Mammoth Waits

24 May 2020

From April 7 until June 18, Mammoth will sit unmoving. It's not what we planned, hoped, or dreamed, but that's what it is. Many people have it worse than us, but that's little consolation. We're stuck and it sucks.




The June trip to Palo Duro Canyon and the side trip to Great Plains State Park are canceled. The unscheduled trips, most likely  short fishing jaunts, that would have occurred during May, are on hiatus. And although I'm not having to suffer the twice-daily rush hour drive to work, I'm working. Five days a week; eight hours a day. (Sometimes seven hours, but who's counting?)

When the Corp. of Engineers parks finally started to allow reservations again last week, I hurried to make one for July, to see Edward. I knew the weather would suck royally, but at least it would suck royally in a place that's not here. That trip is for a Monday through Friday.  Then later, hearing Ed suggest he'd like to go fish Lake of the Pines again, I reserved a site for the third week of June even though it means I'll have to squander precious vacation pay for three days. (In this one case, time is money. If I didn't take vacation time, I could cash it out at the end of June. But money seems a little meaningless right now--I want my time!)

While we wait, I work and watch birds. See?


While we wait, Ed works on Mammoth. He did the leaking roof repairs and took another stab at the gray water pipe. It's down to a very slow drip, but that's still not acceptable. He did a more thorough cleaning on the inside than we've ever done, and it's freakishly clean in there.

Look at the beauty he's created on the entry steps!













Now he's washing and waxing the outside, from roof to wheels. It's so clean I almost don't want to get it out again and get bugs on it.




Almost.