First Night Out

Well we finally spent our first night in the motorhome and with the cats. They don't hide anymore, but they were restless most of the night trying to look out a window, so needless to say we didn't get much rest.

We leveled the motorhome and slid out the bedroom only, no room to slide out the rest and still have cars in the driveway. In leveling our RV we found we were missing the manual to tell us how, so we called service people to tell us how and to send us a manual. It' s no big deal but we didn't want to do it wrong. In sliding out the bedroom we found 4 holes we though the cats could crawl down so off we go to get some foam to block them, the foam cost as much as the carpet remnants did. See Kens work with the carpet for the dash here. Good fitting job!

Now to decide what clothes to pack in. Still waiting for the parts for the tow bar to come in, but we could take a practice campover next week. We haven't tried the stove, the microwave or used the bathroom.

The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now. James Baldwin

Carpet Remnents

I am tired today! I loaded more things into the motorhome. We bought some carpet remnents to cover the dash of the motorhome to protect it from the cats and the sun, Ken is cutting it to fit. I need the bedroom slide out to continue to load some clothes and etc. I think we have more then enough room to store our stuff, but Ken hasn't added his stuff yet.

Here is a photo of our monarch chrysalis, Ken had to help take it. I believe he put my camera on manuel to take it.

We are invited for steaks at the golf course tonight, the owner cooks steaks for the last mens nite league. Should be a prefect night for it.

If my first glance of the morning was for the sun, my first thought was for the butterflies it would enhender. Vladimar Nabokov

The First Day of Loading

I didn't get very good photos today, it's hard in a confined space. I did get started loading in dishes, towels, pans, coffee maker, toaster and other kitchen gadgets, finding spaces to fit the appliances was the hard part; not many big spaces. Ken worked on getting the grey tank drained and cleaned, it to had been sitting and got yukky.

Here's a photo of our little cat., it turned into a chrysalis this afternoon, I couldn't get a photo of that, maybe tomorrow. I need to learn to do something to get these close pictures. In 10 days a monarch butterfly will emerge.

I can not believe tonight was the last night I closed the golf course. Such a strange thought after seven years! I have two days left to work, opening days unless I fill in for someone. One of the guys had a growth removed from his tongue today, but Linda volunteered to cover for this week.Linda my co-worker gave me a bottle of wine and a big tote bag that she made, how sweet was that. (She's a wonderful seamstress.)

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun.

And find your shoulder to light on.

To bring you luck, happiness and riches.

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

Cleaning Day

Today we took the cats in to visit their new home on wheels. Boo didn't seem to mind it at all, the other three were very unsure, the 2 females found hiding places. We let them roam about for about an hour. Will try it again in a couple of days. Ken sanitized the fresh water system and I wiped down some cabinets and started wiping out the freezer when I found the ice maker had not been turned off and mold everywhere, yuk!

So Ken tryed to clean the ice maker, but Ken thinks it will have to be replaced. We are finding a few loose parts and a couple of missing parts, just little things. Ken has finally learned to dodge the side mirror on the passenger side after hitting his head a couple of time so hard he has a couple of bumps.

We received, I should say Ken received a retirement gift from my brother and sister-in-law, a box of marshmellows and fudge stripped cookies the ingredients for smores. MMMM but the cookies may not last until our first campfire, Ken and I have already sampled one package.

Friday I found this monarch caterpillar crawling along our front steps so we bought it in and put it in our nursery jar. We thought it was roaming looking for a place to attach it self, but it munched through a couple of milkweed leaves. It looks like it may attach it self somewhere in the jar tomorrow they usually attach themselves to the rim or the screen we have covering it. Maybe we'll follow this one south! Last fall we had 24 monarch caterpillars in our nursery and 25 swallowtails which over wintered in our nursery and we released them after they emerged in the spring.

Interior shoots next time.

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. Unknown

The Big Day

We finally brought the RV home. We have so much to learn and play with before we get started. It barely fits in the driveway!! Ken did a good job backing it in for the first time. The first cat introduction didn't go well, that will take lots of time. Lots of time!! More photos to come. The batteries in the new camera don't last very long, bad thing. At least they are AAs.

Procuring

I've been collecting stuff for the RV, going through boxes for towels, sheets and rugs.

I went through the bags and boxes Ken brought home from his office and sorted through for offices supplies. Today I shopped for another cat carrier, Tigger seems to like the one I got. I also bought kitchen gadgets and first aid supplies, so I think I'm set, still need one more cat carrier tho.

There are alot of monarchs in the air today, heading south; guess we will be following the last stragglers. We are seeing all kinds of butterflies in our garden, I finally caught the fluttering giant swallowtail this morning. I also spotted a couple of black swallowtail cats on our parsley, not much out there for them to munch on.

I usually forget what I want to post when I sit down, just like sitting down with a sheet of blank paper , my mind goes blank. But, I was thinking it was about 14 years ago I started back to work to make money to travel and now I'm retiring from work to travel. Kind of ironic! Guess life does go around in circles and dreams do come true.

