Gypsy Life = Destination Unknown

 

 



If this doesn't fit our current lifestyle I don't know what does.  This message was left just for us!



 

 

To this point, we had had the pleasure of staying at full service campgrounds or at locations where I knew what to expect and what to bring in order to be prepared.  We went from Branson to Beaver Lake, Arkansas where I have had a spot reserved out on the peninsula at the Dam Site for Beaver Lake.  I had camped at this site many years ago with a couple motorcycle buddies and vowed that someday I would return, during the season, and spend some time here.  The campground is operated by the US Corp of Engineers and the spaces are large and very accommodating.  When I made the reservation, I knew that sewer was not available but neglected to read the part where water was also not available at the site. 

I got Matilda backed into our reserved spot and proceeded to connect everything then realized that there was no water hook up.  There was a water hydrant located just out of the reach of the hoses I had with me so I decided to do a bit of problem solving and devised a way to get my tank filled without having to spend a lot of money for a long hose.  I had to go into Eureka Springs to buy some groceries so while I was at the store I picked up a two and one half gallon container of water. I poured this water into the tank then used the empty container to top off my water tank from the nearby hydrant.  Worked out just fine with minimal expense. 

The water issue is the only negative we found about staying at this camp site.  The spaces were large and had very nice shade.  The weather was hot, but the almost constant breeze that came across the lake made sitting outside under the trees feel very nice.  We had a very pleasant rain shower almost every day and we both just relaxed and enjoyed the quiet and beauty that this site provided. 

We are both beginning to feel more at ease with this life style that we have chosen.  Cindy has been walking more and more as her knee is getting better and I have learned to relax to the point that the two of us did something that we have not done for years.  I bought a table game while we were in town and we sat down during the heat of the day and spent some quality time just playing Yahtzee. 

I want to go into an observation that I have had during our outings.  I have noticed and am guilty myself of participating in this behavior.  Why is it that when families are out in the camp environment the man will do things that there is absolutely no way he would do at home?  I have no problem sweeping out Matilda, or cooking breakfast, or cooking any other meal.  I actually enjoy doing these things and absolutely dreaded the same activities at our sticks and stone home.

The time we spent on this outing was calm and peaceful.  We did have a visit from our friends from Branson and we went out for a good dinner together, then returned to our site and the four of us just sat around and we all relaxed, something we all really needed more than we realized.  I do have to acknowledge that another plus that I enjoyed while at this site was that the internet was not readily available.  We had phone and text but the internet was very minimal.  It really felt good to not have that for a while.  The lack of the internet brought back the old way of actually talking to each other and just sitting back and relaxing and enjoying life. 

We had a very nice view from every window of Matilda and the surrounding area was just majestic!  We did decide that when we traveled to areas that are great for fishing, we will start doing some fishing.  I haven’t been fishing in ages and I guess the reason we haven’t done any to date is simply that I have no fishing gear.  I have always had the mindset that just sitting and waiting for a fish to bite was a real waste of time, time that could be of better use doing something.  I have to admit that I can see the therapeutic advantage to just sitting, waiting and relaxing.  Our next outing at a lake or near a fishing area, we will do some fishing.  I’m going to pick up some basic gear and we are going to learn to drown some worms!

I did find one thing very fitting about our campsite.  The picnic table shelter at our site, someone had painted on the trim board the very fitting and appropriate “Gypsy life=Destination unknown”.  It just feels like everything continues to point to the fact that this is the life Cindy and I are supposed to be living, and we really couldn’t agree more!

I did notice while we were driving around Branson that I had an unusual noise in the front end of Brutus and just couldn't locate the cause, well, while at this site I discovered that I had a failing wheel bearing.  I made some temporary modifications so that we could get home to where I could take care of the problem properly.  I didn't get upset or anything, after all, if you drive a 300,000 plus mileage vehicle, some things are to be expected.

Well, here are some pictures of the scenery we had for the week.  We are looking forward to our next “scheduled” outing but until then, we’ll be satisfied going back to our base and spending some time with the kids and grandkids.  Life Is GREAT!



This is where Cindy sits most of the time.  She loves the window and being able to do craft stuff at the table.  The picture behind Cindy is of one of our granddaughters.  Family pictures hanging in Matilda just make it more of a home.

We had great scenery from every angle!

A panoramic view!

Being  Outside was nice as well




Beaver Lake Arkansas Dam

It's A Small World, Afterall

Fireworks from the landing in Branson, Missouri

This is a first for me in the RV travel blog world!  Cindy and I have been living in our rolling home now since the end of May and yes, we have made a trip to Tennessee and Mississippi and there was the church float trip, but I always waited to write about our adventures until we got back to "home port."  I am officially announcing that we have expanded our mental definition of "home port" to include where we are at the given moment so this blog is being written in our home port of Branson, Missouri, because that is where we are. 
Long before Cindy and I decided to do the full time RV living thing, (actually around December of 2015) my best friend informed us that his daughter had met the man of her dreams and was going to get married in Branson in July.  I sat down and made reservations at the Branson Landing   RV Park right then and Cindy and I decided to just make the excursion a multi week event.  The wedding was to be on July 2 so I made reservations for June 30 through the 5th of July, after all, if we were going to Branson, we had just as well stay for the fireworks and the stage show on the Landing.  The extended part of the trip was to be to go from Branson to Beaver Lake, Arkansas, just west of Eureka Springs, and spend a week or so camping there. 
Now a few years back, Tom, my friend, and I had motorcycled to Beaver Lake and tent camped there, during the off season.  Beaver Lake has a campground near the dam that is out in the lake on a peninsula and I had often dreamt of going there again, during the season, and camping on that peninsula, well, tomorrow is that sometime.  I made the reservation the first day that the Corps of Engineers started taking reservations!
This trip to Branson has been really our first real venture into staying at an RV park for any period of time and I have to say it has been supercalifagilisticexbealidocious! (I guessed on the spelling, spell check had no idea)  The very pleasant experience started with the ground host being very friendly and accommodating and the park itself was very clean and very close to anything we wanted to do, and for those things that were not close or the times we just didn't feel like walking, there were plenty of very friendly people operating free public transport from the campground to points of interest.
I will say that camping in an RV park will require that I develop some social communication skills.  I have found that this will not be an  option!  Life in an RV park reminds me a bit of how it used to be in the trucking industry, when you pulled onto that parking lot, you were all neighbors and everyone spoke to everyone just like they were long time friends.  That is what we experienced at the campground.  One quite astonishing factor I discovered was that in an RV park, "status" wasn't a factor. 
I really want to expand on that last statement some. When we lived in a stick and brick home, we never really got to know anyone that lived more than a house or two from us.  It seemed as though everyone was in competition to see who could have the best yard or the newest car or the latest electronic gadget and the only time that "neighbors" actually spoke was to compare their things. 
I make no  secret that we are a couple of very budget conscious RVer's and  no, we don't have a new anything, Brutus is a 14 year old truck and Matilda is a 18 year old fifth wheel.  We pulled into our site, got set up and proceeded to look around.  There were rigs on this campground that had to be in the six figure price category, high 6 figures or more, but no one had a superior attitude.  We were all RVers.  People did something really strange at this campground, they would actually talk and, get this, listen to other people!  Wow, what a concept!  If a camper saw someone that looked like a little help was in order, they would go and volunteer to help.  If you were just walking the dogs, it was not uncommon for a camper to come up and start a conversation, a real conversation!
I did have an opportunity to help a fellow camper while here.  I know what it is like to have problems away from home and not have anyone to ask for help.  There was a gentleman and his wife camped across from us that were from central Kansas.  He and I had conversed several times during the day and he knew I was mechanically inclined, to a small degree.  We had a storm roll through on Friday night and the park lost power.  Now I had received some stellar advice from an experienced camper before we had ever started out on the road ( did I mention that my brother is a very smart and knowledgeable person) that one of the first things you invest in if you intend to utilize public campgrounds is a good voltage surge protector.  That night gave me all the proof I needed that I, too was a smart camper because I listened to the advice of someone with experience.  While my unit was protected during the night from the voltage surge that occurred when the power came back, some were not so lucky.  This gentleman actually had his power converter catch fire!  I saw him outside after the storm with a flashlight and went over to see if I could help.  I was able to locate the problem and the next day I installed a new convertor for him.  Unfortunately, the power surge ruined his refrigerator and air conditioning unit and ended his week early.  There were two or three other campers very near him that also experienced some form of electrical malfunction due to the surge.  It felt good to help him as much as I could, unfortunately, there are some things that are just beyond my control and I couldn't save his week for him, but the point is, not only me, but several people came to the aid of this gentleman, because, that is what a camping community does.
I have watched people help each other set up and tear down, I have seen total strangers sit and share a beverage together and talk as though they were old friends, I have seen the social intermingling of all kinds and I must say, it feels GOOD!  I can't help but think, "what would our churches be like if they practiced the same love and fellowship habits that I have witnessed at this campground?"  I promise, I'm not going to do a soapbox sermon but it does make one wonder.
I guess another reason I decided to write this blog now and not wait until returning to home port is that I realized that if I started doing that I would end up leaving out a lot of information because sitting here in this park relaxing is just part of all the activity that is happening.  We came down here for a wedding, which was utterly fantastic, by the way, we were entertained by a top notch Journey cover band, I mean, if you closed your eyes, you would swear that Journey was on stage, we got to spend time with our best friends and then there was the real shocker and the idea for the title for this post, I learned via facebook that the previous youth pastor from our church and his family were here in Branson from Indiana so naturally we got together and had a meal together and enjoyed some good catch up and fellowship. 
This outing has solidified my feelings that right now Cindy and I are doing exactly what God wants us to do.  We are traveling together again and we are closer than we have been for a while.  We had never drifted to the point of not wanting to be together but we just really didn't do many things together.  Traveling on the motorcycle was the last time we experienced this kind of togetherness.  The desire to travel and see the country has always been in my blood and after Cindy got a taste of that, I feel that it is now a part of her as well.  I am so very thankful that God has granted us this opportunity to do what we both love.  We are proof that you don't need the top of the line, high dollar things to live life in a luxury that has come to be known to us as peace and togetherness!
I stated in the very beginning of my  blogs, some years ago, you just never know what direction my writings will take, this one took a good direction.
I'll end with some pictures of just a few of the exciting things we have done so far.  Thanks for reading and may God bless!


Brutus and Matilda at home (for a week)

The inside of the majestic chapel where Janie married Ryan

We haven't been this close in years!

A gaggle of geese in the lake in front of our camper

Journey tribute band "Resurrection" at the Landing in Branson

Just one of the many fantastic fireworks from the Landing

 

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