Never leave home without toad

November 20, 2011—When we bought Baby last December, its odometer was just shy of 86,000 miles. When we came home today, it read 94,325 miles, so we’ve put on more than 8,000 miles trekking around the country. This last trip to/from Eustis, Fla., near Ocala, was only 258 miles, a mere drop in the odometer bucket.

Although we forgot some minor items this trip (an onion, flour), the only major thing we left behind was Toad—and we did not deliberately.

Toad, for those of you who are non RVers, is what we call our towed (get it?) car. We left toad in our driveway, for two reasons: No. 1, our instructions from the organizers of the Samboree said to unhook any towed vehicles before coming into the RV park. We assumed that was because it would be chaotic and crowded. Rather than deal with unhitching the car outside of the park, we would just leave it home. After all, we wouldn’t need it, would we? (That was reason No. 2.)

Technically, we did not need the car. We had sufficient food; and there were activities to keep us busy. As you already know, however, we participated in very few of the Samboree activities; they just weren’t our “thing.” The resort had a pool table, shuffle board, and heated swimming pool. But we did not use those either. It didn’t even occur to us to bring swim suits.

In hindsight, we should have brought the car. We had a good time, but we could have had a better time if we had been mobile. We were near the Ocala National Forest and several state parks, where we could have gone fishing. We were also near The Villages, where two good friends of mine live. We could have visited them and perhaps golfed, too.

But we couldn’t do those things because we didn’t have toad. Never again.

We did leave the cats home alone, with plenty of food and water and access to the outdoors, their favorite potty place. I don’t think they missed us at all, although they asked for their canned food almost as soon as we got in the door. We figure, though, that four days is about the limit of their being alone. Next time, in December when we go down to the Keys, they will come along with us.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda