Santee, CA

A customer of Ruthi’s asks about how we Bedouin Nomads are doing. Here’s a recent update we sent him - Camels are doing better now that we replaced their front feet (tires). Overall this diesel engine should take us farther than even we are imagining (300+ thousand miles). We are at 35,000 currently and slowing down our tour. Wintering in San Diego is nice; a few rains but every desert needs moisture. In the Spring we’ll go see Boots’ son and family for 4-6 weeks in Reno area; then slowly enjoy the NW (Northern coastal California, Oregon, Washington) and if we’re up to it Idaho and maybe Montana. Then Fall with the kids again and Winter in a warm place. This sounds like a great way to spend time! Even the dog is getting into the late rising. Some days she’s slept in as late as 9:30 – which is perfect for Ruthi – the longer she can put off their morning 30 minute walk the better.

Santee, CA

Ruthi took the Trolley (part of San Diego’s MTS - Metro Transit System) down to the pier to tour the USS Midway Aircraft carrier with her older brother Bill and his youngest daughter (Tonya) and his grandson (almost 3YO SAM). Wow, it is huge! We think Ruthi’s younger brother (Paul) served his last tour on an aircraft carrier.

SAM was able to get into about a dozen planes and helicopter cut-aways. There were all sorts of buttons to push and toggles to flip. They provide headsets and tapes that provide details on each exhibit. You should have seen SAM’s eyes when he was listening. Such focus!! Anyway, Ruthi had a great time and while the MTS isn’t quite as easy as LA’s metro system, it does save stress of driving down, finding parking, etc. etc. etc.

Santee, CA

Ruthi’s technical karma has seemed to fail her. First, her small small small (not much bigger than a pack of 3 by 5 cards) died a slow painful death. She did get a replacement here before the final death but not in time to rescue all of her “stuff”. The company (OQO) which made her miniature machine went out of business in April 2009. So, she was searching for assistance and finally found someone she is working with to rescue her content off the old machine.

Then Ruthi accidently dropped her cell phone into water. It died fairly quickly and the only pain was with Ruthi and un-accessible her phone contacts (300+). She went to Verizon and they suggested that the phone be stored overnight in a bag of rice to get the moisture absorbed from within the phone. RICE was the answer at least for contact access. But alas Ruthi needed to get a new phone and new battery.

Santee, CA

Today was our 25th anniversary of being together. Since neither of us is interested in marriage or civil union or whatever, this is just a marking of how long we have enjoyed each other’s company. We went to a movie (Invictus –great by the way) and dinner (Olive Garden) – 2 of our favorite past times! Speaking of movies – Blind Side and Precious (bring a lot of tissues) are also worth the fortune it costs to go to the cinema.

Santee, CA

Well the sun came back out but it is COOL in the low 50’s. What about global warming? Like summer in Alaska, you don’t want to be in the shade.

Santee, CA

Today we awoke to rain, rain, and more rain. It didn’t look like it was going to slow down anytime soon and Karma was insisting that she needed to have her outdoor time. So, Ruthi had to put on long pants (her indication that it is winter), a sweatshirt and rain-proof overcoat. Off they went in search of the perfect spot for Karma to stain. The parts of the road and pathways were flooded a couple inches. Good thing Ruthi had on flip flops! As long as they were soaked anyway they did the full 30 minute walk.

If you live in a stick-built house and aren’t working, you might think “great” we can sit around the fireplace/tv/good book. Well, rain interferes with satellite receivers (raindrops disturb the content). A fireplace, while an option in some RVs, isn’t the best use of space or weight (in our opinion). Now, a good book option we have. Under the bed are 2 long deep storage spaces. We have a lot books stored there. Anytime we are near a thrift shop or used book store, we search for books.

Since Karma can’t read and rain brings all sorts of interesting new smells and sounds, cuddling up with a good book isn’t exactly serene. About 3-5 lines into the book, Karma decides that even though she just came back from a very productive walk she might need to do “duty” again. Trying to convince her that we’ll go out during the next pause in rainfall is a challenge!

Santee, CA

Our red tailed hawk is back looking for a meal. We are trying to get pictures but he’s bit out of range from the rig and we are too noisy to get close enough outside. Of course Karma is little help.

Woke up yesterday to puddles around us. While Karma and Ruthi were on their morning walk, she asked the camp hosts if it’s rained last night. They didn’t think so. When she got back, we found out that our site’s water pipe had broken and the whole section was turned off while they replaced it. Luckly, we had some water in our tanks and could use the water pump internally. They were as fast as they had promised: 3-4 hours and it was fixed.

Weather is great! Temperatures run between mid-60's and low 80's. People around here are wearing jackets and long pants. Guess one could aclimate to this and consider it winter. Even the nights are rarely cold enough for our furnace to come on at 55 degrees. Karma got to go to a local dog park and run her heart out! Remember a tired dig is a good dog!

Santee, CA

Boots tongue seems to have improved slightly. So, while we are still on a mush diet (though truth be told Ruthi does sneak away and get a burger every once in a while) we might be able to have Sushi soon. That’s the meal/food most missed by us both.

Plans for Thanksgiving will be simple – cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mushy stuffing, gravy (and rolls for Ruthi), and pumpkin pie/whip cream – carb heaven. Ruthi was never much into the meat anyway. So, except for Boots’ favorite yams it isn’t much different from when her tongue wasn’t causing so much pain. Maybe the tongue pain will just go away quietly like it came.

Hope you all had good Thanksgivings.

Santee, CA

Well, Boots got the results of her MRI. We guess no news is good news. Nothing showed up on the films and her doctor is advising to wait a couple of weeks and then return for a more extensive exam. He has no ideas as to why Boots has the pain or how to stop or ease it. Remember medicine really is an art not science.

Santee, CA

Karma returned to her original Camp Bow Wow Daycare in El Cajon, CA. She was exhausted after we picked her up. She slept in late on Saturday morning – we’re loving it!
Boots throat/tongue had her MRI’d today to rule out some things and provide a better basis for the diagnosis. Now, we just need to wait out the review and doctor’s return call – never a speedy thing.

Santee, CA

We woke up to discover a nature “kill” of a rabbit. The bunny had been torn apart and fur was everywhere. Half of the rabbit was left behind and some of the guts. So, we talked with the camp ranger (who came to clean up the rampage) and our neighbors. We couldn’t figure out how a coyote could have possibly been the aggressor and Karma not waking us up. A cat would be challenged to avoid the rabbit’s back feet kicks and kill the bunny.

Later in the early evening, we figured out the culprit. A Red-Tailed Hawk showed up looking for his dinner. It was a beautiful bird, about a foot tall with a very broad chest. The hawk just swooped down outside the desk window that faces the back and sat in the grass. He was close to where the rabbit parts had been. We think he was looking for his kill for dinner before flying up into a nearby tree to think about his loss. Boots has gotten a fleeting glimpse of it as it flew away from the kill site early that morning and thought it might have been a turkey vulture or such scavenging the remains.

Santee,CA

Since we’ve gotten here, Boots tongue pain has increased and totally impacts her ability and choices around food. As she is the cook, we are having a lot of mushy foods. Good thing I love Polenta with anything. It hasn’t impacted her speech or anything else. It’s been getting worse over the past 3 months. So, Boots is off to see find an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) (as per recommendation of our primary physician in Reno).

Santee, CA

We are back at Santee Lakes Reserve Park for the winter. Last year we were in a newer section (Oak West). The trees were shorter and spaces were smaller. Now, we are in Willow backed up to a stream. [The park reuses waste/runoff water into this stream and to water the green grass sections.] The space is a bit larger and better shaped so we have room to sit out in the grass and watch the stream. We even walk Karma in the back at night. It gets very dark here very early (by 5pm) because we are set between a couple of rolling hills. What with the great weather, we are hoping to get in daily walks and bike rides.

We’re hoping to get some work done on the rig: kitchen (table over cabinet, adding more counter space and breakfast bar), office (desk needs to be stabilized) and basement (carpeting needs to be replaced with linoleum). Gees, this is worse than a stick built house.

Aguanga, CA

We stopped to check out another ESK Campground. Boots wasn’t feeling well so we didn’t get the tour. The desert campground is outside of Temecula, CA up a 2-lane hilly road. So, we probably wouldn’t want to be there again anyway.

Bakersfield, CA

We are in the middle of the orange orchard again but this time we knew better than to let any of the trees touch us and give us ants. We didn’t want to bring ants to Santee again.

West Sacramento, CA

We spent the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot on our way south. After much research, we have finally found our membership club (Coast-to-Coast, with Resorts of Distinction thrown in) and a really good deal. If you are thinking about them check with us. The economy has made the lifetime contracts very very very cheap. We now have access to $0 (really – no tricks, but really $0) to $10 a night. The camps are destination/resort RV parks – you know pools, spas, etc. etc. etc. While we aren’t really into destination/resort RV parks, the number and varied locations across America's destination RV parks provide safe and cheap destination while we travel.

When we move from Santee back to see the kids in Quincy for Spring, we will be checking out a number of these campgrounds. Hopefully, we can get at least one week near Sacramento. We want to check it out next.

Quincy, CA

Ruthi’s knee has returned to a semi-normal stage. So, she was able to do her “break camp” chores. We have divided the chores between us. If one of us is unable to do their particular share or an individual task, it really puts a wrench in the routine to get ready to leave a camp site. We are staying here in Reno long enough to establish a primary care doctor relationship. She (a native of Belorussia) has been here about 6 years. We are getting all set up for labs and appointments for when we come back through in April. Another interesting store name: Nothing Bundt cakes

Quincy, CA

The adults in Bodhi’s life celebrated his birthday today. It was a beautiful warm fall day. Even Bodhi’s Great-Gramma Mary was there. Bodhi got great gifts (whirly-gig, slinky, basketball/hoop, socks, etc.) He is a great receiver of gifts. He shared them with us all and even showed us how much better he was at the whirly-gig then the adults.

Quincy, CA

We love spending time with grandkids and kids. It’s been fun and active. This is the second time we’ve been here and the novelty has worn off. We have some traditions (Monday’s Fish Tacos from Pangaea, local health food pub/restaurant; any day of the week breakfast at Morning Thunder, local biker cafe). Reading books, Ruthi jumping on trampoline, and other activities, and trips to the toy store with Bodhi (about to be 5 YO) and feeding Karma anything and everything imaginable with Tara (10 months old).

It’s getting cooler sooner than we had hoped and we don’t leave until the 21st. Last year we were here earlier and it was way too hot for Boots (don’t know if it’s ever too hot for Ruthi). So, we came later this year – just can’t seem to get it right (70-80 degrees all day long; cooler nights would be perfect). Boots has been over at the kids’ house making super supper soups for us all to enjoy. Bodhi calls them Boots’ soups. Since we have tried to avoid cold weather, Boots hasn’t had weather or space to make her wonderful soups most of our travels.

