Another cook out

[Seajay]

THE COOK OUT ……
It should be understood that some of the campgrounds along the Alaska Highway are “Primitive” Some of the campsites are not really level and there are trees in your way when you try to unroll your awning.
We stopped for the night in Swamp water Campground. The camping was only ten dollars Canadian. I backed the camper in and we were setting up for the night when Willa suggested we try to grill some steaks. The weather was slightly threatening so I decided to unroll the awning for protection. It should be understood that not all camp grounds have picnic tables and sometimes if you want to “grill out’ you have to improvise. This involves finding a trashcan, turning the lid upside down on top of it for a “grill stand”. This works well as long as no one has thrown fish in the trash can recently.
I unlatched the awning and pulled on the strap to unroll it. We were parked beside a tree and the awning would only unroll a little over half way. I found a clean trashcan and made me a table and set the grill on top of it.
I got out my bean can for the missing leg on the back of the grill and I got out my vise grips so I could control the fire in the grill and I got my sardene can to prop the vice grips on and I got out my piece of wood to prop the lid of th grill on and I sat the complete mess up on the inverted top of a trash can. I hooked up the hose to the L.P. tank on the coach. All went well......... so far .......... The wind was puffing a little and the awning was flapping so I decided to stabilize the awning by tying the pull strap to the handle of the trashcan. The grill was heating nicely and I put on the steaks. Willa started fixing salad and some garlic bread in the coach while I tended the steaks. They were coming along nicely so I stepped inside to get some refreshment (beer). At the moment I stepped back out the door of the coach a puff of wind “ballooned” the awning up. It had just enough force to move the awning to make the awning “re roll itself”. With that the awning developed a mind of its own. The ‘rewind” spring took over and the awning shot back toward the coach like a loosed window shade. As the awning re rolled its self the “pull strap” was snatched up and inward. The trashcan did a double back flip and was yanked toward me like a Brama bull charging toward the side of the coach with the grill doing a half gainer with a full twist while the steaks went flying to parts unknown while I was dodging the flying trash can and all my ''stuff'' for the grill being propelled at me like a freight train and buckshot behind it. I dodged the trashcan but it smashed into the side of the coach. The grill was lying on its side in the grass with parts and pieces scatter around it The steaks were in the gravel parking lot in front of the coach.
“Honey, why are you hitting the coach with the trashcan”
“Why did you throw the steaks in the road”?
“Why are you setting the grass on fire with the grill burner”?
“Why is the grill laying on the ground”?
The answer I gave got me garlic bread and cold beans for supper and another night on the sofa …

The adventure continues heading for Alaska with
Willa and me ......
Seajay the sailor man .....

[Wayne M]

Second time I read it!

TEARS.

[PNWGirl]

WHAT A HOOT, great story!!! You wrote so well that I could see it happening and when you said that you tied the awning strap to the trash can I said "oh no". I knew what was coming but the way you described it was classic!!

Thank you for my Sunday Funny. Look forward to reading about more of your adventures!

Sheila

[SwampTrash]

I too can just picture that happening! the only thing missing was the dog leash tied to the awning arm!