On the Banks of the Mississippi

This is my last night on the road. Assuming all goes well tomorrow, I will be back in Welch by mid-afternoon. For tonight, I am camped on the west bank of the Mississippi River, across from Memphis. When I say on the banks, I mean it. I can throw a rock into the muddy monster. My plan is to hit the sack early, get up around 4 am, be through Memphis and into Mississippi by 5 am. I’ll stop for breakfast along the way then gut out the last couple hundred miles to home. I am attaching a photo of my camp spot, complete with a river barge heading south. Pretty nice place.

I have not given myself enough time and space to think about much lately. I have some lingering thoughts about Iraq that I have not worked out. This walkabout raised some issues. The grand experiment of living and thriving in Welch is still before the bar. My next foray is not until late in the summer. These next few weeks are all about “re-blueing”, as my friend JD would say. That is, making peace with leaving my career at the University, assessing my contribution in Iraq, culling through the Southwest Adventure for tidbits of wisdom and innovation. In between all that, there is the family.

One thing that I have concluded is that I can live in the Airstream until I decide to either build in Welch or move. It is sweet living, too. It is about the same size as the quarters I occupied in Iraq, but far better appointed. It is, by trailer trash standards, luxury. That means that I have one less thing to worry about, quoting Forrest Gump. There are some details to which I have to attend – finish up the well and the septic system on the land, pay to run the electricity, pouring a concrete pad for the Airstream. That is all on the agenda for next week. I know that when I get home, I will spend the next two days on the tractor. Bush-hogging season is in high gear in East Alabama.

It has been a great month of traveling. Thanks for checking in with me. Good to know that there are folks who take the time to wonder what is up with Tom. I appreciate it.