While Ruthi has always had creaky knees, her right one is really acting up. She has lots of sharp pains when it is in a certain position seating or standing or walking or whatever. When the pain hits it’s so bad, Ruthi can’t remember what she might have done to cause it. Ruthi went to emergency for some relief but not much beyond ibuprofen to reduce inflammation. She will see an ortho specialist either in Reno or more likely when we get to San Diego (since we will be there 5 months).

Quincy, CA

The daily temperature range is wild. It can go from 45 in the morning to 85 in the late afternoon. Gees, you’d think we were back in Alaska in the spring time.

Quincy, CA

Ruthi’s knee is giving her a lot of trouble – aching most of the time, difficult to do the steps/bend, and sleeping is sporadic. We think her usual aches and pains were all activated because we did the long continuous drive across country (Chicago to Reno). She was keeping the knee in the same position (bent at the knee) during the long days. She went to the ER at the local hospital. They made sure it wasn’t a major problem (infection, vein clot, broken, etc.) and recommended anti-inflammatory meds and elevation. Boots drove into Reno to find a soft brace to help immobilize the knee.

The brace helped keep the knee from further stress and Ibuprofen cut the inflammation. Here’s hoping its better for when we leave for Southern California.

Quincy, CA

Niece Tonya and Sergio Mitre had a daughter Senya Ariella Mitre today - Our Great Niece.

Quincy, CA

We are trying to work our travels so that we can be here every 6 months – after travels before winter (September) and after winter before travels (April). Last year we were here August and September but it was too hot for Boots. So, this year we thought September into October (Bodhi’s birthday is the 20th) would be cooler. Well, that is true. Sunday morning we woke up to 31 degrees outside and 45 degrees inside. Our water hose was frozen but we have internal storage tank and pump so we had water until the sun thawed the outside hose. BUT we were out of propane – both tanks were empty. Therefore the furnace was blowing cold air.

So, off I go with 2 tanks jammed into the truck in such a way as to keep them upright, secure and safe. Quincy is a small town with only a few (3) public gas stations – none of which seem to sell propane. I ask around and find out the only places that sell propane on Sundays are the 2 RV parks (ours and the one on the East side of town). Not wanting to wake up any of our fellow campers, I try the other park. No, their certified propane pumper is out of town. So, I go back to our campground (River Ranch RV Park) to see if anyone is up yet. No such luck. We wait a little more (until 10am) and then ask the camp manager. She says sure the guy has already been awaken by someone else looking for propane. Alas, we aren’t the only ones not watching our levels against the cool weather use. So, we are back in warmth of our humble abode. And promising to be more vigilant in the cooler climates AND/OR avoid the cooler climates all together.

Quincy, CA

Grandson, Stevie Waalkes and his girl friend Katie had a son Kale Makai Waalkes today - Our Great Grandchild.

Quincy, CA

When everyone else has stopped throwing the ball for Karma she heads for 9 month old Tara. Karma drops the ball in front of Tara. Tara picks it up and proceeds to put it in her mouth dog slobber and all. Remember she is only 9 months old and this is normal behavior for her. Then Tara very slowly releases the hold each of her fingers has on the ball and it drops in front of her or off her chairs, the slide or what ever. Karma pounces on it chews it a bit and then brings it back to Tara to start the process all over again.

Ruthi in Anchorage, AK

Ruthi leaves Anchorage tonight for Reno. There is “termination stuff” on the mountain tops and some frost on the windows in the mornings. Work is going well; Ruthi and Kassie are able to eat out at all their favorite places.

Quincy, CA

Ruthi is going to Alaska for a week to complete her work that has been continued until 30 June 2010 unless she finishes her deliverables before that.

Quincy, CA

It is great to be back and see the kids and grandkids. We are in the same park but closer to the front. We have bike paths right out our door and a baseball field not far for Karma to fetch her ball. Bodhi is now a mature 4 (almost 5 October 20th) who has 3 mornings a week kindergarten – quite the little “man”. He comes home so proud of the things he learned that day.

Reno, NV

Spaces at Border Town RV Resort included a permanent concrete picnic table positioned so that our back door opened up on the seats. We worked real hard to position the 5th wheel in such a way as to be able to access the utility facilities, miss the picnic table and large tree on the other side. We ended up a bit into the road way and off the concrete pad.

We did some Reno business – Costco/Target for dog food, medicines, etc. and slept and slept. The total drive to this point was 1900 miles in 8 days. We are definitely not cut out to be long haul drivers. To think that in our youth, Ruthi and her roomies would drive the 800 miles from New York to Chicago (along the Eastern side of Interstate 80, no less) for a week-end. And boots has no memory of her miss spent youth. Just as well!!

Border Town, NV

This was the most desolate area of the entire trip – from Winnemucca, NV to here. There were fewer truck stops even (2 to be exact) with even fewer people stopped at them. For 200 miles, there were large expanses of high dessert that stretched for miles back of us, in front, to our left and right – really barren!

We are exhausted and are staying here to replenish our supplies in Reno (15 miles away) before we go to the kids in Quincy (80 miles). We wanted to have energy when we see the grandkids especially.

Winnemucca, NV

400 miles – our longest drive yet. There was a mountain advisory (means there are steep declines and it’s Boots’ turn to drive) out of Coalville to Salt Lake City (50 miles). Luckily this was a holiday (Labor Day), so Boots driving in the city was not as traumatic an event as it might have been. Had there been an easy exit we could have traded drivers after the mountains. But no such luck. The drive through Salt Lake City was very complex and full of cloverleaf intersections with lots of other highways. At one point we were sure we had missed our exit and were headed “who only knew”. Then as if by magic we were on the right road at it was just poor signage that confused us.

Coalville, UT

The terrain is getting flatter and drier still. We did 350 miles of high desert. We are tiring after 4 long days of driving on the straightest and most boring road in America (Interstate 80). There are a lot of trucks going the other way but much less traffic on our side of the road.

Laramie, WY

It took 300 miles to the Wild West (flat terrain all around) yet we kept climbing and climbing. The highest point on Interstate 80 is over 8,600+ feet. We could feel it in just walking Karma or getting gas at truck stop. Both of us found the altitude quite uncomfortable. Winter much be really cold and windy here.

Saw another stimulus sign on the road work. Most states have traffic slow from whatever the regular speed limit is (65, 70) to 45 for road construction areas. Not Wyoming, their 75 mph speed limit never fluctuates road work or not.

On our way here, we were so close we slipped off Interstate 80 and drove into Colorado. It took a total of 8 miles to be able to check off another state. We will re-do Colorado for the beauty and our oldest grandson, Erik in Grand Junction. The short drive did reveal another stimulus project on the roads.

Gothenburg, NE

290 miles of Nebraska continued the Iowa rolling hills for a ways then began to flatten out more and more. If we were geologist, ornithologist, or even botanist, this trip would have been slower and more educational. We just take the views, birds, and plants at face value. Sometimes it surprises us to see so much glacial effect on our country. There also seem to be similar rock formations across the land: North and South, East and West.

On another expert point – bug expert 'entomologist'. Ruthi has throughout this trip been attracting all sorts of biting bugs – flies (big and little), mosquitoes (again small and large), gnats, no see ‘ems, spiders, ants (red, black, small, large, etc.), etc. etc. etc. At one point her calves were so bitten that it looked like a case of poison ivy/oak. Nothing would relieve the incessant itching. We tried histamine, camphor, calamine, cold water, etc. Finally, Ruthi’s sister’s cable guy came up with a cheap easy solution that seemed to finally solve the problem – spray vinegar on the bites. This provided relief for 3-4 hours and Ruthi was able to stick her legs in the shower or do the application outside by spritzing her calves soaking wet. Then she waited a bit for it to dry and she could get back to a sound sleep for a few more hours. Vinegar simple, cheap, and organic!

Avoca, IA

We hitched up last night and then left early for long day of driving. We had about 380 miles to drive across some of Illinois and almost all of Iowa on Interstate 80. This is the longest daily drive we have done since our start last June. We are used to 200-mile days: drive an hour and a half and do a pit stop; repeat until we arrive at our RV Camp ground at 3-ish in the afternoon.

Iowa was much more rolling hills than either of us had expected. We thought it would look just like Illinois – flat corn and wheat fields. There was corn and wheat just planted on rolling hills. We were exhausted when we finally arrived at the Pottawattamie County Fairgrounds’ pull-through spaces.

Seneca, IL

There were open visitor spaces at Bill/Blanche’s Wood Smoke Ranch. So we moved there for the rest of our days visiting Marseilles. We are getting pretty good at the backing up part of this life-style. People ask which of us is better at the driving / parking tasks. We still break it out the same way – cities for Ruthi and mountains for Boots. Backing up is still even between us. But we can’t do it alone as we need those extra pair of eyes to check the sides and back. This was a much better park both in landscaping and competence.

Ottawa, IL

Having been ejected from our prime real estate at 7:30pm we had no choice but to get to the nearest WalMart for the night. Saved us from having to back up and set up in the dark. The parking lot was full of RVs and semi-trucks. This is the first WalMart we’ve stayed at that was so crowded for the night. It was open 24 hours and very well lit.

Marseilles, IL

Ruthi’s Italian cousins arranged a special brunch for us and her other cousins’ in the same age group. It was great for Ruthi to see how they had and had not changed. Ruthi didn’t even recognize one of her cousins. The political conversations around the table were great. Traveling as we are, doesn’t always put us in progressive “blue” states/counties/cities. It was really fun to talk loud and clear about our pride in the president and our support for his agenda. No matter what the “right wing nuts” think, we were pretty much in agreement at our “Town Hall” meeting.

One of Ruthi’s German cousins had a cookout. Boots wasn’t able to attend as she had one of her intense headaches. So, between the cousins and Ruthi’s older brother, Bill, it was a busy time in the old home town.

Bill and his wife (Blanche) bought a Park Model at Wood Smoke Ranch. The whole park is a very unusual in the layout. The park models are all placed on the owner’s piece of land at angles to the road. At this park, there are none of the row after row of perpendicular mobile homes squeezed into a small strip of land. Their home is angled on a triangular piece of property with as stream in the back. They even have a screen room on the back side facing the stream.

It became apparent that our campground was poorly managed and maintained. They rented us someone else’s annual site. So, we were told that we needed to move to another site or leave. Well, we didn’t want another site, the whole process of breaking/setting camps isn’t worth it to move a couple of spaces in a camp with such incompetence and rudeness to ask us to leave at 7:30 at night. Remember this is in Illinois and sun set is 8pm. This was our first time hitching up in the dark.

