Vacation 2010 - Day 15

This is it; the last day of vacation. It's back to the grind tomorrow.

We spent most of today with a sister church in our association, Smith Fork Baptist Church. Actually, Smith Fork is the mother church for Osborn Baptist Church. Smith Fork was celebrating 150 years of ministry. We attended the morning service, visited with some folks over dinner, and attended the afternoon service. It was a fine service. This church did a lot of work to prepare for the big day. Just wish the weather had cooled off a little, though, but it is what it is.

So, I guess that is about it concerning our vaction for 2010. We hope you enjoyed our blog and will continue to follow our various postings. If you want to be notified of future postings, be sure to sign up as a follower of this blog. The website makes it pretty easy.

God Bless You!

Vacation 2010 - Day 14

We made it home today. A short drive, but we needed the extra rest last night. We found out the hot, humid weather was still hanging around; I think we found that out at Dodge City. Hey, no rain, though and no rodeo. At any rate, we had a good trip for the final day. The camper has been unloaded and prepared for the next use.

Sort of disappointed on our arrival home. No Welcoming Committee! Oh well, most of the folks probably know we are here by now. It was a welcome sight indeed to see our church and home.

Sorry, no photos on this last day. Give us a few days and we'll try to post a slide show. Thanks to everyone who kept us in their prayers while we were gone.

The vacation is not over, yet. We still have one more day. We are going to spend a good part of tomorrow with the fine folks at Smith Fork Baptist Church as they celebrate their Sesquicentennial. Smith Fork is the mother church of Osborn Baptist Church.

Vacation 2010 - Day 13

Here it is, day 13. We probably could have made it home tonight if we had wanted to really push it, but we decided to take a little more leisurely approach. So here we are, in Paxico, KS at Mill Creek Campground. This is a quaint little town full of antique stores and old time charm. And there really is a Mill Creek that runs right next to the campground. The campground is kind of neat, too. There are some pretty unique things to see around our campsite. As you can tell from these photos, the boys are getting a lesson in "ancient" history; or, as Michael says, "You must be old." And all because we know what some of these things are.

Wow! Hubcaps. Now there's something you don't see much of today.

Diana says this is an ice cream maker.

This may be a washing machine.

Tomorrow we will be heading home fairly early in the day. Not sure of the route we will take, yet, but hope to know something by morning. We know some people must be anxious for our return because we received a phone call from one of the men in our church this morning. He was just wondering how we were doing. It's nice to be thought of. Keep us in your prayers, too.

Here are some photos from our day at Dodge City (day 12). Enjoy. See you soon.

Vacation 2010 - Day 12

There is no post for Day 11 due to connection problems at Dalhart, Texas. We did make it there and were fortunate to get a site because it was the first night of a 4 day rodeo event in their town. A pretty big deal around those parts. Upon arrival we learned there had been a line cut 2 days before that had knocked out the telephone and the internet. Not a good thing for Dalhart during their busiest time of the year. Maybe the reason we were able to get a site, though.

Day 11 was just a travel day. We made no side trips or saw much more than what can be seen from the highway. We did stop at a rest area in New Mexico and noticed that Skippy was walking sort of funny until he got under a bush that provided some shade. I put the back of my hand on the sandy soil and it was really hot to the touch. It didn't seem to bother Abby much.

Today we pressed on to Dodge City, Kansas. We had made reservations early for this one. It was also a big rodeo time for them; 10 days worth. Not only that, but they were celebrating 50 years of Dodge City Days. Well, we took in some of the usual: a trolley tour, a visit to Boot Hill and Front Street, had dinner and show while at Front Street, and even saw a staged shootout. It was quite fun and informative.

I haven't downloaded photos from the camera yet tonight, so will have to post them later.

We plan to go to Paxico, Kansas tomorrow and home on Saturday. Both of these will be travel days.

Vacation 2010 - Day 10

We said our good-byes to the wonderful folks at the Grand Canyon KOA Campground and were on our way. Destination: home, eventually.

