Well, here we are getting ready to start on another adventure. This time…in the beginning at least…we DO have some campground reservations. Our plans are to leave here tomorrow and drive cross country with the express purpose of meeting our older daughter, Laura and her husband, Tom (along with our grand-dog, Sheeba, and our grand-cat, Bourbon—neither of whom we have yet met personally) in South Fork, Colorado. They will be meeting us in their new travel trailer and we hope to enjoy camping with them for several days before we head both West and North, and they head back home to TX. From there, as usual, we have no definite plans or reservations. It will unfold as it happens. This may help to explain the title of this new travel blog—Small House…Big Yard. The title is somewhat plagiarized from an article by the same name in the June 2014 Family Motor Coach Association magazine. I thought it explained perfectly our attitude regarding motor homing. The small area that we call “home” when we take off in Mufasa is greatly complimented by our “Big Yard” as we go along the highways of this beautiful country (as well as Canada at times) and when we pull into camp after our day of travel. Our “yard” in all the years that we have traveled in this manner has indeed been a large one. Come along for the trip and see if your “yard” looks a little larger also!

 GETTING READY ...

Monday...today is "good grief we are supposed to pull out of here on Wednesday and I haven't really started getting ready" day! I went to Friendship Club this morning (our bi-monthly brunch and heaven knows that anything involving food around here can't be missed !!). After getting back home I cut John's hair...yes, he does fraternize with his stylist...then I made cole slaw and a marinated vegetable salad to carry with us in Mufasa. Later I sorted out the prepared in advance frozen meals I want to take and did two loads of laundry. Believe it or not, it is just as easy to be gone three months as it is to be gone a week...hmmmm. What do you think about THAT idea Gary R and Judy M?

 
The guest bedroom is a wreck with clothes piled on the bed, not to mention the office that has all the small "bits and pieces" of "must haves" piled on the desk. Linda H. suggested that I take before and after shots of the mess...just to prove I can get all of the stuff stored away in a neat and timely fashion I guess . At any rate that is what I plan to do...the "after" shot will be taken tomorrow after we bring Mufasa over and begin the loading process.

 
We might also take Ann S's suggestion and do what she and Tom are going to do on an upcoming trip to Alaska and that is buy some "Tennessee Stuff" to take along to share with "outsiders" along our path. They are taking Goo-Goo Clusters, Moon Pies, and airline sized bottles of Jack Daniel's! Not for sure we will do it yet, but think it is a terrific idea. 
 
Tuesday: We bailed on Georgia's fit and stretch class this morning choosing to stretch at home and then we made a 2 mile walk in the neighborhood for our exercise today. After breakfast we did a few things at the house before leaving to pick up some items at Wal Mart and after which we brought Mufasa over to load him up. 

Thankfully the weather was cooler this morning than it was this past weekend...it ended up in the low 80's with at least a little less humidity . Since we already had almost everything already laid out, it was really just a matter of taking things out of the house and loading them into the RV. We saw a few of you all this morning and got encouragement to do this blog...time will tell if this was a good idea or not! We gave a tour of Mufasa this afternoon to Rich and Anita...I saw a glint in Anita's eyes. We gave her an award for "Truck Driver of the Year" last year and we could see that she was challenged by the idea of driving a motorhome. Since she drove into Manhatten last year by herself with a U-Haul, I suspect she would really be good!

The house looks much better than it did yesterspday for sure. It is amazing how easily things just melt into place once the job of loading is finished. I did as Linda H suggested and did take some before and after pictures. Also we picked up a box of Moon Pies to have as gifts for unsuspecting outlanders just as Ann S suggested! 

Our plans right now are to pull out of here in the morning either very early to miss the traffic in Nashville, or wait until 9:00 . Remember that we really enjoy hearing from all of you in response to this blog. If you have any suggestions as to things to do, see, or eat as we travel, please share them. We have had some very interesting twists in our travels thanks to suggestions...along with a few orders! Jeanne G has already recommended a restaurant, Lamberts, in Springfield, MO which may be along our path tomorrow and we hope to stop in depending on our timing. In the meantime, we are going to try to get a good nights rest and be ready to hit the dusty trail in the morning! (Laura...you all be careful traveling the next few days and we will see you in South Fork, CO on Sunday! Love you.)