Sunday June 30,2013
Attended the Thousand Trails church service this morning. They had a Baptist preacher. He travels to Florida to Peace River Thousand Trails during the winter months. Had a sermon on Christ as our foundation. After the service Linda and I traveled into Lexington, NC to the Lowes and Walmart stores. I wonder why Walmart and Lowes are often side by side. We picked up a section of pvc to put up our flag tomorrow and some groceries. Linda wants to go the the farmer market Tues. close by when they open.
The car sure runs smooth with the new tires and the alignment of the system. Used some of the cheap gas we got in Ga. $3.03 a gallon and diesel was $3.61. Would be nice if that is the most we pay for the entire trip. Sure is better than the $5.00 they were talking about a year ago.
Today is a cloudy and cool day. Have a flood warning here but no rain yet. It is 78 at 5:15 PM. Like I said, a really nice day.
Talked to both Waynes last evening. Maryanne is nearly over the shingles and back in Jacksonville while Wayne and Brenda are still in Cody, Wy. He is not sure of their travel plans from there, except that he plans to be on the road real soon.
The park here is nearly full. We watched two units leave this am and now there are two in their place. I expect it to remain this busy for the next week at least. Lots of flags out for the Fourth and there will be a big parade and fireworks here. Always something to do at the Thousand Trails parks.
Best wishes to all for a happy Fourth and God Bless the USA.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
The last of June finds us at Advance, NC at the Thousand Trails Forest Lake Campground. It is a beautiful day here after a night of really hard rain. I guess Red Bay fixed our leak as we were as dry as toast this morning. The sun is shining and it is 70 degrees here at 9 in the morning. The park is really full as the 4th is upon us and families are out for a weekend filled with fun. We have a really nice lot here in the shade and still able to get the Direct TV signal. We didn't worry about that when we found this spot as we now have the RV Direct TV kit so we can put out that receiver anywhere within 100 feet of the RV. In any case we are all set up for the next 2 weeks in a nice location. It is about 12 miles from here to Walmart and Lowes. This is another park where they have real good Sunday services.
We have a really nice private picnic area.
As we are facing south, we have good shade in the afternoon sun. The private picnic area is great for sitting and reading too.
Nestled in our site. Morning sun warms us but we are shaded from the afternoon sun. The way we are situated allows us to get the Direct TV (but barely).
The layout allowed for easy ingress and safe egress. We are settled here for two more weeks.
Have had good reports from all those out travelling from Florida.
Otis and Linda
The last of June finds us at Advance, NC at the Thousand Trails Forest Lake Campground. It is a beautiful day here after a night of really hard rain. I guess Red Bay fixed our leak as we were as dry as toast this morning. The sun is shining and it is 70 degrees here at 9 in the morning. The park is really full as the 4th is upon us and families are out for a weekend filled with fun. We have a really nice lot here in the shade and still able to get the Direct TV signal. We didn't worry about that when we found this spot as we now have the RV Direct TV kit so we can put out that receiver anywhere within 100 feet of the RV. In any case we are all set up for the next 2 weeks in a nice location. It is about 12 miles from here to Walmart and Lowes. This is another park where they have real good Sunday services.
 |
| looking back at the deck |
We have a really nice private picnic area.
As we are facing south, we have good shade in the afternoon sun. The private picnic area is great for sitting and reading too.
 |
| good shade |
 |
| room between lots |
Nestled in our site. Morning sun warms us but we are shaded from the afternoon sun. The way we are situated allows us to get the Direct TV (but barely).
The layout allowed for easy ingress and safe egress. We are settled here for two more weeks.
Have had good reports from all those out travelling from Florida.
Otis and Linda
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Another wonderful day in the good old USA.
Today we went back into Greensboro, Ga to get new tires on the car and have the brakes checked and the wheels aligned. After nearly $700.00 we were done. The Greensboro Chevy dealership is a very nice and friendly place. I do believe they are honest and fair in all their dealings. The folks there told us about a good restaurant near the Publix Linda wanted to stop at so we went to the Bone Island Grill. It was a really nice restaurant with a good decor and wonderful service. Linda got shrimp and I got catfish. We shared so we know that they were both outstanding. We were very pleased we went there. I am sure that if we return to Greensboro, Ga we will again visit the folks at the chevy dealership and also the Bone Island Grill.
