On our way home we had a quick overnight stay at Valley of Fire.  We got there early and were lucky enough to grab a campsite.  There are two campgrounds with a total of 72 sites.  It’s all first-come, first-served.  It’s a shame we only had a few hours instead of a few days.  There are a lot of hikes and amazing things to see in the park.  And Lake Mead is just a few minutes away.  We drove the scenic White Domes Rd and got in one short hike to the Fire Wave.

In the middle of the night the campground was dead quiet.  Amelia, sensing I was also awake, said, “Do you hear that noise?”

“Yes, I’ve been listening to it for a while,” I replied.

“What do you think it is? Could it be a moth?”

“I don’t think so, it sounds like a rat.”

“Well get up and figure it out!”

So I dragged my rear out of bed and of course Sara also got up.  The sound was definitely coming from under the sink, but Sara was banging on the door, so we went outside and both pottied.  The stars were amazing.  We came back in and I opened the cabinet sink, sure enough rodent droppings, but no vermin.  Good, I was thinking let’s go back to sleep.  A few minutes later Amelia says, ” I hear it again.”

So did I, so we all got up this time to have a closer inspection.  Of course, we couldn’t spot it, but we saw what it was chewing on, a small container that holds Sara’s treats.  There were pink plastic shavings and teeth marks on the container.  So we removed all the food items and even Sara’s pill containers.  “Problem solved,” I said.  “Now let’s go back to bed, it’ll be light in 3 hours.”

A few minutes later, Amelia says again, “I hear it again!  I think it’s in the trash can.”

I drop a barrage of F bombs, get up yet again, and pull out the garbage can.  After that it was peace and quiet.  The big question is, did the vermin hitchhike a ride to San Diego?

We had an easy just over six hour ride home.  I was grinning ear to ear at all the suckers going north on the 15 through the dreadful Inland Empire.  The only thing dumber than going north on the 15 on a Friday, is going on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving!

When we pulled up to our house at 2pm it was 100 degrees.  That’s quite a hoax the Chinese are perpetrating on the world.