News Update

Twenty years ago yesterday the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) made its first run from Fredericksburg, VA to Washington DC – I was on the first train, to my part-time retirement position at American Ordnance Technology (AOT) at Crystal City, VA, and I have a certificate to prove it – as if anyone cares! Forty-nine years ago yesterday the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) was founded. Yesterday good friend Nancy Elizabeth Bobb passed away peacefully in her sleep at 81 and a massacre took place in Aurora, CO! Our thoughts and prayers are with Nancy’s family and the families of those killed in Aurora, as well as with those who were wounded and their families.

Several other good friends passed on recently at ages younger than I, and as I said in my note to RVFEST 2012 attendees, it seems to have taken the wind out of my sails! (See http://www.rvfest.blogspot.com/.) That is my excuse for not writing this earlier!

It has been nearly two months since I published news that, upon review, provided most of the future news covering the past two months! Our trip to Boston by train was uneventful – just long! Alec Vassar Johnson’s Amesbury High School graduation 1 June was very nice. Alec’s excellent high school performance earned him full-tuition for four years of college and he was awarded a $500 scholarship that he did not know he was to receive. He plans to attend the Lowell campus of the University of Massachusetts in the fall where his lady friend Alexa finished her freshman year this spring. After the graduation ceremony, the graduates were taken to dinner by bus to a Renaissance Fair and then to a roller derby to spend the rest of the night. They did not know where they were going when they boarded the buses! Chuck and Charli met Alec at the roller derby early the next morning for his flight with Chuck to International Falls, MN and our fishing trip. Alec was one tired puppy that day!

The fishing trip went well. I caught 60 Walleye and Northern Pike fish and released most of them. I fished with Richard, Chuck and Frank Johnson, Dan Moose (Frank’s son-in-law) and Dave Leanio (Darren Johnson’s father-in-law – Darren is Richard’s son). When Dave and I were fishing in the rain, a humming bird buzzed us! The day I was to fish with Alec, it rained and he was too tired to fish that afternoon! Alec caught 89 fish on this, his first ever fishing trip! It was my ninth fishing trip! Chuck caught 188 fish (see www.johnsonoa.com)! The total catch for the week was 1274 fish! I believe we had four fabulous meals of Walleye, perhaps five with the Walleye eggs we had for breakfast one morning. Darren, Jeromy (another son-in-law of Franks) and Alec deserve much credit for filleting, breading and cooking the fish (probably near a hundred as we were each allowed to keep and eat two fish a day).

Tuesday 12 June, Jean and I escorted granddaughter Sara Kristine Johnson to Fredericksburg by train. Thursday 14 June, we departed to Goshen, IN and RVFEST 2012 rall (17-24 June). We celebrated our 60th Wedding Anniversary with good friends Laura and Randy Turley and Nadine and Bucky Van Horn at the Amish Acres Dinner Theater, Nappanee, IN. Bucky and Nadine treated us to the delicious dinner and the fabulous State Fair performance in the Round Barn. Laura and Randy treated us to the dinner wine. It was a wonderful evening. One of the young actors was from Fredericksburg, VA. Sara, Kathryn Marie Durham and her parents, Neena and Duane, met us at Goshen 17 June for the rally. Kathryn had a dance recital Saturday evening 16 June before she and her parents could depart with Sara for Goshen. We hosted the rally with co-hosts Richard and Virginia Raikes. Two other co-hosts could not attend the rally because her step-father died at 88. The rally was attended by some 85 people in 41 RVs. It was a success – see the RVFEST blogspot. 

We departed Goshen on 18 June and arrived home 19 June after spending the night at the Spring Valley Campground, Cambridge, OH.  While home, we visited doctors! Jean had a carotid artery test and an appointment with her gastroenterology doctor. We both had appointments with our general practitioner in July and Jean saw her dentist.

Tuesday 17 July, daughter Neena Potteiger Durham and granddaughter Elizabeth Ann left early morning by bus from Charlottesville, VA to New Orleans, LA to join some 43,000 other Lutheran teens and escorts to perform social work. They return to Charlottesville early morning 23 June – I will pick them up. 

I saw Dr. Sandra Johnson, my glaucoma doctor, yesterday in Charlottesville and pretty much decided that I would have cataract surgery on my left eye in September. Hopefully this will improve my vision and lower the pressure in that eye.

We leave by RV 24 July for Amesbury, MA with Neena and Kathryn. Alec will be 18 July 25th and his parents are hosting a Graduation/Birthday party for him 28 July. Neena returns home by air 2 August and we depart with Sara and Kathryn by RV 3 August to join Sara's parents and family for the Yonkers Rod and Gun Club 1000-acre camp just over the Mass/New York border to spend the week with Johnson family members. Chuck, Charli and family will travel to the camp as well that day. We’ll depart there either 10 or 11 August and find our way home again with Kathryn.

