A new mindset.......

When you shop Amazon, please use our link (below) to access their website.......we will appreciate every purchase you make using our Amazon Affiliate link, and  remember, using our link will not add one penny to your purchase, plus we will receive a small commission.

(CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE)

8:25 am - Thursday - October 12th - 29º F, humidity 78%, wind 11 mph out of the south by southwest......looks, feels, and appears to be CALM right now.  Forecast highs along our travel route will be in the mid to high 40's......

Our view in Dillon Thursday morning

We took our time getting ready to leave Livingston Wednesday.....we only had about 176 miles to drive to Dillon, MT.  It only got down to 40 something Tuesday night, which was part of the two day 'heatwave' in the area.  Before we could merge on to I-90 westbound we had two tasks to accomplish.....first top off our 60 gallon propane tank, and secondly 'pay the rent', or in other words, put 115 gallons of diesel into our 180 gallon tank.  The last time we filled our propane tank was June 14th on our way into Yellowstone, and the last time we 'paid the rent' was June 10th in Dayton, NV.  We took on 35 gallons of propane at $3.25/gallon, and the aforementioned 115 gallons of diesel at $2.83/gallon.....all told we parted with about $440 before we covered one mile of the 176 miles to Dillon.  We shouldn't have to fill the propane tank again until we leave the Grand Canyon.....we may top it off just prior to our arrival there....we'll see.  We will have to fill our diesel tank again somewhere along our route south as it is 1,200+ from Livngston to the Grand Canyon.

We were finally on I-90 traveling westbound by 11:15 am.......the route was mostly flat for long stretches with a few big climbs and the attendant big descents, but generally we just cruised at 60 mph via our cruise control.  My task was to hang on to the steering wheel, and remain focused on the road ahead.  Usually we stop every 60+ miles at a rest stop for a break, but this day we didn't stop for a break until we had covered 135 miles......my friend Tom, would be proud of me!

Since it was going to be down in the 20's Wednesday night we opted to stay at a local RV park (Countryside RV Park) in Dillon where we would have 50 amp service, and be able to run as many heaters we might wish. This park is just off I-90 about .5 miles, and has mostly long pull through sites......perfect for us....easy off, easy on.

It took me about an hour to get into my traveling groove, but once I arrived there my mind began to transition from 'sitting in one place for months' mode, to 'rolling the wheels' mode.  It is a totally different mindset, and thought process.  A good example of where my mind was first thing in the morning:  In preparation for taking on propane I turn off the gas to the coach, which is a safety issue.  The problem was I forgot to turn it back on after the attendant disconnected his propane hose......I cannot remember ever forgetting that.  While we are under way the Dometic refrigerator runs off propane......I didn't realize the gas was still 'OFF' until we parked in Dillon....I went to light the water heather and the pilot light would not light.....DOH!  It was then I finally remembered I had forgotten to turn on the gas.  Amazingly, the Dometic was only a little over 40º F.....no harm, no foul.  Another thing I forgot to do was to turn 'OFF' the leveling system enabling the coach to return to 'RIDE HEIGHT'......I didn't realize this mistake until we rolled over some railroad tracks and I heard this loud thump meaning the suspension had bottomed out......double 'DOH!'.

Once we were on the Interstate, and the cruise control was set I began to focus on the various gauges on my dash......the temperature of the coolant is very important....it settled quickly at 182º F.....just where it should be.  In fact, all of the Newell systems worked as they should......good air pressure, good oil pressure, good running temperatures on the coolant, oil and tranny, cruise control keeping us at a steady 60 mph......can't ask for much more.....well, I guess I could ask for more, but that would just be bad form, no?

Thanks for stopping by!

When you shop Amazon, please use our link (below) to access their website.......we will appreciate every purchase you make using our Amazon Affiliate link, and  remember, using our link will not add one penny to your purchase, plus we will receive a small commission.

Light the fires!

When you shop Amazon, please use our link (below) to access their website.......we will appreciate every purchase you make using our Amazon Affiliate link, and  remember, using our link will not add one penny to your purchase, plus we will receive a small commission.

7:55 am - Wednesday - October 11th - 42º F, humidity 41%, wind 13 mph out of the southwest......partly cloudy.....forecast high for today in Livingston, MT is 65º F........I have no idea where we will be later today, but wherever that may be it will be a nice day, except for the wind.

When we last left off we had gone to bed Tuesday morning around 2:15 am.  It seemed like just a few minutes later the sun was casting unwanted light inside the Newell.  I made a valiant effort to keep sleeping, but by 8:30 am I surrendered and got up (TLE had no such struggle.....she continued sleeping for another hour).  So, just 6 hours of sleep, which only served to reconfirm our decision to add a day to our stay in Livingston, and take the entire day Tuesday to leisurely straighten up the trailer interior in preparation for VW insertion, as well as indulge in a couple of well deserved naps.

The weather forecast indicated winds in the 20+ mph range out of the southwest, and that is what we got all day long (still blowing as I write).  While I toiled in the trailer TLE went to the local Town & Country Market to restock our increasingly bare cupboards.  By the time she returned I was well on my way to finishing my work in the trailer.  Even though I have done this more times than I care to count I always wonder if I will be able to get the VW inside once again.  I think it is time to begin to thin out what we carry with us.

Eventually, around 4:30 pm, I opened up the rear door of the trailer so TLE could drive the VW Beetle inside.....it was a tight fit, which only reconfirms my feeling that it is time to go through everything we carry and start making those difficult decisions.  So, the car is in the trailer, it is time to disconnect our umbilical cords........we are ready to light the fires, and roll our wheels 1,200 miles southward to the Grand Canyon!

As I sit here writing I feel a little anxious about moving day after day once again after being mostly stationary for almost 6 months.  With the lone exception of moving from SLT up to YNP over a 5 day period we have been stationary 99% of the time.  Our plan is to take a little over 3 weeks to reach the east end of the Grand Canyon.....the adventurous side of me is looking forward to that drive and that time spent moving slowly southward, but there is this other side of me that enjoys the continuity which comes from being stationary.  Ironically, whenever we have been changing our view on a regular basis the exact opposite feelings come to the surface......I resist staying in any place longer than a week, or two, and  I am always thinking about the next adventure.

Thanks for stopping by!

When you shop Amazon, please use our link (below) to access their website.......we will appreciate every purchase you make using our Amazon Affiliate link, and  remember, using our link will not add one penny to your purchase, plus we will receive a small commission.