A neighbor up the road aways gave me 2 fingers of dark rum in a
paper cup. I rushed home making sure not to spill a single drop
of this precious liquid, lit the burner under the teakettle and
sat back in anticipation of a hot toddy.
It was cold there on that campground high in the mountains. Our
propane tank was almost empty so I decided not to turn the space
heater on but to cover myself with my sleeping bag instead.
Desert Dog Dutchess with her thick coat of fur was not bothered
by the cold.
Before I could take a sip of the amber ambrosia,there was a knock
on our door. Dutchess, who normally warns me when someone comes
near our rig, missed this one. Startled, she barked. Was it the
wind that made her not hear our visitor approaching?
That reminded me of a story Jody, a lady who travels alone, once
told me about her dog. The dog, whose name is JoJu, has never
lived in a house. He was born in an RV and adopted by Jody who
is a full-timer. Yet, every time a doorbell rings on TV, JoJu
barks and runs to sit in front of the RV door as if to protect
his mistress against a possible intruder.
The visitor who knocked on our door?
He wanted some smoking tobacco. Even after I told him that I
don't smoke and therefore didn't have any, he would not leave.
I could tell that he was lonely. Because I had never met this
stranger before I didn't invite him in. We just sat outside at
the picnic table freezing our buns off, making small talk.
My thoughts drifted off towards Hollandia's cozy cabin where
my hot toddy was waiting for me. Especially when the wind is
howling and my RV is rocking back and forth as it was on that
night, I get flashbacks of my years spent on the water. As in
the past it always gives me a safe feeling to be deep inside
the belly of a ship that is dancing on the waves.
After all, The Hollandia is my "ship of the desert."
When the stranger left I went inside and finally drank my hot
toddy that by now was as cold as if had come from the ice box.
Only much later did I learn that I could have re-heated it on
the stove without compromising the taste,only the alcohol level.
Oh well, you live and learn I guess!
