This summer I am traveling quite a lot and thought I’d tell you each time I traveled to a new place.

TRADE LOT UNCLE BILLY’S DAY 2019

If you’re on my Facebook feed you probably know that yesterday (and

THE VENDOR ALLEY IN ENGLISH PARK ON UNCLE BILLY’S DAY

today) I’m in Altavista, VA, for their yearly festival called Uncle Billy’s Days. It’s a county fair atmosphere, with a flea market on one side of town, called the Trade Lot, and then the fair with vendors and rides on the other side of town in English Park.

I attend each year with my good friend, Wayne Tucker, who I’ve

WAYNE AT ENGLISH PARK

known since undergrad school. This is his hometown and it’s become a tradition for me to come out and for us to attend, walking all over both venues, buying much more than either of us needs to,

WAYNE AND I WAITING FOR THE BUS TO ENGLISH PARK

and eating when I can find anything that won’t upset my gluten allergy (this year I just gave up and we went to Hardees afterwards).

I’m using some of the time here, while Wayne listens to opera, to write on my Christmas novella, It Happened at Christmas, which I hope will be a fun little romp, along the lines of You’ve Got Mail.

So that’s where I have been for the past few days.

But today? That’s a different story.

Right now we’re on the road to–guess where?

That’s a post for tomorrow!