Camping obsession

It all started with a conversation at breakfast a few weeks ago. I mentioned to Ron that I'd like to go someplace to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We discussed Key West, our favorite vacation destination, UP of Michigan, a place we've never been before, or Seattle. Then I suggested we consider renting an RV. I'd already investigated renting a vintage camper and discovered that just doesn't happen. I can see why no one would want to share their vintage gems. I thought we could find a vintage camper rally and just chat with various owners about their tiny rigs. In any event, we googled renting an RV and discovered a rental place just 20 minutes away.

Thomas Wolfe's writing muse draws upon his life in Asheville, N.C.

 We hopped in the car and headed over to inquire about renting a for a week in June. (I learned that we were looking at Class C rv's. Their calendar was already filling up, but an early June booking was open! The 2014 campers had not yet arrived from the Forest River factory, so we had to wait a few weeks before we could see what we had rented.

I found a dealer that sells the same model and convinced Bob and Paulette to go with us to see a variety of models. The salesman was very informative and commended our choice of rental. We suggested that if all goes well,  we'd be back next spring to talk about purchasing a new one. After we arrange for a second house mortgage...these rigs are not inexpensive! You can get a 20 year loan and if it has a toilet, shower, and kitchen, it is a tax deductible purchase. Oh yeah! I was already California dreaming, and headed for the Rockies.....fiber festivals here and there, and early retirement was calling my name!

Kate wants to go with us. And most campgrounds accept petso n a leash. At this point we hadn't determine where to take our first adventure, but, we picked up some campground directories and learned about the various amenities of RV camping. 50 amp/sewer/city water hookups, camp stores, swimming pools, game rooms, golf cart rentals and so on.

Allie wants to go, too. She hasn't ventured outside since the day we brought her home, but, she looks out the windows of the house and reproachfully notices the dogs go in and out and in and out and....

 

Jack is already in the cab! and Marilyn want to be wherever I am. Always and forever.

Having NEVER driven with Ron longer than 4 hours, and that was for a 3 hour drive, I knew it would be a challenge for him to take a real road trip. In the spirit of wedded bliss, he cheerfully gave me free reign to select our location. I first considered Charlottesville, Va. where Paulie and I traveled last fall. Then I remembered some of the white knuckle winding roads through the mountains and thought that might not be such a great idea for our first ever 31 foot truck camper drive. I looked at the coast of Virginia, eager to see the wild horses of Chincoteague and decided it was too restrictive for camping with pets.

 

I researched the Smokies, the Poconos, the UP, and we poured over atlases and maps together. I eliminated most campgrounds as being too citified, which I was beginning to learn is the nature of RV "camping". Others were naturally geared to family activities, some were too close to Interstate highways, or other conveniences that I doggedly (get it) wanted to avoid on our first time out.

 

Ron's only request was to have access to a campfire for cooking (this, when we have a microwave, 3 burner stove, oven and full refrigerator/freezer on board) and at the top of my wish list was a VIEW from the campsite and enough space not to hear camping neighbors snoring, watching TV, and /or other activities. Ahem.

 

I finally found the perfect (I hope) location near Ashville, N.C. And so it begins. My obsession with camping. I started a list, read the RVer's Bible (twice), the Idiot's Guide to RV Camping, and guidebooks on North Carolina, and have begun a staging area in our dining room! Here's the plan. Pick up camper at 1:00, get a one hour instruction on......hookups, flushing, running the A/C, chemicals needed in the commode, how to back up and level a camper, use the automatic awning, slides, and generator, ....and, head back home to load 'er up, hit the road by 5, and drive at least 3 hours south (no sense in breaking our driving distance record) yet.  Stay tuned for blogs on the road, I think the campsite has free WIFI. Oh, we haven't decided yet about taking the rest of the family. I'm not sure we're ready to add that to our camping learning curve yet.

