Making Plans, Making Lists, Making a Blog

My first Blog post, I'm off on a "Great Adventure" traveling to California, on a very circuitous route.   I'm traveling by myself, with just  Charlie, my dog, and Buddy, my Appaloosa horse, for company. 

 I know about when I'm leaving, but don't know when I'll be home.   What a feeling of freedom, tinged with a bit of apprehension.

So far I'm already learning a great deal.  I'm making a blog for the first time, I'm learning  how to prepare my big truck for travel in the mountains, and I'm learning about myself. 

I'm being reminded of the kindness of all my family and friends with their offers to help and greatly appreciated advice.  The generosity of complete strangers who only know me through my emails and travel stories continue to astound me. I have so many offers of places to stay overnight, I'd be traveling for years just to get to them all.

Right now my plans  for the first leg is to leave home sometime near the end of February traveling to a NATRC competition near Houston, Texas. On the way I'll make  a stop in West Plains, Missouri to visit a friend.   When I leave there, I'm off  to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas to visit my parents. 

Then on to Cat Springs, Texas for the "ride".  From there I'll  be on my way to Arizona for another competition, then on to California. 

My  "to do" lists have just started (well I knew what I needed to do) but now it's written down. Now to get some things scratched off.   

The days will move quickly...