March Roaring in Like A Lion

Here we are five days before The Rolling Condo sets out on the first trip of the year. Peggy and I spent Sunday evening checking systems on the fiver. First I had taken the one nearly empty propane bottle to have it filled on Saturday. The first time I have had a bottle filled since we bought the Bighorn in October 2008. Turns out those RV bottles are pretty dang heavy. I did not think so when I loaded it empty. When I jerked it up off the ground one handed after the tank was filled, I felt it all the way from my toes up to my puny arthritic shoulders. I had to get the other hand involved and wallow it up my belly to the back of the truck! Glad no one saw this except the propane guy, Peggy and at least a hundred motorist driving down U.S. 59! By the time I unloaded it and wallowed it into the storage area, I was winded. I hooked it back up and told Peggy that we needed to bleed the air out of the lines on Sunday, after I had rested. We spent Sunday hooking up and pressurizing the water system, just in case the winter freeze caused a water line to bust. Everything okay on that end. The slides were put out and shelves restocked and for the last thing, I again mentioned that we needed to make sure the air in the gas lines was gone. Good thing we did, because it took about thirty minutes to get all the air out of the lines. Starting with the top burners, then working our way to the oven and finally the water heater, all is working as it should. We also checked all the floors around the slides and windows for any wet carpet. Peggy even checked in the front closet for wet carpet or any signs of water coming in. All is good so we can check the air in the tires on the Condo and the truck, air as needed and be ready to roll. Now if we could get the weather to cooperate, it would be grand! March 1, and when I woke up this morning, the rain was beating the roof. It rained pretty much all day and was raining as I started home. Peggy suggested that bad weather is forecast for our trip, but since we dont have to stay in tents, let it rain. The below photo was taken by my daughter Megan during the big snowfall. She can take better pics through her windsheild driving down the road, than I can with a tripod and a pretty day. Some people got it and some don't. This will be the last word on winter at our house. Only blue skies and warm temps will get my camera out of the box. Everyone take care until next time.

Anniversary/Valentines Day

Today, Peggy and I had to play some catch up. This past week, we celebrated our Anniversary on the 9th, but had too many things going on, so we decided to postpone our celebration until today. Usually we scurry aound trying to fit something together and usually we are tired and cranky by the time dinner rolls around. This year we decided to adapt our Anniversary to our new lifestyle that we are working towards. What difference does it matter what day we decide to stop and smell the roses! As long as we can still smell! So this morning we set out to run some errands and for lunch we went to Ralph and Coocos for our official Anniversary! We also stopped at Cavanaughs Jewelry so Peggy could pick out her Gold Dipped Rose. Being the romantic fool I am, I bought one for our first anniversary and of course it was as big hit with Peggy and now its a tradition! Why couldnt I stop at a romantic Hot Dog Stand or something. A scenic overlook. Anything but gold dipped roses! I pick about it, but she is worth it and it makes it easy for me to get an Anniversary gift. Its all good.

Snow Day

As promised, I have taken some pics to prove that we just have to get out when it snows, no matter how much and take photos to save forever. I cant even remember when we had a snow that actually stuck to the ground over nite. Probably 20 years or so. This church, just up the road from our place is Ryan Chapel Methodist Church which has been at this location for over a hundred years I believe. So there was not much to it after all the hype from the weather man. By tomorrow, the temps will rise and all the ice and snow will be gone. Suits me because I am ready to get the RV ready to roll. The only thing that disrupted my usual activities was that the Sat dish quit working for about thirty minutes. Snow will accumilate and block the signal. I had decided to go out and knock the snow off, but by the time I got dressed and ready to get it done, it melted and the TV came back on. These photos were taken with my new iphone. I am just learning all of the things it can do and decided to practice this morning with taking photos out of the truck window. You do have to hold your hand steady to keep the photos in focus. As you can tell by the photo of the RV. It is sad! It wants to go and does not like the ice on it. Everyone take care, warm weather is on the way.

Waiting on Snow in East Texas

Historically we don't get snow in East Texas, period. It just does not happen, except every five to ten years we get a sprinkle that last till the sun rises the next morning, then it's over. As a result, we don't stock snow shovels, snow blowers, heavy insulated snow boots, snow skis, sleds, sled dogs, snow plows and any other snow removal equipment. So we whine when we hear that we are in for a 2 to 5 inch snowfall. For me it does not matter. I will muddle my way to work somehow with as much warm clothes as I have, hunt my gloves up from the top of the closet of never used items, and may even wear some heavy socks and a hat of some sort. That's it for the preperation for our once every five years expected snowfall. I have to grin when I see the long lines at the supermarket, with shoppers making a run on bread, milk, batteries and junk food. Buggies stacked deep just in case we lose power for a week or two. I choose not to panic and only buy what we usually buy. I keep some batteries around in case of power outages and the generator in the storage building can be dragged out in a flash if needed. I keep the computer battery charged up along with the cell phones and make sure the truck is fueled. Other than these basics, let it snow! Some Facebook friends have been posting photos from the Northern part of Texas where it started snowing last nite and all day. Indulge us this lunacy. Dont make fun if you live where the average snowfall is 50 feet or so. We just dont get to suffer like that regularly except in summer time. If there is snow on the ground in the morning, stay tuned. I will post a photo as soon as possible, if I can shovel my way out of the front door!

Spring is on the Way

I have not posted in many weeks! Shocking, but laziness sets in at this time of the year with the dreary, rainy, cold, damp,,and all the other adjectives to describe the winters in East Texas. Surely as the sun is shining today, spring will arrive soon and thats gets me to thinking about trips that need taking. We have already made reservations in Rockport Tx in March, to meet some of the RV-Dreamers that we chat with nearly every day. We had passed thru Rockport a few years ago and Peggy and I both really liked the area and vowed to come back when we could spend a few days. I also have made reservations for the Heartland rally in April that will be held in Spring Tx. Took some shuffling of my schedules and promising a co-worker to help him out if he needed to swap "on call" status later in the year but got the dates I needed to be off. Hitch itch really has started in on me when the sun pops out and I am ready to get on the road. Its a shame that my "W" life is interfering with my RVing, but it is. Today Peggy and I have gone to my mothers house, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery , to give my sister a break to go plant some trees. Arbor day was this week and the local America Beautiful Clean folks gave away thousands of hard wood seedlings. My sister is loves to get free stuff and has a sack full of seedlings to plant. I suspect after setting out 20 or so seedlings, she will not be as keen on it. I did tell her to plant any she would like on my land that ajoins hers. I have always loved hard woods and if I never saw another pine tree it would not hurt my feelings. My part of the property is an old hay meadow and is mostly open except for the volunteer pines that sprout up and the sweet gum trees. Before we hitch up and go Rving, I do need to hook the water up to my RV and check all systems. We did have several days of below freezing weather this year and made it down into the teens a few times, so I need to know that all fittings and pipes are good to go. I also have a modification planned that will require me to remove my screen door and take it to a glass shop and have a plexiglas piece cut to cover the screen. We saw that modification on a lot of RVs last year, which allows you to keep your big door open most of the time and not worry about losing your cool air viewpoint. If I can get these things and a few others done this month, we should be ready to roll soon. I have taken no pics of anything this winter so I have none to post. Until next time, everyone travel safely and have some fun.

Santa made a stop at my house!

I waited for Santa all nite long, but somehow fell asleep! I had him some cookies and some medicinal refreshments to keep  him warm on his long journey.

Santa Claus was very, very good to me!!! He brought me the Weber Q100 "Baby Q" which I have been wanting for awhile. Of course it is for the RV!! And what is a new grill without some new grill tools and digital Temp fork to keep an eye on your Temps!!

Santa also brought a leaf blower, Vac that I have been needing (also for the RV) to blow the tops of the slideouts so I wont have to climb on top to sweep them before retracting! Good Job Santa. A couple of other items rounded out the wish list and I did very good in that Dept. I put the leaf blower together and did some yard work in front just to check it out. Will have to find a gas bottle to check the Q out. Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Christmas Tree for Traveling

It is officially the 12 days of Christmas at our house. We got a late start due to the weather and we both have been sick for a couple of weeks. Seems like the flu this year just keeps hanging on. I got both H1N1 and regular flu shots this year and maybe this wasnt the flu but just a bad cold, but it just kept hanging on and making me feel like yuck! Now though I am back up to speed and Peggy has been taking me shopping, mainly to carry packages and such, but we are almost done and even have a tree put up. We decided this year to get a small tree that we can put in a corner and use it when we are finally on the road in the 5th Wheel. We selected a thin little 5 ft tree from Lowe's Home Improvement which already had lights, pine cones and red berries. We only added a few snowflakes, and some ceramic birds and done. The pic may not do it justice but I will try to add enough so you can tell how nice this tree really is.

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.