Hitting the road

We are almost finished up with our project in Washington. Mom's place is almost ready to go and a buyer has been found. Our departure date is March 7. We are going to head to the Oregon coast and work our way down into California, stay with some Devlin family in N. California for a few days, then head across Death Valley and make our way to Missouri. After that, who knows.....

We have a cargo trailer - Hauli - that holds the stuff we aren't taking, and Rubi, the trailer we are traveling with. Jim laughs that I named them, but it's easier to say "take this to Hauli" or "this goes to Rubi" then it is to say "take this to the cargo trailer" or "take this to the toy hauler."

We are still up in the air about our place in Oregon. One of us wants to sell and the other is having a hard time deciding. A renter has not been found yet, but with all the snow still up there, who can blame them. We plan to be back there in May to finish up cleaning once the snow is gone. Then we'll decide what we are going to do for sure. It's a different place now that all the outbuildings are gone and the trees are all burnt. We won't know for sure which ones will die until spring, but it's not looking good for any of them. The landscape will be entirely different.

The hardest part of this entire process - transitioning into travel mode - had been what to do with the critters. We have some friends outside of Prosser, WA who have a farm with a menagerie of animals. They are always rescuing lost kitties and dogs, horses and burros, plus they raise cattle. They have agreed to take care of the critters while we travel. Precious, the wild kitty, has been there for a while and I suspect that will be her forever home. She has taken up with their wild cats and pals around with them. Charlie goes for short visits when we go out of town. The transition is getting easier and quicker for her each time we go. Lonny has been there for over a week and is adjusting well. He was in the house for about a week and is now outside playing with the other kitties. Buddy hasn't been taken over there yet. He will go the day before we hit the road. And yes - I bawl each time we take an animal there. Jim reminds me that they are in a good home and we'll get them back when we settle down, but they don't know that. If I could explain that to them, I'd feel a lot better. As it is, I am sure they are confused and scared. If it wasn't for the couple we are leaving them with, I don't think I could do it. The critters are probably spoiled more there than with us, but it's still hard.