Sunday March 26

[Shirlv]

Morning All, a sunny 51° on the island. Just a hello. Good day to visit my favorite garden center. Be safe

[Othersharon]

Good morning all. Finally seeing some sun and a blue sky. Still cold and windy but supposed to get better as the day progresses. I’ve been been dealing with a puppy that had been throwing up his meals so been feeding chicken and rice and he’s been doing better the last couple of days. I finally figured the common thread was his kibble. After a talk with the pet store owner and some common sense a plan is in place. Spoke with the vet office the other day and we decided to have us come in at the time we’re scheduled to be there and vet will evaluate the situation then as to whether the surgery on his eyes will go forward or if we postpone it. He has still has plenty of energy and no other symptoms of anything so I’m hoping it’ll still happen. But it’ll be up to the vet. So that’s about what my days have been the last several days. Been tempted to put my snow shovel in the garage in the hopes that I don’t need it anymore this season but on the other hand I don’t want to push my luck! Hope everyone stays safe and have a good day.

[BirdbyBird]

The dogs and I are enjoying the small RoadTrek GTG here in North Carolina. Eleven rigs have come along with a day visiting rig. It is making me feel old but also very fortunate to have been RVing for 18 years and having been able to retire early enough to do so. One of the ladies fulltimes. Another has a house in FLorida that was damaged severely by the hurricane and she has been able to use her rig and also the kindness of friends while she deals with insurance and the continuing prospect of repairs. ANother lady from Wisconsin has a home their but travels extensively for long trips. Many of the women have only owned their rigs for a couple of years and with the pandemic (and in a couple of instances responsibility of work) have not used their rigs for many great explorations. They are still figuring out their system or in the case of us driving vintage rigs, are still making repairs here and there. Anyway, the character and determination and openness for adventure is recognizable in all. Looking around the circle of chairs and dogs I am reminded of the GTG Catherine called us all to out to Council Bluff. We had not met her nor she us.....but we came, see visited and we have the pink shirts to prove it.

There is information swapping and more invitations to park on flat driveways as this new crop of determined adventuring women find their road leg/wheels for travel.

And in the back of my mind I think of how much I learned from listening to the stories of travel mishaps (Nan was especially good at those) and how much we all learned from each other back in the day and how I would think....some day I will just take off and travel like these ladies have.

[Colliemom]

It does bring back memories doesn’t it Tina. All of us on this forum started out as newbies at one time. We have shared GTG’s, adventures, some became life long friends and some have only met online and not in person, we have ventured far and wide and met many others like us along the way. . Like you said, we shared stories, we laughed, we cried, we mourned those who have passed and we passed on advice about anything RV. I miss those days too. I have at least 5 scrapbooks full of memories to look back on.

It’s a beautiful sunny day here after yesterday’s storm which left 13 inches of very wet snow in its wake. I blew out my drive yesterday afternoon while it was still comng down, as I didn’t want it to get too deep for the blower to handle. Fluffy dry lake effect snow is one thing, but heavy, wet snow like this is another. Much harder to blow. I still wasn’t 100% yesterday after my episode with the Shingrix side effects but I got it done. But today I am feeling back to my normal self now and with the beautiful snow shine with mid to upper 40s temperatures out there, it’s great. I just took a fast run down to Waters for some Pizza for lunch and pick up a Sunday paper. A number of my neighbors have been going in and out too. Our road has not yet been plowed by the county, but some of the local plow drivers that are doing driveways will drop their plows while driving down the road and a number of us have pickup trucks, so we make our own way. Some of us like my neighbor and I will do the road along the front of our property so that we don’t get all the snow from the county plow back in the driveway. As soon as the county comes through, then the dogs and I are going to go and take a nice short walk around the neighborhood and enjoy this beautiful dsy, as we haven’t been out there since Thursday. The snow is melting fast from the warm sun. My driveway is all clear and dry and the main roads are snow covered but turning to slush. So life is getting back to normal in the north country.

