Dry Branch

After a lovely visit with Chris and Lauren, I rolled out of their driveway just before 08:00 in a light rain. The temperature was fine and not too hot in my personal ziplock bag, I mean, rain suit. But it didn't take long before I hit the nasty stuff again. Buckets and more buckets. I toughed it out until I got to my friend's home in Pensacola.

Melissa and I met in Okinawa in 2010 and took a train trip to Berlin in 2011 during my R&R from Iraq. She was in the Netherlands when I moved to Germany in 2013, so we saw each other there several times, including at her wedding and son's birth 🤗. Now we're back in the US and I try to see her every time I'm near the Florida panhandle. A three-continent friend 🤣!

I had planned to get to Melissa's at 09:00, but didn't make it until almost 10:30 because of the weather. Fortunately, she is another awesome friend who fed me lunch and let me hang out until 15:00 when the sun finally started to peek out. We had lots of laughs catching up, and she really laughed when I pet her Savannah cat because the cat tells people it doesn't want them to pet it by making their hands and arms bleed. People like Melissa's parents 🤣.

With all of my skin intact and the weather abating, I finally decided to leave. I took a chance and didn't put my rain gear back on, and it paid off. I had a pretty much dry 35 miles to get to my campground, Styx River RV Resort. Earlier this year I bought an RV membership and this is one of the properties. I figured I'd check it out for a couple of nights on my long way back to Texas.

This evening I met and spoke to Ralph. Well, he spoke to me. For about 3 hours while his wife played a game, something using 10 decks of cards. He talking about his 9 siblings whose names all begin with L except his, 2 kids, 1 wife, multiple jobs, getting old, getting sick, getting well.... You get the picture. Nice guy but wow, could he talk. I thought about making an excuse to escape, but then realized I wasn't doing anything or going anywhere, so talk away, Ralph 😁. The one-sided conversation finally ended when I was rescued by a phone call. Thanks 😘!

So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

Day 30 mileage: 128.2 (total 7303.7)
HD Dealerships: 2 (total 143)
National Parks: 0 (total 20 in 13 states)
10 Rides for 2022: 0 (total 1 of 10)
MCGTTX Stops: 0 (total 0 of 50)Baca lagi