Friday, September 6, 2019

Country Roads!

We are back in the country and glad to be here!
It's only for the weekend but we will enjoy every single minute.
We were up on the early side - for us - and left Irving before 11:00!
You would think we would know our way here by now......
Since we had to pick up some prescriptions for Louis Dean at Walgreen's, we drove on up Beltline to Irving Blvd to Loop 12 to Spur 408. From there you take I20 Dallas and then I35 to Waco.
Simple. We have driven it so many times. I was totally relaxed and reading a book my friend Melba had given me - Wish You Well by David Baldacci - when I noticed we were coming up to the I20 exit - and Louis Dean was not in the right lane. And there was a huge 18 wheeler coming along side us. 
I mentioned for him to slow down and exit and he said, "That's to Dallas!" Oops.
He thought he was supposed to go to the Fort Worth exit. Too late. We kept going and it turned into another road and we turned around, got back up on Spur 408, and was heading back to Irving - totally missing the I20 exits. We took the next exit, went under the freeway and got back up on Spur 408 to make another run at I20. This time we made it. The only next turn would be to get on I35 Waco. This time he did it right and I advised him wrong. I said he needed to get over one lane but it turned out that lane went towards Denton. NOW we were on.the.road. to Waco!

We stopped for fuel and a snack at the QT in Waxahachie and then on to the rest area outside Hillsboro. We had meant to turn off at Hillsboro and come in the back roads - but we missed that one.
It's a good thing we are laid back and not in a great big hurry!
The journey is what it's all about and we both retained our good moods and were able to turn off I35 just as the heavy traffic started in Belmead. The Interstate in Waco is under serious construction and you do NOT want to be there. We weren't.

We took Loop 340 to Hwy 84 and then to the FM road that would take us to Mart.


We noticed even that road was under construction!


I stopped to take a few pictures before we arrived at .....


THIS!!! We sat there for a few minutes.
We couldn't see much of any activity up ahead but finally a truck started coming our way with a single car behind it. The truck pulled off to the side and turned around and.....


we followed it!

It just seemed so odd and out of place in the country with pasture land all around us.
But progress is being made and we made a note to NOT come this way again for a good long while!

We arrived in Mart and stopped in at the Dollar Store for milk, Frito's and bean dip before taking the country road by the side of the store.


It's not a good road but in dry weather it works.


We passed fields full of cotton. 
All the corn had been harvested since my last visit here.


The Snow on the Prairie flowers were blooming all over the place.

It's good to be here.
We came in and took a nice long nap.
Dean and Sherry came up to visit a bit and Sherry helped Louis Dean unload all the building materials he had brought. He means to build a lean to for some equipment and build a fence around the 'front yard.' But this trip was just for unloading the truck.

This evening I set up my art table and I am planning on painting non stop all weekend.

It was warm in the camper even with the AC on since last night.
Our camper is still a tin can no matter how you do it.
It's cooled off a lot now and is feeling more comfortable.
The sunscreen had slipped down in one window and you could feel the heat when you sat on the sofa.
I secured that and kept the lamps turned off using the strings of lights only until evening came.
It was wonderful to hear the country sounds and sit on the deck as night fell.
Louis Dean is still out there and he just opened the door and called "Wine Time!"

I'll go out and we will pour our wine, sit in our chairs on the deck and have our 'AH' moment!
Goodnight form the COUNTRY!!!!


15 comments:

  1. Sleep well Lina, country fresh air and sounds.
    Hugs.
    Joy

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  2. typo sorry Linda - Sleep well, enjoy the weekend before you head home.
    Joy

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  3. Hooray, you are THERE! As long as we don't have a deadline, I kind of enjoy being lost. Because I get to see new things and take pictures of them. Kind of like an adventure.

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  4. It was a treat to see the Texas countryside, Linda!! A few wrong turns for you, but a great time for me!! :)

    Jane

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  5. Glad you don't "sweat the small stuff" in traveling. The "Ah" moments are worth the re-routing, right?
    Can't wait to see painting progress!

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  6. The construction must mean good things...one can literally not go anywhere up here without running into construction. I will be thrilled when a trip to Wal*Mart is no big deal.

    Enjoy a happy weekend!

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  7. I read Ginny's comment about liking getting lost and you are talking about staying calm and laid back, missing roads... your trip has me hypervintalting. bob and I are both point a to point b in the fasted possible route, and if we make mistakes like yours, and we have, we both get really upset... you even shop laid back. I shop full speed ahead, get in, get stuff, get out. must be a personality thing. my mother and her sister loved to GO, did not matter where or when or why.... just GO... they both loved to take the long way and even better to get LOST and see what they did not plan on. if I get lost I get Mad... and now I find myself even around town, driving the wrong way because I am inside my head... as turn right instead of go straight... so glad you are in your country home and ready to paint.

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  8. Linda, Every time anyone gets on a wrong road, I say to Ted look"Big Ben and Parliament" ..I tell Ted which roads to take, can't let him choose...he calls it back seat driving, I call it the navigators seat. What an odd road construction. But progress has found your country roads. Loved seeing the cotton fields. Hope it was a good trip for a rest. Blessings, love you guys, xoxo, Susie

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  9. So glad you made it safely and in one piece to your country home. I hate it when I miss an exit on the highway and have to get off and turn around. I'm glad you had no mishaps and found your way. Even though you done this trip before, there is always room for error as we are only human and do make mistakes. Your pleasant evening made up for it . I can only imagine how nice it must have been. Enjoy your Saturday. It's a beautiful day here.

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  10. The worst road we have to travel is our driveway. It is a four lane nice highway from Dalton to the little road we turn off on which is paved as well. We have put down several loads of gravel on our driveway and it is still a bit rough. I guess if we drove on it every day it would be packed down nicely. But dirt roads is what the country if all about. I am sure I breathed in a lot of dirt road dust as a child when we rode in the back of Daddy's pick up truck. Back before there were rules about that! Glad you made it to the ranch safely. One thing about retired life we can take our time.Retaining our moods can be a different project...lol

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  11. It is nice that you can make mistakes driving and not get upset - just turn around and go on. My hubs is not that flexible. LOL Have a nice weekend. sandie

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  12. You turning at the wrong exit is literally my parents! 😂 Hope you're having a great time painting back in the camper.

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  13. I'm proud of you both for keeping it cool during a heated trip, heated as in wrong turns and turn arounds. Sometimes those can get pretty tense. I can't read in a car, it gives me headache, the words jump around and bothers my eyes so I keep my eye on the road instead. Sounds like you both settled in to the country nicely, painting and wine for the WIN!

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  14. That's real country - isn't there a song about country roads??? Cheers

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  15. Glad to know I'm not the only one who takes wrong turns. But look at all the pretty pictures you got out of it.

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