Opportunities abound

Everyday travelling in an RV is an adventure, but sometimes those adventures turn into opportunities. Opportunities to keep your cool, to be patient, to remember more things to double check. When the RV is 36 1/2 feet long the opportunities sometimes come in the form of a pig stuck between two trees. Sadly the pig is rarely greased... but she does squeal when brakes grab and hitches are strained.

Let me back up a little. We were nicely hitched and pulled out from our site. We'd said our goodbyes then started down the narrow camp road to the exit. Things were going well until we drove a few curves and came up close and personal to a very large tree, and a solid something hidden by a clump of vegetation. There was no going forward - that solid something was in the way of making a wide enough turn to miss the giant oak tree on the other side of the camper. Backwards... down a very narrow curvy road with trees, stumps and signposts on each side. Oh oh.

Mike, from a camper along the way, came over to help, so with him at the front and me in the back, Carm slowly backed us out of the jam and all the way back to where we had come from. There were a few points that required many, many inch ahead, turn the truck wheel, inch back, inch ahead... well, you get the picture.

Sometimes things happen that let you know what kind of stuff you are made of and this was one of them. Despite having an audience (which always raises the stress levels), Carm kept his wits about him, followed the instructions from his eyes front and rear, and got us out of a very tight spot. Oink Oink!

Lessons learned: check and double check route if there is any question since our trailer is big and doesn't fit everywhere; driving a big rv is not for the faint of heart... Whoever was looking out for us gave us a break for a while - there wasn't much traffic, nor many transport trucks on the drive home. Just to make sure we don't become complacent, the last hour was spent driving in rain... but we are home, where the grass tickles the shins and the peonies look like wet tissue flowers, droopy and spent.