1/8/14

Surviving the Freeze!

 

(We are on our way to Arizona!)

2014-01-06 08.37.57

COLD!!!! That’s been the word for the past 5 days!

We are able to get packed and leave last Saturday morning.  Not  a pretty travel day but not too cold.  Made it to a Meridian, MS Passport America park….not much there.  Just a gravel parking lot with a nice bathhouse and office.  Free chocolate candy!

The next day the forecast got scary with talk of sleet and snow but we pressed on driving through rain and wind and back into the sunshine….cold sunshine!  Got through all of MS and LA arriving at another Passport park in Longview, TX.  The predicted low for the night is 19 degrees!  (Need to stop here and remind everyone that we do not have a furnace….just a little ceramic space heater!)  We manage to sleep warm with our  comforter and a few throws.  I worry about our cat, Sylvester, staying warm.  I try to cover him and he does not cooperate.  Eventually he makes his bed on David’s stomach.

The next morning we have ice on all our windows….on the inside!!!!  It is 17 degrees that morning and I hope to never experience that again!  The freeze is predicted to extend another day and night but I’m not concerned as we will be camping inside Little House Customs’ shop that night. 

For the past two years we have had BAL stabilizers on our wish list for the Casita.  And it’s going to finally happen!

Tada!  The finished product!

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Since it has been way too cold to take any pictures outside….and thought it might be different to show what it’s like on the inside of a Casita. Not the pretty little doll house pictures that I see on Facebook and the forums but our version of real camping!

David reading (or sleeping)

David reading his Nook (or sleeping!)

Sylvester enjoys the heater!

Sylvester enjoying the heater!

David enjoys our makeshift supper

Supper….the leftovers did not fill us….second course, vanilla wafers and peanut butter.

It had been a long tiring day!

Baby boy staying warm.

Enjoyed our time at Little House Customs as Larry and Debbie are great hosts!  I stuck to Larry’s huge wood burning stove…it felt sooo good to be warm!

Lynne enjoying the wood stove at Little House Customs

The wood stove!!!!

A better view of this wonderful stove!  This is the main source of heat for his shop.

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Our Casita baby all snug and warm for the night!

Larry's shop

View from upstairs.

Writing tonight from Monahans Sandhills State Park (west Texas) ….last night was spent in Ranger, TX.  May be through with Texas by tomorrow afternoon….sure takes forever to drive!

The good news!!!!!!  It was 60 here today!  But 28 predicted tonight….still camping with hookups.

15 comments:

  1. Looks like Sylvester settling right in...by now guessing you made it to NM! Heat wave coming your way ....

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    1. We are in Deming, NM tonight with a predicted low of 27....still in the Passport parks. Sooo ready for the heat wave you mentioned!
      Sylvester adjusts more each day.....has not climbed the walls today....he really did climb the wall!
      Keep on having fun!

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  2. Looks like Sylester is doing good and has learned where the warm spot at night is! Has been warm enough during day for me to get outside for a few hours and work in yard or carport straightening up the mess made when we moved. That's the "I'll get to it later" stuff. Working on sealing up spots in trailer against blowing dust am sure will surface this spring. That's my "get away" for now! Have a good time in Quartzsite.

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    1. Sounds like fun...nesting in your new abode. Yes, the baby boy has found some warm spots.

      Good luck with all of the stuff! We will be in the discarding mode when we return!

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  3. Glad you made it through the cold. And got a great mod! Loved the 'real' camping photos. It's the truth - the activity in my rig looks a lot like that the past few days.

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    1. Can't believe how one more body, even a little kitty body, adds to the clutter and makes our space more tight. But, we will adjust...I hope!

      We have camped at St Joe Penn Park in September...it was a bit hot but the ocean was lovely..clear as a mountain stream. Great place! All I remember about St George was the abundance of mosquitoes!

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  4. Glad you're heading this way. If we don't see you before, we look forward to seeing you at Quartzsite.

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    1. The tentative plan is to explore Tucson and Yuma and head to Scottsdale in between Q visits.

      Will look for you at Q!

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  5. You are a day ahead of us. We are in Union Grove COE tonight, and we'll be in Monahans Sandhills Friday. We are also headed to AZ, but don't think our paths will cross. Happy travels. Stay warm.

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    1. This was our second stay at Monahans....it's so convenient and unusual!

      Aren't you just counting down to cloudless skies and balmy breezes?

      Thank you for commenting and stay safe on the road!!!

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  6. You are a day ahead of us. We are in Union Grove COE tonight, and we'll be in Monahans Sandhills Friday. We are also headed to AZ, but don't think our paths will cross. Happy travels. Stay warm.

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  7. We just got away today. Plan to take four easy days to get to Lajita's. Glad you were at Larry's for the worst of the weather. Safe travels. See you and David in a few weeks.

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    1. Not sure what an easy day is!!!! We are averaging less than 300 miles a day and still doing too much! But the extreme cold and spoiled cat may have something to do with our lack of traveling ease.

      Yes, the appointment with Larry was timed just right to save us from two bitter nights.
      See you and Wanda soon!

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  8. Sylvester is adorable! I love that cat! You don't have to worry about him freezing. If he gets cold he will find a place between the two of you to stay warm!

    I am so envious of your dinette that is a dinette instead of another bed.

    YIKES! Lynne, if you are going to do much boondocking, maybe you should think about getting a furnace. Or at least a Wave 3. Ice on the inside of the windows doesn't sound like fun at all!

    I am so glad you have hookups tonight! Wishing you beautiful, sunny days ahead!

    I also dream of making it to Larry and Debbie's place someday... and of getting BAL stabilizers!

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  9. He appears to be doing OK! Really raises hell while in his crate...usually sleeps in one of our laps as we travel.

    I would get a Wave 3 if we had a 17 ft. Don't believe that there's any place for it in the 16.

    Thanks for the beautiful sunny day wish! We are getting closer....hope to find some great boondocking sites!
    Take care of yourself... and wishing you a January thaw!

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