Packing a Car for Vacation

I'm a decent organizer. I can plan ahead, make lists, anticipate obstacles, strategize solutions. And I'm getting much better at organizing as the years go by (and as we accrue more and more children).

But tonight as I collected bathing suits and counted toothbrushes (what more do you really need when you're going to the beach in the morning?), there was one thing I absolutely could not have planned for: the rotting carcass of a BB ridden squirrel in the engine of my 15 passenger "going to the beach" van. I might have laughed aloud if the stench were not so awful and sucking the very air right out of my lungs.

Camden surmised the corpse was about a week old. He determined this primarily from recalling the last time he had the BB gun out and shot at squirrels. He recalled one squirrel that disappeared under the van, and did not reappear even when he gave that van a little rocking action. Can you just picture the child walking away, shrugging his shoulders, tilting the head wearing that half cocked baseball cap?

The solution for this pre-vacation dilemma was not immediate. In fact, the efforts of several hours, gloved hands and long crowbars could not free the vermin from its almost final resting place. In the end, Kel had to consult a local mechanic neighbor friend, who braved the reeking funk for a closer look. The rapid blinking of his eyes may have been to protect them from toxic fumes, but I think it was from the fond memories of raising two hooligans of his own. I left when he shared his expert advice which included extension tools and bolt unfasteners. Ugh.

I'm happy to report that the van is reassembled, and we are still going to the beach in the morning, sans squirrel. Thank God for Febreeze... It really works!