For every two days I am gone, it takes me a day to get the house and my life back to normal...whatever that is. I was gone 36 days this last tour, so I could figure I will get everything shipshape by mid-August, but that isn't realistic. Gary and I will be camping in great north woods of Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula for half that month. I haven't had my fill of deer, bear, and other critters.
What must I accomplish before Labor Day?
-- Apply for a writers' colony in Arkansas
-- Edit a book about my travels in China to self-publish with Amazon.com
-- Organize the photos from my summer reading program tour
-- Start the process of contacting libraries for a winter series of travelogue talks for adults
-- Read six books for the Muehl Public Library's adult summer reading program. (One down, five to go.)
-- Work on my gardens and prepare for fall's harvest.
-- Do the research for the book I want to write during National Novel Writing Month (November).
-- Sort choir music and select some anthems for the start of the choir year in September.
-- Spend time with my grandson Evan and Those People He Lives With, as Gary calls my son and his wife. We began today by swimming at Plamann Park in Appleton with a great deal of splashing and horsing around.
-- Pampering our very spoiled cat Rascal.
All that and more camping.
What is making this difficult right now is that I am so tired. I got used to sleeping in a tent and now I have to adjust back to a bed. After yet another night of listening to me tossing and turning, Gary thinks I need to set up my little tent in the living room and get at least one good night's sleep.
I might just do that.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Museums
I don't visit a lot of museums when I travel unless I have more time than I usually have on the road. A cursory visit doesn't reveal much. But I did stop in at three on this tour. Each of them offered me quiet respites on busy, hot days.
The Billings County Museum in Medora, North Dakota:
Because the museum was once the Billings County Courthouse, it includes a jail where visitors can have their photos taken. Because it held all the county records, there are several enormous old safes which were theoretically fireproof.
One of the amusing things is the table where the council met. Its base was a roulette table taken in a police raid in the distant past. This piece of history wasn't discovered until the council moved into the new courthouse.
I spent some time at this museum because it had WiFi service. With the museum director's permission, I sat in the stairwell to write my blog in air conditioned comfort.
Later, I toured the museum with an older visitor and we commented that the artifacts dated back to our childhoods. That certainly made us seem like artifacts, too.
The Lochsa Historical Ranger Station in the Clearwater National Forest, along Highway 12 in Idaho:
This was a needed break for me half way along the winding highway through a canyon with drop offs into the Lochsa River, now in flood stage. Someone had died after crashing into the river the day before, and that kind of thing makes me nervous.
The station was built in the 1930's and includes the ranger house, along with several other buildings, including a barn and corral, a woodshed, and a combination building that was used to house trail crews.
What intrigued me is that the station is run by volunteers. Each couple stays for a week in one of the buildings. It amounts to a week long vacation in one of the most beautiful places in the west. I thought it was something Gary and I could do, then I realized we would have to drive down Highway 12 to get there. Once was enough.
You can get an idea of the highway by watching this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-cHwGVOHRECrazy Mountain Museum, Big Timber, Montana.
I went here on the recommendation of Jacque, the librarian at the public library in Big Timber.
This is a pioneer museum which shows a history like other western towns, but the displays are incredibly professional, with clear signage and explanations. There are two bars from old saloons, a collection of "Indian maiden" calendar posters, photos of a grand hotel in a town that no longer exists, and a history of the railroads that ran through the town.
Afterwards I went for a lovely stroll through the cemetery next to the museum.
Consider that Big Timber has a population of less than 2,000 people. Somehow, they have found a way to fund a museum that any city would be proud of.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Dining Room
While I was gallivanting around our country, Gary stayed here at Mathom House and rearranged things without my interference.
When I moved into this house about 29 years ago, the dining room rug looked terrible. Not only was it old, but it had been stained because a refrigerator had been in the corner. The children of the family that owned the house must have spent their time spilling grape juice. The rug was worn, too, and in the years since, the rubberized back showed through.
