hope i'm not hogging post but..

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years ago when i first started out on my little farm, back in the mid 90's, i started reading countryside mag. i read all about Wendy and her daughter and their semi-underground home. i've followed her blog for years. and her daughters, as i unschooled all my young'uns too.<br><br>i read many forums relating to all thats discussed here. i got side tracked for a few years in the city making a living, but have been back on the farm for about 7.<br><br>i was sure a greenhorn back then but didn't know it..LOL<br>i had a custom van i bought for $400.00, that needed a part fixed. its was my friends son who fixed it, he was an ace mechanic. i asked him what he wanted for his pay, he said "just git me a muntin dew and a pak o smokes an we'll call it guud"<br>LOl i loved him, he was a good friend, passed on last year.<br><br>so the van was brought home, loaded up with whatever i thought we'd need for a few weeks trip. i took this old desk that was lightweight and had 3 drawers on each side and a long drawer in the middle. basically lifted it up, opened the back door of van and put it against the back seat (bed that folded down). i put the cooler in the hole left and in the drawers were all the dishes, cook stuff, flashlights, first aid, toiletries, washrags, etc, whatever. it sure made travel easier. <br>beside that i had 2 5-gallon jugs for water. <br>the kids slept on the queen bed in back, i slept in a captains chair. we had a little tv/vcr combo i plugged into the cig lighter for 2 hours at night for a movie for us after a long day out in the woods.<br><br>we camped near streams or in parks with dry toilets and a spicket. one day a man camper came and gave us a huge load of rainbow trout he had caught, cleaned and fried for us! he reminded me to watch out for the copperheads..i said "whats a copperhead?"..<br>we swam, bathed, brushed teeth, washed hair and dishes in the stream. never saw a snake, God was watching out for us..LOL<br><br>one morning in May we were camped at our favorite place in MO. it was Mothers Day. for 3 days prior, my tiny little 10 yr old daughter kept asking to stop at thrift stores. i didn't know why.<br><br>that morning she got herself up at day break. went out and started the campfire under the grill. made eggs, toast, instant grits, and coffee..set it all up on a tray with a dixie cup of wildflowers..and brought it to me in the van. on the tray was a little handmade card that read: "Happy Mothers Day Mom, I'm sorry i couldn't find you an axe"..<br><br>hehehe..love that story. i'd broke my little wood chop hatchet. she was looking for replacement.<br><br>we had an old board game "map of the states". said daughter kept this with her and marked every place we went. i still have it.<br><br>we did this traveling for about 4 years. i could sit and tell stories all day about it and the places went, things we did. and on a pretty lean budget too. <br><br>our favorite meal was "campfire stew". a pound of hamburger, a big can of ravioli and a big can of baked beans, with some fresh bread on the side.<br>doesn't taste as good cooked on my wood stove now, but still good.<br><br>thanks for letting me share. i am actively planning this lifestyle as winter comes to a end here. <br><br>edit to add: i bought a small shasta TT for 600$ around that time. i used to bake bread in the oven in it during the winter. one time i had the idea to take it on a trip with us. we packed it all up, hooked to the van hitch. started down the road..got 2 miles and next thing i know i hear this big bump sound (it was after dark) and there goes the camper sailing past us down the road...<br>
 
<p style="margin: 0px;">Welcome, I enjoyed your reminensing-however you spell it, see what happens when I use big words.&nbsp; I have a 61 Shasta Astrodome Im fixing and painting, blog is below.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I also bake in mine, the stove works fine. So far just cookies and lasagna, cooked sausage and peppers on the stovetop.I am going to change out the hitch, I like to have ne tht locks on the ball. Don't want mine to go flying past me, I go pretty fast sometimes.</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#00ffff"><b>Dragonfly</b></font></p>
 
I have a '69 Shasta 1400 (14') travel trailer. My wife bought it for me ( us) as a rolling wreck for $125 for a wedding present 3 1/2 years ago. I have redone it to the point where we have used it several times for week long vacations, and I used it for working out of town before I bought the bus. And yes, the 40 year old stove/oven works perfectly!
Les
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thats what mine looked like too. i didn't know a thing back then about hitches or much else. <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> even so, i'd pack the kids and dogs in and we went to miami, the keys, chas., sc, all over MO and Ark., parts of texas, NC, tn and kty. <br><br>i'm taking my boy (6'5") through to pioneer village in the smokies then down further to south east tn to look around. he has been a wonderful young man and helped me get through maybe the worst 3 years i've had. he deserves more but he is happy just for this. told him we will see if we can get a cheap room off season rates. we're just going for a few days. it can get a bit stale out here towards the end of winter. <br><br>
 
That is an awesome little story Meg! Besides the "losing the trailer" thing! &nbsp;I really hope you two have a wonderful trip!
 
thanks! we're planning it all out so we can get the most out of it!<br>
 
Loved the story!<div><br></div>
 
The more time you spend together now, the better memories for later.
 
another tidbit:<br>&nbsp;i saw this ad in countryside mag (years back), for cheap land for sale, pick your plot off the net, send in first month payment and its yours. "Woods and Waters" i think it was called.<br>so i bought a plot. kids and i decided on our travels to go see it. it was in MO.<br><br>we get there and it looks ok, sort of, but is hard packed scrub with alot of rocks. i am thinking i will take pic of kids on the land. i hold the camera up and keep backing up so i can get a better shot. suddenly my oldest daughter says "MOM"..quietly but sternly, so i will stop. <br>i look behind me and i was 3 inches from stepping backwards off a 100 ft cliff, straight down. <br>this was the bulk of the "acreage".<br><br><br>
 
Meg,<br>You've got a nack for story tellin'. If you have or ever have grand children; they are going to love you dearly for your stories. It's an art lost on many these days.<br>Good on ya'<br><br>gus<br><br>
 
hey thanks..one grandson and another on way. due in april.<br>i will have to tell you about another time we went to see some similar land, in missouri..driving the van with the slide door.<br>it was straight UP and straight DOWN on those muddy clay roads.<br>kids and dogs hanging onto everything bumping all over the back as Mom is coming down the hill..and then there goes the door of the van. a big bump and there it went..it even stayed upright on its side, sailing down the dirt hill, for quite aways. like a penny you rolled on the floor..<br><br>we watched it, all of us, mesmerized.<br><br>it landed in a mud hole. my oldest daughter and i picked it up and put it back on the van (she was 12), and got back on the road. never had it come off again.<br><br>lordy, the things that can happen, but its all an adventure.<br><br>
 
that same trip. we're up in the mountains somewhere on a dirt road. kids are tired. mom is tired. just want to get to the park and make camp. i think i'm lost. so i walk in the gas station thats literally in the middle of nowhere. theres a few menfolk standing around. everyone in bib overalls.<br>i walk up to counter, calm, quiet, ask if someone can help me with directions.<br>the man standing there says to me with his hand out.."now..just hold on..now just calm down..now take a deep breath..now just don't you worry"..<br>(LOL i was already very calm, quiet and exhausted)<br>he says he will do better than directions, he will drive and i can follow him.<br>(he must have caught a glimpse of 4 small hungry cranky dirty kids in a dusty van with 3 dogs).<br>well, he did what he said. assuring me that it was "about 5 miles"..(everything in missouri is about 5 miles)..<br>25 miles later..he stops his old truck, gets out, points to a turn off road to the park.<br>asked me if i need any money, am i running from a husband, do we have food..<br>hehehe<br>bless his heart. don't much make em like that anymore..<br><br><br>
 
glad you enjoy LOL when i think about all the crazy adventures we had, i get to laughing!<br>
 
These are great stories! Laura Ingalls Wilder did not begin to write her stories until her adult daughter encouraged her to do so. Sounds like you may be about the same age or at least stage of life. I am sure you could write a fun, interesting book of family adventures!<br>jb<br>
 
*chuckle* <br>i get a kick out of reading everyones post here too. so many interesting stories.<br><br>
 

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