Meandering Thoughts.....

Why is it so hard to get a good haircut when traveling? They never want to cut my hair short enough.....I have to keep pushing them. LOL! I guess the good thing is that folks continue to tell me they love my haircut. So far I've used one mall salon, one Wal-Mart salon and two local shops.

Ocular migraines are a pain....well, mine usually aren't painful but when they happen I can't read or be on the computer for the 20-30 minutes they last. It's like having a kaleidoscope inside your eye. Nothing serious, just have had them two days in a row....maybe sinus related since I'm in the middle of pine trees.

Hats....hats and sunglasses. I love them....I don't wear them often enough, the hats that is. Going to try to wear them more...or else they have to do. RVers try to get rid of things they haven't worn or used in a year. EEEK!

When a campground rule says no feeding the wildlife, does that include the birds? I love being able to put out a birdfeeder or two (including hummingbird feeders) and a pie plate with water for them. Guess I need to ask next time I see this rule.....

This weekend is my lady motorcycle gathering here in Williams. We have about 20 women riders, 10 spouses and one baby coming from CA, NM, CO, UT & AZ. It will be fun, even if I am without a bike. But I suspect this may be my last motorcycle gathering...being bikeless makes it much harder to stay connected. I'll still visit the forums and I'll never forget the friends I've made...some for life.

Where to next? First stop will be Camp Verde where I hope to get my transmission fixed. Today I was working on my expenses and budgeting.....not a pretty site with all the repairs & maintenance costs this year....then factor in setting up the RV & car for towing. Sigh...but it's better to know where I stand so I can tighten the belt as needed. I have several annual memberships that may go by the wayside next year. I will be shopping for cheaper auto insurance for sure. I can drop to a lower level of DirecTV shows. But I won't, I absolutely WON'T give up my Internet. LOL!

Oh, I was supposed to be talking about where....after Camp Verde I will head north. I plan to spend a couple of weeks just north of Denver. I'll visit family and get some other personal things done. I need to settle on a base for getting a checkup and prescriptions renewed. Since I no longer have medical insurance it needs to be where I can find a good walk-in type clinic with reasonable costs. I found one in Branson, MO but that is the wrong part of the country right now. LOL!

How do I manage to get so far behind in email correspondence....if you have emailed me in the last couple of weeks and haven't heard back....hang in there! I will get back to you....but it may be another week. Sorry....honest!

I really miss boondocking but it looks like it may be July before I get to try it again. Too many commitments and things to do right now, as well as temperatures that mean running the A/C. I am NOT a hot weather gal....daytime temperatures in the 60-80 degree range are perfect for me. Once it gets over 82 in the RV, you can count on the air conditioner being turned on. That means running the generator if I'm boondocking, the solar won't run the A/C (or the refrigerator).

I think I could travel around Arizona for a year and still not see everything...and Utah even more so. Than factor in New Mexico and Colorado. Is it any wonder I want to stay out west? Of course there is still WY, MT, ID, OR, WA.......see what I mean? Beauty abounds....

I got on the scales this morning....I am at my max weight. Time to #1) cut back on intake and #2) start WALKING. I bought some very inexpensive walking sticks at Wal-Mart. I also have small hand weights and exercise bands. I really have to get serious...I refuse to buy any larger clothes. Time to start watching craigslist and Freecyle for a good used bicycle....

This all ties into my Diet Coke addiction as well...there are more and more studies showing that we are worse off using sugar supplements. It can increase your weight [ 2008 study - 2005 study ] and even worse, totally mess up your metabolism [ American Heart Assn - Framingham Heart Study ] . I see myself in that picture. I am trying to drink more green tea (hot and cold).

I think I got a mosquito bite on the top of my head the day I was at the Grand Canyon. It still itches.....

So, have I bored you enough yet.....then WAKE UP so I can sign off. LOL!

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

Winter Wonderland

May 13, 2008 in Williams, AZ

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

Train ride to Grand Canyon

As I posted in 'Where was I', we had an interesting start to the day with the train stopping across the road by the campground to pick us up. They told us to just take a seat anywhere so they could get moving again.

The train ride was fun, mostly thanks to good companions and a great PSA (passenger service attendant) to keep us entertained. We also had a strolling musician come through with his harmonica and guitar.

The trip wasn't the most scenic initially...typical high desert. It eventually got a little prettier with woods, hills and trails. Since it was late morning we didn't see much in the way of wildlife.

We were given a nice box lunch which most ate on the train but I waited till we arrived at the train depot. Found a picnic table, chowed down and then headed up the steps for my first sight of the Grand Canyon (other than from a plane).



