Arizonian and forum newbie here...Saying hello.

[Phyllis Anne]

Hi everyone, <br>My name is Phyllis Anne, for the past 39years my friends and family have called me Phyllis Anne or often called vanwomananne because I was always going somewhere, several times a year most years, traveling to other nearby states and staying for weeks at a time, while living and sleeping in my van. Once cellphones were made and sold, my family became much more comfortable with my "strange" lifestyle. To me it's not strange, I find it to be FUN.&nbsp; I am on my 5th Dodge van, and three of them were extended cargo vans, sometimes called MaxiVans. I like the longest van, it's just my preference. My oldest van was a Ford 70s or so short window van and the other 4 were Dodge MaxiVans. I guess I prefer long white Dodge Cargo Vans...<br><br>But, this time around, I want to equip my van for off grid living as much as possible while I'm still living in my stick home. I need to escape the HOT summer season (4 to 5 months long) here in Southern Arizona. I will always have the stick home to come back to if I need to or want to. <br><br>I am surely enjoying reading the forums on Bob's site, I really appreciate his efforts and time he's spent on the different sites for RV living. For me, it's kind of like a home away from home. I also enjoy making online friends, and I have actively participated in the Vandweller Yahoo Groups chat forums. They're quite fun and a good learning place with some pretty fun and great people who are like minded. But I think I might drive a few of them buggy due to my inquisitive nature and incessant questions. But, they're quite tolerant to the newbies. <br><br>I play a 36 string Celtic Harp, and I plan on traveling with it in my van. I have played Harp daily for nearly 25 years. Not so much regular practice during the past 4 years since I hurt my back RNing on the job, but I am starting to get back to daily practice.&nbsp; I haven't put this information on the Insulation thread on the Vandweller Live in Your Van group. I know I should!! &nbsp; My harp is considered a FINE musical instrument, and therefore I will need as much control over temperature extremes as possible. Which means AC and warmth. My harp is Walnut wood, which is more tolerant of temperature changes, but it is the GLUE that is the problem, especially with excess heat. <br><br>I am hoping to attend and feel welcomed at the GTG in Quartzite in this upcoming winter. I would love to meet the people I've been chatting with so much. It's nice to see a face with a name. It's much nicer to be able to actually spend time with and talk to people in person. I did post my picture in the "post your pic" thread. I felt comfortable doing that. <br>Phyllis Anne

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Welcome Phyllis Anne.&nbsp;

 

[VanTrekker]

Welcome Phyllis Anne!&nbsp; I hear ya about the warm summers.&nbsp; In Iowa it's in the 90s today but the humidity is oppressive.&nbsp; Before long, we'll be below freezing...&nbsp; I wish I could afford to spend the winter in Arizona.&nbsp; I imagine it's pretty comfortable down there.&nbsp; How cool does it get?<br><br>Take care.&nbsp; It's nice to have you here!<br><br>Brad aka VT

 

[Phyllis Anne]

Hi Brad,<br>Thank you for the warm welcome!!<br><br>In Southern AZ, winters average mid to high 50s, those are the colder days, lots of 60s, and few days are below upper 40s. There are a few nights that will get down just below freezing. I do love the winters here. From October through mid May is best. January seems to be the month that has the night freeze temps. <br><br>For Summer I would rather be up in the Flagstaff area. Much cooler there. <br>Phyllis Anne

 

[caseyc]

Welcome to the forum! Why so man vans? You wear 'em down fast? <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[Phyllis Anne]

Casey,<br>the man, kept selling them out from under me a year or so after I got them all fixed them up!!&nbsp; Then I'd have to go out and get another one.<br>Can't be without a MaxiVan!! The man, is no longer around.

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;Welcome Phyllis Anne - hope to meet you in person at Quartzsite in January!

 

[blkjak]

<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>welcome from s.w. florida .... blkjak</strong> </span>

 

[wagoneer]

I'm in love,,, welcome i will bring my tambourin's /drums for a free fireside duo. X SF hippie yes I was there in 1966 been here since 1956. Whats your handle?

 

[investigator77]

Welcome Phyllis Anne.&nbsp; You sound like just the type of person who would fit right in around here!&nbsp; I sure do envy you living in AZ.

 

[Phyllis Anne]

investigator 77,&nbsp; <br>welllll, I'm not sure I feel the same way about Southern Arizona as you do, especially right now in the HOTTER THAN HECK summer season!!&nbsp; There's a reason why Snowbirds leave around the end of May....Thank you for the welcome!!<br><br>wagoneer, <br>LOL, you fall in love WAY too quick!!&nbsp; That'll surely get you into heaps of trouble...oh wait, you're my age...you've already been in trouble before for that&nbsp; LOL...probably a few times by now..... Thank you for the welcome too, even if it was a bit emotional,&nbsp; LOL... I will get to practicing that harp of mine, I'm real sure we can make a ton of pretty noise around a campfire though, I could bring my amp too, it's got 4 hours of charge time, pretty powerful too...I'll need more light than firelight though, I have to see and read music quite well, much better than memorizing. I will think on and focus work on some songs that would be good with drums, not sure about tambourine though. I'll have to think on that for a bit...Oh, and if you're talking about cb handle, it was vanwomananne, over and out!

 

[Phyllis Anne]

blkjak, Thank you for the warm welcome!!&nbsp; How's the sw Fla weather? Got any bugs flyin around?? AZ bugs leave before summer hits...my dog has never had a flea in his little life!!<br><br>dragoninthesky!!&nbsp; Thank you too for the welcome. I appreciate this forum. I do enjoy chatting with kinda crazy people like me who likes to travel and sleep in their vehicle, whatever it is....

 

[az1895]

Hello ! Im new here too and from AZ (native). Escaping the heat is next to impossible for me. I head to higher country like Payson , White Mountains , or just head north to Idaho ! I was thinking about going to Quartsites too for the first time this winter for a month or so.&nbsp; I like the Extended cargo vans too....But it sure is the pits having to hunch over like an Ape !&nbsp; Cheers !

 

[Patrick46]

Hi Phyllis Anne <br /><br />here's a funny true story...<br /><br />My wife and I used to really be into teardrop trailers (we were even&nbsp;members of a national teardrop club)...<br /><br />and at one of the teardrop gatherings, a couple pulled in pretty late at night. <br />One of the other members told me that I should go up and check out their trailer, as the owner had built it himself (a cabinet maker by trade), and that&nbsp;the workmanship in his trailer was outstanding!...and so I did.<br /><br />It was GEORGEOUS!!! His cabinetry was beautiful!!! The way they had set up the interior was wonderful, very roomy and cozy. And as I stuck my head inside, I heard this rich deep beautiful harp music playing, and thought "WOW, they've really got a nice sound system in this thing"!!! <br /><br />I backed out (remember, this is night-tyme), and as I came around to the other side of thier trailer.........here was his wife, sitting next to their teardrop, playing her <strong><em>concert harp!!!!!!&nbsp; </em></strong>Duh!!! No wonder it sounded so good!!!!&nbsp; <img alt="[crazy]" src="/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img" title="Crazy - :crazy:" />&nbsp; <br /><br />Welcome to a great forum!

 

[Pikachu711]

Welcome to the group Phyllis Anne!