roadquill1

February 28, 2013

Hello once again dear family, friends and neighbours!

After a winter’s hibernation, and slowly becoming acclimatized to the gloom and cool of coastal winter after our Europe jaunt, we are once again about to begin the 2013 version of our Road Notes –  travels to the southwest US.

Packing has been relatively unhurried and planned – quite different from prior years. Sandy has lists! “Has such-and-such been completed?” Yes! “CHECK!” All in all this is a rather organized solution to my own rather haphazard method of wandering into rooms, opening closets or drawers, and declaring “Aha!” as I find something else that cannot be left behind.

However, I do have some lists of my own – albeit obscure and not committed to paper. I have a “must bring” list of tools…for tie-downs, repairs, maintenance, building a house…whatever, and each year it elicits a raised eyebrow and bewildered “Why are you bringing that?” from my travelling partner. I really haven’t got a firm answer since the need hasn’t quite unfolded in my mind – yet! However, I generally placate her obvious impatience with “Just in case!” This usually ends the conversation though occasionally she adds an audible sigh as the final punctuation.

This year, the packing has been complicated. We are heading for Yuma – via Kamloops. This route, which most snowbirds haven’t tried yet, has been selected because the High School Provincial Basketball playoffs are in that still-wintery city. (Our two nieces play for the Wellington High School team, and we must continue our practice of attending their games until the season is over. And…well, we almost never see Kamloops when it is not uncomfortably blazing hot.  Our turn south will begin after these games – around the 10^th of March.

And so, today, we begin our journey. Sandy has been up since 1:00 a.m. (a little earlier than her usual 4:00) I suddenly snapped awake at 4:30 and immediately my mind gremlins intruded to throw off sleep confronting me with my mental lists of things-to-do-and-bring. I think that we have it all. “Kitchen sink?” Yes! “Check!” (I decided that the table-saw just won’t fit this year, but those other tools might help me to make more room for next year.)

I hope that you continue to join us in our travels. We love having you along, and hope that you will take the time to comment occasionally, or send us news.

Love and best wishes to everyone!

Tony (the Quill), and Sandy (the Quilter)