September on the Road

Will was walking Leah early this morning and saw a couple guys on bikes with a cold camp - he took them some coffee as he thought they looked like they want his :) One guy says "See, if you pray to the right god, you get coffee!" Will says "Thank you, thank you." It was good for a laugh, early in the morning.

Going on the road again, today. Planning on driving thru the Badlands and doing laundry somewhere on the road.

We are in Iowa! At the prettiest little state park in the middle of the state. Who knew Iowa would have a pretty little lake with trees around. Been hearing tree frogs, etc since we got here- haven't heard them in nearly a year!

Well, we up and moved :) We are in Illinois at a state park on the western side of the state- Johnson Sauk State Park, I think it is called. We had to dump the tanks and take on water so Will says- as long as we have to stow we might as well go. :)It is typical Illinois weather in late summer... muggy, hazy in the day then cool and damp in the evening. We really are enjoying it - very few people, wide expanses of mowed grass and woods, too. Leah loves it! Misser thinks it is fun too:)

We are thinking of staying at a state park near Kankakee, Illinois- about 45 miles from Todd's place. Costs less than half of the Indiana State Park fees.

It is really pretty and a very reasonable price. Indiana, on the other hand, has gotten ridiculous.

Going to sell our interest in the property in Indiana. That means a) we have to get rid of a BUNCH of stuff. And b) we will truly be without roots.

Flying where the wind blows!

I don't know where to begin. Truly. There is so much stuff here to sort through! I must have thought I needed this stuff because I certainly have a bunch of it. (I even have 100 gallons of styrofoam peanuts!)

My mission is to find a second life for all these THINGS. Much of it will be bundled up and taken to the Goodwill Store. If we didn't need it last year, I can't imagine we will need it next year either.

There are a few items that tug at my heart...

    ____________________________________________________
    
    Lost: Nearly new dishwasher - abandoned in favor
    of life on the road in a motorhome. Sorely missed.
    ____________________________________________________
    
    To a good home: old but dearly loved sewing machine.
    Used to sew a lifetime.
    ____________________________________________________
    
    Wanted: New home for toy box. Previous owner grew up.
    ____________________________________________________
    
    Discovered: 2 handcrafted stoneware mugs previously
    put away because they were "too good to use". Now in
    use for morning coffee.
    ____________________________________________________

I have uncovered one box that we will be taking with us when we hit the road again- the box with all the old photographs. (Remember back in olden times when cameras used film!) Perhaps this will be the year to organize them into albums!

Finally! We finished sorting and finding "homes" for all the *stuff* we left in storage last year. I've discovered something delightful during this process... my perspective about possessions has done a One-Eighty since we've been on the road.

Living on the road, in a motorhome, we quickly learned the value of having very few possessions. Dancer has taught us:

Travel light, travel well.

Or, to paraphrase the song, "Freedom is another word for nothing left to give away!"

Time to be on the road again. The birds tell us winter is nearing so we head for the sunny desert in southwestern US.