GALLUP NEW MEXICO TO TUCUMCARI WITH A BIG ‘AWWWWW NUTS’ WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE

With I-40 only a few hundred yards south of our location & a service road running between us & the Interstate I had to stuff a few small pieces of paper towel in my ears to block out some of Friday nights traffic noise.  With both of us being so tired ww easily fell asleep anyway.  Had to get up at 2 a.m. & kick the furnace on.  Maybe by next winter we’ll have our Legacy Blue Flame heater hooked up again.

JUST ONE OUR ONBOARD YUMMY MEALS FROM THE RIG’S GALLEY:))

A sunny cool morning as we rolled out of Walmart’s parking lot heading for I-40.  It was 7:35 a.m. & minutes later we were eastbound heading in the direction of Albuquerque.  It was about 9:15 with all going well when a dark blue older Jeep Cherokee pulled alongside in the passing lane, tooted it’s horn & the lady in the passenger seat pointed down towards the back of our Motorhome & made a flattening gesture with her hands.  Sensing something was wrong I immediately put on my right blinker & moved ourselves off onto the fortunately wide paved shoulder.  We were about 2 miles east of the Route 66 Casino & just a few miles west of Albuquerque.  I could smell rubber & figured we had blown a tire on the rig.  Kelly was already out the door & as I came down the steps she came back saying there was a flat tire on the Jeeps front driver’s side.  Well it was more than flat alright.  Most of the tire was gone except for some shards of rubber still attached around the rim.  Didn’t appear to be any damage to the Jeep or rim but did see some scuffing & scraping at the bottom of the fender.

 

With traffic going by just feet away at 75 mph & because of the angle we were on I decided not to try & change this tire myself.  We pay for COACHNET road side service every year & I figured we’d best leave this hazardous job to the fellas who are out here every day dealing with these kinds of things.  Lady at Coachnet was nice & told us it would be at least 2 hours before anyone could get to us.  No problem, we weren’t in a hurry & we had our computers & recliners to soak up the time not to mention a washroom, stocked kitchen, & solar panels on the roof supplying us with all the power we might need for whatever.

EVERY TIME ONE OF THESE BIG BOYS BLEW BY OUR COACH ROCKED TO & FRO…..I’M GUESSING ABOUT 10 RIGS A MINUTE

Much sooner than expected a knock came to our door & it was the tow truck driver from NEW MEXICO TOWING//ACME TOWING sent out by Coachnet.  Luckily for us we had said ‘NO’ to 2 other vehicles that had stopped wanting to change the tire for us.  They were sketchy looking characters in older trucks with about 3 of them in each truck.  I already knew about ‘characters’ who troll the Interstates.  We were glad to a ‘real tow truck’ show up.  Of course I forgot to get our legitimate drivers name but we couldn’t have asked for a nicer fella.  He had the ragged tire & rim off in no time with our spare put back on.  Knowing we would need another tire right away we asked about a nearby tire place in Albuquerque & he said we were not far from a Walmart tire center.  Good enough for us guys.  Said to just follow him & he would take us right to it & he did.  Two big thumbs up for Coachnet & the New Mexico towing company today:))

NICE FELLA & HE WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO BE HELPFUL

The Walmart tire center at I-40 & Coors was a very, very, busy place with cars lined up at 3 bays.  Fella told us it could easily be a couple hours before our shredded tire could be replaced with a new tire on the rim.  The spare was in pretty good shape so we left it on the Jeep & put the new spare on the back.  We’ll maybe just leave that combination the way it is until next Fall & see if we can get a set of off-road tires at that time.

ALBUEQUERQUE WALMART TIRE CENTER

DESPITE THE LONG LINE UP AT THE SERVICE BAYS THIS FELLOW WAS VERY HELPFUL & HAD US OUT OF THERE IN LESS THAN HOUR

THERE GOES OUR RIM TO GET A NEW TIRE PUT ON IT & WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT I TOTALLY FORGOT TO TAKE A PIC OUR SPANKIN NEW GOODYEAR TIRE

