Hollister Hideout

While the motorhome got needed TLC at the factory in Indiana, we were fortunate to be able to spent the winter and early spring months at our "Hollister Hideout." We were glad the cabin was equipped with wireless cable and all the other necessities because we needed to stay on top of our spring semester classes.

We enjoyed watching and feeding the wild birds. We saw cardinals, woodpeckers, house finches (photo to right), goldfinches, hummingbirds, robins, nuthatches, bluebirds, and many others - - and lots and lots of squirrels. We fed them too! The area is also home to larger birds such as hawks and turkey vultures.

Larry was happy to locate an excellent chiropractor who was able to help him deal with an increasingly frustrating lower back ailment.

Larry in Leslie, Arkansas

He also made a couple of trips to visit relatives and explore the area where he was born in Searcy County Arkansas. The photo on the left shows an old factory warehouse from his hometown. This building was built in the early 20th century during Leslie's lumber boomtown days. Below is a photo of a section of the town's main street.

Branson Fun

Although we were busy most of the time, we tried to do a few fun things in Branson. We attended the Winter Fun show at the Jim Stafford theatre and enjoyed a variety show that included many of the local acts. Then, shortly before leaving in May, we saw Andy Williams and Petula Clark in concert. Andy Williams with his gorgeous Moon River Theatre, quality orchestra and state-of-the art sound system remains one of our favorite acts in Branson.

Family Crisis

The third week in February, Annette's sister Arrion broke her foot. With a baby at home, Arrion needed some help so Annette flew to Dallas to provide a helping hand and spend time with her favorite nephew.

Less than a week after returning to Hollister from Dallas, Annette's brother-in-law Ed King unexpectedly died. We knew that he had been having health difficulties, but his death was still a shock. Annette jumped on the first flight to Tucson to help her sister through this difficult time.

Hectic Spring Schedule

Besides teaching her online classes and working on a large grant project from the Institute for Museum and Library Studies, Annette also spent time working with educators in places such as Boston, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Dallastown, PA, Rapid City, SD, and Norfolk.

Easter

Between meetings and family crisis, we managed to pick up the motorhome from the factory in Indiana and return it to its spot next to the cabin in Hollister.

It arrived just in time for Easter visitors. Annette's parents arrived first. In addition, Annette's sister, her family (Ben and Alex) and extended family (Andy, Brenda, Sarah, Bud) came to visit.

We all took a trip to Silver Dollar City. Larry took the photo below of the family group. Above right is a photo of Annette and her dad.

One of the highlights of the trip to Silver Dollar City was Alex's first ride on the carousel.

Illinois/Indiana Trip

Annette and Larry drove to Indianapolis to participate in the American Library Association accreditation visit in early April. We were also able to spend a few days visiting family in Illinois. We stopped in to see Larry's dad in Clarksburg, enjoyed a quick visit with Brooke, and also caught up with Ben at his apartment near ISU in Bloomington, Illinois.

Heading West

Before heading west, we scheduled the motorhome for an oil change, engine checks, and air conditioner service. We also had the generator serviced and installed a Banks power booster system on the engine.

We also set a replacement geocache for dad Smith to find in the woods near the cabin. The last cache was destroyed when the hillside across the creek from the cabin was cleared.

Our last mission was a final trip to our favorite area eating spot - - the Bar-B-Que & Burger Shop.