Older and Wiser, and Having More Fun All the Time

Grand Canyon, 16 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas, SOLD

A few days ago, I celebrated my 58th birthday here in Pinetop, Arizona.  We are not towing a vehicle this summer, so we decided to go out to eat lunch someplace that was on the Lakeside-Pinetop bus route.  

We'd noticed an Asian buffet, but we really couldn't tell what it was like from the outside.  So we took a chance, and I'm so glad we did!  Sakura Buffet turned out to be very, very good.  Everything was fresh and delicious, including the sushi, which was much better than typical buffet sushi.  The restaurant was much larger than I would have guessed from the outside, and it was clean and tastefully decorated.  It was also reasonably priced, so we won't be waiting until another birthday or other special celebration to return.  If you get to the Show Low area, I'd say it's worth the drive down to Lakeside to eat at Sakura.

We have about another week-and-a-half here at Blue Ridge Motel & Cabins.  We can't extend our stay because they're fully booked for the rest of the summer, but we're also ready to move on, anyway.  I'm craving a little travel, new scenery, and a larger campsite.  So I've looked into a couple of RV parks that are part of the Passport America program, and we'll probably head to Clay Springs (about 30 miles away) next for about a week, and then on to Overgaard (another 15 miles) for another week.  We are definitely on the s-l-o-o-o-w tour of the White Mountains this summer, and I'm glad there are so many places to stay up here where it's cool (highs of about 90 degrees, while lowland parts of Arizona are hitting 115+ degrees this weekend!).    

For those who aren't members, I'd definitely recommend Passport America.  It is a 50% off campground membership program that costs about $50 per year.  So, if you use it for just a few nights, it's been worth the yearly fee.  Every campground has its own rules about PA rates.  They usually limit the number of nights you can get half-off, and they also often limit what time of the year or what days of the week as well.  But, if you take the time to look at the fine print and plan accordingly, you can get some pretty good deals.  

Fortunately, after a career as a law librarian, I'm a planner and researcher.  I spent a couple of hours online yesterday figuring out why these two Passport America parks would work best for me.  Since I sell on eBay and we don't have a car with us, staying within bicycling distance of a Post Office is important.  Also, because I use Verizon as my Internet access, I like to know how good the signal is going to be.  Post Office locations can be found pretty readily on the U.S. Postal Service website under the "Manage Your Mail" tab.  And yesterday I found out how to locate cell phone towers, too.  I'm glad I figured this stuff out, because it eliminated several campgrounds I'd been considering going to next.  

I'm working on a couple of things as we finish our stay here in Pinetop.  First, I'm lowering some of my eBay prices.  A few months ago, I bought 1000 vintage scarves from a person who used to be known as "THE Scarf Lady" on eBay.  She used to list her scarves at very high prices and she had a lot of success.  However, it's been a few years since she did much eBay selling, and people just aren't buying stuff like they used to.  After buying her inventory, I initially tried pushing my prices up to the maximum of what I might expect to receive, but the result has been fewer sales.  So I'm going back to the kinds of prices I used to charge, and hopefully that means I'll get a lot more sales.  This has meant spending hours reworking existing eBay listings, but I think it's going to be worthwhile. 

Second, I'm working on my series of road sign fantasy paintings, which I'll be sending to Grapes Gallery in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in time for July's Second Saturday Art Hop.  I'm having a lot of fun making these paintings, and so far the response to them has been very positive.  I've already sold two of the paintings before even getting them to the gallery, just from sharing them on my FaceBook page. 

Deer Crossing, 16 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas

The older I get, the more comfortable I am with just creating artwork that springs from my mind, without having to edit myself or worry about how the work will be received.  The more fun I have making the work, the more my joy of life is reflected in my paintings, and the more people like them.  I currently have enough ideas to make art for years to come, and I'm just going to keep doing it.  

Today I'm looking forward to the possible arrival of my friend Roxanne, who will be passing through this area on her way to visit family.  Can't wait to see her!

Movin' on Up: Pinetop, Arizona

 Double rainbow over the RV Sites at Blue Mountain Motel & Cabins

In my last blog post, we were staying at the National Forest Service campground in Lakeside, Arizona, a few miles south of Show Low on Hwy 260.  But we were having problems.  We'd been counting on using our generator to run the air conditioning once in a while if necessary and to keep our batteries full.  When we tried the generator, it smelled like something was burning.  We tried getting by with the small solar panel we'd brought with us, and that just wasn't enough.  The afternoons were very hot, and there wasn't enough power for me to sell on eBay.

