Lil Sporty and Me - Oh the Places We Shall Go!

Living now in Northwestern New Mexico

2009-10-17T09:38:00.008-05:00

Well, 2009 has certainly been a year of surprises.

Started the year out trying to sell this little truck and ended up keeping it and getting the camper shell for it and making it into a cool little traveling mobile. I was all ready to start exploring the state parks in the Ark-La-Miss-Tex area.

But then in June I decided to heed my friend's wishes and move in with her and be roommates in a big ole log cabin in northern Tennessee . . . so I decide - OK - me & Lil Sporty will just have fun exploring everything within an 8 hour radius of Nashville - which would have been a whole lot of things to see and do . . . but . . .

In September, my roommate gets a job offer to come back to her home state of New Mexico and since I was having no luck getting a job in Clarksville (too many Army wives from Ft. Campbell competing for all the secretarial jobs), I decided why not go with her to New Mexico . . . it's a place I've always wanted to live and it's the Mecca of All Things Camping . . . sooooo

Here I sit 3 weeks post cross-country Move. I landed a GREAT job within days of being here, my friend now understands the wonders and joys of RV ownership and can't wait to own her own little home on wheels (which means I will have all the fun of helping her figure out what's she got without having to experience the pain of buying and maintaining it!!) and I've already been out exploring what this little town has to offer . . . and it's been alot!!! Been on two birdwatching walks along the Animas River and gotten lots of great photos, gone to several area museums, fairs, flea markets, etc. and can't wait until we get the chance to branch out to all the wonderful canyons and historical monuments of the Four Corners region. We both have our weekends off so there's no telling where we will go first. The choices are endless: Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Durango Colorado train rides (something i've always wanted to do!), Shiprock, eventually even the Grand Canyon which is only 4 hours away.

So yes, it's hard to believe that this time last year I was just daydreaming about RVing and working seasonal jobs in the resorts out west and today I am actually in a place that will allow me to make those daydreams real!!!!

If I don't update this blog for awhile, you can always see what's happening at http://momcat02.blogspot.com/ I renamed that blog. It used to be "Momcat's Musings", but now since I am no longer just musing about things, I changed the name to the more appropriate "The Adventures of Momcat!"

Here's some pics of where I am now:
The ShipRock (above) and roast mutton, green chilies on fry bread (below)
This is a beautiful office complex that I drive by every day. The colors of the adobe buildings and the fall color plantings are breathtaking!!!
The Animas River
You might think that New Mexico is nothing but desert, sand and cactus but nothing could be further from the truth here in northwestern NM. The Fall Magic is unbelievable around here!

hmmmm . . . what have we here?!
potential future yard art!

YIKES! so far I have not found out what this mutant hornet/scorpion/wasp thing is:
The group I went birdwatching with:
Living in Louisiana, I could never get a good photo of a Great Blue Heron. I come out west and viola!

2009-09-11T22:40:00.002-05:00

Just a little something to remember later on:

The advantages of a truck camper over an RV

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=871&Itemid=34

Two Months Later . . .

2009-09-11T22:12:00.002-05:00

The Only Constant is Change.

I have had a very interesting time in Clarksville, Tennessee. Thankfully I have remembered to enjoy my time off from working while at the same time looking for THE JOB. It hasn't always been an easy balance by no means as I am quick to stress over how I will pay my bills. But I was able to work a fun, quirky out of my normal relm of things kind of job which was just enough to keep me going and still gave me plenty of time to chill.

But I just had to ask myself and The Universe: Why isn't the job piece of this puzzle falling into place here in Clarksville, TN?

I even for a brief time thought that I was about to work the most fabulous and perfect new job EVER that would have made it soooo easy to go exploring the region's beautiful natural history & geography!!! I even made it Facebook official. But for some reason I just couldn't DECLARE it on my blog.

