Merry Christm@s

Ho, ho, ho . . . Merry Christm@s everyone!!  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day with family and friends, lot of food and laughter, and that all your holiday wishes come true.  I wish you peace and love during this season and in our camping season to come.!!

Daisy Update

Do you remember a little Story I told you way back on November 19th about my friend Daisy who was in a contest?  You can go HERE if you somehow missed it.  Well, her Momma Crystal posted this message on Facebook yesterday that she received from the Green Bay Packers organization:

Congratulations! You've been voted a winner by the fans in the Packers Everywhere Fan Choice Awards. As a winner of one of the six categories, you have won Two Tickets to the Packers vs. Steelers game at Lambeau Field on Dec. 22. You will also receive a one-of-a-kind certificate from the Packers, and a legendary place in Packers fan history.

Woohoo . . . congrats . . . way to go Daisy!!  We voted for you over and over and over and I'm so tickled that you won!  But I'm kinda worried about your Momma Crystal having warm enough clothes to wear to a football game in December in Wisconsin!!  You tell her that my Mom said to "bundle up!!"

Let's give Daisy a big round of applause and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping and

 Congratulations Daisy!"

Happy December

December has arrived.  Since it's Momma Sharon's favorite month, I thought I would share a photo we saw on Facebook this morning that we particularly liked.  It's a cool December-kinda-photo.

We don't know who took this photo, where it was snapped, or who that cutie-pie in the photo is.  Bottom line . . . it reminds us of December and we just like it.

Aunt Becky snapped a photo of me once-upon-a-time that has a similar vibe.  It's my Camper Mom's all-time favorite and it has a groovy December feel to it also.  

Happy December everyone!  Enjoy our favorite month and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

Happy Thanksgiving Campers!!

I just wanted to take a moment on this cold Thanksgiving morning to send you greetings of Peace, Love & Camping!  I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends!

All I Want For Christmas Is...

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth!"  I've got that song in my head and nothing I do will make it leave!  I really don't want any front teeth though.

Yesterday on Facebook, this question was posed by Kevin . . . "When does one cross the line while camping?"  He featured a very fancy espresso machine and the conversation took off like wildfire.  Over the course of the last 24 hours, almost 50 comments have been made and most of them have been coffee-related!  My little sister, The Coffee Cup, would love this!

Well, I just had to jump in the conversation and share a photo of what's on my Christmas list!!

I have a little mini Keurig stored in the bottom cabinet under my sink, but it's red.  Momma Sharon put a couple Life Is Good stickers on it to detract from all that bold redness, but it doesn't help very much.  The only way to fix that problem is a groovy lime green Keurig . . .  just saying!!

It's a rainy, icy day surrounding my T@Bport, so y'all be careful out there and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping"

Enter Toolbelt Sue

On the way home from the Rolling Home Rally in Ohio, the black knob on my overhead vent fell off.  It happened once before and Momma Sharon successfully put it back on.  But this time, it wouldn't stay put when she tried.  You'll notice that it's missing from the corner opposite the control knobs.

Enter Toolbelt Sue!  Momma's T@Bbin, junkin', and Sister friend is a very talented lady that everyone lovingly calls "Toolbelt Sue."  Actually, her name is Sue Luke and she can fix just about anything that's T@B-related!

On Saturday afternoon during the Tanglewood Toast Un-rally, Sue arrived with her big toolbox, ready to show my Camper Mom how to fix it.  Armed with just a screwdriver, they removed the plastic ring surrounding the unit.

Way up in the unit there's a mechanism that will raise and lower the "lid" on the fan.  Two screws hold it in place and one of the screws had worked its way out, causing the black knob to fall out.  It was a quick and simple fix to drop the fan down, replace that missing screw, tighten it up, re-attach the black turning knob, and put everything back in its proper place!  

The next time this happens, Momma Sharon will be able to do it herself. The next time it happens to one of my T@B friends, she will be able to step in and show someone else what to do . . . kinda like Toolbelt's Sue apprentice. 

I've been having another issue for the past year.  When Momma Sharon opened my window beside the door, it sounded like there was grit and sand in the "arms".  That window didn't want to operate smoothly and was notorious for falling down and closing all by itself! When we were at the Rolling Home Rally and the fellows from Little Guy were helping with all sorts of T@B issues, Momma Sharon purchased a new set of window arm mechanisms for me.

Enter Toolbelt Sue!  With a bit of assistance from Aunt Becky, Miss Sue quickly showed Mom how to replace those ornery parts.

Woohoo!  My fan works, my window opens and closes smoothly, and Momma Sharon now knows what to do the next time I need a some cosmetic work done, thanks to Toolbelt Sue.

We're all getting geared up for Thanksgiving around here and I'm thankful that I have family and friends that take such good care of me.  Until it's time for another SplashT@B Story, just remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

My Final Camping Collage For 2013

Happy Hump Day everyone . . . well, what's left of it anyway!!  Here's an itty-bitty Bedtime Story for you tonight.  

You know how much Momma Sharon loves to make camping collages for me?  She finished up the last one for our 2013 camping season and I want to show it to you.  

It's really hard to believe that we have wrapped up our adventures for the year and it's time for my Long Winter's Nap.  Momma Sharon has to total up our miles traveled and get it entered in my Travel Log.  She'll also be moving all the stuff out of my 2013 Camping Notebook into the big 4" binder with past years.  Then there are cabinets to be cleaned out and gear stowed away.  It sounds like a lot of work, but it's our annual routine.

There are a few more Stories I'll share with you before the end of the year and then we get to start daydreaming about 2014.  Sleep tight y'all and remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping" 

Vote For Daisy

Good Tuesday morning everyone!  It was an exciting evening around these parts as my favorite football team, the Carolina Panthers, beat a tough Patriot team on Monday Night Football.  I've got a good friend, Daisy from Illinois, who is entered in a contest in Packerland and she needs our help.

Normally, Daisy is all decked out in, well, yellow daisies like this . . .

Her Momma Crystal has a whole 'nother decorating theme going on during football season and she is gussied up with Packer green and yellow.  Here's what I mean . . .

So when Daisy's Mom posted on Facebook yesterday that she was one of four finalists in a Green Bay Packer's Fan Contest and needed our votes, we sprang into action.  Momma Crystal can win some groovy Packer goodies if we go to the link and vote.  The neat thing is that we can vote every single day for Daisy!!

Here's a link to where you can place your vote.  Just click on the photo and I'll shoot you right over there.  

Scroll down to the category called Coolest Packers Wheels and you'll see Miss Daisy and can cast your vote!!  We are on a mission to drive Miss Daisy (tee hee, just couldn't help myself!!) across the finish line into first place!!

Good luck Daisy and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

Tanglewood Toast Un-rally

What a fun, fun weekend I had over at Tanglewood Park Campground with my friends!  I got to hang out with Pod, meet new LG T@Bs, and see other old Dutchmen friends.  Momma Sharon had a good time doing the same kinda thing.  She met a whole new group of T@Bbers that she had been chatting with online for quite a while.

I loved my site #2!  I had a grand view of a big field where I saw lots of deer.  I wasn't all crammed in with big campers, and my best buddy Pod was in site #3.  The weather was chilly at night, but just fine during the day and that suited me perfectly.  Here's a sweet shot that Mom snapped of me . . . 

Tiny little acorns kept bopping me on the head, but they didn't do any damage.  I could always tell when deer were nearby because they had an unmistakable musky odor to them.  I had lots of people peep inside for a SplashT@B Tour too.

It was the perfect weekend for me and my Camper Mom to finish our 2013 camping season and it was special to do it together!!

