The Last of the Retirement Toys (hopefully)

Roger here --


Inflatable kayak - check!  Portable gas grill - check!  Portable hammock - check!  GPS - check!  Handheld GPS for geocaching - check!  Snorkle equipment - check! Camera to take blog pics - check!  Hiking belts - check!  Decent hiking shoes - check!  Big Bobber floating cooler - check!  Disposal of Big Bobber sinking cooler - check!  Comfortable outdoor lounge chairs - check!  Unbreakable acrylic wine glasses - check!  Looks like we have all the toys that we need.  Oh wait, we don't have bicycles.


Over the last 19 months of full-timing, Dianne and I have frequently repeated snippets of the following conversation:


Roger says: "It would be great to have bicycles to ride around the campgrounds and to tool down the frequent bike paths that we have seen."

Dianne says: "I am frightened of riding bicycles because I am too far off the ground."


Roger says:  "We really can't stand the extra weight on the back of the motor home, but we could figure out how to mount them on the car."


Dianne says:  "Remember when I ran the guy down on the rental bike in the Everglades because I tried to use my feet to stop instead of the brake, and was too far off the ground."


Roger says:  "We could use a bike to transport items from the camp stores to the campsite, like wood and ice."


Dianne says:  "Remember the time with Chuck & Cindy in Florida when I fell off a bike because I was going too slow and lost my balance and was too far off the ground?"


Roger:  "There are miles and miles of bike paths adjacent to our new RV lot in South Texas; what good exercise!"


Dianne:  "Remember the bikes we rented on our honeymoon on Martha's Vineyard and how hard they were to pedal into the wind, and how tired I was, and how we stopped early, and how scared I was because I was too far off the ground."


Roger:  "We could also ride them at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park which is right next to our RV lot.  We had fun doing this last winter on the bikes that we borrowed and there was not any car traffic."


Dianne:  "I still have a bump on my knee from the Everglades fiasco, all because I was too far off the ground."


Roger:  "Bikes are kind of expensive, but since we are selling a few more items from the little house, we could use part of the money to buy a couple of bikes."


Dianne:  "I don't like using hand brakes when I am so far off the ground."


Roger:  "Remember Linda's Townie bike at the RV Dreams rally in South Carolina?  It was low to the ground, and had that flat-foot technology, placing the pedals forward from the seat?  Remember how much Linda liked it?"

Dianne,  "Yeah, I did like that bike.  I want a yellow one, 24 inch (closer to the ground), with a yellow flower."

I jumped at the chink in Dianne's armor.  We found a bicycle shop (Motion Cycling & Fitness) in Fishers, IN that specializes in Townie bikes, and hopped in the car to check them out.   I really didn't think that they would carry 24 inch bikes, let alone yellow ones.  However, as soon as we entered the shop, Dianne walked straight to the exact bike that she described.  It was the only 24-inch bike in stock, AND it was pale yellow.  (Dianne here:  The actual color is "vanilla.")


She took a test drive in the back parking lot and felt safe.  She could touch the ground from her seat.  (We still need to work on getting her comfortable with the hand brakes.)  It was meant to be.

I also found a silver men's bike (matches my changing hair color), also a Townie, that I really liked. 

 I talked with the owner about mounting systems for our Toyota Matrix.  He had them in stock, and helped me mount it to the car.  (I thought I would have to install a hitch, but this was really simple and is easily removable.)

As we were puchasing the bikes, we discovered that the owner of the shop was a former student in the junior high school where I was the principal.  It is always fun for me to see former students that I remembered as being 13 years old who have grown up to be successful adults.  He remembered me and I remembered him, as well as his sister and his mom and his dad.  We had a good time talking about the school, the teachers, and old times.  It was a good -- albeit expensive -- day. 

 Dianne topped off the purchase by finding a yellow flower to put on her handle bar. 

When we got back to the motor home, we both took short test drives around the neighborhood on the last of the retirement toys. 

New Blog List

Dianne here:  


This isn't really a blog update, but wanted to let those of you who follow our linked blogs know that I've finally added some of our favorites to the sidebar.  They run the gamut of veteran full timers, newbies, and those selling their house and possessions in order to get started. 


Geeks on Tour is a great web site and source for computer knowledge, geared specifically to the traveling lifestyle.  They are a fun couple whose seminars we have attended at two rallies.  