Fast forward a week later - that job is long forgotten and another couple ones have been surrendered to not meant to happen. AND ALL FOR GOOD REASON!!!! I am about 95% sure that by October 4, which will be exactly TEN YEARS TO THE DAY that I first touched New Mexican soil - i will be waking up in whatever our new temporary digs will be - making out the day's plan for the next level of my life!!!

So yes. On one hand - it's hard to believe. But on the other it all makes perfect sense.

So again I am packing. Shaving down my possessions to one more lighter level. One more step closer to being able to travel lighter and lighter. Thankfully it won't be as hard as the last time. I just got to take what's absolutely necessary and put the rest in storage for the time being. I started today and my bedroom is already done. and I have a TO DO LIST for the rest all mapped out.

The plan at this point is to haul out of here on October 1 heading to a point not exactly clear but will be one of two places in New Mexico!!!! Once we get there, we plan to stay at an RV campground for about a week or so to give us a chance to look around at the housing and make a good decision. Then Monica starts her job and I again start the job hunt. Which I know will be so much better than this go round because THERE I am meant to stay and work!!! and explore. and create. and live.

The DREAM is being realized!!

2009-07-14T18:50:00.006-05:00

It is so cool how things have converged in spirit and energy to enable me to propel into my dream!!!

In September 2008, after being driven mad by working in a windowless cube, I started visualizing and/or dreaming (whatever you want to call it) about getting a job where I could travel and work seasonally in resorts/national park areas. This was a satisfying outlet for the rage in me that was building because I could not see the outside world where day turns to afternoon and the seasons change. I get so depressed if not close to a window. When my boss said we were moving to a new building and then informed me there was no window, I had warned him that this would happen. He just laughed. But I know my past work history . . . after a period of windowless existence, I get depressed and spring out of that place at the first opportunity. So he can't say I didn't warn him.

Anyway . . . to assuage and quiet the storms in my heart, I spent recreational time online searching all about seasonal jobs and what it would take to buy, own, maintain, drive my own RV - oh! this provided many hours of stress relief.

Fast forward to the beginning of this blog - when I posted "FOR SALE - FORD RANGER TRUCK" in January of this year. Well, the regular reader will know I didn't sell the Little Truck - La Troca Bebe - and she became the first piece of my puzzle!!

I had already decided a big RV was not for me!! and after finding that most awesome of websites: cheaprvliving.com - i had so many ideas for making my own Micro-mobile motel room. Oh what fun it would be to miniaturize camping stuff to fit the back of my truck!!

In March, I started visualizing what it feels like to have a camper on the back of the truck as I would drive along the road. By the end of that month, I had found the perfect camper top for the back of the bed of La Troca Bebe. I was set!!!

Instead of running away and working seasonally, my new goal was to take weekend trips to the sights and wonders within a day's drive of Northeast Louisiana. I was going to go on Birding Trails through out South Louisiana and trace the ancient Native American sites through out the ArkLaMiss area.

I got as far as Natchez and South Mississippi before a BIG TURN OF EVENTS TOOK OVER!!!

On May 21, my great friend who I have been friends with all the way back to our 20's called and said "I've found it." with IT being the most awesome wooded retreat-like place that we have always talked about - a place where we could co-exist and live and create and do and be!!

Fast forward to today!!! I'm sitting here in my lil basement artist studio/living space in the beautiful woods of Tennessee blogging on my blog . . . the windowless cube a distant memory!

I love how that happened!!! Thank you God for knowing the desires of my heart!

So with that all said, I will not be posting to this blog for awhile . . . at least until that next camping trip to the Smoky Mountains or the Great Lakes or maybe to Cumberland Falls. But in the meantime, if you want to know what is happening next, just save www.momcat02@blogspot.com to your Favorites - that's where you can check in for the latest pics of this awesome awesome place we live in (I just moved in on this past Sunday July 11 so my place is a work in progress) or you can see the latest music/art/spirit/yoga/nature fun thing that we doing at the moment!!!! Yippeeee!

