Disorienting "days"

Okay...the further north we go, the more my brain is TOTALLY confused. (alright kids, stop laughing!...I guess I'm supposed to say more confused than usual?!)

Up til now we have travelled further north slowly enough that the lengthening days weren't disorienting. Two long travel days in a row means we are suddenly much further north than before.

I KNOW that during the summer daylight will last 20+ hours. I just didn't expect to notice big changes already.

Let me give you two examples:

Right now my internal clock makes me wonder why Randy and Jakob are still in bed---obviously they are being "slugs" today. Then I look at the clock. Oops! It's only 8:00am! (What am I doing up already anyways?!) But with the light outside and how high the sun already is in the sky it FEELS like around 10:00!

And then there was last night...We arrived late afternoon at the RV park. Randy eventually fixed dinner. The kids took turns playing games on computer. (We finally have free internet again--YAY!) Kids took showers. And it still felt like supper time by the light outside. But no...it was already way past Anna's bedtime!

Yep...daylight here in Dawson Creek (mile 0 of the Alaskan Hwy) is currently from 5am til 9pm pacific time. [Plus, yesterday we just switched time zones...which means sunset is almost 30 minutes later here than it was in central Alberta.]

I guess the summer bedtime battles have already begun---time for kids to go to bed in daylight!

I sure hope my internal clock resets itself SOON! This time disorientation is driving me crazy.

On Our Way...Alaska Here We Come!

We are officially "on our way." Yesterday, we left the Denver area after quick visits with family and friends. We travelled through desolate places in Eastern Wyoming. It was beautiful...but the HUGE extra-sturdy snow fences and gates to close the interstate left us feeling that we don't really want to try going through winters in this area! Brrr!

Today we visited the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, which was EXCELLENT. (See our reviews at http://journey2wonderreviews.blogspot.com/ )

Tomorrow we are headed to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in northern Wyoming. By this coming Monday, we plan to have crossed the border and be in CANADA.

I have made a detailed itinerary so we can estimate costs and so that we can make RV site reservations (and won't have to "boondock" with no electric or water when all the local RV sites are full...) I'm not so sure we really want to have to stick to a tight itinerary---we've gotten used to and are enjoying freedom in wandering in an RV over the past few months. But, we have scheduled regular rest days with no specific plans at all. Hopefully, that helps!

If you want to see some of the planned stops on our itinerary---check out preliminary posts on the journey2wonder reviews blog (listed above) that were all posted on April 25th. As we go to each place, the kids and I will update the post, will add photos, and will re-post it on the correct date. Some of you might like looking ahead of time at where we will be going! (Others of you will read about things after we see them, and that's okay, too.)

Whenever I get a little panic-y about such a long trip I remember two things: my dad survived (and enjoyed) making this trip on his MOTORCYCLE just two years ago. Also, when I think we must be crazy to be doing such a thing, I am reminded of a friend's response to that worry---"Yes, you ARE crazy! You already KNOW that!"

So...wish us well on our long, long journey... We will try to keep in touch!

PEACE and quiet...

We are back in Golden Colorado. The only site available when we got here (they don't take reservations) is electric only. Since we had been here before, they suggested we could stretch our hose to the neighboring site for water. This site is so short that most bigger rigs (like ours) set up sideways along the boundary fence instead. The manager was apologetic that this was all they had available... Gee, what a pity! We have a cheaper site with the best view in the park! (We are parked sideways to the creek, so it is visible through all the windows in the living room area. YAY!)

So, I'm sitting at the table while I type this. It's sunny with a mostly blue sky. The water beside me is rushing and burbling along its way. Right outside my window there is a little snow hiding in bits of tall grass, right beside a path leading right into the water. Seems to be inviting me to come explore...but I have no intention of putting my toes into that freezing, snow-melt-from-the-mountains water! I will just enjoy the look and the sound of it dancing along!

Soon the kids will be up, talking and getting breakfast. The RV mobile repair guy will be here in a little while (I'll tell you about our awning another time...) All is at PEACE, for this moment at least!

Water WOES...

grumble...grumble...mumble...grrrrrrr...

You know, this hooking-up-to-a-spigot-so-you-have-running-water thing may be overrated. It's only been 4 months and look what we've faced so far:

• Your hose to the RV freezes...(wrap the line with heater tape and try again).
• Your RV water lines--enclosed under the trailer thus unreachable--freeze...(build an insulation wall under the RV and move the space heater in there to thaw everything out).
  
• Their water hook-ups freeze...(build a little shelter out of insulation and insert a heater to thaw their pipes).
• Their water hook-ups are way too far back (what WERE they thinking?!) for your hose to reach...(find a store and buy a longer hose).
• Some kid runs through and bumps over the water spigot causing a 15 foot high FOUNTAIN from the broken line...(run get the campground manager, then, whew!, be thankful it was your NEIGHBOR's water line that was affected and be thankful it was NOT your kid that did it!) (That fountain sure was pretty while it lasted!!)
• Your truck bumps one of the multiple spigots while maneuvering into a pull-through site---causing a slow FLOOD to occur...(sheepishly go get management to turn off the water...we dry-dock tonight!)
• The water connection port on your RV slowly bends more and more til it breaks leaving water slowly leaking down...oops! another wet spot inside...(unscrew and pull the connection port to the OUTSIDE of the RV...at least the leak then runs down the siding rather than into the walls)
• Park too far forward from the hook-ups, find your hose doesn't reach with the slide-out extended, decide to fill the fresh water tank and use the pump for water, start to fill the tank and, OVERFLOW, you forgot to empty the tank last time...(meaning you pulled an extra 500 pounds through the mountains, DEEP sigh...)

See what I mean? Is this running water thing REALLY worth all the hassle? Well, when it works RIGHT, it surely is...

The real question is...are you a plumber?!

Do the "back-in-dance"

What's that you say? You don't KNOW the "back-in-dance"?? It's what you do when you back a 5th Wheel RV into a site...

YOU know...line up just right to back the RV 90 degrees into a site...(or pray for an empty site across the lane so you can pull FORWARD into it, then back (more or less) straight back into your assigned place.) Now, shuffle forward, jiggle back, a little left, a little right, don't turn too sharp or you'll be in a fix. Too far right (don't hit the tree!), too far left (don't hit the hook-ups), pull forward again. Now, eeeaaassseee it back...lookin' pretty good! Let's check the level. Add a few levelers (aka giant orange stackable LEGOS!) and do-si-do. Now slowly slide back (hope and pray!), get those RV wheels on the narrow orange path. You're doin' okay...keep on comin'...keep on com...!!!STOP!!!

Whew! You just did the "back-in-dance"! YAY!

Now it's time to hop down from the pick-up cab and do a little jig of your own!

(Oh...did you think the "back-in-dance" was for a PERSON??! Nope...it's the dance you do with truck and trailer with helpers yelling along side!!)

(PS...I successfully completed my first "back-in-dance" for the first time last night---in the DARK, no less! Aren't you PROUD of me?!)

What is NORMAL?

It is quite obvious that we spent entirely too long in the deserts of Arizona! As midwesterners we would drive over bridges that spanned huge riverbeds of...SAND! We would marvel at how absolutely dry land could be called a "river." Yes, we could see the ripple marks of water flowing in the past...but no moisture visible when WE saw it. It was all a bit surreal to us.

Then, we crossed into New Mexico. Eventually, we crossed a bridge over a river and, of course, there was...water??!!! WOW! The kids and I all laughed that there was actually a thin little stream of WATER flowing down the mostly dry creek beds! It was absolutely AMAZING!!

By the time we got to Santa Fe, we were also excited about all the GREEN on the mountains! It wasn't just dry, rocky, sandy, desolate land! Again...it was AMAZING!

What's funny to me in looking back at it is that it took such a short time for our eyes to find dry, desert, arizona landscape to be "normal."

Ahh well, we are now enjoying the GRASS in Colorado. So I guess we still have some adjusting to do before we truly get back to "normal."

Run Out and BUY This Thing!!!

Yesterday we drove down to Tucson for the day to do some sightseeing. Before we left I carefully looked up the places we wanted to visit, and wrote down the addresses. Then I went to mapquest (of course) to get directions, an approximate driving time, and figure out a logical itinerary. I remembered that we have GPS in the truck, so instead of wasting paper, I didn't bother to print out the directions or even write them down.

When we got to Nettie's townhouse, we switched from our big, gas-guzzling truck to her (our old) minivan, so we had enough seats for all six of us. (No...a MINIVAN is not what you need to run out and buy...if you really wanted one of these for the large hauling capacity, you already have one...) This was pre-planned, so switching cars was NOT a surprise to me, much as I might like to pretend otherwise...

As we drove, we switched CDs occasionally, so nobody got too bored with what was playing. (I agree that the 6-CD Changer we have in the truck is really nice...and Satellite Radio is a really nice option, as well, but, NO, neither of those extras are what you must run out and buy...)

As we got closer to Tucson, I suddenly realized that we are in ARIZONA, meaning it is HOT and very sunny in the middle of the day. So, I decided we should switch the order of our sight-seeing and go to the further away but nice, cool, shady, adobe mission church first. Suddenly, I realized I had made a BIG mistake. I had the address written down...but no directions. I seemed to remember we needed to switch to another interstate near Tucson, but couldn't remember the details.

...NO directions...NO GPS...looking for someplace most people probably had never heard of (unless they were interested in old architecture/churches)... What should we do?

Randy mumbled about having decided not to bring his laptop this time because the car might get too hot for it when parked. (This is a bit of a hot-button topic for us---I see no reason to drag that infernal laptop with us everywhere we go...Randy figures we might want to look something up with it...OOPS! He was right this time!!)

I thought of calling someone to ask them to look up the directions on the internet and dictate them to me over the phone. (NO, you do not need to run out and buy a cell-phone...I assume you probably already have one of those...)

Then Randy came up with a MARVELOUS idea, a miraculous idea, an awesome product, (can you feel the build-up? Yes, THIS is the product you absoulutely MUST run out and buy!!!) Someone has actually come up with the wonderful idea of printing out all sorts of maps you might someday use and making them into a BOOK!! It can be stored underneath the seat of the car and pulled out when you most need it. WOW! You absolutely MUST go get one of these astonishing products for those times when you don't have instant internet contact to get to mapquest or google maps...

Yep, we were saved by an ATLAS! And, imagine, it even had little squares marked on the Tucson map and labeled with the exact places we wanted to visit!!

(PS...just for your info...the photo above was of a "road" that was marked as paved in the atlas...obviously wrong! But we used that same atlas and found a different way to get to where we were going using better roads.)

More Views from My Window

We stayed for almost a week at an old RV park in Central Arizona, south of Sedona. (Rio Verde RV Park in Cottonwood AZ) My first thoughts were that it was pretty beat up and many of the RVs were quite decrepit, but we discovered the people made up for it. Many of them were full-time residents. Our kids quickly made friends and hung out in the picnic pavilion in the center of the park. Honestly, there really weren't many views from the windows of the RV: mostly just dust and rocks and a few trees. Our lovely "picture window" at the back of the RV looked out about 2 feet to the side wall of the shower building...sigh... However, we had a nice, shady tree next to our patio, which was encouragement to sit outside in our lawn chairs and relax awhile. Jakob even did some reading up in the branches of that tree! Most evenings I took time to keep an eye out the door to watch the edge of the nightly sunset over the mountains in the distance. So...at least THIS view (from the door) was definitely a good one!

Now we are parked at an RV park on the far east side of the Phoenix area. (The Arizona Maverick in Apache Junction AZ.) As I had read in many RVer blogs, it was a challenge finding a family friendly RV park anywhere in the Valley of the Sun. (Most are age restricted--55 & up--where even WE are too young to stay there!!) This one is quite a drive to get to Nettie and even farther to visit our friends (who live to the north of Phoenix). But, again, people are friendly here and there are lots of full-time residents with lots of kids for Jakob and Anna to play with. These spaces have nice patios (where I spend alot of time, sitting under our awning), gravel all around (instead of dust), and palm trees scattered around the sites. Unfortunately, we are surrounded on every side with rows of other RVs so, again, the views from the windows aren't all that great. The far back of the park has views of mountains on the horizon, but I can't really even see that from the patio. This photo is of the view through the small window behind the dining bench. (I can see it while lounging on the couch.) During daytime it's pretty boring since the power lines are so shiny from the sunlight. But, each night at sunset, the view is worth noticing.

a traveling house...

If you remember, in an earlier blog I whined about the hassles of packing up everything and securing it to handle the bumps and jiggles of driving down the road. I questioned WHY anyone would think this was a good idea?!!

Well, besides the obvious of an RV being cheaper lodging than staying in hotels, more weather-proof lodging than tent-camping, and feeling more like "home" when surrounded by your own things, there IS one other big advantage of a moving house...always changing views out the windows!!

For a person like me who not only likes change but NEEDS it, having new views every time we move to a new location saves a lot of hassles. It saves money and energy when compared with rearranging furniture, repainting, re-wallpapering, re-tiling floors, or other forms of changing a "stick house." Maybe this will end up being a good compromise between me (and Anna) who thrive on change and Randy (and Jakob) who get stressed out by it. At least this still looks and feels like "home" while the window views are changing...

As a summary, here are some of the views we have had so far...

The view out our bedroom window (at the back of the RV), looking at the ever changing sights of the Clear Creek in Golden, CO.

The views in Glenwood Canyon, CO were wonderful because there were mountains in every direction we could look. This is out the front door---I kept it open to watch the rosy sunset gradually move across the mountains in that direction.

The views toward the back of the RV at the Spanish Trail RV Park in Moab, Utah were beautiful---facing the red rock wall that runs beside the road for miles. I spent time lounging on the couch, watching out this window as the shadows changed and moved along the wall with the sun's movement.

I must confess, however, that I didn't bother to take any photos of the views out the windows while at the Trailer Village at the Grand Canyon. They had worked hard to angle the sites so we didn't actually look directly into any other RV's windows...but all we could see out our windows was views of other RVs. But...we spent most of our time either at the canyon itself, tiredly eating in the RV, or SLEEPING (to recover from that day's walking and recharge for the next day's exertions :-)

Scrambling...fear? or fun?

Okay, I'm as happy as anyone in my family when there is freedom to fool around on the rocks at a park. After being frustrated at Garden of the Gods, CO when no one was allowed within touching distance of most of the walls, Jakob was quite pleased at Arches National Park to find out scrambling is allowed, as long as you can get to the rocks via either slick-rock or sand (not the crypto-biotic ground covering that takes hundreds of years to form but has covered much of the park).

It seems to me that Jakob still has a healthy respect for the dangers of climbing while still being interested in trying out his skills. He had fun challenging himself on a variety of ledges and vertical cracks, while staying relatively close to the ground.

My HUSBAND, on the other hand, scares me silly at times! I know, I know, so far he has not gotten stuck nor fallen...BUT...it is nerve-wracking (for ME, not him) just the same! (In these photos, he was trying to get up into the base of the arch, towering far above us. He finally quit---deciding that while he could probably get UP there, he was less certain about getting safely DOWN.)

I'm trying REALLY HARD to follow the advice given to me years ago by a friend who had 4 active boys. She trusted her husband to make wise decisions about acceptable risk in various activities, then stayed out of the way if those activities made her nervous. That's all well and good when it's risk-taking SONS...but she never told me what to do when I'm afraid of the possible damage that might befall my husband!

So...I try not to watch, try not to talk about my fears TOO much in front of the kids (I want them to enjoy being adventuresome, after all!) , and sneak occasional pictures!!

Glenwood Hot Springs

After resting in the afternoon at our new RV site, we drove the 3 miles into Glenwood Springs and spent the evening at the Hot Springs Pool. It was beautiful, fascinating, relaxing, and fun---is that enough adjectives yet??

The total length of the "therapy pool" (104 degrees) and the leisure pool (93 degrees) is 529 FEET!! In other words, the pool you see near the parking lot and the pool you see at the other end of the reeaaallllyyy long building...are all the SAME pool! (to get a better idea of it...it is 100 feet wide!) We all enjoyed a long evening there...Jakob found a similar aged boy to dive with and kid around with (and both stayed in their comfort zones by not bothering with actual names but just calling each other "dude" all evening!), Anna found a number of "friends" and I found two different moms to get acquainted with. Randy wandered off on his own, dove with Jakob, swam with Anna, and gave me a little time as well. His "gimpy" arm is now achy---hot mineral water felt good, but all the diving and swimming apparently exercised it a bit too much!

The story of how we found this place is kind of humorous: friends from Cleveland spent Christmas in Colorado and spent some time here in Glenwood Springs. They told Randy how much they enjoyed this place. Before we left Golden, we had asked a number of new friends from Denver area if there was anywhere in particular we should stop as we travelled toward Utah. No one had any ideas. But later, when we told them we were planning to stop at the Glenwood Hot Springs, everyone agreed that was a WONDERFUL place to go! (Good thing our OHIO friends told us about it!)

Travel Day

We finally got out of Golden not too far behind what we were aiming for. The Honda scooter Randy bought from his brother was easily strapped down on the pull-out tray behind. The weather was clear (even sunny at times), warm, and little winds once we got past the front range (foot-hills).

The drive was beautiful--getting glimpses of snowy peaks ahead of us, then eventually being among the high mountains. It was fun passing a number of ski resorts that are right along the freeway. One of the places literally skis down over top of the long Eisenhower Tunnel! Reminded me of one of the ski runs in Chile which did a similar thing (although that road was NOT a full interstate!) Vail looked like a hoity-toity town with mega mansions everywhere---definitely NOT a place we ever plan to visit! (Now I'm curious what Aspen is like...but we don't plan to go out of the way to see.)

It was strange to see the mountains changing as we passed over the continental divide...much drier and rockier, eventually looking far more like high desert than the mountains we have seen so far.

Glenwood Canyon is GORGEOUS...and that is before the aspen trees are even leafy! We had never heard of it before...but I-70 runs right through its 16 mile length. According to my aunt, it used to narrow down to a one lane road each direction, beside the Colorado "River" (looks far more like a CREEK along here!), with the train tracks immediately on the other side of the water and canyon walls sheer to both the railroad tracks and the road. Because it is supposed to be an INTERSTATE freeway...it is now a double decker roadway through the canyon, with each direction getting two lanes (sometime close beside each other like in this photo, sometimes westbound on TOP of eastbound!!!) Pretty amazing!

Brainless??

I think my brain went journeying before we were packed up and ready to leave...

Here's a short email I sent a friend (in frustration) right before I shut down my laptop and packed it up to travel earlier today:

"Awwkkkkk! I'm having problems sticking to any given task right now. There
is chaos all around as we try to get all the last stuff stowed so we can drive
our house down the road---who ever came up with this idea of a MOVING house
anyways??!! (Don't worry---we are making good progress...and so far all are in
good temper.) I thought about calling you this morning...but that would be a HUGE distraction from moving out!"

