Daddy needs new shoes...

 

Is Rufus gambling again?  No, but thanks for asking.  Rufus did get to see his "girlfriend from last summer," a lovely golden retriever named Daisy.  They got nose to nose, and he rubbed his head against her face and chest.  No, I didn't get a photo, but it was pretty darn sweet.

Today was a running around day.  Joan had a list of stops we needed to make in Rapid City.  A couple of them were for me.  We had ordered some shoes for me from Amazon; my buddy Mark Doyle, who is currently hiking the Appalachian Trail recommended some Brooks trail hiking shoes; they come in wide widths, so I thought I might get lucky.

Hart Ranch is now charging to have packages sent here, so we used an Amazon Locker/Counter in Rapid City as where to have the shoes sent.  On the way there, one of the stops for me was at Skechers Shoes - they had an abundance of wide width styles in the Slip-In styles... a big deal for me, to have some choices.  I was deciding between two very comfortable (yet supportive) styles...

Or, maybe I'd go for the Punky Brewster look and do one of each.  Yes, that is an obscure reference, but if you said, "Soleil Moon Frye, 1984-1988," you get 25 bonus points.  Since I knew I had a pair waiting for me at the Amazon Counter (conveniently located in Boyd's Pharmacy), I went for the gray ones on the left (my right foot).

Stops at Sam's Club, PetSmart, and then lunch at Texas Roadhouse, before going across town to get my Amazon package.  Then a stop at the grocery store before heading for home.  The sky had turned gray and ugly, so we wanted to get back.

As it turns out, the ugly weather moved south of Hart Ranch.  Rufus was just getting up from a nap when we got back (so he wasn't concerned about the weather).  I tried on the Brooks shoes and... too tight.  They are extra wide, but too tight across the instep.  Joan suggested we send those shoes back and go back to Skechers and get the other pair.  The threatening weather had moved on, and I do like those slip-in shoes.  I got Rufus a treat and we headed back to Rapid.

Steph called while we were enroute - she and Dan had done a "dusty shoes walk-through" on the new house.  They met the two guys in charge of the construction (one from the framing up to the dry wall, the other from the dry wall to the finish) who gave them a tour of what goes where and how the house is being built.  They were impressed and delighted... she said, "There is an electrical plug-in near the roof-line where you can plug in Christmas Lights (controllable from a switch inside the house) and an always-on circuit for a security camera.  Lots of wiring for all the smart stuff in the house.  They saw where the air conditioners will be set, and two different natural gas bibs for outdoor grills.  And lots of other good information.  Of course Steph asked when they thought the house might be done, and... it may be ahead of schedule.  We'll know more in a couple months.  There are piles of tiles on the roof.  A trench where the walls around the yard will be built.  Conduit for pest control.  And, yes - indoor plumbing.

Steph and Dan found this informative and reassuring.  It was fun listening to her talk about it.

Back into the Skechers Store for the other pair of shoes, then to the UPS Store to send the others back.  Then back to the RV resort, where the sky was looking happy and friendly.  Joan and Rufus sat out on the patio under the awning, I went to work swapping out the battery in her Xmax...

I still think that is an odd placement for the battery, but I guess it is close to all the electronic stuff on the dash.  As long as it was nice out, I took her bike for a ride... you know, to test it out to make sure everything is working... or, because I felt like getting a ride in.  ;-)  When I got back, I checked air pressure in the tires on both bikes, checked the oil level, and cleaned and lubed the chain on the CTX.  And then took that bike for another short ride... because, why not?  (Temps in the 70s today.)

Tomorrow is forecast to be a beautiful day.  Someone has already requested a special breakfast made on the griddle, and some music while someone of the feline persuasion gets a thorough brushing.  It is a lot of pressure being a trophy husband, but I am up to the task.

Looks to be busy all over the Black Hills the next 4 days - a lot of people taking advantage of that Tuesday 4th of July to make this a 5 day holiday!

------

The start of the holiday festivities: a "bike glow" parade this evening... scads of kids on bicycles and scooters (the kick kind) wearing glow-strips around their heads, necks, arms, in the wheels of their bikes... nothing motorized, but it isn't quiet!  ;-)

Like a NASCAR pit crew...

 

We were 15 minutes early for the 8:00 appointment this morning to get the trailer jack replaced.  The service manager asked, "Is there anything else you need to get taken care of since it's here."

"Well, since you asked, the electrical cable could stand to be replaced - it has been repaired and still works, but..."

They were plenty busy, but the guy who would be replacing the jack came out with the new one in his hand and an impact wrench in the other hand.  I thought we'd be leaving the trailer, then coming back for it.  He said, "This won't take long."  When I asked about the electrical cable, he said, "Another guy is making up that cable right now, and he'll get that replaced as soon as I am done."

He wasn't kidding.  35 minutes later, both of those jobs were done, I had paid for the work, and we were driving away.

With a trailer that we can now get off the hitch, we rotated it in the site and got it ready to put the bikes back in it.  Joan's Xmax was slow on the start-up... looks like a new battery is in our immediate future.  I got it started and back in the trailer.  That bike hasn't been ridden much in the last 6 months, and we have been in some seriously hot weather (hard on a battery).  My bike fired right up, and went into the trailer beside Joan's Xmax.

Joan was ready for breakfast, so we went to the restaurant here at Hart Ranch (we thought we'd go out for breakfast somewhere in Rapid City while they were working on the trailer).  The food was good... Joan said she liked my French toast better.  Getting the site set-up, including the griddle is on today's to-do list.

Joan asked if I intended to get my bike out for a ride... "Well, don't you need me to do stuff around here?"  She had a couple things she wanted help with, then I was turned loose to: "Go for a ride - it's going to rain this afternoon."  I didn't have to be told twice.

I geared up - first time I've been able to wear a motorcycle jacket in several months.  Beautiful blue sky, temp in the low 70s - one needs to take advantage of that!  I road some of my favorite back roads here, and got surprised by gravel (chip seal, with heavier than usual coat of gravel) on part of Playhouse Road.  Onto Iron Mountain Road (my most favorite)... I stopped to take a photo and could see some seriously look gray clouds off to the northwest.

That view is to the southwest, so you can barely see the clouds in the distance.  I didn't take a 360 camera, so that is a shot from my phone.  By the time I came off Iron Mountain Road and into Keystone, I could see that I better beat feet for home if I don't want to get wet.  The most direct route back is more twisty roads.

I pulled up to the cargo trailer, took off my helmet and jacket, and went into the RV site to visit with Joan for a minute.  Seconds later, I felt the first raindrops.  I hustled to get the CTX into the trailer.  By the time I got into the motorhome, it was really coming down.  And, yes, there was some pea size hail in it again.  For those keeping score, that is twice now in the first 24 hours here.

Joan had the RV site all set up and had done some searching for a replacement battery for her Xmax.  It looked like a week or so to get one from Amazon.  I called around locally, and found that the local Yamaha dealer had a grand total of one of the right size in stock.  I told him I would be there as soon as the rain and hail let up.

True to my word, I was able to head that way when the rain eased up.  Once again, the hail didn't amount to anything significant.  I was surprised to find that the actual Yamaha replacement was less $$ than Yuasa replacement.  By the time I got back to the coach, the rain was coming down solid again.

If Mother Nature cuts us some slack, I'll get the battery replaced later.  For anyone keeping score, the battery on the Xmax isn't somewhere mid-frame like most motorcycles and scooters - it is in the front fairing, just below the windshield.  Some panels will have to come off to get access to it; not a technical job, it will just take some time and patience.

When was the last time...

 

... we've been able to have the door open?" Joan asked.  It is 63º and glorious this morning in Ogallala, NE.  A time zone change yesterday, so we were up early.  One more driving day - really looking forward to settling in at Hart Ranch.  267 miles to do.

Since we left Texas, it was blazing hot.  Until we got to the overnight in Kansas... where it was raining and windy when we got up.  Seems like this trip has been more about the endurance of getting there rather than enjoying the traveling.  But, this is a nice change of pace this morning, with the door open and Rufus listening to the birds.

We'll be more leisurely this morning about breaking camp and hitting the road.  :-)

 --------

Made it!

Rufus was a bit miffed as we rolled northwest: I told him there wouldn't be any thumpy road... and there was thumpy road.  Not as bad as yesterday, and not as long.  But still...

Fortunately for him, the best ride in the motorhome is on my lap.

Two lane roads most of the way in Nebraska...

And, a mid-post music trivia question: in the photo below, there is a long train running...

If you said, "The Doobie Brothers, 1973," you get 15 bonus points.  Hard to see in that photo, but all those train cars are full of coal (coming from Wyoming to a power plant near you.

By the time we got north of Alliance, NE, the road gets hilly and twisty...

We stopped in Chadron for lunch - while I parked the rig at Wally World, Joan went through the drive-up at the nearby Taco John's.  She took this photo for Stephanie...