Tomorrow is our last day in Greensboro so I will probably wax the coach again. I did wax a lot of it on Monday and then it rained Monday night and undid all my hard work. I will say that when you are travelling all the time you sure spend a lot of time cleaning the coach and car.
With the heavy rain on Monday night we were pleasantly surprised to get up Tuesday and not find any leaks. Guess all the work they did at Red Bay was done correctly.
Linda and I are both well and doing good as we enjoy our travels. It is also nice to keep track of our fellow travellers. We have finally seen Ron and Jan Nelson make it home to Calif. With their health I try to stay in touch with them daily as they travel. We had to have our friends Wayne and Brenda Casada visit them at the Rushmore memorial as Ron had "misplaced" his tow car. It ended up just being parked in a "different" parking lot. Wayne and Brenda are travelling with their grandson Nathaniel and will be out for a few weeks yet. Wayne an Maryanne Bitner got through with all their issues at Red Bay and made it to their grandsons birthday party in Birmingham, Al. Terry and Jude Zarutskie are at "home' in Wisconsin and are settled in for the summer. The Connors are safe and sound in Il. Have not heard from the other Challenger travellers and pray they are all enjoying their travels. For those staying in Florida, give us a shout.
Otis and Linda
Another wonderful day in the good old USA.
Today we went back into Greensboro, Ga to get new tires on the car and have the brakes checked and the wheels aligned. After nearly $700.00 we were done. The Greensboro Chevy dealership is a very nice and friendly place. I do believe they are honest and fair in all their dealings. The folks there told us about a good restaurant near the Publix Linda wanted to stop at so we went to the Bone Island Grill. It was a really nice restaurant with a good decor and wonderful service. Linda got shrimp and I got catfish. We shared so we know that they were both outstanding. We were very pleased we went there. I am sure that if we return to Greensboro, Ga we will again visit the folks at the chevy dealership and also the Bone Island Grill.
Tomorrow is our last day in Greensboro so I will probably wax the coach again. I did wax a lot of it on Monday and then it rained Monday night and undid all my hard work. I will say that when you are travelling all the time you sure spend a lot of time cleaning the coach and car.
With the heavy rain on Monday night we were pleasantly surprised to get up Tuesday and not find any leaks. Guess all the work they did at Red Bay was done correctly.
Linda and I are both well and doing good as we enjoy our travels. It is also nice to keep track of our fellow travellers. We have finally seen Ron and Jan Nelson make it home to Calif. With their health I try to stay in touch with them daily as they travel. We had to have our friends Wayne and Brenda Casada visit them at the Rushmore memorial as Ron had "misplaced" his tow car. It ended up just being parked in a "different" parking lot. Wayne and Brenda are travelling with their grandson Nathaniel and will be out for a few weeks yet. Wayne an Maryanne Bitner got through with all their issues at Red Bay and made it to their grandsons birthday party in Birmingham, Al. Terry and Jude Zarutskie are at "home' in Wisconsin and are settled in for the summer. The Connors are safe and sound in Il. Have not heard from the other Challenger travellers and pray they are all enjoying their travels. For those staying in Florida, give us a shout.
Otis and Linda
Sunday, June 23, 2013
June 23, 2013
We are now in the Summer season. We might ask "where did Winter and Spring go?"
Still in Greensboro, Ga until Thursday. We went down this morning to go to church and there was a note there that the preacher was sick. Linda and I were really looking forward to hearing this preacher again. He has a great message and he uses his own music during the service. Really a great experience to hear him.
Went into Greensboro yesterday to scope out the Chevy dealer as my car had a real bad vibration at 55 MPH and I also need a couple of tires. The break buddy did a number on me again. When I get to the Good Sam Rally in Atlanta, Ga I am going to get this solved. We also went to the Publix supermarket. This is Linda's favorite food store. She always looks for the BOGO's.
Weather here has been great. Sunny and cool mornings and evenings. It is 84 right now at 3 in the afternoon.
Been in touch with Wayne and Brenda Cassada who are in Wyoming with their grandson who they are travelling with this summer. The went from the FMCA 50th Anniversary Rally to the Yellowstone National Park. Also talked to Ron and Jan Nelson and they are now safe in California for the summer. Norma and Paul Connors had a little accident with a truck driving into the rear of their car so they are slowed down until the car is repaired. We may meet up with them in August when we get tp MI.
Except for car repairs the trip has not been expensive. Fuel is under 3.80 per gallon for diesel and gas for the tow has been as low as 3.27.
Thats all for now.
Enjoy your summer.
We are now in the Summer season. We might ask "where did Winter and Spring go?"
Still in Greensboro, Ga until Thursday. We went down this morning to go to church and there was a note there that the preacher was sick. Linda and I were really looking forward to hearing this preacher again. He has a great message and he uses his own music during the service. Really a great experience to hear him.
Went into Greensboro yesterday to scope out the Chevy dealer as my car had a real bad vibration at 55 MPH and I also need a couple of tires. The break buddy did a number on me again. When I get to the Good Sam Rally in Atlanta, Ga I am going to get this solved. We also went to the Publix supermarket. This is Linda's favorite food store. She always looks for the BOGO's.
Weather here has been great. Sunny and cool mornings and evenings. It is 84 right now at 3 in the afternoon.
Been in touch with Wayne and Brenda Cassada who are in Wyoming with their grandson who they are travelling with this summer. The went from the FMCA 50th Anniversary Rally to the Yellowstone National Park. Also talked to Ron and Jan Nelson and they are now safe in California for the summer. Norma and Paul Connors had a little accident with a truck driving into the rear of their car so they are slowed down until the car is repaired. We may meet up with them in August when we get tp MI.
Except for car repairs the trip has not been expensive. Fuel is under 3.80 per gallon for diesel and gas for the tow has been as low as 3.27.
Thats all for now.
Enjoy your summer.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
June 18, 2013
Another wonderful day in this good old USA.
We are still in Red Bay, Al at the Tiffin Repair facilities. Lots of Tiffin's here. They have every kind of issue you can imagine. Electronics, water leaks, awnings, repairs needed done from dogs chewing things they shouldn't, plumbing problems, windows fogging, jacks, and other assorted problems. Seems like the majority are here for three design problems: the wet bay flooring, drivers slideout flooring and the roof rails. Tiffin is covering all these problems under warrantee, with no consideration of age of coach. Takes a day to do the roof rails and the drivers slideout flooring. Only 3 hours for the wet bay replacement. We are all done except for the wet bay retrofit. Kind of boring getting these repairs done as you spend the vast majority of the time waiting for your number to be called and the bay you need to report in. We do have full hookups so all is not bad. Just nothing to do as you have to be present if your number comes up.
Looking ahead, we hope to leave here by Sat. so we can get to Greensboro, Ga and the ROD park we have reservations for a week.
Our travelling companion, Wayne and Marrianne Bittner is still with us. They are having their rails done today and then I do think they are leaving tomorrow. Marrianne has been really sick with the shingles. Spending most of her time in bed. We do hope that she gets over them soon.
On the home front, my granddaughter has completed all the paperwork for the insurance in regard to the lightning strike and expect the electrician out this week so she can submit the insurance claim. Think they want to replace the TV's and computers that were destroyed. So, whether you are on the road in an RV or in a stick house, things happen.
I told Linda that it would be asking for trouble to buy another RV after you get all the bugs out of the one you have now. I have not heard of anyone here having problems with their drive chain so I guess the Freightliner will go the million miles they say.
It is still raining and looks like it will continue for the next day or two.
Below are some pics of Tiffin redoing the wet bays in their coaches. The team that did ous have rebuilt over 600 coaches. All work and labor is at no cost to the customer. The age of the coach doesn't determine if Tiffin pays for the work.
Another wonderful day in this good old USA.
