Friday, June 21
The crew and I perform our usual morning rituals . . . coffee, check the blog, reply to comments, warm our bones on Dandelion Hill, breakfast, personal hygiene, another blog check, and so on . . .
“Okay, crew! Let’s go to Wal-Mart!”
Since last Monday Bridget, Spike, and I have been luxuriating in the privacy and isolation of our camp on Badger Mountain in central Utah. Like a bunch of hillbillies, we roll down the mountain. After seven or eight downward miles of washboard gravel and switchbacks, the San Pitch Mountains and Sanpete Valley come into view.
Gee, the town of Ephraim is bustling today! Banners inform me that some kind of pageant is going on this weekend. We follow the main street to the north end of town. There it is! Wal-Mart!
I implement my trash-dumping plan.
I don’t want to be too obvious throwing numerous bags of trash into the parking lot receptacles. I prefer discretion. I don’t want some snark to come around and throw a verbal missile at me. I can imagine . . . .
“Hey, ya’ too cheap to pay for trash pick-up?”
I park so the Perfect Tow Vehicle’s back doors are strategically located.
Nonchalantly I exit the PTV, go around to the back, pull out a couple of trash bags, and stuff them in. Then I open the side door for the crew to jump out. I walk them around a grassy area alongside the parking lot. Once they’re back in the PTV, I stroll to the back of the PTV, pull out a couple of trash bags, and stuff them in.
Later, when the shopping is done and the goods are packed into the passenger seat area, I waltz to the back of the PTV, pull out a couple of trash bags, and stuff them in.
“Time to go, guys! You were such good puppies!”
I fire up the PTV and on the way out, I stop, walk around to the back of the PTV, pull out the rest of the trash, and . . . Voila! No more trash!
Ephraim’s Wal-Mart is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Rejoice, oh miserly soul of mine! It’s been months since I’ve seen such good prices! Progresso soups at $1.50 which is half what I’ve been paying. I stock up with my favorites — Tuscany Chicken, Santa Fe Chicken, and Classic Garden Vegetable. Hey, let it never be said that this blog doesn’t provide its readers with what they need to know!
After loading up my cart with groceries, I cruise over to dry goods.
Golly, don’t you have anything better to do than read this drivel? Oh well, I do enjoy your company . . .
I know Wal-Mart’s non-grocery areas are a danger zone, since I haven’t done any “real” shopping in ages. I let myself splurge. I pick up two men’s tee-shirts (longer-lasting than the cheapo stuff pawned off on women), a cap, a pack of undies (no, not men’s), three dish towels, a bowl, and denta-stix for the crew. I know what you’re thinking — “THAT’s splurging?”
Funny how frugality works.
When you rarely buy unnecessary items, when you stay away from malls and department stores, when you don’t devote yourself to the acquisition of stuff, the simple act of choosing what color dish towels to buy is a surprisingly entertaining activity.
So that’s what I picked up at Wal-Mart.
Actually, that ain’t all I picked up. Around six o’clock in the evening I start to feel strange. I become aware of barely-perceptible body aches and weakness. Uh-oh.
I toss some Emergen – C powder into a bottle of water and drink up. I don’t have the energy to blog. By eight o’clock I’m in bed, not because I’m so sick, but because I believe in the restorative power of sleep. Okay, immune system. Show your stuff!
Saturday, June 22
I wake up around seven. Hmm . . . Eleven hours of good, solid sleep. Well, except for Spike’s middle-of-the-night potty run. Gee, I’m feeling okay. If I take it easy today, sit in the sun, read my kindle, write the blog, take a nap, fortify myself with good food, drink a lot, I just might beat this thing!
rvsue
A big THANK YOU for every purchase, large or small, made through my blog! Here’s a look at what readers have bought from Amazon.
Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker
High Capacity Propane Tankless Water Heater
Panasonic Lumix TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Zoom
Steve McQueen Collection: 4 Film Favorites
Cheddar Cheese Powder by Hoosier Hill Farm
Coghlan’s Camper Egg Carrier
Beautiful country! It’s nice when you turn the camera 90 degrees to show the magnitude of the mountains. Did the 3,435 feet of elevation change make you feel strange? That is quite a change in altitude in just a few miles. Love your Blog.
Yes, it is beautiful here, Mick. You can tell I’m still having fun with my camera!
The National Forest has informational signs posted in a few stops coming up the mountain. Here at the Bluebell turn-out the sign says the road “goes up 5,000 feet in just over 15 miles.” I guess that’s if you go all the way to the top.
My ears were a-popping on the way down the mountain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness
LOL, I was looking that up also, but you beat me to it.
Interesting about altitude sickness. The only symptom I had that’s on the list is weakness. It didn’t say anything about body aches so I still think I fought off the flu.
I have had some shortness of breath. I thought it might be my cholesterol, but it very well could be this altitude of almost 9,000 feet.
Hi Sue, When we were at the North Rim last year visiting Gaelyn, I had altitude sickness! I felt like I had an elephant sitting on my chest! As soon as we went down a couple of hundred feet… or thousand feet, I felt much better!
I remember that!
I don’t have altitude sickness. I’m quite sure.
Try Healthy Choice instead of Progressive. HC has less salt and more protein, more fiber and less sugar. It tastes really good too, especially when you are sick. Try taking Alpha-lipoic-acid it is an antioxidant that keeps you healthy. Take 200 mg a day. My wife has been using this for years and she hasn’t gotten sick yet. We buy our clothes at the Good Will especially on Senior Day when it is even cheaper. No underware or socks though. When we tire of our clothes or just wear them out we give our old ones to the homeless. They are so appreciative of what ever you can give. Wal-Mart use to be the least expensive store in town but their prices vary from area to area. So you need to shop around still.
I’m a longtime thrift store shopper. I do like new tee-shirts though.
This Wal-Mart has excellent prices. That’s why I bought a lot of groceries.
From the Ouachita Mountains. I wonder what it is about going to Wal-Mart or any other large store after not being around people for awhile. I always think about the Indians and the white man bringing their illnesses to them the first time they got around them. I use the bacteria wipes they provide but we live in a small town and rarely go around many people. So, most times a trip to Wal-Mart or Kroger will put me “down” for a few hours anyhow. I love where you are parked. It just seems so majestic. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Marg!
Majestic … a word that describes our camp location very well!
I, too, was reminded of the Indians becoming ill and dying from the diseases of European settlers.
What Mick said is interesting. Hopefully it’s just a little touch of altitude sickness. Usually catching a cold or flu from someone takes a few days for symptoms to show up but, ya never know. Glad you hit it with some emergence C and sleep.
I know what you mean about splurging on shopping. I’ve had to be VERY frugal for quite awhile now and I rejoice about being able to buy a skein of yarn with a coupon for 40 percent off. Whoo hoo!
I have to admit that sometimes it takes its toll on me but the majority of the time it makes me more grateful for what I CAN buy. It’s amazing what you don’t need when it comes right down to it. We tend to buy stuff to surround ourselves to make us feel better. I’ve learned that being out in the beautiful countryside makes me feel much better than anything I own. (Now if I could just get more serious about getting RID of stuff I already have! LOL)
It does seem the symptoms came on very shortly after exposure to civilization. I am very mindful of signals from my body. The slightest change and I take action, like go to bed. Boy, having this creek rushing by right outside the window is a great sleep aid.
I applaud your frugality, Donna, and hope you enjoy being creative with that yarn!
How is the cell signal up there?
I’ve got 3G . . . RSSI 50% with -91 dBm
It’s a very steady signal even though my air card shows only 2 bars. Have I told you lately I love my antenna? Well, I do!
