I’m back with more questions from blog readers about RVing, my writing activities, what’s happening in our lives since we hung up the keys, and all kinds of other things. While I try to answer all questions individually, I also share some here occasionally.
Q. Why did you pay the dealer for your tractor’s service when you could have done it yourself and saved money? It’s not all that hard to do. Just watch some You Tube videos and learn how to do it yourself.
A. I have an agreement with my dealer. He doesn’t write books and I don’t work on tractors. I am not mechanically inclined and I don’t enjoy things like that. Past experience has taught me that it’s best to leave some chores to the professionals. While I probably could have done the work myself, the mechanics at the dealership know these machines inside and out and know what to look for to prevent future problems I might not be aware of.
Q. Are there many poisonous snakes where you live? Last summer my grandkids in Tennessee lost their dog to a snakebite. With summer coming, do you worry about Alli or Terry’s cats getting bitten living there in the country?
A. We have rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins all over this part of the state. The cats never go outside, so we don’t worry about them. But Alli loves being outside and is always sniffing and exploring everywhere, so that is a very real concern for me.
Q. In your RVing days, did you ever drive the Alcan Highway? We are planning a trip this summer to see our soldier son, who is stationed at Fort Richardson near Anchorage.
A. No, we never did make it to Alaska. It was on our bucket list, but things always got in the way of taking the trip. It’s one of the few regrets I have from our life as fulltimers.
Q. Is Miss Terry planning a big garden for this year?
A. She plans to do some gardening, but I’m not sure what all is going to be involved. She now has six of the raised planter beds, and I know that they are going to be a big part of her gardening efforts this time around. As for what else is going to happen, I leave that up to her to decide.
Q. How come only some of your books are available as audiobooks? We love listening to audiobooks when we travel but can’t find many of yours in that format.
A. Unfortunately, audiobooks have not done well for me. Of the ones I do have out, very few sell enough to justify the cost of narration and the time involved in producing them.
Today is your last chance to enter our Free Drawing for an audiobook of Big Lake Scandal, the fifth book in my Big Lake mystery series. When the richest man in Big Lake is murdered on the night he announced his bid for State Senator, the list of suspects stretches all the way from the small mountain town to the Governor’s office. Sheriff Jim Weber’s investigation reveals a web of secrets, illicit sex, and shattered lives that teach him that nothing is what it appears to be and that sometimes the people we think we know are not at all what we believe them to be. Meanwhile, love has come to town and wedding bells must compete with the echo of gunshots.
To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 90 days, unclaimed prizes revert backto the drawing pool for a future contest.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Thought For The Day – Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young. – Theodore Roosevelt