Feb. 20 - Northern Dreams

The real core of Winter in the USA is January and February.  And, as we near the end of February, one of the early signs of Spring is the slow start of the Winter Texan migration back north. After 2 or 3 months packed tightly together with others in small sites at cramped RV parks, nerves start to visibly fray, routine evolves to boredom, and thoughts gravitate to the return trip back north. The local touristy sights have all been done... repeatedly in some cases. Excuses for shopping trips to Corpus Christi or Victoria become flimsier. Happy hours start earlier and last longer. There's a palpable desire to get moving.

Today our friends from Minnesota, Doug and Kay, leave Sandollar and begin their 6 week trek northward. In another week, our Washington friends Jimmy and Julianne will start heading west too. By the first week of March the RV park starts to resemble Swiss Cheese. If last year was any gauge by the first of April we're one of only a small handful left... but we'll be leaving about that time too.

I've still got a big list of to-do's to finish in the next few weeks. One of the big ones is finding a good deal and a good dealer to install a new set of tires on the bus-house. Tires on RVs rarely wear out. They "age-out". Our 6 big Michelin tires were manufactured in the 42nd week of 2006, which, if I did the math right, means they're going on 5 and a half years old. Sparking my desire to spend big $$ to buy new tires isn't their age, however. It's the fact that sidewall cracks have started appearing that concerns me. The last thing I want is a blow-out of a front tire as we're on some narrow mountain road someplace. Oh, and, of course, the Safety Director (Dar) is of the same opinion.