Island Lake, IL

At the Camping World here, we had a power surge protector wired into our system. For the past year we have been concerned with some of the park’s abilities to provide consistent even power. In fact, at Volo the camp intro/rules handout specifically recommended power surge protection. That’s scary when the camp ground itself warns about “brown outs”. The protector takes about 2 minutes after hooking up to shore power to activate.

We also finally decided on a stationary satellite dish for installation on the roof. What with the A/C, antenna, sky light, vents and solar panels, we are running out of real estate on the roof. Now, we can get TV reception form the antenna, stationary Satellite or the portable dish. We really are “city mice” not “country mice” and need our media fixes.

We stayed in the Camping World parking lot a second night so all our RV systems could have their annual inspection – no work discoveries resulted. That’s always good news. Now after the Ford’s 30,000 mile checkup we will be ready for our trek back across America to California for Winter. While they worked on our rig we spent the days at Betty’s house.

Volo, IL

Large camp ground with a lot of new park models and permanent residents but the spaces are squeezed together like normal (old) trailer parks. The spaces are all perpendicular to the road ways. Trying to back-in at a 90° on your blind side is quite a challenge! Finally we brainstormed with a watcher and drove through the site to a dirt roadway. Then we did a 3-point turn and drove back through the space into a parking position.

Being so close to Betty (Ruthi’s sister) made it easier to see her around her work schedule. Her pre-school started right after we moved on to Marseilles. Karma met her ”cousin” Sunshine, Betty’s yellow lab, a few months older than Karma. They are about the same size/weight. Karma is so ball focused she really wasn’t interested in Sunshine as a playmate as much as “cousin” with a large yard to play ball in. Likewise, Sunshine wasn’t interested in Karma much either.

Betty’s son (Allen), his wife (Abby) and their newborn baby girl (Sophia Emma born 07-21-09) came by a couple of times. The baby is so delicate and beautiful. Betty’s other son (Michael) was also on hand to welcome us all to Crystal Lake. Michael’s fiancé (Mary) was sick and we didn’t get to see her this trip.

We saw a 5th 3rd Bank in North Carolina and thought hmm must be a Southern thing. But now here in Illinois there are more branches to the 5th 3rd Bank. Bet there is a story behind that one. Survived the 2008 bank crash so it much stable.

Think Ink Graphics
Wrinkled Page Used Book Store
Shape Rap N Roll Beauty Salon

We went up to Kenosha to visit with one of Ruthi’s best friend/sorority sister and the town. We both like Kenosha better than Madison. They have done an amazing job of reclamation of beach (Lake Michigan) property that previously housed an industrial complex. There are condos park land etc. Maybe next time we’ll stay longer in Kenosha and enjoy the beach parks and see more of Lynda (Williams Ryan) and her family.

Madison, WI

“Nachos Momas” is Mexican restaurant
“Art Gecko” is an art gallery

As would be expected, there are miles and miles of bike trails in Madison. The county park we are staying at even has wire mesh cages for “BLUE” bike to be rented. Of course, there never seems to be any rangers at the office or the camp hosts to ask questions of.

St Paul, MN

In our travels, we have found the best drivers in Michigan (not the upper peninsula though) and the worst rude drivers in Minnesota. While Michigan’s citizens drive close to the speed limit and politely allow others to merge and or turn against rush hour traffic, The drivers in Minnesota are unbelievably RUDE. We never once saw anyone allow another driver to merge or turn across traffic. The rule about leaving intersection open must not apply in the Minneapolis/St Paul area because again we never saw any one do it even when we did.

St Paul, MN

Retail store selling stone sculptures and grave monuments named “Birdbath and Beyond”

This was the beginning of Boots’ 3-day birthday celebration. What with traveling and searches for the best restaurant we have expanded our B-Day celebrations to 3 days. Any excuse for a good meal. We took Karma to the Mississippi river. Since this is the head waters it is little more than a creek.

Karma, as is her usual, walked as far out as she could before swimming to the ball. There was no current to speak of. We expected it to be no more than 6 feet in the center. There was a paddle boat ride on the river and through the lock to the upper shores. The surrounding off-leash dog park was very woodsy and well populated by dogs of all sizes and breeds. We did see more black dogs that we had experienced in other parks in our travels. Black dogs are marked as being “scary” and are very hard to adopt out from the various shelters. I guess Minneapolis / St Paul haven’t heard that yet. That goodness!

St Paul, MN

OK, we are here for 2 weeks; finally, a stopping point. We have come to the conclusion that we may have traveled too far and too quickly this first year of our adventure. By the time we get back to California for the winter we will have touched 38 states. Some were literally “touched” (as little as 10 miles of Maryland) and others we toured quite a bit (California for 5 months, Arizona for 3 months). So next Spring, we will slow the touring down a bit. We have all winter in San Diego to put the plans together.

Gresham, WI

After 2 nights at the Island Resort we had a little money left for a second casino – North Star Mohican. This is a brand new facility and RV park grounds – opened January 2009. One advantage to the casino parking facilities is the possibility of buffet dining. Unfortunately, neither of these had that option.

Generally when we are headed towards a new location, we utilize Good Sam, Google, MapQuest, and our truck’s GPS maps to determine the best approach based on time, mileage, sights to seen between points, etc. Approaching this particular casino, we saw signs indicating that our main approach road was closed to through traffic. So, trying to figure out if that meant us, we called the casino reservation desk. We were told “no problem, go into town and turn left at the purple sign.”

Off we go, 45 feet overall length pulling our 5th wheel home behind us. We enter Grisham and see more indicators that this was probably not the best approach (or idea for that matter). We follow the casino and all maps directions and plow through roads under construction until it is clear this was a BIG mistake. Luckily, there was a road worker with a good sense of humor and directions. So, we circled the small town hoping to get back out of town without traversing the construction again. Well, that didn’t happen and we had to go the wrong way down the fresh dirt bumpy roadway to the outskirts of town.

We again put the casino address in our GPS and retract our steps. Eventually, we find our way to the RV park. On the way, we cross just beyond the construction we had intersected with back in Grisham. There is NO WAY we could have traversed those roads being worked on – clearly the casino clerk has never travel South of the casino.

Harris, MI

A great RV Park at a casino. There’s a shuttle to take us back and forth to leave our money at the casino. We’ve done casino parks before but this is the best so far. A real park with paved pads, grassy lawns with fire pits and picnic tables and best of all large mature trees for some sun relief. The showers are very clean and roomy.

In our travels these past few months, we have crossed various time zone boundaries – West to East and now East to West. This is the first time we have stopped/camped on the line between time zones. Our phones would flip back and forth between time zones. We finally had to depend upon our analog clock in the living room. We were sure it was on Eastern time.

Nephew, Allen and Abby had a daughter Sophia Emma Koch today - Our Great Niece.

Petoskey, MI

We have to leave this wonderful lake-side campground for points North and West. When Karma finally figures out we aren’t going to the beach every morning she’s going to be very disappointed. She has even improved her swimming and added body surfing to her repertoire. When Ruthi gets the ball out far enough for Karma to swim out beyond the breaking waves, Karma rides them back to shore. Well, not exactly but close enough for a dog.

We were testing our “dry camping” capabilities here because they don’t have sewer hook ups. Our city campground in Madison, Wisconsin won’t have sewer either. It might not even have water or electricity – we can’t remember. The challenge for us is the showers; we like to use a lot of water. For electricity we have the solar panels. If the power doesn’t last far enough into the evening hours (not happened yet), we can always just go to bed. Luckily, most camps have bathrooms and shower facilities if they don’t have complete hookups (water, electricity, and sewer).

We crossed a bridge between Lakes Michigan and Huron onto the Upper Peninsula. We saw our 3rd Recovery “at work” sign along some highway repair work. Like Alaska, summer on the roads has been full of delays and detours due to improving the roads. In the midst of one construction area, a deer crossed the roadway, road crews and on coming traffic in various leaps and bounds to the safety of the forest on the side of the road.

Petoskey, MI

This is a great city/county park - right on the bay off Lake Michigan. The spaces are wide and long with satellite access. Our Verizon coverage (phone and internet) is not the best but at least it works somewhat. We got a back-in and Boots did the honors this time. It worked very well. While we can’t back up to a precise position we have been able to put the RV into the selected sites. This time we had neighbors 2 spaces up that were very entertained.

Karma still loves the access to water and has been in every time she has to go do her duty. So much for the bath on Monday! The section of beach that she and Ruthi use has flat “skipper” rocks and then large flat platforms of rock that go out about 20 yards from the beach. The water seems to be shallow 10-30 inches out quite a ways into the bay. Karma is careful not to step off into a “swim only” section.

Birch Run, MI

The good citizens of Michigan have certainly done their part to keep GM, Ford, and Chrysler fluid. The roads are full of newer autos. We didn’t see even a few old wrecks or many foreign models in our travels to this beautiful site.

The RV park owners/hosts were very customer focused and even came back to our site to ensure we were able to get sky access for the satellite. The part was very woodsy with small patches of sky. We got a site with shade for the rig and sky for the dish.

A billboard offering assistance to those with credit problems has this web site poopycredit.com.

We visited with Ruthi’s sorority sister, Pattie Wilson and her partner (Laurie Dexter) and the 3 dogs and 2 cats. Great times were had by all! Except for Karma, who was off to the groomers for a much needed bath.

Newton Falls, OH

Stopped for diesel and the vehicle next to us had this sticker on the window “If you ain’t a Stiller Fan, You are shit.” So, having seen the same sticker on a lot of cars, I asked her what it meant. Newton Falls is very close to the Pennsylvania border. She said “Stiller” was “Steelers” in an Ohio accent. I didn’t even know Ohio had a notable accent!

Today, we passed a town square with quite a few people gathered. The primary sign was “Enough Already”. One attendee had a t-shirt that read “@%$# the IRS.” Internet research identified it as a “Peacefull Tea Party” with a medium size crowd (all ages). They wanted people to know that the American taxpayers and unemployed are not going to take it any more.

We’ve noticed a lot of closed shops in Malls and on Main streets across America. Phoenix was especially bad. Once we got to the NorthEast it got pretty bad, too. Peekskill, NY; around St Johnsbury, VT; and here in North central Ohio have lots of closed stores and large building (manufacturing maybe) shuttered. As we have said before, all of our campgrounds have had permanent residents that appear to be in their 30’s and 40’s. (i.e., not retirement age).

Newton Falls, OH

So, Karma and Ruthi go back to the lake again this morning (10:30am). Absolutely no one is on the beach, not a kid in sight. Ruthi continues to try and put the ball out far enough for Karma to chase but close enough to shore so she can walk to get it. Opps, the ball got out too far for Karma to walk to it. So, she’s prancing around and whining wishing the ball to her. Ruthi goes to the side and makes waves with the chucker hoping to send the ball closer to Karma. The more Karma moves the more the ball drifts away from her.

