Right Brain Right Lane : Red Cross #CampPrepare!

Aug1; Portland OR

Red Cross's "Test Your 72 hr Emergency Kit" campout weekend

I had been wanting to test out my 'Go Bag' for awhile, so this was the perfect opportunity! Many people joined the Red Cross at a local State Park for a day of camping. I elected to camp on my back deck because Fay Wray is increasingly frail and I didn't want to leave her.

To keep myself honest, I taped all the faucets and the fridge door closed. That way I wouldn't be tempted by the Salted Butterscotch ice cream. It was the hottest weekend this summer (of course, just to make it extra hard!!) and I admit that I retreated inside to the air conditioning for awhile in the late afternoon. Also, at about 2 am, the hard deck was a bit much for my hips - so I spent the rest of the night on my comfy bed inside.

Regardless - the event was a success. My kit worked really well and I had everything I needed. Because of the hot weather, I have added some gatorade mix to my emergency food.

Fay Wray did not participate!

Well, she's old. And she had her first Grand Mal seizure a few days ago and I didn't want to put her under any unnecessary stress. But, I realized that her harness and leash were at the bottom of my Go Bag - not handy if it had really been an emergency. I also relocated her crate to the same closet as the GoBag. In a real emergency, I'd probably feel better if she was in a sturdy crate.

The local media really got excited about this event!

While we've known for years that the PNW is due for a major, major earthquake, but a recent article in the New Yorker has had everyone in a tizzy. So, the Red Cross asked if I would be willing to be interviewed by the press as part of the coverage of Camp Prepare. Of course, I said yes (before realizing that THREE different stations would be out to talk to me!).