Issue 22, FINALLY WE ARE 'EMPTY NESTERS'

Diary published weekly since 2001

Hi All: As most of you know John and I do not have any kids, but this week we are ‘empty nesters’ anyway. The day we moved into this site Mrs. Robin began to build her nest at our eye level in a small tree right beside our side front window. We learned so much about the day-to-day events from the point of view of a bird. It was surprising to see that ‘mommy’ left her nest and eggs vacant for long periods while she and hubby were out someplace. We frequently saw her chase big birds away, but surprising they did not seem to bother the nest when she was not there. Her four-eggs hatched two weeks ago. In the beginning they were so tiny, but last Tuesday after our walk, one bird was standing on the edge of the nest – ‘home’ was becoming very small for the four of them. Ten minutes later we saw the baby robin on my bike stand. When mom came back with a worm in her mouth she looked stressed because she could not find where her one baby had gone. However by noon all four babies had flown away. So in a word although we have no kids, John and I are now officially empty nesters. I have added a few pictures of our temporary ‘kids’ to the forum copy. Wink


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BIG NEWS – WE HAVE EXPRESS VU BACK

As I have said in the past – when the trees grew leaves, we lost signal to our roof mounted TV Dish. As a result we had to revert to local channels off our Batwing antenna - boring. Diary readers and friends Roy and Wilma from Alberta wrote to us that they were in the same position and that our Internet Dish supplier from Tech Mobile Communications and Wireless (formerly 3i Communications) sell TV LNB attachments that connect to the Internet Dish. I cannot believe that the little ‘gismo’ we received last Tuesday works so well (picture of the set-up is on my website at the bottom and in the on-line Diary version – see link above). Smile



Also I took a photo of KATIE this morning and she is really our ‘energizer bunny’. She was diagnosed with a growth on her spleen over two years ago and although at times it seems to grow so she looks pregnant - other times it is right down. She is still going strong with no hint of distress in any way. She just keeps "trucking on". So guess she too will be making the western trip. Cool



A SPECIAL THANKS to all the Diary readers from the west who have invited us to touch base, to enjoy a meal or coffee, and/or to stop in their driveway during this summers odyssey. Thanks guys, we will make every effort to at least make time for the coffee break and/or a visit of course. Many, many thanks. Surprised
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WORK WEEK – FOR PEGGI

I have been glued to this computer again for much of this week. My e-book with its many links is finally finished, but I continue to have mega problems trying to convert it to a PDF file (smaller and easier to share) that includes active internal links within the e-book. The main Adobe program to convert is costly and since I only update this e-book one time each spring, it is not cost effective to buy that program. However I am working with several PDF techs at various websites and hopefully it will be ready early this week. Wink

SPECIAL GIFT – to everyone who has bought the RV Travel to Canada 2006 ebook since last October –IF YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH SOME KIND OF PROOF YOU PURCHASED THIS E-BOOK, I WILL SEND YOU THE UPDATED 2007 COPY AT NO COST TO YOU – NO MATTER who you bought it from. This Gift/Promo is only available until 15 JUNE. Send me an email to info@rvliving.net and even if it is not yet converted I will send you the updated copy in ‘Word’ – however because it is a 1.42MB file (the PDF will be smaller), it may take a lengthy time to come through on dial-up – but my offer still stands. Cool

My seminar called ‘CANADA HOTSPOTS” is coming along, but as with many projects I undertake, it is taking me longer than expected to complete. However I am learning so much about this wonderful country we call home – what an interesting place to live. At times I wonder if I will ever make deadlines that I promise, but somehow everything always comes together. To find out some of the great places I’ve discovered take a look at my posts on the ‘RVing Canada’ Blogs at http://rvtravel.com/blog/canada/index.shtml Very Happy
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JOHN’S WORK WEEK

Because I would not take time away from my computer, John started to empty his ‘job jar’. This week he REFINIOSHED ALL KITCHEN CABINETS – the rest of the cabinets look great but the kitchen showed a quite a bit of wear just from day to day use. The local Home Hardware suggested he use steel wool rather than sandpaper to clean the finish. That way he would not get down to bare wood and as a result the surface would not need re-staining. However he was warned to be extra careful to remove every trace of the steel wool before adding several coats of ‘Min-Wax Polycrlyic (water-based) Clear Coat’. It would be wise to wait for it to dry and then rough it up with fine sand paper before adding another coat. His efforts were worth it - the finish looks fantastic. Smile

I sure appreciate all the little things John does in this house on wheels. He does the laundry, cooks most meals, washes the dishes and so much more. This way he allows me mega time to ‘work’ at the computer. (TIP: The small wood doweling with the rubber ends on them go through the handles to assist in keeping the cupboard doors closed while our coach is underway (see picture in the on-line version) Cool

Since we found the electric lawn mower for sale for $25.00 on the side of the road coming back from storage a week ago, he is now able to cut the grass every 5 days. It grows like weeds this time of year. Wink
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PLAY TIME

Even I need to take a periodic break, so Thursday we visited good friends from London, Marlene and Frank, at their beautiful new house. Marlene loves to decorate and their new home is so cozy and yet spacious at the same time. This homemaker also enjoys having kids around and since hers are all grown up, in their new house they provide temporary homes for up to four college and university students studying in London – they arrive from around the world. The students may be with them for a few days to a few months, but while they are in their home the students are treated as part of the family. Marlene enjoys cooking, so to do so for he extended family is no big deal. She also does their laundry and assists them if they have to go someplace where or when the local bus is not available. In a word she has an ongoing temporary family – to her and Frank it is a perfect way to spend their retirement. Thanks for the strawberry shortcake, smoothies and a great visit guys. We have to do this again soon. Cool