Ruthi thinks this is it – we might as well go home. Karma will not give up. A female camp worker comes by and informs them that they are on the wrong side of the dog area and must move. Ruthi explains the situation and the worker stays to watch and says “OK.” She leaves and soon a male camp worker comes by with the same conversation. He watches a while and goes off to find something to help out. The camp office person comes out and again tells Ruthi she needs to go to the other side of the lake to the dog area - same conversation, again. Karma continues to try, whine and splash at the tennis ball.

Finally, she steps off into the deep and tries but her flailing about sends the ball away again. So, she circles the ball and thinks ok one more time then it’s quits. Karma walks until she has no choice but to swim and makes it to the ball and after a couple of swipes is able to get the ball in her mouth and starts back to shore. Ruthi is wondering if she’ll need to go in and rescue the dog. Karma begins flailing about again and Ruthi has figured out that Karma is now close enough to walk on her hind legs until she gets close enough to walk on all four legs so she indeed is just flailing about her front legs.

Newton Falls, OH

In the mid-West and East there are toll roads. Until yesterday and today, we had only encountered a few for short distances or bridges/tunnels. Now we were traveling hundreds of miles on these toll roads. The tolls aren’t really high but when you forget to get your Canadian money exchanged and you find out you only have a few dollars of American money and the change in the console you begin to start counting and panicking!!! We figured from the little card that we were going to owe $13.40 American at our exit. Picture this: Boots is counting the few quarters (8), the little dimes (10), fat nickels (8), and pennies to get to the total. There was no surface to lay out the coins and she kept dropping 1 or 2 after she’d already finished her count – hence the panicking part.

So, we pull up to the toll booth coins at the ready and we notice there is an “Accept Canadian money” sign. Whew, between the Canadian and American money we were able to get through the tool booth and head for the nearest ATM! Unlike when we came down through British Columbia to Washington state last year, we now had no Canadian money to try and find a bank for the exchange. Canada has 1 and 2 dollar coins (wish we did, too) which American banks will not exchange. So, we had been carrying $10 in Canadian coins around all year waiting to spend them in Montreal.

This RV Park/Camp Ground has a section of the lake reserved for dogs. So, as soon as we got here, Karma and Ruthi went to check it out. Near shore the base is mucky. Out about 2 feet or so it changes to rock and get deeper. Karma is not a swimmer yet; so Ruthi tried to throw the ball along the shore about 2-3 feet out so Karma could walk out to it. She (Karma) loves the water and spends most of the time in the water approaching the ball. After a few throws, the very wet and tired dog was ready to call it a day. Back home they came. Before Karma could go in the house she needed a good rinse and drying out. While Karma is not real thrilled about the shower approach to rinsing her, she really loves to be dried/rubbed down/combed.

Rochester, NY

From French speaking Quebec, we passed through Ontario to America into New York. The language transitioned from French to all English 1/3 of the way into Ontario. Once we got into New York we still got lost. We would like to blame it on poor signage – which there was – but mostly we weren’t looking. So, we ended up down a well-paved 2-lane road to who knows where.

We had no idea where we were headed and Gypsy, our GPS, kept saying turn right in .2 . . . in .1 . . . in .0 on street “blab blab” which wasn’t the name of the street in front of us. So, began our search of a place to turn around a 45’ rig. Not an easy task for the very experienced – imagine how hard it is for the poor beginners, us. We finally found a large gravel pad in front of someone’s house/shop (we didn’t know which as no one was there). So, Boots got out to direct the maneuver. Have we mentioned how much Karma hates for 1 of us to outside the moving truck and 1 inside; even if she can see us she’s sure someone is being left behind!

So, she’s barking, we are yelling over that, squirting her with water, and trying to back into the road before other vehicles come by. We must be getting better (and lucky there was no traffic) as it took less than 15 minutes to get back headed in the right direction. I’d say we finally have backing up in our grasp.

US Customs again - unlike Washington state’s maze of lanes in the approach to the Agent, New York was a straight on lane. The questions were a bit more through – like specifically did we have oranges or tangelos, any fire wood (a major problem across both Canada and America in the spread of diseases that devastate forests), tobacco or alcohol. So, we passed those easily enough. He got real nosy about where we had been in Canada and why. Then, where were we going in America and why. Unlike Washington state approach (check our blog back in June 2008 – 22nd or 23rd), this seemed to be a more appropriate set of questions if we are really going to keep more dangerous threatening people out of the states.

Montreal, QC, Canada

Karma and I have found very very small strawberry plants (like the Alaskan wild strawberries I used to have in the yard) at rest stops along the highway and in the RV park. She can’t seem to pick the berries, so I pull them and feed her. She loves them but then as a lab she loves everything that goes into her mouth.

We have been doing Karma’s ball chase exercise on large field besides roads or local schools with little or no fencing. After 10-15 throws, she’s tired of racing full speed as far out as she wants to wait for my throw with the chucker. We have always been practicing the “recall” behavior with her but our success rate was iffy. Especially if a cat, kid, or other dog was distracting/attracting her. But we keep practicing. Lately, after her runs I say we are ready to go and she comes over to be harassed and lead to the truck. Recently, I had left her truck door open. So, I just said go get in the truck . . . and she did!!!! Either she’s growing up or was totally exhausted/thirsty and didn’t want to fight the command.

Montreal, QC, Canada

Karma and I have found very very small strawberry plants (like the Alaskan wild strawberries I used to have in the yard) at rest stops along the highway and in the RV park. She can’t seem to pick the berries, so I pull them and feed her. She loves them but then as a lab she loves everything that goes into her mouth.

Montreal, QC, Canada

Montreal is a city customized for bikes. Their streets are very narrow but they have eliminated 1 auto lane for a 2-way bike lane. Everyone bikes – all demographics – young, old, male, female, really! There is a thing called CityBIXI which provides about 5,000 bicycles for rent and drop off at 400 stations. It was great to see most of downtown Montreal’s streets had bikers while we were there on Thursday.

Montreal, QC, Canada

We didn’t anticipate the language challenges. We are “ugly” Americans traveling in a foreign country without understanding their language. We thought so little about the language aspect that we didn’t even get to the thought “everyone will speak English”. Boots’ high school French does come in handy. Ruthi has no ear for language nuances in English let alone the French.

Ruthi has always wondered about the ESL (English as a Second Language) challenges for immigrants like her grandparents (German and Italian) and some aunts/uncles who arrived on America’s shores with little or no formal education, no understanding of English written or spoken, etc. Her mother didn’t speak English until she learned it in the course of her education starting at 1st grade at Lincoln grade school in Marseilles, IL.

So, with a sense of other languages in general (high school Latin for Ruthi and French for Boots), knowing “oui”, “non”, “arret”, “s’il vous plait”, “bon jour”, and “merci” have gotten us by. But walking through Costco today with no English signs or language around us was very isolating. Even though we really appreciate the anonymity of large cities, taking away our language is more personally isolating.

We can understand immigrants staying together with others of their common language to feel connected and a part of something bigger. At the same time, we see the need for immigrants to learn the language of the greater society to belong there. These language conflicts create large challenges for immigrants.

Montreal, QC, Canada

Again, access via Canadian customs is much more through than we had experienced getting back into the US. The Canadian custom agent asked in French and then English if we had any weapons or gifts to leave in Canada. She wanted to know if we were the only people in the rig. No one else seemed to be heading North today so we were not delayed at all.

This is really a foreign country – everything is in French (road signs “ARRET” means “STOP”). Luckily, most people are bi-lingual. We are relying on Boots’ high school French which gets us to the “Do you speak English?” phase of the conversation pretty quick. We went to a restaurant last evening. The waitress knew enough English to take our order slowly. But that was ok, because we knew enough French to go slowly, too.

Did you know “rare” (as in meat cooking) is “saignant”? Ruthi spelled out “rare” and the waitress had to ask the cook what the word was. So, she went the safe route and ordered a filet. For sides, Ruthi thought the waitress said French Rice. What Ruthi really wanted was a potato “pomme de terre” but thought ok, she’d never had French Rice – she’d try it. What the waitress had said was French Fries – which is what Ruthi got. They were good and we all had a good laugh on Ruthi.

St. Johnsbury, VT

Karma has found a boy friend here at Moose River RV Park. His name is Buddy (18 months old, neutered Catahoula Leopard). He’s a little heavier/stockier than her but about the same height and energy level. Since this park does NOT have a dog playground, Buddy and Karma must play with leashes on – which means the owners need to be agile and quick. Ruthi’s ok but Buddy’s owner is closer to his late eighties than her. She has to look out for all 3 of them.

As we have mentioned, Karma is very ball-focused. Well, Buddy has 2 toys he keeps in his yard area – a rubber bone and a tennis ball. When Karma goes over to Buddy’s space they play keep away with his toys. All Karma really wants is the ball and Buddy, rightly so, wants ALL of his toys for himself. So, Karma will purposely go for the rubber bone. Buddy leaves the ball or whatever he is doing and comes right over to get the bone. Karma acquiesces and then pounces on the ball. Buddy eventually realizes that Karma has the ball. So, of course he wants THAT now. He goes over to Karma and with a little more force than finesse he gets it back. And, the cycle repeats until Ruthi thinks they are fed up with each other’s antics and it’s time for Karma to go home. Karma is asked to drop the ball and leave it for Buddy and she does. Whew! All that “leave it” training comes in handy.

This was a great campground except for 2 things – the biggest problem was that the campground and most of St Johnsbury had little to no Verizon coverage. That caused the second issue – we did not have internet access. So, we used the campgrounds’ WIFI (1 bar - due to repairs that were needed). So, if you like being out of communications, i.e., in the country, this is the park for you. People in the office and other sites were great!

St Johnsbury, VT

Once again we are on a railroad track edge. This time though the tracks do not look used at all. The park is a circle. Those on the outside seem to be permanent residents or at the least are for the whole season. The middle pull-through sites are for the short termers like us. It’s like we are on display for the outer circle.

St Johnsbury, VT

FINALLY, we have gotten some sunshine. It got into the high 80’s and clear skies after mid-morning. We can finally dry out the truck bed and warm up. Don’t know if we have mentioned this before but we are coming across a lot of city names duplicated across states. Just and interesting OR boring fact – you choose.

We came across our second Stimulus project – road work again. New Hampshire and Vermont roads are pretty good. Maine’s were the worst of all of the states so far. We have gotten to pay tolls across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. We need to look into EZ-Pass to see if we can get that for all tolls across America. It would come in handy on the East coast and part of the mid-West.

FYI, Interstate 93 is down to 2 lanes up in the Franconia Notch Parkway – 10-15 miles. Good road just slow for those behind us.

Bridgeport, NH

This was a quick ride up from Damariscotta to this small but clean and neat RV campground. All of the sites were pull–through or pull-parallel. This is great for those of us not-fully-confident in our reverse capabilities. There was a long green section opposite our site and I was able to run Karma until the string leash became to entangled for more runs. Riding in the car all day, gives Karma an unusual amount of energy. When ever we can run her on drive days helps.

Damariscotta, ME

Rain, Rain, go away. The rain is very hard and LOUD! Being in the rig is nice and dry but makes it difficult to converse with each other over the racket of the rain hitting the roof. Forget about phone calls – it impossible to hear the other party.

Damariscotta, ME

Roadway signs provide for some amusement as we get lost here and there. Along with “Slow Children” there’s “Slow Village Area Ahead.” Some more retail store names –
Maine-ly Sewing
Women of Substance, Size 12 and Grander
Yum Mee Chinese Restaurant

Day 365 (Damariscotta, ME) End of Year 1

Whew, here we are 365 days / 1 year from our maiden voyage out of Anchorage. Our driving skills have greatly increased. We drive pretty much equally. We even were able to back into our spaces at the last 2 camp grounds (NY and MA). We had planned this lifestyle for 5 years and our very please with our decision.

Having been in Alaska for so long (37 years for Ruthi, 26 years for Boots and all of her life (2 ½ years) for Karma), this year has in some ways felt like we were in a foreign country. The scenery was ever changing and the weather just got better and better (hotter and hotter) until it began to rain. We met locals of every stripe and travelers from across America. Most of the other full-time RVers are more mature individuals either totally retired or like Ruthi still doing some business on the side. A lot of the campgrounds we have been to have permanent setups (park model, mobile home, or regular RV (A, C, B, Trailer and 5th Wheel)). We have noticed a number of families who are working in the neighborhood, living in the RV with kids, pets, et all.

The freedom of travelling here to there with only ourselves to satisfy was very exciting and liberating. Ruthi’s small contract was binding in some ways but nothing like a full-time job that needed careful attendance and attention each and every day. We tried to move on Tuesdays. We have determined that we are more “city” girls than ”country” and prefer campgrounds nearer malls, dog day care, movies, and Chinese, Thai, Mexican eateries.

Alaska and our stick-built house had fewer bugs to contend with – mainly we had spiders (Ruthi’s most favorite) and mosquitoes. While ants, cockroaches, beetles, etc. were in Alaska, we personally did not have problems with infestations. But we have discovered that ants come in all sizes, colors and create a number of different problems. FYI, there is a product out there (not GREEN though – we tried all of those to no avail) called “ant stakes” that has seemed to work on red crazies in California that just swarm with no focused direction, red fire ants that bite every flesh surface and are all over the ground in Alabama. The big black ones seem to send out scouts and killing the scouts (with medium sized books) stops further visitors along the East coast.

We still get an occasional bee or spider (which Boots sadly kills or captures for release outside). There is some type of large bee that looks like a bumble bee but has no stinger and seems to live in mud type homes like wasps. They are bothersome but don’t bite or sting. Then there are the mosquitoes – we had always thought Alaska’s+ were the biggest and worst. But alas, Maine has Alaska beat by a mile; which is about the size of the Maine mosquito wing span. Just kidding! But these mosquitoes are vicious and looking for any skin. As was said in an earlier, we have gotten bitten everywhere and anywhere.

Karma has never been a fan of bugs hovering around her body. She tries to catch them (bees being a really scary thing for us). One time she leaped directly up and spun around trying to outwit a bug. One good result of her bug focus is that she hunts them in the rig. If she can, she will catch and devour any bug in the house. Sometimes they are out of her reach and she will go into “point” so that Boots can capture and deal with the bug.

Overall, breaking down camp and setting up has gotten quicker but it still takes more effort than we expected. We are continually improving our processes to be as efficient as possible. We still need a permanent solution for the desk and table arrangement. We are looking for a cabinet to convert the table into a chopping block/breakfast bar that we can permanently connect to the floor of the main room slid-out. We want to build in the desk but still haven’t come up with the plans that will work.

We have learned that with a little conservation, our fresh water and associates waste tanks can last us about 7 days. Likewise as long as we don’t need the air conditioner and its’ sunny all day, our solar panels supply all of the power we need.

Once we have seen my family in Illinois at the end of summer, we are going to slow the pace of our travelling down. We plan to stay in places longer. Take a more leisurely approach to seeing the sights. We need to plan our winter locale and begin thinking about where to go for the Spring of 2010. Ruthi would like to do more dry camping and Boots would generally like to stay at least a month in the various places we want to truly check out. We are going back to San Diego and Austin for sure. Family stops in Quincy CA, Alabama, and Illinois will be repeated. And, we know we want to eventually do the coast of the East coast to include Delaware and Washington, DC.

Boots, as our trip and camping planner, spends a lot of time trying to get the best RV parks and price for our focused location. Sometimes that doesn’t always work out for the best. Check out our RV Park reviews.

One of the challenges of travelling anywhere is finding local restaurants, dog parks, used book stores, etc. So, we use the internet and our GPS to eventually find places but that doesn’t mean we don’t drive round and round trying to translate directions. Once in New York, we had an address for a dog park that had great reviews. We found the street that was 1 block long in the middle of a light industrial district – no dog park that we could discern. We finally got directions from a local dog day care office. The parks was down the 1 block road, left through the light industrial area and then right. At the end of that road was a nice small park. We went there only once.

Then there’s trying to decide if the restaurant will live up to the reviews. Generally speaking very few do. Taco Mio in Quartzsite, AZ is great! Mellow Mushroom for Pizza and Bruschetta is fantastic in Foley, AL. Pangaea provides real tasty vegetarian fare in Quincy, CA. All of the Shrimp Baskets and Mikey’s in LA (Lower Alabama) provide great grilled shrimp and good fried shrimp. So, we are left with the standard franchises – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, McDonalds (for Ruthi), etc. Or, Boots’ great home cooking!!!

Though 11 by 31 (with both slides out = 341sq. ft.) may sound too small for you, we are fine and really love the minimalist style to which we have become accustomed. Originally our closet, basement and under bed storage was pretty full leaving Alaska. We have over the past year managed to par down and better organize the closet and basement. We still need to do a full “empty and re-pack” of the stuff under the bed. And, with a truck bed cover we are able to better accommodate the outdoor things (broom, tripod, chairs, etc.).

One on-going challenge has been connectivity limitations on our phones and air cards (internet access). Boots’ laptop is much larger than Ruthi’s, as a result, has a larger antennae with better reception. Boots has had connectivity for 90-95% of the locations we have camped; Ruthi not so much. But we can always drive out to the closest village/town/city and do mass up/downloads. Our phones on the other hand, have occasionally (<5%) been so out of network range to be essentially unusable. So, Verizon still has some work to be done on there “Call you hear me now network.”

So in closing, we have travelled through or camped in 26 states in the last year: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine. That doesn’t count the 2 Canadian providences – Yukon Territory and British Columbia. So, only 23 more states (we have seen Hawaii every January for the last 20+ years and RVing there is going to be difficult) and the District of Columbia before we can start over.

Day 363 (Damariscotta, ME)

Karma and Ruthi were out on the sports field within the campground and found a frog or maybe a toad, not sure, that was as big as her fist (Ruthi’s that is). Luckily, Karma was so ball focused she missed it or she would probably have chased the hopper off into the wilderness.

We finally have some sun today and are drying out the back of the truck. This summer is just like it was back in Alaska last year. We have heard that this summer Alaska is getting all of the sun.

Day 362 (Damariscotta, ME)

There is a great dog park along the river in Brunswick (only rule – pick up poop). Karma can run and run. Today she found the way down the boulders to the water’s edge and into the river she went. She’s still not swimming but she watches the bottom and so far has only gone over her head that time she tried to leap across the boat ramp at “the river” in Alabama. We met a young guy and his son and they were glad to finally see what a labradoodle looked like.

On the way there, we passed a ship yard where they are building new USN Destroyers. Today, they had taken one out for a sea worthiness test and were coming back to the yard as we were leaving the riverside park. It wasn’t as big as I expected but Boots thought maybe if it was closer I might think differently.

Day 360 (Damariscotta, ME)

This morning Ruthi took Karma for her morning business. By now, the bug repellant had dimmed and the mosquitoes were looking for a fresh victim. So hurrying Karma and swatting away, off they went. Upon their return, Ruthi discovered a big bite/welt on her butt. The @#$&^# mosquito had bitten through jeans shorts and underwear.We have had rain pretty much since we got to Texas. Alabama’s had bright flashes of lightening and loud thunder. Maine’s rain has large drops of rain pelting the roof and sides of the rig like rocks. Sometimes it’s so loud you can’t hear the radio or each other talk (sometimes a good thing).

Day 359 (Damariscotta, ME)

Having seen every place Boots (with or without Susan and John) lived in the Boston area for 10 years, it was time to move further up the coast. We even found their base housing at Fort Devens. This was a real challenge and a lucky break as Fort Devens had been de-commissioned (in 1994??) and is now the village of Devens. The Massachusetts National Guard has some of the more military features in use. But at least the housing Boots and her family lived in remained.

Well, we passed through New Hampshire quickly. Like Maryland, we only covered about 10miles of New Hampshire before we arrive in Maine. So far, this seems to be the only state so far that has drivers consistently driving close to the speed limit – within 5 MPH in fact! How refreshing to not always see traffic pulling away from us.

The Maine mosquitoes are bigger than those in Alaska and voracious eaters. Being by the lake and small still water coves, they are breeding like crazy and looking for blood anywhere. As earlier reported, Ruthi is a bug attracter and needed to put bug spray/lotion on to keep any and all creatures (including humans as she smelled very potent). While we were getting camp set up Boots was their much appreciated victim.

Day 353 (Littleton, MA)

We have seen our first Stimulus-supported road work today on I95. Across the South and South East there are “Waffle Houses” on almost every corner. At some point coming up the coast the Waffle Houses gave way to “Dunkin Donuts” on every corner. Interesting how regional names / stores change as we tour America. Fred Meyers is owned by Kroger; so, state-side we try to shop at Krogers. We went to JC Penney store looking for more shorts. Basically, that’s what we wear all of the time. Yea!! Yea!! When we checked out the cashier requested our billing zip code number. So, we gave our Alaska zip code and her comment was “that’s a strange one.” Customer Service is no better here than elsewhere.

We have noticed in our travels various retail stores with interesting names. Unfortunately, we haven’t been very good at recording the most humorous ones, especially the tattoo parlors. So, now we are going to try to remember to blog them and maybe even remember some of the other ones we saw before today.
Cyclery - Bike Shop
High Rise Bread Company – Bakery
Taste Buds –Restaurant

Day 352 (Littleton, MA)

We drove to Cape Ann, ate in Gloucester, and ran Karma twice on the beaches. At the second beach, it was sunny and warm. After a few throws, Karma went into the Atlantic (now she has 2 oceans in her history – due to beach rules we weren’t able to get her to the Gulf of Mexico). She would drop her ball and wade around and around in circles. It looked like she was ready to poop in this ocean, too. But eventually, she’d bring the ball and come back for another toss.

