Starting Out

Tuesday, 20 February 2018

Lake Corpus Christi State Park

It took me a surprising amount of time this morning to locate a place who would repair the RV under warranty.

I learned that Texas is the only state in the Union to have a law designating exactly which RV dealers can make repairs on RVs. In essence, I have to either go back to the dealer where I bought it or I can go to one of the few repair places that Thor (the manufacturer) has a repair contract with.

What finally made the choice for me was timing and logistics. A place in Buda was able to take it if I’d leave it there for 4-6 weeks. Because I’m living in it, they weren’t really an option. The dealer, MHSRV, could do it but I had to get special dispensation from somebody because I’m living in it, which meant revamping the schedules of their repair folks. But they’ve worked me in beginning this coming Saturday, and for however many days it takes after that (remembering they’re closed on Sunday) to get the job done. A nuisance because I want to get on the road, but that faucet is a much greater nuisance.

It rained off and on today but was otherwise pleasant. I got some organizing done and some relaxing done.

I hope you can enlarge these photos.  The one on the left tries to show two clumps of palm trees that I'm guessing planted themselves.  I keep forgetting how nearly tropical this area is.  Lots of little yellow flowers.  Very pretty.

The second is 5 wading birds that my best guess says are immature Little Blue Herons.  That's based on the dark tips to their wings I saw when they flew.  I tried to get a picture of that but missed.  The very foreground is the picnic table at my site.  This looks out to the main lake in the background.  

Very nice campground except for the MASSIVE number of ant beds.  I also saw what I'm pretty sure was a cormorant and a dowitcher, but I didn't have my binoculars with me so can't be sure.  The bird book says they're likely here, so I may be right.

Monday, 19 February 2018, Presidents’ Day, my sister’s birthday

Lake Corpus Christi State Park, Mathis TX (near Corpus)

I wish I’d remembered when I was at the grocery store that today was the birthday of my sister Louise.  In her memory, I like to have her favorite dinner – pork chops with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and peas.  Of course, since I have a small dishwashing problem it’s probably just as well I forgot.   I’ll postpone the dinner until I can get the kitchen faucet fixed.

Thank goodness for making reservations.  This campground had a “full” sign on it and I wouldn’t have gotten in without the reservation.   I got here just barely early enough to snag the last good site, next to a small inlet of water off the main lake: I’m watching an egret feeding on the other side as are several scaup. I haven’t seen scaup in 20 years but I was so incessantly drilled in the duckies by my birdwatcher husband that I knew them instantly.  Hey – we take our accomplishments where we can find them. I’ll try to get photos of them tomorrow to post.

So, another day of experiences.

I got the propane tank filled for the first time.   The guy who did it was very conscientious and insisted I get all living beings out of the RV before he would fill the tank.  That went over real well with the cats.   I took their crate outside and set it up and then took them out one at a time and stuck them in it.  The wind was blowing pretty seriously by then, so they turned their backs to it and hunched over and endured.  Stoically.   I mean, they didn’t holler at me.  I took the dogs for a walk, which made them happy.

The drive from last night’s campground was interesting.  Signs of the hurricane everywhere.  New fences in every other yard.  Debris piled by the road near houses.  Shredded highway department signs.   Signs on businesses saying “still open.”   At one point traffic was routed into one lane only because heavy equipment was filling the median with debris.   And this was no ordinary median.  I don’t know why it was built this way - it must have been several hundred feet wide, and the debris stretched for almost a mile (I clocked it) and it covered 2/3 of the median.  And that was by no means all of it.  I wonder what will happen with it.  I wanted to stop and get a photo but because we were all scrunched up together, there was no shoulder to stop on.

There was also a high wind warning today, and the crosswinds were a force to be reckoned with.  Certainly by me, the novice RV driver.  (I learned from the weather report tonight that they'd gusted up to 40 mph.)  The posted speed limit of 75 mph was utterly irrelevant – I went no higher than 55 mph because even at that speed it was hard to hold it in my lane.   And mine isn’t even particularly large.  In fact, one of the park rangers commented the other day on how mine would be fine in a park area marked “low clearance” but said some of the RVs she saw were higher than her building.

Dexter, my 2½ year old lab mix, has decided to adjust to RV living by being as exuberant as he can.   Exhibit A: he completely shredded my screen door this morning.  Since I’m now near the coast and the weather is substantially warmer than back up in the Austin area, it was so warm today I finally dredged out the bag of my summer clothes to find some shorts and tank tops.  The weather guy said it was up to 85° here. Trust me, I ain’t complaining.

Among the wonderful things I’ve discovered so far have been the stars. The lights of Austin have made all but Orion nearly invisible there.   Most nights I’ve been out this week have been overcast, but there’ve been several where I could see all of them.  I haven’t seen the Big Dipper in 10 years. It was so nice – like meeting an old friend. I could see all the stars in Orion  - not just his belt - and so many many others. Tonight looks like it’ll be clear, so I’m looking forward to a show again.

