'time to update my blog even if admittedly, I have little to offer.
Life is fine here at Pioneer Village.The weather has been warm and sunny. Many activities, I am actually playing bridge and joined the chorus. I have been pretty faithful to my treadmill in the morning even if I do come home and eat after my mile and half. working towards 2 miles in 45 minutes.
I have been to see Lincoln, Life of Pi and Silver Linings Playbook, I enjoy the movies and once my good friend Esther arrived I have a good viewing companion.
Went to agility class this week with Deco, felt good to be back and to see all the people we left in April. He is a bit rusty and is getting older, almost 10 1/2 for a large cardigan male I am pushing it . I do feel I have another puppy in me, but the time is not quite right.
Watching the news and weather forecast for big time snow in ct, no, I do not miss it at all. I like shorts and t shirts and sun, I like cocktails outside and grilling steaks without winter coats. I like looking at tomato plants and fresh herbs. Do not miss cold, mud , dreary days and snow.
Hmm I guess I got that straight.
We may have bought a car, a 4 door silver jeep. I suffer all sorts of should I or should I nots when we think about purchasing a new vehicle. The prices are way out of sight. Use to say the price is what I paid for my first house but now it is more then my first house. I have almost had it with the 2 door jeep.It is tight and a pain to get into the back. I put my groceries in the dog crate,it is small. Of course Jim feels the need to carry all sorts of stuff in the back of the jeep which is a bone of contention with us. Really, we need the power drill in the car x!!! He gets all petulant and says there is no room in the motor home which is not exactly true as I could easily make room or remove something we do not need. One thing about living aboard a motor home full time is space- you have to be sure it is a needed item.
I think we will come to a compromise albeit a $30K + compromise.
Other then that I am beginning to plan our spring trip- Georgetown Texas to see sister and then to Fredericksburg for the Texas hill country and wild flowers. Then to Zion National Park via New Mexico. I want to spend sometime at Zion and then Bryce and then to Salt Lake City to see the grand boys. From there we head to Sturgis SD and the badlands. Sounds like fun and plenty of photo ops
We head to CT for the birth of the first Heaslip grand child in July. Hope to see all my CT friends and do some doggie agility

The Girls in My Life -

Here we have two of the girls in my life. Miss Lindsay on the left, my almost 8 year old granddaughter , and Toby -Aunt Toby- my lovely stepdaughter with the big smile. I thought I would use this blog to be a bit sentimental and look back at 2012  when we sold the house and moved to being "full-timers" living in our RV and traveling.
And travel we have, Vermont ( the bluegrass festival) Maine ( Moosehead Lake to Machias ) Virginia ( the beautiful blue ridge  mountains ) Tennessee, Alabama ( Natchez Trace, Huntsville and Red Bay) and then the Florida panhandle ( Destin, Fort Pickens, St George Island, Old  Town on the Swanee, Highland Hammock, the locks on Okeechobee) and finally Pioneer  Village where we will spend the next few months playing boce, bridge, going to Punta Gorda on music nights and eating and drinking .

A

We also added a son-in -law when Allison and Charles married in May, Cory and I were able to attend and enjoy wonderful southern hospitality and food.

I am also pleased that my lovely grandaughter Araya has completed her first semester of college. Where have the years gone I am indeed fortunate. 

.

has it really been a month !!

COON DOG CEMETARY IN RED BAY AL

Boy , have I been negligent . It has been a month since my last post and since that time we have been to :Sweetwater Tn , Decatur/Huntsville AL, Red Bay AL ,Tupelo MIss,(birthplace of Elvis),Muscle Shoals AL the birthplace of Helen Keller

After leaving Red Bay Al where the Tiffen RV factory and service center is located- more commonly known as the mother ship- we headed to Destin Fl and Henderson Beach State Park to camp.

we are now at Fort Pickens Federal Park on the National Seashore on Pensacola Beach FL .Sunday we leave for St George Island by Apalachicola Fl until the 20th.

We head for Old Town FL and the Swanee River for Thanksgiving and then to Okeechobee for 2 weeks at a Corp of Engineer Park on the Lake. Final destination for the winter is North Fort Myers.

