Last Night in Alabama

This is our last evening in Hope Hull, AL. We’ll be on the road tomorrow headed to Gautier, MS for one night. We’ve got around 200 miles to go tomorrow. That’s not much for some folks, but it’s a full day for us.

Dave pedaled 51 miles today on his bike this morning, once again thoroughly enjoying the cycling here. He has racked up 208 miles in 5 days here. He has also been taking some photos with his new phone.

 

From the charity ride, alerting riders of the upcoming rest stop named Road Kill Café. Cute, eh? Each rest stop is named with a theme.

Also for the Road Kill Café, this says, “You kill it, we cook it.” Haha!

Route markers

The park is full tonight, with 4 rigs parked in the new sites. Those sites do not have gravel yet, but the utilities are functional. We hitched up the truck a bit ago; that’s one less thing to do in the morning.

Maggie was definitely feeling better today and has had a bit of food at reduced amounts. She is certainly more her usual perky and alert self. I am so grateful and am keeping my fingers crossed that she (and I) has another restful night.

Roaming dogs have been less of an issue today, at least so far. Perhaps someone dropped a word or two to their owner down the road?

I am also happy, no, thrilled and relieved, to report that we have had no ants in our rig from day #1 since leaving the work site in South Carolina. Obviously they were coming in from outside. We are both grateful for that and happy to be away from that location.

One other cool thing I have forgotten to mention. When we were getting ready to leave Lexington, SC after the rain event had passed, Dave noticed a wee frog that came out from under our Lynx pad under one of the tires.

Little wee Frog. Good omen. Sent by Cousin Karen, I betcha. Watching over us. Yep. Indeed.

Hope you have had a great Columbus Day. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in Canada!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hopefully . . .

We are hitched up and hoping to make our departure from here tomorrow. I don’t think there are any current issues on I-20 West, but I’ll check in the morning before we head out.

We really could have left today, but there was still some rain and a good amount of wind; we also thought there might be a fair amount of traffic craziness on the highways, so we thought we’d give it another day for everything to settle down a bit. We didn’t have to leave, so we didn’t!

We did have rain off and on today, but nothing nearly as heavy as over the past 36 or so hours. In fact, we were able to get in a few walks, including one that was entirely rain-free just a bit ago.

Four rigs, including ours, are parked – 2 on each side of the street across from one another – up here on this end of the street. All couples were out this morning standing around for a lively visit for a while. I can say that is the one thing that has been a plus in this experience . . . the people we have met here.

We’ve had not only RV’ing in common, but being here through this together. All four couples of us are planning our “getaway” tomorrow, some headed east, some north and 2 of us west.

I’ll also say that Tina (the manager here) has been very helpful and accommodating in extending our stay day by day.  She was absolutely swamped (no pun intended, but there it is) with phone calls and rigs swarming in during the peak of the event.  There were absolutely no flooding issues here and no problems with the utilities. This is a sound park and a good choice for overnight or long-term.

We did venture out earlier today for a couple of things from the convenience store just on the corner. No bread to be found, of course. We’ll pick up some along the way after we leave here.

Columbia has been hit extremely hard. Just talked with a guy in a crew that came in today; they’ll be doing construction/restoration work and I know they’ll be busy for a long time. He said it is absolutely catastrophic – roads gone, buildings flooded, inability to even get into some neighborhoods, National Guard out . . .

We have been extremely fortunate here and for that we are so very grateful.

Except for the torrential rains the past several days and the television coverage, you would not even know all this was unfolding just from being here in the park. Today was the first day we ventured out of the park since (I think) Saturday (or perhaps it was Friday) morning, when I went to fuel up the truck.

Well, short post tonight just to say we are alive and well, high and dry. Tomorrow is advertised as sunny with a high in the mid 70s. That will be absolutely delightful if it happens.

Today was day 13 of rain for us, as we were experiencing it before we left the work site prior to coming here. Day 13. Sheesh.

C’mon Mr. Sun!

Ya’ll be safe out there!

Thanks for stopping by!

It Doesn’t Even Have a Name

This massive rainstorm doesn’t even have a name, although it is certainly worthy of one. I imagine you have heard about the devastating rain event occurring here in South Carolina. We are in Lexington, which is probably a bit under 10 miles west of Columbia, one of the hardest hit areas. We have been very fortunate so far with no flooding issues whatsoever. Turns out our neighbors across the street used to live in Lexington for several years, so they are quite familiar with the surrounding areas. It was great to get some information about what to expect (or not) here and so forth. We exchanged phone numbers this morning and both turned off city water in case of contamination and disconnected sewer hoses from the ground connection in case the sewer system backed up.

Later today, Columbia was advising residents to boil their water. Lexington has not issued such an advisory so far, but better to protect our rig than be sorry later.

This is what we had for about 10 minutes this afternoon, including a wee showing of sunshine. We started on a walk, as did several others in the park, but the rains came on again, so we headed home. That’s us up front on the left.

Yes, Susan (Travel Bug), I have the AccuWeather app, along with The Weather Channel, WunderMap, FloodWatch (USGS service), iDamage, NOAA Radar, Weather Alerts, the Red Cross, FEMA and a Police Scanner app among others on my iPhone. Conditions on the site in New Jersey necessitated that we be in touch and aware of weather and our environment up there, as we were subject to severe conditions such as Nor’Easters and were parked by a river. Thanks for your suggestion!

Dave went to bed last night a bit before midnight, but I was too wired to sleep and wanted to be up to monitor what was happening since we are in an unfamiliar location. I tell ya, the rains were absolutely torrential. Epic. Biblical. My phone kept sounding with alarms. At about 4 AM this morning, I felt confident enough that flooding was not going to be an immediate issue and I was able to get about 4 hours of snooze time in my recliner with Maggie snuggled on my lap.

There were lights on in quite a few of our neighbors, so I wasn’t the only one keeping vigil.

The rain has eased up today but has been fairly steady, and it has been a bit breezy. Our forecast is calling for possibly 1-2 additional inches through Monday. We have decided to stay Monday night and continue our journey westward on Tuesday, which is looking pretty good at this point.

Amazingly, this morning quite a few rigs pulled out during heavy downpours, hoping for better conditions elsewhere. We watched them leave, hoping they would be safe. Advisories were being issued for people to stay off the roads even this morning. I hope these RVers did not run into any issues on the roads. We know some sections of I-20, I-95 and I-77 (I think that’s the one) have been closed due to flooding. There are numerous secondary roads that are flooded and washed out.

We’re just more comfortable with waiting until conditions improve a bit more and we feel it is safer to travel.

I talked with our destinations in Madison, GA (Tuesday’s stop) and Montgomery, AL to change our reservations yet once again. The park in Madison has not flooded; they did not get the rain that we have seen.

The rest of today has been just hanging out and watching The Weather Channel coverage of the events unfolding here in South Carolina.  Since we travel well stocked with groceries, it was homemade quesadillas for dinner tonight. Comfort food!

We so appreciate the messages here and on Facebook and the phone calls I’ve received today from everyone checking up on us. Ya’ll rock! It’s so nice to know so many people are thinking of us and helping keep us safe.

I hope this has made sense. I’m pretty tired tonight. I’ll have shower in a bit and then I am going to actually go to bed tonight. I bet I sleep!

Stay safe out there, okay?

Thanks for stopping by!

And the Rains Came . . .

Today started off with intermittent spells of reasonably light rain. The Barnyard Flea Market next door was actually happening, albeit with fewer vendors and customers than the norm. I went over to stroll through part of it this morning and then returned with Dave after he had breakfast.

We spent a good long while there; it’s covered, so the rain wasn’t an issue. I love flea markets even when not actually shopping; I just enjoy the prowl. This was great, as it gave us something to do.

The rain was intermittent most of the day, so we did manage a few walks around the park.

One of the things we like about this park is the space between sites.  

Around 7:30 PM, the rain became constant and heavier with more frequent wind gusts. It’s now 12:20 AM on Sunday and conditions are the same. Water is ponding here and there, but nothing serious at the present time. I bet the duck pond will be out of its banks by morning, though.

I also extended our stay through Monday night, as the current forecast indicates the first possible day for travel will be Tuesday. We’ll need to monitor road conditions and check with the park in Georgia as to their status. That area is also under flood warnings/advisories/whatever, so we’ll need to make sure the park is open. We do know their overnight sites get 1-2 inches of standing water just with a heavy rain, so I can only imagine what they’re like with all this mess.

I may just doze in my recliner and watch TCM for the rest of the dark hours. Not sure I could sleep with the noise of the rain and wondering what’s going on outside . . . has the pond overflowed? are the streets flooding?

Long-term residents here say they have seen this park flood, but not catastrophically, in the past; they figure it probably will with this amount of rain . . . an amount that no one has seen here.

Part of my unease is that I have not yet been able to locate any real resources for staying informed about what is happening in this town. At least in New Jersey I could get various agencies on a scanner and find out what/where was flooding, etc. The Facebook pages I found for local police and county sheriff don’t seem to be updated as often as one would expect during such an event.  The Weather Channel keeps talking only about Charleston. What about Columbia (we’re just a few miles west of Columbia) and other areas? NOAA reports give the forecast and warnings, but . . . what about the dam at Lake Murray? (yes, I have USGS . . . the tailrace was falling earlier and now is rising, but what does that mean for our location?). At least in Jersey, I could just walk across the parking lot and actually see the river.

I feel like I’m flying blind here. The resources I have been able to tap are limited and don’t give a lot of info. At least not info I’m accustomed to being able to access.

Latest advisory is 2-3 inches per hour until around 4 AM Sunday morning. That advisory covers a substantial area, but we are included in it.

Hence, I’m just hanging out and perhaps will doze in my recliner. Thank goodness for Turner Classic Movies!

Stay safe out there, okay?

Thanks for stopping by!

Hunkered Down in Lexington, SC

We talked about whether to leave here today versus sheltering in place through this rain event, and decided to stay here at Barnyard RV Park. This morning I went to the office pretty much first thing and was able to extend our stay through Sunday night. We are hoping to be able to continue westward Monday. We’ll just have to see what road conditions are along I-20 West after this weather system passes through. I spent a bit of time this afternoon rearranging our reservations onward.

In light of the possibility of seeing 15 inches of rain now through Sunday night, I prepared a few “go” bags and put a couple in the truck already. We did unhitch the truck in case the park floods. I think the rig stands high enough to be okay, but we might have to move the truck.  I also went out and topped off the truck’s fuel tank.

It’s funny, but we both have felt like the inside of our home feels “cleaner” or . . . well, just better since leaving the work site. I know I enjoyed preparing our dinner this evening without having to constantly be on the lookout for ants.

We’re enjoying having cable TV here. The Shining is just starting on AMC; I think that’s a dandy selection for a dark and stormy night outside, eh?

As it stands right now, we’re tucked in and hunkered down here, nice and cozy for the time being. I would not be at all offended if this system did not turn out to be as severe as it is advertised.

Ya’ll be safe out there, okay?

Thanks for stopping by!

Travel Day 1 - Between a High and a Low in Lexington, SC

The power went out at the facility for a bit over 2.5 hours last night during a pretty hefty thunderstorm. Phone calls and texts were exchanged, and one of the facility guys came up to switch systems back on after the power was reinstated. He got there well before the power came back on, so there was a good bit of sitting around . . . in the dark. Dave and I were out in the downpour quite a bit, too, so we ended up being very tired by the time we each crashed at our respective bedtimes.

Up a bit before 9 AM this morning, we were rolling out of the gate around 11:30 AM. We encountered spells of light rain the entire trip, but nothing serious.

Natural lighting at the I-20 West rest stop in South Carolina

Lots and lots of westbound traffic on I-20. Folks going really fast. We saw two accident near-misses in front of us; small SUV vs. 18-wheeler and then small car vs. 18-wheeler. Both were acts of stupidity on the parts of the cars. Kudos to the 18-wheeler in the second case for avoiding what would have been a nasty event.  I got this unexplainable feeling the crazy driving is storm/weather related. Folks tend to freak.

People are idiots when they try to parlay with an 18-wheeler.

We arrived here at Barnyard RV Park safe and sound, tucked up in site A03.

These are the sites we like – long with a concrete patio that is actually accessible. We’re staying hooked up in case we decide/need to boogie out on short notice. Originally booked for 2 nights, we have the option of staying Saturday, too. The office will notify me if they have cancellations for Sunday night forward.

Overflow hookups are full. You can see the rear of our rig in the left just past the car. Glad I made reservations a couple of weeks ago. Lots of folks here heading either west or east, getting off the road and unsure what to do . . . just like us.

 

Why?

Weather.  We are under the low pressure from the west and pretty much out from under the effects of Hurricane Joaquin (at this point).

Current forecast for here (Lexington, SC) is up to 8-10 inches of rain between Friday morning and Monday morning. Our next stop is Madison, GA, scheduled for Saturday arrival. Their forecast isn’t quite as dire as here; however, heavy rain is forecast throughout the area. We do know that the RV park there holds water, as we experienced 1.5-2 inches of the stuff below our bottom step the morning after an overnight heavy rain on a previous stay.