I just watched a heron fly across the lake and land near my off-shoot. So peaceful. I’m starting to sleep much better.

Sunday, 18 February 2018

Hidden Oaks RV Resort, near Rockport TX

I learned several valuable lessons today.  First, do a walk around the RV before driving off.  Had I done that, though, I wouldn't have learned lesson #2: if I drive off without remembering to unplug the electric cord, no irretrievable damage is done.  This time.  I may not be so lucky if there's a second time.

Lesson #3: when they told me at the RV dealership that I'd need to get a longer sewage hose than came with the RV, they were right.  It was only just b-a-r-e-l-y long enough to stretch to the dump spot.  But it worked.  Yea!  My first time to empty the tanks.  Let's also hear it for vinyl gloves left over from when I was taking care of my mom!

And lumped in with that lesson is the subsidiary lesson that I also need to get a short hose: the owner's manual says I'm supposed to use a water hose to run water through the sewage hose after dumping and to leave some water in the bottom of the sewage tank.  The only hose they gave me originally is a drinking water hose, and the spigot by the dump site says clearly the water there is not for drinking.  I don't need a lesson to know not to mix my hoses.

Lesson #4: if I know about where I want to go, it's a really good idea to make a reservation.  I'd focused my attention and energy on getting the 5 of us to Goose Island State Park near Rockport.  And we made it just fine.  Except the ranger told me that all their campsites are still closed from hurricane damage.  Ditto for Mustang Island State Park by Corpus Christi.  The ranger suggested Hidden Oaks just a couple miles down the road.

Lesson #5: try not to get so tired before stopping for the day that I can't adapt to surprises.  I'd only driven for 3 hours or so, but I'm still not used to driving the RV and it's wearing.  By the time the ranger gave me the bad news, I was too tired to want to hunt for anything else.  

This place is very pleasant with many who appear to be permanent residents.  Their monthly rates are quite reasonable, but their daily rate ($35) is half again the $20 I paid at Buescher.  I just can't afford that

Speaking of which, I realize I haven't done justice to Buescher State Park.  In the woods on a small lake they keep stocked with fish, not too much obvious damage from the terrible fire a few years ago.  Very comfortable, well maintained, pleasant and helpful staff.  

Lots and lots of  birds - the woods are full of their singing.  I'm guessing it was a Red-shouldered Hawk that sat on the ground where we got a good look until we got closer than he wanted.

I stopped at the ranger station to ask what I was seeing: some things that looked like vines climbing the trees when they were thin but grew to be as huge as tree trunks.  They said it was grapevine.  I grew up with grapevine and don't remember ever seeing anything like this.

Grapevine and oak trees

Having learned Lesson #4, I've made a reservation for Lake Corpus Christi State Park for tomorrow.  I still need to get my kitchen faucet fixed, and now I know I need some RV supplies, so I don't want to go too far down the road without doing some regrouping.  If it's a nice place, I'll stay till I leave for Austin.

Saturday, 17 February 2018

Buescher State Park, Smithville, TX

I had intended to leave today and go to the coast, but when I got up this morning, I realized I was still pooped from the day before.  I decided another night here in Smithville was just the ticket and it has been.  I did almost nothing all day – read a book, watched a video. It certainly pares down my options when there’s no wi-fi signal.  All of these will get posted at once, when I get somewhere else.  Wait – news flash – I now have a signal on my little hot spot! I’ll try to get these posted before I lose it.

In the meantime, and continuing my chronicle, we come to the dish saga. Not wanting to live through another flood like yesterday’s but still needing to wash the dishes – actually, needing it more since I'd added to the pile – I had a sudden flash of inspiration when I realized I also needed a shower. Nearly ran the park out of hot water, which I wouldn’t have thought I would, since they must be geared for several people to shower at the same time – there are 2 stalls in the women’s room, surely 2 in the men’s room. Oh well, a lukewarm finish didn’t hurt my feelings and everything got clean.

I've decided to skip Galveston and go to Rockport instead.  I want to be back in Austin on Wednesday to clean the house before the Thursday closing, so I only have 3 more nights and I'd rather stay in one place for that time.  I'm afraid to push myself too much so early in this experiment - especially when there's no need.  I decided on Rockport because it was one of the places that was hit hard by the hurricane, and they're asking for tourists to come and spend money.  So I'm saving up my grocery shopping for whatever's available in Rockport.

Friday, 16 February 2018

Buescher State Park, Smithville, TX

I started pretty early to try to wrest some kind of order out of the chaos I’d wrought when I just crammed stuff in yesterday. By 9:00 AM I was well underway with the organizing, which is when a park ranger stopped off to remind me to go pay for my previous night’s lodging. I think I looked and sounded a little frazzled, because he offered to drive me down to the office to register and then drive me back. Very sweet of him and very much appreciated.

