Possum Kingdom

 "Focus on the journey, not the destination. 

Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

Greg Anderson

Not in a hurry to our destination, we decided to make it a better journey. So on our way to Dallas we took the back roads and when it just felt right we pulled up our maps and GPS'd our way, using freecampsites.net, to a free spot for the night at Possum Kingdom State Park.  The rugged, free sites were directly across from park-like pay sites.  I preferred our site, but loved the close access to the other.

We had few preconceptions or expectations of this place.  All we knew from our map descriptions is it was a reservoir created from part of the Brazos River and we could camp free (big part there).  As it turns out, we wished we had more time to spend in this kingdom. 

We found ourselves the solo campers in a beautiful little area overlooking the reservoir.

Deer were everywhere, with several sightings of mothers with their young. Cardinals, herons and vultures flew by...

...and once again we were happy to be in the green of nature.

The first evening we settled in and were treated to a beautiful sunset over the water. 

Turtles lined the sunny banks and cranes perched on tree limbs protruding from the water.  Reservoir levels were low and many homes overlooking the lake had docks that either had no water near them, or were so far above the waterline, they no longer served a purpose. 

That last step is a doozie.

The sandy shores were littered with hand-sized freshwater clam shells, perfect for my adventurous little girl to collect and explore.

Obligations cut our time there short,  but we thoroughly enjoyed a slice of Possum Kingdom.  I was only bummed I didn't actually see a possum!

A New House?

“This is my temporary home

It's not where I belong

Windows and rooms that I'm passing through

This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going

I'm not afraid because I know this is my 

Temporary home”
― Carrie Underwood, Play On

A comfy living room.

We've been 3 in a RV for a few years now.  There are a lot of positives and negatives to living in an RV.  One of the hardest things to deal with is temperature.  In the winter you can warm the inside, but it seems a bite of cold is always in the air and the floors are always freezing.  With John getting up at the wee hours, Zoey going to school before daylight, dealing with the occasional frozen pipes, sometimes as long as a week, and it seems we have 1-2 more winters here in Texas, we decided to find a warmer place to winter. 

The search was not wide and not far. We wanted to stay small and economical, so we found a nice single-wide mobile home for rent not one block away from us in our own mobile home park.  It's a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom that has been recently repainted and new flooring installed.  It was for rent, but we contacted the owner and found he was willing to sell.  With a little give and take on the price we had ourselves  a contract for a new home.

You might be thinking: "But, I thought you didn't want to stay in Midland, Texas.  Why are you buying a home there?"  The answer comes down to comfort and money.

The comfort is a gimme.  We went from a few hundred square feet to 1100 sq/ft.  The day we looked at the house, Zoey ran from one end to the other, finally spreading her legs indoors.  Oddly, I found I had less storage and had to buy dressers and other storage to house all our stuff that had previously been so nicely housed in our RV built-ins.  Thank you Craigslist.

Zoey was still sleeping on her crib mattress, and although I received no complaints, she is getting big.  I could have fit a bigger mattress in her loft, but it would have eliminated a lot of  her space for toys; and as we all know, getting a kid to part with their toys only sparks their interest to prove how much they love that toy. Now Zoey has a full-size bed to spread out in and all the space she could ask for.

Yay! Laundry.

And best of all, I now have a washer and dryer, which is soooooo nice. That is one thing, I truly missed in the RV.  (Unfortunately, I still have to go to the laundromat about once a week for John's work clothes because they're too damaging, but no biggie.)

The money angle may seem odd.  After all, aren't mobile homes notoriously not great investments?  In an area where housing is a scarce commodity, our place could, and was known to, rent for anywhere from $1000-$2000/month depending on where the economy is holding.  That means when we leave we either have an income producer or an asset to sell.

So here we are moving out of the RV and into a mobile home.  Does this spell the end of 3inaRV?  Far from it.   With our wonderful travel trailer, we have many travels to come, some in and some out of the trailer. In our future we see a RV adventure of a lifetime, but we still have time and detail to work out, so stay tuned.

Campin' in Corpus

 "Camping and the beach; I might have just combined my two favorite things."

-Me

The first time we went to Corpus Christi, John got left behind due to work.  This time the three of us, sans Karlie, decided to take a quick trip (before John was going to leave us for a month) to the coast for some much needed family time.

Since the coast is a long 7 hour drive, traffic permitting, we decided to take it in two days.  Our first

overnight we decided to go economy and boondock at the infamous Walmart parking lot.  We found a darker edge of the lot where other campers had set up, dropped our front bed tip out, made the dinette into a bed for Zoey (since we didn't want her bed to be sticking onto the road),  and settled in for the night.  First thing I noticed were the loud Semi-trucks roaring by and the other commotions of cities and parking lots, but either things settled down or tiredness won out and we all slept well.

The next day we found our destination at the Padre Island National Seashore where we would spend 5 days.  The $10 entrance fee was nominal and good for the week.  (Note: $20 gets you a year pass.)  There was a visitor center with park rangers educating young and old alike.  Zoey stood for nearly half an hour at a table where she learned of all the sea treasures displayed in front of her.

Although there are pay campsites just off the beach, we weren't there for that.  We went to where the road ends and he real camping begins.  Texas beaches are public highways, so you my drive right up onto the beach and park where safe. 

We chose not to venture far since there were few campers and our Armada is only 2 wheel-drive.

The week was a dream: waking up to crashing waves,...

morning walks along the shore,...

 bike rides along the waterway,...

 shell collecting,...

 castle building,...

dips in the chilly gulf water...

  lizard and crab chases, gull and pelican watching,...

 and even a small fire one chilly evening.  Going just after spring break, we found the crowds nearly non-existent and the wind often carried a chill but it was enjoyable.

We took a few trips into Corpus Cristi for lunch and a trip to the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.  Even though it was a bit early in the year to catch many flowers the experience was wonderful.

One night we invited our friends from the area for a shrimp and crawdad boil.  They informed us that the tiny clams we had played with all week were edible coquina clams, so we made a delectable broth and had a good although sandy taste. The evening was a hit and we had a wonderful time together. 

Coming back to we decided to break up our driving once again and found ourselves at Kerville-Shreiner Park.  This time we weren't boondocking,  but at $35/night, we were willing to pay for the quick spot and hot showers.  It's a beautiful little park bordering the Guadalupe River which turned out to be the perfect ending to our wonderful vacation.

We consider this one of our favorite vacations and I highly recommend camping ON the beach if you ever have a chance.

A Year And A Half Later...

 “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” 

~ Anthony Robbins

Morning sun through my bedroom window.

 We've lived in Texas, in an RV, for a year-and-a-half and to some it may seem genius, to most a bit of craziness.  Sometimes I feel it's a bit of both.  There's a lot of give and take when you undergo such a change in lifestyle, but we feel what we have given up has all been worth it.

I've often written about the changes, but with another year under foot, I feel the need to write up another list. (Sorry list haters.) So here it goes; the positives and negatives of selling everything, moving halfway across the country for better employment, and moving 3 into an RV:

Zoey and the neighbor Courtlyn.

Positive aspects:

Zoey, Savannah, Tessa, Sara, and friend :)

• Cut out the Fat -We own very few possessions and cannot purchase more unless something goes.  It keeps things concise.
• Fewer bills - We've cut out the unnecessary including a mortgage.
• No More Plastic!! -Bye-Bye credit card debt....I hope to never see you again.
• Vacations!!!- Now we can afford to take a vacation without breaking the bank or putting it on credit.
• Being a mom - Zoey starts school next year and I'm savoring the moments with her.
• New Friends- We have friends at the hall and Zoey has made a good friend with the 3 year old neighbor girl, so I feel more comfortable when she wants to play outside knowing she's not alone.  (Zoey says this is the best part of moving to Texas.)
• Realizing our dream - We are well on our way to someplace exotic!!

Everything must fit in there.

Negative aspects:

• Long Hours - John's work schedule can be crazy long hours, and I miss him often...temporary life upset.
• Midland, TX - I hate to be such a downer on Midland, but....I keep saying temporary. (Zoey says we need to find "a place with just the right hot and cold.")
• Bad Bathroom Setup - We knew this when we bought our RV, but finding  an affordable RV with space for 2 bedrooms; limits options.  The bathroom/bedroom combo gets a bit tight and chaotic....not our forever home=temporary.
• Limited Space - As I said no unnecessary purchases, but I LOVE to shop and find a great deal.  So sometimes I bring something home, a toy, dress or shirt, and find there's no space....grrrr.
• Organizing - Part of this is my fault, I've never been good at keeping things tidy, but I feel I'm organizing this place allllllll the time and it still needs work!

Fun little craft projects are great in the RV.

My sister-in-law, Jessica, asked me when we were last in Idaho if the RV ever really felt like home?  The answer is: Yes, it is home.  It's amazing how easily a completely different environment, especially a nontraditional one, can become a home.

 In the end, things get to me at times when we can't find much to do or get any customer service in this town, or when I shove another shirt into an overflowing drawer and reorganize an entire cabinet to fit a box of cereal.  When I feel whiny, I think of all the progress we've made, the stresses we left behind, the fun we're enjoying now, and the dreams we're realizing; and I remember the little inconveniences are worth it.  Everything in life has positives and negatives, the trick is finding an imbalance between the two.  For us the positives of our change vastly outweigh the negatives.  It's good to be imbalanced.