This Is NOT an Abandoned Blog

I've run across quite a few abandoned blogs out there in Cyberspace, and this blog has had every appearance of being one of them. But, it is not. Our full-time RV life continues. We've been living in this travel trailer for nearly 17 months now. However, it has not been particularly adventurous this winter. Our plan had been to spend a month in Grants Pass, OR, so Jan could check out gold panning opportunities here, and then head south for the winter.

Well, life intervened. Fuel is high. Jan and I EACH needed a crown (do you have any idea how much diesel a crown costs?) Jan needed to get his cataract surgery, which takes a month or two for both eyes, and my daughter needed some support during a couple surgeries for our grandchildren at the Shriners Childrens Hospital in Portland.

So, we researched typical winter weather here in Grants Pass and decided to stay. Typically there are a few days of high twenties temperatures here, which I know we can do well in. But, occasionally it can be colder, much colder, like 5F, which we knew our trailer wouldn't handle. We decided to chance it, ready to winterize and hole up in a motel if the temperature took a drastic dive.

It didn't, and we've made it through the worst of winter here just fine. We're starting to get some sunny days again, and yesterday we went to check out another possible gold panning site. I know Jan is planning on coming back here later in the year, when it is warmer and he can really do some prospecting.

What did we do this winter?

I went to Portland to help my daughter during the children's first surgeries. (Read about it on her blog, here .) I went for five days in November and again for five days in January.

Jan had his cataract surgeries, which went very well, and we each got a dental crown.

I filled an empty spot in the church bell choir and played at the Christmas eve service.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at the church.

We made all our Christmas gifts.

We practiced our instruments--Jan his guitar, me my autoharp.

I took up watercolor painting.

In January, Jan took a trip by Greyhound to visit his brother in Scottsdale, Arizona (someone has to stay home with the dogs, and it was my turn).

We will be here in Grants Pass, Oregon, until Easter (I promised to help with two more bell choir performances). Then, we'll set out again. We have to make our way back to the house, north of Spokane, and deal with the rest of our possessions that are stored there. Last fall, we got the house painted and the front porch repaired, but decided to wait until spring to get it on the market. Our renter was happy to settle in for the winter, too. Once the house is either sold or in the hands of an agent, we will feel free to venture further away. (That was another reason we didn't go further south this year.)

So, this is not an abandoned blog. I had planned to blog about the everyday details of full-time RV living, so will do more of that. I know when we started on this adventure, and even now, I always enjoy reading about others' adventures and how they have solved the challenges of this lifestyle.