THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Yesterday, we left Lake Havasu on our journey around the country. The motor home and jeep are pictured at the high school where we usually hook up before leaving town. The picture to the left was taken at a local steakhouse with our next door neighbors, Tony & Michelle. They recently purchased a new Fleetwood Revolution,

and we're looking forward to doing a trip with them when we return in the fall. Since losing our 18 year old cat last year, Patty gets her "cat fix" on the other side of our neighbors fence. Michelle has rescued several cats from the humane society, and those cats have literally gone from the outhouse to the penthouse. We will miss our neighbors, but always look forward to seeing them when we return from our travels. Except for one dramatic incident yesterday, our trip ended in yep, you guessed it, a WalMart parking lot off Hwy 99 in Selma, CA. North of Bakersfield, I watched a helicopter pass us, then circle the freeway. As we approached, it came down and landed right in the middle of the totally blocked S/B lanes of Hwy 99. There was a major traffic collision, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the victims, and also the folks stuck in traffic, waiting for the helicopter to load the injured and take off. Today, we'll be stopping in Merced to visit with Patty's son, David, then on to Jamestown, where we'll be spending a few days with our friends, Everett & Lori.