Tuesday, June 30, 2026 – Hot Day, Cool River Float

Pix to come!

Hiya Babe,
I ran the generator much later than I normally would, just to run the AC until I went to bed. Even then the outside temp was still 80+. Not comfortable! It was okay after my shower for awhile, until the cooler air eventually dissipated, leaving a pretty hot and steamy rest of the night. To try to make it a bit easier today, I booked a float down the Tippecanoe River, and for three glorious hours, I paddled quietly in some lovely cool water in a tube. Of course, once I got back to camp, I had to deal with the heat again, but there was a decent breeze, so at least it was tolerable, though it got bad in the peak of the heat in late afternoon. Once again, I'm running the AC until I go to bed, and I'm on my last tank of propane, so a trip to Tractor Supply tomorrow is a must! The forecast for the rest of the week isn't any better, with mid-90's and a heat index as high as 109! Really should be farther north, won't make the same mistake again! Already took a shower this afternoon, and will be taking another one before I'm going to bed. Starting to wonder if I can find someplace with AC that will take dogs where I can hang out, but don't really want to leave the horses all day either. May just have to bite the bullet and run the generator most of the day, but it's been overheating and turning itself off when it gets too warm, so that may not be a viable solution. I considered moving, but with July 4th weekend coming up, everything with electric is booked, so I'm just going to have to grin and bear it! Yet another challenge of living on the road! The good still far outweighs the bad, so no complaints! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Monday, June 29, 2026 – Hot Laundry and Nothing Day

Hey Darlin',
My morning habit seems to be waking up around 5:00, reading, then falling asleep until about 8:30, which seems to suit me just fine at the moment. Today was a very hot day, and frankly, if I had seen the forecast before booking another week here, I may have changed my mind and gone someplace with electric. Instead, I'm just expecting to make it up with using more propane than usual to run my AC when necessary. It was too hot today to do just about anything! I did manage a couple of loads of laundry done today, but that was about it! I mostly read and watched TV, had a few problems with my generator overheating, but managed to make it work, made arrangements to tube down the Tippecanoe River tomorrow, figuring at least I'll be cooler on the water, since tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. Poor Lola was panting like a fiend, so I finally broke down and got out her dog pool, and once she saw it filled up, she laid it in for quite a while, then came in and blessedly slept for several hours. I also put an ice pack on her to help as well, and put some ice cubes in a bandana around my neck for me. Still, it's unbearably hot, which is why I usually get above the 42nd parallel by this time of year! My mistake this year! It was so lovely last week, I had high hopes, but they've been dashed. Too hot to even ride, and more on the way. Oh, well, we have to take the good with the bad! I finally managed to get the AC running in hopes of blowing out the hot air before bed, not sure it will work, but I'm definitely burning more propane than usual, but I don't care! Tractor Supply is only 15 minutes away, and this is me, not worrying about using an extra tank or two or three a month to try to be comfortable. Something weird happened last night with my phone though, it inadvertently sent out an SOS, which I discovered happens when the power button is pushed five times in a row. Not that I did that on purpose, but I was having problems with my charger on the phone. So I got a couple of text this morning from folks that were notified, even though they weren't on my emergency contact list, so I updated that, and learned something important! Now I know! Anyway, a long, boring day, heading for a cold shower and hopefully a good night sleep, if I don't sweat to death in the process. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Sunday, June 28, 2026 – Took Apollo Down To The River

Hiya Sweetie,
First job this morning was the check the oil in the generator to make sure that wasn't the problem, and was happy to see it was fine. Started it up and ran it for a good couple of hours, finally managed to make a dent in recharging the batteries, yay! Did a few other chores and computer searches, and was quite surprised when it started drizzling, as there was not one word about rain in the forecast! When it finally cleared up in early afternoon, I saddled up Apollo for a change. I am starting to see just how detrimental letting him atrophy is becoming, so that's something I need to remedy. I trimmed his front hooves, then rode him for a very short ride down to the Tippecanoe River, then added a bit more by going around the west loop of the campground. Just at two miles when we got back to the campsite, which I thought was a good start, all things considered. By then, most of the camp was empty, there are only a few folks left, typical of a Sunday. Took Lola for a couple of walks today, she is doing so much better! She's been going in and out by herself without injury, so I'm really beginning to think it's not a torn ACL, just some other soft tissue issue. Settled down for some more binge watching, ran the generator again for a bit, happy to see it really charging up the batteries again. Headed to bed shortly! Good night, baby! Love you!

Saturday, June 27, 2026 – Nice Ride, Lots of Chatting

Hey Babe,
Lots of folks came into the campground last night, so it was a bit busier than it has been, not unexpected, of course! Did some chores in the morning, picked up my mail at the office and posted a letter as well, chatted with some of my new neighbors while walking Lola around, then finally saddled up Flash for a nice 6+ mile ride. I actually found two short sections of trail that I've never been on, so I incorporated them into today's ride, so now I've officially done every bit of horse trail out here. This is a lovely place, but they really need about ten or fifteen more miles of trail to make it interesting! Only ran into two other riders on the trail, and we chatted a little, but then I stopped off at their trailer later and we had a long chat. They seemed very interested in my Africa trip, so I happily answered all their questions. Finally settled down for the evening, watched a little TV, took Lola for one last walk just before mosquito hour before settling down for the night. Sorry to say that the temps are really warming up in the next few days, so I'm a bit sorry I have no electric. Normally wouldn't bother me too much, but my generator kept kicking off this evening, with an overheating fault, and it's in the shade and not even running that long! I'll look at it in the morning, but I already checked the filter and the oil, and they both seem okay, so I don't know what's causing it to overheat, especially since I left the compartment door open. Hope I can figure it out, this is going to get a bit uncomfortable if I can't run my AC long enough to cool down the inside of the camper during these upcoming warm days! Time to pull out my little portable ice AC unit, for what it's worth! Enough said, time for bed! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Friday, June 26, 2026 – Odd Jobs Day

Hiya Darlin'!
I had hoped to take Apollo for a short ride today, but the weather forecast was for rain most of the day, which never actually materialized, so I spent the day getting caught up on a lot of little chores. I finally put the right taillight on the truck, it's been needing to be replaced for a long time, and I've been carrying around the new pair for ages, so I finally got that done. I also did a few inside jobs, like hanging some photos and trying to fix some hooks and things. Took Lola for three walks today, but mostly just hung out waiting for it to rain, which it never really did. Did some planning for the next couple of months, seriously considering just staying in the Indiana area rather than go all the way east, figured I would save over 1000 miles of driving that way, but it depends on a few things that I need to hear back on before I decide for sure. Feels like so much is in flux right now! I guess you could call that freedom, since nothing is carved in stone! Read, watched TV, not much else to share! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Thursday, June 25, 2026 – Ride and Shopping Day

Hey Sweetie!
Despite the rain through the night, with earplugs in, I had an excellent night sleep! By morning it was over, and even Lola didn't get too excited about it, thank goodness! Did my morning chores leisurely, then saddled up Flash for a ride. He's really taken a liking to these trails, he was definitely back into a 6 + mph range! We only did about four miles before we got back to camp, when I put Apollo on a line and ponied him around the camp a bit just for exercise. Once we got back and I put them away, I headed out to do errands, stopping at a couple of hardware stores to see if they had the materials I needed to fix the legs on my solar panel (they didn't), and finally ending up at a welder/fabricator in the little town of Winimac who said he could help, so I left the legs with him and drove off to Rochester, IN, where I got fuel and shopped at Walmart to get a few essentials. Was delighted when I got back to the welder and he was able to fix my legs, though honestly, I'm not sure how long they will last, but it was worth the $20 bucks for even a temporary fix. Took Lola for a couple of walks, she is doing so well these days! Almost like before the torn ACL! Settled down to a couple of hours of binge TV, off to bed soon! Really hating DST, still light at 9:30, yuck! Good night, babe! Love you!

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – Hay Day

Hiya Babe!
Woke up a bit early but slept again afterward, got up and did my chores, did some research on gas regulators, only to discover later that it may not be a problem after all. Took Lola for several walks today. I had fully planned to ride today, but then I found some hay not too far away, 80% grass, 20% alfalfa, so I headed over there to pick up enough to last me the next two weeks. By the time I got back and got everything stored, there were a lot of clouds around (in fact, I ran into a little sprinkle on my way back, but fortunately everything dried out before I got back to camp), so I decided not to ride. Had a leisurely afternoon readying and doing some research on the computer, especially learning about Peru, watched a few episodes of my latest binge, now I'm ready for bed! Good night, darlin'! Love you!

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 – Laundry, Ride and Shopping Day

Hey Darlin'!
Had a busy day today, got a lot done! So nice to have a good night sleep without earplugs! Lovely and quiet out here. Started the day off doing a couple of loads of laundry before saddling up Flash for a beautiful ride. Gorgeous weather today! Low 70's, hardly a cloud in the sky, so nice after all the rain on Sunday. No horse boots required, and I didn't even take my saddlebags, so Flash was very happy! Though the trails were damp, there was very little mud, as most of it is firm sand. Once he got warmed up, Flash decided he was in a 7 mph mood, so we were booking through the forest. We did the northern loop, and ended up doing about 8.7 miles. There are a lot of trails here, just not a lot of long ones, but plenty if you want to meander around. We did a lot of gaiting and cantering, and he was in excellent spirits today! So much fun to ride him! Once we got back, I first stopped at HQ to pick up a package and report two downed trees, then I headed up to Tractor Supply, which is only about 15 minutes away, and got some feed, supplements and propane. When I took out the tanks, I discovered that it seems like my regulator isn't working properly, so I did some research on getting a new one, or trying to repair the old one. Considering it's 16 years old, I'm leaning toward a new one. I decided that I would stay here an additional week, since this is a good spot and I'm tired of moving every week (and in the case of last week, three times in the same place!), and this is a very convenient place. Water is right across the road, manure bin is 50 feet away, I get more than half a day of sun on my solar panel, and the horses are fine on their anchors during the day, so I'm good to stay here. To reach water yesterday, I had to piece together about four different hoses to reach everything, so I ordered a 100' Zero G hose, which arrived today, so when I got back, I put all the together, threw away one old leaky hose, and have another one I'll give away at the earliest opportunity. Much easier! Love my Zero G! After Tractor Supply I stopped at the grocery store next door and picked up a few things, then back to camp. Finally settled down to dinner and TV, took Lola for her second walk of the day, and am luxuriating as the cool air as it filters in. Going to be a perfect night for sleeping! And tomorrow, another perfect weather day! Loving life, as usual! Good night, sweetheart! Love you!

Monday, June 22, 2026 – Travel Day To Tippecanoe

Hiya Sweetie,
Had a good night sleep, though it rained most of the night, and it was a lake around me in the morning! Called for Wellies for sure! Very glad I moved onto the gravel, which made it much easier getting out this morning. I had breakfast, took Lola for a walk (she seems to be doing well!), finished packing up before loading up the horses, and was heading out of camp by 10:30. I surprised myself and was able to get out of the gate in one pass! I thought I would have to back up a time or two, but I swung wide enough to make it the first time. I had an uneventful drive, although it was interesting. Even though it was pretty much a straight shot east with only a few turns, the road itself kept changing. It was everything from a well-lined, well-shouldered, cats eye road to something so narrow with no markers, it would barely qualify as a farm road, though they were always paved. Fascinating! Arrived safely, and when I checked in at the gate and asked about packages, the woman there was already aware and told me there was one at the office, so I stopped by and picked that up. Got into my campsite very easily (naturally, the campground was empty and there was nobody watching!), and got settled in pretty quickly. My first order of business, even before getting the horses out, was to get out their anchors and replace the old twisted rope with the new braided rope that was in my package. A much better rope! Softer and better built, and it didn't take me long to get the anchors fixed up and the horses out grazing on the grass. Last time I was here, I put up a fence around the whole site, but this time I'm just going to put them on anchors while I'm here. Of course, there's the requisite metal hitch rail, which I'm ignoring, and I put up a highline between a couple of trees for nighttime use. I got out a bunch of hoses so I could reach the spigot across the road, and it took a lot of joints to do it, so I got online and ordered a 100' Zero G hose so I can get rid of all that. Supposed to be here tomorrow, which would be great! Got everything else set up, then settled down to braid some baling twine. The last bunch of hay I bought had a lovely teal colored twine, so I've been cutting it near the knots so I can braid a few more of them. It's amazing how I always seem to have some use for them! Once evening hit, I took Lola for a walk around the campground loop, which turns out to be half a mile, and she did magnificently. Settled down for the evening, binged on a few more Being Ericas, and am ready for shower and bed! I didn't get any laundry done today, I figured it was too late to start them by the time the clouds cleared, but tomorrow is supposed to be a lovely, clear day, so that's my first chore in the morning. Then I'm planning on getting a ride in, then we'll see what else! Good night, babe! Love you!

Sunday, June 21, 2026 – Ride, Rain, Got A Little Stuck

Hey Babe,
Got up nice and early and still didn't quite get to the beginning of the riders coming in, just a little miscalculation on my part. There were only about a dozen riders today, and because of the rain in the forecast, it was decided that all rides would start at 6:00 a.m. Once again I was pulse timer, but I also did a little packing up, because we were all worried about me not being able to get out once the rain started falling. Once all the riders were in, I finished packing and attempted to move out of my spot, with the plan of circling around and ending up on the gravel driveway, but couldn't quite make it. I tried it from several angles, with and without boards under my tires, etc., but it was a no go. Robin had already called the DNR guy for help, so rather than try again, I let him pull me up out of the worst of it. Was a bit worried for a minute when HE started slipping, but it all worked out. I managed to swing around and get situated on the gravel before the rain got too bad. It was just a light drizzle for a couple of hours while the camp was breaking down, but by late afternoon, it was pouring for hours! Though I wasn't thrilled at the idea of moving AGAIN, it was the right choice. The field was a lake before long. Put blankets on the horses when I fed them in the evening, and walked Lola while there was sort of a break in the rain. Well, not much of a break, but I put on my full rain suit and managed to keep dry. Started a new binge-series, a Canadian one called Being Erica, which has been nice and entertaining. Headed for shower and bed soon! Good night, darlin'! Love you!