We don't need no stinkin' clearance limits

It was Saturday and we were finally on our way. We spent a leisurely morning of coffee and conversation with Tom and Michelle, and then it was time to go. We fired up GiGi, the Garmin GPS, and told her to take us along the lake front. Hey stupid, you’re in Cleveland, it ain’t gonna happen. So instead of looking at the lake, we took the truck route around the city and headed northeast towards Erie with Buffalo in our sights. The city not the animal; we’re driving not hunting. A stop for gas and we breezed through Erie.

Still looking for the lake, Carol suggested that we drop off the 90 onto state route 5 in N.Y. I thought that was a great idea. We would have a chance to see some of Americana, things that you miss while traveling on the big roads. So we took the exit, paid the toll (yes, in N.Y. the 90 is a toll road) and took to route 5. Four lanes wide, no center divider and 50 mph speed limit, we are on it and holy crap batman, the next over pass is 12’6”. Find a wide spot quick so we can determine just how tall we are. Can we U-turn? Yeah sure, two lanes coming up behind us and two lanes head-on; and if we don’t make it with the truck in tow, we can’t back up. That would only tie up three of the four lanes. Wait a minute, wasn’t that a semi that just came through the overpass? Yeah, but is he bigger then we are? Find the dimensions. Ok, here it is: the RV is 12’3” measured to the top of the highest piece of standard equipment. Is the AC unit standard? I sure hope so. Eventually, there is a break in traffic and we start forward. I slow as I approach the overpass. Jeez is that close, but we’re clear and it’s back to the 90. Notice, that I use the SoCal nomenclature of dropping the “I” (for interstate) and just referring to the number. Most places it would be the I-90, but what the heck.

Arriving in Buffalo, I took a south exit when I should have taken a north exit. After a quick tour of downtown, not bad on a late Saturday afternoon, we were back on the correct route. We found the RV Park in Niagara Falls and got everything set up. Once settled, we were off to the falls to see the American side. The commercial area around the falls is a bit chintzy. It is as if they went for the glitz of Las Vegas and fell far short. The national park grounds are very nice in comparison. We thoroughly enjoyed walking along the river, the gorge and viewing the falls. Spice enjoyed being out and about. She minded her manners, ignoring the people and staying calm in the throngs. Carol took some great pictures even when she had to wait for people to vacate the viewfinder. I met a couple with Pitt sweatshirts and we discussed having just taken our son/daughter back to school. If you should get bored with the falls, people-watching is a decent alternative. While Carol was taking pictures, Spice and I listened to conversations in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Farsi, Indian dialects, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. There was a moment when I wanted to organize an impromptu chorus of “We are the World”. As night fell, the falls are lighted with colors; red, blue, yellow, purple. It is quite a spectacle to see, bringing a bit of a dramatic effect that would be lost in the dark. With the darkness, photo opportunities became nil and it was time to leave. Home and to bed: the Canadian side awaited us on Sunday morning.

I was going to try to insert some photos on the blog, but have been unsuccessful. If you would like to see trip pictures, go to Carol’s Facebook page. You might have to ask to be her friend, but if you are reading this, she will be happy to make you a friend.

Two other things. Should you think that we were out of corn, rest assure the crop is plentiful in Pennsylvania and New York. Several times we saw it being grown adjacent to wine grapes. Imagine that, wine and corn likker together; a bootleggers dream. Second, it didn't rain today.

Hospitality Reigns

We had a wonderful stay with Tom and Michelle. It was good times, good fun, good food and great friends. Tom had smoked a turkey the day we got there. Carol loves turkey and the dinner was excellent. I mentioned that I had considered buying a used smoker. When I broached the idea to Carol, she was a bit negative; something about having a second hand smoker in the house. Thursday night, it was Michelle’s turn. She fixed an excellent pasta dinner. Her sauce is a mouth watering concoction of tomatoes, onions, garlic and meat. Friday night, it was our turn. We went out. Did I mention that it rained?

On the road again: Not quite yet

We spent Thursday evening and Friday visiting with Tom and Michelle. I helped Tom mulch some trees and he helped me get the road dirt and bugs off of the RV. Except for the time we were in Pittsburgh, it has done nothing but rain and storm. We had some sunshine Friday morning while mulching. That bit of sun encouraged me to wash the RV. A task made fairly easy with a power washer and a brush. I manned the washer and Tom took care of the brushwork. We were done just in time to watch a massive thunderstorm. It was everything you could want in a thunderstorm; lightning, thunder, heavy rain and 3/4 inch hail. We even had some funnel clouds spotted in the vicinity.

