Monday, June 27
West of Piedra Road, Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Today is moving day!
The crew and I leave Trail Ridge Camp this morning. We travel to a new camp where we will stay through the 4th of July weekend. I’m hopeful it will turn out to be a quiet camp away from the crazies. Unfortunately I won’t have internet signal.
“Goodbye, Trail Ridge Camp! It’s been a wonderful two weeks!”
I don’t know if I can go an entire week without coming here to be with you!
Maybe I’ll find a place where I can drive, park, and go online. In my absence, please welcome any new people who appear in comments, encourage those who need kind words, answer any questions, and enjoy the company of fellow blogorinos.
I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday!
rvsue
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Happy Trails, Sue!
Congratulations on being first Laura.
Thanks. 🙂 I didn’t want to claim being first in case someone came in before I actually posted.
I read Sue’s blog faithfully, but rarely comment. Still working full-time takes its toll, and I just don’t have time to respond to everything.
This community is quite remarkable, though! The caring and support is wonderful. I’m glad I can be a part of it, even if it’s only in a small way.
Hugs!
Well, I read after checking! And you got credit for my phone!!! YIPPEEEEE. I Try to remember!
I hope that you find Internet. But most of all I hope for peace and quiet and safe travels. My PTSD is acting up dreadfully currently and am hoping a change of scenery will help. Camping with friends and seeing boatloads of folks filling up the days.
Sue, and Crew… Thank you more than you will ever know, for a slice of simple quiet living… Your page is precious to me.
Hugs from Hoquiam
Barb
Lovely post, Barb. Wishing YOU some peace as well…N
Looks like you are second Barb. Having friends who understand when your PTSD acts up really helps. It has taken a while to open up and admit I have that to my friends but they all say it explains a lot about me. Now most of them try to help keep the triggers away. The 4th can be bad. Hoping that you find a peaceful weekend with friends, Barb.
My heart goes out to you Barb. My GF struggles with PTSD so I know first hand how hard life can be at times. Just know that you have people who care about you that you have never met.
My heart is with you Barb
Barb, Hope you find some peace and quiet with your friends. Friendship and nature can go a long way during a rough patch.
Hey Barb, struggling with PTSD can’t be easy. I am praying you soon find peace again. Take care and enjoy your camping trip with friends.
I think of you often Barb 🙂 So sorry to hear that your PTSD is not so good at this point. 🙁 I hope you have a great time with all your family and friends. You deserve a little TLC. xxoo
Dang. Almost made it! Loving all this beautiful scenery.
be safe !! Happy 4th of July !
Glad you found a new boondock, have a safe 43th of July.
Love the picture of the wild roses growing on the trees. Have a quiet 4th weekend.
Me too, I can almost smell the roses.
And the pine trees, what a combination Rover.
Wow, good morning. Early post!
Enjoy the 4th!
Happy camping! Hope your 4th is quiet. We were in the area you are in now several years ago. Loved it. Beautiful and restful.
Good morning Crew and Sue
What a beautiful day for traveling. Happy trails .
Have a great 4th of July weekend,Sue and All you Bloggeroo’s, ????????????
Happy 4th of July Rusty~n~Piper! Stay safe and cool!
Thank you Barbara and back atcha,,, we are camped just off Skyline Drive, North, ’bout 8,655 elv. ,PAGE 60 in Benchmark, Utah, South of Johnson Ridge Lookout 3 miles away, ,,,,, well the new meds that I have now is doing their job, the swelling is way down and the redness of the infection is disappearing, , maybe we can get going after the 4th of July and get back to our Road Tripping, YAY,,,,,, Piper says hi too, ,,,,,,, Rusty
😉
Sooo happy to hear that you are doing better!! You gave us all quite the scare yesterday. I hope things continue to improve…
Well at this time, 6:27pm the red infection is now just a round the 2 scabs and no side effects, it’s healing and whole faster than the other meds did, I am just itching and using Hydrocortisone to slow that down, have a great week and a Happy 4th of July weekend, ,,,,,, Rusty not Piper
Rusty and Piper 🙂
I am so happy the new meds are doing their job! You have a wonderful 4th of July, too. I will pray you guys are back on the road soon.
