![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a333ca9695.jpg\")
I didn’t sleep well at all my last night in the little rpod. I lifted the shade over the bed at about 1:00 in the morning and watched the clouds flitting over the bright, shiny moon. I smiled as I thought of all the beautiful places I’ve been in it. I felt my phone buzz and saw my friend Diane had texted me. She’s the “non-camper” that I took camping back in early October. She wanted to know if I was still in the camper. (Yes, we often chat in the idle of the night...we are both night owls.) Finally, we both decided we might sleep if we had a bowl of cereal. lol
\n\n\nAs I sat nibbling on Raisin Bran, I got to thinking...wouldn’t it be nice if you could tow a camper around and live in it a little bit before you buy it? You can rent some models, but it is not an exhaustive list to choose from. I knew within a week of living in Big TOW-Wanda that there were things I really didn’t like about it. For one, the windows didn’t open very far and you never really got a nice cross breeze.
\n\n\nAfter having this little beauty for the last five months, I’ve just about decided to sell the big camper and downsize to the rpod 196. There’s really nothing major I would want to change on it. I think I would put some sort of rain guards or an awning over the tops of the sliding windows so I could have them wide open when it rains. Other than that...it’s golden. And that comes from really living in it over time.
\n\n\nI was telling Mr. FixIt how much I would miss this camper and being on the road with her, but just as much as that, I am looking forward to getting some things done around the house that have been pushed to the back burner. I’m not sure how much camping we’ll get to do this summer anyway with all the work that needs doing on the house in order to get it on the market. I do know there will be a trip to Colorado!
\n\n\nWhen I did finally wake up yesterday after a fitful hour or two of sleep, it was so quiet. No rain! The rivers are high and overflowing all around and this little respite was short lived. As soon as I got the rest of the items packed up and the bed stripped, the drizzly rain started again. I hooked up in the wet and waited till I got to Setzer’s to sweep out the camper. It was useless to do it beforehand with all the dirt and wet I was tracking in.
\n\n\nI hauled on over to the dealership and unhooked in what was now a very steady rain. Everything was out of the camper and I handed over the keys. It felt really weird to leave without towing something! As I pulled away, I stopped and snapped this picture and said a quick prayer...for the new owners...and for safe travels home for both of us. She’s gonna make someone very, very happy in a couple of days!
\n\n\nAnd now...back to work!
\n\n\nHere’s the link for the camper. If you buy a ticket (or three) I promise I’ll stop bombarding you with these links. (Ohhhh, that’s not fair. The raffle ends tonight at midnight. Still...) There are also links in the story for all the wonderful companies who partnered with us to bring the camper from “Factory to Fabulous” as well as the HoldYou Foundation. It’s worth your while to go check them out.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-02-13T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/02/13/the-partys-almost-over.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","goRVing","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/02/12/please-sharethe-last-chance-for.html", "title": "Please Share...the Last Chance for Raffle Tickets!", "content_html": "\n“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
\nGalatians 6:9 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/af3523f804.jpg\")
The last five months have been SO much fun! Traveling through five states, camping at several state parks and private campgrounds, over 6,000 miles driven, plus some boondocking off the grid. All in one of the coolest little campers I’ve ever had the privilege to spend time in. I’m seriously considering selling Big TOW-Wanda and getting an rpod 196. I love the floor plan, it is so super easy to tow, the kitchen is really workable, the sofa is honestly indistinguishable from a residential as far as comfort (and folds down into a twin bed to boot!) There is SO much storage and the bed is situated so no one has to crawl over their bed partner to get out in the middle of the night. And to top it all off, the windows let in an amazing amount of light. They had me when I saw the window over the bed!
\n\n\nI spent the day yesterday clearing out the things I’ve toted around with me on the trip. It’s amazing what can accumulate in five short months! There were things that stay with the camper, things that go back to Janine, things that go home, and things to throw away. As I sat and sorted, I prayed for the new owners of this little camper...that they see beautiful sights, that they enjoy peaceful solitude and/or family adventures, and that all their travels are safe and secure.
\n\n\nThank you all so much for joining me on this journey! I’ll post a farewell photo tomorrow. In the meantime, if you could please do us the honor of sharing this link with everyone you know, I would be ever so grateful. The monies from ticket sales goes to the HoldYou Foundation to assist families who have critically ill children with the practical things they need...keeping the lights on, buying groceries, gas for the car to get their child to and from the doctor. It’s a wonderful charity that the Girl Campers supports wholeheartedly. If you have access to a newsletter or mailing list, that would extra super special! We are getting down to the wire now. We have extended the hours to purchase tickets to midnight on Valentine’s Day! Wahoo!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-02-12T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/02/12/please-sharethe-last-chance-for.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Prayer","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","goRVing","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/02/11/raindrops-resting.html", "title": "Raindrops \u0026 Resting", "content_html": "\n“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
\nIsaiah 58:10 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4fa2156077.jpg\")
Getting the camper out of the mall was a lot easier than getting it in there. When I took it in, it was facing in the opposite direction of where I wanted it. And, when we made the arrangements to display the camper in the first place, we all failed to take into consideration the full length of the camper plus the hitch and the truck. There was no way I could make enough three corner turns to get it turned around on my own.
\n\n\nThe maintenance man came to the rescue with a wooden pallet and a floor jack with a fork lift on it. We unhitched onto the pallet and he manually turned the camper till it was where it needed to be....which happened to be in exactly the perfect spot to hook up to the truck and pull it out.
\n\n\nI had such a blast driving it through the mall. There are tons of walkers there in the mornings and I was there bright and early to avoid the crowds. I waved as I slowly drove behind the security guard who walked ahead of me making sure everyone knew I was coming out with this monstrosity behind me.
\n\n\nI was really glad to see it was raining and warm yesterday morning. It would have been a real mess if it had been snowing. I got on the interstate at around 10:00am. I had a reservation already made at the campground, a hot cup of coffee, and my GPS. I didn’t need directions to where I was going, but I like knowing how much further I have to go when I am towing.
\n\n\nIt rained like crazy while I was driving down here. At one point, as I was crossing a river, I could barely see through the rain. Luckily, I wasn’t driving very fast when I hit some standing water and felt the camper fishtail a little bit. It is very important not to hit your brakes when you feel that because you can easily hydroplane out of control. I took my foot off the brake and the camper came right back in line. I dropped my speed an additional 5mph and let people go around me if they wanted to.
\n\n\nThe staff at the campground were waiting for me with warm greetings. One of the nice things about camping in the off season is people have the time to chat a spell. Mary was delightful. There was a young man in a golf cart to escort me to my site. I was a little disappointed in the price of the campsite, but pickings are slim in this neck of the woods so I took what I could get. It is a full hookup site which doesn’t do me any good other than the electric since the camper is winterized. I am conveniently located near the bathhouse which is handy.
\n\n\nI was up very late the night before and awoke early yesterday. I had to unhook in the pouring rain so the first thing I did was get the heater going. I had to remove the propane tank when the camper was on display in the mall. Whenever you hook up a new tank to the gas lines on a camper, you have to bleed the air out of the lines till the propane gets through. This involves turning on a burner on the stove and holding a long handled lighter flame to the burner till it catches. Then you turn on the second one. Once you turn off the burners, you can start the furnace and it should light right up, which it did.
\n\n\nThe next step was to turn on the refrigerator in preparation for getting a few groceries later. But first, I was chilled to the bone so I piled the blankets on the bed and crawled in till I was nice a toasty. Around 3:00, I went to the Piggly Wiggly for some food to get me by for a couple of days. I will turn in the camper on Wednesday and head back home.
\n\n\nAs I am writing this, there is a gentle rain falling and bigger drops falling from the trees overhead. I love this sound. I have my electric blanket on and this wonderful rechargeable lamp from FLI Products is casting a warm glow to the room giving it such a homey feel. When I first saw the wallpaper in this camper, I have to admit...I was slightly taken aback. But I have come to absolutely love it! It’s so cheerful with the colors and patterns and I think Janine did a tremendous job. Spoonflower has over 750,000 patterns to choose from and I never would have thought to put these patterns and colors together. But they really work. I will definitely keep them in mind the next time I decorate a camper and make it my own.
\n\n\nToday is all about writing and cleaning out the camper. It is a bittersweet day, but I bought myself something special to cook in my Hot Logic Mini portable cooker so I’ll have a yummy dinner waiting when I’m done!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-02-11T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/02/11/raindrops-resting.html", "tags": ["Camping","Fun","West Virginia","goRVing","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/03/back-to-the-comforts-of.html", "title": "Back to the Comforts of Home", "content_html": "“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
\n1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV\n
![\"Camping](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e6611dadc8.jpg\")
“My little office on the go in the R-Pod 196”
One thing I really was challenged by with I was touring West Virginia was internet accessibility. If it weren’t for the fact I’m a writer and I had deadlines to meet, I wouldn’t have really cared. But when you write every day, for yourself and for others, you have to be creative in how you stay connected.
\nThere was a delicate balance I walked. On the one hand, I needed accessibility. On the other, I craved getting lost in the woods. I chose campsites based on the view first. I always looked at the campground maps when I made my reservations and chose the one off by itself. The one with the view….the quiet…the peace. My second criteria was electric. I didn’t really need water or sewer hookups. The r-pod has plenty of water tank capacity, both fresh and wastewater.
\nMy last question was always, “Where can I get cell or wifi?” There were campgrounds I stayed in that had neither. In that case, I drove to the lodge to use theirs. There was one campground that had AT&T, but not Verizon. This picture was taken in the kitchen of the r-pod while I was camped at Watoga. I was pleased when the camp-host said the campground has WiFi at both bath houses. Then he added, “It’s really slow, though.”
\nHe wasn’t kidding. One little bar. As a matter of fact, every place I stayed had either one little bar of cell or one little bar of WiFi. It was a tad frustrating. Anyway, there at Watoga I happened to be camped right beside the bath house. And, if I was away from that window, I couldn’t send or receive anything. I stood a lot at that window when it was time to upload my posts or check my e-mail or Facebook. This was my little office that particular week.
\nI was telling Mr. FixIt about this the other night when he came to camp with me at Twin Falls. I told him I used to complain about the WiFi at home. Now it’s going to feel like high-speed fiber-optics! Well, until I get used to it and then I’m liable to complain again at how slow it is.
\nYesterday was a much better day. Mr. FixIt and I went to town to buy a warming pad and a storage tote to make Pumpkin a nice warm bed out in the pole building. We also bought a litter box. We already had the feeding dish/water bowl combo. I think Pumpkin is a girl but we’ll know for sure when we take her in to get her shots and checkup on Tuesday. Now I feel really good about her bedding situation and she has already come to love the building. I think she feels safe in there.
\nI’m so excited to go to my home church today. I have really missed my church family! I’m heading out to the farm this afternoon after church to get the house ready for winter. And then there will be far less items on that very long to-do list. Giving myself permission to have some down time with family and falling in love with a little black kitten just might be the best things I’ve done for myself in a very long time.
\n❤️
\n““Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-03T02:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/03/back-to-the-comforts-of.html", "tags": ["Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/01/reentry-begins.html", "title": "Re-Entry Begins!", "content_html": "Psalms 39:4 NIV
![\"Black](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/421daf2596.jpg\")
“And, just like that…two became three.”
It was a very long day yesterday. I ended up pulling the camper myself with my truck and it did fine. Mr. FixIt is pretty sure the problem was a rock in the brakes. We’ll get it checked before we head anywhere with it. That was a big relief.
