Stay Tune for a Word from our Sponcers

 First, I am taking a few moments away from Mocha Teal updates to talk about our journey.

We arrived in Shelbyville, Illinois, settling in at Bo Wood Campground, a place we always enjoy when we are near Susan’s brother, Harold. There is something comforting about returning to familiar places along the road, especially when family is nearby.

Bo Wood offers large campsites with options for everyone—from full hookups to dry camping—making it an easy stop whether you are staying for convenience or simply looking to slow down for a bit. For us, it has become one of those places that feels familiar, welcoming, and worth returning to whenever our travels bring us this way.

It also gives us time to catch up with Harold, share stories, and enjoy those simple moments that remind us why the journey is not only about the miles traveled, but also about the people waiting along the way. 

Harold just happens to be 78 years young, though he would probably tell you age is only a number—especially if there is something that needs fixing or a story that needs telling. He proudly served a tour in Vietnam, a chapter of life that helped shape the quiet strength and steady outlook he carries today.

After returning home, Harold spent many years working at a truss factory, putting in honest, hard work until retirement finally called his name. Like many of that generation, he is not one to complain, preferring instead to simply roll up his sleeves and get things done.

For us, being here in Shelbyville is more than just a campground stop—it is time spent with family, swapping stories, catching up, and appreciating the moments that too often pass too quickly when life gets moving down the highway.

We spent two wonderful days here, continuing to get to know our Mocha Teal—or as she is quickly becoming known, the infamous Land Shark. Those of you who have ever had a chocolate Labrador puppy already know exactly what we are talking about. Sharp little teeth, endless energy, and a curiosity level somewhere between “What’s this?” and “Should I chew it?”

To say we are learning would be an understatement. More accurately, we are learning how to manage the Land Shark while gently convincing her that fingers, shoes, chair legs, and anything within reach are not approved menu items.

That said, she keeps us on our toes and laughing more than not. Every day brings something new as we slowly figure each other out. Between the puppy antics, moments of sweetness, and Tilly still trying to decide if this tiny tornado is truly staying, life has certainly become more interesting around DaGirls RV.

Friday, we continued our journey north to St. Charles, Illinois. Our destination was the Kane County Fairgrounds, where we planned to set up camp and continue our family visits.

As many of you know, one of the greatest blessings of this RV lifestyle is that it allows us to reconnect with family along the way—something that would be much harder if we were simply rushing from one destination to the next.

This stop meant time with Dana and Tom, along with their four young adult children (yes, still “the kids” no matter how old they get). Family gatherings have a way of reminding us just how quickly time passes. One moment they are running around as children, and before you know it, they are grown, finding their own paths, yet still gathering together when family comes rolling into town.

Of course, arriving with Mocha Teal, the Land Shark, added a little extra entertainment to the mix, as she continues charming some while keeping the rest of us wondering what she might chew on next.

Susan, Tilly, Mocha Teal, me and Dakota' sprit until Mocha takes over.

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