Saylorville Lake Sunny WINDY 80 degrees
Summer is in full swing! Champ reported to ‘work’ with the Natural Resources group this morning. He left on his motorcycle at 7:00 this morning with 57 degrees and sunshine. I started my part-time summer gig for my friends store last week and have settled in. Zack came to wave his magic wand over our AC yesterday and we are ready for the Iowa heat and humidity whenever it decides to come which could be next week or July, you never know around here.
My contribution to the park this summer will be writing two weekly newsletters and work in the butterfly gardens throughout the season. It sounds like I’m going to get a chance to help with interpretive tours of the gardens on weekends if I want to be involved in that, which I do. Nothing makes me happier than sharing my love of nature with someone who isn’t around it all the time. It’s fun to see someone get excited or inspired by learning something new about flowers, or animals or simply discovering a new area to spend time outside.
I am starting to duplicate parts of my former life in smaller scale. I found myself outside this morning before I left for work repotting a couple of house plants and getting some peas started in a pot. In the old days, it was very common for me to go work in my vegetable garden or a flower bed between the time Champ left for work and I had to get myself ready. There is a kind of comfort in finding my old life in this new life. The cool part is I get to decide which parts I want to recreate and which ones (like my old stressful career) get left in the proverbial dust of my gypsy lifestyle.
Until tomorrow…
Monday, April 30, 2018
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Day 60 / 305
Saylorville Lake Sunny 70 Degrees
One of the biggest challenges of living full-time in your RV is navigating major repairs. I always wonder about people who aren’t knowledgeable in the repair department. We are lucky that Champ performs all of the maintenance and can fix most anything. ‘Most’ is the operative word here. In our weekend warrior days there were only two times in 15 years that we had to put our RV in the shop. One time was for warranty repair and another was an electrical issue that happened after a lightning strike that he was having trouble tracking down. Both times the unit was in the shop for several days, while they diagnosed and ordered parts. Since we didn’t live in it we viewed it as a bit of an inconvenience but not a life interrupter.
We started having trouble with the AC side of our heat pump the last day we were in Texas. This is a repair that requires very specialized equipment and parts that often can only be ordered by people in the industry. The prospects of getting a mobile service out here to look at it was slim to none. We were facing the prospect of having to take it 100 miles away to the Winnebago Center for who knows how long. Not a good situation when you are full-time and have two cats living with you. I called several heating and cooling companies and none of them would even consider looking at an RV. If there is a mobile RV Repair Service in Central Iowa I have not found them yet.
This is where the old saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ comes into the story. The last three years of my working days I enjoyed a slacker job working as a secretary and dispatcher for a heating and cooling company that had been a customer during my banking years. I took a shot in the dark and got hold of their service manager, who in my opinion is one of the best HVAC guys I know. He also happens to live near where we are and works after hours on his own. He agreed to come to our site and have a look. Wheww! We dodged a bullet on this issue, but we know there is a real possibility a situation may require the unit to go in the shop, even for us.
I’ve read many horror stories shared by full-timers of valuables being stolen from their RV while in the shop. Units not being plugged in and food spoiling in the fridge. Being left hanging for days or weeks once the shop has the unit. The stories are many and none of them pretty. The moral of this story? My favorite 4-letter word, Plan. Just like the Emergency Room situation in March, this is another area where a little proactive research when you arrive at a new area will be well worth the effort if the situation arises.
Until tomorrow…
One of the biggest challenges of living full-time in your RV is navigating major repairs. I always wonder about people who aren’t knowledgeable in the repair department. We are lucky that Champ performs all of the maintenance and can fix most anything. ‘Most’ is the operative word here. In our weekend warrior days there were only two times in 15 years that we had to put our RV in the shop. One time was for warranty repair and another was an electrical issue that happened after a lightning strike that he was having trouble tracking down. Both times the unit was in the shop for several days, while they diagnosed and ordered parts. Since we didn’t live in it we viewed it as a bit of an inconvenience but not a life interrupter.
We started having trouble with the AC side of our heat pump the last day we were in Texas. This is a repair that requires very specialized equipment and parts that often can only be ordered by people in the industry. The prospects of getting a mobile service out here to look at it was slim to none. We were facing the prospect of having to take it 100 miles away to the Winnebago Center for who knows how long. Not a good situation when you are full-time and have two cats living with you. I called several heating and cooling companies and none of them would even consider looking at an RV. If there is a mobile RV Repair Service in Central Iowa I have not found them yet.
This is where the old saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ comes into the story. The last three years of my working days I enjoyed a slacker job working as a secretary and dispatcher for a heating and cooling company that had been a customer during my banking years. I took a shot in the dark and got hold of their service manager, who in my opinion is one of the best HVAC guys I know. He also happens to live near where we are and works after hours on his own. He agreed to come to our site and have a look. Wheww! We dodged a bullet on this issue, but we know there is a real possibility a situation may require the unit to go in the shop, even for us.
I’ve read many horror stories shared by full-timers of valuables being stolen from their RV while in the shop. Units not being plugged in and food spoiling in the fridge. Being left hanging for days or weeks once the shop has the unit. The stories are many and none of them pretty. The moral of this story? My favorite 4-letter word, Plan. Just like the Emergency Room situation in March, this is another area where a little proactive research when you arrive at a new area will be well worth the effort if the situation arises.
Until tomorrow…
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Day 59 / 306 The Art of Repurposing
Saylorville Lake Sunny 60 Degrees
Today is home improvement day. It seems we are constantly doing something to tweak our living space. My husband is the consummate modifier by nature making it inevitable that space will be built out for specific items and we aren’t afraid to dig in and change things.
When we bought this motorhome last summer, one of my least favorite features was the kitchen table. Not only was it too wide for the space in my opinion, it is ugly and dated with a Formica top that matches the countertop throughout. I am a big fan of repurposing and finding deals on Swap Sites and Garage Sales. Partly because I’m cheap, partly because consumer waste is something that makes me a bit crazy to watch. I cringe at the perfectly good stuff that gets tossed in our landfills.
Last night, after months of watching the online selling sites, I stumbled across a small butcher block style kitchen table, it's the right size, in great condition. For 20 bucks it’s now mine.
RV dealers would love you to believe you need to buy their outrageously expensive RV specific furniture for the size and the specialized ways that they install so they don’t tip over. A replacement table at the local dealer was $675.00! Hooey! Here’s how we converted a drop leaf, 4-legged kitchen table into our new table that mounts to the wall like the old one and fits in the space nicely.
First, we took the leafs, that would take it from a small rectangle, to a 36” round, off, by removing the hinges. (Soon they will be repurposed into corner shelves for the bedroom.) Next we removed the legs and all the corner bracing that kept them sturdy and in place. We cut one rounded end off with a circular saw. Now we have a nice table that will fit snugly to the wall. We mounted two legs at the wall side using 39 cent L-brackets from the hardware store. We mounted a third leg in the center, toward the front to support the outer edge. Like the old table it is fastened ot the wall to support it and keep it from flying into the kitchen counters the next time we find ourselves on Oklahoma’s roads. I am sitting at it writing this now. One more modification off the list and one less piece of furniture in the landfill. The extra table leg will likely end up painted a nice bright color and be in one of my flower beds at the summer campsite. The leftover bracing will eventuallyy end up being used as we continue to build out our storage compartments. As for the old Formica Table top, I’ll find someone who can use a sturdy, if not ugly table top for a garage table or planting table in their shed.
Here are some pictures of the transition.
Until tomorrow…
[gallery ids="746,748,749,747"]
Today is home improvement day. It seems we are constantly doing something to tweak our living space. My husband is the consummate modifier by nature making it inevitable that space will be built out for specific items and we aren’t afraid to dig in and change things.
When we bought this motorhome last summer, one of my least favorite features was the kitchen table. Not only was it too wide for the space in my opinion, it is ugly and dated with a Formica top that matches the countertop throughout. I am a big fan of repurposing and finding deals on Swap Sites and Garage Sales. Partly because I’m cheap, partly because consumer waste is something that makes me a bit crazy to watch. I cringe at the perfectly good stuff that gets tossed in our landfills.
Last night, after months of watching the online selling sites, I stumbled across a small butcher block style kitchen table, it's the right size, in great condition. For 20 bucks it’s now mine.
RV dealers would love you to believe you need to buy their outrageously expensive RV specific furniture for the size and the specialized ways that they install so they don’t tip over. A replacement table at the local dealer was $675.00! Hooey! Here’s how we converted a drop leaf, 4-legged kitchen table into our new table that mounts to the wall like the old one and fits in the space nicely.
First, we took the leafs, that would take it from a small rectangle, to a 36” round, off, by removing the hinges. (Soon they will be repurposed into corner shelves for the bedroom.) Next we removed the legs and all the corner bracing that kept them sturdy and in place. We cut one rounded end off with a circular saw. Now we have a nice table that will fit snugly to the wall. We mounted two legs at the wall side using 39 cent L-brackets from the hardware store. We mounted a third leg in the center, toward the front to support the outer edge. Like the old table it is fastened ot the wall to support it and keep it from flying into the kitchen counters the next time we find ourselves on Oklahoma’s roads. I am sitting at it writing this now. One more modification off the list and one less piece of furniture in the landfill. The extra table leg will likely end up painted a nice bright color and be in one of my flower beds at the summer campsite. The leftover bracing will eventuallyy end up being used as we continue to build out our storage compartments. As for the old Formica Table top, I’ll find someone who can use a sturdy, if not ugly table top for a garage table or planting table in their shed.
Here are some pictures of the transition.
Until tomorrow…
[gallery ids="746,748,749,747"]
Friday, April 27, 2018
Day 58 / 307 Get a Hobby
Saylorville Lake Sunny Windy 73 Degrees
Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be my play days this summer. A natural progression into the contentment of the full-time RV lifestyle is finding yourself enjoying a new level of passion for an existing hobby or taking up a new hobby all together. It goes in the same bucket as retirement in general. Not everyone on the road is retired. However, many of us find we have more time on our hands. Contentment and hobbies seem to be mutually required. The full-time lifestyle seems to be more dependent on the concept. Why? I think it is because we are more detached from routine and seeing the same people every day. Our down time is more isolated. When we are 1,000 miles from our native area and familiar people, we are more reliant on ourselves to keep occupied. Enter hobbies.
This morning when I was doing my yoga outside for the first time in Iowa this season, I was having trouble concentrating and issues with balance. Normally, outdoors yoga is to me like church is to others. I completely immerse myself in the sounds of the woods, the breeze blowing, the natural scenery around me and the energy that exists in the outdoors. In doing that my universe comes into perfect alignment. This morning I realized I was losing focus on the yoga practice because my ear was busy deciphering a cacophony of breeding bird calls. My two passions collided this morning and the birds won.
After years of shamelessly making fun of birders I have become one. The musician in me is particularly tuned into the calls. I realized the other day I am learning birds by my ability to hone in on a call amid all the other calls. I go searching for the bird making the noise and am learning birds, first by sound, then by sight. As a result, this morning I could not concentrate on my yoga practice because I heard a new call in the woods directly behind me and the urge to go inside and get my binoculars to see what it was won out over the deep meditative practice that I usually enjoy when get to do it outside. Now I need to learn to make the new hobby of birding let my love of doing yoga outside take the stage for 45 minutes now and then.
If you are a new full-timer and wondering why you aren’t in love with it, maybe the answer lies in the question, “What did you want to do when you were younger, but never had the time to do? “
Until tomorrow…
Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be my play days this summer. A natural progression into the contentment of the full-time RV lifestyle is finding yourself enjoying a new level of passion for an existing hobby or taking up a new hobby all together. It goes in the same bucket as retirement in general. Not everyone on the road is retired. However, many of us find we have more time on our hands. Contentment and hobbies seem to be mutually required. The full-time lifestyle seems to be more dependent on the concept. Why? I think it is because we are more detached from routine and seeing the same people every day. Our down time is more isolated. When we are 1,000 miles from our native area and familiar people, we are more reliant on ourselves to keep occupied. Enter hobbies.
