Posted in Monday Memories
I'm skipping ahead a little to just before we left the Dubuque area, because even living in a tent is not always an adventure. There were many days that just became routine. So, fast foreword ever so slightly to:6/18/92
Place: So-Fro Fabrics
Dubuque, Iowa
We did get the van started last night and arrived at the post office about five minutes before Jasper got off work, but then this morning the van wouldn't start again. I was an hour late to work. I'm skipping lunch to make up for the hour I missed, so I can still get off at 6:00. It will be nice to find a campsite before dark for a change.
We spent last night at New Wine Township Park near Dyersville. It was $5 a night and was a quiet, out of the way park, but the showers were pay and there was a warning sign posted about drinking the water because it contained coliform bacteria.
Jasper is taking the van somewhere to have the fuel filter checked, because he thinks that's what's causing it not to start. It also needs an oil change before we drive it all the way to Montana (Jasper's mom's partner owned 40 acres of undeveloped land in Montana that she had told us we could go stay on).
The only piece of mail we received yesterday was a card from U.P.S., saying that our order from Lehman Hardware was available for pick-up. So, Jasper's supposed to go pick up the package today, also. If everything we ordered is in the box, it should contain a campfire grill, a book on edible wild plants, and a tin box for storing soap.
11:50 a.m.
My mother just called. "What are you going to do if the van breaks down?" She asked. "Are you going to call someone to come get you or have someone send you money to get home on?" I told her we'd cross that bridge when we come to it. She claims there are no Volkswagon parts or dealers West of the Mississippi.
She said my sister would call me Sunday to say good-by before we leave and that Grandma H. called her early this morning to get my work phone number.
4:55 p.m.
My Grandma H.called to wish us luck and to let me know that if things don't work out , she would pay for us to get back to Illinois. She said she really wished we weren't going, though.
I've been sewing all day and have finished half of the top of a lavender and
white baby quilt.
