Happy Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day from Mocha Teal 

Special Happy Mother's Day to my mom

Vanishing Land Shark

The Curious Case of the Vanishing Land Shark

Just when you think it cannot get worse… it does.

The infamous Land Shark, feared predator of socks, rogue flip-flops, unattended snacks, and unsuspecting ankles, has now entered a new and troubling phase of existence.

Disappearance.

Yes, friends, the once mighty beast — capable of launching surprise attacks from behind dinette chairs and ambushing innocent RV occupants making midnight bathroom runs — has all but vanished.

At first, panic set in.

“Where’s the Land Shark?”

No answer.

We searched under the table. Behind the captain’s chairs. Around the dog bowls. Even near the sacred snack cabinet — a place previously considered prime hunting territory.

Nothing.

Only silence.

Then… there she was.

Not lurking.

Not stalking.

Not plotting destruction.

Nope.

The mighty predator had somehow melted into the floor beside her kennel, as if the very effort of terrorizing the household had simply become too exhausting. Half in. Half out. Looking less like a fierce apex hunter and more like someone who had lost an argument with gravity.

One floppy ear down.

Nose planted firmly into the rug.

Completely unaware of her responsibilities as Chief Household Menace.

Apparently, being an eight-week-old Land Shark is exhausting work.

You spend all morning attacking shoelaces, defending the RV from dangerous leaves, conducting aggressive inspections of every cabinet, and making sure absolutely no one walks past without a proper ankle check.

Eventually, even the fiercest Land Shark reaches her limit.

And when that happens?

She doesn’t just sleep.

She disappears.

One moment there’s chaos.

The next, there’s what appears to be a chocolate throw rug with a pulse.

Of course, veteran dog owners know this is merely tactical. The Land Shark is not defeated. Oh no. This is a strategic recharge.

Because in approximately 17 minutes — or whenever someone opens a bag of chips — the beast will rise again.

Rested.

Hungry.

And fully committed to the destruction of peace and quiet.

It has now been seven days (Sunday, May 3rd) since Mocha Teal came into our lives — and into Tilly’s, whether she approved of the arrangement or not.

To say the least, in that short time, she has become family.

Well… family to most of us.

Tilly, however, is still conducting what can only be described as an official protest. She remains unconvinced that this tiny chocolate tornado — also known as The Land Shark — was a necessary addition to the household. In Tilly’s opinion, there was absolutely nothing wrong with life before puppy teeth entered the picture.

The phrase “this too shall pass” appears to be lost on her.

That said, our sweet Tilly is now experiencing some medical issues with her eye, and we are hoping to see an eye specialist on Monday. As always, prayers and good thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

Life in the RV continues to remind us that joy and concern often travel side by side. One moment you are laughing at a puppy who has mysteriously powered down in the middle of an attack mission, and the next you are reminded just how deeply these furry companions become part of our hearts.

And somehow, through it all, we keep moving forward.

As Always,

Susan, Tilly, Mocha Teal, me… and of course, Dakota in spirit.

Wish your travels bring you many joyous adventures.

May your life exceed your expectations

Day 5 - Shark !

 The Infamous Land Shark

Now let me introduce you to the newest threat traveling America’s highways…
The Infamous Land Shark.

At first glance, she appears harmless. Soft fur. Tiny tail. Cute little puppy ears. The kind of face that makes people say, “Awwww.”

Do not be deceived.

What you are actually looking at is a highly trained mobile attack unit disguised as a chocolate Labrador puppy. Experts across the internet commonly refer to puppies in this stage as “land sharks” because of the constant biting and teething behavior.

This particular specimen—known formally as Mocha Teal Prichard—has already demonstrated advanced tactical abilities including:

• Sneak attacks on shoelaces
• Sudden ankle ambushes
• Precision finger nibbles
• High-speed tail wag distraction maneuvers
• Selective hearing when commanded to “drop it”

And much like the legendary shark from the movie Jaws, she patrols quietly… waiting… watching… until the exact moment you relax.

Then—CHOMP.

What makes the Land Shark especially dangerous is that immediately after attacking, she rolls over looking adorable, making prosecution nearly impossible.

Now according to puppy experts and countless exhausted dog owners online, this “land shark phase” is perfectly normal in Labs and other puppies. But knowing that does little to protect your socks, hands, or dangling hoodie strings.

