Off Road

Mary Ann, Sherita and Greg are now off road.  What that means in RV lingo is that they are no longer living the RV life.  Mary Ann has sold her beautiful Trek and Sherita and Greg are living in a large house re-accumulating all the possessions they rid themselves of to live in their RV home.  RV life is just not for everyone.

Recently a few people have asked me if I am ready to be done with this lifestyle.  I just look at them and laugh and say "No Way!".  To date, this has been the lifestyle that suits me best.

I love living with the elements.  I love waking up amongst the trees, listening to the birds, while at the same time savoring my inner sanctum.  It offers all the joys of camping with all the amenities of home.  I have always loved to travel but found it a challenge to be away from home.  Now I travel with my home.

I don't mind walking to the laundry to wash my clothes.  I don't mind using whatever facilities are available for my showers.  I don't mind having a small kitchen to cook in and I don't mind emptying my sewage.  I have learned to deal with whatever weather comes my way and I don't mind that sometimes I am cold, and sometimes I am hot.

I love not knowing where I will be after I leave wherever I am.  I love the excitement of the next adventure, of the unknown that awaits.  I love living within communities that constantly change and I love meeting new people.  My life is temporary and I love how that feels.

I love that I am finally living my life.

One Down

Just finished my first 20 hour week.  I am exhausted but glad I had those first few days where it was quiet so I could start to remember all the things I have forgotten.  Next weekend I will need to actually work.

My weekend neighbors have packed up and left for the week and it is once again quiet.  I came home Saturday night to a gourmet meal of prime rib, shrimp, new potatoes, veggies, pie and a roaring fire.  Such fabulous neighbors that I wish I had more time to spend with them during the weekends.  I work 8 hours on Friday and Saturday so by the time I come home on Saturday night I feel somewhat drained with another 4 hours to work on Sunday.  Not only am I working on Sundays this year, but I am working an earlier shift, 10 AM - 2 PM, so that may prove to be a bit of a challenge.  Other than that, I do not regret coming back for another summer at the Hood as it feels comfortable and much calmer than last year.

One 20 hour shift done, more to come.

Sun, Glorious Sun

It was a beautiful last day of my vacation and the sun looks to be shining for a few more days.  Glorious!

Jan, my neighbor from last year, pulled her RV over today so although I have a new site, she is right behind me and I look forward to our many conversations.

And so happy to have Hershey back as "my dog".  He has grown up quite a bit since last summer and at three years old, is the sweetest and most beautiful dog.

I start work tomorrow and am actually looking forward to it.  I have not worked in four months, which was wonderful, but am eager to work in an office once again and meet and greet all the people coming during the summer months.

Wonder how long it will last before I have had my fill.....

Say It Isn't So

New Site

After much resistance, yes, it is true, I am back at Mt. Hood for the summer.  For a brief moment I thought I might take a position in San Jose, CA, but the pull of the Mountain was much stronger and so I find myself back at the craziest of crazy places.

I chose a different site this time, one which gets much more sun (for when it finally stops raining!) and really like this site.  A tree needed to have a bit of a haircut so my awning could fully extend and with a gift of firewood, I feel somewhat set up for the next few months.

Before

After

I know the neighbors behind me, will never have a neighbor to the left of me and am enjoying this sweet time before the park starts to fill up.  I came in on Friday before the rain came back and was able to have a fire in the fire pit.  Several workers quickly showed up to share the fire and stories I have missed in my absence.  Looks like nothing much has changed:).

Welcome back to the Fun House!

The Party's Over

Me and Maria Wearing Our Tie-Dye

Maria left on Monday.  In her absence it is very quiet and at the same time very peaceful. 

The time we spent together was some of the best I have had in years.  It was wonderful to have a girlfriend to go shopping with, have our nails done and just have fun.  I loved being able to open my window each morning knowing Maria would be right outside with all her dogs and some type of activity planned for the day.  It is rare and wonderful when each moment of life is so savored.  Todd even came back for a return visit, bringing his parents with him.  Now the three of us are scattered in different parts of the world, but I doubt we will soon forget this time we spent together.

It is also time for me to prepare for my own departure.  Originally I was going to leave on Saturday, but looking at the weather I am now planning on Friday.  I have said all my good-byes, shared a last meal with my son and started packing.

Time to head on down the road.

Oops, I Did It Again

Dang!  I knew better, but I left my GPS plugged into the cigarette lighter and when I went to check Minnie for the next leg down the road, the battery was dead.

I purchased a new battery within the last year and should have learned my lesson, but seems I needed to repeat it one more time.  So this time I paid to have an RV repairman come and got some much needed education as to what drains my motor battery and how to prevent it in the future.  In came Manny to the rescue.

 

Yes, leaving the GPS plugged in will drain the battery.  There are a few other things in the coach that will also pull from the motor battery.  Lesson learned.

So I now have a battery charger that will stay connected to the car battery whenever I am stationary and I will never again loose my "power".

Manny also checked my house battery and the good news is that it is fine so no more added expense for now.  Whew!  It feels so good to have a bit more knowledge under my belt.

My new battery charger

The Party's Almost Over

Maria has started to pack up her car in preparation for her return to Colorado.  I can't remember when I have had two months of so much fun and I will miss her when we are both back on the road, traveling in different directions.  It feels like I have already spent an entire glorious summer camping out with friends and yet summer has not yet begun.  I hope the rest of the summer months will be as entertaining.

Because Maria has too many plants to take back, I ended up with my own special pot of flowers, in just the right colors.

Yep, the party is almost over and soon it will be time to pack up the chairs and take the memories down the road.