Home! And rain as we return to Tennessee

The second batch of wet weather hit us as we rolled up through the top right corner of Georgia and approached Chattanooga. But it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm and overall verdict of the success of the trip.
We are already talking about the next trip and how we can upgrade the camper. Very smooth driving today. The van has run great overall, using a quart of oil over 4,600 miles. The wheel that heated up coming down the mountain through Sedona stayed cool for the rest of the trip despite a mechanic telling me that the new hub I put on was bad. I think I will change the rear brakes and see if that does the trick.

Uncle Kenneth's tractor

He was wondering what more to do to his tractor when we arrived for lunch. Ironically, it's British-made, but Matt couldn't fix it.

Cousin Tim in Center, TX

My cousin Tim was my companion in Chicago and it was good to be reunited after many years! Here, we're outside his business on Friday, January 6.

Cowboy Harry

My mom's cousin drove us to Payne Cemetery, which he mows and cares for, and where Hogue relatives are buried, such as my great grandparents.

Big excavator "sandbox"

Harry & Patti Hogue's house in the background of this heavy equipment where the boys enjoyed playing in the sand, which is the type of dirt in that area.

Big pond being dug out

Harry was able to sell much of the soil, aiding his pond-digging effort, which could be seen from the large windows in the back of the house. They call their property "Vista View Farm."

Black gold!