Keeping in touch with Jim

This morning I visited old town Albuquerque and found that it is much quieter and easier to enjoy in the springtime than it is in Summer. I have been fighting the wind all the way from Shreveport, LA and today was the worst so I am seeking "Shelter From The Storm" (wind) here in Gallup, NM. I am very fortunate to have with me on this trip my XM Satellite Radio so that I can choose the music that fits my mood or just choose a station and find new or old, almost forgotten music. Along the way one of my favorite stations has been "The Village" which focuses on folk music both new and old. This includes a little bluegrass, a little county and music from other countries as well. One song that really touched a chord with me was a song written by Carol Elliott and Wendy Waldman and performed by Michael Martin Murphy . This song is normally played only at Christmas time and is called Corn, Water and Wood. I have been researching the song and it has lead me to visit...

I spent yesterday evening enjoying some hiking around White City (the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns) and this morning I spent in the caverns WOW, it was everything everyone said it would be. Then I took the 10 mile drive through the scenic desert drive. The altitude at the caverns is about 4,600 feet and the valley below is at about 3,200 feet. It was 88 degrees when I hit the road heading north toward Albaquerque. The sun was intense and so was the wind but it was so nice to be out of the cold, wet, windy weather. The drive up to Albaquerque was mostly into the wind and the highest altitude was right about 7,000 feet. This time, the new(er) van did much better than the old '83. The air conditioning was a plus too. Where to next? I'm really not sure. I check out the map in the morning and I will either make a decision or just follow my nose. Happy traveling !!!

80 degrees today and 90 tomorrow. Do I miss the Oregon rain? Noooooooo. Not one bit. I've been on the road for three weeks now and other than a couple of days the weather has been mostly cold, windy and/or rainy. Driving from Shreveport to Carlsbad I was fighting a headwind the whole way but later today the wind died down and it is warming up. Tomorrow morning I will visit the caves and a few other sights in the area. Then, depending on the weather, I will decide on where to go next. The sky is clear tonight and there are a bazillion stars out - BTW, it's a full moon night - ahooooooooo!!!!

I got out of Florida and Georgia just in time and it looks like I will take to weather with me as I head toward Shreveport, Louisiana and then on to Carlsbad, New Mexico. This morning in Gulfport, Mississippi it is mild and I might hit a little rain along the way but it should be mostly sunny. The area around west Texas and New Mexico looks good for the next several days. I'm looking forward to a few more days of camping. That is all :)

What a wonderful week in Florida. I didn't get to see as many people as I wanted but those I did see were very kind and gracious hosts. My dear friends George and Janet Williams put up with me for 4 days and and still said they were happy to have me :) My visit with Suzanne and Marc was short but very pleasant. I finally got back to visit my fraternal grandparents (Fox) grave in Clearwater and almost didn't find them. The folks at the cemetery were very helpful and found it was just a data entry error in their new system. Now I am on my way back to Shreveport to visit mom's grave and most of the family plots have been documented for my genealogy work. I'm looking forward to visiting Carlsbad Caverns as I make my way back home through the southwest. The medications I got for the tooth have taken away 99% of the pain and I should be able to have it worked on when I get back home. All in all, it has been a good trip so far.

On Saturday I made my way to Atlanta and met Margie and Mason at aunt Ivy's apartment at the care center for a final clean-up, move out, of the things that remained. Sunday we spent sorting those things that should go to family and things that would go to "donations". We spent the night in the apartment and finished Sunday morning. I made my way through southern Georgia and into Florida, stopping at cousins homes to drop off those items I had promised to deliver and then made my way to visit Marc and Suzanne in Tavares, FL. I slept very soundly and today is a "rest day". Tomorrow I will make my way to St. Petersburg, to visit the cemetery where my maternal grandparents were laid to rest. I need to document the location with photographs and GPS data as I have done with other family locations so they are available for genealogy research.

Gumbo, catfish and hush puppies, key lime pie .... it seems that a big part of my journey is food related and I am enjoying treating myself to some of my favorites treats. Mmmmmmmmm ... Friends and family ... it is always good to spend some time with them and these last five years has been a joy of catching up and sharing. It is much easier for me to come here than it is for them to visit me and that works just fine for me. Sometimes I just need to get away from the norm and this is one of the best excuses to make that happen. Exposure ... not photographic related but personally. I enjoy exposing myself to new people, places and situations. I enjoy seeing how I react to some of these new experiences. Most often I am pleasantly surprised by others reaction to me. I am constantly reminded of the serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference.

I spent two nights at the Mill Creek RV park in Elkmont, Alabama which is owned by my friends Mason and Margie. Margie has been a dear friend to my aunt Ivy for many years and she has shared many photos and stories with me about the family. They are wonderful hosts and good friends. I look forward to being able to visit them any time I pass near their park.

I finally made it to Carlisle, KY and within minutes I was knee deep in information about the Walls family. WOW !!! It's one of "those things" that requires a person to get up off the chair and and go "in search of ...". The people here have been most friendly and hospitable as well as helpful. Going backwards: my dad (DeMarquis Walls)was born in Cleburne, TX, his dad (Edgar Walls) was born in Joplin, MO, his dad (Zachariah Walls) was born here in Nicolas, Co., KY and his father (Thomas Walls) was from Richmond, VA (but I'm not sure of his actual birth place as yet and I'm estimating that it was circa 1770). I hope soon to have his birth information, now that I have broken through the wall. Along the way I have experienced some pain due to a tooth that I irritated by bighting down on something too hard. This morning I went looking for a dentist but the pain was making it difficult so I went for lunch at a tiny, family diner. As I was preparing...

After leaving San Angelo State Park I headed to Waco to have lunch with my sister Charlsie. Then I headed for Seymour, Texas to visit my sister Bobbie and her husband AB. We had a nice visit although we were all suffering from a cough that just wouldn't leave us alone. I left this morning and the cough is almost totally gone. It was good to see my sisters again again. My next stop today will be Shreveport, LA to pay my respects at my mother and stepfather's graves. Then I will be heading to Elkmont, AL to visit with Margie and Mason.

From the old song El Paso by Marty Robbins "One day a wild young cowboy came in, wild as the west Texas wind". I really got to experience that west Texas wind first hand over the last couple of days. I decided to pass on Big Bend National Park and opted for San Angelo State Park to weather the storm. Now, I'm back on the road, the sky is clear blue with white fluffy clouds.

It has been an uneventful few days on the road except for a little bit of weather pushing me around. I have been avoiding too much people contact and it has given me time to reflect on how our lives change like the weather. My plan to visit Big Bend National Park was put off today by a storm moving in from the south. I will stick around the Pecos area to see if it clears but it doesn't look like it will. I will probably continue eastward tomorrow.

My road trip starts tomorrow and today as I made one last trip into town for food for the road when I got the call from my cousin Kay that dear Ivy had passed away. Knowing that her health was failing it was my hope to have one more visit with her but it just wasn't meant to be. I will pay my respects to the family as I pass through their respective areas. She was a dear, sweet lady who brought much joy to the world in song and in every aspect of her life. She will be missed and remembered fondly by many. I believe that she is with the Lord as she always knew she would be. Ivy, I am so glad that I knew you. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?n=ivy-walsh-eskridge&pid=140344128