Yes I'm alive....

What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been....I will post more next week but for now I wanted to at least report in. Gillette was great, had a blast, amazing July 4th fireworks, got in some motorcycle riding as a trike passenger, talked to a gazillion people (old & new friends), attended a few sessions, bought a few things (love my new outdoor mat).

When it was over I took my rig into Pierce RV in Billings, MT to get a few things adjusted, tweaked, maintained....etc. Since it was going to take several days, I left it there and did Yellowstone with my trike riding friend. WOW!!!! We rode it two days straight - deer, buffalo, eagles, brown bear, black bear, elk, coyote, ground squirrels, chipmunks....and scenery to die for. What a blast!! My neck is sunburned and sore...you'd think I would know better by now. LOL! I promise to upload photos later...today we are moving up to Anaconda and will attend the Butte International Folk Music Festival. Then on Monday we will go back to Billings so I can pick up my rig and head up to Conestoga RV Park in White Sulphur Springs for my summer workamping assignment.

More later....and some AWESOME photos coming!

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

A full day....

Even thought I went to bed late, I woke early and got ready to move on to Buffalo, WY where I will spend the next three nights. I ended up chatting with the folks on one side of me. They were also heading to the Escapade but planned on two nights in Casper before moving to Buffalo. I mentioned where I was going to be staying, we exchanged cards and I headed on my way.

I had JUST hit the road out of the campground when I ran out of windshield fluid. With the bugs being so bad, I knew I needed to stop and refill (I had half a bottle in one of the storage bays). I saw a closed gas station, swung in, filled up, decided to check the oil, added a quart and then was REALLY on my way at 10am.

I was amazed at the ever changing scenery....here is a sampling of what I saw. Great drive, didn't get windy until about 50 miles out of Buffalo, comfortable temperatures and good roads.

As I exited off I-25 to head to the campground, I saw an accident right in front of the ramp. Not a pretty sight. It must have just happened since while I sat there waiting for the okay to turn right (my only choice, even though I needed to turn left), the ambulance, fire department and police arrived. As I pulled out I saw the car on the other side of the road...it looked like the car might have not stopped at the end of the ramp or possibly their brakes failed. They obviously hit the RV with a lot of force to tear the front off so completely. Anyway, I pulled into a gas station a few miles down the road and went in to tell the clerks that I might be parked outside for an hour or so while I waited for it to clear.



I called my friends, Paul & Connie, to let them know I was running a little late due to the accident. Paul helped me re-route myself and finally get headed to the campground. Buffalo looks to be a neat little town where I hope I can spend a little roaming time. I got checked in, Big Horn Mountains Campground, and moved into my site (once removed from my friends site).



They came over to welcome me and I discovered that the folks I met this morning in Rawlins had evidently changed their minds since they were here! Small world....LOL! After getting settled, I headed over for some chatting and dinner. The company and the food were WONDERFUL....homemade meatloaf, one of my two favorite foods (the other is lasagna). We watched the deer start to arrive in the field across from us. They leave in the morning but I'll see them again on Wednesday at the Escapade...they're on the parking crew.

It's raining a little tonight, some thunder, my car will be a disaster tomorrow...so what else is new?

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

NOTE: For more photos from today, visit my SmugMug gallery.

Not sure what to say....

The day was spent watching movies and doing a lot of reading online while I continued keeping my ankle elevated. The outside temps are nice but since they were dragging the gravel to level it, I ended up closing all the windows and running the A/C.

I was going to post some of the fun & interesting sites I found but I just read some news in one of my forums that changed that.

Those who have followed my blog for a while know that I bought a Pressure Pro tire monitoring system from Mike & Pat McFall while at the Gypsy Journal rally in Casa Grande last spring. Mike & Pat were also the ones who rescued me in Wickenburg when I first discovered my transmission leak. Pat drove my car and Mike followed me as I moved my rig from the gas station to the North Ranch SKP Park in Congress, AZ.

If you have read any of Mike's comments or followed his blog, you would know that his son Scott has been fighting cancer. He recently had a bone marrow transplant, was doing better and then started a down turn. His brother was planning on returning to donate for another transplant.

I just read in the RV-Dreams forum that Scott passed away. You can leave a comment on Scott's page at the CaringBridge site. You can also post a shout for Mike & Pat on their personal blog. I know how hard it is to lose a spouse or a parent. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child.

Life is too short my friends....take time to tell those you love that you care....make contact with those who have drifted away. You never know what tomorrow may bring....

