RV Boondocking the Good Life

My daughter and Son in Law had gone back to his home country in Missouri for Christmas with his family this year. They just got back Sunday night... so they came up to our place yesterday for 'Our' Christmas together...

But... since we have a store... and the IRS demands certain things... it's been Heidi's tradition, to have all her friends come on New Years day and the sort of make a party out of Counting Beads, for an annual Inventory.

So... Josh and I just took off in Big Red... 'cause I can't endure, counting Beads all day with a bunch of 'girls'... :-)

I figured, maybe it would be fun to take him up and show him some of the Ranch where his bride grew up.... and see it again for myself... haven't been up around it at all for a while.

Startin' off the New Year by rememberin' some of the past goodun's :-)

It makes a fella a mite homesick to go back into his history a mite... the place I rode for was actually a combination of two outfits... we lived on one... and worked for both....
The place we lived on was something in the vicinity of 12,500 acres... the other outfit I worked for was something like 5,000 acres I believe... and then they had I don't know how many thousand acres of forest permits for summer graze. Both outfits were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest and State land...

Absolute heaven for somebody whose soul craves for solitude and sometimes an almost hermit like seclusion :-)

Though you first hit the ranch at it's southern tip, when you're comin' in from town... I'll start the tour up at the northern end... nigh on to 15 miles above the southern tip....

This pic is looking south across the ranch, from the very northern tip, right beside the gate. Those far hills you can see are only a half mile or so east of the highway... nigh on to 15 miles from where you sit at the gate. This is where we lived for 10 years... just a mile, down through those trees sits our cabin... Can't get there today... the locked gate that gave me so much privacy is still doin' it's job. :-)

About a mile before you get to the gate, running along the western border of the ranch, is this view...
It's pretty hard to find any part of the ranch that don't make your heart ache when you realize you don't live there any more...

Near to that view sits one of the sets of improvements on the Ranch...

This place is used mostly for horses these days.... but we used to move a lot of cows through here.

Rolled around a bend with Josh pointin' out this and that and came across some of the 'Girls'.

Part way through the winter and they're lookin' fine!

Down a mile or two from the south end of the place we lived on you have another view, lookin' east across the south end...

About a mile behind you, when you're enjoyin' the view of that Far Country sits the improvements for the other place I worked for....

That's a view I had many a dark morning at 5:30 am! ... Back when I was still young and purty! :-)

Don't know if Josh enjoyed the day... his ears were probably pretty sore... sittin' trapped in the rig with me for 4+ hours... you don't get much opportunity to say a lot :-)

.... but I did.... lot's of memories of 'Sunny Slopes' up in those hills.

Well... work is stackin' up while I've been jawin' so I better get after it...

Take Good Care... and don't go forgettin' your own 'Sunny Slopes' of yesteryear!
Brian

January 3, 2008 09:45 - Take another look

I've been lookin' around a little and I've decided that maybe it's a winter thing.... people have too much time on their hands when they're 'cabin bound', and start worryin' about things that don't really matter...

And... that they really have no power to change anyway...

They watch the talking heads on the tube too much... and get sold all that gloom and doom.... I know.... I'm as guilty of buyin' that junk as anyone.... my biggest fault... though we all know bein' as nigh on to perfect as I am, my faults are awful tiny :-)... is that I lean toward cynicism... doom and gloom... I have to deliberately, consciously, guard against it...

When I put my brain... OK Mike.... TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT! :-) .... to it, I can see the clear trail through all the 'emotional' garbage the system tries to load you up with.

Here's the deal.... free advice... so get your moneys' worth! :-)... turn off the tube... turn on your stereo... pick up your knitting... or your splitting maul... or your fishing rod.... or climb on your bike.... pedal or motor! ... take the dog for a walk.... grab your better half, get the rig to rockin' and make noises that make your neighbors blush!... quit worryin' it to death and just go out and grab on to a hunk of life!

What's the biggest risk? Maybe you'll fall flat on your face... but with a little practice you'll be able to use your 'fall' for a story that makes you a hit at the next BBQ!

Don't worry about all that crap the politicians are trying to sell you... they're just spewin' crap the 'polls' told 'em you want to hear... doesn't have anything to do with what they really plan! .... the corporations... for the most part are only after your dinero... and for the most part tell you the same baloney... no matter what you do you're not gonna change any of that... so what do you do? What do I do? Ignore the grasping buggers and go fishin'!

Tune 'em out.... when you need something... go find it... when you need advice... hunt up someone that still has a mite of integrity and get their opinion... then make a deicision of your OWN... but most of all...

Hunt LIVIN' ... find LIVIN' and GRAB ON TO IT!... and if a politico comes up to you and starts jawin' about what he's gonna do for you... point at him and start laughin'!

and I just thought of a way to stop global warming! Gag all the politicians! Just think of all the 'gas' that won't be gettin' spewed into the environment any more! :-) .... a side benefit is that we'll be able to better hear that loon out on the lake ... without all that background noise....

There... all vented... I feel better now.

Just some more Cowboy Philosophizin'
Take Good Care
Brian

January 4, 2008 09:05 - The often overlooked but awful important S.O.P.'s

Was looking around this morning at what other folks are up to and through a couple of links got directed to a spot where they were talking about something that makes a lot of sense... that we should all pay some attention to and just maybe is one of those things that falls through the cracks.

It's a thing that can be pretty critical to folks on the road too.

S.O.P. .... I think it's a term that maybe originated in the military... and I'd guess most folks know what it means ... for those who didn't - Standard Operating Procedure.

What's that got to do with us? .... I'll bet most of you are like Heidi and I... she has her responsibilities... I have mine....
She pays some bills... I pay others.... she's mostly responsibile for inside ... I take care of the outside... and am also responsibile when anything goes wrong.... :-) ... sorry... couldn't resist that one....

You girls.... do you know how to dump the rig? Hook up the power? I know the solo gals do.... pretty often us guys get careless and forget to make sure you know how to run the rig... just in case.... like what happens if you fall off the ladder tryin' to get that antenna fixed so you can watch Martha Stewart ? :-O

You get layed up for a while... the boss lady better know how things work.... and guys... does your lady pay a lot of the bills? 'cause like me.... you HATE that crap? Do you know where she keeps those records? When they're due? Exactly how many there are and what accounts they get paid out of?

Do you both know where all the important 'stuff' is kept?

The folks at this site: Look here for S.O.P. ideas have worked out a good deal of it for us....

And driving fits into this too! I have to be honest here.... Heidi has NEVER pulled the Eagle.... scares the hell out of me.... I really don't like the way she pushes steel down the road :-)

Many years ago we were on a trip to California in our Sprinter Motorhome.... Had her folks with us.... I was sleepin' on the couch...about midnight... Her Dad was in the Navigators chair... and her Mom was standing between the Drivers chair and the Navigator....

I woke when that 454 went to wailing.... I heard Alice (Mother-in-law) laugh: "You better get on it!" and that 454 kicked down another gear and hit the redline...

I wondered what was goin' on and sat up....looked out the window..... EEEEEiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiEEEEEEEEEEEE! ...

You know in California.... how they dead end freeway construction with those great big hash marked barriers at the end of the lanes?

As I sat up... my attention was first captured by the semi roaring along side us... maybe a foot and a half away.... we were rolling, probably 80 mph+ and there.... out the windshield.... as I looked past my mother-in-law was one of those 12' tall, hash marked barricades.... spotlighted in the headlights... just a couple hundred feet down the road.....

"I'll get him!" My wife hollers, laughing, at her mother.... over the screaming 454! ..... Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

I don't know where she found it but I believe she found a couple more rpm in that big block.... got ahead of that trucker and safely back into the lane in front of him.... and I'll bet she had a whole 18 inches to spare!

Drag racing truckers in a 20,000+ lb rig! ... Oh Momma!

Now.... since that day.... I've been perfectly willing to drive 97 hours straight, sitting on a bucket of ball bearings, with a stolen 'RAP' CD in the stereo, rather than let her haul the rig down the road..... scared what little bejesus I had left clean out of me!

Only trouble is... I can see the day when my ego puts my butt in a sling and she needs to run the hitched up rig into town to have 'humpty dumpty' put together again.... so I'm going to need to make sure she can do that....

anybody have an extra valium?

Guess I need to add another page to a couple of my 'projects!'

Take Care
Brian

January 5, 2008 06:17 - Just jawin'

Been batchin' it since Thursday mornin'... Heidi and Buck are off to Castle Rock again... on another quest for agility glory....
and they found it. They been chasin' a thing called a M.A.D. ... stands for 'Master Agility Dog'... I guess most of their friends
took nigh on to four years to achieve it...

Heidi an' Buck captured theirs Friday morning... a touch over a year and a half... they might not be world champion material... but they'll do. When they have a good run they look good. They put it together so smooth... they look slow... till you look at the clock. They're not the fastest... but they put pressure on those that are!

They're solid and steady... when the really fast folks stumble... Heidi an' Buck run 'em over! Steady wins the day.

I made the mistake of puttin' Jeremiah Johnson on the video machine tonight... combined with the run, up by the ranch, Josh and I made the other day... it's got me awful homesick for the high up and lonesome... sad thing for a man to be born out of season... always seems like something is out of place... Like a shoe that don't fit, or a sticker in your sock and you can't find it... they just keep rubbin' and jabbin' at you... and not one darn thing you can do about it...

I just maybe came along a 150 or 200 years late... you think maybe the Boss knows his Birthin' Bookkeeper screwed up? How much trouble do ya figure an Angel could get in for countin' wrong? :-) ... probably a lot less than I keep stacked up for myself for sure.

For me RV Boondocking is about as close as I'll get any more... I don't suppose I'm much willing to carry my hot roll deep into the mountains on the back of a mule too many more times... I've grown pretty fond of that queen bed, my coffee maker and a good stereo! Especially when it's rainin' and blowin'!

A good long ride ... or a hike through those mountains is Shinin' Times... but I like to be back to the welcome comfort of the Eagle come sundown... But don't tell no-one ... it'll spoil my 'tough rooster' reputation... OK?

Almost pulled Slick out yesterday... got up over 50 for a good while... but to tell the truth.... been feelin' pretty shabby the past few days, and with all the weather the past few weeks... the roads are kind of sandy... a mite spooky on a scooter... but here shortly... things will start lookin' up... and I'll be astride once more... splittin' the wind an' catchin' bugs in my teeth....

Leastways if I leave the face shield up!

Take Care
Brian

January 8, 2008 07:31 - OK... I'm mad as hell... and I'm pretty durn sure I'm not going to take much more!

Geez! If it ain't a corrupt gov't rippin' me off ... it's a parasitic insurance company!

Last summer/fall I thought I'd settled our medical insurance for a while... I guess I was wrong. The insurance company ... ANTHEM... apparently didn't like the idea of losing that much premium payment...

We'd changed our insurance from a regular to a high deductible... with a Health Savings Account... Our insurance had climbed to $520 a month!... and we haven't been to a sawbones in 2 1/2 years.... not a claim! The change we made dropped it back to $265 a month... still obscenely high... considering our lack of use... but endurable...

There seems to be no benefit to being/staying healthy... they just condition a fella with a constant din in the media, to be scared of something goin' wrong and then rape you for the premium...

Well... we got a letter... they're kicking our premium 38%! .... claiming an increase in medical costs.... 38%?!! I don't think so!

I don't know about you folks... I expect just about everybody is struggling with this.... My position is that the greed of insurance companies is driving the obscene inflation in 'medical care' costs... NOT medical care costs... If it was truly the cost of the care... the profits of the insurance companies would be static.... NOT continuing to register record profits...

My answer is likely to be... in the next very few days.... to tell the insurance company to take their parasitic selves and get out of my face... At this point I'd rather kiss this Ol' world a fond goodbye, if I got bad sick.... then enrich those carnivorous B$#%@#$S another nickle! AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!

Heidi isn't anywhere near as 'difficult' as I am.... she figures..."Oh well, what choice do we have?" and just pays it like a good little public servant...

This child ain't never been known to be a 'good little' anything!.... I figure, we all end up pretty much in the same place, when it's all said and done ... so all we're really talking about is the amount of time we have.... I calculate my choices are: I can spend that time as a free man... serving my interests... or I can spend it as a slave, profit center, for a parasitic corporation which basically just seeks to make as much profit off the misfortune of others as it can... with little or no consideration for the people who are sick.... Hmmm.... sounds remarkably like a 'Drug Dealer'... don't it?

I would much rather spend a year as a free man... then 30 as an indentured slave. Kind of like what Patrick Henry said so many years ago!... I know not what choice others will make, but as for me.... I'm goin' fishin! ... and that Insurance company can kiss my bony butt!... and find somebody else to cheat for it's parasitic income.

