Full Time RV Travel - One Last Day of Living On the Water

We spent almost all of Monday on errands, leaving the rig before lunch, 

and not returning until almost dark. . .

I felt like I had been around the world. . .and not in a good way! 

Picked up our favorite boudain at a meat market in Jasper that specializes in DJ’s Boudain. . .

it is the best I have ever tasted. . .

so if you ever see it available anywhere. . .be sure to try it. . .delicious!

Went for our annual physicals. . .which always seem to take FOREVER. . .what is up with that?  

Spending three hours in the doctor’s office is not my idea of fun. . .at all! ! !

Needless to say, I didn’t get a bike ride in. . .or get to take any new pics. . .

so I will leave you with a few of my very favorite views of the Cypress Swamp. . .

taken from inside the RV looking out the back window

Love that you hardly tell where the tree ends and the water begins. . .

and the fog just adds to the overall ambience. . .

Later in the day. . .from our campsite

and it wouldn't be a swamp without spanish moss. . .now would it?

these guys put in at the boat dock bright and early. . .Dave was doing the deliverance theme. . .

although I’m almost certain the guys in Deliverance were in canoes. . .weren’t they?

I hope you’ve enjoyed our pictures of the swamp as much as we’ve enjoyed being there. . .

bright and early this morning, we set off for the Thousand Trails Park in Conroe. . .

Dave is teaching a class in College Station, so will be gone most of the week. . .

it’s going to be very quiet around here. . .probably not much to report on!

We may volunteer at one of the State Parks in the area. . .waiting to hear back from them. . .

other than that. . .just regular life in the RV. . .

Til next time,

Janice

For more great swamp stories, check out Travels With Emma

Full Time RV Travel–Brackenridge on Lake Texana was a Wonderful Experience

I love the water in any form. . .even sitting by a swimming pool or fountain makes me happy. . .

so sitting at the water’s edge at Lake Texana was just perfect. . .how much more relaxing can you get?

The wind would blow so hard that the lake would

have whitecaps, and waves. . .so I would sit out there,

pretend I was at the beach. . .no salt, no sand. . .

heavenly!

and of course you know I’m going to chase down and photograph any butterfly that I see. . .

but, alas, all good things must end. . .

so Friday morning, we loaded up, and headed out through Houston, which would supposedly cut an hour off of our travel time. . .what were we thinking?  Traffic. . . cars cutting in front of ya at 65 mph. . .changing lanes to make sure you stay on the right freeway. . .grrrrrr. 

We lived, and drove in Houston traffic for 30 years.  I didn’t think a thing about driving across town to take a class. . .but pulling  a rig is a whole different ballgame. . .but survive we did . . .

and arrived at beautiful Magnolia Ridge,

a COE park on B.A. Steinhagen Lake. . .

Dad & Mom are coming for lunch. . .
so Dave's getting the grill ready for ribs!

what a beautiful, beautiful place. . .

 

after a great lunch of ribs, potatoes, and baked beans. . .

Dad and Dave are standing outside discussing fishing. . .

more gorgeous fall color in the Cypress Swamp. . .

went alligator hunting again. . .still no luck!

but this red headed woodpecker was putting on quite a show. . .

and after a four mile bike ride. . .

 the perfect end to the day. . .fishing!

Until next time,

Janice

Full Time RV Travel–Lake Steinhagen

We have arrived at our new digs. . .

the rig is backed in to. . .and we are overlooking a cypress swamp

off of Lake Steinhagen, which is close to Jasper TX. . .

Because today was a LONG, stress filled (read pulling the rig through Houston traffic) day. . .this is going to be a short post. . .

but you can rest assured. . .I am still on my quest to see an alligator. . .

so I will keep you posted!

Full Time RV Living: Sam’s Club and Costco Memberships–Are they Worth It?

I was laughing with and telling RV friends the other day, that when we sold the house with the freezer,
and the big pantry, and moved into the RV. . .I wasn’t sure how I was going to stock up on groceries. . .
in fact, as Karen, who writes the FabGrandma blog might tell you, I had a little bit of a melt down about it.