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

Sunday Sights and Friends

Perfect Sunday.....slept in till 8:30, not sure why since I was wide awake at 6:30. Closed my eyes and next thing I know, it's 8:30. Decided to splurge with a Big Breakfast at McD's since I've been good about NOT going there the last couple of days. Read for a bit while enjoying my coffee, did some people watching (one of my favorite pastimes), then headed off to check out the two spots on my boondocking list.

One, actually two, things I've discovered about boondocking - 1) most hard core boondockers don't want to share their best spots and 2) places listed as good boondocking spots may actually not be. Oh and 3) what is perfect for one boondocker may be the pits for another. LOL!

The first spot I wanted to check out was the closest in, less then 2 miles from McD's. I headed out and soon found my turn off. Drove to the end...other than a NFS campground (for pay), the rest was all private property. But the scenery sure was nice...

Okay, nice drive...turned around and headed back through town and south to Dogtown Reservoir. Some other Escapees Full-timing Class of 2007, Tony & Pamela, had sent me info on this area, supposedly several good boondocking spots. It was about 4 miles out of town and then a mile or two into the National Forest Service. I knew it was going to be good when I saw my favorite sign...14 day limit (camping).

I drove in around, up, down....had a blast and found a bunch of good spots. All had at least 2 bars EVDO cell phone reception so my AirCard should work just fine. I stopped and walked around several spots, enjoying the area and wishing I were parked there now. But I still have to get my mail so will move on Thursday.

A little before 2 pm I had plans to meet Tony & Pamela at the Pine Country Restaurant for some pie. We hadn't officially met even though we had been at a couple of the same events this year. GREAT folks...had a blast talking with them, we have so much in common. Doncha just love these smiling faces!?!



After I left the restaurant, I headed to Safeway to stock up on a few things. On the way there I saw a Can-Am Spyder sitting outside a restaurant. As I got closer, a lady rider walked out and got ready to leave. I put down the window and asked her if I could take a photo. She said, "Sure!", so here it is. I love these things...so different for a three wheel motorcycle.



Oh, funny thing happened at Safeway....Tony & Pamela were there, too. Got to meet their adorable pup, Jones. I got done before them and headed home. Saved almost $14 with my Safeway card...plus if I ever run into a Safeway with a gas station, I will get 10 cents off each gallon.

Another beautiful evening...snapped a couple of sunset photos to share. Great day!



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

Where did she go?

Sorry for being so MIA....life goes on. I've forgotten most of what happened since I last posted other than Memorial Day weekend. What beautiful weather we had in Camp Verde. I did get a new neighbor, a young family in a large pop-up with 3 or 4 kids (Think they arrived with 3 but left with 4?)

The wife came over then next morning as I was taking out my chairs & tables and apologized for the kids. She said they didn't realize what a quiet park it was....that they had the only kids. I told her it was fine, the kids were really well behaved...and they were. They played Frisbee, they rode their bikes, the whole family went riding, then they loaded up the two cars with all the bikes and fishing gear for a day trip. (I think that is when the extra child arrived...probably a friend for the son to keep him company.) It was really nice to see the parents out their playing with the kids, enjoying their time with them.

The day they were gone, I had a surprise visitor. I was sitting in the sun enjoying it and a book when something caught the corner of my eye. As I turned, I heard a buzzing sound...it was a scooter! It was my friend Ron, who was bus camping in a friend's yard in the Camp Verde area. I hadn't seen him since the Gypsy Journal Rally in Casa Grande last February. We sat and talked for several hours before he headed out to check on a boondocking spot on the way to Cottonwood.

Anyway, the weekend was beautiful and I enjoyed doing a little sightseeing and a lot of relaxing & reading. Come Tuesday I leave Rancho Verde RV Park (would definitely visit again - WONDERFUL park, the hosts are magnificent) and head up the road the couple of miles to HEFR (Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair) where I will leave the motorhome for hopefully 2 days (one overnight).

Around 3 pm, after doing more sightseeing (left the camera in the RV, dang it!) and a little reading with a cup of coffee at McD's, I headed over to the Super8 where I had made a reservation. Got myself checked in and enjoyed a few movies on HBO, a change from reading. LOL! Around 4 pm I called to see if they thought they would be done sometime on Wednesday. It turned out that it was going to be iffy....there was a chance they might have it ready by 4:30 but couldn't guarantee it. Rather than pick it up late IF it was done, then find a place to park for the night since I wouldn't leave that late in the day, I opted to stay in the hotel a second night and pick it up this morning (Thursday).