We made our way across Arizona and into New Mexico. Along the way we dropped from 7300 feet to 5000 feet. We passed through some areas where the color orange was very predominant. We also passed through some heavy thunderstorms. There is sign that is posted regulary on I-40. It says, "Cops everywhere 100 days and nights of summer." They mean it, too. If it is not a Highway Patrolman, it is a Sheriff, and they are very active.

We stopped for the night at Grants, New Mexico. There are tons of lava rock here from an ancient volcano; we hope it stays ancient. We were told when we arrived that the campground hadn't received any rain today. The clouds over the mountains sure looked threatening to us. Well, I guess we were right because at the moment, it is pouring and it comes with plenty of lightning and thunder.

Tomorrow, we hope to make it to Dalhart, Texas. What's is Dalhart, you ask? At least one campground and right now that's all we are concerning ourselves with.

Vacation 2010 - Day 9

More rain last night, but the air cleared this morning. Michael and I went to take a drive out to the East side of the South Rim. On a whim, I checked with the airport to see if the planes were flying. They were and we were able to get the last seats on a plane getting ready to board. So, we took it. It was my last chance to see the Grand Canyon from the air. I operated a video camera for nearly the whole flight after takeoff and before landing; about 38 minutes worth. Michael operated the digital SLR camera. I told him to take lots of photos to make sure we got some good ones. I think he took over 100. Here are a few that Michael took.

Above 3 photos of the GC were taken by Michael from the air.

I don't think I'll even try to upload the flight video. I'll save it for later; maybe even edit it some.

After the flight, we continued on our journey. We drove to the farthest point and began working our way back. Along the way we saw road signs indicating deer, elk, and mountain lion crossings; yes, mountain lions. We didn't see any mountain lions, though. Probably a good thing.

Here are a few photos that were taken on our stops.

Grand Canyon at roadside stop.

Colorado River from Lipan Point, Grand Canyon.

Colorado River from Desert Inn, Grand Canyon.

We could see the afteroon rains moving in and heard some thunder and saw some lightning. I never could capture a photo of the lightning, but it is an awesome sight along the rim of the canyon.

Tomorrow we begin our journey home. Not sure of everywhere we will be stopping, but we will taking a different route than when we came out here.

Vacation 2010 - Day 8

After another rainy night, we learned this is the monsoon season for this part of AZ. We were told that it usually occurs about the last week of July, but that is not a guarantee. We should have looked closer at the weather data before we decided on a date for this trip.

We had planned to drive out to the East side of the South rim of the Grand Canyon today, but at the last minute we decided to finish the West trail out to Hermit's Rest. It is amazing how the weather changes within a couple of miles along the rim of the canyon. This trek took a little longer than planned because we took our time looking at things we hadn't been focusing on. Today was also the first day we were able to see a large portion of the Colorado River. Here's a few photos and a video to hold you over until next time.

Entrance to park.

This guy got within 5 feet of us.

There is a photo similar to this one posted on

day 6. Click on it to enlarge for easier reading.

Vacation 2010 - Day 7

Today we got up to a heavy rain shower. In fact, it had rained heavy nearly all night. The workers at the campground were busy digging ditches and piling gravel to divert the water away from the main camping area. They definitely were experienced at this as it didn't take long to eliminate the large amounts of water that were coming into our area.

We were scheduled for an airplane ride over the Grand Canyon this morning. However, due to the rain and a very low cloud cover, most of the flights had already been cancelled. We did board a plane for a brief ride before turning back. The clouds were so heavy the pilot could not make out important landmarks. It didn't appear that there was going to be any clearing, so we just cancelled the flight. Bummer!

We then headed to the Grand Canyon for some views from another part of the South Rim. Even with the clouds, it was quite impressive. At times, it seemed we had clouds all around us.

These images are from this morning. We were on the rim looking down into the canyon. A ranger told us that this event only occurs about four times per year. So, were we luckyor unlucky?

Russell & Michael were sworn in as Junior Rangers this morning. They spent some time and effort in performing the necessary tasks to achieve this goal. It was really the first time they had taken much interest in all the other things around them.


Russell & Michael working toward and being sworn in as Junior Rangers.

The Seventh Wonder of the World before their eyes and people were taking photos of the squirrels.





