Oklahoma

We got into OK really fast from Wichita Falls, TX... it's only 15 miles between the town and the border... amazingly the 44 is a toll road and it's the nicest road that we've been on in OK.  The cracks have been worked over so that they are not too bumpy and there was only one place that was being worked on.  Peter hates to have to thread the RV between the concrete blocks that they put up on either side of the lane, we usually have about 1' on each side.

We just kept going on 44 until we got to 240 then onto 40 so that we're about 25 miles west of OK city which we didn't see at all.  We are then heading up 377 and taking 44 into MO.

 We are both feeling the effects of the cold, my throat is again swollen and Peter has hurt his back and it's spasming, he can't get around well in the cold as he's bundled up so much.  We have both commented on the fact that we get sick every winter, and stay that way until spring... we're praying that it comes early this year.

The leather came in, 12 hides this time, and I spent most of a day sorting it into lengths, cutting out bad spots and making sure that it's paired with another color; when I was mostly finished with that task, Peter then took them and put the snap or ring on each one so that he knew what needed to be done with each and can just get busy braiding later.  

He spent his time working on the state sales taxes that we collect and then send in every few months.  Some states require monthly, some quarterly and some yearly.  He can do many of them via the internet so that makes it easier, but it does take time.

We're also getting together a large order from one of our people who buy wholesale from us.  They buy the tattooers and we sent 1/2 the order out last week but ran out of ink and have been waiting for it to come in.  It's kinda tough to get stock when we're just moving so quickly.  It's nice to have time to wait for mail to come in, we'll be in St Louis area for a few days before heading out to the middle of MO.

We've been watching the weather  - St Louis where we're headed is getting hit very badly... 3" of SLEET on the ground... not snow!!  That's weird, but we're not in a hurry to get there if it's doing that.  We're going to keep behind the storm and so far the weather where we are is constant, in the 20's for the first day, and today in the low 40's.  

We revamped and cleaned the furnace as we haven't had to use it for over a year due to being in nice weather most of the time.  We've got small electric heaters that usually keep the chill off instead of using propane.  But now we've got the furnace working and it keeps the cold at bay very easily.

Time to take a break and take Hoshi out for a walk, she is so entergetic... her heat cycle is over and she's back to normal now.