Somebody has to work!



Gus getting ready for work in his kennel/desk.



Most of the people at BT are retired, but Larry is not!  After a year of planning a workspace, our conversion of the bunkbed area of our 38qba is complete and it seems to be working well.  The desk area doubles as Gus's kennel when we are traveling.  In this picture, you can see the gate that we use to confine him in the space while we are moving. It fits across the opening and is stored next to the desk when we are parked. Luckily, Gus doesn't like to open doors, the way Max did; this gate  probably wouldn't hold him if he really wanted to get out.  He's a good boy...sometimes!

Larry working out of uniform (pajamas); Gus helping.

Larry's desk is a VersaTable that comes equipped with a pedestal that has two monitor mounts. 

 It's designed for use in schools and offices and has some nice features for managing the cables.  Fortunately, Gus doesn't chew on wires, like Vada used to, but having them out of his kennel area is an extra safety measure.

One of the reasons we chose the RED 38qba was that it has two pocket doors in this area.  Larry can close the door to the kitchen/living area when he has his phone conferences and we can close off the bedroom when he is working late.  For short day trips, we close both doors and Gus hangs out in his den.  Although he can't see outside, the big ears, hear alot and our nice neighbors didn't want to complain, but informed us that both dogs have been barking while we are away.  A future blog entry will be an update on the bark collars that are on their way.



My Space!

 And what am I doing?  I can't believe that tomorrow is actually the day that I would have been going back to work!  I used to be ready to go back after Semester Break, but this year, I haven't even thought about it.  Here I am in this picture working on this blog, with my crocheting project on the table waiting to watch the DVD for the 20th time.  And usually the TV is on, too.  My little laptop area is a comfortable spot where I can see outside and do everything.  I've been reading on my Kindle alot, too.  Although, I am having a hard time getting into "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" the first book of the very popular trilogy.  And a couple of times a day, I uproot myself from my little nest to walk the dogs.  My next project:  plan the route home and figure out where we are going this summer.  Looks like we will based in Bloomsbury for awhile so our trips will be planned around mowing grass and when the deer spray needs to be re-applied.       KB

It's a Dog's Life!

One of the interesting things that we have noticed about meeting people here is that they don't ask if you have children...they want to know about your dogs.  Our kind of place, right?  And there are lots of dogs here.  Vada and Gus are among the biggest, though.  Apparently, as people downsize their homes after retiring, they do so with their pets as well. 



Gus and Larry coming back from "chuck-it".  

 Vada has been managing the steps in and out of the bus pretty well...she needs an assist once in a while.  But, we brought her ramp and it remains in the basement.  She also has been doing a one mile hike everyday to try to lose the 7 pounds ordered by Dr. Suzanne.

Gus and Larry play chuck-it twice a day in the field and then the dogs have a nice nap in the afternoon the comfy rug that Mom picked out for it's color...all the shades of German Shepherd dog hair!  The camaflouge works so well that it's hard to tell how fast the hair builds up...but, a daily vacuuming wouldn't be too much.


Napping on the camaflouge rug


At night, Gus is supposed to sleep in his den under Larry's desk...His beautiful doggie quilt, made by Aunt Deenie, is there to make him feel at home.  Vada sleeps at the foot of the bed on her "fluffy bed."  But, last night during a heavy rain and thunderstorm, they were curled up together on Vada's bed.  Who knew that they would both fit and that Vada would allow it.  I guess they are finally friends!

Today, I have to venture out to find everyone's special food.  There is a vet's office down the road for Vada food and a place called the "Shampoo Lab" that carries Gus's food.  It took us four tries to find a grocery store for our food, so hopefully, this expedition will be more productive.  It's no inconvenience though; just part of the adventure that makes having a Gus Bus so much better than putting our buddies in the kennel!!

Life at Beautiful Bella Terra



The Gus Bus "campsite"

Today is not the most beautiful day we've had. It's gray and a little chilly, but since the  rest of Alabama, and a big swatch of the South is under  a Winter weather state of emergency, we can't complain! 

Life here at Bella Terra (BT) is very pleasant.  Our "campsite" is well designed and we are fortunate to have very nice neighbors.  In fact, everyone we've met from the Bella Terra staff to the owners of the the fanciest lots and biggest rigs are friendly and welcoming.  Bella Terra is every good thing we heard about it and it's starting to feel like we've always lived here.  Our lot, which is rented from it's unknown owner, faces a pretty man-made lake which is calming and interesting to watch as the weather changes.  There are several lighted fountains that are beautiful at night and a few herons and a cormorant have taken up residence.  No alligators, yet.

Our lake view!

Some of the lot owners have erected structures for shade or storage.  All are well-built and have a lovely island design.  And there are a few gorgeous outdoor kitchens...unfortunately, the weather has not been conducive to barbecuing.  Our lot is unadorned...obviously purchased as a rental investment.

I use the term "camping" lightly when speaking of what we are doing here...it bears no resemblance to the tenting adventures of my Girl Scout days.  The center of activity here at BT is a wonderful club house that is decorated in an island motif and contains lots of comfortable seating, a bar area with dining room and a movie theatre.  There is also a fully-equipped gym, which we haven't used yet.  Behind the club house is a heated pool and jacuzzi ...also unused by the Belikoff's.  But, perhaps best of all, is something they don't advertise.  Gus and Larry have discovered the undeveloped portion of the property; a field that is perfect for "chuck-it."  But more about that later...



One of the owners "storage sheds"



I think it was a good choice for us to travel to a distant place and stay put in order to get used to our new home which has lived up to our expectations and more.  We are still learning about our Gus Bus.  Larry discovered that our "surround sound" is not broken; he just needed to find the right button on one of the numerous remotes.  And we are settling into our new routine of working in the converted bunkbed/office and filling in my time as a new retiree.  Actually, keeping up with the dishes and dog hair occupies alot of my time...this small space works better if it is uncluttered and clean.  I am also teaching myself how to crochet (can you teach an old dog new tricks?) and I'm keeping up with my reading on my new Kindle.  So far, my fears of missing the privacy of our home in the woods have not been realized.  The planners at BT knew just how to stagger and landscape the sites to maximize privacy and the residents here are quiet folks!



Celebrating the New Year







In fact we have been so busy socializing and adjusting to our new life, that we have not had time to explore the area until this weekend.  More on this later...we are off to see if there is still oil on the beach here.









Bella Terra or bust!

"Swan Lake" at Savannah KOA

Wow! We finally made it to Bella Terra.  We were chased down the coast by a fierce winter storm and experienced rare snow flurries in Savannah and Tallahassee!  But now we are here and although it's raining today, it is also in the 60's.  It feels great!   As the "driver" said, our trip here was pretty uneventful, which is what we were hoping for!  Thanks to the Webbs, we had a bit of Christmas in Rocky Mount just before they got a foot of snow...very rare...glad we missed it!  As an inexperienced "co-pilot" I reserved spots for us in KOA's  (Kampgrounds of America) in Rocky Mount, Myrtle Beach, Savannah and Tallahassee.  They were all pretty nice, but we especially liked our overnight in Savannah where we were invited to share a campfire with some really nice folks and learned alot about full-timing it.  It was very cold, but we enjoyed the lake with it's assorted waterfowl.  Our dogs were not impressed with the big birds...Poco Horn would have had a field day!  

Now, after almost two weeks in our Gus Bus,we have used everything but air conditioning...and it all works.  What is really wonderful was to use our heat pumps last night after relying on those noisy, propane-devouring furnaces.  But, we have been  cozy even in subfreezing weather!  Still feels like we're on vacation...some full-timers have told us that we will always feel this way...

heading out to Gulf Shores, Alabama

For the most part our trip down to Gulf Shores was uneventful, which is a good thing.  We stopped in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to visit with the Webb family.  We made some cookies, did some xmas shopping, and we visited the Gus-Bus.

