JOURNAL OF TININTHEWIND

     I should have known that I was getting a little overly excited about the warm weather of last week.  Heck, it is after all, only the end of February.  We all know what some of the snow storms in March can be like.  When I opened the door this morning, this was my first look at what had occured overnight.

 This was after having dug out from 12" the day before.

 So much for Global Warming, huh Al ?

 Kathleen giving some perspective to just how deep the snow really is.

We now have skirting on the coach.  The natural kind.

     There were neighbors who came over to help us dig out and or just talk about the weather.  Later this afternoon I decided I would bake some chocolate chip cookies and a couple of loaves of bread.  I took a plate of warm cookies over to each of the two families who helped us dig out.  I did keep a few for us.  They are long gone, and yes they were pretty good if I don't say so myself.

 While Kathleen did what she deserves to do.. (napped)..I kept busy in the kitchen.

Posted by George at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Can Spring be far behind?  Even the Valentine Flowers that we gave each other this February '07 have a special glow about them.  Isn't it funny how in the Fall when the temperatures dip in to the forty's we grab for the big coat, bundle up, and exclaim brrrrrrrrr!  Now when the temperatures finally make it from the negative numbers we leave our coat off, step outside, into the forty's and exclaim, heatwave!

     What helps to pass the time and make our forced winter stay a little more tolerable is the  almost daily trip down "memory lane".  I have always been one to lean back, close my eye's, and take that trip back in time.  Lean back, close your eye's, and follow along with me for a moment.

Very first time we laid our eye's on our new home in Missoula, Montana.  What a thrill it was after many months of planning, dealing, etc.  At the moment of this picture we had not seen the inside yet!

View from our front window on our first day and night in our new coach, camped at a KOA in Polson, Montana.

Road leading up to one of the most incredible boondocking spots we will probably ever experience.  To the top of a rock quarry.  Leading to what will be our very first camping (boondocking) experience after returning to Wisconsin with our new home.

Here we are at the top!  This setting and the week-end we spent here were pure magic.  The temperatures were in the upper 90's.  There wasn't a sole around for miles.  This was our first real try with all the systems of our new home and it was a week-end I will never forget.  On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 12.

 Robb Park, Gays Mills, Wisconsin.  We spent many weeks this past summer and fall of '06.  Most often we had the park entirely to ourselves.  We had 20 amp electric on site, with water and sewer nearby.  Just to the right out of the picture was an old Dam and the gate house that controlled the flow of the water over the Dam.  The sound of the cascading water over the Dam and the surrounding scenery were beyond description.  We got to know many of the people in the community and are very anxious to return for future visits.

     Already there are so many memories, and it is wonderful to be able to just close my eye's and travel memory lane.  I have a hard time speculating what the future travels and experiences have in store for us but I can't help but think that we will seek out memories that will add page after page, picture after picture to this new chapter in our lives. 

     We have every intention of sharing it all with you!  Thanks for coming along.

Posted by George at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Everyone knows if fate had not intervened this fall/winter we would probably be somewhere on the West Coast of Mexico enjoying one of those glasses with an umbrella in it right about now and for sure soaking up some warm sun.  It's ok that our dreams were put on a bit of a hold as it has given us even more time to work on a plan, and that we have been doing.

     We have a plan!  On October 25th we will meet up with 29 other coaches (RV's), in Nogalas Arizona, and caravan south in to Mexico with our final destination being 920 miles south of the U.S. border to one of Mexico's premier RV resorts, La Penita Resort.  La Penita is located approximately 40 miles north of Puerto Vallarta.  The caravan will be lead by Bill and Dorothy Bell.  Bill and Dorothy have been traveling all through Mexico each winter season in their RV since 1988.  Throughout this time they have been conducting travel reviews of well over 400 RV parks in Mexico.  They also have spent a great deal of time doing extensive documentation on the routes/hwy's that RV'ers should use when going from point A to B.  Their web-site has extensive information for the would be Mexican traveler.  I had bookmarked their site several years ago and continue to visit it whenever my dreams go "South of the Border".

     There are two caveats to being one of these 30 coaches that they will be leading.  First, one must consent to attending a 4 hour seminar given by them to prepare the participant to traveling in Mexico.  Cost of the seminar is reasonable.  Second, one must book in to the La Penita Resort for a minimum of 30 days.  Special caravan participant cost for those 30 days at the La Penita Resort is $450.00.

     We are excited that we are going to be participating in this trip.  We have confidence that we could have and would have set off in to Mexico next fall/winter on our own, but to have the guidance of the Bell's simply adds a measure of comfort to our explorations.  We will get a first class introduction to the driving, and hiway edict required to feel comfortable while traveling in a different country, especially with a rig such as the motor home.  We already know that we will enjoy the culture and the Mexican people but again it will be nice to get reacquainted, surrounded by fellow state side and Canadian travelers.

     The La Penita Resort (link at end of blog), will be a great setting for doing whatever vacationers do at any warm ocean side resort, but a real plus is its location is perfect for making side day long trips to other beautiful Mexican Travel destinations, using the Jeep.  We also assume we will be making friends with fellow travelers and perhaps linking up with some who share like interests, and then continuing our travels in and around Mexico for the balance of the 07/08 winter season.

     Gives you somewhat of a perspective of where the La Penita Resort is located.  Note the green arrow.  Yes, I know.  I have circled a potential "bass fishing" lake.

      A link to some of the Bass Lakes in Mexico:

 www.wheretofish.com/mexico.htm

     We will be writing more about our plans and preparations for this trip in future postings, but just imagine the adventures we will have between now and October '07, when we will head for Nogalas, Arizona.  Each one of those adventures, yet to be determined, will hold its own excitement.

Here are the links:  The La Penita Resort    www.lapenitarvpark.com   

                          The Bell's web-site       www.ontheroadin.com

Posted by George at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

     Wintering in Wisconsin in a motor home is an interesting proposition but when it becomes a requirement things do get interesting.  We knew we bought right when we selected a Newmar product, especially the Dutch Star.  We had no idea that very shortly it was going to be put to the extreme test.

     We have seen many days like this but we couldn't have been more comfortable had we been staying at the Ritz.  It is amazing to me that the temperature throughout is very consistent.  You can go from room to room, upstairs, downstairs, and the temp is equal everywhere.  Just kidding about the upstairs, downstairs. 

     We have faced each day knowing that the next day would look a little brighter and the one after that even brighter still.  I am confident that before long we will be taking pictures of a whole different surrounding and looking forward to what is around the corner.  For now we will just have to settle for what the next day looks like.

Posted by George at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meet Quickfoot 

     This little knome (Quickfoot) had welcomed friends and other visitors to our home in Stoddard.  When we made the decision to sell our home and 99.9% of our belongings to start our new adventure of living Full-Time in our new home (Tininthewind), we knew that Quickfoot had to come with us. Each night he would be posted outside our door to welcome new friends and new visitors to our new home.  He has done a steller job since we moved in to the Tininthewind in July of '06, but I have to tell ya, he is not a happy camper. (no pun intended)

     He heard us talking many times back in the early summer '06 about our new life plan of chasing that perpetual perfect temperature.  He heard us time and again refer to that margarita on the beach while chomping on fresh shrimp just brought in on the boat.  I know he watched as we hauled all of our cold weather clothes to the Salvation Army shelter.  He saw all of those lounge chairs and beach umbrellas that we stuffed in the basement of the Tininthewind.  I swear during all of this time that we were getting the motor home ready to go, Quickfoot was watching and had a perpetual smile on his face.  I know he was thinking that no more would he have to stand watch during that cold, harsh, Wisconsin winter.

     Is it any wonder then that as the temperatures of the last week or so plunged to the sub-zero range and stayed there, Quickfoot would quit working by turning out the light in his lantern.  I removed him from the snow bank to bring him inside so I could replace his batteries, and after warming up a little he started to work again.  He is now inside, sitting on the dash, facing out the big front window of Tininthewind and I think that is where he will stay 'till all those beaches, shrimp, and perfect temperatures are in sight! 

     Oh, I did set a margarita down next to him, and swear I saw a smile just before it disappeared. 

Posted by George at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)