I have just returned from six days away in Mississippi. I enjoyed driving through rural countryside, my eyes and soul drinking in the pines and rolling pasture land dotted with cattle, old fences, and occasionally an old barn. There are fewer and fewer of those old barns. But seeing them and old houses brings back memories of childhood.
I went to camp with girl camper friends who came with their various camping rigs to gather and enjoy chatting and crafting and, of course, eating. We were blessed with fine spring weather, nights crowned with an enormous round moon in clear skies, and crisp early mornings requiring layers and boots.
When I say camping, I mean what is currently termed ‘glamping’. I am not into roughing it; I like the comforts of home: lights, cushy queen bed, my refrigerator full of food, my stove, fresh water, and working bathroom.
Our group gathered at the rural property of a friend to ‘dry’ camp, meaning no hook-ups. In order to have the comforts of home, I had big batteries, propane gas tanks, and a full tank of fresh water. I wanted to have hot water. As I was not hooked to any electricity, my water heater would use propane gas.
I looked timidly at the button labeled Water Heater LP Gas.
I’m a bit fearful of the dangers of gas. I use my camper stove and oven easily because of much experience. I also have gotten somewhat confident with my camper furnace, but I have never used the gas feature for my water heater, having only run it with electricity.
I devised what seemed to me a prudent plan, if surely a little nutty to anyone observing me. I would flip on the switch for the gas to the water heater, and then I would jump out the door, just in case anything went wrong and the water heater blew up.
I punched the button, hopped out the door and onto the grass. I stared at the access panel to the water heater on the side of the camper. I heard a great whosh! Yellow flame shot out the outside vent panel. The flame disappeared, but as I stepped closer to look, I could hear a sort of rumbling and see flickering and smoke coming out the vent. I was fairly certain that was abnormal.
Quickly I jumped back through the door and turned off the switch and then hopped back down to the ground again.
The rumbling was now silence. A gray wisp of smoke twirled up out the water heater access panel and disappeared.
After it had time to cool off, I opened the outside access panel. I saw fine coating of powdery dirt, but otherwise everything looked perfectly fine. No black soot or any evidence of fire. I shown a flashlight into the hole where I thought the gas burner was located. Red mud from a dirt dauber remained. It looked to have been blown out, but being uncertain, I decided no more attempts to use the gas feature on the water heater. I heated what water I wanted on the stove.
Two days later I moved to a friend’s property with electric hookup. I confidently punched the button for the electricity to the water heater. But the water heater was totally dead.
When a repairman came and took the water heater apart, he found deep inside, where we couldn’t see, an enormous hard-rock dirt-dauber nest.
So, lesson learned. I will cover the water heater and furnace vents with screens, and I now know exactly where the gas burner is located for the water heater.
Life is an adventure, and everything is grist for the mill of the author’s imagination.
I return home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated by the beauty of nature and warmth of good conversation. I think we all need to find ways to get away and get new perspectives, and best if we can do that for a few minutes each day. Prayer, reading, going for a walk, simply stopping to smell the roses is necessary. Think I’ll keep that dirt dauber nest as a reminder.
Grace and peace,
Curtiss Ann Matlock 
6 responses to “Camping with Grace and Grit”
CurtissAnn, I love reading about your adventures. You have such beautiful surroundings wherever you go.
I don’t know if I would be as likely to use gas on the appliances . It does sound scary. I think electric is better for me.
I am so happy for you. God definitely blesses you. Love and hugs to you and Faith. ššš
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I do find gas still, after all this time, makes me nervous. Yet, I do love pulling up somewhere and not having to hook anything up, that my camper has everything to make me comfortable. š
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You have such adventures!
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Or mis-adventures, as the case may be. š
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What a trooper you are, I just visualized your adventures on this tripā£ļøSounds like lessons learnedā£ļøYou are such a brave woman. Iām so proud of youā£ļøKeep on keeping on dear ā£ļøI enjoy your blogsā£ļø
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Thank you, dear cousin. I sure love you!
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