Massachusetts has very liberal dog leash rules. Multiple parks are wide open in the early morning hours – do need proof of current rabies shot. During the week, there open from dawn to 1pm and on week-ends it’s dawn to 9am. There are rules about wet fields and when maintenance crews are on the scene. Otherwise, off leash is wide open in the designated parks. As far as the various beaches goes, none of the beaches we were on today were posted beyond “pick up poop.”

Day 345 (Croton-On-Hudson, NY)

Day 345 (Croton-On-Hudson, NY)
25 May 2009
Memorial Day week-end did pretty much fill up the camp ground. We are leaving tomorrow and need to plan our route to Boston because there are a lot of overheads that don’t exceed 11feet. We have figured out that Interstate’s are about 14ft. So less than 11 feet eliminates a lot of none passenger car traffic – including us. We have checked out a couple of routes to the interstate and after excursions into construction and low underpasses further North, we are opting for additional mileage by going back the way we came (South toward the Tappen Zee bridge) to Interstate 287 East through Connecticut.

Day 344 (Croton-on-Hudson)

Ruthi went into the city a couple of times and loved every minute – even the blisters from hours of walking about up and down Manhattan. She ate her way across East and West Greenwich Village, saw the Guggenheim (Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit – way too crowded to get inside), Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MOMA – not so crowed there), browsed the street vendors on the soon-to-be-closed Broadway from 42nd and Times Square to Central Park South, had lunch at Carnegie Deli (didn’t see Harry nor Sally) and mostly just watched the city inhabitants going about their busy lives.

We talk about what we would do when the other partner dies. We both had thought about smaller “C” RV versions for our nomad life. But after getting back to the city she loves so much – Ruthi thinks she would find a small (what could be smaller than the 8 by 30, the three of us currently live in now) place in Manhattan and people watch until the end. Maybe she’d get a “B” RV for those winter months in warmer climes.

Day 343 (Croton-On-Hudson, NY)

We’ve explored the little towns/villages along the Hudson river – like Ossining where Sing Sing prison is. While coming back from the city on the train, Ruthi overhead a tourist comment that they put the prison on prime real estate and the prisoners much have great views of the river – locals corrected him about the views prisoners have there. Sleep Hollow is a real town. Washington Irving lived in Islington near by. We drove and shopped in Peekskill, White Plains, Yonkers, Port Chester, (all in New York) and Greenwich Connecticut.

We have a small pretty yellow finch trying to mate with our windows. He much be gay as his reflection would indicate that he was trying to mate with another male. We have had a lot of robins and wrens but today we saw a bright red cardinal.

Day 332 (Croton-On-Hudson, NY)

Traffic has been getting busier and busier as we have driven through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and now New York. No matter what time of day or the direction “to” or “from” the city, traffic is heavy and going way over the posted speed limit. Also, fewer and fewer trucks. It’s the city! The roads are twisty and turning like animal tracks or Indian trails.

This is a county (Westchester no less) camp ground - lots of grass spaces and trees. The spaces are on the small side and we get neither internet connectivity nor satellite coverage - boo hoo. It’s not very crowded yet but we expect Memorial Day week-end to fill the empty spaces. For the first time, we were able to completely back in and park all by ourselves. Once the “help” left us alone; we did fine. We are very proud of ourselves!!!

Day 330 (Jonestown, PA)

We saw another water tower with a design showing apples in a bowl. We crossed the Shenandoah River which puts in the valley. We passed through 4 states today – Virginia, West Virginia (25 miles), Maryland (10 miles) and Pennsylvania. You can tell when you pass from one state to another by the road surfaces. Sometimes it’s better and sometimes worse

Day 328 (New Market, VA)

OK, we found a sign better fitting for Thomas Jefferson’s state . . . “No one is free as long as anyone is oppressed”.

Western Virginia (not West Virginia) has a lot of caverns and vineyards. While neither of us are particularly interested in either it is an interesting fact. This camp ground is in the process of being constructed right next to Endless Caverns. They have about 30 RV sites currently functioning with another 270 on the drawing boards. The sites are large both long and wide with nice picnicking grounds set in the woods. The cost per night is fitting for the extra room. We are finding that as we move East and North the rates are going up.

Day 327 (Hillsville,VA)

We continue our rolling hills ride from Alabama through Georgia, South/North Carolinas, now in Virginia heading through West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey into New York. Last night we had lots and lots of rain but little lightening/thunder. We lost power about 10 or 11pm and flipped to our batteries that are solar charged. By morning, the power was back full force.

RVing full-time is a small world. This morning, Boots, Karma and I were heading out to “Aunt Bea’s” (yep from Mayberry RFD fame) for lunch when one of the camp workers stopped to chat. Seems he remembered us from our stay in Summerdale, AL. We were parked right next to each other. Which reminded me. When we were in Mesa, Arizona at Fiesta at Val Vista RV Park we were in a row of Alaskans from Anchorage and Kenai and in Quartzsite, Arizona at Holiday Palms RV Park we met fellow travelers from Juneau.

Today’s ride around the country hillside, we encountered our first deer since the Mule Deer in Quincy, CA. This was a small one but we think it was full grown and quickly got out of the roadway. We also ran into a local Christian hate message on a billboard 6’x8’ that said “ABOMINATION Homosexuality is unnatural inhuman perverse wickedness Call 800.309.0092” sponsored by the Omega Coalition Church.

Day 321 (West Jefferson, NC)

Speaking of tobacco crops, there are “tobacco” outlets (in North Carolina) just like the Tangers clothing/shoe outlets (across the South). With cartons costing around $40+, I can see why smokers would be looking for outlets.

We saw a water tower in the shape of a Peach. It sort of looked like it was right out of James and the Giant Peach children’s story by Roald Dahl.

“Wash” became “draw”, then “hollow” and now “holler”.

Day 319 (West Jefferson, NC)

We explored Boone, NC and drove the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway. There are a couple of older local churches with frescos. We stopped by and looked at one.

There are acres and acres of xmas trees in various stages of growth. Doug said it takes about 9 years to get the right size to be harvested for sales. They make for beautiful views - must be the replacement crop for tobacco.

Day 318 (West Jefferson, NC)

What a beautiful town in the mountains of North Carolina! Spring is beginning to bloom and the trees leaf out. We followed Doug (Boots’ Nephew) up Bald Mountain to his mountain top cabin at about 4,600 feet. “Cabin” may be a misnomer as this is really a large home with all of the modern amenities (flat panel TV, washer/dryer, running water, pool table - Karma wanted to play with the balls - etc.). But it is definitely up the mountain. Halfway up is a slow rise back and forth up the mountain. Then there is a sharp double switchback and the drive up gets seriously steep. It’s like the last few yards on the Flattop Mountain Trail in Anchorage but its’ about 5 miles. It felt like straight up especially on the curves. But the reward is the beautiful view down the mountain and across North Carolina.

Again, we are in a small town with a lot of public murals around the commercial downtown. We have noticed these in a number of smaller towns so far on our trip. West Jefferson also has a historic and well known fresco in a local church. It’s on our list to visit –so we’ll let you know.

Day 315 (Roebuck, SC)

We have found a replacement for our favorite pizza places in Anchorage (Moose’s Tooth OR Bear Tooth) – Mellow Mushroom. They have the best Bruschetta, even better than Olive Garden! And, there was a Mellow Mushroom in Foley, Alabama and here in Spartanburg, South Carolina. On their web page, they have other ovens around the South, even near our next destination in North Carolina (West Jefferson).

Day 314 (Roebuck, SC)

On the way here, traffic on Interstate 85 slowed to a stop. We crawled along for an hour before seeing the accident on the other side. I think our side had been closed for 1st responders to get to the location. The other direction was backup for 3 ½ miles. Anyway, a semi with a load of autos had flipped over and was blocking both lanes and the shoulders.

This campground (Pine Ridge Campground) is truly a woodsy area. We had to drive through a narrow lane down and up a hollow to get here. “Hollow” is another name for a “draw” or “wash”. We can’t get satellite transmissions and forget about the internet –hence the lateness of these entries. The roads into and through the campground are VERY narrow so we are practicing our turning/maneuvering capabilities.

We are not anywhere near the fires on the SC coast. Though, we are getting fire hot temperatures – 94 degrees. HOT HOT HOT

In SC, ants come in 2 colors (red and black) both are about ¾ to an inch long. Black one had wings – so maybe it’s a termite not afraid of light. Up close like this, ants really look vicious. Ruthi hasn’t been bit yet but if they do bite they will find her. She seems to attract all sorts of bugs that bite or sting – flies, gnats, small red ants (in Alabama), bees, wasps, etc. etc. etc. Her calves are their favorite spot. She’s itching and applying awful smelling bug repellant which doesn’t seem to work too well.

Day 312 (Norcross GA)

While we haven't gotten into downtown Atlanta, maybe next time, we have seen a good deal of the Northern suburbs. Georgia is the first of the 13 colonies we will explore this trip. With the exception of the interstates, the roads seem to meander around the landscape rarely going due North, South, East, or West. Our memories of Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey is that the roads were built upon old wildlife or Indian trails instead of the surveyed straight lines in the later explored/developed states.

Boots’ good friend, Jean, took us up the Appalachian Mountains as to see her cabin (really a 3-story rustic abode). While the hills aren’t as high as the Chugach in Anchorage or the Canadian Rockies the roads were very curvy with little or no shoulders to pull off on. Thankfully, Jean was driving her car and we got to “white knuckle” it as passengers. With little to no passing zones, she did pull off when driveways or other available space was there to allow for the “parade” to pass us.

More on the roads in the Atlanta area - there were many roads with Peachtree in the name: Old Peachtree Road, Peachtree Industrial, Peachtree Corners, etc. etc. etc. The next most popular was Sugarloaf this and Sugarloaf that.

Day 307 (Norcross, GA)

Well, this RV park is not empty nor as spacious as Opelika was. But we are in the city with all of the additional options - Costco, Pet Smart, ethinic resturants, dog parks, etc. etc. etc.

More later . . .

Day 304 (Opelika, AL)

We drove up to Alexander City, AL to see Charles Duncan, Boots’ brother-in-law and his girl friend, Billie. They both have houses on Lake Martin. What a beautiful area! Lots of lawn and great views of the water. Alexander City is a small community of retirees that was originally founded by the Russell Family of Russell Sport clothing mills for their workers. They apparently used their wealth and influence in a positive way in the community.

This particular RV Park is empty except for us! There are concrete pads and lanais at each site. About a third are pull-throughs. Without anyone else here, Karma gets to run free. She has had a lot of exercise while in Alabama (all the relatives had large yards - great for ball throwing). She wants to chase the ball no matter how many times she has already. So, after she runs around like a "crazy" dog, I get the ball and we play catch. Then she is ready to sleep for a couple of hours. A tired dog is a good dog!

Day 303 (Summerdale, AL)

We are getting ready to leave tomorrow and the rain, lightening and thunder have returned.

They get REAL rain in Alabama; not the misting we were used to in Anchorage. The rain drops are big enough to knock you out. I thought it was hail at first. This morning Karma and I were out for her first relief of the day when it started to drizzle then really rain. She looked at me and started back to the house. I guess she didn’t need to go as bad as I had thought.

Day 291 (Summerdale, AL)

Our RV park neighbor (who had also made a similar mistake but DROVE his motorhome) gave us a ride to pick up our cleaned truck. The cost for my mistake was $280 (plus lost fuel). If we had driven it, it could have been in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. Whew!!!!

Day 290 (Summerdale, AL)

We were returning from Gulf Shores and needed diesel (I know, we seem to always be looking for fuel but we get 10+ MPG while hauling and 20+ when driving around with our RV). We stopped at a BP station and I started filling the tank with the “GREEN” pump handle when Boots realized we were putting “regular” gasoline into the tanks. Yikes. I stopped and Boots called Ford Road Side Assistance. We were instructed to NOT start/drive the truck.

A tow truck towed the truck to Foley, AL for a tank flush and dropped us off at the RV park.

Day 286 (Summerdale, AL)

We went into central Pensacola, FL and needed diesel before we returned to camp. We used our GPS and found no diesel and in a lot of cases no gas station at all (they were closed). We finally stopped at a station and was directed to Route 29 outside of Pensacola. They said that the stations weren’t able to re-certify their holding tanks since Katrina’s damage.

Day 280 (Summerdale, AL)

Well, here we are in Alabama to meet Boots’ family. What an adventure – between seeing
· brother Donald, his wife Louise and their son Donny, his wife, Donna, and their kids, Jenna and Brennan, and Brennan’s girlfriend)
· brother Buddy, his wife Liz and their daughter Connie and her granddaughter Gerry Ryan,
· sister Linda, her husband Bernard and their kids Amy and Adam and Adam’s wife Jessica and their kids Destin, Sage, and Leah.

And our quest for the best fried and grilled shrimp on the gulf coast; we have had a great time. Talking and laughing about our travels, Boots' childhood, and shrimp has certainly provided us all with a few more years of good health – laughter being the best medicine.

We have had shrimp from Mikee’s (twice), Shrimp Basket (twice), Wolf Bay Lodge, Big Daddy’s Grill, Bahama Bob’s (twice). Lulu’s, Cafe on the Bay, Peg Leg Pete’s,

Day 279 (Hammond, LA)

We set-up camp here and drove up to Clark (Boots’ brother) and Diane Hale’s place in McComb, MS. They have a lot of acreage: garden, chickens, goats, working dogs and Tom (part Rottweiler with very short legs). The large fenced yard gave Karma a good run. We had a great dinner and lots of fun conversation. We left with some goat cheese and fudge - really yummy!!!!

On the way from this site, we saw lots of cars pulled way off the interstate down in the ditch to the wooded area. They were going through the underbrush to fish in the bayous.

Day 278 (Sulfur, LA)

This is another one night stand on our way to visit Boots’ family. In the morning, we drove up to Dequincy, LA and met one of Boots’ nieces (Clark’s daughter Corinne and her husband Eugene) for breakfast.

We drove along the shore of Biloxi where Katrina destroyed the beach, roads, and homes. We could see lot with drive ways, mail boxes and no house remains. An artist from Florida has sculpted water animals (whales, marlins, pelicans, etc. etc. etc.) in the dead trees pounded by Katrina. What a wonderful message of hope and beauty to honor the victims.

Day 273 (San Marcos, TX)

Saw my first Confederacy flag. Ugh!

Day 265 (Anchorage, AK for Ruthi)

Ruthi flew to Anchorage for a week of visiting with Kassie, Nate and business. Kassie and Billie’s house have a lot of items from our old home so I felt really comfortable. Kassie let me have her room/bed and she slept in the living room. Work went well and I was able to spend a day with Nate in Soldotna 4-wheeling around the woods. Much harder than riding a motorcycle but fun none the less. Next time I’d like to try it on the beaches with sand instead of snow.

Day 262 (San Marcos, TX)

Home to Texas State University. We are here for 2 weeks because Ruthi is going to Alaska for a week on business. It is very very windy and raining. The satellite dish has fallen over twice even with some weight holding it down.

We went up to Austin to check it out. We liked the town and found it to be more metropolitan than we had expected in Texas. This isn’t enough time to see the area fully (we never even got down to San Antonio) so we will be coming back here in the non-raining season!

Day 261 (Ft Stockton, TX)

On the way here we crossed the Rio Grande. It was very small at this end. Lots of warning messages about “ice” on bridges. “Don’t Mess With Texas” is the anti-littering campaign slogan, pretty cool. We are seeing lots of road kill but no armadillos yet. Very hilly in this region of Texas. New vocabulary – a wash is called a draw here.

This must have been an important stopping place in the frontier days but our overnight stop did not include any Indian attacks or roaming buffalo.

Day 260 (Deming, NM)

Vegetation is looking better. At least, there is some green and real trees. We crossed the Continental Divide at a relatively flat spot. Since this was really a zip through Southern New Mexico, we will have to come back next winter to see central and Northern areas.

Day 255 (Mesa, AZ)

FINALLY, we have our house back!!!! They couldn’t complete the “interior detailing” until Monday, so another week-end of claustrophobia! We have moved into a local RV park to re-set everything and check out the work before we leave Arizona. The “interior detailing” was worthless. They must have power-sawed all of the floor edging because we had saw dust everywhere, every nook and cranny – drawers, closet, on clothes, plates, etc. etc. etc. (EVEN inside the safe, which is inside a bathroom cabinet!)

Flooring looks great but timing and attention to details was poor. There is wood trim on the living room slide and steps leading up to the 2nd level bathroom that wreak havoc on my bare feet. So, we will need to sand/plane or otherwise smooth out those spots.

We are cleaning up and trying to figure out the new floor layout – desk here or there, table turned this way or that, hmm. We didn’t realize how much the carpeting held things in place – i.e., boxes, chairs, etc. Karma is slip sliding around the house. Once Karma is up on the bed, she refuses to jump down because that starts an unpredictable slide into the bathroom and beyond. (In addition to the slipperiness of the flooring, there was a problem with the trap door that she typically lands on when coming off the bed - it was too short for its opening and would also slide forward when she jumped down.) Double Whammy!!!!

We fixed the movement-of-the-door problem and then had to search for a workable attractive rug solution for the entryway to the 3rd floor bedroom and the trapdoor in the 2nd floor hallway outside of the bedroom. That took some time, so it was lifting her off the bed in the mornings and not letting her get up there the rest of the day. The things that we do for our pets!!!
So, we have a solution. Karma is still hesitant to trust us on this particular idea. The rugs look nice and stick to the floor surface even when hit from above by a flying 50 pound dog. We re-trained her to the commands “on” and “off”. The “on” was a given but she wanted a reward anyway. The “off” took a trail of treats out in front of her and a couple of helpful nudges from behind. When she caught on to that, I pushed from her chest and finally a strong shove with her shoulders. That took an afternoon of work and treats. And, working people wonder how we fill our time in retirement.

Day 249 (Casa Grande AZ)

CW is still working on the flooring. The extra glue wasn’t enough because ECOClean sent smaller containers instead of the gallon size. So, more delay. Luckily, ECOClean will pick up the shipping costs on this additional glue.

We have determined our space limits:
RV is 31 by 14 with slides out; that’s about 434 square feet (no slide out in the bathroom)
Motel 6 room is 12 by 16; that’s about 192 square feet

RV space works; Motel 6 does not! Maybe for a night but for 10 days no way! At about Day 3 (remembering we had already had a 7 day stint with Kassie in a Quality Inn Suite – bigger but with 3 people and the dog), we began to get on each other’s nerves. There is absolutely no space to get away from each other or the dog.

Day 244 (Tempe AZ)

Kassie flew home today after a fun filled vacation.
CW found some minor mold spots under the carpeting and is treating/repairing them before setting the underlayment of cork. They have run out of the special GLUE so we had to have it air-freighted from Reno, NV. Another delay! We moved with Karma and her kennel to a Motel 6 - much less space and cheaper to match. Hopefully, we won’t be here long – Famous last words.

Day 240 (Tempe AZ)

We went by Camping World Collision Center (CW) to verify everything had arrived and that they were starting work on the flooring. We really only wanted to be in hotels a week but already there were delays. The roll of flooring didn’t look the right color. It looked more like the original one we had selected. We called ECOClean again and were assured it was the right code and color. We had relied on the computer for the color selection and as we all know sometimes color is distorted. Luckily, we were ok with the new color; lucky close to original.

Since we had to be out of the house anyway, we had CW adjust/repair the living room slides and provide an estimate for re-doing the exterior. A lot of times, RV parks won’t take us because our house is more than 10 years old (1998). There are minor flaws to the exterior and the paint/finish is in need of restoration. We really like our house and floor plan. Our plan to continue full-time RVing supports an improvement to the exterior. With the new flooring, the interior will look great.

Day 237 (Tempe, AZ)

We left Quartzsite and hot footed into Phoenix on Interstate 10. Pretty boring vegetation but a straight road full of other RVs and semis. We dropped off the RV for the flooring work (remove carpet and small section of laminate; replace with Marmoleum). Camping World in Mesa had not received the rolls of material and glue yet. So, we got on the phone to ECO Clean. We really needed to be back in the RV in 6 working days because we were staying in a Quality Inn – a distinct improvement over Motel 6.
Kassie was flying in for a week’s visit to make up for missing the inauguration. (Nate’s week is still in the planning stages). Our Gypsy (GPS) sent us to the back end of Phoenix Airport and not departures and arrivals. So, after a few back tracks we picked her up at the airport with no time to spare.

Day 234 (on the road)

About 60 miles so of Oroville, as we headed back to AZ, truck computer indicated low tire pressure, we called out roadside assistance and were directed to Yuba City, CA. The last time this happened we had a drill bit in tire. They checked the tires and added air but no repair needed. We did need a software upgrade to the computer so they did that. Now the truck cleans Exhaust Filter more frequently (like – very frequently – before it never was cleaned – or, if it was, we never knew it). Our gas mileage is around 20-21 MPG with no hauling – amazing!
We will test hauling mileage after the floor fixed and we head East.

Day 233 (Oroville, CA)

Gramma Mary shared some about her early life in the depression during dinner, which were take-out Thai and another John-prepared dessert (Chocolate Fettuccini). Mary was born+ in 1912 (Which makes her a year younger than my Mother). She was raised in Arkansas but sometime in her teens (??), the family moved to Tulsa Oklahoma. She worked as a secretary/administrative assistant for an Oil company. When she got vacations from work, she travelled across America (St Louis World’s Fair, etc., etc.), and to Mexico, alone or with girl friend(s). We asked about her parents’ opinion on her adventures. She said they never said anything to her about not going. She really was courageous and loved the adventures.

Gramma Mary didn’t marry until she was 35 (1947) to the man (Harold) she had met in Portland, Oregon 7 years earlier. She waited to marry because she was helping support her parents and brothers; and because of World War II. She has 2 sons (Brooks and David). Following the death of Harold, she lived on her own for 15 years (from 80 to 95). She uses a walker and has hearing aids but otherwise is as sharp as a tack. She enjoyed and followed along during the Super Bowl. Gramma Mary rides a stationary bike 30 minutes a day averaging 5MPH – that’s about what we do on our good days. While we had met her at the wedding, this time we really got to know her. John was introducing her to the computer and all the information to be found there. She was working the crosswords and trying to get the hang of Sudoku – with which Ruthi could give no help.

Day 232 (Oroville, CA)

Super Bowl Sunday! The baby is a visual replica of Bodhi. She vocalizes a lot more than he did as a baby. Bodhi is very gentle and loving with her. We took Bodhi on his bike and Karma with her ball down the street from Melody’s parent’s house for exercise and bonding. Karma remembered Bodhi and gave him the ball for throwing. Riding in the truck is boring for Karma and any opportunity for her to chase the ball is taken. It only takes about 20 throws with the “chucker” to wear her out. With 2 throwers (Bodhi and I) it takes a little longer but the effect is the same – Karma will then sleep or rest quietly for about 4 hours.

While visiting the kids, we put Karma out with Nadine/Brooks Henderson’s (Melody’s parents) in tact (un-neutered) male Airedale, Lucky. While the dogs didn’t fight or love for that matter, Karma really wanted to be with us. The challenge was that Melody’s 96 YO Grandmother is there too and an energetic (ok, sometimes obnoxious) dog would be too much. So, Karma stayed in the truck between play sessions.

John was the chief cook, laundryman, shopper, etc. and we all loved the results- snacks for the game and great dinner (Pork Roast) / dessert (Crème Brulee). Boots made applesauce with apples from their trees. So, we know where John got his culinary skills.

Day 231 (Oroville, CA)

We check into a Days Inn in Oroville (accept dogs but charge $10 a day for them), made contact with the newest parents, crashed and waited until the next day to go see them.

Day 230 (on the road)

We loaded the truck and began our drive from Quartzsite, AZ to Oroville, CA. We decided to leave the rig at the campground and make great time to go see the “big” brother and “new” baby before we head East. We spent the night in a Motel 6 at Coalinga, CA. Talk about cheap – no shampoo, conditioner, nor tissues – price was right and they accept dogs (no additional charge). I guess we can be happy that toilet paper was included. Karma saw a cat, got loose from the room and the chase was on. Karma is speedy, but the cat knew the terrain and I had Karma’s ball as incentive she couldn’t resist. So, we learned that the whistle and ball will bring Karma back but won’t hold her if something as exciting as a cat shows up. Our biggest fear was the surrounding access roads and highway 5 traffic.

Day 226-227 (Quartzsite AZ)

RV Boot Camp-Interesting sessions but we are now more experienced than the other participants – that’s a change. While we are still novices there are lots of people with less experience/knowledge. The best session was on Fire Protection – we’ve increased our arsenal of extinguishers and are talking about practicing our bedroom evacuation plan. While getting ourselves out the escape hatch is bad enough (Boots is convinced she’ll barely survive the 8ft. drop – onto concrete in many parks!) – getting Karma to leap out will be quite a major challenge.

Day 221 (Phoenix AZ)

We went to Phoenix for a Costco run (Pepsi, RX, TP, PT, etc.). Without the pantry space we don’t buy as much from them as before. The landscape between Quartzsite and Phoenix is the same desert brown.

Day 219 (Quartzsite AZ)

First of all, the toilet is still clear. We watched the inauguration on TV. WOW the crowds! Too bad Ruthi didn’t get to take Kassie and Nathan but we’ll do a week with each another time.

Day 218 (Quartzsite AZ)

It was a busy day for the Tank Pumping guys, so they didn’t get back to us until late in the day - more running to the campground facilities! They couldn’t figure out what the problem was but again pumped twice from both directions. So, we are clear for the moment!

Day 215 (Quartzsite AZ)

Plugged Toilet AGAIN! You may have noticed this is Friday, so no professional help until Monday. We needed to use the campground bathrooms. They were clean and had high pressure showers but they were a good distance away. We occasionally needed to run and run to make it.

Day 212 (Quartzsite AZ)

We have been having interesting (?) toilet problems – bubbly (large bubble eruptions would be more accurate) when flushed (not exactly a fun event) and then it was entirely plugged. We had to call the Tank Pumpers (like my dad used to do). They pumped twice from both directions and put a “blue” dye in to verify it was finally cleared of whatever was blocking it.

Day 207 (Quartzsite AZ)

We finally had solar panels (3) installed on our roof. With a sunny day (all day), we can go all night: TV/DVR, lights, fans, refrigerator (on propane) and no a/c. So we can be off the grid – saves some money and more importantly minimizes our carbon footprint!
While driving through California we passed signs pointing to a prison off to the right of the road. It was far enough out there that we couldn’t see any buildings but we did see this warning sign on the road “Do not pick up hitchhikers”. Like drivers need to be reminded . . .

Day 201 (Quartzsite AZ)

Welcome to world – Tara Anjali O’Brien (TAO, neat initials huh?) – little sister to Bodhi Brooks O’Brien and 2nd granddaughter for us. She was born at her maternal grandmother/grandfather’s house in Oroville, CA. Like Bodhi, it was a water birth – gentle with little trauma for the baby. Bodhi was awoken for the final push and arrival. His only comment of the experience was that Melody was loud. Since he slept through it, we wonder what he meant.

Day 200 (Quartzsite AZ)

Happy New Year!

Karma got up early today for some reason and insisted she needed to go out – usually she waits until the sun is above the horizon but not today and it was my (Boots) turn. One of the things I don’t like about this RV park is how far away the dog walk area is. I also don’t like that it’s a bleak (I use that word often, don’t I?) spot next to Main Street AND there’s nothing there that seems to entice her into ‘getting on with it’. I found I was always coming back from those excursions in a foul mood. About 10 days ago I figured out that it’s much more productive (and the scenery is better) to walk even further and go into the wash on the west of the RV park. What a relief!!

We’ve also discovered that if she can see out of several different windows in the RV, she doesn’t seem to feel the need to go out hourly and ‘check the area’. This also cuts down on those trips where you think maybe she needs to do something and she really doesn’t – just keeping an eye on things like a good lab - "hall monitor".

So to catch up a bit since I last posted:
We’ve made a couple more trips to Parker because of the great bike shop there. First one was to get me a more comfortable bike seat – I’m a bit like the princess and the pea when it comes to my butt – I need all the cushioning I can get back there!

The second trip was necessary because we were having trouble getting my new seat positioned correctly and because Ruthi wanted a new bike and had seen one there that she liked (it was on sale, too!). So we both have new bikes now with all kinds of bells, whistles, baskets, bottle holders, etc. etc. We look pretty spiffy!!

At our favorite restaurant (Taco Mio) here in Q, we learned about a carneceria (I think I have that right – it’s a small Mexican meat store with a taco bar inside) in Parker. We got some really good salsa, some guacamole and I picked up a couple of Mexican bottled drinks that I’ve discovered I like – Jamaica and Tamarindo. I usually don’t drink sodas or juices but these are just right. So it was a good trip to Parker - a town that has very little going for it, in my opinion.

Okay, more about me: I have a habit of falling periodically and my two most recent ones (well, 2 most serious ones) have involved smashing my face into something and trying to knock my front teeth out. It happened in 2005 in Quincy with my face hitting concrete and removing some gum tissue and causing some concern that I might lose my two upper front teeth – they survived. My face got rather bruised up as well.

About 8 days ago, I was leaving a rock vendor’s place when I tripped on a huge iron scales. I reached up and grabbed the upright section to try to stop my fall but it started to go with me and then returned to its place catching my two upper front teeth on its way back and then, of course, I hit the large-gravel covered ground anyway. I’m laying there in pain and in fear that my teeth are really gone this time because 1) my gums are numb and 2) I can feel with my tongue that something isn’t right.

Meanwhile Ruthi is watching but can’t come to my aid because Karma is attached to her bike with a ‘Walky Dog’ which precludes laying the bike down. BUT she tries anyway and freaks Karma out to the point that she somehow gets out of her harness and takes off!! So, I’m laying on the ground in some pain but mostly worried about my teeth and about how I’m going to get up (getting me back up after falls is a whole other story and one that involves a lot of hilarity). Ruthi is trying to catch Karma who plans never to talk to either of us or be attached to the bike again.

Two men are standing over me with great concern. Both assure me my teeth are fine (I don’t believe them) and I assure them that I’m not concussed ( I was still wearing my bike helmet fortunately). So then comes the “how do we get me on my feet?” question. One of them plans to help me and I assure them it will require 2 people (been there before!). Actually, the getting up part would probably be less of a problem now that we've been riding our bikes almost daily and I have some leg strength now. But they get me up and our focus turns to the dog chase.

Ruthi gets hold of Karma but as they near the bikes, Karma sees them, freaks out and takes off again. I figure I need to go get the truck and a leash but Ruthi has the keys and Karma has now led her quite a distance away. She finally catches her and uses her jacket as a leash. I meet her a distance from the bikes to get the keys then ride back to the RV park to get the truck.

All is well now, except for my teeth and a few bruises AND the fact that we may never be able to get Karma on the ‘Walky Dog’ again.

So what do you do when in a VERY small town in the middle of the desert and need a dentist?? The people we asked either never go to a dentist (that’s the permanent residents) or they go to Mexico (that’s the ‘snow birds’). I have, in fact, sheared off a portion of those teeth, made noticeable only by the fact that the shearing stopped just short of completion. My first reaction was ‘how can I have a longer section of tooth there???? Doh! Plus, there’s a somewhat horizontal crack above that bit of tooth.

Decided to call my dentist in Quincy and he assured me there’s no rush. Since we’ll be in the Phoenix area in Feb., he can give me a recommendation for a dentist in Scottsdale. It will have been an expensive fall! By the way, no bruises or any other mark on my face - just the teeth.