We are still in Red Bay, Al at the Tiffin Repair facilities. Lots of Tiffin's here. They have every kind of issue you can imagine. Electronics, water leaks, awnings, repairs needed done from dogs chewing things they shouldn't, plumbing problems, windows fogging, jacks, and other assorted problems. Seems like the majority are here for three design problems: the wet bay flooring, drivers slideout flooring and the roof rails. Tiffin is covering all these problems under warrantee, with no consideration of age of coach. Takes a day to do the roof rails and the drivers slideout flooring. Only 3 hours for the wet bay replacement. We are all done except for the wet bay retrofit. Kind of boring getting these repairs done as you spend the vast majority of the time waiting for your number to be called and the bay you need to report in. We do have full hookups so all is not bad. Just nothing to do as you have to be present if your number comes up.
Looking ahead, we hope to leave here by Sat. so we can get to Greensboro, Ga and the ROD park we have reservations for a week.
Our travelling companion, Wayne and Marrianne Bittner is still with us. They are having their rails done today and then I do think they are leaving tomorrow. Marrianne has been really sick with the shingles. Spending most of her time in bed. We do hope that she gets over them soon.
On the home front, my granddaughter has completed all the paperwork for the insurance in regard to the lightning strike and expect the electrician out this week so she can submit the insurance claim. Think they want to replace the TV's and computers that were destroyed. So, whether you are on the road in an RV or in a stick house, things happen.
I told Linda that it would be asking for trouble to buy another RV after you get all the bugs out of the one you have now. I have not heard of anyone here having problems with their drive chain so I guess the Freightliner will go the million miles they say.
It is still raining and looks like it will continue for the next day or two.
Below are some pics of Tiffin redoing the wet bays in their coaches. The team that did ous have rebuilt over 600 coaches. All work and labor is at no cost to the customer. The age of the coach doesn't determine if Tiffin pays for the work.
 |
| cutting out the old wet bay |
 |
| in process of removal |
 |
| cutting out the new material |
 |
| all old material removed |
Thursday, June 13, 2013
June 10, 2013
What a great day!! Tim Tebow is now a member of my favorite team, The New England Patriots! It will make watching football really interesting this year. The Patriots play the Jets twice and I sure will be happy to see Tebow scorch them!!
We are stuck here in Red Bay as we are in line to have the wet bay replaced and the side rails replaced. It could take a week to get done here. I hate that but I would hate it worse if Tiffin did not fix it. This coach is my home so I will just preserver and leave with a great coach. I hope to have pictures as we proceed with the repairs.
Still in Red Bay and it is June 13th. maybe they will start repairs soon. Already had to cancel our reservations at ROD in Greensboro, Ga. Be nice to get on the road again.
Had a shocker! Got a call from my grand daughter and she said the house was hit by lighting and all the electronics were taken out. Hit the Direct TV antenna and went into the house. All TVs, receivers, computers and other electronics were zapped. This is a fun project to take care of over the phone. In any case, the Direct TV is repaired and the insurance forms are in the process of being submitted. Linda and I thank the Lord for there not being a fire. It rattled the house so bad the large items were thrown off the shelves. There was a vase on the bathroom window and it was thrown off the window and broke on the floor. The alarm system was also zapped! Electrical outlets are suspect as lights go off and on.
I got a call from Doug Anderson and we talked a while and he said he forgot why he had called. I told him that was ok as I forgot who I was talking to. Told him to call back when he remembered. He called back a short time later and he said he had purchased the Emergency Evac plan from Coach-net. He said he called and talked to them and was convinced it was a lot better than the high price MASA or Sky Med. I already have it. Bought it when FMCA cancelled our benefit. I would recommend you research it before you spend you money.
Here are some pics of the folks here awaiting repairs here at Red Bay.
They start at 7 and quit at 3. We are told that we may get in for repairs later today. Hope so as it is hot here and nothing to do in Red Bay. We went to a sponsored dinner for MASA. Dinner was good but they wanted over $4000.00 for a lifetime membership. My life time of travel is not expected to make that a good deal. Coach-net is only $169 a year and that includes roadside service. Check it out.
What a great day!! Tim Tebow is now a member of my favorite team, The New England Patriots! It will make watching football really interesting this year. The Patriots play the Jets twice and I sure will be happy to see Tebow scorch them!!
We are stuck here in Red Bay as we are in line to have the wet bay replaced and the side rails replaced. It could take a week to get done here. I hate that but I would hate it worse if Tiffin did not fix it. This coach is my home so I will just preserver and leave with a great coach. I hope to have pictures as we proceed with the repairs.
Still in Red Bay and it is June 13th. maybe they will start repairs soon. Already had to cancel our reservations at ROD in Greensboro, Ga. Be nice to get on the road again.
Had a shocker! Got a call from my grand daughter and she said the house was hit by lighting and all the electronics were taken out. Hit the Direct TV antenna and went into the house. All TVs, receivers, computers and other electronics were zapped. This is a fun project to take care of over the phone. In any case, the Direct TV is repaired and the insurance forms are in the process of being submitted. Linda and I thank the Lord for there not being a fire. It rattled the house so bad the large items were thrown off the shelves. There was a vase on the bathroom window and it was thrown off the window and broke on the floor. The alarm system was also zapped! Electrical outlets are suspect as lights go off and on.
I got a call from Doug Anderson and we talked a while and he said he forgot why he had called. I told him that was ok as I forgot who I was talking to. Told him to call back when he remembered. He called back a short time later and he said he had purchased the Emergency Evac plan from Coach-net. He said he called and talked to them and was convinced it was a lot better than the high price MASA or Sky Med. I already have it. Bought it when FMCA cancelled our benefit. I would recommend you research it before you spend you money.
Here are some pics of the folks here awaiting repairs here at Red Bay.
 |
| there are 49 repair bays |
 |
| there are 92 full hook up sites |
 |
| lots of Tiffins here |
 |
| All sites and bays are filled |
They start at 7 and quit at 3. We are told that we may get in for repairs later today. Hope so as it is hot here and nothing to do in Red Bay. We went to a sponsored dinner for MASA. Dinner was good but they wanted over $4000.00 for a lifetime membership. My life time of travel is not expected to make that a good deal. Coach-net is only $169 a year and that includes roadside service. Check it out.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
June 9, 2013
We left The C&C campground at the Talladega Raceway this morning early. The weather was clear and overcast. The folks at C&C really go out of their way to make sure all is good for your camping experience. We hope the Friendship Chapter will again hold their Friendship Rally at C&C in two years.
The entertainment at the Rally was really outstanding and it was enjoyed by all. The attendees really hated to see the end come to their performance. There were three really talented guys that sang songs that you could understand and the skits were really funny. The evening meal was really outstanding too. Pull pork! Wonderful.
Linda and I are now at Red Bay at the Tiffin Repair park. We have no idea how long we will be here. Not over three days we hope as we have reservations in Ga. that we really want to keep.
There are 93 spots for the coaches to park in and they are all full! They also have 46 work bays so maybe we can move through the system quickly.
Will have some pics of the facility tomorrow for you.
Otis and Linda
We left The C&C campground at the Talladega Raceway this morning early. The weather was clear and overcast. The folks at C&C really go out of their way to make sure all is good for your camping experience. We hope the Friendship Chapter will again hold their Friendship Rally at C&C in two years.
The entertainment at the Rally was really outstanding and it was enjoyed by all. The attendees really hated to see the end come to their performance. There were three really talented guys that sang songs that you could understand and the skits were really funny. The evening meal was really outstanding too. Pull pork! Wonderful.
Linda and I are now at Red Bay at the Tiffin Repair park. We have no idea how long we will be here. Not over three days we hope as we have reservations in Ga. that we really want to keep.
There are 93 spots for the coaches to park in and they are all full! They also have 46 work bays so maybe we can move through the system quickly.
Will have some pics of the facility tomorrow for you.
Otis and Linda
Friday, June 7, 2013
June 7, 2013
The rally is a very good experience. The food and entertainment have all been good. The weather has been overcast the last two days as a result of the storm that moved in from the gulf. We have had next to no rain so all is fine.
Here are some pics of the rally.
The Challengers have 11 coaches here.
The facilities at the rally are first rate.
He really sounded like Willie Nelson. Did a great performance.
Linda looks like she is having fun
The rally is a very good experience. The food and entertainment have all been good. The weather has been overcast the last two days as a result of the storm that moved in from the gulf. We have had next to no rain so all is fine.