Niece and grand nephews - Elise, David, Josh (Kathy in background)

shakedown cruise

Thanksgiving weekend was a little on the cold side at Morris Meadows campground in Freeland Maryland.  We were told a number of times by the staff at the campground that they throw people out if they find that you have aggressive dogs.  We were a little worried about Gus, but he was very well behaved and we just made an effort to divert our direction when walking him if we saw other people or dogs heading our way.  Both Vada and Gus adjusted to the RV lifestyle almost immediately and seemed very comfortable. There was an open field where I played ball with Gus to have an outlet for his energy. The field was easily seen by dozens of RVs, so we hoped that no one would turn us in to the RV police. We were lucky. I did have the electric on him just in case, but I never had to use it. We put Gus's bedroom crate in the bunk bed area, and he transitioned fine with the new surroundings. The problem will be when we install the desk. His crate will not fit under the desk, so Kathy bought a gate that we will install across the bunk bed area, and hopefully that will be an acceptable alternative.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast at the Horn residence, and the Eyegabroads (Jenny, Tim and the boys Peter and Mathew) came down from New York, and Amanda came in from school. Jim and Alison and family unfortunately couldn't make it, and we missed not being able to have them there to enjoy the festivities. Peter and Mathew were so much fun. Peter has grown so much since we last saw him, and it was the first time we had seem Mathew. What great kids! (must be because of great parents).

Our shakedown cruise was a success!  We have included these pictures from the visit to our new RV home.

maiden voyage preparation

in the driveway

We needed a shakedown cruise before going away for multiple months, so we set off on a trip to Morris Meadows RV campground in Freeland Maryland so we could spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Kathy's family. Our plan was to leave Tuesday November 23rd. So the Friday before that we took the coach out for a spin.  Over to the New Jersey Inspection station first, as we were told we had 14 days from registration to get the inspection sticker. When we got there, the inspection agent looked at the coach and asked if it was diesel.  I said yes, and he replied that "oh, we don't do anything with diesel; we don't even place a sticker on the windshield".  I asked not expecting a reply "Shouldn't someone have told us this so we didn't have to make the trip?".  As expected, no reply.  Then on to get the coach fueled up, and back up the driveway.

This was Kathy's first time directing, so we had a few kinks to work out going around the island in the driveway, but finally got it back in position on the outside of the driveway.   I pushed the button to put the jacks down and when the jacks hit the ground, a giant mass of hydraulic fluid spills out all over the driveway. Now with no hydraulic fluid the jacks would not completely go back up (or so I thought - more on that later), and the passenger side slides would not open since they are hydraulic controlled. We could still open the driver side slides as they are electric, and they are the bigger slides anyway. Kathy stored the dining room chairs in the bedroom so Vada would have room under that table, but we found out that if you can't get the passenger side bedroom slide open, that the chairs would not fit through the hallway.  Into the bedroom closet they went for now. So now we started the frantic calls, and trying to figure out what coverage we had with what plans to try to get someone out to get the jacks up, so I could drive it to the dealer to get fixed. It turned out that Tiffin gave us one year free of roadside service, but we couldn't get anyone out for the weekend.  In the meantime Kathy found the HWH hydraulic manual that explained how to release the jack pressure from the manifold.  It took us a while, but eventually found the manifold and backed out the nuts to release the pressure.  The jacks now appeared to be up (no shiny metal showing), but now I'm not convinced that they weren't up the whole time anyway.  I then took the coach Sunday night over to the dealer and stayed overnight so I could be there bright and early Monday morning for them to look at the problem. They discovered that a hydraulic line had melted because it was too close to the catalytic converter. They ordered the last one that Tiffin had in stock, and had it over-nighted since we needed to leave on Tuesday. Tiffin said that I would have to pay for the overnight service, but haven't received a bill yet, and I plan to talk to Bob Tiffin about it and see if he will waive that fee.  I decided not to stay overnight Monday, but head home, so we could finish loading the coach since we planned on being at Morris Meadows late Tuesday afternoon.

We finally got going (later than we planned) and headed first for Stoltzfus so they could install the hydraulic line, and then on to our destination.  It took them a couple of hours to finish everything up, and was getting late, but we were anxious to get to the campground, so we headed out with our hydraulics now intact, and got to Morris Meadows around 8:30 PM.  We had to stay in an overnight spot since the office closes at 5, and wait until the next morning to get our assigned space.
Here are some pictures of the coach:


the cockpit







  



kitchen






 



bedroom