Message From the Veterinarian Hospital

I was feeling pretty good when I picked up my mail this morning.  Then I opened the envelope from the Vet hospital where I took Big Guy and inside was a sympathy card.  As soon as I saw the paw print on the front of the card, I lost it.  Then I opened the card and inside was the following...

The Rainbow Bridge

          Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

     When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here,

that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for our special friends so they can

run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm

and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and

           vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong

again, just as we remember them in our dreams and days and times

gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they

each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.  His bright eyes are intent.  His eager body

quivers.  Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green

grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted and when you and your special friend finally meet,

you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.  The happy

kisses rain upon your face, your hands again caress the beloved head, and

you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from

your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…

I had a smile on my face along with tears streaming down as I read it in the middle of a parking lot.  I didn't care if anybody saw me.  I also felt better because of the visual I got reading the poem.  I know I'm not the only one who has lost a loving pet, so this is for you, too.

Still hanging in there,

Jeana

P.S.  Last post I said I was going to complain about MiFi today.  I think this is a lot better.  

Tucson Weather is Awful...Should Have Stayed in Seattle

Thank you all for your words of encouragement for me re the loss of my dog.  I appreciate all the hugs sent and I feel so warmed by them.  Thank you.

I mentioned in my last post that I’d talk about weather in my next post and here it is.  I should have stayed in Seattle.  The weather in Tucson has been awful.  For example, rainfall so far this month in Seattle - .06, in Tucson – 1.86 (as of last Saturday).  As I recall, my reason for leaving Seattle was to get away from the rain.  This is a candle holder I have outside on my cement pad and it took two days to get this much rain… 

We got this much yesterday…

I guess I need to get a rain gauge. 

Prior to the rain we had two days of constant wind.  There’s a vent on the east side of my motorhome, the direction the wind was coming from, and it kept flapping…for two days!!!  The first night I finally had to unearth my earplugs so I could sleep because I couldn’t block out the flapping noise. 

Prior to the two days of the wind blowing it was terribly cold here.  I had to go buy a hat and warmer gloves to wear when I was taking my dog potty or for just going outside.  I even bought an oil heater, at the recommendation of the man who sold me my Alpha, and it helps.  Oh yeah, an electric blanket too.  I’m talking cold.  

Watching the news last night I saw that Tucson was 1° warmer than Seattle. 

I will admit that some days after the sun comes out I’m able to sit outside with a light jacket on.  Those days have been few and far between.

I’d be going nuts if I were still in Olivia, my Winnebago View, with the lack of space.  It helps to have the extra space that I now have in my Alpha, but I’m supposed to be outside, not locked inside because of the weather.  It gets dark so early and the nights seem to last forever.

Enough of the weather.  I’ve met some great people here in the pet section of the Voyager.  I’ve noticed that there seems to be more camaraderie in the pet section, probably because of all the dogs being walked. 

One of my neighbors from Alberta, Diane, wanted to take a class in glass fusion and talked me into going with her.  I went along reluctantly and ended up really liking it.  Here’s my first project…

Tomorrow I'm going to talk about MiFi...and how unhappy I am with it.

Hanging in There,

Jeana

Mourning the Loss of My Dog

                    

He came into my life about the time my son joined the Air Force and I became an empty nester.  We had an instant bond the first time we met and it only got stronger the 14+ years we were together.  I miss him terribly.

Three months shy of 15 years is how long he was around.  His fur went from black and brown to gray and white…kind of like me.  I guess we were definitely a match. 

I didn’t realize just how much I talked to him now that he isn’t around.  I’m still talking to him but in a different way.  Even in the larger motorhome he still managed to lie down right in my path so I was always stepping over him.  I wish I still had to do that. 

I didn’t realize just how much my life was centered around him, especially now that I’m an RVer.  I couldn’t just let him out the back door like I did when we were still in my house.  We were up at 6:30 in the morning for our first walk (AARGH) and the last one was around 8:30, with four or five walks in between those hours.  

I'm feeling directionless now.  Part of me wants to go right out and replace him but I'm not going to do that.  When he was still around I remember saying that after his passing I probably wouldn't get another dog.  What was I thinking?  Now that I'm alone I realize just how much he added to my life and another dog can do that, in time.  

