Month 2 Check In

​It's hard to believe that I have only been on this adventure for two months!  It feels like I've been out here for at least four.  I've been spending like it's been four!  (#funnynotfunny)
I was supposed to check in around the 11th, so I'm a few days late.
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I was whining about gas prices being a whopping $2.54 per gallon and and I was struggling with that.  I just had to fill my gas tank at $3.79 per gallon.  Having $70 and $80 gas trips are the norm.  (and that's probably about half a tank!!). So, that's the biggest change from last month to this.
The second, is the campgrounds.  It's getting more difficult to find spaces available.  I realize how great camping is and I'm excited that everyone else is finally figuring that out, however... it is leaving very little space for me!  Campgrounds in the midwest average in the $20- $30 range... the further west you go, you start at the $33 range and it can go up from there... WAY up.  The highest I've seen was $112.  PER NIGHT!  And that did not come with any thing special.  It's crazy.  I mean, really crazy.  And I didn't budget for that... so I am SO over budget. 

I am down to one pair of jeans that don't have rips or tears in them.  To be fair, they were old to begin with.  Pretty sure I haven't bought a pair of jeans in at least ten years.  But I sure have been rough on them!  I love my jeans.  They are my favorite thing to wear, year round.  And out of all the clothes, I packed, I pretty much only wear the same 6 or 7 outfits.  So, if you'd like to rub it in that I didn't need all the things I thought I would need, this would be a good place for that... because coming right behind it is the kitchen items.
Turns out, I didn't really need all of those, either.  In all fairness, I was supposed to be doing a heck of a lot more cooking!  I still have yet to use either of my dutch ovens.  The propane stopped working in the camper (yes, there's propane in the tanks), so I have no stove (or hot water for that matter).  If I can't heat it up in the microwave, it has to be eaten cold.  Or I have a crock pot, so I've been making chili a lot.
So, yeah... all of my mixing bowls and baking tools, pots, pans... just being carried from one place to the next.

Which means my food supply is still in pretty good shape.  Since I was ready for the thought of not having much fresh food, I haven't had to go to the store for much.  Since I am the worst pioneer ever, I gave up on trying to ONLY do and eat what they did, because I can't cook outside.  (Turns out wildfires are a HUGE thing this way and it's no joke.  They don't allow any type of out door flames during the summer.)
So, I will probably go home with 90% of my flour and 80% of my beans that were purchased for the trip.  

I've eaten out twice this month... if you want to count gas station food.  And I have cheated with bottles of Pepsi about 8 times.  (In my defense, they sell vanilla Pepsi here, which I can't get in the midwest, so I splurge... plus it helps ease the pain of the gas price I just paid!)  Other than that, I just buy my half n half for my coffee.  I need to get some veggies here soon.  All the produce markets are open and I love me some fresh produce! (And still don't want scurvy.)

The Wildwood Conestoga has really taken a beating for some reason.  Do the manufacturers not know that the camper is going to be set up and taken down over and over again?  Don't other campers do this?  It shouldn't be so fragile!  It shouldn't be having so much trouble.  It's only a 2017!  

 So, I've already mentioned my propane tanks.  (No hot water, and no cooking flame), now my rear legs won't extend, so I have to figure out how to deal with that.  My ball hitch either won't lock onto the ball, or won't let go!  So we have this dance every single time in hooking up and unhooking to make the ball hitch fits just right.  It's so aggravating! 
I rarely use the air conditioning, (that could be the problem) but I had it on yesterday because it was 106 degrees and it whined the whole time... and when I turned it off for the evening, some exhaust fan (somewhere) was blowing and whining... I don't even know.
I've had three flat tires.  Two on the trailer and one on Xander.  (I had to get four new tires for Xander, because they were all close to going out, so I bit the bullet and did that.  Ouch, but I feel safer.  I do still have to buy a new spare tire for the camper just in case it happens again.)

The temperatures here are SO hot and dry, and even though I don't speed on the highway, I'm afraid of the tires over-heating or something happening.  I've had to call my insurance roadside three times so far on this trip, so I can't imagine what my premium is going to look like next month.  Ugh... the price of chasing your dreams.

Let's see, what else... nope, still. no videos.  Not gonna happen.
I haven't written the new book either.  I'm just so busy taking everything in!  Every morning though, just as I am coming into conscience my brain is writing.  Not that I can remember by the time I get back to my computer... but it IS up there... so there's hope.  I'm thinking that once I am finished with this trip, all the ideas and senses and feelings and characters will come bubbling up.
I've also been thinking about creating a book about the actual trip- talking about what I've learned and sharing some photos... like a more complete and orderly History Revisited on paper... and also a journal/planner for other people who are getting into the camping thing.  I really do love this life.  (And I will be so sad when I reach the end of this trip.  It's all coming too fast. ). But for others just getting started or want to document their trip but don't know how or what to say.. this journal thing might help... that's just an idea though...

So, if you're reading this and are not yet familiar with my writing style, please don't see complaining.  (Okay, fine, there might be some, because this life is sometimes hard!). This is mainly documenting.   I just like to keep track of stuff and I thought you might want to see the other side of things as well.  I'm sorry it's not more scientific... probably why it comes across as complaining, but it's really not. 
I am so happy to be doing this.  It is such an adventure and I am learning so much.  And not just historically speaking!  I am learning more about me every day.  I've discovered that I'm a lot more afraid than I thought.  It's one thing to talk a big game, it's another thing to be out here facing those fears (or side skirting them) on a daily basis.  
This is something that will keep me company for years to come.  I have SO many pictures to go through and I can't wait to cover my walls with them! 
This history and this country is absolutely amazing.  I am seeing things I've never seen before and actually seeing and feeling and using all my senses, gives me such a deeper understanding to those pioneers who have traveled this road over a hundred years ago.  I am so honored to be. able to do this and be able to write about if for years to come.

I know, I know, I said I was going to video all this amazing stuff, but I just can't wrap my head around it, so it's going to have to be photos.  Best I can do, for right now until I get a "team" that I can hand off the editing and uploading process to.

I have put off these new recipe challenges for a time because of that- well, that and other things, like... fear.  Which is silly, because, if it doesn't work out, I can just try again... these are things I have to remind my perfectionist self, because it's afraid of being embarrassed.  #truth

But I purchased all of the supplies the pioneers had on their list, so I had better get to it.
I found a few bread recipes that I'd like to start with.  Bread was a staple for them.  The women made it almost every day.  They sometimes were able to make thicker, more stout bread that would last longer and when supplies got low, they would scale back to "hard tack".

Hard Tack was a thick cracker that goes way, way back.  It's pretty tasteless and was mainly used to thicken soups or be soaked up in beer or broth to make the... whatever... more filling.  So supplies would last longer.

Yes, I'll make hard tack, but since I know I won't eat it the way the original recipe was made, I found a few tweaks that might make it palatable. 

There's various forms of corn bread (some used it as in addition to a main meal- like with beans, and others used it AS the meal by adding bacon or ham or sometimes dried veggies to it.)
Biscuits.  And fried breads.  All on my list.

I found that I am missing a few things before I can use my cast iron dutch ovens... for instance, I have no way to remove the hot lid.  I have nothing to redistribute hot coals... I knew that I wanted to cook outside... I guess just actually acquiring the dutch ovens was exciting enough that I didn't really think past that! Lol!

So when I get back into civilazaton, I will snag those few missing articles.  In the meantime, I am mesmerized with YouTube videos and the like and can't wait to get started.  Watch for the videos!!

Ha- just kidding... plenty of photos though!! Lol!