July 13, 2011

Getting Unstuck

When we’re stuck for reasons beyond our control there’s not much to do but make the best of it.
 Perula Beach Kid
Chamela Us GeoValeria & LogIn 2009 we were stuck on the beach at the Red Snapper Campground in Punta Perula, Mexico with a truck that wouldn’t run. But it was a really nice beach! We learned about the town and made new friends between bus rides to the Dodge dealer in Manzanillo. Perula Ice Cream Vendors 1
Finally, we got the truck back after the dealer really stuck it to us. Never go to a dealer in Mexico! Choose a street mechanic shop! Bus or fly to the states and buy your own parts! We were about the last to leave the Red Snapper that spring.
Perula Red Snapper OverviewPerula Red Sn Last Camper
While stuck in Austin we saw fun sights and consoled ourselves with Amy’s ice cream. Ice cream helps.­ At Amy’s they flip the ice cream in the air and wield paddles to beat in coconut, Butterfinger chips, Junior Mints, M&M’s and such. What a yummy, sticky mess. They’ll sing, too, if you suggest it!
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Today we’re on the road again, on the long drive to Taos, NM! We experienced a fine exhilaration and freedom as we hooked up the Laredo, our life in our own hands again!
Depart Bastrop CampgroundThe cat is last to enter the truck. We’re off and all’s well for ten minutes, then suddenly….
Uh, oh! Rojo’s been away from the road too long, turning anxiously on the console between us, finally sitting and settling down. Well?…will he or won’t he? A small drop of moisture falls from his lip to the floor. Uh, oh. Then he’s on his feet, hair atop his neck rising as I grab a blue polishing cloth from the folded pile tucked under his seat and stick it over his mouth. My other hand is on his harness, holding him forward as his shoulders lurch. He’s strong! Eeeeeeuw! He does it again…twice more! I toss each cloth on the floor and hurriedly grab another.
Cat after BarfThen he whirls and lays down, tense, shedding hairs. Chuck has stopped and gets out, retrieving something from the RV, and the cat wants out, too, howling!
Ro Wants OutAt last he calms down, his interior and his demeanor, and zones out on my arm. He should be ok tomorrow, once again acclimatized to travel. We sure hope so. It’s a five day drive to Taos, NM, and he’s stuck with it. And us with him, too!
Ro Quiet at Last

July 5, 2011

All My Trials, Now be Over

Chuck has graduated! The charming staff of Austin Oncology memorialized the end of his radiation treatment with a certificate of accomplishment and “New Beginning” medal.


It was a total surprise, because we’d calculated the end date to be four days away!  Luckily, I’d taken pictures just the day before.
The patient, the techies, and the big machine in action!
  
The next morning Chuck was buying truck tires and climbing atop the trailer to remove his HAM antenna, getting us ready to leave our campground. As we drove away, an amazing wave of freedom swept over us! We faced this event with a practical calm, and I hadn’t realized what a weight rested beneath this. We’re spending a few days in Bastrop before heading northwest to New Mexico.
But first, as a treat, we’ll go visit Gene and Cindy, the aspiring cruisers who bought our sailboat, La Mouette, in 2005. They’ve relocated to Port Mansfield from Dallas, and moved La Mouette down to the Texas coast. We’ve not seen her in nearly six years … I wonder what the reunion will be like?
At anchor in Mexico, the Sea of Cortez, 1990:
135 Agua Verde La Mouette Sunset Best