Over the Line in Alabama

What a difference a day and a half makes!
We left Kemble yesterday morning in disappearing snow drifts. Then record warmth, high winds, and sun combined --- it seemed like 4 months of weather passed in a day. An hour at the Bluewater Bridge yesterday ---- 59min.10sec. creeping over, then 50 seconds at the Q&A! No Q about the cats, food, etc. Then a great evening with everyone at the Cooksons. Got to play with the Wii and Rock Band. Got to see the Detroit Lions make history by going 0-16. Got to sleep on air mattress by 9:30. Got up by 4, Pat misplaced keys for 30 minutes, got olling by 6am. Thanks to Jan (pie), Tom (modelling CBC Tshirts), and Matt (Wii bowling lessons).

Took an hour to get out of Detroit on southbound I75 --- downtown detours and the dark. But after that clear sailing literally as the sky was completely clear and the gas price at $1.39-$1.49 over 5 states. That's about 44 cents a litre, compared to 69 in Owen Sound and 72 in Mexico soon. Lots of RV's going south, seemed like most of them were from Ontario. Cincinatti, Louisville,Nashville, and stopped at 6 pm at Athens Alabama at the Bomar Inn. Nice guy, like Bapu on the Simpsons. 665 miles today, in 12 hours counting circles in Detroit . 2004 Venture van rolling smoothly and sipping gas slowly like fine Kentucky Sippin Whiskey (I guess).

Oh -- cats were in cages all day. Brandy not happy, Crystal oblivious. But they're both happy to stretch their legs and sniff everything in this room. US$32.50 for Bapu's big room, micro/fridge/50 channels but all we want is a shower and crash. Had Pat's special RoadSandwiches and Bumpy Cake/ apple pie. But great salad in the room, with tea and goodies later.

Anyway, all is well at end of Day 1. No more snow til November (?!). Thanks angels!