Day 35: Aztec New Mexico and Jim Ramakka

The parade of RV travellers started at daybreak. Those that needed to attach their towed behind vehicles stopped outside of our window as they took the 15 to 20 minutes to ready their tow.  Our preparation for departure is getting quicker.

By now we have the routine down. Once we were finished in the bedroom area, dressed and bed made, slide out pushed in, we moved excess items from the front seat back to the bed. Coffee maker cleaned and put away, breakfast finished, we could bring the second slide out in. Table converted to the dog bed, it could be brought in as well. A quick check that all cabinets were secured, we were ready to roll out.

From Albequerque, the ride to Aztec, New Mexico and Jim Ramakka's house was only a couple of hours. ETA 1230. We arrived as scheduled and parked next to Jim's storage shed. We tucked in there nicely as if it was built just for such a vehicle. 

Jim was there to great us with a big smile and hug. We got the tour of his house. A nice one story adobe building with an open floor plan. His office, bedroom, reading room, and Vicky's office rounded out the rooms in the house. Vicky's office was filled with her books, photos, and other items that must have comforted her.

Every aspect of the house had a theme of the desert southwest and anything associated with it. Native American art, native animals, and natural sculptures and colors. Photographs that Jim had taken were framed and displayed around the house. A grey cat, Lexi, peaked out from behind the full bookshelves. It would be the only time I would see her. The natural light streaming into the reading room demonstrated the design of this room; comforting and relaxing. The house was built in 2001 and designed by Jim and Vicky. The outside retaining wall and walkway were personally constructed by the Ramakka's given them an emense personal connection to the appearance. Even though Vicky was no longer physically here, you could feel her influence and sense her immense appreciation and love for their home. 

Jim was eager to take us to meet the neighbors that he admires so much, Jim and Deedee. We gave Tad a potty break before heading over to say hi. A nice warm and welcoming couple made us realize that Jim had some special people nearby. No wonder he wanted us to meet them.

 We couldn't stay long, Jim wanted to get some lunch and get to the Aztec Museum before it closed. Aztec, is a small town and has a main Street with shops and resaurants. Across from the restaurant where we had lunch, was the museum. The museum curator recognized Jim and she recounted how instrumental Vicky was in helping the museum.  

There was a lot to see and we spent quite a bit of time. Jim had obviously been here before and kept us moving so we could sight see some more. Of course anything federal was out of the question because of the government shutdown. He then turned his attention to the visitor center and Museum in Farmington not far away. Conversation on the way to the visitor center was lively and constant. So much so that he missed the turnoff. We doubled back to the spacious parking lot with just a few cars in the lot. The visitor center was also an early voting poling station. The receptionist was a young, native woman with a very welcoming demeanor. She gave us a quick description of what we would see and where. The museum in the visitor center contained history of the area related to the oil and gas drilling. Everything was presented in such a positive light. There was no discussion of the downside of this industry. Jim said the museum was paid for by the oil and gas industry. Figures. One thing that struck me was an interactive map, clearly a GIS project, of all of the wells, active an inactive. There were dots everywhere on the map. Was there any unimpacted land in the area I thought. 

There was a room in the museum dedicated to collectables. It seemed to be just getting started. Just a few items in cases in a mostly empty room. A 2 headed calf was displayed. Seemed to be an odd choice of importance.

He wanted to show us the San Juan College where Vicky taught and where she was honored with a foundation in her name. She helped numerous people get their GED diplomas. Many attended her memorial and recounted the impact that she had had on them and their success. Truly inspirational. 

We then went to the nature center for a quick visit. Again getting the tour of the area as Jim missed the turn and had to double back. We enjoyed getting a larger tour of the area.  A very well conditioned herd or 2 of mule deer were ambling about.

We headed to Farmington to grab some dinner at Three Rivera Brewery.

I had the shrimp and chips and it was quite a lot of food. We finished up and headed to Jim's. Tad had been in the motorhome all this time so I took him for a nice walk, fed him and Comet and went in to Jill's house to have some chocolate brownie and ice cream for dessert. What a long but fun day.

(I want to get these memories posted but will add to it and move pictures around at another time)

Day 34: Albuquerque, NM: Cat antics, Pickleball, and baseball.

On Friday morning, we headed for Albuquerque New Mexico. Comet was very much involved in our travels and stays close to keep an eye on Kasey's driving.

We headed for the pickleball courts there. Ken's pickleball courts were very nice. 6 courts separated by their own fences which made chasing balls easier and kept from interrupting the other games going on. 2 other courts were in use by singles. We played a few games and soon each of the other courts were replaced with others. A couple of 11 or 12 year olds were playing. Felix and Ernie. I told Kasey later, it made me think of the muppets, Felix had a good grasp of the game and his serve was very good. 

After a while we asked if they wanted to play doubles and they did so they came to our middle court. They wanted to play together so it was the 60 plus year olds against the pre-teens. Ernie was still learning the rules and had a few short serves and other violations. Felix was really good at the net successfully directing Ernie to switch when he was pulled to Ernie's side of the court. At one point, Felix and I engaged in some close net play. Felix got the point when he slammed it into my upper right lip. It startled me. I had never been hit so hard before or it was a very sensitive spot. (I felt it for several more days). We won the game and played another which we also won but it is clear that it won't be long and they would be good players. 

We headed to our Harvest Host site, Starr Brothers Brewery. This must be a popular Harvest Host site. There were at least 10 other RV's in the parking lot, the most we have every seen at a Harvest Host site. 

Dogs are allowed on the patio but when we walked over, it was clear that it would soon be too cold to stay outside. I walked Tad back to the motorhome, turned the headlights off, grabbed the cribbage board and headed back to the brewery where Kasey had a tasty beverage waiting for me. The first game of the world series was about ready to start and the pregame show was amazing. Toronto and LA were squaring off.  

The menu at this brewery was extensive and we decided to try the hush puppies. 

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN HUSH PUPPIES

Chicken, green chile, cheddar/jack cheese, panko breadcrumbs deep fried. Very filling. 

Then we played a few games of cribbage before ordering dinner. The hush puppies were enough and I could only manage to eat the salad. The burrito, cut in half using a diagonal cut would become our breakfast in the morning.

Day 33: Headed West, Amarillo

It may be that both Kasey and I will enter blogs separately. I want to remember the our adventures and contribute some perspectives and Kasey is posting on Facebook some of our adventures. 

The morning that we were going to leave Oklahoma City, we wanted to get a game of pickleball in but Kasey said that he better let his tendon heal.

After we left Oklahoma City we stayed at a Harvest Host site in Amarillo. Really, it was a boondocker site. A furloughed federal employee from the dept of defense and a chemical engineer. Stephanie was just getting home and said her dog had Cushing's disease and was not doing well. While we were talking a flock of Sandhill Cranes flew over. We also had a visit from a curve billed thrasher. They had to attend to family. We set up, paid for the electricity and took a walk toward town. It was cool and obviously a football game was going on since we could hear the occasional roar of the crowd.

 The high school JV football team was winning. We arrived to see the falcons score the winning touchdown which ended the game at 20 to 14. Before the varsity started, we decided to head back. We could hear the crowd the whole way back as we walked the half mile. Even inside, we heard the crowd when there was apparently some great play. 

The evening was quiet but we knew there was activity in the night as the automatic light was triggered every so often. We played cards and turned in for the night.

Day 32: Oklahoma City, Family visit

Since we arrived in Oklahoma City a day earlier than planned, we were able to do some relaxing. We found a pickleball court about a mile away and made our way there. It was a little breezy swirly and made for some interesting play. Two other people were on the court, but when asked they preferred to keep playing singles as well. 

After we essentially wore ourselves out, we cleaned up, and had a delicious tomato and turkey sandwich. Kasey's cousin Jeanne gave us a couple of perfectly ripe tomatoes and they were yummy. 

We had dinner plans with my niece Stephanie and her husband James as well as their 2 daughters Ryder and Eli. 

Before we went to their house we stopped at the Will Rogers Botanical Garden.

The place is amazing and filled with so many different plants and lots of color. Several families seemed to be getting their family photos taken. Some of the trees are labeled but most are not.

There are a few memorials and sculptures and even a deviant squirrel. I must have taken 200 photos of plants, butterflies and other interesting things.

