Huh? RVTOCD?
R-ecreational V-ehicle T-inkering O-bsessive C-ompulsive D-isorder.
Either way... I'm cranky and restless. The sun has been shining. Hit nigh on to 80 degrees yesterday. I believe spring is dang close.
When I ride in to that 'day job'... I have a hard time turning into the parking lot. My heart... and that Fiery Red Raider says; "Noooooooo!.... just a few more miles!.... Puh-leeeeeeeeeese!" But... being the respectable... reliable... employee... (Ok... knock it off you guys... I'm bein' serious here!) I go ahead and stop for a day of joy... selling plumbing fittings and misc. nuts and bolts...
When I get back home... the Eagle asks; "I'm so bored my tires hurt... When you gonna take me out for a circle?!"
Henry David Thoreau where are you! :o)
And... that RVTOCD seems to be raisin' its' head fairly often... I suppose it gets fired up when you're tied down for a while... and the Hitch Itch is aggravated... My mind trying to keep me "In the game".
I had a conversation with a gal 'bout that subject yesterday... Seems I'm never quite finished with a project. I can do something that works just fine... but then I'll scheme an improvement... and go to tinkering and change up the whole deal... oh well... keeps me out of the bars I guess.
Projects I'm workin' on now, that have moved to the head of the line... ahead of the smaller RV Remodel projects I want to get finished up... are reworking the hitch on that '99 Cummins to open up the room to create my motorcycle carrier right there behind the cab.
Moving the motorcycle carrier to the flatbed on the truck opens up the tail of the Fifth wheel, where I plan to build and mount a fairly good sized cargo box I have planned... Its' purpose being for the storage of some 'camp accessories' (for sweet, long, camps) and the tools and materials for my Mobile RV Leather/journal 'studio'!
Then there's adding a couple more solar panels to bring our Solar array up closer to what I think we'll need long term, and an important piece of tinkering for an RV Boondocker... I've got a plan sketched out to hang two 40 gal+- RV water tanks under the truck bed. One for Fresh water... one for Black water... (haul black to town... bring the fresh back to camp)
If they work out like I'm scheming, they'll hang in a couple of Alum. Diamond Plate 'bins' a friend is gonna weld up for me... if things, such as 'price', work out ok...
I'm also back to twiddling a bit with the paint... I still want to flash up the rig, to replace the removed, weathered decals... I've come up with kind of an 'out of the box' idea for that as well... It's different... though not quite as gaudy as some of the designs I posted this past winter. :o) trying to get it settled out in my head...
Doing that... is sort of like trying to play that kids game... you know the one where you roll the lil' steel balls around to fill in the eyes, nose and such on a face?... So much... rollin' around in there, it's hard to get anything... settled! :o)
Plenty to do... and I'm sure it won't all get done before we crack out, as things seem to be coming together faster all the time... I'll make a good run at it though.
Just the same, the summer of 2010 threatens to be one for the Record books... 'least for my carcass!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
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A broken down Ol' Cowboy goin' RV Boondocking ...
...and Yondering, to the beat of a different Biker Cowboy Drummer
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Do You Mind if I Boast a Lil' About Building My Websites?
Bein' a real 'shy' buster... I don't boast much... OK... OK... but, if a Cowboy don't show off once in a while... he'll burst!
Yesterday goin' RV Boondocking punched through another Record... My visitor count went through 11,000 visitors in a month for the first time. Hoo! Ya!... and the month ain't even over yet! Sweet! and, for the bottom line... though last month was the best the sites have paid me yet... this month is now, the best payday! Double Hoo! Ya! or I should say... The best, You, have paid me! :-)
As my workamping, RV Cottage enterprise, Building my Websites has been a Shining Times Trail! :o)
Many, Many Thanks, to all you folks that come by! Ya'll are keepin' me Flying High! I can not put into proper words, how much I appreciate the experience you've given me.
If there are some of you... who like to 'spin a story'... If you like to write, and share what ya'll know 'bout something... you might want to consider this sort of a deal... It's been a chunk of hard work, but I can tell you one thing... When ever'thing was crashing around me... Having, this, one, thing... that kept on goin'... helped me... keep on going.
Whatever you do... I'd twist your arm a bit, to get you 'off the dime'... if I could; get to work conjuring up some sort of a Cottage Industry enterprise for yourselves... It'll take time. It'll take hard work... but in the end, like it's done for me... It'll contribute a great deal... To achieving your Personal Freedom! :o)
I'm chasin' Ol' George an' Tioga... and it's a lil' confusing, 'cause I don't know if he's counting visitors... or visits... but if he is... I've got 18,600 of those 'visits'!
I sometimes feel guilty, 'bout how good I usually feel these days... I know that there's a whole lot of folks that are sufferin' through as hard a time as they've ever known... I know... exactly... what they're endurin'... Last year... right at this time... I thought my life was pretty much crashing...
Lil' Laurie had just passed, ghosts were huntin' me... and Heidi and I were... well, it was bad...
But... with a lot of good friends who refused to let me go... and a stubbornness I found... somewhere, I made it through the storm... WE, made it through the storm... and back into the Sun...
And... today... the reward for hangin' tough... is that even though we took a whuppin' in the wallet the past few years... lookin' forward is a gorgeous sunrise! :o)
The way my web sites are performing, supporting Heidi's store... and our efforts at personal downsizing ... or... what most people might call it... Frugal Living... or Frugal RVing... we are looming awful close to having a sustainable, full-time... RV Boondocking, Dream Come True! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! ... and that is 'Cowboy' for LOL ! :o)
Don't lose hope. Hang on to each other... Hang on to Your Friends... Make the hard choices that'll strengthen your situation... Hang Tight to your Dreams, whatever they might be. Storms don't go on forever. The Sun Will Come Out Again. I Vow!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Yesterday goin' RV Boondocking punched through another Record... My visitor count went through 11,000 visitors in a month for the first time. Hoo! Ya!... and the month ain't even over yet! Sweet! and, for the bottom line... though last month was the best the sites have paid me yet... this month is now, the best payday! Double Hoo! Ya! or I should say... The best, You, have paid me! :-)
As my workamping, RV Cottage enterprise, Building my Websites has been a Shining Times Trail! :o)
Many, Many Thanks, to all you folks that come by! Ya'll are keepin' me Flying High! I can not put into proper words, how much I appreciate the experience you've given me.
If there are some of you... who like to 'spin a story'... If you like to write, and share what ya'll know 'bout something... you might want to consider this sort of a deal... It's been a chunk of hard work, but I can tell you one thing... When ever'thing was crashing around me... Having, this, one, thing... that kept on goin'... helped me... keep on going.
Whatever you do... I'd twist your arm a bit, to get you 'off the dime'... if I could; get to work conjuring up some sort of a Cottage Industry enterprise for yourselves... It'll take time. It'll take hard work... but in the end, like it's done for me... It'll contribute a great deal... To achieving your Personal Freedom! :o)
I'm chasin' Ol' George an' Tioga... and it's a lil' confusing, 'cause I don't know if he's counting visitors... or visits... but if he is... I've got 18,600 of those 'visits'!
I sometimes feel guilty, 'bout how good I usually feel these days... I know that there's a whole lot of folks that are sufferin' through as hard a time as they've ever known... I know... exactly... what they're endurin'... Last year... right at this time... I thought my life was pretty much crashing...
Lil' Laurie had just passed, ghosts were huntin' me... and Heidi and I were... well, it was bad...
But... with a lot of good friends who refused to let me go... and a stubbornness I found... somewhere, I made it through the storm... WE, made it through the storm... and back into the Sun...
And... today... the reward for hangin' tough... is that even though we took a whuppin' in the wallet the past few years... lookin' forward is a gorgeous sunrise! :o)
The way my web sites are performing, supporting Heidi's store... and our efforts at personal downsizing ... or... what most people might call it... Frugal Living... or Frugal RVing... we are looming awful close to having a sustainable, full-time... RV Boondocking, Dream Come True! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! ... and that is 'Cowboy' for LOL ! :o)
Don't lose hope. Hang on to each other... Hang on to Your Friends... Make the hard choices that'll strengthen your situation... Hang Tight to your Dreams, whatever they might be. Storms don't go on forever. The Sun Will Come Out Again. I Vow!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Posting by Email From My New Droid Cell Phone!
I've still got to learn all the lil' details, but it appears, pretty "for sure and for certain", I'll be able to make yondering posts, on the go, without having to haul a laptop along! Just this awesome Droid phone!
And! I do believe I've figured out how to attach pics too!
That view pic is a 'test' pic that's our current view from the door of the Eagle.
Sweet!
Take Good Care
Brian
Saturday, March 27, 2010
RV Boondocking Communication... With Another Gadget! :o)
I swear... this electronic generation thing has GOT to be some sort of a virus infection! and chronic!... Once ya got it... you're done... The "Electronic Gadgets" just keep hookin' on to you... and I gotta tell ya... this Electric Cowboy... is punched full of holes... by "electronic hooks"! :o)
I've been toying for quite some lil' while about one of those relatively new mini laptops... My problem with 'em has always been a sensation 'tween my ears of a real lack of any significant difference, other than being smaller and a lot less capable... Then, when my daughter got one... her other half got it all virused up with some nasty stuff... and the cost to fix that was gonna be more than a new lil' mini laptop...
The driving force in my 'cogitation' on it has been that it would be kinda nice to have a device for posting to my blogs... from the road... especially when, we/I, am Splittin' the Wind on a Motorcycle :o) Especially that new asphalt munchin' Yamaha Raider!
Well sir... as of yesterday afternoon... my cogitatin' is done... and now a nigh on to vertical learning curve is whackin' me on the brain pan... Heidi and I swapped out our cell phones for Motorola DROIDS...
She dumped her Blackberry Storm, that she couldn't be unhappier with, and I swapped out a plain Ol' lil' cell phone... and we got Motorola DROIDS.
I swear, this thing is like havin' an electronic smart alec in your pocket... it talks to you, listens to you... as in voice commands... has a GPS that shows you a photograph of your next turn... reminds you of appointments... with emails! ... tells you if your pictures are hung level... sings music to you... and... for me... can email posts to my blogs... along with a couple thousand other things that I can't see that I'll have any interest in... yet! :o)
'Course... this Ol' buster is gonna have to learn to saddle That Bronc first... and this is... one... tall... Bronc! For a fella like me, like I said, the "learning curve" is dang near vertical. :o)
Heidi got sick of all the "issues" she had with her Blackberry Storm... we tried these Droids out last week and she found the touch screen to be pretty much equivalent to the Iphone... and with Google backing this system... you don't have to pay for ever'thing... Google is far more about providing, in my experience, more service for the monthly subscription you're already paying... than Apple...
That's been one of my 'issues' with a lot of what Apple does... just about anything you want to add... costs another buck or two... nickle and dime ya...
Google... again, in My experience, adds on 'accessories'... as a benefit of paying your monthly "maintenance cost".
It's all in how you look at things I guess...
anyhoo... I now have a pocket sized electronic gadget, from which I can post to my blogs... whenever I want and from wherever I am... without the need to carry a laptop along... This lil' phone can ride in my pocket... no need to find a safe place to stuff it in a saddle bag!
Before we even pulled out for town, yesterday morning, I got a hold of the Bitchn Stitchn Motorcycle Seat Shop, down in Lakewood, Colorado. The purpose was to line up an appointment for Heidi and me, to go on down there, the middle of April; to get her a custom, motorcycle touring seat, built for her position on our Yamaha Raider...
Ya Gotta take care of the Queen!... if she ain't comfortable straddlin' that machine... ya'll ain't gonna spend a lot of miles... Splittin' the Wind!... other than ALONE!
Well Sir... I gotta go do some first aid... and try to plug up some of those rips in my hide... from all those hooks... and try to figure out the hows and wherefor's of roping this new "Gadget" onto my blogs! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
I've been toying for quite some lil' while about one of those relatively new mini laptops... My problem with 'em has always been a sensation 'tween my ears of a real lack of any significant difference, other than being smaller and a lot less capable... Then, when my daughter got one... her other half got it all virused up with some nasty stuff... and the cost to fix that was gonna be more than a new lil' mini laptop...
The driving force in my 'cogitation' on it has been that it would be kinda nice to have a device for posting to my blogs... from the road... especially when, we/I, am Splittin' the Wind on a Motorcycle :o) Especially that new asphalt munchin' Yamaha Raider!
Well sir... as of yesterday afternoon... my cogitatin' is done... and now a nigh on to vertical learning curve is whackin' me on the brain pan... Heidi and I swapped out our cell phones for Motorola DROIDS...
She dumped her Blackberry Storm, that she couldn't be unhappier with, and I swapped out a plain Ol' lil' cell phone... and we got Motorola DROIDS.
