The Long, Long Trailers

Our 1988 Nomad trailer has traveled to Waterton National Park
 in Alberta, Canada, Rocky Mountain
National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park in Montana
and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

John Robertson tows our trailer away from Oceano
Campground in Pismo Beach

Mens' room urinal at Madonna Inn
(OOPS! How did that get in here?)

Journey into the future--towing the new trailer through the
Kettleman Hills

Our first night in the new trailer
December 30, 2012

As the calendar would have it, we ended one leg of our journey and started another  just as the calendar page changed from 2012 to 2013.  We purchased a used 1988 Nomad travel trailer in 1997, when our 17-year-old son, Andrew, was only two years old.  We began to take family vacations in it and traveled most of the Western United States and Canada towing that trailer.  We played Monopoly, watched opera on the little TV, cooked clams on the Oregon coast, had a big blow-out at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, towed it in on a dark and rainy night over the treacherous roads between Silverton and Durango, Colorado, bid farewell to our beloved 16-year-old tabby cat, Tiger, on our trip to Glacier National Park, viewed  moose and elk and bison from its windows in Yellowstone National Park, and collected sand dollars from Pismo Beach on its rear bumper.

Steve and I drive over to Nipomo on Saturday to finalize the sale of the old Nomad to another family.  When he texted me yesterday that the trailer had sold off of our ad on Craig's List, I texted back two "emoticons"--a happy face and a sad face.

"I just saw the sad face icon," Steve texted back a few minutes later.  "I know what you mean.  It (the trailer) has been good to us."

We just purchased another used trailer, this one is a 2001 Cougar 5th-wheel trailer.

I don't really need to explain all the emotions to anyone who has ever "moved on".  It's a mixture of joy over the new and sadness over leaving the old behind.  New adventures bring unknown factors and that can cause fear.

I just received an email from my precious friend, Barbara Martin.  After the death of her husband, Arnold, Barbara is moving up to Alameda to live with her daughter's family.

"I know GOD has a new plan for me and I AM READY TO START!!

I hope i can follow his plan and NOT try to change it," she wrote.

You speak for all of us, my beautiful and courageous friend!  Now, let's all hold hands and walk together into our future with the courage that comes from knowing God is with us and that we are "there" for each other!

Happy New Year!

--Posted by Mama O.