So today I got up early, enjoyed a second LONG, HOT SHOWER, grabbed a quick McD breakfast and then headed over to pick up the Lily Pad. Got over my heart attack at the bill total, they did a lot and the quality of the work was obvious, and sat in the parking lot getting things squared away inside. Hooked up the car and hit the road about 11:30, headed back to Williams.

Ron had wanted me to come towards Cottonwood and try out the boondocking there but with the temps moving rapidly into the 90's again tomorrow, I opted to head to the mountains again. I'm back at the Canyon Motel & RV Park (where we had the motorcycle gathering) and have ordered my mail shipped here, a good reason to stay in one spot for a couple of days.

I will take the care and check out some of the boondocking spots I've seen mentioned and if I find one I like, I'll spend a second week here but boondocking.

Oh, remember my bicycle shopping ramblings? Well my friends Nick & Terry Russell have been doing the physical shopping and were having the same problems. In today's blog, Nick posted that they have found their bikes and ordered them. I know I'll keep looking out for one that will work for me as well.

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

What a great time!

Sorry for not blogging more...that's what happens when you meet up with a group of friends. In this case, not RVing friends but lady motorcycle friends. Every year the gals from AZ/UT host the Wild West Fest (WWF), formerly called Ravenfest. This year they held it in Williams so I could attend (this is my second one, the first was the year I toured on my motorcycle).

We had gals (and spouses) from CA, UT, NM, KS and AZ....there were three in the campground (including me), the rest were in the hotel (some lucky enough to get to sleep in one of the converted rail cars). Most rode, a couple drove (hard to ride with a 10 month old baby), all came for the fun & companionship.

I had met all but a couple of the gals & their spouses before, so it was great to see them again. Combine with meeting folks I've chatted with for 3-4 years as well as some guest invitees....toss in good food, great music, lots of tasty food & beverages of all types....you get the picture. What a great time!



But it wasn't all fun and games...I spent a good part of today trying to get rid of the motorcycle gear I won't be using. I did pretty well but still have 2 jackets, 3 pairs of boots, chaps, vest, electric gloves and a bunch of smaller stuff to get rid of. But at least I emptied one of the large rolling duffel bags (and got rid of it). LOL! If you look closely, you'll see two tables covered and three chair filled with what's left.



Since the front of my rig gets the afternoon sun, I decided to put the awning out. I carefully checked the forecast...7mph...no problem. So I get the awning out and within an hour a HUGE wind gust comes through and grabs the awning. I run outside and try to figure out what it did and what I need to do to fix it. My friend Sally comes over (her toy hauler is parked just down the hill from me) and between us we get it settled back in. I go back inside since the wind has disappeared as quickly as it came.

An hour later it starts to get windy again and after a few minutes, I figure I'd better pull it up...sun or no sun. I haven't had the awning down in months...since I was in Yuma actually. So I'm struggling to figure out what step I'm missing since it's not going up. An RVer across the way comes over to help and we do the missing step. Then we struggle with getting it to retract and Sally appears. She quickly gets it to retract (thank you!).

It goes up easily (nice when you do all the right things), BUT the wind moved it enough that the arms are now about 2" to one side and it won't snap together. I yank on my side and we feel it shift so we bring it back down so we can start it up again. About half way up the wind starts roaring again so there we stand, me on the back end of the RV on the top of a two-step stool, my neighbor on the front end and Sally in the middle....all holding on for dear life so the wind doesn't totally destroy the awning. Finally it passes, we get the awning up and I strap it down. Glad the cameras weren't anywhere near us! LOL!

Everyone is leaving tomorrow except me, most first thing in the morning. Will be a quiet afternoon while I pack everything up so I can leave for Camp Verde on Monday morning.

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

The

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

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

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

Another weekend passes...Another week arrives...

Been several days since I blogged....been busy sometimes, sometimes not. LOL! Yes, I took an entire day off and just sat outside and read, then came in and watched movies. Nice breather. Today I went to dinner at the Blue Willow with friends Ellie & Jim and JoAnn & Doug (who brought along Tinka & Rick whose blog I follow but had never met). Such great folks....check their blogs for photos, I forgot my camera. Ooops!

Tinka/Rick are at the Montana Rally with JoAnn/Doug and they'll be there till Thursday when they head out. Ellie & Jim are leaving in the morning for their home in Colorado Springs. Cold and snowy...brrrr...but sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do (Jim has a dental appointment). JoAnn/Doug will meet up in June with Ellie/Jim at the RV Dreams Rally in Branson. I had planned on attending but due to gas prices and having to be back in CO immediately following, I opted out. I hate it since I will miss meeting more friends but once again, sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

The trailer sold on Friday....I feel like an elephant has been lifted off my back. Last thing to do will be cancel the insurance on it and it will be nothing but a memory along with Squirt. Sigh...

This week will see my getting what is needed for towing Polliwog (my little Suzuki), or at least getting it ordered. I'm nervous about going with Blue Ox because there is only one recommended installation service here in Tucson...and they have never ordered/installed the adapter plate that would be required to work with my current Roadmaster baseplate. I can go all Roadmaster but will pay about $500 more. Nothing comes easy....

I also need to find out if my Roadmaster Brakemaster air brake system is functional. If it is, then I just need what they call a second car kit, the "stuff" that goes on the car end. If not then I have to decide if I want to do the portable brake system (awkward, cumbersome but less expensive AND transportable to a different car) or the Roadmaster Brakemaster Hydraulic brake system (more expensive, more installation time/money, top of the line and very little for me to do each time, more money to move to another car). Decisions, decisions....I hate the thought of having to spend several hundred dollars if I bought a new car but I also dislike having to heft around the 25# portable braking systems. Anyway, I'll let you know tomorrow night what I've finally ordered...I'm doing as much research as possible tonight.

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

Can you find me now?

If you have been following my blog, you remember my post about passing out and hitting my head one night while sick. Several folks made comments about setting up a way to have others local to you check in on you, nightly/daily check-in phone calls, etc.

None of these are perfect...if you like to boondock in the middle of nowhere, there isn't someone you can ask to check on you. And if you're a solo lady, that in of itself is a bit scary (asking someone you don't know....). A daily check-in by phone can be difficult as well...you might be out of cell phone range is the first problem. The second is inconveniencing someone on a daily basis.

In one of my favorite motorcycle forums they have been discussing Personal Locator Beacon solutions.

"The PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a pocket-sized emergency 406MHz beacon, a scaled down version of the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) that boaters and pilots, respectively, have had available to them for years."
~ Landfall Navigation

These items were brought up in a boondocking session I attended at RV Life on Wheels recently. While a nice option, they are pricey...VERY pricey at $500-700 although there are no annual fees.

Recently some new products have come into the marketplace. One is the TracMe Beacon, only $99 and again, no annual fees. Note that this is not satellite communication and it does not automatically start a search & rescue operation. Not does it allow you to notify someone that you are okay. But it is one newer solution to be considered.

The new product now being discussed in The Motorcycle Tourer's Forum is the SPOT Satellite Messenger. Priced at $170 by the manufacturer, it is in the affordable range. (The cheapest price I found was at Amazon.com, at under $135.) There is an annual fee of $99 for the basic services with a couple of upgrade options. But for the $99 you get a lot...

• ALERT 9-1-1:
  Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
• CHECK IN:
  Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. Unlimited usage included.
• ASK FOR HELP:
  Request help from friends and family at your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
  

This means you can easily use it to notify family/friends that you are okay. Run into a problem, then you can ask for help via the SPOT Messenger. And in an emergency you can send a message to the control center who can notify your emergency contacts for you.

It's not perfect...like any satellite solution it needs a clear line of sight for the best signal. It can take up to 20 minutes to lock onto the signal. Too many trees or other obstructions and the signal may not go out. But if you have been using the CHECK IN feature, then your last location sent is available as a starting point.

Here are some reviews I found, Lets Go Mobile and Wild Snow, as well as a good FAQ page on the emergency service. One of the motorcyclists has sent check in updates to his blog! I really like this product and think it will only get better. I think I see one in my near future....

UPDATE 5/12/08: I have purchased a SPOT Messenger - see the link in the sidebar or click HERE for the best price including Priority Mail shipping.

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

Two steps forward, one step back...

That's how I feel lately...but at least that still means forward movement! For some reason my listing in Craigslist keep getting flagged and deleted....I just added it back again tonight. Jeesh! Not sure what's up with that....hoping to get some leads tomorrow when I call some of the motorcycle dealers, if not then I will start looking for some place that will take it on consignment.

Tomorrow I will complete the paperwork on my new-to-me car and I am really excited about that. Yesterday I tackled my motorcycle gear and got the keeper stuff down to one large duffel bag (from three). Some of the other stuff will be sold and some just given to friends that can use it. The remaining bag will go into the back of the car along with two crates/totes full of files. That alone will get some weight out of the RV (impacting both the back axle and the left side).

