Independence Day Weekend
Ashley National Forest, Utah
Ever since we arrived at this camp I’ve made several unsuccessful attempts to pick up an internet connection. In order to blog, I was driving 20 miles or so to Flaming Gorge Resort to connect with the WiFi available there. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I again try to connect from our camp and my Verizon “jetpack” aircard shows 1X with 3 bars!
Stonecrop
I bust out of the door of the Best Little Trailer, twirling and singing, “I’m so happy! I’m so happy! I’m as happy as happy can beeeee!”
Spike tilts his head. Bridget squints her eyes.
“Oh, c’mere, Bridge. Dance with me, little girl!” I pick up her chubby body and twirl and sing. But not for long. I put Bridget back on the ground. Dang! That dog is HEAVY.
Thistle
Nearly out of breath, I go back inside to my laptop.
I respond to a few comments. It’s late in the day and it takes a long time to reply to each one. I give up.
This morning the connection is faster! I’m able to reply to the comments under the previous post and blog while sitting at my laptop table by the BLT’s big back window.
I miss being able to join you blogorinos whenever I feel like it. It’s like you’re having a party and I’m outside the door knocking and no one answers the door!
American Bistort
A two-headed chipmunk?
Early every morning the chipmunks come out to play, usually in pairs. They scamper up and down and around the white trunks of the aspens. Their merry chatter catches my attention. I grab the camera and capture these two (below).
Later I edit the photo, zooming in on the chipmunks. Is it me or do you see two heads on the chipmunk at the top? Or are there three chipmunks?
Okay, now for a more serious subject . . .
Clingers!!!!
It’s been my experience so far that every campsite, no matter how beautiful, has at least one drawback. Our campsite in the aspens is no exception. When I evaluated this site, I realized it’s spaciousness could attract clingers. (Clingers are RVers who park up close to another RV with no respect for space or privacy.)
An open area lies behind the trees at the right side of this photo.
Even with the possibility of clingers showing up, I find this site too lovely to pass up. I set up camp and recline in the lounger in my very private “reading room.”
As I lie in the lounger looking up at the aspen boughs against the blue, cloudless sky, I ponder the potential for clingers to appear.
Gee, it’s a holiday weekend. Nothing would ruin this site faster than clingers . . .
Hmm . . . what can I do?
Navajo Blanket
“Aha! I know!”
I climb out of the lounger and walk over to the back of the Perfect Tow Vehicle. Rummaging around inside the PTV, I pull out one of the boards I keep for leveling. Ha! This will work fine!
Next, I search inside the BLT.
I find a wide-tip magic marker. Good! It still writes . . . A few minutes later I prop up the finished project at the entrance to our driveway.
Who are the Allens, you ask?
How the hell do I know. I made them up!
Now if a clinger shows up . . . heh-heh . . . I have a script all ready in my devious little brain!
“Oh, helloooo!” (big smile)
“I’m sorry, but I’m expecting my sisters and all our children and grandchildren to arrive at any moment. We’re having a BIG reunion. I’m soooo excited!” (pause)
“Gee, I know you won’t mind parking somewhere else so my family will have room for all their RVs and OHVs.” (smile, walk away with a wave) “
Wild Geranium
Just a lil’ ol’ lady in a hat trying to live life her way . . . .
White Lupine
I hope you do the same!
rvsue
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So happy you are still having fun!! Hope your 4th was great!
Wishing you the same!
Lovely flowers! Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Sue.
Have you ever considered a signal booster to improve your internet connection?
Hi, Thor ‘n Drew,
The Wilson antenna does the job of boosting signal. I don’t know what the temporary problem was here. You have a great weekend, too!
You are one innovative lady! Hope the sign works and you have a peaceful weekend.
The fireworks were so noisy in my tiny neighborhood that my poor Meg left her dinner uneaten, I had to lead her into her stall this morning to show her all was safe..poor hungry horse!
Made me think there was a lot of ‘Hey Bubba, watch this’ last night!
Hi, Lee J,
Poor Meg! Animals can be so sensitive . .
The sign has worked so far… no clingers! As for peace and quiet, not yesterday… I estimate 40-60 trips of motor bikes, OHVs, and what-have-you by our campsite. Back and forth, back and forth. . . I went inside and turned on the radio, increased the volume, trying to settle my nerves . . .
Holidays are a challenge. I’m so glad this isn’t a permanent situation! Enjoy what’s left of your weekend, Lee.
I gotta slow down my reading….I saw the ‘clingers’ in the title, but by the time I made it past the two-headed chipmunk (and no, it’s one head; he’s holding his front paws up to his mouth, plus I believe there is a shadow running across the middle of his head) I forgot all about ‘clingers’ and thought the next subject was ‘chiggers’. Must be my Southern roots!
Oh, Ladybug…. I’ve heard it’s tough to get rid of chiggers, but this is ridiculous!
Hmm… I’ll go back and study the chipmunk pic and try to see what you see.
Sue! Classic. Gotta love ya! Another great post and pix are fantastic too!
Oh how I long for the road….
Thanks for being there!!!
And thank you for the compliments! I hope you can answer the call of the road very soon, Cathy.
I agree that there is just one chipmunk head at the top. The right front leg is positioned such that it looks like there is another eye in there.
Hope “Bob Allen” doesn’t show up with all of his grandkids! Heh, heh.
Don
Hi, Don,
I see so many eyes in that chipmunk pic. You’re right, of course. Only two chipmunks, one head each. 🙂
I was going to use the name Klinger, but it wouldn’t fit on the board.
I think some ‘clingers’ are people who just don’t want to be too far from ‘help’ or another person, are worried about safety, love socializing, or whatever their personal reasons. People with medical problems, people who people ‘new’ to RVing, and perhaps a single person who isn’t yet comfortable being ‘alone’ may want to be within a close proximity to another camper.
I once chose a remote parking spot, and ending up lying on the gravel with a broken foot for almost an hour, and no way to pull myself up to a standing position in the hot sun.
I have one acquaintance who puts out a sign that says: “Please forgive my loud children and big dogs.” ……. and they rarely have a neighbor! So many of the RVers I have met loved socializing, especially if they are ‘new’ to the lifestyle, and just ‘assume’ that you will welcome them. Your sign is a great idea! Let us know how it works! <>
Hi again, B. Beck,
You state many reasons why people might cling to another RV. My response to them? Go camp in an RV park or in a nice, crowded state park with designated spaces. Stay out of the boondocks! It’s not my job to babysit you or to socialize with you!
The other sign you mention is a good idea,too… only it would take a bigger sign. 🙂
Sue,
Gotta love the Allens! “Relatives” to the rescue. What a campsite, absolutely beautiful!
Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, last night was a doozy. We live a couple miles from a reservation where they can sell fireworks and yesterday the line up to turn into the sales area was almost a half mile long. Bellingham outlawed fireworks this year so everyone came out into the county which has looser rules. One of the noisiest 4th’s in the past ten years! I don’t mind a few, for awhile, but it does get wearing.
Riley spent the evening hiding in our master closet. He wouldn’t even consider going outside, we tried to convince him he needed to go out but he was having none of that!
He was very happy to get up today to a silent morning. All the partiers were still asleep and the silence was golden. Even the birds were happy.
Enjoy!
Kitt
Hi, Kitt,
Sorry you had a tough night with your terrified Riley. Poor guy.
I have mixed feelings about fireworks. Back in the day, before all the entertainments were invented that we have available to us today, fireworks made a lot of sense. It is a tradition, yes. Lots of people have been hurt by them over the years and dangerous forest fires have been started.
I think it was quiet here last night because fireworks aren’t allowed in the national forest.
Same here this morning — the OHV “partiers” slept late. I was tempted to creep around with my air horn around 5 a.m. . . . 😉
Hi Sue, Still laughing at your sign,, It brought back a memory from many years ago
when on a holiday weekend I had two of my sons remove broken concrete from a
customer’s home, with the trailer and pickup loaded I told my boys to follow me to
where we would dump it, it was a very large area with a very large sign saying what the name of this new mall would be and the approx. completion date..
down a little farther was another very large sign stating CLEAN FILL WANTED
and this is were they dumped that load,,, I never told them that under that sign was
a little smaller one saying no dumping,,, Please don’t tell them.. I think I have
already recieved my Karma.. Safe Travels Sue
Quite the practical joker, eh, John? Glad you got a laugh out of my sign . . . .
Very resourceful, Sue! Wish there was a socially acceptable way to tell others one prefers solitude. While I vastly prefer being near others (just watching, since I’m not good at mixing) I’m always hyperaware I might not be wanted for whatever reason so I give others PLENTY of space, to avoid pestering them. So people end up assuming I want to be alone. Different strokes…:)
Hi, Pam,
I can tell from your comment that you are a polite person. As for me? Well, I don’t know how socially acceptable it is, but in the past I have said, “Don’t take this personally, but I feel like being alone right now.”
It burns me that it’s okay for the extroverts to act extroverted, but somehow it’s rude for an introvert to act introverted.
I give people a lot of space, too, just like you “to avoid pestering them” (and to keep them from pestering me!)
Great sign! Hope it did the trick. We are having a pretty nice summer here in Dallas as it has not been 100 degrees yet and isn’t in the forecast. Now, if I could just order up some rain.
Great to hear you’re whipping Dallas and its weather into shape, Susan. Keep up the good work!
Love the sign!! Be sure to keep it in the PTV for future use!!
I have a chipmunk story for you. Back in the 90’s when I made a couple vacation trips to the Estes Park area in CO, I had a surprising thing happen. It was a day when we were out fishing( that was about every day!). Anyway, we had brought some peanuts for us to snack on while we were out. I had put some in my pocket. I was sitting on a rock and then next thing I know, I feel something in my sweater pocket. One of those chipmunks smelled those peanuts and had crawled in that pocket to get them. To say I was startled was an understatement!
Oh the adventures one has when we are out in nature!!
Cute story, Jolene!
Oh yeah, I’m keeping the sign. I use that board often to level.
(I love how people are adding their location to comments. Thanks!)
Snakes, bats, chipmunks… I wonder what you will trigger next in my personal memories with your adventures! LOL!
Such wonderful photos of the flowers! They’re very cheerful.
I love the clever techniques for avoiding clingers. I’m taking notes!
Wishing you peace and quiet today.
Hi, ZOW!
Thanks for the compliment on the photos and the wish for peace and quiet. It’s been quieter than yesterday.
Hope all is going well on your adventure, Michael! We’re rooting for ya! Are you happy with your Lance camper so far?
Yes, I AM happy with the Lance camper. I am discovering, however, that an RV is just like a new house in one respect…there’s always something that the builder didn’t quite do right. I’m discovering these on this first practice trip. I aim to be ‘zen’ about it, understanding that assembly of these beasts is complex and little details are easy to miss. So far I’ve found a bum propane burner on my Atwood stove (easily replaced) and the solar charging display panel failed today (probably a bad connection somewhere). Luckily, neither of these have marred my experience at all. The stove part is easily ordered and I have a few troubleshooting steps to try first on that solar display panel before I relent and let the service bay at my dealer handle it. It’s probably beyond my skill to fix, but I’m reading the manual on the thing today just to be sure there aren’t any simple troubleshooting steps I can do myself. I want to learn as much as I can about my new ‘house’ and be as self sufficient as possible. No time like the present!
All-in-all, though, it’s a dream come true. I’m finding it to be what I call “cozy spacious”. Just enough room for one person…maybe two, if they like each other a lot. 😉
Today’s big adventure is figuring out where I want to place a bunch of convenience hooks for towels, coats and stuff. Mundane, I know, but I’m loving it!
Cheers!
Cheers to you, too, Michael!
I’m glad to hear you have a very important feature in your rig… the right amount of space for you. Things not working straight from the factory can be aggravating. Soon you’ll have all the “kinks” straightened out.
I have two strategies for repairs:
1) Turn it off, count to ten, turn it back on.
2) Hit the reset button while praying.
If that don’t fix it, I do without it until I find someone who can fix it.
I had to smile at your “big adventure” finding where to hang things in your new little home. I’m sure many readers know what fun that is. I do!
Best of luck, Michael. I enjoy your updates very much.
Michael in CA (AKA ZenOnWheels), my wife & I have gone to a Lance 1995 trailer (not the year, the model) as well. We are extremely pleased with it. Going form a 16′ Scamp to one 23’4″ with a slide, we seem to be in a McMansion. So much room, living, sleeping, storage & bathroom!
It has one 160 watt Solar Panel, but I believe I need a second battery for it to more of a help.
Our daughter & grandson was able to sleep in this one with us without a problem. They shared out first few times camping. One reason we wanted a larger rig.
RVSue, still enjoying your blog, your adventures. You have for certain supplanted Tiogo George as the Vagabonder Supreme.
Happy Travels & Camping without clinger of course.
DesertHawk…. Great to hear from you again!
Thank you for the compliment, but I don’t want to take the honor of Vagabonder Supreme away from Tioga George. He was the first to translate his road experiences into a blog that made full-timing real and accessible to many dreamers like myself. I’m flattered that you put me in the same league as George. He will always be #1 in my book!
Mistake correction, a Lance 1985, not 1995.
DesertHawk – I’m glad to hear from another happy Lance customer! I was wondering about a bigger solar panel myself. Mine came with a 95 watt…which is probably enough. I need to practice more without hookups to figure out if this will be good enough to charge the two batteries during the day. So far it has been so hot at my location that I’ve been running the A/C…so that has meant running off of the shore power provided at my site. After it cools down a bit I’ll definitely be doing more experimenting with it.
Happy travels!
Michael…
Maiden voyages are used to find out what works and doesn’t.
Do you live in or near the East Bay? Your rig should be covered under warranty. However if you need an awesome Mom and Pop RV service. Allied Trailer on E14th in San Leandro, near BayFair Mall comes highly recommended.
Have fun decorating your home!
Oh dear god! Didn’t mean to do that!
No worries Sue…if you delete it messes up the blog. I’ll take care of any repercussions.
I fixed your name error. I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner.
Thank you…
Cinandjules – I really appreciate the referral. Real world recommendations are the best way to find good businesses. Thank you!
It’s been a fun day of decorating! So far I’ve installed a bunch of hooks (I’m hook happy – I don’t think I can have too many) 🙂 I’ve also found a bunch of good spots for those stick-on LED lamps (most of my outdoor access bins do not have lighting, so I figured, why not?).
Happy travels!
You are such a hoot (and a brilliant idea, btw) to keep away the clingers. I’m filing that idea away for future reference. So you were dancing with Bridget and she was heavy. I meant to comment several posts ago about your comment of Bridget’s butt putting out lots of BTU’s. That was the funniest thing I’d read in a long time! Thanks for sharing your life. From one of your many fans/blogorinos 🙂
You’re welcome, Patti. Yeah, Bridget has one heckuva BTU butt! Haha!
Ha! I’m with you on keeping away the clingers. I’ll set up my tent and spread out my stuff to keep ’em away, but, I like your sign idea. Tuck that idea in my tool box. Up until now, I’ve just been telling “clingers” that I have family a comin’. I had to do that at 4 am back in Carson City (I think I shared that with you) with a group of weekenders that pulled right up into my SMALL campsite! Couldn’t believe it. They said, “Oh, give us 30 minutes.” Finally, I said, look, we’re trying to sleep and there’s other campsites up the road. That got them to leave (in the opposite direction of the campsites…geesh, whatever) thankfully. After that, I blocked off that site’s entrance with vegetation on the weekends to keep the weekenders out. The sign should keep ya from having to even come out to explain anything. Brilliant!
Having said all that, I can’t believe I’m camping along the Oregon shore in an RV parking lot. I’m doing the very thing I thought I’d NEVER do. It drove me nuts for the first week dealing with generators, smokers, music, voices, crying babies, but ya know what? I can’t believe I’m saying it, but, I’ve grown used to people being around after two weeks.
But, the thing is, I really have to be here and don’t have any other better choices for now, because I just spent a ton of money on the van. I can just sit here and not be hassled. There went my traveling funds on repairs.. AND, I really, really want to be in a shore town without moving around. AND, I’m in walking distance from the shore, so, the dog and I walk the Oregon shore everyday. But, this will probably mean, I will want to be unsocial for a year after this experience. LOL. I don’t know about that. Actually, I may have cracked a barrier I was experiencing being around people. My whole first year, I didn’t really want to camp with anyone. And my friend that was coming to camp with me? We just weren’t compatible enough for that. Oh, well. I’ve also learned in this situation to use my boundaries with people and let them know I don’t want my neighbors knocking on my door and such. So, yeah, it’s a social summer for me, thus far. I’m learning a lot about myself with this lifestyle. When the going gets real tough, I’m learning I can adapt, if I must. Earplugs and headphones work wonders too.
Hi, Gloria,
I was thinking of you recently, wondering how you’re doing and where you are. Nice to hear from you . . .
You touch on some interesting points. Living the life of a vagabond does challenge us to learn more about ourselves. It also demands that we be adaptable and resourceful, and call on our communication skills with the people we meet. I see you doing all those things again and again.
You also see what’s good in a situation. Your camp may not be ideal but you are next to the Oregon shore, a situation some pay many bucks to have.
I’ve read blogs of full-timers who go through phases of sociability followed by seclusion. It’s like they need a people fix and then they need a quiet, alone time to recuperate. You’ll work out your own way.
Hey, if you ever get in a jam you can’t find a way out of, let us know here, okay? I bet there are blogorinos who would be happy to join me in giving you a helping hand. This is community as it should be. Don’t forget that, darlin.’
Gosh, thanks, Sue! I appreciate your kinds words. Yeah, this is a community! What’s awesome about this lifestyle, is the 4-wheels that can carry us in and out of situations we want to be in or not. I’m still loving the cool breezes and 60 degree temps here at the Oregon shore! As of 11:14 am, it was a whopping 54 degrees for our foggy walk along the shore. It felt so refreshing, but, had to bundle up a little. I’m still waiting for cooler temps to hit Portland. Can’t wait to meet that hippie city!
I was wondering how you were doing in the heat and here you are with an answer! I met the outskirts of Portland. All I remember was my windshield wipers could hardly keep up with the rain. Man, what a downpour and on the interstate…
Devious! 🙂 So…there you were, taking up two campsites. But at least you had relative peace….especially since the relatives never showed up.
Hi, Linda,
To a clinger I’m taking up five campsites!
Hey, this is a huge forest. If campsites were scarce, I’d share (like I did with Al traveling by motorcycle), but there are numerous spur roads in this area with numerous sites.
Thank you, Sue! You and the Allen party made my entire holiday weekend. It’s been a long time since I laughed so hard. I hope ya’ll have a wonderful reunion…….
We’re having a grand time, Jody! It’ll be good to see them leave though. You know how I enjoy solitude. 😉
Hope your weekend is great! Nice to hear from you, all the way from Vermont, a beautiful place, the state of my birth.
Hi Sue,
What a creative way to ward off Clingers! Next time you make a supply run, be sure to pick up another board…just in case it is needed for leveling. You don’t want to have your new sign in use, under a wheel!
Lovely wildflower pictures! The fern-like plant looks so soft and feathery. You have found another beautiful spot! I am always in awe of the variety of plants and flowers that you have been sharing with us. A photographer’s paradise!
Sorry that you are having to deal with the noise pollution from the inconsiderate kids and their clueless parents!! 🙁
Did the new air filter make a difference when towing?
Enjoy your day, Sue! You were missed when you were off line for a couple days. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your adventure with us…you are truly an inspiring lady!
Hi, Denise,
How sweet of you to tell me I was missed. I certainly missed having all the blogorinos inside the BLT with me and the crew! Morning coffee wasn’t as fun . . .
YES! The air filter did make a difference with towing. Once again, Mick was right! (How does he DO that?) We zipped right up that mountain, one switchback after another (lean to the left, lean to the right). . . .
My next Amazon order I’m going to flatten and save the box to have handy for a sign, in case, like you said, I need the board under a wheel. I wonder if tomorrow the neighbors will feel sorry for me because the Allen family didn’t show up. I wouldn’t bet on it. LOL!
The soft-looking, fernlike plant is actually quite prickly. Walking with the crew, camera at the ready, is like a scavenger hunt as I go from flower to flower. That’s my kind of fun!
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, Denise.
If asked, the Allens had an unforeseen delay – so sad!!! 🙂 LOL!
It has been a wonderful weekend so far! Having Friday off makes the weekend even sweeter! 🙂
My cousin, Bob Allen, lives just a few miles from you and may read your invitation. Actually he lives in Idaho, near the Washington border and is probably not a Blogorino.
Oh, dear, I may have to make a collection of signs to alternate with my “Allen Party” sign…. Um… “McCoy Party” “D’Angelo Party” “Lewkowski Party” etc. . . Change ’em as need be. 🙂
BTW, read my response to Denise’s comment.
Hi, Sue and crew! I’ve been MIA recently from the blog, so I spent the last 2 days catching up on your posts from the past few weeks. You have definitely been in some beautiful locations recently! And I’m glad to see your way with words and sense of humor is still intact. The post about the snake made me laugh out loud!
I really like your comment about extroverts being allowed to do their thing but introverts aren’t. I think I am a little of both, but I do enjoy solitude when I’m out in nature. I love your sign – that’s going into my bag of tricks for future trips.
Hi, Cari,
Glad to have you back!
Yeah, “The Snake in the Hat”, a revised Dr. Seuss children’s story. This ol’ hat of mine has been through a lot. Often I take it off while driving. Sure enough, Bridget steps, jumps, or sits on it every time.
You’re a mix of extrovert and introvert. Oh my gosh, Cari, I think that means you’re NORMAL. 🙂
Your stepping back in the door is what makes this a party!As one also given to twirling when happy,I share your delight in the restored connection. You sure made the most of holiday weekend struggles in this post-with your imaginative 🙂 way of keeping elbow room and great photos.
Betcha a Navajo pizza that chipmunk is holding a baby,expanding the picture I saw a familiar very tiny face.I stayed awake for 56 hours straight to feed droppers of watered down gatorade every 4o minutes to an orphaned one once.The wildlife rescuer 115 miles from here that took over called the day he was released back into the wild,strong and healthy.
All your animal companions will be as happy to see the loud crowd leave as you are soon.Wishing for what pleasure you can find until then,it’s obvious whatever endurance skills you’re using and providence are working just fine.
Hi, weather,
Wow! That takes perseverance — to stay awake that long. I’m sure you felt it was worth it when you heard your patient was strong and released. Very often the wild creatures die from shock, being near humans.
One thing I’ve vowed never to do is write a blog post that begins with “Nothing much happened today.” Something happens every day, even if one is bedridden! Tell a story from memory, ANYTHING… rather than “not much going on here, blah, blah.”
Of course, it helps if you think two chipmunks on a tree trunk constitutes big news. Haha!
Nothing better than peace and quiet. Your pictures show how beautiful spot you got. It is hard to resist thoughts of following you and being there one day. Your sign reminds me another one in Anza Borrego tent campers placed but it wasn’t very polite. Something like “Everyone but park rangers @#$#%!@# out of here.” Someone who I met once when camping bought a small tent in a garage sale for $10.00 and sometimes pitched it not too far away from his own when camping in primitive areas. He likes his privacy too. As to wildflowers, this is an ideal time to enjoy them.
1. Stonecrop
2. Some kind of Thistle (maybe Elk Thistle?). Need to wait to see it in bloom
3. American Bistort
4. Navajo Blanket
5. Wild Geranium
6. White Lupine
Hi, R. (Colorado),
I went back and edited this post so that each flower photo has a label. Thanks so much! (If you don’t see the labels, refresh the page.) It looks a lot better with the flower names. Gee, people who don’t read comments will think, “Boy, that RVSue really knows wildflowers!”
I’ve heard of that tent ploy. Hey, whatever it takes to keep the mutants away, although the cursing sign is a bit much.
No need to resist the thought of following me and camping here someday! Just not when I’m expecting the Allens to arrive at any moment . . . . 😉
Thank you for every picture of every wildflower you ever included. Love to see them any time. I don’t think Allens can get there this weekend at all. It looks like they are still in CO. You know I concluded your blog is so successful because you have a very intimate relation with every of your followers including your own family and of course the Allens. Your sense of humor helps keep your blog entertaining as well. Your writing style is very genial and your pictures are always engaging especially those with Bridget’s looks and muddy Spike. Goodnight Sue. Goodnight Crew.
Goodnight, dear R.
Now, THAT is funny!!!! Gotta watch out for that Allen Clan. I heard they are really a handful.
Always love the pictures but that 3rd one is spectacular!!!
Love ya!
Hi, Pauline,
Funny how an “ordinary” plant can make a good photo. I like that one, too.
Love ya!
RVSUE! LOL, Boy, that’s a GREAT SIGN!!! I might need a Smith or Jone’s sign. So far, we’ve been luckier. Found out when you break down, stay at the repair shop parking lot…. CLINGER free. I’ll not discuss the matter at this time, except to say… it is very expensive and we are considering an RV change at this point!
LOVE THAT SIGN!!!! Good One!!!
Tell us, tell us Kay so we can learn from your experience
Hi, Kay,
I thought this post might spur you to comment. It was your experience with the clingers who wanted to use your MiFi connection that got me thinking I should take action — do something to keep the clingers away.
Sorry you’re having to deal with RV repairs. Best of luck with whatever decision you make.
I’ve been looking for a bigger travel trailer for some time now and I’ve come to the conclusion that the RV industry regarding travel trailers has not been up to par in building standards since 2007 (The Crunch). A couple I know just bought a new Arctic Fox big slide out trailer and the holding tanks were not put in place correctly and they almost lost ’em driving down the road. It’s not just Northwood manufacturers but everywhere I look they are not building new travel trailers with front windows hardly at all anymore. Salespeople tell me its because front windows leak. But I think they are just getting cheap. The prices keep going up but the quality keeps going down. Casita’s are not like this, probably because there is no dealerships involved. Every time I deal with the Casita factory I smile. Wishing you good luck Kay.
that sign got a full belly laugh , Just keep on keeping on Sue you have it down pat.
Ron
Okay, Ron, will do! Have a great evening . . .
As for me and the crew, we’ll be up late partying with the Allens.
Beautiful site you’ve found and lovely pictures depicting it. I can see you dancing with The Bridget…LOL. 3 Chipmunks one is behind the other. Glad you got a connection, even out here in the wilds of NE GA (see rolling of eyes) we have a real problem with windfart err ahh windstream service.
The anti-clinger sign ~ PRICELESS! I guess we will all have to invent our own clan names, I envision mine being cousin Eddie Grizwold and his “special” family in their wonderful RV from the National Lampoon Vaca series…snicker.
Hi, MK,
You, weather, and I see three chipmunks!
Yes, that’s a great idea for a sign! “Grizwold Party”… That movie was one of the funniest ever. Poor, dead Grandma sitting on the roof of the station wagon, going down the highway… That’s an image not soon forgotten!
I took a closer look at your chipmunks with my magnifying glass. I see three. I can even see three tails.
We spent Memorial Day weekend floating 24 miles down a remote river and camping out for 2 nights – and as far as we could tell there were only 7-8 other small parties on the river that weekend. Wouldn’t you know it? The second night one of the other parties camped just down river on the opposite bank – within easy ear and eyeshot! WHY? Gravel bars were plentiful – and the one they picked was barely large enough for them. It was just plain irritating! At least now I know what to call them – clingers canoe camp as well as RV camp evidently.
I believe it, PJ! Your experience confirms what I’ve suspected all along — Clingers are a MENACE! That trip sounds like a wonderful adventure, in spite of the clingers.
Good to hear from you again . . .
I had a good laugh at the deviousness of your sign.
I thought of you the other night when we had our first clingers. We were in a national forest campground that had 22 sites and we were in sight 21, far enough away in the loop from the only other campers there when lo and behold, a noisy car comes through after dark and sets up right across from us in site 22! Thank goodness we were leaving the next morning, because they came over as we were breaking down camp and talked non-stop.
Congratulations on your first clingers, Marsha! 🙁
That’s typical behavior…. What is it with people who have to talk all the time? Is it a brain disorder? I have moments where I feel sorry for people like that, but it passes quickly. They are so annoying!!!
I’m glad you were leaving anyway. They probably latched on to the other campers on the far side of the campground.
Oh, and before someone makes a comment about me being mean to lonely people… The people I’m referring to aren’t lonely, they’re compulsive talkers, non-stop, yak-yak-yak. Gee, get help! Chew gum! Do something!
Two laughs in one day from RV Sue, I love it. First from the Allen Party sign and now the compulsive talkers.” Gee. Get some help! Chew gum! Do something!”. I so enjoy your attitude on life, clingers, yakers, etc.
Well, that’s good to know. Keep on laughing, Patricia!
Great post! Loved the sign and pictures of flowers. That is one of the sweetest pics of your casita and camping spot. Makes me want to hit the road–again!
Ann M
The BLT is pretty sweet, isn’t it. I always smile upon returning home to my little egg house.
Thanks, Ann.
Ingenious idea with that sign. I’m liking it!
Nina
Hi, Nina,
Now I need a sign to keep the OHVers away. Hmm…. Maybe “Caution: Tire Ripper Ahead.”
That sign is funny like something out of a movie! Or how about stringing up a row of paper target practice posters — you know, the ones with the body outline and, of course, a hole blasted through the heart?
Gee, Gayle. . . You’re good. I like that! Maybe with a postscript? “You’re next!”
Nice site/sign!! No clingers for us tonight, sleeping in our new “home.” right in our own yard surrounded by forest!! (& plugged into AC) (cheaters)….Great that you can now connect w/o driving 20 miles (twice). Good night!
Good morning, Susan!
Plugged into AC? Whoa! “Summertime and the livin’ is easy . . . .”
What an ingenuous idea Sue, for keeping “clingers” away. Sure hope it worked out for you. At any rate, thanks for starting my day with a chuckle.
You’re welcome, Gayle. No clingers here!
JoAnne just came running into my office telling me to read your post. Yep, I am still smiling at possibly one of the best boondocking tips ever.
Good morning, Rick and JoAnne,
The best ever? You mean that? LOL!
Oh my, save me from compulsive talkers, there is nothing, NOTHING more annoying to me then someone who talks and says nothing so they can keep talking, I can feel my body tense, about that time I have a case of “Excuse me I’m looking forward to my root canal, bye”
That’s funny, Willow. “Excuse me, I have a train to step in front of” Oh my, I could spend all day coming up with lines for getting away from talkers! Thanks for the laugh . . .
Oh dear, I really am laughing out loud at this one. Tears of hilarity. I love the absurdity!
As you can probably tell, I got behind in my reading. Well somehow when I caught up, I knew I still must have missed a post, because I didn’t get all the “Allen Party” jokes. I then looked back and found this gem I missed.
“Excuse me, but my tax forms are calling!”
😉
If you ever want absurdity, this is the place to find it! Glad you got a good laugh out of my Allen Party ruse.
Good morning Sue,
Butterflies are more prolific here than in years past.The milkweed,like most plants,coming late,I’m sure has been a contributing factor.You know how those feathery seeds fly out of the pods granting wishes to anyone that catches them while in flight?
Anyway,I’d used thin paper to form a cup light enough to escort a curious butterfly with a particularly large wingspan out of the porch yesterday to place him closer to food sources and farther from the chance of entanglement in spiderwebs.Sitting in the sparkling tall grasses,I was treated to three visits by him as he interrupted his flights to come near me.
Coffee with fellow wild creatures and Joplin songs,mornings were meant to hold such things!You know Janis singing “The Rose” is a triumph all others’ attempts pale beside.Now,on to the dreams not afraid of waking
Weather, Weather, Weather…surely you can’t mean that about “the Rose”? Bette Midler is clearly the best singer of that song!!!
You’re probably right Jim,I tend to hear song as an accompaniment to my way of seeing life as part of eternal discoveries offered.As a performer Bette mastered “The Rose”!
What I meant was Midler’s a consummate actress adding all the imagined emotion she can to the song,while Joplin sang it using all the restraint she could muster to contain the raw emotions that actually tore through her…
Most sensitive people let life’s brutality break them,but some use the experience as a catapult to realms of beauty invisible to the faint of heart…perhaps the heroism of ravaged humanity awes me so because my history of wounds and healing has been accompanied by the Creator of story.Artists speak different messages to us all.
Good morning, weather,
I’ve been outside walking in the woods with Bridget and Spike. Came back in for a second cup of coffee. Nice to see you here to join me . . .
Milkweed pods . . . Gee, I haven’t seen those in over 50 years. I remember opening them up and watching the seeds fly. Sweet memory. How kind you are to all living things. Oh, that everyone were so . . . .
Oh, yes, Janis singing “The Rose.” I wanted to link to Janis on YouTube but the loading was too slow, so I went with Bette Midler. I like her interpretation,too… very tender. Her tribute to Johnny Carson on his last Tonight Show was a tear-jerker.
Walking in the woods with Bridget and Spike while a second cup of coffee’s waiting in the BLT for you-wow,a far cry from the days of “the lunatic fringe masquerading as neighbors” you once lived through.You pretty much rest my case for using adversity as a catapult instead of crutch.
Between cooking for all your relatives,chasing away clingers, compulsive talkers and wheel freaks,caring for the crew and keeping up with this blog you must be exhausted! Hope they all settle down,leaving you with enough energy to see tonight’s moonlight bathe your beautiful home.
P.S. DesertHawk’s accurate assessment of you re;Tioga is a banner few on earth could have carried up your mountains
🙂
It would be my luck the Allens would show up :-).
And they’d expect you to feed them.
Oh! Sue you are the funny one. I mentioned a “campsite in use” idea some time ago to ward off “The Clingers” (sounds like a movie one might have seen in the 50’s at a drive in theater), but I like your idea even better ( naturally, I am one of your groupies). Monsoon is upon us here in Arizona. So far one heavy rain about 5/8 inch in one hour here in Surprise. Many temporary “lakes” in the area. Luckily the ground is so dry it sucked it up fast. Keep those wheels a turnin’. Sure missed ya while you were out of pocket.
Hi, Jim,
I’ve never experienced the Arizona monsoon. It’s hard for me to imagine since Arizona in my mind equals “dry heat.” It sounds similar to Florida’s summer downpours. They drop a lot of water in a short time, the ground soaks it up fast, and steam rises from the pavement.
It’s nice to know I was missed. 🙂
Hi Sue, great site, worth the fight. Love the pics. The thistle is exceptional. Try zooming into the center of it and capturing just the core.
The chipmunk moved while you clicked. They are tricky and very quick. You can tell because of the lack of focus along the turn axis while the rest is in focus.
Awww, Alan…. No more chipmunk mystery…..
Thanks for the compliment on the thistle pic. I don’t favor symmetrical composition but this subject called for it. To me, the photo would be nothing without the tiny flowers peering up alongside the thistle.
NOTE REGARDING MY EMAIL ACCOUNT…. I am unable to open my emails right now. If you sent one to me over the past few days, I haven’t seen it. I hope to have the problem resolved soon.
Oh Sue ~~ you are a devious character indeed. I absolutely love it! Hope you got through the weekend without any clinger incidents.
Hi, Paula,
No clingers all weekend! Two pickups towing fifth wheels stopped and then moved on yesterday. I’m hoping the noisy people will clear out today.
Well Sue you may have to fight off the clingers but there’s no hope for me and my rude neighbors. They were shooting off fire works until 1am…snarl. Normally it’s so quiet here but since they moved in it’s like having Eddie Grizwold and a whole bunch of his extended family. They bought the house at foreclosure and think their 1 acre is the ponderosa…snarl. Be oh so glad you can pick up and move!
Hi, MK,
That’s the trouble with home ownership. You can find the perfect house, fix it up, decorate it, landscape it, make it exactly how you want it, and then a bunch of a-holes move in next door and your castle becomes a torture chamber. No matter what you do from that point on, you can’t overcome the neighbors.
It’s pretty darn hard to relax on a Saturday morning when the neighbor is shooting off his firearm by your kitchen window IN TOWN (and the police won’t do anything about it because the guy is retired from the force).
Believe me, I know your frustration, MK. I put up a fence to block the view, planted Leyland cypress trees to absorb the noise, and in the end I sold the house I loved and took a loss. I hated to do it, but I couldn’t take living next to those people any longer.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I love being able to move my house whenever I want.
I’m sorry you have to live with that, MK.
Update- I went down the next morning to look around (driveway’s 500′) and I have a for sale sign with one of those hard plastic no trespassing signs underneath. Well it wasn’t fireworks they were shooting onto my property and shot up my signs…snarl. Nothing I can do about it, however I’m thinking of calling the police on my next day off just to have it documented – we know who they are.
The mutants strike again!
MK in GA…..You must live near me, that sounds exactly like MY new neighbors! Only add in electric guitars and a Harley Motorcycle, he seems to think his purpose in life is to make noise!
Heck I’ve experienced clingers while backpacking! Its a disgusting way to spend the evening!
Sondra….
Clingers while backpacking? What were they thinking? You backpack to be near people?
You’re in an awful fix with the neighbors you have. You have my sympathy.
Sue…this couple went into their very small backpacking tent—————–> and had marital relations complete with sound effects!!! I was very embarrassed because on this particular trip my 16 y.o. son came along I really didn’t know what to say except
“of all the damned nerve?”
I had a feeling that’s what you meant by “disgusting.” Remember when people had what was called “a sense of propriety?”
As I’ve said many times before, one should not be able to witness the decline of civilization within the span of one lifetime.
But we are!
If they’ve been playing the electric guitars or other music loud enough and long enough, the problem may not be that they like noise but that they can no longer HEAR!
I called the cops on this guy no less than 6 times last yr…he sits outside with an electric guitar & amps and gets loaded…up to 3 am!! almost every Friday night….Finally I told the cops if they didnt do something I was going over there–and if I get shot its on them!!
I think they realized there could be a fight so finally they DID something about it…the other neighbors complained to me but didnt do anything about him he is closer to them…one night I got out of bed..went to my porch waited for him to take a sip (this means his hands were busy so the playing would stop for a few)…and I yelled “turn that *&^%$#@! noise OFF as loud as I could!! EEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I dislike noise pollution very much.
Clever sign! What will you think of next? I still say fly the chonnies and bra from the Wilson antenna! 🙂
The thought of a Chippie having two heads was alarming! Guess every one of God’s creatures can have abnormalities. Glad it’s the front feet.
Hi, Cinandjules,
What the heck are chonnies? Underwear? Never heard of that.
(As for the bra, it was 3 years ago this month that I threw all of mine in the trash and I’ve been living “free” ever since!)
BTW, I can’t open my email. Hope to have it fixed soon.
Never would stand elastic straps on my body(top or bottom) either.When I told my mother I’d wear them as soon as I saw men binding themselves to impress me or God,she laughed and left me alone about it.I’ve never changed my mind or behavior on the issue.
um-m Note to Ginger-do you realize that your last comment on this blog was Sue’s not owning a bra made you feel that you had permission to go au naturel?Sure gives imagining what you’re up some interesting possibilities 🙂
Yeppers…..sorry I spelled it wrong..chones!
And I’m free….free falling! Hah.
I know NOTHING about bras..as I can be President of the itty bitty titty committee! I must say they appear to be some what of a conflict of interest….push em up and smash them in at the same time???
True story…my sis and I were going thru old photos as we cleared the houses. There was a pic of our aunt….And her boobs were lower than her stomach! We were roaring! We laughed so hard our stomachs hurt!
😉
Just proves that bigger isn’t better in the long run.. The bigger they are, the farther they fall. Basic physics.
Now really girls…you should not make fun of something that most have no control of, as to size…other than maybe surgery!! Not that I have that much to worry over…but really….and you are fortunate to have a choice as to what to wear in those areas!!
I tossed most of my bras when we started RVing. I kept a couple to wear for special occasions like weddings. Now that the kids are all married, it may be time to throw out the final two bras.
Love the Tom Petty lyrics. “Now I’m free … free fallin’.” One of my favorite singers!
Too funny! I know I’ll never hear that song the same way again
🙂
Dear Cinandjules,
What a wonderful picture that is-you and your sister laughing together in the middle of such a tough time….After the funeral my sister and I were at the sink doing dishes together,a fairly shocking comment about my body looking just like our mother’s had started us laughing so hard that we nearly fell over.
My God,how we needed that moment together…releasing so much of the tension,reconnecting with a closeness we’d somehow lost through differences over the years…The bond we renewed that day remains precious to us both.
Our laughter and it’s subject was considered most inappropriate by others at the time-knowing I couldn’t make them understand,my reaction was”Oh my goodness,if you don’t like what we’re doing,just don’t look,go on now,leave us alone.”
Thank you so much for reminding me of what a delight we can be to each other when it really matters.
That must be fairly common, as my sis and I went through similar moments while looking through old photos, and clearing out her stuff. re; old photos, we both decided that it was strange how each generation looked younger at the same age as we were at the same age.
The ” Funeral” however, such as it was, was freaking hilarious! Nothing went right, beginning to end. It was anything but solemn. First the place ” lost” her ashes for a while and I nearly lost it. Then, following her instructions had to find a gardenia flower when the only thing available was a bush ( need I say how we resolved that one?). Then to top it all off the ashes were to be scattered off the end of the pier at Panama City Beach. So happens it was spring break- so we were accompanied by rock bands, harleys en masse, people like ants everywhere! And the pier was packed with people fishing. The only high point was that most of them were oriental and realized what we were trying to do, so reeled in their lines for the time it took. Looking back it was hilarious!
At the time, not so much. Oh the bizarre turns that life sometimes takes.
Oh,Connie-freaking hilarious is right!I’m laughing now-bizarre turns in the journey that make a party out of a mess,perfect!Bet we’d both rather have that to look back to than what usually surrounds that type of event,thanks for reminding me of sweet relationships moments,fondly,weather
Okay, inquiring minds… HERE is the story….
We were boondocking at an undisclosed prairie location. Yes, we were down right NUTS to be out on the prairie with all the thunder, lighting, hail, rain but we were on a mission.
All is fine, we’re all saying our prayers for no TORNADO activity. At some point, I fell asleep, to the rocking of the harsh strong winds. Oh, did I mention the WIND, sorry, but that too.
Woke up the next morning, we forced our eyes open and I started the engine to prepare for take off. We all nestled into our seats, and of course our seat belts too. OFF we go. We’re moseying along, get about oh, 50 miles down the two lane river highway. CHECK ENGINE light comes on, goes off. Hummm, what the hell was that all about, I think. I tell dear hubby. He tells me “PULL OVER” and so I did.
He’s outside checking all RV bodily fluids, I am watching the wind try to remove his shirt, and then I see him struggling to inch his way back to the corner of the RV so he could slip onto the side and attempt to get back inside. The RV is shaking and rocking the whole time.
Hubby gets in, reports all fluids are perfect, nothing is can be found. I start the engine and off we go. We get about another 60 miles or so down the river two lane highway and CHECK ENGINE flashes me again. I pull over and stop. This time, I get out and go back to the engine and decide to have a wee bit conversation with the thing. We reach an agreement.
I won’t drive more than 55MPH and the CHECK ENGINE light won’t flash me. OFF we go. We make it 100 miles, stop for fuel all is checked and all is well.
Off we go again. We get 9 miles. CHECK ENGINE is flashing. We know the town, hubby runs in the rain to Napa for a fuel filter. NO GOT! Damn, its another 5 hours to the next town with a Napa and they will be closed by the time we arrive. Forge ahead. It’s got to be that stinking fuel filter AGAIN.
Off we go. 80 miles down the road, CHECK ENGINE. Stop, Check, Go. We make to the town. No a damn camp ground spot available. Okay, boondock at the darn truck stop. Fire Up the Ginny, helps drown out the Truckers. We do a bit of housekeeping. Then turn in for the night. Wind rocks us all to sleep. Heavy rains, wake us all up.
Hubby checks all fluids, belts, etc and comes in and says “I can’t find a darn thing wrong.” Off we go. We drive 140 miles, I get flashed again. We stop. Hubby checks all is fine. We drive another 150 miles. Time for fuel. We are only about 40 miles to the next big city and surely, their diesel prices have to be less than $4.88!!! We put $40 bucks in and check all fluids. We are down 2 QUARTS of oil. OH CHIT. Something is not right. Now, we’re using oil. Or we’re leaking. Both of us head to the rear of the coach. Under the coach we go. Me with flashlight in hand. NO CAN SEE ONE SPOT. Grrr… this is getting to be too much stress.
Screw it, we’re going to drive it on in to the next big city. Into CAT we go. A really sweet, nice man brings his laptop and plugs it into the spot on the rear of the coach’s engine. 250 codes are reported. Humm, what can it be, I ask. The guys states “Possibly the fuel pump.” I scratch my head…. I look at him, then my husband, and then I say “Hey, it don’t take no rocket scientist to know that IF 2 QUARTS of oil is used in less than 200 miles, and it’s getting fuel or we wouldn’t be here, that it HAS TO BE SOMETHING inside that ENGINE for goodness sake. I walk away, frustrated.
I walk back. Let’s just go, it’s 6PM and I want to get down the road to the NEXT big town where we will be more apt to learn the REAL problem, and it isn’t no fuel injector pump, I’ll BET that!.
Grrr, sometimes the opposite sex can really make me crave a stiff shot of Whiskey!!!!
Onward we go. 7 miles down the road, I get flashed again and I lose power. RUT ROH… could those men be right, I think silently. Power returns, off we go. I am busy thinking, driving… I pull off into a rest area and I get on the phone. I call ahead to the repair shop I am hoping to arrive at on my own rolling wheels, not on the back of a tow truck. I alert them I am on my way. Have an exam room ready. It’s all set. Off I go. 3 Hours later, I pull in and park and out comes the slides, and to bed we go.
8AM, shop is knocking on the door. Exam room ready. We disembark RV and get in toad. It’s a really long day… now evening… now it’s 11:30PM and shop is closing and THEY STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO FLASH OR WHY, I USED THE 2 QUARTS OF OIL!!!! So, $660 in diagnosis charges later, I go to bed with 2 Tylenol and have a conversation with God. I am going 5th Wheel and Pickup shopping in the morning.
Morning comes, repair shop tech arrives to take RV back into exam room. 6 hours later, they walk to the toad and we roll down window. THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM!!!
We need 6 injection sensors. All leaking. $325.00 each plus $100 freight and they will be in on Monday, plus labor to install. Humm, Whoa, hold your reins buddy. I have the TOP of the line, EXTENDED warranty on that there coach. And, #2, it’s rather UNSUAL for ALL 6 to take a dump at the same time, dontcha think dude?
Truck repair shop goes dead silent. I stand there looking at everyone as they look back at me. I look at hubby, Mr. Mechanic Hubby at that. And, I remark, “Sorry, this blonde is fake, I do have some brains.” I walk away and get on phone, I call warranty place and tell them the story. Warranty place says “We will send out an investigator but can’t get there until Monday, and we will pay for your hotel expenses and food for the weekend. I ask if coach is okay to drive, can we go to campground. Sure you can, and we’ll cover the expenses. Okay deal. I hang up.
Return to the service desk, (now mind you all, I have been multitasking while on the phone with warrant company.) I was watching all shop employees look at me, and whisper… and watch me more…
I announce to shop/service personnel that a Warranty Inspector will be here on Monday, order the parts in, and we’ll go from there. I start to walk away, and one man says to dear hubby… she wears the pants, and I turned and replied… the skirt too and I drive that rig and I know when something don’t add up too. And I leave for the toad car to finish enjoying 94 degrees some more.
Now – that’s the story, and Monday we shall see what the rest of the story will turn out to be.
Way to kick tush when you’re handed “Only for the vapid, helpless,or female Repair Estimate” routine!Instead they met “Wise,strong and resolved”-they sure didn’t see that coming,now did they?
YES…. forgot the best part at the end of the day though…. the service writer guy comes to us and tells us that HIS tech said that there is at least 3 bad possibly 4 injectors and HE suggest we do them all so they are all equal. Now, I would not have gotten so damn bent out of shape HAD they told me the TRUTH from the get go. At any rate, I have a warranty that will cover the costs but still, I was pissed as hell at the way they presented and handled the situation and then try to back peddle… GRRRRRRRR
Quite an ordeal, Kay! What rig do you have? (Just so I can picture it in my mind)
Class A 40′ AND I maintain this beast VERY WELL too, I might add. So for this to happen has me a bit PO’d at the moment. Last April, it was dogging done on hills and the shop we stopped at and took two days to work us in, claimed it was a fuel filter. Changed that, and off we went. No problem. Put another 6K miles on rig and it was dogging done climbing a smaller pass, so we stop and hubby changed out the filter and off we went again. Now, I think it may have been the start of current problem. Not certain though. But, one thing is for sure. I am ever so thankful Hubby talked me into getting the extended warranty on the rig. He wanted me to do the same for toad and I rejected the idea. Needless to say, 3 weeks ago we rebuilt tranny in that darn thing. Chevy’s are GREAT but once they reach that 150K mark, it’s time to be ready for a large repair bill. I got 186K out of it first so I am feeling good about that. Plus, hubby has a buddy where we were who had a buddy and he rebuilt it for almost half. Got lucky there.
Did you get that gift card, Sue?
Yes, I got the gift card commission. Thanks a bunch, Kay!
I hate that you’ve had these repair problems. Thanks for answering my question.
You smelled liars and see through their cheap camo -Hang onto those senses,they’re serving you well.
What a nut job you’ve become!! Deny others the serenity of a campsite to fill your own sense of entitlement.
Oh My, No more following this nut job, you really have no idea what it’s like to want privacy now do you? Has it EVER occurred to you that some of US like to be ALONE and not be bothered by others camping on top of us? We’d rather not smell the foods, listen to the chattering, music or motors, and WE CERTAINLY DO NOT LIKE TO HAVE TO TELL OR SCOLD OUR ANIMALS TO BE QUIET WHEN THE ITS CLINGERS WHO ARE MAKING THEM BARK!!!!! So, have a good time with your ADD EXTRA time you will have now that you’re not following the Adventures of this blog…. ta ta!
Kay, I’m glad you’re on my side! Tell him, sister! (Thank you.)
Ashley National Forest consists of 1,382,346 acres (In case you can’t read numbers, that’s ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX ACRES.) Those acres are criss-crossed with a gazillion roads with many campsites on each one. And you think I’m denying someone their serenity because I don’t want them to park next to me? HILARIOUS!
Sounds like you’ve been crouched looking for something to pin on me. Jealous perhaps? Got no friends? Got no life? Got no sunshine?
Gosh, you’re not going to follow my blog any more. Waaahhhhh!!! Please don’t go…. My blog will die without YOU!
You forgot the part about “Hey, this is a huge forest. If campsites were scarce, I’d share (like I did with Al traveling by motorcycle), but there are numerous spur roads in this area with numerous sites.” And how could they enjoy “serenity” if they’re camped right beside someone else?
We normally camp in state parks or COE campgrounds and look for the site away from everyone else whenever possible. My pet peeve is folks bringing all the lights of home and the electronic noise to a state park. How can you sit around after dark enjoying the peace and fireflies if some less considerate person has Christmas lights strung all over the place and has their stereo blasting?
Excellent points, Reine! Thank you.
We are not fulltimers but even for our weekend camping trips we choose to go to a county park with no flush toilets or even a shower. We don’t have a working one in our camper either. I carry a porta potty for at night and the rest of the day I use the outhouse.
Why you ask when there are at least 4 other parks with amenities? Because we don’t want to deal with all the people and kids. We don’t have kids at home anymore and enjoy the quiet with a mostly retired crowd that goes to this park.
I would not hesitate to do what I could to discourage clingers with all that space for people to go. We like our privacy. Not that I consider myself an introvert, probably the opposite but I also like privacy.
Jolene,
I have a Sporty with no shower, so created my own. I went to Wally-M and got two long shower curtain liners in white, some white Velcro, and two spring bars ( curtain type), along with a collapsible basin I already had. Put curtain on bars, Velcro down the sides to overlap. Stick the ends in your choice of pan, along with your feet. You can then have a simple, quick shower for very little. I put mine between my cabinets in the Sporty’s aisle. Since I use biodegradable soap, there’s no problem dumping the pan out the back either. The shower sprayer attaches to my sink, so the whole thing is easy and cheap to assemble. Happy Trails!
Connie ( east central Colo.)
And leaving said lights on all night.
Hi Sue, I’m late to the party here, but I’ve been reading your story from the beginning. If it was a book, I wouldn’t be able to put it down. I’m sure I will have tons of questions when I am able to get my act together and take it on the road.
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it in any of the comments section, but have you considered having Bridget’s thyroid checked? It could be the explanation for her weight.
Anyway, I can’t believe I read through all these postings since Thursday. Fascinating!
Hi, Toni,
Welcome to my blog! I’m very glad you’re with us. Are you telling me you’ve read all my posts from the beginning and you started last Thursday? If that’s what you meant, WOW! I’m impressed and humbled.
Bridget has carried a lot of weight all her life. I haven’t had her to a vet recently, but all vets in the past attributed her weight to her body type and breed, saying it’s very easy for these dogs to put on weight and once it’s on, extremely difficult to take off. Both Spike and Bridget have fatty deposits (best I can describe them) scattered under the skin. At first I was concerned that they might be tumors, but the vet assured me that they are common in rat terriers and as long as they stay squishy (not hard), they aren’t anything to worry about.
Yes, ask questions! I’m happy to answer as best I can and your fellow readers are very helpful with information and support. Hope to hear from you again, Toni!
Has there been a sudden flaming wind frying the maps and brains of some that commented just above here?
Luckily most of us still see maps with an enormous country full of campsites that aren’t on top of someone else,and have minds clear enough to know that Sue’s heart and behavior towards others has repeatedly been shown to be above reproach.
Glad not to have been in the path of that wicked storm,I wish them both healing-preferably at a great distance from here.
gee,that flaming wind storm hit No more(we can only hope),Hannah and Deb at almost the same time!It’s like listening to a preteen pajama party being thrown in a rubber room.Maybe “let’s pretend were smart enough to lecture those we envy” is an experimental therapy game.
Thanks, weather.
I see a pattern. Soon after a post has 100 comments or more (all of those comments kind, sweet, fun, helpful, informative, considerate, polite), I start to receive snotty comments from people who have never commented before (I check the email addresses.).
This leads me to believe that the snotty comments come from those who are jealous of the popularity of my blog. The only time they surface is when they cannot contain their envy any longer.
Wow,you’re right.I just saw that one resurface-like pond scum does,how icky!Oh well,I guess soon enough they’ll go back to yelling at their dollies and chewing their arms like good little inmates before they fall asleep or unconscious… We’ve seen stranger winds than that one before 🙂
What a humorless trio! They blew through here like a bad smell. LOL!
Oh boy, how about we all pull up our loungers to the fire ring and enjoy some yummy popcorn as this show begins… :0
On a serious note. None of us are rude and hateful people. Those of us who prefer to be alone, generally find a camp site out of the way of others. We try our best to find spaces which really are room enough for only one rig/trailer.
However, sometimes we happen onto a spot that has over a million acres and we choose to camp on one tenth of one acre leaving the other 999,999 plus acres open for other people. BUT, some people are CO-DEEEE-PEND–ENT and CLING to others. After a while, this behavior wears those us who are looking and wanting privacy and peace out. We become frustrated. We get FED UP with crap.
Some people are down right crazy. Like the woman who wanted to USE MY INTERNET a couple months back. The nerve of that woman. Anyway, back to the topic…
If you can’t understand, camping close to or on top of another camper is RUDE and DISRESPECTFUL. Keep in mind, you don’t have a clue what that camper’s life is like. For all intense and purposes, that camper you’re about to set up next to could very well be a heart surgeon who happens to have a 3 day weekend and who happens to want to just be ALL ALONE in the wilderness and hear birds and nature rather than PEOPLE and TECHNOLOGY so he or she, can rejunivate themselves to go back to work and saves lives, maybe even your own!
So, before you or anyone else, decides to insert foot to open thy mouth… THINK and RESPECT other campers you see off by themselves.
Okay – stepping down from the tree stump now, you all enjoy the popcorn, I made it myself on the hot blacktop somewhere in the hot muggy central USA.
Unfortunately Kay, I think we’re “preaching to the choir.” My readers are an intelligent, considerate and kind bunch.
Except for these rude people — deb, Hannah, and the other dingbat — who spoke up because . . . THEY ARE CLINGERS! :
Have a good night, Kay. Tomorrow’s another day. 🙂
Your actions speak louder than your words. You took actions to ensure others could not enjoy the same splendor in the campsite that you took a liking to. Whether it’s one acre or a million, the bottom line is that you acted out of a self centered desire to dissuade others from considering the option of camping there. What is the next step…? Perhaps putting up a fence or big yellow caution tape to mark your territory. If you find that others using public lands near YOUR campsite a personal inconvienence perhaps you should buy a plot of land where you could control the use and access. Bitterness sufficent to cause you to take action is something you should get help with before you go too far.
Another clinger surfaces! Sorry, I don’t want you camping near me. (Peace loving? Is your comment peaceful?)
Correction… This isn’t “another” clinger. This is the same “nutjob” who started all this negativity!
BTW, I thought you weren’t going to follow my blog any more. Can’t stay away, sweetheart?
This calls for a blessing………..peace loving camper…why bless your little heart!
You love saying that! Haha!
Anyone that defends clingers..has never experienced a clinger…come on people, lighten up.
Personally, I have moved to another site when confronted by a clinging clinger, ugh. Sometimes I think they like a particular site, consider it theirs and deliberately attempt to run you off..snots…
The sign was a brilliant idea, I plan to use it myself!
Sue, what kind of inflatable kayak do you have? Thinking of buying one.
I have a Sevelor, two person inflatable “canoe.” I don’t recommend it.
Feel free to use the sign idea!
Oh Sue I meant to ask you…I was thinking of getting an inflatable since I was injured I dont think I could manage a regular one without help..why dont you recommend the one you have? Thanks Ill ask again later if you dont see this its probably buried in the pile..
(I replied under the next post.)
Those Allen’s are the ultimate party animals. Thanks for the warning ;). Guess I’ll go shoot off my M-80s elsewhere 😉
Funny, Marcia. 🙂
NEXT BLOG to FOLLOW:
CLINGERS…. co-dependent campers of the USA
Gee, I wonder if the Forest Service will close Ashley National Forest…put a “FULL” sign on all roads going into the forest, because that darn, selfish RVSue won’t let anyone camp next to her. LOL!
Reminder to self;
Never take mouth full of Ice Tea when reading RVSue Blog. Please pass the wipes….
I have to tell you, Sue. You are not the first to make such a sign in the Forest. We actually saw 5 signs in a half circle, and 2 or 3 signs on the main path way to that half circle. All directing the “Gilligans” to that half circle, and the circle signs were “Papa and Mimi” Uncle 1 and Uncle 2 and Aunt 1 and Cousin Joe.
Later, as I sitting out reading a BLOG, this 60ish couple is walking by and stopped to chat. I mentioned all their signs and said “did you get stood up this weekend”? And, they both looked at each other and laughed and said “No, it’s the only way to avoid people parking close to us.”
We’ve even seen one couple use poles and bright lights about 50 feet around their rig to avoid closeness.
Truth is, I am sitting here looking around my area and I see someone across the way, it looks like they have some sort of portable makeshift privacy fence extended around their rig.
People do a lot of different things to try to keep a little private area to themselves for a few days.
The readers who think that is a terrible idea, are missing the point, or have a lack of understanding. They must be from the BIG City, or live in some kind of complex of grouped apartments, condos, townhomes, or homes that are a mere 7 feet apart or CLINGERS as you indicated.
Those of us from the farm, or rural areas tend to be more loners. We enjoy our space.
There’s a time to be camped close to others, it’s called RV PARK with services.
In all seriousness, other people do it to!
I know they do. That’s where I got the idea. Only the ones I saw were for real, I think.
You’re probably right about these people not understanding the situation. It seemed like they think I’m in a designated camping spot, like site #12 in a campground or RV park and I don’t want anyone in site #13. It’d be like complaining about someone taking your parking space at the mall when the parking lot is nearly empty!
Gosh, this is my HOME. I live here on this little piece of public land. Sure I have to move every 14 days, but while I’m here, this is my home. How many people want strangers parking in front of their house?
Oh well, it’s fun sounding off at trolls for a while but then the smell gets bad. 🙂
Sue, Add this to you’re arsenal of remedies!!
Peppermint Oil stops BEES in their tracks! Just read that on a blog. HI-HO Silver, off to Wally World in the morning for spray bottle!
Good morning Sue,
Among the things I’d really never expected to experience-the happy blessing of being glad it’s Monday morning!Peace is more noticeable in so many ways when the hubbub of holiday celebrations fades away.Hope you’re enjoying your coffee as much as I am, now that distractions have receded enough to make it easy to focus on nice things again. 🙂
Good morning, weather,
I’m drinking my first cup of coffee as I type this. How very nice to start the day with a friendly note!
Most of the noise-makers have left and the hills are quiet again. One can hear the silence. I think the birds and chipmunks are listening to it, too, as they’re unusually quiet this morning.
I’ve thought the same thing about being happy for Monday to arrive after years of dreading it, and feeling the reverse about holidays. Time is no longer measured by numbers on a clock, but by light through the windows and by shadows on the ground.
Together we celebrate the morning and honor the day!
sigh,what beautiful phrasing- by light through the windows and by shadows on the ground… your whole reply makes me happy
Living now in an area that is also business…lots of apts above businesses here…we had way more loud noise makers this weekend…as you say, so nice to wake up to a peaceful, quieter morning!! I was thinking that the clinger types also inhabit towns, cities too…they are those that have no concept of how others might feel. Or even how they would feel if we were on their doorstep being LOUD!! We have a dingbat who lets their car alarm go off EVERY SINGLE NIGHT just prior to midnight!! We stay up late…but it is enough to cause a headache, echoing on the bldg. walls, as it does. They are everywhere it seems!! So do you have a destination in mind for your next stop yet, Sue? Hope the weather there is still cool enough!!
Hi, Elizabeth,
No matter where you live or how you live, there will be good things about it and some not-so-good things. I have a general idea where we are going next. See the next post . . . Have a day of peace and joy, dear lady.
Good morning Sue,
Isn’t this morning beautiful? You’re celebrating the silence in exceptional surroundings. I’m celebrating quietness too although I’m still in my rental apartment. All I can hear is a quail right outside of my window. My neighbor is not around so I don’t have to listen to annoying sounds. What a delightful morning to be able to enjoy serenity, contemplate and look at the red rocks of the monument glowing in the morning sun. Yesterday I went on my 11-mile hike and I did not see one person. What a joy! I feel sad for those who are not able to respect my need for privacy or your need to enjoy your life the way you want and not the way someone else think you should live. Tranquility of nature can be only fully appreciated in quietness of these special moment some of us are seeking.
Hi, R. (Western Colorado),
I’m glad you are enjoying your morning with a lovely view. Eleven miles of nature without seeing one person? How wonderful!
Isn’t that just special! Poor baby! Somebody’s Grapenuts didn’t set well. I suspect both of your malcontents are one person. Probably the forth child of a mommy who could only spread love to three. Oh well, so he, she, it is unhappy? TOUGH! Carry on Sue with your efforts to enjoy your camps without the annoyingly dependent “clingers”. Maybe one day they will figure it out.
Hi, Jim,
Whether the clingers figure it out or not, I’ll do my best to find sanctuary from their noise and nonsense. My photos reflect who I am… Not many people in them! Keep your powder dry in the monsoon rains… Thanks for the support against the nasties.
Oh my, this is why I love this blog. Exciting travel, beautiful vistas, lovely little doggy nutcakes to entertain me and healthy conversation over matters that are important to me. Yes, My name is Cactipete and I am an anti-clinger. We traveled in a converted 1953 Greyhound bus and we always had clingers and people who ‘just had to see’ the inside. Some were at our door even before we fininshed parking it!
Thank you Sue for keeping me ‘on the road’ while I am off.
Hi, Cactipete! What a nice surprise to meet you here this morning. I’m glad you’re with us and loving my blog. I never tire of hearing that!
I bet you made a lot of great memories with the bus. It’s my pleasure to keep your wheels rolling in cyberspace. I hope you’ll drop in again . . .
Hi Sue
Thank you for the warm welcome. I’ve been reading your blog since you purchased the BLT and have noted many of your ideas for my future ‘road’ life. That even includes considering that I just might need more than a cat for company…since I enjoy your little guys so much.
As long as the cat approves, you’re good to go, Cactipete!
Gee, it’s been nice talking with you. Stop by again, okay?
I honestly cannot believe the hostile groupie attitude that you people have! If my opinion doesn’t match yours or Sue’s then I am jumped on, called names, and thoroughly disrespected.
I am a single, 60+ woman; I have a quaint home in the country that I love but I like to explore and camp too. I’ve never felt crowded by others. I take an interest in other beings on their journey that is called life. Many stories and adventures have been shared back and forth with complete strangers, and I would be the lesser for it if I MADE them stay away.
My point is that we have to be kind to our fellow man. How can any of you disagree with that?
Sue, you admit that you are parked on ‘PUBLIC’ land but then call it ‘YOUR HOME’. Public means that it’s for everyone to enjoy. If you need space, then you could ask people politely to give it to you. Or you do have the option to move.
Please do not call me names. I only share a different view.
Hannah,
I think it was maybe more the way that people expressed it about Sue. Many of us have grown quite fond of her and we felt that she was being attacked.
For me personally even though I like people, am an extrovert of sorts and can talk to anyone, I still like my privacy when I camp. I don’t feel what she did was wrong. There was a whole forest and she was there first. It would be one thing if there was no where else for those people to go, but there was.
Having went back and read Sue’s blog from the beginning now, I have seen just how caring of a person Sue is. She is the kind of person I would feel blessed to call my friend. So it is not that she did anything that would prohibit these people from camping, she just kept her privacy as much as she could for her and actually for the safety of her dogs during this busy time.
You have your view but I still feel you are not looking at the whole picture of just how big this area is and how much room there was. More than enough for everyone to have plenty of room and not be on top of each other.
Well said, Jolene.
I would also add that both the US Forest service and BLM have an official term for the type of camping Sue is doing: it’s called “dispersed camping”. I think this is telling. Dispersed means “distributed or spread over a wide area”. This is how the government is expecting the land to be used by the public – campers spread over a wide area. And, frankly, this is how I, as a visitor, am expecting it to be used.
By the way, dispersing also seems to be a good environmental practice as it distributes rather than concentrates some of the impacts of human habitation, allowing the land to heal from the impacts more quickly.
There’s a place for folks who want to be nestled all together – namely campgrounds.
When newcomer comes right up next to someone already at a dispersed campsite when there is ample space just down the road, that suggests to me that the newcomer would have been happier in a traditional campground. Choosing to impose the notion of bunched-up camping on a dispersed-camping neighbor, who was hoping to take advantage of the benefits of solitude and quiet is, in my opinion insensitive and discourteous.
Tee Hee,I know you meant “Well said, Jolene”. Don’t worry, if Sue checks this page,she’ll probably edit the typos and duplicates we all post by mistake. 🙂
Hannah, you start this comment by calling a bunch of strangers names: “hostile” and “groupie”? Your original post was also thinly veiled name-calling. You strongly implied that Sue was UN-kind, DIS-honest and UN-friendly. You basically called her selfish.
Do you truly believe that it is better to “ask people politely” to move away? It seems to me that the signage ruse helps avoid even that minor conflict. It also seems to me that you would have called Sue the same names if she had chosen to politely ask someone to give her space.
It’s fine to have a different view. You just might want to tone down the holier-than-thou attitude. There, now I’ve gone and started name-calling.
Thank you very much, Thor ‘n Drew.
Hannah,
I will try to help you understand. From what you have written I’m guessing you have never lived full-time in an RV for any extended period of time. I use the term “camping” but I’m not really camping, as you do. I LIVE on the road. Not only that, I boondock full-time which is a very different experience and perspective than someone who goes camping and exploring and then returns to their house and property.
It’s easy to be congenial and sociable when camping. If one is an introvert like myself, it is painful to be congenial and sociable all the time, month after month, year after year. I need to be alone. I need seclusion and privacy. My home needs to be my sanctuary. I cannot be a camper every day of my life.
That’s why it’s important to understand the distinction between “going camping” and “living in the forest and desert.” Do you want strangers sitting on your front lawn, playing music, being noisy, keeping the lights on all night, etc.? Of course, not. Yet you criticize me for not opening up my front yard (and yes, it is mine temporarily) to any yahoo who comes along.
There is a safety issue as well. I’ve seen people hang garbage in plastic bags from tree limbs while camped in bear country. As if a bear cannot be drawn to trash in a plastic bag and as if the bear cannot climb a tree to get at it. That’s just one example of why I don’t want people camping next to me when I’m parked in the forest. Other reasons include having to chase down the crew when they get nosy and go over to the other camper. Having to keep them quiet when they bark. Having to endure the looks of neighbors whenever I step out my door. On and on . . .
Yes this is MY HOME. I respect it, I care for it, I live on it, and I paid taxes for many years which qualifies me, in addition to my U.S. citizenship, to be a bona fide member of THE PUBLIC. If this is not my home, than where is my home, Hannah? I don’t have a structure to go back to in order to get away from the world like you do.
Why should I have to be bothered with asking people to politely give me my space? They have no business crowding me in the first place! Try to imagine what boondocking is. It’s not a social event. It is parking your rig in a private place… in this case the forest. What business does anyone have coming anywhere near my trailer without being invited?
No one was hurt by me putting a sign out by the road. If anything, a lot of good resulted. Look at the comments above. People laughed, stress was relieved, entertainment enjoyed, pleasant interactions shared. My readers UNDERSTAND. Maybe you need to step back a little, learn a little, consider our perspectives, and maybe you will understand also. Quite frankly, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not a fulltime boondocker, Hannah.
You, as well as two others, injected hostility. You could have taken the time to understand the situation and to get to know me better, before sounding off in such an offensive manner.
This is a blog where people with like interests visit and share. It is exceptional because a community of caring individuals has developed. We laugh and cry together. We help each other. We learn from our mistakes and share our boo-boos. We help other people whom I meet on the road and share here. Are you aware of the generous giving and love extended to my friend, the homeless vet I met on the road?
No one feels like they’ll be criticized or called names . . .
Unless they behave as you did. You were not “kind to our fellow man” the way my readers are. They keep their mouths shut rather than attack another reader or me. They appreciate the work I’ve put into this blog and the personal attention I give to each of them. You and your comments don’t fit. Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s the truth and that’s why I lost patience with you and the other snotty commenters (one I deleted).
THIS IS NOT A FORUM. There are innumerable places on the net where you can criticize and be judgmental and “share a different view.” They are dismal places where very little humor surfaces. We’re friends here, and friends treat each other with respect. Until you change your attitude, you don’t fit here.
This is all the time I’m going to spend trying to help you understand another way of life. If you ever change the tone of my comments section again, from happy and friendly to critical and judgmental, I’ll block you from it forever. And don’t you dare to call my readers “hostile” or any other negative label ever again.
This being “one page back” by now,I’ve decided to treat it as though we had a moment away from the crowd.This morning as I meandered about,taking care of critters and what not,talking to God,sipping more coffee,half planning errands and daydreaming,something really significant struck me.My initial reaction was that ,over time,I would consider it more.However,the insistent promptings of the One I follow got me to think it through.
If you had no interest in RVs,if you were allergic to animals,couldn’t write or operate a camera…and I’d met you -at 8 yrs.old or any time between then and now,I would have hung out with you sometimes to talk,or just sit nearby.
Life’s relationships are usually formed because of being related by blood,proximity,marriage,work,need or commonality of interests and such.It’s beyond rare to encounter someone that you would just choose-not because of either one’s needs or actions- but simply because of who they are.I know this must be odd to read from a stranger on the web,but because it’s such a singular event for me,I wanted you to know-I would actually choose to know and befriend you,Sue.
Not wanting to look back regretting missed opportunities, I’ve always had the habit of expressing myself candidly.Please don’t feel that you need to respond to this.That isn’t the point of my writing it,I only want you to know.Now I’ll resume the “normal” behavior one expects on a blog. 🙂
Dear weather,
Your message — “I would actually choose to know and befriend you, Sue” has brought tears to my eyes. How blessed I am to have this connection with you.
Hey, there’s no “normal” behavior on this blog because it’s not a “normal” blog! 🙂
Good news from a faraway land gladdens the heart…we’ve both received that Proverb’s promise in this connection
Well said, Jolene.
I would also add that both the US Forest service and BLM have an official term for the type of camping Sue is doing: it’s called “dispersed camping”. I think this is telling. Dispersed means “distributed or spread over a wide area”. This is how the government is expecting the land to be used by the public – campers spread over a wide area. And, frankly, this is how I, as a visitor, am expecting it to be used.
By the way, dispersing is also seems to be a good environmental practice as it distributes rather than concentrates some of the impacts of human habitation, allowing the land to heal from the impacts more quickly.
There’s a place for folks who want to be nestled all together – namely campgrounds.
When newcomer comes right up next to someone already at a dispersed campsite when there is ample space just down the road, that suggests to me that the newcomer would have been happier in a traditional campground. Choosing to impose the notion of bunched-up camping on a dispersed-camping neighbor, who was hoping to take advantage of the benefits of solitude and quiet is, in my opinion is insensitive and discourteous.
Not to usurp your message to Jolene. . . I have to tell you, Michael… “Very well said and thank you.”
Thank you Sue! As it would turn out, I made a little boo boo. It wasn’t weather that I was complimenting…I goofed up, it was Jolene/Iowa. Of course, I have no way to fix that now. 🙂 It’s no biggie, but if you have the time and inclination, feel free to edit my post (if that is even possible).
I fixed it! I can understand you mixing up names as you’re relatively new here and it’s a pretty dynamic place.
I appreciate your well-reasoned comment. I tend to get too passionate and “all fired up” whenever the precious, positive tone of my blog is threatened. Not very Zen of me. 🙂
I am not one to typically sit back and not say something when I feel something is wrong. I love this blog and you and the crew. The attacks were uncalled for and I just had to voice my opinion on it. I hope we don’t see this type of behavior again anytime soon on here. This is your life Sue and your blog. Live on and live it the way you want to! You have earned it!
Thank you, Jolene. I am so very glad you are a part of my blog. You have added sensitivity and kindness to an already happy place.
And thank you for your patient reply to Hannah. Your patience took over when mine ran out.
It’s always touching when someone stands up to defend a friend.
lol ok so I have not had a chance to read all the comments, but wow what a wonderful idea, sneaky but still wonderful. I to have been camping with my tent trailer with the kids, yes in camp grounds, first one in sturgeon falls Ontario was nice right on the water although site was very very small, had to hand push tent trailer.. oh well.. the view was well worth it.. not a lot of free camping in Ontario, the gov’t wants its money.. lol.. Sue you are an amazing woman, and if I live long enough my dream is to follow through what you have accomplished. I love it… we didn’t not get a chance to celebrate july 1st horrible weather hail thunder rain, but we set the fire crackers off on july 4th for my family in the states and because I love full time rving.. and you guys know how to live… thanks again .. just me from Ontario, trying to survive… until retirement 🙂
Hi, Patsy,
Nice to hear from you again… I’m glad you have the chance to get out with the kids and your tent trailer. “trying to survive … until retirement” –Oh, I remember that well. Good luck!
Hi Sue,
It appears we have much the same outlook, lol. I’ll remember your party idea–great one! Is that a Sporty you are driving? Wanted to suggest that you come visit my area in Colorado. The town is Westcliffe, and it has one of the most beautiful lines of peaks anywhere ( most 14K and over! It’s one of the few high mountain ranching valleys left anywhere, and quite unique. I’ll try to figure how to send pics later.
Connie
Hi Sue!
I’m catching up after being on the road with very spotty reception the past few weeks. AT&T phone and Verizon Mifi with Wilson antenna and still no service….that alone will deter clingers haha!
I love what you said “boondocking is not a social event”. During the trip we were considering getting a cheap “decoy” tent :))
Back home for now….going thru wilderness withdrawal already! On the road is where we belong.
Thanks for the laughs and the spirit of your blog.
You’re welcome, Frenchie. Good to have you back with us!
As much as I love “getting away from it all,” I do miss internet when it’s not available. . . and those are some of the best places. I agree — “On the road is where we belong.”
Absolutely! I never stopped believing it, even when our black tank holding strap came loose on the 101 highway. The tank dragged enough to be scratched and leaking….enough said haha! The adventures are not always green, but it is indeed an adventure:)
Oh my gosh! It’s funny now, but I’m sure it wasn’t at the time.
Gee, too bad your comment isn’t under the most recent post where readers will see it. Dragging a black tank… That’s quite an event!
I just posted under the butterflies, that just wouldn’t be right to recount the black tank event under such beauty 🙂
Here’s what happened: someone waves us and gestures on the highway that there is a problem in the back. We had not heard a thing! (our current set up is a Lance truck camper on a F350 Diesel=really loud!-both 20yrs old so I am not faulting Lance AT ALL)
So…one of the straps had come loose, and the tank was dragging on its right side (opposite the loo).
Cars are zooming by, my boyfriend is under the camper, trying to reattach the tank so at least it doesn’t drag on our way to a better repair spot. The scraped side is leaking, not profusely yet but definite nastiness dripping. My boyfriend carries bunch of tools and emergency things in the truck. If I was ever tempted to object, I definitely know now not to! He got a strap out of one of his magic bags, pushed the tank back up and off we go. We were able to drive like that to a small auto repair shop I spotted off the highway, where the mechanic graciously loaned us a transmission jack and a couple fancy tools. My boyfriend replaces the tank the way it is supposed to be fitting (something with aligning the holes and pipes), and by the end, the tank is leaking profusely. Picture me ripping duck tape pieces as fast as I can and handing them to my boyfriend. So now, we have the dump the tank, clean it, let it dry and repair the leak. I opened the benchmark and the closest camp with a dump station is the KOA in Cloverdale OR, 13 miles away. It was late so we bit the bullet and stayed there- the antithesis of boondocking! But it served a purpose. LAUNDRY for everything that came close to the blackness! Tank was dumped and prepped, and my awesome boyfriend fixed the leak with epoxy. This happened June 27th, and everything held up (with use) until our return July 13th. My BF wants to design and attach a better strap, since we do drive on very bumpy roads at times. Bumps in the road, as you described in a recent post…that’s all they are! We were still smiling, happy to be traveling, happy to be together.
Oops. We were Oregon bound but Cloverdale is in CA. And it’s DUCT tape lol!
Quite a story, Frenchie. Again, I’m so sorry it’s buried here!
Your boyfriend is a handy guy to have around. Now you two have a great story to tell for many years to come. I love your ending…”happy to be together” (even when the sh*t flies!)
Yes I am blessed to have him in my life for that and many other reasons. Haha yes we had fun with the sh*t jokes too! Time for me to go to bed for my first shift back at the hospital tomorrow. Woooiiinnnn!
I haven’t laughed this hard since our own ugh ” Shit” experience. Hubby decided to fill the water tank, but had the hose connected to the wrong spot and he failed to turn off other things. Worse yet, he walked away and left it a while!!! Result: overflowing sinks, toilets, everything! We’d have been swimming in it if inside. Believe me, it took forever to clean up that mess. But you definitely have us beat with your story. Yeeks!!!!
Connie
Szybki montaż – gotowe do bezpośredniego montażu w kleju pod płytkami
Komfort cieplej podłogi w łazienkach, kuchniach
Wyjątkowa odporność na uszkodzenia mechaniczne – wzmocniona konstrukcja kabla grzejnego
Szybkie rozgrzewanie podłogi – duża moc 150 W/m2 oraz gęsto ułożony kabel grzejny na
macie.
Wyjątkowa żywotność – rdzeń grzejny wielodrutowy
Zdrowy – dwużyłowa konstrukcja niweluje promieniowanie elektromagnetyczne
Łatwy montaż – jednostronnie zasilane oraz samoprzylepna mata
Wyjątkowa odporność termiczna – 80°C dzięki teflonowej
izolacji żył grzejnych
Bezpieczne – kabel grzejny ekranowany w 100% folią aluminiowąOpis
Warm Mata służy do komfortowego ogrzewania wykończonych płytkami podłóg, w takich
pomieszczeniach jak łazienki i kuchnie. Wyjątkowe zalety Warm
Maty czynią ten produkt wyróżniającmy się na rynku.
Matę montujemy w trakcie układania płytek ceramicznych podłogowych, podczas budowy lub remontu.
Ze względu na minimalną grubość maty grzejnej jej montaż nie
wpływa na zmianę konstrukcji i ostateczną wysokość podłogi.
Zasady doboru
Warm Maty są oferowane w bardzo dużym zakresie powierzchni od 1 do
14m2, co znacznie ułatwia dobór do każdej wielkości pomieszczenia.
Oferowane maty grzewcze są zawsze szerokości 50 cm natomiast o różnej długości.
Dobór maty grzewczej jest bardzo prosty np. dla łazienki
– wyliczamy powierzchnię podłogi, po której będziemy
chodzić. Od powierzchni całkowitej łazienki odejmujemy pow.
wanny, brodzika, pow. zabudowy i do tej wyliczonej powierzchni dobieramy powierzchnię Warm Maty.
Uwaga! Maty grzewczej nie można skracać ani zmniejszać jej
powierzchni. Należy mieć pewność, że dobrana powierzchnia maty grzewczej
zmieści się w wolnej, wyliczonej powierzchni podłogi.
Konstrukcja
Warm Mata jest to siatka z włókna szklanego o szerokości 50 cm, do której przymocowany
jest na stałe taśmami w równych odstępach kabel grzejny.
Maty grzewcze różnią się długościami, przez co oferowane są w różnych powierzchniach, umożliwiając ich
dobór do każdego pomieszczenia. Mata grzewcza jest nawinięta na rolkę i zaczyna się przewodem
zimnym – zasilającym, który doprowadzamy do puszki i termostatu.
Koniec maty grzejnej jest zakończony mufą końcową i może znajdować się w dowolnym
miejscu na podłodze po jej rozłożeniu. Warm Mata, która jest jednostronnie
zasilana bardzo ułatwia montaż. Dodatkowo dla ułatwienia montażu mata jest samoprzylepna.
Kabel grzejny Warm Maty jest dwużyłowej konstrukcji. Każda żyła grzejna jest skrętką
kilku drucików oporowych w izolacji teflonowej.
Jest to dużo lepsze i trwalsze rozwiązanie niż pojedynczy drut grzejny.
Całość jest ekranowana w 100% folią aluminiową oraz otoczona izolacją zewnętrzną zapewniając
najwyższą ochronę i bezpieczeństwo.