Honey, this isn’t Texas!

Posted on December 21, 2020 by liv2rv

Snow covered mountains? Did we take a wrong turn? This doesn’t look like Texas.

It’s 2020, so our plans went out the window…again. When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that they will keep their border closed for the “Foreseeable future,” we talked about starting to look for a new vehicle. We were able to change all of our Alaska reservations to the summer of 2021, but who knows if we will make it there? As much as we enjoyed the truck camper, the thought of living full-time in a tiny space for two more years, was not something we really wanted to do. So we started to look at small class A motorhomes for sale. Sadly, many dealers seemed to raise their prices on used ones, both gas and diesel. And they were not willing to negotiate much on price.

Then we spotted a new coach on-line, and were intrigued. We went back and forth with the dealer, and made a low-ball offer to see how they would counter. And they did…oh, now what do we do? So off to Colorado, in December, to look at an RV! We had made the offer contingent upon us seeing the coach, and driving it. We were fortunate the weather was unseasonably warm…for the first 10 days! The dealer called us the day after Thanksgiving to advise there was a missing trim piece, and one piece of fascia was damaged, and that the replacement pieces would not arrive until December 9th. We decided we would still come out by November 30th, as we had planned, and would just wait for the parts. This would give us time to go over things, and have them take care of any issues that we found.

The dealer, Transwest Truck, Trailer and RV, located in Frederick, Colorado (North of Denver), had a parking lot “campground” for guests to stay in. We were able to park door-to-door, which made it easier to move our belongings from the truck and camper into our new home, a 2020 Newmar Canyon Star 3513. Out with the old, in with the new!

Here are some more pictures of our new home:

And here’s what it looked like once we moved our stuff from the camper in! We were surprised by how much stuff we were able to cram into the camper. And we have more stuff stored at Dave and Marilyn’s house, our friends in Yuma.

Here is the damaged fascia and missing wooden valance that Newmar replaced.

We had some other issues that we found, and the dealer took care of everything before we left. We were very, very happy with their service department, and would recommend them for any service you may need. They do service all makes and models. While we were in Colorado, we did have an opportunity to meet up with our niece, Breanna. She is teaching in the Boulder area, and drove over after ‘virtual teaching’ to check out our new home. It was wonderful catching up with her, as we have not seen her since 2014.

Our goal was to leave on December 10th, after they fixed the fascia that arrived on the 9th. But our luck with good weather ran out, and we had to wait two days for the snow to clear. It presented a good challenge to test out the new coach: snow, wet roads, mountains, road construction and a multi-car accident blocking the interstate around Denver! Off to a good challenge! We have been pleasantly pleased by how well the gas coach has performed.

Leaving the dealer’s campground:

When we had our walk-through with the technician at the dealer, he commented that they do not make the windshield wiper fluid reservoir large enough. We really didn’t understand what he meant until we were on the wet roads. After 85 miles, we had used up the entire gallon on our large windshield, and had to stop for another bottle! Mile-High Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos football team, is in the picture below. The wipers were less than ideal with no fluid!

It took two days of driving until we lost the snow, and found the sun! We did a quick stop in Casa Grande, and got together with Forrest and Mary, whom we met back in 2013. Once again, we had a nice visit, delicious lunch, and got to see their new-to-them super C.

Then it was off to Yuma, where we are back at a very deserted Westwind RV for the next 2 months. Not only are the Canadians missing, but there are a lot of Americans that have not made it down here (yet). There are 1057 sites here, but only a fraction of them are occupied. It will be a quiet winter. But that could be a good thing, as people stay safe and healthy! Soon this year will be over!!!!!

Quote for the day: “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to it’s old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Still chillin’ in Wisconsin

Posted on November 16, 2020 by liv2rv

Hello everyone, it’s me, Makena, keeping my peeps updated! We are still in Wisconsin, hanging out at my grandparents (Dan’s parents) house. I’m always happy to be hanging out at their house, as I’m the “Queen Bee!”

Makena

I’ve had a busy time here, with two trips to the doctor. One was just a check-up and a confirmation that I have lost most of my hearing. My parents were hoping that I just had clogged ears, but no such luck. At least I don’t get scared anymore when my grandparents yell at the television during Packer football games, since I can’t hear them! I wonder if there are hearing aids for dogs?

On my first visit to the doctor, I did stop over and visit with my cousin Reagan, while my parents were finally cleaning out stuff stored in my Aunt Madge and Uncle Greg’s attic for the last seven years. It’s all Christmas decorations and some knick-knacks that they can’t figure out what to do with, so they went into my grandparents basement for now. Just moving junk from one place to the next, in my opinion!

