Widow Widowers of Secular Belief Community Group
It is our group mission and intention to help support the grieving widow/widower without inference or reference to topics or conversation involving religion. Although we are of differing faiths, we chose to not bring up our respective beliefs in this forum, believing that doing so only helps to incite, antagonize and cause debate. As members here, we agree to "Live and...
Oct.2013 we were supposed to go to Estes. But they had an horrific flood with devastating damage. So I picked a trip to South Dakota. And here is our trip!
The Griswald's (We) go on Vacation! Itinerary: Mount Rushmore, (closed due to government shutdown). Ok so there's Reptile Gardens, Bear Country, Cosmos, Deadwood Oktoberfest, etc, etc. NOT !! 33 inches of snow and we spent 3 days in the cabin's from hell with minimal heat from a fake gas fire place, no power, no water including the bathrooms. Five adults and a four year old and 11 month old. Finally,get rescued by my son and another guest flagging down a sheriff's deputy who sent in search and rescue from the Rockerville Fire Department. 18 cabins and no emergency plan. No backup source of power, not even a stinking candle. Kerosene lamps, No kerosene, no working batteries for the radios, even the smoke detector batteries were dead, no cell or internet reception and one plastic shovel (which broke the first day) for 18 cabins, Luckily there were only about 20 people, several small children included. And of course a husband on dialysis but can't run his machine with no power! So glad to be home, safe and sound and we are never going anywhere again without full knowlege of our destinations back up plan in case of an emergency! The snow was unexpected, but this facilities lack of planning is inexcusable! Thank goodness after trecking through thigh high snow for three blocks I did manage to gather charcoal to cook with for a while. And because we didn't want to eat out all the time I had cooked and baked and packed enough food so we didn't starve. My son and I scooped the 20 or so stairs with a cookie sheet and pancake turner. I'm sure you can all imagine what a wonderful vacation this was. My little Lola asked me yesterday morning: Grandma, did you move here?? I'm sure she wondered what the hell we were doing.
I did however find out that we could live together under those conditions without killing each other. I will never plan another trip! ha ha
The Griswald's (We) go on Vacation! Itinerary: Mount Rushmore, (closed due to government shutdown). Ok so there's Reptile Gardens, Bear Country, Cosmos, Deadwood Oktoberfest, etc, etc. NOT !! 33 inches of snow and we spent 3 days in the cabin's from hell with minimal heat from a fake gas fire place, no power, no water including the bathrooms. Five adults and a four year old and 11 month old. Finally,get rescued by my son and another guest flagging down a sheriff's deputy who sent in search and rescue from the Rockerville Fire Department. 18 cabins and no emergency plan. No backup source of power, not even a stinking candle. Kerosene lamps, No kerosene, no working batteries for the radios, even the smoke detector batteries were dead, no cell or internet reception and one plastic shovel (which broke the first day) for 18 cabins, Luckily there were only about 20 people, several small children included. And of course a husband on dialysis but can't run his machine with no power! So glad to be home, safe and sound and we are never going anywhere again without full knowlege of our destinations back up plan in case of an emergency! The snow was unexpected, but this facilities lack of planning is inexcusable! Thank goodness after trecking through thigh high snow for three blocks I did manage to gather charcoal to cook with for a while. And because we didn't want to eat out all the time I had cooked and baked and packed enough food so we didn't starve. My son and I scooped the 20 or so stairs with a cookie sheet and pancake turner. I'm sure you can all imagine what a wonderful vacation this was. My little Lola asked me yesterday morning: Grandma, did you move here?? I'm sure she wondered what the hell we were doing.
I did however find out that we could live together under those conditions without killing each other. I will never plan another trip! ha ha
I've had a few of those vacations gone awry also!! They usually involve an outdoor camping type thing and I'm either invaded by little "no-see-ems" or wake up in the middle of the night with my tent flooded (or worse, swept away) from major rain. Mind you, I would always have at least one if not three of my dogs with me. YAK, once you get the wet dog smell, forget about it. Not even the car can be comfortable!
I suppose the moral of your story (and I think mine) is that we can learn to appreciate the finer things in life we take for granted after having had such experiences? We grow through them, we learn our own resilience and strength, we "come together" as one in crisis . . we do what we must do for the survival of all. (Ok, that's a bit melodramatic in reference to a camp trip gone awry). LOL . . but I think it absolutely applies to crisis situations. Kind of like the grief journey when I think about it.
Hugs, D
P.S. Thanks for starting Off-Topic today!!!!
I, too, am still smiling from your adventure. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Love,
Roz ♥