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Today was filled with the fine details of the memorial service... arranging songs and verses and such in order for a program to be printed, ordering and paying for the flowers, and gathering photos for a video that is being made by the funeral home as a service for the family. It is frustrating... because certain photos we had wanted to include... we just can't seem to find copies of.

In 2005, I had made a point of copying all sorts of family photos that belonged to my parents, and also of my sister's family... and arranged all the photos into boxes at my parent's house. Copies were made and distributed to various family members. It was a huge expense at the time... but well worth it.

Somehow in the interim however... things have gotten wonky and mixed up.

Such is life I suppose... but it is annoying when you are looking for something in particular.

One of the things I hope to do over the course of this coming year, is to (once and for all) get all my photos onto digital files. I have tons and tons... and sorely need to get them organized. Times like this remind me how important it is to me to have photos such as these readily available if they are needed/wanted.

In other news... we went on our daily drive today... and explored some of the county back roads. We saw lovely fields, cows, pigs, sheep, horses.....lots of farmland... we even stopped at a roadside stand and got fresh tomatoes and cucumbers which we ate for dinner.

The photos for today's post are from this drive...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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-----> photo by Elaine A. Russell

slipping... over the mossy shoreline into the depths below

traveling further and further downward like a plant falling from a window way too high for it's own good

past colorful denizens of the deep

ever watchful

ever hopeful

yet, sinking further

looking towards the skyline of the land I used to belong to

...and the eyes of Poseidon watched

About the photo for today: I was driving downtown taking photos out of the car window. When I came home tonight, this one caught my eye... and I thought it would be interesting to see what it would look like if I changed the color scheme to make it look like it was under water. Well... when I reversed the colors... these fabulous eyes came out of the clouds! I then tweaked the colors just a bit, and removed the brush the Octopus was holding ( the photo is of an Octopus car wash sign)...

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(Waylan's Restaurant.... Miami, OK)

Well.. ... we are having fun... but we are making lousy time. I am blaming it on all the weird weather. The wind is still pretty incredible. We are getting blown around a bit... and the driver's door is a little stiff since it got massively jerked once when I opened up my door just as a huge gust of wind caught it on Monday.

So. Last night we staying in Miami, OK. The town is just quaint. I was trying to think of another word... but quaint is appropriate. Alot of the buildings are brick, and look to be circa 1890's. Most of the styling of things seem to be leaning towards the Victorian end (or cater to the route66 theme). We stopped this am to get gas, and also found a Walgreens to get batteries for my camera. Whilst driving thru the main part of town... I decided to get a daytime shot of the fabulous Coleman Theatre in yesterday's post (the last pic that was panoramic). While there... this guy came out of the theater and asked me if I wanted to see the inside? Of course! So Kristin, Sabrina and I all got the deluxe extended tour of the place. WOW. I would go into great deal... but I think I will save it all for an exclusive post on the place. I will say, however, that if you are ever anywhere near Miami, OK... this is a DEFINITE... MUST SEE place.


(Skies in Missouri)

We got back on the road... and drove most all the day.... although we really didn't seem to get as far as we had intended. Along the way today.... we stopped at The Heartland Antique Mall in Lebanon, MO. This is the antique mall that I stop at every time I go back to PA. It is pretty big... has a huge selection of stuff... and it is connected to both a cheese factory outlet, and a Russell Stover Candy Outlet. Yah.. exactly. I got a few treasures... took some photos... ran into my friend Mike that I met last summer when I went to the mall. He has a booth there... and he is an awesome guy.


(Heartland Antique Mall, Missouri)

Driving through the rest of Missouri seemed to take forever. But... I must say... I do like Missouri. Years ago... I would have thought of this state as just being a typical humid... buggy... boring kind of place. I have since come to realize how diverse a state it actually is.... and it really is quite pretty. Caverns.... fields... farms.... interesting rock formations and walls where the road is simply cut through the middle of a mountain. Lots of trees... critters..... people are really friendly... It's a nice place. The weather throughout most all of Missouri today was overcast.

We made it in to Indiana tonight.... and have stopped just outside of Indianapolis. I am estimating that we have about 550 more miles to go... which doesn't seem like alot... until you realize that most of it will be on back country roads once we hit PA... .and those take longer.


( on the road in Indiana)

Our hotel room tonight is on the scanky side... but it was the first one we stopped at ... and the desk clerk said that very few hotels will take guests with animals here... so I opted to just get it. As I said to Kristin... well... it looked OK on the outside...

Talked with my mom on the phone... Dad seems to be in alot of pain... is very distended... but managed to get out of bed and walked about twice today (with much help) in his room. No word yet on a definate discharge date... no word on the possible transfer to a rehab place. So... we'll see.

Tomorrow will probably be a long day of driving... and it is already 1:30am ... as we lost 2hours to time changes. Will post as soon as I can tomorrow... connections permitting...



**all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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(Vintage Conoco Station in McLean, Texas)

After yesterday; frankly; I was a little reluctant to head out on the road again.

But head out... we did. Somewhere near Kellerville, TX we drove by a nasty accident where it appeared that there were several fatalities. A helicopter was trying to land nearby... presumably to transfer a survivor that all the medical people were attending to. The police had traffic stopped on I-40 heading east, and were waving people to go on.. on I-40 heading west. I tried to find out what happened... but couldn't find anything. Within the next 20 miles or so... we saw almost 30 dead dear along the road as well. All I can think... is that the storm that has been around us... was actually ahead of us at that point... and must have caused some awful winds/ storms or whatever and caused the damage the day/night before. Tonight... while watching the news... I did see where tornadoes had touched down in that area as well. .. and also in Oklahoma.
It was all very surreal.

Life is so precious. I think that sometimes we take it all too easily for granted.

(local farm in Texas)

The rest of our day was relatively uneventful. We drove.... alot. When we were in Elk City, OK.... we found a massive 18 wheeler sized truck wash.... and washed the SmartCar. All the mud from last night's fiasco was erased... at least from the outside of the car. Kristin drove the better part of the Oklahoma turnpike route... and around the city of Tulsa. She did a fantastic job.

(Southwest Antiques, in Weatherford, OK)

We would stop... but mainly for gas,water, or to walk about.
We stopped at a fabulous Antique Mall in Weatherford, OK ( it was much bigger on the inside than it appeared from the outside); and for burgers at Braum's ( and Kristin got an awesome hot fudge Yogurt based sundae).

The scenery is changing from the almost completely flat fields and ranch land... to slightly more hilly areas... red dirt...and trees. It was great to see the wind farms in action... they are really cool. We are gradually seeing more water as well... rivers, creeks, and ponds. Signs of spring are peaking about as well... some fields have been really, really green. ... but most are still dressed in their winter clothing.

(sunset in Oklahoma)

And we stopped for the night in Miami, OK... just a few miles west of Joplin, Missouri. We are staying at a MicroTel Inn; and it is fabulous. Last night we paid about $50 for a really tacky and somewhat questionable Motel 6. Tonight; we spent about $60... and have a beautiful room; clean and fairly posh... and we get breakfast as well. Go figure.

( Theater in Miami, OK)

Talked to my mom on the phone... the hospital (actually .. a social worker)...is talking about the possibility of transferring my dad to a rehab place of some sort. She apparently told my mom that dad could be transferred as early as tomorrow. He just had massive surgery yesterday. He is still in a heavy fog of pain... and can't really move at all. Sometimes I really don't understand hospital/ insurance stuff at all. I can't really see how that could happen... but I am trying to get there.... in the meantime, I encouraged my mom to talk to someone tomorrow about it.

But for now... rest well. Be safe. Appreciate the bounty we all have.... health, family, friends... blue skies, happy puppies.

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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.........................................................................photo by Elaine A. Russell



I am swamped. Simply swamped. I am planning on making another roadtrip to PA... and am tentatively leaving on Monday. My Dad is hoping to get discharged from the hospital this coming friday.... and I want to be there to help my folks get back home... and begin the recuperation/rehab/etc.
So... I have a HUGE list of things I have to try and get done around the house.... things done in my studio..... things ready to pack... things to mail out (things sold and such).... it's insane.

I had hoped to have a bit more time to rest and get over this Lupus flare... but such is the way things go sometimes. And so... I am leaving perhaps a bit more tired, a bit more sore, a bit overweight... and a bit overwhelmed.

It's frustrating... as I had planned on participating in a couple photo shows in the next month... and I had to cancel. And... the money I am using to travel on... was set aside for painting the inside of our house.....But... I also believe that things work out the way they are supposed too... so I am looking forward to the adventure of it all.



And so........... I am heading off to bed... in hopes of waking up early-ish.... and hopefully getting alot done tomorrow.

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*photo by Elaine A. Russell

So--- I am on a small roadtrip. We went from Albuquerque down to Socorro for a Fundraiser for the Performing Arts Center. There were hands-on arts and dance workshops, Brazilian music by the group "Saudade" and a silent auction with tons of gorgeous art available for purchase.

I had the pleasure of assisting with teaching & demonstrations on the making of ATC cards. Amongst the other demonstrations there were: tye dying, beading, wire-work, embellishing sunglasses and other accessories, egg decoration, gourd painting, clay work, tin work, book binding, Polish paper cutting, weaving, printmaking, making fruit sushi, origami, crocheting, pastel drawing, watercolor painting, pottery, and making stained glass mosaics.
Combine that with great food and great music... It was pretty cool.

Tonight I am staying in a lovely log home out in the wilds of "Hop Canyon"... just outside of Magdalena.
Deer, snow, winding roads and mountains.
More to come tomorrow....

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*photos by Elaine A. Russell

It's definitely a Monday. Too much to do this week... and not enough time or (at least at the moment ) ... the energy to do it.
And so... I ran around trying to catch up on things that refused to co-operate. I spent way too much time trying to wrap up some things to get in the mail. I did way too much laundry. I spent way too much time trying to get a hold of a company via the phone.... and was unsuccessful at that. I did get a photo done for my daily photo project... but frankly, wasn't that happy with it. However, I was quickly running out of time...



I need a road trip. I need an excuse to get in the car and go in no particular direction to an unknown destination. I need the wind in my face...a bag of pita chips... some Starbucks coffee...and a happy puppy at my side. Also some good music. Not just some random radio station where I end up with a thousand bad songs in a row....



I am plotting... ....but in the meantime... here are some photos from my trip cross country last summer. These 3 photos were taken somewhere in Texas...as I was going in and out of this cool thunderstorm. The clouds were impressive....the wind was incredible... and the rain was imminent.


Living Simply tip for the day: when you can... travel. Even if it's just down the road a few miles.

"The health benefits of travel are as extensive as the world itself. A vacation can give you a much-needed break from the stresses of your life and rejuvenate your spirit. Plus, it will save valuable money in the long run by preventing doctor bills, sick days and the buildup of stress that can hijack your life."
"Taking a break from the daily routine relieves stress simply by providing a change of scenery. The excitement of getting ready for a trip can be a euphoric experience and the anticipation will take your mind off daily petty problems that often seem larger than life. Getting away from your daily experience helps to put your life in crystal clear terms and allows you to redefine what you find important." --- these are from the AMA

driving

Kind of an odd day today. One minute it is cloudy and overcast, the next minute the sun is trying to come out. Last night we actually had some snow flurries in and around ABQ. I know this, not just because of the weather report.. but because I had planted fresh mint into pots on my patio.. and had to go and cover them up. (kinda like washing your car, only to have it rain)

I feel like I have been driving alot as of lately. To and from doctor's appointments, to and from CNM, driving around ABQ. Over the weekend, I was with some friends and we drove down to the gallery in Tome(http://www.tomegallery.net/). I have never been to Tome... and would like to go again sometime. I took some random shots out of the back seat windows as we drove down the highways and back roads. It was cool. (http://newmexico.hometownlocator.com/nm/valencia/tome.cfm)

The first shot I did in a style not unlike when I used to do Infrared B&W shots and hand color them. At one time, I was one of only a hand-full of artists doing this style... and I still really enjoy the look. So--- a little "driving tour" photographically today.... enjoy :)

**all photos by Elaine A. Russell

lazy and hazy days of summer

my Aunt Adeline and my Uncle Donald. They will be married 60yrs in October of this year.

photo by Elaine A. Russell

Today I was all hung over from the Benadryl I took last night for my allergies. I slept in til noon.. AND.. took a nap later on.
So.. needless to say, it has been a rather lazy day. Reminds me of the song "those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.." I think Nat King Cole did it..but it's ringing in my head. My brother used to work at the local radio station a lifetime ago, and I remember most all the songs from that era. Plus, my mother is a HUGE music buff.. one of those people who can name a song that goes with any part of a conversation. Say you mention the color blue.. she would pipe up every song from "Blue Bayou" to "Blue Suede Shoes", "Am I Blue" to"Red Roses for a Blue Lady..." and so on it goes until someone begs her to stop. She was a great fan of Name That Tune.. tv show from the 70's. She would have made a fortune if she ever got on that show.
I am sitting here in the kitchen doorway to the outside patio. I can hear the creek behind me. There is a hummingbird only about 2 feet away slurping on a flower. There is a family of cardinals at a birdfeeder about 5 feet away.. and the cutest little chipmunk is eating seed that has spilled out of the feeder and onto the grass. Sabrina is laying at my feet, tired from having chased a cat out of the yard.
My mother had a "spell" today. She gets terribly light headed. I am sure it is her blood pressure. She has had horrible health problems her entire life. I tried to talk her into taking a nap... but the best I could do was to get her to at least sit down in her chair. My dad has been making progress on cataloguing his book collection in the basement... some 8,000 or so.. and I am not even exagerating. Does anyone want a paperback collection >!
**In other news.... I understand that the Re-Animation Show at the Factory on 5th went extremely well. Much kudos to all the artists !! and especially Kristin who not only put out and handled her stuff... but mine as well. love ya.

