2020 The Year of Unknows Living in a Rectangle

Living in a Rectangle  2020 

*How does one do Living in a Rectangle in 2020? There are no rallies, no gatherings, Texas state parks will still not allow overnight as of May 2020.  Many questions abide during this time so we press forward and get ready to take our first trip of the year to Fredericksburg, Tx . Now for the fun to begin as wineries say they are open.

*The question of why Texas state parks will not allow overnight for RVs that are self contained remain a question. Is it because the park rangers would be put at risk? We would not need to be near them, just tell us what spot we have for our reservation. WeI understand that the bathrooms would be closed but we don’t use them as The Rectangle has everything we need.
Oh well rules are rules.

*Fun times are ready to begin as the coach is pulled out of “storage” from across the street and it is all super nice and clean after a wash. It shines. Fridge is on and we are packed except for the food.  Tuesday night and we are ready to depart in the morning

*Wednesday looks good for a road trip….BUT, But but    Flat tire on inside tire back passenger. David spends time on the phone to determine if he can still drive the RV to a tire place. After about an hour of “these people are of no help” he calls National Indoor RV and they lead him to the right place to call. NOW he remembers from when we were in Canada two years ago these great people in Denton were who got him to where we got the tires fixed in Maine.

*Can he drive the RV to Denton (about 35 mines or so). Sure says the man at the tire place, just air it up and come on up. OK David gets it aired up and off he goes. I am at home waiting for the phone call of whatever the outcome from this adventure. The call comes in and $14 later and a couple of hours behind schedule we start the journey to Fredericksburg.

We chose Fredericksburg because our wine closet was depleted and the Canadian border is like closed so our trip to British Columbia wine country is a no go. Texas wines or whatever delightful wines we find in Fredericksburg will have to fill the wine closet.

Stay tuned for what The Rectangle has in store for us.

Lone Oak, Texas Rally..Living in a Rectangle

October 2019
It has been a long time but the RV fall runs are always the best. The RV rally was in Lone Oak, Texas and we hosted with another couple...so much fun. As always there are those moments  that bring joy and other emotions.

 Living in a Rectangle:
*Packing is always over packing, why do I take so many clothes when this will only be a weekend? Because it seems so easy to throw in something else (no suitcase weight).

*It was strange to only put in one bottle of wine but then we were going to a winery the next day and I am sure they will have enough for me to add a few bottles. (yes I did)

*The weather was like so totally cooperative with rain one night and that dropped the temps to perfect fall cool. When you can wear a sweatshirt in the AM and peel it off during the day it does not get any better.

*We planned for a church group to bring a hay ride trailer for a fun ride through the park. Donations to go to the youth group. The perfect ride trailer with benches on the side shows up, perfect. We pile on and the ride is going so well, so much fun....but then a back wheel makes a not good noise and the trailer starts to swerve. Stopping we discover the wheel has two lugs and one of them is loose and he wheel is about to fall off. A good angel comes by and in his truck he had all the tools to make the plan to take a few lugs off the other wheels to get it stable....nope the lug screws were stripped so the lug would not hold...bottom line walking back to the club house gave us all some exercise. BUT we gave a generous amount to the church and hopefully when they come to get the trailer they can gte it back to the church. Such fun.

*After a great weekend we r traveling home and it happened...coming around the bend on 635 near DFW airport the car started the "death wobble". Yes it is shocking to feel the car you are towing being "tossed around". Now we have all the right equipment and have towed for two years this Jeep Cherokee with no issues. Slowed down thew on hazard lights and finally found a place to pull over. Took the Jeep off and I followed the RV in it. It drove just fine. The Jeep Wranglers had this issue but not the Cherokee, needless to say it is going into the dealer service bay tomorrow.  

*I love margaritas but when you are taking a full bucket out of the freezer of the RV and the lid popes over and it pours onto the top of your head and completely over you? Well it is a sticky mess a very sticky mess. Got myself out of the clothes and showered then had to clean the RV floor and etc. It was like a sit com moment. You can't make this stuff up....

Will They or Will They Not Love the Location

It is always nice to get away to a place not been before and discover that there is a world of camping that families really are active and children can play and have fun outdoors. In getting to know a campground to host a rally for our Class A RV group in October we were in East Texas at just such a place. Now this campground is very different from most of them  our group goes to in that it is not concrete slabs but nicely done sites with stone "slab" and I must say very level so no problems with that. But I know there are those Class A RV people that do not see themselves as campers but "resort" campers. This rally will test there ability to let go and get out of the norm for them. Now one can only hope the weather will in some way cooperate with the outdoorness of the camp. (We will see about that).

All the sites are on the lake and it was so nice to sit out and see the water and the fish jumping and the birds of all sorts flying and the deer running around and the buzzards doing their thing....it was nice and quiet, peaceful even with the weekend filling up the camp with families. I enjoyed being there and look forward to what it will be in the fall.

We have a really great rally planned from music, to food, to golfing, to day trips, to  games and fellowship. It will be interesting the feedback we get on the location of which we had no input into; just this is what the club has booked and we said we would host with another couple. Location comments from the group will be whatever, but I can promise they will love the food and fun we have planned. The meeting room is nice but once again not the norm in that we will have to drive to it from our rigs, not a long way but not a walk to distance. Good news plenty of parking and on the lake with nice views.

A great trip to Louisana

It was a smooth start to the journey to Louisiana today. All good even getting through the Dallas 635 traffic. I like smooth takeoffs and this one for reasons unknown was one of the smoothest. It may have been that we did not stock the refrigerator but will buy things when we get there and it may have been that we did not leave at 8am but 11:30am and it may have been that we left a day later than planned and it may have been we decided to just go as far as we can and not worry about finding an RV hook up but just grab a motel for the night. Now for some RVers staying in a motel is almost against the “rules” to the whole RV image and while overnight in the Walmart parking lot is no cost it also does not give us the best nights rest. The cost of motel is a bit more than an overnight hook up at an RV location so we are OK with doing that.  With all the packing done, motel reservation done we are off smoothly.
The drive is pleasant and we are listening to the music munching on pretzels when David says “there is something I forgot to do”, hmm OK what? “I forgot to take my house shoes out of the oven and turn it off”…what?  Yep he got his shoes wet this morning so decided to “cook them” so he could take them with him.( so much for the plan). Good news, our neighbor was home and we have the app to open our garage door so she could go in and retrieve the shoes and turn off the oven. she did say this was the first shoe rescue she had done.
Meanwhile, back to the peaceful driving with no thought the house could catch on fire. all good.



Living in a Rectangle 
A lovely evening in Longview, Tx at the Fernbrook RV Park. Lovely park, quiet, nice pull thru.
What a great weekend at the Canjun Rally. in Rayne, LA  Lots of music and good food and beautiful site seeing. Also we brought the best gin ever, Roxor  a wonderful gin made in Dallas, Tx. Friends at the rally also agreed the gin was super good. This is my new go to gin for sure . Then I learned some things about gin I was not aware of?? When going down the highway and you do not put the bottle in the cabinet it will go flying off the counter, you then hear like an explosion and a cork closer shooting across the floor and gin following. The Rectangle then wafted nice with expensive gin floral/botanical smells. Nice as it was it was not meant to be on the floor. Rescued the bottle saved most and continued down the road (we will clean it up later). Finally at our overnight RV park and guess what? gin evaporates nicely so not a bad cleanup and we got to enjoy the fragrance while driving  But now time to enjoy a gin and tonic. David made them nicely and then with a wave of a hand hurled one of them to the floor…ice, tonic, gin and lime were the next floor cleaners. Paper towels, on hand and knees makes short work of the second cleanup. AT LAST new drink made with an added plus of the really clean floor. Cheers

2019 The Rectangle Gets Ready to Travel

It is 2019 which means it is time to get The Rectangle ready for a new season of road tripping. Our 2015 Newmar Canyon Star (wow has it already been 3 years for The Rectangle?). Yes and so to get ready there is always the maintenance of which David is a stickler for. Houses can sometimes be called "money pits" but The Rectangle is more a "money puddle" where jumping in can get you wet but you will not drown. Into the shop it went and since we got two new front tires during our Canada trip last year at least tires are not on the list. The list is get the air/heat pumps serviced and cleaned; reseal around the skylight and other things on the roof, get a new couch and the driver and passenger seats recovered (at least this is no cost because covered under warranty). The cost was a puddle, but it will keep The Rectangle in great shape for the travel year.

Our first trip out was to the Hill Country city of Evant, Texas. We stayed in the Buena Vista Wildlife Safari RV Park... This is the story we heard: (have no idea if it is true or not?)  this a ranch that has exotic animals that a wealthy oil person used for hunting of them with his wealthy friends. As will happen hard times came and he had to sell the ranch and animals which for the animals was a good thing as the new owner did not want to hunt them. The ranch is now a sanctuary for the exotics and one can pay to drive thru and see them. As far as new RV parks is it good, even with the road noise that after the second night we are pretty used to. Everyday the feed truck goes out and you can follow it to see all the animals really up close and personal.  This link will give you all the info on the park and the animals.     https://www.buenavistawildlifesafari.com/

Evant was small but with several places to eat.  Hamilton down the road had good Chinese. now the story here is interesting as the locals say there was a couple running the restaurant and they went back to China and another couple returned from China with the same name and is running the restaurant or something like that? Whatever the story, the food was great. The winery in Hamilton is a delight and should you be in the area worth the visit.  link: Red Wing Dove Winery

Next adventure soon...until then The Rectangle will get a bath and polish and staple goods restocked for the season. 

More Maine and Joining Our Tour...Lessons Learned

*National Parks are such a treasure and Arcadia Park is no exception. Grand beauty and vistas and nice surprises like Thunder Hold where the crashing wave into the hole delivers all the thrill of sound and water spray. Why is getting wet so much fun? It is always a surprise when it happens and yet we go there because we know it will happen. But like the axe man jumping out of the closet in a movie (we know he will yet we jump) the water crashes into the hole and we are still surprised when the water leaps out of the hole and spays us.