I swear, this thing is like havin' an electronic smart alec in your pocket... it talks to you, listens to you... as in voice commands... has a GPS that shows you a photograph of your next turn... reminds you of appointments... with emails! ... tells you if your pictures are hung level... sings music to you... and... for me... can email posts to my blogs... along with a couple thousand other things that I can't see that I'll have any interest in... yet! :o)
'Course... this Ol' buster is gonna have to learn to saddle That Bronc first... and this is... one... tall... Bronc! For a fella like me, like I said, the "learning curve" is dang near vertical. :o)
Heidi got sick of all the "issues" she had with her Blackberry Storm... we tried these Droids out last week and she found the touch screen to be pretty much equivalent to the Iphone... and with Google backing this system... you don't have to pay for ever'thing... Google is far more about providing, in my experience, more service for the monthly subscription you're already paying... than Apple...
That's been one of my 'issues' with a lot of what Apple does... just about anything you want to add... costs another buck or two... nickle and dime ya...
Google... again, in My experience, adds on 'accessories'... as a benefit of paying your monthly "maintenance cost".
It's all in how you look at things I guess...
anyhoo... I now have a pocket sized electronic gadget, from which I can post to my blogs... whenever I want and from wherever I am... without the need to carry a laptop along... This lil' phone can ride in my pocket... no need to find a safe place to stuff it in a saddle bag!
Before we even pulled out for town, yesterday morning, I got a hold of the Bitchn Stitchn Motorcycle Seat Shop, down in Lakewood, Colorado. The purpose was to line up an appointment for Heidi and me, to go on down there, the middle of April; to get her a custom, motorcycle touring seat, built for her position on our Yamaha Raider...
Ya Gotta take care of the Queen!... if she ain't comfortable straddlin' that machine... ya'll ain't gonna spend a lot of miles... Splittin' the Wind!... other than ALONE!
Well Sir... I gotta go do some first aid... and try to plug up some of those rips in my hide... from all those hooks... and try to figure out the hows and wherefor's of roping this new "Gadget" onto my blogs! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Friday, March 26, 2010
Real Men Have Fun... Playing With Their RV's Black Water Tank!
'Member when I told ya'll I had a PHD?... P-iled H-igher and D-eeper! ... Well... I'm movin' up the educational ladder amongst those who get goin' RV Boondocking!... I'm now the proud holder of a PIFF!
PIFF, You ask?
Yup... a PIFF! P-ump I-t F-arther and F-aster! :o)
Picked up a portable Macerator Pump kit at Camping World yesterday afternoon... made a temporary hookup late in the afternoon and went to pumping...
But, you know me... I just felt it only proper to invite that Murphy bugger... who activated one of his laws... and the pump popped a 20 amp fuse the instant I turned the switch on... aaaargggghhhh!
Put a fresh fuse in, checked the armature for free movement... and hit the switch again... without issue... I've no idea what the first fuse was about...
Now... Flojet, the company that built this lil' sewer pump setup, directs that you shouldn't pump any farther than 50 feet, or you're in danger of over heating the macerator pump... hmmm... that's considerable shorter than the 200 feet I'm movin' the sh_ _... uh ... stuff!
The hose is actually running a lil' downhill... so I just knew I'd get away with it... :o) ... if I didn't... I was gonna have a lil' different story to tell.
We've been here, a month now and the Black Water tank had finally filled up... but it took us a whole dang month to fill that tank. That's an example of how you can stretch the performance of your holding tanks... if you put some thought into it... use the facilities when you're fueling, eating at the McDonalds... etc... and you can stretch out the time you need to dump.
In this case, that tank that was full is now... still 'bout 3/4... maybe a lil' less.
Ya see... I don't feel comfortable pumping an entire tank full into a residential septic tank... I don't know for sure and for certain, but I'm pretty comfortable believing that putting 40 or 50 gallons of raw sewage into a residential septic tank would shock load it and could cause difficulties...
So... my method is to put a bit at a time... maybe a 1/4 tank every few days... that will have me pumping out... faster than I'm collecting "fresh"... :o) ... I also treat the RV Tank with a bit of RID X. That way, I'm actually treating the residential septic every time I dump... and there should be no troubles.
If you're on a sewer system... just dump away... being on our friends septic system... I'm gonna be a lil' more cautious.
Outside of that first popped fuse, this Flojet Macerator pump worked real easy... and sure beats draggin' around that "Blue Boy" you can see sittin' under the rig. I did the pumping I did in something like two minutes... This outfit will come in real handy, in a remote RV boondocking camp, when I'll need to pump into the "Blue Boy", sitting up on the bed of the truck... so I don't have to move the rig to dump.
I'd say... SWEET! ... but ... uh... none of... This... is That... is it? :o)
As I was finishing up my work, Heidi an' Krea came riding in. They'd gone out for an hour or so, making one of the first rides on these horses since last fall... That can often get a lil' bit western... unfortunately, these guys behaved just fine... no fireworks... shucks... :o)
How can you call it western... when there ain't even a squeal?... sheesh!
What's up for Today?... Most of what we'd planned for yesterday! We're back to tryin' to finish up the chores I'd lined out for yesterday... our "phone kid" isn't on till noon today... an' we want to deal with him... just liked how "he" works... and the laundry didn't get done 'cause 'somebody' went to havin' too much fun gettin' Horseback... while the 'Brains' of the outfit was havin' such a great time with the sewer! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
PIFF, You ask?
Yup... a PIFF! P-ump I-t F-arther and F-aster! :o)
Picked up a portable Macerator Pump kit at Camping World yesterday afternoon... made a temporary hookup late in the afternoon and went to pumping...
But, you know me... I just felt it only proper to invite that Murphy bugger... who activated one of his laws... and the pump popped a 20 amp fuse the instant I turned the switch on... aaaargggghhhh!
Put a fresh fuse in, checked the armature for free movement... and hit the switch again... without issue... I've no idea what the first fuse was about...
Now... Flojet, the company that built this lil' sewer pump setup, directs that you shouldn't pump any farther than 50 feet, or you're in danger of over heating the macerator pump... hmmm... that's considerable shorter than the 200 feet I'm movin' the sh_ _... uh ... stuff!
The hose is actually running a lil' downhill... so I just knew I'd get away with it... :o) ... if I didn't... I was gonna have a lil' different story to tell.
We've been here, a month now and the Black Water tank had finally filled up... but it took us a whole dang month to fill that tank. That's an example of how you can stretch the performance of your holding tanks... if you put some thought into it... use the facilities when you're fueling, eating at the McDonalds... etc... and you can stretch out the time you need to dump.
In this case, that tank that was full is now... still 'bout 3/4... maybe a lil' less.
Ya see... I don't feel comfortable pumping an entire tank full into a residential septic tank... I don't know for sure and for certain, but I'm pretty comfortable believing that putting 40 or 50 gallons of raw sewage into a residential septic tank would shock load it and could cause difficulties...
So... my method is to put a bit at a time... maybe a 1/4 tank every few days... that will have me pumping out... faster than I'm collecting "fresh"... :o) ... I also treat the RV Tank with a bit of RID X. That way, I'm actually treating the residential septic every time I dump... and there should be no troubles.
If you're on a sewer system... just dump away... being on our friends septic system... I'm gonna be a lil' more cautious.
Outside of that first popped fuse, this Flojet Macerator pump worked real easy... and sure beats draggin' around that "Blue Boy" you can see sittin' under the rig. I did the pumping I did in something like two minutes... This outfit will come in real handy, in a remote RV boondocking camp, when I'll need to pump into the "Blue Boy", sitting up on the bed of the truck... so I don't have to move the rig to dump.
I'd say... SWEET! ... but ... uh... none of... This... is That... is it? :o)
As I was finishing up my work, Heidi an' Krea came riding in. They'd gone out for an hour or so, making one of the first rides on these horses since last fall... That can often get a lil' bit western... unfortunately, these guys behaved just fine... no fireworks... shucks... :o)
What's up for Today?... Most of what we'd planned for yesterday! We're back to tryin' to finish up the chores I'd lined out for yesterday... our "phone kid" isn't on till noon today... an' we want to deal with him... just liked how "he" works... and the laundry didn't get done 'cause 'somebody' went to havin' too much fun gettin' Horseback... while the 'Brains' of the outfit was havin' such a great time with the sewer! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Errand Day for goin' RV Boondocking...
There's a bunch of chores today... the first being Laundry day... yuck... but... better than pleasurin' the world with the sweet aroma of a crusty Ol' geezer huh?
Then, Miss Heidi and I have decided to 'upgrade' our phones. With the blog changes I made some time ago, I'll be able to make posts pretty easy... from the road...(without havin' to have the laptop there) if... I've got a cell phone that can do the job without a hassle... The one I've got now, is not much more than a phone... and all I ever wanted - 'till now! So... we're upgrading to a couple of the newer Droid cell phones, that we tested out last week... though, it may have to wait till tomorrow... I can't remember when the kid that helped us is on the job...
It's gettin' pretty pathetic... Dusty Ol' puss gut, geezer sittin' in the laundromat... texting on his cell phone, like a 12 year old! :o) Now... he'll be emailing from his smart phone... while listening to his Ipod... While he's waiting on his laptop to boot up and connect to his wireless aircard! ... and lookin' out the window... wishin' that big white Truck sittin' in the parking lot... was his Fiery Red Raider Star Motorcycle! :o)
Oh Lordy... what's happened to me! Seems like only yesterday I wouldn't let one of those "Devils Spawn" electronical contraptions on the ranch! Now, they seem to be takin' over. :o)
Also, the Macerator pump I ordered is supposed to be in today... so I'll be trying to get it hooked up and running either late today or tomorrow...
Plenty more on the To-Do list... I don't ever seem to dig down to the bottom of it... but most of 'em are boring things to talk about... The thing that keeps me truckin'... and Bikin' ... is that each chore done carries us closer to the final gate!
We're both, Heidi and Me, of the same thinkin'... we're a lil' shy about sayin' it too loud... but...July is our "Dream" month... Mark and Bobbies "Wildflower Celebration" down in Ouray... might could be our own... "Step off Celebration"!...
It's pretty much agreed, we could just hitch up and pull out now... but "Things" aren't completely and well, set up yet... and to just haul out could turn back on us and make it a short trip! so...
We seem to be moving pretty well in the right direction, and quickly gaining on that brass ring... but some 'chores' yet to accomplish... We're walkin' pretty cautious this time, makin' sure all our i's are dotted and the t's are crossed...
Each week that goes by our position seems stronger... more sustainable... and so our confidence grows... It's that soft glow in the sky as dawn starts to break over the mountains after a dark and stormy night... That thin veil of light grey... that runs off the darkness... and swells up... into Shining Times!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Then, Miss Heidi and I have decided to 'upgrade' our phones. With the blog changes I made some time ago, I'll be able to make posts pretty easy... from the road...(without havin' to have the laptop there) if... I've got a cell phone that can do the job without a hassle... The one I've got now, is not much more than a phone... and all I ever wanted - 'till now! So... we're upgrading to a couple of the newer Droid cell phones, that we tested out last week... though, it may have to wait till tomorrow... I can't remember when the kid that helped us is on the job...
It's gettin' pretty pathetic... Dusty Ol' puss gut, geezer sittin' in the laundromat... texting on his cell phone, like a 12 year old! :o) Now... he'll be emailing from his smart phone... while listening to his Ipod... While he's waiting on his laptop to boot up and connect to his wireless aircard! ... and lookin' out the window... wishin' that big white Truck sittin' in the parking lot... was his Fiery Red Raider Star Motorcycle! :o)
Oh Lordy... what's happened to me! Seems like only yesterday I wouldn't let one of those "Devils Spawn" electronical contraptions on the ranch! Now, they seem to be takin' over. :o)
Also, the Macerator pump I ordered is supposed to be in today... so I'll be trying to get it hooked up and running either late today or tomorrow...
Plenty more on the To-Do list... I don't ever seem to dig down to the bottom of it... but most of 'em are boring things to talk about... The thing that keeps me truckin'... and Bikin' ... is that each chore done carries us closer to the final gate!
We're both, Heidi and Me, of the same thinkin'... we're a lil' shy about sayin' it too loud... but...July is our "Dream" month... Mark and Bobbies "Wildflower Celebration" down in Ouray... might could be our own... "Step off Celebration"!...
It's pretty much agreed, we could just hitch up and pull out now... but "Things" aren't completely and well, set up yet... and to just haul out could turn back on us and make it a short trip! so...
We seem to be moving pretty well in the right direction, and quickly gaining on that brass ring... but some 'chores' yet to accomplish... We're walkin' pretty cautious this time, makin' sure all our i's are dotted and the t's are crossed...
Each week that goes by our position seems stronger... more sustainable... and so our confidence grows... It's that soft glow in the sky as dawn starts to break over the mountains after a dark and stormy night... That thin veil of light grey... that runs off the darkness... and swells up... into Shining Times!
Take Good Care
Brian
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Big Blow?... Well ... For a Lil' Bit...
