From Asheville to Nashville

Looking this over the beginning sounds rather melancholy and I don't mean it to but when the muse calls I am not always in charge of what it has to say. The fun part is a paragraph or two down. Missing everyone....

On the halfway point of one's journey it is interesting to note the things that make you homesick. I have a girlfriend in Socorro who is very sick or at least she sounds it and I am heartbroken that I am not at home to make her chicken soup or run to our other wonderful friends house and pick up some healing herbs for her.

We had the good fortune to have some friends of ours from Colorado pass our way and though it was unknown to both groups of our particular locations, our paths crossed and we rejoiced in our reunion. Alas, they had to return home and we had to continue our journey but not without some reflection on my part as to what home means. It takes more than ordinary fortitude to depart on such an adventure as ours. I believe this sentiment was best written about by Homer in the Odessey which was brought home to me on our experience at the Hermitage ( Andrew Jackson's very well preserved home in TN that has a painting of Telemachus trying to find his father and home on the entrance way hall) and Dorothy said it best with "There is no place like home". Another very good friend will be leaving Socorro for her new life in other parts of the world and I am not there to say "till we meet again" and that makes my stamina waver tremendously. So when emotion starts to play, any good scientist turns to numbers. So for fun and because I was inspired by a book I perused recently, here goes. For those of you who are inspired by our journey here are the numbers for 5 months of traveling, family of four:

# of heartaches: 5 per week at the 1st month, with dimishing returns to 1 per week at 3 months and increasing to 2-3 with passing time

# of gallons of gas per week: If move along at a slow to fair pace, 20-25 gallons for a diesel pickup. This does not include gas for the generator if we boondock.

# of gallons of bottled water: 5-8 per week depending on temperature

amount spent on laundry: cheapest $4.00, cyber wash:$20 (stay away, far away!), once a week with about 2 loads

rolls of toilet paper: 2 per week, remember we are a 2 bathroom unit.

cost of camping: average: $15 per night, including state parks, boondocking (see Walmart), and private campgrounds

best boondocking: Walmart, (Note if you think it's free then leave your purse or wallet in the truck when you go in to use the restroom), casino's, street parking in cities (lock your door for good measure)

groceries: We found that since we are roughing it that comfort can be found in quality foods so there is little skimping here since we only eat out on special occasions or in very special places so on average our grocery shops are about $100 per week. This is where we say we are saving money by staying in Walmart parking lots but because of what we spend when we shop there I am not sure it is a savings.

Average cost of educational fun: $10 depending on whether you stay out of Disney World and Graceland which will increase your average to $25.

Mastercard has it right: Memories: priceless

Best part: new friends we have made along the way

That sums up the most obvious things.

On to the journey,…After hiking with our friends from CO up Klingmon's dome in the Great Smokey Mountains, we traveled on to Oak Ridge TN on the other side of the mountains from N. Carolina. Talk about a grade, 21 miles of downhill, I was afraid for the Airstream and Fluffy but both made it down without a hitch or should I say with "hitch it tact". Oak Ridge held a fascination for me since it was part of the trinity which created the nuclear age and the cold war, etc. We enjoyed the science museum and how much the town resembled towns in New Mexico we know. Our journey west on I-40 took us to Cedars of Lebanon State park 20 east of Nashville. We had fun at the local flea market near here looking at spring pigs and chickens while Mariah worked at selling earrings she had made. We visited the home of Andrew Jackson one day and "busked" downtown on Sat. night. Not as good a return as in Key West but it was fun none the less. We has a very interesting conversation with the folks at the Nashville Songwriters Assoc where we learned about the country music song writing business. We are now trying to figure out what our next move is since we missed the Thunder over Louisville fireworks show.

Greetings from music row near downtown Nashville. We have been the typical wide eyed awe-struck tourists since our NSA experience, we have been to the Ryman theatre (home of the Grand Old Opry til 1974), the country Music Hall of Fame and the the new Grand Olde Opry. Our favorite experience was in a violin shop in west Nashville where we took Mariah's fiddle to be repaired. An extremely good looking young fellow came in who looked very familiar and I asked him if he was the son of the owner (and no I never put my foot in my mouth, pth pth) and the owner and he laughed and pointed to a magazine dealing with the music business and this fellow's picture was on it. I knew he looked familiar. Turns out he plays the fiddle and he and Mariah got to chatting and then he asked if he could play her fiddle and now I know why his picture is on the front of the magazine. He and the owner started jamming and it was impressive. I would have taken pictures but I think I would have gotten in trouble, I don't really know but I didn't want to ruin the moment. I hope we see him again and if I can contain myself I will ask him if I can take a picture of him with Mariah. Very down to earth for how high he makes people feel with his playing. Hey that could be a song…..That's all the news that is fit to print, Happy Trails from the Meanderthals.

Pictures not posted yet..sorry get to it soon