STORM HAS STOPPED US (but not for long!)

This is what's happening in NASHVILLE people!

Wally and I were over half-way to our destination down south when we got blindsided by a freak storm. "Worst ice storm in a decade hits the Tennessee Valley" and THAT's where Wally and I are! I was too QUICK to say "we're almost there!" After a great start it took us 7 hours to drive a hundred miles today. We saw dozens and dozens of cars off the road. Semis, four-wheelers, trucks, state troopers...an ambulance - wham, all off the road. A combination of ice, freezing rain, snow, sleet and wind created some of the WORST driving conditions this northern girl has EVER seen.

Plus, these Tennesseans and Kentuckians, who are sweet and awesome and helpful do not know a lot about ice driving and why would they? The last time they saw a blizzard like this in the Tennessee Valley was 1996. They have no snow plows and bless their hearts, the DMV treated the roads with beet juice in preparation for the storm. Beet Juice? do beets have some naturally occurring antifreeze element? All I know is juice is liquid, and if they hosed the highways down with liquid before the storm hit - no wonder they were like skating rinks.

but FEAR NOT my dear friends! If there's anything this Minnesota Girl knows how to do - it's drive on ice. I was like a pace car on the highway today...driving "aggressively slow" with my blinkers on. We crawled the whole way from Nashville to Chattanooga at 10-12 mph and led about 20 cars, who also put their blinkers on, down the highway. The good news is we reached Chattanooga and landed one of the last hotel rooms in town. The bad news is there's a teen Christian music convention in town. Kids with guitars. Practicing. In their hotel rooms.

But Wally can sleep through anything!


This is a small set back - a trifle! We will not be stopped! We will however, be delayed. We're staying at a hotel until this ridiculousness ends. Walter has been a spectacular passenger and his backseat apartment has served as an excellent scamperland. The bad cut on his foot is almost completely healed now - it hampered rehab in a serious way - but it's almost totally better and I cannot wait for him to pee on grass!!!!! Meanwhile, anyone know of stuff to do with dogs in a blizzard in Chattanooga? Yup...looks like it's time to start the next book. :)

Eric, Steve and everyone in FL - we're coming! Hold tight!!!!!! Everyone please continue to pray for our safe travels...it's what kept us from going into the ditch today!