Oh, Ursula

So, have you been wondering why we haven't posted anything about Ursula lumbering around Texas for the past couple of months?

The answer is that she has been here.

Ursula is not going forward. She is backing up. Back to the repair place.

Ursula has been back at the ole RV Outlet Mall. Since early January. Her leveling system has been being worked on all this time. Waiting for parts. Waiting for this and that. Sigh. In good news, the malfunctioning driver's side sunscreen finally works. And they claim that the leak from somewhere near the fridge is not happening any more, though I will believe it when I next wash dishes.

I thought I might get to wash dishes tonight, since we were thinking of driving somewhere and spending the night...but no. We went to get her after being told the repair guy had driven her a few miles and the leveling system had NOT beeped incessantly. Lee paid a bunch of money. He set off. He then stopped at the exit from the RV Outlet Mall (causing much traffic confusion). Ursula's bad ole leveling system had started beeping as soon as he hit a bump. DARN THE LUCK.

I am really not happy that we have not been able to use Ursula since the new year. I have a donkey, dang it, and I can't go visit him. He is the cutest donkey on earth, and he lives at Lee's dad's farm!

Oscar the Cutest Donkey Ever

He's just a baby, and he had a real hard time adjusting to living with the cattle. Ole #14 was NOT friendly at kept chasing him off at first. But, now Oscar plays with all the new calves, which I ALSO have not met yet. I want to go visit the Farm! I want to go out to the ranch and start working on paths in the woods! I want to go to Pedernales State Park at the end of the month! We are paying for Ursula! We want to use her!

In Other Vehicle News

Since Ursula has been out of commission, we have been adding to our fleet of vehicles. Theoretically we should be signing the papers for our little ranch property in the next couple of weeks, so we need vehicles to strew across it. (In addition we need a place to store them--first ranching priority). So, we got one of those "mule" kind of vehicles, which we have named Hilda, after the wonderful Hilda Fountain, who was my dad's next-door-neighbor during his years in High Point, NC. She was humble, hard-working but amazingly helpful and kind. And she lived to be 103, a very productive 103. We hope our Hilda will live to 103 in vehicle years.

Loading Hilda on the trailer

She has four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive and even one-wheel drive (for driving on lawns), plus we got a roof and a windshield, so my hat won't blow off. These vehicles have really improved. She has headlights, plentiful cup holders, and a useful display--the one Lee's dad has doesn't have any of this. I know it will be fun to drive all over the ranch, go visit the neighbors, etc., in Hilda! (She is made by Polaris, by the way, the same folks who made Lee's motorcycle and a lot of snowmobiles.)

And do you note that she is on a trailer? Yep, Lee picked up the trailer, too. Right now the trailer and Hilda are living where Ursula normally would be (so at least we are not wasting the rent on her spot). The truck was also living there (it is destined to be our farm vehicle until we get something that will tow more), until my precious son blew the engine of his Volvo by letting it run out of oil (he had been checking, but didn't realize he was looking at sludge on the dipstick, not actual oil). We feel pretty lucky to have a "spare" vehicle while he waits for the really, really nice guy he got the Volvo from to replace its engine...again...he already replaced it for the lady who originally owned the car and ruined the engine when the water pump broke!

Seems like a lot of weird vehicle luck is going on in our house. But we are OK. Patience is a good thing. I am just wanting to use Ursula right now, since it's the best time of year here! It is not hot and it is not cold, and all the flowers are starting to bloom! I want to go camping in the springtime in the Hill Country!

Ideas?

By the way, we are trying to think of a name for our ranch. It is a part of the Wild Type Ranch, so we though of Wild Type Annex, or Wild Type 2. But there are other possibilities. Ideas? Post them here, share them on Facebook or tell me or Lee in person! We look forward to having an address, electricity and water soon!