A Beautiful Day

The Casita tucked into the river campground

The Casita tucked into the river campground

We are taking our time leisurely meandering toward home.  Today we drove a whopping 160 miles.

The river

The river

We’re at High Falls this evening, but are in the River Campground instead of the Lake Campground where we usually stay when we stop over.

It has been such a happy, peaceful day.  The weather was warm enough to be comfortable in sweatshirts and the sun was out.  Ron and I felt especially close to each other all day, and being out together felt almost like being on a date.  🙂

We are still in awe of the fact that I wasn’t hurt when I stupidly tried to push the runaway jacknifing truck away from the trailer with my hands.  No one was hurt, the truck didn’t hit

Picturesque fallen tree

Picturesque fallen tree

the two vehicles that were in the driveway, we didn’t hit a tree, we didn’t back into the pond…. there were so many things that could have gone wrong.

I think my guardian angel was working overtime!  🙂

We’ve already submitted the claim on the truck.  Ron will make an appointment Monday to take it in for an inspection.  And then, as soon as the parts come in, they’ll fix it good as new!

Another picture of our sweet (intact) little Casita!

Another picture of our sweet (intact) little Casita!

We plan to head home tomorrow.  Then we’ll pick Sheba up when the vet’s office opens on Monday.

Life is good!!!

I Had an Accident

Peace the day after the accident 🙂

We are back at Reed Bingham State Park again this evening.  There is nothing in the world as peaceful as being in our little Casita in a quiet, pretty campsite.

The left rear panel of the truck.  This damage is from the Casita's belly band.

The left rear panel of the truck. This damage is from the Casita’s belly band.

The funeral itself was a sweet, graveside ceremony.  The throngs of people in and out of the house before and after the funeral were so stressful to me that I was an emotional wreck. I don’t deal well with crowds, anyway, and under the circumstances, I felt like I might fall apart at any time.

We had planned to stay overnight there, but when another brother invited us to park at his house, we gratefully accepted because it would be a lot quieter there.

The tail lights are sticking way out due to the bend side.  We duct taped the lights to the truck for the trip home.  Red Green would be proud.  :)

The tail lights are sticking way out due to the bent side panel and the tail gate won’t open. We duct taped the lights to the truck for the trip home. Red Green would be proud. 🙂

So we got to Glenda and Rex’s house.  I was parking the trailer.  When I am backing up, I always get out of the truck a couple of times to see exactly where the trailer is so I know how to maneuver.

Well, this time I thought I had the truck in Park, but it was actually in Reverse.  I opened the door and saw the ground moving, but was so stressed, it didn’t register.  So I jumped out of the truck….. and it kept going.  The trailer jacknifed, and there was this awful grinding sound.  In the state of mind I was in, I was trying to push the truck away from the trailer while it was still backing up.

Finally, the truck stopped… I guess because it was jacknifed so badly that it jammed.  So Ron jumped into the truck and put it in park.

The damage to the truck was substantial.  I won’t describe it.  Will just post pictures.

The damage to the trailer was limited to a slightly bent  area on the belly band and the bar under the propane tanks popping its weld when the tanks were jammed sideways.  The plastic cover over the propane tanks kept the metal tanks from gouging the Casita’s fiberglass.  There are a few small abrasions that I can probably buff out and recoat with Poliglow and they won’t even be noticeable.

The tail lights

The tail lights

I thought I was over the stress and nervousness today.  But we went into Adel for dinner.  It’s a terrible little town… run down, and very scary looking to me.  We ate at the world’s worst Chinese buffet after threading through a parking lot with concrete barricades everywhere that I just KNEW we were going to crash into.

I think the food had been left out since lunch and was dried out and unappetizing.  But we were not up to leaving and trying to find someplace else, so we choked it down and prayed that we wouldn’t get food poisoning.

Ron and I both feel that we wouldn’t have survived the ordeal if we had had to cope with having Sheba along.  It was so special just having our little buddy Sunny with us.  We realize what a huge mistake it was to get Sheba, and are seriously going to find her a good home as soon as possible.

Propane tank damage to bumper

Propane tank damage to bumper

So tonight we are exhausted, but so relieved to be cozied up in our little Casita.  We’ll head home tomorrow and take the truck in for the insurance estimate as soon as we can get an appointment.

The Casita belly band scratch -- the only real damage to the Casita

The Casita belly band dings — the only real damage to the Casita

 

 

Missed the Tornadoes

We’ve been running from tornadoes all day.

Before the rain came

Before the rain came

Right before we pulled out of our yard this morning, the sirens went off. We waited until that warning passed, then headed south… listening as the radio reported the line of tornadoes moving northeast away from us.

