Printer Trouble

Ever since I moved my HP all in one, I can't get it to print. It keeps telling me to "remove and check cartridges "  doesn't tell me what to check. I remove them and look at them and put them back but I get the same instructions! It won't let me scan or print anything! I went online to HP and followed their directions, cleaning the cartridges and replacing, still doesn't work. Next, guess I will buy two new ones. It is almost cheaper to buy a new printer!I like my old one and don't want to replace it. It was always so easy to use. Not so much with the Dell and Vista Home Edition!
I drove to Whitney today to check on the RV. She's just sittin there all alone! Told me she wanted to "go go". I managed to get the generator out, and a few other things and had to head back to Cleburne. I still have "stuff" in the bays to take to storage. I enjoy driving down there anyway. I always felt like when I reached the small town of Blum, that I was HOME. Miss it!

Little Patio

Tiny postage stamp size patio!

Nest

Looks like the birds have taken over my patio! I have called a man that does screening to get an estimate of the cost to have it screened. I think I would enjoy it more if I didn't have to share with the birds, and the wasp I keep swatting down.

Well Pooh!

I was all set to go to Karaoke tonight and make another cute video! Alas, it was canceled. Maybe Saturday night. Friday night is Gospel singing, maybe I won't miss it this time! I just can't seem to get it together. I have been watching the tornado warnings all day. There were five tornadoes at one time. Several did touch down damaging homes and last I heard one person injured. If you live in Texas, you may get hit! It is really scary in the RV. You just don't have any protection, and most RV parks don't have a storm cellar, only thing to do is go to the restrooms. One thing I have learned is to get OUT of the RV or car and head for the ditch. Get as low as possible and cover your head, or at least keep it down. I don't think much of anything can be done if you receive a direct hit, even if you are in a house. People in RV's should especially watch out, pay attention to the wind. A straight line wind can blow an RV over. I have seen 18 wheelers blown off the road, one time at Lordsburg,NM. It is times like these I am glad I am not in my RV. But, I still miss it. I still have to go and get more "stuff" out. Afraid I might just "hook up" and take off! It is tempting. 

Chicken Dance

Finally got the Chicken Dance to load. I am not a good photographer, you get a good picture of the ceiling too. 

Happy Easter Everyone

Hope everyone has a Hoppy Easter!
I haven't done a lot lately. I don't think unpacking  will ever end! Seems I just wander from one job to another and not "finish" anything. I get side tracked easily. I run across some travel pictures, or maps of trips I have been on, and there goes my day! My thoughts are of far off places, and NOT on unpacking. I still have my fifth wheel, it is in storage and I still have a few things to get out of the bays. I am already thinking of a van, one I could "make do" for traveling or maybe spend a few boondock nights in if I had to. I don't think I will ever live in a RV again, but who knows what a crazy old lady might do! I think I could do with a E350, passenger van. Put a bed in the back. Also a porta potty right at the rear door. That way I could dump without picking up the tank to empty. I already have a heater, and lantern. A Coleman stove that runs on one pound LP bottles would do for me. I have outdoor grill. I have an inverter to plug in my cig. lighter to charge up computer or watch a little TV, oh, wait, I would need an antenna! How about air conditioner? Think I could hang one out the rear door window? A good ice chest? Maybe a little refrigerator , to hook up when staying in RV parks?  
When my husband and I had a tent trailer we didn't have air or cook stove or potty. It was an old Appleby, you had to build the frame, and actually through the "tent" over the frame. I bought foam rubber mattress, and plastic bags to zip around them. I had a Coleman stove, a Coleman lantern, and a metal dish pan to wash up in. We had a big Coleman ice chest, it was metal. We had the best time ever in Rocky Mountain National Park! It was a step up for us. We started out in a tent. The tent was just big enough for four army cots for the kids to sleep on, and we slept outside on chaise lawn chairs with a blanket. Just the stars for our roof! That's camping!

Par ta!!

Well tonight was the entertainment, not Thursday night. My neighbor stopped by and invited me. Tonight was Lady Raye singing country and  western. Lady Raye is a black lady, that sings really great country to taped music. But, she does wonderful "rock n roll". A few of the ladies did the twist, and the chicken dance. It was a hoot! I took a few pictures and video. I hope I can get them to load for the blog!

Wild fires and smoke!

Fires and smoke!

I don't live close to where the fires are, but the smoke is invading my space! This morning my eyes were burning and I started sneezing. I feel so sorry for those people that had, I repeat, had homes on beautiful lake Possum Kingdom. It is a beautiful area and many people built their retirement homes on the waters edge. There were several fires, and last night two of the largest ones merged, making one giant one that burned homes that cost over $750,000.00. There were many small homes and farms, cattle and pets that were lost. The news is saying that over 100,000 acres are burned, and the town of Palo Pinto has been evacuated. Now, if that isn't enough were are having storms! Several tornado warnings are out for the towns close to me. All Cleburne got was a little rain and some hail. I hope my truck didn't get damaged, but after seeing people loose their homes, I won't complain. It was a lazy day for me, I really didn't get anything done. I am just tired of unpacking! Met some nice ladies when I went to get my mail, and chatted with them. I discovered there is a place to leave items you no longer want, for others to pick up, for free, if they want them. Isn't that great? I don't have to haul stuff to Goodwill if I don't want to!There was a hot "84" domino game going on and plans are being made for Thursday night's entertainment. It is Country Western singing, so you know I'm gonna be there!

Fires raging

I was intending on going to a Gospel Singing here at the apartments today, but I started sneezing and my eyes watering. I had the windows open as it was cool. The wind has really been blowing all day. I smelled something "cooking" and I looked to see if my apartment was on fire! I didn't have anything on, just the dryer going. Looked out side at the smoky view and I still thought someone was bar-b-q some ribs! I thought in this wind. When I turned the TV on and saw there were huge grass fires all around. Some people lost their houses, thirty to be exact. Pickup trucks burned, they couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Wind gust up to 60 mph. The weather has really been crazy this year. Had to close up the house, and just didn't feel like going. Also, my sugar dropped down to 77, I really felt bad. So-----I have been doing Genealogy this afternoon. I had an inquiry  as to one of my great grandfathers. Sure enough we are connected! It is always great when you find a link! Though her tree and mine, I was able to add a great deal of information. More and more I find relatives  that fought for the Confederate side in the Civil war. It is a hobby I have had for many years, I still find it enjoyable. I guess it is the sleuth in me!

One last trip

I made one last trip yesterday to clean out the RV and put it in a storage lot. I still need to go back and clean out the bays, but I don't need electric for that. A nice fellow came and helped me. He used to have a fifth wheel, so he knew exactly what to do. I only have one box inside, and then clean the bays out. I will put that stuff in storage, so when I start camping again I will have a few things to start with. My storage bldg runneth over! I guess I will be going at least once a month to clean that out. I plan to donate  a bunch of stuff to Goodwill. If I ever go full time again, I will just get my clothes, and walk off and leave all this stuff! I doubt I will ever do that, but, I do intend to travel again, and I hope to once again go to Quartzsite, or the Valley of Texas for winter.
   On the way to Whitney, I passed through Rio Vista,TX. Last Sunday night they had a terrible storm, a tornado, hit them. There were trees up rooted, homes destroyed, and buildings just flattened! I am so glad I wasn't in the trailer, it is only 14 miles from Rio Vista, I would have been scared to death! You don't want to be in an RV in a tornado! I finally found my camera in all my moving,but forgot to take it with me!
This moving is really hard, and even more so when you are alone, and an old lady! Maybe it is a good thing I am doing it now, I don't think I could have done it at all in a few years. There is a time for everything!

Moving

Still moving stuff out of my fifth wheel! Can't believe I had so much in it. Surely I was way overloaded! On my way to Whitney, I saw nine RV's going north. So, guess the $4.00 gas doesn't keep RV'rs off the road. I just can't afford to travel right now. BUT, I did see a cute little travel trailer today, about 22-24 feet long. If it is still there when I go to Whitney again I am going to stop and look at it. I think one more load and I will be totally moved out of the inside! Then I will put it in storage and start cleaning out the bays. I have a 10x20 storage bldg. I was hoping to get a smaller one, but looks like I will still need that one for a while. It is $65.00 a month, and the next smaller one is $ 45.00, so no biggy anyway. I am tired of moving and tired of boxes piled every where! On top of that my truck was hard to start the last two days. I sure hope it is not a glow plug! 

BACK SIDE OF MY APARTMENT

PATIO IS TO THE LEFT OF THE DOORWAY, HAS SATELLITE DISH MOUNTED ON RAIL.
THIS IS THE BACK SIDE VIEW, WITH WALKING TRAILS ALL AROUND, LEADING TO THE POND. KANDI LOVES TO WALK HERE.

PLAY GROUND

OLD PEOPLE CAN PLAY
TOO!!

POND AND FISHING PEIR

WALKING TRAIL
AROUND THE POND WITH BENCH TO REST!

POND AREA AT MY APARTMENT

Dish is installed

I had such a pleasant experience with Dish Network, after calling one company that installs Dish, and getting so mad at them I just canceled the whole thing. Then I talked to Direct TV, I have done business with them for about 12 years, until last year when I had it disconnected. Then I tried cable. None had very good deals. Then I saw Dish advertised with a different company, so I called them. I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in the two companies, their rep. was a nice young lady, very easy to talk to, and so I signed on. As scheduled the installer arrived at noon. He was such a nice young man, and when I asked him to run the system through my VCR player, he did. Not usually done, but he did for me. Turns out he is a nice Southern boy from Alabama. A town close to Dothan, when my daughter used to live, and I stayed for a month one year. Southern boys are so nice and polite! He had served four years in the Air Force including Iraq. Married a Texas girl! I am very pleased with Dish so far. Thing is I don't think I will get much unpacking done! I was so tired from yesterday's trip to the RV to pack up more stuff. The wind was terrible! High wind had blown one of the vent covers off, and had rained in some in the hallway. I tried to fix it where it wouldn't get wet. I can't get on the roof, so it would have meant a service call of $130 just to look at it, plus a new vent. So, maybe I made the right decision after all. It really puts me in a "down" mood every time I make the trip out to Whitney to the RV. I am sure it will take me two or maybe three more trips to get everything out, and moved to storage lot. Then the chore of cleaning out my storage bldg. begins. I am hoping to get rid of the storage, or at least a smaller one. I have a 10x20. It would really help if I could down size to a small one to just keep some of my camping equipment, because I AM GOING TO TRAVEL AGAIN!! I was hoping by Aug. I could take a trip, wanted to go to the Escapade in Gillett, WY, that is my plan, and ALL my plans are written in Jello! I will try not to gripe about my apartment, forgive me if I slip from time to time. And I do keep reminding myself of all the problems I have in the winter with LP. I just have so much to handle right now, with moving, and my daughter, and all of that coupled with my medical problems, make it hard for an old lady, one that is alone! I really don't have a good "support" group from family, I seem to have outlived most of them and my cousins are all my age and older and have their health problems. My support comes from my RV friends. They are the "family" that calls to see about me, and e-mails me. Glad that I did join the different groups. I have made some great friendships that have lasted from 1997. Thanks everyone for your support. It means a lot to know some one reads my thoughts! 

Stil trying to work it out

I am working my way through all my junk. My old dresser looks pretty good now that I have waxed it an lined with new paper and put away a few of my things. I am taking the advise of some of my readers and trying to "stick" it out. When I get settled I will look for a smaller rig. I just can't see myself giving up the "life" for apartment living. Maybe I can find a small trailer or class c or even a b van. Believe me I have already been online looking for a Roadtrek. I could get enough cash out of my pickup to pay cash for one, but they all have such high mileage. Some over 167,000 miles. I am also looking a Artic Fox travel trailers. I have a great truck, so I am thinking about that too, but, that would mean the expense of putting it in storage when not using it. The van camper, I could drive everywhere! Just some thoughts.
Broke down and ordered Dish today. Sure hated to pay to watch TV, when it comes free over the antenna. Can't get anything here without either cable or satellite. Oh well, I need to have some entertainment. 
Very windy today, so I opened my windows, no need for AC if you have a good breeze. Well, I am on the first floor, and the walk ways and play ground is just out side my window. Seems I had several "visitors" peering in. Good thing I was dressed!  No privacy here. Plenty of birds. They are driving me nuts. They insist on building their nest on my patio light fixture. Wonder what I can do to scare them away. I understand they raise about three "families" a year! So, that's why there's bird poop all over my patio. I wondered if they were trying to tell me something!

Feelings

I have not changed my feeling on the apartment. Many say, you made a decision and should stick with it, and look forward! Make the best of it. I don't know, I think I have always been a "Maverick", long before I started the RV life. The longer I sit here looking around me, the more I realize the big mistake I made. I don't know if it can be fixed or not. Maybe with time I will get used to the apartment. My husband and I always had trailers, and since he died in 1997 I have been going it alone. First in a class C motorhome. When I decided to sell the house and go full time, I looked for something I would be comfortable living in, even if not travelling. I bought my F350 Dually first and then the Big Sky Montana. I traveled and camped with friends and boondocked in Arizona for three years before I went full time. When I left my house, it was like a great weight had  been lifted from my shoulders! Now I feel that weight has returned. Here I sit, among this "ole" furniture I thought I was forever free of! Remember the fellow that went out for a pack of cigarettes and never came back. Well, that is exactly what I would like to do!