The end of August and the beginning of September we spent fifteen days boondocking in Methodist Church parking lots. One minister declared our Dutch Star a Methodist. After helping Norm's parents and arranging home health services we headed north out of Kentucky. (Norm's mother is 85 and she had broken her wrist and hip. Norm's father turned 90 just after we left.) On Labor Day we stopped in Kokomo, Indiana to visit Norm's sister and brother-in-law, Gloria and Don Martin, and yes, we spent the night in a Methodist Church parking lot. Yeah, after Labor Day the campers and weekenders have stored their rigs and sent the kids back to school. The campgrounds belong to the fulltimers again.

Last February at a Y2K Rally in Texas three couples of us fulltimers pledged to meet in northern Indiana the week before the Escapees Rally (called Escapade). We joined John and Libby Veach and Rich and Diane Emond in Elkhart, Indiana. Later we were joined by Jim and Patty Hammond. We had met each couple during our travels, but this was the first time all four couples had been together. All of us keep in touch through e-mail and web pages and it was nice to see everyone again. The best part about traveling fulltime is the people we meet and we think of these people as family. We are all in our 50's, all retired early, sold our homes and furnishings, bought motorhomes and hit the road fulltime. At Elkhart Campground we met a special person, Graham "Hawk" Milner. Hawk is 79 years old and travels solo fulltime in a motorhome, having lost his wife three years ago. He was a fighter pilot in World War II and was shot down and captured by the Germans on his 23rd mission. He pulls a convertible behind his motorhome and travels with his dog Huck. Click here to see pictures of our friends.

John Veach volunteered to be wagon master leading our rigs from Elkhart to the rally in Goshen. We had to enter the rally with the cars not in tow, so we staggered motorhome, car, motorhome, car, etc., with the men driving the motorhomes, the women driving the cars and Hawk following in the rear. The rally itself was OK despite the horrid rain, but we had a great time visiting with our friends, eating out and partying. We always spend too much money at rallies as there are rows and rows of vendors. We bought tee-shirts, foam fire extinguishers for the motorhome and a whole-house water filter system. Norm also helped Jim and Hawk install "autoformers" in their motorhomes. We signed up to eat out with our friends Tom and Tinka Dooly and with a group of genealogists, then found they were going to the same place on adjacent nights. We were committed to both engagements so we went and enjoyed both. Ora and Mary Miller, an Amish couple, have a dining room beside their house and serve Amish food family style. Both nights we ate until we were stuffed. The second night Ora and Mary answered questions for forty-five minutes about the Amish and their lifestyle. Their answers and stories were both interesting and educational.

After the rally we went back to Elkhart to have the hail damage repaired on our Dutch Star (see June) at All-Brand RV Service. They do body repair and interior restoration and have a small electric-only camping area. We could sleep in the motorhome at night and they worked on it during the day. After three days our Dutch Star looked new again and the cost was very reasonable. We recommend All-Brand to anyone needing work on their RV. Give owner Jerry Ryman a call at 1-800-981-7604.

While at All-Brand we were joined by the Emonds. One day we went to the gigantic flea market in Shipshewana. Can you imagine nice sweaters for $2.50?  Yes, we bought several. Linda and Diane returned the next day seeking more bargains while Norm and Rich stayed behind. Two nights we went to plays at Amish Acres with the Emonds. The first night we saw Triumph of Love and the second night Plain and Fancy. After the rally we gave hugs to the Veaches, the Hammonds and Hawk. Now it was time to hug the Emonds as we were going different directions. It is amazing how our new friends have become like family as we have so much in common.

Leaving Elkhart we drove to Medina, Ohio to visit Linda's brother Dan, his wife Rita and their sons Nathan, Aaron and David. We enjoyed our weekend visit of eating, talking and playing cards. Our plan was to visit Pennsylvania Dutch country, but the weather had turned rather cool and it was raining every day. We decided we had seen Amish country in Indiana and we did not want to follow the bad weather to Pennsylvania. So we made a quick decision - head south where the weather is warmer. When you fulltime you can change your mind and direction on a moments notice. After camping in a Wal*Mart parking lot in Ripley, West Virginia, we realized we had only had full hook-ups twice in the last thirty-six days. That had saved lots on campground fees but dirty laundry filled the shower five feet high. So we got full hook-ups at Wytheville, Virginia and kept the washer and dryer running for two days. After a night at the Camden, North Carolina Wal*Mart we went to Braircliffe RV Resort, a Coast to Coast park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We stuffed ourselves with crab legs at Original Benjamins Calabash Seafood Restaurant. The park had hot-phones at the sites so Norm got to surf the internet and update our website.

September 8th we celebrated our first anniversary of living fulltime in the Dutch Star and October 4th will be our first anniversary of being on the road.