If you really want to enjoy breakfast, first take a long hike through a pine forest.
That’s what the crew and I do this morning.
By the time we get back to camp, the idea of two eggs over easy is uppermost in my mind. Bridget and Spike soon figure out it’s an egg morning. I always cook one for them, too.
I miss having a working camera.
- “Spikey! Breakfast is ready!”
I don’t have any photos of our morning hike.
So I’m online looking for a replacement while my brain-dead Sanyo is hooked up to life support. After a long charge, I try for signs of life, not expecting any change, and bingo! The lens opens!
It’s alive!
I’m so pleased with the fact that I don’t have to lay out any money for a new camera that I click on over to amazon.com and spend some!
I order two black suits for the crew.
"Gee, did you have to mention fat rolls?"
Their mesh harnesses are ratty-looking, especially since Bridget took a bite out of Spike’s. It’s a challenge figuring out the correct size.
I put the tape measure around Bridget at the neck and around her chest. Every time I do this I get a different measurement, depending upon the location of fat rolls.
At $20 a pop, I hope the extra-large size is correct. It’s the Puppia brand and I know they tend to run small.
I also order two water-related items.
One is a Camco RV water bandit ($6.05) which allows a hose to be hooked up to a spigot that has no threads. The other is a Valterra Quick-Fill with Shut-Off ($6.72), a hose attachment that keeps the water from splashing back when you’re filling the tank.
And I finally order a monocular.
It’s a Tasco Essentials 10 x 25 compact monocular costing only $10.82. All these items, including $40 for the mesh harnesses, total only $29.37 because of all the points I’ve collected buying gas and groceries with my Chase Amazon credit card.
Making an online order is a commitment to stay in one locale.
The items will be sent to the Munds Park post office, so I won’t be straying far until they arrive. In the meantime, I’m going to take the PTV in to Flagstaff Auto for an oil change. I found their website and sent an email to set up an appointment for Thursday morning. I want to take good care of the Perfect Tow Vehicle.
Spike is the man of the house.
I really should head up to South Dakota this summer and renew my driver’s license.
It’s probably not a good idea to drive around with South Dakota plates and registration with a Georgia driver’s license!
rvsue
4/24/12 . . . $0 4/25/12 . . . $0 4/26/12 . . . $0 4/27/12 . . . $67.28 home furnishings, $44.84 groceries, $19.56 clothing, $6.42 sundries 4/28/12 . . . $0 4/29/12 . . . $40.16 for 10.162 gal. gas @3.99 gal. 4/30/12 . . . $5.78 dog supplies, $23.59 equipment
I am so glad your camera is still working! Good to know that we will still be entertained by the crew! YAY!
I don’t know what caused the camera problem yesterday. It wouldn’t focus and made the strangest noises before it refused to extend the lens out. I guess it needed some R & R.
It sounds like your camera battery was dead.
When it needs to be charged, it usually says “Low Battery” and turns off. It doesn’t groan and lose focus.
It sounds like your battery is “retired”, then. I know I retired, I started to groan and lose focus.
If it gets worse, I suggest you try changing the battery. What comes after “retired”?
O, uh, yeah. dead.
LOL!!
Sounds like a perfect day!!!!!!!
Yeah, plenty of nature, food, and buying stuff . . . Some of my favorite things.
Yup.. we have a Water Thief and it sure comes in handy. One of our favorite campgrounds has a single unthreaded faucet at the entrance. They do that so nobody hooks up permenantly to it from a nearby site. But using the rubber device can let us fill up our tank with a hose… as that is the only way we can fill our tank (there is not gravity fill like on some travel trailers)
This is my attempt at being pro-active. I’ve never run into a situation where the faucets didn’t have threads. However, when you need a Water Thief, you need it bad!
Told ya’ so, told ya so, neeener neeeener….
Bridget in an extra large. Have you told her? How’d she take it??
Bridgets’ eyes are so expressive, she could con you out of anything…..please, don’t tell her sh’s an XL….rip out the label.
