Spring Break 2009

March 30th-April 4th 2009 Monday, March 30th: Last week following what seemed to be a never ending winter, we finally took the cover off of LaFawnduh for the first time following the big trip of 2008. The old gal appeared to be fine after her winter hibernation but as after any long rest she needed be checked out to see that everything was as it should be. So, during the week before the Spring break trip we took her into Eric's RV in Sequim for filter changes, an oil change, and a general inspection. We were told that all was great. Just as we had expected her to be. Per usual as I inquired about the myriad of things that might go awry, the service manager rolled his eyes and simply told us, "Just drive it. She's in great shape." On Monday morning we were pulling away from the Bluff . It felt as if we had never ended the big trip. The day felt just like any other day on the road. For all four of us LaFawnduh felt very much "like home". Even Cocoa was back on her spot contentedly occupying the couch next to Audrey; occasionally looking out the window to see what the world had to offer. On the way out of Port Angeles we stopped at our favorite breakfast haunt, the Chestnut Cottage. There we treated ourselves to cinnamon rolls before the journey south along the Olympic coastline. South of Kalaloch we stopped to take in the ocean beach, views of the Pacific, and to play fetch with Cocoa. The Destruction Island Lighthouse was just off shore as Cocoa chased the Wilson tennis ball on the beach. In Cosmopolis we stopped at Lion's Park to give Cocoa more exercise and prepare an RV lunch. At each of the above three stops I made my usual walk around of the RV before heading on. All appeared well. In fact, LaFawnduh was strong as she climbed the passes along the winding, sometimes steep Forest roads. I wished that instead of a circumnavigation of the Olympic Peninsula we were instead circumnavigating the United States. As the miles passed by the conversation in LaFawnduh was of last year's big trip. The people that made our trip so special, the places and the experiences that we shared. Leaving Cosmopolis we had 70 miles to go before we arrived at Cape Disappointment State Park outside of Ilwaco. The drive was interesting, passing by cranberry farms, and oyster operations along Willapa Bay. In places the oyster shells were more than a hundred feet high. When we arrived at the park Con and I leaped into our usual routine, one that had been honed by more than a hundred repetitions. Con exited Lafawnduh to check us into the campground while I jumped out to unhook Kip (our Jeep) from the tow bar. As I walked to the back end of LaFawnduh I saw that Kip was covered in diesel fuel. This was something that I had never seen before and I was a bit concerned. The condition seemed a bit abnormal to say the least. Now, I'm not talking about a drop here and a drop there I'm saying she was covered as if somebody had sprayed her with a paint gun filled with diesel fuel. The coating was complete. Albeit, a bit dirty from all of the road dust. I looked beneath of the idling LaFawnduh and saw that there was an almost steady stream of fuel spewing out of "somewhere". I quickly shut down LaFawnduh's CUMMINS diesel engine and fortunately the diesel leak quickly subsided. Looking behind Kip there was a trail that looked good enough for Hansel and Gretel to have found their way back home. Who knows how long the leak had been there? did it start soon after we pulled out of Cosmopolis? Or, here near the park? All the way from Cosmopolis LaFawnduh drove as if there wasn't a problem. The fuel pump was able to pump the fuel into her injectors as well as onto the road. With hindsight I do recognize that the fuel gauge was a bit lower than it should have been (I think that over the entire ordeal about ten gallons was lost). Yikes. I was hoping for an easy fix, something along the line of the new fuel filter having an "O" ring being askew. But, an inspection of the engine compartment showed that the area around the fuel filter was dry. There was a leak in the bowels of the engine compartment, away from any heat source (turbocharger, exhaust, electrical components). After considering our options we decided to drive the half mile or so to the campground and deal with the issue in the morning (it was early evening and everybody would already be closed for the day). When the engine was shut down the fuel leak stopped. We set up camp and tried to act as if all was well. After all, why worry? Nothing could be done about it at the moment so we might as well play Scrabble with the girls after supper. Con and I decided that there was nothing to be done that evening so we decided to do the best we could in making lemonade out of lemons. Tuesday: At 8 AM we boarded Kip and searched Ilwaco for a diesel repair shop, there was none to be found. We then drove the few miles north into Long Beach in our quest of finding a mechanic. We found the best looking shop that happened to say, "Truck/Automobile" repair. I went inside and told the mechanic, Richard, the story of our problems and he said that he would clear his appointment book for the following morning. He had worked on RV's before and he felt confident of making the repair. For the remainder of the day we were tourists; exploring Cape "D". We hiked to the North Lighthouse and then spent most of the afternoon at the Lewis & Clark Center. Back in camp Hannah, Audrey and I went exploring on our bicycles. We came across a previously unknown (to us anyway) cave that extended beyond our view. No matter what we did to coax her, Cocoa wouldn't budge. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with the cave. So, we decided to trust our beloved dog's instincts and forgo the exploration of the deep, dark hole. When Audrey tells the story it is one where "Cocoa saved our lives from being eaten by mountain lions". I don't know, maybe she did, she sure didn't want to go near the cave. Wednesday (APRIL FOOLS DAY) I drove LaFawnduh to Peninsula Auto Repair, leaving a trail of our route along the way (just in case we became lost). Con followed in the Jeep and after dropping the RV off we went to the Lighthouse Restaurant in Long Beach for a marvelous breakfast (I enjoyed my Hang town Omelet). There were so many leftovers from the girls' meals that we decided to drive back to the RV and put the leftovers in the fridge. But on the way we drove along the sandy, Long Beach (the town claims it is the world's longest) giving Cocoa some appreciated exercise. When we returned to the Repair shop, Richard met us with bad news. There was a break in the metal fuel line between the air compressor and the fuel pump. It would take hours of labor to replace it and seeing that it was raining outside and getting parts would be a challenge, Richard recommended that we have it towed to the Portland CUMMINS Service Facility. He made a phone call to the CUMMINS facility and made them aware of our plight. Northwest Cummins (Portland) put us at the head of their schedule. Richard then called a local tow company to tow LaFawnduh to the Cummins facility but over the past few weeks their new Kenworth Tow Truck had been repossessed (another victim of the economy). Connie made a phone call to AAA (which we joined for the first time when we purchased LaFawnduh) and they were absolutely tremendous. Their first question for Con was, "Are you somewhere safe?" That immediately instilled confidence in Con and the rest of the towing experience was favorable. The AAA representative located a truck in Longview to drive out to the coast to pick us up. After he did the driver told us that he hoped the dispatcher was making an April Fools joke. It took an hour and a half for the driver to prepare LaFawnduh for the 113 mile journey to Portland, Oregon. Just as he was preparing to depart our dear friends Todd & Michelle H., with their daughters Kate & Leah arrived. It was great to see them but it was especially difficult to leave them. We had planned this Spring Break trip back in January and it was something that we had all looked forward to. As we were driving away Hannah was especially disappointed in leaving her close friend Kate behind. Hannah remarked, "She's like my family. She's more than my friend." We followed the tow truck to the Cummins facility and as soon as it was disconnected it was taken into a repair bay. By this time it was nearly 8 PM. It was dark, and it was raining. But, we felt confident that the Cummins folks would make everything right. The Cummins service manager recommended a motel to us (the Portlander) and we took off in Kip. On the way we stopped at a stoplight. We were in the inside (fast) lane and another car was next to us in the outside (slow) lane. The light changed and as I was ending a conversation with Hannah I watched with my peripheral vision that the other car had start to move forward, so I did as well. I then saw that the other car had come to a "quick" stop. I instinctively did the same thing, looking to my left to see a beater 1978 (or thereabout) Chevy pickup truck run the light and miss us by a "very slim" margin. All the while moving at about 45 mph. Seemingly, totally oblivious to the stop light. Audrey said the truck missed us by, "Inches". Hannah said, "Wow." Connie said, "Our guardian Angel was working overtime." Thursday The kids hadn't had all that much fun on the Spring Break so we decided to treat them to the Oregon Zoo in Portland's Washington Park. It made for a relaxing 7 hours as we explored every nook and cranny. H & A were beaming as they watched the sea lions cavorting about them. Con was beaming with them as we watched an 8 month old elephant calf nursing from its mother. The sight was nothing but tender. The zoo turned out to be a wonderful side trip for all of us. Albeit Audrey remarked, "It's not as good as the North Carolina Zoo." After our day at the zoo we returned to the Cummins facility to learn that LaFawnduh had just been pulled out of the service bay. She was clean (the mechanic had steam cleaned the engine) and when I started her, all was well. We quickly hooked up Kip and made our journey back along the Columbia River to Cape D. Kudos to Cummins Northwest, they