On my second visit to the doctor, I had my teeth cleaned, for the first time. I had labs drawn first, and Dr Alex said they were great, especially for my age (13 1/2). For dogs, you have to be put under anesthesia to get a dental cleaning. After the procedure, I was pretty woozy, stumbling around for the rest of the day. Even though I was super hungry, I was only allowed half of my food, which apparently was too much, because I threw up twice during the night. My parents took turns sleeping with me on the floor, as I didn’t want to stay in bed, since I was not feeling well. By the next day, I was doing much better. And my teeth are sparkling and my mom says my breath doesn’t stink anymore!

My grandma felt sorry for me, so she spent some time playing with me. All I have to do is pick up a toy and stare at her. Works like a charm!

The weather improved in November, for the first ten days, but now it’s starting to get too cold for me. And it made me really jealous when my buddies Molly and Lilly texted me a picture of them lounging on the beach in Maui at sunset. I met them a few years back at Luton’s, as my parents worked with their mom, Melissa. She’s currently in Hawaii for a year. Not a bad place to be stuck under quarantine!

Oh, how I wish for warmer weather so I can be lounging outside! My parents did say we would be in Yuma starting January 1, for two months. It looks like they are going to try and stay here until Thanksgiving, although the weather can change quickly in Wisconsin. Thanksgiving will just be the five of us this year. Although I wouldn’t mind getting belly rubs from everyone, only having four adults means there will be more “turkey fairy” opportunities for me!! (and it keeps grandma and grandpa safe, which is the most important thing.)

And speaking of the “food fairy” where snacks magically appear in my dish, I make sure I routinely check under grandpa’s recliner in case he drops some food. Gotta do my part in helping keep their house clean! (you can see where the doctor shaved my left paw to start the IV when they did the cleaning)

My parents are still busy doing chores. When the weather was really nice, they rented a steam cleaning machine, and did all the carpets. I was busy laying in the sunshine, so I made my dad go around me. I was not going to let some stinking machine move me out of my spot in the sun, but eventually I was kicked out. But I held out as long as I could!

Well that’s it for now. We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Until next time!

Meme for the day:

Working on Plan D or is it E?

Posted on October 21, 2020 by liv2rv

After a strange split season working at Luton’s Teton Cabins, we have arrived back in Wisconsin, a current “hot spot” for Covid infections. We are trying to decide what to do next, as the weather has turned unseasonably cold. Originally, we were hoping to stay in Wisconsin at least until the end of November, then head out in search of warmer weather.

We enjoyed working a split season, even though we originally had no plans of working at all. Normally by the end of the season, we are tired and ready to leave, but this year we stayed until October 8th. Karen and Al also stayed until the end of the season, as we had the busiest fall season ever. It was ironic that the four of us, who were not even supposed to be at Luton’s, were the last to leave. We all remain optimistic that Canada will eventually open up, and we can visit Alaska in 2021 (although they just extended the border closing through November 21.)

We had several excellent pot lucks during the month of September and into October, including two prime ribs roasts. Al, as usual, did an excellent job of cooking them. This was a 20 pound roast, cooked to perfection.

It’s back to doing some chores at Dan’s parents house in Wisconsin. We also have some medical appointments for Makena and I set up. And we are working on clearing out our belongings that we have stored in my sister’s attic. Other than that, we are just enjoying some down time for now. My cousin Caroline gave us a giant Northern Georgia Candy Roaster squash that she had grown in her garden. I think it weighs about 10 pounds.

We tried roasting some slices for about an hour, and it turned out delicious! Even if you don’t like squash, this particular style is very sweet and tasty. No brown sugar needed to improve the taste!

We are trying to decide where to go for the winter. A lot depends on how quickly we need to leave, but we are leaning towards heading back to Arizona for a few months. But we are also considering heading to Texas as well. It will all just depend on the weather.

That’s a wrap for now! Stay safe everyone.

Quote for the Day: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss

2020 in dog years!

Posted on September 7, 2020 by liv2rv

Hello everyone, it’s me, Makena, your favorite dog blogger!

I know 2020 has been a long year for you humans. Just be thankful you’re not a dog. It’s been a really, really long year in dog years! This going from Wyoming to Wisconsin and then back to Wyoming has been very confusing for me. And I guess we will be going back to Wisconsin in mid-October.

We went to Wisconsin to stay with my grandparents for the summer, and help them out. After we left to come back to Wyoming, Grandpa Stu ended up in the hospital, for five days. He had a bad infection (thankfully, not Covid-19), but is back home recovering with some very strong antibiotics. He’s getting stronger every day, and I look forward to spending some quality time with him sharing a snack again!

