Post-Vacation Life

Our "vacation" month in Arkansas is in the books (but not yet completely on our travel blog). We hit the road early Saturday out of Hot Springs for the long haul to Kansas City, where we arrived an hour or so before dark. As we traversed the 435-mile route, we passed near the two other places we had stayed during our visit to the Natural State, and then some. When we left Kansas City in mid-September, it took us five days of traveling over a six-week period to cover essentially the same distance we did in one day on the return trip.

Ugh!

It felt like we were coming home from vacation. You know the feeling: Squeeze out every ounce of vacation fun you can until the last minute, then catch the very last flight or hit the road for the long, mind-numbing ride home.

And, like those first few days after a vacation, we're a bit overwhelmed as we've gone back to "work" on the long list of "to-dos" we need to accomplish during our one-month stay here in our old hometown. In these first three days, we've shopped for a few essentials: new Keen sandals; fabric for a baby quilt the resident quilter needs to make this month; a new recliner and a new Jeep.

Yep. Rocky has been replaced.

After an unsuccessful effort to find a replacement Euro-recliner for our moose Monday morning, we took a swing by a highly recommended trailer place to see if they could handle the tasks involved with a new toad purchase. We have a high-dollar auxiliary braking system that would need to be transplanted from the old to a new toad. And, of course, any new tow vehicle we might decide to buy would have to be outfitted with a baseplate. After spending a few minutes with the manager at Croft Trailer Supply, we were confident they could do the job.

It just so happens that Croft is just a mile or so from a Jeep dealer we visited last May. So, we just had to stop by. Less than 24 hours later we became the proud owners of a four-door 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. The most important phrase in that last sentence is "four-door". Our squirrel was more than fine for the two of us. But, anytime we were transporting four, two of us (and one of them was always the resident writer of this blog) had to fold our bodies into that tiny, narrow thing that resembled a back seat.

I won't miss that! From here on out, every passenger will have his or her own door, and plenty of legroom. Hallelujah!

Of course, there's a bunch more stuff that makes our new Jeep extra nifty. There's a ton more space, a new and improved engine, smooth but still Jeepy ride, running boards, three-piece roof and a groovy navigation system. But, most importantly, it has four - count 'em, four - doors. Yeah!

Was it sad to say so long to our dear Rocky? You betcha! That dandy little squirrel has been our moose's sidekick since the beginning of our RVing adventures. After spending most of his early life in the comfort-controlled climate of a garage, Rocky lived life for the last three-plus years fully exposed to the elements. He endured heat, cold, rain and a brutal Christmas blizzard. He happily followed Bullwinkle for more than 30,000 miles from coast to coast to coast, and then some. He cruised along sandy beaches, climbed the red rocks of Moab and splashed through Spring streams in Texas Hill Country. And, he never, ever complained.

We wish our old squirrel the best in his new life in or around Kansas City. This is a great part of the country to live in and explore. We know he'll love it.

Meanwhile, we have lots to do this month with our new Jeep. By the time we head south in a month or so, we'll have him all decked out for his new assignment to fall in behind our moose. Bullwinkle will have a new buddy.

We've checked the pedigree of our new Jeep. And, guess what? Turns out he's a squirrel, too!

What's his name? Well, cue the movie theme music. It's....

Rocky 2!

Here's hoping the sequel is as good or better than the original!