 

 





 



Star Trek imprint







 

 

Kate turns 2 this week. I thought she was going to be 3. I was just sure of it. Actually, I'm thrilled that she'll only be two. This explains  puppy behaviors recently, such as chewing every piece of leather in my purse last week, and, her cavorting all over the house with some prize item in her mouth!  In the photo above, she's just a baby. The photo below was taken a few weeks ago. Notice the maturity.



 

 





 

So, then I started thinking about AllieCat. Here she is last July, at about 8 weeks of age.

 

 

 

Only 6 months later, she looks like a mature cat.

 

They say that dogs age 7 years to our 1 year. I imagine that the cat ratio is similar. Rapid age was the theme of a Star Trek episode that I have never forgotten, and, in fact, it comes up in my mind pretty frequently. The command crew were exposed to radiation that brought on rapid aging. It was a race against time to find the antidote as Kirk, Spock, and the others began experiencing memory loss, arthritis,etc. I was only 13 when the second season episode aired in 1967, and it really made an impression on me. Here I am,  age 58,  and I can't seem to slow down the aging process. In the episode, entitled, The Deadly Years,  Doc discovers that adreneline slows down aging. Might be something to that. Maybe I should jumpstart mine a little bit more often.

 I've found that Facebook confuses the issue, too. I see my high school friends looking much older than I think they should be and here we are, conversing after 40 years like it was only yesterday that we were talking about Girard vs. Fairview, and where we were going to college, etc.

My nephew, Kacey, just turned 16 and I still remember the day he was born as if it were yesterday.
All of this musing about my beloved Kate can lead to only one conclusion. I need to concentrate on enjoying every moment because I don't have a Star Trek anti aging antidote handy. So, as Kate turns 2 ( I mean 14) we're going to head out for a walk and start the adrenline going.

The perils of walking dogs

Doesn't it seem that walking the dog(s) would be a relaxing and generally stress-free experience? Not so fast. This morning, in my continuing effort to walk at least 45 minutes everyday, I headed out with Jack and Kate on our usual route-down our sidewalk, out the back gate, down the alley and around the corner to the park near our house. The around the corner part didn't go so well. Two German Shepherds spotted us from their living room window and then lunged through their front storm door to engage us in battle. I shrieked, Jack barked, Kate mixed it up and I knew we were in for a brawl. Screaming help, I tried to cross the street, dragging Kate and Jack with me while trying to fend off one of the Shepherds. I got as far as the porch steps when two neighbors both came bounding out of their homes to grab the dogs and lug them back into the owner's house. The owner didn't seem to be aware of the ruckus at all. Both neighbor guys were concerned and helped check that Kate was ok.'

We all got off pretty easy. I actually continued our walk, in a different direction, but was pretty rattled, thinking of dog mauling stories and our near miss. Two years ago, while walking Jack and Louie, Ron and I encountered an older dog, not tethered in his yard, who started to follow us down the street, toward oncoming traffic. Concerned about the traffic, and trying to hold back Jack and Louie, I tripped over  my own feet and came crashing down on the sidewalk, dislocating one finger and pulling the ligaments of two other fingers. That mishap took 7 months of recovery.

I am also perfectly capable of slipping on acorns hidden under leaves, upright one minute and down the next. You might think the treadmill would be a better idea, but, recently, while adjusting the ipod and headphones while walking on the tread, I slipped and skidded to the end of the mat and skinned both knees big time.

Today, I walked a bit longer with the pups, then put them back safely inside and continued the walk alone, looking carefully at the uneven sidewalk, acorns, getting pelted by falling leaves from the wind and headed back to the porch for a soothing cup of tea.

Heading west.......

I've packed my bags and I'm ready to go....I'm leaving, on a jet plane....For some, packing is a breeze, and I must admit, it is getting easier for me, too. Except when it comes to deciding what knitting projects to take along. Socks, of course, but, that could get boring, so, how about my cable purse project with my handspun. check. And, maybe the lucet so I can teach Kelsey how to braid bracelets. check. And I might have time to use the spindle. check. Better bring more sock yarn in case I finish my Mom's sock. check. Probably should bring a few knitting magazines and at least one book on spinning. check. And, just to make it challenging, I'll take the needlepoint sheep project which doesn't fit in any carryon, but, then, I'll just tuck it under my arm and they'll think it is a scroll. Ha. 6 days, including two travel days, and I might not have enough with me. Direct flights, but, who knows, there could be delays.

Just look at that face. Jack is really going to miss me. I'm soooo glad he is feeling 100% better now.

Oh oh. Now Louie is pretty worried about my trip, too. Maybe if I don't make eye contact, I can slip out without a fuss.

Hmm. Kate is trying to act like a little angel, too. This is getting really tough. Good thing Ron is staying behind to take care of these guys! Plus, the main thing, I finally taught Ron how to use the remotes! Really, we just finished practicing. TV, then DVD, then back to TV. I think he can do it. And it will be ok for me leave for awhile.

Kate's first look at the dog park

Kate and I went to check out the dog park at Osbourne Metropark yesterday. This park was constructed by volunteers, including Ron and Bob. The first donations collected were in memory of Max, our first standard poodle, from the library staff. There is a large photo board featuring the dogs that were memorialized and next to Max are photos of Alex, our beloved schnauzer,and Beau, beloved standard poodle and brother and BFF of Jack, who belonged to Bob and Paulette. There is  also a photo of Brandy, Janet's lab that Ron found for her. So many memories of wonderful dogs! You can just see the photo board on the sturcture in the shot below.

Kate decided the park looked a bit intimidating and passed on the adventure for another time. Jack can't visit the park very often as he has an embarrasing habit of trying to run down other dogs as prey, scaring the owners and dogs alike. Louie does much better, making friends with everyone as if they are all part of his big family. The park is four acres of fenced area and is about to be tripled in size.

 Kate and I discovered a cool treehouse in the adjoining wooded area. Can you see it in the middle of the photo?

Kate's first birthday

Kate sports her birthday hat especially made by Allison and Marilyn

Kate joined us late in June, 2011, after  Dana, our toy poodle of 18 years passed away. I called the number in the ad and was delighted to learn that one female remained of a litter in Greenwich, Ohio. Ron and I set off with our gps to find both Greenwich and Kate's home in a trailer park- Lot 26, to be exact. Unable to navigate the maze within the park, I suggested that we just roll down the windows of the car and head toward excessive barking, a sure indication of where  Miniature Schnauzer's live. Yep, that was all it took to find her.  We know about that special characteristic from living with our beloved, Alex, a Miniature Schnauzer for 12 years. As Alex would bark at any and everything, driving us to distraction, Ron would say, "Alex, you are the last of the Mohicans!" In fact, of the 156 AKC breeds, Miniature Schnauzers top the list for most barking. Kate's breeders, husband and wife, were both deaf, so they were completely unfazed by the din. Enough said. Kate was thrust into my arms, and we conversed via a whiteboard about her diet, age, inoculations and so forth. She never touched the ground, we just headed out the door and back to Sandusky to introduce her to the boys, Jack and Louie.

As hoped, Kate holds her own with the standard poodles, barks not too much, is smart and loveable-except when asked to don a birthday hat.



Picture perfect

Kate's best friend is Louie. She loves to get him revved up to the point where I yell at Louie to calm down. This is the classic drama that all siblings recognize. The older one gets blamed for everything. A few days ago I actually saw Kate curled up with Louie, but, I couldn't get to the camera fast enough to record it for posterity. Today was a great spring day of 68 degrees. Perfect for dog walking, but, alas, instead, I went shopping for a few things needed before leaving for a library conference this week. Not needed, exactly, but, it's nice to have a few new things to toss into a suitcase.

I've always read that dogs can't tell how long you've been gone. Doesn't that seem like something people would make up in order to feel less guilty about leaving? I'm sure Ron will take good care of the pups while I'm away, but, I already am thinking about missing them. Maybe a long walk for each of them tomorrow will help me feel better about it.

A few weeks ago, I started sleeping on the leather couch in our upstairs library. I thought I had a better chance of getting enough room there then trying to stake my claim of part of the bed that all three dogs were crowding. Guess what. This really hasn't worked out at all. Jack takes up half of the couch for the first part of the night, then he leaves and Louie gets on it with me. Kate is small enough to stay on the couch throughout the night. I don't really think I've gained any space at all, but, it somehow seems like I did. Sometimes we'll all traipse down the hall back to the bedroom in the middle of the night. Ron never knows where I'll end up on any given night. One time, when my parents were visiting, I met my dad in the upstairs hallway, apparently doing the same wandering/room switching thing as me. Made me feel better to know where I probably got this night time habit in the first place!

Daylight savings time change was last night, so, in spite of the hour, I'm really not sleepy yet. At least some of our clocks are now correct again-the ones that I never could figure out how to change in the fall. We have 2 cuckoo clocks, 3 mantle clocks and 1 small grandfather-like clock, all chiming, and one clock that makes loon sounds on the hour. Ron has them arranged for one to follow the other almost like an song.  We didn't have to change the tv clock, or computers, phones or alarm clocks. Those magically change. I won't even tell you how many watches Ron has, but, it is not just two or three. He has my dad's WWII pilot's watch, several pocket watches, several vintage watches and a few modern watches. I've changed the clock on the microwave and the one on the oven. I have no idea how to change the Wave radio clock and I'll have to reread the info to change the clocks in the cars. I haven't even mentioned the clocks in each bedroom and in the bathroom and the 2 clocks in my office. I wonder how many people ignore the whole thing and make mental adjustments instead of clock adjustments.

M.I.A. Almost

This evening, I decided to pop in at the Library to get my desk calendar. No good reason,really to do that, but,there you are. We have our backyard double fenced to be sure to keep the pups safely within. Little did I know that while I was gone, Kate slipped out of gate one, butted open the door leading to our garage, and waited for me to return home. When I drove into the garage, Kate slipped out into the back alley just as I was in the process of closing the automatic garage door! Of course, I wasn't expecting to see her scamper toward the closing door and hooray to the fellow who invented doors that stop when the beam is crossed. A quick hello to Kate and she stopped in her tracks and came back to me. All is now well. This,however, bring to mind a narrow escape that her predecessor, Alex, had several years ago. Alex, master of our universe, was a 10 year old mini schnauzer, that by that time was both deaf and blind but otherwise in good health. Some time earlier that day, a repairman had left gate two open. Ron didn't notice that when he came home from work and let Alex out into the yard. Next thing Ron knew, Alex was G O N E. Ron ran everywhere in the neighborhood looking for him. Crushed, Ron didn't know what to do, and the phone rang and without any greeting,he said, Did you find him? yes,said two guardian angels. They found him in the middle of the road in the dark in front of a bar that they were about to enter. Whew.

Our first day

Well, off we go! Our first blog is pretty exciting, and, would you believe it, Kate is sound asleep beside me on the couch. That's a good thing, actually, because I can type without being nibbled. Kate's first birthday will be next week, altho, we didn't know her until she was 12 weeks old. She joins big brothers Jack and Louie-two standard poodles, ages 6 and 4. Kate is really my husband's dog, but, he's pretty well resigned that Kate and I are a duo of epic proportions. Maybe it's our joint love of fiber. I love to knit and spin and Kate loves to make lots of tangled messes of both. We both love to take naps, walks, go for rides and hang with BFF, Paulette.

Kate often accompanies me to work and creates mayhem all through the Library before taking a nap break. As with all little ones, the naps come on all at once after rousing play.

I've been a librarian for my entire career. Even before personal computers, fax machines and cell phones. Really. I learned how to type catalog cards (the spacing is crucial), look up answers in books,  and do book talks for interested readers. With a personal muse (Samantha, brand new librarian and social media guru), I've ventured into the world of twitter, facebook, YouTube, and, as you can see, blogs. Yep, this blog is dedicated to Samantha. As soon as I can figure out how to insert photos (well, let's be honest here, as soon as Sam shows me how to insert photos) I'll introduce you to the list of characters in our blog. So, until next time, bye and woof!