Moving right along.....!

Ridding out, packing the RV, advertising the main high-dollar things to sell from the house, furniture and such.
Decisions, decisions!

Meanwhile, I had ordered a Berkey water filter, and the Nature's Head composting toilet. I had seen reviews on both over the last several months and studied up on them. The composting toilet would enable me to stay out in some highly desirable scenic painting areas without have to pull up camp and go empty my black water tank every ten days or so. I watched you-tube videos on how this works until I could practically recite them word for word!I thought my friend Kent would be just the person to properly remove the RV toilet and install the composting one,  as well as a couple other things I wanted to change in my RV to make it my "home".

                           

I still have plenty of room to get into my shower.

He also installed my best painting easel!

This was placed where the large dog crate had been which was no longer needed. I had room to set up my folding chair in front of the easel for days I need to paint inside.

Then a little extra touch was added, making it even more homey. I was going to be able to have a window shelf! The dinette would be transformed into a day bed/couch type fixture that would allow me to keep my under-bench storage areas as well as creating my space under where the lowered table is. Maybe Miss Izzy will want that for her hide-a-way place. She was always crawling under my bed in the house to go to sleep.

So I picked up some 4" foam to use for under the shelf, by which cutting the pieces in half lengthwise, gave the perfect fit 

In this next photo you can see the nice wavy edge piece that Kent made and attached to the shelf.

(He is very meticulous, and the changes he made for me could easily be switched back to the way it was if I decided down the road to sell.)

And this is what the finished couch area will look like....  I'm loving it!!

Back to packing and minimizing! 

Thanks for stopping to read my blog. Have a blessed day!

Home on Wheels, or House and Land

Wow! Its been almost a year since I've posted on here! My RV has been sitting in my driveway since last summer when I got it back from the dealership where I bought it. It was in need of several repairs and a good general going over after my 7 and 1/2  months of travel. I had a whole list for them and they fixed every one.
Then came summer's end, with canning and preserving what I could from my garden and the Amish farm market near by, all the while my right knee getting worse. I knew I had to get the surgery done and had put it off as long as possible. Since I was having repairs and upgrades done on the house as well as a greenhouse added, I decided to wait till as close to wintertime as I could.
After Thanksgiving I had the total knee replacement. My eldest daughter stayed with me for almost a month after, taking care of me and my few chickens. Fortunately, the weather stayed pretty good through Dec. my recovery was slower than I had expected, much slower than when I had the left knee done 6 years previous. Now that I am back on my feet I am realizing just how much work this place requires and the fact that I don't have the strength to manage it properly. I warred all winter long in my mind whether to sell my RV or to sell my home. I did alot of journaling, writing down my thoughts; pros and cons on both. I disliked the RV sitting in my driveway, being paid on each month and not being used. I also disliked paying property taxes, insurance, and heat-in-winter bills for the house when I am out in RV for at least 6 months at a time. after giving it much thought and prayer, I finally came to the decision that I was not attached to any "thing" here. I could sell it all and live in my RV as had been the plan and purpose of buying the RV in the first place. The desire was still with me to travel full-time and paint.
I called the realtor and she came out a couple days later to look my place over, told me what I needed to do yet to advertise it and wanted to list it by May 20. YIKES!!! No way did I think i would be ready, but we shall see. If it sells, I will be free from alot of work which I don't need at my age, and if not I will still leave in the fall for another winter of travel and painting.
I will continue blogging on my progress. Meanwhile, the cover is off, batteries charged up, and I have an appointment to get my RV inspected (required in PA) on Monday.

Thanks to anyone who stops long enough to read my ramblings. I will be keeping up with my progress. Leave a comment if you wish!

The New Ride!!

I really didn't like letting go of Lady Blue, my class C Minnie Winnie, but as I had so many problems with it the last trip out and the following summer, I was just leary of taking her out again. I am not at all mechanically inclined. 

Meanwhile I had been leaning toward getting a good used Class A, preferably with 1 - 2 slides to give me a bit more space. I searched and searched but did not find anything i was comfortable with. Then in July I spotted this ad for a new 2016 Fleetwood Flair with 2 slides and a fabulous kitchen! It had all the main basics I had determined I needed. So I bit the bullet so to speak and bought it. It is only 33' long, 3' longer than my older Class C. Yes, it would fit in my driveway, YAY!!

Very spacious!

LOTS of kitchen space! with a micro/convection oven and no oven under 

the range top so 2 more drawers!

Full length Queen Bed! And lots of closet space /drawers!

Larger propane tank 

Larger water /holding tanks

Thermo windows

Heated under belly

Just what I need for long-term boondocking and months-at-a-time camping!

Also , a new pup joined our family, so we are now again a family of 3!

Meet Sasha!

Meeting with Izzy the day I brought Sasha home

Sasha being content while I put stuff away in the new motorhome

Sasha learning to sit and stay while I descend the steps first

More pictures later. Thanks for stopping and please leave a comment if you care to.

Have a blessed day!!

Gypsy Voice Calling....

I don' know what there is about fall that makes this gypsy in me get the urge to travel....

Hmmm, maybe this is the reason!

Actually 2 weeks ago I sent for Benchmark map books for Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada, as well as added the new "RV Camping in Corp of Engineers Parks" book to my kindle library. 

I had to have a new alternator put on Lady Blue this summer, as well as a complete new awning; and a timing chain repair done to my Rav4 toad. I need to get the brakes on Lady Blue checked out, and we should be ready to roll again. 

This year I am leaving half the stuff I used to pack at home. I found out I didn't need that many clothes, jackets, dishes, and several other gadgets that I had packed before.

Izzy will be going with me again. I think she will enjoy it. She always does.

No people visiting plans this year.... just travel and see whats over the next hill. Going to see if I can get some spark back into my life.

Tomorrow... Lady Blue's new Matey!

Been planning, been researching, been waiting, been looking, and praying;

There is was, right in front of my eyes!

What I had hoped for...

What I had pondered and prayed about...

My new (to me) Toad!  "98 Toyota RAV4

AND IT'S BLUE!!

 

4-W drive, 117k easy miles (14 yrs old), cloth seats, great condition inside, outside, and underneath; 20-24 mpg, one owner, carfax, like new tires, tow-ready, manual tranny so I don't have to jump through hoops to tow it! ...... and at a price much less than I expected to have to pay for a vehicle for my needs and purposes!

 

Yay! Desert backroads here we come! Enough room for pups and paint!

For visiting relatives on my travels without having to camp in their yard!

Now I am ready to apply for volunteer work. These "things" are only a means by which we are able to accomplish our goals or missions in life.  There is more for me to do in my remaining years.

 (more on that later)!

 

Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.'

Weather Forecasts....

....... are not always right. Say what? You already knew that??

Old man wind tried to trick me today. The rain came in ...which was expected. However the wind that came with it was not. My brother and I had been working with my awning a few days ago and I had decided to leave it up as the forecasted wind mph was low enough for several days. Fortunately I was "home" all tucked in my little rig, working on a painting,when the winds started whipping up big time!!

I  hollered at  called my brother out of his house to help and it was all we could do to hang onto the awning and get it rolled back in without the wind taking it out of our hands. But we managed to get the job done. Whew! That would have been an expensive fix! We were both soaked through, so went in to dry off. After about an hour of torrential downpour, the" R and C River" ran pretty deep right outside my door.

 Lesson #9 learned.... Always set up on higher ground.

 

We had a great day inspite of the weather. A package was brought to their door "Special Delivery" later in the afternoon. I can't wait to show you all..... but I have to (sigh)

Excitement runs high here at the "R and C Ranch" !

 

I will leave you with this picture of my current painting for now.

'Saguaro at Sunset"

4" x 5"

Oil on stretched canvas

 

Have a blessed weekend and enjoy your travels!



New Challenge (s)

Today I got my RV into All RV Service Center in Tucson.

I needed to get this roof vent

replaced!

 

....as well as a shorted-out turn signal in the rear driver's side that I had previously *fixed*, and needed to get the batteries checked because when I went to start up to leave this morning the engine complained.... alot!... and would not start. This was the 3rd time in 3000+ miles. We arrived about 10 am, brother and s-i-l enjoying the ride.

