R. Walter

Going on our third year. Now in Mass for the summer. Back to NM in August.

Just wondering... is that Topsail in NC, FL or somewhere else?

Right now we are in Blue Angel RV Park (USN) until early January when we head over to the east coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral.

My wife and I left northern NM a week ago and are currently staying at Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, LA. Nice place and fun people here! Heading for Florida in a few days.

My wife and I left off our Hitchhiker in Chanute, KS for some maintenance and will pick it up in several weeks. Meantime we are at our homebase in northern NM about 100 miles north of Albuquerque. We go back and forth to Albuquerque or Farmington for groceries and supplies as necessary. My son visits me beginning Oct 8 and we both drew out for elk and will hunt that week in unit 5b. In December wife and I head for the Florida panhandle to visit our other son in Pensacola and will spend most of the winter in Florida. Between now and December we plan on several weeks in Arizona or southern NM. After Florida its up to New England for the spring and then... Alaska next summer. Anyone have Alaska on their itinerary next summer?

Fracking has been going on longer than 08/09.

Still up here in Massachusetts volunteer working at a COE facility. Plan to head back to New Mexico on August 29 going through the UP of Michigan for a week or two. Weather in New England this summer has been unusually warm and dry. I thought I'd get some cool weather compared to central NM, but I guess not. Just thought I'd post this update.

I'd like to add my best wishes to you, Lee, and a rapid recovery for you. I've been following this thread for over a year and have especially enjoyed your posts, Lee. In fact I even stopped by in Deming over Thanksgiving 2014 to say hello, but missed you. Today I retire or, rather, its my last day of regular work. In the next 2 days my wife and I hit the road headed east to Florida to visit our 2 sons and then we're volunteering in Massachusetts at a COE facility for the summer. And back to NM for the fall. Good Health to you , Lee!

Would renting your house work out for you as far as making it easier to hit the road?

I grew up on a ranch about 85 miles SW of Magdalena. Many years ago...

Two more weeks before wife and I hit the road headed east to Massachusetts for the summer. Wife retired 2 weeks ago and I retire Apr 29. We plan to leave from northern NM about May 2. We will be full-timing, but keeping our place as a home base. We have our rig all together which is a 2005 Hitchhiker 5th pulled by a 2016 Ram 3500 srw. Can't wait to get going. We're volunteers for the summer at a COE facility in MA. Hope the COE does not work us too hard. See you on the road!

Where is your summer work camping job?

My wife retires March 31. I retire April 30. We're keeping our ranch in northern NM as a home base. We're hitting the road in early May and will be in New England for the summer as a host at a COE site. After summer, we plan to head back out West for the fall and hunting season. So, 2016 is working out for my wife and I as full-timers (?).

Excuse me for butting in, but I'd like to share that my son and his wife (both USN) will be spending the next 3 years in Pensacola. They've both been there since July. And my wife and I've already scoped out the RV park at Pensacola NAS which is right on the water.

Yes... nice looking outfit. I have 163 days until April 29 when I stop my work life. Looking forward to it! All downsized and ready to go.

My wife and I would also like to join the Class of 2016. Originally, we kind of planned on 2015, but decided to work a little longer and tie up some loose ends. My wife retires in December from the US Customs and Border Protection and will return to New Mexico to join me. I plan to stop work on April 29, 2016. She currently has been on assignment in the DC area for the last 16 months. Next summer we have a volunteer host assignment that's been offered to us in her home state of Massachusetts. It's not my preferred location, but she's been in New Mexico with me for many years and I promised her that our first summer retired we'll go back east. We'll buy a unit, probably a fifth wheel, after Jan 1. We'll be visiting PPL in Houston when we return from her retirement cruise over Xmas out of Galveston. I'm not sure where we'll be after next summer. We'll probably return to NM for the fall (hunting season) and then go to Florida where our 2 sons are stationed. We have our house in Corrales, NM already rented (rental started September 1) and all of our things (the few that remain) are in storage in our garage/workshop on the property which is not part of the rental. For over the last year I purged heavily and, especially in the month or two leading up to September 1, when our lease commenced, I sold and gave away a bunch of stuff. I'll never miss the stuff that I did purge and it feels really great to have the casa all arranged. My wife is excited about next summer in Massachusetts. I have concerns about what to do since I'll no longer be working. I'm very much outdoors most of the time whenever I get the chance. I'm thinking about getting a metal detector to occupy my time. We have two sons, recently married, and both are military active duty. No grandkids yet, but would expect to hear that kind of news in the next 2 - 3 years. Exciting times ahead for us, but a little scary.

Go easy on Gallina. The hen is only about 16 miles down the road from me.

You can download a 1040ES from the IRS website or numerous other websites. If you have a printer you'd be all set. You wouldn't have to go back to Deming. Just print and pay.

South of Pensacola you're going to need a boat. (Smile)

And, I believe under NM law, the dealer has 30 days to get it titled (or you can return the vehicle to the dealer.) At least for regular passenger cars. Unsure about RVs.

I see you've mentioned several times spending some time in northern NM this upcoming warm season. I've got a little place (house on 160 acres with electric, water, etc) in the middle of a bunch of large ranches in northern NM if you were interested in setting up there for a week or two or three. Look up Lindrith, NM. That's the local post office nearby.

I find all the astro-physics stuff that you share all quite interesting. On a side note, I just returned from Holidays at my son's in Rockledge, FL (Brevard County - home to Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral AF Station, Patrick AFB) He took us on a visitor's tour of the Atlas IV (I think) control center, horizontal integration facility, pad standup and stacking facility from which launch occurs... really very impressive. They launch about 12 - 14 rockets per year. Also got to see the Delta IV (most powerful rocket currently in US arsenal) as well as old launch sites, now abandoned.

I don't believe that the state of NM tracks the actual name of insurance companies that owners/drivers are insured with... only a yes/no as to whether you have liability insurance. BTW, I stayed last week for a night across from LOW in Deming at the 'Ol West' rv park. It seemed to be all permanent residents living in RVs. Not the usual definition of a full-timer.