Pam's second quilt

Mom's Christmas present - A queen size quilt to match her bedroom colors!

Our new Rose

Meet our new girl, Rose, a 10 week old standard poodle. Yes, she gets along with the cats just fine, and seems to be a smart girl. We got her on the 29th and are working on her going up and down stairs, she's never seen them before!!! Going up isn't a problem, its the going down that gets her!!
We've been without a dog for so long, it was finally time and we've always had Standard Poodle. She reminds us alot of our first big boy, Sir, both in temperment and looks. Plus she give really good cuddles. She should go about 70 pounds when full grown and has already started going with Pam to the grooming shop everyday. She'll end up with fancy trims, color, bows, nails, etc... all that foo foo stuff!!!

Pam's new workplace

As some of you know, Pam accepted the head groomer position at a new high tech pet resort and spa, that is so high tech, and so out of this world, she's in groomer's heaven!! We'll be staying in AL for a while to be close to Mom and family. Off the road for a while for Rick to have some much needed medical attention with one set of doctors and not having to fly up to the Seattle area to go to the Cardiologist. Pam really feels right at home again since she was raised in this area and Rick is dealing with it!!

here's some shots of the new place!

Clean Grooming Area

My own washers/dryers

Below : bathing/drying area

More of the bathing/drying area including walkup tubs and walk in showers.

Lobby and reception area

Below, cat boarding and play area

Dog daycare area, including flatscreen TV (below)


Another view of the doggie daycare area. Outside play yards surround the building

Boarding Villas include cable TV, soft music, and larger rooms along with viewing on internet cameras!

TV inside the villas and to the left, the internet camera

Inside furnishing of the villas.

Food prep area for the dog boarding. Bigger, more furnished than most home kitchens

Another view of the rest of the kitchen. They have 2 dishwashers along with 2 set washer/dryer.

Inside a clubhouse suite.
the Cabana runs include outdoor access

Below, looking through a Cabana to the outside access

Christmas in Dixie

Spend Christmas Eve at Mom's enjoying great food, good company, and of course, PRESENTS!!!

The Hamby's = Cheryl, Rick, and Pam with Mom and Benji

The Kromis Family - Philip, Seth, Cheryl, and of course Mom

Brother Rick's family - James, Becky, Rick and of course Mom

Rick and Pam with Mom and Benji

and the best surprise of all

A WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Had a great time with the family all together for Christmas for the first time since 2001. It's really good to be home!

Guess we're in Alabama for a while

Pam accepted a job as head groomer at a new high tech pet resort here in Madison and is really excited!!! It's the shop she's always dreamed about, high tech everything, real bathtubs for bathing and even large shower areas for the big dogs, along with hydralic tables, you name it, this shop has it and she's in groomer's heaven. The resort is all high tech and will open this week, with open house near Christmas and Grand Opening in January. Right now she's the only groomer (so far) until the clientele grows, then will be head groomer. The resort has doggie day care, boarding with 3 levels of opulence (highest one includes cable tv for the dog and online cameras for the owners, and gorgeous kitty condos for the cat room. All is very high tech and no expense has been spared. She loves it!!!

This also allows her to stay closer to Mom and family. Mom turns 85 in January and is starting to have the old age problems. She has congestive heart failure and it is starting to give her problems, so it's good to stay close if we're needed and she feels right at home again.

The cold is a bummer, but oh well, Christmas time is supposed to be cold!!!! More news later as things happen!

We're in N Alabama with family

I've had several people tell me I needed to update the blog and website, so quess I'll do that today!! We're currently in Madison, AL outside of Huntsville with Pam's family for the holidays. We've had some GREAT weather up till 3 days ago, and winter has arrived, although not nearly as bad as the great NorthWest!!!! Lots of rain and cold, but no snow thankfully!

