Almost ready

I have all my stuff loaded and ready to leave early Saturday morning...... just need Sue to catch up and get her stuff ready to load. I figure if she can get everything loaded now she won't have to worry about any bags for the flight down in March. Last year she just had a small carry on bag to take but with recent developments ..... no carry-ons allowed.
We are having a parish dinner at our church Friday night which should be nice but I will have to restrain myself from eating too much as I don't like sitting for a long drive with a full stomach. I am hoping to get down to Elizabethtown Kentucky on the first day. Will bring the Ti home tomorrow morning and if the garden hose is not frozen up will try to get some of the salt and dirt off from my trip up to Morry's a couple of weeks ago.
Glendale industries which make the Titanium trailer I own have gone into bankruptcy :-) who knows I may have a collectors item. ......... but I do hope they can restructure and come back to life.
Doug.

new doo

Things must be getting serious I went in yesterday and got my summer cut. Marched right into my barber and said OK do it, cut it off for summer. Another patron looked at me funny and said know something about the weather we don't? My barber just looked at him and said he's retired probably heading back to southern Texas Oh they know me. :-)
Stopped into the school to say hi to my former collegues (and gloat) then off to make arrangements for new mud flaps on the truck. Got that scheduled for tomorrow. Have even started putting clothes that I'm taking into piles to go out to the trailer.
Need to get some US cash now that we are almost at parity. I know bad for the economy but good for Doug's travels.
Thatttttsss all for now folks.
Doug.

making plans

I just realized looking over the last few entries OK OK the last many entries I always start with "well" guess I better try to change things up a bit. So here goes..............
Can't wait to get on the road again. I have put things in high gear and even called my insurance people to push up the date of my leaving by a week. I hope to get out of here by Jan. 23 and start the mad dash down to warmer weather......... I know your saying it isn't much warmer down there from what we hear....well yes it is cooler than normal but the daytime highs are still up in the 50's, 60's and 70's which is much better than the teens and 20's here. The family was all together last weekend for the christening of my great niece Abby or Abbo as her big brother Sammy calls her. Have heard a few of my former collegues are going to be joining the ranks of the retired soon. Unfortunately I won't be there to help them celebrate but wish them well on the next phase of their lives. I certainly am enjoying it.
I have plotted out my intended first day driving on the map on the right. Long drive but made it that far last year.
Thatttsss all for now folks.
Doug.

getting set

well I have a new box liner installed, my hitch installed and a new brake controller installed. The truck is almost ready now need to start working on me and the other stuff that needs to be done so I can head to warmer climates for the rest of the winter.
Pulled the trailer for the first time with the new truck and I think I'm going to like this setup. The truck is strong and smooth. My Niece is having her daughter Abby christened in St. George on Sunday so will have lots of guests here for the occasion. What a treat.
well off to choir practise.
Doug.

shivering

Well the temps have dropped, the white stuff is a flying and I am anxious to get things ready to head to warmer parts. Oh well got the truck LineX'd and will get the hitch on this Wed. and am starting to figure out what I need to put back into the trailer before I head out.
I went to see Avatar 3D on New years day with family and boy was it neat. The story is so so, much like dances with wolves but the special effects are amazing. Sue and I kept swatting in front of our eyes as it seemed like you were right in the middle of everything. Also have been watching the World Junior Hockey Championships which have been great. Canada plays the Swiss tonight in one seme-final and the States plays Sweden in the other with the winners going for gold. It would be nice for Canada to have the six pack of championships, but they will have to play better than they did in their win over the U.S. as they were lucky to win that one.
Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. May the year be an improvement over the last one for all those out of work.
Doug.

Falling temps and white stuff

Well another Christmas has come and gone. Had a good time with both Kids home. Santa was good and a great meal at my sisters with the family on Christmas Day.
Unlike last year, this year has been rather mild and snow free here ..... so far. However the temps last night dropped and we now have a thin layer of snow on the ground with more forecast in the not too distant future. We have been lucky so far as north of us in cottage country and south of us in Buffalo they have had heavy snowfalls already.
Need to put preparations for heading south into high gear. I have taken the drop in box liner out of the new truck and have an appointment to get a Line-X spray-in liner tomorrow ..... then next week up to Morry's to get the hitch installed and have the trailer set up to ride level (will probably have to raise the trailer a bit as the new truck is a 4X4 so higher)
I am still hoping to get out of here before the end of Jan. and head due south to warmer temps.
Well off to get my license and health card renewed.
Doug.

The deed is done!

Well I have been looking for quite some time for a new truck..........not that the last one wasn't good ...........it was a great truck but I always had to count every pound that went into the trailer so I wasn't too over the rear axel weight. I finally found the truck that I hope will last me the next 10 to 15 years. A new (to me) 2008 Dodge (yup gotta have that Cumins) 3500 Dually. I have posted pics here. Http://picasaweb.google.ca/collindo99 This truck should be able to pull anything I want. Now I have to get it set up. I have called Eric at Morry's and am going to have him install my old hitch which I kept and set up the truck and trailer right. He knows his stuff and I trust him to do a great job as he always does. If anyone is looking for an RV particularly a Titanium go here http://www.morrystrailersales.com/ The truck has a slip in box liner but I really liked the LineX liner I had on the last one so will get that done first thing then up to morry's. He will also need to put in a brake controller.
The truck although new to me only has 4000 KM on it so the engine still needs to be broken in. It also has a few extra options like heated seats that Sue is gonna love.

The leaves are falling the leaves are falling oh there down

Well the weather is getting colder, the days shorter and my envy is rising for all the travellers that are either on there way or already down south. Oh well it will be some time before I head down to join you. I did however take in something I couldn't during my working time and that is the Friday the 13th Port Dover day. Every Friday the 13th no matter what month bikers by the thousands decend on the small village of Port Dover on Lake Erie for a get together. This year Friday the 13th of Nov. was blessed with sunny skies and warm temps so thousands showed up. The first thing that struck me as I strolled down the main drag was "boy there are a lot of bikers" it was filled from curb to curb with every type of motorcycle imaginable. big ones small ones custom jobs and fancy dancy just plain very expensive ones. The diversity of bikes was only matched by the diversity of riders all shapes and sizes. Now if your thinking bikers -- Hell's angels gangs etc. that really wouldn't fit this crowd of about 30,000 most seemed to be boomers who were trying to recapture their youth. Anyway it was fun strolling around and taking in the sites. I have posted some pics here. Http://picasaweb.google.ca/collindo99