This morning when I was doing my yoga outside for the first time in Iowa this season, I was having trouble concentrating and issues with balance. Normally, outdoors yoga is to me like church is to others. I completely immerse myself in the sounds of the woods, the breeze blowing, the natural scenery around me and the energy that exists in the outdoors. In doing that my universe comes into perfect alignment. This morning I realized I was losing focus on the yoga practice because my ear was busy deciphering a cacophony of breeding bird calls. My two passions collided this morning and the birds won.
After years of shamelessly making fun of birders I have become one. The musician in me is particularly tuned into the calls. I realized the other day I am learning birds by my ability to hone in on a call amid all the other calls. I go searching for the bird making the noise and am learning birds, first by sound, then by sight. As a result, this morning I could not concentrate on my yoga practice because I heard a new call in the woods directly behind me and the urge to go inside and get my binoculars to see what it was won out over the deep meditative practice that I usually enjoy when get to do it outside. Now I need to learn to make the new hobby of birding let my love of doing yoga outside take the stage for 45 minutes now and then.
If you are a new full-timer and wondering why you aren’t in love with it, maybe the answer lies in the question, “What did you want to do when you were younger, but never had the time to do? “
Until tomorrow…
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Day 57 / 308
Saylorville Lake – Sunny 70 Degrees
If you follow me each day you probably noticed, I missed Day 56. This leads to my latest answer to the question, “What is it like to go full time?” There are a lot of things that are no different than normal brick and mortar life. One of them is utterly losing track of time. Most people imagine that this life is a continuum of lackadaisical vacation days. Not at all.
Spring in Iowa is much the same for us as everyone else we know who leads a more traditional lifestyle. Spring was cool and wet when we arrived. We both nearly lost our minds from boredom the second week we were back. Snow, cold, plans cancelled, work delayed here at the park. We sat around watching TV and trying to keep warm, while our minds buzzed with all the stuff we wanted to get done as soon as we could work outside. Repairs and maintenance that need to be done to the motorhome and of course the start of our summer ‘work’. Once the weather broke this past week all hell broke loose.
This week has been crazy. I started my summer part time job on Monday. I jumped back into the store with both feet and full throttle, the only way I know how. I’ve never been a dip-my-toe-in-the-water kind of girl. Yesterday was a whirlwind. I got up early full of energy, did my morning yoga and went to Volunteer Orientation at 9am with the other volunteers from around the lake. I ducked out a little early and went to work at the store and worked till 5:30. Upon my arrival home, I found an in progress happy hour taking place with old friends from last season and a new volunteer. How could I resist! Two hours later we retreated to the motor home for dinner and by 8:45 I was collapsed on the couch. I dimly remember dragging into the bedroom sometime around 9:00 PM. At 3:30 a.m. I stirred awake and realized, I had forgotten to post in the blog.
[caption id="attachment_739" align="alignright" width="300"]
Northern Flicker[/caption]
The whole time I have been writing this a Northern Flicker has been in this tree, not 20 feet from the open window I am sitting by, serenading me with his loud boisterous call. Not bad background music for getting caught up. Things get crazy. Sometimes I find myself going from absolutely nothing to do, to too much to do without even realizing it is happening. Just like the old days.
Until tomorrow…
If you follow me each day you probably noticed, I missed Day 56. This leads to my latest answer to the question, “What is it like to go full time?” There are a lot of things that are no different than normal brick and mortar life. One of them is utterly losing track of time. Most people imagine that this life is a continuum of lackadaisical vacation days. Not at all.
Spring in Iowa is much the same for us as everyone else we know who leads a more traditional lifestyle. Spring was cool and wet when we arrived. We both nearly lost our minds from boredom the second week we were back. Snow, cold, plans cancelled, work delayed here at the park. We sat around watching TV and trying to keep warm, while our minds buzzed with all the stuff we wanted to get done as soon as we could work outside. Repairs and maintenance that need to be done to the motorhome and of course the start of our summer ‘work’. Once the weather broke this past week all hell broke loose.
This week has been crazy. I started my summer part time job on Monday. I jumped back into the store with both feet and full throttle, the only way I know how. I’ve never been a dip-my-toe-in-the-water kind of girl. Yesterday was a whirlwind. I got up early full of energy, did my morning yoga and went to Volunteer Orientation at 9am with the other volunteers from around the lake. I ducked out a little early and went to work at the store and worked till 5:30. Upon my arrival home, I found an in progress happy hour taking place with old friends from last season and a new volunteer. How could I resist! Two hours later we retreated to the motor home for dinner and by 8:45 I was collapsed on the couch. I dimly remember dragging into the bedroom sometime around 9:00 PM. At 3:30 a.m. I stirred awake and realized, I had forgotten to post in the blog.
[caption id="attachment_739" align="alignright" width="300"]
Northern Flicker[/caption]The whole time I have been writing this a Northern Flicker has been in this tree, not 20 feet from the open window I am sitting by, serenading me with his loud boisterous call. Not bad background music for getting caught up. Things get crazy. Sometimes I find myself going from absolutely nothing to do, to too much to do without even realizing it is happening. Just like the old days.
Until tomorrow…
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Day 55 / 310
Saylorville Lake – Sunny 75 Degrees
All but two couples who will live in volunteer village with us this summer have arrived. We keep missing the new couple who arrived Sunday. All we know about them is the job they are filling, their first names and the fact that they have Missouri tags on their vehicles. We'll make it a point to meet them at tomorrows meeting. Bob and Janice, a delightful couple who we were next to last summer, will be here in June and another new person will take up residence beside us in a couple of weeks. We have one village happy hour under our belt and it’s starting to feel like a little neighborhood now that the weather is nice and everyone is using their patios as a family room, complete with fireplace aka fire ring.
This is the Iowa that makes being from here so great. Green and lush. Warm days with cool nights. The gulf humidity has not yet arrived and the insects have not hatched. We will have our formal volunteer orientation tomorrow morning. There, we will re-connect with volunteers who live in other areas of the park and new volunteers that we will not work with directly or live near but will share a common bond. It will be the official welcome from the Rangers and a discussion about expectations, both theirs and ours.
It’s a strange feeling, returning to a previous volunteer location. I wrote a post last summer about the strangeness of being a guest in your old life. The same dynamic exists when you arrive a location as a returning volunteer. In our absence, business as usual has taken place. Vision and projects have evolved and we will slip back into the mesh, to help realize this seasons’ objectives. It’s reminiscent of the double-dutch jump rope games we played in grade school. The ropes twirl and people run through with perfect timing. You arrive at the game and take a moment to orient yourself then jump right in with the others. Let the season begin!
Until tomorrow…
All but two couples who will live in volunteer village with us this summer have arrived. We keep missing the new couple who arrived Sunday. All we know about them is the job they are filling, their first names and the fact that they have Missouri tags on their vehicles. We'll make it a point to meet them at tomorrows meeting. Bob and Janice, a delightful couple who we were next to last summer, will be here in June and another new person will take up residence beside us in a couple of weeks. We have one village happy hour under our belt and it’s starting to feel like a little neighborhood now that the weather is nice and everyone is using their patios as a family room, complete with fireplace aka fire ring.
This is the Iowa that makes being from here so great. Green and lush. Warm days with cool nights. The gulf humidity has not yet arrived and the insects have not hatched. We will have our formal volunteer orientation tomorrow morning. There, we will re-connect with volunteers who live in other areas of the park and new volunteers that we will not work with directly or live near but will share a common bond. It will be the official welcome from the Rangers and a discussion about expectations, both theirs and ours.
It’s a strange feeling, returning to a previous volunteer location. I wrote a post last summer about the strangeness of being a guest in your old life. The same dynamic exists when you arrive a location as a returning volunteer. In our absence, business as usual has taken place. Vision and projects have evolved and we will slip back into the mesh, to help realize this seasons’ objectives. It’s reminiscent of the double-dutch jump rope games we played in grade school. The ropes twirl and people run through with perfect timing. You arrive at the game and take a moment to orient yourself then jump right in with the others. Let the season begin!
Until tomorrow…
Monday, April 23, 2018
Day 54 / 311
Saylorville Lake – Sunny 75 Degrees
Unlike many full-time RV’ers, we do not drag everything we own around with us. We are lucky to have a relative who is willing to store our boat and motorcycle each winter while we gallivant around the southern tier of states. Today, the sun came up bright and warm for the second day in a row since we returned to Iowa. The day started with heading to Champ’s brothers to dust off the motorcycle, put a new battery in it and get it back to our summer digs.
Today is also my first day back to my part-time summer job. Having lived in Ankeny for nearly 20 years and raising my kids here, I have a good time working for my friends who own Strawberry Patch. https://www.strawpatch.com/about It’s a retail store that carries State College and area high school logo apparel and novelties. They also do custom screen print and embroidery. The store is an Ankeny retail institution and stays busy. It’s like old home week some days. Old neighbors, teachers my kids had and sometimes an acquaintance I haven’t seen in years stops in. Coming in today was a pretty easy transition. Honestly, I don’t feel like I was gone for six months. My first customer was a returning snow bird like me who has been as thrilled with the April weather as we have. We had a good time swapping tales about our trips back dodging weather systems and wondering why we didn’t wait a bit longer this year. The answer was the same for both of us. We missed our kids and grandkids and weather-be-damned we wanted to be back in Iowa.
Tonight, Champ will go to Hunter’s first little league game. We won’t start doing much for Saylorville till next week. Then, as the rangers said the other day, get ready to rumble! The weather has finally straightened out and they have a long list of projects to do this summer.
Spring is in the air. We are slipping back into our summer routine and all is well with my world today. I’ll take it.
Until tomorrow…
Unlike many full-time RV’ers, we do not drag everything we own around with us. We are lucky to have a relative who is willing to store our boat and motorcycle each winter while we gallivant around the southern tier of states. Today, the sun came up bright and warm for the second day in a row since we returned to Iowa. The day started with heading to Champ’s brothers to dust off the motorcycle, put a new battery in it and get it back to our summer digs.
Today is also my first day back to my part-time summer job. Having lived in Ankeny for nearly 20 years and raising my kids here, I have a good time working for my friends who own Strawberry Patch. https://www.strawpatch.com/about It’s a retail store that carries State College and area high school logo apparel and novelties. They also do custom screen print and embroidery. The store is an Ankeny retail institution and stays busy. It’s like old home week some days. Old neighbors, teachers my kids had and sometimes an acquaintance I haven’t seen in years stops in. Coming in today was a pretty easy transition. Honestly, I don’t feel like I was gone for six months. My first customer was a returning snow bird like me who has been as thrilled with the April weather as we have. We had a good time swapping tales about our trips back dodging weather systems and wondering why we didn’t wait a bit longer this year. The answer was the same for both of us. We missed our kids and grandkids and weather-be-damned we wanted to be back in Iowa.
Tonight, Champ will go to Hunter’s first little league game. We won’t start doing much for Saylorville till next week. Then, as the rangers said the other day, get ready to rumble! The weather has finally straightened out and they have a long list of projects to do this summer.
Spring is in the air. We are slipping back into our summer routine and all is well with my world today. I’ll take it.
Until tomorrow…
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Day 53 / 312
Saylorville Lake – Sunny 66 Degrees
“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” —Lady Bird Johnson
Today is Earth Day and what a day it has been! Instead of looking out the window into overcast skies, we were greeted with abundant sunshine. Instead of listening to the sound of wind thundering on the slide-out awnings and sleet clicking against the windows, we were treated to a symphony of song birds busy feeding and building nests and a steady rumble of motorcycles cruising down Highway 415 in the distance.
I love Earth Day and the awareness it raises to take note of the great outdoors and the importance of preserving things not built of concrete. Living on federal lands most of the time really resonates with my love of natural areas and watching people get excited about being in this environment, even if only for a few hours.
I celebrated today by gathering the rest of my gardening stuff that will eventually become my RV pad container garden. I researched how to do it last year and had good success. This year our site has two raised beds and I just received permission to build a third. One of my biggest anxieties about going full-time was I would have to give up my yard and gardening passion. Nothing could be further from the reality of my life now. I seek out volunteer jobs that include landscaping and gardening tasks. I create my own yard and garden here at Saylorville, thanks to the dynamics of Volunteer Village and the blessing of the rangers to let us grow things at our site. Add to that, my daughter is developing my green thumb and passion for creating micro habitats in her yard, and a friend who is a yard geek like me and is more than happy to let me come to her house and get my fingernails dirty. I dig in the dirt now more than ever!
