Sunday Was Not As Planned

Throughout our vacation we had been blessed with cool weather, beautiful days and a modicum of rain while we slept and one day in Maryland as we rested. But Sunday morning, preparing to make our leg to visit daughter and family in Danville Kentucky, began with an ominus awakening. Making ready to collapse the trailer and load the Jeep still hitched and ready to pull us on the road, I was startled to notice something wrong. Stupid me I forgot to lock the Jeep and had left some valuable equipment aboard as I was tired and done after a very busy and productive visit to Adam's County. Then I noticed my laptop computer was gone, also my new Cannon digital camera, my portable XM satallite radio and our very helpful companion and navigator "Jane" the voice of my Tom Tom Go700 GPS. Well, it was early Sunday morning in a small rural river resort town and by the time I was able to get a sheriff's deputy to write up my theft it was noon before we left in a most dejected manner our final stop in public facilities. Never in 35 years had I lost anything camping like the sudden loss of that day. But that wasn't the end of it.

Not having much further to go in Kentucky we headed toward Lexington, then around to the US68 and KY33 south. A light rain was beginning, but the Jeep was doing fine pulling the trailer as it had through mountains and valleys for two weeks without any problems. But then as we began the winding twisting road southwest of the city we slowed to almost stopping at several places and then, suddenly, we were out of control sliding across the highway, off the shoulder and finally stopped by a granite bank. The road was slick and wet and we simply hydroplaned, unable to brake at all. But the rig was almost stopped, enough that the air bags did not deploy and we neither suffered any damage nor bruises, climbing out down on the passenger side and finding the trailer still upright and hitched, though the front bumper of the Jeep was hanging down by the wheels. We called 911 immediatly and got two sheriff deputies and two tow trucks, called Sheri who got there in about 30 minutes and by 4 pm the Jeep was on its way to a Chrysler/Jeep dealer in Nicholasville and Sheri's neigbor had our trailer in tow to her house with his truck. Of course there was much more to be done and many loose ends to clear up, but we were safe, unhurt and it can all be fixed. So we have much to be thankful for and we are!

Came home on Wednesday in a rental, left the trailer in the driveway until we can come back get the Jeep and take it to the manufacturer, which just happens to be on the way in Knoxville, TN. We'll leave it for its repairs (minor but significant) and get it sometime later. By then we'll be ready for a nice quiet trip to Guntersville State Park only 45 miles away.