3:30pm
I just got home. I couldn't resist taking these 4 pics from the first rest area (westbound) on Alligator Alley. I'm always fascinated by them, and I think they describe the area quite succinctly in just 4 words: This is the Everglades.



The drive home was quite eventful, saw one overturned van on I-75 So (fortunately I was northbound) and their traffic was backed up 4 miles. Saw another accident happen behind me. A dirt truck pulled out of the median, onto the fast lane. I maneuvered around it, but none of the cars behind me did. When I got back into the left lane, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw one of the black pickup trucks that was in my pack. Unfortunately it was spinning around in the median, with dirt flying. Not pretty.

Once I got past Tropicana Field I realized I really needed fuel. I saw a Cracker Barrel billboard for Exit 26A and thought "ah, there's sure to be gas stations there". However, the Cracker Barrel was left and I turned right. Through a neighborhood. With a school zone. Oh noooo. And not a gas station in sight.

I continued to a traffic light & saw a Shell station up ahead. "Good, I'm going there". Except there was a Coca-Cola delivery truck maneuvering to deliver, of course blocking the entrance. By the time the traffic light changed, the Coke guy had cleared and I was able to squeeze in between him and a couple of construction trucks.

Except those construction trucks were for guys that were replacing the gas pumps. Oh no ... no gas.

Back through the neighborhood and I continued straight across I-275 to the first gas station I saw. Which happened to be a RaceTrac, full of rednecks. Great. Tight spaces. I had to back up my car so the guy next to me could open his door. Then just as my receipt was printing, a furniture delivery truck was trying to ease in next to me.

I walked in front of his truck and said "wait a minute, please". Fortunately he did. I grabbed that receipt out of the gas pump so damn fast and got the hell out of there.

Whew!

I picked Maguire at the vet (where he was boarded) and we were quite happy to see each other.

Peter just called. He's on Alligator Alley now, should be home in 3-1/2 hours. I'm off to the grocery store.