The long way back to Tallahassee. It started raining when I left the hotel, so I initially planned a bee-line back home. But then, based on yesterday's weather prediction that the bad weather should be mainly west, and some blue spot in the sky east, my better self returned and I headed east off the interstate.

Actually, it kept raining. In addition, in Ashland, great clouds of smoke developed from under the hood. Suspecting a fire, I put my fire extinguisher on it, but it kept smoking. Called the AAA, who took an hour to arrive from elsewhere, and did not know any repair shops in this town. Eventually, we went to a NAPA shop a few hundred yards away who diagnosed that the heater hose had collapsed and replaced it.

Drove home in the dark in continuous strong rain that turned into a thunderstorm when I got nearer to Florida. On the way, near Troy there was a big fire that closed the highway. Took about an hour before they led us around the place by side roads. All in all, it took me about 13 hours to do the 5 hour trip back.

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