To boldly go were no man (or Great Dane?) has gone before…

…these are the stories of…oh, whatever.

 We finally made it out of the driveway with a destination of something other than a repair shop!  We headed out Wednesday (after a truly busy day) around 4:30 (Yes – into Seattle Rush Hour traffic) eastbound on I-90.  We didn’t have any particular destination in mind on our first night as we weren’t sure exactly how far we might want to go on our first night with the “kids.”  Since this was our “maiden voyage” so to speak, we expected that it would be a learning experience – we, however, had NO IDEA how much we would learn in the first few hours. 

We learned that Morgan’s biological clock tells her that it’s time to “go” regardless of we are outdoors or even at a stop - talented canine that she is – she can hump and dump in a vehicle traveling 50 mph down a winding mountain pass.    

We learned that we did NOT bring the correct sized plastic bags to appropriately dispose of her previously noted discharge.

We learned that it really is possible (not savory but indeed POSSIBLE) to put 4 pounds of sh*t into a 2 pound bag.

We learned that baby wipes are MAHvelous at cleaning not only babies, but adults, vehicle consoles, and GPS devices that are unfortunate enough to be in the path of errant fecal matter. 

We learned that by the time you get to a place where you can park for the night, regardless of it looking like the Bates Motel in Psycho – it maybe be manned by 5 young gentlemen who claim to own the first 24 hour fruit stand.  Fortunately - they also know how to hook up the RV services that are “around back” - at the little truck stop next door which is located about 35 miles from Spokane.  (Their cherries are wonderful and they swear their asparagus will bring tears to your eyes though we didn’t get any on this trip.) 

We learned that the kindness of strangers is heartwarming and combine with a few hours of fitful (but very needed) sleep it is enough to keep you from turning around and heading back home.

We learned that even though you’re dirty, tired, stinky, disorganized and discouraged that waking up the next day (with everyone still asleep) seeing the sunrise on a beautiful clear blue morning, AND being able to wash up, clean and rearrange the small space that houses 5 creatures – might keep you smiling…well, that’s until Morgan has another unscheduled delivery of fecal matter...

Today, Thursday, July 7^th, has been a much better day.

We figured out a really good way to get three anxious Great Danes out a narrow door, down three metal stairs and keep them from running off into the Rest Stop after a smart-aleck squirrel. 

The above feat can also now be accomplished without falling out on top of the said dogs, or getting your arm jerked from its socket, or allowing the trampling of the love of your life who (by-the-way) is trying to grab the dogs and simultaneously keep you from falling down said stairs - a$$ over appetite! 

So, now that I’ve got all the computer gadgets and devices hooked up and sync’d, and I've got the first "from the field" blog posted -  I’m going to turn out the lights, and hopefully get a less fitful night sleep. 

Oh yeah, we also learned that if you stop early enough to find a place with showers and laundry services that it makes the anticipation of tomorrow morning absolutely shiny! 

Here’s to shiny tomorrows…and Morgan’s cooperation with the timing of her hind-end delivery system. 

The Three Danes Inn - Introduction

Exactly what is the Three Danes Inn, you ask?  Well, actually, it's a 29' Jayco Designer Series, Class “C” RV and for 6 weeks this summer, we are going to take it to travel across country for our family vacation.  Our family is comprised of 2 humanoids, 2 "Duval Barn" cats (a rare breed, found only in little town a stone's throw east of Seattle) and three, yes THREE Great Danes.  Come on, did you really think it was named after three guys named Franz, Hans and Lars?   They actually rule our hearts and lives, so it's only appropriate that this adventure is named for them. 

So, let me introduce the family:  Donald (the main driver of the RV), and JoAnn (the navigator) and then we have the fur-faced kids in the family.  The 2 cats - also known as the "Fatty Boyz" who are Digger and Fa-fa.  The Fatty Boyz actually have another engagement and will not be traveling with us, and the stars of the show...the Danes: 

• Morgan - the "princess" of the family, who is a 9 years old fawn bitch, with cropped ears.  She's 37" at the withers, and 145 lbs. 
• Julio - the big beautiful boy, a 6 year old fawn dog with cropped ears.  He's 37" at the withers, and 170 lbs.  
• Rose'e - our "dainty dane" - who is a black bitch with natural ears and a mere 31" and 125 lbs. 

…and so the story goes…

We’ve recently purchased a used Class “C” RV, and are in the process of getting it “road worthy.”  For us that means spending a chunk of change to make sure we don’t break-down in BF Arkansas and end up trying to strum a banjo to keep from getting shot, eaten, or well…you know…

So, we’re learning a lot as we go.  Mostly right now about all the different systems onboard, how they work, which settings need to be tweaked AND in what order you light things off to sit a spell, and which settings and hoses need to be unhooked when you want a quick getaway.  Keep in mind, we are totally “greenhorns” at this, so I’m going to be referring to the majority of this trip as an “Adventure” rather than a “Vacation” and I’m sure there are going to be times when I call it “A Little Slice of Heaven” (which is JoAnn-speak for “whose idea was this anyway?)  
As you can imagine, we’ve been searching websites, reading books, perusing pamphlets, studying manuals – and talking to a lot of people – who when it comes to RV-ing seem to come out of the woodwork when you mention you have one.  But really, we are soaking up any information that might make our trip safer, enjoyable, and also…keep us from having any event that might end up the 7 o’clock News. 

So, STAY TUNED!!!