Time to put the "summer office" away.

Dad bought a little vintage camper last summer for his twice-yearly flea market trips.  I think it's kind of funny that he wouldn't normally go camping for fun, but if there are car parts involved, he's there.

Meanwhile back at the homestead, Mom and I snicker about him camping out with all the other gear heads and rednecks and hillbillies and car hoarders.  He packs a couple of comforters, one pillow, and an extra hoodie.  Maybe some extra woolly socks.  One year he forgot a can opener for his pork n beans.

If we women spent a weekend in the camper, we'd bring like, 18 pillows, four comforters (each), a cotton blanket or two or five, a little rug for the floor, and that cute little closet would contain flannel jammies, hoodies, an extra jacket, and maybe a couple more pillows just in case.  Because you never know when you will need to prop something up with a pillow.

Also, upon arriving home, the camper would not smell like farts.

We would at least open the windows, y'know!

Here's the thing: she doesn't camp anymore.  I don't think I do either.

But I love the little camper!  It has doubled as a bunkhouse for visiting kids many times.  Sometimes the kids just hang in the camper with their buddies.

I discovered this summer that I could hide in plain sight if I just sneaked in there.

I could bring a bag with my MacWhite and my notebook, a novel, a pen, and I'd be good for an hour or two.  Sometimes, I would pull my glasses off my face and roll over for a little snooze.  Parked under a tree with the windows open to catch the breeze, the camper was a sweet haven.

Well, it's October now.  I have to retrieve those comforters because I'll need them on the beds soon.  I've accepted that writing and reading in a trailer isn't so sweet anymore on a cool day.  It's hard to remember how incredibly painfully hot it was this summer, now that the morning leaves frost on the windshields.  Dad moved the camper down into the yard, but he was too early.  I insist on dragging it back up so I can get in there with the Shopvac.  He doesn't get it.  He figures it's fine to put it up for winter the way it is.  I strongly disagree because it has to be clean and neat first!  You know how I hate rodents, right?  I will give them no excuse to wiggle their horrible little way in there looking for cracker crumbs.

And even if it's rodent free... I'd like to crack it open in the spring and not be knocked over by the musty dusty and possibly farty smell of a 40-something year old camper.

I'm just thinking ahead.