One of the highlights of our trip to Red Bay was to get the carpet replaced with tile. I bought the tile before we left Ct, I cannot even begin to explain how happy I am with the tile. 3 dogs and 2 adults living full time in the RV and carpet ! i think not

Expensive but worth it. Next project is replacing the shades

Highlights so far, We stopped in Decatur so that we could visit the Science and Rocket Center in Huntsville AL What a place I was not expecting sooo much to see. The center is famous for holding space camp. The original rocket launching site is Redstone and is located on the Redstone Arsenal an army base which also contains NASA and where the space station payload is monitored. We got to see them actually talking to the astronauts on the space station. The military site employs 36,000 people with only about 1,000 military. Included in that number is 8 generals as this site is where the missile defense is located. The guide said that Huntsville has more PHDs per capita then any other city. It all has to do with propulsion etcetc. Way too much info for me.

Before this gets too lengthy we spent yesterday at the Naval Aviation Museum which was also very interesting. My goal is to be sure that we visit what each area has to offer hence the birthplace of Elvis in Topelo. very well done . And Helen Keller's birthplace outside of Muscle Shoals AL and of course the Coon Dog Cemetery. We have climbed over the remains of Fort Pickens, the only time it ever actually fired on ships was during the Civil War where the Fort was held by Union troops - HEY I am already for Jeopardy all this useful info

Till next time

the great state of Maine

This is just a pretty picture that I took on Campabello Island down by Quoddy Point lighthouse. Just experimenting and figured all these great Maine shots may be putting you all to sleep along with my harping about what a GREAT time we are having.  Besides I impress myself when I take a picture that is at all a bit "arty" instead of just a tree.

We left Maine and our good friends in Jonesport last Monday and drove back to Griswold Ct. We did have a good time and got to take in the sights such as the blackfly ball in Machias, stopped where this gentleman makes Maine Sea Salt for sale-  pretty labor intensive but he has all different flavors ( quite frankly they all tasted like salt to me ) we went to Campabello and drove the island and picked up some Cole Tea Bags for my friend who swears by them but cannot puurchase in the US . We drove around Lubec Maine and through Eastport. Mostly I liked sitting at our RV watching the 13 foot tide, smelling the sea air and decomposing seaweed and eating lobster and mussels literally right from the water. We have been friends with Bob and Patty for about 18 years so we understand each other which is necessary for a 12 day stay

So now back in CT and catching up with family, saw my lovely granddaughter who starts college at URI today. My boy Flee doing well with Cory, He needs a good grooming as he is a shedder but he looks good has put on weight and is relaxed. He has his own home where he is king and it is good for him . Just reminds me that having a dog is not solely about what may be good for us   , is it

ok as I end just one more picture of the RV and our spor looking towards Jonesport- I couldn't resist.

We will be returning to the road about the first of October- more to come

Arcadia and the isles off shore

We are getting ready to leave Trenton Maine to head for Jonesport and time spent with our friends. Trenton is on the border of Arcadia and just far enough from Bar Harbor to be manageable. We have spent time in the National Park and yesterday went to Deer Isle and Stonington Maine ( which is alot like Noank CT) We have had lobster and I made a killer mixed berry pie with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

We have met some interesting people - it still surprised me how many couples are full timers which means living in your RV full time - no stick house.  One couple has been doing this for 8 years which could be why they have matching bikes parked side by side in the same direction and chairs side by side in the same spot--you get the picture . I am not sure that is where I want to head . there are times when the "togetherness" is a bit grinding.

I have been having good memories of spending summers in Maine with my sisters at my grandparents summer home in Wells Maine.They had a large house with attached barn. Actually the barn was large with a work room, outhouse, and complete bar area in knotty pine. The floor was planks of wood where one or another of us were always losing something between the planks. Grandfather  was always so patient trying to salvage what we lost. I don't remember the house as well as the barn. That could well be because we were usually relegated to the barn area. After a long ride ( pre highways) to Maine in the unairconditioned station wagon with 3 girls and a carsick dog my parents were met at the door by the maternal grandparents with a stiff drink and we were told to stay outside . I can see that now as an adult and we always loved being outside and finding berries and playing in the garage- boy I remember that garage/barn !!

All in all I am enjoying this new life, it is relaxing and interesting . There is time to explore and relax and ride the silly retro-bike and walk the dogs. We will continue to follow the sun

Moosehead Lake and moose(s)

My first decent moose photo. We have been going to this spot in the early am and at dusk with no luck, Driving by today at about 1 pm , there she was. So I can check that off the bucket list. Now if I could find a loon,...

We are still in Greenville Maine, one of the bigger differences in being a full timer is that literally you have to be somewhere, so another few days here is not big thing. It is not quite like being on vacation and yet it is a continual vacation except you can't "party" daily.

Nemo and I have been walking in the morning , he is such a good pal. Deco's idea of walking is to be pulled along until we turn towards the RV and then he finds his legs. Poor Abbie is definitely aging and prefers sleeping to almost any other activity. I looked at some hiking paths for Nemo and I but most of them are 20 miles away with directions such as: at the fork drive 10 miles until left turn, don't take left stay right for 17 miles and then watch for side road, 3 miles  etc etc and on dirt. As Jim does not hike he would have to drive me 45 minutes and then sit in the car for another hour plus- maybe we will make out better at Arcadia

Tomorrow a boat ride around the lake- weather continues to be great.
I keep having flash backs on the many many summers I spent in Maine with my grandparents- one of the highlights was going to the dump to watch the seagulls and look for bears. Ahhh, life was simpler
Good night friends

Duck Whisperher - Moosehead Maine

Taming wild beasts- I was the duck "piper"
Moosehead Lake is beautiful and the weather has been to perfect. Y ou wake up to a clear blue sky and the temps are in the upper 70's.
Today we traveled west to Rockwell where they were completely redoing the road- I am talking DUST horrid I could feel grit in my teeth .
We went to see about the boat to Mt Kineo where you can walk around or hike but the number of smaller people ( aged 8 and under)and dogs getting on the small boat made me think better of that plan. My number one grievance this day is flexi-leads as they are used by people who have absolutely NO control on their dog and can not figure out the damn leash ! I do not bring my dogs out with flex-leads and my dogs can heel and sit. Saw two beautiful flat coated retrievers- on regular leashes and well trained then we had mom and dad ( with flipflops and a beer ) and a large dog who was wrapping the kids up in the flexi-lead while trying to jump and everyone. Gotta love it
Ok pet peeve for the day !! enough said
Tomorrow the quest to find a photographic moose continues- they say that  moose out number the residents 3 to 1, must be before tourists.
Take care my friends, more to come I am sure.

The magic of Vermont

An actual  working phone booth outside of Floyd's country store in Randolph Center VT.  Great little ( really little) country store where we bought cheese from the big wheel of cheddar and had them slice cob bacon for BLT's to go with the tomato I had purchased at the farmer's market. We had a beautiful campsite where you could sit and look at the rolling mountains. Made me realize what a great state vermont is- this time of year at least.
We then went to Essex Junction to a RV rally where we had specific goals, purchase 3 LED lights for the hall and bedroom ( at $47 each , ouch) but they are warrentied forever .Had a company come out and give me estimates for replacing the carpet and new shades. All in all we got what we wanted out of the rally and there was doggie agility going on so I was REALLLLLLY happy.
Today we are in Pine Forest Campground which is true to its name. It is in Springfield VT which is a disappointment after the beauty and simplicity of Randolph and Bethel and the valleys and hills . Kind of an nold mill town but we are 15 minutes away from NH, and the state package stores ( leaving nothing to chance)
We head to Mooselake Maine the end of the week.
Yes, still loving the life although I have to wonder why hubby has to occupy the exact space where I am headed- likeESP. I go for the sink, he has to get coffee, I head for the bedroom he is in the hallway , hmmmm is this a test ??
Looking forward to Maine where we will be for most of August.
keep well all
Lindsay, Nemo, Abbie, Deco and hubby Jim

Field Pickin'

No, field pickin" has nothing to do with blueberries it is about bluegrassers meeting at night, banjos, fiddlers, steel guiltars and base players all just "pickin"  Last night I saw a piano that someone had wheels on and hard brought it on his rv. Hard core

Average age is 60-70, so I guess we fit in. There are over 200 trailors, 5th wheels and RVs here and they have been here all week although the actual festival started yesterday - of course camping is free and dry ( no elec, water, sewer) in the 90 degree temps thank god for the generator.

