Monthly Archives: December 2011

Prelude to a Christmas~2001

Howdee all,
Back to December of 2001
We left Las Vegas in our new motorhome *Homey* and drove to Phoenix, Arizona to be with our Motorhome Mentors Dave and Jackie Daniels..
They liked this over 55 RV park in Mesa and stayed here many years..
It is like a summer camp for old folks..All kinds of activities.
Val del Oro
Jeff was 53 and I was 45 they made an exception and let us into the park since we knew another couple there.
Ha..this year I fully qualify for a 55 an older park..
destiny oasis1Christmas Décor in the RV parkValle del oro
Dave and Jackie liked to hike and took us on a hike up the Superstition Mountains.
See Phoenix in the distance..
usiaryfountainhillsWe didn’t bird then…
I took a photo of a Cactus wrens nest.
usiary7It was December and the weather was beautiful.
perialtaweaverneddleThe scenery spectacular..
perialta5Me and our RV mentors Dave and Jackie Daniel
usiary6
Sunset in the Superstition Mountains
usiary4Our first December in our Homey on Wheels..
usiary5The month was not over..we had Christmas and Hanukkah to celebrate..
Stay tuned to see where and with who.
Any guesses?
usairy3

I was a Christmas Decoraholic~

Howdee all,

I am going backward before I go forward.

Before I show you our first Christmas in our Homey…I want to show you our last Christmas in our Brookline, Ma. home.

Ever since I was a young gal, I have collected Christmas ornaments and décor.

I delivered newspapers as a young gal and saved up my Christmas tips to buy decorations…actually most of my Sickstas did the same thing…we all loved Christmas decorations.

Luckily I married a Jewish man who didn’t mind my Christmas décor fetish.

Come on in and take a look..

 Christmas 2000

door

fronthallOur livingroom..

living2Nobbiecat loved sitting near the fireplace..

firenobOur daughter Samarrah painted this picture of our Winter festival…

Notice the Menorah and Christmas tree.

A happy blending of traditions…

samspictureliving1The Holiday tree…

Living in a condo and having no yard to plant a real tree in…I opted for a fake tree…I used the same tree for many years.

treeI collected antique ornaments..

Most from estate sales.

treeorn1Our Holiday star…treetopA mix of old…

candlelightAnd new…

sparkleornI also had a collection of antique glass balls..

I put them in my antique glass vases..

glassbalsglassbulbsThis Santa, sleigh and reindeer are special. I bought these as a very young gal..

Maybe around age 12..

santaslieghMore glass balls..

balls1santaThe dining room..

dininglightdiningtreeSanta collection..

santacolsantacol2

My sweet Ballie playing with ribbon…

I miss that fur ball!

ballplay1More glass ornaments..

bulbsA new Santa and antique ceramic girl holding Christmas tree..

santaradioA new snowman..

snowman1

In the den…a new Santa surrounded by homemade decorations from my Aunt Diane.

snowmandenStairway down to the bedrooms with our stockings..

downstair

I had a collection of antique birds..

Think these are in storage.

parrotsSo…as you can see..I had a Christmas Décor addiction..

jeffdawnI am over that now…But it was so much fun back then..

I hope you enjoyed the tour…

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays..

From Dawn in December of 2000

outhallme

Ten Years fulltiming in an RV!~ 2001

Howdee all,

  I didn’t start blogging until 2005..so many of the photos from when we first started RVing are in folders on my computer, collecting cyber dust.

I thought I would share some of these old photos.

Wow! These are ten years old!

Yikes! We have been living full time in a Motorhome for 10 wonderful years!

Rving was new to us~We had allot to learn.

We picked up our Homey early September in Junction City, Oregon..

~Country Coach Factory~

countrycoachfactoryA Motorhome being made..countrycoachfactory1Our Homey being born..

ournewhomeThe inside of Homey being made for us..

ournewhome1Wow~seems like yesterday~

ournewhome2After taking delivery of our new Homey on wheels and spending the months of September thru the beginning of November working out the kinks and exploring Eugene Oregon and the Oregon coast, We headed to Northern California then Las Vegas to visit with friends.

Red Rock Canyon~Las Vegas

redrockA favorite place of mine..

redrock1I love hiking amongst the huge boulders and red rocks…

rrockYou would never know the Las Vegas strip is only a 20 minute drive away.

rrock1See it in the distance?

rrock2Notice all the pictures of me?

Jeff took all the photos back then.

rrock4We spent some time in Vegas visiting with friends and checking out the hotels..the weather was warm and so different than our Decembers in New England.

I looked so much younger 10 years ago… 🙂

dawnjeffv

Jeff and I posing for a Christmas and Hanukkah greeting~

The first away from our families.

Copy of bellagiotree

We did spend time with one special family member…and it wasn’t in Vegas.

Will post photos of our first Christmas in our Homey on Wheels soon.

PS~I still have that fake fur vest 🙂

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker checkin in…

Howdee all,

Homey has arrived safely in NC and it parked snugly between two familiar hickory trees.

Arrival was not without complications. Just two miles away from Carthage, Jeff stopped for diesel~after fueling Homey would not start..

No sound when the key was turned. This has happened several times in the past ten years. This time it took a few more taps with a hammer on the solenoid and it started.

Yellow bellied sap_017Before Homey arrived I noticed a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker mewing and going to the suet.

Not soon after Homeys arrival, the sapsucker checked out its reflection.

Yellow bellied sap_005Our windows are reflective and we always have birds coming to the window to see who is in their territory.

Yellow bellied sap_007

For the past two mornings Mr. Sapsucker starts tapping on our bedroom window at 6:30 and then moves on to the bathroom window for a bit.

Yellow bellied sap_013

Here is a video of him tapping at our bathroom window.

Colin and Jack

Howdee all,

I have been in NC for over a week now~Still waiting for Jeff to arrive with Homey. One day routine service appointments always seem to turn into two or three days. We are kind used to that.

I am getting antsy though,

I would Love to have my Homey, Hubby and all here in NC. They are due to arrive very shortly~Hopefully..

Jeff just called and said that he was at a Gas station and after fueling up the Homey wouldn’t start. Hopefully he will just bang some solenoid part with a hammer and it will start…Hee hee..it works. He has done that on numerous occasions.

I hope it works this time..

Anyway..

Colin is recuperating well.

Jack helps.

Colin and Jack_001He’s 12 years old and likes to sleep in …

When Sicksta Dell and Craig get up..he leaves their Bed~

Colin and Jack_004

And snuggles with Colin.

Colin and Jack_002