So.... today we're gettin' in Big Red and makin' a circle over west a ways... see if I can find some clear air and open country to wash the stink of all this out of my head for a while.

Nuthin' better for a man than far country when he's wrapped up in a great big MAD!... except maybe a good horse in that Far Country...

This concludes... One more Sermon :-)
Take Good Care People
Brian

January 9, 2008 09:03 - 'Nuff Whinin' for a while!

We figured... or somebody did, that I (we) needed some fresh air... so we took off for some emptier country... to get the 'fix' I was hungerin' for...

Just to show you how whiny I can be.... grousin' about needin' open country.... this is what the place here looked like before we left...

Standing part way to the south line and looking back at the barn, house, and shop.... and I still get claustrophobic!... I got too used to 12,000 acres around the cabin I guess!

We rolled up I-25 to Cheyenne to fuel.... Diesel was $3.32 in Fort Collins.... $3.07 in Cheyenne! and back to $3.32 in Laramie when we went through there... go figure....

Between Cheyenne and Laramie sits Vedawoo Recreation area.... If you're rolling west.... or east I guess :-) on I-80 in the summertime... and need a spot to spend a nice night... or several... Vedawoo is awful pretty....

A mite tough in the winter though!

At about 13 degrees... and the wind a zippin' you might not want to engage in trying to drag your fiver through the drifts!
If you did a 'right face' and looked east from here, you'd be lookin' down a dirt road.... now blocked by a good sized drift... down that road are lots of spots... on the National Forest, to Boondock.

The Vedawoo Recreation Area has a real nice Forest Service Campground and lots of nice trails to walk... a good place to rest.

We passed through Laramie on the Snowy Range Road and headed out toward Woods Landing, Fox Park and Mountain Home Wyoming... The road was pretty clear until we started climbing up into the Snowy Mountains west of Laramie...

It wasn't real slippery... at least not for a skilled gear jammer like me! :-) but there weren't much asphalt visible...

.... and then it happened! Just as we were approaching the Wycolo Lodge near Mountain Home.... Big Red got outrun!
.... by a pack of vicious... howling.... SNOWMOBILES! :-)

Their tracks were just shredding that snow... folks looked to be havin' some fun... if goin' 45 mph or so... at 13 degrees at around 8500' or so is fun :-)

I have to admit it... those machines can just handle the slip 'n slide better than Big Red...

He tried... but on the slip 'n slide of the snow packed road.... the Snowmobile won!

A little on down the road.... after he got outrun... poor Ol' Red passed this little place.... almost makes you want to live there don't it? ... almost....

It's real pretty... until it's been like that for 4 or 5 months... and you have to wade through it to get to the barn every day... then it gets just a mite wearing! :-)

It was 4wd... to keep the slippin' an' slidin' to a minimum all the way over the Snowies and back into Colorado north of Cowdrey...

We'd intended to head for Saratogo Wyoming... but... the wind was so strong we decided strolling around that little town wasn't going to be a fun deal so just past this cut, where the road forks, we made our decision....

North to Encampment and Saratoga?

OR

South to Walden .... and maybe Steamboat? .....

South it was!

There are a couple of small cafes in Walden... unfortunately... they are much like Crockodile Dundee's description of grubs and Iguanas... "you can eat it... but it tastes like _ _ _ t! :-)

SO.... following Heidi's advice... eat at your own risk! :-)

At Walden ... after taking on an 'iffy' meal.... we swung back east heading for Cameron pass and the Canyon of the Poudre River... the roads were so snowpacked it would have taken a Long, Long, time to go all the way to Steamboat... so we just turned for home.

Snow packed and greasy all the way it was a nice run, though slow.... up on top of Cameron pass the state was working at clearing the pass from the last several days of snow and wind.... this rig would make short work of your driveway wouldn't it?

Looks like fun... though I expect after you do it for 8 or 10 hours a day for a couple years you'd get the bored, zombie like look of the poor fella runnin' the thing that I saw as we passed him :-)

From here it was just roll down the Canyon and home... always a nice run... and pretty fair yesterday... with almost no other traffic....

AND.... even more fun when you look up at the computer console and see this! :-)

Ford and Chevy eat your hearts out! :-)

Here's the trick to getting that kind of MPG.... Drive a Cummins... load it up REALLY HEAVY... push it off a cliff on a Tuesday morning, with a good down draft.... pushing on the windshield.... with the windows closed (to maintain aero dynamics!) and shut the engine off! :-) .... then... just before it hits bottom.... snap the picture!

It's pretty amazing what kind of fuel mileage you can get... coasting downhill for 40 miles or so ain't it? :-) Though I must say... I think it's pretty awsome that a truck weighing in somewhere in the vicinity of 8,000 lbs can get that kind of mileage under ANY circumstances! :-)

Heidi's starting to squall at me... we're cleaning the Eagle today in preparation for heading to Tucson at the end of the month for our Annual Gem and Mineral show expedition... for her store....

I better get after it before she starts to chuckin' things at me!

Take Good Care
Brian

January 11, 2008 07:58 - A Historic Day... and You were here to witness it!

Yep... a day when I've got little to say! :-) ...

Up early today... had to punch and spin... coil and bind! ... sounds like a witches brew don't it? I got a little behind on my 'bindining' of books... Now there's a problem a fella can't complain about much! Considerin' it means people are actually requestin' his work... Awsome... Many Thanks!

My four days away from the Hardware store are only three days this week... and next... considerin' I'll be on the road the first half of February, I offered to fill in a few days before and after... to make up for some of the lost wages for me... and give them a warm body to help shuffle the 'hours' around with... and they took me up on it.

I better get myself organized again... seems like I'm goin' six different directions... with as little as I really have to do... that's nigh on to pathetic! ... what am I gonna be like if I ever live long enough to really be OLD?

The current plan is to do a little touch up painting and such after we haul back from Tucson... and then put the place back on the market along about the first of March... just maybe... we'll sail past that obstacle this time... I'll catch up with my chores... come up with more to say and everything will be sweetness and light! :-) ...

OK... a fella can dream can't he?

We'll... if I'm gonna meet my '24 hour' shippin' promise... I better get back to it! ... punch... spin coil... stack.... punch... spin coil... stack...

I'll buy you a cup of Joe down the road somewhere
Brian

January 14, 2008 06:28 - Snowbirds, tires, frozen water and the price of fuel...

