He did indeed (reportedly - no pictures on my end) stop by Crossville today heading west. I can vouch for the truck. It had a bit in it when it got here and when it left... just not the same wood. I think he needs not leave his trailer in MO next time... enjoyed the short break. Would love to catch him on a day that I dont have to run back to work.
Yep, I met both Frank and Lil' Mikie today. Indeed I did. It was a real pleasure and great to meet up with actual people rather than a bunch of typed characters online. I will say this though, it's a tough call whether Flintknappers or turners are the better people to meet personally. I know a lot more knappers than woodturners, so I'm gonna choose Knappers as nicer, but I know that will create conflict with the woodworking community.
I'm gonna say this as a caution. When you are on a freeway that has come to a complete stop, do not take anyones advice on how to beat the stalled traffic. What Im going to describe is two incidences from August of last year and also what transpired today with a picture what causes me to start ignoring peoples advice on how to negotiate a stalled freeway.
Last August, 2020, I was between Houstin and San Antonio. Apparently, there was an accident up ahead of me, so I decided to stop( damn, iI just sneezed over 6 times with just this sentence and still not done) to top off my gas tank. My reasoning was that traffic wouldn't be as bad 5 minutes later. There was a guy filling his tank also, dressed in a firefighters garb. Struck up a conversation to see if he knew wat was going on. he said there was a giant fire from a collision that blocked all lanes going west. He then told me if I wanted, when I filled my tank, I could go across the freeway heading south and when I got to Hiway Bla Bla, turn right. The highway would take me west about 10 miles to the next exit/entrance of I-10. Okie Dokie, I did just that. When when I got to about 9 miles west from where I crossed over the freeway, it was almost stalled traffic. After about 10 minutes of slow creeping travel, I turned north towards the freeway. When I got onto it, I saw a tanker truck that I was right behing just before I exited the freeway. OK, I didn't feel too good about taking the off freeway maneuver. Alll it accomplished was keeping me within 50yards of this tanker even though I was about 5 miles south of the freeway and he never got off.
Today, after leaving 2feathers, about 10-15 miles from his place, the freeway was stalled. He called and told me that if I wasn't passed exit 301, I could get off there and take a certain hiway west to get back onto the freeway above the accident. Well, dutifully, I did just that. Unfortunately, there was some construction going on on that hiway he suggested. When I got back onto the freeway I saw this.
I had passed this guy probably about 5 miles beforte the freeway came to a complete stop. Almost a repeat of the August trip. ............... Jerry (in Tucson)