RUMMAGE SALE NUMBER 11

On Saturday, March 26, we held our eleventh rummage sale since we began planning to become fulltime Rvers, the second for the year. We had it at the Rockerville Community Hall, where we've had quite a few other ones.  We weren't able to set up Friday evening  until 10:30, as there was another activity going on that evening. It was snowing while we were setting up, but we hoped by morning, the weather would improve.We didn't get to bed until 1:00 a.m. and up by 5:30. The snow had quit, but there were a couple inches on the ground, and it was foggy and cloudy. It looked pretty bleak!

Folks started arriving about 7:30, and we had a steady business until about 10. These were the "Die Hard" rummage sale folks, they kept saying how slippery the roads were and how poor the visibility was.

We were very grateful to the folks who did come out for the sale. Several of our neighbors came and bought "stuff". One neighbor bought all of Darrell's archery equipment, we sold some tools and some seasonal items.

We are still surprised when we set up that we still have this much "stuff". 

Granddaughter Kelsea came for the weekend and to help Grandma and Grandpa, and she was a big help  both with setting up the night before and the day of the sale. She loves to price "stuff " and make change. She also likes to count money.....maybe she'll be an accountant!

The weather never improved, and after 10 o'clock, we just had a few people, we were very surprised, though, when we counted the money, we had made $456.70, eleven dollars more than we had made a year ago and the weather was really nice. We packed up alot of "stuff" and made plans for our next one, which will be Saturday, April 9, and we are really hoping for a nice day!

FEBRUARY FREEZE 2011

On Sunday, February 13, 2011, at high noon, Clint, Nikki, and I joined 760 other participants on the 5 K Fun Run/Walk, sponsored by Rapid City Regional Hospital Cardiac Services. A yearly event, always held around Valentine's Day,  you never know what the weather will be like. We lucked out, with plenty of blue sky,  sunshine,  and temperatures in the 50s, there was a huge turnout.

It was a far cry from last year's temperature of  low 20s with a wind. Last year we felt the race was named appropriately. I wore a light weight jacket and almost immediately started shedding clothes. It took me 50 minutes to walk the 3 miles and Nikki and Clint ran it in 20 some minutes. Darrell had planned on walking it with me, but, he was home sick with a cold.

Quite a few of Clint and Nikki's friends and coworkers entered the race. Nikki and Jen were dressed almost alike.

It was a beautiful day, and,  afterwards Clint, Nikki and I had lunch at Subway and then they came out to the house to see the new RV and visit for awhile.  

GOING FOR THE GUSTOW!!

On Thursday, February 10,2011 we drove to Dickinson, North Dakota to pick up our new 5th wheel, a 2011  Heartland Landmark Augusta. We got to RoughRider RV about 10:00  and they started putting in the new 5th wheel hitch, and Shane started walking us through  the RV, explaining how everything worked. The temperature was in the 20s,  but Gustow was inside.

 Shane showed us how you  push a button and,  like magic,  each slide goes in/out separately, explained how the microwave was also a half time oven, tvs, by then it was time for lunch. Darrell and I had our first meal in what is to be our new home. It was warm and cozy. Darrell started coughing during the day and we both wondered if he was geting a cold, within a few hours the wondering was over, he had a full blown cough and was starting to feel sick.

We relaxed in the RV for a while and then it was time to learn about the 4 point leveling system. Steve, a technician, explained the procedure to us. We thought we understood everything (we just hoped we remembered it all) and then the training was over.  We paid for her and said we would be back at 8:00 the next morning to pick her up.

  

We left there and went right to Walmart to pick up cough drops and whatever else we could find that would make Darrell feel better. We checked into our motel, the Holiday Inn Express and enjoyed the hot tub and pool for a while. We walked over to Sanford's for supper and went to bed early, anxious for the morning to come so we get on the road. Darrell didn't feel 100%, but he was able to sleep some, the coughing had subsided.

We got to RoughRider RV at 8:00, as we had promised,  and there she sat all buttoned up, ready for us to take her home.

It was a very nice day for Dickinson, 27 degrees, the sun would come out ever now and then and then go back behind the clouds. The guys there told us  the Interstate was very icy, it had snowed a little overnight and snow had blown onto the highway. They advised us to wait for it to get warmer and hopefully the ice would melt off. We left there and drove out the Interstate, it was very icy, and we were glad we were waiting. We went to Walmart for more cold medicine and walked around there for a while, I found the flannel sheets I had wanted in Rapid, but by the time I went to buy them, they were sold out, so I was happy. We drove around Dickinson, drove to the college, and then decided we should eat an early lunch so when and if we got to go we wouldn't have to stop.

We got back to RoughRider at 11:00 and the Interstate looked clear and dry. Steve helped get her hooked up and we were ready to go.

With wishes for a safe journey, we were off!  Nothing but sunshine and blue skys, smooth sailing!!

The Interstate was dry, we drove on it about 17 miles, and then made the turn onto a two lane road to go to Bowman, as soon as we made the turn, there were cars and  semis  in the ditches. The road looked dry, so we assumed it had happened earlier when everything was so icy and continued on our way. There were several places that snow had blown across the highway  overnight and it was snowpacked and slippery, but we just took it easy and Dually pulled her like a dream! We were very glad we had bought an RV only 4 hours away from home! We had no problems, and when Darrell looked at the speedometer once, he was going 70 and didn't even realize it. We had her unhooked by 5:30, and  were glad to be home, it was in the 50's here, it felt great! We were tired, and Darrell didn't feel the best, but we felt like we had accomplished something major, another step on our journey to become fulltime RVers.

FIRST RUMMAGE SALE OF 2011

On Saturday, January 22, 2011 we had our first rummage sale of  the new year, our tenth since we started selling our belongings so we can go Fulltiming  later on this year. We rented a table at the Rapid Valley Methodist Church, this was our third time going out there. It was from 8:00 to 1:00 and we joined 5 other tables, it is held right in the church.

We set up the night before it  only took about an hour. I didn't take alot of my stuff, as you can see by the picture it was alot of tools, hunting and fishing stuff, alot of Darrell's "stuff". We got there Saturday morning about 7:30  and  we already had shoppers. We were so busy! We were able to sell alot of "stuff". The men just loved our table! They loved digging through the tools.

Darrell took quite a few jackets, a few hunting vests and we sold all of those, all that was left was the spring jackets, which we will take to the next one, hopefully in February, if we can get a nice day  for it. We took a pickup load plus stuff in the back seat and came home with a quarter of a pickup load.

The folks at the Church are very nice, and they had the most delicious cinnamon and caramel rolls and our customers were great. We recognized some from the other sales that we've had there. We made $336.25, the best we have done out there and we were very pleased!

BUYING GUSTOW!!!!

After discovering in early December 2010, Heartland discontinued the Landmark Augusta floorplan, the 5th wheel I have been drooling over since seeing my first one in January 2008, we anxiously awaited the floor plan for the "new" Landmark, which was hailed as "Bigger & Better" than the Augusta. After seeing the two new floorplans, the Key Largo and pictures of the new San Antonio, we decided that we still wanted the Augusta. So, I started searching online for a dealer that still had Augustas. I found 3, one in Oklahoma, a 2010, which was a really good price, new, but almost 2 years old, one in Denver, Colorado, which was loaded with every option Heartland puts on Landmarks, and one in Dickinson, North Dakota. Darrell called  all 3 dealers, and we decided the one with the closest to what we wanted, was the one in Dickinson. Darrell dealt with Shane Johnson, at Roughriders RV, and after a little dickering, they agreed  on a price. Of course, we wanted to look at it before we bought it, but, at that time the temperature in Dickinson was 20 degrees below zero. We agreed we would come up as soon as possible, weather permitting. Shane said to just let him know a couple days ahead so they could bring the Augusta inside.  After looking at the weather forecast for Dickinson, we realized there wasn't going to be a nice day in the near future. So, on Thursday, January 20, 2011 with temperatures in the single digits, we drove the four hours to Dickinson. We took Maggie and Marlee with us in their nice warm crate, and they were very good! They had brought  the Augusta  in the day before, and she was all thawed out, warm and beautiful. Shane had to be gone for the day, so Rod Schaper, the owner,  took care of us. In the 3 years of talking to different folks about the Landmark, Rod was by far the most knowledgeable. He is very passionate about the Heartland products, and is an exclusive dealer of Heartland products. He posts his business philosophy right on the door as you walk in.  

