Sunset

I am not here, but then again, I'm not all there either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No waiting in the cashier line

You'e always first to check out. 

Shop Amazon

They probably have what you're looking for. 

Eureka

Woke up alive and found my ball!

Some little mutt with one ear up was guarding it.

Later in the day my ball vanished again.

And guess where I found it?

UAWIFI

It's a beautiful day to wake up alive!

You might have noticed I haven't been typing much lately. My hand was painfully healing. The fun in tapping the little keys just wasn't happening.

I took this picture a few weeks ago as an inspirational reminder that no matter what, I can strive to weather the storm, to rise above, to dare to be different.

During my travels the past 5 years,  I used this UAWIFI UA3 Rugged USB Wi-Fi Adapter to capture campground Wifi when their Wifi showed up weak on my end, I used this antenna to gain a stronger signal. It's a rugged outdoor antenna that works indoors too.

In some camps I put it up in a tree by using a 64 foot active USB cord. Other times I could just stick on my ceiling. The heavy magnet builtin to the bottom of it would stick through the ceiling to a hidden steel frame

While there are fancier later and greater pricier Wifi antennas, this one fit the bill because many campgrounds that offer Wifi often have an old system they invested heavily with no plans to upgrade anytime soon.

Since more campgrounds added WiFi I've seen camp rates go up up up. 

On my last trip with a friend in their RV, we didn't use Wifi or internet for almost 3 weeks. It was rather fun to be uplugged from the rest of the world. 

Later I realized I should have put my home internet on hold or cancelled it. "Home" being my new 1992 fifth wheel trailer parked in rural Florida.

When I returned I was greeted with a new internet bill 40% higher.

How many folks received a 40% increase in their income recently?

Hmm...

I didn't get that memo.

Life is goof.

Magical Daze

The day started out rough, but I woke up alive, so I got cracking, daylight's burning.

I can get things done. Maybe I move slower.  Maybe it takes me a lot longer but if I plod away, I can push that choo choo train uphill.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

My long day was busy trying to make calm out of chaos,  make sense out of senseless and  when results are a bit unexpected be grateful if it's good and grateful if it's not cause it could have been worse and it wasn't.

When exhaustion hit me I took a breather. After awhile I managed to get going again.

Today was my best day.

Oh wait, yesterday was my best day.

And the day before that was my best and (OK I will stop here.)

Tomorrow may never happen, but then again it might!

An RV Lot of Fun

A year ago today I was moving in here.
The lot was covered in about 2 years worth of leaves with green slime on the pavement.
I hired a handyman to rake and haul off the leaves plus pressure wash the pavement.
This was arranged by phone before my arrival.
When I showed up his equipment was still sitting there but the job was finished.
My neighbors seemed happy to have me arrive.
The funny thing is I found out later they were just ecstatic because the handyman raked all the leaves on my lot and theirs then put it all on my bill.
Welcome to the neighborhood!

Life is goof. 

Amazon has really good bargains

on pressure washers

Happy Boy

My dog is a seat thief!

That's the dumpster diving chair, we sat in for two weeks at the Keys.
You can see the cover is coming off now, it was dry rotted, but that chair was oh so comfy!

When we left, the neighbors on the other side of us wanted the chair. We told them to return it to the dump when they were done.

So, we hauled the chair 140 miles form where I found it at a dumpster near Fort Pierce, used it for 2 weeks, and before we could get it back to the dump, the neighbors put it to use for the rest of their stay.

Life is goof.

Day 6

One day I was on my bicycle when a ranger in a golf cart flagged me down. I thought UT OH, what have I done now. I greeted him with a big smile hoping he wouldn't yell at me. I had been seen all over creation riding my bike with my doggy, delivering garbage, picking up pizza, finding out of the way places by bike to go take the dog for a walk. I had been on trails, on the sidewalk, in the parking lots, on the roads, in the marina and even in the ditch when I was run off the road. I had been riding on the bridge with cars (frightening!) and taking my bike to see the sunsets because my bike comes with a big fat upright seat with a comfy back to it and it's like bringing my own chair along to sit in. When I stop, my feet are flat on the ground (it's purposely designed this way) I had been caught out after dark a few times by accident, but I had rechargeable bike lights and I used them. I also used my flashing red light on the back of my bike during daytime when traffic was around as it helps wake up distracted drivers and hopefully prevent them from mowing me down or forcing me into the ditch.

Turns out the ranger wanted to buy my bicycle and he was serious. I had forgotten when he flagged me down, that folks often do ask me WHAT kind of bicycle is that? Well it's called a "Day 6" and it's the most comfortable bicycle  ever built and it's effortless to ride. It's far better than a tricycle in terms of comfort and ride-ability. I can lean back in my seat and push the pedals. The high handlebars mean there is no weight on my hands. There are some rough days when I can barely walk without excruciating pain, but I can sit on my bicycle and go go go. Isn't it funny that I found a bicycle that is easier than walking?

So the ranger and I had a nice chat while he scribbled down notes  and claimed he was seriously going to track down a Day 6 bicycle.  It's virtually impossible to buy one used because folks like me who get hooked on them never turn loose of them. I hunted for ages trying to buy a used one and searched all across America and only ever found one used one for sale. You can find a million other used bikes  for sale, but Day 6 seems elusive. People keep them.

Joyful Noise

I just spent the morning
moaning and groaning
heaving and hoving
stretching and schlepping
racing and pacing
sweating and swearing

And finally the bed was changed.

Oh the joys of living in a little old RV.

Change your Bedding

Shop Amazon

They carry weird sizes too!

Nope, that's not my bed

You didn't think my RV bedroom was THAT big did you?

 

Smile! It Stinks!

I guess this old rig has a few tricks up her sleeve to keep me down to earth.

Living the dream includes an occasional nightmare.

Not able to post or write much.

My current nightmare is embarrassing sewer problems!

Yuck yuck yuck.

It's so bad I am going to spare you the details. 

A pathologist once told me that smiling makes the stink go away. Forensics wear those face masks to hide their ghoulish smiles when they deal with stench.

So here I am dealing with my nightmare and smiling about it.

Life is goof.

I woke up alive, and try to be grateful for all my blessings. I bite my tongue when the urge to complain rears her ugly head even if my thung is thore and thwollen.

If the urge strikes...

Shop Amazon

Thank you!

A Slip Away

Oops! I slipped on a boat and it sailed away. 

I took my passport to the Keys recently when I traveled in my friend's van.

Just in case.

One just never knows. 

So many times in my life I did slip away.

 Duty called it was time to work.

Sail away.

No time for good byes. 

My passport was my ticket.

In those days I was able to happily work 16 hour days, for weeks or months at a time.

I did a lot of freelance contracts. I was popular for filling in short term crew positions.

 It could be a week, a month or many  more miles and smiles.

 My chaotic schedule would fill up erratically My reputation superseded my presence. 

I was contacted by agents, captains, owners, head hunters, word of mouth, and scribbled notes on a bulletin board.  Even a message in a bottle turned up with a note inside for me.

Sometimes I was off one boat and ten minutes later my contract started on the next boat.

Other times, I might have nothing and spend days or weeks relaxing while searching for the next gig.

Sometimes the next boat found me when I least expected it.

Twice,  I stepped aboard to work with only a passport and the clothes I was wearing.

My seabag was somewhere else, and it would catch up with me.

Or not.

One time I came off a boat with a seabag and it vanished into thin air while my back was turned.

I had made a near fatal mistake. My passport was in the seabag!

Several frantic days ensued because I was seriously in big trouble without my passport.

I talked to people at the marina, I put up notices, I made a ton of noise. I spoke to jitney drivers dock workers, taxis, bartenders, and even junkies. I put an ad in the local rag. If anyone unzipped my bag, they would have found my  bulging passport on top with dozens of stamps from exotic ports of call with accordion pages added at some point when the regular pages were filled up.  I notified the answering service and VI Radio which provided me ship to shore communications.  This was before cell phones.

Getting my passport replaced was going to take weeks or more and it's not an easy procedure.

Then over a week later a strange message came to me in a very round about way to call a certain number. They claimed to have my passport and to my astonishment, my seabag. Their nonsensical story didn't add up but I didn't care.  Finally I had my passport back, I could work again. I could sail away.

While I am physically unable to meet the demands now of the jobs I did then, I've optimistically kept my passport renewed and ready.

Just in case.

A slip away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (\_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hammock Camping

Hello world.
I woke up alive.
The sun came up.
It's a great start to another precious day on planet earth.
I pray I never forget to be grateful each and every day for this wonderful gift.
A new day!

Sleeping in a hammock is like floating on a cloud. 

Amazing Find in the Keys

Oh look!

My old jeep from the Virgin Islands washed up ashore in the Florida Keys during hurricane Irma.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

Doggone Florida Keys

Passing through Marathon on our way to the Florida Keys

 Tiny home camping for 2 weeks and then some.
My friend said he was going to the Keys for a few weeks.
The morning of his departure, I was  hitchhiking at his front bumper with my dog and bicycle.
My cute wittle dog was irresistible so PHEW we got a ride.

 I am a good dumpster diva. There must be dumpster angels looking out for me!
This is the chair and tarp I found at a dumpster in Fort Pierce.
The campsite at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys was covered in stones.
I've fortified the tarp with gorilla tape to convert it to a patio mat.

So funny!
I had NO idea when I snagged this tarp that the next campsite would be covered in rocks.
For a hopeless barefooter like me, the tarp saved wear and tear on my footsies and tootsies.
That round pink thing is the dog's soft fabric frisbee.
It's padded and doesn't hurt him.
Even though many beaches were closed (post hurricane Irma) and others refused dogs, I finally found a secret sandy place by the sea for Harley to run wild playing his favorite game of Frisbee.

 Harley dawg assumes the chair I found was for his exclusive use only.
How can a 6 pound dog manage to claim everything as his?
Notice the small tear in the Frisbee. This has been Harley's favorite toy for years! An angel sent that to him as a gift and it took him several years to finally wear a hole in it.
By the end of the trip, the hole was so big, that one day while tossing it landed on his head then slid down around his neck. He looked so confused, I wish I could have caught it on camera, but I was too busy laughing. He managed to get it off quickly and come trotting back to me "Here, throw it again!"

 Post hurricane Irma repairs to the Bahia Honda State Park included a thick layer of new pebbles.

 In Key Largo is one of the largest and  best Dollar Trees I have ever seen. Everything is $1 or less.
We stopped by there to see what we could snag for camping at a $1.
This indoor outdoor rubber backed carpet was $1 and it surely helped keep our feet and paws clean before entering the van.
Harley assumed it was his personal rug of course.

It's ruff being a dog.

Thank you for stopping by today. 
 

Confusion

I am so confused.

Every time I try to post here this notice flies up in my face. 

I spent almost 3 weeks offline with no internet. It was heaven on earth in so many ways. My technology is old and my plan is super frugal. I don't have the latest and greatest of anything in technology. 

But I come back and my email over runneth with over a 200 changes and notices from dozens of corporations. Some of them sending me multiple changes and notices, to click here and click there for urgent messages about who merged, who splurged. I visit a website to check my email and suddenly splash screens hog everything telling me I have to agree to this or that or I can't do one simple thing.

I stay off the internet for 3 weeks and what happened?

It can't grind alone without my consent to  thousands of pages of legal garbled goop?