RV Full Timing

Arrive White Sands Missile Range, NM

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:03:13 +0000

Spent a night each at Roosevelt and Balmorhea TX. Arrived at White Sands Missile Range, NM. No one there to check in, guess because it was the weekend. Found a site, set up, chilled out till Monday. Sites were all pull-thru, level, had full hook ups, and a grand view of the mountain range in front of you. Beautiful just beautiful. Had to go the equipment check out center to pay for site, no problems. Our next destination is Las Vegas NV. On with the Alaska trip.

Arrived Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, TX

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:38:32 +0000

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After a few stops ( Akin SC, Montgomery AL, Theodore AL, Kinder LA, Edna TX ) we finally got here at the fam camp in Corpus Christi TX. No problems on the road with truck or trailer, every thing went well. Check in went very easy. Had to show the cats shot records. Site was nice, paved sites, great views of the bay, has all hookups. Would stay here again. First day was great, then rain & wind, but still had a good time. Checked out Rockport and Aransas Pass for future snow bird campgrounds, there are many to choose from. Our next destination is White Sands NM. On with the Alaska trip.

Going To Alaska Finally

admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:18:09 +0000

Hello everyone yesterday May 2 2011 we finally got on the road. Our journey started by pulling out of Bear Creak camp ground in Hubert NC. Heading southwest towards Corpus Christi, TX. for a few days. See how everything goes.

Last minute to do list before we get on the road.

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:59:03 +0000

Last minute to do list before we get on the road has also delay the day we are to take off. With everyone working almost up to the time we are supposed to leave a lot of things like making sure our cats had all their shots for the trip was put off. We also in the last month decided that our 5th wheel was to large and heavy to take on this trip to Alaska especially with the gas prices going up. So we have been looking for a travel trailer which we did find. It is a 30 foot Coachmen it has no slide but is very roomy. The pulling weight has been cut in half which also helps with the gas consumption. Sometimes on trips like this bigger is not better and we also didn’t want to shake our 5th wheel apart on the roads in Canada and Alaska. So even though I will miss my Grand Junction at least I know it will not get destroy on this long trip, so everyone keep that in mind when traveling to Canada and Alaska. We bought our Travel trailer at Tippy Toe Repo in SC . They had more to choose from than the area we are living in. The people were very helpful and most of there RV’s and travel trailer, and 5th wheels are on consignment or trade ins. So note: the title could take 5 to 10 days but you can get a bill of sale and temporary tag at their DMV right around the corner from their place of business.

The next part of the to do list was to get the our cats seen by a vet and get their rabies shot and make sure they were up for the long ride. The day started out fine. I purchased a new cat carrier the one I had before my cats had out grown it. I bought it home and place a little catnip in the carrier to coach my cats in the carrier. Maybe with some cats this would work but with mine they were not interested in it at all in fact it spook them. The next day I place my black cat Gizmo in the carrier for the trip to the vet. He was so scared he wet himself and meow all the way to the vet office for 20 minutes. By the time I got there I was ready to pull my hair out. I felt like that lady in the commercial were the pig yells out the window wee-wee-wee all the way home. I think the same look was on my face at that point in time when I reached the vets office. So I clean Gizmo up and dried him off and into the vet’s office we went. He finally stop his loud meowing in the office. I was at that point still frazzled by the whole thing I was dreading taking my other cat in another few hours.
Gizmo check out find and got his shots and on the way home he was quiet as a mouse. I get home and start the whole process over again with Kitty. To my surprise he was quite. I had no problem getting him and out of the carrier cause he usually claws me . He was great at the vets office. He also got his shots and got a clean bill of health. All I can say, if you have to take your cats in and you must do it separate don’t make the appointment in on the same day. One it can really fray your nerves when one of them acts up and you have done everything to clam them down and nothing works. Also it is good idea to get your cats use to a cat carrier and let them make it their home or hide away when they are young. It is really hard on them to be put in a carrier when they are older and they fear it or have only been in one a few times.

