Photos

Rumple strips

/ Melinda / 1 Comment

Prior to leaving on my present road trip, I decided to re-acquaint myself with my weaving equipment, get the looms ‘dressed’ and ready to go for when I get back.  Well, its been 7 years since I’ve seen my big loom, trying to find the parts, get it together, etc has presented more of a challenge than I had expected, but found enough to put a warp on. Alas, I decided to put on my Horoscope Color project.  Years ago, I had my horoscope read by a fellow weaver. Its based on the planets, houses, and the colors that is associated with each of those planets and houses based on my birthdate.  Wildly random order of Bamboo yarn – was a super challenge to follow. My good friend Cheri read the precise order of the colors as I added the yarn to each 2 inch section (upper left corner).  It took us over 6 hours to get this onto the sectional beam. Whew!  But wow, its absolutely gorgeous!!!

Beamed on
12 colors – Bamboo yarn
Threading heddles
Which weft?
3 rows of ribbon to give a base to do hemstitching
Emerald Blue weft
Mountain Home, ID

Once it was beamed, I let this all sit, as I was packing for my road trip. With Cheri’s intense curiosity (probably equal to mine), she threaded the heddles for me as I zoned out in a chair from packing that day.  Can’t wait to get out on the road but I am beat!  Then Cheri & I threw a pansy color and an emerald blue color strands of yarn across to see which one to actually weave with.  So many of my friends wanted the purple pansy, but it was too large of yarn, as they company sent the wrong size yarn. But will use it in the future when I get the correct sizing.    As you can see in the bottom 3rd picture, I wove with emerald blue yarn.  This will be a quick weave as its in plain weave, any other pattern would be lost in all that color. And that loom will now have to wait until I get back.

The little floor loom, only one 2 inch section got dressed before I left.  I am putting on a variegated green and white cotton yarns on for kitchen towels.  This will be a technical challenging weave structure of Shadow Weave, I love working on these as you can get a 3D affect. Alas, it will also have to wait until I get back.

So I am off on a Fall trip. Its a quickie compared to my other journeys. This road trip has challenged me in ways that make an unhappy camper out of me, as I have had to depend on a/c due to high 90’s as well as up to 108ºF, therefore RV parks… Other then getting a/c they offer me nothing and I lose money.  I’ve become such a cheapskate, I guess.  So where are the Fall temperatures…you know warm days and cool nights?  I found a cool night (42º) last night up off of Highway 30 in Idaho – that was a quality night of sleep, but it was the only night in this past week.  Egads Mother Nature!  At least the further east I go the less smokey it is.   That picture on the bottom right corner, was taken from my rig at the Mountain Home RV park in Mountain Home, Idaho. The 2nd best RV park I have ever been in. The first was Nellis AFB back in 2011. Both parks are manicured to a T, level paved spots, well organized electrical, water and septic and both cheap, spotless showers too.  Well, cheap for this trip… as I have had to pay up to $55 for one night in a roughed in pit-run RV park. Horrible place.

Soon, I will be connecting with friends, wishing for cooler days and despite my grumpiness on the hot temperatures, it is so good to be back out on the road.

Artsy

/ Melinda / 2 Comments
Shadow weave kitchen towels
Tucker & Norm
Ruth’s creation
What is this?
Ruth beaded these for me. Just gorgeous!

Well, it has been a fun month traveling with Ruth. Today, I had to say good-bye, for now that is.  I suspect, we will get together down the road some day.  In the meantime, she is catching a train westward and I will head southward once again.

The whole time Ruth traveled with me, she was knitting this crazy blanket – that you see above. I wanted to buy it from her, but we traded instead. She got one of my handwoven towels in trade. Its way too hot to be using that knitted blanket at the moment, but can think of many times in the future that I will greatly appreciate having it.  Then Ruth found out that I love bracelets and necklaces, never owned a beaded one before. So was very pleased and tickled to be given these two, pictured above. I love autumn colors, and this fits it to a tee. They are gorgeous and I said as much to Ruth. So lots of laughter, lots of teasing, and then more laughter is now stashed in our memories of this past month. Thanks Ruth, if you are reading this… really enjoyed our time together, despite the initial challenges (on both of our parts). See you next summer!  I will bring your red Why hat, tahini (if anything left by then), and I can guarantee the chocolate bar will not make it to Alaska… laughing here. Told you, you would forget something…smirking here.  Thanks Ruth!

