Life Renewed

Yes, plans have changed yet again since my last entry!   We had tried to schedule out a bit of extra traveling so that we could get the maximum bang for our RVing buck, but as (unfortunate) luck would have it, when we were getting ready to hitch up at our stop outside of Lawrence, KS at the Corps of Engineers campground, we noticed that one of our front jacks was leaking hydraulic fluid (flowing rather freely at first).   Tim poked around inside the basement compartment that houses the mechanism for the landing gear on the side that was leaking, but he saw no evidence of leakage in there, nor could he determine at brief glance where exactly the valve/knob/whatever was to see if it needed tightening.   At any rate, the jack retracted exactly as it should and we were able to get underway. While we were driving, we both agreed that perhaps we needed to curtail our wanderlust and just head back toward Knoxville sooner rather than later to avoid any additional set up/take down drama

My last post had us in Pueblo, CO, waiting out a high wind warning, combined with a blizzard warning.   We wound up waiting an extra day, since the roads we needed to take were closed due to the weather.   While our location (actually just south of Pueblo) received nothing more than 25-35 mph gusts and some temps in the 20s, about 25 miles north of us (in exactly the path we needed to travel), did receive the worst of the weather.   Winds clocking in the 60 mph range, snow, cold……….all combining to cause the Colorado Department of Transportation to shut down dozens of roads.   Interesting fact:   road closures are such a common occurrence that they actually have gates across ALL of the entrance ramps to the interstates with “Road Closed” signs.   They do not fool around with this stuff. The extra day we waited was a good thing for us, travel wise.   Very light winds, and the snow was mostly melted or blown off the road surfaces.   We did, however, see plenty of evidence of the

When last we met, we were near Memphis, and we did, indeed, make a trip to see the birthplace of the Blues, as well as the National Civil Rights Museum.   We went to the museum first, and it was quite a moving experience.   So much more than a memorial to the place where MLK Jr. was assassinated.   It was interesting, educating, and sobering to think about the inexplicable cruelty mankind can inflict on their fellow human beings. We left there and headed toward Beale Street to see and smell the sights.   It was definitely a fun way to pass a bit of time and enjoy some Memphis BBQ in the form of a pulled pork sandwich at Pig on Beale Street.   And, our mascot, Chipotle, got to do a little photobombing on the fun oversized guitars that line the street! From Southaven, Mississippi, we headed to Ozark, Arkansas to spend a couple nights at an Army Corps of Engineers (COE) campground.   The campground was very nice, our site was right on the lake, overlooking the dam.