Off2YNP

Thanks, again for all the compliments on the photos! It's a passion of mine and Rick's. Wow! i am so happy for you guys! Is hubby posting about it on the HDT forum or somewhere? I so please send a link. I want to see it in progress. I hope everyone is doing great! I'm having some work challenges. it's just more proof that spending time away from people for long durations will be a lifestyle I am really looking forward to! haahaa

Thanks for the compliments, ladies!! Aggie: would love to have a lens with that reach!! Sharon: sounds like you had a yummy meal with those fish! There are plenty of places to fish out in Yellowstone, just can't do it off Fishing Bridge and you would want to watch out for the buffalo herds! lol Janet: looking froward to seeing you, too, and hope to have a recipe for you WELL before then!

Janet, good luck on the sale! Hope it goes well.

Oh, trust me. We have been building our telephoto lens arsenal since my first trip in 2006. I broke my 50-500 Sigma lens last spring "chasing" a great gray owl. Will need to replace it. Rick has a nice 200-400 lens with 1.7 TC. We both now have the Nikon D4s, an upgrade from the D300. If interested, take a look at some of our photos from past trips (taken with Nikon D300). I didn't get last year's trip up... sigh.... http://www.wyliephotos.com/_pics/2011vacation2/ http://www.wyliephotos.com/_pics/2011vacation/

Thought I'd start a roll call every month. It would be neat to know where everyone is right now, even sticks and bricks because you're not always going to be home, right? Here we go.... Roll Call: Alicia/Off2YNP: Wylie TX (stix/brix) - will take the house on wheels to San Diego in Feb!

That's good to hear, Sue! Aggie, 36 years of marriage? Heck, were you ten year sold when you married??? Congrats and hope you are feeling better. Susan, that is a good idea for Jack to add. You are in Austin? Hope you are enjoying yourselves down there. That's a neat city to be and I'd like to explore it some day.

Absolutely! A camera is a must and it honestly doesn't matter what kind. If your memory is like mine you are going to want the camera to remind you of the most wonderful creatures and sights you will ever see on this planet! Alana Sue, please refresh my memory: you got married last year and had the new truck with a few problems? If that is correct, Rick was telling em that your rig is almost complete. That must be exciting for you! And FYI: I received a text from Suzan Craven: Boomer's mom. She said they finally moved into their new home (bricks and sticks) and spent their first night in it on New Year's Eve!! Susan said it was a balmy 4 degrees!! brrrrrr

Racquel, a 2-pedal auto? I'm not familiar with that term but I think we have the same thing. Basically, my transmission shifts automatically except when I need to stop or take off, then I have to apply the clutch. Is that what you have?

Oh goodness, Sharon! I didn't know he had fallen. Ugh! Glad he is on the mend! So tell me about this van. Is this to replace the vehicle (SUV?) you were driving? And so basically you will haul the cats with you? Man, that is greatness!!!! What a set up!!! Does it pull the boat, too? LOL

Cute, Sharon! I drove the truck today. Rick is using it to haul some stuff tomorrow so we took it out for a little joy ride and I drove. It has the automatic shifter so I still reach for a stick when I put the clutch in. I learned how to drive a stick when I was 16 and we have a toy car with a stick I drive occasionally.. And I put the clutch in too soon so my leg got tired, but I finally got the hang of it. I can do "rolling stops" pretty good now. I don't drive this thing often so Rick was surprised that I didn't remember how to turn things on, when to pull the brake, etc. etc. Hopefully in a few years that won't be an issue because we will be traveling much more then. Well, I'll check in every once in awhile, but I've had four brilliant business ideas in two weeks and now I need to see them to fruition. I'm calling one of the ideas my $5 million dollar idea. Only because I want someone to buy me out for $5M so I can retire and never rely on a paycheck ever again! LOL Wish me luck! Y'all be good and safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

What kind of trailer do you have? We bought a Montana 34RL thinking our F250 could handle it. If I had known we were going to get a tractor, we would have gotten a Double Tree. Of curse, now we want a new Horizons.

Raquel, nice truck! Congratulations to you both!

Hey, Aggie! I will try to be more active. It will help if I add this forum as a quick link on my browser. Work has been nuts - the boss is insane, keeping me up at all hours of the night, skipping lunches, and then making me do the dishes... oh wait, I'm the boss! I hardly had time to get out the Christmas cards and do some gift shopping, but I got it done in time. Had a wonderful time with my folks in Arkansas and then came home Christmas eve, the day before the snow hit Dallas. Sharon, you will see many wonderful things at anytime of the year. I love going in early to mid-June for the flowers while May has less people, however, it can snow on you. We have been snowed on twice in early June, 3 inches the first time and about 1.5 inches the second (this year in fact). The weather is a little more predictable at the end of June, but I would avoid July 4th at all costs; just way too crowded. And if wildlife is what you are looking for, check out Lamar and Hayden valley. Go see Old Faithful at least once in your life, but then leave that side of the park to the tourist. Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and peaceful new year!!

Hey gals! I finally have a moment if down time since even before the rally and wanted to stop in to say hello! Rick and I still talk about the fun we had at this years rally in October. Really enjoyed seeing everyone and have 2013's fall rally already in the calendar. We put the trailer away the week we came back from the rally and it won't come out agin until May most likely. I did drive the truck with trailer that day and I did very well. Much different than just driving the truck alone. Will do more of that next spring. Wishing you all a very Mary Christmas and a joyful New Year! Alicia

Raquel, good to hear Trish took the first step. That's the hardest part and it'll be easier now. We still haven't come up with a name for our truck. I refuse to call it Big Red, even though my mom calls it that. My dad calls it the White truck, because of our last name and the irony that unfolds. He's an engineer, which explains his dry wit! Thought about calling it RAW, our initials, but that just doesn't seem right. We've had it for 2 years now, you'd think we would find a suitable name for it by now!

Don't get me started on Yellowstone! I'll never stop! We've visited every year since 2006, and started going twice a year in 2009. We can't get enough of it. We love photographing the wildlife. Raquel, I told Rick if anything ever happened to him, I'm just going to hire a driver. No way would I ever get this thing out of the driveway to begin with!! lol Seriously, though, I can do quite a bit from setting up the trailer on site to supervised hook ups to the hitch. Driving in the city is not something I am comfortable with but I don't mind driving on the highway. And the only reason I do is to give him a break; otherwise I don't want to drive. But I'm that way in the car, too. I'd rather be chauffeured!

Been a busy month, so just now catching up! Heidi! Your story about hanging off the ladder of the trailer give me goose bumps!! Wow!! Also, sorry to hear of your truck issues. Hope it gets figured out soon. Be safe out there! Susan, congrats on passing the certification! That's quite an accomplishment! Sharon, what did you ever decide to name your orange cat? You were trying on different names for him in October so which one stuck? LOL Racquel, sounds like you guys have a good plan. We don't know if we will ever be true full timers even after retiring. I think we will always come back to a home, so we would be considered part-timers. Rick is taking the trailer up to Indiana to get fitted for automatic levelers and to get the suspension replaced. He's going by himself because my plate has become so full with a new business. But after he comes back he will be here for a week and then we are all on the road to Yellowstone!!!! So excited. Greatest place on earth! I am really hoping for some good grizzly and wolf photos this time. Fingers crossed! About driving the tractor: Sharon, do you ever drive the tractor or just the SUV? Heidi, it's great that Robert has you driving. I need to do that. It's just the smart thing to do. Raquel, does Trish drive? She will need to learn, too. Okay, back to work. hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Oh Sharon! That sounds like a big ordeal! It's one of my fears, too. Glad nothing got torn up. Raquel, I was reading month or so ago, are you in the process of buying a tractor? Or trailer? or both? LOL When do you expect to be fulltiming?

I like that too, I think Sharon was speaking along these lines as well. Well, maybe I need to bookmark this thread and start posting on it to get the count number up, even if just random cat photos.

Well, how about this idea? If not a forum just for RDBE, how about making a new Post called RDBE and making it a sticky? I personally do not contribute to this thread because it is so hard to find. If it were a sticky, then I could find it more easily, you know? I think there would be more activity if it were more visible and easily attainable. And if the thread grows then perhaps a forum can be created. Also, I think we need to be reminded this resource is here. I had forgotten until Davena sent an email last week. Maybe Davena or someone can do a quarterly update? i dont' know, just thinking out loud here.