So I got the handwoven towels off the loom, washed, hemmed & pressed. My very next project is a kit from a Karen Selk workshop I had taken years ago. 100% silk. The biggest yarn is Bombyx silk 30/2 and the smallest is Tussah silk at 120/8… for ye lay person reading that… its makes sewing thread look huge!  Due to its wee size, I need a whole lot of heddles. I have 800 on my loom and I need 1187. So as we speak, they have been ordered and I will hopefully have them in my hot little hands by the end of the week. I am so jazzed about getting this project started. It will be a fun one to weave, but a challenge, like all shadow weaves can be.  Pictures will be posted as I get going on this.

So while waiting for the heddles… more bike riding is in order… and I suspect some much needed spinning will be started.  I am moving within the park I’m at. I found a little landscaped (if deserts can ever be landscaped) area big enough for me and my rig. It is a little closer to my neighbors then I have been doing, but this little patch of landscaped desert has a couple of trees to block the heat of the day. 80ºF needs some shade in my humble opinion.

But first, I am parked at Sanderson Ford Truck in Glendale for the night, with services being done in the morning. I swear by this Ford dealer – they have saved me money in many occasions, and well…just been real good. Besides, its free parking with security, electricity, even water – though the latter is next to impossible to hook up to, so I don’t try. It is worth going out of my way to get my rig into them, so I do it when I am in the vicinity…will sort of in the vicinity.

 

Let’s do it!

/ Melinda / Leave a comment

Ah life, it continues to be busy in some of the most unexpected ways. My last post, I had spent time at the beach. But I digress a bit… let’s swing back thru the summer here before I move forward.

In June, I met a kindred spirit… we have spent many, many, so many hours talking about everything and anything. We discovered we have mutual friends and it is entirely possible we have crossed paths more than once over the last 40 years. It is uncanny, almost unnerving to encounter such a person, but what a blast!  Now this person, who I shall call “BDS” – who I have not asked permission to post name, images or much else (which I do with anything I post on my blog), has come and gone since June. In fact, has gone again since the first of November. Won’t see BDS for a few months now. That’s ok, we both need our space.

So in early September, went to the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend. Oh my, what an unique experience!  Some of the photos posted above, but I have so much more.  One of my highlights was going out on a schooner, a historical schooner at that. Beautiful!!! Absolutely loved being back out on the water. I haven’t done so since the 70’s, so it was as special as one can gets at this time.  The Wooden Boat Festival was just a grand affair and will try to make this an annual affair. Wonderful time!

I introduced BDS to the RV life. BDS had never traveled in a RV. How do you explain this amazing life? You can’t. So I invited BDS for a short trip.  We hit 3 different volcano national parks – not one picture was taken, can you believe it! Well, not without us in the images, so nothing to show.  We also headed down to northern California to the Feather River White Water Festival. Oh my… I learned how to judge a gate in the race, nothing fascinates me more then learning something new about all this. I have never done competitive rafting, little lone do white water rafting to the degree in which we witnessed. This was Class II-III rapids… I was glued to all the action, even tho I did not fully understand what I was seeing. But the helpful rafters, taught me what they were doing, what maneuvers were necessary to what they were called.  Wow!  I want to go, I want to experience this. Think I will have to wait, but a girl can dream.  As for RV travel, BDS was quite simply hooked with the whole concept. We had a blast.  Having always done the driving, it was a neat experience to let BDS drive, until we got to the mountains roads in Lassen Volcano National Park. Egads, I did NOT like the virtual drop off to no man’s land from the passenger seat. It had nothing to do with BDS’s driving skills, my fear of heights just reared its ugly head.  We were up there to see the Super Moon and I flunked.  So have asked for a repeat in the future, to do Lassen again.   So that was an eye-opener. I wonder if I was driving would the road bother me as bad?  I don’t know.   The Crater Lake road from North to South was a scary one and I was driving. So… these things – you either learn to deal with it or not do it.

