Day 6 - Missoula, Montana

Earthship Le Van Gogh Diary

Day 6 - Missoula, Montana

Aaaahhhh. One of my favorite works by Debussy is playing on the local NPR, “Pavane For a Dead Princess.” Macabre title aside, it’s simply a lovely and dreamy piece of music.

I’m parked in a super Wal-Mart parking lot between two pickup trucks with campers on their backs. There are a couple of other trailer-pulled campers nearby and several cars, but I know now that by tomorrow morning there will be more. Many more. Boon docking is very popular in the RV set.

Missoula is either a large town or a small city - I haven’t checked the stats but it’s pretty cool, however big it is. Still having problems catching a roaming signal, drat it. Tell me again why I paid for my own wireless device and a monthly fee to boot when there aren’t enough towers to support this? Bleh.

I parked and took a walk in the downtown area and it was quaint and charming and picturesque and all that. Most shops were closed but there were plenty of folks just out and about to see and get exercise and feel the sun whenever it made a brief appearance. It was good to stretch my legs and see what was popular in this neck of the woods.

After I was tired from walking I returned to my car and asked Charmagne to find the local Wal-Mart. This she could do! And she didn’t dump me in the middle of the road, either! Yay, Charmagne!!

I parked near the gathering cluster of RV’s, set up shop for a 12V night and walked over to the store. I wanted to find a voice activated recorder I could use while I’m driving that was close at hand and that didn’t require me to look away from the road to grasp it. Trying to write down what I see as I drive along is a very bad idea; hence, a tiny recording device that holds about 200 hours of my lovely voice should I choose to not delete as I go. Since I have no intention of saving all of my little notes after I’m done transcribing them into the blog I found the smallest recorder for sale and got it. Now I won’t be such a driving hazard to myself and others.

Tomorrow I drive to Butte, about 125 miles from Missoula. I’m just setting Charmagne to get me to the city center and I’ll take over once I see a good campground for the night. I didn’t bother showering tonight and I’ll need (and want) one a lot tomorrow, for sure, so a full-service campground is required. I’ve become a KOA member and I know they have one close to Butte so I’ll probably stop at that one. I like KOA - it’s clean, has all services including a laundry (important!), the aforementioned showers, a dumping station (I sure hope so because my tanks are getting full again. So quickly! Off I go to beddy by with the kitties tucked in to their nightly areas and me tucked into my little bed. Night all!

Lessons Learned:

That my attempts to figure out how to use the recording device on my own have failed.

That I might have to read the instructions because I can’t figure out how to do it myself.

I hate it when that happens.

That Le Van Gogh doesn’t drive any better with the wind at my back than it did when I was driving into the wind.

That the van is still broad and high (relatively speaking, of course) no matter which way the wind is blowing.

That the van just doesn’t drive easily at any speed above 45 mph.

Which should keep me alert.

And should develop really strong muscles in my hands and arms.

I would think.

That parking in Wal-Mart is cost effective but noisy.

That some moron pulled up close by our little RV area with windows down and bass cranked as high as it can go.

At 12:30 a.m.

That I might have to dig out my hammer and go bash in his windows and side panels.

But that might hurt my hammer.

So never mind.

Observations:

A fenced in area with ‘High Voltage’ signs every five feet and a blackened scorched-earth area where some fool clearly tried to find out if the owners were telling the truth.

Strolling around downtown Missoula I see a mannequin in a store with a truly demented expression on its face. Scary.

A car in front of me with a faded red tattered towel spread across the back area just below the rear window and pink plastic roses scattered all about.

A young couple taking a walk in the downtown area with a large black lab carrying a thick, short branch in his mouth.

Three street kids holding signs saying “Traveling but broke, too ugly to get work.” I spoke to them about the kind of jobs they had applied for and one boy, who was quite nice looking, said that he was too ugly and no one would hire him. Uh huh. The other kid, who was kind of ugly, actually, had tried to find a job, any job no matter how humble, but no one would hire him. The two boys and the girl, all appearing to be anywhere from 15-19 years of age, were dirty and their clothes somewhat tattered which might have been the reason no one would hire them. That and they looked like runaways. Then again, the amusing sign was working and folks were giving them spare change so it could be just an easy scam. No obvious signs of drug use and no bruises or abrasions from being beat up. I wondered, though, how long it would be before some pimp rounded them up and forced them into prostitution. May the gods look favorable upon them! I gave them the two dollars I had in my pocket, wished them well and moved on.

I think I left humidity far behind me. My thumbs have started to crack at the corners of the nails and I’m constantly thirsty (hence, full holding tanks…) so I’m getting the hint that I’m now in dry country. Time to find some bag balm.

I passed a Cracker Barrel restaurant on my way to Missoula. Amazing! This extremely popular chain with delicious, artery-clogging southern cooking is usually found in the South. Or so I thought. It sure looked popular up here as well when I drove past it.

A highway sign saying, “9 Mile Road 1 Mile.”

