Update, Travel Days and Arriving Home

Thank you for praying for us three. We are doing well by God's grace. I rested some last night and Odie did too. We are also feeling the prayers of God's people and God is helping. We have also had the right people get us Z-Pacs, Ivermectin and other things and we are taking them faithfully. I have always been a belt AND suspender guy.

My chest feels like it is on fire, but running no fever much. I had a light fever coming and going the first day or two, but none as of now. Odie is about the same, except no congestion. We are tired, but not experiencing extreme fatigue yet. We are thankful!

We are doing our best to keep Kelly Jo from getting sick. Even though she has some antibodies in her blood, we are not taking chances. We can not afford for her to get sick. She is definitely the most important factor here and we are not about to forget that.

I probably need to explain why we would drive over 900 miles when it probably would have been easier to stay in Bernice, Louisiana. There are several people in that church that work in the medical field and they were very willing for us to stay there and help take care of us.

Also, a few other very kind pastors let me know we were completely welcome to drive to their churches and park for the duration, however long the duration is. We certainly appreciate all that kindness.

If this was the flu, or head cold, or common cold or something similar, staying in place would have been the most prudent and even cost effective thing to do. I did seriously consider it.

But this is COVID. We all know by now, that anything can happen with this. The vast majority of people come through it and in a week or two, or less, they are running at full speed. There is no rhyme or reason as to who gets hit hard or why.

That unknown caused me to make the decision to try to get home. I fully expect to go through this fine, but IF I became sicker than standard and got hit really hard, the last place we needed to be was 900+ miles from home with no way to get us or the bus home. Does that make sense? 

It made sense to me. At least it did until I was actually driving those 900 miles! I questioned my decision making process and even my sanity a few times along the way, but there was no sense in turning back. 

Please understand this. Traveling in the bus, we can drive across country and never get near anyone to expose them to the virus. KJo and Odie need not even get out of the bus once. I would get out in the morning and check the bus and Jeep over before we left, always wearing a mask and making sure NO one was around at all. I would also walk around the bus a few times to get my blood pumping and my lungs expanding.

It got so rough that Kelly Jo even drove about 30 minutes Tuesday morning.

Speaking of walking, it is way too cold to walk here. The cold air sets my lungs on fire. I am walking back and forth in the bus and breathing deeply multiple times day and night.

We drove 283 miles the first evening, 413 miles Monday and 222 miles Tuesday morning, arriving at the Lazy OD Ranch at 1:40 PM.

That totals 918 on the GPS. I have not checked the odometer on the bus, sometimes it registers a bit more, but 918 is close.

Monday, we realized the driveway was going to be snow covered and frozen when we arrived Wednesday. It is downhill the 150 feet or so from Odie's house to the barn. The tent trailer was in the barn and needs to be pulled out uphill. The bus needs to be pulled into the barn downhill. Snow and ice make both of those complicated.

My Dad got his grandson, my nephew Luke, to bring his 4WD truck and his back. Luke shoveled the snow about 30-40 feet up the hill from the barn and Odie's driveway too.

When we arrived home, we parked next door and unhooked the Jeep and used it to get Odie to her house. Then I sprinkled Icemelt on the driveway in front of the barn that Luke shoveled.

We hooked the trailer to the truck and Dad was able to get it up the hill enough so that he could back it to the side. Then I brought the bus over and crept SLOWLY down the hill into the barn, sliding only a little toward the top. Whew!

This is the driveway after it was shoveled, Icemelt applied and the trailer was out and the bus was in.

We were about an hour from arrival to finishing up and I was thrilled to get it done and get it done safely. I appreciate my Dad, Luke and my sister Theresa. Of course, you know that KJo worked hard too. She always does.

I could have parked outside the barn, but that would have been a nightmare with the super cold temps we had Tuesday night and with colder weather coming over the weekend. Even though the barn is not insulated properly or heated, it is much better in here out of the wind.

We had some sunshine Wednesday and I am glad of that. I did not see it personally, but I looked at it in Odie's cameras.

That is probably more information than you need to know, but thank you for checking in with us. Thank you also for praying for us. Please keep it up.

Davy