I keep hearing that people are afraid to travel. Not according to what I have observed. I just made a quick trip to Chattanooga and observed that I-75 is the flyway of migrating snow birds. They travel in large flocks of all kinds of vehicles which have license plates from north of the Ohio River. Such vehicles are usually white with road salt that was used to clear the roads so the migration could begin. I saw a few flocks of snowbirds from Canada. The joke of the day is that when they get to southern Georgia, they are going to run into more snow. Snowbirds migrating down the I-95 flyway from New England, New Jersey and the other News, will be in for the biggest shock, since North and South Carolina will likely have snow up to their bumpers.

Another observation that indicates no fear of travel, is that people like me, who fly standby, are not finding very may seats available on those big silver birds.

And if you think the cruise lines are starving, then tell me why it takes a month to find space on a cruise ship. We finally booked a seven-day trip through the Bermuda Triangle where travel is sometimes one-way. It wasn't the cruise we wanted, and in fact wasn't even on our top ten list, but it was available. Oh, there is a catch. We had to take it without cabin assignment which means that we will wind up next to the elevator,with no window somewhere south of the engine room. And I won't be surprised if there is no closet, because rooms like that usually *are* a closet. But it's on our favorite cruise line and a fairly new ship, and it will be sailing in a warm climate with no snow on the deck, so who can complain?

There is always a chance that snowbirds will fill up all the flights to Fort Lauderdale, and we will have to drive a day and a half to get to the cruise dock. I sure hope the snow down deep in Dixie melts before we get there.
Howard