Author: Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. After deciding to stop RVing, we bought a ranch house halfway up a hill on five acres. After Bruce and I talked about names for our five acres, we settled on Blackberry Homestead as a homage to the wild blackberries on the hill. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist, and I’ll share my current projects. Gardening and reading are my favorite hobbies.

De-Winterizing the RV

April 8, 2021 Since the weather forecast for the next ten days was predicting above freezing overnight, we decided to de-winterize the RV on Saturday, April 3. We wanted to flush the RV antifreeze from the plumbing system. I was very excited by the idea of having running water in the RV. We hadn’t had […]

Busy, Busy Friday

April 7, 2021 Friday, April 2nd, was a very busy day for me. I had my 20 year anniversary at my job! I can now keep my health insurance with the company. When I started the job, I didn’t think I’d be there for more than a few years. Those of us in IT tend […]

Things to Do to Get Ready for the Retirement RV Dream

Re-posted on April 6, 2021 with updates. Re-posted on February 16, 2021 with updates. Re-posted on October 27, 2020 with updates. Re-posted on July 27, 2020 with updates. Re-posted on January 24, 2020 with updates. First posted in December of 2019. This is a list of things that we need to do to prepare to […]

Nox Trying Out the Carpeted RV Steps

April 5, 2021 After we carpeted the RV steps, Nox was a lot more comfortable using the steps. Here’s a couple of pictures of her bounding up the steps.

Nox Spending The Morning at the RV

April 4, 2021 Nox and I went for a walk this morning. The sunrise was lovely. Nox enjoyed the hill climb and finding all sorts of interesting smells. Later, Bruce opened the main RV door and left the screen door closed. Nox really enjoyed looking out through the screen door.

Getting the RV Tag

April 1, 2021 I checked to see if we could get our RV tag online. We couldn’t apply for our RV tag online, as we had bought our RV out of state. The paperwork needed to get the tag was the bill of sale, the title, and a VIN verification form. Bruce took over getting […]

Covering the Steps in the RV

March 29, 2021 Nox frightened Bruce and me when she slipped on the RV stairs and fell behind them when we went to check on the RV after the big snow. While Nox wasn’t hurt and didn’t seem to mind the spill, since she landed on her feet behind the steps, Bruce and I agreed […]

Fun Evening at Wrigley’s

March 29, 2021 On March 28, for supper, we walked from the RV park to Wrigley’s Chicago Bar and Grill in Golden, CO. Wrigley’s had a live band playing covers. The band was excellent; their female vocalist was impressive. While we looked over the menus, Bruce ordered an on-tap hoppy beer and I ordered a lemonade. […]

Bad Pedestal at RV Park

March 27, 2021 On March 19, we went to spend the night in the RV. We got there and unpacked some items. I made up the bed with the new mattress pad and sheets. Everything fit the bed, which was a relief. I set up my phone to be a hot spot, which was very […]