Headed East

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCFF99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#336666" FACE="Arial" ><B>Headed West</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Headed West"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Headed East</B>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Conference photos"><U>Conference photos</U></A>   |   <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Headed West"><U>Headed West</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Schedule of book store stops"><U>Schedule of book store stops</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 BGCOLOR="#C0C0C0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>Headed East</B></I><I><B> </B></I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Since a few of you have asked how Rufus is doing...</B></I></div> <div> <I><B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="753" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 301 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="04372160.jpg" border=0 width="370" height="278" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="371"><div> <IMG SRC="04572f60.jpg" border=0 width="370" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Rufus is taking doggy valium, and adjusting well to all the time in the hated vehicle! Left, resting between naps. Above, waiting for Mom at Barnes and Noble in St. Peters.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></I></div> <div> <U> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="1003" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF HEIGHT= 6866 WIDTH="993"><bR> <div> <B>June 12, Thursday  Jamestown, ND 10:00 pm--</B>We left International Falls this morning after a short but fantastic visit with our friends--Kathy and Ralph were so gracious--they turned me loose with their Internet connection, let me do laundry and fed us like kings! (I give that stop a solid five stars!) Best of all was just the chance to see long time friends and finally get a chance to see the beautiful house on the shores of Rainy Lake that i've heard so much about. </div> <bR> <div> Tonight we're in Jamestown, North Dakota after a 350 mile trip that took us through some gorgeous Minnesota countryside and right into a ferocious thunder storm in North Dakota! I filmed a little of it, but I'm so disappointed the lightning doesn't show in the video--which I can't get to load! Maybe tomorrow...</div> <bR> <div> Got some pics from our visit in International Falls:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="995" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 226 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0b2fabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Road out of Minnesota is LONG and straight</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0b4fabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Storm clouds outside Fargo, ND</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0b61bbc0.jpg" border=0 width="283" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Kathy and I go back a LONG way!</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="246"><div> <IMG SRC="0b81bbc0.jpg" border=0 width="283" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The house on Rainy Lake with our rig in the parking lot</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Tomorrow I've got a stop in Bismarck, ND at the Barnes & Noble and then it's back on the road again. Doug's already asleep tonight, but he was fighting a strong cross wind for much of the trip today. I haven't done any of the driving because of the wind--doubt I'd have the strength to hang on to the wheel, and besides, if I were driving, Doug would be in serious need of therapy! As it is, he's a really good driver and we're both much safer with him behind the wheel!</div> <bR> <div> <B>June 11, Wednesday International Falls, MN 5:00 pm--</B>We're in International Falls at our friends' house right on Rainy Lake. Doug's out on a boat taking pictures and probably freezing his butt off!!! I'm inside where it's warm, but then I'm a total wuss. We spent a couple hours at the International Wolf Sanctuary in Ely, MN. What an amazing place! It's absolutley beautiful and they have two pups that we got to see, along with the adult wolves that live at the center--two white artic wolves and two grays. Doug's got some photos and I'll try and get them posted later. Had a nice ride north--cloudy and cool but not too much wind and only sprinkles. The country in every state is so different--this has been an amazing trip.</div> <bR> <div> <B>June 10 Tuesday Ely, MN (will post when I get Internet) </B>We arrived in Ely, MN around 3:30. This is the site of the International Wolf Center, where we plan a tour in the morning before heading on to International Falls to see my long-time critique partner Kathryn North. I would most definitely NOT be published if it hadn't been for Kath--when we first started working together more than ten years ago, I didn't have a clue what point of view was or any idea about passive vs. active voice, plotting...you name it. (Probably accounts for all those many rejection letters!) I'm really looking forward to our visit.</div> <bR> <div>  It's COLD here--in the low forties, after days of 90+ degree temps and high humidity, we feel as if we've slipped back into winter. We've got a gorgeous campsite tonight. We both had gotten recommendations about the Silver Rapids Resort with campsites right on the lake, and that's where we're spending the night. The window at the back of the rig looks out over the water--the fun thing was getting ready for bed, when we both realized it was still daylight out at nine pm! Tells us how far north we are.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="829" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 244 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0ab36ce0.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> First view of Lake Superior.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="271"><div> <IMG SRC="0ad36ce0.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Arriving in Duluth, MN. Signed a bunch of books at the Barnes and Noble on Hwy. 53.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="271"><div> <IMG SRC="0af13ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> I'm a California girl...we don't HAVE huge forests of birch trees! These are gorgeous!</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 244 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0a536ce0.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Our campsite in Ely. MN.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="271"><div> <IMG SRC="0a736ce0.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Reading JR Ward's latest: LOVER ENSHRINED. (and yes, it's WONDERFUL!)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0a913ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The little town of Ely, MN.</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 9 Monday Chetek, WI (will post when I get Internet) </B>Rufus did NOT like Rockford! We had thunder and lightning most of the night, and Rufus was a basket case. I had to take him outside around 2:00 a.m. and luckily the rain had paused for a bit, or he would no longer have been my favorite dog... We survived the night and hit the road early. The amount of flooding we're seeing is incredible. All the rivers are out of their banks, corn fields look like lakes and the hills are a beautiful but unrelenting green.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="829" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 228 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="09813ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Wisconsin River is to the left--flooding on right.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="09a36ce0.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Mile after mile of rivers out of their banks.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="09f26ce0.jpg" border=0 width="294" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Wisconsin is an absolutely gorgeous state!</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> We were both totally impressed with Wisconsin. Rolling hills, beautiful forests, green fields with red barns and a gorgeous blue sky overhead. (I think it was the blue sky that did it!) By around three we were ready to call it a day and ended up at a really cute little fishing resort in the town of Chetek, WI, on a perfect little lake--the only drawback would have to be the mosquitoes that could probably have carried us off if we weren't careful! We had power, though, and watched the news where we saw reports on the terrible flooding in some of the areas we drove through today. Wisconsin Dells, a resort area with waterslides and a beautiful lake where we stopped for a Subway sandwich, actually lost the lake when it was washed away, taking four houses with it. Luckily, no lives were lost.</div> <bR> <div> However, it wasn't raining in Chetek. We slept like logs and were up and on the road before seven.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0a313ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 8 Sunday Rockford, IL 7:30 pm--</B>We're in a sturdy hotel in Rockford, Illiniois tonight, watching the weather channel and the tornado/thunder storm and flash flood warnings for our area! (And yes, this is exactly WHY we're not sleeping in the rig tonight in a campground!) We left West Chester early <IMG SRC="088c8d70.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="215" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">and drove straight through to Rockford, where I met Irene Timm at the local Barnes and Noble. We were planning to meet in Champaign, but Rockford worked better for both of us...once again I am convinced that I have got the world's coolest readers! At least I remembered to get a picture this time! We sat and gabbed for over an hour and it was really fun. The weirdest thing is, in every stop I've made and with every reader I've met, there's an instant feeling that this is someone I've known forever. I am thoroughly enjoying myself on this trip.</div> <bR> <div> Of course, my husband would probably be having more fun if he didn't have to wrestle the motorhome down the road thorugh the high winds! We followed a severe thunder storm from La Salle, IL to Rockford, but only got into a little heavy rain. Right now, though, we're listening to storm warnings that sound more severe with each "Beep" on the tv! I feel as if we're definitely getting the midwest experience...for better or worse! It's beautiful country, but this weather is just a bit much.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="08afabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">We crossed the Wabash River again and if anything, it's even higher today...it's really sad, driving through Indiana and Illinois and seeing hundreds of acres that should be full of corn at least a foot high totally saturated and muddy. A lot of it has been planted, but the corn is only inches tall, and in many areas, mostly under water. Rainfall is way above average.</div> <bR> <div> Also saw more tornado damage--trees in one of the rest stops we stopped at in Indiana were all twisted and broken.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="08cfabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="08efabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> We head for Eagan, MN tomorrow. Hoping the weather settles down a bit--so does Rufus. He's not at all fond of thunder. He's been like "velcro dog," sticking himself to either Doug or me all evening!</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>June 7 West Chester, OH Saturday 9:00 pm--</B>Okay...I can say I am officially "talked out!" What a hoot today was! I had a chance to meet so many terrific people and it was especially fun to finally put faces to names I've seen online for ages--and in many cases corresponded with. Lori and Dianne have definitely outdone themselves with this conference--it is truly a place where readers and writers get a chance to interact in a casual, friendly and fun atmosphere. I had a ball and definitely hope to come back next year. I'm posting pictures on a separate page and hope to get names to all of them eventually--and I do apologize for forgetting names, but there were just too many for this tired brain to recall! If you see yourself, please let me know who you are so I can properly identify you.