It was about 1:30 by the time we pulled out of Walmart’s parking lot & heaved ourselves back up onto I-40 heading east.  Hadn’t expected so much traffic on a Saturday but it was heavy with a 20 minute bumper to bumper slow down in a construction zone.  Good thing we weren’t in a hurry today.  Finally made it through the city & began our climb into the mountains.  Because the rig had been running flawlessly we decided to push our luck & leave the Jeep attached.  I had a lot of anxious moments though waiting for a red engine light & loss of power as we climbed through the long grades.  Happy to say my anxiety was for not as the Big EEE pulled us up those grades with power to spare.  Even in the steepest grades our speed never once dropped below 55 mph.  Chris, I was sure thinking about you & that Mass Air Flow Filter today:))

EASTBOUND ON I-40 SLIDING UNDER I-25 IN ALBUEQUERQUE

BUMPER TO BUMPER STOP & GO THROUGH A 20 MINUTE CONSTRUCTION ZONE

WE ARE FINALLY CLEAR OF THE LAST MOUNTAIN RANGE & THE LAND AHEAD BEGINS TO FLATTEN OUT

SPOTS IN THESE PHOTOS ARE BUGS ON OUR WINDSHIELD

EVEN WITH TELEPHONE LINES & A BUGGY WINDSHIELD IT’S STILL A BEAUTIFUL LAND TO BEHOLD

Despite our tiredness with the days events we decided to push on to Tucumcari NM.  I had looked up an RV Park there & figured it would be a good place to stop & take on some water once the mountains were behind us.  We had been traveling with less than a quarter tank because I didn’t want to be hauling a lot of heavy water through the mountains.  Rolled into sleepy Tucumcari late afternoon & found the quaint little CACTUS RV PARK right on old Route 66.  We liked this place right off the bat because it is an original page right out of the old Route 66 days.  Nothing glitzy or glammy or commercialized here & the RV sites are very neat & clean.  The original Motel from the 30’s, 40’s & 50’s is still standing & in reasonably good shape although the doors were probably closed & locked years ago.  Weather has taken it’s toll but that is what made this place appealing to us.  I like old places with all their so irreplaceable histories.  These old units talk to you when you walk by & I like when that happens.  Check out the old photos on their website from a time when this place was in it’s heyday.

How nice to be in a quiet place tonight with no Interstate traffic just a few hundred yards away.  Five other units parked in a line beside us & in another section of this surprising large RV Park I saw other rigs parked as well.  Something of note here though.  ‘50 amp service only’  No step down dog bones to 30 amp.  We hadn’t noticed that on their website & seeings how we don’t travel with a big heavy 50 amp cord we had to rely on our solar/generator power tonight which we are accustomed to anyway so no big deal.

THAT ROAD TO THE LEFT IS THE ORIGINAL ROUTE 66

IF ONLY THESE OLD WALLS COULD TALK THE STORIES THEY COULD TELL

Been keeping an eye on the weather & we’re still kicking around where we’ll go from here.  Either up highway 54 heading in the general direction of I-70 further north or stay on I-40 heading for & around Oklahoma City.  We’ll figure it out in the morning I guess.   Meanwhile it’s Saturday night in quiet little Tucumcari New Mexico & we sit surrounded by memories of days gone by right on old Route 66 itself.  And beaming across America’s air waves tonight came decades of old music to my little Patrolman SW-60 radio which once belonged to my Uncle Fred.  A nostalgic moment for me & one which I know will stay with me for many many years………..

OUR SPOT FOR THE NIGHT

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Aunt Bessie loved to visit her nieces and nephews. However, she had relatives all over the country. The problem was that no matter how much she enjoyed seeing them, she hated flying. No matter how safe people told her it was, she was always worried that someone would have a bomb on the plane.
She read books about how safe it was and listened to the stewardess demonstrate all the safety features. But she still worried herself silly every time a visit was coming up. Finally, the family decided that maybe if she saw the statistics she'd be convinced. So they sent her to a friend of the family who was an actuary.  "Tell me," she said suspiciously, "what are the chances that someone will have a bomb on a plane?"  The actuary looked through his tables and said, "A very small chance. Maybe one in five hundred thousand."  She nodded, then thought for a moment. "So what are the odds of two people having a bomb on the same plane?"  Again he went through his tables.  "Extremely remote," he said. "About one in a billion."  Aunt Bessie nodded and left his office.  And from that day on, every time she flew, she took a bomb with her.