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FINAL THOUGHTS

Somehow these Saturdays come round very fast. A week from now, we will again be on another adventure to the west. John looks after all trip planning in this house (one more chore I appreciate him doing) and we just made reservations during the last two days. What a trip he has planned through the USA to Montana and then north to Alberta, BC and back to Calgary for the Explorer RV Club Rally at the Stampede – that leg is completely booked. 98% of our camping nights will be under Happy Camper or Passport (50% discounts) or RPI/C2C (membership parks), send me an email to info@rvliving.net if you would like info on discount camping or how to join an economical membership program - I will be very happy to share the details with you. Laughing

Total cost for camping on this leg of the trip from London to BC and back to Calgary (35 day trip, but we only pay for camp fees for 23 nights at 14 stops – cost will be approximately $380.00. (Nights at the RV Owners Lifestyle School and at the Explorer Club Rally and for my seminar at Bucars U are not included in the camp fee total). Not bad for camping rates - hopefully gas/fuel will not be through the roof – 2599 miles to Kelowna – mileage and stops for the return trip from Calgary on the 16th July are still in the planning stage. I’ll provide our total costs for camping and fuel at the end of the trip. Surprised

So our plans are looking up for this summer, hope yours are too. We look forward to meeting many of you along the way. Should be a good trip if our guardian angels continue to ride with us. Hope the weatherman is kind in your area – he is in ours. As my sister Nancy says, “Remember not to drive faster than your guardian angels can fly”. Happy travels P&J Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

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RV PROMOS/NEWS

We have had a number of requests about our new acquisition of COAST TO COAST (C2C) AND RESORTS PARK INTERNATIONAL (RPI) PLUS (the ‘Plus’ includes a complimentary membership to RPI’s 50% Discount Camping Club called ‘Enjoy America’). These are two of the most popular membership park systems that offer deep overnight discounts – there are others! RVers buy into a membership park for a purchase price from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars – plus annual dues. Packages range from a ‘3-lifetime’ plans - usage can be passed onto the kids, or a ‘one lifetime’ for your use only. To use C2C and RPI members also pay a small annual fee to each club. BUT then camping fees are only $8.00 p/n ($10-$11.00 Cdn) – stay up to a week, twice p/yr at each park.

John and I bought into Shiloh RV Park, Monroe LA a year ago. Park price was low with first year dues at $69.00 – $99.00 in future years. However we can walk away from this plan at any time for a small fee. SEND ME AN EMAIL FOR MORE DETAILS._________________________________

MY INCREDABLE INTERNET SATELLITE DISH IS STILL #1. Now it even includes a TV LNB. It is so wonderful to be on line 24/7 wherever we go and to have Exp Vu TV. We no longer chase campgrounds offering WiFi or try to find a place to log onto dial-up locations or even the need to add a landline. Now it is no longer necessary to be out of the tree range for our roof mount TV Dish.



The ease of set-up, fantastic unrestricted tech support with no cut off time frame, reasonable monthly rates, and superior quality equipment are only a few of the numerous reasons why I simply LOVE my Hughes.net Satellite Dish from Tech Mobile C&W. Even those who do not live in Canada – give my supplier a call. These Dishes can also be mounted as stationary on any house or structure etc wherever you live. FYI – ‘3iCommunications’ has changed its name to ‘Tech Mobile Communications and Wireless’ http://techmcw.c om (site is under construction at this point). Call (705) 878-9252 or Toll Free: (866) 494-4801. However they still offer the same great service. Read the whole story at www.rvliving.net/EarlyObserationsDirecWay.htm

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TIPS THIS WEEK is an excerpt from RV PACKING TIPS E-BOOK www.rvliving.net/PackingTipsEbookSalePage.htm

UNUSED AREAS TO STORE THINGS – many more are in this comprehensive e-book.

Unless you design and build your own ‘Dream Machine’, most RVs have many areas of wasted space. With a little effort it’s easy to transform these out-of-the-way places into creative storage spots. BUT do not overload – if an item goes unused for a year get rid of it. Try to make as many areas as possible operate as Double Duty. Each RV is different; check out all area in yours – you may find even more spaces.

INSIDE

***Always look above and below closets – sometimes ’hidden’ space is waiting behind a panel.

***About 4”- 6” of space, designed to cover hoses and wires is available below cabinets. On Kastle #2 we discovered two long 8” high spaces under the bottom drawers of our night tables. By removing the front decorative panel we found a perfect place for shoes.

***There is considerable space beneath most kitchen drawers. This is a super place for cookie sheets, baking pans, etc – simply remove the drawers for full access.

***In Kastle#2, we found two large hollow areas under each step of our motorhome. We fabricated ‘lids’ using the carpet as a hinge (adding a piano hinge would also work). Perfect spot outside for muddy wet shoes, etc.

Del and Bob Bullen from an Explorer RV Club rally submitted this tip.
***We use our hidden space under drawers in the bedroom for items that need to stay dry or cool such as prescription meds, important papers, etc.