worked hard and adjusted their schedule to give Hannah and Audrey a Spring Break. Kudos to AAA who gave service as promised without a glitch. Kudos to Richard at Peninsula Auto Repair for getting the ball rolling for us. Kudos to Con for setting an example for the girls. She remained the calm in midst of the storm. Kudos to the girls for being their normal sweet selves in face of a Spring Break that was turning sour. They made lemonade out of lemons. Kudos to Cocoa for being her normal, easy to care for self. We arrived at Cape D shortly before dusk and had supper with our friends. Todd & Greg had prepared a Dutch Oven stew, cornbread, and desert cobbler. The kids were laughing, biking, hiking, and playing hide and seek in the trees. All was well. Sitting around a warming campfire with friends listening to the sound of children's laughter. Friday: We awoke to wonderful weather so we carpooled over the Astoria Bridge into Oregon and Fort Clatsop National Historical Park, the site of the Lewis & Clark's Expedition's Winter Camp (1805/6). The kids earned yet another Junior Ranger Badge. After a full day of hiking, exploration and learning, we returned to camp, where there was singing and stories around the campfire, the memory of the broken fuel line was already distant in our rear view mirror. Saturday: Breaking camp Con drove Kip to Wakiki Beach to meet the Haworths for a hike along the sandy shoreline before we headed northward towards Port Angeles. Before meeting up with them I drove LaFawnduh to the dump station for the task that I had done more than a hundred times before with nary a hiccup. As it so happened, our friends the Helwicks were also there for their inaugural dump of their brand spanking new trailer. Their brand new white Suburban towing their brand new white trailer were sparkling next to our road weary, dust covered LaFawnduh. I must say that their faces did little to mask their anxiety over the upcoming task. Welcome to the the world of RV'ing my friends. Whereas I, being the RV'ing veteran that I was simply passed time by whistling Dixie. The Helwicks were focused and were very meticulous with their procedure. To let the truth be known my mind was actually still focused on the recent engine woes and wondering whether or not the diesel leak had been completely and totally repaired. Breaking down between here and home was much more of a concern to me than purging LaFawnduh's intestines of "stuff". Hence, my mind was not focused on the dump procedures as it should have been; compounding the situation as it usually does was the fact that Con wasn't with me to tell me what to do (as per normal). So, in such an environment it would be easy for things to go awry. It soon did. I had placed the septic hose elbow into the tank opening but I hadn't bothered to place a rock on top of it, or to physically hold it shut with my foot; which is exactly what Con would have told me to have done had she been there. As I opened the black drain valve (exactly what Con would have YELLED at me NOT to have done had she been there, bless her sweet heart) the force of the flow far exceeded my expectations and the momentum of all of that flowing "stuff" succeeded immediately and totally in discombobulating the hose from the intended receptacle. Hence, the stuff did not make it into the septic tank as was the intended outcome but was instead spewed about . . . . everywhere else. Unfortunately for me, I have to include "everyone" in the above scenario, but fortunately for the Helwicks' they weren't quite close enough. I wish I could have said the same for myself. Do y'all recall the scene in the movie RV where Robin Williams' character became soaked with the you know what? Well, my experience wasn't quite that bad, but by only a slim margin. A very slim margin. Just about then, Greg walked around from the other side of his trailer and inquired, "What's going on? Should I call 9-1-1?" (or, something very similar) I don't actually know if it was the flow of "stuff", or whether it was the putrid aroma in the air that had clued Greg in to the need of a hazardous materials response. I told him that as a Christian Man I thought it was my duty to show him what not to do as to prevent him from making a similar dreadful mistake. I told him that such occurrences were potentially "very embarrassing and were something to be avoided." I was simply being a good friend; doing my part to assure him of a successful RV'ing experience. As Greg walked away, holding his nose, shaking his head from side to side, and hoping to never see me again, I told him, "God bless you my friend." Or, was it that I thought about saying that? Those putrid fumes had already affected my thought processes and my mind was all gibber gashed up. Dang. When I climbed into the RV (actually, it is more correct to say that I sloshed into the RV) there was apparently something about me that caused my loyal dog to get up from her comfortable spot on the couch and hurriedly go into the bedroom; effectively placing as much distance between she and me as she possibly could. Strangely, our normally quiet dog began to