In the midst of all this fun, I had two different medical board exams for this VA compensation thing. Both came back 0%, not good, not good at all. Then when I thought I was all done with this, I met with a senior representative from the Seattle American Legion office. That changed my perspective in an instant. They found out things I did not know and highly recommend that I go for it.  So my task at hand is to find a doctor to evaluate my various levels of disabilities. Even some of the stuff I would never have dreamed was important, such as scars.  The problem I have encountered now, no doctor will see me (not in this area, Mayo Clinic, etc), I can’t get in for appointments unless I have something to be treated. I have managed to get 2 appointments under false premises. One, he flat out refused to fill out the forms. The 2nd one comes next week. Time will tell.

This leads me to tell you… I am heading out of here in January. So on that note, Merry Christmas everyone.

Summer Hots!

/ Melinda / 2 Comments

I say Summer Hots, as this summer has been the rage in music, dancing, soaring temperatures and a whole new world of friends.  Love, love the unexpected perks that life throws my way.  It is never boring, can be very distracting, but it is alive in wonder of it all.

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Pete & Brad

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Pole Marina

My 6 week class on East Coast Swing was finished at the end of June. What a hoot!  With that, had the grand opportunity to take a workshop with Ari Levitt, a pro dancer out of Seattle, to fine tune all the moves, plus learn several advance moves. Danced for 3 hours solid that night and my feet were screaming – as my mind said: I have got to get new dance shoes!!!  So I limped out of the workshop, not complaining my feet hurt, just delighted to have taken the workshop. Wow, what an education!  And for those that did not realize people wear special dance shoes… there are, but you can get by with duck tape on comfortable shoes as well. I foolishly bought cheap dance shoes on Amazon… they barely lasted the 6 weeks. All a learning experience.

Music galore in Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles, even in Seattle if one wanted to take a boat ride. Port Townsend is overflowing with enough music to keep me happy for a long time. You find music just about anywhere… as I listened to a man playing a cello put on a concert from a park bench one day.  He got some money from me. But there’s the fiddlers, banjos, guitars, etc. all playing what they do best. Then theirs the Concerts on the Dock – wow!  Or Fiddle Tunes at Fort Worden. All kinds of music in the various bars too. And via new friends, I have made contact with a local group that is giving us two free gigs to play at Evergreen Coho SKP, the first one is next Friday, July 17th. This first one they are playing bluegrass and some old time music.  Can’t wait to hear them.

Last night, was the first of 3 dance classes here at Evergreen Coho SKP on East Coast Swing. Taught by Jeff and Carol. We had a great turnout, lots and lots of laughter, all learned they did not have two left feet and could dance. Truly was a special evening by all that attended.  There’s a request for Jeff and Carol to come back to teach Country 2 step… we are going to get a sample of this after our Swing classes, leading up to Coho Days. We are having Buck Ellard for Coho Days… so everyone wants to be ready. Then in August, after Coho Days, they may give us more classes.

Temperatures in Western Washington have been blistering hot. 90ºF or higher is too damn hot for my cats in the RV. So have been forced to figure out my A/C.  I have pretty much converted it into winter mode of dress with the a/c and fan (to blow cold to rear of rig) on. Its dark in here. And my boys do NOT like a/c. In fact, since I got my a/c to cycle on and off, Norm (orange tabby) howls of major discontent. But what am I to do? Let them roast?  Today, clouds moved in and cooled things down, but we are not to the hot part of their summer yet.  Just thankful we have a break from the heat.  So all the Reflectix came down off the windows, opened them up and let the sound of raindrops sooth their souls.  And life goes on.

Just being cute

Are you staying home for a change???

Its hot!

Its hot! Norm is telling me!

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Playing cello

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Beautiful kayak coming in!

Stretch of North Beach

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People flying kites at North Beach

Work and play

/ Melinda / Leave a comment
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A fitting quote for all!

