Back in Texas II

                        Father Damien stopped by after we pulled in yesterday, more on that in a minute.

                        We’re back here in Texas after three full days of traveling and two nights spent in two new spots. Yes, we can now add the Walmart Parking Lot of Vicksburg, Mississippi and the Cracker Barrel of Abingdon, Virginia to the list of Parking Lots We Have Known.

 Both were nice and quiet.

Usually the Cracker Barrel lots are, but it is uncommon for the Walmart Lots to be so still. It seems that in order to qualify to be a real Walmart Parking Lot, one must possess several attributes, among those being:

• located adjacent to a railway that runs all night
•  have the overnight Walmart employees drive vehicles with bad exhaust systems that rival NASCAR racing cars on the decibel rating scale,
• and of course, be lit by parking lot lighting that equals the sun in ability to flood an area with lumens. This last one is obviously not bad, it’s just hard to find a position that won’t have those intense little light particles finding their way into our windows. We love to sleep with the windows directly next to our heads open allowing those sleep-lulling breezes to infiltrate our room.

Anyway, this Vicksburg Walmart has been relatively quiet since the Battle back in 1863 and had only the aforementioned lights to contend with, so as Mr. Meatloaf sang, “two outa three ain’t bad!”

When we stop in these places, or in an Interstate Rest Area, there are a few taboos that must be acknowledged, and the most important one is….. Don’t Set Up Camp! We do not run out our large slide-out, put the awnings down, drag out the folding chairs and cook on the BBQ when we’re there. The MOST that we do is run out the small slide-out that basically just holds the headboard of the bed and those nice little windows.

That’s it.

We are there only to “overnight” and to do anything else would violate the understanding between the Establishments and the Traveling Public.

            The daytime portions of the trip went flawlessly.

Well, kind of.

If you take out the “Get Off the Interstate and Detour Down a Very Narrow Country Road with all of the Tractor Trailers Coming the Other Way almost causing Our Collective Side Mirrors to Collide” because there was an awful crash on the other side of the highway (that closed the entire Interstate 81 for over twelve hours) then all went well! The fuel stops were efficient, and the roadways were relatively smooth as we are now getting to experience the fruits of all the roadway projects that have been holding us up over the last few years. We cannot extend to you the seeming endless construction projects that we travel through from Point A to Point B ….. and they are all sorely needed! As comfortable as it is to drive Miss Biggie, we need to remember that she is basically a Freightliner Truck underneath, not a Lincoln Town Car, and behaves accordingly. Sometimes I wonder how she holds it all together as we pass over Potholes of Magnificent Proportions and the like.

                        So, now back to Father Damien.

                        We backed into our dedicated spot here at Danny and Kaitie’s homestead, dropped anchor and went outside only to find our little patch of well-cared for lawn all askew.

We were scratching our heads and trying to figure out what’s going on, when this old guy wearing an old brown robe and sandals, saunters up to us, looks over the affected area, shook his head and said,

“Don’t ya worry, just don’t kiss ‘em.”

                                                            What?

                                                “Yea, just don’t kiss ‘em or anything like that and you’ll be jes fine.”

                                                            Kiss  who?

                                                “The ‘dillas, don’t handle the ‘dillas an’ ya won’t get it.”

                                                            Get what?

                                                “Leprosy, ya can’t get the lep unless ya handle ‘em.”

                                                            Handle what???

                                                “The dilla’s…. the Arm-a-dill-a’s!

He then walked away saying that he was on his way back to the island of Molokai and wished us well with dealing with our new Invaders of the Lawn.

                                    It seems that armadillos are the only animal species besides humans to be able to host the bacterium that causes Leprosy.

And they’re here in Texas.

Of course they are!

Along with giant spiders and scorpions, and tornadoes, and wild boars that invade like locusts, and…. well, you get my drift!

But have no fear! Only 20% of armadillos carry this baddie and 95% of humans have an immune system strong enough to combat it, so add those numbers together and the chances get pretty small for contracting Leprosy.

                                    Still…. we will not be handling the little cuties when we try and thwart their efforts to decimate the remainder of our lawn!

                                    So back we are, ready for numerous doctor’s appointments and my List of Important Things keeps getting longer and longer as I remember what those jobs/maintenance items are that need to be done (mainly on Miss Biggie). If you would like to help just show up any morning, I’ve got all the tools so no need to drag them along. Today’s lesson will be “How to Sand Off Rust on the Chassis and Apply Rust Inhibitor to Help Prevent Future Issues.” Wear old clothes.