So I called around to find someplace we could stay that had full hook-ups.  Boy, that's hard to find in this area!  Most RVers that come to the Show Low/Lakeside-Pinetop area stay for the entire summer.  A lot of RV parks only accept reservations for the whole season, and some of those are very selective:  No RVs that are more than 10 years old, or even 5 years!  

Fortunately, we'd met somebody local who recommended Blue Ridge Motel & Cabins, which also has RV spaces.  They are pretty much booked up for the summer, too, but they happened to have one space available for a month, so we took it.  The price was right--$295 per month, which includes electricity.  We moved as soon as the site opened up and have been here about a week-and-a-half so far.

We're parked very close to our neighbors, but fortunately we have quiet folks on both sides.  We like the resort.  The owners are a nice family, and they keep the place very family-friendly, so there isn't any conspicuous consumption of alcohol or anything else.  Most days the only noise I hear from other people is the happy sound of kids playing.

We're also more comfortable temperature-wise than we were in Lakeside.  We're just a little bit higher in elevation, and we are on the front edge of Blue Ridge, where we get some nice breeze.    

We're still right off of Hwy 260, so we can still take the bus, which is handy for us, since we opted not to tow a car this summer.  We've been able to take the bus to the Post Office, to various grocery stores, and to take care of some business.  Since the bus runs on a circular route that takes about an hour, there's often quite a bit of wait time, but that's okay.  I just bring a book and find myself a cup of coffee.       

 A great almond croissant and cup of coffee at "Baked in Pinetop"

Some of my readers who have been with me since the beginning of my travels in 2011 might remember that, when I started out on the West Coast, I reviewed all of the almond croissants that I found along the way.  I ate them in several places in California, but then after I took a left turn and headed through the Southwest, almond croissants became very hard to find!  So I was sure delighted to find a really good one the other day at a little shop called "Baked in Pinetop."  It had just the right amount of almond paste inside--enough to taste really good and to be moist inside, but not so much to affect the lightness of the pastry on the outside.  I'll definitely be going back there again before I leave this area.

While we have hookups and fairly reliable Internet, I'm working on two goals:  To make some money on eBay and to get some paintings done.  I've started work on a new series of paintings inspired by my travels.  They're based on road signs and they are fantasy "what if" situations. 

 "Watch for Tie Dye Cows on Road"

16 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas

Lucky for me, right after I started working on these new paintings, I got a call from Grapes Gallery in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, asking me for some new work.  So I hope to get five or six paintings done within the next several weeks, and I'll mail them to the gallery in time for the July Second Saturday Art Hop.  

Also lucky for me, my friend Bridget immediately bought the tie dye cow picture!  I mailed it to her yesterday at her little ranch in Guadalupita, New Mexico.

Okey Dokey Smokey

16 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas

Steve had some sad news right after we moved here to Blue Ridge.  His friend Bob, with whom we'd stayed a few weeks earlier near Ramah, New Mexico, died of a heart attack.  We had just put the money down on our month here at the resort, and we decided not to go back.  Fortunately, Bob and Nancy's grown kids, as well as other family, friends and neighbors, will all be gathering tomorrow to celebrate Bob's life.  I'm glad Steve got one last chance to hang out with Bob.

We'll be here another two-and-a-half weeks, and then we'll head a little ways west, maybe to Overgaard.  We'll probably find ourselves another place to roost for a while in the White Mountains.  It's nice and cool here in the mornings and evenings, and it rarely gets hot enough for us to need the A/C in the afternoon.  There doesn't seem to be much reason to move very far or very fast.      

Figuring Stuff Out at a National Forest Service Campground

 Approaching the White Mountains

Four days ago, we left St. Johns, Arizona, where we'd unexpectedly spent a full week at a pleasant private RV park.  It's a good thing we hung out there--the first prescription of antibiotics I'd been given at the local clinic didn't completely make me well, so I was able to get another round of stronger meds before leaving town.  Now I am really feeling much better.  

We drove only about 60 miles to our next destination.  We want to check out the Show Low, Arizona, area this summer.  This part of Arizona, also known as the White Mountains and the Mogollon Rim, has at least three contiguous National Forests:  Sitgreaves, Apache and Cococino.  All of these have established campgrounds, and all allow dispersed camping (boondocking).  There are also city and county campgrounds, State Parks, and many private RV parks. 

Entering Sitgreaves National Forest

Somebody told us a ways back in our travels to go to the Lakeside Ranger Station out by the Show Low Walmart and there would be a good campground close by.  Wow, they weren't kidding!  Right across the street from the Ranger Station is Lakeside Campground.  

This is a very interesting place to camp.  The sites are large and wooded, so you feel like you're out in the boonies.  However, just outside the campground entrance is a bus stop, where you can catch a little bus that drives all through Lakeside-Pinetop, two communities a few miles south and east of Show Low, as well as out to the Hon-Dah Casino on the White Mountain Apache (Fort Apache) Reservation.  So you can have the best of both worlds here--a spacious, inexpensive campsite that's close to everything you might need or want.  

We can also take the Lakeside-Pinetop bus to its northernmost stop (Walmart) and transfer to another bus that loops through Show Low.  We haven't done that yet.  So far, we've been satisfied with finding groceries, the post office, and a bookstore on the bus route that goes by our campground.  

In fact, a lot of stuff is within easy biking distance.  I've been needing a new bike, so we took the bus up to Walmart the other day and got me an inexpensive 26" ladies 18-speed mountain bike.  It's much easier for me to ride a bike than to walk long distances, because a bike has zero impact on my knees. 

 My new bike!

We are experiencing very good and somewhat disappointing aspects of staying here at Lakeside.  The good part is, as mentioned, the sites are big!  Even though we're close to Highway 260 (I mean, we can walk to the other side of the campground and eat pizza and wings at a franchise), it's quiet in the evening.  Last night we watched a great horned owl hunting for field mice. 

The Beluga in our lovely campsite.

What's not working for us is the lack of electricity.  We have a generator, but it makes a troublesome burning smell when we use it, so we're not using it until we find out what the problem is.  

We do have a small solar panel with us, but it doesn't gather as much electricity as we sometimes need, given that I am not yet retired and need to keep up with my online business.  If it's cloudy for very long, I can't do my work.

We had been counting on being able to run the generator to have a little air conditioning during the hottest part of the day (it's about 95 degrees in the tin can...I mean, the Beluga right now).  We thought I'd be able to iron the scarves I sell on eBay while the generator was running, too, and maybe do a little sewing. 

So, much as we love this campground and the price (just $6 per night with Steve's Golden Age Passport), we did some research today and we'll be moving to a private resort on Friday, or possibly sooner if something opens up before Friday.  We're going to stay there about a month, which brings the nightly price down to about $10, which is a really good deal, considering it includes electricity, as well as some services we might not use, such as cable TV.  And we'll still have access to the bus, so we don't have to uproot our home every time we want to get groceries.  

So that's pretty much what we've got figured out in our nearly three weeks of summer travel.  We like driving a short distance and then staying a while, and we're enjoying the balance of woodsy camping and urban life.    

A Week of Relaxation in St. Johns, Arizona

 A castle-shaped rock formation on the Zuni Reservation

It's been two weeks since we left Truth or Consequences, and I just checked Mapquest--we are 257 miles from TorC.  Of course, we've driven more miles than that, because we went a little ways up north in New Mexico to visit our friends on the Ramah Navajo Reservation.  But after we left their house, we headed across the border into Arizona and then started south on Hwy 191, which follows the Arizona-New Mexico border and puts us closer to where we started.

 Red and yellow striped rock mesa

I mentioned in my last blog that I saw some pretty cool things on the Zuni Reservation, but I couldn't take pictures the first time through because I was scared spitless while riding shotgun on a narrow, winding, hilly road with no shoulders.  On our way to Arizona, we drove across the Zuni Res, but on a better road this time, so I was able to take a few photos. 
 

 A rural Zuni house made of yellow limestone from the area

We did not stop and pay to enter the Zuni Pueblo itself.  It costs about $11 per person, plus an extra $10 if you want to take pictures.  We've done similar pueblo tours elsewhere in New Mexico, so we passed this time. 

 A larger building made of sandstone in the town of Zuni, near the actual pueblo

We were in kind of a hurry to get to St. Johns because I wasn't feeling well.  I did some online research before we left our friends' place and found out about North Country Healthcare, a low-cost clinic with a sliding scale with locations in 13 northern Arizona towns.  I'd emailed the clinic director in St. Johns and got an appointment and the paperwork rolling for my getting a low-cost appointment.  

It all worked out great.  I got to see a wonderful nurse practitioner for over an hour, and she addressed all of my problems.  They are female problems, so I won't go into detail--suffice it to say that nothing is life-threatening, and I just needed some meds.  Getting the prescriptions was a good experience, too.  St. Johns Drug is an old-fashioned pharmacy where they stock lots of old-time remedies such as Bag Balm and horehound lozenges.  They charged me far less than retail due to my lack of health insurance.  