 One blog, RV-Adventures of Roger and Margie, is written by a couple whose house closing happened simultaneously to ours last September.  We met at Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal Rally in Celina, OH, last fall.  (Nick's web site and link to his blog is listed, too).  It's interesting to follow the different paths those choosing this lifestyle decide to follow!   


Nancy and Bill, Wandering Sylville, and Frerx Adventures are three couples we met at the RV Dreams Rally in South Carolina.  It was really fun to get to know them; all are delightful couples, and just getting started.  We have also learned a lot from the RV Dreams blog.  They have lots of information for those just starting out, or still making the decision to.


"Have Trailer, Will Travel" is written by another delightful couple we met last year, first in  Florida, then again last spring when we met up at Summit Lake State Park in Indiana for a few days.  They were very generous with their knowledge of Rv'ing, Google Earth, and Texas.  They enjoy the same activities we do, and are lots of fun.


Semi-True Tales of our Life on the Road is another really interesting, well-written blog that we follow religiously.  We've followed some of their travels, even checking out some of the sites and food along the way. 


I will always be indebted to the "Because We Can" blogs, because I've followed them from THEIR beginning, several years ago, and that was my inspiration for shedding all our belongings and hitting the road.  They are still at it, enjoying an Alaskan adventure this summer, so I still follow their every move!  Linda Klyne and I are even Facebook friends now.  Someday I know we'll even meet in person!  


One thing I'm learning in this new lifestyle is that it is truly a small world.  Full timers cross paths, then cross paths again and follow each others' adventures.  (For example, Steve and Evin who we met at the South Carolina rally, then met up with by chance at a state park in North Carolina).


 We also meet folks who know others we have met in our travels.   It's a great way to get trip ideas and "learn the ropes" from those who actually know what they're doing!  (We're not there yet).  


Roger and I will update our own blog soon with photos of our latest "toys" -- the last we needed to purchase for our new traveling lifestyle!  Now if we can sell this house, we'll really be on our way!

Kayaking Adventure - Oh, No! Not Again!

Roger here...  Before I begin, there was a lot of debate among our kayaking friends about the title of this blog.  Oh, No! Not Again! was my choice, and since I am the writer, I win.  However, there were several alternate titles which included: Lost! (in Indiana), A Foggy View, Anchors Away, and The Doubters.

Now on to the fun:


  For several months we had been planning to spend Memorial Day weekend with our kayaking/camping friends - Chuck and Cindy and Pat and Audrey.  We met at the Hidden Paradise Campground near St. Paul, Indiana.  The attraction to the campground was the Flat Rock River, where we could launch our inflatable kayaks 100 yards from our campsites.  Another unique attraction was that we could circle our RVs (the "wagons") on a grassy field around a common hookup pedestal, creating a great campsite for friends sharing a common space. 


 On Friday afternoon, Dianne and I picked up our RV after a few days of annual service at Mt. Comfort RV (a good place), and drove about 30 miles to the campground.  We set up camp and were treated to a great meal.  We always eat well at these things, probably too well.

The First Full Day.....  This was the day of the potential blog titles.  Chuck drove his truck to a cemetery near our kayaking pick-up point about five miles from the campsite, and pedaled back on his bicycle.  After the first of three days of hearty and delicious breakfasts (more eating), we inflated our three Sea Eagle kayaks and plopped into the river.   It was a great day for paddling.  The sun was hot.  The water was cool.  And, there were enough swift -- though relatively tame -- rapids to make the trip interesting. 


 Over the span of the three days we had incredible views of the wildlife (never had the camera ready at the right time) including a swimming muskrat, a deer bounding across the river, turtles, a snake coiled on a tree stump that watched us as we floated past, a couple of great blue herons that squawked at us and then flew ahead of us down river, and innumerable song birds.  The first two-thirds of the trip was uneventful and fun.  

The only irritant was the Big Bobber that I purchased to float behind the kayak that was iced down with various beverages.  It worked great before the first beverage break, but soon tipped over, became unlatched, and spilled most of the ice.  We were able to salvage most of the drinks. 

 And then it happened....  The river split into two sections:  The right section looked too shallow to navigate.  The left section moved faster, but was covered by a tree branch.  It looked like we could get under it, but it was going to be risky.  We really had no choice, as the current took us to the narrow passage.  Dianne and I were first.  The tree limbs hit our upheld arms, but we made it through.  We did a victory hoot and then I held up my paddle and jokingly yelled, "go the other way!" to the other kayaks. 

