Since I have been in Bloomington it has rained every day with maybe 2 days with NO rain. After pouring for FIVE hours I heard a frightful sound right outside my bedroom window and throughout the yards. Took me awhile to figure out what was happening. Do you know this sound? Sounds of summer (Click to listen!)
All posts by conniec
Good Morning Connie
Last night, Bloomington had tornado warnings- lots of rain, thunder and lightening. When I went to bed all was fine.
When I went out to feed the chickens this morning I saw that all was not fine.
Thank you to Kenny the tree guy who came out and removed the tree. NO damage to the van – not one scratch!
Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana
Saturday, June 8th found me on Lake Monroe in a BOAT. Got to spend over 7 hours hanging out on the lake. I was in a very HAPPY place. I LOVE water and boats! And I love my friends who HAVE boats! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Title photo: Elijah, Connie, and Daniel living the good life!
Illinois
Wednesday, June 5th, I spent the last night outside of Springfield, Illinois in a rural KOA campground- which is for sale!
The frogs, crickets and major rain storm kept me company all night. On to Bloomington!
Birds in Missouri
2nd day of my road trip (6/4/19) was hot and humid. I found myself at an RV camping park in Savannah, Missouri. Wondering if anyone with an RV or camper van has had birds who have taken on your rig/ car/ truck. As soon as I backed into my camp spot a bird went underneath and chirped loudly. I never saw the bird close up because every time I moved inside the van the bird stopped chirping. In the morning the bird was on top of my van waking me up loudly with his song…..Maybe thought the van would make a nice nest and was calling for a mate??????????? I KNOW I know- the fan needs to be cleaned………
Traveling back East
Today I left Colorado and stopped in Oberlin Kansas to spend my first night on the road in my new “old” camper van. The truck ran great! Doesn’t like going over 73 mph – the entire truck shakes – kept hearing MONEY jangling. Now I know it was coins in a plastic container.
I saw a real red phone booth in Joes Kansas sitting in a field. I wish I had taken a picture. Maybe Doctor Who was around?
I am driving on Hwy 36 instead of I-70. This was the road Bruce, Rose and I would take to Savannah, MO to see family.
Back in the Saddle
Time sure flies when I am having fun. I left Bloomington last week on Thursday in my car. While on the road I Found out my van was going to be ready by Friday (May 24th) night so I drove 10 hours with a smile on face. I was able to pick up my new “old” camper van on Friday afternoon and start to pack her up. The mechanic at Bear Country Colorado checked and fixed anything mechanical on the truck part. I highly recommend Michael at Bear Country for your truck and RV needs. Michael said Molly G is a well maintained “older” vehicle.
I have been staying in Molly G in front of my sister’s house in Englewood – packing, setting up systems, learning what I don’t know. We are all packed and ready to go but as usual there is something else to handle. I am lucky to have found a mechanic who is willing and able to assist me on my new journey. So the van is going to go back to the mechanic to get some other things fixed before I hit the road – back up camera, fix the house air conditioning and repair the cruise control once the part arrives.
I have to be in Bloomington by June 8th to start house/pet sitting until June 28th. The plan is to leave Denver on Saturday or Sunday ( June 1st or 2nd) and take our time to get to Indiana.
Notice how I am using we, our, us. I feel like I am traveling with a friend – Ole Molly Gale!
Book on my To-Read List
Outlandish: Fuel Your Epic
Overview
Outlandish is a sun-soaked starter manual to fueling your own epic. In this guide, the canyoneering wordsmith and adventurer Morgan Sjogren shows how outdoor adventure can become your lifestyle. Through her riveting personal stories, flavorful recipes, and the book’s gotta-go-there photographs, Sjogren shares her advice and lessons learned from years exploring the desert Southwest while living out of her canary-yellow Jeep Wrangler. Outlandish is a gorgeous guide to a more adventurous life.
In Outlandish , Sjogren shows how to sleep better in a car, build a cooking fire, overcome calamity, repurpose bacon grease, leave no trace, sun-dry tomatoes on your car hood, cook food on a hot engine block, and select practical gear for your tailgate kitchen. Equipped with little more than Outlandish , a backpacking stove, a cooler, and a few staple foods, you can seek out your own adventures fueled by Sjogren’s inspiring outdoor lifestyle as well as her favorite burritos, dandelion salads, campfire blondies, and prickly pear margaritas.
Sjogren offers up dozens of recipes that draw from the places she’s been—Sedona, Bears Ears, Yosemite, Silverton, Utah—and help her tell intoxicating tales of exploration and mishap. There are taco recipes remembered from the highest mountain in Mexico and “50 Shades of Burritos” with flavors taken from around the Four Corners.
Outlandish is equal parts fuel for the body and food for the soul. This smart and meaningful guide comes straight from the Utah canyon country and deserts of Arizona to share lessons learned from a life lived in wilderness. Sjogren’s exhilarating guide will stoke your desire for adventure while offering tools, tips, and tricks that can help you launch your epic.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outlandish-morgan-sjogren/1129722046
Transitions, Changes
Hello Fellow Earth Dwellers. I have been hanging out in Lakewood, Colorado with Susan & Max. I am flying to Indiana today since my new “old” camper van will be in at the mechanics, so I have the time to bring my car back from Bloomington. Original plan was to come back to Bloomington from NYC but I flew back to Denver to buy my Dodge camper van. I plan on using Bloomington and Denver as hubs- I am blessed with friends who have opened their homes and hearts. Currently, I have plans to house/ pet sit in Bloomington June 9-28 and then come back to Denver.
Dreaming
I got back to Colorado on May 11th. I came back because I bought myself a 1996 Dodge Ram B3500 Camper Van. 1 Ton, 5.2 Liter, v-8, FOHV 16v. Once I get the van back from the mechanics I will take a video of the inside once I make it my own. Her name is Molly Gale…….