I originally had vacation scheduled and reservations to camp on the NC seashore, but they canceled them due to the corvid-19 pandemic. So I am home on vacation doing a lot of things I should have done last weekend. Except that I have a large expensive package to be delivered to day, and they need my signature. They will not leave it without a signature. And my neighbors are not home. So I have to hang around the front of the house in case they come because I can’t hear them if I’m working the basement or out in the back yard. And so far, Akela is not the great guard dog he is supposed to be. He rarely barks at people or the door bell. He is a very quiet dog. The package is a dehumidifier for the basement that is a warranty delivery, so I don’t want to miss it as the basement needs it ! The old one died and luckily it was inside the warranty period by almost 2 months! Thank you HISENSE for the new dehumidifier !
I have completed the chores I had for the front of the house. I killed the weeds, replaced the “GoingNoWhereFast” sticker on my back window, re-calibrated all my tire deflators, cut up all the cardboard boxes for recycling. Now I have stuff to do in the back. Build a top for the new A/C setup (video here -> Removing your A/C for Travel), Add decals to the Trailer, Sanitize the water system, polish up the windows a bit more, and treat the tires for UV. And Clean up the Basement and re-stock the trailer for boondocking. Lots to do !!
Though truth be told, I am only motivated to do stuff when I can’t possibly do them. LOL. If I wasn’t waiting for something that keeps me from doing what I am supposed to, I’m sure Akela and I would be out hiking and following some nice cool stream in the mountains. It is a very hot Saturday here. Around 90deg with lots of sun. An occasional cloud goes over, but very hot and burning in the sun. The state is still only slightly open, so many people are crawling through the woods and forests to be able to get out and exercise or do something. The OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Trails are very crowded. We went there a couple of weeks ago (That video here—> Holiday Weekend Fails) and had some good fun, but got chased out of the mountains by a major thunderstorm. Lots of wind and lightening. I’m usually not very worried about lightening. My Philosophy is that if you are struck by lightening, GOD wanted you! And if you are struck and not 
We have been trying to do more on this blog. Especially with the pandemic and quarantine, you would think I had more time to keep it up. And I did, but when I really started to put some time in it I noticed it wasn’t working right and had to spend a lot of time getting it to display and page and show ads the way it is supposed to. I know, I’m sorry it has ads. But there is a far cost to this particular website host, and the ads generate about 25% of what it costs, so it takes the pain out of the “rent”. Also, since the ads are Google Ads, you shouldn’t see anything that you have told google you were offended by. If you didn’t know you could do that, Look at the upper right hand corner and the little triangle thingy. Put your mouse on it and it will let you tell them what is wrong with that ad, and future ads will be chosen for your view based on your input. That will stay as a priority until you make a choice that tell google you like something again. And Lots of things can point you in the direction of certain types of ads. Like watching a YouTube video about hunting will get GUN ads on pages you view. Or searching for a restaurant can get you restaurant and food ads. Google know everything about all of us.. LOL.
Anyway, I have no more reservations now until August, and hopefully they will not get canceled. We have had reservations canceled for New River State Park Campground. We went up and checked it out and it looked fun (Video here–> New River State Park). We also had Reservations at Kerr Dam Campground just up river from us about 45 minutes. And we had reservations in Tennessee at Fort Hamby Recreation Area. All canceled. But August is scheduled for Shenandoah National Forest camping, hopefully with my son. And then the week after Labor day going to Cherohala Skyway & Indian Boundary Campground in TN for a week. You can check those placed out in my Tennessee Playlist (Go Here –> Tennessee Playlist). Then I might try to get some crazy camping reservations for Halloween as that can always be fun, and I need to do some boondocking around the mountains as the lockdown opens up. I really want to go up to the Cass State Park in W.Va sometime soon. That would surely take a vacation day or two. I will have to be free of my temperature taking duties before I can do more vacation days. I took this Friday-Sat-Sun-Monday vacation thinking I was going go to the shore OR get my Toyota 4Runner lifted. But the parts never came in, and when I called DOBINSONs suspensions in Miami, they lied to me several times about when they would be shipped and were basically unreliable, so I had to cancel the order and make other plans. So I don’t recommend DOBINSONs, but that’s another RANT !
So Akela and I will be making do! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. And if your not healthy, get healthy! I can’t risk losing any viewers or friends !!
Thanks for stopping by !