I made an effort on the room once, painting it then stenciling grape leaves around the top of the walls. The next step was to put in new flooring but two weeks later, after a heavy rain, the roof caved in, wrecking the paint and stenciling. I gave up on home improvements then.
Then Gary came to live with me and began to spiff up the house. While I was gone, he and his sister Kathe picked out paint and his nephew Angelo came and helped out, too. Two coats of primer and a coat of paint, scraped and painted windows, new door framing and we have a new dining room.
Gary also undertook to change the rooms upstairs, swapping bedrooms to give him a bigger office. We're still moving things around up there, changing dresser drawers and so forth.
I like what he has done. I am planning a winter trip with the thought I might have a new and improved bathroom on my return.
*************
I continue to work on tour figures. I've toted up the cost motels, campgrounds and other lodgings. During the 36 days I was gone, I spent $417.66 or an average of $11.60 a night. I had estimated $10 a night, figuring on using my tent, but from time to time campgrounds were unavailable and I wound up in motels. Still that is not a bad average.
I'm still working on the final figures, but it looks like I made a small profit. I looked over my photos today, preparing for a lecture on my travels which I intend to present at libraries this winter.
When I moved into this house about 29 years ago, the dining room rug looked terrible. Not only was it old, but it had been stained because a refrigerator had been in the corner. The children of the family that owned the house must have spent their time spilling grape juice. The rug was worn, too, and in the years since, the rubberized back showed through.
I made an effort on the room once, painting it then stenciling grape leaves around the top of the walls. The next step was to put in new flooring but two weeks later, after a heavy rain, the roof caved in, wrecking the paint and stenciling. I gave up on home improvements then.
Then Gary came to live with me and began to spiff up the house. While I was gone, he and his sister Kathe picked out paint and his nephew Angelo came and helped out, too. Two coats of primer and a coat of paint, scraped and painted windows, new door framing and we have a new dining room.
Gary also undertook to change the rooms upstairs, swapping bedrooms to give him a bigger office. We're still moving things around up there, changing dresser drawers and so forth.
I like what he has done. I am planning a winter trip with the thought I might have a new and improved bathroom on my return.
*************
I continue to work on tour figures. I've toted up the cost motels, campgrounds and other lodgings. During the 36 days I was gone, I spent $417.66 or an average of $11.60 a night. I had estimated $10 a night, figuring on using my tent, but from time to time campgrounds were unavailable and I wound up in motels. Still that is not a bad average.
I'm still working on the final figures, but it looks like I made a small profit. I looked over my photos today, preparing for a lecture on my travels which I intend to present at libraries this winter.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Processing
I returned to Seymour at 7:30 pm last night, stopped at Don's Grocery for chicken to placate one grouchy cat, and came home. The chicken always does the trick. By 9:00 pm, Rascal was purring on my lap.
For the past few days, Gary had been in Dixon, Illinois helping his aunt by clearing out weeds and doing some trimming. When he learned I was going to be home, he got in his van and by midnight, he was home, too. We are now one happy family again.
Now comes the processing part. I have to think about the trip for a while and come to some conclusions. One that I can announce herewith is that the United States is an awfully big country with a diverse geography and population,. I mostly avoided political discussions though I did ask about local matters. Too much water was on everyone's mind in most of the northwestern states. It is just the opposite in the south. Local people were friendly and helpful.
I said to Gary this probably was my last big trip. He said he doubted it. I guess he's right.
I am now thinking about spring and Arkansas. There's still five states I want to visit: Hawaii, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Delaware and South Carolina. There's an interesting summer reading program coming up for next year.....
For the past few days, Gary had been in Dixon, Illinois helping his aunt by clearing out weeds and doing some trimming. When he learned I was going to be home, he got in his van and by midnight, he was home, too. We are now one happy family again.