I would like to think all my list-making actually helped in the packing-up-and-moving-out process. Or I would like to excuse my distractibility by stating that I was sick the day before. But I suspect the truth is...I was just temporarily brainless!!

Oh well, my family put up with me (and even laughed a little) and we finally got packed up and pulled out somewhere within time frame we were hoping for so I guess no harm was done!

(Here we are, pulling out of Golden Colorado...with the butte, symbol of Golden, in the background.)

Goodbyes

I overheard Randy telling someone on the phone that we have many goodbyes to say as we get ready to leave. We haven't really put down roots while we have been here--knowing we wanted to be back on the road again at some point--but we indeed have many goodbyes needing to be said.

We must say goodbye to family we have gotten to know better over the past few month. It has been a privilege to spend so much time with Randy's brother and sister-in-law and with my aunt. We will miss having such regular contact with them! We have said hello and goodbye to some of my relatives that I have really never known before. And I have enjoyed time spent with a new friend/"family member" I've gotten to know in Boulder.

We must say goodbye to new friends at the Arvada Vineyard--many of whom have opened their hearts to us, have listened to us, shared with us, prayed with us, and laughed and cried with us. We will miss spending time together in worship, socializing, and in marriage communication class. (And Jakob and Anna will miss playing with their new friends.) Keep in touch while we wander down the road!

We must say goodbye to fun swimming and bouldering at the Golden Community Center and we must say goodbye to the Golden Library---just a short walk down the pathway along the creek (meaning the librarians saw us every few days--and, yes, the Jefferson County Library System DOES have a limit on number of books that can be checked out at one time!!)

Finally, we must say goodbye to some of the stuff we have accumulated in the months we have been settled here. There are clothes that have been outgrown (or stained or ripped). There are books that have bred on our shelves (I SWEAR that must be how they accumulate so quickly!!) that need new homes. (Randy has decided that unlike Lucille Ball in the old trailer movie who collected rocks everywhere she and Desi went, my "rocks" which will overwhelm our weight restrictions are actually BOOKS.)

Then it will be on to the final details of re-packing this home so we can safely move down the road without our possessions ending up strewn all over the place and/or shattered with travel over bumpy roads. (pictures off the walls, drawer units stashed on our bed so the bed can slide-in under the wardrobe, pillows stuffed into kids' hidey-hole toy storage, and more...)

Why, again, did we decide to travel? Oh, yeah, the adventure, the new places to see and experience, the new friends we will make, pursuing dreams, healing from wounds...I guess there are good reasons for what we are doing. It just doesn't feel that way when it's

TIME FOR GOOD BYES

Moving on...

Golden, CO has been a good place to be for the past few months. We have enjoyed the blue, sunny skies (and begrudged the few grey days---my how fast our expectations of a "good day" changed!) Living right next to a rushing, flowing, dancing stream and looked over by a canyon full of mountains (at least, they are mountains to this flatlander) brought at least a few moments of enjoyment, no matter what else was going on.


We have tentative plans for the next few months: We will spend this weekend doing the "lasts" (trying to fit in last visits with friends and family and last trips to the rec center and the library). We plan to be "movin' on" by Tuesday morning, taking a few days to get to the Grand Canyon, via Glenwood Hot Springs, CO and Moab, UT. We will spend a month or so in Arizona. Then in mid April we plan to head towards Alaska for the summer.

So...we have a direction to head and a tentative schedule. That's more than we had when we left Ohio in December! Hopefully we move on stronger and emotionally healthier as we leave this place and time of healing. We are back on track as we continue our journey 2 wonder.

Too Much To Do?

The kids and I realized a few days ago that we only have a little over a week before we plan to leave Colorado and head south to spend time in Arizona with our older daughters. How did the "move date" sneak up on us so quickly?! Suddenly we look at our mostly unscheduled days and panic that there are too many things we still want to do or see with not enough time to fit everything in!!

I was thinking about taking an intro to kayaking class here (in the community center pool). We want to take Randy down to Colorado Springs to share Garden of the Gods with him. We still want to visit the Natural History Museum---after all, we get in free with our pass from the Field Museum in Chicago. My dad says we need to visit the visitor center of the Renewable Energy Labs here in Golden. And on and on goes the list.

So...it's decision making time. What things are most important to us? What places will we skip (at least for this visit)? Which people will we spend time with? What library books will we finish reading and which ones will be returned...unread? We also realize we need to do another mini-purge of belongings. We have gathered more clothes, more books, more papers, more STUFF in the two months we have been here. Which of those things do we keep? What things do we get rid of?

Living in a small space makes it so much more obvious how quickly "stuff" accumulates. Living in a movable home makes it more difficult to put down "roots" in the first place...and makes us realize how many connections we have already made in the relatively short time we have been here.

We enjoy the freedom that comes with a mostly-open calendar. But this week we will be busy. Time here is running out...

ARGGHHH! ... WIND!

The wind started blowing again last night. We have gotten spoiled with a number of warm, sunny, hardly breezy days. But the temperatures are dropping again which makes the wind roar down the canyon from out of the mountain ranges behind us.

The branches are whipping back and forth, sometimes the tree trunks even bend downward. It seems the stream is struggling to keep moving down stream...not UPstream where the wind is pushing it. The little red squirrel I enjoy watching is nowhere to be seen...probably holed up in her nest.

And us? We are hunkered down in our RV. Even with the furnace running and a space heater aimed at us, it still seems chilly. It is hard to focus on anything as the entire RV rocks in the wind, almost jerking with the big gusts.

I walk outside occasionally just to double check the jacks keeping the rear of the trailer level. No, they've not shifted so far...but these gusts make it FEEL like the trailer is moving!

And...all the hard work Jakob and Randy did during the freezing cold a few weeks ago is coming apart. Every so often Jakob has to go out and chase down long styrofoam insulation boards as the wind blows them out from the base of the RV, flips them, and tries to carry them off. Last time out, Jakob stacked all the pieces fully under the trailer, up against the down-wind tires (and only remaining insulation boards still standing), and tried to weight the pieces down with a folded up lawn-chair. Seems to be working for now...

I'm thinking I will buy a few more boards tomorrow. Jakob and I will try to get them all put back up and more thoroughly taped together before the temperatures take a big drop later in the week.

It's frustrating to have to re-do things we thought we had already solved...if we must keep coming up with innovative solutions at least let the problems be NEW ones!!

So...aaarrrgggh! to the wind! Bluuurrrgh to repeated frustrations! I think I'll go looking for chocolate...with that and a lovely, oh-so-soft white blanket to cuddle under I just might get my equilibrium back!

WIND...a poetic look

Here is a poem written by Jakob and Anna (with framework by me)

The WIND

TODAY it is:

• howling like a coyote
• strong, like a giant trying to push over the RV
• uneven as waves on a shore
• blowing cold out of mountain snow forts

YESTERDAY it was:

• soft like a kitten pouncing
• gentle like a playful lamb
• lifting the hang gliders to dance around the mountains
• warm like a breath of sun

TOMORROW??

• which wind will fill the air?

Logic and Eliminating Variables

I didn't PLAN to have Jakob practice scientific methods today for school. I didn't PLAN to have to send him crawling around under the RV (and inside the styrofoam insulating boards he and Randy installed around the perimeter of the RV). I certainly didn't PLAN to do school wrapped up in blankets today.

Sigh...

This is one of those days that calls for spontaneity and flexibility... We apparently ran out of propane last night. (HOPEFULLY, that is all it was...and there is nothing actually wrong with the furnace.) That explains the blankets...

Then, when Jakob decided to do his school reading while sitting by the heater in the enclosed space under the RV (don't bother...I don't know either...it's useless to ask why...!!), he discovered that the heater wasn't working. When he followed the cords to check connections, he discovered that the hose heater (plugged into the same extension cord) also wasn't working. He checked the circuit breaker--flipped it off and back on again, tried unplugging and replugging the cord to the outlet, etc. Nothing...

So, he spent quite a long time, disconnecting all the cords and components, dragging everything into the trailer, and trying each part in the interior outlet. After resetting the breaker for the inside outlet (which blew when he first plugged in the extra heater), he tried each piece separately. They all worked individually. I guess this all of this counts as using scientific methods, right?! He eliminated variables and finally isolated the problem. The outside outlet isn't working!

He has already walked over to the office and reported the problem. They say they will send someone to work on it yet today. (At least it's currently above freezing so our water lines are not at risk!)

Thanks, Jakob! Job well done!

Only ONE Vehicle...

Think for a minute about the times your family has one car in the shop for repairs. Isn't it painful to handle life with only one vehicle? It forces communication, pre-planning, coordinated calendars and more. Horrors!

We are discovering what it is like to live for an extended period with only one vehicle. It certainly has its challenges! There have already been times where one or the other of us has been frustrated that the truck isn't here when we decide we "need" to run out and do some errand or another. There has been a time or two (including last night) that someone missed an activity that they were hoping to get to, because of lack of communication and schedule coordination.

Because our kids are old enough to babysit themselves for awhile, when we each had a vehicle that was "mine," it didn't really matter who went where or when. There was a feeling of freedom that went along with having your own transportation always available. Now, there is a feeling of vulnerability when the other one leaves with the truck, not really knowing when transportation will be available again. (Emergencies are not really a concern---the fire department and squad are literally just down the road here.)

Fortunately, for now we are only a short walk from the community center, the library, and the coffee shop. The laundromat is here in the RV Park. Recreational opportunities are also just a walk away---the playground, creek-watching, climbing around in the foothills, and more. That's a big help to not feeling "trapped" in the RV.

Not knowing what life will be like in other locations and in other RV parks, we have bought an older Honda scooter from Randy's brother and are working on getting it licensed, insured, and running smoothly. We can haul it on the rack that pulls out from the back of the RV (once we figure out how to secure it, that is!) A scooter will at least allow for short trips to get "necessities" (you know, milk, bread, a cup of coffee, a book run...) when the other one is running errands in the truck.

So, think of us next time one of your cars is in the shop. And enjoy the freedom you usually enjoy with a vehicle of your own!

We're looking forward to the day we have a vehicle and a half!

Daily Life...

Okay...I know a lot of you wonder what daily life is like for a full-time RVer. From most of the blogs I've written, you might be thinking that we go from one challenge straight into another. I will admit that sometimes it FEELS that way. But, truthfully, most days are pretty much the same as daily living in a "stick house." Yes, we have way less space (<300 s.f.) and we do have to keep aware of heating issues (such as how much propane do we have, how cold is it going to be, and do we have the various heaters turned on to avoid a repeat of frozen water lines).

In general, for the kids and I, our days are filled with school activities, cooking, minimal cleaning (the plus side to small living space is small area to be cleaned), reading, getting out for awhile (to the playground or library, or for a walk, or getting a cup of coffee in town...any where with no walls to close in on you!), and a variety of scheduled activities. Randy spends time working and keeping track of financial stuff, both via internet. Outside activities include tae-kwon-do for Jakob, a weekly marriage/communication class for us, weekly church, and weekly time with Randy's brother and sister-in-law. Anna just started 2ce weekly morning swim lessons at nearby community center. Jakob is doing weekly climbing club there. There are also opportunities for family swim time, various museums still to visit, a "field trip" to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, a possible tour of Celestial Seasonings Company in Boulder, a possible Kayaking lesson (in the rec center pool), and various social gatherings.

Doesn't this sound similar to your own lifestyle? (at least if you have active kids!) Things would be much more hectic if we were travelling every day or two...but we are trying to stay at least a month or so in each area with day trips for sightseeing. That way we can cut down on having to pack up each morning and set up each night.

Yes, this RV is feeling more and more like home. And when you read future posts about challenges we face, remember...that's not DAILY living for a full-time RVer!

We woke up to find...SNOW!

What do you do in an RV when you wake up to SNOW?

1. Take a few moments to celebrate and savor the BEAUTY...

2. Dig through the storage bin under our bed to find the snowpants.

3. Let the kids head outside...but I can't follow yet...my coffee's not ready!

4. Walk through the snow (as yet unplowed), following the footprints to the playground.

5. Laugh and laugh as Jakob and Anna enjoy how slippery the slides are, and as they defend/attack the "castle" (with snowball artillery, of course).

(can you find "spy Anna" here?)

6. Try to take photos...and get attacked myself!

7. Huddle over my hot coffee as I sit on the bench and watch kids play.


8. Eventually convince kids that THEY are freezing (!) and that hot chocolate is calling...

9. Strip off snow clothes back at the RV...now, where do we put them?? (draped over any possible surface near heaters, of course!)

10. Continue to enjoy the beauty THROUGH the windows, from inside our warm cozy home!

11. Celebrate the fact that we can enjoy snow fun and snow beauty today...and by tomorrow it will have melted again and the sky will again be blue and SUNNY! (Gotta love Colorado!!)

Beaten by a...sink?!

It's a nice quiet evening, everything settled and routine. Randy is perusing the news on his laptop at the table, Jakob is reading, Anna is playing quietly with toys, I'm washing the dishes. All's right with the world...

And then...the sink stops draining. Soapy water is bubbling back up from the drain. What?! Now, what do I do?? Ask JAKOB, of course! He knows everything about this RV we are living in!

He checks the control panel (hidden in the cupboard above the TV/sound system). Grey water tank, 3 lights, 3/4 full, doesn't need drained yet. Black water tank (sewage), 3 lights, 3/4 full, doesn't need drained yet. Galley tank...GALLEY TANK??? What IS this?? 4 lights, FULL, must be drained. Okay...but where is the drain handle?? Oh no, even Jakob is baffled. Now what will we do??

We think about it. Jakob looks outside under the far side of the trailer. Yep, like we thought there are two, count 'em TWO, handles color-coded and labeled grey and black. We have him try draining those tanks, just in case. First the black water, then the grey water. Back inside...nope, no change in my soapy, bubbly sink drain.

We pull out the slim, cheaply bound "RV manual." It has been mostly useless in the past...maybe it will have actual information this time?? ... ... ... nope, this useless pile of paper mentions grey water and black water tanks, but the "galley" tank apparently doesn't exist.

Now we are getting really frustrated. Past bedtime, kids are making more noise and distracting us, Jakob didn't know the answers this time, off to bed they are sent...

The sink sits and glares accusingly at us (we can't even manage simple things like this? Just what are we doing thinking we can live full-time in this place??) Both Randy and I get busy with our laptops. Check the manufacturer's website... nothing... check RV sites and forums and articles and... a few glimmers of info but nothing specific. This isn't helping!

