Autumn's Last Road Trip

 

It has been twelve days since I have blogged. I have missed readers and reading.  We pulled in at home this afternoon after driving the interstate through pouring rain hour after hour. The day was tedious and trying. So while yet another load of laundry spins and twirls tonight, I am going to start catching up.

The autumn was quite late here with the trees barely changing colors for our annual Maple Leaf parade. The day was so cold we did not go to the parade or the band competition. Like old folks, we watched it from our chairs covered by blankets. The next day family from Montana came for lunch, and it was warm enough in the afternoon to sip tea on the deck…one last lovely day of autumn.

By Tuesday we were on the road again after repacking our car with warmer clothes. The air took a turn and frost warnings were out. I had to leave my mums to fend for themselves since we were heading to see our grandchildren. That meant we traveling across the state of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and into Kentucky.  The weather continued to pull at us making us feel like a yo-yo being toyed with.   

 

The first day out was damp and chilly, but the trees were turning as we went. The temp then dropped to freezing so all the liquid things and bottles had to be hauled into a motel. At one place, a man looked at us strangely and asked if were moving. “No, we are just the Clampetts from Missouri taking a trip. We left Granny’s rocking chair at home though.”

 

In Illinois, my shoe feel completely apart with no warning! So I had to dig out my “going to the pumpkin patch shoes” for rest of the trip. By Indiana we had to dig out hats and gloves. In Kentucky we made the effort to go to the pumpkin patch, but it was SO, SO cold we could not stay long. Then the weather turned again becoming delightfully warm when we hit St. Louis. We saw people lunching at sidewalk cafes at The Hill as we stocked up on Italian groceries. But then this morning as we tried to get out of the city, rain poured and did so all the way home.

                                                   Hank, the newest grand-dog.

We came into to town to see the trees a rainbow of autumn colors despite the rain; my mums were alive and waiting even though they looked a tad worn. The squirrels had a hay day with the yard while we were gone. It was a good trip because we took a new way that enabled us to see some special things on the way to see the grandkids. I can’t wait to share them when I have time, but right now the washer is still and dryer is buzzing so I must get back at putting our lives in order here. October is fading…..