Place: DeFuniak Springs, FL > St Pete Beach, FL 74/88
Main activity: Sun - another 418 miles driving & more
Notes: Slept about 830p Sat night until 3a today - couldn't believe it! Tried for a little more but no go ... so packed up from the Best Western and pulled out before 330a. Quite a few hours driving east in the dark, not much traffic, saw a handful of deer by the side of the road (thankfully all by the side!). Talked to Joe around 7a (and 9a) as he was headed south on the east coast and coming into FL from the other side - I was a bit ahead of him. We've got Hurricane Ian coming in and can't tell when or where it'll hit yet and how bad it will be. He may evacuate early (being on Vina del Mar and never having been thru one) ... we talked about some supplies and I decided to hit a Walmart along the route (further north and inland) that should still have supplies - did just that in Bushnell and got everything I wanted. This view coming into Tampa was such a welcome sight, and with my own car again! I arrived at the Bayway toll plaza at 1010a, detoured to Palma to get the key and then swung back to Casa and somehow got the Uhaul up the ramp and kind of pointed in the right direction - not much room and couldn't turn around. Unloading went pretty quick, doing it all myself again. Started a new batch of distilled water as I was unloading. Getting the trailer out proved more difficult and had some near-misses and then onward to drop it on 34th St. Just over 1/2 tank of gas left after dropping the trailer - so filled up again as it could be a rocky week here with the storm. Joe stopped by for few minutes when he finally got in. I showered then, did some laundry and made some eggs w/ avocado [and had some of my grapefruit juice that I made fresh in Wichita Falls], football on the tv. Lower back was stiffening up a bit so mostly laid low the rest of the day.