THIS POST IS COMING TO YOU FROM GALLUP NEW MEXICO

ROLLING EAST JUST WEST OF GALLUP NEW MEXICO

Although we hadn’t intended on leaving for home until next week we made a last minute decision late Thursday night to leave early Friday morning.  Kelly did not sleep well again the past couple nights & I could tell her energy was draining.  We had the Motorhome 90% loaded anyway so we made the joint decision to ‘pull the pin’ early & just go.  Sincere apologies to our Congress area friends that we did not get around to see & say good-bye.  I know I told several folks we’d be over to see them but we left it too long.  Our fault. 

KELLY LEAVES BEHIND SOME ART DECO

 

Figured the sooner we got on the road heading back home to Bayfield Ontario the better we & especially Kelly was going to feel.  I won’t go into the emotional drain this has been on us leaving this year but know that we both reached a point where we just needed to turn a page & turn that page quickly…………….

PHOTOS TAKEN FROM OUR HOUSE ROOF THIS MORNING WHILE TAKING DOWN OUR ‘VERIZON INTERNET BOOSTER’

Kelly was awake at 3 & got up at 4 so our day started early as we finished packing the Motorhome & closing up the house.  In a later post I will tell you how I felt about leaving for possibly the last time but I knew the sooner we hit the road the better we would feel.  And that is exactly what happened.

A FEW LAST MINUTE PICS BEFORE LEAVING THIS MORNING…..BEAVERTAIL CACTUS BUDS ABOUT TO BLOOM

THIS WAS THE ONLY EARLY BLOOM THIS MORNING OUT OF ABOUT A 60 BUDS ON ONE OVER OUR BEAVERTAILS

Rolled out our south gate at 8:10 a.m. with Pheebs & I leading the way in our Motorhome & Kelly following in the Jeep.  We had the rig loaded down pretty good & knew towing the Jeep up the Yarnell Hill & through a few climbs west of Prescott would not be a wise move.   The Big EEE seemed to sense my concern & stepped up to the challenge taking us up the Yarnell Hill with no problem.  A stop at the Cornerstone Bakery netted us some road donuts.

THIS WAS MY LAST HOUSE PHOTO THIS MORNING AS KELLY CLOSES THE GATE BEHIND US

HEADING UP THE YARNELL HILL & A DONUT STOP AT THE CORNERSTONE BAKERY

PHEEBS & SPENCER SHARING THE COUCH ON OUR WAY HOME

We scooted along Iron Springs Road up & over some short steep grades then tumbled down into Prescott with no problem then set course through the Chino Valley heading for I-40 & one of Arizona’s toughest & most infamous Interstate stretches west of Williams.  These long east bound grades are where we ran into trouble exactly one year ago about now.  With no Jeep to tow I kept my speed up & rolled right through those grades with not a snicker of trouble.  No red engine light & no loss of power.  In fact we were blowing the doors of some of the 18 wheelers struggling on the grades.  The Big EEE was back in race horse mode & ran fine for the rest of the day.  (hope I haven’t jinxed myself now)  Too soon to tell Chris but I’m thinking maybe your cleaning of our Mass Air Flow Filter a few weeks ago may have had something to do with our Motorhome running so well today:))

IRON SPRINGS ROAD HEADING FOR PRESCOTT

LOOKING OUT OVER THE CHINO VALLEY WHERE WE WOULD BE TRAVELING VERY SHORTLY

NOT AS MUCH SNOW ON THE SAN FRANCISO PEAKS NORTH OF FLAGSTAFF AS LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME

I figured if I left Congress with half a tank of fuel to cut down on weight I should be able to make it to Bellemont just west of Flagstaff & I did.  Kelly also left Congress in the Jeep with half a tank as well hoping it would be near empty when we hooked it up to the Motorhome.  She just made it cruising into the Bellemont Shell station behind me with a red ‘low fuel’ light on.  Filled up the rig, threw a few dollars in the Jeep, grabbed a burg at McDonalds, hitched up the Jeep & we were off & running.

