New to Forum, fairly new to the full time lifestyle.
Raytronx said
05:55 PM Oct 16, 2012
Hi! My name is Ray. My wife Anne, our beagle Angie and myself have been full timing it since spring 2011. We are in our mid to late 40s. I'm an electronic technician and my wife was in software development but in the process of switching to a career as a photographer/writer. Check out her work at http://annemckinnell.com
We decided to sell our house in Victoria , B.C. Canada and RV around North America for a year. Well a year has been extended indefinitely as we love the lifestyle! Our rig is a 30 foot Cougar fifth wheel towed by a beautiful blue 94 Ford F350. Last year we did around 25,000 miles of towing and visited 105 different campsites. Check out Our Travel Map
This year we plan to slow it down and spend the winter in the US Southwest.
NorCal Dan said
06:05 PM Oct 16, 2012
Welcome Ray and Anne to the forum. I checked out the pictures, very very nice. Look forward to reading about your travels around the country.
Technomadia said
07:25 PM Oct 16, 2012
Hey guys.. and welcome! Always awesome to encounter other 'younger' folks hitting the road and continuing to pursue their careers!
My sweetie and I have been on the road since 2006, and are also software developers.
Thanks Dan and Cherie
Cherie , thanks for adding us to your list and we like your App Coverage.
Works great on our IPad. We use Virgin and Verizon MiFis and its nice to know where we can get
a connection and how good.
Cheers Ray and Anne
dianneandsteve said
03:28 PM Oct 24, 2012
Welcome fellow Victorians!
We are from North Saanich and have been full timing since retiring in June 2010. We lived vicariously through Howard and Linda during our last four years of work.
There is a wealth of info on this site and a lot of wonderful RV Dreams followers. We just met a lot of new and old ones at the Oregon Rally last month and had a blast.
We are currently in Williams AZ and taking the train to the Grand Canyon this morning then off to Lake Havasu tomorrow. We will be attending Howard and Linda's Quartzsite boon docking Rally in Feb. so maybe our paths will cross in the future if your in the area.
Cheers!
Raytronx said
04:10 PM Oct 24, 2012
Hey Steve and Dianne, thanks for the welcome. We are in Nanaimo for 1 more week and then south we head yay! Can't wait for the sun, it's disappeared here lately as it does and the rains have began. ;) I remember driving through Williams 6 months ago as we were headed to the coast, looks like a nice area to explore. We spent a couple weeks in Cottonwood and Sedona and loved it. Also spend time in Holbrook and Winslow, like the Route 66 history.
Love your rig, that's a real cool setup!
Cheers Ray and Anne, hopefully we'll get to Quartzsite this winter for the rally.
Jo And Craig said
02:19 AM Oct 25, 2012
I checked out your website, Anne, and it is stunning... simply STUNNING! I forwarded your information to my brother because he is an avid photographer, as well. Can't wait to puruse deeper as time goes on. Best wishes, blessings, and welcome to our wonderful forum. Great folks here!
Trabuco said
03:02 AM Oct 25, 2012
Anne - All I can say is wow! Great pictures!
FOSJ said
03:12 AM Oct 25, 2012
Double Wow! Love the pictures!
Lucky Mike said
02:14 PM Oct 25, 2012
I feel repetitive when I say WOW........Anne, you and that camera give life a theater presentation!!!!!!
Through the shutter one gives the look into the soul of mother nature!!!!!!!
Raytronx said
12:12 AM Oct 27, 2012
Hi friends, this is Anne. I just wanted to say thank you for all the kind comments about my photography. You guys are so kind and what a warm welcome we have received here!
@Mike I really liked your comment about giving life a theater presentation :) Photography is how I keep myself focussed on the good things in the world instead of dwelling on the bad.
@Cherie Thanks for adding us to your list of nomads. I have been meaning to send you the information for a couple of weeks now and I see you have done it for me. I'm not sure if you recognized me or not? We have chatted on facebook, twitter and your blog before.
I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all better and I hope we can meet you at that rally that is coming up this winter.
Steve C said
03:48 AM Oct 27, 2012
Reading your "8 Lessons From Life On The Road" and simplicity = freedom calmed me down. Two of our dear friend's mantra is "Less is More" as it seems yours to be. They are the full-timers who first introduced us to the idea of full-time RVing and invited us to come spend a week in the Keys last November. Zell and Cindy are their names. Hope to cross thier path in the next two weeks as they head south to Florida. If you had told me we would stay for three months I would have thought your were out of your mind. Never heard of Howard and Linda. Thought our friends had lost their minds when they quit their jobs and sold their home just as you two did. The squirrel cage that had been spinning in my head the last few days finally slowed when my thoughts went to their smiling faces and cooking fish we had caught outside under the stars.
