Hi SRS, I did see your call for lurkers to report, and was on my way across Texas, and had to reroute from my usual paths. So, I thought, great, I'll get close to Fort Worth, and try to find a place to meet up with SRS!

Which last-minute, half-baked plan promptly blew up. I booked in at Kimball Bend Park, immediately started to look up meet up spots and connect with SRS, and found absolutely no Verizon service whatsoever, though in the shadow of an enormous megalopolis. What the heck? And I was sick to my stomach for most of the time, so did not hit the road trying to find a place where I could get a signal, til I had to leave for a reservation at San Angelo, where I got to hook up in an electrical storm in order to try to catch the Mudcat zoom. I think karma was telling me I will have to plan ahead much better. I would like 1 brownie point for trying and will accept 2 demerits for failing.

It has been a weird couple of months, for every great experience there was a letdown. Meanwhile another 'it's not usually this cold' freezing month in New Mexico wore on my patience. Worse wind and dust storms than usual, too many 25 degree nights.

In pursuing mineral-hunting, I acquired several flats worth of rough, and a rock splitter, etc. So clutter is mounting, and I cannot wait to get to my storage unit to get winter things out of the coach. Cannot wait to go find a home base to give collection-and-hobby clutter a home, and stop rolling for a while.

Meanwhile, I can catch a meeting of the N.O. Quarter Shanty Krewe this week, sing some shanties with them, if I can get to New Orleans tomorrow, so that's the immediate plan. Today I am filling the fresh water tank, washing lots of stuff, oiling the splitter, and enjoying a spring day in Louisiana, green trees as far as the eye can see. Was a little startled to wake to a chorus of many different birds this morning.