Today is my first delivery from Walmart+. Since I’m sick I don’t feel like going to town or spreading this around to anyone else so I placed a delivery order for a couple of groceries but mainly to restock my cold meds. This is pretty convenient when you’re not feeling well, not to mention with all the sickness going around it’s good to avoid crowds even while wearing masks. I’ll be making more use of delivery for the sheer convenience.

Yeah, I’m fighting a bit of a cold after being out in the wilds over the holiday. I still take all the precautions like I have for the last nearly three years, but you cannot avoid everything. I was hoping to get out for another road trip or two this week but it looks as though that is delayed a bit until I get well. I have a few ideas already so when I get better the dogs and I will be hitting the road!

Speaking of travel, I ordered a few new travel books and maps from Rick Steves while everything was on sale. I got a planning map for Europe, one for Ireland, the latest version of “Europe Through the Back Door”, plus a book they threw in for free called “On the Hippie Trail: From Istanbul to Kathmandu“.

The maps will be handy for planning & getting ideas for trips and will be very useful for train trips and traveling by car. They are printed on tough water-resistant paper so they can withstand the rigors of travel. It’s always good to have a paper map for your travels. The batteries never run out and you don’t need cell service. You only need to know where you are!

I have an earlier edition of the Back Door book from my first trip but wanted to get updated info, especially for traveling during and post-‘rona. I posted previously how I found this book to be an invaluable resource for traveling to Europe. I think that some of the info is generic enough to use for other parts of the world as well.

I’m sure the “Hippie” book will have interesting tales in it as well. Some of you may not know, but Rick Steves was a big sponsor for the push to legalize cannabis in Washington state. Thanks, Rick!

Like most of you here in the Colonies, I ate way too much for Thanksgiving. It was so damn delicious it was difficult to resist. My plate was not heaping with food; I just don’t pile or refill my plate like I used to – one modest plate and I’m done. As I have said previously, I’m not big on turkey anyway and only like it with all the fixings; even then it’s only once or twice a year.

I received some wool socks and shirts for my travel wardrobe a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t wait to travel to try them out so I’ve been wearing them around. I really like this stuff. Merino wool is so soft and comfortable and has several advantages over many other fabrics, especially for travel. I’m really excited to try out this new way of thinking for my travel clothing.

A cold front will be moving through today, knocking almost 30 degrees F off of the high around noon in just a few short hours. It will be a good day to be indoors, especially when not feeling good. The winds have already picked up ahead of the front so it’s getting close!

That’s it for this post.