John Steinbeck, who?

          This is such a nice place, as you pull into the park you have the mountain on your left, and a creek on the right.  After meeting Bart, and getting a site to park in, we need to drop the car off the trailer.  I have done this a few times in practice.  This is the first stop official so to speak, and don't want any one to know it is, my first time.  This is one road in and out, and turn around at the end.  Keep in mind it is not only the first time taking the car off, but the first time setting up every thing.  This being the first RV site, we don't know know what we are doing.  Sure they showed me when we bought it.  I even walked around it thinking about over the past month, back in Beaufort.  Now, O-God don't let me look stupid.

           OK;  Can't back this truck up with the car on the trailer, and it needs to be turned around to park in the site.  So, I pulled up beside the spot we are to park, shut the truck off, light a cigarette, and get a glass of wine.  Unstrap each front tire from trailer, pull pin, back car, it's off!  That was  easy, disconnect trailer from RV, roll it over to site.  Climb back in the truck, drive to the end of the drive and turn around.  As I pulled into the spot, I was so proud.  Know one will ever know it was my first time.  Go outside, plug her up.  

          Well, we've paid for a month.  While I have another glass of wine, I take a few moments to un-wind from the drive.  Let me tell you, driving is a chore.  We are weighted down with a lot of extra stuff.  The first thing is that damned plant we are giving Susie's sister.  Wow, just sitting here thinking I just drove this big old truck, over 400 miles.  It did great on the highway, no problem keeping up with the speed limit.  Let the dog out!  He is having a fit.  In all the excitement, poor fella has to pee.  Midknight; this is going to be home for awhile.  Guess he needs to smell everything real good, because he hasn't missed any thing.

          Time to pull the awning out.  Pull out the Tupperware containers, portable table, and folding chairs.  Keeping these pushed up close to the truck, they shouldn't get wet if it rains.  Now, I can make it down the hall to our bathroom pottie.  Susie went out to get a few things to eat, while I finish getting things set up.  See we are not just off for a week or two.  All our stuff is in, or on top of this truck.  So, now I pull down the drop down bed above the front seat.  There is no mattress, but is for storage.  All the stuff in the back on the beds while traveling, now goes up here.  Shifting things around, to their parked place. 

          Now, I'm tired, and ready for some fresh ice, in a tall glass of wine.  I run a cable line in the drivers side window earlier. Time to watch some TV.  That was a lot of work!  Draw the curtains across the front windshield.  Midknight seems to have made the sofa his.  The new laptop is great, you sure can't just carry it around thought.  It is heavy, and inter-net cards cost to much.  We do have cable for the TV, and Midknight is laying down quite like he has been doing this for a long time.  

          That was my first day of my new life as a RV'er.  I'm laying in the bed at the back looking down the hall.  Susie is still sitting up watching TV.  The light above my head is perfect, my feet don't touch the wall, and I'm 6'2".  Midknight must be tired too, he has come back here with me sleeping on the floor, between the beds.

Day Two

          Guess who came out of hiding this morning.  Found Misty sleeping just above my head, on my pillow.  Have not seen her since I started the truck in Charleston, yesterday.  I can smell the coffee.  Sleeping in this truck wasn't to bad, don't have far to go to the bathroom.  Forget closing the bathroom door too.  Open the bathroom door closes the bedroom, kewl.  I like this blue water to, smells kind of nice.  

          Coffee, got to have, coffee.  Cigarettes, never have been good at being quite in the mornings.  Outside,  I'll just go outside.  Love that electric-step.  Open the door step goes out, close the door step goes in.  I bet that is the first thing to break.  But, damn that's cool.  It's nice this morning, sitting out here.  Lets see if I can figure out how to hook Midknight up.  I don't see a whole lot movement around this morning.  I do see Bart, with a leaf blower up around the office.  Hope he waits awhile before coming down here.  Susie's asleep.  She stays up so late all the time.  Just sit out here and listen to some CD's..  Need to get a pen and some paper, more coffee too.  Start making a list for the store.  There is Susie now,  Mommy's up Midknight, his tail just a going.



          This guy right here is "Scooter".  He is at the present time in the car with that plant, and both of them need to go to Susie's sisters.  Four years ago I bought him for Susie for $20.00.  He was about 6 inches long and the size of a pencil.  Now, he is over 4' and something else.  Misty and MidknightMidknight, but they were terrified of Scooter.  Their are a bunch of stories to tell about him.  I'll save them for another time.  There is a young man that lives next to Susie's sister who wants him, so we are taking him and that plant of death to him.  He is going to try to breed him with his female.  The plant has grown huge, all the plants at our house, grew great under the awning back home.  The plants sold the best at the big moving sale.

          Finding an Iguana in the car with the back seat packed full of my painting wasn't easy.  Putting him in the kitty carrier was impossible.  It won't be for long, but I'm going to have to stay here.  The plant takes up the whole passenger seat, and I didn't want to go visiting any way.  Midknight and I will stay a guard the truck.  Pick-up a box of wine, and a couple stakes on the way back.  No way I want my eyes shut again.  Plus, I would be in the way when they get to talking, Susie hasn't been home in 6 months.  You know girl talk with a dose of sister talk on top.  

          I get to kick back with some talking heads, wine, and check out the neighborhood.  She will be gone all day.  A lady with her husband, walking their dog, pass by going toward a path.  I ask where the path goes, they said; just a nature trail.  Goes back a couple 100 yards or so.  You're just like "Travels with Charlie".  I had to ask , what are you talking about?  " John Steinbeck", he wrote a book about traveling with a poodle just like yours.  You should read it.  I will, I replied.  I didn't want to let on that I didn't know who John Steinbeck was.  I'll have to see if I can find that book.  Been awhile since I've read a good book.

                    

      
         
         
          
            

               

    

"FREEBIRD"

   
In September of 1998, I went down to Savanna Ga. and this caught my eye. The job I signed on was coming to an end. For 3 years I was working at Fripp Island, after Forest Gump was filmed. All that was winding down, and I have been moving around all my life. This seemed like a good idea at the time. When we went down there it was just to look around, you know, go down to River Street and stuff. Most every thing we looked at was around 60 to 80 thousand dollars. Woe, More than I got. Then I saw this 1987 pace arrow being cleaned up for sale. $18,000.00. I knew it had me, when I open the door and the electric step slid out. Kewl!

Inside, I sat down on the sofa while Susie and the salesman came in. Moving over to the swivel chair behind the passenger chair, taking it all in. Looking up at the drivers seat, thinking this is so awesome. The whole time I was growing up, my father talked about traveling in a motor coach, and I'm sitting in one. After looking the truck over I told the fella that I wanted to think about it.

We went to lunch, excited at the mere thought of all this was overwhelming. I even remember the restaurant we ate at; Red, White, and Blues. We walked in with Blues memorabilia on the walls, and the best Bar-B-Q. Bar-B-Q so good I bought a tub of it to go, with some special sauce. Hard to believe that was 12 years ago this month. Well, I guess I don't have to tell you, I bought that truck. Susie hated me calling it a truck. Funny thing is, I have always had a three day rule in my life. Any time I spend a large amount of money I give it three days, to see if I really want it. I went back to the RV place and wrote a check. I told the sales man to hold the check for 3 or 4 days, I had to transfer some money. Savanna is just over an hour from Beaufort, filled with so many thoughts, I don't remember driving home.

I made a good life for myself in Beaufort S.C. and now I'm thinking about leaving. When I look back, I did all that in less that 3 years. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, that was it. I have never been able to top that one, but this next move comes close. I didn't buy that motor coach to park in the yard, and use a couple times a year. I was going to live in it. Talk about a big yard sale. I was going to have one. Why? You ask. I have no idea. My friends tell me all the time, "Man I wish I could go see stuff like you". I have blamed my father being in the Air Force traveling. I tell them I was born under a wondering star. If I could, I'd do it again. A week later..........

I went down to pick it up, "Freebird" is the name I gave it, and the large window on the side, I call "Encarta". From the encyclopedia that came with windows 95. For the car we bought a trailer to pull behind. When I went inside to get key, the sales man told me he won a free dinner. How is that? I asked. He said; You came in here last week with holes in your pants, painter cloths all faded. They bet your check was no good. Not every day a guy like you walks in and writes a check for $22,000.00. Most people finance these with a house mortgage.

When I got behind the wheel I felt like a truck driver on the interstate, checked the CB out, and it wasn't hooked up. O-well. They don't give driving lessons, and let me tell you driving this monster is scary. I also know why all the cabinets have child proof catches on them. It's not for kids, it is so the doors don't fly open while you're driving. By the time I got to the house, I was ready to go traveling. This is going to be so great. Over the next month we sold out every thing. Bought a laptop, but packed the desk top, printer, and scanner under the beds. The laptop was 3" thick, the weight felt like 15 lbs., and got a new cell phone with a nationwide plan. We were ready now, and the only thing I wish I had not sold was my hot rod F-100. I love the pop of the pipes when the 289 thundered. With a DVD of Map Quest we were off.

Well, I don't believe we did it. Packed to the hilt with every thing we didn't sale. Some stuff we plan to give to family, but this truck is ridding different than when it was empty. First stop was outside of Charleston at a friend of Susie's. The same person we got Midknight from. Midknightreenville. So, I moved it to the car behind the motor coach, it was already full with my painting. I'm hoping right about now, this is not how I had things in mind. A couple days later we are back on the road again. This time stopping at Dogwood RV Park on hwy 25 about 20 miles, from Greenville. We wanted to not be to close to the families till we kind a got use to it ourselves.

September and November are beautiful on hwy 25, outside of Greenville. It is the start of the Blue Ridge Mt.s here in South Carolina. Leaving the Low Country and coming here and still in South Carolina. Dogwood RV Park is owned by Bart and Donna. They keep the leaves blow ed every day , in the fall this was a perfect start to RV'ing. This is also where I learned about John Steinbeck. A lady RV'er told my I was just like him traveling with a poodle. I told her I didn't know about him. She told me to read "Travels with Charlie".

"Midknight Moonchild"

My traveling companion

I enjoyed living in "Freebird" until a month or so after 911. I never got tired of living in the truck, and wish I still had it. The gas tank held 100 gallons of gas. At times I wished I had bought a 5th wheel instead, because the truck stays parked for long periods. I wish I still had all my money, for it is long gone. Do I regret it? Not one bit. If I ever hit Lotto, I'll do it again. I do have a lot of stories. Freebird is just one, with a lot of chapters.