The guys at the service center did a good job. They had the roof vent and the arm and it was installed quickly. Good thing I had them check the batteries, as one was dead and 2 were "compromised". So, new roof vent and 3 new batteries.

They checked the turn signal and it was badly corroded, which I knew, and they had to replace the whole thing as the turn-signal/tail-light comes as a sealed unit. No biggy, as I was sure it was as old as the rv itself. And I had them check the other side as well. I didn't want trouble down the road. Yep, it was corroded also.

So, new roof vent and arm, 3 new batteries, 2 new turn-signal/tail-light units, and 4 hrs later we got back to the *ranch*.

Carol started on linner (lunch/dinner) while I got Miss Izzy and Curley Joe out for a walk. We had hamburgers and Texas fries! Oh they were so good! We had not eaten much that morning and were hungry!

After that, true to my committment, I got my painting stuff set out. Barely dipped the brush in the turp when the phone rang. I almost didn't answer it .. but decided to. It was daughter #3 telling me about the awesome advancment in her job. Whoo-hoo! A company car and a gas card!!! She does alot of traveling working for Visiting*Angels. I was so happy for her, and glad I had taken the call.

Back to painting, determined..... pressing on.

I decided my theme would be about my experiences while RV'ing this winter.

So here it is  And I accomplished Day 1 !!

"In the Beginning ... Winnebago Winnie"

3.75 x 4.75 Oil on stretched canvas

and now I am finishing the other half of my other daily committment. Thanks for stopping by!

Stay safe out there!



It can be a really good thing ........... or not

.... those rare times when I wake up in the middle of the night and get on the internet.

 

Tonight (today) was one of those times.

 

I checked my facebook notices and saw a post from one of my painter friends about a painting challenge. The idea is to paint thirty paintings in thirty days........ You can decide your theme (or the paintings could be random) and they can be small paintings. I had wanted to do this before and wasn't sure I could commit to it. So now is a good time to do so, right????

Hmmmmm.......... lets think about this...........

I am in the RV.... traveling some days... planning a couple long day trips with brother and wife...... hopefully CC classes here in AZ with brother..... walking the fur-babies 3 times a day...... trying to keep up with blogging my adventures.... AND just started another challenge of reading the Bible through in one year (I am a s-l-o-w reader), as well as all the other day to day routines I do at a much slower pace than 30 years ago..... hmmmmm.

 

Oh yes, I need another challenge......not! That would mean committment. I really like to run from that word. COMMITTMENT! So what do I do ?? I run headlong into it and sign up!! That means making a public announcement of my intentions..... whoa!!

 

Am I in my right mind? Do I have a mind left? Some days I wonder......

A partial quote from "Fiddler on the Roof" I like is when the Papa says, "On the other hand...."

So.... on the other hand, this painting challenge can push me to help me accomplish something that would be benefitial, and is one of my main goals and purposes of being out here RVing anyway. 

So I guess it might be a good thing ......this time.

Time will tell...

 

 

 

 



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!



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!

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

Some leaves are falling....

Some are just starting to change...

My grass needs mowed but its wet out there. Here are some of the last blooms of the season.

So I am doing inside chores today.

I cleaned the beta's bowls. I know they are happier.

Oh, yes, I figured if Tex-cyn could take her dogs with her in her RV, (of course I'll take little Izzy) ,

I could also take my bettas :) If I could find a way, I'd take chickens for fresh eggs, but I don't think you can take them across state lines without alot of fuss.

Oh yeh, my new dehydrator arrived and my food processor. Now I won't take these in the RV, but I will dehydrate food to take with me. Better that weighty home-canning jars. so tomorrow I will be heading over to the farm amish farm market to pick up some corn and their later green beans, and see if they have any cukes left. I have more squash to do and tomatoes. Also want to try bananas and apples, Yumm!

My son goes home from the hospital this coming Saturday, so I'll be hanging around a couple weeks to see if I am needed to help in any way before I get going. I don't know if I'll make it to Maine to see the leaves in good fall color or not, but that's my plan. Till next time....