First MapMyWalk walk, my dog-faced kid, and pink air

But first...  I read an interesting blog post the other day at InterstellarOrchard.   Becky was writing about her expectations before she started full-timing and what she's actually learned.   It's very well organized into "What I Expected," "What I Didn't Expect," and "What I Learned."  As one of her commenters said, "Very perceptive and a must-read for anyone looking at full-timing." 

I really enjoyed it, and of course thought back to what I was expecting before I started out, what I now know that I didn't expect, and what I've learned overall after 3 1/2 years on the road. 

I did a lot of research before I started, have tons of files on the computer containing tips, on-line manuals (in addition to all the manuals that came with The Palms and it's various systems), bookmarks for various forums to check when I have a question or problem, etc.  I think the more organized we are, the easier it is.  At least for me.  AND a sunny attitude, because the clouds will come from time to time, and being optimistic gets me though.

Check out her post - and also check the tab at the top called "Useful Stuff," it's really interesting, too.  Great info for dreamers or newbies, and if you're already on the road, you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did.   :)

Things have been very quiet here.  Katie and I are just chilling out and enjoying the desert.  

Katie's best view of the outside world is from her car seat.  She just watches and looks and takes it easy.

I don't know if I've posted about my new 4G phone, but I'm loving it.  I can finally download all the apps and updates that my 3G wasn't able to handle.  I downloaded the Map My Walk app - it's free - and tried it out the other day.  Katie and I started out taking the trash bag to the garbage dumpsters, which are 1/4 mile from our campsite (I walk at least 1/2 mile a day!).  I put the trash bag in her stroller, and after dumping it I put Katie in for the ride home. 

So the other day, using the walking app, I pushed the stroller to the dumpsters, tossed the trash, and then kept going, I wanted to see how far Katie could walk before stopping.  She walked for 1/2 mile before she couldn't go further and I put her in the stroller.  We went for a total 1.3 miles over sand and dirt and rocks, and sometimes along the main  road, which was far easier.  When we turned around and headed back to camp, it was all rocky.  It was hard pushing the stroller that long.  My wrists and thumbs get the brunt of the bumps from holding on to the stroller handle and Katie was bumping along inside the stroller.  Poor baby.  :)

The road back to camp - you can barely see The Palms at the end of the road:

And home is within sight:

It's easier to push an empty stroller, so I took her out and tried to have Katie walk for the final section, but she wouldn't - her ankle was too swollen - so I put her back in the stroller and pushed on.  Literally. 

I really liked the Map My Walk app.  I could check my phone any time to see my mileage, calories burned, our location, etc.  And a voice from my pocket automatically told me when I had reached a mile and some other things, too.  It's definitely a winner and its free. 

I want to start walking more than I am - since Katie had her leg injury I'm just not walking as much.  The stroller helps, but not so much in this kind of terrain.  So I've decided to walk without her.  I have lots of audio tapes on my MP3 and I'll listen to books as I walk.  I also still have a Weight Watchers "walking tape" on the MP3 from long ago, and that's a really good one to use, different beats to walk to, and a little encouragement along the way.  It always gets me walking faster, too.

We've had some gorgeous sunsets lately - I snapped some photos the other night with various settings on my camera, and also different times as the clouds moved around and the sun set.  Each was so pretty:

We've had some evenings lately when the whole desert is pink while the sun is setting.  The ground, the RVs, the mountains in the east - it's like the air is pink.  So beautiful.  I've never seen anything like it except here in Quartzsite.  Going back to my first paragraph about the InterstellarOrchard post - this is the kind of thing I never would have expected while RVing.  You just don't know what you don't know.  And I've never heard of a sunset making everything pink on the earth below it.

One more photo of Katie.  This was so funny.  A lot of dogs will nose their way under blankets to snuggle and be warm, but Katie has never done that.  She lays on top unless it's cold and I hold up the blanket for her to get under and be covered up.  Well, the other night she was in bed in the overhead bunk and I checked on her.  This is what I saw:

She not only got under the covers, she put her head on my pillow.   She looked just like a person, well - except for all the dog-face stuff going on.  :)

From me and Katie, have a great Saturday, everyone!  :)