Work? You ask… think volunteer work. One sure can get overwhelmed quickly in volunteering. It is relearning how to say NO!  Egads, I had forgotten that.  I think I had previously mentioned I had taken on the Welcome packets for the Coho park and the Laundry collection – both basically no-brainer jobs, but time-consuming.  I tried to resign from the Laundry job last Tuesday, when I tangled with a horrible bully. I do not have any tolerance for people like that, have a tendency to speak my mind, stand my ground – which is a huge improvement over previous encounters, but I was so stressed by that encounter… I went back to my rig and tried to regroup, got into a meditative state. And life goes on… The Documents committee though, has turned out to be a wonderful challenge. Nothing like getting educated!!! Will continue with this for long time coming. In the midst of all this… I have been to two concerts – one a Celtic band, the other Big Band. Both were enjoyable. Went to the Rhody Festival parade last weekend. For such a small town, they had bands from all areas of Washington State. About 113 entries.  Fun, fun times were had for all. The streets were lined heavily in people.  People even put their chairs out 4 days in advance to get “their” best seats. Some of the pictures from that parade are posted below.

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Beautiful ’56 Chevy, in primo condition!

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Bicycle for Two

Butterfly

Butterfly

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One of many floats

One thing I wanted to do all winter was to get back into dancing.  I finally got around to call to inquire about dance classes in the area. The gal that answered the phone has quite literally given me the boost, the inspiration I needed to go for it. One day, I hope to meet her. Thank you Janice Eklund!!! So I am taking East Coast Swing classes and oh my…. I love it!  It sure looked simple online, but there’s far more than just moving your feet to slow, slow, rocker step, rocker step.  It is a simple joy to learn one’s body is still capable of dancing and dancing quite well. Guess what I’m doing all summer!!!  Saturday night am going to Zydeco/Cajun dancing to live music at the Grange in Port Townsend. Should be fun!

Random thoughts

/ Melinda / 6 Comments
Victorian home in Port Gamble

The saga of renaming the blog continues, I have listed some viable names below.  So once again, I am asking for your feedback. Please.

a) Weft and Shuttle
b) Woven Trails of the Traveler
c) Traveling Thrums
d) RV Weaving Yet!
e) Weaving’ and Leaving’
d) Woven and Rovin’   (Roving Weaver is already used)

Have received some great names from several. The Australians and New Zealand folks have already used the majority of the great ideas for names. Laughing here. Not surprised.  Woven Journey Too won’t be used, too close to the origins.  Several of the titles given – are already taken.  The above titles are not used elsewhere.

I have been so very busy here.. in Chimacum.  Some potential exciting news is unfolding as I speak. The American Legion wants to take on my case to pursue 100% disability for me with the VA. This came about when I had expressed frustration that I couldn’t be seen at Bremerton Naval Hospital. A lame excuse that I don’t live within 40 miles of the said hospital – same region, but not close enough. And besides, they ship out Retirees to civilian land for medical. Except Tricare won’t pay for it most of the time – its a costly adventure for my pocketbook. For the last 3 years, I have learned that veterans can’t be seen outside of their region (not even for an emergency) at any military hospital. I couldn’t even get lab work done. Had to do lab work elsewhere and Tricare would not cover the expense – hence it was out of my own pocket. I have always used military hospitals – until the war that is, that care petered out rapidly.  I had chosen military over VA originally.  So… I learned today, that I still have access to the VA. Wow!  I now have the proper document to move this along.  And am now tied to this area until the case goes before the VA for compensation.  But now I know I can get medical care via the VA. This is huge deal for me.

I repeat, I won’t be going to Nova Scotia like I had wanted to this year. I will be able to do short trips, but no lengthy trips out on the road until this gets settled. At least initially. Once I get thru all the medical evaluations I will or should be more free to travel. Time will tell. But I am just blown away by all that I have learned. They initially thought I was a candidate to receive both VA & Military compensation – but I am once again a unique case, in fact only the 2nd case this American Legion has ever dealt with. This presents unique twists that just floor me to the possibilities, such as I may get back pay to 1979.  So yes, this is important enough to keep me off the road for the moment.

So I’ve volunteered within Evergreen Coho SKP park, not that I don’t have enough to keep me busy, but because one should volunteer, so I am.  Many wanted me to be secretary for the Lot Management group, but I’m no secretary – never have been and don’t want to learn. So I’m part of two – Laundry and Documents groups. The Laundry is to collect monies from washers and dryers, count, wrap and document.  The Documents group, I will learn more today, in fact in less than 30 minutes. But from my understanding, its the group that evaluates each and every document that passes thru the committees within this park. Will learn more soon.  That is the last of my volunteering now.

Hansen E-Spinner factory

And with great excitement… visited Hansen E-Spinner factory, got my E-spinner fine tuned and was thrilled to learn about this amazing company. To see guts of this places, all the tools designed by them and see it in action was simply jaw dropping technology.  This is 2nd favorite tool I carry (my loom is my favorite).  And they are real close to me here in Chimacum.

And my first project in a long time, is now going onto my loom.  Yes!

New Changes

/ Melinda / 5 Comments
Anchor at Port Gamble, WA

Ok my fellow blog readers, I need your feedback…

It has come to my attention that the title of this blog “Woven Journey” is a trademark of an e-greeting card company out of Australia since 2009 – .  They have known of my existence since I started my blog, but felt it was not necessary to contact me as I do not compete in any way, shape or form with their business. I did an internet search on my title before I ever went online, never found the title. But..  to me it is an honorable thing to change my title as soon as I realized they had the trademark, domain name, etc.  So…
Questions that needs your feedback on:
1) Do I continue my blog?
2) If I continue, I need a new title, a few suggestions so far…
   a) A Roving Weaver
   b) Weaving Trails
   c) Road Thrums
   d) The Woven Mile
   e)    ??
Will accept feedback on the pros and cons on or off-line.  So would appreciate help asap!  Thanks!
Pier off of Port Townsend
On to other tasks, I got my new-to-me Honda CR-V, but forgot to take a picture for this posting. Its color is Kona Metallic (brown).  Its a 2014 car with less than 7,000 miles on it. Compared to other used cars in the area, I paid a similar price of those with 80-90,000 miles on their odometer. I found it via USAA Auto Buying Club. Its a basic car, I didn’t want or need bells and whistles – so am pleased as punch on my deal. And it is towable 4 wheels down. Yippee!!! That is, if I decide to tow it.  Seriously, I’m not yet in the mindset to tow anything yet.  But luck will show itself… a couple here has offered up their Roadmaster towing equipment.  All I need is the plate that would go on the car. Haven’t seen their equipment yet, but was just so surprised that they gave me first option to it. I still need to do more research before I go beyond this point.
The car was put thru its paces when I left the dealership in Portland. They gave me wrong directions and it took me 3 hours to reach the Washington state-line from Portland. They led me to Highway 26, and then I took Highway 47 up to Highway 30 and then back to I-5. Ridiculous, but true. What a wild ride thru unknown territory, back roads, tons of switchbacks and pitch black country. The car handled fabulously, as I knew it was capable of… but egads Melinda…  got back to Chimacum around 2 o’clock in the morning. 
And…. I have acquired free, a woman’s bike with a basket. Needs air in the tires, cleaned up the bit of rust that’s on it, but darned if I don’t have a bicycle. Can’t be happier.
My dear friend, Cheri, and her husband are here at Chimacum for a week. Super neat to see them and show them some of the places I have found. Such as outstanding fiber stores… smiling here.  Cheri & I spent part of the afternoon spinning fiber into yarn in the clubhouse today. Hope to get a chance to do a wee bit more of this before they head back to Alaska.

Quiet but not idle

/ Melinda / 4 Comments

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted to my blog.  It has not been an idle time, in fact wish I could find a boring day… is there such a thing?   As it is… life evolves, changes, grows and continues on.

What have I been doing?  Lots of daily activities too mundane to mention, but in the midst of living, I took on a challenge to me. Photography.  Not of my surroundings or of places I have been, but of me. Yes that is what I said, pictures of me.  My long time friends will laugh, as I’m the biggest hide-behind-someone or hide-behind-a-tree or just not show up for photo shoots.  I hate my picture being taken.  OK, I said it out loud, I HATE my picture being taken. And well… let’s do something about this fear of the camera. So… a little bit of digging on internet… and I found Deja Webster Photography – don’t you just love the name Deja!  Smiling here.  If you want to see some of the photos she has posted for me, send me an email, as you need a password to access them.

Deja was a hoot to work with and I thank her for taking on the challenge of me and making it all worthwhile.  I got real good at bending at the belly button, straightening the back, lifting the chin, lowing a shoulder, turning just right, catching the sun’s highlights, to stop flat out giggling – as it made me close my eyes too much… on and on and on.  The first shoot, was such an eye opener to me. Clothes, ere colors, I thought I would look good in, washed me out to nonexistence.

So before the next shoot, I had homework to do. Was to hit the thrift stores in search of better colors. Not knowing where any of these places were, I grabbed one of my Escapees friends here at Evergreen to go shopping with me. It turns out Sheri, ran the fashion show here at Evergreen last year. She has an eye for details that was fun just to watch her in action. And with me being the end result – what a learning experience.

So back to the 2nd shoot. Wow what a difference and what a delight to discover what are my colors. I had no idea. For a gal that left home at 18, went into a nursing uniform, then a military uniform into formals and cocktail dresses to comfy casual clothes… never once do I recall knowing I looked better in a different set of colors (other then blue jeans).  We are our own worst critic, you know.   I wish I had done this professional photo shoot years ago.  Thank you Deja!!!
While doing all this running around doing photo shoots, thrift store buying, etc. I had rented a car. Egads! That rental was costly.  I need a car. I’ve never bought a used car before, but if I decide to tow, I don’t need a new car behind my rig.  Have been doing so much research on and off line, quizzing people, dealers, etc. Driving all kinds of crap… to the point, that I decided I don’t want used, I want new. Then I realized its another element that needs adjusting in my mind.  So… as I have learned to do, is sit back and re-analysis.   Will I tow?  I have not needed a tow in my 3 years full timing. I do fine without. Oh sure, I have missed out on some things, and it is a hassle getting into pharmacies parking lots (now I order and get via mail) and I hate asking for a ride from my fellow RVers – altho they have been awesome taking me places. The challenges of getting the proper tow package, the ins and outs of all that – do I even want to go there?  I don’t think so.  So do I need a car?  Yes and no.  I need a car for here in Washington. The RV can not go to many of the coastal towns, its not cheap on the ferry, etc. It really does not benefit the RV to do short trips. Its made for long trips.  So changing my focus once again, then doing more in depth research, I’m settling on a used car, am picking it up Tuesday in Portland, of all places… I am so jazzed. 
And with all this research… I burned thru my 30 GB of data for the month in short order and was shut down, as I refused to pay $15 per GB to get it back up and running.  A new month started yesterday. Yippee!!!  Got to say, it was awesome getting a break from computer, etc.  I should do this more often… as my creative juices are now pumped up.  My next project is going on the loom.  I just need to pick which path best shows off chili peppers colors!  Yarn is present, parts are acquired, yarn wrap done… so do I do gradation of colors across the warp or play with 2 block pattern or both? Check back later… oh so much fun…

A wee bit…

/ Melinda / Leave a comment

A wee bit of sightseeing today… got a mini tour of Port Townsend from a local that wanted to show off the town to me as she went to do errands. Loved the little tour.  Click on any picture to enlarge.

Typical street view in Uptown

Greenery

Fort Worden homes

Point Wilson light house

Smallest castle I’ve ever seen

Brief chat!

/ Melinda / 1 Comment
Tim’s sunflower

Ok, the picture above is of Tim’s sunflower, made from combine equip, rebar and other miscellaneous farm equipment. I’ve carried this in my rig for the last 1 1/2 years, it now adorns this little patch of dirt outside my shed. Since this picture, I have pulled the weeds, changed out the mat, finished organizing my shed.   Might plant some tulips and daffodils here. 

Not good!

Guess what I found? This picture is of my cover for my passenger side rear tires. Its not cracked all the way thru the vertical, but its a long crack nonetheless, dead center of the cover. Hmmm…

A bit of surprising news. My surge protector is now reading 122 at my new lot. Whereas at my old lot, the low was 127 (with high at 132).  Am I thinking correctly, that the old lot might have an issue vs my surge protector being the issue? I will ask Progressive tomorrow this very question.
Folks are heading north, due to it being too hot down south. A lot of folks came in this weekend, all glad to be back to cooler climes.
I got 3 days left on my rental car. I’m going exploring once again. Will try to take some photos.