Thanks, y'all. It was a very long day and I am glad it is over. I'm just flat tired. We left our house at 11:30 in order to be at the fire station by 11:45 (we'd been there earlier in the day to get the truck ready), so we could leave the station no later than noon, so we could be at the Valero truck stop in Marietta by 12:15, in order to line up the caravan and be on the road by 12:30! The schedule stayed pretty regimented for the rest of the day. Just from Marietta, the Love and Marshall County fire departments drove between 25 and 30 fire trucks and rescue trucks to Ardmore. There, we were joined by other trucks from Carter County, and Murray County too I think. It was amazing. Just one HUGE long line of trucks. Terry would have been so proud to see everyone in their "best" trucks, the ones he helped us get. Would you believe those protesters from Kansas showed up (the ones that have been going to the funerals of soldiers)? They were stationed up the road a bit and the funeral procession was supposed to drive right past them. Grrrr! We were so upset we couldn't stand it. I know they have a right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, but I disagree with their methods. More about them later. The funeral was spectacular. There were several chartered buses of folks that came down from OKC and Stillwater (because of Terry's long association with the college, where he worked for 13 years), including more dignitaries and government officials (including the Governor, Lieutenant Govenor, and Speaker of the House) than southern OK will ever see gathered together in one location again. Flowers...dozens and dozens of flower arrangements and sprays....and some really fancy and gorgeous ones. It was a three-hour long service, and I know that sounds long, but it was part traditional funeral service with the preachers speaking and some religious songs sung by one of the state representatives who had a great voice. Another part, and it was my favorite part, was more of a memorial service, with friends, family, former students, members of the House of Representatives, at least one senator, the Lt. Gov., etc. speaking about Terry. We went from tears to laughter and back to tears numerous times. After the funeral, there was a LONG wait for all us firefighter types. I believe the family was meeting, greeting and speaking with the busloads of people from OKC and Stillwater, because they all were going to board the buses and head back home from Ardmore. Finally, after a long wait outside in the hot sun (during which time our VFD carried bottles of water and Gatorade to eveyone else), the procession left the convention center.....and, instead of turning south, as expected, we turned north. OOOPS! Guess what? We didn't drive past the protesters.....instead we turned north, drove about a quarter-mile, then went east about a mile, and THEN headed south as originally planned. I don't know if it was a deliberate route change to bypass the protestors OR an error by the lead fire truck, but I have a hunch! So, the fire trucks served as a sort of honor guard, leading the funeral procession all the way to the Leon cemetary. All along the way, there were people pulled off the side of the road, some standing outside their cars, hands and/or hats over their hearts. Very, very touching. When we reached Marietta, more fire trucks and firefighters in their bunker gear, were standing alongside the roads (a great way for the ones who couldn't take off an entire afternoon from work to still be able to pay tribute to him). Some citizens stood alongside the roads too. All the way to the cemetary, I was concerned as the funeral procession seemed to be made up of the firetrucks, the hearse, and the family cars and little else. I was pretty disgusted...thinking to myself "I can't believe there's not a huge procession of vehicles behind us". THEN, we rounded that last corner before the Leon Cemetary....and there they were, dozens and dozens and dozens of people. Probably a couple of hundred people.....more people than live in Leon, I think. People and cars everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. So, the joke was on me....I guess while the firefighters patiently waited to lead the caravan, everyone else pretty much headed to the cemetary and waited there. (Some of them told us that stopped and ate fast food along the way 'cause they were hungry and knew they had plenty of time!) So, Terry really had a big funeral/memorial service in Ardmore for EVERYONE and then the smaller (but still very well-attended) graveside ceremony in Leon for "the people" who lived there near him and loved him dearly. He deserved no less. It was an honor and a privilege to be a small part of it. Scott, I am concerned that whoever succeeds Terry as the District 49 representative will not be as dedicated to the rural communities as he was. I hope and pray I am wrong. He was a very strong advocate for agricultural interests, including Agricultural Tourism as a way to "save" family farms. And, I worry about people like you out there on the tractors. Everyone around us uses them, and accidents are fairly common occurrences, although only maybe 1 every year or two is fatal. One nice thing about today was that those of us who live here and greatly admired and respected Terry were able to see that other people statewide shared our feelings for him. His wife and daughter and other family members have been amazingly strong and have handled this extemely well. We finally got home abour 7:45 p.m., I think. So, tomorrow we try to get back to the normal routine. Dawn

Thanks, Digit, for some very entertaining reading! My property is about 70% front/side yard, and only 30% backyard. Between the patio, the large sandbox, and now a children's playset that my husband just finished building, their isn't room for much gardening back there. And the fact that there are empty lots on two sides of us, there just isn't anyone with a view. About the closest thing to a show would be me running out into the backyard in my pajamas to fiddle with the tempermental irrigation pump, and realizing that the new house across the street from us actually has a view of that side of our backyard from their upstairs windows. Now the frontyard is a different story. I'm always piddling with something out there, pullings weeds, deadheading, planting things, moving plants, harvesting veggies, squishing grasshoppers, etc. and the young married woman next door teased me that I reminded her of one of those wooden decorations you used to see in people yards that looked like a fat, old woman bent over. I have to admit that after she said that, I started being more conscious of whether or not I had the plumbers crack thing going when I did yard work. Especially since there is a tan stripe across my lower back! When I really feel like neighbors and passersby are giving me the strangest looks is when I have my camera out, and I'm crouched down in some unnatural position to get a decent shot of some flower or plant. Or when I take advantage of the rare day when there's a drizzling rain to plant seedlings, so they won't fry in the blazing sun. I always think to myself, "Well, they're obviously not a gardener, or this would be perfectly normal behaviour to them!" Bonnie

