February 18, 2016 - Thursday
42 degrees/clear/calm winds
Laurel, MS

There's little time to write today or upload pictures. I was out of bed at 5:15 and into the shower. Sargie was up soon after.

We had a wonderful time yesterday in Gulfport and Biloxi, MS, driving along the Gulf coast and having lunch with Jody and Garry's son, Kevin. I even got to ride in his sporty Mercedes Benz! 

We ended the day touring the University of Southern Mississippi, where Jody, Garry, my son, Matt, and I, all attended college at different times. It's grown so much that I barely recognized any of the buildings, but is so beautiful.

The girls were dropped off at the mall in Hattiesburg while Garry and I went to Harbor Freight and did some "guy things."



Just before arriving home, we stopped at Garry's cousin, Freddie's home, who lives just up the road a bit. Next time we're in the neighborhood, maybe we'll have time to visit with Freddie and his wife, Jan, a bit. It was late last night and we needed to get home.



Kari, Tommy, and the kids, all stopped in to tell us goodbye last night. Leaving Garry and Jody is terribly difficult, but perhaps it's hardest to tell the younger generation goodbye. Manners and courtesy, heaped high with hugs, kisses, and "love you's," are alive and well on Meador Road. It won't be twelve years (the amount of time since my last visit) before we see everyone again. Life is too precious to miss watching those babies grow up and be a part of their lives.



So it is that we'll head our little Kia north in less than an hour and drive from seventy-degree weather back into the cold and dark days of winter. With any luck, we'll be well into Illinois tonight and onto Pentoga Road late Friday afternoon or evening.

I'm going to sip some coffee and enjoy a few last moments with our hosts, then it will be time to load the car.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...