The Eagle has landed. 8/9/17

Fourteen and one half hour straight run up from Kentucky. How landscapes differ. The lushness of New England summer seemed so thick and full of green; what a difference in scenery. The hay field was a jungle, the trees closed in the dirt road. Grasses reclaimed the driveway track and cobwebs conquered the quiet spaces. We were visitors to our own home. An old eye turned, making as though new what was overlooked by being familiar. It is our home and it is not. We will set out to reclaim our stake. Coming back from a five by 8 ft camper living space for two months to a house. Having been gone for eight weeks, feeling like a hundred, I am stuck in my tracks as to what to do, torn between wanting to let this stage have it’s time without rushing into a mad pace of necessity. So coffee mug in hand, opening up the barn, wood shop, garage, wandering around the yard trying not to disturb the new inhabitants.

Checked the wildlife camera left to watch while we gave them their peace and they were busy. Bears, raccoons, porcupines, fox, and birds (plus a few neighbors…). Funny to check the date and time and remember where I was when they were here looking in windows.

Finally shook off the wheel spinning and started in to the full day of cleaning out the camper and cleaning the inside as well as back seat of the truck. YeGods how road dust gets into every nook and cranny. Must find the best way to clean all camper cushion covers too. Have a 60 point list of changes and additions/subtractions of what to take on the next trip. (Baja?). The fall will give us a chance to get to a relatively close lake to do paddling for a long weekend too. I have nothing but kudos for the FWC. It was put through some very challenging conditions and came out without a single problem (save the freezer door on the Isotherm snapping off the hinge… real cheap).

I have many to thank for their advice and suggestions that made the trip go so smoothly. The luck of the Irish too helped with no flat tires or other travel issues. I consider only four shattered areas on the windshield acceptable damage as well as the dings on the front grill and hood from wild showers of stone on the Dalton highway… I will wear those as badges. The truck was fantastic. The overall mileage which includes crawling on dirt roads and up steep rocky trails and down only to back out. I figure those roads easily took 2000 miles. Backroads maybe 3000 and the 7000 on freeways. All averaged to 20 MPG. The Highway travel was 23 MPG. Can’t complain carrying 1,500 pounds. I will shave off easily 300 of those pounds for the next trip (unless I get a Marmaduke dog).

BTW the road shot in Nebraska... that's a humongous gravel dump truck ahead of me and it looks like a tonka truck in scale with the landscape.

Feels good to be home.