While We Wait.....And Some Big News

We are keeping ourselves busy while we wait for our August 14th date to bring in our damaged RV for repairs.  We had a family graduation, Eldy got hired as assistant golf coach for the Concord High School girls' golf team and will be coaching during a short golf season under the direction of the head coach, his granddaughter (!). So we decided to get an apartment for the remainder of this year and into next summer. We will rent an apartment for a year, recover some of the financial costs of repairs, deductibles and other things and have decided we want to downsize our RV to a class C or small class A if we can sell the big fifth wheel. Campgrounds are getting much more expensive and even with our Thousand trails camping membership, we were starting to have to follow the same travel patterns repeatedly in order to afford to travel full time. We'd really like to branch out and see more of the country with less restrictions on where we can stay. We can do that if we come off the road for awhile, save some money get a smaller rig, and not travel full time. We don't know how long repairs will take and that could be months, so that's another reason we decided to stay put for awhile.

So with some sadness at coming off the road for awhile, but with much gladness at the benefits of having lots of Eldy's family close by and a chance for Sparky and Eldo to both work for a bit, we look forward to the next chapter in our lives of being stationary for awhile. Sparky will still post on the blog, but we certainly understand if readers stop following us since we are not going to be full timing for awhile, or possibly changing over to part timing as snowbirds when we downsize our RV. It seems to be the natural progression of aging with full time RVers to come to the point of traveling less and less due to lots of different reasons. 

So here we are, in Elkhart, IN, our home for the next year...We have an apartment lined up, and we are back to shopping for furniture! Trying to be frugal about furnishing an apartment as we don't have any furniture of our own, we have been visiting thrift shops and garage sales and here is what we have so far.....an almost new couch for 85.00....

An old HEAVY entertainment center for 6.00.....Sparky landed that one at a thrift shop on a 50% off day!

Sparky has removed the really heavy slide out trays and heavy fan motor and is going to outfit the interior with shelves for craft supplies. (Of course! says Eldo,) She might lighten up the finish a bit, too.

A floor lamp for 10.00....

A small roll top desk for 60.00...It has a hole in the roller part, but we think we can fix that enough so it won't be too visible....Why somebody would make holes at the top of the roller part of the cover is anybody's guess!

A craftsman style (?) end table. Sparky is going to refinish the top and paint the lower half of it a deep charcoal gray to go with the gray of the couch. Ten dollars....

And how could you not buy lemonade from the cutest kids and the cutest lemonade stand at this garage sale? (Sparky is a sucker for kids' lemonade stands. She bought lemonade the very next day from Amish kids selling it on Father's Day weekend! explains E.)

Sparky is on the Pumpkinvine Bike Trail at least two to three times a week...trying to keep her sugar and weight down. The spring wildflowers have died down but there are a few colorful summer ones now...The beautiful bluish purple spiderwort....

Sweet William perennials on the lane to Moody's Ice Cream Shop off the trail...

Sweet pea blossoming outside of the Winnebago plant near Middlebury...

The scenery is ever changing on the trail....

The Amish are plowing their fields....

A buggy peeking through the trail's vines and trees...

A bit of whimsy on the trail just outside of Abshire Park...

Seen the day after Father's Day on the trail...

You can see two of the Heritage Trail quilt gardens as you ride from Goshen to Middlebury. Kryder Gardens is a beautiful rest stop in Middlebury with picnic areas, gazebos, a little waterfall and even a windmill. There is a quilt garden there.

"Tree of Life" quilt garden at Kryder Gardens

Another quilt garden is right at Abshire Park in Goshen, at the beginning of the Pumpkinvine Trail. It's called the "Crosshatch" pattern. In another month, the flowers will have filled in and the pattern even more beautiful.

Every Tuesday and Wednesday is the Shipshewanna Flea Market. We have been going to it for years and years. It's really changed. There used to be a TON of individuals who crafted beautiful things...lots of handpainted woodwork, doll clothes, etc, but now, most of it is from China or other places. Lots of yard art and home decor can be found. It seems though, that handmade has gone by the wayside, except for a couple of booths. But you can find lots of home decor, faux leather goods, clothing....and bargains if you look hard.

There are multiple auctions going on in a building next to the flea market. That has changed as well. There doesn't seem to be as many furniture finds and vintage stuff as there used to be, at least that was our impression when we visited last week. But it's fun to watch the action and the bidding. Who knows what you might be looking for, it's possible it's here! 

Sparky liked this shot of people watching the bidding and the statue pose.

Some might say the flea market is for the birds, haha, but we don't think so!

Sparky liked this metal sign....

Lots of pet lover merch....

dog breed wooden spoons

We finally visited Biebs & Ash in downtown Goshen, IN for some terrific smash burgers and fries...WOW! Highly recommend...

beautiful fabrics at Lolly's

You know what else is in Shipshewanna? Besides lots of cool little vintage furniture, ice cream, and home decor shops? Handmade pretzels at Jojo's in the Mercantile building, and Lolly's fabric store, filled with LOTS of quilt ideas and the most extensive quality cotton fabric selection you could hope for a small town shop. Sparky hopes to make some home decor small quilts this year. (Uh-oh, worries E, there goes the budget!) Naw...Sparky plans to exercise restraint and not go there very often this summer....(HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's Eldo rolling on the floor laughing his butt off.) Hey, they do have rockers for you guys to wait on your woman shopping at Lolly's but you might be there awhile.....

With that we will say bye for now.....You may not hear from us for awhile, but if we do something special in the area, we will let you know! It's been a great ride, a total of SIX YEARS full timing, but it's not our last foray out into the great USA...Don't be surprised if we say, HEY, we are going out on the road again, we do love to travel! We will keep you posted as our plans evolve and our lifestyle keeps changing. Thank you for following along and hope you still will.

                                        Sparky and Eldo

Love Those Indiana Small Towns!

We had some errands to run in Goshen, IN today so off we went. Goshen is about 15 minutes from where we are currently staying. Goshen is a very pretty small town of about 34,000. The downtown is lovely. 

We stopped at a wonderful shoe store, called Woldruff's for Eldy to get some new slip ons. They had an amazing selection of some of the finest shoe brands. If you wanted to shop local and get a good shoe, this is the place to go. Eldy got a nice pair of Skechers slip ons. He absolutely loves them! Super cushy.

Right across the street is Jojo's Pretzels, one of the best known places that locals love, for freshly made pretzels. The whole store is Coke themed, so of course, Sparky LOVES that shop! (She drinks a Coke for breakfast every single morning, explains Eldo.) There are LOTS of wonderful small stores to shop local for clothing, shoes, a True Value hardware store right there, and several wonderful restaurants we hope to try. One is called Biebs & Ash, which gets great reviews and supposedly has a terrific burger.

We had sour cream and onion dusted pretzels with great lemonade. We sat outside at little tables provided by the shop and it was a gorgeous spring day, sunny with a little breeze. Goshen is a college town too, so it's great to see that students shop downtown here as well. There are several remarkable independent stores to shop at, such as Found, an antique store in historic Goshen. And of course, there are also several big, beautiful churches.

Downtown Goshen has some beautiful architecture in their building facades. Several of the buildings are dated in the 1800's. The brick building to the right is dated 1878.

love this facade!

They have multiple art installations all over the downtown area. Sparky loved this one, called "Raindance" by Sunday Mahaja. Here is a closeup of the head....So cool!

And a view from farther away.....

There was an alleyway full of art works--appropriately titled "Art Alley".

It had chalk art and panels displayed.

Just a wonderful small town vibe, clean and beautiful, and not to be missed if you are in the area....There are also several parks, two of the more notable ones are Fiddler Pond Park and Oxbow County Park, with some great walking trails. Don't forget to visit the Olympia Candy Kitchen store, too! An original candy counter dating back to 1912, a soda fountain and lots of sweet confections to choose from, make this a must top if you have a sweet tooth!

sculptures around town

                 We love visiting Goshen! Don't miss it!

Riding the Vine

 The Pumpkinvine Bike Trail, that is.....In the meantime, while staying in Elkhart to await the rig repairs come August 14th, we are taking advantage of the beautiful early summer weather to do different things in the area...Eldy has been learning more about lacrosse, as his grandson is heading for the state lacrosse finals. He has really enjoyed the games, and Trevor's team is doing so well! Trevor is the tall one in the middle. The rest of Eldy's son's family is with him as well. A fine looking family!

Sparky has been riding the Pumpkinvine from Abshire Park in Goshen, all the way to Shipshewanna sometimes, but mostly to Middlebury and back, a distance of about 13 miles total. That section of the trail is about 50% wooded and it has been a real treat watching the emerging wildflowers changing as the weeks go by. 

Not only is it nicely wooded in parts, but there are a couple of challenging hills to climb and then zoom down. 

AND---there's an ice cream shop called Moody's which is about 2/3 of the way to Middlebury and it's right off the trail. They have good cheeseburgers and lots of flavors of ice cream, both soft serve and hard. It's a favorite of the Amish. Once Sparky gets her ice cream fix, she feels like turning around and heading back. Mainly because at the ice cream junction, you have to go out on the county roads for about a mile to get back to trail to pick it up again, heading on into Middlebury. Those county roads are ok, as there are probably more horse and buggies on the county road than trucks, but occasional speedsters and heavy duty construction trucks occasionally, make that portion a little more nerve wracking when they pass by. The spur to get you off the county roads and to stay on the trail is supposed to be completed by the end of this summer.

Dames Rocket

When Sparky first started riding in April, there were few wildflowers. The first to come were the spring trilliums, then the wild geraniums, the purple phlox, then the Dames Rocket flowers. Dames Rocket is confused with phlox sometimes, but phlox has five petals, and Dames Rocket has four. 

Dames Rocket is also considered a noxious weed in some states and is definitely an invasive plant. But it is really pretty!

More Dames Rocket

No wonder it is blooming prolifically for several miles along the trail!

Sparky loves the Pumpkinvine Trail because it's such a good workout, and the different habitats along the trail make it an interesting ride. You pass Amish farms and wide open spaces on the trail for a bit....

pass through shady forests....

and bike through a little bit of small town offerings along the way (Middlebury's Mooey's Ice Cream, for one), where you can stop and grab a bite to eat or get an ice cream cone.Sometimes you even see chickens who are tired of being cooped up, haha, and need to get out of the house for the day, haha....

They definitely like to cross the road, haha...

Sparky likes to inspect the different flowers up close and personal. This wildflower is called Great Waterleaf, also called woolen breeches, and it had a bee zeroing in on it.

As you come back to Abshire Park (Goshen) from your starting point, you will see one of the flower quilt gardens at the park. They have just planted another series of flower gardens this year all over in the towns of Elkhart, Bristol, Middlebury, Wakarusa, Nappanee, and Goshen, that by midsummer will fill in and make beautiful quilt patterns. It's part of a tour you can take--the Elkhart Quilt Gardens (along the Heritage Trail) and we will probably go visit most of them next month or early July when they will be at their prime. The Heritage Trail is an audio driving tour to see the area's attractions and the Amish lifestyle. You learn a LOT about this beautiful area on the tour. We did it years ago but will revisit it again in the near future to see what's new.

quilt garden at Abshire Park

No other news about the rig, other than the earliest we can get it in to be fixed is Aug. 14th, as we have said, so the wait continues.....Thank you for following along and keeping us company!

The Beast is Ba-a-a-a-ck!

After 31 days in the shop, we got our "Beast" back...our Dodge Ram 3500 dually. Caliber Collision in Elkhart did a fantastic job. The truck looks brand new. They kept us informed by text messages all along the way where they were in the completion of repairs. They even informed us of a recall for something called a drag link, something to do with the steering alignment. We had never received any notification from Chrysler/Dodge about that. Josh, the technician at Caliber, researched more about that as it is a two stage repair that should be covered under warranty, yet Chrysler is not making this recall widely known. We will tackle that hurdle in the near future. We highly recommend Caliber if you ever need body work done on your car or truck. 

The latest on our Pinnacle fifth wheel is that Progressive was not happy with the 51,000.00 estimate from one repair company in the area and went "shopping" for two other possibilities for us. That 51,000.00 estimate was for replacing the entire side wall of the driver side of the RV along with a 12,000.00 cost for replacement decals (included in that cost). Everyone who has looked at the damage directly seems to think that big expense is not necessary, that the damaged fiberglass and frame can be repaired and the wall will still be structurally sound. After reviewing quotes, we have a repair date of August 14th with Allegiant RV Service and Sales. That's the soonest we can get in. We will discuss thoroughly our concerns about the difference in repair costs with both our insurance rep and the repair company about the repairs that are to be done. We want to be sure the rig will be structurally sound and not have cracking issues or other frame issues down the road.

In the meantime, we CANNOT travel. We cannot risk the cracks and broken fiberglass/bent support frames getting worse if we travel somewhere, limping along with our rig. We are so lucky we were able to drive it back to Elkhart to get it fixed,  so here we stay. We will be in Elkhart, IN all summer and well into the fall while we wait for the repairs to get done. Even if the rig should be completed sooner, Sparky is enjoying subbing so much that we have decided to stay till November so she can teach and earn some extra money. One can ALWAYS use some extra money, right? Like for craft supplies, haha. (Just kidding, Eldy!) 

Sparky is subbing a LOT--they really need subs. Sparky only subs K-3, for many reasons. Stay tuned for more on that later. The other day, a kid asked her, "How old are you?" And when she said, "Seventy-two", the kids all gasped and that same kid said, "DANG! That's OLD! How are you still alive?"

early May for trilliums

Sparky has been riding the Pumpkinvine Bike Trail and watching the sequence of wildflowers blooming as the weeks move along and the temperatures warm. This is a wonderful bike trail, and Sparky has written about it many times. It's May and the trillium are waning....This deep rose one was a beauty and even as it fades, it's still gorgeous, a rare color on the trail.

The wild geranium are coming on strong.....

Greater celandine are adding a beautiful yellow POP to the scenery....

If you get on the Pumpkinvine Trail between Abshire Park in Goshen and head towards Middlebury, you pass an Amish ice cream shop called "Mooey's". They have good burgers and great ice cream, and a small farm pen out back where you can see newborn piglets in spring and this awesome turkey strutting his stuff. One of Sparky's dubious skills is she can really gobble like a turkey, so when nobody was around at the moment, she let loose with some gobbledygook, but this one wasn't having any of it and strutted off. (Sparky also clucks and communes regularly with the chickens in the chicken coop right outside our door, explains E.) We get to have fresh eggs, still warm from laying for breakfast! (FOCUS, Sparky! reminds Eldo).

Oh, right. Many local Amish frequent this ice cream shop that opens in late April. In they come on horseback down the country lane, in their buggies or on their bikes, so you can hobnob with the Amish, although very briefly. They are reticent, usually, and photos are a big no-no, but it's great to see the old order Amish and their families enjoying ice cream as much as the next person. 

Eldy is going to take up golf again while we are here. He's got more family in this area, and they are all excited to have him here for awhile to play golf and visit. So he's enjoying picking up the sport again!

So, with that update, we will leave you right there....If we do anything noteworthy or new developments crop up, we will keep you posted! Thanks for reading and following along with us....

              

                                         Sparky and Eldo