Here are some pics of the rally.
 |
| Stage at Friendship Rally |
 |
| Challengers waiting for diner |
 |
| more Challengers |
 |
| Willie Nelson impersonator |
 |
| Linda being romanced by Conway Twitty |
The facilities at the rally are first rate.
He really sounded like Willie Nelson. Did a great performance.
Linda looks like she is having fun
Thursday, June 6, 2013
June 6, 2013
We have had good weather for the start of the Friendship Rally held every other year here in Talladega, AL. As with all activities, the number of attendees is down. We do have 11 coaches from our home club, The Challengers of Central Florida.
As I write this blog, we are getting warnings pertaining to the first tropicl storm of the season. The warnings are for Brevard County, Florida/ We are expcting some rain and storms here over the next couple of days. It is curently 73 degrees here.
We had a hot dog and hamburger supper last evening and eggs, bacon, grits and bisquits for breakfast. I always folunteer to help with the cofee so I was up at 6 this morning. It is so nice to work with so many friendly people.
he setup here is really nice. We all have 50 amp electric and plenty of water. In face you have to use a pressure redcer so you don't blow up you water system. There is a dump station here if yu need to dump before you leave. The "lots" are very large so visiting with you neighbors is accomandated. Also you have plenty of room to park your car. All in all, a very nice location here at the speedway. We can see the grandstands from our motorhome here where we are parked.
We have had good weather for the start of the Friendship Rally held every other year here in Talladega, AL. As with all activities, the number of attendees is down. We do have 11 coaches from our home club, The Challengers of Central Florida.
As I write this blog, we are getting warnings pertaining to the first tropicl storm of the season. The warnings are for Brevard County, Florida/ We are expcting some rain and storms here over the next couple of days. It is curently 73 degrees here.
We had a hot dog and hamburger supper last evening and eggs, bacon, grits and bisquits for breakfast. I always folunteer to help with the cofee so I was up at 6 this morning. It is so nice to work with so many friendly people.
he setup here is really nice. We all have 50 amp electric and plenty of water. In face you have to use a pressure redcer so you don't blow up you water system. There is a dump station here if yu need to dump before you leave. The "lots" are very large so visiting with you neighbors is accomandated. Also you have plenty of room to park your car. All in all, a very nice location here at the speedway. We can see the grandstands from our motorhome here where we are parked.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
June 4, 2013
So much has happened in the last few months. A lot of it good and joyful. One of the highlights being the birth of Branson Beal, my third great grandson, born to my granddaughter Kayla Beal. As we spend the majority of the winter in Florida parked at our RV garage in Grant Valkaria, we get to see the Beal family daily. The young gives balance to the old.
We have had too many deaths in our circle of friends and family. To be philosophical about that we are getting older. My oldest brother Mark, who is 86 lost his wife of 69 years to a stroke. Mark is still doing fine and now lives in an assisted living facility. My other living brother Dallas, worries way to much about things he can not control, like politics, new morality and what happens to Tim Tebow. He has had heart issues and is doing fine now. He will greatly improve if Tim Tebow can get a new team where he can again do his magic.
My three sisters are all well and busy. Patty is still working so very hard in the Minerva community and for Habitat for Humanity. She is amazing in all she does for all. A real model for a person with a servants heart. She is the sparkplug for our family reunions and makes it a roaring success each year as she opens her home and heart to over 100 family members for the Friday and Saturday reunion in July. Her son, Ricky with his wife Judy, sponsors the Friday night pizza affair at their house. A wonderful family affair and in all the years (over 30 years) that we have had a family reunion in Minerva, Ohio, not one negative event has occurred.
We continue to enjoy our full timing lifestyle and can not imagine moving back into a "stick" house. The freedom you have and the lack of "daily chores" make for a very nice lifestyle. Repairs and maintenance are an issue you have to deal with. Instead of waiting for a repairman to come to your house you take your house to the repairmen. This can be a real pain as it is your house where you live. This past April we had a window that got water between the dual panes and we took it to Lazy Days for replacement. Tiffin covered the repair 100 % and our membership in the Crown Club at Lazy Days provided us with free camping and meals, but we were there for 14 days to get the window replaced. When they finally started the repair it took less than 30 minutes. To be fair, we told our service contact that we were in no hurry as we enjoy our stay at Lazy Days. This repair is used as an example of one of the events of the full time RVing that we live with.
