JIM & MARY'S RV PARK - Missoula, MT: RV Park Review

RV PARK REVIEW:

Aug. 19-28, 2013 (10 days)
Jim & Mary's RV Park, Missoula, MT
Site#A10   Price $30.50/night (1 wk rate and 3 days Good Sam discount)
Our rating 4.75
An oasis of green amid the dry, barren nearby mounds.

Sites: Nice large sites. Level gravel for RV and grass for our own yard.

Hook ups: FHU (50amp)

Bathrooms: did not check
Laundry: Looks decent

Pets: Pets welcome. Plenty of area to walk them.

WiFi: Free and works great. Our last day, it gave us trouble, but on the whole great wifi.
Verizon Internet: Worked well
Sprint Internet: ?
Verizon cell: 5 bars
AT&T cell: 4 bars
Book Exchange: yes, in Laundry room
Activities:  Sometimes local musicians play at the park.  Just sitting at site relaxing on our large area of grass and enjoying the abundance of flowers.

Mail delivery accepted: Yes.
We've gotten about 6 or 7 packages while here. It's nice to have mail delivery right at the park.
Area/Town/Sights: Plenty of hiking if you choose. Farm markets. Smoke Jumper's visitors center. There is also a fenced off leash dog park in town by the University.

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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013 Jennifer's Driveway Boondock, Bozeman, MT
Sept. 2-5, 2013 Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 6-15, 2013 Horseshoe Bend Campground NFS, Lovell, WY (Tentative, does not take reservations)
Sept. 16-30, 2013 Wheels West RV Park, Custer, SD

south for the Winter of 2013/214

Knee pads?

Aug. 19-28, 2013 Jim & Mary's RV Park, Missoula, MT

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No, it's not hump day.

  

Guess what day it is? Yep, it's our 19th Wedding Anniversary.
What did Scott get me? A pair of knee pads! What did I give him? A smirk and a thank you.
Actually, we don't exchange gifts or cards for any celebration. We are content to just be with each other and in the knowledge that if we can live full time in an RV, we are doing ok!
 It's been quite an easy 19 years. We have been lucky to not have many arguments, no threat of divorce (that I know of), like thinking, no in-laws problems, mostly same views politically and religiously. Money was a different story. Scott was a bit of a spendthrift when we first met, but he has seen the error of his ways and come over to my more conservative spending ways. I on the other hand fought to get him to be more social early on in our marriage, but I have given in to his social thermometer and we both now pretty much are happy to keep to ourselves. I'm still the one to organize any social activities, but that is rare nowadays.
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RV LIFE:
Scott went out shopping and picking up little odds and ends. And yes, one of the unplanned purchases was a pair of knee pads for me. My knees are fine hiking up and down, stair climbing, etc. But, my left knee gets shooting pains when I kneel on it. My right is not as bad. So I keep meaning to pick up a pair. Sweet hubby picked them up while at Home Depot. Thanks honey.

Yesterday I spent another day outside. What a life! First I had coffee outside, then caught up on email, then read a little and ended up falling asleep for 2 hours on the lawn chair.

It was actually a little chilly and I just couldn't warm up. Yep, that's me all covered up. Devin played the ever alert guard dog. I put my hat over my face because I didn't want anyone to catch me sleeping with my mouth dropped open.

Caught on camera a few years back! My brother "helping" me man the dog rescue booth. Actually, that was a very well deserved break. He faithfully went with me for all day events to help our Setter Rescues. He would help set up and pack up again. Thank you Bro!

So after my 2 hour nap, I knit a while, then brushed the dogs coat and teeth. Then time for dinner. Another great day in the life of retirement and RV living.
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SIGHTS:
Smoke Jumper's Visitor's Center - Missoula, MT
If you're in the area, this is worth a stop. There is a small museum with history, films and example of the equipment the smoke jumper's wear, carry and use to fight forest fires.

There is a short tour where you see the long tables where they fold/pack the parachutes, sewing machines where the smoke jumpers actually modify their own uniforms to fit their needs.

We saw the "tower room", which is a where they hang recently used parachutes to dry, check for rips and wear and tear.  After 100 uses the parachutes are retired.





Smoke jumpers are firemen & firewomen with extra training on how to jump out of planes.

