Prologue
The Drive Out

I finally pulled out of town on Sat. the 23rd. here is a breif account I sent to the people that were there:
"Well I learned quickly that time is not so important on an all-summer trip. I left the shop after a great, long and drawn out send-off (thank you, thank you), and went down the Cowan side; when I finally got to Alto I saw I had gone 25 miles instead of 5, had I gone down the Alto road. When I got to Murfreesboro, I realized I had forgotten the all important box that had all the maps, atlases, and gazateers, so I turned around and headed back home to get them. I was now incredibly fearful I would be spotted, by Darren or anybody, for that matter. Anyway I picked up the box and went on my way, pulling out just before noon. In the big picture, it was not much of a delay."
It was a wonderful drive, the further west, the more extrordinary. Visited son Leland in Denver, then up through Wyoming and Montana, noting how high and snow-peaked the Bighorn and Rocky Mountains were and will be. I surprised old freinds Tom and Sherry Brown in White Salmon, WA, and visited Pratt and Heidi Rather and their incredibly adorable children. Well here I sit in Seaside, OR ready to Rock n Roll tomorrow morning.