Summer's over

We had our first Fall frost yesterday. As what seems to be becoming typical of the weather, which no longer does anything in half-way measures, it was a doozy. There was a time when Summer would kind of amble out gently, subtly hinting that it was leaving by toying with a few "light" frosts, the kind that would nip a few leaves in the garden and remind you that, hey, it's time to pick the tomatoes before they turn into ice cubes on the vine. Not this year. Moderate temperatures one day, definitely below freezing the next. There was none of that hovering coyly right around 32 and gently hinting -- it was barely 30 degrees and a total zapping of everything except the broccoli and aptly named snow peas. There wasn't so much frost coating everything as there was ice, thanks to the day or two of rain that preceded the cold snap.

So now it's September, we're having to put a fire going in the woodstove each morning, and I find myself thinking I need to start buying the L'Anse Sentinel again. Unless you're a big fan of local high school sports, the Sentinel is good for maybe three things: lining bird cages, housebreaking puppies, and starting fires. We don't need it for the first two so we only buy it during the cold months. But that's a digression.

What's actually on my mind is prepping the Guppy for travel. We're scheduled to spend the month of October as campground hosts at Montauk State Park in Missouri so need to finish a few minor things we've realized we needed (e.g., curtains for the cab) and make sure we've got everything stashed that we want to bring with us. It does help that the weather turned cold -- it'll make it a lot easier to remember to carry cold weather gear with us if we're wearing it. And we definitely need cold weather gear because we'll be back here in early November. I do not want to arrive home in a snowstorm dressed in high water pants and Teva sandals.

Earlier this week the S.O. took care of what was probably the most important part of prepping for hitting the road. He took the Guppy down to the local propane dealer and had the regulator replaced. We have now checked out all the systems on the Guppy when it comes to what we need to live in it, the Guppy itself is mechanically sound (tuned up and raring to go), the tow dolly is in good shape, and things in general are looking good. The S.O. picked up a bunch of cheap DVDs at a rummage sale recently so we'll even have some new (to us) movies to watch in the evening. At this point, we could take off tomorrow if we didn't have stuff we need to get done around here before we leave. Here's hoping the weather stays dry for a few days so we can get it all done without feeling rushed.