With the rain in the area and the day getting on, we decided to get some ice cream and then do some shopping. Two fun things to do on a rainy day anywhere. After that we headed back to the campground. We have one more side trip to make to the Grand Canyon tomorrow. We never have got a group photo, so we will most certainly be doing that. Hope we have better weather, but the forecast doesn't sound too good.

Vacation 2010 - Day 6

Today was the big day, our first look at the Grand Canyon. What a breathtaking view it was. I don't think I could begin to describe it in words. It is definetly a sight to behold. We were always told that the photos of the Grand Canyon did not compare to being there. That is so true. I suppose one just has to be there to take it all in.

The above photos are the first two we took after catching our breath.

We took the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, AZ for a very scenic view on the way to the Grand Canyon. We started out at 6800 feet, dropped to 6100 feet, and then went back up to 7000 feet. All of this presented us with views of very different terrains. Along the way, we saw Elk, tall pines, huge Harvester Ant hills, deer, Arizona Tourist Buffalo (cows), and even had the train robbed by a band of desperados. It was a very neat journey indeed.

The day was pretty pleasant for the most part. We made sure we drank plenty of water; a necessity in these parts. However, the rains were moving in and as we were leaving the GC we could see a storm cloud moving in over the North Rim. On the trip back to Williams, the rains began to fall. Apparently there had been quite a storm while we were gone as water was running everywhere.

Tomorrow we return to the Grand Canyon and all of it's beauty.

Photos from Day 4

Vacation 2010 - Day 5

We made it to the Grand Canyon KOA North of Williams, AZ today. On the way, we visited the Petrified National Forest and some of the Painted Dessert. Both were quite awesome.






Construction slowed us down some, but not like Day 2. All in all it was a pretty pleasant drive. This campground is just super. It is probably one of the better campgrounds we have stayed at. Russell and Michael took advantage of the pool while we planned out our activities for the next few days.

Vacation 2010 - Day 4

It was all Interstate 40 today. We were able to make a little better time. Construction zones were minimal. We got off at one rest stop West of Albuquerque that was real interesting to get to. We had to travel through 3 roundabouts before arriving at the rest area which was some ways off of the highway. We travelled 315 miles today.

We are now in Gallup, New Mexico at a campground on Route 66. The boys went swimming as soon as we got here since it looked like it could rain anytime. We only let them stay in the water for a short time today.

It started getting real cool about dinner time. A storm was definitely brewing over the mountains. It is supposed to get down to about 60 degrees tonight. Right now it is raining. Oh, we left our jackets at home along with our rain gear. It should be interesting when the dogs need to be walked in a little while. It's now 9:38 pm our time.

Tomorrow should be a shorter drive day for us. The forecast doesn't sound too promising since we don't have jackets or long sleeves. Our destination, Williams, AZ is calling for scattered thundershowers with highs around 70 degrees and lows around 49 degrees. We may be looking for a Wal-Mart.

Vacation 2010 - Day 3

Today we travelled 339 miles in 4 different states (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico). We are now at Tucumcari, New Mexico. The trip was quite long today due to a lot of construction zones; we were delayed with those for about 45 minutes, 35 at one location.

After setting up, we headed straight for the swimming pool. What a welcome relief after a long drive. We are at Tucumcari, New Mexico. It's dry and hot, yet beautiful in its own sort of way.

We had an envelope from our church with "Do Not Open Until Tuesday" on the outside. Well, it's Tuesday. There was a nice card signed from all the church members and a cash gift inside; dinner was on the town tonight. Thanks Osborn Baptist for caring about us. Thanks for allowing me to serve as your pastor.

We are now in Mountain Time Zone so that has been a bit confusing, although we did gain an hour. Of course, we'll lose it going home.

Yesterday, we had problems with Russell; today it was Michael's turn. Hopefully, we'll get a handle on this situation before we get to the Grand Canyon.

Sorry about the lack of photos. We are having trouble uploading some of them.

Vacation 2010 - Day 2 - Additional photos

Vacation 2010 - Day 2

Well, we have now arrived at Pratt, Kansas, home of the first Veterans Day, so the sign at the edge of town says. After getting settled, we went to see the Hot and Cold water towers. For awhile, the boys actually thought you could get hot water from one and cold water from the other.


