CAMPING WITH LOVE

In, Sisters by Heart, the book about our gay relationship, I talk about Camping with Love.

In the book I describe the joy of camping Kay and I have experienced during the thirty years of our same sex partnership.

We started camping in a 32-foot Dolphin and quickly dubbed her "Dolly". From then on all successive RV's were called Dolly regardless of their origin of manufacture.

Over the years we've weathered breakdowns of all imaginable sorts but we have also seen incredible sights and enjoyed memorable adventures traveling up and down the East Coast of the U.S.

Campgrounds have two types of sites: back-ins and pull-throughs. It takes great finesse to back a large RV into a campsite but Kay was equal to it. Of course, she needed a 'monbacker and that's where I came in.

The 'monbacker stands at the rear of the RV, clearly visible to the driver in one of the rear view mirrors. My first shout of "'monback" was packed with power as it set off the RV's backward motion. My arm movements were carefully coordinated with loud cries of "'monback, 'monback". It was vital that I shift my head and eyes as the vehicle approached to be sure no low-hanging trees wiped out our TV antenna or roof vents.

Kay was especially alert for any interference from male campers who sat and watched her parking finesse from neighboring campsites. When we didn't cry for help, their egos must have been crushed!

Once the RV was secure in its space, the 'monbackers job was over. I had made a satisfying contribution and I savored it all the way to my glass of wine at Happy Hour!!