Do you ever feel nervous about leaving the BLT behind? Just curious! Progresso soups…and all those other splurges, I always eat up your hints :O) Just read a post that Yellowstone and another National Park hit up over 200 people with gastrointestinal illness…so glad you stayed ahead of any sickness after venturing out amongst the masses. Less than a month…we finally get to start our adventure :O)
Oh, cozygirl… not even a month to go… Fantastic!
I don’t feel nervous about leaving the BLT behind. I did feel some separation anxiety yesterday. 🙂 I call it that because once I’ve left the BLT, well, I’ve left it. But because we went so far, winding down the mountain and all, I thought about it while shopping. Silly.
Do you mind telling us where your first adventure will be?
Up to SD to finish up the domicle since I finally have the right papers. Then back this way getting our feet wet, turn south for TN, GA and the Gulf Coast. Turn West for TX, NM and end up in AZ for winter. Then next Spring we can take in West. Of course all subject to change, but one thing for sure…we’ll taking it nice and SLOW.
Be sure to keep in touch with us!
Cozygirl, Chuck and I will be in the Gulf Coast area after Oct. We love Apalachicola! Maybe we can meet up ???
Would love a meet up in Apalachicola…we’ll be following along and check in when we get closer.
Wow, Sue , You did some shopping and dropping. I pray your ok, usually when I shop Up in Utah, I take 2 Capsules of Astragalus, 500 mg before going in town, most folks still have the flu, with such big families that live there, the flu sticks around. Sue, those shots of town below are great,,,,, Rusty n’ Timber
I’m doing great, Rusty! Wow, there are some BIG families here. I don’t know how people afford so many children, usually one year apart. They look well-nourished and happy.
I love Progresso soup, too! My favorites are ‘Chicken & Wild Rice’ and ‘Tomato Basil’. They are $1.88 at Walmart here. Sometimes I have coupons.
I bought some Chicken and Wild Rice, too.
My favorite is the plain chicken and rice. It is very low fat and it is what I eat when my stomach is acting up. I’ve been without an internet connection for most of the week and have enjoyed catching up this afternoon with your adventures and the news about Rusty and Timber. (Hi to Ms Mockturtle too)
Good to see you back, Connie.
You absolutely made laugh………….the photo of the PTV parked strategically near the trash can and you in nonchalant mode. From where the PTV is parked…I can only see one camera…but the PTV blocks the view.
Okay…how many folks went back to look at the picture? (It’s just above the solar panel…above the driver side….white thing on the roof.)
Tuscany chicken sounds good….I’ll have to try that. I love Progresso’s Clam Chowder and Chickarina. I also like Italian Wedding something…but I haven’t found a brand that taste good.
Altitude sickness? yikes. Did you remembered to wipe the cart down with the handy wipes? They are at the front door of the store…right where you pick up your cart. Whatever it was……..hope it is gone.
Glad you slept well.
Nope, I was so excited to be at Wal-Mart (LOL) that I forgot about the wipes!
I don’t think it’s gone yet. I notice the glands on both sides of my neck are tender. My immune system is trying hard to beat it!
I thought about employees looking at the camera monitors… “Look at that stupid woman. Who does she think she’s fooling?”
My bro-in-law teases me about Walmart…but I love that store! It’s the only store I can make a withdrawal of cash of $100 without a fee 🙂 While in Kentucky, my niece couldn’t find a bank to make a cash withdrawal…Kentucky had some sort of state bank that wouldn’t allow other bank’s transactions. Good old Walmart came in handy!! What a beautiful secluded camp you have. Love Spike’s soaks…been waiting all winter to see him soak & he is getting his share in. I still remember green-around-Spike from Salton Sea last year.
As you probably know, Wal-Mart is not loved by everyone — employee complaints and whatever. But I have to admire the distribution system that brings such a large variety and volume of goods to people all over the country. I’ve never found any old food on the shelves.
Back at my home in Georgia, I noticed the Tuscany Chicken soup was sold out. I mentioned it to a clerk, she tapped on her handheld computer, told me they’d have the soup in two days. I went back and there it was.
Another time I left my purse at work on a Friday. I had no groceries at home. I drove to Wal-Mart without a dime in my pocket and no plastic. The manager let me shop! I forget what arrangements were made. All I remember is the trust.
Ring around the terrier! Spike makes sure he has at least one soak every day.
Oh no! Rest up.
No worries about the cameras. They wouldn’t put the cans out there if they minded one bit. If ever questioned…a mere…oh this? Just other people’s litter I picked up along the road…how hard is it to put it in a trash can? Place bag in trash can ..see not hard at all….. smile!
Mother Earth thanks you!
You want to know another thing that isn’t hard to do? If one can pull down one’s britches and defecate in the woods, one can also put the toilet paper in a zip loc and take it away! Boy, does that ever spoil a walk in the woods . . .
Yuk! They are supposed to bury it! That’s disgusting.
You’d be even more disgusted if you knew how often I come across that. And one wonders why I like to be alone? LOL
No! Don’t bury toilet paper–animals will dig it up. Pack it out. All RVers should know about LNT.org. We need to keep the backcountry (and the frontcountry, too) pristine for those who come after us. Even dogpoop should be buried–wild animals exposed to it may not have resistance to the bacteria it contains — just like you exposure to people germs in civilization causes illness.
Oh you’re feeling better already!
🙂
CinandJules, I seem to remember LAPD? Your observation and perception says Detective? Long shot but did you ever meet a Carl Adams?
Did I arrest Carl? hah just kidding.
Not LAPD. Northern California
My old memory.
I did a year in Berkley, 1967; only crew cut in town.
mick, did you ever see the drug dealers lined up on telegraph ave? when you walked down the street they would say what they had. then again, they may not have done that with you because of your crew cut!
I was scared of Telegraph Avenue. I would have been labeled “Nark” although I was a Sailor attending school on Treasure Island. I lived on Sacramento, 2120 if my memory is any good.
you were smart to avoid that place, mick. i was a dumb kid with no clue what it was about~someone had to tell me what they were saying.
ah… the Republic of Berzerkley.
We were known as “the blue meanies” back in the 60’s.
My Grandmother (Mom’s side) was a Cherokee. She was a granddaughter of a Trail of Tears survivor. The reason I bring it up is her brother, my Great Uncle, used to call alcohol “tangle foot”. Well, (yes, I am finally getting to the point), I spent one night at around 9 thousand feet in the mountains of Utah and made the mistake of having a cocktail of Orange juice and Vodka (a screwdriver). I made a nice campfire and within a hour my “tangle foot” caught up with me and I fell into my campfire. I got out quickly and was uninjured except for some ruined clothes but……I did learn that at that altitude, things work differently. I think you had a touch of altitude sickness. Sue, I really appreciate you, your blog and the entrainment you bring into my life. Keep on truckin and I’ll keep riding along. BTW The highest peak in Utah is Kings Peak, it’s over 13 thousand feet….
I think I’d be better off with altitude sickness. I don’t know. I’m hanging in there. Took a doozy of a nap, the crew along with me.
I’ve heard about people getting drunk and falling into the campfire. Never knew anybody who did that until you, Joe. Tangle foot is a good name for it.
Who’s Joe, Sandy?
Haha! Sorry. I meant Jim.
The euphoria you feel entering a WalMart is a trip to Costco for us. It used to be my go-to store for the dog’s dental sticks but now Costco is only stocking their own brand and the dog turns up his snooty nose at the cheaper substitute.
I hope you missed the worst of being sick. I can’t bring myself to use those grocery cart wipes yet. I keep figuring I reached this age okay…
Euphoria Ha! I love it. I’ve heard about Costco for years and, do you know, I’ve never been inside one. I imagine it’s like Wal-Mart on steroids.
