WOW~ Time flys

December 15th, 2018

Pulled up the blog and saw the last post I made was August 2016!

Biggest news that May 31st 2019 will be my final day of work. I am taking early retirement so Deanna and I can get back to traveling, of course Jessie our fur girl will be going wherever we go. Originally I was going to make my last day on Deanna's birthday which is June 13th but that created a real mess for getting my Social Security check scheduled so I am backdating it to May 31st. I will be 62 and 5 months at that time so it will be a reduced amount for retirement but we will be just fine for traveling as we have other investments to assist.

First travel plans for the winter which is what we want to try to avoid is leaving in the early fall for Utah to visit the 5 National Parks among several State Parks which one of is  Goosenecks. This just sounds awesome to be camping on the edge of a 1000' canyon wall looking down at the San Juan River as it cuts through the canyon. Fully aware of how crowded National Parks are we are going to try to make it a little later than the normal busy season. As the weather begins to cool down we will start our way towards Quartzite and area for the winter season of having at least warmer weather than Ohio has to offer.

Hopes are that with retiring there will be more time to enjoy not only the traveling we want to do and spending time with my awesome wife but some of the hobbies that I enjoy and have ignored due to lack of appropriate time, this would include, Metal Detecting, wood working, Photography and Kayaking.

Since deciding to retire back in December of 2017 it seemed so far away but now it is closing in quickly and leaves me about 24 weeks of working. It all seems to be moving so much quicker as I get closer. A few projects are planned commencing on beginning of retirement, an upgrade to our bath in the house and a reconstruction of a attached shed to the garage to make room for my wood working equipment. Then some State Park visits during the week leaving the parks to the masses of people on the weekends.

Well, at least I have made a post, next year as we progress into our retirement adventures I hope to do a better job of documenting our adventures.

Kayaking Summer, camping and catching up

August 3, 2016

So far this summer I have logged almost 100 miles of kayaking and about 55 hours on the water. Has been a really hot summer and dry. Rivers are running so low it is almost impossible to paddle without having to drag some distance. I bought a new kayak (actually used just new to me) for lakes specifically. This is a 14' Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140. My Dagger Axis 10.5 works good on lakes but is more geared towards rivers. Difference being that it is a little wider and slower and the wind pushes it around more so it creates additional steering to go in a straight line.

Paddled Kiser Lake a couple weeks ago and the water was 92* compared to the Mad River at the north end which the water is probably in the 70's. It is spring fed at its beginning.

Camping has not been so busy this year, lots of things going on. We did go to Maumee bay during Memorial weekend for about 5 days. Beautiful weather and scenery, that was the last time till this weekend which we are going to Stonelick State park which is in the southern part of the state. This will be for our anniversary of 36 years. Will post more on that trip afterwards.

Jessie is doing excellent, she makes us laugh every day without even knowing. We really really love that furkid! She has brought a lot of joy into our lives!

Anyway here are some general pictures.

Mad River July 31, 2016 21 paddlers

Mink Along Mad River

Mad River July 2016

Jessie and her fox

Kiser Lake 

Day I bought the new Kayak at Eastwood Lake

Great Miami River 

 Mother and daughter

 Jessie bored from long ride

Nita and Jessie

 I got my eye on you!

Jessie getting her nails trimmed for a Cancer Charity for a local girl

Jessica and I at Spotted Horse Ranch

July 2016

Jessies Family Unit on the swing

Cutting down our Ash tree in front yard Jessie saying

"OH NO! WHERE ARE THE SQUIRRELS GOING TO LIVE"

Jessie's Portrait painted my Nita Croutwater

Family Unit at Maumee Bay 2015

Spotted Horse Rance Part Duex

July 12th, 2016

Jessica and I went back to the Spotted Horse Ranch for another ride like last year. This year the weather was very warm and dry and I scheduled us for the 2 hour ride. Last year it had rained so hard it washed out trails and we were only able for the 1 hour. Yeah, well 1-1/2 hours would have been perfect! LOL by 2 hours my ass was getting sore from bouncing on the saddle and then my legs were like spaghetti when I got off the horse from pushing down on the stirrups to give my ass a rest! Will have to re evaluate a 2 hour ride next year.. Anyway we had a great time our guide was Brittney Nicole, who Ironically lived in Urbana but moved south for college and the opportunity to work the horse ranch. The distance covered is only about 3-1/2 miles through the woods. Great ride and at an easy pace, the horses are so well trained even an amateur can look like a professional! So on with the pictures and videos if you want to see them.

Jessica, me and Brittney our guide a thorn between 2 roses for sure!

Freezing the Fire

April 2nd. 2016

Our friend Malia while boondocking started having issues with her Norcold refrigerator and this being after she just had it worked on. With this revelation of facts she decided to check into what was going on. To read all about it travel over to her site at Malia's Miles.

After reading all her research which she is always very through at, she came upon the fact that Norcold has such a terrible reputation with their refrigerators and incidents of fire that it prompted me to decide to change ours out now and not wait for something bad to happen. Now that we travel with our furchild Jessie, the thought of her being caught in the RV when we were not there was much to frightening than anything we could imagine. So I ordered a brand new coil from an Amish maker of replacement coils for Norcold and Dometic refrigerators. We purchased ours from RV Cooling Warehouse.
Replacing the coils is actually a very simple fix. It took about 70 minutes to remove the fridge and get the coil off of the refrigerator. Took only 2 days to get the coil which for our model ran $700 delivered. The coils come fully charged and include the Thermal Mastic and insulation foam.

Here is Fridge removed and laying down:

A picture with coils removed 

Empty refrigerator hole in RV

New Coils

Installing the burner and igniter

Kayak Adventure, Swift Run Lakes

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Swift Run Lake Piqua Ohio

March 26th, 2016

Myself and a member of Miami County Kayaker's Randy went to Swift Run lake in Piqua Ohio, this is a series of small lakes connected by a canal.

http://middlegreatmiamiwatershedalliance.org/9.html

It was my first paddle of the year, temp was great 57° and just a light wind. We did about 4.5 miles of leisure paddle in 2-1/2 hours. Definitely a go back to place.

Coordinates for the boat ramp at Echo Lake 40.158942N -84.259306W
From here you can go north to Swift Run lakes or south into Echo Lake and a canal leading out of Echo Lake to Franz Pond.

Video of Swift Run

Jessie's Story

February 9, 2016

Paws February Newsletter with Jessie's story! In PDF

My life, from saving, to shelter, to my family

My name is Jessie, I am dog

I was thrown away by the people I trusted the most, I found myself on my own, in an unknown place scrounging for food and trying to avoid humans, the ones who disowned me.
I don't know what I did to make my humans mad at me enough to throw me out, all I ever wanted was to love and please them, yet here I am cold, alone and hungry.

My humans now, do not know my whole story and I am not able to tell them my past so I will start where I know my life can be told by those who cared for me.

It was a cold winter middle of March 2014 and the young human who first found me was called Lisa, I was hanging around Lisa's building because I felt inside me that someone would help me there. Lisa would come out of her warm place and walk by me, she saw me cold and shivering laying in the dirt. I was scared of her and everyone else at the time, my humans threw me away and I didn't know who I could trust or what I did wrong. When she would walk towards me I would walk away with my tail tucked, did she want to hurt me? I didn't run away because I wanted to trust someone. She tried all day to pet me but I was too scared.

The next day I moved closer to her warm house and laid outside. My human Lisa gave me a blanket because she saw I was cold and shivering and I didn't have any energy to walk away by now. I remember how grateful I was for the warm blanket and the food she left me. Several days she kept leaving me food and drawing me closer to her warm home, I finally knew I could trust her and she took me inside. After that I knew I would be ok, her little humans played with me and they had a furkid like me. We loved to play.

I got to live with these great humans who loved me like I loved them for saving me. Unfortunately I only got to live there for about 2 weeks when her landlord said she couldn't keep me any longer, we were all heart broken but for my humans it was worse, they wanted to love me but couldn't any longer. Human Lisa tried to find me a new home but no one would help me.

Out of desperation Human Lisa took me to the Paws Animal Shelter. She cried when she had to leave me and felt bad because she thought she was deserting me, I tried to let her know it was ok and that she didn't have any choice, I would be ok. She walked away sobbing and I couldn't help her, I felt bad for her and her little humans and fur-kid. I didn't feel thrown out this time though because I just got some new humans to know and a safe place to live. My Lisa wanted the best for me and they were all kind to me.

