Hobbies - on the road & at home

When we're on the road, living in a 36' motorhome, it's a challenge to decide which hobbies to take with us. We're lucky that our motorhome has a high CCC or cargo carry capacity, so weight is not too much of an issue. Not counting our fluids and fuels, we can carry almost 5000 pounds of additional stuff like food, clothes, fishing equipment, and hobbies. The challenge comes with where to put it all. We like to keep things put away so our small living space doesn't feel even smaller. We don't travel with stuff piled on the bed, couch or stacked in boxes on the floor. We even put the sink covers away so they don't become flying projectiles.

We're lucky because we still have a house in a retirement community and we can leave things behind and come back to them. Our gated community has just about every amenity you can think of and it's chock full of clubs, shops, crafts, and classes. This gives us the chance to have fun with the hobbies that we can't take with us. I guess you could say even our hobbies are seasonal, like us snowbirds.

I've joined the stitchery club and the arts & crafts club. Although I have a sewing machine and a serger at home, it sure is nice to go to the club room, use any number of machines, spread out on nice cutting tables, and socialize with others. I'm back into sewing after 15 years and it's like remembering how to ride a bike. Lovin' it!

Rick's started carrying a tree saw in the back of the car. If he offers to cut down your old tree, watch out. He has an ulterior motive. Keep an eye on your orange tree, olive, avocado, mesquite - well any tree or woody scrub with a trunk bigger than 3 or 4 inches. His ulterior motive? He wants to make bowls. And other things.

Rick has enjoyed working with wood for as long as I've known him. He's done wood carving, refinished furniture, built cabinets, furniture and houses. So turning a piece of tree trunk into a bowl just seemed like the next hobby to tackle. So far he's completed 2 small bowls, about 3" to 5 " made from mesquite tree limbs. They're just big enough to hold a pound of M & M's.

Our community has a fabulous wood shop with every large and small piece of equipment you can name. Saws of all types, lathes, planers, drill presses, routers of all types, everything, all in a nice big airy shop! Rick's dad started making wooden bowls a couple years ago, both pieced and turned. It's one of the most common projects of the wood shops these days.

Of course fishing is our number one hobby, but we're not always on the water's edge. Many people love to golf. Some like to visit historical landmarks. We have many other interests to keep us busy. What is your favorite hobby or past time?