Well, the preparations are coming along on the rig, and I'm to the point of having to actually hit the road to find out what I've missed. Just having some trouble with beginning the second month of retirement - seem to be finding myself grinning for no apparent reason. I received my renewed passport to keep the folks happy at the Canadian border, and I'm running out of excuses for not hitting the road - looks like one last obligation in Beaverton, OR, this weekend, then head for Fairbanks with no itinerary, no schedule, and probably poor preparations, but it just doesn't seem to worry me at this point.<br> I don't yet know if my little(19 foot) class C is going to prove trustworthy, but I'm thinking that if it'll do 25 miles, it'll probably do 2500.<br> So far, if there's a downside to this hitting the road with no worries, I have yet to find it, and the calculations seem to indicate that a modest pension will keep me in beans, rice, and gasoline if I don't get too carried away. The ol' farm boy in me has never "stirred with a very big stick " anyway, so I'm thinking that things will go just fine.<br> I'm beginning to realize what it's like to own my own time after 43+ years of serving the system, although I still am appreciative of the pointers and helpful encouragement I've been getting from this site.<br> I'm going to try and stay in contact along the way, and report in - it may be amusing to see just how much I'm discovering as the mobile, free life takes hold.<br> I hope to hit the road this weekend and experience some of those surprises out there, and thanks again for all your pointers and insights, all of you.<br>I'm off to the store for some DEET repellent - heard those mosquito stories for years now, but when my daughter in AK told me about the mosquitos in the hotel she works at having the fire alarm set off by them, I've just gotta see that for myself!<br> Still smiling to myself,<br>Joe<br>