She's having problems logging in. This is the rest of the above update. 5/21- PT 5- avg 12 - miles 64 Surf City to Cedar Point. great day, rode strong. Got a LOT hotter !! Rode past part of Camp Le Jeune. The firing range. Great Great late breakfast. had ab OJ/mango drink in camp and a bagel and canned pears and coffee. Then we stopped and I had 2 sunny side up eggs and 2 slices of ham and 3 buttermilk pancakes...yum. We passed three little girls on the way here with a lemonade stand. It was $1 a glass...cute sweet gals and we all had a glass.... No lunch stop...not sure why I would need MORE food :) Stopped at a Lowes Grocery on the way and got a HUGE salad bar and an Arrogant "Bleeped out" Ale for dinner in camp..yum. Did laundry...I do the laundry for everyone every day...more on that some time in the future, Great forestry campground here in Cedar Point. If you ever get this way do check it out. Oh and we WAITED for the Rapture...what happened ????? 5/22 PT 5- Avg 12- Miles 73 Cedar Point to Ocracoke Island rode alone to mile 30. Met up with Bob and Pete and we rode to the ferry. Had a mediocre meal as we waited for the ferry. It is a 2 1/2 hr ride. The ride to the ferry is lots of marsh and bridges over the estuaries. Very beautiful but HOT and windy. We were glad to get on the ferry. We all slept most of the way...laid down on the long bench seats. Very nice. Staying at Black Beard's Lodge. Every thing here on the island is called Black Beard. Edward Teach was his name and he was notorious in these parts. Had dinner at the Jolly Roger grill and it was a great burger and fries and beautiful sunset pics...then the mosquitoes came out...ouch ! 5/23 Ocracoke to Cape Hatteras PT3- Avg 15 !!!! ( tail wind ) miles 53 SMOKINg speed. I looked down and was doing 23 mph at times !! Whew....had a bagel and cream cheese and coffee. Pete and Bob and I looked at the lighthouse and then walked out to the point where BB was killed by a Navy officer. supposedly anyway. We then got underway. We stopped at Pop's on the way finally to get some food. There was nothing for a long way. This is a most interesting bar. It was amazing the amount folks were drinking so early in the day...oh well. Had a burger and fries...great fuel !! Nice campground tonight. Walked on beach. Great pic with Blue the dog. 5/Cape Hatteras to Kitty Hawk PT 3:12 avg 12.3- miles 39 ate peaches and ripe banana in camp and 2 tiny donuts. Rode over BIG bridge. Stopped at a little store and had to get a Jimmy Dean sausage biscuit and microwave it in the store....not too bad but have had better :) Went on to Nags Head. Very large pretentious homes for most of the town till you get all the way in. walked around Kitty Hawk and listened to a presentation. Took two pics. Very interesting brothers. There is a peat bog fire in the area and the wind blows the smoke here at times and the air is very bad and then it clears. We are leaving tomorrow and part of the group ( two other women) are staying behind. It is hard but for the best. It will be me and the 3 guys....we get along so well and will all be better for it. We had lunch at Goombays and it was WONDERFUL !! Fantastic grouper sandwich. Also owner called and got us a great price on a motel. The holiday is coming and prices are up but we got a great place cheap. Pete and Bob and I went to the Red Lion and got supper fixings...you guessed it am sure...I got a pint...of Haagan Dazs...not Gentleman Jack!! Hasn't been that kind of trip this year....we are excited to be going on tomorrow...as a group of 4. Stayed at the Sea Ranch motel . Stopped and saw the Bodie Island lighthouse on the way here. TODAY !! 5/25 Kitty Hawk to Elizabeth City. Avg 13.4 Miles 52....we RODE fast. Felt so happy and light...all the guys are smiling and laughing now that we are 4 . Enough of that...it is over and done.

Thank you very much for your kind words westsider40. I said this before, it is unfortunate that the fancy name "sous vide" has given many sous vide phobia. The conventional cooking methods (excluding microwave); 1. Convection oven � cooking by circulating hot air. 2. Regular oven � cooking by hot air by natural convection of hot air (mostly). 3. Steaming � cooking by 212F water vapor. 4. boiling � cooking by natural covection of 212F hot water. 5. Toasting - cooking by infrared radiation (mostly). The sous vide method � cooking by hot water, nothing more, and nothing complicated in theory. All the conventional (#1 to #5) cooking methods require a lot of experience to master, and very difficult to have repeatable results. This is because the inherent characteristics of all cooking appliances can have temperature inaccuracies as much as 30F to 50F. On the other hand, a sous vide appliance can give you cooking temperature as accurate as 0.1F and that makes it enirely possible to cook food at very low temperature, just a little over safe cooking temperature. There is no skill required, it is all modern digital electronics. Again, I will say this, there is no appliance that will make you an instant great chef. You still need other skills in cooking to create delicious and memorable food. dcarch