We reached an unusual seasonal milestone this week, that
only full-time RV’ers will understand. I opened the last package of Hy-Vee
brand frozen veggies. Let me explain. Hy-Vee is
the major grocer in Iowa, much like HEB in Texas or Kroger in other parts of
the country. I’m a house brand girl on many things like canned and frozen
veggies and pantry items. We know when we’ve been away from a place for a
certain length of time when we open that last item with the regional house
brand emblazoned on the label. It’s a weird but definitive milestone.
The winter has been satisfying, even with our semi locked
down circumstances. The park we are in
has been free of COVID issues. The club house is closed and what few activities taking place are outside. It hasn’t been boring by any means. Horseshoes and Bocce Ball are a blast and the pool is open for the sunny days. It is just a different speed.
I bought a portable
greenhouse last summer and have put it to good use here. It protected my
outdoor plants during our ‘winter’ that brought lows in the upper 30’s for a
couple of weeks, and it gave me a place to get my lettuces started. My spider
plant that got bit one night when it got colder than expected is using it as an
infirmary now, and recovery nicely! I’m
not sure how I have lived without it the first 4 winters as full-timers.
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| Plants recovering from the cold night |
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| Lettuces and Spinach three weeks after sewing seed |
We have occasional happy hours with friends and
neighbors. I do Yoga regularly with a
friend here in the park and when the mornings start being consistently in the
60’s the office has asked me to lead a social yoga practice at the pool patio a
couple of mornings a week. My yoga
partner also taught me how to play Canasta and we get together once a week or
so with another friend and spend an afternoon playing. Most days are nice as we while
away the days going for walks, taking motorcycle rides and enjoying our winter
off from workcamping.
I have spent a great deal of time sewing. I work on my own projects and even got to help my neighbor here, who doesn't sew, make some decorative throw pillows and a curtain for her RV. I am finally
learning to ‘just be still’ for the first time in my adult life.
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| My New Couch Blankie |
Like all full time RV lifestyles, our way of living, working
and traveling is evolving after 5 years.
When we return to Iowa this spring, we will not be working at
Saylorville for the first time since we started. Instead, we will be
homesteading on our oldest son’s acreage during the summers. We are both
excited to spend time with a new crop of young great grandkids and be on what
was once Champs home before his son bought it from us several years ago. I will
be able to put a garden in the ground and not in containers,
the cats will roam about and hunt, like the farm cats they once were, and we
will be free to travel.
And travel we will this summer! A trip to the Black Hills with 2 of our 3
kids and their families, an adult grandson, my son in laws parents and his brothers family is on the calendar for June. A huge 5 BR house will be
our basecamp as we explore Western South Dakota. Several weekends reserved at
Saylorville to be guests rather than workcampers and then the big trip of the
summer will be out East. We will visit friends in Maine, finally after
cancelling last summer due to COVID, then park the truck in long term parking in
Boston while we take a 7-day cruise to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and
the Coast of Maine. Upon disembarking from the cruise, a road trip back to Iowa
will cap off what will end up being nearly 3 weeks of exploring parts of the country,
we have not yet broken ground on.
Next fall we will head for a long-awaited engagement with
Fish and Wildlife Services at a volunteer gig from November to March, on Key
Largo. Jobs will vary from vehicle maintenance and
heavy equipment work for Champ, to Butterfly garden, interpretive tour and
working with the Biology interns in the field for me. I couldn’t be more
excited! Champ is cautiously optimistic
that he won’t encounter a behemoth Python during our 4-month tenure. I, on the
other hand will be thrilled if I get to help the interns capture and collar one
of the invasive beasts that they are working to eradicate. There are 8 species actively being protected at this refuge. I am beyond excited to get the opportunity to be on such a diverse refuge and in an amazing climate like the Keys! Check it out at this link if you want to see more.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/crocodile_lake/
We stay in contact with our RV friends around the country,
practice our social distancing and await the near future when travel will be
easier, and adventure awaits!
Until Next Time…