We are staying at Moon Meadows RV Park on the west edge of St. Johns.  We'd planned to stay only one night, but we liked the park--it has large lots with trees, and it's affordable, so we are staying for a week while I recuperate.  Most of the other residents live here full-time here in their RVs and are working on construction projects in the area. 

I definitely am getting better.  Sometimes I think the meds are worse than the underlying conditions they treat.  I have to nap a lot, and I'm kind of spacey.  Steve and I were sitting down to play cribbage the other day, and he mentioned something about not wanting to "take advantage of a stoner"!  Well, I made sure to beat him 2 out of 3 games.  Stoner, indeed!  He says he let me win, but I don't think so.

So here are some pictures of what the cat and I have pretty much been doing lately:

Sonja on her back, sort of

 

 Sonja on the Bucky, on the dashboard

 

Sonja on the--"Seriously, do you  have to keep taking my picture?!"

We haven't spent time exploring St. Johns.  It's largely a Mormon town, and the Udalls are all from here.  There are some historic buildings, because this is one of the first areas of Arizona that LDS pioneers settled in the 1870s.  

Steve has been riding his bike into town to get groceries, and he's been doing a great job of taking care of me.  We're paid up here through Tuesday night, so Wednesday morning, we'll be heading to Show Low, where we heard there is some good boondocking on Forest lands on your way into town.  

Pie Town and Candy Kitchen, New Mexico~Sweet!

 Warm blueberry pie with ice cream~Delicious!

  
After spending three quiet nights at Datil Well BLM Campground, we headed north to visit Steve's friends Bob and Nancy who live in the Ramah section of the Navajo Reservation, southeast of Gallup.  On the way, we had a nice lunch at Pie-O-Neer Cafe in Pie Town, New Mexico. 

This restaurant has been featured in many travel magazines and has won some awards for its pie.  We were a little disappointed to learn that they no longer serve many entrees ("We are a PIE shop"), but then I tried the green chile stew and it was every bit as good as the pies.  

Pie Town got its name from being a place that was well situated for travelers to take a break, and over the years every merchant in the town has offered pie.  We had our choice of several places to stop to eat, but Pie-O-Neer was the place where all the cars were.  

After our stop in Pie Town, we headed north on NM Hwy 37 which takes you through the Zuni Reservation, then went a little ways east on NM Hwy 53 to the town of Ramah.  I wish I had some photos of Hwy 37--it's a beautiful, lonesome stretch of road with lots of red and yellow rock mesas, and interesting houses and outbuildings made of the yellow limestone.  It's also very green, with a groundcover of scrubby junipers.  However, Steve and I are still getting used to driving and riding in the Beluga, and that road was a little scary for us.  It's a fairly narrow two-lane highway with no shoulders, and there are lots of hills and turns.  Steve was busy at the wheel, and I was busy clenching and gnashing in the passenger seat. So, no pics. 

Bob and Nancy live on a parcel of land in the Ramah Navajo Reservation, which is a smaller part of the Navajo Nation that's south of I-40 (most of the Navajo Nation is up in the Four Corners area, north of I-40).  The Ramah reservation is a checkerboard of tribal, government, and private land.  

 Nancy at the door of the Pinehill Post Office

Our friends have lived up here for full-time for about 11 years.  They have a neat little spread with a house, guest cabin and other outbuildings, and a couple of RV hookups for visitors.  

 One of the gravel roads we drove a few times this weekend

 
They have to drive pretty far to take care of any sort of business--their PO box is 15 miles away at Pinehill, a small town that is the business center of the reservation, so they pick up and drop off mail for several neighbors when they make their weekly trip to the Post Office.  Seeing a doctor or making a major grocery shopping trip involves at least a half day, going either to Grants or Gallup.

 Drummers at the trading post's birthday celebration

 
Over the past couple of days, we've made a couple of trips to Candy Kitchen, a town even smaller than Pinehill.  There's a nice store there, the Candy Kitchen Trading Post, which was celebrating its second year in business this weekend with a flea market and drummers.