Here's What's UP!!!!!

2009-06-11T09:11:00.002-05:00

By mid-July I will be living in the great State of Tennessee!!! and I have a very good chance at a job as a school secretary which means I will have time off in the summer to go exploring to my heart's content!!!!! Plus there will be plenty of 3 day weekends!!!!! Where I will be living, I will be just a day away from the Great Lakes and the Smoky Mountains. And just a little bit further away is the Carolina Atlantic coasts and the beautiful Adirondacks and New England and on the other side - the Badlands of the Dakotas!!!!!! Me and my little truck can see sooooo many new places now!!!!!! and when I'm not on the road, I get to live in a 200 year old log cabin on 5 beautiful wooded acres with seven springs tumbling down to the Cumberland River!!!!! And I will be shairing this with my best friend for the past 25 years who has always believed in me as an artist and who will be encouraging me to create, create, create!!!!! We've always talked about "one day" when we were finished with offspring obligations and have shed the deadweight men in our lives and can come together and create a place that will encourage and inspire other artists and musicians - in fact - we spent New Year's Eve together (online - she was in TN, I was in LA) talking about this very thing. And viola'!! 6 months later it has become a reality!!!!! Since that New Year's Eve night, everything has fell into place for her and for me in a miraculous and most spiritual way that would blow your minds if I had the time to list it all . . . the very first thing being how I acquired the Baby Truck in January and got the camper top in March! It has just snowballed from there.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Wow Wow Wow

2009-06-03T08:01:00.002-05:00

The times they are a-changin! Have the opportunity to change everything!!! More details later. For a hint: http://momcat02.blogspot.com/

Daydreamin . . . filling time.

2009-05-06T10:01:00.004-05:00

Since I am in between adventures right now, I'm updating this blog to daydream and fill in the time . . . next opportunity to GO . . . weekend of May 16. Will be heading to Texarkana, Texas to see David participate in a triathlon. Bonus will be watching HireJoe (bike), Sylvia (run) and Autumn (swim) as a relay team in the race as well. Sooo . . . as I wait . . . i look at photos.

Here's how it looks as you are crawling in:
Here's how it looks when you are inside looking out:
Ok - so I had those two leaks and now after a couple of big rainstorms, it looks like I got those places sealed up. In the meantime, I took everything out of the camper to make sure the stuff that got wet dried properly. As I did, I took photos of the stuff in sections to help me later on in case I need a reminder (ha ha) of what goes back in.

First up, the bed roll and all that it encompasses. the main thing I wanted to make sure got dried out well.
Next - shelving/storage stuff:
and then all the other stuff. Not all that much junk actually, I am happy to report.
Of course, there are those two black crates - one is the Pantry and the other is the Appliance Garage. Yeah . . . but this is pretty much all that it takes to make the MMR (mobile motel room) - Hurray!!! Not really all that much stuff. I'm a light traveler - that's the goal.

Screen House!!!!

2009-05-05T15:51:00.003-05:00

For Secretary's Day I received a Walmart Gift Card and I knew exactly what I wanted to get with it. A Screen House to add to my arsenal of camping stuff. Here is how it fits in with the camper:

A photo of the ever fabulous Coleman Kitchen:

And a space on the other side for my chair and I'm all set.

Of course, I will have to take extra precautions during the summer time when I set this up to make sure the bottom edges of the screen house are very close to the ground and maybe use that mosquito net to seal up the spaces around and under the truck. Otherwise mosquitoes will be coming in. If I can't do that properly, during the summer months, I'll just have to set the screen house up separately from the camper. But in Spring, Fall & Winter, this can be a nice arrangement to give me outside living space and kinda shield me from being so out in the open for other people to stare at me. Yuk.

A few additions . . .

