Day 290 (Summerdale, AL)

We were returning from Gulf Shores and needed diesel (I know, we seem to always be looking for fuel but we get 10+ MPG while hauling and 20+ when driving around with our RV). We stopped at a BP station and I started filling the tank with the “GREEN” pump handle when Boots realized we were putting “regular” gasoline into the tanks. Yikes. I stopped and Boots called Ford Road Side Assistance. We were instructed to NOT start/drive the truck.

A tow truck towed the truck to Foley, AL for a tank flush and dropped us off at the RV park.

Day 286 (Summerdale, AL)

We went into central Pensacola, FL and needed diesel before we returned to camp. We used our GPS and found no diesel and in a lot of cases no gas station at all (they were closed). We finally stopped at a station and was directed to Route 29 outside of Pensacola. They said that the stations weren’t able to re-certify their holding tanks since Katrina’s damage.

Day 280 (Summerdale, AL)

Well, here we are in Alabama to meet Boots’ family. What an adventure – between seeing
· brother Donald, his wife Louise and their son Donny, his wife, Donna, and their kids, Jenna and Brennan, and Brennan’s girlfriend)
· brother Buddy, his wife Liz and their daughter Connie and her granddaughter Gerry Ryan,
· sister Linda, her husband Bernard and their kids Amy and Adam and Adam’s wife Jessica and their kids Destin, Sage, and Leah.

And our quest for the best fried and grilled shrimp on the gulf coast; we have had a great time. Talking and laughing about our travels, Boots' childhood, and shrimp has certainly provided us all with a few more years of good health – laughter being the best medicine.

We have had shrimp from Mikee’s (twice), Shrimp Basket (twice), Wolf Bay Lodge, Big Daddy’s Grill, Bahama Bob’s (twice). Lulu’s, Cafe on the Bay, Peg Leg Pete’s,

Day 279 (Hammond, LA)

We set-up camp here and drove up to Clark (Boots’ brother) and Diane Hale’s place in McComb, MS. They have a lot of acreage: garden, chickens, goats, working dogs and Tom (part Rottweiler with very short legs). The large fenced yard gave Karma a good run. We had a great dinner and lots of fun conversation. We left with some goat cheese and fudge - really yummy!!!!

On the way from this site, we saw lots of cars pulled way off the interstate down in the ditch to the wooded area. They were going through the underbrush to fish in the bayous.

Day 278 (Sulfur, LA)

This is another one night stand on our way to visit Boots’ family. In the morning, we drove up to Dequincy, LA and met one of Boots’ nieces (Clark’s daughter Corinne and her husband Eugene) for breakfast.

We drove along the shore of Biloxi where Katrina destroyed the beach, roads, and homes. We could see lot with drive ways, mail boxes and no house remains. An artist from Florida has sculpted water animals (whales, marlins, pelicans, etc. etc. etc.) in the dead trees pounded by Katrina. What a wonderful message of hope and beauty to honor the victims.

Day 273 (San Marcos, TX)

Saw my first Confederacy flag. Ugh!

Day 265 (Anchorage, AK for Ruthi)

Ruthi flew to Anchorage for a week of visiting with Kassie, Nate and business. Kassie and Billie’s house have a lot of items from our old home so I felt really comfortable. Kassie let me have her room/bed and she slept in the living room. Work went well and I was able to spend a day with Nate in Soldotna 4-wheeling around the woods. Much harder than riding a motorcycle but fun none the less. Next time I’d like to try it on the beaches with sand instead of snow.

Day 262 (San Marcos, TX)

Home to Texas State University. We are here for 2 weeks because Ruthi is going to Alaska for a week on business. It is very very windy and raining. The satellite dish has fallen over twice even with some weight holding it down.

We went up to Austin to check it out. We liked the town and found it to be more metropolitan than we had expected in Texas. This isn’t enough time to see the area fully (we never even got down to San Antonio) so we will be coming back here in the non-raining season!

Day 261 (Ft Stockton, TX)

On the way here we crossed the Rio Grande. It was very small at this end. Lots of warning messages about “ice” on bridges. “Don’t Mess With Texas” is the anti-littering campaign slogan, pretty cool. We are seeing lots of road kill but no armadillos yet. Very hilly in this region of Texas. New vocabulary – a wash is called a draw here.

This must have been an important stopping place in the frontier days but our overnight stop did not include any Indian attacks or roaming buffalo.

Day 260 (Deming, NM)

Vegetation is looking better. At least, there is some green and real trees. We crossed the Continental Divide at a relatively flat spot. Since this was really a zip through Southern New Mexico, we will have to come back next winter to see central and Northern areas.