Rick and Akela
Hi Rick, I stumbled onto your videos of the Adirondacks by chance and have really enjoyed them. Thank you! I was hoping to get a site at Lake Durant this summer as a walk in but still closed to that. I am checking daily for info so I thought maybe I can boon-dock with my youngish family 2 children (girl 6 and boy 12). Not too scary I thought (as a former enlisted Marine) But my wife is putting the kibosh on that so far. thought Id show her some of your videos to ensure her the woods up there aren’t full of desperadoes and like minded ilk. I think mostly she doesn’t want to drive 4 hours and not have a place to pitch our tent.
from what a attendant says at Durant the non reserve camping sites are open. Have you any more info on this subject for the 2020 camping season in the Adirondack Park?
Sorry to have missed your comment. I was in the Jefferson National Forrest in Virginia for the Weekend and then some. Go to Indian Lake and go into the Moose River Plains. They are the best. You can even stay in a “Designated Handicap” campsite and then there will be a very nice outhouse and larger picnic table. They are usually in the first 10 or 12 campsites going in and they are almost alway empty on holiday weekends (unless I’m there… Ha ha). The Cedar River Lake and area is a great place for kids and adults. It will be crowded around the lake, just go down the road into the Moose River plains Wild Forest…. Check this video https://youtu.be/3z9nTWBBsPg
I think it sounded like a wonderful day. You got a lot done, hopefully your package arrived and you spent the day probably keeping Akela busy. June 6th is my dad’s birthday, and I took a day to rest and reflect. (But then I got ambitious trimming some bushes that sprouted up from the crepe myrtle I have… and my toes found a bed of ants…) Today I am still reaching madly for the Benadryl cream!
Life is beautiful… 🙂
Absolutely !! Thanks for the comment!
I agree! Life is a drag. I had over 60 nights of camping booked—plus layover nights to various rallies. So far I’ve had to cancel my reservations for PopupPortal rallies at Schodack and Promised land. I still have reservations for the CT (Aug) & VT (Sept) rallies. I think that CT is unlikely- even if the border is re-opened by then—but I still have my fingers crossed for VT. I miss my U.S. camping family!
I had to cancel the 3 AOC Eastern Canada Rallies, and the NAR in SD was cancelled as well.
I have a reservation in Algonquin Park for later this month. ON Parks campgrounds are currently closed until June 14th, and we’ll know next week if the closures will be extended. Our ON PopupPortal Kickoff to Summer rally is in early July, but it’s still wait & see. I wouldn’t be surprised if our parks remain closed until after the July 1sr & July 4th holidays.
In the meantime, I have lots to do on my Ranger—install gas spring (Dave Michaels et al method) and replace my Bungees and weatherstripping.
Question: how do you UV protect your tires—as tire conditioner or spray? I apologize if this is in one of your videos. If so, I missed it.
Take cars. Stay well!
Pat 🇨🇦
“We isolate ourselves now so that when can we get together again, no one is missing.”
I spray my tires with Armor ALL. ArmorAll, 9Eleven, Rain-X, etc, they all have the same chemicals in them, but Armor All has the highest concentration for the least cost. Some very smart people actually dilute it to the level of other products, but I use it as is. Speaking with insiders at Michelin and Goodyear both say that today’s tires have so much preservative in them to keep them in good shape you really don’t need to add anything to them. But they do need to be used. Rolling the tires allows the preservatives to “Work Through” the rubber compounds and keep them in good shape. Sitting and being beaten by the sun is what really kills them off. I drove 12 year old tires on my Honda CRV for 3 years. I never notice any difference from the newer ones. Granted I kept a very close eye on them to make sure they were in good shape on the sidewalls, and I never speed. Not even a Little. Most trailer tire blow out I have seen or talked to people about, they were traveling at 70+ MPH for hours. Not good for trailer tires.
I know how you feel. We had 3 nice vacations planned this spring and have been sitting home doing nothing since March. That’s how it goes when you plan something, the unexpected always happens. At least we are healthy and wander in the local parks daily. My girl Ruby is getting up in age and this was to be the spring to get her out for fun. Waiting for black fly season to end before heading to the ADK’s again. The only camping open is about half of the Moose River Plains and that has been getting filled quickly. Take care and stay safe.
I’ll bet the Moose River Fills Fast. But No one can stand the Black flies in spring for more than a week…LOL The Boondocking sites down here in the National Forests are just never empty. I check them weekly and talk to the people and they are there for as long as they can. Not working, not much to do, and no place else to go. I keep rolling over my Reservations but they just keep getting canceled. I’m going to loose a weeks vacation if I don’t find an enjoyable way to use it soon!! LOL Keep a stiff upper lip, chin up.. here herre… we will make it through!