Fishing for Planes!

Three days into the RV life and I am figuring out that our adventures will probably lie beyond the confines of a campground.  Without the Toad (our vehicle that will be ‘towed’ behind us once we stow the cargo trailer)…we are pretty much limited to whatever the RV Parks have to offer. So far, that has been mostly gravel and dog runs.

                 

We did, however, have some excitement last night as the rig started shaking. Being from California, we naturally assumed it was an earthquake; nope, just a very nearby train. Pretty sure if I’d put my arm out the window and did the “pull cord” sign, the conductor would have blown his whistle.

But that wasn't the end of our excitement. We began to hear a buzzing noise. At first it was far enough away that I did a 360-degree head turn, looking for a mosquito…but it got so loud that we pulled up the blinds to see a very small, very low plane coming in for a landing. I could literally see the tread on the tires, without my contacts in. Either there is a small airfield behind us, or a farmer owns his own crop duster, because it made several outings throughout the evening.

Tonight I’m going to move our rope lights to the roof of the RV, stand outside with a couple of my scarves attached to wooden spoons, and I’m going to catch me a plane!  Wish me luck!

Meanwhile back on the ranch...on my walk I found an old stagecoach;

...And a really cool old bench who has lived the existence of a chameleon. 

I tried, but could not count the layers of colors it had been painted.

Now it reminds me of a Rainbow Eucalyptus.

 I find it comforting to find beauty in the aging, 

especially when you can see remains of a life well lived...

... like smile/laugh lines.

The Blake RV Park and Horse Motel, Kingman, AZ

Some days you reach into the cookie jar and find the cookies are all gone. That was my day yesterday. I had been SO very eager for our first day as real life adventurers. However, my body has a mind of its own, and it’s one I can’t argue with. I've tried.

I was more than disappointed, but I have learned the best way to get through a bad physical day is to let my body rest and work out its own issues. And that I did. I slept until 5 pm; missed the entire first day. Boo-Hoo. The boys assured me I didn't miss much. As the horses are paying guests, unless you know one personally, you can’t go visit them.

They guys did not find any cool artifacts, but they did find some fun art!

    

Mark has spent many a year, planted like a tree in the middle of 'my' kitchen while I was cooking, waiting like a dog for a spare morsel he could commandeer. I used to find this annoying, as I attempted to buzz around in my happy place, then “boom” I would bump into this giant tree, rooted firmly between myself and my destination. I started giving the Tree “tasks” to keep him out of my path of travel. “Here, stir this.” “Can you dice these for me?” and so on. Next thing I know, the Tree had become my sous chef. He also paid attention to methods, processes, seasonings, and techniques. The Tree absorbed all of this like a sponge. Now when I have bad health day, sous chef takes over the role of Chef. Nothing fancy, always palatable.

After dinner, Mark struck up a conversation with the man in the rig to the left of us. They had been full-time RV travelers for seven years, haling from Louisiana. He gave us some ‘local tips’ on what not to miss while in that area. It is also where my favorite hot sauce originates; Louisiana Hot Sauce! I’ll be sure to stock up…well, with an RV pantry, I guess “stocking up” would be purchasing an extra bottle. *sigh

Last night after the sun had set and the large street lights lit up, copious numbers of large bats swarmed around the lamps, eating unsuspecting bugs that were attracted to the light. I wonder how the bats fed before electricity.

Overall I’d say The Blake Ranch and Horse Motel would rate an ‘A’ for cleanliness. Besides the two Canine Corals, cute name for fenced in dog walk areas:

And,The Horse Motel (that was off limits), the only entertainment was to walk around and check out the other RV’s, greeting the occasional dog walker; instant comrades on the same mission.

It was a very beautiful and well groomed area. I guess the only negative comment I would make, besides boring, is that due to the close proximity of the I-40 freeway, it was a little noisy come bedtime.

So ends our first adventure day. Nothing like I’d pictured, but that is the beauty of life; it is sometimes the unexpected bits that turn out to be the best bits.

We are back on the road. Next stop Gallup, New Mexico. Hoping our next destination has some of those good bits awaiting us. Oooh, I see TREES ahead!

Cord of wood anyone?

None of us could sleep last night. Mark laid there wondering if the Tumbleweed would have any problems pulling the cargo trailer over the pass. I laid there wondering what I could wear that would be comfy and work for either hot or cool weather. Cotye laid there wondering why the two of us were tossing and turning so much. 

Everything went smoothly with the pack up. Was it bad I didn't feel any pangs of sentiment as we drove out of Castaic? 

I think it must have been long overdue. Good-bye Castaic Lake RV Park!

Cotye and I have been going on an "artifact hunt' daily since moving into the RV Park. We hope to do this in most places where we stay for more than a day or so. I thought it would be fun to document and share our findings here on the blog.

We were beginning to think we would come up empty handed after a week went by and all we came across was garbage blowing in the wind. Then our last night in the park we found this little guy.

Can you see him? It is an old-fashioned army man like the ones around when I was a kid. 

Cotye thought we should bring it with us, but I assured him there would be many more "artifacts" to find. Best to take a picture and leave it behind for someone else to enjoy. 

Cotye was okay with that.

We stopped for lunch at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, literally. There wasn't a town in sight for miles, much less the odd ranch or even a cow. 

But it was a so nice to be far away from fast food joints, after having them every 50 feet from the RV park.

It was also nice to be on the road, yet have my kitchen with me to make us a healthy lunch!

Cotye had to settle for a couple of milk bones, but he didn't seem to mind.

The landscape was constantly changing as we drove along. There were rolling hills, then fields of California poppies, followed by Joshua trees then patches of lava. I took a lot of pictures, however I think I may need the same kind of practice a new Airline Hostess needs when learning how to keep a steady hand while on a bumpy ride. Today was especially bumpy, and windy. Here is one picture that wasn't too blurry. 

Mark says it is the Colorado River. I had no idea there was a Colorado River here in California and am wondering if it actually runs all the way from Colorado, or if its name is just a non-related coincidence. Too embarrassed to ask.


One thing I am certain of, is my knowledge of geography will improve immensely with all of this driving around. Here's hoping my memory holds out!

We hit our destination just after 4 o'clock PM. 

The Blake Ranch and Horse Motel. Oh my gosh, adorable! I can't wait to explore the area with my guys tomorrow.

Once we were plugged in, Mark took Cotye for a walk while I got the inside of the rig set up. It is so surreal that this is our home! I am bruised from pinching myself. Or, the bruises could be from trying to navigate my way back to the bathroom while the RV was bouncing from lane to lane. *shrug

After sitting outside with a glass of wine, we decided to scrap our original dinner plans and opted for one of our favorite go-to meals when we are tired:

I think we'll call it a night here shortly. So glad we will be staying one more night before moving on. 

Thanks for all the good thoughts, prayers and well wishes for safe travels. Day one is behind us. Only seven more days to go until we are safely at Nana and Lyle's house in Colorado.  

Sweet dreams all! I plan on sawing logs like a buzz saw tonight! Anyone need a cord of wood?

Ready, Set, GO!

I would like to give a shout out to LA County for their lack of road upkeep! Thank you very much! On the way to the repair shop, Chomper (sewage pump) was jiggled so much that when Mark arrived and turned the pump on for serviceman, Chomper let out a HUGE belch and the problem was solved! Just so it wasn't a wasted trip, Mark stopped by Camping World and picked up more gear for the RV. (Because we need more stuff!) – *eye roll.

After Chomper was feeling better, we took the RV in for a new set of tires. Can I just say, OUCH! I don’t think Mark will ever complain about the price of my shoes again!

Here is a rare picture of all three vehicles together. Not sure when this will happen again!  The Toad (car) will be staying in the spot we use to store the RV here in Castaic. After we drop the cargo trailer off in Colorado, we will return for the car mid-June. Then, let the games begin!

We are completely done with the house. Left the keys and garage remotes there and locked the door behind us. It has been a long time since I've seen Mark smile so big. I must admit, there was an amazing sense of freedom. I was worried I would feel remorse but nope! It was like removing a pair of cement shoes. And that is a very good feeling.

The RV is already packed for an early morning departure. 

Hercules (cargo trailer) will be earning his name this trip. This picture shows how stuffed it is.

I imagine hauling this thing over the mountains won't be a whole lot of fun. Sure glad I have my driver along!

So, we say good-bye to the Castaic Lake RV Park. Even though the area is a bit shady, there is new management and things are looking up. In the short time we were here, they moved all of the year-round campers to the back, and started re-doing each campsite up front with grass next to the cement RV pads, built-in fire pits, and newly painted picnic tables. The new manager is an ex-Sheriff so I am sure any alleged illicit affairs in the park will come to a screeching halt soon, if not already done so. Hey, we may even come back! ... Nah. At least not for awhile.

Chomper is not well . . .

Sometimes all you can do is laugh!

Yesterday we went to the house and picked up the cargo trailer. Mark had a neighbor help, as the trailer was at the top of our steeply inclined driveway, and there was no way we were backing our big rig up there. The neighbor kindly hooked the trailer up to his pickup truck and then drove it down the hill to a level spot where Mark was waiting. They then transferred the trailer to the RV. We said our goodbyes to the house and set off for our new life on wheels. It sure felt good to finally have all of our belongings in one spot.

Having been at the RV Park for some time now, the ‘tear down’ for travel took a lot longer than anticipated. Everything on the counter-tops, all the décor, anything sitting loose had to be secured for travel. It was our first pack-up with the rig completely full. We have done this a gazillion times in our first RV, but it is so much different when it is your home as opposed to your recreational vehicle! Eventually, this process will be quick and second nature, as everything will have its place and we’ll have a routine worked out. At least we hope.

However, I do believe I have learned my first fulltime RV lesson. 1) When en route to a destination and you are making one night stops along the way, leave the décor and unneeded loose items, packed in their little collapsible bins to save time in the morning when you are tearing down.

