July - #63

Summer is definitely my favorite season!  I prefer the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer for so many reasons.

Firstly, I love the longer days. The sky begins to lighten around 4:30 am here, in the Greater Boston area. It's so much easier to get out of bed when the sun is shining, isn't it? The air is warm; I throw open all the windows and the morning air is fresh and fragrant from my garden flowers. Shorts, a tank top and flip flops are my uniform of choice. I put the coffee on and the day begins!

July started off with fireworks - literally. Our town, Stoughton, began festivities for Independence Day on Friday night, July 1st with a glorious fireworks show. It had been five years since the town's last such display; it was a welcomed event!   Our parade marches through our tiny town center on the morning of July 4th. To me, this is the essence of small-town America. It is a really fun, local gathering for residents supporting our town. 

 

In between the celebrations, I have begun going through our travel trailer - thoroughly cleaning, making lists and getting it ready, little by little, for our next big adventure. I realize also, I need to start firming up our travel plans and make reservations. 

Since we've been home, it feels like we are bleeding money.  I don't have to say it - we all know how expensive everything has gotten these days.  I thought I would have a chance to save a little since we were home for many months; that isn't going to happen. 

We spent five really nice days with Brooke and the kids up in North Conway, NH; we Air B&B'd a townhouse, located perfectly to everything! It was comfortable and spacious and outside of one take-out dinner, I did all the cooking (which I didn't mind).  The only downside for me was feeling under the weather. I had a cold - as did Wally. But, I pushed forward and enjoyed our trip.  I especially loved Storyland. I'm surprised I had never taken my girls when they were little! It is a great park with a wonderful variety of rides that are actually just my level now! LOL. We also visited the Aquarium and took a ride on the Scenic Conway Rail. North Conway itself is a really pretty and busy little town - lots to do!

                                  

  

Charlie and I are working on another project.  He does the actual work - I just give my input. We are making a "catio" for Miss Minnie.  This will allow her access to the outside through a window. Pictures to follow upon completion.

It is now July 20th. I am happy to report I have been diligent and completed all our travel reservations for October! I created a spreadsheet with all the info - days, places, mileage and costs. It is done!  I have also researched each area to see what activities are offered and we might partake.  I am getting excited about our trip! Next, is getting the trailer ready.

I'm also excited about our new addition to the TT - our map! Charlie and I have actually visited together during our marriage 25 states.  We hope to be adding 5 more within the next year and then the following spring of 2024, we plan to travel west - across the middle and northern states to visit that area of the country neither of us have ever traveled.  And, we also just received a wonderful gift from our son-in-law, Rakib.  He bought us great t-shirts for our travels.  We are planning to wear them the day we leave again!

  

Next week, the very end of July, we are visiting our friends in NYC and we are all taking a little diversion to Atlantic City for a few days.  I haven't been there in years - Charlie I don't think ever. We are also planning to get tickets to the Van Gogh Immersion.  That should indeed be a highlight!

Needless to say, we are having a great summer! During my regular everydays, I attend classes at the senior center (exercise, yoga) and will be adding a meditation class to the mix.  I participate in a Scrabble meetup on Thursdays, go to the gym - which is great on these super hot days, go for walks, and I finally, finally finished reading a book! That has been a struggle for me. Still enjoying cooking and baking... the days just go by! Charlie is still working on the catio.  He loves a good project! And in between, he is busy with his radio stuff and motorcycle. This is a very happy time of life for us both.

         the catio 75% completed

Home Life - #62

 Extended travel really gives one an appreciation for being at home. It's been two months and I still feel that excitement of something new - yet everything is familiar. There are so many places and people we still want to visit and we've been busy filling up our calendar. I have been getting up early everyday! We have really been enjoying our time with the littles. I need to get back on the road to get some sleep again! 

  

First things we've been tending to are our medical appointments - bone density, mammogram, urologist, dentist... we're getting it all done! Charlie and I also got our second Covid boosters. And I just reminded myself - have to schedule an appointment for our Minnie's visit to the vet.

I spend a little time everyday cleaning our apt - it's small and easy to manage. I love working in our gardens and I am done with my mulching and planting of flowers. I'm working on a hardscape garden around Charlie's shed as a regular garden doesn't seem to work there.  I love using rocks in my gardening. I walk around everyday pulling little weeds before they have a chance to grow. I started a small vegetable garden inside my wheelbarrow again - tomatoes and cucumbers. They are doing great! My hydrangeas are in full bloom - this is my favorite flower; the wild black raspberries are ready for picking, too!  Other projects I have given myself - trim all the plants, rearrange the wood pile, reorganize the shelves in the garage, resand the patio. Our trailer just returned home from maintenance this past Monday, that will be another whole project in itself!

Charlie had started going into work welding at his old job a couple of days a week and was enjoying it until he butted heads with the owner and told him "goodbye". We don't need aggravation from work at this point in our lives - especially when we don't need to work. I'm kind of hoping they work things out - but Charlie says he's not returning. Well - I always find something for him to help me with at home.

