Fulltiming Road Runners

At times I believe it doesn’t mean what ya’ll’d think it meant.  Wouldn’t you think it meant starting the day whenever you wanted?  Being able to sit around doing nothing, as you wanted?  Doing whatever you wanted, when you wanted?  It doesn’t quite work that way.  We have a whole lot more freedom than we used to have… but think about it… we received our trikes and put them together on Tuesday.

We were anxious to get on them and play… learn how to use them properly and all…  We had a date with friends to explore Wickenburg, AZ on Wednesday, which was an all day trip (not complaining… wouldn’t have missed this trip for anything).  We had an appt. to have our Ford Ranger’s recall work done on Thursday morning (not needed because the “all purpose switch” didn’t fall in the mfg date range of the recall).  We got home early Thurs. afternoon and it was so windy, nobody wanted to be outside.  Today, Friday, we needed to dump and get water for both us and Al ‘n Linda, and even though we had time to work on the trikes afterwards, it was breezy and chilly and we just didn’t wanna play in the cold.

I guess you could say our time was ours, and we were able to make the choices to do what we “wanted”, but life requires one’s time even if it’s not what you want to do.  Our time IS our own, but things still happen and we have to accommodate them by planning around requirements.  We make arrangements for our explorations to fit in between the demands of our lives.

On another note… my Sugar Snap Peas are going great guns in the garden.  They are blooming like crazy and I’ve high hopes of having peas to add to my salads very soon.  Just hope the bees do their jobs well!

We’ve no obligations or plans for tomorrow, so I’m hoping (once again) to get the seat on the trike adjusted and getting out there and learning how to use the trike.

We still are working on making time to go see Mom in California.  Having Willow and the birds makes it a bit complicated, but we can make it work.

Now it’s time for me to say g’nite.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy!

Toodles!

… kind of.  We bought ourselves tricycles… big, adult sized trikes.  These trikes are from Surrey Company.  They are the EZ Rider model.  They’re a hybrid with an electric motor.  On the motor alone they will go up to 25 miles at about 15  to 20 mph.  You can use pedal only, motor only, and a combination.  With the combination you get an increase in speed and distance.  So far we’ve only rode about 200 yds, pedaling only.  Will let you know what we think when we’ve had the opportunity to use all the features.

We bought these because we find ourselves driving into town every 2 to 3 days and that is getting costly at $3.45/gal.  We can go into town and back on a single charge on the batteries on the trikes, and as you can see in the photos I’m going to put up, we have a locking trunk on the back of the trike.  We can do mail, a bit of shopping and not spend a dime on gas and have room to bring it all home.  The trikes have speedometers, tripometers, battery level, headlights, tail lights, turn signals, and brake lights.

When we get to South Dakota in the Black Hills we will have to drive from one side of the lake to the other to get to work.  We are strictly volunteers with no pay and no stipend for gas like we had in Oregon, so using these trikes will really, really save us money.

I think we’ve got ourselves new toys, but also these trikes will be money savers, so well worth the cost.

Pics:
Thom’s trike

Judy’s Trike

Tomorrow we are going to Wickenburg, AZ with friends to explore.  It’s a historical town with lots of “old town” to explore.  It will be a whole different area for us, and the drive over will be totally new to us.  I’m so looking forward to the day.  Best friends to share the day with along with totally new territory to explore.

Thursday we have to take the Ranger in for a recall notice, and a couple of warranty fixes.  I really doubt the A/C should run every time you turn on the fan, but it does.  The Ranger goes into the Parker, AZ motor Co.

I think it’s now time for me to hit the recliner chair.  Putting the Trikes together really tweaked my back and legs (bending, stooping, etc) and I’ve a nice hot heating pad all ready to loosen me up.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy.

Toodles.

I mentioned in our last blog that I had more to say, but had rambled enough.  This is the more.

We have ordered a Haulmark Cargo Trailer (6′ x 12′).  It’s an enclosed trailer and will make life a lot easier for us.  We will be using our flatbed trailer, that I used to tow, for our Honey Wagon, and the Honey Wagon trailer will hopefully sell for a hundred or so.  Maybe even $200 (I’m dreamin’).  With the cargo trailer, we will be able carry our 22 gal Propane tanks upright, which is actually the law in most states.  Propane sellers aren’t supposed to fill a tank if it is going to be transported laying down.  I’m not looking forward to experiencing towing it the first time, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

I’ve mentioned throughout the years in this blog the issues we’ve had with electricity and our light bulbs dying on a regular basis.  We have some florescent bulbs that we’ve never had to replace and others that have been replaced several times.  The fixture at the bathroom sink has blown the ballast for the 3rd time, along with both bulbs.  We decided that since the RV show was happening this week, we’d look for LED replacements.  It cost a pretty penny (but well worth it and a lot less than we’ve spent already on florescent fixture and bulb replacements already), but we’ve bought replacement LED bulbs to go into all six 18″ florescent fixtures and one 12″ fixture.  They are supposed to last forever and not need replacing.  We’ll let you know if there are problems, such as dimmer light or not working well.

Friday night we went to the Fireball’s Concert with Marv ‘n Deb, ‘n Al  ‘n Linda.  What a great night.  These guys are tremendously entertaining.  You can watch them perform and watch their faces and see that they totally enjoy what they are doing.  They are the group that did the hit songs Sugar Shack and Bottle of Wine.  We bought two of their CD’s.  We haven’t listened to them yet, but I intend to do so tomorrow.
(The keyboard player was brand new and only rehearsed with them once… he was fantastic!)

Our weather is still better than most of our friends and family (not here) are experiencing, so I can’t complain about the cool breeze and having to wear a light sweatshirt to go outside.  The breeze is supposed to die by tomorrow and the temps get up to the low 70’s.  I’m going to start another hummingbird tomorrow (I hope) and hope to be able to sit outside to work on it.  We are so blessed to live the life we’ve chosen.

Time to shut down the generator for quiet time (10:00 p.m.).

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy.

Tah!

I thought I posted this last night but found this morning I’d only saved it to drafts… so it’s a day late.

Some are good, some are bad.  One of the RV happenings that totally lacks in joy is when the propane tank goes empty, it does so at the coldest part of the early morning on one of the coldest mornings.  When that happens we can’t just lay in bed and cuddle and stay warm, Thom has to go out and change over to the other tank so our parrots and dog don’t suffer.  We do have two 22 gal tanks so at least this doesn’t happen too often.  I’ve noticed that when the tank is getting low, we get a “skanky” smell when we turn a burner or the heater on.

One of the joys when boondocking on the BLM LTVA is you get to pick what kind of yard you’re going to have.  If you like critters and aren’t scared to death of snakes and tarantulas and scorpions you can have a yard amongst the trees near a wash.  It’s a true joy for me to watch the birds, squirrels, fox, rabbits and even a coyote or two come in for the food and water I put out. The scarey critters don’t show up very often.  If you don’t want critters you can pick a spot where there is just gravel, sand and rock and very few small bushes.  If you want neighbors, stay near the roads, if not go further back off the highway (like us). Here’s a shot of our “yard” and setup.

I think we have a pretty cushy setup here.  The 12 volt/110 freezer is in the shed with an extension cord strung over the top of Willow’s pen, along the top of the shed then down to a power strip which the freezer is plugged into.  The freezer sits on a utility wagon which has extra space on it so Thom can use the power strip to charge batteries for his tools.  There are 3 solar panels on top of the RV with eight 6 volt batteries to keep us pretty well powered.  On dreary days, we have the generator.  We have the “garage/shed” set up where it is fairly protected from the wind.  We have outdoor carpeting on the ground in the garage.  This thing was really nice to have for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with all our friends.  When it’s windy or too warm outside we sit with friends in the shed to chat and still be able to enjoy the fresh air. The space enclosed by the shed and RV is my “yard”, where I have my bird feeders (2 seed, 1 Nyjer (thistle) seed, and 2 hummingbird), and watering hole placed.  Who wouldn’t love living in a place like this?

Another not so joyous happening is when you need repairs while boondocking.  If you’re lucky, you can find someone to come out to your rig to do the repairs… at a price.  If you’re not lucky, you have to put things away, close up the slides, hook up the RV if it’s a trailer or 5th wheel, and drive to a repair shop hoping it’ll be finished in a day, or there’s a way you can stay in it at the repair shop.

Our friends, Ron and Deb are dealing with a repair issue right now.  They bought the RV almost new so it is still under warranty.  The black tank has already been replaced once.  Apparently the new tank wasn’t really the right fit, and is now leaking into the under-belly of the RV.  The factory is trying to find the correct parts to fix it and in the meantime have told them to go ahead and punch a hole in the under-belly to let the black water that has leaked from the tank to drain out.  I guess the guys are going to put buckets (one at a time) under the hole to drain into, then take a macerater pump to pump it from the pail to our honey wagon and then to the dump station. Needless to say, the buckets will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with bleach.  It’s going to be a nasty job and I don’t envy the guys, but maybe it will help lessen the Eau de Holding Tank for Ron and Deb.  This is certainly not a joy of RV’g.

The biggest joy of RV’g life is the people we choose to and get to spend time with.  We all go our separate  ways in the Spring, but we’ve grown so close, when we get back together in the Fall it’s as if we’ve not been apart.  Of course we keep in touch through Facebook and email, phone calls even.

Life is good. (as my best buddy, Linda, would say)

If any of our readers have any questions about how we do this or that, feel free to email me - judy@jggrafx.com , or register on this blog and make a comment and I’ll get right back to you.

I’ve more to share (it’s been so long since I last posted), but I’ve rambled enough for now.  I’ll post again tomorrow or Saturday with the “more”.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy!

Toodles.

We’re still keeping busy and enjoying all our friends and our lovely desert.  Thom and I finally got down to the Tyson Wells vendors and did some shopping.  Mari gave us a huge wind spinner (about 4 ft. diameter) which bent our pole more than we were comfortable with so we bought a much stronger pole to fly it from.  The pole was used so it was quite inexpensive.  I hope to get it up tomorrow with the spinner on it.  It’s been too windy the last two days to get it in the air.

Last Thursday we went to Mexico with Al and Linda.  It was their first time there, so we really enjoyed watching them ooo and ahhh at the shops and vendors, etc.  It really is an experience.  I bought a wind chime and Al and Linda bought a stained glass window for their door in the 5th wheel.  The vendor offered it to them “almost free” for $120 American.  They ended up paying $35.  If I can find a Roadrunner stained glass that I like, I’m going to see if I can get it at a comparable price.

Friday we all went to the New Christy Minstrels concert.  This is our 5th year of attending and it was the best one yet!  A week from Friday we will go to the Fireballs concert (they are the group that did Sugar Shack and Bottle of Wine).

The last 3 days have been cloudy and cool with a stiff breeze keeping us mostly indoors.  It’s supposed to be back in the 70’s by the end of the week.  If the wind stays down like it’s supposed to, I’m thinking about working on making a few cabochons and maybe even wrapping them.  I have some Tiger’s Eye rock I want to see what I can do with.

Chuck and Sue left a few days ago.  They may come back, but like all RVers, plans are made in jello.

Time for me to say g’nite.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy.

Toodles.

We managed to get wrapped up in looking at property for sale so we could get off the grid and park away from the hubbub of the BLM in January.  We found a lovely property (10 acres) and spent a couple of weeks wrapped up in trying to make a purchase possible.  Not workable, but it was fun to dream.  In the meantime, we’ve neglected emails, our blog, and our friends here.  We did, at least, find the deep fried cheese curd guy in the little town of Brenda… it’s about 20 miles from here.  Super food, and if you happen to be on Hwy 60 between I-10 and Bouse, watch for Stevies with lots of flags flying in Brenda.  Yummy angus burgers, delicious hot dogs, outstanding onion rings, good hand cut french fries, and deep fried cheese curds to die for.  It’s on the west side of hwy 60.

Time is going so fast!  We are enjoying everybody immensely and are realizing our time together is dwindling rapidly.  To me it feels different this year, a bit distant from our friends and their activities.  Maybe that’s because we have been so wrapped up in looking at property, or maybe it’s because our numbers have grown and I’m not used to sharing.  Whatever it is, I’m going to make it a point to spend quality time with my extended family out here in the desert.

Temps have cooled down to normal now.  I’m certainly not so inclined to head out the door in shorts and tank top!  Highs in the mid 60’s and lows in the mid 30’s.  Very nice still, but not as toasty as it has been since Christmas.

We’ve sold the Motor Home we bought 3 yrs ago and finalized the transfer today.  The alarm went off at 6 a.m. and we were on the road by 7:10.  Needless to say, I’m not used to getting up so early and am really tired now.  (Thom slept for 3 hours after we got home).  I’m going to say g’nite and ya’ll have good days and times.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy.

Toodles.

2011 went out gently and 2012 came in gently.  We had a fun time at the campfire New Year’s Eve, yet stayed relatively sane, so New Years Day was easy to face.  Scott and Mari had to leave today, but at least we got to follow them to Parker AZ and have a yummy lunch at the Chinese Restaurant (China Gardens) with them before they headed north, and we did our grocery shopping after lunch.  Sure gonna miss those two!  We won’t see them again until we head north in April.

My brother, Russ, stopped by yesterday on his way home from his driving trip to Florida.  The trip wasn’t what he was hoping for, so he cut it short and is heading home to those he loves and needs… daughter, grandsons, etc.

I’m going to need to send email to our supervisor on our new volunteer job this summer to get particulars as to when we need to be there and what we need to gather info on in order to do our job there.

I’ll post again soon, but for now I’m tired and want to commune with my recliner.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy!

Toodles.

Scott and Mari arrived safely.  They towed their trailer with motorcycles in it this time, since we traded the 4 seater Vue in for a 2 seater Ford Ranger and they didn’t want to have to drive their camper every time they wanted to go into town.  It’s been so wonderful spending time with them.  They are here until Sunday, and we are going to follow them as far as Parker and go to lunch with them at our favorite Chinese restaurant.  Then they will head north and we’ll do our grocery shopping in Parker.

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with everyone.  There were 21 people here with tons of food to enjoy.   We need to get recipes from everyone for their super dishes… Chicken ‘n Dressing casserole, Corn Casserole, Pork Chop Casserole, Drizzle Sauce for fruit salad, stuffing for celery sticks, cranberry relish, and sweet potatoes.  It was so nice to meet and get acquainted with Ron and Deb’s family.

Our weather has been absolutely fantastic all this time.  Christmas day was around 64F and since then, the temps have just been climbing.  Tomorrow we get 68F and Fri thru Sunday 71F.  Lows will still be in the mid 30’s, but days are wonderful!

We’ve been out gallivanting around   Bouse and Brenda, AZ the last couple of days, so tomorrow I’m staying home and cleaning out the fridge (smelly ol’ leftovers in there), and getting my solar lights working.  I really want to go shopping with Mari, but can’t do it tomorrow… maybe Friday.  Thom will be spending the day getting everybody’s tanks dumped and filled.

Time for me to say g’nite and go to the recliner to sit and chill.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy.

Toodles!

Scott ‘n Mari will be here tomorrow night, and our Christmas dinner with extended family is only 2 days away!  Can’t wait.

Tomorrow we’ll be setting up the tables in the “garage/shed” and getting ready for the dinner on Sunday.  I hope it gets a bit warmer than predicted.  The prediction right now is only 60F, but often it gets warmer than that and if the wind stays down, it should be quite nice even outside of the garage/tent.

I mentioned packages being lost in limbo at the US Post Office here in Quartzsite.  It’s crazy.  I ordered a couple of pair of fleece pants from Blair.com… assuming they’d ship UPS or FedEx, so I used a friends street address here in town for delivery.  Lo ‘n behold!  They shipped USPS and the Post Office here in QZ DOES NOT deliver to street addresses, only PO Boxes.  As soon as the package arrived at the Post Office here it was turned around and returned.

I ordered 2 bundles of rechargeable AAA batteries for my solar lights… from Radio Shack… I called them to make sure they shipped FedEx or UPS and they told me the batteries would ship FedEx.  Come to find out, the FedEx shipping was FedEx Smart Shipping… they deliver to the Post Office for the PO to deliver to the street address with “Smart Shipping”… which they DON’T DO in QZ.  The package was returned the same day it got here. I called Radio Shack once again and they have shipped FedEx ground, which does deliver to the street address and my batteries should be here by the 27th.  We may be able to use our solar lights 3 months of the 6-1/2 months total we’ll be here.

QZ is a whole different world with a whole different set of rules that are not widely shared.  You learn as you go.

The New Christy Minstrels  will be here again this year and we haven’t bought our tickets yet.  First thing on Jan 2nd we’re going out to buy them, as well as the Fire Ball’s tickets.

I’m hoping that sometime soon in January we’ll be able to go see Mom.  Finances have been a bit tight and gas in California is expensive!  We’ll get there one way or another.

For now, we’re working on getting ready for our Christmas day Dinner and having a great time.

Ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy!

Tah!

Christmas is pretty much just around the corner.  Our plans are made for the Christmas dinner and we’re ready.

Ron and Deb’s kids and grandkids will be on the way here in the next day or two and Scott and Mari will be on the way on Friday.  Marv and Deb left early this morning for Utah and if they were able to drive straight thru should be there before too long.

The days between now and Christmas will be a bit cool and windy, but Christmas day is supposed to be sunny, calm, clear and 64F.  Sounds perfect to me!

I had reason to plug in my iron today and learned it really works our Honda 2000 Generator hard.  It’s such a small appliance, you don’t think about how much energy it draws.  I’ve learned that anything that heats (curling irons, space heaters, irons, etc) really use energy and I need to make sure we’re not using a lot of electrical appliances when I plug in one of these units.  Another note for “Boondocking 101″

I’ve placed two orders for items and both of them appear to have been lost in the bowels of the Quartzsite Post Office.  It’s too complicated for me to try to explain it now, but I’ll give it a try tomorrow.

In the meantime, ya’ll stay healthy ‘n happy!

Toodles.