Just a little over a year ago, we were tent camping down in Florida for Christmas vacation.  It had rained and stormed just before we arrived and this site opened up for us as well as the flooded one, next to us.  We had no neighbors for a week in this highly prized campground. Did I mention we manifest the best luck when it comes to campgrounds??

Anyway,  I had recently begun to daydream about finding an old 13′ Scamp to decorate and use on hot summer days when we wanted to take the dogs to the lake but still have air conditioning.  My Hub is not one to take change easily so I had been covertly looking on Craig’s list and though elusive, one popped up!  I showed him the picture and he looked at me with a big eye roll.  Not to be deterred,  I kept on the hunt.  No more appeared.  I read about them, collected information and I kept my eyes open– and I kept dropping little ideas into conversation.  I am an artist living with an Engineer so I realize some things take seeping-in time.

Three or so months pass and we find ourselves on that beach.  I remind you, it’s Christmas–the time of giving and joy.  One fine day, I pulled out my patiently assembled file and started to wax poetic about just how nice air-conditioning would be in Missouri’s sauna heat and how much his beloved new dog loved to go to the lake.

I’m pretty sure all my supplications to Saint Jude paid off in just that moment because wonder of wonders, The Hub said:  “Well, maybe there is some merit to that idea.”  The ball was rolling.  I had my Curling Broom ready.

I have led a life that has been blessed with many signposts.  I told The Hub if we were meant to own a fiberglass trailer, one would show up very soon.  Well, remember that open campsite???  On our last day, the lake that had been there making it unrentable dried up.  In came a Scamp.  I know my angels were laughing when they saw the look on my face.  I know I was laughing when I saw the look on my Hub’s face.  Now, my Hub is a smart guy.  He knows better than to question one of my signs–especially one that clear!  He began making his spreadsheets.

Little by little, he narrowed down what we wanted and which of the three main contenders could meet that list the best.  It was Casita.  Taking advantage of a pricing special on new year orders, we went ahead.  On May 6th, 2015 we drove down to Rice Texas and the adventure began.

We just came back from our baker’s dozen trip–13 trips in 13 months.  All fun.  All full of learning, laughter and love.

In a busy year’s time, we started to accumulate a lot of gear and decorations.  It became apparent that if we wanted to be able to keep running out the door on a camping whim, I was going to need to get my system into crate-ready-streamlining.  So, now I have a bin for kindling, a bin for seasonal fabric decorations, one for back-up supplies like TP, trashbag liners, potty chem,  etc., a big bin for set-up (chocks, levelers, DC fan, etc), and the appropriate generator or solar panel.  A place for the hitch, water bottles and sway bar–you get the idea.

It really was a great relief (though a big pile of work) to get everything in order.  Sometimes we just have to stop the fun long enough to get things done!  We’ve been out twice since I put this all together and we are both really happy about it.  We keep a standard camping set of clothes in the camper, grab the appropriate crates and are almost ready to go.

The menu part is still a snag for me.  I like to cook and I like to experiment on campfires.  Plus, I want to have interesting things to share.  That means a new long weekend menu needs be designed, shopped for and imagined every three weeks.  Ahhh, such problems.

We can’t believe how fast this first year has flown and how much more fun we are having than we could have ever imagined.  Life with the Egg is good.

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