RV Boondocking the Good Life

... Come full circle.

I've come to realize, that everything I've ever done, anything that I've hung any value on, has been a pretty dang difficult thing to accomplish.

It's an easy thing to drive to the foot of the mountain... difficult to get out... and climb to the top.

Not much of a problem to stand up in front of a bunch of people, and say; "I Do"... but a piece of work to hang tough for 30 years! :-)

An easy task to talk big... usually requires a lot more effort... to back it up!

Lookin' back at the past two years for Heidi and me... We've run into one wall after another, trying to break free of the 'Old way' of livin'... and take off on the new... That bein' our dream of Boondocking... Full-Time.

Been running into walls till my nose is sore.

Truth be known... we've talked of canning the whole dang thing and finding something else to do... the frustration of our (my) failure to get this task done has been something I've whined about on more than one occassion...

... a couple readers of this blog have brought me to task on that lil' subject as many times! :-) ... and for that help, gettin' re-focused, I'm as greatful as I can be.

On top of that frustration...

The 'downer' crap seems to be swelling all around me in the world... from economic 'chicken littles' and lyin' politicians... to uranium mines, toll roads, broken trucks and hair growin' where it never used to!... and ... NOT... growin', where I want it to.... :-)

Then, piling on just for fun... came a bit of a medical 'scare'... which took some six weeks for the Docs to determine... fairly confidently... is just a relatively minor infection... and not the evil 'C'... that was the 'Medical issues' I mentioned in a previous post...

So... when I rode out on Slick last week... I was kind of 'depleted'. Needful of a little 'restoration' and 'cooling
out'.

Rollin' along on Slick... through miles of a wide and far country; country that seems built for the sole purpose of giving a man the space to draw a full breath... alone with nothing but my own wandering thoughts,

... the Freedom of the Road rejuvinated my spirit...

Solo on a motorcycle, you've got plenty of time to ponder all the junk you've got goin' on... from every possible angle...

Rollin' along, soaking in the far horizons...The thought occured to me... those things in my life of true value... are most generally, those fairly 'difficult to accomplish' things I already mentioned... an awful simple idea.

Those things in my life... that came easy... were let go of... just as easy... and seldom missed.

... Following right behind that realization... rolled the next... it bein', that our difficulties of the past two years... and whatever that Ol' Devil plans to throw at us in the future... in his effort to obstruct our Dream... must surely mean, that to achieve it would be to capture a Shining, Precious, Treasure!

So I... pure and simple, can't give it up.

Then, just to complicate my road a little more... I worry that there are some folks, in pretty much the same boat as us, watchin'... to see if they can make it. [Maybe a little egotistical there... but it's what I'm thinkin' just the same]

So, if I were to pack it in... I can't help but think I'd be lettin' them down... I've worked hard, most of my adult life, to not let the folks around me down... I've got no intention of startin' now!

It's an easy thing to say; one foot in front of the other... no stone unturned... just keep on keepin' on...

But that's what's gotta happen... till that Shinin' Prize is Ours!

I've no idea where this road will take us... all I know is, We'll only find out... If we follow it. I've not got a map, so all I can do is follow my nose... Big as it is... it's hard to lose sight of. :-)

Pointin' that thing into the wind and chasin' it along has brought me this far... Guess I'll just keep on trustin' it! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

September 5, 2008 07:54 - Well... looks like we're full circle now!

Leastways... what I see up ahead... sure looks familiar! :-)

In about two weeks... our current realtor contract will expire.

We've pretty much decided, to pull the plug on the effort to sell the place when that happens. Wanting to leave, and planning to leave is one thing... actually leavin'... if you can't sell the house... and can't afford to leave if it ain't sold... is something else.

I think, it's gonna take another year, maybe two, for this whole real estate dance to make a turn for the better... I'm not straddlin' this fence, in limbo, for that long... after already bein' there for more than a year and a half... I'm gettin' real sore now!

If anyone else is contemplating puttin' their house up now... or has recently put it on the market... and is seein' little or no REAL lookers... I'd make the suggestion that they wait a year or so... Why stress yourself out now? AND take the hit on price. It's my belief that when the market turns... there will be a good amount of 'pent up' activity... and things will be pretty decent... and hopefully worth the wait.

And in the end... what option do we have? You can't MAKE it sell... leastways without givin' it away.

So... with that 'road' postponed... what are we gonna do?... well... you're talkin' with the 'Daddy of All Schemers'... :-) ... and he's got all sorts and kinds of ideas!

Since we can't afford to travel full-time AND keep the house... and can't find the way to sell the place... I figure we need to rearrange our affairs so we can travel MORE part-time, NOW.

That means get back to Full self-employment so we're in control of our schedules... and can take off whenever we feel like it... also... work smarter when we are working... so we can 'bump' income a mite... to ease the travel side... important thing to consider... when you consider how all swole up the costs of living seem to have gotten...

But! Don't get all down about it neither... it is what it is. Put your brain, your pencil, and your calculator to work and find a way around.

I've got several possible projects in mind for myself... one is (already working on) restarting my Leather Shop... goin' back to carving Art Grade Photo Albums/Scrapbooks etc... and then I've got several ideas for putting my old shop building back to work... (24X40 wood shop space]... that will take a bit more time... and we'll see how it turns out...

