Escape

Don't let that pretty little face fool you.  She is an escape artist and a speed demon.  She choose to do it at a rest stop last night.  I have come to the conclusion, Charlie really doesn't like travelling at night.  I don't know why. During the day she will snooze as we drive around whether on short or long hauls.

At night, it's a different story, she gets restless, wandering around at the front of the cab, looking out the front and side windows, hopping on my lap, just like she had a shot of caffeine.

So it was a bit of a game of chase last night at 10pm in a busy rest stop.  I'm happy to say that l ultimately won the game and we are now sitting cozy in the camper van.  Charlie is trying to look all innocent, but l know better!!!!!

 

Rugby

Yesterday I enjoyed my afternoon watching a high-school rugby match.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was at the field where l have spent some time this past weekend.  Didn't understand the rules of the game, but it was interesting.

They were loud enough to scare the bejesus out of my cats, so they never got out in the fresh air that was the original plan, at least not until all the kids left.

I'm sure the cats are counting down the days until they can get out and play at the campground. :-)

The Blues

Hunh, who would have thought that l would have gone through a little blue mood this weekend.  It actually started on Friday, and that's why l hunkered down on the weekend.  I needed to sort out my thoughts.

I was actually homesick.  ME.  Miss love to travel.  Miss independent.  I was feeling lonely and was wondering if l could do this.  I guess it just hit me that l won't be home for a good number of weeks.  At least before when l travelled l was home every other weekend and l could see friends then.  I was analyzing my feelings, and l wonder if some of it had to do with me already being on the road for 10 months with my other job.

Maybe that's why some of the blues hit.  This job would be easier if l did have a significant other with me.  Then l wouldn't feel so alone.  But since l don't have a significant other, l guess it's just me.

Today l am better.  So hopefully those monsters will stay at bay.  I want to make this work. :-)  I will have an adjustment phase, so l will have to be patience with it.

A Game of Cat and Mouse

Okay, it really was a game of Cat and BIRD.



 

The bird got so close he started hissing at the Tommy and Charlie.

 



My cats were outside chillin in the warmth, minding their own business while keeping an eye on the pair of Canadian Geese that were at the pond.  Of course, they realize these birds are a wee bit too big to go after, so they just watched.



 

Then one of the birds started to creep closer.  Everytime the cats would look away, the bird would step closer.  It was  cheap entertainment for about 20 minutes.

 

 

 

Suprised and Pleased

I really fretted about going to this mode of travel for my cats.  I wasn't sure how they would take it.  They would not even go close to a car before l set out on this adventure.  They were even smart enough to know that if l grabbed them in my arms in the house and headed out the front door that they would be going in the car and would start squirming the minute my feet led me towards the door.

Now they just chill the whole day in the van as l run around on appointments.  It really is amazing the turn around they have made.  They are so casual about riding in the van now.  To think how many hours my mind would wonder; hoping they would be okay.  It took them maybe half a day to adjust.

Sure there was a time when Charlie made a dash for the door, once she got out, realized she didn't know where the hell she was and boogied back in the van like her ass was on fire.

They hop back in that van whenever they feel threatened when they are out at the campground, whether it is someone walking by, a loud noise, another cat (happened once- Charlie was out and  got surprised by another cat, they hissed at each other, l opened the door, she ran in.  Let's just say "scared the shit out of  ya" has truth to it.

Tommy has learned to knock on the van door.  I kid you not.  When they are out and it's nice weather, but not nice enough to have the side door open all the way (or it's nighttime), l shut the side door just so it closes, but doesn't grasp the latch.  So if you were to hit it, it would move.  Well, when Tommy is out and wants back in and the door is like that, he will paw it to make a noise so l know to open the door for him.

They have always been trained to come when l call, or whistle.  And for the most part, they do.  Best Cats ever!

They pretty much sleep the whole day away, but l guess they did that at home too, especially when no one was home to let them in and out.

So Nice

Last night it was the first nice night out since l have begun this adventure.  There wasn't any  cold bitter  wind, no snow, no rain.  I still needed a sweater, but it wasn't too bad, especially for the 1st of May.

I sat outside in the dark, listening to the bull frogs trying to attract a Misses for the season.  The bugs were minimal, not that they usually bother me anyways.  I guess my blood isn't sweet enough for the mosquitoes, which is fine with me.  I had the cats sitting out beside me on the picnic table.  My only neighbour, over a hundred feet away.  Bliss.

Across the pond all the RV's had their lights on, that's were it seems to be city center.  On my side, it's just me and my neighbours.   l haven't spied a fire yet, and couldn't smell one, it is only Tuesday.

Room With a View

 



Theirs Fiona perched on a little pond.  I'm on the quiet side of the park with only electric and water, so l will have to go dump occasionally, since l move my van everyday, it's not an inconvenience at all.

[caption id="attachment_891" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Front view that we have"][/caption]

I could move to the other side of the pond and have full hook up, but then l wouldn't get wi-fi, so on the quiet, picturesque, no sewer side l will stay.  It's a rough life, but somebody's got to do it!  :-)

l have to content with the damn poop from those Canadian Geese, my fellow country creatures sure can make a mess.  A saving grace is that in the morning l get to watch them walk their little babies back and forth from the pond to the grassy bank.  I'm surprised that Charlie hasn't given chase yet.....time will tell.

 

[caption id="attachment_894" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Charlie hiding up in the attic"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_893" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tommy in the passenger seat"][/caption]

In Michigan

I'm here in Michigan.  It was a long poky ride. I'm used to going over the speed limit by a bit.....but this baby has a bit of a challenge doing that, what with cross winds and such.

It was nice paying so much less for gas once l crossed the boarder.  In Canada it works out to $5.00 a gallon, and in Michigan it's $3.78.  ( l miss the days when l payed 99 cents a gallon in Virginia in the year 2001 - l'm sure everyone does though)

The cats fared well, they slept most of the way.  Tommy took the passenger seat in the sunshine and Charlie retired to the loft.  I had my eyes on the road the whole time, promise.

It seems like it is going to be a warm night.  Yeah!!!!!  Finally.  And it's time for bed now.  Ciao!  :-)

The Taste of Freedom

I was brave last night.  It was a warm night.  Certainly warmer than the last couple of nights.  So after dinner, when it was turning to dusk l let loose the hounds.  Ok, the hounds were of the feline variety.

I opened the side door to the campervan and let my cats out for some fresh air and some leg stretches.  At first Charlie the scare-dee cat, who is also the most phenomenal  hunter of the two, wouldn’t go out.  I guess she got Stockholm syndrome.  She didn’t want to leave her captor.  Tommy was braver and didn’t need any coxing.

Eventually, the thought of going out and smelling all the good scents won out.  They both came and went, in and out, over the hour that they were out there.  Which l have to be honest, l was so surprised that they willingly came back into the camper van.  It was a gamble that l let them out.  I was hoping that after 4 days being cooped up in the van, they would realize, it wasn’t so bad.

I am actually surprised that there has been no puking in the first hour of the adventure.  Usually, one pukes on car rides.  This time, no one (not even me!), for four whole days.  Today they both looked very relaxed when l was driving around on appointments.  It is a big relief for me.  And so l felt maybe it was time to try the experiment of freedom.

I am happy to report the experiment was a success.  The cats consider this their home too!  :-)