By the time the ranger stopped by, I'd already figured out I needed another night here, just to have more time to organize.  I ended up spending at least 4 hours unpacking, stowing, sorting, trying to figure out what I had and where I’d put stuff I need right now, and so on. I stopped to walk the dogs and again to eat lunch, but by early afternoon I was pooped. That’s when the fun started.

I decided I’d actually wash the dishes – reasonable concept but not one I’d tried before. I learned fairly quickly that there’s an extremely loose connection between the incoming water hose and the kitchen faucet, and that when I turn on the faucet, I flood the 3 drawers underneath the sink. And all the contents of those drawers. And the floor. All over the floor.

While I was playing these games, the weather changed from really quite warm and sunny and pleasant to definitely cooler and windy and suggesting rain to come. The change meant I had a much harder time drying out the underneath-the-sink area. I couldn’t reach much of what had to be dried out, for starters. I set up a small fan in the bottom drawer, aimed at the cabinet interior, but the cooler, damper atmosphere slowed things way down.

And this being a Friday afternoon, any place I could go for repairs – the Camping World in Buda, for instance – would probably not have mechanics working on weekends.  The dishwashing plan came to a screeching halt.

So after walking the dogs, I took the evening off to watch The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. What a happy movie – and all about the problems of starting over and taking a chance on the future. Definitely the encouragement I needed about then.

Thursday, 15 February 2018

Buescher State Park, Smithville, TX

I spent the day moving out of the house and into the RV, and there was much more to do than I thought there’d be. I had underestimated all the piles of things I’d set aside to decide about later – and “later” came today. Except I didn’t decide. I just boxed or bagged up everything and stuffed it into the RV somewhere to be decided about "later."  

And after I did that, I still had to move in all the things I use every day – the coffee-making stuff and salt and pepper and knives and forks, the bathroom stuff and pajamas, and so forth. “And so forth” included a lot of stuff. I realized as I was packing some of this stuff up that I wouldn’t want to keep it but didn’t want to take the time to figure it out today. The result is that the poor RV is just crammed with things I actually intend to donate to Goodwill and such. But I wanted to get out and get on the road.

I’m not really on the road because I have to go back to Austin next week to close on the house, but I wanted a second dry run and this seems to be it. So today was awkward and a lot of work that was probably unnecessary. And when I got to the state park, I couldn’t find anything because everything was jumbled together in separate bags and boxes. But I got at least some consolidating done, and called it good for one day. The critters were hungry and so was I.

I’d intended to take them all to the vet for a final checkup before we left but abandoned that idea when I remembered we’ll be coming back through town next week and decided to factor in the time for a visit then. And then I saved a little more time by remembering I was coming back through town and I could just plan to factor in time to do a final cleanup of the house then. Without those two decisions, I’d never have left town today.

It’s too bad there’s a cold front coming through tomorrow because it can be somewhat colder here in Smithville than in Austin, and Austin is predicted to be a bit chilly. My dogs seem to want to put down some roots somewhere so I’d be inclined to stay here at least another night, except for the predicted temperature.

I’m planning to go down to Galveston State Park after this, for slightly warmer weather and for the beach. I don’t have a cell phone signal at this campsite, but I have to go to the ranger station in the morning to pay for staying tonight so I can likely pick up a signal there.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Walmart, PA
Monday, 9 April 2018

Philadelphia has a selection of Walmarts, unsurprisingly, and I decided to try the one closest to downtown.  It's not as high class as the Jacksonville setup, but it's fine.  It's patronized by a selection of truckers, according to what's parked here so far tonight.

I'd forgotten how old a city Philadelphia is.  The main area was laid out when people were using horses and buggies as transportation, which means the streets are narrow.  Trying to accommodate today's population, many with personal vehicles and many who believe in double parking as a way of life, makes it a challenge to drive down the middle of the parked cars on the sides of the streets in a vehicle that has mirrors sticking out.  I'm sure glad I didn't come here a month ago when driving the RV was still a brand new experience.

Philly City Hall - showing
one street going directly there

closer view of Philly City hall
to show building detail

Before I came, I spent a long time studying a Philly map on my laptop, figuring out where I wanted to go and how I could get there on streets that were marked one way.  I wrote down detailed directions for myself to get from one place to another.  The problem was that I didn't notice that two of the main streets converge on a sort of roundabout that has City Hall in the middle of it and a statue of William Penn on top of a spire, altogether 548' high and visible all over town.  It was very impressive but that didn't stop me from not being able to figure out how to get around it on the street I intended to be on.  

So I ended up getting lost.  I kept finding streets with familiar sounding names but I couldn't remember why they were familiar.   That City Hall, by the way, is the world's largest municipal building.

I ended up driving for blocks and blocks on a 3 lane street, 2 of which were being used for parking, and some of the parking was pretty sloppy so I had trouble squeaking by.  Meanwhile, Jasper started yelling at me from the rear and the dogs wanted to get out and stretch their legs and I couldn't find one tiny spot to park in.  I finally pulled into a space that was half quasi-legal and half absolutely not legal, left the engine running and put the emergency flashers on and hoped a cop would come check me out.  No such luck but it gave me time to climb into the cabin and pull out my laptop and hotspot to find my Philly map.  I was only a block from where I wanted to be, and we got to the Walmart in 20 minutes.

