My Journey

Todd n Natalie

OverCamper
The worse thing now is the compression socks that I'm wearing. I had no idea they were coming. I absolutely hate them.....with a passion. Anyhow, tell me more about your experience(s) if you would please.
Maybe you'll end up liking them once your used to them.
I started having to wear them 7-9 years ago? Can't recall exactly. Now if I don't wear them for a day or 2 my legs feel like heavy bricks.
 

longhorn1

Observer
halseyt.....here's one more valuable tip for you. I sure wish that someone had mentioned this to me. You'll be required to wear compression socks after your surgery, and these things need to be fitted individually. They are not one size fits all. I had 2 young, guy nurses that stuck mine on me prior to leaving the hospital. And of course they didn't fit. Literally was like torture. I couldn't bend down to adjust them (still can't), and they literally were so tight that they nearly cut off my circulation. Finally a friend took scissors to mine and now they're bearable / wearable (just barely). Go to a medical supply store and get properly fitted prior to surgery, and bring them with you surgery day.....

pkripper.....here you go.....the first one was taken prior to hip surgery.....the next two I just took.....it's been a great, little tractor so far.....exactly what I needed.....

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Here's an update on the barn (I'm racing with (ITTOG's truck camper).....I've got a bit more pine board siding to install as well as cover the flooring with gravel. I finally finished hauling out the horse manure & the chicken ****.....that was an unreal project.....nearly a foot deep & rock hard.....

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The workbench is probably what I'm most proud of.....sixteen feet in length and incredbly sturdy. The base is built from wood scavenged from my friend's property (the hoarder).....sixteen foot long beams of reclaimed lumber covered with $75 per sheet sanded plywood (yes, it was worth it).....

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God willing.....+/- 70 days and we're back on the road.....

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Barn looks great. Glad you are making great progress on your recovery.
 
PNWY.....I was actually reluctant to go with the John Deere lawn tractor because there are tons of bad reviews online. Mine has worked perfectly.....

Ace.....the door on the left was salvaged after my BigFoot truck camper caught fire.....it was actually an XP member that suggested that I save the door and the windows, since I had my sticker collection on them. The door on the right came off of my current truck camper (Northern Lite). I think that Tanner busted out the window while I was having coffee with a friend. Some people here suggested that a black bear did it.....I wish that was the case.....

tgil.....I love the barn.....I've still got a bit more pine boards to install and I've got several more metal signs to hang, and add the gravel to the floor. I couldn't be happier with my hard work.....thanks.....

pkripper.....there is no physical therapy in my future unless things go south between now & September 27th (my last appointment with the surgeon). At first I was surprised when I heard that, but at the rate that I'm progressing, I can see why it's not required. I'm nearly back to normal after just 3 weeks in recovery.....and thanks.....

T & N.....today is the 22nd day that I've had these compression stockings on.....I hate them more & more as time goes by. The good news is that I'm wearing them a little less often as the days go by.....

JD.....recovery continues to go great.....2 days with a walker, 5 days with a cane, and now I barely have a limp. I'm looking forward to climbing a mountain in October.....and thank you.....



2023 has been one strange year in my neighborhood.....first my neighbor John died in March.....then my friend & neighbor Bert, the worldest greatest hoarder, died in May.....of course I've had my own challenges.....and then my friend & neighbor Sue had 4 strokes within a twenty four hour period in August which has left her unable to live alone.....

Much of the materials that I've built with came from Bert.....and now Sue has moved on and has left me many of her yard ornaments......here's a photo essay (?) of the property.....September 2023.....the birds that frequent the feeders have planted Sunflowers everywhere.....

And don't worry.....we will travel again.....

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Your place looks idyllic, until that white stuff starts falling. Only one dog picture? You’ll have to do better! My wife and I are In Turkey now, lots of strays. They all look in pretty good shape. The restaurants put out their leftover food at the end of the night for them. You also see lots of bowls of water and dry food out. There is also a spay and neuter program, at least here in Fethiye, so you see lots of dogs with a green tag in their ear.
 

tgil

Well-known member
Man, 2023 has not been a good year for you either!
My dad (89) started off the year with a helicopter flight to the hospital. Got released to go home, just before Memorial Day. Before he got released, we found out one of my nephews has cancer. It's not looking good. I found out today, a co-worker that retired less than 2 years ago, passed away a little over a week ago.
2023 could end tomorrow and it wouldn't hurt my feelings any!
That Trapper and Scout could be siblings!
Looking forward to y'all getting on the road, but I'd be content right where you're at too!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
halseyt.....well, you never know. As Ace can attest to, often I can be a difficult guy to track down. But if our paths cross, I'd love to have coffee or share a campsite with you. This year I'm thinking of traveling more to the east than I typically do, possibly hanging out in Wyoming (Wind River Range) & Colorado (13'ers & 14'ers) for a bit, if the weather cooperates.....

ghostdancer....."idyllic" is exactly what I was striving for, so thanks for the compliment ! Just last night the first snows of the new season blanketed the Montana mountains that I see outside my east facing windows. What a beautiful sight the first snowfall is.....the nights here are cool now.....a few already have fallen into the 30's. And I agree.....one dog picture is not near enough.....so, more to come.....don't worry.....

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tgil.....I've spent much of 2023 wishing my life away.....and then found myself wishing that I hadn't spent so much of the year wishing my life away.....it's complicated for sure. Having knocked on Heavens' door several times over the past six months.....well, that seems to have had an effect on me. The closer I've come to the end of my journey, my senses seem to have heightened.....sometimes now I think that life is like living on majical mushrooms.....it's difficult to explain. Just a few days ago, a Hummingbird Moth visited the property.....and I found myself hanging out with him much longer than what would have been considered normal.....I even had the opportunity to touch his fluttering wings.....incredible.....

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Even something as insignificant as a bee now captures my attention.....

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Lately I've been spending time getting ready to hit the road again.....the Jeep was in the shop for a day finally getting the alternator replaced.....the alternator that died in December of 2022. And I finally replaced those aging side windows.....they lasted (31) years.....it's amazing how long I drove with them in such poor condition. People on this site often talk about the dangers of truck campers being overweight.....heck, those side windows were much more dangerous than that.....

Out with the old.....

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And in with the new.....

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And slowly I've been working on waxing the truck & the camper.....I've done this every spring and every fall since 2005. I don't think I've missed a single season over the years.....back in the day it took me only a weekend to do both.....and now it takes me way too many days.....

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I also decided to add a set of Maxtrax to the Jeep. With decades of 4 wheeling behind me, I've never had a recovery tool like this and never thought I would need one. But things have changed this year.....I have a body with new parts that are yet to be tested. I thought it better to be safe than sorry.....all things considered.....

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I attached mine to the Jeeps' rollbar with (3) heavy duty zip ties and then ran my theft proof cable through them hoping that they're secure just like that. Mine actually will serve a second purpose as well.....they'll help to keep Trapper contained within the back.....she tends to climb upwards through that netting.....so hopefully this will help with that.....

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We hope to be on the road October 2nd.....I've pushed the departure date up one month.....but we shall see.....spending the fall season in Montana isn't such a bad option either.....hmmmmm.....

And lastly.....my best friends.....

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Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
I carry Maxtrax too but four of them. Usually when you get a 4x4 stuck both axles are in trouble. Got stuck in soft sand on a Baja beach a few years back and used all four and wished i had two more for the trailer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

mekcanix

Camper
I have 2 cheaper traction boards I take with me camping and on trips in the winter. They have proven handy for leveling the camper lol. Oh and yes I did use them to get my son unstuck a couple years ago in his car.
And

Here is Rosie whom we recently adopted. We lost waffles last year to a sudden kidney failure and I didn't want another dog, well then Rosie comes into our lives.
she has a bad hind foot that doesnt seem to slow here down, I have nicknamed her Wrecker! as shes 90lbs and all muscle.
Figured would enjoy the picIMG_6455.JPG
 

Riversdad

Active member
I have 2 cheaper traction boards I take with me camping and on trips in the winter. They have proven handy for leveling the camper lol. Oh and yes I did use them to get my son unstuck a couple years ago in his car.
And

Here is Rosie whom we recently adopted. We lost waffles last year to a sudden kidney failure and I didn't want another dog, well then Rosie comes into our lives.
she has a bad hind foot that doesnt seem to slow here down, I have nicknamed her Wrecker! as shes 90lbs and all muscle.
Figured would enjoy the picView attachment 798224
Good on you for adopting an older dog, I'm sure she'll give you years of love and fun.
 

halseyt

Active member
First stop for me will be Olympic Penninsula later this month. Then south for winter in the desert. Hot springs, Blue Angels practice flights, various events. Dentist in Los Algadones. I'll keep up here and see where you might be on the northbound leg.. love to pet those dogs. Safe travels.....
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
ITTOG.....I'm curious, what were your surgeries like ? I'd like to know more. Did you use a walker ? Why cruthches as opposed to a cane / walking stick ? The narcotics that they gave me made me deathly ill. I puked my guys out. I stopped them Day One. The worse thing now is the compression socks that I'm wearing. I had no idea they were coming. I absolutely hate them.....with a passion. Anyhow, tell me more about your experience(s) if you would please.
Sounds like my experience with dilaudid. Told the nurses I was gonna blow as soon as the needle hit my IV and they didn’t believe me….
 
Ace.....makes sense.....hoping that I'll never need them.....

mekcanix.....Rosie looks like a great dog.....I love the rescues ! I love them so much, I gave Bridger to a friend of mine. My friend watched the dogs during my last surgery and she fell in love with Bridger.....she took her home that very day. Now Bridger can be spoiled rotten.....not so much the case when she's one of three.....

Riversdad.....agreed.....

halseyt.....sounds good.....

plainjaneFJC.....I hate meds & I mostly refuse to take them. The doctors have been pushing them on me like drug dealers but I still refuse. I'm a firm believer that they get kickbacks from big pharmaceutical companies.....



So, we came in from the west.....and made our first stop in Bozeman, Montana .....loaded up with supplies for a trip with an undetermined destination for an undetermined length of time. We continued east on the interstate, arriving in Livingston, Montana thirty minutes later....then we left the interstate and headed south.....

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We set up our camp for the first night along the banks of the Yellowstone River.....

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.....just north of Emigrant., Montana....and also just north of Emigrant Peak (10,926').....

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It felt sooooo good to be back on the road.....it had been way too long.....we slept well our first night.....awoke only by a pack of coyotes that passed by the camper while on a night hunt.....oh man, I love their howls.....

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The next day we continued south.....continued to follow the meanders of the Yellowstone River.....

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