For you see, I had been forgetting don Miguel Ruiz's 2nd Agreement, "Don't Take Anything Personally". I had been taking personal inventories of several people that had wronged my wife and me during the first year of our full-time RVing journey. I let their actions rob me of going to the beach to see a sunset tonight. Little or no sleep for the past three days. I had lost my center and my peace. They were living "rent free" in my head. And I was the one responsible. My current wounds were self inflicted. Getting back to what the lifestyle is all about would return to a calmer center.
Your photos calmed me down even more and I went back to my drive through The Bad Lands National Park with Doodlebug at my side. Meeting four RVers in a motor home and Evin posing with them on one of the four Harleys they were towing on a trailer behind them. I went on the forum of our brand of 5th wheel and shared some of my highlights of our first year in a post asking questions about truck and RV choices. As soon as I started reading your thoughtful words and got lost in your photos the good times enjoyed this first year captured my attention instead of the negative. Sleep and rest will come be my friend tonight. I'll let them back into my space.
I just got out of my chair and opened a cabinet door and in a simple physical act took out at piece of wood that is painted a nice shade of green and SIMPLIFY is carved into its face. I thought of time in Abiquiu and kayaking on the Rio Grande with Jerry, Paul, Alice and Evin. Though of my friend Paul and our hikes in the forest near Taos. Back to Fayette State Park on Lake Superior or fishing with dear friends JR and Di in Copper Harbor. Kayaking with Evin, Howard and Wayne on Blackwater Lake in northern Florida watching bald eagles fish. Having Wayne take me to a tree he knew I would like to share a photo of with Howard and others on my blog. Taking a walk along a woodland path with Evin and our pups in Yellowstone. Evin sitting on the curb with Doodle and Bumble as Eddie stands of all fours giving his best high, happy pose and being glad to be alive.
In ways, I need to do a new post on my blog www.puppypaths.blogspot.com with my 10 favorite photos from our first year. The problem is that on some days or during some weeks I take thousands of photos. How much freedom do I give up with such a task. The time could be spent taking my next top ten phots or reading your words again or don Miguel's. Or as I am doing now, writing my own. Anne, thank you for your sharing and guiding me to peace.
Evin and I leave from Marathon tomorrow for a week or more at Huntington Beach State Park to meet 30 or so other RV-Dreamers at the 2nd annual Carolina Clan Rally. Wish the two of you could be with us. You both will be with us in spirit. Hope our paths cross. Welcome to RV-Dreams. Safe travels and thanks for sharing some of your peace and wisdom.
Terry and Jo said
02:52 PM Oct 27, 2012
Ray and Anne,
I must apologize for being so late in welcoming you to the RV Dreams forums. I'm usually more up to date in welcoming new participants. If you've been on the forums for any period of time reading what all there is here to read, you already know that there are a lot of folks here with knowledge of many topics related to RV'ing. So, feel free to ask any questions when you have them. Since we all tend to learn from each other, all questions....well except about religion and politics....are welcomed.
I can see that Ann is going to be an "instructor" here with her posts on her website about photography. That is always welcome as well. While I consider myself a "serious, amateur" photographer, there is always more to learn. By the way, for anyone interested, my definition of a "serious, amateur" photographer is one that loves it as a hobby but is willing to shell out extra cash for better equipment. Despite the fact that I'm not a pro, I appreciate the photos of many others, including yours.
I also ascribe to the philosopy of one great photographer, Ansel Adams. One of his quotes is, "There are no rules for good photographs, there are just good photographs."
Glad to have you as part of the "family" of dreamers and "dream livers" that are here.
Hi! My name is Ray. My wife Anne, our beagle Angie and myself have been full timing it since spring 2011. We are in our mid to late 40s. I'm an electronic technician and my wife was in software development but in the process of switching to a career as a photographer/writer. Check out her work at http://annemckinnell.com
We decided to sell our house in Victoria , B.C. Canada and RV around North America for a year. Well a year has been extended indefinitely as we love the lifestyle! Our rig is a 30 foot Cougar fifth wheel towed by a beautiful blue 94 Ford F350. Last year we did around 25,000 miles of towing and visited 105 different campsites. Check out Our Travel Map
This year we plan to slow it down and spend the winter in the US Southwest.
Hey guys.. and welcome! Always awesome to encounter other 'younger' folks hitting the road and continuing to pursue their careers!
My sweetie and I have been on the road since 2006, and are also software developers.
We'll get your travel blog added to our growing list of non-retired RVers (http://www.technomadia.com/young-full-time-rving-nomads/), and I'd also invite you to join the www.NuRVers.com group as well, to connect with a bunch of working as we roam folks.
Hope to see you guys out there somewhere!
- Cherie
I checked out your website, Anne, and it is stunning... simply STUNNING! I forwarded your information to my brother because he is an avid photographer, as well. Can't wait to puruse deeper as time goes on. Best wishes, blessings, and welcome to our wonderful forum. Great folks here!
Through the shutter one gives the look into the soul of mother nature!!!!!!!
@Mike I really liked your comment about giving life a theater presentation :) Photography is how I keep myself focussed on the good things in the world instead of dwelling on the bad.
@Cherie Thanks for adding us to your list of nomads. I have been meaning to send you the information for a couple of weeks now and I see you have done it for me. I'm not sure if you recognized me or not? We have chatted on facebook, twitter and your blog before.
I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all better and I hope we can meet you at that rally that is coming up this winter.
Reading your "8 Lessons From Life On The Road" and simplicity = freedom calmed me down. Two of our dear friend's mantra is "Less is More" as it seems yours to be. They are the full-timers who first introduced us to the idea of full-time RVing and invited us to come spend a week in the Keys last November. Zell and Cindy are their names. Hope to cross thier path in the next two weeks as they head south to Florida. If you had told me we would stay for three months I would have thought your were out of your mind. Never heard of Howard and Linda. Thought our friends had lost their minds when they quit their jobs and sold their home just as you two did. The squirrel cage that had been spinning in my head the last few days finally slowed when my thoughts went to their smiling faces and cooking fish we had caught outside under the stars.
For you see, I had been forgetting don Miguel Ruiz's 2nd Agreement, "Don't Take Anything Personally". I had been taking personal inventories of several people that had wronged my wife and me during the first year of our full-time RVing journey. I let their actions rob me of going to the beach to see a sunset tonight. Little or no sleep for the past three days. I had lost my center and my peace. They were living "rent free" in my head. And I was the one responsible. My current wounds were self inflicted. Getting back to what the lifestyle is all about would return to a calmer center.
Your photos calmed me down even more and I went back to my drive through The Bad Lands National Park with Doodlebug at my side. Meeting four RVers in a motor home and Evin posing with them on one of the four Harleys they were towing on a trailer behind them. I went on the forum of our brand of 5th wheel and shared some of my highlights of our first year in a post asking questions about truck and RV choices. As soon as I started reading your thoughtful words and got lost in your photos the good times enjoyed this first year captured my attention instead of the negative. Sleep and rest will come be my friend tonight. I'll let them back into my space.
I just got out of my chair and opened a cabinet door and in a simple physical act took out at piece of wood that is painted a nice shade of green and SIMPLIFY is carved into its face. I thought of time in Abiquiu and kayaking on the Rio Grande with Jerry, Paul, Alice and Evin. Though of my friend Paul and our hikes in the forest near Taos. Back to Fayette State Park on Lake Superior or fishing with dear friends JR and Di in Copper Harbor. Kayaking with Evin, Howard and Wayne on Blackwater Lake in northern Florida watching bald eagles fish. Having Wayne take me to a tree he knew I would like to share a photo of with Howard and others on my blog. Taking a walk along a woodland path with Evin and our pups in Yellowstone. Evin sitting on the curb with Doodle and Bumble as Eddie stands of all fours giving his best high, happy pose and being glad to be alive.
In ways, I need to do a new post on my blog www.puppypaths.blogspot.com with my 10 favorite photos from our first year. The problem is that on some days or during some weeks I take thousands of photos. How much freedom do I give up with such a task. The time could be spent taking my next top ten phots or reading your words again or don Miguel's. Or as I am doing now, writing my own. Anne, thank you for your sharing and guiding me to peace.
Evin and I leave from Marathon tomorrow for a week or more at Huntington Beach State Park to meet 30 or so other RV-Dreamers at the 2nd annual Carolina Clan Rally. Wish the two of you could be with us. You both will be with us in spirit. Hope our paths cross. Welcome to RV-Dreams. Safe travels and thanks for sharing some of your peace and wisdom.
Ray and Anne,
I must apologize for being so late in welcoming you to the RV Dreams forums. I'm usually more up to date in welcoming new participants. If you've been on the forums for any period of time reading what all there is here to read, you already know that there are a lot of folks here with knowledge of many topics related to RV'ing. So, feel free to ask any questions when you have them. Since we all tend to learn from each other, all questions....well except about religion and politics....are welcomed.
I can see that Ann is going to be an "instructor" here with her posts on her website about photography. That is always welcome as well. While I consider myself a "serious, amateur" photographer, there is always more to learn. By the way, for anyone interested, my definition of a "serious, amateur" photographer is one that loves it as a hobby but is willing to shell out extra cash for better equipment. Despite the fact that I'm not a pro, I appreciate the photos of many others, including yours.
I also ascribe to the philosopy of one great photographer, Ansel Adams. One of his quotes is, "There are no rules for good photographs, there are just good photographs."
Glad to have you as part of the "family" of dreamers and "dream livers" that are here.
Terry