I needed a clone.....

What a day.....got out on the road at 11am, no need to rush since I was only going 167 miles (Williams to Page). Tires were freshly filled, all the gear was put away, the bicycle was mounted on the back of the car, the tanks were dumped and I headed out.

The drive was amazing.....north out of Flagstaff you rise in elevation, think I saw 7000' sign. Pretty views and lots of anxious traffic that wanted to get around me (and I was doing the 65 mph speed limit). Life's too short to be in such a hurry....

Of course what goes up must come down....but the down grade wasn't bad at all and the next few miles were fairly flat and nondescript. That soon changed...and from this point on I wish I had a clone. The scenery was SPECTACULAR! Remember, Route 89 is just east of the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Red rocks everywhere, striped, stacked, racked...you name it, I saw it. All this is within the bounds of the Navajo Reservation. Along with the rocks crafted with the love and fury of Mother Nature, are houses, trailers, huts, abandoned buildings, high power transmission lines and fences.

It was VERY windy the entire trip and the road was pretty rough in spots. That meant two hands on the steering wheel at ALL times which meant NO photos. Sigh.... Yes there were pull-offs and twice I tried that....both times the pull-out was in a low spot and the scenic beauty...not so much. LOL! I might drive south a little tomorrow in the car and see if I can get a couple of shots.

I arrived at the Page Lake Powell Campground a little after 2pm and got checked into my back-in site. First time I've had a tree on the afternoon sun side providing some shade. Nice....of course it's almost 100 degrees outside....LOL!

Tomorrow I will do laundry first thing in the morning, then do a little sightseeing until it gets too hot to bear. I'm vegging now....already took an Aleve to help the neck. back & overall pain from three hours of white knuckle driving.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Thursday is history, Friday is the 13th...

What a busy two days this has been. Yesterday was the day I drove into Flagstaff to pick up my new bicycle. But since I was going "into the big city", I figured I'd get a little shopping done along the way. First stop was Walgreen's where I picked up a few items on sale, next stop was Target. Both were close to the bike shop and had been previously scoped out for location.

Needless to say, I spent too much money at Target but I did pick up some badly needed items as well as a few good things on sale. (Promise you won't tell, I picked up 6 new paperbacks - 4 of them were James Patterson's, love his style and a nice change from my normal romance stuff). As I was leaving Target I noticed a Great Clips in the strip mall across the street. Since I wanted to get the bike picked up, I figured I could come back after that.

So next stop was Single Track Bike Shop (no website, sorry - 575 W Riordan Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, 928-773-1862) to pick up my bike. I wanted to see if they had a luggage rack that would work and they did. I added that and a kickstand (bikes don't seem to come with them anymore..what's up with that???).

The fun came when it was time to adjust the seat. Wait a minute....this is SOOOOO different from slinging my leg over my motorcycle seat. I felt so high up...seat crammed up my....well, you know. LOL! They almost raised it till I put the pedal at full down position and they saw my leg was straight. The tough thing was trying to sit on it while not moving....had to use one hand on the counter for balance. I figure it's been close to 40 years since I road a bicycle...I see another learning curve ahead. GULP! Maybe I will dig out my motorcycle armored clothes to wear those first couple of times....

Then I got to bat my baby blues and pull my "grandmother to 15" routine and get them to assemble the bike rack I had NOT bought from them (they didn't have it in stock or I would have). Of course talking motorcycles for 30 or so minutes with them (all under the age of 30 I would guess) probably helped more.... So they assembled and mounted the rack & accessories, showed me how to put the bike on it and off I went.

Next stop was Great Clips since it was around 4pm and I figured on a Thursday they might not be too busy to fit me in. I was right...got right in and the gal that cut my hair, Kelly, knew EXACTLY what I wanted, even without the photo I normally bring in (it was in the RV, of course). If I get back to this area next year, she'll be on my list!

Fast forward to Friday....no idea it was the 13th. Hard to keep track of things like dates...LOL! Today was photographer day....remember my mentioning the interview for S-Life, the new magazine for Suzuki owners. I have had headshots professionally done but never outside shots like this. Spent close to two hours...what an experience. He took shots with the bicycle and I, me in a chair with laptop all posed in front of the car with a little of the motorhome showing behind. Then we moved the car to down in front of the caboose motel rooms here the Canyon Motel & RV Park and he took another whole set there with me posing as the cheesy tourist. Too fun!!!

So it's now 2pm and I'm whipped....think I'll sit and read a bit before venturing into town to see the motorcycle rally. The event officially started today and I want to check out the vendors....looking for a little leather tool bag to hang on the front of my handlebars. Much cheaper than the ones from bike shops (and they tend to be too big or too small). The park has had at least 4 more rigs check in today with a variety of motorcycles & methods of hauling them.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Wednesday Words

Been a quiet week for the most part. The park has been busier since Monday than it was all weekend. There are several RVs with motorcycles and when I took a quick trip into town I noticed several in front of the cabins here. In town the bikes were at all the hotels I passed...then I saw the sign. There is a bike rally this weekend....the roar and the rumble!

All my packages are here and tomorrow I pick up my new bicycle. I think my ankle is well enough to let me do a little riding....just hope my stamina will hold out. LOL! Reports to come...

The biggest news is my new adventure as an independent rep for SkyMed. I received my packet today and will start my training. I sincerely hope that anyone who might find a need for something like this or know someone that could use it, will send them to my website (photo to be added soon). And just a note...in September the rates will increase so now is the time to sign up!

Oh, one other piece of news. I am being interviewed for S-Life Magazine, a new publication for owners of Suzuki vehicles. I was contacted by the editor last week and we're doing email interviews. A freelance photographer is supposed to come up from Phoenix Friday afternoon to take a photo. Sure be interesting....I hope to get a PDF file of the article if it ever gets published.

I will be heading north next week, will be trying to get my air bag leak fixed as soon as possible. I don't need to be in Gillette, WY until June 25th so plenty of time. It's still snowing in many places on the way there but looking at the 15 day forecast for Gillette, it looks like it will be warming up. The big surprise is that there isn't going to be the heat wave I expected...and that's a good thing!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Stupid RVer Tricks

No, not me...at least not today. LOL! The campground was much quieter this weekend than last, not sure why, but today several folks arrived. One pulled into a sit two away from me and since it was right outside my window, I let them entertain me.

They pulled in, toad in tow, narrowly missing the railroad ties that line the left boundary of the sites. Nothing extraordinary so far. The wife arrived on foot with their, what appeared to be, boxer pup. Okay, so he got too close because she wasn't there to help? Who knows....

He got out and went to unhook the Jeep. Because he hadn't pulled in all the way, it was cocked a bit so he called to the wife to get in and move it a bit. She did...OOPS! Got a bit close and had to back it up a bit. But it freed up the second pin and he got the tow bar off, then zoomed (spinning a little gravel) off to park it in front of the rig.

This is where the dumb comes in....next thing I know, they are both in the rig (I can see her in the passenger seat) and he's backing up. So what, you say. Well...remember when he unhooked the Jeep, he left the tow bar facing into the ground. So now he was backing up with the tow bar digging into the ground...then he pulled forward. Satisfied, he put down his levelers and thankfully that lifted the tow bar out of the dirt.

He now started to hook up the utilities....got his cable for the TV out and had to walk around the back of the motorhome. He noticed the tow bar pointed at the ground, looked to the back where you could see the drag pattern and then walked past it, ignoring it. LOL! He eventually came back to it, pinned up the cable for the lights and unhooked the safety chains. He did lift the bar up and secure it....never did wipe the dirt off. Maybe it will never make a difference...but it did give me a grin...the first RV stupid trick I've been privy to watch!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Ramblings & Rumblings

Rumblings: "Salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has spread to 16 states, federal health officials said Saturday..." [read the full story]

The good news for me is that I've been buying "on the vine" tomatoes and those, according to the news article, aren't on the suspect list. Phew!

It does make me more aware that salmonella doesn't just come from uncooked/improperly prepared meats (especially chicken). Just something to think about....be careful out there!

Ramblings: Still babying my ankle...as long as I stay off it, the swelling isn't bad so I know it's getting better. Still icing it in the evenings. Hoping that when my bike comes in next week, I'll be fit to ride.

My front door lets in a LOT of sun and I had been using two small magnets to hold a pillowcase (using the two screws at the top of the door frame) and keep out some of heat & glare. A while back I found a dark colored window valance on clearance for $1.50. I thought it might be better than the pillowcase because it would be longer. I had to staple the open vent in the middle but it worked out well.

While visiting with my friend Sally at the motorcycle do here in Williams a couple of weeks ago, I noticed she did the same thing with a pillowcase but she had hers shirred on a rod. Last week I was looking at my curtain and realized that I could get a spring tension rod and do the same thing. This meant I would be constantly pulled one of the magnets down every time I went in and out of the door.

I found what I was looking at here at the local True Value and it's perfect! It also means I can leave the valance in place, just sliding it to the side when not in use. I love it....eventually I will find something just a little wider with enough length but for now, this works and was done for under $5 total.


If you look closely you can see where there is only a TEENY bit of plastic on the bottom of the left runner and you can see where the right runner plastic has broken.

My other triumph was more challenging....last fall on one of my early trips the big drawer underneath my refrigerator fell off the slide brackets. I pulled it out and managed to fix it. Six months and 6k miles later, it really gave up the ghost. The first time I just had to remount something that fell off. This time the plastic connectors broke...on both sides. I first tried duct tape....guess what. It's NOT the be all - end all. LOL!

Next was a trip to True Value to see if they sold new ones. They had several but they were all for center-under drawer slides, nothing I could use. I tried reversing the slides from side to side, that combined with the duct tape lasted....one night (not even moving). As I kept thinking about it, I wondered if I could brace something underneath to hold the runners in place. Next time I was at True Value I picked up some small L-braces to put underneath the runner.

Today I dug out my drill and for only the second time in my life, used it. LOL! It worked...thank goodness for hardware packaging that tells you what size drill bit to use. That and cordless screwdrivers.... Now to see if it will last till I find someone to replace the slides with ones that have metal mounts...plastic just doesn't cut it with RVs.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Still parked in the campround....

Well, I did end up stashing the tables, chairs & other outdoor stuff yesterday. The wind got too high to take a chance. By 6:00 the sky was dark with threatening clouds and I pulled in my outdoor mat, the last outdoor item, just in case it rained. By 7:00 it poured and in the distance I could hear thunder. The rain continued for two hours...completely unexpected. Then the low dropped into the mid-30's. Actually had to turn the heat back on!

I ended up not moving to a boondocking spot for two reasons. First, I was concerned about the soggy ground. When I drove up there earlier I saw deep ruts where others had to deal with soft ground. The thought of getting up there and getting stuck wasn't at the top of my "to do" list.

The second reason came while I was cleaning the car....trying to get all the dust circles from rain removed (more Protectall cleaning). I was almost done, had the back door open and was stretching to reach the center of the roof. My foot slipped and I wrenched my ankle. Spent most of the day with ice on it, taking aspirin and trying to stay off it as much as possible. It's better tonight but still a little swollen and sore. Sigh....no exercise walking for a couple of days.

Diet went pretty well today, considering I was constantly fighting comfort food urges. LOL!

• Bananas/strawberries in lo-fat vanilla yogurt
• Progresso wild rice & chicken (100 calorie cup)
• Pepperidge Farm Stella Dora cookies (3)
• Shredded chicken, marinara sauce & 1/2 can Zucchini w/tomatoes
• Apple
• Quaker multi-grain popcorn mini-cakes (90 calorie package)

For those trying to watch what you eat, I read today about a new way to use text on your cellphone. You can text diet.com to find out what the food values are in several chain restaurants. Sounds interesting....of course I'd have to have one of my kids show me how to text. Oops! Here's a news story on this new use for mobile phones.

The weather still looks good here...I love seeing 85 listed as "very warm". I can deal with that. I've been working on travel routes to Gillette, WY for the Escapade. One route takes me through Beaver, UT....today I read a blog about some folks who are there and they got 5-6" of snow yesterday. EEEK! Sure hope I don't hit snow on the way north....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Take Two: Tourists, Transmission, Transportation & Tummy

Tonight will be a mish-mash of things....so sit back, put your feet up and, hopefully, enjoy.

First, the tourists....I think they must have flown in recently and were still really in a different time zone. I did close my window while they were getting ready to eat (traditional style....wives running around & cooking, guys drinking beer with their feet up). I noticed that shortly after dark all was quiet....and they were gone by 8:30 this morning. So whoever you are...my apologies for expecting the worst. You were good neighbors (Yes, they put the picnic table back where the got it...how many times does THAT happen with typical weekend/vacation campers?)

I thought I had posted about my transmission but guess I didn't get specific enough for some folks. The did replace the front seal but while in there they discovered some type of fitting/plug that was loose and tightened it. Needless to say, fresh fluid and filter change were done. When then did the 30 step inspection check, they mentioned the air filter should be changed soon. Since I knew I would be hitting some mountains over the next few weeks, I decided to have it changed. They did install my transmission temperature gauge (it ran under 200 all the way from Camp Verde to Williams) and I had them torque my tires again (since they had been pulled back in Tucson when I had my brakes done). Better safe than sorry... Anyway, no leaks currently...keeping my fingers crossed that we've licked this battle.

Now to the third T - transportation. (Well, it really is about bicycles but using four T words was more fun.) I got on the scales this morning and my weight is now 1.2# over my allowable maximum. I had already started cutting back on snacking, McD food and coffee with cream & sugar (which I do normally at McD). But I know I need to exercise...plus my arthritis is getting worse. I get really stiff after an hour in the car or sitting. I wake up with my neck & shoulders hurting. I go to be with my back & knees hurting, too.

Osteoarthritis is a catch-22. You need to exercise to keep the joints flexible and lubricated but it hurts to exercise. I am trying to walk every day but I know I will do much better with a bicycle. After reading that my friends Nick & Terry ponied up (see June 2nd blog) and got Trek Navigator bicycles, I knew it was time for me to get one as well. In an earlier blog I wrote about bikes and got a TON of wonderful input. The two bikes that stood out were the Trek Navigator and the Electra Townie.

I found two bike shops in Flagstaff and one of them was a Trek dealer (neither sold Electras). I drove over there this morning and ordered a Trek Navigator 3.0. Initially I ordered the 2.0 ($90 cheaper) but when they called the factory, they found none in stock. Since it's the change of the model year for them, there was no way I could wait. I then looked at the Trek Pure but after some thought and discussion with the guys in the shop, realized it wouldn't be as good for me in the off-road riding. So I rationalized that the money I got for selling motorcycle gear would pay for the bike, so I went for it. This is what it will look like...it's Willow Green.



Now for the final T - Tummy. Today was a good day...breakfast was vanilla yogurt with strawberries and a hard boiled egg. Lunch was a double fiber, whole wheat bread sandwich with sliced chicken breast. Dinner I cooked 1/2 box of Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice. When it was about half done I tossed in some of the shredded chicken. Delicious and filling at about 330 calories. Okay, I promise to NOT write what I eat every day....honest! LOL!!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Tourists, Cooking & Mail Call

The campground is all but empty, maybe 5-6 rigs after morning check-out and only one new check-in. Until now.....