\nThe weather yesterday was terrible driving home. We came through some torrential rain and as soon as we got home, the weather channel gave a tornado warning from the same storm. There are thousands without power from the wind. It seems I got home just in time for some wintery weather. I’ll have to winterize the camper after all…something I was hoping to avoid by heading south. We’ll still get there, but there’s quite a lot of work that needs to be done here at the Ponderosa before we can leave. The cold weather just caught up with me, I’m afraid.
\nAs I’m writing this, I am home and snuggled in bed…in the camper! I can’t give it up yet. Re-entry has always been a problem for me. I love sleeping in a camper and this camper is especially comfortable. So, we’ll try a little cold weather camping this week and see how she does. After all, we’re out on five acres…it’s like our own little campground!
\nAnother little thing happened yesterday. My world shifted. Mr. FixIt sat me down after breakfast yesterday and told me he had something to tell me. Oh, what woman wants to hear THAT? It seems, that while I was gone Mr. FixIt has been keeping company with someone else…a little black kitten that someone dumped at the Ponderosa. He’s been feeding it. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I’ve been determined to never have another pet. Then, when I got out of my truck at the house, this little black fur ball came running to me like it had been waiting its whole little life for ME! I’ve never seen such a friendly cat and my heart melted.
\nAnd, like that…two became three.
\nWe have a cat!
\n❤️
\n“There is no fear in love...”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-01T01:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/01/reentry-begins.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Love","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","The Cats","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/31/the-red-carpet-treatment.html", "title": "The Red Carpet Treatment", "content_html": "1 John 4:18 NIV
![\"R-Pod](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8ccff2dd2e.jpg\")
“Sitting on a red carpet of maple leaves, the 2020 R-Pod 196 is one of my favorite campers.”
You know the story of the toothache going away as soon as you get to the dentist? Well, Mr. FixIt is here (YAY!!!) and we took the truck for a long drive…all round the park, up and down hills, around and around curves and…..nothing. Not a sound. Except, when I very first pulled out of the campsite, the brakes squeaked. A long time ago, I was driving over a dirt road in the boonies of Colorado and suddenly the car started making this horrible grinding, screaming noise. When I stopped…the noise stopped. I had no idea what to do. Finally, a couple stopped and asked what was wrong.
\nWhen I described the noise to the man, he suggested perhaps I had a rock stuck in the brakes. He directed me to put my foot on the brake, put the car in reverse, and back up with my foot still on the brake. When I did, the rock was dislodged. I don’t know if that was the problem here, but when I pulled forward again with the truck, there was no squeak, no grinding…nothing. Good news…I hope! Great news…Mr. FixIt is here!!!
\nSince the truck seemed to be working fine, we went for a hike to see the falls here in Twin Falls State Park. It rained and was a little chilly so when we got back to the camper, I heated up some chili I had in the freezer. It really hit the spot.
\nSo, this was the last night of the West Virginia Tour. It was so, so beautiful. And the r-pod worked perfectly. We’ll pull it home with Mr. FixIt’s truck today and watch my truck carefully. When I get home, I’ll have it checked to make sure it really is ok. I’ll leave you with a last look at the camper sitting on a beautiful red carpet of maple leaves. This part of the tour has been really special and I can’t wait to get back on the road to head south.
\nIn the meantime, I’m going to spend a few days at home for some much needed family time and attend my home church on Sunday. Thanks so much for traveling along with me!
\n?
\n“The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”\nPsalms 121:7-8 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-10-31T01:30:59-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/31/the-red-carpet-treatment.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Marriage","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/30/premonitions-and-pioneers.html", "title": "Premonitions and Pioneers", "content_html": "
![\"Pioneer](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/65a0ff50d4.jpg\")
‘Visiting a Pioneer Farm is a step back in time.”
Yesterday was a strange day from the get go. I woke up at 3:30 in the morning knowing something wasn’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. After determining I hadn’t eaten anything that would cause such a feeling, I got up, wrapped my camp jacket around me and stepped outside to look at the stars. The sky was crystal clear and the stars looked so close you could just reach up and touch them. I stood there for awhile in my bare feet letting the energy from the earth seep up through my body. When I was sufficiently chilled, literally and figuratively, I went back to bed. But I couldn’t get back to sleep until dawn.
\nI finally woke up at around 10:00…absolutely unheard of for me these days. I’m usually awake with the chickens. I stumbled around, did my morning toilette, then dressed and cleaned the camper. Finally around 11:30, I packed up my writing implements and headed for the lodge and good WiFi. I created a movie of the best photos I’d taken on this WV tour and wrote till about 3:00 in the afternoon.
\nI headed to the Pioneer Farm that’s on the back of the park property. This farm was abandoned for a long time, but people were always vandalizing it so now there is a farmer and his family living here. There was no one home when I was there so I wandered around taking pictures and marveling at its timeless beauty. I sat for a while and watched two horses and a donkey browse on the sparse grass in the meadow and felt more peaceful than I had most of the day.
\nOn my way back to the campground, I stopped at the Nature Center and introduced myself to the Naturalist. Tammy is a cat bird. She has a coal country drawl that put me in mind of the Deep South but she assured me she was born and raised within a stone’s throw of the park. She apologized that she had recently let all the critters go. She normally traps possums and raccoons, tags them, and keeps them in the Nature Center for a few weeks to teach people about them. Then she sends them back off into the wild to track their whereabouts and traps another one to tag.
\nTammy wasn’t originally hired to be a Park Naturalist. She was supposed to be a campground attendant. She doesn’t have a degree in biology, but she has a knack for nature…two and four legged. She was taking campers for nature hikes when the Park Administrators saw they had a gem in Tammy and told her she should apply for the Naturalist position. And the rest is history. She was a delight to talk with. She smiled as I left and called after me…”Put me in your book!” You bet I will, Tammy!
\nAs I was pulling back into the campground, it happened. There was a low grinding noise coming from my truck and I knew that is where my uneasiness was coming from. Something hasn’t been quite right with the truck for a couple of days but I just couldn’t discern exactly what was troubling me. A sound, maybe? A smell, perhaps? Whatever it was, I kept shifting it to the back of my mind…yet still monitored the situation.
\nWhen I heard that noise, I knew there was something mechanically wrong with the truck. And that puts me in an uncomfortable position. First, I am here alone. There are two other campers in all of the campground and I am grateful for them. But they aren’t going to help me in this situation. I do not like being in a situation I cannot get out of quickly. It stems from being trapped in a garage as a young child and sexually assaulted. To say I have control issues is putting it mildly.
\nI went into the camper and made myself sit down and think. What I wanted to do was hook up the camper and get out of here, but of course…that wasn’t the right thing to do. I texted Mr. FixIt but I knew he was working and his phone would be in the truck. Then I texted my besties, Janine and Gail, and asked them to pray that I would calm down and everything would work out. Within minutes I felt much better and realized this whole thing is an adventure and an educational opportunity, so why not make the most of it!
\nMr. FixIt called me a few hours later and he’s going to drive down this morning. He’ll check out my truck. We can tow the camper with his truck. And, either he’ll follow me to a mechanic or we’ll have the truck towed. That’s what I have AAA Plus for. We’ll go home tomorrow. I am so grateful for my friends who pray for me. And I am exceedingly grateful for a wonderful husband who takes good care of me. Wouldn’t you know it would happen at the last park on the last day? But I’m exactly where I should be. I have everything I need right here and I can get some work done while I wait. Thank God I wasn’t pulling the camper up the side of the mountain with no cell service!
\n❤️
\n“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-30T01:30:07-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/30/premonitions-and-pioneers.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Camping","West Virginia","Gratitude","Grace","God","Courage","Warning","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Change","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/29/welcome-to-my-living-room.html", "title": "Welcome to my Living Room!", "content_html": "Philippians 4:19 NIV
![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/15bd323aba.jpg\")
“The camper is the kitchen, bath, and bedroom…the great outdoors is where I live!”
I got to my new campsite in the middle of the afternoon. The mountains I drove over yesterday weren’t anything like the ones last week but man, the road up into the campground here at the park is really, really steep! This truck did a great job pulling the r-pod in these West Virginia hills. When I arrived at my site, I was amazed to have this entire mountaintop to myself! I didn’t have any concerns about that, but I was pleased to see two more couples come into the campground with trailers.
\nIt’s quiet as a church mouse up here. I heard some owls just after dark and a coal train. And the squirrels were in the hickory trees all around me all afternoon. I opened the awning and set up my chair outside and enjoyed the 75° temps and the warm sunshine. A few weeks ago, I purchased an adapter for my tripod so I could use the iPad as a camera. I got it out and played with it for awhile. I had a blast setting the timer for 10 seconds then running to see if I could get in the picture in time!
\nI wanted to tell you about what happened yesterday. I always sit in my truck before I pull out and pray for travel mercies. I list off all the things I’m going to be talking with Him about as I drive. Then I pray the Prayer of Jabez and ask Him to send me whoever He needs me to talk with that day. I hadn’t driven a hundred feet when I came around a corner and there was a whole crowd of folks my age sitting around a campfire. I stopped and rolled down my window.
\n“You kids look like you’re having entirely too much fun!”
\n“Oh, we are!!!” Everyone turned around and smiled and waved. We made some small talk and one of the gals asked if I was traveling alone. I told her all about Girl Campers and how I’m taking this camper around for a few months and we are raffling it off. One thing led to another and the subject of my writing came up. When I told them my writing is faith based and that I even have a Sunday Evening Prayer Circle, one woman came over and took my hand and asked if I would pray for her granddaughter who is sick with ulcerative colitis. I opened my blog and added her name to the prayer list. Before I left them, I took their hands and prayed with them…right there in the campground. God is so good…I asked, He delivered. Immediately! I know it happens so often, I shouldn’t be amazed. But I am always in awe at that.
\nI’m in the home stretch of the West Virginia tour now. Just one, maybe two more nights and I’ll be back at the Ponderosa for a few days. It’s been such an amazing trip and I’ve seen some beautiful places. I’m looking forward to heading south next week. If you all have any recommendations for campgrounds or state parks in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina…I’d love to hear them!
\n❤️
\n“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-29T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/29/welcome-to-my-living-room.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Prayer","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/28/rounding-out-october.html", "title": "Rounding Out October", "content_html": "1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV
![\"Bluestone](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/42aaf41bfd.jpg\")
“Bluestone Lake is gorgeous this time of year.”
Today is moving day so that means I get to tell you where I have been the last few days. I arrived at Pipestem Resort State Park on Thursday. I’ve been here before, but never camping. There’s a tram that takes you down in the canyon to the lower lodge that sits on the Bluestone River. There is a restaurant, gift shop, and artisan center on the canyon rim at the top of the tram. There is an equestrian center, golf course, pool, recreation center, nature center and a main lodge with every amenity you could want.
\nThe campground is large. The interior sites have full hookups and are pretty close together. The sites around the perimeter are roomier and of course they back up to woods. There is a very large camping area with no hookups. I was told there is a major upgrade coming adding more service sites and leveling them out…something that is sorely needed.
\nThe weather has been typical WV autumn…unpredictable. Yesterday dawned sunny and clear but within an hour we were socked in with clouds. Then, by 3:00, it was sunny again clear through sunset. The foliage is still beautiful but is definitely past the peak of color. This happens where we get cold, rain, and wind…which we had last night.
\nI drove over to Bluestone State Park yesterday. There is a large dam on the Bluestone River which has created a large lake. The park is smaller, less developed, and more remote then Pipestem which is less than ten miles away. There is one main campground with a few full service sites and electric only sites. There is a more primitive and rustic campground on up the road. The primitive campground sits right on the lake and is popular for fishing.
\nOne thing I thought was pretty cool. There is a campground on the far side of the lake that is accessible only by boat. Each campsite has it’s own dock. That would be a lot of fun, I would think. There is more wildlife activity at the Bluestone Campsites because they are less densely populated. Bears, fox, and bobcats frequent the area as well as more common deer, raccoon, possum, skunks and squirrels. There are occasional sightings of otters and mink.
\nBluestone State Park has a large number of cabins spread around on a wooded hilltop. One of the cabins sits beside a very old cemetery that has been there long before the park came to be. I couldn’t find anyone who knew the history of the grave sites so I will have to do some research on my own.
\nAgain, there are so many amazing photos from this weekend but I am limited to what I can send over two bars of cell service. I’m planning on creating a video of this month’s circuit of the stunning State Parks of West Virginia. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for that or see the photos as I have the opportunity to upload them.
\nToday I head to the last park on my WV Fall Foliage Tour…Chasing the Sun. I’m supposed to camp there till Friday, but I’ve decided to cut it short just a little so I can go home for a few days before I head south. Well, actually…before WE head south. I’ve talked Mr. FixIt into doing the southern circuit with me!!! Bless his heart…he has been awfully patient having his wife galavanting around the countryside. I need to get back and help him with a few chores and get a few things done to be better prepared for more camping.
\n❤️
\n“The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-28T01:30:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/28/rounding-out-october.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Marriage","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/27/between-the-trees.html", "title": "Between the Trees", "content_html": "1 Corinthians 7:3 NIV
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c553c840f4.jpg\")
“Sitting by the river is soothing to the soul.”
Being a writer is a wonderful thing. I can get lost in a blank page, creating worlds from my thoughts. It’s like magic…making something from nothing. I pray over my keyboard. I ask God to bring me words to say and people who need them. I am humbled when someone reaches out and tells me how my words have encouraged them or helped to ease the pain of their particular loss. I am quick to tell them…it is not me. I am merely the transcriptionist.
\nWhen I pray the Prayer of Jabez, I ask for God to give me those Blessings with my name on them. I ask Him to expand my territory and to walk with His hand over me to keep evil far from me so that I may not feel/cause pain. I love when He brings people to me. It happens daily and I am so blessed by His generosity.
\nAs I sat yesterday in the r-pod, working on a writing project, I noticed the camper next door had turned their outdoor speakers up and were playing loud music. Not over-the-top loud…just annoying because it was disturbing my flow. I stopped and looked at the clock. Just after noon. I had been working straight through since breakfast. I sighed and closed my iPad.
\nShould I go say something to the people? Should I give them a stern look as I pass by? Should I report them to the park office? I sat and prayed for discernment and wisdom. As I washed up the breakfast dishes, I looked out and there were two children…maybe ‘tweens…carving pumpkins! They didn’t have their noses glued to an electronic device. They were camping with their family and doing fun, creative things in the outdoors.
\nI smiled as I dried my hands. Just WHO is the one with her nose glued to an electronic device? Oh, yes…that would be ME! I laughed as I looked up and said, “Ok, ok…I get the hint!” After taking a look around the camper to make sure things were unplugged and safe to leave, I donned my jacket and headed to the Fall Harvest Festival.
\nI watched a chainsaw artist carve a bear out of a log. I sat and listened to some live Bluegrass music. I went to the river and sat in a chair and read for an hour. I put my book away and just breathed in the smells of the day. The aroma of good food from the lodge kitchen. The smell of wet leaves and swift river water. The earthy smell of wool as the sun warmed my sweater. I closed my eyes and listened to children throwing rocks in the river and an elderly couple chatting softly as they walked slowly by…their feet shuffling through the leaves.
\nI thanked God for reminding me to remove the plank in my own eye before I asked my neighbor to remove the sliver from theirs.
\nIt was a really good day.
\n❤️
\n“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-27T01:30:43-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/27/between-the-trees.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/26/time-travel.html", "title": "Time Travel", "content_html": "Matthew 7:5 NIV
![\"Coffee](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/663885f09a.jpg\")
“Coffee and sunshine and a little nosh!”
As I explored the latest West Virginia State Park on my camping itinerary yesterday, I took a king sized jump back in time. The last time I was at this particular park was with Hubby #2. I can’t tell you the year, but my guess is it was the summer of 1979, although it could have been later. I remember bits and pieces of that trip. I remember feeling so extravagant to travel to such beautiful places. We stayed a night in this lodge I am sitting in as I write this post. Oh, my…so much water over the dam since then.
\nI sat there in the morning sunshine, watching the river making riffles on the smooth stones below. The trees are yellow and brown and still-green here. Tiny little splashes of red and orange peek through as you move your eyes across the steep hillside at the far edge of the river. By 1:00 in the afternoon, the brilliant sun of morning gave way to the clouds portending the heavy storms predicted this weekend.
\nI haven’t met a West Virginia State Park I haven’t liked. This trip has seriously been magical and something my heart and soul so desperately needed, if for no other reason that to remind me how dearly I love Mr. FixIt. Not that there has ever been a question. We all have a tendency to get wrapped up in the busyness of life and forget to stop and appreciate what we have. I’m just as guilty of that as anyone.
\nGetting away also reminds me of the independence I cultivated for my self after Mr. Virgo died. I either got out and had adventures, or I would spend the rest of my life sitting at home alone. And that is just not me. I need solitude from time to time…to refresh and recharge and stretch my abilities. When I do that, I am a much better partner for my husband. I am more patient, more loving, and decidedly happier. This is a benefit for both of us.
\nI’ve been gone for quite a bit this year. Between Girl Camping trips, six weeks in Colorado for my daughter’s wedding, and this Charity Trailer Raffle Tour, I think I have spent more time away from home than I was there. I have a patient husband, to be sure. But we are missing each other a lot so we are working on our itinerary for the next two months and figuring out the best way to travel AND be together.
\nIt is supposed to rain a lot this weekend so I’ve saved my writing and indoor projects till then. I need to take advantage of the sunshine when I can. When I woke up yesterday morning, it was 37 degrees. By the time I rousted myself to get coffee, it was 8:00 and 42 degrees. I took the electric griddle outside and cooked with it sitting on the picnic table. I fried a whole package of bacon and carefully placed the cooked strip between layers of paper towels and slipped the entire batch into a zip lock bag. Stored in the refrigerator, these will be eaten up long before they would spoil. I did the same with a batch of pancakes and stored them two to a sandwich bag. That way, I’ve cooked several days of breakfasts ahead of time. When it’s raining this weekend, I can still have outdoor cooked meals.
\nAs I finished writing this piece, I watched a little boy, maybe four or five years old…walking along the river. Bright yellow leaves rained down around him. With hands reached out, he laughed as he tried to catch them…his feet crunching on those he missed. He picked up rocks on the river bank and watched out for his little brother toddling along behind him. They were out with their dad. I love seeing dads with their littles…teaching, loving, experiencing the joy of the day. I close with this thought. Wouldn’t it be a better world if the littles spent more time outside with their dads? Or moms, if dad isn’t around? Or with anyone who loves them and wants to teach them about the world and about life? Wouldn’t it be better than handing a child an electronic device to keep them quiet…engaged in learning what someone else is teaching them? Maybe something that isn’t reflective of your values? I’m not being judgmental here. There were plenty of times I let my own little watch too much TV in order to have some peace. It just seems we are raising a generation that’s greatest skill is dissociation. I’m not sure how you put the smoke back in the bottle.
\nWith that thought, I have spent entirely too much of my morning sitting here with my own set of electronic diversions so I’m heading out to enjoy this day before the rains come and I get stuck inside. I hope you have a beautiful weekend wherever you are. Put the phone down…go outside and play. You’re never too old to “go places and do things”, as the Girl Campers say!
\n❤️
\n“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-10-26T01:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/26/time-travel.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Wisdom","Aging","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Widow","Road Trip","Littles","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/25/overcoming-challenges.html", "title": "Overcoming Challenges", "content_html": "Proverbs 22:6 NIV
![\"Camping\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4edaa64607.jpg\")
“Kicking back in my Vasques at the campsite at the end of the day makes all the challenges melt away!”
Yesterday saw its fair share of challenges. First, I was wide awake at 5:30am. I drove over Droop Mountain on Wednesday and frankly…I was a little concerned about pulling the camper over it. At 3060 feet elevation with a 9% grade, it is a considerable piece of real estate to cross over, especially hauling a camper.
\nThe first thing I did Wednesday evening was take a long, hot shower to empty water out of the fresh tank into the grey tank. I knew I needed to offload as much weight as I could before I took on the mountains and curvy West Virginia roads the next morning. When I awoke at 5:30, I pulled out my atlas and went over my route for the umpteenth time. One side of my brain said, “Nope…not gonna.” But the adventurous side…the side that knows I can do all things with Jesus said, “Yep…we’re gonna do this!”
\nI hooked up the camper and pulled it over to the campground dump station. It was 8:00 in the morning and 37 degrees…a tad chilly. I got everything emptied and cleaned and put away, then headed out. My first obstacle was coming up the hill from Watoga State Park Campground into Seebert. There is a sign that tells you there is a sharp drop off on the right. In other words, the “shoulder” of the road is about…I don’t know…a hundred feet down, maybe? It was really no big deal…you just hug the center line and pray no one else is coming. And when they are, you stop. It doesn’t matter who might be behind you…they can just wait.
\nI was really pleased at how smoothly the Droop Mountain crossing went. My transmission temp stayed in a reasonable temperature range. There was a good deal of fog at the base, but I soon broke through to perfect sunshine and crisp air. The leaves that high are a bit past their prime, but still beautiful.
\nMy biggest challenge came when I got to the campground. I asked the fellow in the check-in office if the sites are level and he said, “Ma’am, I have to be perfectly honest. They really aren’t it’s a challenge to get things level.” I didn’t want to hear this because, of all the things I left at home, it was my assortment of levelers. Keith followed me out to my site and we stood there looking at it.
\n“Wow…that has quite a grade, doesn’t it?” I said.
\nHe allowed that it did. He brought me some scraps of wood he had salvaged from campers leaving them behind. I pulled further forward where the grade wasn’t quite as steep, and unhooked. I walked all around and finally realized, I did not have enough blocks with me to make up the difference because my stabilizing jacks wouldn’t reach the ground.
\nI drove back over and was about to buy a couple packages of levelers when Keith said he would look to see if there was another site. He had offered two others earlier but I just didn’t like them. They were small, crowded, and right on the road. Finally he came up with an available site and I drove around to look at it. It would be a little tricky backing into it, but it was long and level and faced way back in the woods. It was perfect.
\nI hooked back up and towed to the second site and got settled in. It made for a long day, but the results made me much more comfortable than the first site. Sometimes you have to listen to your gut. The only place for that trailer to go if the chocks gave way was down the side of the mountain. It is a perfectly good site for a motor home or something small like a popup tent camper…it just didn’t work for me.
\nKeith apologized for wasting three hours of my day. I explained that I am a writer and an educator. I’m an experienced camper. But there are lots of people out there who haven’t had any experience and want to learn. These kinds of experiences offer me opportunities to teach others and hopefully avoid unfortunate pitfalls. Those kinds of things can really dampen one’s joy toward a new activity, and I want you to have as much success as possible when you “Go Places and Do Things”!
\n❤️
\n“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-25T01:30:39-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/25/overcoming-challenges.html", "tags": ["Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Camping","West Virginia","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/24/less-is-more.html", "title": "Less is More", "content_html": "1 Peter 5:7 NIV
![\"Muck](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/235e1396c6.jpg\")
“My favorite boots.”