I knew we were headed to Yellowstone, and I was just sure there wasn’t going to be ANYWHERE to get groceries,
and we didn’t have room in the rig for huge supplies.  Knowing Karen and her hubby were working at the
North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is very remote. . .I sent her a note as to how she handled this issue.

Karen was kind enough to send me a list of essentials that she kept on hand at all times to prevent starvation. . .LOL!
Dried milk
Dried Beans
etc., etc. . .

Now that we’ve been traveling a few years, I know I will definitely be able to find groceries somewhere, and it is no longer an issue. . .which is why I am asking if you think a Sam’s Club or Costco Membership is worth it. . .

My mother, who taught me to cook everything from scratch, (bless her heart,) always had a pantry filled with essentials. . .in other words, if she decided to make most anything, she probably had the supplies on hand.

My mother in law, who was an awesome cook, and taught me many, many tricks to good food, also had a well stocked pantry and freezer. . .

Having a Sam’s Club accessible,  especially when my boys were teenagers, and I was working a full time job, allowed me to keep the pantry and freezer well stocked with convenience items, which allowed the boys to be self sufficient, and made life simple for us all. . .

Soooo. . .when we moved into the RV, I questioned whether to keep the Sam’s Club Membership or not. . .was it really worth the annual fee when I could no longer purchase items in bulk?  Calculating just the savings on coffee supplies. . .coffee beans, splenda, creamer. . .quickly convinced me that it was.

But. . .there’s not always a Sam’s Club convenient to our location. . .so, we have to think ahead. . .ha ha!  Here we are at Sam’s Club. . .how long will it be before we are near a Sam’s Club again?  How much of each thing do we need to purchase to hold us over until we find the next Sam’s Club? 

This trip. . .I guess I miscalculated. . .because a couple of pricey things, like vitamins, are going to run completely out.  So now I must decide on how to resolve the problem. . .do I just pay an arm and a leg at the local mega mart, and purchase enough to tide me over, or do we make the supreme sacrifice and stop at a Sam’s Club this week as we pull the rig through Houston. . .hmmmmm. . .guess I’ll see what Dave has to say.
  
When he is pulling the rig. . .he just hates having to maneuver the mazes that are designed as parking lots these days. . .I’m gonna go do some research with Google Satellite. . .see if there are any easily accessible parking lots on the way. . .

So. . .what do you think?  Do you still use Warehouse Club Memberships. . .or have you decided it’s just not worth the bother?

Full Time RV Living–More Tips for RV Wannabees

I probably receive a handful of requests each week for info from folks

who are interested in the lifestyle. . .and while we love it. . .

and have no plans in the near future to go back to sticks and bricks. . .

I am very truthful when I say. . .this lifestyle is not for everyone. . .

it’s really, really not. . .

That’s why I love to share great articles with great view points when I find them. . .

and this is one of those articles. . .I hope you’ll take the time to check it out:

Is Full Time RV Living Really For You?

and please share in the comments section

any tips that helped you when you were

just getting started. . .

it's time to pass it forward!

Full Time RV Travel–Lake Texana Has Water–I’m so Happy!

We arrived at Brackenridge Recreation Complex and RV Park yesterday. . .mid day. . .

and was thrilled to find that Lake Texana actually has water in it. . .so happy!

This is the best view we’ve had since we left Estes Park in June. . .love looking out over the water!

The water hyacinth, seen here, and the hydrilla. . .

both highly invasive plants in Texas Lakes are everywhere,

so it will be tough fishing from the bank. . .

but we are certainly going to give it a try.

however. . .swimming is NOT on the agenda,

but I will be on the lookout for an alligator to get a shot at. . . with the Nikon, of course.

After my tribulations of not being able to peddle back up the hills

in Columbus, I was thrilled to find a nice, flat bike path here

that meanders it’s way for five miles alongside the lake,

and through the beautiful oak and pecan trees. . .

My plan is to be out there on it everyday. . .

and would love to do the entire five miles before we leave here. . .

More on that later. . .as the week progresses!

Janice

Full Time RV Living–The Hilarious Things We See

Now THIS is the way to take your dogs for a walk. . .

I only wish I could have gotten a better picture. . .

There were three of them. . .he had them running full out. . .

I bet they took a nap when they got home. . .

Too funny. . .

