Shreveport to Vicksburg and a Visit to the Civil War

We awoke early and having noted the condition of our oil we used the Garmin to locate a Service Station nearby and called. Though not equipped for a big rig the owner operator was game and changed the oil in the engine and the generator in about two hours. He was a great young man. Neat as pin before during and after, rubber glove, rag over the filter orifice in the generator while waiting for a part, all the while managing several employees. I was impressed and when his dad wandered in, I told him so. His dad is a retired cop and we had a good conversation about genealogy- our Irish and "Dukes Mixture" pedigrees. The engine was running fresh when we started out across Louisiana to Mississippi.

Vicksburg, MS is the site of the turning point in the Civil War and so we visited the National Park and just saw a fraction of it. The lady Park Ranger pulled up a record on my Great, great grandfather William Miles Neal and printed them out. She also located my Great, great grandmother's brothers. Now I have the units they served with. A man was there who was also interested in the same things and we looked in a rare and out of print book with the history of each unit. Of course I took pictures. I would have liked to have spent more time and may another time make a multi-day visit.

We had enough time to make Jackson, MS before dark so we left and began another adventure. I noticed some oddities in the driving behavior of the "Fair Elante." The cruise control would take hold, then surge and release. As we got close to Jackson she seemd to be losing steam and the engine was revving more. As we pulled into Wal-Mart it was obvious she was sick. And so was I. Half the country from home and we were in trouble. Nothing to do but camp overnight and call for help in the morning. I did sleep well- to forget and the slow realization in the morning was another downer.

The Garmin, which figured prominently in the daily post that disappeared into cyberspace. I may do the post over or I may just sulk for awhile!
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Texas in my Rearview Mirror

Under drizzly skies we made our way from Midland to a Flying J. We spent a night cozy in our house with raindrops falling on the roof. We awoke to find a Maroon truck had parked right in front of us. I spoke to the cashier and she paged but said that it was likely an oil field worker and they are frequently gone two or three days. Nothing for it but to unhitch and back out and re-hitch. Good new is we are getting this down pat-15 minutes or less. If you run across any medical journals with articles about a Texas Oilfield worker with inexplicable scrofulous nether parts, you will know my cursing power still works. The gray had turned to blue though and we had a very pleasant drive under blue skies and warm sunshine. This was more like it!

Abilene has skyscrapers! The romance is gone. I gave it a pass. There is probably something fishy about that "young cowboy all dressed in white linen" on the streets of Laredo, too.

We drove through what I believe they call Texas Hill Country. We saw goat farms, and cotton fields, and horse farms, and exotic cattle ranches; Brangus, Longhorn, and other crossbreeds. The Dallas, Fort Worth megalopolis begins gradually thirty or forty miles from the cities. I had driven through downtown Dallas in 1999 just after church on another Sunday. It was not obvious to me that those drivers were filled with love for their fellow man so I wanted to give it a wide berth. The Garmin safely led me through on I- 20. It had originally wanted to route me via I-30 so I tried to trick it by selecting Duncanville as a "via point. I magine my surprise when I found myself in downtown Duncanville. It is a pleasant small town and I made a stop at an automotive shop and the bank.

East Texas is really very scenic and it seems that it is not too far to the Lousiana border. The miles rolled by and we found ourselves at the grandaddy of all stops in Shreveport. The WalMart abuts a Nicky's Cantina and a Cracker Barrel but we were very virtuous and nibbled our leftovers and watched other campers roll in to keep us company.

Abilene, Abilene, prettiest town I haven't yet seen..

Abilene, Texas was the goal but we are about 8 miles short of it at the Flying-J Travel Plaza. Verizon is still on extended network and I was wanting to stop as it has been pretty rainy since Midland, Texas. Kind of playing out on driving in the drizzle. NOAA Weather says tomorrow will be better so I may get a chance to actually see Abilene. We are connected to the WiFi at Flying-J, hunkered down for the night. Texas is a b-i-i-i-g state. It has it's own beauty but it also has a lot of industrial blight through Odessa and Midland. "Oil bidness blight:" lots of wells not pumping and rusting , tanks rusting, lots of vacant buildings along the road. But I saw some greenery and cotton fields, and alfalfa, too.

Had a nice visit with Lisa Kesler and her family. She brought books and goodies for the road- shouldn't have but I like them. I asked them to pick a place for me to buy them lunch and they introduced me to Cheddar's which is a great place. Healthy food, generous portions- nothing special to do with cheese that I could see. The Kesler's are making an adjustment back to life in the US of A. They are community and Church involved. Baseball tryouts today. Good to see them.

The doggies got their ears scratched by some kids and we had a couple of good walks before the rains came down. I think we are all ready for some serious ZZZ's. The change in altitude I think has something to do with it.

The CB is on and there is some "saucy banter" going on as well as the business of trucking. Kind of interesting to listen to.

And that's the news from Lake Go-we-gone.

Took Ray, TRay, Lisa, and Micaiah to lunch at Cheddar's in Midland, Texas. Lisa is my second cousin. They returned last year from a 3 plus year Mission to Romania for the Church of Christ. It was great to see them.
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Horse'n Hounds

Horse'n Hounds

This is Rusty Alford's Website.

Gray Skies and smooth Sailing-mostly

This tonight brought to you by Flying J WiFi as this is a Verizon "extended network" town which means they would have to pay somebody else for the airtime. I looked for any hotspots and Flying J popped up- I bought a pizza and gas there a little while ago and asked for directions to Wal-Mart. There are quite a few of us freeloaders here tonight some obviously wealthier (or more in debt) than I. The town: Pecos, Texas. The Wal-Mart is just like the one we had in River City before we got Supersized. I got a little nostalgic- I remembered where everything was.

The weather in Socorro was a little drizzly this morning but shirtsleeve weather for me. Visited with "Rusty"whom I had met when checking in two days ago, as I was checking out. He is also a "newbie" at this. He had a 5th wheeler Camper "because we have horses so I already had the truck- well, I have a wife and SHE has horses- so we have the truck." The neighbors on the other side had told me Rusty's sad tale. His furnace went out on the first night at the refuge so he hightailed it to Albuquerque to get a new one in the middle of the night. His Black Lab pup who is very engaging, managed to hit the lock button in his truck so he got to have a locksmith too! Rusty wants the blog address so he will get this and can read about my locksmith experience and not feel so badly. Hang in Rusty! His business card bills him as "Chief Executive Mucker." They have Horse 'n Hounds "Fine Equestrian Photography and Videography" of Owasso, OK.

Under pretty much gray skies but mostly temperate weather we made it to El Paso. We made a rest stop but passed on it because the sign said "Keep Pets on a short leash because of the rattlesnakes." Heck, I have my own potty and the dogs were not particularly interested so we tooled on to Exit Zero in Texas and a Flying-J. I had a lunch buffet and so did the dogs. Baggy pants are useful for some things. Actually they didn't get much but a piece of fish each. Need to remember to pack some Zip-Lok baggies. El-Paso had blue sunny skies but is gray-they seem to be concreting the area as fast as they can. Pathetic in this country boy's eyes but it is quite a busy metropolis.

Kristi Fegler called from work at Nucor in Riverton. High Plains Power had hung a disconnect notice on my door. She sweetly offered to help in any way she could but I said let me call them and she looked up the number for me. I had put the bill on autopay in November with Community First Bank which became Bank of the West. Glenda called me back and said it had been taken care of- we shall see. More calls coming from Texas tomorrow to the Bank and to High Plains. I have banked at the same building for 30 years and have outlasted, American National Bank, Key, Community First, and now B-O-W- Wow!

About 4:00 p.m. MST (I am now in the Central Zone) a dense fog enveloped the highway. Taillights were disappearing in about 200 feet. I knew I was in the Bible Belt because those truckers were taking an awful lot on faith. They hardly slowed down. I have a morbid fear of getting run down from behind so I just followed the center line as best I could and was on high alert. The Garmin was of great help as it counted down the miles to the interchange. I couldn't see the road signs. Soon after I left I-10 for I-20 things got better.

