Driving across the country

I left Daly City a week ago last wednesday, stopping briefly in Santa Cruz to pick up a couple of odds and ends and say hi to some folks. I made it another 3 hours before I couldn't stay awake and slept in a housing project. Next Day I drove to L.A. where Kraig helped me put that new sail on my Glider. Then drove to San Diego and back to pick up Glen's glider. Kraig, Jonny and I readied the Moyes trailer for the trip and I was off like a hurd of turtles. I made it into Arizona just as the sun went down, and stopped near the New Mexico border.
Next morning I woke to a gorgious spring day. Spring is really late this year in the desert and the wildflowers are abundant. After a passing the central divide (geologically fascinating section of the country to me) and a good nosh in Lordsburg I decided I needed a break from the interstate.
My plan was to drive cross country to Dallas. North at Las Cruces and over to White Sands National Monument, then up over the pass to Artisia.
When I got there I got a call to pick up a glider in San Antonio. Hmmmm that was a big detour.
Not only that I almost got struck by lightning several times. It was really pretty before the storm...

But downright scarey in it.
I slept next to an oil derreck just short of the Texas border. Next day I picked up the glider from Joel, took a shower and headed back north to Dallas getting there at dusk. Greg asked if I wanted to go for a fly - I thought he was joking until I saw the airstrip out back. It was a real treat! I got to fly some circles, stalls and even tried and approach. It was surreal.
The next morning I headed off to Rickers place in Louisana, not too far. Got there at dusk after stopping in Alexandria, just because I needed a change of scenery.
On the interstate all you really see is tree lined freeway for miles and miles in east Texas, and Louisana. After a good meal and sleep Ricker and I caravaned the last leg to southern Florida. It was fun watching the ecology change from woodland to wetland to swamp and sandy orange groves.
It was a long 9 day journey but not too exhausting.