And so it ends

How does 7,673 miles grab you sports fans? Add our trip to San Francisco last year and we have now driven more than two thirds of the way around the globe. Man does my recliner look good. Learned a lot, lost five pounds, ate like a pig but no beer for the entire trip. I guess riding in a car increases your metabolism cause it damned sure can't be that beer puts weight on me. I rediscovered that most of our fellow citizens are first class. We found people to be friendly, outgoing and eager to share their experiences. As an example, I asked directions in a small business in Kalispell, Montana, the lady did not know of the shop I wanted to visit but left her own business wide-open, with no one in the store and walked down the street with me to her friend's shop. Her friend also could not answer my question. However she went on-line, found the answer and insisted I use her telephone to call and verify the hours of the place we were looking for. That sort of reception was the rule throughout our trip. We checked into our cabin, stayed four days and checked out and never saw the owners or staff. When we arrived the cabin was left open with the key on the table. While we were out sightseeing, the cabin was cleaned and when we left the owner called and thanked us for leaving him a message about how much we had enjoyed our stay. I asked a ranger in a state park in Montana about me having a loaded gun in the car. She replied, Montana trusts our citizens and visitors." She continued that the Governor and Legislature had taken step to ensure that no matter what Obama and Washington did nothing would change the gun laws in Montana. I think, to some degree, I have assuaged some of my fears about the country moving too far left, too fast. There is a quiet but firm resolve in the folks we talked to that some fundamental things are not going to change. In my opinion, Washington will make a grave error if they underestimate how deeply people feel about what they view as basic freedoms. But hey, I have been wrong before.

A long drive home, from Rocky Mountain National, thru Denver, to Amarillo and the next day to Memphis for our last night in a hotel. From Memphis to Gainesville was about eleven hours. Other than about sixty miles of severe thunderstorms from Raton New, Mexico to Dalhart, Texas we had a good trip. Jeannie drove thru the thunderstorms as I whimpered "we are going to die," however I will have you know it was very manly whimpering. Jeannie says I was not whimpering that I was shouting "We are off the road. all is lost, tell my children I love them." I think that is somewhat of an exaggeration but not a flat out lie. Manly whimpering I say, with an occasional high pitched shriek.

Some of the posts were delayed because of computer problems. Eventually, I was down to typing "WORD" documents onto discs in the evenings and then going to the hotel lobby and copying them into the blog the following morning. But, with a lot of help we got it done.

Thanks to all of you for reading this and putting up with countless misspellings, fragmented sentences and semi literate attempts at self expression. Some of it may have been unwelcome editorializing, self aggrandizement and pompous overstatement. I certainly hope so. It was a lot of fun and your feedback was wonderful. Larry and Jeannie, our trip is done, we are home and I hope to see all of you soon.