Not sure what to say....

The day was spent watching movies and doing a lot of reading online while I continued keeping my ankle elevated. The outside temps are nice but since they were dragging the gravel to level it, I ended up closing all the windows and running the A/C.

I was going to post some of the fun & interesting sites I found but I just read some news in one of my forums that changed that.

Those who have followed my blog for a while know that I bought a Pressure Pro tire monitoring system from Mike & Pat McFall while at the Gypsy Journal rally in Casa Grande last spring. Mike & Pat were also the ones who rescued me in Wickenburg when I first discovered my transmission leak. Pat drove my car and Mike followed me as I moved my rig from the gas station to the North Ranch SKP Park in Congress, AZ.

If you have read any of Mike's comments or followed his blog, you would know that his son Scott has been fighting cancer. He recently had a bone marrow transplant, was doing better and then started a down turn. His brother was planning on returning to donate for another transplant.

I just read in the RV-Dreams forum that Scott passed away. You can leave a comment on Scott's page at the CaringBridge site. You can also post a shout for Mike & Pat on their personal blog. I know how hard it is to lose a spouse or a parent. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child.

Life is too short my friends....take time to tell those you love that you care....make contact with those who have drifted away. You never know what tomorrow may bring....

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

Heroes Gone But Not Forgotten

by Jill Eisnaugle

Heroes gone but not forgotten
Each one resting in a field
Where the daffodils of summer
Bow their heads, sadness to yield
Soldiers gone, but not our freedom
Sacrifices dually made
In the name of peace and progress
Bravery rests beneath the shade.

On this day, we must remember
All the troops from all the wars
With thanks for their selfless service
Miles away on barren shores
Each battled boldly for the cause
Calm and harmony their goals
Therefore with Taps in mind, we pause
Honoring these valiant souls.

Heroes gone, but kept in memories
Every time Old Glory waves
Patriots for independence
Resting in eternal graves
‘neath the vast and sprawling wonder
Of the brilliant skies in May
We’ll pay everlasting homage
To them, on Memorial Day.

© 2008 – Jill Eisnaugle’s Poetry Collection

Life at its best and its worst....

What a day....woke at 3 am (and 4 am and 5 am and 6 am) to rain starting & stopping. Nothing serious but enough to change my sleep pattern. I finally rolled out of be at 7:30 and grabbed a shot of what should have been sunrise.



Doug came over around 9 am, we chatted for a bit, ate some breakfast and made plans to hit the local solar vendor that many were recommending. The night before he and Doc had laid out what should be a good working solar environment for me and we wanted to get a quote from these folks.

We visited them and got what we felt was a fair quote and set an appointment for next Wednesday. It will take most of the day for the installation and on Thursday the system will start charging and I will enter a new way of boondocking.

From there we got diesel in the truck, grabbed a quick sandwich and hit a couple of little auto parts stores trying to find a decent quality, flush mount 12 volt power outlet (cigarette lighter style).

Nothing found, we continued over to the main event. I wanted to see if the better quality roll-up tables had arrived as well as check out the catalytic heaters (running the big furnace is counter-productive to the energy efficiency of the solar lifestyle ). Doug wanted to talk to the SHURflo pump folks. After parking what seemed to be 2 miles away (even though attendance was much lower than my last visit), we headed in to see if we could locate our vendors.

On the way there I managed to find a LARGE table full of hats! Yup, still searching for a good mesh hat for warmer weather. I managed to actually find one that fit close enough to satisfy me and looked decent enough to buy. Continuing into the tent we wandered a bit and it felt to me that the vendor I wanted was on the midway outside so we took the next exit. Voila! There was the one I wanted. The tables still weren't what I was looking for but I did find the catalytic heater I hoped would work. If it was too large, I could bring it back and exchange it for the smaller one. I then asked the salesman if he happened to know where the SHURflo vendor was. He did...since it was their space as well...we headed there and Doug got his questions answered.

Time to head back to the truck but as we passed an ice cream stand....who wanted a real dinner anyway! LOL! Super double scoop (one flavor or two) ice creams cones hit the spot and we got to sit a bit and rest our legs before the last stretch of walking.

The final stop was at Herb's Hardware where we managed to find a 12 volt outlet that would work (so I can get a small inverter to run my laptop during the daytime), a cap for my trailer ball and a small bottle of Gorilla Glue. But the best part was locating a young gentleman who will come out to my rig and install the shut-off and quick-connect for my catalytic heater.

A quick trip to the campfire for social hour where I continued to really enjoy the Boondocking group. They have made me feel very welcome and I look forward to many more good times with them. Finally back to the rig where I snapped a couple of sunset shots.




Shortly after returning from the social hour, my cell phone beeped that I had voicemail. Strange since I never heard it ring but that seems to happen out here, sometimes it never rings for me but goes right to voicemail. Anyway, my good day was about to go bad.

The call was from my youngest brother in Florida. One of my cousins and her family live in the same town...and everyone also rides motorcycles. On his way to work this morning, her husband was killed. The details aren't important but he was not at fault. A co-worker was just behind him and was almost involved as well. This was not the way to end what had been a good day.

As I said, today was life at its best and its worst....Tim, you will be sorely missed. I know you died doing what you loved, riding, but we are left here without your shining presence. DTFR...forever. What a ride it's been...

Folks, tell your loved ones how much you care about them....you never know when the final moment will occur.

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

My kind of town....Quirksite, AZ

Ahhh, I think I am falling in love with Quartzsite or Quirksite as we renamed it today. I went to breakfast (that became lunch due to the long wait) with three lady rider friends. Two of them live locally, one in Sun City; two used to RV, one still does. Time passed quickly as we caught up as we waited and then ate. After that they took me on a tour of the area.

The first stop was the Reader's Oasis owned by Paul Winer. The store is new but not the merchandise. It's well stocked with magazines, books, and an assortment of music & video selections....all used and there are several spots you can pick up something free (books, magazines). For me the biggest thrill was finding an old issue of RV Companion magazine. I was a part-time columnist, initially covering health topics (Healthy Trails) and later on topics interesting Baby Boomers (like motorcycling). I also designed and maintained their website. One of the issues featured Quartzsite and had my column covering the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies charity run in Ft Pierce, FL.



Now Paul is not your average bookstore owner....not by a long shot. In fact Paul is probably world famous....for being the Naked Bookseller. He typically wears three socks, loosely defined. On really cold days he might have a long sleeved shirt or jacket as well. I had seen several photos in blogs lately, all featuring the blog owner with Paul. The first one had him wearing three red socks. Well, today was mesh day....oh yeah! Needless to say I had to get my picture taken with Paul as did my friend from Sun City. (Don't enlarge the photo if you are easily offended....)



While it's fun to talk about the quirky side of Paul, he does have another more serious side. In 1995 Paul and his wife Joanne lost their daughter Celia at age 8 1/2. Joanne calls Celia her miracle baby....first because she was conceive and second because she survived a birth weight of 1 1/4 pounds and 12" long.

After Celia's death, Paul and Joanne wanted to do something to give back to the community that helped them, a community that Celia loved. They petitioned the town for an area where they could establish a botanical garden in Celia's memory. They worked tirelessly to make that dream a reality and today it stands as a loving memorial to not only Celia from her parents, but from many others. Joanne says it best, "What started out as a small nature trail has grown over the past 6 years into a mosaic of beauty, like a patchwork quilt made by many loving hands and hearts."

Here are just a few of the photos I took there....there are memorials to family, friends, other loved ones including pets. Quite a moving experience. There is also a little miniature old west town, Adamsville, and other items of historical interest.








I hope you will take the time to read the full story behind Celia's Rainbow Garden and visit it when you are in Quartzsite.

For those who wonder how long I will be here, I am moving to the Desert Pueblo RV Park in Bouse this Wednesday morning. I'll be there a week before going back to Augie's Quail Trail RV Park in Gila Bend for another week.

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

Special Days not always so special....

Today....August 27, 2007. A day like any other. The alarm goes off, I hit snooze...4 or 5 times, then I crawl out of bed and head to the bathroom. Splash some water on my face, brush my teeth and take my morning meds. Toss on some clothes and go get BoBo out of his crate and take him outdoors.

Every morning starts this way...then the variations start. Today's first variation was loading BoBo into the car. He needed to be dropped at the vet's office by 8:30 -- today was the appointment for his neutering. I chatted with the receptionist a bit, she printed out the papers I needed to sign and handed them to me. I looked it over, signed and asked her what the date was. "August 27th," she said, not realizing the significance to me. I wrote the date and quietly said, "My husband would have been 66 today."

How easily the days pass, rushing by like the waters in a stream. Then suddenly you find yourself free-falling down an unexpected waterfall. You hit bottom, shake your head, look back to see where you've been and then you see it.....the rainbow. You smile....they are watching over you.

I had many moments today, some sad, some nostalgic and some full of laughter. I bought groceries, got my driver's license renewed, mailed the paperwork to establish my new South Dakota residency, chatted with the bank about their new account and how it would work well for me, talked to my Toyota dealer about buying my car (didn't make it in to see them because of the amount of time it took to get my drivers license done), made several phone calls (something I tend to procrastinate), and watched an improv reality show that had my laughing so hard I was crying.

All in all, a special day for me.... Happy Birthday, Michael!

[left to right] Mike & his younger brother Dave in 1997

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

The words get in the way.....

Two years today.....so much time, so little time. If you've followed my blog, you know that a lot has happened in the last two years. Some good, some not so good. But in general, I am doing well. I am finding that I'm more fragmented than usual but wonder if that isn't just the time of year. We'll see if it continues. Not staying focused on things and getting them done - like websites, email, etc. (So if you email me, don't be surprised if you don't hear right back. Today I found some that were from Aug & Sept - LOL!)

I still miss Mike and know that a piece of my heart will always belong to him. I just have to believe he is watching and cheering me on as I struggle with being a "mature" single. Dating after 50 is a whole new ball game I've found...yes, there are some nice guys out there amongst the toads. I've been lucky to meet and date a few. What I have found out is that my independence seems to get in the way of taking the next step in a relationship. Guess it will be a really special guy if that ever happens again.

I'm still working full-time, learning a bit more about the real estate business each day. Other than that not much is new....I know I have sadly neglected this blog and I am going to try to be better about that.

I did get out a couple of weekends ago for lunch with a bunch of riding friends....had a great time. Winter is trying to close in but with my electric gear I should be able to continue riding even with temperatures in the 30's - but will opt for sunny days regardless.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and here's to HOPPY HOLIDAYS ahead!

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

Time flies...and other trite comments

Yes it's true - time does fly when you're busy. I can't believe how quickly the summer has passed. The heat has been terrible this year, I seem to feel it worse as I get older. I see many motorcyclists out there on the weekends, just too hot for me to enjoy it.

I did ride to work on Friday. It was barely 70 when I left, perfect riding with the mesh jacket and shorty helmet. What a treat! It's a shame that I'm only 3 miles from work....and have to be there at 8am. I took it to lunch, another mile or so and then home (no side trips since it's hot right now). Felt good to get out and feel the wind in my face.

Today was a tough day....Mike would have been 65. I spent a lot of time in reflection...where I've been, where I'm going. So many wonderful memories to sustain me...I know how fortunate I am. Anyway, one of the things I considered was the sale of my house. It's been listed for five months now, due to expire the end of September. I have decided to take it off the market early. I hate living in limbo....boxes & totes everywhere, living on temporary furniture....it's time to make the house back into a home.

Since the job arrived into my life so unexpectedly, I think I am meant to stay in the house. I've always loved it as did Mike. Sparta is such a great little town, I've really enjoyed my time here. I remember when I knew I had made the right move in coming here. It was a couple of weeks after Mike passed, I was on the phone with one of my daughters and the front door bell rang. It was in the middle of the week and dark outside. Having moved from the Tampa/St Pete area, my first thought was, "....did I lock the storm door?".

I realized that I was on the phone and my daughter would know if something happened, so I flipped on the outside light and opened the inside door. No one was there but as I looked out into the yard I saw about a dozen women standing out there....singing Christmas carols. Perfect.....

More this week about life in my small town.....

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

A year ago......

For some reason it occurred to me that this time last year, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, was my first trip through Yellowstone National Park on my way to Red Lodge, MT for the weekend. Normally I didn't make reservations but due to being out West and a major holiday, one marking the start of summer vacations for many, I planned ahead and had a room reserved at the Days Inn in Red Lodge.

Looking back over my ride journal, I realized that I hadn't really planned to hit Yellowstone at this point.

"Headed out to pick up WY and end up in MT*. Original plan was to stay in Anaconda, MT but due to late arrival last night, now modified it to Butte. Scenery flattened out but picked up again north of Rexburg, ID. Ended up going in the western entrance to Yellowstone (missed my turn - AGAIN). So glad I did, unbelievable! Saw deer, elk (several times), bison, trumpeter swans, eagles, ducks, hot springs and views to die for. Kept stopping to take photos, figured I'd just stay in Livingston (which is what I did). *Note: Remember, I was trying to ride all 48 states in 2005.

The weather was perfect, the crowds non-existent, can't wait to go back (if only the weather will hold). Stayed in a beautiful Best Western, got the second to last available room. I even got to park the bike in their secure parking garage! Headed to Red Lodge tomorrow."

I do have one memory that I didn't put into my ride journal but I will never forget the experience. All during my ride through Yellowstone, I kept thinking how much my husband would have enjoyed it and how much I wished he were seeing it with me. It had only been six months since his death. When I stopped to get gas on the northern side of Yellowstone, there were no self-pay pumps so I had to go inside. While waiting to pay the lady behind me asked if I had dropped some change. I looked down and saw two bright pennies....I picked them up and knew that Michael had been with me all day. Why? It all goes back to a poem someone sent me after his death.

Pennies From Heaven
I found a penny today
Just laying on the ground
But it's not just a penny
This little coin I've found

Found pennies come from heaven
That's what my Grandpa told me
He said Angels toss them down
Oh, how I loved that story

He said when an Angel misses you
They toss a penny down
Sometimes just to cheer you up
And take away your frown

So don't pass by that penny
When you're feeling blue
It may be a penny from heaven
That an angel has tossed to you.

~Author Unknown~

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