CuRVWander

I think everyone has heard of middle-age spread and understands a waistline that bulges without respect to exercise or dieting.  There is a parallel to this in living space too.  It seems that whatever space you have, you fill it in time.  I think most who have had a home, be it a mansion or one bedroom apartment, has experienced bulging closets and crammed-full drawers. Full-timers, out of necessity, are hyper-aware of using the space available in their abode on wheels.  Weight and weight distribution is important and the use of the physical space of the usually no more than 400 sq/ft are always front and center in the mind. We started our full-timing experience with all the things we thought we would need  and a few things that would be nice to have but not absolutely necessary.  We also changed our attitude to collecting memories, not things, and adopted the rule that for anything purchased/acquired, something else would have to be disposed of.  Ano...

EVERYTHING SHINY AND NEW The heart of a full-timer's life is the rig they live in.  And if one lives in a trailer, then the lifeblood is the truck that tows it.  Big Gulp has been our lifeblood since 2006 and has seen us through thick and thin.  Some of the thin would be Big Gulp itself. The day we took delivery of Big Gulp March 31, 2006 It was a proud moment when we picked up our truck from the custom up-fitter in Valparaiso, IN.  It symbolized a new beginning, a whole new way of living.  A nomadic life filled with adventures of all kinds.  And with this truck, dubbed Big Gulp for the copious amounts of fuel it consumed, our adventures began.  Small ones at first because we were both not yet retired, but vacations and long weekends helped us hone our skills for the full-time lifestyle. THE SHINE DULLS The warm glow of the possibilities before us were soon tempered somewhat when we began having mechanical failures, all associated with the Ford-built d...

 Early this spring I was asked to photograph an event that took place at Allatoona Lake dam.  The Corps of Engineers were hosting a local museum society by giving a talk on the history of the dam as well as a tour of it, both inside and out.  While on top of the dam I was trying to find a good angle to capture the ranger giving the talk as well as his audience.  I got up against an exterior wall that overlooked the Etowah River, which is what the dam discharges to, and got my shot.  But before moving to my next shot I took the opportunity to enjoy the view. Besides being a long way down, there were a lot of wildlife present in the form of birds.  What particularly caught my attention were a pair of Osprey that were building a nest.  This nest was being constructed atop a telephone pole installed by Georgia Power (just one of many they put up around the lake for nesting purposes).  A platform atop the pole to act as a base for the nest is a surplus...