If it weren’t for bad luck we’d have no luck at all!

September 12 – If it weren’t for bad luck we’d have no luck at all!  That’s our official RV slogan!

The hitch riding the pavement

We were up and ready to roll for the 3 hours to Whitehouse, OH, just 15 minutes from Maumee.  We agreed I would drive ahead and pick a level place somewhere to hook up the car to the RV.  So I pulled out first and went to the bottom of the lane to stop and make sure Bill cleared the tree and firepit OK.  As I stopped the car I heard the most awful scraping sound.  I left the car running and the door open and went waving my arms and saying “Stop, Stop, Stop”.  And he did.  I could see the tow hitch pretty much on the pavement and when I walked around I could see there was no way we could go forward without damaging it.  There was the lane in front of our site, a strip of grass and another lane and more RV’s.  Bill swung wide to miss the tree and firepit and decided to cut over to the second lane to drive out.  The problem was the drop-off from our lane was too deep and we were in a real pickle!  We got out our 4 little boards for putting under our level legs and tried repeatedly to back but the driver rear wheel was not even on the

The scrape and mud flap

ground and would not grip.  After several tries we drove to the office and told the guy in charge what was going on.  He drove out and they decided we needed shovels and more boards.  He got boards and shovels and he and Bill dug out under the tire and put more boards in and that still didn’t work.  Then he went and got 2 of his yard workers who were sitting around BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING and brought them over.  They tried more digging and some gravel but no luck.  Then they decided to try using forklift equipment.  While they went to get it Bill and our neighbor put some boards under the back level legs and I was to raise just the rear.  We’ve never done that, actually, we’ve only used the legs a very few times.  Well, it worked!  Hallelujah! It raised enough to get the forks under the rear without touching the hitch.  He eased it forward and raised it a tiny bit and I took the legs up.  Then I had the pleasure of doing the driving VERY slowly straight forward.  I crept along and stopped quickly each time they said and we managed to clear the pavement and do no harm to the hitch.  The mud flat what a whole other story, but in the scope of what could have been damaged that was no big deal.  It was off on one side and the guys took it the rest of the way off and we were finally on our way at 10:30.

No way could Bill drive today.  He was very upset with himself and the situation and of course it was rainy again and more construction but we made it to Whitehouse without getting lost and into our flat gravel parking space at Twin Acres after 2.  Whew!

Fallen Timbers Monument

Once we parked and hooked up the electric and water we headed out.  We’d already lost a day and Bill had a list of places he wanted to go and see the changes in 40 years.  We stopped at Fallen Timbers NHS to view the monument of General Anthony Wayne with an Indian guide and a Settler.  It commemorates the Indians wars and Battle of 1812.  It’s an unattended small park and we were the only ones there.

We went to Maumee where Bill lived with his mother

Bill's first house

when he was in high school and where she lived until she moved to Arizona many years later.  His house no longer has a front yard, as they 4-laned the road in front by taking the yards of all the houses on that side.  We drove around to the street behind which would be the only way people could get to those houses and took a couple of photos.  He pointed out the homes of all of his good friends that we will see tomorrow at the reunion. He took me to see the house he bought with his first wife.  It still has the siding he had put on I think 4 years ago.  The only fading was where they took off the shutters.  Then I received the grand tour of Maumee!

Bill went to dinner with 4 of his friends and I stayed home and blogged and starting catching up on bill paying and tons of neglected paperwork.  I thought he’d be home around 10 but it was 11.  He said they could have stayed longer they were having such a good time together.  One of the guys who can’t make the reunion came tonight so Bill was happy to see that guy.