YUK

     Sunday, May 20th

     Day started out with the Bluebird of Happiness perched on my water spicket.  I've never seen one that up-close.  Darling little bird.
     Left at 8 (my body still thinks it's 9 - I forgot to tell that story - while reading the menu outside the Biscuits & Blues restaurant, a couple of cowboys got out of their truck to go in too and just made some howdy do conversation and as we walked in said something about it being early for lunch but I didn't think 11:45 was really early but did notice that we were the only ones in there.  It wasn't until I was waiting for dessert that I was looking at my phone and noticed the time being an hour earlier than my watch.  When I got back to Rhoda I looked at the map to see where the time change occurred and it was way back in the panhandle of FL so I'd been doing everything an hour earlier for 3 days:)
     So, I drove away on top of this very high levee and had 2 thoughts:

• I realized what it meant in New Orleans to have that levee go.  Man oh man how scary and what kind of catastrophe it was to have the water surging over it and what strength it took to break it.
• these Corp of Engineer parks I'm wondering if they are available for campers now since they were probably created when they were working on a project like this levee and workers needed a place to stay.  Now that the project is done, might as well get some use and some money from it.  They are very nice and in this case in a beautiful recreational area - Lake Granada is huge!

     I was in TN for 10 mins. & decided to pass-up Graceland even though Rt. 55 was only about 3 blocks from it.  I'd seen it when Elvis was alive and he drove thru the gates.  I didn't need to see the interior; I've seen enough pictures of it.
     I crossed over the Mississippi River again, into Arkansas this time.  Queen's Ann Lace has replaced the Black-eyed Susans
     The "YUK" title for today is because I was on interstates all day - terrible interstates.  I think they were made for trucks and the trucks all use them.  Have never been on a highway with so many - not even in PA.  And I don't think AR got any stimulus money to improve their highways - they are in terrible condition.  And the YUK is also because I think I got poison ivy on one foot.  I thought it was a fire-ant bite because I got that too but now I think I've also got poison ivy.  When I went for a walk in the Forest campground I saw it growing and I had sandals on but I thought I was being careful.
     And - to the Ann Holland family - you may not want to spend much time in MS, AL, and maybe AR.  I have not seen one store or one sign for Starbucks.
     I drove through Little Rock - not bad, it's Sunday and am spending the night in a KOA outside Hot Springs and the best part is the background for Rhoda tonight - for sister Barbara - a grove of bamboo.

               
P.S.  I don't get any news or weather so if something important happens, keep me in the loop (I do know Donna Summers died)

                                                                       DATA:

Mileage:    291                                                        Groceries:  $35
Camp:  $32                                                              Weather:  dry, sunny, quite warm, cool at
Gas:  $37   @ $3.4                                                                    night for good sleeping
           $64   @$3.28