Kiara's tale

--photos by Elaine A. Russell

Things the past couple of days have been a blur. Not so much because there is a ton of things going on.. but more because I feel as if I am in time warp of sorts.
Walking the dog, doing dishes, cooking, running errands, visiting with people... all normal events -- somehow becoming a bit contorted with this whole sense of deja vu.

I am trying to find a new home for my neighbor's dog. The dog is a gorgeous 2yr old female Sheltie. She is smart, adorable, potty trained.. and starved for attention. When she is bored.. she barks. Which is alot of the time.. so needless to say, alot of the neighbors will be glad when she finds a new home. She is a wonderful baby. She just needs something to do and someone to be a companion to. Like alot of dogs ( and people too ) she finds meaning in having a task that she is responsible for... and right now, she doesn't have one. So far, I have found 3 potential homes for her... so we'll see how this goes. I would gladly keep her myself, but I think that Sabrina would not be happy with me. Her name is Kiara.

And so they day goes on. The weather has been interesting. I have never seen a summer in Potter County this mild. It has rained every day since I have been here. Then the sun will come out near sundown, and it will be gorgeous out. Sabrina is happily playing in the grass.. although she has had a bath 2 nights in a row because she rolls in bear scat. Silly girl.

A neighbor is playing "America" .. specifically "Sister Golden Hair" on his stereo... while he tends to his garden. Children scream up the street at the local baseball field. ... ducks are honking in the creek behind the house.... these are the sounds of Coudersport PA.

**If you are in Albuquerque.. don't forget to go to the Re-Animation Show at the Factory on 5th tonight from 7-11pm. There will be about 20 or so artists, a fashion show, movies and more !!! Kristin will have both her and my artwork out. Plus there is a very cool Zombie themed bunch of art entries for you to vote "best of show" on !

changes

powerlines in Ohio

back roads to Smethport, PA

vintage Mobile gas sign near Wadsworth, Ohio

All photos by Elaine A. Russell

I've been thinking alot lately. I remember the phrase "you can't go home again..."

I always interpreted it in the context of how things change. Buildings, homes, roads.. etc. Places and objects that are etched in your memory.. that are never the same as what you remember from your youth.

It is true. My home town (population 2000 --including cows)... has certainly changed over the years. New businesses have come and gone like people change their socks. Homes change their appearance. We actually have a McDonald's now in town. And there are 2 traffic lights now in the main part of town... both of which go to blinking yellow after 6pm.

Some things don't change. There is still only one theater... only open on the weekends. One bowling alley... that has definitely seen better days. 13 bars, 13 churches (you gotta have these things balanced).

I've been thinking that the phrase means so much more. More on a human level. How people change over the years. Sometimes it's for the better, sometimes it's not. I've run into several people from high school. The only reunion I have been to was my 10th reunion. I just haven't been able to get back for the others. It occurred to me that I have been out of school for 27 years. Seems impossible. On one hand, it seems like only yesterday, and in many others.. a lifetime ago.

People seem so different, and yet, so much like they were too. It's a strange paradox.

And then I noticed how very different.. and yet, how very much the same members of my family are. Life and circumstance have changed us all in different ways.

I think I am beginning to finally like who I have become.

you can't pick your family

railroad station in Kane, PA

chicory plants in Indiana

scenic Route 6 near Roulette, PA
all photos by Elaine A. Russell

You can't pick your family. But if I would have been able to, there are members of my family I would have chosen -- for sure. Yesterday I got up and took my mom over to Bradford PA... about an hour's drive away ... to get her hair cut.