The set up went much faster than the tear down, thank God! We even cleaned the whole RV before putting things back on the counters and floors. I love that part. To clean our big house, I would have schedule one chore a day, i.e. dust on Monday, floors on Tuesday, etc.  I can thoroughly clean the RV in less than 30 minutes flat!

In no time at all we had set up, the RV was clean, we ate dinner, Skyped with Asher and the family for Mother’s Day (they are a day ahead of us down under), and had just snuggled in for a Modern Family Marathon on TV, when we heard a strange noise. It was our fancy-schmancy-sewage-grinder-thingy. I don’t know the technical name for this devise, but I call it The Chomper. It is a specific type of pump needed because of having two toilets in the rig. 

In the Flintstones they had a prehistoric pig for a garbage disposal, and that is kind of how I picture The Chomper, as a big prehistoric poo-eating creature with a ginormous mouth. Anywhooo…The Chomper was running constantly, like it had something stuck in its teeth.

Mark tried all sorts of remedies; from emptying the tank, to filling the tank with fresh water and dumping it again, tweaking this and that, verbal threats, (I covered Cotye’s ears). Finally he pulled out a plunger and plunged both toilets several times. I think he was using the wrong end . . . it seriously sounded more like the darn thing needed a toothpick.

After almost two hours of frustration, we each packed an overnight bag, grabbed our sleeping bags and pillows and went….you guessed it, back to the house where, even completely empty, there were at least toilets!

I don’t remember the floor being so hard. But it was worth it for the delight Cotye took in us sleeping down on his territory. Once he stopped doing laps of joy around us, he snuggled in for a long night of cuddling in his mommy’s arms. Happiness is a warm puppy to sleep with!

I find it hilarious that our first adventure would involve sleeping bags and our old house. Never saw that coming!

Dances without Lists!?

We have moved our travel date up to Tuesday, 5-13-14. Wah-Hoo!

I don’t know about you, but for me, there have only been a few times in life when reality hit like a splash of cold water, sucking my breath away, sending me jettisoned into a swirling vortex, my mind reeling. (Too dramatic? But that is exactly what it feels like!) As the spinning slows, thoughts catch up, and you know life is about to change. I felt this when I looked at a pregnancy test stick and saw a positive sign. I felt this when Mark proposed to me. I can’t even remember if I said yes, but I must have! I also felt this when I was told I had an incurable autoimmune disease. Good or bad, these game changers blindside us and force us to learn a new dance.  

We've had an RV before, so this is not our first rodeo. In the previous rig we kept a complete set of kitchenware, cookware, toiletries, and so on, but we still had to bring clothing, groceries, laptops, cameras, phones, and etc. whenever we traveled. There were lists to be made. When we traveled by plane, there were lists to be made. When we took road trips, there were lists to be made. Therefore, when I sat down this morning to plan for the Colorado trip, I did so expecting to make “lists.”

My game change hit when I realized there were no lists to make! Other than a menu/grocery list, which I make up every week anyway, everything else would already be traveling with us. It was the first time it REALLY sunk in that this RV is our home, not our luxury travel vehicle. It’s been a fact for quite some time that we would be full-time RV-ers, but until I sat down to make our travel lists, the reality had somehow eluded me.

I have only one thing to say; WHAT?! No lists!!! Going to need to tweak this new dance a bit. No lists, whatever . . . 

Eight Days and Counting!

Nine days until departure. Well, eight, since we already made it through today. 

The only RV Park that could handle the length of both our RV and our cargo van, sits in the center of ‘truck stop alley.’ Fresh air is nonexistent. We sit just off the main street which consists of dingy little bars and 24 hour Markets squeezed in between large gas stations and big fast food chains. The center turn lane is used exclusively for semi-trucks to park, with flashers on, while they grab a meal or a beer at one of these establishments. If you need to turn left or right, you have to be brave, creative and a little bit crazy.

Basically, there is not much to do but eat and buy gas, or eat and get gas. Even Cotye seems to notice the difference in air quality and doesn't ask to go out unless he really needs to.

Today I visited the house for the first time since the sale. It is, of course, empty. Huge. No longer feels like home. I was prepared to be sad and full of emotion but Cotye walked in and his eyes widened. He didn't see a sad empty house, he saw a huge personal race track. Round and round and round he went, wicked happy grin on his goofy face as he whooshed by each time, in a blur. What a great good-bye memory for that house!

Meanwhile the RV feels like it is shrinking, feet are getting bigger, chewing is louder, legs are longer, dog toys have multiplied in size and quantity (on their own). All this, not because we are over-stocked and out of room, but because we are so very anxious to get on the road! 

Eight days from now, our mental state may be a bit off (it already is). But as soon as we get some fresh air in our lungs and can stretch our legs on a leisurely walk in the vicinity of green trees, our sanity will return. At least that's the plan. *elbows imaginary friend in ribs and chuckles.* 

**Thank you Gabby for the adorable, and fitting, picture!