C R A S H!!! What To Do When Disaster Strikes!!

Just keep on driving!!!  That's my advice and I'm sticking to it.  Thankfully it all came out ok in the end, but it was extremely stressful as it unfolded!!

I'm on my way to the FMCA Rally in Indio California.  As always, the problems of the "children" have to be taken care of first.  I boarded the horses in an excellent facility, ManeStay ... located not far from my house.  PERFECT!!!  Since no one is available for long term housesitting, I'm taking Jessie, Cooper and Jonathan (yellow head parrot) with me. Jon has a traveling cage, so after loading up the motorhome, I bungeed (is that a word??) his cage to the chair and off we went.  Here he is sitting up on the counter later in the day ... alive despite his trials.

The trip to Boron was beautiful and uneventful.  This was what I woke up to ... gorgeous desert, freezing cold!!!  I could hear the rain hitting the motorhome, and when it stopped, I just KNEW it was snowing.  Thank goodness it wasn't, because I don't think I could stand the stress of driving in snow!!  Little did I know what was in store for me.

Once there, I met up with members of the Golden Spike FMCA group who were also spending the night before traveling on to Indio.  We all went to dinner at a mexican restaurant called Domingos.  GREAT food.  If ever you pass through Boron/Mojave area and are hungry, definitely stop here.  Awesome service too.  "D" and Bill Hall enjoying their meal.

Next morning six motorhomes caravanned to the Morongo Casino for a HUGE buffet lunch.  I was still full from Domingo's dinner, but couldn't pass up the mac and cheese and the most wonderful roasted turkey ... oh and 4 desserts!!!  I love this group ... they totally take care of you and know the best spots to eat.

From here, it was all downhill!!!  We left the casino headed to a Pilot Station for fuel.  The huge round-a-bout you exit through is slanted to the right .. and if you go just a little too fast, the chair, including the bird, CRASH to the floor!!!  I tried to take a quick look back, but we're heading on the freeway and there's no time.  The dogs are panicked ... I figure the bird is dead ... there's nowhere to stop ... I have an instant migraine ... so I just KEEP ON DRIVING!!

As I tried to look back and assess the damage, I'm yelling at the dogs to lay down.  I was afraid Jessie would attack the cage.  Well no worries there, because it had broken totally apart ... next thing I know, the bird is crawling up the child gate behind my seat.  More yelling at the dogs because Jessie looks like she's going to attack, and I drive down the freeway 60mph one handed, trying to reach back and get the bird on my right hand.  All to no avail!!!  The poor dogs are now shaking in their boots ... not knowing why I'm yelling!!!

After what seemed like an hour, we arrived at the Pilot fuel station and pulled into the "trucker" side.  I grabbed the bird, sort of reassembled the cage and stuffed him in it.  You cannot image how large an area one quarter cup of bird seed can cover on the floor, along with the same amount of water.   Clean up later ... you are in the trucker line.  Get the fuel and get out!!!

So my ATM card didn't work, nor did any of my credit cards.  I have to go inside ... except I forgot to get the island number and I can't find my Flying J card.    Second trip inside .. I told the attendant 22, she thought I was on 21, which is where she credited the $125 for fuel!!  Two trips in to the cashier later, Tom and Barbara Westerfield helped me fuel up and we were off again!!!

Finally arriving at our destination parking lot to await transfer to the Rally site, I spent 30 minutes cleaning up bird seed.  I'm sure I will never get it all.  The good news is that the bird is alive and is eating this morning.  Only the next couple of weeks will tell.  Birds can become very stressed, resulting in illnesses later on.  I'll keep him on a heating pad so he's toasty warm.

I'm definitely hoping I got it all out in one day and the rest of my trip will be uneventful ... or I'll be snuggling up with the bird and the heating pad!!!!