It seems that as soon as we put the Alto into storage in the fall, we start to plan, and pine, for the next season to begin. This planning is a nice distraction from our generally crappy winters, which some years can certainly drag on. It is also the time where I ponder the new mods I want to do, researching and refining how to go about each that I think of, including whether it is really of any value.
We spent the past week slowly placing our gear back inside. Although over the winter we leave a bunch of stuff in the Alto, there is an assortment that does come out and heads for the basement. By now, a lot of this activity is on autopilot, we have had the Alto long enough that the outfitting plan has few surprises remaining.
Cedar Cove once again, and this weekend, Jenn & Chris were here, as well as brand new owners Donna & Wayne. All of us de-winterizing and getting everything sorted for another summer of camping. The forecast was calling for rain, and sure enough it did rain all weekend. There were a few hours here and there where the sky broke, but only a few.
Jenn & Chris were just finishing setting up when we arrived, and Donna & Wayne arrived around 8:30. We got them squared away, then we all piled into our Alto for appetizers and a visit.
As we had flushed out the antifreeze and then bleached our tanks overnight, Saturday was all about rinsing the tanks and other odds & sods. This year I used baking soda in the final rinse to help remove the bleach smell, and I do think it made a difference. We also checked to make sure everything in the Alto survived the winter and was working as it should. We all then helped Donna & Wayne get their Alto de-winterized and ready. Lots of new gizmos in their latest version of the Alto, so it was neat exploring the new gear. Spot the changes is a little game that I think most of us play in our minds whenever we are in someone else's camper.
As the weather was still ugly, we had late afternoon appetizers over in Jenn & Chris Alto, and sampled a brew from their Aero-press coffee maker (nice full flavour) and then we headed over to the restaurant for dinner...a nice bonus with this campsite. They have a good creative menu, nice surroundings, and the beer was cold. Lots more visiting, sharing Alto tales, upcoming road trips, and plenty of laughs.
The sun was out for a tiny bit on Sunday morning, but only long enough to fool me into thinking that I could get a few extra minutes of drying time for the awning and ground mat. And fool it did. I turned my back for a minute and the skies opened up again, giving everything another good soaking. It did stop later, and we were soon all outside, starting to get things ready to pack up and head out. There was lots of learning and helping each other out going on this weekend.
Although the weather may not have cooperated, having fellow Alto campers together, all excited about the new camping season, our conversations and many laughs filled the days, the weather soon faded into the background. It was fantastic having company and I suspect this may well become a regular happening.
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