2009-05-05T15:40:00.002-05:00

I should have posted these photos a while back, but didn't have time. So today I will explain my super expensive curtain devices that will keep prying eyes from seeing what's in the back of my camper:

Ha! Ha! Yep . . . trash bags. I just used black duct tape and taped the trash bags up long ways across the windows, along with a couple of black shoe strings taped strategically along the way to use as tie-backs. They work perfectly and cost next to nothing.

Here's a pic of how I can use an Army-issued mosquito net to drape over the back of the camper when it is open. Air comes in but bugs stay out.
and I just had to put one more pic of the shelving unit that fits so perfectly in one corner. This gives so much accesible storage space and I use a couple of bungee cords to keep the drawers secure while the truck is moving.

Taking Care of Business

2009-04-18T20:52:00.003-05:00

I was proud of myself today. I took the truck in and had the third brake light hooked up on the camper shell and then I found out what was the best stuff to seal those 2 leaks with. Then I went and bought it (clear silicon) and then sealed them up. Tomorrow after it's been 24 hours, I'm gonna test out the seals with the water hose. Sure hope I got the leaky places the first time and that they hold. Soggy covers are NOT for me EVER!

More photos from my trip to Natchez

2009-04-15T15:12:00.003-05:00

Click here for more photos of the lil camper in action:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240612&id=612625133&l=3104065f9a

First Real Trip in the Lil Truck Camper that Could!

2009-04-12T21:23:00.004-05:00

I'm at Riverview RV Park which is situated right on the Mississippi River in Vidalia, Louisiana. Just across from the Bluffs of Natchez. Here's my first cup of coffee made in the little camper. This is my kitchen set up. You can cook a whole lot of things by using a George Foreman Grill and making hot water in the coffee maker.
I got here during a super downpour and I got wet getting in and out of the truck and back into the back of the camper. Plus there was a flash flood across my parking pad. With ankle deep water flowing under and around my truck, I did not feel it was the safest thing to plug in my extension cord. So when the rain slacked, I waded up to the RV Clubhouse and asked if I could move to higher ground. Since there were few people checking in on this rainy day, it was no problem. Once I got plugged in and set up inside the camper, I did not mind waiting out the rain, especially since I was able to get online!

It wasn't long before, the storm passed over and I was able to get out and walk over to the River. I enjoyed sitting there watching the mist roll in.
'tomorrow I will be going over to Natchez and will take a tour of 3 antibellum mansions. Then I'll do a fast drive thru St. Catherine's Creek Wildlife Refuge, which is what I had planned to do this afternoon, but the rain changed my plans. Tomorrow night will be spent at the State Park. Thankfully the forecast for both days is SUNNY!! I do now see a couple of spots that leak when it rains, so I will definitely have to get those fixed. But other than that, everything else in my camper has worked as I had expected and hoped for and it has been quite comfortable.

Prototype of Living Space in the camper

2009-03-30T13:54:00.003-05:00

Time now to get busy!!!
Before . . . Thinking and measuring and designing . . .
Since I won't have any funds in the foreseeable future for getting a truck liner, but still NEED SOMETHING between my knees and those hard metal ridges in the bed, I came up with the idea of using a foam eggcrate thing and then covering it with a couple of Yoga mats. This makes it soft and easy to take out and clean. And bonus: the yoga mats are "sticky" meaning they will keep things from sliding around! I also had 2 shoe shelfs that I decided would be perfect to fit over the wheel hubs and make that space useable. I cut out one of them to fit it in against the wheel hub, but I left the other one as is and just use those "sticky" yoga blocks to make it level. That way I have the shelves at two different levels and the one that's not cut out to fit the hub still has a full second shelf.
Here is the "sitting area" with the bed rolled up and the Coleman Kitchen standing up against the tail gate.
Here is the bed rolled out. Look at how nicely I cut the shelf on the left to fit in next to the hub!!! The second shelf is also cut out in a half oval to allow the shelf to fit against the rounded hub. It's still usable for storing smaller items.
This is in travel mode with the black storage tubs brought down into the middle and the Coleman Kitchen laid down on it's side. There is still lots of room to tuck all the other stuff I will end up bringing into nooks and crannys but I will have to be careful not to junk it up. And I especially want to keep it where it will only take a couple of quick simple moves to take it from Travel Mode to sleeping/chillin mode. That way should I find the need to Stealth Park somewhere to get a cat nap while on the road or to sleep overnight, all i have to do is pop into the back, shuffle a few things around and I'm happy and as cozy as a clam!

