We seem to have brought new meaning to the word "travel."  Our departure date of Sept. 15th has come and gone.  Still in Elkhart...  but journeys are happening.  Given the gift of time, we've spent more great time with family and met new friends.  This last Saturday a gathering of good friends literally weathered rain and hail to attend our "open house."  The more people showed up, the better the weather got.

We've organized and reorganized and peeled off more layers as we wait to get started.  No one needs that many clothes.  We've learned we don't have to be in motion to be on a journey.  Patience and flexibility have been ingredients for keeping sane under conditions that can't be controlled.

Enough of that.  We want to go!  That is the main reason for doing all this after all.  It looks like that just might happen soon.  The infection which has kept Jerry tethered to Elkhart General Hospital each morning for antibiotics is under control.  Packing is almost complete.  Our new tentative departure date is this Friday, September 28th around noon.  We will travel to South Dakota first.  Then we head to Red Bay, Alabama for Whale maintenance.  After that we are back to Elkhart for important family celebrations.  Then south to Naples, Florida for warm weather and close friends.

...  and a continuation of this entry is as of 3:00 p.m. Friday, September 28th we are on the road!!!  After all this time, it's hard to believe we are finally headed out of town.  First destination - Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Since our official state of residence is now SD, we must go there to get drivers' licenses. The rule is we must stay 24 hours to get our licenses. SD is one of a handful of states that allow RV'ers to do this.  While we are in Sioux Falls, we will pick up our mail (mail order service) and get to see where our address is.  They keep telling us it's a real place, but I suspect I can't park the whale in that spot.  More about that later.  We hope to get to Sioux Falls by Saturday night in order to do some wandering on Sunday.  Licenses and voting on Monday will finish our business in SD for this year.  Then we are on to Red Bay, Alabama for warranty work on the Whale.  I'm eager to see what SD and points south look like in early fall!