Monday, August 29, 2011

WHAT'S DOWN with the BREHM'S AS OF 29, AUG.2011




GREETINGS from NATCHEZ TRACE, TN


Howdy to all our friends and family. We are in a beautiful part of Tennessee, South of Nashville.
We moved here last Thursday from the Memphis area, much nicer weather here. The same day we arrived, our good friends John & MJ showed up, and camped right next to us. What a treat. Did a little maintenence on the coach and the Jeep, and we are ready to take off tomorrow for Nashville, where we will meet my sister and her husband. This Natchez Trace I believe goes back to the Louisianna Purchase. It runs from Nashville to Natchez and is absolutely beautiful. Hope all is well with y'all. God Bless, Cletus & Cyrona






VIEW ACROSS FROM OUR CAMPSITE



Everything is so green and foresty here. This is the lake on the preserve we are camped at. This area is almost like driving on a golf course. Many beautiful homes here, some castles, most on many acres of land. On the other hand, there are run down shacks, almost consumed by the ivy that grows wild.


BRIDGE TO SERENITY


What more can I say? There are so many peaceful scenes here, I just had to take this pic.



CAMPGROUND CAR SHOW, NATCHES TRACE TN


Talk about ammenities, this preserve has swimming pools, hot tubs, workout gym, food service, live bands, trading post, and yes, it's own car show


SUPER CLEAN 50'S CHEVY PICKUP






Monday, August 8, 2011

WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHMS, 8/8/011

Crossing the Mississippi River from Arkansas into Tennessee






GREETINGS FROM TENNESSEE


Howdy Ladies & Genamums. That is the famed Memphis Pyramid right on the Memphis side of the Mississippi. It's been another interesting week. Three States. Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. We are camped at Cherokee Landing, about 50 miles East of Memphis, almost on the border of Mississippi. We are all healthy. Ross gets a little more feeble each day, then all of a sudden he seems chipper for a while. The rig and Jeep are doing great, and we are getting anxious to see my sister and bro in law. The weather has been hot and humid even for the South. Didn't seem so bad when I lived here in the 60's. And it's not really that bad now. Hope all is well with you, and look forward to hooking up with you next time. Love and God Bless, Elvis & Aretha............






THOUSAND TRAILS PRESERVE




Wow, it is incredible how empty all the campgrounds are. Cherokee Landing is a great preserve with full hookups, pool, tennis courts and other ammenities, but there are 6 rigs here in a park with 240+ campsites. 3 of the sites are occupied by construction workers, and three of us are recreational campers. Have never seen anything like this in 10 years of living on the road full time. Fuel prices, unemployment, and threats to Social Security have, I suppose had a major impact. Hope we can turn things around in the next few years.

LAKE CHEROKEE


The lovely, serene, lake that the campground is built around.



CAMP CHEROKEE LANDING


This is us. Talk about plenty of room.





OZARK HIGH RISE


I am a devotee of old buildings. There is something about the history of people who have hewn a home out of the environment, raised a family, a farm, affecting several lives. And now it sits abandoned, but somehow filled with great stories of the past. A memorial to a simpler kind of life.


1850 LOG CABIN


This old homestead was probably once a rather grand home. It was built in 1850, and occupied by the same family until 1904. It is a true log cabin. The caulking is all gone, but the wood logs are still in pretty good shape. There are several out builings and coops adjacent.



LIMESTONE CLIFFS OF THE OZARKS











MOUNTAIN KID'S SWIMMING HOLE





Now is this cool or what? As we hiked through the forest toward the limestone bluffs, we could hear the laughing and screaming of kids. As we came to the edge of the trees, there were all these mountain kids just having a ball.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHMS, 7/31/2011




ALMOST STUCK IN THE OZARKS





Greetings from Ozark Arkansas. This past week has been a traveling week. Since our last report, we have been in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The trip was trouble free, and we landed in Ozark, the home of good friends Johnny and Georgia. One of the original DADBRs. We are camped at a Army Corps of Engineers Camp on the Arkansas River. Here we are having a ball off-roading in the Ozark National Forest. Weather has been mild, hot, muggy, some rain, but comfortable. Hope you are all enjoying your summer. Next move, West Memphis via Little Rock. God Bless, Ray & Diane.............








AH... SOME GOOD GERMAN CUISINE





As a real nice surprise, Johnny and Georgia Johnson took us to a German Restaurant at a winery outside the town of Ozark. The food was delicious and the company was exhilerating. Ya..





ELEGANT CABIN IN THE OZARKS


What a neat place to live. Our friends Johnny and Georgia built this beautiful home on 38 acres of the Ozark National Forest. It fits perfect in the idiginous woods. Appears rustic, but has more modern conveniences than an illegal alien on welfare. They also have a 40'X50' workshop up on the hill. And Johnny has his own off-road park, and a deer stand right on his property. What a deal! It's good to see nice things happen to nice people.


JOHNSON'S LIVING ROOM


All it needs is a bearskin on the wall, a deer head on the opposite wall, and an Armadillo by the fireplace.