One Day, Four States

We awoke this morning to rain in Oklahoma. Ok, time to pray for a break in the rain so Don can get the Q unhooked and ready to roll.  God answered and we were on the road by 8:30 AM!  Encountered only a slight rain shower before we reached Interstate 40. Oklahoma is spending a little money on this highway and none too soon.  Yes, we had construction for a few miles.

I also had connectivity problems with my air card today, but got on finally and found an RV park for tonight.

By 10:15 AM we were completely through Fort Smith, Arkansas and the sun is shining.  Praise God!

Did you know that today is National Flag Day and this week is National Flag Week?  It is an official holiday only in Pennsylvania

 

This being Flag Day, I saw a huge flag and took a picture.  Strange that there is a National Guard truck in the picture.

Rivers we crossed today:  the Kerr-McGee Causeway,  White,  Cache (1:55 PM) , Mississippi

I didn’t catch the name of these two rivers, but they were very brown.

We are seeing some beautiful scenery.

Rural Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Wow!  What a church building.

Dust???  We’re having a flashback!!

In Arkansas, we passed miles and miles of a very green field that we decided was rice.  Then I did a little research and we were right.  Rice is the second most valuable crop in Arkansas and Arkansas produces more rice than any other state in the U.S.

At 3:00 PM, we left Arkansas and we were in Tennessee.

And a few seconds later, we were in Mississippi.

One day, four states. 

Now, for the story of the day.  I had found the RV park online this morning and had called to make reservations.  I called again as we approached and got directions.  The park is so new, it’s not on our GPS, which needs updating.  We took the correct exit, but missed a turned that we didn’t realized we had missed.  The sign had said our park was one mile from the exit.  We went a mile and no park.  A few more blocks and there it was, looming before us:  a train track overpass over the very busy residential street with a clearance of 12’-6”.  Our height: 12’-6”  I jumped out and sized up the situation.  There was no way we were going to make it under that bridge without getting stuck.  Behind us and back a few feet was just enough space to back the Q into and then by continuing to pull forward and back up, Don finally got the rig turned around while a nice lady held the traffic behind us and I stopped the traffic from the other direction.  Keep in mind that it’s 95 degrees with a 105-107 degree heat index.    The only other option was one drive way that was so narrow, I would have been scared to drive the truck in it going forward, much less backing the Q into it, so it really wasn’t an option.  There was also a deep ditch on that side of the street.  Don turned the truck completely trusting me to guide him and keep him from driving off in that ditch, because he could not see how close to the edge the front tire was.  When he finally got turned around, I jumped back in the truck and called Mark at our reserved park, got the correct directions and we made to the park by 4:00 PM with only a few scratches on the back of the Q from the pine tree that Don had to back into to have enough room to turn around.  By the time we got parked and set up, we were both so hot that Don went to the pool and I took a very cool shower.

So after relaxing for a while and eating a bite, we went back up to the veranda behind the office and by the pool where Bill Michaels entertained by picking his guitar and singing cowboy songs and telling funny stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The park management provided ice cream sundaes for all who attended.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill and his wife, Marilyn, were very nice and we chatted with them for a while after his show.  He was very interested in CRM and maybe we will see them in the Rio Grande Valley some day.  We just never know where we will meet someone who is looking for a ministry group to use their talents and gifts.

Oh yes, speaking of meeting people, I met a lady in the ladies room when we stopped for gas once today.  This lady had one arm and was pulling an oxygen tank with an oxygen tube in her nose.  She was so delightful and told me that she was the “poster child for seat belt awareness.”  Ten years ago, she was on an off ramp when she had a blow out and she was not wearing her seat belt.  The jolt threw her out of her captain’s chair in her van and so much nerve damage was done that her right arm went numb and it also affected her lungs.  Three years ago, she had her right arm amputated.  But regardless of her situation, she was talking about how blessed she was and how God had taken care of her and given her a second chance.  There were two young women in the rest room also, and I just thought it was awesome how this lady was talking about her love for the Lord.  She was an encouragement to me!

 ^{**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**}

^{Psalm 91:9} If you make the Lord your refuge,
      if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
      no plague will come near your home.