So fast, it's like we're on wheels.

We aborted our Big Bend plans like honey badgers.  I was resting in a rest area one night, thinking Big Bend sounds like a sensible thing to do next ... SCREEEE? Sensible? So, I looked over at Annie and I said Annie? Would you rather just head for Arizona instead? and she said WOULD I?!? so I talked for a while until she was convinced.

Steve, please forgive us for the speed (62 m.p.h.) at which we blew around San Antonio on the 1604. Annie's gas foot got itchy and leaden, and there was no slowing her down.

Once we got north of the city, the scenery got KABLOWIE! pretty, but hard to drive through even on the interstate. We gained some altitude without realizing it, and my side of the Sleep Number got very, very firm. Chris warned us about exploding mattresses in higher elevations, but we thought she meant Pike's Peak. We deflated before something bad (like another hill) happened. This must be why biological implants are not filled with air.

We're west of Sonora, and the scenery just got WOWIE KABLOWIE! awesome. Someone look this up for me - is this considered high chaparral? I'd Google, but I'm already using my one bar of 1G to send this post instead of calling 911 or something. Bring me my horse and six-shooter! Throw over my poncho and cheroot!

I have got to pee like a beer-drinking man.

We're heading out to see the girls at Where the wind goes, if they don't kill us remotely with laughter first.   Annie said We're their biggest fans. I asked how she knew that.  OH I KNOW.   I sense danger for anyone else who claims to be, but that does NOT make us stalkers.

Texas rest stops are very friendly to overnighters. Some of them have dump stations and potable water. Often, they have free wifi. So far, it hasn't been strong enough to stream TV or watch an endless loop of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. We stayed in a picnic area last night. There were trucks coming in and leaving throughout the night, but somehow that anchors my sleeping mind and helps me remember where I am.

Nicole and Darlene challenged us to do 200 miles yesterday, and we did 252. Plus, see, that's more proof that we're not stalkers, because they're encouraging us. Two hundred is probably our comfortable limit, though; otherwise, we're missing out on primo hours of rest area wifi, and the Nutty Bars are all gone from the machines.

Our preference is boondocking someplace pretty, but it takes some work to find and settle into some of those places. While we're traveling, it's easier to use the quick-in/quick-out method of overnighting.  Now we're nearing some free wifi, courtesy of the Lone Star State, so here goes nothing ...

More of what we got into without supervision.

Kerr Reservoir.

 

Off-grid laundry is faking a curtain call.  We like this Wonder Washer a lot (thanks, Maggie!).  I believe the instructions begged us to use warm water;  our hearts were as cold as the water we washed in.

The wringer we bought from GetPreparedStuff.com.

Our solar dryer.

South Hill, Virginia, treated us pretty well.  They don't seem set up for RVers in general, but we ran into some very accommodating people.  Some things you might like to know, if you come here:

 Free wifi:

• public library (inside and out)
• Chamber of Commerce, outside the building in the 2 hour free parking 
• Food Lion parking lot (just outside C&M Tobacco the signal is awesome)
• Denny's 

We logged into all of these easily with our booster.  CoC and library signal was so strong we probably didn't need it.

Public library had some books set out for sale.  Not sure if it was a Friends of the Library situation, or something they do all the time.

Tom and Aubrey at Advance Auto Parts were very helpful.  They gave Annie a discount because she was patient, let us fill our fresh water tank from their city water spigot, and let us park in their lot while we walked around town.  I'm not saying they do this all the time, but if you're in need, I'd say go ahead and ask.

Propane at Parker Propane on 58 between Boydton and South Hill.

Public dumpsters off Rte. 4 at the corner of China Grove and Buggs Island (Rte 4) Roads, just outside the WMA entrance.  Next to Buggs Island Boat Co.

We didn't find a Super WalMart in South Hill, but we did find this:

We went in, because how could we not?  I wanted to take inside pictures really hard.  Miscellaneous grocery items were heaped up on tables.  One item would be recognizable to people who speak Spanish, but none of them was me so I don't know what they were.  My guess is tiny whole pears, but that's always my guess.  Piles of damaged cereal boxes.  Soda, dented cans of vegetables, noodles, big bags of rice.  We chose a canned ice tea and a tomato, and when we checked out, the cashier told us we could have this other tomato with a spot on it.  Where do I sign?  Because, seriously.  How can we talk the frugal talk, then turn down a free 98%-good tomato?  

If you're here in South Hill, face it:  there's not a lot on your agenda.  So, while you're walking around town, I implore you to visit the Tobacco Museum on W. Main Street.  I can't even imagine how lonely that curator's job is.  You'll see a 15-minute video produced by Philip Morris, but you will learn stuff, I swear it.  You'll hear phrases like "supplemental contract workers."  You'll hear the difference between Bright and Burley tobaccos.  Afterwards, the curator will guide you around the museum to show you turn-of-the (20th)-century tobacco farming equipment.  He let us try the metal dowsing rods.  Upstairs there was a small daily-life museum from the era.  At the end of the tour, you'll feel obliged to donate a couple of dollars, but you would just have spent that money on cigarettes anyway.

Afterwards we had a weird craving to smoke.

We'll leave today.  The Dick Cross WMA gets 4.75 stars, dinged for ticks.  This is a largely deciduous forest, so I imagine it would be beautiful in Autumn, and the plus side is that major tick season ends in September.  See ya later, forest!

I complained to my friend, David B., about all the diseases I could contract from tick bites.  He wrote me a song - catch it next time!