Isn’t it nice to be back home again?

After a couple of long days of driving, I’m back in Michigan. Brrr, cold. Took a short detour after the Naples show to visit with Steve and Anita in Orlando. Relaxed for a few days before starting the 1200 mile drive home. It was an unseasonable 35 degrees when I hitched the horses to the wagon!

Coming home was uneventful, but hard. Long days behind the wheel, and a few hours of fitful sleep at a roadside rest area, with the long-haul behemoths breathing diesel fuel and clattering alongside. I put a sleeper bunk in the back of the pickup now that I have a cap so I can save a bit on cheap motels for the longer trips. The bunk is comfortable, even in 30 degree weather, but a word to the wise: Use earplugs and put up some curtains. The light and noise keep even me, a sound sleeper, tossing and turning. For more on living in your car, read some of Cham’s posts on her marathon trip out West last year… we met by accident at Capitol Reef in Utah.

The last 100 miles saw lots of change in the weather. When I’m shooting, weather changes are welcome, but not so much on the road. Near Dayton, the temperature dropped and a cold rain started peppering the windshield. A band of severe snowstorms swept through the upper Midwest on Thursday night and Friday, leaving the major roads icy and slick. Lots of accidents. One closed I-75 near Toledo and forced me to detour on the back roads. I-75 is also closed near the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, so I went around, using I-275. Got home while it was still daylight, and put the trailer in the driveway. Walkie talkies usually make this task easier with two people, but this time I had to back it in myself. I managed to avoid trees and snowbanks without incident.

After unloading, I got to shovel two inches of ice and snow off the driveway. Welcome to Michigan!