The Sandcastle

We have arrived at Mississippi Riverwood. Many years ago this place was a KOA. Now it is a co-op RV park.

Here’s our site, #310. On the right you can see the green power pole where our water, sewer, and electrical hookups are. To the left of that is a concrete patio with a picnic table. We are to park between the power pole and the patio. Behind our parking spot is the shed that belongs to this property with its pile of firewood we have permission to use. Between the shed and the picnic table you can very faintly see a concrete fire pit. At the very far left of the picture you can see the site number post with its welcome sign and just past it the very end of our driveway/parking area which we think will hold three cars.

This is our neighbor to the north with our car in our driveway:

And this is our neighbor to the south:

This is Dave’s view of the Mississippi River from his chair:

Here are some detail shots:

The picnic table. It could use some rehabilitating.

The upper level fire ring.

The lower level fire ring.

It is, too, there. Look just to the right of the tree.

OK, so we need to wait for the river to go down a bit before we can use that one. At least we are unlikely to get flooded out of our campsite this year unlike last year when we camped along side the Minnesota River.

Our nearest neighbors. The ones we are hoping don’t move inside with us.

And our neighbors across the street.

Behind them you can see the sound barrier wall that separates us from Hwy 101. We still hear the traffic there but we don’t mind that. And, no, there are no railroad trains blowing their whistles on the other side of that highway. The trains are across the river.

TTYL,

Linda

We’ve spent nearly a week at the Winnebago factory having various repairs done to our RV.  There can be enormous advantages to returning here to have them done. Here’s a few of those from this trip.

Months ago we drove too close to a tree and scratched the side of our RV. The crew here not only knows precisely how to buff out those scratches they have in stock the decals that needed to be replaced.

You remember the toilet that floods? And the last place we had it “fixed” where they just cleaned and lubricated some parts then sold us some lubricant so we could do that, too? I personally think a fix should last longer than a week so we put that back on our fix-it list do be done again. The crew here found a broken part, when they went to  replace that part they found a second broken part. They didn’t have the second one in stock so they gave us a brand new toilet. Yes, they gave it to us because their records showed we had this fixed while still under warranty yet it was still broken.

Plus, when we bought our RV the arm of the Euro chair was broken so the dealer “fixed” it before we took delivery. But, it didn’t stay fixed either. So another shop “fixed” it again. Still broken. Here they sent it over to their Stitchcraft department where they make Winnebago’s furniture. Winnebago did not make our Euro chair but on this trip, they disassembled that broken arm and repaired in from the inside out. I think it is really fixed this time.

They did all those things in one day. So why were we here so long? They needed to order a part to fix our awning. Winnebago does not make the awning. They ordered that part Friday afternoon so it wasn’t shipped until Monday morning. It arrived Tuesday morning and Winnebago installed it Tuesday afternoon.

In the meantime, we have been camped on their property with a free electrical hookup and a nearby place to dump and fill. It really pays to return to the Mother Ship to have work done on a Winnebago RV.

TTYL,

Linda

I’m taking this opportunity to introduce you to a brand new blog I am enjoying reading and I hope you will, too

For many years, this fantastic young woman (OK young to me but maybe not to some of you)  has enjoyed learning sustainable life skills. After much prompting from friends she has begun sharing her thoughts about those skills with others. I remember, for instance, her once telling me that when you hang laundry outside in the wintertime don’t bring it in until it gets soft. If it is hard, that means there’s still frozen water in the clothes. Tidbits like that fascinate me. If they interest you, too, you will find her at http://ivegoneforawalk.blogspot.com/.

This is a woman who walks the walk before she talks the talk with all of us. I think we can all learn from her.

TTYL,

Linda

We were in Oakland, California, when we decide to take the most direct route to our summer site in Minnesota. The directions from there are easy. Take I-80 east to Des Moines, Iowa, then turn left onto I-35 to Minneapolis/St Paul.

Unfortunately, that put us traveling north in tornado alley during tornado season. And NOAA had issued a Hazardous Weather Statement for the area where we need to spend a few nights.  The statement warned of thunderstorms with potential quarter-sized hail. Now, we lived most our lives in Minnesota which means we know that type of storm also may contain tornadoes.

So we did what any right thinking RVer from Minnesota would do–we started looking for RV parks with storm shelters. Boy did we find a doozy!

In Margaret Mac Nider Park in Mason City, Iowa, is this storm shelter.

Yes, it’s open for business. It is the campground’s regular bathroom facility.

And the view of it you are seeing above is through our dining room window from our campsite.

Inside the entrance is a large space not used for much of anything–except during storms. Bring your own chair.

Next to that area is a family restroom. This is for handicapped people accompanied by caretakers of the opposite gender or for parents of children who should not be sent alone into public restrooms.

It includes all the facilities such people might need.

Then down a hallway we have this:

Men’s room on the left, women’s room on the right, laundry in between, and access to/from the outside at the other end.

The gender specific restroom are large.

The closest doors lead to toilet cubicles and the further ones are shower/dressing rooms.

In addition there are two more rooms in this facility.

I’m guessing the mechanical room includes the generator the park’s website says this building has. I’m sure storage has at least cleaning products and toilet paper. Who knows what other emergency supplies might be stored there.

Have you noticed this building has no windows? There will be no broken glass caused by high winds here.

The lights have motion detectors that turn them on. Which means if everyone settles down at night it could get dark. But, it also means anyone who gets up during the night to go to the bathroom will have that fact announced to everyone in the shelter. Still, better safe than sorry, right?

So if you find yourself anywhere near Mason City, Iowa, during storm season now you know where to go: http://masoncity.net/pView.aspx?id=1242&catid=58. And it’s right down the street from the hospital the Winnebago crew took me to when I broke my face just in case you don’t manage to stay completely safe from the storm.

And after all that, all we got was a little rain.

TTYL,

Linda