In Iowa we must wait till Mid May to safely plant things we expect to survive outside. In the meantime, I have a motorhome windshield that makes a great greenhouse, and I can walk through the greenhouses with my friend Joyce and inhale the smell of loamy soil and fertilizer and dream of the summer growing season just around the corner.
Until tomorrow…
“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” —Lady Bird Johnson
Today is Earth Day and what a day it has been! Instead of looking out the window into overcast skies, we were greeted with abundant sunshine. Instead of listening to the sound of wind thundering on the slide-out awnings and sleet clicking against the windows, we were treated to a symphony of song birds busy feeding and building nests and a steady rumble of motorcycles cruising down Highway 415 in the distance.
I love Earth Day and the awareness it raises to take note of the great outdoors and the importance of preserving things not built of concrete. Living on federal lands most of the time really resonates with my love of natural areas and watching people get excited about being in this environment, even if only for a few hours.
I celebrated today by gathering the rest of my gardening stuff that will eventually become my RV pad container garden. I researched how to do it last year and had good success. This year our site has two raised beds and I just received permission to build a third. One of my biggest anxieties about going full-time was I would have to give up my yard and gardening passion. Nothing could be further from the reality of my life now. I seek out volunteer jobs that include landscaping and gardening tasks. I create my own yard and garden here at Saylorville, thanks to the dynamics of Volunteer Village and the blessing of the rangers to let us grow things at our site. Add to that, my daughter is developing my green thumb and passion for creating micro habitats in her yard, and a friend who is a yard geek like me and is more than happy to let me come to her house and get my fingernails dirty. I dig in the dirt now more than ever!
In Iowa we must wait till Mid May to safely plant things we expect to survive outside. In the meantime, I have a motorhome windshield that makes a great greenhouse, and I can walk through the greenhouses with my friend Joyce and inhale the smell of loamy soil and fertilizer and dream of the summer growing season just around the corner.
Until tomorrow…
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Day 52 / 313 Six Must Haves for Full-time RV Living
Saylorville Lake – Cloudy 52 Degrees
Living in a compact space forces one to be very choosy about their possessions. After 15 years of travelling and camping regularly and now, nearly two years living full time in our RV, I have come up with a list of 6 must-haves for the full time RV dweller. All six are beneficial to anyone who owns and uses an RV to any degree but if you are going to take the plunge get these things sooner, rather than later.
Everyone's RV is set up differently and people have very different needs, but I think these 6 things go a long way to making things easy and adhearing the cardinal rules of full-time RVing. LIghtweight, durable and versitile.
Until tomorrow...
Living in a compact space forces one to be very choosy about their possessions. After 15 years of travelling and camping regularly and now, nearly two years living full time in our RV, I have come up with a list of 6 must-haves for the full time RV dweller. All six are beneficial to anyone who owns and uses an RV to any degree but if you are going to take the plunge get these things sooner, rather than later.
- Dry-weave quick dry towels. Everything from you bath towels to cleaning rags needs to be this type of cloth. I started with my nice fluffy bath towels and quickly found out that in the confined space of the RV bathroom they take forever to dry and will get musty smelling in short order no matter what kind of detergent and softener you use. Dish clothes and cleaning rags will be in near constant use. They need to be able to dry out in the short time between use.
- A good bag less vacuum cleaner. Higher end RV’s will have central vacs, but they simply aren’t good enough for full time use. The floors and upholstery will get unbelievably dirty with the small space and constant tracking in and out. Add a pet or two and you’ll be covered in fur before you know it. I chose a Shark Rocket for its compact design and versatility. It serves as a good vacuum for the car and well as every nook and cranny of he motorhome. Once you get one, use it daily. It will be horrifying to see how much hair and dirt accumulates day to day. Your carpet will thank you by lasting longer.
- Raised storage racks. RV salespeople make a big deal out of a big pantry closet or bedroom closet. The problem is most of the space is vertical space and goes unused without a little creativity. I use raised wire racks throughout the camper. When you live full time, you need to be very creative. There are several cool ideas on Pinterest to use space creatively, but you’ll get the most bang for your buck with a couple of dollar store wire racks. Again, the appeal to me is they are cheap and lightweight.
- Collapsible Silicone / All in one. Really two things but we’ll consolidate in the spirit of the theme today. A collapsible colander is a must in terms of storage space, durability, and weight. I also recently purchased a 3-gallon collapsible bucket. Again lightweight, iron tough and takes up very little space when not in use. All-in-one measuring spoons, dry and wet measure. Make sure they are plastic. Again durable, unbreakable (unless the husband uses it as a tool) and lightweight and compact.
- Air Purifier – We invested in one after about 9 months. We bought a medium sized Therapure from every bodies favorite discount store who I won’t name. It has the ultra-violet light component as well as the hepa filter. It made a huge difference in the overall freshness. It will also go a long way to eliminating dust and pet dander in the close space. The fan also helps move the air around when you don’t have heat or AC running.
- Comfortable outdoor furniture. When you go full-time your patio will turn into your secondary living room if you like to be outside at all. Chuck the cheap lawn chairs in the dumpster or stash them away for company you don’t want to hang around long. Invest in some nice comfy chairs and a patio table. I kept my nice set from the house and even though it’s a bit of a pain to disassemble and haul when we hit the road it is worth its weight in gold when we are in place for 3-6 months. In the beginning I viewed it as a luxury, now I would say it’s necessary to be truly comfortable.[gallery ids="728,727,726,725"]
Everyone's RV is set up differently and people have very different needs, but I think these 6 things go a long way to making things easy and adhearing the cardinal rules of full-time RVing. LIghtweight, durable and versitile.
Until tomorrow...
Friday, April 20, 2018
Day 51 / 314 What is normal anyway?
Saylorville Lake – Cloudy 58 Degrees
“What’s it like?” Answer #51: When you do the full-time RV thing you feel normal in ways that are not so much different than your old life, but in ways that run parallel to the former definition.
Routine is the conduit for normalcy in most animals, including humans. Think migration, nesting in the same place, family tradition, routes to work, schedules. You get the idea. One parallel many full-timers draw is their location certain times of year. Rather than live in the same neighborhood they often return to an area about the same time each year. Some complete a circuit around the country visiting kids. That is their normal. Some travel with a group like the Nomads, where the scenery changes but the group and the work is about the same.
[caption id="attachment_722" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Volunteer Village waking up[/caption]
For us, our new normal is Volunteer Village. It is the closest thing to ‘home’ that we have these days and it suits us just fine. Upon on returning to the old neighborhood, we felt a sense of comfort in the familiarity of the place. It's as if the whole neighborhood leaves on seperate vacations at the same time and most return around the same time. One could compare it to dorm life from year to year. Basically, the same, but shuffled around a bit and a few different people. With the weather finally taking a turn for the better there will be a rush of arrivals over the weekend. It started this afternoon with the arrival of Will and Judy, a couple who have been in this lifestyle for 17 years and are the very essence of what we hope our experience will be, both in longevity and variety.
Family and friends will visit us here, people in the village will host their own gatherings and we will all know each other’s business, like a close-knit office or small town. We’ll meet each other’s kids and grandkids throughout the season and know everyone’s pets name and where they like to be scratched. The pets that is. We’ll have campfires, potlucks, happy hours and maybe a couple of little spats over something trivial. We’re a pretty close group here. I wouldn’t call it change so much as a paradigm shift in our little universe. We have a home, it’s just a more fluid concept these days and we have learned to love it.
Until tomorrow…
“What’s it like?” Answer #51: When you do the full-time RV thing you feel normal in ways that are not so much different than your old life, but in ways that run parallel to the former definition.
Routine is the conduit for normalcy in most animals, including humans. Think migration, nesting in the same place, family tradition, routes to work, schedules. You get the idea. One parallel many full-timers draw is their location certain times of year. Rather than live in the same neighborhood they often return to an area about the same time each year. Some complete a circuit around the country visiting kids. That is their normal. Some travel with a group like the Nomads, where the scenery changes but the group and the work is about the same.
[caption id="attachment_722" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Volunteer Village waking up[/caption]For us, our new normal is Volunteer Village. It is the closest thing to ‘home’ that we have these days and it suits us just fine. Upon on returning to the old neighborhood, we felt a sense of comfort in the familiarity of the place. It's as if the whole neighborhood leaves on seperate vacations at the same time and most return around the same time. One could compare it to dorm life from year to year. Basically, the same, but shuffled around a bit and a few different people. With the weather finally taking a turn for the better there will be a rush of arrivals over the weekend. It started this afternoon with the arrival of Will and Judy, a couple who have been in this lifestyle for 17 years and are the very essence of what we hope our experience will be, both in longevity and variety.
Family and friends will visit us here, people in the village will host their own gatherings and we will all know each other’s business, like a close-knit office or small town. We’ll meet each other’s kids and grandkids throughout the season and know everyone’s pets name and where they like to be scratched. The pets that is. We’ll have campfires, potlucks, happy hours and maybe a couple of little spats over something trivial. We’re a pretty close group here. I wouldn’t call it change so much as a paradigm shift in our little universe. We have a home, it’s just a more fluid concept these days and we have learned to love it.
Until tomorrow…
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Day 50 / 315
Saylorville Lake – Sunny 54 Degrees
Today was one of those days when I felt kind of normal. The sun came out and the wind didn’t blow so it was nice to be out and about. I did normal retired life stuff. I guess this will be one of those true “Day in the life” kind of posts.
I went to see my hair guru, who has been cutting my hair for some 10 years now. I first patronized her shop many years ago, when I was a banker in Huxley and was trying to win her business. I never did get her deposit business, but I did gain a very talented hair stylist with an awesome shop and such a fun personality that I still travel to Huxley during the months I am home. It’s kind of an event. Today I had her get out the lawn mower and lop of my shoulder blade length mop up to my collar. I’m all ready for summer with my wash and wear curls.
I spent the early afternoon with my good friend Joyce, who I missed terribly this winter. We had a nice lunch at our favorite beer destination in downtown Des Moines and poked our heads into a couple of our favorite shops in the East Village shopping district. I had the best Stout I have ever tasted today and believe me I have sampled many, many stouts around the country. It even had a cool name for my generation. Oreo Speedwagon- Vanilla and Chocolate Stout. Heaven in my mouth and made in Clear Lake, Iowa. I’ll have to figure out how to buy it bottled.
What made me feel most normal was my daughter left work sick today and called us for help. Since we are here and not 1500 miles away we were happy to be able to go pick up her kids from school and daycare, do her dishes that she isn’t in any shape to do today and take the kids out for dinner. My son-in-law was buried in work today. It felt so good to be here and able to step in.
Not a bad day in the life of this full time RV gypsy.
Until tomorrow…
Today was one of those days when I felt kind of normal. The sun came out and the wind didn’t blow so it was nice to be out and about. I did normal retired life stuff. I guess this will be one of those true “Day in the life” kind of posts.
I went to see my hair guru, who has been cutting my hair for some 10 years now. I first patronized her shop many years ago, when I was a banker in Huxley and was trying to win her business. I never did get her deposit business, but I did gain a very talented hair stylist with an awesome shop and such a fun personality that I still travel to Huxley during the months I am home. It’s kind of an event. Today I had her get out the lawn mower and lop of my shoulder blade length mop up to my collar. I’m all ready for summer with my wash and wear curls.
I spent the early afternoon with my good friend Joyce, who I missed terribly this winter. We had a nice lunch at our favorite beer destination in downtown Des Moines and poked our heads into a couple of our favorite shops in the East Village shopping district. I had the best Stout I have ever tasted today and believe me I have sampled many, many stouts around the country. It even had a cool name for my generation. Oreo Speedwagon- Vanilla and Chocolate Stout. Heaven in my mouth and made in Clear Lake, Iowa. I’ll have to figure out how to buy it bottled.
What made me feel most normal was my daughter left work sick today and called us for help. Since we are here and not 1500 miles away we were happy to be able to go pick up her kids from school and daycare, do her dishes that she isn’t in any shape to do today and take the kids out for dinner. My son-in-law was buried in work today. It felt so good to be here and able to step in.