Ok…you all know me. You know I have something to say about…you know, everything. I’ve been known to turn a phrase. I’ve been able to paint pictures with my words. It’s not me…it’s all God. But, as I sat down last night to write this post, I was at a total loss for words. Yesterday was just about the most beautiful day I have ever seen and I didn’t have anyone to share it with. Not in real time, anyway. Mr. FixIt is still at home, picking pears and cleaning out the last of the garden. And there’s all of you. And Kaye and her fella, “Not John Hancock” (sorry, I’ve forgotten his first name but it’s definitely NOT John). I met them on a hike in Beartown State Park.
\nI just spent the whole day yesterday gobsmacked at every turn. It started when I awoke before dawn and saw the fog settling in on the river. I jumped up in the dark, threw on my camp clothes and muck boots, and headed down the road in the campground. I got down on the riverbank and waited. I’ve learned to wait patiently for the light. There’s a moment…just a fleeting moment, when the light is perfect and the color is perfect and the subject is perfect. It happens every day…but most of the time, we aren’t there to catch it. Or we aren’t paying attention.
\nIf you blink, you can miss it….that one perfect shot. That one picture that says “WOW”. You can take 500 shots and have one, if you’re lucky. Or, you can take 500 shots and have SO many that just knock your socks off and you can’t choose. Some I need to keep aside for the project I’m working on. And some, while I would love to share them with you today, are just too big and the internet here at the campground won’t handle it. You’ll have to wait.
\nSo, I chose this one. I was standing by the river, waiting for the perfect light, when I looked down and saw this colorful array of leaves around my feet. Simple. Yet it says so much. These feet have carried me for sixty-six years now. They’ve run and jumped, danced and snuggled. They’ve kicked and stomped and run away from so many things. But this day…this day they stood…patiently waiting for the perfect light. In a pair of boots that my Aunt Peeps gave me years ago. They are one of my most prized possessions. Rugged. Sturdy. Utilitarian. And practical on a wet, foggy morning on a riverbank.
\nThese boots symbolize where I am in my life. I’m comfortable. Happy in my own skin, just for the sake of being happy. There’s something to be said for that kind of simplicity. And for knowing when less is more.
\n❤️
\n“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”\nMatthew 6:21 ESV\n", "date_published": "2019-10-24T04:10:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/24/less-is-more.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/23/coffee-with-wanda-belle.html", "title": "Coffee with Wanda Belle", "content_html": "
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b3930fddc6.jpg\")
“The many colors of Autumn”
I was pouring my coffee yesterday and my mom popped in my head. She often does, but yesterday she “came” to have coffee with me. Mom loved her coffee…hot and black. She had a Pyrex coffee pot and I was enamored with the way you could watch the coffee brewing…bubbling up through the center tube into the glass handle of the lid then seeping down through the grounds. There was never a time when there wasn’t coffee on the stove.
\nUntil she got older. Then it was “too much work” or “the pot is just too heavy to lift”. Then she turned to Sanka. Ok, there might be some of you who like Sanka. If you do, I mean no offense…I don’t mean to “yuck your yum”. But…ugh! Any instant coffee is a poor substitute for the real thing, in my humble opinion. I felt she had just…settled.
\nAs I poured my coffee and thought of Mom, I could almost hear her say, “Why are you bothering with this whole rigamarole? You get out the grinder and the beans. You measure and grind till it’s just so. You measure again and pour the bottled water in the coffee maker. You plug it in and wait. What an ordeal. Just get yourself a jar of Sanka!”
\nI smiled.
\n“Yeah…no, Mom. It my routine. It’s my pleasure. When I have that first sip of hot, strong coffee (with cream and stevia, please) I’m in heaven!” Is it more work? Not that much. When I first started this trip, I bought a “pour over” thingy. I used it for the first week or two and stopped at the first Walmart I came across to buy a 4-cup Mr. Coffee. That’s the perfect size to fill my Tervis coffee cup twice. And the second cup is hot in the electric coffee maker.
\nSomeone gave me a hand grinder and a French press many years ago. I used it when I was on The Grand Adventure in Colorado those three months after Mr. Virgo died. Many times I didn’t have electricity but I wasn’t about to turn to instant. Making coffee off the grid was a lot more work than this…but oh, it was the best coffee ever! I thought about bringing that setup with me on this trip but I knew, even without electricity, I can use the little Mr. Coffee because of the solar panels on the roof of the r-pod. Isn’t that a trip? I haven’t tried it yet…but I will before this ride is over.
\nI’m camping in the woods again this time. I love waking to see the trees all around, to hear the wind rustle through the leaves, to step out of the camper into the glorious light of autumn shining with that rare amber light of fall. I believe I’ll take my coffee down to the river and set a spell before I start my project of the day. I hope you get outside and enjoy some of this before winter sets in.
\n❤️
\n“You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-23T01:30:12-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/23/coffee-with-wanda-belle.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Camping","West Virginia","Peace","Aging","Choices","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/22/a-perfectly-beautiful-day.html", "title": "A Perfectly Beautiful Day", "content_html": "Psalms 104:20-23 ESV
![\"Cheers\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1ac4b9771d.jpg\")
“Dining al fresco in the glory of autumn.”
Now that I have left the last campground, I can tell you about it. Some of my friends who have camped there guessed where I was. Revelle’s Family Campground is just up the road from Elkins, WV in a little burg called Bowden. There’s a fish hatchery there…and lots of cabins and campgrounds. I’ve driven past Revelle’s since I was a teenager. They actually opened when I was sixteen and the just celebrated their 50th Anniversary.
\nThe current owners purchased it in 2015. It was a little rundown and they have put a lot into it, bringing some of it’s glorious past back to life. They have lots of fun activities like WVU Football Tailgate Parties and bingo every other weekend. There are over 200 campsites with several backed right up to Shaver’s Fork of the Cheat River…a stocked trout stream. About half the sites are permanent campers…meaning, they lease out the spot to one person on a yearly basis. Those campers treat their travel trailers like a mountain cabin and often only come for weekends. There are some who come to spend the summer.
\nI was really taken by the lovely surroundings and the equally lovely owner, Katharine. I can already envision organizing a Girl Camper trip next October to show off the amazing colors this time of year.
\nYesterday was my travel day to the next campground. My route took me on a two-lane blacktop that climbed over mountains, twisting and turning through forests of hardwoods, evergreens, and the ever present mountain laurel. It was sunny and absolutely gorgeous as I climbed through the Allegheny Mountains and the colors were spectacular. Every turn was more beautiful than the last. However, there were NO turnoffs or scenic overlooks and I couldn’t very well stop in the middle of the road to take pictures so I will have to search the internet for the photos taken by others of this area to give you some idea. I’m telling you…words cannot do this day justice.
\nAlong the way, I saw a sign for an old general store which is really more of a museum these days. I was fortunate to find a parking place out front and welcomed the opportunity to get out and stretch my legs. The owner was graciously greeting the crowds of people as they made their way to the portico out front. When he greeted me, he asked where I was from. When I told him Parkersburg, he lit up. He was born and raised just a couple of miles from me and graduated the year after Mr. FixIt and me and knew my sweet hubby back in the day!
\nTom Shipley’s mother left this farm to him, thus ensuring the little store and grounds would stay open and in the family. Tom says it’s a lot of work, but he’s been there since 2004 and is a fixture in the community. There is a small log cabin located on the grounds not far from the huge main house. It turned out to have been built by Tom’s great-great-great grandparents. What a treat that must be to have that family legacy remain in the same hands throughout the generations. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but I needed to move on. But, not without purchasing some jars of homemade apple butter, red raspberry jam, and cherry jam first. Tom carried my purchases out to the truck for me and gave me a big hug…”for Parkersburg,” he said.
\nUnfortunately, as I crested the last mountain, the clouds gathered and that was the end of the glorious sunshine. Still, it was quite beautiful as I closed in on my final destination. I got unhooked and set up and within minutes, I had people wanting to come see the camper and buy tickets for the raffle. The only way to purchase tickets is to buy them online at girlcamper.com . I can’t tell you how many people reach for their wallets when they find out we are raffling off this trailer!
\nThere is WiFi at this campground, but no cellular because of the blackout area of Greenbank Observatory. I’ll write about that another day. The WiFi is pretty slow and has to be shared by all the campers, so I don’t know if photos will come through to post or not…we’ll see. In the meantime, it was supposed to rain all last night and all day today. I have an indoor project to do today, so that will be perfect timing.
\n❤️
\n“Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.”\n1 Chronicles 16:33 ESV\n", "date_published": "2019-10-22T01:30:02-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/22/a-perfectly-beautiful-day.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/21/take-a-little-time.html", "title": "Take a Little Time", "content_html": "
![\"Crimson](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/542667cb19.jpg\")
“The color crimson is startling in the woods of WV.”
I tell people all the time…”Self care is NOT selfish!” This weekend I took a little time for some self care and it felt wonderful. First was the old time music and folk dancing Saturday. Then yesterday, I took off early and drove over to see family in Grant and Pendleton Counties. The aunt that I cared for when I first moved back here from Colorado has been living with her brother, my Uncle Bud, for the last three years. She is suffering from dementia now and I am not at all sure she knew who I was. Which is probably a good thing because she doesn’t necessarily like me much. She was quite personable during our visit, which was nice.
\nI helped around the house…cleaning the kitchen and picking up. I took a chuck roast over and put it in the crock pot for them along with noodles and a pumpkin pie. They should eat like royalty for a few days on that. I shared pictures with them and we swapped stories for a while before I left to go to my cousin’s house for a while. I haven’t seen her since Thanksgiving last year so it was a long overdue visit.
\nAs I was driving back to the campground late in the afternoon, I got to the top of Middle Mountain and saw this amazing tree. Actually, I saw amazing trees everywhere. But it was raining all day and very foggy on top of the mountain. I pulled over to the side and stood with my camera ready…just willing the fog to part long enough to capture the beauty of this lone tree on the mountaintop. It was well worth the wait, don’t you think?
\nThe mountain sides look like a rich tapestry with everything from green to garnet, scarlet to sunshine yellow. It was mesmerizing and it was all I could do to keep my eyes on the road. Stunning! It’s this time of year that makes you hold your breath. In the spring, when the green leaves pop out, you know there is a long stretch ahead with lovely foliage. Then this time of year comes and we sit and wait for the proverbial “other shoe” to drop. Because, in a heartbeat it will be gone and the trees will reach for the sky with naked bony fingers grasping at the winter winds that whip through them.
\nSo, till that time comes, I will gaze in wonder and will share that with you as I travel this path to see where it leads me. Today is a travel day for me. My next stop is the first campsite I have had without electricity so I’m going to rely on the solar to power me off grid. I can’t wait to see what I can still do in the camper without shore power!
\n❤️
\n“\"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.\"”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-21T01:31:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/21/take-a-little-time.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Change","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/20/waiting-for-home.html", "title": "Waiting for Home", "content_html": "Isaiah 1:18-20 ESV
![\"Beautiful](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5a554a6bb8.jpg\")
“The house I wanted for a B&B in Elkins…it always makes me wonder…what if?”
I’m not kidding when I say I spent just about every moment of the forty years I lived in Colorado waiting for the day I could move back home. Oh, there was a stretch of time when I was young and cocky and I thought I knew better than those “old fogeys” back home who were SO out of touch. Little did I know I would give my right arm to return to my roots one day.
\nI had the opportunity to come home when Hubby #1 and I split up, but I turned it down. My daughter was about three years old at the time, and I wanted her to have broader horizons than I had growing up so I elected to stay in Denver where I had no family support and a relatively small social circle.
\nWhen I was married to Hubby #2, there was some talk about going back home, but he is a Colorado boy, born and bred. You just don’t take them out of that climate and plop them down in humidity. I remember dreaming at night that if anything happened to him, I’d hightail it home as fast as I could.
