Shreveport, LA to Dallas TX

Look what I found in Dallas!

A really short trip today - just 181 miles. My new blogosphere BFF Dianne Springer (of Threads From My Head blog, and Quilt-in-a-Cup company) told me about the show just 2 days ago. I already had a hotel booked in Dallas sooooo ... I drove a gazillion miles to Shreveport yesterday so that I'd have an easy, quick drive to Dallas this morning. And it WAS easy (until the last 10 miles when I got stuck in construction traffic, then missed the exit for the show - but still got to the show at 11:15 Dallas time). OK here's the really synchronistic part ... that hotel room I already had booked? One block from the quilt show.

Where I stayed in Shreveport was spitting distance from Texas so probably 176 of today's miles were driven here in the Lone Star State. Again the Welcome to Texas sign was in a photographically inaccessible area. (New Rule: the welcome centers have to have a "welcome to ___" photo-op spot.)

The weather is again just ... just... BEAUTIFUL! Big blue clear skies, just a little cool ... beautiful! And lemme tell ya there are some biiiiiiiiig ranches here! I'm sure I passed one that needed a plane to get from one end to the other. Lots of steers on that one, just doing what steers do - getting fat & juicy.

I can say that I20 here in Texas is definitely not boring. There is some beautiful scenery to go along with all those South Forks I saw along the way. It's also very rolly here - and very wide-open. And so many trees - big, small, dead (I love dead trees - they're beautiful in their own way) - but not so many that you can't see the trees for the forest. I was really enjoying the drive.

Remember my sledge-hammer OMG moment on day one? Today, rolling up & down the hills, that sledge hammer was replaced by a huge grin and the realization of how awesome-wonderful-fun-exciting it is that I am taking this trip.

I met lots and lots of people at the quilt show today and have told them all my story. They were all so encouraging, and many had their own cross-country stories to tell. How fun, and I'm learning so much! I definitely need to take more pictures, though.

Here are some random thoughts I had while driving this morning.

• There's something very oxymoronic and quizzical about a big fancy RV pulling two Harleys
• Don't just look: SEE!!
• There's a brownish haze hanging over the view of Texas from I20. I was trying to decide if it was oil fumes, or just Gov. Rick Perry's secessionist bull puckey.
• How bad did Stagger Lee shoot Billy?
• Mile marker 638!!!!! Are ya kiddin' me??????

I'm getting senior citizens discounts at all my hotel stays. There ARE good things about having lots of birthdays! Thanks for stopping by!