Next stop: Hart Ranch.  As we got into South Dakota, you could see the orographic lifting of the clouds as they came over the Black Hills...

Then, the first views of the Black Hills in the distance...

By the time we got to the Hermosa area, the clouds were building...

Someone is going to get rained on.  Turns out, it was us...

It pounded pretty good for about 10 minutes.  I was hoping it would rinse some of the bugs off the front of the coach.  It didn't.

Another 10 minutes, and we were dry, and pulling into Hart Ranch.  I went inside and got us checked in.  When I came out, Joan had the cargo trailer mostly ready to unhook from the motorhome to make it easier to put it on our site.  And then... CHUNK!  The worm gear inside the nose jack on the trailer collapsed.  Well, crap.  We slowly drove to the site... a neighbor two down could see we were having an issue and asked if we needed a jack to lift the trailer off the Equinox.  "Yes, sir, we do - and thank you very much."  In a few minutes we had the trailer in place on the site and went back to get the coach.

I called Blake's Trailer Sales and Repair (where we bought this trailer), explained the situation, and the service guy asked if we could have it in first thing in the morning.  "Yes, sir, we can, and I do appreciate that."  In the meantime, we'll run into Rapid City and pick up a portable jack that can handle the lifting and just keep it in the trailer.

We got the motorhome set up on the site, and I took Rufus for a short walk... short because within a couple minutes of him coming out, it started to rain.  Looks like we'll get a break for a couple hours (time to run into town and get a jack), and then more rain all evening.  Our timing was good.

Welcome to South Dakota!  Looks like several days of rain and thunderstorms ahead, so we may not be out riding right away.  But, we're here!  And, it isn't hot.

--------

Thunderstorms rolled in late this afternoon.  Joan ran into town, I stayed with Rufus in the motorhome.  It went from light rain to pounding rain.  When I heard the first thunk of hail, I started up the motor and pulled the slideouts in.  The rain was really pounding, but the hail never got bigger than pea size.  No issue.  Ruf and I did have some concerns, though.

When Joan got back, she waited in the car for the rain to ease up a bit.  It had come down so hard on her way into town that she had to pull off the road because she couldn't see.  So, that's fun.

It was still raining when she got back.  Checking radar, we could see that it would pass by at 8:30 or so.  That gave us time before it got too dark to get the bikes out of the cargo trailer and get the Equinox hooked up to the trailer.  The trolley jack Joan brought back did a fine job with raising the trailer tongue so I could back the Equinox hitch under it.

Joan put the bike strap-down stuff away while I put covers on the bikes (they aren't used to sleeping out in the weather)...

So, more work than we were intending to do with the arrival.  There's still stuff to get done around the site (later), but we'll be ready to get the trailer to the trailer service place first thing in the morning.

Make it stop!

 

Into and across much of Nebraska today.  Coming across the border from Kansas, the road goes from smooth to thumpy... the thumpy road surface wears on you.  Wind out of the southeast to start, so a quartering tailwind while heading north, then a different angle quartering tailwind while heading west.  I-80 in Nebraska has stretches of smooth road, then back to the thumpy stuff again.

Rufus does not like the thumpy stuff.  He is not alone in that.  But, today, at one point, he stood in my lap, but his paws on my shoulders and screamed, "Make it stop!" in my face.  I decided it was time for a rest area break.  Most of the rest areas across Nebraska in this stretch are small, without the rows of truck parking - just one side of the area for big rigs.  I got out and did a walk-around after getting Ruf a snack, and Joan put together snacks for the humans.  Then, back at it.

The sky looked like this most of the day...

 Ruf looked like this much of the day...

Not sure what this was all about...

That is his "I'm not happy face," but that white thing in the steering wheel is one of his big rear feet.  This may have been his way of saying "Kiss my ass!" but probably not... because he is a good boy.  The drive was tiring today though, a combination of the road conditions and the gusty wind.

We were off the road around 2:00.  A lengthy stop at the nearby Walmart to gas up... quite a crowd around their gas station, and I managed to pick a pump that was running really slow.  It took over 20 minutes to pump 35 gallons, and that was after waiting for a pump to open up.

We checked in at the RV park.  It's one we stay at most of the time when we come and go from the Black Hills.  We've seen several owners over the years.  Last year, it was bought by some people who made it into a KOA, along with a significant price increase.  In the past, the park has been quite full when we've stopped here... not the case today.  Might be the price, but Joan and I both noticed fewer RVs on the road today, as well.