Our to do list is finally getting smaller and soon we will be on the road we are still waiting for the title for the new trailer so we can get tags. We also have been waiting for our passport America card and birth certificate. Check the mail and all of them have come in and we are loading up the trailer and now have to stay put due to all the bad storms that have cause a lot of damage through many states. It seem like every-time we thought we were close to leaving, something else keep us in one place till the storms past. I will keep you all up dated and hope you will follow us on our adventure. Please say a pray for all who have lost their homes and love ones in these terrible storms
Pat Admin of This House .org

One Month Till Full Timing On The Road

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:13:26 +0000

We will soon be on the road. Our plan was to sell our home pay off our bills and live debt free and travel the US. It has taken 7 1/2 months till we finally sold our home and we have been lucky with the economy the way it has been. The banks just do not want to give you what your house is worth. They are still afraid to lend money and try to lower the value of the homes to make sure they will get their money back. Our home as the seller lost almost 20,000 cause the banks would not give us the additional value for the land. Here a lot is a lot is lot and has the value of one lot which was value at 60,000 . When we bought our property we merged two lots into one, and built a house on the two lots. Now if we had not of merged the land parcel together, we would have been able to sell the house for the same price we got and also the lot next to it for another 60,000. So lesson learned if you bought two lots don’t merge them into one lot. Leave them as 2 separate lots and you will apprise for more money when you sell you home and lot together. Also If you are selling your home don’t go over board on redoing anything in your home except for painting and fixing damage. The banks will do comps which are comparable homes that have sold in your area. So if you put high-end appliances in your home they do not care. It is the square footage of the house how many rooms and bathrooms and bedrooms you have and location of where your home is and really not too much more. So If you are selling your home don’t go out of your way and spend more money that you will not be able to recover. Fix anything that needs to be fixed and paint your home with a fresh coat of paint and make sure everything is detailed cleaned

After the sale of our home we will be on the road in one month we need to wait to make sure all of our final bills are paid dealing with our home like water, electric, and etc. Then when everything is done we will be on the road for our trip to Alaska. So soon join us and let the adventure begin. Happy Camping everyone and hope you will come back often for weekly up dates.
Pat

Weathering the Storm

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:04:50 +0000

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The economy is so bad right now that selling our home fast is out of the question. We started living in our 5th wheel as soon as our home went on the market in August and have had only 5 people come to see our home. People have a lot of choices with all the homes on the market now. Like they say it is a buyers market. So we sit and wait hoping someone will want our home over all the homes out there.

We have now been living in our 5th wheel full-time for 6 months and I really have no complaints on how easy it is to keep clean. Our camper is very roomy and for some reason the food cook in the camper taste better than when we cooked in our house. We did not think we were going to stay in NC this far into the winter months, but here we sit. NC winters are generally mild. But for the last 2 years for at least two months out of winter months we have had snow. The camper has done well even when the temperature have dipped down to 21 degrees for several days without freezing any lines or the water pump. Our camper made in 2006 was consider a 4 season trailer, but with all the improvements they have done on the newer campers like better insulation and also insulating the slides more our four season trailer is now considered a 3 season camper.

Anyway we knew with this in mind, since we are still here in NC we did some modifications to the trailer. We notice that the water pump was only covered with a ¼ inch plywood box “ located in the storage area” it was also covered with carpet. Not a lot of protection. Now that type of set up is great for temperatures 33 degrees and up but not for what we have been experiencing here this year. We had just been lucky so far that the water pump had not frozen. So we started to modifying the box during a winter storm approaching the eastern seaboard. Do your self a favor do this in warmer weather it might save you looking funny to everyone else when you are doing a gig trying to stay warm while you work. Not a pretty site watch to old folks looking like they are trying to dance with no music. The weather was going down hill fast and we had to hurry cause our luck could run out. So we got work on the camper.

We got insulating sheets which look like Styrofoam that had a R value of 2.5 at Lowes and layer the side walls and also the top of the box which gave the box a 7.5 R value. The next step was to put a light in the box for a heat source and that would be obtained with a 60 or 40 watt bulb. We use an electric box and pull chain light and mounted it inside the box. Than we ran the wire through the box to the outlet and put an end on the wire so we can plug it in. The next step we did was to make a better access door. We used 5/8 plywood and cut it fit the front face of the box in two sections and add hinges so we can still have access to the pump and the heater. So now on days when the temperatures dip to the 32 and below all we have to do is plug in the light for added protection so our water pump will not freeze. The difference in temperatures is dramatic and I feel the $ 20.00 it took to do this fix could save us hundreds of dollars in the long run. Especially if the pump froze up and split open and cause water damage in the storage compartment or worst.

