Yeah man. S'all good. Cool.

We have been washing, and dusting, packing and draining water for days now. It has been unusually warm and except for that quick blast we had in October, it has been snowless. The old timers in the area have been arguing that the last time it was this warm during deer hunting season was in '58... no no it was '59!

The exact date has been the topic of heated debate lately and these debates have been taking place mostly down at the newly opened cafe! I am pleased to report the restaurant... fondly known as 'Mom's Cafe' received it's clearance from the health department and the new management re-opened it yesterday!

I worked at the Post Office yesterday and it was nice seeing cars actually stop on their way through town. The loss of the bar, although not really a busy place most of the time,and a source of continuous gossip and disdain for the non-bar appreciating folks was really a big loss to the town. It made Sidnaw just one step closer to being a ghost town. But then the cafe opened back up and it looks like Sidnaw is going to hang on a bit longer after all!

However, cafes, bars, snow, dancing girls, hunting season... we see none of it. We have put on our blinders and have a new focus... and while it is warm we are going to take full advantage of this good fortune. After Thanksgiving we are going to hit the road! We have decided to become gypsies and get the heck out of Dodge before we are iced in and can't go anywhere! We remember perfectly well the 7-8 month winter last year and don't plan on a repeat.

I mentioned in the last post that we traded in the camper for a pull behind travel trailer. It is 22-ish feet long and it seems like a luxury liner compared to the camper! There is a regular bathroom with a full door and in the kitchen area there is a dinette, and the fridge has a separate freezer, and the stove... it even has an oven and a microwave!

Heck, we could live in that thing... and plan on doing exactly that for several weeks... maybe a few months even. We will be living it it at least until

• the snow is starting to disappear in Sidnaw.
• the house sells.
• we find a new place to hang our hats

Who knows... whichever comes first!

In any case, it is very exciting and we have been working very hard to get ready. We had to go through our stuff see what we needed to pack, clean, and stage the house in case someone comes to buy it. At the same time we have to winterize the house so it does not freeze solid while we are gone. Additionally, we have folded washed and packed the trailer, and ordered a couple of bikes to enjoy on beach strewn bike trails where ever we end up on our travels.

I can wait to save my nickles and PeeWee Herman out my bike!
I need a basket and a bell and a rack.. I should get a cart to haul Delta around... maybe some of those reflector things for the spokes, a bright orange flag, lights.... hmmm.

I can tell you one thing for certain. We are headed southeast through 'the middle' out to Virginia again and then south... south.... south... DEEP south until we see the white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.

There is one thing I know I definitely do not want to see while I am sitting in the sand down south... and it is these two fellows below. The first one is body surfing for criminy sakes:



I thought the freshwater crocs did not like salt water.

He is breaking the rules!

... then then there is this wise guy just out for a stroll in the sand:

No thanks.
No.. seriously, no thanks.

Anyway... I am pleased to report that we will have computer access thanks to a combination of some lovely mouthwatering technology:

This way we will be able to stay in touch with the world and update my blog as we go along . We will be able to get emails and do business etc. I promise, I will let y'all know if I do happen to see a gator wandering along the beach.

(I gotta practice my 'y'alls', before we get down there...
They might wonder about my combination
'oooo you betchas' and 'like... ya know... it's cool... s'all good.')

We are just so excited about the whole situation we can hardly sleep at night nor seem to take breaks during the day! We have lists of things to do, pack, see, etc., spinning through our heads. Primarily what we are doing now that we are 80% packed is planning our route, keeping our eye on the weather, and crossing our fingers.

Change goona come...

Well... after a very sad few days we have dusted ourselves off and are looking around us and beginning to wonder what comes next? Our gypsy blood is calling and I think we are ready to answer.

Next stop on this express train is a trip (temporary) to sunny California. We will have the camper packed soon and be heading out to welcome the first grandson! Showers are being planned, doctors are being visited, nerves are being frayed... and one heck of a thrift store shopping extravaganza is being mapped out... We all are beside ourselves waiting for him to arrive. Along with that, David and I have many irons in the fire right now and we are itching to grab one out and run with it!

Stayed tuned to see what happens next.

Signs...

Every day I drive from Jerry's to our home at the lake the trees have turned a different shade. Brighter, lighter, orange- er, red- er, and there is a chill in the air. I love autumn. My sadness about the tomatoes not ripening has passed... for now... and I look forward to the fall changes with great anticipation. This area is known for it's autumn colors... unfortunately overlooked by those who think Maine has a monopoly on maple trees. A ride around the U.P. will open your eyes quickly to what this area has to offer in terms of natural beauty. Maybe the fact that is a bit of a secret is a good thing. Keeps the hordes of tourists away.

I heard from Joy (Jerry's sister) that the hummingbirds have disappeared and have been gone for a couple of weeks... that is early. When we were giving Keith and Heidi (David's other brother and wife) a tour of the house we heard geese honking. Becky and Bart Kennedy told us the geese have been going for about a week or two as well. Also early. We are in for an early winter. That is a sign when the geese move out... even this California girl knows that.


And...
speaking of moving out...

David is finishing up the floors in the main living area and kitchen today!

the appliances will be delivered on Friday, we will be moving into our new home
this weekend!

Time to tuck into our nest...