Women in the Outdoors

September 15-17, I went to the Louisiana Women in the Outdoor event in Bunkie, LA.  Kenneth dropped me off at Heather's apartment Friday morning and I rode with her.  I prefer to drive my car, but she taught the jelly making class and had all of her equipment packed in her car so I rode this time.  There were several times over the weekend I wished I had my own vehicle, but I survived.  It was a great event and I made several new friends, learned new things and had a blast!  I won lots of things - home décor, mugs, jelly, a dressy scarf, a Ruger .243 rifle; made some things - a walking stick, a wooden spoon, bottle cap wind chimes; and ate some really good food prepared by the husbands of some of the women putting on the event.  I took six classes - archery, wood carving, kayaking, self defense, sport clay shotgunning and bottle cap art.  I shared a cabin with nine other women and we survived with only two showers, two toilets and three sinks!  We played silly games and bingo Friday night and had raffle drawings, a photo booth and a really good band Saturday night and Heather and I stopped an old college eatery she used to frequent when she went to Northwestern in Natchitoches on the way home.  What a fun weekend I had!!

Got there early enough to get the bottom bunk, thank goodness!!

Liz with our cabin mascot!

My crazy bunkmates who dressed up in the Wild West theme for the weekend.  Heather and I are not ones to dress up...:/

Our archery instructors

 

Look at that form...!!  I've only shot a compound bow once before and I shot better this time.

I was actually hitting the target!!!!

Wendy is a new friend - she was a travel nurse in 2000 and is going to school now to be a PA.

Heather removing her arrows from the target.

Crazy games

This is David.  He taught the wood carving class.  I spent a LOT of time at this table because in between classes, after meals - any free time I had - I sat here and worked with the wood and found that I loved it!

Starting on my walking stick

This is me with Evelyn and David.  Evelyn took the class last year and bought herself a set of tools.  I really enjoyed spending time with these two.

The food was all so good and the company was very enjoyable. 

Suzette, our kayaking instructor.  Such a sweet, sweet lady - enjoyed her a lot!

And what fun we had on the water!  First time for me to kayak (no photo evidence of me, tho) and I loved it!

Took a few trips across the pond and back to get the hang of it, but it was great.

Our whole class taken after we learned some sweet self defense moves!  I worked with the couple next to me and they were great!

Cypress City band - they played some really good music.

Bridgette, Suzette, Wendye, me and Evelyn - we all liked the wood working!

Crazy girl...

The end to a fun, fun trip!  Thanks for inviting me, Heather!

Eureka Springs Car Show

September 8-10, we loaded up in the El Camino to head for Eureka Springs, Arkansas for their annual antique car show.  Didn't get many pictures, but we sure had fun!  Met up with Bob and Peggy and their car club as we have in past years.  They get a hospitality suite in their hotel and bring a bunch of snack foods, there are tables and a TV to watch lots of college football on.  On Saturday, Peggy and I took the trolley to downtown to shop; there are lots of neat little stores and restaurants. We took the trolley again to the car show to meet up with the guys.  After looking at some cars and sitting in the shade of someone else's RV, we loaded up and headed back to the hotel.  The trolley was going to be another hour or more getting back so Bob and Peggy sat in the back of the El Camino for the two miles drive back to the hotel.  I'm sure everyone thought we were crazy to be hauling the old folks in the back of our truck, but they had a ball!  We rested up in the hotel for a couple hours, then went to dinner at Sparky's Roadside Cafe.  Afterwards, it was back to the hotel to set up our chairs with our ice chests full of beer and watched the car parade then over to the hospitality room to visit, have a few more drinks and some snacks.  Got up Sunday morning and headed for the house.  I felt like we were on the Power Tour again with all the classic cars on the road!  So thankful for family, friends, classic cars and the beautiful weather the good Lord provided us on this trip...:)

Kenneth set up chairs in this RVs shade - everyone was going by complimenting "his" RV...geez...

Bob and Peggy had a big time riding in the back of the truck!!  I hope they never grow up!

Why can't I get him to act right?

Set up to watch the Car Parade - nice shady spot with a breeze blowing - it was great!!

Headed home with about fifteen classic cars in front and behind us - so much fun!

Labor Day weekend

The back porch was done just in time for Labor Day weekend!  Curt and Lisa came over Friday and we all got to enjoy the porch for the first time that evening.  We had a handicapped van lined up to go pick up Charlie at the nursing home, but with all the flooding in Houston and south Louisiana from the hurricane, they were using it to evacuate handicapped people from those areas to Shreveport so we called on Mum and she was more than happy to help...thanks, Mum!!  Kenneth and Curt went and got her van, put the seats down into their cubbies under the floor and wheeled Charlie right on in!  It definitely would be better to have a van equipped for a wheelchair, but this worked in a pinch because we had been planning this for several weeks and were all looking forward to it, especially Charlie.  He loves to get out of the nursing home and go on a road trip!  Mac came up and so did Scott.  None of us have seen Scott in probably 36 years so it was fun to get old friends together and catch up.  There was plenty of food, beautiful cooler weather and a nice porch to sit out on.  We did eventually move into the house when the afternoon sun took over the porch and the temps got up into the 90s.  We packed to-go boxes for everyone and the guys took Charlie and Kathy back home around 6:00 and Lisa and I cleaned the house.  The four of us got to enjoy another evening on the porch and then Sunday morning, Kenneth and I got on the bike and Curt and Lisa followed us to Jefferson for lunch at Auntie Skinner's.  They headed home and we took a nice ride around Lake 'o the Pines and got home around 4:00.  Mum came up to visit on Monday and she got to enjoy the porch, too.  I got all my laundry done and we had a nice visit, too.  Katie got home around 7:00 Monday evening and got to spend a few days with us before she headed to St. Louis, Missouri for her next travel assignment.  We had a wonderful start to September!!

Curt, Kenneth, Charlie and Scott catching up

Scott, Kathy and Mac

Got a little too warm on the back porch in the afternoon!

So happy we were all able to get together!  Only wish all that were supposed to come could have...

I finally got a cake to come out of this bundt pan clean!!

Lisa playing with the face coasters!

Getting Charlie loaded back up into the van.

Love that my beer at Auntie Skinners came in a "21 and havin' fun" mug!!

Beautiful day for a ride around East Texas

We all got together for dinner with Katie before she had to leave.

Back porch rebuild

While I was in Charleston, Kenneth started on the back porch project.  We screened it in two years after we moved into the house, so it has been there for 15 years and badly needed a facelift!  All of the boards at the bottom were rotted, the screens had some holes, the doors were falling apart, the carpet was really dirty, etc.  It was a huge project and he pretty much worked non-stop on it for almost four weeks.  He tore off all the bottom boards, took out all the window framework, moved all the wood furniture into the motorcycle trailer, powerwashed the brick and porch, cleaned the ceiling fans, put in all new bottom boards inside and out, built new window frames, replaced all the screens, put in two new doors, repainted everything, built a new cooktop and replaced the backing, laid new carpet, put up new lights, moved the swing to create a larger seating area and moved everything back onto the porch.  It is SO nice now - I absolutely love it!  Hopefully the cooler weather will be here soon so we can enjoy it more.

Nice, fresh paint!

Lights were up when I got home from Charleston!

Outside boards up

Inside boards up!

Window frames and screens in.

Doors up!

LOVE the new carpet!

Daniel helping his Dad with the swing.

Vacuuming for me and I didn't even have to ask...:)

With the screens in, doors up and furniture back on, we can finally have our first breakfast on the new porch.

Rebuilding his cooktop.