Stillwater Stay

We rolled into Oklahoma in our modern day Conestoga wagon with our first stop being Stillwater.  Why Stillwater?  The first and most important reason...Stacey's Aunt Linda & Uncle Dean live here.  They are truly an inspirational couple and folks to look up to.  They would never agree with me, which makes them all the more inspirational in my book! Team Breitmann loves you, Aunt Linda & Uncle Dean!!
The second reason for staying in Stillwater is OSU.  As an Ohio native, notice I did not say The OSU.  Here it stands for Oklahoma State University, the home of the Cowboys.  Stacey is a proud graduate and Cowgirl.  Stacey's family is truly an OSU family.  As a matter of fact, Aunt Linda & Uncle Dean's son Daniel is married to Dr. Bobbie Kay Lewis, a professor of Strategic Communications at OSU.  She is a gem of a person and another huge inspiration.  We had not met her before and from the first moment we felt like we had known her for years!  No wonder her students had nominated her for and she was selected as the Faculty Advisor of the Year for the entire nation!  Team Breitmann enjoyed our time here in the heart of America! Next stop Oklahoma City!

Todd  

Team Breitmann dinner out with our Stillwater family: Daniel, Uncle Dean, Aunt Linda and  Dr Bobbie.  Love y'all!

Hailey, Heidi and our dog Molly as we arrive in the Great State of Oklahoma....where the winds come sweeping down the plains!

Left to Right: Uncle Dean, Aunt Linda, Heidi, Stacey, & Hailey at Sunday morning worship!

Me, Stacey, & Hailey in front of  the church we attended with Aunt Linda & Uncle Dean.  Notice the crystal clear sky. A nice break from the humidity of Florida. 

Heidi, Stacey, Hailey out front of a Stillwater staple:  Eskimo Joe's.  Eat at Joe's!  

Hailey & Heidi at the Joe's T-shirt shop!

Hailey, Stacey & Heidi on campus in front of the OSU library.

Hailey gallops onto OSU campus on the OSU Cowboy's horse!  

Orange and Black are the colors 'round these parts!  Don't come here wearing red that's for sure!

Stacey poses in front of her first residence hall with Hailey and Heidi. She took us all around campus.  It was a treat to have her share her walk down memory lane with us!  We love our Cowgirl!

Oklahoma!! Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains!

Hailey of Team Breitmann gallops on into Oklahoma!!

Okay now for the ugly...

The previous post from Stacey may make it appear that this has been "smooth" sailing.... Well, just because we are traveling doesn't exempt us.  LOL!!  Well...
While in TN we received a bunch of rain and experienced some hail for the first time while "camping".  I must say, hail on the roof of our motor home is not comforting!!  Anyway, evidently West TN had experienced a lot of rain lately and this latest downpour really saturated the ground.  The ground has a consistency of thick brown clay.  Think pottery and you get the idea.  While I was breaking camp, Stacey took our Saturn (towed vehicle) to see Mrs. Barbara.  The girls and I packed up and I was maneuvering our "Big ol' Bessie" as the girls call the motor home.  I affectionately refer to our 26,000lb; 37.5' motor home as the "Urban Assault Vehicle (UAV)".  I emphasis the word "Urban" here because it became very evident that taking her too far off the beaten path can lead to potential disaster!  
I was attempting to turn the UAV around in a gravel turn around near the lodge and realized that the turn was too tight to avoid a neaby shed so I had to cut across the center grass area of the gravel turn around....then disaster struck as the rear wheels sunk up to the rims...uggh!  Donkey ears sprouted from my head as I realized my mistake!
Luckily, Mr. Dan, the owner of the Getaway Lodge ranch property was there and proved to be of great assistance.  We attempted in vain to wedge wood and lynx levers under the tires to get traction. We could not get them far enough under the wheels.  I wrestled for quite some time and proceed to get mud all over me.  Oh, did I mention it was freezing cold too!  Good times, good times...  Mr. Dan and I contemplate using his tractor to pull the UAV from behind using the tow hitch, however, his battery was dead and I was not sure the hitch could handle the 26Klb motor home being towed in reverse.  Then it hit me.  I stacked up lynx levelers under the rear hydraulic leveling jacks and used the manual settings to raise up just the rear tires out of the mire.  I thought I'd pressed the bottom levelers into China!  But it worked.  Mr. Dan took his pick up down to the lower pasture and retrieved some wood which we put under the tires.  Free at last!  Thank you Mr. Dan!  I'm not sure how much West TN mud I'm hauling around on the UAV now but, Ol' Bessie is gonna need a bath!  If you are ever in Gibson county, I recommend the Getaway Lodge but, probably "in season"!  Check em out here:  The Getaway Lodge

States we've been to so far...

States we have visited since we departed Florida on 17 Feb 2012

Tennessee Time

We couldn't have a "world tour" without going through Gibson, TN to visit my mentor and very dear friend, Mrs. Barbara Morris.  I worked with her over 20 years ago in Oklahoma City.  I wasn't a Christian at the time but she invested in me and worked hard to show me what a good wife should be.  I didn't really "get it" at the time but I certainly remembered her words and have worked hard to put them in place since then.  She has been and will always be very special to me.  She showed us a wonderful time around Gibson, Milan, and Humbolt, Tennessee.  She took us to a winery, a pottery place, a jewelry party, the home of of the Humbolt Strawberry Festival, the Gibson County Courthouse in Trenton, and the incredible Teapot exhibit with over 100 teapots from all over the world.  Everywhere we went, EVERYONE knew Mrs. Barbara.  She's an incredible woman and we are all blessed to know her!  Thanks Mrs. Barbara for a great time!  We'll see you soon.

Stacey

The "Lodge" at the Getaway Lodge on the 40-acre ranch where we camped while visiting Mrs. Barbara

View from our front door of our campsite.

Our campsite on the 40 acre Getaway Lodge property.  Peaceful!

The road back to the camp site.

The front gate to where we camped.  If you are ever in Gibson County and want a true West Tennessee getaway experience you have to look up Mr. Dan at the Getaway Lodge!  We had full hookups and the place to ourselves!  Thank you Mr. Dan.  Our dog Molly loved this place!

Molly at top speed in the woods at the Getaway Lodge property.

Heidi and Hailey at Mrs. Barbara's home church. 

Gibson Baptist Church.  We all attended Wednesday night Bible study with Mrs. Barbara.  True salt of the earth folk here.  Normal Sunday attendance = 35.  On the roll = 95.  Small but mighty! 

Toured the County seat here.

The requisite monument out front of the court house in honor of the Confederate Soldiers courtesy of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.  Erected 1907.

A little Civil War history. The confederates that took the town burned the allegiances and bonds to the United States of America that the local citizens had signed.

Heidi and Hailey make cookies with Mrs. Barbara in her kitchen.

Mrs Barbara's famous southern hospitality.  The young girl, Sedona, next to Mrs. Barbara is her protege.  A wonderful young gal.  We wish you the best Sedona! 

Hailey has a blast with "Bud" the cat at Mrs. Barbara's.

Mrs. Barbara's house.  It has been in her family since 1889, when Dr. Morris built it.  It is an absolutely beautiful house.

Hailey out front of Mrs. Barbara's place.

Hailey.  "How fun is this place".

Hailey has a blast climbing the century old trees.

Hailey admires the "wall art" in the Gibson cafe.  You gotta ask for a menu 'cause you are assumed to know what it is they have to serve ya!

Field trip to the local Humbolt Museum.  What?  No cell phones back then.  The local factory phone number = 2.  LOL!

Okay Dad,  you read us one more sign and your in the slammer!

Hailey gets a little lesson on pottery wheels.  The local West Tennessee clay is good for makin' pottery.

Hailey outside of the local winery.

Dad asks for a tour and tries to sneak a some what large sample!

Team Breitmann with Mrs. Barbara.  We love ya, Mrs. Barbara.  Thank you for the awesome time in Gibson County, TN!Its off to Stillwater, OK!!

Our time in Birmingham

Our "Big Bessie" parked out front of the Fico's house.  Eat your heart out cousin Eddie!

Our first real stop...outside of the Walmart parking lot in Montgomery, AL our first night out...was in Birmingham, AL visiting our friends, The Ficos.  We had a great time cooking out, working on the motor home, and enjoying their hot tub!  My back feels wonderful!  :)


We went to The Church at Brook Hills on Sunday.  It is pastored by David Platt, the author of Radical.  It was a church of about 2,000 people at each service.  It was incredible to hear almost 2,000 bibles all being opened at the same time!  Yes, everyone there had a bible....and opened it!  I thought of you Kevin Stewart.  I knew you would love it if you were there.

Heidi, Hailey & Stacey at The Church at Brook Hills

It's on to Gibson, TN.....