Day 61 - 10 people and 3 dogs in an outhouse

Day 61 - Friday - 10 people and 3 dogs in an outhouse

Today we decide to have a quiet day enjoying the Belle Fourche reservoir.  We sleep late, spend the morning vacuuming to remove cat hair and the ever-present dirt from the carpets, mop the floor for the same reason, and then relax.  We choose different ways to relax.

Vicky opts to stay home and read. Quill and Cosette decide to catch up on sleep. We've noticed people swimming in the reservoir so I decide to try it.  Just across the parking lot is a small beach, and the reservoir itself. The beach is full of pebbles and might have been uncomfortable, but I have some slip-on shoes that I can wear in the water, so it's no problem. The water is as warm as a bath I would run for myself, so I spend a delightful half hour doing some dog paddling close to the shore and cooling off.  It would be longer but since I'm sensitive to the sun that would be a bad choice. 

After lunch we're worried since the sky to the southwest is looking black, and as the wind's coming from that direction Vicky announces in her usual  annoying weather forecasting way that a storm is coming soon.  What's annoying about this is she's usually right. While we're watching it a ranger car with a loudspeaker pulls in.  The speaker blares: "A major storm approaching.  70 mph winds.  Golf ball size hail.  Take shelter.  Pets and people outside will be hurt.  Take cover NOW!"  The ranger didn't say where we should go, but we're parked near a concrete restroom.  A couple of other RVs pull in and people start going in there.  We see 2 families - one with grandparents about our age, parents and 2 girls, the other a couple with a baby.  We're disappointed to see 3 dogs move in as we'll have to leave the cats alone.  The people urge us to join them - fast.! 

Meanwhile the black sky is racing towards us and the wind is much stronger.  We scramble to close the windows, move the furniture and retract the slide-outs, and make a dash for the shelter.  It's frustrating that we can't do anything about the cats.  Hopefully the RV will stand up to the storm, but they're going to be scared (if Quill wakes up!)

We make it to the shelter even though the wind, coming towards us, is so strong it's like pushing against a heavy door in the pouring rain.  It takes 3 people to push open the door to the shelter let us in.  We spend the best part of an hour in the shelter as heavy rain, hailstones an inch or more in diameter and 70mph winds pound it.  The hail even comes in under the door.  We can tell from their faces that the two young girls are really scared.  The younger one occupies herself with a video game (at least there's cell phone reception) but the 11 year old looks like she's about to burst into tears.  Vicky gets a laugh from her by pointing out the great story she'll have to tell her friends.

The mother, still holding the baby, is huddled against the corner with her body shielding her child and doesn't turn round. The wind rattles the glass in the shelter but it holds.  I hope the same is true in the RV or the sake of the cats.  The dogs, 2 from one family and one from the other, get along fine in the shelter and just want someone to pet them.

Finally there's a slight lull in the wind and we discuss whether it's safe to go out.  Most of us want to wait a while but the two other men decide to go outside.  They're soon back.  "I left the windows open and everything's soaked", says one.  "All my windows are smashed by the hail and wind" adds the other.  The rain has finally let up so we all go outside to start the cleanup.   

Our first concern is the cats.  I'm still feeling guilty about leaving them.  We find the storm blew out our grills at the front but that seems to be the only damage.  The windows withstood the assault and no water came in through the leaks we just had sealed.   So it's a relief to find two dry cats waiting for us.  They run to us for reassurance the moment we get inside.  We spend a little time cuddling together as a family.

It's only when Vicky ventures into the bedroom that we discover we do have water damage.  Rain came in through the rear air conditioner above the bed, and the covers are soaking wet.  The quilt, blanket and sheets as well as the mattress pad are all waterlogged, but the mattress pad  has done its job and the mattress itself is dry.  The loaner car from the car dealer is fine, so as the sun comes out (doesn't it always after a storm?) we load the wet covers into the car and drive it the 15 miles to the all night laundromat in Spearfish. We cram the wet stuff into one of the dryers and 45 minutes and an ice cream later we're able to return with dry covers, so we can sleep.

We knew RVing would be an adventure - adventures include disasters, I guess, and we're certainly getting our share.