We had three hours to hike, visit the historical buildings, learn about the history of the area and, of course, sightsee. Some folks managed to see a mountain lion, several saw the condors that have been re-established in the area, I got to see the squirrels that someone was feeding (against the rules) and a little lizard. LOL!

The train ride home brought more entertainment....same PSA, different musician. It also brought the requisite train robbery. Gotta love masked men with senses of humor...they needed it in our car. One of the SKPs played the part of a 'not all there' individual. Had our PSA rolling on the floor and the robber was speechless.



When we arrived at the RV Park, the train once again stopped at the road crossing to let us off. The locals even stopped to take photos.



We hustled back to our rigs to get our beverage of choice for the late happy hour/social which would be followed by a delicious dinner of chicken/beef Shiskabob, corn on the cob, potato salad and more. YUM! Followed by a delicious carrot cake desert.

The final door prizes were given out (did I mention that I won a HOP jacket at the drawings Friday night? NICE jacket...), the thank you's extended, future plans swapped and hugs exchanged. What a great event it was....the memories will last a long time.

Here is a photo of our HOP hosts enjoying the sights at Grand Canyon.




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

Visiting Sedona & Montezuma's Castle

As usual I took too many photos....most are self explanatory so I'll just post the thumbnails and let you choose to look or not. LOL! Hope you enjoy....as I posted, it was a great day. I hope to go back soon...oh, and if anyone wants an UNBELIEVABLE hot dog, visit the Black Cow in downtown Sedona.

I love hot dogs but this was the best I have ever had. A foot long, large, plumped, steamed hot dog inside a freshly baked French baguette and dressed with the condiments I love - relish, mustard and ketchup. Add a bag of chips, a soda and what a meal! It was even better than it looked...the only downside is that I was so full there was no room for their homemade ice cream. Oh, and they had fresh coffee...something not always easy to find in a little cafe like this.

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

Where was I?

Where the heck was I when the USPS announced a postage increase? Obviously my head has been in the sand here in the deserts of AZ. I had NO idea! If it weren't for someone mentioning it at breakfast, I would never have known. Wow!! Guess I need to visit the local Post Office and pick up some "filler" stamps.

The rally is over and what a wonderful time I've had. Too much food, too much laughter, too much fun......NAH! Never too much fun......

We had an interesting start to our train ride to the Grand Canyon. We were supposed to be picked up in shuttle buses for the short ride from the park to the train depot. First announcement was that we were delayed by 30 minutes. The 30 minutes came and went and we noticed lots of cell phone work on the part of the campground owners and our rally hosts. Next thing we hear the train whistle and said folks shouting, "Stop the train! We've got to stop the train....."and with phones at full alert....they somehow did exactly that.

Long story short...the owner and driver of the shuttle bus company had emergency quintuple by-pass surgery and with the short staff, they just couldn't make it. The campground owners managed to make history....getting the Grand Canyon Railway train to STOP at the road crossing beside the campground. First time EVER..... They hurried us aboard and got us settled as quickly as possible so they could get moving.

Photos and the rest of the story tomorrow....

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

Time flies...once again....

Busy, busy, busy.....but that's a good thing. Going to post a quick update, photos to come later. I should have a little spare time next week before my lady motorcycle friends arrive here in Williams, AZ.

Let's see....last time I posted I was in Congress at North Ranch and dealing with another stomach bug (food issue possibly). Since then....

• Met several folks as they came through North Ranch, some new, some I had met before (and some I didn't remember that I had met before...LOL).
  
• Caravaned with Steve & Sandy (SKPs and fellow Class of 2007 members) to the RV park in Williams, AZ
• Beautiful ride up to Prescott....RV ran well, I babied it as much as possible, utilizing all the tips everyone has passed along to me.
• Almost got on 89A north...NOT a route for an RV. The city of Jerome is an old mining town built into the side of Mingus Mountain.
  From AZCentral.com: "A 15-mile stretch of road snakes up the southwestern flank of Mingus Mountain over a 7,000-foot pass and down 2,000 feet to Jerome. Like a roller-coaster track, the highway plunges, bends and dips in twisting switchbacks that challenge your car's suspension and brakes - and your nerve."
• After the short detour, we continued north and soon found ourselves at the park. Great folks and nice park.
• Discovered the transmission was still leaking BUT it appears to only leak when I slow to a stop. Will be getting it serviced before leaving the area.
• Met up with several old friends at the rally and started meeting a lot of new ones.
• Spent Thursday sightseeing with the group....Sedona and Montezuma's Castle. Photos later...what a blast! Got a great, for me, shirt that says DESERT DIVA. LOL!
• Many hours spent talking with other RVers....amazing people....wonderful diversity.
  