Something else I'm giving a lot of thought to is the rig itself...

Not knowing what the future holds... I can see things workin' out where a fella like me would need to keep on 'working' into the future... my leather... and other shop activities would be a little crowded in the fiver... :-)

So... I can see us traveling Part-Time .... 1/2 Time or so? ...Sort of a Traveling Part-time, Full-Time deal :-)

Now... if we're doin' that... two to three weeks at a crack... we could/would do just fine... with a lighter, smaller rig... and could get into even smaller, tighter places... like we used to do... We just don't need the space we've got... IF... we're only going to go Part-Time... and then circle back here...

Point bein'... I'm giving serious thought to swappin' out the rig for a smaller, lighter, Boondockin' rig... easier to pull, cheaper to haul... with less wind and weight to burn diesel... even move back to a trailer from the fiver... and let me load the bike in the truck... lot's of options... we shall see...

This one is going to take some more digesting... but what I have penciled out now... sure seems to make sense to me...

What makes sense to me... generally gives Heidi a headache... but... what are husbands for, huh?

Bottom line... if you're fortunate enough... or were smart enough to be in a situation where you can just crack out and go... Congrats! You lucky buggers!....

For the rest of us... If you can't seem to put it all together, in these less than easy times, to go full-time... my suggestion... and the road I'm gonna be followin'... until something happens to make another change possible... is to organize things so we can make a circle when the urge strikes...

Now, Heidi has been workin' for herself for something like 11 years... so she's got that down pat... I closed my shop down a couple years ago... when we thought we were leaving.... OOPS! ... Take me a while to get 'er fired back up... but THAT I have! :-)

It's my opinion... after a life of workin' mostly for somebody else... and only a few years for myself... that belongin' to yourself is prime! Bein' the man in charge of the schedule really shines... So think on it some... see if you can't arrange something for your ownself... see if you can't arrange something that is gonna put a High Shine on your own road... and put you out there makin' circles...

Whatever you do... just keep on keepin' on... and share the wisdom when you find some... OK?

Take Good Care
Brian

September 6, 2008 06:33 - Back to the Future.

Well... the contract ran out earlier than I thought it did... We are Off the Market... signs are down... and we're just Livin'.

So... it's back to RV Boondocking... and ever'thing about it... for itself... as much as I can... and not worry about the other 'crap' for a while.

Whew! ... what a deal... even without success... if feels a little better, just to NOT be dealin' with it for a while!

I've got plenty of work to do... I've got some Albums to get competed... and the pages to create for that project...

I've started a new Travel Photography page where I plan on putting any an' all tips I know or can find... as well as other ideas on what an RV Boondocker can do with all the pics they take... to keep 'em 'front and center'.

Now that's something I can enjoy doin' without a lot of heartburn!

I've also got the motorcycle touring site to build up... alongside this one... the two kind of ride together anyhoo...

... and then there's always something to be done on the rig... not to mention that Idea I've got about a complete 'change out' / re-direction of our rig... plenty of schemin', and playin', and work to keep me out of trouble... or deeper in it! :-)

I REALLY need to just wander without that constant weight of always chewin' over the real estate dealin's... heck... might even get comfortable for a while...

Though... unlikely! :-) ... as evidenced by my lawn mower journey this summer! Finally decided, after wreckin' two ... almost used up and junk push mowers this summer... and wearin' my legs off in the process... to spend a bit more... and acquire a decent... but still used riding mower... found one Thursday... hauled it home, unloaded it and put it to work...

Great! Got as much done in three hours as I've been doin' in three days, chasin' them mowers on foot... so Kool... Right?

Nope! I already broke it!

Yup... yesterday... one day into our new ownership, and I run over a big Ol' rock!... got ambushed in the tall weeds that have grown up down by the barn... :-) ... bent one blade up so instead of mowin'... it's more like plowin'... :-) ... so ... it's business as usual! :-)

... guess I'll have to go back to collectin' rocks... when I find the 'Big' ones... but first... I gotta get the outlyin', tall weeds whittled back... so I can see 'em to collect 'em!

Then... with it all back under control... kind of got out of that way... with junk pushers :-) ... I can concentrate on the real and proper prioritiy...

... Yondering and Boondockin' in Far Country...

I'm thinkin' that maybe what I've been doin' wrong is tryin' to plan it out a mite too much?... Maybe, all that's required is to go back to just wandering... and see where I end up... So... outside of lookin' ahead for the purpose of whittlin' out the time to wander... I'll put the 'planning aside for a bit... and just let the road roll out in front of me.

Plenty to do... and a 'scattered' brain to chase the chores with... so I better get after it and close todays disjointed rambling!... so I can make sure I'm ready for our next RV Boondocking circle.

Take Good Care
Brian

September 10, 2008 07:56 - Too Busy for a man as Lazy as I am!

On top of my usual mental meanderin's...

... I've been mowin' and weed wackin' like I enjoy it! That new-to-us ridin' mower sure was a good buy... Gets the stuff I don't want to be doin' anyway... done a whole lot quicker! ... It put all the grass and weeds that had got 'out of control' from only havin' a half broke pusher back under control in just a day or two...

