As I ponder the possible subjects for the last of my 366 daily snaps of the year, and Paul considers the first of his for tomorrow, we find ourselves reflecting in the final hours of 2012.
This was a year that didn't exactly go as planned. (Do they ever?) Instead, our travel itinerary was shaped by Bullwinkle's faulty heat pump and our ongoing efforts to get it repaired. Two largely unproductive trips to Forest City are definitely among the lowlights of our year. But, discovering our new favorite repair facility (That's DM Mobile RV Repair in Loveland, CO. Love 'em!) was an unexpected and welcome treat. Our now trouble-free moose has made us happy campers, indeed!
A silver lining in our unexpected Summer travels in Colorado was two one-month stays in lovely Gunnison. We hadn't planned to spend any time this year in our most favorite town. But, it turned out to be the perfect spot for us to stay cool with our crippled heat pump while the temperatures at lower elevations sizzled.
As fun as it was to revisit familiar places, we also enjoyed exploring some wonderful new-to-us spots. We rang in 2012 on the north shore of Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain, where our Cajun neighbors redefined good home cookin'. (Yum!) We spent the next two months at lovely Bella Terra, our new favorite RV park, just north of the beautiful white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, AL.
Along the way, we had the great pleasure of meeting some wonderful people this year. We're sure we'll leave out somebody, but here's the best our collective memories can muster. We enjoyed our first-ever meetings with Tricia and Keith, Norm and Linda, Don and Gloria, Kim and Christi (whom we had fun catching up with again earlier this month in Oklahoma), Larry and Kathy, Ken and Ruth, Courtney and all the good folks at Bella Terra, Mike and Mo, Terry and Randy, Marti and Paul, Loralie and Lee, Carrie and Bill, and have we mentioned Don and Mary Ann of DM Mobile RV Repair? At our first-ever Escapade, we met more great people, including Sam and Donna, Angela and Kenny, Len and Phyllis, Sylvia and Glenn, Ginger and Jesse, Marcia and Joe, Cathy and Bud and Angie and Greg, just to name a few. Our most "small-world" encounter occurred in Kansas City when we met our park neighbors Heinz and Theresa. Turns out Heinz lived around the corner from us when we were kids!
One of the best things about this mobile lifestyle is reconnecting with fellow travelers we already know. 2012 was a year of many fun "meetups" with friends, including Karla and Eric, Darryl and Judy, Mike and Peggy, Chuck and Anneka, Lisa, Tony, Tez and Rick, Gary and Francile, Steve and Cathy, Deb and Rod, Craig and Anne, Fred and Sharon, Karen and Arvin and family, Doug and Nona and Bill and Linda. Of course, the Escapade provided a wonderful opportunity to exchange hugs with friends Bob and Molly, Donna and Keith, Dortha and Mark, John and Bridget, and Ken and Cindy. Two very impromptu gatherings reconnected us with some California Winnie friends: We literally bumped into Rod and Gaila in the waiting room at the Winnebago Factory Service Center (We've spent way too much time there!); And, an early morning Facebook exchange resulted in a fun meetup in the middle of Kansas with Bill and Linda, who spent a few days parked nearby in Salina. Our most recent reconnection was just a couple of weeks ago with locals Mike and Sandy. What a treat to spend time with y'all!
As we celebrate with dear friends tonight we'll raise a toast to our friends new and old, near and far. Thank you for making 2012 a most memorable year. We wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy 2013.
Cheers!
My Daily Snaps
We put our Christmas decorations away this afternoon. It's a pretty quick and easy task, really. Everything loads up nicely into one small plastic tub. Just before I closed the lid on this job, I snapped a photo of our packed away holiday decor. With that snap, I realized I have just one - count 'em, ONE - photo left.
A year ago today, during a day trip to New Orleans, Paul spotted an interesting item in a gift shop. It was a photo album with 366 sleeves - one for each day of the year. That little find planted a seed that sprouted last New Year's Day, as I made a commitment to take a photo every day in 2012.
My "rules" were simple. My daily photo didn't have to be a masterpiece. Actually, it didn't even have to be good. It just had to be. Any basic snapshot would be just fine. For consistency, I decided on a 3x5 horizontal format. I'd use whatever camera I had in my possession. To keep myself accountable, I created an album for my daily snaps on Facebook, where any friends who were interested could see my work. I knew I wouldn't always be able to post my photo on the day it was taken. So, I gave myself permission to post the pics whenever I could. But I would take one every day.
I have a long list of projects I've launched on New Year's Day with the intention to keep them going throughout the year. Like most humans, my new habits usually faded away within a few weeks. One year I had a goal to meditate for at least 10 minutes daily. That lasted a record 110 days! Needless to say, the goal of doing anything beyond life's necessities for 365 consecutive days remained elusive.
For the first two weeks of this year, my daily snaps were a direct reflection of the day's happenings. On Day 15, I couldn't think of what to shoot. So, I grabbed a cat. I told myself I wouldn't take too many photos of our two cats this year. And, as it turns out, our furry friends were the subject of the day just 17 times. (Not bad!)
Most of the photos are a glimpse at the scenery or events du jour. It's a wonderful, visual journal of the year. Family and friends were the second most popular subject, with about 30 or so photos. I posted 20 daily pics of our moose in various locales. That's just a few more photos than the cats! My beloved husband was the next most popular subject, with a dozen or so photos of him doing all kinds of things. Our travels this year traversed 17 states, but only four state welcome signs became a picture of the day. Though I've never been one to photograph food, I was desperate enough on six days this year to shoot something on a plate. (And, those are some of the worst photos of the year!) For every food shot I posted, I managed to snap an equal number of photos where alcohol was the star. (And, the booze shots look so much better!)
And, what was my least photographed subject? That's easy. Me! Just one shot is a self portrait. And, that depicted me as a burned out blogger! With the exception of a few group shots with family and friends, the rest of the year, I've been behind the camera. And, that's how I like it.
There were days when it was tough to pick a photo, because I had so many beautiful ones from which to choose. Other days evoked a few moments of panic to take a shot before we headed off to bed. (That's usually when I snapped a cat...or Paul!) But, every day I remembered my assignment. I didn't miss a single day. (And, I can safely say I will not miss tomorrow!)
And, what has this diligent exercise taught me? I've learned that interesting composition and beauty can be found at Home Depot, the post office and the grocery store. I've learned that when you take photos at Walmart, nobody notices. Actually, very few people ever notice anywhere. I've learned that fluorescent light really sucks. But, you can snap a decent photo in it, anyway. I've learned to always have a camera with me. (I hope I always will.) And, that an iPhone has a decent camera! I've learned to see the world in a 3x5 landscape photo. It's an interesting point of view! I've learned that posting a snap a day means its easy to fill a hard drive with photos. And, when you delete photos in iPhoto they're not really deleted (and are still taking up space). I've learned that when you take photos of a cat, most of them will be blurry. If you try to shoot two cats at once, you are guaranteed they'll all be blurry. I've learned that if you take photos every day, it's easy to find pictures for your travel blog. (But, it doesn't make it any easier to keep said blog up-to-date!) Most of all, I've been reminded that I am married to a very patient man. The collective time that Paul has had to wait this year while I've focused in on everything from produce to peonies has spanned many hours. Thanks, Dear!
Tomorrow, I'll close out my year of daily snaps. It's been fun. Will I do it again next year?
Nope. I've decided to give my shutter a break and channel my creative juices in other ways. This year was pictures. Next year will be words. I'll write every day. And, I might just do it in this here blog. I still have a day or two to decide.
Meanwhile, I'm passing the torch to Paul. He's decided to take on a Daily Snap project of his own next year. I'm not really sure how it will take shape. But, I'm excited that we'll have a visual journal of the coming year, just as we have of the one coming to a close. I hope he has as much fun with his project as I have with mine. And, I promise to be as patient and supportive as he has been.
With a new year just around the corner, what creative project are you ready (and willing) to tackle?
A year ago today, during a day trip to New Orleans, Paul spotted an interesting item in a gift shop. It was a photo album with 366 sleeves - one for each day of the year. That little find planted a seed that sprouted last New Year's Day, as I made a commitment to take a photo every day in 2012.
