PACKING DAY, IOWA IS CALLING...

Yesterday the PODS arrived (two 16x8 foot empty containers) designed for moving people. They get dropped off, then you go to work and and fill them with all your humanly possessions. After you stuff them to the gills, the containers are picked up and delivered to your new place. That will be LeClaire, Iowa until we finish renovating a place we purchased last fall outside Galena. Eventually, that will be our permanent residence.

TWO PODS

PODS ON THE TRUCK HEADED TO A DESTINATION.

The reason we are going to LeClaire instead of directly to Galena is because Eden (my daughter) wants to go back to her old school for her senior year of high school. The whole time we've spent here in Portland, Maine, she has attended school on-line due to the virus. Thus, she (and all of us for that matter) have made few contacts or friends. She wants to be around familiar faces and old buddies for her final lap of high school. We thought she deserved that opportunity so it's hello LeClaire, birthplace of Buffalo Bill Cody. Our place is one block from the mighty Mississippi and one block from the American Picker's building.

I'll be doing live weathercasts from the balcony of the historic home we'll be renting. Okay, that was a stretch but I will be doing weather related things from my new location. I'm really looking forward to getting back with the people of the Quad Cities. About 28 years of my television career was spent in the area and I have more fond memories than I can count. So many of you have embraced me and my family and I want to thank you all for your support and friendship, which by the way I'm still experiencing today. It will be an honor to call you all neighbors again!

On top of that, I just miss the Midwest. Sometimes you need to get away to appreciate what you have. Since Christmas I've been counting the days until I could see a good thunderstorm. The whole time I was in Maine I never saw a decent lightning display or felt the power of a Midwest storm. Maine is really vanilla in that respect. Say what you will but I'll never take cornfields and the feel and smell of a warm spring day for granted again. Just to see the vast skies of Iowa will be a treat. I miss that and the sound of crickets. Ha, who would think?

Anyway, I've done nothing but pack and move for about a week. The PODS will take 8 days to get to Iowa once they ship Saturday. We will depart soon after. The whole family, including Nimbus the dog and two cats will take three days to drive the 1,400 miles. We'll be packed in like sardines. The first night we are aiming to stay in Buffalo, New York and the second night near South Bend, Indiana. Of course, we will fill you in on the adventure as we go as I won't have much chance to focus on weather.

So, due to the fact I'm pooped and off the weather grid, this is a weather free post. Which comes at a very good time since there are no storms or significant changes to report. Cool is the rule! Thanks for letting me off the hook today and roll weather...TS (Iowa Joe).