whimper. If she were a human you would be correct in saying that she began to cry. I'm not sure what that was all about. My mind being all gibber gashed and fuzzy. As I sat there alone in the RV, I felt that for the first time in my life that I could more or less relate to how John Glenn must have felt aboard Friendship 7 all of those years ago. Or, maybe not. Nevertheless, I was very alone. I was VERY glad to leave that dump station in my rear view mirrors. I'm not 100% sure, but I think LaFawnduh even burned rubber during her hasty exit. There was that smell of burning rubber in the air, or the smell of s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g that made the aroma of skunk spray seem very appealing. Finally, with her bowels having been emptied, LaFawnduh took us to our reunion with our beloved family and friends. We met the family at Wakiki Beach (yep, that's what it was called) and Con and I hooked Kip up to LaFawnduh. All the while Con seemed to be searching the air for the source of the foul stench. She finally looked at me and remarked, "What died?" I told her that some gray whale had probably washed ashore and was decomposing nearby. Thankfully she bought it, even though she remarked, "It smelled fine until you showed up." I suggested that the wind must have changed since I arrived. She said, "Or something like that." It sure is hard to pull the wool over that girl's eyes. I hope to do better in my next life. Somehow we were able to spend a pleasant, very relaxing time at the beach but as we were leaving the beach a group arrived for a memorial service of a departed loved one. I always feel uncomfortable at such times, as if I were an intruder during a very personal moment. Red roses accompanied the ashes with the outgoing tide. Meanwhile, the Helwicks drove pass without stopping. They may have contemplated stopping and spending time with their friends but their not doing so MAY have been attributable to their desire of avoiding me (for who knows what reason). Our two families then drove into Long Beach where we enjoyed wonderful ice cream at Scoopers and a hike along the "World's Longest Beach". The kids taking their socks and shoes off to enjoy the warmth of the sand. Kites filled the air on this very Spring like Saturday morning. The Helwick's drove on towards Tacoma after the dump station fiasco while the Haworth's (who were oblivious to the dump station experience) followed us along the west shore of Hood Canal as we completed our circumnavigation of the Olympic Peninsula. I'm sure that had Todd been aware of what had occurred at the dump station he would not have wanted to be following LaFawnduh. Actually there's another story associated with the drive home following the trip to Scoopers that is somehow associated with the intake of ice cream but, my story telling for this trip is just about at its end. If you're interested in that story, you can ask Con, or Hannah, or Kate. Audrey is oblivious to the story as she was riding with the Haworths at the time. Oh well. The good, the bad, the ugly, and even the very ugly. Such is the make up of life. Arriving home, all was well with LaFawnduh. Our little bump in the road was dealt with as positively as we could. Con leading all of the family in making lemonade out of lemons. When all was said and done we were thankful that the broken fuel line (which happened because a rubber grommet had fallen out of a mounting bracket) happened here in Washington State and not somewhere in the swamps of Florida or while driving through the desolation of northern Nevada (where cellular phone service was "iffy"). In Florida I would have been fearful of becoming gator bait for some guy named Billy Bob; in Nevada I would have been fearful of still being there (there's a reason that so many of the Twilight Zone episodes having to do with hell were filmed there). Geez. There's lots to be thankful for. There was plenty to be thankful for in spite of the adversity. But, just to remind us of the lemons that pop up every now and then in our lives, after being home perhaps a half hour, Hannah placed her hand on the stair railing and was promptly stung by a bee, for the first time in her life. We are already making plans for our next adventure. Destination SOMEWHERE????? For even though the 2008 Corps of Discovery is over, we still have the urge to explore, to see new things, meet new friends, and even overcome the obstacles that might come our direction. After all, parenting when everything is going great is a piece of cake, but the true challenge is to give a positive example of dealing with adversity for Hannah & Audrey. For, it is just six short years from now and H will be graduating from high school and will be facing the uncertainty (and opportunity) of the world. One of the more important tasks that Con and I have is to prepare her (and Audrey as well) for the inevitable day of independence. It is a world full of gremlins so it is important for the girls to go into the world with an attitude that when the world hands you lemons, you simply make lemonade. Life is a wonderful adventure. Exactly as it should be.