Not sure what type of road conditions (closures due to flooding, etc.) we might encounter on the way there, too.

I’m hoping to have a better idea tomorrow in order to make some sort of decision. Of course, there is always the option of leaving here and driving straight through to Hope Hull, AL (our scheduled stop for Sunday), but . . . you’re talking almost 400 miles.

Stay here? Till Saturday? Till Sunday? Leave Saturday and hope for the best? I’ll call the park in Madison, GA tomorrow to see what’s up there regarding local forecast and conditions.

It is similar to the scenario with Sandy back in 2012, only this time we’re traveling and in the middle of the two systems – one to the west and one to the east.

So, we’re tucked in quite nicely right now (with cable television – woot!) with the option of staying through Saturday night at this point. We can at least catch up on some rest and being to acclimate to normal (and better) sleeping patterns. I’ll just check forecasts tomorrow and try to make some decision.

We traveled 92.5 miles safely and uneventfully today. Ya’ll stay safe out there, okay?

Thanks for stopping by!

T Minus 1

We ended up having fewer rainy spells today, so Dave took advantage of the wee break and loaded the bed of the truck this afternoon while I gave Maggie a good clip. She relaxed to the floor right from the get and enjoyed the pampering. She is such a funny puppy!

Earlier in the day, we went down the road a bit to the nearby Food Lion to pick up a few staples to supplement our road trip provisions. We had a nice dinner of fettuccini alfredo and a chopped veggie salad consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, green bell pepper and carrots with a wee dollop of Ranch dressing.  Oh! And a piece of Naan bread for each of us. Yummers!

The guy who is the regular here returned from vacation today and is parked across the street with his bumper pull. He’ll move into this site when we leave Thursday.

Tomorrow I’ll stow whatever I can, leaving just the last minute things to secure prior to traveling. I’ll dump our tanks and Dave will stow the macerator system and water hose, leaving us running off our fresh tank and hooked up to shore power only. We’ll also hitch up to the truck.

I’m keeping an eye on TS Joaquin, although I think (and hope) it will be a nonissue for us since we will be heading westward Thursday. Just a while ago, the forecast for Lexington, SC (where we will spend our first 2 nights) calls for heavy rain Wednesday night with conditions looking better starting Thursday (the day we arrive). Same forecast for here has the heavy rain coming in Thursday night. I am totally okay with this.

Sounds like the disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico has fizzled out, and the longer range forecasts for stops along our route look downright decent with sunshine. Woot! I am really, really okay with that!

Of course, we all know it is prime hurricane season right now and storms can develop literally overnight. One of the advantages of having a home on wheels is being able to sit tight in place or get the heck out of harm’s way.

Speaking of which, looks like New Jersey will take a hit from Joaquin. If we were still there, we’d be prepping the rig for evacuation to higher ground, as we did during storms Irene and Lee back in 2011. We sure had some adventures up there and gained quite a lot of experience and knowledge in living with the Momma Nature.

Maggie is crashed out on a blankie atop a pile of pillows on the sofa bed here in the living room. She is cuter than cute when clipped, and I just know she feels so relaxed after some “spa time.” Did I mention she’s such a good dog? Others might fidget, whimper or even express displeasure with clipping, but not our Maggie. She digs it and gets into a Zen groove.

Well, what would you expect from a Lhasa Apso, eh? Buddhist monks and all . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

T Minus 2 Days

Today has been (and still is) another rainy and sometimes blustery, day. This is day #5, with the forecast now putting us in these conditions until after our departure on Thursday.

Today (Monday) is Dave’s birthday and, while we aren’t doing cards or presents this year, I did get him an impromptu gift the other day at Harris Teeter. This morning he had HP Sauce with his breakfast for the first time in . . . well, a long time. There have been occasions when I’ve actually been looking for some and have been unable to locate any, so this was a totally cool surprise. Yes, it’s for Dave’s birthday but . . . well . . . he generously shares his “stash.” Yummy! 

Despite the rain, I accomplished quite a lot today. My first stop was the AT&T store; Dave now has a new phone. The second stop was Walmart, where I picked up a few items, including new jeans for yours truly.

One pair of jeans had to be discarded last week due to being just plain worn out through in a couple of places. Another pair I have just don’t fit now after my weight loss of 25 pounds over the past year. Not that I’m complaining, mind you! After searching through every single pair on the rack of the type that works for me (sort of a jean/legging combo), I was able to find 2 pair that fit. Went ahead and got both of them; they were not expensive (it’s Walmart, after all) and I’ve learned that when finding something that fits and is comfortable it’s not a bad idea to get more than one.

On my way home, I stopped by the local Pilot to fuel up the truck. Diesel was $2.149 with our RVPlus Card discount. Nice! Sure is less painful on the bank account to fill the tank at that rate.

I did manage to dump 2 of our 3 tanks today in between rain showers.  Instead of the usual gravity dump hook-up, we have to use a macerator at this location due to lack of proper ground sewer outlet.  This is a much more time-consuming process:

1. Unlock and open outside battery compartment.
2. Unlock and open outside basement door of the control center housing tank valve pulls.
3. Connect lead ends of macerator to battery.
4. Open tank valve.
5. Turn on macerator.
6. Run macerator 10 minutes.
7. Turn off macerator.
8. Close tank valve.
9. Disconnect macerator from battery.
10. Allow macerator housing and the inline fuse to cool down for 10 minutes.
11. Repeat steps 3. through 10. for draining another tank or continuing draining of same tank.

Due to the amount of time this takes, I don’t let any of our 3 tanks (2 gray and 1 black) become anywhere near completely full.

When hooked up to using the typical dumping system using gravity, i.e. sewer hose connected to ground sewer connection, this is the process:

1. Unlock and open outside basement door of the control center housing tank valve pulls.
2. Open tank valve.
3. Wait for tank to empty (less than 5 minutes even when full).
4. Close tank valve when tank is empty.
5. Repeat steps 2. and 3. for additional tanks.

Call me overly cautious, but I am reluctant to be out there connecting and disconnecting the macerator from the battery when it’s raining. Hence, trying to get this done in between spells of rain today. I did have to stop before I wanted due to rain coming on again.

Needless to say, I’m really looking forward to having a regular sewer hook-up again.

I started this post Monday night and now it’s early Tuesday morning. Dave woke up a bit early and has taken over the watch, so I think I’ll start heading to bed.

Not an exciting day, but a productive one.

Thanks for stopping by!

Three More Days

Not that I’m counting.  You know how it is, though, when you have been in one location for a while. There are things that need doing and errands that need to be run.

Today ended up being laundry day, instead of Monday.  I swung by Harris Teeter (upscale grocery near the laundromat), where I scored yummy items for our trip such as fresh pasta, etc. We’ll make another run to the closer store before leaving for basics.

Dave has had his cell phone (Samsung Rugby) for literally years and he has been eligible for an upgrade for quite some time. The Rugby has been a good phone but has been acting up lately to the point of not being reliable, so it’s a trip to the AT&T store tomorrow for yours truly. Only “company” AT&T locations can service our Texas-based account. This really is absurd to me but has not been an inconvenience so far, as Radio Shack locations have been able to take care of us. Unfortunately, RS no longer services AT&T and has really cut back on their phone/phone plans sales and service. This leaves us no option but to find a company AT&T store. Fortunately, there is one here; often there are no company stores within a reasonable distance.

Long story short (sort of), laundry was today and AT&T will be tomorrow, with a wee trip to Walmart since it is near the AT&T place.

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

We have had no rain for weeks and, of course, it started raining Thursday . . . and is forecast to do so through Thursday (departure day) at this point. It has not been torrential and there are periods when it stops briefly, but it has been raining every day most of the day and night.

We are also keeping an eye on the system out in the Gulf of Mexico and how it will impact the areas we will going. I’m hoping this will have passed on through by the time we head west. At least we are not on a strict timeline and can lay over here and there as needed if the weather is lousy.

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

We have been enjoying a chess weekend, with matches Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. I whipped up a couple of nice dinners, too. The lunar eclipse was a nonevent here due to weather and extensive cloud cover. Oh well. We’ll just have to wait another 18 or so years, eh?

I think I’ll wrap this up for now. Won’t be long before Dave takes over the watch. Bless his heart; he just won’t go to bed Thursday morning after being on duty from about 2 or 3 AM. At least we’re not going far that first day, and we’ll be able to chill out for 2 nights there. I am really looking forward to being out from under a tree and away from vegetation surrounding our rig!

Thanks for stopping by!

Getting Shorter

This time next week we will be at Barnyard RV Park in Lexington, SC. Whoohoo! It’s countdown time, folks.

This past week I went for a final appointment with a dynamite stylist I found when we were here last year. I will say that is one good thing about this location. Channon gives me a cut just like I want at a very reasonable price, and she is a great gal to boot. If you’re ever in the Florence/Darlington, SC area, go see her at Studio 36 on the square in Darlington. Not only did I get another terrific styling on this final visit, but a warm sisterly hug when leaving.

Dave had spotted Palmetto Grocery & Grill a while back on one of his bike rides. It’s less 10 minutes from here in the truck out in the countryside, quite doable. They have weekday lunch specials and then a Saturday dinner special, typically steak of some sort. Their regular menu also has breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and some dinner plates. Last Saturday we decided to try it out, so went over for take-out. Rib-eye steak, potato casserole, string beans, roll and slice of chocolate cake for just under $9.00. You know what? It was pretty good and we each had half our order for dinner the next day. Not a bad deal.

It has been raining off and on (mostly on) since Thursday. We’re getting some of that disturbance in the Atlantic that is hitting the East Coast. I am also keeping an eye on the system approaching the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast. I am already glad I opted for a more northern route towards Texas versus dropping down to Florida and hugging the coast westward.

We’ll be on no strict timetable this trip, so we can lay over a few extra days here and there if need be.

The virtual assistant interview earlier this week went well, and I’m in the initial stages of becoming familiar with the platforms to be used, procedures, etc. It’s early days and time will tell if it’s a good fit for all concerned, but I do have a positive feeling about it so far. Sweet.

This weekend we’re essentially just hanging out and resting; Maggie will probably get a clip at some point.  We did get in a chess match this evening, another battle of the wits down to the wire. Looks like Monday will be laundry day with a stop afterwards at the upscale market near there to stock up on yummy groceries (fresh pasta, etc.) for the trip. Tuesday I’ll fuel up the truck and pick up any last minute items we might decide we want/need. Wednesday we’ll load the truck and hitch up, and Thursday we’ll roll through the gate. You realize, of course, there are many things to be done . . . checking tire pressures, stowing things for travel and so forth . . . I’m just not listing them all here. We’ll be busy starting Monday up until the time we roll, doing a few things every day.

Dave will be getting up before long and it will be my turn to hit the hay, so I’ll say good night or good morning for now. Hope you’re having a groovy weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Counting Down the Days . . .

and, man, we’ll be so ready to pull outta here on October 1.

This has turned out to be pretty much the assignment from Hell. While our time here has given us a bit of boost in funds and an opportunity to regroup and plot a course forward, I have to say . . . it is horrid here.

Yes, it could be worse. If it were, we would not still be here; the only reason we are still here is from an ethic to finish our commitment and our loyalty to the companies we have worked with for the past several years.

After leaving here in March and then returning in July, we realize we didn’t just have our knickers in a knot when we left before. This truly is not a good environment for us and our home.

No, I’m not just talking about the ants which, after a hiatus of several days, have reappeared with a vengeance due the recent slight change in weather.

Dave is lucky to get 3 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period and suffers from constantly blocked nasal passages. I have headaches daily and a freely running nose constantly. We both have episodes of tickled throats with coughing and burning, watering eyes. I am also experiencing more intestinal issues here.  I feel physically ill here most of the time. Dave stays exhausted due to lack of adequate sleep. We both often feel “itchy” with a crawling sensation on our skin, even though nothing is there . . .

Neither of us has even been up for chess the past few weekends, and you know we so enjoy our matches.

We remember we experienced these issues before, and they cleared up after we left.

One side of our entry steps turned green with mold? fungus? moss? Yeah, looked like moss, really.

Preparing a proper meal is tricky with having to keep things back in the fridge or up off countertops due to the ants. We really have not been eating great meals due to those logistical hurdles and the fact that our schedule (night shift) throws off our eating times. Neither of us has much of an appetite, anyway. We spray outside, keep crumbs off our counters, keep things sealed, wash dishes immediately, etc. The problem is simply too enormous here and has gone unchecked for so long here on the property that we will not be rid of the wee devils until we leave.

We are absolutely looking forward to getting some decent lettuce again. Produce here is subpar and we stopped buying lettuce weeks ago as it was a waste of money. I miss a green salad!

We dare not open our vents or windows due to not only the multitude of insects but also because of the odors here. Tonight it is very “green” smelling out, literally a “green” and plastics-smelling odor. This is from the water treatment ponds at the back of the facility.

Tonight it smells like Pasadena, TX. If you’re from that area, you’ll know the saying of “The air is greener is Pasadeener.” Ha! Yep. Smells like Pasadena tonight.

