Mississippi, here I come!

I was on the road by 9:15 this morning, and no sooner did I get on I-10 than an eighteen wheeler roared past me and kicked up a stone that put a nickel sized chip smack dab in the middle of my windshield!  Ugh!  I have to admit that ugh was not exactly what I said as it hit!  I wonder how many of these you can survive before you have to have the windshield replaced?  That’s two for me in six months, and I haven’t even driven this rig to Alaska.

 

About fifty miles past Baton Rouge, I decided I had better get some gas as the gauge was below 1/2.  I exited the interstate and went around in circles in the first gas station only to find all the pumps I could access had out of order signs on them.  :(  I then drove across the street and ended up in a situation that I wasn’t sure I could get out of.  I was a wreck!  Just at the last moment, traffic in the station disappeared, and I cautiously wove my way around towards an exit.  I couldn’t believe the startled look on one of the workers there as he quickly grabbed a garbage can and ran with it backwards as he thought I was going to actually run him over.  Turning this rig with the toad around takes a bit of space, and I guess he just didn’t think I could do it without causing him bodily harm.  :)  I didn’t think I was going to hit him, but I guess discretion is the better part of valor.  Anyway, once I got out of there and back on the road, I most surely hit my Easy button!  (That was easy!!)

By the time I crossed the border into Mississippi, I was more than ready for a rest area.  Thankfully, the Mississippi Welcome Area was open, and I pulled right in.  The Visitor’s Center kind of gives you the impression of a plantation building. 

It was quite the place, and after I told the woman behind the desk that I would be in lower Mississippi for three months, she fairly loaded me up with magazines and pamphlets on things to see and do while I’m here.  That’s just what I wanted.

There were quite a few rooms in this Welcome Center, and they were all decorated for the upcoming Mardi Gras.  Such extravagant beaded costumes were on display!  I just can’t imagine wearing them.

 

After calling my friends, who are volunteering at the refuge already, I got back on the road with only about 60 miles to go.  My journey today was about 217 miles long, and I was thrilled that Denny Youngquist was waiting for me at the entrance to the RV pads to guide me in.  Denny, and his wife Fonda, volunteered with me at Anahuac.  It’s just one of those coincidences that we all chose this refuge to volunteer at now.  They’ve been here a month already, and made sure there was a site big enough for my rig.  Denny is a pro at backing up rigs, so I was happy when he put mine just where it needed to be on the first try.  :)  Oh yes, it’s nice to have friends.  Since the site isn’t exactly level, he also made me some blocks to put under two of the hydraulic levelers, so everything is very level tonight.  Tomorrow I’ll tackle the DISH and some other set up things outside to make this my home for the next three months.

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy