Texas to Wisconsin

Greetings from Necedah, Wisconsin!  Necedah is the home of Camp-Inn Teardrop Travel Trailers, maker of our fine "Katie".  After camping in Texas, in the national forest and at Escapees, for two months, we needed to move on!  Being too static makes us to complacent.  And even though there were things to do, medical and otherwise, we definitely felt it was time to be on the road again.

We left Texas on Friday morning, and for three days drove 400 hours per day to arrive in Necedah this past Sunday night.  The ride was surprisingly smooth and thankfully uneventful, so we actually enjoyed ourselves.  Nevelle is still a champ in the car!  He tolerates traveling very well, although he'd rather just be hanging outdoors!  We stop every 90 minutes to stretch and walk him on his leash, and this seems to keep all three of us healthy!

We had two things motivating us to head to Necedah.  The rather significant motivator is that we are looking to sell Katie, and step up to a larger travel trailer.  After this first spectacular year on the road traveling, and since adopting Nevelle, we came to the realization that the teardrop is just too small.  Being full-timers, the smallness of the space is really noticeable.  If we were traveling on periodic small outings, we would definitely stay with the teardrop.  Overall, she is very comfortable for sleeping and is so easy to tow.  But, dressing is like doing yoga, and having the cat, cat bed, and litter box in such a small space, well, we felt a larger trailer would be a great change for us.  This is done, certainly, with mixed feelings,but it feels right.

Our search for a larger, but cool trailer, took us to a manufacturer named Forest River, and a model called rpod!  The particular model, the 179, that we want in 20' long, double the length of Katie.  Happily we found a seller in central Texas selling a 2016 model 179.  He explained that he and his wife retired last fall and bought the trailer, intending to spend a lot of time camping.  Well, after three camping trips, they decided they don't like camping, so they put the trailer on the market.  So, Katie is listed for sale via several outlets, and the seller will hold the trailer until July 1, giving us time to sell the teardrop.

The rpod has a queen bed, a dining area, a small bathroom, and a decent sized kitchen area, all in a neat little package.  We had a chance the other day to see a 179, along with a couple of other models, and we are very excited about our choice!

Now to sell our teardrop.  If you or anyone you now is interested, please let me know!

While in Necedah, we celebrated my birthday yesterday by eating at a terrific restaurant called the Little Crane.  Today, Friday, the 27th, we went birding at the Necedah WildlifeSanctuary.  What a beautiful place!  It is an important stopover for migrating Sandhill cranes, and has hosted a pair of whooping cranes for 18 years that have produced a chick each year.  One success story for this endangered species.

We saw many species of birds, including young bald eagles in the nest, Sandhill crane, a good number of warblers, and American kestrel.  It is a lovely sanctuary, and made me miss my days at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts.  Places of beauty and peace...very special!

Miscellaneous Stuff!

A quick list of recently seen and heard birds during our last days of the forest:

Indigo bunting has been back.  And a thrill was to see a rose-breasted grosbeak!

On a hike to a pretty little creek called Clear Creek, we had some nice birds: scarlet tanager, yellow-billed cuckoo, eastern bluebirds, great-crested flycatcher, yellow warbler, eastern wood peewee, wood thrush, and a bird whose song we hear all the time, and we cannot ID it!  Frustrating!

Right at our campsite, Michael found blackberries and we enjoyed their sweet and sour taste!

There were some pretty warm days here and often in the mid-eighties.  The ambient temp itself wasn't  so bad, but in the sun, it was pretty toasty.  Sitting in the surrounding forest kept us cool and comfy in the shade!

Michael decided to build a stool out of pine wood he found and sawed to size.  He drafts plans on paper first, accounting for the smallest details.  Here it is as a work in progress.

It is hard to believe that we have been here in Sam Houston National Forest for close to two months!  It has been a very relaxing change from all of the driving, but it is time to move on.  Our plan is to move on to the Escapees RV campground.  We arrived on Monday, May 2.   Hallejulah...there are showers here!  Plus we can do laundry, and at an electric site we can better charge the trailer.  Solar has kept our volt meter reading around 12.4, but the refrigerator won't go on.  This voltage reading is typically adequate for the 'fridge to run, so we don't know if there is a bigger issue at hand.  The operations manual does suggest that the refrigerator won't run if the ambient temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit.  Even though thermometer readings are in the mid- to high eighties, in the galley it feels warmer.

Beautiful new flowers are blooming around us.

A dragonfly hitched a ride on the car.  A big beauty, but the details are a bit fuzzy:

The reason for hanging around the Livingston area for so long was due to that episode with my chest pains back in March.  Since then I underwent a stress test and heart cathaterization and thankfully all is well and my heart is healthy.  The doctor feels it may be my esophagus so he recommends I visit a gastroenterologist.  The medical carousel goes round and round.  So my appointment is June 14.  Our plan is to stay in Texas, but to tour and camp around the state.

It has been frustrating at times to be so stationary, but these medical or other issues will come up as we haven't totally escaped from real life.  Our plan is to leave Escapees tomorrow for another local campsite called Stubblefield as I have a wrap up appointment with the cardiologist on the 17th.  We will then head south to High Island and Galveston, and maybe South Padre Island.

How Easy it is to Fall in Love!

We had a surprise visitor come into our lives on April 6.  And talk about love at almost first sight!

We were sitting at our forest campsite when we spotted a black dog close by with no human companion and no collar and ID tags.  Because our awesome cat, Nevelle, was out on his tie-out, I panicked and called out "dog!", so Michael could scoop up the cat.  The dog disappeared for a second or two, and then came back.  I slowly approached it and this dog had one happy tail wagging!  He came to me and allowed me to pet it.  He had a precious face, ears that looked like wings, and sadly, a malnourished looking body.  His coat was blackish-brown and in really nice condition.  He had a few scrapes on his legs and belly.

We fed him some cat food which he scarfed down and gave him water and he wasn't leaving!  We half expected someone to come by to claim him, but no one did.  Our supposition was that an owner ditched the poor thing in the forest.  

We had him sleep outside Michael's door on a blanket, but it was chilly and damp and we felt so badly for him.  Subsequent nights he slept in our car.  Each night he whimpered less and less once we left him to sleep.

So the next day we took him to a vet at Petsmart who checked Jet, as we now called him, and all looked good.  He had his rabies shots and core vaccines.  A food high in protein was suggested so he'd gain weight, which he did.  It was gratifying to see him come around so well.

At this point, he became very attached to us, and constantly showed his love with lots of sloppy kisses.  One thing that endeared him to us was his tendency to nestle with you and lay his head on your chest or arm.  His face was sweet and he just watched us with big brown eyes.

Jet, who was very responsive to this name, had lots of energy to burn.  He loved to run while being walked, would only walk with me, and whimpered any time I'd walk away, even if just several feet.

As you might guess, we were thinking about him becoming a permanent part of our family.  We really fell for him.  Our cat reached out to him with tender pats and going nose to nose with Jet.  But, after a few days, Jet became agressive toward Nevelle, and of course, this worried us.  When we scolded Jet, he reacted with obedience.  But, he just didn't warm up to Nevelle.

We began to be concerned about this plus our limited space with the teardrop and car, and the irregularity of our travels.  Would he adjust to long rides and different locales on a regular basis?  Nevelle did right away, but would this work for this high energy dog?

So in our second week, we decided that we should find him a forever home.  Long story short, we found a young man in Houston and today was transition day from us to Kevin.  It went rather smoothly and Kevin has texted pictures and questions all day.  Once Jet settles in with Kevin, we are hopeful that he has a well cared for life.  Kevin seemed to fall for Jet quickly, as well.

So our lives have resumed Odyssey normalness.  I have to admit I shed a few tears, but all in all, we are so gratified to have rescued this sweet dog.

On another note, the birding is picking up.  We saw indigo bunting today, a pair of Mississippi kites flying, and a huge juvenile golden eagle in flight.  We also have now seen two scissored-tailed flycatchers, a beautiful bird, and continue to hear the whip-poor-will call each evening.  

So, that's the news from Sam Houston National Forest!  Next Friday, we'll head to the local Escapees campground for a few nights, to get an electric hook-up for the first time in over a month.  The solar, and charging by running the car, has worked pretty well, but the teardrop needs a good boost in charging.  Then we're on our way to New Mexico!

To Plan or Not to Plan. That is the question!

We often think that because we are on the road traveling full-time, that we should have a plan, and head from point A to point B non-stop.  But as we celebrate the one year anniversary of our "odyssey travels of the USA", we realize we can comfortably combine both planning and footloose as our mode of operation.

Here we are in Sam Houston National Forest for a month already!  We didn't plan for this, but it has worked out beautifully.  It's been a nice break from the steady driving, and almost feels like a vacation from our vacation!

The fact we have found the spot we are in has worked out well, due to some medical issues, like that "heart attack" scare.  As far as that goes, I had a stress test yesterday, and am awaiting results.  So far no call, so maybe no news is good news.  A follow up appointment is scheduled for the end of the month.  Then we expect to be heading out.

The birding is very good.  Lots of expected birds, but other nice surprises like a whip-por-will who calls every night.  A blue-headed vireo, hermit thrush, scarlet tanager, and a pileated woodpecker are our favorite special birds of the moment.  We have found a nesting spot for red-cockaded woodpeckers that we'll keep checking for birds.

So, we have a plan now following our departure at the end of the month!  We will head toward northern New Mexico and visit Sante Fe. We'll continue northwest to Washington state.  Then we'll head into Canada and head east for awhile.  Ultimately, we will end up in Wisconsin by late July, first to Eau-Claire for the World Flute Society convention, and then to Necedah to get some work done on the teardrop and add a propane tank to the tongue.  After that we will head south back to Texas for an appointment and then back up to Iowa for a flute festival.  Then east to Cape Cod and a visit there for a week or so.  Following the Cape, our plan is to head to NJ to visit family and friends, and then to Florida for November and December.  We are planning (see how planning comes up in our adventure!) to visit Key West and then west again toward Texas for late winter.

So yes, we sometimes plan, and sometimes fly by the seat of our pants!  It has made our adventure a true adventure, full of surprises and beauty!  

