I knew instantly that I would need something good to sit on if I was to enjoy the next years of my life. We weren’t going on a picnic and soft, flimsy picnic chairs wouldn’t service. Hardy, stable, portable and sturdy chairs were needed. I knew it couldn’t be La-Z-boys, but when these oztrail chairs arrived I felt that they were the La-Z-boy equivalent in what was available in camping furniture. These chairs are firm and upright but adjustable for slumping if necessary. They have clever cup and wine glass holders. Even after two and a half years of being man-handled, and drenched numerous times, they still hold us up-right and we both continue to love sitting in them. Good choice number one!
Good choice number two has been more elusive. The size of the caravan was always a concern to other people and myself before we embarked. “Won’t you need your own space at times?” said friends. I was very used to having my own space and probably couldn’t always expect Peter to go outside. Sometimes it might be raining. Ordering an awning seemed an obvious thing to do. It would be like having another room. Whose room it might be could be decided later. We duly measured the side of the caravan and placed an order. That was the easy bit.
There are a few different types of awnings on the market. We felt we needed the biggest. So what arrived were two large bags containing a tent-like structure and tent-like poles. The awning is actually a tent fitted to the side of the caravan. Peter and I had never worked well together putting up a tent and we certainly didn’t work well together putting up this awning. There was already an awning on the side of the caravan. It was one of those pull out ones that offered a little shade. No matter how we tried we could not work the new awning up and over this standing one. Fortunately we didn’t have to fight and bicker about this for too long. Just like in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ if you make it they will come. Well we had it and they came. Five men saw us struggling and after twenty minutes they sauntered over. I had the sense to saunter off.