Chapter 4

I dropped the package for Loren off at a 24 hour mail/shipping drop on my way into the office.

It was a beautiful day (for a Monday) and the first hint of Fall was in the air with the cool morning.

I pulled into the lot of Clark Construction and parked a good ways from the front door. I needed the exercise.

As I got about halfway across the lot, Randy, the owner and general manager pulled up. It looked like we were the first ones in (as was often the case).

I waited at the door for him and then unlocked it with my keycard.

“Hey, Boss. How was the weekend?” I pulled the door open and held it for Randy.

“Not bad. I swear you don’t have any more life than I do to to show up here this early on Monday.”

“Actually, I had a very nice weekend, and found out that a friend of mine won a hunting trip to Kansas for two, and invited me along! It’s about a $3,000 trip. I left a little early to drop a heavy hunting bow and arrows for her at the U-Ship.”

“Her, eh?” Randy winked. “Anyone I know?”

“I don’t think so. It’s Loren York. She’s a year older then me, so that makes her what, twenty years older than you?” I laughed. “Anyhow, she went away to college and wasn’t back here too often. You might know her Dad’s name, though, John Stone. He was principal at the high school and then was on the county school board for a while.”

“That name’s familiar, but that was all pretty much before my time. I’m sure Dad knows of him, anyhow.”

“In any event, I got Loren interested in archery a while back, and gave her a bow. She developed into a prodigy, and won the Florida Bowhunter’s Association’s 3D Championship on Sunday after just a few month’s competing.”

“That’s pretty impressive. Has she ever hunted before?”

“Nope. She’s gotten interested through 3D target shooting. I think she’ll do fine- once she overcomes that first case of buck fever we all have.”

“I remember that well, even though I’ve pretty much lost interest in hunting.”

“I was away from it for a good while, but once things got stabilized in my life, I got back into it. I plan to do more as I ease back into a more “Senior” status.” I laughed.

“I’ve been wondering when you were going to give in.” Randy chuckled. “I figured you’d be like an old fire horse, running to the harness when the bell rings.”

We walked inside the office, turning lights on as we went

“I’m not that bad. It’s mostly that I still enjoy what I’m doing. I want to keep my hand in, but try to ease back and let my minions start to take over the scut work. “I grinned. “And on that note, I’m going to be gone for at least the first three weeks of October on this trip. The hunt itself is six days, plus allowing three days driving each way, and then a side trip to Oklahoma to hunt wild hogs on my buddy Steve’s farm.”

Well, we’re not too busy then, construction season is pretty well over, or at least winding down. Your “minions”, as you call them, should be able to handle anything that’s likely to come up- probably a good time to push them out of the nest.”

“My thoughts exactly. Anyhow, I was wondering if I could borrow your motorhome for the trip? I’ve been considering buying something more comfy than my tent.”

“Aw, man- Mom and Dad are taking off for the Southwest in it about that time. They are going to take a long vacation now that Mom’s retired and Steve’s going to run things in the office. Sorry about that. You’d be welcome to it otherwise.”

“No problem- this just came up anyhow. I wonder if Bob Ellis is using his mini?”

“You’re out of luck there, too. I heard that Bob and Bess took it out to the race at Talledega, and the transmission burned out on the way home. He was so disgusted that he sold it for a song at the RV place they had it towed to and swore to rent one anytime he needed it.”

“Well crap! That shoots that idea. I guess I need to look into rentals. Do you know if the RV place out on Rt. 17 does rentals?”

“No idea. I guess you could call out there.”

“I suppose that’s my best bet. If they do, maybe I’ll run out there later this morning. The only thing on my plate really is meeting the inspector at the headwall we’re building over on the 12th street storm sewer separation. I wanted to take Joel out there anyhow so he can meet whoever the DEP sends. That’s not til this afternoon, anyhow.”

“Sure, go ahead whenever you want. I can always call your cell phone if something comes up. Talk to you later.”

We’d been walking while we talked and I was at the door to my office. Randy kept going while I opened the door, turned on the light and sat at my desk. The computer was sleeping, but woke up when I jiggled the mouse. I ran through my emails, and answered a few. Nothing very urgent.

Next, I pulled up the current projects I was running and ran through all the latest statuses. Everything was pretty well on schedule. There were several inspections coming up in the next month, so I made some notes to talk to Joel and Sue, my two “minions” and make sure they were up to speed.

There was nothing else on the immediate horizon. Only a few culvert, bridge and sewer bids that were in the very early stages, and nothing I needed to pay close attention to for a couple of months.

Reasoning that the sooner I got started finding an RV, the quicker I’d be able to make sensible plans, I looked up the number of the nearby RV place.

It was only a few minutes after their scheduled opening, but I decided to give it a shot, and dialed the number.

Somebody picked up on the first ring. “Scary Creek RV, how may I help you this morning?”, a deep male voice rumbled out of the handset. It sounded vaguely familiar.

“Good morning, This is Tommy Dunn, and I’m looking to rent a motor home for about three to four weeks, starting around October first.”

“Well, we can do that. Look, you probably ought to come out here as soon as you can and look over what we have. It won’t be too long before people start renting for Florida. The selection will get pretty thin in a hurry, right now we have a decent variety.”

“I can be out there in about fifteen to twenty minutes. Who should I ask for?”

“Ask for me, Tim Golden.”

“Hold on a minute ... Tim Golden? Did you graduate from Powder City High in 1973?”

“Why yeah, I did. Why do you ask ... wait, I remember you! We had a couple of English classes together. You were one of the brainiacs, when I was a jock!”, he laughed. “It took me a bit to connect. I don’t think I’ve seen you since graduation.”