The Walk down the Hall, April 1st 2014

Even though I was safe I was scared to walk down that long hall, at the end was a door and when they opened the door there were lots of barking dogs welcoming me to their home. I didn't know any of them but it made me feel safe. My human Lisa took good care of me the best she could and she made sure I would be cared for. Now I am in a strange place but others are here and they seem happy.

Every day these nice humans would come talk to me and give me food and water and take me outside. I was happy because humans were being nice to me and keeping me safe. Human Matt would take me outside and roll around with me and play like he was a dog too, this was fun! Then this Human Nita who I call my Momma Nita now came in and started dressing me up! Dogs don't wear clothes! She didn't care, she thought I looked pretty in a scarf and other stuff, I didn't mind, it was fun and Momma Nita enjoyed it. Again I was able to make humans smile when I wagged my tail. Momma Nita took lots of pictures of me and told me she was putting them on something called Facebook. I didn't know what that was but it made her happy and that made me happy. I remember how happy my Human Lisa was when I wagged my tail for her.

I thought this was going to be my home, it was loud and noisy when we would all bark but we settled down when human Matt would come in to feed us and clean our houses. He would give us toys and feed us our favorite treat of peanut butter. It felt good to be safe but I was missing not having my own humans to please. Human Matt and Momma Nita would bring people in almost every day to look at all the dogs at the hotel where we were staying. Some didn't stay long and got to go live with their humans but mine never seemed to come. Every day I hoped my new humans would come find me, I loved human Matt and Nita and all the others at the hotel but it just wasn't the same.

Spring and summer and fall came during that year. I didn't think I would ever get to leave but I never gave up hope, every day more humans came down that same hall I hated walking down and watching other dogs walk out. There was something about that hall, when the dogs would walk out of their rooms thru that door it was like magic, they seldom came back down it. I imagined what that must feel like and just knew one day I would feel it too.
Once a human came and took me and I thought it was so wonderful to get to finally walk down that hall! It didn't last long because the lady took me home and just opened the door and let me run. I love to run! I always come back though. This human said I was a bad dog and brought me back to the hotel. Again I had to walk down that long hall through that door to my room. I'm afraid my day will never come.

Life in the Hotel Paws

After a while you just get numb to the noise and people coming in looking at you and walking by, I tried my best to make them see me but some just walked by and didn't even want to pet me. I was sad when they wouldn't but happy when I got to see my friends walk down that hall. Always hopeful tomorrow will be my day.

Its getting cold outside again but I am not afraid this time, my humans take good care of me and keep me in the hotel where it is safe and warm. I like the cold but living in it all the time is scary. The days tick away, most all of the friends I made when I came here are all gone now. There are all new dogs here, I wonder what is wrong with me why no humans want to take me home. Am I to big? Am I small? Am I ugly? Oh.... maybe I am too old! Puppies are always the first to get new humans. I saw lots of them come and go. I just don't know what I am doing wrong but Matt and Nita still love and play with me every day and we still play dress-up and get pictures taken. They say I am there because I am waiting for the perfect humans to come along. I lay and dream their dream every day. I never gave up, when humans came in I sit politely and begged with my eyes to give me a new home.

The Day it Happened

It was the day after what humans call Thanksgiving. I have been here almost 8 months now and still waiting. It was still a happy day, I got to see Matt and Nita as always. Ate my peanut butter and laid waiting. Then that door I hated opened and some humans came through, they walked slowly by the cages and when I saw the lady human I sat quietly while others barked, and I just stared into her eyes asking her if she was the one. Something about this human was different, she didn't walk by me even with all the other dogs calling to her. Our eyes meet and I felt this was the time! Her human came over and they took me out of the cage, they pet me and took me outside and then they put me in my room again. Then they walked through that door and down that hallway and left. A few minutes later they came back and took my picture but then once again they walked back out and I didn't get to go with them. I didn't know what I did wrong. It's a lonely feeling seeing people walk away, maybe next time I thought. All the dogs in the hotel got quiet because none of us got to leave.

