It's All In The Details - Literally & Figuratively

Our original mission for our Nomadic American blog was to make it unique, entertaining, humorous, and hopefully, have the capacity to pass along some knowledge to other first-time RV'ers. We realized from the get-go that there are TONS of RV web sites as well as blogs out there, even if some haven't been updated for a few years. We'll be the first people to mention that it is not our intention to compare sites. There are scads of very useful information locations out there. Yes, it can be a process to sort through it sometimes, but we've personally gained lots of insights from books as well as the Internet.Speaking of cool websites, kudos goes out to Tim Enright (aka BugSmaker) from Hitchupandgo.com for adding our RV blog to their website directory!


Now that the Nomad is back home and all the minor mechanical bugs have been worked out, the next project on the list is loading it up. This will give us a whole new take on the word "organizing". We're thinking about borrowing our grand-daughter Alyssa for this job. She can shove, jam, and pack a bunch of books in with some videos, shake the cabinets, and nothing moved or fell out! Amazing! Space is at a premium in the Nomad. And since we don't want things flying around while we're on the road, the organizing and packing will be going hand in hand with "securing" and "maximizing the use of space". In other words, this process will work successfully - it's all in the details.

When thinking about this process, we also realized that there are numerous other details in preparation for any kind of road trip. So, rather than bore you with nothing but "what we did and how", because every RV is different, we pass along some thoughts about some of the other concepts that crossed our mental paths.

1). Why do this is the 1st place? We feel traveling is in every person's blood. From the time we take our first steps as toddlers, we have a drive to 'go somewhere" - even if it's across the living room floor. Now, think back to the best road trip you've ever taken. Do you remember that feeling of rolling across the country with your windows down and the radio up, with nothing on your mind but the joy of being with people you like in a vehicle that you really dig? If not, you need to plan a road trip in the very near future. If you do however, and if the feeling of wanting to do it again, then you are a nomad to some degree.

2). Be sure to pack the right attitude! Stay flexible and laugh a lot. No matter if it's a commute or a several thousand mile trek, traffic delays and inclement weather will be encountered. If you're living the RV life or just planning a future vacation, decide what will work for you. If you spend your allotted time in one place or soldier through an entire area - that's okay. Just do it! That's the kind of freedom we all need in the first place!

3). Take only pictures, leave nothing but new friends. We share this world with others - people, animals, and mother nature herself. While everyone has a different lifestyle and agenda. Be sure to pack respect along for the journey.

4). Find some bliss - literally. First off, you won't find this at a mall or gift shop. Things like televisions, computers, or the latest coffee maker doesn't even come close to cutting it. Why? Collectively, they won't make you happy in the long run. We need to live what's out there, not buy it. It doesn't matter where we go - what does matter is the experience to be had along the way & once we're there. That's one of the main reasons why we purchased an RV - it's more of an experience than flying in a plane sitting in a seat for a few hours and barely relating to anyone.

Signing off for now,
The Happy Campers
Jill and Dave

Dare To Be Different

A few blogs back, we posted a few sentences that went something like:
 - "We miss the absurd." 
 - "Seek the unpredictable."
Some readers asked what we meant in regards to these statements. One person went on to say that "...even though we are Nomadic Americans, and on a loosely planned journey, we still have goals. Why would you want the absurd and unpredictable to get in the way?"

The answer to that question can be simple in concept, but not always easy to embrace. Nomadic and/or RV life is especially appealing to those who value the freedom of not being weighed down by accumulated stuff, because it is the ultimate exercise in paring down to only the important, but fun-filled essentials. Anyone who has ever tried to pack up a home and take it down the road soon learns the meaning of the old saying that "less is more." Ben Franklin, who created timeless maxims like "a penny saved is a penny earned", also explained that the person "who owns much is soon owned" by his or her possessions. Now - are we claiming to be the material possessions Grinch? Nope - not in the least and not trying to be.

We will be the first to admit that Nomadic and/or RV life is not for everyone - nor is it intended to be like many things in life. We've talked to hundreds of people over the past three months and while quite a number of them are unable to do what we are currently doing at this juncture in their lives, they want to embark on a nomadic lifestyle in sometimes the worst way. These people come from all walks of life and through a broad financial demographic spectrum. In our humble opinion, and to some, this is probably kindergarten time, the American Dream has changed dramatically. The bottom line here is it is okay to Dare to be Different.

Case in point with the Nomad. In an age of motorized recreational vehicles, motor-homes, and 5th wheels that can cost way over $100,000 dollars, we're going in the opposite direction. Nomad is already 36 years old and we haven't even gotten out of the gate yet. In some peoples eyes, our RV is absolutely unspectacular by today's standards, but it can serve as a reminder as well as an inspiration that camping and traveling can be fun and adventurous - as well as affordable. It's like my uncle used to say; "...keep the costs and efforts down, so you're not married to it."

It brings to mind the principle of things are not always what they seem. The Nomad could be viewed as something out of the dinosaur age, but is actually very comfortable to drive, as well as quite easy to steer, brake, and park. The same could be said for us and other people. There are always going to be the collective group of folks who think, not only are we off our rocker, but the rocker has fallen off the porch and is halfway down the driveway... in pieces. However, more often than not, friends, family, acquaintances, and the public in general, are supporting us, rooting for us, and wishing us all the best. That is an incredible source of strength and hope. We've also already met some very interesting people so far on this journey. For example, we met a young woman this morning whom, at first glance and impression, would seem aloof with a certain level of disconnect sometimes associated with the teenage generation. However, after speaking with her for about 15 minutes, we found her to be witty, intelligent, personable, as well as an honors student in her class.

The mechanical bugs have all been worked out with the Nomad. The next phase is to start loading it up with the essentials, which will mean we are going to get extremely creative when it comes to maximizing the interior space. After that, we just need to add propane, water, then stir well, and we should be good to go. The warmer weather is beckoning us and we are heeding the call.

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

In the Family Circle

Recently in the Langdon-Lewis household, we shared some domestic events.  We learned that Meg is quite the creative cook.  Short of being a Master Chef herself, she gathers ideas as she goes along adding spices and combinations never heard of before while alternatively converting to a healthier diet.

Dave and I have made simple suggestions like, "Just add more vegetables into your meals."
Meg's reply; "Matt won't eat them!  He's a meat and potatoes with fattening gravy kind of eater...It has to be of Southern flavor and loaded with butter."
Meg tries hard to satisfy her families palette - so much indeed that she has cooking magazines in the bathroom. She tries to find a balance. Plus hiding a few key facts about healthy ingredients goes a long way. What they don't know, won't kill them - it's healthier for them.

Other such oddities have been commented about - for example - my "control" center- the top of a tote in the living-room contains an assortment of products I use daily, but couldn't find the space for in the bathroom.  Dave placed a crow-bar among my stuff one day after working on "Nomad".  Matt made the casual observation another day, " How does a crow-bar fit in with this assortment? Does it make you drop-dead gorgeous?"

This morning a mad dash ensued in search of Tristan's library book.  A distraught Meg flipped quickly searched through all the piles of papers, games and movie videos. "Where did you put it, Son?"
"I don't know?" he replied blankly at her.  Meg had to abandon the search as she had to go to work.

Later in the morning after all had departed, Dave was rearranging our supplies for the Nomad and found the book on the floor between Tristan's desk and our tote. Tristan had swore on a stack that it WAS NOT in HIS room as HE LOOKED THERE and DID NOT find it.

Dave and I sorted and repacked leaving room for more items to leave behind for Meg and Cat.  Dave made room for the "tote wall" that was at Cat's apartment to fit at Meg's.  Meg informed Cat on Sunday that we weren't getting a trailer and were leaving more things behind. They decided among themselves which of our items would still be staying in the family. There was the china cabinet that was our first purchase as a couple, a wrought iron ivy leaved plant table, a bonafide treasure chest, and an assortment of smaller knick-knacks, jewelry and trinkets.  After a couple of hours of sorting and dividing who gets what and which items are being donated to the church bazaar for big raffle ticket items, Dave spent time chatting with Nick on the transport ride to and from Cat's apartment.  Catherine and I also used that time to have meaningful conversation and to tell me what's been going through her mind..." Mom, I feel as if you and Dad are already dead and we are dividing up your stuff."

When the children arrived home, they were instructed to do their home-work.  Alyssa finished first and then proceeded to "cheer" Tristan on.  "Peel... peel... the banana. Peel... peel...the banana." Repeat four times. Then she chanted, "Form... Form... the banana." Again, four times. She began with her arms over her head and slowly opened her arms as if she were a banana getting peeled. Lastly, she raised her arms back up into place as she was forming the banana. She was chanting rather loudly and totally distracting Tristan. Unfortunately he had a harder time getting his work done.  Alyssa went into her room and came back out with her dolls and played with them until Tristan completed his work and then wanted to play Life on the computer before their mother came home.

Dave and I got our dinner prepared and eaten during that time.  Then we published three blogs and went out for the evening.  We ran into our friend, Jonesie,  who has been extremely helpful during this stressful time of transition and he told us, " It takes the time that it takes...Just think, when it's all over and you're actually on the road, you'll look back and see how much stronger you are at going through trials."

Once again we hit the methodical pause button. Took a few deep breaths. Tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it. Until then -

The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

What would William Shakespeare Do?

In the 1500's, skulls lined the London Bridge. Social unrest (a power struggle if you will) ensued between religion and the state. (or two different belief systems as the reigning queen at the time was Protestant.)  William Shakespeare heeded the warning by those skulls.  He kept his inner-most thoughts to himself.  He couched his political views which enabled him to not only hide his face, but also his beliefs.  There is no direct access to his thoughts on politics, religion, or the Renaissance art.  His choice books to read were never stamped with his name and no personal letters he wrote remain.  He learned hard lessons for one who wanted to be seen and heard by the world. Conspiracies, assassinations and invasions spread.  Danger lurked everywhere and the need for discretion, concealment and fiction impacted his imagination.

MacBeth states about his enemies closing in around him, "They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly.  But bear-like I must fight the course."

Why does society favor the brutal and nasty?  Why do humans love cruel spectacle?  Have we lost our capacity for love, caring, gentleness, and sensitivity to others' pain?  On the streets of London were whipping poles, pillories, and stocks.  People threw tomatoes and rotten food at those in the stocks.  Society paid to see entertainments that mirrored the constant torments of public displays.

Bear-like, Dave and I fight the cause.  Unrealistic, untrue sentiments crossed our path.  The torture of daily humiliation and shame sit at our front door.  Innocent until proven guilty--or so they say... Corporate America favors bully tactics, and society heeds its rules.  Society - with all its norms, mores, and devious acceptable behaviors (greed and best your fellow man to climb to the top of the corporate ladder) strips the individual of our free will.  Corporate America stifles individuality, creativity and imagination...the very things that keep us humans and not humanoids.  Group think is honored and the wildest ideas are ridiculed. Individual ruggedness is subdued into mediocrity and corporate think squashes all human vulnerability and real communication.

The individuals' passions and ingenuity have been tampered with to the point where logic and desire for social inclusion is more important than life itself.  One must have the same "stuff" as everyone else or better than them. (Who is them?)  This cycle perpetuates itself.

In Will's time, the only art being created were portraits of rich Catholic patrons...two very dangerous combinations of client. (Those opposed to the Queen).  Corporations today mostly purchase abstract art that holds no meaning for the viewer, therefore leaving the patron as empty as when they entered the building.

The meaning of art is to arouse a emotion within the observer.  Corporations purchase mostly abstracts and designs that hold no meaning or emotional content for the viewer. (There is no psychic connection being made.)  Computers, cell phones and multi-media used today also inhibit true relationships to be formed.  Communication is stifled and stymied by short cut spelling where words can be misunderstood.  Anger, frustration and violence prevail as humiliation upon humiliation dominates the home-front and shame rules the psyche.

We were in Rockland courthouse this morning observing the undertakings of the judicial system.  The process for today's proceedings were arraignments - where the person says whether they are innocent or guilty. The next step in the process is a trial date being Oct. 31.

People were there for many mishaps.  The one that struck me was the young mother who stole baby-food. What is the matter with society when a person has no one to help them out with these types of problems?  What happened to the community that a church used to contain?  What is the matter with the state?  Was stealing the lesser of two evils for this poor woman?  Face a fine and pay restitution at a later date, or be called in for neglect by DHS for not feeding her child...desperate times call for desperate measures.  We have to start living by our hearts again.  It's within our consciousness to be able to tell right from wrong, and putting this woman in that situation is wrong of society!

Some people think that being a "nomadic American" is absurd.  We live for the absurd, and we miss it.  Society is afraid of what they don't understand. They don't understand the concept of it.  However, most people we spoke with like and even want to participate in our new way of living and traveling. Even the word camping summons happy memories for them.  We all crave times that were simple.  We crave being different when being different was normal or at least an okay way to be.  Society seems to frown on crackpot thinking- however it seems at many times throughout history ( including now) that this type of thinking and its resulting ingenuity is just what we need.

Seek the unpredictable.
The Happy Campers,
Jill and Dave

Tires, Tune-Ups & Temperature Sensors, Oh My!

Thank our grandson Tristan for the inspiration for this title. It all began at breakfast last Saturday while we drove to Belfast to work on our RV, Nomad, some more. The brakes were all good as was the suspension, but we had to solve the mysteries of why Nomad's horn and temperature gauge did not work, why the drivers' front tire sounded like a thumping drum, to power wash the exterior, and start detailing the interior.


We pit-stopped at McDonald's along the way, and discussion ensued about Happy Meals. Tristan was hoping for more toys from "The Lizard of Oz". Our oldest daughter, Meg, chuckled and then reminded him that the movie was called "The Wizard of Oz."





All I could think about was the "lizard" in the Geico commercials doing one of the following;
 - "Pay no attention to that gecko behind the curtain..." or
 - "All you have to do to back to Kansas, Dorothy, is to click your heels three times. You can also click your mouse & save a bunch of money on your car insurance..."
It was definitely time for more coffee.

