St Louis!

After 14 hours of driving, we've arrived in St Louis, staying at my sister Anne's house. Weather here is about 100 degrees and 97 percent humidity, quite a change from NM. Mosquito factor about the same.

Panhandle

It's 8:30 Oklahoma time and we're at Denny's. It's a food desert out here. I asked the host what kind of coffee options they had. And he told me, "Coffee. And diet coffee." So here we are.

We drove until 11:30 last night. Made about 350 miles and pulled off I-40 between "Claude" and "Goodnight." Slept by the side of a side road, next to an old shack and some grain hoppers. Crickets chirping. Swallows swooping. Woke up at first light to wind. Oh boy. It's going to be windy again today.

We'll drive as far today as we can, maybe 10 or 12 hours. Should get to St Louis at least.

Last night we pulled off the road at San Jon (curious name) to get gas and eat dinner, which we had brought with us. We sat there in the fading light, watching the LED sign at the San Jon Community Center advertise again and again the 4th of July softball tourney and fireworks. We had the best dinner in San Jon, I am certain: organic butterfly pork chops in a lime and cilantro marinade with zucchini, yams, and russet potatoes, Little Gems lettuce from our garden, fizzy water, and green tea mints. I went into the quick mart after dinner and saw a kid swabbing the decks. He wouldn't make eye contact. There was a low shelf full of big stuffed animals. The lions' paws and tails were laying on the floor. I watched the kid swab the mop right over them. Tim mocked, "I hate this town! I'm gonna get outta here as soon as I can. I'm goin' over to that other town where they at least have bars!"

Baby giiiiiiiiirl!

Tim says, "That'll be a sight for sore eyes in the rear view mirror!"

We're off, in a cloud of fire smoke

Today's the day. We're leaving hot, dry, smokey New Mexico for the East Coast. The Las Conchas fire zapped our ganas a little and slowed up our departure. We have had evacuees from Los Alamos staying here with us. For Tim and I, this is deja vu, having evacuated from Los Alamos ourselves during the Cerro Grande fire in 2000. Despite it all, however, Tim replaced the trailer lights yesterday, we tried on the new boat cover, and now we can load and flee.

We are heading to Lake George New York for a week of sailing and having fun with family. We are all renting a big place at Huletts Landing for my father's 90th birthday. After that, we are taking Valdesca to the coast of Maine for three more weeks of sailing. We are really looking forward to seeing old friends and sailing to places I remember from my 'yut.'

We'll keep you posted on our doings. Those of you on our SPOT tracker list will receive daily SPOTS so you will know right where we are.