Return to Wash PA

We are now back in Washington for two weeks to empty out our house and wrap up other details in getting rid of the stick home. We started our return by attending a huge party at Christina & Eddie Gibbs' home. This year's theme was a luau with over 200 people enjoying the festivities. The food was great and the entertainment was top notch. The band was Polynesian and included hula dancers and a fire dance. Nanc had an opportunity to see many of her friends from Crown and catch up on the latest news. Even though it was cold everyone stayed warm around the bonfire. We parked the motor home in their yard, which I was afraid to do for last years party, so I must be getting more comfortable driving this big rig. At our house we have separated things into what we are taking, what we are selling and what we are storing (a very small pile). We have sold most of the big items and are waiting to hear from the auctioneer about picking up what remains. Everything else will go to the dump.

The Escapade

We are now at the Escapees Escapade in Goshen, Indiana with 2000 other rvers about 1/3 of these being full timers. We have attended several seminars and social functions and have learned a great deal about this lifestyle at both. The seminars have covered traveling to Mexico & Canada, the workings of your rv, how to finance your travel and healthy cooking. We have purchased some safety equipment we needed from the vendors and generally have enjoyed the camaraderie of the people. It is a very diverse group, from retirees to others who work on the road to support their lifestyle. We are part of the class of 2007, a group of about fifty who just started full timing this year. The SKPs are a wonderful group and everyone goes out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Hot Time at RV Boot Camp

We are in Goshen, Indiana at RV Boot Camp a program to learn the ins and outs of having a motor home. We have had classes on RV systems, tires, weight, driving and fire safety. All the seminars have been very informative. Most of the people in boot camp are new rvers or new full timers. Nanc got to participate in one of the fire safety demonstrations and she learned to use a fire extinguisher. I now know who the fire chief is going to be. Tomorrow the Escapees Rally starts and runs to Friday. There are going to be over 900 RVs parked at the fair grounds for the rally. There will classes on all aspects of the motor home lifestyle and many vendors selling rv related items. We have meet a lot of new people who have been full timing for only a short time and others who have done this for years.

Unforeseen Events

On our drive to Indiana we lost the cover for the hot water tank so we had to have it replaced and painted. We bought the cover at Newmar and had the painting done at Precision Painting. They were able to do it today so we will still make it to boot camp tomorrow. They did a very good job of matching the paint for a reasonable amount. They have a big shop and do all of Travel Supreme's painting but the owner who did the bid for us said they still do a lot of smaller jobs. We also had Focal Wood Products install sills on five windows and frame a couple of lights. They look really great and give a nice finishing touch to the motor home. Since we were having work done we were able to stay at Newmar yesterday and at Precision tonight. The good news is the nights are free, the bad news is it costs quite a bit to do any work on the motor home. Because we had to get here for the work we were having done we stayed in three different places in three days. This is the first time we haven't stayed at least two nights in a campground. This part of the country had several inches of rain last week and as a result the mosquitoes have been terrible. We saw a plane spraying right along the road in a small town. If you look closely you can see it above the building.

Relaxing Labor Day Weekend

We have been at the Top-A-Rise campground near Jamestown since Thursday. We were lucky to find a place at a very reasonable rate over the Labor Day weekend. Most of the stay has been working and doing chores around the motor home. On Friday I washed the whole thing for the first time since we left Washington while Nanc gave the interior a thorough cleaning. On Saturday we had a pleasant surprise when who got to meet Georgie & Tom for lunch at Bemus Point. Tom had emailed to tell us they would be in Erie for the weekend and when we talked we decided to get together. While it is great meeting new people it is always wonderful to see old friends. After lunch Nanc & I spent the remainder of the afternoon roaming around Bemus Point. We ended up eating again and stayed for part of the Pops Concert. It was a neat time with all the boats in the water and many people lining the shore to hear the music. Sunday was a laundry and shopping day and today after a long walk we just took it easy. We are planning a big dinner tonight with salmon, steak and all the fixins. We are leaving early tomorrow and going to Indiana. We have an appointment at Focal Wood Products on Wednesday to have window sills installed. This is the first time we are driving and have a definite schedule we have to meet. Starting Friday we are going to RV Boot Camp and the Escapees Rally in Goshen, Indiana. We will be in Washington for a couple of weeks starting on September 15. Happy Labor Day to all those who are still working.