Moving Days

Most people move only a few times in their lives. Some move much more frequently. We move every few days. And today is moving day from a campsite we've been at for 2 weeks to a place we're staying for 5 days. On the plus side, we move our house with us so there's no packing and unpacking. Sort of. Instead of packing individual things like dishes and clothes, we pack the whole RV. Everything has to be secured so that nothing flies around during travel. Starting at the far end of the RV, here's the checklist:

Strap securing bedroom door

Make sure everything in bedroom is secure and stowed away properly.
Secure bedroom door with tie-back strap.

Wash, dry and put away all dishes.

Give kitchen a general cleaning, putting away anything that doesn't belong on the counter.

Put anything that does belong on the counter in the sink to secure it.

Counter stuff in sink

Put dog treats in drawer of dog stuff. (Wait, Mom, just put those in the truck so we can have snacks along the way!)

Close glass stove cover.

Turn refrigerator off electric and on gas. (It's supposed to be automatic but that hasn't been our experience.)

Make sure there's nothing in the fridge that can tip over and spill.

Make sure fridge doors are snapped closed.

Keyboard stored under table

Put music books in cabinets under table.

Put keyboard on floor under table.

Tip over bar stools.

Secure TV straps.

Bathroom items stored in shower

Take everything off bathroom sink area and shower shelves. Put them into basket.

Put basket, garbage can, water jugs and dog dishes into shower.

Hook shower door closed.

Leave bathroom door open. (It will swing around during travel but the leveling/unleveling of the trailer makes the latch off kilter so door gets stuck. That's a story for another time.)

Make sure everything in cupboards throughout is secure so you don't get an avalanche on your head next time you open the door. (Ask Mom how she knows this!)

Make sure all cupboard doors throughout are securely latched.

Turn off heat and water heater.

Make sure all windows and roof vents are completely closed.

Shake out area rugs.

Sweep floor.

Pull in slide out and awning.

Turn off lights.

Put up steps.

Close and latch entry door.

While Mom is busy doing this, Dad is busy getting the outside ready:

Put dogs in truck so we're out of everyone's way.

Flush black water (aka poop) tank if we're at a site that has a sewer dump.

Flush gray water tanks, again if available at the site we're at.

Store sewer hose.

Unhook fresh water hookup up if available and store hose (not near black/gray water drain hose).

Unhook shore power if we have it or generator if there's no electric available at the site, and store power cord.

Make sure all tools and equipment are properly stored.

Pick up door mat and patio mat and put in back of truck.

Unhook dog tie-out and put in back of truck.

Pull up levelers.

Put ground pads that levelers sit on and chuck blocks away.

Hook up trailer to truck.

Properly affix stabilizer sway bars.

Retract tongue jack and put block it sits on in back of truck.

Secure bedroom door from outside so it doesn't swing open during travel.

Make sure Mom's bicycle is properly secured on back ladder of trailer.

Look around campsite and pick up any doggy poop that might have been missed.

If there wasn't a black/gray water dump at the site we were at, we have to search out a dump site somewhere on the trip. Most RV dealers have dumps available but it requires us to travel there to use their facilities. It's really nice if there's one available at our campsite because water sloshing around in those tanks while driving makes the trailer bounce and sway more.

This sounds like a lot of work, but in reality, it goes pretty quickly, especially once you get used to the routine. Of course, when we get to the new campsite, this process has to be reversed, with a few exceptions, the main one being emptying the tanks. If we aren't at a site that has water hookup, we would have had to put some water in the fresh water tank somewhere along the way. Most places that have an RV dump also have fresh water hookup. But we look for sites that have fresh water available so we don't have to travel with a full tank. Since water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon, and our fresh water tank holds 60 gallons, you can imagine the travel strain with water on board. Add to that the 30 gal black water tank, and 30 gal gray water tank, and you're talking some serious sloshing!

I'm kinda bored till we get to our new site.

The RV life has been a learning curve but more about our mishaps in another post. For now we're on the road again heading to our next camp site where there are new people to meet and new things to sniff out. Ahhh, the life of a dog! Always a new adventure!

--Cruz

Just Hanging Around

Training humans requires a lot of whining and pestering. I've been after Mom to write a post to update you all but she said she doesn't have time. I know that if I whine and pester her enough she'll do what I want, so that's what I did. And here's the update. (In her defense though, to post we have to travel to a hotspot so she can have internet access. That does involve some time for travel and posting, so I guess I'll let her slide on that.)