When my mother was a young girl, some of her family moved from Philadelpia PA to the very very small inlet of Mina PA. Population around 20. Seriously. My mom was the youngest girl out of 10 children, and had severe asthma. Her mother brought my mom, and a couple other siblings up "to the country" for her health, and stayed on the farm of a cousin. It was fortuitous, as that is how my mother ended up meeting my father. I can't imagine what it would have been like to move from a bustling city-- to the middle of nowhere. And my grandmother, who was willing to drop everything she knew and loved, including my grandfather, to save her child. My grandmother was an interesting lady.. very bold and independant for her time.

One of my cousins lives in Bradford, and cuts my mother's hair for free. Her mother (my aunt) passed away 9 yrs ago, and she has sorta adopted my mother as her own. Kim (my cousin) is sweet. My mother, being one of 10 children, has tons of family... and as such... I have tons of cousins. In fact, alot of them I haven't even met. But Kim, I remembered from fourth of July picnics with cousins over the years.

We then went to visit another of my mother's siblings... my Aunt Adeline. She is my favorite aunt....and her hubby is definately my fav uncle. My aunt looks like Queen Elizabeth. I am not even joking. When she traveled years ago to England to visit her one son who was stationed there in the military, she got stopped multiple times for autographs and salutations. .. thinking she was the Queen and had gone "slumming" amongst the commonfolk.

My Uncle, is a veteran of WWII. He saw alot of combat in Europe, and was priveledged to have liberated a concentration camp. He was also a photographer, and has images in his attack that he won't show anyone from his war years. At one point, he got trapped behind enemy lines and hid in the cellar of a farmhouse, surviving on potatoes and shear will. He is now 88.. and is still a vibrant, energetic man. He makes cabinetry, and still rides snowmobile and ATV with local clubs. I adore these people. It was sad to hear that they are going thru some rough spots with health and such. But I know that they are of hardy stock... that they will overcome.

We then went to visit another Uncle. He was married to another sister of my mother's. She passed away years ago, and he has since remarried (at age 86 ! ).. and I got to meet his new wife. He is a retired architect, who now has a thriving profession as a painter. He loves to paint scenics and what people consider 'americana.' He is also sort of a character. He reminds me of the Rat Pack of the 60's... having his cocktails on the patio before supper....gazing off into the woods and working on his latest painting. I remember years ago after he retired, he worked for the shriners. He went to clown school down in Florida, and happily made balloon animals and drove those funny little cars you see in small town parades. He has a crazy laugh.. sort of like Muttly from the Whacky Racers cartoons.

They are a colorful bunch... and ones I am proud to be related to. Not that they are perfect. No. But they have overcome the things they've been dealt, and have managed to still enjoy themselves and have loved well. They have a driving passion; be it.. playing music on the church organ, painting, carpentry... whatever.

What more can you ask.....

and finally

driving across the mighty Missouri river... (don't take photos and drive folks )

Japanese beetles in Indiana

country ponds and farmland in Ohio

All photos by Elaine A. Russell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so -- there as a major thunderstorm here last night, and I could not get a connection to the internet. Being in the middle of nowhere certainly has it's advantages.. but internet capabilities is NOT one of them.

My parents are ---shall we say--- very religious. They do not have cable, they only watch one religious tv station that they get via dish network. They do not listen to the radio. They do not watch movies made after 1960. So -- they do not, nor ever intend to get... a computer or internet. Sometimes I can get a connection on my laptop if I sit out near the bank of the river. I am sure I am sponging the signal off of someone.. I just don't know who. Anyway, I can usually only get one bar of connectivity... sometimes 2 bars if I am very lucky.

One of the advantages of being here is definitely the scenery. As I was traveling, it was very interesting to see how the topography changes from state to state. So much more rain and green. Of course, along with that comes humidity... but alas.

The photos are ones I took on my travel to PA.

I love the idea of taking sort of a photo journal of my travels... come ride along with me :)

