Home again; home again

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Jiggety Jig!

I'm home from my nearly three-week-long whirlwind trip to Arkansas which included seeing folks in Mtn. Home and Mena, AR, and West Plains, Ava, and Forsyth, MO.

I saw my niece graduate with honors (in two bachelors degrees) met my paternal half-sister, Millie, for the first time, saw dear cousins - 1st, 2nd, and 3rds! - two aunts, and two new family members recently married into our clan.

Thanks to the new, malfunctioning Garmin GPS I traveled what seemed to be the entire length of the Ozarks National Forest, in the dark...took a 10-mile detour down a washed out logging road that ran along an overflowing creek (the size of which would be called a river up here.) Beside having no where to turn around, it crossed three low water bridges, one of which had 12" of flood water gushing over it. I persevered but wasted a lot of time.

I pulled in at 1:05 a.m., tired, hot, tired, and ready to quit driving.

For the entire trip the skies were mostly overcast, until yesterday. The sun was broiling my skin through the glass.

I missed the exit South of Sioux Falls where I usually stay; the roads were congested because of all the construction so I simply pushed on through.

I stopped to stretch and jump about several times. The traffic was very light so it was all good.

Today is cloudy, raining, and 49°. Just about perfect and I plan on doing nothing at all.

Sam is beside himself with joy at my return.

I don't know what Wes did to the house, but it smells good and is remarkably tidy.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

eld6161
6 years ago
Welcome home! I can't believe you took that trip yourself! Kudos to you.

I have had Garmin mishaps. I now use my iPhone for GPS.

But, here is what I used to do for a long trip. Every few hours I would end the route and start it over. I found that it made fewer mistakes.

We were in Florida once, looking for a Dunkin' Donuts. It took us down a deserted road, clearly one that never seen a Dunkin' Donuts. Anther time it took us to an out of business Dunkin' Donuts, but I forgave it for that!
cooper8828
6 years ago
I also use my phone, and I also restart to get more accurate directions.
Related Discussions
Oops--I did it again--brought home a plant I have no home for...
Q
Comments (11)
And now you will have to buy the "rubra" form as well! I agree it is a cool plant, and surprising in that it seems to do as well in California as it does back east. One of those accent flowering winter bloomers that has interesting form, and almost a tropical look to it when in leaf. I find I have to do a lot of thinning on it to keep it in bounds, and can't say that it has a fragrance that carries, but it is nice. I can relate to the shopping bug, plants were the only thing I shopped for this Christmas season, and got some beauties, like a really full Sticks on Fire Euphorbia in firey color for the back deck, to chase away those winter blahs. I also went for a couple of apricot flowering Grevillea 'Superb' in full bloom, also for the winter color and to attract the Anna hummingbirds. Last were some really beautiful and rare Restios with gorgeous stems, Cannamois virgata, which I rationalized might not be available for purchase next spring, better nab them now! Magnolia stellata and M. soulangeana and M. denudata are also great temptations this time of year, but...I...Must...Resist...
...See More
Home Again, Home Again
Q
Comments (7)
Welcome home, Margaret! It looks from here that your trip to Colorado was meaningful and memorable. Family time is often the best of times. Yes, it is unseasonably cool up here near 49Â° North! I spent an hour or so outside this morning. It was 39Â° with a 15 mph wind, so a windchill of 31!! It will surprise no one to say that my tomatoes are purple! I came home to have a 2nd breakfast of hot oatmeal and strong, hot coffee. Your comment about "blue monet" in bloom gave me pause. I think you may mean mountain bluet but googling, I discovered that there's an iris variety called Blue Monet. I have thought that "bluet" could have a more reasonable name. My wife was once at the farmers' market and amongst her bouquets were some bluet flowers. She was approached by a pair of middle-aged ladies and one of them asked the name of the blue flowers. "Bluet," she replied. But as they turned away, the friend turned towards the lady and said, "I don't think she knows the name of that flower." I once worked for a person who sold flowers to dozens if not hundreds of flower shops. She advised me that if questioned about a flower that I didn't know I should respond, "Oh, that's some kind of Centaurea species!" Her claim was that I would usually be right and that it would sound more intelligent than claiming that it was some kind of Aster which would be even more likely to be true . . . Anyway, in my searching I was led to Wikipedia to view a blue painting by Claude Monet . . . Did you know that after cataract surgery, Monsieur Monet went back to earlier paintings and added blue to the canvases?!? Linked below, I believe, is an example. digitS' Here is a link that might be useful: Water-Lily Pond and Weeping Willow
...See More
leaving again
Q
Comments (6)
Home again home again jiggity jig! lol long trip, yesterday - 9 miles from the campground, we blew a tire on the camper and it ripped heck out of the side of our trailer, tore propane lines, insulation... we'll need some body work. so sad, but my DH held her steady and got off the road quickly, so I am thankful that it wasn't worse and no one was hurt. so nice to be home, I unpacked nearly the whole trailer tonight just to feel settled. (and to get all my hobby lobby purchases in here where I can play!) LOL I could spend my life in that store - good thing I don't have one here or I'd be broke!
...See More
Once again, you can order 4 free Covid at-home tests
Q
Comments (9)
Already did it and received the tests in just a couple of days. I must've hit on a sweet spot 🙂 We also haven't had any occasion to use our at home tests - yet. Both hubby and I are being very safety conscious, even if others around here are not - actually, especially because others around here are not.
...See More
User
6 years ago
I don't trust those things. Too many stories that didn't end well in the middle of winter on a deserted logging road. I don't travel but when I did - long before anything like GPS- I drove from one highway sign to the next and always stayed in the general direction I needed to go. Now I check google maps if I go anywhere I'm not familiar with. I print it off and take it with me, both versions map and satellite. And I study it while I'm still at home so if I have any question I can find out before I'm on the road.
Shades_of_idaho
6 years ago
Welcome Back Caroline. Very happy for you to have arrived safely home. Also admire your courage. I really need to become braver about making trips. I want to go see some friends only 250 miles away and I have been the rout enough times to know how to get there with out even looking at a map. Even so I freak out when it comes time to do it.
agmss15
6 years ago
What an adventure!

If you ever come to Maine do NOT use GPS. Unless you have a Bond type car that turns into a hovercraft or a plane on demand. GPS regularly tries to lead people leaving or arriving at my house up the hill and through the woods into a pond and beyond...

On the other hand the Maine Gazetteer is fabulous.
PRO
Anglophilia
6 years ago
You were in my father's old neck of the woods in the Missouri Ozarks! He was born in Mtn Grove, not far from West Plains and Ava.
caroline94535
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Mtn. Grove!? Oh my, Anglophilia! My first husband was from Mtn. Grove and we married in Ava. In the mid-70s his father owned the Sinclair station in Mtn. Grove.

My Aunt and her husband now live in West Plains and my newly-found sister lives in Willow Springs. My sister-in-law lives just outside Ava.

It's a small world, after all!

Home again; home again

Comments (7)

eld6161

cooper8828

Related Discussions

User

Shades_of_idaho

agmss15

Anglophilia

caroline94535
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Home again; home again

Comments (7)

eld6161

cooper8828

Related Discussions

User

Shades_of_idaho

agmss15

Anglophilia

caroline94535Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

caroline94535
Original Author