Sunday, March 19
Late in the afternoon, while walking on the campground road, Reggie and I meet a woman and her dog. The dog, Angel, is a mix of norwich terrier and chihuahua.
A nor-chi, for short.
The woman tells me Angel is full of energy. I tell the woman Reggie is full of energy. We both welcome the chance for our dogs to work off their energy.
While the dogs get acquainted, the woman and I do the same.
Though I don’t pounce on her neck, Reggie-style! She tells me her name is Corrie and she lives near Las Vegas Bay Campground in the town of Henderson, Nevada.
“I like to come over here and camp for a few days in my van. It gets me away from the neighbors for a while.” She pauses. “And it’s so pretty here.”
Soon Corrie describes the retirement lifestyle she has created for herself.
Most of her life she and her husband and son lived in Idaho. A few years back they bought a mobile home located in Henderson and moved here. At the same time they kept a fifth wheel in Idaho.
“I love my place in Idaho!” she gushes.
“It’s in an old trailer park with no one in it. Years ago, when my husband was alive, it was owned by different people than the ones who own it now. They kept it up and had a pretty good flow of people. Now I’m usually the only one there.”
“Why do you like it so much?” I ask.
“Oh, it’s nice! A creek runs by and I can step out my door and watch the ducks and the birds . . . . ”
“That does sound nice. What part of Idaho is that?”
“Soda Springs. It’s in the southeast corner of Idaho, not far from Pocatello. I love it there. You know, you can get property there pretty cheap.”
We stop for a moment in order to untangle the dogs.
“When my husband passed a few years ago, I thought about selling the mobile home in Nevada. But it’s paid for and it is a good place to spend the winter. Whenever I feel like getting away, I camp here at the campground in my van.”
“And when it heats up, you drive your van north to your fifth wheel by the Idaho creek where it’s cool,” I finish for her. “Sounds good to me.”
“Yeah, I even have a three-wheeler I keep there. I used to ride Harleys. Now I toodle around on that thing.”
She laughs at herself.
By this time, Reggie and Angel are about played-out.
“They’ll sleep well tonight,” I remark.
“Let me see if I can take a portrait of Angel.”
Angel is camera-friendly. In fact, she keeps coming toward me whenever I point the camera at her which gives her this bobble-head look.
After a few tries I do catch a full-body shot from the side, as well as the first photo of this post and others.
It’s interesting finding out how people sculpt a retirement they love.
Corrie is a happy, contented woman.
I didn’t get the impression that she is wealthy. Her life is uncomplicated and secure, while she maintains the independence of moving back and forth between her two, modest homes in lovely locations, as well as camping whenever she feels like it.
The sun is low in the sky as Corrie and I wish each other safe travels and return to our campsites with our canine pals tagging along toward home.
rvsue
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I like the nor-chi
Hi, Pat! YOU’RE FIRST!
Howdy Sue!
Howdy, Geri! YOU’RE FIRST, TOO!
Really? I was reading the comments of your last post when this one came flying in! But I wasn’t sure if I was in the top 10 or not, Blogerino’s are really speedy!
And so are you, apparently! 🙂
I really like Reggie’s new friend, what a cutie! Idaho is beautiful! Chuck and I spent time in a small town called Tetonia, just over the Grand Tetons from Jackson WY. Really beautiful area! We even went to a small rodeo near there that was so much better than the big professional ones! Good Memories!
Great pictures of dogs in motion.
Thanks, Evelyn! SECOND PLACE!
looks like Reggie needs a playmate….:)
chuck and pookie
THIRD PLACE GOES TO POOKIE AND CHUCK!
oh your kidding! sometime I amaze myself….HA
chuck and pookie
What potential! There’s no tellin’ what you can do!
What a sweet post. It sounds like she’s got her life exactly the way she wants it. Cute little girl doggie too.
Hi, Dawn,
Corrie was a pleasure to talk with. She seemed very proud of her van, telling me about making a platform for her bed, putting a porta-potty underneath with a curtain to conceal it, and so forth.
Corrie’s lifestyle is kinda like Tioga George…George has a mobile home but also has scampy to camp in. My sisters have a home in a remote are of the rez so if I want to get away, I am always welcome there. No one around but us and quiet too. Although remote, they have all the conveniences of city home i.e. running water, electricity, satellite TV. Usually I’m too busy hiking around and we cook outside in sister’s outdoor kitchen. I can see miles around. I can also tent camp near my home in Phoenix to get away….love that too. Angel is an adorable dog…seems to get along with Reggie well.
Almost the top 10! Angel is a cutie! She and Reggie are a good match – both about the same size.
Sounds like Corrie is living a life that she loves….good for her!
Great pictures of the dogs playing.
Lots of Love and Big Hugs!!!!
P.S. I’m a little cautious camping alone…we’ve had some gruesome kidnapping and murders happen at camp grounds near and around Phoenix….nothing lately but years ago. Some people out in the woods are crazy…literally.
What a cute little dog. Nice for Reggie to have a playmate his own size. I love the woman’s lifestyle too.
Been following your blog for a few months and really enjoy it. I have a teardrop trailer and am planning a loooong solo trek. I appreciate your sharing your lifestyle.
My rescued Norfolk Terrier, Gypsy, will be with me. I think she is a mix or just a discard because she has crooked teeth and an underbite. Had dogs for over 50 years and she has the best temperament ever! If you come across one of these type dogs, seriously consider one as an addition to your crew.
A good walk for both you and Reggie. Glad he found a new friend that helped work off some of his energy.
Great photos. Dogs are super cute together. And Corrie sounds lovely. I think her lifestyle sounds very attractive and appealing. The one certainty I have is no more stick built homes. Too much to take care of. So will see how that morphs into a plan once this house is sold. Her story is inspiring – thanks for sharing.
Great post and pics, as usual. Hugs to both.
Uncomplicated and secure…exactly what I want when I retire. 🙂
Fun friend you found there for the Reggie man.
1
Oh well, now I will read the post😃👣👣🐾
Great post Sue, Piper likes looking at the pictures of Reggieman and NorCha, looks like they had a great time playing,, uh, I drive thru Soda Springs sometimes on the way to Wyoming or to the Flaming Gorge,,, they have a lot of good stores and A Napa shop/store east of there,, there are a lot of swimmers and every time I go through there is something going on, but we never stop,,, 👣👣🐾
Now that was a nice meet and greet! I am so glad you wrote this particular blog post today, Sue. As I am beginning the process of getting a loan to do needed updates to my home I am having doubts that on my limited income I could live the life I want to live. This post has reminded me that the simplicity I seek in my life is doable. I am looking more and more into Casitas as the Oliver would simply be too expensive. I am hoping an SUV with 5000 tow capacity will be enough to pull one.
Love, love, love watching Reggie play with Angel!! What a cute pup she is! Corrie seems like a lady who knows exactly what she wants and enjoys what she has. She is blessed, as you are.
Thank you again for a wonderful reminder that less is more when it comes to material things, and more is best when it comes to the beauty of nature and peace of the soul. Belly rubs and hugs for Reggie, prayers for you both…and Corrie and Angel!
It sounds (and looks)as if Reggie and you really enjoyed Angel and Corrie. I’m proud of you for not pouncing on her neck. You’re such a good girl 🙂 Ha! How well matched your dogs are in size, cuteness, playfulness and energy. The right one for you and Reggie to bring home is surely out there waiting for you somewhere.
It occurred to me a while after reading the last post that one wonderful thing had occurred because you went to the adoption event. Joe got to see a recent photo of Reggie, and be reassured that he now has a great life filled with love, safety and joy. Wouldn’t it be a gift to know that was true for all the creatures we’ve helped on their journey?
Corrie made unusual but very good decisions that allowed her to be as happy, secure and contented she is. I like that she chose a way to keep modest homes for warm and cold seasons while being free to camp other places ,too. It pleases me immensely that you show those of limited means how many lovely options are reachable .
Thank you for another happy and thought provoking post, Sue. I hope you have a great evening.
Another friendly meet up on the road 🐾😃. You know I keep hearing and reading about the many friendly people on the road, full timers and snowbirds alike. Seems true for dogs too. I’m glad you’re not rushing to get Reggie a forever playmate. He seems very happy with you. After all he gets you all to himself, that has its perks too.
The life you want. 🙂 It can be so different for each of us!
Hi! Reggie and Angel seem to be so happy 🙂
I love Corrie’s story and her adorable Angel. You don’t need much to be happy, which is a good thing for me! Those play photos are adorable. I’m glad Reggie had a playdate.
A wonderful story Sue! Contentment is the key to a good life, I think. Things change all the time in ones life and we can change to whatever makes us content. Open minds, open hearts and the ability to say YES!
Reggie and Angel were made for each other! What fun to watch them live their dogginess and thank you for sharing.
Maggie seems so much better having people and other dogs to visit. They get bored or discontent just as we do, I think.
