Q U I E T ?

Let’s see… what to do.  I woke up about 5 AM.  At 5:30 AM I was on my way to Baltimore.  I had some of my back meds sent to David’s (Carol bro).  They arrived yesterday, Saturday.  Since we are leaving next Friday for Vermont, now was just about the only time I could get them.  I drove the Mariner down and was back by 11 AM. What the hell only 275 miles.  The Mariner gets 30+ mpg so it was nice little fast trip.  Coming back I went through Harper’s Ferry and the Patapsco River tourist area.  It wasn’t crowded at all.  Usually it’s jammed pack.  Nice trip….

Carol, Kathy and myself set out almost all day it was that nice out.  We turned off our RV AC because it’s so loud up here in the quiet woods.

I walked away from our rig about 50 yards and I could still here Carol & Kathy talking outside.  I went further so I couldn’t hear them.  I think I was in Virginia where I couldn’t hear them.  There went some brownie points… again..

See ya…..

She’s Back #@^%(*

Oh no,  I’ve been invaded.  Carol is back from visiting her Mom in Baltimore the past week.  She brought Kathy.  Butch and Kathy’s 5th wheel is already set up here in Steven’s (Carol’s bro) campground.  They left it here this past weekend.  Kathy is now on vacation.  Butch will come up next weekend I think.

See ya………

Nothing Much–Cool & Calm

Let’s see what I did yesterday……nothing much.  Burnt the trash.  Did the dishes.  Did the laundry.  Did the dump.  Did the kitty litter.  Did a cigar watching an ant carry half of West Virginia on his back.  Then it was lunch time and time to continue relaxing after my hot dog.  I thought about washing the RV.  Glad it was just a thought. 

Did another Alaska map on the computer using Microsoft Streets & Trips.  That’s 13 maps now.  Yes, 13 different routes.  Still not sure where we will cross over into Canada.  Looks like Sumas, Washington very early May like the 1st probably.  We will be leaving from Texas and Sumas is about a 45 degree angle route.  Instead we might go via Vegas to see our daughter.  If we go to Vegas we might as well scoot 0ver to Fresno to see my good cousins David & Sue.  Then we would head North up the West coast kinda.  This would be all in the later part of April.  AND this could and probably will all change by April, maybe tomorrow.  Loosey Goosey……

See ya…..

Go Pro In Alaska

I have a GoPro 4 Silver and have had it for a while.  It’s real nice.  I wish I knew how to operate it better.  I have a remote wrist control along with it. To me, it’s not user friendly.  I had to relearn how to use it.  That’s on, off and pause procedures.  Plus reset the camera settings.  I now got just the basics to use it again.  Now I will have to learn how to edit the film and put what ever in a nice video.  I never learned how to do that.  I spent several hours relearning the GoPro.

My long range plan is to video record our trip to Alaska next year.  I got a lot of old pictures and a few videos.  The videos are of bears, a lot of bears from Katmi Island.  I’ve seen other home made videos of Alaska and really really like them.  They gave me ideas.  This next trip to Alaska could be our last trip.  We said that before each of our last 5 trips since 2000.  This time we will be taking our time and going places we haven’t been before.  Being in our small 25’ camper will give us the opportunity to get into “those” small places we haven’t been in the past.   There’s not a whole bunch of  those spaces but they are there and we want to go there.  The less traveled roads.

Mid April 2017 we will leave from Texas and head for Alaska.  We say Alaska but some time will be spent in British Columbia on the Cassiar Highway.  Then up into the Yukon which we really like for viewing nearby wildlife.  We want to visit the Dawson City area also.  Then on into Alaska and it’s highways into the wilderness.  It is a real adventure into the wild.

Good friends will be going also but we won’t be traveling together all the time.  We will each have our routes and time tables to leave/arrive for various reasons.  We defiantly want to meet up with friends and travel together for part of the adventure.  A group of friends sharing their adventures/experiences as they happen is really great.

As tie gets near and if you decide to go, let me know.  I can supply you with a lot of good information.  This way your trip won’t have as many negative surprises.  I’ve seen people saying that they didn’t really want to go but went because their buddy wanted to go.  They went, they enjoyed it a lot and have even gone back for a second trip or are planning their second trip (2017).

We’ve gone up in big 5th wheels, motorhomes to 43 feet, brand new rigs and used rigs.  They all did fine.  It’s about a 6,000 mile trip in Canada/Alaska round trip.  You gotta use common sense when it comes to driving.  Gravel road – go slower, frost heaves – go slower, narrow road – go slower, animal in the road – go slower.  Hopefully you see a trend here.  If not, maybe you shouldn’t go.

If you are thinking about going…..GO.  Each year it will get harder and harder due to things you have little control over.

So, see ya…

No One Else Here

See ya….

All Gone

Today it was just Carol’s brother David along with his son and son’s friend here at the campground. They stayed an extra night to avoid the traffic. 

David installed a door knob on the pavilion's storage shed.  Again, I supervised.  The kids rode their motorcycles around the wooded 20 acres.  They all left later in the afternoon.

Now here I’m here all by myself until Saturday.  I ran several hoses to get the 175 feet to our RV.  I still had 1/3 of a fresh water  tank.  I filled the tank and left the water hook up.  The water line stretches over the road in two places.  I put some tree limbs and boards nearby so know one will drive over the hose.  Of course no one is due in any how but just being protective of the hose.  I now have water, sewer hook up, 50 AMP, sat HD TV and two full freezers of smoked pork butt so I’m set up for a long time.  I am out of my ICE beer though.  I got a few Bud Lights in case of an emergency.

See ya….

Quiet 4th of July

Everybody seemed a little slow getting up this morning.  Nobody at the fire at 8 AM.

Although it was the 4th today people had to leave.  Mainly because they had to get back to work Tuesday which means they go home today the 4th before it gets too late.  Most had to drive a couple of hours to get home. 

Butch left first followed by Dale & Britney. Then Brad & Corey, kids and the Koon Dog left.  Towards the evening Steven left.

David and his son and his friend stayed.  David took off Tuesday from his work at Balto Freightliner.  Seems like the thing to do with all the projected road BS.

I think I was in bed by 9:30 PM.  Watched some fireworks on TV.  None around here.  During the night it started to rain like in wet rain.  glad I wasn’t in a tent.

See ya…..

Just Our Own Noise

Temps have been running in the low 80’s with no real humidity.  Nights are cool with temps in the low 60’s.  Sun is usually out and no rain what so ever.  Famous last words right?

Steven has been working on the pavilion trying to get more done on it.  the roof is done and now he’s adding storage sheds on the outside of  the building.  Us guys (Butch & myself) help out very little and only when really needed.  I used a weed eater and got rid of some weeds.  Then David decided to put a ladder up against a tree and get some dead tree limbs.  I was the safety guy.  I had the ropes and held the ladder.  When the tree limbs fell the older kids would pick them up and take them to the fire ring area.

I got a frozen smoked pork butt setting out in the AM for later on.  One will be enough to feed this small group.

For dinner I warmed up the smoked pork and then pulled it.  Everybody ate it and some even came after seconds.  I think being it was the main course everybody like the amount that was available and took advantage of that.

Some people went out and ran their 4 wheelers or motorcycles.  Been there done that – no thanks anymore.  Too easy for me to bang myself up.

We had a real nice fire and burned a lot of wood.  Nice weather…..

See ya……

Adults By Age Only

We had some more relatives arrive.  There’s Brad and Corey in their trailer.  They’re the ones that got married a few weeks back.  Then there is Dale and Brittney in their 5th wheel.  Now Steven and David (Carol’s brothers) along with Butch are already here in their 5th wheels.  Now we have eight adults (by age only) and I think six or so kids all of whom who have an ATV or dirt bike or both.  The kids don’t stop moving enough that I can count them.  Oh yea.  Being West Virginia we have to have a dog and a real dog.  We got a Blue Tick Hound Dog.  What a howl when he gets going but usually he’s just sleeping.

Now  we were up past our bed time last night (me).  I snuck away about 11:30 last night and I wasn’t the first.  We had a bon fire we had to set back about 15 feet so we wouldn’t get burned.  No bugs and the kids were asleep (tired out).  We had a good time.

Since we are up here in the mountains and hollers the internet with pictures is not able to handle them (SLOW).  No pictures….

See ya….

No Women Folk

Woke up about 7 AM to a nice cool morning.  Carol started packing to go down to the Baltimore area and take care of her Mom.  Her Mom is having a difficult time as are the people around her are too.  Carol left about 8:30 AM. 

Butch Ford arrive yesterday (Thur) like we did but a little later.  Kathy stayed down in Baltimore so she could visit Carol and her Mom.

David, one of Carol’s brothers, arrived this morning and then another brother, Steven showed up.  No women.  Oh no, what shall we be able to do without them…….P A R T Y.  Well, maybe.  David and Steven worked on building a storage shed while me and Butch  supervised when ever we could.  We were the gofores.  Go for this and go for that.  That was fine and we didn’t get in the way too much.  They seemed to get more work done when we went trying to help. 

I pulled out some frozen cooked smoked pork and it didn’t take long to get it up and ready for lunch.  We all ate that with no complaints.

That evening we sat out a little bit and had a few beers.  We all went to bed early.  It was hard without out all the ladies help……..NOT!

See ya….