Grandpa's "Scrap Wood Art"

Grandpa, Grandma (with bunny ears), me and RDB

I had always known that camping ran in my blood.  Dad was an Eagle Scout, his parents had property they called "the campsite", and we lived waaaay out in the middle of nowhere so growing up felt like one big outdoor adventure. It was only natural that when RDB and I started camping that I wanted to share our adventures with Grandma and Grandpa - the old fashioned way, of course - through snail mail.  I started printing out a few photos from each trip, jotting down a few thoughts, and sending it along to them.  It's been quite a number of years since they've been camping but I knew they still love and enjoyed it.

Grandpa's always been a tinkerer; for a good portion of the early years of his retirement, he helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity.  I have a number of wooden pieces from my childhood that he manufactured: a bear shaped crayon holder with my name on it, a baseball bat/ball/glove holder from when I played in Little League, two end tables that have moved with me to every home I've ever lived in.  About a month into our camping I came home to a box in the mail from Grandpa. I was delighted and thrilled by what I found inside - a 3 page hand-written letter and some of what he calls 'scrap wood art.' 

"I have been into a little bit of everything over the years," he wrote. "What I'm sending along will need some of your desire for color and assembly.  It is plywood, so it will need finishing for sealing. That is your decision to make."

Hanging on a tree at our first '12 camp out at Lake Livingston

I wish I had taken a photo of it before I painted and assembled the pieces together - but I was too anxious to complete this project, and send back to him a photo of the finished work.  He had made our family camping sign.  I was giddy with delight!!

"We appreciate the prints you sent of your Rockwood & truck - it is a great way to go.  Your Grandma, your father and aunts sure enjoyed the 'Apache' fold out we had. Your Dad used a cot and his Scout bed-roll under one of the slide out beds.

One trip into Northern Wisc. we had a 3am visit from a black bear that wiped the chuck boxes off the picnic log table even though they were tied to the table with Nylon Shroud cord out of a parachute. We had left a small dish of ham fryings in the cabinets to use for egg frying  in the morning rather than in the cooler locked in the car trunk.

Well, my scribbling is catching up with me. Love you both very much.  Happy Camping and stay in touch."

That Ain't Stock #3 - More Misc Mods!

For those of you who loved the first ones, here we go with the next set of Misc Mods!!

Our version of Camp Driveway.  Gotta fight for space!



I can see you!, and you, and you...

Ok, starting with the Lone Ranger: we needed extension mirrors. A big thanks to O'Riely for having what I needed on the first stop!  They're a little clunky to put on (as to be expected, I guess) but they do the job.  WARNING: be careful when you go through the What-A-Burger drive thru with these puppies - I almost lost the driver's side one!



Battery operated, Velcro'd on.

We've done a few late-night set ups coming into camp after dark, and anticipate we'll do more as we camp on into the winter months.  I realized on our trip to Lake Livingston that the back of the truck is pretty dark - especially with the utility cap on it.  So, a trip to Wal-Mart and a $12 under counter /LED light later, and viola! Let there be light!

 



Speaking of Velcro....

Next up, we move on to a few camper mods. Now, for those of you who flip axles and re-do water pumps and all the technical stuff, I apologize! I know my way around a power drill but am totally inept when it comes to those kind of projects.  Now, give me a zip-tie or Velcro and I can rock your world!  And, hey, I'm not afraid to remove the jump seats from a truck if the need arises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yep, more Velcro.

I've got a set of Coleman LED string lanterns (my Tacky Lights) that fit perfectly across the awning and had been using zipties to secure them every time we set them up.  Hello, Velcro! It makes it a lot easier to get them up (and down) using the quick strips - you can get them at WalMart, 6 in a pack for a few bucks.  I use them on our SHW Gizmos, too. We pull all the slack to one side and then bundle it up.  The Gizmos stay on the camper permanently, so this keeps us from having to deal with tangled cords.





