Columbus OH

Well, we came back -- to a blizzard! Even Bobbi has regrets, big time.

After the last post, we monitored the weather predictions for the first week in March. The computers started predicting still another winter storm for the Ohio valley, to take place on the 6th (Thursday). So regretfully, we hitched and headed up the road a day or two earlier than was absolutely necessary, hoping to beat the storm.

The last week in Florida was as low-key as the rest of our stay. Smokey continued to improve day by day, but still had to be watched 24/7 to assure that he did not do something forbidden (for example, jump or play). Since this always tied up one or the other of us, we didn't go anywhere or do anything -- and were beginning to enjoy it. Bobbi did do some pastoral activities with Scott, while Lew did the dog-sitting, and Lew got to go to Scott's church the last Sunday before we left (the 24th). Neither of us went to his Wednesday evening bible study, though Bobbi made an appearance at the Friday night study. In between, except for an occasional errand to a store, we just lay around and surfed, occasionally walking the dogs.

Saturday (the 1st) the idyll ended. After sleeping late (as usual), we hitched up, said our goodbyes, exchanged big bear hugs, and pulled out. After the short distance on FL-54, we were northbound on I-75 on autopilot -- a mind-numbing 55mph on the cruise control, just keep the rig between the two lines and don't fall asleep.

About 1 PM we pulled off at a Pilot for refueling and a lunch (DQ and a bun for Lew, salad for Bobbi, and the chicken from the sandwich for the dogs). Then more mind-numbing until we left Florida. At the first Georgia exit (Lakeland) Bobbi selected a campsite in the Eagle's Roost RV Resort. It was obvious that this was an old KOA camp retreaded to a Good Sam's. The sites were level (not surprising in that terrain) and the bathhouse clean. But it was the standard KOA layout from 1970, the fixtures and finishes rather dated. But they were clean, the sites were shaded, and they had WI-FI. A couple of years ago we had stayed in the new KOA just across on the other side of I-75 and found the sites rather crowded together. The older park had a lot more space.

Sunday (the 2nd) we pulled out usual routine: sleep late, walk the dogs, eat and stow the moveables, move the dogs to the van and back mind-numbing on I-75. Refueled and lunched at Perry. Then at mile marker 222 (Macdonough) we pulled off and Bobbi took a site at the Atlanta South RV Park. We stayed at this park both in 2006, and also in 2001 -- when it was a KOA. Please see the travel-logs for those years for a description of the park.

Monday (the 3rd) also was routine: sleep late, walk the dogs, eat, clean, and stow, and back on I-75. This time it was less mind-numbing because we were to negotiate the fearsome Atlanta. But once again we stuck to I-75, second lane over, cruise control, and made the transit without significant incident. Clearly, the secret is (1) stay on I-75, do not use the bypasses; (2) stay in the second lane; (3) do not attempt to transit during rush hours (both our transits were around noon).

The transit of Atlanta was so quick and uneventful that we made it all the way to Sweetwater TN and got off at exit 62 for the same KOA camground where we had stayed on the way south, and also where Lew got sick last year. Again, described before, no need to repeat. Once again we hunkered down with the WI-FI and went to bed late.

Once again we looked at the weather, and saw that a winter storm still was predicted for Thursday. Figuring that it might dump enough show to make the Ohio roads impassable on Friday and Saturday, we determined to head for Lexington KY the next day.

So Tuesday (the 4th) started off with the same routine: routine wakeup, mind-numbing on I-75 as we headed north, lunch at an old quick-stop at the junction with old US-25 in Jellico -- a place where Lew's family certainly had stopped 60 years before.

But the afternoon became more exciting than we had anticipated or bargained for. As we trundled on north through the Kentucky mountains, more and more ominous rain clouds formed to the west. Soon we drove into a thunderstorm -- not usually a cause for concern for us. But this turned out to be the granddaddy of all thunderstorms -- sheets of solid water were flung at us at high speed by violent winds. For a while we had serious thoughts about a tornado, but fortunately, we escaped with a good fright. We were more than a little puzzled, because passage of the storm front had been predicted for the next day.

After the storm we continued apprehensively on, concerned that the weather change might dump snow on Ohio prematurely. But by the time was arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park once again, the rain had faded to a light drizzle. We did a good deal of searching, and found a nearly level site with no flood waters between it and the bathhouse. We needed to just barely lift the coupler off the ball, and we were level.

When we got inside the Airstream we found that the violence of the storm had managed to drive water through some undiscoverable aperture and dampened the carpet. After a good deal of searching, Lew gave up, turned the little fan on the wet spot, continued on with supper, and went to bed at a reasonable hour -- no WI-FI.

Wednesday (the 5th) was anticlimactic. Up late as usual, back onto I-75 at a mechanically-controlled 55, around the Cincinnati bypass, and up familiar old I-71 past flooded rivers and creeks to OH-315, then off at the Lane Ave exit and west one mile to Osborn Drive.

Although the yard and driveway were a sodden soggy sloppy mess, we backed into the drive and into the back corner of the yard without incident. Plugged in, unhitched, we simply took the dogs into the house and left everything possible behind in the a/s. We first connected with the WI-FI, then had our routine supper, then started catching up on communications: snail mail and email.

Instead of the predicted winter storm, Thursday (the 6th) turned out to be sunny and beautiful. The dogs got the long walks that Smokey especially needs to heal his knee. We did little else but sift snail mail and email. But by evening, we noted that the weather gurus had decided to predict a major winter storm for Friday and Saturday. We congratulated ourselves on our good fortune for deciding to get back on Wednesday instead of Friday (which a few days earlier had been predicted to be clear).

Friday the 7th opened uneventfully. After our usual late arising Lew walked the dogs again. Good choice, because just as he was finishing, a few snowflakes began to fall. Shortly it became a heavy downfall -- and the weather gurus upgraded their winter storm warning to a blizzard warning, until 4 PM Saturday, with an expected accumulation of 10-15 inches!

Stay tuned.