I've Hit the Road!!

I finally was all packed (unless there's something I forgot, which most likely there is) and was able to leave out about 3 pm Sunday afternoon, Oct 23. The first few days I was quite busy getting used to driving a Class A, but then I settled in as it became much like driving the Volvo 770 semi back many years ago. I began to be at ease with it all. 

The biggest challenge however was getting Sasha used to all the different sights, sounds and smells associated with roadside rests, truck stops, and traffic. So many people, so many changing scenes, such loud noises coming from humongous shapes rolling on so many wheels!! And then of course the ground all around smelled different than back in her familiar yard..... however, by the time one week had passed she had settled right in to the routine. First out to pee, back in to eat, second out for further elimination and a training walk. sleep until about lunch-time. Oh such is the complex life of our furry friends!

Meanwhile on one of those days we took a side-trip to visit the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln. 

The old structures were quite interesting to me

....especially this one built with hand-hewn square beams!

 The beautiful split-rail fences reminded me of long ago unhurried times 

Practically everything they needed was supplied on the homestead.

A kind gentleman took my picture...

Time to get back in the motorhome, as we still had a ways to go before night fall.

Ps. 104:14 "He (the Lord) causes the grass to grow for the cattle,

 and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth"

Thanks for stopping by!

Exploring on the Backroads

My grandson came to visit me for several days. One day we decided to go exploring. He loves nature and the woodsy areas around where I live, so I took him to this newly discovered (to me) area I had found last spring. It was on Pump Station road off of Creek road. I should have gotten a picture of the pump station, which consisted of several about 6" or 8" round pipes coming out of the ground and joining about 3' above ground. The design was interesting.

There was a sign that said 'no motor vehicles beyond this point, walk in only", so we did.

However I did get some nice pictures of the water, trees and reflections.

Color up and down the creek....

Beautiful water reflections!

 We could also see where others had had campfires circled round with stones, and paths where they had walked back through, and bare areas that looked like someone had been tent-camping. But we just enjoyed the beauty around us, and PM even pointed out fish in the water.

Getting out in nature rejuvenates the soul. We enjoyed experiencing some of God's beautiful creation!

Thanks for stopping by. 

I hope you also enjoyed this little journey through our pictures!

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!!

I did the winter in PA! Yay!!

I am so thankful it was an easy winter this year! I kept my woodstove humming, had a neighbor that kept me plowed out with his ATV and a plow on front, even the path to the hen houses and rabbit pens. I knitted and painted all winter. Spring came and I planted peas mid-April, and am now enjoying the fresh produce. My Kale survived the winter and I ate alot of that. I also was able to stay on my half-dose of celebrex without too much arthritic discomfort.

Aparagus, Blueberry bed, and Raspberry bed off to a good start for the year,

along with fruit trees. A Bartlett Pear i put in last fall, a Winesap apple ans 2 Plum trees added this spring.

My herb bed cleaned and expanding,

Yummy fresh green peas,

Eggs of several colors from my chickens,

Aren't they pretty??

Ok so now anyway wondering about this coming winter and getting the itch to go on the road again. Problem being I don't trust Lady Blue to not break down on me and being a single, thinking I should have something safer. She would make a great "week-end" camper for someone with a mechanically inclined husband :) I have been looking for a unit a bit more suitable for me, and think I may have finally found it. More on that later....

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Thanks for visiting

More repairs.....

I did find out what Lady Blue's brake problem is and it not a master cylinder as expected. It is the ABS system causing the braking to mal-function. So..... the mechanic called for a new part to repair it. Uh oh, Ford no longer makes these parts ( LB is 20 years old as of January, well, probably already)

Mechanic said they can get a used part. It will take a week to get it shipped in, and he says hopefully it will work. No guarantees.  Say what? Ok so if this $250 part doesn't work, we look for another one that also might not work?? Hmmmm.....

As this year is supposed to be a little warmer winter in my region, I thought about not leaving out till at least after November anyway and maybe even the middle of December. Although Miss Izzy is anxious to go traveling as well. she even got treated to a spa day lately!

Meanwhile, I have been doing lots of yard work and trying to get things taken care of so there is not so much to do in the spring. Garden beds are being cleared and topped with lots of rich organic matter (known as compost from kitchen/garden scraps, leaves, and chicken manure)

I have thought long and hard about selling this sticks and bricks place and going full-time. I could do it and be perfectly happy......except I dont want to give up my chickens. Now isn't that silly?

I view my home here as my "summer camp". It is really peaceful, and serene.... if I don't have to look at the road in front of my house, and all the neighbors houses, and only view the back acre. I do have really nice neighbors, but sometimes I feel so closed in by it all.

More next time..... Thanks for stopping by!

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.

On to Houston

Just when I think I am going to get caught up something else happens and I find my self further behind than I was before. How does that happen??

After I left Biloxi I drove the next couple days and took my time getting to Houston where I met up with Tex-Cyn, friend, fellow RV'er and blogger. I spend 4 days at the campground she is parked at. We had fun checking out the sales at PPL RV sales there in Houston, and had lunch one day at Olive Garden. We also visited  fresh food market where the prices were really good. We talked, took pictures and I met several of her friends. She has a nice little patio area beside her RV with several different plats and yard ornaments. She has it fixed up really nice! Her beautiful Saluki dogs have a safe outside run to exercise in. In the field in back of the RV park are these two burros. Beautifully colored but not too friendly. Perhaps they were afraid of Izzy.

She often thinks she needs to be friends with everything and everybody,

 even if they don't share her sentiment.

Cindy and I were laughing so much we could barely get a good picture taken.

We did enjoy our visit and I hope she gets back to Pennsylvania in the not to distant future to visit her mom, because then I would get to see her also.

 

Next stop was Goose Lake, Texas, just north of Port Aransas.