Winterization

If we needed one more thing to remind us we're no longer traveling full time, we got it today.

We winterized the moose.

(Sniff. Sniff.)

This was a first for us. When we lived in California, the moderate winter temperatures spared us this seasonal deed. The orientation of our first moose included instructions on how to prepare for sub-freezing storage. But, honestly, we never thought we'd have to take on that task. And, for five winters, we didn't have to.

Here in the nation's midsection, we enjoy some of our most glorious weather this time of year. We had hopes of getting out for one more outing before we put the moose away for the winter. But, when Mother Nature sent an early cold snap our way last week we had to shift into rapid winterization mode.

The National Weather Service issued a Freeze Warning as temperatures were forecasted to dip well into the 20s Thursday night. We pulled Bullwinkle out of storage, parked him in our driveway and turned on the heat. The moose made it through the chilly night just fine, and we made plans for our last little getaway of the season.

We had just two nights free, so we couldn't stray too far. Our original plans were to head to a COE park we like about 90 minutes from here. But, it's in the middle of nowhere. With our first ever attempt at winterizing on the top of our to-do list for this trip, we didn't want to be too far from civilization in case we needed to make a quick run for extra pink stuff or some other essential item. So, we decided to hang out at a park south of town, but within a short drive of civilization. As we were loading up Saturday morning, it dawned on me to call and make sure the park had a site available.

They didn't.

That's right. There was no room for us at the inn!

We made a quick call to our old "home park". (Yep. I have 'em on speed dial!) The place was nearly full, but they had a spot for us for two nights. We'd have full hookups with plenty of room to drain and flush and whatever else would be required as we embarked on our maiden winterization. The idea of tackling an unfamiliar task in a very familiar environment had a lot of appeal.

After a short caravan down the street and around a few corners, we had the moose and squirrel back in our old neighborhood. We settled in quickly and had a nice visit with the park owners, who seemed pleased to see us. We caught up with a couple of regulars we hadn't seen in months. It felt like we were home.

We kicked back and relaxed for two nights. It felt great to enjoy the cozy comforts of our rolling home. This morning, we made a run to one of our favorite nearby breakfast spots. After we were fed and caffeinated, we got down to the business of getting the moose ready for winter.

Our owner's manual provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on two ways to winterize. We opted for the "blow out" method. It took us an hour or so (and two trips to the nearby hardware store) to complete the 21 steps. We drained the water lines, fresh water tank, water heater and ice maker and removed two water filters. Watching all of this water drain out of our moose, I imagined for a moment that Bullwinkle was crying. (I nearly was!) When the tears had passed, Paul fired up the air compressor and pumped a steady stream of air into the lines for five minutes, per the instructions. We closed all the faucets and poured pink stuff down the drains to fill the traps. Paul then flushed and dumped the waste tanks.

With that, according to the manual, our coach was "properly winterized." Mission accomplished.

Instead of feeling any sense of accomplishment, we just felt sad. We bid our farewells to neighbors and the park owners and Paul piloted our drained moose to his skinny, but out of the weather, storage spot. As we tucked Bullwinkle in, we thanked him for his many miles of trusty service and encouraged him to take a nice rest through the holidays. With his water lines dry and just the right amount of pink stuff on board, we won't have to worry about him sitting out in the cold.

But, we still might. Just a little.

The Best of Both

It's official. We like this "anytimer" gig!

We're back from our first extended trip: A glorious month in Colorado. We spent three weeks in Gunnison, one of our favorite places on earth, and a week exploring Buena Vista, a place we'd always meant to visit.

We made a great big check mark on our "bucket list." We witnessed the flaming glory of the changing aspens in the Rockies. Absolutely breathtaking!

We caught up with friends in a couple of places, and family in another. We met new friends, too.

We worked just a little and played a lot. Paul even renewed his interest in an old hobby, taking a new radio-controlled airplane to the skies as part of the RV park "air force" in Gunni.

It was great to be back in the moose, of course. It took us no time to settle in. (The cats were "at home" in a heartbeat!) Kicking back in our cozy house on wheels, enjoying one of our favorite states, it felt like we'd never left the road.

Sorta.

Something was different. Something was better.

For the first time in a long time it felt like we were on vacation.

I don't know how to explain it, because I don't think I completely understand what made it feel so familiar yet different. Whatever it is, we like it!

When we backed the motorhome into our driveway late Sunday afternoon, I wasn't sure what to expect when we walked through our front door. Would it feel like home? Or, would it feel like the unsettled, incomplete, never-ending decorating project we left a month ago?

Much to my surprise and delight, it feels like home.

The place is bigger than we remember. And, it's not quite as unsettled as we thought. It's actually looking pretty good!

We received a warm welcome from our neighbors, who were eager to hear about our trip. They said we looked rested and refreshed.

We are!

When we pondered our decision to buy this house and make the switch to "anytime" RVers, we convinced ourselves that one of the benefits would be experiencing the best of both lifestyles.

It took us over four months to get here, but now we know the feeling of enjoying a month on the road in a house we love and returning to a "stick-and-brick" we love just as much.

For us, right now, it truly is the best of both worlds.