BACK IN WISCONSIN

Just to recap things, when we were back in Wisconsin, we spent a few days visiting with my parents college friends, Mike and Sue, at their cabin. I enjoyed my off-leash time, and had lots of room to roam around. And I was on my best behavior getting along with their dogs, Bella, Rusty and Mocha. (I had no choice, I was outnumbered…!)

Begrudgingly going for a walk with the three dogs

I spent a few days at Aunt Linda and Uncle Doug’s house, where I have plenty of room to play off leash!

And I was able to meet up with some of my cousins. While I have stayed my same petite size, Raya has grown into quite the young lady now. But she still enjoys giving me some belly rubs!

You may recall on my parents last post that my grandma finally found a new refrigerator. While, she has her priorities (ME), and this is what it looked like when she started stocking the fridge!

My mom decided to take advantage of having a big sink (our camper’s sink is too small for me to fit in), which meant it was time for a bath….

BACK IN WYOMING

And if this year hasn’t been confusing enough for me, the weather hasn’t helped either. The calendar says it’s Labor Day, but the forecast is more like Christmas! Yes, it went from 72 degrees in the afternoon, to 21 at night…yuck.

All the guests staying at the cabins commented on how pretty it looked the next day. My mom was amused watching some guests from Florida and California use the plastic spatula from their cabins to scrape their car windows!

My parents say their jobs are going well here at Luton’s Teton Cabins. It’s the busiest fall season ever. My mom says the office is easy now, because we have no availability, so the telephone is not ringing as much! And cleaning is quick and easy since the cabins are almost all just couples. No families at this time of the year. The snow has already melted, but I’m sure there will be another storm before we leave.

Quote for the day: “The one thing we know about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” – Jeff Rich

Back in Wisconsin

Posted on August 6, 2020 by liv2rv

Back in July, we implemented Plan C, and left Wyoming after working for two months at Luton’s Teton Cabins. We didn’t do too much in Wyoming, as we had spent the last 4 summers there, and we were trying to stay safe. We did spend a lot of time binge watching shows on Amazon Prime Video. We were able to watch all three seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and we are looking forward to season four whenever it comes out. In addition, we streamed all six seasons of Downton Abbey. We both loved the shows, and if you are looking for something addictive to watch, we recommend them.

Our trip back to Wisconsin was uneventful. We can drive much longer distances with our camper than the fifth wheel. And I drove about 200 miles the first day – Dan said it was the worst gas mileage we have had since getting the camper! (I am a bit of a ‘lead foot). It was a 1200 mile trip with virtually no contact with anyone, as we stayed over at Cabella’s (they are very RV friendly) and packed food for meals. Only had to stop for diesel and pottie breaks for Makena and us.

You know you’re back in Wisconsin when the grocery store has this sign at the entrance:

Our first stop in Wisconsin was to see our friends Mike and Sue, and their new cabin on 40 acres. They both have been working from home since March, and have been isolating as well. It was an enjoyable time catching up with the two of them.

When we arrived at Dan’s parents house in Oconto Falls, we were greeted with “Joan’s Wish List,” a typed up list of 20 items that she “really, really” wanted us to do! After the first week, we had crossed off 8 items, but 9 more were added to the list. So we started week two with 21 items. By week three, the list had 38 items….hmmm! As with any project, when you start something, you discover 2 or 3 more things that need to be done. We are now in the 40’s and rising!!!

Some things are easy, such as teaching them how to watch their local Church service on You-Tube on their television, so they don’t have to go in person. They have been wanting a new refrigerator for three years (they bought their current one in 1991, and it sounds like a truck). They have a specific size requirement, so they have never found what they want, or just couldn’t make up their mind, depending on whom you talk to! We sent Stu out golfing, and took Joan to Green Bay (Stu did a happy dance when he found out he did not have to go.) The appliance stores looked like they were going out of business, as they have not been able to get any new inventory, with the manufacturer’s shut down because of Covid-19. That actually worked to our benefit, as Joan realized she had to make a decision, and found something that fit. Now or next year, was what we told her. We had a very patient sales person. And it only took us four hours of looking!

It was delivered yesterday, and Dan had to do a little sanding on the bottom of the cupboard to get it to fit. The old fridge is on the upper right. Another thing checked off the list!

One thing I added to the list was cleaning out all the kitchen cabinets and oiling them. This is something we do every time a guest checks out at Luton’s. Joan agreed to donate a few unused items, and was impressed by how nice the cabinets looked after we were done. That’s when she added the dining room table, piano and organ to the list to get oiled! It really makes a difference.

Washing windows was another “to do” item that wasn’t on the original list. I purposely avoided helping at first, as mother and son had a long “discussion” on the proper way to clean them! I kept busy reading a magazine from January, on how to make 2020 “your best year ever!” Once they worked out a compromise on window cleaning, I helped out as instructed.

Other little projects consisted of fixing the electrical cord on Joan’s sewing machine that she bought in 1957, a Phoenix Automatic. There’s no plastic on this machine!

Gutters were cleaned out, and we washed and scrubbed the deck. It will be stained in a few days when it dries out.

And Dan spent about 7 hours cleaning out Joan’s old desktop, running Windows 98. That was another discussion I stayed away from.

We did manage a few fun outings. My sister LuAnn decided to visit from Texas, and for the first time since our mom died in 1994, all of my brothers and sisters were able to get together. So there are some positives to come out of this pandemic, as we would have been in Alaska this summer, and unable to make the party. I was a little hesitant at going, but my brother assured me it would be just the siblings/spouses, and it would be outdoors. It was a great time getting together, and we decided to recreate the photo that we had taken together in 1994.

My brother and sisters in 1994. Back row, Brian, Greg, Jerry. Front row: Jonell, LuAnn and Margie. I’m the youngest of the six, followed by Margie, LuAnn, Brian, Jerry and Greg.

Here we are in 2020, in the same order as the photo above. We are all aging gracefully!

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And here’s our Covid-19 photo, with spouses that were able to attend. We all had big smiles:

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Dan’s niece Kami, was turning 40, so we attended a small family celebration at Dan’s sisters house.

Here’s Kami playing ‘ring toss’ with her daughter Raya!

And Doug had set up a “golf course” with tennis balls on their property, so we all enjoyed the new outdoor, socially distant, sporting events! Adapt with the times!

On our way back from Doug and Linda’s house, we heard a loud noise, and thought we ran over something. Then Dan discovered the turbo was not running on the diesel. Turns out on Ford 350’s from 2011 – 2015, it is a common occurrence after 100,000 miles that the hose connected to the turbo charger, called the intercooler outlet tube, blows out. So we are waiting for the local Ford dealer to try and locate a new part, which is a bit of a challenge since they are behind on inventory. We are hoping to have it repaired next week.

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Had I posted this blog a few days ago, the post would have ended here. But as any RV’er knows, and actually, as anyone living on planet Earth in 2020 knows, plans can change at a moments notice. So now we are on to “Plan D!” We have received several telephone calls, text messages and e-mails from everyone that we worked with at Luton’s, asking us if we could come back to finish out the season. Apparently one couple, that has worked their the past 4 summers, suddenly quit. Despite the pandemic, it has been a very busy season at Luton’s (many lodging places did not open up this season), and they really need help. Brad and Joanne, the owners, have always treated us well. And we were amused by all the text messages and e-mails from our co-workers, so we have agreed to go back and finish out the season. We will leave around the 20th, as we still have some appointments (and more things on the to-do list) to complete.

We do plan on returning to Wisconsin in mid-October, and hope to actually spend more times visiting with some friends, even if it has to be with mask and six-feet apart!

Quote of the Day: “Life imposes things on you that you can’t control, but you still have the choice of how you’re going to live through this.” – Celine Dion

Moving on to “Plan C”

Posted on June 11, 2020 by liv2rv

Just a quick update. We are still in Wyoming, working at Luton’s Teton Cabins, but will be departing for Wisconsin after the first week of July. Our original plan was to go to Alaska this summer, crossing into Canada in mid-May. With the border shut down, we moved on to Plan B, which was to wait here and see if the Canada/United States border would open up, and then do a slightly abbreviated trip to Alaska. Since all indications are that Canada will keep the border closed, through July, and possibly longer, we have scrapped our Alaska plans, and moved all of our reservations to 2021.

It was never our intent to spend the summer here in Wyoming, although it is a great place to be (no humidity, no mosquitoes, and a beautiful view). But we don’t want to take any hours away from anyone that was planning on working here. Our friends Dan and Nancy are planning on working here this summer, and they will arrive around the last week of June to start their training, and then we will depart for Wisconsin. That was always our “Plan C.”

Going to see the Grandparents!

Dan’s parents were thrilled when we told them the news (after expressing disappointment that we were not going to Alaska), and I think they are working on a large “honey do” list of chores for us to help them with. Dan says, “not too long Mom.” They had been planning on hiring out some local handymen to help them out, but we are just not comfortable having lots of people coming into their house right now. They are both in the higher risk category for COVID-19, and we don’t feel it’s safe to have a lot of people coming and going right now.