But the wind was really strong all the way down. The little Casita never budged except when one gust hit us broadside, then it wasn’t bad. The wind did wreak havoc on our gas mileage, though.

Finally we reached our stopping point for the evening — Reed Bingham State Park in Adel, GA.

The weather was too volatile for us to explore the lake and trails.

The weather was too volatile for us to explore the lake and trails.

The wind was still too gusty for us to set up camp chairs even if we had wanted to between the sporadic rain squalls. But we thought we were far enough south that we had missed the tornado danger.

Then our cell phones started beeping tornado warnings. The camp manager came around and told us all to head to the bathrooms. So we left our dinner half eaten on our plates and went.

Fortunately, no tornado hit, but there were some strong winds. And ferocious downpours. We ended up with about 3 inches of rain all around our trailer.

Sunny is loving getting all the doggie attention this trip!

Sunny is loving getting all the doggie attention this trip!

However, I met the coolest woman while we were chatting outside the bathrooms. She has a nice home, but travels all over the country in a pickup truck with a cap outfitted into a camper. She was one of the most fascinating people I have ever talked with! She is bored with Florida and is on her way to Texas now.

She REALLY wants a Casita. Is planning on stopping by the factory in Rice when she gets to Texas.

I’m tired tonight. Was going to get a shower a little earlier but realized I had forgotten to turn on the water heater. It should be ready now.

Sheba is boarding at the vet’s until Monday.  She was not thrilled with the idea.  She broke free of her leash when the veterinary assistants tried to lead her back to the kennels.  They had to chase her down and then CARRY her back there!

A Funeral & Bygone Crafts

We just got word that my husband’s older sister passed away yesterday.  She went the way I would like to go.  She was sitting in her favorite chair when her son checked on her that morning, dozing, he thought.  Three hours later he came home and she was still sitting there.  He spoke to her and she didn’t answer… and that’s when he realized she wasn’t breathing.

Julia was our favorite.  She semi-raised most of her grandkids because they always wanted to go stay with “Aunt Julia.”  She will be sorely missed.

We don’t know yet when the funeral will be… should hear today.  But today I will be madly getting the trailer de-winterized and organized for the trip to south Georgia.

We had wanted to keep going south after we spent some time with Ron’s family.  But I have two packages on the way that I need for our next trip, and they won’t be here for several days.  So we’ll have to come back and wait for them to arrive.

I was writing another blogger yesterday about our love of crafting.  I did silver jewelry, beading, Indian beading, soap making, tatting, crocheting, knitting, crosstitch, embroidery, wood crafts, gardening, canning, dehydrating, raising chickens…. any craft you can think of, I have probably dabbled in it.  I dug up some photos of things I had done before camping took precedence over everything else in my life.

Silver jewelry

Silver jewelry

Tatted rose for greeting card.  I still tat because it's a portable, camping-friendly craft.

Tatted rose for greeting card. I still tat because it’s a portable, camping-friendly craft.

Birds nest in worm-eaten wild cherry log

Birds nest in worm-eaten wild cherry log

Panda on a swing

Panda on a swing

I’m in a strange space this morning.  I think it’s just denial of what has happened and trying to distract myself.

Got to go pack a trailer and bathe a couple of dogs and get haircuts…

Please Prove You’re Not a Robot

Arghhhhhh!!!!  I have just tried several times to comment on another blog, and my “please prove you’re not a robot” numbers and letters keep getting rejected.   No offense to anyone who uses that method of deterring spammers, but it is just getting too aggravating for me to mess with!

There are several blogs that I love to read, but I give up on trying to comment on them.

That’s one thing I really love about WordPress.  Their Akismet spam killer is really good.  Once in a very long time a spam will sneak through, but it’s a rarity when one does.

Today was errands…. got the taxes done.  The first time we’ve ever gotten them done before March or April.  It feels so good to have that behind us.

Ron needs new glasses before we head to Florida again.  Maybe I can get him an appointment next week or so.

I am so antsy to do some more mods in the Casita.  Our rear dinette cushions are 5″ thick and so hard that they are very uncomfortable to sit on.  I came so close today to buying more fabric and ordering some better-suited foam.  But I was a very good girl and stuck to my budget and just said no!  😀

Back to the Wave 3

I had been so overwhelmed by John’s amazing offer to talk me through the furnace repair that I forgot something important.  I don’t WANT to fix the furnace.  I WANT to replace it with an efficient, quiet, boondock-friendly Wave 3.

My concern had been how dog hair would affect the Wave, but from everything I’ve read, it seems to be a non-issue.

