At Peace With the Mosquitos

~Tuesday, June 28, 2022~

Day 744

Day 8 of Alaska Trip

I’m so glad we decided to stay one extra day here. Waking up slowly to the soothing, calm water beating on the shore, and later, writing from my kitchen window looking out over the lake, was far better than being stuck in a car for hours. It’s being in an area like this that really makes you take stock and appreciate where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going; focusing on the little things that make up the big things. I guess it all stems from being more “present” in the day to day….definitely something I was lacking before embarking on this new way of living.

We interrupt this moment of appreciation to share a vivid dream. At the end of my early morning routine of coffee and writing time, Jeff woke up from a deep sleep dreaming about Tom Cruise. What??? You weren’t dreaming about your wife? Anyway, the dream went something like this…..Tom Cruise asked Jeff, “Hey, what did you think of my latest “Top Gun” movie?” Jeff reluctantly says,“I’m sorry, but I just haven’t had time to see it yet.”. Cruise says, “Well, I’ll tell you what….we’re having a premier in Tokyo tomorrow if you want to fly out and see it.” Jeff’s reply, “Well, o.k. then. You’re treat?” “Absolutely”, Tom replied with an impish grin. Next morning, they were on their way to Tokyo on Tom’s private jet. Now wouldn’t that be fun?? Even though I didn’t get to experience a Tokyo premiere, I did get an opportunity to watch the film on my recent visit to see my mom in California. We both agreed it was a 10 out of 10 and of course raved about it to my hubby, which is probably where the dream came from. Not usually remembering our dreams, I’m glad Jeff remembered this one at least, as we both had quite the laugh over it.

We had a lot of back and forth between being outside enjoying our sliver of beach, and watching the views from INSIDE the trailer when we’d had enough of those swarming insects.

Sadie had many opportunities to enjoy the water, though with an initial hesitation seeing a yellow layer of pollen on its surface. Sadie is quite the character sometimes. Eventually she realized if she was going to have any ball time, she would just have to get over this little hangup.

Accurately predicted, Jeff got what he asked for with the delivery of an afternoon thunderstorm. The dark sky and choppy waters would eventually bring in any fisherman or kayaker, putting a kibosh on their tranquil time.

When dinnertime came around (an earlier one I might add), we got on the topic about the evolution of RV’ing and how much it’s changed over the years. In the old days, typically, RV’ing seemed to comprise mostly of retired folks, leaving everyone else to enjoy the “tin can” experience for weekend getaways or family vacations. But today, you have EVERYONE taking part because of the ease of connectivity, many even doing it full-time while educating their kids from the road. I wonder what the percentage of people are that live full-time in their RV’s vs. owning a home? And then there are the people that live in an RV and never move. With Wi-fi, signal boosters, hotspots, internet, laptops, cell phones, etc. most everyone has the capability to have an off-grid experience. Sales of RV’s have skyrocketed and campgrounds are fuller than ever, especially after the pandemic. And the roads would be even busier if it weren’t for the sting of surging gas prices. It’s got to be affecting everyone’s pocket books.