Today we drove home from Montgomery. We left at 7:20 AM and 43 degrees. We dressed as if it was 75 degrees because we knew that by the time we reached Florida, we would be miserable in genes. The early morning drive took us through small towns in Alabama. And we witnessed a lot of poverty. Many houses were run down and falling down, some abandoned by the roadside, and many people were living in old rusty single wide trailers. Life seemed better in Troy, a larger community and home of Troy University where many of the residents work.

At 9:30 we crossed into the Florida panhandle and took I-10 east. The rest of the drive was a familiar one…one that we have driven several times in the past year and a half. Nothing to report there except for one thing...the funniest thing that happened today. We stopped at Subway for a sandwich and to let Beamer out for a short walk. While Steve was walking him on a sliver of grass some guy rode by him on a bike and said "You should take that dog to the White House and let him poop on that lawn!!!"  I laughed for 5 minutes. After all of the rhetoric on the news these days, it hit my funny bone. I guess that guy has been listening to the same stuff as we have.

We arrived home at 4:45 and it felt good to see a familiar place. Beamer was thrilled and showed his enthusiasm. We spent the rest of the day trying to get reorganized.

Final comments about Texas…it is a big state. I have been there several times, liked it, and always wanted to see more of it. And after touring it from bottom to top, I like it even more. Because it is so big, the topography varies hugely from one side to the other, from the white sandy beaches on the gulf, to the Hill Country in the center, to the desert in the west and to the prairies and rich farm land in the north. It has it all. The people there are proud of their state as evidenced by the fact that they fly the state flag everywhere and the Lone Star is mounted in many places, on buildings, fences, posts, signs, houses…everywhere. The people are pleasant and friendly and polite. The earth is fertile for plants and animals, and teeming with oil and gas. And it seems clear that there is a lot of prosperity in Texas.

Will we go back? Perhaps, one day. We certainly haven't seen it all.  

Thanks for following us again on our adventure.