Two class C rental RVs, multiple occupants all wearing tank tops, shorts & sandals (it's only 70 degrees with VERY gusty winds). One pulls in and parks normally. After much discussion, the other pulls in....facing the wrong direction. This means their doors open to each other. As soon as I see two of the guys go grab a picnic table from another site and immediately sit down with a beer, I know. I didn't even need to wait to hear the foreign words to know.....the tourists are here. LOL!

We'll see how it goes tonight...my mail is here and if it gets too rowdy and they don't leave in the morning, I may just move to the boondocking spot I picked out. It was very windy today with gusts up to 30 mph and on Wednesday even higher winds are in the forecast. Here I'm on a hill and I get buffeted around. In the boondocking area there are a lot of trees to buffer the wind. Time will tell...

One of the things that arrived in my mail was something I had ordered on eBay and had been waiting impatiently for. Here is a photo after installing it....suits the car perfectly, don't you think? LOL!



One final note...I COOKED TONIGHT. Yup, honest....really....no, I'm serious! When I went to Safeway I bought some skinless chicken breasts. I parboiled three of them last night. One I sliced for sandwiches and the other two I cut up into chucks for salad, pasta, rice dishes. I also had picked up some jars of chunky marinara sauce. I already had whole wheat noodles and several packages of rice.

Tonight I cooked some of the noodles, tossed in some sauce and chicken. Delicious and a nice change from my pre-cooked meals. I am trying to move away from a lot of processed foods...this was a start. When I move boondocking I'm going to use my solar cooker since I won't be plugged into power (save on microwave use).

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Sunday Sights and Friends

Perfect Sunday.....slept in till 8:30, not sure why since I was wide awake at 6:30. Closed my eyes and next thing I know, it's 8:30. Decided to splurge with a Big Breakfast at McD's since I've been good about NOT going there the last couple of days. Read for a bit while enjoying my coffee, did some people watching (one of my favorite pastimes), then headed off to check out the two spots on my boondocking list.

One, actually two, things I've discovered about boondocking - 1) most hard core boondockers don't want to share their best spots and 2) places listed as good boondocking spots may actually not be. Oh and 3) what is perfect for one boondocker may be the pits for another. LOL!

The first spot I wanted to check out was the closest in, less then 2 miles from McD's. I headed out and soon found my turn off. Drove to the end...other than a NFS campground (for pay), the rest was all private property. But the scenery sure was nice...



Okay, nice drive...turned around and headed back through town and south to Dogtown Reservoir. Some other Escapees Full-timing Class of 2007, Tony & Pamela, had sent me info on this area, supposedly several good boondocking spots. It was about 4 miles out of town and then a mile or two into the National Forest Service. I knew it was going to be good when I saw my favorite sign...14 day limit (camping).

I drove in around, up, down....had a blast and found a bunch of good spots. All had at least 2 bars EVDO cell phone reception so my AirCard should work just fine. I stopped and walked around several spots, enjoying the area and wishing I were parked there now. But I still have to get my mail so will move on Thursday.

A little before 2 pm I had plans to meet Tony & Pamela at the Pine Country Restaurant for some pie. We hadn't officially met even though we had been at a couple of the same events this year. GREAT folks...had a blast talking with them, we have so much in common. Doncha just love these smiling faces!?!



After I left the restaurant, I headed to Safeway to stock up on a few things. On the way there I saw a Can-Am Spyder sitting outside a restaurant. As I got closer, a lady rider walked out and got ready to leave. I put down the window and asked her if I could take a photo. She said, "Sure!", so here it is. I love these things...so different for a three wheel motorcycle.



Oh, funny thing happened at Safeway....Tony & Pamela were there, too. Got to meet their adorable pup, Jones. I got done before them and headed home. Saved almost $14 with my Safeway card...plus if I ever run into a Safeway with a gas station, I will get 10 cents off each gallon.

Another beautiful evening...snapped a couple of sunset photos to share. Great day!



Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Turned off and down flat....

Bet that title's got you thinking.....LOL! Started shortly after midnight Thursday (or should I say Friday). Getting ready for bed, I walked into the bathroom and the first thing I noticed was that my motion sensor nightlight didn't come on. I turned on the overhead and checked it out, thinking the bulb must have burned out. The bulb looked fine but I figured I change it out in the morning. Did my routine and headed to bed.

Hmmmm, my alarm clock wasn't lit. Okay, so maybe the bulb was okay and my power was off. Walked out to the living room and sure enough, the light was off on the TV. As I turned back to the bedroom to check the circuit breakers, I noticed the microwave light was still on. Stranger yet...

All the circuit breakers were fine but I flipped each one off and back on...no change. Okay, it's after midnight and it's COLD outside so figured it would wait till morning to try to figure out what was going on.

Morning came and as I did my morning bathroom routine (trying to do go into TMI here...LOL!) Still no power except the microwave...which made me think to see if the outlet over the sink had power. Plugged my cell phone into the charger and sure enough...it worked. Okay, so why would the microwave and the outlet over the sink work but all other outlets not? Back to the bathroom on a whim...pulled the nightlight and looked at the GFI. Sure enough...it was popped. Reset it and VOILA! Everything back to normal...

No idea why it popped (since all I had done was turn off my reading light and the TV before going into the bathroom), but at least now I know what to do if it happens again. So now on to the rest of my Friday morning....

One thing I had forgotten to mention about picking up my RV. I had asked the folks to check the air in all my tires as well as my air bag, just so I would be set to head north. They did and all should have been fine. As I worked to reset out all my dash/console items, once I had them in place I plugged them in. This included my Pressure Pro system. (I always plug it in at least 10 minutes before departing, giving the monitor time to pick up the readings.)

Next thing I know, one tire is alarming....it says it only has 55# (should have been 80). I go out with my tire gauge and sure enough, the tire is low. I go inside to see if they have a portable compressor and the owner assures me they did air up the tire and asks if I have a slow leak. They don't have a portable compressor and since I was in the middle of getting ready to leave, I opted to just air it up with my portable one even though I knew it would take a little time.

The trip up to Williams was fine except BOTH my inner duals alarmed at 92-94# (still need to find out why they are doing that - not sure what could be causing the pressure increase and have talked to the McFalls about it before). I stopped in a rest area for a break and they both settled back down to 82-84# and I finished the trip uneventfully. The outer dual that had been low stayed up just fine.

Fast forward to Friday morning....feeling cocky because I fixed my power issue without having to call in outside help, I step outside. Hmmmm, the coach seems to be leaning a bit more than it was when I checked in. Figured my air bag was the cause since it still has its own slow leak. Check it out and find it's not low by much but put some more air in. Still leaning....I glance down at the tire. Remember that outer dual that was low....well now it's all but flat. Sigh....

I call up to the campground office to see if they know of someone local that might be able to fix it (assuming I picked up a nail or something) or put on my spare if not. Turns out less then 1/4 mile away there was a shop. I called them and they told me to carefully drive it over. Sigh...have to reverse all the stuff I just did the night before to get settled. Figures....

So I drive over and they pull the tire. No sign of a nail or damage so into the tank it goes. Hmmm, no immediate apparent leak so they suspect it must be a small one. As they continue to search I wander into the attached convenience store and get a soda. When I come back out they have found the leak. It was at the back end of the valve extender....and only apparent when in the mounted position with pressure on the tire.

They call the local NAPA store and they don't carry the large extender that I need. But fortunately the shop mechanic found one on an old tire and it appears to be in excellent condition. They put it on and test it....no leaks and it's long enough (barely). They remount the tire and I ask how much. He hems & haws and says, "How about $15?". I reply, "How about $20 and you don't have to make change." He says, "If that's what it's worth to you....". Heck yeah it was!

I start to back up and something feels funny. Next thing I know it feels like I'm driving on a completely flat front tire. I pull back in. They know immediately what it is. There is something like a dowel that keeps the duals running together. Sometimes it isn't so easy to get it in place and aligned....thus my "Mister Toad's Crazy Ride" feeling. They quickly jacked it up again, took the tire off, realigned it and remounted the tire. We laughed as I told them they had just earned the extra $5.

Backed out...no problems....back to the campground and settled back in...again. See what fun this is? LOL!

The campground filled up to over 50% on Friday. Lots of trailers, a few fivers and one new motorhome. Definitely a lot of weekend campers....several of whom seemed to know each other and gathered in groups.

The motorhome pulled out this morning, sometime after dark a trailer pulled into the empty spot beside me, and the park has continued to fill up today. Definitely a different feeling than the campgrounds I was in last fall and early winter. Different place...different time.

Today has been a veg day, reading a good book and relaxing. It's 80, sunny and breezy. On Monday I plan to go out to visit the couple of boondocking spots that have been passed along to me...figure the weekenders will be gone then and I can better plan for a place to head to on Thursday. Just going to enjoy the weekend....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Where did she go?

Sorry for being so MIA....life goes on. I've forgotten most of what happened since I last posted other than Memorial Day weekend. What beautiful weather we had in Camp Verde. I did get a new neighbor, a young family in a large pop-up with 3 or 4 kids (Think they arrived with 3 but left with 4?)

The wife came over then next morning as I was taking out my chairs & tables and apologized for the kids. She said they didn't realize what a quiet park it was....that they had the only kids. I told her it was fine, the kids were really well behaved...and they were. They played Frisbee, they rode their bikes, the whole family went riding, then they loaded up the two cars with all the bikes and fishing gear for a day trip. (I think that is when the extra child arrived...probably a friend for the son to keep him company.) It was really nice to see the parents out their playing with the kids, enjoying their time with them.

The day they were gone, I had a surprise visitor. I was sitting in the sun enjoying it and a book when something caught the corner of my eye. As I turned, I heard a buzzing sound...it was a scooter! It was my friend Ron, who was bus camping in a friend's yard in the Camp Verde area. I hadn't seen him since the Gypsy Journal Rally in Casa Grande last February. We sat and talked for several hours before he headed out to check on a boondocking spot on the way to Cottonwood.

Anyway, the weekend was beautiful and I enjoyed doing a little sightseeing and a lot of relaxing & reading. Come Tuesday I leave Rancho Verde RV Park (would definitely visit again - WONDERFUL park, the hosts are magnificent) and head up the road the couple of miles to HEFR (Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair) where I will leave the motorhome for hopefully 2 days (one overnight).