I donated a tote and large shopping bag full of "stuff" to the community room here at Tra-Tel RV Park. The rest of the office supplies that I am keeping are being moved inside, my camping gear will move inside and to the front while my large but lightweight extra bedspread will move to the rear behind the bed. I keep making adjustments to the front to rear and side to side placement of the heavy stuff while trying to reduce what I'm keeping.

I have yet to tackle inside...I REALLY have to cut down on clothes and that is hard for me. It's spent money and things that will have to be replaced at some point. Being on a fixed income, I'd rather keep what I can but the weight issue nags at me.

I will lose some weight when I move from towing the trailer to pulling a car flat (4 wheels down). I didn't realize that there is no tongue weight when you tow flat. I don't know how much that will gain me but it all helps!

I have a ton of things to get done in the next two weeks (actually less than that)...I want to get the car detailed to help protect it on the road. I'm getting two front tires for it, I could run a bit on the current ones but they're at that point where they will wear quickly. I want to get up to Moab and do some riding around the area so I figure I will get them while outfits like Discount Tires are close by.

I also will need to get two more tire sensors for my Pressure Pro tire pressure system and get out the book to reprogram the monitor. We all know how bad I am with manuals....LOL! I might just email Mike & Pat McFall and find out where they are and see if we might cross paths soon.

When my mail finally arrived, I found another recall notice for my motorhome...something about a wiring harness that needs to be replaced. I also need an oil change so will try to get both of those done before leaving Tucson.

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed...guess my mind is a bit disjointed right now....LOL! After SLAVING yesterday, starting my sorting procedure, I stayed up till almost 1 am and worked on email replies. Woke up at 7 am and got up before I fell back to sleep. I needed to do a few things before my RVing friends JoAnn & Ellie came to pick me up for lunch.

They are staying out at Doc Justin's Diamond J RV Park and had invited me to a leftover pot luck lunch. I first met Ellie when I was parked in Luling, TX. She and Karon came out to meet me since they were both blog readers. I had never met her husband Jim and I wanted to see the new GORGEOUS Tiffin Phaeton diesel pusher they just moved into. I last saw JoAnn and her husband Doug at the Gypsy Journal Rally in Casa Grande last month. We both attended the RV Life on Wheels in Bowling Green, KY back in the spring of 2006 and we both ended up delaying our move into full-timing.

The ride out to the park was breathtaking...I couldn't take my eyes off things long enough to bother taking any pictures. When we arrived at the park, Ellie noticed that Sandra was back home. JoAnn went over to invite her for lunch. Sandra is another blogger that I have followed for some time but we had never been in the same place at the same time. We were joined by Ellie's sister and cousin we are down visiting from Colorado for a week.

Lunch was delicious and I ate WAY too much...no need for dinner tonight. LOL! Got back and vegged the rest of the afternoon and early evening. I thought back over our conversations...we're all RVers, some full-time, some part-time. We're all from different parts of the country. But we all agreed about one thing....we're having a blast and we're living life to the fullest!

Here are the links to Ellie's blog, JoAnn's blog and Sandra's blog. Such wonderful folks, all of them...I feel privileged to know them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do....oh, and sorry for no photos. I took a couple but they didn't turn out too well so won't embarrass anyone by posting them. LOL!

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

Tucson RV Life on Wheels - Part 2

Okay, so the title is about the same. Guess I should have renamed yesterday's when I realized it was too long to include everything. Oh well...in five years no one will care (I suspect no one does now...LOL!)

As many of you know, I attended my first RV Life on Wheels in Bowling Green, KY in the spring of 2006 and really enjoyed myself. I attended a lot of technical classes to help me better understand some of the mechanics of RVs as well as learning how to look at used rigs and make an informed decision.

• RV Life on Wheels, Bowling Green KY - Arrival and ...
• RV Life on Wheels, Bowling Green KY - Day Two
• RV Life on Wheels, Bowling Green KY - Final Day

Many wonder why anyone would attend more than event like this...factor in that I have also gone to two Escapades, which are also learning events, and recently attended the 2nd Western Gypsy Journal Rally as well.

Well let me tell you....by the end of day two of the RV Life on Wheels, I was on overload...head busting out with information and voice hoarse from talking with everyone. What a blast! I took sessions on solar, boondocking, motorhome driving tips, taking better digital photos, towing a car, exercising and more.

I realized that each time I attend events like this, my focus will have slightly shifted and I will be interested in new and different things or will have moved to the next level in other areas. There wasn't one session that disappointed me and at least two could have been split into two sessions (each for different reasons).

