Remember Those Lost

Settled in for another day’s drive.  Some of you mentioned getting a harness for Sinbad so as I don’t have to hold onto his tail when he’s hanging out the driver’s side window.  Well he does have a harness.  That is what he wears when roaming around outside at camp or when we go for walks.  But to put it on, snap on the lead all while driving is too much trouble.  I think he likes the feeling of being safe and secure with my hand on his tail.  It works for both of us.

Hamilton, Alabama.  I stopped to get something to eat.  This was the first time I had difficulty understanding what was being said to me by not only the cashier, the manager who gave me my food, but two of the customers who were in there at the time with me.

As I was nearing Hamilton we drove through a hilly area where there were all these downed trees pointing in the same direction.  It was very much like the blast zone where Mount St. Helens erupted.  I wondered Tornado?  I saw a damaged house spray painted "4-27-11 Remember those lost".  I looked it up.  Two years ago starting today, over a four day period was the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded with a total of 358 tornadoes confirmed from Texas to New York.  348 people lost their lives with 238 of them in Alabama alone. Although the weather now is ideal, reading this stuff makes me a wee bit uncomfortable.  I wish I had taken a picture but I was too amazed at the sight around me to think.

Near Tupelo, Mississippi.  I am following this guy who is riding a motorcycle of small displacement.  The little engine was wound tight trying to make headway into the wind.  We passed a State Trooper sitting in his patrol car on the other side of the road.  The motorcycle rider thought it best to toss his half drunk beer off to the side of the road, beer can and beer foam cart wheeling through the air.  He must have been holding it between his legs.  If he'd put some air in that rear tire the motorcycle might go faster.

Trace State Park, Belden, Mississippi, another outstanding camp.  Hands down, the South has produced the best camp scenes of all of our travels.  I put a bit of the back end of the Little House on the Highway in this shot just so you know I am not taking these campsite photos away from where we actually are.