Joan suggested a treat was in order.  After the short run into town to find a Post Office, we stopped at the Dairy Queen on the way back to the RV park.  I have been very diligent about watching my sugar intake; even the doctor told me it was OK to have a "splurge" once in a while.  This was the first in a very long time... a Peanut Buster Parfait for each of us hit the spot.

About 5:00 this afternoon, an employee from the KOA office came by our coach and knocked on the door.  He told us that there was a possibility of a thunderstorm, including a chance of hail, and pointed out the shower house as a shelter, if we felt the need.  We had already been monitoring radar, and it looked like the storms would pass north and south of our location (which they did).  Still it was good that the staff here is letting people know of the possibility.

The wind got a bit gusty and the sky was dark to the north and south of us, but, as the predictive weather radar had shown, it missed us.

When the wind settled down a bit, I took Rufus for a walk.  He had rested up after the drive and was ready to look around... we walked for quite a while, while he stopped to sniff each tree...

"This one smells like Christmas!"

A look back at our site...

They have certainly done some changing here - it used to be grassy areas between each site.  Now there is an artificial turf patio area, and mostly gravel.  I used to have to be careful where Ruf and I walked because of the cockleburrs in the grass - no sign of that this evening.  They have also put some patio furniture, grills, and private dog runs on some of the sites... we have seen this at other KOAs.  This has always been an overnight stop for us, so we didn't need any of that, but these "upgrades" cost money, and those sites with the extra amenities come with an extra cost.  This is a convenient stop for us - we know it is a reasonable one-day drive to Hart Ranch from here.  And, as I recall, the roads (mostly two-lane) are better than along much of Interstate 80.

One day from our summer destination.

Oklahoma and Kansas...

 

If you said, "Two states in the Midwest"... well, sure.  No bonus points for that.  If you said, "The musical from 1943 written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the band that did Dust In The Wind," you get 30 bonus points.  After leaving the casino RV park, we pointed the coach and car north, and covered those two states.

The slight tailwind quickly turned to a crosswind, then to a quartering headwind.  Fortunately, it was single digits for wind speed.

We've driven this road a bunch over the years.  Oklahoma has improved their roads.  A bit.  Still, other than a few hills, it is...

The only city of any size to pass through today was Oklahoma City.  Plenty of traffic that starts at Norman from the south and continues for about 30 miles.  Generally, the traffic moves right along, and that was the case today.

Rufus got in some sleep on my lap while rolling along...

The original plan was to stop in Newton, Kansas.  (The home of gravity and a fig based cookie.  I'm making that up.)  It was shortly after 1:00 as we approached that area - we took a vote and it was 2 to 1 for going further.  If you're wondering, Rufus was the no vote - he knows he gets fed right after we get down for the day.  We pushed on another 100 miles or so (knocking 100 miles off tomorrow's drive), making it a 425 mile drive.

We're down for the night in a "donation" park (pay what you feel is right to help support the park) by the airport in this town.  I read somewhere that "$10 is a recommended donation."  There used to be a lot of city parks that had something like this, but it is getting rarer.  The sites are paved.  Not particularly level, and the layout of the electrical posts is... um... different.  But, it should be quiet, and there is 30 amp power to run the air conditioning.  And kind of a pretty place...

We've stayed here once before.  Rufus enjoyed walking around.  It was close to 4:00 by the time we got settled in, so after his supper, we'll see about getting a walk in.

 

A Tale of Two Beavers...

 

The "adult" version of the Charles Dickens classic?  No, and shame on you for even asking.  I can't take you anywhere.

We were up early.  "How early?" you ask.  I'm getting there.  I think it was around 5:15 - Joan was up before me, which is a rare thing.  She really wanted to get through Austin and the rest of the traffic from San Antonio to Fort Worth.  It's a good plan, but, damn, it is early.  We cleaned up, I had a light breakfast, we disconnected, and were rolling before 6:30.

Traffic was very light as we rolled through the east side of San Antonio on the 410 Loop.  Onto I-35 going north.  This will be our road for the rest of Texas, through Oklahoma, and into Kansas.  Yes, there are back roads, but if we can beat the traffic, this will be faster and more direct.  Mother Nature even blessed us with a tailwind.

Our first stop for the day was at Buc-ee's in New Braunfels.  It's my favorite Buc-ee's, easy access on and off.  We filled up the coach and the Equinox, didn't go inside.  Through Austin with no slow-down (one in a row!).  Through Roundrock and Georgetown.  A stop at a rest area, where truckers were parked everywhere - really, it was hard to make our way through.  We found a parking slot (direct access was blocked by a semi parked across the sites instead of in them, but we fit just behind him and jogged; anything bigger than us would not have made it.

