We may be in a town near you...

Everything is a go right now. Cynthia has gotten a letter from OPM (Office of Personnel Management), that her disability has gone through. The I-Bus is packed and ready to set sail. Yep, in early September, we’re leaving on our very first extended RV trip, which will take us on a whirlwind tour through Oklahoma , Missouri , Kansas and back through Oklahoma . By the time, we return from a near six-week stroll, it’ll be time to go to San Antonio for Michael and Ora’s first child – Micah Felix. Due date, late October.

First stop, Heavener (or Long Lake Resort), to visit Aunt Mable and other friends around Heavener – Cynthia’s niece Melissa & and husband Charlie and her two boys, Von & Judy Mead, Linda Bentley Lockhart and whomever else we may run across. Melissa and her family recently moved back to Heavener from Durant. Our original plan was to go to Lake Texoma and see Melissa in Durant, then go on to Robbers Cave in Wilburton en route to Cedar Lake . Those plans were abruptly changed when Melissa moved and when we discovered Cedar Lake doesn’t allow any RVs with slides. The I-Bus has one slide-out.

Second stop, Sallisaw. I have an uncle (my dad’s only living brother) and a couple cousins living there (actually Gans) who we haven’t seen in many, many years. Third stop will be up to Tulsa to pay a visit to Cynthia’s cousin James Harvey Brewer, who she hasn’t seen in almost seven years. While in Tulsa , we’ll probably pay a quick visit to Coach Bob Collins . Though I didn’t play for him, I was involved in the Bob Collins Reunion in Heavener a few years ago. He is a fellow blogger, plus he and wife Betty are very nice people.

Fourth stop, Miami (or as coach Collins said Mia -- ma, with the emphasis on the ‘ma.’ If you say Miami , you’re talking about the one in Florida . That’s a stop to visit with Cynthia’s brother Jim and his wife Alice Ann (Hall). Cynthia and Jim haven’t seen each other in five years, and she’s never gotten to see Jim’s home. I also have a college friend, Monty. We already plan to stay in an RV Park on Steve Owens Blvd. . You may recognize the name Steve Owens, the famous OU fullback and 1969 Heisman Trophy winner and former Sooners AD. From Miami , we’ll go up in Missouri for our fifth stop. We have reservations at Roaring River Sate Park , outside Cassville. It’s a place dad used to take me as a kid, on our way to Kansas City to see the Yankees play. I haven’t been there since 1964.

Sixth stop, Topeka , Kan. There, we have plans to stay with John Marvin Wright, a ’65 classmate and a good friend. He lost his wife a couple years ago, and admittedly has had trouble getting over her passing. That’s in late September. From there, it’s back through Wichita (it’s a place to stop and visit because we’ve never been there) and on to Oklahoma City , to visit with a coaching friend of mine. Elliot Johnson is head baseball coach at Southern Nazarene and has just built a nice log home. Also in OKC, I have a mini-reunion set up with some former Heavenerites – Russell Walker, Denny West, Paul Riggins, Harold Patterson , and Nancy Gilstrap Adam s, Kathy Bain Dunn, along with their spouses. Denny, Paul and Nancy were ’65 classmates, Russell was my next door neighbor and Harold is the younger brother of Jim Patterson , another ’65 classmate. Kathy is the sister of Judy Bain Hall, another ’65 classmate.

After OKC, we may make a brief stop in Purcell to see Nancy and Ardmore , to visit with Cynthia’s cousin Ann . Then it’s back to Lake Texoma , and back home in Tyler for a night in our own bed. And on to San Antonio .

There you have it, our itinerary for the first I-Bus trip. Oh, I may try to keep you updated along the way, depending on how much fun we’re having.