He answered all of our questions, I asked him about the awnings over the slides, which is an option that this one doesn't have, and he said, he can't order them in with those, because the wind tears them off. So, then I was glad that this one did not have those. He told us to take our time and look her over good, he was in no hurry and the Augusta wasn't going anywhere. 

I didn't remember the Augusta having so much storage space, everywhere you look there is storage.

. The cherry cabinets are beautiful! And the stainless refrigerator with water in the door is quite large!!

And this is one of the reasons I fell in love with the Augusta floorplan. Of all the 5th wheels we have looked at, none had this extra countertop space!

The computer desk will be very convenient and love the electric fireplace to take the evening chill off. The Augusta interior colors  are so warm and welcoming. 

We've never had a King size bed, and this one seems  very comfortable. Darrell has already picked his side of the bed, of course it is the side with the little table for all his bedtime snacks! And there is even storage under the bed!

I was glad to see after looking a second time the bathroom has more storage than I remembered.

After nearly an hour of opening every drawer, cabinet, looking at every nook and cranny,  we decided that this  is the one for us and our lifestyle.

I'm confident we can be very comfortable in Gustow, and I can't stop smiling!

We told Rod we wanted  to buy it, so we put some money down on it and will come up to get it as soon as we can, weather permitting. They will fill it with water and check for leaks, order a new refrigerator door, I found a small dent, and check a bunch of other things out. When we come up again, we will have them put a fifth wheel hitch on the truck, and while that is being done, someone will walk us through the 5er (RV talk) and explain everything to us, Rod thinks it will probably take the 3 hours. We will spend the night and then come home the next day. Can't wait to get her home!! 

 

THANKSGIVING 2010 & TURKEY TROT

Clint, Nikki and I registered for the annual Turkey Trot, a 5 K Run/Walk held every Thanksgiving in Rapid City. The predicted temperature that morning was 8 below zero, luckily it wasn't quite that cold. Clint and Nikki ran, and I walked, and when we started at 9 that morning the temperature was 13 degrees.

My one hand was cold when I started walking, but it didn't take long and it was OK. The walk was from the Shelter to Canyon Lake Park and then you turned around and walked back. Clint and Nikki ran the other way.

It took me one hour to walk the 3 miles, Clint finished in 22 minutes, Nikki in 28 minutes. When I got back to the Shelter, they were drawing for pies, Nikki had already won one and she picked a peach pie. We stood around and waited for them to call our names and finally after a half hour, they called Clint's name, and finally mine. So, we each ended up with a pie, 2 pumpkins and 1 peach.

I had been told that the pies (from Colonial House) were worth the walk and they were right. They were so YUMMY!!!! I really wasn't cold until the last 10 minutes of standing around waiting for my name to be called. Clint and Nikki came out then, and we had a wonderful dinner and did alot of standing in front of the pellet stove the rest of the day.

RUMMAGE SALE NUMBER SEVEN OF 2010

On Saturday, November 6, 2010  we held our Seventh Rummage Sale of 2010, the ninth since we started selling our stuff back in 2009, so we can go traveling when Darrell retires in 2011. We held it  at the Rockerville Community Hall from 8 to 4. Put ads in the paper, signs up on bulletin boards at all three Family Thrift Centers, and signs by our mailboxes in downtown Rockerville . It paid off...not only did we sell alot of stuff, we made $624.35, our biggest sale yet.

Although my Christmas tree and wreath did not sell, I was able to sell most of my outside Christmas decorations,  and quite alot of Christmas stuff, which I was glad about. We didn't ask anyone to go in with us this time and it's a good thing, because with our stuff the hall was full!! After getting set up Friday night, Darrell and I stood back and looked and couldn't believe we still had this much "stuff". 

It was perfect weather for a rummage sale and we had a steady stream of people all day, even after we were packing up we had people still coming. Alot  of our customers had been to our previous sales and remembered us and our plans.

We were tired Saturday night, but so glad to be able to sell more stuff! A couple that has attended every sale out here said they would see us at Number 10!  Not sure when that will be, but already planning on one more for sure!