Half a Bird---Better than None?

As I unhooked from the overpriced rv park that had been stricken with "dogmania", I noticed orange stains running down the side of my rig under my water connection. Hmmm...initially there was the ever present RV paranoia that took hold and then, it clicked. My potty water was also strangely orange and I erroneously concluded that I had forgotten to flush. Hardly ever do that by accident but sometimes when travelling in water conservation mode, "Condition Mellow Yellow" is in effect, which meant you don't flush liquids every single time. It turns out that steel mill across the street polluted the campground water with iron! Now it makes sense--Cassie threw up twice probably from the crappy water. After the 2nd whoops, I gave her bottled water and she did fine so I suspect the water upset her tummy. Boy is that campground going to get a stinker of an online review from me!

Here is a pic to prove that we are both alive and well despite drinking iron water.






You know the worst thing about having a wrist that might be broken? I used to think the worst thing was that one had to re-potty train to use the non-dominant hand for the usual hygienic finish. But, now I have definately changed my mind. The WORST thing is you can't shoot the bird at the cowboy trucker who scared the bejesus out of me crossing the Missouri River Bridge! Yup-the guy knew what he was doing. When trucks pass big butt RV's like mine on the left, the draft generated "pushes" the RV to the right side and you have to compensate to stay in your lane. That is hard enough to do with one hand; however, when one is crossing a large body of water in a tight lane with no shoulder and said cowboy trucker decides to pass me--a totally unnecessary maneuver on a bridge--it made me a little crazy. I decided right then that the HALF A BIRD to shoot was the worst thing about having a bum wrist.

Cassie and I made 3 very pleasant rest stops today. She is on some kind of internal schedule where she gets antsy in her "Palace"--between 60-90 minutes and she starts crying. So, of course I stop and let her stretch, drink and pee. It was a beautiful day and the rest stops we visited were unusually pretty places and very well maintained. Cassie did her wiggle/scratch in the grass to the delight of some onlookers who thought that was the cutest thing ever. It was a nice day until I got to Walmart.

Walmart in Columbia is possibly the worst Walmart in the system. It is impossible to find as it is not on a main road nor visible from the interstate. It had equipment piled up in every corner of the lot, which was woefully undersized for the shopping public. The lot is on a incline--not a flat spot on the entire property! The inside was being renovated, so all the shelves were half pulled apart/half empty and much of the merchandise relocated somewhere inscrutable. I found the wrist splint I was looking for; it is a rigid splint and is better than the Ace bandage. I was planning to stay overnight there but I could'nt stand it. Even though I was tired of driving, I left at 7:30pm for the Isle of Capri casino to boondock in the parking lot 30 minutes away.

I had previously determined that there were NO RV PARKS around this area. However, I saw a sign on the road that there was RV parking at McDonald's near the casino and a shuttle from the casino would come if you called. So, I pulled in and...there is was...in the distance a little shack down a side road that said RV Express and full hookups for $10. This place is NOT shangri-la in fact it looks like a rickety storage area, but, I am all hooked up, Cassie is snugged up next to me, I am sucking down a "Coconut rum + something" and it is raining (what else is new?) Tonight, Boonefille MO just west of Columbia MO. Tomorrow, going to Osceola, IA where Terrible's Lakeside Casino is.

Let's give a HOORAH to Travelodge of Concordia, MO for providing the free wifi signal so I could get this post online!