Whining over wine

Yesterday's blog actually covered our travels on the 26th and 27th, though it might have read otherwise. Currently, we are in Niagara Falls and I'm doing my best to get caught up. So be patient. BTW-Indiana was not the end of the corn. The crop seemed just as plentiful in Ohio as anywhere else we had traveled.

Somewhere east of Nebraska, I realized that I had made a monumental error. I may have written that I had packed some thirty bottles of wine to take with us. You may also remember that we planned to travel into Canada. The limits on wine being brought into the country from the U.S. are pretty much the same limits as with any country, a liter and a half per responsible adult. So Carol gets to bring in two bottles and I get to do the same. That leaves 26 bottles requiring duty payment. Unless of course we drink it first. If we elected to pay the duty on the wine, when we came back into the States, we would be faced with the same dilemma. Although, the wine would surely be a diminishing supply. So we elected to change our travel plans. Instead of entering Canada at Niagara Falls and driving around Lake Ontario, we would stay on the U.S. side and drive northeast for a while before crossing the border. No, the thought of trying to smuggle our cache across the border never occurred to us; well, almost never.

On Thursday, we took Christy into Pittsburgh to get her moved into her dorm. This move in was quite easy as everything we needed was accessible. She has a nice room she is sharing with two other young women. They are all friends from last year. While Christy unpacked her stuff, we did some shopping for Pitt paraphernalia. We both wanted sweat shirts and now was the time to get them. We caught back up with Christy just after noon. With her in tow, we met with our "adopted" daughter number two, Danielle, who is a grad student at Carnegie Mellon. We got to see Danielle's apartment, have lunch and get a rundown on her adventures in the environs of Squirrel Hill.

We dropped Danielle off at school for a study session. From there, we took Christy to see her friend Jen. Saying our good byes on the street corner, Carol and I left Christy and began the trip back to North Ridgeville. It was good to know that Christy is happy at Pitt and truly enjoying the experience of college life. As we left Pittsburgh, Carol commented that our trip was done, now we could start our adventure. For me, my life with Carol, the blessing of having Christy, have both been a wonderful adventure and I want them to continue well into the future.

Catching up: Corn Rowed

So here we are in Ohio. It seems as though much has occurred. While we really have had no plans, our intentions seem to be changing and evolving as events unfold. The intent to write each day, diminished almost immediately as driving 12 hours took a toll. I swear there is an Imp that sits on my shoulder and drives an ice pick into the base of my neck after about six hours of driving. When I sit and type, it comes back and jabs again.

The last two day of driving became a blur. It misted on us through Nevada and Utah. Wyoming was mostly mist with some light showers. Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio gave us rain and thunder storms. Did you know that every mile you drive you collect 100 bugs on the front of your vehicle? Also, bugs planted on your vehicle at 65 mph will steadfastly remain in place even when you proceed at 65 mph through a driving rainstorm. One would think the rain should have an eroding effect upon insect carcasses or at least the splat which once was a carcass.

Nebraska brought us into corn country. Iowa upped the ante. The price of 87 octane gasoline in Iowa was around $2.35. But the cost of 89 octane gasoline with 10% ethanol was a nickel to a dime cheaper. Why you ask? And, inquiring minds did want to know! The state of Iowa subsidizes the cost of the 89 octane to boost sales of ethanol. That’s right folks, the ethanol market can’t make it on its own, so the state spends tax dollars to ensure the continued production and use of the product. Meanwhile, indigent Mexicans can’t afford the rising cost of corn flour.

Where Wyoming was rolling grasslands, except for the area north of Flaming Gorge, Nebraska became some what flatter fields of corn. Iowa was much more undulating then Nebraska. Another interesting thing about Iowa was in the area around Cedar Rapids. It is hard to imagine how much of it was under flood waters last winter/spring. A lot of flood repair is still in progress on the roads and the bridges.

Carol could not remember ever being in Iowa. As we rolled across the Might Mississippi and into Illinois, she commented that she had landed at O’Hare once, so she had been in Illinois. I don’t believe that changing planes at any airport actually qualifies you for being in that particular state. Regardless, this time she was in the state for real. I-80 took us across the northern part of the state; across the Fox River which flows south from Wisconsin; south of Chicago proper and into northern Indiana. If you thought we had left the corn behind in Iowa, think again. Corn was prolific along the I-80, as was soybean.

