Day 39 - Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Day 39

Jacksonville, Florida

We slept late. We were so bone tired. We could have slept all day.

But we didn't have anything to wear, and we had to do 50 lbs of laundry consisting of a lot of sweaty vacation-ware. So in order to get dressed, we had to do some real bottom-of-the-suitcase scraping. As a result, the archaeologist looked so very fetching in her sultry combo of skin-hugging workout leggings, black socks, and gray long-sleeve shirt. It was about 96 degrees and the V-shaped river of sweat on her back was a real compliment to her ensemble.

Then we went to the craft store to get canvases and paint for an afternoon of creativity by the pool. The little human painted several canvases while the archaeologist worked on one southwest desert scene. When everyone got home, we had a gallery showing and art auction. The little human sold several of her canvases.

Also in the afternoon, the oldest human looked at a house that was going into foreclosure. She's thinking of moving to Florida to be closer to her grandchildren. We'll see what happens.

Day 38 - Monday, July 7, 2008

Day 38

Marianna, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida

With just a few hours to drive, we pulled into Jacksonville in the late afternoon.

Jacksonville is where the little human lives and her parents were happy to have her back after more than a month.

We all did a month's worth of catching up, and the little human was very excited to show off her cache of treasures and souvenirs from the trip.

We're going to hang here in Jax for a week, and then the archeologish and I are flying back to Albany and Russell Sage.


I'll try to catch up on things a little and start posting more photos on Facebook.

Day 37 - Sunday, July 6, 2008

Day 37

Natchitoches, Louisiana through Mississippi through Alabama to Marianna, Florida

Granny had a bee in her bonnet and wanted to get back to Jacksonville to see her granddaughter who was about to leave on a trip to Chicago.

We traveled 580 miles in one day, and didn't get off the highway until almost midnight. But along the way we saw a complete rainbow, end to end, after a short rain storm in Alabama, as well as a shooting star, Venus glowing brightly, and the Milky Way. I guess there are some advantages to driving all night!

Day 6 - Thursday, June 5, 2008

Day 6:
Marianna, Florida to Meridian, Mississippi
Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook.

Finally an early start. The archeologist packed the car before the sun was out in full force. But when she came in for the continental breakfast at the hotel, she was sweating like a pack mule -- she was red in the face and sweat was dripping off her upper lip. The other humans laughed at her, but I felt sorry for her. I'm not doctor, but I'm pretty sure she has a glandular problem.

Across the Panhandle
We continued west on I-10 across the Florida panhandle. We drove straight on into a big, beautiful deep blue sky with those classic white fluffy clouds with just a touch of grey for contrast on their underbellies. The humans took a lot of photos of the sky (probably because there was not much else to see).

At Exit 70 on I-10 is a little town called "Niceville." We found that it was a nice place to take a bio break.

An Unwanted Addition
We stopped for an ice cream snack in Milton, Florida after a great sing-a-long in the car. (The little human is quite talented at making up poem-like songs.) We stopped at a little ticky-tacky tourist clap-trap, and along with their chocolate shakes and sundaes, the humans bought me a "friend" -- a big, scary, plastic 'gator (as in aligator)!

Now we're both in the undignified predictament of riding in the rear window of the car -- exposed to every Winnebago, motorcycle and 4-wheel drive vehicle that passes us. I certainly hope these humans don't expect me to POSE with this grinning gator! This is MY 15 minutes after all, and I certainly don't intend to share it with an inferior plastic toy!

Later in the day, my fate turned to the worse as the little human named the aligator "Allie." So now the pest is an official member of our little traveling band. I still have hope, though, that they will abandon it (like me) at some state line!

We ended the night in Meridian, Mississippi after going through the Florida panhandle and whizzing through Alabama.

Day 5 - Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Day 5:

Jacksonville, Florida to Marianna, Florida

Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook.

Today we left Jacksonville, Florida to hit the open road to the great American West. However, we couldn't leave until the little human got out of school. After that, the humans lingered over lunch and good-byes, so again we got a late start. It was literally 93 degrees (Bearenheit!) in the shade, and I was locked up in the car like a piece of luggage, with not even the sunroof cracked! I think this may constitute cruel and unusual punishment, but they've confiscated my cell phone and I couldn't contact the ASPCSA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Stuffed Animals).

Anyway, we finally left in the late afternoon and drove west on I-10 a mere 250 miles to Marianna, Florida. There we stayed in a Microtel motel which the little human was very excited about. There was a padded bench seat by the bay window that she slept on. She let me join her. That was kind of cute.

For the evening's entertainment, I serenaded everyone with Sagette songs (while accompanying myself on guitar). That's me in the photo jammin' and improvising.

After the little human went to bed one of the big humans studied the map -- apparently for the first time -- and began to realize how long the trip was going to be. The oldest human lauged at her. Apparantly the archeologist doesn't take to the heat very well, so everyone agreed that a 30-day roadtrip to the Southwest in the summer was a brilliant idea! (This is what the humans call "sarcasm.")

Really, some of these humans should not be allowed to run the planet -- or even a 4-door sedan!

Days 3 & 4 in Jacksonville, Florida (June 2 & 3, 2008)

Days 3 & 4:
St. George, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida
Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook.

We've holed up in Jacksonville, Florida for a few days to wait for another human (this time, it's a small one) to join us for the trip.

I've had a little time to recover from my abandonment trauma, so I thought I would share the photo with you here. It could have been the last time anyone ever saw me again. I can't believe humans are so thoughtless in their attitudes toward nature (specifically, me!).

Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook. You'll get a glimpse of some of the Jacksonville scenery.

And, yes, tomorrow we leave for the trip West.