Life Lessons - Part 2

The descriptive adjectives "nice," "awesome," "sweet," and "cool" cover just about any situation. I am learning that one's gray matter can be needlessly cluttered with an excessive amount of adjectives. Disciplining oneself to use only these four adjectives frees the mind for loftier pursuits, like calculating how much fancy granola one can eat on a road trip before feeling ill, or solving the crisis of world hunger.

We drove through four states today and made it all the way to Tyler, TX. This blogger accidentally left her beloved goosedown bed pillows in the hotel in Mobile and realized it 100 miles later. Fortunately the hotel staff retrieved the pillows and promptly shipped them to Albuquerque. The rest of the day, however, was defined by my relentless search for a replacement pillow. It wasn't until we reached Tyler and I made a dinner run to Olive Garden for take-out that I discovered the large Bed Bath & Beyond that had just the pillow I needed.

Our drive through Mississippi this morning was relaxing. We stopped at a place called "Shoes Shoes Shoes" that advertised "Clean Rest Rooms" (they were), so it seemed like a good opportunity to shop for footwear.




We passed many locals selling their melons at the side of the road. The most interesting point-of-sale rig was this customized school bus painted in bright John Deere colors. Most others were selling from the beds of rusty pickups.


I couldn't pass up this photo op.


In Vickburg, MS, we stopped to view the Mississippi River and Louisiana on the opposite bank.



Kelly checked out a cannon in this historic Southern town, whose centerpiece is a National Military Park commemorating the 1863 siege and fall of Vicksburg.


The 47-day "Siege of Vicksburg" was a significant Civil War event in which the Union gained control of the entire Mississippi River. The capture of Vicksburg and the simultaneous defeat of Lee at Gettysburg marked the turning point in the Civil War.

It was raining when we arrived in Shreveport late this afternoon, crossed the Red River, and landed in Tyler an hour later. Kelly has already made new friends and been invited to a party in the hotel later this evening. (She declined, of course...) I, on the other hand, am quite content to sit in our modest room and read the phone book.

Tomorrow: The Texas Plains and New Mexico!