So I’m back on plan to budget for a Wave 3 installation… and will use a portable catalytic heater when needed until then.  🙂

Wave 3 Catalytic Heater?

The Wave 3 Catalytic Heater

The Wave 3 Catalytic Heater

I’m having a debate with myself about whether to have our Suburban RV furnace repaired or to replace it with a Wave 3 Catalytic heater.  Apparently the fan bearings have gone bad in the Suburban.

Adventurenet RV has the Wave 3 for $191.00, and Amazon has it for $202 with free shipping.  Regular price is $300.  If I have an RV shop install it, I will pay $300 + labor.

The two things I love about the Suburban furnace are the thermostat that I like to set to around 60 degrees when we sleep in cold weather.  I also love the fact that, no matter how cold it gets, the furnace can be cranked up to keep us toasty.

What I don’t like about the furnace is that it is noisy, and it’s a battery hog.  That’s a big consideration when we are camping without hookups in cold weather.

I would put the Wave 3 where the furnace is now.

I would put the Wave 3 where the furnace is now.

I’m convinced that the Wave 3 is safe, as long as adequate ventilation is provided.  And I love the feel of the soft heat it provides.  I believe that, unless we were in extraordinary cold for our area, that the Wave 3 would keep us warm enough.  And we could run it non-stop without it draining our battery.

But I’m hesitating, and I’m hoping that some of my readers can answer a question for me.

I’ve read that the Wave 3 must be covered when not in use, and that if dust gets into the pad, it can poison it.  Replacing the pad involves sending the heater back to the company, and is expensive.

I would keep it covered when not in use, but I am very concerned about floating dog hair.   Sheba sheds prodigiously.  There are always light, airy balls of black dog hair floating around, no matter how often or vigorously we brush her.

And I’m afraid all that dog hair would ruin the catalytic heater.

Apparently other RVing dog owners are happy with their catalytic heaters, but maybe their dogs don’t shed as badly as Sheba does.

So…. does anyone have any person experience with dog hair and a Wave catalytic heater?

And finally, I have taken gas lines apart and reattached them before, and know how to make sure the gas doesn’t leak.  I wonder if it’s feasible to attempt a Wave 3 replacement by myself, or if it really is a job that must be done by a repair shop.  I could do it myself for around $250, but will probably pay someone at least $400 to install one at full retail price plus labor.

I’m looking forward to hearing your opinions!

A Cold Casita and More About Wild Yams

Lynne called today from Salt Springs to ask which replacement converter we had bought.  I was so tickled to hear from her.  Amazingly, our phone connection held, which is better than any cell reception I got when we were down there!  I’m hoping we will be able to get to Florida before they have to leave, but am not sure if we can make it work.

Tonight is predicted to be the first really cold, below freezing night we’ve had this winter.  I have the Casita winterized, but need to bring all the canned and staple foods that I generally leave in the trailer inside so they don’t freeze.

Greene Deane, author and prolific wild edible foods video producer, has tentatively identified my wild yams (from yesterday’s post) as Dioscorea Polystachya.  Due to the immense variability of the leaves, he hesitated to give me an absolutely positive identification, but with that lead, I should be able to name my yams when they come up this year.

What’s cool is, if that is what they are, I’ve added another excellent wild edible to my natural grocery sources!

Here is a quote from Green Deane’s website about it:

One-year-old roots weigh about 3 ounces, two-year-old roots, a pound. The root, in good soil, can grow up to three feet long and weight up to five pounds.  Its flavor is between a sweet potato and a regular potato. It is 20% starch, 75% water, 0.1% B1, and has 10 to 15 mgs vitamin C. The most common use is cooked like a potato. The Japanese prefer it raw. However, varieties can differer and I do not recommend you eat it raw. Cook it, or experiment with it raw very carefully.

Our Wonderful Little Casita

I had thought that I might be able to hold off on winterizing the Casita by keeping the heater running in it since this winter has been so mild.  But tonight, winter is finally here.  So today we got the winterizing done.

It was so easy with the Camco winterizing kit!  It took exactly one gallon to do the whole system.  Since I had bought two gallons, I divided the other gallon between the black and gray tanks.  That should prevent any damage to the valves.

As I worked in the Casita today, I was again struck with the rock solid quality of the build.  That is one company who still cares about giving their customers the very best.

There are only two things I would change about the trailer.  First, I would prefer washable walls and ceilings to the carpet.  And secondly, I would like drain holes in the bottom so when the inevitable water system accidents occur, the water would have somewhere to go.  I have been planning to drill some carefully placed drain holes, but just haven’t gotten to it yet.

