Wednesday, September 26
It’s cloudy today at Lower Gray Canyon Campground, Green River, Utah. The crew and I walk over to Swasey’s Beach.
“No one is here! It’s all ours!”
Reggie, Roger and I walk the length of the beach.
Of course, the beach boys have to engage in a few tussles in the sand. Previously I posted the photos (below) of our afternoon on the beach.
Roger is curious about the river.
He’s curious about everything! Reggie is the cautious one.
After a few more tussles in the sand, Reggie and Roger check that everything between them is copascetic.
As the afternoon progresses, the sky darkens.
“There comes a point, guys, when we have to accept our summer is over.”
After supper I pack up the outdoor room.
It’s windy. The blue mat fights me as I work to fold it up.
Cold weather is coming. We’ll leave early tomorrow. Go east on the interstate, then south through Moab, Monticello, Bluff, Kayenta . . . . .
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
Thursday, September 27
Rain drumming on the roof. I wake and glance at the clock.
Four-thirty. Uh-oh. What’s this scratchiness in my throat?
I get up, turn on the light, make myself a glass of Emergen-C
Around seven-thirty Reggie wakes us.
Oh no, still a scratchy throat and I’m feeling muscle aches coming on . . . .
Our home is chilly. I peer out the window. Wind and rain and a stormy sky.
“Looks like we aren’t going anywhere today.”
A solo RVer needs to listen to her body, pick up the first signs of sickness. There’s no one else to take over. If I had a travel partner I’d say, “You’ll have to do all the driving today” and there’d be someone to pump gas, set up camp, walk the crew, shop, cook, etc.
A solo traveler must take good care of herself!
More Emergen-C, lemon and ginger tea, chicken noodle soup, lots of time in bed.
Reg and Rog seem to understand and accept that we can only go for a short, slow walk this morning. They work off their energy by romping on the bed while I try to hold the Paperwhite still against all their jostling.
In mid-afternoon we have a visitor.
I’m feeling a little better. I hear a man’s voice outside our door.
“Hello! Hello!”
It’s the guy I met yesterday when he arrived with his camper. I’m still in my bed clothes (man’s thermal shirt and sweat pants) but go outside anyway, looking like hell. I immediately explain that I haven’t been feeling well.
It’s not raining and there’s some sunshine.
We talk for quite a while.
Have you ever met a complete stranger and you skip all the preliminary chatter, sharing stuff you don’t even tell close friends or family?
This man needs to talk. He tells me he is married, father to grown children, and grandfather to a slew of kids under the age of six.
“I love my grandchildren. They all live close by and they’re over to the house a lot. I’d like to travel, do other things, but my wife likes being at home with the family and with the stuff. You know, holidays are big. She has these huge boxes of holiday stuff.”
I mostly listen.
Who am I to give advice? I do feel sorry for couples who have very different views on how to live the last decades of their lives.
“I’m retired,” he adds. “I feel it’s time to do other things, travel, the two of us. My wife still works. She doesn’t like our camper.”
Friday, September 28
At first light I can tell it’s going to be a beautiful day!
My throat feels fine and no muscle aches!
I’m finishing a cup of coffee as I look at my Utah Benchmark atlas.
“You know, guys? I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go toward Moab. I’m thinking Salina. I love that stretch of interstate between Green River and Salina. I’ll order a new Wave 3 heater and have it sent to the UPS hub there. Maybe we’ll see some pretty fall foliage. That would be nice. And with a little luck we’ll have the heater and be able to leave before it gets really cold.”
rvsue
THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AMAZON FROM MY BLOG!
The links below go to products recently purchased at Amazon by readers of this blog.
If you enter Amazon by one of these links, any item you order sends a commission for RVSue and her canine crew.
Scanner
Elk Antler Dog Chews
Personal Folding Table
Minnetonka Men’s Slipper
Buddha’s Herbs Fruit Tea Sampler
Columbia Women’s Long Sleeve Shirt
First?!
Dang, and I just looked for a new post…congrats Dawn, from Millie in NC!!
Congrats to you too Millie! Second place wooohooo!!!!! I was lucky and happened to be sitting at my computer. Isn’t it nice that the NC weather is finally cooling down?
Yes, it is so beautiful today…60 in Raleigh!! Woot!! Sitting here planning my retirement home in the mountains of NC…a few years away…but at least I’m in the single digits!
Sue, so glad you were feeling better the next day. I’ve always wondered how one manages being sick on the road. I guess if you’re able, staying put is the best thing. DH and I were on a trip to FL two years ago and I came down with the flu the night before we were to leave…we couldn’t delay, we had jobs to get back to, so he had to break camp and drive all the way home to FL by himself. I had the shakes and chills and everything, spoiled me on camping for awhile…but we’ve gotten back on the road this year and I’m so happy to put that bad memory behind me.
Happy trails to you and the crew!!
What a great beach!
Sue, I LOVE the pictures of R&R! I am also glad that you listened to your body and got well quickly. I hope that you were able to get your heater in time for winter this year. Sometimes, being in the south, as you well know, we skip some seasons and go straight for others. I forget that being out West you will have a true fall and true winter.
I am so excited to see another post. I just love to see where we are next. Good a new heater will keep Sue warm and she won’t get sick. The boys are so cute and I love their energy. Next get the solar whatever fixed too. Then we will be already for another year of travel. Happy travels, Sue. Be safe.
Take good care of yourself…being sick is no fun!
Furkids know when one doesn’t feel well. Stay warm and get plenty of rest!
Can’t believe I’m one of the first five! Now I can read the post. I watch for a new every day.
Glad you rested and took care of yourself…the camp photos are pretty, love the Boys on the sand but today my favorites are the rock formations…do love geology.
Take Care
Good idea, I need to put chicken noodle soup and emergen-c on my shopping list. I am waiting at a Mexican restaurant to get some tortilla soup. The name of the restaurant is Ted’s, I ask myself when was the last time I met a Mexican named Ted?
Phyllis in Oklahoma
Hi Sue: I’m just catching up after being gone camping for almost a week. We had glorious fall weather on the beach and the dogs had miles and miles of sand to run on. Watching dogs race in circles on a big stretch of deserted beach is about the best entertainment I know of! Sorry I missed your birthday while we were gone, but it sounds like you had fun with all your melon madness, and then cake and ice cream. Just loved Pauline’s comment about you being born a “few” years ago! Your Utah photos have been beautiful!!
Great to have you back, Cynthia! Sounds like you and the dogs had a wonderful time. 🙂
I’m glad the listening was listening to your body. When I first started reading I was afraid you were hearing the sounds of a flash flood or rising water which would NOT have been good. Glad you got better and have a new plan.
Good to hear you are doing better. When you’re alone it can be scary too. Take care and travel safely. Good thing my hubby and me think alike, especially when it comes to camping. That’s our main way to relax and vacation so we bought a little popup trailer to two behind our Jeep to places we can’t get our fifth wheel into. Remote FS CG’s here we come! (in the spring).
Glad you took that down day and that it paid off. Yes, those long shadows make it sure seem that summer is over, but you and the crew will follow that sun to your winter home in the desert. Take care. Looking forward to your next camp, and hoping you got to glimpse some fall foliage along the way.
Emergency C is the best thing if you take it right away! Glad you had some tucked away!
Great photographs! I agree with Deena, I love the rock photos! Chuck likes the horses, I like the rocks! Grin. 😀
Hi Sue- Could you say a bit more about how the Wave 3 heater works for you? I’m in the process (I hope!) of purchasing a Casita (a dream come true!), and this one doesn’t have a heater. I think I can make that work for me just fine, but I want to know what you use instead. I’d appreciate reading your thoughts about the Wave 3.
I have the Wave 3 and LOVE IT!! In fact I am parked at friends’ house right now with electric hookup and I used my little electric heater the first night and was miserable. Too hot, then too cold, and too noisy…..love love love the Wave 3.
Thanks for your input, Janis! My Casita will have the heat strip, so I’ll have that when I’m hooked up, but if boondocking is in my future, I want to know I can have heat. So, you think the Wave 3 can easily replace the Casita’s built-in propane heater?
Sue did not even get the heater in her Casita when she bought it. She had the Wave 3 put in later. It has worked well for her. She has been in some cold situations thru the years and the Wave 3 has been good as far as we blog readers can tell from her writings.
Thank you! Please help me understand–Does the Wave 3 have to be “put in”? Can it be more of a portable item that can be stored somewhere and used as needed? I hope this is not considered hijacking the post– I am so curious to hear from informed folks– is there a better way to do this?
There is a better way… Go to Amazon. Search for Olympian Wave 3 heater. Read the detailed description.. Scroll down and read questions people have asked and the answers. Further down you will see a comparison chart of other heaters of this type. The customer reviews are informative, too. Also accessories like leg stands (so the heater is free-standing) and the necessary connections are pictured. Good luck!
Yes the Wave heaters can be portable, just install a Quick Connect on the propane line and buy the legs. I have a very hairy little dog and didn’t want her to explode into a ball of fire if she brushed against it, so I didn’t want the heater that close to the floor. I jerry-rigged some blocks on the back and attached over-cabinet-door hooks so it hangs about 30′ of the floor.
Mndreamer… I’m not aware that the Casita has a “built-in propane heater.” As an option one can have a furnace which requires electric hook-up.
Huh? We have the furnace in our Liberty and it works great without 110 electric hook-up.
Hi, Gloria…. Just keep an eye on your battery’s charge. 🙂 My main reasons for not wanting the furnace were the noise and the space it takes up.
Do you have a generator?
I will not have a furnace in my Casita Liberty, so I’m looking for alernatives.
Mndreamer… I’m not aware that the Casita has a “built-in propane heater.” As an option one can have a furnace which requires electric hook-up.
If you order a Wave catalytic heater, the Wave 3 is good for small trailers like the BLT. Anything larger a Wave 6 (See the info at Amazon page).
The Wave 3 is sufficient for the BLT because I avoid camping where daytime temps go into the 30s.
We thought of the Wave heater for boondocking in colder weather in our fifth wheel, but opted in stead for a Heater Buddy, the large one and it heats our 380 sq feet of FW. We have a smaller Heater Buddy and will use that for our new to us small popup trailer.
Thank you, Sue. I should have referred to it as a furnace and not a heater. Mine will have the heat strip, which requires an electric hook-up, but not the propane furnace, and I think a Waave 3 would be perfect. Does it have to be “installed” or can it be used as a portable– bring it out as needed and put away when not in use. My Casita will be a Liberty, and I first began to consider this layout when I read about you having it. Thanks for your help with that—I think it will be perfect for me 🙂
Forgot to tell you that I’m glad you are recovered from that bug!
Thank you. 🙂
Hi Sue. Hope you are in good health and enjoying the fall. My grandsons Luke & Nick have started to enjoy your blog with me. I tell them that is what I want to do. They are all for it. Can’t wait for your next post.
Hi, Luke! Hi, Nick! 🙂
I think it always benefits a person to slow down and listen to what their body is telling them. Even if there were two people I’d say that if one is sick they should try to stay put. No fun being a passenger either if you’re feeling poorly.
Glad you feel better, glad the crew is understanding, and glad you’ve got a plan! Looking forward to seeing where we all end up! Love that white mountain shot, the one with the river in the shot too!
Hi Sue,
Glad you took care of yourself and fought off that bug! I do alot of hiking alone, and have learned to listen very carefully to my body, and to watch and listen very closely to my surroundings. When you’re solo, as you point out, you must be very careful to avoid getting sick or hurt as far as humanly possible. Thanks for the pictures of the trees in the wind. I love trees!! Are they cottonwood, and maybe aspen?
Hi, Nancy… The trees are cottonwood. No aspens.
Aspens like elevation of 5,000 feet or more. Green River is approximately 4,000 feet.
Get out, Sue!!! Really. The smooth white barked trees are aspens. Your photo depicts both cottonwoods and aspens. My lot at 4300 is covered in aspens. I know aspens, girl! Enjoy.
Yes, you may know aspens. However, I do believe the photos make the trees look like aspens but in real life they aren’t. I wish I could walk outside to take a close-up of leaves, etc. 🙂
And yes, you can have aspens below 5,000 feet when conditions are right but it’s not typical.
Do a search for “smooth bark on young cottonwood trees” and see the images that come up.
Hello! I haven’t written for several months but read everything! Last time (last fall) I was telling everyone how excited I was to be a first time Grandma but then my precious little Sofia died at 38 weeks. All of you Blogorinos, Sue too, of course, were so kind and offered me such kinds notes. Well, I’m going to be a Grandma again, due in March and not sure if it’s a little girl or boy! I’m very excited, but still have a part of my heart and love that will always miss Sofia Dawn. Sue, I felt like you this past week-end! I went to Canon City, Colorado, to visit my kiddos and we went up into the mountains and it was breathtakingly beautiful! We stopped at a camp site to hike a little bit and was a little upset at the dirt bikes, etc. that kept popping up! I understand your desire for peace, quiet and solitude. Every state has it’s own beauty and I hope to see more as I get older. Thanks, Sue, for sharing your travels, we all enjoy them!
So happy for you and the parents.
Oh Kay, so sorry about Sophia Dawn. But also glad about the new arrival. Hugs to everyone.
Hi, Kay…. Wonderful news about the coming grandchild! 🙂
Yeah, dirt bikes. “Hey, honey. I know what we’ll get the kids for Christmas! Dirt bikes! Then we can get rid of them while they go annoy other people who are trying to enjoy the outdoors!”
Beautiful pictures! I love the way you frame the rock formations with the trees! As usual R&R are the cutest!
I am also very fortunate that my husband and I have the same ideas for retirement, a combination of traveling and staying home!
Hey NC folks! We are having some awesome fall weather!
I’m glad you listened to yourself. It is so important to do so. One day of rest is better than being laid flat out for more days if you don’t listen. Glad the boys let you rest, well except for playing on the bed. Safe travels.
Sue, you are so right. Listen to you gut, throat, hair standing up on the back of your neck!
So very happy you are feeling better. Our fur babies are counting on us and they read us so well. They are amazingly perceptive.
Safe travels…
Carlene and Corky…
Carlene, you are in one of my favorite places! Are there many cranes and geese there yet?
You all please be careful with the heaters and be extra diligent when hooking them up. We sure don’t want you to end up like Tioga George and get burned!! I think he had some connections that were leaking and he didn’t have a butane/propane warning device.
Don in Okla.
That was a close call for George.
Good reminder, Don. Thank you!
Sue- glad that you are feeling better. It is so true that we have to listen to our bodies.
Sometimes, I don’t pay attention and pay later. Paying is no fun, so now I listen more.
I love the photos!
My new pup is going through the chewing stage and I am a busy girl. She is so sweet, but I am still teaching her some manners. We’ll get there.
Have a great evening and rest!
Hi Sue, I am glad you are feeling better. They say Elderberry tea is good for illnesses as well. Are you a flu shot person? I usually don’t get one but am going to be out among people more this winter and to also protect Rick, I am going to get one soon. How many of you blogorino’s get the flu shot, pneumonia shot etc. as you are getting older?
Hi Jolene,
I get the flu shot every year, am due for the second pneumonia shot and have had the shot for shingles. At 69, I will take all the help that I can get, especially since I am flying this February. Take care.
I get them both beacause I seem to get sick easily, however I’m not that sure they help.
I am 66 and I do not get a flu shot. I am still working and have never had the flu.
We have a,friend who is pharmacist and he recommended getting all the shots you can! With all the new immigrants, most have never had a vaccination and they are bringing in all kinds of diseases that we haven’t seen here in years! Everything from polio, to measles and mumps, and mutated forms of the flu and many more diseases we thought were past history ! I trust what Steve says and we are getting our shots this year!
When I was a teacher the school system pushed flu shots. Now that I’m away from the public most of the time, I don’t get them.
I get the flu shot, not just for myself, but mostly for the benefit of others with degraded immune systems. Many people needlessly die every year from the flu, and sadly this number could be reduced substantially if more people got the shots as it takes meeting a certain percentage threshold to protect the human herd as a whole.
I get my flu shot every year. I’ve had the shingles shot, got shingles anyway. I also had the pneumonia shot. I live in Chandler, AZ., we get lots of snow birds here, and some of them are sick when they get here. So self preservation for me.
Sue, you were very nice to listen to the gentleman who differs with his spouse on how to spend retirement even though you felt bad and “looked like hell”.
Just returned from camping in the North Carolina mountains where the air was crisp and the colors were awesome. Hope you get to see some color wherever you are.
Stay well.
I noticed the Wave 3 is at a really good price right now on Amazon….I thought “I need to tell RV Sue about this!” So glad the Emergen C worked for you…I swear by Zicam. It has gotten rid of many many potential colds, as long as I take it at the first sign of scratchy throat or stuffy nose.
Wow! What a beautiful place. It’s in my travel book with notes that Sue loves it.
Beautiful
That is just such a lovely camp with the river, sand, and rock formations.
Glad you didn’t get really sick. A cold has been going around. I had it.
Hope the Wave3 came in and you all are toasty warm.
Great post! I just felt moved to comment this time on the beautiful photos!! I could FEEL the chill!!
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned to you yet, but I finally got a trailer!!! It’s a big one! I ended up with a 20’ toy-hauler. Plenty of room for setting up an art studio for inspiration on the road! I’m very excited!! It’s currently in storage right now bc I’m not quite ready to fix it up yet. Nor am I ready to leave yet. Too many loose ends…… BIG loose ends!
But, now I know what floor plan I’m working with. This is a HUGE milestone for me!
Again, I just loved this post and I look forward to the flexibility of the lifestyle.
Always look forward to your pososts!! Thanks,
Lauri
Congratulations on getting your trailer! That’s a huge step. Huh…a toy hauler to use as an art studio. Funny, I was looking at used trailers on line and thought, ‘toy hauler, don’t need that, don’t have any toys.’ And then I was scrolling through the pictures and thought…hey, that would make a great storage area…and now I can see that it would also make a great studio! Good job thinking outside the box (or, I suppose INSIDE the box! LOL)
I’m so happy for you, Lauri. It’s exciting to have made that important decision about what rig to buy and then to actually take possession. Dreams becoming reality… Wow!
Hi, Sue. I am sure glad you have a get well kit along. I completely understand being alone and having to fend off the virus monsters.
I so empathize with the frustrated guy whose partner is not buying into an apparently important dream of his. If he were a blogorino, he may have been inspired to get on with his dream a long time ago. I don’t condone couples separating to follow an individual dream, and I don’t condone one partner with a “tin ear” to the other’s deep wishes. Compromises are what it’s all about. He will find a way. Perhaps you were the inspiration angel in his path that day.
BoyOhBoy, I know about loose ends!! Ha! One of them is my hubby…JUST Kidding!!
Sue, your writing and pix are so good…love the read. And yes, I have added your list of remedies to my groc. list too. We are getting ready to leave for the Appalachians for 2 weeks. Can’t wait to get out of town! And back into my old hiking boots! And away from the loose end we call “The House”!
What a nice way to end the first summer you three spent together- having the beach all to yourselves. A shape in the trees on the right side of the last photo looks like a figure waving good bye.
Gee, I’m sorry you had a cold rainy day spent feeling aches and fending off illness . I’m glad what you did to take care of yourself worked. A benefit to having conversations with a complete stranger is being able to talk through a problem without hurting anyone’s feelings. By mostly listening to that guy you let your throat heal and helped him. It’s great that you felt better the next day, he probably did, too.
It will be so good to have a heater in the BLT again, just thinking about it makes me sigh with relief and smile. I can imagine how pleased you’ll be! Sending wishes for you to have a wonderful day… 🙂
Hi, weather… If it weren’t for the scratchy throat, the crew and I would’ve left for a new camp and the conversation with the man wouldn’t have occurred.
Happy Birthday, Denise!
Uh Denise and Gracie pup Denise? Weather how do you remember these dates?
You seriously remember everything!
Well Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoyed your day.
Yes, it is me! Thank you, Cindy! 🙂
Thanks, weather.
Happy Birthday, Denise! I wish you and Gracie pup a wonderful year of good health and happiness.
Thank you, Sue! 🙂
Adding my late wishes and hope YOUR day was a fine one, Denise!
Thank you, Elizabeth! 🙂
Thank you so much, weather! 🙂
Sure he wasn’t hitting on you? Heh heh! 😁 Naw, I am sure he was just venting! It is sad when couples don’t agree on plans. My hubby is getting close to retirement and I think we know what we will be doing! Can’t decide whether to ditch the house and land, though! I love the photos! I am a big rock person and I also love the desert. Hope you get the Wave 3 in time and ya’ll stay toasty.
Glad you kicked the bug before it got you down. Definitely important to know when to stay put and just heal.
Wonderful catch of the towering white monument in the light!
Hi, Sue,
I am glad that you are feeling better! 🙂
I hope you and your boys have a peaceful, restful night. I am looking forward to seeing frost tomorrow morning. It is supposed to drop into the low 30’s tonight. I am ready for Fall temps to stick around! Bring on the sweater weather! Sending you, Reggie, and Roger love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! 🙂
Thank you, Denise. We did sleep well which is why I’m typing this early in the morning. I hope you got a good night’s rest, too.
I enjoyed reading about your pork BBQ sandwiches that were a great success. You are a marvelous cook — I can tell by the meals you prepare. 🙂
Enjoy your frosty morning. Give Gracie pup some warm sweater hugs from me and the boys. 🙂
🙂
Good morning from Boise! Still traveling, living my dream. Just had that scratchy throat thing..yuk!!! I am still reading your posts but on my cell phone, which makes it hard to comment with little tiny keyboard…22 degrees on Saturday on Wells Nevada on the way to Boise..snow along highway..36 degrees this morning at daughters house.. but Sun is out and is comfortable…we will be traveling into Oregon in a few weeks ..stay well..luckily. I have a partner who can back me up when I was sick..but traveling in a class A is a little more comfortable thank goodness. I will be following your blog as usual..hug the pups..oh by the way I have a new pup..now six months old..Parker..cutest pup ever..hugs to yours..TTFN.
Hi, Shirlene! Glad that you are “living your dream!” Safe an healthy travel wishes! 🙂
Congratulations on your new pup! 🙂
Good morning, Shirlene!
I’ve wondered about you, hoping you were well and happy, and living your dream. So good to hear from you. I always enjoy travel updates. Thank you. 🙂
You got a pup! Congratulations! I wish many years and many miles of love and companionship. Hugs…
As always I’ve been enjoying your photos. Are you starting to feel like you’ve seen all of the west? I just finished week 3 on my fall road trip. We are in the SD Badlands today. It is hot. I don’t know how you stood this past summer. I am not a fan of hot weather. We have had some frosty mornings but for the most part, beautiful days.
I finally decided to get a jetpack from Verizon. It has been so nice to be able to stay in contact with family and friends. I don’t need the data when I’m home, but it is certainly worth it on the road. I can even stay caught up on your blog!
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been to SD. I truly think the prairie is home for me. My heart feels so full when I’m here. I like the southwest too, but the prairie is the best for me.
Hi, Pat aka Prairie Girl 🙂 ,
Do I feel like I’ve seen all the West? No, not at all! Remember how I leave a place wanting more? I could trace our miles from 2011 and enjoy it all over again. Plus there are many places we haven’t experienced.
It’s nice to have the jetpack… especially if it rains and you’re indoors a lot, if you want to go shopping online or download a book for an ereader, and, like you say, read blogs and keep in touch via emails.