Ripley is all washed, wrapped up an bedded down for a couple of weeks. I’m off to a meditation retreat & Kelly will be working.

Spent the morning washing away the accumulated mud, bug kill and grease from our last trip. Ripley is a big girl and it takes a while to reach all her bits. I try to use as little water as possible and it would be preferable to take her to a commercial car wash (one that recycles its water) but none around here have enough headroom.

Once she was sparkly clean it was time to dress her for bed. Putting her cover on single-handed is not easy, but over the years I have developed a system.

I first lay the cover out on the ground. I then carefully fold it into my patented origami ‘dodecahedron flapping swan’ taking careful note of where the centre seam runs.

The tricky part is manhandling this not insignificant mass of flapping swan up the 3m ladder and on to Ripley’s roof.

Best you shut your eyes, but I will say it involves the combined skills of Alex Honnold, and well this guy, who is carrying a Royal Enfield motorcycle on his head. Up a very sketchy ladder. You get the idea….neurosurgical consult on speed dial 3.

However, once in position the whole thing opens out gracefully like a lotus, spilling down the sides of Ripley…all aligned front and back and ready to be tucked in.