A Different Shade Of Green

Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and finally to North Carolina. Half way through the final leg of my journey this time I began to recall many of the states and many more of the landscapes I had driven through on my 14,500-mile trek.

A couple of days earlier I had left the seafoam-green landscape of Washington State. Kentucky was an equine of a different color. The grass on the side of the road was almost blue, making me wonder if that is where the term bluegrass came from. Trees, lining the highway on both sides, were a deep-blue/green. They looked like the color of trees as the sun begins setting, but it was full daylight, the sun peeking in and out from the multiples of puffy white clouds except for their pregnant gray underbellies that took turns releasing rain; first this cloud, then that cloud. All the while the bright sun would seem to dance leapfrog through the Robin’s Egg blue sky while playing a game of hide and seek behind the busy clouds. Of course I had to play in the game. Wipers on – wipers off. That was Kentucky, colors so vivid an artist would be jealous. I was grateful that I missed the possible-at-any-moment tornadoes so prevalent this time of year.

One day later, on a Monday, I arrived in Wilmington, NC. Tuesday, my soon to be home was hosting an open house and I showed up in my travel clothes. Take me as I am folks was my motto that day. Emily, my contact, was told I was present and she came out to greet me. She was drop-dead gorgeous and ready to leave for the fancy restaurant, seven course meal afterwards. Well, maybe not, but I did wish, in that moment, that I had saved one really nice outfit for this occasion. I could only imagine people stating, “Oh, well, she’s from California, you know.”

Well, they accepted me and I moved in on Thursday. That is, I was given the key to my new apartment. The POD was to arrive within the hour, which it did. I had to wait until the next morning to have my POD unloaded. Since it included my bed, I spent my last night in a motel. Friday night I fell into MY own bed, distant thunderstorms lulling me to sleep. Best sleep I’ve had in three months. JoJo seems to be sleeping well too. No more dragging him into the doggy car seat for a five to six hour drive every day.

Moving from a two-bedroom, two-bath and into a studio apartment is proving to be a challenge. It’s Saturday evening and I still have 16 boxes to unpack. That means I am half-way done. How’s that for positive thinking? There is a donation pile forming. I was hoping to be done by Monday so I could go to the DMV but I looked it up and Monday is National White Wine Day. I don’t drink white wine but it is also National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day so I’m going to celebrate by eating cookies and unpacking boxes. Tuesday will have to be DMV Day. Hey, I’m retired and can celebrate whatever and whenever I want.

I am betting my next blog will include something about navigating government entities in the South. I just hope I’m not hungover after all of those chocolate chipsters. Y’all take care until next time. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.