Peete and Repeat (The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries Book 3)
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Happy Camper Tip #3
Camping offers opportunity for wonderful pictures. I keep an 8 x 8 scrapbook of each year’s trips, and include photos, journal entries about weather and experiences, and sometimes minitiarized park or campground maps. Brochures from places visited can be stuck between the pages. We enjoy looking back over past trips and they are also useful for settling campfire arguments over who was where, when.
Happy Camper Tip #4
Sometimes inclement weather and sometimes just an itch to explore push many campers out for short road trips. Neighboring towns, even small ones, often boast delightful museums, antique shops, and interesting restaurants. And who could pass up a visit to Rutabaga Days, a bottle cap museum, or the birth place of Jesse James? I didn’t make these up. The growth of the wine industry in the Midwest has spawned a corresponding tourist business. Many wineries, often located on scenic Grant Wood-esque hills, supplement their income by hosting musicians in pleasant outdoor gardens or on decks and stage wine and food-tastings. Check the Internet for the local Chamber of Commerce information on what you might be missing if you never leave the campground. A few parks hand out flyers with this information; those who don’t are missing the boat—er, camper.
Happy Camper Tip #5
On the level: Getting an RV level can be a challenge but is extremely important for the functioning of the mechanicals: the refrigerator and the water system especially. In addition, it is much more convenient to be able to open cabinets without danger of dire injury, sleep with one’s head above one’s feet, and lay a pencil on a counter and have it stay there. There are commercial levelers that are nice and convenient, but expensive. We carry a couple of boards that can be used under the wheels on the low side to get close.
Happy Camper Tip #6
Compact, lightweight storage is a constant issue in an RV. We are becoming more and more entangled in a web of charger cords. I made a hanging thingamagig with labeled pockets for each charger—like one of those shoe caddies that hangs over a door, only smaller. It hangs next to an outlet on the end counter and I can tell by glancing at the pockets if we have all the necessary chargers before we leave. It is made of upholstery material and has loops at the top that hook on cup hooks installed under the counter.
Happy Camper Tip #7
Jane Ann’s Apple Bars: Combine two cups whole wheat flour, one-fourth cup toasted wheat germ, two teaspoons baking soda, one teaspoon cinnamon, one teaspoon salt, and one-half teaspoon nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine four cups diced apples, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour mixture and blend well with a wooden spoon. Spread in a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake about 50 minutes at 350.
Travels well in canoes. Also good with butter pecan ice cream on top.
Happy Camper Tip #8
Balsamic marinated salmon filets—Whisk together a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, one fourth cup of olive oil, two tablespoons of soy sauce and a tablespoon or so of honey. Pour over washed salmon filets in a plastic bag and marinate in the refrgerator for one to two hours. Grill over medium coals about ten minutes or until done, turning once.
Happy Camper Tip #9
Don’t get bugged! One of the greatest annoyances of spending much time outdoors is the insect kind. In the spring and early summer in Iowa, gnats become the state bird and everyone has their own home remedies. My favorite is vanilla. Gnats don’t like it and you smell like a cookie. What could be better? Some people say it has to be the real vanilla or the clear type, but I find that the cheap imitation, brown kind works just as well. It also doubles as a fake tan if you put it on evenly. And as a corollary to this tip, those cardboard cut-out evergreens sold as air fresheners for cars in the vanilla scent do a fairly good job just hanging on your lawn chair. Fits in with the woodsy theme, too.
Happy Camper Tip #10
Veggie Pancakes—These are delicious, healthier than regular pancakes, and can be made ahead and warmed up. Grate two cups of zucchini and one cup of carrots. Add one cup of corn—frozen works best. Stir in one egg, two tablespoons of plain yogurt, one half teaspoon of salt and one eighth teaspoon of pepper. Combine one half cup of flour, one half cup of corn meal and two teaspoons of baking powder and add to veggie mixture. Stir well and add one half cup of cheese.
In a skillet with a small amount of oil, use a scant quarter cup of batter for each pancake and flatten slightly with a fork. Cook about three minutes on a side and drain on paper towels. Store in the refrigerator between layers of waxed paper and reheat in the microwave. Excellent with butter and syrup or ranch dressing.
Happy Camper Tip #11
Those of us who have to winterize and store our campers for the non-camping season are faced with a mighty task. Everything that might freeze or be attractive to Friends of the Forest (mice, etc.) must be removed. This includes liquids and foodstuffs, of course, but also most paper items: napkins, paper towels, magazines. But our camping group swears by dryer sheets. We put in one or two in every cupboard and cubbyhole and have never had an invasion from Mickey and his friends. That would NOT be Jane Ann’s husband; rather the rodent type.
Happy Camper Tip #12
Step it up: As a result of space and traveling constraints, the folding metal steps that come on many travel trailers and other RVs are narrow and shallow. We like to cook and eat every meal outside possible, but this necessitates a lot of carrying in and out and negotiating those silly steps. We bought our trailer used, and the previous owner had cleverly devised a better step system. He cut boards wider and deeper than each step, notched them to fit around the side supports, and covered them with outdoor carpet. They attach through the holes in the steps with bolts and wing nuts and take about ten minutes to attach during our set-up. Besides making exit and entry less precarious, they provide extra seating—well worth the time and effort.
Happy Camper Tip #13
Useful gadgets: Like every past time, camping has produced a variety of gadgets, some very clever and some more trouble than they’re worth. One of my favorites is the folding wagon: a collapsible frame with a canvas bed that is great for hauling firewood from camper or truck to fire ring. It can also be used to haul children and/or groceries and takes up very little space when folded. Another large item that we would not travel without is a metal folding utility table. It normally sits right by the trailer under the outdoor outlet, providing a place for the coffee pot, a crockpot, and cooking in the electric skillet. A mini-blender can be used for breakfast smoothies and quick homemade salad dressings.
Happy Camper Tip #14
Dine in Style: There is nothing wrong with roughing it, but if you like to add a little ‘glam’ to your meals in the woods without too much effort, there are lots of ways to do that. Want cloth napkins? Bandanas come in multiple colors and wash up well. Saves on the use of paper products as well. Add these to a bright vinyl cloth and you would think you were in a sidewalk cafe in Paris. Sort of. I keep an old, small blue spatterware coffee pot in the camper and often cut flowers, grasses, small branches—whatever is blooming in my yard right before a trip, wrap the stems in wet paper towels and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator while traveling. Once we arrive, they reside in the pot and provide a rustic, but bright, spot of color. Finally, what gourmet meal would be complete without candles? There a lots of cute outdoor candles but just a glass jar with a little sand or a few pebbles and a votive will do the trick.
Happy Camper Tip #15
One of the advantages of camping, especially away from urban areas, is the great view of the stars. State and national parks offer wonderful programs on nature themes and sometimes have a stargazing walk. You may also be able to spot the International Space Station going over, a very impressive sight. You can find out where and when to look by entering the zip code of where you will be camping on: http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/#.UgNj7lNZXC4
Happy Camper
Tip #16
Campfire Mac ‘n’ Cheese: I’ve tried a couple of different methods, and this one seems the easiest. At home, cook sixteen ounces of macaroni rinse and drain well, and put in a zipper bag. Chill. Oil a cast iron Dutch oven well and layer 1/3 of the macaroni, two or three pats of butter, salt and pepper and about 1/3 cup of shredded cheese. I like a blend like cheddar/jack. Repeat twice.Pour about a cup of milk over the whole thing. Cover and cook over the fire or in the coals until cheese is melted and mixed in with milk. This is fairly conservative on the cheese so you may want more. A big hit with picky kids.
Happy Camper Tip #17
Entertaining the kids: I figure there can’t be too many hints on this subject. I saw this one somewhere on the internet. Make a night-time ring toss game by putting glow sticks in empty plastic water or soda bottles. You can then fill them with water to increase the glow and make them less tippy. Make circles out of other glow sticks for the rings. You can also use glow sticks to make the line on the ground to stand behind when trying to ring the bottles.
Scavenger hunts are a favorite time-tested activity and can be used to improve awareness of nature. Include on the list sticks with a certain shape, different rock shapes, varieties of tree leaves, pine cones, and something the finder considers a treasure. You can even require a couple of pieces of man-made litter and help the environment at the same time.
Happy Camper Tip #18
Red and White Oatmeal Bars: Melt two sticks of butter or margarine in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add one cup of white and one cup of brown sugar and stir well. Add two eggs, one teaspoon of vanilla, one-half teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and one-fourth teaspoon nutmeg and mix. Stir in one cup of white flour, one cup of whole wheat flour, and one and a half cups rolled oats. Add one and a half cups white chocolate chips and one cup dried cranberries. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes and cut into bars when cool. These store well and are a big hit with adults and kids alike. And like most desserts, they’re even better with ice cream or whipped cream.
Happy Camper Tip #19
Recycling containers for camping purposes is environmentally sound and cheap. Some food items can be purchased in containers that can be reused when empty for storage of leftovers. Plastic jars with screw-on lids are especially useful and lightweight. Tic-Tac containers can be used for small amounts of spices. Other low-cost ideas that save space: waxed paper and plastic wrap boxes actually come with punch-in holes on the ends. Mount plastic adhesive hooks sideways with the open ends facing each other to a wall or inside a cabinet and slip the boxes into the hooks. Or store vertically in plastic magazine holders. Collapsible plastic containers take up little room until you pop them open for storing leftovers. Hanging bags with compartments for shoes can be used for tools, cords, or other small items that tend to get lost. You can even mount one over a headboard and use it for glasses, watches, or remotes if you don’t have nightstands.
Happy Camper Tip #20
The Burden River and the bike trail are based on the Root River Trail in southeastern Minnesota. There really is an old power plant, a tunnel and an environmental learning center, but farther upriver than depicted here. Deborah does not work at the center and the people there are very helpful. Burdensville is based on the delightful town of Lanesboro, and you can find the pie shop in Whalen.
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Thank You…
For taking your time to share Frannie and Larry's adventures. Just as the sound of a tree falling in the forest depends on hearers, a book only matters if it has readers. Please consider sharing your thoughts with other readers in a review or emailing me at karen.musser.nortman@gmail.com. My website at www.karenmussernortman.com provides updates on my books, my blog, and photos of our for-real camping trips.
If you enjoyed The Blue Coyote, you may want to try the other Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries:
Bats and Bones: a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree. Frannie and Larry Shoemaker are retirees who enjoy weekend camping with their friends in state parks in this new cozy mystery series. They anticipate the usual hiking, campfires, good food, and interesting side trips among the bluffs of beautiful Bat Cave State Park for the long Fourth of July weekend—until a dead body turns up. Confined in the campground and surrounded by strangers, Frannie is drawn into the investigation. Frannie’s persistence and curiosity helps authorities sort through the possible suspects and motives, but almost ends her new sleuth career—and her life—for good. As a bonus, each chapter ends with a camping tip or recipe—some useful, some not so much.
The Blue Coyote: Frannie and Larry Shoemaker love taking their grandchildren, Sabet and Joe, camping with them. But at Bluffs State Park, Frannie finds herself worrying more than usual about their safety, and when another young girl disappears from the campground in broad daylight, her fears increase. The fun of a bike ride, a flea market, marshmallow guns, and a storyteller are quickly overshadowed. Accusations against Larry and her add to the cloud over their heads. Frannie begins to puzzle out the mystery: Are the itinerant road workers as much of a threat as Frannie thinks? What about the lone woman camper who also disappears? Or is the girl's deadbeat dad behind it all?
Acknowledgments
There is no way I can adequately thank all the people who supported and helped me on this book, but of course I will try. Several people in Lanesboro, Minnesota supplied valuable information; especially the staff at the wonderful Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center and the volunteers at the Lancaster Historical Museum for background on the 1915 Root River Power Plant. And I borrowed names from several friends and readers: Valerie Lanning and Virginia Miehe, both diehard walkers but not twins or photographers, graciously consented to be murdered. Mary Larson, Deb McCabe Musser, Joan Rump and Mary Sorenson volunteered (and won the chance!) on my website to be characters in Peete and Repeat.
My husband, Virginia Miehe, and Marcia Stientjes were my early readers and all made important catches and suggestions. The cover art was again the wonderful work of my sister Gretchen and pulled together and formatted by my sister Libby. And I need to mention our camping friends who unwittingly provide much of the material for my books. Finally to my readers for their great and honest reviews and feedback, thank you all.
About the Author
Karen Musser Nortman is the author of the Frannie Shoemaker Campground cozy mystery series, including the BRAGMedallion honoree, Bats and Bones. After previous incarnations as a secondary social studies teacher (22 years) and a test developer (18 years), she returned to her childhood dream of writing a novel. The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries came out of numerous ‘round the campfire’ discussions, making up answers to questions raised by the peephole glimpses one gets into the lives of fellow campers. Where did those people disappear to for the last two days? What kinds of bones are in this fire pit? Why is that woman wearing heels to the shower house?
Karen and her husband Butch originally tent camped when their children were young and switched to a travel trailer when sleeping on the ground lost its romantic adventure. They take frequent weekend jaunts with friends to parks in Iowa and surrounding states, plus occasional longer trips. Entertainment on these trips has ranged from geocaching and hiking/biking to barbecue contests, balloon fests, and buck skinners’ rendezvous. Frannie and Larry will no doubt check out some of these options on their future adventures.
More information is available on her website at www.karenmussernortman.com.
Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads can be very helpful to an author. If you have time to do so, I thank you in advance.
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Karen Musser Nortman, Peete and Repeat (The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries Book 3)