Getting warmer

Crossed the mighty Mississippi this morning to no great fan fair as we angled across the southeast corner of Missouri into Arkansas. The temperature changed about there and all of a sudden it was close to 30 degrees. The scenery changes quite rapidly as well as we get into irrigated agriculture and cotton growing. Pines replace the deciduous trees gradually. We had an interesting encounter with some low growing burs in the grass by a rest stop. These were nasty little critters the size of a small pea with serious spines and we spent some time getting them all out.

Judging from the road signs there are a lot of people interested in reversing their vasectomies. You can get it done using microsurgery as an outpatient from any number of practitioners. You can also get knee replacements done overnight. And if you have a dislike of dentists and haven’t seen one for 10 or 20 years you can go in, take a pill and they will correct those twenty years of bad management in a single sitting - while you sleep.

While folks in Illinois and Arkansas are busy cleaning up around them, it is less evident in Texas where litter litters – including, strangely enough, a number of large old car dumps. This will get me ready for Mexico I am sure.

Stopped in Little Rock for a while and explored the market area and the river park located as it is on the Arkansas River. It is a quite large and beautiful little city it would appear and it looks to be booming with all manner of construction going on. I stopped in an upscale shopping mall to retrieve some cash. Only white folks.

Went past Hope, Arkansas, which as everyone knows is the birthplace of ---- Bill Clinton. John, Dave and Darrell will all be proud of my decision not to actually go into the town to visit the Centre dedicated to his exploits. Finished this day in Texarcana.