I know those of you who seriously urged me to get a smart phone - my brother, for instance - will feel vindicated, and I agree except nobody so far has offered to pay the difference in my bill.  So I'll hold off a while longer.  This worked out okay.

Parking is also a serious challenge.  There are parking garages - at the Visitors Center, for instance - but they have 6'6" height restrictions.  Some streetside parking is available, but I haven't tried parallel parking this guy yet, and I sure didn't want to start in Philly.  I'm vaguely thinking of going into town early tomorrow morning to try and find a spot on the street, and just feed the parking meter(s).  I also found an outdoor parking lot, but I'm not sure that's what I want to do, since I'd have to pay their inflated ideas of parking fees ($4 for less than 30 minutes) for 2 spots.

There's a AAA near this Walmart so I stopped by to see if they had ideas.  The nice young woman found a parking lot that has a few oversize vehicle spots, so I may try there in the morning.

I could just leave the RV and take a bus or cab to the historical sites, but I hate to do that.  The critters - especially the dogs - aren't just fixtures in the RV to be left when inconvenient.  I want to be able to walk them along the streets, too, and limit the length of time I have to be away from them to an hour or two, rather than half a day or more.

Luckily, our family came here when we were kids.  I still remember some of that visit, so I don't have to pin my hopes on a chance to see the Liberty Bell this trip.  But I don't remember the Rodin Museum, which sits in the center of town.  I wouldn't normally bother but apparently it's got the largest Rodin collection outside of France.  "The Thinker" is in the entry courtyard, and I can hardly believe it's the original.  It's almost worth it to go see, just in case it is.  They're not even asking an entry fee.

Pennsylvania - Day 6 - Reading

French Creek State Park, PA

Friday, 6 April 2018

I decided to get some errands done while I was in the big city (Reading).

It had finally dawned on me that I’ve been driving a few miles lately without doing anything to the engine except provide gasoline.  I had to call around to a few Jiffy Lubes but found one that has 12’ high doors to accommodate my little guy.  And it turned out to be a few doors down the street from a laundromat (let’s hear it for the internet).  So I got both those chores done and the dogs got a couple of short walks.

It had also occurred to me that there might be a simple way to make spring come.  Not the "Groundhog Day" way but the if-I-wash-my-car-it-will-rain way.  After I threw away my tennies in Alvarado (when I had that dreadful accident with the sewage line), I bought new ones when I was visiting Anna and David in Dallas.  But what I bought was the breathe-able kind, figuring it was soon going to be quite warm.  As it is now in Dallas.  Well, it isn’t in Pennsylvania and I’ve been taking the dogs for walks in 35° weather in those shoes.  So today I found a Sears and bought the kind I used to wear in Washington state.  I'm confident spring will now come.

In fact, snow is now pretty much out of the forecasts, but cold temps at night aren’t.  And about that, what I’ve decided is to reroute myself to do the Allentown area first, where I can stay at a KOA with plug-ins, and then go back down to Philadelphia and stay in a Walmart parking lot once it warms up a bit more.  I’m not missing Philadelphia for any kind of weather, but I figure I can postpone it a little.

I did all my chores in a Reading suburb called Wyomissing.  Isn’t that an odd name?

So after I did grocery shopping and more dog walking, I drove around the main areas of Reading and wow!  Almost all the housing in the main part of town (as opposed to the surrounding areas) looks like these photos.  They’re in the national historic neighborhood register.  They run the gamut from obviously wealthy to obviously not and everything in between, but they look gorgeous.

I’m able to report that urban Pennsylvanians don’t mind double parking at all, and everybody seems to think it’s normal.  They honk their horns pretty quickly, but only once in all the driving I’ve been doing here has someone not let me in when I needed to change lanes.  That is absolutely Not what Texans do.  Despite the honking, they seem to be very polite drivers.  I didn’t expect it.

Sorry I can't figure out how to make this look better.  But you get to see the pictures.

Pennsylvania - Day 2 - snow day

Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA

Monday, 2 April 2018

April Fool’s Day came a day late here: I heard it rain a lot during the night, and I guess there was thunder which I didn’t hear, but about 2:00 AM I did hear Gracie trying desperately to insert herself into the shower next to the cat box.  When I went in to the bathroom to check on her, she was trembling, all of which meant to me there was thunder.  When I woke up again about 5ish, it was quiet, and I found out why when I took a quick look outside to see how muddy the road was.

I have no idea how muddy it was because it was completely covered with at least 3” of snow.   I know it was 3” because I used a tape measure on the snow on our picnic table.  Imagine my surprise.

Jasper making tracks

In my defense at being clueless, this park doesn’t have internet access when the nearby Pine Grove General Store is closed (ever since I got here), my hot spot doesn’t get a signal, and my TV isn’t picking up any channels at all.  I can sporadically get a phone signal, but that doesn’t help with the weather since it’s not a smart phone.