 Our tour guide, Rae, giving dog treats to a wolf

We went back to Candy Kitchen yesterday for a tour of the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary.  This is a nonprofit that provides a forever home for wolves, wolf-dogs, and various sorts of feral or wild dogs.  They rescue the animals from a variety of situations...breeders who are shut down by authorities, zoos that go out of business, animal hoarders, individuals who realize that their "pet" is really a wild animal, etc.  A few of the rescues are dogs that happen to look like wolves (malemutes, for example) that are sent to them by animal authorities, and some of these can eventually be adopted.  But there are about 60 animals that have to stay at the sanctuary because wolves and wolf-dogs are not pets.

 A Minnesota timberwolf, rescued after someone dropped him off in a Minnesota State Park--he has more of a dog type personality and loves people.  He whined with happiness when our tour group came up to his enclosure. 

Interestingly, the wolf-dog crosses are the most challenging animals to deal with, because they can have sort of an identity crisis.  They don't really fit in with either the wolf or dog population, and they can be difficult to manage.

 Wolves are definitely quicker than I am!

 
Our tour lasted over an hour and was well worth the $6 admission.  The grounds are very nice.  The critters have large enclosures and the staff thoughtfully accommodates the most shy animals with the largest places to live, so they can hide from visitors if they wish.  

 The original "candy kitchen," which is now part of the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary

Candy Kitchen is an interesting community that got its name during Prohibition.  A local moonshiner needed a cover for why he purchased so much sugar and why so many folks stopped by his cabin, so he started making pinon candies which he sold over the counter while selling liquor under the counter.  It's still a town full of characters.

 

Steve, at the wolf sanctuary

We've been here at our friends' place for the long Memorial Day weekend, and we'll head out early tomorrow morning and cross into northern Arizona for more adventures.       

Boondocking (With Perks) on the Historic Hoof Highway

 I can hardly believe we left my hometown of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, a mere 29 hours ago--we have already had some adventures!

There was getting out of town.  We weren't even sure if we were leaving yesterday or whether we might delay a day or two, because I was waiting to see if our local ALCO store got a 26" women's mountain bike in on their weekly truck.  However, as of yesterday morning, the truck had not even arrived yet, so we decided to leave and find a different bike somewhere along the road.  I'm definitely going to need a bike on our travels, because, due to arthritis in my left knee, I do better getting around on a bike than on foot.  But the right one will come along.

 Sonja in the Sherpa bag

 So we packed up and hit the road.  We needed to drop my minivan at our friend Misha's house where it will stay for the summer, but--shades of February 14, 2011!--my cat Sonja escaped from the rig at the first opportunity.  She hid under the motorhome and it took a while to catch her.  After this escape, she had to ride in her Sherpa bag.  Once again she must become accustomed to life as an RV cat.  It will take a few days.  She is already doing better today and no longer needs to travel in the bag.

 My view as a passenger along I-25

Our plan was to drive an hour north on I-25 to Socorro, then head west on Highway 60 to a BLM campground called Datil Well.  Steve drove the first leg to Socorro, and then we switched so I could try driving the Beluga for the first time.  The first few minutes, it was a little scary to drive a Class A motorhome, but then I started to get the feel of it.  There's a tendency to think you have to pull to the right whenever traffic approaches, but, in fact, it's important to hug the yellow center line so you don't get blown to the right by the big trucks.  So you gotta be tough.  

 Steve at the wheel

After 20 miles, I was ready to let Steve take the wheel back at the small artsy town of Magdalena.  But when he got in the driver's seat, there was no battery power!  This made no sense, since the battery should have been charging as we traveled.  We called AAA, and they sent a couple of nice mechanics out from Baca's 24 Hour Towing in Socorro.  The guys brought a battery with them and determined that the problem was the alternator, not the battery, so we had to backtrack to Socorro for repairs.  

 Some cool antiques at Baca's garage

The whole alternator adventure pretty much took up the most of the afternoon, so instead of camping at Datil Well, we boondocked at the Socorro Walmart, which wasn't bad at all.  In fact, I got nine hours' sleep and we got better stocked up.  We also had dinner at a Chinese buffet which would be "bleah!" by Seattle standards, but wasn't half bad for being in the middle of New Mexico.  

 Three of the radio telescopes at VLA

This morning we made a fresh start--got more gas and propane and headed west on Highway 60 again.  Now we had the entire day to get to Datil, so we could be more leisurely.  We stopped at the Very Large Array west of Magdalena.  This is a big radio astronomy observatory where "Contact" and some other sci-fi movies were filmed.  It was a nice stop--we ate lunch in the RV and then went inside to see a short movie that explains basic radio astronomy in terms that I understood. 