I HOOKED UP THE JEEP WHILE KELLY SLIPPED INTO McD’S FOR SOME BREKKY & BY GOLLY HERE SHE COMES NOW

Had us a nice tail wind all the way from Ash Fork Arizona to Gallup New Mexico.  Clear sunny day with cooling warm temps.  Glad to be out of that 80F+ stuff.  Having overnighted at Walmart before in Gallup we knew exactly where we were going & rolled into the parking lot shortly after 3 p.m. Arizona time or 4 p.m. New Mexico time.  Seeings how it was Friday afternoon Walmart was busy with it’s full share of Walmartians as we jostled our way up & down the aisles.

HEY THAT WALMARTIAN OVER THERE IN THE YOGURT SECTION LOOKS FAMILIAR

BETWEEN WILLIAMS & GALLUP I-40 RUNS THROUGH AN ALMOST PLAINS LIKE LANDSCAPE OF GENTLY ROLLING HILLS WITH VIEWS FOR MILES & MILES

No idea where we’ll end up tomorrow but if we have another great tail wind we may just take advantage of that.  A few more mountains to climb east of Albuquerque & we’ll be home free.  May take I-40 around Oklahoma City or head north before that & cut up through Kansas.  We sometimes never really know where we’re going until after we have been there.

UNDER THE AGE OF 40??  WHAT!!

Typing this tonight in Gallup NM I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved & how much better we both are feeling now that we are on the road heading home.  The hardest part was leaving this morning but as soon as I pulled out onto Ghost Town Road & made my way out of Congress my sadness lifted & my mind focused on the journey ahead, mainly getting up the steep mountain grades trouble free.  After gassing up later in Bellemont & having breakfast in our rig Kelly asked me if was still thinking about the house.  My answer was, ‘what house’????  She felt exactly the same way……………………….:))     

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A red head was recently hired at an office. Her first task was to go out for coffee. Eager to do well her first day on the job, she grabbed a large thermos and hurried to a nearby coffee shop.  She held up the thermos and the coffee shop worker quickly came over to take her order. She asked, "Is this big enough to hold six cups of coffee?"  The coffee shop worker looked at the thermos, hesitated a few seconds, then finally replied, "Yeah. It looks like about six cups to me."  "Oh good!" the red head sighed in relief. "Then give me two regular, two black, and two decaf."

THURSDAY

GROANER’S CORNER:(( You're not fat, you're just... easier to see.

‘GRAND SLAMMED’ MYSELF IN WICKENBURG ARIZONA THIS MORNING

Hopped into the Motorhome bright & early this morning, drove down to Wickenburg & got me ‘Grand Slammed real good.  Last time I can remember ‘Grand Slamming’ myself was in Douglas Arizona about 6 years ago & the time before that was Page Arizona about 9 years ago.  Of course the first time I can remember ever getting ‘Grand Slammed’ was on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota Florida back in the late 90’s when my Aunt Jean took me out for breakfast one morning & we both got ‘Grand Slammed’.  Well I’m talking about DENNYS of course & no I didn’t just drive all the way to Wickenburg in the rig for breakfast.

Wickenburg Tire is a first come first serve type of tire/garage place & I wanted to be there early to have them check the Big EEE’s tires & tire pressures plus a couple other small things.  I was there at 7:30 & the fella said it might be about half an hour.  With that I took off walking southwest on Tegner Street a short distance to Dennys across the road.  Of course that is where I got ‘Grand Slammed’ with one of their breakfast specials being called a ‘Grand Slam’.  Noticed on their menu they also have something called ‘The Grand Slamwich’ so maybe next time I’ll give that one a whirl.  Breakfast was good.  Back to Wickenburg Tire I walked & the rig was done & all set to go so without further adieu…….I went.  Second time I’ve been to this tire/garage place & I like it.

Both the Big EEE & Libby were in need of a good scrubbing so I scratched up some energy & took care of those 2 tasks.  Nice to see them both all shiny & sparkly again.  If Pheebs & I make it out for a few more Jeep rides we will have to stay on pavement & off the dusty desert roads.  Don’t think I have enough energy in reserve for another big vehicle clean-up.

PALS:))

Kelly’s feeling physically better for the moment & is anxious to get back to Bayfield for some R&R.  We’ve both been on an emotional roller-coaster with all this ‘house sale’ stuff here at the Bunch these past few weeks & days.  Our departure time draws near & it’s difficult not knowing whether we will be back to Congress next Fall or not & that all depends on whether the 2 separate parties interested in our house at the moment sell their houses between now & next November.  Everything has been such an unknown for us with the highs being high & the lows being low. 

