Thursday September 26th 2024

This is the first blog entry on my new schedule of twice a week entries. I am currently hibernating from the weather in my RV home. Hurricane Helene is moving north in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida. Here in central Florida we are under a Tropical Storm warning, but it has been mostly dry all day. The wind has been getting progressively stronger as the day went by. Gusts above 40mph have occurred. An occasional band of rain from the hurricane has been moving through the area since mid afternoon on Wednesday. The most intense band is currently approaching from the southwest with tornado warnings embedded, but the current trajectory of the whole band doesn’t seem to be headed in this specific direction. Everything severe in this area is forecast to be over shortly after midnight.

Since Sunday I have moved the location of my RV home closer to my new base camp. My stay at Lake Magic RV resort concluded on Wednesday. Extending my stay yet again wasn’t possible. I am prepared to shutdown my RV home, nor am I prepared to live in my new base camp. My RV home is now at the Orlando Southwest KOA. I have stayed here many times before. It is nearer my new base camp, so moving food and clothes should be easier.

Just moving my RV home took some effort. I spent all day Tuesday packing and getting the RV ready for travel. It sat in one place for almost six months. This is the longest it has been in one place during its lifetime. Despite my attempts at keeping things decluttered and stowed away, I still had a lot to do. I was also concerned about being able to bring in the slide rooms, so I brought those in on Tuesday evening. That way, I would know if my first task on Wednesday morning was going to be a call to a mobile RV mechanic. Luckily the slides came in without issue. In fact, because of the wind from the nearby hurricane, I have kept the slides in for the last two nights. I’ll put them back out Friday after the wind has passed. It is a lot quieter inside without the slide room toppers flapping in the wind.

As far as moving into my new base camp goes, it is a slow process. I have outfitted the kitchen with enough stuff to cook meals and there is a reasonable supply of food in the house. Furniture wise, I have a couple of outdoor chairs in the living room with a TV table in front of a newly acquired TV. One of six new blinds has been installed, but real furniture like a dinning room table, sofa, recliner and bed remain on the to be acquired or built list. Moving my RV home and the hurricane have slowed progress down a bit.