Once back at the shop, we pulled off the tire and wheel and put it on the shops' spin balancer. While it was mostly in balance, the tire had a sizable flat spot from sitting in one place for too long. Ironically, all the other tires were fine. Not everyone has RV tires in stock, so we ordered one from the local tire dealer - that will arrive in a few days. With that mystery solved, we moved onto the inoperable temperature gauge problem. With the front tire off, we could see where the temperature sensor was located on the engine. Turns out, the plug was disconnected for some reason from the sensor. Two seconds later, we had a working gauge and still no overheating problems.

We then turned our attention to the power washing of the exterior. That turned into a 4-person project involving both grand-children. If our Nomad could talk, it would tell dizzying tales of sponges, brushes, nozzles, hoses as well as several buckets of water. After approximately 2 1/2 hours of scrubbing and cleaning, the RV looked fantastic. The white paint shown so bright in the mid-day sun, that it was literally blinding. We even unrolled the awning so we could clean that, pain in the neck as it was to open up. We found out, whomever rolled it up last, did it backwards. We did manage to roll it back up into place and secure it once more, but it will be quite a while before it's used again. It's a shame too - it was a nice color combination of white, maroon, and ocean teal blue - and in surprisingly good condition. When all was said and done, our grand daughter Alyssa, who had been dying to climb the ladder on the rear of the Nomad for almost 2 weeks, finally got her chance. Her first words when seeing the top of the RV; "Why didn't you guys wash the roof?" Gotta love our grand daughter!

Next, the horn issue was tackled which turned out to be a simple wiring issue, got all the running lights to work, adjusted the side mirrors to an optimum position and Nomad received an official state inspection sticker for the first time in two years. We felt like another hurdle had been cleared and feeling of a right of passage for the RV, giving it the green light for traveling.
 

As of this writing, we are in the process of doing some interior touch up painting, detailing, cleaning and insulating so we get the most out Nomad, regardless of the weather. The engine will get a much needed oil change, a spare tire & wheel that's in much better condition, and we're going to find out what's making an obnoxious noise when we turn on the fan! As the saying goes, "We're getting there..."

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Two Loons on a Lake

The day began bright, sunny and clear.  Dave and I put the children on the bus, then began packing for the days' caper.  Excitement running high for both of us as we trekked to the public landing.  Once there, we cracked the code on the padlock to the boathouse.  Inside were a plethora of multicolored life-jackets, personal floatation devices and oars.  We collected the needed gear, walked over to the shore and placed them on the beach while we chose our craft and removed it from its mooring.  We carried it over to the launching ditch, put it down and loaded it up (ourselves included).


I've never canoed before and was surprised at how easily our craft could tip.  It didn't seem to tip half as much when Dave got in.  My weight counter-balanced his I guess.  It took me a little bit to get the knack of how to paddle when in a canoe.  (I'm used to rowing boats.)  I wildly plunged my paddle into the water from one side to the other and splashed Dave on both attempts.

"Whoa, Tiger, easy on the oars!!!  You're soaking me!" he stated wetly.
"Oh, sorry, Honey."

Once I found my rhythm steering became easier. Destination- islands in the middle of the pond.  There was a gusting breeze that created turbulence on the surface waters.  We had to keep up a steady pace in order to continue with forward momentum.  We got rhythm, we got style- just come paddle for a while...Peace and quiet were virtues found on this journey.  We became clear minded and focused on doing the next right thing- paddling gently do we don't tip the canoe.

                      Island Ho --

Canoeing is a communication sport.  Dave and I had to explain ourselves
in detail in order to go in a certain direction.  The wind was a pushing force against us as we headed toward the island.  I had to decide on what angle to approach the island.  We were told that there was a sandy side with less rocks for landing.  As we neared the island head on, I noticed a large rock under our bow.  I hit it with my paddle to avoid hitting it with the canoe.  Then I spotted more boulders under the water and pushed off those as well to avoid a catastrophe.  We backed up and then proceeded off towards the right side of the island and in between the two of them until we finally located the sandy side.  We cruised through the shallows easily and disembarked getting our shoes soaked.

Although the island was small, it was picturesque and a perfect place for a picnic.  We ate our PB&J's, chips and lemonade in the shade of a small oak tree.  The rocks had allowed the growth of bitter berry bushes, young oaks and silver leafed trees.  We observed seven inch long black fish, and medium sized turtles over the edge of the ledge as we made our way back to the canoe.

We entered the canoe more gracefully this time and embarked on the exploration of the far side of the pond.  There we found a life-saver ring tied to a cinder block in the middle of the cove - a rather unexpected ornament to be found there.  Painting fodder --wharves, professionally landscaped lawns, gardens and manicured bushes...a more perfect day couldn't have been had for this excursion.

We used wind power to propel us back.  Along the way, I noticed a pair of Loons off the stern about 20 feet away. 

"Let's see if we can get close to them," I suggested.
"Ok," Dave replied as he began rowing.
Within 10 feet of them, we stopped paddling and got out the camera.  Just as Dave shot the picture, one Loon swooned upward and then dived under the water. The other dived while we weren't looking at it and both swam away.
"I got the shot!" Dave stated triumphantly.

We gently paddled back to shore to find a young couple awaiting our arrival.  Their names were Chantel and Issac from Vermont.  They wanted to go canoeing too.  We handed our gear to them with the instructions to lock up when they were done. ( We found the next day that they hadn't. So we did it for them.)

The peace and clarity found out on the pond remained with us for the walk home and into the evening.

The Happy Campers
Jill and Dave

It's Not Always As It Seems

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how Dave and I undertook clearing the backyard of dead tree branches and other storm related damage.  There were pieces of flattened wet cardboard all around.  I didn't see it as anything but trash.  We happily continued our space clearing and stacked the twigs into piles of various sizes for a future campfire.

Yesterday, while Dave drove the Nomad to Belfast, Maine for Meg to do the repairs on it, I remained at home to work on my painting.  The children were home from school before I was done and I had to do a quick clean up.

They shared riding Tristan's bike. One pretending he's at the races, and the other pretending she's a trick rider and practicing her balancing act.  While Tristan rode, Alyssa befriended a large black cricket and named him "Jack Hopper Cricket".  "He needs to have a first and last name, Grammy!"  OK...

My middle name may be, " TROUBLE", but hers is, "DRAMA".  There is no fury like that of a six year old.

When I'm questioning things in the world or saying how full of drama the next generation is, then I have to look at myself and see where they learned it from... (most parents say that all their children's bad behaviors were learned at school.) I have no excuse - I home-schooled.  Therefore, a majority of life's lessons are acquired from home whether good or bad.  Dave and I are the original mini-series in the drama realm for this family.  Shakespeare got all his material from life and then embellished it to make it more entertaining, so that his audience would laugh at themselves.  If one gets mad at a scene, then there is usually a trait that is in one's own personality that is being mocked.  Complaining, whining, moaning, manipulation, control, power struggles, jealousy, envy, greed, sloth, gluttony, and pride are all part of the human condition.  Every person has to overcome something that's out of whack within us, and these behaviors can be modified with practice.
( Speaking of modifications, Dave interrupted my train of thought by suggesting that we add a turbo rocket to the rear axle of the Nomad)  Any comments?

I decided to shower yesterday afternoon as I planned to go out in public during the evening. Matt told the children to play out back.  I was only under water for approximately ten minutes and came out to hear the tormented screams from my granddaughter.  I toweled off the excess water and quickly dressed into shorts and a tank top as the small bathroom retains heat like a sauna.  I opened the door for air to find an elfish faced crying child.  I told her to stop crying so I could understand what she was trying to tell me.  Through about five minutes more of just hugging her until she was cohesive, I practiced my own breathing deep.

Then began " The Case of the Missing Fairy Boxes".

"I made special homes for the Fairies and they're GONE!"
"Where did you put them?", I asked.

"They were out in the backyard until YOU cleaned it."

Oh my.  Am I meddling, not minding my own business or what? I think I'm doing good only to be causing TROUBLE again....so, you are now sitting on the edge of your seat wondering--What happened next?

Well, fast thinking, smart woman that I am. (Dave says, "please hold all comments at this time...") Now, I forgot what I was going to write...

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle...are you engrossed by the drama yet?

It came to my mind to have her show me where her fairy house was.  She led me to a pile of seashells and stones.  "It was right here," she said pointing to the shells.
 "What was right there? SEE the entrance I made with my beads!"
"THE FAIRY HOUSE"  (Ok, we are getting no where...)
"What did it look like?  I picked up all sorts of sticks and wood and put them over here in this pile.." as we walked over to the piles of neatly sorted wood.
"NO GRAMMY, I USED A CARDBOARD BOX."  (Wow, at least now I have something to work with.)
"Let's make another one."  (I saw a stack of boxes in the corner beside the sofa and took a small box off the pile to give to Alyssa.  Tristan, smelling the beginnings of creativity about to happen, asked for one too.)

The Case of the Missing Fairy Boxes solved and two happy children lost in the wave of invention were busily at work making houses for the next generation of fairies.

That was my day - how was yours?
Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Different Perspectives

We've written here before about perspective - and don't be too surprised if by the end of this post, it's filled with at least a few other introspective statements and/or sayings. Call them cliche's if you wish. However, perspective, and all it's guts and glory, have been in our faces over the past few days. In actuality, perspective can be the ultimate double edged sword. For the most part, a situation by itself, is usually neither good nor bad - it's our perspective that can make it so. For example, the weather. It could be a 90 degree humid day. One person could hate it, another would love it. All depends on one's point of view.

We're gaining more perspective with our RV. Any and all repairs are being finished as we write this. After that, we'll fill up the propane and water systems. After that, dare we venture to say, we should be good to go? This is certainly our hope - it's starting to get too cold here, especially in the mornings. See? It's all about perspective.  :)

However, even though our initial departure date has been delayed, we're still
engaging in the area. Yes, we've lived here for over 15 years, but it's amazing how much we've missed or haven't done in a while. We went apple picking with our friend Mary Jane the other day. That was a tad unusual due to the fact that numerous apples weren't ready to be picked yet coupled with the fact that the orchard had been hit hard by last weeks' thunderstorms. We're talking downed & damaged trees and hail affected apples. But we managed to pick a bag of Ginger Golds & had a great time. We've never had this type before. Another evening, we checked out a benefit concert (Elephest 2013) that featured a number of local bands. The cause? To help the Hope Elephants organization. Yes, even elephants come to Maine to retire... We also enjoyed our 2nd summer cookout complete with s'mores. Yeah, that's what came to our minds - our second cookout & it's September. (Another perspective point--Time flies when you're having fun!)

We were searching the Internet for detailed information about our RV. While we came across some cool information, we also stumbled onto some fairly bizarre stuff. One cool thing was that we found out our RV is a rare model called Seafarer which means "following the Way". While it doesn't affect things like suspension, brakes, and drive-train parts, it will be a real pain if we ever try to find some original interior decorating parts that came standard on this rig - like a ships bell, weather instaments and a fog horn. One of the more twisted things we found was this picture. We've done some weird things with cars, trucks, snowmobiles, and even motor boats, but never anything like this. Apparently, this is a new type of crash test that Winnebago industries undertook.

If we were practicing letting go in August, we've been practicing acceptance this month while trying to shed the concept of passive compliance. Acceptance is not submission. It is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation, then deciding what you're going to do about it. As far as passive compliance, we'll break this down. Passive is an adjective which means receptive to outside impressions or influences that are not always you're own. Compliance is a noun meaning conformity in fulfilling requirements or a disposition to yield to others. The key here is that passive compliance with whatever is occurring need no longer dominate our pattern of behavior. We must push past the fear of what we don't know or understand and move forward with our new found information in order to grow positively.

We've been asked numerous times, "...is this move a good thing? I mean, if your stressing about it." It's at this juncture, we usually ask the other party if they've ever moved before - the answer is always an obvious yes. Then we followed it up with another inquiry - has the move ever been stress free? Then they get the point we're trying to make. Even the in-between times that come along can be stress filled. For example, the in-between times have been looking for a camper and actually purchasing it, getting the RV home and getting it repaired.

We would be more stressed if we stayed. We love Maine, all its beauty and it was a great place to raise our kids. Unfortunately, a short term reprieve does not equal a long term benefit. Change is not easy - even if it's for the better. There's always some factor of risk and the unknown. However, as a human race we cannot hold onto old ideas and concepts. It's fine not to shut the door on our past, but we can't let it dictate our ideas, dreams, goals, and our lives. If we do, we'll be living in a state of passive compliance.


I was watching an old TV show from the very early 60's called "Route 66". At the end of one of the episodes, one of the main characters quoted the following;
"When you come to an impasse, look to the 3rd side of the coin. The 3rd side to a coin is the edge - the place where the other two sides come together. A meeting place of heads and tails. It's the best side because it welds the two opposites together. And it's a perfect circle - continuous, closed and perfect - endless as understanding itself."

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

There's Always a Silver Lining

A storm to top all thunderstorms came down like a hammer in the Camden hills last night, struck us like a nail and wiped out the electricity at 9:15 p.m.  I was in the bathroom when the lights went out and had to feel my way down the hallway as if I were blind. I laid on the sofa staring upwards into the darkness that was alternately lit with brilliant flashes...when it subsided, I went into a semi-conscious state.

At around 10p.m., Matt came into the living-room searching frantically with a flashlight for the electric company's bill.  In my semi-conscious state, I thought he was weird wanting to pay his bill in the middle of the night and rolled over into a deep sleep.

By morning the house was stuffy, hot and uncomfortable.  Tristan was up at 5 a.m. and woke Meg and Matt up.  Matt ran out to the Rockland McDonald's for breakfast and ice for the fridge.  The children ate, dressed and went with Mary for a few hours as Camden had no school due to the lack of power.  Dave and I went out for a morning stroll.

                                         On our walk we observed the debris, a barking Anna, a run-a-way blue canoe, an enormous tree branch

hanging on the wires, and a couple serpentine wires on the ground.  At the Snow Bowl, a father and son were playing tennis and two women were having an adventure strapping their crafts to the roof of their vehicle.  We sat on the wet picnic table and gazed at the intermittent sun dappled upon the water until it began to get too warm for comfort.

A gentleman was out front of his house on our return walk and said, "Hi" to us.  We went into his yard and met him.  His name was Woody.  He was tall, lanky, and wearing a leather hat.  He had a front tooth missing which was obvious when he smiled. We introduced ourselves and asked what his black and white splotched cat's name was:  Spunky - because he's all over the place.  Do you have your power yet? As we looked down the road the power company was working on our street.  He then went on to say that we'll have power long before he will because with the configuration of these wires, I am on another grid.  Then he described that he has his house only because his mother passed away 20 years too soon because of cancer and he's out of work.  He makes wooden baskets for apples and home-made ice-cream to sell at the Common Fair Grounds this coming weekend. And hoped that it wouldn't melt in this heat before his power came back on.  Would you like some ice-cream?  Sure.  Then he went inside and we continued our walk back to Meg's past the power people and stopped traffic.

The power came on soon there afterwards and we reset everything before enjoying a break in the weather outside.  The yard was strewn with twigs. I began sorting the wood into sizes for our campfire this weekend.  (When I told Matt about it, I said, "Bonfire" and he cringed.)  I had to change my wording to fit my idea of an all day long small fire.  We were outside grooming the yard for a couple of hours until fatigue set in as well as hunger.  There has to be a balance between work and play. We live all day, and write about it during the evening.

I read about Shakespeare's method of creating his life and his station...he acted his way into the gentry...and his often quoted saying, " All the world is a stage" - Shakespeare  was proved to be true within his own life. He paid for a coat of arms so that his children would be part of the aristocracy.  "

Mary brought the children home and stayed to visit with us.  Tristan played for blood at the outdoor gymnasium and came home all scrapes and bruises needing a band-aid.  Alyssa wanted to go into the Nomad and play restaurant...(We later found out that our family likes watching Master Chef, so Alyssa pretended she was a Master Chef.  I had no idea what she was doing or why...good ole generation gap!), we played Uno, then cleaned the dishes and their rooms. Mary went home when Matt got here.Then Matt fell asleep in the office chair and the children watched movies.  Dave and I worked on Blogs.

"America is where dreams come true"--Luca, a new Master Chef.  New to America and he loves our country...where has our enthusiasm and loyalty to our own country gone?   Not only have we left the storms of yesterday behind, but creating our own lives and having our new dreams come true is our silver lining.

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

    

"NOMAD" Comes Home To Maine

It seemed like a simple plan at the time - go back down to Connecticut then bring our newly purchased RV home. We had all the necessary paperwork and the confidence it would make it home without a hitch. While we did make it back down to Connecticut and we drove the RV home, it wasn't as simple as we had hoped and we did encounter one hitch... or two... or was it more?

I made the trip back down to Manchester with my son-in-law Matt. Aside from a rain shower or two, the ride down was hassle free. We arrived at the sellers home and the camper fired right up. As we checked tire pressure, fluids, and making sure all was secure inside the RV, we noticed that the front bumper had no license plate screws. So, the search was on. We found a pair that worked perfectly - two of the front fender screws from the Ford Crown Victoria we drove down in. While this may sound bizarre, we've done this type of on-the-road quick fix solutions before. Sometimes you just gotta use what's available. Plus, the Crown Vic was none the worse for wear or safety.

Once the front plates were on, it was off to the gas station. Once $100 of petrol was in the tank, it was off to the interstate. Funny thing happened, however - but looking back, it was fortunate that things panned out the way they did. For some reason, Matt's GPS absolutely hated Manchester Connecticut. No matter where we wanted to go, it would never map out the same route twice - even when starting from the same beginning location. In this case, a simple way back to the interstate turned into what seemed like an endless drive while navigating the suburbs - through neighborhoods, back streets, up and down hills - the works.  Ten minutes later, we had to pull over because the right front brake caliper was hot and smoking. We attributed this to the fact that the RV had been sitting in the sellers yard for about a year. We also came to the conclusion that while on the initial test drive, the seller mentioned the RV needed an alignment. In all reality, the caliper was probably already starting to stick at that juncture.

Still feeling undaunted, the first thing we did was to try and find the necessary parts to make a hopefully quick & efficient road side repair. After visiting two different parts stores, (and calling six others), we realized that the parts would take at least 24 hours to arrive. On the upside, by this time, the caliper had cooled enough so we moved the RV to a local church about two miles away that had a large and level parking lot. Once parked, we grabbed something to eat and talked about our game plan.

We knew the RV wouldn't make it home in it's present condition. Not by a long shot. We also realized that there was a chance that the parts we ordered to the best of our knowledge at that time (and the parts store employees) may be incorrect (due to optional equipment levels) and we would be back to square one. So we decided to jack up the RV, take off the right front wheel and see if we could compress the caliper piston enough so it wouldn't press the pads against the rotor constantly thus causing it to overheat. If we were successful at that, we would use a large pair of vise grips to clamp off the brake hose going to that caliper without damaging it. Yes - that means the RV would have front brakes on the left (drivers' side) only as well as rear brakes. Not the most ideal situation, but good enough to get us home. Besides, you don't brake that much on the interstate anyways. Please hold all comments at this time...

To make a long story short, that entire process worked. Even after a ten or so mile test drive, the caliper showed no signs of heating up. By this time, it was 10 o'clock at night. We were tired, hot & sweaty. It was almost mid-September, but for some reason summer decided to have one last blast while we were down there as it was still 80 degrees. The next day, it was supposed to be in the mid 90's. Since the RV was not ready to be slept in as of yet, Matt & I decided to catch a few hours of sleep at "the cheapest motel we could find". We found one about two miles away that met our budget criteria. Of course, my parents always said "you get what you pay for" - and that advise was spot on in regards to this motel. I almost forgot to mention - to add insult to injury, it was Meg & Matt's wedding anniversary - and he was in Connecticut with me. Again, hold all comments at this time, please and thank you.

We won't mention the name of the motel or the chain it was part of, and while it would barely register a one-diamond rating on the AAA scale, it did have two fairly comfy beds, a TV, A/C, and a shower for the morning. We checked into the first room we were assigned. Slight problem - there was no electricity in the
room whatsoever. We were seriously thinking, "was electric power extra"? Back down to the lobby, did some explaining, and we were assigned to a different room. Went to our new room - it had electricity! Score! But when we went to watch the evening news - nothing. We found out the TV as well as the cable had been unplugged. Sorting through a myriad of wires, we hooked things up and we achieved success. A 3rd smile came to our face when the A/C worked perfectly. We even managed to overlook the blinking balcony light, the trash service emptying the dumpster at 6am, the signs secured to the windows with duct tape, and the arm length long list of other things that just left us shaking our heads and laughing.

We hit the road at approximately 8:30am in a surprisingly good mood. As some bizarre sort of a final token of affection to Manchester, Connecticut, Matt's GPS once again fought us tooth and nail in an effort to get us onto the interstate which was about a mile away. However, once on the road, we gained more confidence in our RV mile after mile and state after state. In fact, the next time we stopped was in Kennebunk, Maine for lunch. The RV was doing great, no overheating despite the hot & humid weather, the braking system was holding up just fine, and we were averaging 11 miles to the gallon. Not bad when you consider it weighs 10,000 pounds powered by a small block Chevy engine.

When we finally pulled into the yard, we were thrilled that the RV made the 280 mile shakedown run with only a caliper acting up. Matt and I also felt a rush of relief as well as exhaustion that this part of the journey was done. It took thirty-six hours instead of the nine it should have, but we had incredibly funny stories and memories to share. Even with the inconvenience and frustration, those aspects in hindsight are priceless; missed wedding anniversary dinner and all.  (We later learned that Meg spent it with her family.)

As of this writing, the RV is in the process of getting cleaned up, washed, and ready for the road. The correct parts are getting ordered, manuals, diagrams, and illustrations are being gone over, and the next phase of the journey is being worked out. I'm unsure who originally quoted the saying, "nothing ever goes as originally planned". While that may be true on more than several occasions, we have to remember that we can roll with the changes, accept the challenges as learning experiences, and just do the next right thing.

Time to take a breather,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Got Camper?

There comes a time in everyone's life when they ask themselves if they are truly happy with the life they've created. Some may call it a mid-life crises - others may call it a fresh start or cleaning the slate. We're calling it LIFE. Life happens; life changes. Life is too short to be lived in misery (of any type).

We took the last sentence to heart a day after we wrote off the back-firing motor-home. Dave exhausted the RV possibilities in the state of Maine, and so we began looking throughout New England. We've done this before - sometimes you have to go a greater distance to find the right item (in this case an RV) at the right time. After numerous phone calls & too many emails, we finally lined up some viable candidates to take a look at; all in southern New England & three in the Manchester, Connecticut area alone.

Thus began our day on Saturday - like fox hounds beginning the hunt. Meg, Dave & I hit the road at about 9am. Looking back, I realized we all had an unspoken agenda:
 - I was hoping I could make the journey down and back. I was looking at 9 hours minimum - that's a long time sitting & riding in anyone's book.
 - Dave was hopeful that at least one of the RV's would work for us. The ones we had called about & saw earlier in the week bombed horribly.
 - Meg was determined to get down & back without killing anyone... added to this fact was, "We are NOT leaving freakin' Connecticut unless Mom & Dad purchase a camper! We are NOT going home empty handed!"
So - the next question is, "Got Camper?"

The answer is a resounding yes! After weeks of pretty intense searching, we scored a great deal. It gives new meaning to the term "an oldie but a goodie". We purchased a 1977 Itasca Seafarer class c motor-home. Itasca was built in conjunction with Winnebago and is based on a 1-ton Chevy truck chassis. What's cool about this rig, is the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, exhaust, etc., are all old Chevy. It is simple to work on & parts availability is cheap and plentiful. The RV barely has 70,000 miles on it, has spent almost all of it's life in Florida and is in great condition considering it's 36 years old. Even Meg, our family ASE mechanic, was heavily impressed. The exterior checked out, as did the roof. The interior needs a little cleaning, the exterior needs some touch up in the paint department, and the RV itself needs just a little bit of TLC, but it's nothing we can't handle. We are more than confident that we can not only drive our Seafarer home, but also make the trek cross country.

What added to the sweetness of this purchase (besides a quality RV at a great price) was the seller. This aspect can sometimes make or break a deal. The seller was from Turkey and was very knowledgeable as well as hospitable. He was patient in answering all our questions, explained and demonstrated all the camper systems (which is rare in itself), and took us on a "spirited" test drive. After the deal was sealed, he even offered us refreshments & pizza!

We're going to take a little side track here for a moment - about this test drive. Dave has read that European drivers tend to drive in a more performance-oriented fashion than we do in America. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just we're usually not used to it.

The test drive was in a residential neighborhood. "Ve vill just go around da block" the man said.  Meg and I sat on the sofa cushions behind the captain's chairs.  Around the first corner at about 35mph, the table went flying out of the wall towards Meg and landed on the floor.  We were gaining speed and took another corner.  This time we heard a ka-thunk as something in the head hit the door... Meg and I looked at the shadow and wondered if indeed it weren't the commode come free from its mooring. (To our relief, we later found out that it was four plastic wastebaskets that had toppled.)

"You see. It handles vell! ", he said with a big smile. We all nodded in agreement - there was no other option as we were all speechless! (and that's rare for our family). Once again, I thought "am I really going to survive this trip?" Meg thought, "Oh my God... I'm going to die!" 

In actuality, this kind of test drive only proved the durability of the suspension as well as the craftmanship of the RV as a whole not to mention the holding power of the industrial strength Velcro that was holding the microwave to the counter. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled back into the driveway - not only were we thrilled we were buying a quality RV, but the fact this roller coaster ride had come to an end! And we thought Dave's Mustang was a fun ride!

Signing off for now,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

A Little Will

We woke early and headed for town to a meeting.  Two miles out and a sprained ankle later, we headed back for Megs. Dave called about more campers that he'd bookmarked on the web.  I shared with him the adventures of Capt. Jim Sharp.  Since coming to Maine and loving history, I've read Come Spring and imagined this virgin land and how it had been raped of all its trees.  I've read about the Indian raids on houses and forts.  I read about the ship building industry that began in Thomaston.  While searching for a farmhouse to call our own, we heard stories of how a house was transported over a frozen river from the islands one
winter and how the people had flourishing farms complete with horses, cows, sheep, chickens, and rabbits. So, it shouldn't have surprised me when I read that Capt. Jim Sharp moved an old horse barn with a "power wagon" (I thought that being from Maine, he might have modified a station wagon with beefy tires or something like that).  I didn't know a power wagon was a form of truck that looks like this.


He moved the barn from its pilings, over a gravel gully and through a parking lot onto the landing in Camden to become the captain's woodworking area when he needed to make repairs for any of his sailing vessels. I guess you're wondering what all this has to do with us and being Nomadic Americans?

Everybody thought that Jim Sharp was crazy. There are people out there who think we are just as nuts. However, Jim Sharp lived his dream to do what he wanted and needed to do before he couldn't.  We are also living one of our dreams...in that light, is it really craziness after all?

I finished reading Reckless Abandon and began Will in the World --How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt.  In Will's childhood, Latin was the country's language.  He was a word lover. The long school days kept him enthralled as they learned by rote Latin. The curriculum consisted of mathematics and Latin.  So, from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. six days a week, the boys were drilled and if they didn't behave were beaten on their buttocks.  To break up the monotony, they would put on plays.  Since only boys were educated, there were little to no scenes with girl parts in them...it was considered a sin for a boy to kiss another boy in the 1500's.  Will was raised Catholic, yet followed the mores of his day.  Although the Church tried to abolish pagan rituals, the land was filled with spring rites via the May Day Celebration of the pole dance...and other wild, erotic fertility ceremonies throughout the year.  Traveling minstrels came to town often and his father, being the administrator in charge, had the last word about them performing in their town.  To the betterment and amusement of little Will, he sat front and center to see the shows.