\nThen, Mr. Virgo came along. He was my best bet to get back because he was born and raised in South Philly. But he had tried his whole life to get back to Colorado, which he adored, so I knew there was a very slim chance we’d actually move back to West Virginia. However, I did get him to discuss the possibilities of owning a B&B somewhere back here.
\nI’ll never forget those days when we would do internet searches for B&B’s for sale. We found a big house in the historic district of Parkersburg that was a real possibility. But the one I had my heart set on was actually here in Elkins, WV. It was right across the road from the back side of the Davis & Elkins campus. It had seven bedrooms and five full baths with a large commercial kitchen. I was in love!
\nMr. Virgo? Not so much. This is where the wheat was separated from the chaff and I realized it was never gonna happen. He had put his roots down in Colorado and there would be no budging that man. Now, every time I am near here, I have to drive past “my B&B”. I have no idea who bought it. It doesn’t look as though it has been turned back into the B&B it was many years ago. When I see it, I am reminded that we don’t work on our time. We work on God’s time. And it wasn’t time for me to be here back then.
\nI do have an affinity for this little town though. Mostly because of the college and the Augusta Heritage Center which works to preserve the old timey ways of our ancestors. I was thrilled to spend the afternoon with “my people”…folks who obviously love their heritage as much as I do. I’ve seen some beautiful places on this trip already. But I think this stop has been my favorite so far. I just wish Mr. FixIt could have been with me. He would have enjoyed this so much.
\n❤️
\n“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-20T01:30:07-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/20/waiting-for-home.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Widow","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/19/allegheny-autumn-splendor.html", "title": "Allegheny Autumn Splendor!", "content_html": "Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d211a1aad0.jpg\")
“Oh….be still my heart! Autumn’s splendor in the highlands of West Virginia!”
I slept so soundly Thursday night. Maybe it’s sleeping by moving water that makes me drift off quickly and sleep all night…a welcome treat. It was pretty darned nippy yesterday morning and it will be even colder tonight. I got chilled when I first arrived at the campground. I went through a couple of mud puddles and the camper had been splashed from the tires. I got a pail of warm water and washed it down, but I was chilled to the bone. It was’t long after dark that I got in my warm, flannel jammies and hopped in bed under the electric blanket. I still didn’t warm up till after 10:00.
\nI awoke to the sun coming over the far ridge…lighting the leaves along the river with a beacon of gold that reflected on the window shades of the camper. I slipped the shades up and stayed snuggled under my warm blankets for another hour before I ventured out to begin my day. After a cup of fresh brewed coffee, I took a hot shower in the camper. It’s awfully nice to not have to traipse across a cold campground to use their bathroom facilities in the middle of the night or the chill of the morning.
\nWhen you camp and live in a small space, it’s important to stay on top of the cleaning and organizing daily or you end up just throwing things everywhere. I can’t stand living in a cluttered environment, especially in close quarters. In touring with the r-pod, there is always someone who wants to have a peek inside and it’s just easier to spend a little extra time every morning making sure everything is presentable.
\nI drove to town and had lunch at CJ Maggie’s in Elkins then drove over to the Davis and Elkins College. What a gorgeous campus. D&E is a small liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. With an enrollment of only 805 students, it offers a 13:1 Student/Faculty ratio and both national and international accreditations. D&E is also the home of the Augusta Heritage Center, keeping Appalachian music and skills alive for future generations. There are opportunities to hear Old Time music, both at the summer series and Old Time Week in October. I am especially interested in the Fiddlers Reunion today, as well at the Flat Foot Dance competition. It speaks to my roots and I’m really looking forward to going.
\nAfter my tour of the college campus, I drove up into the Stuart Recreation Area, a densely forested federal park along the banks of the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. The trees are at their peak of glory here in the Allegheny Mountain Range, part of the Appalachian Mountains. This morning’s low was predicted to hit 30 degrees, bringing us the first frost of the season. If I stay around West Virginia too much longer, I’d have to winterize the camper to keep the water lines from freezing. But a couple of hours of freezing temperatures aren’t enough to cause damage. The weather is predicted to get warmer after this weekend freeze.
\nI’m having a lot of fun on this trip and it reminds me of those early months and years after losing Mr. Virgo. I traveled for much of the first three years after he died. The big difference between then and now, of course, is the degree of grief healing that has taken place. As I became a different woman in the aftermath of Mr. Virgo’s death, so too have I become a different person on the other side of deep grief. I think we all change and remake ourselves multiple times in our lives. Our “being” is not static…it is ever-evolving.
\nAs my dear friend Sue told me the other night…”We love this new you.” So do I, my friend. So do I.
\n❤️
\n“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-19T01:30:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/19/allegheny-autumn-splendor.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/17/what-a-difference-a-day.html", "title": "What a Difference a Day Makes!", "content_html": "Colossians 2:2 ESV
![\"Fall](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/990e81d0bb.jpg\")
“One day sunny and warm, the next day blustery and cold. Still…a day camping is better than anything else!”
When I arrived at Stonewall Jackson Resort Campground on Wednesday, it was a lovely, warm day. This campground is decidedly different from Cedar Creek. Where Cedar Creek was more rustic and filled with nature, trees, deer, squirrels, and all manner of birds, Stonewall Jackson is quite “resorty”. There were a lot of really big rigs…the huge, expensive Class A motorhomes that are just passing through. There are a lot of resort amenities here, too. A golf course, a huge lodge, a grand lake with a big boat that tours around in the evenings…weather permitting. It just has an altogether different feel and I honestly think I prefer the far end of a campground that might be visited by bears over this…even though it really is quite nice.
\nThe sun was shining when I arrived and I spent the afternoon reorganizing the pantry in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what all I would need on this trip so. I brought way too much “stuff”. So far, I’ve sent Mr. FixIt home with extra stuff every time he comes to camp with me. This time, I knew I had too much in the big pantry because I just kept pushing things to the back and only using what was in the front. I have an empty tub in the bed of the truck that I throw the things I am not particularly using so a big bag of heavier stuff went out there. The rest got more evenly distributed throughout the camper so the shelves weren’t overloaded.
\nOnce the organizing was completed, dinner was done, and the dishes washed and put away, I went for a walk around the campground before turning in for the night. I know we are almost at the end of Daylight Savings Time and it’s already getting dark way too early. Once the time change hits us, it will be getting dark at 5:00pm…making for some long nights to fill in the camper. Since I don’t watch TV as a rule, I’m working on writing, reading actual books (wow), and knitting.
\nI spent almost the entire day yesterday over at the park lodge. The WiFi at the campground slowed down markedly because it started raining at 5:00am and people were stuck inside their campers. I’m sure they were surfing the web and maybe live-streaming movies. The WiFi at the lodge was much faster and I settled in after breakfast and sipped coffee as I met some writing deadlines. Along about 11:00, the hostess of the restaurant gasped and pointed out the window. Leaves were swirling about and the rain was coming down in sheets. I jumped up and asked them to watch my stuff…I’d be right back.
\nLeaving the camper in the campground unattended worried me and I wanted to drive back over to check on it. It was fine and I breathed a sigh of relief as I drove back over to the lodge to finish a piece I was working on. When you are put in charge of something that doesn’t belong to you, you don’t take chances with it. I don’t take this charge lightly.
\nToday is a gypsy day and I am leaving this campground. I have tentative plans for another further east, but that leads me into the mountains and the low Friday night is near freezing. I need to get the propane refilled and decide if it’s worth staying in the mountains, or should I move a bit further south. Weather forecasts can change quickly this time of year, and there is something special I would like to do this weekend where I was originally planning to stay. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. So, we shall see where I land. Sometimes those are the best travel days…when you end up doing something entirely unpredicted.
\n❤️
\n“But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-17T01:30:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/17/what-a-difference-a-day.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Peace","Courage","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/16/eat-pray-camp.html", "title": "Eat, Pray, Camp!", "content_html": "Jeremiah 10:12-13 NIV
![\"R-pod](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/952e0510a5.jpg\")
“The r-pod 196 nestled in the trees at Cedar Creek State Park near Glenville, WV”
I moved to the next campground easily enough yesterday morning. Mr. FixIt met me at the McDonald’s in Glenville for breakfast so I could get my travel coordinates before we parted company for another couple of weeks. We had the BEST weekend! It was our first wedding anniversary, which I had told you about. When he arrived at the campground Saturday night, he greeted me with a dozen roses and a sweet card. I greeted him with a warm supper and a big hug. We hiked, biked, and chatted with folks he knew in the campground. (Have I told you he knows EVERYONE?!) We rested and watched movies and took naps. And we just flat out enjoyed not having cell service or TV to distract us from enjoying each other’s company. It was wonderful!
\nSpeaking of no cell service, we had just finished eating lunch out in front of our camper on Monday when Mr. FixIt’s phone rang! We could barely hear a woman’s voice and she was saying something about coming to the office. We thought it must have something to do with his insurance policy because the call came from his agent’s office. That was really weird.
\nAfter lunch, we decided to go for a bike ride around the state park. It’s such a great place to ride bikes because the campground is essentially flat. When we got back to the camper, Mr. FixIt reached to remove his wallet from his back pocket and…it was GONE! We looked in both trucks and all over the camper and campsite, but he figured he had to have lost it when he was riding his bike.
\nI hadn’t realized till I got back to the camper that he wasn’t right behind me. I got off my bike and took off my helmet and gloves and here he came. It turned out he had gotten his shoe lace wrapped around the bike pedal and had to stop at the camp store to get untangled. He assumed that is where he lost the wallet. So, we got in the truck. I prayed out loud.
\n“Jesus, please help us find my husband’s wallet!”
\nWe took off driving very slowly…looking for a brown wallet amongst the equally brown leaves all over the roadway. We hadn’t had any luck when we passed a couple out for a walk.
\n“You haven’t happened to find a wallet, have you?”
\n“Nope…sorry. We haven’t seen a thing!”
\n“Ok, we’ll keep looking. Thanks!”
\nWhile we were talking to the couple who were walking, another couple rode past us on their bikes on the other side of the truck.
\nSuddenly, we heard the walking couple.
\n“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”
\nI looked in the rear view mirror and they were waving us back and pointing at the couple on the bike. The bikers rode up to us.
\n“You looking for a wallet? I just turned one in at the park headquarters building! They have it waiting for you!”
\nI stuck my hand out the window and looked up and shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!!!”
\nWe drove on up to the building at the park entrance and sure enough, it was Mr. FixIt’s wallet…intact with his one lone dollar bill and his credit cards. As we were driving back to the camper, he looked at me and said, “Man, that was really lucky!”
\nI looked at him with a level stare and said, “No, honey…luck had nothing to do with that. What did I do as soon as we got in the truck? I prayed that Jesus would help us find your wallet, didn’t I?” He nodded in agreement. “Then, we asked the walkers if they found a wallet and they didn’t. But they asked the bikers, and THEY did…and had turned it in. All in the space of about ten minutes after I prayed! That was a prayer answered, sweetheart…plain and simple.”
\nHe had to agree. Especially when we were sitting at breakfast yesterday and he checked his phone.
\n“Huh…I have a missed call.” It was from the same number that got through in an area with no phone service. They had called back and left us this message.
\n“Hi there…this is __________ from you insurance agent’s office. We received a call from the folks at Cedar Creek State Park saying someone found your wallet. You need to check in with the headquarters office to get it back.”
\nI looked at Mr. FixIt and smiled. “See? You can add getting a phone call in an area with no cell service about your lost wallet to the list of steps God took to return it to you!”
\nI’m gobsmacked when God does these things…especially when it shows another person that He’s really REAL and cares about ALL the things, not just the big stuff. Even a wallet that falls out in the leaves.
\n❤️
\n“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-16T01:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/16/eat-pray-camp.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Grace","God","Wisdom","Choices","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/12/go-with-the-flow.html", "title": "Go With The Flow", "content_html": "John 15:7 NIV
![\"WV](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b2a06f3053.jpg\")
“Early morning fog on the lake. Almost Heaven…West Virginia”
So, I know I told you I wouldn’t be running to town every whipstitch, however…I really do need to write some things for a deadline I’m facing…AND, I needed to get some reservations for this trip. I ended up heading into town to use the WiFi at McDonald’s. I wasn’t finished when I saw my battery was almost gone on my iPad so I packed it up and headed back to the campsite and plugged in.
\nIt was early enough in the day that the fog hadn’t burned off the lake yet and I stopped in the road to take a photo. There was another, even more spectacular view on down a ways, however, there was someone coming up behind me so I had to move on. Sometimes the most beautiful, unforgettable photos get left to memory and never see the light of day. Those are really special.
\nThe campground is filling up and I just realized this is Columbus Day weekend. I imagine there will be crowds of people there by later today. Some campgrounds close by the end of October around here. I managed to get West Virginia camping all the way through to the first of November. Then I am going to either have to head south or winterize the camper. There will be some nights in the next week that will get down to the 30’s. It won’t be a problem unless it gets down and stays down, which it is not likely to do at this time of the year here.
\nAs I am writing this, I am listening to a group of college girls. They are FaceTiming with one of their moms and it is hysterical. They are talking about their hair and what to do with it for some special event. It reminds me so much of when my older daughter was that age. I was so young and I really loved the kids. As I was driving into town earlier, Daughter #2 called and we chatted for a while. It’s crazy how fast they’ve grown and how long ago those crazy fun times in McDonald’s really were.
\n![\"Sycamore](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/69ae4a0910.jpg\")
“Sycamore Tussock Moth Caterpillar”
The second picture is a Sycamore Tussock moth caterpillar. It was climbing up my tire at the campground…not surprising seeing how I’m camped in a grove of sycamore trees. I looked it up and they aren’t poisonous, but they can irritate your skin if you happen to be allergic to them. They said it is best to move them away with a stick or piece of paper, which is exactly what I did.
\nI hope you have a wonderful Saturday and enjoy the autumn weather, wherever you are!
\n❤️
\n“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-12T01:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/12/go-with-the-flow.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/11/slow-down.html", "title": "Slow Down", "content_html": "James 5:7 NIV
![\"Country](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/851c260933.jpg\")
“There’s something special about moseying out country roads instead of roaring through on an interstate.”
There is something special about driving on a two-lane blacktop in the fall. First, you’re forced to slow down…especially in West Virginia. There are a lot of 15 to 20 to 25mph turns in these parts. Beyond safety issues is the sheer beauty around every curve.
\nI love how the leaves fall in a shower of gold and red light in the sun. I love how the car in front of you stirs them up into a whirlwind that splashes on your windshield as you drive through them. I love how the the denuded trees cast lines on the roadway making it seem to glitter and shimmer as the miles fly under your wheels.
\nThe morning dew glistens as the leaves flutter in the breeze of your passing. The whole world takes on an auburn glow with rich yellow, tawny bronze, and deep indigo undertones. Crows and turkey buzzards circle overhead, waiting for the tasty morsels of the unfortunate squirrel or groundhog that doesn’t make it across the pavement in time.
\nDeer stand tenuously on the shoulder of the road seeming to be making a decision. Should I go? Should I stay? My mind wills them to turn and run up the hill away from my approaching bumper…left to live another day. Chipmunks seem to be enthralled with the macadam madness that cuts through their turf. Scoot out fast. No…wait! Dart back quick! How I keep from hitting them, I’ll never know.
\nI arrived at my next campground shortly before noon. I stopped at the store on the way so I could buy chili fixin’s. Mr. FixIt was talking about chili the other night and it’s been on my mind ever since. I got unhooked and mixed up a batch for the crockpot. I made plenty to have leftovers for the freezer.
\nThis is one of the best things about traveling with a camper. With a well equipped kitchen and a stocked pantry, you can eat healthy and save a lot of money on the road. Avoid the fast food places and steer clear of processed foods and your food budget can go a long way. I have homemade chicken noodle soup, beef and noodles, pepperoni rolls, cinnamon rolls, taco meat, potato soup, pizza, old fashioned noodles, and now chili in the freezer. Potatoes, sausage, cheese, salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, oranges, grapes, eggs, potato salad, sliced turkey, avocado, yoghurt, milk, and cottage cheese in the fridge. I have an assortment of dry goods in the pantry, including microwave popcorn if I want a snack. We’ll be eating like royalty this weekend when Mr. FixIt arrives.
\nThere’s and upside and a downside to this campground. Gorgeous woods. No internet at the campsite. I’ll have to drive to town to post this. If I didn’t have writing deadlines, I’d just cut the cord for the duration, but alas…my “work” is never done! There are worse things than writing every day!
\n❤️
\n“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-10-11T01:30:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/11/slow-down.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Courage","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/10/what-would-grandma-say.html", "title": "What Would Grandma Say?", "content_html": "Psalms 19:1-2 NIV
![\"RP196\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e112f7ee43.jpg\")
“Autumn Glow Lights up the R-Pod”
I camped the last two nights at a park hardly anyone knows about and I’d almost like to keep it that way. Except…it’s so uber cool, I just have to share. I’ve written about Calhoun County Park before. Mr. FixIt and I took a drive out here once and took pictures of the Heritage Village…a collection of buildings that were transported here and restored. There’s an old general store, a school house, a church, and a post office among others. The post office was from Freed…not too far from Grandma’s farm. Grandma introduced me to some of the Freed family.
\nWhen we came out to the park that time, we saw a little campground and I was intrigued. As it turns out, Calhoun County Park is a designated “dark sky site”…meaning there is minimal light pollution and it’s easy to see the stars. The last couple of nights were peak meteor events. The first night was blanketed in dense cloud cover but last night was clear as a bell. Still, at the time I am writing this, I haven’t seen any.
\nWhen I got up yesterday morning and went outside, there was something about the light and sounds and smells that took me straight back to my childhood. Grandma’s farm is probably 15 miles or so from here as the crow flies so I’m practically camping in the backyard. It got me to thinking about her and what she might think of this little adventure I’m on.
\nMy grandma always loved me, but she…like several of my family members…thought maybe I was a full bubble off the level. I have always marched to my own drum and never really did things in a traditional way. Here I am, out on 258 acres and not a soul in sight. Oh, there were some folks up at the community building the last couple of nights. And yesterday a state patrolman came through the park on his rounds. But that’s the extent of it. Grandma would think I was off my rocker!
\nWas I scared? Not really. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a care in the world, but fear didn’t really enter into the picture. I have protection. I have street smarts. I know the fire department is only a couple of miles away and I passed a policeman’s house not a mile from the park. Mr. FixIt is 20 minutes away at the Ponderosa. I have great cell service. I’m good.
\nI decided yesterday was a good day to figure out how to use the convection function on the convection microwave. On the R-Pod Owners V2 Facebook page, they talk about the “Cinnamon Roll Challenge” so I decided to bake some. Granted, they were from a can, but baking is baking, right?
\nIt took me a little bit to figure out how to work the stove. I read the directions but it wasn’t until I watched a YouTube video that I totally figured it out. I baked the rolls…5 in the can…and iced them. I ate one and packaged the others for the freezer because Mr. FixIt is going to join me this weekend for another weekend of camping. AND…our first wedding anniversary is Sunday, so what better way to celebrate than getting lost in the woods with my sweetie?!
\nThe autumn colors have really shown up the last couple of days and I’m in the most beautiful state to enjoy it. Almost Heaven…West Virginia! Today, I head to another State Park to enjoy more scenery and color!
\n❤️
\n“Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-10T01:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/10/what-would-grandma-say.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","goRVing","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/09/check-engine-light.html", "title": "Check Engine Light", "content_html": "1 Chronicles 16:33 NIV
![\"Check](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/60747c1ef4.jpg\")
“How many times have you seen this come on…right in front of the dealership?!?!”
I was heading through Marietta, Ohio yesterday afternoon on my way from one campground to the next. My preferred Ford dealer is there and as I was driving by, I got “the nudge”. The thought went through my mind…“Check your engine light!” Literally…I was right in front of the dealership when I looked down and…
\nIt was ON!!!
\nI kid you not! I got goose bumps. Ok…I drove down a block, turned around, and came back. I pulled up as close to the service entrance as I could while pulling a camper behind me. Luke, the Service Supervisor, came out and checked the truck with the computer. One of the oxygen sensors was bad. They checked and had one in stock and they had a free technician. I unhooked the camper, pulled the truck in, and went out to the camper to stretch out and read. An hour later, they called and the truck was ready.
\nYou cannot tell me prayer doesn’t work. You cannot tell me the Holy Spirit doesn’t guide us. How many of you sent up prayers and good thoughts for travel mercies for me yesterday? Well, they worked…and I thank you for those prayers!
\nBut most of all, I thank God for always watching out for me. I love it when He comes through with a megaphone because there was absolutely nothing subtle about that call. Wowza!
\nI got to the next campground just before dusk. I never reveal where I am in real time when I’m traveling alone so I’ll have to let you know the day after I leave. But, talk about peace and quiet…it’s crazy quiet here. I was hoping to see the night sky, but the clouds stole in just as I was unhooking. Maybe tonight. In the meantime…great cell service and a deadline to meet. What a great place to write!
\n❤️
\n“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-09T01:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/09/check-engine-light.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Camping","West Virginia","Gratitude","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Choices","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/08/autumn-sweet-autumn.html", "title": "Autumn, Sweet Autumn!", "content_html": "Psalms 8:3-4 NIV
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6f8107ea9c.jpg\")
“It looks like we will finally get a little color after all!”
I stayed an extra night at Beaver Creek State Park so I’d have an uninterrupted stretch of writing time. The other Girl Campers left Sunday, but my friend Gail is the Camp Host for Beaver Creek so she stayed to keep me company. In the past I have dreaded autumn because winter comes right after. But autumn…sweet autumn. The time of harvests and gold, apples and honey. Crispy, crunchy autumn…I’ve come to love it!
\nIt rained all night Sunday and the majority of the day yesterday. It stayed cloudy and cool which made snuggling up in the camper with my iPad and writing a rare treat. I took a break in the afternoon and went over to visit my friend Jan and see her farm…Paradise Acres. She is my age and runs a 200+ acre farm, plays in an Old Time band, sits on boards, campaigns for political candidates, and takes college classes. She is a retired Presbyterian minister. She has more energy in her little finger than I could ever hope to have!
\n![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/acbd540f9b.jpg\")
“My friend Jan gazes out over her fields of corn at Paradise Acres.”
When I got back to the campground, Gail was there to greet me with a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup and hot rolls. What a wonderful way to spend my last night camping in one of my favorite places in the world. I am heading out and about today. It’s going to be a gypsy camp day…meaning, I have no idea where I will sleep tonight. I want to see the meteor shower for the next two nights, skies willing, so I need to be somewhere away from city lights. I’ll let you know where I end up!
\nIn the meantime, we’ve had a good deal of rain. I think perhaps enough to pull us out of imminent fire danger in West Virginia. Mr. FixIt said there were places near the Ponderosa that received as much as three inches of rain in a very short amount of time. We have been parched here. The reason the fire danger was so high this fall was the overgrowth of vegetation from the unusually wet spring and summer we had. The vegetation is thick. Add dry weather and heat and it created dangerous conditions. I think we are past the worst of that now.
\n![\"Old](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/773abe28da.jpg\")
“Jan’s barn at Paradise Acres. She holds Old Time Music concerts here.”
As I was driving back from Jan’s farm this afternoon, I could really see the change in color in the leaves. Lots of yellows and some reds now. I’m looking forward to my drive today and checking out the autumn leaves. I can’t believe how early it’s getting dark already. The r-pod is comfortable and it stays nice and toasty in here. I think this new Adzel material they built the walls with is a better insulator.
\n❤️
\n““As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.””\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-10-08T01:30:03-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/08/autumn-sweet-autumn.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Change","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/07/all-good-things.html", "title": "All Good Things...", "content_html": "Genesis 8:22 NIV
![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/290e8adfa3.jpg\")
“The curtain closes on another successful Fall What-a-Hoot!”
What a FUN event we had this weekend at the Fourth Annual Fall What-a-Hoot at Beaver Creek State Park with the Girl Campers! OMGosh…we ate and laughed and knitted and crafted. We sat around the campfire every night and talked and talked and talked. We toured each other’s campers. We broke in a newbie. We hugged and prayed and praised.
\nWe antiqued and flea marketed and shopped and faired. We watched a movie on the big screen outdoors. We captured sunrises and sunsets. We cooked and shared recipes. We shared pictures of the kids and grandkids and great grandkids. We taught and shared. We listened. We embraced each other’s differences. We lifted each other up. We included everyone and made everyone feel welcome and special. You know what we didn’t do? We didn’t talk politics. We didn’t watch TV. We didn’t complain…about anything. Not even the 41 degree morning. Ok, maybe a little about the mosquitoes. And those folks on that one site that had a WAY too big fire and a drunken party till the wee hours of Sunday morning that kept some gals awake. Oh, and did I say…NO POLITICS! It was heavenly! The weekend ended with a much, MUCH needed rain. I’m staying on for another extra night since it’s supposed to rain all day today. I have writing to do and some trip planning. I’m also going to work on a little project I’ll share with you soon.
\nHappy Monday, everyone!
\n❤️
\n“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-10-07T01:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/07/all-good-things.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/06/cooking-in-the-rpod.html", "title": "Cooking in the RPod!", "content_html": "Romans 15:13 NIV
![\"Cooking](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e9624651b7.jpg\")
“Even with a compact, kitchen, cooking in the RPod is really easy.”
Saturday is Soup Day at What a Hoot. The Girl Campers gather at Beaver Creek State Park in the spring and fall…both wonderful times to camp and both offering cool nights when a hot mug of soup is most welcome. Yesterday morning it was all of forty-one degrees when I woke up. The perfect day to get out the crockpot and make something yummy.
\nI’m really getting the hang of cooking in the RPod. It’s a compact kitchen, but there is plenty of storage in the ample pantry…even for this monstrous 8-quart slow cooker. There are always several varieties of soup at the Saturday evening meal. This year, I decided to make beef and noodles…a wonderful comfort food that never fails to satisfy.
\nI bought a big chuck roast, some pre-diced onions/celery/carrots, a large pack of sliced mushrooms, some beef broth, a family sized jar of prepared beef gravy, and a 24oz. bag of frozen noodles. I sear each side of the roast in my iron skillet, then sauté the veggies and mushrooms, and put it all in the crockpot. I pour the bottled gravy and about a cup of the beef broth over the whole thing and simmer it on low for about eight hours. About an hour before I’m ready to eat, I throw in the bag of noodles and add another cup or so of beef broth. I turn it up on high and when the noodles are done, it’s dinner time! One of the nice things about having the leftovers is packing up individual containers and putting them in the freezer for meals down the road.
\nI realized last night, I haven’t been as conservative with water as I thought and my freshwater tank is down to 1/3 full, which means I have approximately 10 gallons left on board. I have at least two more nights camping before I can refill my fresh water and dump the grey and blackwater tanks so I’ll need to watch more carefully. I can warm up leftovers the next couple of days and use paper plates so I’ll be fine.
\nI think Diane had a good time camping. She enjoyed the girls and the campground. She learned a lot about staying in a travel trailer. The only camping experience she ever had was sleeping in a tent in Girl Scouts…which she hated. She really liked the RPod. I don’t know that camping will be an activity she seeks out in the future, but it sure was fun to show her the ropes and to spend some time with my good friend. There have been a lot of people who never dreamed of camping and end up enjoying themselves…whether or not they ever take it up as a pastime.
\n❤️
\n“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-06T01:30:58-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/06/cooking-in-the-rpod.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Comfort","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/05/setting-up-the-spare-room.html", "title": "Setting up the “Spare Room”", "content_html": "Hebrews 11:8-12 NIV
![\"RPod](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cb31a9fcac.jpg\")
“Converting the sofa to a spare bed in the RPod 196!”
I’m Back!!! Mr. FixIt and I had a wonderful time camping together and the little break was just what I needed to recharge. There’s nothing like being in the woods in a little camper. Losing Mr. Virgo taught me to really appreciate every moment and this week has been grand!
\nOn Monday, we checked into Tomlinson Run State Park in the tippy top of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. The drive up was lovely as we followed the Ohio River on Rt. 7. Mr. FixIt drove separately and followed along behind me. We got to our campsite by mid-afternoon and unhooked. It’s a lovely campground, located on top of a hill and densely wooded. The sites are all nicely spaced apart from each other. We had electric but no water. That’s not a problem, really. You just use the water you carry with you in your fresh water tanks. We rode our bikes around the campground, we cooked outside, and we spent as much time as we could sitting out looking at the stars.
\nWe left Tomlinson Run on Wednesday and headed to Beaver Creek to meet up with the Girl Campers. Mr. FixIt loves to hang out with the girls and they really enjoy him as well. We had fires in the Solo Stove which is wonderful…so much less smoke than a conventional campfire but still enough that you feel as though you had the camping experience. We had some rain here Wednesday night. Quite a bit actually.
\nMr. Fixit left yesterday mid-day to head home. My friend Diane joined me last night. Diane graduated from high school with me but we didn’t know each other back then. She and I didn’t really become good friends till I moved to the family farm in West Virginia in 2014…the year after Mr. Virgo died. I needed to find someone who could help me unload a truck so I called her to get a recommendation. We became fast friends after that.
\nI tried to get her to camp with me several years ago, but Motel 8 is roughing it to Diane. Then, when she found out I was taking the RPod out for a road test, she texted me with a bombshell. She wanted to come camping with me! She knew I’d be writing about my camping experiences and wanted to offer her services as “blog fodder”. “Camping with the Non-Camper!” Brilliant! This could either be really, really good…or really, really bad. I’m happy to report that, so far, she seems to be having a grand time! She fits right in with these great gals.
\nAs is always the case, there’s always a good deal of food at these events and last night was a smorgasbord. Tonight is soup night…my favorite night during What a Hoot. Everyone brings their A-game on soup night and we all go around taste testing each person’s creation. I decided to do something a little bit different this year and make beef and noodles. I’ll stick the chuck roast in the crock pot in the morning and let it simmer all day. It will be a welcome addition, I am sure.
\nThis morning was predicted to be 41 degrees! After a long stretch of hot, dry weather, I am really welcoming the cooler temperatures of fall. I needed to make a reconfiguration of the camper to accommodate my guest. I turned the jack knife sofa into a twin bed. The back of the sofa is a little bit higher than the seat when it’s laid out flat. I bought some firm upholstery foam sheets to lay down on the lower section to make an even base and place my inflatable mattress on top. It was cool enough for the furnace. Today is Pioneer Days down in the Historic Village. The grist mill will be running and there will be tours of the village buildings. Our friend Gail’s son wrote a book about the haunted history of Beaver Creek and will be on hand to sign his books.
\nSo far, the trip is fabulous and so is the RPod 196! The tickets are on sale on girlcamper.com for $10 each and the proceeds benefit the Hold You Foundation, an organization that assists families with critically ill children. This is a wonderful chance to support a worthy cause as well and get the opportunity to buy a wonderful camper! It’s good to be back!
\n❤️
\n“We love because he first loved us.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-05T01:30:44-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/05/setting-up-the-spare-room.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Widow","Road Trip","Marriage","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/28/i-love-fall-camping.html", "title": "I Love Fall Camping!", "content_html": "1 John 4:19 NIV
![\"Camping\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5dbe40ad9d.jpg\")
“The week in review…dressing up the dinner table, camping like a girl in the RPod 196.”
The crisp nights of fall lend themselves to camping in a big way. The days are still plenty warm to enjoy outdoor activities and the nights are cool enough to sleep well. I love to spend the evening around a campfire…to slide the windows in the camper open and pile on the warm blankets. There’s nothing like making memories in the golden light of fall!
\nYesterday was a busy day from the get go. A leisurely breakfast with Mr. FixIt and a day full of errands catching up with the business of the week. Then we drove to the farm and enjoyed a few hours of peace and quiet in my happy place.
\nThe last two weeks were packed full of fun and learning experiences. I drove over two thousand miles and visited Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and came within four miles of Michigan. We have our great granddaughter’s second birthday party tomorrow so I told Mr. FixIt I am NOT stepping foot in a car! Today is a piddle around the house day and prepare for the upcoming week of fun camping. This time I get to take my sweetie camping with me for four whole days!!!
\nIt’s the last weekend of September. It’s officially autumn. I know I always say this at this juncture, but…where on earth did this year go???
\n❤️
\n“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-09-28T01:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/28/i-love-fall-camping.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/26/driving-the-northerly-route.html", "title": "Driving the Northerly Route", "content_html": "Galatians 6:9 NIV
![\"Barn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8d5727cb25.jpg\")
“This barn catches your eye traveling I-80 across Ohio.”
I love to drive. That is probably one of the biggest reasons I love camping…because I have to drive there. Yesterday saw me driving across Ohio on I-80. I’ve never driven this route before. I always travel I-70 when I go to Colorado so I was really looking forward to a change of scenery. Ohio did not disappoint.
\nThe farms of the Buckeye State are beyond beautiful. Looking more like still life paintings by Andrew Wyeth, the farms are pristine and perfect. One barn in particular caught my eye and I had to research it when I got to the campground last night.
\nThere was a large mural painted on the side with a portrait and quote of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States and former Governor of Ohio. You can find a story about the artist here.
\nhttps://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/news/2015/10/05/new-mural-mark-turnpike-milestone/73370206/
\nAnother super feature of the Ohio Turnpike is found in the Service Plazas dotting the stretch of well maintained highway. I-80 is a toll road through Indiana and Ohio. Instead of “rest areas”, the Service Plazas actually have camping spots in the back with electricity so you can sleep in your camper overnight with air conditioning. Every interstate in America should have these! I’d want them especially in Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas for my cross country trips to see my Colorado family.
\nAs I wrote this last night, I looked back and the fun two weeks I’ve had. I’ve learned a lot and seen a lot and most importantly enjoyed it all! This trip is reminiscent of the journey I took after Mr. Virgo died…but without the grief and sadness. A kind of “do over” with fresh eyes. There is nothing like cool crisp days with farms and trees tinged with gold and stacks of pumpkins and mums everywhere. America, the beautiful!
\n❤️
\n“They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-09-26T01:30:12-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/26/driving-the-northerly-route.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Peace","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/20/wv-hotdogs.html", "title": "WV Hotdogs!", "content_html": "Psalms 145:5 NIV
![\"WV](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1722161e0f.jpg\")
“WV Hot Dogs….one of the finest pastries ever to be found in the Mountain State!”
We had a small gathering of Girl Campers who came to see the new R-Pod all dressed up over at Setzer’s on Wednesday. It was a long day and we were all pretty tired by the time we got back to the campground. One of the girls that arrived said she was so excited because she brought WV Hotdogs. I thought to myself…this gal must really like hotdogs. A bit later, someone asked if anyone brought dessert and Deirdre said, “Yep! I brought WV Hotdogs!!!” Everyone was ooooohing and ahhhhhhing. I totally didn’t get it.
\nAfter a dinner of steak and assorted sides, Deirdre brought over a small white box from her camper. When she opened it, there were several cream filled pastries…WV Hotdogs! It seems to me now that I’ve thought about it, the term was way back in the recesses of my mind where words go to die. I just needed to dust it off a little back there and find it!
\nThe pastries were delicious, by the way. And we had the “leftovers” with coffee yesterday morning. Two of the girls had to leave right after lunch and I had the campground to myself till suppertime when Janine and Lynn came back. We had Mississippi Pot Roast for supper along with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. It was a very relaxing day. Today, I’m packing up the camper and heading home for a couple of days before I had out for Elkhart, IN on Sunday.
\nOn the road again!
\n❤️
\n“in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude.”\nActs 24:3 ESV\n", "date_published": "2019-09-20T01:30:01-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/20/wv-hotdogs.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","goRVing","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/18/the-girl-camper-trailer-reveal.html", "title": "The Girl Camper Trailer Reveal!", "content_html": "
![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/040c52d70d.jpg\")
\nToday’s the day!!! Tune in at 3:00 on the goRVing Facebook page for a live reveal of how Janine has taken our little R-Pod 196 from “Factory to Fabulous!” We are so excited to show you all the special touches that have totally transformed this camper into a cozy, elegant showstopper.
\n![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/af38d7cb71.jpg\")
“Janine used bright and cheerful wallpapers from Spoonflower to give the camper an elegant, artsy feel. Campers don’t have to be brown!”
We came to Setzer’s RV Center in Huntington yesterday and were greeted by the owner…our good friend, Lynn Butler. I handed her a laundry list of little things that needed doing. First off, the scissor jack that I bent needed replaced. Then they filled my propane tank and provided me with a water hose so I could fill my freshwater tank. They replaced a low point drain cap that was missing. Once I was plugged into power, I was all set.
\n![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7cfc7626d4.jpg\")
“Mixing different patterns delineates different living areas giving the camper a much roomier feel.”
We spent the evening finishing up the decor. We put the memory foam mattress topper on the bed and dressed it. After a meal of smoked ribs, we settled in for the night, each in our own little campers…in the parking lot of the RV dealership! We were locked in, safe and sound. There is nothing….nothing like snuggling into your little camper. It has always been a tiny sanctuary for me…my safe place. My happy place.
\n![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/db44b695d9.jpg\")
“Custom fabric was used post factory to make the living area more homey. This jack knife sofa folds out to a twin sized bed.”
Today will be really busy, but fun. I can’t wait till you get to see the interior of this camper. Last night was my first night sleeping in it so I’ll have to tell you about that tomorrow!
\n![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8b98da9c05.jpg\")
“The kitchen is compact but fully functional. A deep stainless steel sink with a goose neck faucet is a big plus.”
AND…Raffle Tickets go on sale today on GirlCamper.com
\n❤️
\n“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-09-18T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/18/the-girl-camper-trailer-reveal.html", "tags": ["Travel","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","goRVing","Peace","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/17/chasing-the-sun.html", "title": "Chasing the Sun!", "content_html": "Proverbs 14:23 NIV
![\"2020](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/80aac83e23.jpg\")
“2020 RPod 196…taking her for a test run for the next four months!”
I’ve been trying to come up with a great name for my epic trip. I have decided I’ll be chasing the sun to stay warm as I travel further south so that’s just what I’ll call it. And yesterday was officially the very first day!!! And what a crazy day it was.
\nFirst, we had to pack up our hotel room. It is absolutely amazing what two people can accumulate in three short days! Once we were packed up, we headed to Advanced Auto Parts to buy a 2” ball for my hitch since that’s the size the RPod needs. I found one, but they didn’t have a wrench big enough to handle the job so I went across to the Goodyear store. They didn’t have a big enough tool either. So, rather than keep searching, I just went back to Advanced Auto and bought a new hitch at the correct size and we headed to Hershey Park to pick up the new camper.
\nWhen we arrived, our little camper was sitting all by herself at the end of the row. We hooked up and off we went. We had an easy, uneventful trip till we pulled into the field at the Ponderosa. I miscalculated a small incline and caught one of the scissor jacks and bent it. It’s no big deal, it didn’t hurt the camper at all…but it did hurt my pride because I knew better than to come in at that angle. We’ll just chalk it up to being overly tired because we were!
\nIt was wonderful to see Mr. Fixit! He had a pan of my smoked ribs out of the freezer thawing and I popped them in the oven as soon as I walked in. We fiddled around with the campers a little here and there. Janine had a spill in hers from a jar of balsamic vinaigrette that fell out of the cabinet so she had quite a sticky mess to clean up. We were all really excited to dine al fresco on the deck by the pool.
\nAnd, just like that…the evening was over and Janine and I both retreated to separate rooms to do our writing while Mr. FixIt watched his evening shows. It was too hot to dry camp in the field without air conditioning so we went for comfort and slept indoors. Today we are driving down to Huntington to Setzer’s RV to get some fine tuning on the campers and I will get my official walk through to learn the inner workings of the RPod. I’m going to have to come up with a cute name for her! Any ideas?
\n❤️
\n“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-09-17T01:30:53-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/17/chasing-the-sun.html", "tags": ["Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","goRVing","Courage","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/16/weve-come-a-long-way.html", "title": "We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!", "content_html": "Proverbs 28:13 NIV
![\"Early](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1b904a6b26.jpg\")
“Camping in the early days in Denver. This is just down the street from where Ben & Sue live!”
Janine and I spent our time at the RV Show yesterday browsing around for content for our blogs. We stood for eight hours and walked nearly 10,000 steps. By the time the show was finished, we were exhausted but then there was work to be done. Processing and editing photos, writing blog posts, calculating trip routes and travel times. All the logistics that come with the postmortems of a travel show.
\nI’ll bet we didn’t get to see one tenth of this show. And even that was overwhelming. We did see a couple of really cool campers. We saw some really EXPENSIVE campers. We saw everything from bargain basement, bare bones boxes to luxury on wheels. It’s amazing what some of the interiors of these campers look like. Marble counters, high end furnishings, and appliances that look like they come out of the finest kitchens. It boggles the mind that people would pay half a million dollars for a fancy bus.
\nThere are so many accessories….many that you definitely don’t need, but there are lots that were pretty handy. One was a rechargeable work light that would work well to illuminate a campsite if you arrive in the dark and need to back in. We have some really fun accessories that I’ll be sharing with you after the big reveal next week. We are still holding back the majority of the photos till then.
\nIn the meantime, they are breaking down the show overnight. I need to get a smaller ball on my hitch to fit the new camper. Janine and I are heading to the Ponderosa today then to Huntington tomorrow. We’ll dry camp out in the field tonight! So please keep us in your prayers for travel mercies today. I am so excited about pulling this camper today!
\n❤️
\n“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-09-16T01:30:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/16/weve-come-a-long-way.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","goRVing","Grace","God","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Change","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/15/the-really-really-big-show.html", "title": "The Really REALLY Big Show!", "content_html": "Proverbs 2:6 NIV
![\"Women](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ed8ac30958.jpg\")
“Janine, her BFF Carol, and me in front of the R Pod at the Hershey RV Show.”
Ok, so I thought Friday’s show was busy? Hokey Smokes!!! Yesterday was absolutely insane at the RV Show…but SO amazingly fun! Hundreds of people came and walked through the camper. Everyone loved the decor and if they didn’t…it was probably a guy. Guys don’t necessarily get the whole “decorate your camper” thing. That’s why most campers are varying themes of BROWN. I think a guy takes a look and says, “Yeah…that won’t show dirt. Use that!”
\nI do have to say, the folks at Forest River are stepping up their game in the new R Pod. The cabinets are a lovely shade of grey and the walls are off white. It is a perfect canvas on which to decorate in whatever style strikes your fancy. The light colors along with multiple large windows brings in an abundance of light which is exactly what I am looking for in a camper. I am going to switch the mattress out. I’ve never found an RV mattress that I found satisfactory. I am very choosy about my mattresses. I have an extra memory foam mattress at home so I’ll switch it out when I’m there next week.
\nJanine and I were so exhausted when we got back to our hotel room yesterday. We both took a long nap, then headed out for dinner. Our meal was ok. I was disappointed in my main course. I had pasta and meat sauce with Italian sausage. The sausage had been left in the skillet too long and was actually burnt. When the waitress took my plate, she asked if there was something wrong. I explained and she offered something different. By that time I was full from just the pasta and sauce and didn’t care for anything else.
\nPretty soon, the manage/owner came out to talk with me. He said he took my entree off the check. In the process of our discussion, I informed him I had a good understanding of what he was going through. I told him about Mr. Virgo working in the Food & Beverage industry all of his career. He lit up and we began a long discussion comparing notes of who worked where and when. This is something I always found fascinating with Mr. Virgo. No matter where we were, he could find someone who knew someone and there was always common ground. It made me smile.
\nI told him our story. I told him about going out to buy the camper and how he died while we were looking. I told him about buying the little camper and taking it out in the wilderness and backroads of Colorado. I told him about selling my house and buying the big camper and getting rid of 95% of my personal belongings. I told him about being on the road in the camper and writing about it and how I came to know Janine. Then, I told him the happy ending of the story…running into Mr. FixIt and how we are just about ready to celebrate our 1st Wedding Anniversary.
\nA happy ending. It’s never “The End” though…is it. Mr. Virgo died. But it wasn’t the end. It was the end of many things…but not of him. Or of me. There is always more story to be written…even when you cannot believe you can survive another moment after such a painful loss. Being away, doing something different, learning new things, expanding my territory. All these things offer a lovely perspective of life. I can’t think how my life could be any more perfect than what it is. I am so incredibly grateful. Telling my story gives me this gift every single time.
\n❤️
\n“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-09-15T01:30:02-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/15/the-really-really-big-show.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","goRVing","Wisdom","Humbled","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Widow","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/12/making-memories.html", "title": "Making Memories", "content_html": "James 1:17 NIV
![\"Little](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/30633e40ae.jpg\")
“Little Bit, taking a walk in her pretty party dress.”
Someday, when our great granddaughter grows up, I want her to look back on her memories of me and think, “Wow! My Gigi was REALLY brave!” I want there to be family stories like, “Remember the time Gigi went on that five month camping trip on her own??? That was awesome!” But more importantly, I want her to remember running into my arms after church and plastering me with wet kisses and huge hugs. Of leading me around by the finger to show me the awesome wonders of her tiny world.
\nThese babies are going to grow so much in the next few months! Little Boo will be turning over and trying his best to talk. Little Bit will be close to being a big sister by the time this trip is finished. Pictures aren’t quite the same thing. Same with my Colorado grands. Big is BIG…driving, Sophomore in high school. Little is really digging theater class and is rocking middle school. They are past that “needing Nana” stage. I want to enjoy these little while they still want to be around me!
\nI got the storage tubs packed yesterday. They go in the bed of the truck this morning. I need to load up my clothes, pack a cooler, and get everything in the cab of the truck. My truck has a Super Crew Cab so there’s plenty of room to pack things that are more delicate. And, I have a clothes rod across the back seat and I literally use the truck as a closet. I am sure I have too much, but I can always correct the load when I’m home between trips.
\nI have a list that I’m almost through. I can work on that all morning and leave this afternoon. I told you…this last week would FLY by. And it has! So…here we go!!!
\n??“On the road again…”??
\n❤️
\n“But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-09-12T01:30:57-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/12/making-memories.html", "tags": ["Road Trip","Littles","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] } ] }Luke 21:18-19 NIV