LIVING OFF GRID

This blog is about our travels in our solar powered "Airstream" and living off grid, in our passive solar home, near Bancroft, Ontario, Canada.

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Saturday 19 March 2011

Unbelievable!

As you know we have been on the road the past three days trying to reach Fort Worth, Texas by Sunday. We have an appointment with Paul Mayeux to install a solar system on our trailer. With the cost of gas continuing to rise, it makes the cost of installing solar all the more attractive. Most RVers who do any “boondocking” (dry camping) have at least one solar panel to help recharge the batteries in their RV.



 Last night we reached, Brownfield, Texas which is about 250 miles west of Fort Worth and decided to stay the night at a picnic area, just off highway 380. In Texas it is legal to stay overnight in their rest and picnic areas unless otherwise posted. Our spot is very isolated, in the middle of a cotton growing area and on a two lane paved highway. No homes or buildings within sight of our location.  By 9 p.m. we were thinking it was about time to turn in and get some sleep when another camper pulled in behind us. Since our batteries are dead we use “head-lights” that Leanne & Jamie gave us for Christmas to see while in the trailer. From the outside our trailer looks dark and people think we have gone to bed.



We could see this camper was also pulling an “Airstream” trailer and once they were settled I went over to say hi and see if they were staying for the night or just stopping for a late supper. (It’s always comforting to have another RVer beside you when you camp beside the highway.)

 That’s when I got an unexpected surprise. It was Paul and his wife Ann. Paul, the guy who will install our solar system, the guy I had never met but only corresponded by e-mail had pulled into the same picnic area, on the same road, on the same day at the same time as we had. Now, what are the chances of that happening, without prior planning? Here we were two couples who had never met, getting acquainted and chatting about “solar power” in our trailer, at a roadside stop, in the middle of Texas; gave me goose-bumps up and down my spine. 

They only stayed a few minutes, anxious to push on and get closer to home. We decided we had enough excitement for the night and got ready for bed. About 3:30 a tanker truck pulled in beside us and turned in for the night and that is how our day ended, meeting good people, safe and sound beside a Texas highway.



Travel safe and keep in touch.

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