Anyway, the dogs and I enjoyed a very silent walk in the snow.  The dogs loved it.  I loved it too but had mental distractions.

I immediately junked my plan to visit Gettysburg today and pinned my hopes on the roads not turning to ice overnight tonight so we could leave on Tuesday.  During our mid-morning walk, I accosted the campground host plus the woman cleaning the bathroom and then we walked down to the office, asking everybody for the weather forecast.  Everybody assured me it wouldn’t get down below 35° tonight so the roads should be fine tomorrow.  In fact, it’s supposed to warm up and rain tomorrow.

Well, we’ll see.  I’d planned to stay at the Walmart parking lot in Harrisburg for the next 2 nights, so I’ll charge up all my devices and keep an eye on the propane level and we’ll see how it goes.

I still want to go to Gettysburg, and it’s only about an hour away (actually much less if the roads weren’t narrow and wind around a lot and possibly have ice patches) and I didn’t come all this way to miss it because of a little act of nature.  By the time I get there, it’ll probably be raining.

I’m hoping I can find a wi-fi signal before I get too far down the road, so I can locate the Walmart and so I can check road conditions.

Well, I wanted to experience Pennsylvania, and unexpected snow is apparently part of the experience.  And it’s just like those girls at a previous campground told me – it’s not yet 4:30 and the majority of the snow is gone.  They said that’s what happens to snow here and they were right.

One of the reasons our walks have been so quiet is that the birds haven’t been saying much.  They started perking up in the afternoon.

Even on our first walk I could tell the snow was the heavy wet variety.  The campground host told me 2 different campers had left the awnings on their RVs rolled out all night and the struts on them broke from the weight of the snow.

The campground is now almost totally cleared out.  I don’t think there are more than 5 of us left, counting me and the host.  Well, it’s a Monday and it did snow quite a bit.

Don’t know if I mentioned it before, but PA state parks rarely provide water hookups to individual campsites.   Electricity or no hookup at all, but not water.  There are pumps at intervals around the campground. PA state parks also have very restrictive dog policies.  Some of the campgrounds won’t allow dogs at all.  At this one, about half the sites allow dogs, and I’m not allowed even to walk the dogs past the non-dog sites.  I have no idea why.

In a bit, I’m going to pour some red wine (because it’s what I have that’s not refrigerated) and watch “The Martian” and have some Stouffer’s lasagne.  That all sounds like a program that should keep me warm without using the heater too much.  I set the thermostat at a level that keeps it about 60° in the cabin (I’ve got warm clothes, the critters have fur, propane that can be pumped into RVs isn’t sold on every corner).  Spring is allegedly on the way.

(Yes, I know Texas is already setting heat and drought records.  Pennsylvania is not.)

It’s all a learning experience.

Cape Henlopen State Park, DE I

Cape Henlopen State Park, DE

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

The propane learning experience continued for quite a while today. I did call the RV place not too far from the state park and they said sure they could propane me up. Unfortunately, when I got there about 10:00 they told me that, just a few minutes earlier, the guy who pumped the propane had to leave to pick up RVs from a trade show that ended the previous Sunday where they still hadn’t retrieved a whole bunch of their wares.

I’ve found that most of these places that sell propane have one and only one person who does the pumping. Maybe they have to pass some federal test or something.

Anyway, this guy wouldn’t be back for many hours, they said, so I decided to keep going down the road. While I’m driving I don’t care so much about the lack of propane. The only thing that would be using it is the frig/freezer and as cold as the weather was, I figured nothing would be going bad right away.

To get to the next town where several RV/propane deliverers were, I took a road that AAA said was a scenic one. And I’m sure it is during a season other than winter. As things stood, it was a nice ordinary Delaware country road.

At a closed roadside produce stand the other day I saw a sign that said “Spring delayed. Winter closure still in effect.” With this continuing very cold weather, spring has definitely been delayed in this part of the country. I saw some japonica blooming. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were waddling off to find a place to build a nest back at our last campground (in his desire to check them out – or worse - Dexter could barely contain himself – actually, he couldn’t contain himself and I had to work really hard to do the containing). I’ve seen a few tulip trees blooming and some jonquils. But most other signs of spring aren’t here. It seems odd when I think of all the signs of life I saw in other states. I’m guessing it’s the result of all the nor’easters that have come through this part of the country this winter.

Back to the propane quest, I drove to yet another place I’d found on the internet and it was there that somebody figured out why I hadn’t been able to get any propane before. Apparently my intake nozzle is supposed to have a gasket on it, which was missing. The guys here guessed it had stuck to the hose end the last time I’d been filled up in Jacksonville. Luckily they sold the same RVs that I have so they went to one of those units and took the gasket, so I wouldn’t have to keep hanging around while they tried to get an order filled by the supplier.  And they didn't even charge me for it.  Really nice of them, and now it’s really nice to have propane. The forecast is for 37° again tonight, and I’d rather do it with some heat this time.

