If it CAN happen.... it WILL (Lesson #3)

Wednesday PM

I can't believe I locked my self ~ coat-less ~ out of my RV today! burrrrr....

as the bathrooms are just across the driveway and up a little hill I had thought, "Sun-shinin', don't need coat or keys, be right back...." oh yeh, right.

For some strange reason, a door that NEVER locks itself, locked me out... the nerve!!

OH, whoa, what to do... I went to the next campsite which had 2 couples who came camping to deer hunt. The guys were hunting, the gals were home. I  begged asked for help. One woman brought me out a coat and the other took me to the gatehouse to see if anyone (Terry or Jerry???) was around that could possibly help. They were both out hunting.

Why does my mind have a brain-freeze when I need it the most????

The gals husbands came back and talking amongst ourselves. Looking the situation over the guys discovered that, by the looks of the door frame, this wasn't the first time someone had gotten locked out of this particular RV, hmmmmm......   Someone mentioned the possibility of calling Triple A. Oh, yeh, DUH, I AM a Triple A member.... why didn't I think of that instead of,  "Gee, I'll probably have to find a crow-bar...."

So Triple A was called and they came about an hour later. Meanwhile the couples got a rapid  campfire going and in the course of conversation, I discovered one of the gals is an oil painting artist. Oh then we had some common ground, besides camping, to discuss. So interesting to meet others who are into the same things you are! Probably never would have had taken the initiative to start a conversation as everyone was sticking pretty close to their own camps because of the cold winds. We exchanged business cards and talked about our different starts into the world of painting.

Triple A got my door open and I thanked my kind neighbors profusely, then went inside to eat my last bowl of home-made soup and drink a hot cup of tea to get the chill out.

Good lesson learned.....

Never, NEVER, NEVER... leave home without 'em. (not All-State... your KEYS!!!!)

(and hide one outside on your vehicle somewhere)

 

Energy Lake Campground, Kentucky

Part of the Land Between the Lakes in southwestern Kentucky, it is one of the Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds. This is the very first campground I visited last year with my first RV. I made friends with the camp hosts and just could not pass by without stopping in for a few days on my way south.

I was glad to see Betty and Jerry and show them my new-to-me rig. As I entered the gatehouse, Betty pointed out the painting I had left with them last fall, and true to her word she had had it nicely framed. She will leave it in the gatehouse for others to see while she works here, but when she retires it goes with her.

We sat and chatted about 45 mins on the happenings of the last year. Then I went out to choose my campsite with recommendations from her.

 

As I was backing in a spot, my friend Terry came up and remarked that my rig had "grown" since last year! He helped direct me into last years parking spot, C 12.  However, it was not going to be level enough so we chose another one, C 8, which was bigger, a straighter shot to back in, and almost perfectly level.

He and Jerry left to get me some firewood and bring my tag for the campsite. The firewood is free this time of year. (You can see the lake through the trees beyond my campsite)

With my senior pass the site costs only $12 /night. Electric hook-up, place to fill your water system, and drain your holding tanks. Nice heated showers and bathrooms in the block building. There is another building where you can do your laundry, and a dining/gathering hall. This campgound is closed Dec - Feb.

 

 The campfire was still smoldering from the campers who had just pulled out, so I threw some wood on it to get it going while I brought Izzy outside to do her business, and hook up the electric. The fire got going good enough so I pulled out a couple hotdogs and roasted them for supper along with a vegetable. I don't often eat hotdogs but.... there's nothing like hotdogs over a campfire. and I was planning on that! 

On Monday the sun was out bright and cheerful, but the winds were high, and even formed whitecaps on the little lake. These are effects from Hurricane Sandy and we were told we may get 30 mph winds on Tuesday. It did calm down in the evening  and just remained cold. Forecast says it should warm up to the 60's in a few days, so maybe I can get some painting done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday was a little warmer but still very windy. I woke to my alarm and went to the shower house by 7:30 am, after letting Izzy out for a short romp. I made oatmeal with dried cranberries in it and drank the last of my orange juice. The wind rocked my RV off and on throughout the day, but I was able to get Izzy out for a long walk in the late morning. We walked to the gatehouse and picked up a couple maps and some literature. Betty had to run some errands so I did not see her. We stopped back at Terry and Cheri's new Winnebago Class A motorhome and watched a little on their tv of the news on Hurricane Sandy. Their home is B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! It is 33' long and has 3 slides which suits them well as they are work-camping most of their time. You could not meet nicer people.
I will try up-loading more pictures later but the wi-fi here is very intermittent.

Have a great day ya'll

Stop in Elkton, KY......

(I WISH I would think to take more pictures of friends instead of just scenery and animals....sigh.)

 

I ended up boon-docking at my old farm for 4 days, as I had forgotten that the electric plug-in in the carport no longer worked and the garage was locked up. Oh, well, good learning experience, right??

I had never tried out the furnace (by myself) and as it was I was having trouble keeping the fridge going on 'Gas'. I had even forgotten how (easily) the furnace worked in Baby Blue.

My mind was just still too busy from getting ready to leave on my trip.

 

Anyhoo, my friend Debbie, came to visit and between us we got the furnace going. It was windy and cold that day and I was glad to have that problem solved....... until I woke up at 3:15 am freezin' cold! A couple of nights of those 2 delemas and I finally figured out it was because the rv was not sitting level. So I moved it around to where at least the fridge would stay on, and the furnace worked till 4 am. Oh, yes, I am learning.

I had gone to town the first day and bought an 'air-card' so I could get onto the internet. But with all the other things I wanted to do I didn't get a chance to really try it out til yesterday. Its about half the speed of dial-up where I am right now, lol. The second day Debbie and I ran around W*M so I could get some velcro for my phone holder and several other things. Then she took me to her house to cook supper, and she did cook! Such a wonderful southern meal it was! I got to see her family of pups that were born last year as well as the 3 older dogs they have. Now there are 7 all together, and so cute!!I soooo wanted to bring "Curly Joe" home with me!

Thats him on the right. I bet him and Izzy could find more mischief to get into then I could keep them out of. But he is such a sweetheart of a pup!On Saturday I got to visit with a gal I had worked with at T-GASK. Emily and her husband insisted on taking me out to dinner that evening. Sunday afternoon I visited with my teamleader from the same place. Now SHE is doing something interesting...

Making a little mini-house. It is so cute, includes a little electric fireplace, room for a chair on her front porch. She is in the process of insulating the inside. I hope I can stopon the way back from AZ to see what she has done!

So good to see and laugh with old friends!

 

And now.... a final good-bye to the farm where my husband and I shared

 many good times and experiences.

I am more than ready to get on with my traveling/painting life.

 

Next post will be from Energy Lake at Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky.



Glendale KY Family Campground

Good Morning!!

So good to wake up in a campground this morning and watch the sunrise!

Such a beautiful peaceful little campground. More than I would have thought to pay but nice to get off the road. Only a little over a mile from I-65, I was able to get a pull-through spot , gravel and nearly level, with water and electric hook-ups....... and WIFI! not too far from the beautiful large pond, surrounded by still-colorful trees.

......... and benches to sit on near the water. (duh, I had the flash on in this photo)

All in all a nice stop-over for Izzy and me. But I must be on my way. Places to go, things to do and people to see. I will be spending the next few days at my old Kentucky home (really) I was told to pull in, plug in, and make myself to home! I will be visiting with several old friends before going on to Texas.

By the way, did I say I really, really! love driving this rig????

May the Lord watch over you all in your travels!

 

On My Way ......Yay!!

By the time you read this I should be on my way
 (I hope.... finally.... whew!)

 

I just didn't realize how much *stuff* I thought I would need to take with me to last the extent of the trip, should I decide to stay the full time. Loading up for the first time is enough in and of itself, but for an extended stay, it seems like it takes forever!

I loaded up several misc. tools including a power drill/screwdriver, hammer, wrenches, hand screwdrivers, battery cables, extra heavy-duty power cord, duct tape (a must have!) a two-step ladder, gas cans for the generator, etc, etc, etc.I won't bore you with pictures of all the packing. I am sure most of you have done enough of it yourselves.

I have gone through my clothes twice and cut down both times, trying really hard to be reasonable. Food items, supplies, vitamins, meds, and personal items is another story. Never know when there might be a run on certain needed items. So.... all that food I dehydrated this summer? It's going with me, plus my winter squash, a peck of apples, onions and more potatoes.I also am taking a 7 grain bread mix, yeast and a bread pan. I am so spoiled with good home-grown food! You can take the girl off the homestead but can't take the homestead out of the girl ;-)

 

I used 2 1/2# ground beef from our last cow and made into little meat loaves, with an onion, the last green pepper, and some chopped celery, seasoning , eggs and oatmeal, plus BBQ sauce for flavoring.

They fit neatly into these 9.5 oz food keepers. Just the right size!

Well..... after I cut off a couple slivers to taste.

I also fried up some apples I had that were starting to wither just a little. Sometimes I like this southern dish rather than applesauce.

I  roasted the last 2 rabbits (oh, my goodness, YES! they are a wonderful meat!) that I had doubly packaged and frozen. These were some of the last from our commercial rabbit raising business.

Pulled out some canned food I wanted to take, as well as other store-bought dry food products.

 

Several movies have been packed, including the new 10 or 15 (I forget) DVD set on the civil War. I have also many books, including my Bible, Ten-Second Rule, a devotional based on the book of Proverbs ( I need all the wisdom I can get) and my recently purchased RVing books. There are also several music cd's. Of course there's my computer, camera and batteries, cell phone, and bluetooth so I can talk hands-free.

 

Then there is the knitting..... oh, dear, which yarns shall I take?? and needles?? Could not make a decision on that so I took the whole yarn stash!!!!

This stash hamper contains yarn for MANY pairs of socks, a hat, an afghan I have started, a doggie sweater for Izzy, and a *shrug* for my daughter. It fits nicely beside my bed on the side I won't need to get in on. These baskets below, hold the 3 pr socks I am presently working on, and lots of dishcloth yarn. Go ahead, you can laugh now :) but I find I need to keep my hands busy, and no, I won't use it all, but I can at least have choices  :D

 

Oh yes, and then there is my painting supplies; 2 easels, palette tray and disposable palette tablet, LOTS of canvases of all sizes, and all the paint and brushes I own! I also included my sketch pad, pastels, and other misc. supplies.

I do hope to get some things done while I am out in this beautiful country!

 

This is actually what it looked like at home before I left. I am surprised at how many trees have lost all their leaves already. These oaks will hold their leaves much longer.

My garden will be ready and waiting for my return.

 

 I will be back on when I get wifi down the road. I know some of you snowbirds are already at your winter destination. I may be slow, but I'll get there!



Yuck!

Got up today with flu-like symptoms.... headache, tummy rollin' and slight dizziness. Some of the neighbor gals were supposed to meet at my house tonite for knit-night but I had to cancel out on that. I had finished one of a pair of socks that had the reinforcement yarn in the heel and toe, and I wanted to show them, so I was disappointed. They will meet at Norma's house while I am gone.

I ended up spending the day on the couch with hot tea, almost dry toast and later some of that instant hot apple cider mix.

No packing today, although I did pull a few things out of the closet and put by the door. Hoping I can get back to it tomorrow.

 

Last night I ran over to my daughter's house who had just driven back from visiting her son in NC.... with a broken ankle! Daughter, not my grandson. They were walking in a park on Sunday, her last day there, when she stepped in a hole and down she went. Grandson, Tim, took her to get it looked at. Fortunately, a clean break and nothing displaced. She is in a boot and on crutches, with pain meds and orders to follow up in 10 days with her doctor ............ but, she had to do a 10 hour drive home by herself on Monday, and couldn't take the meds while driving.

 

Well, there was the car accident my grandson was in in May, then my son 's logging accident in July, and now Tina's ankle. My, oh my!

And they all wanted me to move back to PA so they could look after ME  ;-)

 

 

 

Footnote for those who have asked;  My grandson is almost back to normal, his shoulder is healing since the surgery in August. My son is gaining in strength, and adjusting to his limitations, but as yet no leg movement. Thanking the Lord for His goodness inspite of the circumstances!

Getting things Done

Some of the kids and grands came over to help me out today. And then I ordered pizza.  This is what we got done.

1. New doorknob and lock on the garage mandoor.
2. New solar lights on driveway posts.
3. Garden beds cleared of old plant debris.
4. Garden hoses and tomato cages stored in garden shed.
5. Outside summer decor and patio tables put away.

We sat around enjoying this unusually warm (70*) fall day, and watching the leaves fall as the wind blew. The girls pick up twigs and acorns for some crafts they had come across on Pinterest. Little 2yo Miss Maddie was the entertainment for the day.

 

Here are a couple pictures of the day

 

Daughter Rachel, myself, Little Miss Maddie, and Daughter Gwen

 

Miss Maddie taking  a ride, but she's not quite sure about this....

Maddie and Momma Gwen

 



Rachel's creation  with the things they gathered. These are not the right size candles but will do till she gets some. I thought it was pretty.

