here's post #2 ( i hope) The day of scheduled vet visit dawned rainy and blustery and Spiffy's eye was clear, so we cancelled appt and aim ( lord willing) to depart tomorrow as planned. We hope a few people will come and stay here at home periodically while we're gone to enjoy the place and keep cats company. We're mostly packed and ready now , but its an ongoing challenge to prep the Van for camping/living when its an hour boat ride away. Rubbermaid totes are hauled off and on the passenger ferry, emptied, re packed, and stored, repeat as needed. Better than a gym membership . Now there's the usual stack of totes, laundry bags, dog crates, yoga mat ( for Keevah to lie on ) piled by the door. Once I travelled light, now we could use Sherpas' and mules. Folding dollies are the cadillacs of this Island; people eye each others admiringly like they do cars in other places. no one cares what you're dressed like or what you drive here, but if you've got a nice dolly it'll be noticed! One last hike on the " Pond loop" trail, one last day to enjoy the square footage and option to be in different rooms or acres from each other, one more sleep in a bed that doesn't have to be folded up each morning.