Surviving Minnesota!

[jerryse]

I am anxious to grow something also . I will start tomato seeds in about a month . Want to try my new grafting method on trees . Getting cabin fever waiting . Had to rest my legs / knees the last few days . Feeling better . By about spring in March roots and bulbs should show up in stores here . Want more tiger lilies . I like to by early as they loose quality fast in the store .

 

[ejb3810]

Good morning all. The chickens are faring well this winter even though they have been confined to coop and run. they are likely looking forward to snow melt as much as I am.
Jerry, there have been many old photos shared on the Ameraucana Facebook site recently and you have been in many of them. You do look somewhat different in your earlier days, as we all do. There will be plenty of water at your lake this spring due to wet fall and snowy winter. Lake Superior is at an all time high level it is reported, and I suspect with snow melt will get even higher.
At the time I don't have any Ameraucana's but plan to get some this spring as well as adding to my Spitzhaubens and Buckeyes. My Marans flock should probably be downsized over the summer. I believe I will resist the thought to sell chicks or started pullets, as the financial reward is not worth the potential aggravation dealing with the customers ?
Ralphie is conspicuous in his absence and is either politicking or perhaps has fallen through the ice in his pursuit of eelpout ?

 

[duluthralphie]

I need to work on maple stuff today..

the sap will be running soon.

 

[duluthralphie]

Good morning all. The chickens are faring well this winter even though they have been confined to coop and run. they are likely looking forward to snow melt as much as I am.
Jerry, there have been many old photos shared on the Ameraucana Facebook site recently and you have been in many of them. You do look somewhat different in your earlier days, as we all do. There will be plenty of water at your lake this spring due to wet fall and snowy winter. Lake Superior is at an all time high level it is reported, and I suspect with snow melt will get even higher.
At the time I don't have any Ameraucana's but plan to get some this spring as well as adding to my Spitzhaubens and Buckeyes. My Marans flock should probably be downsized over the summer. I believe I will resist the thought to sell chicks or started pullets, as the financial reward is not worth the potential aggravation dealing with the customers ?
Ralphie is conspicuous in his absence and is either politicking or perhaps has fallen through the ice in his pursuit of eelpout ?

I have been busy...

life stuff...

I actually have not done a lot of politicking... I have given a few speeches/talks and have a few coming up...

I only have one this week in Waite Park... otherwise I have farming to do...and getting ready for the WW to retire in May..

I am trying to get naps in as I think my quiet retirement will end when she retires and is here everyday.., I might need to fish more.

We looked at an ice castle so we could eelpout in style. But we have not decided what to get. We kind of want a RV to travel in but don’t want to over do it.

We looked at a couple of 30 ft plus ones with 3 slide outs... but they are spendy...

Everything extra is just something more to break and repair.. also the weight on them is a lot for thin ice..

We are thinking now about around 18 ft.. no slide outs and kind of plain Jane to cut down on repairs, maintenance and expense towing.

The WW wants a bathroom and shower but I see those as problems waiting to happen..

Water freezes in winter and the shower just takes up space..

Suggestions and help wanted..

 

[CindyinSD]

These days it's pretty hard to find a bathroomless RV. It would be nice to find one with just the space for one. You could get a composting toilet. It's hard for the ladies to have to put on a robe and shoes and head for the campground bathhouse in the dark. If I have a bathroom 5 steps away I sleep all night, but camping I'm up and away to the bathhouses 3-4 times. Why is that I wonder? We've always used tents. No chance of a bathroom there unless there's some new thing I haven't been told about.

DH and I bought two campers before we gave up. We looked a LOT. You have a spot to park yours and probably a diesel pickup that's up to pulling one. We have gasoline, 2500 Chevy--nice enough, but not really up to the job. Most of the ones we looked at had leaks that "could be easily fixed." That's from parking them outside, I'm told. Could also be from the unavoidable stress of simply driving down the road. We both loved the idea of being able to park in some isolated primitive campground.

In the end after re-selling one very nice, well maintained pull-behind because we didn't want to buy a new truck (poor planning) and another truckbed one because it had tie-down issues (gullibility and an adz-hole seller)--our lucky buyer was okay with repairing it (sigh), we decided hotels were cheaper, more comfortable, and getting up early to drive out and enjoy the sunrise had a lot going for it.

However lots of folks do have those fancy home-on-your-back rigs and love them. Just be sure you're sure before shelling out that hard-gotten cash.

