Quick Update and some Blogging Thoughts

Update:
After a very nice meal and visit with the couple who had bought much of our audio equipment, we spent one more day in Dallas and then drove to Shreveport Louisiana. A short 220 miles on a sunny day. We are settled in at the Tall Pines KOA for the next five days. It is an average KOA, clean, level pads, pool etc. for almost rice the price of the older park we were at in Texas. But it was easy to find and had good recommendations.

We will be doing tourists things for the next few days. The weather has gotten just a tiny bit cooler.

Thoughts about blogging:
One of the blogs we read every day is The Bayfield Bunch, as much for Al's down-to-earth words as for his wonderful images. He has written about what he considers interesting or not about other blogs. He often makes me think about what I write.

I ask myself why I write a blog.  He encourages other bloggers to write about what they think, and not just what they are doing. Sometimes I do, but most of the time if I write a post about what I think, I keep it as a draft, ask myself if it will offend or influence anyone in any way, and then delete it. Unfortunately I'm not as good at deleting my comments on other people's blogs for the same reasons. Oh well, I think comments are more like conversation.  I offend people all of the time with my big mouth.  :)  When I write a blog post I have time to think before I push the publish button. Most of the time I realize I cannot change what other people think if I disagree with them, so it is only an aggravation to try.

For me keeping a blog has several functions. 

• It's a personal log which I can look back on in the future. Where we go and where we stay are keystones to my memories. 
• It's a letter to my friends and family. Instead of sending dozens of postcards, I post the pictures and tell the story of where we are and where we are going.
• It's a way I can share what we are learning about living in an RV full-time. I know I learned a great deal from reading the blog posts of other RVers. They helped me make up my mind about doing this, and prepared me for both better and worse days.
• When I write a post and keep it in draft form, the blog becomes a place to vent or just to mull over things that bother me.

I cannot control who reads or follows my blog. I wouldn't know how to if I wanted to. I know there are some who I will never meet, and probably some who I will never know read it at all. But there are a few that I write for.

• My son and daughter. I want them to know where we are and what we're doing. I read my son's blog to keep up on what he is doing. I have to rely on weekly phone calls from my daughter, but that works too.
• My sister-in-law and her 90+ year old mother-in-law that lives with her. She reads the blog aloud to Grandma Flora, which helps her to remember her own travels and adventures from long ago.
• My brothers and their wives. We don't talk on the phone very often, but the blog is a way of reaching out to them.
• My daughter's in-laws in New Zealand. I hear they enjoy hearing about what we are doing.
• Friends from the Los Gatos Mountains. 
• And many members of the RV community.

Why do you blog?  Why do you read mine?

New Name

I just don't feel like processing pictures today so the images from Moss Landing will just have to wait.


Somehow, when we arrived in Moss Landing we missed the very obvious entrance to the KOA.  We went a little way past it and turned around, then we drove past it a second time. 


(We were later told by Levonne that she and the manager watched us drive by.)


We stopped down the street from it, and I went into the Post Office to ask directions.  Two nice ladies were getting their mail and walked out with me to point out the KOA which was all of a half block away. 


  They looked at the Alfa and asked: "Is that your Big White Thing?"


When I reboarded the Alfa I told Craig what they had called it and he decided that would be its new name.


"The Big White Thing"


I will probably still call it The Alfa.


Other bits:
We have ordered walkie-talkie head sets to use when getting in or out of our yard, or backing into park spots.


I called and requested an estimate from a stump grinding company to remove the stump which will widen the upper drive a bit.


I ordered a $10 toy Class A RV that I can play with to help me understand how to give better backing up directions.


We will do better next time! 

First Drive OUT

Well, we made it out of our drive and out of our road, but it was not easy and it was not "pretty!"

As Craig eased the Alfa out of it's parking place everything seemed good:


But, as he came around the curve where the evil tree had been, he got too close to its root and got a bit hung up.


Unfortunately this dented the lower edge along the  bottom of the driver's side.  Not too bad.  But dented.


We got out of the upper drive and went down to the lower drive to turn around. 

Unfortunately, Craig started the turn into the driveway a bit too soon and came very very close to the jagged stone wall:


Stop!  Look out!

But after a few careful moves he was in the clear:

He straightened it out and was able to do a clean back out:


Not a lot of extra room, but we did it!

Then he was able to turn it around and we were headed up the road.  I did get out once more to watch the side as we edged past a tight curve along a rocky wall, but otherwise we were quite OK.


The next 1/2 mile were a little scary.  As we approached the worse of the tight, blind curves, I suggested Craig blow the horn before edging around it.  That was good because there was  car coming  the other way.


Next we had to merge onto the freeway in rush our traffic, but that went OK.

The next 44 miles were smooth.  A bit stop and go, but no problems.


We had a small problem actually finding the KOA.  Passed the entrance twice! But once we found it and a couple of guys helped us park we got settled in OK. 


We did have one more minor mishap.  A box of Kleenex was in the way of the slide edge and bent the trim a little.  I'm way too tired to be upset about it.

Taking along a precooked meal was a good idea. The white bean chili tasted pretty good!


We even got the oven lit and baked a par-baked bread from Trader Joe's!


After dinner we went for a night walk.  


The only bad thing about the Moss Landing KOA so far is that the water smells like rotten eggs!  Glad I brought a big bottle of water for coffee tomorrow!


So, a few dings, a few problems, but so far so good!


 We did it!