He always got the ends of any banana that I ate.  He recognized the sound of me peeling a banana and waited patiently for his pieces. 

No offense to the small dog owners reading this post, but he was so regal when we walked past the small yappy dogs who were going ballistic as we walked by.  Being so dramatic seemed to be beneath him and he walked past them like they weren’t even there.  Yet he was friendly to all the dogs, especially the ones that were happy to see him.  Sort of sounds like a human trait.  

We spent more time together living in my motorhome.  When it was decent outside (that's the subject of my next post...weather) he'd woof at the people walking by to let them know he was around and to say hi.  

I’ve given up on mascara for the time being because I never know when the tears are going to come.  At times the pain is almost unbearable and I wish it would go away.  I know it will with time.  But I loved him so much and I won’t take short cuts as I mourn his passing. 

Thanks, Big Guy, for all the wonderful times we had together.  I miss you so much.

I Miss My Back Yard

The thing I miss the most about no longer being in my house is my back yard!!!  Especially at 6:30 AM and 8:30 PM when it’s time for a potty break for my dog.  I miss being able to open the back door, let him walk out, do his thing, then let him back in while I remain in my bathrobe!!  Even though it’s in the 70s during the day, being in the desert it’s a lot cooler at 6:30 AM and 8:30 PM, before the sun has come up and after it’s gone down.  Believe it or not, my winter coat that goes down to my ankles is wonderful at both those times and I’m so glad that I have it, including my gloves.  Fortunately, those are the only times I need both on any given day down here in Tucson.

The lack of space has finally gotten to me and I found a larger motorhome.  If you didn't notice the new picture, look up.  Geez, is it larger.  I went with an Alfa See Ya 40 ft diesel pusher.

It has two hallways, one loaded with closets and drawers...

and the other one goes through the bathroom… 

Both end up in the bedroom...

Whoopee...a bedroom.  The slide on the right isn't out so it's larger than it appears.  

The living/dining rooms and kitchen have so much space I hope I'll know what to do with all of it...

The storage, inside and out, is unbelievable.  I know that what I currently have in Olivia probably won't even make a dent in the storage available. This is quite the home on wheels.

There’s a circular opening on the Corion counter for throwing garbage into the garbage pail.  Access to the garbage pail is from the outside and it has it’s own door.  Right now, in Olivia, I put up two removable hooks on a wall and I have a plastic bag hanging on it for my garbage.  It doesn't look great but at least I have a place for my garbage.  

A requirement on my wish list for my next motorhome was a washer and dryer and I have that in addition to a built in vacuum.  While the built in vacuum wasn’t a requirement I won’t turn it down!!

The space I’m in right now is next door to a park model.  I’m thinking that it’s going to be a tight fit so I’m going to see if I can move into a space not next to a park model.  The park model itself isn’t the problem but I think the carport cover will be.  Also, slides on Alfa’s are deeper so that might be a problem too, not for living with, but for when parked next to a park model. 

If you're looking for a non-hard sell dealership, let me recommend Pedata in Tucson.  They're a very laid back, non-pressure dealership and that's where I found my motorhome.  What's more, the salesman lives down the street from where I'm living!!!  He has a good reputation in the RV park so that's also a plus.    

While I like the dealership, I don't like what they offered me for Olivia so I'm going to sell her on my own.  I figure I'll make $12,000 - 16,000 more that way and that's quite a difference.  

Now that I've found my next home I figure I'll have more time to spend  catching up on your blogs.  I'm soooo way behind.  Wait, I'll have more time after I've moved all my stuff from Olivia to my new motorhome (unnamed, so far) and cleared out my storage area.  Fortunately, the Voyager, where I'm at, is having a "yard sale" on December 10th so I hope I'll be able to get rid of stuff I've decided not to leave in storage.  I see further downsizing in the near future!!!

Feeling good today,

Jeana

P.S.  I notice I have a number of new followers and I promise to acknowledge you in the near future.  In the meantime, thanks for joining me on my journey, if you call wintering in Tucson, a journey.  

RV Dealers Drive Me Crazy

My neighbors and I went to another RV dealership yesterday.  They pulled the bait and switch with us so the lady we started with was not the sales person we ended up with.  We’d been there the day before and I drove a couple diesel pushers.  The first one was awful…the gas pedal was too far to the right to be comfortable and the placement of the mirrors was a nightmare.  It had turn signal cameras but the steering wheel was in the way of the screen so they were worthless.  Our sales lady didn’t understand what the problem was. 

One of the diesel pushers she showed us was an Alpha Gold See Ya and I really liked the interior.  Well, except for the TV in the bedroom.  I don’t watch TV in bed so it’s worthless to me, but the way this one was mounted was overkill.  It’s hard to explain so I won’t get into it…just trust me, it was pretty awful. 

We’d decided that I was going to test drive it because I really did like it but they couldn’t get it started.  Hmmm.  Then my neighbor, Lloyd, did some checking on the outside and called me to the back to show me a problem.  The back section was full of silicone and parts of it were loose, etc., etc.  After showing me that I went back inside and noticed that there had been a leak in the ceiling of the bedroom and red flags started going up all over the place. 

They agreed that they were going to charge the batteries overnight and Merisa, our sales lady, would bring it to the Voyager for me to test drive.  However, that’s not how things worked out.  She called me asking me to come to the dealership because she had an appointment she’d forgotten about. 

They’d gotten the Alpha charged, although it was still hooked up to a battery charger.  Merisa proceeded to open the slides which confused me because I thought I was going to test drive it.  Then she put her hard sell hat on and the camaraderie changed.  She excused herself to get some info and that’s when the sales person switch took place. 

I met the owner of the dealership the day before and commented on the back of the Alpha.  He admitted that an employee backed it into a tree and so they damaged it.  Turns out that up to that point it had been a consignment RV, but they had to buy it from the owner because of the damage. 

I have a question about Alpha’s.  One sales person at a different dealership said that they were a piece of junk and that’s why the company went out of business.  Merisa said that the reason they went out of business is because of a five year warranty they offered.  The company honoring the warranty went out of business, forcing Alpha to take over the warranties, which caused them to go out of business.  Does anyone know the real story?  Are they good RVs???

I think the thing I liked most about the Alpha was the size of the slide outs.  The first salesman also warned about difficulty driving it in wind because of they’re so much taller.  Any comments?

The second salesman yesterday was a non-stop talker and he just wore me out.  I felt verbally assaulted by the time we left and we quit looking even though we had planned on going to another dealer.  I think it’s going to take me some time to recover before I go looking again.

I solved a huge problem in Olivia.  I got a small portable heater that doesn’t make any noise and it worked great last night.  I’m so used to the temperature going down to the 50s inside that it was almost too warm.  I’ll set it a bit lower tonight but I like the quiet warmth it provided. 

I’m sitting outside right now and it’s in the mid 70s!!!  There isn’t a cloud in the sky and it’s lovely.  There’s a slight breeze.

I started my day with an hour of Zumba and I’m going to end it at a flute circle tonight.  I’ve never been to a flute circle and I’d like to see what it’s about. 

Life is good today.

Loving the sunshine,

Jeana

Chilly and Wet in Tucson

Well, I’m back in the Laundromat at the Voyager RV Park.  If it weren’t for not having any clean clothes to wear  I wouldn’t be here and it appears that I wouldn’t be writing another post.  I need to do better and remind myself that's it's ok to write outside of the laundromat!!

I’m missing some things from home…my backyard and laundry room.  Early in the morning when I have to take Big Guy out for his morning constitutional I REALLY miss my backyard.  Back home it was so easy just opening the door and letting him out while still in my robe.  Now I have to get dressed before we go out and it’s cold out there...winter coat and gloves cold.  We take a number of walks throughout the day and I have to admit that I’m enjoying the time with him.  He seems to be walking better, too.  Plus, he likes all the other dogs.  It's just that the first walk of the day is a bit of a challenge.

I have no room for a hamper so my dirty clothes end up in a plastic bag on the floor of the shower.  At least I’ve figured out a place for them so they’re out of the way…until I want to take a shower and I do that quite regularly so it’s almost a daily issue.