“Well, I got a summer job right out of school with an engineering company in Pittsburgh, we graduated Saturday evening, Sunday morning, I was on my way North. At the end of the summer, I left the job, and went over to Case Western to start college in Civil Engineering. It was a five-year work-study program, so I hardly got home.”

“Damn- that was like joining the Army, and I’d know. I joined up right out of High School, did twenty years, and got out as a Sergeant-Major. “Took my retirement and came back here. Ran into Marge Spencer, when I went out to Spencer Ford to buy a pickup. She was working there as a salesman, for her Dad, learning the business. We hit it off, and got married. I took a job out there in the shop, worked my way up to shop foreman. A few years back, Marge’s dad passed the business on to Marge. I got bored with the shop, and when we started taking RV’s in trade, I decided that it would be a good stand-alone business, so we started this lot. Marge and I own it, and we can trade favors and stuff back and forth with the dealership, so it’s a good deal all around. Besides, it will give the kids each something to take over in a few more years.” Tim chuckled. “One less thing for them to fight about, anyhow.”

I laughed. “Linda and I don’t have any kids, so that’s not an issue. Anyhow, I work at Clark Construction, and I can be over there in about fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“That’ll work. Nothing going on now. I’m so bored, that I’m answering the phone myself.”

“See you in a few.” I hung up the phone, hollered at Randy that I was going out, and headed for the door.

Scary Creek RV was across the river, down a few miles below Coalsmouth, close to the Interstate. It didn’t take me long to drive over. I parked in the lot, and the door to the sales office popped open before I had my seat belt off. Apparently Tim hadn’t forgotten how to be a car salesman.

“Hi Tommy! I’m not sure I’d have recognized you after all this time. Lots of water’s gone down the river in almost 45 years! Good to meet up with one of my classmates, though. Now, what are you looking to do? Let’s talk about that first, so I can figure out what to recommend to you.” This came out all in a rush. I could see that he was a successful salesman.

“Good to see you, too. Anyhow, like I said on the phone, I’m looking to rent an RV for three to four weeks to drive out to Kansas and then back through Oklahoma for a couple of hunting trips. There will be just two of us, so we won’t need something too big, but I don’t want something totally primitive, either.”

“OK, that makes sense. I don’t have too many small RV’s here, mostly because they don’t sell or rent well. I have a couple of mini’s here that might be OK for you. Want to walk around and take a look at them?”

“Sure. I don’t know much about this stuff, although we had a fold-out tent camper, a 21’ regular camper, a pickup camper, and finally a 1968 Norris motor home when I was growing up. That was almost 50 years ago.”

“I remember those Norris’s. They were one solid RV! If you were making them today they’d be super-premium quality.” Tim laughed. “Lots has changed since then. Materials are different, and for a real solid rig, you pay a price.”

We went in and out of a couple of minis, before I found one that looked promising. It was Ford-powered (a plus in my book), and the smallest one he had on the lot, although it seemed pretty big to me. It would sleep eight in a pinch, and six comfortably, and was self-contained.

“How about taking this one for a spin, Tommy?” Tim suggested. “See if you like how it drives. The keys are in it.”

We climbed in front. I buckled myself in and and fired up the big V-8 in the E-350 cab. I put it in gear, and we rolled out of the lot. The box handled OK, but it felt a little sluggish and wobbly. Something I’d need to get used to, if I rented it.

“Go ahead and hit the Interstate, so you can see how it cruises. If you go eastbound, you can hit the big hill there before the Kessler’s exit to see how it pulls, too.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The mini actually hit highway speeds pretty easily, with the engine breathing easily. I could imagine the fuel consumption was significant, though. It also handled the hill easily, only having to drop out of overdrive. I wasn’t real impressed with it otherwise, It was still pretty big, but it would do if need be. I hit the Kessler exit, and doubled back to the lot. Taking my dad’s advice, I parked the mini right back where I’d picked it up. It gave me a chance to back it up, too. The mirrors were just OK, but the backup camera helped a lot.

“Well, what do you think?” Tim asked.

“It would do, Tim, but it’s bigger than I’d really like.”

“Well that’s about as small as I’ve got in an RV. Like I said, small ones don’t move very well. If you were buying, I could order one, but it probably wouldn’t be here in time for your trip, anyhow.”

“I get your point. OK, lets talk numbers. How much am I looking at for a rental?”

“Well, the day rate on that one would be $125.00 per night, so $2650.00 for three weeks. I could give you a monthly rate of $3,000.00, though.”

“Ouch! That’s more than I’d guessed, but not unreasonable, especially since my hunting buddy will be paying half.”

“I know it’s not cheap, but even a cheap motel will be around $50.00/night.”

“Yeah, I’m not long on time here, either. I guess I’ll go with it. Wish it wasn’t so big, though.”

Tim scratched his chin. “Hey- I have a thought! Are you wedded to a motor home? I have a really luxury pickup camper that your truck would haul easily, and I could make you a deal on the rental.”

It was my turn to scratch my head. I’d not really considered a pickup camper, but it had a certain appeal.

“Can’t hurt to look.”

“OK, lets walk over to the other side of the lot. It’s up on it’s jacks over here.”

I was surprised by what I saw. I’d never seen a hard-side popup truck camper. We’d had a camper when I was a kid, but this was a whole other level. The top was only maybe a foot or so higher than the cab of the truck when lowered, and had over two and a half feet of headroom in the over-cab bunk when up. Tim was right when he called it deluxe. There was even a tiny shower/bathroom that drained into a tiny holding tank in the floor, but it would be cramped. It had it’s own battery, LED a/c and d/c lighting, a microwave and a small Honda generator. Forced air heat, air conditioning, stove with small oven, fridge, you name it- this baby had it. I was falling in love!