End of Travel Blues

Greetings from Mississippi.... Hattiesburg area.

I have had a great time this summer traveling and now I am close to home and feeling like I just don't want this great summer to end!  

I thought about canceling appointments and just keep going, but I need to stop and re-group and see all the wonderful folks in the Inverness area.

I thought I had a good excuse to just turn the corner and go somewhere else when Debra sent me a picture from the weather station reporting on a storm heading toward the upper Gulf Coast... the winds and definitely the rains could hit the area I am headed tomorrow, Blackriver State Park near Milton, Florida.

I had stayed there on the way up and enjoyed it and enjoyed a visit with my friend Joan.  Joan and I had just made a plan to meet and hike on Wednesday, October 7.  

Later today I checked the weather again and some of the storm could start hitting on Wednesday or Thursday.  It isn't just the storm I need to worry about.  It is people in cars trying to escape, lines at the gas station, full campgrounds.

So tonight I changed my schedule.  I called Joan and canceled our hike and she said it was a good move.  She said people are scared because they were just hit by Hurricane Sally.  There are piles of debris and un-repaired roofs still from the last storm.  Gas lines are already forming and it is just Monday.

I was going to map my way East and then South.  But when I looked to the map, I couldn't find any arteries going east and west, other than I10... which is south into the chaos.  

I kept one night at Blackriver State Park, but I will leave early on Wednesday and head East.

Then I will spend three nights at the park where I started this trip in June, the Suwannee River Rondezveaux.  Anyone want to join me???   I will be home by Sunday.   

Maybe I would feel better if I could hug folks when I get there.  Yes, I would feel much better about being home if I could hug Margaret, and Mari and Marylyn and Debra and so many...

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I had a lovely time at Davis Lake Campground near Tupelo, MS.  You know what else the park is by?  A bike trail.  The Tanglefoot trail is only 5.6 miles away!  I didn't ride, I wanted to take a day to get things done, I wrote to you, did laundry, enjoyed the  views.

The next day, I was getting ready to get in the car after packing up to leave Davis Lake.  First I had to soak up some of the beauty and take a couple pictures.  The sun wasn't up yet, and there was a full moon (or close to it).

I realized that within 28 days I would be watching the full moon rise over the Everglades!  Woohoo!

This was the only morning on my trip that I can recall when I ran out of coffee and had to drive to get a cup.  The gas station I stopped at had a cemetery across the street for Confederate Soldiers.

For a break from driving I searched on google for a park.  I chose one that looked like it might have some roads to walk.  It turned out to have a nice paved trail for walkers around a reservoir.  And on the far side of the reservoir was a huge lake, with a trail I could have walked.  It was 4.5 miles around the lake, I didn't take the time.    What a nice find and a nice break!

I arrived at the Paul B Johnson State Park near Hattiesburg, MS a couple hours before my friends arrived.  I went for a bike ride to see the place,   It is huge and has over 100 campsites and at least 14 cabins.

The road goes over the dam and the water on one side is held by wooden planks.  I was a bit nervous riding by bicycle across.  

I loved my campsite.

Jean and Keith arrived and we had a nice evening happy hour and decided the time and starting point for our ride tomorrow on the Long Leaf Trace trail.  We would start in Hattiesburg ready to leave at 9:00.

Keith told me that Ghandi walked everywhere and he often went on hunger strikes which caused him to have bad breath.    So he was a Super callused fragile mystic with extra halitosis.
 

You may remember Jean and Keith, I stopped to see them on the way up to Wisconsin.  Keith was the one that got me a new cord for my camper that delivers more power and allows my air conditioner to work at the same time as the refrigerator.

I had posted something on Facebook about where I was and one of my Facebook friends said that was where she lived!  I told her where we were going to start our ride and what time.  And boy was I surprised and pleased to meet Janet Webb in the flesh in the Hattiesburg parking lot.

 

Keith and Jean and I rode only 20 miles but we had a rolling conversation.  It was Sunday and the trail was busy with walkers and riders. 
 

In the evening we sat around the fire with Jean's friend Todd.  I opened the bottle of wine that Jeannie from Southern Illinois had given to me.  It was very good - sweet... and potent.  Thanks again, Jeannie!

We rode a different part of the trail on Monday.  Still only 20 miles.

We stopped at Fajita's restaurant in a small town.  It was yummy.  Keith insisted on buying!  Thank you Keith and Jean!

 

Jean and Keith spend their winters in Florida in my neighborhood.  When we parted we said, "see you next month!"

 

Book Update

 Hey, I sold another book in Australia! 

 

That is thrilling, I just started to advertise there via Amazon.

Alzheimer's Trippin' with George is available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

I didn't think I would like it at the beginning but it was great. It was a wonderful journey getting to go with Susan and George on their three month quest of living with dementia. Robin Siegerman did a super job on narration... the book was one I will listen to again.. Thank you Connie Higgins Audible Listener

 

To listen to a sample, click here.  To order click here.

AlzAuthors has started a podcast.  Marianne Sciucco who is also and author of an Alzheimer's book serves on the board and interviewed me this morning.   I will let you know when it airs.  She said maybe in January.

Room for Rent

A while back (last year?) I put the extra rooms in my house up to rent on Seniorhomeshares.com  For a long time I would rarely get an inquiry.  Then last week I got contacted by four persons that are interested in learning more. 

If I can't rent the house, I may sell it for a few reasons.  

It is too big for me, I am much more content with the size of my trailer.

Taxes and insurance money saved will help cover costs of travel or be saved for the future.

We will see what happens this fall.  Stay tuned.

Now keep your fingers crossed I not only avoid the wind and rain of the hurricane, but I avoid the crouded highways as people escape the coast.