a day of passing the boot tomorrow (will go to the firehouse, join the others in driving up to the interstate, and hold out our boots for donations at the end of the exit ramp leading to the truckstop and our little corner of GA),

a rain day expected Sunday,

and final trip prep and buying camping gear I still need on Monday. 

Tuesday at the firehouse we try to quietly tally the money we raised without clueing in the Chief that we are hoping to use it to by a 'new' used piece of apparatus, an 85' 'snorkel'  (its like a ladder truck, but instead of an extending ladder that firefighters can climb, it is a two section boom with a cherry-picker bucket on the end for fire fighters, fire fighting, and high rescue). 

Our firehouse is full, but the Asst Chief really wants this thing that is being sold super cheap in Louisiana.  Even though we have no highrises here we have one of the nations premiere hang gliding sites in our first due and it is not unusual to get a call out for a pilot in the trees - a bucket would greatly enhance the safety of rescues that are now done by high-rescue specialists who climb the tree and bring victims down via ropes and pulleys. 

By Wednesday I should get the car serviced and packed and

Thursday will be my last night at the watering hole possibly for the rest of the summer.

Friday, its north to Alaska! 

the count down is on . . .