ak_traveler
Fairbanks, Alaska
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Joined: 04/23/2005
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Well, the time has come once again to put the Cougar away for the winter. Took her to the local RV shop for her winterization and now she is nestled all snug in her covered storage for her winter's nap.
We had fun with her this year taking her out more than we normally do, and we have big plans for next summer's outings as well. But it will have to wait.
Gonna be a long winter...mind if I live vicariously through some of you Southerners for awhile?
"There's no such thing as too much tow vehicle!"
Wes, Linda, & kids
"Tow Twuck" - 2008 Ford F350 DRW CC LB 6.4 Powerstroke
"Cougar" - 2006 Keystone Cougar 289EFS Fifth Wheel
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trop-a-cal
Palm Coast Fl
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Joined: 09/24/2007
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I did that for years, in New York's winters at 10 below in February's. I kept a photo of a tropical Island behind my desk, and would turn to it for comfort. The closing in of winter up north is hard to take, as when it happens down south, the cooler weather is welcomed. The darkness of the long nights is still a hard thing to take, so the sun has to be welcomed and embrased with the warmth it brings. The hybiscus are finaly blooming in our front yard as they had been being attacked by the Gull midge, a worm that starts in the ground and then hatches and attacks the plant eating the buds off before any flowers can blossom. We have been treating it with a spray for the past three months and finaly they are gone and the red blossoms with yellow stemens are showing up. We have many flowers and shrubs that blossom including copper plants, bottle brush, iris, magnolia, and the most amaising golden rain trees. The rain trees have their blossoms now and the bees are polinating the trees that will rain down their blossoms soon and in October, just in time for Holloween they have orange seed pods that hang on the branches like Chineese lanters. Then with the cold they fall off and blow all over to spread their seeds that are in the pods. The St. Augustine grass is always green unless a hard frost hits. That did not happen last year, but happens most years. It turns brown and then recovers when rain and warmer weather returns. The frost also gets the many tropical plans, so we use frost blankets as needed to save them. The front trellis is covered with Mandevila and jasman. The side arbor is covered with boganvila, as is the Washingtoninan Palm that is about 20 feets tall as seen from the pool. The pool area is enclosed with screening and inside we have potted tropical plants. We have an herb garden with basil. We planted a shrimp plant that has blossems that look like shrimp, and have rose plants, morning glories,daisies,and shrubs around the outside of the pool screenroom. The rear garden has myrtle bushes that blossom in white flowers,more roses and iris. We have two oak trees,only a few years old one is a water oak, the other a hammock oak. There is a drainage ditch behind us that goes to the canals that are about a half mile east they flow to the intercoastal waterway that is between the Matanzas inlet and the Ponce DeLeon inlet. The house sits so the back yard is south for the constant sun shinning on the pool area. The morning sun comes up and shines in on the covered patio that has a patio table and a cieling fan overhead. The cape Canaveral launches can be seen out our back pool area, but since we are about 85 miles north of it we see only the post launch, fire trail in the sky. Sonic booms can be heard as it breaks the sound barrier. Many jets coming fom the the north heading to Orlando go over as they drop down from 30,000 feet to 5,000 feet for their approach. John Travolta flies over in his small jet every once and a while, as he comes from Ocala to pick up the north vector for jets. The goodyear blimp goes over too, as it uses the air currents off the ocean to serpintine up and down the coast. I retired at 50 when NYS have an early retirement.I just made the requirements as I was 50 and had 29 years service. The minimum was to be 50 and have at least 20 years service. I could not stay as my three children had all graduated from college and started families and if I stayed the difference between retirement and work was minor. The cold of the north winters, was a factor too, as I had siatica during the cold as my leg muscles would trighten and cut off nerves, leaving a numbness. The warmth of the south takes that away and so I moved right after retirement. Yes it is great hear, it can be to hot, but that's what the pool is for, and the A/C. Hope that helps, hears sending the warmth of the sun and smell of the flowers your way.
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junmy3
Warner Robins GA
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Joined: 02/03/2004
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Sorry to hear that. We are just restarting our camping season this weekend after two months off because of the heat. We are headed out to Veterans State Park on Friday after work and in two weeks we are headed off to W.V. We are fortunate to get to camp all winter, we just have to take a break in the summer.
Say hi to my wife's cousin that lives in Anchorage. Hopefully in 4 years we will be up there to see them.
Jim & Junnie
2005 Sunline Solaris T-2553
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kennethwooster
Perryton Tx USA
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Joined: 11/21/2003
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I've been debating about getting ours ready for the winter. I think I will just blow out the lines, and then if we get a few days we can use it, and then antifreeze later. We've already cooled off a lot in the last 2 weeks. Too, it is close to corn harvest, wheat planting, then soy bean harvest, then milo harvest. By then it is cold. Still I would like to get out one more time. It's hard to put her away until May.
It would be nice to retire, and head on to south Texas.
kenneth wooster- farmer
wife Diana-adult probation officer
365BSQS Quad slide 2007 Quantum
Ford F350 2005 model, 4X4 FX, King Ranch
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Glen Schumann
Winona, MN
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Joined: 02/08/2008
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DW and I have camping weekends scheduled through the end of October here in the northern Midwest. We hope to get out in November as well. We camped in a PU in late October last year and see no reason our 5er won't extend our camping season. We started in April and had a snowfall on our first camping weekend. For us, it's way to early to stop for the season.
2006 Wildcat 29RLBS
2006 Chev. Silverado 2500HDLT CC/SB 4X4 Duramax w/Banks and Allison
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kvp22
Warner Robins, GA
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Joined: 08/12/2006
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If it makes you feel better, mine has been put up for the past 4 months except one weekend...I call it summerizing the camper. October I'll start camping again. My buddy talked me to going to Savannah over Labor Day weekend and it re-enforced my belief that summer is not for camping.
2007 GMC 3500 D/A CC
2007 Springdale 189FL
Searching for: Big Country 2950RK & someone willing to make good deal
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donn0128
Pronounced Ore-gun
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Joined: 04/21/2005
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Count yourself luck to have actually gotten to go camping this summer!
Kids lived in my fiver for two months while they were buying a new house, then DW got sick and will likely not be healthy again until probably December. So much for a nice trailer and camping this year.
Donn
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elbmiNrM
Atlanta
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Joined: 08/20/2008
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ak_traveler wrote:Gonna be a long winter...mind if I live vicariously through some of you Southerners for awhile?
That's what I do in the summers! Can I recommend a book to you? I plan trips and I look back at trips and happy times gone by through this book--have all editions, I believe. It's priceless to me, for that reason.Most Scenic Drives in America
I'm fortunate to be able to camp in the fall, winter, and spring--I get awful hitch itch in the summer, but it's just too hot for me.
2004 4X4 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel with Wheels
2008 Jayco 218
My Two Dogs Take Me Camping
“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”....J.M. Barrie
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RedRam
Moved from the smallest county in Texas
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Joined: 10/20/2003
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My goodness,we have been camping in ours all summer  but soon it will be time to head home.Then after a month and a few dr. appointments we will be heading to south Texas.
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AntiqFreq
Sunny South Florida USA
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Joined: 03/20/2003
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I am sorry to say that this will NOT make you feel better
BUT,
I camp ALL year as I live in South Florida!
We hope to move to middle Georgia soon where we have some
property, but I still think we'll be able to camp year round;
we'll just have to go south........
Sorry......
Jo
2007 Keystone Cougar, 291 RLS
2003 Ford F250, 7.3L, Lariat, CC, SB, 4x4
Isspro Gauges-overhead mount, 14K Pullrite Superglide
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