Getting ready...

Yesterday I took the rig to have it washed and waxed. It took several hours but Rick at Camping World in Wilsonville put three coats of wax on the hood and around the bottom portion. Hopefully that will give a bit of protection from the flying gravel on some roads. Rick took my photo after things were all shiny clean. He wants to see what it looks like after the Alaska portion of my trip. As I drove off several guys yelled in unison "don't hit a moose!" I met a charming couple from Vancouver Island and they told me all about their Alaska/Yukon adventures. They talked about the weathervane at the Whitehorse airport, which is an actual plane and the whole thing rotates. And don't miss the Laird Hot Springs! "You will feel little fish around your legs but don't let that stop you." Betsy and Steve were having the tailgate fixed on their truck. They travel in a fifth wheel and had been on a leisurely trip to San Diego to visit friends. The most important advice they had for me was this: If you find a place you really like, stay there for a few days. Don't rush.

I spent some time today organizing the inside of the rig, doing things like putting up hooks and stowing galley items. I also keep packing books, a few boxes at a time.
It takes a while because I inevitably open some of the books and start reading.....I have 25 boxes packed. About 20 more to do. And why do I still have books that belong to kids? One about Nirvana? The band, not the concept. A surfing book that I was going to get rid of, but the photos are so beautiful that I couldn't toss it. I also found a high school poetry club publication from 1965, titled The Inkblot. I had totally forgotten about it. Good grief, that thing is almost 50 years old!

Alaska shoes. Don't laugh - I heard they're the latest rage.

I just received my mailing address from the Escapees mail forwarding service. I never ever in a million years thought I would have a TEXAS!!! mailing address. But here it is -

Judith Darin
243 Rainbow Drive # 14352
Livingston, Texas 77399-2043

I can call them and they overnight my mail to me, and they will also throw away catalogs and junk mail, or open and read or scan and email to me. How great is that?