Today was our 11th anniversary and it started off really crappy. We got up at the usual time...5:30 CDT and I started the coffee only to realize that Charlie the cat was not present begging for breakfast. He knows he doesn't get fed until 8am, but he always tries to get something when ever he can. A quick search and you know it's quick because there's only, let say, maybe 200sf inside the trailer. No Charlie. Dan have you seen Charlie? He was on the bed last night, I heard him jump down. Well he's not here now. So Dan gets out of bed and does the same check I just did. OK, I'm starting to get a little panicky. Dan had gone out to check on something with the trailer about 10pm and we're both thinking Charlie slipped past him to explore the outdoors. So outside we go trying to be quite since quite time in most parks is 10pm-8am and it's only 6am. It's real hard to call for a cat in a whisper. Now this park is surrounded by woods and grassy fields with all kinds of critters. We talk with some of the neighbors and no one has seen him. Dan puts on jeans and heads to the woods to search further, while I walk around the park looking under all the trucks and RVs, no luck on either front. Finally, it's 8:00am and we can make more racquet in hopes he'll show himself. No luck again.
I proceed to get things ready to go, just knowing Charlie will come slinking out from the woods at any time. Dan is unhooking the wires and tubes that connect us to some semblance of civilization and decides he'll go look one more time since there's a lake that Charlie might have headed toward. By now I've about used up an entire box of kleenex...damn allergies. While Dan's gone I'm supposed to think about whether we should go or stay another night. Yeah right, I'm gonna make
that decision....I don't think so. Off Dan goes for a couple of hours while I go through every cabinet and open every door looking for this crazy black cat. No luck for either of us...so Dan says lets finish packing and go. I can tell this is killing him, he really, really likes Charlie cat....after all he is his shadow, follows Dan every where.
Did I tell you what a crappy day this was. Well, that didn't change. With heavy hearts we finished stowing stuff and pulled out at Noon. Yeah, I know it's only a cat, but he's been part of our home for 14 years. It wasn't so much the fact that he was gone, it was the not knowing what had happened to him. I didn't want him to be in the woods hunkered down in the brush scared wondering why we didn't rescue him. Needless to say I bawled like a baby every time I thought about it.
I'm not sure Dan and I said a dozen words for the first couple of hours except that it was a really awful day. There were a few times throughout the day where we saw something that caused a little levity, but for the most part it was very somber, plus it was odd with just Max. I think he knew something was wrong, because he was on his best or should I say the best for Max, behavior. We're driving US 82, which is a fairly decent road as back roads go and 6 hours later we're just outside Texarkana, TX headed for the RV park. We pull off the road in a church parking lot so Dan can check out the trailer facilities. By this time it's hot and I've about had all I can take of the day and Max is starting to be obnoxious...I'm in a fairly pissy mood. There's a tap on my window and when I turn around, OMGosh!!! there's Dan holding Charlie, who's panting like crazy. Seems he was wedged in behind the bottom panel under the sink in the bathroom. How?? I said. I looked there twice and took a shower and how??? Not a sound did I hear while Dan was in the woods looking for him and I was sitting on the couch staring into my coffee cup. Stupid cat, stupid, stupid cat!!!
Our day suddenly got sooooooo much better and the fact that we were staying in one of the nicest RV parks didn't hurt matters. Most parks leave their laundry rooms open 24/7, this one closed at 7pm, but there were nice enough to leave it open for me, just said lock up when you're done. Super, now we'll have clean clothes to wear and will be able to stand each other in the truck for the next few days.
Shady Pines RV Park, Texarkana, TX...best RV park we stayed in
The trailer we wish we had....lol
Paris...I've always wanted to go to Paris...oh thank you Dan for taking me to Paris for our anniversary, it was so unexpected. Hey, I thought Clarksville was on the east coast and weren't we there the first part of this trip??
You were expecting the Eiffel Tower?? Well I got a car wash and Paris' finest at that, so there to all you who spend big bucks to fly across the ocean!
A loving and understanding husband, a great park, clean clothes,
2 cats and Paris....what better way to spend an anniversary!!
Stay tuned....