When I stepped out of the Eagle yesterday I ... almost... decided to ride the Raider. Looking south I could still see blue sky. But, the weather boys were all talking in excited tones, gigglin' like school boys about kissin' a girl...
Their excitement was a little higher than last time... so I calculated that they might be closer to right.
Well, sort of. It snowed up here, and snowed hard for a while. Right about the time I'd be rollin' home... So 'twas a good choice to leave the Red Raider tucked under her cover.
How-some-ever, it stopped last night... though they were claiming it'd keep on keepin' on all through today... So maybe 3 inches of wet, heavy, sloppy, pain in the kiester, sets you to wishin' you were a goodly ways south, parked out deep in the Sonoran Desert... semi-liquid sunshine plopped down on us...
That wet slushy junk made for slower goin' comin' home last night. As always, the problem ain't the road condition itself. That only requires that you slow down some and concentrate on your driving a little harder.
Nope... the problem is mostly the drivers that ain't got a single clue. Not one lil' twitch of an idea... How to drive in the snow! :o) ... Now there's something that would truly do something for people! 'Stead of chasing "Snipes" with the phony health care dog an' pony show... they could enact Mandatory Driver Training! :o)
Anyhoo, those drivers (that should be passengers), are either sluggin' along, maybe 6 miles an hour, an' corkin' things up... or shakin' their fists an' hollerin' out the window; "I've got 4 wheel drive!" and slammin' past you, goin' 10 miles over the sunny day speed limit... Last night That feller had Arizona plates on his truck... hmmm... that's a comforting thought... ain't it?
I mean, growin' up in Tucson... I got a LOT of experience... driving on Snow! :o)
More often than not... you find the "I"ve got 4 wheel drive!" screamers... layin' on the passenger door in the Bar Ditch... a few miles up the road... Makes me giggle when I see a shiny case of "come-uppance".
No such luck last night... at least not 'fore I turned off.
Ok... Bad Cowboy! No Beer! ;o)
Those new tires on the Old Dodge did the job... though once I turned on to that last mile an' a half of wet, slushy, sloppy, snow covered dirt road... the truck acted more like a boat floatin' around in the mud than a truck :o)
Heidi's all upset 'cause she was lookin' forward to just leavin' her store closed... and callin' it a "Snow Day"... Now she has to go on and go in... 'cause it didn't snow hard enough... :o(
Hmm... most of the schools are closed... so all those kids... old enough to drive... and their teachers... who can't go to school 'cause the "Roads are Bad" and the school buses can't run... will be pluggin' the roads west... Driving up to the ski slopes! :o)
Lot's of projects planned for as soon as this "Spring Weather" finally breaks and I can get outside work done on the rig... In the mean time, We are planning, and working hard... but covertly, on all the other necessary things, so Murphy's law don't find out... shhhhh ... :o)
Mid summer is what we're workin' toward. That's when we hope to open the door, hitch up, give a wave an' a big sloppy kiss to that "Old Life"... and Crack Out!
We'll make a few small circles prior to that... scratchin' itches and easing that ache for Far Country. I've also got one "Long Held Motorcycle Dream" I'm hangin' on to, that I hope to satisfy... this year... It's all within' reach... If we streeeeetch juuust a mite... It's right there... and we're a comin'!
Take Good Care
Brian
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Their excitement was a little higher than last time... so I calculated that they might be closer to right.
Well, sort of. It snowed up here, and snowed hard for a while. Right about the time I'd be rollin' home... So 'twas a good choice to leave the Red Raider tucked under her cover.
How-some-ever, it stopped last night... though they were claiming it'd keep on keepin' on all through today... So maybe 3 inches of wet, heavy, sloppy, pain in the kiester, sets you to wishin' you were a goodly ways south, parked out deep in the Sonoran Desert... semi-liquid sunshine plopped down on us...
That wet slushy junk made for slower goin' comin' home last night. As always, the problem ain't the road condition itself. That only requires that you slow down some and concentrate on your driving a little harder.
Nope... the problem is mostly the drivers that ain't got a single clue. Not one lil' twitch of an idea... How to drive in the snow! :o) ... Now there's something that would truly do something for people! 'Stead of chasing "Snipes" with the phony health care dog an' pony show... they could enact Mandatory Driver Training! :o)
Anyhoo, those drivers (that should be passengers), are either sluggin' along, maybe 6 miles an hour, an' corkin' things up... or shakin' their fists an' hollerin' out the window; "I've got 4 wheel drive!" and slammin' past you, goin' 10 miles over the sunny day speed limit... Last night That feller had Arizona plates on his truck... hmmm... that's a comforting thought... ain't it?
I mean, growin' up in Tucson... I got a LOT of experience... driving on Snow! :o)
More often than not... you find the "I"ve got 4 wheel drive!" screamers... layin' on the passenger door in the Bar Ditch... a few miles up the road... Makes me giggle when I see a shiny case of "come-uppance".
No such luck last night... at least not 'fore I turned off.
Ok... Bad Cowboy! No Beer! ;o)
Those new tires on the Old Dodge did the job... though once I turned on to that last mile an' a half of wet, slushy, sloppy, snow covered dirt road... the truck acted more like a boat floatin' around in the mud than a truck :o)
Heidi's all upset 'cause she was lookin' forward to just leavin' her store closed... and callin' it a "Snow Day"... Now she has to go on and go in... 'cause it didn't snow hard enough... :o(
Hmm... most of the schools are closed... so all those kids... old enough to drive... and their teachers... who can't go to school 'cause the "Roads are Bad" and the school buses can't run... will be pluggin' the roads west... Driving up to the ski slopes! :o)
Lot's of projects planned for as soon as this "Spring Weather" finally breaks and I can get outside work done on the rig... In the mean time, We are planning, and working hard... but covertly, on all the other necessary things, so Murphy's law don't find out... shhhhh ... :o)
Mid summer is what we're workin' toward. That's when we hope to open the door, hitch up, give a wave an' a big sloppy kiss to that "Old Life"... and Crack Out!
We'll make a few small circles prior to that... scratchin' itches and easing that ache for Far Country. I've also got one "Long Held Motorcycle Dream" I'm hangin' on to, that I hope to satisfy... this year... It's all within' reach... If we streeeeetch juuust a mite... It's right there... and we're a comin'!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
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Monday, March 22, 2010
Finally! I got some more of the RV Remodel pages written!
Been back to tap tap tappin' the past couple days and I've managed to whittle out a page about Installing our Allure Vinyl flooring, and, the installation of our Bali window blinds.
Whew! I've got my wind up now! I've got stuff to write 'bout motorcycles... surprised huh? :o) and gear related to them... I've got a story building about the overhaul of our 'cargo' carrying/motorcycle carrying 'method'... hopefully some stories about upcoming... PLEASE! ... circles... and I'll be doing work to get that new-to-us-truck in shape for RV Boondocking...
Lots of work to be done... but this is all stuff that takes us forward... we're no longer just workin' to keep our noses out of the water... Aw, it's just fine to be able to get back to what I enjoy doin'...
Now I just have to get through the impatience of the next couple months of winter, and finishing up our "Rebuild"... but... with the weather warmin' up... slowly... but it's happening... I can get out on that awesome 'New' Raider and refresh that silly grin on my face once in a while, when Stuff gets too burdensome...
... like the destruction of the American Medical System by the great, proven?... and skillful, management... of Politicians...
But Folks... I promise... I Won't say... "I told you so!" ... right... I'd never do that... uh uh... But... how have they managed the Soc. Sec. system? THEIR budget?... Medicaid?... Uh.. is there anything they've done well? or even competently?... other than feathering their own nests at everyone Else's expense? Have they truly shown loyalty to anyone but themselves? and the wealthy forces that own 'em?
My suggestion? Take care of yourselves. Arrange your affairs to stay out from under the falling timbers of a society headed for rough water... as best you can. Your security, health, and welfare is dependent on your own discipline and effort... not some rank, socialist, politicians' empty promises.
OK I'll end that short lil' sermon right there... Just take care of yourselves folks... those clowns aren't ever gonna...
Me? I'm goin' out to climb on that Big Red Yamaha Raider... and put a grin on my ugly mug! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
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Whew! I've got my wind up now! I've got stuff to write 'bout motorcycles... surprised huh? :o) and gear related to them... I've got a story building about the overhaul of our 'cargo' carrying/motorcycle carrying 'method'... hopefully some stories about upcoming... PLEASE! ... circles... and I'll be doing work to get that new-to-us-truck in shape for RV Boondocking...
Lots of work to be done... but this is all stuff that takes us forward... we're no longer just workin' to keep our noses out of the water... Aw, it's just fine to be able to get back to what I enjoy doin'...
Now I just have to get through the impatience of the next couple months of winter, and finishing up our "Rebuild"... but... with the weather warmin' up... slowly... but it's happening... I can get out on that awesome 'New' Raider and refresh that silly grin on my face once in a while, when Stuff gets too burdensome...
... like the destruction of the American Medical System by the great, proven?... and skillful, management... of Politicians...
But Folks... I promise... I Won't say... "I told you so!" ... right... I'd never do that... uh uh... But... how have they managed the Soc. Sec. system? THEIR budget?... Medicaid?... Uh.. is there anything they've done well? or even competently?... other than feathering their own nests at everyone Else's expense? Have they truly shown loyalty to anyone but themselves? and the wealthy forces that own 'em?
My suggestion? Take care of yourselves. Arrange your affairs to stay out from under the falling timbers of a society headed for rough water... as best you can. Your security, health, and welfare is dependent on your own discipline and effort... not some rank, socialist, politicians' empty promises.
OK I'll end that short lil' sermon right there... Just take care of yourselves folks... those clowns aren't ever gonna...
Me? I'm goin' out to climb on that Big Red Yamaha Raider... and put a grin on my ugly mug! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
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Saturday, March 20, 2010
Hooray! The Forest Service Did it RIGHT!
Remember a reader of this site alerted us, a couple months ago, that the Forest Service was tinkering with the idea of gutting the Passes to Forest Svc. camps and such, operated under contract by private business?
Well, they apparently read the 'writing on the wall'... and nixed the idea... Thanks to the same visitor to this site who kept up on it, to alert us to the outcome! You can read the whole story, from the "Horses Mouth" right Here
Cold as a Yukon Kitties whiskers, on the Colorado Plains last night... 10 degrees when we Didn't climb out of bed this morning! Time drags when you're still preparing to roll... But... if I (We) don't do things right and careful... our Escape will be a short one!
Hard to sit here though... when Mark goes and keeps lettin' me know that... somewhere... it's warm! :o)
Heidi and I have decided that we WON'T winter in Colorado... NEXT year! :o) ... so we have work yet to do, to make sure and certain that what we want to be our future... actually becomes our past... after we get to enjoy ridin' through the TODAY of it! :o) ... and it's trying to be patient to get that work done... while I'm hungering for the TODAY of it to show up, that is my most difficult work!
A few things to get done on the rig yet... much of it waiting on good enough weather so I can work outside on it... a few things to get organized at the store... and budget 'stuff' to work out, making up for the great migration of dollars from our pockets to... Somebody else's! ...with the real estate market of the past few years...
All said and done though, the way things are working out, I can't say I'd change much... except... maybe, Boss?... if you could make me juuuuust a lil' quicker learner?
Gotta hang the new cellular blinds in the Bedroom today... work on the design for a new cargo box I have planned... do some hunting for a "Hump Back" loading ramp for the bike(s)... get some propane... line out wiring for a pocket inverter at the desk location... finish running the TV wires (That 'hallway' location above the steps is working out well)...
and, likely haul a "Blueboy" full to dump in our "Hosts" septic...
We went to get a Macerator pump on Thursday... and guess what?... Yup... out of stock!... but, they had one down in Colorado Springs... which I'm hopin' will get here before the end of the week... and That piece of equipment, which I've been wanting to add for quite a while, should save my Ol' Kiester a lot of hassles... and "Blueboy" trips!
As always... none of this'll get done, 'less I get enough coffee swallered, to get my carcass movin' fast enough to keep some wise donkey from drawin' chalk lines around me!
So... I'm headin' for the coffee pot...
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
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Well, they apparently read the 'writing on the wall'... and nixed the idea... Thanks to the same visitor to this site who kept up on it, to alert us to the outcome! You can read the whole story, from the "Horses Mouth" right Here
Cold as a Yukon Kitties whiskers, on the Colorado Plains last night... 10 degrees when we Didn't climb out of bed this morning! Time drags when you're still preparing to roll... But... if I (We) don't do things right and careful... our Escape will be a short one!
Hard to sit here though... when Mark goes and keeps lettin' me know that... somewhere... it's warm! :o)
Heidi and I have decided that we WON'T winter in Colorado... NEXT year! :o) ... so we have work yet to do, to make sure and certain that what we want to be our future... actually becomes our past... after we get to enjoy ridin' through the TODAY of it! :o) ... and it's trying to be patient to get that work done... while I'm hungering for the TODAY of it to show up, that is my most difficult work!
A few things to get done on the rig yet... much of it waiting on good enough weather so I can work outside on it... a few things to get organized at the store... and budget 'stuff' to work out, making up for the great migration of dollars from our pockets to... Somebody else's! ...with the real estate market of the past few years...
All said and done though, the way things are working out, I can't say I'd change much... except... maybe, Boss?... if you could make me juuuuust a lil' quicker learner?
Gotta hang the new cellular blinds in the Bedroom today... work on the design for a new cargo box I have planned... do some hunting for a "Hump Back" loading ramp for the bike(s)... get some propane... line out wiring for a pocket inverter at the desk location... finish running the TV wires (That 'hallway' location above the steps is working out well)...
and, likely haul a "Blueboy" full to dump in our "Hosts" septic...
We went to get a Macerator pump on Thursday... and guess what?... Yup... out of stock!... but, they had one down in Colorado Springs... which I'm hopin' will get here before the end of the week... and That piece of equipment, which I've been wanting to add for quite a while, should save my Ol' Kiester a lot of hassles... and "Blueboy" trips!
As always... none of this'll get done, 'less I get enough coffee swallered, to get my carcass movin' fast enough to keep some wise donkey from drawin' chalk lines around me!
So... I'm headin' for the coffee pot...
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
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Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
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Friday, March 19, 2010
Yup... RVin' Biker or Not... It's Still Winter in Colorado
Heidi and I went on our "Virgin" Two up ride on the Raider yesterday morning... This pic is actually, just as we got back.
We rode up the "Back road", Hwy 85 to Cheyenne for a late breakfast at the Egg & I, downtown.
As is usual, the wind was blowin' on the High Plains, so we had a 20mph or so, headwind to go through on the way up... all that Yamaha Raider could say was; "Wind? What wind?"... :o) That machine is an awesome Motorcycle!
The only problem was once we got back... Heidi slid up and sat in the drivers seat for a minute... "Oh Sure! YOU have a seat that's a WHOLE LOT MORE COMFORTABLE!... a WHOLE lot!"
First time Heidi ever sat "back seat" for 75 miles or so... claims her butt hurt! :o) ... so... I guess the New motorcycle touring seat I figured we'd need is a purty sure thing. :o) ... along with a back rest...
Otherwise, that Yamaha Motorcycle was a Sweet Ride!
Now... Today...
I don't believe the Bikes are gonna see much use... I think that cover will stay on the Raider!
Not that I'll complain... I have a whole lot of writing and maintenance chores that need writing and maintaining!... and still have to get by Lowes to pick up those blinds... and none of that'll get done if I sit here yakkin'... so I better get to it...
... so we'll be ready once spring finally breaks and we can get rollin' on Freedom Road... with Two Wheels... or Ten! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
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As is usual, the wind was blowin' on the High Plains, so we had a 20mph or so, headwind to go through on the way up... all that Yamaha Raider could say was; "Wind? What wind?"... :o) That machine is an awesome Motorcycle!
The only problem was once we got back... Heidi slid up and sat in the drivers seat for a minute... "Oh Sure! YOU have a seat that's a WHOLE LOT MORE COMFORTABLE!... a WHOLE lot!"
First time Heidi ever sat "back seat" for 75 miles or so... claims her butt hurt! :o) ... so... I guess the New motorcycle touring seat I figured we'd need is a purty sure thing. :o) ... along with a back rest...
Otherwise, that Yamaha Motorcycle was a Sweet Ride!
Now... Today...
I don't believe the Bikes are gonna see much use... I think that cover will stay on the Raider!
Not that I'll complain... I have a whole lot of writing and maintenance chores that need writing and maintaining!... and still have to get by Lowes to pick up those blinds... and none of that'll get done if I sit here yakkin'... so I better get to it...
... so we'll be ready once spring finally breaks and we can get rollin' on Freedom Road... with Two Wheels... or Ten! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
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Thursday, March 18, 2010
Deep Orange Sunrise... Warns of the Coming Storm
A blow is supposed to be on the way... Sometime late tonight. Not unexpected, this bein' the historically snowiest month in these parts. It's just unwanted by me! I'm with Mark... maybe even out in front of him in regards to winter...
When folks talk about Brian... What they DON'T describe him with is, "He So loves the Winter", phrases. :o)
Fact is... I could truly tolerate seeing snow only in pictures... for the remainder of whatever life I've got left... and the only good place for cold is inside a beer can.
Though we've got no real option but to ride out the balance of the winter settin' here in our faithful Ol' Jayco Eagle... That ain't my long term plan.
A big part of my hunger for RV Living is Movin'!... you're supposed to get up of a mornin'... turn on the coffee pot... fire up the laptop... go test the plumbin'... come back and bring up your Weather Underground page to find out where the temperature is gonna be 70 degrees.
At that point you hitch up and haul to wherever that is. Air conditioning by Relocation! :o) Yes Sir!... Works for me...
Sittin' here... with a beautiful Colorado sunrise promising nearly 70 degrees today... but knowin' a blow is comin', and soon the Motorcycle Roads are gonna be buried under 6 or 8 inches of pain-in-the-nether parts SNOW!... Only aggravates my Hitch Itch!
Lowes called last evening... The blinds we ordered for the rig are in, so we'll pick them up today. Guess I know what I'll be doin' while it storms! ...
Thinking on a 'New' motorcycle carrier plan... Rather than carry two bikes on the first circles we're thinkin' just the Raider... with the modifications I've planned for her... seat/saddlebags... we do have a two bike setup planned for the "wished for future"... but that's a story for another day.
So a "New Motorcycle Carrier" version would put the bike on the Trucks' flatbed, cross-ways behind the cab... with the hitch moved back a mite for added turning clearance... Firestone Airbags beefing up the suspension...
That takes a lot of weight back off the 5er, and, opens up that area for a Fifth Wheel Cargo box of Cowboy Design! :o)
What am I gonna do if my scheming parts ever get busted?... Guess I'd have to learn to play checkers! ... or maybe I could just ride my Raider more! :o) Hoo! Ya!... Hmmmm... anybody got a breaker bar? :o)
That Star Motorcycle is a joy to ride... for sure and for certain... I read yesterday where a fella asked; "Have you ever had a grin just spread across your face, only 'cause you were lookin' through the windshield, sittin' on the seat of your car or truck?"
No?
Splittin' the wind, straddling the saddle of my Star Raider... I just grin for no particular reason... twist that throttle... and I remember what One reason is. :o)
Now... I gotta be careful... 'cause I'm the guy been tellin' folks that "THINGS" don't matter... so here is the fine print... RED RAIDER MOTORCYCLES ARE THE EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE! :o)
Heidi told me the other day that the Truck was sad when she got home... Something about I've been neglecting it 'cause I'm in love with a new Motorcycle... Never knew there was so much to do to keep machinery happy!
Hmmm... Maybe we're BOTH in danger of "Rounding the Bend?" :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
When folks talk about Brian... What they DON'T describe him with is, "He So loves the Winter", phrases. :o)
Fact is... I could truly tolerate seeing snow only in pictures... for the remainder of whatever life I've got left... and the only good place for cold is inside a beer can.
Though we've got no real option but to ride out the balance of the winter settin' here in our faithful Ol' Jayco Eagle... That ain't my long term plan.
A big part of my hunger for RV Living is Movin'!... you're supposed to get up of a mornin'... turn on the coffee pot... fire up the laptop... go test the plumbin'... come back and bring up your Weather Underground page to find out where the temperature is gonna be 70 degrees.
At that point you hitch up and haul to wherever that is. Air conditioning by Relocation! :o) Yes Sir!... Works for me...
Sittin' here... with a beautiful Colorado sunrise promising nearly 70 degrees today... but knowin' a blow is comin', and soon the Motorcycle Roads are gonna be buried under 6 or 8 inches of pain-in-the-nether parts SNOW!... Only aggravates my Hitch Itch!
Lowes called last evening... The blinds we ordered for the rig are in, so we'll pick them up today. Guess I know what I'll be doin' while it storms! ...
Thinking on a 'New' motorcycle carrier plan... Rather than carry two bikes on the first circles we're thinkin' just the Raider... with the modifications I've planned for her... seat/saddlebags... we do have a two bike setup planned for the "wished for future"... but that's a story for another day.
So a "New Motorcycle Carrier" version would put the bike on the Trucks' flatbed, cross-ways behind the cab... with the hitch moved back a mite for added turning clearance... Firestone Airbags beefing up the suspension...
That takes a lot of weight back off the 5er, and, opens up that area for a Fifth Wheel Cargo box of Cowboy Design! :o)
What am I gonna do if my scheming parts ever get busted?... Guess I'd have to learn to play checkers! ... or maybe I could just ride my Raider more! :o) Hoo! Ya!... Hmmmm... anybody got a breaker bar? :o)
That Star Motorcycle is a joy to ride... for sure and for certain... I read yesterday where a fella asked; "Have you ever had a grin just spread across your face, only 'cause you were lookin' through the windshield, sittin' on the seat of your car or truck?"
No?
Splittin' the wind, straddling the saddle of my Star Raider... I just grin for no particular reason... twist that throttle... and I remember what One reason is. :o)
Now... I gotta be careful... 'cause I'm the guy been tellin' folks that "THINGS" don't matter... so here is the fine print... RED RAIDER MOTORCYCLES ARE THE EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE! :o)
Heidi told me the other day that the Truck was sad when she got home... Something about I've been neglecting it 'cause I'm in love with a new Motorcycle... Never knew there was so much to do to keep machinery happy!
Hmmm... Maybe we're BOTH in danger of "Rounding the Bend?" :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Gotta Be Careful or I Backslide!
Ever'once in a while, I feel like I'm fallin' into "Old" ways... Lazy ways of doin' things, and dealin' with people... and that just ain't a ride I'm willing to make!
It's one of the dangers of our lil' "Rebuilding" period we're doin' now. Would be easy to fall right back into the work-eat-sleep-work-eat-sleep routine and find out a few years down the road that I'd got stuck back in another "Rut"...
Defending against that is a major benefit I find from my whittling out my websites... they serve to keep my lil' mind focused on what I need to do... For folks without such a tool there's a simple and valuable option... Journaling!
I keep one of those too... Hmmm... Think maybe there's a lil' OCD goin' on here? :o)
But it remains true... Puttin' down my thoughts, on blog pages or paper, about what happened yesterday... and what I'm hopin' to be goin' on tomorrow... as we wander down this trail in search of Freedom Road... keeps my feet goin' in the right direction... and spots it, purty quick, when I've wandered "off trail"...
Now, sometimes those "off trail" diversions turn out to be better than the planned trail... but, you get the idea. You have a pretty hard time of gettin' anywhere, if you got no notion of where ya'll wanna go... but don't get so hung up on the "Plan" that you miss the opportunities that come along... juuuuust a mite outside the box, of your plan.
Writing, journaling or something similar is a good way to keep me on top of what's happening around me... and how, achieving what I'd planned, actually fits!
... Not just recording the story of our RV Boondocking... or efforts to get there.
If you're like me... and need a "babysitter" to keep you from gettin' scattered all over creation... ya'll might want to give writing a journal of some variety a try.
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
It's one of the dangers of our lil' "Rebuilding" period we're doin' now. Would be easy to fall right back into the work-eat-sleep-work-eat-sleep routine and find out a few years down the road that I'd got stuck back in another "Rut"...
Defending against that is a major benefit I find from my whittling out my websites... they serve to keep my lil' mind focused on what I need to do... For folks without such a tool there's a simple and valuable option... Journaling!
I keep one of those too... Hmmm... Think maybe there's a lil' OCD goin' on here? :o)
But it remains true... Puttin' down my thoughts, on blog pages or paper, about what happened yesterday... and what I'm hopin' to be goin' on tomorrow... as we wander down this trail in search of Freedom Road... keeps my feet goin' in the right direction... and spots it, purty quick, when I've wandered "off trail"...
Now, sometimes those "off trail" diversions turn out to be better than the planned trail... but, you get the idea. You have a pretty hard time of gettin' anywhere, if you got no notion of where ya'll wanna go... but don't get so hung up on the "Plan" that you miss the opportunities that come along... juuuuust a mite outside the box, of your plan.
Writing, journaling or something similar is a good way to keep me on top of what's happening around me... and how, achieving what I'd planned, actually fits!
... Not just recording the story of our RV Boondocking... or efforts to get there.
If you're like me... and need a "babysitter" to keep you from gettin' scattered all over creation... ya'll might want to give writing a journal of some variety a try.
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Monday, March 15, 2010
It Just Keeps Gettin' Betterer and Betterer! :o)
and our Full Timing RV Boondocking days are creepin' up closer and nearer!
I Swear... I keep lookin' 'round for the ambush!
Turned out, it was far easier gettin' that Yamaha Raider down off the truck... then loading her up. James had a 'dugout' loading dock out back that I didn't know about. It wasn't deep enough to hit level, by a foot or so, but a simple plywood ramp he had for loading his mower worked for that, just fine. A minute or so and she was on the ground!
I look up in front of the rig now and there sits not just one Star Motorcycle... but Two! Hoo! Ya!... This Ol' Buster has died and landed in Heaven... Either that... or Hell ain't near as bad as we've been told! :o)
I figure it must be Heaven... 'cause it's pretty cloudy and cool ... and I ain't seen any Red Headed Roosters around here yet... and 'he' knows what I've got planned for him, should we ever meet up... a whole lot of ear notchin', brandin', and a tail all knotted up! :o)
The only way things could shine much brighter, right now, is if we won the lottery... but they tell me you have to buy tickets to do that... so I'm not expecting much.
Worked on a couple of things 'round the rig yesterday... still settling in and getting back into our "Rig Living" routine... but then went to working on our "RV Boondocking Budget"...
I've had that Budget carved out in several different forms over the last three years... and about the time I thought I had it built WHACK! We'd take another hit that knocked a chunk of it out in the road.
Now, the house is done and gone... the truck is replaced... the bikes are parked 'tween the truck and the rig... The "Big Ticket" items have been handled... just the lil' details of our "Rebuild" to finish up...
Those Lil' details, each alone, don't amount to a lot... but taken together they still add up... so it's gonna take a lil' while to button 'em all up... so we can't just load up and leave right now.
Our "Plan" is to slowly build into ever more, and longer circles... until one day we look back and we're just rollin'... and don't have to go back! :o)
I ain't plannin' on that "One Day" bein' that awful far into the future... We're gonna start rollin' on shorter circles, sometime this spring... If I work hard on my "Projects"... and our luck holds even within eyesight of the way it's been goin'... by mid-summer we'll be awful close to tee total Wanderin' on Freedom Road!
Fact is... the way the "numbers" sit now... IF ever'thing falls into place fairly well... and no major potholes appear... we'd be about $11 in the red for a month... Hmmm...
Hell! I can miss two meals a month and cover that! :o)
We're not near as flush as we were when we started out on this... Heck... we ain't "Flush" at all... truth is... that all got "Flushed!"... but... We're more Solid than ever... We continue to whittle off the expenses for junk we've no need or use for...
We continue to reshape our way of going' to fit our 'way' of producing our subsistence... as we should have done a long dang time ago... Lesson Learned!
And that right there, is our "Plan" for the future... and something some folks have difficulty grasping I guess...
Some say that "saving" is the way... to put it away to live on... and I won't argue that having some set by, for emergencies is a good and sensible thing...
But...
I argue that spending all that time... wearin' the rubber off that Treadmill that Mark writes about... for the purpose of 'settin' by' ... to fund some Hoped for Future, is NOT the best way...
The way I see it now... and should have had confidence in a long dang time ago... is to shape up a way of makin' the income for your needs, that is a Part of You... that goes where YOU GO... and produces your needs... as you need 'em...
It's LIVING... as you LIVE!
There's nothing, sitting in an 'account' somewhere, for the crooks to misappropriate... and... if you figure close enough... and live frugal enough... you can even keep the IRS out of your pocket... living by THEIR RULES! hee hee!
All it takes... is Imagination, Inspiration, a bit of perspiration and juuuusst a mite of payin' attention! :o) So... all you guys sitting in cubicles... standing on assembly lines... shuffling papers... who yearn and ache for a way out...
... stop yearning, stop aching... start imagining... start dreaming... and START BUILDING FOUNDATIONS... under those Glorious Castles! Pump up the Courage to reach out and take a hard grip on your opportunities.
IF... a broken down, Ol' bald headed, puss gutted, bent nosed, word butcherin', cowboy can break out on to the Sunny Slopes... So Can YOU!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
I Swear... I keep lookin' 'round for the ambush!
Turned out, it was far easier gettin' that Yamaha Raider down off the truck... then loading her up. James had a 'dugout' loading dock out back that I didn't know about. It wasn't deep enough to hit level, by a foot or so, but a simple plywood ramp he had for loading his mower worked for that, just fine. A minute or so and she was on the ground!
I look up in front of the rig now and there sits not just one Star Motorcycle... but Two! Hoo! Ya!... This Ol' Buster has died and landed in Heaven... Either that... or Hell ain't near as bad as we've been told! :o)
I figure it must be Heaven... 'cause it's pretty cloudy and cool ... and I ain't seen any Red Headed Roosters around here yet... and 'he' knows what I've got planned for him, should we ever meet up... a whole lot of ear notchin', brandin', and a tail all knotted up! :o)
The only way things could shine much brighter, right now, is if we won the lottery... but they tell me you have to buy tickets to do that... so I'm not expecting much.
Worked on a couple of things 'round the rig yesterday... still settling in and getting back into our "Rig Living" routine... but then went to working on our "RV Boondocking Budget"...
I've had that Budget carved out in several different forms over the last three years... and about the time I thought I had it built WHACK! We'd take another hit that knocked a chunk of it out in the road.
Now, the house is done and gone... the truck is replaced... the bikes are parked 'tween the truck and the rig... The "Big Ticket" items have been handled... just the lil' details of our "Rebuild" to finish up...
Those Lil' details, each alone, don't amount to a lot... but taken together they still add up... so it's gonna take a lil' while to button 'em all up... so we can't just load up and leave right now.
Our "Plan" is to slowly build into ever more, and longer circles... until one day we look back and we're just rollin'... and don't have to go back! :o)
I ain't plannin' on that "One Day" bein' that awful far into the future... We're gonna start rollin' on shorter circles, sometime this spring... If I work hard on my "Projects"... and our luck holds even within eyesight of the way it's been goin'... by mid-summer we'll be awful close to tee total Wanderin' on Freedom Road!
Fact is... the way the "numbers" sit now... IF ever'thing falls into place fairly well... and no major potholes appear... we'd be about $11 in the red for a month... Hmmm...
Hell! I can miss two meals a month and cover that! :o)
We're not near as flush as we were when we started out on this... Heck... we ain't "Flush" at all... truth is... that all got "Flushed!"... but... We're more Solid than ever... We continue to whittle off the expenses for junk we've no need or use for...
We continue to reshape our way of going' to fit our 'way' of producing our subsistence... as we should have done a long dang time ago... Lesson Learned!
And that right there, is our "Plan" for the future... and something some folks have difficulty grasping I guess...
Some say that "saving" is the way... to put it away to live on... and I won't argue that having some set by, for emergencies is a good and sensible thing...
But...
I argue that spending all that time... wearin' the rubber off that Treadmill that Mark writes about... for the purpose of 'settin' by' ... to fund some Hoped for Future, is NOT the best way...
The way I see it now... and should have had confidence in a long dang time ago... is to shape up a way of makin' the income for your needs, that is a Part of You... that goes where YOU GO... and produces your needs... as you need 'em...
It's LIVING... as you LIVE!
There's nothing, sitting in an 'account' somewhere, for the crooks to misappropriate... and... if you figure close enough... and live frugal enough... you can even keep the IRS out of your pocket... living by THEIR RULES! hee hee!
All it takes... is Imagination, Inspiration, a bit of perspiration and juuuusst a mite of payin' attention! :o) So... all you guys sitting in cubicles... standing on assembly lines... shuffling papers... who yearn and ache for a way out...
... stop yearning, stop aching... start imagining... start dreaming... and START BUILDING FOUNDATIONS... under those Glorious Castles! Pump up the Courage to reach out and take a hard grip on your opportunities.
IF... a broken down, Ol' bald headed, puss gutted, bent nosed, word butcherin', cowboy can break out on to the Sunny Slopes... So Can YOU!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Only Legitimate Purpose for Making an RV Boondocking Income...
Is to take that Income... Go out... Grab a good firm hold on life... and LIVE IT! :o)
That is exactly what we're doin'! ... 'course... a Person can't live Proper... 'thout a Fine and Fancy Motorcycle! :o) Hoo! Ya!
Introducing the newest member of our "Family"... a Fiery Red... Star Raider Motorcycle!!!
So... I don't know what the deal is... grabbed this pic first thing this morning, as soon as the light got strong enough, with her still sittin' on the truck. The Deal is that it seems to be developing into a pattern... bring a new bike home in the dark... sittin' on a truck!
:o) and, she's likely gonna sit up there for a bit... had a lil' 'issue' loading down in Brighton... so it's gonna take some 'thinkin' to git her down! Turns out, a Dodge Flatbed is a mite too tall for an ordinary ramp to work with a Cruiser style Yamaha bike... They sit too low...
So I'm back to conjurin' loading/unloading 'systems' again :o) ... uh... kind of a never ending thing with me, ain't it?
But, she's home now! and can I tell you I know where there's one Ol' Cowboy with a grin so wide it wraps 'round the back of his head?... He ain't careful, the top of his head'll separate and fall off! Hoo! Ya!
Yes sir! a few weeks back I said that I thought this was gonna be a shiny year, if folks would just let it be... Well... I for one, am Lettin' it BE! :o)
There's only one useful purpose to life, that I can see... maybe two, but they kinda fit together.
That purpose, to me, is to go out, grab a hold and ride that sucker! Go out and LIVE!... That second part? Take as many people along on the ride as you can... or coax 'em to take their own Ride For Life!
Yes Ma'am... uh or Sir!... Take care of your own life... and watch out for those around you... get 'em to smile and not dwell too long on the downer crap... put aside that useless stuff and Breathe People! Hoo! Ya!
Shining Times! For Sure and for certain!
Now... I gotta go try to get lil' red Missy... off my truck!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
That is exactly what we're doin'! ... 'course... a Person can't live Proper... 'thout a Fine and Fancy Motorcycle! :o) Hoo! Ya!
Introducing the newest member of our "Family"... a Fiery Red... Star Raider Motorcycle!!!
:o) and, she's likely gonna sit up there for a bit... had a lil' 'issue' loading down in Brighton... so it's gonna take some 'thinkin' to git her down! Turns out, a Dodge Flatbed is a mite too tall for an ordinary ramp to work with a Cruiser style Yamaha bike... They sit too low...
So I'm back to conjurin' loading/unloading 'systems' again :o) ... uh... kind of a never ending thing with me, ain't it?
But, she's home now! and can I tell you I know where there's one Ol' Cowboy with a grin so wide it wraps 'round the back of his head?... He ain't careful, the top of his head'll separate and fall off! Hoo! Ya!
Yes sir! a few weeks back I said that I thought this was gonna be a shiny year, if folks would just let it be... Well... I for one, am Lettin' it BE! :o)
There's only one useful purpose to life, that I can see... maybe two, but they kinda fit together.
That purpose, to me, is to go out, grab a hold and ride that sucker! Go out and LIVE!... That second part? Take as many people along on the ride as you can... or coax 'em to take their own Ride For Life!
Yes Ma'am... uh or Sir!... Take care of your own life... and watch out for those around you... get 'em to smile and not dwell too long on the downer crap... put aside that useless stuff and Breathe People! Hoo! Ya!
Shining Times! For Sure and for certain!
Now... I gotta go try to get lil' red Missy... off my truck!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Making an RV Boondocking income... and spending it!
Dropped off the "Hoss" last night... That's Boss Hoss, the Shiny 'new' Dodge 3500 that'll go to haulin' my knobby kneed lil' rooster cowboy butt around the west in the very near future! ... to get his new tires... $1100+ bucks for six of 'em... whew!
That's the 'spending' part of an RV Boondocking income... and the only part I've never had any sort of a problem with! :o)
If I have it... I can spend it... No Problem! :o)
Now, when it comes to makin' it, It being $$$ income for RV Boondocking... uh... BIG problem! :o)
Folks have constantly wondered how we can afford to "Retire"? ... and we constantly reply; "We Can't!... and We Ain't!" ... We ain't Retiring... to use a modification of an Army Generals one time comment... "We're gonna live in a different direction!"
That's one of the more common questions I get from folks inquirin' 'bout; "How are you gonna Make an RV Boondocking Income, on the road?"
Another common question we get is; "Are you going to keep Heidi's Bead Store?" ... and for now, the answer is yes. We're not totally sure how things are gonna shake out over the next year... The plan is to start rollin' on some circles late this spring/early summer... Kinda dip our toes in the river... and see how cold the water is.
As ever'body knows, things have 'changed' in the last three years... so our answer is to take it one day at a time and deal with things as they come...
We'll manage the store 'absentee'... (with a lot of circles back through) at least for a while. On that score we're real lucky. We have an 'employee'... who is the Employee every "Business owner' wishes they could have. It's a rare situation where somebody who works for you... becomes a pretty trusted friend to boot! But that is our 'situation'... Heck... we'd consider a partnership with this gal... just good people from the ground up.
The thing is... to change things out and pay what a person is worth... to be a 'manager' for us... means we won't realize the income we've admired in the past... so it's got to be produced from other sources...
I'm a follower of that Ol'; "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" philosophy... I like having my bread come from a variety of places... that-a-way... one takes a dump... things might get squeeky tight... but you can still keep the wolves away from the door...
So... along with The Bead Cache & my Lil' VA pension... we've got the ever growing return from my websites... for which I'm thanking the readers of those sites very much! :o)
... and a couple of other "Irons" warmin' up in the fire...
1. I'm working at getting back, now that the house ordeal is done *double Hoo! Ya!* to my "writing"... which I am intending to do a lil' ebook type publishing through an outfit called "Smashwords", that a loyal reader here put me on to... (Thanks Rex!)
2. Heidi and I continue to work, as things start to settle down after the last few weeks of daily Nine-Oh!... on our Co-Operative Journal/Album art... which we hope to have something ready to go come early summer... It's basically a 'Restart' with a twist... of the Leather Shop I had for nigh on to ten years... beginning back on the ranch...
3. We're also... pretty much planning... on takin' on a seasonal job or two... in areas we want to spend some time exploring in detail... Making long camps in those areas will cut our road expenses a significant amount... and a modest income from some 'low stress' retail palaverin' will help to put some beans in the pot...
As always, a key to making an income to sustain your RV Boondocking, is getting and keeping debt low or non-existent... which takes a lot of the stress off the need to make the donuts in the first place!
My point in revealing all this kind of 'private stuff'... is to show that YOU can make an RV Boondocking income too. Think 'Outside the Box'... use your imagination... exercise some discipline... uh... a full-time challenge for this guy! :o) and LIVE with confidence... You Will make it... and YOU will find RV Boondocking Shining Times along with Heidi and me!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
That's the 'spending' part of an RV Boondocking income... and the only part I've never had any sort of a problem with! :o)
If I have it... I can spend it... No Problem! :o)
Now, when it comes to makin' it, It being $$$ income for RV Boondocking... uh... BIG problem! :o)
Folks have constantly wondered how we can afford to "Retire"? ... and we constantly reply; "We Can't!... and We Ain't!" ... We ain't Retiring... to use a modification of an Army Generals one time comment... "We're gonna live in a different direction!"
That's one of the more common questions I get from folks inquirin' 'bout; "How are you gonna Make an RV Boondocking Income, on the road?"
Another common question we get is; "Are you going to keep Heidi's Bead Store?" ... and for now, the answer is yes. We're not totally sure how things are gonna shake out over the next year... The plan is to start rollin' on some circles late this spring/early summer... Kinda dip our toes in the river... and see how cold the water is.
As ever'body knows, things have 'changed' in the last three years... so our answer is to take it one day at a time and deal with things as they come...
We'll manage the store 'absentee'... (with a lot of circles back through) at least for a while. On that score we're real lucky. We have an 'employee'... who is the Employee every "Business owner' wishes they could have. It's a rare situation where somebody who works for you... becomes a pretty trusted friend to boot! But that is our 'situation'... Heck... we'd consider a partnership with this gal... just good people from the ground up.
The thing is... to change things out and pay what a person is worth... to be a 'manager' for us... means we won't realize the income we've admired in the past... so it's got to be produced from other sources...
I'm a follower of that Ol'; "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" philosophy... I like having my bread come from a variety of places... that-a-way... one takes a dump... things might get squeeky tight... but you can still keep the wolves away from the door...
So... along with The Bead Cache & my Lil' VA pension... we've got the ever growing return from my websites... for which I'm thanking the readers of those sites very much! :o)
... and a couple of other "Irons" warmin' up in the fire...
1. I'm working at getting back, now that the house ordeal is done *double Hoo! Ya!* to my "writing"... which I am intending to do a lil' ebook type publishing through an outfit called "Smashwords", that a loyal reader here put me on to... (Thanks Rex!)
2. Heidi and I continue to work, as things start to settle down after the last few weeks of daily Nine-Oh!... on our Co-Operative Journal/Album art... which we hope to have something ready to go come early summer... It's basically a 'Restart' with a twist... of the Leather Shop I had for nigh on to ten years... beginning back on the ranch...
3. We're also... pretty much planning... on takin' on a seasonal job or two... in areas we want to spend some time exploring in detail... Making long camps in those areas will cut our road expenses a significant amount... and a modest income from some 'low stress' retail palaverin' will help to put some beans in the pot...
As always, a key to making an income to sustain your RV Boondocking, is getting and keeping debt low or non-existent... which takes a lot of the stress off the need to make the donuts in the first place!
My point in revealing all this kind of 'private stuff'... is to show that YOU can make an RV Boondocking income too. Think 'Outside the Box'... use your imagination... exercise some discipline... uh... a full-time challenge for this guy! :o) and LIVE with confidence... You Will make it... and YOU will find RV Boondocking Shining Times along with Heidi and me!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Friday, March 12, 2010
RV Tow Vehicle Bad News?
Took "The Boss Hoss" :o) over to a shop I used for years, to have 'em look at the front end, and see how many tie rod ends that Dodge Cummins was gonna need... J.C., the fella we bought this Dodge Cummins 3500 truck from, thought they were "Maybe getting a little loose"...
Scott called me 'bout an hour later... "I've got some bad news on your truck!"
Uh oh... Not what you want to hear a Mechanic say...
"There's nothing wrong with it!"...
What a Bum!... Had me quiverin', thinkin' maybe I'd screwed up and picked the wrong Rig...
But... Nothing Wrong! :o) Now THAT is something you DO like to hear from a Mechanic! It's always nice to hear you won't have to spend the few hundred dollars you thought you were.
And ain't it a nice thing... to find out that the fella you bought a diesel truck from, was being a bit 'over cautious' in trying to be Honest, rather than stickin' it to ya?
So anyhoo, I had 'em just do an alignment... grease him up, and change all the drive train fluids... Differentials x 2, transmission, transfer case... Got the truck on a good maintenance schedule now... I expect that truck to haul our Jayco Eagle a lot of miles, to a lot of Shining Times!
I'd been thinking we'd wait until "payday" to put the new Tires on... but we've decided to just git 'er done! The "Boss" will go into Discount Tire Saturday Morning to get six new Tires mounted... at which point our "New" RV Tow Vehicle will be purty nearly Road Worthy...
The Remaining Stuff left that I have planned... on my wish list... is purty much cosmetic 'wants'... and not functional stuff... well... except for brakes... which are working well... just gettin' kinda thin, so I'm planning on overhauling those, next month...
We are Full Time RVers again... FINALLY! :o) Hoo! Ya!... and sorta kinda "Semi-Boondocking"... We're plugged into power (the solar works well... but with our nights still in the 20's and low 30's, 'plugged in' is nice)... but have no sewer or water hookup...
We're slowly getting into the routine again... Slowly getting things put in they're proper places... I think it will fully sink in the first time we come up on the Mortgage Due Date... and realize... We don't have to pay it! :o)
Spring is coming in a hurry!... just have to get through maybe a month of the threat of blizzards... :o)... plenty of work to get done in the meantime... and decisions to make... 'bout where... and when... and how, we're goin'! RV Boondocking the Good Life! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
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Scott called me 'bout an hour later... "I've got some bad news on your truck!"
Uh oh... Not what you want to hear a Mechanic say...
"There's nothing wrong with it!"...
What a Bum!... Had me quiverin', thinkin' maybe I'd screwed up and picked the wrong Rig...
But... Nothing Wrong! :o) Now THAT is something you DO like to hear from a Mechanic! It's always nice to hear you won't have to spend the few hundred dollars you thought you were.
And ain't it a nice thing... to find out that the fella you bought a diesel truck from, was being a bit 'over cautious' in trying to be Honest, rather than stickin' it to ya?
So anyhoo, I had 'em just do an alignment... grease him up, and change all the drive train fluids... Differentials x 2, transmission, transfer case... Got the truck on a good maintenance schedule now... I expect that truck to haul our Jayco Eagle a lot of miles, to a lot of Shining Times!
I'd been thinking we'd wait until "payday" to put the new Tires on... but we've decided to just git 'er done! The "Boss" will go into Discount Tire Saturday Morning to get six new Tires mounted... at which point our "New" RV Tow Vehicle will be purty nearly Road Worthy...
The Remaining Stuff left that I have planned... on my wish list... is purty much cosmetic 'wants'... and not functional stuff... well... except for brakes... which are working well... just gettin' kinda thin, so I'm planning on overhauling those, next month...
We are Full Time RVers again... FINALLY! :o) Hoo! Ya!... and sorta kinda "Semi-Boondocking"... We're plugged into power (the solar works well... but with our nights still in the 20's and low 30's, 'plugged in' is nice)... but have no sewer or water hookup...
We're slowly getting into the routine again... Slowly getting things put in they're proper places... I think it will fully sink in the first time we come up on the Mortgage Due Date... and realize... We don't have to pay it! :o)
Spring is coming in a hurry!... just have to get through maybe a month of the threat of blizzards... :o)... plenty of work to get done in the meantime... and decisions to make... 'bout where... and when... and how, we're goin'! RV Boondocking the Good Life! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
An'... Yet a Lil' bit More of the RV Remodel Gets Done...
Got one more small part of our RV Remodel done this afternoon after Slick hauled me Home... rollin' through a lil' squall of snow... Folks gawkin' at the "Crazy fool" on the Motorcycle in the Snow! Hee Hee... I Love it! :o)
Home... I'd gone to refusing to call the Old House, or hearing it called... "Home"... To me it was just; "the House"
... Now, I come HOME! The only Home I want these days... Our Eagle... 250 sq feet of Heaven on Wheels, with 245 or so Cummins Horses sittin' in front of it! :o) Suh-Wheet!
So... I got home and went to wiring!
Took the old fixture off the wall beside the couch... wire nutted the wires, taped 'em up too, and tucked 'em in... Then covered the hole with a plaque I've had for some time... been on the Eagle's walls before! "Genuine Antique Cowboy"
You can see the Old fixture between the windows in this "Before the Remodel" picture..
Down below that fixture is that junction box I pictured in the Remodel pages.
All I had to do was cut the plug off Heidi's favorite lamp... splice it into a couple of the 12V wires running through that box and Wa La! 12V Lamp!...
We picked this lamp up on a trip through the Couer d' lene area of Idaho, back when we were building the house... Created of stones and patina'd copper tube, by an Idaho Artist... Now, it's part of our Jayco Eagle HOME!
ya'll can do the same thing... with a 'special' lamp you find... easy thing to convert 'em to 12 volt!
Uh... forgot somethin' didn't I? ... First... I had to pick up a regular, standard base bulb in the RV 12 volt variety at Home Depot, to replace the old 120 volt bulb... a 120 volt bulb just ain't gonna work too well powered by just 12 volts :o) ... I suppose it'd glow a bit... kind of like a weak night light...
anyhoo... startin' to look... and feel... like HOME... and it's for sure and for certain that, Heidi and I are truly findin' that, "More Harmonious Outcome" I've been huntin' for so long!
Well I gotta run... the 'New Truck' has an appointment to get some tie rod ends inspected for some special attention... which he needs 'fore he can get his new Tires...
Hmmm...
Callin that good white Dodge "the New Truck" is pretty sterile an' anonymous ain't it? ... gonna have to come up with his name... It just ain't come to me yet... The Great White Hope? :o) but "Hope" don't sound too masculine... Do it?
Hmmm... I'll do some cogitatin' on it... He needs something with the sound of Dreams an' Rebirth... Second Chances... and the Pure, Unadulterated, Double Rectified, Joy of Livin'! :o)
Hmmm... How about... The Boss! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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Home... I'd gone to refusing to call the Old House, or hearing it called... "Home"... To me it was just; "the House"
... Now, I come HOME! The only Home I want these days... Our Eagle... 250 sq feet of Heaven on Wheels, with 245 or so Cummins Horses sittin' in front of it! :o) Suh-Wheet!
So... I got home and went to wiring!
Took the old fixture off the wall beside the couch... wire nutted the wires, taped 'em up too, and tucked 'em in... Then covered the hole with a plaque I've had for some time... been on the Eagle's walls before! "Genuine Antique Cowboy"
Down below that fixture is that junction box I pictured in the Remodel pages.
All I had to do was cut the plug off Heidi's favorite lamp... splice it into a couple of the 12V wires running through that box and Wa La! 12V Lamp!...
We picked this lamp up on a trip through the Couer d' lene area of Idaho, back when we were building the house... Created of stones and patina'd copper tube, by an Idaho Artist... Now, it's part of our Jayco Eagle HOME!
ya'll can do the same thing... with a 'special' lamp you find... easy thing to convert 'em to 12 volt!
Uh... forgot somethin' didn't I? ... First... I had to pick up a regular, standard base bulb in the RV 12 volt variety at Home Depot, to replace the old 120 volt bulb... a 120 volt bulb just ain't gonna work too well powered by just 12 volts :o) ... I suppose it'd glow a bit... kind of like a weak night light...
anyhoo... startin' to look... and feel... like HOME... and it's for sure and for certain that, Heidi and I are truly findin' that, "More Harmonious Outcome" I've been huntin' for so long!
Hmmm...
Callin that good white Dodge "the New Truck" is pretty sterile an' anonymous ain't it? ... gonna have to come up with his name... It just ain't come to me yet... The Great White Hope? :o) but "Hope" don't sound too masculine... Do it?
Hmmm... I'll do some cogitatin' on it... He needs something with the sound of Dreams an' Rebirth... Second Chances... and the Pure, Unadulterated, Double Rectified, Joy of Livin'! :o)
Hmmm... How about... The Boss! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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RV Remodel... another Lil' Bit
Short day at "that" job yesterday, so I got to spend the afternoon working at getting the Eagle put together...
Uh... We were startin' to look like 'hoarders'... or some of that "Trailer Trash" I mentioned the other day! :o) We've been goin' nine-oh since before, during, and after movin' out... tryin' to get things done... and then finding a truck so soon kept us rollin'...
... The problem bein', we hadn't got to puttin' things away and finding homes for stuff since we moved back into our Home Sweet Home on Wheels... T'was juuuuust a mite cluttered. Enough to make a bald headed puss gut look for hair he ain't got, to pull out! ...
Makes people look at you funny when ya run up and pull their hair out! :o)
Anyhoo... I succeeded at gettin' the greatest part of it stowed and have the place pretty livable... uh... though... you don't wanna look into too many cabinets... there's still a touch of work to do there! :o)
One of the things I did was do an 'experimental' mount of our lil' panel TV, to see if it'll work where we have it planned... We do like to watch a movie... Monte Walsh... or Maybe Quigley Down Under some nights up in Camp! :o)
I'm not sure it'll ride here... the wall structure of that closet is pretty thin... I may put some plywood 'plating' in there... but the mount itself still doesn't give me a lot of confidence... so what's more likely is that I'll just take the single bolt out that mounts the swivel head... and lay the boob tube on the bed when we haul...
Still gotta run the wires down through the wall, under or through the steps, and up into the cabinet on the other side... where the hookups are...
Otherwise, it seems a pretty fair location... we can brush up together on the couch... or under the blankets on the bed... 'course then... not much tube watchin' gets done! :o)
One other lil' thing... when we were runnin' 'round truck huntin'... we happened to be fairly close to Bass Pro Shop down in Denver... never takes much to talk me into a stroll through there... and I found this Entry Floor mat...
I couldn't think of a better one to put in front of our door...
Now... if they'd just put wheels under that cabin... and a good Cummins in front of it...
I'm runnin' late... and have one more 1/2 day of the dungeon job this week, at the hardware store... before I can get back to my full time WORK... RV Boondocking the Good Life!
... and remember... Job = Drudgery... Work = LIVING! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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Uh... We were startin' to look like 'hoarders'... or some of that "Trailer Trash" I mentioned the other day! :o) We've been goin' nine-oh since before, during, and after movin' out... tryin' to get things done... and then finding a truck so soon kept us rollin'...
... The problem bein', we hadn't got to puttin' things away and finding homes for stuff since we moved back into our Home Sweet Home on Wheels... T'was juuuuust a mite cluttered. Enough to make a bald headed puss gut look for hair he ain't got, to pull out! ...
Makes people look at you funny when ya run up and pull their hair out! :o)
Anyhoo... I succeeded at gettin' the greatest part of it stowed and have the place pretty livable... uh... though... you don't wanna look into too many cabinets... there's still a touch of work to do there! :o)
One of the things I did was do an 'experimental' mount of our lil' panel TV, to see if it'll work where we have it planned... We do like to watch a movie... Monte Walsh... or Maybe Quigley Down Under some nights up in Camp! :o)
Still gotta run the wires down through the wall, under or through the steps, and up into the cabinet on the other side... where the hookups are...
Otherwise, it seems a pretty fair location... we can brush up together on the couch... or under the blankets on the bed... 'course then... not much tube watchin' gets done! :o)
One other lil' thing... when we were runnin' 'round truck huntin'... we happened to be fairly close to Bass Pro Shop down in Denver... never takes much to talk me into a stroll through there... and I found this Entry Floor mat...
I couldn't think of a better one to put in front of our door...
I'm runnin' late... and have one more 1/2 day of the dungeon job this week, at the hardware store... before I can get back to my full time WORK... RV Boondocking the Good Life!
... and remember... Job = Drudgery... Work = LIVING! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thanks to Gov. Ritter, I'll be Doing a lil' Website Housecleaning Later This Week...
Seems the Intelligent fools down in Denver thought they'd "fix" a few things recently...
The State legislature passed a bill... and that bozo of a Governor we have, signed it... an internet tax bill, that adds such a significant burden onto business that one of the major "Businesses" in question quit! Now THAT's a fine example of Gov't creating jobs ain't it?
Received notification from Amazon yesterday that my account with them has been closed... Because; I live and publish... in Colorado.
So, in their infinite wisdom... those fool politicos... trying to squeeze some more blood out of the turnip... to insure their salaries and pensions... killed the golden goose!
Not only do they now, NOT get any new tax revenue (of which they already get far too much) but now... the people who were making income... which the state WAS able to tax ... are making ZERO! So the fools effectively caused the 'Layoff' of MORE people... rather than 'job creation'... and have even less ill gotten gain than when they came up with the cock-a-maime idea in the first place!
Don't it make you feel good about the future! :o)... to know that the captain of your cruise boat... SANK the last four boats he took out? :o)
So... the housecleaning I'll be doing is the removing of the "Bookstore" and "General Store"... since they are pretty much all Amazon supplied... and Amazon doesn't advertise through Colorado based publishers any more... and I can't blame 'em...
It doesn't hurt me much... that part of the site has never done a whole lot... but I know there are people who have had a very great part of their income removed by the blind foolishness of gov't...
When will gov't... or the people for that matter, learn that gov't creates nothing? That the Only way it can help create job activity is to get the hell out of the way?... That taxing business only obstructs it, making it ever more difficult to earn a living? ... maybe one day...
uh... guess who pays taxes on business?... think "Cost"... as in "Cost + Profit = Retail Price"... The consumer pays ALL taxes on business... every penny.
Bye Bye Amazon... Thank you Gov. Ritter... ya Bozo.
Oh Well? I'll just go fishin'! Tell my stories... and laugh at politicians that think they're a benefit to anybody... :o) ... and in a few short months... Heidi an' I will be RV Boondocking the Good Life... and it won't matter one lil' bit! Hoo! Ya!
Take Good Care
Brian
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The State legislature passed a bill... and that bozo of a Governor we have, signed it... an internet tax bill, that adds such a significant burden onto business that one of the major "Businesses" in question quit! Now THAT's a fine example of Gov't creating jobs ain't it?
Received notification from Amazon yesterday that my account with them has been closed... Because; I live and publish... in Colorado.
So, in their infinite wisdom... those fool politicos... trying to squeeze some more blood out of the turnip... to insure their salaries and pensions... killed the golden goose!
Not only do they now, NOT get any new tax revenue (of which they already get far too much) but now... the people who were making income... which the state WAS able to tax ... are making ZERO! So the fools effectively caused the 'Layoff' of MORE people... rather than 'job creation'... and have even less ill gotten gain than when they came up with the cock-a-maime idea in the first place!
Don't it make you feel good about the future! :o)... to know that the captain of your cruise boat... SANK the last four boats he took out? :o)
So... the housecleaning I'll be doing is the removing of the "Bookstore" and "General Store"... since they are pretty much all Amazon supplied... and Amazon doesn't advertise through Colorado based publishers any more... and I can't blame 'em...
It doesn't hurt me much... that part of the site has never done a whole lot... but I know there are people who have had a very great part of their income removed by the blind foolishness of gov't...
When will gov't... or the people for that matter, learn that gov't creates nothing? That the Only way it can help create job activity is to get the hell out of the way?... That taxing business only obstructs it, making it ever more difficult to earn a living? ... maybe one day...
uh... guess who pays taxes on business?... think "Cost"... as in "Cost + Profit = Retail Price"... The consumer pays ALL taxes on business... every penny.
Bye Bye Amazon... Thank you Gov. Ritter... ya Bozo.
Oh Well? I'll just go fishin'! Tell my stories... and laugh at politicians that think they're a benefit to anybody... :o) ... and in a few short months... Heidi an' I will be RV Boondocking the Good Life... and it won't matter one lil' bit! Hoo! Ya!
Take Good Care
Brian
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Monday, March 8, 2010
Rushing Toward an Unknown RV Boondocking Future! Hoo! Ya!
The last 10 or 12 days have been such a "stampede" we're not real sure whether we're comin' or goin'! :o)
The one thing we do know is... the vise that'd been clamped on our chests... is gone! Still wonderin' 'bout where the future'll lead us... but we're moving!... There ain't no corral fence 'round us, penning us in any more! That sucker is fire wood! Hoo! Ya!
As much as I'd like to just hitch up the Jayco and haul on out of here... we got some more re-building and re-organizing to get done... but... now, ever'thing we do is building on what went before... not just a struggle to hang on and keep afloat! Suh-Wheet!
The future might be 'scary'... but it's a good kind of Scary... like when your kid jumps out of the closet to make you jump... the exciting 'scary' of something new and unknown.
The fun thing is that now... when Heidi and I talk... it's to make a decision about; "Do we do this? or do that?... NOW!"... not the; "Once the house sells... maybe we could's"...
The only obstruction to us now is US! ... uh oh... I may be in trouble! :o) I'm often one of those fellers who can screw up a concrete slab with a rubber hammer!
Naw... really, each day is now so much closer to belonging to Just Us that I know, for sure and for certain, that Heidi and I are, for Us, on the right trail... The Sun is brighter... even on the cloudy days!
Though my hours at the Hardware store got cut to near nothin' a few weeks back... they're adding hours back in already... and with the house sale removing that burden, we'd gone solid into the black without the hardware job... so we continue to 'build' and get things done...
With the hours coming back a bit... and with how my websites/writing are doing... I'm as giddy as the schoolboy at his first dance!
We're looking at operating pretty much as we are, at least into the late spring/early summer... We'll get the RV Remodel finished, get our re-organizing buttoned up... and then...
... and then...
...and then! :o)
The Boss only knows! :o)
But whatever we do... and wherever we end up... this ride is finally taking on a shine for us like a fresh minted silver dollar!
The point is... not long ago, we were truly worried that our dreams were circling the drain... that all the effort had been for nuthin'... that no matter how hard we worked and sacrificed... we were slowly sinking... but you, and all our other Friends kept us goin'... kept us afloat...
and NOW... we're harvesting the Suh-Wheet! benefits of the Faith ya'll helped sustain...
So... YOU... Keep the Faith!
Heidi and I are makin' it to Shining Times! So can you... Just be honest with yourselves... be realistic, a bit pragmatic... and most of all...
Don't allow your Dreams to die...
Build the Foundations Under Your Castles in the Sky!
Keep 'em Flying!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
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The one thing we do know is... the vise that'd been clamped on our chests... is gone! Still wonderin' 'bout where the future'll lead us... but we're moving!... There ain't no corral fence 'round us, penning us in any more! That sucker is fire wood! Hoo! Ya!
As much as I'd like to just hitch up the Jayco and haul on out of here... we got some more re-building and re-organizing to get done... but... now, ever'thing we do is building on what went before... not just a struggle to hang on and keep afloat! Suh-Wheet!
The future might be 'scary'... but it's a good kind of Scary... like when your kid jumps out of the closet to make you jump... the exciting 'scary' of something new and unknown.
The fun thing is that now... when Heidi and I talk... it's to make a decision about; "Do we do this? or do that?... NOW!"... not the; "Once the house sells... maybe we could's"...
The only obstruction to us now is US! ... uh oh... I may be in trouble! :o) I'm often one of those fellers who can screw up a concrete slab with a rubber hammer!
Naw... really, each day is now so much closer to belonging to Just Us that I know, for sure and for certain, that Heidi and I are, for Us, on the right trail... The Sun is brighter... even on the cloudy days!
Though my hours at the Hardware store got cut to near nothin' a few weeks back... they're adding hours back in already... and with the house sale removing that burden, we'd gone solid into the black without the hardware job... so we continue to 'build' and get things done...
With the hours coming back a bit... and with how my websites/writing are doing... I'm as giddy as the schoolboy at his first dance!
We're looking at operating pretty much as we are, at least into the late spring/early summer... We'll get the RV Remodel finished, get our re-organizing buttoned up... and then...
... and then...
...and then! :o)
The Boss only knows! :o)
But whatever we do... and wherever we end up... this ride is finally taking on a shine for us like a fresh minted silver dollar!
The point is... not long ago, we were truly worried that our dreams were circling the drain... that all the effort had been for nuthin'... that no matter how hard we worked and sacrificed... we were slowly sinking... but you, and all our other Friends kept us goin'... kept us afloat...
and NOW... we're harvesting the Suh-Wheet! benefits of the Faith ya'll helped sustain...
So... YOU... Keep the Faith!
Heidi and I are makin' it to Shining Times! So can you... Just be honest with yourselves... be realistic, a bit pragmatic... and most of all...
Don't allow your Dreams to die...
Build the Foundations Under Your Castles in the Sky!
Keep 'em Flying!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Sunday, March 7, 2010
We've made some more Progress :o)
The other night, coming back from looking at some trucks and parks... we stopped at Lowes and ordered a pair of Mini Blinds for up in the Bedroom.
Our RV Remodel has gotten "adjusted" some, by economic necessity! :o)... I'm sure juuuuuust a few of ya'll know 'bout that!...
It'd be nice to just be able to take off doin' a major RV rebuild and write the checks without thinkin' on it, as you get to that part... and in the past Heidi and I have known times like that... but this time ain't one of those! :o) So... we'll keep on makin' the upgrades, a lil' bit at a time, as the dinero comes available.
So... we ordered a pair of the double cellular style in the "Up and Down" configuration. That means you can drop the top down or pull the whole dang thing UP... I'm thinking, with the opaque fabric it'd be nice to be able to drop the top a few inches to let in light... yet maintain some privacy... just in case you spend some time in a busy park... and find yourself involved in a lil' afternoon delight!
... uh... just make sure you got the rig solidly stabilized... otherwise your neighbors are gonna be rollin' their eyes and shakin' their heads the next time you walk the dogs! :o)
I'll put a page in the Remodel section, as soon as they're in... 'course, I gotta get that replacement RV window ordered this week... DOH!... why do I keep procrastinatin' on that ?
Saturday Morning we jumped in Lil' Red and made another run up into the mountains... to bring home the "New" cummins... and introduce him to the rest of the "Outfit"...
It's battle worn... and not NEW... but it has some good attributes...
It's a Ranch Rig looking Dodge Cummins truck... which suits me... it's structure, near as I and my son-in-law can tell, is solid... and having had several conversations with the fella I bought the truck from... I do believe I found an honest man to deal with... I've always been equipped with a pretty good character judgment / BS detector... and all it told me this time was... "No Worries Mate!"
He needs tires and a few other "Considerations" but otherwise, I think it's a good rig... and also, considering it was 'bout 1/2 the price of most of the other trucks we looked at this week... and they had maybe 30,000 more miles... and the bank don't own not a single Bolt on this truck... I'm happy :o)
It was nice havin' Ol' Big Red... He was a flashy and fancy rig... but you know what?... not havin' the burden of that heavy debt feels pretty good... and just maybe... I'm not really made for flashy and fancy... Just maybe a "Ranch Rig" is more my speed...
... well... at least until you start talkin' Motorcycles! :o) ... right then, Flashy an' Fancy starts suitin' me to a T... with a capital F! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
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Our RV Remodel has gotten "adjusted" some, by economic necessity! :o)... I'm sure juuuuuust a few of ya'll know 'bout that!...
It'd be nice to just be able to take off doin' a major RV rebuild and write the checks without thinkin' on it, as you get to that part... and in the past Heidi and I have known times like that... but this time ain't one of those! :o) So... we'll keep on makin' the upgrades, a lil' bit at a time, as the dinero comes available.
So... we ordered a pair of the double cellular style in the "Up and Down" configuration. That means you can drop the top down or pull the whole dang thing UP... I'm thinking, with the opaque fabric it'd be nice to be able to drop the top a few inches to let in light... yet maintain some privacy... just in case you spend some time in a busy park... and find yourself involved in a lil' afternoon delight!
... uh... just make sure you got the rig solidly stabilized... otherwise your neighbors are gonna be rollin' their eyes and shakin' their heads the next time you walk the dogs! :o)
I'll put a page in the Remodel section, as soon as they're in... 'course, I gotta get that replacement RV window ordered this week... DOH!... why do I keep procrastinatin' on that ?
Saturday Morning we jumped in Lil' Red and made another run up into the mountains... to bring home the "New" cummins... and introduce him to the rest of the "Outfit"...
It's battle worn... and not NEW... but it has some good attributes...
It's a Ranch Rig looking Dodge Cummins truck... which suits me... it's structure, near as I and my son-in-law can tell, is solid... and having had several conversations with the fella I bought the truck from... I do believe I found an honest man to deal with... I've always been equipped with a pretty good character judgment / BS detector... and all it told me this time was... "No Worries Mate!"
He needs tires and a few other "Considerations" but otherwise, I think it's a good rig... and also, considering it was 'bout 1/2 the price of most of the other trucks we looked at this week... and they had maybe 30,000 more miles... and the bank don't own not a single Bolt on this truck... I'm happy :o)
It was nice havin' Ol' Big Red... He was a flashy and fancy rig... but you know what?... not havin' the burden of that heavy debt feels pretty good... and just maybe... I'm not really made for flashy and fancy... Just maybe a "Ranch Rig" is more my speed...
... well... at least until you start talkin' Motorcycles! :o) ... right then, Flashy an' Fancy starts suitin' me to a T... with a capital F! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
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Saturday, March 6, 2010
Hurry up and Wait!
Well... the place we thought we knew about to park for our "Organizing Period" turned out to be just about the nastiest place I've seen... talk about the definition of trailer trash!... Proves that you can't always believe the pictures you see on a website!... Heidi figured they must have "photo shopped" their pictures. :o) so... for the place we need to set up till spring... we keep looking...
Looked at several trucks the day before yesterday... that can be kind of a depressing enterprise. Knowing what we had to sell last year... and what we got for it... compared to what Dealers are trying to foist off as "Good Trucks"... for the price they're asking... Those boys are nuts!
Both Heidi and I just felt uncomfortable with any of 'em... pit of the stomach kind of thing.
Then, yesterday, we climbed in an Ol' '99 3500 Cummins that was pretty much the same condition of a lot of what we looked at before... but 1/2 the price... Strong, tight, motor, clutch and transmission... tight solid steering, nice, straight, clean frame... a few minor mechanical chores to take care of ... mostly what I consider "consumable" and cosmetic things...
Like it needs tires! but paying for tires I'm gonna use isn't much of an issue... and I'll need to do some upholstery work on it... but the main structure of the Ol' Diesel is strong and the price is where we need it to be to allow us to comfortably make the improvements we want.
This time that lil' voice whispered to me; "I may have some dings and scars here an' there... but so do YOU!... and I'll get you where you need to go... I just need a lil' TLC."
Along with that, I've got this feeling I should put my money where my mouth is. A fella that talks the talk... oughta walk the walk! :o) ... so... It looks like we may have found the rig I'll work up to be our next; Frugal RV Boondocking Tow Vehicle...
The best thing, for me, is finding a rig this quick... I'd planned on taking a pretty good while... hmmm... seems like a lot of my "plans" get modified for me! :o) ... and finding one that allows a zero debt adoption!...
I do believe I'm makin' progress in fighting that big Ol'; "Gotta have the biggest and best right now!" Monster.
Trying to work out the kinks in ever'bodies schedules to get the deal done... along with some maintenance work I need to get done on the Eagle...
At least that storm blew through quick last night and the sun is shining today! I'm late! Gotta hit the road again!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Looked at several trucks the day before yesterday... that can be kind of a depressing enterprise. Knowing what we had to sell last year... and what we got for it... compared to what Dealers are trying to foist off as "Good Trucks"... for the price they're asking... Those boys are nuts!
Both Heidi and I just felt uncomfortable with any of 'em... pit of the stomach kind of thing.
Then, yesterday, we climbed in an Ol' '99 3500 Cummins that was pretty much the same condition of a lot of what we looked at before... but 1/2 the price... Strong, tight, motor, clutch and transmission... tight solid steering, nice, straight, clean frame... a few minor mechanical chores to take care of ... mostly what I consider "consumable" and cosmetic things...
Like it needs tires! but paying for tires I'm gonna use isn't much of an issue... and I'll need to do some upholstery work on it... but the main structure of the Ol' Diesel is strong and the price is where we need it to be to allow us to comfortably make the improvements we want.
This time that lil' voice whispered to me; "I may have some dings and scars here an' there... but so do YOU!... and I'll get you where you need to go... I just need a lil' TLC."
Along with that, I've got this feeling I should put my money where my mouth is. A fella that talks the talk... oughta walk the walk! :o) ... so... It looks like we may have found the rig I'll work up to be our next; Frugal RV Boondocking Tow Vehicle...
The best thing, for me, is finding a rig this quick... I'd planned on taking a pretty good while... hmmm... seems like a lot of my "plans" get modified for me! :o) ... and finding one that allows a zero debt adoption!...
I do believe I'm makin' progress in fighting that big Ol'; "Gotta have the biggest and best right now!" Monster.
Trying to work out the kinks in ever'bodies schedules to get the deal done... along with some maintenance work I need to get done on the Eagle...
At least that storm blew through quick last night and the sun is shining today! I'm late! Gotta hit the road again!
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Getting Back into the "Routine"
Thought you might like the first, soft sunrise last Saturday morning in our 1st FREEDOM ROAD camp...
It's not spectacular... but you know what?... Soft and easy, is pretty sweet to this worn down Ol' Buster... Wakin' up to this each morning wouldn't hurt my feelings none at all!
We've got a few minutes of chores to do this morning and then we're tee total clear of the "Old place"... :o)
Then... we're gonna mix a lil' work and a lil' playtime today... get back to taking "Our Day or Two" each week, that belongs to only US! ... Selfish huh? :o)
Gonna go scout a "Camp" for our Long Camp of the next couple months... and make a couple more "Scouts" on Trucks...
I looked at a '98 24V yesterday... Not a Bad rig... a few blemishes here and there... that Diesel sounded solid... but the front tires were wearing poorly... made me think there's likely some significant front end work needed ASAP... the windshield had a small crack... 'bout 6 feet long :o)
... and some other minor things, like missing marker lights...
The price was right... but a lil' voice was tellin' me to keep on looking... so... we keep on looking...
That Chassis Cab I was hoping to try out has vanished... bummer... but, there's plenty more... just keep on hunting...
Have another "Scout" lined up... if somebody else don't get there first... up west a ways... talking to the guy who owns it... he sounds like he's "informed" about 'em... and his "description" sounds good... and it already is set up with a flatbed... saving me some of that work...
We can't get up to it till tomorrow afternoon... If it's meant for us... it'll be there. I just ain't willing to get myself all cranked up... runnin' 'round like a crazy man... thinkin' if I don't get there Now the world is gonna cave in...
THAT is the world I'm leavin' behind... anyone who wants it, can have my portion of that baloney!
Me? I'm takin' it slow... and when the right truck is sittin' there... when my pokey Ol' kiester finally shows up... I'll buy it! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
It's not spectacular... but you know what?... Soft and easy, is pretty sweet to this worn down Ol' Buster... Wakin' up to this each morning wouldn't hurt my feelings none at all!
We've got a few minutes of chores to do this morning and then we're tee total clear of the "Old place"... :o)
Then... we're gonna mix a lil' work and a lil' playtime today... get back to taking "Our Day or Two" each week, that belongs to only US! ... Selfish huh? :o)
Gonna go scout a "Camp" for our Long Camp of the next couple months... and make a couple more "Scouts" on Trucks...
I looked at a '98 24V yesterday... Not a Bad rig... a few blemishes here and there... that Diesel sounded solid... but the front tires were wearing poorly... made me think there's likely some significant front end work needed ASAP... the windshield had a small crack... 'bout 6 feet long :o)
... and some other minor things, like missing marker lights...
The price was right... but a lil' voice was tellin' me to keep on looking... so... we keep on looking...
That Chassis Cab I was hoping to try out has vanished... bummer... but, there's plenty more... just keep on hunting...
Have another "Scout" lined up... if somebody else don't get there first... up west a ways... talking to the guy who owns it... he sounds like he's "informed" about 'em... and his "description" sounds good... and it already is set up with a flatbed... saving me some of that work...
We can't get up to it till tomorrow afternoon... If it's meant for us... it'll be there. I just ain't willing to get myself all cranked up... runnin' 'round like a crazy man... thinkin' if I don't get there Now the world is gonna cave in...
THAT is the world I'm leavin' behind... anyone who wants it, can have my portion of that baloney!
Me? I'm takin' it slow... and when the right truck is sittin' there... when my pokey Ol' kiester finally shows up... I'll buy it! :o)
Take Good Care
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking
Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Share your experiences, Boondocking on Freedom Road with us!
... Your RV Destinations
... Your Custom RV
... Reader's RVing Tips
... Reader's RV Recreation Activities
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