We still enjoy our club, the Challengers, that we camp with on a monthly basis. It is good to get together and just visit and play games with one another. Many of the members are planning a trip to Talladega, AL in June for a 5 day Rally. The Friendship Rally is the best one we attend. It is held every other year and is a must for us.
Just got interupted! As Linda, my great grandson and I were walking down to get the mail, Linda said "look, here is a gator!" It was not a gator but a 6 - 7 foot crocodile! It was about 3 foot from the driveway and right where we were! He was pretty with his coloring and was just lying there in the sun. I asked Linda to watch him and I went and got our personal protection. I then went next door to our neighbor, the famous Shawn Heflick, of the Python Hunter fame on the National Geographic Channel. He wasn't home but my grandson - in - law, Nathan Beal got his number from his website and called him. He came right home ( about 7 minutes ) but by the time he got there the croc had decided to take a swim. Now it was far more difficult to get a good solution to the removal of the croc! By this time we had a real crowd as a lot of neighbors were here watching the famous python hunter do his thing! Shawn got a rod with heavy leader and a treble hook and finally hooked the crock and pulled him into the bank. He went down and put a rope around its nose and pulled it onto the bank. He then got on the top of the croc and tied its mouth shut. Then he picked it up and put it in the back of a pickup and took it to his house and put it in a pen. This made for about 3 hours of entertainment for us and the neighborhood.
As I look back over the last year of our full timing in an RV, I have to say that it has been a grand adventure and Linda and I sure wouldn't want to change anything. We have had a few maintenance issues that were no different from the problems that you have living in a stick house. We enjoy going to Lazy Days for repairs so there is not a big negative in our maintenance. It does cost more to service the Diesel over a gas engine but overall our yearly costs are well within reason. The only recurring problem we have had is the leak in the bedroom. It is slight but it must be repaired. We went to Lazydays on the 14th of May to get it fixed (again).
I finally got Direct TV to give me a free RV Sat kit. It is super easy to set up and Tiffin has a "Tripod" connection in the electrical bay of our Phaeton. That makes it super easy to connect and I installed an AB switch so I could just select either the top antenna or the tripod. Now when we camp in a spot that has the "sky" hidden from our view we can set up the external antenna and get our sports. We also purchased a 60 watt solar system that we can take with us and use if we go dry camping. With our 6 house batteries we should be able to keep the freezer good and cold without running the generator. The cost of the solar system with the charge controller and a 200 watt inverter was under $200.00. It works like a charm. The only drawback to both is we have to find a place to carry them as we travel.
We are on the road again. Left Grant-Valkaria and went to Lazydays to have a bedroom slide leak fixed (didn't happen) and went on to Thousand Trails in Orlando for a week. From there we went to Florida Gateway RV resort to meet with Wayne and Marianne Bittner. What a resort. The park was unbelievably beautiful. We only stayed a night as we went on to Unadilla, Ga for a night. Wayne and Marianne stayed there and Linda and I went on to Talladega, AL to arrive early for the Friendship Rally. It is always a great time. We will be here a week.
So much has happened in the last few months. A lot of it good and joyful. One of the highlights being the birth of Branson Beal, my third great grandson, born to my granddaughter Kayla Beal. As we spend the majority of the winter in Florida parked at our RV garage in Grant Valkaria, we get to see the Beal family daily. The young gives balance to the old.
We have had too many deaths in our circle of friends and family. To be philosophical about that we are getting older. My oldest brother Mark, who is 86 lost his wife of 69 years to a stroke. Mark is still doing fine and now lives in an assisted living facility. My other living brother Dallas, worries way to much about things he can not control, like politics, new morality and what happens to Tim Tebow. He has had heart issues and is doing fine now. He will greatly improve if Tim Tebow can get a new team where he can again do his magic.
My three sisters are all well and busy. Patty is still working so very hard in the Minerva community and for Habitat for Humanity. She is amazing in all she does for all. A real model for a person with a servants heart. She is the sparkplug for our family reunions and makes it a roaring success each year as she opens her home and heart to over 100 family members for the Friday and Saturday reunion in July. Her son, Ricky with his wife Judy, sponsors the Friday night pizza affair at their house. A wonderful family affair and in all the years (over 30 years) that we have had a family reunion in Minerva, Ohio, not one negative event has occurred.