My "rules" were simple. My daily photo didn't have to be a masterpiece. Actually, it didn't even have to be good. It just had to be. Any basic snapshot would be just fine. For consistency, I decided on a 3x5 horizontal format. I'd use whatever camera I had in my possession. To keep myself accountable, I created an album for my daily snaps on Facebook, where any friends who were interested could see my work. I knew I wouldn't always be able to post my photo on the day it was taken. So, I gave myself permission to post the pics whenever I could. But I would take one every day.
I have a long list of projects I've launched on New Year's Day with the intention to keep them going throughout the year. Like most humans, my new habits usually faded away within a few weeks. One year I had a goal to meditate for at least 10 minutes daily. That lasted a record 110 days! Needless to say, the goal of doing anything beyond life's necessities for 365 consecutive days remained elusive.
For the first two weeks of this year, my daily snaps were a direct reflection of the day's happenings. On Day 15, I couldn't think of what to shoot. So, I grabbed a cat. I told myself I wouldn't take too many photos of our two cats this year. And, as it turns out, our furry friends were the subject of the day just 17 times. (Not bad!)
Most of the photos are a glimpse at the scenery or events du jour. It's a wonderful, visual journal of the year. Family and friends were the second most popular subject, with about 30 or so photos. I posted 20 daily pics of our moose in various locales. That's just a few more photos than the cats! My beloved husband was the next most popular subject, with a dozen or so photos of him doing all kinds of things. Our travels this year traversed 17 states, but only four state welcome signs became a picture of the day. Though I've never been one to photograph food, I was desperate enough on six days this year to shoot something on a plate. (And, those are some of the worst photos of the year!) For every food shot I posted, I managed to snap an equal number of photos where alcohol was the star. (And, the booze shots look so much better!)
And, what was my least photographed subject? That's easy. Me! Just one shot is a self portrait. And, that depicted me as a burned out blogger! With the exception of a few group shots with family and friends, the rest of the year, I've been behind the camera. And, that's how I like it.
There were days when it was tough to pick a photo, because I had so many beautiful ones from which to choose. Other days evoked a few moments of panic to take a shot before we headed off to bed. (That's usually when I snapped a cat...or Paul!) But, every day I remembered my assignment. I didn't miss a single day. (And, I can safely say I will not miss tomorrow!)
And, what has this diligent exercise taught me? I've learned that interesting composition and beauty can be found at Home Depot, the post office and the grocery store. I've learned that when you take photos at Walmart, nobody notices. Actually, very few people ever notice anywhere. I've learned that fluorescent light really sucks. But, you can snap a decent photo in it, anyway. I've learned to always have a camera with me. (I hope I always will.) And, that an iPhone has a decent camera! I've learned to see the world in a 3x5 landscape photo. It's an interesting point of view! I've learned that posting a snap a day means its easy to fill a hard drive with photos. And, when you delete photos in iPhoto they're not really deleted (and are still taking up space). I've learned that when you take photos of a cat, most of them will be blurry. If you try to shoot two cats at once, you are guaranteed they'll all be blurry. I've learned that if you take photos every day, it's easy to find pictures for your travel blog. (But, it doesn't make it any easier to keep said blog up-to-date!) Most of all, I've been reminded that I am married to a very patient man. The collective time that Paul has had to wait this year while I've focused in on everything from produce to peonies has spanned many hours. Thanks, Dear!
Tomorrow, I'll close out my year of daily snaps. It's been fun. Will I do it again next year?
Nope. I've decided to give my shutter a break and channel my creative juices in other ways. This year was pictures. Next year will be words. I'll write every day. And, I might just do it in this here blog. I still have a day or two to decide.
Meanwhile, I'm passing the torch to Paul. He's decided to take on a Daily Snap project of his own next year. I'm not really sure how it will take shape. But, I'm excited that we'll have a visual journal of the coming year, just as we have of the one coming to a close. I hope he has as much fun with his project as I have with mine. And, I promise to be as patient and supportive as he has been.
With a new year just around the corner, what creative project are you ready (and willing) to tackle?
White Christmas
When it comes to the kind of Christmas Bing Crosby was always dreaming of, we're batting .500. On this, our fourth holiday season on the road, we were treated to our second white Christmas!
We settled into our holiday spot in the DFW metroplex nearly two weeks ago. Mother Nature has treated us to pleasant temperatures and clear skies. We enjoyed one balmy evening catching up with friends Mike and Sandy of Phannie and Mae fame. But, as Christmas came closer the forecast changed. Reports of a possible very rare white Christmas had folks around here buzzing with excitement.