Costco sells everything……….the bad thing is you have to purchase food items in bulk. Bulk bulk like industrial size x how many. Great prices if you have a place to store them.
People don’t get out of there without spending some serious money….like $400 on the minimum for Jules and I.
There #1 selling item…………………is TP. Silly huh!
They do have the best hotdogs (Hebrew National) on the way out…$1.50 including a drink.
And unlike the Wal-Mart Corporation, COSTCO treats its employees like humans – pays them properly and provides benefits. What a concept!! If you have the choice of joining a Sam’s Club (Wal-Mart’s equivalent to COSTCO), to me it is better to join COSTCO.
When I lived in Southern California we always called Costco the “100 Dollar Store” because no one ever got out for less than $100. This was many years ago so I bet the amount has tripled.
We actually went to Costco and only bought one item – just over $26 with tax. I don’t think we’ve spent $400 on one trip, yet, but we used to be consistently over $100.
I don’t think we go to Costco as often or spend as much there since we changed our eating style 14 months ago, but we do like to buy our coffee beans there, as well as spices, and their dried hash browns.
you’ve got good survivor skills (like your ingenious trash routine)~we find a way to do things that have to be done! i’m pretty agoraphobic, so i do my walmart runs at 5 a.m. when not too many people are around.
I’ve done that before. Nobody but me and the staff. It’s like having your own, private Wal-Mart!
Sue, something hit the hubs and I while we were up in the Sierras…tummy trouble! Plus, I now have a full-blown cold! No, not from the kiddos at school, but from someone up in the Sierras! Last summer, the guy in front of me sneezed at Rite Aid and right then and there I knew I was a gonner…yup…sick for 3 days in the Sierras! I don’t know when or where I got this, but we did venture down to Vons for groceries a couple of times…
Take care. Emergen-C works, but I also take hot water with lemon and honey.
~~Cheryl Ann~~ (on the way home to 110 degrees!) It was usually 55-65 degrees during the day at June Lake!
I’m so sorry, Cheryl Ann. Remember when the flu was raging across the nation? I had to go to the pharmacy of Wal-Mart so I held my breath and got in and out of there! People were sneezing and coughing all over.
I hope your cold is gone soon.
A bit chilly at June Lake . . . I don’t remember it being that high. I know it was pretty though.
Love that Walmart … stop there every year while down there. If I have figured out correctly where you camping, if you were to keep going up from your camp site, you would be on the Skyline Drive. Some of it you couldn’t do with your van, but most. It is beautiful. Goes all the way from Interstate 70 on the south up to US highway 6 on the north. All along the top of those mountain ridges. If you are staying there for awhile, next time in town ask about it.
I’ve been reading about the Skyline Drive. The historic Seely Guard Station is up there. You can rent the cabin or camp on the Wasatch Plateau with grand views. There’s also the Ephraim Tunnel which isn’t a tunnel you can drive through. It’s an aquaduct.
To be honest, Steve, anything with the word “skyline” in it is something I want to avoid. I imagine it is quite beautiful, but I don’t feel like going up another thousand feet or more. It was all I could do to make it this far. I like to look UP to mountain ridges, not drive on them. 🙂
Today being Saturday a lot of people went up there, most of them hauling ATVs.
You certainly luck into some idyllic camp sites. So lush and green after your desert sites during the winter. I especially like the shot of the Valley as you come down the mountain.
But I can’t resist this comment …. what if you looked up and saw someone taking your photo and writing down your licence plate while you were dumping the trash. Are you guilty of ‘theft of service’ ?
I don’t understand what service I’m stealing? The trash receptacles are out there for customers, I presume. I’ve done almost all my shopping at Wal-Mart for over twenty years… from the time they first appeared.
Wal-Mart isn’t looking to offend customers. That why it’s so successful. 🙂
You sound like one of those folks who got a bug in their bonnet over a popular recent post. Say it isn’t so . . .
