I haven’t done one of these in a very long time.
So… let’s go.
Sebastian—Rudy and Beate’s firstborn, or as they lovingly call him, their anchor baby—is packing up and leaving Yuma, heading home to Dallas, Texas. Our time together has been full and rich, the kind that reminds you just how precious shared moments really are. Laughter, stories, meals, and memories that linger far longer than the visit itself.
While all that was happening, Susan has been working tirelessly on the All Girl Cruise scheduled for January 2026. Her energy and dedication never cease to amaze me. As for me, I stayed closer to home base, completing all the necessary—and not-so-small—repairs on Gus. The final task was tracking down a stubborn ceiling leak and re-supporting the passenger-side cabinets. Not glamorous work, but honest work, and Gus is better for it.
Our excursion to Lake Havasu came off with one major hitch—or so it seemed at first. The Wagon Masters canceled, throwing confusion into what is usually a carefully planned annual rally. But were we going to let that derail things?
Not a chance.
Team Prichard, Gefeke, and Venable stepped forward and took the lead. What could have turned into chaos became cooperation, and the rally came off without a hitch after all. Proof once again that community isn’t about titles—it’s about showing up.
Yet even in the midst of victories and togetherness, sorrow found its way in.
On November 2nd, at 11:00 a.m., Dakota crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
The tears were real. The quiet afterward was heavy. A faithful companion gone, leaving paw prints that time will never erase. Grief has a way of humbling us, even as we remain deeply grateful for every day shared.
You see the map on the right? This is where Dakota and Tilly have taken us, since she joined the Team DaGirls Rv in 2016. Dakota has written many a post showing the exciting places we have traveled to.
Our summer travels were full of fun and exciting places. Starting in Show Low, Arizona, we traveled to Bandera, Texas, to visit friends Jeff and Linda. From there, we headed north with a stopover in Dallas to visit Sebastian. We continued northward, stopping only for overnight stays as we pressed on toward a new destination—Fox Lake, Illinois.
Dana and Tom had landed a house on Fox Lake, and with a little luck, a 50-amp service awaited us. It felt good to settle in, even briefly.
But soon it was time once again to pack up and head to our final summer destination—Gillette, Wyoming. This would be our first planned rally in Gillette, the newly revamped FRVA Rally. Expectations were high—nearly 1,000 RVs were expected to descend on the area.
What a surprise when fewer than 400 showed up.
Our first major event turned out to be far smaller than expected. Still, the journey to Gillette more than made up for it. Along the way, we visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Abraham Lincoln State Park, and Fargo, North Dakota, just to name a few. The road itself proved once again to be part of the reward.
But tragedy struck once more.
Susan and I remember the day clearly. I had just finished writing a wonderful blog about Mike and Lorraine Lynch—mainly about Mike. We had spent a few minutes talking with both of them. Susan was in the driver’s seat; I was co-piloting. We had just enjoyed a meaningful phone conversation, filled with warmth and familiarity.
It was around 6:00 p.m., somewhere near Joplin, Missouri, when the call came.
It was Lorraine.
We could hear the tears even as her voice held steady while she told us the news. Mike had just passed away. Mike did it his way—unwilling to be deterred or hindered, even at the end. His determination and solid foundation held true to his faith.
He did it his way.
By the Way
To each and everyone,
A Happy New Year
May this year bring many joys and adventures.
May you travel the Road less Traveled.
May you stop along the way, to smell the roses.
May you stop at the many interesting sites.
Susan, Tilly, and me.
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