Around 3 pm, after doing more sightseeing (left the camera in the RV, dang it!) and a little reading with a cup of coffee at McD's, I headed over to the Super8 where I had made a reservation. Got myself checked in and enjoyed a few movies on HBO, a change from reading. LOL! Around 4 pm I called to see if they thought they would be done sometime on Wednesday. It turned out that it was going to be iffy....there was a chance they might have it ready by 4:30 but couldn't guarantee it. Rather than pick it up late IF it was done, then find a place to park for the night since I wouldn't leave that late in the day, I opted to stay in the hotel a second night and pick it up this morning (Thursday).

So today I got up early, enjoyed a second LONG, HOT SHOWER, grabbed a quick McD breakfast and then headed over to pick up the Lily Pad. Got over my heart attack at the bill total, they did a lot and the quality of the work was obvious, and sat in the parking lot getting things squared away inside. Hooked up the car and hit the road about 11:30, headed back to Williams.

Ron had wanted me to come towards Cottonwood and try out the boondocking there but with the temps moving rapidly into the 90's again tomorrow, I opted to head to the mountains again. I'm back at the Canyon Motel & RV Park (where we had the motorcycle gathering) and have ordered my mail shipped here, a good reason to stay in one spot for a couple of days.

I will take the care and check out some of the boondocking spots I've seen mentioned and if I find one I like, I'll spend a second week here but boondocking.

Oh, remember my bicycle shopping ramblings? Well my friends Nick & Terry Russell have been doing the physical shopping and were having the same problems. In today's blog, Nick posted that they have found their bikes and ordered them. I know I'll keep looking out for one that will work for me as well.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Just hopping on through....

This has been a lazy week for me, a much needed lazy week. I've done a little sightseeing, a little visiting with the locals, a lot of reading and even more not much of anything. LOL! Thus no blogging till today....when it is pouring off and on.

Okay, I arrived on Monday and checked into the great little campground, Rancho Verde RV Park, here in Camp Verde. I would come back here anytime...the owners are wonderful, they work very hard to keep the grounds in tip-top condition. Always checking to see if anything is needed...I've seen them hand delivering mail rather than having folks come to the office. Nice!

Tuesday I pulled out and headed over to HEFR (Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair - and yes, they DO pronounce it 'heifer' and have cow stuff scattered around the office). I met with the owner, John, we got the information from the motorhome and headed back inside. In a very short time John introduced me to Dave, the service tech who would be caring for my rig. He sat patiently listening to my tale of woe, asking questions and then went to bring in my rig.

While he was inspecting & evaluating, I talked with John about getting some new mirrors for the RV. Mine are manual, which is okay, except they keep vibrating to new and not so usable positions. That means stopping, adjusting and continuing. I'll never forgot coming into Tucson for the first time...my passenger side mirror was completely unusable. As I got off the exit I watched the light and kept saying, "Turn red, turn red, turn red.....". It did...I threw it into park, jumped out, ran around the front of the RV, adjusted the mirror, ran back, smiled and shrugged at the folks in the car beside me, jumped back in, shifted back into gear...all before the light changed. Phew! NOT something I like to do very often...

So, back to the mirrors. Several folks had recommended Velvac mirrors but I had never quite figured out what I needed when on their website. I told John what style I was looking for (built-in convex mirror on the bottom) and he set to work finding out what to get and where they might be available. Long story short....can't replace just the mirrors anymore. They've 'upgraded' their design and I would have to replace the arms as well. So my $500 mirrors would now be almost $1000. Guess I'll keep on jumping out and adjusting as needed.

The weather Wednesday was the best of the week. Monday & Tuesday saw temps in the low 100's. Yesterday and today it has rained off and on....just when you think the sun is out for good, it suddenly starts to rain again. I thought it would be a good day to do my laundry....seems like everyone else thought so, too. So I'll wait...LOL!

Today the park handyman came by to work on my storage bay...I heard him outside but I wasn't dressed yet (loving these sleep in till 8 mornings). After dressing I went outside and saw that it was open...and the lock didn't look new. Hmmmm.... Later I was on the phone and he knocked at the door and asked for my keys. He had managed to pop it and keep the lock! WHOO-HOO!!! I'll never jam the table in there again....LOL! Live and learn....

Okay....heading back to veg and read for a bit....enjoy the holiday weekend but remember the reason we have one. My heart goes out to those who have given their lives so we can remain free.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

PS. The frog photo was taken at my house in TN...couldn't resist it!

This 'n that and other stuff....

First, for those who read my blog at My Prime Years, my apologies for not getting your comments posted more quickly. Guess there was a Gmail disconnect because I didn't get notices and only by accident found about 10 backlogged comments. I actually publish my blog in two spots, My Prime Years and Froggilady. I do this as a backup...the blogs at Froggilady are actually stored at Blogger.com while the ones at My Prime Years are done with WordPress are on my own server. So there are always two sets of comments to deal with...I will try to remember to manually check the WordPress comments.

I did get moved to Camp Verde today...nice little campground. I had opted for the cheaper water & electric site since I knew I would dump before I left but when I went there it turns out that the trees would completely block my satellite....so I moved up to the main area and a full hookup spot. I still have trees to help shade but they are in the other direction.

