Friday, September 3, 2010

CATS 'N DOGS/ ELKHART TO QUAD CITIES, IOWA

9/2/10


   So on Thursday, we loaded Xian up with Happy Traveler, an herbal concoction designed to cut down the anxiety, and it seemed to work a bit better than what we tried previously. But we will all three of us unequivocally say that Route 80 around Joliet, Ill. is the worst road we have ever traveled. Every bridge expansion joint, concrete patch, and pothole conspired to jolt our bodies and minds into oblivion. Happy Traveler would have benefitted all of us. On a bridge in Chicago we gaped in sympathy at a group of people trying to rescue their belongings from a blazing rental van.

It had been raining off and on intermittantly as we went along, breaking long enough for us to have lunch and a game of ball amongst a grove of burr oaks at a rest stop. While Bill stopped to talk with some bikers, it started to rain again, and I ran over to the truck to put up some windows. Now understand,  this is a newish pickup, and I'm not technically savvy with all its bells and whistles. With the rain coming down in buckets at this point, Bill and Xian came racing for the truck. Inadvertantly I had locked the doors again. Picture this: the driver's seat ( with me in it) is moving back and forth, up and down ( and maybe even heating up) as I frantically work the buttons. The windows are raising and lowering, and Bill is still pounding , probably on the door now. FINALLY, I get the doors to unlock, and man and dog pile in, much worse for the wear. The rain lasted most of the day and into the night, which seemed ok to us, who think of rain now as something unique! We pulled into our campsite here in Rock Island, Iowa, in the late afternoon, glad to be staying for more than one day!

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY / ROCHESTER TO ELKHART, INDIANA


9/1/10
Happy first of September, and we don't have to be in school!! This was a long, arduous day, particularly for Xian, who is aware of every rumble strip, acceleration of our pickup, clank of the camper, passing 18- wheeler, and concrete patch. Because he doesn't like to have the back seat down flat where he could have oodles of room, he prefers the seat to be in its normal, upright position, silly creature. He was on the right of it, then on the left of it. He was on the floor-- constantly moving somewhere. While I drove, Bill crawled into the back seat with him, and then when Bill drove, I climbed into the back with him . I finally gave up and let him sit in the front seat ( with me in back, of course!) but his butt kept getting in the way of the rearview mirror, so he was relegated to the back seat once again. Ball play has been somewhat of a savior, as that's what he loves to do, and we stop often to accommodate him. So much for the Compozure treats and the Thundershirt ( anxiety wrap) that didn't help at all. To play ball we u
sually have to park between two tractor-trailers spewing diesel fumes, but luckily there is also grass on which to run.We finally reached our not-great Elkhart, Indiana campground about 9:30 in the pitch dark and rainy night. Supper and beers at about 10:30....and then oblivion. Xian, at last, had some rest.





ON THE MOVE AGAIN / TOLLAND TO ROCHESTER, NY


8/31/10

The Byers are on the move again! Leaving Tolland before noon on Tuesday,  we rolled along to Rochester, NY, through the lush country of the Mohawk River Valley, vowing to come back sometime to canoe. No time to stop at wineries, but made plenty of time to stop and play ball with Xian, who's not happy to be on the move again. Stops usually have us parked between an 18 wheeler, blowing out its toxic dielsel fumes.Temp was 95 degrees at its hottest, and a cold beer @ 7:30 P.M was like tasting ( and loving it) beer for the first time. Finally we had dinner at 9:30-- a beautiful lasagna made for us by St. Jamie Valedaserra, our next-door- neighbor. Sleep came quickly in our Sleep Number Bed!