Getting my fix ...

... of autumn!! Well, slowly! The trees aren't quite fully in autumn bloom but close. As we drove north, the trees began to change and I began to think, "Okay, Thanksgiving is just around the corner... that means Christmas is right after that .. yikes ... I'm not ready!!"

Chattanooga is pretty if it is daylight and sunny. But when it is nighttime, drizzling and a little bit foggy, that can present some challenges. I was driving and we had decided that we would pick up one of those hotel books where you can get awesome deals (and we do). We usually pick them up at the welcome center in Tennessee but you have to drive a little ways up I-24 before you actually come to the welcome center. (In and out of Georgia again.) So, we stopped to get gas and Sandi picked up a book there. The weather was deteriorating quickly and we had just passed an accident where a semi's cab had burned. That had me less than secure about driving much farther.

We could not find a hotel which took pets except for 10 miles behind us. That was not acceptable to Tim who was anxious to get to Indy for a family reunion last evening. Soooo ... we decided to go on to the welcome center (just a few miles ahead). We did, Sandi ran in and picked up two more books. Of course, you have to find where you are in the book which can be a challenge. She did -- called one hotel and they had rooms just not first floor rooms. Since I'm limited to a wheelchair and a walker and I was not going to ask Tim to pull me up a flight of stairs in a wheelchair, we passed on that one. Then Sandi found it ... THE one! They took pets, they had first floor rooms and the gal was really nice which gave her brownie points as far as we are concerned.

Sandi told the gal that we had a dog and

that Cookie was only about 10 pounds give or take a few. The gal said, "We don't care if you have a bear down there." Okay, then ...

The hotel was only six miles up the road, "America's Best Inns" I believe. It wasn't the fanciest but was very acceptable and clean. We didn't need much since it was already 12:30am and we would be 'back on the road again' around 8:30am. There is usually an $8 charge for a pet and for more than two people .. the original rate for the hotel was $34.95 .. the gal told Sandi, "Oh, the dog is a little one and I'm not charging you for the extra people -- I just need to know how many for breakfast in the morning" (sausage and gravy breakfast) .. so after we paid a total of $40 for the rest of the night, we were off to our room. And back up and on the road again not long after 8:30!!

We arrived safe and sound in Indy at 3pm .. my brother, Mark, met us at Walmart (can you ever go anywhere without visiting Walmart?) and talked to me while Tim and Sandi picked up some things for their reunion. Then it was off to Tim's sister's home (Paula). I always enjoy being there -- they are all like family to us as they have adopted Sandi as more than just a sister-in-law -- she and Tim are a unit. I hung out there until Rachel picked me up (well, I got into their van) and we headed to Spiceland, Indiana (their home). Spiceland? Just south of I-70 and New Castle, Indiana. I'm looking forward to sister time -- as well as with the rest of her family.

Soooo ... now you have the rest of the story -- if you hung long enough to read it all ... lol!!! I'm off to see my dad after while and am looking forward to some father/daughters time, also. There are just two daughters and my dad always enjoys us being there together.