Off-grid pantry planner

A week ago today we packed up the car, the kids, and the bugs and headed out west. We were going to see my Grandma (the boys’ Great Grandma) as well as Uncle Dan and Aunt Donna and Chicago.

The bugs weren’t “bed bugs” – one was a caterpillar I thought might spin a cocoon eventually and the other was a caterpillar in the process of changing inside its cocoon. I could see through its thin cocoon wrappings at what appeared to be a spotted wing, but I wasn’t sure.  I didn’t want to leave them behind for several days and have them die so we took them with us.  About an hour or so into the trip I found that little guy -wings and all inside the jar. That thing was between our front seats and I totally missed seeing him come out of his cocoon! ugh! Oh well. Maybe next time.

The majority of the trip was spent on Route 30. Thats one long long road and the scenery changes little. The scenic backdrop was mostly farmland.  Seas of dried corn stalks or other plant life between us on the road and the farm buildings that sat way beyond. And boy was it windy.

So windy indeed, that  the rubber {seal?} around the windshield kept blowing out on one side. On that side of the car it was popping out over and over. Now its popped out maybe a couple times in the past but not like it was doing today. We stopped at a Target somewhere along the way and bought duct tape.  And then we were off again, heading west. But then it happened on the driver’s side too!  This time we pulled over on the shoulder of the road to tape that side down as well.  I didn’t use a whole lotta tape, but I still feel its noticeable. It’ll have to do till we can get the windshield looked at.

I guess we left summer behind in Ohio the day we left.  We were wearing shorts, capri-length cut off sweats (for me 😉 ), short sleeves…you get the point. That would all change in a matter of hours upon arrival in the far corner of Indiana and was to be the last of the that kind of weather for us during the remainder of our trip. I had packed a considerable amount of warm-weather clothing that would go unworn.  I even left a couple windows open in the house. The house was about 79 degrees that morning…that would not be the case when we returned home.

…to be continued.

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