Arrived in Pecos about 6:30 by my watch. We stopped at Flying-J, got food, gas, and came here. Walked the dogs, Goody drank water copiously and Barfed! End of Story.

Domestic Day at the Wildlife Refuge

Enjoying a cup of delicious green tea, (Thanks Janet!) and Lemon Cookies (Thanks Donna!) warmed by those good wishes and comforts while we Blog away. A camper pulled in tonight and said that the roads south were passable. The forecasts are a little more optimistic so we will be pulling out tomorrow, likely. The day was spent in domestic duties: all the dishes and pots scrubbed as they were loaded in haste and had been sitting. With clean crockery there was a need to dirty some up- so Chicken soup and Pasta Salad were made and stored in containers suitable for microwaving on at least 5 occasions.

Buster had cabin fever but had to do with three walks because the Goody girl wants to go too and she has difficulty getting up the stairs. I think it is mental because she works other stairs just fine. I am sure we are a sight. She gets her front paws on the second step then I lift her hind legs onto the first step, lift, and then she goes in accompanied by great praise and a dog biscuit reward. She is an aged lady and even if playing it up a little bit she will get her due from me.

Finally got all the accoutrements to the computer set up, installed and working.

Took a delicious nap with the patter of rain on the roof. Today was a diuretic day by design. Diuretics and driving are not a happy combination. The shoes are loose. Happy day.

Talked to Richard who told me the weather in Wyoming was beautiful and called my little baby boy Matthew who is having a birthday today. His mother, Eve and Cheryl's mother are in Medford so a dinner was thought to be in the offing. His greeting from me was penned in Denver and mailed by Donna-it should get there soon.

According to the Garmin we have driven 1044 miles averaging 54.1 mph and hit 72.9 mph though I can't think when that was! I laugh when I see a 75 mph Speed Limit sign. That is an aspiration, not a limit. Our elevation is 4535 feet. I will save the "track log." Those can be downloaded to the computer and the routes perused and the whole thing replayed. Which I like to do sometimes- it jogs the memory.

Got about halfway through the Satellite TV setup before the rain and dark made me quit. It is wondrously quiet. Listened to my CD's for awhile today (Thanks Manu, Charlene and Delores). The man I bought this rig from left some of his CD's in the 10 CD changer. Big Band, Glenn Miller, and Patsy Cline. Pleasant.

And this will close before you have a delicious nap of your own.

Alley Oop! A Sandhill Crane comes in for a landing.
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At the Bosque de la Apache Wildlife Refuge clicking away

This was a short driving day. Spent some more cash with the friendly Campground host, Mr. Mart, stocking up on some staples including a case of diet soda. It just fit on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, which I wasn't sure it would do. Once in, it seemed smart to just remove the plastic shrink wrap with a butcher knife, for which I was rewarded with a phooosh... and a spray of diet soda. After cleaning up that mess we started out on the 69 mile trip to the campground. Must have not quite latched the refrigerator door because it was swinging, the eggs on the top shelf. When we went up a hill, the door would close, when we came down a hill, the door would swing open. Up and down, close and open, for 10 miles until we found a place to turn off and fix the darn thing.

As this is the maiden voyage of the "Fair Elante" in warmer climes- there have been several "firsts." The leveling jacks work fine. That red light means check under them for stray cats because the mashing will commence. Hooking up the water revealed a couple of leaks- the line to the ice-maker, and a filter under the sink both of which had by-pass valves, thank goodness. The Central Air Conditioning was purring away and then quit. Out came the manual and the breakers were found. Flip, nothing, flip nothing. Wait, wait, Flip... nothing. I could see a big wad of cash burning up on this trip and I was in the the "slough of despond." (a quotation for you literate Christians). Sell this thing! But I later messed around and found the breakers were not at all like the ones on my Class C motor home and needed a BIG reset. (No, I did not use my foot for this operation) I LOVE the "Fair Elante" once again. She looks a little tired next to the $500,000.00 rig beside us but she holds her age pretty well. She is just right for us...not everything works all the time but we get by.

I spent a little time in Soccoro looking for old family sites. No luck because there is a lot of "vintage" housing in this town. Will try to look up the pictures on my traveling hard drive and see if I can do detective work. My great great, grandmother is buried here as are some of her kids.

I had a great time in the Refuge with my camera. I will go again tomorrow- I am going to stay here another day. At $17.50 a day and room for the doggies to run and still more settling in to do, this seems like a good idea.

Dateline Los Lunas, New Mexico 2/22/2005

A Thunderstorm! here in the parking lot of the Los Lunas Wal-Mart. In truth I pulled in to make a phone call to see if the campground at Bosque de la Apache Wildlife Refuge would be open when I arrived. It is 17 miles in the boonies beyond Socorro, NM and no place to be wandering around in the dark if the porchlight is not on. The Wal-Mart Security guard corrected my pronunciation of Socorro -rolling more r's than I did/do, and said "Gosh that is another sixty miles. If you want to stay here I will show you where to park." So I did and I am glad. Stocked up on groceries- some ready to eat and some easy to fix. We are right next to a field so the doggies got a good walk - the Garden Center is to our left so we have posies to look at. I have been very lucky with the freebie parking spots. Last night at Albertson's in Lakewood, CO we were along a tree lined creek with a bike path. A sylvan setting to survey while sharing Delores' excellent coffee cake, New England Coffee I brought back from Maine, and grapes from Brazil when Donna came for breakfast this morning. Philosphy discussions flowed. Donna was sharing her class notes on how we have ideologies formed from birth on and to see beyond them is almost too frightening. Her Boulder campus students are flakes this semester and the Denver campus students are engaged. Good visit.

It took first gear to pull the long haul up the Raton Pass today with the dead weight of the Jeep but coming down the other side was pretty fast!!!! I am still discovering treasures from my friends and neighbors. Nice surprises and nice cards to warm me in those lonely moments.

Bought a lot of gasoline today and am thinking I will hole up at the Wildlife Refuge tomorrow and continue to settle in. I need to fill my water tanks with a little water- not too much because it is heavy stuff and a shower would be really nice. It is convenient to Soccorro and I have a better camera than I did at my last visit in 1997 for both town and the birds.

See you tomorrow!

Approaching Santa Fe, New Mexico February 22, 2005
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The Bon Voyage Party: the story

It was a merry chase getting ready to go in twenty-four hours but when I invited 20 people to a Bon Voyage party, I was working under the idea I would have the Coach four days sooner than I did. The Party was set and so was I- or was I? Great friends, under a "no gifts order" disobeyed and the results were touching and hilarious and useful. We had a chance to visit at a Sunday Brunch, have a coach tour and blow squawkers as the coach rolled out. I was late to my own party as the Goody dog decided she did not want to load up. She tried every trick in her considerable bag of tricks: "I am sleeping and can't wake up," and "Oh, let's take the van instead!" and when that wouldn't work she slipped her collar and headed for the house three times. All of which was distracting for the Captain of the Land Yacht.

Six miles outside of Riverton I thought of the Computer-HOME ready to load. There was nothing to do but drive to Shoshoni, unhitch the Jeep, and skulk the 38 miles back to the house and retrieve it. I was hoping against hope I would not run into any of my well-wishers and have to explain myself. Now they will know but I am in south Denver and the laughter probably won't reach to Cheyenne the way the winds were blowing today. ( I actually saw birds flying backward near Chugwater.) I am always happy to amuse the neighbors but this way I won't have to hear it.

On to Casper, WY for ANOTHER party with my brother Rich and his kids and friends. Fabulous dinner at the Red Lobster. More gifts. Camped at Wal-Mart and arrived in Denver this afternoon. Dinner with Cousin Donna at Elephant's Restaurant. Tropical and Exotic, in decor and cuisine a find- try it you will probably like it. Feasting from coast to coast has to Stop! More pictures tomorrow but I need to turn off the generator here in the Lakewood Albertson's Supermarket parking lot.