So now I know why I couldn’t get filled up anywhere else, and I know to check my equipment for gaskets after getting filled up in the future.

This new park appears to be near the ocean, but I can’t tell by the map just how near. One of their trails is a dunes trail, which is suggestive. There’s sand at all the campsites. Lots of it. We’ll be here 3 days so I expect we’ll explore a bit.

Oddly, I get a phone signal and an internet signal but only a few junky TV stations – none of the major networks. I say oddly because lots of people come to this part of the state. I guess everybody has cable.

Trap Pond State Park, DE II

Trap Pond State Park, DE
Tuesday, 27 March 2018

On the weather report this morning, I swear the guy said that a front coming through Atlanta "breaks through like Sherman."

Every place I've stayed has had some kind of alcohol policy, usually of the don't stick it in anybody's face and we won't bother you variety.  But there was one park, I think it was in North Carolina, that said alcohol was absolutely prohibited, including the possession of it.  I kept wondering if one of the rangers routinely went around to RVs insisting on being allowed to inspect the contents for alcohol possession.  Anyway, nobody did while I was there.

Canada geese on Trap Pond

There's a flock of Canada geese hanging out at the pond and making a lot of noise  I don't know if you can see them in this photo - they're on the opposite side of the pond - but I thought I'd try.  The small colorful objects in the trees are fishing lures.

The geese seemed huge to me, and the bird book says I'm right - the eastern species is the largest and the western (that I'm used to seeing) is often the smallest.

This campground has what most of them do: a lot of spaces for RVs, about 18 for tents, and cabins that can be rented.  What surprised me is that they also have 2 yurts for rent, and I've never seen anything quite like these.  I hope this one shows up in the photo.  They're perched beside Trap Pond.

cabin and yurt for rent

Can you see the dogs?

I'm much better at parking than at first.  I've learned there's no shame in getting out and looking at my progress - even several times - and that makes a huge difference in my parking success.

I am currently receiving yet another lesson in planning ahead.  Despite using the heater far more often than I had been, due to really cold temps (it got down to 27° last night), I didn't think to check the propane level until this afternoon.  Which is when I discovered that the tank was nearly empty.  Not so great with another cold night (only 37° but still) and needing my propane stove to make coffee in the morning.  One of the rangers told me a gas station about 4 miles away sold propane, and I decided it was worth the hassle of unplugging and driving down the road just to be sure we'd stay warm tonight.  Not so simple.

The place 4 miles away does sell propane but couldn't get a good seal on the propane hose.  They directed me to a station 7 miles away so off I went.  That guy tried hard but his hose just couldn't get a good enough attachment.  He directed me to another station a mile back the way I'd come.  This third place said they only sold it in bottles, so sorry, but suggested I go back to a truck stop back down toward the park.  At the truck stop, they said they didn't sell propane but they got on the internet and on the phone and found a Trucking Supply store b-a-c-k down the road I'd already been down several times.  I went to the TS store and that guy tried several times but just couldn't make a good seal.  By then it was after 5:00 and most places were closing up.  I decided to tough it out for one night and deal with the coffee situation in the morning.

I drove nearly 50 miles doing all this and wound up with a still almost empty propane tank.

During the last drive, I decided what I need is an RV dealer.  They're in the business of taking care of RVs, including their propane tanks.  The RV place that did my repair in Jacksonville is the last place I got my tank filled, which is why I thought of it.

So since this very nice state park allows me to get wi-fi, I looked up RV dealers in Delaware.  And this being a very small state, they're all pretty easy to get to.  In fact, there's one back down the road I drove up and down and up and down this afternoon.  This time I think I'll call first.

But I'm bound to find somebody in the state of Delaware who can fill up my propane tank.  If I had a separate removable tank, lots of people could have filled it up, but since mine's part of my RV, the nozzle has to be configured differently.  The last guy explained this to me.

Every single person I came in contact with was as nice and helpful as anyone could wish to meet.  I now have a very high opinion of the people of Delaware.

Addendum Wednesday morning

We are indeed cold.  I had an easier time than the critters because I could - and did - add extra clothes and a sleeping bag and a heating pad to keep warm during the night.  I tried to cover up my kids but found they'd all tossed off the covers by morning.  My previous batch of pets used to love covers but none of this crew does.  I tried.

Because I have electric power, I have use of the frig and microwave.  So for coffee this morning I used the microwave to heat up leftover coffee I'd stored in the frig, and ditto for water to make instant miso soup to go with a PBJ sandwich.  Maybe not a standard breakfast but covers several of the major food groups and is filling.  I'd peel a couple of mandarins if I were warmer.  Maybe for lunch.

My next campground is only about an hour away, so I have plenty of time to find propane and a grocery store.

Little Pee Dee State Park, SC

Sunday, 18 March 2018

Little Pee Dee State Park, SC

When I was walking the dogs in Myrtle Beach this morning, I saw a sign on the door of the Dixie Beverage Store that said:

All liquor stores close at 7 PM in South Carolina.

* Yes we know it’s a stupid law.

* Yes the store across the street is closed also.

* Yes the whole state.

* Yes we know in your state and many others you can stay open later. We can’t.

* No this didn’t just start. It has been this way for over 20 years.

* If it’s after 7PM and you are reading this sign, we’ll see you in the morning.

You think they get asked this a lot?

The beach was only about 4 blocks from the KOA so I took the dogs down there. I’m pleased to report that the Atlantic Ocean is still rolling along as usual. It seemed to be a nice beach, hard to tell though because it was only 5:30 and very dark. (I’m not a fan of daylight savings time.) Fortunately nobody else seems to go to the beach at that hour so the dogs could roughhouse for a bit – the first time in a while for them and they loved it. Rolling around in the sand and all.

While I was here, I tried out some pork ribs in my crock pot. I learned a month ago that the outlets near the kitchen sink don’t work very well – when I try to charge up the phone or the camera battery, they only get partly charged while saying they’re fully charged. So I wasn’t able to just stick the crock pot in the sink, as I had hoped, but instead had to put it on the table and use the plug down by Gracie’s bed underneath. That actually worked well, but the potential for real trouble came when I left Dexter behind while I was walking Gracie. There’s absolutely no way I could trust him with such access to those ribs. He can and does jump up on the table – actually, he can and does jump up on the bed, and that’s a standing 3½’ jump. He’s very athletic. Also very willing to ignore the heated crock pot in search of pork ribs. I unplugged it and moved it to the back of the stove while we were gone, and that worked fine. I just cooked them a while longer than I would have. The moral of that story is: people who can’t be flexible have no business full-timing it in a 24’ RV with 2 largish dogs and 2 cats.

Before I left the KOA I took a photo of that trampoline/hot air bouncy thing. You can see a little kid on it – that thing is huge.

As I was going through the last town before getting to this park, I passed North Mullins Primary School. Apparently they don’t have elementary schools in South Carolina.

Not many people are staying in the park right now, which is nice considering Dexter barks when I take Gracie for a walk without him – not as many people to disturb. The roads and the campsites are entirely of sand, which seems odd since we’re a ways from the beach. Like about a 100 miles away. Trucked in or left over from when this was covered by the ocean a million years ago?

I can’t pick up a wi-fi signal at my campsite. I have to go back to the ranger station at 4:00 to sign in so I’ll see if there’s a signal there. Odd because I’ve got 2 bars on my phone, and my hot spot usually gets a signal even when my phone doesn’t. Some parks I’ve been in the signal comes and goes. Maybe here too.

Martin Dies Jr. State Park

Friday, 2 March 2018

Martin Dies, Jr. State Park, Jasper TX

Silly me – I chose a site  here next to some standing water, thinking it wouldn’t matter because it’s not mosquito season yet.  Wrong.  The multiple mosquitoes lined up on my screen door are telling me I’m way off base.  Good thing David mended the door for me, because it’d be stuffy in the cabin without the open door.

Lots and lots of pine trees out this way, and especially in this park.  There are 2 large ones a couple feet away from the RV.  The rest of Texas doesn’t have many pines, but east Texas does and it’s really nice to be among them.

Today is Texas Independence Day!  One year, Momma and I drove over to Washington-on-the-Brazos to enjoy their elaborate celebration there. Reenactments and handcrafts displays and the Texas history museum they have there.  We enjoyed it.

Back at Brazos Bend State Park (last night), they’ve got lots of signs warning people about alligators.  The call the park “the home of the American alligator.” I’m very glad we didn’t see any, because Dexter would undoubtedly be a vet patient now.

Our campsite at Brazos Bend - lots of Spanish moss

But there really were a lot of deer.  I mentioned it to the ranger when I checked out, and she said they didn’t allow a deer hunt this year because so many deer had died during Hurricane Harvey.  But, she said, the population was clearly rebounding anyway and yes, there were lots of them.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I heard a very loud owl.  It was an odd sort of call but recognizably an owl.  This morning both my neighbors mentioned it, one saying it must have been in the tree right behind my RV – which would explain why it sounded so loud.  He said it was a Barred Owl and, reading the bird book’s description of the call, I think he’s right.  I don’t remember hearing the who-cooks-for-you but I definitely heard: “a drawn-out hoo-ah, sometimes preceded by an ascending agitated barking.”  It sounded weird in the middle of the night.

At that park, I also heard something that sounded like a monkey, although I’m pretty sure it was a bird.  I asked the ranger and she said she knew what I was talking about but didn’t know the name.  Since I was on my way out of the park, she told me to call and transfer me to the nature center, where they’d definitely know.  I have to remember to do that, because it was such a bizarre sound.

Did you know there’s a very small town named Soda?  Neither did I but I’ve been there.  It’s one of the many small towns on Hwy 109 between Livingston and Jasper.