Now comes the processing part. I have to think about the trip for a while and come to some conclusions. One that I can announce herewith is that the United States is an awfully big country with a diverse geography and population,. I mostly avoided political discussions though I did ask about local matters. Too much water was on everyone's mind in most of the northwestern states. It is just the opposite in the south. Local people were friendly and helpful.
I have begun to do the paperwork to see how I fared. I traveled 8,290. I had figured on around 6,000 but there were so many out of the way campgrounds and things I simply wanted to see. Add to that getting lost which I do with great regularity. I thought I would spend around a thousand dollars on gas. In fact it was $1,222. It would have been more except that I expected gas to rise to $4 a gallon and instead it dropped. I also thought I would get around eighteen miles to the gallon, but the Sable surprised me with an average of 24 miles to the gallon.
I still have some finances to figure out but I suspect I came out ahead. Keep in mind that I can write the costs off on my taxes since this was a business trip. In addition, I now begin the process of lining up travelogue talks this winter. I may still write some articles as well.
I need to do some healing. I twisted my right knee at the Arches National Park in Moab, Utah and it is still bothering me. I went back to the aquatic center this afternoon and started the process. The good news is that the right knee now matches the left knee and though I am hobbling a bit, I no longer am limping. It should all balance out.
There are stories I never got around to telling and probably will in the next few weeks as they come to mind.
I said to Gary this probably was my last big trip. He said he doubted it. I guess he's right.
I am now thinking about spring and Arkansas. There's still five states I want to visit: Hawaii, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Delaware and South Carolina. There's an interesting summer reading program coming up for next year.....
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Service Car Soon
Just before I got to Dickinson, North Dakota for my last performance, the Sable's "Service Car Soon" light went on. Well, it was time for another oil change, I figured.
While writing my blog at McDonald's, I noticed the usual table of old guys, the ones who come for cheap coffee and an hour of conversation, most of which is about the dangers of socialism and aren't we communists now? all while spending their social security for a second cuppa. They were Fox watchers, old farts who buy into anything O'Reilly says, but guys like that know their mechanics. They steered me to a Jiffy Lube two blocks down the street.
I got the oil change and a new filter to replace the filthy old one and the opinion that there was nothing wrong with the car, though I might eventually need a new battery. The light was off.
I finished up the last performance and headed east on 94. Twenty miles out of Dickinson the "Service Car Soon" was back. I drove until I got to New Salem and had the Napa guy there use his electronic device to check for problems. There were none. "That car is in great shape," he said. The light was off.
I drove on and in another half hour, the light was on again. I called Gary who told me about the Buick his family had that did the same thing, even when it was brand new. He suggested covering the light with black masking tape.
Certainly the car has had its little idiosyncrasies before this, such as a light showing that the car doors were open when they weren't and the interior light going on for no reason. Before I even left for the trip, Gary unscrewed that light. No point in waking up to a dead battery.
This morning I set off from Jamestown, North Dakota. There was a storm brewing to the west that would go through North Dakota during the day and Minnesota tonight. There was no point in trying to camp and I didn't want to pay for another motel so I drove through.
The light remained the same until I got into the heavy traffic at Minneapolis/St. Paul. Then it started to flash. I stayed in the right lane so I could pull onto the wide shoulder should the car stop. Then that shoulder disappeared and I weaved over to the left lane where there was now a wide shoulder. And back and forth all the way into Wisconsin.
Now I am home after thirteen hours of driving.. The car never did give me all that much trouble other than overheating in high altitudes.
I will reward it with another tuneup at J.J.'s
While writing my blog at McDonald's, I noticed the usual table of old guys, the ones who come for cheap coffee and an hour of conversation, most of which is about the dangers of socialism and aren't we communists now? all while spending their social security for a second cuppa. They were Fox watchers, old farts who buy into anything O'Reilly says, but guys like that know their mechanics. They steered me to a Jiffy Lube two blocks down the street.
I got the oil change and a new filter to replace the filthy old one and the opinion that there was nothing wrong with the car, though I might eventually need a new battery. The light was off.
I finished up the last performance and headed east on 94. Twenty miles out of Dickinson the "Service Car Soon" was back. I drove until I got to New Salem and had the Napa guy there use his electronic device to check for problems. There were none. "That car is in great shape," he said. The light was off.
I drove on and in another half hour, the light was on again. I called Gary who told me about the Buick his family had that did the same thing, even when it was brand new. He suggested covering the light with black masking tape.
Certainly the car has had its little idiosyncrasies before this, such as a light showing that the car doors were open when they weren't and the interior light going on for no reason. Before I even left for the trip, Gary unscrewed that light. No point in waking up to a dead battery.
This morning I set off from Jamestown, North Dakota. There was a storm brewing to the west that would go through North Dakota during the day and Minnesota tonight. There was no point in trying to camp and I didn't want to pay for another motel so I drove through.
The light remained the same until I got into the heavy traffic at Minneapolis/St. Paul. Then it started to flash. I stayed in the right lane so I could pull onto the wide shoulder should the car stop. Then that shoulder disappeared and I weaved over to the left lane where there was now a wide shoulder. And back and forth all the way into Wisconsin.
Now I am home after thirteen hours of driving.. The car never did give me all that much trouble other than overheating in high altitudes.
I will reward it with another tuneup at J.J.'s
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Tent
With hot and humid weather settling over the Plains, I am reconsidering my options.
Once I went through Broadus, Montana, I began to cover the same territory. From here on in, I will be traveling through country I've visited either on this trip or previous trips. No more sightseeing will be necessary. In addition, there are few campsites on the eastern part of North Dakota and some of those were damaged by spring flooding. It may be another motel is in the cards for me. I'll travel until 9:00 tonight so even if I find a campground, I would sleep in the car, not bothering with making camp.
Thinking of that this morning when I woke up, I looked around my tent and realized I may not use it again on this trip. My little Ozark tent, purchased some years ago for $30, has served me well.
It has been in three extremely strong wind storms, in Utah, Montana, and North Dakota. Whenever the tent seemed like it would overturn, I moved my air mattress and sleeping bag to the side the wind was pushing and used my weight to keep the thing in place. It worked every time.
Gary added sealant to the seams and rain never got in, with one exception. One night, after I entered the tent, I looked up and realized I missed two of the hooks on the ceiling when I set it up. What difference will that make, I thought, and went to sleep.
Later that night, I got a splash of rain water in my face. Yes, those two hooks made a difference. I never made that mistake again.
So, today is the last performance at Dickinson, North Dakota. I'll lose an hour as I pass into Central Time just east of here, but will drive for four hours. I may push on Tuesday with a 12 hour drive and get back home. We'll see. This trip has given me many surprises so I don't count on anything.
Once I went through Broadus, Montana, I began to cover the same territory. From here on in, I will be traveling through country I've visited either on this trip or previous trips. No more sightseeing will be necessary. In addition, there are few campsites on the eastern part of North Dakota and some of those were damaged by spring flooding. It may be another motel is in the cards for me. I'll travel until 9:00 tonight so even if I find a campground, I would sleep in the car, not bothering with making camp.
Thinking of that this morning when I woke up, I looked around my tent and realized I may not use it again on this trip. My little Ozark tent, purchased some years ago for $30, has served me well.
It has been in three extremely strong wind storms, in Utah, Montana, and North Dakota. Whenever the tent seemed like it would overturn, I moved my air mattress and sleeping bag to the side the wind was pushing and used my weight to keep the thing in place. It worked every time.
Gary added sealant to the seams and rain never got in, with one exception. One night, after I entered the tent, I looked up and realized I missed two of the hooks on the ceiling when I set it up. What difference will that make, I thought, and went to sleep.
Later that night, I got a splash of rain water in my face. Yes, those two hooks made a difference. I never made that mistake again.
So, today is the last performance at Dickinson, North Dakota. I'll lose an hour as I pass into Central Time just east of here, but will drive for four hours. I may push on Tuesday with a 12 hour drive and get back home. We'll see. This trip has given me many surprises so I don't count on anything.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Back in North Dakota
I'm back in Buffalo Gap National Grassland campground. I've pretty much seen the area since I stayed three nights in June on my way west, so I am spending the time bringing my journal up to date (where was I on July 19th for instance), working on my bookkeeping, and putting my legs up to read.
I did inventory and found out I am out of shirts. The closest laundromat is in Dickinson, 60 miles away, so I am trusting Gary who says that clothes automatically clean themselves if they are in the laundry basket. I will stop at a resale shop tomorrow to see if there is anything there I can buy to get me home by Wednesday.
I have ten matches left. I am almost out of cappuccino powder. The oatmeal is gone but I have enough Cream of Wheat to finish the trip. Not much in the way of canned goods. I will use them up the next two nights, then likely eat out the last night.
Meanwhile, I keep wondering why people think it is a good idea to bring their dogs on camping trips.
Last night, there was a constant yapping from a dog a few sites away. This has been the case in most campgrounds I've visited. The owners tie up the dog and go off to restaurants and bars leaving a lonely and scared little mutt.
This one started to sound like it was in pain so I went over to take a look. The owners had tied the little female (a chihuahua-rat terrier mix I found out later) to a bush, probably figuring she would get some shade there. Instead, she must have crawled in and out of the shrubbery, winding her string around and around until she was tight against a prickly bush., with thorns jamming into her side. I untangled her enough to get her away from her painful predicament, and brought over her water. No one had left that for her and it was still in the 90s. She slobbered it up as fast as she could.
Then another camper and I reported the situation to the campground host who came over and finished the untangling job, gave her some treats and waited there with her to keep her from barking any more.
He must have given those people a tongue lashing because this morning everyone of the four children and four adults took the dog out for walks. She was limping, but other than that she was in good spirits. When she spotted me she came over, laid on her back and let me scratch her belly.
I hope her people learned their lesson. But experience in campgrounds has taught me that most campers never catch on.
I did inventory and found out I am out of shirts. The closest laundromat is in Dickinson, 60 miles away, so I am trusting Gary who says that clothes automatically clean themselves if they are in the laundry basket. I will stop at a resale shop tomorrow to see if there is anything there I can buy to get me home by Wednesday.
I have ten matches left. I am almost out of cappuccino powder. The oatmeal is gone but I have enough Cream of Wheat to finish the trip. Not much in the way of canned goods. I will use them up the next two nights, then likely eat out the last night.
Meanwhile, I keep wondering why people think it is a good idea to bring their dogs on camping trips.
Last night, there was a constant yapping from a dog a few sites away. This has been the case in most campgrounds I've visited. The owners tie up the dog and go off to restaurants and bars leaving a lonely and scared little mutt.
This one started to sound like it was in pain so I went over to take a look. The owners had tied the little female (a chihuahua-rat terrier mix I found out later) to a bush, probably figuring she would get some shade there. Instead, she must have crawled in and out of the shrubbery, winding her string around and around until she was tight against a prickly bush., with thorns jamming into her side. I untangled her enough to get her away from her painful predicament, and brought over her water. No one had left that for her and it was still in the 90s. She slobbered it up as fast as she could.
Then another camper and I reported the situation to the campground host who came over and finished the untangling job, gave her some treats and waited there with her to keep her from barking any more.
He must have given those people a tongue lashing because this morning everyone of the four children and four adults took the dog out for walks. She was limping, but other than that she was in good spirits. When she spotted me she came over, laid on her back and let me scratch her belly.
I hope her people learned their lesson. But experience in campgrounds has taught me that most campers never catch on.
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