Well, it seems like we just got here and we are leaving tomorrow for Huntsville, Alabama. It was really too hot to enjoy Macon. The things to see are mostly outdoors and that would have been miserable. If it wasn't so hot, I might have popped a kayak in the lake and tried some fishing. However, the few folks I saw fishing were coming up empty handed.
This beautiful painted RV is really not suited for life in the south. The air conditioners are working hard to keep it cool. I used my laser thermometer a while ago to measure the temperature of the RV exterior and it was anywhere between 111 and 132 degrees. A white exterior is not as pretty, but would be more efficient from a cooling aspect.
Here are some pics from Lake Tobesofkee Arrowhead Park:

You can see all of our pics at: Click here

Started our adventure!

For a while, it seemed like we would never get started on our new adventure. We had a couple of unexpected stops to make before we could leave and we had a lot of stuff to store and make ready for the trip. Ordinarily, when we had been camping previously, we would put away unnecessary items the day before or even sooner. Since we were still working on upgrades to the RV and had many visits from friends and family, we were not prepared. I like to keep my cargo area organized, but I ended up throwing everything in there. I was thinking too, I'll have to be careful when opening the door because I could have stuff falling out.
The drive was uneventful and we only made one stop for Maggie to do her thing.

Another reason for the late start was because I wanted to weigh our rig. The weigh receipts are out in the truck, so I don't have the exact readings. Basically, we are fat! I only glanced at the receipt and mad a quick mental calculation, but we are about 1000 pounds overweight. The camper axles are under weight and the truck capacity is enormous, so we are under weight there. However, the total weight of camper is over. And, I really don't see any way to get it in line. I hope the frame is over engineered!

We are at Lake Tobesofkee Recreational Area in Bibb County, Georgia in the city of Macon. This is a beautiful park, but it is more suited to smaller rigs. Because I had to turn sharply to get into the site and because my truck toolbox is too big, I had trouble maneuvering. So, I had to stop in the road and remove some of the stuff in the bed of the truck to allow me to use the sliding hitch mechanism. That allows the pivot point to move back a foot or so. So, after getting the camper into the site, I activated the automatic levelers. Well, the front of the camper ended up nearly on the ground and the aft levelers were hanging in the air!

I had to do some manual manipulation of the system and place wood blocks under the rear levelers. When I then pushed the auto level button, the system was able to make it happen.
The site is nice overall.

There is a picnic table that is steel and PVC coated, so you know it is a very expensive table. However, it is covered in black mold, fungus, whatever! They also have a grill and a fire pit on each site. We are not lakeside, but we can see the lake from the site. 

Last night we took a walk after supper. The park is hilly and beautiful. However, the beauty is spoiled by litter. Every where you look, you see litter. There are cigarette butts and wrappers on our site and other trash elsewhere. At the KOA that we left yesterday, someone was continually picking up trash. Maybe they need a work camper here!

This morning, I woke about 0530, cranked up the coffee pot and took Maggie outside. It is a beautiful feeling 64 degrees. There is an eerie looking fog floating over the lake. Unfortunately, that wonderful 64 degree start to the day will be ruined by a predicted high of 93 degrees! 

Today is our last day in Camden County, for now! We will be back! We are scheduled to leave for Macon, GA tomorrow. I have to tell you, I'm not ready. No, I don't have problems with leaving, there is just sooo much to do! . I've been busier since I retired than I was before retirement! Sooo many projects! The wine cooler mount is finished and I can strap it down for storage, but I haven't run the electrical circuit yet. Several other things are either not started or are only half finished. I guess that gives me something to look forward to! LOL!
I think when we leave here, we will feel like we have finally started our new life. As long as we were here, it felt more like home.
In the last couple of weeks we got to spend time with family and friends and it has been really nice. We will miss you all, but we won't be gone for long. We'll be back for the holidays.
Tonight, we had a visit from our granddaughter, Amber and our daughter, Becky.  Here are some pics! 
Pics from tonight
It's been so good to see family and friends before we leave. Although it is sad to be leaving family and friends, we are going to see other family and friends that we haven't seen in a long time. We are sooo looking forward to this part of our lives and seeing family, friends and this beautiful country of ours.   

Finally retired!

Thursday, 7/31/2014, I retired! This is one more step in our full-timing process. I've only worked about 50 years! Wow! I guess it is time to stop! I had a great day on Thursday. So many people came by to say goodby and wish me well. My "guys" gave me a Camping World gift card that I'll use for a back up camera. I'll miss them all. There are so many talented, friendly and caring folks at Lockheed Martin. I'm proud of my nearly 29 year career there. Although I'll miss everyone at LM, I'm anxious to start the next phase of my life. That is, start traveling! The heat and humidity here in SE Georgia is a huge contributing factor to the anxiety. If I wasn't receiving some Chiropractic procedures for a pinched nerve condition, I'd hook up the truck and pull our little home on wheels out of here and head for a cooler climate! Although I am feeling much better and tempted to cancel the rest of my treatments in order to hit the road, I should probably complete them. So, that will put us on schedule, which is to leave on August 14th and slowly meander towards Berryville, AR.
Besides, I have chores to do and a few friends to visit before pulling up stakes. I need to build a cabinet to house all of Maggie's food, leashes and other paraphernalia. Yesterday, I started a project to secure the skirt of the RV. The factory simply ran screws through the thin sheet metal and wind and vibration can rip the metal loose. So I'm putting in more screws and using large fender washers on them. I'm also going to install a wine cooler. Hey! It only hold 18 bottles, so that still qualifies as primitive camping, right? :-) I also need to buy and install some good mud flaps on the truck. Dirt and rocks thrown up from the tires can make a mess and damage the front of the RV. So, even though I no longer live in a S&B (Sticks & Bricks) home, I still have "home" projects to work!    

Almost there!

Well, I've completed my second last week of work. Five days from today, I will complete my last day of work and will be officially retired! I've wondered if this day would ever come. The light at the end of the tunnel is not a freight train, after all! LOL!
We had moved into the RV on the 15th and still do not have a home for everything that we have brought into it. I think that is making my very organized better half a bit edgy, so I'll have to work on that! I have to modify one cabinet by removing the shelf or raising it, so the sewing machine will fit into it. Then, I have to build a cabinet by the front door to house all of Maggie's dog food, leash, etc. We have a piece of plywood that we put in front of the door to protect the door from Maggie if her separation anxiety gets the best of her, when we leave her alone in the RV. In the past, she had scratched and chewed the door frame in our house and destroyed the door screen in the RV. However, she has gotten better. We've examined the plywood each time we come back and there has been no damage to it the last couple of times that we have left her alone. Hopefully, she will be "cured" and we can dispose of the plywood.
I also need to set up a WiFi system. We are going to keep our printer in the bedroom and do not want to have to haul our computers in there to print. Also, my Denon Surround Sound System is internet ready and I want to connect it also. That will enable us to listen to internet radio, show photos from our cell phones on the flat screen TV, etc.
So, since we are living in the RV since the 15th and no longer own a house, we must be RV full timers! However, we will feel more like full timers after I retire and we hit the road! It won't be too much longer. Sometime in the second week of August, we will hit start our trip to Arkansas and that will mark the beginning or our adventures!   

The next step...

Yesterday, 7/17/2014, the movers for the storage company came and picked up all of our furniture and belongings that we are not getting rid of or taking with us. It's now a little odd walking into the house and seeing it totally empty. Sad for one part of our life, but so exciting that we are about to embark on the next phase of our life. As we were giving away and donating stuff, the house started to develop an echo. When Maggie barked, it seemed so much louder than normal!
Another "next step" was to move the RV from the S&B (Sticks & Bricks) house to our local KOA campground. We did that yesterday, as well. So, this is the first "stay" of our new lifestyle. This KOA is very nice although close to the interstate, so you do hear the noise of the traffic. It's not a problem for us since we are well insulated and have double pane windows. We don't hear the noise inside and I slept like a baby last night.
 

The staff at this KOA (Link thingy) are very nice and very helpful. If this place wasn't so close to our S&B, (about 6 to 8 miles) we would have stayed here before! If you are traveling this way, we recommend it. They also have cabins and you can see part of one behind our camper. Ginny (the lady at the desk) said all you need is food and charcoal! They are fully set up and ready. I think she said $90 a night for a 2 person and $120 or $130 a night for 6 person cabins.
We will be here at the KOA for about a month. I'll retire on the 31st of July. We'll use the rest of the time to take care of local business, spend time with friends and family and say goodby to Camden County. We've enjoyed our life here and will come back often to visit. When we leave the KOA, we will head for Berryville, Arkansas. Slowly, that is, because we'll be retired!  

Update to our Full Timing status

We are getting closer and closer to becoming full-timers! On the afternoon of June 16th, Nicole Readdick (our agent) placed the "for sale" sign in the front yard. On Wednesday, June 18, she called and said there were people that wanted to see our house that night at 6:15. We said, come on! That night, Nicole called and said the people really liked the house and would be making an offer the next day. Thursday, June 19th, we had a full price offer! The closing date is set for July 21st. We are another step closer to being full time RVers!
Now, we have a lot of "stuff" to get rid of. Kids, friends and grandchildren got a lot of stuff. The trash men got a lot! Useable stuff that nobody wants goes out to the road where it mysteriously disappears! We are keeping enough "stuff" to start back in a small home, if we decide the nomadic lifestyle is not for us. That "stuff" will go into an environmentally controlled storage facility. They will be here on Thursday, July 17th to take away our "stuff"! We are going to move into our RV between the 13th and 15th. Then on the 16th, we will move the RV to our local KOA campground where we will stay for about one month. After the closing, I'll work until the end of the month and, on August 1st, I will be officially retired! Dodie retired last September, so we will be free to pursue our full timing dream!
First stop" We dunno! First destination? Berryville, Arkansas. Why Berryville? That's where our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter live. One of the advantages to being a full time RVer is the ability to visit family and we plan to do that!