I noticed when I was getting things set up tonight that the TV had moved during the drive.  It had never occurred to me that I need to tighten the arm it swings into the cabin on.  Yet another lesson.

I had a great visit today with Mrs. Blackwood and Patty and her husband Gary. Actually, I think I mostly talked nonstop, but occasionally I’d let them get in some information about the rest of the family.  It was really good to see them again.

I stopped on my way into Houston to buy gasoline this morning because the gauge registered nearly empty.  As a result, I’m in a position to state that it only takes about $80 to fill up the tank, given gas prices of $2.13.

Anna took this photo as I drove away from their house.  The caption is hers.

And the adventure begins!!

Tomorrow night, I’ll be staying at Lake Bruin State Park in Louisiana, near the Mississippi River.  They wouldn’t let me have a reservation because I’m only staying one night (it’s a weekend so they get picky), but the ranger said not to worry, they weren’t anything like full right now.

Sunday night, I have a reservation in Florida at the Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park.  I think it’ll be quite a drive from LA but for some reason Alabama state parks cost more.  Maybe I’ll plan to stay an extra night at the Florida park, just to get some rest.

The driving is turning out to be okay – the RV drives like a Ford pickup, which it sorta is.  But I’m not used to driving so much so regularly, although I’m rapidly getting used to it.

Alvarado to Richardson

Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Richardson, TX

It's been a busy 2 days and I need to catch up.

I tried to download this photo a couple of days ago to illustrate the stunning lack of ambiance (compared to state parks, for instance) at the campground of Motor Home Specialists http://www.mhsrv.com/   But, as I said before, the price is sure right.

Alvarado's "campground"

First thing Monday morning, Art the technician zipped over on the golf carts they use extensively here because the lot is so huge (many of their RVs are huge, too).  He was pleased to hear his ice trick worked.  I had noticed a few days earlier that I had wires and a flap of something hanging down from the rear undercarriage, and Monday Art fixed it by replacing the pad that keeps the sewage tank from freezing in cold weather (ghastly thought).  He also picked out a new sewage hose for me and answered all the dumb questions I'd thought up over the weekend.  Nice guy.

Then I settled with the Service Department (all under warranty except the new sewage hose).  I then went and bought an extended warranty that is supposed to cover almost anything for the next 6 years.  I don't usually do extended warranties, but this one looked worth the money. 

I bought gas in Alvarado ($2.07/gal) and by then it wasn't far off noon so high time to skip town.

I got to David and Anna's easily - a surprise that Monday morning Dallas traffic would cooperate so well - and they set to work to take care of me.  Which, by then, was needed.  They let the dogs run around their yard and wiped the mud off them afterwards.  They fed me real food and offered a shower and washing machine.  They helped me make a list of all the things I needed to do (like new tennis shoes) and gave me my forwarded mail.  Too bad they only live here.

Tuesday, they drove me all over town (well, it seemed that way because Richardson is now so huge and spread out).  To the bank to put my will in the safe deposit box and check to be sure the house sale money had been deposited.  To the storage unit to drop off the last of the stuff I want to hang onto from Momma's house.  To Sears to get me some new shoes.  To Anna's former employer to buy some latex gloves to wear when dumping the sewage using my new hose.  To Lowe's to get something David could use to fix the screen door Dexter wrecked, and a tub to hold the (used) sewage hose (which, I'm told, everybody has), and a smaller tub to hold the water hose.  To Target to get something to hold the broom in one place so it won't fall on the floor noisily when I go over a bump (scaring Gracie), and a clock to hang on a wall because I'm having trouble functioning without at least one clock in this place.  And in between all that, we came back to the house so I could walk the dogs and feed the critters, and we had some great Mexican food at Cafe Milagro.

When we got back to their house, Anna helped me move the RV close enough to their house that we could run extension cords - the power cord attached to the RV + my extension cord + their extension cord just barely was long enough.  And Anna dredged out a couple of orange cones to protect the connection in the road.  They filled my windshield washer fluid, which had been totally empty - never filled, I think.  And in the evening, David figured out what I was doing wrong when trying to download photos from my camera, and he and Anna fed me supper, and we watched NCIS - my first time in more than a month.

Today, they have more plans for doing things for me.  Amazingly generous people.

Tomorrow's March 1, which means I have only a month to get up to New York.  I know that sounds easy, except I'm still getting used to all kinds of little things - inside ones like how to use the windshield washer and outside ones like where the front and rear of the RV are and where the mirrors extend to and how tightly it can turn - just all kinds of things that aren't like driving Momma's Honda Civic.  And I need to find places to stay along the way.  Texas was easy because I've spent so many years here.  I'm not at all familiar with Georgia or South Carolina or up the east coast - I mean as far as parks and campgrounds go.  It's something else to learn about.

I'm sure that by the time I get to New York, this will all have become routine.  But routines always have a beginning, which is usually awkward.  That starts tomorrow.  Always something to look forward to.