Highway 60 is beautiful.  As we headed west, we began to see scrubby pinon and juniper trees, and they got larger the farther we went.  West of Magdalena, we began to see herds of pronghorn antelope--more than I'd ever seen in one day, probably at least 100 antelope.   

Approaching the Datil Mountains

We got to Datil Well Campground in the early afternoon.  It's a very nice place--nice big sites with picnic tables and barbecues, some with small shelters, and vault toilets.  The water here is wonderful, because it comes from the old well.  Datil Well was on the "Hoof Highway" that joined Springerville, Arizona, with the railway at Magdalena, starting in the 1880s.  Cattle and sheep were herded to the railroad, stopping every 10 miles or so for water and rest.  

You can't beat the price of Datil Well, just $5 per night, but only $2.50 for us because Steve has the Golden Age pass.  We aren't sure how long we'll stay here, but probably a while since we discovered that I can get free wifi in the cute little visitors center cabin where I'm sitting right now.

A couple of new things I learned as an RVer that I'd like to pass on...one is that I'm learning to make just about anything that I'd normally cook in an oven on the top of the stove.  For instance, here are some green chili enchiladas that turned out very nicely cooked in a skillet:

Also, I finally figured out a good way to contain Sonja's water and food dishes while on the road.  I cut down a plastic placemat to line a basket.  Now everything stays in place or at least doesn't tip over and make a mess.  The cat, however, still likes to take a few pieces of her kibble and eat it other places such as our bed.  

 

Goodbye, Guppie!...A Month at the Artesian Bath-House.

Yesterday I took the Guppy, my 1982 Toyota Dolphin, to a local used car lot.  I was glad to find someone else to sell it for me, because I have a lot of emotional attachment to my old rig, and it would be difficult for me to deal with strangers who'd give me lowball offers.  I've had so many adventures with the Guppy!  I'm sad to say goodbye, but also glad to be moving on to a larger rig that suits my needs better today. 

Steve and I have been living in the Beluga, my 1991Holiday Rambler Class A motorhome, since he brought it over to Truth or Consequences from his winter camp in Arizona around April 20th.  We're parked at the Artesian Bath-House & Trailer Park in downtown TorC.  I've stayed here four times in the past couple of years--it's my go-to place whenever I'm in transition.  It's inexpensive ($130 per month plus electricity), very close to everything, and RV guests get half-price soaking in the mineral waters.  

The Artesian is crowded, however, and I'm looking forward to getting out of town in a little over a week.  We're going to take the Beluga out to Elephant Butte for a little shake-down trip before we hit the road for the summer.  We'll spend a few days along the Rio Grande with no electrical or water hookups, seeing what life is like in this rig when we're using battery power and water from the holding tank.  We have a generator and a small solar panel. The rig is set up for solar and apparently used to have a bank of solar panels on top which were removed at some point.  We'll probably replace those and get several more "house batteries" in a year or so, when I have the rig paid off.   

In the meantime, we've been figuring out a lot about the rig while staying here in town.  Everything seems to be working well--stove, oven, fridge, freezer, shower, furnace, air conditioning, etc.  It truly is like having a small one-bedroom apartment on wheels.  I've been able to function very well in this space, having room to do artwork, sell on eBay, and even entertain a little bit. 

Of course, when we're not hooked up to electricity, we'll have to "rough it" a little--no a/c, for instance, unless we use the generator.  But that's why we'll be heading further north and to higher elevations for the summer, so we can stay places that are naturally cool. 

I've also been figuring out where to stow everything.  Even with lots of "basement storage" under the living space, I've had to make some hard choices.  I gave away all of my mosaic supplies and tools.  I decided that, much as I enjoy it, mosaic isn't going to fit into my life anymore.  Now I'm doing other art media that use some of the same processes of taking apart and putting back together again--collage, mixed media, fabric art, etc.  

 An unstretched canvas by Ruth

Speaking of art, I was pleased to find wall space in the new rig for the work of local artists that I've collected.  I've hung paintings and posters by Stacy Jo Harms, Ed Moss, James Gasowski, Roy Lohr, Ruth, and Delmas Howe.   

Also speaking of art, tonight is the last TorC Second Saturday Art Hop that I'll be around for, at least for a few months.  I have paintings at Grapes Gallery and later today I'll be bringing some new drawings up to January's Gallery.  

So, we're doing well in our new space. Sonja seems to be enjoying the Beluga very much.  Boy, is she going to be surprised when we start up the engine and she realizes she's once again on an RV adventure!!!

 P.S.  Steve says hi: