Monday p.m. - still in Idaho Falls

Whoever said, "Experience is what happens when you were expecting something else." was right on the money. Our plans to make it into West / North Yellowstone today didn't come to pass. Margaret had a serious bout of coughing last night with lots of congestion and some chest pain. So today, we explored the medical facilities of Idaho Falls!

Even though Margaret laughs at my University of Florida license plate (and frames), it came in handy today. A couple from Bradenton, FL (just south of St. Petersburg where we grew up) has just moved to Idaho Falls. I say moved; they are in their trailer (a few spots from us) and have just bought a house here. Anyway, they learned of Margaret's plight and volunteered to drive us to the Urgent Care clinic close by.

After a 45 minute wait in the clinic, another 30 minute wait at the pharmacy, and another 20 minutes wait for the taxi, we got back to the motorhome around noon. A quick bite of lunch so Margaret could take her anti-biotics and she was off to bed. Spent the entire day there. So it remains to be seen if she'll be up to any travel tomorrow. If not, we'll stay put for another day (or two?).

I hate to say she always gets sick after a Red Cross assingment, but with the long, difficult hours, she never gets enough rest and usually not enough food. Then the long ride home in the airplane with folks coughing and sneezing, it's hard not to get sick. Then there's a week or two of recuperating - and she says she's ready to go again! Sigh...

On an administrative note, some of you said you couldn't get into this blog to make comments. Feel free to send old-fashioned e-mails (doesn't that sound like a contradiction in terms!). I know at least two people are reading some of this (thanks Shell and Carol!).

If you were wondering where we stay during these travels, the quick answer is "paved paradise" - a phrase conjured up by an old buddy from Hughes Aircraft days. We used to RV together back in the old days and that was his term for concrete pads lined up like sardines in a can.

We concluded early on that there was a lot to be said for full hook-ups (electricity, water, TV cable, and sewer dumps) when you're in a large RV. The fact that the 5th Wheel trailer didn't have a generator meant we wouldn't have air conditioning. And most of this trip, we needed it almost every day. (Nights in Yellowstone / Teton was different - heat was needed - which is another story to relate.) Now that we are generator-people, plus we're heading back to the north where it's a little cooler, we are going to try some boon-docking (RV terminology for no hook-ups).

Even though we haven't explored Idaho Falls, I notice on the map that we're very close to the Snake River - again. It seems like everywhere we go in our adventure, we're next to, or crossing, the Snake River. Guess that's why they call it Snake River - it curls around? When we were in Grand Teton Nat'l Park we did see the lake and dam that creates the Snake River. If I can every figure out how to post photos, maybe I'll put that one in.

Hopefully, Margaret will feel well enough to move tomorrow.

More later,
Wayne