Heading home, made it home.

Breakfast wasn't until 7 AM on weekends so we decided to pass and get going at 6:30.

Driving in the dark ... again. Today I hit a deer with the rental car ... the carcass but still, it was dark and I didn't see it in time to swerve. Saw the first parts of it and thought there sure wasn't much left of it, then 'ku-klunk.' Guess I was too busy looking at the first parts to be looking ahead where there was more. No damage, just more reason to be off the road and stay off the road when it is dark.

1st stop, Flying J near Waterloo. Only had enough fuel to get an hour down the road this AM. Fuel had been cheaper last night but ...

2nd stop was the McDonalds in Clear Lake, it's the only fast food place that is open for breakfast. Not a fan of their breakfast, wish they would server burgers all day instead. Had thought of just getting potato cakes, but ended up with a McGriddle. Ate the stuff off of it and left most of the bread.

There had been slow in Forest City so they were busy moving snow.

3rd stop, pickup the van at the lot. No issues.

Guess the roads had been icy up in MN, there was a semi tractor and two pups in the ditch, everyone was going past on the shoulder. No highway signs before it, but everyone got in the left lane including me. Then a few miles later when we came over the hill we could see it was in the left lane so everyone got over to the right lane. Should have just stayed in the open lane.

Was only waiting for BB a few minutes when she texted and said it would be a little bit. Later she would tell me the delay was because she had picked the car up early ... and they had charged her for gas. The first is an ongoing issue with Avis. If your reservation is for 2 PM, and you pick it up at 1 PM they charge you for an extra day without taking into account when you are going to return it. The 2nd is they 'assume' you are going to drive it less than 75 miles and not put fuel in it. So you have to have to prove you have added fuel ... yes, we left it with a range of 40 more miles than when we picked it up.

We did go over our 'one day' by about 4 minutes because of the accident this AM, but that was not the issue today. Good thing we did get going early. It would have cost us if we hadn't.

"Home again ... safe at last ..."

... from the Berenstain Bears, Spooky Old Tree