Randy searches the cupboard under the sink, looking for clues. He wiggles this pipe and that. Nothin...oops! water leaking! OH NO! Randy wiggles the pipes the other way, tightens joints, cusses and swears (after all, that IS the correct magic for stopping leaks, isn't it?!). Whew! It stops, just a wet floor inside the cupboard. Towels to the rescue...

THAT didn't go well. Let's try looking outside (in the dark, of course). We crawl around under the kitchen side of the RV. Hmmm...here's a pipe underneath...where does it go? Check the far side of the trailer again. Nope, still no hidden release handles near the other two drains. "Look further back, under the slide out living area," calls Randy. So, I crawl under that section, looking all the way under the RV. Ahhhhhhh...another little handle...hidden away from everything else... Pull it, hear the water whoosh through the drain hose. Crawl back out and head inside. My sink has stopped bubbling and the lights for the "galley" on the control panel are back to 1, empty. YAY! We did it!

(Apparently builders take devilish delight in wreaking havoc in the lives of RV owners. Someday, maybe, we will find the tiny cameras the manufacturer installed...which gives them live footage of owners baffled by the hidden secrets of these RVs. Do they view these films at company parties to get a good laugh?! ARGGHHH!!)

Quiet Times

We had a very quiet New Year's Eve (playing a game as a family, then watching a movie with Jakob til midnight--Anna went to bed at her own suggestion since she was falling asleep at the table!!)...and a quiet New Year's Day for that matter. Right now that seems to be the typical. It's QUITE strange not having a schedule, not having places we MUST get to by a certain time, etc. I did just discover where I will wander off to when I need a break---there's a wonderful cafe in the historic downtown area---sign outside says "serious coffee" :-) There is a large fireplace with comfy couches, brick walls, servers are in (VERY) casual clothes, laid back atmosphere, etc. Plus, if I feel I need to bring Anna with me, there is a kid's play area in the BACK (surely I could sit near the front and read a book with my coffee while Anna plays, right?!)

Today is our first gray day since we've gotten to Colorado---mountains have disappeared into the mist and there are snow flurries. As Uncle Rick tells Anna, the mountains have been taken away for cleaning!! And it seems to be true--when they reappear later today or tomorrow they will be crisp and clear again.

I'm missing my friends but must be honest---at this point I'm not missing anywhere in Ohio with those terminally gray skies...I just wish friends and family could join me HERE!!

Buffalo Bill...and Lookout Mountain

We took a trip today to the Buffalo Bill museum and grave on Lookout mountain (which is right behind where we are living). The drive up the mountain was a little tense for me---too many switchbacks, too many bicyclists (meaning we had to cross the double yellow line to pass them, putting us potentially into path of downward driving vehicles), and too many drop-offs right next to the road. I will admit that the awesome views of valleys & mountains from one side, and views of Denver valley and eastern Colorado plains were worth the drive (I think!). I also think the hang-gliders we enjoy watching most evenings are entirely CRAZY---after seeing the steep ridges they launch off of.

In the museum, Jakob was a little shook up to find out that Buffalo Bill left home in Kansas at 13 years old to try gold mining in CO, was a pony express rider at 14, and was in the Civil War at 16. Seeing the revolver and bowie knife (and little Bible---mandatory for all pony express riders to carry!) BB used as a rider was pretty intense for Jakob! On the lighter side, both kids enjoyed dressing up as cowboys (do you KNOW how heavy chaps are??), "riding" the horse and trying to rope the calf in the kids area. Between each try, you could almost see the gears spinning in Jakob's brain as he readjusted his technique. He indeed eventually roped the calf successfully. Anna, on the other hand, managed to rope her foot (in the stirrup!), herself, her horse's head, and everything BUT the calf!! Ahh, well...she had fun LOOKING the part of cowgirl!

Oh, and were you aware of how much of a "visionary" Buffalo Bill was?? I certainly wasn't! He was one of the first to start a domestic herd of Buffalo--both to preserve them for posterity and for use in his Wild West Show. He was fully supportive of equal rights for both Women and for Indians, even fighting for the latter when challenged a number of times that the indians belonged on reservations, not getting good pay in his show. He also tried his hand at city planning---with the town of Cody, WY which he envisioned as a tourist destination, as an up-to-date place to live, and as a gate-way to Yellowstone--none of which occured in his lifetime, but did eventually happen.

On the way back down from Lookout Mountain, we checked mileage and altitude change...and I've decided my original goal of walking up the mountain behind our RV by the time we leave this area in a month or two is entirely TOO outrageous! It sure doesn't look all that high when seen from below...but the road wanders 5 miles from side to side and around two mountains while ascending 1600' or so. I think I need to find a more attainable goal of a HILL for us to climb instead!