Had it not been for Kelly there would be no post tonight.  My trouble free Toshiba Satellite laptop would not boot up this morning.  Just a blank screen.  Kelly, using her computer immediately went searching for some answers & solutions on the internet.  Half an hour later she had worked her magic & I was good to go for the day.  Just in case you do not see a post from me tomorrow night or the next few nights be aware it could be a problem with my computer.  It’s about 6 years old now & I have noticed a few little glitches occurring this past liittle while.

GAMBLES QUAIL IN ONE OF OUR MESQUITE TREES

Despite being anxious to get on the road & put some miles between us & all this ‘house sale’ stuff I am at the same time sad at the thought of leaving our beloved little house & property here in Congress.  Happens to me every time & especially more so this year.  I know we’ll both begin to feel better once we get the big wheels rolling.  Just need to get some new scenery & fresh air blowing through our minds……………

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Farmer Jones got out of his car and while heading for his friend's door, noticed a pig with a wooden leg. His curiosity roused, he ask, "Fred, how'd that pig get him a wooden leg?"  "Well Michael, that's a mighty special pig! A while back a wild boar attacked me while I was walking in the woods. That pig there came a runnin', went after that boar and chased him away. Saved my life!"  "And the boar tore up his leg?" "No he was fine after that. But a bit later we had that fire. Started in the shed up against the barn. Well, that ole pig started squealin' like he was stuck, woke us up, and 'fore we got out here, the darn thing had herded the other animals out of the barn and saved 'em all!"  "So that's when he hurt his leg, huh, Fred?" "No, Michael. He was a might winded, though. When my tractor hit a rock and rolled down the hill into the pond I was knocked clean out. When I came to, that pig had dove into the pond and dragged me out 'fore I drownded. Sure did save my life."  "And that was when he hurt his leg?" "Oh no, he was fine. Cleaned him up, too."  "OK, Fred. So just tell me. How did he get the wooden leg?"  "Well", the farmer tells him, "A pig like that, you don't want to eat all at once."

RETIRED’S ROD LATEST POST

Kelly & I have noticed for awhile some fellow Blogger’s posts are not updating at the top of the Blogger’s list on my sidebar to the right.  I often miss posts when this happens.  Luckily Kelly came across Retired Rod’s post today which he just updated.  Instead of posting at the top of our list it was sitting near the bottom of our list.  Rod, only able to write one sentence titled his his post, Whats left.  He is dealing with the recent diagnosis of brain cancer.  Rod has been on our sidebar from the early days when I first began blogging & we have met him 3 times.  First met him near Albuquerque New Mexico, second time he drove from near Phoenix to our house here in Congress & the third time we saw Rod was back in late January at Quartzsite’s Bloggerfest 2016.  Nice fella & you might want to drop by & wish him all the best in the days ahead………………….. 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( And Rod….tonight’s Groaner’s Corner is just for you……….:))

- Midnight bugs taste best.

- Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

- NEVER argue with a woman holding a torque wrench.

- Never try to race an old Geezer, he may have one more gear than you.

- Home is where your bike sits still long enough to leave a few drops of oil on the ground.

- You'll get farther down the road if you learn to use more than two fingers on the front brake.

- Routine maintenance should never be neglected

- It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.

- The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rearview mirror.

- Never be afraid to slow down.

- Only Bikers understand why dogs love to stick their heads out car windows.

- Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory.

- Never ask a biker for directions if you're in a hurry to get there.

- Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

- Pie and Coffee are as important as gasoline.

- Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of gas before you can think straight.

- Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.

- Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

- Never mistake Horsepower for staying power.

- A good rider has balance, judgment, and good timing. So does a good lover. (AMEN!!!)

- A cold hamburger can be reheated quite nicely by strapping it to an exhaust pipe and riding forty miles.

- Never do less then Forty miles before breakfast.

- If you don't ride in the rain-you don't ride.

- A bike on the road is worth 2 in the shop.

- Respect the person who has seen the Dark side of motorcycling and lived.

- Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go.

- A good wrench will let you watch without charging you for it.

- Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night.

- Always back your scoot into the curb-and sit where you can see it.

- Work to ride-Ride to work.

- Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.

