Escapees July-August 2022

camping chair chat

Doggone Karma Many of us frequent campgrounds either as a destination or a stop along the way. So there we were, in Flagsta ff , Arizona, home of the Snowbowl. Any ounce of research would have told us to keep driving south. But we did not, and we had given away our trusty-dusty mini propane heater to a person who needed it, so, when the tempera ture dipped below freezing, our only options for heat were a camp fi re or an electric heater. We ended up booking a few nights at the local campground, plugged our heater in, and slept in the warmth. But, being in such a populated area, my guard was down, and I left a few things outside that we would normally pack up at night such as our love-seat camping chair and a milkcrate with a bag of dog food. Potentially dangerous wildlife could have been drawn to our camp site or our property could have been stolen. What actually happened: I heard a noise outside and peeked out to see a small dog trying to get into the bag of dog food. My natural reaction was to gasp audibly in the same manner I do when my own pups are up to no good. This little dog looked at me and put its entire mouth around the folded-up end of the 13-pound bag, picked it up and ran off down the trail. Since I had no money for more dog food and the brand was expensive, I took to running behind this dog

though it eventually weaved through campsites and lost me. I told the campground manager about the situa tion, hoping they could direct me to the pup’s human companion who might have possibly discovered a bag of food that was not theirs. However, the manager was not sure which camper brought the dog I described. As an extra unnecessary gesture, the campground paid for a new bag of dog food, and I was sincerely appreciative. I took that as a lesson on many levels. The obvious was that I should always use precaution with food items. Even further, it was instilled that our most valuable possessions should always be put away. I also learned that I am not the runner I was in prior years and was very disappointed to see the distance across the campground compared to how much running I felt like I had done. My favorite lesson of the entire story though is that we fi nd nice people along our travels who will be understanding. One week after the thievery, I saw the dog outside a gas station waiting for the owner. When the owner came out, he was very clearly a traveler like myself and I decided that bag of dog food magically showing up at his campsite in the night might have been something he really needed. In the end, we all won because I recommend that campground any chance I get! Meghan Maloof, Guest Contributor

Rainbow at Rainbow’s End Judy captured this photo of her RV parked under a full rainbow at Rainbow’s End in Livingston, Texas! JUDY RINEHIMER #89390

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ESCAPEES Magazine July/August 2022