the day after

Wind farm in Oklahoma

vintage cans at Heartland Antique Mall in Lebanon, MO

amazing rainbow between Roulette and Coudersport, PA

Today I have been very tired. I slept quite well, and woke up around 11am to the sound of my brother mowing the lawn. Having lived in Albuquerque since 1995, we don't have grass in our yard.. and neither do most of our neighbors. So, at first, it was a foreign noise. I quickly figured it out.
My brother is an interesting person. He and I do not exactly get along very well.. but we are polite, and try not to annoy each other when we are in each other's presence. Sometimes this is easier said than done... but such is life. He rambled on about the local politics and bias in this small town... and as a parting comment (as he road on his bike down the street) was "did I say hello?" ...not waiting for a reply.
Visited a friend from years ago. She is almost 86, and is an amazing person. I want to be like her when I grow up. She is very smart, loves to read, garden, and travel. She is going on a woman's retreat this weekend. Today when I drove up, she was happily removing Japanese beetles from her asparagus ferns and drowning them in soapy water. We chatted about philosophy and life while sitting on her back porch listening to the hummingbirds fly by. She is in the middle of remodeling her bathroom with her grandson. He is doing alot of the carpentry and plumbing, and she is doing the rest.. saying... "I want to make it handicap friendly just in case I need it in the future." Somehow, I can't see this energetic, effervescent woman in a wheelchair.
Went to the local Chinese restaurant and ordered take-out for dinner. Everything was really good... except that I mistakenly got pork fried rice.. which my parents won't eat. OOPS.
Then my niece called, and I ended up helping her move furniture around her house. She is a divorced/single mom of 3 kids, 2 of whom are special needs. She is doing amazingly well with her kids, and I am so proud of her.

Went to Rite Aid (our town's version of Walgreen's), and was able to get my trip photos off of the camera and onto CDs. This way I can load my photos and work on getting all the spots from my crappy lens off of the pictures. Also got Sabrina some food.. and visited with my mom's neighbor who works there.

I am starting to run in to alot of people I know from when I was a kid....it's a small town after all. Should be an interesting visit.

more to come.........

king of the road....

photo by Elaine A. Russell, taken in Missouri




Today I woke up at at 9:30am.. still pretty tired... and stayed tired all day. I can only assume that I am just not used to all the driving. It has also been very humid.. and I have been driving in and out of storms.. which also adds to the feeling of fatigue.
Right away, I was able to find a Walmart near the hotel, and was able to purchase a new cord to hook my camera to the laptop. However, the pics still won't load.. so I can only assume that there is something really wrong with my camera. This is not a surprise, as my camera is not so elegantly held together with duct tape and prayer.

Drove for a couple hours, then stopped for lunch at a Wendy's. I am constantly amazed at how many people come up to me to talk about the SmartCar. I have been averaging about 50-60 people every day during my travels, who ask about the details on the car. If I had a $1 for every one... . he he. I actually don't mind. It is great to see people so excited about it... and I understand their enthusiasm.

Later on, Brina and I stopped at a Speedway Gas station in Wadsworth, OH. I got to talk to a very nice young girl about life... young, tattooed, rebellious, and an artist... living in a really really small town. Ohio is full of well manicured lawns and the towns of nothing but 3 bedroom brick ranches. Large corporate buildings and factories. Heavy steel factories, lots of really big buildings composed of brick...reflecting the heyday of industry in the East.

Around dinner, we stopped at a little gas station/cafe/gift shop at the junction of I-80 and Rt66. We are in PA now. Now comes the part of the trip where the road winds up and down thru the top end of the Appalachian Mountains. Small little villages with no red lights and one country store. Areas that are only hosts to the seasonal campers and hunters with sporadic trailers and cabins strewn about. Luscious green fields, primitive forests, and quiet blue ponds. Dairy farms and small herds of sheep. Rusty old tractors gathering rust in the sun strewn fields. Barns echoing times gone by, now left to fall into the ground. It is my home state... and I had almost forgotten how loudly it speaks to my soul.

The last leg of the trip takes me thru Mt. Jewett, Kane, Smethport, Port Alleghany, Roulette, and finally to Coudersport. Along the way I took photos of fields, farms, and some vintage train cars that a gentleman is restoring into guest houses. I took pictures of lots of flowers. This is what I started taking photos of as a child, and I still love to take nature shots. I had actually considered studying Biology at one point... and at one time I knew the names of every plant or tree I saw.

As I arrived into Coudersport, it started to lightly rain.. and there was the most gorgeous HUGE rainbow. It was soooooooooooo bright. I did take some photos.... along with another guy in a small car that stopped alongside the road.

Picked up a salad for supper ... and drove to my parent's house. Brina has been happily sleeping in her bed since we arrived at 8pm.

Total expenses: $60 for gas, food and snacks. $20 for a camera cord at Walmart.
Drove about 500 miles or so today.

driving Miss Brina...............

photos by Elaine A. Russell, taken in Texas

ugh. Apparently I have killed the cord that I use to upload photos from my camera. I didn't realize it was dead, so I didn't get a replacement. I will have to try to find one tomorrow, but as it is Sunday, I am not sure if I will be able to locate a store that will be open. In the meantime, there will be no daily photos. I will add them to the post as soon as I am able.

Once again, I was able to sleep through the night. I am not sure if it is because of exhaustion.. but I am hoping it is the new herbal meds.
I got up at 6:30am because the previous tenant in the room didn't disable the alarm clock.. and I didn't realize it was on.... so I awoke to an insanely piercing alarm. Sabrina, being the puppy she is .. merely looked at the clock with disdain and rolled back over.
I, got up.
By 8am we were out of the hotel, and over to the Flea Market. I saw the gentleman I spoke to last night (Hi Mike !), and he greeted me with a hug, and Brina with a cookie. She actually gave him a kiss. Brina and I walked around the market, and bought a really cool green depression glass mug. It is the perfect size for the cup holder in the car, and is now happily holding my change for me.
I also got a vintage 1951 Popular Mechanics magazine. The main article talks about the Russian space programs... I thought the hubby would get a hoot out of that.
I took some photos of some cool items for sale (Aunt Jemima figurines !), and then Brina and I headed in to the antique mall. Wow. Alot of stuff. Again, I took some photos...vintage dishes, a typewriter, some cool tins. I bought 2 spinning wheel bobbins with graduated rings on it. I figure I will use them to make loops for my jewelry wire work projects. I also bought an adorable little marble.. just cuz.
Then we stopped very quickly at the Cheese factory Outlet, and got some jerky, some cheese sticks, and the best snack food ever--- Churro Nuggets. Go ahead ... look it up. You know you want to.
We had a late breakfast ala picnic style in the grass... then drove through Missouri. We saw fields, possum, rivers, ponds, lots of green, some hills, limestone ridges, signs for caves... and a farm that had ostriches grazing about.

We made a pit stop in Pocahontas, IL... then back on the road.. stopping again in Effingham, IL. Effingham also has one of those massive roadside crosses. If you are just a bit tired from driving.. this can be really disconcerting...because it makes you think you have been delusional, and are still in Groom, TX. I really don't know what it is with these big cross attractions. I have yet to see a massive 3 story Buddha.... or a huge metal Ganesha....

We had a late lunch at Wendy's -- again in the grass. This time, we ate in this huge field behind a bunch of hotels. It was really strange. There in the middle of this field was a very old metal kid's play/ climbing/ slide thingie that looked like a rocket ship. It was fabulous. There was also a very old abandoned towing type truck, and these huge signs. Actually, it was pieces to one massive electrified sign that looked older than dirt. It had these fabulous yellow bulbs on it. Great photo op. I also noticed that the field was basically all white clover plants. Brina immediately ate her chicken and took a nap in the grass.

The next stop was in Cloverdale, Indiana. We had a snack, and bought a couple home-made no-bake cookies from the attendant, and also got a map guide of all the states. Figured it might be a good idea. Took some great photos of these bright purple tall flowers. Gorgeous. They were growing with the cattails in the swampy areas off of the highway. OH--- and we saw a RED FOX !

Then... we headed out for Dayton, OH. I wasn't sure if we would actually get this far, but we did. Unfortunately, when we got to the hotel we wanted to stay at; they were booked solid. Apparently there is an Air Show at the base this weekend. The only other hotel that allows pets in the entire area was about 20 miles away in the wrong direction. So -- the hotel clerk was nice enough to call them and we got the last room available. I actually found my way there !!! thanks to some awesome directions from the new hotel clerk.. and now we are in for the night.

Expenses: If my calculations are right, we did about 650 miles today.We spent $30 on food, $20 for the map, $15 for stuff at the market and antique mall. About $35-40 in gas. Hotel was $68, plus $7 for Internet use. Personally, I think hotels charge WAY too much...on the other hand... this is a nice one.

So... seeing as I can't work on some photos (la sigh)... I am going to watch a dvd that I brought with me. It is the first 3 episodes of The Partridge Family !! (kudos to Netflix for having such cool movies).
Gonna take a quick shower, and lay on the bed with all the snacks, and watch Shirley Jones. Yup....oh hey now !

greetings from Missouri

photos by Elaine A. Russell

so.. didn't get quite as far as I had hoped today. I had planned on getting thru St. Louis, but only made it to Lebanon, Missouri.
Please see my updated note/ travel log from yesterday. I added more of the neat "details."

Basically, my day....today.
I slept amazingly well, am trying a new herbal remedy for insomnia.. and so far it kicks ass.
Woke up at 4am, took Sabrina out for a "walk", and went back to sleep immediately. Woke up at 10:30 am. Now, I don't know if that means that I forgot to set my alarm, or if I slept thru it. But -- was on the road by 11am. Left Elk City, Ok and drove as far as El Reno, Ok. Stopped for a picnic lunch in the grass.. yes I took a quilt with me for such purposes. I needed to find a place that sold phone chargers, as my battery was dying. I thought I was going to have to find a Walmart.. yeash.... but I actually found a T-Mobile store (DT Cellular) right near the McDs. I went in, and not only found the perfect charger for only $12, but the owner has family in Los Lunas !
Got a little twisted around on the John Kilpatrick Turnpike... but a very nice lady at one of the toll booths got me straightened out.
Stopped at Vinita, OK... home of the biggest, strangest McDs... it actually spans across the highways in a huge overpass. It includes a gift shop, a museum, and a great little cafe/ ice cream area with all kinds of great flavors. I opted instead for a large iced chai.

Saw lots of bright red dirt, wind farms, and fields of crop in OK.

Dinner was spent ala picnic style at a Wendy's in Springfield, Mo.

Missouri is much more hilly, green, and humid so far. Lots of nice ponds, and the rock is more sandstone. Lots of billboards for caves to visit.

I then stopped about 30 minutes or so down the road at Lebanon because it is the home of the coolest Antique Mall ever. I have been to this mall every time I road trip back to Pa... and it is so chock full of neat stuff. The building also houses the BEST cheese factory outlet place...and a Russell Stover Chocolates Outlet. Both the cheese place and the chocolate stores offer free samples.. so you can see the attraction there for me.
After that.. I got the usual glompage of people at my car asking all about Smartcars. One of the people I talked to at the antiques mall, happens to be a retired car designer. We talked for quite awhile. He also happens to have a bunch of stuff for sale at the antique mall on consignment, and mentioned that there was going to be a HUGE open air antiques and Flea Market kind of sale in the am in the parking lot.
So ---- because it was late anyway (*grin)... I found a hotel nearby, and am going to go to the market in the am before I head out.

Total expenses for the day: food $20, tolls $10, gas $30, hotel $68

update

It's almost 11pm on Oklahoma time. I made it almost to Oklahoma City.. which .. considering that I was driving madly in and out of this huge thunderstorm today... is pretty good. The power even went off 3 times during my 3 minute shower tonight.
Sabrina is loving the trip.. especially now that we are seeing land that actually has grass.
Statistics: $35 spent on food, water and gas. $57 on hotel (yikes!).
averaging about 56 miles per gallon... and I have been using the ac constantly. It's been over 100 degrees outside of the car.
here is a little teaser photo of one of the things I saw today....

photo by Elaine A. Russell, taken in Santa Rosa, NM

Basically, my day:

Headed out from ABQ around 9am. Stopped at a rest stop just short of Cline's Corners. Talked with a very nice guy from South Carolina (he loved the car). Took photos at Cline's Corners... neat gift shop/ tourist trap.

Took photos at exit 234.. a strange place called the Flying C Ranch. Also a tourist kind of place.. the cool thing is that they still have endless billboards all over as you get close to the store. Kinda like the old time advertisements they used to put along the roadsides.

Stopped in Santa Rosa, and took some photos (including the one of the sign above). Very cool place with lots of vintage signs and buildings.

Stopped in Cuervo, NM. This is one of my fav places to stop. It's basically a little guost town now, from what was once a fairly good sized railroad town. It is rumored that Billy the Kid was there or some such. I happened to have nice talk with Joe Tenario.. a road mainenance guy who was taking a break there when I stopped.

Stopped in Tucumcari for gas. Texas is a big blur for me. It was very hot and humid, and I kept running in and out of thunder storms and hail. Saw cool signs in Del Rio, Long Horn cattle in Wilandorfa, and had a pit stop in Bushland, Tx ( yes, "Bush-Land").

Stopped at a "CarHenge" type installation just outside of Amarillo. It is a series of 57 chevy's that are upright and buried in the ground at a slant. On this installation, the cars are totally graffiti ! Spray cans are available for people to participate in the ongoing tagging of the cars. I painted a puppy foot print in honor of Sabrina and I visiting.

Stopped at Groom, TX for the nation's largest cross *(and senseless Christian propaganda and gift shops--JMHO).. and a little further down the road at this ultra cool abandoned grainery for photos.

Stopped in Shamrock, Tx for gas....and for the night in Elk City, OK... where I was able to get a nice room at a Motel 6.