We got the new satelite put on the bus in Hatfield on Tuesday, works great but expensive. Dogs seem to be adjusting, they love the AC as the heat does get to them
From here we head back over the mountain to Randolph Center and a beautiul park so that Jim can visit with friends in Bethel, we will drive up to Quiche . Still see lots of devestation from the Hurricane last year, it is really amazing to see how much was washed out.
So, it is the lazy life of a full timer, I think Jim is about bluegrassed out or at least he told me not to sign up for the next bluegrass festival . Oh well, he can watch NASCAR tomorrow on the tv.
Signing out

And the juorney begins

Are we ready yet ? We leave on Monday to begin our adventure. Our first stop in in Brandon VT, The Basinbluegrass Festival where we will rough camp in a field with all the other aging 'hippies' and listen to good music and most likely meet some interesting people.
From there we are heading to Quiche to visit friends and then to Essex Junction for a FMCA rally. Then on to  Moosehead Lake , Arcadia and finally to visit good friends in Jonesport Maine and attend the world famous Machias Blueblueberry Festival ( well, maybe not world famous )
Pictures to be included with the highs and lows of life in 40 feet.
The three dogs are ready to go . Flee is happy with my son, he enjoys being an only dog and looks relaxed and happy.
My promise is to keep this blog current.
Will be thinking of all my friends out there.
Jim and Lindsay

bad bad blogger

For the few people who still follow this, Mea Culpa, I have been very bad.
Why..... this year in Florida was different for me. The dogs did make me crazier then in the past, the weather was cool to cold and wet, I felt at drift ( whatever that means) . I was glad to head home to all the creature comforts, a fenced in yard for the dog, and my own vehicle.
I still love living in the bus it is just the dogs seemed more demanding this year, or I was less able to deal with them. Or it could just be that I had alot more on my mind and was more anxious /stressed then last year. Need to deal with that.

So, I list my sources of angst> house still not sold, money a bit tighter then I would have expected, children continue to have multiple issues, I have yet to find my "groove".

So let's go to the last one, what is my groove ?
The first year of retirement I reveled in all the time I had, now I feel adrift with it. Funny feeling, I think I need some external structure, a part time job perhaps. I feel isolated, especially in Florida, where all the relationships are more then casual in an RV park. Filling my time with shuffle board doesn't do it for me. My sister suggested that I was too cerebral and that small talk irritates me. I am not sure that is totally true , makes me sound like a snob, however.....

I am not sure this answers the "why" of why I didn't blog, but I didn't want to let my frustration show and I had fewer moments of actual peace this year.

I did get to some trials with the dogs, and I found some other dog people so I could do some training, that was a plus. But I found the dogs so much more confining this year, the walking and trying to keep them quiet, and giving each one time out of the crate. Flee especially needed more time outside the crate and yet he is the one I can't have out with the others- difficult. But, the dogs did not buy the bus, we did, and I will just have to learn to cope.

Not a happy blogger but a truthful one. Goal, to find a part time job to give me some structure and an outlet, some external socialization and some silly money.
That being said I may volunteer at the Seaport which would also get me out of the house with others. I find my world getting a bit smaller then it should be, need to put myself out there.

Sorry for the woe is me blog. I will figure it out, thought we could take a few short trips with just 2 dogs, I know that would be more restful.

Need to get the house sold, I am between lives right now. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I buried St Joseph so long ago he is probably fossilized.

For my part, more blogs- upbeat ones at that.
thanks for hanging with me
Lindsay and her golden year crisis

What's happening

Here is my very lovely granddaughter who came for a week in Florida. The weather has been very iffy here, a lot of cool weather, like jeans and sweatshirt weather, but we lucked out while she was here and were able to pull out a few good days.

We went to Everglade City and took an airboat ride and saw alligators, went to Fort Meyer Beach and to Sanibel. One morning to the Manatee Park, saw Valentines Day at the movies, ate shrimp at Pinchers and watched the Olympics. Always nice to have her with us.

The last few days have been Florida warm, and about time. The park had a pool party yesterday Now this means everyone goes to the pool for one dollar hot dogs, with a bag of chips and soda or a beer, and then we all sit around listening to the music of our youth ( Beach boys etc) and watch those who are in the pool. One fun lady started a line dance, and proceeded to all those other silly dances and a few people joined in Ahhh life in the fast lane !!

On Wednesday mornings I go to dog class with my new found friend Esther. Great class and it serves to keep Deco on his toes and i get to meet new dog people. Thank god for the dog and agility. It is one of the things that helps me keep sane

On the subject of insanity, traveling with 4 dogs is a pain. It would be better if they all played nice together, but they don't and it makes things difficult. I know I have been through this here before, but.... it does not get easier. I am going to buy a nice bottle of wine for the poor couple next door to us who have had 6 weeks of barking at 7 am , at breakfast, at dinner.

Jim's daughter will be here for 2 days and then my sister the end of next week Can't wait to see her.

Hope everyone is staying warm up North, almost into March, a month I have always hated, but then comes Spring, maybe

TaTa

finally - the delinquent blogger

I am truly negiligent but I never feel I have anything exciting that will add to my reader's lives. However, for the sake of blogging I will "blog"
The weather this year has been iffy . Last year we never saw rain and it was warm everyday. This year we have had alot of rain and cloudy days and cool days. When the florida sun comes out it is warm but those clouds cool things off.
Last weekend we went to Palmetto and an agility trial. We got to see our 2 good friends from Conn. who actually live in Maine and florida most of the time. That was fun, they are only about and hour to an hour and a half away from us but schedules seem to always conflict and then there is the dog thing - meaning I only have a short window of opportunity to leave the BARKERS.
The agility trial was great and Deco did me proud. My new friend Esther was there. I meant this great lady last year and we have been exercising the dogs together and going to an agility class together. She keeps me sane as we both come from the same spot re dogs as opposed to the numerous RV people in the park with their foo-foo dogs.
I do know a bunch of people through their dogs and have people stop by with questions, I guess they figure anyone with 4 dogs either is completely insane or knowledgeable- and they figure they have a 50/50 chance to get a correct answer.
I am beginning to look at places to stay on our way home, that is the end of March. We stay here as we have friends in the area but we could cut it down to 2 months. Next week my lovely grandaughter arrives for a week and then Toby comes for a few days, so February is pretty full. I am looking forward to both visits.
March my younger sister arrives in Fort Myers and it will be great to see her, she is staying with friends which is a good thing as the bus doesn't really handle overnight guests well- could be the 4 dog crates that take up one whole side, and then we only have one bathroom.
Again, nothing exciting happening here. I am hoping to go see AVATAR this weekend if the weather is crappy. Esther and I are going to see Precious next week. Her partner is a prof at the U of Michigan and Esther is retired except for a grad course she teaches . Again, I am lucky to have a dog friend who is also intelligent but ....wait all my dog friends are intelligent !!!!! ( although there are those who would question those of us with more then 2 dogs- right?)

I am making a promise to blog more regularly and add pictures. How about one of me at 7 am , sweatshirt and sweat pants and dogs, ahhh what a sight.

Bye all
Lindsay and the corgis 4

Florida-or how cold can it get down here !

I know I have be negligent with my Blog. so let's catch up

( and by the way just so you all don't think I am sun bathing, it is 41 degrees here at noon, and raining)

We had a great time in Marathon and it was fun to see our friends. We left on the 29th and headed to Palmetto and a 4 day agility trial. Palmetto is a great site and nice camping. Deco did a great job and got his MJP- which is his master jumpers title. We picked up 2 more standard Q,s for his master standard title. He did everything I asked, and even tolerated my poor handling at times. It was chilly and we had a downpour one day, but with long pants and a sweatshirt we all survived.

We arrived in Fort Myers on January 2nd and moved into what will be our spot for the next 3 months. We have a sunny spot with a full concrete pad and it is one of the bigger sites, we had checked it out last year. We won't be back here next year but for now it is fine and one of the better bargains at only $850 a month. The site we had in the Keyes is about 1800 a month. Would hate to spend that kind of money to be in this cold.

It has been chilly since we got here. I have been in jeans and a long sleeved shirt and the other morning it was 35 when I got up to walk the dogs. The sun has been warm in the afternoon so I have sat outside with a book for an hour or so.

Today is the worse as it is raining and the temp is not supposed to go over 45!! But the weather is expected to improve by mid next week.

