The Mississippi River bridge on the Tennessee-Missouri state line: Glynn Wilson

The Big Picture –
By Glynn Wilson –

TRUMANN, Ark. – When the Mississippi River bridge came into view with cotton fields as far as the eye could see, and then the Welcome to Missouri sign came into view, I began to relax a little after a trying ordeal that already had me thinking about Mark Twain.

Mark Twain Couldn’t Pull the Trigger: Instead He Wrote About a Jumping Frog

A cotton field back in the Land of Cotton, Arkansas: Glynn Wilson

Unfortunately there was no public access point to pull off and take pictures of the river there. But all evidence to the contrary for the better part of a week, it appeared we might just make it to the designated destination.

Crossing the Mississippi River into Missouri: Glynn Wilson

I don’t know that much about West Virginia, except that former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and friend of Senator Joe Manchin is from there. I did explore Harper’s Ferry once.

But after what I went through in Milton, this side of Charleston, not sure I would want to spend time there again.

On the road again, we passed through Lexington, Kentucky, turned south on the Bluegrass Parkway, and camped a virgin Saturday night with the new Ford van Gwyneth in the Land Between the Lakes, a U.S. Forest Service recreation area. On Sunday, we passed through the northwest corner of Tennessee, then a short, fast trip into the small town of Trumann, Arkansas. Arriving well before the sun went down, a guest room awaited with good friends and fellowship.

Life is full of tests. God knows I’ve been through my fair share.

After spending the better part of 10 years in and around the nation’s capital and the mountains of Maryland and Virginia, our long-anticipated journey west began in Front Royal, Virginia on Monday and continued through the Allegheny mountains, then came to a screeching halt in Milton, West Virginia, where as it turned out, Ramsey the Roadtrek Media Camper van went to die there by the Mud River.

The media camper van on the rack in West Virginia: Glynn Wilson

The good news is, it was not me. It was not my time or place to go.

The fact is, I was getting tired of that worn out Dodge anyway and looking to replace her with a more plane van better for driving that could be fixed up for travel and camping like the Chevy Venture I drove, camped in and worked out of from 2005 to 2013, paid for with New York Times money.

Camping by the French Broad River near Asheville, North Carolina: Glynn Wilson

After spending $971 on brakes, front end work and tires, something else major went wrong on the test drive. Still a little mystified about exactly what happened. She ran hot and all struggles to save her failed.

But a man who openly believed in “God’s hand” in testing our character and resolve did something quite remarkable in these crazy times. He made it right and turned over the title of a dark green Ford van, which I named Gwyneth after the Welsh poet and musician Gwyneth Glyn, a name that means deep river valley.

A dark green 2000 Ford van, the new mobile home of the New American Journal: Glynn Wilson

There were moments there in the hot sun with no shade and no shower for four days when I thought it might be over. But that was not to be. There are other things left to do in this life. As always open to suggestions, the guiding hand of a spirit seemed to take over. I gave up and relented, agreeing to do whatever it takes to try to save myself, American democracy and planet Earth.

Thanks to everyone for thoughts, prayers and contributions. I’m not sure it’s even possible for the press to make a difference anymore. But I am still willing to try if people support it.

Now on to the job of getting organized in the new Arkansas bureau and fixing this van up for travel, camping and working.

Foreign actors, especially Iran, Russia and China, are actively involved in trying to sow discord, create chaos and influence the elections coming up in the United States to undermine American democracy for their own nefarious purposes, according to U.S. national security agencies.

National Security Agencies Blast Foreign Efforts to Influence Elections and Undermine Democracy in the U.S..

And the Georgia State Election Board voted on Friday to force counties to hand-count all ballots cast on Election Day, a move critics say could significantly delay the reporting of results in the battleground state and inject chaos into the post-election period.

More soon…

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