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

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

Tough life....

I just took a peek at my home portal page where I track the current weather where family & friends live. Granted, it's two to three hours later in all cases except Denver but take a peek...

With highs in the mid to upper 80's, I am running the A/C in the afternoon but by 6:00 I can shut it off and open up the windows. Right now I will be in the campground until April 5th and then either move to local BLM land, if the highs don't stay in the upper 80's, or move northerly. I just hope I can get everything done that needs to be done so I can move north...

Right now I have appointments for the car to get the oil changed, get two new tires and get detailed. I have been thinking about what to get for a vanity tag....maybe POLIWOG? LOL! I still have to make appointments for the RV at three different places - Ford dealer for oil change and recall, Quality Bumper to get the tow setup done (will require the RV and the car) and either a mobile mechanic or LaMesa to get a short laundry list of things fixed. Why is it that just when you think you are simplifying things your to do list triples?

On a side note, last night shortly after the sun was down the coyotes started running the wash down behind the RV park. It may not be to everyone but it was like music to me....hated it when a train had to pick that time to come through and drown them out.

Hoping spring is truly just around the corner for those not enjoying the southern climes....

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

Where did the week go?

Once again, time flies...whether you're having fun or not. I have accomplished several things this week...besides running around with Doug on his errands. I did get my passport application finally submitted. Phew....what a hassle but a requirement for the future. I also emailed and got a couple more certified birth certificates. Since the passport will take 4-6 weeks AND will have to be sent to me by my mail forwarding service, this will allow me to still visit Mexico when the chance arises (hoping to get some discount eyeglasses).

The weather has been pretty nice for the most part, one night of rain and maybe 2 cloudy days...not including today when it's been a little cooler and spitting rain off & on. I managed to get everything done to the rig in preparation for moving, getting fresh water & dumping is all that's left to do.

Some may remember that my bike wouldn't start while in Casa Grande at the Gypsy Journal Rally. I had tried charging the battery but nothing changed and I had planned on getting one while here. Well we unloaded the bike and after a short false start...it started. Hmmmmmm...... Now wondering if maybe I might have some bad gas? It seems to not be running at 100% and is harder to start, but start it does.

The other thing is maybe some transmission issues. The guys couldn't get it into gear when they loaded it in Casa Grande. Today Doug took it around the block and it clunked majorly when he put it into gear, then he had a very hard time getting it into neutral. I called the Parker BMW dealer and my warranty is good until April 2009 so that may be my next stop. Always something....

Anyway, we're headed to Winterhaven, CA to meet up with the Boondockers BOF again. That's just outside Yuma and when my birth certificate arrives, we'll be taking a trip to Algodones.

Not many photos taken but here are a couple of the ground squirrels and some bird who liked to sit on top of my satellite dome and chirp.

And here are some nice sunset photos taken a few nights ago...before the full moon and eclipse that I MISSED! Grrrrr.....LOL!




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

Flash - Crass - Brash - Class

Huh? What the heck is she talking about? Motorcycles... sometimes they reflect our egos, sometimes our alter-egos. Some are flashy, some are brash while other border on the truly crass. Classic lines, new and naked, some chrome bling here, a technical or performance farkle there. Even if we leave them stock, that in itself reflects on how we feel about riding and our bikes.

I mentioned that I had gotten some pinstriping added to my BMW. As you may, or may not know, adding custom paint to a BMW is considered akin to putting plastic rhinestones on a classic blazer (okay, bad analogy but it's all that came to mind...LOL!). BMW riders are into farkles that improve performance or otherwise enhance the riding experience. It's not done to add "dash" or a personal look to the bike.

If you're not into motorcycles and haven't attended any shows, rallies or other events in recent years, here are some photos I have taken over the last six years. I think you can easily see the ones that evoke the image of class, brash, crass and flash.

So when I decided I wanted something custom on my new BMW, Squirt, I knew that it would have to be done with a light hand. No funny frogs, no flames, something understated. I had pre-arranged with an artist friend that we would barter some custom work in exchange for my putting up a website for him. We discussed the color, settling on a slightly darker blue-grey than the stock paint on the bike. He spent some time looking over the lines of the bike and trying to decide how to make it all flow.

When the day arrived, we pulled the saddlebags off since he wanted the pinstriping to flow down the side of the bike. I left the artistic side to him, knowing he understood my desire to keep things on the simple side.



The end result was PERFECT! The color changes with the light and it flows with the lines of the bike.



I will eventually get "The Lily Pad" pinstriped on the doors of the motorhome and possible some light matching pinstriping along the front edge of the hood. Michael, aka Wolf, also is starting to do small, custom-sized acrylic paintings on canvas to fit in those little spots between the overhead cabinet doors. Not sure what I will get as yet but I know it will be amazing. Just check out some of his work on his website, daWolfdidit.

On another note, I managed to snag a few sunrise photos, not overly spectacular - even the birds were sill napping. Shortly after sunrise I got to hear "Reveille" played over the base loudspeakers. Not having been in the military, for me it evoked images from Girl Scout Camp (as does "Taps").



I hope to get some photos of the ever present round-tailed ground squirrels around the campsite as well as the almost daily visiting Gila Woodpecker. Today he thought my awning arm needed to be de-bugged. LOL! Couldn't grab my camera quick enough to get a shot. Earlier in the day there was a beautiful hawk sitting on the trailer beside the RV across the field from me...too far for a good shot though.

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