When I was just a little twister down on the Arizona desert, I remember us bein' pretty hard on the 'Snowbirds'... now I understand 'em... 'cause I want, real bad, to be one!

This winter cold is just wearin' down my brain... and all my broke parts... I haven't climbed on Slick in 8 weeks or so. Last winter I was only down when it snowed... If the pavement was dry... I was on the scooter... this year something happened and I somehow got colder... I look at the thermometer and it says 30 and I just lack the ambition to strap on all the gear to survive the ride :-)

Finding out the major problem with having bought Big Red a mite too soon as well.... although I'm happier than the devil with the way the truck runs.... 45 mpg and all :-)... and I only have to find roads where I only go downhill!.. the hassle of being down to only one vehicle for the past year+ and living as far out as we do is a major pain... and putting big miles on the rig...

We're already needing new tires... the rig is at 50,000 miles already! Geez! Don't know if you've bought tires lately... but for a dually... with six tires needing replacing... a fella is lookin' at a grand, give or take... ouch! I've been stallin' as long as I could, hoping to be as close to spring as possible... so we have fresh tires for our Alaska run... which I am bound and determined is gonna happen this year.... or you'll hear the noise!... gotta think positive right?

We'll be pullin' for the Sonoran Desert in just a few days... down to Tucson for the gem and mineral show... most likely park out at the county fair grounds again... about the most convenient spot I can think of... all things considered... It can't happen too soon! I'm ready for the road...

Only part I don't like is having to pull out of here still winterized... 'bout all I can do is carry a couple 5 gal jugs of water to 'flush' with and some drinkin' water... until we get far enough south to be past much worry of freeze up... Nice thing is... every mile puts me closer to sunshine and 'Old Timer Weather'! :-)... guess that makes me an official Snowbird huh?

Who'd a thunk it, when I was a kid? Them Ol' geezers actually knew what they were doin' :-) .... of course... with $0.19 gas.... some might consider they had a whole lot easier time doin' it too!

But, if you stop an' think about it... ain't you glad the price of fuel hasn't kept up with other stuff? The year before I enlisted, a buddy of mine bought a brand new ranger XLT Ford pickup for about $1800... fuel was .19 - .20 cents... if fuel had kept pace... something like 25X (that $1800 is now a $45,000 truck) it would be something like $4.75 right now! ... so I'll be happy it's so 'Cheap' :-)... and my truck back then got about 12mpg avg... not the 20+ this good Dodge Cummins gets now...

Point bein'... I think the guys that say "The good Ol' Times... ARE RIGHT NOW!" are right!

Take Good Care
Brian

January 15, 2008 08:20 - Winter Bikin'... Motorcycle that is...

We talked one time about the ones you have to pedal... but... I figure I'd get in all sorts of trouble if I was pedalin' my _ _ _ all over the country! ;-)

After writing yesterday's post I started feeling pretty guilty... poor Ol' Slick just waitin' over there in the shop... cold and all alone... all because I was too wimpy to take a little cold...

So... yesterday morning, I strapped on my coveralls, sweater, insulated vest, wild rag, leather jacket, balaclava and winter gloves and rode Slick the V Star to the ranch store...

At about 32 degrees it was real nice... if you were standing still... not bad for the first 10 miles at 60 mph... a little chilly the next 5 .... the last 2 gets kinda cold! :-) ... any more than 20 miles or so... and I think I'd be lookin' for a cafe and a cup of coffee to warm up for a little. Be kind of hard to make much time on a longer trip...

Hmmm.... maybe I need to go hunt up one of those 'Suits' those snowmobile riders were wearin' last week! They were pushin' not much slower at about 18 degrees or so... Either they were froze solid so I couldn't see 'em shakin' or they were stayin warmer! :-)

Not sure if it's the miles or the time... 'cause I rolled home about 8pm last night... and kicked 'er up to 70 mph comin' down the Nunn road... at 28... degrees and I didn't seem to be as cooled out when I pulled in.... hmmm... I wonder if that would work on slippery roads too?

Just go real fast to get past the slippery part quicker... before there's any chance to have a problem? :-)

Slick was happy to get out and stretch his tires a mite... me too... I kind of like the looks I get, rollin' down the road in the winter ... There must be a little bit of showoff left in me... I can see what folks are thinkin' as they look through their windshields as I rumble by...

There's kind of a wondering look on their faces and a little 'bubble hangs over their heads with the words: "What kind of an idiot rides a motorcycle at 30 degrees in January?!!" in it :-)

Tough Old, brain damaged 'Twisters'! That's who! :-)

So... I'f you need to know you're alive... go get on top of your scooter in the winter.... If your fingers and toes start to achin' from the cold, in about 20 miles, CONGRATULATIONS! You're alive! :-)

Take Good Care... and stay warm!
Brian

January 16, 2008 09:04 - Time to do some housekeepin'

I'm a recovering neat freak... trouble is... Heidi ain't!

I always figured that bein' organized was a good thing for somebody who prefers to live in the tight quarters of an RV Rig.

I think in the fashion that there is a place for everything... and everything should be in its' place... Heidi is more like ... "Why did you move that? I KNEW which pile was which!" .... eeeeeeiiiiiiiiiii !!!

I mean... all my hangers have to be pointin' the same direction... the same type of hanger... makes me quiver when I look in the closet and there are four different kinds of hangers, and three different colors! It's just plumb awful! How can the world keep on functioning when things are all messed up like that! :-O

I've been tryin' to recondition myself... for about as long as I can remember... I'll put stuff in piles... leave papers scattered on the desk... Put a couple shirts on off colored hangers.... I'll even stuff my skivies in the drawers .... WITHOUT.... rolling them neatly....!!!

BUT... I start crawlin' the walls when things are all cluttered around... my skin starts crawlin'... I start quiverin' and dancin' ... there's just no help for it... I just can't stand it! :-) and that's how my 'office' space is right now... I keep tryin' to 'go along to get along' ... but it ain't happenin' !

So... considerin' the thermometer says it's 12 degrees outside... so I won't be ridin' Slick again today! I'll give in and spend my day... when I ain't writin' on one of my projects... settin' everything right... can't help it! I gotta do it! ... before I snap clean in two!

Some time this week, maybe early next, Ol' Red gets some new rubber (ouch!)... fresh oil and fuel filter... gets properly prepared for the Tucson run... hard to believe we've put 50,000 miles on him in just 18 months... hard to believe we're still here! ... even harder to believe my patience has lasted this long! :-)

I've put about 95% of what I thought was a pretty big CD collection onto my Christmas present Ipod.... and haven't even used 10% of it! WOW!