There was a crew from Ontario visiting the center. Oooh, I'd like to see this guy in a Fireman Calendar!
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PET PEEVE:

Every month I get a bank statement for our checking account. I get so aggravated. I can see my statement on line. I don't need a paper copy, I don't want a paper copy. Enclosed in every statement is an insert stating to "Go Paperless". I've tried, I really have. I finally double checked to see why I'm still getting paper statements. Uh oh, maybe it's because I have an old/bad email addy? That's changed, but I'm still not paperless. Look under "Account Details", paperless is NOT AVAILABLE! Why the hell, do you keep wasting paper sending me an insert monthly encouraging me to "Go Paperless". I can't believe this bank hasn't caught up with technology.!
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CRAFTS:
Almost done with my circular yoke tee. Only 1 sleeve to go. I tried it on and it looks like it will be nice and loose on me. Will it look like a maternity top? I hope not. I will have to adjust the yoke top to fit more snugly, but I don't see that as a problem.

Happy Anniversary Honey! Love you.

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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013 Jennifer's Driveway Boondock, Bozeman, MT
Sept. 2-5, 2013 Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 6-15, 2013 Horseshoe Bend Campground NFS, Lovell, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 16-30, 2013 Wheels West RV Park, Custer, SD

south for the Winter of 2013/214

USPS needs your help

Aug. 19-28, 2013 Jim & Mary's RV Park, Missoula, MT

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"As human beings, we have a natural compulsion to fill empty spaces." 

Will Shortz
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RV LIFE:

The above quote fits in well with why I love the Fulltime RV lifestyle. The more room we have, the more "stuff" we accumulate to fill those rooms. Sure, we could fill up our RV more, but that's more weight that is being towed, more wear & tear on the RV and less room in an already small living area.

If you click the link to the author of that quote, you find he is a puzzle creator! So his meaning is totally different than how I perceived it, but it works for me.

We had some rain last night. It's been a long time since we've experienced rain. Even while in the Pacific Northwest, we didn't have rain! This rain really cooled things off. I'm sitting outside blogging in my crocs and my tootsies are cold! Time for some socks. (Yes, you smart alecks, I have more than just crocs on!)

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FOOD (Beverage):

Yesterday, on the other hand, was almost too hot to sit outside. The saving grace are the 2 shade trees at our site. So to help cool me off, or maybe just to satisfy a sweet tooth, I made some kind of smoothie/milkshake concoction. 

Delicious, refreshing and got a buzz to boot!

So yesterday, I decided to make a smoothie with what I had on hand. Having a double dip ice cream cone within 3 or 4 days, has got my sweet tooth craving more. Let's see, a handful of ice, some 1% milk, add a banana, a lets throw in some chocolate peanut butter, that I'll never use. Blend. Taste...eh. Needs a little "somethin, somethin". Add some Hershey's chocolate syrup and some malt powder. Blend. PERFECT! ALMOST HEAVEN! Yum. No need for ice cream today. Tomorrow is another story!

A few weeks back while in Neah Bay, WA, we were gifted a watermelon. I used some as just a refreshing cubed fruit snack, but I also made a Watermelon & Vodka adult beverage.

Delicious, refreshing and I got a buzz to boot?

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RV MOD:

Sterlite drawers & tubs

Scott went out yesterday in search of plastic drawers for his clothes. We have been looking for 6 months for the same drawers he purchased somewhere along our travels. They are Sterlite, but they are no longer shown on the Sterlite site. These drawers are deep & long with air holes and rollers for smooth opening and closing. I hate when you find a good thing and it's discontinued. He came back with similar but not the same in size. I hope they work, because I get his original Sterlite drawers to add to my stack! 

 Scott's drawers on left, Debbie's drawers on right. (Closet)

We use the large drawers in our closet to hold a lot of items from clothes, to crafts, to computer supplies. They are lightweight and fit a multitude of ways in the closet.

We also have the 15, 16, & 20 quart sized tubs in the basement. They hold enough to keep things organized and stack nicely. When I need something, I can easily take the tubs out to find what I need, then re-stack again. The large 55 quart tubs just hold too much and things get lost in there.

Tubs in basement

Also I have quite a few variants of these type of drawers. 

One set of 6 is under the kitchen table for pens, envelopes, electronic chargers, paperwork, etc.

I use a smaller version for jewelry, and another version for craft supplies. Never enough storage for my crafts.

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BROWSING THE WWW:

Free Stuff Times

I subscribe to this e-newsletter. I don't make use of their info as much now that we are on the road. But they inform us of all kinds of free things. Anywhere from a free cup of coffee at certain restaurants, to free no-snore nose thingies (got those and they help), to free Kindle books, etc. Now that we are on the road, I'm not as interested in getting free items mailed. 

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CRAFTS & PETS:

ONLY last Wednesday, I posted my Rat hammock project. I enjoyed making this simple item to give the Ratkins a cozy bed. Well, ONLY 5 DAYS later and look! I was warned and in the back of my mind, I knew this would happen. 

See the center hanging thingie? Just barely a few pieces of yarn left. To the right of the center, I now have the hammock held up to the cage with a binder clip. I'll keep modifying as they keep chewing away.
It was still worth the couple of hours to make. Even though they are only going to get about a week's use out of it, I was happy the whole time crocheting, knowing I was making this silly little luxury for these sweet Ratkins who will soon be back with their family. They are so easy to care for. I've loved experimenting with giving them people food. They like bran flakes cereal a lot. They will be going home with more food than they came with!
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PET PEEVE:

Ahh, you may wonder what is wrong with this photo? Fellow RV'rs will be looking at the black tank hose in front. Is it kinked? Is the connection not sealed properly? Is the hose overlapping into my RV site? Nope, nope, nope.
It's that white US POSTAL SERVICE PLASTIC BIN!!!! This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I retired from the Postal Service, have a decent pension and the job wasn't too bad. I stayed there 32 years.
These tubs are NOT for your own personal use. I've seen them all over. At many campgrounds, at the vendor's booths at fairs, in people's yards and basements. "The Postal Service Is Losing $50 Million Every Year Because It Can't Keep Track Of These Plastic Bins" 

There is actually a potential $1000.00 fine and up to 3 year jail term for using these tubs for other than mail. Please don't claim ignorance. This is printed right on the tubs. The USPS has offered amnesty for a time. Would the USPS really prosecute? I doubt it, but there's always that one to set an example of.
These tubs are loaned out to businesses who receive a large volume of mail. The businesses should return the tubs with their outgoing mail, or give to their postal carrier for return to the Post Office. Also, these are given out when residents may have accumulated mail after vacations. This is a courtesy to use these tubs so you don't have to try to carry all your mail in your arms, or supply your own tote. Please don't keep these tubs. Drop them off at the entrance of any Post Office, or leave by your mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up.

 Or contact the US Postal Service to set up a return of this equipment.








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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013 Jennifer's Driveway Boondock, Bozeman, MT
Sept. 2-5, 2013 Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 6-15, 2013 Horseshoe Bend Campground NFS, Lovell, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 16-30, 2013 Wheels West RV Park, Custer, SD

south for the Winter of 2013/2014

Inked

Aug. 19-28, 2013 Jim & Mary's RV Park, Missoula, MT

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RV LIFE:
I got my first and only tattoo when I was 52 years old. Scott has wanted to get one for the past 4 years and probably before that, but never voiced it.
Being on the road, it's difficult to find a tattoo artist by word of mouth. I do depend a lot on "Yelp" reviews.
While strolling through the busy, but still quaint town of Missoula, we came upon a tattoo parlor, Bound by Glory. We have had some false alarms with Scott's decision whether to get a tattoo or not. He keeps 2nd guessing. I gave up on encouraging him. A tattoo is a permanent piece of art or disfigurement, so let Scott decide when and if ever he'll get a tattoo.

Scott had a general idea of what he wanted. Some kind of Celtic knot and a dog paw print.
This is to represent our love of Irish Setters, especially his "heart dog", Ryley who passed in 2011.


We passed another tattoo parlor while driving. We opted out of stopping at Every Mother's Nightmare tattoo parlor. We naively decided on Bound by Glory  tattoo parlor simply on looks and speaking with the artist.
He just recently opened this store after moving from Austin, TX.

 This is not the way to choose where and who will be sticking you thousands of times with a needle, but...

I had a good feeling about this place.

This parlor was beautiful!

I got my tattoo at Electric Tattoo in Bradley Beach, NJ while still living in NJ. I was still working at the time and one of my co-workers was covered in tattoos. He was a really nice guy so I asked where his artwork was done. I figured with that many tattoos, the guy must be good, clean and safe.



We walked in about 12:30pm and discussed possible designs. Once we FINALLY decided on a design, we put down a $20. deposit to hold our appointment later that day. Now the question is, WHERE will the tattoo be inked? Scott wanted on his shoulder/upper arm area where many old timers got their tats. Yeah, I'm cool, I said tats! He felt he could easily cover it up if needed. What? Cover it up? Huh? I wanted it on the inside or outside of his forearm. Inside would be the compromise. It's noticeable, but not always seen. I dropped Scott off, leaving the final decision up to him. Well, after all, it IS his body. I was hoping for the inside forearm, but figured he'd play it safe and do the shoulder.

Inside forearm $200.00 approx. 4" x 4" 1.5 hours

BUSINESS REVIEW:
Bound by Glory (Facebook page) - Missoula, MT
Our rating 5 out of 5
See above review. Since we don't have much experience our rating doesn't really mean too much.

We're still enjoying this RV park. Mostly quiet with just a couple of noisy "neighbors", meaning, there is a train that goes by within site of the park, but doesn't really bother us. There is also some distant highway noise, but also doesn't really bother us. And once in a while there is a baby crying. Yep, that bothers us. We have some nearby neighbors (not right next to us) that are in a travel trailer. They remind me of the scene in Mary Poppins when she arrives at the house and starts pulling things out of her bag.

Mary has one carpet bag and she pulls out all kinds of things. How DO they all fit in there??? That's what I wonder about this family in the travel trailer. They were here when we arrived. Their trailer is in good condition, their site is kept clean. But throughout the day I see so many different people. I'm so confused. Ends up there are 3 children, a baby, a toddler, and a 10? year old. The kids seem to be well behaved. I saw the 10 year old boy walking their dog, then feeding the dog, then laying in the grass reading. The baby screams/cries a few times a day. It's really not that annoying. I'm just not used to kids.
So the airstream (no slides) is about 25' long and there are 3 kids, 1 20 something girl, and 2 adults, plus a chocolate lab! All in this trailer. If they can handle those close quarters, fine. I'm amazed.
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RV MOD:
Extra light and outside switch for closet.
A while ago, Scott put in an outside switch for our light in the closet. We no longer have to fumble around and feel where the toggle switch is on the light in the dark closet.

See the white switch on the top right?

It's now super easy to turn on and off the closet light. But, there is only one light in the center of the long closet. With clothes hanging up, this does not reach to the drawers on my side of the closet. I'm been using a dedicated flashlight for the task.

Whenever I need a t-shirt from my drawers, I could just blindly pick one out, but sometimes I'm more in the mood for this shirt which means leaves me alone. (Thank you for the shirt Carolyn)

Or maybe I accidentally pull this t-shirt out for meeting a potential adopter of a Setter. Tsk, tsk. That wouldn't do!
The solution? A 2nd light over the drawers on my side of the closet.

Let there be light!

Now there is no excuse for wearing the wrong t-shirt. If you see me wearing the above shirt, say hello to me at your own risk. You have been forewarned!

My, my. I thought Scott & I were somewhat conservative. After all, we are old retired folk. So don't judge us by this blog post only. Getting tattoos and an "R" rated t-shirt. We're a nice quiet couple...really we are!
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FOOD:
Since we ate a large & late breakfast. I was done for the day. No dinner...only dessert!

I went to the Big Dipper and had a double scoop cone of chocolate and white mint chip. The Chocolate was good, but the white white chocolate mint is wonderful! I will be stopping there the day before we leave and taking a pint home!
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RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Uptown Diner - Missoula, MT
Our rating 2.5 out of 5
Can only rate on breakfast.
Very cute decor with lots of memorabilia and turquoise all over.
Waitress very friendly, attentive and efficient. Our breakfast took quite a bit longer to arrive than expected.
Omelet: Fillings of jack cheese, mushrooms, sausage. Delicious fillings, but the omelet itself was very dry. I didn't finish.
Pan Fried Potatoes: Slices of potatoes fried with an "old bay" seasoning on top. Pretty good at first, but after a while, they seemed just like overcooked potatoes.
Pancakes: Very average, to maybe below average. These were also dry.
Huge portions, but I did not bother to take any home because it wasn't good enough.
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SIGHTS:
Garnet Ghost Town -
Our rating 4.5 out of 5
$3.00 per person. ("Free", We used our Nat'l Parks Interagency Annual Pass $80.)
Very dog friendly! The dogs were allowed everywhere including in the visitor center and all the buildings. So nice to sightsee together instead of one of us having to wait outside and take turns touring.
This is another old mining town, like Bodie, CA. Between the ebbing of the Gold Rush and a devastating fire, the town of Garnet was deserted. This is now BLM land and the gov't is also adhering to arrested decay to preserve this town in it's "natural" state.
"The BLM manages Garnet in a state of “arrested decay.”  This simply means that we are attempting to freeze the buildings in time in order to retain an authentic ghost town atmosphere.  We do not bring in buildings from other places to fill the town, and we make every attempt to retain every board in each building.  In that way, when you visit Garnet you can touch the authentic historic fabric that makes the old town an authentic ghost town. "
Bodie, CA Ghost town has many more buildings still standing and a lot of mining equipment to view, but Garnet is still well worth the trip.