 

Ruf got some breakfast, I did a walk around to check everything, Joan topped off water, coffee, and sodas, and we were rolling again.

It is always solid traffic on this corridor between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio; yes, even on a Sunday morning, but nothing that slowed down our forward progress.  Through Waco, take a left where I-35W and I-35E split, and head towards Fort Worth.  The temp had climbed into the 90s.

In the stretch from Waco to Fort Worth, Buc-ee's is going to give Wall Drug a run for their money with billboards.  Some of them read:

"Two reasons to stop at Buc-ee's: #1 and #2"

"Sparkling Clean Restrooms"

"Potty On!"

"Until we meat again"

"You can hold it"

"Stopping the Pee Dance since 1982"

"OMG!  LOL... it's a Beaver"

"Beaver Believer"

"It's the brisket for me"

"Never drive on an empty stomach"

"Ice.  Beer.  Jerky... all 3 food groups"

"Your throne awaits"

You get the idea.  It adds a bit of humor to the drive.

We stopped at the second Buc-ee's for the day just north of Fort Worth; there is another one between the two where we stopped, but we didn't need fuel.  This Buc-ee's was packed.  I had to drive around to find an empty pump.  We fueled up both vehicles, turned on the generator and the air conditioner, then went inside to get a sandwich and head back out...

The crowd inside reminded me of the mall on the weekend before Christmas, back before Covid.  I have never seen one of these so crowded.  This was just as we came in the door, but doesn't show how many people were there just another 100 feet or so further in...

We each picked up something to eat, got in line to pay, then back to the motorhome...

Rufus got lunch, and we all ate together.  In air conditioned comfort.  With the temperature inching to 100º.  You have to go "round about" to get out of this one if you are going north on the Interstate.  The stop lights were with us, and we merged back into traffic.  The Interstate is down to 2 lanes each way in this area - out of the major population center, but still steady traffic.  It is about an hour from that Buc-ee's to the Winstar Casino RV Park (aka Fun Town RV Resort).  We had made reservations last week... and were comped our overnight stay.  Free is a good price, especially since they raised their prices a year or so ago.  No doubt, we'll "invest" that site rental in the Casino, after we have a chance to chill out for a while.

--------

Let it ride!

We went into the casino this evening.  We had some perks on our players' card, giving us $15 each off on dining, and some points on our players' card, which essentially allowed us to play on their money.  Joan was even for the time there, I came out $27 ahead.  Add in the free RV site, and this was a good stop.

Winstar is a huge casino.  They bill it as "the largest casino in the US," and I believe it.  Even parking at the attached parking ramp, we got a good workout walking to the Grand Buffet and the new no smoking gaming area.

Ready to head out...

 

I'll take Ruf for a walk in the grassy area around our site here if it cools off any.  'Cause he's a good boy.  ;-)

--------

The evening walk...

Ruf and I did get out.  It was still 92º at 8:00.  I thought we might stay around our site, but Rufus wanted to look around the neighborhood...

He walks proud, with his tail in the air.  He did get to meet a French Bulldog puppy.  I didn't get any photos, because I was keeping a close watch and a snug leash.  The bulldog was at least as big as Ruf, but full of energy... yep, he was "bouncing."  Rufus put up with that, then started to ignore the dog... until the dog sniffed at Rufus's hind end.  I saw Ruf's front paw come up with the claws extended and I pulled him back so the dog wouldn't get his nose opened up.  The pup ran behind its human.  Good learning experience for the pup, and no one got hurt.

We continued our walk...

Curbs are like his own cat-size sidewalk.  More time in the grass...

Here, he is keeping an eye on a couple birds who were noisily upset with a cat in their area.  One of them dive-bombed towards Rufus a couple times, but always came from the back (smart bird).  Rather than let Ruf get riled, I walked behind him to "have his back."  The bird backed off.

Just taking in the surroundings...

The grass and landscaping is very nice in this park.  He has walked all around here in the past - almost as good as the walking and grass at Hart Ranch.  Three more sleeps 'till we get there.  Well, that's the plan.

A day off...

 

Already?  You've been out for one day?

Yes, and thanks for asking.  There is always a transition for us when we move back into the motorhome.  It's nice to take a day off after the first day out so we can check out everything in the motorhome and cargo trailer and just kind of catch our breath.

