Looking forward

The last month has been strange.

When I left Tucson the first of March I had everything set in my mind as to what would happen during that month in Tioga, ND. Well it has not turned out quite what I expected.  From the day that we were sitting in a diesel gas bay in Stanley ND with a truck that would not start to today where we are in a working RV space but no truck yet we have endured. God has been faithful and blessed us through it all.

Chuck will finish his two weeks of work tomorrow and I pray that, starting Monday, we can get the truck fixed, get a PO box, get water turned on, the sewer connected, have the skirting put up, and internet connectivity established.

The company that Chuck works for has been very accommodating to us by letting us have access to one of the company apartments for showering, doing laundry and dishes. We finally got the WiFi logon so internet will be available. We are looking into internet set up at the RV because it is not available at the RV park.

Speaking of the RV park the manager has been trying earnestly to get us set up and he has not charged us any rent yet. The sewer connection never thawed out and because we had no sewer we couldn't connect water because our holding tank capacity is limited. We have since moved and the space we are in now works but we are not hooked up yet because Chuck has not been home to do it. He leaves every morning at 5am and gets home around 7pm so once he his home he eats, and goes to bed.

Speaking of our moving God did the most amazing thing.

Tuesday I got a call and the man on the phone said he was Wes from A&W Towing in New Town, the company who took us, with great care from Stanley to Tioga. He said he was online and had googled his company name and my blog came up!!!! He read it and told the guys, Dave and Mark, who had been so wonderful to us he was going to call me and offer to move our RV to a working space!!!  When he told me I was speechless and overcome.

I didn't cry, but almost.

Chuck worked fervently with the park manager to find a good space and Wednesday afternoon my angels of the tow truck arrived and within a half hour we were moved.






The truck they used to move us was Wes' own personal truck.








Chuck and I took Dave, Mark and Dave's daughter Trinity to 42 Grill for burgers as a thank you.  These people are truly good hearted and kind. 

Nancy, Chuck, Trinity, Dave and Mark.

I am humbled.

Cooper and I have found a nice field nearby for him to romp around in and do his business. I can take him off the leash and let him run. He loves it.

This is a view of the RV park where we live.

This is the other direction which looks toward the company apartments. I am excited to see what these trees will look like in the spring.

Cooper in his field.

Yesterday it snowed all day but unlike snow in other places like New England or Minnesota there had accumulated less than two inches. It was loose and powdery and Cooper had fun in it.

This is after snowing all day. The top pic is my meager effort at taking a photo of the snow falling. The bottom is a view of the road.



Dear friends and family, we are doing well. My husband is patient and well fed and I love the cold!

-N

March

I've been here for nearly two weeks and we are managing to make it work. Happy to to say that we are managing to get things done even if the circumstances aren't the best.The guys Chuck works with are a bit jealous at the meals he brings to work and that he doesn't have to do his own laundry.

We are still without a sewer connection but the landlord isn't charging us rent so I can deal with it. He is working hard to get the issue resolved. I have two young men from Oklahoma as neighbors and they are very nice. Though they were not happy that OU lost to NDSU in basketball.

Cooper is really a hassle. He has trouble with the whole going outside to do his business quickly and I am trying to train him. Not fun. We will head to Tucson the first of May to pick up the Explorer.

-N

I'm still here

While I am spending my second night alone while Chuck is pulling a night shift I loaded up my phone as a mobile hotspot so I could share a brief post. This bumps the data charges on my bill so here is the 411.

We have no tv, have to buy the DISH equipment and that will be a few more days until that works but that's ok I have been reading, cleaning and watching movies.

Also trying to get Cooper to understand the concept of doing his outdoor business as quickly as possible in freezing weather. He doesn't understand that we are not going for half hour long strolls through the RV park at his whim.

Consequently his trips have to be strategic. He goes out twice a day which encourages him to "get 'erdone!"

The trailer is really great. However the sewer connection is still frozen.. If we had our truck we could move it to a different lot that works and...problem solved. However the truck is still being repaired locally since the closest Ford dealership in Stanley ND isn't available to work on it until ...ready...early April!

We have one working vehicle which Chuck needs to go to work so unless he is home I have to  plan  my activities accordingly.  Nobody said it would be easy.

I read that through the storms of life we can see the light of God through the clouds. I am holding onto this steadfastly.

Chuck and I are getting into a daily pattern and this is reassuring. He is very disappointed in what has happened but, like me he is making the best of it. He is my rock and security. I love him so much.

-N

it has been difficult

So many things have happened since we left Tucson. Most of it is ok. Just into Wyoming we had to detour into Nebraska because of high wind gusts in excess of 65mph that closed our original route. In Nebraska we found the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge and Scenic River Area. It was a very interesting place because it is not a high traffic spot but the views and history was very cool.

The Fort Niobrara visitor center.

 

 

This trail with the river rapid was so lovely but I kept thinking it will be spectacular in the spring. Nebraska had some wonderful scenery and surprises.