<B> </B><A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Conference photos"><U><B>See photos here. </B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 6 Friday West Chester, OH 10:30 pm--</B>Will have to post pictures later, (some are up!) as I left all the stuff for the camera down in the rig, but we made it to Cincinnati tonight after a stop to visit with readers in Louisville, KY: Yvonne and Wateena. I am so glad I've been able to do this--everyone I've gotten to meet is absolutely terrific, only I screwed up again and got to gabbing so much I forgot to take a picture...</div> <bR> <div> I ended up cancelling my reservations at the Marriott and getting a room at the Staybridge Suites hotel just down the road where they accept dogs...and husbands, of course. The weather has been so questionable that neither Doug nor I wanted him in the rig, so he's here with me in a really nice suite with air conditioning, a refrigerator, tv, wireless and a nice little kitchenette! It's only about a half mile walk to the Marriott, so it's a perfect spot for us. We had a windy ride here, but it was clear and beautiful. Going over the big rivers--the Wabash and the Ohio--was amazing. They are all the way to the top of the banks and so muddy they look like chocolate milk.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="829" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 244 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="04713ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Crossing the Wabash River</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="04913ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The Ohio River between Indiana & Kentucky</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="04b13ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The Ohio between Kentucky & Ohio</div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> I will probably do a separate page of photos from the conference, because I imagine there will be a lot of them, but wanted to post and let everyone know we arrived in one piece and the trip so far has been great. Got to see and meet some terrific ladies tonight and at some point I'll get an update going about the conference and the people there--and believe me, there are some really neat ladies in West Chester this weekend!</div> <bR> <div> <B>June 5 Thursday Mt. Vernon, IL 8:00 pm--</B>Tonight we're in a tornado-proof hotel in Mount Vernon, Illinois, watching the really scary weather news on tv. I've decided that Midwesterners must be a lot braver than I am--I'll take my California earthquakes ANY day! We left Ottumwa REAL early this morning with a tornado watch in effect. Doug shot this picture of clouds outside a grocery store where we stopped this morning--the clouds in the middle were definitely spinning, and it was blowing a gale:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="03477f90.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="249" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> We headed east to Mount Pleasant and then headed south to Hannibal, Missouri. Taking the back highways rather than the Interstate gave us a chance to see some absolutely beautiful farm land. I love the barns! Took a gazillion photos of farms and barns and the beautiful green grass that everyone mows so that it looks like you're driving past a 100 miles worth of manicured golf course!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0362ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I really love this barn, but there were so many beautiful farms...definitely the way I've always pictured Midwestern farms. Of course, everything is unusually green because of the heavy rains--one young woman in a Subway shop in Central City said they'd had over eight inches of rain in the past two weeks. The rivers are all really high and corn fields are flooded. Many of them haven't even been planted yet, and the ones that have, the corn is only a couple of inches high.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0392ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I met Dawn in the Barnes and Noble in St. Peters, near St. Louis. We're going to see each other again at Lora Leigh's RAW conference in September, but it was really nice to have a chance to just sit and chat. It's just the neatest thing to finally put faces and personalities to the people I've met online, and I had a great time with Dawn--who brought me a beautiful framed wolf puzzle and an absolutely delicious cherry pie! The picture will go great on my office wall, and the pie is WONDERFUL! Doug and I both had some for desert tonight, after we got settled into our very nice, TORNADO-proof hotel!</div> <bR> <div> I got an email from a fellow author, asking me if I was "selling enough books to make the trip worthwhile." I wrote back and told him I wasn't selling ANY books on this trip--I was taking the time to meet readers who enjoy my stories, along with the books of a lot of other authors I also love to read. It's just great to have a chance to sit and gab about books with someone who loves the same stories! (Dawn and I are both reading JR Ward's newest Black Dagger Brotherhood story, Lover Enshrined...it is SO good!) Anyway, we're off to Louisville, KY tomorrow, hoping the crummy weather stays OUT OF OUR WAY! Before I close, though, want to add some shots of St. Louis that I took on our way through--traffic was AWFUL! Thank goodness my husband is a good driver. Besides the mess in St. Louis, he had to fight strong crosswinds all day that really blew our rig around. I would have totally freaked!!!</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="956" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 339 WIDTH="246"><div> <IMG SRC="03bfabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Lots and lots of brick buildings, but so many of them empty! Really looks like a neat "old town."</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="03dfa4d0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="219"><div> <IMG SRC="03ffabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Personally, I think he looks WAY too calm, considering the traffic we were in!</div> <div> (Maybe he's dipping into</div> <div> Rufus's doggy valium...)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="246"><div> <IMG SRC="041fabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> After watching the weather channel and seeing the storm this morning, I can see why brick is so popular here!</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 4 Wednesday Ottumwa, IA--writing this on June 5: </B>We got into Ottumwa late on Wednesday after a really full day--I met with two terrific ladies in West Des Moines (picture below) Gidget and Jolene. It was really fun to meet them in person after getting to know them online--it's just so cool to turn names and Internet IDs into real people! Afterward, Doug and I decided to drive on to Ottumwa where our AAA tour book ASSURED us there were at least two hotels that accepted pets--we'd decided that, with all the tornado watches, we'd be better off in a nice solid hotel room rather than our RV. Unfortunately, the book was dead wrong and we were stuck looking for a campground wtih storm clouds hovering--found a nice place, but no Internet. We went to bed under cloudy skies and I guess Doug woke up at three to continuous lightning. At four the thunder started, which woke up Rufus, who woke ME up...and about the time the rain started coming down in buckets, Doug decided to unhook the power and get the blocks out from under the wheels so we could move the rig under cover if the hail got bad. He picked the only five minutes of absolute downfall to go outside, and got absolutely drenched, but there was no more going back to sleep, so we were on the road really early. All in all, I think I've had my "midwest" experience!</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Gidget, me and Jolene in the Barnes and Noble in West Des Moines, IA</div> <div> Jolene's daughter Jessica took the picture. Thank you, Jessica!!!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="03277190.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="281" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 3, Tuesday Missouri Valley, IA 7:30 pm...</B>We're in Missouri Valley, Iowa tonight, and it's hot and muggy out, which is why we decided a hotel sounded better than sleeping in the rig. Also, my husband seems to think this is not camping country....and no, I have no idea why. Must be a guy thing...you need mountains and the threat of bears, maybe? </div> <bR> <div> We had an interesting morning--we drove out to Central City, Nebraska, to check out a cemetery where a lot of his ancestors are buried, and on the way went though the little town of Aurora, which was hit by a tornado last Thursday. The devastation is unbelievable--here are a few pictures I snapped from the car:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="02e2ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="02b2ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="0302ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The picture in the middle is one of those huge irrigating sprinklers that rotates in a big circle--we saw a number of them tipped over like toys. The other two were once big grain silos. There were also entire groves of trees snapped off a couple feet above the ground. Unreal...we've been watching the weather and it looks like the worst storms are east of us, and I'm hoping they STAY east! Especially since that's the way we're headed tomorrow for a stop in Des Moines at the Barnes and Noble at The Shoppes at Three Fountains, 4550 University Avenue in West Des Moines. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Tahoma" ><B>Please note--the time has been changed from 4:00 to 3:00 pm. </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Tahoma" >I'm hoping they just KEEP moving east, ahead of us!</FONT></div> <bR> <div> It's been a long day and I'm hitting the sack. I think I'll skip anymore weather reports for now! They are NOT conducive to a good night's sleep!</div> <bR> <div> <B>June 3, 2008 Grand Island, NE Tuesday 8:30 am...</B>We were rattled awake at two this morning with thunder, lightning and hail. Doug flipped on the weather channel, Rufus shivered like he might rattle his bones right out of his skin and I rolled over and went back to sleep...I figured he'd wake me up and let me know if there was one coming! Tornado warnings this morning east of us, but it's a beautiful morning here in Grand Island. We're headed to Central City to check out the museum today--they're going to open it for us so Doug can see some things on display that come from his great-grandfather's family. We're also planning to viist the cemetery where ancestors of his are buried.</div> <bR> <div> It's muggy--94% humidity and almost seventy out. Certainly nothing like the dry weather we have in Wyoming!  I'll probably have lots of pictures of gravestones to post later tonight!</div> <bR> <div> <B>June 2, 2008 Grand Island, NE Monday 8:00 pm...</B>Got up to lots of wind in Rawlins and we were on the road by 7:30 this morning--Wyoming is absolutely amazing. We saw pronghorned antelope all the way across the state--they're everywhere! I saw a badger, too, but it moved too fast for me to get a picture. We saw prairie dogs, too, and some more really amazing land formations before crossing into Nebraska, where EVERYTHING changed! It was like driving through 250 miles of parkland. It was SO green, and while it was overcast, there was no rain and no sign of tornadoes. And, as my husband just said, the good news is we're over half way to Cincinnati! Here are a few shots from along the road:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0252ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="0272ccd0.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="205" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="0292ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The first is a beautiful spot in Wyoming, the next ANTELOPE!!! (Finally!!!) and the third shot is in Nebraska, of the Platte River Road monument.</div> <div> Tonight we're in a funky little motel in Grand Island, Nebraska, but it's hard to be TOO picky when you want a place that will take dogs! Rufus is just happy to be out of the rig...tomorrow we take a break to check out the cemetary where my husband's great grandparents are buried, and then it's on to Des Moines for Wednesday.</div> <bR> <div> <B>June 1, 2008 Rawlins, WY 9:30 pm Sunday...</B>Tonight we're in Rawlins, Wyoming. We went 475 miles and saw some absolutley fascinating country, including the salt flats in Utah that go on for FOREVER! That's my spouse with the salt flats in the backgound. From the look on his face I think he's probably wondering how in the heck I talked him into this marathon drive from California to Ohio! <IMG SRC="01c77120.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="274" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"> (and parts north!)</div> <bR> <div> The best part of Utah was meeting Dawn, one of the members of my newsletter who said she'd be at the Barnes and Noble in Salt Lake City at noon--and she was! Unfortunately, like a total doofus, I forgot to get our picture taken, something I really planned on--I even had my camera with me! The problem is, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and just sitting and gabbing, which we did for about an hour and I totally forgot...hopefully I'll get it right at my next stop, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday. </div> <bR> <div> We saw antelope all over the place today--first time I've ever seen them outside of a zoo, but none of my pictures really turned out very well. Will have to get my husband to take some with his big zoom lens. Also saw an amazing wind machine farm in western Wyoming with the largest blades and tallest towers I've ever seen.</div> <bR> <div> We saw one of the blades on a flatbed truck and it had to be at least 100 feet long. They're on 200 foot towers and the group of them on a huge rige is definitely overwhelming and VERY impressive. I've seen wind machines for generating power in California, and they'd look like toys next to these.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="01677190.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="281" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="023900b0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="267" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">The rock formations in Wyoming are absolutely fascinating. It's a good thing I'm shooting digital--thanks to the fantastic Diane Whiteside who sent me an absolutley wonderful camera that I'm still trying to figure out how to use--because if I were taking print shots I imagine my husband would have dumped me along the road somewhere...there are WAY too many photo ops out here!</div> <bR> <div> Tomorrow we head for Nebraska, with thunder storm and tornado warnings. It could get REALLY interesting!</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Need to add one more shot of the scenery--everything I saw was absolutely mind-boggling!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="021ca7b0.jpg" border=0 width="714" height="123" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>May 31, 2008 Wells, NV 8:00 pm...</B>We're in an RV park in Wells, Nevada <IMG SRC="00e77190.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="281" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">after almost 600 miles today. I'm pooped! We'll be in Salt Lake City tomorrow at noon, barring any problems. We've already got one...we neglected to take into consideration the time changes...ah, to live and learn! However, now that we've got it figured out, I think we can make it on time. Thought I'd stick in a few pictures from today.</div> <bR> <div> We stopped for lunch at Donner Lake high in the Sierras on Interstate 80. I haven't been here for years and it's just as gorgeous as it ever was. The next stop was out in the desert to take Rufus for a potty run...he's taking doggy valium and so far he's only had one minor panic attack. Did I say he doesn't do travel well? </div> <div> <IMG SRC="01013ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I'd forgotten how BIG Nevada is--big and empty! I took the bottom photo out the window as we were driving along 80 and can't help but think about the pioneers coming across this huge wasteland in covered wagons without any real idea what they were getting into.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="012902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>May 31, 2008 Saturday:</B> It's six a.m. and we're leaving in about half an hour for West Chester, Ohio, and the<A HREF="http://lorifoster.com/community/readergettogthr.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://lorifoster.com/community/readerge"><U><B> Readers and Writers Get Together</B></U></A><B>.</B> Just checked the weather channel and we're driving directly into thunderstorms and tornado warnings! </div> <bR> <div> Ohio...here we come! "Gulp" Not sure where or when I'll have Internet access next, but will update as soon as I get a chance! </div> <bR> <div> <B>May 29, 2008:</B>  We're packing up and getting ready to leave. I have no idea how I'm going to get enough stuff in this little motorhome for a 5500 mile trip, but I'm squeezing things into every nook and cranny. The trick will be finding that same stuff once we're on the road...</div> <bR> <div> We're taking off early Saturday, May 31 with plans to cross over the Sierras and get as far across Nevada as possible the first day. Our first book store stop will be in Salt Lake City at Barnes and Noble in the McIntyre Center, 1104 East 2100 South, on <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Verdana" >Sunday, June 1, at 12:00 noon...with any luck! If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello...but check the schedule first, to make sure we haven't had to adjust the time.</FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="014770e0.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="270" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></U></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>