We rolled on through the Boilermaker region of Purdue University and into Fighting Irish territory at South Bend. Was there corn? As high as an elephant’s eye and as far as you could see, row up row of corn stood tall towards the sun, but on this day only catching rain. Indiana also gave us our first toll road, the Indiana Turnpike. As I gently nudged our 102 inches, not including the mirrors, of width in to the toll lane, all of 10 feet wide, Carol thought it was a good time to look at the floor. The toll ticket we received was a matrix of vehicle classes, possible exits and cost of participating. Not having any idea what class we might be, we continued merrily down the turnpike, watching the industrial areas of Michigan City, South Bend, et al. become the rows of corn we had become so accustomed to seeing. As the eastern boundary of Indiana drew nigh and Ohio was on the horizon, the toll booth and our time of reckoning approached. The smiling Jack at the toll booth lightened out load by a mere $16.75, sending us merrily on our way towards the Ohio Turnpike, where yet another toll booth stood proudly erect, awaiting our arrival, to issue yet another hall pass to be paid somewhere down the road. (Jill, if you’re reading this, it’s late and I’m not going to proof it!)

Two more hours of driving and $6.75 later, we were off the turnpike on our way to our friends, Tom and Michelle. They have a lovely home, on several acres, in North Ridgeville which is just southwest of Cleveland. From here it is a mere 125 miles into Pittsburgh. So the plan is to disconnect the Dakota, using it to ferry Christy into Pittsburgh and school; then return to North Ridgeville and spend some time with them.

Days in a Daze

I had targeted 6 AM as a departure time for us on Sunday. Lo and behold, we actually got away around 6:15; at least as far as Ave M, where we connected the Dakota to the RV. Even then, we were actually on the roll by 6:30. A quick stop in Mojave for coffee (good old AM-PM) and we just kept rolling along. We stopped at Vons, in Bishop, for gasoline. Our ten cent discount was good for the first 30 gallons and we only took another gallon and a half. As long as we were there, we might as well grab a bite of cereal, so we ate breakfast in the Vons parking lot.

After we left Bishop, it was on toward Benton via route 6. We crossed into Nevada, taking the obligatory pictures of Godfrey at the state line, then on to Tonopah. It was universal, none of us wants to live or visit Tonopah -EVER----. But, when you depart out of Tonopah, the scenery along rte 6 is quite enjoyable. The highway climbs into a high plain with lots of live oak. Not the typical desert or even Owens valley environs, it is more enjoyable with some spectacular vistas. By the time you reach Ely, you have crossed several passes with lots of pine and live oak; cruised through a couple of canyons and seen areas far diverse from what you would have seen on the 40.

We rolled into Ely with thoughts of eating dinner at the Apple Tree, a family style restaurant Christy and I ate in last year. After parking a couple of blocks away and walking to the restaurant, we found it closed. So then it was off to our second choice, La Fiesta, a Mexican place a couple of blocks the opposite direction. La Fiesta was open. While not a restaurant I would recommend, my food wasn't too bad. Carol was very disappointed. She had ordered a taco/enchilada with rice and beans. I had a chili Colorado burrito with the sides. We both agreed that the beans were watery and flavorless. The rice was "ok" but could use some salsa for taste. While my burrito was tasty with big chucks of beef, pepper, chili and onion; her enchilada and taco were quite bland. No tequila, no cerveza; just mediocre food, pay the bill and we're out of here. Next stop: Utah.

So, sometime around 10 PM, Pacific, we rolled into a WalMart in Payson, Ut. to spend the night. We had spent almost 16 hours on the road, covered 700 miles and three states. Not bad for a day’s work. Just shoot me; shoot me now. Did I tell you that it rained? The RV looks like it went through a rain storm; the Dakota looks like it had a mud bath. Oh well.



WYOMING, WHY NOT.

So that was yesterday. At 6:15, I was awake. Out of bed, I took the dog for a walk. Carol awoke and began straightening the RV for the day’s travel. Spice and I had a nice walk and Mom had Spice’s breakfast ready for her when we got back to the motor home. It was too early for me to eat, so we just hit the road. Originally, our plan was to take Rte 6/50 to Delta, then the 50 east to meet up with I70. However, there wasn’t anywhere to stop, so we opted for the WalMart in Payson. Carol thought we might take U.S. 40 east through the mountains. Upon further review, we didn’t have the time, although we did have the inclination, and I was worried about how much inclination we would have to climb and descend. I’m sure it is a pretty route. Having moved our route north towards Provo, it now seemed incumbent on us to continue north to the I80. So we did.
We departed Payson, northbound, towards Provo. Hwy 189 took us through downtown Provo, past BYU and into the mountains. The street through down town was one of the magnificently constructed concrete boulevards where the concrete joints are three inches lower then the middle of the concrete pad resulting in a constant thump thump thump as if the tires on the RV were square or at least octagonal. Hwy 189 took us through a couple of beautiful canyons, along several reservoirs and joined us with I-80 at Park City. I-80 took us east into Wyoming. We left behind miles of dramatic terrain and entered miles of rolling nothingness that is southern Wyoming. I don’t mean to cast a negative light on the state, the area north of Flaming Gorge is quite lovely and we got several good photos out the RV window. Don’t ask me how, but I got Carol to drive for a couple of hours before we rolled into Nebraska. Once she got us out of the truck stop and onto the road, she seemed a bit more comfortable. Passing large trucks and being passed by large trucks caused some hyperventilation, but quickly blew over. At 9:30 CDT, we rolled into the campground at North Platte, Ne. The distance was 677 miles covered in 13:35. Two more days of hard travel, then we can kick back some.

Christy reminded me that the word refrigerator does not have a "d" in it. I knew that, but I get a "d" in spelling. The blog software is similar to a ride at Disneyland except instead of doors and windows, it has "no spell check and no thesaurus".

Hiho-Hiho, it's a travelin' we go

We got everything done yesterday and now it looks like we are "outahere". The initial plan is to stop in Ely, Nv. tonight. I did such a good job packing food, that I have to go to RV and get things out for our breakfast. I think I'll just feed the dog and we can eat somewhere on the road. Probably coffee in Mojave.

Best to all, I'll update as soon as I can.

Another Day - Another Decision

For better or worse, I've decided to take some windsurfing equipment with us. The more I looked at maps, the more water I saw. Then there was an article about how the oceans have warmed stating 72degree water off of Maine, so what the heck. How much room can two boards, three sails, and some wetsuits take up? So, it's going with us.

We packed the Dakota yesterday evening. Well, we almost packed it. After high fiving each other over our apparent success, Carol saw that we had not packed Christy's sewing machine. Why this girl needs her sewing machine, I'm not sure, but we will indulge her and send it along. After all, I'm taking windsurfing stuff.

Just when you think you have it all covered, the DMV sends you a renewal notice. I wasn't worried about it because I renew on line, but then Carol said, "O shoot, we have to get the Z smogged." So in thirty minutes I'm off to a smog check place, hoping it won't take to long and the it is "ok".

Carol is busy house cleaning, doing laundry and double checking stuff for the trip. I'm sitting here at the keyboard. But I still have to finish loading the refridgerator and pack the dry food. Speaking of which, I have thirty bottles of wine that have to go somewhere. I was smart enough to save the last couple boxes that my wine shipments came in, so I've been able to secure two dozen bottles. Maybe on of the grocery store wine carriers will finish the job. Then, where do I store the wine. I'm thinking it will be best under the dinnette seats. Yea, that will work.

So we're at D-day minus 21 hours. I'm to smog.

It Seemed So Simple

Several years ago, when I bought the Dakota, I had Camping World set the truck up to be towed. Part of that package was a "BrakePro" auxiliary braking system. It uses pneumatic pressure to fire a piston against the brake pedal. Obviously, a compressor is required and it runs off the truck's battery. On my annual trips to South Padre Island it has never been a problem because I make the trip in a couple of days. However, last spring when Carol and I took eight days to make the same trip, the truck's battery shot craps about four days out. So it became necessary to find a way to keep the battery charged. Why CW didn't offer to do this I will never know.

In a conversation with the automotive specialist who takes care of the motor home and the truck, I asked how best to keep the battery charged. His recommendation was to run a charge line from the M/H to the truck. All he would need was a couple of hours with the truck to run the line. So we set the appointment. On the annointed day, I took in the truck and the M/H. Low and behold, while the M/H has a seven pin receptacle, only four of the pins were wired. That was the first kink. So he had to run 30 feet of wire to provide a charge line to the pin. Then, the truck had a four pin receptacle. Obviously, it would require a change. The order for the parts took another day. But wait, Christy had committed to help a friend move to USC this morning. So it worked like this: Tuesday morning the truck and M/H to the shop; at noon, the truck came home; the M/H returned home at 5:30; this morning, the truck, loaded with stuff went to USC and returned to the shop by 11:00; at 4:00, I picked up the truck, with new wiring at a cost of several hundred dollars. And it seemed so simple. But, it needed to be done so I just sucked it up and paid the bill. Looks like we won't be trading in the truck anytime soon.