Day 2 - The Walmart Experience

Earthship Le Van Gogh 09.02.09

End of Day 1




Although I posted my blog this morning at 0700, I didn’t actually finally hit the road until about 1000. I’m so slow at getting ready to go and dumping waste and taking out the garbage and all that because the learning curve is still pretty high. It takes awhile to put things back that I’ve taken out for the evening and make sure that everything is secured tightly so nothing will fall and break. Even so, I know I’ll get better and faster as I get the routine down and I won’t be such a slow poke.

I set Miss Charmagne GPS Unit in her holder on the dashboard and turned her on. She immediately said, “turn right.” Since we were still parked in the KOA campsite I thought this was a bit premature. I stopped at Costco to gas up and I thought Miss Charmagne was going to get hysterical on me. She didn’t sound calm again until I was finally back on 101. Lord, woman, relax!

When I neared the ferry dock she repeated three times to “take the ferry.” Perhaps by then she didn’t trust me. I hope this isn’t so because a relationship such as we have is based on trust. I also noted that when we got off the ferry, to my right was a turnoff for US 5 but she insisted that I go straight. Huh. I was pretty sure that we were going to be on 5 but I went ahead with her plan. We took a very scenic and pretty route through the little town and eventually came out to, surprise! Yet another turnoff for US 5! This time she allowed me to take it and I headed to 5 N. She relaxed for awhile until I came to the final turnoff and when I got to the intersection for the street where Walmart was located, she announced that I had reached my destination. Mind you, I’m still waiting for the light to turn so I can go right but she had nothing else to say. I’d call this just a wee bit inadequate but I could see the Walmart from the intersection so I was cool. I wonder just how more precise I can get with the directions I can give her when the address has been fed into her destination. Interesting…

Oh, when I was boarding the ferry, I met this nice man who was directing me down to the bottom deck in the middle. When I was close enough to the car in front of me, he put his hand up to stop me and with the sunlight shining into the van he was able to see inside. He looked at me and I smiled and he got this delighted grin on his face and walked over to my window. I rolled it down and he said, “I really like your van!”

“Thanks,” I replied. “I’m taking it on a tour of America.”

“Wow!“ he said. His grin got even wider and he asked me if I had room for one more. I laughed and said no, there was just enough room for me and two kitties.

“Well, I hope you have a really great time!” he said with a laugh.

“Thanks again, “ I said and off he went to direct the next car.

What a sweet man and a great smile! And a nice farewell (only for awhile) to the north peninsula.

When I was all parked and set up, I grabbed my frozen food bag and walked about a mile down the road to a little roadside vegetable stand. I gathered fruit and veggies for the day (not much room for more than that), paid, and walked back, uphill all the way. Good workout! And lord, did I need it after no regular walking for the past three weeks. My back felt better for it and it was nice to get out and see the sun and exercise my body. And now I’m ready to lie down. Aaaaahhhhh.

The kitties are getting used to the routine and have settled down amazingly. Right now Fluffbutt and Chopper are both up and exploring with a lot of looking through the front windows of the van. They’ll be back for a lengthy petting and cuddling session but they both seem to be happy with the whole thing. I’ve taken them outside once when I was still at Denise and Gene’s and I’ll take them out again tomorrow when I reach the next destination - a campground in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. I’ve decided that while dry camping is certainly much cheaper, I do love that electricity, you know? That and the holding tanks will have to be dumped again. Sigh.

Until tomorrow and sweet dreams to all!

Lessons Learned:

That 9 gallon and 11 gallon black and grey holding tanks fill up pretty quickly.

That I drink a lot of water, as do the kitties, from my 18 gallon fresh water tank. Among other things.

You do the math.

That I need a bigger wrench to take the sewer cap off.

That I need a different cap and coupling for the sewer hose to connect tightly with campground dump stations.

That it was kind of messy because I didn‘t have the right kind.

That spillage stinks a lot.

Bleh.

That I’m sure glad I have antimicrobial cleansing agents.

That I need to buy gloves to wear when I empty the tanks.

That whenever the possibility arises, I should use someone else’s toilet.

That I'm glad I don't need to do this every day.

That I’m very glad that Fluffbutt and Chopper didn’t get seasick on the ferry ride from Kingston to Edmonds.

That I give thanks every day that I’ve never been seasick.

That even though I respectfully requested permission to park overnight as suggested by other RV‘ers, the nice lady told me that I didn’t have to ask. Just make sure I park all the way at the very end and that I would be gone by tomorrow night. Otherwise I’d get towed.

That I’m feeling just a wee bit like a leper.

That when I parked there were only two other campers but when I woke up at 0100 I was surrounded by two big honking campers.

That it’s nice to have company.

That I’m glad that I didn’t park any closer to the guy running his noisy generator.

That I should wear something to bed that I can go outside in because Security will knock on my door and check out who I am.

That I’m honest and law abiding and all that and that I promise to be gone within 24 hours. Really.

That now I’m not only feeling like a leper, but a homeless transient person to boot.

