Welcome Home - To Tucson

Of course laundry was the first thing to do, and when I opened the dryer this little guy was waiting for me. The picture isn't great, but he is a cute little orange colored lizard.

Peacocks

Rosa met some peacocks at Clark Botanical Gardens. They actually followed Max and Rosa around before this encounter.

MS/TX

We took time to drive through the town of Vicksburg before setting out for Louisiana and Texas. It is a town full of character, with houses ranging from antebellum mansions to "shotgun" style homes. The flood wall, as in cape Giradeau MO has been painted with murals. Max was glad to see that Teddy Roosevelt had been here.

Tonight we are in Lake Mineral Wells State Park, TX, thankfully west of Dallas Fort Worth. Only 850 miles to go.

Vicksburg

Staying at the Ameristar Casino RV Park in Vicksburg - free shuttle to the casino!!!

One day we will do the Mississippi from Itasca to the Gulf, but for now we try to stay by it every chance we can.

This is also a major Civil War battle site, so there are monuments everywhere.

South of the Mason Dixon Line

We are in one of the top 100 Good Sam rated RV parks tonight in Chattanooga TN. It has its own Civil War monument. Although there was much Civil War action in the area - the Chickamauga/Chattanooga National Military Park is nearby - apparently this pleasant spot was occupied by the 84th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in Sept. of 1863.

Yesterday we went over the Mason-Dixon line and are in the South where the Civil War was fought. So, memories are long. In this RV park, the roads are named after Civil War Generals - both Union and Confederate. We are on Robert E. Lee Drive.

Blatant Theft - but so worth it

Margot and Alex posted this photo of the farm on their website. I couldn't resist copying it here.

W Virginia

We hopped off the Interstate in W Virginia and were immediately rewarded with

1 A small Korean has station and deli with gas at $3.55, delicious chicken salad sandwiches, and hand-shelled pecans.

2 Beautiful scenery.

3 A black bear wandering in the South Branch of the Potomac River,

Driving with your eyes closed.

This is my final answer

Or this look?????

Should he go with the goatee?

you vote

Tree Hugger

If that tree is right where you want to build your house, don't chop it down - just build it in.

Mirrors Out

We are on our way - after filling the water tank with 40 gallons of clear cool Adirondack water. Water is so plentiful in Jay that it isn't metered. You pay a flat fee.

We had a multi-hug goodbye to Alex and Sugar House Farm, so sad to leave Alex and Margot and that beautiful spot, but knowing it is now in super-capable hands.

The foliage is lovely on this sunny day.

We passed an Airstream (the Eddie Bauer toybox edition) and a FrankenPine cell tower.

Finished - and Ready to Hit the Road

Well, not quite finished. But we do have some pretty photos of the guest quarters. And we are leaving tomorrow.
We went to the Hungry Trout for dinner - Alex's and Margot's treat. Left Rosa, which was apparently traumatic.

It's Raining Dogs

Just a bare outline of Ebenezer Mountain shows in the clouds.

Frost and Snow

Yesterday we woke up to snow on the mountain tops after rain all night. And, we frequently have hard frost in the morning on the grass. The other morning after a hard frost I went out and was amazed by these huge beautiful ice crystals. Then I realized they were milkweed seeds.

Another photo - there is always a pair of jeans that gets sacrificed to a new project. This lovely pair is now history.

DryLock

A wall so white you can sit and watch it.

Winter is Coming

The top of the Sugar House has vents and windows that are a lovely place for all the heat in the house to collect. But, fortunately, someone built some panels to shut off that area. Unfortunately, the numbers on the panels were not very helpful. But, Alex - never one to fear heights - got up on the catwalk and managed to get them all back in place. Meanwhile, the cat shunned the catwalk for a sheepskin on the couch and a nice nap.

The Dumpster Fairy 2

This time we saw the Dumpster Fairy. He wears neon yellow, has a shiny pate, and hops like a bunny rabbit - on the clods of dirt the truck dislodges.

Pulling It Together - Almost

We are not done with the guest quarters yet, but we're able to start putting furniture in. Margot scored some wonderful finds at an antique store with a sympathetic owner, and a huge thank you to Cindy Eaton (and Molly) who made a terrific deal on the chairs and then passed it on to us.

The milk weed catch the sun and look like white flowers in the fields.