We're In Dallas

After languishing in the San Diego area for a few days we turned east about 4PM Sunday afternoon. The beauty of this adventure is that we have no time schedule and no predetermined destination. Our flexibility allowed us to spend a great day with my sister Garnet on Saturday. She happily chauffeured us around to all the thrift stores in her neck of the woods. We all had something we were looking for. Garnet found hers, Bob found his and I came up empty-handed. We all had fun browsing through the junk and trying to convince each other that the item you just looked at is a “must have.”

The down side of this “no time schedule, no predetermined destination” approach is that we don’t know where we’ll be when we get tired and ready to stop. Sunday night we spent the hottest night of our lives in Blythe CA. It was at least 90 degrees at midnight. So hot we threw caution to the wind, or rather to the heat, and slept with the camper windows all open. Risky behavior.

Our rather circuitous route has finally gotten us to Dallas where we’ll spend a few days visiting friends and relaxing at the Bay Landing campground.

Things That Have Made Us Go “WOW!”

• The increased presence of the US Border patrol throughout CA, AZ and NM. At one checkpoint we were questioned about our citizenship status and our rig was sniffed by dogs. We were intimidated and stumbled through the answers to the questions. It’s a wonder we weren’t held for further investigation. Border Patrol agents are in cars up and down the freeway. They’re at service stations and freeway rest stops.

• As we drove through New Mexico yesterday bolts of lightening lit up the sky. Flashes of red and orange lit up a sky decorated with bright white, gray and slate blue clouds. Pyrotechnics just don’t measure up to nature’s own light show.

• Our GPS system sometimes just doesn’t do the job. I’ve even told her to “shut up!” And why does she chatter when we go off the freeway? Doesn’t she understand that we have to get gas and go potty? Thank goodness for a good old atlas – and we have two.