Rain and Taiga jackets – the quintessential West Coast duo. When The Dude and Dame moved to the South Okanagan desert we smugly put the Taigas away in a downstairs closet as relics from our previous sodden life.

In an abundance of caution we packed them in the Grey Ghost for those “occasional rain showers in the fall.” Rain, like falling snow, is different each time; soft drizzles, steady downpours, cloudbursts, driving rain – you get the picture.

I have a new one to add to the repertoire, torrential monsoon, occurring only under the following circumstances: a) you are packing up to leave your campsite, b) you have left your awning out c) you have just remarked what lovely weather you’ve been experiencing.

Rain drumming on the skin of the RV is normally a soothing sound as we sit snugly inside, electric fireplace glowing in the corner. But when the sound becomes an ominous pounding, accompanied by an automated warning message blaring from CBC radio about tornado and extreme weather warnings in the area, (and we all know tornadoes are programmed to find RV parks) Plan B springs into action.
‘Wait, maybe things will improve.’

Turns out Plan B works and we head out two hours later towards Port Perry to avoid the weather now blowing towards our original planned stop at Wasaga Beach, and for a free parking lot overnighter at The Blue Heron Casino. Free overnight camping is a point of pride for long term RV’ers. Websites dedicated to the inner Scrooge abound. As most of you know, The Dude loves nothing better than a good poker game and is inherently cheap, so this stop is right up his alley.

The rhythm of constant travel has resulted in travel Alzheimer’s – the inability to determine what day it is.

The Dame has a special connection to Ontario; her “Pops” lived and passed here. He would have appreciated the irony of the Meanderers driving through a torrential downpour on Sunday to visit his resting place in the tiny, toney village of Kettleby, past brick mansions on vast estates, crisscrossing the countryside to find flowers to bring to the grave and the Dame’s contentment that we had overcome adversity to pay our respects on Father’s Day – except apparently Father’s Day is this week…

I blame it on the rain.