 

[duluthralphie]

These days it's pretty hard to find a bathroomless RV. It would be nice to find one with just the space for one. You could get a composting toilet. It's hard for the ladies to have to put on a robe and shoes and head for the campground bathhouse in the dark. If I have a bathroom 5 steps away I sleep all night, but camping I'm up and away to the bathhouses 3-4 times. Why is that I wonder? We've always used tents. No chance of a bathroom there unless there's some new thing I haven't been told about.

DH and I bought two campers before we gave up. We looked a LOT. You have a spot to park yours and probably a diesel pickup that's up to pulling one. We have gasoline, 2500 Chevy--nice enough, but not really up to the job. Most of the ones we looked at had leaks that "could be easily fixed." That's from parking them outside, I'm told. Could also be from the unavoidable stress of simply driving down the road. We both loved the idea of being able to park in some isolated primitive campground.

In the end after re-selling one very nice, well maintained pull-behind because we didn't want to buy a new truck (poor planning) and another truckbed one because it had tie-down issues (gullibility and an adz-hole seller)--our lucky buyer was okay with repairing it (sigh), we decided hotels were cheaper, more comfortable, and getting up early to drive out and enjoy the sunrise had a lot going for it.

However lots of folks do have those fancy home-on-your-back rigs and love them. Just be sure you're sure before shelling out that hard-gotten cash.

We did the same, kind of. We bought a huge 5th wheel RV. I have had one ton diesels for years because of the stuff I tow..

I did not like the 5th wheel at all. It made the truck box useless. It was poorly laid out. There was wasted space and lack of space by design I thought..

also towing it was a pain and paying for camping even more so.. you can rent a motel room for same price as a camper space..

But we are now looking at one for different reasons.. we would use it on ice.. and we want to spend 3 months in Alaska. We have free places to park up there.

Our kids both have campers and want to go places with us for weekends.. so the WW wants one now.

I have a slide in camper (12 ft) in my shed. It is an old 1997. I think we have used it maybe10 times. We bought the cabin right after we got it and it just never leaves the shed.. wanna buy it?

 

[CindyinSD]

We did the same, kind of. We bought a huge 5th wheel RV. I have had one ton diesels for years because of the stuff I tow..

I did not like the 5th wheel at all. It made the truck box useless. It was poorly laid out. There was wasted space and lack of space by design I thought..

also towing it was a pain and paying for camping even more so.. you can rent a motel room for same price as a camper space..

But we are now looking at one for different reasons.. we would use it on ice.. and we want to spend 3 months in Alaska. We have free places to park up there.

Our kids both have campers and want to go places with us for weekends.. so the WW wants one now.

I have a slide in camper (12 ft) in my shed. It is an old 1997. I think we have used it maybe10 times. We bought the cabin right after we got it and it just never leaves the shed.. wanna buy it?

I think we're done buying campers. Ya'll should use it, though. You have it; it presumably fits your truckbed; it's easy to offload at the camping spot... It would be the easiest thing, especially if you're gonna be driving the Alaska hwy. Fewer things to break down. I'm told that's a very inconvenient place to have a breakdown. Seriously. Talk her into it. Why figure this out the hard way? How much time are you gonna spend sitting around in there anyway?

 

[duluthralphie]

I think we're done buying campers. Ya'll should use it, though. You have it; it presumably fits your truckbed; it's easy to offload at the camping spot... It would be the easiest thing, especially if you're gonna be driving the Alaska hwy. Fewer things to break down. I'm told that's a very inconvenient place to have a breakdown. Seriously. Talk her into it. Why figure this out the hard way? How much time are you gonna spend sitting around in there anyway?

It is easy to take off. Just push the buttons the jacks extend and away you go... I dunno..

 

[R2elk]

We did the same, kind of. We bought a huge 5th wheel RV. I have had one ton diesels for years because of the stuff I tow..

I did not like the 5th wheel at all. It made the truck box useless. It was poorly laid out. There was wasted space and lack of space by design I thought..

also towing it was a pain and paying for camping even more so.. you can rent a motel room for same price as a camper space..

But we are now looking at one for different reasons.. we would use it on ice.. and we want to spend 3 months in Alaska. We have free places to park up there.

Our kids both have campers and want to go places with us for weekends.. so the WW wants one now.

I have a slide in camper (12 ft) in my shed. It is an old 1997. I think we have used it maybe10 times. We bought the cabin right after we got it and it just never leaves the shed.. wanna buy it?

I greatly enjoyed and preferred the motor home that I had. The one bad thing is that it felt like you ought to be able to get up and move around while you were driving down the highway.

 

[memphis]

Everyone I know that had a camper or motorhome has had $$ issues. I see a lot of them at dog shows. They can sure get fancy!!