Meanwhile, Tilly continues monitoring the situation closely, apparently unconvinced that adding a miniature furry velociraptor to the RV was a good long-term decision.

Still… as Mocha stretched out there in the grass at Bo Wood COE Park, tail twitching and watching the world go by, it was hard not to smile.

Because even fictional land sharks grow up someday.

At least… that’s what people keep telling us. 🐾🚍

Susan, Tilly, Mocha Teal, me and Dakota in sprit

Settling In

Settling In… One Paw at a Time

We spent two nights at Meramec State Park, and honestly, it turned out to be exactly what we needed—not just a stop, but a chance to slow things down and let everyone… adjust.

Because bringing a new pup into the RV isn’t just an addition—it’s a full-on lifestyle shift.

That first night?
Well, let’s just say there were a few questions rolling around in our heads.

What would Mocha Teal do?
Would she be nervous?
Confused?
Missing what she knew?

And the big one… would anyone get any sleep?

Turns out, Mocha had her own plan.

She settled in… and slept straight through until 5 AM—right about the time I woke up. No drama, no fuss, no “new puppy chaos” like you might expect. Just a quiet reminder that sometimes, they handle change better than we do.

Since then, we’ve been doing what you do—learning each other.

Figuring out routines.
Finding rhythm in a small space.
Sharing the road in a whole new way.

And for the most part, it’s been good. Really good.

Well… for most of us.

Tilly, on the other hand, is not exactly writing a welcome speech just yet.

She’s made it pretty clear this wasn’t her idea. There’s a new energy in her space, a new set of smells, a new personality bouncing around—and she’s still deciding how she feels about all of it.

But if there’s one thing we’ve learned—on the road and in life—it’s this:

Time has a way of working things out.

So we’ll give it time.
Let them find their footing.
Let the pack sort itself out.

And somewhere along the way, we’ve got a feeling Tilly and Mocha Teal will figure out that this road is big enough for both of them. 🐾🚍

Susan, Tilly, me and Dakota in sprit. 

Joining us on DaRoad ? Mocha Teal.

Continuing Our Travels…

Continuing Our Travels… The Big Surprise

I suppose by now you were wondering—what in the world had us pushing that hard, chasing miles like we had somewhere important to be?

You’d be right.

Our destination wasn’t just another stop on the map—it was Sullivan. And the reason?

To meet up with Amy from O'Dell Labs.

Now here’s where the story takes a turn from diesel engines and roadside repairs… to something a whole lot sweeter.

The big surprise?

We were on our way to pick up Mocha Teal Prichard—a beautiful little female chocolate lab., that Dakota had a big paw in finding.

Yep… after all the breakdowns, phone calls, busted hoses, and improvised engineering, the road wasn’t just leading us east—it was leading us to a new traveling companion.

Funny how that works, isn’t it?

All those delays, all those unexpected stops… and yet, somehow, everything still lines up right when it needs to.

So now the journey changes again.

New passenger.
New energy.
Probably a lot less quiet in the RV.

And if history tells us anything… a whole lot more stories ahead.

Welcome to the road, Mocha Teal. 🐾🚍 

May 2nd 

Safe Travels from

Susan, Tillie, Mocha Teal, me and Dakota, always leading the way.

Willie Nelson - On the Road Again

 On the road again…

Goin’ places that we’ve never been,
Seein’ things we may never see again…
And after the past few days, I can honestly say—we really couldn’t wait to get back on the road again.

First things first—thank you.

To everyone who called, texted, prayed, suggested, and walked this little roadside adventure with us—we felt it. There’s something humbling about being broken down and realizing just how many people are willing to lean in and help you figure it out.

And figure it out we did.

Somewhere between frustration and determination, I’ve now got a crash course in turbos, variable vane actuators, boost pressure, and enough system parameters to make me dangerous at a truck stop conversation.

It started with Bob and Karen—planting that first seed of an idea about what might be causing the loss of power. Then came Travis, the mobile mechanic from Rush Truck Centers, who showed up with the right software and the know-how to dig deeper. He pinpointed the real issue—a split hose. Not dramatic. Not obvious. But enough to bring everything to a crawl.

From there, it became a team effort.