On the way back home . . .

2009-03-30T13:44:00.003-05:00

After a delight afternoon of speed sight seeing around Memphis (for photos of the interesting things I saw click: http://momcat02.blogspot.com/), I was back on the road again headed home.

Somewhere between Granada and Jackson, Mississippi, I started feeling sleepy. Usually I hate that feeling but this time, I was happy cuz it meant I could stop at the next rest stop and try out the back of my camper for taking little cat naps while on the road. Of course, I brought along some bedding for just this purpose. Aaahhhh quite comfy!
Now am I happy or what!!!!!!

Happy Trails to me!!!

Ta Da!!!!!! Introducing . . .

2009-03-30T13:40:00.004-05:00

My New Truck Camper!!!!
And here's a photo of the guy I bought this camper shell from. Mr. Army Dude from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Thanks so much, T.J.!!!!!

On the way to Memphis . . .

2009-03-28T11:35:00.005-05:00

The road was long but there was very little traffic, which means I made really good time. I really enjoyed seeing that the further I traveled north, I was traveling back into time as I saw the trees just budding out like it did in Louisiana two weeks ago. There were sooooo many dogwood trees through out the woods and redbuds too. A nice encore performance of early Spring colors.

When I drove into the Travel Center . . . here was the first sight that I saw!! I will take it as a good omen.

The Eve of the Day of Expansion!!

2009-03-27T21:41:00.002-05:00

OMGoodness!!! Can you believe that I am about to start going places for real in my little truck??? By getting this camper shell tomorrow . . . tonight . . . I am on the Eve of the Day of Expansion! The possibilities of the things and events I will be able to go and see are endless now that I am about to get the last link of the puzzle: THE MMR - Mobile Motel Room!!!!

For real, it was this time last year that Reece Robbins from San Diego, California rode his bike into Baton Rouge and couch surfed with David. And that's when I started reading his blog as he made his way across the United States and into Central America and down to Brazil. And I as a read his blog, it wasn't long before I wanted to do something similar. and now one year later, I am about to do just that!!! Just on a much smaller scale of course! LOL and maybe a little more comfortable.

So . . . hopefully I'll get a chance to add some photos and stuff to this blog while I am in Memphis tomorrow . . .

WOW!!!! I BOUGHT IT!!!!!!

2009-03-27T09:06:00.007-05:00

A Leer Browning Hunter's Edition Model #180. New price for this topper is $1450. The Browning Hunter's Edition includes front slider, tinted side sliders, dual locking handles, removable Thule rack, full carpet insulation, folding clothing rack and ceiling-mounted lockable rifle box. All keys included. Price: $550

This was on EBAY at such a GREAT price and it is the same color as my truck, something I really wanted. It's a high rise and even though it's not the high rise I was looking for, I only lose 3 inches. Plus it has all those extras on the inside. Then I found out that the green one I was looking at in Ft. Walton Beach did not have slider windows - they only pop open, which would definitely cut down on the air ventilation, so after finding that out AND seeing there was another Buyer who was making offers on this one, I decided to go ahead and click "BUY IT NOW"!!!!!

This was located in south central Kentucky. I saw that it was just an hour north of Nashville and the distance was just a little over an hour more than the distance from here to Ft. Walton Beach, so I was even more convinced that I should go ahead and do it, plus I might get to visit my friend, Monica in Nashville on the way back. However, the Seller was not going to be home during the weekend of Easter, which is when I was planning to do all this. So after some discussion over the phone last night, we made a plan to meet TOMORROW in Memphis, which is the half way mark for both of us. He and his girlfriend are going to meet me tomorrow at a Pilot Truck Stop that we located online in Memphis and they will transfer the topper over to my truck and that will be that. I won't have to drive 2 days to get it or get a hotel for the night in between. Easier and a GREAT camper shell!!!!!

I'm gonna go ahead and keep my reservation for the Miss. State Park the night after Easter. Between now and then, I will put together all the comforts and conveniences to make my MMR (mobile motel room) just right and then go to Natchez that day and see some of the plantation homes, then head over to the State Park for the night to try every thing out. Oh yeah, did you know that Coleman now makes a DRIP COFFEE MAKER that fits on your Coleman stove. That is definitely going on the list of things to get!!!!!!! Yippeeeeeee!

How to VanDwell my truck . . .

2009-03-26T11:32:00.003-05:00

Here is the main link of where I'm getting ideas to make the back of my truck liveable:

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/

and here is kinda what it will look like:

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/Survivalist_Truck_Dweller.html

and an important issue that I need to understand evenutally:

How to Have Electricity! http://www.cheaprvliving.com/howtohaveelectricity.html

Topper Decision

2009-03-20T13:27:00.005-05:00

Well, the more I look at these two toppers, the more I think I want the GREEN one to go with my white truck. It looks (in the photo) almost brand new.

This morning I made reservations for the trip down to Ft. Walton Beach to get the topper installed. Hotel room: $70

Then I made a reservation at Percy Quinn State Park for the return trip home. Camping site with electricity on the lake: $22

AAAAGGGHHHH what a BIG difference!! : ) : ) : )

So now, in the meantime while I wait for the date to get here, i'll be putting together the sleeping gear and conveniences that will fit into 2 plastic tubs for that first camping night in the back of the truck. Should be fun!

Truck topper comparison

2009-03-19T10:30:00.003-05:00

Ok, I've narrowed it down to these two toppers. They are both in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. If all goes as planned, I gonna drive down there on the afternoon of Easter Sunday, spend the night in Hattiesburg, get up super early and hopefully be at the dealer's by 10. They say it'll only take about an hour to install it. Then maybe I can go sit at the beach for a little bit and then turn around and head for home. Except, I'm thinking about stopping at a State Park in Mississippi that evening and sleeping in the camper for the first time (i'll have my mattress and a few other conveniences packed away in a plastic tub to pull out and put together when I get to the State Park). That way, as I lay there, I can begin to envision all the additions I want to make to the inside to "vandwell" it up and make it a nice cozy little nest!! I'll start making my measurements and making a list of things to do while I'm chillin there that night. Plus at this particular park I want to stay at, there are a lot of CCC buildings that I would love to see!

Truck Topper - Where are you!!!

2009-03-13T09:59:00.004-05:00

I am finding out that it is kinda hard to find a truck camper top that fits a Ford Ranger. However, there are plenty out there for Chevy S-10's and Dodge Dakotas to choose from. And so far, I have found really only one place online that is selling these things, and that is that place way off in Ft. Walton Beach. Well, I'm getting my income tax refund soon and although I have a long list of things that I need to take care of way before I go traipsing off to Florida to buy a truck camper, I still have it there last thing on that list. However, the only one that they have to fit my truck is RED. I really want one that will blend better with my white truck - I don't want to be sooooo obvious with a red topper on a white truck - what is stealth about that?!?! NOTHING. Here's photo of a SILVER one that I would love, except it fits an S-10 - but it is EXACTLY what I want, so hopefully by putting it out there in the Universe by posting it here on this blog . . . and here are a couple - same style - not crazy about the colors obviously . . .

Truck Camper Tops

2009-03-03T16:11:00.006-06:00

I saw the kind of topper I want for my truck! This is on a little Isuzu truck just down the road from me.