 

All thats left for me to do now is finish packing up the RV and pick up my prescriptions. I already have my phone, internet and cable set to shut off, and mail ready to be forwarded. I have a Knit Night Tuesday night at my home and then it will be at my friend Norma's home until I get back. The girls all have such fun getting together.

 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

 



Up until now it seems I have been running for days, trying to get stocked up on several items, getting ready for the *BIG* trip to the south and west. Picking up extra bottles of vitamins, making sure I bought enough reinforcement yarn for toes and heels of socks I'll be knitting this winter. A new journal, a couple new movies, one a documentary, "The Trail of Tears", and a book called "Follow the River", recommended by a friend; as well as another RV'ing book, "Camping With the Corps of Engineers". Just things I want with me for my down time in my RV. I also went to the eyeglass store where my #3 daughter works and ordered 2 new pair of glasses, one being sunglasses. My daughter picked out new frames for me that are *just a little more modern*. I actually got them for half price because of a sale they were having. Besides that we got to have lunch together!That was a week ago.


I knew I had one tire on the rv I would have to replace.

It was on the front, so I decided I needed 2 tires actually.
I looked on the internet (again) about how to tell the age of a tire, as I had been told by a tire repairman that if the tires are 5 yrs or older they need to be replaced. I found that you are supposed to look for the DOT and several numbers/letters after that. The last 4 should be numbers, the first 2 of which are the week of the year of manufacture and the last 2 is the year. They started doing this about 2000. However some before that and even since that, only have the numbers on one side.  The *bad* tire was 11 yrs old and the rest were 6 yrs old. I had them all replaced. My numbers are now all 0612 meaning the 6th week of 2012.

I also decided to go ahead and have the outside detailed. It has been raining quite a bit so just lately got to take pictures.

Here we are with the spiffy new tires and all! (I do have a couple lagbolt covers missing that I will want to replace.) Oh...... and did I tell you, I just LOVE how it drives! LOVE that diesel engine!!
now for some inside photos.

Dinette, and Izzy's *cave* and feed dishes

 Across the isle, 2 swivel chairs and a table that tips up then slides down next to the wall. I figure I can set my sewing machine up there when wanted. Look at those nice large windows. I'll be making curtains later. Right now the rv has ancient mini blinds all around which will suffice for now.

 Overhead entertainment center and a bunk which pulls forward in front of it over the cab.

Kitchenette area on one side across from entry door, cupboards and microwave upper K area (as well as cupboards above the dinette and chairs)

Nice size shower behind kitchette

and powderroom, commode on other side of isle

 Very nice queenbed in back with isle on both sides.

 Lots of overhead space for bedding and such and a small closet on each side of the bed. I also like the swivel headlamps above the bed. Good for reading or knitting till I get tired enough to sleep.

Oh...... and did I mention how nicely it handles and I love driving it????

 

On another note, we had a frost last night and temp of 26* this am on my deck thermometer.

Leaves are falling and cluttering the ground. Time to be moving on....

 

Here is a late afternoon scene across the road from me . Last rays of sun for the day.

I'll be checkin' on all my blogging friends to see who's going where and doing what.

 Happy Autumn day to you!

Home Chores and a Reunion

 

Hello ...... I have been busy dehydrating more food and today I even made yogurt in it the dehydrator. It keeps an even 115* temp, so it is practically no-fail. I put mine in canning jelly jars and top with plastic lids before I refridgerate. It is very smooth and not bitter at all.

 I used a Greek yogurt as my culture. 

 

I have been researching mushrooms I found in my front yard growing under a pine tree. I down-loaded "Mushrooming Without Fear" to my Kindle app from Amazon, as well as read through many mushroom ID sites on the web. This is definitely mushroom season here and the weather conditions have been perfect for it. I *think* they are field or horse mushrooms and probably safe to eat...... however, after I had picked them and even dehydrated a tray of them (and oh they smelled yummy as they dried!) I wondered if at this point in time I wanted really to take a chance on them when I was not 100% sure. I ended up throwing the whole boxful out........ I have a few more things I'd really like to do before I croak. No sense taking un-nessessary chances. I mean, if the only thing I can't eat is wild mushrooms, hey, its not all that bad!

 

I have also been spending more time with my son, as well as my daughters. I went to a family reunion on Saturday and got to visit with cousins I hadn't seen in so many years. Catching up on the families and reminscing about the old times as kids was fun and of course the food was great.

News about my RV tomorrow....
Enjoy the beauty of this wonderful Autumn season!