Taking a Break in NC

We're here with Susan, Ron and the whole menagerie -- Kipper is, of course, hiding under the bed. It's a great respite from our long journey and we get to visit Colette, who is still in her spot in the backyard from the trip down. We're going to relax today and then get back on the road to Arlington, our next stop.

Random pictures from the trip so far: Gene finally saw his first armadillo -- somewhere in Alabama, by the side of the road, mostly intact, but no -- not breathing. Pat's martinis provided an enjoyable coda to two long days -- thanks! Tuesday is Shoes Day on one Mobile radio station (we did not win any shoes, though). Kipper does not like traveling, and when he's crying really really loudly, it means he couldn't hold it anymore. Red Roof Inn is a palace next to Motel 6 -- it's best to stay with friends. The Lousiana Welcome Rest Stop sets your expectations low -- dark, dingy, crummy. The piece de resistance: the mostly dead cricket still kicking one leg into the air. But it was across the line and out of Texas, so our first marker of progress. Since then, Lousiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and now North.

I had been thinking how much better it would have been to just jump on a plane and be there already, but as the miles have slipped by, I started to think that there was a usefulness in having this period of transition between the new and the old. We have time to appreciate the big change in our life. I can say that now that the horror of packing is over -- ugh, the very worst day. Unpacking, while still difficult and stressful, is no comparison. It will be a challenge to sort things out in the little house, but change is good.