We left Maine a couple of days after we had planned to, Rick was in the hospital with a mini-stroke. He had no control of his left side when he woke me up, I called 911 and followed him to the hospital. By time the ambulance arrived at the hospital (about 15 miles away) the symptoms had resolved themselves, but they still treated it as active. He had a CatScan, which showed no bleeds thankfully, then was admitted 10 hours later as he was still having some tingling in his fingertips. We decided this was the smart plan, otherwise something may of happened where we didn't have a place to stay and no friends around. Many tests, specialists, MRI's, and labs later (2 days) they let him leave as no more symptons had reappeared and only the tingling in the fingertips remained.

We left the next day and took our time (sort of) heading down through New England, Virginia, etc, managing to put some new states on the map and seeing some really beautiful countryside on the way. No problems with Rick and at all, but we were relieved to arrive in Huntsville and be close to family and major hospitals. (Mom and Benji)

We arrive at the Marshall Space Flight Center Museum campground on the 25th of Oct , made arrangements to stay there a month while we found other (cheaper options) even did some tree chopping (with permission) trying to get our new rooftop satellite some signal!

Had a great dinner with my family, all except one nephew sho is away at school at Auburn. We all ate 2 pounds of lobster meat and other great goodies and had a good time with most of us together again.(my brother Rick and brother-in-law Philip)

We found a mobile home park with 1/2 acre lots and good rent rate and moved there, it's about the same distance to Mom's house and much quieter than over by the Space Museum. We've met a few of the neighbors, one walks alot and come by frequently to visit with Rick. All in all, not a bad place. We've put out the bird feeders and are seeing beautiful Cardinals, both sexes, Blue Jays, and of course lots of House Finches and some unknown type of sparrows. The chimes are hanging, the front apron is up, so we are set in for the couple of months we'll be here.

Rick has set up his wood shop in Mom's basement, where my dad had his wood shop, so we go over frequently for me to visit and help Mom as I can, and Rick gets in his relaxing woodworking. He has taken up some carving again too and will be taking some classes in it at the Sr Center in Huntsville.

I've finished another quilt top and it is currently at the longarm quilters and now I'm slowly working on a lapquilt for myself, then one for Rick and Mom of Alaska Memories! I've also started beading again, haven't done much in the last year or so, just finished a 3D hummingbird necklace.

Thanksgiving day arrived and for the first time in. many many years, my family would be together. (The last time was after my Dad died in 2001 and Rick and I flew home for the first Christmas without Dad.) But it wasn't to be, my brother was sick!!! So his wife got him and herself a plate, then went home (which is next to mom's house) and at with him. We missed them both, but had a great time with the remaining family. My nephew came home from Auburn for the holiday, but the other nephew went down to Birmingham with his girlfriend. Maybe Christmas Eve ALL of us can get together!!!

Winter has arrived in Alabama now, so not so much sitting outside in the sunshine. We'll be here through January at least, Rick flies up to Seattle on January 17th for his Cardiologist appt and will be there a week, then we'll decide whether we leave for FL or continue to stay. Mom has congestive heart failure and both my brother/sister still work so I can help out as necessary with Dr appts, etc. So we'll see. Will post our plans as we decide them!!!

We love the Saco Maine area!

We moved in, started work, had some rig problems, and lots of rain, but still love the area. The Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA that we are working at is fun, the owners are really neat, and there are couples from Kentucky, Oregon, California, and Maine working here along with some of the locals. We've already had a lobster dinner, 2 lobsters with sides for $21.99, can't beat that with a stick!!!!

Our converter decided to take a hit and took out the convection oven and the air cleaner with it, so that could of been worse. Thankfully our RV coverage will cover the repairs/replacements for us!! That should all be completed by mid-July, in the meantime we are without a microwave/oven, other than the gas oven that came with the rig. Oh well! Such is life!!!

We've done some driving around, we are within 30 miles of 6-8 lighthouses!! We are all of 4 miles from Old Orchard Beach, very similar to Santa Cruz, boardwalk and all. We're 30 minutes from Portland, and actually have really good shopping, Sam's, groceries, etc all within 10 miles or less.

This is all around a better fit than the job in MA, we're much more comfortable here and not afraid to be ourselves, west coast attitudes and all!!!
More later.......