Super Simple Sundays

Winter Camping

Christmas holidays are being celebrated right here on the Salmon River in White Bird, Idaho.  The weather has been wonderful and I am getting in my long walks along the river every morning.

I did a little trailer decorating in my Bigfoot (17.5ft) with sweet little gifts mostly made by friends.  Lucky me.  

The scenery can't be beat.

I am heading home to Washington today to play with my Grandsons....yay.  But I will be back next week for our real Christmas celebration.  Stop in again and I will share some more pictures with you.

Thankfulness

Fall is the time of year when harvests are being gathering all around us.  Plenty for all.  Storing up for winter and the leaner times....at least that was the way.  Now days with transportation and the internet we can have anything we want or need at the drop of a hat, in season or out.  

Does this make us less grateful?  It sure makes life easier.  And the bounty can be shared a lot faster and conveniently.  Has it made us complacent?  Almost demanding?  Do we ever think about how difficult it was back in the day?  Do we give thanks for our abundance?  

As we gather around our Thanksgiving tables, please take a moment to be thankful for all our bounty.  We are truly blessed in this country.

Missing Your Sweet Smile

And that twinkle in your eye....

your ever ready hug....

and all our sweet camping adventures.  

You are gone too soon, Sherry, and I miss you so much.  Thanks for all the sweet memories you have gifted me. 

Misty Mornings

These days are filled to the brim and overflowing.  A few days camping and setting up Winter Camp and now the business of being home is catching up with me.  And the holidays are arriving shortly.  

Are you knee deep too?

Winter Camp

Once again it's time for winter camping on the Salmon River here in Idaho at White Bird.

The views are always stunning.

But there is a profound sadness this year, as we lost a dear camping friend just a week before our meetup.  My heart is very heavy but I am fortunate that we camped together a lot and just recently.  I will miss her terribly.

Fall Camping

Wanapan Dam, Vantage, WA

I am grabbing all the camping days I can before November 1st.  I'll be taking Ms. Magnolia, my Bigfoot, down to White Bird for the winter.

It's not that I won't be camping but I am trying to take advantage of Washington's State Parks Off Season Senior Pass before I head to Idaho.  What's not to like about $10 a night camping with electricity (no water, usually)?  

Heading out today for 4 nights, two by the Spokane River (close to the grands) and two at Alta Lake up North.  Never been there so it's another adventure.

Off to get a few more road miles under my belt before the snow flies.  

Fall Mornings

Fall leaves are turning and our weather is getting cold.  It just makes me want to hang on to every bit of the out-of-doors I can.  I've been camping a few days a week for awhile now....trying to grab it all.  Off again next week for four more days.  And then Ms. Magnolia will be off for the winter at White Bird, Idaho.

I am trying to rework my blog, so hopefully I can make some positive changes soon.  I am using my iphone for a camera and still haven't been able to downloaded all the pictures.  And I want an Apple computer? Hummm...let me think on that.

Super Simple Sunday....Almost

This started out as a Super Simple Sunday post but I remembered I had to repair my Bargman lock on my 1969 Shasta, so she could get into storage today.  I haven't been able to lock it all the time since last Spring.  And on my last trip out about two weeks ago, I wasn't able to lock her at all!  

Last time I had a problem with it a few years ago, I couldn't unlock it.  I took it all apart with instructions from youtube and successfully repaired it.  Bent shaft, cheap pot metal.  This time I started there and ended up finding a post  that had lots of pictures of the guts so I could check everything out carefully.  

It came down to a little ball bearing that was missing....can you believe that?  And it was a total of 20 cents for the part!  She works great now.  I am so thrilled I didn't have to try and find another one, last time I looked they were selling for over $400!  Mine isn't all shiny and new but she's been siliconed and is working great.  

Ran out of time to get her to storage but she's ready now and headed there tomorrow....guess this could have been considered as a super simple job...on a Sunday.

Vintage Bath

When I moved into this old house (hee,hee), some 20 years ago, there was a tub on the floor surrounded by wood and low and behold, it was a claw foot tub.  I found the feet in the basement (thanks so much for saving them!).  I had the tub refinished and remodeled the rest of the small bath, by adding an opening onto the part of the back porch, where I put my washer and dryer.  They didn't look very good in the kitchen!  

This house is 111 years old and this bathroom didn't exist when it was built.  I'm sure they used an old  outhouse back in the day.  I tried to keep to the old fashioned look so I added a pedestal sink with old style faucet handles.

I found newspapers from the 30's in the walls, used as insulation.  