A couple of shots of the inside to give me an idea of the room available in one like this:

I'm thinking about how I could make a bed platform that goes just above the wheel humps. That would give me storage room under the platform and a twin air bed on top. I measured the camper top and I think I would still have decent head room sitting on the bed on top of a platform like I'm thinking about.
with a bed platform, I could put the twin mattress up against one side (39" wide) and still have 15" available on the other side for storage. I'm also thinking about how to construct practical shelving up along the sides to give me options for storing everything securely.

Here is one used topper that I did locate online. It is only $430 installed, but I would have to go to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida to get it . . . ROADTRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

status on thought process . . .

2009-02-27T11:25:00.004-06:00

Well, on Monday on the way back from Baton Rouge, I went to Jackson, Mississippi to look at an ALiner Classic so I could see one up close & personal for myself - I LOVED IT!!! of course!!

but since I still have another year or so before I can actually buy one (and once you've seen an ALiner, any ol' pop up camper won't do!) I will have to wait patiently and consider other ways of turning my little truck into a MOBILE MOTEL ROOM so I can go hither & dither around the ArkLaMissTex seeing sights without having to pay an arm & a leg for a place to stay.

Here is one possible option: check out getting a camper shell for my little truck and just outfit the inside of the truck bed kinda like what the VanDwellers are doing. I already have a Coleman Kitchen setup from my earlier tent camping days with my kids and I can use that outside the truck for an easy access cooking area. If I carry an easy set-up screen room, that would make my outside living area as nice as can be. The camper shell would allow me to have my "bedroom" up off the ground and be a little more secure than just a tent . . . then I could just stow everything and go.

This would certainly be a viable way for me to to go within a day's drive of some of the attractions in LA, Ark, Tx & Ms that I want to see and be able to semi-tent camp in semi-comfort (ha!) in a State Park or RV park.

One of my RVbuddies had this to say about the screen room idea: "having a screen room adds losts of living space i cover mine with large clear4 mil plastic (i put in gromet holes)that goes down the sides so if it rains or is chilly, the screen room is very comfortable. i use adjustable poles so the end sides afford a small awning affect and keepthe sides from the ground. chris santa fe NM"

So here is the to-do list: No. 1 will be the hardest: find a used camper shell for a reasonably affordable price; No. 2 assembly an assortment of camping stuff to make myself as comfortable as possible on my jaunts.

No. 3 Narrow down what I want to do and in what season/order: The Natchez Azalea Antibellum Home Pilgramage; Tyler, Texas Rose Festival; Hot Springs Spas & Baths; Cajun Country; Wild Seed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas; Daylily Farm in southern Missouri (those last two would be a week long excursion); oh and go see my friend Monica in Taos, NM AND up in Nashville - also longer extended time involved.

That's like 2 years worth of very interesting sightseeing!!!!
gotta do it, gotta do it, gotta do it.

Some links to look at re: ALiner Classics

2009-02-19T15:16:00.002-06:00

http://www.rvusa.com/rvinventory_item.asp?id=531608

https://www.rvt.com/rvdetail4132331.htm

http://www.rvusa.com/rvinventory_item.asp?id=526567

different prices, different locations, variety of options - all have GREAT PHOTOS for comparing and considering!

Thanks Sandy in Miami for these links!

Saved a bundle . . .

2009-02-17T10:38:00.004-06:00

Just lowered my monthly insurance payment by dropping the comprehensive on my Celica down to liability. I'm not particularly jeopardizing myself as I still have comprehensive on the little truck and this will better help me balance my budget to include the truck payment and whatever payment I may end up having when I get that towable.

Oh, and I looked into the possibility of trading this Ford in on a Toyota Tacoma through the same dealership that we got the Ford from, and they said it was do-able but it would make my payment go up an additional $250!!!!! more a month. Which makes it NOT do-able in my book. It is a shame because that would have increased my towing capacity to at least 3500 lbs - maybe even up to 5000 lbs. Rats! Sooo.... I gotta stay small with my first towable - no more than 2000 lbs. Oh well . . . that will ensure that I can handle such and then just work up as time goes by. Gotta walk before you can run.

2009-02-16T15:44:00.002-06:00

Convert all adversaries and defeats into assets.

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

Oh yeah, one more site to check out. If you are serious about looking into fulltime RVing on a budget, check out the website: cheaprvliving. com It has some absolutely great articles written by people who fulltime it in everything from a VW campervan to a home-built truck camper. Covers some very good topics like electrical power needs, bathroom possibilities, etc. Even if you end up with a camper that isn't quite so rustic, the articles on electricity, repairs, jobs, etc. are invaluable planning tools.

Going on a look-see!!

2009-02-16T11:09:00.004-06:00

This weekend, I'm going to Baton Rouge to help my son celebrate his 21st birthday at the Baton Rouge Mardi Gras parade - Yay!!! I got off work for the following Monday to give me time to go home, stopping at RV dealerships along the way. This past weekend, I submitted an info request to the ALiner dealership in Richland, Mississippi - just north of Hattiesburg. Well, the man just called me and told me about the Classic ALiner they have on the lot - goes for $17,500, but he's not going to carry them anymore for awhile because of the economy and is selling it for $10,500. Well, of course, this is more than likely out of my range . . . but once he sells it, there goes my chance to actually see one in person - to sit in it, walk around in it - you know get a feel for what it would be like to live in it. Soooooo . . . guess on next Monday, I'm gonna make a detour from Baton Rouge over to Mississippi to take a gander at the lil' Classic ALiner. Here is the link of the dealership and that particular model: http://www.rvcenteronline.com/newrv.cfm?id=183 and here is the link to the company that makes ALiners: http://www.aliner.com/design/homepage5.php?se ctid=1.

Introducing: My New Tow Vehicle!!!!!

2009-02-15T21:40:00.004-06:00

Ok, two weeks later, with no takers on the sale of the '03 Ford Ranger, I have figured out how to make the monthly payment and even out the insurance payment in my budget, which means I am now very excited at the thought of actually owning a TOW VEHICLE!!! Ok, Ok, I know . . . it's not the ideal tow vehicle, but it is still a tow vehicle. And so I have spent this past weekend figuring out such things as GVWR and dry weight and cargo carrying capacity, etc. - important numbers that pertain to the towing capacity of The Baby Truck.
During my Google search trail, I ran across some exciting ideas!!! One is the ALiner pop up camper, which led me to a YahooGroup of women solo RVers, with a lot of the members owning an ALiner. Jackpot!!!!
So now my online search has splintered into checking out all the various links that the RVBuddies have generously shared with me and planning an upcoming trip to the nearest ALiner dearlership to check out one of these cute little towables. Got some other ideas as well brewing in my head, but those are for another post at another time.
For now, I leave you with an image from the RVBuddies homepage, complete with an ALiner popup camper:

2009-01-26T09:21:00.002-06:00

2003 Ford Ranger Truck
MUST SELL because of divorce.
Only 76,700 miles
5-speed manual transmission - fun to drive and good on gas!
A/C
Radio/CD player
Runs Perfectly!!
Very Clean!!

Payoff: $6,600 includes a great Dealer's Warranty good through Sept '09.
Have peace of mind! The Warranty covers Engine Components; Transmission Components; Drive Axle Components; Air-Conditioning Components; Heating/Cooling Components; Electrical Components and Braking Components. Only a $100 deductible to fix any of these components.

Without the warranty: $6,000

VERY CLEAN INTERIOR!!

VERY CLEAN ENGINE!! RUNS LIKE A SEWING MACHINE!!!
A few scratches in the bed.
And included with the purchase of this truck will be a little lagniappe!
An unused AmorAll Car Cleanup Kit!!