... so hopefully I can get on to things that toot my whistle a bit more... Like things that have to do with RVin', motorcycles... and Yondering.

Had a taste of fall here over the weekend... ridin' the bike in to the ranch store I was thinkin'... "If I put my coveralls on now... I won't have anything left in another couple months... when it REALLY gets cold!" :-) ... but... as always in the west... I just waited a bit... and the weather changed!

Toollin' and tinkerin' with my leather... working at gettin' back up to speed with it... runnin' a few sales on ebay of some miscellaneous 'junk' I've put off dealin' with... way too long... and even put my old gunsafe up for sale on Craigs list...

It's the first time I've ever done the ebay thing... not sure It's a 'fit' for me... but thought I'd give it a try or two... as there's a possibility there for me... and other folks, to make a few extra 'fill in bucks' for the road... hunitin' up collectibles and other goods, in antique shops and such on the road, for the purpose of runnin' ebay sales, could be a lil' adventure of it's own!

But... the more fun thing, for me, has been workin' on the drawings for my new Motorcycle carrier! ... Yup! I need, OK, I want... a second generation of my Motorcycle Carrier...

Using the one I designed and had built for more than a year has illuminated a couple of 'faults'. First, the fact that it takes two of us to load or unload it... is a hassle... eliminating that 'hassle' would be a real good peacemaker in camp! :-) ... having one less thing to scrap about would be a good thing... right? :-)

The other, and a lot more important... is a SAFETY thing... a month or so ago... unloading the bike, after coming back from Laramie, the jack was half way down, when it collapsed. Nothing bad happened... other than having to run by Walmart... and pick up some fresh shorts! ... But... it was a bit of excitement I can do without.

The ramp with the bike on it went from maybe 18" in the air to the ground in a blink... WHAM! Scared the tar out of me! The poundin' in my chest sounded like the neighbor kids bangin' on a trash can for a couple of minutes. :-)

Actually there's a third thing also... but that will be phase two...

I want to swap out to a bigger Yamaha... so the Boss Lady can ride with me on occasion... Slick could carry us... but it would be less than prime... and not very comfortable for Heidi... so...

The thing is... the motorcycle I want to change out to is about 175 lbs heavier... and I figured I was 'pushin' the envelope' with the frame and suspension on the fiver anyways...

But... as always!... I've got a suspension and frame modification designed up... to deal with that! Just have to collect the dinero to complete the rebuild I've Cowboy Engineered.

Now... back to the carrier...

So... I wanted a setup that I can work alone, that eliminates the safety issue and that demonstrates my Cowboy, Rube Goldberg abilities... only wish I had the confidence in my OWN welding ... to do that myself! :-)

Also... since I've been thinkin' about a complete swap out of the rig, mostly, to deal with carryin' a bigger scooter... I went back and read some of my own words about saving money by reworkin' and fixin' what you have... 'stead of buyin' new... Don't ya just hate it when ya got to keep on relearin' the same dang lesson four dozen times? ... but it's hard!... 'specially, when you have time on your hands to do any thinkin'... and other folks are pushin' shiny, new rigs at you... :-)

But I'l resist... usually, all I have to do is go climb in the Eagle... and those thoughts go away pretty quick... it's like an old friend... and too many good trips and memories in it... We'll likely keep it for a while longer!

Back to the Carrier!... I'm wanderin' a LOT today! ... I've got a REALLY slick and clean design mostly figgered out... all it's gonna take is the proceeds of some successful sales :-) ... and a bit of time down at the welders... and the carrier for Slick... or the NEW bike will be a working masterpiece! ... This one wil employ a winch... will load, flat on the ground... and I ain't gotta be anywhere near it when it's lifting!

... so if something did go kaflooey... I'd be back where I could watch the Crash in comfort and safety! :-) ...

So... keep on checkin' in... I'll be writing the article about this Motorcycle Carrier... over on my new Motorcycle Site but I'll be sure and put a link to it here on my one and only 'blog'!

Enough rambling for one day... time to go attack some more weeds

Take Good Care
Brian

September 13, 2008 06:18 - Don't make plans... there's a Devil just waitin'...

... for the opportunity to muck around with 'em! :-)

Geez! ... We'd thought we'd made a decision, to just pull the plug for a while... and wait things out... if it took a year or two...

Picked up that big mower last week... and the place is lookin' the best it's looked all summer... changed our address back to here... so we're settled back in.... Right?

Wrong... the 'system' apparently doesn't like folks 'terminating' things unless it decides they are terminable! :-) ... the contract expired last week some time... 'bout three days after that, the realtor calls... has somebody wants to look at the place... 'can she show it'!

Well of course we let her... So... they look at it a couple days ago, and the feed back is that they think it would be the perfect place for 'em... Great!.... Right?...

Not so fast...

They've got a place in Longmont needs to be sold... and it's not yet on the market... Geez! ... It could sell in a week... or a year... here we go again!

So... here we thought things would sort of 'normalize' for a while... that we would be 'out of limbo' for at least the winter... probably longer... Guess it's what I get for thinkin' huh?

