OK…..

This blog will start up again 1 January….

Thank You & Now The Blog Is Retired

Thank You for all the kind words. It really means a lot.

I’ve decided to retire this Blog.

If you would like to keep up with our movements via Datastorm notification, send me your email.

Again, thank you for being a reader…

See Ya……………..

RV Driving School Sold

The RV Driving School Changes Ownership

Livingston Texas — October 19, 2011 — Today Dennis Hill, owner of the RV Driving School announced the sale of his company to George and Valerie Mayleben. George Mayleben announced the school will continue intact and will maintain the high standards set by Dick Reed and Dennis Hill. The web site www.rvschool.com will continue, and the telephone number for the school will remain 530.878.0111. The actual date for the transfer of ownership is January 1, 2012.

The school was originally created by Dick Reed in 1991 to help people who were acquiring RV’s get acquainted with their vehicle and to aid them in gaining the skills necessary to operate their vehicles safely. Dick conducted seminars at rallies across the country discussing various aspects of the RV life-style and technical matters.

Dennis Hill’s acquisition of the school in 2006 assured the continuation of the school meeting the needs of people who own RV’s. Dennis is well known for his emphasis in driving “SLOW”, and his exaggerated insistence that we are driving “recreational vehicles”. His humor and friendly style has endeared him to many seminar attendees.

George Mayleben has been teaching and instructing people on the safe operation of vehicles for over twenty years. He brings his knowledge and skills to the school and expects that the tradition of quality instruction and behind the wheel teaching will continue.

George and Valerie have been full timers for five years and George has been a respected instructor for Dennis Hill for four years.

The 2012 seminar schedule will be be maintained, and new seminars will be announced during the year. All information will be posted on the web site.

See ya………………

Catching Up

Our outside frig vent got broke.  I say it was at Newmar and they say basically prove it.  They did give me a white replacement and wouldn’t paint it to match the paint job.  I painted it it with Hi Temp flat black paint.  It will blend in with the dark brown.  I will install it in a few days or so.

Then our outside table needed help.  It was starting to rust.  I sanded it down a little and found some paint by chance.  Wow, orange too!

OK the Barn is a little more organized.  The pile on the left is going back in the Beast in the future.

Carol got me this “cool” ice chest last year for Christmas.

Here’s my cooking area.

See ya………………

Oktoberfest Last Day

Well folks, all things must come to the an end and thus it has. Seminars, cake/pie auction, fire truck display and then the grand prize give away.

But before all of that I went to

and made an appointment for the Beast and the car.  The Beast has a bad front A/C since leaving Newmar.  It has three AC and we run the front the most.  I’ve been told it’s a $20 capacitor.  It’s still under the manufacture one year warranty and we will see what happens.  Also, the U.S Gear Unified Brake on the car hasn’t worked in months. It’s not under warranty.  Get this.  Their first available date was next Monday at 8 AM. Let’s see.  This is Wednesday and they can’t see me until Monday. Wow, three days to get seen.  I like this.  I hope they don’t try and make their weekly profit on me.  They’ve been real good in the past when times were good.

Friggin diesel went up 11 cents here in Livingston since last week.  I need over a 100 gallons (150 tank).  I think I will wait until mid December now.  That’s when it has dropped the last couple of years. We’re not going to a FMCA rally hat we normally go to in November.  We’re not going to a Chapter 10 rally next week.  We’re still not got things under control here on the lot and in the Beast plus we are expecting some friends in two weeks.

Back to Oktoberfest…The Fire equipment display.

The Escapees had a bake sale and collected over $6 thousand dollars for the volunteer fire company.  The fire boys were very happy.

The Oktoberfest sheriffs collected over $100 for the SPCA.  They also removed the warrant out for my capture. They had to return their badges and authority to harass people.

Then it was time for the Grand Prize drawing.  A $500 certificate from Adventure Caravans.  Everybody was there and waiting.  It was so quiet you could here a walking cane fall.  Who was going to win…

AND Cathie Carr announced the winner……

What can we say….thank you…..

See ya….

Oktoberfest Continues

Hey, what’s this?

RB says “Hope you don’t get sick but if you do come and see me at CARE.”

Carol got this free massage and wasn’t any good the rest of the day.

