Sing a song of sixpence

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened,
They all began to sing.
Now, wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the King?

And boy, do they make a racket when they're all perched in the tree outside your door!

While they can be entertaining, they can also be annoying. Fortunately they don't stay very long before departing.

The day was a quiet one...talked to my three kids, watched Christmas movies and made played on the computer, working on some routing for next month and tried to not eat too much junk food . The weather was good enough to ride but I got involved watching a movie I had recorded but not seen....next thing I knew it was almost 4:00. Of course they're talking about rain tomorrow and cooler temps once again.

I've enjoyed reading various RVing blogs to see how everyone celebrated their holidays. They ranged from being with family, being with other RVing friends in campgrounds to being on their own in the middle of nowhere. No matter how they spent the day, their spirit shone!

Seems like there was something else I wanted to blog about but nothing comes to mind...maybe tomorrow. LOL!

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

Twas the night before Christmas....

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the park
Not a creature was stirring, not even a lark....

I'll spare you the rest...LOL! Well, it's Christmas eve and I hope everyone is doing well. I'm all bundled into the Lily Pad, space heaters firing. It was 31 at 8 am this morning but only supposed to dip to the upper 30's tonight.

I got my mail forwarding package today....thank you to all who sent cards and a BIG thank you to my mystery Santa who sent me an adorable little pillow. They enclosed a note but didn't sign it...so I'm stumped! But I do love the pillow, now decorating one end of my sofa.
I just ate lasagna for dinner, that's what I would have been having if I'd made it to my youngest daughter's house in Georgia. I'm settled in watching The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause II movies. I've managed to record a bunch of holiday movies and plan on enjoying them!

I also played a little with making a video with my laptop's on-board webcam and then putting that into a little movie. Hope you enjoy (if I get it to work...if not click HERE)!



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

RVing, the Cowboy Way

From time to time I check my old hometown newspaper online. This week I found a very interesting story about Bill Inman who is traveling from Oregon to North Carolina....on his horse Blackie. His wife follows them in their truck pulling the stock trailer which is also their living quarters most of the time.

I haven't read their entire blog but I intend to, I did read a couple of the latest entries. One really struck a note with the cooler weather moving back into my area. If you think you're cold, read this entry and see how you feel.

As Rvers we enjoy traveling the road, carrying varying levels of modern conveniences with us. We live with a sense of adventure in our hearts. We drive long days and short days. We cover a few miles or many miles. Bill tries to cover 25 miles a day...

As Bill says on his website Uncovering America, "Sometimes people are going so fast in pursuit of happiness, that often times they pass it right by." Most of us full-time RVers completely understand what Bill is trying to say. We're all uncovering America in our own way....

On a side note, thank you to everyone who wrote with get well wishes & remedies. The cold is better but not completely gone. I pampered myself and enjoyed digging out my Tazo Zen green tea (I'd forgotten how much I liked that). I even managed to sleep a full 10 hours one night.

I also took a short ride on Squirt...he was happy and I worked on bonding more with him. We managed to find groceries and the Post Office before heading back home. The wind is now blowing in another cold front so not sure when I will get out again.

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

A little slice of heaven...

Yes, a little slice of heaven...okay, maybe it was two slices....fine, have it your way, it was really three slices. I tested out the on-line ordering offered by Pizza Hut. Love it! I haven't had pizza in months and it really tasted good. Nice change from my current diet. Actually, I was pretty good. I packaged up the left overs for three more meals. More calories than I need but you've got to pamper yourself ONCE in a while.

Made it to bed at midnight...woke up at 4 am with a horrible sore throat. Gave up and got up at 5 am, took some aspirin and made some hot tea. Going to see if my neighbor will take my mail to the post office. Will be a veg day for me while I hope to beat this bug quickly.

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

Where'd the sun go?

Yesterday was gorgeous....sunny, warm and dry. After sleeping in too late, tossing out an entire loaf of bread because it was already moldy (note to self: oven needs to be kept cracked to keep down the heat generated by the water heater located below it) spending an hour chatting with my neighbors, it was time to unload Squirt from the trailer.

Moving the bags to the picnic table, I first unloaded my favorite helmet, three sets of gloves, my favorite boots and my leather jacket. I moved them into the rig where they would be easily accessible for riding and temperature controlled. I know at some point I will need to redistribute things in the bags and keep one inside the RV but that's a chore for another day.

Tackled the tie-downs at the rear, took a minute but they released. Phew! Now on to the tough part - the front ones. Remember, the front ones match the ones in the back that slipped and let the rear end bounce. I had bought them because I thought they would be easy on my hands since they had large plastic coated ratchets. Unfortunately it takes two hands to release them...and strong ones at that. After working at it for half an hour, and really straining my right hand which is still puffy this morning, I went over and asked my neighbor to help.

Using the side door, he worked on releasing the right side. We did this side first since the kick stand was down and that would take the weight of the bike - of course the front chock also helps keep it upright. After several tugs, pulls, twists, yanks and strains, he got it to release. Now to the left side....

As you can see, there isn't a lot of side room when the bike is loaded. Well, my neighbor is a bit on the short but round side. With the bike leaning it's very hard for anyone to squeeze past the saddle bag, so I stood on the right side and pulled it upright so he could get past. Fortunately this side released a bit quicker even though he still wasn't sure what the "trick" was to getting them to let go (note: I left the tie-downs bagged and sitting in the kitchen/lounge area for anyone who wants them). He squeezed back out and started to leave....I asked him if he would hang around a bit since I had never backed a bike out of a trailer & down a ramp before.

