June 2009

My dream of April 2009 did not come true. I had the 10’ x 21’ RV and spent a couple weeks over packing it. I had purchased enough of some supplies to last a few years. Was I heading out to the wilderness where there were no stores? At one point I just wanted to leave Cheney where I’d spent a good 11 years with four more in neighboring Spokane. I was a mental, nervous, depressed wreck. I told myself I would die if I stayed there any longer. More about that story later. Every space in the RV was used for storage, even the tiny bathroom. I put in my three confused and worried dogs and took off for Seattle. Now, I had never driven anything bigger than my SUV, a Ford Explorer. I didn’t really understand how to use the mirror and could not see out of the back of the RV. With a nerve racking four hour drive in front of me I made my way onto the freeway. The dogs, Eddie, Princess, and Charlie, become more comfortable as we drove. I did not. The ride was uneventful. I didn’t hit anything. My first destination was my brother’s house. I spent a couple days with him and his family while waiting for my Kindle to arrive. Now I could carry books with me. Time to move. The first trip was one to Sequim, Washington to visit friends. That was fun, shopping in Port Townsend, berry picking, and eating fabulous meals displayed on plates like a work of art. The conversation was full and stimulating. I would have spent the summer there; however I needed to move on. My plan was to follow Highway 1 for as far as I could before the music festivals started. When I reached a RV park on the Reservation at Neah Bay, I thought I’d found paradise. We stayed there for a few days. Only a few RVs were there and they parked near the cabins. I parked at the other end where I could stare at the water, brilliant and blue, from a window. The dogs ran along the shore, careful not to go near the water or too far from me. My blind Eddie walked on his leash with me. On the day a heavy rain fell I baked scones and ate them with tea poured into a china teacup decorated with delicate red roses. I read every book I’d bought for my Kindle and rested a lot. I began to realize I was much too tired to drive Highway 1. I was much too tired attend music festivals. Each day I seemed to get more and more tired. I needed a place to stay and recuperate for what I thought would be a couple months, not almost four years. The RV just fit into a space in my brother’s backyard with the garage on one side and a fence on the other. Trees hung over the top of the RV brushing it almost in worship. I was not fully aware of what had happened to me since being knocked out and the lack of medical care. Right then I just needed to rest.