Wolf at the Door

I woke up at 1 a.m. last week. Something was different. I was just too cold to sleep, despite wearing a winter parka to bed, as well as boots, polartec pants, and a warm skull cap, all underneath two layers of warm sleeping bags. The catalytic propane heater was set on high; those things are fine for a mobile RVer who chases the warmth in winter, but in a real winter they must be supplemented with an electric heater that blows the air around a little. For the first time the electrical heater also needed to be clicked on high.

I made breakfast, not because I was hungry, but just for the heat from the stove and for an excuse to stand and stomp my feet.

The water pump wouldn't turn on of course. (I never use water hoses from the campsite spigot in winter.) But tonight was a first: the toilet froze. It was necessary to boil water on the stove and then pour it into the toilet to thaw the trap door. The water that I spilled on the bathroom floor soon froze.

The thermometer said it was 37 F inside the RV; but it wasn't on the floor. The local weather station reported minus 2 F outside. Well what do you know! I never thought an RVer could survive in a little cracker box in sub-zero temperatures.

Will the Boonie survive until sunrise? Tune in next episode for the thrilling conclusion.