Truck Love

Now that I have Maxine Mazda back, I'm on the lookout for a camper shell, (aka cap or bed topper) for her back.

I fondly remember my old Toyota pickup, Ruby, who had a matching red camper top. The little truck resembled a rolling barn on the road and I had so much fun in her. But, she never had air conditioning and when I moved to sweltering and humid North Carolina, I had to find a different, more heat-friendly vehicle.

I took Ruby on quite a few cross-country trips. The longest one was between February and April of 1995. A ten-thousand mile journey. On that trip, I first visited Pilar and Taos, New Mexico. I also went to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Oklahoma City, visited my aunt and uncle in Birmingham, AL and my father in New Port Richey, FL. Except for a couple of youth hostels, I spent most nights sleeping in the back of Ruby. I had a futon in the bed, pillows and a sleeping bag, and a cooler filled with food. I fashioned little curtains for her windows and had a small camping lantern for light. I have to say, I was very happy back there most nights.

When summer came, my friend Ron and I would take off the shell and head up North to Everett, WA to the drive-in movies. We backed the truck into the lot and leaned on big pillows off of my couch. That was fun. Many a night we'd return well after midnight and put the shell back on the truck before I headed off to bed. I remember how heavy it was but the two of us managed.

Moving from Seattle to Ohio in August of 2000 was quite the hero's journey. I drove a pretty big U-Haul and towed Ruby behind, on a trailer. My kitties, Saturn and Picasso had their own space in the bed of the truck. I dubbed it "Happy Kitty Land". They hid under the sleeping bag sometimes, the litter box set up in a corner and their food and water secured in a box on the other side. Periodically, I'd drive to a rest stop and climb in to the back with the cats for some lovin'. They were very calm during that 5-day drive.

All of these truck-love memories come flooding back to me as I search in this tiny town for a camper shell for Maxine Mazda. Can't wait to find another futon for the back and make some more memories!