We continue to enjoy our full timing lifestyle and can not imagine moving back into a "stick" house. The freedom you have and the lack of "daily chores" make for a very nice lifestyle. Repairs and maintenance are an issue you have to deal with. Instead of waiting for a repairman to come to your house you take your house to the repairmen. This can be a real pain as it is your house where you live. This past April we had a window that got water between the dual panes and we took it to Lazy Days for replacement. Tiffin covered the repair 100 % and our membership in the Crown Club at Lazy Days provided us with free camping and meals, but we were there for 14 days to get the window replaced. When they finally started the repair it took less than 30 minutes. To be fair, we told our service contact that we were in no hurry as we enjoy our stay at Lazy Days. This repair is used as an example of one of the events of the full time RVing that we live with.
We still enjoy our club, the Challengers, that we camp with on a monthly basis. It is good to get together and just visit and play games with one another. Many of the members are planning a trip to Talladega, AL in June for a 5 day Rally. The Friendship Rally is the best one we attend. It is held every other year and is a must for us.
Just got interupted! As Linda, my great grandson and I were walking down to get the mail, Linda said "look, here is a gator!" It was not a gator but a 6 - 7 foot crocodile! It was about 3 foot from the driveway and right where we were! He was pretty with his coloring and was just lying there in the sun. I asked Linda to watch him and I went and got our personal protection. I then went next door to our neighbor, the famous Shawn Heflick, of the Python Hunter fame on the National Geographic Channel. He wasn't home but my grandson - in - law, Nathan Beal got his number from his website and called him. He came right home ( about 7 minutes ) but by the time he got there the croc had decided to take a swim. Now it was far more difficult to get a good solution to the removal of the croc! By this time we had a real crowd as a lot of neighbors were here watching the famous python hunter do his thing! Shawn got a rod with heavy leader and a treble hook and finally hooked the crock and pulled him into the bank. He went down and put a rope around its nose and pulled it onto the bank. He then got on the top of the croc and tied its mouth shut. Then he picked it up and put it in the back of a pickup and took it to his house and put it in a pen. This made for about 3 hours of entertainment for us and the neighborhood.
As I look back over the last year of our full timing in an RV, I have to say that it has been a grand adventure and Linda and I sure wouldn't want to change anything. We have had a few maintenance issues that were no different from the problems that you have living in a stick house. We enjoy going to Lazy Days for repairs so there is not a big negative in our maintenance. It does cost more to service the Diesel over a gas engine but overall our yearly costs are well within reason. The only recurring problem we have had is the leak in the bedroom. It is slight but it must be repaired. We went to Lazydays on the 14th of May to get it fixed (again).
I finally got Direct TV to give me a free RV Sat kit. It is super easy to set up and Tiffin has a "Tripod" connection in the electrical bay of our Phaeton. That makes it super easy to connect and I installed an AB switch so I could just select either the top antenna or the tripod. Now when we camp in a spot that has the "sky" hidden from our view we can set up the external antenna and get our sports. We also purchased a 60 watt solar system that we can take with us and use if we go dry camping. With our 6 house batteries we should be able to keep the freezer good and cold without running the generator. The cost of the solar system with the charge controller and a 200 watt inverter was under $200.00. It works like a charm. The only drawback to both is we have to find a place to carry them as we travel.
We are on the road again. Left Grant-Valkaria and went to Lazydays to have a bedroom slide leak fixed (didn't happen) and went on to Thousand Trails in Orlando for a week. From there we went to Florida Gateway RV resort to meet with Wayne and Marianne Bittner. What a resort. The park was unbelievably beautiful. We only stayed a night as we went on to Unadilla, Ga for a night. Wayne and Marianne stayed there and Linda and I went on to Talladega, AL to arrive early for the Friendship Rally. It is always a great time. We will be here a week.
 |
| Our RV site at Gateway Resort |
 |
| Our neighbor in Grant-Valkaria loving a crock |
 |
| A beach at Gateway RV Resort |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)