While I was working in the trailer, I decided to go ahead and do a thorough cleaning.  I pulled the back bed and cushions, vacuumed the wall carpet, washed the fiberglass seat bases, and mopped the floor.  The vacuuming took a while.  I would do short sections, then rest.  But I’m satisfied that the rear of the trailer is as clean as I can get it.

Tomorrow I plan to do the front of the trailer.  And when that is done, I will vacuum the ceiling and maybe shampoo around the air conditioner vents.  I also need to clean the front carpet near the floor where Sheba keeps depositing dog hair.  I am trying to devise an attractive barrier to put in front of that part of the carpet so it won’t need such frequent cleaning.  Maybe plexiglass?

Our trailer is a 2005 and we have had it a little over a year now.  It is as beautiful as new.  There are a few little tweaks that need to be done when you get the trailer.  Most importantly, you need to make a drip tray for the upper refrigerator vent.  Otherwise rain will seep in and get to the floor behind the refrigerator.  The other essential is modifying the gray water plumbing so the gray water drains instead of trickles out.

But once those things are taken care of, I don’t think there is a better built trailer on the market.  If you like small campers, you will fall madly in love with the Casita!

 

 

 

 

High Falls State Park

The Casita at High Falls State Park in the Lake Campground

The Casita at High Falls State Park in the Lake Campground

Wednesday, December 19

We are at another of our very favorite stopping over points between Florida and home tonight.  We booked two nights to postpone going home as long as possible!

Ditch by entrance to campsite

Ditch by entrance to campsite

High Falls has two campgrounds — the larger, more modern River Campground, and the smaller, older Lake Campground.  The Lake Campground can only accommodate small rigs.  But it is so much more beautiful!

Backing into a site here is a real challenge.  The sites are laid out perpendicular to the road, so you have to back in at a 45 degree angle.  And there are DEEP ditches on each side of the driveway — AND also across the street where the truck has to swing off the road to navigate the trailer’s sharp turn.  I must have gotten out of the truck a dozen times to make sure I didn’t plunge into the abyss!

Ditch across street in our truck's turning radius

Ditch across street in our truck’s turning radius

Later Ron drove the truck to the store and he had a hard time just getting the truck backed in.  So I felt quite a sense of accomplishment at getting in here with the trailer.

We are alone in the campground except for the camp hosts who are out of sight behind a hill.  We have a view of the lake through the trees and are surrounded by woods.  This is the first time we’ve felt like we were really camping since we left home a month ago.

The sunset tonight

The sunset tonight

We got here too late to visit the falls this afternoon.  By the time we got set up, Ron went to the store and I fixed dinner, it was dark.

The night is cool, but not cold, and it’s lit by a very bright half moon.  It’s special here!

We are finally at peace with the decision to find a new home for Sheba.  Ron is taking pain meds for his sore shoulder.  And today Sheba scared me by barreling up a hill with me hanging onto the leash for dear life.  And this evening she whimpered so pathetically at being tied up — yet again.  Our little girl deserves better.

Sunset reflecting off Casita

Sunset reflecting off Casita

The world is changing.  Since we are camped at a semi remote site, I’m a little concerned about telling the world, “We’re old and we are camped all alone RIGHT HERE.”  So I’m doing this post tonight, but will save it as a draft and publish it after we leave.

Sheba -- tied up again :(

Sheba — tied up again 😦

Thursday, December 20

This WordPress template won’t let me put today’s entry beneath yesterday’s photos, so that’s why it’s here.

Today was rainy.  We only went outside to walk the dogs and take the trash to the dumpster, except for driving the truck closer to the falls so I could get a photo for the blog.  It was raining too hard to walk that far.

The water is unbelievably low now.  The first time we came, there was rushing water and white water rapids beneath the falls and way downstream.

Then, the last few times we were here, the water was very low, but nothing like it is now.

High Falls on a dreary, rainy day.  Only in Georgia would these be called high!

High Falls on a dreary, rainy day. Only in Georgia would these be called high!

Now all you see is black rock with a few little streams of water in the crevices between the rocks.  The scarcity of water combined with the wet, gray day made the falls a dreary sight.

Amazingly, due to the way I have the Casita arranged with separate twin bed areas, Ron and I and the dogs were all inside all day and didn’t feel cramped.   We read and surfed, and the dogs were content to just lie around on the floor.

The only thing bad about not being able to get outside was that I felt antsy at not being able to move around more.

Black rock at the base of the falls

Black rock at the base of the falls

Finally, right at sunset, the sky started clearing.  But then the wind and colder weather started moving in.  At least I was able to cook dinner outside.

We’ll head for home tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to a hot bubble bath!  🙂

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