In July, we have rented a townhouse in the North Conway/Attitash area in New Hampshire and will be going with the family for 4/5 days.  We haven't been up that way in quite a few years and it should be a good time - especially with the littles. We are also visiting friends Ellen and Yori in NY at the very end of July and we are planning an excursion to Atlantic City with them for a few days as well.

In August, my daughter Holly will be coming home for a visit for 5 weeks and I have been running ideas by her about things we can do! Looking forward to our time together.

We had the great joy of a visit from Mimi and Tom, friends from Skyline Ranch! So wonderful to see them and catch up on their fabulous adventure.  We've been following their journey on Facebook.                          

This week we look forward to July 4th fireworks and celebrating with friends. The summer always seems to go by so fast.  I am now counting down - 3 1/2 months - to getting back on the road! I am starting to get serious with my planning and making reservations as I confirm my route.  

Static Living and Temporary Insanity - #61

 We arrived home Monday April 25th with big smiles and great relief!  Although we thoroughly enjoyed our month-long trip home - expanded our world just a little bit more seeing friends, family and many sites along the way - we were glad to be back in Stoughton. We had driven over 2800 miles since we left Bandera during our 30 days on the road.

Unfortunately, we also arrived home to a sick house; our son-in-law was recovering from a mild case of Covid, my daughter and the littles all had the flu. It was a total miracle Charlie and I, didn't get sick! (I've been trying to build up my immunity the last couple of years - apparently so far, so good!) It was so good to see them all but was a little while before we could give lots of hugs and kisses.

                                                         

I was thrilled to find our apartment in the pristine condition I had left it.  I am very fussy about my little place and thought I might need to do a thorough cleaning before we brought anything in - but it was just perfect! It took me about 3 days to move our things out of the trailer; I still have some stuff I need to clean out of the under storage and reorganize but the bulk of the work is done. Next month we have an appointment to bring our trailer in for regular maintenance.

My kids very thoughtfully had my little Honda Fit detailed; it looks beautiful - I missed driving it!  

Charlie has been busy, busy with his shed - cleaning it after a squirrel moved in during the winter and building new antennas for his HAM radio - I see him only in passing these days! (I'm not complaining- LOL)

It is wonderful to be home.  To be with family, start to see our friends.  Both Charlie and I have a renewed sense of excitement - we can't wait to get up every morning - start a new day - work on home projects, visit people and places we have missed! We have a new and positive outlook! I joined our local senior center (after my great experience with Silver Sage in Bandera) and am looking forward to participating in many of the different classes offered! I joined Planet Fitness, I played scrabble last week with the group at our local library and met a friend to go walking. I have been watching the grandkids quite frequently and it feels a little easier now that they are both more like little people - 4-1/2 and 2-1/2. We've had some fun time together! I've been busy working on the gardens - cleaning, weeding, mulching - whenever the weather permits - which hasn't been very often - but it looks like we are in for a good stretch from today on! And I've been baking a lot and using my crockpot - which I didn't take with us last winter, but definitely will this coming trip. We've been seeing all our doctors and taking care of all our medical needs during our hiatus. We will be all set before we begin our travels again. And Charlie started going into work a day or two a week for a few hours.  He seems to enjoy it and the extra money is great. Needless to say - we have a lot going on! 

   

With all this renewed excitement... we also had a moment of insanity.  Charlie and I discussed and agreed - maybe we wouldn't go away this winter, perhaps skip a year? Five months at home just didn't seem like nearly enough time to be with our people and accomplish everything we wanted to do.  Still, the beautiful white sandy beaches of Biloxi beckon...did we really want to be here during the cold months?  After being home for two weeks - I can honestly say - the answer is a big NO! 

So yesterday, I started work on my preliminary route to Bay St. Louis, based on sights I want to see.  (I say "I" want to see" because if you ask Charlie - he has nothing" ) We have also shortened our travel to 18 days from a month.  It will save us money with less overnights and shorter distance overall then if we returned to Texas. I have no idea what the gas situation will be like in October - it's a bit scary to think about. 

                                                     

I've been watching a lot of RV YouTube videos as well  Really puts me in the RV state of mind! But, I'm not going to think about or do anything with our trailer until maintenance is completed and we bring it back home.  Then, I will start cleaning and preparing it gradually for our next big adventure!

Behind the scenes - #60

 At this very moment, I am sitting. I am looking at budding trees surrounding the peaceful lake and imposing granite mountain of Stone Mountain Park, Georgia. I don't sit very often - I always feel like I am in motion - traveling, unpacking the trailer, packing up the trailer, taking in the sites for an area, cooking, straightening, laundry or just going for a walk trying to get in my steps. Often when I am sitting, it's been planning a route, checking the weather, researching an area we are going, looking into the details of places we want to visit, or writing.  There is a lot to do! And because our location and amenities change regularly, I have to make sure we have enough food on hand for meals; many stops require checking out where the laundry is located; quite often we will use the showers at a campground if they are especially nice, spacious. I also monitor our credit cards and pay any bills we may have on-line.

