This is Deputy Digby Pancake. There are some things persons do that I don’t understand. And really? I don’t want to understand. Unless it’s how to make the perfect pancake.

I especially don’t understand all the stops we constantly have to make traveling. First. We always have to stop for something called fuel. Too. Complicated.

Then, sometimes we have to stop and get groceries. If Girl Person goes inside, it’s not too long of a wait. But if Boy Person goes inside? We will see you next year.

Then, sometimes we have to stop for something called propane which I am told makes our stove work to cook pancakes. And now, our refrigerator has to use it. And well. We need it. And for the last few weeks? We haven’t been able to find it. It’s almost like that time we were looking for diamonds at the Crater Of Diamonds State Park in that Arkansas place. And we found. None. Nothing.

So when we left one of our favorite parks EVER to escape bad weather on Friday, two days early, we weren’t so happy about it.

And when I heard that we had to stop for fuel. For groceries. For propane. I was less happy. And when Sheriff Brickle told me how far we had to drive to escape the bad weather, well, less than less happy.

First, we were doing pretty good. We left before the rain started. We found fuel and a gas station we could fit in. Then, it was time to get groceries. And Boy Person stepped up to the plate. Which was not a blue plate special. It was a longer than long special when you look in the mirror and wonder how you got so old. Cause it’s been that long, y’all.

Since he was in there so long, you would have thought that he would remember something very, very important for Girl Person. Something rather more than important. But I did not ask what it was. No. Girl Person said that was embarrassing and just to worry about pancakes.

Well, when Boy Person finally got back to the Big Blue Treat Wagon RV, Girl Person put away all the groceries. Wine. Food. Stuff and stuff. And we pulled away. Now, it was time to find that propane stuff and stop again. But as we were driving, Girl Person asked Boy Person if he remembered that very important thing. Did he put it away? And Boy Person exclaimed he had gotten sidetracked by dog treats and confused and more confused and forgot it. And well, that added another stop. We were pulling out all. The. Stops. All of them.

Sometimes you can live without stuff and sometimes you gotta stop. And we had to stop. As Boy Person went inside another store to get the important thing for Girl Person, he made his way to the counter with the wrong things.

Confused? He was again. But fortunately, he realized his error just in time. But not enough time. Because as he looked at the clock, he realized that we had changed time zones. And well. It was later than late. We had one hour to make it to the propane place. And it said it would take us one hour and five minutes. That important thing? It had cost us in more one ways than one.

Hours and hours in the RV had us all a bit irritable. And hungry. And tired. And it was late. And dark. And when we finally made it to camp, we unpacked a little…but not much. Because the next morning, we would have to pack up and go find propane, so that all our groceries wouldn’t go bad. Another stop. And go. And stop. And. Move.

Boy Person decided the best plan would be for him to get the propane and we could go on a hike. That way, we wouldn’t be even more tired and confused. And so Girl Person took us to a place called Tate’s Hell Swamp and I’m not in trouble for cursing, because that is its name. And I suppose I know how the Tate man felt here. In this swamp long ago.

You see, a man named Tate got lost there one day. Which turned into seven days. And seven nights.

He got bit by bugs, yellow flies, mosquitoes and a snake. When he finally made it out, he only said, “my name is Cebe Tate. And I’ve just come from hell.” Well. I’m sorry for the language but I’m teaching you something.

And well. I suppose I can relate. We all can. We may get lost. We may make too many stops in life and get sidetracked from what we really want. From where we need to go.

But don’t lose yourself. Don’t give up. Give it your all, don’t let it all get you. Don’t fill your life with so many things and stops that you get exhausted. Make time for what the important things are. And you. And don’t forget the important stuff in the grocery store.

–Deputy Digby Pancake

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