Of course you can go home again, but never expect everything to be the same. We arrived in Elkhart, IN on Friday afternoon. We secured a spot at the Elkhart Campground. Bob and Geta are owners / hosts and do a great job of constantly upgrading and taking care of the facilities. The campground sports over 100 spots, many with full hook-up and 50 amp service. A number of travelers come and go here, and most are extremely friendly. Of course, many travel with dogs and cats. So Maci has had lots of friends since we got here. Unfortunately, Bob has not set up a dog run yet, but he tells us there will be one here next year. This campground usually shuts down by the first of Nov. and opens the first of March - providing freezing weather has stopped. If you ever top here, be aware the water in this area is full of iron. In addition to our many filters, we also include a water softener to help.
By Saturday we were on our way to the local botanical garden for "A Taste of the Gardens." Area restaurants had booths set up to sample (for a price of course). In addition, a number or local artist had booths along with small musical groups throughout the gardens. The best part was we ran into a number of friends who we had not see for the past year.
One of our first realizations when driving around was we could drive around town and not use the GPS or map. It's nice to know where you are. As we drove around, we discovered a number of changes - the old armory is being torn down, parking downtown is now diagonal, new buildings are being erected. Life goes on, and the sense of stepping out of your community for a prolonged time and stepping back in tends to make you look through a different lens. Getting reconnected with friends and family in person really makes us appreciate our friends and family!
The purpose of our time in Elkhart is much more than just a visit. Our daughter Sara is getting married on October 12. I'm making her wedding gown, which brought a new challenge. Where to sew? A close friend offered space in her home office overlooking the St. Joe River. What a deal. Dress construction is going slowly, but successfully so far.
Jerry is busy with projects - maintenance, collapsible boat trailer, wine rack, stove top replacement and anything else that comes to mind. We had quite a list by the time we got here. Most will get done. When we are set up for a period of time, we usually grow a large "to do" list.
This time is also valuable for me to catch up with the courses I teach on line. While traveling, we have to be rather discerning where we park in order to have a strong Internet connection with either one of our phones. When we have a good connection, I plan and post ahead. I have been known to do a chat group sitting in the parking lot of McDonalds from time to time.
The time is passing quickly - more to come later.