There really wasn't much to do in SC so I busied myself watching tweedy birds out the door. Would love to have gone out to chase them but Mom said if she let me out I'd have to be on leash since we were boondocking in someone's yard. I figured it was more fun to watch them and dream of chasing them into the next county!

Dan and Donna with Cooper

We were staying at Dan and Donna's place in Gray Court, SC. They were very welcoming but their old dog, Cooper, who is blind, snarled a lot. He didn't bite, just snarled when I came close to him. Guess he was warning me he couldn't see who I was. We were their first guests ever and they've never tried being guests at a boondockerswelcome site either. Hopefully we gave them a good impression and they'll give it a try. It's so much fun meeting new people and talking to them about their RVing experiences. Dan and Donna have RVd all over the country and the list of places they've been made my head spin. They said they were leaving for New Mexico and Arizona a few days after we left.

While in the Gray Court area Mom commented on how many Black Angus cows there were in the area. Although we weren't close enough for a picture, believe me when I tell you they were HUGE. Mom said it made her want a big, juicy hamburger. 

We saw a car parked in front of a church that looked just like a police car and it had “Hell Cop” painted on the side. We were going to get a picture of it on our way back to our RV but it was gone. Not sure what that was all about but apparently they even have cops there.

Emily

After we left Gray Court we traveled north to Advance, NC, which is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. On the way we stopped for gas and Mom took me out to go wee. A very nice lady who was gassing up her vehicle saw me and had to come over to play. Of course, I'm of the opinion that everyone in the world wants to wrestle with me so I gladly obliged.

We're staying for 2 weeks at Forest Lake RV park which is a Thousand Trails park. Regular RV parks are almost as expensive as hotel rooms. For under $600 a year membership we get to stay at various Thousand Trails parks for up to 2 weeks at a time. This is our first time trying out an RV park. It's sort of like a trailer park but with RVs, and lots of trees. We're hooked up to what's called shore power, which is a fancy way of saying we're plugged into electricity instead of using generators. We also have a water hookup, and can empty our blackwater (poop) tank right into a septic hookup at our site. Dad says it's nice to have to move the RV every few days or drive to a place to empty the blackwater tank.

Morgan and my vet

Had to have my 3^rd puppy shot so we booked an appointment at a Vet office located inside a PetSmart store. The vet was very nice and they had lots of treats, which, or course, made the whole experience worthwhile. I didn't even feel the shot but oh, the indignity of having my temperature taken! How rude!!! All was quickly forgiven with the offering of more treats. I can be bought.

Mom just bought a bicycle. Although she's still wearing her walking boot and probably will be for another 4 or 5 months, her foot is feeling loads better. She used to hike a lot but hasn't been able to do that, or even swim, since she hurt her foot. But the boot doesn't interfere with biking. She said she's starting to feel like a slug and needs to do something of an exercise nature. She has been able to take me on a few short walks to a field behind the RV park where I can run around off leash. Not sure how this is going to work from a bicycle but I guess I'll learn not to get in front of it so I don't get run over. I'll let you know how that goes.

Roan and me

There's another Vizsla at the RV park. She's about 2 years old and a bundle of energy. Her people are from FL but stay in this area because her mom is going to school to be a pharmacist. Mom says she wouldn't mind being a full time RVer and not having to paint the house or mow the lawn.

A bug towing a cow. Who would have guessed?

Here's a few pictures of some random stuff we've seen along our travels.

Buzzards with the remains of something

--Cruz

Back to South Carolina

Mom was the one who picked out our traveling house. She specifically chose one that had an automatic leveling system so Dad wouldn't grumble frustrations over trying to manually level it. Sure, it cost more money, but it was definitely worth it so Dad didn't end his days being aggravated. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. Yup, you guessed it, the automatic leveling system doesn't work right and Dad has had to manually level it. This results in Dad grumbling loudly and Mom rolling her eyes while she and I are waiting to be able to go inside.

We've heard that RV dealerships aren't that great on service and sometimes take a long time before they can work on your RV. This presents a problem since that's where we live. We chose the dealership in South Carolina which is nearest to Dad's daughter's house so we have a place to stay while the RV is in the shop. So we're back at the fam's house in SC. I'm having lots of fun playing with may namesake, Cruz. And their dog Bower isn't running from me anymore so we're having fun playing chase. The big news is that I've learned to use the dog door so I can chase inside and out. Now Bower can't run inside to get away from me.

On our way to SC we stopped at a KFC for lunch. Mom said she's never seen one with a buffet. My folks had lots of good food and even brought out some leftovers to Sammy and me. I have to say that I thought it was really yummy.

Baptist ministers, very classy

At the KFC there were 3 Baptist ministers that were attending a conference in the area. One of them was very friendly and came over to Mom and Dad's table and shook their hands and said hello. Mom absolutely loved their suits. One was a 3 piece, dark blue pin stripe, double breasted. 2 of the men had classy fedoras, one being purple! She said us northern NH people don't have nearly as much class to dress up like that. Up there people are just concerned with being warm and throw on heavy coats and ski hats.

Probably not much will be happening until after the RV is fixed and we're on the road again. Will keep you posted if anything interesting occurs.

--Cruz

More North Carolina

Shane and Lynne

We stopped for 2 nights at Lil Taste of Eden where we met Shane, Lynne and their daughter Shelby. Very nice people and super helpful. Currently on the farm they have a pig and 1 surviving chicken, but Lynne hopes to gets goats soon. I know Mom misses her goats so it was nice for her to talk to someone about them. Lynne is a newbie and with Mom's extensive experience, she was able to give her some tips and pointers on the different breeds, health, feeding, care etc. She told Lynne to email her anytime with questions and reassured her that everyone starts as a newbie. It's a learning curve and it's nice to have a mentor. Something tells me Lynne and Mom will be talking again.

One of the things that's nice about boondocking is that you get to see places the average tourists don't know about. The locals tell you about all the wonderful places that are favorites to them. Case in point - Shane told Dad about this place called Mike's Chicago Dog (and more!) which is a hotdog joint in Ashebobo, NC. My folks decided to try it. 

Mike's Chicago Dog (and more!)

Upon entering Mom immediately noticed the nostalgic flavor of the place. The walls were painted red on the bottom and yellow on top. To the left were red tables with yellow chairs, and a long red counter to the right with red upholstered bar stools. The walls were decorated with Chicago Cubs memorabilia, as well as from other Chicago pro teams. Mom and Dad sat at the bar and were greeted by Cindy, who answered their questions about the different kinds of hot dogs they made. They decided to try a Chicago style dog which had toppings they had never thought. Inside the menu, however, they read this: "Please feel free to ask for any topping that we offer, BUT, in keeping with a Chicago tradition, please DO NOT ask us to add ketchup, unless you are under age 10. If you MUST have ketchup on your dog or sausage, we will gladly hand you a squeeze bottle and you can add your own. DEAL?" Mom thought it was so funny she decided she had to tell you about it.

Cindy, our server, and Mike

Mike's Chicago Dog (and more!) also sells other things. Mom got a Reuben and Dad got a sausage to go and they ate them later for supper. Mom's Reuben was absolutely stuffed with as much pastrami and sauerkraut as could fit into a sandwich and Dad said his sausage was about the best he's ever had. So if you're ever in the Asheboro, NC area, make sure you stop by Mike's. Tell him Cruz says "hello".

Next leg of the journey was to Supply, NC, which is along the coast, for a 3 night stay at Holden Beach Haven where we met Opal, Ryan, their 3 daughters, and their Labradoodle, Salem. Salem was very playful and kept rolling me over. I was a bit overwhelmed and spent some time hiding behind mom until I got used to her. She was certainly energetic! I know when that I'm a lot bigger I won't get so nervous when big dogs want to play. Mom says I get a pass on being a little scared since I'm not quite 4 months old.

Sharon

We visited Dad's sister-in-law, Sharon, in Bolivia, NC. She showed us around the area and one of the places we stopped was the beach on Oak Island where Sammy and I ran, and ran, and ran. It was an absolute blast! And I even went in the water. The waves didn't even scare me. I wanted Dad to let me off leash but he said he didn't want to chase me all the way down to the lighthouse! I bet I could have run that far too. The sand was soft and warm on my paws and I could have played in it all day. I guess I didn't realize how tired I was because when I got back to the truck I slept for hours. Sammy was pretty tired too, but being old, it doesn't take much for him.

--Cruz

North Carolina

Granddaughter and great-grandkids

We visited Mom's granddaughter's family. And Sammy was right, they do give good belly rubs! As a matter of fact, I'd give them an A+ rating on that scorecard! Mom and Dad don't really buy Christmas presents, but have a long standing tradition of doing something with the grandkids as their Christmas present. Our family in SC chose to go to the movies to see the new Star Wars. They all said they enjoyed it. The kids in NC chose Frozen 2 and said they liked it very much. Even Dad said it was better than he expected.

Mom didn't go because she was having grumblings in her nether regions all day so she needed to stay near a bathroom. We parked in the Walmart parking lot which was right near the theater. Good thing we have toilet facilities in our traveling house. She thinks it might be what's called “travelers diarrhea”. I think it was because she's had ice cream the past 2 days. I had to remind her she's been drinking goat milk for the past 15 years and her system isn't used to regular dairy. Regular ice cream always seems to bother her anyway. She had to agree I was probably right. Dogs usually are, you know.

Kent and Robin with Mike

While we were visiting awesome granddaughter we stayed overnight at Robin's Nest. Kent and Robin were very welcoming and Kent was extremely helpful in giving Dad some RV tips. Being new at this, we need all the help we can get. They have 3 dogs. I was a little overwhelmed, hid behind a chair and showed my sharp puppy teeth. Mike, the biggest dog, wasn't intimidated in the least so Mom picked me up until he got a little less friendly. We finally worked it out and I ended up liking him a lot.

Next we're headed to Lil Taste of Eden, a farm in Asheboro, NC, for a 2 night stay before heading to the coast to visit Dad's sister-in-law. They didn't have an availability until Friday and Saturday so we needed a 1 night stay on Thursday. We had one booked but it got canceled by boondockerswelcome.com because they had to discontinue the host for unapproved behavior. We're not exactly sure what the problem was but we appreciate boondockerswelcome looking out for our safety. That's kind of the whole point of the website is to give RVers a safe place to stay.

Phil at Country Living

Mom got online and quickly found another site we could stay at for 1 night. Phil at Country Living was away on business but graciously invited us to stay even though he wasn't home. These RV people seem to be very helpful and accommodating. We really appreciate them opening their spaces for us to park our RV. Phil got home just before we left and we all had a nice chat. He kept calling me Red Bone, meaning Red Bone Coon Hound. I'm a Vizsla but I didn't mind the nickname.

It rained all night last night. We could hear the rain hitting the RV roof and it was quite relaxing. Mom says she sleeps very well here. The mattress on the bed was like one that you'd find on a sleeper sofa – only about 3 “ thick and quite stiff. We got a 4” gel foam from amazon.com and it took about 4 days to completely unfold. Once it did it was very comfortable. Mom has never liked memory foam because it's holds the heat and she gets too hot while sleeping. The gel foam doesn't seem to do that. It does, however, make an impression under your body and you have to inch your way out of the bed. Since she has to sleep with a brace on her leg she's limited in her maneuverability. It's kind of funny watching her trying to scooch her way out of bed. I try not to laugh at her because I don't want to hurt her feelings.

The view at Country Living

This morning we'll leave for Lil Taste of Eden. Mom's looking forward to it because of the farm aspect. I'll let you know what kind of animals they have and how much fun we have there.

--Cruz

The Gang

The family in South Carolina

Mom doesn't let me stick my head out the window when we're going fast, only on back roads when we're going fairly slow. So when I get a chance it makes me euphoric! Such was the case this morning so I'll blame this lapse of memory on my excitement over having my ears billow in the breeze. I forgot to post the picture of the gang in South Carolina on my last post. So here they are, including Sammy, and of course, me. They also have a dog named Bower but he was too hyper to join in. And just so you're not confused over who's who, that's a stuffed dog that the baby is holding next to Sammy.

Solar farm Pelion, SC

Something else I wanted to show you is the solar farm we passed. Mom didn't take this picture because she couldn't get a good enough shot. The side of the road was very uneven ground and full of brush so she would never have made it with her walking boot on. But this picture I found on the internet lets you know what it looks like. It was about 1/2 mile along the road and went as far back as we could see. Quite impressive!

--Cruz