The staff, instructors and volunteers all went over and above to make sure that everyone had a good experience. I got parked easily...pull in and then out. The last minute class changes due to the unexpected death of an instructor, Dave Baleria, was handled extremely well. Some instructors added classes they had done before and were similar to the ones originally planned. Others pulled something related together in less than a week. The final openings were filled with unrelated classes. But it all came together....

The first night we were welcomed at Beaudry RV with a delicious dinner of lasagna, Caesar salad and breadsticks. That was followed by a cheesecake desert at Camping World. We got to wander through many open rigs as well as shop to our heart's content at CW (no, I didn't buy a thing).

The second night was RV open house....RV owners could put a pink sign in their window showing that they were willing to let you in to tour their rigs and ask questions. Just prior to that a group of solo RVers gathered together to socialize....everyone brought a chair, drink and a snack. Delicious! The last session of the day had been a roundtable discussion that was very good.

I met so many wonderful people as well as seeing old friends again. I was totally floored by the number of folks who came up and told me they read my blog. Thank you one and all...I'll try to keep it enjoyable and sometimes educational but still fun to read. You all honor me....

Today I ended up sleeping in....and not attending any sessions (there were only two). An online friend stopped by and we ended up chatting for over two hours! Enjoyed it though... From there I attended the closing ceremonies and door prize drawings. As usual I won nothing...but that's okay. LOL!

I decided to grab lunch in the cafeteria, I had been eating in the RV, and sat down with two Escapee form "gonnabees", Dave & Linda Sands. They plan to go as green as possible and full-time in a custom built Class B. They were amazed at how much they learned and how valuable the information was....they plan on making several changes & adjustments to their future home.

As I got ready to leave, one of the parking crew, Jim, stopped by and told me that he needed to buy my Solar Oven for one of the instructors. Seems as though the instructor was waiting for his wife to arrive...she did but since I wasn't in my RV, we never connected. They left and directed Jim to buy the oven for them, if I hadn't sold it. Thank you Mike Steffan and hope you enjoy the oven.

I had also posted my Kyocera Router (never taken out of the box) on the bulletin board and Rick & Joyce Lang from RVSEF decided to buy it. They were the folks that weighed my rig at the Goshen Escapade and although I knew I was overweight, Rick convinced me it was better to know how overweight and where. Now that I know, I have to get serious about reducing some of the rear weight. I'm actually a little lighter in the front but that is probably due to the added weight at the rear. Side to side I'm pretty good...not as good as I was previously but not as bad as I thought I would be. So the next month will see me doing some wholesale cleaning...gonna get vicious. Anyone need any office supplies? LOL!

When I sell the motorcycle/trailer and move to towing a 4 wheels down car, I will actually reduce the rear weight. I didn't realize that towing flat has no added tongue weight. I like that!

This weekend will be very busy...I hope to look at the car I am interested in buying. I will continue to find ways to advertise the bike and motorcycle here locally in Tucson (already on Craigslist). I will answer the over 50 outstanding blog comments that are in my inbox as well as the other 30 backlogged messages. I will catch up on some client billing. I know there is more but that's a start. Phew, tired already!

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

I'm cold, I'm wet.....

...but at least I'm not hungry! LOL! The weather turned last night...no snow here but it started raining lightly after 10 pm and pretty steadily after 1 am. I woke several times during the night hoping it wouldn't flood too badly....at times it was raining really hard.

Glad I have the flexibility of staying an extra day...walking in this mud is like walking in fresh snot (sorry for the graphic images that might bring to mind). And we have to push my motorcycle around and into my trailer AND I have to pull everything (4 rolling duffles/suitcases & assorted other storage items) outside and set them in the mud. Hoping it will dry out a little today but not sure that's going to happen. It was 48 at 8 am when I got up, now at almost 2 pm it's all the way up to 52...wow, a heat wave. I did see the sun...once...for about 6 seconds.

The rain still hasn't completely stopped but at least it's just spitting now. I'm hoping that the dry spot left where the motorhome next door pulled out will stay dry enough for me to use as a staging area for the bags. Of course as I type this, it's started to rain harder. Sigh...

Here are some before & after shots to give you a flavor of what I woke up to....the muddy ones were taken out my living room window and from my front door. I didn't want to venture out any further than necessary....LOL!

And here is a shot of my neighbor Mike and his first-class rain boots, errrr, bags... I saw several folks wearing the fashion statements....what the heck, it works! I just wore my oldest pair of nasty slip-on sneakers and tried to leave the mud on the bottom incoming step.



Now take a peek at the final shot I took earlier....isn't that a perfect backdrop for day dreaming on a cloudy day...



