Flying solo

Dansmam

Hey, what adventures, out into the unknown, my favourite! Bit of battery trouble here this week. Still, best to learn you need jump leads before you leave the country. So happy there are so many helpful human people who are happy to be called on when troubles strike. So glad to have children without boundaries. So happy you're on your travels. So jealous but coming up with a plan

Dansmam

Did have one journey length of Britain where we carried a watering can in the boot to top up the radiator. Had no cash to repair it. Stopped a lot and carpets were sodden, but it was one of the journeys I'll never forget. Pretty certain you'll have the wipers fixed by now Have fun, enjoy!

*Robin*

Hello Diary and Dear MSEers, :hello:

Well. We made it; skin of the teeth job as it turns out - the chariot is a death-trap! A while ago someone must have clobbered it underneath, kinking a brake pipe so that it's rubbing on one of the front wheels. :eek:
The mechanic who took it to be MOTd and the MOT garage boss both agree the car is so dangerous it shouldn't even be driven the five miles back to me..

Someone must have been watching over us, especially driving though the deluge and even more so when an idiot cut me up trying to avoid a toll-road, necessitating as sharp an emergency stop as I've ever had to perform.. :A

I am furious - Owner promised her car was in good condition - risking Divo Four's life before he's really had a chance to enjoy adult independence!
Never mind that it cost over a third more in fuel than she told me it would [nearly twice what van would have used], or the front tyres which needed pumping up every three hours, or the wretchedly dangerous wipers I had to replace.. :mad:

Oh yes, and when we were loaded on the boat, there was a good two metres headroom - so m' dear old but mechanically sound van would have fitted in no problem - ferry company will be getting a letter about that..

So now to the good news: Camper van is comfy, warm and dry, everything works as it should [or will do once DS and I master the various controls ] and we're staying at a beautiful camp-site in the New Forest with acres of wonderful woodland walks to enjoy (memo to self: must find socks and m' pair of proper shoes - it's really not sandal-country lol).

Rain is lashing down outside but we are snug and there's plenty of room, although LP's natural odour is returning so both DS and I will be relieved when Owner collects him. Somehow I don't think he'll be delighted - LP has already decided I'm 'his' person which really isn't part of the plan (on the boat he peed up my leg when I was stroking another dog, the wretch :cool:).

Sparky how lovely to 'see' you, thank you for your kind words.
..Just as well you didn't observe my reaction when MOT garage boss 'phoned with news of the car - it would have ruined your good opinion! :rotfl:

Dansmam - cross-posted; you're up late too, eh?
Tbh if DD's van has a weak battery now, it will save a load of hassle to replace it before the girls set off - after checking the problem is not actually a faulty alternator, of course (there speaks experience ).

You're right, part of the fun is surviving adversity - my own favourite near-disaster memory is of trying to find a garage while negotiating Paris rush-hour with only third and fourth gears functioning.. Eventually we struck lucky, decanted all the kids but an adult passenger was fast asleep so we left him to it, while the minibus we had then was hoisted high.. He woke up, opened the door and found himself stepping into a couple of metres of air (wasn't hurt thanks to his alcohol content - why is it drunken people can avoid injury in such situations? The shock served him right because he was supposed to be driving but snuck off to a bar while the rest of us were packing up the camping stuff).

Looking forward to hearing your own plan for an adventure - go for it!

And now, in the immortal words of Zebedee - who remembers the Magic Roundabout? - it really is time for bed!

Dansmam

Crossposted and I am seriously now off to bed but SO happy you made it, that DS has an uncompromised future, but worry you may now have LP for life:rotfl:. I love the New Forest. Enjoy, but I always reckoned you needed a compass to safely go for a walk . Night. Hope dogs and humans all sleep tight x

*Robin*

Dansmam wrote: »

Crossposted and I am seriously now off to bed but SO happy you made it, that DS has an uncompromised future, but worry you may now have LP for life. :rotfl: I love the New Forest. Enjoy, but I always reckoned you needed a compass to safely go for a walk . Night. Hope dogs and humans all sleep tight x

Good morning everyone, :hello:

Slept marvellously, thank you Dansmam.

One thing am certain of is that Owner loves her little pirate, and is more concerned about him than the car - I was roundly blamed for it failing the MOT, and the prices charged by garages around here!
She's showing herself to be a bit of a bully, tbh, which does not bring out the best aspects of m' own character..

