CHANGING COURSES

About nine a.m., Jim checked his tires…

…his tail and brake lights, a complete walk around the motor home and toad.  One thing I appreciate about Jim is his safety and his safety record. He always does a complete inspection before hitting the road and maintains the vehicles in tip-top condition. He will not return to Murphys for two years.

It is a long time,  and it was sad to see him drive away. However, I’ll be flying to meet him sometime in mid January to continue our ramblings together.
Together we wander through
The wooded ways.
Old beauties are green and new
Seen through your gaze.     By Anne Campbell
You are never alone with a poet in your pocket.

ABANDONING MY PARTNER

Its that time again, I'm leaving for home and Jim will be in the motor home by himself. According to him, I'm abandoning him. He's told his friends that I've banished him from my house because he is a distraction. Its true. He is a distraction. And, I need time to finish some projects without distractions, but, he makes it sound like I'm running away in a big red bus and never coming back.
 
 Yesterday, we dug out our collective receipts and went through them to figure out who owes who what. I normally buy all of the groceries, and pay for restaurant meals and entertainment while we are on the road. He pays for everything else,  the propane, gas, any incidental site expenses, parking fees, quarters for the laundry and so on. When we add it up, it amounts to about the same.
 
 He is delivering me to Amtrak in Bakersfield where I'll take the train to Sacramento and pick up my car at my daughters. I've begun to hate flying, the security, the waiting, the crowds, the whole thing. Amtrak is a comfortable alternative to travel while sitting at a table to read or compute or whatever. Roomy, comfortable and scenic. For those of you who wish to keep up with Jim, his blog is at http://blog.seattlepi.com/ramblinman