Parking Lot On I-59/20

Coker, Alabama

Weather: low 78 degrees, high 92 degrees, mostly cloudy

We had intended to do some work at the house today so we could get it ready for the Open House on Sunday. However, Terri needed some help with an errand in town that took longer than we thought it would. Then we had to go to the laundromat to wash our clothes. An hour later, she asked us to ride with her up to Bessemer to deliver Thomas to his dad for their bi-weekly visit. By the time we got back home, it was almost dark, and another day was finished.

Traffic in town and on the Interstate was bumper to bumper. The Interstate was a big parking lot. Fortunately, Terri knows her way around, so we were able to take side roads to get us past the traffic jam, and made good time up to Bessemer. On the way back, we saw that the reason for the traffic jam was a tour bus that had caught fire and burned on the side of the road. I hope no one was injured.

Have gasoline prices skyrocketed where you are? They have here, with prices increasing overnight by up to $.75/gallon, with a forecast that they will go up to $5.50 per gallon in the near future. Apparently, 25% of the nation's gasoline is refined in Houston, and the storm has caused a shutdown of the refineries. This is at a time that crude oil has dropped below $100 a barrel. On the plus side, diesel fuel, which is what we use in our truck, has stayed at the same price. Gasoline costs more than diesel for the first time in several years.

We talked to Lori and her family this afternoon. They are ready for the storm, and were just starting to get some wind from it. We are praying for them and all of the other people in the path of the storm. This is going to be a bad one.

Tomorrow, we'll be busy getting the house ready for the Open House on Sunday. We have our fingers and everything else crossed that a buyer will see it and take it off Terri's hands.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Willits, California: Gateway To The Redwoods

Not all who wander are lost.