We'll be in touch soon!

Red clover flowers.

Nevelle climbing trees!

2 + 1 = 3 Happy Campers

Yes, our family of 2 has grown!  When we began our journey last year, the idea of a pet was always on our minds.  Yes, even with our tiny trailer!  And we anticipated a dog if we went this route.  Well, our dog turned out to be a cat and it's one of the best decisions we have made on our travels!

While in Las Cruces, New Mexico, about a month ago, we were "camping" at a Walmart, and a store called Pet's Barn was in the same plaza.  So in we went, all the while Michael is saying "we are NOT adopting a pet".  Well, you can guess how this ended up!  About 6 cats were there for adoption on behalf of a local adoption center.  There we found Nevelle!  Pronounced like Nev-Ull.  A male domestic short haired cat that the employees described as a "love" soon was ours!  He had been up for adoption since last March.  That made it even more special that we were finally giving him a forever home.

And, the staff had leash trained him inside the store.  Perfect!  Nevelle walks with us outdoors at least once a day.  He stops and starts, and sometimes has to be carried a bit, but he's adapted beautifully to the outdoors, always on a leash or long run-out.  He sleeps with us in the teardrop and is litter box trained.  He loves his corner, but now has taken to sleeping between us!

Outdoors, he's active, chasing crickets and butterflies, and sitting under a big mound of pine needles.  Nevelle has made us super happy!  

In his pine needle fort!

At night he feeds on a cubby hole door that folds down.

We love that he is mostly white with a tail that looks like it was dipped in brown paint!

Yes, he does climb trees.  But since he's on a run-out he doesn't get too far up!

And, he travels so well in the car with us.  We put his food/water bowls and litter box in the back and he rides with us like a champ!  The perfect traveling buddy!

Lone Star Trail

Michael and I decided to "hike" some of the Lone Star trail today, about two hours on the 100 mile trail.  It passes nearby, and we also walked on a right of way for a natural gas line.  

I put hike in quotes, because we stop every few minutes to look at nature around us, mushrooms, flowers, ant trails, butterflies, dragonflies, and more, plus listening to birdsong and tracking the birds down.  So it is more like a stroll than a hike!!  A naturalists' hike!

Black and white warbler, yellow warbler, pine warbler, scarlet tanager, downy woodpecker, American goldfinch, Carolina chickadee, and chipping sparrow are some of the birds we had today.  It tells us that spring migration is slowly starting!  A Northern harrier flew overhead once we returned to our campsite.

Butterflies seen include common buckeye, mourning cloak, dusky wings sp., angle wings sp., and a "blue" hairstreak-like butterfly.  Our jaws dropped when a moth, the palest shade of teal, came around us; we think it was a moth!  It was a beauty!

The most amazing thing we saw was an ant "highway", about 150 yards long! Leaf-cutter ants were coming from a mound, most carrying bits of leaves, and heading to a hole in the ground where apparently they store the leaf pieces.  Call us crazy, but we were really entertained by this!

Ant highway.

Ant hole and bits of leaves carried there by ants.

Typical ant mounds that we have been seeing.

Tiny balls of excavated dirt at an ant hole.

Lone Star trail.

Happy times!

Well camouflaged lizard.

Gas pipeline right of way.

Still enjoying our campsite!

Later, Michael decided to bake a coffee cake in the Dutch oven:

The final product:

And a bee has set up territory by the teardrop and all he/she does is fly back and forth, chasing all kinds of insects away!  Our guard bee!

Big yellow and black bee above the charcoals, right side of screen!

With bellies full of coffee cake, it's time to enjoy the sunset and starry sky!

Heaven in the National Forest

I write from Sam Houston again, but this time in a perfect spot for camping. We spoke to a ranger about free camping and upon his advice, we drove a couple of forest roads until we found this road with a pretty clearing among long needle pines and strawberry flowers (we think strawberry!).  Lots of butterflies here that we can't ID, so next Barnes & Noble bookstore we pass, I am purchasing a butterfly field guide!  Not very birdy so far,  but have heard pileated woodpeckers calling and drumming.  Other birdsong around, but not much to see other than vultures.

This spot is perfect for boondocking (free and dry camping) and so much nicer than most campsites you pay for.  Saturday night, the 12th of March, we sat under starry skies eating freshly baked bread that Michael made with the Dutch oven.  No photo, sorry!  We dove right into eating it warm with butter!

Before we came here we spent three nights at Escapees campground.  One morning, about one half hour after we awoke, I started with chest pains, radiating to my jaw and left shoulder, with nausea.  Michael rushed me to the local hospital ER, where tests and an EKG showed I did not have a heart attack, much to our thankfulness.  The doctor recommended a stress test, so I will be arranging for that.  Boy, was that scary.  I feel well since.

Just returned from a sunset walk and saw and heard black and white warblers, a pileated flying, Cardinal, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Carolina wren, and Carolina chickadee.  Our third night here and we're listening to coyotes in the distance.  We hear cattle or steer calling out too, kind of a spooky sound!  And, not a soul around!  Very peaceful and beautiful!  Because it is so lovely here, we might stay for a while!