Another adventure....I know anyone experienced would have had it out in a tenth of the time it took me. LOL! But I did it and didn't lose my balance or get stuck. Whoo-Hoo! Even better, it fired the first time I tried. No gloves, helmet but I ran it around the park twice to get a sense of it again and to let the engine warm a bit. Even in that short a trip I could sense how much better it handled being on dirt, gravel and grass (as I avoided speed bumps when possible).

I parked it in front of the Lily Pad and snapped a few photos. A successful day! I didn't go for a longer ride since being the anal person I am, I wanted to map out a route as well as figure out where to find the Post Office and local grocery store.

Since it was warm (mid 70's) and sunny, I pulled down my side awning over my living room window. I was amazed at the amount of moisture still inside as I rolled it down. Guess that means I need to do the same with the big awning to let it dry out, too windy yesterday though.

Spent the night writing out my few Christmas cards (family & a very few friends) so I could mail them today. Spent an hour on the phone with an old friend from the local area, then another half hour talking to a new friend in the area. Mapped out a nice 110 mile route for today then watched some shows I recorded and finally off to bed, still too late but at least before 1 am.

Got up with full intentions of heading out at a decent hour to drop off my mail at the post office, pick up a loaf of bread and do the nice ride I mapped out. Well, sometime during the night fog moved in....BIG time fog. I opened the door and everything was dripping wet. UGH! Back inside after checking the bike and being sure the cover was still secure.

It's now 1 pm and still in the mid 60's and cloudy although the fog has dissipated. First things first, I need to dump the tanks today. As many of you already know, the gauges aren't to be trusted and since my black tank never reads below 1/2 tank, it's hard to know when to dump. I had read where you can tell when you see the water rising when you flush the toilet. Well, that happened this morning. I had dumped my gray tanks before I headed to the Ford dealer in New Braunfels but not the black. That meant I only had a week's worth of gray tank use so since I'm hooked up to water, I just ran it to add more to the gray and then dumped. I'm getting pretty good at it...what used to take me 30 minutes now takes maybe 10.

My shirt has changed from short sleeve to long sleeve to short sleeve again, it's one of those days. I'm trying to wear my holiday shirts...I kept them, I need to use them. I have three short sleeved and three long sleeved plus two sweatshirts, all for this time of year. Today is the kind of day when a 3/4 sleeve would be perfect. Figures....

I am truly seeing that I can live comfortably with much less than I have with me...but it's hard to get rid of things that are duplicated (plastic bowls, extra plates, too many coffee cups, shoes, shirts, etc) when I know I will have to buy replacements at some point. So I won't hesitate to toss when well used/abused and slowly cull things that way. I'm still working on the paperbacks...just have to avoid that section of Wal-Mart. LOL!

Time to get off my butt and take a walk...before it rains....and yes, it looks and feels like it will rain soon. Sigh....hoping for some sun tomorrow....Christmas cards are REALLY going to be late now.

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

More Sunday Sundries.....

Miscellaneous ramblings....

I posted about my new memory foam pillow and someone asked what the brand was. Well, unfortunately the box is gone. I bought it at Wal-Mart, it was in a box AND it is pillow shaped (not the funny contour kind that have been around for year). It's basically a latex foam pillow with memory foam. Makes it heavy and even a little hard feeling but thanks to the memory foam, it's very comfortable.

Another reader asked who wears socks....that's easy, anyone with cold feet! Oh, and if anyone finds Ellie's (new) tan washcloth in a Ft. Worth laundromat, let me know and I'll get hold of her.

It's been a couple of days of high winds, rain in either a drizzle or downpour, nighttime temps in the 30's....all in all, a great time to cuddle up on the sofa and either read or watch the glut of holiday and romance movies on television. I was watching one, it was nearing the end and I was crying happy tears (yes, I'm a sucker for a sappy story with a happy ending) when there was a knock at my door.

Turned out to be another lady solo RVer, Ann, who had been referred to me by my friend Nick Russell (editor/publisher of The Gypsy Journal). She had some questions about Bluebonnet Ford where I recently had The Lily Pad serviced. We managed to talk non-stop for well over an hour and if it hadn't been getting late, would have chatted a lot longer. She will be attending The Gypsy Journal Rally in Casa Grande, AZ in February and we'll catch up then. It was nice talking to another solo lady, comparing notes on our rigs, our stuff and dealing with the daily adventures.

Turns out she had "Service Engine Soon" light problems as well with her previous RV, also a Ford. Coincidently, she also had a Banks performance system on that. Hmmmmm......seems she had her O2 sensor replaced several times, fortunately for her, all done under warranty. The second time it was replaced the mechanic told her that the Banks system seems to cause problems with the O2 sensor. Something to think about....

After she left I downloaded email and found a note from another RVer.....mentioning the EXACT SAME THING! He added that the gas mixture can impact it as well. Now that I know I have a good, functioning O2 sensor, I won't panic if I see the light coming on again (assuming that everything else seems to be okay and running smoothly).

The weather is supposed to warm up this week....finally. I need to get the motorcycle out and do some riding. I have to admit that I have been thinking more and more about my decision to use the motorcycle as my "toad". The sightseeing on the bike is the best but the day to day convenience isn't. I guess I'm turning into a fair weather rider. But I'm not giving up (or in) right away. I promised myself that I would give this setup the winter/spring before I made and decisions. I know I need to bond more with the BMW....without that any decision wouldn't be fair.

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

Mysterious Disappearances....

You know the ones I'm talking about. You wash a load of clothes. You dry the load of clothes. You fold the load of clothes. One sock dry, one sock missing. It was a brand new pair of socks...it wasn't in the washer or dryer. It wasn't on the floor or in the hamper. It was gone...mysteriously disappeared. Because it was new, I saved the single sock, left it on the side of my dresser for months. I just knew the sock had to reappear.....it never did and when I started closing out the house and moving into the motorhome, I reluctantly tossed it out.

To back up a couple of days, I opted out of traveling to New Braunfels and the Ford dealer (and Camping World) on Wednesday as scheduled. The winds were gusting at 20-30 mph and it was rainy. Since I wasn't in dire need, I delayed a day and headed over there on Thursday. The Ford dealer, Bluebonnet Ford, was easy to find and got me right in. VERY nice dealership! Got some good news....the cruise control recall had already been done. This was doubly good news because evidently the parts were available when it was done since my cruise control works. They are currently disconnecting the cruise and will reconnect it when parts are available...which no one when that will be.

Then came the bad news. They checked out the error code that I've had on since I brought the RV home in August (service engine soon) and sure enough, I needed the O2 sensor replaced. They had it done in 30 minutes....and I walked out $400 poorer. The motorhome seemed to be peppier but that could be due to not having the trailer attached.

From there I headed to Camping World to get the microwave trim kit put in but discovered it wasn't there yet. Rather than fiddle-faddle with running back again, I just made an appointment for 1 pm on January 7th, the day I leave here. I'll head over there, get the kit installed, get my tires re-torqued and any other little thing that has cropped up, taken care of.

From there I headed to Wal-Mart and picked up some groceries as well as a couple of other things. One of those "other things" was a new pillow...it's memory foam and I thought I'd see if it would help the stiff neck I've been waking up with every morning. I tried it out last night and I slept really well, waking up early....to another gray, foggy day.

Because it was early I decided to toss on my bathrobe and check email before getting dressed to go do laundry. Most times I just get dressed. Here the story cycles around to the beginning....I pulled on my robe and the missing sock dropped to the floor. Kills me to toss it out...it's brand new!

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

Settling in....Packing up

Monday was a blur....I had trouble sleeping Sunday night (Monday morning) and finally crashed at around 4 am. This happens every once in a while...part of having fibromyalgia is dealing with sleep disturbances which for me pop us as insomnia every once in a while. I woke to a drizzly, cool day which became a total veg day for me. Spent several hours researching parks in the Casa Grande - Ajo - Gila Bend area of Arizona for February. Watched Christmas romance movies that I'd taped, read and relaxed.

Last night I watched the end of a movie in the bedroom....fell asleep and turned the TV off at some point. Twice I woke to pounding rain, my first thought was - what would I do in a flash flood situation here. My second thought was - did I ever turn the weather radio back on. The rain passed and even though I woke a couple of times, I slept until well after 9 before finally rolling out of bed. It was already up to 72 outside..what a change from yesterday when we stayed in the mid-40's all day!

Today was a productive day, I finished adding the pages for all the states in my Campground Review section of the website. I know...slim pickings in there since I've only stayed in four campgrounds so far (IN, MO & TX)...but it's a start! I love reading the reviews on other folks sites so figured I might be able to help someone else make up there mind someday.

When I took the trash out this morning I saw my two neighbors across the way sitting outside and stopped to meet them. Two very nice gentlemen, Mark and Darrell (Daryl?), who summer in Minnesota, their home state, and winter in the south. We sat and chatted for several hours before I excused myself to get back to things in the rig. I did explain my trailer situation to them and they both offered help anytime....just give them a shout.

I answered some emails, read some blogs, watched another movie while the weather got drizzly for a bit (lost the satellite signal) and finally called Bluebonnet Ford in New Braunfels to see about getting in for my cruise control recall as well as getting my O2 sensor issue checked out. I'm hoping it's not an expensive repair and also hoping that my gas mileage will improve a bit when done. I got voicemail and left a message...in less than 5 minutes I got a call back. Not a problem to bring it in tomorrow and if it turns into an overnight issue, they have power plugins. Nice!

So I started putting things away in the RV, took off my Christmas decorations, stored the folding chair back in the storage bay and realized I needed to get the trailer issue resolved. Since Mark & Darrell were sitting outside with a third gentleman that I hadn't met yet, I headed over to see if they could come help.

Well, within 15 minutes we had the shaft back in place so we could lower the front of the trailer and then got the rear stabilizer arms lowered. I opened it up so they could see the bike and we all chatted a bit before they headed back to their picnic table. They assured me they would keep an eye on the trailer while I was gone. I do have a lock on the coupler combined with a plug that should keep it secure.

Now, back to the flash floods and other natural disasters. I have a lot of friends who have been really nailed by the ice storms in the mid-west. Toss in the heavy rains in the northwest, droughts in the southeast and weather has definitely been on my mind. Over a year ago I bought a small Midland Weather Alert Radio, knowing it would be a good thing to have in the RV since I wouldn't have any TV access to local weather conditions. I remember setting it up to find the local weather and all was well and good as it sat on my kitchen counter in the house.