It's hot...over 100 forecast for today and tomorrow. I ran the generator on the way down, both to keep the RV cool as well as give the generator it's monthly run. The trip was a little over 90 minutes and I made no stops. Getting moved out this morning wasn't too bad except for the heat. I dumped, unhooked, checked tires & airbags, put air in my left air bag, ran the engine for 10 minutes to check the tranny fluid, added the quart I had bought, checked again and it registered, set up the newest replacement Brake Buddy and headed out.

I checked under the RV when I stopped....a little dribbling but not major spot. Guess the shorter trip helped. Tomorrow I have an appointment at HEFR in Camp Verde and we'll see what they say. Whatever it is will be labor intensive, I already know that. LOL!

Have to say how much I love the ease of hooking/unhooking the car. The only hassle has been replacing the Brake Buddy twice. Both units had one of the silver clips break off the 12-volt adapter. Seems they had a problem with a batch of units....I managed to get two of them. Have to say that my contact at the parent company, Hopkins Mfg, has gone above and beyond to help. No hassle service and QUICK. Now if this one will just continue to behave.....

You knew it was coming, didn't you...today's defugalty. LOL! I have one very large storage back at the back of the motorhome. It goes in under the bed but that end is shallow, the outside end is deep. I use it to store all my chairs, tables, solar lights, Power Surge connector/adapters, laundry items and much, much more. This morning I was stashing everything in there, the last item was a little plastic folding table. You know the kind, they fold in half and are handy beside your chairs.

Well, I arrive and go to open the bin to get my Power Surge connector. It won't unlock...I keep trying. No go. I try another compartment, no problem. Hmmmm, what is up with this? The campground owner comes over and he tries it. Still no go. He offers to have the local handyman stop over. An hour or so later, he comes by. Same thing...he surmises that the table dropped down over the lock and is jamming it. Sigh...hoping that moving it tomorrow might dislodge it but I doubt it. Wednesday or Thursday the handyman will come back and drill it out, replacing it with another. Just what I need....another key to keep track of! Jeesh....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

What a great time!

Sorry for not blogging more...that's what happens when you meet up with a group of friends. In this case, not RVing friends but lady motorcycle friends. Every year the gals from AZ/UT host the Wild West Fest (WWF), formerly called Ravenfest. This year they held it in Williams so I could attend (this is my second one, the first was the year I toured on my motorcycle).

We had gals (and spouses) from CA, UT, NM, KS and AZ....there were three in the campground (including me), the rest were in the hotel (some lucky enough to get to sleep in one of the converted rail cars). Most rode, a couple drove (hard to ride with a 10 month old baby), all came for the fun & companionship.



I had met all but a couple of the gals & their spouses before, so it was great to see them again. Combine with meeting folks I've chatted with for 3-4 years as well as some guest invitees....toss in good food, great music, lots of tasty food & beverages of all types....you get the picture. What a great time!



But it wasn't all fun and games...I spent a good part of today trying to get rid of the motorcycle gear I won't be using. I did pretty well but still have 2 jackets, 3 pairs of boots, chaps, vest, electric gloves and a bunch of smaller stuff to get rid of. But at least I emptied one of the large rolling duffel bags (and got rid of it). LOL! If you look closely, you'll see two tables covered and three chair filled with what's left.



Since the front of my rig gets the afternoon sun, I decided to put the awning out. I carefully checked the forecast...7mph...no problem. So I get the awning out and within an hour a HUGE wind gust comes through and grabs the awning. I run outside and try to figure out what it did and what I need to do to fix it. My friend Sally comes over (her toy hauler is parked just down the hill from me) and between us we get it settled back in. I go back inside since the wind has disappeared as quickly as it came.

An hour later it starts to get windy again and after a few minutes, I figure I'd better pull it up...sun or no sun. I haven't had the awning down in months...since I was in Yuma actually. So I'm struggling to figure out what step I'm missing since it's not going up. An RVer across the way comes over to help and we do the missing step. Then we struggle with getting it to retract and Sally appears. She quickly gets it to retract (thank you!).

It goes up easily (nice when you do all the right things), BUT the wind moved it enough that the arms are now about 2" to one side and it won't snap together. I yank on my side and we feel it shift so we bring it back down so we can start it up again. About half way up the wind starts roaring again so there we stand, me on the back end of the RV on the top of a two-step stool, my neighbor on the front end and Sally in the middle....all holding on for dear life so the wind doesn't totally destroy the awning. Finally it passes, we get the awning up and I strap it down. Glad the cameras weren't anywhere near us! LOL!

Everyone is leaving tomorrow except me, most first thing in the morning. Will be a quiet afternoon while I pack everything up so I can leave for Camp Verde on Monday morning.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

The

Meandering Thoughts.....

Why is it so hard to get a good haircut when traveling? They never want to cut my hair short enough.....I have to keep pushing them. LOL! I guess the good thing is that folks continue to tell me they love my haircut. So far I've used one mall salon, one Wal-Mart salon and two local shops.

Ocular migraines are a pain....well, mine usually aren't painful but when they happen I can't read or be on the computer for the 20-30 minutes they last. It's like having a kaleidoscope inside your eye. Nothing serious, just have had them two days in a row....maybe sinus related since I'm in the middle of pine trees.

Hats....hats and sunglasses. I love them....I don't wear them often enough, the hats that is. Going to try to wear them more...or else they have to do. RVers try to get rid of things they haven't worn or used in a year. EEEK!

When a campground rule says no feeding the wildlife, does that include the birds? I love being able to put out a birdfeeder or two (including hummingbird feeders) and a pie plate with water for them. Guess I need to ask next time I see this rule.....

This weekend is my lady motorcycle gathering here in Williams. We have about 20 women riders, 10 spouses and one baby coming from CA, NM, CO, UT & AZ. It will be fun, even if I am without a bike. But I suspect this may be my last motorcycle gathering...being bikeless makes it much harder to stay connected. I'll still visit the forums and I'll never forget the friends I've made...some for life.

Where to next? First stop will be Camp Verde where I hope to get my transmission fixed. Today I was working on my expenses and budgeting.....not a pretty site with all the repairs & maintenance costs this year....then factor in setting up the RV & car for towing. Sigh...but it's better to know where I stand so I can tighten the belt as needed. I have several annual memberships that may go by the wayside next year. I will be shopping for cheaper auto insurance for sure. I can drop to a lower level of DirecTV shows. But I won't, I absolutely WON'T give up my Internet. LOL!

Oh, I was supposed to be talking about where....after Camp Verde I will head north. I plan to spend a couple of weeks just north of Denver. I'll visit family and get some other personal things done. I need to settle on a base for getting a checkup and prescriptions renewed. Since I no longer have medical insurance it needs to be where I can find a good walk-in type clinic with reasonable costs. I found one in Branson, MO but that is the wrong part of the country right now. LOL!

How do I manage to get so far behind in email correspondence....if you have emailed me in the last couple of weeks and haven't heard back....hang in there! I will get back to you....but it may be another week. Sorry....honest!

I really miss boondocking but it looks like it may be July before I get to try it again. Too many commitments and things to do right now, as well as temperatures that mean running the A/C. I am NOT a hot weather gal....daytime temperatures in the 60-80 degree range are perfect for me. Once it gets over 82 in the RV, you can count on the air conditioner being turned on. That means running the generator if I'm boondocking, the solar won't run the A/C (or the refrigerator).

I think I could travel around Arizona for a year and still not see everything...and Utah even more so. Than factor in New Mexico and Colorado. Is it any wonder I want to stay out west? Of course there is still WY, MT, ID, OR, WA.......see what I mean? Beauty abounds....

I got on the scales this morning....I am at my max weight. Time to #1) cut back on intake and #2) start WALKING. I bought some very inexpensive walking sticks at Wal-Mart. I also have small hand weights and exercise bands. I really have to get serious...I refuse to buy any larger clothes. Time to start watching craigslist and Freecyle for a good used bicycle....

This all ties into my Diet Coke addiction as well...there are more and more studies showing that we are worse off using sugar supplements. It can increase your weight [ 2008 study - 2005 study ] and even worse, totally mess up your metabolism [ American Heart Assn - Framingham Heart Study ] . I see myself in that picture. I am trying to drink more green tea (hot and cold).

I think I got a mosquito bite on the top of my head the day I was at the Grand Canyon. It still itches.....

So, have I bored you enough yet.....then WAKE UP so I can sign off. LOL!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Winter Wonderland

May 13, 2008 in Williams, AZ

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Train ride to Grand Canyon

As I posted in 'Where was I', we had an interesting start to the day with the train stopping across the road by the campground to pick us up. They told us to just take a seat anywhere so they could get moving again.

The train ride was fun, mostly thanks to good companions and a great PSA (passenger service attendant) to keep us entertained. We also had a strolling musician come through with his harmonica and guitar.



The trip wasn't the most scenic initially...typical high desert. It eventually got a little prettier with woods, hills and trails. Since it was late morning we didn't see much in the way of wildlife.

We were given a nice box lunch which most ate on the train but I waited till we arrived at the train depot. Found a picnic table, chowed down and then headed up the steps for my first sight of the Grand Canyon (other than from a plane).



We had three hours to hike, visit the historical buildings, learn about the history of the area and, of course, sightsee. Some folks managed to see a mountain lion, several saw the condors that have been re-established in the area, I got to see the squirrels that someone was feeding (against the rules) and a little lizard. LOL!

The train ride home brought more entertainment....same PSA, different musician. It also brought the requisite train robbery. Gotta love masked men with senses of humor...they needed it in our car. One of the SKPs played the part of a 'not all there' individual. Had our PSA rolling on the floor and the robber was speechless.



When we arrived at the RV Park, the train once again stopped at the road crossing to let us off. The locals even stopped to take photos.



We hustled back to our rigs to get our beverage of choice for the late happy hour/social which would be followed by a delicious dinner of chicken/beef Shiskabob, corn on the cob, potato salad and more. YUM! Followed by a delicious carrot cake desert.

The final door prizes were given out (did I mention that I won a HOP jacket at the drawings Friday night? NICE jacket...), the thank you's extended, future plans swapped and hugs exchanged. What a great event it was....the memories will last a long time.

Here is a photo of our HOP hosts enjoying the sights at Grand Canyon.




Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna