Update - it's been a while

I have been asked many times why am I not posting on my blog anymore. The fact is my schedule for posting has always been erratic and this is no different. Please review point nine of the FAQ. You will see that I post when the spirit moves me and it hasn't moved my lately. 

I have continued my adventures since we last met up but configuring the remote home base and new travel platform took some time. I am comfortable at this point to share what I have but I do expect further refinements after my first longer term trip in a few weeks (more on that below). Here is my current setup from a road ready perspective. 

Toyota 4Runner with a roof top storage container. Ok, not much to see. 

I have taken multiple short trips with this configuration and I am comfortable with it for that purpose. I have a platform I built which allows me to have a bed in the back along with window screens and covers for stealthy sleeping. I have a power system, refrigerator, and other needed items for basic comfort. The roof top box holds other gear (tent, chairs, portable dog crate, camping equipment, et.al.) so I have the flexibility to car camp, tent camp, stealth camp, go to a hotel, or rent a unit (house/condo/cabin) all on the same trip as the need arises. I have tested out all of these modes with this configuration and it has been great.  I will make an effort to include some internal pictures next time.

I have made two trips back to Wisconsin in the last few months. The first was to celebrate B&L getting married. It was a lovely private ceremony and several great meals. Oddly enough, Big Foot failed to show up for the event but I did my best to continue my searching. 

We did check out a brewery in West Allis. It was a charming location with proper signage for controlling pests.

B and I checked out downtown Waukesha for Big Foot. 

Lucy relaxing while Ozzy looks on bewildered by her sheer laziness. 

On my second trip to Wisconsin in October, I also made my way up to the Green Bay area. I had a lovely time visiting C&D and then B&L. I also had a periodic medical procedure that is recommended for people with my years of experience. I stayed at hotel to make it less onerous for others and increased privacy. All went well but during a particularly sensitive moment of preparation, when one would not want to wander far from the place of preparation, the fire alarms went off. Thankfully I was on the first floor so evacuation, if needed, would have been easy. Needless to say, I didn't perish in a fire and it was a false alarm so no need to evacuate (the building). 

View of the Fox River in De Pere. 

I also made a trip to the Buffalo River National Park in Arkansas. I went on a lovely hike and checked out a cool cavern and a great view of the Buffalo River. Actually I made two trips as it was very pretty at two different times (for the astute viewer of tree leaves) but whatever.

View out of the cavern,. It was quite large and yet no Big Foot.

View of the river as the water levels are quite low.

I made a trip to Kentucky and visited the site of my place from last summer. I setup a tent and the dogs and I had a lovely time visiting with friends we made last year. You can see the dogs are flexible in their accommodations and as long as I am able to provide for them and spend time with them, they are happy. I am enjoying a lovely cup of coffee (utilizing the pour over method) and a pastry from a patisserie near my fortress of solitude. 

I have also experimented with other activities in case I have been wrong about Big Foot being in breweries, wineries, et. al. and that included fly fishing. I was able to catch several fish on my first time out and I had an absolute blast. If Big Foot would take up fishing, I can see how this would be a preferred method. It was all catch and release so it never got messy. I had a really nice time on what is known as one of the top trout fishing rivers in the nation and it certainly helped having a skilled guide. 

White River. No not the one in Wisconsin. 

I made a trip out east to Virginia again this year. For those keeping track (which is me), that makes the fourth year in a row I have been to Virginia in the fall. While I love the area, that seems rather excessive. For the curious, I stayed in a hotel, Airbnb, and stealth camped at a rest area and truck stop. I had planned on seeing the Blue Ridge Parkway but it was closed due to damage from excessive rains. 

Several of my brothers and their families were in the DC area to celebrate B&L's wedding. This included J&L, J&M, J&K, J&S, S&N+O, K&B+R, J, and E. Obviously B&L were there along with Lucy, and Ozzy. Once again the anonymizer has been stuck using the letter J to represent my siblings exclusively, Very confusing.

Literally the only photo I took in DC, Some building. It was pretty, I have no idea why I chose to take the pictures I do. What can I say, I'm a treat (shout out to M for stealing her line).

View of the Shenandoah Valley. Yea, yea, been there done that.

I have a few extra brewery pictures in my collection so I thought I'd include them here. They are from the last few months and in no way represents the limit of where I've been. They are just the ones I chose to take pictures of. As I mentioned, I have no rhyme or reason to what I photograph or when, 

I found a small brewery in southern Missouri (Beach Bums). Lovely outdoor space and some of the beer was excellent. The food truck outside made a nice sandwich and the dogs were relatively normal and behaved.

Another Missouri brewery - the Public House off of I-44. There is also a winery next door so prime Big Foot territory but Big Foot didn't stop by this day. Dogs slightly less well behaved but may have been a big stir crazy from the road. 

As I mentioned, I have setup my fortress of solitude where I can launch these adventures from. As you can see the dogs have settled in and are in their usual positions - Lucy on my lap and Ozzy on the leather furniture. 

Lucy wondering why I am not petting her.

Ozzy relaxing and enjoying the couch, 

Sculpture garden at a nearby college

As previously indicated, I have further travel plans ahead. I have a several week trip planned for the southwest coming up shortly. This will be a longer term test of my travel setup as I intend to see Arizona (Grand Canyon), along with Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. If there are issues I will have time to address them before my massive trip to Alaska next summer. I can either build a custom trailer (or modify an existing small trailer), or do a custom buildout of a small van if my current setup proves to be insufficient for my long awaited Alaskan adventure. I figure it will take between two and three months for the Alaska. People have asked if I will be going alone and no, I plan on bringing both dogs. I do plan on driving the roughly 12,000 round trip so it should be quite an adventure as they are unable to share driving duties.

I would like to promise to do a better job on posting updates, but I despise lying. 

Until next time, 

Thor

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