More Bon Voyagers bearing gifts and humor and good wishes...and longing to see the backside of the "Fair Elante" heading out of town.
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A Bon Voyage Party with friends and neighbors on Sunday February, 20, 2005
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A Bad Dress Rehearsal Means a Great Opening...we hope

Drove to Casper, WY to retrieve the fixed coach. Central Paint's body work looks pretty good. "Is that a new grill or not?" I paid for one. Rec-Vee's new light over the kitchen sink is dandy. Lou says the air horn compressor Central Paint installed doesn't shut off. This is verified by an obnoxious noise so I stop two blocks from Rec-Vee and prepare to pop the hood. The engine is running, the compressor is chattering away, and I find myself locked out! Three new sets of keys to avoid just this situation are in the change caddy in plain sight. Quickly hoof it back to Rec-Vee where the services of Jack the locksmith are enlisted via phone. Hoof it back. Here comes Jack. He picks the lock in less than 10 seconds, I part with $30.00. He offers free advice on where to hide a key. Passkey is now on my wrist, clanking on the keyboard.

On the way in to Casper I stopped at V-I Propane to see if they could fill up a motorhome. On the way out I pull in and they are too busy jawboning to wave. Displaying a too short hose the old boy suggests I go back down the Interstate and turn around and try again. I suggest I go somewhere else.

Try to fill up the gasoline at the Ghost Town Truck Stop. If I needed diesel I would have been fine but the gas islands are on a space-saving diagonal. Barely make it back on the highway-gasoline will wait 40 miles until Powder River where I know I will be extorted a premium for mid-grade. Idle in the gas lane for 15 minutes behind a deserted pickup in Powder River while some dude finishes his Snicker's Bar. Buy $30 worth of liquid gold to get me to Riverton. Gary Starbuck, an old friend emerges from the restroom so we visit for a few minutes. Good to see him. The owner/clerk: stoutish, sixtyish, female-ish, shouts out to a young oil field worker "Brian I have some Hot Mama juice for you!" He draws a blank, my jaw drops. "Didn't you want me to save you a jar of Hot Mama juice so you could make pickled eggs? she clarifies. He draws a blank. As I pull out Brian is returning. That's life here in West.

Home before dark was a pipe dream- the newly installed headlamps tend to pop the breaker on high beams. Exciting in the "Amityville Horror" sense of the word.

NOT a good day. 36 hours to get ready to depart. 72 hours worth of things to do. Does ANYTHING work right out of the box anymore?

Television and Progress

The Coach came with a Direct TV dish and receiver. There are some fancy antennas out there but this is a rapidly changing landscape. There is a "soon to be available" do-it-all Antenna. So I am going semi-high tech with a new Dish Network receiver (a special promotion for current subscribers: $50.00) and a tripod that I can aim when I settle someplace for a day or two. The "actual dishes" are interchangeable I discovered: Direct TV/ Dish Network/etc. In between times I have an amplified antenna for "off-air" television.

This is interesting to me because I used to be scornful of television antennas on motor homes. ("If you want to watch television, do it at home-don't waste a vacation watching the tube!") But there are certain offerings I like and after dark there is usually some time that begs for a little entertainment and "connectedness" to the larger world. There is a CD in the coach: "10,000 books." I am a great reading fan and there are a few paper books but they can add up weight and bulk in a hurry. I'll save them for the beaches and parks.

The dogs have been to the Vet and are progressing. We are going into heartworm country so we have those meds. While walking them and talking on the phone to brother Rich last night, I slipped on ice and fell on my Keister. Glasses flew, pitch dark, blood was flowing. Today, due to good first aid I am nearly fully functional. The right hand took some damage but the impact may have improved my aching back- go figure.

The Coach is repaired. Those good folks at Central Paint in Casper are even going to release it to Lou at Rec-Vee to fix the light over the sink and sundry other details. I will retrieve it tomorrow and finish packing. We will move in for a dry run for a couple of days. Departure Sunday!

My Postal Person/Mail Lady left the fowarding cards and said she would like to receive postcards. That is a big can-do! I am going to miss my Valley and the good people here but I know I am stale and need to do new things while I am, as my aunt Ruth says, "Not too creaky or too critical to enjoy it."

Buster, Second Mate
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Goody and Buster self-actualizing in the Mobile Office
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Garmin: iQue 3600

Garmin: iQue 3600

Global Positioning and Mapping

While Goody is my co-Pilot and Buster is Second Mate, the brains of the outfit is the Garmin iQue 3600. A gift from a son about 18 months ago, this device has become the single item that is a must-go. The Garmin talks to me, tells me when to turn, how fast we are going, where to buy gas, where to eat, how far we have come and yes, "When will we be there?"

When you are trying to keep 52 feet of vehicles in a line, stopping to read a map at a stop light is not possible or desirable. The signs on the Interstate often seem designed for the locals. A wrong turn in a rig this big can ruin a day. The Garmin maps magnify as you get close to a turn. No question is it exit A or B?- it is turn right here, left. "Exit right in point 5 miles," the stewardess says.

The new twist on my Garmin is the addition of an optional 1 gigabyte memory card. Most of the United States map is now loaded. A second, smaller card holds the rest. While Garmin's standard issue U.S. maps are pretty comprehensive, when I travel I want see the details and get on the byways. So we download the Detailed maps. Want to find a Pizza? Just ask the Garmin.

Preparing for an extended road trip also involved importing my Windows(c.) address book with names addresses, phone numbers, plugging birthdays into the calendar, and other vital information that is on paper at home. When you reach 'a certain age' on some days the short term memory can be measured in nanoseconds. Not to worry, most of the vital stuff resides in the Garmin for backup.

I'll be telling you more about this electronic marvel as we travel and use it 20 times a day.

Selecting Maps to load into the Garmin iQue 3600 GPS/Palm device from my home desktop Computer
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The First Post from the Mobile Office Computer

I regularly send posts about 47,000 miles through the ether via Starband Satellite Modem. Where I live a 19kb dialup connection is a joyous event. There is no cable television so satellite was about the only path to broadband and it is a good service. It fostered my addiction to the World Wide Web. I looked into the emerging technology that allows mobile satellite connection but found it a little pricey: $5000.00 (O.K., a LOT pricey) for the install, plus a monthly fee which I pay already. So I checked into WiFi and that is growing by leaps and bounds but among a few free Hotspots are subscriptions. At a minimum Flying J and probably Boingo would cost $40.00 per month, depend on finding sites, and undoubtedly leave gaps in availability. RV campgrounds often charge $5.00 per day for wireless.

I decided to try an emerging service: Verizon Wireless Broadband. This HP Laptop has a Sierra/Verizon 5220 Aircard in a PCMIA slot. It is essentially "Internet by Cell Phone" In my remote valley neighborhood I still need an external antenna to reach "two bars." (Can you hear me now?) The Verizon digital coverage appears to be pretty good along the Interstates and highways and is excellent in Metropolitan areas-several of which are along my way. The speed is pretty decent here even with two bars. Not quite DSL but much faster than dialup. The reliability is excellent-no dropped calls. This service is also kind of pricey: about $150.00 for the card, after rebate, and $80.00 per month for unlimited use, but for me the potential reliability and convenience are worth the $40.00 or so difference. As usual Verizon wants to lock you in for a term but is flexible about service plans. When I am not on the road I will opt for a $40.00 per month metered plan. How will it work? That is one of the questions this Blog will attempt to answer. Was it easy to set up? Yes and no. More about that later..

WCHR Consulting

WCHR Consulting is my Business name and the link goes to the website.

( Some large images, patience will be rewarded.)

Our original Departure Date was December 15 , 2004. On a trip home from Casper I "bagged a buck" near Powder River. Parts arrived last week. Getting them installed is the new endeavor. We will be leaving in February, God willing.
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