Stone Mountain Park has especially nice amenities and I give my highest recommendation for camping at this location! Each site has a deck overlooking the lake, new gas grill - which I happily used each night - pretty nice bathhouse with large showers, a pool, playground and many, many activities including history! Charlie and I can see us returning here and spending at least a week!

We will be leaving in the morning for Asheville, North Carolina. We actually really don't mind the packing up and setting up of our trailer. Each time we arrive at a new location, I feel like I am beginning a new adventure; that makes it exciting! Often the travel can be stressful, when it's unfamiliar areas and directions are not always clear. Making a wrong turn when you're 40+ feet long truck and trailer, or being directed to a narrow, curvy or bumpy road, trying to avoid major cities, construction, climbing elevation and bad weather. These situations can be nerve-wracking and words are often said in frustration. We're usually pretty good at getting past these moments - though a lot of stuff is said under one's breath LOL.  (in the words of Deborah Barone - "Idiot")

Charlie is a pretty easy going guy, which works well with my more Type A personality. At one of our previous stops he asked me "Where are we?" I said "Don't you know what state we are in?" He said "No - I'm just the driver."  (Oy!)

Minnie our cat is also pretty chill.  She is currently relaxing in her playpen. She's not crazy about the traveling part either, but I usually let her out of her soft-sided carrier; she sits on my lap and looks out the truck window. She has a special place in the trailer she likes to go to be alone - under the couch. She literally squeezes into a little area between the back of the couch and the window.  We refer to this as "her office".  So quite often, she has work to do, conference call and needs her space.

                                             

One area we have been very lucky about so far is our health.  Knock on wood, we haven't had any illness, colds, emergencies. For the most part, I do a lot of the cooking; we limit eating out and we try to eat healthy - though we do love our ice cream! The snacking from being tired is my downfall lately. Sometimes, I'm just too tired to prepare a proper meal and wind up just picking at different things - which tend to add up to way over my calorie allowance.  But, I just try to do better the next day - exercise and get those steps in! Life is about doing better than the day before.

                                          *************************************

We arrived in Asheville yesterday Wednesday afternoon 4/13.  Driving through northern Georgia, Rabun County, on route, we were so taken with the beauty of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. The driving was a little interesting, to say the least. At one point Charlie commented "How steep is this mountain road?" Yeah, it did feel like we were ascending for a very long time!! It is hard to accelerate when you are pulling a big load. My RV friends will agree I am sure!

Once again, we arrived safe and sound. I have been looking forward to touring the Biltmore Estate for a long time; we have our tickets for Friday 4/15! We are more than halfway home at this point; four more stops in the next 10 days.  Our next two stops are just overnighters; we won't even bother to disconnect. Our big four day stop is in Maryland, visiting the family. It will be good to see everyone, especially my Mom, who will be celebrating her 97th birthday in May. I can only hope I have the same good health and longevity of life to keep on enjoying and experiencing the world. Peace!

The Southern Route - #59

 We enjoyed spending our last few days as Texans in Houston before crossing the border into Louisiana. It was great seeing Arlene and Jerrel one more time. As residents of Houston, they suggested spending the day together at Kemah Boardwalk, a really pretty amusement area right on Galveston Bay. The weather was so beautiful, sunny with a slight breeze - perfect! 

  

 

Our final full day in Houston was spent at N.A.S.A. Space Center. So interesting and one of the places in Texas we really wanted to see! 

 

                                    

Our trip home takes the southern-most route, following the Gulf Coast, up through Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, on into Virgina and then Maryland to visit family. From that point, it will be familiar territory.

We arrived in Cajun Country a about a week ago and settled into Bayou Wildness RV Park for a three-day stretch, enjoying the spacious beautiful grounds and a bayou just off to the side of our site. Our activities included checking out the Lafayette Jockey Lot - a good sized flea market close by to the park.  We enjoyed strolling through the aisles and picked up a few goodies along the way. What a unique accent is spoken in this area! And the foods are just as unique - alligator, crawfish, boudin (which our friend Ed introduced us to back in Bandera), cracklin, king cake, poboys - just to name a few.  

  

On our second full day in Lafayette, we reserved a swamp boat trip on Lake Martin and then out for lunch at Prejeans - a highly recommended Cajun restaurant nearby. 

We loved our swamp tour - it was beautiful and interesting! The designated bird sanctuary introduced us to a variety of beautiful birds we could only see in this area; I have added them to my Audobon bird siting app! And of course - we saw many alligators!

 

 

 

  

 

Lunch at Prejeans was wonderful! We shared green fried tomatoes covered with Cajun crab sauce (it had just the right amount of kick!). Charlie had a mixed fried plate which included alligator, shrimp, hush puppies; I was less adventurous opting for a shrimp corn chowder and a salad with even more shrimp; it included a pistolette (roll) which I brought home and Charlie ate just the other night. We also purchased dessert to go - homemade cheesecake and bread pudding with a white chocolate sauce! Worth the calories!

                     

    

It has already been a week since I started this post; we are already almost halfway home. Seems I just can't write as fast as we travel.  More to come!