away and giving them to our enemies) with their service and their lives.

It was on December 19, 2020 when we were last at the Florida National Cemetery, because that was the last time we were here (in The Villages) on the WAA Day, as can be seen in our website here (www.roughingitgently.com). Other years we do it at veteran's in whatever major cemetery is nearby. Sadly, however, while the program (the idea) has always been a wonderful program, lately the program's organization (www.wreathsacrossamerica.com) has deteriorated to the point that we will no longer support or volunteer for them. The way it has always worked is that the company (WAA) makes the wreaths at their wreath manufacturing company in CT. Supporters, like us and other private citizens, as well as major businesses, buy wreaths (currently $17.00 each) and major trucking companies volunteer trucks to ship them to National (VA) Cemeteries across the US. 

As you read this, over 700 trucks have traveled to and from Maine to ensure the delivery of sponsored veterans' wreaths. All those miles, over 1 million, are donated by trucking companies. Another moving revelation comes from drivers who realize their actual cargo is not only wreaths but really honor and respect for our fallen heroes. For that reason, they work with these drivers to safely load their trucks with as many wreaths as possible. Below is a list of the many companies in the trucking industry that donate their trucks and drivers to deliver all the wreaths. Then, at each National Cemetery, they deliver the purchased wreaths to the people who have purchased them and to the cemetery all the excess wreaths that have been donated. Volunteers, like us, will take the wreaths (after laying the ones we purchased on our own loved ones' gravesites) and lay them on other service members graves.