When we arrived at Stephanie's house, she was waiting outside with the 2 girls. It is a nice neighborhood and she has a very nice house. The girls each have their own room. Ryder is the older one at 5 years and Eli is 2. They were shy at first but soon wanted to show things, say things , and be inquisitive. James was running late but soon arrived to the joy of his daughters.  We had brought some Taramasu for dessert which was a real hit. The kids wanted to play outside so we went to the back yard as they demonstrated their skills in making bubbles, riding the electric car and sliding down the slide.

Stephanie works from home a lot for a wedding planning agency and James is a lawyer in his family's law firm. He does mostly personal injury cases.

We had a very nice visit but being a school night, we had to depart so they could get their baths and get to bed.  

We headed off to our Harvest Host site for the evening. Tomorrow we head for Amarillo, Texas.

Oklahoma City Reflections: Four Weeks on the Road Oct 21

It’s been a while since I’ve updated our travel blog. The past month has been overflowing with past, present, and future, and I found myself unsure where to begin. Instead, I focused on simply being present, living in each moment as it arrived. There have been so many emotions, memories, and glimpses of what lies ahead.

Watching my children, Ashley and Nicholas, grow into adulthood, and now into parenthood, fills me with immense pride and gratitude. They are wonderful parents and partners, and seeing them raise their own children so lovingly is a joy I cherish. I’m deeply proud of my grandkids, and thankful for the time we’ve shared together on this journey.

This trip has also stirred up reflections on those who shaped my life: my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Their influence, love, and stories feel ever-present as we wander, especially during the precious time spent with my sister, Lynn. All of these threads—family, memory, connection, are woven together as we travel, and sharing it all with Janice, the love of my life, makes it even richer. She has been patient and supportive as I’ve wandered through this “museum of my life,” and together we’ve found time for each other amid the whirlwind.

I hope to go back and chronicle more of our adventures in detail, but tonight, as we settle into Oklahoma City, I want to capture this moment. We arrived at our Harvest Host campsite after a four-hour drive from Springfield, Missouri. We love Harvest Hosts, they connect us with local people and communities in unexpected ways.

After setting up and checking in with our host, we took Tad and Comet for a stroll through the grass. We were glad for a strong wifi signal so we could join the Umpqua Watersheds Board meeting and catch up with dear friends and the news from home.

Later, we headed into the brewery. Devin, the staff person, was welcoming and helpful. The place was buzzing with excitement as folks watched the Oklahoma City Thunder play their first game of the season after winning the 2024–25 championship. Tad charmed everyone, as usual, and we found ourselves in friendly conversation with Celeste and James, two young travelers about the same age as my kids. They spoke of dreams of heading west someday, and it was a pleasure to share our stories and encourage their sense of adventure. The Thunder clinched an overtime win, and James even bought us a final round of beer to celebrate.

Returning to the motorhome, we noticed another RV parked nearby, a couple from Alaska, by the looks of it, clearly seasoned travelers. I wish we’d had a chance to exchange stories with them, but perhaps our paths will cross again somewhere down the road.

As I write this, I’m feeling grateful for the time with family, the chance encounters, and the gentle reminder that every journey is made up of these small, meaningful moments. More stories to come as we make our way home.

Day 28: No Kings, Hannibal Missouri

It is No Kings Day and we woke from our Harvest Host site at the distillery west of Hannibal Missouri at daybreak. The traffic on the highway was picking up and Tad needed a potty break. The morning was cool but not cold. Immediately upon exiting the motorhome, Tad alerted me that creatures had been about in the night. This looked to be good bunny habitat with fields edged in thick brush. We walked around the small pond but I did not want a muddy or a sick dog so we stayed away from the edge of the water. Still as we walked, indications of life in the pond were evident as splashes and ripples formed when we spooked the amphibian life of the pond. 

Back at the motorhome, Kasey was stirring about. Coffee was brewing and we went through our morning rituals of Duolingo, reading Heather Cox Richardson, reading our text messages and emails and checking Facebook.

We had a few hours before the scheduled No Kings protest and so.we found our way to the local Walmart to buy some flags and a dry erase board. I didn't have a sign and need something to hold with a short message.

Next door was a variety store where I found a chicken mask to wear to make things more festive. 

When we arrived, there were not many people but we quickly found the other protesters: 70 plus year old women and a few long haired, T-shirt and Birkenstock wearing, 30.plus year olds. Sign in hand, we walked up and introduced ourselves. Soon more sign holders arrived and we meandered toward the sidewalk along the busy street. Hannibal has nearly 20,000 people and sits along the Mississippi River. But you knew that.

We had a few costumed protesters: a donkey and a red frog, I guess. At one point we estimated that we had about 250 people which would be a little more than 1% of the population. Most people driving by were supportive but we had a few give us the middle digit or a thumb in the downward position. This area is a conservative area as is most of Missouri but the favorable reactions out numbered 10 to 1 the unfavorable.

 Kasey had Tad near him and there were a couple of other dogs but none nearly as pretty as our goof ball Irish Setter. A vehicle passing by contained a young woman in the passenger seat. I heard her say, as she leaned her body out of the window with her fist in the air "F*** Tru ...Oh look at the dog!" Apparently she noticed the red.flowing hair of our 4 legged son and it stopped her protest cold.

We left the rally after an hour and a half to go to the folk Life festival downtown. There seemed to be more people there than at the rally so I guess their priority was not the same as mine. 

But we grabbed a catfish sandwich because Kasey was dying to have catfish. It brings fond memories of his grandparents and growing up in Climax Springs, MO. Not long after we got our sandwich, it started to rain. It was a warm gentle rain and did not seem to bother us but we saught shelter in a pub as the vendors scurried to cover their wares. We finished our sandwiches and a pint and walked toward the Mississippi. Kasey had booked a 2 hour tour on a riverboat complete with dinner scheduled for later this evening. We wanted to see where we needed to go and assess the parking situation. Since it did not look as if the sky was going to lighten, we made our way toward the motorhome and timed our walk so we would know how long we needed in order to return to the riverboat in time. The wind was picking up and we needed to get a walk in with Tad before it really started to rain. Our timing wasn't great and before long we were soaked and we still had a few blocks to go. The drops were getting bigger and the gutters on the historic buildings were discharging their moisture at our feet. 

I took Tad for a walk after he and I donned our raincoats. I was looking around at all the parking spaces being vacated and we soon realized that we could probably just drive to the port and park there to wait for our dinner cruise. I spotted a.really old building being renovated and noticed their large parking lot and no signs. People from the festival were leaving and I asked about the parking but they said that they had no.idea if it was forbidden to park there. We drove to the port and waited while it poured.

 At some point, traveling with a cat necessitates cleaning the cat box. You can only put it off so long. So, in the pouring rain, Kasey went outside to access the cat box through the outside door. While he was out there, a big boom! happened and shook the motorhome. It sounded like a bomb or a transformer blowing. Lightning had struck not a half mile away. Kasey hurriedly returned to the inside and promptly changed his underwear.

We waited in our shelter until it was time to board the vessel. It was still raining and I was damp so the fan in the cab was making me cold and I took the opportunity to turn it off.

 No one objected. We had a nice trip along the Mississippi River but it became dark halfway through the voyage limiting our visibility of the area. The ride was very smooth and the dinner very filling with choice of chicken and beef, salad, and baked potato. A very rich chocolate dessert was served and we were very full. 

Apparently, the employees had purchased the business and now it is a.local business run by mostly family members. We were on the second deck which gave us views of the river from a better vantage point. The rain continued to fall and the band on the first deck continued to play music with no vocals. Then one of the wait staff joined the band for a few songs and he was very good. When the cruise was done and we were exiting Kasey took a moment to let him know that he did a great job. That's Kasey.

Our motorhome was in the parking lot between 2 railroad tracks and when we tried to get some sleep, we realized that it was not going to happen. The trains blew their horn at every crossing even though there were crossing gates. 

At my urging, we abandoned the parking lot and headed for the lot where the building was being renovated a few blocks away. The neighbor informed us that he had no problem and that the owner would not be back until after his night shift. This put a building between us and the railroad tracks. We slept well. In the morning, the owners truck was parked behind us but he had not rousted us.

Day 24: Wagons Ho to Madison

Today, we felt that we had a relaxing day with a few hours of driving to go to reach Madison and catch up with some friends/colleagues. Wouldntchaknowit but a pickle ball court crossed our path and we had to go break those nice new courts in. The place is Sparta, Wisconsin and the pickleball bug has come to these parts. It was a little breezy at first and cloudy. The rain was already threatening but we decided to take our chances. 2 other people were on the courts but by the time we had warmed up, they were ready to leave. That left me and Kasey with 8 pickleball courts on a Tuesday morning. 

We must have played singles for a couple of hours. Kasey had some really good placed shots that I just could not reach. I prevailed in most of the games but he has some really wicked serves that caught me off guard. All of the games were close and we enjoyed the activity.

Just as we got to the motorhome, the windshield started showing droplets of water accumulating. Good timing. And away we went toward Madison to meet up with Zach and Amy. 

The ride was filled with endless fields of corn and lined with hardwood forests. Some were starting to turn colors which provided a wonderful and scenic aspect to our drive.

As we came into Madison, Kasey dropped me off and Zach, Amy and I navigated the campus to a seminar in biology stuff. 

Zach and Amy were on the Tyee owl project back in 2019. Since then, they have been finding really cool places to attend higher learning. Amy is keeping with the owl theme and studying barred owl diets for her degree. Her funding was recently cut though and she has been teaching. Zach is getting into beetles for his degree. The implications could be a discovery of ways to withstand cold temperatures. His funding is so far intact.

The buildings on campus have a lot of character. I took a few pictures of some interesting ones in the area. The capitol dome peaks out of the landscape in the background.

The seminar included a talk about the San Miguel Fox, an endemic and isolated subspecies on the Channel Islands off Southern California. The excitement over parasites came through from the presenter and made for an interesting topic. When someone is excited about something, you sometimes get caught up in the enthusiasm. After the seminar, I got a chance to see where Amy works. The halls of higher learning always seem to fill me with excitement no matter the subject. Also Leopold is a really famous conservationist that called Madison his home. The display with his history, family details, and his connection to the University were displayed in a nice case on the wall next to stuffed specimens of the extinct passenger pigeon. Usually, his famous book A Sand County Almanac is required reading for budding conservationists. I still have my copy. The connection to Roseburg Oregon is through the only woman Graduate Student of Leopold's, Fran Hammerstrom. She studied the endangered greater prairie chickens and also hawks while studying under Leopold. She received her Master's degree in 1940. Her daughter, Elva Paulsen is a Roseburg resident and excellent artist. She and her husband, Dale seek out nature and record it, tell stories, and share the appreciation of nature. Dale is a great photographer by the way. They both are members of the local Umpqua Valley Audubon Society. We tried to find Fran's dissertation among the shelves of dissertations but they did not have the ones before 1942.

We then went to dinner with Zach and Amy, took the dogs for a nice walk and then Kasey and I went to the Ace Hardware Parking lot where we spent the night. 

The rain picked up overnight but the sound was pleasant and relaxing. We slept well.

Day 23: On to the International Owl Center, Houston MN

At daybreak, Tad alerted me to the news that he needed to go out. The previous day's cloud filled skies gave way to deep blue and not a cloud in sight. Although the threat of moisture from the sky was gone, and the pavement was dry, the grass and vegetation around the Harvest Host site, Ruthie's Kitchen held much of what came down overnight. 

I walked Tad to the county road and toward a gravel road leading off the main highway. The remnants of last night's rain could be seen in the pockets of the rumble strips along the side of the road. This sparsely populated area of Minnesota has widely spaced houses. Most people mow along the highway near their house in this perpetually green space. It makes it easy to tell when you are close to a residence by where the mowing is. The gravel road was straight and free of houses based on this observation. I decided to let Tad stretch his legs. Traffic seemed non existent. Within a few seconds he was a quarter mile away. Although the gravel road was dry, the lush vegetation along the road, which was too tempting for an inquisitive dog such as Tad, was not. Soon he was soaking wet. This is typical for our 5 year old. He felt no cold though because he was in constant motion and generating plenty of heat. 

When he was nearly out of sight, I turned to go back. He hesitated but soon came roaring in my direction. The time to cover that amount of real estate was seconds. We walked back along the road with a couple cars passing by.

Back at the motorhome, we had coffee, breakfast, and we readied ourselves for our next adventure. Kasey took Tad out while I converted the motorhome from a leisurely living space to a mobile cabin. Ruthie came out to chat with Kasey so I went out to say goodbye and thank her for her hospitality. 

Soon we were on our way to the International Owl Center but not before a stop at Costco in Rochester for gas and to replenish my eye drops that I used profusely when a tiny tiny speck of something lodged under my eye lid and would not come out. The pain was mild but irritating and the next morning which was last Thursday, we headed for the urgent care center in Pine City to get medical help in removing it. It did not take long and they found and removed the little speck the size of a fleas poop. It is amazing how much irritation can come from such a small piece of dust. Anyway, I had a little scratch on the eye so I applied antibiotics for 5 days and used the remainder of my eye drops. Somewhere along the line, a pumpkin pie fell into the cart, along with something chocolate. Now fully replenished with a few things. We headed out of Rochester, MN. The town is known for the Mayo Clinic and is a sizable town. I guess that goes without saying since they have a Costco. 

The drive to Houston Minnesota was through what is called High Prairie. Rolling hills filled with corn fields. The corn is used for feeding livestock and for making the fuel additive ethanol. 

Soon we were in Houston, MN.

The smaller building will soon be replaced with a new center. We found so many cool owl things in the gift shop.

The displays were very informative and inclusive of the species in North America.

I was also interested in all the people honored by the center that I had met including David Johnson and Eric Forsman. I know Prachi Mehta from Satish Pandi from India were also honored but they did not have the displays for them. The person that put the displays together was a volunteer and she stopped making these wonderful displays back in 2020.

Another connection to our own Douglas County Oregon if not sadly, is that a piece of Oregon is housed here on display. A skeleton of a spotted owl that had died in 1991 was from the study area where I worked. This was one of the rare cases of handling mortality that occurred in over 1000 captures. It was from Umpqua Overlook, a very successful site for reproduction during the study period. 

The USFWS band number was still readable attached. Eric Forsman had let his dermestid beetles clean up the skeleton before he reassembled it for shipping to the center. 

We enjoyed the talk from Jo about all of the owls and their special adaptions.

She had a burrowing owl, Great Horned Owl, and Eastern Screech owl as her partners in the presentation.

Kasey could not resist the Tshirt and it is a good one.

If you are anywhere near the SE part of Minnesota, you should stop for a visit. We had some time after the Owl Center and made our way to Wisconsin and the Alchemy Brew Pub to stay the night.

It was a nice place. Quiet and welcoming. The owner was very nice and the place we parked was a large field that we had all to ourselves. Tad got to run around the field again. We had chicken tacos for dinner while the more serious pool players arrived with their cue bags. Apparently, it is a popular place to play. 

Day 6: Dickinson, ND to Brainerd, MN. 6 hours, 430 miles Sept 26, 2025

We left Dickinson, ND early so we could make it to Brainerd, MN before dark. Despite the train nearby, I slept fairly well. As usual, Kasey drove. We got gas which was fairly inexpensive comparatively speaking and hit the highway east. The sun was at the right angle that the visor above me was in constant motion as I attempted to keep my face in the shadows. 

The scenery is filled with rural images on nearly flat and nearly straight roads. Traffic is very light.  There is a lot of time to think while driving. I wondered why people in rural areas seem to be conservative. I surmised that maybe it is because they don't travel or have a lot of exposure to people of various backgrounds. There are a variety of reasons but lack of travelling is one of them. Travelling can change your perspective on a multitude of things. 

Our country is so diverse in the landscapes and it makes sense that it is also as varied in our perspectives. 

We travel several times a year and we try to visit with people along the way. Today, we made no stops until Brainerd, MN where Kasey's cousin Jesse lives. 

Tad got to play with his 2 dogs Bud and Rudy. 

They seemed to get along just fine. So much so they formed a conga line during their first few minutes of meeting each other. Amazing that they all like dancing.

Jesse has 4 kids, 2 are still at home, his girls. The youngest had volleyball practice so we didn't get to visit. We had dinner downtown at a Mexican restaurant and then Jesse stopped at home to check on his youngest before we headed out to have a beer at the local brew pub.

Jesse graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in architecture.  We had the opportunity to see his handy work when we went to the Jack Pine Brewery. The entire building was his design. He is so talented. During our conversations that were mostly about the family, we found out that he and I crossed paths in a few places in California when he was living in the Bay Area as a youngster and just out of college. We probably were both in Davis, CA during the same year. He was 7 and I was 18. It is always nice to see Jesse and he is always happy to see us and we have a great visit. 

Tomorrow he is taking his daughter to catch the bus for an out of town game and he has to get up early so we turn in for the night.