I am finding my feet, so to speak, in my new lifestyle and I don’t regret a thing. Did I get the right rig? Not so sure. Need to be out there longer to find out. Happy trails!
Yeesh! I barely turn my back and bam! Another post! Well, in spite of being 20 something in line, I loved reading it. Living in Idaho, I know the area Corrie is talking about. Beautiful area. Yes, living frugally, but consistently is sometimes what it takes. We’ll have to do that, and that’s fine with us. Wouldn’t it be nice for Reggie to find a companion like Angel?!
What a lovely story! I hope I craft as sweet a retirement life! Working on it now with my Casita and home base. Just need a sweet spot in Wisconsin for the heat of the summer. Thanks for the post – gave me some great ideas!
What a cutie! Love her face!
Glad both you and Reg had a great day! Corrie’s place sounds serene! Her comment,”I’m usually the only one there”. Coupled with the land is cheap…hmmm did that spark your interest?
Sleep well !
Corrie’s lifestyle sounds as content & peaceful as yours, even it if it is different. I’m surprised Henderson allows mobile homes as it seemed pretty uppity last time I was out there. Idaho does seem like a nice area to live. My former neighbor moved there to help her brother in his business. She live in Boise. She bought a nice home for a lot less than what she paid for her condo here.
Angel is a little cutie. Glad she and Reggie has some high energy playtime.
Loved reading the story as I scrolled through the pictures of Reggie and Angel . What a nice way to tell a story. And Corrie’s solution certainly opens up more possibilities. Like it.
Ditto on that presentation of the photo story while telling another story. Just something relaxing about reading that!
Hi, Sue,
What a nice visit you and Reggie had with Corrine and Angel; thank you for sharing! Little Angel is a cutie! She is the perfectly sized playmate for Reggie. Corrine, like you, has found the right balance in retirement for her life and happiness. Wonderful! 🙂
Sending you and Reggie love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! Have a good night! xxxooo 🙂
I know Soda Springs quite well, it is near where my cabin was in Idaho. I was in Fish Haven and went up the road to soda springs to buy a trailer and have a hitch welded to the frame of my Jeep Cherokee. That whole area is either on (like my cabin) or near Bear Lake. Winters where I was are too rough for old folks as the snow can be VERY deep there in winter. Wild abounds though. Moose and Elk right in your driveway at my ole place. Hi Missy, Glad to see the Reg get some play time in. Take care….
Oh Sue…don’t you love it when such encounters happen? So nice to hear this!! Cute dogs and funny photos…looks like they really enjoyed each other!! There are very positive things one can say about Idaho (I lived 1 yr in the north and a total of 9 yrs in the south)…that being a great part, the generally nice people you live among. (Bad eggs are everywhere, I am sure you know that…but the old timers esp. were the cream of the crop as humans go). My thoughts once were to live my final years in the southern town where I met my husband…but the remaining kin there have cut me off…so there goes that plan!! Plus it is now a very large population area…so that is a double no for me. Even though we do NOT enjoy the climate, we may end up living back in NC at some point. I am not so sure how long we can stay where we are now…my cough is STILL with me…though less…probably allergies at this point. The rain forest is not for everyone…though it is very pretty here.
NOTE TO KAREN IN PACIFIC NW:
Please respond to my reply to your comment under the previous post. Thank you.
Oh, I love that she was happy to share her story. It’s so important that we get other stories of how people live other than what media feeds us as how we are ‘supposed’ to live. So many unhappy people out there, and how much of it has to do with chasing this narrow idea of consumerism and white picket fences? I’ve often wondered about Idaho, will have to check that out when I get to traveling. My sister seems determined to stay in Washington state (she’s up by the Canadian border) so mom and I talk once in awhile about selling up and moving so we are nearer (but not on top of her!). We’re both east coast brats, and me more gulf coast. So it would be a big change if we did. It would be nicer for my RV plans though to be closer to the southwest!
Great post. It’s really important for everyone to craft the retirement that works for them. For us it’s living in our home most of the time and enjoying being close to our kids, grandkids and 93 and 96 year old moms. But we “run away” between 75 and 100 nights a year with our Casita to relax without responsibilities and enjoy the splendors of our wonderful country. It works great for us which is the important thing.
Oh those doggies are having the best time!!! Sounds like another pretty perfect retirement to me – I’ve heard that corner of Idaho is really pretty.
Angel is so cute! Love the little tongue roll in the head-on pic.
Nice life for Corrie. Love her little dog and I bet Reggie loved him too !