Janice

Full Time RV Living-When Life Hands You Lemons

Life still happens when you live and travel in your RV. . .

some days just aren’t as peachy as others. . .

So, how will you handle THOSE days?  I think Paul and Nina

make some very valid points in their blog, Wheeling It. . .

Read the article:

The Darker Side Of FullTime RVing? 5 Thoughts To Ponder Before Making The Leap..

then leave a comment with your thoughts on the matter. . .

Oh, and be sure to tell them I sent you. . .thanks,

Janice

Full Time RV Maintenance–Avoid Electrical Problems

Avoiding electrical problems in your rig is much, much better than

dealing with the consequences of them. . .

 

 

I highly recommend this great set of articles. . .

written in easy to understand everyday language.

 

NO SHOCK ZONE!

 

 

Full Time RV Living–A Happy Birthday Bicycle for ME!

I decided for the big double nickel birthday. . .things need to change. . .

and since I don’t plan to stop eating the good stuff. . .

perhaps a bicycle would help. . .

(the only time in my life that I was ever “skinny”

was when I did a bicycle ride every day, while the boys were taking a nap)

here’s my sweet hubby putting it together. . .the ones that were available

put together at the store, were already rusty, and dirty. . .and I just wasn’t

willing to pay full price for something that already looked old.

here we go. . .first ride. . .note the helmet people.  On the advice of friends,

but against my will, I bought. . .and will wear, the crazy thing. . .hate it!

returning from my first ride. . .no. . .nothing is wrong. . .

well, nothing is wrong with the bicycle. . .

I, on the other hand. . .am soooo out of shape,

I couldn’t pedal back up the hill. . .

sad, I know. . .but my legs were on FIRE. . .pitiful!

here’s Dave attaching  the bracket for the bike carrier to the frame under the front of the truck. . .

We would love to put the carrier on the back of the rig. . .

but, we have no bumper. . .and seemingly, no way to add one without

having some welding done. . .this is a viable (cheaper) solution. . .

plus. . .my RV blog friend, Sparky, often talks about driving over to a biking trailhead. . .

so having the bike carrier on the truck will allow us to access those!

the finished product. . .

Sparky, on her Where’s Eldo blog wrote about having had three different bike carriers in

four years. . .and this is the rack they’ve finally decided on as being the best solution. . .

Our neighbors across the street were also using this bike carrier, so we took the advice of both

of them, and went with it. . .and the best part. . .

Camping World had it on special for $55 off the regular price. . .my kind of deal. . .

My RV friend Kim sent me a note on FaceBook to say she lost 32 pounds this summer

riding her bike. . .here’s hoping I’ll do the same. . .wish me luck!

Janice

Full Time RV Living–Wow, What a View!

Dave’s early morning view. . .amazing!

Full Time RV Living–My Timing is Way OFF!

I was taking advantage of Dave being away teaching a class,

to get some projects done. . .

a big one was taking down the window shade to find out why it

would not go up and down. . .as you can see. . .

ALL the strings have pulled loose. . .hmmm that would probably do it. . .

but, I waited ‘til the sun was at it’s zenith to make it out there. . .

I had to put the umbrella up, so I could have some shade to stand in. . .

did it cross my mind to move it to the picnic table behind the rig,

which has a big shade tree over it. . .oh nooooo. . .of course not!

and then my brainstorm for today was to put the

sleeping bag out in the sun to air out before I packed it away. . .

oops. . .shoulda checked the weather forecast,

‘cause it got rained on when I left to pick up Dave. . .great!

hmmmm. . .wonder what I can get into tomorrow!

We shall see!

Full Time RV Travel - Newest Addition to My Birding Life List

This red shouldered hawk was being chased by a much smaller bird. . .

would have been awesome to have gotten those in air pics. . .

but, of course, no camera in hand right at that very sec. . .

Dave took these quickly with a long range lens, which causes them to be a little grainy. . .

but overall. . .absolutely gorgeous. . .thrilled to be able to add to my list!

Full Time RV Living - A Beautiful Fall Day

Chores done. . .projects finished. . .time to take a drink and a magazine outside and enjoy this beautiful fall weather. . .

this little guy was putting on quite a show way too close to my chair. . .

I think I’ll move around to the other side of the rig. . .

well. . .hello beautiful. . .

love the way the sun was lighting up the trees in the background. . .

and then “His Majesty” appeared. . .how would you like to be sitting in a deer stand,

and have such a magnificent creature walk up out of the brush. . .

my favorite way to shoot a trophy buck. . .with a Nikon!

Full Time RV Maintenance–Rig Washing Time

I must admit. . .it feels good to have finally gotten the rig, and the truck washed. . .

and it looks so much better without the bugs decorating the front. . .

Next weekend, we hope to get the cap rewaxed. . .the sides still look good. . .

Miss Morgan, our grandaughter who is visiting for the weekend, was just as excited about

helping with the washing chores as I knew she would be. . .

although she was willing to hold the hose, and do the rinsing. . .

She was much happier to have her Pa take her fishing. . .

we’ll take her home to Houston tomorrow so she can get back into school mode for Tuesday. . .

it’s been a very productive and fulfilling weekend!

Janice

Full Time RV Travel–Picnic Table Reminder

Once again I’m reminded why the picnic table needs a cover before we eat. . .
I have personally witnessed dogs being bathed and groomed up there. . .just saying!

Full Time RV Living–A Weekend With the Grand

this is our middle grand daughter, Morgan or Mo Mo as we affectionately call her. . .

She’s gracing us with her presence for the weekend. . .and because there is a teacher in service day,

we even get an extra day to spend with her. . .so she will go home on Monday. . .

When they were all younger, and could all fit on one queen size mattress. . .

they would ALL come and stay. . .now that they each need their own mattress. . .

we hafta have them one at a time. . .space being at a premium and all that. . .LOL!

Lots to do. . .fishing. . .picking up pecans. . .swimming. . .washing the rig. . .

she doesn’t know about that yet. . .I better go get rested up!

Full Time RV Travel–Exploring a Really Great General Store

We’ve passed this sign for the Industrial Country Market a few times. . .

but didn’t really know what it was. . .

thinking it was a Farmer’s Market, we headed over there today. . .

Nope. . .not a Farmer’s Market. . .there’s no way I can really explain what it was. . .

but it was a very, very cool place. . .part art gallery. . .

this section is called RE-ART . .dumpster diving art. . .

something unique and unusual in each and every piece. . .

part General Store. . .they had all sorts of cool stuff. . .at really, really reasonable prices!

Wouldn’t this be a great sunshade to take to the beach. . .

the cabana, two chairs, and a table for only $52.71. . .

all prices end in 71. . .’cause they are on HWY 71. . .get it?

Completely off the grid, they generate all their own electricity. . .

collect rainwater for most of their water use. . .have composting toilets onsite. . .

hydroponic gardens, greenhouses, and many other cool features I can’t even remember. . .

If you check out their FaceBook Page there is a photo of a baby in one of those huge lily pads. . .

just unbelievable, and beautiful. . .

I know I’m just doing a horrible job of trying to describe it. . .perhaps checking out this article will help. . .

all I know is, it was so great. . .my grand daughter is visiting this weekend. . .

I’m taking her over there to explore. . .she is going to love it!

It’s right around the corner from the Thousand Trails Park in Columbus. . .

so all you RV’ers should check it out. . .

I leave you with this glorious Purple Passion Flower. . .

More great blogs about ICM. . .enjoy!

Our RV Adventures

Full Time RV Travel–Touring Smithville TX

ah. . .exercise. . .it’s so very, very difficult to force ourselves out the door for a walk. . .walking around the RV park is soooo boring (whiney voice). . .but we know we gotta get out and do something, especially since we’re not willing to give up eating the good stuff. . .

so. . .what to do, what to do?  In Colorado, we did a lot of hiking, but hey, hiking’s not near as exciting in the flat lands of Texas. . .however. . .walking tours around little country towns are always very interesting. . .

so yesterday, we headed out to Smithville. . .

with a pretty little historic down town. . .

fabulous architecture on many of the buildings. . .(more inside and outside pics of this building)

don’tcha think last year’s Christmas lights still strung on everything add a great decorative touch?

but you may remember Smithville best as the setting for the movie Hope Floats. . .

along with other various movie titles. . .

and of course, no walk is complete with seeing beautiful flowers. . .I love them!