Keep on Truckin’ – June 22, 2016

We left Nashville facing another 400+ mile driving day, trying to get to the starting point of our Summer Trip (Wisconsin).  Jim found a non-denominational Christian RV Park on Cedar Lake tucked away in the NW corner of Indiana, which seemed ideal given our ultimate destination.  It took all day to get there but we liked the looks of it, until we heard the news.

The camp host greeted us with the information that they were expecting a bad storm tonight and wanted to show us where the underground shelter was in case of a tornado.  I can handle hurricanes all day long, but tornado is not in my vocabulary and I must have looked it, because she asked where we were from.  If it wasn’t so scary, it would have been comical to hear her describe how you know when to go to the shelter.  Things like, “the air turns kinda green” and “if you hear something like a train” were not working for me especially when she pointed out if you hear the train, it may be too late.  By the way, there was a train that ran by the park so we had to distinguish the tornado train from the real train.  Now I am worried.

We proceeded to our site and found the electricity hookup is on the right side of the RV and not on the left where 95% of all hookups are and our cord will not reach the connection.  We call the host and she arranges for us to move to a different site.  But this site is up in the front of the park and not close to the restrooms where she said we could run into if we can’t make to the shelter two blocks away.  Getting more worried.

We moved to the new site and got set up so we could get something to eat and gas up before this torrential storm began.  Oops.  Not so fast.  Jim has company outside.  The man from across the way has wandered over and wants to talk RV talk, like guys like to do.  He even includes that his wife told him not to be a pest because he doesn’t like it when people interrupt him in the middle of set up but he decided Jim was far  enough along to stop and talk.  Eventually he ran out of steam and we ran out and got gas and something at the first restaurant we found.  Not the best and not the worst food but fast.  While the gas was pumping I told him I was worried.  He shared with me that he was too and that is a first, given all the scary situations we have found ourselves in that he showed no fear.  Now I’m really worried.

Back at the RV, we found he local news report which preempted all the regular programming because of the storm.  We sat and stared at the weather maps for 4 hours none stop watching each tornado “watch” turn into a “warning” and then touch down complete with pictures of the damage.  Now I’m asking questions about our insurance.

By 11 o’clock we haven’t had enough rain to fill a teaspoon and all the tornadoes were gone.  I was exhausted from all the worry and now my allergies have turned into a full-scale cold with a seal-like barking cough and stuffy nose.  Pass the Robitussin and lead me to my bed!