Then it was off to the Pratt Industrial Airport to see the Veterans Memorial. This was Pratt Army Air Field, home of the B-29,during WWII. This was quite and interesting display. The boys had lots of questions about the things that were there.

We did have an issue with Russell today. It seems he has reverted to some of his old habits and we just discovered them today. Had it been befoe we left home, I am confident things would have been different. Just one more thing to deal with when we get back.

Vacation 2010 - Day 1

OK, so we left a day early. We got underway about 3 pm and are now spending the night at Emporia, KS. It was a short trip, but it allows us to leave a little later tomorrow. Then, we will still get to Pratt, KS earlier than originally planned. We ought to be able to take in some sights while there.

So far, the boys have been pretty good. Russell is always wanting to help and has already made some bonehead moves. Funny, this morning's sermon was titled, "Knowing Just Enough To Be Dangerous." Michael wants to be involved and mostly watches until he figures out which way we are going with something, then he jumps in to help. This ought to be a wonderful trip.

Skippy and Abby, our Rat Terriers, have this camping stuff all figured out. As soon as they realize we are loading the camper, they become very hyper. The do travel pretty well; until we stop, for anything, then they think they have to get out of the truck immediately.

Family Reunion Update

We had 33 people present for this year's reunion. 3 states represented. Once again, Paul Rueckert was the oldest present. If he hadn't been there, then Frank would have been the oldest. We had a drawing for prizes, lots of humidity, and lots of fun. Newlyweds were Andrew and Adelaide (Rueckert) Gazaway. Oldyweds were Stewart and Peggy Rueckert. More on the reunion after vacation. Keep in touch.

Here it is, the night before our Family Reunion. There have been lots of last minute details to work out for that. It doesn't appear the attendance will be as high this year.

We have also been busy getting our camper ready for our vacation. Today, the boys helped Grandpa wash the camper. While they were doing that, a man came by with a commercial power washer and finished the job for them. This year we plan to see the Grand Canyon. This will be the longest camping trip we have ever taken our two grandsons on. They are really excited and have a chart where they are counting down the days.

It seems we haven't slowed down since VBS ended 1 week ago. We are looking forward to a little time relaxation.

Church Repairs

The church bell tower is repaired. The painting was completed last night. And a new cross was hung on the front of the church this morning. The church building really looks good. Amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. Photos will be coming soon.

Vacation Bible School Day 5

Vacation Bible School for this year is nearly complete. The morning session had one new student. We had a wonderful time of wrapping it all up. The children are really excited this year. I think this ranch theme was really great this year. It seemed to reach the kids very easily. All of the teachers praised this year's materials.

Tonight we have VBS Family Night. This program is shaping up to be one of our best. I'm trusting the Lord for a good turnout.

I'll be posting some photos in a few days. Stay tuned.

Church Summer Projects

Today was A-B-C day during Vacation Bible School. The children learned that they needed to Admit that they are a sinner; Believe that Jesus died to forgive them of their sins; and Confess Jesus as their Savior. Two children made professions of faith today. There are at least 3 more asking some serious questions. We have 42 children enrolled in VBS.

The Church Repair & Painting crew has been working hard in this heat & humidity. The church is about two-thirds completed. This crew starts early and works around the VBS Schedule. They are doing a marvelous job.

First Baptist Church, Silsbee, Texas is assisting us with VBS and doing the work on the church. Please keep this team in your prayers.

National Children's Day

There is some effort to bring back National Children's Day on the 2nd Sunday in June. This year our church decided to be a part of it. The songs were favorites of the children. Scripture pertained to Jesus calling the children to him. We had a commitment service where all the parents/guardians and other adults commited to support, encourage, and nurture the children we come in contact with for the coming year. Each child receive a mememto of the occasion. We may do this every year.

In the beginning...

OK. I'm just trying to get this set up. Maybe it will help some others follow us through life.

It's been quite a life since retirement and then starting to raise 2 grandsons, but after three years, some things are improving even if slowly. Sometimes that doesn't hold steady and we back up a step or two. Then we have to start all over.