Life's Adventures

Adventure I Could Do Without (part one)

The day had been quiet. We were looking forward to driving to Prescott the next morning, Friday, to spend a couple of days with my sister and her husband in celebration of our wedding anniversary...fifty-six years. Friday night we were going to a concert "Beyond the British Invasion" and Saturday out for dinner adding another couple to our celebration. 

I was partially packed. FDW was cooking chicken on the outside burner for a batch of dogfood to take with us. Suddenly, the wind howled. I peeked out the door to see trees bending and clouds overhead. I quickly brought in the awning, with effort, but not before the gusts pulled the corners loose from the metal.

A crack of thunder sounded like it hit right on top of us. FDW charged to his boat to secure it. I looked out the back window to see smoke, but I couldn't tell from where. Then the hundred-plus year old cotton wood split in half, falling over the boat and FDW.

My heart left my chest. I have hardly any memory of ending up next to the tree screaming for my husband. He emerged, dazed. Behind him fire forked from the bottom half of the tree. My memory of the next few minutes are as hazy as the smoke that covered the sky. He came inside. I called 911. I turned around, and he'd disappeared. I found him outside with the hose, spraying down our neighbor's RV that was only feet from the burning tree. They were not there but down in Phoenix. He wouldn't stop until the fire department arrived and made him leave.

Luckily, the boat took the brunt of the tree. His shoulder and back were scraped and bloody and in the next few days, his chest displayed an impressive bruise. When I finally got him to the doctor, he had no permanent damage. 

Our RV took on smoke. We could hardly breathe. Two massive cottonwood trees were burning very close to our unit. Our neighbor rushed up and moved his RV. The fire authorities felt our unit was not in danger from the fire but the smoke was awful. We couldn't stay. We quickly packed the rest of our things and headed to Prescott, tired and stinky.

I contacted the RV Ranch owner the next day. The trees were still burning. The fire department personnel were fighting the fire round the clock. We settled in and enjoyed a weekend of celebrating, trying to ignore what was happening two hours away.

What was supposed to be a two night stay dragged on another week. We made a trip back for more clothes and items. The inside of the RV was so smokey we were in and out as quickly as possible. The trees were still smoldering. We had no choice but to return to Prescott. And call our insurance company.

To be continued...