*Cadillac Mountain tip puts the world at your feet, beautiful views of sea and islands just like on the postcards.

*Fantasy RV Tours: Meeting up with 24 other RVs to start a new type of adventure with a “caravan tour” begins the process of forming community with rules and common goals:
+Rule: No Bad Days
+Rule:It is your vacation so personalize with side trips as you want
+Rule:Be at the assigned campground or let the Wagon Master know your other plans.
+Goal: Travel safe
+Goal: Share experiences and create memories.

*Group whole lobster dinner with others on the tour always makes for fun times as those who have never seen a whole lobster on their plate are a bit taken back by it “staring” at them. But soon enough those who know show those who do not know and the crackers are fast at work. There are of course those that just cannot, so they have alternative meal. I like those that have the alternative meal because it means their lobster is available…thank you Charlotte.

*A trip mascot (a stuffed lobster) was presented to the group and each couple was to host it for a day and enter into a diary the experiences of the mascot. We jumped on being first (let’s just get it out of the way). It was named Claude or Clawed depending on if you wanted him to be French Canadian or a Maine Rapper…we went with French Canadian.

*WE GET A DOG…ok so it is a black wooden lab dog sitting nicely  with a cute bandana around his neck we have named Band short for Bandana, but hey most everyone in our group has a dog or two or three and are out walking them, or making plans to have them walked if needed because we have several days with full day bus tours. We have a nice dog that needs no walking and funny as it is as when those other dogs are out walking they stop and look at Band and some have even barked at him. So far none have “marked” him. Then one morning we notice someone has put a leash on him? A nice like bike red bike wire with lobster clamps on either end and put around Band and the picnic table…well after all there are lease rules in the RV park, never did find out who did this nice touch.

Bar Harbor, Maine is a busy tourist town with shops, restaurants and the usual issue of too many cars and not enough parking. To solve this their is a nice lot outside town with a shuttle bus every 15 minutes to the downtown area. While so many wonderful small towns are fun to visit and offer nice ambiance they all have the small streets with too many cars and no parking syndrome. At least Bar Harbor is trying to find solutions.

More lessons later, off to eat more lobster…travel safe as school kids are now on the road.

Thunder Hole

Welcome dinner with tour group

Claude is on the road

Summer Fun on the Road Heading to Maine

Living in a Rectangle has many lessons the first being when you don’t write you might get behind and then it is a month later. But there has been lessons…

*Remember lessons of the past and plan your route back to Penn State to have ice cream at the Berkey Creamery. Yep just as good as two years ago.
*When driving down the road to Maine and one learns the roads can be very bumpy, very bumpy and that is when things can fall down…like the shade on the drivers side as one is going 60 miles and hour. Oh my it is a shock when a very heavy double shade comes down, the good news it fell straight down rested nicely and we continued down the road.
*Getting the shade back up was a fun game of how many toothpicks can you shove up a hole to create “new wood” that a screw can go into and hold up a shade?  Answer, not enough, so one goes to plan B…New hole, put in a sheetrock anchor into hole and a heavier screw. Ahhh, problem solved.
*Going into Thomas Point Beach campground in Brunswick, Maine and we see Band Camp signs everywhere for Band Camp Registration, Parking etc and we think how fun to see the high school band camp students but then one realizes it is not high school, it is a music festival for alternative rock. One must then adjust the expectation of what the music will be….it was however very good.
*We had a delightful camping site at Thomas Point Beach……. It was a rocky start with our neighbors. We pulled in and went to the electrical pole. Two 30amp plugs, so I picked one and put in the electrical upon which I hear this booming voice yell “That is not your plug, that is my plug.” and rushing at a fast pace was a man most intent in making sure I heard him so he said it a couple of more times. I stood silently until he stopped and I said, OK. This was a not what he expected and he began to explain how he camped here in the same spot  every year forever and he grew up in the area and last year only one of the plugs worked and on and on. I said OK as David looked on. David called the office upon which the man (Mike) began to talk about how he had known the owners forever and the new person in the office would not know anything and etc etc. Bottom line is the manager came over and explained all the electrical worked as they had done all the repairs from last year, so all was good. Mike came around to being pleasant and a good neighbor.
*Sounds of camping. Squirrels in the trees, Woodpeckers getting food, Leaves making music in the breeze and SILENCE, just silent. Peaceful
*We made it to Bar Harbor, Maine to meet up with our Fantasy Tour group in good time and then had our first Lobster Roll. Yes, as good as anyone can imagine. I love Lobster Rolls  Can one ever have a enough lobster?
*A local farmers market gave us the most tastefully fresh Romaine, so no worry from all the mayhem over the Romaine we were hearing on the news. It was sweet, crisp, and totally delightful.
*Sleeping with no AC widows open with fresh clean air makes leaving Texas not so bad.
*I like when Main Street is spelled Maine Street…so cute

Penn State Ice Cream is Perfection

Get your funk on

More lessons to come