theboondork's RV blog

Preparation for my upcoming mini-vacation reaches a fever pitch.

10/13/2020

You don't have to click the pics unless you really want to.

Sunset sand dunes national monument Colorado Picture

Sand Dunes National Park sunset.

The weather reports for the San Luis Valley, where I'm heading in the next couple of days, have firmed up to the point where I can say it will be beautiful Fall days with highs in the mid-60s and way below freezing at night. It looks like it's going to be the kind of weather where you want to be wearing your long-johns in the morning but have to take them off before lunch, which is rather inconvenient and somewhat embarrassing if you're sitting in a Burger King.

This time I'm trying to make a check-list of things I need to bring on a mini-vacation, which I probably should have done a long time ago, but was too lazy to make an effort.

Nowadays, check-lists are somewhat easier to make because my travels are limited to a single goal, and that is to take pictures. This makes traveling a lot simpler than having different goals every time I go somewhere, such as go over here to hunt, go over there to fish and go to the other place to skydive. [Like that would happen.]

Since I'm usually not traveling to the deepest parts of the Amazon jungle, I'm generally able to buy anything I forget to take with me, so it's not a big deal. This could be why I haven't made a check-list until now and might explain why I've got eight toothbrushes.

theboondork

One outside wall of the Sun Temple. Mesa Verde National Park Colorado.

Sun temple Mesa Verde National Park Picture

Inside the Sun Temple. Mesa Verde national Park.

Gossamer flower bud holding in the blossom.

8 Comments

Judith

10/13/2020 07:54:02 pm

Aha. You have made much progress for your journey southward.
And am glad to hear that serious study and appreciation of sandhills has led you to conclude you do NOT need to get up and out before sunrise when it may be less than 20 degrees out there.
I have confidence in your ability to handle this trek satisfactorily and look forward to photos. As usual, it's been a long time since I was around those parts, but I will be interested in seeing them.

Tom

10/13/2020 09:00:28 pm

I'm looking forward to it myself. I always enjoy going somewhere especially if everything about the trip looks like it will be fun.

I could get to where I need to go mostly on the interstate, but I'm going to drive through the mountainous areas instead. It's a much prettier drive and I enjoy it.

I'm hoping I can find a Sandhill Crane to take a picture of but it doesn't look like I'm going to get much help because the wildlife office near the wildlife refuges in the area are closed due to the Bat flu. So it seems like I'm on my own, and will have to use my limited knowledge, and a great amount of luck to find a bird dumb enough to stand still long enough for me to take a picture of it.

There's some old towns in the area and I'm hoping since I'm going to be there on a Sunday I can visit an antique town or two and take some pictures of the old businesses on a Sunday morning before cars start parking in front of the buildings.

Your confidence in my ability to handle this mini-vacation is much appreciated. My biggest concern besides being "beaked" by a rogue Crane is being comfortable during the cold nights. I've stocked up on propane, and I've packed up all of my warm clothes, which consists of one flannel shirt and a pair of wool socks. For a guy they used to have a closet full of winter coats in a drawer full of thick wool socks that sounds kind of pitiful. But living in a 30 foot trailer that's about the best I can do.

Tom

OFM

10/14/2020 06:23:38 am

I have two days of warm clothing is all. My wheels will take care of getting me to a location where winter clothing is shorts and tee shirt.

10/14/2020 07:43:54 am

That's what I had in mind as I was getting rid of all my winter stuff when I was selling my house. But as usual my plans, no matter how well thought out, never seem to last for very long.

I never planned on boondocking as much as I ended up doing. I didn't plan on spending as much time in Colorado as I'm spending now, but grandkids can change the way you look at life. I never planned on taking mini–vacations up into the mountains where it can get pretty chilly even in the summer, maybe a weekend, but not weeks. And I never planned on having two RVs.

So it appears my current lifestyle has changed but my wardrobe still fits the plans I made five or six years ago. I guess that shows there's at least one thing that living in a house attached to the ground and living in an RV has in common.... I couldn't predict what my life was going to be like from year to year back then, and I still can't do it now.

Tom

10/14/2020 09:39:15 am

Just realizing your life is an ever changing event is important. On my walk this morning I made a choice to get rid of some more things. I just don't enjoy the golf anymore so the golf equipment will be gone by the end of the day.

The four months of summer HEAT stuck in Del Rio brought to my attention that there is a lot of the country that is not nice in the summer heat but can be very nice with some mild winter clothing. Snow and ice is not included in the phrase "nice".

Maybe it is the constant changes that is keeping us going in our advanced age.

10/14/2020 03:51:13 pm

Yes life does change and the older we get the more difficult it is to deal with and except that change. But I actually believe the full timing RV lifestyle keeps you more nimble, both physically and mentally and better able to deal with change.

You have gotten rid of a lot of hobbies, the kayak, the bicycle, and now the golf clubs I figure in another year there will be nothing left of you but your sneakers.

I think that Springtime Bat flu isolation that slowly shifted into Summer gave a lot of folks a different outlook on life. The problem with a lot of "marginally" temperate areas of the country is they can be quite nice for some days during the winter then all of a sudden it's freezing cold for three or four days.

I think one of the better areas where it's "nice" most of the time but too cold at other times, is in the deep South. I used to visit my mom in South Georgia a lot and it was always in the winter, and most days it was shirtsleeve weather but there were days of below freezing weather thrown in, which were extra uncomfortable because of the humidity. But if I wasn't so adverse to living with any kind of freezing weather, I think the deep South would be a good place to be.

Tom.... Having toooo much fun searching for the crafty and deceptive Sandhill Crane.

Frank Souze

10/14/2020 03:00:14 pm

Tom,
Sounds like your saddled up and good to go and might be in the overthinking it stage ..Lol.
Re the beautiful "Sand Dunes National Park sunset" photo - Do you recall what the structure in the lower right of the photograph is?

10/14/2020 03:58:39 pm

Yes I do because they're all over the campground. Their covers over the picnic tables at the campsites. In a lot of places where it's windy they will try to put covers over the picnic tables to block the prevailing winds from blowing you off the table.

Yes I'm definitely ready to go and overthinking is part of the fun. After all what would be the fun if I only spent an hour and 1/2 making plans and loading up the camper? I would have nothing to do for the next three days.

Tom

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Preparation for my upcoming mini-vacation reaches a fever pitch.

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