It’s about 1400 miles from Moran, Wyoming to his parents house in Wisconsin. With being fully self-contained in our camper (see Don and Kathy, I didn’t say ‘truck camper’!!) we can make it there with very minimal contact to the outside world. So we can continue to keep ourselves in our own little “bubble”.

As for our winter plans, we still have not decided on anything concrete. As the way 2020 is going, we simply can’t plan that far in advance! We are on a month to month deal right now.

Quote for the day: “Live, so you do not have to look back and say, “God, how I have wasted my life.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Back to Work…for now

Posted on May 14, 2020 by liv2rv

With temperatures staying above 100 degrees for an extended time, it was finally time to leave Yuma, Arizona, and head to cooler weather, while we wait for the Canadian border to open. Our air conditioner on our truck camper was running all day, trying to keep up with the heat. Yes, it’s a dry heat, but it’s still hot!

This forecast looked much better to us, so off we went to Moran, Wyoming.

We left on May 2nd, and planned on taking a few days to get to Moran, but at our first stop in Utah, we discovered that our refrigerator would not work on the propane setting. So we continued on, planning on staying at a campground for the night, with hook-ups, so we could try to run the refrigerator on electric. As we approached the town, we noticed lightning to the West. After checking the radar, which was a big red blob, and reading the special weather bulletin indicating 40 mph winds and pea size hail were coming, we just decided to continue North to get ahead of the storm. Dan ended up driving around 600 miles that day, and we stayed overnight at a Wal-Mart for the first time ever. With the store closing at 9 pm, it was very quiet. Since it would be in the 30’s at night, we were not too concerned about the refrigerator getting too warm.

We were able to participate in a Zoom call with my brothers and sisters while we were driving. It was a lot of fun catching up with everyone, and hopefully my brother Jerry will be able to attend the next one.

We have also been doing Zoom calls with Dan’s family as well.

When we arrived at Luton’s Teton Cabins in Moran, Wyoming, Brad and Joanne (the owners) had a cabin all set for us. We have worked for them the past four summers, and they graciously offered us a cabin to stay in, so we didn’t have to spend so much time in our tiny camper. It’s not as well insulated as our fifth wheel was. We were able to park and unload our stuff. Makena was absolutely thrilled to have a big space to run around in, and I’m enjoying having a dishwasher!

This is our view from the cabin.

When we arrived on Sunday the 3rd, the State of Wyoming was still requiring all visitors to do a 14-day self quarantine. That order expired the next day, but with the parks and almost all stores closed, there was really nowhere to go.

When we did venture out on Wednesday, we had to be very careful of the Elk. Without visitors bothering them, the Elk have taken over! We have never, in four years, seen so many Elk. The park closures have been good for the wildlife.

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Of course, this was a little too close!

We took Makena for her annual veterinarian visit in Jackson. You are not allowed into the building. You have to call them, and then they come out to get your pet. Everything went well, and once you give them your credit card over the phone, they return your pet. I felt like she was being held hostage! You give us “X” amount of money, and we’ll bring your dog out to the car!

After her visit, we went to the grocery store. Last year the city of Jackson banned plastic bags, so we were curious to see if that ban was still in place, as we had heard some grocery stores were not allowing people to bring in their own bags anymore. But the ban is still in place, and you need to bring in your own bags, as well as bag your own groceries. They have stopped bagging them for you.

We were also happy to see that close to 100% of the people in the store (employees and customers) were wearing a mask. In Yuma, it was about 80%, so it’s nice to see everyone doing their part to keep others safe. Our friend Ellen made us some masks, and we have been wearing those when shopping. We needed to go to three other stores before finding two bus fuses for our RV refrigerator. Our fridge is now running again!

Over the past week, the non-essential stores in Jackson have started to re-open, as the Wyoming closure orders have gradually been lifted this week. As of today, you can now have a gathering of up to 25 people, with churches, funeral homes and livestock auctions exempted. That limit is set to expire at the end of the month. The two bookstores and a toy store have both stated they will remain closed (online orders only) as they are a “high touch” store and haven’t come up with a plan to keep everything sanitized. And a shoe store said they will only allow two people in at a time, so they can sanitize the shoes that people try on, but don’t purchase. Other stores and restaurants said they are going to wait until the summer before re-opening.

BACK TO WORK

We have just been hanging out in the cabin, watching movies through Amazon Prime on our iPad. But then everything changed on the afternoon of the 13th, when they announced that Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park would be re-opening, on a limited basis, starting Monday, May 18th at noon.

