Cast off

This is Day 363 of 15 Days to Flatten the Curve. Deb and I are better than we’ve been in months.

Today has been circled on the calendar for weeks. Complications and intervening circumstances threatened to move it but couldn’t budge us. And so this morning we pulled up the anchor of our American Life and, aboard Ernie with the dogs by our sides, rolled out of Second Chance Ranch.

This excursion, our maiden voyage in this motorhome, will be a “shakedown cruise.” For about three weeks, we expect, we’ll put our setup through its paces and test ourselves as well. We’ll find out more about the bus and discover how much we have yet to learn. Then we’ll return, adjust, and prepare for the real adventure ahead.

Our first day, after a brief delay getting underway, was a good bit easier than we’d anticipated. We ran east ten miles to top-off with diesel and propane, then headed southwest for a couple of hours. That stretch put the “shake” in “shakedown” — the Interstate was in rough shape, the jarring ride exposing what needed to be better secured (a couple of cabinet doors with sketchy latches) and given some shock absorption (the newly installed TV over the dash), among other things.

We landed this afternoon at a relatively small and unremarkable campground on the outskirts of a large city. Our site, which backs up to a wide river and a paved walking trail, is a concrete pad with full hookups (50A electric, fresh water and sewer).

It’s a fine place, all things considered, well-maintained and everything we need. And the price is right. We’ll definitely be back.

As the sun dipped low in the sky, Deb and I took a stroll along the river with the pups. We brought them back to the campground’s fenced-in dog park and turned them loose to run and explore.

Deb turned to me, smiled and said, “We’re doin’ this, y’know? We really are doin’ this.”

Yes, we are.

My friends, I don’t quite know how our odyssey will affect when and how much I post here. I intend to do it daily, but we’ll see how it all unfolds.

Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.

#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath