July & a Bit of August 2023 ~ We Did What?

Where to start?  F&O survived Red Bay, AL for 5 weeks.   This was a massive undertaking, as the town is dry, small, seriously Baptist, full of ‘blessings’, as well as being hot as Hades, humid, lots and lots of thunderstorms, and boring as boring can be for two critters who prefer to roam.  The closest casino was in the next state, 3 hours away.  (Sorry poker peeps. Give us a few weeks, we will get to Reno the end of the month.)

F&O started by checking out the local sights, such as nearby state parks and scenic attractions.  Due to weather and locale, there were not many options under an hour’s drive.   However, it should be noted that the state parks of both MS and AL are very nicely priced (free for vets) and well maintained.  A private historically significant trail called Dismal’s Canyon (AL) was kind of cool, as was the Tishomingo State Park (MS).    The otter and flamingo hiked in both places in a valiant attempt to get their steps in and not waste away sitting in the RV or the coffee shop.

There were two occasions during the five-week period where F&O were able to get out of town.  The first was when the service center had to tear the roof off the RV to repair the air-ducts.   This took a week, so the repair shop allotted a hotel stipend which was spent on a week in Nashville, TN (about 3 hours away).   You can see the photos of Flynn barhopping down Honkey Tonk Row in a previous post.  The critters took in as many sights as they deemed necessary in the area, and visited family nearby in KY.   T-shirts were obtained, food was sampled, and a good time was had by all, except for Jonsie (the cat) who was not pleased with being stuck in a hotel room for a week. 

The second occasion was over the 4^th of July weekend, when the service center was closed for four days.  F&O packed up the RV and took her out of repair detention for a furlough to Parker Crossroads, TN for three nights.   There they were able to jump to Memphis for a day to see Beale Street and other such important sights.  They did not go to Graceland; the tickets to see someone’s house were absurdly expensive.  (Side note: this whole area is riddled with Elvis history.   F&O made several trips to Tupelo, MS where Mr. Presley was born. F&O didn’t visit that house either.  Tupelo is the closest city with real stores and amenities to Red Bay.)   To be frank, neither animal has a particular affinity for Elvis. Nor the Beatles for that matter.   Huh.   

BAR Pix, and then some! Get ready……

Speaking of the South being riddled with:   Civil war.  That is its claim to fame all over MS, AL and KY.   The winner of the town to tout its significance goes to Corinth, MS.   Yes, F&O spent a day there too, meandering the town, the famed railroad crossing, and looking at cannons.  Nice place, friendly people, but the local soda fountain needs to brush up on their egg creams.   Must be a NE thing…

Above is the general summary of the adventures while in Red Bay, AL while awaiting warranty work on Bebop, the RV.  The reality is that the weather and the logistics of staying in an RV while it is being serviced is more difficult than it seems when there is a cat (or dog, or other living being) for which one is responsible.   While customers could leave for the day while the RV was in the service bay, Jonsie had to go with F&O in the truck.   It was close to 95 degrees every day, so he could not be left in the truck alone while Flynn and Ollie went galivanting about on foot. A/C was essential.   On weekends and non-workdays, this was not an issue as he could stay in the RV solo.   There was a lot of sitting around in the coffee shop (they allowed pets) and the service center lounge.  

The real kicker to this chapter of the story:   Checked in on June 10^th at the service center, checked out on July 14^th, with all repairs completed.    On the 17^th of July, Flynn & Ollie signed for and took possession of their new RV.    During the 5 weeks of repair wait, the bird and otter had also been biding their time by negotiating for a brand-new rig; different manufacturer, smaller in size, and, with luck, fewer problems.  

Bigfokkerdog.com has posted a tale about the deets of the Tiffin Repair center, and some opinions, for those who are interested in such things.   Additionally, if you want a compilation of the ‘Red Bay Email String’, which is an 8-part series in detail of our time in Red Bay, just give the editor a shout and she will email it right over in a word doc.     It is, shall we say, a bit snarky.  Whoduthunkit?

So begins a new adventure!   

Fin

Flynn