     2022 Honor Fleet
J.B. Hunt - 42 Loads 
Walmart Transportation - 19 Loads 
Prime Inc. - 10 Loads 
Ashley Distribution Services - 7 Loads 
Leonard's Express - 7 Loads 
Perdue Transportation Inc. - 7 Loads 
Bennett Motor Express LLC - 6 Loads 
Brown Dog Carriers - 5 Loads 
E. W. Wylie - 5 Loads 
Harris Teeter - 5 Loads 
Interstate Van Lines - 5 Loads 
Knight Transportation - 5 Loads 
Load One, LLC - 5 Loads 
Saia - 5 Loads 
Sharp Transportation Inc - 5 Loads 
Cargo Transporters - 4 Loads 
Central Transport - 4 Loads 
CFI - 4 Loads 
DB Schenker - 4 Loads 
Dutch Maid Logistics - 4 Loads 
Hirschbach Motor Lines - 4 Loads 
Koleasco, Inc. - 4 Loads 
Schneider - 4 Loads 
Sheetz - 4 Loads 
Swift Transportation - 4 Loads 
TLD Logistics Services - 4 Loads 
Ace Relocation Systems, Inc - 3 Loads 
America's Service Line, LLC - 3 Loads 
Baylor Trucking - 3 Loads 
CEVA - 3 Loads 
Classic Carriers - 3 Loads 
Clean Harbor - 3 Loads 
Covenant Transport - 3 Loads 
Cowan Systems - 3 Loads 
Dart Transit - 3 Loads 
Freymiller - 3 Loads 
Gully Transportation - 3 Loads 
Hampton Road Moving & Storage - 3 Loads 
Heartland Express - 3 Loads 
Liberty Moving & Storage, Inc - 3 Loads 
Matrix Expedited Service - 3 Loads 
Mohawk Carpet Transportation of Georgia - 3 Loads 
National Carriers - 3 Loads 
TA Dedicated - 3 Loads 
VIPTransport, Inc. - 3 Loads 
Walter P Rawl and Sons - 3 Loads 
WEL Companies - 3 Loads 
A. Duie Pyle - 2 Loads 
Abilene Motor Express - 2 Loads 
Alabama Motor Express Inc - 2 Loads 
Aladdin's Logistics LLC - 2 Loads 
American Central Transport, Inc. - 2 Loads 
Bay & Bay - 2 Loads 
Big G Express - 2 Loads 
Big M Transportation - 2 Loads 
Bison Transport, USA - 2 Loads 
Boyd Brothers - 2 Loads 
Brakebush Transportation Inc - 2 Loads 
Brown Trucking Company - 2 Loads 
Buchheit Logistics - 2 Loads 
Budd Van Lines - 2 Loads 
C.R. England - 2 Loads 
Central State Manufacturing Inc - 2 Loads 
Christenson Transportation - 2 Loads 
D. M. Bowman Inc. - 2 Loads 
Don Hummer Trucking - 2 Loads 
Epes Transport System LLC - 2 Loads 
Estes Express Lines - 2 Loads 
Everhart Trucking Inc. - 2 Loads 
First Class Moving Systems, Inc - 2 Loads 
Fortune Transportation - 2 Loads 
Foster Hill Transport,LLC - 2 Loads 
Fremont Contract Carriers - 2 Loads 
Garner Trucking - 2 Loads 
Grand Island Express - 2 Loads 
H.O. Wolding, Inc. DBA Bison Transport USA - 2 Loads 
Halvor Lines - 2 Loads 
Heritage Transport - 2 Loads 
Hermann Services, Inc. - 2 Loads 
High Transit - 2 Loads 
Hobby Lobby Stores - 2 Loads 
J & M Tank Lines - 2 Loads 
Jagtrux - 2 Loads 
Jetco Delivery - 2 Loads 
Kennesaw Transportation - 2 Loads 
Load to Ride Transportation INC - 2 Loads 
Lone Star Transportation - 2 Loads 
McCollisters Transportation Systems - 2 Loads 
Meijer - 2 Loads 
NAPA Transportation, Inc. - 2 Loads 
New World Van - 2 Loads 
Paschall Truck Lines - 2 Loads 
Pottle's Transportation - 2 Loads 
R.C. Moore, Inc. - 2 Loads 
Raider Express - 2 Loads 
RCS Trucking & Freight INC - 2 Loads 
RT Relocation - 2 Loads 
Senergy Petroeleum - 2 Loads 
Sherwin-Williams Company-NE - 2 Loads 
Smith Transport Inc. - 2 Loads 
Smokey Point Distributing - 2 Loads 
Stevens Transport - 2 Loads 
Sugar Foods - 2 Loads 
Sun Coast Resources - 2 Loads 
Total Transportation Of Mississippi - 2 Loads 
Transland - 2 Loads 
Tri-State Motor Transit Co - 2 Loads 
Tribe Transportation - 2 Loads 
Try Hours, Inc. - 2 Loads 
U.S. Xpress, Inc. - 2 Loads 
Walgreens - 2 Loads 
Waste Masters Solutions - 2 Loads 
Witte Bros Exchange - 2 Loads 
4 D's Trucking - 1 Load 
AAA Cooper - 1 Load 
Allen Lund Company - 1 Load 
Allied Van Lines- Justin Schott - 1 Load 
Altom Transport - 1 Load 
American Trucking Association - Workforce Heroes - 1 Load 
Armellini Express Lines, Inc. - 1 Load 
Arrive Logistics - 1 Load 
B and L Transport - 1 Load 
Baggett Transportation/MSR Transport Services, Inc - 1 Load 
Barnes Transportation - 1 Load 
Bison Transport USA - Amherst Terminal (HO Wolding) - 1 Load 
Blue Eyes Transportation LLC - 1 Load 
Boyd Grain Inc. - 1 Load 
Brousseau-Nee Moving Services LLC - 1 Load 
C & L Transport, Inc. - 1 Load 
Calliope LLC - 1 Load 
Carlyle Van Lines - 1 Load 
Carter Express - 1 Load
Central Oregon Truck Company Inc - 1 Load 
Chambers Transportation - 1 Load 
Chief Industries - 1 Load 
Coleman World Wide Moving - 1 Load 
Continental Express - 1 Load 
Convoy Systems Llc - 1 Load 
Cornerstone Moving & Storage LLC - 1 Load 
Crum Trucking - 1 Load 
Daley & Wanzer Inc. - 1 Load 
Dallas Moving & Storage, LLC - (Austin-Said, LLC) - 1 Load 
Denney Transport - 1 Load 
Dewitt Transportation Services of Guam - 1 Load 
Diamond Transportation System, Inc. - 1 Load 
Do It Best Corp/Transervice Logistics - 1 Load 
Exodus Moving and Storage - 1 Load 
Exxact Express, Inc - 1 Load 
Forward Air - 1 Load 
Godfrey Trucking - 1 Load 
Golden Services, LLC - 1 Load 
Hammond Lumber Company - 1 Load 
Harry Ball Trucking - 1 Load 
Hill Brother's Transportation - 1 Load 
Hoekstra Transportation, LLC - 1 Load 
Hogan Transportation - 1 Load 
International Paper Co - 1 Load 
John Baxter Trucking - 1 Load 
John Christner Trucking - 1 Load 
JR Kays Trucking Inc - 1 Load 
JT logistics - 1 Load 
KLLM - 1 Load 
Koch Trucking - 1 Load 
Larry J Bischoff Trucking LLC - 1 Load 
Lippincott Van Lines - 1 Load 
Long Haul Trucking - 1 Load 
Lynch Logistics - 1 Load 
M&M Transport Services - 1 Load 
Magnum LTD - 1 Load 
Main Street Movers - 1 Load 
Mast Trucking Inc - 1 Load 
Matson Navigation Company Inc. - 1 Load 
Motor Carrier Service - 1 Load 
N.C Hunt Inc. - 1 Load 
National Van Lines, Inc - 1 Load 
Pacific Transfer - 1 Load 
Paper Transport,Inc - 1 Load 
Patriot Tank Lines Inc. - 1 Load 
Pedro Cantu-Saracusa Moving & Storage - 1 Load 
Pepsi Bottling Ventures - 1 Load 
Peters Trucking - 1 Load 
Pilot Travel Centers LLC - 1 Load 
Purdy Brothers Trucking - 1 Load 
Quality Carriers - 1 Load 
Quality Life Science Transportation - 1 Load 
Quality Transport Company - 1 Load 
R.F. Chamberland, Inc. - 1 Load 
Ralph Moyle, Inc. - 1 Load 
Regency Transportation - 1 Load 
Reliable Carriers Inc. - 1 Load 
Reliable Carriers-Carl Wallin - 1 Load 
Ross Neely - 1 Load 
S & S Transport Inc. - 1 Load 
Schneider-Women In Trucking - 1 Load 
Sebago Signworks - 1 Load 
Simon Transport - 1 Load 
Slidell Moving (Dba Fisk Enterprises Inc) - 1 Load 
Soar Transportation Group - 1 Load 
Sourdough Express - 1 Load 
South Hill Movers - 1 Load 
Southwest Truck Driver Training, Inc. - 1 Load 
Specialized Transportation Solutions - 1 Load 
SS Chad Express - 1 Load 
Stallion Transportation Group - 1 Load 
Stone Belt Freight Lines - 1 Load 
Sunstate Carriers, Inc. - 1 Load 
Taylor Truck Line - 1 Load 
TForce Freight - 1 Load 
Thomas E Keller Trucking - 1 Load 
Titan Transfer, Inc. - 1 Load 
Town And Country Movers - 1 Load 
Trailer Bridge - 1 Load 
Trailer Transit - 1 Load 
Trailiner Corp. - 1 Load 
Transco Lines - 1 Load 
Tri Star Freight System - 1 Load 
Tri-State Expedited Services Inc. - 1 Load 
Unifi - 1 Load 
United Road - 1 Load 
UPS/PMTA/Bernard Wanyo Jr - 1 Load 
V&J Strupp Trucking - 1 Load 
Venture Transport - 1 Load 
Warren Transport - 1 Load 
Westar Moving & Storage, Inc. - 1 Load 
Wilson Logistics - 1 Load 
Wooster Motor Ways Inc - 1 Load