LATER . . . Caroline, I went back and read the comments you’ve made in the past… Always very nice to me. So I apologize for thinking your comment was hostile. I guess I haven’t yet gotten over the snarkiness I received.
I intentionally avoided the comment section that day! So no bug in this bonnet; knickers aren’t in a twist either! I just wanted to be a trouble-maker.
The only reason I thought of it … 20 yrs ago I was the HOA president of a condominum complex and we had a big problem with off-site people driving onto our property and filling our garbage receptacles. Then we would get into an overflow situation and the garbage company charged us a huge fee for the excess garbage. Those folks were stealing a service that WE were paying for.
I’m sure Walmart and other stores provide trash cans because people buy stuff, then leave the bag, wrapper or box lying around the parking lot. Kids get new shoes and want to put them on immediately … the old shoes and the box get dropped in the parking space. At least if there’s a garbage can closeby, some people will use it.
I see what you mean. It’s never a good idea to use a trash bin that’s not there for your use. Most warn of a fine.
Although the stuff I was disposing wasn’t from Wal-Mart, I’ve taken a lot of trash of Wal-Mart origin to the landfill over the years. I really don’t think the company minds.
And dang it, how does a traveler get rid of stuff in these towns? If there’s a complementary bin, it’s not apparent.
I didn’t read any snarkiness, so we’re good! No worries.
Good point…………however:
“Theft of services” would not be the case at Walmart. At your condo the services are specifically for the tenants whereas the cans at Walmart are public.
There actually isn’t a Penal Code law against dumping your household trash…more like an ordinance…which amounts to a ticket/fine.
In all seriousness….I don’t believe they care about a couple bags of litter.
I have to admit, I hate shopping at Wally World. Not for any philosophical reason, I just hate the crowd! Unfortunately, I have to go there once a month or so to pick up meds, plus I get my cheapie tennis shoes there. That’s it. Grocery shopping is done at Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and Food Valu.
Hi Ladybug!
I can’t speak for you, but there is a BIG difference in Wal-Marts. The one in Georgia that I went to is right out of that website “People of Wal-Mart” or whatever it’s called. Often I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or run! It looked like the place where pimps and hookers buy their food. And shoplifters . . . oh my! I have a friend who refused to enter the place, the people’s behavior and outfits were so offensive.
Here in ND… in the midst of the oil boom… one doesn’t go to Wal-Mart even in the early evening anymore. It is all male… and some pretty scary looking characters. (probably mostly harmless, but there have been attempted snatchings of young females… and a lot of unwanted aggressive male attention) It is now looking a bit like the “people of Wal-Mart” website without the cross dressers. 🙂 It is even odd during the day to shop there with about 70-80% of the customers being male.
Isn’t sleep the cure for everything. You’re not on a schedule so relax and get REALLY well. However, when it’s time to move you might want to get down around 7000 feet for a while.
You bring to mind the challenge of boondocking in agricultural areas.
The mountains in this range become steep very quickly. The national forest border begins as the elevation shoots up. As I drove up to our present camp, there were a few spur roads I would’ve investigated. However, one glimpse down these roads revealed people were camped there, so I kept going. I would’ve been happy to camp at a lower elevation — handier to town services. I’m not complaining though. I love this site.
It seems to me that you might be doing Wal-Mart (and the town) a favor by dumping trash into a garbage bin. The cleaner a place, the more people want to stay around and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The longer they stick around, the more tourist dollars they spend. Maybe Wal-Mart owes YOU a thank you for your services.
Katy . . . You sound like a very positive-thinking person!
I do give these central Utah townspeople credit for their neatness and cleanliness. The only trash I see is where people camp. The villages are very tidy.
Golly, don’t you have anything better to do than read this drivel? Oh well, I do enjoy your company . . .
Cute! I know when I read your blog, I’ll be laughing for hours.
