OH NO, DOROTHY - NOT AGAIN!

Well wasn't that fun!  Last night just as it was getting dark it started to rain - and I mean RAIN!  Thunder and lightening, pounding hail - the works!

Next thing I knew there was a knock on my door and one of the staff from the campground informed me that there was a tornado warning issued for the area and that we were all to leave our campers and go to the campground office. We expected to see the Wicked Witch of the North fly by on her bicycle at any moment.  We were there until about 3 am when the weather bureau finally lifted the warning.  We spent the time drinking coffee and chatting, with everyone's eye on the windows.  Fortunately for us, the twister touched down elsewhere and ripped a farm apart.  No one was injured, but it was definitely a night to remember.  And so, there went my worst nightmare of ending it all in a trailer park in a tornado. (Again - we weathered a tornado at Goderich, Ontario last summer).  Needless to say, my cats were glad to see me when I waded back to the camper.

So, after a sleep-in I am spending the rest of the day doing a cleanup.  Since I'm in the "Martha" mood, I'd like to pass along some tips for those of you who may want to take a trip like this:

1. The perfect bath mat for a bathroom as tiny as mine, is a place mat.  They come in all sorts of colourful patterns, are easy to shake out and a snap to wash.
2. Swimming noodles are great for keeping things stored in the underneath compartments from rattling together and making a lot of noise on the road.
3. Velcro dots are a great way of hanging photos and other decorative wall art.
4. Rubber shelf liner has many uses:
1. They make a great bathtub mat - to keep from slipping.
2. They are great under the cat dishes to keep them from sliding around the floor.
3. Little squares between the dishes keep them from rattling.
4. Of course, lining the cupboards and drawers keeps things in place.
5. Velcro strips are great for keeping stuff from sliding around:
1. Put strips on the bottom of the radio so it can sit on the fridge without moving.
2. Put strips on the broom so it will sit against the wall without flying around
3. Strips on the bottom of plastic containers to hold books, CDs and tapes.
6. Plastic dish washing tubs are a great way to keep the sewer hose separate from everything else - just put a bit of bleach in the tub after each use.  I also use one for the clean water hose to keep it clean.

So now everything is ship shape and I am back on the road tomorrow.

To be continued......