As we approach Thanksgiving, I would like to challenge each of you to find a grateful moment,off the general hook.

I am grateful that this year, our daughter has found an amazing guy, who cherishes her, and loves her, and will always put her first.

I am also grateful that we have joined a community of souls who share, and tolerate other opinions.

Most of all, I'm grateful for those who want before me. Mom, dad , grandparents, and great grandparents who just threw it to the wind, and jumped the ocean.

Yes, I'm grateful that I own an Oliver, but, as you see, it's way down the list.

Sherry

In a way it's about our story, how we found Prescott AZ some 30 years ago on weekend side trip, off my regular Motorola business trip to Phoenix, and we had a great weekend!

Fast forward 10 years later and our family did a 3-week car trip west to find a new place to live somewhere west, leaving comfortable surroundings of Northern Virginia. We left VA heading to Houston and had Christmas with Chris' daughter. The rest of the family left to San Antonio, the Alamo of course, Sante Fe and Taos NM, other stops and had a New Years HomeAway rental for a week in Flagstaff. Flagstaff was cold, sitting on I-40, a transient town for those to-n-from California and visitors to the Grand Canyon. We did day trips to Sedona of course, Cottonwood and the Verde Valley and it only took one more day in Prescott to know it is the place. Closed on our N VA home in Hamilton VA, June 2005, and moved to Prescott. I thought of living west most of my life. Attending High School in DuPage Co IL and all there was to do was drive west through miles of flat cornfields, with nothing to do, nothing to see.

Our friends here and elsewhere come back from trips to Italy or South America and say, you got to go! Others ask, why are you not out on the road more in your RV (or now the Oliver)? When we lived in Chicago, everybody had to leave the city as often as possible. "Escape to Wisconsin" and "Say Yes, Michigan" were the local sayings, meaning "get outta Dodge!"

We moved from the city to North Barrington, IL. 50 miles out! I started liking staying home on weekends. Actually LOVED doing yardwork, of all things (though I'm a weedwhacker and not a planter). I felt bad for the people who needed the escape to Wisconsin, as where we then lived, we were halfway there. Hmmm.

Why do I want to leave a place as great as Prescott AZ? It is the greatest small city in Arizona, carefully selected over time. It is the ONLY city of any size in Arizona not on an Interstate. Think about that fact!? Literally 50 miles SE to I-17 or 50 miles north to I-40 and I-10 is a whole 110 miles away. You got to want to go to Prescott to drive by here. It's not Phoenix or Tucson, thank goodness and it's not the desert valley, nor the snowy higher elevations.

We had an amazing day today. Played pickleball and won 5 out of 6 games. Adam joined the club today and he met many good people. Always do a spa after sports. For 6 years, I've been trying to figure out how to mod a camper with a hot tub. 🤣 Drinks on the deck and we cooked dinner together (I'm in charge of drinks, Adam and Chris are very good cooks).

We have GREAT weather up here. I'm going to end with pictures from our night, all from tonight. It was spectacular, most are from our deck, and a few are front of house. Monsoon season started early this year, and we will have another dozen crazy evenings over the next few months!

Many of you would pull your Olivers for days, to experience such a camp as we have right here at home. PLEASE COME VISIT as all of you that I know here are certainly always welcome. We have partial hookups too!

I promise to pry my older fingers off the weedwhacker and the other tools I love, just long enough to get 45 days away in the Oliver during our upcoming 2024-2025 season. Hope to meet many of you during the October Texas Meet. God Bless y'all on this Sunday.

I came across that photo recently and thought it would be fun to post it and see if anyone recognizes their trailer.  It was taken at the tunnel rest stop on Hwy 199 between Crescent City and Grants Pass.  When zoomed in, you can just make out a Florida License plate beginning with Z57.

The second photo was taken September 9. 2021, just over two months later when we toured the factory and placed an order.  Happy days... except for those ridiculous covid masks!

Do you have a first sighting story?  Love to hear it.

Cheers, Geoff and Tanya

Time to relax, grill some steaks, and chill a bit.

xantrix is blank.

We assumed our lithium batteries were fully charged after being on shore power for 2 days.

I think this whole inverter etc is just too complicated for me. 

there is no reason any owner should have to ynderstand this. 

I assumed this syst was idiot proof. It is not.

So, last month the traveling Knuckleheads and I visited the "first come - first served" Oliver Campground for some maintenance activities.  We pull in around mid-afternoon knowing there's likely to be some serious WX coming in our direction.  

Having never been to the much touted-about showroom and maintenance facility located in an industrial area "across the tracks" in Hohenwald, the puppies and I met all the fantastic people in the showroom and general workshop area.  Josh showed us all the new upgrades to the 2024 models and Magnus and Oscar approvingly inspected every square inch of them.

We were adorned with swag like one couldn't believe (albeit the coveted "Ravel Cups" were no where to be seen)...

Retiring to the Casablanca as the only Oliver in the campground, we threw on some Chris Stapelton and settled in to chill for a bit.  

A few minutes later, a rap at the main entry hatch...

"Sir, since you're still coupled, it would be advisable to bring your rig through the main gate and under the protective metal roof by the shop".  Assuming he (I'm thinking it was Mike) knows the WX patterns a ton better than us - I "rogered-up" and by the time  I managed to snuggle the Tundra under the awning, the hail went from pea size to "no SH!T" golfball size.  Never experience hail balls like that.  The noise was louder than sitting behind the JBD waiting to launch with an F-8 in full burner on the CAT!

It lasted about 20 minutes or so...  The Oliver folks literally save our Tundra from being destroyed by the storm's hail - our metal panels aren't like the thickness of trucks back in the day - they're very thin.

