Goodbye Florida, Hello Alabama

“Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet home Alabama

Lord, I’m coming home to you.”

Lynard Skynard

We left Florida today—what a big state it is. I am excited to see other parts of the US and get back to camping in campgrounds filled with campfire smells and the sounds of families laughing around their fires at night. I’ve missed  our family campfire time and snuggling with the dogs in their plush camping chairs. Florida was too hot for campfires and the no-see-ums chased us inside every night.  

I also think this hot weather played tricks with Ron’s head. He wasn’t enjoying camping in the hot tropical weather. I think his brain was convinced he needed to be at a resort on a beach instead of setting up and taking down camp. We heard him say a few times that he was tired of camping and just wants to stay at resorts from now on. Let’s hope his opinion changes because we still have a few weeks left on this trip LOL. I think once we get back to seeing National Parks again he will enjoy it again.

I have some exciting news this morning about Remi. He slept in until 6:30. Holy cow that was amazing!  Excessive play at the dog park each day is the answer I believe. Both pups woke up happy and Maggie even ate her breakfast. I am now taking over the feeding of the pups because they were getting chunky on Ron’s feeding plan. Too funny!  We had some fun visitors this morning: a pony and some horses just on the other side of the fence behind our campsite. Ariel was so excited about this. She is really missing her riding lessons back at home. Remi and Maggie were not too sure about these uninvited guests, however. Remi had to go for a time out when he wouldn’t stop barking.  

We had some very important stops to make today: Camping World, Target (for groceries and Halloween supplies) and Barnes and Noble. Ariel is flying through her graphic novel set and needs more to read. She’s reading a sister series to the Babysitters Club. I told her that her TeeTee (that’s what they call my sister) used to read the Babysitters Club books and she got very excited. We are happy that she discovered books she loves to read.

Target was a big success. We got some of the groceries and supplies we needed and more importantly the kiddos found their Halloween Costumes. They are super excited and excited for you all to see what their costumes are in a couple weeks. I picked up some books for Ariel at Barnes & Noble, and Ron got supplies at Camping World. He also picked up some Halloween lights we can hang up outside. I’m really excited to put them up.

We lost an hour today, which will make school time hours in the truck much better. Since our travel days are shorter now, we will arrive at our campsites just after lunch. The kids will have more time for school the morning this way, leaving our afternoons free to explore and have fun.  

We played the “guess the animal” game during today’s drive. We could ask questions, but they had to be answered by only a yes or a no. I don’t want to brag but I was the Sherlock Holmes of our guess the animal game. I believe Ron will be asking to play this game more often so that he can take the title away from me. (Status update on the emotional well being of the captain of our vessel. He exhibited some sadness as we approached the Florida/Alabama border, unlike his co-pilot who felt quietly excited. Our guess the animal game did help his spirits but I do believe his Captain’s Log tonight will be a sad one.)  

We arrived and set up camp in Ozark, Alabama and it was eventful for our Captain. It would appear that he is once again haunted by our septic tank. As he went to hook it up to the drain pipe at our campsite, the RV showered him with a little bit of love from the RV.

You’ll appreciate this more with a little backstory. When we travelled through the Canadian Rockies with my parents and my sister and brother in law, Ron always had issues with our septic. It never failed. We would pull up to drain our black tank and we would hear Ron yell “Oh Man” and we knew what happened.  He always got some of it on him (yes, very gross). We don’t know how this always happened to him and it became the running joke of the trip. It got to be such a common occurrence that my parents got him a special back up valve just to prevent this from happening again.  Well we lost that special back up valve along this trip.

When I heard Ron yell “Oh Man” today, I knew what happened. Trying not to laugh out loud I composed myself and waited for him to appear at the front door. I did not know to what extent he got covered but I was ready for it.  Within moments he came to the door with his hands held up and that look on his face. He said it went everywhere. I looked at him and tried hard not to laugh because I honestly couldn’t tell it went everywhere, but at this point who was I to argue. The poor guy just got sprayed with sewage. 

Ron’s retelling of the events were hilarious and gross and the funniest part was the fact that our camping neighbour saw what was happening and chose to go back inside his RV.  If you have ever watched Robin Williams in the movie RV and remember the scene where he tries to drain his black tank you will understand what I’m talking about.  It never fails, someone always seems to be watching. So, Mom and Dad, Ron would like another back up valve and cap for Christmas.  Let’s hope things improve for our fearless Captain. After all he is still recovering from leaving the Sunshine State.  

Ron pulled himself together and we had an afternoon of swimming and finishing up with school work. It was a cozy little meal inside the RV and our night is going to end with watching Sweet Home Alabama in the state of Alabama.