Scary Things In The Road

Hey everyone!  Splash here safe and sound in my T@Bport after a super fun trip to Maryland and the Dutch Oven Gathering with Mom, Murphy the Camper Dog, and Aunty Becky.  My Story for you today is a serious one and scary on top of that!

We made the decision to drive all the way home from Cunningham Falls State Park on Sunday and not spend the night anywhere.  Jill the GPS told us it would be a 6-hour trip, but we all knew better than that. Even though we took the interstate back to NC, we would have to add a couple of hours to the trip to account for driving 62 mph max, making comfort stops, gas stops, lunch stops, and Murphy stops.  

We were cruising right along just north of Christiansburg, VA when all of a sudden, a huge piece of rubber started tumbling from the far left lane, across the center lane, and into the right-hand lane where we were.  Becky was driving and saw it coming, but couldn't do anything to avoid hitting it.  Traffic was on our left and a median full of debris was on our right.  She did the only thing she could do, straddle it and drive over it!

I was clueless about what was happening until I saw this piece of rubber that was probably 4 x 8 feet coming at me from underneath Splish.  It hit me in my front right corner and on my handle and it hurt!  Plus it made a horrible noise that scared us all to death!

I was pretty sure I was OK, but Mom took the first exit so she could get out and check me over to make sure nothing was damaged.

She checked my tire, my stabilizer, my propane tank, my trim, and my jockey wheel . . . all were fine. Whew!  But I had suffered a bad case of road rash where that rubber sheet hit me full force.  I had some big black skid marks on my handle and down my front.

It certainly could have been a lot worse and I gotta tell you, I was scared!  Momma Sharon said it would all be OK and when we got home, she would have me looking good as new in no time flat.  Today she came down to my T@Bport with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, clean towels, and a foot stool to sit on to give me some personal attention and TLC.

She was extra gentle with me and scrubbed away at all those nasty black marks.  Aunt Becky gave her some scratch remover and polisher to use too.  It took about an hour to get me back to my splashy self. How do you think I look?

My Camper Mom did a really good job . . .  that's because she loves me so much.  And even though I was really, really scared, I'm all better now. Mom is going to come back down to the T@Bport and give the rest of me a good scrub and polish to match my super clean spot . . . LOL.

Thanks so much for stopping by for my Story today.  Maybe I'll get to write a few more for you between now and late September when we hit the road for a Carolina's State Parks trip.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, and Scary Things In The Road"

Time To Pack

Howdeeee!  It's a steamy hot day here in the Carolinas, but we have work to do!  Mom has been working off and on all day getting things packed and ready to roll tomorrow.  She tries her best to pack Splish efficiently and with each trip we take together, I notice that we get closer and closer to perfection!  

This morning she got all of Miss Murphy's meds refilled and made a trip to the grocery store.  Once back home, she packed our vintage picnic tin with staples, double-checked our list of foods to go in the Yeti in the morning, boxed up 20 bars of soap, and made sure all the techno stuff is in the bag.

Next, our CDO bucket needed attention.  Mom knew there was stuff in it that wasn't necessary and needed to be taken out.  Weber starter cubes needed to be re-filled, a new lid-lifter had to be fitted in, and then the big bucket could take its proper place in Splish's truck bed.

After a short break to cool off, it was time to pull out The Clam, camping mats, Mr. Weber, her favorite chair and foot stool, REI kitchen, Luggable Loo, and ice maker.  Man oh man camping with me, Murphy, and Aunt Becky for a week requires a lot of stuff!!

What's left to do today?  Murphy gets a bath, clothes get packed, food for everyone gets packed, and then we make an ice run for the Yeti. But in the middle of all that, we gotta watch the Panther's pre-season game at three o'clock.  

Thanks for coming 'round today for a Packing Tale.  I will be turning the blogging duties back to Momma Sharon tomorrow and she will be sending you Postcards all week from Maryland.  Y'all have a good week, don't look directly at that sun on Monday, and until I'm back with another Story, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Packing"

Murphy's Camping Cot

Happy Friday everyone.  Thanks for coming 'round for another Story Time.  On Wednesday, I told you about Mom's new camping sandals. Yesterday I shared something that came in the mail for me.  Today a package arrived for Miss Murphy!

Miss Murphy used to be pretty finicky when it came to where she would lie down in a campground.  Once upon a time you would never catch her sprawled out in grass or on gravel.  In her old age, she will plop down just about anywhere when she's tired and needs a nap.  

Her favorite place to crash when we go camping is on Mom's foot stool. It's too tall for her to jump on and off, but the biggest issue is that she spreads out and doesn't leave any room for Mom's big feet!

Several of Murphy's camping friends have cots that they lounge around on, so she told Momma Sharon it was time for her very own.  A shopping trip to PetSmart and PetCo left us empty-handed.  As soon as we got online on Amazon, we had lots to choose from.  After checking out the reviews, Mom chose a small, light-weight one from from Spot & Bella.

We don't know who Spot and Bella are, but they've got to be happy campers when they have their very own brand of camping cot!

It went together in no time flat once out of the box.  Miss Murphy is going to be able to hop right on and off of it since it's only 6 inches from the ground.  It's made of a black and brown mesh that is breathable and that will keep her cool.  The mesh has some give to it, so it will be comfortable.  Mom will probably put her fleece bed on top of it to give it even more softness.

Gracie hopped on top of it first and then Murphy checked it out.  They gave it the Schnauzer Seal of Approval.

Mom has already put the cot into Splish along with the fleece bed.  The Murph is good to go and that checks something else off our list.  Today we'll finalize our menu, choices for three potluck meals, and shopping list.  Tomorrow we'll do grocery shopping, get Murphy's meds re-filled, fill the Yeti with ice, and get Splish all packed. 

I'm not sure if Momma Sharon will let me have the computer again tomorrow, so I can't tell you if there's another Story for you read.  Until we find out for sure, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Keeping Murphy Comfy" 

Silencing The Squeak

Greetings y'all.  Momma Sharon is working her way through our to-do checklist for next week.  One of the packages that arrived this week was for me and it addresses a long-standing issue . . . my squeaky corner steadies, better known as stabilizers.  When she and Aunt Becky crank them up and down, they squeak so loud it could wake the dead.  No lie!!

Mr. Jay is a camping buddy of ours that lives way over in Illinois.  He's a T@B Guru and when he recommends a product for me and my friends, our folks take notice.  So when he mentioned a fix for getting the best performance out of our stabilizers, Mom took notes and ordered a big can from Amazon.  It's called Fluid Film and it's amazing!!

It's also going on the threads of my BAL (leveler) to protect and lubricate them.  Mom will put it in my bucket to have it with us at all times if an extra squirt is needed.  Thanks Mr. Jay for helping us silence the squeak!!

I'll be back tomorrow with another Getting-Ready Story and until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & No More Squeaks"

Splashy Shoes For Mom

Evenin' everyone!  Preparations continue this week for our big outing to Maryland on Sunday.  There have been some packages delivered to the front door lately . . . needed things for me, provisions for Miss Murphy, and fun stuff for Momma Sharon!

Today there was a delivery from a shoe company called DAWGS.  I love the name, don't you? Obviously that package contained something special for Mom.  We saw the coolest shoes online in a Facebook advertisement featuring 60% off.  My Camper Mom has funky feet after years of teaching, playing sports, and two surgeries.  Normally she would never, ever order shoes online,  but she took a chance with these babies.  Check them out and you'll see why they were impossible to resist.

Look for these awesome sandals called "Loudmouth Zs" coming to a campground near you!!  (P.S., they are a perfect fit).  Drop back by tomorrow and I'll show you what packages arrived for me.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Splashy DAWGS"

Getting Ready For Maryland

Howdy friends and campers!  I'm back for a little mid-week Story as Mom and I get ready for our annual trip up to Cunningham Falls State Park and the MD DOG.  I told her that the storage area under my sink needed some attention.  It's kinda jumbled under there with a variety of paper plates and plastic plates and utensils.

When we were camping with Mr. Rob in The Holler last month, he had a nifty holder for plates, napkins, and utensils that he carried out to the table each night at supper.  I wish Mom had taken a photo of it to show you, but we were surprised to find out that it came out of their old dishwasher . . . LOL.  It was the perfect size and shape to hold picnic supplies.

So I convinced Mom to get me one!  She found one on Amazon that she thought I would like and it arrived day before yesterday.

We pulled out the paper plates, napkins, and plasticware to "try it on for size."

The paper plates were a snug fit, but everything else fits nicely.

When we put our original-square-splashy-plastic-plates from 2007 in the back compartment, they were a perfect fit.  Do they make square paper plates?  Hmmmm, guess we will have to look next time we hit the grocery store.

Okie dokie, that's it for today's Story.  Stay tuned for more as we get close and closer to our departure day, one week from Sunday.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & A New Picnic Caddy"