Jason Essary came up during the deluge, explaining that they get this type of storm often and I asked about the 6 or 7 brand new OTTs in the parking lot totally exposed to the hurling ice balls like ours was... He said,  "No worries, until those hail balls get to the size of frozen chickens, they'll be good as gold!"  WOW!  Our's was completely being pelted by the hail as Jason explained this and sure enough - no issues!

We'd just like to take this moment to thank ALL of the OTT employees that were there that day, helping us save the mighty TV, our Tundra...

Cheers, ALL!

Every single time we have been out we have at least one person ask us if our Oliver is an Airstream.  One was kind of funny, he said, "I did not know Airstream made a plastic camper."

Do you get that question, or Airstream comment?

The day came (yesterday) and I laid out all my parts and tools and got to work. After the first 6 lug nuts and tire #1 came off, I came across this strange dust cover that said "Nev R Lube". I immediately got on the forum and searched such a thing I'd never heard of or seen. Lo and behold, Ollie apparently went to this system in 2022, the year that gave birth to #1019.

In a way I was relieved...I get half a day back (maybe more). But then, I now have a lot of parts and a few tools I won't, or can't use. I'll be selling them soon in our Ollie classifieds.

So, like buying all the wrong stuff for a newborn that gendered differently than expected, I'm still happy, yet saddened. I still love Ollie.

We sang it by the campfire, as kids, and it's just as true today.

I spoke today with a camping friend that I  taught with many, many years ago. (Not telling.,)

She's at a rally that she's been attending for probably a decade. Fun with old friends and new.

Past summer, she created an informal "camping experience " with her senior band friends. 

We've made cherished friends within the Ollie circle, and other friends around the world, camping, in our Ollie, and rentals/ deliveries.

Tonight, in my conversation with my friend,  I  was struck by how much our life has been enriched by our camping  (and sailing/cruising) experiences.  

That song I learned in Brownie camp is just so true. Some people I cherish today, though I've never met them in person.  Others, that I've camped with are cherished in another special way.

Life can be so good, when we get out there, and open our hearts to adventure,  and new friends. 

I do so love the woods, thevbeauty of nature,  the adventure,  and all the opportunities. 

Camping season, for us, this year, is drawing to a close. Maybe a few short trips, but other adventures await.

it isn’t a body, believe it or not… it is a Clam Quickset Pavilion shelter.

We’ll be at Mt. Pisgah campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway from 7/1-7/10.

Hull 1125 has officially taken its maiden voyage, we stayed at a couple of Hipcamps and a Harvest Host on the way home. All went seamlessly. 

Our time with Ollie was one filled with fun times, interesting places, and great new friends. I remembered what I went through during our orientation at our Ollie purchase - and lamented upon the stories shared here on the forum relating to  things some didn't fully understand after the orientation and struggled with at the campground for the fist time.

I did not want the new Oliver owners to go through a less than through purchase. So this was not the ordinary person to person sale - my goal was to share as much and many learnings as I could - fully explaining the systems, features, and quarks of Ollie ownership. The new owners left about 5 hours later - with a video history of the entire "orientation". I feel comfortable knowing Ollie is in good hands - and more importantly - the folks are set up to enjoy Oliver with reduced stress and  concern. Tally Ho!!

I know the Oliver family will take good care of them- and heartily welcome them when the time is right.

To the future,

RB

Minus the Oliver.....

Early in the year, my nephew married one of the sweetest young women I've ever met. Much of my family was here. I'm really thankful my nephew and his bride chose a February date for their wedding. It's the last time in 2020 that joy and hugs abounded,  and so much family could gather.

During our more quiet, more isolated time, since March, we've completed dozens of projects we'd been postponing. And, of course, made new lists. I'm studying yet another language, hoping to be able to speak to some of Paul's cousins when they (hopefully) can visit next year from Italy, without resorting to Google translate on my phone.

I've renewed several old friendships over text and phone, as we check in with each other. Most especially,  I've  reunited with a cousin who was my BFF as a little girl, but we grew apart. We speak often, now. The shared experiences of today have brought renewed memories of our shared childhood experiences. 

I'm thankful that my mom, with all her health issues, has done well so far, with the help of all my siblings, and great doctors .

I'm thankful that the younger members of our family who still work are all employed, happy, and healthy. And the few who did get covid, survived and are back on their feet.

And, I'm thankful for my neighborhood, where we can talk over the fences, or on patios, share stories (and eggs, sugar, etc.), and never feel alone in quarantine times.

Not to ever make light of this strange year, or minimize the tragedies. I lost one cousin, and there was only a small, immediate family only funeral. For those of you who have lost loved ones, I offer my heartfelt sympathies. I  know what loss feels like, and this year, without our customary practices,  it's especially and uniquely difficult. Not to be able to travel, and hug my aunt and hold her, and comfort her in her time of loss,  was very difficult for me, and for my mom, her sister.

In these difficult and very different times, I'd also like to say thank you for the community here. Every morning,  I  look forward to seeing friends here, as well.

I wish you a very happy, and healthy, new year in 2021.

Sherry 

One of my newest neighbors dropped off cookies on our doorstep today, Christmas eve. 

We had lost my mother -in-law's recipe for spritzen cookies, though I  had saved her 50s  press for my daughter. My new neighbor's cookies tasted just like the cookies my daughter "helped" her  gramma Zizi make, so many years ago.

My neighbor, Beth has offered not only her recipe, but lessons for my daughter. Which is wonderful,  because I never was much of a baker. I  depended on my mother-in-law for cookie exchanges , among so many other things. She was amazing, and I miss her so much.

This may seem silly, and a small thing, but small things do indeed matter. 

Spritzer cookies are small, but big in memories in our family. 

Merry Christmas. 

Sherry 

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