If your camper is new or used use a thermometer to check really how cold your storage compartment gets especially if you have access to your water pump. When we realize that the storage compartment in our 5th wheeling was only stay a couple of degrees warmer than the outside temperature we knew we had to do something soon before disaster hit. So if you don’t have carpentry or electrical skills at least you can hire someone to do what we did. If you do not have this knowledge please do not attempt to do this instead seek professional help with your project. It is well worth the money to do it right and safe. Until next time Happy Camping and always keep it safe. Pat admin

Huntington Beach State Park

admin — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 01:05:01 +0000

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On Dec 4 of 2010 we stayed at Huntington Beach State Park SC. The park is really great, well maintain, enough sites for the larger RV’s and 5th wheels. This is the first state park that I have seen were sites are set up for the handicap. These sites were larger and flatter to accommodate the needs of the handicap. These sites were mark so unless you requested them they stayed empty. So if you have a handicap problem or travel with someone in need of this service, don’t forget to ask when you are reserving your site to ask the parks if they have handicap sites. I can really see how these sites would make the camping experience more enjoyable for those with handicaps. I hope more Camping areas follow this great example.

Our stay in South Carolina was met with a major weather event for the history books as well for the rest of the Eastern Seaboard. We were hit with an arctic blast that chilled us to our bones. We had a chance before the deep freeze to walk the beach and find a few shells to add to my collection. We also finally got to see an alligator in the water, in their fresh water waterway which you have to cross in order to get into the park. We didn’t get to talk to a lot of people this time cause everyone was staying in their campers trying to stay warm. We were able to get out and about in the middle of the day right before two in the afternoon. We only had about 45 min when we could walk around before our feet hands and face felt like they were going to fall off . Even with the arctic Blast we had a lot of fun.

Now when it is that cold everyone should heed the warning that you should not leave your water hoses or sewer lines hook up. Water likes to freeze when it gets down 32 degrees and lower. I have a picture that I took of a slow drip from a water faucet were a next door camper was camping. Now this happen in less than 8 hours. So could you imagine what would have happen to his hose line if it was hook up and he was using his water and let it stay in the hose over night???????. Well you will get the point and hope no body has to learn the hard way . So always check the weather and take the precautions needed to avoid added expensive.

My final note to all campers . Camping at Huntington Beach State Park is worth checking out. The Camp ground is clean. The park rangers and staff are very nice and helpful. The bathrooms have a lot of hot water with full force water not like some places were the water comes out and then turns off when you are half rinse off. The bathrooms could have been warmer but just like us they weren’t expecting such a cold spell. You have beach access which is in walking distance from all position in the camping area. Close to Myrtle Beach and all the attractions but still out far enough to enjoy the peace and quite and see a lot of wild life to. Check it out for yourself. They have great winter rates and now you can stay a month at a time at these state parks. So here is a link to make it easier and Google earth the park you can than see some of the camping sites as well. Well happy Camping. Pat

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1020.aspx

Pee Dee State Park, SC

admin — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:57:23 +0000

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This is Pee Dee State Park close to Myrtle Beach SC. A very nice place to stay if you really want the great out doors at your door. Several trails, pond, and a lot of nature. Very quite and relaxing. Had a great time there and you will to.

Back up Your Word Press

admin — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 03:41:49 +0000

OK everyone I just had to redo my word press. I was one of those people who told everyone to back up their site and I did back up my site but what they don’t tell you is word press needs to be back up on the world press site cause it does not back up on your host site. So now I am installing everything again and what I lost was all the comment post. Well live and learn. So hear the warning back up your word press on the word press site before you lose it and all the hard work that you have done. I have to explain the word back up your word press a lot better than I did in the first paragraph. What happen was when I installed a plugin my dash-board was not accessible. My site was still their but I could not do anything with it. The plugin was an email capture so when people commented or if they sign up for a news letter I could capture their email and be able to mail or mass mail them the news letter.”wp-email capture’ plug in froze my dash-board. My hosting company could not find how to redirect the Url to just the dash-board. Some how I ended up with another Url for my login to word press. So I had to reinstall word press. When I back up my site through my hosting company it did not back up word press only the data base. I was told sence word press is a program that runs on their site only because I downloaded it to their severs they could not do anything about the re-installing or fixing what world press is responsable for cause it is their program and to contact word press. I understood all of this but they did try very hard to fix my problem with out me having to reinstall the program. Well at that time I had to reinstall the program and start all over again, and also install all the plug-ins that I had install before of course minus the one that froze up the dash-board. But this time I also found a plugin for backing up word press so if something does happen you can at that time use it to reinstall your word press. It also backs up your data bases it is easy to use and It seems to be working I have back up my word press with no problem the plugin is called ” Xcloner” So remember to back up your word press so you don’t lose everything like I did. It is not fun to have to do the whole website over. If anyone out has any suggestion on backing up word press please help others cause there is other ways to backing up word press their site give several ways to back up your word press. Thanks to all before hand anyone who leaves a comment in the pursuit of helping others. Pat admin

Caught in the act

admin — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 02:46:27 +0000

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Needless to say the picture tells the story. Gizmo was caught in the act of eating my Christmas tree. I just don’t understand why one cat will eat strange things and my other cat won’t touch it. I know they have different personalities. But they are as different as night and day or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not only are their difference so far from each other I have to wonder if they come from the same species. One likes to be cover up and the other hates it. Kitty will eat and beg for table food and Gizmo will turn his nose up at . Gizmo does love sweet cereal but Kitty doesn’t. Kitty wants water from the facet and Gizmo drinks from a bowl. Now even with all their strange habits and mischievous ways they are still normal cats that like to explore and climb on tables and counter tops when I’m not looking. Now this is were This Blog Post is really heading.

I have always keep in mind this one rule when you own pets. In order to be healthy and stay healthy you must remember or visualize were your pet has been. A lot of pet owner treat there pets like they are their children. I am not saying that is bad but they forget their pet children definitely have different ways of doing their duties. Most definitely different than their human parents. Cats use littler boxes and dogs go out side and walk in others spots were other animals have gone to do their business at. Now I have seen my cats jump on the counters even after I encourage them not to. I also have seen little dogs jump up on tables when their owners back was turned. Then to my surprise I have also seen their owners making lunch and will put there bread on a plate or napkin to make a sandwich. Then get the meat and cheese out, put it on the bread than get a Knife out and lay it right on the counter cause they forgot to get the mayo out. Do you know what is wrong with this picture . Of course if you said the knife you are correct.

First off when you have animals that roam your home, trailer, RV or etc most owners don’t think about were their animals have been in their home while they were gone. They are far removed in daily thoughts and with their agenda for the rest of the day and making that sandwich or preparing dinner. Well during the course of the day while they were gone their pet children have been walking on the counters, using the littler box, cleaning themselves and rolling around or just walking in normal dust and dirt on the floor. I hope you are now seeing the point I’m trying to make.

I have always made sure that before I make anything to eat I first wiped off the counter top. Than wash my hands. Then get the plates out and put everything I need on the plates including the silverware, never to let them touch the counter top. You are going to ask me why I went through all those steps if I wipe the counter top off to begin with. For one reason only “germs”. I’m not a germ-phobic person, but I have gotten sick by someone else not taking the time to do what I do. Let me tell you it was not fun. The reason why I wipe an disinfected the counter top off to begin with was that I assume while I was gone my cats were up there. Now If they weren’t their dander and hair floats on the air and could end up on the counter anyhow. So my only thought is germs and what if I miss something on the counter top that could get into my food and make me sick. So that is why I take a few more steps to insure that my family will be as healthy as I can make them at home.
If this article makes you more aware of what your pet kids are doing when you are not looking or of the possible heath issues that could happen to you and your family . Than I have done my job at least to make you think before you make your next sandwich.

So just remember Cats use littler boxes and dogs go were other animals have been. So take precaution when you are handling food and don’t assume germs are gone cause you disinfected the counter top. Most products tell you that they will only kill up to 99% of germs. What happens to that 1% and were is locate at on your counter top or table. So make all your home and camping experience a healthy one. Till next time happy camping. Pat admin