The long trek south is underway where around several million of us “Snowbirds” will migrate to Florida this winter. While not everyone is headed to Whisper Creek (Thank God!), a fair number of us are, and according to the texts and tweets we are getting, many of you are already there.
The fall colors here in Wisconsin are outstanding. Generally we try to delay the trip until just after the colors peak, and the combined colder weather and windchill lower our body temps by 50 degrees or so. One day we’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt and the next a full parka with heated underwear. Mmmm, heated underwear!
For we Stangls, it’s the annual dance of getting the motorhome ready for the trip. Tires and fluid levels need to be checked. Windows are carefully cleaned to get them ready for a new layer of doggie nose prints. The fridge is turned on and loaded while cupboards are filled. Sometimes I laugh to myself and wonder how many food items brought home from Florida last Spring are returned this Fall?
Our Springer Spanials sense the change and carefully watch us load the camper fearing that we will forget them and leave them behind. Looking out the window, they pace and whine and race to the motorhome each time they are let out to do their “business” only to be disappointed when we call them back in. Rest easy little doggies, we will never leave without you.
While I am writing about our dogs, they are amazing travelers. There is a prime spot on the floor of the camper right between the two front seats. Sadly there is only room for one dog at a time but they are actually pretty good about sharing that space. They rotate between this spot and the couch in the back. Personally I think lounging on a couch would be more comfortable then curled up on a cold camper floor, but who am I to judge?
I know that everyone travels differently and, hey, what works for you, well, works for you. We are wanderers, often taking long detours and extra days to arrive in LaBelle. We are the “stop and smell the roses” kind of travelers. Hey maybe I can’t afford to buy roses but I sure as heck can stop and smell them!
I like to make it as easy as I can on the afore-mentioned Springers, They are after all a pretty high energy breed and need to be allowed to run around from time to time. I like to look for country churches with large yards to stop at. We‘ll pull over, perhaps have lunch or coffee and allow the dogs to “explore” the area. After which we carefully pick up after their “explorations” and we continue our journey.
I can’t begin to tell you all how much we are looking forward to seeing you all this upcoming season. There are dog parks to be visited, music to be played, books to read and best of all, friends to reunite with. And I have always enjoyed the call of the wild Whisper Creeker…
“Hey! Will somebody please pass the Fireball?”
MEET THE AUTHOR ✍️
Fellow Whisper Creeker Greg Stangl comes to us from the great state of Wisconsin. He and his wife Colleen spend summers on Lake Wisconsin and enjoy the leisurely winter months here in our little paradise together with their beautiful Springer Spaniels Isabella Rosalini and Sophia Loren.
One of Greg’s passions is writing. He has published works in 10 national magazines and also authored workbooks employed in photography and marketing. Whisper Creeker News is both honored and excited that Greg shares his creative writing talents with us as well.
ENJOY GREG’S ARTICLES AT THE WHISPER CREEKER NEWS MONTHLY!
