Afterthoughts

I am writing this in April of 2008.   I didn't want to leave this trip open ended.  You may have guessed that we rushed home after making our way through the Carlsbad Caverns, which were so beautiful, through the hot dry Nevada desert and up to Northern California along with the many firetrucks returning to the north after many days of fighting the terrible fires in Southern California.   The firefighters responded kindly to everyone's honks of thanks for their brave work.

I have run across a paper of short little afterthoughts and oddball trivia about our trip.  Here are some of them.

"Are you a grain elevator, a coal mine, a gypsum plant, a prison or a nuclear power plant?"

In Indiana solar powered radar flashes a light along the road if an animal is present, hopefully, preventing accidents.

I must comment on the absolutely lavish rest areas/ tornado shelters of Eastern TX.  They are granite and marble wonders, truly  Taj Mahals for the traveling crowd,  a real pork barrel.   Mosaic bathrooms, inlaid murals on the outside grounds, barbeques shaped like the state of Texas, and telescopes outside for perusing its vistas.

The Nonesuch River.  Lobster Pounds, Lobster Bakes, and Dog Pounds (hotdogs) in Maine.    Catmouseam Rd.    Bumper Testicles that match your car color, hanging off the end of a truck.  Really lifelike!

Approaching Memphis:   Loretta Lynn's Museum, Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch, Loretta Lynn's Ktchen, LL's Camping, LL's Car Rental.

St. Michael's Motor Express Prayer Service.

Toad Suck State Park in Arkansas.

Questions and Requests: If you have a factory, a mine, a large building of any type, would you please identify yourself?   Are you a grain elevator, a gypsum plant, a prison, a coal mine, a gold mine, an oil tank, a water tank, or a salt flat? Please, dear farmer, identify the various crops along the road.  I'm sure you could all find the time to label for us poor inquiring travelers.

Then again, what would we ever talk about each day!