Olivia is getting smaller and smaller every day.  I’m looking at maybe purchasing a 40’ diesel pusher Itasca Horizon.  Talk about room…wow.  There’s so much basement storage compared to what I don’t have now.  The amount of storage inside boggles my mind since I’m used to not having much.  I’ve tried to make Olivia work for me but I truly think she’s too small for full timing.

We’ve had a couple days where it was colder here than in Seattle.  How unfair is that?  I left Seattle for better weather and some days here have been a real challenge.  Yesterday, for instance.  We had almost half an inch of rain!! 

Unfortunately, the heater in Olivia is quite noisy.  The few nights that it got down in the 30s and 40s I ended up turning the heat off because it was keeping me awake…it’s that noisy.  At least I had a heavy quilt and enough blankets to keep warm.  My dog didn’t complain so I guess his fur is thick enough.  The Itasca I’m looking at has the heater in the floor and I’m making sure it doesn’t make any noise.  That could be a deal breaker for me.

I got my long winter coat and jacket out of storage and the only place to hang them is on the bathroom door.  My closet is too short for the coat and too full for the jacket.

I think I forgot to mention that the Itasca I’m looking at has a washer/dryer combo!!!!!  It also has a built in vacuum and a sleep number mattress, which means no more climbing up a ladder at night.  Hallelujah. 

I’m trying to be thoughtful when it comes to getting a different motorhome.  A bedroom is a requirement, as is a washer/dryer combo.  I was interested in a 38’ gas motorhome until I drove it.  It was noisy.  Then I went right out and drove the diesel and what a difference.  There were some things I liked more in the gas motorhome, like the size and placement of the TV, but I don’t watch TV enough to go back to the gas model.  I guess the Itasca has satellite TV but at $44/month I don’t think so.  I’m so ornery that I refuse to have to pay to watch TV.  We get free basic cable where I’m at and I enjoyed Public Television for a few days but haven’t been able to get a signal for awhile, so I guess no more Public Television.

While a built in vacuum isn’t a requirement I won’t turn it down.  Right now when it’s time to vacuum I have to go to storage to get my vacuum and that’s a real pain. 

Speaking of storage.  The longer my stuff is in storage the less hold it has on me and I’m ready to downsize even more.  Since I ended up not renting a house and living in Olivia, a lot of what I brought isn’t needed so it’s time to do more downsizing.  If I end up with a larger motorhome I’ll have room for some of it, but not much.  I have an outdoor wicker rocking  chair I really like and I’m hoping it will fit in the basement storage so that I can take it with me.  It’s so much more comfortable than the rocker I got at Camping World. 

I forgot to mention that I have a neighbor who was a GM mechanic for over 20 years.  He and his wife went with me to look at the motorhome I want and with a few minor fixes he says it’s ok.  We’re going to go look at a few more tomorrow just to make sure this is the right one.  I really enjoyed driving the Itasca so I guess I’m over my fear of driving Class A’s.  That feels really good.  Having that fear out of the way will enable me to tow my Volvo, which solves the problem of what to do with it.  If I keep Olivia that will continue to be a problem and as I’ve said in the past, I don’t want to get rid of my Volvo.

My clothes are dry so it’s time to go.  More later.

Missing the sunshine,

Jeana

P.S.  I just read your comment, Lynn, on my last post.  I'm looking at this first year as my RV learning curve.  I've debated about whether to buy a park model or not and right now it's not.  I've been pretty disappointed in the weather here so far so I might not come back next year.  Maybe Florida.  Maybe California.  Who knows.  

Windy in Tucson...Really Windy

Thanks for all the comments on my last post..I really appreciate the input. However, Barbara, while I get what you're saying, I can't even fathom getting rid of my Volvo.  I'm very happy with it and I hope to have it for a long, long time.  On the other hand, if I did get rid of it, sometime in the future I could order another one with European Delivery, like I did this one, and go back to Sweden.  Hmmm.   Renting when I need to makes a lot of sense, if I wanted to become car less, which I don't.  Again, I appreciate all the input.  It certainly gives me other things to think about.  

I went back today and looked at a Winnebago Explorer that I saw a couple days ago.  I'd like to test drive it, but I'm going to wait until the winds die down.  I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound and movement of the wind.  The movement being Olivia rocking back and forth.  It continues as I sit here typing.  I’m sure glad I’m not out on the freeway today in any type of vehicle.  This is the second day for the winds and it's supposed to drop our temps into the 60s for the next couple of days.  

Marilyn and Lloyd live two spaces down from me and I go to water aerobics with Marilyn.  They live in a park model and showed it to me the other night and it's pretty nice. I found out that Lloyd was a mechanic for GM for 22+ years and asked him if he'd be willing to look over any motorhome I might be interested in and he said yes.  He also said he's a fantastic negotiator and he'd help me all he can to get the best price.  How fortunate I am that he's so close and willing to help.  

I’m meeting with the lady whose water aerobics class I go to because she’s also a personal trainer.  I left Seattle on October 9^th, and sadly, I haven’t followed through on my routines.  I’m hoping we’ll be able to work well together and get me back on the straight and narrow.  I don’t even want to say how far off the beaten path I’ve gone…trust me, it’s truly awful.

My new next door neighbors, neighbors of the constantly barking dog while they’re gone neighbors, got home right after I finished walking my dog.  I went over and asked them if they realized one of their dogs barks almost continuously when they’re gone and they were horrified.  Apparently they have a barking prevention collar and they’re going to get it out.  Lucky me, I have barking dachshund’s on either side of my space. 

Another neighbor down the street was trying to be helpful and introduced me to a homeowner who wants to rent his park model for “The Season.”  I went and looked at it yesterday and while it’s larger than Olivia it isn’t that much larger to warrant paying $1500/month for it.  We’re talking 400 sq feet of living space, furnished with their stuff and no room for mine.  That amounts to $9000 for six months. Yikes and no thanks but I appreciate the thought.

There's going to be a park wide "garage sale" in the near future and I've been looking at my stuff in storage to decide what I can try and sell.  Since it appears that I'm going to be full timing instead of renting a house, I can lighten my load even more.  I like the activities here too much to go anywhere else.  Besides, I think I'd end up as lonely as I was in Seattle if I rented a house and that's what I want to get away from.  

I have problems with my Mifi, especially at night, when I usually write my posts and I'm so frustrated.  Once again I'm behind on reading all your posts.  I get caught up, something happens, and I get behind.  

I think there's a wifi section by the restaurant here at the Voyager that I'm going to check out.  If anyone comes here you can find me at space 11-272, in the pet section.  

Rocking in the wind,

Jeana

Feeling Snarly in the Laundromat

This probably isn’t the time to be writing my way past due post but I’m a captive audience in the laundromat at the rv park.  AARGH.  I hate laundromats and I’m feeling snarly and I’ll try not to take it out on you, my followers.  It’s not your fault.

So much has happened in such a short time.  I unconsciously attempted to once again shoot myself in the foot but I managed to dodge the attempt. 

Shortly after I got here I really started to realize just how small Olivia is.  Not only that, lifting a 75 pound dog in and out of Olivia multiple times a day for a potty break is becoming a challenge.  But, he’s gotta go potty and he doesn’t do steps, so I do them for him. 

There are two housing developments attached to the RV park and they have “real” houses.  I drove around and collected flyers on houses for sale and then checked them out when they were open for viewing a week ago Sunday.  They’re all on one level…no steps…and have backyards.  I was thinking about not having to lift my dog in and out of Olivia, I could get my stuff out of storage, I’d have a garage to park my Volvo in, etc., etc., etc.    

So…drumroll…I made an offer on a house!!!  Whaaaaaat was I doing?  Shooting myself in the foot apparently.  Fortunately the owners didn’t accept my offer and I didn’t make a counter offer.  Phew.  Saved from myself...again.  

I think that all my reasons were valid but it’s too early to be making that permanent of a decision.  I’m not even sure I want to stay in Tucson so why would I be buying a house?  A larger motorhome maybe, but not a house. 

These are some of the thoughts I’m dealing with:

1.  Olivia is really quite small and getting smaller on a daily basis.  I really would like more room, a bed, storage and my own washer/dryer combo.

2.  When I leave here after “The Season” what am I going to do with my Volvo since I can’t tow it behind Olivia?

3.  Do I get a motorhome large enough to tow my Volvo?

4.  If I bought a park model here I’d have a place to park my Volvo.  In addition to the park model, it would cost $4600+ a year for the space, plus electricity when I was in residence.

5.  If I got a larger motorhome I could leave when it starts to get hot here and return in October.  Then I’d only have to pay a monthly fee and not the $4K for a park model.

6.  I was going to question whether or not I can drive a larger motorhome and the answer to that is a resounding…yes…of course I can. 

Sometimes my head just reels with all the thoughts going through it.  Let me tell you, it’s not a picinic. 

Another thing that is contributing to my snarly feeling is that a fifth wheel moved in next to me yesterday.  There are 20 empty spaces around me but they moved in right next door.  To me, that’s the hard part about RVng, people moving in next door.  Anyway, they left for awhile last night and one of their dogs barked constantly while they were out. Now when I go outside I have dogs on either side of me that go bonkers with their barking.  

I think I’ve said this before, but if it weren’t for my dog I wouldn’t be in the pet section!!!  That’s good information for my future after the inevitable with my 14 year old dog. 

Here’s the positive….water aerobics, Zumba, line dancing…so far.  I could kick myself because I forgot to go to Mah Jongg Monday night. 

There’s also a photography club I’m going to check out and maybe the Mac

club. 

Another positive…November 1^st I was in shorts!!!!  That’s after I walked my dog early in the AM wearing gloves and layers because it was in the low 50s.  After water aerobics it was warm enough for shorts.  Whoopee.

I guess I’m here for “The Season” where the rents are high and all the spaces are filled.  I think it will be an interesting experience.  Maybe I’ll go where there’s water next year. 

See…I’m telling myself…by not buying that house I can think about going somewhere else next year, if I want.  In a larger motorhome, if I want.  I can do whatever I want.  If only I could figure out what I want!!!

Loving the warmth,

Jeana

More Downsizing...Courtesy of Moving Company

I never expected that a moving company would contribute to my downsizing, but they did…by nine boxes and one trough.  All but two of the bowling balls that I decorate for yard art were destroyed…

The bowling balls left my house in Washington safely in a trough and arrived in Arizona in a cardboard box.  Who knows where the trough is.  I've been pretty upset about what happened to them.  It appears to me that someone didn't give a rip and threw them into the box without a care.  I could be wrong but that's  how it feels to me.  

Since my “plans” have changed so dramatically, i.e, I’m in an RV park instead of a rental house, I had to rent a storage area.  Three men delivered my belongings and they appeared to be in a hurry and were rude.  My outdoor solar lights were in a plastic bucket and the man carrying the bucket swung it just as he was walking into the storage area and one of the lights fell out and broke.  He said they should have been packed better so it wasn’t his fault.  I guess it was probably the foreman, spent the whole time complaining about how things were packed and it should never have been put on the truck the way it was. 

I have three pole lamps and they left Washington intact, meaning the shades were on.  When they arrived in Arizona the shades were in a box and broken.  Fortunately, the one I like the most wasn’t damaged.  But still. 

I was so frustrated and irritated when they were unloading the truck.  I called and complained about their treatment of my stuff and about the trough. The next day, in 94 degrees, I moved everything in storage and went down the inventory to see if everything had arrived.  They had other people’s things mixed in with mine so who knows where mine have ended up. 

I called yesterday to inform them about what’s missing and she wanted to know how I determined it.  I thought it was a rather strange question.  I mean how else would I know unless I went through the inventory?  She was supposed to call me back yesterday and didn’t, so I’ll be on the phone right after they open this morning. 

This is for my Washington friends…sorry…but I’m sitting outside in the sunshine, waving to all the people walking by with their dogs, as I type this post.  Right now it’s in the high 60s but will get to the high 80s later today.  No more 90s…what a relief. 

Somebody that I’ve met here at the Voyager referred to being here as “Adult Day Camp” and I think I agree with her.  Since I didn’t go to camp when I was a kid, I think I’m going to really enjoy it here.

I went to my first activity last night…Mah Jongg.  Boy is it different than what I’ve been playing on the computer.  My brain is reeling from all the new information it’s trying to hold onto.  I think I’m going to enjoy it.

Beginning Line dancing starts in a week and I’m excited about that.  I hope my two left feet won’t hamper me too much. 

I downloaded the first book, Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver, for the book discussion group I’m thinking about attending and I’m having trouble getting into it.  It hasn’t grabbed me yet, but I’ll try it again and maybe I’ll have better luck next time.  I downloaded it to my iPad and it was so easy.    What’s nice about a book on the iPad is that when it gets dark I can still stay outside and read!!!  It gets dark fairly early here…6:30 or so.  With the 90+ degree weather we’ve been having, that’s about the time to be outside so being able to read is a real plus for me.  There’s also a lending library here so I can still read the old traditional way.

This is so cool.  I just watched a military plane take off from Davis Monthan Air Force Base, while behind me a plane from Tucson International took off.  I don’t have a problem with airplane noise, it’s the yappy little dogs I’m surrounded by that drive me crazy.  If it weren’t for my dog, I wouldn’t be in the pet section!!!

I just found out that there’s a photography group that meets twice a week, once off-site for photo sessions and the other for information exchange. 

Olivia is getting smaller every day.  I’m thinking of other options to increase my living space…slowly.  I don’t want to do anything in too big of a hurry so I’m thinking about other options.  That sounds like another post.

Loving the sunshine,

Jeana

RV Park Change...Great Decision

Before I start writing this post I need to acknowledge all of my new followers.  I apologize that it's taken me so long to acknowledge you joining me on my journey, but here goes...Carolyn who doesn't appear to have a blog; Cheryl Ann, owner of eight blogs and a horse lover; Kathie, a cat lover with no current blogs; Sharon at blog Miss Lazee; T (just call me T) who doesn't appear to have a blog; Donna from blog donna-madeinheaven; Steve from blog fosj-steve; Carmen who doesn't appear to have a blog; and Jolly Ollie who also doesn't appear to have a blog.  Thank you for joining me on my Rving journey.  

I think I've mentioned in the past that there isn't a lot of room in Olivia. Here's an example...

Last night when I was getting ready for bed, I was putting the ladder down so I could climb up into the bed and my dog, clearly, was in the way.  I just moved him over to the side so I could put the ladder on the floor instead of his back and all was good.

There was a lady in the pull throughs at my last RV park and I went and talked to her this morning.  Her RV is similar to Olivia only a different floor plan and I really liked her floor plan.  She had a bed in the corner and a dinette where my couch is located.  While I don't normally like dinette's, I think one would work well in an RV the size I have.  Her RV also had a lot more storage than I have.  

My move to Voyager RV Resort is feeling pretty good.  Look at my new space...

In yesterday's post I showed that I had to park my Volvo in front of Olivia in the last RV park I was at.  Well, not here...

The space is 33' wide.  On the slide side of Olivia is a park model.  When I noticed that the people next door were out I went and introduced myself. Dick, the husband, is glad that Olivia is so short so that I'm not blocking his view of the street.  

Across the street and about 100' to my left is the walkway to the dog potty area...

This is the potty area...

So far, I'm really liking it here.  There's a good vibe.  Tomorrow morning I'm going to walk my dog to the groomer and get his toenails trimmed.  Then I'm going to start participating in activities.  

I called Jojo from blog "Moms Little Run Away and The Tin Can Cabin" because she offered to drive me from my new RV park to my old RV park to save me a taxi fare.  I didn't see the offer on my last post until earlier tonight so I'd already sucked it up and called a taxi. I received a hefty discount so it wasn't too bad, but bad enough.  We're going to meet for lunch Thursday at the restaurant here at the RV park.  She'll be the first blogger I follow that I get to meet and I'm looking forward to it.  


It's so quiet here.  I haven't heard a train or train whistle all day!!!  When I was sitting outside I could hear the freeway but it was like background noise.  I'm liking it so far.  


Feeling hopeful,


Jeana