Newmar - Big Chuck's Big Adventure

Sunrise on a foggy morning in Nappanee, Indiana

Well, hello there... Charlie the cat here....  But then you really don't know me, do you?  Mom and Dad always let the smelly dogs post these blogs.  Now it is my turn.  I am mom and dad's 12-year-old cat who used to roam free in Pendleton, Indiana before they sold their house.  I am named after Mom's cousin Charlie.  I was born in his barn on their farm near Mulberry, Indiana.  When Mom's granddaughter (would that make her my niece?), Kaia, picked me up at a family gathering when she was a little girl and I did not scratch her, they took me home and I became a part of their family.  Mom and Dad call me Big Chuck now, probably because I weigh as much as an elephant.  But, I am not as heavy as my smelly sister, Tequila.  

My life has been in turmoil lately.  Allow me to show you my new home.  The opening picture  was taken on a foggy morning near Nappanee, Indiana.  But, did I get to see it?  Noooo!  I was in a crate in the back seat of this car between my two smelly dog siblings. 

This is how it has been.  Last Friday we arrived at this place called Newmar, and all normalcy ended.  At 6:00 a.m. (Yes, six in the morning - still dark, foggy and cold) Mom and Dad put me in my crate and take me to the miniscule car.  They do bring my litter box and food, but my world shrinks from my spacious home on wheels to a tiny car!  Then Dad talks to a guy in a golf cart for a while, and Mom brings the dogs to sit on both sides of me.  Trapped! 

The golf-cart guy drives the motor home away and  we stay away for nine hours before coming back and resuming our normal lives, until the next morning when the alarm goes off at 4:30 and it all starts again.

Mom and Dad seem happy about all this.  They keep talking about how they like the golf-cart guy and the people who work with him.  

The stinky dogs (my siblings) brag about walking twice a day in the pasture across the street.   I could go, too, but I refuse to walk on a leash.  With me it is more like dragging, and I simply refuse.

I am really weary of hearing Dad wax ecstatic about how much progress the golf-cart guy is making with the motor home.  It does not affect me.

- dent in the back where Dad swung into a gas station barrier (clumsy Dad) ... ready for paint. I never see it.

-  new gutter on the side of the roof ...  ready for paint.  Like they would ever let me climb on the roof.

-  new headlights that aren't foggy and yellow...  I am not allowed outside at night so I could care less.

-  automatic steps that work every time... That is actually a good thing because sometimes they do take me outside.

-  a new motor for the awning so we can have shade...  OK, I can deal with that.

- bedroom lights that work all the time... I would rather be alone in the dark.

-  new screen for the door....  The smelly dogs did that, not me.

- a working pocket door next to the bedroom... They think they can keep me out of the bedroom now, but I will just pound on the door until they open it :-).

Dad says that the Newmar Golf Cart guy still has a few things to do, so I guess I will be a captive in the car for a few more days.  Just one more thing before I talk about the very few good times.  I would not mind this nearly as much if Dad would buy a jeep and have it and our motor home painted like the one in the picture below.  After all, I am a cat.  I do have some vanity.

I have to admit that I have had one great day, and another that wasn't too bad, while I was banned from the motor home.  The great day was at Potato Creek State Park.

It was a sunny, warm day.  Some of the trees were turning red.  I remember that from my past life roaming free and rolling in the leaves in our backyard.  We drove by a quiet lake.  Dad stopped the car so mom could take pictures. 

I got to see a two big birds sitting on a log in the water.  It looked like there were two more upside down in the water.  I would have liked to stalk them, but I don't do water.

When we finally parked the car, we were surrounded by these strange people.  Bandido was afraid of them.  Mom and Dad thought they were great.  I just pretended they were not there.

Mom, Dad and my stinky siblings went hiking in the woods for a couple of hours.   It was still cold out but they parked the car in the shade and cracked the windows for me anyway.  They let me out of my crate so I could use the litter box, eat, hide under the seats, and climb on the dashboard to hiss at birds.

When they returned from their walk, we all enjoyed three hours lounging around on the lawn.  By then the sun was out and it was nice and warm.   Even I enjoyed it.  

I had lots of room to play on my expandable leash.

I even had my own tree for sharpening my (nonexistent) claws.



Dad fell asleep while reading his book.  I guess these early mornings are too much for him.

Then he got up and fell asleep again laying on the ground next to Bandido.

Then Tequila licked Dad on the face and woke him up.  PRETTY FUNNY!  Don't let anyone know I have a sense of humor.

The next day was the not-so-bad day.  After a shorter trip in my crate, we arrived at a city park in Goshen, Indiana.  It was a foggy day and a little chilly.  Mom did not want to get out of the car.  Mom does not cope well with imperfect weather.  So Dad and my smelly siblings hiked about four miles along the Pumpkinvine Trail.  It was good to get rid of the stinky dogs, AND I got to spend the time sleeping and purring on Mom's lap while she did Sudoku.  It does not get much better than that.  

Since I am the author of this post, the pet pictures of the day are of ME!

I am the alpha male in this family.

Time for my close-up.

Mom thinks I have pretty green eyes.