Laying Over in Dillon, SC

 

Even though this was a non-traveling day, seems like we kept busy.  I managed to get two loads of laundry done this morning, and that pretty much catches us up.  Dave got in a bike ride of around 30 miles; he remembers riding in this area four years ago, so it was a bit of a ride down memory lane for him on familiar roads. 

We originally planned to take the cargo out of the bed of the truck while here, but decided it made more sense to leave it in, reducing the amount of hassle and work to be done while here.  That would have been logical if we were spending three nights here, but not so much for the two we actually spending.  Long and short, Dave sat with the truck while I made a 1:04 hour breeze through Walmart this afternoon.  We’re stocked up with provisions for at least through the weekend.

That’s a good thing, because the first couple of days will be crazy/weird as we settle in at our site and acclimate ourselves to working night shift.

The one thing about this assignment I’m really not tickled about is the fact that we will only be able to dump our tanks using a macerator.  We did it for two months when we were at this site in 2010, and it was a bit of a hassle.  On a long-term basis . . . well . . . hopefully the restroom with shower in the guard building is such that I can clean and fix it up so we can utilize it quite a bit.  The guard building is right across from our RV site and quite convenient, actually.  As long as I can fix it up so we’re not carting toiletries and towels back and forth, I’ll be good with that.  Dave used the shower after his bike rides back in 2010 and, if I remember correctly, it was a decent-sized shower.  It really might be nice to have a larger shower.  Whoohoo!  Stay tuned for future developments.

Oh yeah, we splurged on a joint birthday gift and bought a Keurig!  It’s just like the one we had in the office in NJ.   We don’t drink much coffee – me one cup and Dave a couple – per day, but we’re both missing our java.  We decided a hot cup of coffee would be really nice during night shift, especially when the weather turns chilly.  It’s still in its box in the truck, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we christen it tomorrow evening.

We have both been rather tired the rest of the afternoon and this evening.  Dave has gone to bed to read and Maggie is snuggling with him.  It’s a bit too early for me to retire; if I crash this early, I’ll be up around 1 or 2 AM.  We did take some walks earlier after it cooled down a bit and sat outside for a few games of Yahtzee.

The park isn’t full this evening, but almost.  There’s everything here from a vintage (sooo cute!) Class C to big luxury Class A’s.

Tomorrow’s run is short, being just under 40 miles.  It will take us a while to position our RV, as it’s a back-in site and we want to get it well-positioned since we won’t be leaving for a while.

It will then take me a while to find everything that has been stowed inside.  Ha!   I’ll take the first watch from about 4:30 or 5 PM until about 2 AM.  I’ll need to do some major housecleaning after traveling, and I’m thinking this weekend will be time for that.  I’m not going to overdo things the first few days while settling into the new routine.  Rest, work and eat is about it.

Yep, we’re about to begin a totally different lifestyle . . . night owls.

The only Internet we have right now is via my phone hotspot, so I’ll turn it on and post this. 

OMG!  I’m getting NCIS on TV!  Make my day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Landed Safe and Sound in SC

 

Site A8 at Bass Lake Campground, Dillon, SC – same spot we had four years ago

We got an even earlier start this morning, pulling out of the park in Emporia, VA at about 9:30.  Folks,  that’s early for this crew.  It was raining moderately when we rolled out of the Jellystone park and made our way to I-95 South.  Today was a straight shot down I-95 to Dillon, SC.  It rained lightly off and on the entire trip,  but really wasn’t too bad. 

November 2010 at Bass Lake

We had one fuel stop at a Pilot in North Carolina and it was again a smooth in-and-out.  Even being Monday, it wasn’t really busy.  We were able to park away from the pumps to walk Maggie.  Dave scored a coffee while I was fueling our truck, so he was a fairly happy camper.  Right around the time we crossed into South Carolina, the rain kicked up a notch and started coming down at a pretty good rate. 

There is something comforting about returning to a place you’ve been before.  We know where Bass Lake is, so getting here was easy; it also is a very easy on-and-off from I-95.  We got set up fairly quickly, including water and sewer since we will be here until Wednesday. 

We ducked out to Walmart for a couple of things and then I indulged in a small personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.  Only ate two of the four pieces; haven’t eaten anywhere near a huge meal (not that we routinely do, anyway) in the last few days, so two pieces just hit the spot.  I have two for tomorrow.  Yay! 

We have walked around this 53-site park a few times in the light rain, just because walking feels good after riding for several hours.  We also enjoyed some catch-up time with Guy (he and his wife Julie are from England and are the owners), trading highlights of the four years that have passed since we were here.

This is not the fanciest park by any means and certainly not a resort, but the facilities are clean and it is peaceful.  There are a few permanent residents, others who return to winter here every year and others who stop on their snowbird flight South.  Guy told us that last year he had to turn people away, as he was completely booked. 

Tomorrow we’ll stock up on provisions and I’ll do what laundry there is in the hamper.   Who knows?  I might even get a nap.  Dave might even sneak in a bike ride.  He has been remembering his rides in the area from our previous time here in 2010. 

All in all, not a bad day.  I am so very proud of our truck for getting us here from NJ with not even a hiccup.  It ran very smoothly and strongly, pulling our RV behind it like the true champion workhorse it is.  Good Truck, I’d tell it every day.  Good Truck!

We have TV reception!  No cable, just off our antenna.  Several channels to choose from, and right now I’m watching one of Michael Palin’s travel documentaries in which he was watching Life of Brian on DVD.  How funny and almost surreal is that?  He is visiting the site where it was filmed.

Maggie again was the ultimate full-time dog, traveling contentedly in the truck, reveling in the smells and sights during her walks and now tuckered out in one of the recliners.  If I want my hoodie, I’ll have to arouse her.  I can do without the hoodie.

Although it’s still early in the evening, I am rather tired and think I’ll bid you good-night.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today Was Smoooooth

 

First of all, a very happy birthday to my beloved Scotsman, my best friend, my partner in adventure and my husband.  We have known each other for 10 years this month.   My birthday rolls around in 10 days, so we may try to have a meal out  at some point to celebrate both events.  We usually do that.

That extra day and night at the KOA in Broadway, VA really helped.  We were on the road at about 10:30 this morning, which is very reasonable for us.  Yes, we remembered to make sandwiches for today, and our snacks hit the spot as we cruised along.  I also remembered to charge up my MP3 player and put it in the truck.  I have a playlist of “plane music” which I compiled years ago of songs which give me good vibes during our flights back to Scotland.  They are also good “road tunes,” and we both enjoyed the almost two hours of hand-picked songs.

Our route today was Interstate 81 South, Interstate 64 East, the 288 loop around Richmond, VA, and then south on Interstate 95 to the Jellystone park near Emporia, VA.  We take our time when we travel, so we arrived around 3:30 this afternoon.

Coming through the Blue Ridge Mountains was absolutely beautiful, especially that long downhill run which ended (thankfully!) at a rest stop. 

Perfect day for traveling.  View looking back from the rest stop.

There were no mishaps or stressful incidents today.  We stopped once to fuel at a Pilot and it was a positive experience.  There were hardly any big dawgs at the pumps, I’ve got the fueling procedure down to a science now and Dave didn’t really object to stopping there after yesterday’s experience at the wee convenience store fueling the truck. 

Dave had mentioned earlier that, since it is his birthday, he wouldn’t mind picking up a few beers if we had the opportunity.  He is, after all, a born and bred Scotsman.  When I went in to get our receipt for the fuel, I noticed a small cooler of . . . beer!   I was really surprised, as I had never seen beer sold at truck stops before.  When I went back out to our rig, I told him to go inside and get his beer, which he did!  Since we are not unhitching for a one-night stay, this was a nice surprise.

We have had several walks around the park here, but I forgot to take a photo of our setup.  Perhaps in the morning, although the forecast is for rain all along our route into Dillon, SC.  We’re parked in between two huge Class A rigs, but over on the other side of the park there are all sorts of rigs from Class A’s down to two tiny teardrop-type bumper pulls. 

There are quite a few dogs here, and Maggie had a nose-to-nose meet-and-greet with a wee Yorkie on one of her strolls.  She was so going crazy with all the new smells we at one point thought she would just explode and “there would be puppy everywhere.”  Ha!  She is such a good traveler!  Oh, she was disturbed when the park cat came over and sat on the picnic table bench with Dave for a while earlier on.  He sat outside with his laptop for quite a while, catching up on emails and Scottish futbol scores.

We even managed a wee dinner here at home this evening of pasta and bourbon-BBQ ham steak.  Very simple and very yummy.  Well, Dave is having a wee snack of a kolache, toast and cheese right now. 

All in all, a day on the road as I envisioned . . . beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, upbeat tunes, snacks and easy conversation peppered with laughter between us. 

Indeed, a very smoooooth day.

Total States:  One, Virginia, from just inside the northern state line to just inside the southern state line.

Mileage:  209.6

Thanks for stopping by!

We Really Should Get Out More or Perhaps Not . . .

We got away from the facility a bit after 11 AM yesterday morning.  I had told myself I’d be happy if we left by noon, so we were good.  Made through the toll plaza in PA just fine, no sweat.  Highlights – if that’s what you want to call ‘em – of our day.

• I prefer refueling at truck stops simply for ease of maneuvering the rig.  Dave really doesn’t like them.  Wanting to not drop us much below half a tank and liking to start the day with a full tank, we refueled twice.  First was a truck stop.  During that exercise, we exchanged a few words in tones of voices we rarely use with one another.  Towards the end of the day, we exited the interstate and followed the sign to a station that had diesel, this in an effort to oblige Dave.  Turns out it was a wee hole-in-the-wall convenience store, which would have been really fairly easy except . . . there was a vehicle blocking access to the diesel pump with owner nowhere in sight, getting our rig’s butt off the road put us at a tight angle for getting to the pump (eventually) and . . .  well, it was stressful for yours truly.  “Am I going to miss the flowerpot on your side?”  Dave afterwards said he’s okay with my pulling into truck stops from now on.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hanging with the big dawgs at West Virginia rest stop

• Saw a fast-traveling car on the interstate in front of us pass an 18-wheeler on the shoulder.  Insane.  Scary.
• This is the first time we have carried cargo in the bed of the truck, including a plastic bag with chocks, etc.  I periodically scan the truck bed, rig sides, etc. in my mirrors.  At one point the bag started creeping up the side of the truck bed.  Yoinks!  “Umm . . . okay, the bag’s climbing out of the truck.”  We slowed down quite a bit with flashers on and then stopped as soon as we safely could exit for Dave to secure that puppy.  Amazing what wind can do, eh?
• Always before when traveling, we made sandwiches the night before and had them in the cooler of the truck for snacks.  Did we remember to do that this time?  Oh no, she says.  We had a few drinks and a bottle of peanuts.  As of this morning, we had gone a bit over 24 hours without eating. “Why?  What happened to dinner?”  See next bullet.
• After arriving at our site at this KOA last evening and setting up the rig, it was time to put out the slides.  Bedroom slide open.  Check.  First living room slide.   First living room slide.  Hello?  Motor running, but no movement.  Oh  crap.  Long story short, we sat outside at the picnic table until almost 10 PM, when it dawned on me, “Duh!  The slides can work independently.  Let’s see if the living room superslide will open.  At least we  can get to the kitchen and I can clean up the flour that’s everywhere.”  I hear you saying, “Flour?  Flour?  Everywhere?”  See next bullet.  Again.  Checked the outside slide control panel.  Oh.  Dear.  In my routine pre-trip safety checklist, I always turn off the slides at the control panel.  Oh.  My.  Yeah, well.  My bad.  Turned on the switches for those two slides and they opened.  “Better cancel that call to Good Sam Roadside Assistance . . .”
• You might be wondering about the flour by now.  In all our journeys with this rear kitchen, we have never had a cabinet  pop open.  On climbing over furniture to get to the kitchen last evening to get me a Dr.  Pepper and Dave a much-deserved beer, there’s this white stuff everywhere in the kitchen.  All cabinet doors closed.  Heck, looked like someone’s baking attempts went very much awry.  Or a cocaine party that was just way too wasteful.  After we got the slides open, I did a basic clean-up, leaving the details until this morning.

Site #20 at the Harrisonburg, VA KOA

• The couple across from us have two large dogs.  One wandered over into our site and started barking at us.  Skeered the bejesus outta me.  Black dog in the black night; hard to see until he is right there with ya and barks with a deep voice.  The guy came over and got him.  Heard them saying, “I thought you were watching him . . .”
• Said dogs are the only barkers in the entire park.  And their site is right across the drive from ours.  And their people are gone and the dogs have been vocalizing ever since.  Could be worse.  They could be constantly barking yappy small dogs . . .
• While in the office arranging to stay over tonight, the office cat got sick and started throwing up.  You guessed it.  Didn’t notice it had already done so right by the counter apparently during the time I stepped away from the counter and went back.  I stepped right in it.  Oh yay.  Cat vomit on my shoe.

Finished cleaning up the kitchen this morning.  We decided to stay an extra day here to rest from yesterday’s adventures.  Dave is out on a short bike ride, adding Virginia to his tally of states he has cycled.  Originally planning a one-night stay here, Dave hooked up our water and sewer this morning before heading out on the bike.  I figured I might as well do a couple of loads of laundry before it becomes a mountain.  Since our travel schedule has been severely modified, we may have only a one-night stopover right before getting to our work site in South Carolina.  Looks like we may have a two-night layover at our next stop tomorrow in Emporia,  Virginia due to possible bad weather Monday.

States traveled through yesterday:  New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.

Total mileage:  290.1,  which is more than we usually do, but it worked out that way.  We survived and have shorter travel days ahead.  Hopefully,  they will be less eventful and less stressful, too.

I’m going to chill on the daybed with Maggie now.  Oh yeah, Maggie was her usual trouper self.  She was so excited, she couldn’t bring herself to focus on that pre-departure pee and tugged me straight to the truck!  In her crate in the truck (except for periodic walks) until almost 10 PM last night, she uttered nary a whimper and was in no distress.  We couldn’t ask for a better full-timing doggie!

One of the many KOA chickens here, this one visiting us at our site this morning.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ready to Roll

 

We made a good call by waiting out the weather today, as it rained until late this afternoon.  Once it finally did stop, we got out and got busy.

The first thing we got out of the way was hitching up the truck and RV.  It had been a bit over a year since we had done that and I’m pleased to say it went very smoothly.  We have our system down pretty pat.  I am in the truck and Dave mans the RV landing gear controls and directing me to line up the truck and RV. 

It started lightly raining again for a while after hitching up

Dave then got under the RV and disconnected our sewer line.  It was regular sewer hose for a few feet which connected to a PVC pipe for the remainder of the line.  This worked really well during our time here; we didn’t have to worry about the sewer hose becoming damaged or freezing during Winter.  While he was doing that, I disconnected our water line.  All that’s left in the morning in that regard is disconnecting from shore power. 

Funny . . . I used to suffer from severe “hitch itch” every now and then but it had not occurred in, oh, probably the last year.  I have been very content here.  Today, however, once hitched up . . . man, I am ready to cruise down the highway and see some new territory.  I do the towing, and I’m getting into that “hanging with the big dogs” (big semi rigs) groove.  It will be nice to drive through different states other than New Jersey.

I really don’t like driving in NJ.  It is claustrophobic.  You can’t see conveniences such as gas stations from the highway.  You really can’t see much from the highway at all due to the trees.  Trees are lovely and I appreciate them on many levels; however, I like to be able to see.  Especially when hauling a 40’ RV behind me!  “Can I get in there?”  “Can I get out of there??”  “Where is it?”  Then you see a sign after exiting that indicates your destination is 1.6 miles in that ======> direction.  Oh goody.

Maggie, of course, knows something’s up, especially with all our bustling around this afternoon.  She’s not worked up or anything, but she knows something’s in the air.  Took her for her usual evening extended walk and the three of us have been hanging out together like we do many evenings, just to maintain some normalcy for her.  She enjoys traveling and does quite well, so she’ll have fun over the coming days.

The facility electrician stopped by this afternoon, so we had the opportunity to say a proper “cheerio” to him.  He has never let us down when we have had emergent power issues and is a good guy.

One bit of good news is that the company is purchasing our generator.  Yay!  Although we advertised via various methods and had a bit of interest, it had not sold outright.  “Oh, my dad says we can use his, so we won’t be coming to look at it,” etc.  The company can definitely use it here on the property, so it’s a win/win situation for everyone.  It’s a great relief to not have this issue unresolved as we leave.

That’s about it for today.  Will be unwinding a bit more and then heading to the shower and blankies shortly.  There are still last minute tasks before we roll and then about 290 miles to travel before we land tomorrow.  We’re in no rush and will take our time in the morning getting out of here and on the road. 

Hey, we’re full-timers.  There’s no hurry.  Isn’t that grand?

Life is guid!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Weather Delay

 

I took the opportunity the other day to snap some (more) photos of the site here.  It was quite a cloudy day, even a bit overcast. 

Entrance to the property as seen from the street.  The hedge around the sign was totally disheveled when we arrived in 2011.  Dave got it under control and keeps it lookin’ good.

Driveway into the property.  There’s a gate down there that we open and close daily.

There is a coastal storm heading this way, expected to impact us starting tonight.  If it were closer to Winter, one might even call it a Nor’easter.  We were scheduled to leave tomorrow; however, with about 1” of rain expected here and heavy rain and a bit of wind along our projected route, we have delayed departure a day.  The forecast for Friday and on out from there looks really nice.

After calling the campgrounds and changing our reservation dates, I got chicken tetrazzini into the slow cooker and will make a batch of kolaches later.  Road food!  With everything done except last minute tasks, Dave is taking the opportunity to get in another bike ride.  Maggie had a pre-trip clip a while ago and is looking even cuter than usual.

  Taken from just inside the gate.

Yesterday was crazy-busy.  Our boss came out and took us to lunch, and it was a totally fun outing.  The weather was quite pleasant, so we dined outside.  What we really enjoyed was the fellowship with him.  That was a very special gesture and we are honored.  Our washer and dryer went off on a company truck down to one of the yards, where it will be boxed and prepared to go on another truck down to the facility in South Carolina. 

We have had a lovely park-like setting here, although it has come with its trials of living next to a river and the curve balls Mother Nature has tossed our way in the form of hurricanes, Nor’easters, blizzards, Superstorm Sandy and the like.

Today is an unexpected, but welcome, gift.  Rather than bustling around hitching up the rig, disconnecting sewer and water and preparing to roll out tomorrow, we are left with a mostly do-what-you-want day.  Tonight and the first half of tomorrow will see us hunkered down in the storm that passes through.  After it’s gone tomorrow, we’ll take care of those remaining items on our pre-departure list.

Our RV is to the right, with the office trailer to the left.  That stack is from the mill, which is an old paper mill.  The Musconetcong River runs between the parking lot where our RV is parked and the mill.

Blindsided at first by the idea of leaving and transferring to South Carolina (we knew we would leave here someday; we just didn’t expect it at this time), we are now looking forward to the change.  We rearranged the basement storage of our RV and have items stowed securely in the truck, and I am even looking forward to the journey itself.  It’s been two years since we’ve traveled with the rig, and I’m thinking it will be fun to be out on the road again.  We’ll have drastically different duties in SC and not be nearly as busy with work, but that may be okay, too, really.  Well . . . I will miss running an office and hopefully at some point in the future we’ll have another situation with a variety like this one.  In the meantime, I’m sure I’ll adapt and find other things to do.  Knit, work as a virtual assistant, write, perhaps get involved with a local CERT organization, do more photography, garden a bit, drum . . . yep, I’ll find something, I bet!

It’s time to check on dinner, so I’ll say cheerio for today!

Thanks for stopping by!

T Minus 3.5

 

That’s 3.5 days until we roll through the gates here for the last time.  Dave is off on a prolonged bike ride this lovely Sunday, and I’m good with that.  He is winding up his cycling here in New Jersey; I told him to take as long as he wanted, stop by the little café where he likes to get a coffee and just really savor the ride.  His busy time preparing us to leave starts tomorrow.  He gets to do the “fun” stuff including torqueing the wheels, checking tire pressures, greasing wheel bearings, unhooking the sewer (PVC line) connection on Wednesday and so forth.  Wednesday will be busy, as we’ll hitch up the truck and 5er, too.  I’m hoping he has a blast on his ride today! 

Meanwhile, I’m doing our laundry for the last time here.  Our washer/dryer will leave Tuesday and should be at the site in South Carolina by next weekend.  I also continue to stow some things . . . our log tongs, being one of the items.

We found this item in a funky resale shop in . . . Florence, South Carolina, during our two-month gig there in September 2010.  They have gotten quite the workout since that time, being very handy for our campfires.  Interesting that they will be returning to Florence with us.  We had our last campfire here last night, and it was a good one.

Bringing in some warmth and good vibes through the chakras in my feet last night

Amazing how when you’re in one spot for so long stuff is everywhere . . . tongs on the rock by the fire pit, work boots in the office, there’s the outside garden hose that needs to be put away (check), beer glasses (inside a cabinet in the RV, naturally) wrapped and stowed for travel (check), etc..  Whew!

For several evenings lately, we have been visited by Toad.  Toad was out again last night, keeping a very still vigil by one of our ground lights for over three hours.  I think Toad was  waiting for bugs, i.e. evening meal . . . 

Hunting or meditating?  Or both?

Part of the symbolism of Toad in Native American views is the bringing of inner strength medicine.  That’s totally cool and very welcome, as I will be summoning up my inner strength persona during our trip South.  Thank you, Great Spirit, for sending Toad my way during this time of transition.

Oh yeah, Mole is busy again already this year.  The ground right next to the pavement in front of our RV is squishy/gives way a bit, and one can see the trails – upended earth – where Mole is burrowing around underground.  Mole is getting an early start; we didn’t see that until well into Winter last year when there was snow on the ground. 

Steak Bridies for dinner tonight

The meat is in the slow cooker and still has a bit to go, but bridies are on the menu tonight.  This is a Scottish treat and should be even more yummy this evening because we actually have a bottle (well, part of one) of HP Sauce.  Yay!

I think I’m pretty much done with outside stuff today, as it is fairly warm and quite humid.  Tomorrow should be cooler by about ten degrees and more pleasant after a cold front rolls through later this evening.

Well, at least with this move I have something to blog about these days.  I really appreciate you taking time to visit with me here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Winding Down in New Jersey

 

Our time here is certainly coming to a close.  We are less than a week away from pulling out and heading to South Carolina.

Dave is out on the bike right now, so I have some quiet time to get a blog post done.  Although I have done a gazillion things, there are still those “getting close to departure day” tasks that need completing.

Yesterday was a washout, as I really was not feeling well.  Amazing how I can feel so bad one day and then pretty fantastic the next.  I’ve been taking advantage of today by going to Walmart for a few groceries and a new drinking water hose and then to Maggie’s vet for food, her meds and her records.   I’m taking my office plants, and have found a box that they will fit in perfectly for the trip down.  They’ll be going in the bed of the truck.  I may even wash the truck once Dave gets home.  Thank goodness it’s King Ranch Chicken leftovers tonight. 

Gosh, I hope I feel this good the days we are traveling . . .

We aren’t sure if we are allowed to have campfires at the new facility and we won’t be taking our fire ring with us; therefore, we are having our last campfires this weekend, including one last night.  Working night shift at our new location may, or may not, be conducive to campfires.  There’s another good excuse to indulge this weekend.  Like we need an excuse.

Remember the photo of Dave splitting wood from the other day?  Here’s the result!

Dave is also indulging in a few brewskies this weekend as, again, our new lifestyle and hours just don’t fit well with a few beers on the weekends.  Well, I imagine he might be able to fit in a couple every once in a while . . . but certainly not like here.  In other words, we’re playing these last weekend evenings here.

Our washer and dryer will leave out of here Tuesday and should be at the SC facility by next weekend.  I’ll do my best to have us totally caught up before they head on down South.  Our boss here is coming out Tuesday to take us to lunch!  I cannot say enough good things about Tony.  As Dave says, he is a true gentleman.  He’s done what he can – and that goes above and beyond – to enable us to perform our duties here and to make our life here as comfortable as possible, and we greatly appreciate all his efforts.  We will not be reporting directly to him in our position in SC, and I will miss interacting with him.  It is a total pleasure working with him.

I was told the other day by the Holland Police Chief that there were a few of the CERT items in my bag that I could keep.  One of those is my CERT cap, so I swung by the police department this morning to pick up those items.  I do wear baseball-type caps now and then, and may be doing so more frequently in our new situation.  The CERT cap is a nice memento.  Cheers for that HPD!

Last night was a late one for us, as we were watching live streaming on BBC of the Scottish independence referendum voting event as results were coming in.  Mixed emotions on that one . . . while my heart cheered for Scotland to gain her independence, my head was voting “No.”  Like so many Scottish citizens being interviewed, my concerns were what independence would mean for Dave’s pensions, the currency – what currency would be used and how it would stand up in value in the international market – and so forth.  I suppose those viewpoints come with age. . . At any rate, it was certainly quite interesting, rather exciting and history in the making, so we enjoyed the live stream coverage.

Okay, Dave is back from his ride.  Think I’ll go see what I can get done!

Thanks for stopping by!

Winding Down in New Jersey

 

Our time here is certainly coming to a close.  We are less than a week away from pulling out and heading to South Carolina.

Dave is out on the bike right now, so I have some quiet time to get a blog post done.  Although I have done a gazillion things, there are still those “getting close to departure day” tasks that need completing.

Yesterday was a washout, as I really was not feeling well.  Amazing how I can feel so bad one day and then pretty fantastic the next.  I’ve been taking advantage of today by going to Walmart for a few groceries and a new drinking water hose and then to Maggie’s vet for food, her meds and her records.   I’m taking my office plants, and have found a box that they will fit in perfectly for the trip down.  They’ll be going in the bed of the truck.  I may even wash the truck once Dave gets home.  Thank goodness it’s King Ranch Chicken leftovers tonight. 

Gosh, I hope I feel this good the days we are traveling . . .

We aren’t sure if we are allowed to have campfires at the new facility and we won’t be taking our fire ring with us; therefore, we are having our last campfires this weekend, including one last night.  Working night shift at our new location may, or may not, be conducive to campfires.  There’s another good excuse to indulge this weekend.  Like we need an excuse.

Remember the photo of Dave splitting wood from the other day?  Here’s the result!

Dave is also indulging in a few brewskies this weekend as, again, our new lifestyle and hours just don’t fit well with a few beers on the weekends.  Well, I imagine he might be able to fit in a couple every once in a while . . . but certainly not like here.  In other words, we’re playing these last weekend evenings here.

Our washer and dryer will leave out of here Tuesday and should be at the SC facility by next weekend.  I’ll do my best to have us totally caught up before they head on down South.  Our boss here is coming out Tuesday to take us to lunch!  I cannot say enough good things about Tony.  As Dave says, he is a true gentleman.  He’s done what he can – and that goes above and beyond – to enable us to perform our duties here and to make our life here as comfortable as possible, and we greatly appreciate all his efforts.  We will not be reporting directly to him in our position in SC, and I will miss interacting with him.  It is a total pleasure working with him.

I was told the other day by the Holland Police Chief that there were a few of the CERT items in my bag that I could keep.  One of those is my CERT cap, so I swung by the police department this morning to pick up those items.  I do wear baseball-type caps now and then, and may be doing so more frequently in our new situation.  The CERT cap is a nice memento.  Cheers for that HPD!

Last night was a late one for us, as we were watching live streaming on BBC of the Scottish independence referendum voting event as results were coming in.  Mixed emotions on that one . . . while my heart cheered for Scotland to gain her independence, my head was voting “No.”  Like so many Scottish citizens being interviewed, my concerns were what independence would mean for Dave’s pensions, the currency – what currency would be used and how it would stand up in value in the international market – and so forth.  I suppose those viewpoints come with age. . . At any rate, it was certainly quite interesting, rather exciting and history in the making, so we enjoyed the live stream coverage.

Okay, Dave is back from his ride.  Think I’ll go see what I can get done!

Thanks for stopping by!

We’re Short . . .

 

One week tomorrow and we should be rolling through the gate headed south.  Well, actually west and then south.   I am both excited and a wee bit apprehensive. 

I keep going over in my mind what else I can cull from what is in our RV.  We have more stuff (there’s that word again . . . “stuff,” which means everything from clothes to houseplants, to small dorm-size refrigerator . . . such a catch-all word, “stuff.)  On the lighter side (pun intended), during our time here we have disposed of things here such as satellite dish and its accoutrements, sleeper sofa (with weight of 250 pounds per its specs; it was one heavy piece of furniture, I tell ya), one bicycle, articles of clothing (added some though, like insulated overalls and heavier jackets due to the harsh winters here), and so on. 

Again, I’m glad we upgraded from E-rated tires to a G-rated set, and I’m going nowhere near a CAT scale on this trip!

When we were actively traveling back in 2010/2011, we weighed in about 500 pounds under our max.  Dave says I’m obsessed with the rig’s weight, but I just want us to make this trip safely.

Funny . . . here I am a girl concerned about weight and it’s not my personal weight but that of my RV and truck combo.  Ha!  I am so my father’s daughter.

Hoping the Appalachian and Shenandoah Mountains will be kind to us.  Hoping my Dad will watch over us from that big campground in the sky . . .

Reviewing our route and its stages today, I realized I miscalculated the mileage of our first day out.  I thought it was right around 200 miles. 

Well . . .

It is actually about 280.  Ruh-roh.  I remembered that I was unable to find a campground close to the interstate at about 200 miles when planning the route, the first being a ways on down the road a bit.  Hence, the 280-odd miles for that stage. 

We also have one toll plaza to go through just as we enter Pennsylvania.  Well, I had to get us through it coming here, so I can get us through going out.  Nice and slow.  I’ll just use the far right-hand lane like the “big dogs” (semis) do.

It’s gonna be a long first day back in the saddle for this gal.  No big deal, I guess.  We’ll just take our time as usual.  I stop about every 1.5 hours to take a break, and we’ll be stopping perhaps more frequently to check the torque on the RV wheels, since we just put new tires on.  If we land safe and sound, I’ll be happy.  I bet I’ll sleep well that night.

June 2013, “exercising” the rig – Yep, I tow that baby

The most mileage we have done in one day was back in 2010, heading into Cherokee, NC, and that ended up being 350+.  It was dark by the time we hit mountains in the area, my first experience in mountains, and tunnels.  Oh yeah.  Tunnels after dark.  Oh boy.  Trippy.

The good news is our first day will be the longest in mileage, and there are only two more travel days until we get a nice layover in South Carolina prior to arriving at the facility and going on duty.  I have built some flexibility to our travel schedule in case we want to stay an extra night between here and South Carolina to rest or in case of nasty weather.

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There was activity here today with company folks on-site, so I didn’t get a whole lot done.  Did manage to stow a few more things in the rig, so I am making progress. 

Our last weekend here is coming up, and we plan on having as many campfires as we can squeeze in.  With that in mind, Dave got busy this morning and split some wood.

Does my Scotsman rock or what?