That was the way it used to be. You bought x number of wreaths for a given location and when you showed up at that location for a given cemetery and time period, you would receive the number of wreaths you had purchased. Then you could go to the gravesite of your friends/loved ones' graves to lay a wreath at their headstone. UNTIL THIS year it worked well.

Unfortunately this year they changed the way they did things, and never bothered to tell anyone about their changes, until AFTER they had collected the money for the wreaths... then SURPRISE... you don't get any of the wreaths  you purchased because they were given to the volunteers to blanket-lay them on ALL graves.

The National cemetery is for VETERANS. Their family members may also be buried there, but only IF a veteran is eligible to be buried there. However, by changing the procedure, what we saw was an entire section of graves covered with wreaths... with wreaths on the veteran;s graves... on the spouses' graves... on the "children of's graves, one wreath for each person buried there, whether they were eligible to receive one or not. By consequence, we (and obviously many others) who had ordered and paid for a wreath for our own veterans... NEVER GOT ONE and had to go elsewhere to buy one. 

They still made appointments with people to show up at a certain time between 9:00am and 2:00pm in separate hour increments, so not everyone would show up at the same time. Our time today was set for 10:00am, however, by the time we drove through at a snail's pace and arrived to the first WAA trucks, we were informed that there were NO MORE WREATHS LEFT, because they had given them all out to their volunteers to blanket lay wreaths. So those of us that they had sold wreaths to, with the promise to deliver them to lay at our loved ones' graves, were shit out of luck for trusting their empty promises.

WELL, NO MORE. Our trust of WAA ends here and now. We still believe in the IDEA of laying wreaths on fallen heroes' graves for the Christmas/Holiday season, to honor them, but next year we'll buy our own wreaths from Walmart or a nursery and take them ourselves to the cemetery. 

They now also say in advance (but after selling you your wreaths) that if they run out of space to ship a wreath to the location you want it at, the 'location coordinator' may redirect your wreaths to another location in need of it, or save it for next year. Hmmm... that sound to me like another way of justifying that they can take your money and don't have to give you anything for it.  Sounds like the Liberal agenda has spread to Wreaths Across America as well, as it is understood in Biden's administration. SO, we will sponsor and volunteer for Wreaths Across America NO MORE. But we'll continue to do so, on our own.

So we had to leave early (11:30am) and we drove to Costco in Wesley Chapel, and then went back to the Florida National Cemetery, at 1:30pm. With most people already gone, transiting was easy to go find the graves. The only (other) negative was that it had been raining all day and was still raining, so it was a bit wet to lay the new wreaths. 

Bill's brother's (from another father and mother)... but they have been friends since Bill's BD party in 1964) that they were closer than many brothers.  Joseph Manuel (Joe) Marble crashed Bill's 14th BD party (1964), because "that was where all the girls were" (or so he said) and they have been BEST FRIENDS  ever since then.  Joe's gravesite was easy to find. It  was still in the same place as it way in 2020, and were he was at interment on Feb. 23, 2012. 

His father was working for the US government as an engineer in the Dominican Republic, building bridges and resided there with his wife, Josefa (Petin). As in 2020, his father's grave was not so easy to find. Charles (Chuck) Burr Marble Jr., was erroneously marked on www.findagrave.com, and it was someone else shown there (a Tsgt Robert Wesley Cameron, USAF). Luckily we found him at the site with his wife, Josefa P. (Petin) Marble's gravesite. She was like a second mother to Bill, because he was always at their house, so he probably saw more of her than his own mother, who was never that close to him. We sent photos of their gravesites with the wreaths on them to their daughter/sister, Trinidad (Trinie) Montgomery, who lives in Houston, at last word with her husband..

Chuck and Josefa and Joe's photos 

Next was a friend, Billie Dain. from Benson Arizona. Her father, Billy Morton Harrison Sr. served in Korea and is buried in the same cemetery, so whenever we go there we are always sure to visit his grave as well, and lay a wreath there. We are proud to send Billie and her mother a photo.  

Here are some other photos of this day's event:

                

Even as we write this entry, this evening, it is still raining non-stop (since this morning) with over 2.75 inches worth, over the day's period.