The reality - well, your guess is as good as ours...
Add to that - we're driving Tillie, the VW. There are several things we knew (had forgotten but now definitely remember!). VW's HATE cold weather and particularly snow but where is there NOT snow in the US right now? This is Tillie "warming up" in our driveway in NY and the scene in NJ is not much different.
So what else had we forgotten? The inside of these buses in the winter are COLD! Except that they have motors, they are not unlike a buggy - bumpy, breezy, and invigorating. You bundle up with everything you have own (note John's driving apparel including the felt lined boots). For myself I added a lap rope (they aren't just for old folks' homes), then another... An hour into the drive the engine had finally heated up to almost normal although that does nothing for the inside heat situation but does make it run a bit smoother. Old VW's are also a bit breezy - no chance of carbon monoxide poisoning you will be relieved to know. Next - Tillie always draws a lot of attention making us feel rather like royalty on parade. This time of year, however, we did begin to think they were just wondering who let those two old crazies out? Then there is the issue of "wimpy" windshield wipers and John's groveling at my feet (we're stopped, of course) trying to get the windshield wiper fluid working. This involves finding the fluid hose, connecting the bicycle pump and giving it 15 pumps for pressure (who thought that one up?!). From my perspective under the lap robes, it was hysterical. Who knows what folks who passed thought John was doing at my feet that caused the lady to be laughing hysterically. Of course, this was followed sometime later by a discussion on where to buy a spray bottle so John could stick his arm out the window periodically to spray the windshield to clean it... (Mercifully, the road dried and this tactic did not become necessary...) And finally there was the air leak we could hear when we arrived, only to finally realize it was only static from the radio (static being the only station available on a VW radio - no surprise). But we're here at cousins John & Judi's in good spirits and, from the sounds of the weather forecast, likely to remain for a couple of days... Stay tuned...