Thank you,
It does sound like she’s telling us to get a life, doesn’t ??? Of all the nerve! 😉
Think about it, ladies. You read several paragraphs about a woman you’ve never met dumping her trash, along with what kind of soup she buys. What’s even worse is the time I spent writing that drivel!
I skipped alot of comments, so this may have
been covered, walmart considers over night RV’rs as extended
shoppers. The large parking lots and many garbage receptacles are
set up to encourage ease of use. Walmart also encourages community service
You dont see all the garbage receptacles at Fred Meyers or Target.
Picking up litter and placing it in a garbage receptacle is honorable.
Tell the snarks proudly you were picking up trash in the parks and other recreational
areas, something alot of people would just leave,
Excuse my typos & grammer, i’m on my phone
I love that word “snarks” — It’s a hybrid of snarl and sharks. Fits, doesn’t it?
You make a good point, Carol, comparing Wal-Mart with the other stores.
I’ve never heard of an RVer parking overnight in the lots of either of those stores. Maybe they have, but I wouldn’t attempt it. I suspect the Wal-Marts that don’t allow overnighters are under outside pressures.
Thanks for your supportive message.
hi
have u tryed pandora on your laptop it free an u set it up to your likes i have mine set to run in the background did i say it free,, free,,, is good,,,
I love Pandora! I am a teacher and I use it at school and at home. It is free, but I paid the yearly subscription fee because I do use it at school, and the ads are very annoying. The yearly subscription (the last time I paid) was $36, so $3 a month is worth it. My middle schoolers love Motown music and 80s music.
Hi I don,t know about adds or pay sites I have none on mine
I leave mine on all day in my shop my next door neighbor thinks I’m a bit crazy with all my dancing ant ticks but I do have a life and it’s fun plus he works any
Great photography as usual Sue, I’m lovin’ it! . Chuck and I took a road much like the one you took to Walmart when we were in Fish Lake area, only our road went down to Richfield. Chuck was driving but I had my “brakes” on all the time too, damned near pushed 2 footprints through the floorboards! hahaha! Still in Datil, this is turning ot to be quite the rockin’ little town on Saturday nights anyway! LOL!
Hi Geri!
Thanks re: photos. Two readers of this blog live in Datil… Gaye and Renee. I wonder if they know you’re in town!
How do you deal with the crew and heat safety while you go shopping in the van? Or was the temperature cool enuf?
I can’t see any issue with putting trash in Walmart’s cans. That’s why they put them there – public cans to reduce the litter. How convenient that the can was out in the middle of the lot. The only ones I ever see are up by the store, which I use without any compunction.
I think a bit of a cold is fine to recuperate in an RV – just takes time and rest. But if one had food poisoning and needed to hug a toilet, that would be hard to deal with.
Hi Tesaje! Haven’t seen your name here in a while . . .
About leaving the crew in the van. . . One thing I’m grateful for is the insulated roof and walls of the PTV, as well as the tinted windows. It takes a lot to make it uncomfortable inside.
I try not to go shopping in the afternoon. That particular morning was probably mid- to high-70s… really nice temp. When I got back in the PTV, I didn’t need to put on the air conditioning. Bridge and Spike had been napping.
Whenever we go anywhere, the crew has access to a filled water dish.
Yes, some illness can be weathered on one’s own, but not all. Thanks for writing!
Ah, I didn’t realize the PTV was insulated! Makes a big difference. My van has that plus the roof fan and stays at ambient air temp for my own crew.
Where have all the dippsy dumpsters gone, long time passing, where have all the dumpsters gone, long time ago. Where have all the dumpsters gone, government has taken them everyone, when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn.
You arrive at your Bluebell camp on June 17th – at altitude. You stay there for 4 days – at altitude. You then go down 3,000′ for a couple of hours and return to altitude. IF it were altitude sickness why did you not get sick on June 17, 18, 19 &20.
I seriously doubt that you had any altitude sickness and have no idea why other people might think so.