PICK YOUR BATTLES WISELY

June 11th: When Bleu and I returned from our beach frolic earlier in the morning, Holland got busy modifying the 4x.

(https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2023/06/bleus-morning-outingjones-beach-or.html)

Truck Rack & Bed Tool Box; both bolted down, in place.

Holland had to give it a trim for a proper fit.

When I looked at the modification, I was hoping there was room near the back rack for the generator we will need on our road journey: it looked {iffy} at best - and unworkable at worse.

The generator is big and bulky … so is the 5th Wheel Hitch. It didn't appear to me, that there would be enough room in the truck bed (as it is currently set up) for both the Tool Box and the Generator. One of them will eventually have to go; there is no help for it. There simply isn't enough room for both.

Holland will be disappointed when that time for decision comes.

Thankfully, the box only cost $50.

I am learning to bend: I nodded that the set up looked "great" (it really did) … and I held my tongue (a very h.a.r.d. thing for me to do!).

When Holland was satisfied with the pickup appearance, we drove into town to pick up some groceries. Holland had planned a Supper Menu and headed for Safeway's to gather what he wanted (he loves to cook); and I went next door to the High School Pharmacy Store to pick up a nail kit to keep in the pickup: I also grabbed some more hair stuff too, to keep my hair tidy while it grows out.

And Holland wisely held his tongue, too, when he saw the girlish hair bands/hair pins his aging wife held in her hands ;-)

A tricked out 4x, and girlish hair stuff.

We are a pair ~ a perfect pair … living our life and snubbing our noses at our ages :-)

BLEU'S MORNING OUTING~Jones Beach-OR

Psalm 119.45

June 11th: This morning I was up bright and early to take Bleu to Jones Beach; we had been there before, but not alone. This morning we would be leaving Holland home, and striking out on our own.

The goal was for me to get comfortable driving The Beast …  and for Bleu to get comfortable off-leash. The road to the river beachfront would be pretty free of traffic in the early morning hours; and the beach would be pretty free of people traffic, too.

Bleu is growing, and expressing his need for more freedoms - he needs to learn off-leash behavior: dog in training exercises.

Heading to Jones Beach for a morning outing.

Geese … goslings in the back end.

Jones Beach; Clatskanie-OR

Jones Beach-OR

Boaters out on the river bright and early; 8.30 AM

Bleu is getting braver around the river water.

Cooling off in mama's shadow. LOL

Learning to come to Mama's whistle - as weak as it was this early in the morning ;-)

Handmade 'beach approach'.

Crude - but workable.

Beached Dinghy.

Tired out Bleu ready to go back home.

The morning outing was a success on every level.

We need to do this again.

And again … and again ;-)

NEW COOKING APLIANCES; Space Saving Items

 

June 10th: An RV kitchen is small.

The oven in an RV kitchen is smaller: camp stove small.

If we were going to have decent meals, I would have to go into town to purchase kitchen appliances, and Holland didn't want to go: so, I learned to drive {the Beast}.

I had planned to drive into Longview, but drove to Scappoose instead because the parking lot there would be easier to get in and out of. The Beast is bigger than anything I have ever driven before (extra long bed, a full back seat, and lots of unleashed horsepower), but I shifted my thoughts into 'Beast Mode', and managed it okay ;-)

The RV Oven is very small; you can cook a small square pizza in it, and that's about {it}.

Holland's been BBQing, and that's fine - but I like a variety of dishes.

The 'Beast' purchased the end of April, 2023.

I didn't run over any curbs, side-swipe anything with the back end … and I parked perfectly in the parking slots :-)

And the appliances will work well in this small space kitchen.

Drove into Scappoose to grab this and bring it home …

Not large, but it will do for 2; and it does EVERYTHING, so it frees up counter space.

This slow-cooker is small too, but it's capacity is enough for 2.

With the BBQ smoker, the George Foreman Grill, and the latest appliance additions - we should be "set to Go" when we get up to speed with appointments (Holland's teeth & my eye exam), and are set to go.

CONTRITE BLEU BOY

June 9th: We had some business to wrap up in Astoria, and as we were driving, Holland glanced in the back seat and said, "You won't believe what your baby boy is doing."

He pulled over to the side of the road and I took a look …

Bleu looked so pitiful, I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him sitting in the midst of his fitful destruction.

He has been spending a lot of time in his kennel because State Laws have kept us burning up the road to get "road legal" for our road gypsy lifestyle - that will hopefully get under way very soon.

I'm ready to shred some newspaper too, if we have to stay holed up in the PNW very much longer ;-)

When he lifted his sad little eyes, I scooped him out if his kennel and put him up front with me.

And I mentioned to Holland that our furbaby might do better if he had a companion 'sibling'.

And so an idea was born.