And now... I don't have to ever buy a CD again! Just download it... or just a song... pretty cool.... Talk about an 'Electric Horseman!'

Boy oh Boy.... if you're headin' out Full-Time, and trying to figure out some convenient way to carry/store/access your CD / Music collection in the confines of a rig ... I'd have to say an Ipod is the only dang way to go! No need to carry all those cases.... I'd guess it'll get a little attention though.

Can't you just see it? Bowlegged, puss gutted, baldheaded, mustached Ol' Cowboy... Dancin' and wigglin' down the sidewalk, like them kids on the TV ads, with his Ipod gizmos stuck in his ears.... listenin' to Brenn Hill or Michael Martin Murphy? :-)

:-) You all take good care
Brian

January 18, 2008 07:27 - The kind of morning you wish you were waking up in a Boondock camp!

It's the only way it could be any better.

Brilliant, orange, pink and red sunrise, blazing on the cloud capped, snow shrouded high peaks off to the west. The temp as skyrocketed up to 17, this morning! A cup of fresh coffee... and Chris LeDoux, Gordon Lightfoot, Lonesome Dove, and Ian Tyson singin' to me on my newest good friend... Lil' Ipod !

Sweet

Big Red got his new tennies yesterday... no real choice... 50,058 miles and they were rubbed pretty near down to the wear bars... not a good thing in the winter... especially since I'll be pullin' for Tucson in a few days!

Boy, does that sound good!... Pullin' for Tucson... has a ring to it, don't it?

But, Tucson or not... $1170... Ouch! ... didn't need that dang budget anyway!

Heidi just laughs at me these days... comes in where I work and just grins, shakes her head and keeps movin'... something to do with an Old geezer... in his ratty bathrobe, sittin' in front of a computer... hummin' and boppin' his head to the music on his Ipod.... soundin' something like a blower motor with a bad bearing... tap tap tappin' out his ramblings. :-) ... close the door if it bothers you! :-)

We picked up another couple pieces of 'gimme' / 'goodwill reject' furniture for the living room yesterday... leather stuff that has seen better days.... I'll just say they have a 'Western Patina!' ... figure to throw a couple of indian blankets over 'em... to dress it up a little for when the pace goes back on the market soon... I always hear that they figure a place will sell better if it's 'decorated' a mite.

If that's true, then this should work... 'cause that's all it's decorated... a 'mite'!

You folks been watchin' 'Cheyenne Moon'? ... I don't expect it's as good as Lonesome Dove... hard to beat that... but... That fella that's playin' Gus is doin' a fine job from what I can see... he's gettin' in a lot of the little mannerisms and gestures that came from Duval... our reception here is less than poor... so I'll have to wait a week to really, SEE it... till we go over to a friends for supper and a Cheyenne Moon Marathon... hmmm.... seems I do a lot of those these days!

Ahhh... there goes Michael Martin Murphy... something about a 'Home on the Range' ... haven't listened to that disc in a couple years!... did I tell you I'm REALLY likin' this Ipod? :-)

You folks keep your face to the wind ... and the coffee hot!
Brian

January 20, 2008 06:07 - Hmmmm.... Maybe this time?

A real estate agent called Heidi at the store yesterday.... wants to show the place today.... we said "Sure!"... couldn't see refusing a showing, considering the current market.

The interesting thing is, it isn't listed... the old contract expired 1 November... so it makes it kind of hopeful... since they are ,really, coming to us to see it...

Of course, considering all that's happened in the past six months... it's not 'Ready' to show... I spent a few hours last night cleaning carpet... after the 'renters' it could really use some 'touch up' painting here and there.... It had been our plan to do all that when we return from Tucson in a few weeks... and then go back on the market in early March...

So... if the 'Evesdropping Gremlins' are listenin' ... you might tell these folks that if they make me a decent offer.... we can be out Tuesday! :-)

I'm not holding my breath... it's a mite wierd to me... but you never know... and it did get me a little exercise!... I just don't know how the place will 'Show'... we've really got no furniture to speak of.... we put a chair and a love seat in the living room... and one bedroom set... in one bedroom... looks like a couple of semi-homeless Gypsies live here. :-)...

At least they can't complain that we're pack rats! :-)

I better get back to doin' what preparations we can make... before Heidi finds out I'm sittin' here punchin' buttons! :-)

I'll hope... faintly... that our 'Luck' is changin' gears... it would be pretty fun to not have to come back from Tucson :-)

You take care... and I'll go on a hopin' an' a wishin'
Brian

January 22, 2008 06:45 - .... Still workin' on it... but the Real Estate Market don't appear to have changed much yet!

Guess the Boss figures I need some more work on my character... and they say that what don't kill you only makes you stronger... so... the way things keep goin' I'm gonna be about the stongest 'character' around these parts! :-)

-5 when I went to bed last night... -7 this morning when I rolled out... ummmmppppffffff.... just thinkin' on it makes my jeans shiver... and I ain't put 'em on yet... colder up in Montana, Canada and such places I know... but that don't make it no warmer here! :-) Keep it sixty or more... or expect to hear me whinin' :-)

We're runnin' two 'lectric space heaters to keep the bedroom and my 'office' room warm... the rest of the house we're only warmin' up into the fifties... Looks like spendin' the summer in the rig has us most comfortable in small quarters :-) ... I'll take that for a good sign!

Haven't heard anything 'solid' from them lookers... Turns out, they looked at the place last spring, but had to sell a place in Virginia. Did get it through the 'grapevine' that they're wanting a 'Lease option'... something about the money that's being used to buy the house they're selling back east being tied up in probate... so they leased to those folks(their buyers)... and want to do the same here... hmmm... not likely.

After the fun we had last summer, that ain't gonna happen. We got rode right through the 'hot' selling season last year... I'm not about to let that happen again, this season... Burn me once... shame on you... burn me twice... shame on me!

So, I'll keep my didgits crossed... but I'll not be holdin' my breath in a noticeable way... I'll keep planning on a fresh March Listing date... if they get their act together before then... Sweet... if not, We'll be ready for doin' big business come the spring!

Then it'll be Shake, Rattle and Roll!
Till we meet again!
Brian

January 23, 2008 08:06 - George has got me to thinkin' again... dang him!

It's the kind of thing I've done some cipherin' on before... but it bears repeatin'... 'cause it's to easy to lose sight of the priorities.

George (Tioga) was talkin' about how tranquility is the biggest thing motivatin' the Mexican people he meets... in an email to me he also said it's only in the Rural areas where he's had the conversations... He's not talked of such things in the 'big towns'.

Hmmm... I wonder... sounds a lot like folks who are... or trying to go :-) .... RV Boondocking/RVing Full-Time don't it? Ya think maybe we're the smartest ones around? Think maybe we see the 'light'.... That the priorities we get drummed into our heads are all screwed up?

I hear folks say it all the time... different words maybe but sounds like the same idea to me: "Relaxing, slower paced, easy going, visiting with friends.... " .... sounds a lot like 'Tranquility' don't it?

I think so. I've always said... and I put a sharp pencil to it, several times, that if a fella done it right... he should be able to work part time... or what the big bosses consider part time... and live a pretty decent life.

Wouldn't it be sweet, to work part time for your NEEDS... and have the rest of the time to work at your PLEASURES?

Just think how sweet it could be... if say when you were 14 or 16 or so... you started, with a mite of help from your folks, setting up a rig for yourself... When you hit say 18 or 20 you could have a fine rig, free and clear... so your housing expenses would be minimal...

You only have to - WORK - part time to make your living needs... if you live frugal... the rest of your time available for art, music, fishing, hiking... or maybe... helping your wore out Ol' cowboy neighbor grease his wheel bearings :-)

I wonder what kind of attitude folks would have if we weren't working so hard to chase the $$$ all the time? Do ya think folks would be just a little less stressed out? Hmmm.... I wonder what that would do for their health? And what kind of life we'd have if we weren't willing to do all the things we're required to do to get the $$$ ?

Now listen here... I ain't cussin' nobody... I'm as guilty of the $$$ chasin' mistake as anybody, for sure and for certain... and I sure do understand how difficult it is, for those folks that have finally gotten their priorities in proper order, and that want to make the change, to get it done! Heidi and I have been struggling trying to declutter and frugalize for near two years now...

And I was fairly 'frugal' minded to begin with!

The progress can be painfully slow... sometimes it feels like you're losing ground... and you probably are at times.

The system is leanin' against you... I've heard it said... we're all 'connected' in some wierd, atomic way... when we try to 'escape' and step off the treadmill... the 'Beast' feels the loss of mass... and gropes blindly to latch onto us and pull us back in...

There's only one thing I can think of to use as armor against the 'Beast'..... Faith.

If you have the Faith that your observation is right... and figure the Boss is behind you... you can endure long enough to finally break loose. If you figure you're all alone I think it's only a matter of time, before the 'Beast' simply wears you down and drags you back.... so... find some Faith... the Boss can help you some with that... keep on doin' what you know to be right... and we'll all meet out there somewhere... on this trail or some other... RV Boondocking!

Take Good Care
Brian

January 24, 2008 07:45 - More rambling mental meanderin's shaken loose by the 'Tranquility' idea that

George found in Mexico. Well... George and the recent panic in the $$$ markets!

Can you tell that, just maybe this is a hot button of mine? :-)

I see a lot of folks takin' off RVin' or at least jumpin' in to it, head first, without tossin' the whole deal around in the ol' brain pan a while. They just don't really have a solid idea of what they're about. Sometimes just steppin' off can work out OK... sometimes not.

When I've talked to 'em I often hear 'em express the same sorts of desires... They're tired, bone tired, of the 'daily grind' they've been subjected to, for as long as they can remember.. They're unhappy with it and hopin' to find some relief out on the road... away... they think... from all those chains tyin' 'em to the grindstone...

They take off, blindly hoping that 'Things' will change out on the road...

Only problem is... they agreed, maybe unkowingly, but willingly just the same, to put those chains on in the first place. (Me too!)

Why that's a problem is this; Not realizin' they locked those chains on, their ownselves, back yonder, they haul them suckers along with 'em! Not really aware those chains are there... they don't deal with 'em up front, and are surprised... thousands of miles away... when they finally realize the dang things are still attached!

They wake up in camp doin' the same dang things they used to do. All those things that kept 'em tied to the treadmill...
or grindstone... whichever you prefer, in the first place. They bought the biggest, baddest, best rig they could squeeze out of their budget, they push for miles, burning diesel by the tanker full, and bragging about how many miles they racked up, in the shortest amount of time... they 'camp' at the high priced resorts... paying the better part of what their mortgage used to be for a month.. to park! On top of their Rig payment!...

and after a while... they crash and burn! Unhappier than ever... only now, in a lot tighter quarters...

and wondering... Why?

How about because the problem might not be what you do... as much as how you do (it) why you do (it) and... what (it) really is?

If Keepin' up with the Joneses and displayin' all your 'assets' is what drives you... and you're unhappy with that, back in 'Smallville' USA, I'd just about guarantee that you'll be as cranky about things out on the road... only living in a fraction of the space... guaranteed to magnify any aggravations that are pokin' you!

If you don't change the basic way you're seein' things... ain't nothing else gonna change either!

Folks, a lot of 'em, get real frustrated with what they see as the Sacrifices they had to make to go RVing Full-Time.

Right here is where I see what I consider one of the 'Big' issues... If you see what you'll have to do to go Full-Time, as a
'Sacrifice'... I'd suggest that maybe, RV Boondocking or Full-Timing... is likely a poor fit for you.

I don't see it as a sacrifice. For me, the sacrifice is sitting here in a house... NOT Boondocking! I don't see it as a sacrifice,
it's really more of a culling.... I'm culling out all those things which no longer have any value for me.... those things which just aren't relevant any more...

That's the thing that must be looked at real hard before you make the 'Big Change'.... We're tossing around a basic change of lifestyle here... NOT... a 'Sacrificing' of 'Things'...

If all the accoutrements, complications, and more baggage than a herd of Mules could carry; that seems to be a requirement in our 'Modern' society... is wearing you down... focus on that fact... not the things themselves... Savvy?

The THINGS weightin' you down ain't the burr in your cinch here... They're only draggin' your attention to the real deal... if... you'll let 'em.

What is it, in your move to RVing, that you're REALLY after? Tranquility? Solitude? A pace of life that doesn't have you wakin' up in a cold sweat with your shorts in a knot, worryin' about the bills and all the work the boss has pilin' up for you?

You shouldn't be runnin' away from anything... but rather... toward something!

Get a clear view of where you're tryin' to go, and why; and I figure all that 'stuff' that you're, now, considerin' a sacrifice
to give up... will quickly come to be considered a liability; and you'll start workin' up a sweat, shovin' it out the door with
a grin on your face!

Short and Sweet... If you hunger for a life of simplicity, tranquility, frugality, friendships, makin' whoopy on a rainy mountain morning, time for art, music, and sitting in the shade sipping on a cool beer... without... feeling guilty about NOT sweatin' to make ever more wealth for the man... Full-Timing just might fit in your rig.

If, howsomever, pilin' up more things to worry about losin'... or payin' for... is what floats your stick... I'd suggest investing your money in a better mattress... That way... at least you have a slim chance of a better nights rest... before the MAN chases you out of bed in the morning... before you have time for that whoopy... to grind out another day for him! :-)

Oh well... you were too tired for any, whoopy, anyway!

Just my freely offered Opinion... so you got your moneys worth!... and it is kind of a 'cooling' breeze... ain't it? :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

January 25, 2008 07:53 - Properly Prepared Prior Packing Prevents Periodically Performing Previously Performed Pathetically Performed Performance!

Only my windy self can take the '7P's' and make 12 out of 'em! :-)

Makin' some more preparations today for departin' Tuesday or Wednessday... Got the tires last week and Big Red serviced day before yesterday...

I have to 'work' this weekend... sorry... I know that's a four letter word... and... I'm always grousin' about chasin' the $$$ ... but... a guy still has to have a mite of it to put diesel in the tank... so until we get cut loose from our Anchor... (spell that H-O-U-S-E) I still have to do that nasty stuff! :-)

Today, because my Motorcycle carrier design takes two people, Heidi is going to help me Load up 'Slick' for his ride to Tucson... I'm hopin' for decent Bike weather in the Sunny south... which is probably cooler for me than the current 'natives' down there! :-)... hopin' this spring to make the carrier modification I have planned that will make it a one 'geezer' event!

Not sure when I'm loading water... the rig is winterized... don't want it freezing up on me afore I get far enough south to prohibt that!... figure I'll most likely just carry a couple jerry cans for minimal needs till I'm confident I'm out of the frozen wastelands :-)

Heidi and Keriann... (Wife and Daughter) aren't pullin' out with me... they'll be taking off Friday morning... I haven't got through to them yet.... they're preference for this run is pedal to the metal, shake rattle and roll - run it as a 14 hour marathon...

yuck...

Me... I'm all for toodelin' along the secondaries... 250 miles a day... maybe.... so... I'm gonna haul down solo... and the ladies will catch up.... the only warning I got was: "You better - BE - there! You go get stuck in the snow somewhere and you'll be in deep kim chee mister!" .... guess I won't try to go over Wolf Creek :-)

One of our 'Friends at the Fire', Barney, sent me to a blog the other day.... awsome too... talk about vagabonders and boondockers! Randy and Diana have got it figured out...! A little more 'austere' than some of us might choose... but inspirational just the same...

When it comes to 'stealth' boondocking... Randy... apparently elected King of the Kodgers... just might have us all whupped!

Bob was asking if yesterday's post was saved or the like... for those that haven't seen it... down at the bottom of the 'Blog' page is a table of contents area... there is a link there called 'category index'. I've got all the recent posts saved in there.... by category...I'm still workin' on getting the posts from the beginning categorized... so they're all only in the archive by date...

When it comes to the categories... I try... but usually fail to make a post on some certain idea... I tend to wander and ramble ... not just on the road! If it's MOSTLY on some specific thing... I put it there... but most end up being 'Misc. Ramblings' ... Hmmm just like this one!

Hmmm... I better watch what I say... seeing how I'm keepin' a record of it... it's bad enough when you say something dumb... but plain awful when folks can pull up some dumb comment from two years ago... point at it and say: "SEE? You DID say it!" guess I better be careful :-)

Stop and check your cinches once in a while!
Brian

January 27, 2008 05:41 - DOH! Stupid is as Stupid does!

Wanna know why folks who've been 'down the road' a few miles always harp on makin' your walk arounds?

'Cause when you don't ... you get a cranial impaction! :-(

I needed to move the Eagle to get Slick loaded... didn't want to be doin' it Tuesday... supposed to maybe be stormy... Geez! So, figured to get it done Friday morning...

Heidi needed to get to town... I was running a mite late... cleared the slide and pulled it in. Pulled the chocks... put the steps up... cleared all under/around the rig... backed in and hitched up... double checked the hitch... and then pulled out 50 feet or so...

Looked back in the mirror.... !!!... ZAP!.... CRACK!... PFFFT!.... WANG!... POW!!!! ...... AAARRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!

All followed by a long string of %@$**%#!!! Bad words and Dirty Names :-O

The rig, where we usually park it when here at the house... sits on an elevated pad... with the tail sticking out over a bank that's maybe 5 or 6 feet high right there.... makes it 'kind' of awkward walking all the way around it making checks... so... when a dummy gets in a hurry...

Know what happens when you don't do your checks proper... and you pull out... only your 'Detachable' power cord... ain't? Yep.... CRACK!... PFFFT!.... WANG!... POW!!!! .

Just plain stupid... arrrrrgh.

Folks... if you get in a hurry... DON'T.... Just stop.... close your eyes.... take a deep breath.... and then do it right.... It's when you let yourself get rushed that you forget stuff and it costs you pain, money, embarrassment... or combinations of all three!

The Case is cracked all to heck... still electrically serviceable... but no longer weather tight.... too ugly to repair... and costly to replace.... Just dumber than a rock with a learning disability... I guess it's better that there were two cords... to eventually pull apart... and that the connection on the trailer is broke... rather than pullin' the front of the house off!... Well... I promised to tell you about the 'Dumb' things.... this is right there high on the list.

Sure hope we get out of here... before my 'Old Timers' gets any worse :-) ... they tell me a couple slow weeks on the road have miraculous healing powers... I'm hopin 'they' are right!

Do as I say... NOT as I do! :-)
Brian

January 28, 2008 08:07 - Tomorrow! The Gypsy Cowboy gets to feed his wanderin' ways!

The kid can't wait!

Fact is, I seldom want to get where I'm goin'. For me it's the goin' itself that I hunger for... don't know exactly what it is... but just goin' down the road, cup of coffee, my tunes on the stereo.... and with my new iPod I got plenty of those :-) ... and I'll have a grin on my face and I just feel good!

I suppose it got started with rodeoin' nigh on to 40 years ago... just never got enough miles under my tires to wear out the yondering bug... and truth be known... hope I never do... I just love it! That's what makes sittin' in one place for any length of time, an ordeal for me.

I suspect I know how those crippled Eagles feel when all they can do is sit on a perch in some sanctuary all day... yuck! When that day comes for me... just put my truck in a crusher and feed me to the Yodel Dogs! :-)

It was my hope to roll SW across Colorado... since I'm takin' 4 sweet days to run to Tucson... But... the way this winters been, I'm not real sure tryin' to drag the rig over Wolf Creek pass would be one of the smarter things I've done! and near as I can tell there's another storm brewin' that will likely drop another couple feet on that mountain...

Likely it will be a horse race to get out of Colorado ahead of the weather :-) Now, my friend Mike would be ...waitin'... on the weather... so he could drive right on through it! ... THAT would put a wild eyed grin on his face... for sure and for certain!

Only guy I know who goes out on Christmas morning.. with his friends... to find snow drifts to get stuck in... to see how long it will take to dig/drag/tow each other out! ... Buttin' your head against a blizzard... guess that would make him good and proper material for a genuine westerner!

Me... I'm a little more sedentary... wild horses... fast trucks and fancy shirts is more my style... and these days, I prefer those wild horses to keep all four feet firmly on the ground, thank you!

My guess is I'll roll down I-25 easy, into New Mexico and then try to find a 'different' way... off the super slab... it's all going to depend on the weather and my ambition... mostly all I want to do is scratch my hitch itch a mite... get my 'snooper' dusted off a little bit and find some fresh country I've not seen in a while...

Won't really know, which way I'm rollin' until I'm on the road sittin' at the intersection!

Take Good Care... and we'll 'see' you in the sunny south... shortly
Brian

January 29, 2008 07:36 - Loaded up an' Truckin'

Well... actually not yet...

I have to run the boss lady into town to the store... she's going to rent a car for two days... and then she and the kid... can you still call your 26 year old daughter a kid? .... or is that 27? sheesh.... my 'Old Timers' is really kickin' up today.... anyway... they're catchin' up on Friday...

I get four days all to my lonesome... just wanderin' along.... So I'll be pullin out, late morning I expect...

As much as I'd like to roll SW across the state... I'm thinkin' the way the storms keep punchin' the West Slope... I'll just slide down the front slope till I'm far enough south to cut the 'risks' when I turn west...

Wind is whistlin' pretty hard right now... so I'll be wanderin' pretty easy anyway... at least, at the moment it's out of the NW... so It will be a mite of a tailwind! :-)

I'm going to roll a ways this day... I want to get over Raton Pass while the 'gettin' looks good... then I can cut the throttle and go into 'road block' mode :-) .... at least I'm fairly polite and pull over when there's a wide spot... and let all them 'hurryin' folks roll on!

Well.... I better get to gittin' if I'm ever gonna git gone! :-) ...

If you step outside... put your hand to your ear... and listen reeeeeal hard.... you just might could hear me gigglin' here pretty shortly! :-)

Keep your chin up .... it saves on bandaids!
Till next time... somewhere on the Boondockin' road
Brian

January 30, 2008 22:25 - In search of the Sunny south... I find the same old snow!

The best way I can think of to screw things up... is to make plans.

I finally got away ... way late on Tuesday... Had thought I'd stop somewhere around Trinidad... but I-80 was already closed behind me as I pulled out... and I could see the storm trying to climb over the divide to the west, as I ran south, all the way down the front range.

The weather reports I was catching on the radio had things to the west looking pretty tuff... so I thought... "maybe I should just keep on rolling... and get over Raton Pass today... " so I did... went about as far south as Springer New Mexico... farther than an "easy few hours" but I figured I'd be clear of the passes!

Also... during the day I came to realize the Controller and/or the remote for the controller, for my solar system was on the fritz... I wasn't getting any juice to the batteries... not catastrophic since the truck charges them when I'm on the road.

When I got up Wed. morning the batteries were still at 12.6volts with the heater running a lot during the night... so no worries. I bought the outfit from RV Solar Electric in Scottsdale ... so I'll try and deal with it while we're down south...

Made it past Las Vegas and Santa Fe just in time early Wednessday... starting to spit snow... but looking good south... so all was still good...

When I rolled through the Duke City... I decided I-40 west was too risky... stormy looking that way... so I kept on south. Stopped for some needed supplies in Los Lunas and rattled on down to Socorro where I made my cut west... thinking I was south of the 'weather'.

... surest way for things to go wrong... is for me to think I got it figured.

The weather station for Phx. talked of a little system.... but not much of a deal.... why do I listen to them?... or is it me hearing what I want to hear? :-)

It started spitting pellet snow around Datil... no big deal.... started getting flakes around Quemado or so... and the road started getting covered... Brainiac that I am... just keep on keepin' on! It'll be OK.

Started seein' cars in the ditches... spun out here and there... speed slowing down... got down to 25mph in spots... but keep on keepin' on... right? That sunshine has to be just 'round the next bend!

Around the next bend was icier snow...

More cars in the ditches... one was so far up the slope alongside the road it nearly rolled over....

The rig got to handlling awful soggy... stopped in a wide spot to check things... maybe the ton or so of ice on the truck and trailer had something to do with it? (I've got pictures... but I forgot the transformer for the laptop... I'll post some for you when Heidi brings it with her!... You ALWAYS have to forget something... right?)

Well... to make a long story ... less long... my plan to pull off today around 2 or 3 turned into 9pm! The day from hell! But I'm alive... and they tell me there's sun to the south... somewhere around Costa Rica I believe.

I rolled all the way down to the Globe/Miami area and pulled in to the old reliable Wally World... too tired to look for a Woods camp any more... can't see in the dark with a hoot anyway!

Got word from Tucson that the Mt Lemmon... the peak on the north side of town got 8" of rain yesterday... just a little soggy!

Well... this morning I wake up to a Blue clear sky! Hot coffee... Monte Walsh settlin' my nerves on the iPod... and nowhere I HAVE to be... I'll take a deep breath... move real slow and get my head back in the game!

Gonna try and make connection with RV Solar this morning and see what I need to do... then find a quiet place for tonight and move down to Tucson on the morrow... to meet the girls...

Life in the West... often turns out different than what you planned!

Just cause you can see my tracks... don't make it always make it a sensible thing to follow me! :-)

Take Good Care!
Brian