Like Will, Dave and I being journalists, are sitting front and center noting the daily events of our lives.  Our discussion today focused on what it means to have an adventure.  Wikipedia says its an exciting or unusual experience.  It may also be a bold undertaking with an uncertain outcome. At first I didn't really think we were doing anything that far out of the ordinary.  Our lives have always been lived on the edge. We homeschooled when it wasn't a popular thing to do. Jobs came and went, we relocated once already from state to state, apartments too, then houses...cars and trucks were bought and sold. No big deal to me until now when a van paid for August's rent, the Mustang gave us the cash for the camper and trip west. This seems important; more important in my emotional intensity invested here.  We want our independence --our own roof over our heads.  We want to be confident with our choices, but it is all out of our control. 

Time has stopped.  We are living by the sun, and our daughter's morning routine (for the moment).  There is no rushing or deadlines to be met. Every little thing has taken on meaning or become something to think about.  It can be a big thought - like should we feed the hungry or go into Syria? Or it can be mundane - like what's for dinner? (Don't spend all our money on food for fancy dinners here!  We still have to get west!!)
We won't be in a canvas covered wagon with an oxen, but it will be ours.

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Potential Purchase Backfires

 " There are only so many heartbeats in a lifetime, and one must get all the goodness out of each one."   - Captain Jim Sharp

This being said one can understand the emotional turmoil that people get into while they are under the stress and strain of relocating...many people have pointed out to us how unorthodox we are being. But, in our experience, following the norm of work at any mundane job until you die, doesn't cut it for us. We gave our all only to get ruined physically, financially, and have our integrity questioned.

 Not only are we not getting a moving van, not having a firm destination, nor a job waiting for us...we are following our hearts.  We are doing God's will.  It is more than an act of Congress to put total trust in God, but we have witnessed the progression the miraculousness of this plan coming to fruition without anything Dave or I could do about it.  Being God led is different from following along with society and its norms.  What may seem logical to one  person, may not work for another.  There is no right or wrong.  Our lives are just different.

                                            "Genius has boldness in it."  Goethe

The day began with both Dave and I elated with anticipation. We were to go at 3pm to see what was

presented as a good deal if the camper was all that the gentleman said it was.  In the meantime, I went to town with my friend, Vanessa,  in the morning to explore Camden.  She had lived in this town for years and knew the ins and out around the wharf.  We chatted and caught up over breakfast, then proceeded to amble down Main St.  I shot pics of all the interesting buildings and signs and caroused with the workers scrubbing the decks of the parked schooners.  The weather kept changing as time progressed  from a cool pouring rain to a hot, muggy summer day.

I am reading about Jim Sharp's life in " Reckless Abandon".  He followed his passion of sailing and ended up having quite a historical fleet of Schooners that used to grace Camden Harbor back in the day. I asked a ticket salesman if the Adventure was still here.  He said that was a long time ago.  The Appledore was just as wind sturdy though and a ride aboard her was just as pleasant.  Vanessa  instructed me to take an evening cruise on the Appledore before we leave saying that it was the most romantic thing she and her husband, Jeff had done last summer.

She returned me home in time for Matt to carry us off in search of said camper...literally over the Camden Hills and through the woods, out Rte. 17 then onto 126 for Gardiner we went past the big river- the Kennebec.

We realize we are looking at dated campers.  We expect flaws, but this camper was misrepresented to us.  What the gentleman had left unsaid was screaming at us loud and clear! He said it had a little crack in the windshield, but he didn't mention it crossed the whole window. He said it would come with a new fridge as the current one didn't work, but somehow he "forgot" he had said that to Dave.  He said the toilet needed a small part to work, he didn't mention that the whole bathroom was inoperable.  He said it had a queen bed area, but it only had enough room for a twin mattress.  He said it ran flawlessly, but it still hadn't started for him after four tries and he flooded it...gas fumes were everywhere.  The motor did eventually start, but it idled at a high rpm... and it did so for about 10 minutes. When he finally shut it off, it backfired, sounding like a shot gun firing while we were standing near the tailpipe. Dave and Matt are used to such sounds. I literally jumped a foot in the air and rocketed towards the car. I was DONE with this camper!  Matt found it hilarious and I will never live this one down.

Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

Going on a Camper Hunt

Going on a camper hunt, going on a camper hunt... over the river, and through tall grass... up hills and around bends...where oh where can our camper be?

Began the day with a rush...woke up to a bright kitchen light on.  Thought it was lightning... (I am terrified of lightning), my heart pounded in my chest about to explode. The children got ready for their day; Meg, up, dressed for work, got her own breakfast, packed lunches for everyone else, asked Dave for a lift to work and out the door they went.

Tristan was up next... bathroom, dressed for school, breakfast of champions, and asked me to read him the Boxcar Kids. Alyssa was still no where to be seen (reminds me of Catherine so much!!). After a couple of pages of reading, I went in search of Alyssa. She was dressed and just about ready to come out of her room for her breakfast.

She ate and then joined Tristan and me on the sofa for some story time before the bus came. Bampy (as they so lovingly call Dave) came home from dropping Meg off and we all went out to greet the bus. Many cars

flew past on their way to work-ville. One teacher at their school passes by and waves. Then we hear the low familiar rumble of the school bus.  The children run across the street once it stops and flashes its beautiful reds at us.  Tristan finds his seat immediately and sits down.  Alyssa looks them over and tries to decide which one she wants. I wonder what her method is for choosing her place.  What makes one seat more preferable than another?  After about three minutes, she sits and the bus proceeds on its way with our precious cargo.  By this time, there is a parade of about five cars that were probably wondering what the hang up was with this bus.  Dave and I waved at the children as they left excited about their adventures today.

The phone calls began coming in about our inquiries.  Dave made some tough decisions: it was late last night when he made the inquiries, and one camper was in Warren that he called about.  It turned out to be Warren, Massachusetts - not Warren, Me., so, no, we will not be looking at your camper mam. Thanks for your return call.  Next, there was a call back from a place of business on Rte. 1 in Northport, which is on the way to Meg's work. She and Dave had stopped there briefly and did a once over of it.  They found a lot of undercarriage rust, the roof coming apart, and the interior torn apart by a mob of gorillas.  So, no, Sir, thanks, but no thanks.

Dave called Pete, the guy with a camper in W. Gardiner, to confirm that we are still coming to see it on Thurs. and to get an address.  With the technology now, GPS will lead the way.

We have high hopes, we have high hopes....is this one it?

Next we ambled along the road and met one of the neighbors, Jim, and his dog, Emma, who was an Australian Sheepdog.  She had barked at us on our earlier walk and wanted to be petted. Her energy matched our own!  If she were let loose, she would've bolted like lightening.