Not a bad day in the life of this full time RV gypsy.
Until tomorrow…
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Day 49 / 316 How To Love Your Spendide Washer
Saylorville Lake Snowing - 34 degrees
Another cold snowy day. The weather man says it’s the last of the cold weather in this, the coldest April in 137 years in Iowa. A good day to do laundry. I have had many RV’ers who own the Spendide Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo tell me they don’t use them much because the dryers are so ineffective. They all seem to have the same response, they liked it when it was new but now the dryer doesn’t work so they just go to the laundry mat. After spending $1,400.00 for mine I wasn’t about to give up on it after six months because the dryer doesn’t dry well. I dug in my heels did some research and have learned the tricks to loving my Spendide machine. I decided to do a post today and share what I’ve learned.
The dryer was shutting itself down after about 10 minutes of dry cycle. Lights would flash across the panel indicating an error. The first thing I did is call the Service Line number to report the problem. They told me that there is a lint filter in the dryer blower that if plugged will send a signal to shut it down, so it doesn’t overheat and burn out. He sent me directions to run the machine through a rinse regimen to flush it out. If that didn’t work, he said we’d have to have a tech come and clean it. We did that, and the problem persisted.
My husband is very mechanically inclined, so we went to the Spendide website and downloaded the Service Manual for my model. The owner’s manual is useless unless you want to know what the buttons do or want the phone number for the help line. The service manual has part numbers, maintenance instructions, diagrams, and everything you need to work on it.
He removed the machine housing and sheet metal back. Sure enough right before the dryer blower was a small filter. A dime sized clump of lint was causing the trouble. We removed it and the dryer worked like new again. The tech did say that this needs to be done once a year or so. That would have been good to know at the purchase time. We may have opted for the vented model and spent the extra effort to cut a duct exit in the camper.
[caption id="attachment_717" align="alignnone" width="225"]
Spendide 7100XC[/caption]
Through my research I have learned some very important things about these machines.
I hope this helps you love your Splendide machine. I certainly like mine a lot better now that I’ve learned how to keep it happy!
Hopefully the weather will turn as predicted and my posts will have more fun stuff and happy pictures.
Until tomorrow…
Another cold snowy day. The weather man says it’s the last of the cold weather in this, the coldest April in 137 years in Iowa. A good day to do laundry. I have had many RV’ers who own the Spendide Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo tell me they don’t use them much because the dryers are so ineffective. They all seem to have the same response, they liked it when it was new but now the dryer doesn’t work so they just go to the laundry mat. After spending $1,400.00 for mine I wasn’t about to give up on it after six months because the dryer doesn’t dry well. I dug in my heels did some research and have learned the tricks to loving my Spendide machine. I decided to do a post today and share what I’ve learned.
The dryer was shutting itself down after about 10 minutes of dry cycle. Lights would flash across the panel indicating an error. The first thing I did is call the Service Line number to report the problem. They told me that there is a lint filter in the dryer blower that if plugged will send a signal to shut it down, so it doesn’t overheat and burn out. He sent me directions to run the machine through a rinse regimen to flush it out. If that didn’t work, he said we’d have to have a tech come and clean it. We did that, and the problem persisted.
My husband is very mechanically inclined, so we went to the Spendide website and downloaded the Service Manual for my model. The owner’s manual is useless unless you want to know what the buttons do or want the phone number for the help line. The service manual has part numbers, maintenance instructions, diagrams, and everything you need to work on it.
He removed the machine housing and sheet metal back. Sure enough right before the dryer blower was a small filter. A dime sized clump of lint was causing the trouble. We removed it and the dryer worked like new again. The tech did say that this needs to be done once a year or so. That would have been good to know at the purchase time. We may have opted for the vented model and spent the extra effort to cut a duct exit in the camper.
[caption id="attachment_717" align="alignnone" width="225"]
Spendide 7100XC[/caption]Through my research I have learned some very important things about these machines.
- When they say only a Tablespoon of soap, they mean it! I put mine in small picnic condiment bottles for better control adding soap. One small squirt is plenty. Too much soap causes buildup and leads to clogging the filter.
- Wipe out the inside rubber seal after each load and catch the hair and lint before it goes down the little hole.
- Do not use dryer sheets! Another culprit to build up.
- About every 10 loads follow these steps to run a flush cycle. This came straight from Splendide.Initially I did the three times as instructed. But as a regular maintenance step one time is sufficient.
- Start the unit without clothes and with the dry time off on cycle # 11. When the water stops entering the unit push and hold the start button until all the lights come on then release the button. *NOTE: If the water is not at least half way up the glass repeat this step.
- Move the cycle knob to cycle # 2 push the extra rinse button then press the start button once (do not hold) then let it run through that complete cycle. Do this 3 times then try the dryer.
- Manage your expectations! Wise words, from a professional mentor, years ago. Remember these are designed for small loads. Yes, it will take all day to wash three small loads of clothes but once you get in the habit of running a small load of something everyday it won’t seem so overwhelming.
- Save the bedding, rugs and pet bedding for the laundry mat. These items are big lint producers in this case I think it is best to go use the big machines.
I hope this helps you love your Splendide machine. I certainly like mine a lot better now that I’ve learned how to keep it happy!
Hopefully the weather will turn as predicted and my posts will have more fun stuff and happy pictures.
Until tomorrow…
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Day 48 / 317
Saylorville Lake Sunny 52 degrees
The nice day today was the window of opportunity to get up north to visit our son and his family. Sadly, it was also that tease of a nice day at the end of an Iowa winter that won’t let go that everyone knows will be followed tomorrow by another snow storm. As disgusted as we are with the weather since our return, we aren’t half as weary from it as our family and friends who have endured a terrible winter season. In this part of the world it is quite possible that in less than a month we’ll go straight to humid 90’s with virtually no spring having taken place.
When we left last October, Nora was on the cusp of a major learning and growth spurt. We travelled about an hour and half to visit her and our son and daughter in law. The blizzard last weekend kept them from coming to us as was planned. Today was the window to get up there and see them. Both had the day off today and we haven’t started our seasonal work yet, so we seized the opportunity.
[caption id="attachment_713" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Nora and Samantha after school[/caption]
Much like our other three-year-old grandchild, it took her a bit to put the pieces together and remember who we were and decide it was okay to let us play with her toys with her. She has changed so much in six months. Her vocabulary has exploded, and she has grown almost a head taller. By the time we said goodbye at the restaurant where we went to dinner she knew we were grandma and grandpa again and had the ever so sweet toddler bye-bye and kisses. My heart is happy tonight. We still have a lot of family and friends to reconnect with but finally we have seen all three kids and most of the grandkids.
This summer we will not work any weekends. My expectations are high that we will see everyone a lot more. We have dates on the books already for family gatherings and one wedding to attend so far. Warm weather goes by so quickly, the schedule is filling up with all the fun that goes with summer and being as close to our roots as we get these days. We’ll endure another shot of cold wet weather tomorrow and hope that it is the last.
Until tomorrow…
The nice day today was the window of opportunity to get up north to visit our son and his family. Sadly, it was also that tease of a nice day at the end of an Iowa winter that won’t let go that everyone knows will be followed tomorrow by another snow storm. As disgusted as we are with the weather since our return, we aren’t half as weary from it as our family and friends who have endured a terrible winter season. In this part of the world it is quite possible that in less than a month we’ll go straight to humid 90’s with virtually no spring having taken place.
When we left last October, Nora was on the cusp of a major learning and growth spurt. We travelled about an hour and half to visit her and our son and daughter in law. The blizzard last weekend kept them from coming to us as was planned. Today was the window to get up there and see them. Both had the day off today and we haven’t started our seasonal work yet, so we seized the opportunity.
[caption id="attachment_713" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Nora and Samantha after school[/caption]Much like our other three-year-old grandchild, it took her a bit to put the pieces together and remember who we were and decide it was okay to let us play with her toys with her. She has changed so much in six months. Her vocabulary has exploded, and she has grown almost a head taller. By the time we said goodbye at the restaurant where we went to dinner she knew we were grandma and grandpa again and had the ever so sweet toddler bye-bye and kisses. My heart is happy tonight. We still have a lot of family and friends to reconnect with but finally we have seen all three kids and most of the grandkids.
This summer we will not work any weekends. My expectations are high that we will see everyone a lot more. We have dates on the books already for family gatherings and one wedding to attend so far. Warm weather goes by so quickly, the schedule is filling up with all the fun that goes with summer and being as close to our roots as we get these days. We’ll endure another shot of cold wet weather tomorrow and hope that it is the last.
Until tomorrow…
Monday, April 16, 2018
Day 47 / 318
Saylorville Lake- Partly Sunny 38 degrees (30 degrees below normal)
I listen to people complain about all the stuff they have to fix on their RV’s all the time as if they are supposed to be infallible. The fact is, they are a bit fragile. They may have residential refrigerators and high-end entertainment components, but those things have a hard life bumping down the interstate, especially through Oklahoma! Brick and mortar houses don’t move.
We have a list of things to do to the motor home this summer while we are in place for 6 months. This morning we woke up to 25 degrees and sun. We dragged ourselves out into the frozen tundra and went to Menards to look at new flooring. This unit is 12 years old and the carpet needs to go. We decided that the first time we looked at it. I’ve read a number of blog posts about replacing flooring, learning from others’ trial and error. We’ll do some posts about our own experience, tearing out the old carpet and linoleum and putting vinyl through the whole unit.
We also decided, new shocks are on the list this summer along with some basic preventative maintenance that is likely due if the previous owners weren’t diligent in that department. If the evidence left behind of their housekeeping skills were any indication, I’ll guess they weren’t.
[caption id="attachment_709" align="alignleft" width="300"]
American Pelicans[/caption]
After our morning outing to scope out materials for all our planned projects, we decided to enjoy the balmy 38- degree afternoon and take a walk down the bike path to the marina. We were treated to active American Pelicans and American Coots. I love when the Pelicans migrate. I am amazed that a bird who looks so big and clumsy on the water is such a graceful flyer. I can’t wait for a warm morning to get up to the north end of the lake and check out all the migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The Saylorville mudflats are something like an interstate truck stop for birds to feed and rest on their long trek north.
Plans with family and friends are starting to take shape. Let the summer season begin! If the weather would figure out it’s malfunction, we’d be in business.
Until tomorrow…
I listen to people complain about all the stuff they have to fix on their RV’s all the time as if they are supposed to be infallible. The fact is, they are a bit fragile. They may have residential refrigerators and high-end entertainment components, but those things have a hard life bumping down the interstate, especially through Oklahoma! Brick and mortar houses don’t move.
We have a list of things to do to the motor home this summer while we are in place for 6 months. This morning we woke up to 25 degrees and sun. We dragged ourselves out into the frozen tundra and went to Menards to look at new flooring. This unit is 12 years old and the carpet needs to go. We decided that the first time we looked at it. I’ve read a number of blog posts about replacing flooring, learning from others’ trial and error. We’ll do some posts about our own experience, tearing out the old carpet and linoleum and putting vinyl through the whole unit.
We also decided, new shocks are on the list this summer along with some basic preventative maintenance that is likely due if the previous owners weren’t diligent in that department. If the evidence left behind of their housekeeping skills were any indication, I’ll guess they weren’t.
[caption id="attachment_709" align="alignleft" width="300"]
American Pelicans[/caption]After our morning outing to scope out materials for all our planned projects, we decided to enjoy the balmy 38- degree afternoon and take a walk down the bike path to the marina. We were treated to active American Pelicans and American Coots. I love when the Pelicans migrate. I am amazed that a bird who looks so big and clumsy on the water is such a graceful flyer. I can’t wait for a warm morning to get up to the north end of the lake and check out all the migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The Saylorville mudflats are something like an interstate truck stop for birds to feed and rest on their long trek north.
Plans with family and friends are starting to take shape. Let the summer season begin! If the weather would figure out it’s malfunction, we’d be in business.
Until tomorrow…
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Day 46 / 319
Saylorville Lake - Light Snow 31 degrees
Every seasoned full-timer we have met, has shared a story of being in the path of an unseasonable snowstorm. None of them tell the story with any warm fuzzy feelings about the experience. Now, just 19 months in we have our own story to tell about having to put up with the very weather we work so hard to avoid.
The worst part of this mid-April assault that dropped 4" of snow in Central Iowa is, it foiled our plans to see our youngest son and his family today. It also deprived us of an overnight visit with Miss Nora. Bah Humbug. I guess I shouldn't complain, north of here they got nearly a foot of snow.
Aside from our general dislike of winter weather, the real problem is we no longer have clothing suited to these single digit windchills and several inches of snow between the door and the car, not to mention the messy parking lots. While the natives are going about their day, if a little perturbed. I’m inclined to hide inside till the sun comes back out.
Today has given the opportunity to binge watch all the Superman movies. I can’t help but look out the window at my little ‘yard’ and visualize all the flowers and vegetables I’ll be growing soon. Snow is sliding off the side of the motor home, taking with it the coating of Texas tree pollen that we brought home with us. At least the RV will be easier to wash once the weather warms up enough to do it.
[caption id="attachment_704" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Buster knee deep[/caption]
I look at my cats and wonder what their memory is really like. Are they thinking the same hateful things I am about the weather? Or, are they just wondering what the heck happened to the grass? Neither one of them has walked in snow in over 2 years. I let them out the door this morning, untethered, knowing they wouldn’t go far or stay out long. I was right. Buster has been on the back of the couch most of the day scowling in a way only a cat can.
Maybe I should go out and shop for clothes for my upcoming, tropical vacation next fall. That may well put a smile on my face. At least I still have some winter tan left for trying on summer clothes!
Until tomorrow…
Every seasoned full-timer we have met, has shared a story of being in the path of an unseasonable snowstorm. None of them tell the story with any warm fuzzy feelings about the experience. Now, just 19 months in we have our own story to tell about having to put up with the very weather we work so hard to avoid.The worst part of this mid-April assault that dropped 4" of snow in Central Iowa is, it foiled our plans to see our youngest son and his family today. It also deprived us of an overnight visit with Miss Nora. Bah Humbug. I guess I shouldn't complain, north of here they got nearly a foot of snow.
Aside from our general dislike of winter weather, the real problem is we no longer have clothing suited to these single digit windchills and several inches of snow between the door and the car, not to mention the messy parking lots. While the natives are going about their day, if a little perturbed. I’m inclined to hide inside till the sun comes back out.
Today has given the opportunity to binge watch all the Superman movies. I can’t help but look out the window at my little ‘yard’ and visualize all the flowers and vegetables I’ll be growing soon. Snow is sliding off the side of the motor home, taking with it the coating of Texas tree pollen that we brought home with us. At least the RV will be easier to wash once the weather warms up enough to do it.
[caption id="attachment_704" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Buster knee deep[/caption]I look at my cats and wonder what their memory is really like. Are they thinking the same hateful things I am about the weather? Or, are they just wondering what the heck happened to the grass? Neither one of them has walked in snow in over 2 years. I let them out the door this morning, untethered, knowing they wouldn’t go far or stay out long. I was right. Buster has been on the back of the couch most of the day scowling in a way only a cat can.
Maybe I should go out and shop for clothes for my upcoming, tropical vacation next fall. That may well put a smile on my face. At least I still have some winter tan left for trying on summer clothes!
Until tomorrow…
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Day 45 / 320
Saylorville Lake, Rain 36 degrees
The debate about whether climate change is human influenced or simply a matter of cycles, is a wild as the weather in Central Iowa this week. Last night the weather advisory map included blizzard warnings and tornado warnings simultaneously. Both materialized. While people were getting their roofs blown off in Jefferson, others were in white out blizzard conditions in Spencer about 100 miles north. In our digs right smack in central Iowa the order of the evening and all day today was ice water rain. Remember the ice bucket challenge? It was like that taking the garbage out today. In my opinion, the worst weather condition to tolerate if one must be outside. We have record late season snow on the way overnight tonight. I envy those who are still in southern climates, postponing their arrival to their northern roots. At the same time, I do not envy those we know who will stay in those climates in July and August. Here’s the thing, there is no more common thread that runs among snowbirds as the strong desire to avoid temperature extremes. We are a finicky bunch when it comes to weather. Most of us are native to climates of extremes and migrate one direction or the other in spring and fall to avoid them.
This time last year, Volunteer Village was nearly full. This year, there are only five of twelve sites occupied and 2 of those are campers sitting empty, because the volunteers who will eventually occupy them aren’t stupid enough to stay in them! We spent the past 24 hours with Hunter and Isaac spending quality time in the great indoors of the motor home. It was a blast. The boys recognize the place and remembered the big playground and the beach, a stones-throw away from our patio, and longed for warmer days, just like me.
Until tomorrow…
Friday, April 13, 2018
Day 44 / 321 The Invasion
Saylorville Lake, Overcast, Blustery 55 degrees
Winter is coming back to Iowa. Record setting late snows and cold are not the stuff of snowbirds dreams upon returning to the north after basking in the relative warmth of the southern tier of states.
As unimpressed as we are with the weather, the cats are even less impressed with the current company they are sharing their space with this weekend. After six blissful feline months of only hearing mature voices and people who move slowly and deliberately, their house has been invaded by pint-sized humans with the high pitch voices and unpredictable, lightning fast movements!
[caption id="attachment_699" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Trying to go unnoticed[/caption]
I can’t help but laugh at them and their confusion at the sudden chaos! In the 5th wheel, they had an escape hatch through the cat door in the stairs to the compartment below. In the motor home the best Annie can do is huddle next to the bed pedestal and hope she goes undetected. Buster has retreated to the windshield hidden in the giant Philodendron that sprawls across the whole area.
The invasion began this morning with a visit from our oldest son and one of the great-grandkids who is a very precocious and curious three. This evening our daughters two boys who are six and three joined us for an overnight and the camper has been rocking since they arrived. They will get about an 18-hour hiatus when the boys go home tomorrow till our younger son’s daughter, also three comes to spend the night Sunday night.
Welcome home Buster and Annie!
Until tomorrow…
Winter is coming back to Iowa. Record setting late snows and cold are not the stuff of snowbirds dreams upon returning to the north after basking in the relative warmth of the southern tier of states.
As unimpressed as we are with the weather, the cats are even less impressed with the current company they are sharing their space with this weekend. After six blissful feline months of only hearing mature voices and people who move slowly and deliberately, their house has been invaded by pint-sized humans with the high pitch voices and unpredictable, lightning fast movements!
[caption id="attachment_699" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Trying to go unnoticed[/caption]I can’t help but laugh at them and their confusion at the sudden chaos! In the 5th wheel, they had an escape hatch through the cat door in the stairs to the compartment below. In the motor home the best Annie can do is huddle next to the bed pedestal and hope she goes undetected. Buster has retreated to the windshield hidden in the giant Philodendron that sprawls across the whole area.
The invasion began this morning with a visit from our oldest son and one of the great-grandkids who is a very precocious and curious three. This evening our daughters two boys who are six and three joined us for an overnight and the camper has been rocking since they arrived. They will get about an 18-hour hiatus when the boys go home tomorrow till our younger son’s daughter, also three comes to spend the night Sunday night.
Welcome home Buster and Annie!
Until tomorrow…
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Day 43 / 322 Home
Saylorville Lake, Partly Sunny 66 Degrees
Home isn’t so much a place as a state of mind these days. I think it must be part of the transition from living in a brick and mortar home to be a full-time RV gypsy. It’s a sort of reckoning that you have once you have become truly comfortable with the idea. To me home is my current location. Saylorville is where we met and spent a good deal of leisure time over the years. I lived and raised my kids in Ankeny the town that sits on the east shore of Saylorville. The stores are familiar, I know the backstreets around the heavy traffic and best of all I know the people.
Coming ‘home’ from our second winter away has been very comforting . Twice now I’ve heard my named called out while walking in public by someone seeing me back for the first time. That’s a true sign that I’m in my stomping grounds. It made me feel normal in a way.
I spent a good deal of the day outside and am soaking up the new environment. We are in wetlands, and timbered lakeside here. A big change from the prairie and oak savannah of southeast Texas. Volunteer Village is situated on a finger of land separated by the north end of the lake and the marina cove. American Pelicans, and Herring Gulls, and Blue Herons are flying overhead instead of Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. The timber is alive with the songs of Robins, Wrens, Dickcissels and Woodpeckers. The Red Winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows are busy by the lakeside. I was treated to a Black and White Warbler sighting today. The treat being, that I saw my first one in Texas this winter and knew that they only migrate through Iowa, so the window is slim to see them here.
Another very normal feeling is we will have grandkids spending the weekend with us, starting Friday evening. Nothing makes me feel more ‘home’ than that.
Until tomorrow…
Home isn’t so much a place as a state of mind these days. I think it must be part of the transition from living in a brick and mortar home to be a full-time RV gypsy. It’s a sort of reckoning that you have once you have become truly comfortable with the idea. To me home is my current location. Saylorville is where we met and spent a good deal of leisure time over the years. I lived and raised my kids in Ankeny the town that sits on the east shore of Saylorville. The stores are familiar, I know the backstreets around the heavy traffic and best of all I know the people.
Coming ‘home’ from our second winter away has been very comforting . Twice now I’ve heard my named called out while walking in public by someone seeing me back for the first time. That’s a true sign that I’m in my stomping grounds. It made me feel normal in a way.
I spent a good deal of the day outside and am soaking up the new environment. We are in wetlands, and timbered lakeside here. A big change from the prairie and oak savannah of southeast Texas. Volunteer Village is situated on a finger of land separated by the north end of the lake and the marina cove. American Pelicans, and Herring Gulls, and Blue Herons are flying overhead instead of Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. The timber is alive with the songs of Robins, Wrens, Dickcissels and Woodpeckers. The Red Winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows are busy by the lakeside. I was treated to a Black and White Warbler sighting today. The treat being, that I saw my first one in Texas this winter and knew that they only migrate through Iowa, so the window is slim to see them here.
Another very normal feeling is we will have grandkids spending the weekend with us, starting Friday evening. Nothing makes me feel more ‘home’ than that.
Until tomorrow…
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Day 42 / 323
Saylorville Lake, Cloudy 60 degrees
Re-entry is busy as expected. People ask what it's like to move about when you are full-time. It's a bit exhausting to some degree. We know people who rarely stay anywhere more than 3-4 weeks, so we consider our brand of full-timing to be rather leisurely, relatively speaking.
We have seen two of the three kids and will see our other son and his family on Sunday. We have two overnight visits with grandkids on the books for this weekend and the cats are feeling right at home. Animals amaze me with their heightened instincts and senses. They can smell their lingering scent here and are more relaxed than they have been in some time.
[caption id="attachment_694" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Lakeview from the RV[/caption]
I am taking in the view of the lake from my dining room table as I write. The trees have not leafed out, so we can see the old squirrels and oriole nests and the lake through the bare branches. The grass is still dormant. Pelicans are migrating and other shore birds are visiting the mud flats on the north end of the reservoir to rest and feed before they moving on. The bird calls are quite different than my ear was accustomed to in Goliad.
Volunteer Village has 5 of 12 volunteers here and more will be arriving as the days go on. We'll continue with visits and getting our little yard set up. We had success with the satellite dish today and are feeling normal again with 200 channels of crap we don't want to watch instead of only 23 channels of crap we don't want to watch. We will both start working, Champ here at the Lake and me in town for friends, on the 23rd. I will be writing the news letter for the lake this summer and work in the butterfly gardens when the time comes to start working on them.
In the meantime I will relax and enjoy a second spring awakening here in Iowa. It's late this year and much-anticipated by the weary northerners we shamelessly leave behind in the fall.
Until tomorrow...
Re-entry is busy as expected. People ask what it's like to move about when you are full-time. It's a bit exhausting to some degree. We know people who rarely stay anywhere more than 3-4 weeks, so we consider our brand of full-timing to be rather leisurely, relatively speaking.
We have seen two of the three kids and will see our other son and his family on Sunday. We have two overnight visits with grandkids on the books for this weekend and the cats are feeling right at home. Animals amaze me with their heightened instincts and senses. They can smell their lingering scent here and are more relaxed than they have been in some time.