Shortly after we arrived home from Christmas Eve festivities with our dear friends Mary and Tracy and their family, we heard the rumble of distant thunder. In the wee hours of the morning, we were to treated to a very Spring-like thunderstorm. The very welcome rain continued through mid-morning. Then, things started to change. The gentle pitter-patter on our roof sounded different. It sounded frozen! Suddenly, the roof was silenced. A quick glance outside confirmed our diagnosis: A rare North Texas snow!
The storm was over by early evening, dumping an inch or two of the white stuff. It was just enough to bring a little cheer without making the roads too treacherous. (Though, traversing slightly icy streets is not a skill mastered by most North Texans!) By midday on this Feast of St. Stephen, the combination of sunny skies and near freezing temperatures have caused most of Mother Nature's Christmas decoration to disappear. What timing!
We wish all of our readers a wonderful Christmas week. We hope your holiday season is filled with rare and wonderful delights. Enjoying this rare White Christmas with special friends, ours certainly is!
We settled into our holiday spot in the DFW metroplex nearly two weeks ago. Mother Nature has treated us to pleasant temperatures and clear skies. We enjoyed one balmy evening catching up with friends Mike and Sandy of Phannie and Mae fame. But, as Christmas came closer the forecast changed. Reports of a possible very rare white Christmas had folks around here buzzing with excitement.
Shortly after we arrived home from Christmas Eve festivities with our dear friends Mary and Tracy and their family, we heard the rumble of distant thunder. In the wee hours of the morning, we were to treated to a very Spring-like thunderstorm. The very welcome rain continued through mid-morning. Then, things started to change. The gentle pitter-patter on our roof sounded different. It sounded frozen! Suddenly, the roof was silenced. A quick glance outside confirmed our diagnosis: A rare North Texas snow!
The storm was over by early evening, dumping an inch or two of the white stuff. It was just enough to bring a little cheer without making the roads too treacherous. (Though, traversing slightly icy streets is not a skill mastered by most North Texans!) By midday on this Feast of St. Stephen, the combination of sunny skies and near freezing temperatures have caused most of Mother Nature's Christmas decoration to disappear. What timing!
We wish all of our readers a wonderful Christmas week. We hope your holiday season is filled with rare and wonderful delights. Enjoying this rare White Christmas with special friends, ours certainly is!
Cummins Coach Care
We're nearly 500 miles south of Kansas City, and our personal economic stimulus program continues! On this most auspicious day (12-12-12) we have plunked down another serious wad of cash to have the window shades I've lusted after for years installed in our moose. The good folks at MCD Innovations here in McKinney have been a gem to work with. We appreciate their Texas hospitality. We'll give you a full report on our moose's Christmas gift after we get settled in our holiday spot.
Meanwhile, we wanted to share a story about another great service experience. (We could get used to this!)
These days, Kansas City is the closest thing to a home base for us. So, it's really no surprise that nearly every visit to our old stomping grounds involves a stop somewhere to care for our moose on our way in or out of town. There are a lot of systems in our rolling home. And, they all need regular maintenance. Unfortunately, said maintenance is needed on varied schedules. So, it feels like there's always something on Bullwinkle's "to-do" list.
We've been on a mission to find a service provider we can rely on in Kansas City. We have our local mobile guys we love, but they provide no chassis service. The local Freightliner dealer will happily do chassis work, but we've been far from impressed. Our dream of finding a one-stop service shop we could trust has gone unfulfilled. Until now.
Cummins, the makers of Bullwinkle's 400-horse powerhouse, has created an RV service center (actually, several of them) that is designed to provide bumper-to-bumper maintenance and repair. There are currently 45 Cummins Coach Care facilities located across the country. We are fortunate that one of them is located at Cummins Central Power in Kansas City, a mere 20 miles from our home park. After making this wonderful discovery, we booked an appointment to coincide with our planned departure out of town.
The afternoon before our appointment, we headed north of the Missouri River with Rocky 2 in tow. No, we wouldn't normally go to the time and trouble to hook the squirrel to the moose for such a short drive. But, this seemed like the perfect time to tow our new Jeep on its maiden voyage. We're so pleased to report Rocky 2 tows like a dream!