Rufus did fine with the trip and finding his place in the coach.  Joan and I settled in pretty quick.  Different noises, different bed, tighter space - it takes some time to acclimate.  It is hot here in San Antonio (OK, in all of Texas right now), which means the A/C in the coach runs almost all the time.  It makes more noise than a home air conditioner, mostly because it is right over our heads... well, in the hallway between the front and rear of the motorhome.  This rig is small enough that one A/C can handle it, even in these hot conditions.  It is supposed to be 102º for a high here today.

I think we all slept good last night.  It takes me a while to get used to a different bed, but we like this mattress in the coach.  It is Winnebago's version of a TemperPedic.  But, it is different from the Select Comfort we have at home.

It always takes me a while to "find" everything.  We each put away our own personal stuff, but Joan puts away the food... so I have to poke around in the pantry and fridge for a few days to see where stuff is.

The driving is different.  After a few months of not driving the motorhome, there is some adjustment to the seating position (which is very comfortable, but different from the Equinox), and getting to the length and turning.  The motorhome is on a Ford E-450 chassis, so it is more like driving a truck or shuttlebus than a car.  Not a complaint, just an observation.

When it is hot like this, we close things down to make it easier to stay cool inside... sun shade and black out blinds pulled down.  One layer inside the windshield and another cover over the outside.  It makes a difference, but tends to feel like you're in a cave.  Nice to have a window shade on the non-sunny side open this morning.

We generally adapt pretty quick.  After a couple early mornings, it was nice to sleep in today.

--------

We did some "running"... no, not the type that requires putting one foot in front of the other.  We did some local driving.  When in San Antonio, I like to check out SAS: San Antonio Shoemakers.  In the last few years, they have been making some more stylish shoes.  Unfortunately, they don't offer their newest styles in fat-foot size (double wide).  Oh, eventually, they expand (get it?) a style to the wider sizes, but it takes a while.  When I asked about a couple different styles, the sales lady who has helped me over the years said, "That is one of our designers over there (they were setting up to shoot some promotional video) - ask him about it."

Since he wasn't setting anything up, I did ask him.  He was very cordial and excited about the new offerings (his designs).  He asked me about what I'd like to see... I overcame my shyness, and told him what I thought might be good sellers - one specifically, a boot for motorcycle riding.  They make a new tie boot, but I was thinking of something easier and faster to get on and off.  Turns out, he is a rider, too.  He asked, "What would you think about a boot with a zipper?"

"That would be perfect."  He went on to explain that the book I was looking at had the same comfortable sole and liner as the SAS shoes I was wearing.  "That is our best shoe design.  It is better on your feet than an athletic shoe."  That's why I wear them.  Well, that and the fat-foot sizes.

We didn't come home with anything this time.  Lunch at an In & Out Burger.  Tasty!  Then to a huge H.E.B. store reasonably close to the RV park, where we stocked up on food to take us through the trek north.  Back to the coach, it was early enough that I got in a nap.

Early this evening, I decided it had cooled down to 98º, so I offered to take Rufus for a walk.  I kept him on the grassy areas in the shade and off the asphalt road (didn't want to get his paws burned).  It was hot, but certainly less humid than at home.  When I took him inside (and he got a treat), I went back out for a solo walk where I could get some steps in.

 Plenty of empty sites here.

We'll get things ready this evening, including disconnecting water, dumping and disconnecting sewer, so we can be ready to leave fairly early.  The plan is to get through the mess of city traffic in San Antonio, Austin, Waco, and Dallas/Ft Worth as early as possible on a Sunday.  It's a plan.  One stupid driver can screw with that plan.  Traffic is always heavy along that stretch.  Austin is usually the worst.

We'll see how that works out.

Up early, and...

 

Packing the personal items and stuff that we use until the last minute - like this computer.  Today is Rolling North Day.  See you down the road

 --------

I had my doubts that everything we were hauling to the coach this time was going to fit in the Equinox.  Joan said, "It all fit fine last time we left home."  I reminded her that we had the e-bikes on the back of the car on a rack - this time, my e-bike is riding inside the Equinox (she left hers home).  The stuff...

Yep, she made it all fit... and still room for the 3 of us.  It wouldn't be normal if we got off the island without getting caught by the bridge being out...

You can see the tug pushing a couple barges in the background.

Rufus rode fine in the car.  He likes the motorhome better, because he can move around, get himself a snack.  It was the first "home" he knew with us, so he feels safe and content in the coach.  He generally rides on the console between us in the Equinox.  He's a good boy.  :-)

Out to the motorhome.  We put away the stuff we hauled out.  Unplugged the coach and backed it into our storage unit so we could hook up the cargo trailer.  Pulled out, closed up the storage unit, and... we're off!