This place is like a bee hive and activity slows right down in this weather with few golf carts out there ( did I mention this was golf cart city?) Actually I haven't seen any golf carts out today. Lots of Candaians, all from Quebec and only a few speak or choose to speak english. We looked at another campground for next year, closer to the beach and about $700 more a month, to soon to make those plans though.

Dogs doing well, lots of walks and everyday we go play frisbee and the fenced in area. It would be so nice if they would all run together but we have to keep Flee away from Abbie and Deco as he is such a bully and the others really challenge him. This weather is tough for him as he seems stiffer lately, he will be 9 in May, hard to believe it.

That is pretty much my update. I am incredibly lazy, today I am planning to watch UConn men at noon and girls at 4- so my day is full. And inbetween I can read using my wonderful Kindle, yes, it is all that it is rumored to be. With my iphone and the kindle I feel very "with it". My next purchase , luxury purchase on the list of not needed but a want, will most likely be the WII on the premise that I will exercise on the bus. All this cool weather and lazin' around is not helping the waistline.

I promise pictures next week, To all my friends out there, a Happy New Year

does Santa Claus come to the Florida Keys?

Lovely Marathon Florida and the scene from our RV. Arrived here on the 22nd and much to our delight, the park is very nice and friendly. Many of the people here come every year for the holidays. We have several friends from Michigan who come down every year and we are getting together with them.

I have to admit that I am missing the family this year, Perhaps because the youngest grand child is 4 and it would be fun to watch her on Christmas. Maybe I am just getting sentimental in my older age, who knows.

Jim was able to wash the RV which made him happy. All the rain and mud from the state park in Georgia - gone.

Not much else to add. While lots of people have their RVs decorate more so then a house- lots of palm trees and flamingos as well. We opted for the minimalist approach, ie , nothing. May go to K -Mart tomorrow and look for discounted Xmas goodies and do a half hearted holiday theme.

We have finally solved the problem with Nemo who cries all night if he is in his crate but if left free he insists on sleeping on our heads. I have a slip lead that is tied so he can not get on the bed and I brought one of the dog beds to put beside the bed. this keeps him off the bed but with us. Unbelievable what we do for our guys.

Just got the confirmation for the Palmetto trial, short to tall every day but Saturday- that means Wednesday thru Friday, early days. Hooray - then again it doesn't much matter as what else are we doing. It will be interested to see if Deco maintains the agility edge he showed at the Cluster in November. Here's hoping.

In closing, Merry Christmas to all. May Santa be good to you. ( and the dogs if that applies)

Savannah Georgia, or let it rain rain rain

Arrived in Skidaway Island State Park on Tuesday the 15th Great park with lots of trees, lots of space , great walking trails and a shower house with heat. This is probably the closest I have come to actual "camping" if you can use that term while in a 40 ' RV with washer and drier.
No one close by , no outside lights - which makes it a bit hairy when walking at night because of the flooding on the roads. Yes, we have had rain.
We have visited Tybee Island and went into Savannah yesterday , even ate at Paula Dean's compliments of Toby. Savannah is interesting but I think that Charleston is the prettier, or more elegant , city. I think Savannah can be real party time at times. I do love the way it is set up with 'quarters' and little parks in the center of a neighborhood so that you drive around them.
Today we had lots of rain and I stayed inside and read from my Kindle - love the Kindle- it did stop raining enough for me to get the dogs outside and walked, large puddles and all. Actually can you call water over your ankles a 'puddle'
Tomorrow should be dry a cooler and we are spending one more day here as it is easy for me with the dogs and lots of places to walk them. Sunday we start the journey to Marathon and then it is RV parks with people close together and I have to watch the mouthy dogs.
It does look like we left New England in time however, especially considering the snow covering all those mid Atlantic states that we have to drive through.
Yes, I do miss the snow at Christmas but not the cold.
will download pictures tomorrow and add to my blog - night all

charleston sc

We arrived in Charleston on Sunday. I found this state park on James Island that looked interesting . It is 643 acres with 125 RV sites, a large dog park with lake, and three mile to 2 mile trails. I figured that would work especially for the dogs.