Dave and JJ rolled up their sleeves and helped me get a modified hose assembly installed. Chris—once again—extended more than just shop space at Sugar Creek Truck Lube & Roadside Service, giving us the room (and grace) to work through it all without pressure.

And then there’s Rubio over at Sooner Muffler Shop—the guy who took my “well, what if we tried this…” idea and turned it into something real, functional, and road-ready.

That’s the thing about this journey—it may look like a solo drive down the highway, but it’s anything but. It’s people. It’s community. It’s unexpected stops that remind you how much good is still out there.

And now?

Now we’re rolling again.

The engine’s breathing right, the power is back where it belongs, and the road ahead looks a whole lot better than it did a few days ago.

Next stop… well, we’ll see. But one thing’s for sure—

We’re back where we belong. 🚍

Prichardish Is Alive and Well

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

Prichardish thinking at its finest—simple, practical, and built to work, not just look good on paper.

The solution?
Don’t fight the hose… replace the weak link entirely.

Instead of chasing another rubber failure waiting to happen, you stepped back and said, “What actually fits this job?” High temp. High volume. Not much pressure. That’s not a job for a fragile piece of hose—that’s a job for something solid.

So you made it solid.

A metal pipe. Muffler-style. One clean bend instead of two. Cut out the failed section, bridge the gap, and eliminate the problem instead of babysitting it.

That’s not just a repair—that’s an upgrade.

All it took was finding the right place—like Sooner Muffler Shop—and turning an idea into something you can bolt in place and trust going down the road.

There’s a certain satisfaction in that kind of fix. No guessing. No hoping it holds. Just a solution you can look at and say, “Yeah… that’ll do.”

And you’re right—your father would be proud.

Because that kind of thinking?
You don’t learn it from a manual.

You earn it. 🚍

Prichardish

That says it all right there.

Prichardish isn’t just a way of fixing things—it’s a way of thinking. It comes from a time when you didn’t have the option to outsource every problem. If something broke, you figured it out. If you didn’t have the exact part, you made one. If Plan A failed, you didn’t complain—you built Plan B out of whatever was in reach.

That’s what your dad handed down.

Not just skills—but confidence. The kind that says, “I may not know the answer yet… but I know I can find it.” The kind that turns a breakdown behind a gas station into a fabrication project. The kind that looks at a split hose and sees a better design instead of a dead end.

And the best part?

You carried it forward.

Susan, Tillie, Dale and Dakota iin Sprit.

Traveling in Gus da Bus

Well… Here We Are

 Well… Here We Are

So here we are—parked, settled, and for the moment, calling Sugar Creek Truck Lube & Roadside Service home.

Not exactly the destination we had in mind when we started east, but sometimes the road writes its own story.

And in the middle of all this uncertainty, something worth pausing for—people.

Chris and Dave have gone above and beyond. Not only are they working with us through the mechanical mystery, but they’ve also allowed us to stay right here on site, living in the RV while we sort things out. No scrambling for a hotel, no added stress of figuring out where to go next—just a place to be.

I can’t say enough about Dave’s ability and willingness to help. The man has stuck with us, digging in, thinking it through, and treating this like more than just another job. And Chris—opening the door and saying, “Stay here, no charge”—that kind of generosity sticks with you.

It’s easy to get caught up in the frustration when plans fall apart. The miles we didn’t make. The destination we didn’t reach—like Downstream Casino Resort still waiting somewhere up the road.

But moments like this are a reminder… the journey isn’t just about where you’re going. It’s about who shows up along the way.

And right now, we’ve been shown a whole lot of kindness in a place we never planned to stop.

Stay Tuned…

So for now, we wait.
We learn.
And we take it one wrench-turn, one phone call, and one cup of coffee at a time in the morning and 1 bottle of wine at night.

The road may have paused us here at Sugar Creek Truck Lube & Roadside Service… but the story is far from over.

Stay tuned—same channel, same time (well… almost)—for the continuing saga of DaGirls RV. 🚍

Oh, but wait. What was the problem ? The High Temperature Hose from the Charge Air Cooler to the Inlet Manifold to the Engine. Think of it as a 3 inch Radiator Hose type material.

Remember double click to enlarge the images

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Susan, Tillie, me and Dakota in Sprit in Gus da Bus