Except for Jean’s colonoscopy 23 August, the month of August appears to be uneventful! Friday 14 September we travel to Lickdale, PA by RV for three nights. I will attend the Hershey, PA RV show Show and Sunday we will attend the Penbrook Junion High School reunion. The 1st through 10th grade school existed from 1903 to 1957 when county-wide school consolidation took place. Jean and I both attended the school. Monday 17 August we will go to the Artillery Ridge Campground, Gettysburg, PA for four nights. We plan to visit friends and some of the sights in the area, bringing back memories of our stay in Gettysburg from August 1956 to June 1959. Good health, safe travels and love to all, Les and Jean

Travels Past & Future

It's been over two months since our last post. Late March we visited Don and Suzanne Palczynski in Homosassa, Florida. While there, we acquired a new tow bar and electric cable for the RV and Jean purchased new hearing aides. We were home on the 3rd of April and began our doctor's appointments the next day (ten appointments in April and May!).

April 11 and 12, we accompanied granddaughter Elizabeth Durham, her mother and sister to Westminster, Maryland and Reading, Pennsylvania to visit three colleges. She is a junior in high school this year and wants to study to become a pediatric endocrinologist.

Jean purchased new eye glasses in early May and we hosted the Mid-Atlantic Streamers May rally 14 -17 at Luray, Virginia. It was a small rally with only 11 individuals in five RVs. Nine of us visited the Skyline Drive and had lunch at Big Meadows. We had a great farewell dinner at the Speakeasy in the Mimslyn Hotel, Luray.

Tomorrow we leave Fredericksburg, Virginia by train at 7:00 AM for Boston, Massachusetts. Grandson Alec Vassar Johnson, our daughter Charlene's eldest, is graduating from Amesbury, Massachusetts High School 1 June. The next day, he, his father and Les fly to International Falls, Minnesota and transfer across the border to Fort Frances, Ontario where we spend the night before we fly to a cabin on Holly Lake the next day. The lake is ours for the next six days! Ten Johnson family and extended family members will fish for walleye and northern pike from dawn to dusk. We catch and release except for some walleye that we eat! Jean will spend time with Charlene and her other two boys, and daughter while we fish.

We arrive home by train on 12 June, spend 13 June at home and leave 14 June for Goshen, Indiana! We have reservations at Amish Acres, Nappanee, Indiana 15 June, our 60th Wedding Anniversary, for dinner and the presentation of 'State Fair' in the round-barn theater. Laura and Randy Turley and Naomi and Bucky Van Horn are joining us. RVFEST 2012 begins Sunday 17 June at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairground, Goshen, Indiana and ends 24 June. Our daughter Neena Durham, her husband Duane and daughter Kathyrn will be with us in our motor home. Kathyrn's cousin Sara Johnson of Amesbury also will be with us. They are less than a year apart in age (10). See http://www.rvfest.blogspot.com/ for information on the rally.

July will be rather quiet until 25 July when we travel with Neena and Kathryn in the motor home to Amesbury for a celebration of Alec's graduation and 18th birthday. (Just four doctors appointments while we are home!) We leave Amesbury 3 August for the Yonker's Rod and Gun Club Hunt Camp in New York state along the western Massachusetts border. We'll spend a week there with Johnson family and extended family members before trekking home. Safe travels and love to all (LTA) Les and Jean

News Update

We spent the rest of February at The Great Outdoors and left 1 March with Bill and Martha Potteiger for Sarasota, Florida where we attended the Tiffin Buddy Rally.  There were 250 RVs at the rally and 40 new Tiffin RVs on display.  Twenty of the new coaches were sold by Saturday night, 3 March!  We left the rally on Sunday and traveled to Lake Manatee State Park where we camped with Bill and Martha two nights. We returned to Sarasota and the home of John Ringling for a self-guided tour on Monday.  The home, gardens and surrounding buildings are awesome.

Tuesday, Jean and I went to the Lazydays Campground for two nights.  Wednesday, we went to see Steven Ottavanio to have Jean's hearing tested.  She left with new hearing aides, with a remote control to change channels!  John and Pat Cherkowski met us at Steven's place of business and we went to their home in Tarpoon Springs to leave our car for the rest of the day.  John and Pat took us to Tarpoon Springs Sponge Docks where we had a scruptious dinner at a lovely restaurant, thanks to John and Pat.  We returned to the Cherkowski home with Greek goodies to enjoy with our drinks while we visited that evening.

Thursday, we traveled to Mt. Olive Shores North (MOSN) campground in Polk City to spend time with Bucky and Nadine Van Horn.  We broke bread together many times.  We had all we could eat catfish each Friday evening at a local restaurant with friends - Mike, Pat and Sarah Getto joined us Friday 16 March at the restaurant.  Sarah Getto entertained superbly March 15th for over a hundred people and March 17th we attended a St. Pattys Day dinner for over a hundred people, both at Clubhouse 2.  Last evening we went to the church attended by the Van Horns to hear the Down East Boys gospel quartet.