Ringer washing machine. I'm NOT old enough to remember these.

Of course being a retired Postal worker, I needed a photo of the Post Office

Wallpaper

 In one building, they had a table set up with items displayed. Next to each item was a flip card. You were to guess what the items were. Do you know what this is on the right? At first I thought it was a large lampshade, but if you look closely, there are tiny wheels on the bottom.


It's a baby walker! I remember them! I think a safer version is probably still used today.

Kitchen

Salon or Parlor or Sitting room

Hotel room

Maid's quarters. 

What was nicer about Garnet than Bodie, is we were able to go INTO a lot of buildings. We were able to go up and view all THREE stories of the hotel. What a treat! Really interesting.
There is a visitors center for cold drinks and info and touristy stuff. There are bathrooms and water fountains. There's even a dog bowl of water for the dogs.
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PETS:
Both dogs enjoyed going into the old buildings of Garnet. Lyla especially liked the ice house which had a floor of saw dust and was at least 15 degrees cooler.
Devin found his own way to cool off.

Someone dumped their ice from a cooler. Devin snatched it up and carried it around for a while.

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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013 Jennifer's Driveway Boondock, Bozeman, MT
Sept. 2-5, 2013 Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 6-15, 2013 Horseshoe Bend Campground NFS, Lovell, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 16-30, 2013 Wheels West RV Park, Custer, SD

south for the Winter of 2013/214

Three course lunch

Aug. 19-28, 2013 Jim & Mary's RV Park, Missoula, MT

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Common Sense is ill named since Sense is not so common.
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RV LIFE:
Things are much nicer now that we are at this RV park. As was stated on Metamorphosis Road blog, "Luckily our RV park, Jim and Mary's is an oasis of green amidst the rolling golden hills just outside the hubbub of town." This is a beautiful pine sheltered park, with nice spacing between sites. The weather is still high, but with the pine shade covering our site and the lush green lawn and breeze, it is delightful to sit outside.  Tuesday, I spent all day outside. I had to keep moving around to avoid the sun rays that kept peeking through. What a great day enjoying nature.

I have stopped reading "Twilight". Not because it isn't good, but the only reason I was reading it was because of our recent stay in Forks, WA where this book takes place. I was hoping to relate to more references of places we've been. But, I just had no desire to open the book. I listened to the audiobooks, I saw the movies, so I know what happens. There are so many books to read, I have a difficult time re-reading a book. Scott on the other hand, couldn't put the books down and re-read all FOUR books in the series (Kindle version) one after another and I was only half way through the first book. Scott was also the one that had a difficult time purging all his paperbacks, because he does re-read books. But now he is totally hooked on Kindle books, that he won't even read a print book even if we have a copy of a book he wants to read. He'll pay to have it on his Kindle. I prefer the Kindle, but still can't turn down a "free" book at the campground book exchanges.
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FOOD CART REVIEWS:
Out to Lunch - Missoula, MT
Every Wednesday during Summer 11am - 1:30pm
What a nice event. This is held in Caras park. There is municipal parking nearby. Normally, there is a charge for parking, but during "Out to Lunch", it is free, with parking attendants helping you find a parking spot. If the parking lot is full, there are other public parking areas and a free shuttle to the event.
Although dogs are not allowed at this event, it only pertains to under the tent. There is plenty of lawn to sit and eat with your furry friends.

The smaller covered area on the right is the bandstand, which had a pretty good country rock group playing.
We started off with a slice of pizza from Clove Cafe Pizza Peddlers. Our rating 4.5 out of 5. This is a traveling pizza oven, shaped like a garlic clove!

Peddler in their name has double meaning, not only selling their wares, but also, the Clove Cart besides being towed, can also be moved with pedal power! 4 seats, 4 sets of pedals to move the cart.
And to top off this cool Clove Cart, the pizza is GREAT! Really nice crust.

Scott had the regular pizza on left. I thought it looked burnt, but Scott said it was really good and he would get this again.  I had the chicken white pizza, which was delicious. This is the first time in my life I didn't finish eating the crust. I put the crust in a clean doggie bag for our pups at home. I wanted the crust, but I knew this was our first stop among many food vendors, so I was trying to save room.

For my next course, I stopped at Kadena's and chose a chicken salad stuffed into a baguette. My rating 4 out of 5. What a concept! They hollowed out the baguette and scooped the salad into it. Very convenient to eat that way. The chicken salad was delicious. A light mayo dressing, with celery, onion, tomato, chicken and cashews. Nice.

For Scott's next course, he chose an Indian dish from Masala Food Cart. There was quite a line, so he figured it must be good. Scott's rating 2 out of 5.  I believe he ordered a sampler plate. He said it was very bland.

Kindle always at hand to pass the time

And for desert...
Big Dipper Ice Cream! Big Dipper does have a store front. My rating 4.5 out of 5.
Very, very creamy smooth ice cream. I had a double scoop. Yep, that's why I'm the weight I am. Huckleberry and Mexican Chocolate. The Huckleberry was delicious, but actually lacking just a little umph, meaning it was really good, but seemed to need just a little more Huckleberry flavor. I opted for the Mexican chocolate, because of "Yelp" reviews. I didn't like it. Not that the ice cream was bad, but I guess I don't like Mexican chocolate. There was some weird spice in it. Looking for Mexican Chocolate ice cream recipes, I suspect there was a touch of Cayenne Pepper in it. Yeck! I bet their regular chocolate is delicious though. I plan to try it!
Scott had white chocolate mint ice cream. That is delicious. Of course I had to have a taste!!!
So there you have it...my three course lunch...Chicken salad (well it is salad), pizza (Main course), ice cream (Dessert)
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SIGHTS:
On our drive from Idaho to Missoula, MT, we were looking at the beautiful mountains and blue sky. But some of the clouds looked odd. Scott said he thinks that is smoke among the clouds.

Sure enough, there is a huge forest fire in Lolo, MT, which is only 20 miles from where we are now. So far 9500 acres have burned. Very sad.
This is a beautiful area of the country even though it is dry. But a lot of irrigation makes for beautiful green landscapes. I love looking at the golden mounds in the distance. But I doubt if we would decide to settle here. The winters are probably a little more severe than we'd like, but also, all Income is taxed, even pensions, plus property taxes.
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CRAFTS & PETS:
When the Ratkins first arrived, Devin would push the cage with his snout and then creep onto the table to get closer. Devin is now trustworthy loose at night and no longer is obsessed with the Ratkins. We had been blocking the bedroom door, so he had to stay in the bedroom with us, but he's being a really good boy and leaving the critters alone.
I am growing very attached to Ratkin, Patches. He comes to greet me when I open the cage. If I give her a little treat, instead of grabbing it, she will eat it out of my hand. Chino is quick. She grabs and goes. Patches and I have been having quality time with her laying on my shoulder while I pet her. She fell asleep on me this afternoon.
Chino & Patches sleep a lot during the day and cuddle with each other. I decided to crochet a cozy hammock for them.

Patches checked it out

Chino has laid claim to it and has been sleeping in it all day.

Now you can't possibly tell me rats aren't cute!
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BUSINESS REVIEW:
This review is from our time in Deming, NM in March of 2013. Told by Scott.
Jack Key Ford - Deming, NM
Our rating 5 out of 5 (Service Dept.)
We were having problems with the "Check Engine" light coming on in the truck. It's been a dirty EGR valve which is a fairly expensive part on a diesel. It's been cleaned twice, so when the warning light came on again, I decided it was time to replace the valve. I first stopped at the Autozone car parts store just up the road from the Ford dealer. Autozone has a great deal, they'll check any error codes on your vehicle for free, saving about $100 at the dealer. Sure enough error code P1335, EGR valve bad or dirty. At the dealer, I told him the code#, so they pulled the Valve, very dirty, but they'd try to clean it, or I could replace it. They'd have the part Monday. He cleaned the valve a bit then reassembled everything. No charge, very nice.
Monday morning, they replaced the valve, ran a free maintenance check (rear brakes worn, still ok) then washed the truck and windows. The repair even came in below their estimate. So, if you happen to need a Ford repair while in Deming, NM, Jack Key Ford's not bad.
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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013 Jennifer's Driveway Boondock, Bozeman, MT
Sept. 2-5, 2013 Mammoth Campground, Yellowstone, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 6-15, 2013 Horseshoe Bend Campground NFS, Lovell, WY (Tentative)
Sept. 16-30, 2013 Wheels West RV Park, Custer, SD

south for the Winter of 2013/214