The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

On Tuesday we winterized the 5^th wheel trailer, and then put it into storage. For those who don't understand winterizing, that means draining all the water from the plumbing system in the trailer and replacing it with non-toxic antifreeze. We have done this ourselves for several years, but with the new trailer there were new procedures. So it took some study, some thinking, and some nervous work. But the job is done.

Then we drove to the house and finished (we thought) unloading everything that we need in the house. (That evening John went back to the trailer to get one load of things we forgot. Today we made another trip.) Then we drove to the storage lot and parked the trailer. The final step is to remove the batteries. But that was easier said than done. They are in an insulated storage box with a very tight fit. Six-volt golf cart batteries are very heavy. We could not find any way to lift them straight up with our arms extended straight out. We are still wrestling with how to solve that problem

The good about being back here in the Denver area is easy to see. We had a marvelous sunrise Tuesday morning before we left Chatfield State Park.

We have already seen our son who lives here three times, his wife and our two grandchildren twice.

Kylie, our oldest granddaughter

J

John, our only grandson

The bad includes the dust all over the house, the leaves and debris in the gutters and yard, the "stuff" we need to put away. It also includes all the "stuff" we have in the house that we don't need during the seven or eight months of the year we are on the road. When we return, it almost makes me feel laustrophobic. And then there is all the space. In a 36-foot trailer we are never far apart. Wednesday morning John went to the basement to ride his exercise bicycle. I went to the second floor to work on the computer. I got lost in what I was doing, and because I couldn't hear John, I only went to the basement 10 or 15 minutes after he began working out on weights. Since we share the same weights, we must coordinate our workouts. And I hadn't started at the right time.

The ugly includes the piles of papers and other items on most surfaces around the house—things we need to file or put away. Then there is the bag of small spice containers I use in the trailer that need to be combined with those in the house or be thrown away. And the neglected house plants that need repotting and the outside shrubbery that needs trimming and the windows that need washing.

We love our life on the road. We love being in the house where we are close to family and friends and all that is familiar. But the transition from one to the other leaves a lot to be desired.