When we arrived at Cummins Central Power, we were instantly impressed. Parking was easy, and just steps away from the Coach Care service desk. We were greeted by Chris, who was warm, courteous and professional. If you've ever taken your coach to a "truck center" you already know this is a rare combination! In most truck places, the last thing they care to see is a motorhome. But, here we felt quite welcome.
Chris directed us to the coach parking area, where we set up and settled in for the night. We were delighted not to have to face rush hour traffic for our morning appointment. This extra touch of hospitality was most appreciated. In the morning, Chris gave us a call when they were ready for us. When we dropped off the moose, Chris said he'd need a couple of hours. And, when we returned two hours later Bullwinkle was out front waiting for us. (Another rarity!) Chris gave us a full report on the service work. Everything checked out great. One item we asked them to check, a pesky leveling jack, needed to replaced sooner or later. Based on our positive experience, we decided sooner was better. A part needed to be ordered, so we extended our Kansas City stay and returned to Cummins a few days later. The work was completed promptly. Our time in the spacious, clean and comfortable waiting area flew by. Chris completed our extended warranty paperwork with a smile, and graciously offered us another night in their parking area, which we accepted. We got a fresh start in the morning, and Bullwinkle was one happy, trouble-free moose.
When it comes to moose maintenance and repair, we've had some real horror stories. What a breath of fresh air to find places like Cummins Coach Care and MCD Innovations. Gotta love it!
Meanwhile, we wanted to share a story about another great service experience. (We could get used to this!)
These days, Kansas City is the closest thing to a home base for us. So, it's really no surprise that nearly every visit to our old stomping grounds involves a stop somewhere to care for our moose on our way in or out of town. There are a lot of systems in our rolling home. And, they all need regular maintenance. Unfortunately, said maintenance is needed on varied schedules. So, it feels like there's always something on Bullwinkle's "to-do" list.
We've been on a mission to find a service provider we can rely on in Kansas City. We have our local mobile guys we love, but they provide no chassis service. The local Freightliner dealer will happily do chassis work, but we've been far from impressed. Our dream of finding a one-stop service shop we could trust has gone unfulfilled. Until now.
Cummins, the makers of Bullwinkle's 400-horse powerhouse, has created an RV service center (actually, several of them) that is designed to provide bumper-to-bumper maintenance and repair. There are currently 45 Cummins Coach Care facilities located across the country. We are fortunate that one of them is located at Cummins Central Power in Kansas City, a mere 20 miles from our home park. After making this wonderful discovery, we booked an appointment to coincide with our planned departure out of town.
The afternoon before our appointment, we headed north of the Missouri River with Rocky 2 in tow. No, we wouldn't normally go to the time and trouble to hook the squirrel to the moose for such a short drive. But, this seemed like the perfect time to tow our new Jeep on its maiden voyage. We're so pleased to report Rocky 2 tows like a dream!
When we arrived at Cummins Central Power, we were instantly impressed. Parking was easy, and just steps away from the Coach Care service desk. We were greeted by Chris, who was warm, courteous and professional. If you've ever taken your coach to a "truck center" you already know this is a rare combination! In most truck places, the last thing they care to see is a motorhome. But, here we felt quite welcome.
Chris directed us to the coach parking area, where we set up and settled in for the night. We were delighted not to have to face rush hour traffic for our morning appointment. This extra touch of hospitality was most appreciated. In the morning, Chris gave us a call when they were ready for us. When we dropped off the moose, Chris said he'd need a couple of hours. And, when we returned two hours later Bullwinkle was out front waiting for us. (Another rarity!) Chris gave us a full report on the service work. Everything checked out great. One item we asked them to check, a pesky leveling jack, needed to replaced sooner or later. Based on our positive experience, we decided sooner was better. A part needed to be ordered, so we extended our Kansas City stay and returned to Cummins a few days later. The work was completed promptly. Our time in the spacious, clean and comfortable waiting area flew by. Chris completed our extended warranty paperwork with a smile, and graciously offered us another night in their parking area, which we accepted. We got a fresh start in the morning, and Bullwinkle was one happy, trouble-free moose.
When it comes to moose maintenance and repair, we've had some real horror stories. What a breath of fresh air to find places like Cummins Coach Care and MCD Innovations. Gotta love it!
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