Adventures With Dear Miss Mermaid Child Of The Planet: Hit the Road not the Tree

This whimsical sign at the exit from Carthage Gap Campground in Coolville Ohio

WOW! It was fun to hit the road again. It seemed to take forever for me to get everything ready to go. Maybe I just didn't want to leave. Or perhaps I was just on island time again.

Packing up the dog took more time that I thought. The leaves from the maple tree had all landed on our patio and in the yard. They were past ankle deep, (shin deep?) hiding many of the scattered dog toys. So I was outside, kicking through the leaves, fetching Frisbees, footballs, soft balls, tennis balls, golf balls, soccer balls, and squeaky things like the elephant, and blue ladybug.

My gosh, puppy has amassed a lot of stuff in short order, much of it gifts from people he wraps around his wittle paw. At least having all these toys, keeps him occupied, so he doesn't feel obligated to chew through his outdoor tether, nor destroy my toys in the motorhome. My toys are things like my shoes, pillows, throw rugs, upholstered furniture and so on. Phew! I am lucky he is learning what's his and what's mine. Inside the motorhome, he has a pile of stuffed squeaky toys and more foam balls and frisbees, plus a favorite stuffed bone, to toss around, not to mention the tug of war toy.

Many dog toys are made with bits of rope, and I've decided not to let him have those types of toys. Seems picky? No, and I am not a control freak either. But, I don't want him to think chewing on ropes is a good thing. (Can you tell I'm a sailor?) He is often tethered outside with a thin rope, which he could chew right through, but since he knows that is a major no-no, he leaves it alone. Also, if we go sailing, I don't want him to make mayhem out of the sailboat, by attacking all the lines, rodes, sheets and ropes.

So, sorry doggy, no rope toys for you. I don't want his tiny head confused. Chewing ropes is a no-no, so no play ropes or toy ropes, for him.

He does have this braided tug-of-war toy thing, but it is braided with long soft strips of felt. Nothing like a real rope.

I had not driven my modest rig in about 5 weeks. It felt so odd at first. I was parked on a postage stamp with lots of things to hit, while backing up to remove my leveling boards. Once I got those stored away, I had to creep out forward, trying to watch the rear side mirror, that I didn't drag the water and electric post with me, plus try to leave the big maple tree intact. At the same time, I had to pay attention, that I didn't fall off the drop off on the other side of the narrow lane, before making a super sharp right turn onto a very thin graveled alley. I was hoping I didn't take out the picnic table nor hit the big fifth-wheel rig next door. It's always nice to leave the campground in one piece when you leave.

Other than these few obstacles, easy as pie...

Before I could get going for good, I had to stop again, park, put on the brake, get out and check for doggy toys. All I found was a water dish. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how little Harley D., my tiny dog, got mad at the kids playing with his toys and not including him in their games.

Sounds like a Rudolph the Reindeer story. So sad.

He then grabbed all his toys, one by one, and piled them up under the motorhome in the very center, so nobody could reach them but him. The toys stayed there for a few days, once in awhile he would drag one out and play with it, then put it back into hiding. He was miffed at the kids that teased him.

One day when the neighbor came by with her two dachshunds, which Harley D. just adores, he began dragging his toys out for show and tell, allowing her dogs to play with them too. So cute! After that, he let his toys live on the patio, and in the yard. But other times, he moved them inside the motorhome then back out again, when I had the door propped open. Busy boy!

Oh dear me. Has my puppy dog become a conspicuous consumer?

Finally, I got back in my rig, to drive out of the campground. After making the sharp right onto the skinny lane, I had to make an almost U-turn left onto another slender graveled lane, then head down hill and make another hard right.