L.B.'s Blanket

L.B. the Chiweenie has a specific blanket that he absolutely loves. It's actually not a blanket, but a Queen size comforter.  A Queen size comforter for an 11 pound dog.  Rotten!  I picked it up to wash it the other day and he about had a fit. As soon as I pulled it out of the dryer he made a bee-line to it and snuggled in.  Much to his dismay, this comforter is going on the bed in the camper so he'll have to find a new favorite house blanket.  But it may help him enjoy camping that much more!  :)

Halloween Party 2013

Our fourth annual Halloween costume party went off without a hitch!  We had our largest crowd to date and ran out of Jason's Guinness chili fairly early - sorry for the late-comers that were hoping to get a taste!  Usually we make way too much and have too much leftover for us to deal with.  Go figure!  Anyway, thanks to all of the yummy goodies everyone brought along, it all worked out just fine.

It was too windy to do a fire while the majority of the guests were there, but later in the evening it calmed down so a few got to enjoy it.  But it was COLD so most people were content to stay inside or on the front porch where the house blocked most of the wind.

There were lots of cool costumes, great conversation and it was awesome having so many our friends together again!  The only hitch we had was people kept getting locked in the bathroom for some reason. The knob was malfunctioning so several people had to be rescued.

I also managed to get lots of cool costume photos this year.  Take a look and enjoy!

2004 Jayco Eagle Travel Trailer

I finally got around to getting photos of the new travel trailer!  It's a 2004 27 foot Jayco Eagle with a Super Slide.

Here is the front - you can see there are two doors - the main one in the back that walks into the living rom and another one in the bedroom.



This is the back side that shows the slideout where the couch, dinette and closet resides.



This is the view from the main door stepping into the living area.



This is the living area.  The couch folds down into a double bed and the dinette set converts to another double bed. Behind the dinette is a large storage closet with room to hang clothes and 6 drawers at the bottom.



The kitchen has a refrigerator, microwave and stovetop.  There is no oven in this one, but we have a toaster oven that we prefer to use anyway since it can be used outside and won't heat up the inside of the camper and will use electric instead of propane.  The fridge can run of of electric or propane as well.  All cabinetry is solid oak.





This is the view looking back towards the living area from the bedroom doorway. I love the picture window in the back!  All windows have pull down day and night shades.



This is the bedroom with a Queen size pillow-top bed.  To the right is the other entrance door and to the left is another window and a fold down shelf.




The bathroom has a sink, toilet and a bath/shower.






And finally, this is the view from the couch of the entertainment area.  We need a TV with a HD tuner in it, but no rush on that as I don't think we'll really use the TV much anyway - we didn't in the past, but it's nice to have for a rainy day to watch movies.





 Hope you enjoyed our little tour of The Eagle!  We have an upcoming camping trip planned so more RV posts to come!  Sadly it's already getting really, really cold here in Kentucky so we may only make it out once before having to winterize, but we will play it by ear.

River Valley Winery - Evening of Wine, Music and Friends

Saturday evening we took a short trip with friends to River Valley Winery in Carrollton, Kentucky. This winery was established in 2001 and boasts award winning wines made with 100% Kentucky grown grapes.

The evening we visited they had live music by Jimmy Mundane and the uKnown iNsanes and the performance was fantastic!  Awesomely unique music with a few covers thrown in here and there.

We also did some wine tasting.  Jason favored the Cabernet Sauvignon while I favored the Bobby's Blush, which we each purchased a couple of bottles of.

An even more awesome note to the evening - all tips to the band and wine tips, along with tips given in the passed around hat, all went towards supporting the Carroll County Animal Shelter - something we always enjoy supporting.

The farmland at the winery also included three Great Pyrenees dogs (same as Giant Dawg) protecting their flock of llamas and sheep and single white duck.

It was a beautiful place to visit and we had a wonderful evening out.  We will definitely be visiting them again!

The New Rig

Today we picked up our new Travel Trailer. We met the seller in the strip mall parking lot where the county clerk's office was located.  It was a simple title transfer and since the seller brought the camper with him, we were able to swap hitches and head on home with our new toy.

Once we got it home we immediately leveled it and opened it up - slide and windows since it was a beautiful, crisp October day.  Jason got the radio working and I got busy with stocking it with the few camper supplies we already had.  While I did that, I first brought Lois Lane into the camper with me.  I think she remembers camping with us before because she settled right in after taking a good smell of the new place.  Next I brought in L.B.  I don't think he really knew what to think - he sniffed around the same path that Lois did and then took his spot on the couch for a nap.  Next I brought in Buddy (aka Giant Dawg).  He did the same sniff and explore and then settled in to nap in front of the couch.

We made a Wal-Mart trip to get a few things - tire chalks, blankets, roasting sticks, table top grill, dishes, etc.  I spent another couple of hours gathering extra household items that we didn't need in the house and transferred them to the camper.

I was hoping to book a weekend trip next weekend for a trial run with the new setup and the dogs, however the timing isn't working in our favor.  Since it is Halloween season and perfect camping weather it seems all campsites are pretty much booked solid.  I'm still hunting around, but due to our busy weekend schedule in the next several weeks we may not make it out until mid-November at this point.  I am determined to get out at LEAST once this year!

Here are a few phone photos I got from today's adventures.

The initial pick-up:

Interior:

Lois Lane:

Giant Dawg:

L.B.

Travel Trailer Acquired!

Well, almost!  We found a "new to us" 2004 Jayco Eagle 278 Travel Trailer on Craig's List and put a down payment on it yesterday with plans to pick it up on Friday.  We were initially looking at Fifth Wheel campers but decided we're not sure if we need that much space.  So we went with a lower cost travel trailer for now and if we find we use it more than expected and need more room, we will upgrade down the road.

The Jayco Eagle is a very nice 27 foot travel trailer with a 15 foot super slide out.  It has an outdoor shower, surround sound speakers, pillow top mattress, bathroom with full bath/shower, awning, fridge/freezer, stove top, rear picture window, day/night shades and the couch and dinette make double beds, if needed.  It's in pristine condition with real oak cabinets and floors that are so clean you'd never know it was pre-owned and tons of storage.

We're going to try to get it out at least once before it gets too cold this year.  We have an eventful couple of months planned so hopefully we can work it out for at least one test run before we have to put it up for the winter!  More photos to come once we get it home. Now I get to focus on researching pet friendly campsites and accessorizing the RV!  Camping here we come!

Here is the floorplan diagram:

And here is a photo of the outside from the sales ad:

Pink October

So, it's Pink October once again.  Once upon a time, I would have acknowledged the month and moved on with my next thoughts.  Now, October has a whole new meaning for me.  At one time it was about me walking for "the cure" as a generic term. Now, it's walking "for the cure" for me and my family.  It's amazing what a year will bring.  The first time I walked my first breast cancer walk, it was for a "good cause".  Now when I walk a breast cancer walk, it is for my Mom, my Grandma, my Great Aunt, and for Myself.  Who knew what a difference a year or two would make.

I do not necessarily support all of the foundations that claim to "support breast cancer", but I do try to do my part to show support where I can.  I do not actively donate to breast cancer organizations, mostly because I have yet to find one that genuinely gives to the cause at hand.  I do participate in Dirty Girl Mud Runs and some Komen Walks, just because it is a cause I believe in - but not necessarily because it's a entity I support.  At any rate - the month is upon us.  I will not ask anyone to donate to any specific organization - but I do ask that you do your research before you donate to ensure your money donation is going to the best possible place it can go to.  Your money does not need to go towards advertising and "swag".  It needs to go towards research, donations to those that can't afford mammograms, and awareness.  Without awareness, there is no initiative.  Without initiative, there is no prevention.  Without prevention, there is no cure.