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Published: December 12th 2022
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We packed up, cleaned up, and sat and drank coffee for as much time as we could with Erin before hitting the road. Erin is a smart, capable, confident, awake soul who is definitely “up to something” and we were glad to have as much time with her as we did. This was the first time we’d spent more than a day in one spot since leaving home. It felt like a real rest.
By 11:30 or so on Sunday we were on the road. It was a good day to drive. The sky was socked in with clouds, the roads were clear and smooth, and there wasn’t a single traffic slowdown, save for one short spot where an accident had occurred. We talked and laughed and Sally worked online a bit and found us a stopping point. Having decided to make the Sarasota to Chapel Hill run in two days instead of one, we only had to make it as far as Savannah or so, and she found us a State Park just south of there to spend the night. Still, it was dark by the time we got there.
Things of note as we drove:
-cows look funny standing around in fields full of palm trees
-they really really really want us to hire a good personal injury lawyer here in the South
-it is apparently bad form to leave the state without a bag of oranges and/or grapefruits, but we did it anyways
-Live Baby Gators is not, as we had thought, the name of a popular local rock band, but when seen on a road sign indicates that you will soon find a place where you can see, and sometimes even purchase, a small toothed predator reptile of your choice
-I spent time wondering if it was fair to think of the Interstate Highways as long strips of Hell
At last The DeSantis State gave way to Georgia (Motto: Just North of Florida), and the Savannah area, and our stop, which constitutes the first time since leaving home that our predicted and actual arrive times lined up with each other. But, as I said, it was dark, and it was also raining enough to use the wipers, and we got lost once before finding the right road to the camping area. We pulled into #52 Possum Trot Lane, which was conveniently located as far away from the “comfort station” as it could be, even though there was scarcely anyone else there. We waved to the four or five raccoons we saw crossing the road in front of us, who were apparently all enjoying Raccoon Halloween, going from site to site with masks on, hoping for treats.
We pulled in, shut down, pulled the bed apart to get to the storage area underneath to find a flashlight, and made our way to the above-mentioned “comfort station,” both of us hoping for comfort, but finding only bathrooms and showers. Sally decided to avail herself of the shower option, so I walked back to Betty sans flashlight, in the complete and utter darkness of a locked-in rainy night, surrounded by sugar-crazed raccoons, hoping they wouldn’t hit me up for a Mars bar. They didn’t. I made it. Which was a good thing. No telling what they’d have done when they found out I wasn’t packing treats. I crawled into bed, waiting for Sally. She returned. We heated up some of our remaining turkey soup on the gas stove, then Sally made popcorn, and we crawled into bed with our books.
Next morning, rested, Sally made coffee, I talked with the camp Host at the showers, and then we loaded up the van, hit the road, and sped toward South Carolina (Motto: Just One More State to Go!). I-95 is a tired and well-worn highway, but there were no stoppages or slowdowns of note and we made good time. We read Rumi and the Jesus book. We shared our dreams and checked in about how we were doing. Sally got online and took care of more communication business and pinged the kids re our arrival. We drove straight to the Saxapahaw General Store, one of our old haunts, and met them there for an early dinner. Then we drove the short distance to where we are now, our home in the woods miles outside of Chapel Hill, to stay in the smaller of the two Air BnB units we have here. We got there pretty much when we thought we would, and the place looked care for and well-tended, and we appreciated again what a fine job we did fixing this place up, and building this additional room.
It was, in a word, a regular day, and though it had its share of stress and tension, it was a pretty good one. It was great to see Andy and Stacy and Blake and Cameron, and share food and stories and laughter and information. And now we get to slow down for a few days, and drive many fewer miles, and get some jobs done around the place, and hang out with the younguns, and maybe get the really good Mexican food we managed to miss in Texas. The play performances come this weekend. Then next week hopefully some RV repairs will happen. Not sure all the details of our plan yet. We’re trying to do this one day at a time.
I feel some pressure to say something heartfelt or philosophical at this point, but I’m afraid I shall have to disappoint in that regard. We’re beat, so we’re going to watch a documentary, then veg out with Ertugrul, and then hit the sack. By which I mean the bed, not a bag full of either oranges or grapefruits.
More ongoingly. Pax and love to all.
T
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