San Carlos | Mexico | Winter season coming to a close.

I had a good season down here in San Carlos.  One of the things I enjoyed again was ceramics, and it's a good social time.  I made the tile above and plan to get a wooden plaque to mount it so I can display it at my camp.  I'm not crazy about a few of the colors, but you don't know exactly what shade it will be until it comes out of the kiln.

One of the great things about this area is that there are people who care about animals and help with fostering and adoption.  Through San Carlos Pet Adoption, I was lucky this year and fostered a little kitten that I named Chico.  He was a fun little guy and he was with me about 7 weeks.  A very nice local man adopted him and I could tell by the way he acted with the kitty that he would give Chico a good home.  I sure do miss that little guy, but I've decided to travel without an animal.  Of course, if he had not been adopted, I most likely would be leaving town with him.

This little guy was adopted by my neighbors, also through the Pet Adoption - a real cutie.

For a few days, I was able to dog-sit for one of the dogs I took care of last season.  He's a sweet dog and easy to take care of, and he has really pretty flowers in the garden.

The scenery here is great, no matter what time of day.

There is all sorts of music here, most of the larger restaurants have live music and I was able to see quite a few groups.

I'm leaving this weekend and have been doing all my chores to get ready.  My tires are all aired up, fluids checked and my truck even got a wash and wax.  Adios, San Carlos!  Hasta la vista!

Two Years of RVing

This week I am celebrating the fact that I have been traveling in my 5th wheel for two years now.  It was a big learning curve in the beginning and I still find challenges, such as finding the perfect boondocking areas!

After my trek from San Carlos, Mexico, I landed in the first casino after the border.  Easy to find and get into and about midway between Tucson and Green Valley so that I can get to either place in a few minutes.  I got here on Monday and will be leaving on Sunday, which should be a great time to get through the Tucson area.

This casino is not as large as the one where I stayed for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta last year and the food isn't as good, but it was great to be able to stay here for the week. 

I was able to do some errands,  get my computer in to get serviced because it refused to let me install the latest antivirus, and to get a few things I couldn't find in San Carlos.

These are a few of the plants that are around my parking area.  Not much is blooming yet except for the Palo Verde, the tree with the yellow flowers above, and the ocotillo below.  The Palo Verde has green trunks and branches, very unique.

I've had mostly great times, but some frustrating times also - for the most part, it has been well worth it!  And I've met some great people along the way!

New Toy

I've been doing lots of research about RVing in preparation for taking off on my own. I've learned lots by reading blogs written by people who have been doing this for years. There are numerous Facebook pages about RVing as well as many forums full of information and helpful hints.

Of the many "must haves" discussed by RVing people, I noticed that quite a few of them recommended a dash camera for safety/accidents or other problems. I also saw quite a few videos of great scenery taken by these little cameras. I started researching them and found that you could get one for as little as $25, moving on up to a several hundred dollars. Since I'm just starting out, I opted for one just over $100, which I now see is selling for $140 and up.

I played with it for a few hours and the quality certainly isn't as good as a regular video camera or even my digital still camera. But, it does a decent job although the quality deteriorates a bit when driving with the light coming at the camera. Typical behavior in any camera. I do believe the resolution would be even better if someone had cleaned the windshield first. Will have to discuss that with the window cleaner.

Just for fun, I've uploaded a video and you can see it with this link
      http://youtu.be/MwydzxCSASM

Cattitude Adjustment

 

 

 

My Trinidad cat is now 14 years old, feisty as ever and believes that I am here just to serve her.  For the most part, she’s been healthy and hasn’t had to see the vet much.  But when she does – watch out!   As soon as I put her in her carrier and in the car, she howls all the way to the vet – thankfully a very short trip!

Because we will be traveling in a 5^th wheel, she needs to be trained to sit up in the truck with me – without the vocalization.  So I have a cage for her now instead of the carrier, maybe that will make her happier.  I’m putting her in it every day and sitting outside with her to acclimatize her to the cage and different scenery.  She doesn’t seem to mind, she’s had a strong interest in “outside” since she’s lived in a house.  She loved “outside” when we were on the boat and sat in the cockpit and watched other boats, dinghies, birds and fish in the water.

Yesterday, after sitting outside with her, I put the cage in the truck passenger seat, where she will be traveling (hopefully silent).  She didn’t seem to mind that either.  I found the seatbelt will go around the cage nicely to hold her in.  The true test will be when I start the engine – we’ll just sit there in the truck in the driveway.  After a few days of that, we’ll take a little drive around the neighborhood.  I’m hoping that this gentle, slow introduction to RVing will enable her to be a pleasant traveling companion instead of a howling monster. 

I’ll let you know how it works……


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More blogs and photos coming as I prepare and go traveling.

New Adventures

A restless spirit has been urging me to go somewhere.  The spirit did not mean a week long vacation, it did not mean a long weekend - it meant go away for quite a while.

I did go away for quite a while back in the middle of the 1990's - all the way to the Caribbean in a boat, sailing around from island to island for years.  My story is told in my book, Island Fever, available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback.   I also have slide shows of my travels on You Tube - IslandFeverCruising channel.  My blog that's mostly about cruising and a few other things is on http://landcruisingadventure.blogspot.com/

So, now the spirit has decided to send me somewhere totally different from tropical islands, palm trees, oceans, sailing tropical rum drinks.  The spirit has decided I should be going west to visit mountains, deserts, canyons and caverns.   Yes, pretty much the opposite of what I did for 10 years on the boat. 

In order to accomplish that, I need to divest myself of most of my belongings - house, car, furniture, etc.  My brother helped obtain and outfit the pretty blue truck you see on this blog - this will be my tow vehicle.   Thanks to Bob Karl - Bob Karl Used Cars in Troy, NY.   (Yeah, OK, it's a plug for him.)  I am now looking for a fifth wheel camper to go with the truck, that's the kind that hooks up into a hitch in the bed of the truck.   There are so many of them out there, all different sizes, makes, models and colors and floor plans.  I have to take a deep breath and step back from it sometimes.

As soon as my truck arrives from New York, I'll be selling my car, buying my camper and moving into it in order to facilitate the sale of my house.  It will be easier to sell if I'm not living in it, it will appear cleaner and more tidy without me and the cat.   That cat is so messy, I can't keep the house looking nice with her around.

As things happen to get me closer to blast-off day, I'll be writing here about what's going on - taking pictures and sharing.  When I'm on the road, I'll be writing about where I am, what I've been seeing and sharing the sights along the way. 

So, join me for my journey.  Let's hope it's fun, safe and exciting. 

Betty