whyknot gets a check-up

Before leaving Sunset Isle RV park, I noticed a staff member cutting down the "Banana bushes". It seems that some varieties of bananas do grow on bushes, several of which were on our campground. The bushes are cut back every winter and covered in mulch, then grow back in spring. The bananas were picked early due to frost warning and left to ripen inside.
In spring, the leaves begin to form in a type of spiral, creating quite a thick stem.   The bananas were delicious!

stem of one leaf of the banana bush

Some good-bye hugs and off to town to the laundromat and some groceries. Given the limited space in the RV, I need to do frequent shopping of smaller amounts. So far, there have always been stores nearby and I usually try to coordinate shopping with driving to next

campsite.

While waiting for my laundry to finish, I went to visit "The world's smallest police station".It was created in 1963 after many problems with tourists making unauthorized long distance calls on the police phone booth. (The town was too small for a regular police station)

The phone booth was moved to a better location under a tree to protect the police from rain but the illegal calls continued. Finally the phone company removed the dial and the police had to use other methods of communication. Since then, that phone booth has had several problems such as vandalism, being knocked over, and damages by hurricane Kate, but it remains a big tourist attraction.

Highway 98 to Port St Joe

  The world's smallest police station                     

The drive to Port St Joe was very pleasant, heading westward along

the Gulf of Mexico. On the way, I stopped at Carrabelle Beach which has many interesting cedar stumps.

 

 This beach was also the WW 11 D-Day

training site

On I continued to Port St Joe where I stopped to visit friends and "boondocked" at their parking lot.

From there I went on along the coast to Panama City, to "Camping World" to have my RV assessed.They did a "seal tec" test ( spray with high pressure water to get a clear picture of where the leaks are.) I will need to have a seal replaced and that was ordered, which means waiting for 7-10days. (I decided to wait at an RV park at 

Mexico Beach and that was a very good decision.)

At Camping World, I was impressed by the good service and the knowledge of the staff. I also got a free 5-point inspection because of being a member of the Good Sam club that many RVers belong to. They did some extras not charged for: adjusted an awning , checked my tire pressures, and showed me how to apply caulking to seams that may have small cracks -a normal occurrence with age. So, whyknot will get a facelift!

I  phoned Canadream where I bought my MOHO (Motorhome) and they will look into paying some or all of the costs as this has been a problem since I bought it. They are very good to deal with.

After that, I drove back to Mexico Beach which is a town close to Port St Joe.With the help of the GPS (how did I ever manage without one before??) I found the Rustic Sands RV park which is a real gem and a great place to wait for my RV to be fixed. That is a whole other story.

PILGRIM

Pilgrim, how you journey
on the road you choose
to find out where the winds die
and where the stories go.
All days come from one day
that much you must know,
you cannot change what's over
but only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
one way leads to gold,
another leads you only
to everything you're told.
In your heart you wonder
which of these is true;
the road that leads to nowhere,
the road that leads to you.

Will you find the answer
in all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
in you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,
each one wants to know
the reason why the winds die
and where the stories go.
Pilgrim, in your journey
you may travel far,
for pilgrim it's am long way
to find out who you are.....

Pilgrim it's a long way
to find out who you are.....

Pilgrim it's a long way
to find out who you are....

           [Enya: A Day Without Rain]

Be careful what you ask for!

Marina at Carrabelle, FL

Oh, how I wish
I could swim in that pool.
The sight of it makes me wistfully drool.
So long I've waited,
My swimsuit unpacked.
Waiting for hot sun, 
The heat I have lacked.

And then I woke up,
This morning to see:
                                                          A puddle on the floor,
                                                          Much bigger than a pea!
                                                          The rain had sneaked through

A soggy day at Carrabelle, FL

  A seal in my roof.
  Nothing is perfect,
  And that was the proof!

  At first I felt stressed, 
  Oh no, not this!!
  A problem like this 
  Is one I could miss!
  And then I remembered
  That this is "small stuff"
   Compared to people 
                                                             Who don't have enough.
                        
I could probably put on my blue swimsuit
Soak my feet in a bucket and eat some sweet fruit.
 I'm grateful to have a cozy warm home
To always have with me, wherever I roam.

The lesson I need, to learn from all this:
When life throws a curve ball, make sure you don't miss!
That ball may have treasure buried deep inside-
A new friend may suddenly appear by my side.