• Tonight I skipped the Pot Luck dinner and went visiting at the KOA - what an evening. My friend Mike (aka Melvis) & I managed to find the wrong KOA, get semi-lost inside the right KOA but eventually found our friends. Spent an hour around the campfire, headed back to pick up our train tickets for tomorrow and found out that I won a door prize tonight! Guess I need to skip things more often. NICE jacket with the Escapees HOP logo on it...perfect for a cool day at the Canyon tomorrow.
  
• What a time of great catered meals, super hosts, terrific door prizes, making new friends & lots of laughs with more to come!

A huge thank you to everyone for all your support this past week...I couldn't have done it without you. Mike & Pat McFall for the help with getting my RV to North Ranch and putting on my new Pressure Pro sensors when they knew I felt really lousy. Ray for all the email troubleshooting on my transmission. Steve & Sandy for the advise and caravan company. Everyone that emailed, posted and wrote a shout-out either about the transmission or my getting sick. THANK YOU!!

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

Status Update & Contest Reminder

REMINDER! The contest entries must be emailed to me by midnight tonight, Pacific timezone.

Now, just a quick note for those that didn't see my comment on the previous blog or my Shout-Out. I am now at North Ranch SK Park in Congress, AZ.

After many emails back & forth with a SUPER helpful & knowledgeable SKP friend (SOCalToolGuy - Ray), it was determined that I should be able to carefully drive the 15 miles from Wickenburg to the RV park. The leak appeared to have stopped.

I contacted an SKP couple, Mike & Pat McFall, who are in the park and they came over to the gas station after church. Pat drove my car and Mike followed the RV. No leaks, no shifting issues, no slipping....all looked good.

I went to the Sunday night ice cream social (always a great place to meet folks at SKP parks). By the time I went to bed Sunday I had at least FOUR recommendations that B&B Automotive in Congress was a reputable place to take the rig to get evaluated.

I spoke with them this morning and they agree with Ray, the transmission probably overheated and spilled over due to the added load of the car versus the lighter trailer/motorcycle. With the warmer weather they have already seen several cases of this. I have an appointment at noon for them to look it over and I will have them drain & refill the fluid regardless.

When I leave I have a mountainous route to take in order to get to Williams. I will leave early and stop every hour to let things cool down. Fortunately it's only 115 miles to the campground. Not sure there is much else I can do...I don't want to tear up this transmission and until I add a temperature gauge for it, I have no way of knowing if it's overheating.

So, I will post any updates tonight...and once again, a HUGE thank you to Ray, Mike & Pat for going above & beyond and another one to everyone who has emailed, commented & shouted with thoughts, ideas, questions & encouragement. I'm way behind in emails but will get back to those I can (remember, if your profile isn't linked to an email then I can't reply to you). You guys ROCK!

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

Why does it happen on the weekend?

Things were going so well....I had vacillated between Payson, Campe Verde, Wickenburg and Congress - two campgrounds and two boondocking. Since the boondocking outside Wickenburg was at a higher altitude, that was where I finally decided to head.

I took US 60 - gorgeous route but glad my Brake Buddy was working. No photos...I was too busy driving. Around 1:30 about 20 miles north of Sun City, I pulled over for some lunch. Did a walk around, all looked good. Headed on to Wickenburg, about another 20 miles. I needed to get gas before heading to the boonies so I pulled into a Shell station on the south side of town.

As I walked to the back of the rig to be sure the hose would reach, I noticed a trail of reddish fluid under the RV. I followed it back to the front...first thought was transmission fluid because of the color, second thought was oil because I had an oil change done in Tucson and thought maybe the filter was loose (that's about as mechanical as I get). I checked the oil...the engine was warm enough I had to put on a glove. It was a quart low...I often have to add a quart now and then between oil changes.

As I finished pumping the gas and walked back to the front, the gentleman in the truck on the other side was peering underneath. There was now a large puddle under the engine and he thought it was transmission fluid. So I proceeded to check that...nothing showed. His son came out and he looked as well....said he thought it was probably either the front seal or the pump. Both would require the transmission to be pulled. Sigh....

I went in and told the manager that I needed to park on the side until the tow truck came. She said that was fine. Another gentleman came along and helped me put in two quarts of transmission fluid so I could pull it around the building and park it out of the way without seizing something.

I had called Coach-Net and after getting all the pertinent information she asked I wanted to hold for the technician or have them call back. Since my cell phone battery was getting low, I chose having them call back. Within 10 minutes he called and we went through all the particulars. Since it was Saturday afternoon he wasn't sure if he would be able to get someone to tow me to a place where I could stay in the RV. I told him I had no problem dry camping here until Monday morning.

He had to find the closest service spot and call me back. In less than 5 minutes he did just that...the closest service spot would be the Ford dealer in Glendale and they wouldn't allow me to stay in the motorhome over the weekend. So he will contact them Monday and call me to let me know who will come and when they will arrive.

