Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Going Home

We can hear the music in our heads. About five months ago we heard Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again." A lot of RVers hear that song, and a lot of us sing along with it.

What we're hearing now is different -- We're hearing the main theme from Antonin Dvorak's "New World Symphony," the "Going Home" theme. We can't identify the singer, but we can hear the voice, tired but filled with longing and excitement. "Goin' home, goin' home, I am going' home."

Dvorak began writing that symphony, or at least parts of it, while living temporarily in the second floor apartment over the Bily Clockworks in Spillville, Iowa
The Bily brothers were farmers and carpenters. They built their hand-carved clocks as a hobby during the long, harsh Iowa winters. To learn more about the Bily Brothers and their clocks, see this site.

But that was another trip. Today we are heading back to our own home base, the SKP Saguaro Park in Benson, Arizona.

We're feeling good about that. We've been away for about five months. In 51 years together, Suzy and I have never before spent that long a period away from whatever we called home. Yes, for over seven years we were 100% full-timers, on the road without a home base, but the motorhome was home, and we weren't away from it very long at all.

Going home means picking up the traces of the jobs we left behind: both of us are officers in the SKP's Chapter 21 (Suzy Treasurer, Jerry VP), and a rally is coming up for which we are co-hosts. In addition, I'm on the park's Board of Directors; the Board is facing some interesting challenges, which I won't go into.

Going home also means catching up with our friends at the park, getting back into a social life.

Going home also means: turning on the water (we turn it off when we are gone for any period); re-lighting the water heater (that's going to have to be replaced soon, we fear); dusting the inside of the trailer and the casita; bringing back into the trailer and casita all the stuff we loaded in for our trip -- clothing, some food items, computers and peripherals, etc.

But we'll back in this wonderful place we call home.

And that's just fine at this stage of  ... Our Life on Wheels.

18 comments:

  1. I'm getting impatient to hear Willie in my head again. Maybe later this week. :)

    I'll have to look up that Going Home song.

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  2. The SKP Saguaro Park is one park we have not been to. You home looks lovely! Isn't it nice to get around familiar surroundings and reconnect with good friends. "Welcome home."

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  3. Have a safe journey and enjoy the trip. I like the photo of your home.

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  4. Who said you can never go home again:) Enjoy your home coming!

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  5. I only hope Dennis and I can hit the road when we are married 51 years...That would make Den 78 and me 72....hmmmm...maybe!!

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  6. I love that part of the country. I had a second home in Tucson for many years. I'm happy for you, but know the road will call to you, again. (esp in Summer)

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  7. Five months is a long time to be 'on the road again' either with or without Willy N. (its playing in my head:)thanks!
    Have a safe and happy journey home.
    hugs,
    Pam

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  8. It's always great to get home. Our plans this year call for us to be away from home for a little over 5 months as well. Hope you find things at home just as you left them!

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  9. You've had quite a trip! I can hear the New World Symphony playing in my head. I really enjoy Dvorak's music.

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  10. Your place is really cute, it will be so nice to get home. Safe travels. :)

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  11. Sometimes the best part of going away...is coming home. As much as I enjoy traveling I do like that coming home part for sure. Problem is, we stay home too long. You are going to appreciate all the extra space, your comfy chair and all the old familiar things, not to mention that huge feeling of relief that you are finally home.....safely:))

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  12. Right now it's Willie's song that we long to hear ... for longer than a weekend or two. Safe travels as you head home.

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  13. Hi you two....I can't seem to find your email any where so I wanted to reply to your last comment on our blog...
    We are leaving tomorrow and still have several places we won't get to. They now have a Wine Trail...I want to do that the next time we are through this area. We only completed the Bourbon Trail yesterday and only got 3 stamps on our Urban Bourbon Trail....so much drinking, so little time!

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  14. We're on the waiting list for Saguaro, so maybe we'll actually meet you guys one of these days!

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