Good to hear!
??????
Happy 4th to you Rusty. I hope you are feeling much better by now. Enjoy the day!
Thanks Kristena, may you have a great week and 4th of July also,,,,, yes my leg is healing really good, ,we just came back from a short walk, just to get the blood moving, now my leg is elevated to keep the healing process, ,,,, have a great day, ,,, Rusty n Piper, ,, 🙂
Hi, Rusty, I’ve kept you in prayer more than usual since June 21st when you mentioned going to the hospital for your leg. I’m glad you are doing better now and taking good care of yourself and Piper. I hope you have a nice campsite to enjoy looking at while you put your feet up and relax for a while.
Happy Independence Day to all the blogorinos here!
I hope you have a quiet and peaceful 4th of July! We will all miss your postings
but will have something to look forward to when you return!
Safe travels. Looking fwd to ur nxt posts and pics of digs. We’re in Custer St Pk, SD. Did Mt Rushmore and now a hike somewhere.
Sue, one thing we fund difficult sometimes is finding RV dumps nearby when we’re boondocking. How do u find them? kW
Hi, Ken, Sue isn’t where she has internet so won’t be able to answer questions for a while. She usually drives through towns and tries to dump tanks there before moving to boondocks for the reason you mention. Asking locals where they are helps.Or one can use web sites like rv dump sites .net ,put your location in their search box and they list the closest places.
Hi Ken…when I was on the road I went to a website (can’t remember the name) and it told me where I could go to dump and how much it would cost or if it was free.
Happy Moving Day! Your first photo is breathtaking! I couldn’t stop staring at it. I hope you find another gorgeous spot that is as peaceful as the last one. Happy 4th of July, Sue and Crew!
Hi Sue and Crew! I have recently discovered your blog – I love your blog and life style. I posted this on an older post of yours and a kind person suggested I post it here to get more people to see it. I am now retired, have the travel trailer and my two old dogs and am ready to try boondocking. Haven’t screwed up the courage to sell my house but I am seriously thinking of it. My problem is taking that first step. I just keep thinking I’m going to strike out and not be able to find a place to camp. I know once I get started it will be easier and I will get more adventurous but do you have any advice on taking that first step? My longest trip was three weeks, I loved every minute of it but I stayed in campgrounds – that gets expensive and wasn’t exactly peaceful. I live in beautiful North Idaho so I should be able to find a place to get started!
Thank you for being so generous with your blog. I look forward to your new posts!
Hi AnotherSue,
I can’t give you any personal experiences finding boondocking sites (they’re pretty scarce in the southeast), but you should be able to find them out west w/ all the federally owned land. Sue talks a bit about how she does it in this post:
http://rvsueandcrew.net/a-lesson-in-finding-a-boondock/
Cheers,
Steve
Thank you Steve. That did help. I just need to do it!
You’re not very far from Dixie National Forest in Utah. It has tons of dispersed camping. I’d guess it’s busy n loud this time of year as they also have tons of 4×4 trails. I’ve been there in the fall though and it was lovely!
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72DTUE8TAwjQL8h2VAQAMtzFUw!!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=stelprdb5137037&navid=110130000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&ss=110407&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detailfull&pname=Dixie%20National%20Forest%20-%20Dispersed%20Camping
Ok so that doesn’t look right ? First time I’ve ever tried to send a link
The URL is too long. You could go to
http://www.tinyurl.com
and turn a long link into a short link. 🙂
Thx. I’ll check that out.
Hi again, Another Sue, I’m glad you re-posted here and are getting suggestions. I’ll toss in a few ideas for you to consider.
At the top right of this page are 2 things you may find helpful.1) Other recent posts are listed, click on Boondock at Trail Ridge to see a photo of how Sue used her Benchmark atlas to find the camp she left today.
2)Use the Amazon link an to get an Idaho Atlas, then study it to become familiar with how to use it.
One needn’t take the plunge to boondock far from home if smaller steps are easier. There are national parks and forests in your area. Perhaps driving to the closest one to look around and see places you would be comfortable boondocking in first would help. Knowing where I’m heading and being familiar with the roads first sometimes works best for me.
All of you folks are great! Thanks so much.
Hi Another Sue,
I am in the east and have had good much with national Parks and public lands. If you qualify for an access pass you camp for half price. Also check out the army corp of engineers. Good luck.
I know that Sue has visited Idaho a couple of times. Just looking back she was in Idaho in April of 2015 at Salmon Reservoir. I think she also went back through there when the fires and smoke drove her out of Washington last summer. You might get some good suggestions for camp spots in Idaho by searching RVSue and Idaho, or going back through some of her older posts.
Thanks for the hint Linda, it was fun reading. I’m packing the camper and heading out! Someplace where the dogs can swim and stay cool!
Sue, I love that photo “west of Peidra road”, gorgeous…my kind of scenery. Have a wonderful (quiet, unless you’re laughing) Fourth!
I’m so excited–Amy and I took the first step to Casita ownership (finances), will be placing our order soon!
Wow, that’s great news, Steve! If you mention Sue and her blog as inspiration to want a Casita when you place your order for it they will send her $ as a referral appreciation . I hope you and Amy enjoy great rving times 🙂
Congratulations!
You are on your way!! Congratulations!!
After seeing you decide against yesterday’s boondock because of lack of connection, I was wondering if you were now deciding connection was too vital to do without!
I guess not!
Have a splendid time, and I hope you do find a way to pop up for a brief visit in the meantime!
Happy 4th to you, RV Sue and crew! And to all the Blogerino’s as well!
Terri
A week? ?
Have a safe 4th.
Don’t werrwe, Sue’ll be Bach, Cindy and Jules, ,,,, hey,, have a great 4th of July weekend you too, ,,,,
Happy 4 th holiday! May you have a quiet and safe holiday.
Happy July 4 to all. Have a safe holiday !
Happy 4th. Of July to you and the Crew!!!
What a pretty boondocks, you know how to pick them. My crew and I are waiting for a shower, of rain, on a deck and awning. Cloud cover and high humidity have altered my plans today, oh well. Have a great, safe, quiet fourth.
Be well, be safe and take care of one another, if it’s a week, we’ll sure miss ya….
Hi, Jim, one of your stories to read while Sue’s gone sure would be nice. No pressure , mind you, if you’re not in the mood, just sayin’- we all really enjoy whatever you write. I hope you and Detta are well and staying cool 🙂
Ok….I did and it’s below Weather. You asked for it so you take the blame. 🙂 Jim
Blame?!! Credit is more like it, thanks!
🙂
Have a wonderful and peaceful holiday weekend! I’m headed out for a camping trip myself in the morning, but it wouldn’t be lonely in the state park I’m staying at, that’s for sure!
Hi Dawn, Happy 4th of July to you n your’s
Oh yeah, my new email address is ladypiper15@gmail.come, ,,,,;-)
ladypiper15@gmail.com dang fill in keyboard, 🙂
Your blog is an inspiration!
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Beautiful and inspirational pictures Sue!
We are staying home, but working on downsizing! We are going to move into a much small house in preparation for retirement. This blog really inspired us to start thinking about how we can travel with our camper once we retire! Step one – unload years of stuff we no longer need!
I am praying you have a quiet, peaceful 4th RVSue. Happy 4th to everyone.
Have a happy and quiet week. I wish we, and especially our dog Zoe, could avoid the noise. It is good to take some time off and recharge. If you do not want to keep the same page up for a week, perhaps you could program some greatest hits posts to automatically post while away, or a page with links to some of your favorites to keep us busy and envious.
Hi Sue, I hope that you find an awesome camping spot! Things are quiet in NC. I am looking forward to getting a break over July 4th. I will be going to the Festival for the Eno, in Durham. It is an event to raise money to buy land around the Eno River down to the ocean. There will be bands, arts and crafts and (my favorite) food trucks! Hopefully it won’t be too hot. It’s a really fun event. Hope you are having fun wherever you are.
Hi everyone,
I am thinking of all of us who have and love our pets on this noisy holiday. I have had good effect with using something called Rescue Remedy. It’s a natural antianxiety tincture for animals and really helps dogs chill out with fireworks nearby. Just like a thunder shirt, it has the best effect if used before anxiety is high. It is also approved for human use, ;-). Just be careful with doses and small animals. I have used it with my dog , 75+lb, and my cat, @ 8 – 10 lb, and found a part of one drop to have the desired effect for my cat. Happy 4th everyone. We are chilling in NH, waiting for paint to dry.
Weather has asked me to bore you with one of my little tales. So blame her, not moi. This a little walk down memory lane about our last three little animal family members.
Let me start that I have been owned by dogs and cats all my life. I am an animal lover. Hell, give me a long day with a gopher or lizard and I would love ‘em. That’s me. I have always been in love with the animals of our world. Mom and Dad were that way too. I grew up with pets.
I spoil my pets. I protect them. That is why I at my age do not have any pets now. I have the ashes of my last babies, Annie, Christopher and Grey . I would like to tell you about them. My first of the trio was Annie. She was an adorable little girl and she was so special. Our daughter, loved animals too. She had picked up Annie as a very young homeless kitty. Soon thereafter our daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. While hospitalized she asked if I would care for Annie. Of course, I agreed.
For awhile our daughter did better and went home. She called me and asked if I wanted to return Annie (from little orphan Annie) to her. I told her no in no uncertain terms. She laughed and said “I knew you would love her!” Annie was my baby. Our daughter fought hard, went through all the chemo, the radiation but we lost her. Back to Annie. If I laid down to sleep, Annie was on my stomach, also sound asleep. If I picked her up and waded in a lake, she was on my shoulder perfect content that her “daddy” would protect her. I once had a two story home I was painting, my wife, Detta, shouted up to me on my ladder that Annie was on her way up. That little cat climbed the rungs in that ladder one rung at a time and soon was by my side on a one story garage roof where I was painting the second story on another ladder. Annie traveled to more states and more miles than many do in their entire lives. She was a great little passenger. We loved her dearly. She died from liver cancer. Broke our hearts. I used to see her in my mind, almost as though she was there.
Christopher came along next. Our next door neighbor who was an elderly widow, she had a daughter who was a lawyer. She had found a little stray black and white kitty. She took it home to my neighbor. My neighbor came over to show him off. She went home, Christopher stayed. My neighbor said she left him because she said she knew of no one who would take better care of him. He was a sweet little guy. Always calm. Years later he had a massive stroke and died in my arms.
Then there was Grey. Grey was a stray who my across the street neighbor had been feeding. This was in South Dakota. Shortly after I first saw him winter had hit. My neighbors were wonderful people but like lots of others didn’t realize that a little cat cannot deal outside during a blizzard. I spotted him during a huge blizzard in 1996. I want watched him trying to find shelter. I couldn’t stand it. I went over and picked him up, brought him to our house and made him a bed in the garage and put a heat lamp above his nest. He was absolutely exhausted and after some food went sound asleep. The next two days he stayed with us. Then I went to the neighbor and asked if I could have Grey. They said yes and he was ours. We only had Grey for a year and even though we took him to the vet and got his shots, he died because the vet said when he was on his own he got a spore that eventually killed him.
Now this probably looks, and reads like a sad little story of loss, but sandwiched in between the sadness, was so many wonderful memories of our little charges that made it all worthwhile. Now, with Detta and I not being real healthy and because we are old, we have no pets. In the case of Detta, the trip hazard of a pet makes it dangerous and in my case, I don’t want to strand a little pet if I can’t care for one.
This is a celebration of enduring love not a sad tale…
Well Written, Well enjoyed! Thanks for sharing.
Oh Jim, thank you so much! Your story is beautiful and full of your heart. I, too, see it as a celebration of enduring love. Annie, Christopher and Grey were as blessed by your taking them in as you were by having them to share the special time you had with each.
As usual, the way you write is so charming and detailed I was captivated while I read. I’m not surprised that you would love a gopher within a day and all the animals in this world. Your tenderness and loyalty for those you care about always comes through loud and clear on here, in short or longer comments.
Besides how much I enjoyed your wonderful tale about three fortunate furry creatures there’s another reason I’m glad you wrote it. I got to learn a bit more about the life of a guy I’ve admired and had great affection for since I found this blog. You made my day one more time 🙂
Thank you Weather, the feeling is mutual. No one is kinder or more helpful to our new folks than you….Jim
What a great story!
Do you remember our conversation a long time ago about having a cat?
We will be neighbors soon if you and Detta need a fur kid fix! Drive on over!
I remember. Welcome to Arizona.
Offer still stands
Heartwarming, thank you.
Thank you for sharing. I’m thankful for the days I’ve had with my pets too. The goodbye days are very sad but I wouldn’t trade the rest of the days for anything.
Thanks for sharing, AZ Jim. Growing up on a small farm in the TX Panhandle, my kittens & pups were my natural playmates. I never understood why the kittens would let me put my baby doll clothes on them but they would not stay in the baby doll carriage, always jumping out to run and hide under the nearest bush. But I sure lived playing with them.
Geez it’s been a couple of days since I’ve read the blog & I feel so far behind. Seems like a lot has taken place. Absolutely love the pictures. As always the scenery is breathtaking but Bridget & Reggie win my heart. Don’t know if I’m responding on the right one because I read 2 or 3 at the same time, but you really had me going there Sue, with Bridget rolling down the hill. I actually said out loud as I was reading, Oh No! Pretty funny? looks like we will be postponing our Michigan & New England trips for a bit. I had a stress test yesterday & it showed significant changes so I’m scheduled for a heart cath July 11th. My only reaction was “well phooey”, we were planning on leaving on the 5th. But a couple weeks delay will be ok. This will be my 5th so no biggie. I have total trust in my cardiologist. If any of you blogorinos are in the Indianapolis area & run into problems, Dr Parr is an amazing man. Happy times to all ?
Hang in there Nancy. I had several caths, stints and then a emergency helicopter ride to a triple Bi-pass. It has now been over 12 years and other than taking meds, no heart problems. It’s amazing what the docs can do now. Get past the issue and enjoy what lies beyond. 🙂
Thanks Jim. I’ve always been pretty fortunate, got a couple of stents but no open heart. I’m pretty confidant this will be the same. Really glad you’re doing ok with it. Your blog about your pets was so touching. Our little girl is 11 & diagnosed with a heart murmur. She’s doing great but she will be our last. I can’t go through losing another one, so I completely understand. We do have a kitty, so someday, hopefully a long long long time from now it will just be him traveling with us. As weather so wonderfully stated, thank you for sharing your story with us. I always look forward to hearing from you, as well as weather & gee I guess everyone. Sue has created a lovely spot. Thanks again….Nancy
🙂
Will keep you in thought and prayer for a speedy recovery.
As always, your photography of your beautiful surroundings soothe my soul. How I wish I could break away from this keyboard and join you out there in the boonies! 🙂 I hope you have found the peace and quiet you crave for this upcoming holiday weekend. I’ll be thinking of the three of you.
Happy 4th Sue and everyone! Be Safe!!
Wonderful story AZ Jim. You made me tear up!
Have a good 4th of July everyone. Brisket for us-yum!
Oh AZ Jim, I loved your story about all your kitties. It really brought tears to my eyes. Keep’em coming! 🙂
Mountains are great, except for that cell signal problem.
Trying to catch up on reading the blog between chorses. Love Colorado and your beautiful pictures make me want to go back there. We have a busy 4th planned working on the vintage Airstream just about done then we can finally enjoy it. Hummm maybe Colorado? Happy Fourth everyone and stay safe and remember those who sacrificed so we can be free.