In the meantime, I'm safe and comfortable...boy am I ever glad I have solar! My )2 Cool 12 volt fan is working wonderfully in combination with my fantastic fan, the car is unhooked and ready for any excursions, I have plenty of water, my tanks are all but empty, I have EVDO Internet & cell access...life is good.

Tomorrow is supposed to be over 90, that's the only downside (well, other than a BIG hit to my pocketbook). But I do have a full gas tank so I can run the generator for a couple of the worst hours. There is a nice park in town just behind the Bashas' Grocery store. I'll hit McDonald's for a breakfast splurge, take my coffee and a book and enjoy the park for a few hours. Other than that, I'll just try to not spend too much money...but I will see what Bashas' has to offer.

Monday will bring a new adventure...getting the Lily Pad towed. I have posted in the Escapee forum for anything I need to be aware of....any tips or gotchas to watch out for. At least it didn't happen while I was boondocking in the middle of no where with no cell phone access! LOL!!

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

On the move....already adapting....

The day started off perfectly...cool & sunny. I took my time getting things packed up, nice to have a park with a noon checkout time for us folks that like to sleep in a bit. LOL! I stopped at the office to get propane and pay my electric ($9.10 for a week, not bad since I ran the A/C quite a bit). Told them I'd be posting a positive review in RV Park Reviews....I check that site any time I'm looking at campgrounds.

Hit the road around 10:30, stopped in Willcox and got gas ($3.43/gal unleaded) - $90 worth. UGH! Headed north with the intention of trying to find a boondocking spot just south of Safford in the Coronado National Forest. I had used Google Earth to look at the area and THOUGHT it might work out. Well, it looked good on paper....my first warning was a sign that said no vehicles over 40'. The second said the same but pointed out a turn around area just ahead. I decided to pull off to the side and recheck my maps & Google Earth. I also posted a quick notice in the Escapees Forum to see if anyone had any input that might help.

After watching several vehicles head on, I thought I'd give it a try. Yes, I could have unhooked the car and gone up there but was worried about leaving the motorhome parked in the turn around area...hate to come back and find it towed away. I made it up to the entrance where there was a wide pull-off. The bicyclist I had seen riding was paused there and I got out and asked if he was familiar with the local area. He was and we chatted. He strongly advised against going in much further...there was a campground by the next ridge, definitely no further than that. I didn't want to pay a campground for the night and that combined with the tight, twisting road with multiple 10-15 mph hairpins, I opted to head back down.

I knew I had several options...there was a Wal-Mart in Safford that was supposed to allow overnight parking and worst case, it was only about 80 miles to the Apache Gold Casino just outside Globe, AZ. Soooo...I headed to the Wal-Mart in Safford where there was supposed to be overnight parking. Being Friday it was busy-busy-buys. I tried two spots..that was when I noticed the No Overnight Parking signs. Since it was only 3pm rather than try to find out if that was true, I opted to head to Globe where I am now dry camping at the Apache Gold Casino (free - the RV Park dry camp, $5 night, was full).

There was only a travel trailer at one and and a truck camper at the other end of the free (dirt) area. I parked about 20-25 feet from the travel trailer, pulling forward enough that the car was also in the dirt. About an hour later a 30-32' Class A pulls in on the other side of me...opposite direction, not straight, angled in towards me, the front end less then 10' from my rig...and his door exactly opposite my door. Jeesh....if he had just pulled up completely the other way, his door would have been opposite my car and we BOTH would have more privacy. Plus, now that they have headed into the Casino, their dog is unhappy. Hope that stops soon....even worse, when they come back I expect the generator to be fired off. Oh well, it's only one night...

The trip from Safford north to Globe was a pretty one but the winds seemed to pick up a bit. There were a lot of pullover spots, some even with trash cans and some with semi-trucks parking in them. I pulled into one when I felt drowsy...and it also gave the folks behind me time to pass. Definite difference between pulling the trailer/motorcycle and the car. Glad I have the Brake Buddy for the downhill grades.

Still working on where I will head from here...trying to get more information on boondocking in Payson, otherwise I may opt to go through Show Low instead.

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

Rockin' and Rollin'

Just a quick update....I'm staying here in Huachuca City area until Friday morning due to the high winds. The wind today was supposed to be in the 30-35 mph sustained with gusts higher than that. More of the same tomorrow... It's also so dry...my wood flooring (installed in FL) is separating. I guess that's better than if it were installed out here and in the east it started buckling. LOL!

I spent the day working on a newsletter for the Escapees SOLOS BOF. The due date always sneaks up on me....LOL! But now it's done for another two months. I also spent time organizing the stack of RV related paperwork/manuals I have. I still have a bunch more to go through and then I have to get Quicken up to date. That has to be done before my tax appointment in Denver in June.

Because of the delay here, I am taking the eastern route to Williams since it saves me close to 200 miles. That route is a little over 500 miles so I have plenty of time to make it before my event starts.

Speaking of that, I heard today that the fires in the Grand Canyon area are 60% contained. Not so in NM where as a friend reported in her blog today. Scary....I don't think we've seen a fraction of what is to come this summer.

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

Ghost Towns & The Town Too Tough To Die

I woke up early, enjoyed a quiet breakfast while I watched the birds tackle the refilled bird feeder. Then I read a few blogs, answered a few emails and finally got out on the road around 10:00. Off to sightsee for the day....intentions were to visit Tombstone and Bisbee.

First stop ended up being a visit to my first ghost town, Fairbanks. My friends Gary & Judie had mentioned this when we met in town the other day. Gary said it had been let go quite a bit and the last time he was there most of the buildings were closed because they were unsafe. There was a hiking trail if I felt up to it. Well he was right...the little "barn" was the only building that you could enter and after a short hike I turned back before I found the river. Figured my time was better spent heading into Tombstone. But hey, it was my first ghost town....LOL!

First stop in Tombstone was the famous Boot Hill Graveyard...everyone posts the same photos so here is my composite of some of the more interesting signs.



After that I drove around the main part of Tombstone and finally parked in a public parking lot not too far from downtown. I really enjoyed myself. The weather was perfect, the crowds non-existent and the working folks great to chat with.



I ate lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon...felt a little strange ordering "Kate's Breasts" which was a delicious grilled chicken sandwich. The drawing was over the bar and I suspect it was supposed to be of Kate.



I ended up buying a small desert watercolor done by a local resident and a new felt hat...yes, something will go OUT since I am bringing something in....LOL!



On my way back to the RV park, I stopped to take some photos just above the San Pedro river...you can see all the green trees (I think maybe Cottonwood?) lining the river.



Got home around 4:00 to find the bird feeder empty. I settled into my chair and watched them come and snatch up the bread crumbs I scattered (rather than filling the feeder so late in the day). I noticed that my neighbor to the east had a storage bin open and remembered the time I had opened one on the driver side, forgot it was open and had it pour that night. LOL!

Sometime after 6 I noticed a gorgeous sunset, something I hadn't seen here before. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots. As I came back to my site I noticed that my neighbor's storage bay was still open so I headed over to let them know. As I was telling the lady about it, I looked down at her little dog coming down the steps. In shock I had to ask if that was "Surely". It was...turns out that my blog friend Pepper, who is traveling with her mother as well as Surely, was my neighbor! They are here for a month. Small world....it was so great to meet for the first time.




Oh, you're right - I never made Bisbee. Maybe I'll extend one more day and see it tomorrow!

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

Sunday....a day for the birds

With windy conditions, a sinus headache & a good book to finish reading, I opted to sit back and enjoy the birds visiting my new birdfeeder. I barely caught a little hummingbird, I saw a ladderback woodpecker (I think), some finches, mourning doves, Gambel's quail, some type of sparrows maybe...not all are in photos (doves & Quail).

I hope some of your true birdwatchers can help identify them (if you do post a comment with the type of bird, please number them starting at the top left with number 1. Thank you and hope you enjoy. Oh, the first two you'll have to look close to see the little hummingbird across the street from my site.

Some shots are decent, some not so decent but wanted to show you the wide variety of birds that arrived within 15 minutes of my setting out the feeder. This morning they arrived even earlier...LOL! Going to get this posted and then will sit outside eating breakfast before heading out sightseeing.

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

Photo & Location Catch Up

It's late, I'm tired, the blog is behind....so what else is new? LOL! Here are some photos I took while at Beaudry RV Resort a few days ago. Nice park when not packed...don't think I'd want to be there then.

I did get OUT of Tucson yesterday morning. The mobile tech showed up at 7:45am to install the new deadbolt and double check the propane leak. After he left, I took my time to get the new Brake Buddy installed (it worked) and left the park around 10:30.

The drive south to Huachuca City wasn't much more than an hour but when I finally got to the park, Tombstone Territories RV Park, and got checked in and set up, I was beat. My fibromyalgia was in full flare and I was exhausted and in pain everywhere. Most of the time it's under control but I think the combination of the stress from the last week+ and the short nights for 3-4 days merged with the windy drive south just pushed my body over the edge. I vegged all afternoon, even taking an hour long nap. I felt much more like myself this morning.

