Well, I don't really consider it camping when you go in a huge motorhome with all the luxuries of a house, but when we got there, the power didn't work and the heater quit and the generator wouldn't start up and there as no water....so it was more like camping than I originally thought it would be. Actually, it was as much like tent camping as you can get...except the walls were hard.
The deal was this. My dad and his wife had a small trip already planned for the weekend, but their car only seets two, so I was going to get to stay in the motorhome by the lake and watch the dog, relax by the lake, sunbathe, read a book, build a fire, whatever while being nice and cozy in the RV. Well, we left Missoula with the sun shining. By the time we got to the lake it was cloudy and not warm at all. It didn't matter though because there wasn't all that much daylight left Friday to enjoy the sights anyway.
It wasn't until the next morning at about 5:30 when I realized that the heater was not working. It was a chilly 50 degrees in the RV, but I figured dad would have the thing running in no time and if I just burried myself under my newly completed banket, I would be just fine till later. Well, the heater never started, but I did manage to keep warm under my blanket. The folks took off at about 6:45am and Pongo and I slept on till about 10...when the cold no longer let us rest. (Pongo is the dog). I wrapped a blanket around me and convinced myself that it would be better to get dressed and run around outside for a while than to sit inside and wait for the temp to rise...but I remained still and unmoving for another hour yet ;) not wanting to leave the safety and warmth I had already established beneath the covers.
There was one other thing I forgot to mention. The mosquitoes! The RV was blessedly free of them, but when I looked out the window...well...they covered the screen and I could see them just hovering outside the door waiting for fresh blood! Neither Pongo or myself were feeling particularly brave. In fact the only thing we were feeling was cold, so getting warm was not yet motive enough to face the violent attack of the blood hunting insects. I could put on bug spray, but it just stinks so bad that it was hardly worth it.
Finally, enough was enough. I was stir crazy by this point. It was nearly noon and the temp inside had only risen to 55. Anyone who knows me knows that I chill easily and once cold all the way through, I shake rather convulsively. Well, I was shaking enough to move the entire coach, so I knew something had to be done soon or I would be in real trouble ;). So, I threw off the banket and gabbed some clothes (which were also suffficiently chilled), got changed as quickly as possible and resolved to take a walk with Pongo.
We were doing real good right up until we went to open the door and saw the black cloud of blood suckers waiting anxiously for us. HA! I turned right back around and re-thought the entire process. I eventually reached for the "off" spray and doused Pongo good...he wasn't too happy about the smell either...and then sprayed myself thoroughly. Pee-yew! Then we were off the the lake.
To my surprise, it was warm outside! The sun was shining in spots...which I soaked up as best I could...and the air was warm! It was still about ten minutes before I stopped shaking, but it felt so good. Anyway, I decided to go back and get some things ready for the fire and to open up the windows and let the warmer air in and the colder air out. I had no sooner done this than the sky opened up and started to pour down rain all around me! HA! Go figure, eh?
So, my plans to build a fire were now drowning in the driving rain as well. Fortunately the temp in the RV had risen to about 69 (between the open windows and my cooking some water for tea), so things were much more comfortable. It was then that I realized that I really was camping...no it wasn't a tent, but it was pretty close. I had the rain, the bugs, the dirt, the cold and the dark.
I enjoyed myself completely and in spite of all that I have shared, I did manage to get much relaxing done...inside...under my blanket! ;) And by the way, Sense and Sensibility is a great book to read by candle light! I hope you hot a kick out of my story! Talk to you soon.
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