Just checking to see whether this tree in front of Greenfield Hill Church still smells the same . . . . . . but we call it home.  Yes, Ricky and I are on familiar turf again; we’ve been back in CT just over a week now.  Had a bunch of comforting “welcome home” comments waiting for us on the blog — from Pam, and Lang, and Naince, and Mary & Dante the Beagle, et al.  What I’m finding now that I’m back is that though I complained a lot about...

Happy together: Ricky and Luke in Iowa LA/XC DAYS TWENTY-ONE AND TWENTY-TWO: MISSOURI VALLEY (IOWA) TO SOUTH BEND (INDIANA); SOUTH BEND TO WESTPORT, CT •  Two-day mileage:  1,283 •  Total LA/XC mileage:  7,643 •  Road Music:  Trish Murphy; Creedence Clearwater Revival; John Mellencamp; Rolling Stones; Lady Gaga; Carrie Underwood •  Two-day state tally:  8 (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut) •  New states for...

LA/XC DAYS EIGHTEEN, NINETEEN, AND TWENTY:  ROCK SPRINGS (WYOMING) TO DENVER; DENVER TO BADLANDS; BADLANDS TO MISSOURI VALLEY (IOWA) My Monday night dinner: Nothing but the best for Beagle Man •  Three-day mileage: 1,318 •  Total LA/XC mileage:  6,359 •  Road Music: Sunday — NFL Radio; Monday — iPod malfunction (again!); listened to pretty much every music station on XM radio; Tuesday — iPod back from the dead:  Adele, Wynona Judd; Billy Joel • ...

LA/XC DAY SEVENTEEN:  ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING •  Today’s mileage:  399 •  Total LA/XC mileage:  5,034 •  Road Music:  ZZ Top; College football (Sooners beat Mizzou) •  Today’s state tally:  3 (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming) •  New states for Beagle Man:  0  (For a moment I was thinking Wyoming, but then I remembered western ski trips — and Jackson Hole.  Damn!) You can bet when I found out that Rock Springs, Wyoming — my destination for tonight...

LA/XC DAY SIXTEEN:  ELKO, NEVADA Maybe a little glitzy, but we call it home •  Two-day mileage:  544 •  Total LA/XC mileage:  4,635 •  Road Music:  Eagles, Rascal Flatts, Lucinda Williams •  Two-day state tally:  2 (California, Nevada; what can I say — they’re both huge!) •  New states for Beagle Man:  0  (Was tempted to count Nevada, but already did when I stopped in Vegas on the way out) Sixteen days into my journey, and for the first time, my pardner and I arrived...

LA/XC DAY FIFTEEN:  SAN FRANCISCO Yesterday’s mileage:  438 Total LA/XC mileage:  4,091 Road Music:  Sheryl Crow iPod marathon Yesterday’s state tally:  1 (California; it’s a long state) New states for Beagle Man:  0 It finally happened.  My pardner woke me at 6:05 this morning (late for him),  I strapped on his leash, grabbed the essentials, opened the door of the motel, stepped outside — and had absolutely no idea what city I was in.  Guess we’ve been...

L.A. / SANTA MONICA / USC:  DAYS TWO-THREE-FOUR Fight on! Clearly, I’ve led a deprived life as far as going to college football games is concerned.  When you think about it, I’ve only been to one really big-time game ever — the 1997 Rose Bowl — with Ohio State beating Arizona State on a thrilling last-minute drive.  But to be honest, I couldn’t have cared less who won that game, and I was also preoccupied with keeping Robby amused:  He was three years...

LA/XC DAY SEVEN:   LAS VEGAS TO L.A. Santa Monica's top dog • Las Vegas-L.A. mileage:  270 • Total LA/XC mileage:  3,218 • Road Music Monday:  Tom Petty iPod marathon  (Even though he’s a Florida boy, I’ve always heavily associated him, and his lyrics, with CA) • Today’s state tally:  2 (Nevada, California) • New states for Beagle Man:  0 (Already counted Nevada yesterday  🙂 ) Now that’s what I’m...

LA/XC DAYS FIVE AND SIX:   AMARILLO TO GRAND CANYON; GRAND CANYON TO LAS VEGAS Ricky's Grand Canyon moment •  Two-day mileage:  1,039 •  Total LA/XC mileage:  2,947 •  Road Music Monday: Random iPod shuffle.  Some pleasant surprises:  “Lyin’ Eyes” (Eagles), “Little Deuce Coupe” (Beach Boys), “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (Kermit Ruffins, New Orleans jazz man).  Then U.S. Open tennis final.  Then Dolphins-Pats. ...