We forge on

 

Growly Bear in his place of honor in the windshield.

A souvenir of our travels, he’s been with us since before we started full-timing ten years ago.  He was the last thing we emptied out of the coach on Friday.  He can ride of the dash of the minivan until we get him a new home.

 

It was time to leave a different memento behind.  Many years ago, while scrubbing bugs off the front of the coach, Jim and Elle were in the coach next to us, Jim scrubbing off his bugs.  He volunteered that he had needed a plastic bug scrubber but when he bought one at the auto supply store, they came in twos.  He gave the one he wasn’t using to me.  A nice friendly gesture.  We didn’t know them well then.  That was only the first of many friendly gestures over the years.  What a joy to have been Jim and Elle’s friends, and the friends of so many others, for so many years.  But that bug scrubber?  It’s done its job.  On this very last trip in the bus, it just broke down and started coming all apart.  Along with the bus, the scrubber has been retired.  Our friendships remain.

 

We return to the Valley RV-free for the first time in many many years.