We wake to the sound of horses galloping across the pasture and I will miss that.  It’s ending the way it began – my first morning I awoke to the whinnying of Joey telling me it was time to get up and when I opened the blinds of my trailer I saw his face looking in the window.  It was then I knew, I was far away from where I’d come from.  I’d done it.  I’d found the trailer.  I’d bought the trailer.  I’d gotten the trailer delivered from Tampa.  Tomorrow  was Christmas Eve and the big red bow on the window made the statement of what a gift had been given me.  Freedom, warmth, an oasis in the world, mobility, a whole bunch of potential just waiting for me to discover it.

I would be somewhat happy to keep hanging out here, but when we came home from the crazy not-sailing trip two nights ago, my trailer was gone.  Bill, in one of his bipolar episodes decided to move it into the middle of the woods.  Through the fences and in the darkness, we hook her up to my truck and pull her back out and onto the side of the driveway.  I want to take her out then, impulsively because I’m pissed, but Vic and Trinity calm me down and we decide to wait a few days until we have a more solid and sane plan.  We don’t really come up with one, but on Tuesday afternoon we go anyway.

We take her out, Frida Kahlo, around the loop and as Vic is backing up and I’m on the road watching him, I hear a loud “POP!” and then see smoke moving along the triangle that joins the hitch to the camper.  He jumps out as I yell out and run to grab the fire extinguisher.  It’s already over though, except for the smell of melted plastic and burnt wire.  As he investigates, I hear the “zzzztt” of wires sparking and I shriek as a reflex.  He assures me he is okay and continues to investigate.  Another “zzztt” another shriek from me, to which he waves his arm in a firm request for me to relocate.  I apologize.  I can’t help it.  Call it some PTSD caused by a dramatic and traumatic childhood.  “I’m not even getting hurt,” he says to calm me, “but your shrieking is freaking me out.”  I let him handle it and discover that the sway bars were put on on top of some wiring and the friction from driving and turning has shorted it all out.

So, meanwhile, back at the ranch…..

He gets to rewiring it, all the while calling me sweetie as I hand him tools and have Toad on speaker phone explaining how to fix it.  He is absolutely my hero once again.  It’s not that he even knows how to do it, but he stays calm and confident and cares enough about me to try to figure it out.

We finally get her back connected and we are off again.  We go to Myakka State Park just as the sun is setting and stop to enjoy the view and snap some pics.  As we go to leave because we’re hungry, we can’t get the brake assembly to engage.  More investigation leads to the discovery that we’ve got a blown fuse, probably due to the wiring fiasco.  So we drive ever so gingerly to an auto parts store with only the truck brakes to stop the whole thing – luckily, Florida is flat.  Fuse replaced and it’s late, we go to eat at Burger King and when they ask if it’s for here or to go, we answer “both!”  We are eating it at home in the parking lot with a bottle of sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, the last of the four bottles I brought back from New Zealand.  I was saving it for a special occasion and can think of nothing more special than this, the camper’s first night out.  I am so happy, happier than I thought I’d be and that tells me that I’ve made the right decision.  Whatever comes, this is my path, and I’ve never felt it with such certainty as I do tonight over a veggie burger and fries.

We go to the rest area at the bottom of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and camp overnight and this is our view the next morning.  I feel very blessed to be in this place with this person.  As much as I wanted to stay in the ease and comfort of the ranch, it was time to move on and the place that embraced me on the other side of that move was beautiful enough to make the transition all worth it,  It’s the beginning of something very new and also very unknown.  I’ll develop a whole new set of skills as I engage in a whole new way of living…being blown ad trusting the direction.