I always heard be careful for what you wish for, you may get it.

May all your best dreams be fullfilled!

Surprise

What a surprise I had last night at the couples pot luck, Jo and JD had this cake and a sign posted We Love Julie. I had no idea that they had this planned. Several couples brought me cards and the Yoakums gave me a bottle of wine and scratch off cards, which I won $6. It was hard not to cry. Ken had to come back home to get my camera so I could get pictures. We came in 2nd in the golf with 34 as our team score for 9 holes. It was a fun evening!

Ken helped me download these. I need to do another set before I forget. It is something I need to do often for me to remember how.

May you always have love to share, Health to Spare and Friends that Care

Into the Digital Age

I am really moving on in this digital age, I now have a point and shoot digital camera. Have I overwhelmed myself with a blogspot, cell phone (I haven't used it yet) and now a digital camera; a lot to learn. Soon I'll have photos of the cats, I just have to learn to download them, more to learn. Ken bought me a Canon 560, really nice camera. I could have used his extra Canon, but it is to big and heavy to lug around. I usually carry binoculars, sketch pad, pens and help carry some of Ken's lens so I justed wanted something small. He does all the major photo stuff anyway, I just want to capture snapshots. It took me along time to come around to digital, but after wasting film on bad shots with my other point and shoot, this way I can delete all those bad shots. I can also share my snaphots with all of you, when I learn to do that.

It was sure cold today for mid-September, I believe it was 42 at 7:00 am when I went to work. Good to be back in the jeans though, they hide my ugly legs.

I have only 4 more days to work.

I don't know how to feel about it, I'll miss the people I've meet, but the excitement of the new adventure overrides it. There is alot of anxiety going on in me, hard to sleep some nights thinking about all that has to be done. How will the cats react!! We bought some destress spray, see if that does anything. I may need some too.

"The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now." James Baldwin

SD Residents

We just got back from Madison, SD. On the way up we stopped in LeMars, IA to do a little geneology and while we were in the cemetery looking for the gravesites we saw these clusters of monarchs in the spruce. It is the first time we have seen monarch clusters and we were very excited. Ken was alittle upset that he didn't bring his long len, so this is all he could get. Lessen learned, always travel prepared for everything.

On the way back we stopped in Sioux Falls and visited the Sertoma Butterfly House, which is open all year. They display tropical butterflies and I believe I heard over 80 kinds but it seemed alot more. Ken is in heaven at these places. It is really something to walk in and see all the beautiful butterflies fluttering around. The butterfly above is the NewQuineaBirdWing, just one example of the beautiful colors the butterflies may be.

Enjoy the little things in life.

Second week of Retirement

I finally found a photo of one our cats to post. We need to get photos of the other 3. This one is Tigger.

I'm not posting very well tonight, this is my third attempt, so there may be 3 posts. I'm learning, really I am.

We finally joined the cell phone generation. Ken researched and researched to find one to fit our needs and won't cost an arm and a leg.

We've been making out to do lists to get ready to travel. I crossed off many from my list. I've had my art supples packed in a tool box for some time now, and I've picked out my books so the important stuff is ready. I just need to get a 4 cup coffee maker, I know 4 cups usually won't get me going, but I can always make another pot.

Day 4 of Retirement

Here's a photo of Ken's retirement cake at Ford, Aug. 31st. Looks happy to be out doesn't he.

Linda Ronstadt was really good. She can still belt out the songs at 61. She sang alot of her standards. I have always enjoyed her work, I have several of her recordings. Ken isn't a big fan, so it was really nice of him to treat me to her concert.

Day 3 of Retirement

We had a little rain last night, we needed it. You may be wondering why it's only day 3 when Ken actually retired the 31st of August. I didn't count the holiday. I worked most of the holiday, we did go to the Irish Fest at Crown Center Sunday, it was OK.

We are going to move forward here in our getting things done for travel. We are going to SD to finish our licensing. Ken feels he should have all the licenses before bringing home the RV.

I've put together a 3 ring binder of recipes that sound good and we may enjoy. So I will take that and the book for the convection/microwave for cooking. Ken says we'll cook more but so far we've only ate dinner home once.

Tonight we are going to see Linda Ronstadt at Starlight.

Retirement Day 3

Ken's appointment with the heart doctor, went AOK, his heart is strong!!

Another and our last monarch emerged this morning. It's a drizzly day and we may get more rain this evening. We always worry over letting them go when there's rain.

Day 2 of Retirement

Time to set up a place where family and friends can follow along with our misadventures.

All of this is new to me, blogging that is, so be patient. I have a lot to learn.

Ken is putting in 50 amp wiring for the RV. We haven't brought it home yet.

We went to McDonalds for breakfast, we felt at home with the rest of the retires, I hear they are call the Prune Bragade.

We had one of our monarchs emerge today. We haven't been keeping them as in the last two years. The two we have I found in the front garden where we have no milkweed. We wondered how they got there, the cats were about an inch long.