Solving a problem is a great thing to do.
It keeps the brain working, active and new.
My soggy towels have served me well:      
I now have some great stories to tell!
                                                  Sunset Isle RV Park, Carrabelle, FL                                                    Nov 24, 2014

Well, here I am, all soggy but safe, wondering how I'll dry everything. Two days ago, we had warnings of severe storms on the way.After the heavy rains started, I noticed puddle on my floor in the kitchen area. As I looked around, I discovered it probably came from the roof. I ran out in the rain to find a ladder in a shed, climbed up to check and decided it must be a seal where the wiring from the solar panel came in through the roof. I couldn't find a large garbage bag and the staff had gone into town so I grabbed my plastic rain poncho and covered the area of the roof with it, taping it down with duct tape (add that to the thousand uses for duct tape!).I then found some bricks to hold it all down.In the meantime, the storm hit and I got thoroughly soaked. I thought it best to get off that metal ladder as soon as possible as lightening was flashing all around me. It was scary!!
Back inside I changed and hung up my wet clothes along with the soggy towels, noticing that the leak had almost stopped. It worked!!
Yesterday and today have been rainy on and off. I made an appointment with "Camping World" in Panama City, FL (about 2 hrs from here) for Nov 26th to get an assessment and then will have to wait for any parts to be ordered.
Luckily, my friends Janice and Steve are spending the winter on the way there and I'm looking forward to visiting.
I'll leave here tomorrow and stop at a laundromat.

And the journey continues.....

   








          
                                                                



       
                                                           
  

Frosty palms and Sunny beaches

My palms felt icy as I tried to disconnect the frozen hose from my 
RV this morning after a low of 26F overnight. Perhaps it would have been a good idea to bring my skis instead of my bathing suit?
At least my air conditioner won't wear out as fast!

I'm extremely grateful I'm missing the heavy snow falls we hear about further north.

water hose thawing in the sun, frosty palms warming up

Sunset rays

When I arrived at the Sunset Isle RV park in Carrabelle, FL yesterday, I felt like I was home for a visit, this being the first experience with RV camping I had last April. Not only did the staff remember me but I ended up camping right next to where I was in April. Since then  I have learned a great deal about RV living and continue to do so.
 Carrabelle is on the Florida panhandle, on the gulf coast, and very different from the rest of Florida because of being less touristy and commercial. The reason for that is probably that it's cooler here than in more southerly areas.
The staff have been extremely helpful. Becca took me for a drive to a beautiful beach about 3km from here, where we went for a walk on the sand, by fishermen waiting for schools of fish to swim by.
She then bought me mocha almond fudge ice cream which is my favorite and unable to resist. So much for trying to lose some weight!
We then tried to get my TV going. I had spent all afternoon yesterday checking the manuals and trying to figure out how to program universal remote I got (I wasn't supposed to get the TV when I bought this RV but they left it, the remote missing)
Becca then helped me try it today with no luck. Tomorrow I'll go searching for a techie as it would be fun to watch TV given they have cable here.

Before coming here, I was camped at James Island State Park that Carol told me about. It's in Charleston, South Carolina and a wonderful place to be. I met Carol there and we spent 2 fun days exploring Charleston and enjoying the special Christmas lights festival they have at the park every year. We felt like excited children taking a ride on the train around the park at night, passing by thousands of lights : fairy tale characters, a penguin sliding down an iceberg, tunnels of lights to pass through, stars, trees covered in lights....We also walked around, stopping to roast marshmallows over a communal fire, taking a ride on the merry-go-round, and watching the sound and light show. After that they celebrated 25years of the festival of light by one of the most spectacular fireworks shows I have ever seen, with a finale that took my breath away.
We both left that park, heading in different directions and hoping to meet up again, perhaps in Alabama.
I drove toward Carrabelle, along route 95 and bypassed Savannah, Georgia ,following the GPS which usually takes the fastest route. After that it took me on a shorter route directly to Valdosta, Georgia rather than go south to Jacksonville ,FL then  west.As a result I ended up on smaller country roads which were paved but had trees with low branches over the road and luckily they were high enough so I could just barely pass under. My RV is 10ft 5in high and needs 12 foot clearance, something my GPS doesn't take into consideration and I need to pay more attention to. 
After some misgivings, I did make it to Valdosta and stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant for dinner and a free night of "boondocking" in their parking lot. It's good to have a list of places to stay for free since that helps quite a bit financially but it can't be done for too long because of those tanks that need dumping or refilling.
The next day I drove past Tallahassee and on to Carrabelle, initially seeing more trees covered with Spanish moss then more palm trees.
It was a heavy rainy day and I was happy to see I had no water leaks. 

reliving childhood!

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, milkshake in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOOHOO , what a ride!" 
                                                                                 Source unknown

Symphony by the Fire

The flames were dancing as I sat by the fire, the night sky filled with twinkling stars, and a shining moon peeping through the tall pines beside me.

All was still, or so I first thought, then I slowly became aware of nature's orchestra serenading me:
The harmony of the singing crickets, the hoot of a nearby owl, the occasional barking of a dog, the rumble of a jet taking off , a squirrel screeching, the soft voices of people walking by, the sparks bursting from the fire,....
All sounds of nature - ours, other animals, constantly creating a never ending symphony.

As Gwen, a beautiful, wise and loving mentor, often reminded us;
"ALL IS WELL!"

wild oats

 

"Doubt is an uncomfortable condition but certainty is an absurd condition" Voltaire

RV Living: Pleasures and Challenges

RV living definitely has it's benefits.
If I don't like a place, I can move on to wherever appeals to me.
Although wonderfully freeing, it's not always easy to make plans of where to go next.
The experience at Myrtle Beach State Park has been great but I am now ready to continue south and plan to drive to Chesterton, South Carolina for their Festival of Lights which Carol told me about and where she is at the present. The reservations were easy to make and luckily there were some camping spaces available. 
After that, things become more complicated since American Thanksgiving is on Nov 27th and many campsites are already booked fully. Will I have to spend Thanksgiving at a Walmart parking lot?
Plan ahead vs spontaneity? I've always loved the feeling of freedom that results from being spontaneous, going where the wind blows me but have discovered the price to pay is not always camping exactly where I want to and needing to make compromises.
Planning ahead provides a lot of security, knowing there is a campsite waiting.
Being spontaneous results in uncertainty and requires a test of faith and trust that there will always be a campsite or a place to spend the night somewhere.
Given my gypsy spirit, I decide from one day to another where I'll go, requiring considerable time exploring the options.
Within that decision, several things have to be taken into consideration such as a place to dump my tanks, where to get water or propane, laundry, groceries, etc
This is definitely a large learning curve!

There continue to be challenges such as how to communicate when there is no wifi or when out of cell phone range, where best to get supplies , what to do when the tank monitors don't read properly,
what to do with mail, how to hook up my DVD player, and the list goes on. 
I've spent considerable time talking to other RVers, reading all the manuals and becoming more familiar with how everything works such as the water heater or furnace: things I never had to think of when living in an apartment. Places like Camping World stores provide RV supplies as well as service but there is a steep price to pay to have anything checked or fixed ( $125/hr US)
With time, I hope to learn to service these things myself.
So far, most things are working well but I do need to have a seal replaced along my slideout since water gets in when it rains. Duct (or is it Duck?) tape works for now.

The benefits definitely outweigh the challenges!
I remember that when walking along a beautiful beach or sitting at a camp fire.
Each day is a new day and life is never boring.
I wonder what adventures await?

Snakes rarely seen now :hibernating

                                                   

Delighted to see flowers in November

"It is not how much we have but how much we enjoy, 
that makes happiness" Charles Spurgeon

whyknot staying ahead of the snow

The drive south along the east coast of US seemed along at times.
Reports of snow followed me but didn't catch up.
The weather got gradually warmer although the nights were quite cold and sometimes close to freezing, requiring the use of the furnace. The RV is not well insulated as it's meant to be a summertime camper and therefore doesn't hold the heat in for long.
I had to remember to keep the propane tank filled.
Bypassing New York city, I faithfully followed the GPS and because it takes the fastest route, took me on a short cut which was  beautiful, gentle highway with not too much traffic.
Suddenly I saw flashing lights and a siren behind me and, like a good driver, pulled over to let the emergency vehicle pass. I became aware it wasn't passing and that it was a police car. Oh dear! I knew I wasn't speeding (drive about 10mi/hr less than speed limit to save on gas as well have a more relaxing drive)
after a few minutes a young policeman knocked on my window informing me that trucks are not allowed on that highway. I had not noticed the sign. He told me the reason was because of low bridges (I need 12ft clearance), to take the next exit and wished me well.
There are still many kind people in this world!
After another night of boondocking at Walmart in Sturbridge, Mass.I drove most of the day to my friend Mary's place in Winchester, Virginia, visiting for 2 days. It was fun to see her and we spent Sat, Nov 1 going to the Gourd festival nearby.I had no idea how many wonderful things could be made with gourds including jewellry. 
I decided to leave earlier than expected due to snow at some campsites in southern Virginia, North and South Carolina and even Tennessee!
8hrs of driving later, I finally arrived at Myrtle Beach and met Carol who is also traveling in an RV after retiring. It felt good to meet someone else with similar experiences and we've been sharing many stories and things we have learned about living this way eg finding propane, boondocking issues, how to live in a small space, etc.
Myrtle Beach State park is wonderful with its beautiful beach and proximity to the town. The park has hookups, TV reception, wifi, laundry and showers. The campsites are large with many trees at each site. There are RV's of all sizes and makes from small vans to large Class A's (look like a big bus). Everyone I've met so far has been very nice and helpful.People that come to these State Parks are usually nature lovers and peaceful.
We've been walking on the beach, cooking over campfires, and relaxing. I finally feel like I'm getting a holiday after so much driving and didn't realize how tired I was. I'm staying here for 12 days then  on to Charleston just 80 mi from here for their festival of lights (Christmas lights).
The weather has been warm the past few days with cool nights and about 70F today.
Tomorrow we're going to a yoga class in town then maybe Starbucks for coffee and get some supplies.


                                                                                   
                                                                         

Boondocking at Walmart

All is well!

cooking dinner at Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach  Nov 5/14

whyKnot having fun

"Skipper" eating peanuts out of my hand at Port L'Hebert, NS
Oct 24/14

Gourd Festival at Middleton, Virginia  Nov 1/14
Those penguins are made out of gourds!

whyKnot be prepared!

Although I was never in Girl Guides, I've been learning the value of being prepared.
Living spontaneously can be fun but then unexpected problems can arise such as spending 3 hrs searching for a place where I can get my propane tank filled. I has assumed most big gas stations had propane and discovered such is not the case. I was in Halifax at the time, preparing to "boondock" (parking my RV at a free site overnight such as a Walmart parking lot, a visitor's centre, a truck stop, or a rest stop  ) It saves money but there are no hook ups for water, electricity or sewage disposal.Planning ahead means carrying enough water and propane, making sure the batteries are charged, and dumping the black water tank before it's filled.
Propane is important as it runs the furnace (necessary in cold weather) as well as the fridge and stove.
Another helpful preparation is to plan the route to avoid unnecessary driving, low bridges (I need 12ft clearance), and interesting locations to visit.
My route took me from Halifax to Moncton NB where I stopped to visit my niece Ria, then to St John and finally to cross into the US at St Stephen.
I was lucky to get a very pleasant and respectful guard who did a quick check of my RV since I was planning to be in the US for a few months. He told me the max time in US for Canadians is 6mos
rather than 7 as some people think.
It was now Oct 29th and the weather considerably colder, close to freezing some nights but the fall colours still beautiful.
A long drive down hway #9 "Airline Rd" then #95 to Bangor where I finally got a tracphone for $10 and a SIM card for minutes, simple to use.
No contract, just get another card when my minutes run out. 
I love it!
Now I still need to sort out internet access.
As my friend Liz told me, it would have been easier to get all this done before my trip:another lesson on being prepared!
Lots of toll booths to go through but easy driving except for the heavy traffic near cities and always many trucks.
 After Maine, it didn't take long to get through New Hampshire,Massachusetts (gas $2.99/gal!), Connecticut, New York,New Jersey,Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and finally a longer stop at Winchester, Virginia to visit Mary, a long time friend. Prior to that I had been staying at Walmart parking lots which are quite safe since some staff are there all night, the lot is well lit and there are security cameras. Most of the time my RV was the only one there and I rarely saw others on the road because I was so late leaving.
Mary took me to a "Gourd festival" which was fun, followed by a delicious dinner at a Thai restaurant.
On the way to Virginia I did run into an unexpected experience that I'll describe on my next blog.