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Today we traveled east on I-10 between Quartzsite and Phoenix, Arizona.  For some reason I was aware of vehicles with trailer hitches on this route.

Several years ago someone passed a law that allowed semi tractors to pull a second trailer if the first one used a 5th wheel type hitch. That apparently has been expanded to other types of hitches. I’m not sure they realized all the implications of doing that. Today we saw a motorhome pulling a car that was pulling a flatbed trailer holding an ATV. As far as I know, there is no special driver’s license required to do that as long as the combination does not weigh more than 26,000 pounds. Most RVers never give a thought to weight limits so I wonder how many of these double tows are over the limit for their driver’s license and/or their tow vehicle rating. And how do they park anywhere?

I saw the left half of a double wide mobile home being towed down the highway so I was watching for the right half when a second left half went by. So I started speculating. Maybe they put a hitch on opposite ends of the two halves so the roof lines would clear curved underpasses. But most mobile homes get backed into the parking sites. How would they place one with the hitch on the wrong end? Then the two right halves went by. Oh, well. That’s not nearly as much fun.

Then we saw a sailboat on a flat bed semi trailer. It was longer than the trailer. Dave estimated the length of the boat at 60 feet.

Then we saw a trailer that was a combination RV and horse trailer with several stalls for the horses. I wonder if the trainer lives in the RV and takes the horses from race track to race track? Maybe they were headed to Santa Anita on Route 66.

Then we saw a big pickup truck pulling a small travel trailer.

Then what looked like a small pickup truck about to be devoured by the big fifth wheel chasing it. Probably the second pickup was as big as the first one but it was dwarfed by the tall bedroom hanging over the truck’s bed.

We also saw a vehicle with it’s tow bar folded up in front of it looking like a gun sight.  

And we saw some semi-trailers parked by the side of the road being used as billboards.

And a semi tractor pulling an empty flatbed which made us want to warn him he’d lost his load.

And a green tractor pulling a red container which made me think of Christmas.

We saw a car pulling a small U-Haul trailer, then a pickup pulling a small flat bed trailer of household goods, then a pickup with it’s tailgate down to make room for the couch it carried, then a full-sized moving van. Lot’s of people moving in the middle of the month.

Some semi-trailers advertised companies, some advertised products, and some traveled anonymously down the road.

We saw a semi tractor with no tailer, his hitch exposed for all to see.

We saw an RV pulling a U-Haul car dolly with no car on it. It was wagging down the road like a puppy’s tail. I hope the car is parked someplace safe and not also wagging down the road with no driver.

We saw a truck hauling another truck on it’s flatbed.

All those hitches and not a picture of one of them. Sorry, Robert, you’ll have to pretend this is radio instead of TV and see them all in your mind.

TTYL,

Linda

Because I have read a lot of books and watched a lot of television programs set in Great Britain I’ve known for years about the royal “we”.  It is traditional that a king or queen refers to him/herself as “we” when expressing desires.  

And , of course, everyone knows about the plural “we” when expressing desires that two or more people, including yourself, should do something.

Yesterday I learned about the singular “we”.  I’ve used it many times but I didn’t think much about it until last night’s campfire discussion by the Escapees Class of ’08 members.  The singular “we” is when you say, “We should do such and such,”  when what you mean is, “Would you, please, do that dear?”  One of the wives said something about, “We should…” and the husband answered, “Is that the singular ‘we’?”  I like it.

TTYL,

Linda

 

We’ve been six months on the road today.  Here’s where we’ve been so far.

Our major trips have been:

Wyoming for Escapade 

Idaho for family reunion

Minnesota for annual physicals

Ohio for Gypsy Gathering

Route 66 Chicago to Santa Monica for fun

Oregon for RV upgrades

Pacific Coast south to get warm

and now Southern States to evaluate potential wintering sites.

We’ve covered 14,358 miles in 20 states. Some of those miles have been fast ones and some have been slow ones but most of them have been fun ones.

TTYL,

Linda

I started my day by trading paperback books in the library at the B & E Wayside RV Park in Florence, Oregon. I was down to one unread book so I wanted to stock up before we sit for a few days while our solar system is installed.

Then we checked out of the park and drove to the laundromat–which turned out to be just across the side street. If we’d known that we probably would have walked over yesterday. Oh, well. It is nice to be able to do all four loads at the same time.

Then we headed inland on Highway 126 towards Eugene, Oregon. This is another of those roller coaster roads that has railroad tracks on one side and a river on the other. It also has lots of asphalt patches making for a stomach challenging but beautiful ride.

In Eugene we went first to Arby’s for lunch. We bought extra sandwiches to have for lunch tomorrow while our RV is in the shop.

Then we went to REI to buy me a camp chair. We don’t do much sitting outside normally but we think we are going to the Escapees Class of ’08 graduation near Quartzsite, Arizona, next month and they are planning potlucks around the campfire so I’ll need a place to sit. Most camp chairs are too tall for me so they cut off the circulation in the backs of my legs. We found one that won’t do that as long as I sit up without slouching. We we also bought a camp stool I can use as a foot rest when I want to slouch. I can remember being taught that ladies sit with their knees together and their feet on the floor crossed at the ankles but I no longer find that comfortable and I’m now at the age where comfort trumps nearly everything else.

Then we went to WalMart to stock up on food since we’ll be sitting without transport at AM Solar for at least two nights.

We pulled into AM Solar’s facility about 4:30 p.m. Since we got there before they went home for the day, we got a quick tour of the hookups and amenities. It was nice to get connected before dark.

TTYL,

Linda