There's no chance I'd keep LP; he's sweet, but once one has been successfully owned by snow-dogs any others simply can't measure up. LP also still snaps when CD gets close to him - although it's ok if he feels like cuddling up to her.
I'd trust CD - even blind - to guide me back along our route if we got lost in the woods; her intelligence and sense of smell is that good. She trusts me to help her avoid walking into things in return.

Time to go through the on-the-road receipts:
Hotels - £130
Fuel - £135
Ferry - £260
MOT - £40
New wipers / air pumps - £22
Food and incidentals - £60
Camp site - £27 per night (inc electric & wifi - and £5 extra for LP; no chance Owner will repay that).

..Feel like am leaking money atm, but this is the payoff for spending a couple of years living in the middle of a field, so we're allowed to enjoy it.

Dansmam

Yep, the time we had to top up the radiator in the Scottish borders making sure to miss the tadpoles was the best! 3 kids primary school and under. Had to call aa from a cottage with 2 very wary borders ladies in it in the end. 60s I'd guess, and they thought we were very scary...travel must be a public service, broadens the mind:)
If you did want to keep LP I don't think that lady deserves her dog back, though I'd probably not want to take her on x

please-let-me-be-lucky

Glad you made it to the campsite safe and sound.

Sorry, but I had to laugh at the leg peeing incident . Reminds me of the first time DH came to my parents house and our dog peed on me then too. Maybe I should have taken more note of his opinion :rotfl: Xx

*Robin*

Good morning Diary and Dear MSEers, :hello:

Dansmam - what a lovely story about saving tadpoles from the water you needed to get your vehicle running again. :T
A collection of travelling mishaps and recoveries would make a good read - certainly an amusing one, as well as being educational for those just setting out on a road-trip.
Has anyone else got a similar tale to relate?

Lucky - am delighted to give you a giggle at my expense; it was funny, although not appreciated at the time because I'd forgotten to take a spare set of clothes up to our cabin (on that particular boat we were ordered to make a single trip from the car deck with dogs, their food, bowls & bedding, and our overnight needs).
My experience could have been much worse - the dog I'd been stroking when LP "owned me" also tried to lift his leg; that one was a mastiff, so would have drenched me if his owner hadn't been on the ball! :eek:
As it was, I just had a damp lower trouser leg after rinsing off in our cabin - not the end of the world.. :rotfl:

We have heard nothing more from LP's Owner since a ranty 'phone-call and FB post on Friday (she was supposed to collect chariot and dog that evening). Am not sure what to do - but certain I don't want to spend any more money on her dangerous car!

Meanwhile LP already recognises camper-van as his 'home for now' - evidenced by the speed he returns to it on the way back from woodland walks. He's also enjoying the same diet as CD since his disgusting canned dog-food attracted flies (couldn't keep it in the van because the stench was awful, all pervading - so left it wrapped up underneath the camper overnight, then DS binned it when we discovered lots of eggs in there the following morning).
I just don't get it; if you've got a very small dog, why supply a single giant can of food which will take him two weeks to get through?
Needless to say, LP was over the Moon on discovering finest minced beef in his bowl yesterday after we went shopping - stopped him trying to pinch CD's grub anyway, lol.

He's also more comfortable, because I'm doing something not normally advisable; putting CD's drops in his blind eye which was swollen to about a third larger than the other one when he arrived at the Nest, and obviously hurting him. Now his eyes are the same size, and he has stopped rubbing his head and crying when he is stroked on the forehead.
Haven't been able to do much about the problem he has with his nether regions except prevent him worrying the area; it appears to be resolving but am regretting there not being room in the car to bring m' medical kit or an aloe vera plant, both of which would have been useful first aid. As Owner failed to collect him on time, should I take LP to a local vet? He's not insured as far as I know.. :cool:

Spends:
Groceries - £30
Double sheet for DS' bed - £8
Camp site - £27

Sun_Addict

Glad you made it in one piece Robin. Re LP and his nether regions - could it be anal gland trouble? My JR suffers with hers from time to time and I'm trying to remedy this with a high fibre dry food. It would tie in with the tinned dog food business.

Brightspark87

Firstly so so sorry to hear about the car. Putting anyones life at risk like that is awful - I wouldn'tbe able to live with myself worrying about any accident I heard of thinking I had caused that!

not good to hear about your poorly eye, I hope it improves and LPx