Do you know why you are so long?

We be rolling!

House closed up, loading done, everything hooked up, this train is ready to roll.  The weather weasels were calling for rain, but it didn't happen.  Nice to do the last minute stuff while staying dry.  Well, dry from any falling rain... it didn't take long while working outside to be sweating like a farm animal.

It's only been 2 1/2 months since we put the coach away; it feels good to be on the road again, but there is always the period of adjustment to get used to our length.  We've been hauling long stuff for decades, but it is important to not be complacent and to double check each other.

Rufus, on the other hand, was not happy about being put in his carrier.  We put it in the living room for a day before heading out - he walked in and out of it a couple times.  He has been anxious and clingy the last couple days.  As healthy and well-fed as he was when we first got him, I have to wonder if someone abandoned him when moving?  He followed us all around the house while we were loading up... he did not want to get left behind.  No amount of reassuring on our part put him at ease.

Once we were underway, and he could get out of his carrier and on to one of our laps, all was good.  He sat on the dash for a short time...

Traffic was pretty easy most of the drive today...

Well, until getting to the Inspection Stop, about 100 miles north of the border...

Traffic was backed up there for a bit.  The Border Patrol agent saw two retired-looking folks and waved us through without even asking if we were US citizens.  I'm guessing the cameras that they use while you're in line get your license plate number, and they already know who you are.

The weather stayed pretty decent along the way: a few moments of light rain, temps around 90º, and we even had a tailwind for most of the day.  The moments of rain came from clouds like this...

I called the RV park where we usually stay on our way north - it is a good location to get off the road early, dump and refresh holding tanks, and kick back.  The young lady that answered the phone was able to pull up our information - I told her we'd like a long site, as we are about 63 feet long, and we'd prefer to not have to unhook.  She paused for a moment, then asked me, "Do you know why you are that long?"

I paused for a moment, then said, "I sure do, I'm driving this rig..."  I explained to her: motorhom:SUV:cargo trailer.  She was able to pull up what site we were in when we stopped here on our way home from Arizona, and offered me that one again... "That would be great."

We stopped in a rest area along the way around noon - Rufus got his lunch, I checked the car and trailer, Joan made us some lunch.  Nice to "home" with you.

We stopped for fuel before pulling into today's RV park... before 3:30. We'll be ready to roll in the morning, and not have to make a bunch of stops.

Now, about our length...

This site is a "pond view"...

That is facing west for us, and with the heat and humidity, we knew we'd have the windshield covered.  I think we paid extra for "the view"... I just wanted to be sure we'd fit without unhooking.  Joan reminded me that we were in this site for Izzy's last "good" day: she went outside for a bit, smelled the fresh air, and watched the ducks in the pond.

It was 4-lane expressway or Interstate all day today; we'll be looking for some 2-lanes as we head north.  But for now, we're settling in for the night.  Rufus has had supper; he's checked out his toys; Joan and I are relaxing.  It's all good.