Little did we suspect that this is the site of the Holiday Festival of Lights and it is spectacular. Three miles of lighted displays. It draws thousands of people, includes a Santa's village, lighted walkways. The animation is amazing. You can't really take pictures that capture it all. There is one display with Santa hitting a golf ball and across the road is the lit green and you see a white ball come across the road and roll on the green. Really something . It also meant that we were lucky to get a spot here. And I was just coming for the walking trails.

The only bummer is the damn rain. Everything is wet and soggy as it has rained for the better part of a week. We went into Charleston but the fog made it impossible to see the water. What a beautiful place and the houses are unbelievable !! Can not imagine what it takes to for upkeep with the humidity and ocean air.

Next, to keep the adventure going, we went to the only place in north america that grows tea. The Charleston Tea Plantation. (Jim thought this was on par with going to see the largest ball of twine- isn't that from a Chevy Chase vacation movie) Actually I knew nothing about how tea was processed so I found it interesting. From the time the tea is picked to dried and "tea ready" is 20 hours. So I thought it was interesting. Weare going to be in Savannah for 5 days so I thought we would have enough time to visit plantations, etc. But WHEN would we see tea grown again !

Tomorrow we leave for Savannah. I have walked my legs off but the dogs seem none the worse for wear. If Deco doesn't stop barking I am tying him to a tree, a palm tree at that . Damn dog- he is spoiled. Last night Abbie slept in the entrance to the bedroom so Nemo whined all night as he won't go by Abbie. Unbelievable !

Hope everyone is well and prepared for the holidays

Signing off

Lindsay and Jim on the road

countdown

As I looked outside and saw the snow, not a good sign. We need to get out of here and past the snow line.
It is taking me longer to load up this year, maybe because I know what I need or am bringing too much stuff. Can be pretty sure I am bringing too much stuff.
Loading up all the dog things, grooming kit, meds, leashes and poop bags, treats and food. Like moving a small circus. And all the while I am thinking, god this is the last day I can just open the door and let them out !!! I will get use to all the walking, did last year, but I am dreading it a bit as I have to manage these guys. If they would all get along, but that is not in the cards. Actually the one who is the problem is Flee as he and Abbie don't see eye to eye and he goes after Deco. Macho Flee
then they don't have the big crates as only 300 crates fit easily in the space assigned for doggie beds. Big enough for corgis, they are spoiled at home.
Our goal is to go as far as Winchester VA Friday where there is a camp ground. Most campgrounds are closed in new england and Penn. - wonder why as I look at the snow outside and frozen water.
I do not want to do 95 through New York and New Jersey and DC, so we are opting for a bit more inland. Tomorrow is high wind warnings, now that is not fun in our " high profile vehicle" the wind can push us across the road.

OK folks, promise some good pictures and more interesting text. Love the iphone so I should be able to get some interesting candid shots.
taa taa

One Week and Counting

Now comes the big push,getting the bus packed and the house un-packed , so to speak. Looking over all the summer duds, bringing more with me this year as I really didn't have anything to dress up in I mean casual dress up like no jeans, and I do have that stuff here so might as well bring it with me.

Then it is reloading food stuffs like bread crumbs and diced tomatoes and pasta, stuff I have in the house. We have 2 refrigerators and a freezer in the house so everything needs to go into one frig and I see what is in the freezer that I can take with me. The refrig and freezer on the bus is small so I have to be careful and the dog's food takes up a good amount of room. Unfortunately I can't find decent raw down in Florida so we just have to make due.

Will miss my doggie friends , all the Sneak members and Paulie ,my herding guru. At least I have a few contacts all set in Florida and that has possibilities.

Once I get the packages wrapped, the money set aside for those type gifts, the rv packed and cleaned, the bed made towels folded etc. I will feel less stressed.

I always find the holidays stressful and alot of it has to do with the fact that I feel I don't do enough for the kids and grandkids. Now where does that come from ? Somehow I always feel lacking during the holidays which makes me do more and more, unfulfilled expectations that I put on myself. Damn you would think at 64 I would be over that, it just gets worse until I leave and head south where I can avoid the jingle bell jingle bell feelings. How Christmas can it be with a palm tree ??

Got to say that I love the iphone . love it love it. I took pictures of the granddaughters making a gingerbread house and downloaded it, so handy to have available. And the apps!!!!!! I have one that reads barcodes and tells me where I can buy it cheaper. what a great toy.

OK fellow bloggers, countdown is on . More to come