Clarendon to Longview

Still in Texas.

What a long day. We started off driving about 85 miles to the first Love’s with a dog park. The temperature was in the 20’s and windy. The dogs did not care and romped, but I froze. I have not been this cold in a long time. When I hit warm weather in Albuquerque, I swapped my boots for shoes. My feet went numb in the shoes. Once frost spite started to set in, I put the dogs in the car and hoped it would warm up as we headed south.

At the next Love’s dog park, the temperature was in the 30’s. It was still bitingly cold, so I swapped to my boots.

At the next Love’s dog park, it was in the 40’s and cold, but not painfully so. I was able to let the dogs stay longer. We have stopped at every Love’s dog park on our route since Colorado.

I hated driving through Texas. The state roads go through small towns which drops the speed limit to 35 or so. I began to crave an interstate. Regis was correct that I should have used the GPS in the glove compartment. I have been this route before and I do not remember it being this miserable. I do not remember driving into Dallas. We skirted it. The Jeep GPS is garbage and it was the one I was using. I should have thought about its inability to handle cities. As I was going through Dallas, it kept telling me to be in the right lane, no the left lane, no the right lane with many lanes and lots of traffic. I knew I was in trouble and had to unlock my phone while driving and get it to give me directions. It got us routed correctly. We managed to get out of Dallas and on our way.

Once out of Dallas, I got a call from the United driver moving our furniture. He will be delivering on Monday. Wahoo! After I hung up the phone, my phone went dark and I could barely see it. (I later fixed it in the hotel, but do not understand why that happend.)

After stopping at the next Love’s dog park, I went back to the Jeep GPS because it should have been straight forward at this point.

At our last dog park stop before the hotel, the temperature was warm, and the dog park was the cleanest I have seen for a Love’s dog park, and it had grass. I sat and soaked in the warmth while the dogs played.

Raven has exhibited a change in behavior today. This morning when I left the room to pick up breakfast, he whined. I am pretty sure it was him. I had to put the dogs in the car to get breakfast and bring it to the room. I retrieved the dogs and ate breakfast and then packed up to leave.

At the last dog park, Raven barked and whined when I went inside to the bathroom and to pick up something for dinner. He did it again at the hotel. I leave the dogs in the car while I check in and then retrieve them once I have the keys. We are in a routine, so I do not understand why he is suddenly whining and barking.

I picked up a spinach cranberry walnut salad at the last Love’s and when I got to the hotel, saw that it had no salad dressing. Bummer. I ate it the best I could, but salads taste better with dressing.

At the hotel, I jettisoned my winter coat and boots. It is nicely warm here.

I am tired of driving and I am certain the dogs would love a nice long walk, so I am splitting the difference in mileage to get back to Florida. That will leave two long driving days but one less hotel stay. We will be on interstates, so it could be doable if there are no accidents, roadwork, weather events, etc. I have my fingers crossed.