First "All Seasons" Party

You know from reading our last blog that we found a larger travel trailer in October. It was a very exciting day when we drove 250 miles to Columbia, TN to pick up our new trailer. The money part of getting the trailer took longer than we thought, so we drove about 100 miles that afternoon and stopped for our first camping experience. We had a blast checking out all the new stuff like outside speakers (how do we turn them off), where is the switch to move the living room slide out, why is the cook top not working (propane turned off), etc. etc. etc.

Of course, part of getting a new trailer is learning to pull it. Our new trailer is 2.5 times heavier and 50% longer than the old one, so there is a bit more action when we are moving down the road. The first day involved traveling mostly two lane country roads and a little city driving. The second day we traveled through the Appalachian Mountains, through Chattanooga, and then south bound to our home in Jasper, GA. Believe it or not, the second day was a bit easier driving even though most of that trip was on Interstate routes.

The next few weeks were a flurry of activities getting our stuff from the old trailer to the new trailer. It was harder than we thought because the cabinets did not match up well. Of course, we needed a few changes and additions to make it fit our style. While that was happening, we also started downsizing our stuff in the villa. We decided to offer things to the kids, donate, sell or store. All four choices are ongoing, but time is running out. We have less than four weeks before leaving to our first campground.

One of two tables of food - no one went hungry!

Word spread quickly that the Deckers were leaving. One rumor said we bought a big motor home and planned to travel to California. Many people asked us why and where. We decided to invite a bunch of people and tell the story one time, so we created a Trailer Trash open house. Lydia made a party invitation flyer and emailed it out. We brought the "old" trailer up from the storage area so people could see the "before" and "after" versions.  We provided the beer and wine and those attending brought snacks and lawn chairs. Sixty-six people showed up and we had plenty of food. Unfortunately, we ran out of wine part way through the party, but that didn't cause people to leave. One of our friends made an emergency run to his house and brought back four more bottles!  Friends indeed!  Everyone had a great time and no one (publicly) declared we were certifiably deranged.

Good friends are a blessing and we will really miss all our Bent Tree friends. We promise to come back periodically which will be easy since we are storing our furniture just down the road. Even if the pull to see everyone wasn't there, we know we'll be back when the season changes and we need different clothes!

‘Til next time ….