It’s Day 421 of 15 Days to Flatten the Curve. Deb and I are ok.
This evening I faced a choice, but not a dilemma — pack up wet gear tonight, or pack up wetter gear in the morning. We’ll be getting more rain between now and the time we leave tomorrow, and our outdoor stuff won’t get any drier by then.
It was an easy decision, then, to pack up tonight. Camp chairs, table and large rug were folded, stuffed into their respective bags and stowed in the basement. I retired the colors, collapsed the flagpole and put it away ’til tomorrow afternoon.
Deb packed up what she could inside the coach, too. Even though we’ll be in no great rush in the morning, it cuts down on what we’ll have to do before we roll out.
We made one more trip into town today — not Flippin this time, but nearby Yellville. Deb’s cousin brought along a friend and a neighbor, and at our request we returned to that humble BBQ joint we enjoyed so much our first day here.
Because I’m a creature of habit, I didn’t mess with perfection. Once again I ordered The Hawg Dawg — to recap, that’s a huge all-beef hot dog, wrapped in bacon, covered in slow-smoked pulled pork and slaw, topped with spicy BBQ sauce — and I loved every single bite.
After leaving the restaurant we drove across the street to the post office to fetch mail, including a package we’d had directed here. Back at our campground we bid goodbye to Deb’s cousin ’til we see him tomorrow morning or at our next stop.
It’s been a good six-night stay here — not perfect, as usual, but good. It’s an older campground, maybe getting a little tired in places, but it’s been quiet and friendly. Perched above the river between two bridges, it’s offered a unique character we found appealing.
We love the sound of the trains.
Tomorrow we’ll head an hour west to our second-to-last stop in Arkansas. It’ll be a fairly easy drive, I think, backtracking along roads we traveled the day we left Missouri, bringing us to rest for the longest stay we’ve had since setting sail with Ernie.
And speaking of setting marks, we’ve now been gone longer than we were out on our shakedown in March and April. It’s clear to us that this is more than a trip — it’s our new American Life.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath