In all of the discuusion of leaving on the critical day, December 26th , he mentioned that we would be home by May 1st.
With working at Kmart 40 hours a week, Christmas shopping, and then Christmas, I don't know how I was ready on Decmeber 26th, but I was.
Jennifer and Tom had us over for Christmas Day, and cooked a lovely dinner. After visiting, and a few good-bye tears, we went home to finish packing. We even got the Christ- mas decorations down inside the house. The lights outside can wait until Spring.
By 7:00 a.m. December 26th we were on the road, it was "critical" you know.
But I remembered him saying we'd be home by May 1st. May 1st is now my critical day. We will be leaving our campground that we've been at, for a month, on April 15th. Bill, being a National Park "nut," still has some stops to make along the way. I can assure you we will be doing them at quite a fast pace to get home by May 1st. Because after all........... IT'S CRITICAL.
So I continued up the road, confident in the fact we would find gas, even if it was more expensive. As we drove, it got more desolate, less populated, and no gas stations in sight. I believe, "I told you so," may have been mentioned more than once. We drove on, past Tortilla Flats and the last semblence of any populace whatsoever. Tempers were getting a little testy at this point, and now we hit the gravel lane and a half road. The only reason we didn't holler at each other was because there was so much dust, we would have choked to death. The gravel road was now so steep and curvy, that I had to downshift the car to save the brakes. Now we were using gas going uphill and down. About what I estimated to be 7 or 8 miles before we ran out of gas, we spotted a Dude Ranch on the side of the road which was about 100 yards off the road. Not until we started in, did we notice a water runoff filled with rocks that we'd have to cross to get in. We bumped and clunked over the rocks just fine, and got in. A young lad approached me and asked if he could do anything for us.......anything.
(CONTINUED BELOW)
This is another fine issue of a Newsletter
called GOIN' SOUTH by
Bill and Sharon Rocheleau
710 E. Smith Street
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
TO: Family and Friends
Anywhere USA
THE NEWSLETTER IS A HIT!!
WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE GLOBE THAT THE NEWSLETTER HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED AND PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE IT. WELL THAT'S NOT QUITE TRUE. WE'VE HEARD FROM ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE WHOSE ANCESTOR'S HAVE BEEN FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A CUTE IDEA. WELL THATS NOT QUITE TRUE EITHER . ACTUALLY THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THAT I TALKED TO MY MOTHER ON THE PHONE, AND SHE SAID SHE LIKED IT A LOT. JENNIFER ALMOST THREW HERS AWAY, AND JESSICA CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HER NEW LIVING ROOM IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
3 N.P.'s
I quickly informed him that I needed gas and asked if He had any? He said, "you're in luck, I have 15 gallons in the back of my truck. I'll give you 5 gallons for $7." I said I'll take the gas, and gave him $10. I told him the tip was for being there, when I needed him. When we left we had to cross the rocks again. I got stuck as soon as I hit the water. I couldn't get out, but it was fortunate that a telephone truck was trying to get out behind us. He gave us a little push and I bumped and clunked across again. This time, however, I picked up a strange noise under the car that we still have with us, but me and the mrs. were now friends again. We continued on our way to Tonto and had no more incidents-----that day.
We drove through the Tonto National Forest for at least 75 miles and something very unusual occurred to us. No matter where we went, there were no trees. It had Saguaro forests, but no trees.
mas decorations down inside the house. The lights outside can wait until Spring.