Brad and Joanne knocked on our cabin door, and Brad said we need you to start work in the office tomorrow, and work every day for the next week! Apparently as soon as word got out about the parks, the telephone was ringing off the hook! Up until then, he had been getting nothing but cancellations for this summer. Some people did reschedule for next year. Although we are still getting some cancellations, we are now getting a lot of new bookings.

With Yellowstone, the only entrances that will be opened up initially are the two in Wyoming. The other three entrances are in Montana, and they still have a 14-day quarantine for visitors (as well as Idaho, which is only a few miles from the West entrance.)

Dan has also gone back to work in housekeeping. Mitch and Amanda, who we have worked with the past two summers, have returned again. They did spring cleaning on a few cabins so they will be ready for visitors next week. As with all businesses, Brad and Joanne are starting to implement a lot of changes as a result of the virus. It’s going to be an interesting summer for everyone.

UPDATE ON ALASKA

We are trying to remain optimistic that we will be able to go to Alaska. Canada and the United States first agreed to shut the border around March 21 for 30 days. They extended the closure in April for an additional 30 days. That closure is set to expire on May 21, but from what we have been reading, Canada is pushing for another 30 day extension. Canada has done a good job in controlling the spread of Covid-19 with extensive shutdowns, testing, and contract tracing. It’s certainly understandable that they want to keep their people safe. And we want all of our Canadian friends to stay safe!

So for now, we wait. Al and Karen should be arriving here next week, and then we will decide on our plans. If we don’t end up going to Alaska, Brad asked if we could stay and work for the summer, and we may decide to do that. But we would rather be headed North.

Quote for the Day: “Have patience. All things are difficult before they come easy.” – Saadi

Moving on to Plan B and Plan C

Posted on April 15, 2020 by liv2rv

We hope everyone is doing well. We are still in Yuma, trying to remain optimistic about going to Alaska this summer, but also working on alternate plans. Our work actually ended here at Westwind RV and Golf Resort in the middle of March. The resort, in compliance with the city of Yuma’s social distancing guidelines, shut down all activities, closed the pool, library, billiards room, fitness center, and limited the restaurant to take-out only. The golf pro shop, where we worked two days a week, was also closed. The golf course remains open, but it is “honor golf” only. If you want to play, you deposit $8 per person in an envelope, and put it in a mailbox outside the pro shop. The golf shop managers were collecting the money once a day. And after today, the two full-time employees in the office will be collecting the money, as today is the last day for any remaining work campers to work.

So we have had a lot of free time on our hands. Since we had put in a lot of extra time for dances and night golf, the park continued to pay for our site and utilities until April 15. After today, we can stay for as long as we want, but we have to pay for utilities (water/sewer/trash and metered electric). It’s a great deal, and we are very thankful we have a place to stay, as so many campgrounds have closed down.

PLAN B AND PLAN C

The last four summers, we have worked at Luton’s Teton Cabins in Wyoming. Brad and Joanne, the owners, reached out to us, and offered us a cabin to stay in starting in May, as we wait to see if the Canadian border opens up, and then proceed up to Alaska. If we can cross over into Canada in June, we still plan on going. We are extremely grateful for the offer, and our “Plan B” is to head to Wyoming after May 1st, and stay there for a few weeks and see what happens. We have been watching the weather here in Yuma, and it looks pretty good until the end of the month, when the 90’s arrive. That’s also when it starts to warm up in the Tetons, with daytime highs around 60. (Although every year it has snowed on us in May!)

If Alaska doesn’t work out this summer, we will move on to Plan C, which is going back to Wisconsin. Dan’s parents have stated they have plenty of “honey do” projects on their list to keep us busy all summer! We would then go to Alaska in the summer of 2021, and look for a work camping job this fall (such as Amazon or JC Penney’s).

But who knows?! We can only plan a week or two ahead, at best right now. We are just grateful that we have options (and toilet paper!) Dan and I spent one Sunday walking to five different stores, in search of toilet paper. On the positive side, we walked 4.2 miles. On the negative side, we couldn’t find toilet paper anywhere. They have “senior hours” at the local Fry’s grocery store, so I asked our friend Tom if he could look for us when he went shopping during the early morning senior hours, as he said they are always fully stocked when he has gone. And much to my delight, when I opened up our door to let Makena out on Monday morning, there was a 12 pack of Kroger brand toilet paper on our steps!! Thanks Tom!! I felt like a teenager asking an adult to buy beer, only I was an adult asking a senior to buy me some toilet paper! My how times have quickly changed!

KEEPING BUSY

Since we have nothing but time on our hands, we asked our friends Dave and Marilyn if they needed help with any projects, and they quickly answered yes! They wanted to build a pergola, re-do the makeshift box around their pool equipment, and get rid of an old built-in grill that was not in use. So it was back to work for us! Below is the pool equipment enclosure.

The Before

The grill area was a challenge to take down. The back wall had to remain, as the pool equipment was attached to it. The hollow bricks were filled with concrete and re-bar. I think this thing was built to withstand a hurricane.

Eventually it came apart, and they poured concrete on the bottom as a stand for Dave’s free-standing grill.

After that was taken down, the pergola began to take shape.

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A sunscreen shade was secured over the top which really looks nice.

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The original plan was to put artificial grass down in front of the pool equipment enclosure, but Marilyn changed her mind, and decided on brick instead. We always knew we were in trouble when Marilyn would start a sentence with “you guys are going to hate me, but what if we……..”

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Down went the brick pavers (which really turned out to be the better option).

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The size of this patio changed a few times (Marilyn…) and the grass was eventually put down. It turned out well, and provided a nice contrast in color.

After

So we have added a few more skills to our skill set!

Quote for the Day: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Ghandi

I’m a Teenager!!

Posted on April 2, 2020 by liv2rv

Hello everyone, it’s your favorite dog blogger, Makena! I thought it was time for an update on my blog, as quite a bit has been happening for me, both good and bad. Let’s just get the bad stuff out of the way first…

OUR NEW HOME

What in the world were my parents thinking when they sold my house?? I was NOT consulted on this purchase of what amounts to a human sized dog house. I have gone from 40 feet of floor space, to 11 feet. I knew something was going on, because my parents kept packing up their stuff, and moving it out. But then I noticed they were packing up all my toys, food and treats, and it was removed from the RV as well. At that point, I became very nervous about what was happening. That night, which turned out to be the last night in our home, I refused to sleep with my parents. They would put me in bed, and I jumped off, and sat by the door. They again put me in bed, and I jumped off and went by the door. Finally they gave up, and put a blanket down by the door. That’s where I spent the night. There was no way I was going to let my parents leave, without taking me along. So I slept all night in front of the door.

Nobody leaves without me

The one thing I do like about the camper, is the booth dinette. However, I have to stand on my paws to see the computer, as the table sits up higher than the dining table in our fifth wheel. As you can see, it’s not as comfortable for blogging. But I will still keep my peeps informed!

Keeping my peeps informed!

The nice part about the booth dinette is I can sit on top and look out the window. I like that a lot. I can get some sunshine, fresh air, and see what is going on outside.

But there is barely enough room for my dog bed, blanket and food dish on the floor. And when they need to get something out of the refrigerator, or cook on the stove, I get moved around. And there’s not much space to run around indoors to play. I’m slowly adapting to my new digs. They promised me I would have a bigger house in a year or so.

MY BIRTHDAY PARTY!

So on to the good news. I just turned 13 years old, so my parents decided to have a birthday party for me. They tried to make sure that everyone practiced good social distancing during the party. Here I am demonstrating how to keep an appropriate social distance, which is something I have spent my whole life doing. P1060362 (1)

My friends Duffy and Finnegan attended my party, and they were busy trying to find the feral cats that hang out behind this park model.

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Si also attended, but he didn’t get the memo on proper social distancing! I had to keep my tail down…it’s kinda like a face mask for my butt!

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Missing from my party was my Grandpa Stu. We share the same date of birth, only 70 years apart. Also missing was Buddy, my next door neighbor for the past two winters. His parents had to leave early to get back to Canada. I like Buddy, because he lets me share his recliner with him. His mom gave us some treats before they left to celebrate my birthday.

CHRISTMAS

This past Christmas, I was again able to spend a few days with my dad’s family for Christmas. Gary and Julia again rented a pet friendly house, in Tempe. I was able to meet up with my cousin Simon, who just keeps getting bigger and bigger. He just turned three years old. We did our customary picture, but had a new addition this year. Simon is now a “big brother” to Amira, born in September.

Currently, I have been spending a lot of time hanging out at Dave and Marilyn’s house in Yuma. My parents have been helping them with some outdoor projects. I like having a bigger house to hang out in, especially when I can just relax in the sunshine.

Stay safe everyone! Take care and thanks for following along.

Quote of the Day: “The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog.” – M.K. Clinton

Honey, we shrunk the RV!

Posted on March 18, 2020 by liv2rv

What a strange month this is turning out to be. We hope everyone is staying safe, washing their hands often, and taking COVID-19 seriously.

Our goal this year was to lose weight. On March 3, we accomplished that goal, shedding over 12,000 pounds! We were up at 6 am to drive to Avondale, Arizona, to drop off our beloved 5th wheel, a 2014 Heartland Landmark, and then pick up our new home, a 2008 Host Everest camper, from Tom’s Camperland in Mesa, Arizona. It was a very long day, and we did not arrive back in Yuma until 10 pm. But everything went well, and we had a good experience with the staff at Tom’s Camperland.

We went from 40 feet of living space, to 11 feet! It has been a bit of an adjustment. Here’s the final view of our 5th wheel when we dropped it off at the dealership.

Bye-bye

And the first photo of us with our “new home.”

The next day, March 4, we began the process of moving our stuff back in!

The above photo shows the stuff we are keeping. We have a number of bins full of stuff that we are keeping, but not taking with us to Alaska (more on that later). Thankfully, our friends Dave and Marilyn, who live here in Yuma, have offered us the use of their shed to store some of our stuff. They figure this way we have to come back to Yuma someday to pick up our stuff! Our friends Bob, Tom and Ellen let us temporarily store our food in their refrigerators.

We have made great progress, and this was our view yesterday, March 17. The two big chairs will be going to Dave and Marilyn’s when we leave, as well as our grill.

Here’s some interior and exterior photos of our new home, that we took at the dealership. Once we get a little more settled in, I can take some more photos of how it looks with our stuff.

The camper has three slides. This view shows the propane, batteries, and a slide-out tray for storage. It also has a 2500 watt generator, and a 150 watt solar panel, to keep the batteries charged.

Having three slides, very unusual for a 2008 model, makes the interior feel less cramped. It has a side entry door and the couch and u-shaped dinette both fold into beds.

It has a small kitchen, but the two drawers below the stove are very deep.

I was pretty adamant about having a “dry bath” not a wet bath, which provides a separate shower.

The bed is a full queen, but the way it’s oriented, means you have exactly 60 inches of width. I’ve bumped into the wall on the right a few times. Sometimes Dan keeps the closet door (the mirrored doors) open when he sleeps, so he has a little more elbow room. There is an emergency escape hatch on the roof above the bed. It’s pretty easy to open and get out if necessary. Hopefully we will never need to use it!

The only modification we have made so far is changing out the old 25 pound 19-inch television, to a 28 inch 7 pound LED-TV. We did this to not only get a better quality picture, but also so we could hook up our channel master DVR which needs to use a HDMI cable.

WORK UPDATES

COVID-19 has certainly created a lot of changes here at Westwind RV. The majority of the residents here are from Canada, and they have made a rapid mass exodus over the past 10 days. Normally people start departing around the third week of March, but with all the uncertainty, many have left early. With Canada shutting it’s border down, and a mandatory 14 day quarantine for anyone returning to Canada, the park has rapidly emptied out. We wish all of our Canadian friends very safe travels home. There are a lot of folks from Washington and Oregon here. They are in no hurry to leave!

Next week we are supposed to have a Westwind work camper appreciation dinner with the owner of the park, and new managers. Who knows if they will still have this large gathering? Although there have not yet been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Yuma County, Imperial County just to the West of us, in California, has had several confirmed cases. And with testing finally ramping up, who knows what things will look like next week.

For the past several months, the golf course has been holding 50/50 raffles at the dances, as well as a raffle and golf outing, to raise money for Shriner’s Children’s Hospital. This is an annual event, and this year, over $6,600 was raised, a record amount! Here is a photo of our golf course pro shop staff with the local Shriner’s donating the check. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun as well.

Art, Terry, Jonell, Debbie, Henry, Dan and Yuma Shriner’s

ALASKA UPDATES

The reason we downsized to a camper was for our trip to Alaska. As of now, we still plan on going. Our plan was to cross into Canada on May 18. Today, they closed the border in Canada to US Citizens. A lot can happen in two months, and it is certainly going to get worse as the number of confirmed cases rapidly increases each day. We have not made a plan B yet for the summer. We feel fortunate to have our health, our families are safe, and if we can’t go this summer, so be it. It’s better to stay safe.

Our friends Tom and Ellen were planning on going to work in Skagway Alaska for the summer, but that has been cancelled. Skagway is a major port for the cruise ships. And since the ships are not allowed to dock in Canada until July at the earliest, they stores would not have any customers until late in the summer. They are currently looking for new summer jobs. If you need two hardworking work campers, let me know.

Now go wash your hands!

Quote of the Day: “Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” – Doug Larson

Liv2RV

Living and working around the country in a RV