RE: camping in Wisconsin and MN
I think that your biggest danger will come from ticks and biting flies, midges, no-see-ums and skeeters in all reality.
There are some really nice national forest campgrounds in the Chequamegon National forest.
RE: camping in Wisconsin and MN
Typically, bears steer clear of dogs unless the dogs are harassing them, but this winter has been tough, and when the bears wake up, there will be less than normal amounts of food. You will want to be sure to practice food safety and also, be aware that there are wolves in Northern MN and Northern/ NW Wisconsin. Wolves probably pose more of an issue for your dog because when they have pups, they will not tolerate any other canines in their range, so you will want to be sure that your dog is not allowed to roam off, off leash. Typically, the dogs that are injured are hunting dogs, but this gives you an idea.
RE: Boston Marathon Bombing
One of the things that once again strikes me about a situation like this is that the videos show first responders, police, military, fire, medical, and regular citizens, running towards peril to help.
RE: Have you ever eaten chipmunk?
Our last cat kept the chipmunk and rabbit population in check, but our current cat doesn't go out, she might get dirty or something.
My husband and I were cleaning out the attic at his mother's cabin, and found a booklet that had detailed instructions on how to build English (house) sparrow traps, then recipes for how to clean and prepare. It said that only the breast meat was usable. Seemed like a lot of work for a tidbit.
Seems like a lot of work to eat chipmunk. I would do it if I were hungry enough. I hope that I never am that hungry though.
RE: What do you recommend for a camper
I was going to suggest an Alaskan, but you will be hard pressed to find one, and even harder pressed to find one for 3K. Capri would be another option, they are light, and dont have bathrooms, you might be able to find for around 3K.
RE: Cold (limber) tail
I am happy to report that the dog, and her tail, are back to normal, she now shows no sign of any distress and the tail is wagging happily, propelling her along. Maybe the aspirin did "cure" her.
When the big guy had it, he took weeks to recover.
RE: Cold (limber) tail
If she had some sort of trauma, it is a mystery to us. The bigger guy is an absolute terror with his tail, whacking all manner of things, clearing tables, banging legs, walls, etc., but she is more subtle with the tail wag. She was outside with my husband and the other dog while he was doing things, but there wasn't any running or swimming, and Thursday was the warmest day of the year (not warm, but much warmer than it has been). She's much better today than Thursday or yesterday, and yesterday, she decided that she felt well enough to chase the ball for about a half hour, and then last night she slept like a rock. Maybe it was the sleep.
Cold (limber) tail
Has anyone else had experience with cold or limber tail syndrome? The first time one of our dogs (a large male lab) experienced this, a few years ago, he seemed bothered by it, but not all that much. The second dog, a lab mix, was stricken by this yesterday. She seems to be quite distressed by it. From what the vet told us last time, rest and anti inflammatory drugs are about the only "cure". I gave her an aspirin last night, and another this morning, and she seems to be better, but is just not her bouncy, energetic self, although she happily went for a walk this morning. Just no tail wagging.
RE: Would It Be Cruel?
How many of you RV cat owners have had the kittty de-clawed? I would never do that.
Me either, but I do trim her claws regularly, this she is definitely not a fan of.
If I were picking a kitty as a traveling companion, I would likely go to a shelter and look for a cat older than 4 months but younger than perhaps a year so that I could better evaluate their dispostion. I would want a laid back, friendly cat, not a high strung, and I would test to see how that kitty accepts a harness, or being put in a carrier.
RE: Would It Be Cruel?
Our cat comes with us when we camp because she has proven that she would rather be with us in the truck camper than back at home with a pet sitter stopping by. She isn't totally thrilled with the traveling part, but when we get where we are going, she settles in nicely.
RE: Trip report: Yorkshire Dales, England
Never thought that I would see the words "sheep" and "cunning" pertaining to each other :). Although, the local ladies do look to have something afoot...
Thanks for sharing.
RE: Help! Just got my truck camper need advice
Installing the superhitch is a no drill job and should require minimum tools, and if I recall correctly, installing the Torklift tie downs is too. My husband had a harder time removing the OEM hitch than installing the Superhitch, he had to soak it with penetrating oil to get it off. Once that was off, it was pretty easy, with some additional muscle to help lift it into place.
Getting additional bids is a good idea.
RE: Help! Just got my truck camper need advice
First thing I would suggest is that if you have close to or more than 50K on that truck, is new shocks and make sure that your brakes are also in good shape, you're talking about stopping a lot of weight there.
Second, Torklift for the tie downs, the fast gun turnbuckles and the super hitch. No, I don't own stock, but it is a good company that makes good products. I see on Seattle Craigslist someone selling Torklifts for $200.00, if they still are there, you should grab them.
You might call some of the RV dealers that sell TCs in your area to see what they can tell you about airbags and installation and the electrical extension that you will need.
RE: Caring for Leather Furniture
Just be aware that any cleaner or conditioner can change the color (usually darken) some leathers, so you might want to test an inconspicuous area first.
We bought a large leather couch at a massive discount because when it had been delivered to the original buyers, the delivery guys scuffed it pretty badly. So we got a couch that my 6' 3" husband can stretch out on for 20% of the original price. I used the Leather CPR on it, and it worked quite well at obscuring most of the scuffs. I didn't even think about Lexol, that is what the folks at the barn I used to ride horses at would use on their show saddles.
RE: A dog with motion sickness
Our last dog would get terribly car sick. Our vet said to try dramamine (NOT the non-drowsy kind), and dose him based on weight. It worked quite well, he never got ill after that.
With such a small dog, I would check with your vet to see if there are any other solutions, or concerns about dramamine.
Edit- see above.
One of the side effects was that our dog would sleep for most of the ride whenever we went the 8 hour drive to see my inlaws. Which can be a good thing :)
RE: Wisconsin campgrounds taking advantage....
Try camping in Illinois. I hear they have some real nice campgrounds.
We prefer to take over the campgrounds in Wisconsin. Those are usually nicer, the state owned ones aren't opposed to allowing a person to exercise their right to a wobbly pop or two, there is much better cheese in Wisconsin, better brats, and lately, better football ;).
RE: Yellowstone & Electricity
One of the suggestions that comes up on most of these Yellowstone threads is to pick a few different locations and move around. If you can get a few nights at Fishing Bridge, do so, but also book into Grizzly for a few nights, and maybe even go up by the North entrance at Gardiner for a few days, etc.. This way, you can exploe different areas of the park and not have a long, long drive to get back to your camper.
Be prepared to be in your vehicle A LOT. Even when you might be only traveling 10 miles, it may take you an hour due to multiple animal jams, herds of animals crossing the road, waits at the entrance if you stay outside of the park, or construction.
RE: Neat TC from Australia
It would not be fun to be in a rainstorm trying to assemble all of that, but it is very innovative. Must be pretty light, too, which would allow for more intrepid travel.
