My, my. A body does get around. -William Faulkner, Light in August

November 22, 2021. Just when we were just getting settled into life in Oak Grove, the time came for us to leave Arkansas. We had to. As part of our buying the lot, we agreed to honor any reservations that had been previously made, and it had already been reserved for the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Leaving wasn’t easy; we already love being there.

We never thought our home base would be in northwest Arkansas, but it ‘checked all the boxes’ as far as what we were looking for. If it weren’t for the fact that the average winter temperature is somewhere in the mid-20s, we’d stay there year round. Such as it is, November 14th was set as our departure date. Biscuit, our pup who’d had surgery, was healing wonderfully, and the saggy slide topper that had been a pain to deal with while traveling finally got replaced. All systems were go.

On travel days, we drive about 4 hours and travel somewhere around 200 miles. We take our time because Felix is big and heavy and besides, there’s no rush. I’m driving most of the time now, and I love it. The itinerary for Day 1, as determined by the gps, routed us through the Boston and Ouachita Mountains (my first real experience driving hilly, 2-lane, curvy roads). That was an experience. Sometimes there’d be a line of cars behind us, just dying to pass, but I tried hard not to let it get to me. They just had to wait.

Somewhere in Oklahoma, not one, not two, but THREE brown wasps somehow entered the rig as I was driving on a 2-lane highway that had no shoulder. I am deathly afraid of, and highly allergic to, insect stings—so, my anxiety level escalated more and more as the 2-lane went on and on. Dave knows how easily I freak out and kept repeating sternly, “Maria, keep your eyes on the road!” All I could think of was, When am I ever going to be able to pull over???

By the time we reached such a place, Dave and I surmised that a nest must’ve been built inside the air horn up on the roof, and that the sudden rush of wind caused by speed forced them down and inside the rig somehow. Once we were stopped, the wasps were dealt with in short order. And now a fly swatter has a prominent place in the front of the rig.

• 

• 

Would you believe that the same thing with the wasps happened on Day 2??? Again, I was driving. This time, though, we were caught up in Dallas traffic when the wasps appeared, so our speed was markedly less. I have never been so grateful for traffic to come to a standstill!

Up until this trip, Dallas has been a necessary evil, simply an unavoidable part of the north-south route. As with every big city, I dread having to drive through it, but this time was different: My good friend Pat had recently moved from California to one of its suburbs, and we planned to meet. It would be the first time in more than 30 years that we’d see each other. She and I had gone to college together, lived together, and she was my one and only bridesmaid when Dave and I married. At one point we’d been very close, but as the years flew by and Life took over for both of us, we had fallen out of touch.

I was completely unaware of and thrilled to learn that a state park laid just 10 miles southwest of Dallas: Cedar Hill State Park. Pat’s brother had camped there, and that’s how she knew of it. It’s good to know this place exists; it’s easy to get to and it’s only $30 for a full hook-up site. Our reunion went splendidly, and Pat and I yakked non-stop into the evening, catching up and reconnecting. It was wonderful, and now when I think about going back to Dallas in the spring, I’m excited.

After that we laid low for a few days at an Army Corps of Engineers park (Union Grove) until the weekend, when we went to Austin to spend time with our son and our grandsons. This was a good trip all the way around. We have so much to be grateful for.

We made it safely to Bandera late Sunday afternoon, and back to the park we’ve been coming back to for the past five years, Pioneer River Resort. We put more than 4,200 miles on Felix this year without any issues or incidents, thank God, and she has performed well and reliably. On more than just a few occasions, we’ve voiced sincere gratitude for the convenience of now having a car that we can tow on its own wheels rather than having one that needed to be hauled on a trailer. What a big difference that has made!

It’s good to be back in Bandera. We let Silver Sage know we were back and immediately were assigned a Meals on Wheels’ route which we’ll begin today. The route that was assigned is one we’ve had before, so it will be good to see familiar faces again. And tomorrow is the annual Thanksgiving potluck which, unlike last year, will be enjoyed without having to wear masks and cumbersome plastic gloves. Over the past 20 months or so, it’s the the little things like that that have come to mean so much.

Wishing you love, good health, and an abundance of Thanksgiving blessings. Until next time…Maria ☺️