We were off of our schedule because of the detour so we called my son's in law's in Bismark ND to see if we could park in their driveway for Monday night and were told to come on over. Once we were there we were welcomed with a meal and our own room!! Byron and Georgia Bedwell treated us so warmly and with the best of hospitality and made the rest of the trip much more bearable.

However, twenty miles from Tioga we stopped to fill up our truck and when we tried to leave the truck would not start.  It would crank but would not start! We were sitting in a sick F250 diesel truck attached to a 33ft 5th wheel trailer in the diesel fuel bay and could no go anywhere.

I called Geico and spoke to Brittany Soloman who spent the next hour arranging for a towing company to tow the truck to a mechanic and the trailer to the RV park. AW Towing in New Town ND has two guys named Dave and Mark who were the most amazing and caring guys.

The trailer was moved into the space and we started hooking it up only to find out that the sewer connection was frozen over and blocked up!! The towing guys had left so no one was there to move us into a better spot. The water connection was also frozen but that is fixable.

Ok, we have electricity and propane. We cannot dump any of our holding tanks so we don't run water except to flush the toilet and brush our teeth.  We have been going to the company apartment that Chuck has been living in to shower and do laundry. No dishes-paper and plastic everything. This is like camping only with an electric fireplace.

The weather since we have been here has been very good actually. Sunshine, clear skies and warm for Tioga, 30-40 degrees. However this morning we woke to over cast skies and snow.

 

This is Tioga snow, very dry and small flakes.

 

It will be like this all day today and then will clear up and warm up tomorrow and the rest of the week. We need to get the truck fixed and that is proving difficult with the local mechanic. It looks like we will have to get it towed to the Ford Dealer in Stanley ND and hope they can get it fixed next week.

 

We need the truck to get the skirting for the trailer and put up a mud room. We also will move from the space we are in to one that works.

 

We have depended on God for protection and guidance and I know He is covering us. I am also amazed at my husband and how hard he is working to get this worked out. He is an awesome man.

 

 

 

Until the next time I come into the Pinnacle/Cenex truck stop for wifi I am signing off.

 

-N

 

Exlporing as we go

This morning we woke to a beautiful layer of fresh snow. It was so bright a clean, and after breakfast and getting our warm clothes on we headed our for an exploration of southeastern Colorado.

 

What we discovered is Cooper LOVES the snow. He romped and ran around. He didn't seem to mind it at all.

 



 Chuck and Cooper getting ready to head out. Cooper is Chuck's wingman!

We have a National Parks Passport Book which we use to find cool places to visit when we travel through different parts of the country.  It is kind of like a visa for national parks, monuments, historic sites, etc., and when you visit a site you get it stamped with the name of the place and the date..

Today we went to Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta CO. It was very cool and right on the old Sante Fe trail.

Tomorrow we are heading out early and are aiming to reach Casper WY for the night. From there we hope to knock off the last miles to Tioga on Monday. Thanks for all the prayers for safe travels. It is a comfort knowing we have those and all the good thoughts surrounding us.



 

 

-N

The journey has started.

Chuck and I are sitting in our trailer at an RV park in La Veta, CO with about 6" of snow on the grown and snow slowly falling outside.  We had wanted to do a bit of exploring but the weather changed now we are a bit house bound.

Yesterday we went to Capulin Volcano National Monument in Capulin NM. We dropped the trailer and drove up to the top of the cinder cone. While walking the path down the cone to the vent in the center we saw at least a dozen deer grazing. We heard their calls and observed them walking a trail on the inside of the cinder cone.

Look at the upper left to see the two deer that approached us.  The next two were standing near us and we were sort of surprised to see them.

This is a perspective on where we stood in the two pics above. We were down in the floor of the volcano. It is not exstinct or dormant, but inactive. It is full of chokecherry and oak.

 

We left there and headed north to La Veta, Colorado which was on destination of a couple of nights. Our plan was to explore this area which neither of us had ever visited.  When we crossed the Raton Pass (7400') it was rain mixed with snow. We came down out of that but it was obvious moisture was in our future. Sure enough by the time we went to bed snow was falling heavily and woke this morning to about 6" of snow and more falling lightly.

I'm really glad I got these fur lined rubber boots!

Thank you God for an engine block heater for the big truck.

Cooper discovered it was easier to do his business under the trailer. Watch out for yellow snow!!

Now for a shower and making plans for the day.

 

 

-N

Thursday March 6th

The truck with Chuck, me and Cooper will pull out tomorrow morning towing our RV and the hopes of dreams of adventure and challenges that will test who we are individually and as a couple. God is in charge.

I told Chuck tonight I was excited and nervous about leaving.

The house will be looked after and we have found good homes for Mocha and Sasha. Mocha was adopted by a wonderful family with three children 8, 13, and 15. Their dog had died and they were looking for a dog. They fell in love with her instantly and she was doing well in their home the last I heard.

Sasha went to live with my nephew Kris to help with the rodent population at his house. She will have the run of his house, garage and property. She is after all a Catalina cat.

Cooper is coming with us. He will need a heavy sweater and booties for his skinny little body to survive the cold. He is wondering where the other guys are.

Time to get ready to sleep and dream of highways and rest stops. Pray for our travels.

-N