Back in KC

We came home Tuesday afternoon. The storm passed by during the morning and we left as soon as the sun reappeared. The Lake is a great place, and one that I can spend hours, just doing nothing. But in the winter it is more isolated and cold.

Now I know that many folks will go out into BLM ground and live for days without contact of any kind. At least with their fellow man. Even seeing another camper in the distance, kills the experience for these folks. I have never learned how to be one of these people.

So we are in a man made environment at the lake. Almost all of the shoreline is occupied by an owner, with a home or business. In the winter, for the most part, they are not there. The solitude is still present. No one will bother you for hours on end. Maybe the mailman once a day, or the garbage truck on Wednesday.

There are folks that live there full time, but they are one house in ten. So you may have to go 6 doors down, to find someone. And then they will be at work. I can take this for about 3 or 4 days and then I return to more active civilization. The wife doesn't last that long.

It did stay cold here for the rest of the week. It was in the 20's this morning and is in the mid 30s here by mid day. The sun is out and it seems to be a beautiful day outside. But I like usual have my head stuck in this infernal computer.

If I'm not reading a blog that I follow, then I need to update this blog. Everyone I know is on the computer in one form or another. We seem to not be able to escape. Oh, I haven't read "so in so's" blog yet today.

I continue to study the Ubuntu Linux operating system. It is a very good alternative to the Microsoft windows environment. Oh and I see that Warren Buffet has now passed Bill Gates as the worlds richest man. He has 4 Billion more than Gates at 62 Bil. Linux is free.

Last night I ended up in the RV-Dreams.com Chat Room. This was a good time as there were twelve people in the room, at its height. We had three or more conversations going at once, as people read the lines that are of interest to them, and pass over the other stuff. It was a multi task chat, that was interesting.

I did run my son up to the auto auction, where he had purchased another car. He has a dealers license. We went to the Northeast side of KC MO north of Worlds of Fun. It was about a 40 mile trip, entirely within the KC metro. At 5 PM rush hour. A treat that no one would pass up. Just for fun of course.

And I am still battling the cold that the barbers conveniently passed on to me last Tuesday. It just will not go away.

So its slow at the old household today, hope yours is moving along at a faster pace. Ah retirement!

The Lake of the Ozarks

Our view from the upper deck at the lake of the Ozarks. This looks to the dam that is 3 miles distant.


The story of how we became Lake Ozark residents.

As some of you know, we have only recently re joined the RV community. In the 1970's and up thru 1982, we would never be caught dead without our trusty RV.

We started with a "Fold Down" in 1973. My sons now tell me that, thats a "Pop Up" now dad. Well they do both. But we had one for several years. Hauled the thing all over the country on vacations and weekends. It was a good time.

Then we had the fated Travel Trailer. It only lasted for less than one season, as we were broad sided with a big Chrysler in New York. It caught fire while still attached to the car. I disconnected it and drove away, as it burned. Our vacation, belongings and spirits were ruined.

We rented a Pop Up the following year. Not being too sure, what the RV future for us was. But then again we purchased another Pop Up. We had that for three more years and sold it to a relative.

Then came the Mobile Traveler Class C. We used it for about 4 years. That is when we began to camp at the Lake of the Ozarks. We had a boat that we pulled with the class C. It was an 18 foot runabout.

Camping at the Lake became an almost weekly event, even though it was 5 hours each way from Iowa. We would leave as early as possible on Friday, or even Thursday if we could sneak away. So we begn to leave the boat at the lake. Didn't need to pull it back and forth.

We had a VW Rabbit car that had a tow bar. This became the toad vehicle, to go to the lake. It made it a lot easier to go get groceries ,and grab the restaurant meal away from the water. We did use the boat to go out at night before the VW, and still did, but not as much.

Then it happened! We stayed too late on Sunday afternoon, and needed to get back quick. We left the Coach and drove the Rabbit home. Well that became the norm. The coach was parked at the campground storage lot, and we just commuted.

It wasn't long before we bought a condominium. Two bedrooms and a big living room-kitchen. About 900 square feet. Seemed huge as compared to the motorhome. And that is how we came to be property owners at the Lake of the Ozarks. We eventually sold the class C from lack of use.

We traded condos and then a small cottage and so forth. Only recently have our grown kids, and the grandkids, become interested in RV'ing again. So we now have a Travel Trailer as we felt we could use the RV for winter trips, as well as the weekend get away with the family. When we were not at the Lake.

After spending two months in the RV this winter, it seemed almost extravagant, to be in such a nice place, as our home on Lake Ozark. If we hadn't made all those payments for year after year, we would never be able to just outright purchase such a place. Inflation has paid for more than half of the purchase price over the years. It has been a good decision.

With brick and mortar comes the upkeep. We have to go see what has happened now. You never get too far away from the maintenance. So that is why we go in the first week in March to a lake home when it is too cold for lake activities. It comes with the territory. Nothing is without its responsibilities.

We are lucky this year to have not experienced any problems. Other years have been less fortunate. But then that will be a story for another time.

So we head back to the KC area yet today, as it is too cold to sit out on the deck (22*) , and even the fishermen are off the lake.

Lake Ozark. Mo.

We drove to Lake Ozark in the afternoon Sunday. It was 70 degrees and overcast when we left Kansas City. It was 75 and overcast when we got here. We never did get any rain as we traveled.

But just wait 10 minutes and all that will change. We are in the Midwest where weather is subject to change at a moments notice. And change it did. This morning it is 32 degrees in freezing mist and rain. Kansas City has 26. The weather came from a line of nasty that stretched from Texas to Wisconsin. It is tracking slowly Eastward.

So we are here for a day or so before the freezing stuff moves East. Thats OK.

We found the cabin here in good shape, as we hadn't been here since the first of the year. The heat was working and the water system was not compromised. Or at least as we turned it on, it pressurized normally. It is a relief to have everything OK.

We have a pontoon boat on a floating lift in a floating dock in front of the house. It is all designed to change levels with the lake. As the electric company uses the water to generate electricity, the lake level naturally changes. It is down about 6 feet which is normal for this time of year.

The lift is raised by air pumps that fill the floats and then close valves to hold the air in the lift tanks. Last year I purchased a computerized system that checks the lift level and automatically fills the tanks as needed.

This is a God send as it allows peace of mind when you are away for extended periods of time. If the air escapes from the floats, and the lift goes down, your boat is back in the lake, floating on its own. It is tied to the dock and will not drift away, but wind and wave action will cause a lot of damage in just a short period of time.

We do have rubber fenders that hang in between the boat and the dock, but they seem to get pushed up over time and do not always protect things like they should. Also the green algae grows on everything almost within a day. So keeping your boat up and out of the water is the only option.

Our boat was floating nicely, but the neighbors boat was in the water. So I went to his dock and turned on his air pump to fill his lift tanks. I do not think he has been here for quite a while either. He was interested in the automatic lift pump, but hasn't purchased one yet.

So all is well here in Lake Ozark....

A nice day

Today was a stellar day. The sun was out from the beginning and out for the entire day. The temperature rivaled the Texas weather we experienced last week. It was 68 by the end of the afternoon.

It was my grandson's birthday! He is 6. We got him a new bicycle. A big to him 20 inch bicycle with 6 speeds and hand brakes. He was surprised.

I bought the bike last fall as it was becoming cold outside. K-mart had them on sale but not too much off as they seem to sell in the winter OK anyway. I thought we would give it to him at christmas but the ladies of the family said no. Wait till spring.

So it has been out in our garage all winter, under a tarp for a charcoal grill. This afternoon, we got to looking at the junk in grandpa's garage, and we accidentally found a new bike. He looked under the tarp and said its a bike! Its a new bike! What are you doing with a new bike? Is this my new bike? Oh boy!

It is still a little big for him, but he was bound to learn to ride it anyway. Its just way too cool to put away until I get bigger. He was out most of the afternoon, trying to ride it around without falling. When he stops, he has to kind of crash land, as he hasn't mastered putting a foot down and leaning over to stand on the ground. It is just a bit too tall for him to stand over.

He'll get it, and grow into it everyday. My oldest son bought him a nerf dart rifle. Uncle Chris is known for the purchase of ornery toys. Of course he was told to never shoot his sisters with the nerf rifle. How long do you think that will last?

So tonight we are contemplating if we will go to the Lake tomorrow. The weather is supposed to get bad by tomorrow night. Changing to freezing rain and snow by nightfall. Didn't do that in Texas. If we go, we need to be there before the bad stuff. We'll see how we feel about it tomorrow....