Judie Is Gearing Up . . .

Judie needs a shot of "Grandmothering."  That is she yearns to see her grandchildren in Madison, Wisconsin.  She needs this rejuvenation about three or four times a year.  She got the itch a week or two back and in cahoots with son, Jake, has acquired a plane ticket to Madison for a short visit.  She will leave on a Thursday and return on a Monday, apparently the most opportune flying times.

She collects her stuff, things for grands.  And she provides a built in baby sitter for son and daughter-in-law for a weekend.  Gives them a respite from two youngsters, one a baby and one just out of toddler stage.  They are Will and Jane with Jane being the baby.

Once a year I join her and drive up to Madison.  I rarely fly anymore; I avoid it if I can.  And as a consequence have not flown in maybe five or six years.  Just do not see putting up the with TSA and BS to fly.  So I just don't fly.  I do not mind the driving even in bad weather.

But we usually go up there together in late summer early fall time of the year.  And we can cart more stuff up there like rocking horses and the like in the SUVs.   I especially like driving through Oklahoma, up the eastern side, intersect with the Interstate going across Missouri at "Big Cabin, OK"  From there it is a short run to Joplin, MO. and off across Missouri.  We stop in Rolla, far enough for one day's drive from Texas and close enough to be a bit more than half way to Madison.  I have often thought of stopping at Fort Lenard Wood where my brother, John, took his basic training but decided the Army is just to primitive for me.  Rolla is a nice town, about 90 miles from St Louis.

I enjoy driving up through Illinois too.  Out side of Springfield (Land of Lincoln) it becomes some what flat country with farm after farm.  The terrain changes as one crosses into Wisconsin.  It gets a bit more hilly or rolling country with dells and such.  Pretty quickly after crossing into Wisconsin, we are at Madison.  Overall it is a little more than 900 miles, maybe 950 or so one way.  A good two day trip.

We stay a while doing our grand parent thing, then pack up and charge back.  On the way back we stop in Springfield, MO.  Arrive in time to enjoy a good meal, and get a full nights rest.  Up in the AM heading for the Big Cabin turn off to head down towards McAllester and on into Texas.  I have been to McAllester many times to visit the  Army Ammunition Plant on business.  We stop there for a potty break and get a fresh soda pop and hit the road heading toward Durant (big indian casino, Cherokee I think) and cross the Red River just below the Lake Texoma dam.  We cruise on to McKinney and turn right on US 80 (could be 180 or 280 - east to west running road that is four lane and avoids the toll roads).

We turn south at Denton driving past our old haunt, Argyle, on to the environs of Fort Worth, turn right again on I-30 heading for home.  About five miles or so from home I-30 intersccts with I-20 and stays that way until out in west Texas past Midland -Odessa area where I-20 intersects with I-10.  But we get way back at Weatherford.  Big state, Texas,  where Interstate highways coalesce into each other,  one two, three.  Having driven across in a number of times I can tell you it is 850 from south Louisiana to New Mexico border.  Good thing that we live in the northeast sector of Texas.

And we are home again.  And usually, the grass needs to be cut.  Yeah, we know we are home again.