I keep 'thinking' ... OK I'm done with this thing... go on to something else... Then something comes along to drag me back... prop me up... lead me on.... :-) ... a fella can't quit... even if he wants to! :-)

Lordy! ... I'm sure I'll be able to carve this... someday... into a pretty good tale to have folks laughin' 'round a campfire!... but for now... it's just a ... really... irritatin' time! :-)

Bottom line? ... Not sure there is one! ... we could finally, be on the right road... could be just another false trail... I haven't the slightest idea! ... Heck... all I know is... I don't know! :-)

There is one thing I do know... The High Peaks to the west are snow covered this morning. It was snowing up there the past two days that it's been raining down here... There's not a cloud in the sky... a beautiful morning. A lot better than down there on the gulf. And the only problem that I have... is that it ain't boring! ... Wearisome maybe... but not boring! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

September 16, 2008 07:55 - Mommy... My Head Hurts!

:-) ... Geez! Real Estate Agents... Doctors... Buyers/Renters with goofy Ideas of what stands up for good and proper... Busted trucks and broken lawn mowers... Politicians with even goofier ideas of what good and proper means! ... yadda yadda yadda...

... all I wanted to do was go to the mountains! :-( ... and live quiet!

Who knew it would be like pullin' the teeth of a Rhino with a bad attitude... with broken tweezers!

Oh well... I could have been bored... right?

Real Estate Contingencies... a poor way of goin' to my mind... but... if that's the only bus headin' for where you're goin'... I guess a fella has to make a choice... get on the bus... or wave and say... 'Bye Bye!'.

And... of course... my karma bein' what it is... we've not yet even been given that choice! :-) ... if anything is happenin'... it must be... happenin'... somewhere else... 'cause 'round here... it's goin' .... S .... L ... O ... W ....

I suppose the only thing to do is the best you can; and not waste a whole lot of time worryin' the deal or waitin' on it... just go about something else while you wait... so you don't have that time gone wth nuthin' but waitin' to show for it.

Hey! I'm always grousin' about "Takin' it easy and goin' slow" ... so what am I whinin' about? :-) ... I get to do exactly what I'm tellin' ever'body else to do! ... so ...

... guess I should just shut up... and take it easy! :-)

Only... I get to go to the sawbones all afternoon... to be inspected, detected, collected, videoed, probed and ... hopefully... not get mo-lested or rejected!

Oh What fun!... Shinin' Times!

Since I dodged the 'big bullet'... they're still wantin' to see if they can find the source of the lil' bullet... hmmm... he must have a payment comin' due on his Porche...

What the heck... keeps me out of the pubs... right? ... They get angry when I fall asleep leanin' on the bar anyway...

But... tomorrow... the boss lady and I are gonna take a lil' day trip... to pick up a new piece of agility equipment... and maybe... if the road hasn't already been closed... Mt Evans... and do some of that 'stuff' ... while we're waitin' as fast as we can! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

September 17, 2008 06:56 - Onward... To RV Decal Removal

... and when it comes to RV Decal Removal... I haven't found any EASY ways...

Rode into town yesterday at noontime... a bit early for my sawbones appointment to run errands...

One of 'em was to pick up a few odds and ends for the project I've been puttin' off for too long... removing the RV decals on the Eagle...

I keep yakkin' about tradin' out to a different rig... but I believe... most of that is just gas... We've had this rig too long... it's kind of an old friend... Maybe if we stumble across something that really catches our eye I might go through that ordeal... to switch out... but it's likely I'll just keep on tinkerin' with this one...

Along that line... the old RV decals are cracking and worn... and fact is, especially with those up on the front end... I've waited too long, and they look pretty shabby. I've got a few ideas simmerin' in that excessive headspace I posses... about what to do...New RV Decals or paint... once the old are removed...

But... first they've gotta come off!

Whew! ... THAT is not a job you want to plan on gettin' done in an afternoon... 'less of course, you wear a big red S on your chest!

I picked up a cheap hair dryer at Wal Mart... some plastic, putty knife type scrapers... and a tub of polishing/rubbing compound. The only thing I forgot was to get some M.E.K. ... to help dissolve the adhesive...

If you use that stuff... you sure want to 'test' it on YOUR rig in some inconspicuous spot... to make sure it won't damage the material under the decal...

With the rubbing coumpound... you'll want to be real careful there too... not too much pressure... The color of the fiberglass under the RV decals comes out pure white... while the exposed, after seven years has discolored a bit and gotten a bit dull...

I got the more mild of rubbing compounds... they call it 'polishing' compound... I'm hopeful... when I get to that part of the project... it will bring the shine back pretty close to original...

Only problem is... a 30' fiver is some bigger than an Old Ford Torino! ... I think it's gonna take a while! :-) ... I might have it prepped for whatever's to come... by spring! :-)

... and... I WAITED TOO LONG! The RV decals on the sides are removing, not easily, but cleanly and without misery... BUT... those up on the nose... are much more deteriorated... and the adhesive is dried out a lot more... so the hair dryer doesn't soften and peel 'em like those on the sides...

Those front pieces are going to require the M.E.K. I think... So... If your RV decals are just starting to crack... Don't wait... Save yourself a little difficulty and peel the suckers now, before they get so dry that they don't want to peel... cause then it's a lot more work to scrape, and work each little bit off.

Oh yeah... I started this lil' project when I got back from the sawbones expedition... Hmmm ... that was fun too!

Did you know that Nurses have a mean streak? ... They tell you things like; " As a result of our 'invasive procedure' It may burn a little... later... when things start working again..."

... IT MAY? .... A LITTLE? .... Ya THINK?

I wonder if they grin to themselves, looking at their watches, a couple hours after you leave the office... "RIght... about.... NOW!" ..... EEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!

Burn? a little? .... How about like Hells Inferno! .... Geez!... Do ya think they'll pay for the drywall repair.... where my head went through the ceiling? ... if I send 'em the bill? :-)

So... When I got back I decided that NOW was as good a time as any, to start on the decal removal project... smart move... teetering up on a 10' ladder... scraping junk off the nose of the fiver, is the perfect place to be when that, sudden, unexpected, 'urge' strikes...

I'll bet the neighbors were wondering what the heck was goin' on when I came whistling down off that ladder... waddling and cursin' and moanin'... racin' for the back door! ... if hobbling along... as fast as you can go with your knees clamped together... with the feeling somebody just lit your... ummmmm .... 'Belly' ... on fire... can be called Racing!

... Oh Baby! ... Interesting afternoon!

I did... in spite of my newest... and better be 'temporary!'... 'handicap'... manage to strip two full decal pieces... and parts of two others... so at that rate, I'll have the RV decals removed in a few days... assuming I can keep focused on such an enjoyable avocation!... I think I'd almost rather be diggin' post holes! :-)

But not today!

Time to git... we were gonna go up Mount Evans today... but found out late yesterday, that the top of the road had closed back on the 2nd of September... so, we're not sure where we're goin'... just that we're goin'!

Take Good Care
Brian

September 18, 2008 07:48 - A Good Day... but Regular...

Dreamin' of every day bein' some shining glory is a bit unrealistic... nice thought... but unlikely to happen huh?

So, I'd be happy to just have a good string of 'em like today... kind of easy... though... I could use a little less 'crank' in my get-along!

I have a tendency... in spite of all I spout about goin' slow... to get cranked up and impatient... I don't like it... but it's like there's somebody else runnin' the machinery sometimes... like I've got an uneasy feelin', time's runnin' out and I gotta hurry... and I HATE hurryin'... just gets my shorts all knotted up...

... which considerin' how hard Dodge tends to make it's seats... makes for an uncomfortable situation. :-)

So... I pushed too hard goin' to Evergreen to pick up Heidi's new Teeter... figurin' I had to hurry to get the rest of the way that we were figurin' on goin'... Dumb...

I need to record a few quotes of myself... so Heidi can play 'em back at appropriate times... and get me to pay attention!

Anyhoo... we got the Teeter picked up... after sortin' out Googles directions to the house in Evergreen... They had us turning on a road that wasn't there... finally found it... later... somewhere else... close... but... somewhere else! Those Mapquest directions and such are handy... but you can't just rely on 'em 100%... on frequent occasion... the roads have been changed... and the google guys ain't caught up yet!

Leaving Evergreen, we decided we were gettin awful hungry... but nothing caught our eye for a while... till we got all the way to Winter Park... and had a late lunch at a little spot called Deno's... a little bar and bistro... whatever the heck a bistro is... on the main street through town... a couple of good sandwiches... so try 'em out if you're rollin' through.

Then it was headin' for Rocky... to go in the 'back way'... entering the west gate... We'd wanted to run up Mt Evans... but DOH! They close the top in early September... and since it ain't that any more... we just figured might as well go up over Berthoud Pass and home!... It'll still be close to a 300 mile day!

Well... it's plain to see that it's Fall in the Rockies... goin' south on I-25 from Fort Collins toward Evergreen... we had the air conditioner coolin' the air.. with the temp somewhere in the 80's I believe... up on top of Rocky Mountain National Park, it was 31 degrees and our first snow of the season...

Just after I took this picture we rounded a bend to flashing lights on a Park Service Truck... They'd closed the road! Yup... we were about the last ones through... they closed it behind us! I kind of wondered as we splashed through the slush on top... watching the temperature gauge drop below 32 degrees... if it they'd leave it open...

Sliding around on a frozen road... with nothing but air below you, when you cross those high Alpine peaks... is probably not a good thing for most folks to be doin'. :-)

Coming down the East side we dropped into the big meadow below Fall River Road to find the Elk are in full Bugle... If you're in the area... I'd make it a priority to get up to Rocky Mountain National Park... with enough time to just sit... and listen... and watch... It's pretty sweet.

I got one poor picture of a small bunch...

There was a crowd backed up right in the area of the elk, so I rolled by a little ways... crowds are not my favorite thing... only problem bein' ... that it makes it pretty tough to get a good picture... but we were able to sit and listen' to the Bulls singin' for a while... Their whistlin' is pretty cool... doesn't help my hitch itch any... but I'll take it just the same.

Then a last look up the valley where Fall River Road climbs the mountains, and then head for home.

You can see from this why they closed the road... since it's up in those dark clouds... up there at the top.

Back down to 70 something degrees in the 'low lands'... Fall in the Rockies... you gotta love it!

Take Good Care
Brian

September 19, 2008 08:13 - It Can Be a Rough Road to Keep Goin' Down ...

... but the only option is to sit in the corner whinin' and cryin'....

Now... I'm not about to claim I never do that... ever'body needs to 'vent' once in a while... but then you pick yourself up, dust off your jeans and start in again, diggin' and clawin' ... "In the direction of your dreams."

As I wander around, looks to me like purty near ever'body is in a pretty good funk... Can't say as I blame 'em any... I tend to be right there, in the same 'funk' with 'em.

Surrounded by the constant, seemingly never ending, barrage of corporate scandal, political scandal, contaminated imports, economic crisis and now the ever rising tide of 'campaign rhetoric'... spelled... p-o-l-i-t-i-c-a-l G-a-s, A person would have to be a pretty tough cookie to remain cheerful and upbeat without a considerable struggle.

But struggle we must... and ignore as much of the 'noise' that we can... Keepin' things in as good a perspective that we can... Family and Friends... are about all that count for anything...

I keep tryin' myself... to avoid the 'noise' from the 'powers that be' ... considering that they [IMHO] are the source of the greatest amount of the 'difficulties' we all face... but it's an uphill climb... you pretty much have to be deaf and blind...

... which makes it really risky to go down the road! Hard to steer with your eyes closed and your hands over your ears!

Oh Well... Life in the West... I could be livin' in a mud hut wonderin' when the next tyrant was gonna raid my village... If all I have to complain about is the crooks in 'politics'... I ain't got much to whine about!

And the good news is... in just a few weeks the 'din' will subside and we can get back to the work of overcomin' the obstacles those political morons throw up in our way! :-)

What would the world be without challenges right? ... and consider this when you're addin' up your good fortune... Chuck Woodward recently did some travelin' in Scotland by RV... and over there... where RVin' is STILL real popular... they're payin in excess of $9 a gallon! ... so $4.50 diesel is soundin' like quite the bargain, Huh? :-)

Go ahead and grouse when something tics you off... it's good for your spleen... you KNOW I do! ... but then, just lay it aside, fuel up the rig... and go find that road you've not yet been on!

Take Good Care
Brian

September 21, 2008 06:51 - I'm Still a Stripper!

Oh relax...

I'm too bashful for that anyway!... :-) ... and I don't need to hear all the 'Chicken Legs' comments either!

I'm talkin' 'bout the Decal Removal project... I was right about 'age'... the Decals on the road side all came off in about an hour... peeled off in nice long strips, leavin' the side of the rig nice and clean... That side generally gets the least direct sun, and dried out the least over the past 7 years.

But... on the curb side... which is the side that generally gets parked facin' south... and gets more sun... the RV Decals are a lot more dried out and brittle...

End result... they're NOT comin' off easy... but they're still removing... I've broke one rule and resorted to a razor scraper... Now, you got to use EXTREME care there, cause you can cut the fiberglass real easy... I just use it, mostly to get things started, and then pull what I can...

... go back to the plastic scraper when I have to... grunt, curse, heat with the 'dryer'... and keep on scrapin'.

Either way, it's slow goin... about half came off quick, but that last half is fightin' me!... Once I've got the remainder of the curb side stripped I've got about 3/4 of the Nose to do yet... and it's dried up and cracked the worst... and the least ridgid of the fiberglass body... so it'll have to be done with my plastic scrapers, MEK and plenty of slow-goin' time.

I did test the MEK on a couple small spots last night when I got home from the 'Town Job'... to make sure it won't do any harm to the fiberglass... and that part is proven... again...

The left over adhesive cleaned up quick and nice... I also tested the rubbing compound and it's gonna shine up nice... the only thing I can't correct is the discoloration that happens over time... I expect the 'white' revealed when I pulled the decals will fairly quickly 'amber' like the rest and dissappear...

The rig looks kind of odd from the road side... all plain white with no graphics... I think I'll just leave it 'Naked' for a while, when I'm done... and give myself some time to come up with something interesting...

I'm pretty close to finishing up the 'design' for my new Cowboy II Motorcycle carrier... Looks like [unless I change my mind... again] I'll be building this evolution using a double, gooseneck, landing leg set-up... just have to decide now... Do I trust my own welding? or hire it done again? :-)

... so... you may want to NOT follow me too close in the future... never know when big pieces might decide to fall off! :-)

Looks like I'm gonna be ridin' in the rain... sometime... today... the clouds and mist hangin' low over the front range... to bad for the folks who don't get to ride at all! They don't get to find out how much fun it is to get wet at 60 mph! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

September 24, 2008 07:12 - A whole lot of gas...

... about, Not Much! :-)

Pretty near done with the RV Decal Stripping... I'd guess 7/8 done... Whew! ... Don't want to have to do that very often! ... I guess once in 7 years ain't too often... I'm down to a few stripes on the tail and the really dried up, squiggly piece on the nose... and it don't want to come off at all... I plan on success today... One way or the other...

It doesn't seem to matter how much... I ... try to plan and prepare... word events seem to be takin' control... The mess the politicos and corporate sleezeballs have made of things... with us all playin' along of course, is, I believe, gettin' in the way of the latest 'nibble' regardin' the house... I'm not holdin' my breath there... but they seem to be draggin' their feet... not real promising... but then, to be honest, it's pretty much what I expected! :-)

If it happens GREAT! ... but I've no expectations... and we're goin' on like it's not even there...

The only road we can see, into the close up future, is to pursue the part-time travelin' angle... We'll be leavin' here the last of October for two weeks through Arizona... up to Vegas for a Trial... and then, weather permitting, across the Southern Utah Canyon Country on the return leg...

We can't know if we'll go there until we go there! ... The weather in November can be a mite unpredictable, and we may have to make the eastward leg of that circle juuust a bit more southerly... but we'll keep our fingers crossed. If the weather is acceptable, I'm even thinkin' of makin' a right hook from Phoenix, around through the Vermillion Cliffs country and westward across that country North of the Grand Canyon...

... on the way to Vegas.

As always it seems... we've got 'commitments' before and after... so our time is limited... but having some, is far better than none, ain't it?!

It really is all about a fellas' perspective...
He can focus on how much less time he has to wander... than he'd like to have... or ... How Much Time He DOES Have, for the Road! ... It's darn sure a lot more pleasant lookin' at the scrapbook pages with pictures on 'em... than gettin' cranked up about not bein' able to fill the empty pages, ain't it?! :-)

Then... in February, another two week circle... again to Arizona for the Gem and Mineral show... an annual pilgrimage for Heidi for eleven or twelve years now. It's a real heavy buying trip for her Bead Store... and it'll give me more time to ride Southern Arizona again... a welcome escape from our Northern Winter.

... That's the one I was headin' for last year... when I picked up a few thousand pounds of ice on the rig, comin' through a storm east of Showlow. :-) ...

I'm getting more comfortable with the decision to postpone 'Full-Time' things, for 18 months or two years... and pursue a different road for a while... when events have you locked in place... makin' such a decision just isn't that awful hard... considerin' I've got no real options :-) only thing is... I've never got very comfortable with failure...

I guess, the way to look at it is to see it for what it is... an un-expected turn in the trail... I don't believe it would tally up to failure... unless I quit puttin' one foot in front of the other.

My intention is to focus, this winter, on doin' some projects on the rig... modifications and improvements that have rattled around in my head for a while... make as many two and three week circles, as often as we can... as many 'weekenders' as we can... carve some leather, wear some rubber off the tires on my motorcycle... hunt up some great photographs... spin some good, western, tales...

... and see what happens.

Toward that end... I stumbled across a welder the other day... a two legged welder... not the machine! :-) I've know him for near twenty years... He tried to 'semi-retire' 'bout five years ago... kind of dropped out of sight... my sight anyhoo...

He's re-opened a small shop now... economics bein' what they are... so... now that there is a welder I can really have some confidence in... I'm whittlin' on the 'numbers'... trying to fit him into doin' the rebuild on my motorcycle carrier... and eventually the axle/frame work I want to do to upgrade the Ol' Eagle.

'Fittin' him in' ... is another way of sayin' ... 'Stretch the Budget to fit' ... :-) ...

I'm pretty much goin' that direction... The more I think about it... as much as I'd like to do the work my own self... as little as I've welded the past ten years or so... I'm not so sure that burnin' steel... on the tail of the Eagle... or underneath it... that might could fall off at 60mph on some raggedy back road... is the best use of my time! :-) [this is called... 'accepting reality!']

... It probably doesn't promise a long and prosperous future for the rig either!

Not to mention how hard it would be on Slick... To have the rack carryin' him come off... would sure scrape up the paint! :-)

So, as we roll off headin' for another winter, we've got plenty to do... and those last Decals won't come off on their own... so I better get after it...

Take Good Care
Brian

September 25, 2008 08:01 - Victory!... The Eagle is Naked!

I have achieved my final victory in the Battle of the RV Decals! Them suckers are gone... That cracked, faded and crusty squiggly piece up on the nose put up the toughest fight... but in the end it was no match for the M.E.K.

Looks a little 'strange' without those graphics on there... but clean... oops... except for those last two stripes up by the awning!

and ... Uh Oh... now I've realized that the hardest work may be yet to come... :-)

I've got to admit, my diligence the past 7 years we've had the eagle has not been up to the task, when it comes to waxing... The whole rig needs to be rubbed out a bit and waxed... sounds like a couple weeks of fun, don't it?...

Bad enough tryin' to get me to wax a car... let alone a rig four times as high and three times as long! :-)

I thought that lil' Coleman Polisher would do the job... but... I'm thinkin' NOT! It doesn't really make a complete rotation... more like a vibratory kind of action... so... I'm gonna have to lay out the precious dinero for a better machine... or I'll not get the chore done before the grim reaper comes to execute his repossession orders!

While I was pullin' the Decal Stripes on the tail end, teeterin' there on the motorcycle carrier... I had a bit of an epiphany (sp?) ... It involves the addition of a winch... and a commercialy available, self locking, wheel chock...

Dang! Those things hurt! ... epiphanys... not wheel chocks!

A plan to upgrade the current carrier wacked me purty hard... The 'Old' ... NEW... plan was to basically replace the whole caboodle... and I just wasn't happy with that... generally, if I give it some time, and just let it 'simmer'... a good idea will come to me... well, it finally clicked how to do the job, using what's already there and gain what I need... but what the heck is that 'burning' smell?... wonder if I let 'something' simmer too long?

'What I need', bein' to allow me to load and unload ... Alone... and to ease the raising of the ramp... so I need not worry about becomin' a grease spot under it... or gettin' wacked by the Boss Lady... argufyin' 'bout the best way to get Slick three feet off the ground with our hides in one piece...

Would be a Hell of a way to go: " A Colorado man perished today when his motorcycle sqooooshed him flat! Witnesses said they heard the SSSSPPPPPPPLLLLLLAAAAAAATTTTT!!! from clear across the campground.... Authorities say that they plan to bill the family of the deceased, for the cost of the hazardous waste cleanup." :-) ... so much for savin' water with Navy Showers... :-)

Anyhoo... I gotta talk to my refound welder... and see for certain... can I afford him... and when could he do this part of my upgrade...

This new plan adds the least amount of weight... a good thing... since a 'couple' of people have surmised that I'm bumpin' up on my max weight... Lot's of guys look at GVW as a 'suggestion'... and in most cases... I think that's pretty acurate... I'd allow that a 'safety factor' is likely calculated in there...

I just want to avoid bein' the fella that is the one caught by wearin' out the safety factor... I like to be underweight... rather than pushin' the envelope too hard... I'll save the risky behaviour for leanin' Slick through the mountain twisties... and even then I'm showin' my age...

... that part of it where you keep goin' slower... an' ... s-l-o-w-e-r.... an' ... s...l...o...w...e...r... ! :-)

... Gotta go shoppin' for a winch... and some of that s...l...o...w...e...r... behaviour on Slick!

Take Good Care
Brian

September 29, 2008 17:32 - It's kind of a 'slow' time...

Kind of stuck in first gear... and not many options... so there's not much profit in gettin' my shorts notted up...

Lately it seems that ever'body I'm tryin' to deal with, talkin' to, etc. keeps tellin' me... "call me tomorrow, I'll know then"... I call ... they just repeat.... arrrggghhhh!

It's kind of hard to lay out any sort of a roadmap for where your headed... when nobody wants to commit to anything...

I'm waitin' on the welder to let me know when he can do the lil' job modifyin' the motorcycle carrier... I need to know when that will be, before I can set up a day for the body shop to take Big Red in for a checkup...

Hard to haul the fiver down to the welder... if the truck needed to haul it, is sittin' over at another shop... tried hookin' the Eagle up to Slick... but the hitch weight kind of flattened the back tire on that Yamaha! :-)

Red has developed a clanky rattle hidden in the front end somewhere... we're assuming it's related to that 'injury' a couple months ago... but I can't find it... soooo, they need to have the truck for a while to drive it around, hit bumps in the road... and try and locate the loose part...

But the welder needs the fifth wheel for a day too... and there's a little conflict there...

The house looky lous are still lookin'... but like ever'body else... they're makin' noise... and not much fire... me? I'm just sittin' quiet for the most part... waitin' for somebody... to make a decision... about something! :-) ... so that I know which way to jump!

The problem with procrastination... is that I think it may be a contagious virus...

Makes it kind of a challenge to fire up my word whittler and build a sparkling new post... When they all keep puttin' me in the same funk they seem to be in... It's sure hard to be otherwise these days ain't it?

OH well... guess I should be happy that I get to look at such a handsome figure of a man ever' morning when I stand in front of the mirror to shave, huh? :-)

With a mite of luck... the welder thought he might could do the welding job in the morning... on Tuesday ... but he won't know...

... till in the morning on Tuesday!... :-) ... and if he can do that... then Red can maybe go to the Moto Veehickle beauty shop for a little diagnostic exploration on Wednessday... but I won't know that... till Thursday.

... when I can look back and see what happened!

I'm wanting to get these lil' chores done... 'cause we'll be haulin' our old selves south for a couple weeks... long about that last Monday morning in October... I need these things done up and out of the way long before then... and it's gettin' down to there not bein' much 'long' left in the deal...

... so... can you hear that scapin' sound? that's the sound of my patience wearin' thin... and startin' to rattle as I drag it 'cross the floor! I swear... It seems like gettin' any sort of high grade performance these days is akin to pushin' a rope!

I do believe a fella would have a higher liklihood of success... standin' buck naked in the center of Wyoming... in the middle of a blizzard... throwin' up his hands... and orderin' the wind to quit! ...

... guess I should adopt a 'Go Slow' attitude on this too huh? Order a thing... and then PLAN on it takin' a Goooooood looooooong while for the job to get done! :-) ... why do today what you can put off until somebody starts jabbin' ya right? :-)

'Nuff grumpin' for one day...

What I need 'round here is a wood stove... There's nothin' like steppin' outside with a maul, and splittin' a days worth of firewood, to wear the edge off a good big grump!... A lot more productive than a temper tantrum! and you get the added benefit of havin' some sweet smellin' Cedar or Aspen, burnin' in the stove and warming you up for a few hours, for a bonus

Hmmm... where could a guy squeeze a woodstove into a fiver?....

Take Good Care
Brian