[Shirlv]

Tina, I share all you said. Good times. A thought that came to me was we as women were adventurous to take off in rvs. I didn’t know anyone male or female that traveled in a rv. A neighbor at my old home was a state trooper and he smiled every time I drive off in my rv. He called me “Rving Mama. A couple weeks ago my grandson ask if I missed rving. I said every day, my heart would race every time I started the engine. Family laughed but they just didn’t understand. Hats off to women rvers retired and still on the road.((hugs)))

[chalet05]

Ah, the memories! We started full-timing in 2000 and it wasn't until 2003 I found the first woman traveling alone! Steven passed away shortly after that and I eventually joined the singles group. I was amazed and that's how I decided I could do it on my own! Even when I started out on my own in 2007, the' are you alone questions' kept coming. We are a brave, independent bunch!

It's a beautiful day and I think we are in for a few of them this week. Time to get vehicles cleaned and serviced - hoping the Sling will start! I'd get at that today but kids and I are going out for dinner - had to postpone when Alan got sick last weekend. They retrieved all the plastic totes above their carport for me yesterday. Done with basketball as my last two teams lost yesterday.

[Redetotry]

Tina's post stirred up a lot of memories for us all it seems. I started traveling alone with my first Poodle Nickel in '85 but mostly stayed with friends, B&B's or hotels. I really never thought anything unusual about traveling alone and in the beginning it was very easy to meet people along the way. I belonged to the forum for several years before I went to my first GTG. I didn't have a RV yet but I stayed at a hotel. I think it was near Nashville. I don't remember much about it other than getting lost on the way to the campground as the map hadn't been updated and talking with Tina. I think I wanted too long to get my RV. It was one of those 'dreams move on if you wait too long' times. I am however so happy I found this forum as I've so enjoyed all the people who have been a part of it over the years. Remember Soos and her 'recipe, Tina's song and the woman out west whose name eludes me who inspired it. And of course Sparkle and all her escapades, particularly parking too close to the ocean and having to be rescued.
The sun is out again today and I took Pippa out for a walk and brief car ride. I'm trying to work her tolerance time up as she gets car sick.

[JudyJB]

I think there are a lot more women on the road these days, alone. In fact, though I have no data to prove it, I think the ratio of solo women to solo men is at least 3/1. Do the rest of you agree with that??

My total productive activity today has been to take my rig out to dump my tanks. I am running low on propane, plus I need to pick up a few things, so even though it will be cold, I will drive into Santa Fe. It is about 25 miles, but there is almost nothing where I am. Wednesday I will visit the museums.

Good news is that my 17 year old California grandson took his first solo flight yesterday and passed! Next step is to plan and take several cross-country flights on his own. He really wants to be a professional pilot, so while in college, he will work on next steps like instrument flying, etc. Goal is to get a degree in aviation from college.

SUn is out, so I guess I can turn off the electric heaters for awhile. Oh, and I have wanted to travel and live in a motorhome since I read John Steinbeck's Travels With Charley in about 1960. When he learned he was dying, he took off for a year in a pickup camper with his wife's standard poodle, Charley, and wrote about it. It was the last book he wrote before he died of cancer.

[Shirlv]

Bj can dogs take ginger capsules. I have always had severe motion sickness. On long drives to as a child I spent a lot of time on the side of the road. As an adult have asleep on dramine. Tried ginger capsules and they worked like magic. Had to take one evert 4 hours but worth it.

[Redetotry]

Bj can dogs take ginger capsules. I have always had severe motion sickness. On long drives to as a child I spent a lot of time on the side of the road. As an adult have asleep on dramine. Tried ginger capsules and they worked like magic. Had to take one evert 4 hours but worth it.

I've never heard of giving the ginger capsules to dogs. My DH though used it when he had to take the ferry's while in Scotland. I usually give her Dramamine but I have to give her Benadryl before the vet appointment as she is getting a shot. She had a reaction to one last year so they want me to give the Benadryl before coming in. I'll check out the ginger though.

[Bethers]

So much fun to think of starting out and early gtgs. Judy, I agree that there are way more solo women than men. But men are catching up, I think. And, Anita, the stories we could tell about people being so surprised, etc. I thought I was independent before, but they made me more so.

I got on the road this morning. No idea how much had my generator is sipping, but I haven't made it far enough out of the hot spot and the rig heated up immediately, so generator and AC are running. I've stayed at several different Texas picnic areas. Some are super nice, some average, then this one not up to par, lol. But I'm not here for the beauty. And Ty says it was perfectly fine walking so to quit my griping. It'll be another short driving day tomorrow and I have two locations on my map that are possible stops. I know I've stayed at one but my memory fails me where it falls on the great to not so great lol.

[JudyJB]

I remember that it took me three months to discover the two brown 110v plugs that were on the brown wall way down low on the side of my bed frame!! There is only about 8" walk-around space between the bed and the wall, and I did a lot of complaining about why they did not put plugs in the bedroom. Then one day while I was making the bed, I found the plug next to where I slept. Finding the one on the other side was easy.

Also, took me three months to partially figure out how to use my radio. I had them replace the basic Ford radio with one that had SiriusXM and a backup camera. This one has no buttons or knobs and is entirely controlled by the touch screen, and you sometimes have to press a combination of things. The instruction booklet was about 3" by 3" and had teeny tiny text I could not read until I took the monstrous 90-page booklet into a printer and had them print it out is huge type on 8" x 10" paper!!! I still cannot completely know how to use all the functions.

And I still get the occasional "All by yourself???" comments from older women, who apparently think I need a chaperone or a husband to travel.

[Acadianmom]

Our lunch today was at The Olive Garden. Not my favorite restaurant but the food was good. I got the Taste of Italy with Lasagna, Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Parmigiana. I wanted Shrimp Fettuccine but the menu says the shrimp is imported. I will not eat imported shrimp when I live in Louisiana.

Sharon, hope you get your puppy's diet figured out. I keep rice and ground meat in the freezer for Sugar in case she has a problem. I have started to bring the bag with me when we camp in case she has a problem. She is always finding things to eat at a campground.

I seldom see men camping alone. The Louisiana club I belong to is always picking up women camping alone. We are having a problem finding campgrounds because the campouts aren't planned very far in advance. Too many people found out about camping during Covid. We have a couple of campouts that are annual and you have to make reservations a year in advance to get enough sites.

I was done with basketball when it started. And if basketball isn't on it's hockey.

My neighbor was a crop duster pilot and his son and grandson are crop duster pilots now. His granddaughter is a senior in high school and is taking flying lessons now. She wants to be a commercial pilot. The fish plant I worked for used planes to spot the fish.

Judy, I don't know how to use the radio in my camper. I think the people I bought it from installed it with a backup camera. If I start trying to use the radio I manage to turn off the camera and have a heck of a time getting the camera to work again. They didn't leave the information for the radio. My camper has a Bose system and I have no clue how to use it either.

Martha

[snowball]

I wish I'd made it to more GTG's did the one in Oregon and of course Q and along the way a couple of us would get together... had a couple stop by when we were in Island Park and then close to Jackson... I also miss being able to go and do... I just wish I'd had my ducks in a row and gone and seen more... meet more of you all... I really miss the times we had in Q and hopefully when I get back down there it will happen again...
you all have a great night
sheila

[Pooker]

We yearn for the "good old days" after we hang up our RV keys. I feel ashamed that I resent getting old and removing things and activities I loved from my life. I was so lucky to have had years and years of travel thanks to our many RVs over the years. It allowed us to visit most of our gorgeous National Parks, Monuments, etc. and actually camp in all but two of our 50 states (Hawaii and Alaska - although I was blessed to visit both). In a post a little while back a couple of you girls discussed remembering your travels and feeling blessed to have had the opportunities. You relive your travels as you enjoy the newer postings of travels here. Thank you girls for that conversation. I could go back and look at who said what, but in reality all of you play a part in lifting the rest of us up, those who are gone (like Sparkle who could lift ANYONE up) as well as all of you here now. I'm trying to have an attitude correction and stop feeling sorry for myself. I have a sign on my computer that says, "Don't cry because he is gone, smile because he was here." That can apply to retiring from RVing, too.

After my husband and travel mate died, I was devastated and thought my traveling days were over. However, within a few months I was RV shopping and discovered the wonderful gals on this forum. I was able to ad another 15 years to my wanderings before selling. Some of the gals I met in person are no longer here, but their spirit of adventure is always with us. Yes, we have all probably heard the comments about a woman traveling alone, running into axe murderers, being kidnapped and sent off to another country, etc. I don't think any of us have run into an ax murderer yet and we manage quite nicely, thank you, without help - at least most of the time!

Evie