I've got a few more Short Stories to share with you this week, so drop back by when you have a minute or two.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

Chilly Camping Mornings

Good mornin' campers!  Our morning temperatures in these parts are starting to take a nosedive and that will be the case when Momma Sharon and I wake up together Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning at Tanglewood.  My camping cousins up in the northeast have even had a dusting of snow already, but that won't be the case here, thank goodness!

My favorite local TV weatherman, Eric Thomas, posted this forecast for our campground and I think we're going to be A-OK.  

We've got some newbies coming to Tanglewood for the weekend and I'm excited about meeting them! Good weather, old and new friends, camping in a new place . . . what's not to like about that?!

Have a great Tuesday y'all and remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

Time For A Toast

Evenin' everyone!  It's me, SplashT@B, with a quick Bedtime Story for you tonight.  It's been so long since I've chatted with you that I forgot Momma Sharon's password and had to look it up!!

On Thursday, we are both heading out for one last camping trip for 2013.  I'm actually a little surprised that we're going because my Camper Mom has a low tolerance for cold weather.  With my small ceramic heater, flannel sheets, and fleece blanket, I told her she would be fine for the weekend!

Our destination is Tanglewood Park Campground that is less than an hour away in Clemmons, just outside of Winston-Salem.  The cool thing about this camping trip is we're going to be joined by a bunch of other folks.  Momma Sharon thought it would be fun to have an un-rally to put the wraps on another camping season, so we're going to have a Tanglewood Toast Un-rally.  We will toast our camping friends and all our escapades in 2013 . . . kinda like New Year's Eve.

My Cousin Pod is coming and he really loves to collect buttons, so I talked Mom into making one for everybody.  Check it out . . . 

Thanks for dropping in this evening to listen to another one of my Stories . . . sorry it was so long in coming.  Until we chat again, just remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Camping!"

My Tennessee Collage

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you had a good weekend.  I'm here to tell you that I sure did!  Momma Sharon surprised me a week ago when she told me I would get to go to her Clinton, TN Antiquing Weekend with Sisters on the Fly.  

The Coffee Cup was scheduled to make the trip, but she experienced a little hiccup in one of her wheels on the way home from Jekyll Island. I'm really sorry that happened to her, but it meant I got to go hang out with my Sister Trailers!

I'll show you some of my photos this week because Momma was true to form with that camera of hers! Here's my collage from the weekend in the meantime . . . 

I sure appreciate you coming by for an itty bitty Short Story today. Have a fantastic week and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping"

Another Special Visitor

It's a college football extravaganza around here!  My Camper Mom watched it most of the afternoon until Aunt Becky and Uncle Roger picked her up to go to LRU's season opener tonight.  That frees up all the computers in the house for ME!!

We had some special visitors at our pad during the Rolling Home Rally. I already told you about Sara from California, but we had another guest from The Golden State!  Our buddy, Jeff Basford, President of Paha Que stopped by to meet Mom.  He walked up and said, "Are you Sharon? Sharon B. Sigmon?"  Well, you should have seen the look on her face when he said he was Jeff from Paha Que!

She hopped up and they hugged each other and laughed.  You see, Momma Sharon and Jeff have this east coast, west coast relationship. She's talked to him on the phone and chatted through emails . . . all because she owns four, count 'em, FOUR of his Paha Que products made just for me!!

We've got the brand new T@B Side Tent that I modeled at the Blue Ridge Rally and here at Rolling Home.  We've got that stinkin' cute little Visor, the big ole original Screen Room, and the funky Cottonwood.  I really love my Side Tent though.  Wanna see it?  Here you go . . . 

Every month, Jeff sends us the Paha Que Newsletter and the September issue has a great write-up of the Rolling Home Tour written by Jeff and he even put my photo in the Newsletter!  If you'd like to read what he said, you can go HERE.

Mom's gotta send the Side Tent back to Jeff this fall because he's going to add some extra seam sealing and a couple grommets to the tent door extension.  It's nice when you know the Boss . . . tee hee.

I really appreciate you taking time to pull up a chair for another Story this evening . . . THANKS!  Have a great weekend everyone and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

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I've Got Something Stuck On My Butt

"Friday, thank God it's Friday, Friday".  Oh, sorry, you kinda sneaked up on me as I was singing one of Momma Sharon's old disco songs . . . tee hee.  Well it is Friday and I hope you have big plans for the weekend!  I have just a teenie-weenie little bedtime Story for you this evening.

A few days before we started rolling north to Ohio, Mom paid me a visit in the T@Bport with some sort of paper in her hand.  Since Aunt Becky had just given me a bath, I was all spiffy and clean.  Because of that, I got a new decal on my rear end.  Several of my camping buddies have decals too and I was really hoping to get my own before we left for the big rally.

Take a look . . . 

I think it's pretty darn cute and everyone that follows me down the highway will know exactly who I am and where I live.  If you're wondering about that big number back there, that's my VIN number and it's how Momma Sharon identifies me.  It means I was the 2,487th T@B to roll off the assembly line in Indiana way back in 2007.

My good buddy, Happy Camper, got to see my new decal first!  I don't think she'll be getting one because her license plate has her name.  Who knows, maybe she'll talk her Momma Sue and Daddy Rich into getting her one before the season is over.

Here's a good picture of the two of us chatting while we were waiting on Morgan and Jet to arrive in Fancy Gap, VA to continue our little Rolling Home Tour Caravan.

OK all you campers, I hope you have a great weekend and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

My California Happy

Since it's late and Momma Sharon is busy watching the Broncos and Ravens football game, she said I could tell you a little bedtime Story!

A couple weeks ago at the Rolling Home Rally in Ohio, a nice lady from California came to visit my Mom on Friday morning.  Her name is Sara Mordecai and she is an artist.  She and Momma Sharon have chatted on Facebook, but never face to face, so it was a treat that she came to visit!

She brought us a special camping happy . . . one of her small paintings. It's actually a portrait . . . a portrait of ME!!

Momma took my photo with Sara and the painting and then she put it in a special place so everyone who comes to visit can see it.  I am one lucky camper to get such cool happies!!

Momma Sharon is going to take a few days off from sending out Postcards to everyone, so maybe I'll have some 'puter time for a while.  Why don't you check back with me over the weekend and see what's up?  While you're at it, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping"

My Rolling Home Tour Collage

Hey everyone . . . happy Labor Day!  I hope the only work you've done today is to pack your sweet little camper up from a weekend of camping and hit the road for home.  I spent a leisurely day in my T@Bport and watched the world go by and that suited me just fine since I'm taking it kinda easy since my 800+ mile trip to the Rolling Home Rally in Ohio two weeks ago.

I had the time of my life and one of these days, I'll tell you a few stories about everything I did there.  In the meantime though, I wanted to show you the cool beans collage that Momma Sharon made from our week together.

Thanks for heading my way today for an itty bitty Story.  I promise not to take so long to tell you another one.  Just check by every once in a while to see if I was able to snitch a little computer time and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

Setting The Standard For Color

Mornin' everyone . . . Splash here at the Rolling Home Rally with a quick Story.  I snitched a little computer time early this morning because Momma Sharon is keeping an eye on my tent room and the little pools of water collecting in the corners during our morning shower.  We've discovered that the tent isn't quite square to me, so we're having some drips here and there.  

I'm pretty sure that she and Aunt Becky are going to correct that situation this morning when the showers pass through.

I am having a terrific time here in Ohio and I'm so glad I got to come.  Mom has me all decked out and I've been showing off all week.  There's not another T@B in the whole campground as colorful as me!

I will have so many Stories to tell you after I get home!  In the meantime you can catch my Camper Mom's Postcards to get the whole scoop.  Thanks for popping in today and always remember . . .

"Peace, Love & Camping"

Yippee . . . I'm In Ohio

Hey everyone!  I'm in Ohio at the Rolling Home Rally just outside of New Philadelphia.  It took me two days to get here because Momma Sharon decided we should break up the long drive with an overnight stop last evening in West Virginia.  

When she told me that we are camping at Rippling Waters Church of God Campground I just laughed.  I knew for a fact that a campground like that wouldn't allow things like smoking and drinking and cussing! I also knew that there was no way to keep the guys I was camping with from doing that stuff . . . and I was right!!  It's a wonder that Highway Bob, Geo, and Rich didn't get us kicked out!!  The only thing that Momma Sharon was drinking was my official water.

Liz gave my Mom a special present . . . a black bandana with peace signs all over it . . . cool, huh?!

Tonight I'm tucked in at Atwood Lake Park with a bunch of other T@Bs. I've got some issues though.  I don't have any running water at my site, there are no showers for my Mom and her friends, and the bathroom consists of three pit toilets.  I'm just glad that she and all her camping buddies are laughing about it.

I'm having a bit of a hiccup with my 12 volt lights.  They are flickering and when that happens, my converter makes a funny noise.  It's really worrying my Camper Mom, but we're going to do some trouble-shooting tomorrow.  I wish my Uncle Rob was here because he would know what to do, but we're surrounded by some smart T@Bbers here that I'm sure can help.  Plus, we'll be talking to the Little Guy techs and maybe get a solution from them.

OK, I'm pretty pooped and it's time for lights out.  Momma Sharon will be sending out Postcards each evening and she'd love it if you pick yours up nightly.  Thanks for dropping by for a Story tonight and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping"

Camping Chair Covers

Howdy campers . . . thanks for showing up again today.  I cannot believe how much computer time I'm getting this week!  It's all because my Camper Mom is busy getting ready for our next big trip to Ohio.

This past weekend she ran into Rite Aid to pick up a few items and was stopped dead in her tracks by a lime green, blue, and white beach towel.  There was a whole rack of them and they were on sale for $3.00 each.  Can you believe that?  Three bucks!!  Frankly I'm surprised she bought only three.

OK, I know you're wondering what artsy-fartsy splashy project she has in mind for these.

My Camper Mom and Aunt Becky have a favorite pair of camping chairs that always travel with us.  She got them at Camping World many years ago and they have held up well.  They are brown and I've never said much, but they are boring and drab and don't really match me very well.

After a bit of measuring and pinning, Mom sewed a 15 1/2" pocket at the top to slide over the back and a 3 1/2" pocket to slide onto the seat. The result is a hella-cool set of camping chair covers.  I think they took about 30 minutes from start to finish and I love 'em!

She has one more project in mind for the third beach towel and I'm gonna keep you in suspense for a few days about that one.  Everyone is off to The Wee Cabin today, so that project is on hold until Sunday or Monday.

I'll wish you a great weekend a day early and just remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping"

Toolbelt Sue's Quick Mod

Mornin' everyone.  I'm glad you stopped by hear the Story about me and Toolbelt Sue!

When I was on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Caravan back in May with all my buddies, we spent several nights at My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown.  While there, Sue Luke, aka. Toolbelt Sue, performed a little mod on my outside Cool Cat grill.

At the 3rd Annual Blue Ridge Rally, Momma Sharon helped a couple people install plexiglass over the opening to our grills to prevent water splashing inside while we are traveling in the rain.  It has worked well over the years, but Toolbelt Sue improved upon it.  Happy Camper's Mom is a wizard when it comes to T@B knowledge and cool fixes for us!

She made a trip to Lowes and picked up several rolls of foam weather strips.  Once back in the campground, she pulled out a pair of scissors, and got to work!  Off came my plexiglass cover . . . 

Next was a quick clean-up of the inside of the grill frame . . .

Foam strips were measured, then cut to fit.  Sue peeled off the backing paper and pushed them into place.  All the way around the four sides she went.  Lickity-split, in less than 10 minutes, I had some extra protection for my Cool Cat!

Once she put my cover back on and tightened the washers, I was totally ready to roll in all kinds of weather.

I hope you enjoyed Toolbelt Sue's tutorial via my Story today.  If you have time for a stopover tomorrow, I'll tell you about Momma Sharon's latest Rolling Home project.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

My T@B Guru At Work

Two Stories in two days . . . I love it!!  There was a bit of chatter on Facebook last evening among some T@Bbers concerning my new modifications.  You see, my Camper Mom posted a link to my Stories and let everyone know I have a new bike rack.

What she didn't do was tell them about my new MaxxAir vent cover! That's right, I have a spiffy, white cover over my Northern Breeze fan so I can leave the lid open when it rains.  This is another one of those things that Momma Sharon has wanted and talked about for a long time.  She can be so impulsive sometimes buying things for me and at other times, she's on Sharon Time!  Go figure.

One weekend last May, she and Aunt Becky made a trip to Camping World and she finally bought one of those coolio covers for me.  I think in the back of her mind she worried about it blowing completely off while we're out on the road.  But she took the plunge and got it for me anyway.  I told her to just chill and not worry so much!

My buddy Highway Bob, my personal T@B Guru, did the installation.  For a long time, I thought he was going to have to drill holes in my ceiling and I was scared to death.  However, when I found out that the MaxxAir actually attaches to the sides of the fan and hardly touches my roof at all, then I said "let's do this!"  Aunt Becky pulled out her step ladder, found a quilt to go on my roof, and the installation began.

It didn't take Dr. Bob very long at all and before I knew it, my new vent cover was sitting pretty right on top of me!  Because it's white, it blends in nicely I think.  Thanks a bazillion Bob!!

You might be wondering why Momma Sharon is going a little crazy lately making things for me and adding modifications.  I have an idea about that . . . I think it's because we are traveling to Ohio a week from Saturday to join almost 150 T@Bs and Little Guys for a HUGE rally called Rolling Home. I'm guessing she wants to show me off in all my splashy lime green and blue glory!

I really appreciate you scooting over here today for another Story and I have a news flash for you . . . I'll have another Tale for you tomorrow concerning me and Toolbelt Sue.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping!"

Mod Day Under The T@Bport

Hey hey y'all.  I hope you had a great weekend, because I sure did!  Not a drop of rain and sunny every day.  The only thing that could have made it better was if I was parked in a campground somewhere.

Today something really special happened.  Momma's friends, Bob and Susan (Little Red T@Boose's folks) drove to Newton from Pittsboro.  They rolled down my driveway this morning and Bob began pulling out tools!  It was Mod Day under the T@Bport!!

Momma Sharon and Bob have had some serious discussions about a bike rack for many months and Bob told her that if she could find one, he would install it.  That explains the visit this morning.

He had the base fabricated in Pittsboro, so all he had to do for me was drill four holes in my frame.  Momma Sharon wanted it to go just in front of the battery cover. 

With all the tools laid out and ready, we ran an extension cord into Becky's garage for power.  The big ole bit and drill made quick work of the four holes.   I was kinda afraid that it would hurt, but I was a big girl and it only tickled just a little bit!

The stainless steel bolts were a perfect fit, so next Bob attached them securely with self-locking nuts from below the frame.

The beauty of this bike rack is that when not in use, Momma Sharon can pull out the locking pins, and remove the upright assembly.  It won't interfere with the jockey wheel handle or the battery cover or the jockey wheel itself.  It doesn't wiggle, it's shiny and black, and I think it's perfect!!  Thanks a million Highway Bob, my T@B Guru!!

Momma, Aunt Becky, Susan, and Bob all took a break for lunch.  They came back about 2:30 to finish part two of Mod Day.  If you come back around tomorrow, I'll tell you that Story, but in the meantime always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love & Camping"!