[caption id="attachment_694" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Lakeview from the RV[/caption]I am taking in the view of the lake from my dining room table as I write. The trees have not leafed out, so we can see the old squirrels and oriole nests and the lake through the bare branches. The grass is still dormant. Pelicans are migrating and other shore birds are visiting the mud flats on the north end of the reservoir to rest and feed before they moving on. The bird calls are quite different than my ear was accustomed to in Goliad.
Volunteer Village has 5 of 12 volunteers here and more will be arriving as the days go on. We'll continue with visits and getting our little yard set up. We had success with the satellite dish today and are feeling normal again with 200 channels of crap we don't want to watch instead of only 23 channels of crap we don't want to watch. We will both start working, Champ here at the Lake and me in town for friends, on the 23rd. I will be writing the news letter for the lake this summer and work in the butterfly gardens when the time comes to start working on them.
In the meantime I will relax and enjoy a second spring awakening here in Iowa. It's late this year and much-anticipated by the weary northerners we shamelessly leave behind in the fall.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Day 41/ 324 Homecoming
Des Moines, Iowa 55 degrees and sunshine
Three days later than we hoped we finally made the last leg home today! We enjoyed the first tail wind we have had with the motor home. The south winds pushed some warm air along with us. We arrived back at Volunteer Village with a beautiful view of Saylorville Lake and the timber behind us. John Denver has always been my guilty pleasure of music. I have had the old song 'Back Home Again" playing in my head all day. https://www.google.com/search?q=back+home+again&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS648US649&oq=back+home+again&aqs=chrome..0j69i57j0l4.5449j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
We received a warm greeting from other returning volunteers who arrived ahead of us and took advantage of the sunshine to get some yard ornaments put out. I couldn’t help but smile when I hung the camper windchime that Desiree’s girls gave us when they came to visit us at Goliad. I love sentimental things like that.
Mom came out to visit for a bit and Champ is fighting with the satellite dish. When we move across the country it takes more patience than either one of us have, to get it readjusted to the new geography. Antenna TV for one more night is the price of our impatience. Casey’s Taco Pizza is on the menu for dinner, then it is over to my daughter’s house to reunite with their family. Hunter does not know we are back so when he gets home from baseball practice tonight he’ll get a fun surprise. He knows its near, but he doesn’t know its today. The first of the homecomings was pretty cool for these homesick grandparents.
[video width="720" height="1280" mp4="https://ourhighroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/20180410_192414Trim.mp4"][/video]
The next few days will be a flurry of visits with kids and friends and we’ll settle into our summer routine sometime next week. After a longer than anticipated trip home, our hearts are happy as are the cats.
Until tomorrow…
Three days later than we hoped we finally made the last leg home today! We enjoyed the first tail wind we have had with the motor home. The south winds pushed some warm air along with us. We arrived back at Volunteer Village with a beautiful view of Saylorville Lake and the timber behind us. John Denver has always been my guilty pleasure of music. I have had the old song 'Back Home Again" playing in my head all day. https://www.google.com/search?q=back+home+again&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS648US649&oq=back+home+again&aqs=chrome..0j69i57j0l4.5449j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
We received a warm greeting from other returning volunteers who arrived ahead of us and took advantage of the sunshine to get some yard ornaments put out. I couldn’t help but smile when I hung the camper windchime that Desiree’s girls gave us when they came to visit us at Goliad. I love sentimental things like that.
Mom came out to visit for a bit and Champ is fighting with the satellite dish. When we move across the country it takes more patience than either one of us have, to get it readjusted to the new geography. Antenna TV for one more night is the price of our impatience. Casey’s Taco Pizza is on the menu for dinner, then it is over to my daughter’s house to reunite with their family. Hunter does not know we are back so when he gets home from baseball practice tonight he’ll get a fun surprise. He knows its near, but he doesn’t know its today. The first of the homecomings was pretty cool for these homesick grandparents.
[video width="720" height="1280" mp4="https://ourhighroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/20180410_192414Trim.mp4"][/video]
The next few days will be a flurry of visits with kids and friends and we’ll settle into our summer routine sometime next week. After a longer than anticipated trip home, our hearts are happy as are the cats.
Until tomorrow…
Monday, April 9, 2018
Day 40/ 325
Leavenworth, Kansas Cloudy 44 degrees
The end of the winter journey is in sight. We pull out tomorrow morning from here to go the last 300 miles to Saylorville Lake’s Volunteer Village, where we will spend the summer. We’ve had a fun couple of days visiting family in Leavenworth.
[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Champ and I with Jeff and Kathi[/caption]
Arriving on Saturday evening after a touch and go start that morning, we enjoyed dinner at a local steak house in the ominous shadow of the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
[caption id="attachment_686" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Sitting at General McArthur's desk[/caption]
Sunday, Jeff took us on a grand tour of the base where his military career wrapped up and he now works as a civilian. It was a very interesting and different perspective on the military role on the international stage through their educational endeavors for domestic as well as international military students. We had the morning to visit and catch up, while Kathi attended church services. The mornings entertainment was getting stopped and questioned because an MP saw me taking a picture. People protest my photo taking on a regular basis, but it is usually my camera-shy family, not an law enforcement concerned with what exactly I photographed and why. I had to hand over my camera and let him look at my photo role. It’s the world we live in I suppose.
[caption id="attachment_685" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Canon at Leavenworth poised over the Missouri[/caption]
Kathi joined us around noon and they treated us to lunch at a place called O’Malley’s in a nearby town across the Missouri River. Located in the original building of an old brewery, it has a 58’ deep basement that once served as the fermentation and storage room and is still used as bar space on the weekends. Perhaps the most interesting takeaway for me was learning that the tunnels that connected the basement to the river to transport ice blocks for cooling was also part of the Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves. We had a delicious leisurely late lunch with plenty of time to linger and visit after the meal was done. We visited a local winery and McCormick’s distillery, sampled some Missouri wine and locally distilled spirits, made some purchases, and called it a day. Oh yes, did mention it snowed most of the day? I imagined as a snow bird I would avoid the snow, not have it follow me around!
[caption id="attachment_682" align="alignright" width="225"]
April snow in Kansas[/caption]
Today Champ and I ventured to Leavenworth’s Mainstreet Shopping area to check out a gourmet kitchen store Kathi told me about. The Monday curse exists here as well. Most shops are closed on Monday. We run into that often in small towns with busy weekend shopping traffic. Unfortunately, Mondays seem to be the day we have time to check them out. We’ll have to work on that routine.
The visit will end this evening with dinner. Tomorrow we will pull up the jacks and let the southern wind push us home, hopefully drafting some warm air along with us.
Until tomorrow…
The end of the winter journey is in sight. We pull out tomorrow morning from here to go the last 300 miles to Saylorville Lake’s Volunteer Village, where we will spend the summer. We’ve had a fun couple of days visiting family in Leavenworth.
[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Champ and I with Jeff and Kathi[/caption]Arriving on Saturday evening after a touch and go start that morning, we enjoyed dinner at a local steak house in the ominous shadow of the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
[caption id="attachment_686" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Sitting at General McArthur's desk[/caption]Sunday, Jeff took us on a grand tour of the base where his military career wrapped up and he now works as a civilian. It was a very interesting and different perspective on the military role on the international stage through their educational endeavors for domestic as well as international military students. We had the morning to visit and catch up, while Kathi attended church services. The mornings entertainment was getting stopped and questioned because an MP saw me taking a picture. People protest my photo taking on a regular basis, but it is usually my camera-shy family, not an law enforcement concerned with what exactly I photographed and why. I had to hand over my camera and let him look at my photo role. It’s the world we live in I suppose.
[caption id="attachment_685" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Canon at Leavenworth poised over the Missouri[/caption]Kathi joined us around noon and they treated us to lunch at a place called O’Malley’s in a nearby town across the Missouri River. Located in the original building of an old brewery, it has a 58’ deep basement that once served as the fermentation and storage room and is still used as bar space on the weekends. Perhaps the most interesting takeaway for me was learning that the tunnels that connected the basement to the river to transport ice blocks for cooling was also part of the Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves. We had a delicious leisurely late lunch with plenty of time to linger and visit after the meal was done. We visited a local winery and McCormick’s distillery, sampled some Missouri wine and locally distilled spirits, made some purchases, and called it a day. Oh yes, did mention it snowed most of the day? I imagined as a snow bird I would avoid the snow, not have it follow me around!
[caption id="attachment_682" align="alignright" width="225"]
April snow in Kansas[/caption]Today Champ and I ventured to Leavenworth’s Mainstreet Shopping area to check out a gourmet kitchen store Kathi told me about. The Monday curse exists here as well. Most shops are closed on Monday. We run into that often in small towns with busy weekend shopping traffic. Unfortunately, Mondays seem to be the day we have time to check them out. We’ll have to work on that routine.
The visit will end this evening with dinner. Tomorrow we will pull up the jacks and let the southern wind push us home, hopefully drafting some warm air along with us.
Until tomorrow…
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Day 39 / 326
Leavenworth, Kansas Snowing 36 degrees
Today as I pondered the question asked so often, it occurred to me that when you engage in the full-time RV lifestyle you are acutely aware at how disconnected you become from what was once familiar and nearby on a daily basis. Today a new feeling began to resonate with me. The void that is created when you are away from close friends and family creates space and time to become better connected with others. You make new friends in the places you visit and that network of 'on-the-road family' grows. You also find yourself in parts of the country where extended family or old school friends now live.
This weekend is a perfect example. We stopped in Kansas to see my cousin Jeff and his wife Kathi. We have spent short periods of time at large gatherings a couple of times over the past four years. Even though we saw them there the distractions of the event and number of people around us prevented more than superficial conversation from taking place. We are family, yet virtual strangers. Geography and his military career plus a nine year age difference have placed us on different planes over the years. Even though the past decade or so we have been within 300 miles of each other, our paths never really crossed till four years ago when his family joined us with my Aunt Pat (his mother) in Lindsborg for the Swedish Festival. Our trek across the country this spring, set our path right through this area and we took advantage of the opportunity to stop and spend some real time.
Many of us have family strewn around the country or even just across town that we don't connect with often, for no particular reason. I am no exception. As I get older it has become more important to me to maintain as well as establish connections with extended family and get to know each other. This lifestyle is the conduit that opened these doors for us. Last winter we visited two of Champ's aunts in Texas. We had not seen either one of them since his mothers funeral in 2007. The lifestyle placed us near them and gave us a chance to spend time with them.
In a world when we know family or old friends exist in other parts of the country, most don't make it a point to travel around seeing them. We are too busy living our lives and grinding along in our routines. Those connections are were real wealth lies.
Until tomorrow...
Today as I pondered the question asked so often, it occurred to me that when you engage in the full-time RV lifestyle you are acutely aware at how disconnected you become from what was once familiar and nearby on a daily basis. Today a new feeling began to resonate with me. The void that is created when you are away from close friends and family creates space and time to become better connected with others. You make new friends in the places you visit and that network of 'on-the-road family' grows. You also find yourself in parts of the country where extended family or old school friends now live.
This weekend is a perfect example. We stopped in Kansas to see my cousin Jeff and his wife Kathi. We have spent short periods of time at large gatherings a couple of times over the past four years. Even though we saw them there the distractions of the event and number of people around us prevented more than superficial conversation from taking place. We are family, yet virtual strangers. Geography and his military career plus a nine year age difference have placed us on different planes over the years. Even though the past decade or so we have been within 300 miles of each other, our paths never really crossed till four years ago when his family joined us with my Aunt Pat (his mother) in Lindsborg for the Swedish Festival. Our trek across the country this spring, set our path right through this area and we took advantage of the opportunity to stop and spend some real time.
Many of us have family strewn around the country or even just across town that we don't connect with often, for no particular reason. I am no exception. As I get older it has become more important to me to maintain as well as establish connections with extended family and get to know each other. This lifestyle is the conduit that opened these doors for us. Last winter we visited two of Champ's aunts in Texas. We had not seen either one of them since his mothers funeral in 2007. The lifestyle placed us near them and gave us a chance to spend time with them.