Other times one is “delighted” with the smell of smoke from area residences either burning trash or the burning off of fields. There is also a lumber place near the grocery store; fresh timber is brought there and cut, so one gets that smell, too. Yes, a wood smell can be pleasant, but this is almost overpowering.

Thankfully, we don’t have much longer here, and we’re just trying to hang in there until Oct. 1.

On that note, our route is plotted and reservations made along the way. We’ll spend our first 2 nights out at The Barnyard in Lexington (about 90 miles west). We will have been working the night before (with Dave getting off work around 6 AM on the morning of departure), so making our first move a short one and staying 2 nights will give us a chance to rest and begin adjusting to regular sleeping patterns again. 

One thing about reliving the unpleasant environmental issues here is that it reaffirms our previous decision to leave here.

We are hanging in, trying to stay healthy and retain (what’s left of) our sanity until we leave.

Just telling it like it is . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

Plans Are Coming Together

After speaking with the owner of the security company this past week, we know that there is simply no work going forward. We also know we will get a phone call should something become available.

Okay.

When I first spoke with the manager of a possible landing spot (RV park) in Texas, she indicated there would be no long-term availability until mid November. After looking at some possible parks, including that one, Dave and I both decided it would be the one. I spoke with the manager again this week to indicate our interest. She indicated that since our initial visit, a couple of spots would be coming open in October, one of which she thought would be nice for us.  I put down a deposit to hold the spot. Now we have a place to land.

This means that we can head straight to Texas and I can begin looking for work as a medical transcriptionist; this eliminates that awkward month in limbo. We can establish care with local doctors and I can handle health insurance research/enrollment without the added craziness of traveling while doing so.

Alrighty then!

My wee cozy office nook in our RV

Dave removed our dining table this week and brought over the desk, filing cabinet and chair. This arrangement is comfortable and functional for now, although I will still be tweaking it a bit once we are landed in Texas. I like having a side window for natural lighting; there is an LED 12-volt light above my laptop. The filing cabinet, wee desk and chair are freebies from our work site. Score! I am no longer in the office building at night during my shift, but here now. I was somewhat concerned about keeping Dave awake (he sleeps from 10 PM until 2 AM), but he runs the A/C fan in the bedroom and is actually sleeping quite well. He says he doesn’t hear a thing with that overhead fan running. I am really enjoying my cozy work nook.

Yay!

Right now I’m thinking we’ll head south on I95 when we roll out of here on October 1. We can hook up with I10 in Florida and head west to Texas. Neither of us have been in Florida, so at least we can say we spent a night there, eh? I might plan a couple of nights in Florida so Dave can add another “cycled in” state to his list. I have not traveled that southern route of I10 since I was a kid and this would a first time for Dave. It adds another day of travel, but we both agree we would like to see something different instead of retracing our previous routes across Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Been there, done that. More than once this year, actually. I can wait a loooong time before I travel I20 again, thank you very much.

This is indeed the “end of an era” for us and a change in our lifestyle. We are, however, adapting and planning with a hopeful outlook.

Thanks for stopping by!

Changes Coming

Our gig here is a temporary one, and we’ll be rolling out the gate October 1.  We have been working with the security company since 2010, really the entire 5.5 years we have been full-timers. We like everything about the work – the people, the work itself and the income. In view of my body’s “new normal” following my surgeries in 2012, we are thankful for the nature of the work, the conditions, lack of stress, everything about these assignments. We would like nothing better than to have another following this one; however, we are realists and will be pleasantly surprised if that develops. Whatever happens, we are grateful for the time we have had with this company and its owner.

Back in July my Little Voice whispered, “Medical transcription.”  I was a home-based MT for several years with a bit of time before that in the 1980s in-house at a hospital, was good at it and made a decent living when I was on my own. I continued in the profession after Dave and I married in 2006, up until the time we relocated from Minnesota back to Texas.  When I first had the dream of becoming a solo full-timer back in 2003, I planned to take that job with me on the road. Dave and I talked about my getting back into it. It will give us a source of income that will allow us to be independent and one that we can take with us when the time comes that we want to hang up the keys and come off the road. (We talk about returning to northern Minnesota at some point in the future, but not living in our RV.) Even if we happen to get another security gig, I can do the MT work part-time, as I am currently with my virtual assistant job. I reactivated my professional organization membership and am making my way through an acute care (hospital dictation) self-paced online course through the continuing education branch of that organization to refresh my skills. I always enjoyed being an MT. I find it fascinating. It’s fun! I’m quite pleased that the “lingo” is returning easier than anticipated. Apparently MT work imprints repressed memories. Teehee!

Ergonomics are essential in MT work. Dave added on a keyboard shelf to my wee workstation. The black ergonomic keyboard sits on the shelf; it’s just off in the photo to show the extension. My new work area will go in the rig where our dining table currently sits. Maybe that will happen this week?

I can do the job, but the trick will be finding the desired opportunity. I have been away from the profession for a few years and its nature has changed somewhat; however, I have solid experience in acute care (which is a higher level of technical expertise). I also performed QA and mentored new MTs in my final position. These are all factors in my favor.

Turns out my Little Voice was prophetic yet once again, as Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas recently announced it will not offer individual PPO health insurance plans in 2016. Only HMO plans will be available. Since BCBSTX is the only carrier available in our zip code (Livingston / Escapees), we are once again losing good (although significantly inferior to the insurance we had prior to the enactment of the ACA) insurance. Our PPO covers us out of Texas. The HMO will not. BCBSTX currently has an add-on option called Away from Home Care; however, under one HMO network it covers emergencies only for a period of less than 90 days out of Texas and provides no coverage at all under the other HMO network.

Well.  #*()#& <--- insert your favorite expletive deleted. I once worked for a minor league baseball club, so I have several choice ones in case you need suggestions.

I have avoided HMOs my entire life and am now forced into one. Okay. I’m not going down the road of talking about this. I fought the good fight when the ACA was coming with letters, emails and phone conversations with my legislators, all to no avail. The things I predicted with the ACA are coming to pass. At this point, I am simply focusing on survival for us.

Even Warriors get tired.

So.

More information will be available from BCBSTX in October (supposedly), so we’ll know more (hopefully) and can make definitive plans at that time.  Plans set in Jell-O, of course.

Everything is happening in October.

That in itself is a source of stress these days. We roll out of here October 1. We originally planned on landing somewhere in The South (probably GA or AL) for the winter, hopefully with Dave working for our site and my getting into MT work. That idea is history. We won’t know anything about health insurance until October or November. Somewhere in that time frame I need to start applying for MT positions.

Right now the probability is that we will be returning to Texas for the long term. I have been researching the availability of healthcare services in different areas based on current available information, the towns and areas in general and different options regarding long-term RV sites.

Again I say, “So.”

