DOWNSIZING

If you have been following my blog recently, you have probably picked up on the fact that I am simplifying my life and DOWNSIZING!  Most recently my efforts have been on cleaning up my 5th wheel camper and getting it ready to sell....It's just too big for me. 

But no, I am not ready to get out of the RV and camping mode yet.  I probably won't go on any long trips anymore but rather, confine my travels to the Northern Plains.  There are so many sights to see in the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, etc.  There are probably more things to see in these states alone so that it would take a lifetime to partake of them all.  (Especially for old geezers like myself!!!!)

When I was in California last spring, 2011, on my second of three trips to the west coast, I bought a small trailer.  My intentions were to leave the trailer there and live in it whenever I visited my family.  I did lived in it for three months that spring and found that even though it was quite small, it suited my needs just fine.  In fact, I liked it so much that I pulled it back home to North Dakota and made the decision to replace my 5th wheel and pickup with this smaller unit.  

I then bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee a month or so ago.  I recently  hooked up to the trailer and it's a perfect fit.  It pulls nice and the whole set-up is much smaller.  I am sure it will be better suited for access and maneuverability around some of the small camping areas up here in north country. 

Out with the old (big)

and in with the new (small)

This is where I lived for those three months right after I bought this small, older trailer.  Like I mentioned before, my friends, Steve and Sharon allow me to park at their place each time I travel to California in my RV.  Here I am parked right next to Scott and Lisa's 5th wheel.  Thanks again guys for your hospitality.

END OF AN ERA

My RVing in a big rig is coming to an end.  I have decided to sell my 5th wheel camping trailer and my Dodge diesel pickup.  It (the camper) didn't even get out of the shed last year, 2011.  What? did I have other things that occupied my time that year?    The last time I used it was in 2010 when I made a 6000 mile trip around the western US.  I went to California by way of South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada.  My friends, Steve and Sharon were gracious enough to allow me to camp in their yard near Lodi, CA.  (THANKS AGAIN, GUYS!) while I spent some quality and rewarding time with my Son and Daughter, and all the grandchildren that spring.

My journey back to North Dakota took me to Arizona where I visited with my niece Mary and her husband Tom.   From there I went through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.  In OK I enjoyed a long time over-due visit with my Nephew Bradd, and his lovely family.  (Tammy, you are the best!)   I so enjoyed my time there with them even though they experienced one of the biggest floods of the area in quite some time while I was camped in the local campground.  The water got so high that I had to move my camper to higher ground!  That area is the home of Will Rogers, and one of his famous quotes is, "Oklahoma gets twelve inches of rain a year.  And I was there there that day."  So was I!!!!!

I intended to travel from Shawnee, OK to Waco, Texas to visit my cousin and her husband Danny, (Kathy, are you my cousin, second cousin, or cousin once remove?)  I like to see us as brother and sister in the Lord!!  How's that?????  Amen?  If I had gone to Waco, TX I would have traveled on to Austin, TX to visit my nephew, Lee and family.  But I had been experiencing some health issues so I headed back north through Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and home again.  As it was, I covered over 6,000 miles and twelve states, some of them twice.  If any of you are planning a RV trip like that I would fully recommend my rig.   A 5th wheel trailer and a diesel pickup.  The whole trip, I didn't even know that I had a trailer behind me!

So now my rig is on the market.  Stay tuned for what is next in my adventures!!!!!!

Colour

First of all, I am not an interior decorator nor the son of an interior decorator.  But I want to make my new living room with my "uncovered" original (cir. 1950) straight grain fir wood floors have a "punctuation mark" --Yuppie speak for "punch" according to the PBS program This Old House . 

I have asked numerous friends and acquaintances alike, "What colour should I paint my walls now?"  I guess I have determined that most of my friends are not interior decorators either.  But I still respect any ideas that they may have.  So I am throwing my question out to my blog readers (all six of you):  What suggestions do you have for the colour I should paint my living room walls?

A friend gave me a left-over paint can that she used on her walls.  It is a neutral brown colour and I "splashed' a little on my wall to see what it looks like.  I was a little disappointed in the look because it looked a little boring.  This photo makes it look like the wall is blue but actually it is white.  I'm not sure if the brown is too neutral but I think that a little more punch, like gold or a darker colour would be better.  Any ideas?  I am open to suggestions.

SPRINGTIME IN NORTH DAKOTA

Could it really be spring time in North Dakota?   After all, it's only March 10th, 2012.  But here I am, sitting out by my fire pit (without a fire)  under a clear blue sky in the middle of the afternoon of March.  It is so warm that I could be sitting here getting a suntan...  (Good thing there is no one here to  take a picture of that, eh?)

I raised my flag on the flagpole for the first time this year after I washed my car on my driveway.  I parked my fish house under  the pine trees which means that the ice fishing season is over for  this year.  Even though we can still get a snow storm in the month of May, the Game and Fish Dept. has advised us to remove our fish houses from the lakes because the ice is deteriorating fast.  Right now, I am starting to look forward to what is in store for the summer months.  Will I be having company this summer that will be taking up my time with fishing and camping??????

Stay tuned for that, as I am really looking forward to what God has in store for me this summer with visits from my family and enjoying His great creation!!!!!!!!!

A WEEK ON THE FLOOR

In keeping with my new theme of trying to simplify my life and reduce clutter, I have spent the last couple of weeks working in my living room.  Out with the old 1980's avocado green and gold shag carpet ! ! !  And out with the same colour scheme drapes, shears, and valance.  (What I will replace these window coverings with I still am not sure....open to suggestions ! ! ! )  I considered posting some "before" photos of the living room but after seeing these "after" photos, I just cannot look at the old living room anymore!

Underneath the carpet I found GOLD.  No, it wasn't hardwood floors.....  It was softwood floors!  Otherwise known as straight grained fir.  Yes, the floor was filled with lots of "character marks".  These "flaws" are several generations worth of life.  How did all these marks, dents, and scratches get there?  Who knows and who cares ! ?   In a house that is almost as old as I am, whatever defects one may find are totally acceptable with me.  Just like I hope that my friends may find my defects acceptable.

The floor had been varnished when it was new but after many, many years of being covered with carpet, the pad underneath had left its marks, so I proceeded to wash the floor with mineral spirits first, then with soap and water.  After a loving application of hand applied paste wax,  the shine shone through and lovingly smiled back at me for bringing back the most natural look that any floor can have.  I trust my new floor loves being exposed to a "new life" as much as I love having it as part of my NEW LIFE. 

I also eliminated a lot of the furniture that was in my living room.  After all, if one is trying to simplify one's life, then why have so much furniture that it just clutters up the place?   Next?  To paint the wall with an appropriate colour.  Again, Open to suggestions....... 

NEW CARS

This past fall, 2011, a friend drove up in her brand new car... a 2012 Toyota Highlander!  After sharing in her excitement and feasting on all the new features that these new machines bring to the table, I made a comment...  I told her that I have had a couple of car that were painted black and how difficult it is to keep them clean and that they can get mighty hot in the summer time.  Furthermore, I told her that I doubt that I would ever own another dark car because of that.  (Even though my pickup is a dark red.) 

Now we'll jump ahead to today, February 2012 and take a look at my new Jeep...  Even though I said what I said, and the fact that my old Jeep is black, what colour do you suppose my new Jeep is?????  Could it be Dark Charcoal Grey?????  Any thing wrong with this picture?  Or anything wrong with my thought process????

FROZEN FINGERS.....

The Frozen Fingers Festival was in Minot this past weekend, February 11-12, 2012.  Every year since they have had the festival, I have wanted to go.  It is always held in the middle of February.  So why didn't I go to it in years past?  Simply put, there was either something else going on that weekend or the weather was so bad that I didn't wish to travel on icy roads.  But this year was the exception.  We have had one of the most mild winters we have ever seen in a very long time.

I actually didn't even know that the festival was going on this weekend.  But when I got up on Sunday morning and settled down with my cup of coffee, I saw the notice as I read the morning paper.  The decision was made at once!  I would go to church, leave from there to go to Minot, and take in the festival for the afternoon.

So what is the Frozen Fingers Festival?  The Frozen Fingers Music Association of Minot bills it as "a dedication to the preservation of Old Time and Bluegrass music".  And that it is!  I love Bluegrass music and there was plenty of that.

There was also lots of Folk and Country music.

Plenty of Western and Cowboy music as well.

And this group who is from the Wildrose, ND area (near to where I was born) entertained with mostly gospel music and Bluegrass.  Seven very talented children and a couple of very ambitious parents!

And what better way to end the evening than with a rousing rendition of The Orange Blossom Special ! !