All we have left to do with the M/H is to pack clothes and some food stuffs. I spent most of today cleaning and dusting the interior. I still need to check the tire pressure, but all else is good. We're counting down to Sunday morning.

One Waxed Motor Home

Yah fer sure, it's a done deal, said the Norwegian hillbilly. So this morning, I skipped the gym and finished waxing the roof before it got hot. The passenger side and rear were finished yesterday evening and the roof was all that was left. I dislike waxing the roof because it never looks good when you're done. And, I spend all that time on my knees. I have a garden kneepad which helps and I could have gotten my strap on knee pads, but then what could I whine about. Maybe it is the residual dirt or the dust that accumulates between when the roof is washed and when it is waxed, but it just doesn't seem to wax evenly. Then again, it could just be that the constant exposure to the sun creates more oxidation which fouls the wax.

One of my vent lids was looking pretty ragged. Maybe it was the "Protec-All" that I had used on it or maybe just the sun, but the vinyl was definately degrading, so I bought a new one. Initially, I went to a little RV place in Palmdale only to find that it was gone. Could be the recession, could be poor management because there is little local competion. Regardless, the building and maintenance facilities are empty, with a for sale sign in the window. So the next stop was in Acton. I actually thought I would have to go to Camping World in Valencia, but I remembered the shop in Acton. Thankfully, they had the vent cover I needed. There is no where near the inventory that CW has in it's shop, but I was able to get the things I needed.

Tomorrow, the Dakota and the motor home got to the shop to get a charge line run from the M/H to the truck. That will ensure we don't lose the battery on a long haul. I'm hoping that once they two vehicles are there, they can identify the proper pin on the M/H and I can take it home while they finish with the truck. That should free up some time.

Carol has started with some clothes in the motor home. I've been thinking about what I need to pack, but I'm trying to keep it minimal. I'm thinking a couple of pairs of jeans; a couple pairs of dockers in case we go somewhere that doesn't like jeans; some tees, some polo shirts, a sweater or two and a sweat shirt. Then some sort of jacket will probably be necessary. My ski jacket should fit the bill as it is meant to fit over several layers and will work as both a windbreaker and a rain jacket.

This is going to be a busy week and not just getting ready. Christy has volunteered to help a friend move to USC. He needs to be there at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, so Tuesday evening they will be packing the truck with his stuff. Once she gets home on Wednesday, she will need to start packing her stuff into the truck and the motor home. She has two birthday parties to attend, one of Friday and one on Saturday. I want to be on the road ASAP Sunday morning and don't care if everyone else sleeps.

I've committed to having lunch with Gene on Wednesday. Wednesday lunch was a regular occurance until I took off on some travel and then he went on his annual trek to Mn. Gene and I destroyed a great bottle of Cabernet during dinner with Dana. The four of us had already finished off two bottles of Prosecco before dinner. I uncorked a bottle of merlot after dinner and Gene and I both had a glass. The girls were light weights which was good, because Carol needed to drive us home.

Hopefully, the packing fairy will show up to help get everything done.

We're waxing, we're waxing and waxing some more

Last evening we had a lovely dinner with friends. I had a great morning at the gym then got some work done in the afternoon. Even a little bit helps get the whole done. About 5:15, Carol mentioned that we would need to leave soon and to not forget about dinner with Dana. Of course, I was watching the clock trying to get as much done as possible in a limited time. I had just finished the "wax on" and had picked up the power buffer for the "wax off" segment. As soon as the orbital pad hit the side of the motor home, it departed for the farside of the driveway. I guess it knew I had limited time and that time was over.

