Catching up again

Despite planning to cover all contingencies with our computers we didn't anticipate cable connections with no phone line. So sorry folks no pictures again for a while.
But we can still write!!
We left DC for Virginia late in the evening. Our only time driving in the dark on the trip so far. In the middle of nowhere we were stopped by a highway patrolman - who eyed our loaded Jeep suspiciously, told us our rear licence plate light was out and asked to see our car documents. Well, we knew we had them somewhere, but where? We grovelled around between the seats for a while until Jeanne remebered they were safely stowed in the biggest suitcase. The officer watched patiently as we rifled through our well organised but bulky filing system from which we produced everything anybody could possibly want to know about the faithful Jeep. Satisfied, he sent us on our way with instructions to get the light fixed next day! We arrived at our friends late but relieved not to have got a ticket.
The next afternoon we were recovered enough for another book event, then had a couple of days being tourists again in the Virginia countryside.
Onwards through North Carolina - pausing to view the world's largest frying pan - to an overnight stop in South Carolina - accommodated for free in a resort hotel suite at Myrtle Beach, courtesy of an old school friend of Dan's. Unfortunately no time to enjoy the amenities other than the huge corner bath.
Next stop - Tybee Island, Georgia, where we spent an interesting and instructive few days with yet another of Dan's longtime friends. Highlights included a well attended book party, a tour of old Savannah and a couple of boat trips through the Tybee marshes. During one of the latter we were left stranded for an hour or so when the boat broke down, but fortunately were towed home before dark - and more importantly before the ebbing tide left us stranded all night. However, if we'd not got stuck we would have missed seeing the spectacular sight of a bald eagle flying back to it's nearby nest.
Next day we reached Florida and now here we are in Orlando. So, all you folks who doubted our old Jeep would make it can eat your words!! It's still going strong and we are passing it on to the friends who are hosting us here in their fifteenth floor downtown condo. We've stayed away from the tourist attractions and been content to be shown around the many attractive Orlando area neighbourhoods. The weather has been hot and humid but fortunately the threatened hurricane "Ernesto" has reduced to nothing worse than heavy rain here.
On Sunday we fly to the UK to stay with Jeanne's daughter, Juliet, and granddaughter, Iona, and hopefully also catch up with her son, Adam. Then on 14th Sept we fly to France to await the arrival of our belongings. They should be arriving in Le Havre on 21st - how long to clear customs we don't know - so we will be camping in the new house for a while and keeping our fingers crossed.

More DC pics

Washington DC

After a day at leisure in in Wiliamstown we scooted down to DC for another book talk (this time a well attended house party) and a few days being tourists. There seemed to be security alerts wherever we went. Massive turnout of police, ambulances, firetrucks, hazmat teams and even FBI for a "suspect package" at Union Station and an almost equally impressive show of how well we are protected from terrorists when someone became trapped in a metro elevator in the more leafy suburbs where we were staying. A large group of police motorcyclists however were having a great time over by the Capitol showing off their skills in a competition based on riding around traffic cones and tossing footballs into cardboard boxes!
We walked our feet off seeing the sights - the photos are a summary of what we saw.

Williamstown MA

Dan had a well attended signing here - for film buffs. We also had time to wander around the rather English feeling town and visit this amazing museum exhibit by Zhan Wang - a Bejing landscape created from shiny metal kitchen pots!

Here we go again

Jeanne's computer back on track so here we go again.

Williamstown, MA

Well, SORRY, FOLKS, but though Jeanne's patience didn't run out her computer connection acquired a sudden GLITCH. So, more as soon as we can have that attended to. . . we hope!

Rockville CT

A fun reading and showing of excerpts from Turnabout video in Rockville at the home of Brian, George and Jim. A interested audience and dinner by the pool afterwards.

Catching up on photos

Able to download photos at last so here we go! All the way from Connecticutt to Georgia if Jeanne's patience doesn't give out.

WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN . . .

. . . just haven't had the right computer hookup available to post photos since early August, but we'll get to it soon. To briefly update: last time we posted we were heading for New England (from Pennsylvania). Well, we made it to Danbury, Connecticut, visited cousins there, then had a great talk at a private home near Hartford. After that, on to Williamstown, Mass for another well attended talk (mostly by Dan) at a local cinema. Then straight down to Washington, DC and one more house party talk, and we did a LOT of walking around the city. After that, another talk at the home of good friends in Virginia, a night's stay by the ocean in Little River, South Carolina - and now we've arrived for a few days at Tybee Island, GA, where we have yet another talk on Saturday August 19.

Pictures and comments on same to follow. . . stay tuned.

Aaah Bliss!

PA Jeanne Cooling Off

PA Dan Chilling Out

PA country church

PA Small Town Americana

Above the Delaware looking toward NJ

Hershey PA - chocolate town.

Overtaken by a swimming pool

Maryland Picnic stop

SWEATING IT OUT MISSOURI TO CONNECTICUT

Everyone thought we were crazy to go cross country in a 1987 Jeep Cherokee - well here we are having passed over the past few days through Kentucky, West Virginia, quick detour into Ohio (just for Jeanne to check off another state), along the top of Maryland, long stretch through Pennsyvania and now in Connecticut and the old bus is still going strong. Mostly we've tootled along at around 55 mph to save on gas - have you ever been overtaken by a swimming pool? We have! (see photo to prove it). The crazy part is that the Jeep has no AC and we've been hitting record temperatures every day. Travelling up to six or seven hours a day in 100 plus degrees has not been the fun part. But we're surviving and still having fun. Lots of water, wound down windows and stops at Dairy Queens has helped - and we've also splashed out (ha! ha!)a couple of time on hotels with swimming pools. No time for sightseeing so the photos are just glimpses of what we saw on the way.

Meet us in St. Louis

More visiting with relatives. We visited the Botanical Gardens where the plants were augmented by a display of glass sculptures. The visit was cut short by record high temperatures and sweat dripping humidity and we sought out the cooler climate of a wonderful Benjamin Franklin exhibition.

Blue Lupin Press - business as usual!

Still in Aurora, Dan spent the day fretting that a new supply of Turnabaout DVDs would arrive before we had to leave. Here he is scurrying to meet the UPS brown van at the end of the road to the farm.
And as you can see after that he needed a break.

Down on the farm in Missouri

The reason we dropped down to Missouri was to visit Dan's sister Eva and her husband Wes, seen here along with son Colin at a family dinner. The weather remained hot and now humid but we enjoyed chilling out together and a trip around the farm.