Fast forward and here I sit with the radio, plugged in with fresh batteries for backup, and no idea how to program it for the local weather. I have the book....somewhere....but rather than spend hours trying to find it, I opted to do an Internet search. I knew it was a popular brand, Midland, but I wasn't sure what model it was and couldn't find that printed on the radio anywhere.

So I used Google's image search and entered "Midland weather alert radio" and quickly found a photo that I could identify as the one I have. Then I went to regular Google and searched "Midland WR-100 manual" and the first link was to Midland's site where I found manuals for all their radios. I saved the manual for mine radio, opened the PDF file and very quickly got it working. So now I can look forward to being jolted out of a sound sleep when there is a severe weather alert for this area....and I have the instructions so I can set it up quickly the next time I move.

So, tomorrow I'll be on the road, without the trailer, and will hopefully be back tomorrow night - Thursday at the latest. Rain in the forecast again, cooler temps but looks to be a nice weekend. Maybe some riding?

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

Sensible, Silly, Sundry Sundays

I promised more photos of the park, here are some I took this morning while it was still overcast. I walked along the river aways, then back to check out the laundry, rest rooms, showers and kitchen/lounge area. All very nice! For $250/month including electric, I think I'll be quite happy here for a month. Lots to check out within an easy 100 mile riding radius, too.

click to see larger image


Breakfast Outdoors


A little Christmas decorating


...and a little more

I had a nice breakfast outside on the picnic table...set out a few Christmas decorations outside. Worked on my photos after straightening up a little (wouldn't want to go overboard...). Around 1 pm I had visitors - Karon arrived first. She has been following my postings for close to two years now. Shortly afterward Ellie arrived. They are both readers of RV-Dreams.com and often post in the forum and visit the chat room there.

click to see larger image

What wonderful ladies...we chatted for several hours, the time flew. We have a lot of commonality and I look forward to getting to know them both better. If I make the RV-Dreams Rally, they both plan to be there (I think....LOL!). They both brought me wonderful gifts that they made....now I'm thinking about what I could manage creatively for new friends....nothing decided, that will take a while. Crafty stuff has never been my forte' - think I passed that gene along to my daughters.

After they left I decided to try to unhook my trailer. Worked out pretty well except that I forgot I would have to move the motorhome forward to get it out from under the motorhome hitch. I managed to pull it forward enough without having to unhook. But I still need a bit more before I level the trailer and put down the stabilizer legs (or are they arms...LOL!) Guess I'll do that when I head back to New Braunfels to the Ford dealer and Camping World (microwave trim kit needs to be installed and my tires re-torqued, at least both are no charge). But hey....I did get it unhooked & remembered chocks!

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

Luling, Tx - Settling In

Well, I finally made it. I ended up spending one more night in Camping World's parking lot. I could have rushed to the campground but would have been dealing with getting-off-work traffic and ended up setting up in the dark. Plus I wanted to stop at Wally World on the way over to pick up some groceries.

For some reason I didn't sleep real well so I ended up not getting up until 9 am. Dumped my trash, did my walk around and headed out. The morning was overcast but muggy. By the time I checked out of Wally World, it was 82 inside The Lily Pad...fired up the generator and started the A/C for the rest of the drive.

Missed the park...it was closer to I-10 than I anticipated so turned around and headed back. Got checked in, found my site and after two go-rounds, got parked. First time the trailer was a little too crooked for me, so I went around again and took a wider approach.

The park is small, I'll do more investigating tomorrow and take some more photos. There are a fair number of seasonal RVs here, great rate. There is Wi-Fi but they told me it was sporadic (I haven't found the signal yet so I'm using my Verizon card). There is a small but nice pool....if it stays as hot as today, I'll be checking it out as an exercise alternative to walking.

I took my time with my setting up, first hooking up my Surge Guard with the lock. Since I was previously at Escapee parks, I hadn't used the lock but with a replacement being several hundred dollars, figured it was time to try it out. Oh, the red thing you see sticking out is a Plug Dog from Coil 'n Wrap. Makes it much easier to pull out when it's time to disconnect from power or my generator.

Back at the Fall Escapade I had bought a better water filter from the folks at RV Water Filter Store as well as two short hoses to help connections and a bunch of quick connects. I hadn't taken time to put it all together but since my inline water filter was leaking, I knew it was time to switch. Worked out great and I love the brass quick connects.

Oh, wondering what it's sitting in? I picked up one of those oversized cupholders that you see in many auto or marine sections. Looked like it would fit...worked perfectly!

Then I dumped both tanks....may have found the source of some of my smell (the new toilet has helped immensely but still some odor). Will post more about it tomorrow. I used my RhinoFlex Sewer kit for the first time....very nice! I bought it when I realized my current hose might be too short for some setups....like today. It had been sitting in a box in my bedroom....now it's settled into a storage bay.

Came in, unloaded all the stuff that resides on the floor of my shower...extra water, large laundry bottle, dishpan holding more baking soda & vinegar (great for de-scumming drains) & some other miscellaneous stuff. As soon as the hot water had cycled, I popped in and took my first long shower in the rig. Previously it has been campground showers or sink baths due to water conservation as well as watching holding tank levels.

All in all, a good day....tomorrow I hope to meet up with two other lady RVers who are in the area.

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

Power, Thunderstorms, Surges & Protection

We all know we should...protect ourselves from incoming power surges and lightning strikes...but how many of us do? I don't have surge protection on my appliances....I know I should but it's a hassle for me to pull the appliances out, get to the plugs, insert a surge protector and set it all back in place. If I ever get a friendly and generous "handy man" around, maybe then.

But in the meantime I have taken two steps to help. First is protection for my laptop....I bought a small battery backup (UPS) for it and it protects against surges and sags, something that will age the laptop boards quickly. So when the laptop is plugged in and running or even just charging the battery, it's got a fairly even power source feeding to it.

But thanks to 1) lots of education from the forums and my books and 2) another RVer who was swapping out a 30 amp Surge Guard to a 50 amp Surge Guard, I do protect my rig when parked and plugged into shore power.

If you've ever wondered if these things are worth it (I got mine at half price since it was used once or twice), here are some photos to help you make up your mind. First, here are the catalog photos for the portable unit I have (there are others that can be hard wired and probably other brands as well).

Now here is one that DID it's job...took a lightning hit and saved the RV from what could have been a catastrophic event. I saw this sitting behind the counter while here at Camping World in New Braunfels and asked if I could take a picture of it. Mike, the gentleman in the first photo, was more than willing to help.

click to see larger image

Makes you think.....what is a couple of hundred dollars for that kind of protection? Priceless...

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

Yes, still here....

Just a quick check-in for those who follow the blog and might otherwise worry. I'm at Camping World in New Braunfels....very nice folks here. I'm getting new tires (now THAT is a major expense, let me tell you) as well as getting the bearings in the trailer greased and turns out, in the front of the RV as well. They are also switching out the trailer hitch for me, hoping that levels it.

I have a ton of email backlogged, so if you've written and not heard, bear with me. I will bet back to you....but feel like reading this afternoon, not typing.

Had a good trip, generally, over from Livingston to New Braunfels. I took mostly US and state routes, almost no traffic, fairly decent roads (other than a couple of stretches early on that bounced me around a bit) and some nice scenery. If I hadn't been rushed to make it here before dark (good thing since it took me three tries to get onto the right frontage road for Camping World), I would have stopped several times. Those days are coming....SOON!

The big surprise of the trip was stopping a couple of hours out to check out the atlas and take a bathroom break. Opened the bathroom door....the smell about knocked me flat. Think of a porta-potty after 10 hours of use on a 100 degree day at a biker event (or outdoor concert). I've never had that happen. The most common cause is having the bathroom vent open...I knew that and it was closed (as were all the vents and windows). I added water, I added RV-Trine treatment, I opened the vent (had to at that point).

It's gone this morning (was pretty gone by bedtime) and I have a few things to check out. The evening was capped by my DVR refusing to load from the satellite. After relocating the dish three times and resetting or unplugging the DVR at least 6 times, I turned it all off. Missed Kid Nation, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money. I'll live...

Okay, I said this would be brief but you all know me well enough by now....LOL! Ran into a lady solo, full-timer here. She's at an RVing Women rally and was picking up a replacement "Little Red Campfire". I had read about them in the forums but had never seen one operated. I loved it! Great way to have a campfire without the muss or fuss of wood. It runs on propane which means I wouldn't have to worry about my allergic reaction to smoke. I hadn't gotten one because of limited storage space...then it hit me....I have room in the trailer. Uh, DUH!

Okay, enough babbling...I'll be here again tonight (it's free and if there is a pull-through spot, I can even plug into electric - last night they were all full), then I head to Riverbend RV Park in Luling where I will stay till January 7th.

Escapees - Rainbow's End, Livingston TX

Catching up on yesterday and today. Sunday I woke to a drizzly morning, left Wal-Mart about 8:30am (note to self - avoid in-city Wal-Marts where teens congregate to display their testosterone with racing & hot cars). The rain continued off and on, nothing heavy, just enough to keep the windshield washer busy and turn the back of the RV and all of the trailer disgustingly filthy.

I arrived at the Escapees home park, Rainbow's End, in Livingston, TX around 2:30 pm and got settled in a one night pull-through. At that point I had no idea if I would be able to stay another night or not....had to check in the morning to see if anyone had left one of the back pull-through spots. They normally reserve the front pull-throughs for late arrivals (office closed) and strictly for one night stays.

click to see larger photo

I took a walk around the park, listening to my iPod, enjoying the exercise...after switching to a t-shirt from long sleeves. Funny to go from 50 and heating to almost 80 and air conditioning...of course it didn't last. Last night got cold and tonight there is a freeze warning. The ice cream social here was at 6:30 - dark, dark, dark! I started out and turned around to get a brighter flashlight. Had barely started walking when a couple stopped and offered me a ride (gotta love these Escapees!). They looked familiar but we couldn't figure out where we might have seen each other.

Inside the activity center was already busy...I met several new folks including another nice couple who ride a Goldwing trike. He offered to stop by on Monday morning to see if I needed help tying the BMW back down. I soon found the singles table and ran into a couple of friends from the Escapade. I sat there for a bit and met several other solo ladies including one with a much worse Wal-Mart story than I had. The four of us solo gals decided that a portable air horn might be a handy thing to have...adding to my Christmas wish list.

For whatever reason I didn't sleep well. First I was wide awake, then I woke up cold - closed the bedroom overhead vent. Woke up cold again, pulled up the extra quilt. Woke up cold AGAIN, toddled out to the living room (found the flashlight on....not sure how that happened...LOL!), checked the temperature...55. Definitely cold enough to turn on the heat. When I finally fell asleep it was to a really weird, nightmarish dream. UGH! Got up at 7:15...

At 9 I called the Moose in Elkhart, IN to let them know I had never received me membership packet. Real nice lady helped me out, took all my information, apologized several times and assured me that it would get fixed.

Then I called the Camping World in Katy, TX to get a quote on tires. The young man was supposed to call me back. One of my forum friends, Tom, stopped by, he and his wife. Paula, are volunteers at the CARE center here. He was off until this evening, his wife was working. We chatted for about an hour on a variety of topics and planned to all meet up in Quartzsite in January.

Well, by the time Tom left it was 1.5 hrs and no call back. So I went to my next choice, the Camping World in New Braunfels, TX. Talked to a very helpful lady in service, Mary. She took all my information and said she needed to see if the Michelin dealer had the tires in stock. I told her I would call her back in about 30 minutes. I then headed over to the park office to find out if they had a spot for me....they did. I took a ride over in the golf cart to look at it...slight downward slope but for two nights, not a problem.

Because of having the trailer hooked up, I can't use my levelers. The trailer is tipped too far back because the hitch is too high. I have a new one with 2" more drop and will get that changed out soon. Yes, I could ask someone here to do it but you know me....I'm loath to ask favors!

Anyway, I got moved and set up for two days here and I have an appointment in New Braunfels to get my new tires put on. Definitely busts the budget for maintenance & repairs this year but it's something I can't put off. The dry rot is really bad and I don't want to take a chance with them.

click to see larger photo

I washed the trailer today....it was SOOO disgusting....and the front of the truck. I then waxed (Protect All spray wax) one side of the trailer. I was pretty beat so will do the rest tomorrow. I think you can see the difference! I need to do the top but will wait till I get set for a month since that requires me to take down my ladder.

click to see larger photo

Speaking of ladders....I thought I had done real well getting mine loaded and secured on the roof ladder. But now I'm noticing that most folks have theirs opposite mine....I have the top of the ladder facing down and theirs all seem to be mounted with the top up. So when I take it down I'll see if I can swap it around. Not sure why I did it that way except that it was easier for me to secure. The only downside is that water pools inside the top step since it's upside down. As long as I don't breed mosquitoes in there it should be okay....

Well, sorry for the long blog....that is, if you made it to the end.

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

Back on the road....

Reporting in from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Hope, AR - the hometown of Bill Clinton. Been an interesting day.....got a late start after gabbing with the campground hosts, my just moved in yesterday British lady duo and another couple who are camp hosts in training. (I am SOOO bad with names....going out on a limb here, the camp hosts were Kris & Jim and the trainees were Wanda & Wallace). I passed out my card to everyone, asking them to keep in touch.

So it was at least noon before I left the campground....forgot to write the time and my starting mileage. But I did remember everything else...I think....LOL! Anyway, I had almost 3/4 tank of gas, the sun was trying to peek between the clouds as I started out. I headed south on Hwy 65 which switches between four lane divided highway and two lane. It winds up, down and around the mountains in southern MO and northern AR....would have been awesome on the motorcycle but in the RV I took my time, pulling over to let others pass when possible.

I'd forgotten the sore neck, tight arms and hurting hands that come with 5+ hours of driving, I was quickly reminded as the first hour or so was quite windy. While my suspension upgrades have virtually eliminated my side to side sway, there isn't much that can be done for the nice broadside we RVers present to the wind.

The road got really rough around Little Rock....rough enough that I worried about what might be happening to the motorcycle in the trailer. I had to drop speed to decrease the feeling of being shook completely apart. Egad but I hate rough rider roads like that....

Stopped and got gas....stopped an ate....was making decent time but I knew it would be dark before I got here to Hope. I had to make one more gas stop or I would be in jeopardy of the generator not working. Pulled into a Love's, already dark now, and if there had been decent parking would have stayed there. No room so headed the next few miles south to Wally World.

This is where it got interesting....once again Microsoft Streets & Trips turned me the wrong way. I guess I really need to upgrade tot he newest version. Anyway, I turned around in an empty parking lot and then saw a Waffle House beside a strip mall. I pulled in fully intending to pull through into the strip mall after getting directions. NOT!!! No way through unless I was driving a four wheel drive vehicle...

So I made a rather feeble and quite humbling attempt to back up the trailer to turn around. After several minutes and several tries, I had the trailer completely jack-knifed. Shut it off, went inside and got quick directions from the waitresses (just had to continue back the way I came...but past the Interstate). Then proceeded to ask in a loud voice if there was anyone in there capable of backing up a trailer. Several blank looks, then one waitress pointed outside and said he can, if you want me to ask him.

We both walked outside and explained the situation. Really nice guy, looked over the situation, climbed in and within 2 minutes had it aiming back out for me. He loved the backup monitor...

I managed to find the Wal-Mart, not the best situation. The parking lot is under construction and less than half of it is open. There is a low clearance barrier, which I cleared easily and a no semi's sign. I pulled in and stopped in the very front, along the side. This is the furthest away from the entrance and no one wants to park here. I'm under construction security lights which I like.

I went inside, grabbed a cart and headed to customer service where I asked if I could stay, telling her I was parked out of the way and would be leaving early in the morning. No problem! I picked up a few food items that I needed, another bottle of Protect-All so I can clean up the trailer as well as the RV, new valve caps (just cheap plastic ones) since mine are shot, 12 volt light bulbs so I could replace one that had burned out, a couple of books and a spare 30 to 15 amp adapter that was on clearance.

So, will head to bed in another hour or so and be on my way in the morning. Plans are to make it all the way to Livingston....just hope they have a pull-through spot open or else I'll be asking for help backing up again! LOL!

The strangest part of the day was constantly missing BoBo....I've never traveled in it without him.....

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

Interesting RV For Sale

If anyone has ever seen the show, RV Crazy, you will remember one of the featured rigs named "Draco". Well, I've heard that due to personal circumstances it is now for sale. This is a true one of a kind RV - meant for any type RVing you'd like, but definitely good for chewing up those back roads where many of us fear to tread. It will be sold at this January's Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hey, you never know...this might be the perfect rig for you or someone you know!

Quick side note...back on the road today. Will hit the Escapees park in Livingston hopefully tomorrow afternoon, stay a day or two then on to the San Antonio area where I will 1) get new tires and 2) stay put for a month. More later!

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

Bits & Pieces

This will be a somewhat disjointed blog today....lots of little bits & pieces to mention. First and foremost...for you RVers (and riders) out there...check your tires! Why?

Read this blog from one of my friends, Nick Russell (full-timer & rider), for the definitely gory details. Makes you think twice.....I already knew I would need a rear tire on the BMW very soon but his tale reminded me that I need to get new tires on the motorhome as well. They have a lot of tread left but the sidewalls (at least on the four I can see) are showing signs of dry rot. I don't know the condition of the inside rear tires nor the spare but based upon age, I will probably end up replacing them all (to the tune of probably $2000 or so....EEEEK!).

Next are two more blog mentions that are somewhat related in their themes:

• Three Things I Learned From Full-timers
• Lessons learned from full-time RVing

Both are excellent and will help non-RVers better understand the call of the lifestyle. I've marked both to read over again from time to time.

The final blog mention is a touching one, it speaks about the folks we consider lost...but are they really? Maybe they are getting it right and we're the lost ones. Randy Gets the Story

Some other bits....had a productive day (read, no two hour nap taken). I got the insurance set on the motorhome, motorcycle and trailer. I had talked to Foremost at the Escapade and gotten some tentative quotes. It was time to finalize and activate them. I was still covered under State Farm but since the house was sold, even though I was paying for the homeowner's I might have had a problem trying to collect if something happened. Full-timers insurance covers not only your contents (personal effects) but liability for accidents that might befall visitors.

Then I made the call to State Farm to cancel all my coverage. This was harder than I thought...I've had coverage with them since I first left home at age 18. All my cars, motorcycles, and houses have been covered by them. But they don't offer any type of full-timers insurance so it was a must.

The campground is probably 95% occupied with the HOP here. They brought in two buses this morning to take them on their adventures. When they returned this afternoon, I was tired just thinking about their busy day.

Almost forgot, got up this morning to no water....looked at the outside thermometer, this was about 7:45am, and it was only 27 degrees out there! Figured the hose had frozen since I hadn't disconnected it...the freeze was totally unexpected. I had water from my tank so that was okay. I took a walk to 1) get a little exercise and 2) to see if I was the only idiot to have their water hose connected last night (I wasn't). Snapped a pic of the geese in Turkey Creek - all headed the other way....LOL!

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Tomorrow is laundry and pack things up in the RV day so that I can head out Saturday morning. Plans call for me to head to the Escapees Livingston, TX park, Rainbow's End, for a day or two, then on to my "home" for the month of December - Luling, TX. Found what looks to be a nice park (good reviews) with everything I need - laundry, pull-throughs (already booked), free wi-fi if I have problems with Verizon (which has been an issue the last couple of days so right now I'm on the last two hours of my 24 hours purchased from Tengo Internet, the provider here), as well as close to the BMW dealer in San Antonio and two good sized Camping Worlds.

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

Another day in Missouri....

It's Tuesday...okay, so I had to look at my Vista gadget sidebar to know that. LOL! The weather continues to be cool, got up around 8am and it was in the mid-30's. Moved up to 41 in an hour but the fog was also rolling in. I took a few photos when I went for my morning walk.

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As the fog started lifting I snapped a couple of new shots of The Lily Pad, too. You'll notice the new windshield cover that I got from Camping World. Works great...much better than the curtain that Velcros behind the seats - opens up the living area much more. I took the reflective silver sunscreen that I did use on the windshield and moved it to the back window where it fits very nicely. That is the emergency exit window (don't worry, the sunscreen easily pulls right out) and is pretty much useless otherwise. This helps keep the cold out and warmth in. Added to the effects of the three vent insulation pads I added, I do find it's been easier to keep the RV warm.

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Yesterday was a productive day....found a local walk-in clinic where I could get my bloodwork done and new prescription updates. After that I headed to Wally World to get the Rx filled. It's not a Super Wally but it was attached to a little mall so I wandered it while I waited for the prescription. Found a neat leather outlet and picked up a small tote bag and a matching purse ($4.99 each), not in leather but in a Route 66 tapestry print. For that price......

After that I stopped in a salon and managed to get a haircut. Looks like it'll do okay except for a small spot where a cowlick got cut a little short. Oh well, it'll grow. LOL!

Today is supposed to make the upper 50's so I'll dump my tanks, take on fresh water and move some stuff to the outside storage bays....like the canvas bag that holds some of my motorcycle trailering stuff. It also help two boxes of emergency flares which are now in the trash. Why? Well, it seems as though I might have mistakenly left the storage bay open and a few items on the ground two nights ago....before it poured. That's what happens when you stop in the middle of something to chat with a neighbor and forget to do a walk-around before buttoning up for the night. Live and learn....LOL! Everything else dried out but the flares were both quite old and now wet so I trashed them.

It's now warmed up to almost 55 so I hooked up the fresh water again and dumped my tanks. I keep hoping the sensors will start working better....added some Calgon & detergent (for the black tank) before leaving Elkhart, hoping the ride down would help slosh things around and clean them a bit. But they're still reading off so will add them again before I head south the end of the week.

The Escapees here for the Branson HOP have been arriving all day...some are trying out several different lots before settling on one that works. I expect we'll be all but full by this time tomorrow.

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

Guilty as Charged....

Guilty of not setting my alarm clock and sleeping till I wake naturally...

Guilty of not only not knowing the date but often what day it is...

Guilty of not hating having to use a laundromat because it means I can sit, read and people watch...

Guilty of forgetting where I put this and that, but that's okay because I find the other thing while searching...

Guilty of taking time to look around, noticing and appreciating the little things...

Guilty of eating out less because I'm comfortable at the picnic table outside, watching nature and neighbors while I eat what's on hand...

Guilty of forgetting birthdays and sometimes even holidays (sure glad there are e-cards)...

Guilty of daydreaming, listening to my iPod, watching holiday movies, reading, writing and doing what I enjoy when I want to...

Guilty of not letting problems/issues/obstacles stress me anymore...

Guilty of taking time to meet new folks and chat with them when I know there are more productive things I could be doing...

Guilty of living life and loving it...

Are YOU guilty?

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

Escapees Turkey Creek RV Park

Took a few shots of the park and inside the new Activity Center here at the Escapees Turkey Creek RV Park in Hollister, MO. Nice park, just my sized....small!

Click on any photo to see a larger image.


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

Readers Ask....

Round two of "Readers Ask"....and just a reminder, if you want a personal reply to your thoughts, you need to email me through my profile rather than post a comment. Thanks!

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I am interested in how they took care of your Coach battery charging issues (multiple fixes) since I have problems similar to those you described.

They actually found several issues. The first was that the solenoid that allows the coach batteries to be charged properly (and also allows them to assist starting the engine when that battery is dead) had a wrong connection on it. That was corrected so that 1) the coach batteries now charge from the generator, shore power or the when the engine is running, and 2) the coach batteries now work properly with the use of the emergency start button. They also moved my LP gas detector back onto the coach batteries so it wouldn't drain the engine battery while sitting.

The last was the cause of the intermittent issues. Seems as though there was a 50 amp fuse/breaker at the converter (under my bed). It would intermittently stop working, preventing the coach from having power from the batteries, even when they were charged. They replaced that and VOILA! Everything seems to be working properly now...knock on wood.

Why did you chose South Dakota for your mail forwarding?

For me the decision was made because I had yet to purchase my RV and SD offered a 3% excise tax that was MUCH cheaper than either TN (where I physically was at the time) or TX, the other state I was considering. I discounted FL because I already knew that auto insurance had skyrocketed in the last few years thanks to the hurricanes. The other thing that helped in the SD decision was no emissions inspections required.

It did mean that I had to travel there to get my drivers license but since it renews on my birthday (September), traveling there in five years won't be that much of a hardship. Lots to see there during the summer/early fall.

The things that seem to come into play when making a home base decision are often:

• personal income tax (or lack thereof)
• tax on Social Security or pensions
• cost of vehicle registration (including any "special" taxes or assessments)
  
• cost of vehicle insurance
  
• vehicle inspection requirements
• ability to establish an address acceptable for voting
• any personal impact on health insurance (for those not on Medicare)

Some other things to consider are:

• estate taxes
• online or mail renewal of vehicle registrations
• online or mail renewal of drivers license
  

For further information on this you can read my two part article (written about 10 years ago but still applicable): Choosing a Home Base State and the associates Resources page.

Now choosing a mail forwarding service after you have chosen your home base state means researching the companies in your chosen state. Some things to check out are:

• Basic costs (whether you choose short term or long term is up to you)
• Any added fees on top of actual postage
• Will they send special mailings besides your regular shipment and if so, what are the fees
• Will they filter out junk mail and if so, what are the fees
  
• Do they offer registration assistance and if so, what are the fees
  
• Do they provide an actual street address and if so, will it be accepted for voter registration
• When are they open & available and do they have multiple methods of contact
• Do they maintain emergency contact information for their clients
  

Call and talk to the folks, get a sense of them and their business style. Sometimes that may tip things in favor of a business with a higher price...you need to feel comfortable dealing with these folks. They are often your life line to the "sticks and bricks" outside world.

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Okay, enough serious stuff for today....time to bundle up (still in the 30's but sunny), take a walk and maybe snap a few photos.

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