Good plan, Chuck. She’s neurotic enough as it is, and that’s without the weight issue.
Bahaaaaa ” ..please, don’t tell her sh’s an XL….rip out the label.” bahaaa.
Sherry, I’m not tellin.’ Remember her New Year’s Resolution to rip Spike’s face off if he says another word about her butt. . . This is a danger zone.
Oh my, it must be horrible staying put in such a beautiful place! I love Bridget’s eyes. I bet that look keeps her out of trouble. It’s the “don’t beat me any more mommy. I’ll be a good girl”, look. Good for the camera. It has to work. You have so many of us waiting for our daily “fix”.
Sometimes Bridget’s sad-eyed looks get on my nerves. Everything is a big drama. I cuddle Spike and there’s Bridget looking at me like I’m a miserable, rotten traitor.
I was lost this morning on our walk without a camera. Of course, I found a beautiful orange wildflower, and now I don’t remember where it was.
What mileage do you get with the PTV? Both towing and not?
Uh, duh, I dunno.
I hate trying to find the right size harness for our Cockers! Hope you got the right ones. Sending back is so much hassle.
I hate sending stuff back. I wouldn’t order the harnesses online except they’re hard to find in pet stores. If I’d had any sense I would’ve saved the info about the harnesses they already have. I tore off the label and there’s nothing on them to indicate brand or size.
I bought Lizzie and Jack’s seatbelt systems at the Champion site. They could sit up, lie down, and stand while we were riding, and they were safe. I’ll put a link in your resources. They come in all sizes. http://usak9outfitters.com/CCSS.htm
Thanks for putting the link on the Readers’ RVing Resources page. I’ve got you well-trained!
Yeah, ya do, I think. LOL
Good link! We never drive anywhere in the car or the RV without our two cocker spaniels in their seat belt harnesses. I don’t want them to be a flying object in case of an accident, or running in traffic after a wreck because the doors flew open. Saw this once on an interstate and it was heart breaking.
We saw exactly the same thing. Accident-doors flew wide open-and a beautiful German Shepherd came flying out and was killed by a car. Most horrible thing I’ve ever seen. Don’t know if the people made it, either. That was in the days before seat belts.
Jack likes his–he can practically put it on himself. The Champion System is very well made.
Sue ~ What’s the story with South Dakota? I see lots of RV’s with SD plates. If you could comment using a bullet format that would be great! Enjoy your campfire.
Bang! My legal residence is in SD.
Bang! My mail forwarding service is in SD
Bang! Americas Mailbox is the company!
Bang! Low sales tax, no income tax, RV friendly in SD
I’m outta bullets.
LOL – a four shooter! Low vehicle registration and tabs costs, too, I think. I live next door in Minnesota and sometimes think about changing residency as well, just for all of the above reasons. People are hardworking and down to earth, too…
Gorgeous location you are camping at, Sue – love the smell of pine trees on a warm day, and the sound of the wind blowing through them is so peaceful
Margie
This place is a delight for all the senses.
Hi Sue, It’s the end of the month so if you’ll provide the expenses for the last week or so, I can put them in the spreadsheet and tell you and your readers “exactly” how you’re doing on your spending – although you already know you’re managing just fine. I’m guessing that seeing the actual numbers is helping a lot of folks realize that what you’re doing is something they could do too.
Let me know if you have any questions, Reine. Some of the numbers may seem weird. For instance, the $40 for dog harnesses was reduced to $5.78 because of points earned on my Amazon card. Thanks so much for doing this. As you’ve probably surmised, I would never keep up with it without you prodding me.
Sue, the total for April is $598.92 which averages $19.96 per day. Annual total for the first 4 months is $2380.71 for an average of $19.68 per day. Savings from points count since that reduces your out of pocket costs and the out of pocket is what folks are interested in.
You are DEFINITELY meeting your goal of “Living on less and enjoying life more” and you’re showing other folks how they can do it too.
Maybe at the 6 months point we could post a report in a blog entry so it isn’t lost in comments. It’s interesting how out-of-pocket is staying a little under $20 a day. If I had waited a day on the online shopping, April would have been a banner month!
Thanks again.
Think it’s about time to cut your ties with Georgia and get you a SD DR Li.c. Surprised yr ins hasn’t ‘mentioned’ it…
Maybe they don’t know and you’re not going to tell them.
When I was on the road I’d have a Washington DL and Arizona plates, or the other way around with Oregon thrown in. And mail, don’t even want to go there. It chased me all over the country.
Glad the camera decided to play nice.
I can assume you didn’t get in trouble for that, I hope.
I was lucky for years. Oh and with no insurance. But now I’m a legal Arizonian.
Hi Rvsue, I live in Flagstaff and have enjoyed following your blog. Just wanted to let you know that we do have a Walmart that has a grocery section, it’s a new store that was opened only last year. The prices are good too, especially compared to our other grocery stores, our cost of living here is a little high but that’s the price we pay to live in this beautiful area. Just go to Google Maps and locate the store off of Huntington, it’s near a Cracker Barrel and Outback Steakhouse, if you have any problems please email me.
Thank you, Alice. I checked and I do see how to get to that Wal-Mart. My next grocery trip will probably be to that store.
HI SUE- There’s always Hatch, NM., remember? You have the information. And there’s no problem driving an out of state vehicle…NM is one of 2 states that issues DL’s to illegals (pardon me, un- documented)! Seriously, if your only reason for the trip to SD is a DL, give it some thought.
Back in NM after a hop to another beautiful state Montana! Went mt biking east of Boseman and I have the wounds to prove it. Please bloggers ,take note! You can safely rent many things but not a mt bike!
Hope the monocular works out! Oh, and If camera dies permanently, consider in your replacement one with a EVF. I have, in addition to my point & shoot, a FUJI SLR (non interchange lense) with LCD/EVF. The veiwfinder allows you to use in bright sun and produces awesome panaramics where you have to carefully align 3 pixs! Oh, and stay away from internally charged batteries! Everything we own runs on AA’s except the Jeep.. You use rechargables .and carry extra lithium batts in the bag or shirt pocket! Great for getting those rare photos just when the int batt fails. (Advice free)! Cheers, BR (remember Hatch)
Hi, Bill…
When you mention Hatch, NM, I guess you are saying I should rent a P.O. box there, use it as my residence, and go to the DMV and get a driver’s license. Then there’s vehicle registrations . . . Somehow I don’t think it will be that simple. Otherwise, everybody would be doing it.
Mountain biking! I thought you were the guy with the bad back and knees . .. or were you cured back in EB last fall …?
I decided to go with the cheap monocular since I’ve never used one before. Cheers to you, Kathy, and canines.
Sue- This state allows you to title, license and reg an RV and/or boat with an out-of-state DL. If your van were an RV type (porta potty, kitchenette, bunk) you could reg as an RV plate.That way, your reg on the van would bear your DL’s address in GA. So you were right. A NM DL requires a NM address! Touchee’
No, I was cured! My CNP guessed that by lifting your solar batteries so many times, I stretched a pinched nerve! Since Jan 1, I’ve lost weight so quickly that I have to watch it! The facility I was staying at offered mt bike rides! The ER Doc in Boseman removed pine needles from my left side face and added 4 stitches! The ENT in LC, NM removed several from my ear canal yester…I find out the 8th if they can save my hearing! cheers,br
What? Bill, this is too bizarre! Save your hearing? Tell me you are kidding. That sounds awful! Pine needles in your face and ear canal? I’m stunned. How does that happen? Let me know how it goes on the 8th. I’m assuming you’ve had the weight loss checked. Keep in touch.
SD does have some beautiful country, not all plains/grasslands. Black Hills Nat’l Forest is pretty popular in the summers, but covers a large area. Stay away from Sturgis in late July/early August. I stayed at a Nat’l Grassland area east of the Blackhills and it was quiet.
Probably most counties can issue drivers licenses, but probably better check to see if it’s only one day a week or certain days of the week, if you decide to go for a visit. See you will need to fill out a “Residency Affidavit” and show a receipt from a RV park, campground or motel to get a SD DL. Oh, and subject to jury duty. That could be a challenge! You probably already know this, but for those readers who might be considering a SD “residency”, this is their requirement.
Thanks for the info, Emily. I’ll try to remember to stay away from Sturgis if I’m up that way in late summer.
America’s Mailbox has an RV park now. You stay there one night and take the receipt to the motor vehicle place which is open only on certain days. I don’t know about jury duty. I haven’t heard that’s a problem but it could be. Now I did hear that Texas residency will put you on the jury list in a flash, and then they have emissions inspections.
Currently, emissions inspections are only conducted in certain counties in Texas where air pollution is a problem – generally in the counties surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. San Antonio has managed to avoid that requirement so far… But, you can no longer use a post office box as your address for a Texas driver’s license – you need a physical address. Jury duty can be a problem – I used to get summons for municipal, county and federal jury duty all the time when my address was in Houston. Since I changed it to San Antonio, I only get a summons every 4-5 years.
I appreciate the information … for me and for readers.
America’s Mailbox has different plans (bronze, silver, gold) depending upon how much mail you anticipate. After you pay for the plan you put money into a postage accout. The postage money you don’t use is refundable. You have your own mailing address which is America’s Mailbox’s SD address with your personal account number included in it. You can go online, log in, and request that your mail be sent to you and to what location (such as General Delivery).
About two months after I left my house and hit the road, I had mail sent to me. It let me know who I had forgotten to notify that I no longer lived at that address. I notified those and since most of my personal business is handled online, I haven’t had much need for Americas Mailbox other than for a place to call my legal residence. The last time I scheduled mail to be forwarded, I got a postcard that said I didn’t have any mail! For more info, go to their website.
You’re right . . . I lack for nothing. Although some probably would disagree . . .
Glad ur camera came back after a good rest. Thank u so much for all the info u put on here. I’m one of those folks who don’t have a lot of money but I do have a huge desire to see the country. I love ur lifestyle, it provides such beauty and peace in each day. That is something few have these days. I, like a bunch of folks, have been tied to the “I need this and that” trap and I’m learning very quickly that having “things” doesn’t make us happy. It’s what we do each and every day that brings the happiness. Waking up to the pine smell must be wonderful…and the scenery is what I would love. I have not wanted to be in the desert before but after seeing all ur pics and hearing u describe it all, I really am ready to head that way. I’m in the process of downsizing our “possessions” and seeing what we “need” as opposed to “want”. Going to read ur blog from the beginning. Take care. Hope u and Bridgette and Spike have a wonderful week.
Hello, Judie, and a big welcome to my blog and my world!
You say you don’t have a lot of money . .. Well, you have an advantage! It seems the more money people have the harder it is for them to live simply. And simple living is key to happiness in my book. Best wishes to you as your find your way to the life that suits you. Thanks for writing and you have a wonderful week, too.
Sue read Sam’s blog for today about his Chevy instrument cluster and how he will get it rebuilt!
http://samdonna-5thwheelvagabonds.blogspot.com/2012/05/tuesday-thoughts.html
Rod
Rod,
I looked at their blog. I don’t know what to do. Jeff, a reader, had his cluster assembly replaced free due to a recall. Sam is having his rebuilt. A few other readers suggest I forget about the Chevy cluster and get a gauge scanner for a lot less money that will tell me all the cluster info and more stuff like the mileage I’m getting, and it’s easy to install in about 5 minutes. Thank you for showing me Sam’s option.
IMHO and you know how humble I am, the scan gauge may be your best bet, $$ wise and installation wise. Best to ypu and the CREW!!!!
FWIW…Hubby agrees with Chuck…less expensive and simple. So glad your enjoying the area and great news that your camera is still working!
IAYHO…. I appreciate your humble opinion. (I made that one up.)
I liked your bullet format response. Good one:))))))