Connections

One of the many things I love about Thistle is the built-in connection with like-minded folks.  Because only 250 Sprinter-Westfalias were imported back in 2005, they are rare.   In purchasing a Westie, we've already narrowed ourselves down to similar vehicle life styles, so ready-made friends come with the deal.

When we needed house and Benton sitters while in China, I remembered an e-mail from Leslie, fellow Westie owner, mentioning she and Al might like to settle for a short spell in one place, having been full-time on the road for two years now.   I contacted them, and sure enough, on their way south from Alaska, they agreed to rest from travel for a spell.  Here's the blog posting of their time in Langley.

Al, Leslie and Benton, in front of haRVy.

While we were in China, there was even a mini Westie rally at Keystone.  Drat, we would have loved to be there too.

haRVy has the kayaks on the back.

Benton & Al

We've been home for a short spell now and already we're ready to head south.  It's wet, cold and dark  -- all in abundance, as only a northwest winter can provide.  Leslie and Al, smart people they are,  are now in Santa Barbara, CA basking in 70 degree weather.  By the time we got home, they'd already had a huge wind storm and a 41 hour power outage.  Didn't take them long to see the writing on the wall.  Although they'd made  lovely connections in Langley and with Benton, the weather easily persuaded them into a quick getaway.

Thank you Al and Leslie.  We so appreciate the safekeeping you provided to Benton and our home.  Come mid January, jury duty and holidays behind us, we're heading south too!  Hope we can hook up.

Hot off the press, arriving just as I was finishing this post, is an update on Al and Leslie's adventures.

~~~

"When we establish human connections within the context of shared experience we create

 community wherever we go."

~ Gina Greenlee, Postcars and Pearls:  Life Lessons from Solo Moments on the Road