I’d like to fire up the grill at least one day over the weekend, too.  We’ll see how that goes in between working on preparing us for departure.  Of course, my meal planning is thrown back a day; today’s cooking plans where dust in the wind due to the activity here. 

My goal is to complete all my preparation tasks (excluding the absolute last-minute things) no later than Monday, so I have a couple of days to chill out and rest a bit.  I’m getting there. 

We’ll hitch up on Wednesday and Dave will disconnect our sewer and water connections, leaving us connected to shore power only.  This will leave less to do the next day before rolling out of here.

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Guess I’d better wrap this up and think about heading to bed soon.  Catch ya later!

Thanks for stopping by!

Counting Down . . .

 

Today began our last full calendar week here. 

Susan over at Travel Bug asked when we will be in South Carolina.  Susan, we will roll into the facility in Florence, SC, on October 1, and take over the duties that evening from the guard currently on site.  We’re leaving here on the 25th of September, allowing us leeway for bad weather, with the last few spent at Bass Lake Campground in Dillon, SC.  That’s just under 40 miles from the facility.  That’ll give us time for some R&R, laundry, gathering provisions, testing our macerator, etc.  We’ve stayed at Bass Lake before, so it should be a pleasant layover.

The company is shipping our washer and dryer with one of the trucks going to the SC facility; this could happen this week or next.  With that in mind (and since it was time to do laundry anyway), today was spent catching up the washing.  Not only our clothes, but linens and Maggie’s blankets, sweaters, etc.  I should get some advance notice of when the W/D will be leaving, but I’ll try to keep things caught up as much as possible from here on out with loads every couple of days.

While Dave mowed today, I also tackled loading some of our plastic bins back in the basement and a few other things to get us ready to get out of here, including some personal paperwork.  Oh yeah, well, there were a couple of business things to do, too.

My office is looking rather bare, having been pretty much stripped of “me” at this point.  I sure have enjoyed this job. 

That being said, I am now looking forward to a change in scenery, duties and lifestyle (night shift).  We both remember impressive night skies in South Carolina and lovely sunrises.  An open sky will be welcome after spending almost four years in a valley, virtually in a forest. 

I will, however, miss seeing Eagle soar overhead as I did earlier today, so close those white tail feathers  and white head were positively vibrant.

A Praying Mantis was hanging out on the office porch railing for five days, then taking its leave of us sometime this afternoon.  Every day, PM would catch some morning rays in the sunshine and then move into the shade of the porch awning in the warmer afternoons.  So cool to have PM watching, head turning, keeping track of me if I were on the porch.  Native American beliefs say Praying Mantis brings medicine of patience, peace and stillness; that’s such a gift right now as I hustle and bustle getting us ready to depart. 

There was apparently quite a bit of praying going on, and I’m okay with that, too.

It’s been a busy day, so I’ll say good-night.

Thanks for stopping by!

Soggy Saturday & Blog List MIA

 

For weeks – or is it a couple of months now – my blog roll list in Blogger does not appear.  Frustrating.  I just don’t understand why Blogger can’t get a handle on this issue.  Anyone else having this problem?  Hellooooo??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s a rainy, chilly day here in Jersey, so I am taking the day as a rest day.  The weather isn’t conducive for doing laundry or rearranging the RV basement, so I’m resting and goofing off.  After going full-tilt last week, a rest day is a good thing.  Dave logged a few more bike miles, with his total for our time in NJ just over 25,000 miles.  I watched the final episode of “Damages,” chicken tetrazzini is in the slow cooker for dinner and then watched a silly B/C-class horror film, “The Screaming Skull.”  Have seen it before and it’s still good for a giggle or two. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 We are saying our good-byes to folks when we see them now.  For several months, a church down the street has been dismantling the old freight depot at the other mill and reassembling it on their property.  Glad to see this structure restored, refurbished and put to use again.  As part of our duties here, we have granted them access to the depot by opening gates, etc..  The pastor of the church came by yesterday and gave us t-shirts commemorating the project.

Thanks, Byron!  This was thoughtful of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m feeling better about our transfer to South Carolina.  It was a bit of a shock to the system at first, but I’m thinking this will be a good thing.  The company is graciously trucking our washer/dryer (and BBQ grill!) down to the SC facility on a load headed there next week or the week after.  Having our W/D means a lot.  Our life would be quite a bit more stressed and, well, even miserable, without it.  It was a true lifesaver a couple of years ago when I was out of commission following my surgeries.  The only thing about the new site that concerns me a bit is the sewer dump situation.  We’ll be emptying our tanks via a macerator.  We did it for the two months we were there in 2010, but in a long-term situation this is not ideal.  On the positive side, there is a restroom with shower in the office building nearby, and I believe we will have access to it again as we did in 2010.  I told Dave I can clean and fix it up nicely for us, and we can use it to minimize what goes in our bathroom gray and black tanks.  That will leave the most usage of the galley tank, but one really can’t minimize on that.  We still have to fix meals and wash dishes!

Even with the macerator situation, I feel this is a good move for us.  We have enjoyed the beauty of this site and the duties/responsibilities here, but we have also endured a significant amount of hardship/inconvenience due to weather/natural disasters. 

If the Farmers Almanac is spot-on like it was last year, this winter is not going to be pretty up here, folks.  It is forecast to be at least, if not worse, than last winter.  We  should be done with shoveling snow, skirting the rig and all those other hard-core preparations we made for winter.  Yes, it will be cold down there and chilly with rain, some ice storms and perhaps a wee bit of snow; however, it won’t be anything like the subzero temperatures here and the literal feet of snow on the ground from December until March/April.

Still, it is bittersweet leaving here and bidding farewell to the people we have worked with and come to know during our almost four years here.

Ah, Dave has returned from the market.  Guess I’ll go see what he snared on his trip and check on dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

New Shoes for Our Home

 

Pretty much first thing this morning – before breakfast, even – Dave and I prepared our 5th wheel for getting new tires.  Dave did a few things outside and I got the interior ready to bring in the slides.  It’s a good thing we did that, because at 8 AM I received the phone call saying the tire guy would be here in about 30 minutes. 

Yay!  Yikes!

“Junior” from Performance Tires arrived and set out to putting on our rig’s new “shoes.”  Took him what . . . maybe two hours, probably less, and he was done.

We now have four new Goodyear G614 tires on our RV.  They were manufactured this year right here in the USA.  No more “China bombs.”  We were fortunate we did not have any incidents with them.  We have gone from E-rated tires to G-rated, and I’ll feel a bit better on the road with the new ones.

