GLADYS IS THE MISS MANNERS OF CAMPING

Years and years ago my family went camping in the mountains of New Mexico.  I was probably four years old but I still remember it like it was yesterday.  All of us piled in the salmon colored Ford station wagon, our beloved daschund huddled in the back seat with the rest of us kids drinking NeHi grape soda and eating Cheetos.   Hey don’t judge until you’ve tried it.  Muck the magic wiener dog loved it.

There we were in the wilds of the Gila Mountains.  Bare cliffs to the north of us and desert to the south of us.  My brother would tell me to get down in the floor boards because there were Indians on the cliffs and they loved to kidnap little girls with frizzy hair and buck teeth.  I looked up to my big brother and believed everything he told me.  Well, almost everything. 

It was in those early days that I learned the Golden Rules of Camping.  Yes, there are RULES.  There are rules for everything and everyone.  You don’t get a pass just because you think you are special.  Trust me you’re not. 

Let’s go over some of those rules and see if you are guilty of these or if you are a happy camper.

       The standard you bring it in, you take it out.  Everything from the wrapper on your snickers to poop.  Unless of course, facilities are provided.  Nobody wants to be out trekking the wilds only to come upon a big pile of your feces.  Novices to hiking will stand around with their guide books pontificating about which animal left their scat under the elm tree.  “It could be the Puma Concolor” Biff will pose while Skip will argue that it is the Ursus Americana.  Nope it will just be the old Americana Dumbass.

2.       If camping in a camp ground be respectful of your neighbor.  Now see I believe this goes back to that golden rule of life.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  What I mean is don’t take up more space than was allotted you.  Don’t be noisy and rambunctious after ten pm and don’t be that morning clatterer clanging pots and pans before six in the morning.  Be respectful. 

3.       Just because you are camping does not give you or your children permission to act like fools.  Kids will be kids but teach your kids to respect themselves as well as others.  Don’t trample through someone else’s camp site.  Don’t set up camp in the middle of walk ways and or driving lanes.  Yes, we are all thrilled this is little Psummer’s with a silent P first camping trip and that little Gailey, pronounced Hailey, just loves to play in the stream but keep an eye on them for goodness sake.  No one wants to police your kids.  That is your job.

4.       If you have a large group camping together, please for the love of all things holy, do not take over the whole camp ground.  There are other people there trying to enjoy it too and may not want to be in the middle of your Corn Hole game or listen to your Uncle Bill’s rounding rendition of Jail House Rock.

5.       Pets.  Can we talk about your pets?  I love dogs, cats, ferrets and birds of all flavors but if you can’t control your animal then don’t bring it with you or at the very least keep it on a leash.  I know you love Fluffy and could not stand to be a minute away from the hairy little fuzz ball but remember Pete Puma loves Fluffy too.  Fluffy tastes just like chicken.  Also remember all animals do not instantly get along.  Dog fights are unpleasant, a kitty being terrorized by Fido is awful and your ferret burrowing into your neighbor’s camper is rude so keep your pet under control at all times.

OK, I’m gonna stop preaching here and leave you with a few thoughts.  Some people LIVE in their RV’s.  It is their home.  They go from place to place enjoying this wonderful country of ours.  Most of them are good at what they do.  They enjoy meeting new people and new faces.  So, when you're camping and someone says Good Morning or Good Afternoon, don’t be an ass.  Smile and return the greeting.  It will make you a better camper.

The Incident of the Shabby RV at Night

So, this happened...

Last week my Kahuna had travel out of town which meant he had to leave extra early.   We drag ourselves out of a nice comfortable slumber as the alarm screeched at us.  This was around 3:30 in the morning.  As is my pattern I rose and made him coffee and packed his lunch and breakfast.  We said our goodbye at the door.  I noticed an older shabby motorhome had parked across from us in the middle of the night. Odd but not alarming.

 Let me explain a little.  We are living in a motor home in a very nice R.V. Park at a Native American Casino.  Lots of nice rigs in a very quiet park.   

I went back to bed but traveling with a little dog you never get to sleep in.  I got up around six to let Bozz out to pee.  Which is when I noticed that there was a young man in a Kia parked across from me at the shabby RV. 

 Ok Odd but still not alarming. I mean people wait for people all the time, right?  I got ready to go to the store at about ten a.m. and the Kia was still parked in front of RV with the guy still sitting there. You know that feeling in your gut when something just doesn’t seem safe?  Yeah, I had that.  I needed to go grocery shopping and got in my car but still felt apprehensive about both the RV and the man waiting in front.  As I was leaving the park the ranger pulled in. I stopped and told him what spot I was in and what I had witnessed. He told me thanks and I went on my way.

 I got back to my RV around noon and low and behold the little Kia pulls in shortly after I did. This crack head looking guy got out of Kia ran into RV and then came back out and took off in a hurry. About an hour later I took Bozz for a walk and came back to sit outside and again another car pulled up to RV, guy gets out ran into RV and then out and sped off. This happened all afternoon. It was like watching a revolving door.  Car would pull up, person get out ran into the RV, door would fly open, off they would speed. 

 I walked to the office and told the girl at the desk what I had seen. I told her something just seemed sketchy. She asked what spot and I told her. She jumped up and told me that there is no one in that spot. Ummm Yeah there is.  She called the ranger who informed her he has stopped by there twice on suspicious vehicle calls, but had observed nothing. OK... I go back to RV.

Within minutes of me sitting down in my chair and opening my book a car sped up to RV. A girl jumped out and started pulling the hook-ups. It was like Mario Andretti’s pit crew.  She had water, sewer, power and cable pulled and in the RV in seconds flat.  They fired up the rig and drove off down the road, WITH SLIDE-OUTS STILL OUT.  Yes, that is what I said.  The slide outs were still fully extended.  They pulled up the road a little and I watched as four scruffy looking young men ran through the bushes and hopped into the shabby RV.  They goosed the diesel engine and in a cloud of bluish-black smoke they sped rocking and swaying out of the park, WITH SLIDES STILL FULLY EXTENDED. 

The girl from the office sped toward the listing RV she took the first corner on two wheels of her golf cart followed by the Tribal Police and the Park Ranger.  They convened in front of the vacated spot.  I stood and yelled to them “You just missed them.  They just rounded the corner in a cloud of smoke, but I don’t think they will get far”.  Ranger Tom called back “Why not?”  I laughed “THEIR SLIDES ARE STILL OUT”.   Ranger Tom and TPD Officer Brent sped off in pursuit of the shabby RV with its slides extended.  The girl from the office checked to make sure nothing had been damaged in the expedited exit of said RV. 

Later I spoke with the front desk and they told me that they had indeed caught the shabby RV down the road trying to suck in their slides and that they had been apprehended and dealt with.  And yes, to answer the big question in the spirit of Jesse Pinkman and Walter White it was indeed a meth RV.