Friday, two days ago, we closed on our sticks and bricks house. Two days before that we went to a nearby Corps of Engineers park and set up camp for the next 10 days. We had been moving things into the RV for a couple weekends, but Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were the last days to get everything out of the house and into the motorhome, and get rid of what wasn't going with us. We agonized over the decision on whether or not to get a storage unit. We ended our stay in the house with the following furniture; a platform-type king sized bed, a full-sized futon, a small bedside table, an entry table, and some cubicle furniture. We decided to put it into storage for use by our children in the event that they needed something to start them out in life. It isn't much, some kitchen items we weren't using, towels we didn't need in the MH, sheets, blankets, a lamp or two, etc...
***I might note that both of our children are currently in the U.S. Navy. Our son joined about 2 years ago and is currently serving aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt. Our daughter graduated high school this past June 2015, and also decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy. She leaves for basic training 26 March 2016.***
The night before we were to close on the house we had an emergency. Our beloved Chihuahua, Daisy Mae, was not feeling well and had to be rushed to the Emergency Vet Clinic. She had a heart murmur detected a few years ago, but had never had a single incident of trouble with her respiratory system. On the way to the vet, she was intermittently going limp, spacey-looking eyes, blueish-grey tongue, and possible had a mild seizure. She had to stay overnight in the the puppy ER, and she wasn't out of the woods yet when we picked her up the next morning around 7:30am. We were informed she had fluid on her lungs, and was suffering from congestive heart failure. We rushed her to our regular veterinarian and he kept her there, giving her oxygen and was also able to get some of the fluid off of her lungs, We closed on the house, but I was a wreck throughout the night before and that entire day. I was doing better on Saturday and things were looking up when the vet called around noon to say she was doing better, not ready to come home yet, but seemed to be breathing a little easier and less fluid on her lungs. About 30 minutes later, he called again and said she didn't make it. She had simply fallen asleep and passed. I was a mess!!! This had been my baby dog for 14 years. She had LOVED the short trips we'd taken in the RV over the past year. She would bound out the door and into the car whenever we mentioned going to see Gertrude (the name of our motorhome). I take comfort in knowing that I didn't have to decide to "have her put down" and that she passed peacefully on her own.
I am having her cremated, and her ashes will travel with us on this journey. All of her belongings and food will be distributed among our friends and a local shelter. I had truly hoped she'd get to travel with us for a few years and meet all kinds of new people, friends, and get to smell a TON of wonderful puppy scents, but that was not to be. It was difficult to write the letter to my son and break the news to him. But I told him about the entire ordeal and was very honest with him. He wrote back and thanked me for my honesty. We have decided that it was meant to be that we trek across this beautiful country without a pet, besides my daughter's beta fish and snail. I can't ever remember what she named them all, but I call them Berta, Ernie, and Gary. hehehe
So now we're officially off and begun our adventure as full-time RVers! Yay! I am slowly getting things organized in Gertrude and put neatly away where they are hidden from visiting eyes. *grin* We look forward to the many friends we will meet along our travels. Now I'm off to figure out where else I can stash some more shoes. hehe
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