We decided to go west then north instead of heading north first. With all the flooding in Iowa and vicinity, we figured dealing with itinerant campers is the last thing those poor folks need. So yesterday we crossed the Mississippi River at Memphis on I-40. The river was high, up into the trees along the shore, and the current was moving right along. The big flooding is still to the north. Arkansas was green and lush, unlike last year. We saw lots of rice fields (paddies?) It was a dry day so we saw lots of dust devils, too, along [View Full Entry]

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There was an earthquake in Chengdu. 7.9. 8500 people killed. Schools collapsing. I wonder if these were some of the schools we were supposed to visit. I wonder if these are friends of Martha. It's horrible. [View Full Entry]

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In response to Joe Stubberfield's email, which read: Maybe they should have traded the planes for that RV they were looking at. I have driven from MD to LA in two separate legs in a total of 41 hours. They could have split that up among drivers and spent and extra day or two in Grand Canyon, Monument Park etc. Wouldn't have to worry about bathroom breaks cause they would have one built in. Even would be burning less total fuel. I guess they are already committed.......or need to be. We did, in fact, trade the Cherokee in for the Winnebago. [View Full Entry]

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First, the news via Anne Culver...THEN KEEP READING FOR HOW THIS DAY REALLY ENDED.... The C2C crew filed for 1 pm CT departure from Mountain Home after a fun-filled, three-day visit. Wrote Anne Culver, relayed from Bob Hawkins, "As far as I can tell, the townspeople will have a parade today, led of course by the Blues Brothers’ Chevy, but I have no information if the parade is before they leave (in celebration of their visit) or after they leave (in celebration of their departure). There must be at least one beer hall that is going through the stages of grief [View Full Entry]

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While the weather was good enough for Dan, Scott and Bill David to escape eastward in Scott's 182, it was not good enough to permit us to head west. After another diner breakfast -- the waitresses pretty much knew us by name, and Donna by biscuits, by this time -- Bruce once more picked up the remaining crew from the motel in Lakeview and kindly prevented cabin fever. Despite the intermittent rain and drizzle, we welcomed his tour around the area, including a ride around the shore of the lake Bull Shoals near the town. We finished off the cold cuts [View Full Entry]

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Dawn broke...and the weather looked iffy right away: 100% solid overcast with occasional drizzle. The forecast suggested maybe a break in the afternoon, but the entourage advised the proprietess, "...we may be staying..." and confirmed that after breakfast and more weather reports. Watching the weather became an all-morning, eventually all-day, pursuit via a combination of phone to Flight Service, computer services, and channel-surfing the retail forecasts just for levity. Bruce picked up Ruth and Janice, who went out to forage for groceries and brought lunch provisions back to the room. We gradually realized we were at the leading edge of an [View Full Entry]

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New starter finally installed in 624, the group departed Covington TN around 5 pm for a couple hours' flight to Mountain Home AR. Not everyone was night current, it was getting late in the day...and, most important, someone willing to facilitate accommodation. Bob Hawkins' friend Bruce ****, a Civil Air Patrol buddy, met us at the airport with transportation ample to hold everyone and took us to a nearby motel where we'd arranged to stay. Dinner was *al fresco* on the patio of a little nearby local favorite hangout -- think diner-and-ice-cream joint and you'll have it about right. We retired [View Full Entry]

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Martha Morton called & said I owed her some things. It seems I never turned in my Culture III assignment (I did that... DIDN'T I???), and I didn't turn in my signed waiver form (think I just spaced on that & walked out with it), & I have to give her some dissemination plan. Dang, I don't know how I'm going to disseminate information about China right now. Right now I'm not completely sure how I'm going to disseminate Edgar Allan Poe to freshmen. I am really grateful for this opportunity, but DADGUM does anyone realize how much work is involved [View Full Entry]

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I feel so overwhelmed at the thought of trying to have everything done before we leave on June 6th. June 5th is our last day of semester exams, so I won't even have a work day between classes and leaving, much less a day for organizing and packing. I keep thinking of things I need to do, but I'm so scattered. Like: I need to call the credit card company & tell them I'm going to China so pretty please don't cut off my credit. Get some plug adapters There was other stuff I was just thinking about... Now what was [View Full Entry]

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I've been working on getting donations for our gifts to the Chinese schools. So far I've contacted the state house, the Hot Springs Department of Tourism, The Arkansas Heritage Society, a couple of places in D.C., Disney (what could be more American), an my senator. The smaller the place is, the more willing they seem to be to donate. Today I got a sack of pens and arkansas shaped notepads from the Heritage Society (Thanks Mrs. Whitfield!). They look great. Susie got some t-shirts from LRSD today. I am hoping we can get some of those postcards with the picture of [View Full Entry]

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