Today I went into Sierra Vista, had a nice breakfast, did a little shopping and got my haircut. Once done with that I managed to meet up with Judie & Gary who live in the area. They are RVers and we have been in email contact for close to 12 years. Judie was the one who mentored me in the early days of my husband and I looking into RVing. I learned so much from here and it was an amazing experience getting to finally meet! We chatted for several hours, and then I headed back to the park. Tomorrow I plan to head out to do some sightseeing in the area.

The park is very nice....and not crowded this time of year. Very clean, large sites, great amenities (pool, hot tub, two laundry rooms, several shower/bathroom areas, pool table and more). Lots of places to hike, tons of birds and I saw my FIRST jack rabbit! I tried to snag a photo but he was too quick.

Here are some photos of the park here:




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

Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!

Quick update....been delayed once more the last two days. I ended up with a propane leak that had to be fixed. The Extend-a-Stay valve vibrated too much and loosened up - leak detector kicked in and turned off all my appliances but until I turned off the main valve, it continued to leak propane. Now that is an exciting moment when you open your door to the very STRONG smell of propane...NOT!

The other delay was getting up the next morning and discovering that less than 2 hours of sun have heated up the door lock enough that it once again is jammed. Several more trips from the mobile mechanic....he created the perfect support for the Extend-a-Stay valve so no more leaks (one can only hope) and he ended up completely replacing the door lock.

Since the weather forecast to the south appears to be for warmer temps than I like, I'm going to bypass the 2-3 days of boondocking and am heading to a Passport America park, Tombstone Territories RV Park. I plan to stay three nights, meet up with some friends, see Tombstone & Bisbee, then head northeast where I plan to boondock several nights in the Coronado National Forest. I should be blogging before heading that way...no telling if I will have Internet access then or not.

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

PS. Thank you to Rawhide - the song and the series!

Let's see...where were we....

Let's see...where were we....oh yeah, I was leaving Tra-Tel and heading to Camping World to get my slow leaking air bag looked at. Been a few interesting moments since then....LOL!

Pulled out yesterday morning to head to Camping World....since the Brake Buddy 12 volt plug was broken and thus not set up, I watched my speed and braked carefully. Pulled out and got onto the frontage road and a huge OH NO crossed my mind. When I unhooked the Brake Buddy, I automatically turned the key off. Praying that I wasn't damaging the car, I slowed down more and more till I could find a turn off (one where I could get in and back out easily). Found a spot, jumped out, started the car, then turned it off to ACC as it was supposed to be. Some of this stuff is just counter intuitive for me....got to get my check list finalized with all this new stuff and print it out. Phew!

Arrived fifteen minutes early, found the locking pins I needed for the car side of the tow bar as well as a couple of spare linch pins (round snap pins that someone could maliciously remove while parked...figured I should have some spare ones). I may still need some padlocks, just been too busy to look into it further...added to the TO DO list. LOL!

So, the tech watches me unhook the car from the RV and put up the tow bar and cover it. Success! Unhitching seems easier than hitching....maybe because I'm so paranoid that I'll forget something. They headed off in the motorhome and I headed into the campground behind the repair facility, Beaudry RV Resort, to book one night there. Not knowing how long they would need for work, I wanted a place set for the night and possibly longer if needed. It's a VERY nice park but a bit pricey for my normal stays. (They have free Wi-Fi so I used that to download the 120MB Open Office, rather than eat up my Verizon bandwidth....heh, heh....)

After finding my alloted site, I headed back to the customer lounge to wait for word on my rig. Decided to give my youngest daughter a call, the time zone difference and her busy schedule with three little ones have made it hard to chat much. Managed to catch her....and got her bad news. On Sunday she and her hubby were doing some much needed yard work. She managed to mangle two fingers with the electric hedge trimmer. Over two hours were spent to put in 10 stitches due to the uneven cut pattern. She was really hurting and since hubby was heading out of town on business today, she couldn't take her Percocet. OUCH!! Anyway, we chatted for a bit and got caught up to date.

Just before lunch the tech came to find me....the couldn't find a leak on the air bag. They had filled it and sprayed it. There were some bubbles around the top where an L fitting screws in but other than the initial bubbles, there was no movement. Nothing showed anywhere else....plus, it was holding the air they put in. We decided to wait till after lunch to see if it lost any air. During this time I got on the computer in the customer lounge and contacted a local Brake Buddy dealer as well as the manufacturer. The local dealer wouldn't do anything since I didn't BUY it from him...but he would install the direct to battery connection. He told me to send the Brake Buddy back to the folks in TX where I bought it. Yeah, right....