About an hour into the drive, we come to the Border Patrol Inspection Station; a lot more traffic than we have experienced in the past...

 "Are you a US citizen?"

"Yes, sir."

"Anyone else in there with you?"

"Just me and the cat.  My wife is behind us in the Equinox."

"Have a good day," he said as he waved me on.

The obligatory stop at the only rest area between Brownsville and Corpus Christi... not for the peeing, but to do a walk-around and check that everything is riding OK in the cargo trailer.  All good.  Joan made sandwiches for us, I fed Ruf, and we rolled again.

We had a mostly tailwind as we rolled north.  Around Kingsville, we turn slight northeast, making it a direct crosswind, with the southeast wind.  At Corpus, we get on I-37 and drive mostly northwest - back to a tailwind again.

We are down for 2 nights in our regular RV park just south of San Antonio.  This will give us the opportunity to dump and flush tanks once more, then put on 2/3 of a tank of fresh water.  Tomorrow, we'll hit up a big H.E.B. store... after we sleep in.  We try to get to a minimum of groceries in the house before we leave for a while.

We stop at this RV park because they take Passport America.  When I went in to pay and get escorted to our site, the price the lady gave me sounded high... I asked, "Did you give me the Passport America discount?"

"We've been having a lot of trouble with people saying they have Passport when they don't."

I said, "I would not be one of those people," as I showed her the card.

"Why isn't there an expiration date on this card?" she asked.

"See right there across the bottom, where it says 'Lifetime Member'?  It doesn't expire until I die."

It cut the significantly over-priced cost to just moderately over-priced.  ;-)

We got to our site and I started getting the rig's utilities set up while Joan got things ready inside.  Yep, it is hot here.  About 10º hotter than at home, but less humidity... so the "Misery Index" is about the same.  I got my exercise by going in and out of the coach a bunch of times to get the tanks flushed, dumped, rinse and repeat.

This park has "new owners" (same owners for the past year and a half), so that's how the lady at the office explained the Passport America situation, and the fact that you get a receipt by e-mail instead of paper.  Not a big deal; it's a place to stay where we know our way around this end of town (San Antonio is a big city - 7th largest city in the US.  (Yes, Phoenix is bigger, but it isn't a contest.)

I don't know if I'll get Rufus out for a walk - maybe tomorrow first thing in the morning, if it cools off enough.  The boy is furry.  Plus, he's a good boy.  (That's two drinks for Earl if you're keeping track.)

It's good to finally be on the road again.  Hope it cools down as we head north.

Water? Check. Power? Check.

 

We moved the motorhome out of the storage unit and onto the RV pad there.  Put water onboard, with some bleach to start the sanitizing process.  I cut back some spiny brush near the pad.  Plugged in the coach and started checking out the systems.  Most important: got the A/C going.  While I worked outside, Joan was busy putting stuff away inside.

 Another blisteringly hot day; the A/C felt good.  Tomorrow, it will be putting more food onboard and hooking up the cargo trailer.  The rest of today will be back at the house, getting it closed down.

I had a couple minutes while Joan was finishing up, and decided to check the data speed on my phone.  Since changing from Verizon to Visible, the only time we got a reasonable try-out was in Buckeye during the winter... and we were right below a large communications tower and some major powerlines.  That definitely interfered with our data signal.  Today, I was connected with 5G and...

258 megabytes per second download speed?  That's really good.  We didn't see 5G at the RV park in Buckeye.  I'm hoping it was stay strong like that this summer.  We'll see.  The limitation with Visible is in their unlimited data usage when using the phone as a hotspot.  They put a 5 mbps cap on the data speed.  I can live with that as long as it is consistent... again, we'll see.  Having good data has been pretty consistent for us with all those years of Verizon.  We took advantage of each speed increase as the equipment got better.

Back at it here at the house.

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Closing up the house, room by room.  And all around the exterior.  By 6:00 pm, we are as done as we can be until it is time to load the last of our personal stuff (including Ruf's stuff) into the car in the morning.  Put down the last of the hurricane shutters, turn down the fridge, shut off water, and lock the front door on the way out.  Alarms and cameras set.  Maybe we can make some miles before the hottest part of the day.

Looks like we will be dealing with triple digit high temps for days.

Another Step...

 

Still working our "getting away" plan.  This morning, we loaded up the Equinox, hitched it up to the cargo trailer, and headed for storage.  Working our plan when we got there: check tires on the coach, pull it out, fire up the generator, turn on the A/C, turn on the fridge, and start loading stuff from the car into the motorhome...

 Putting stuff in the closet and drawers.  Then, we pulled the slide-out in, backed up the coach, and backed the cargo trailer into the storage unit.  Unhook the car from the trailer, back outside with that, and pulled the coach into the storage unit.  Yes, it is long enough for the motorhome and the cargo trailer.  We looked in the cargo trailer - everything made this 40 mile ride just fine.  Locked things up and headed for home.  

It was 100º when we left the storage unit.  Got down to 95º as we rolled into town.  That is unusually high for here at the coast.  Before making the turn towards our island, I suggested we go across the causeway and run the Equinox through the car wash... with all the wind and dirt in the air, the car was gritty to the touch.

Then back home.  Rufus was happy to see us; I think he sometimes wonders if we're coming back when we start carting stuff out of the house and leave.  He is laying on my arm as I am writing this - one very contented boy to have his people back.

My music room is looking empty...

The rest of the house has things that will need to go; there is an order for the loading, and we need some things around the house until we're ready to close it down.

More closing down stuff to do around the house, but we are on schedule.

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This is not the "longest day of the year."  It has 24 hours, the same as every other day.  It is the day each year with the most time of daylight.  And, from here until the Winter Solstice, the amount of daylight each day will decrease.

Might be a good day to visit Stonehenge.  It wasn't a particularly good day to visit here... the heat index got to 114º today... well, that's what one of the weather weasels said this evening.  It was hot; didn't seem that hot.  ERCOT is telling Texas residents to reduce their energy usage from early afternoon into the evening - record high energy usage is predicted the rest of this week.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Getting Serious...

 

When the guitars are packed and the bikes are strapped down in the cargo trailer, you know it's getting close.  So...

 We went after that before the heat and wind kicked up.  Bikes out of the trailer, gear we'll need for summer riding loaded in, chocks (to hold the front wheel) locked in place, then strapped down.  A few other things loaded around the bikes, lube up the front jack on the trailer, check tires.  Lock it up.

The plan is for one more griddle cooked breakfast, then the griddle will get thoroughly cleaned and put away.  A trip to our climate controlled storage, pick up a pizza, then start laying out things that will go to the motorhome.

 

Rufus knows something is up... he is poised at the front door, waiting for the opportunity to get out and munch some grass.  Between the spraying for mosquitoes and what we spray (bugs and weeds), we're not letting him do that, right now.

Still hot?  Yes, thanks for asking.  84º and 87% humidity.  The wind is only 18mph, but will be building.  So, that's fun.  Tropical storm activity in the Atlantic, likely to become Hurricane Bret.  It is too early to predict the path as it moves west.  Right now, it is likely going to blow in south of Cuba and early models are showing it making landfall at Belize or Honduras.  But that is just an early guess.

It is not out of the question that it could move across the Yucatan, weaken, then reform in the Gulf of Mexico.  We'll keep an eye out.

We stand with west Texas...

 

No, not really.  But after several days of high heat and humidity, gusty winds, and blowing dirt, it is feeling like west Texas.  Without the tumbleweeds.  And miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.  Currently, it is 89º, 68% humidity, "feels like" temperature of 101º, and wind out of the south at 23 mph, gusting higher.  That south wind brings blowing dirt... yes, it reminds me of the Annual Blowing Dirt Festival in west Texas (Jan. 1st through Dec. 31st).  Generally, the wind here is out of the southeast and doesn't bring that blowing dirt with it.

It wasn't pleasant on my morning bicycle ride and the wind had come up even gustier by the time I made breakfast on the griddle.  "Did you want a dusting of dirt on your French toast?"

Didn't even consider getting out on the motorcycle or scooter today.

We are down to 4 days to get the house prepped, cargo trailer loaded, bikes strapped down, and motorhome loaded.  All of that is not particularly pleasant with the current conditions... and there is no let up in sight for the next week.  We can't get it all done before 10:00 am, when wind generally ramps up.  Much of this can't be done until the last couple days, so it isn't like we've been putting things off.

Rufus didn't get his morning walk in because of the conditions.  He is ready for a change of pace, too...

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I keep saying it, but you know we are close to heading out when the guitars come off the wall in my music room...

That was a start.  I wiped down each guitar.  De-tuned the wood ones, to take pressure off the neck.  Deciding what to take and what goes into storage at an undisclosed location.