It was fairly quiet here on the property today, but I was busy taking care of paperwork and sorting through things in preparation for our departure later this month.

Our route is all plotted out and ready; I wrapped this up a few days ago.  After looking at atlases and tools like MapQuest, I plot out our route, listing each day’s starting point and destination and the estimated mileage.  I then look for campgrounds and make reservations for each day’s stopover.  I’m keeping each day around 200 miles.  Once that is done, I rewrite my notes in a neat manner, starting with a general overview of each day’s route, destination and information on the campground, including details about rate, site, confirmation number, etc..

From that main page, I break each down on a separate piece of paper in my notebook.  This has detailed information on the route and campground, including directions from the interstate to the campground.  When we’re traveling, the page for the day is taken out of the notebook and is with me in the truck.  That way I don’t have to look at maps, etc.  It’s all spelled out in detail. 

We keep two atlases in the truck when traveling – a general one and the Motor Carriers Atlas.  Dave uses these to follow along and see where we are.  This gives him something to do while I’m driving.

Short post tonight, as my brain is tired.  Looking forward to snuggling under the blankies with book and sweet Maggie.

Thanks for stopping by!

Truck Serviced Today

 

2008 Ford F350 – Love this truck

Took our Ford F350 to Milham Ford over in Easton, PA after work today for 50k service, including oil change and tire rotation.  They also do a check of all systems, batteries, etc. at servicing.  Everything checked out okay!  I received several compliments on the truck (a common occurrence when out somewhere, even the grocery store), and the service manager said, “You must not touch the brakes,” meaning that they were in excellent condition, especially considering that the truck is a 2008 towing an RV.

I am so glad that is done and dusted and that there were no issues that cropped up.  It took two hours, but that is time well spent to be good for the road.

That is my last major errand.  I have a hair appointment next week and the week after I’ll take a last run to Maggie’s vet for her records, meds and food. 

That being said, I still have a lot to do, but at least it is at-home stuff.  What a relief!

Tomorrow our 5th wheel gets new “feet,” with the tire company coming out sometime in the morning to put on four new G-rated tires.  They will call beforehand, giving us time to put in the slides.  Yay!  New feet for the rig! 

I’m actually starting to look forward to the trip.  We’ll spend two nights in Virginia and then land at Bass Lake Campground in Dillon, SC for four nights.

November 2010 – Bass Lake Campground

We spent a good part of November 2010 at Bass Lake and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  It is owned and managed by a lovely couple from England; they had recently acquired the park when we were there in 2010.  The residents were comprised of overnighters (it’s located right on I-95), short-timers (like us), those staying the winter months and long-timers.  At that time, it was a friendly bunch and felt very much like a neighborhood.  Made some long-term friends there; unfortunately, they won’t be arriving until November and we’ll be gone already.  That photo seems like eons ago . . .

I planned an extended layover at Bass Lake for us to do laundry, stock up on groceries, test our macerator (which we’ll need at the work site) and order a new one if necessary and . . . rest.  Our new work location is less than 40 miles from Bass Lake, so I’m thinking we’ll take a drive down to the facility just to say howdy before heading there on October 1 to start work.

Well, I’m outta here for now.  Will be busy in the morning . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

Making Headway

 

We are in a balloon flight path here in NJ

Goodness, last week was a busy one!  Just about everything on my “to do” list has been either accomplished or the process set in motion.  I’ll be taking our truck to the Ford dealership in a nearby town tomorrow afternoon for its 50k servicing and routine systems check-up.  The tire company will be here Wednesday to put new “feet” on our RV.  Next week I’ll have one final hair cut with my stylist.  I’ll get Maggie’s medical records from her vet, refill her meds and stock up her food when we are closer to our departure date.  After this Wednesday, all the major items will be done, so I can work on getting us and our rig roadworthy (culling more things, rearranging/packing the basement, etc.) and not running around so much.  This should give me some time to rest up and chill out a bit before getting back on the road.  The last time we pulled the rig out of here was June 2012, when we attended the Montana Northeast Regional Rally in Lancaster, PA.

The facility electrician moved his scissor lift out of the way so I will have room to maneuver our rig in the parking lot when it’s time to leave.

A local girlfriend came over Friday evening and we had a delightful girlie yap by our campfire.  She brought a few pieces of wood and Dave had split some for us.  Saturday was oppressively hot and humid and the evening was a washout with thunderstorms, but we enjoyed some relaxing fire time last night.  We aren’t sure if we can have campfires in the new location, which is a good excuse (like we need one) to fit in as many as possible here before we leave.  The property here is almost like camping in a campground or state park (well, if you sit with your back to the mill . . .), making for lovely evenings around a fire.

August 2014 - Evening with my back not to the mill, but still a decent view, eh?

I met Alan when he delivered the CERT trailer here for the drill this year.  He mentioned he and his wife, Jody, are dreaming and planning for the full-time lifestyle in a few years, and that they would like to come by sometime and visit about full-timing.  Ran into him again when at the police station turning in my CERT gear; he mentioned this again and I told him they had better come by soon because we are leaving.  Saturday afternoon they spent about two hours here with us, touring our Montana and then visiting.  Whew!  Feel like I had my brain sucked!  Hahaha!  Jody and Alan, if you’re reading this, it truly was a pleasure and I hope I helped.  Looking forward to keeping in touch and hooking up with you on the road in the future.

We have decided to sell our generator, as the power situation in South Carolina is stable.  One cannot use the word “stable” by any stretch of the imagination regarding the power supply here, even discounting natural disasters.  Contacted a few folks today and have some interest, so we’ll see.

I have already cleared out and tossed out a lot of stuff from the office and our RV, and I’ll make another pass through it again.  We added extreme cold-weather clothes and jackets being up here because they were needed.  Some of those items (like my Carthartt overalls) are not inexpensive and I’ll be keeping them.  Although winters won’t be as brutal in South Carolina, we will be working at night and out in the elements.

At any rate, I keep thinking “we’ve got too much stuff!!”  I’m glad we’re replacing our E-rated tires with G-rated ones this week.  Ha!

Okay, that’s it for me this evening.  I am a bit weary, so think I’ll just have some chill-out time before toddling off to bed.

Thanks for stopping by!

Farewell, New Jersey

 

Home for the past 3 years, 7 months when we depart

Yes, all good things come to an end, as we knew it would at some point here.  We just weren’t expecting it to come last Friday, when we were told our assignment here was ending.  We have been offered a transfer to another location in South Carolina and are making preparations to leave here September 25, to be on duty down there October 1.  We’re grateful for the opportunity of continued employment with the same contracting company. 

Looking downstream at the Musconetcong River from one of the bridges on the property.

We’re going full circle, so to speak.  We did a two-month relief gig at the SC facility in September/October 2010.  It was enjoyable and we adapted to the duties and work cycle, still finding time to engage in epic chess matches, Dave cycled (hooked up with a local club and has hopes of doing so again on our return), we grilled and we visited a local farmers market a couple of times.  That gig is what got us hooked on doing this type of work.  I anticipate that it will be a more cloistered lifestyle due to the work schedule and rural location of the facility, but it’s not like we’re gad-abouts by nature, anyway.  We do go out to eat for a treat now and then here, but I don’t see that happening down there.  I don’t think we’ll miss it and we will be cutting back on indulgences financially.  There won’t be beach holidays and I just might miss that, actually.  We will be closer to the beach in general, so there may be a chance to sneak in a day trip next year at some point.  We’ll see.

View of the river above the dam on the property.  One of our patrol rounds here is a weekly dam drive.

Our duties and responsibilities will be changing drastically.  We have been on our own here, providing security and grounds/minor property maintenance and running an office.  We have worked closely with staff in the main company office located in southern NJ.  We have liaised with local law enforcement and are grateful to that police department for their support and rapport, both in professional and personal situations.  You couldn’t ask for a better bunch of guys to have your back.   In SC, we will be only security guards making rounds afternoons and night shift Monday through Friday and then 24-hour duty on weekends.  There is a skeleton crew of three on the property Monday through Friday.  They, too, are good guys and I look forward to working with them again.

We share the property here with several of these cuties and have seen generations of their families here.

I think know what I will miss the most about here is being busy (although there are plenty of quiet days), running an office, greeting and assisting vendors/customers/crews and interacting with the headquarters office.  We have been the company presence in the community here.   We will be taking a financial hit by putting new tires on our RV and losing the extra duties we perform here for which we are paid above and beyond our normal duties, although I am hopeful there will be auxiliary income opportunities of some sort eventually in SC.  Mainly, I will miss the responsibilities of this location.  I guess I’m saying I will miss having a purpose.  I have told Dave in the past that this post ranks up there with my all-time favorite job as office manager of an AA baseball club during my time in El Paso, TX back in the early 1980s.  That was one of those jobs where you wake up and think, “Oh boy!  I get to go to work today!  Wonder what will happen today!”

That’s how fun this post has been.

I even learned how to run a forklift here!

Folks, that’s fun and interesting. 

That being said, I am naturally a night owl given the chance to keep to my internal body clock and schedule, so the SC hours may agree with me more than here.  I will have  quiet time while Dave is sleeping and I’m pulling my portion of the night shift, so there should be ample opportunities to write, indulge in meditation, do more yoga and Tai Chi, etc.  Perhaps I’ll find a place to set up my djembe drum and do some drumming, albeit on my own.

We have watched this tree in our “front yard” progress through the seasons for almost four years.  This was April 2014, and leaves were just starting to appear after a harsh Winter.

Although the past couple of winters have been tough, we soldiered through them and have memories for a lifetime.  Since arriving on-site here in February 2011, we experienced an earthquake, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, Superstorm Sandy and numerous other major weather events, including several Nor’easters.  

We took a week off this  year and had a totally relaxing holiday at Cape May, renting a beach house.

We also walked the path of my second cancer diagnosis here in 2012, and have been grateful for truly wonderful local health care.  Leaving my surgeon and general physician are tough things to do . . . being in the care of such providers as we have here is . . . well, perhaps rare these days.

Aftermath of Hurricane Irene, September 2011 -  During the height of the storm, the Musconetcong River was over that footbridge and overflowed its banks, causing us to evacuate our RV off the property to higher ground down the street for a few days.

February 2014

We consider it “home” because we made it one.  I planted veggies and flowers.  We mowed the grounds.  We have grilled.  Dave’s son and his lady visited from Scotland, as did friends who are also full-time RVers here in the States.  Dave participated in cycling time trials in the area.  I underwent training and volunteered with the local CERT organization.

Geared up and ready to perform search-and-rescue at the mill here during the 2013 CERT drill.

Me with my back to the camera, on hands-and-knees searching for “victims” through the dark and “smoke” during the 2013 CERT drill.

Gifted with a truck rim soon after our arrival, it made a great fire ring and we have enjoyed many evenings under the stars.  Thanks, “Backhoe” Joe.  You’re no longer on this Earth, but we remember you fondly.  See that boulder in the background?  Danny removed it from the drainage ditch he was clearing in August 2012.  With the rock in the bucket of a backhoe, he asked, “So, where do you want your rock?”  It has been a yard ornament ever since.  I plan on putting our names and the dates of our time here on the rock before we leave.

We have laughed, cried, loved, endured and rejoiced here.  If that’s not a home, I don’t know what is.

January 2014 – Dave shoveling

But . . . things change.  Full-time RVers rarely stay in one spot for long, much less almost four years.  It’s time to roll down the road, and, again, we’re grateful to have continued employment.

February 2014 - These Canada Geese forgot to head South for Winter.  They were not impressed when the Musconetcong froze.

One piece of good news is that we won’t be shoveling snow this Winter.  On the other hand, the summers will be much hotter.  We were actually looking forward to the coming of Winter; we both feel physically better in cooler temperatures.  Oh well . . . we won’t have to deal with frozen pipes and the possibility of their bursting.  We’ve been lucky not to have had the pipes in our RV crack or burst.  No more frozen door handles on the office!  Yay!  No more taking baby steps over the ice.  Yay!  No more does Dave have to take a propane torch to the gate lock to get it to open on frigid Winter mornings.  Yay!  No more watching big snowflakes falling and the sun glistening on the snow like diamonds.  Boo!

Maggie on dam patrol

Obviously this lifestyle is one of mobility and we’re good with the change of scenery and daily routine.

When our rig rolls through the gates later this month for the last time, I bet my eyes will be leaking a bit.

Home is not about a building or material possessions.  It is about the memories you make where you live.  This property has indeed been our home.

   The End . . . But The Beginning of New Adventures!

Thanks for stopping by!