Tomorrow, 20 March, we leave to visit Don and Suzanne Palczynski for a week or so in Homosassa Springs, Florida.  We'll then stop at Don and Brenda Monn's home near Salem, South Carolina and visit for a few days before getting home in early April for hair cuts, doctors appointments and Easter!

Les' BD cake by Martha Potteiger

Les clebrates BD with Sarah Getto

Happy Birthday

Today I celebrate my 80th Birthday - WOW!  None of my male Potteiger ancestors lived to reach 80!  A distant cousin died last year at nearly 102 in California.  When asked at age 100 how he managed to get to that age, he replied, I just haven't died yet!  The marvels of modern medicine have kept Jean and I alive.  We will celebrate 60 years of wedded bliss 15 June.

We've seen several more gospel groups and a solo singer in recent weeks.  The Collinsworth family provided outstanting entertainment.  We saw the solo singer, Dan Schall from Pennsylvania Thursday evening with Frank and Tony Bell.  Dan reminds one of Mel Tillis, although, his studder when speaking is not as severe as that of Mel Tillis. There were at least two groups, but, I can't recall their names right now.

But tonight, Jean and I will go out to dinner at the Longhorn Steak House and then travel to Americana Resorts in Rockledge to see Sarah Getto and her parents to celebrate my birthday.  Sarah is an amazing young lady, 27, who was born blind and with a severe cleft palet.  She taught herself to play the piano at the age of 3 and the violin at the age of 10.  She plays many other instruments, has a masters in music and is qualified to teach music.  I hired her for RVFEST 2011 after hearing her at The Rally July 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky.  Google her name and you can hear her perform.  We will see her again at North Mount Olive Shores Resort in Polk City 15 March when we are visiting with Bucky and Nadine Van Horn.

Our weather continues to be nice, although, they are calling for possible severe thunderstorms tomorrow.  The temperatures have been amazingly warm except for last Sunday when we opted not to attend church because we really did not have clothes to keep warm!  Shame on us!  That, that's all, folks for now! LTA

Beautiful, Warm Florida!

We departed our Virginia home 28 December 2011 for Homosassa Springs, Florida and our mobile home based by the home of Don and Suzanne Palczynski who watched over it with TLC since November.  We visited with them until January 1, 2012 when we drove to our site at The Great Outdoors RV Nature and Golf Resort (TGO) on Rt. 50 just west of I-95, Exit 215 and Titusville, Florida.  (We all did manage to stay awake to usher in the New Year!)  We are renting Site 3, Sunset Drive, part of the TGO Historic District - it was one of the first, if not the first drive developed with 145 paved RV sites all with full hook-ups. TGO has some 1600 or so sites.  There are undeveloped sites like our site, that does have a shed on it, as well as sites with homes that have RV ports/garages costing $400K and more!  It is, of course, a gated community.  Our site is close to the TGO post office, church, restaurants, heated swimming pool, exercise center, outdoor games, RV sales lot, RV repair center with supplies, etc.. There is much to do here. Our mailing address is 106 Plantation Drive, Titusville, FL 32780.  We will be here until 1 March.

We've seen two gospel groups in the church, the Nelans and the Browns (free will offerings) and the movie The Help (free) in the Plantation Manor. Karen Peck and New River, another gospel group will be at the church this Sunday evening. Two other gospel group, Collingsworth and the Mark Trammell Quartet will be here in February.  We've been attending Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cocoa, Florida.  This Sunday they are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Ordination of their Pastor, Tom Enrath.  It is a small church with some 50 members, all friendly and many transplants from the north!

We've visited and dined often with cousins Bill and Martha Potteiger who purchased a beautiful home here last year.  We've found that we know three other couples in TGO.  Our neighbors, Ed and Jane, across the street are from Chamberburg, Pennsylvania.  They have a beautiful building on their site with a full kitchen, living room, bath, laundry and screened-in porch.  Jane's sister is coming next month - she attends Penbrook Church of God, the church that we were married in nearly 60 years ago and the church that Jean's late brother Bill Freeburn attended.  We are anxious to meet her and get the latest news about the church and Penbrook. 

We'll spend the first three days of March at a Tiffin Buddy Rally at the Sarasota Agricultural Fairgrounds on the West coast.  Bill and Martha Potteiger will be with us in their RV.  We'll spend two nights at the Manatee Lake State Park near Bradenton and then two nights at the Lazydays campground in Seffner before going to the North Mt. Olive Shores Resort in Polk City to spend some time with Bucky and Nadine Van Horn.  When we leave there we will go to Homosassa Springs to visit with Don and Suzanne before heading home early April. 

We hope the beautiful weather will continue here in Florida and Virginia will not be too cold when we get home!  We also hope that you are enjoying good health and weather wherever you may be.  LTA.