Finally Done

The last 5 1/2 weeks has been a whirlwind.

From Contract to sell the house...

to packed, closed, moved..

We left you in Livingston Texas where we had arrived to get our residency

set up, insurances changed etc.

Our continuing quest now had us leaving Livingston, Texas.

New Temporary licenses in our pockets...

and license plates on the vehicles.

We were back on the road  having accomplished everything,

about 40hrs after arriving.

We came, we saw, we licensed.

We were a blur!

Saturday morning we drove 400 miles west to The Buckhorn Lake Resort,

 nestled in the Texas Hill Country in Kerrville, Texas.

We really enjoy the area and this park is very nice.

Last year we spent a week here during our Fall westward migration.

They often have dinner theaters, and country western headliners.

Sunday morning we were back on the road west bound.

Today would be the day were we leave the humidity of the east behind and

enter the vast arid regions of the American west.

Notice the greenery in the photo below.

We had company on the highway this morning.

The Budweiser Clydesdale Trucks (3 semis)

came barreling by...

 followed by a chase van.

Notice how the landscape has turned color signifying that we are in the dryer region.

In just a hundred miles or so the climate changes. 

Up ahead you can see the Budweiser Gang.

Those of you who have watched The Shawshank Redemption a few hundred

times like me will recognize the road sign...

Fort Hancock Texas.

Where Andy Dufresne, and then Red, crossed the border to Mexico.

We spent the night in Van Horn, Texas at the old KOA, now private.

Its a dusty campground but not much else convenient in this area of west Texas,

and its easy on and off I-10, all pull thrus so no need to unhook the toad,

and a Pilot Truck Stop at the exit if you need to fill up.

We've been wasting no time heading west because this has been a very rainy season

and the spring wildflowers have been in what is known as a "SuperBloom"...

A once every couple of decades explosion of spring color.

Crossing New Mexico we got a taste of hopefully what will still be waiting when we 

get to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.

These tiny Poppies make the most of the past rains.

A 470 mile day brought us to Benson, Az and Kartchner Caverns State Park.

We normally come here in December to celebrate Kates birthday at the

German Cafe in Sierra Vista.

I would also get my CDL physical here.

This time it was a quick overnight and then a dash to

Casa Grande, Az as I had a conference call at work that I needed to get

settled in time to attend.

Casa Grande is the end of the beginning....

What started with the signing of the contract to sell the house,

ends here with the storeroom that we would unload our stuff into.

The cart is outside of my storage room.

Temperature controlled, each storage unit is also alarmed.

I have a lock on it, but if anyone tried to open it, the alarm goes off.

The facility has an on-site manager who lives there and all the corridors

have cameras so that they can see exactly what is going on 24/7

All of this was moved out of the bus and the pickup.

So as of this evening...   we have reached the end of the beginning.

We are done with the work of transitioning from the world we've known,

and are now full-time RV'ers.

Since we were usually on the road much of the year anyway, its less of a change

than one might think...  but it still feels very free.

To celebrate - I had a crew come and wash and wax the bus.

And then that very night....   it rained!

That tree behind us has beautiful fragrant flowers, and like all desert plants,

the seeds travel in the wind and cling to what ever they touch.

By morning the clean bus was covered with yellow flowers!

The Doodles have made the transition to full timing with no effort.

We'll spend a few more days here in Casa Grande.

We are going to run up to Phoenix (about 40 miles) to go to Ikea...

(Kate wants to start refilling the bus)

and then I've found what is supposed to be a great German Food Resturant.

I've been dieting since November and so far have lost over 70 lbs...

I think its time for a treat!

Next stop is Lake Pleasant where we will hook up with our good

friends Jim & Kristi.

See you there.