The Sandcastle

I have been hinting that we have been thinking of changing gears. We have driven the scenic routes we most wanted to drive. While focusing on that we have passed by many inviting places. Now we think it is time to change gears so we can see each place we visit in more depth.

To do that, we need to be able to park for a week to a month in each place we visit while still being able to get around to the sites in each area. That means it is time to buy a toad.

A toad is what RVers call a car that is towed behind a motorhome. Dave and I have been discussing toads pretty much since we decided to go fulltime. We decided not to buy one before we drove the scenic routs on our list as pulling a toad would limit our flexibility during those excursions. But now appears to be the time.

Next question, what toad? We’d like one we can put the Segway inside to facilitate my mobility at sites we visit. Dave would like one he can drive on forest roads. It needs to be one that can be pulled 4-wheels down since we don’t want to have to deal with a tow dolly or trailer.

The best combination of those things appears to be a Honda CR-V all wheel drive.

We can pull that behind our Winnebago View but it puts us pretty close to maximum combined vehicle weight. Will we do it? Stay tuned for further details.

TTYL,

Linda

Still running. Getting tired.

TTYL,

Linda

Dave was assigned to Fort Wolters twice. Once in 1966 for training as a helicopter pilot then again in 1968 as a teacher of others. We left there four months ahead of schedule in January of 1970 as the Army was dumping hundreds of pilots on the public market every month. They closed this base three years later. Now, there are some familiar places and some unfamiliar places but nothing is the same.

And nothing makes you feel old quite like having a place from your past named “historic”.

The old entrance sign was relettered as an industrial park but even that has aged since then.

Some barrack buildings have been repurposed. My favorite is the prison.

This parking lot is now part of a truck driving school. Barrel racing, anyone?

Finally, here’s the now abandoned hospital where our daughter was born. Now she can feel old, too.

TTYL,

Linda

No, that’s not Dave. We avoid snow nowadays. We’re getting the liquefied version instead although they’re now saying it could turn white tomorrow. But, we have a good furnace so we are all snuggled in our beds wondering if the deer will come wandering through our campsite tonight.

TTYL,

Linda

photo credit: http://lensenvy.squarespace.com/

Since I fussed so much while making these, I thought I should show you how they turned out. As I mentioned I made them from leftover bits of bedding so they match our decor nicely. I think if I was just starting now to make them for the kitchen window I would start with bandannas, dinner napkins, or men’s handkerchiefs so I would only have to sew the rod pockets without having to hem everything first.

The bedding it all matches:

The bathroom:

The kitchen:

The original plan was for the kitchen curtain to hang free but it was hard to turn on the faucet without getting the curtain wet or to move the toaster oven far enough from it to feel safe so we wound up putting in a bottom rod, too. It’s still a lot softer look than those horrible metal blinds and these can go in the laundry for washing.

I still have living room valances to finish if we change the shades we have there now but there’s time yet to make that decision.

TTYL,

Linda