Edmund, Oklahoma to Memphis, TN

Quite a bit has happened to the Foll's in the last few days since leaving Amarillo, TX. We spent 2 nights with our friends Linda and Boone and their 6 four legged children in Edmund, OK. Linda worked with Gary almost 20 years ago at IBM in San Francisco before she moved to OK. She and Boone kept us entertained with good conversation, food, wine and amusing tales (tails ) of their pets, Sophie, Jake (Dogs), Jessie, Snickers (cats) and Beauty and Bonnie (horses). Each has a personality and a few quirks including Snickers the cat who sleeps in the fireplace flue. (go figure) Jake is a rambuncious 4 year old dog who thinks he can leap over chairs and sofas with a single bound, trying to give out kisses as he passes by wagging his tail. Linda gave us a wonderful tour of the town and surrounding area and then headed out to the stables to visit Beauty and Bonnie. Of course there were a few more animals to see including 3 more horses and 4 or 5 burros, one of which impregnated Bonnie. Being a city girl, that doesn't make a lot of sense to me but remember, I think milk comes in a carton not from a cow.

On Tuesday morning we headed toward Memphis, only 488 miles away. We ate at Silk O'Sullivan's on Beale Street, known for blues music. There's a long story to tell about Silky O'Sullivan that I'll try to keep short. G and I traveled to Ireland in 1991 and stayed in Killorgan where they were having the annual Puck Festival. Silky was there cooking BBQ for the fair goers and we struck up a conversation with him. Blah, Blah,. Blah.... A few months later after returning to the States, we met Silky AGAIN standing in line at K Paul's in New Orleans. We talked again and he invited us to travel around the world cooking BBQ but we declined. So.......20 years later we're on Beale Street and see this bar with a goat. We go in, sit down read the menu and see that Silky STILL travels around the world cookng BBQ. Weird. Imagine if we had gone with him and the tales we'd have to tell. Kinda of like being in the circus.

To keep you up to date, here's what we did today. Jammed packed with activities and more tales to tell. We started out touring the Martin Luther King, JR Museum (NAACP) about a mile away. The museum documented the Civil Rights struggle starting in 1619 to MLK's death in 1968. Quite a moving living museum that is set on the site of the Lorraine Motel where he was assassinated. After spending 3 hours there we headed to kitchy Graceland. Now some of you might be Elvis fans so please don't be offended. He had a love of green shag run that was just a little tooooo much. We really enjoyed to tour of the 1970's decorated home but were glad to return to 2011 later that afternoon.

From Graceland we went to the Cozy Corner Restaurant for the "best ribs in Memphis" according to Guy Fiori of the TV show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." Before leaving Ashland we saw the show that visited this rib place. Man oh man, were the ribs GOOD and HOT.

The day is not over yet. We decided to take one more walk before returning to the hotel so decided to head to Beale Street again. Low and behold if it wasn't Wednesday night which is Bikers on Beale night. I don't think I've EVER seen so many Harley and bikers, about 500-600, in one place. Two blocks of Beale Street are blocked off for bikers to come and park their bikes and do whatever bikers do on a hot Memphis night. There were also many police cars and a couple of BIG fire trucks in attendance, just in case something happens. Lots of blues being played in various venues and people strolling up an down the street drinking beer. What a wonderful sound to hear ALL of those Harley's as the bikers step on the peddle.

We're in the hotel now listening to the rumble of the Harley's as they cruise from Beale to Third to Union to Second and back to Beale again. It might be a little noisy tonight but thanks heavens for some Tequila and Margarita mix and ear plugs.

Tomorrow onward to Nashville to see a high school friend. Good night and sleep tight!!!