Have you ever noticed the subtle changes that have been made to the instructions on car wax? It used to be the instructions said to use a damp cloth; rub in some wax on a small area; let it dry to a haze; and buff it off. At Pepboys, I was looking at some high end waxes and polishes. Evidently, the car care product manufactures have taken a clue from the wineries. One of the waxes I pick up gave the instructions as follows: When opening the container, take caution to use a proper tool to ease the lid from the tin. We find the common screwdriver is incompatable to the fit, resulting in the tin being scratched or bent. Our recommendation is to use a tool similar to the one used to open paint cans. You can find these in the paint department of any big box hardware store. Upon opening the tin, your nose should sense the gentle aroma of oils, polymers and cleaners with a slight overtone of lemon and chrome. Allow the wax to experience the freshness of clean air just momentarily before you gently draw off the top course with a lightly damp, lint free applicator. Be cautious not to take too much wax. At this time, you are not looking for a full body massage, just a moderate caress of fender section or a rear deck. As you approach the vehicle, you need only to massage the wax into the finish with gentle circular motion. You want the area touched and tingled by the wax, not roughly applied. You have time. Let your vehicle know that you care. Once the wax is applied, your vehicle needs time; time to fully absorb the oils and polymers it so desperately wants. Your vehicle will tell you when it is ready for more. The applied area will take on a soft haze as it wavers between wanting more and knowing the need to be buffed. This next step is most important. The choice between a clean, lint-free wipe cloth or a power buffer with a microfiber pad is your's to make. Some enjoy the reward of slowly but steadily bringing forth a deep, rich shine by working a cloth across the waxed surface. Others prefer the excitement of a power tool as it vibrates across worked area, achieving a rewarding shine in minimum time. It was at this point I needed to step outside for a cigarette.

This morning, I fixed the buffer and started in again. I'm somewhat anal with regard to the cleaning. As an example, I took off the plastic vent cover for the refridgerator, brought it in and cleaned it, took in back out and waxed it; then put it back on where it belongs. The side of the motorhome that I'm working on is exposed to the sprinklers and evidently gets a bit sprayed when the wind blows. Some of the water spots wax out, but the ones on the fiberglass sides are quite resistant. I'm thinking I'll need to do a quick hand wash prior to any more waxing.

After "Googling" the difference in route distance between I-40 and U.S. 6, I've elected to take the road less traveled. Google says the I-40 will take one day and 12 hours while the alternate takes five hours longer. What the heck. Carol has never seen that part of the country and parts of it are quite pretty. Now, I have to figure if I'm going to take any windsurfing equipment.

Ok, we're down to house cleaning, packing, waxing and a couple of mods. One week to get it done and we're gone.

Beginnings and the labor that brings them forth

I've started this primarily to keep friends and family updated on our eastern swing trip. It also is a test to see if I can maintain my own interest in publishing a blog and if I can make it interesting enough for others to read. So with that written, I'm looking to answer six classical questions: who, what, where, when, why and how.

Carol and I planned to drive Christy back to school in Pittsburgh when she begins her second year this month. We've also been investigating a move to the eastern U.S. I have, for the longest time wanted to "follow the fall colors". Carol has only seen a couple of selected cities east of the Mississippi and wants to see more.

Many years ago, I read a book about the Allegheny mountains. It was written that they begin near Gaspe, Ont., Canada, then move south to Georgia where their rolling hills, limestone outcropings and hardwood forest begin to flatten to the coastal plain. That book has inspired in me a desire to spend some time in Gaspe, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island beginning in the late summer. Then as the trees begin to take on their fall color, move south through New England, western N.Y. and Pennsylvannia into W.Va., Va. and N.Ca. So we will be on the road for a while. After we get Christy to Pittsburgh, we have only some general plans. We know that we want to see Niagara Falls and then will venture through Canada to Gaspe.

I've started working to get things done, both in the house and with the motor home. A bit of gardening, cleaning gutters and draining the spa is beginning to get the house ready. We are fortunate to have wonderful neighbors who have offerred to watch the house (occassionally turn on the water valves, flush the toilets and get the mail). The bills are set on some sort of auto pay. The motor home is slowly getting waxed. Of course, as soon as I began to wax it, the temps began to climb so my waxing is early morning and late afternoon. Tuesday, the truck gets a final modification to enable the motor home to charge the truck battery while it is being towed. We discovered this problem when we took eight days to drive to Texas this past spring. When I've towed the truck on prior trips, I always get to South Padre Island in two and a half days. The break assist system on the truck doesn't have time to drain the battery. But when you take more then four days, the battery is sucked dry. To fix the problem, I am having a charge line added to run from the motor home to the truck.

The next question is whether or not to take any windsurfing equipment. Carol thinks it will be too cold. But as I scan the atlas of the states we will be visiting, I see a lot of water. Decisions, decisions.

The next big decision is whether to just drive across I40, or to make an adventure of the first couple of days. Historic US 6 is a fun rte, but it is probable 400 miles out of the way. And as much as I would like Carol to see that part of the country, I'm thinking it will be best to just beat feet east.

So that is it for now. I'm sure I'll get a couple of posting prior to the start of the trip and then it will be a daily log, if I can find the internet.