./`./`./` Here we go, Steelers! Here we go! ./`./`./` What can I say? I left Dallas not knowing the difference between a 'first down' and a 'down comforter' and started dating a guy from Pittsburgh. Now Black and Gold runs through my veins (I have family that say he brainwashed me.)  I ordered the Steelers mini-pennants online and used black and yellow gold felt to make the extras.  A quick run through the sewing machine and ta-dah! I've got spirit, yes I do, I 've got spirit, how 'bout you!  The extra ribbon on the ends just ties to the SHW Gizmo straps.

 

 

So, for those of you whom I just gave a headache to with my team-enthused-mod, let me offer you a cold one.  And on the chance that it's not a twisty-top beverage, I've got a mod to suit your tastes!  I attached this vintage looking bottle opener to the outside of the camper, on the front under the bunk end.  We keep the beverage cooler outside, typically under the front bunk end, so this was the logical place to attach this little trinket.

 

 

 

Moving inside the camper for this next one - I modified a mod.  A lot of campers out on the forums (hi ya'll!) have done a hard wire shelf that hangs off the bar across the end of the bunks.  I liked that.  RDB didn't - he has to sleep on the inside.  So, I came up with a compromise (More like, I installed this when he wasn't looking and hoped he'd be ok with it)   I bought an over-the-door shoe holder and cut it down to fit (just two rows of pockets) and then used zip-ties to attach it to the bunk end support.  Now we've got a place for all the little stuff that collects on the countertops and drives me crazy.  And, since it's soft mesh, it stays attached and simply folds in with the rail and lays on the mattress.

Out to the camp kitchen - I installed a cheap (read: less than $2 at Target) paper towel holder on the stove that can be inside or out.  The front edge was the only place were I could get the screws lined up nicely, but it does get a little in the way of where you're standing while you're cooking.  It's a little thing for the ease of having the towels right at hand. NOTE: They do tend to catch the wind here (see the photo) so placing the last one on the roll under the lighter I keep in the little tray, keeps the paper towels from flying away!

Of course, now that we've got such an awesome custom camper, everybody's gonna want to take it home with them, so, we had to get a security system put in. 

Until next time - may the sun shine brightly on you, and may it only rain during the week!



A Relaxing Weekend at the Lake

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, camping. *sigh*

We left out Friday afternoon when RDB got in from work.  Getting into the fray of the north Houston traffic is not the best way to start the weekend, but it's a necessary evil. And am I ever so glad that RDB does a lot of our driving.  I had stopped off at an auto parts store and picked up extension mirrors for the truck - he said they helped out immensely.

We arrived at Lake Livingston after dark (I have a feeling most of our trips are going to start this way - winter camping calls for short days).  I checked in with the Ranger, and found out there were 3 camping groups that were on site this weekend - including a contingent of over 40 boy scouts! We were supposed to be camping with the Southeast Texas Pop-Up Camper's Club, but that group outing fell through.  Oh well - we were still going camping regardless!



LED lights in the back of the truck.

Setting up in the dark presents it's challenges - and lighting was certainly one of them this trip.  We had a few handheld flashlights, but by the end of the trip we bought cap clip-on lights and a set of LEDs for the back of the truck - I had never realized how dark it gets back there! By the time we were done unpacking and setting up Friday night and dinner was ready, we were ready to crawl into bed!

Saturday morning we woke up to beautiful weather (and a chance to see our site for the first time). Nice big trees, plenty of space - but RDB noticed that it looked alot like the underbrush had been clear cut.  The unfortunate side to this meant that we got to see a lot more of our neighbors than we really wanted to. 

It's interesting camping with Diesel now that he's growing into a larger dog.  It's not so much 'Oh, what a cute puppy!" anymore.  He started the day off barking at the kids on bikes, but quickly learned that they were no threat, and stopped reacting when they came by.  One of the kids came back with a larger group of friends (and a Mom) and stopped at the end of our site: "That's a mean dog!" he said to his friends.  I was sitting on the ground by Diesel and replied back: "He's not a mean dog.  What makes you think he's mean?"  "He barked at me earlier." Hmm, teachable moment here.  "Well, he barks when he's afraid of new things - like your bike - or when he's excited and wants to play.  He barks when he's happy, too.  Just because he barks, doesn't make him a mean dog."  He's not mean, I thought, he's just misunderstood. In fact, let's just see this "mean" dog in action.....

Yeah, he photo-bombed me in the last one.  I just about died laughing when I saw it.  And, yes, he took my spot on the bed, too.  Tell you what, he was anything but a mean dog this weekend.  Too bad people have a prejudice about the breed.

RDB and I really just enjoyed a relaxing weekend.  I made french toast and sausage for breakfast, Campfire Queso and guac for lunch, Grilled Banana Pudding (post coming soon!) and Jalapeno Poppers.  It wasn't a weekend evolving around food, but other than that, all we did was rest and nap and sleep! Honestly, we were in bed by 8:30pm Saturday night!

We woke up Sunday morning to the sound of rain on canvas.  Ahhhhhhh, perfect! (and ahhh, crap - because we'd have to pack up wet).  I was surprised how emptied out the camp ground was by 9am - it was booked full Friday night, but we were the last of three families when I went out to get breakfast.  Does it make for a challenge when it's raining and you're camping? Sure. Does it mean a little more work when you get home? Yes.  But it is the most relaxing, calm, and serene thing in the world to sleep in with the rain gently pat-pat-pattering on the roof of the camper.  I wouldn't have missed it for all the dry socks in the world.



All packed up and ready for the next adventure.

We were in site 76 at Lake Livingston State Park.  It wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was the last of three sites available on Friday night - what with the camping clubs there.  It sure didn't feel crowded, though. No wait for the bathrooms, and for the most part, very quiet.  The Park Ranger came by just about every hour or so, but he never stopped to say any thing to us - just waved and drove on.  We'd love to go back earlier in the week to grab one of the lake front spots (50-71).

For more camping photos, go here.

Park (P)review: Mother Neff State Park - Moody, TX

Park (P)review

We haven't camped here yet, but I've driven around and checked it out!

Mother Neff State Park

254-853-2389

*Texas' first, and smallest, State Park - the original grounds were only 6 acres.

*The park was devastated by massive flooding in 2007 - over 19' of water in the main camping grounds.
*The park ranger informed me that they've been granted a multi-million dollar budget to renovate the park and the now 400+ arces it holds.

*There's a cave/overhang down one of the trails in the park  (very easy flight of stairs to access it, I was in business formal walking down there).  It was once a burial ground for Native Americans.

*Not much privacy between the sites - most of the ground vegetation was lost in the flood.

*Didn't see any sites that really stood out one from another (2, 3, & 4 would be good for a group), but this is a sweet, small reminder of why it's so important to support our parks system, and how grateful we should be of those who have thought about conservation in the past.

Texas State Parks Pass

I'm what you could call: A Camping Nut.

Every chance I get driving around to various cities for work, I try to sneak in something camping oriented.  Maybe a trip to Cabella's or Outdoor World. Sometimes a walk thru the camping isles at the Tar-jay or Wally World.  But my favorite activity doesn't have to do with shopping (gasp!)  because with my Texas State Parks Pass, the shopping's already been done!

RDB and I decided we'd buy our pass when we traveled down to Goose Island last spring (Remember The Battle of San Mosquito? Yep, that trip).  Now that I can get into any Texas State Park for free just by showing the pass, I've started planning out my drives to hit as many as possible (like this week, for example, I hit 3 between San Antonio and Austin).  It gives me something to look forward to on what can be long and grueling road time, I can review the parks facilities for my Park (P)reviews every Friday, and I can scope out which campgrounds we want to head back to when camping season starts back up.

 


I've been to a bunch, but have a bunch more to go!


Aside from getting into the parks without paying the entrance fees (that would have been over $120 for the ones I've already been to above), the Pass comes with benefits for us as a camping family, too.  Check this out:

"Camping Discounts- with the purchase of the primary Texas State Parks Pass, 4 discounted camping nights are held in the TxParks system. Discount is for 50% off the second night, when staying two or more nights in a campsite or regular screen shelter." -TPWD website

How cool is that? I've already booked our sites for the fall and winter, and we'll take advantage of another $40 in saving just by having the pass to discount our second night's stays.

But wait! There's more....

Not only is the entrance fee waived for me as the STPPass holder, it's waiver for whatever car load of people I happen to be traveling with (that can add up to quite a bit if you have a family and kids).  And it gets us 10% off anything we purchase in the Park Store.

So, why am I so sales-y about the Park Pass?  Because I love our Texas State Parks. And I love getting a good deal.  We've got over $180 worth of potential savings just from our $70 purchase of the Parks Pass.  And even if it didn't net out such an awesome financial benefit - it's an absolutely worth while cause.

If you're spending any time outdoors in Texas, its worth spending the month on this.

Park (P)review: Lake Murray State Park - Ardmore, OK

Park (P)review

We haven't camped here yet, but I've driven around and checked it out!

Lake Murray State Park

580-223-4044

*This is a huge park system! I only had time to check out a one of the 15(!) park loops, and it was beautiful!

*The lake's water color is an amazing shade of light blue

*Buzzard's Roost Camping Loop: Sites 19, 20 and 22 have shade a a beautiful view of the water.

*ThePark Ranger suggested, in order of favorites/best loops:

     1 - Buzzard's Roost

     2 - Tipp's Point

     2.5 - Martin's Landing

     3 - Marietta Landing

Wishing this one wasn't 6 hours away.... or in Oklahoma, for that matter!

Shame, Shame, Shame

Pardon me, I need to rant for a moment.

prej·u·dice/ˈprejədəs/

noun: Preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience 

I'll be the first one to admit that I was prejudice.  Having never had any personal experience with them, I thought they were mean-spirited, easily agitated, and fierce.  Just their appearance gave the impression that they were bad, vicious, and violent.  All you have to do is mention their name and people suck in air, gasp, or get squeamish:

Doberman

Picture courtesy: Randy W.

Yep, I had a "preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience" about the very breed of dog that is now such an integral part of my life.  Of my family.  (Please, note, I'm not one of those "the dog is my kid" people - but we have made Diesel a part of our everyday lives now, including our camping).

And that's what brings us to this rant.  I booked a site for this weekend, last minute, since we missed out on last weekend with the rain.  Just one night - and since I had wanted to visit Lake Texana earlier (such a lovely park!) I thought I'd give them call and book.

So, the booking was no problem.

Getting to reserve a specific site - no problem!

You guys allow dogs on-leash - no problem!

Well, until you read the fine print.  I received my confirmation email and get to the second to last paragraph, and find this:

Pet Policies:

PETS are to be kept quiet and secured by a leash of six (6') feet or less, OR confined. Pets may not be left unattended. Please clean up after them.  Pets other than seeing-eye dogs are NOT PERMITTED in the buildings.

AGGRESSIVE PET BREEDS such as Doberman, Rottweiler, Pit Bull or any mix of these breeds will not be allowed in any part of the Recreation Complex. If a pet demonstrates aggressive behavior, regardless of breed, it may be asked to leave the Complex.

(The emphasis, by the way, is all theirs.)

So, I called back within less than 10 minutes to cancel my reservation.  I get it, you don't.  You don't understand that just because a dog is, or looks like, a certain breed does not automatically make it a raving mad rabid lunatic of a creature that is hell bent on death and destruction.  You don't understand that it's more about the owner (and their choice to train and teach and nurture), than it is about the type of dog (or the nature of that dog).  You don't get it.  And I understand.

I expected that I would be refunded for the booking as I paid the deposit over the phone.  And they willingly did - minus a $5 cancellation fee.  I get penalized because of their lack of communication regarding breed specific restrictions? (I had asked if it was ok that I brought a dog along, they simply said, yes.)

So, here I am - ranting over $5, right?  No.  I'm ranting over the injustice of judging my dog simply by the breed type on his AKC registration.

Shame on them for being closed-minded.
Shame on them for being uneducated.
Shame on them for being prejudiced.

Shame, shame, shame.




Picture courtesy: Randy W.