Its that time of year.

Andy over at My Old RV has an excellent blog post today about the availability of Gate Guard jobs this time of year. I won't recreate it, but if you want to read it you can do so by clicking here.

Things have definitely slowed a bit here and we count ourselves lucky by having a gate. We had planned it out to spend a few of the summer months here just for that reason. It's easy to forget that up north it is quickly turning to winter and the "Winter Texans" are on the way south. I guess that we are in the same category this year being as it is one of transition for us.

We are still in our first year of full timing and so far it has been quite an adventure. We realize, now, that this is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg, so to speak and that many more adventures are in our future. We are learning that we really like the San Antonio area, not enough to re-invest into a sticks and bricks lifestyle, but enough to make it one of our winter-time favorites.

Toie and I were discussing satellite TV the other day after she saw a post on Facebook from Edgar Hansen about it being crab season in Alaska. We were weighing the option of doing it now or waiting until we get into a newer coach. She told me about a satellite setup that one of the ladies at a gate guard luncheon had told her about and how she thought that would be the way to go being as there isn't any real setup to it. Place the unit where you want it, turn it on and it does the rest. I've seen what she is talking about and will definitely research it further as an option if our newer coach doesn't have satellite installed.

We are hoping that our next gate is a longer term than the ones we have been on previously. One reason is so we can save more quickly for that newer coach and another is so we can setup mail service.  We still haven't decided if we are going to keep our residency in Iowa or change it to an RV friendlier state next year. 

We are digging the full-time RV lifestyle though.  We may check out options for the northwest soon, the freedom is so exciting.

Pulling Out

We received our drivers licenses today and guess what?  We are finally leaving on Monday.  Everything over the last few months has led up to this moment, and I have to admit I have a slight case of the jitters.  Yesterday I finished securing the generator to rear deck and tomorrow I will pull the Wilson Cell Booster antenna down and stow it on the roof and then put the kayaks up there on Monday right before we leave.  I don't expect to be on the road before 10am with all the last minute preparations and re-fueling the RV.  Our goal is to make it to Sullivan Missouri the first day and Miami Oklahoma the second.  I really only want to drive about 250 miles a day and I figure 5 hours a day is enough, we really don't want to be in a hurry. 

I really can't believe that the day of our departure is finally here.  We can't wait to get south and start our new life adventure.

Ticks, Poison Ivy and things that make you itch

The ticks this year in Iowa have been absolutely ridiculous.  I think that Toie and I have killed over 40 so far, eleven in just one evening.  Its a creepy feeling when they crawl on you, or you have to remove them from your hair.  We have Moe on Comfortis and it seems to take care of any that get on him, we have only found one or two on him that were still alive.  The poison ivy seems to be prolific this year as well. As of this writing both of my legs are covered in a rash and its spread to my hands.  The funny thing about the poison ivy is that I know I exposed myself while removing the foliage from around the sand rail and beetle that I traded for the generator that now sits on the rear bumper of the RV.  The dogs have been my other source of exposure, they walk through it and then brush against a person.  Toie is lucky, poison ivy doesn't seem to affect her the same way it does me.


There is a post on a blog  I read regularly that touches on the subject of internet privacy. I have always said that once you put it out there, you can't get it back.  I can remember the days before the internet and Facebook, when you wanted to talk to someone you actually had to speak, or write a letter.  With the integration of social media, like Facebook, into society, everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, needs to be conscious of what they put out there. That even includes smart phones and tablets. The tablet I use is so interconnected that I have to be super diligent what I keep on it. 

I have been playing around with the layout settings on the blog, please leave me feedback on the changes I've made or changes you would like to see made.
We had to renew our drivers licenses recently and are just waiting on them to come and we are out of here and on our way. 

Have a GREAT day!!!