Blown Away

Darby and I had a pretty good 2-day trip to Littlefield. She's a good traveler but didn't quite understand why she had to stay in one place for 10 hours (with a few breaks). She experienced her first hotel stay and loved it (I loved the fact that she would bark when anyone came near my door). No one has to know she's a pushover and not an attack dog.

It was hotter than we expected on the trip. I had packed a whole range of clothes from outdated summer to corduroy fall. I did throw in a jacket at the last minute, and it's a good thing. I was so hot when I left Mineola, TX, yesterday morning that I put on the summer things and kept the air conditioner on the whole time. It got up to at least 92 degrees.

We stopped for a bathroom break once we got past Dallas. I think Mike says from beginning to end, the Dallas area of I-20 goes on for 85 miles. It was easy though, mainly because they enforce speed limits here and very few people were driving over 65-70. Very civilized, unlike Atlanta, for example. There also aren't a lot of tricky exits and changes that pop up suddenly. The wind was blowing so hard when we stopped that it nearly blew me over. Darby got to hear her first grackles, and they do carry on. It took her a long time to get her mind on the purpose for the stop. I'll try to figure out how to get my pictures saved on Elise's computer tonight.

This was my first experience with the GPS, and that was pretty helpful until I got to where I was supposed to get off I-20 to go to Lubbock. GPS lady had another route in mind and refused to accept the way I was going. She constantly chatted at me - RECALCULATING. In 0.3 miles do a U-turn. I kept thinking she would give in and pick up the fact that my way was better, but she kept on with that weary disgusted voice - recalculating - do a U-turn. I didn't realize that you had to completely reset the route until I had gone the long way around the Lubbock Loop. It wasn't way out of the way and things were familiar to me by that time, so I made it fine from there.

After Elise and Mike got home and we had eaten, I wanted to take Darby for a walk, but we only got as far as halfway across the parking lot. The sky had turned gray-green (scary) and the wind was blowing even harder, but this time there was dust/sand mixed in it that got in my eyes and mouth. And cold! I had on long sleeves but was shivering immediately. It rained during the night, and any time I woke up I could hear the wind rattling the window panes.

They've both gone to work now, and I'm trying to master a new computer. I think I like a laptop. If I could get my work software on one, I could go places all the time.

I'm going to bundle up and try that walk again in a few minutes.