I found a couple of old unusual windows at Habitat For Humanity and put some spray-painted old drawer pulls on for a little bling.  

I added the other window in the laundry room to hold my jewelry....needless to say this is a lot fuller now.

I loved that someone frosted the windows.

So glad these are out of the kitchen.  I did this remodel in about 2002 but I've done some fluffing since.

I took the door from the office as it was just what I wanted for the bath.  Couldn't find another one just like it.

See you again later with another bath redo.  Have a great Sunday.

Lazy Days of Autumn?

The heat has been oppressive this summer and the skies smokey.  At least the heat is gone now.  School kids are busy hitting the classrooms and the farmers are working hard bringing in their yields.  The camping season is starting to draw down.  

Or is it?  I for one, plan to camp late into the year.  State Parks in Washington offer a off season camping senior pass for $75, wherein you can camp free or for a nominal fee of $10 per day (for power) from October through March 31 and Sundays-Thursdays in April.  Minimum age, 62.  What a deal!  This will be the first year for me....not that I am 62 (the minimum age)!!!  That's almost a decade out of range!

Sign up for these passes is open October 1.  Join me in the woods...by a river.....or a lake....under the starry sky.....

Super Simple Sundays

It's been a blazing hot summer so I thought you might appreciate some added color in this photo...  The smoke has finally cleared after many weeks of smoky skies.  What a relief.

Sorry, I have been so remiss in posting but I am well and doing lots of camping.  Off with my daughter and Grands again tomorrow, so maybe I will get cracking and post some pictures for you later this week.

Hope you are having a great weekend with clear skies.

Super Simple Sundays

Super Simple Sundays

Winter Wonderland.

Enjoy the Day

Good wishes for your Thanksgiving Day!

Super Simple Sundays

Feeling a bit under the weather with a cold that just won't let go...ugh.  Something simple to entertain myself....a vintage postcard travel puzzle.

Winter Camping

Two years ago I took 'Driving Ms. Daisy' down to White Bird, ID for my first winter camping event.  She went down the first of November and stayed all winter...until May.  I would visit her every few weeks, weather permitting (it is about a 3.5 hour trip over two mountain passes) during the season. 

I loved staying in her with my new little fireplace...she was cozy and warm.  It was very cold on some trips, like New Year's eve when it was 10 below.  We hung out by the campfire, with our snacks freezing in a very short time!  We would sun bath (albeit, fully covered in the sun), craft or read, take walks and play games.  Of course, sitting around the campfire was the best!  What wonderful memories!

After one winter I realized that Ms. D was not designed for winter camping.  With the heater running to keep me warm and the super cold temps outside, she would sweat inside below my bed cushions and on the walls.  I did insulate her as best I could but that may have also made that problem worse.  She got a small leak in the ceiling and after many attempts to fix it (too cold for the caulk to really dry) I decided it was best not to bring her back again.

So along came my 17.5 ft of Bigfoot, which I purchased in November of 2015.  Four season....so insulated and with double pane windows....yay!  A propane furnace, a bathroom with shower, self priming stove, hot water tank, outdoor shower and a huge fridge.  Everything a gal could want, plus I can haul it with my Toyota Highlander.  

 I just took her down to White Bird this weekend for her second winter.  It was a gorgeous weekend, perfect temps and lots of sun.  I winterizer her with (girl) help and did some little fix it jobs, mostly organizing and changing out, for more convenience.  Some decorating for Christmas is awaiting me in December.

Thank you all for your good wishes for a quick recovery from my Ablation.  I got out and walked a couple of days and rested more the other two....just needed to monitor how much I tried to do.  I am improving as I was able to get off one medicine that was making me so lethargic.  Yay!  I will continue to walk this week in hopes of building up my stamina.

I am a happy camper.  Heehee.....

So Sorry...

I have so been a bad girl.  I have been downsizing all summer and had my Living Estate sale in September.  It was a big success but so much work!  Months worth in fact.

I did get some camping in this summer but not as much as usual.  I did get the grands out a couple of times...we always have a blast.

And I have gotten in a little crafting....

I had a heart Ablation last Friday and am doing well but very tired.  Just sleeping a lot and hanging out on the couch....thank goodness I can do that.  I am on a couple extra meds and I have a feeling that is part of my lethargy.  I am suppose to be able to do most of my activities in the coming weeks so I am looking forward to that.  Heart healing will take about three months and by then I should know if this worked to silence my A-Fib.

Have a great week...hope to be back to post again soon.

Super Simple Sundays

Over the Top Trailer Interior