Still in Ohio, waiting out the storm!  Crisp mornings drinking coffee outside in my lounge chair. Nice neighbors to chat with in the evening. I grew up here and left, they stayed. We exchange stories and laughs. We tour each other’s RV, making notes, comparing features. I tell Mike, how can yours be 20 feet? It is longer than mine, which is supposed to be 21 feet. The usual chitchat among fellow RVers.

Locals have claimed all the other sites so they can have a good spot for the Labor Day weekend fun. They don’t stay overnight but will for the weekend. That makes for a full but quiet campground. Quiet except for the times when a smoke alarm screams. I have the same problem: even boiling water sets off a sensitive smoke alarm in a small space. The one time I cooked bacon was a nightmare. I turned the greasy pork fat with one hand and fanned the smoke alarm using a dish towel with the other hand.

Hurricane Hermine! Her path is the exact path I mapped out—but in reverse. I had decided to skedaddle over to the coast and then take back roads down into Florida. Good thing I am flexible and not adhering to a travel plan.

Unexpected weather and delays have benefits. Had I not stayed in Ohio longer than I expected, I would have missed meeting some great people. I would have missed the morning coffee outside. I spent an afternoon addressing some nagging storage problems (clothes, sewing supplies). I have exhausted the possibilities for storage solutions at Walmart, so I headed to a local Target. Voila—found some nice stuff. I also emptied and organized the van for the umpteenth time and rolled up all the hoses/sewer line and secured them with Velcro. Slick!  I am organized and ready to roll. I promise photos showing all my organizing efforts!

Serendipity! I am in the motherland of Joann Fabrics. I drove past a building about ½ mile long. Whoa Nellie! Most of it is Joann corporate offices and warehouses. At the far end is the largest Joann’s store I have ever seen—double, quadruple the usual selection at local stores. I have some sewing projects in mind, but the selection is TOO OVERWHELMING. I wander the maze of aisles looking, touching, dreaming.  I don’t buy anything, I can’t decide. I know from experience if I can’t decide, I will buy a bunch of beautiful random stuff that I may never use, and I have limited storage now. I walk away from the best Joann’s ever.

So, a quick cleaning session in the camper, a swish of Armor All in the van and I am off to Florida at last! On Sunday, I will have been on the road for a month. Craziness! The terrain changes have been amazing—with a delightful Florida coast coming up next.