And finally that this is a whole lot of fun, dumping mishaps and psychological twinges aside!

Until tomorrow...

Day 1 - Underway

Earthship Le Van Gogh Diary






09.02.09
0500
Conditions: 59.6° F; Humidity: 98%; Wind: Easterly, Calm; Visibility: 10 miles
Mooring: KOA Port Angeles, WA
Captain Lea reporting.

All systems checked, supplies secured for sea (mostly), ship’s crew has been fed and are manning their underway positions. So, OK, they're not that big of a help, especially as First Mate and Navigator, but at least they're in position. The Bendy Men are still asleep, the lazy dogs.

If you think I’m posting a picture of me before I’ve finished my coffee, you’re going to be waiting a long time. I’m not that sleepy.

Ok, enough of that Navy talk.

I think I completed everything I wanted to before I left. I didn’t get to see everyone that I wanted to but that’s OK. I’ll keep in touch with the blog and I’m not really saying good by anyway. Until we meet again is more like it and we‘ll continue to chat via the blog, email, etc.

First destination today is a Wal-Mart in the general vicinity of Seattle. It won’t take too long to get there, about 2 ½ hours with a ferry ride on the route. At this time of day I’ll be heading into rush hour, but I’m going to take my time and maybe the worst will be out of the way before I finally head out. Perhaps. Since I don’t know how many hours I can tolerate driving, I made my first stop a very modest distance. Still, anyone who has driven in rush hour traffic in any large city knows that by the time you get to your destination, you’re ready to take a nap. I’ll be ready, I know that. Besides, I want time to do a walkabout, take pictures, chat with people, etc, and even give the kitties a walk (drag) on their leashes and harnesses. This is why I’m taking a month to get to Georgia. That and if the leaves are starting to change their colors up here, maybe by the time I get there the leaves will be starting to change in the northern neck of the woods of Blairsville.

The past few days have been a huge learning curve for me. I spent three nights in the back of my sister, Denise, and brother-in-law, Gene’s, house (thank you, thank you!!) and there I learned how to work the various systems in the van. I also got to figure out which items were still not secured for sea and would topple down during the first curve. In fact, there have been so many things to learn that I’ve made a list and I’ll add to it every day I post. This first post will have many, believe me, and it won't be complete. But in theory the list concerning the van will grow shorter and lessons of life will begin to dominate. That’s my hope, at any rate.

Lessons Learned:

That I need to buy an RV repair manual for very, very minor repairs. A mechanic I’m not.

That I’m in totally in love with my lumbar support. It gives off heat and massages me while I drive.

That Fluffbutt and Chopper need a whole lot of attention right now.

That if I am careful I have three days worth of water in my fresh water tank.

That I have all the water I need but not all that I want.

That Miss Charmagne GPS Unit doesn’t always know what she’s talking about.

That draining the black water tank is as much fun as I was led to believe.

That if I lay down to rest in any position, side, back or tummy, Chopper and Fluffbutt compete to see who can perch on top of me first.

That Fluffbutt weighs a ton.

That I‘m always forgetting to make sure everything is secure before I drive off.

That there’s something in one of the cabinets rattling around and I can’t figure out what it is and it‘s driving me buggy.

That when it’s time to go beddy bye I can set the furnace temperature to keep Chopper and I cozy in the back of the van while Fluffbutt stays cool in the front.

That it took me 15 minutes of investigation of a possible water drip before I figured out that it was the ticking of my windup alarm clock.

That I really suck at backing up a van.

That I should always request a pull-through space in an RV campground.

That Fluffbutt’s night vision makes her as good as a dog in letting me know there’s something moving outside.

That Fluffbutt doesn’t bark so unless I see her react I still have no idea that there‘s something out there.

That there’s nothing out there. Fluffbutt reacts to a leaf falling.

That I need to remember to duck when I climb in the side door.

That’s there’s a minor water leak under the sink but I can’t figure out where it’s leaking from and this is also driving me buggy.

That when I’m too tired to make French press coffee, Folger’s coffee bags with extremely hot water is better than nothing.

Not much better, mind you, but a little better.

That I devoutly hope my new license plate arrives today in Denise and Gene’s mail.

That they arrive not too long after I depart so Denise can forward them to Sharon’s.

That no matter how long a list I make there is always something else to add to it.

That I will forget to do something on the list even though it’s sitting on the console right beside me where I can see it.

That eventually I will remember to do it even though it might be a little late in getting done.

That sometimes it’s not a bad thing to have an anal retentive, OCD, picayunish, methodical, organized and list-making personality.

That my refrigerator keeps things nice and frozen when I'm plugged in electrically but doesn’t work very well at all when switched to 12V.

That I need to buy some ice.

That claustrophobia has no business going along on any trip in this van and has been booted out unceremoniously.

And finally:

That a wonderful sense of adventure, willingness to embrace the day and all it brings and a well developed sense of humor are crucial to making my trip as fantastic as I plan on it to be.

Until later…