Later that day they told me these humans wanted to take me HOME! YAY!!! But where are they? Matt told me they would be back, they wanted to make sure they would be good parents for me. This seemed like good news but being a dog it is hard to understand why humans do the things they do. The night came and once again we all slept. Some of the other dogs wimper at night because they are lonely and some just sleep. I just slept hoping Matt was right. As dogs we don't feel the same way as humans, we want to trust all humans but not all humans trust us I guess.

The next time the sun came up, Matt came in and cleaned our houses again and then he told me my humans were coming to get me and take me to a new home. I was happy and sad at the same time because I have come to trust all these people at the Hotel Paws, but yet I am excited about where I will live and if it will be safe. We ate our breakfast and went outside to play. Matt took me out and took a video of me and told everybody I was going to have a new home for Christmas. I don't know what that is but it sounds like good news! I remember it was a sunny day and we were all laying around watching Matt did all the things he has to do. Then I heard that door! It was MY HUMANS! THEY CAME BACK FOR ME!!!

They took me out of the cage and put a leash on me and took me through that door down that hall! We stopped at the end of the hall and my new humans talked to the other humans and Matt pet and hugged me and told me to be a good girl. They put a new collar on me then we walked out. I was sad to leave my friends at the Paws Hotel, some of us had been there a long time and the humans were so good to me but I didn't get to see my Momma Nita before I left but all my doggie friends were barking and wishing me good luck.

We walked out and got into their car, I remember the back seat was big and roomy and I had it all to myself! They were hugging and talking to me, gave me toys and they took me to my new home. When we went into their warm house I saw a big soft couch that I figured they got just for me and I hopped up on it and called it mine, they didn't care and still don't, they are just happy I trust them and they trust me and we all love each other.
That was the beginning of the best chapter of my long life ahead.

The Paws Hall

When you walk into Paws Hotel there is a hall to a door.
I hated that hall, and I hated that door,

That hall led to a room where other dogs sat,
Yet that door led me to my new friend, Matt.

I loved that hall because Nita came down it,
I loved that door because she would come visit,

When you walk down that hall you had no mom and dad,
It wasn't my fault but still makes me sad,

I loved that hall because it brought me my parents,
I loved that door because now I'm not transparent,

That hall led to a room where dogs want more,
That door led to a room with a cold hard floor,

I loved that hall when I walked down it,
I loved that door when I got to exit,

I thank the place that they call Paws
and now when I come visit,
Its now just a hall.

So for my barkies who have to walk that hall
Know that my friends will take care of you,
at this place they call Paws

Never give up
never get sad,
hang on to your dreams
cause there's lots of love to be had.

Thank you to all my friends at Paws Animal Hotel
Jennifer, Becky, Brenda, Kendra, Amber, Connor
To Lisa M. Johnson for saving me
To Matthew Israel Brown for caring for me
To Nita Croutwater for giving me hope
To Urbana Vets for keeping me healthy
My parents for giving me my life and dreams

PS: I am sure there are several people who work or had something to do with my rescue, it is not my intention to leave you out, I just may not know who you are. So for those in the background, thank you from the bottom of my dog heart for helping me and my barkies! Everyone makes a difference!

East Lake Harbor State Park

November 4th, 2015

We have been here at this park for a couple of days now. Nice and quiet. This morning when we got up we saw a guy across the road in the woods raking leaves, seems odd since it is a state park. Then we noticed he had a lot of deer hanging around him, so Jessie and I set out to see what the deal was. Turns out this guy has been coming here for over 20 years and he feeds the deer, the park employees told him the corn cobs were hard on the mowers so he would have to clean the area.....WHAT! That is the most absurd thing I have heard in a long time. Anyway he enjoys feeding the deer and they don't seem to mind it. They are still a little skittish but they don't run far from him. This old guy just likes to share some time with nature and this is how he does it.

Park is not crowded, maybe 10 people here, basically we have it all to ourselves and when we go down to the beach we also are pretty much alone. Across the water you can see the Peace Memorial tower. Water is calm as can be. Here are some pics to just enjoy rather than read. This is our last day here and we will head home after lunch. Been a great time visiting these 2 parks the last few days. Always enjoy being around the water.

Click on the pictures for a better clear view. The thumbnails are a little blurry.

This is our last venture for this season, time to put the motorhome into rest mode. Next year we start again!