October 21, 2012 Part II

Part II October 21, 2012

 

Kellie called Dad to say she was at the airport and he filled her in on what we were doing.  He told her that we would call when we were through customs on out whereabouts.

The customs woman called us up one by one to the counter to type in our information including copying things off our passports.  When Dad’s turn came, he received a long lecture from the woman about calling ahead and getting an official flight plan.  This seemed to last forever.

We were then asked to bring our luggage around the corner to a table where the customs woman could go through it.  One by one we opened all our bags and the woman made a couple quips to show us there were no hard feelings.  Finally, we were cleared and ushered through to the other side.  Dad went outside to meet Kellie then we all dragged our baggage out to meet her.

By this time it was almost 9:00 PM.  The car rental shops had long since closed.  We were counting on Kellie for a ride.  It was our only option and we weren’t sure what to expect.

A small woman with curly blonde hair appeared and introduced herself to us.  Her mannerisms and appearance reminded me of my aunt Nikki.  She was very friendly but when she saw our luggage, she frowned.  She told her car was packed with supplies and it was going to be a tight squeeze.  Trying to remain optimistic in spite of the day’s earlier events, the men ensure Kellie we can sit with stuff and that we’d make it work.

When Kellie pulled her jeep up and the back seats were laid down, the trunk full of tents and signs, we get a little worried.  Somehow, after much rearranging and stuffing, we did indeed make it work.  Everyone squeezed in like sardines with our luggage on our laps and then some.

On the drive, Kellie told us all about the FIXIT foundation in which she had co-founded with a friend.  She also spoke of the history of the feral animals on the island.

Remembering that we hadn’t eaten, Kellie kept her eyes peeled for a place that was still open where we could stop.  We settled for Wendy’s which seemed to be the only place with the light still on.  For being 9:15 PM, it was amazingly crowded.  The drive-thru line was long so Brad offered to run inside.  Dad went with him.  Inside, the line must have also been long because they were inside a good while.

Emerging from the fast food restaurant, bags of food in hand, the men finally returned and we were on our way again.  It was only then that I noticed that Kellie was driving on the left side of the road.  I don’t think I could ever get use to that.

Kellie informs us that when they made arrangements for us they had thought two of us were a married couple.  Therefore, there were only 2 rooms.  Brad says he plans to get a hotel but not tonight due to how late it was becoming.

The drive to the house was anything but pleasant.  The windy roads were very dark.  There weren’t any street lamps to light the way.  We were beginning to wonder if we’d ever make it there.  Kellie even tells us she doesn’t like driving at night and she’d only been to the house we were heading to a few times.  In spite of our concerns, we did make it, after passing the street twice.

  The drop for the driveway seemed very steep and appeared out of no-where.  Dad said Kellie seemed to be “taking a leap of faith” when she chose where to drive down.  Kellie parked and we began to unload.  I was a little leery when we followed Kellie down a set of very steep worn-away and over grown stone steps but was pleasantly surprised when we stepped inside.

The beautiful house was a breath of fresh air compared to the day we had.  It was right on the water and you can even hear the waves caressing the shoreline from any place in the house.

In the main living area there is a kitchen and a small room with a bed attached to the laundry room with a bathroom and shower.  Once stepping outside the back door, you were on a back porch that ran the length of the house.  It was the only connection to the 2 bedrooms.  The middle room is furnanced with 2 double beds.  Attached is a bathroom with a bathtub/shower and a his and hers sinks.  The master bedroom is located on the far end of the house.  Inside sits a king-sized bed with the master bathroom containing a double-sized walk-in shower.

After falling in love with the cozy house, Brad decides he will be staying here and not getting a hotel.  Kellie tells us the owner of the house normally rents it out but currently it is off season so we are lucking out.  Before she leaves us to get settled in, we ask Kellie how prevalent centipedes and scorpions are to the area.  She tells us she isn’t sure, she doesn’t think they are a problem, but not to “lose our guard”.  We thank her and she leaves us to our element.


 Now we have to decide who sleeps where.  I am very uneasy about the small room (no light switch) not just due to its size.  Being the smallest and personally not paying for the trip as much as the others, I know I should be the one to offer to sleep in it anyway.  Sensing my concerns about the room, Dad lies down and immediately notices a couple things.
            1. There is no head board
            2. There are ants crawling up and down the wall directly beside where you lay your head.

Upon further inspection, there are ants in the bed, under the covers, and crawling all over the pillows.  The final straw for me was seeing a millipede on the floor by the bed.  At first glance it looked like a slug.  Looking closer, it was definitely a multi-legged creepy crawler.  ICK!!!

I took the initiative and suggested Dad and I share the room with the 2 double beds.  And then it was so.  Before settling in for the night, I sat with Dad and Brad as they drank a glass of wine and reflected on the day’s events.  They both laughed over the many memories made in a single day.  And so begins our adventure…