Timing will be the tricky part, and we are still grappling with that. Head straight to Texas? Sit elsewhere for the winter months? Don’t really want to start a new MT job and then have to take a break to travel. Same thing goes for Dave landing a workamping gig. Oh well. I have to trust The Universe that all will work out as it should.

The ideal scenario would be another security assignment in Texas and I could work part-time as an MT, setting us up for the long term and our dream of eventual return to Minnesota.

If that does not develop, what I envision is making a sustainable living as an MT, our home set up in a comfortable park, Dave finding activities to keep him occupied and fulfilled, perhaps even hanging out my virtual “open for business” sign to The Universe and teaching Reiki again, being able to move with the seasons within Texas (i.e., down to the beach for winter) or maybe even a bit into Arkansas where it might be a tad cooler during the heat of the summer months and . . . well, simply comfortably enjoying ourselves.

It has the potential to be a totally groovy existence!

In Other News

We have started playing chess again on the weekends.  Yay us!

The ants are still with us and will be until we leave here. It’s just a fact of life at this location. I have felt better about our intruders after seeing this news article about seed bugs in California. One woman says in the article the only light she has on in her home at night is the television. Yikes!

Dave was run off the road today when he was cycling. Thank goodness he is a very proficient and talented cyclist. He managed to stay upright as he went off the road into a ditch to avoid being struck by a car. A woman out in her yard called over to make sure he was okay.

I’ve been listening to quite a bit of Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson and others on Pandroa lately when I work at night. I remember my parents playing a record of El Paso by Marty Robbins. What I never realized until recently is he has another song about that cowboy’s love Faleena. Crazy. Me? Listening to that? Yeah. Well . . .

If you’ve made it this far, all I can say is I do appreciate you taking the time to read what’s going on. Lots happening, eh?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Bit of a Week

After not seeing ants in our RV’s kitchen area for about 2 weeks, they returned with a vengeance and in greater numbers the early days of this week, parading from above down to our sink area. “They’re looking for water,” you say. That didn’t cut it, as it had just rained. Plenty of water outside! Go away! We’re parked under/beside trees and foliage that is literally teeming with the critters. Well, after one morning of Amityville Horror greeting me first thing, I waged war on the devils armed with Ortho Home Defense. This is the first place we have ever had ants inside during our 5.5 years of full-timing and the first place I have used the Ortho inside the rig. I typically spray a perimeter around the rig when we sit for a few days in one place. So far, so good. No invaders again as of this writing.

~~~~~~~~~

You may remember Dave being besieged by roaming dogs while out cycling during our previous stay here. He had been dog-free this time around until yesterday . . .

A dog came after him. Dave swerved to miss the dog, hit gravel and went down. Dog ran off. Thankfully nothing is broken and his wounds aren’t serious, although he is pretty sore today. (The bike is fine.) A nice couple driving behind him saw the incident and stopped to make sure he was okay. Ten years of cycling in the States with no previous spills or crashes, and he has come off the bike three times during our total of about 6.5 months in South Carolina, twice when we were here previously and now this.

~~~~~~~~~

In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with Tietze syndrome, which is a chronic condition of swelling and inflammation of the rib cartilage.  I will have a flare perhaps 2-4 times per year of less than 24 hours. It is excruciatingly painful; during the initial occurrence, every breath felt like a knife was being thrust into my ribs. For several years, I have kept pain pills around just for these times, infrequent as they are.  Several years ago when I did not have meds, the pain was so bad I ended up in an ER. Trying to convince ER docs that I know what the problem is and that I am not having a heart attack is a frustrating and expensive endeavor. Hence, my buddy the pain med.  At any rate, I experienced a flare this week lasting about 48 hours; that was a doozy. Today I have been pain and drug free.  Yay! I’ve been gentle with myself today, recovering a bit, reading, watching TV and just resting.

~~~~~~~~~

Back in 2001 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I joined a support group on WebMD. It was a close-knit group; however, over the years many of us strayed from that group and we lost touch. A while back, a few of us found one another on Facebook and we formed a meeting place there. Since that time, many of us have been reunited once again. Sadly, one of our sisters was called home this week, passing last night. She and I had grown closer over the past months. I am grateful for the Light she shone into my life and grateful that her time of suffering was short and is now over. I miss her so very much.

~~~~~~~~~

Plans for tomorrow include hitting the laundromat with our mountain of clothes. We found a decent facility a bit more into town, thank goodness. We’ll also go to the Ace Hardware across the street from it, looking for some hardware that will be for making a keyboard extension on my wee little desk/workstation. I’m hoping we can get the dining table out of the rig this week and set up my office area.

Yes, it was a bit of a week. See ya next time!

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Week Gone

We have had some hot days this week, but have stayed comfortable in our RV with two A/C units cycling on and off and the living room ceiling fan circulating the air.  We accomplished a couple of minor maintenance chores this week.  I cleaned our A/C filters and Dave flushed our hot water heater and changed out the anode rod.

The anode wasn’t in really terrible shape, but it was time for a new one.  I ordered two a couple of weeks ago, one to use now and one as a spare.  We’ll be good for a while now.

I’ve been taking Sunday nights off from my virtual assistant job, giving myself one night to blog, chill out while on duty or whatever.  Gives my brain a rest. Tonight it was time to clip Maggie.  She starts off standing up, then sits down and shortly thereafter . . .

She just sort of sinks to the floor in complete relaxation.  This makes it actually easier for me to get at some spots for clipping, especially her front legs.  She does not seem to mind my trimming her front legs when she’s like this; otherwise, she really does not want her front legs and paws to be clipped, inspected or messed with in any shape or form.  She’s easy to slide around so I can get to her from different angles.  Ha!  So we spent about 1.5 hours together getting her trimmed up.  Now she’s passed out on her bed next to my desk here in the office.  She’s cute all the time, but especially so when freshly clipped.  She is such a good-natured pup.  She is also pretty darn silly.

Well, there really is not any earth-shattering news from our wee corner of South Carolina this week.  Dave did encounter a large, majestic owl perched on a fence one night on patrol.  Lucky him!

I had envisioned putting our grill/smoker together and doing some grilling while we are here.  We were also looking forward to and planning to resume our epic chess matches during our time back here.  Ya know what?  It’s too freakin’ hot to be cooking outdoors.  We can’t seem to muster the enthusiasm or mental energy to place chess.  I really think it’s the hot weather; we mentioned earlier this evening that perhaps chess is a cool-weather pastime.

We have just under two months left here and are just enjoying our time here.  Dave is getting in some good runs on the bike and is not being assailed by dogs as he was previously.  Me?  I’m content to be in one spot for a while.

Hope you’ve had a good weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happenings

I have been attempting this blog post for almost a week.  Seems like the days and nights just fly by here.

Last Tuesday night a storm came on quite abruptly with what may have been straight line wind.  We were watching TV about 9 PM when suddenly it started.  We heard what we thought was hail on the roof of our rig and Dave said he saw the living room super slide move.  During that conversation, we were putting on shoes and jackets and leash on Maggie to abandon ship.  Yes, it was that violent.

This is what we saw when we opened the door, except it was dark and lashing down rain

The next morning, I was able to get some better photos.  We were very lucky that we found no obvious damage.  Dave checked the roof, we checked the awning for rips and worked the slides in and out a couple of times.

This is the tree. There are still about three big limbs that are detached and just caught in the tree, waiting to fall.  Hoping they will be taken out this week.  Fortunately, they are on the side away from our rig.  Trees provide shade, but we are not fans of parking underneath them.

Did a bit of “shopping” in the office building behind our rig (with permission, of course) and came up with a couple of delightful pieces of furniture to create a cozy workstation for myself.  It’s in the office we’re using in the guard building, where I am testing its functionality.

Dave and I have been talking for some time about taking out our dining table and chairs and replacing it with a work area for me. This setup will fit nicely in that space and, once I make sure this configuration will be practical and comfortable, we’ll make the transition.

The big white keyboard is a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 Keyboard.  That particular one is at least eight years old.  So outdated that it had a serial connection; I had a serial-to-USB adapter for it.  I used this particular type of keyboard when I was working as a medical transcriptionist.  Well, after really typing on it for the first time last night, I realized it was done.  They have a certain feel to them and one can tell when the keys become clunky and hard to depress, well, it’s done.  In my days as an MT, I would go through one every few months and always kept a new replacement one stashed away as a spare. 

I was pleased when I found one in stock locally at Office Depot, so I boogied over there this afternoon.  Man!  Sweet deal. The keyboard has come down in price over the years and was about $20 less at the store than on their website, certainly less expensive than on the link above.  Nice. 

Another reason for doing this blog post tonight is for practice on the keyboard.  It does take a bit of training one’s fingers and hands; however, once you get the hang of it, it increases speed and is so comfy.  In all my years of working as an MT, I never had bother with carpal tunnel.  I used a good chair, the keyboard and typing gloves. 

Okay, what else?  We are just in our routine of working and living.  Again, time passes very quickly here.  We’ll soon be coming up on our first month here.  Wow!

It’s almost time for my midnight-ish patrol, so I’ll say cheerio for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

It’s Saturday, Not Sunday

For some reason, Dave and I both have felt like today is Sunday.  Well, tomorrow is Sunday.  Of course, by the time you read this it may very well be Sunday.

It can be a dizzying world when one works night shift.  That’s okay, though.

I’m not sure about the type and size of the font I’m using this evening.  I just updated Writer on the laptop I’m using in the office.  Yes, we have a spare laptop, just in case one crashes;   I keep my main one over the rig.  This one is also a Lenovo and is a few years older, but it still works just fine.  Right now it’s working just fine, that is.  I use it to do my virtual assistant work at night when I’m just hanging out here in the office in between patrol rounds.  I’m not crazy about moving my main one back and forth (plus it’s a hassle) each evening and don’t want to leave it over here as it essentially has our lives on it.  If you’re a full-timer, you know what I mean.

So!  It’s been about a week since my last post.  Can’t say there has been anything exciting happening, but that’s really a good thing for a change.  We have been working nights and pretty much laying low during the daytime inside where it’s cool.  Yesterday and today the mercury has topped out at 100F, but our rig has been comfortable inside.

We hardly ever use the ceiling fan in our living room, but Dave took it apart today for a good cleaning and we’ve used it today.  I do believe it helped keep the inside of our RV home at a comfortable temperature (along with the A/C units) even with the triple digits outside. 

After some research, this week I booked an appointment with a local surgeon for later this month in order to get my annual CT scan and mammogram arranged.  Of course, it’s always pretty much a roll of the dice when looking for a new healthcare provider.  I pick out two or three possible candidates, research different aspects of each and then narrow that down to a final choice.  Ideally, I would have preferred to return to New Jersey in order to follow up with my surgeon there, but that just wasn’t doable . . . at least this year.  Who knows what the future holds, eh?

It’s nice to have the capability to stream Netflix again.  We’ve been watching a few episodes of Frasier (never realized how funny this is; I find myself busting out laughing at Frasier and Niles) each evening and NCIS (used to watch this religiously on network TV years ago) a bit now and then.  We’re playing a bit of catch up with Longmire on the episodes we have not yet seen.

I know this all sounds rather mundane and routine, but you know what?  I really am content just doing our own thing and having some peace and quiet . . . and no traveling on a schedule . . . for a change.

Seeing new places is interesting, but it’s also restful to be somewhere for a while and just . . . “be.”

Thanks for stopping by!

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday (Friday) was pretty much spent settling in. 

There was a power hiccup yesterday morning while I was still asleep, and Dave had to call one of the facility guys in to reset and start up some of the pumps, etc. that need to run 24/7.  I was up and stirring about just as that wee bit of excitement was winding down.

We go up front and just check the parking lot occasionally while on duty, looking out the windows in the front of the building.  Dave noticed a large yellow dog curled up by the front office door during one of these checks.  As soon as it saw him, the dog bolted and hightailed it away.  We’ve joked about how the dogs are coming to Dave now, just waiting for him to get on the bike.  Hahaha!  Actually, Dave’s two bike runs so far have been dog-free.  That’s a good thing.

Dave was getting some things out of the basement yesterday and noticed the floor of the basement was slightly wet on the driver side.  Turns out we had left those doors closed but not locked, therefore not getting a tight seal on the basement.  There was no evidence of anything leaking and the dampness was on the one side, so we figured it must have been the fact that the door was unlocked during that nasty storm we had the evening before.

So!  Everything came out of the basement!  This was a prime opportunity to do that review of what’s in our storage boxes, to vacuum the basement and rearrange everything nicely again.  Things got a bit haphazard during the three months we had been pretty much mobile. 

I did manage to get the living room vacuumed, which was the one thing I really wanted to accomplish yesterday.  I spent my night shift working my virtual assistant job in between keeping an eye on things and doing my patrol drive.  I’m  still adjusting to the night shift cycle and was fairly zombie-like when I snuggled under the blankies this morning around 3 AM.  I turned the light out and my lights went out. 

Keeping that in mind, along with the fact that we’re settled now for a few months and not having to hit the road anytime soon,  today (Saturday) was a day of rest for yours truly.  Dave got out on the bike this afternoon and I settled down with Maggie to watch The High and The Mighty, a John Wayne film I had not seen.  Imagine that!  There’s a film with The Duke in it that I hadn’t watched!  WiFi is provided here, so we’re able to access our Netflix streaming feature again.  Woot!

After the film and Dave’s return, I whipped up some dinner.  Leftovers tomorrow!  Yay!  The rest of the evening has whizzed by, Dave has gone to bed for his first sleep shift, and Maggie and I are on duty here in the office.  I’ll be heading out for the midnight-ish patrol drive in a bit.  I’m thinking Maggie may get a much-needed clip here in a bit after I return from patrol.

The weather here has been in the upper 80s to low 90s so far, with a nice breeze.  No complaints about that, not even with the storms we have had.  They were suffering under about two weeks of triple-digit temps right before our return.   The humidity has been surprisingly low, too.  Not bad at all for early July; however, I am expecting all that to change as Summer progresses.

I’m thinking I’ll take advantage of our time here to get the truck’s oil changed, see if Maggie needs any vaccinations since there’s a good vet not far away and take care of a couple of other things.  Might as well since we’re stationary for a bit, eh?

Well, my one cup of coffee is finished and it’s almost time to venture forth and drive the property.

Hope you’ve  had a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July!

Thanks for stopping by!

Survived First Night Shift

I certainly did survive and, although ready for some snooze time at 3 AM this morning, I didn’t feel totally wiped out.

That came later and lasted all day.  Take into account we traveled yesterday and then I was up until 3 AM with no nap, we have been traveling heavily (for us, at least) the past three months and the atmosphere here today was that of an afternoon thunderstorm brewing . . . wow-whee! was I drowsy and slooowww-moving today.  In fact, I sat down in my recliner to wait for a computer to process an update and the next thing I knew my phone was ringing 30-45 minutes later.

Whoopsies!  Momma snoozed.

I wasn’t the only one.  Maggie was plumb tuckered out, too.  When we went over to the rig from the office this morning, she made a dash for the bed as soon as her harness was off.  When I looked after having my shower, she was flat out on the bed totally zonked.  Takes her a bit to get used to the new schedule, too.  She’s crashed on her bed here in the office right now. 

Nights go by rather quickly, actually.  The first 24-48 hours of night shift are a bit goofy; just takes  my body a bit to get back in the groove.

The storm?  Man.  It hit this afternoon around 5 PM and what a toad-strangler that was.  The wind was about as strong as I’ve seen with a thunderstorm and not tropical storm.  Crazy.  There were a few small branches down here and there, including one that came cascading off the big tree next to our rig.  No harm  done, though, as far as we can tell. 

This was after the storm passed.  If you look closely, you can see the second rainbow to the left of the main one.  Nice!

Dave had returned from his bike ride as the skies were darkening.  This was his first ride back here and he encountered . . . no dogs!  Yay for him!

We have had a rather quiet evening, making patrol rounds on schedule and then just hanging out.  The crew is gone until Monday, so it’s just us and the . . . geese, frogs and whatever.  Boy, were the frogs in fine chorus following the storm.

More rain is in store for tomorrow, but that’s okay.  We’re enjoying having a few quiet days around here to become beings of the night again. 

Thanks for stopping by!

On Station, On Duty - Darlington, SC

We  enjoyed another morning without alarm clocks, awaking a bit before 8 AM.  Once again, we steadily but unhurriedly prepped for getting on the road for the final leg of our journey to Darlington, SC.  We pulled out of The Barnyard RV Park in Lexington, SC at about 10:45 AM and hopped back on I-20 East.

With a 90-mile drive ahead of us, we took advantage of the one rest area on today’s route about 30 miles down the road.

This rest area was not far on the east side of Columbia.  The Barnyard’s address is listed as Lexington, SC, but GPS showed us as being in West Columbia; therefore, Columbia itself was just a wee hop down the interstate.  Getting through Columbia was a breeze.  I-20 doesn’t go directly through it, I suppose, and that helps.

Ever notice how these rest stop photos all kind of look alike?  Guess they do.  Really it’s to document our rig being there . . . me indulging in taking photos of our rig on the road.

Ahhhh . . .  coffee!  I confess I have missed my late-night one cup of java.  We have use of an office again this time for which we are grateful.  Sure helps a lot since we are sleeping in shifts.  We have our laptops set up on a table facing each other, Maggie’s bed in one corner (although she prefers a towel-covered chair when she and I are on duty together) and our coffee station set up on another small table.  It also gives Dave a place to put the bikes . . . in a closet in this office.

That black lump in the chair to the right is Maggie

I have to say I miss our washer and dryer.  We sold them to the facility manager when we left here in March; he jokingly offered today to sell them back to us for twice what he paid for them.  Hahaha!  Ah well.  I know where at least one laundromat is, so no big deal.  If we are ever somewhere long-term again, we’ll get another set if it is feasible.

With about 50 miles to go after the rest stop, we arrived at the facility a bit before 1 PM.   After the guys watched us trying to back the rig into its spot, one of them stepped up and offered to do it for us.  “I sure appreciate it.  I would have gotten it; it just would have taken a while.”  “We didn’t want to you be trying to do it in the dark.”  Haha! 

Home until October 1

We spent the rest of the afternoon getting set up . . . plants out, frog whirligig in place, solar lights and some other lights set up, macerator hooked up, etc.  Sure was glad to have that leftover chicken noodle casserole for a  meal. 

There’s something about returning to a familiar place.  We know where the stores are, what the job entails, what the environment has in store, the people with whom we work. 

Yeah, temporary insanity leaving here.  Oh well.  It seemed like the thing to do at the time, we gained some  experience in campground work, we traveled a bit, we took care of some personal biz in Texas and we learned valuable lessons.

Dave and I each have a  Road ID bracelet that we wear when traveling, cycling, whatever.  It has contact info on it in case we are involved in an accident.  Dave was unable to locate his when we left here . . . we thought it was still here somewhere and we’d never see it again or perhaps stowed in the basement someplace we had not yet looked.  Well, guess what I spotted shortly after we arrived this afternoon . . . perched on a stepladder in the guard building?!

Well, there’s an affirmation that we made the right decision in returning here! 

Okay, so it’s almost time for my midnight patrol rounds . . . driving the property in a facility truck.  Then it’s only a couple of hours until I wake up Dave for his shift.  Amazing how quickly the night goes. 

This evening I am thankful for an uneventful trip, not only today’s section  but the all the days of travel we have racked up these past few months.  We have been very fortunate to have had no mishaps or mechanical issues.  I am also thankful to be back doing the type of work which we enjoy and to which we seemed suited. 

Thanks for stopping by!