At the Snow Bowl, we tried out a short biking trail.  It was to the left of the parking lot and passed over the "Oh Chute" toboggan run.  Every winter there are races here- home of the famous toboggan championships.
So, Dave said, " I think we're a bit early for the races."

There is a time and a season for everything, and everything in its own time.

Lastly, plans for tomorrow's transportation went something like this:

   1) I walked in the door from my appointment and time spent with Catherine and her boys.
   2) I asked what time Cat was picking up Meg for work.
   3) She didn't know.
   4) I need to go to the hospital for lab work at 7am.
   5) Meg wanted to leave for work in Belfast by 6:30
   6) Dave suggested that Matt take Meg in
   7) Matt didn't have to be to work til 9 am and was adamant that he wouldn't get to work any earlier than he was scheduled
   8) Dave suggested that Meg take her car, Cat take Mom (me) to the hospital, then back to the house and drop me off, then Matt take Cat home and take her van to the garage to be fixed.
   9)  So, Matt will drive Meg's car home and take Dave and I to Gardiner to look at the camper at 4 pm...and Mary (a friend of Meg and Matt's) will be here to get the children off the bus.

Whew!!! That was a very tiresome conversation. Now to see if it actually works and we all remember what we are doing, when.  I am signing off now as I am worn out from all this confusion.

Lots of love to everyone! And sweet dreams...
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave

How Far Can We Go On Foot or Checking Out Your Backyard

Hi again everyone,

How far can we go on foot? That depends on your perspective. One might say, "not far at all - you're walking. And if your final destination is far away, it might take you forever". But if we look carefully, one can "get pretty far" without going very far. After all, a wise person once said, "it's not the destination, but the journey". Confused yet?

Actually, the main theme for this post is perspective on day #2 of the Nomadic American journey. The search for the right camper is still on - full steam ahead. We are wading through the possibilities as well as the muck and mire. Advertisements for campers are everywhere - it's the end of the camping season here in northern New England, and most folks would like to sell their RV before winter. This is where the 1st batch of perspective comes in:
The ads say one thing, but many times it comes through as something else.

Sellers galore seem extremely eager to sell, (and pocket your cash), but it still confuses me to this day that most of them take at least 24 to 48 hours (if not more) to contact you back in some fashion. If they are exercising the concept of "give 'em some slack, then reel them in", then label me unimpressed. Then we have the descriptive words describing the RV for sale. This is where the 2nd batch of perspective comes in:
The words can mean different things to different people.

Words like "good", "a little", and "not too bad", must be taken with grains of salt... or at times a 5 pound bag. We called about one particular Chevy model. The owner said it "had a very small leak - not bad at all". It turns out the leak encompassed the size of the shower ceiling area and in fact it hadn't been fixed at all - over the course of two years when it was first discovered. And the RV had been exposed to the elements all that time without even being covered. The seller finally (and sheepishly) admitted that the entire roof should be checked out before taking it on the road. Thank you for your time, sir.

After an early morning walk in some dense Maine fog, "thick as mud, and twice as gooey", as old-time Mainers say, some family time, a decent breakfast, and a plethera of phone calls, emails, and voice mail
messages, Jill and I took another walk in our current surroundings now that the sun was making itself known for the first time in two days. It was at this moment, when we began to switch perspectives - to the here and now. We talked, shared, took a number of photos, and truly enjoyed the scenery. We weren't even deterred when we saw canoes that were "free to use" but no oars were to be found.

There wasn't much traffic about and a slight sea breeze (and we do mean slight) started whispering through the trees. The lake was calm, most of the tourists had departed, birds were in abundance, and the bugs were minimal - all in all, a very peaceful afternoon. We actually "got pretty far" without walking more than a mile.

Pretty good progress in our book...
We'll catch you next time with more photos, insights, ramblings, and God knows what else. Be sure to check out and "like" our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/nomadic.americans
"The Happy Campers"
Jill & Dave

The Full Scoop

Hi Folks,

The coffee is ready and it is day one of our grand adventure.  It's pouring out and I am glad that we aren't trying to cook over an open fire yet!  We moved out of our apartment yesterday and our stuff is conveniently (or not so conveniently) in three different places...Meg's, Cat's and Mary Lou's.  (Thanks guys for helping us with this stretch of the journey!)

The camper hunt is on full tilt.  The first camper we drove out to see was out in Turner, Me. The drive was over the hills and beyond the woods from where we were, and it was misrepresented to us. (The pics of the camper had been taken in its heyday of new paint, beefy tires and all the sides were all together.) Dave and I were excited beyond our wildest dreams only to be deflated by a sorry sight of a camper that had two flat tires and missing headlight and interior water damage.

We came, we saw, we checked out everything- and then we left.  The camper was located on Lily Lane. The road, if you really want to call it that, was pocked with water-filled craters that I had to slowly maneuver around. It should have had a nautical warning of two to three foot waves.  I had to be careful not to bottom out our friends' car.

Dave and I had a good nights' sleep at Meg's.  It was a nice reprieve from yesterday of being sore from lifting, moving, and scrubbing the apartment until it glistened. We left for the last trip with supplies to Cat's apartment while the bleach dried on the floor. We returned to the apartment to scrub the tub again to find our landlords already inside and inspecting the place.  They were highly pleased that in 7years, we didn't trash the place. (If they only knew how much paint I had to scrape off the floor as there were gesso spots and splotches of many colors from my wild abstract summer last year!)  We received all of our security deposit back and said our good-byes to them as well.

Tristan is up and on his computer playing games as I type this.  Alyssa's taking a shower.  Meg's getting oatmeal together for everyone.

The idea for this trip was planted early this year when winter wound its dreariness around us from March until July.  I admit defeat.  Maine had won and I have decided to be a "Snow Bird", that means I leave for the winter and come back in the summer.  No longer considered a "transplant". Also around that time, Meg, Matt, Tristan and Alyssa planned their vacation to Pennsylvania also as a trip to explore a possible relocation for them.

Maine is extremely beautiful in its wildness. However, the job market has squeezed Dave and I out.  The people who used to buy my art didn't come to town this season.  Dave's job went through a massive change over and he jumped ship before it sank and his fellow co-workers got fired.

He became a freed soul from corporate America.  No more sixty hour weeks and diddly squat to show for it. His artistic side emerged. Who is this new person I'm living with?  He doned a pen, grabbed a notebook and began writing.  To my surprise, he began making money at it, but not fast enough to make a sufficient living though.  We began struggling in early summer.  We had to rethink our lives.  But ironically, the stress visibly left his face features...He actually began to smile more.

Call it a mid-life crisis...he bought an 87 Mustang race car in May of 2012 and our lives have been in the fast track ever since.  One change followed another...the dissatisfaction at his work was palpable.  I could see his pain. Life wasn't fitting us anymore...we were growing, but our circumstances weren't.

So, there it all is.  We are here now... living life in the moment and taking it as it comes.  It was rough going this past summer--letting go of all our accumulated stuff at five yard sales, selling my conversion van, and then his Mustang...and today the search for our "Happy Camper" begins in earnest.    

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Signing off for now -
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave