RV-Dreams Journal

Elkhart RiverWalk Culture Trail - (Elkhart, IN)

More rain overnight.  But it stopped by morning, and I got out and got my run in.

Then we got ready to join our friends at 10:00 for the drive downtown where we would park and then do part of the RiverWalk Culture Trail.  Ed & Lynn and Ann followed us (Roy stayed behind to deal with some computer issues, but would join us for lunch later).

There was no one else in the parking lot next to the NIBCO Water & Ice Park near McCarthy's where we had dinner the other night.

 

 

Linda looked at the map that we got at the campground, and planned our route.

 

 

We did the RiverWalk District, Island Park, and the Garden District.  We skipped the downtown A & E (Arts & Entertainment District) on this tour.

There are two rivers that converge in Elkhart, the Elkhart River ....

 

 

 

and the St. Joseph River.

We walked north along the Elkhart River looking at some of the sculptures and fountains.

 

 

 

 

I wandered off path just a little to get a shot of this old mural.

 

 

 

We then crossed one of the many bridges and continued north.

 

 

 

We walked to the St. Joseph River where there is an island in the middle of the river .... appropriately named Island Park.

 

 

We crossed the blue bridge into the nice little park.  There was an old plaque in the middle.

 

 

The plaque offers a possible explanation for how Elkhart got its name.  It says that it was passed down through "Indian legions that the form of the island resembled an Elk's heart", thus Elkhart.

Now, I doubt the the Indians had an overhead view like on our map, but from the map the island looks more like a liver than a heart.  We could have been standing in Elkliver, Indiana.  :)

We continued across a bridge over the St. Joe's at the opposite end of the park.

 

 

 

We walked east to the Garden District and came to Ruthmere, a mansion built in 1910 by the Beardsley family, the founding family of Elkhart.

 

 

 

On the east lawn of Ruthmere is a "quilt garden".

 

 

 

There is a Heritage Trail through Amish Country which is a driving tour with a free audio guide.  And for a tour within the tour, there is a downloadable map of all the quilt gardens along the trail.

We continued walking along admiring the historical houses in the Garden District.

 

 

A block west of Ruthmere, we came to the Havilah Beardsley House.

 

 

In 1831, Dr. Havilah Beardsley purchased land at the junction of the Elkhart and St. Joseph's Rivers from Indian Chief, Pierre Moran and founded the city of Elkhart.

At the Beardsley House, we walked north for a couple of blocks to the Wellfield Botanic Gardens.

 

 

The Gardens were just opening, and we decided to pass on entering.

So we back-tracked south down Main Street toward the rivers and downtown.

 

 

We crossed the four-lane bridge, ....

 

 

and then turned back east where we went through Island Park again walking the north side of the loop that we skipped before.

 

 

We exited the park across the bridge in the southeast corner to the Lundquist Bicentennial Park ....

 

 

and then made our way back to the Elkhart River where we took the path south along the east side of the river back to our vehicles.

It would have been nice to have some sunshine, but the clouds kept the temperatures reasonable in the humidity, and we had a very pleasant three-mile walk on this quiet Sunday morning.

Most of downtown is closed on Sunday, so our plans to walk to a restaurant and have lunch didn't work out.  Instead, Ann suggested Grandma's House of Pancakes on the south side of town and Roy would meet us there.

Grandma's was packed as few other restaurants were open.  We waited for awhile, but eventually got a table.  Four of us ordered breakfast for lunch.

The two-egg breakfasts all came with four eggs.  The omelets on the menu are all five-egg omelets.  The prices were very reasonable.

Linda got two eggs (which were actually four), hash browns, bacon, and pecan pancakes.  Now Linda isn't as much of a pancake fan as I am, but she raved about her pecan pancakes.  In fact, she left hash browns, eggs, and bacon uneaten in order to take on most of her pancakes.  :)

So, we had a nice meal together and then we went our separate ways back to the campground.  Linda & I made a couple of stops at the local Goodwills and I picked up some khaki slacks since the ones I have are now too big for me.  Two pairs for six bucks total.

Back home, Linda worked on the Fall Rally.  We had three last-day-of registration sign-ups, and she's doing some final touches on evening programs.

I worked on financials.  Hopefully, I'll get August financials posted on Tuesday.  July & August have been funky because of our trip to Canada and having the RV at the paint shop.

Well, that about wraps it up for another day.  Have a great Labor Day!  :) 

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Project Morning - (Elkhart, IN)

This morning was similar to yesterday without the animal encounters.  It was cloudy and humid during our exercise time.

While Linda was finishing up, I took the paddles off the ceiling fan.  Somehow, one of the paddle brackets got bent and a paddle got broken when the slides were pulled in during the painting process.

Our paddles are no longer available, so last week we went in search of something similar and considered getting a completely new fan - there were options in the $20 - $40 range.

With some help, we found the proper length paddles or "blades", but there was nothing close to the maple color of our cabinets.  We settled on a darker color that matches more to our countertop and floor.  It would be a $10 experiment.

Earlier, Linda had asked Roy to drill out the holes in the new paddles in exchange for borrowing our ladder.  He came by to do that.

The paddles came in shrink-wrapped plastic and the guy at Menard's told us to leave them that way while we drilled the holes so that we could drill them all at the same time.  If the holes aren't identical, it can throw off the balance of the fan which will cause it to shake and make noise.

Roy and Linda drilled the holes, and then he assisted as we put the brackets on the new paddles and screwed them into the fan.  I measured and found one of the paddles to be way lower than the others.  So, I bent the bracket back into the proper place and our fan now works perfectly ... and it looks "richer" than it did before.  Project number one down. 

The second project was to re-hang a day-night shade.  It pulled out of the wall during our last move.  Of course, re-hanging it required removing the valance and the curtain rod and curtains.  It may sound easy, but not for me.  Fortunately, Roy helped us and it went faster than it would have with just the two of us.  Project two down.

That's it.  That was enough projects for one day.  :)

The rest of the afternoon it rained off and on, and I got some computer work done and watched college football.  At 5:00, Linda went over to Lynn & Ed's where she joined them and Roy & Ann for "Happy Hour".  I'm just not a big "Happy Hour" guy, so I stayed home, heated up some leftovers, and continued to watch football.  We were both happy.  :)

The group went through a few bottles of wine as storms came and went, and I eventually walked over to to escort Linda home somewhere between 9:00 and 10:00.  She'll sleep good tonight.  :)

Well, that was about it for today.  Tomorrow, we're all getting together and going for a morning tour on the Elkhart Riverwalk.  See you then.  :)

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Tales Of The Mundane- (Elkhart, IN)

Okay, so this is one of those entries where you may say to yourself "Well, I wish I had those few minutes of my life back".   :)

I slept in this morning and read a little bit on my Kindle.  I'm currently reading "Florida Authentica: Your field guide to the unique, eccentric, and natural marvels of the real Sunshine State".

 

 

Though we have been to many of the places mentioned in the book, I thought we might pick up a few more to visit this coming winter.  Plus, it was free with our Amazon Kindle Unlimited plan.  It's written by a Floridian, Ron Wiggins, who is a retired columnist from the Palm Beach Post.

It's always fun to read about the impressions of others that have had the same experiences we've had, and that helps discern whether or not the descriptions of the places we haven't been are realistic or filled with fluff.

Once I got up, I headed out for my run.  The humidity and clouds had returned.

As soon as I hit the drive, I noticed a lady with a cat on a leash about 50 yards ahead.  When I started my jog, the cat spotted me and immediately hugged the gravel not moving a muscle.  It stayed in that position until I passed at which time the cat's "mom" said "She doesn't like running people".

Thankfully, I didn't pose enough of a threat for her, ... the cat ...., to pounce on my bare legs with claws piercing my skin.

Then, about half way around the half-mile loop, I could hear a yappy little dog, ... not unusual in RV parks and campgrounds.  As I went around the curve, the tiniest black Chihuahua in a pink sweater with bows came flying at me.  Its leash was wrapped around it in such a way that it couldn't be restrained but the owner could plead "She was on a leash" per campground rules.

I expected it to stop at the edge of the road, but no.  It sprinted toward me and barked under my feet.

I kept running expecting it to return to it's camper with its head held high and an "I took care of that" attitude, but no.  I kept running and it kept running and yapping right along with me.

So, I employed my car-chasing dog technique - I just stopped.  Car-chasing dogs typically get befuddled when their prey just stops.  It's rather amusing to watch them.  Well, this little pooch just kept barking and circling me at close range.

In my younger days, before I owned a yappy little dog of my own, my thought would have been "You bite me and I'll be going for the northern Indiana Chihuahua field goal record".  Instead, in my more mature state, I thought "You bite me, and I'll have Animal Control here in a matter of minutes with a shoebox-sized crate."

The dog's owner, a lady that looked to be about my age, had been yelling at the little princess to no avail.  She finally caught up to us after I stopped.  She looked at me and said "I'm sorry, Hon" as she tried to gather up the little bundle of joy who finally wandered off after my stopping technique eventually worked.

At least that was different than the usual dog owner response which goes something like "He won't bite, he's friendly" followed by "I don't know why he did that, he never does that".

I love dogs and most RVing dogs are great.  But I don't like dog encounters where I don't have a choice, even if they so small they can't do any real damage.  I think the lady expected me to reply "That's okay", but it wasn't okay, and though I didn't say anything at all, I'm pretty sure my glare conveyed the message.

Once Chi-zilla was carried away, I continued my run.  Out of all the RVs in the full park, only one other dog barked at me as I completed my four laps.  As I said before, most camping dogs are very well behaved - probably a higher percentage than their owners.  :)

Once I finished my run, I looked down at my shirt.  I tend to sweat in a distinctive pattern.  Yes, I can hear some of you saying "Ewww".  But that won't stop me.  :) 

Whereas I have seen reports (actual news reports) of some people sweating in the shape of the Virgin Mary or an Elvis or Abe Lincoln silhouette, the shape on my chest looks like the head of a giraffe.  Well, that's what it looks like when my weight is in the 160s;  when I'm in the 180s, it gets fatter and rounder and looks more like Mickey Mouse.

I've pondered this before.  Maybe now that it's in writing, I can let it go.  :)

Linda went out and did two miles of jogging and two more miles of walking.  She didn't report any pet encounters.  The good news is we didn't gain any weight from our couple recent nights of dining out splurges.

The rest of the day was rainy, so we pretty much just took care of business.  I got great news from my parents.  First, we had arranged for a company to do a bathtub to shower conversion in their main bathroom.  Well, they had a cancellation and they were able to get that one-day job completed yesterday.  Now it will be easier for my Mom to step in and the new shower has better-placed hand rails.

Second, my Mom just got her cast removed.  Though she still needs several weeks of rehab for the fractured wrist from her fall, at least she has some mobility with her arm and hand.

Third, the Veterans Administration benefits I worked so hard on came through.  We had gotten approval earlier, but the actual first deposit appeared in their account this morning.  Whew.  That certainly changes their remaining years.  I hope others pursuing the benefits have similar successes.

As the evening approached, we watched some TV.  Knowing that our Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were playing football on one of the sports networks later, I turned on some cooking shows.  Linda hates football, so I watched the Food Network for a little while so she would give a little leeway before her usual "Isn't there anything else on besides football?"

The good news is that she got inspired by the cooking shows and made us a tasty dinner.  She got the idea of cooking our turkey smoked sausage using some pepper jelly she found in the pantry.  It was a tasty experiment. 

After dinner, our Hilltoppers came out with a new coach in a new conference and looked like they were an NFL team.  They moved the ball so well and scored so often that we watched other things without protest from me.

Eventually, the mundane day ended and we called it a night.  Tomorrow, we'll work on a couple of little projects we've been meaning to get to ... and I expect to watch a little college football, and maybe some cooking.  :)  

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Mobile Internet Handbook - A Review

I just finished going through The Mobile Internet Handbook - 2014 US RVers Edition by Chris Dunphy & Cherie Ve Ard of Technomadia, friends and valuable contributors to the RV-Dreams Forum.

This 186-page comprehensive guide is now available in electronic form for an incredibly reasonable price of $9.99.

 

 

Book Description

"The book covers cellular data, public WiFi, satellite, ham, cable/DSL, enhancing signals, installation, managing bandwidth, traveling to Canada & Mexico, entertainment options, cellular phone plans and most importantly – setting your expectations for what life on the road with mobile internet is like. 

In this handbook, we help you assess your internet needs, set your expectations to realistic, explain your options and overview the challenges of mobile connectivity. 

The book is written for the non-technical internet surfer to the high-tech geek – we strive to balance using every day language and examples to explain complex topics, while keeping things technically accurate. 

All so you can best assemble a solution that is balanced between your desires and your budget. 

Our goal is to make this stuff comprehensible so you can enjoy a thrivable life on the road with a minimal of technical frustrations, and still able to afford the fuel that propels your adventures!" 

 

At our educational rallies, we have a one-hour seminar called "Internet On The Road".  The first time I presented it, it was in what I call a "long version" and, by the time I was finished, I saw a lot of furrowed brows and blank stares that all seemed to convey they same thing:   "HUH??"

Even as our Rally attendees seem be younger and more technologically savvy, the difference between internet use in a house, apartment, condo, or business in a static locale versus internet use in a mobile environment traveling to the ends of North America is something challenging for even the most technical minds.

After that first internet seminar presentation, I scaled things back to the "short version".  Fortunately, that helped.  However, when all is said and done, I still get the impression that everyone just wants the answer to one question"

"What service and equipment is the best for me to get internet in my RV that has the fastest speed, the most consistent connection anywhere in the U.S., and at the cheapest price?"

Well, it's just more complicated than that.  There is no "one size fits all" answer to that question.  Internet use varies, internet budgets vary, parking and traveling habits vary, and even though you may eventually figure out the best possible combination of services and equipment for you, you will still be frustrated from time to time.

I love the chapter in the book called "Rule #1 - Reset Your Expectations!"  If you are used to fast speeds with consistent connection and unlimited data in your fixed-location home or business, get ready for varying speeds with inconsistent connections and data caps at higher prices.  This is the first thing we cover in our seminar, and one of the early chapters in "The Mobile Internet Handbook".

The other challenge in trying to explain mobile internet is that technology changes so quickly, it's very hard to keep up.  This is why we've never created pages with discussions and recommendations on RV-Dreams.com - we like to keep our information up-to-date and relevant, and this area just takes way too much time for us to stay on top of it and change it every few months.  Thank goodness for Chris & Cherie and for our friend Jack Mayer, who has a "guest author" chapter in the Handbook.  :)

"The Mobile Internet Handbook" has something for all levels of understanding.  No doubt, if you are completely clueless about technology, you may have to read some of the chapters over and over again before the information "clicks".  But if you are going to delve into the world of mobile internet and you are a "heavy user", the better you understand the challenges, the better decisions you can make.

Some of the chapters are for the super geeks that want to know how everything works and that have a real grasp of technology.  I'm more of a super geek sidekick - I know just enough to comprehend up to a point and then some of the technical stuff starts sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher "Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wha wa".

"The Mobile Internet Handbook" confirms everything that I have researched on my own and provides additional information on options and products that I knew nothing about.

If you are just starting, or on the verge of starting your full-timing adventure, just BUY THE BOOK!!  It's $10 bucks that absolutely could save you countless hours of research time and hundreds of dollars.  Wrong choices in this realm get very expensive.

 

 

Once you have the knowledge, you can make better decisions.  But, if you're still confused, Chris & Cherie have a couple more options for you.

They offer a Private Mobile Internet Advising Service to help select what they call your mobile internet "arsenal" based on your unique needs/desires, travel style, and budget.  I'm telling you, that paid service is a bargain.

 

And for those of you that are like us and hyper-ventilate without internet for whatever reason, they have a premium membership group called Mobile Internet Aficianados. 

There are several benefits to membership in this group, but by far the most valuable part for us is receiving current information and updated reviews on changing technology and products that may enhance our mobile internet experience.  Our ability to live on the road and generate income is highly tied to internet access and speed without giving up travel to the remote, beautiful places we love.  Getting timely, expert analysis of this ever-changing landscape is worth every penny of the membership.

 

So, there you have it my friends.  If you are in the process of doing your homework in this area, just BUY THE BOOK!

 

 

Thanks Chris, Cherie, and Jack for all the time and effort to put this together.  At all our future "Internet On The Road" seminars, we can now end the session with "For more details, we urge you to buy The Mobile Internet Handbook". 

---

An American Industry - Recreational Vehicles - (Elkhart, IN)

It was another pretty day and we got our exercise in.

After getting some early work done, I read through and began my review of The Mobile Internet Handbook - 2014 US RVers Edition written by Chris Dunphy & Cherie Ve Ard of Technomadia.

 

 

You can read my full review here:  Mobile Internet Handbook - A Review.

I also sidetracked myself a bit.  The other day when we were at MOR/ryde, I picked up the July edition of "RV Pro" magazine.

 

 

I paged through, and I was quickly reminded how American the RV industry is -  American companies building RVs in America with components produced in America.

Yes, the industry took a major hit in 2007 - 2009, but that may not have been a bad thing for the long-term prospects.  Weaker companies and poorly managed companies disappeared or were absorbed by other companies.  Talented personnel were gobbled up our they started their own companies.

As we drive around the area now, here in the RV Capital of the World, there are "Help Wanted" signs everywhere, and there was a huge backlog of RVs back in the Spring that needed to be delivered to dealers all over the country.  Hopefully, lessons have been learned and the industry won't take the good times for granted and will plan better for future downturns that will inevitably come.

I digress.

What I really wanted to convey was that issue of "RV Pro" had great, short histories of American RV manufacturers and their American suppliers.  In a time when it's hard to keep up with which manufacturers make which brands of RV, and who owns who through all the recent consolidations, this synopsis was very interesting and helpful.  You might be surprised by some of these tidbits.

And the histories of the suppliers, distributors, and service providers are interesting as well.

Anyway, being cheerleaders for the RVing lifestyle, we just wanted to pass along this opportunity to spend just a little time to get to know the companies that make our mobile lives, in all their variations, possible.  Just click on the magazine cover image above.

 

The evening approached and it was time for our dinner plans.  We had made plans with Mark & Dale to try McCarthy's On The Riverwalk in downtown Elkhart.  Linda had reserved us a table out on the patio.

The outdoor setting on a lovely evening was a more comfortable atmosphere than we had at the 523 Tap & Grill the other night.  However, though the prices were similar and McCarthy's food was good, 523 Tap & Grill wins hands down for food and service.  Tonight's meal had a couple of flaws, and the flavors weren't as sophisticated.  The service, while pretty good, was nowhere near the level of the outstanding service we had at 523.

But we still had a quite enjoyable meal and talked a lot, probably too much, about RVs and RVing.  :)

Back home, it was a pretty typical evening.  Tomorrow, we'll be back to making our necessary phone calls and sending emails as we continue to prepare for the Fall Rally.  Since we'll be taking five days out to do an RV show in North Carolina before the Rally, we have to make sure we get more accomplished a bit sooner than usual.  :)  

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Great Weather For More Rally Planning - (Elkhart, IN)

We got up early to beautiful weather.  The heat and humidity and threat of rain finally disappeared.

We got ready and drove over to the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds for our 9:00 appointment with Bev.  She got a golf cart and we went to take a look at the Ag Hall where our Fall Rally registration, seminars, and meals will take place.

The Ag Hall is brighter and bigger than I remembered.  We made some decisions about how to set up the room and then moved on to other issues.

We got our short list of questions answered, and we're all set to go as far as the Fairgrounds are concerned.  With no rallies before ours, our attendees with RVs can arrive early, park and not have to move sites.

We'll be there a week early and a month total.  We'll be weighing RVs and doing seminars for the Montana Owners Club Rally and the Thor Diesel Rally and won't be leaving until the second week of October.

After finishing up our business with the Fairgrounds, we decided to make a stop at MOR/ryde.  We hadn't been there since they completed a new building and closed off the main road running through their campus.  So, we wanted to make sure we knew how to drive in when we go later.

While there, we ran into our friends Rose & Monte and got caught up with them before they headed out.

Then we spent some time with Gary Wheeler, our contact and friend.  We decided to change our appointment to next Tuesday after the holidays to relieve some scheduling pressure for them before the holiday weekend.  We're just having our suspension and pinbox inspected to make sure everything looks good - it's just a precaution that we have done whenever we are in the area.

Back home, I had some lunch while Linda and Dale went to Sally Beauty.  Dale offered some "hair tips" and offered to go with Linda.  Thanks Dale.  :)

I continued to work on determining what RVs we might have for display at the Rally and who might be bringing them.  And I sent out a few other communications.  Things are a bit tougher to organize because the area manufacturers are having their annual RV Open House the same week.  They announced the dates after we booked our event, so there are certainly some coordination challenges.

Later on, we joined Roy & Ann, Lynn & Ed, and Dale & Mark for Happy Hour.  After some snacks and lively discussion, we came back home and enjoyed some leftovers from last night's wonderful dinner.

The rest of the evening, we watched some TV and took it easy.  Tomorrow, the phone calls and emails continue.

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Dinner With Friends - (Elkhart, IN)

We did our exercise and got some work done.

In the afternoon, it rained and we got an email from Mark & Ginny.  They were staying in the Elkhart Campground tonight and asked it they might stop by.  Of course, they could.  :)

They walked over in the rain, and we invited them in and introduced ourselves.  They are from Wisconsin, have a fifth wheel, and are on their way to the Midwest Tandem Bike Rally in Ft. Wayne.

We chatted for about an hour until our next guests were scheduled to arrive.  Nice folks.  We took a quick photo and they departed.

 

  

After that, Jo & Craig arrived right on time.  They came in, Linda poured some wine and we talked for awhile.  We met them at the Spring Rally in Tennessee and they will be at the Fall Rally.  They are in town early, staying at a hotel waiting on the delivery of their new full-timing home - a Lifestyle fifth wheel.

You can read more about these soon-to-be full-timers on their blog:  This Moment In Time. 

We had dinner plans, and we ended up settling on one of the few fine dining choices in downtown Elkhart - the 523 Tap & Grill.

 

 

We had a wonderful meal.  Jo & Craig went with steaks, while Linda & I went with a chop and salmon.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so the food photos didn't turn out so well.  But the caramel pecan-topped cheesecake that we split still looks appetizing.

 

 

Yeah, it was pretty good.  :)

It's always nice to have a great meal, with wonderful service, with friends.

After dinner, back at the campground, Jo & Craig departed.  We sure wish them speedy delivery of their new home.

We had a relaxing evening and called it a night.

Tomorrow, we have an appointment at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds in Goshen where we'll be holding the Fall Rally.  We've been there many times and know the layout, but having never held a Rally there ourselves, we have some details to work out.

The preparations continue.  :) 

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More Time With Friends, Jeep Work, & ALS Challenge - (Elkhart, IN)

Sunday

This morning, we got in our exercise and got more work done.

At 12:30, we headed out with Lynn & Ed and Roy & Ann for lunch in Goshen.  We were going to go to the South Side Soda Shop, but they were closed on Sunday, so we went to the Lux Cafe.   That was fine with me since they served breakfast all day.  :)

After lunch, we came back to the campground and Linda gave a little tour of our rig.  Roy and Ed were interested in meeting Mark & Dale, so I got them out of their cool rig to join us in the hot, humid outdoors.

Eventually, I left the group outside to go inside and watch the end of the Little League World Series.

We just had a light snack for dinner, watched some TV and returned a few emails before calling it a night and reading ourselves to sleep.

 

Monday

While in Canada, near the end of our trip, the rear passenger side window on the Jeep malfunctioned.  It wouldn't stay up, so we had to duct tape it up until we could get it fixed.  Well, this morning I had to be at the local Jeep dealer at 7:00 so they could squeeze us in.

Fortunately, they have a shuttle service and they brought me back to the campground so Linda could sleep in.  This high mileage Jeep is kind of turning into a money pit - guess we should've seen that coming.  Oh well, at least the insurance check from the tree falling on our other Jeep covered the purchase price, so we have to keep it all in perspective.

Back at the campground, I did my run.  Linda had been challenged by two people to do the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Ice Bucket Challenge, so I got the bucket of ice water and the camera ready while she did her exercise.

She decided to do two buckets at once, so she got another bucket and more ice from Mark & Dale next door.  I put our little Playsport video camera on a tripod, and she was ready to go.  Here's the video.

 

 

Okay, so I got a little evil pleasure out of that.  But both Mark and I got a little wetter than we planned, and Linda accused me of a slow pour.  :)

Thanks Mark for your assistance.

Although Linda did the challenge, we also sent in a sizeable donation.  We know people both in and out of our RV world that suffer from ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease).

After we got cleaned up, we went back to work.  Linda recorded Boondocking Rally registrations, and I worked on some Fall Rally preparations and future scheduling.  I sent out a few emails regarding appearances at RV shows in the first quarter of 2015.

Ann came by and invited us to "Happy Hour" for later in the afternoon, but a storm rolled in and we had to cancel that.

In the mid-afternoon, we went to pick up the Jeep, and we also went in search of new ceiling fan paddles.  One of them had been loose and hanging too low during the painting, and it got broken when the slides were put in and out.

We couldn't find a match, so we'll have to change all the paddles or get a new ceiling fan.  We're going to try the cheap option first and see if some replacement paddles in a different color will work.

Later on, we took a break and Linda made us some salmon and salad for dinner.

Well, we've gotten a lot accomplished the last few days.  We have a lot more to do, but at least we're not feeling overwhelmed.  :)

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2015 Boondocking Rally Registration Now Open

2015 RV-Dreams Boondocking Rally

February 8 - 15, 2015

Ft. Ogden, Florida

30 RV Limit

 

Registration Is Now Open!! - Click Here

This one will sell out fast, so don't wait too long to register.

 

 

RV-Dreams Boondocking Rallies were started in order to provide those interested in parking "off-grid" with some guidance in a group setting.  It's for those that are a little apprehensive about parking without hook-ups, but think they would try it with a little more knowledge and some practice in a setting where help is just a few steps away.

 

 

Informal Seminars on tank management, batteries, and solar.

 

 

Campfires 

 

 

Potlucks & Happy Hours

 

 

Voluntary Group Outings

  

 

Click Here For More Information!

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Exercise, Rally Work, & Dinner - (Elkhart, IN)

It's so nice sleeping in our own bed.  :)

I was out the door at 7:30 a.m. to get started back on my morning running routine.  I did two miles around the 1/2-mile road circling the campground.

Later, Linda walked and ran until she got interrupted by phone calls and texts.

And we worked all morning and afternoon on Rally stuff.

We sent our usual pre-rally email and letter to all the registrants for the upcoming 2014 RV-Dreams Fall Educational Rally.  We still have spots left and there is a week left to register, but we'll definitely be cutting off registrations on September 1.

Then we got the registration opened for the 2015 Boondocking Rally.  That Rally is limited to 30 RVs, and we already had ten sign-ups by the end of the night.

We also worked a little on the 2015 RV-Dreams Spring Educational Rally and the 2015 RV-Dreams Family Reunion Rally.

During the last part of our work day, we had the Little League World Series on in the background.  Eventually, we called it a day.

Then we walked over and had dinner with Ed & Lynn and Roy & Ann.  They prepared some appetizers and a wonderful steak stir fry while Linda furnished the wine.  So, we had an enjoyable evening with great food and some funny stories.

Around 10:00, I departed and went home to bed.  Linda came home sometime after 11:00.

Tomorrow, we'll continue working on various projects and preparations.  There's a lot going on right now.  :)

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