Chuck and Cindy were next, THEN, "Oh No, Not Again!"  One of their paddles lodged in the tree branches, resulting in Cindy being dragged from the kayak and sitting on top of a one-foot waterfall,  and Chuck's subsequent ejection into the current.  No one was hurt, but Cindy had no way to move without being swept away.  Chuck initially thought that they had lost one of their paddles (the one lodged in the tree), and soon realized that for the second year in a row on our kayaking trip that he had lost a new pair of prescription glasses, thus the title 

"A Foggy View." 

 Pat and Audrey made it through without incident.  Dianne and I quickly paddled back to the island.  While Chuck searched for his glasses, I stumbled through the river rocks and was quickly joined by Pat.  I was able to retrieve the lodged paddle and extend it to Cindy as support so she could escape from the current.  Pat offered stable support from the other side.  Cindy was fine, but was not happy that she lost her favorite hat.  Chuck was also fine, but lost his new glasses.  Disappointing, but everyone was OK, so on we went.

As we paddled on, Dianne and I noticed that we were not able to keep up with the others.  We finally realized that the floating cooler, was not floating.  It was completely filled with water and dragging behind us like an anchor - "Anchors Away."    By the time I emptied it and pulled it into the kayak, the latch had again opened and we lost all our remaining drinks.  As Cindy said, "The Big Bobber turned out to be a big bust."


A little flashback....  Chuck and Cindy had done this paddle before, and inadvertently paddled miles past the take-out point.  They ended up hitch-hiking back to their truck after a full day on the river.  It turned out well, but it was not something we wanted to do.  As we passed the landmarks that they remembered (a highway bridge, power lines, etc.), Chuck told us to look for a rope swing at the point of a confluence.  Pat said that he had seen one earlier.  Chuck said, "How far back?" Pat said, "You don't want to know."  The first seeds of doubt - why didn't I bring money, a cell phone, etc.? 

 A little later Cindy said that she was sure that it was beyond the bridge we had just been under, and Chuck said that it should be just ahead.  Then, we saw the rope swing, BUT it was not the right one.  It was at that point that Dianne and I became, "The Doubters."  It should be around the next bend - paddle, paddle, paddle - nope, not yet.   Paddle, paddle, paddle - not yet.  Paddle, paddle, paddle - not yet.  Chuck and Cindy said, "We are a little worried." - "Lost (in Indiana)"...  Paddle, paddle, paddle - not yet!  Roger's doubting mind, "Oh crap, we are stranded without a vehicle, and Chuck doesn't know where we are."  Twenty minutes later, paddle, paddle, paddle - not yet. 


 THEN, voices, splashing water, laughter, A ROPE SWING!  WE ARE NOT LOST!  Good ole Chuck!  Trusted him the entire time.  He'll look great in the extra set of prescription glasses that I intend to give him.


After we tied the kayaks to the truck I gave the Big Bobber to one of the rope swingers, after explaining that it was a piece of junk.  We then made our way back to the campground and we had the second of three great suppers - we ate well, again.

The second full day....  This day was much more relaxing, but not nearly as exciting.  We duplicated the trip from the previous day.  This time we knew where the sketchy places were and we knew we would not get lost.  When we got to the scene of the great tipover, Dianne and I grounded our kayak and portaged, not willing to tip into the water.  Chuck, Cindy, Pat and Audrey all made the run.  Kind of made us feel like wimps - oh well.  When we made our way back to the campsite - more eating while we watched the Indy 500 outside, thanks to our satellite and Dianne's determination to make it work.  Cindy's brother and his friend joined us for dinner, conversation, corn-hole,  a trivia game and - more eating. 

 Dianne here:  Only fellow Indiana people appreciate the novelty of watching the Indy 500 live on TV.  It is always blacked out from local television coverage -- always has been -- so while folks around the world enjoy the race live on TV, Indiana folks grow up listening to it on the radio or watching the re-broadcast hours later, after the outcome is already known.   Unless, of course, you go to the race and experience it in person.  If you are short, you might experience it as I always did:  Quick, noisy blurs passing between the heads of whoever was sitting in front of me.   


Memorial Day....  Rain, in fact storms, were in the forecast.  We all intended to kayak again before breaking camp, but the possible thunderstorm deterred Dianne and me.  By the time we expressed our concerns, the other two couples decided not to go as well.  I feel really badly, because it did not rain until later that evening.  But, we did enjoy the morning at the campsite and - more eating.


We are back in Pendleton right now.  Tomorrow morning we will do the final cleanup of our little house before we put it on the market.  We'll keep you posted on the progress.

A One Day Break

Roger here....  This will be a short post to update everyone on the progress of our work here in Pendleton, IN.  We have several things on our plate right now that we need to work through before our departure on Labor Day weekend.  


Our immediate concern is getting the small house that our daughter lived in, until her move to Florida, ready to sell.  The sooner it is ready, the more likely we can sell it before we leave.  We are hoping it can be ready in a couple of weeks.  We are definitely making progress.  

You already know about the ceiling tile fun and the yard work.  The next task was dealing with a few of the wall boards which had separated from the sheet rock behind.  I reattached the loose places with wood screws and was very pleased that they readily found purchase and pulled back to the wall.  


The next task was to recover the walls to give them a more finished look.  Dianne did some investigation, resulting in a trip to Lowe's.  She put sheetrock mud

on the walls, then rolled them with a loop brush roller to give them a textured look.  She then repainted the main room and the dining area, first with tinted drywall primer and then the finish coat.  She picked a neutral light tan color called "mushroom."  (Dianne here:  I found the idea using Google.  Here's a link to the instructions for the project that I followed:  http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/interiors/paneling/conceal.htm  When I opened the five-gallon can of mud and first scooped some up to spread on the walls, I thought to myself "Oh, my gravy, what have I gotten myself into??!!"  It took a while to get the hang of it, and was a two-day process to get both really small rooms done, but worth the effort.)

  Hours and hours (Rather, days and days.... - D) of work with a good result.  Both rooms look a lot better, and Dianne has finally been able to wash all the mud and paint from her arms, hands, and face.  (By the way, I am not trusted to do interior painting, for some reason.)


While Dianne was working on the walls, I tackled a new floor surface for the utility room.  Last summer we ripped out the old carpeting and put temporary carpet scraps over the sub floor, knowing that we would do something more permanent when we returned.  I definitely wanted a hard surface on the floor, as it is the only pathway into the house from the garage.  It now has a neat looking dimpled-rubberized surface similar to those that you see in school locker rooms.  It looks great, and I am sporting a nasty blister on my thumb from cutting the tiles.  It will heal, but Dianne's lack of sympathy is quite hurtful. (Poor Baby....) 


We faced a similar situation with the bathroom floor surface.  After ripping up the old nasty carpet (why does anyone put carpet in a bathroom?), I cut a vinyl linoleum sheet to fit the floor area.  When it is glued down, it will have the appearance of terrazzo. 


Which leads me to the reason for our one-day-break:  When I pulled the carpet remnant from the toilet area, I noticed that the sub floor was damp all the way around the toilet bowl.  Uh-Oh.  When I touched it, it felt soft.  UH-OH!  We certainly did not need another expense, but what can ya do?  It had to be fixed.  So today we are relaxing by the TV in the house while a very likable and conscientious plumber is repairing the leak and installing a new section of subfloor in the toilet area.  The good news is that the floor joists all look great.  The better news is that Dianne did not collapse with the toilet into the crawl space this past month while doing her business :-).


Our issue of the day is that we have no water until the work is done.  Normally, that would not be a problem, as we would simply use the motor home for water, showers, rest-rooming, etc.  BUT, the motor home is at Mt. Comfort RV (a business that we truly do trust) for its annual service.  We really have no access to water, and we can't leave for the day with the plumber in the house.  So, we are taking turns finding public restrooms in town - lots of fun.  Dianne visited the Village Pantry (convenience store), but felt guilty doing so.  (Dianne here:  I didn't really feel guilty, because I bought a chocolate bar, but couldn't bring myself to keep going back there time after time!)  I (Roger) found public restrooms in the park.  The neighbors must wonder why in the world we keep leaving on foot, separately, every hour or so.  Oh well, gotta get rid of the morning coffee some way.


Dianne again:  Such is the disadvantage of a one-bathroom house!  On the other hand, we mentioned before that this little house has a great location.  One aspect of that is that it is a short walk to the Village Pantry convenience store or to the park (restrooms), library, community swimming pool, and/or downtown shopping area.  This came in really handy today.


Our next blog should be more interesting.   All three couples on our camp-out have Sea Eagle inflatable kayaks, so an excursion down the Flatrock River is definitely on schedule.  Menus are being planned and anticipation is building!  Hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend, too.

Oh, to be free of the Stix & Brix....

Hi all -- Dianne here.  Roger is talking at an awards ceremony at his former school corporation this afternoon, so I thought I'd bring you all up to date on our progress.


The first thing we did after arriving in Pendleton was to get the yard cleaned up and flowers planted.  That was actually fun.  I even planted a couple of tomato plants in case the house isn't sold in August.  The part that was NOT fun was cutting back a row of forsythia bushes that had taken over the entire back yard.  (Roger had that little chore.)

 From a "pyro-queen" perspective, one of the bonuses of cleaning up the yard was all of the sticks that we were able to pick up from the yard that had fallen over the winter.  (This is a yearly activity when you have huge, mature oak and maple trees in the yard).   Last fall we had purchased a fire ring, so we were able to have a camp fire in the side yard (backs up to a woods) and pretend we weren't house-bound for the summer.   Burning the sticks and twigs was the most enjoyable chore from our list of 55.   The wine was flowing freely....

One chore that was NOT enjoyable at all was replacing the old ceiling tiles in the bathroom and utility room with new ones.  You would think that it would be a simple matter of lifting the old tiles out and replacing with the new, since the grid was already in place.   Let's just say that with the heat ducts and other overhead obstructions, heat vents, light fixtures, and so on that it took us two-and-a-half hours just to replace three of the tiles!  This was a two-day activity; one day for the small utility room, then another for the even-smaller bathroom.   It looks great now, but I wouldn't want to do it again EVER.  

This little house is 110 years old, and the old ceiling tiles had been in place since 1991.  Twenty years of dust and debris wafted off the upper surface of each one that we lifted down.   Not only that, the very first tile that we replaced had a dead mouse laying on top of it!!!!  (The house is next to a vacant, wooded lot and across from a farm field, so we had put mouse bait out while we were gone last winter).   That gave us a thrill, to say the least.   Luckily, that was the only "surprise" we had while removing the old tiles.  Roger took a photo of his lovely bride,  decked out with goggles, face mask, and shower cap to avoid the dust and debris as it showered down upon us.   (I consented to posting this for a little comic relief.)

  I remember when Roger and I lived in this same little house as newlyweds in 1972, when his parents owned it, and how well we worked together back then.  Well, let's just say that 38 years of marriage has made us both a bit more "lippy" and uninhibited as far as voicing our "concerns" to each other!   You'd think we'd kill each other living in the small motorhome 24/7 together, but for some reason we usually get along just fine in that tiny space. 


Next we will tackle the walls.  That should be a blog unto itself.  We bought this little house about seven years ago for our daughter (a single mom) and granddaughter to live in rent-free, like Roger and I did when we were first married.  I'm pretty domestic:  I bake my bread (even in the motor home) and love to cook from scratch.  My daughters -- let's just say they are not exactly domestic goddesses.   Must be a generational thing.  Anyway, there is much to be done to rehab the walls.  I found a neat project on the internet that will make the old paneling look like textured dry wall.  I'll let you know how it turns out, so check back soon, if you're interested at all.


Next week we take our motor home in for its 60,000-mile maintenance.  We can highly recommend Mount Comfort RV on the east side of Indianapolis for service.  They are a Workhorse chassis repair facility, and they have always done a good job for us.  We trust them and their advice.  We've saved up a list of items for them to deal with.


As soon as we get the motor home back, Memorial Day weekend we have reservations to camp with our friends, and hopefully do a little kayaking on the Flatrock River.  I'm sure we'll be MORE than ready to hit the road for a brief break by then!  

Craigs List Deja Vu

Hi all -- Dianne here.  We've been making some progress toward our goal of being truly "home-free."  Yesterday I spent all day photographing, cleaning, writing ads and then posting on Craig's List for various things such as a lawn mower, snow thrower, hedge trimmer, patio chairs, snow shovels, etc. etc. etc.  (Listed on the Muncie/Anderson Craig's List, for my local friends.)  It was worth it, though, because I've already had a phone call early this morning from a man who is coming to buy our 8-foot step ladder.  


This Craig's List stuff brought back tiring memories of all the work we went through last summer when we sold our main house in Pendleton and almost everything in it.


This time, it's on a much smaller scale.  We're getting rid of things we thought we'd need if we kept this little rental-type house as a summer home base.  Now that we've bought the lot in Texas, we won't need to do ANY yard work, and certainly NO more snow.  


The appraiser came and did a thorough job of appraising this little place.  Kind of disappointing, but realistic nonetheless.  Our next endeavor will be to take on the "For Sale By Owner" task, possibly using Craig's List for the house, too!  

One thing that hasn't changed from our mobile lifestyle to settling in here is that "wine-thirty" comes around every evening (or late afternoon, depending upon what kind of day we've had!)  Jasper has an inner clock and starts badgering us right around 4:30 each day, because he knows that wine-thirty means treat time as well.  Here's the plate I prepared for yesterday's time-out:

It is pleasant to sit outside in the yard and gaze at the farm field across the street.  Roger saw a red fox run across the field the other day.  Last summer when we were here, it was soybeans.  This summer, I guess we'll be watching corn grow.  Pleasant as it is, I know that as soon as we're able to get our chores done here, we'll be anxious to see some new and different views on our way to California next fall!

Back to the Midwest - Bob Evans Farm, Southwest Ohio

Hi all, Dianne here.  This is a quick update blog to catch us up, now that we're back in Indiana.  We will be busy here this summer (my to-do list is up to #55 already!), so we might not be updating as often.  Plus, how much can you really say about yard work and mundane chores around a stix and brix house??


We will update from time to time with progress reports on getting the little house ready for sale, selling off yet more "stuff," etc.  


Friday morning (April 30) we left Pipestem Resort State Park in Southern West Virginia.  

The entire day was pretty much the same scenic views out our large motor home windows.  As we neared Beckley it became evident by the rock face next to the highway that we had entered coal country.  My thoughts naturally went to the recent mine disaster.


I've been through West Virginia several times, different parts, and if there is a flat square mile there I haven't seen one.   After crossing the state north on I-77, west on I-64, then branching off on State Road 35 near Point Pleasant, we crossed into Ohio.  

As part of this new lifestyle, we are struggling to stay out of "vacation driving" mode -- you know, the drive-till-you-drop mindset.  So, as soon as we crossed into Ohio we stopped for the day around 2:30 at the original Bob Evans Farm homestead campground.  It's a small campground with only 12 RV sites, but we have water and 50 amp electric (no sewer).  It's quiet and pretty here except for the traffic on state road 588 out front.  At only $15 per night for water and electric, it's a bargain and perfect for a relaxing overnight stop to break up the long drive. 

 As you can see from the photo, Chaplin found the grass to be very relaxing!  You could almost read his mind:  "Um-m-m, soft midwestern grass!  No spurs, no fire ants, smells so good...."

As soon as we got set up, we drove across the street and down a "bit" to the original Bob Evans homestead to pay for our camp site.  The homestead is open for tours with no admission fee.  We were so hungry by that point that we skipped the tour and made a bee-line to eat at the original Bob Evans restaurant on the grounds.  I didn't photograph it, because it just looks like the normal Bob Evans restaurants you see everywhere. Not exactly gourmet fare, but a fitting start to welcome us back to the Midwest.


Saturday morning we traveled on until we were truly "Back Home Again in Indiana."  We spent Saturday night at Summit Lake State Park (mainly so we could dump our tanks to have them empty), then arrived at our little house in Pendleton Sunday morning.  


Now I understand why Indiana state parks are NOT popular with out-of-state travelers.  Always in the past we have had an annual pass to use for the various state parks.  This time, being South Dakota residents, we had to pay $7.00 just to enter the park, then another $25 or so for the camp site.  Not a viable option for just an overnight stay!  We might as well have found a private campground.  


We're currently in Pendleton, Indiana, parked in the driveway of the little house, plugged into the 50 amp outlet we installed last summer when we thought we'd be keeping it.  (Our two posts from this little house last year can be found under "Pendleton" in the sidebar).  An appraiser is coming this evening to appraise it for us, so we'll have a ballpark figure on what to ask for it as we try to sell it.  Wish us luck!