So I sent in a request to Brake Buddy to find out how to get it serviced....after all, I had just bought it and only used it once. I explained all that had happened and the local dealer's response to me (without mentioning who it was). Lunch over, the tech found me again and said it was still holding air so he wasn't going to charge me anything (thank you!!!!) since they really didn't do anything. (NOTE: wondering now if it's because it was up in the air on a lift without the weight on the motorhome on the suspension - time will tell.) I drove the car up to my site, walked back and got the motorhome and headed to the site. Backed in, hooked up the power and not much else done when my cell phone rang.

It was Casey from Brake Buddy....after going through the whole scenario of what had happened, he opted to OVERNIGHT me a new unit (shipping out Tuesday) with a return label for the old one. Now that is service! Since I knew Tra-Tel accepted mail/packages, I gave him their address and called to let them know I would be back Wednesday for one night.

Had a nice peaceful evening....MUCH less dust here...very little, in fact....no trains going through all night long either. Of course I did hear a plane or two since I'm much closer to the airport here. Set the alarm to get up early to take the car to the aforementioned Brake Buddy dealer to see if I needed the battery direct connect done. They were really nice (maybe they felt guilty about their attitude yesterday...LOL!), tested my outlet and said it was just fine. So all my problems appear to be related to the actual Brake Buddy unit....Phew!

So, I head to breakfast and the proceed to Wally World for a few needed grocery items. Also found the perfect folding aluminum side table and a set of inexpensive hiking poles (yes, I AM going to do more walking and hope the poles will help me do more without aggravating my arthritis too much). Good prices, found all the food on my list, didn't get lost, didn't have to pay for the battery connect.....nice start to the day. I should have known....

Got back to the RV and the deadbolt lock won't unlock. I bang, I pull, I push, I berate it...nothing budges it. Wouldn't have been so bad except that I have yet to organize my keys since getting the car and selling the bike/trailer. I have the RV ignition key ring which also has the padlock & hitch/coupler lock keys on it. I have the key ring that I normally took everywhere with me...it has the deadbolt, the other door lock, the storage bin key, my Fire-Safe key and a couple of keys that I'm no longer sure what they are...oh and a recently added car key. They there is the car key ring that has only the car key and the deadbolt key. Toss in a key ring with only the car key on it, that's the one that will be in the ignition when towing. Then there is the SPARE key ring...it has all the duplicates. That used to travel in my purse since I really only had the motorhome.

Soooooo, yes, I need to go through these and have a set of everything on two rings, one for the car and one for the motorhome. But right now it didn't matter....the key(s) to the motorhome truck door were all INSIDE the locked motorhome. Okay, I have road service....I just switched from RV Roadhelp to Coach-Net and although I haven't gotten my cards yet, I had written down all the pertinent information (never knowing how important that would be).

I walk over to the campground office and get their street address, knowing that would be needed. I settle down in a corner of their patio and call Coach-Net and get a nice lady named Joyce. I explain my situation and the first thing she asks me is if I am safe. Finding out that I am, she gets all the pertinent information and tells me that I should see someone in 45-60 minutes. If I haven't heard from someone in a hour, then I should call back so they can check on it. We hang up and I go back to reading. About 10 minutes later my phone rings, it's Joyce again. She wants to clarify that if they open the drivers door so I can get it, will that be sufficient. I hadn't even really thought about it that way (thank you Joyce), but yes, it would be. I had anticipated paying labor & materials to get the lock out and fix out.

About 30 minutes after we hang up for the second time I get a call from the lock service, they are coming in the gate of the campground and wanted to find me. I go outside and they follow me to the RV (maybe 1/2 block away). He quickly unlocks the passenger door (for some reason it's easier on that side) and used the power lock to unlock the driver side (the passenger seat is full...). Then he took down all the information he needed - VIN, tag, driver license - I signed his ticket and we were good to go. Coach-Net just paid for itself!

So now I'm waiting for the mobile tech that adjusted my door to arrive late this afternoon to see what we can do. Yes, I can get in and out the driver door but that is just not convenient. It also means I lose the breeze coming in the side door. Sigh...never a dull moment!

Since I will now be here through Thursday, I am revisiting my travel plans. I have to be in Williams, AZ on May 7th. I've decided it makes no sense to RUSH up to northern AZ/southern UT when I would have to limit my time sightseeing. Instead, I will go a little further south and visit Sierra Vista, Bisbee and Tombstone before heading northerly to end up in Williams on time. I'll be doing a lot of boondocking and don't know when I will/won't have Internet so don't be surprised if I'm not blogging.

I will spend a couple of weeks in northern AZ/southern UT after May 18th...I'll already be in Williams and it makes more sense to do it that way. I will miss meeting up with friends who are camphosting at Arches but know we'll meet up eventually. I will also miss meeting up with other friends who are boondocking in various places in southern AZ, but again, I know we'll meet up eventually. These plans make sense for me....for now....isn't full-timing flexibility a WONDERFUL thing? ;-)

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

Almost ready...