Market Day appears to been a big hit….

Angie is showing me how she appreciates me taking her picture! 

This lady was from the Chamber of Commerce.

 

The audience seemed to be really interested for the most part. 

They are waiting in line to yodel in a contest.  Mark was rated the worst ever in the history of Oktoberfest.

Just as the dinner started the lights went out and stayed out during the meal.  Hey, his was a candlelight dinner without the candles.  Flashlights were a hit.

Looks like Diane just woke up. She’s tearing into that yard bird!

They played some old movie called The Sound Of Music.  It was more like the sound of people leaving.  Maybe show the movie RV next time.  I know Oktoberfest…..but it was attended by RVers…

See ya……………

Doing “Stuff”

I decided to lift the RV up and put boards under the rear tires (3).  The boards are 2X10 each.  They are wide enough for the tire footprint to set on.  If the tire is not setting under the tire completely, it will damage the tire in time.  Setting for a long period I wanted the Beast to be more stable so that’s the reasoning for the boards. Two of the three tires were off the ground.

We got that rolled up linoleum for Carol’s line dancing room.  It’s 12X20.  Just the right length.  We got it from Lowe’s and carried it home in the Mariner car. So it stuck out a few feet.

My room downstairs is now officially trashed and I don’t care.  I know where everything is – kinda.  The Beast is almost empty underneath and looking good.

I gotta clean my batteries and all.  This will take a few hours to do it right so I’m not in any hurry.

The car is looking good at least on the outside.  I still had Top Of The World Highway dust around the inside of the rear window. We very seldom open it but did today to carry the linoleum.  A lot of caked dust but now cleaned. 

 

Oktoberfest is still going on.

I took a quick pic of this bi plane.

The food is coming in for the pot luck.

“Oh no – same ole same ole”.

Hey, they ate it all almost….

 

Night entertainment was good and is very popular.

Tomorrow I have no idea what I’m doing – that’s good!

See ya.

Oktoberfest In Livingston & Mom Hill

We went and visited my Mom today.  We knew she wanted to see her dog Brandy so we took her too.

The first Oktoberfest at Rainbow’s End here in Livingston I believe was in 1984.  A few of the attendees were here for that like Bill & Dee Holt.  Here are some pics…

I know this is really not readable but it shows how busy the next few days will be.  Plus it’s free!

At the door prize give away Carol & I were the runners.  I got to wear my orange hairy hat.  Maybe a pic tomorrow.

See ya…………

My Clutter - Projects or Toys?

I think I’m in denial that I’m a pack rat.  That’s not good for a full timer unless you have a barn.  Hey, I got a barn – problem resolved.   

I think Carol is one too.  Her room is up stairs.  Yes, the barn is that big. This is her line dancing room too!

Here Carol is cleaning the porch after being away 10 months.

I got projects at different stages of completion and even a few completed.  One was about 1 1/2 years ago.  It’s a large portable movie screen (PVC  pipe)with real movie screen material.  I used it when I gave about 20 seminars out on the west coast during a RV show. 

Another project was to find the perfect grill.  Result – there is none and I have about 8+ grills.  I have tried charcoal, electric, LP, big, small, heavy, light, aluminum, stainless steel, cheap and expensive. I think I have this project as still active.  Right now I’m trying a LP Weber.  It’s pretty popular so that’s good enough for me.

I have one smoker and have really used it.  It’s just about burnt out but will continue to use it tell it stops working or burns thru a door or wall.  I will then replace it with a Bradley (?).

I also have a 3,000 PSI Troy Built commercial pressure washer.  It’s not recommended for doing vehicles.  You know what that means – it’s good!  I use it to clean the slide out covers on the Beast and the engine, radiator and such.  Plus what ever Carol wants cleaned like outside “stuff”. 

It takes me a few days to get orientated to what I was working on and where everything was when we left 10 months ago.  Here’s my towing stuff.

I’m organized only in that it’s in the barn or the RV somewhere.    I still haven’t learned where everything is in the RV and I’m getting ready to rearrange everything again.  Why? I will have the time and need to remove items that I don’t use anymore.  This is the first trip here to Livingston with the Beast.

We also moved the Beast around and installed the Magne Shade  AGAIN! 

So, that’s the number of that.

See ya…………..