Now that I’ve agreed to tow the Airstream to northern Louisiana, the enthusiastic residents of Ruston have come out in force. It’s flattering, amusing, and a bit intimidating all at once. I think Jody is having way too much fun with this.

This morning’s email was from the Event Director of the Squire Creek Country Club; I’m now scheduled to speak before the Ladies Lagniappe Lunch. I’ll be giving a 45 minute presentation on our trip, complete with a handful of the best photos from the 5,000 or so I’ve collected in the past year.

This afternoon’s email was a reporter from the Ruston Daily Leader. We’ll be doing an interview about our reasons for coming to Ruston, and our impressions of the county. (“Love the peaches!”)

This evening’s missive was a very warm welcome from the President/CEO of the Ruston Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau. He’d like to meet up and offered any assistance needed. Very kind indeed. (He also mentioned the peaches.)

So if nothing else, I can assure you that the people of Ruston are (a) really friendly; (b) proud of their peaches; (c) organized so well that they make the Marines look like slackers; and (d) tolerant of itinerant publishers.

Bert was impressed. This evening we drove up to Bay Bayou to have one final dinner with Bert & Janie, and he said that Ruston sounded like an opportunity not to be missed. “Bonnie and Clyde history! You have to go!” It’s funny how this has turned from a little detour to a major event in our trip. I had never, ever, considered visiting Ruston before … and now it is absolutely unthinkable that I should miss it.

Today we got blogged by another blogger here in Tampa. Isn’t that kind of like NBC reporting on CNN? Or like a TV documentary about another TV show?

Maintenance note: I bought a 30-amp extension cord at Camping World. We have been using a 50-foot 14 gauge extension cord to reach power outlets when courtesy parking or at rallies. But that wire gauge is so thin that it was only enough to charge the batteries, and the voltage drop was noticeable. The 30-amp rated cord uses 10 gauge wire, much thicker, and will allow us to run the new 800-watt microwave or the air conditioner when 30-amp service is available. We’ll keep the 50-foot thin cord for super-long runs when we have no other choice.