In a world when we know family or old friends exist in other parts of the country, most don't make it a point to travel around seeing them. We are too busy living our lives and grinding along in our routines. Those connections are were real wealth lies.
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Day 38 / 327
Leavenworth, Kansas 26 degrees
Wow, what a change from what we left a few short days ago. Today's answer to the $64,000 question is 'Sometimes you don't know where you will be at the end of the day'
Today was one of those days. We got up at 6:00 am thinking we were going to have clear weather to drive to Leavenworth a day earlier than the previously planned two-day delay. Did you follow that? I barely can this week. At 8:00 it started snowing and by 10:00 we had freezing rain and it was a blistering 29 degrees. We were just about to resign ourselves that our newly hatched plan to move today and be situated further north for the next winter blast, was caput. At 11:45 the sun came out, the temp quickly rose to the upper 30's, the roads going out of OKC cleared up and in a matter of 15 minutes we decided to go for it.
We arrived here around 7:00 and were treated to an evening with my cousins. A late dinner out and the first balanced meal I've eaten off real dishes in 3 days ended a frustrating day. We'll have to endure some more icky weather but we'll be having a good time with Jeff and Kathi while we do it.
Patience was the key word of the day. Not something I'm very good at. It all turned out and we will eventually be back in Iowa. I'd like to say when, but it will probably change a dozen times so we'll just enjoy our time here and 'Roll with the Changes' as the REO Speedwagon song says.
Until tomorrow...
Wow, what a change from what we left a few short days ago. Today's answer to the $64,000 question is 'Sometimes you don't know where you will be at the end of the day'
Today was one of those days. We got up at 6:00 am thinking we were going to have clear weather to drive to Leavenworth a day earlier than the previously planned two-day delay. Did you follow that? I barely can this week. At 8:00 it started snowing and by 10:00 we had freezing rain and it was a blistering 29 degrees. We were just about to resign ourselves that our newly hatched plan to move today and be situated further north for the next winter blast, was caput. At 11:45 the sun came out, the temp quickly rose to the upper 30's, the roads going out of OKC cleared up and in a matter of 15 minutes we decided to go for it.
We arrived here around 7:00 and were treated to an evening with my cousins. A late dinner out and the first balanced meal I've eaten off real dishes in 3 days ended a frustrating day. We'll have to endure some more icky weather but we'll be having a good time with Jeff and Kathi while we do it.
Patience was the key word of the day. Not something I'm very good at. It all turned out and we will eventually be back in Iowa. I'd like to say when, but it will probably change a dozen times so we'll just enjoy our time here and 'Roll with the Changes' as the REO Speedwagon song says.
Until tomorrow...
Friday, April 6, 2018
Day 37 / 328
Oklahoma City, OK- Cloudy 51 degrees and falling
[caption id="attachment_668" align="alignright" width="225"]
Relfecting pool and field of chairs[/caption]A day to sit and wait out the weather up north turned into an opportunity to go visit the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. I was there in 1999 with my kids before the museum was built, only the park with the chairs and trees was complete. It was interesting to return 19 years later and see the mature trees growing around the Bronze chairs representing those who lost their life. We toured the museum and had an experience unlike any other that we have ever had at a memorial museum. It is an immersion in the day of the bombing. Part of the museum is built within the ruins. Walking through the bombed remains (fortified of course for safety) perhaps the most provocative moment is when you enter a room where a recorded water rights hearing was taking place. The doors close the lights go down and you listen to the meeting in progress and subsequently the sound of the explosion and the mayhem that followed. The exit door opens after 30 seconds or so and you are immersed in interactive displays of items recovered and listen to live recordings of the response to the blast.
When I visit these types of memorials I am acutely aware that other visitors may be taking a very personal journey. There was a man crying in the room that held the pictures of the victims along with personal items recovered from the site. I couldn't help but wonder if one of his loved ones was on that wall.
[caption id="attachment_669" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Kids Memorial[/caption]Both times I visited I was deeply moved by the fact that a daycare center in the building was full of kids, many who perished. I remember the day this happened. It was during my stay-at-home mom years when I was also a CNN junkie while the kids were in school.
If you pass through OKC this is well worth the stop. I've done it twice now and walked away with mixed feelings about the world we live in. In 1999 it never occurred to me that we could be 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' in terms of domestic terrorism. Today it is a regular news story. A good friends son was in Paris a couple of years ago when the bombings took place in the entertainment district and I remember what she went through waiting to hear he was safe. A concert, tour of a museum or standing in line at Mc Donalds can be when your number comes up. It seems the opportunities are everywhere these days.
We dodged a bullet again this year. They had large hail in Sanger, TX where we were 36 hours ago. Tonight we watch the weather and mull the decision whether to inch north tomorrow or Sunday and reflect on the day in the context of our 2018 world. As I write this, the song by Luke Bryant - Most People Are Good - plays on the radio. If you've never heard the song, have a listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-KsToawMJE I wonder it that's a coincidence.
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Day 36 / 329
Oklahoma City, OK Sunny 67 degrees
Answer # 36 Mother Nature Always Wins.
Dodging weather is a game of cat and mouse for snow birds making their way back north this time of year. I remember in my banking years snow bird customer's moods varied widely based on the weather in early April. There were the lucky few who had no real obligation to return and never showed up before May 1st to come in and do their change of address.
We looked at the weekend forecast for various cities between Sanger, Texas and Leavenworth KS (our Friday destination) this morning and decided OKC was as far north as we dared to venture until the weekend storms pass. We toyed with doing a 12 hour marathon day and driving straight to Des Moines to set up in our summer home and endure whatever the weather dealt, knowing we were home. We quickly came to our senses and decided to prolong our arrival at home and move in stages as the latest spring arctic blast bears down on the midwest. Luckily the park in Leavenworth can accommodate us Sunday and Monday so we still get to see family on the way home albeit a couple of days later than planned. It's not going to be beach weather here but at least the lowest low will stay in the 20's and we'll be back above freezing in a few hours instead of a few days. No matter what it does here, it's all relative when it comes to spring weather in the midwest.
We're taking advantage of our 3 days in OKC. We'll tour the Memorial tomorrow. I was there when they first opened years ago but have not seen the finished product. Champ has never seen it. We went to watch the horse races tonight, enjoying an evening outside and even won some money. Tomorrow night and Saturday will probably be movies and chili in the great indoors of the motor home in the RV Park with a bunch of other snowbirds waiting out the weather up north.
We know people who refuse to come back to Iowa before April 15th. Arrival home in the spring is an internal battle between the desire to be back with the kids and the desire to be warm. Nobody wins this year!
Until tomorrow...
Answer # 36 Mother Nature Always Wins.
Dodging weather is a game of cat and mouse for snow birds making their way back north this time of year. I remember in my banking years snow bird customer's moods varied widely based on the weather in early April. There were the lucky few who had no real obligation to return and never showed up before May 1st to come in and do their change of address.
We looked at the weekend forecast for various cities between Sanger, Texas and Leavenworth KS (our Friday destination) this morning and decided OKC was as far north as we dared to venture until the weekend storms pass. We toyed with doing a 12 hour marathon day and driving straight to Des Moines to set up in our summer home and endure whatever the weather dealt, knowing we were home. We quickly came to our senses and decided to prolong our arrival at home and move in stages as the latest spring arctic blast bears down on the midwest. Luckily the park in Leavenworth can accommodate us Sunday and Monday so we still get to see family on the way home albeit a couple of days later than planned. It's not going to be beach weather here but at least the lowest low will stay in the 20's and we'll be back above freezing in a few hours instead of a few days. No matter what it does here, it's all relative when it comes to spring weather in the midwest.
We're taking advantage of our 3 days in OKC. We'll tour the Memorial tomorrow. I was there when they first opened years ago but have not seen the finished product. Champ has never seen it. We went to watch the horse races tonight, enjoying an evening outside and even won some money. Tomorrow night and Saturday will probably be movies and chili in the great indoors of the motor home in the RV Park with a bunch of other snowbirds waiting out the weather up north.
We know people who refuse to come back to Iowa before April 15th. Arrival home in the spring is an internal battle between the desire to be back with the kids and the desire to be warm. Nobody wins this year!
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Day 35 / 330
Sanger, Texas Bright Sunshine 67 Degrees
Answer # 35 You don't have to cover 800 miles a day any more.
We left Lago Vista this morning after a wonderful evening at Peggy and Lloyd's eating dinner and relaxing on their deck with John and Cathy and some new people they are working with at the refuge this winter. It was a perfect reunion.
During our working years we took long trips with the RV but in those days the cats stayed home and it was nothing for us to cover 800 miles in a day. Afterall we were burning vacation time and the destination was our focus. Now, in our second year, we are quickly adapting to the standard 300 miles or 3:00 PM rule that RVers refer to frequently. The cats appreciated the shorter days as well. They are learning to ride in their choses place and recover nicely once we stop. The routine is to take them outside and brush them. I leave them to lie in the 'yard' and they seem to ease right back into their routine.
Today I travelled with a heavy heart, as it marked the 20th anniversary of the untimely passing of my first husband. This is a difficult day. I wish I was back to give my kids a big hug. Time in the passenger seat today gave me opportunity to reflect and mull over how fleeting life is on this earth. All the more reason to experience as much as one can while we are here.
We stopped this afternoon at a quaint little RV Park on the shores of Ray Roberts Lake in north Texas. It's about 25 sites, managed by a lovely grandmotherly woman who uses the enclosed porch/laundry room of her mobile home as the office where you check in. The office smelled like fabric softener, as she was doing laundry today. Her desk top clutter included orphaned socks from the dryer, many of them children's sizes with super hero theme. Signs that indicated her utter joy of being a grandma decorated her walls along with pictures of the kids. We loved her instantly. The park is mostly populated with long-term contractors working on construction projects in the area. The lake can be seen from our lawn chairs. An added bonus this afternoon, I finally got a good long look at a Scissor Tail Fly Catcher as he perched on the wire a couple of sites from our motor home. We are learning to travel like real full-timers. We didn't even unhook the car. We don't have to be to Leavenworth, KS till Friday so the next 2 days should be much like today.
We watch the forecast for Iowa evolve and hope upon hope that it improves as the week goes by.
Until tomorrow...
Answer # 35 You don't have to cover 800 miles a day any more.
We left Lago Vista this morning after a wonderful evening at Peggy and Lloyd's eating dinner and relaxing on their deck with John and Cathy and some new people they are working with at the refuge this winter. It was a perfect reunion.
During our working years we took long trips with the RV but in those days the cats stayed home and it was nothing for us to cover 800 miles in a day. Afterall we were burning vacation time and the destination was our focus. Now, in our second year, we are quickly adapting to the standard 300 miles or 3:00 PM rule that RVers refer to frequently. The cats appreciated the shorter days as well. They are learning to ride in their choses place and recover nicely once we stop. The routine is to take them outside and brush them. I leave them to lie in the 'yard' and they seem to ease right back into their routine.
Today I travelled with a heavy heart, as it marked the 20th anniversary of the untimely passing of my first husband. This is a difficult day. I wish I was back to give my kids a big hug. Time in the passenger seat today gave me opportunity to reflect and mull over how fleeting life is on this earth. All the more reason to experience as much as one can while we are here.
We stopped this afternoon at a quaint little RV Park on the shores of Ray Roberts Lake in north Texas. It's about 25 sites, managed by a lovely grandmotherly woman who uses the enclosed porch/laundry room of her mobile home as the office where you check in. The office smelled like fabric softener, as she was doing laundry today. Her desk top clutter included orphaned socks from the dryer, many of them children's sizes with super hero theme. Signs that indicated her utter joy of being a grandma decorated her walls along with pictures of the kids. We loved her instantly. The park is mostly populated with long-term contractors working on construction projects in the area. The lake can be seen from our lawn chairs. An added bonus this afternoon, I finally got a good long look at a Scissor Tail Fly Catcher as he perched on the wire a couple of sites from our motor home. We are learning to travel like real full-timers. We didn't even unhook the car. We don't have to be to Leavenworth, KS till Friday so the next 2 days should be much like today.
We watch the forecast for Iowa evolve and hope upon hope that it improves as the week goes by.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Day 34 / 331
Lago Vista, Texas Partly Cloudy 77 degrees
Answer #34 to the big question... It's damned sad sometimes. I won't sugarcoat it. The life of a full-time RV Volunteer does have a bit of a dark side. You live an exciting life moving around different places and doing all kinds of new, cool things and meeting some really interesting people. Along the way you meet people who you truly connect with and you wish you had been their next door neighbor for 30 years.
Today was a really emotional day for this empath. We said 'til we meet again" to the awesome staff at Goliad State Park and with a tear in my eye we pulled away. At the same time we were excited to make our first stop here in Lago Vista to spend the evening with friends we made here last winter. We've seen John and Cathy and Peggy and Lloyd a couple of times since leaving Texas last spring and feel a real connection to them. We had a great evening together and then the elephant in the room, the 'goodbye' had to be acknowledged. We aren't sure when we will cross paths the next time. Thank god for technology to help us stay connected. We have exciting plans for ourselves in opposite corners of the country the next 12 months. We visited with another couple who know a couple who work at Saylorville with us in the summer time. A reminder of how small the world really is.
We are looking forward to stopping in Kansas to visit with cousins for a couple of days and then the pot-of-gold and the end of the rainbow in Des Moines were we will reunite with our family and old friends for the summer.
What's it like? It's an emotional roller coaster much of the time. We meet people, connect and then have to learn to let go. We go home for 6 months in the summer and let go again each fall. Of all the prices full-time RV'ers pay, this is the steepest. I wouldn't change a thing though. I can't imagine a world that I didn't know Cathy, Peggy or Desiree. I am so much richer for knowing these women and that wouldn't have happened if I was idling away in my old house and grinding along in my old career.
I say all of this, knowing that our families and friends at home are paying the same price for our adventure letting go each winter. The difference is they did not get to choose it, but they love us enough to support us and that means everything.
Until tomorrow...
Answer #34 to the big question... It's damned sad sometimes. I won't sugarcoat it. The life of a full-time RV Volunteer does have a bit of a dark side. You live an exciting life moving around different places and doing all kinds of new, cool things and meeting some really interesting people. Along the way you meet people who you truly connect with and you wish you had been their next door neighbor for 30 years.
Today was a really emotional day for this empath. We said 'til we meet again" to the awesome staff at Goliad State Park and with a tear in my eye we pulled away. At the same time we were excited to make our first stop here in Lago Vista to spend the evening with friends we made here last winter. We've seen John and Cathy and Peggy and Lloyd a couple of times since leaving Texas last spring and feel a real connection to them. We had a great evening together and then the elephant in the room, the 'goodbye' had to be acknowledged. We aren't sure when we will cross paths the next time. Thank god for technology to help us stay connected. We have exciting plans for ourselves in opposite corners of the country the next 12 months. We visited with another couple who know a couple who work at Saylorville with us in the summer time. A reminder of how small the world really is.
We are looking forward to stopping in Kansas to visit with cousins for a couple of days and then the pot-of-gold and the end of the rainbow in Des Moines were we will reunite with our family and old friends for the summer.
What's it like? It's an emotional roller coaster much of the time. We meet people, connect and then have to learn to let go. We go home for 6 months in the summer and let go again each fall. Of all the prices full-time RV'ers pay, this is the steepest. I wouldn't change a thing though. I can't imagine a world that I didn't know Cathy, Peggy or Desiree. I am so much richer for knowing these women and that wouldn't have happened if I was idling away in my old house and grinding along in my old career.
I say all of this, knowing that our families and friends at home are paying the same price for our adventure letting go each winter. The difference is they did not get to choose it, but they love us enough to support us and that means everything.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, April 2, 2018
Day 33 / 332 The Last Bite
Goliad, Texas Partly Sunny, Windy 85 degrees
Rain is coming just in time for us to pull out in the morning. I get very reflective at this point in the journey. As I take my walks through the park, drive through the little town that has been my home this past 3 months, or simply sit in the lawn chair watching the world go by; I find myself savoring everything I take in. Much like the last bite of a really decadent desert. You take your time, really taste it and hate when you swallow and know that it is gone.
[caption id="attachment_659" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Long Billed Thrasher[/caption]
My birders ear has received some good training here. The foliage is so dense that you can't find birds easily unless you recognize the song and know what you are looking for. I am surprised how many songs I have learned this winter. In 90 days here I have identified 59 species ( about half of those with the help of experienced birders). The cool part is 10 of them are birds I had never seen before and 6 of those are birds that I will never see in my native stomping grounds of the upper midwest. I wasn't keeping a list when we went to South Padre and Mathis but there were many new ones to me during those 2 months as well. I'll do better about keeping lists in the future. Oh God, I just realized I've become a birder!
[caption id="attachment_658" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Eight Spotted Forester Moth[/caption]
I have also grown quite enchanted with butterflies and moths and have started studying and researching in an effort to become 'the butterfly lady' someday. Here at Goliad, I saw 9 new species, to me, all of which are specific to this part of the world. I have seen several that I know will be in Iowa eventually. I'll be a part of the efforts at the Saylorville Butterfly Garden so will get a front row seat to their arrival later this spring.
[caption id="attachment_657" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Herbertia or Prairie Nymph[/caption]
A trip to south Texas this time of year, is not complete without seeing the wildflowers! I saw 4 new ones this year that I did not see at Balcones NWR last winter.
I'll catalog my photography and save it to watch when I get to missing the place. At the same time I'm looking forward to going to a new part of the country next winter and discovering all of the things that make it special and unique. The hard goodbyes are coming.
Until tomorrow...
Rain is coming just in time for us to pull out in the morning. I get very reflective at this point in the journey. As I take my walks through the park, drive through the little town that has been my home this past 3 months, or simply sit in the lawn chair watching the world go by; I find myself savoring everything I take in. Much like the last bite of a really decadent desert. You take your time, really taste it and hate when you swallow and know that it is gone.
[caption id="attachment_659" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Long Billed Thrasher[/caption]My birders ear has received some good training here. The foliage is so dense that you can't find birds easily unless you recognize the song and know what you are looking for. I am surprised how many songs I have learned this winter. In 90 days here I have identified 59 species ( about half of those with the help of experienced birders). The cool part is 10 of them are birds I had never seen before and 6 of those are birds that I will never see in my native stomping grounds of the upper midwest. I wasn't keeping a list when we went to South Padre and Mathis but there were many new ones to me during those 2 months as well. I'll do better about keeping lists in the future. Oh God, I just realized I've become a birder!
[caption id="attachment_658" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Eight Spotted Forester Moth[/caption]I have also grown quite enchanted with butterflies and moths and have started studying and researching in an effort to become 'the butterfly lady' someday. Here at Goliad, I saw 9 new species, to me, all of which are specific to this part of the world. I have seen several that I know will be in Iowa eventually. I'll be a part of the efforts at the Saylorville Butterfly Garden so will get a front row seat to their arrival later this spring.
[caption id="attachment_657" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Herbertia or Prairie Nymph[/caption]A trip to south Texas this time of year, is not complete without seeing the wildflowers! I saw 4 new ones this year that I did not see at Balcones NWR last winter.
I'll catalog my photography and save it to watch when I get to missing the place. At the same time I'm looking forward to going to a new part of the country next winter and discovering all of the things that make it special and unique. The hard goodbyes are coming.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Day 32 / 333 It's About the People
Easter Sunday Goliad Texas, Sunny 84 Degrees
[caption id="attachment_643" align="alignright" width="225"]
Lonn, Champ and I at Reenactment[/caption]
We said goodbye to our volunteer counterpart Lonn, this morning. He will be dragging his heels back to Iowa, as will we in a couple of days. The weather report from home is not very enticing.
We've had a busy weekend of socializing and soaking in the beauty of this park. The next 36 hours will be full-on prep for travel. We did our exit interview this morning and delayed the real goodbyes for later. This is by far the hardest part of being a full-time RV Volunteer.
[caption id="attachment_645" align="alignleft" width="300"]
C.C. and I with the Sage[/caption]
We got to know C.C. quite well. Her smiling face greeted us each morning as we started our day cleaning in the HQ building. She had some sage growing outside the building that she started from saplings and was very nurturing to. I showed her how to prune it and it really smiled in the warm spring sun and is in full bloom now. She was so interesting to talk to and so very sweet. We'll really miss her.
[caption id="attachment_642" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Desiree and I[/caption]
Desiree found a spot in both our hearts. She is a maintenance ranger here and we had a chance to become friends with her and meet her kids and husband and spend some time socializing. Every now and then you meet someone on the road that makes you want to stay longer. She is one of those to us, especially me. It's been like having a sister around this past 90 days.
[caption id="attachment_644" align="alignright" width="300"]
Walter[/caption]
Walter, the head of maintenance is what you would expect from any native Texan from an ag family. He is Texas through and through, we loved him. Chances are, by the time we return here, he will be retired so it will be especially hard to say goodbye to him.
[caption id="attachment_646" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Rachel[/caption]
Rachel the Volunteer Coordinator who hired us is another one that will be part of what draws us back someday. Just like last winter, we will have to let go of people we have made connections with. While it is sad at the moment, it gives a reason to return. Jobs and parks are about the same with small differences is mission, climate, layout etc. It is the people who make this life so rewarding. We will leave here Tuesday leaving a piece of Champ behind ( his appendix) and taking a piece of these great people in our hearts. We haven't had any rodent issues here so I doubt we will be trapping any Texas mice in the compartments like we were last year when we return home. The memories from our time at Wilderness Lakes in Mathis and all the friends we made there and our time at Goliad State Park are taking up quite a chunk of space in our short-term memories. The web of the full-time lifestyle has grown a bit broader this winter. Next winter is planned and we are now counting our time as full-time RV Volunteers in years rather than months. Time really does fly when you are having fun.
Until tomorrow...
[caption id="attachment_643" align="alignright" width="225"]
Lonn, Champ and I at Reenactment[/caption]We said goodbye to our volunteer counterpart Lonn, this morning. He will be dragging his heels back to Iowa, as will we in a couple of days. The weather report from home is not very enticing.
We've had a busy weekend of socializing and soaking in the beauty of this park. The next 36 hours will be full-on prep for travel. We did our exit interview this morning and delayed the real goodbyes for later. This is by far the hardest part of being a full-time RV Volunteer.
[caption id="attachment_645" align="alignleft" width="300"]
C.C. and I with the Sage[/caption]We got to know C.C. quite well. Her smiling face greeted us each morning as we started our day cleaning in the HQ building. She had some sage growing outside the building that she started from saplings and was very nurturing to. I showed her how to prune it and it really smiled in the warm spring sun and is in full bloom now. She was so interesting to talk to and so very sweet. We'll really miss her.
[caption id="attachment_642" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Desiree and I[/caption]Desiree found a spot in both our hearts. She is a maintenance ranger here and we had a chance to become friends with her and meet her kids and husband and spend some time socializing. Every now and then you meet someone on the road that makes you want to stay longer. She is one of those to us, especially me. It's been like having a sister around this past 90 days.
[caption id="attachment_644" align="alignright" width="300"]
Walter[/caption]Walter, the head of maintenance is what you would expect from any native Texan from an ag family. He is Texas through and through, we loved him. Chances are, by the time we return here, he will be retired so it will be especially hard to say goodbye to him.
[caption id="attachment_646" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Rachel[/caption]Rachel the Volunteer Coordinator who hired us is another one that will be part of what draws us back someday. Just like last winter, we will have to let go of people we have made connections with. While it is sad at the moment, it gives a reason to return. Jobs and parks are about the same with small differences is mission, climate, layout etc. It is the people who make this life so rewarding. We will leave here Tuesday leaving a piece of Champ behind ( his appendix) and taking a piece of these great people in our hearts. We haven't had any rodent issues here so I doubt we will be trapping any Texas mice in the compartments like we were last year when we return home. The memories from our time at Wilderness Lakes in Mathis and all the friends we made there and our time at Goliad State Park are taking up quite a chunk of space in our short-term memories. The web of the full-time lifestyle has grown a bit broader this winter. Next winter is planned and we are now counting our time as full-time RV Volunteers in years rather than months. Time really does fly when you are having fun.
Until tomorrow...
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