And another with Nick, the rally founder and editor of the Gypsy Journal along with his wonderful wife Terry, enjoying a few minutes on his motorcycle while chatting with Carey (Escapees Class of 2007 & fellow Boondocker & SOLO).



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

It's over?

I can't believe how quickly the last five days have passed. I arrived here in Casa Grande on Sunday and I'm scheduled to leave tomorrow (although the weather may delay me one day, time will tell).

These have been five awesome days full of education, information, socialization, smiles, hugs, all liberally mixed with lots of laughter. It will be very hard to leave but I know I will see many of these folks on the road as I travel.

I can't begin to remember everyone I met...I'm terrible with names...but here are a few (thank goodness we exchanged cards!)...please, no one feel left out if you're not mentioned...just too many good folks!

I mentioned the couple that stopped me the other day to re-introduce themselves. We had met at a 2006 RV Life on Wheels conference in Bowling Green - Doug & JoAnn (and their standard poodle, Fillmore). We both planned on full-timing as soon as possible. Well, we both ended up delaying a year - me due to the house not selling and them due to health issues. They asked about joining the Class of 2007 so now they're "classmates".

Another couple I enjoyed meeting was John & Judy. They stopped by to admire my BMW with John taking photos of the pinstriping. We chatted several times about riding. John was interested in getting a BMW similar to mine and possibly one for his wife as well. Wonderful folks and I look forward to hearing from them in the future and getting updates on what they decide.

Mike, who is parked across from me, has been a wonderful neighbor. He helped me get the bike unloaded on Sunday. His wife is active duty (thank you Cindy!) and he is retired, traveling part-time. I've invited him to join in a Boondocker Rendezvous so I hope to see him down the road.

Yesterday I finally met Lynne who has a neat blog. She's an extremely talented and interesting lady, a free spirit in the best tradition. I'd love to be more like her when I grow up but admit I know my limitations - creativity is NOT my forte. LOL!

Today I met Jim & Betty who were here as vendors. Jim stopped by to talk to Ron, who I was sitting with as I got coffee. He mentioned that his wife wanted to meet me and I told him I would stop by later. I passed by several times but they were out, probably enjoying the wonderful seminars. I managed to catch up with them by late afternoon. We discovered several folks that we both knew. They are charter members of the Boomers, there from the beginning. (Note, the Boomers & the Boondockers as well as the Class of 2007 and SOLOs are are sub-groups of the Escapees - if anyone is NOT an Escapee and is thinking about joining, drop me a note.) Just goes to prove what a small world it is...

There were so many more....and more instances of small world coincidences. Turns out my friends Brenda & Roger, who arrived late but in time to enjoy most things, have camped with several of the Boondockers I have recently met. I've met folks from a small town in NH, just around the corner from where I lived during high school. I've read blogs while here only to discover that the bloggers were here as vendors. Connections....6 degrees of association at its best. I plan to make this rally an annual event...and I highly recommend it to everyone. Nick & Terry are VERY special folks and I'm proud to be able to call them friends!

No photos today....rain, sleet, snow in the forecast....in fact it's raining as I write this. I hope the fairground doesn't become too much of a muddy mess but I suspect that may happen...may hang around until Saturday...gee, it's almost as hard to close this blog (and thus my notes on the rally) as it is to leave!

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

More from the Gypsy Journal Rally

Time definitely flies when you're having fun. I have met so many wonderful folks here at the rally...some I've met before and we've renewed our friendship and gotten each other caught up to date. Others I've exchanged emails with but this was our first meeting. Another group are the new friends...the ones who have read my blog but never contacted me, the ones I sat next to and chatted with only to discover how much we have in common. I've even met folks from two years ago, folks who have followed my blog and to my surprise, folks who were on my "Want To Meet" list, not realizing that we had actually already met (did that make any sense? LOL!)

One of the most recent visitors were Dan & Teri Gregg. They are in the process of gutting & refitting a 1970's vintage GMC Motorhome. I have been avidly following their blog and and was excited about meeting them. Believe it or not, they drove 200 miles to visit one day and then 200 back home. Wow! Great folks...

I've attended several classes and have a couple more tomorrow. I've had a yard sale and sold several things. I've gotten my name airbrushed on my folding chairs. My motorcycle now sports some spiffy new pinstriping. My stomach is full from pizza night and it hurts from laughing so hard at tonight's Miss Cactus Beauty Queen Contest (you've never seen "queens" like these guys...errr, gals - hopefully someone else will have some decent photos, none of mine turned out). E C H O.... The vendor layout is good (and believe me, I've checked them out several times) and the variety perfect.




Yes, I did make one more major purchase. Tires have been a problem for me, tire pressure that is, so I opted to get the Pressure Pro system from the vendors here - Mike & Pat McFall. Mike came over and helped me install the system. It consists of a monitor panel with a wireless antenna that runs off a 12 volt cigarette lighter outlet and a special valve stem cap that transmits the tire pressure back to the receiver. If the tire pressure gets too low, an alarm will sound and the panel will show which tire is at fault.



Imagine our surprise when the FIRST TIRE we tried, front driver side, was at 28 pounds. It had been at 70-75 the previous morning when I checked it before leaving Ajo for Casa Grande. We double-checked it with Mike's tire gauge....yup, 28 pounds. So after getting all the transmitters mounted, I dug out my handy dandy air compressor and brought the tire up to 55 pounds....this has held since Monday morning so tomorrow I'll bring it up where it should be. Strange....but one good thing came out of it. Seems like my tire gauge is reading about 5 pounds too low....good to know!

The highlight of my day was after the pizza party when a lady came up to me and told me she had something for me. Then she told me it was from Judie Ashford and she proceeded to give me a huge hug. She had only met Judie a month or two ago. I have never met Judie but we have emailed for over 10 years. Back when my husband and I were first starting in RVing, she was my first mentor. The hug brought tears to my eyes...the friendships we make as RVers are often some of the strongest, even though we never know when our paths will cross again.

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

Life at its best and its worst....

What a day....woke at 3 am (and 4 am and 5 am and 6 am) to rain starting & stopping. Nothing serious but enough to change my sleep pattern. I finally rolled out of be at 7:30 and grabbed a shot of what should have been sunrise.

Doug came over around 9 am, we chatted for a bit, ate some breakfast and made plans to hit the local solar vendor that many were recommending. The night before he and Doc had laid out what should be a good working solar environment for me and we wanted to get a quote from these folks.

We visited them and got what we felt was a fair quote and set an appointment for next Wednesday. It will take most of the day for the installation and on Thursday the system will start charging and I will enter a new way of boondocking.

From there we got diesel in the truck, grabbed a quick sandwich and hit a couple of little auto parts stores trying to find a decent quality, flush mount 12 volt power outlet (cigarette lighter style).

Nothing found, we continued over to the main event. I wanted to see if the better quality roll-up tables had arrived as well as check out the catalytic heaters (running the big furnace is counter-productive to the energy efficiency of the solar lifestyle ). Doug wanted to talk to the SHURflo pump folks. After parking what seemed to be 2 miles away (even though attendance was much lower than my last visit), we headed in to see if we could locate our vendors.

On the way there I managed to find a LARGE table full of hats! Yup, still searching for a good mesh hat for warmer weather. I managed to actually find one that fit close enough to satisfy me and looked decent enough to buy. Continuing into the tent we wandered a bit and it felt to me that the vendor I wanted was on the midway outside so we took the next exit. Voila! There was the one I wanted. The tables still weren't what I was looking for but I did find the catalytic heater I hoped would work. If it was too large, I could bring it back and exchange it for the smaller one. I then asked the salesman if he happened to know where the SHURflo vendor was. He did...since it was their space as well...we headed there and Doug got his questions answered.

Time to head back to the truck but as we passed an ice cream stand....who wanted a real dinner anyway! LOL! Super double scoop (one flavor or two) ice creams cones hit the spot and we got to sit a bit and rest our legs before the last stretch of walking.

The final stop was at Herb's Hardware where we managed to find a 12 volt outlet that would work (so I can get a small inverter to run my laptop during the daytime), a cap for my trailer ball and a small bottle of Gorilla Glue. But the best part was locating a young gentleman who will come out to my rig and install the shut-off and quick-connect for my catalytic heater.

A quick trip to the campfire for social hour where I continued to really enjoy the Boondocking group. They have made me feel very welcome and I look forward to many more good times with them. Finally back to the rig where I snapped a couple of sunset shots.




Shortly after returning from the social hour, my cell phone beeped that I had voicemail. Strange since I never heard it ring but that seems to happen out here, sometimes it never rings for me but goes right to voicemail. Anyway, my good day was about to go bad.

The call was from my youngest brother in Florida. One of my cousins and her family live in the same town...and everyone also rides motorcycles. On his way to work this morning, her husband was killed. The details aren't important but he was not at fault. A co-worker was just behind him and was almost involved as well. This was not the way to end what had been a good day.

As I said, today was life at its best and its worst....Tim, you will be sorely missed. I know you died doing wh