Yup, almost ready to leave the Tra-Tel RV Park. I've been here a month+ and although it has its positive sides, I am SO ready to move. Big move tomorrow.....NOT! Sigh....just headed down the road to Camping World where they will take a look at my air bag and see what needs to be done to fix it. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be a quick fix AND under warranty.

Today I caught up on laundry, washed all my throw rugs, mopped floors, dusted, put stuff away to get ready for travel AND (drum roll, please) hooked up the car to the motorhome, set up the Brake Buddy and went for a test drive. I learned two things....the motorhome definitely knows it's pulling something twice the weight of the trailer and motorcycle and that it is going to take some getting used to stopping this thing. The Brake Buddy needs tweaking....talking with some folks that have the same setup and that should help me fine tune it.

All in all, the test drive went well....and I did all the hookup stuff myself. Got a lot of things to add to my checklists now. LOL! Side benefit, got my generator monthly hour long run taken care of...good for another month.

Of course with the good there always seems to be a little bad.... First was when I pulled the 12 volt plug for the Brake Buddy out of the socket. One of the little spring clips that put tension on it popped out. Sigh....my mobile mechanic is going to fix it in the morning....I will contact Brake Buddy for a longer term fix. Second, my HWH levelers have gotten flakier...or maybe it's the operator. I managed to get them all down but by the time I visually confirmed they were down, they retracted. After 5 or 6 times in and out, I said screw it...it's only one night. I'll worry about that later...probably user error...oh well.

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

It was just a drop....

I woke to cool temps and an overcast morning. I figured it was a good time to test out my new California Duster, gotta love a black car in Arizona...especially with a construction site just behind my site. As I was starting out the mobile RV tech arrived and proceeded to get out his gear. Suddenly I noticed a couple of raindrops on the hood of my car. Hmmmm, I didn't think rain was in the forecast. Then it stopped...

He went to work on the first task, adding an Extend-a-Stay valve to my propane connections. This will allow me to use an external tank for emergencies and will also let me run an external propane device directly from the main tank. It was pretty brisk, so after moving my chairs & side table out of his way, I went back inside.

Hmmm, is that raindrops? I go out and sure enough...it's raining enough to see the spots. Lasted a couple of minutes and then, of course, the sun broke through.

Next he tackled my rear brakes...yup, going to need them done. I had heard squealing from the rear right and figured that was coming. But as soon as he had it off and we discussed his coming back the next day...due to iffy weather and needing to get parts, the sky decided to let loose. The wind picked up and it started to rain hard enough that I had to close the door and put up the small window awning.



So, it may never "...rain in southern California" but it sure can here in southern Arizona!

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

There's always a first time....I did it!

First time? Did what? Got you curious? LOL! Well, some of you may remember my blog about grills some time back....being back in a campground where everyone loves to torture me with the smells of cooking got me thinking about a grill again. Now that I have the back of the car for extra storage. So I ordered the Coleman Campers Grill from Wal-Mart and had it shipped directly here.

Some assembly required....oh, boy. Well it was easy except that I couldn't get it to light...rather than get frustrated (actually I was), I let it sit another couple of days. Decided that maybe the propane bottle was empty....I've had that happen, had one go dry (or bought it that way). So today I picked up another bottle, determined to try it out. The hamburger I had thawed out to cook previously was ready and waiting.

I swapped out the bottle, tried it again. Nothing. Took the new bottle off...heard it POP and smelled a little whiff of propane. Okay...now it's just that things are new. Screwed it back on....tried again....it lit....it went out....it lit....it went out....it lit and I twisted my arm unnaturally backwards pushing in on the regulator knob as I twisted it to high. Talk about awkward...first you have to do two things with the left hand to get the stupid butane torch to light (they seriously need a line of NON-childproof lighters for us seniors), then you get to do two things with the right while you anxiously watch for the burner to light and alternately pray that it doesn't explode in your face (did I mention that I don't like flames or gas? LOL!).

But I did it....well, at least got the grill lit. Now to the second first, I cooked my hamburger. Yup, that was a first for me....I've never grilled (propane OR charcoal). That was always the male domain. Burger was done perfectly and a sense of accomplishment accompanied my full stomach.

Of course then I realized I was going to have to clean the grate....there HAS to be an easier way than trying to clean it in the little kitchen sink. Jeesh! Not going to work well when boondocking...I know my late husband just left it after cooking and then burned it off when he heated the grill the second time. That might have been okay in a stix & brix world, but carrying a dirty grill around in the back of my car doesn't hold much thrill for me.

Oh well...here are some photos of my car, my new little metal frog for beside my step, my dinner grilling and some of the wildlife that I've managed to snag in photos. Enjoy!

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