- Two lane blacktop isn't a highway-it's an attitude.

- When you look down the road, it seems to never end-but you better believe it does.

- Winter is Natures way of telling you to polish.

- A motorcycle can't sing on the streets of a city.

- Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.

- People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.

- If the bike ain't braking properly, you don't start by rebuilding the engine.

- Remember to pay as much attention to your partner as you do your carburetor.

- Sometimes the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.

- Well-trained reflexes are quicker than luck.

- Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil.

- The best alarm clock is sunshine on Chrome.

- Learn to do counterintuitive things that may someday save your butt.

- The twisties- not the superslabs- separate the bikers from the squids.

- When you're riding lead--don't spit.

- If you really want to know what's going on, watch what's happening at least 5 cars ahead.

- Don't make a reputation you'll have to live down or run away from later.

- If the person in the next lane at the stoplight rolls up the window and locks the door, support their view of life by snarling at them.

- A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.

- If she changes her oil more than she changes her mind--follow her.

- Catchin' a June bug (or yellowjacket in your goggles or honeybee down your shirt) @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary.

- There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.

- Hunger can make even roadkill taste good.

- Sleep with one arm thru the spokes and keep your pants on.

- Practice wrenching on your own bike.

- Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't.

- Beware the biker who says the bike never breaks down.

- Some bikes run on 99-octane ego.

- Owning 2 bikes is useful because at least one can be raided for parts at any given time.

- You'll know she loves you if she offers to let you ride her bike. Don't do it and she'll love you even more.

- Don't argue with an 18-wheeler.

- Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit.

- Maintenance is as much art as it is science.

- A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of gasoline.

- If the countryside seems boring, stop, get off your bike, and go sit in the ditch long enough to appreciate what was here before the asphalt came.

- If you can't get it goin' with bungee cords and electricians tape-it's serious.

- If you ride like there's no tomorrow-there won't be. (Okay all you Power Rangers - pay attention!!!)

- If you want to complain about the pace being set by the road captain, you better be prepared to lead the group yourself.

- Gray-haired bikers don't get that way from pure luck.

- There are drunk bikers. There are old bikers. There are NO old, drunk bikers.

- Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save you from "road rash" if you go down.

- The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.

- Always replace the cheapest parts first.

- You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.

- No matter what marque you ride, it's all the same wind.

- It takes both pistons and cylinders to make a bike run. One is not more important than the other.

I GENERALLY SIT DOWN & WRITE SOMETHING ANYWAY

Even when I have nothing to write about I generally sit down & write about something anyway & so it is the way I begin tonight.  The urge for me to write every day is as strong as my urge to get up every morning.  Writing was something I enjoyed as a kid in public school.  Writing, drawing, & reading were 3 of my favorite pastimes from early on but as life progressed I was to lose interest in all 3 of them & as it turns out,  for long periods of time.  Drawing was first to go as I recall & it never did come back.  Maybe my interest in photography reflects a bit of that creative drawing interest years long ago.  Writing went dormant in my mind for about 50 years with a short insurgence in the late 60's when I had myself a brief flurry with poetry & a few attempts at short stories.  Neither were anything to write home about & my creative mind again slipped into another long hibernation.  I read many books right up to the age of about 36 & then abruptly stopped.  Kind of coincidental that about the time I started wearing glasses I quit reading & it wasn't until we purchased a Kindle  two years ago that my reading interests once again returned.  And that brings me back around to my first line in this paragraph which says, even when I have nothing to write about I generally sit down & write about something anyway.....………….. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  There was this man that had a dog. He came home one day, and his dog was belly up with its legs sticking in the air. He wasn't sure if it was dead or not, so he took it to the vet. He told the vet of his problem, and the vet said that there was a sure-fire way to see if the dog is indeed dead.  He left the room and returned with a cat. He rubbed the cat in the dogs face, and after a while came to the conclusion that the dog was indeed dead.  The man was upset and asked the doctor how much he owed him. The doctor said, "$550" The man was stunned. He asked the doctor to explain and the doctor said, "Fifty for the visit, and 500 for the cat-scan".

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"A writer is a writer not because they write well & easily, because they have amazing talent, or because everything they do is golden.  A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing they do shows any sign of promise, they keep on writing anyway"...... Author Unknown