Camp Dawg

THIS, THIS RIGHT HERE (AND G’GIRL BETSY)…are the toughest part of full-timing. Just a year ago, I was home schooling Jack with the pandemic in full swing. Now, I’m rolling down the road and my backyard changes every week or so. Thank goodness for electronics these days and the ability to stay connected.

LEARNING TO S-L-O-W DOWN has been a challenge, maybe even as much of a challenge as moving into a 260 sq. foot home on wheels. While in the past we would spend a night or two at a park, we’re now trying five, six, ten or more nights in a row at one place. This evening we’ll leave the dawgs in the Airstream and head down to this floating dock at our campground on the Williamson River in southern Oregon for cocktails. Happy Friday, everyone!

AS WE HIT THE ROAD to full-time in our Airstream there are many things I will miss about my much-loved Cali. Diesel prices, however, are not one of those things!

AFTER SEVEN WEEKS OF ‘HOUSE/OJAI ‘STUFF’, WE ARE ROLLIN’! But not before meeting up with a couple dozen Airstream club friends near the beautiful seaside town of Cambria, California. With a population of 6,000 residents, Cambria is just a slightly smaller than Ojai. The Hearst/San Simeon State Park where we camped is in the shadows of the Hearst Castle and is always a favorite of ours. The cool, coastal mornings, warm afternoons and chilly evenings are simply perfect and the Hearst Ranch wine tasting room, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is a great place to gather with friends and a bottle of Cab Sav or Chardonnay to enjoy the afternoon.

Viewing the elephant seals at Ragged Point is always amazing. The males are up to 5,000 pounds while the females are a svelte 1,600 pounds. Now in their molting season, they will soon depart for the sea.Boonedocker (black) and Piper (white) also enjoyed their walk at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve comprised of a couple hundred shoreline acres preserved for the people….and dawgs.

BACK TO BEAUTIFUL OJAI to finalize a few things. Happy Thursday, friends! (April 15, 2021)

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN WEEK TWO AND THREE….there was a transition in my mind from our Airstream being a weekend or months-long home to the realization that this IS our home. Moving from 2,600 sf to 260 sf was a task in itself. Now the conundrum was to find space for all that was needed in our rolling home. Between Airstream, Inc. (the Factory) and The Container Store, our storage square footage increased exponentially. AS, Inc. provided a beautiful, cedar-lined, two-door closet in our Classic; and The Container Store did the rest. One more project checked off the list!

AND JUST LIKE THAT….we sold my sweet ride. A commodity car, yes, but I loved her dearly and would replace her again with the same make/model…and color, of course! However, now there are no storage fees, licensing, tires. Getting closer to rollin’ around the country…carefree! The things we decided to retain are in a 10×13 storage unit…including my Scoot!

WHILE HANGING OUR HATS IN OJAI AWAITING MY 2ND COVID SHOT….we had an opportunity to have g’girl, Betsy, join us for a few evenings to celebrate her birthday…early. She’s a BIG fan of dogs & horses!

THINGS I’LL MISS WHILE AIRSTREAM FULL-TIMING…the beautiful Ojai Valley; my dusty Scoot sitting in storage; our casual country home; sleepovers with the g’kids; Jim’s man cave which we built together; cold evenings with Boone by the fire; Soji solar lights which made the backyard absolutely magical; my piano which stays in the family and is now Jack’s; and of course my two, much-loved g’kids

It’s never ending. We’re up to our ears, still, in boxes!