Happy smooch smooch to you! July is Birthday month

 

Happy Smooch Smooch to You, 
Happy Smooch Smooch to You, 
Happy Smooch Smooch Dear Smooch Smooch, 
Happy Smooch Smooch to You 
(sung to the tune of Happy Birthday to You).

The Inn at Long Trail ^ is below the big white rock (named Deer Leap).

8 OCT:  We are expected at Cynthia's class reunion in Northwood, Iowa.  Ron's next pacemaker report can also be sent today.

3 AUG:  Wednesday: BMW motorcycle 84,000-mile service appointment.

1 Aug: Ron needs a title and photo for August in Killington, VT

31 Jul, Sunday:  Yikes, tomorrow is August.  On the last day of the birthday month, we enjoyed a lazy morning and computer work. Finally, at 11:30 AM, we gathered all of our energy, backpack and hoe and headed off to the Sherburne Pass Trail, where we successfully climbed to the ski run, 2.8 miles straight up.  We enjoyed a lovely lunch (of an apple and a carrot) overlooking Deer Leap.  A lovely hiker named Teresa chatted with us at the ski run.  Cynthia did not recognize her at first because the sun was in our eyes.  The hard part was standing up again!  The flies and gnats were surprisingly absent today, even at the Ski Run.  Ron continued to work on water bars going up the mountain and down.  Our successful hike totaled 5.6 miles roundtrip.  The nicest part of our travels is the people we meet while hiking or in McGrath's dining.  Today's hike was successful on all counts.  We are energized, refreshed, and ready to hike tomorrow.  {GMC: 4 hours w/ hoe}

30 Jul:  Today's big adventure is to remove the huge tree from the trail, ax in hand, with help from Salt (guys name).  Cynthia is working on a project at the Inn where she can access wifi.  Ron and Salt used saw and leverage to roll an eight foot section of the tree down the trail.  After a nap and dinner Ron hiked up to the other major obstacle and sawed for 8 minutes.  (GMC: 4. hours with saw & hatchet)

29 Jul:  Only three days left of Cynthia's birthday month.  We hiked 3.4 miles to the sinkholes and back.  Celebrate soon.!! Cynthia did! She celebrated by showering and looking gorgeous.  Life is very good.  It was fun talking to two tables of people at the Inn tonight.  Murray got back from California tonight after 36 hours in airports.  Cynthia iced her bursitis and feet again before bed.  {GMC: 2.5 hours w/ hoe hoe hoe}

28 Jul:  Supposed to rain in the afternoon. The plan was to hike early, and we were successful in beginning our hike right at eleven AM and ending at 1;23 PM, burning up all of our energy very early. It is humid with a trillion gnats in our faces.  Ron suggests we inhale deeply and swallow. Did you know that all of the gnats in the world together weigh more than all of the elephants?  3.4 miles {GMC: 2.5 hours}

27 Jul:  Supposed to be dry again today, but since Cynthia's bursitis is still aching, we hiked our usual therapeutic Kent Pond trail to Thundering Falls, but the leg warmed up and was OK.'we enjoyed meeting a cute couple from Texas, Buckey, and Whoopie!

 Six successful miles! Then it was time for dinner.  Then more James Lea.  Except we laid down and fell asleep. {GMC: 3 hours with clippers (Ron's hand needs a rest.)}

26 Jul:  Up early, well rested, exercised, fed, and ready to hike Kent Pond again.  Cynthia's bursitis did quite well, and we discovered that our get-up-and-go returns after a few days of good rest.  We hiked 4.2 miles and enjoyed seeing a couple of "ghost" flowers (click here).  We've eaten our typical luncheon salads with Irish soda bread for dessert, and Ron went out with a hoe and saw after working on James Lea for an hour.  We met the nicest "adventure" motorcyclists today, Cathy & Ray.  They are riding 2-up on a BMW 1200GS Adventure.  Today was day four of the Northeast "discovery" routes.  Ray had planned to camp at Gifford Woods Park, but a bear visited the nearby dumpster twice, and Cathy insisted they move.  And now it is 11:37 again.  Fooey.  Cynthia slept so nicely that Ron stayed up until 1:30 working on James Lea.  {GMC: 3 hours w/ clippers + 3 hours hoe & saw}

25 Jul:  Only a week left of the birthday month.  We awakened too late to exercise before breakfast !!  Ron rushed through most of his to not be exercising later on a full stomach.  After breakfast, he returned to obsession with James Lea.  Now, nearly noon, it is dry enough and cool enough to hike.  Ron is curious to see how the rain affected his trail maintenance, but we hiked Kent Pond again to be gentle with Cynthia's injured leg and had a good hike. However, it was a disappointment to not go downhill to Thundering Falls to witness it "thundering" because of the night's rain. {GMC: 1.5 hours w/ clippers & saw}

24 Jul, Sunday:  Today, we should be rested and refreshed with get up and go restored.  Wish us luck.  We managed 3.6 miles on the Kent Pond Trail and headed off to Sugar and Spice for egg white veggie omelets and blueberry pancakes.  Have you ever tasted the difference between real and artificial maple syrup?  MMMM!  We rode into Rutland afterward to pick up a prescription for Cynthia, bought groceries, and were lucky to return to the Inn dry (no rain yet).  Good grief !!  How did it get to be 10:50 pm already?  Time to get to bed.  The forecast rain started soon after midnight and continued until after daylight. {GMC: 1.5 hours w/ clippers}

23 Jul:  Another glorious day to be alive.  UFFDA!  Our bodies are telling us to rest today.  After breakfast, we slept for several hours, lunched, and returned to the room on this hot, enervating day.  These cabins in Vermont do not have A/C.  Cynthia is icing her feet and bursa!  Ron was shocked to discover that he get up and go got up and went.  Lying abed and falling asleep until 1 pm was another shocker, so he decided to take a day of rest this hot afternoon (87 degrees) and work on James Lea.  Before dinner, Ron sang the (original) birthday song to Sistah Carol; she was appreciative.  After dinner, he returned to his sawing on the massive tree trunk for an hour. {GMC: 1-hour sawing}

22 Jul:  Ron is committed to working on James Lea again now for several days (between sudokus).  Thank goodness for a relaxing day yesterday and a good, long night's sleep.  And now we are exercised, fed, and ready to hike up the Sherbourne Pass Trail (click here) again.  Unfortunately, Cynthia took a fall and wrenched an ankle.  We arrived at the Inn for dinner later than usual; the Irish band started playing the endless sing-along, O Danny Boy.  (To Cynthia, it sounds like 99 bottles of beer on the wall.)  Ron went out a second time to see a little on his favorite oversized tree trunk nearby. {GMC: 3 hours w/ hoe}

21 Jul:  We have faith that we will survive this long.  Thank God we did and enjoyed another day of rest and relaxation.  Ron sauntered up the trail only a little way, twice, with a bucket and hoe to work on water bars.  (And was chased indoors by rain after being warned by thunder both times.)  Scott, the chef, cooked us a wonderful salmon dinner with veggies and baked potato.  Irish soda bread toasted dry is our favorite "dessert."  We are happy "campers." {GMC: 3 hours streambed maintenance w/ hoe & bucket}

20 Jul:  Will Ron be able to move after yesterday's exertions?  Yes, but Cynthia is all worked out.  Ron took a leisurely morning to catch up on genealogy but plans to hike to Pico with a saw after lunch (whenever Cynthia wakes up - she is now stirring).  Uffda!  She slept until 12:38, and then we headed to the Inn for lunch.  The chef is late, so hunger will be abated at that time.  Ron left at 4 pm and hiked to the AT Junction (Jungle Junction), 3.2 miles up yonder, with a plan to do some sewing on the way back down.  The heat made for an exhausting, sweat-drenched two hours uphill and caused Ron to begin to believe that he was not in the shape he had been in before here, but the downhill return reassured him that his body was doing well. {GMC: 4.5 hours - some sawing}

19 Jul:  Birthday month is half past, and the rain is entirely past.  Hiking ahoy!!  Cynthia is frustrated with the Wifi…!  She has to go to the Inn or access it by holding the Mac up to the window.  So forget communication until September!  We hiked to the sinkholes.  Ron sawed logs fallen across the trail en route.  Today's amazing find on the forest floor was the tiny bolt that fell out of the saw four days ago.  One very large tree remains, but not for long.  Because of the trees shading the trail, it is surprisingly comfortable as long as we have a breeze.  The number of hikers has increased at the Inn and along the trail.  Ron and the trusty saw returned to remove more of a tree at six PM. {GMC 4 hours +2.5 hours sawing & streambed maintenance}

18 Jul:  If we can move, we will hike - unless it rains.  Pray for rain.  Our prayers were successful ALL day, but the total accumulation was not substantial.  Ron spent the day working on the Yocum genealogy claimed by cousin Duncan and then transitioned to typing obituaries from Verla's collection into the Rambo Family Tree.

17 Jul:  The plan is to make today easy with a hike on the AT around Kent Pond to Thundering Falls and back.  It was NOT easy; we could both barely drag ourselves there and back.  Fortunately, the bugs were not bad, and the weather was not hot.  5.7 miles later, we staggered into the Inn for large luncheon salads and tried Magner's Irish cider (click here). {GMC: 4 hours w/ clippers & sawed one tree blocking trail}

16 Jul:  Another day for which to thank God.  Breakfast was a hoot!  The wait staff surprised Cynthia with the birthday song, plus a blueberry pan "cake" and birthday candle!  We hiked six miles round trip to the ski run, but this time we rested a couple of times in each direction.  The trail has lots of rocks and roots, so it is not an easy climb.  We enjoyed salmon and baked sweet potatoes at the Inn, and nearby guests sang Happy Birthday.  We struggled over a Sodoku, and now it is time to sleep!  {GMC: 4 hours clipping}

15 Jul:  We hope to awaken again, God willing. We did awaken on this cool, sunny, gorgeous day in the Green Mountains. Cynthia had a girl's day at the Signature Day Salon.  And we lunched at the Inn.   {GMC: 1 hour with saw}

14 Jul:  is another gorgeous day.  We hiked, and Ron hoed as we walked.  (His hands needed a break from all the sawing and clipping; using a hoe is easier.)  Today Ron is trying to increase his energy with a bowl of "frozen" mango before hiking; it worked only moderately well.  Using the hoe is hard on Ron's back.  If it ain't one thing, it is the other.  Cynthia talked Ron into relinquishing his clothes so that she could wash them.  He showered and pre-washed his clothing.  Can you imagine that Ron is ALL clean?  {GMC: 3 hours with hoe}

13 Jul:  is a gorgeous day.  We hiked, and Ron sawed as we walked uphill to the sinkholes.  An army of people with cross saws is needed to cut through the one large tree that fell across the trail in yesterday's storm.  Ron was tired when we began hiking, and all the sawing did little to rejuvenate him.  We were in bed before 10 pm, but Ron was unable to fall asleep until after he got up to work on the computer for an hour at midnight.  {GMC: 3 hours with saw}

12 Jul:  Anniversary of eleven years and two months!  Rain is anticipated, giving us a break from hiking.  But the rain did not appear by lunchtime, so Ron hiked with the hoe and bucket to do trail maintenance.  Cynthia took a break to catch up on a huge backload of correspondence.  After hearing distant thunder, Ron returned to the Inn moments before the storm arrived with torrential sheets of rain and hail blowing sideways for thirty minutes.  (Timing is everything.)  Ron returned before dark to inspect the trail for damage from the deluge, but there was little evidence of the rain.  It is awfully dry here. {GMC: 4 hours with hoe and bucket}

Surrounded by stinging nettle

11 Jul:  This is the biggest week of the birthday month; the lethargy has to go.  Cynthia decided doing Sudokus is the root cause of lethargy.  It is possible Irish Soda Bread may be a contributing factor, although it is very tasty.  We hiked the Sherburne Pass Trail to the sinkholes and return; Ron removed a lot of stinging nettles and sawed fallen trees. {GMC: 3 hours sawed there trees} 

Mrs. SmoochSmooch in radient glory

10 Jul, Sunday:  One of us is exhausted.  The other one is on his computer doing family group sheets.  This means that it will be lunchtime soon so we can eat and avoid hiking today because it is too warm.  Well, at 12:45, before lunch, we pulled ourselves out of our lethargy and slowly ambled up the Sherburne Pass Trail for a total of 3.8 miles round trip; this doesn't sound like a lot, but the climbing is cumbersome.  Ron used clippers up and downhill.  We met Herb and Cathy from the Green Mountain Club at the sinkholes.  Herb informed us that the trail is slated for rerouting above the sinkhole to avoid imminent collapse.  Upon the return and after eating veggies, Cynthia sank back into familiar lethargy.  Sigh!  Ron heard three good bear stories from Murray to get the adrenalin pumping.  The most exciting was about his son, Conner, who bicycled downhill past a large bear which then woofed at him and took up chase.  To his dismay, as he heard momma bear's claws clattering on the rocks behind him, Conner discovered that two cubs were fleeing downhill ahead of him on the same narrow track.  He avers that he has never peddled faster down that track, and he was desperately hoping that the cubs would vere off the trail, which they eventually did.  After he crossed an open area, he stopped to look back and saw momma displaying her displeasure by snorting and clawing the ground. {GMC 3 hours w/ clippers}

9 Jul:  Happy Birthday Rachel!  We hiked up the Sherburne Pass Trail North to the Deer Leep Junction, then southbound on the AT and Long Trail to Maine Junction. The crazy rock scramble up over bounders was not easy. But, the day was lovely and we continued hiking easy until the downhill that seemed forever down and down and down to Route Four, the highway hill climb to the Inn at Long Trail, our home for the next two months.  The hiking time was three hours and the distance covered was 3.5 miles. Cynthia cleaned up for dinner and listened to one song of the Live Irish Music.  OUCH.  Ron went back up mountain to saw and move two big logs.  A BIG guy named "Salt" came along and helped pry one sawed log off the trail.  {GMC: 4 hours w/ hoe, clippers and sawed two logs}

8 Jul:  More dry weather, suitable for a hike up the Sherbourne Pass Trail with bucket, hoe, and clippers.  (Ron's hand might complain about the overuse of clippers yesterday.) After many delay tactics, including lunch, we hiked 3.8 miles roundtrip to the sinkholes and back.  It was humid, and still. The mosquitoes feasted on Cynthia and she has a nasty blister on her toe, good grief!  The chef prepared a lovely tuna steak and shrimp dinner with baked potato and veggies.  {GMC: 4 hours with hoe} 

7 Jul:  The forecast is for a dry day.  Lets Hike !!  Hiker Camel (Bridget) awakens at 4 AM to begin hiking while it is still dark; Rude and Daddy Long Legs start hiking with the first light.  We sleep in.  We started at noon and hiked from Gifford Woods State Park to Thundering Falls, almost six miles, and returned exhausted; Ron sawed through two logs that had fallen across the trail but was only able to move them aongside the trail.  Granddaughter Corrie and husband Alan had their fourth child last night, a baby boy named James Alan, 10 lbs. 4 ozs. 23 inches long.  Cynthia bluetoothed her cell phone to Ron's pacemaker reader and sent a report to his doctor today.  {GMC: 4 hrs - sawed two logs & clipped a million branches)

6 Jul:  The morning rain kept us indoors, and Rude surprised Ron by presenting him with a very colorful AT-themed Buff neck gaiter.  Ron rode into town for frozen mango, pretzels, and grapes and mailed his storage locker check and an SCS Fellow award.  Late in the day, we hiked to the top of the first hill on the Sherbourne Pass Trail.  Ron did a bit of sawing - wow !! is he out of shape !!  Daddy Long Legs asked if we had been here on July 4th, 2019; he thinks he remembers meeting us then, and the blog bears him out.  We did indeed arrive here on July 4th, 2019.  Goodness, but time is zooming ahead too fast.  (Birthday month is passing apace.) {GMC: 1 hour - sawed a bit.}

5 Jul:  Another happily United day.  But today's forecast of rain is holding true, so this may be a day of rest to help Cynthia's ankle and knee recover.  There was no sufficient break in the rain for Ron to decide to ride to town.  Cynthia is sudoku'ed out.  We had a fun time at dinner with three hikers who arrived early for breakfast after hiking down from Killington starting before daylight, Bridget (Camel), Rude, and Daddy Long Legs.  They will zero tomorrow, so we will enjoy their company again and get a group photo or two.  Ron mended several holes, wrote a check for storage locker rent and submitted a service request to BMW Max near Troy, NY.  He has scattered his mess all over the living room couch and the bed.  Tomorrow he will mail the check in town and call BMW Max.

Stream feeding into Kent Pond

4 Jul:  Happy Independence Day!  United... we slept until 8:30 and returned to sleep at 10:30 AM until 1:30 PM.  After a very late lunch, we hiked 3.2 miles along Kent Pond.  Imagine our delight to encounter Charlie, swinging an axe to clear a tree from the trail.  We reached a big rock that signals to Ron where the trail begins a constant descent to Thundering Falls (click here).  Cynthia turned back five minutes later, whereas Ron, the Speedy Gonzales, continued hiking and pulled a tree off the trail before returning to catch up with Cynthia back at the bike.  God bless the USA!  We have some Wifi in our room this year, but only on the Mac computers, so writing happens sporadically.  {GMC: 2 hours - pulled dead tree from trail.}

3 Jul, Sunday: Exercised, well-fed at our happy hiking place, the sun is shining, and United, we hiked the Sherburne Pass Trail.  A fabulous 2.5 months of glorious hiking stretch out ahead of us.  We love it here!  The 2.9-mile hike to this ski run seemed so easy, that we didn’t stop for rest.  The downhill became torturous for Cynthia’s feet and knee because she didn’t stop and rest on the way up.  You can sorta see the Inn at Long Trail beneath the patch of white rock.  This will give you an idea of our elevation climb.   God bless the USA!  {GMC: 3 hours - waterbars.}

2 Jul:  United we hike!  We enjoyed a wonderfully good night's sleep accentuated by extensive rain, but then we never got started hiking.  Maybe tomorrow.  Ron did wash the motorcycle a bit and rode into Rutland for groceries.  We are delighted to have internet in room 17 now, and there is a new bed and couch, besides a new concrete sidewalk and new yellow lines in the parking lot.  Okie gave Ron a host of new sudokus, which helped to derail productivity.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow again.

1 Jul:  United we ride!  After a good night's sleep together, we packed everything onto the bike and rode to Kimball Farms (click here) to retrieve credit cards.  Of course, this means we both enthusiastically ate ice cream despite our strict and faithful adherence to our diet at all other times!  The ride to Killington was confusing because Ron misread the maps and misremembered the route, causing him to pass under I-495 and continue far too far looking for an entrance before he stopped to consult the GPS for a better way.  Cynthia will post, “Thoughts From the Back of a Bike Staring at a Red Helmet,”  It could be a best seller.  Oke greeted us upon our arrival at the Inn.  It certainly was good to see him looking good.  The route: MA-1A S through the Sumner Tunnel to MA-3 N to cross the Charles past the Museum of Science into Cambridge, immediate L on Commercial Avenue past hotels to Memorial Drive, past MIT & Harvard to MA route 2 (where Ron also missed a turn and wandered a bit before stopping to consult the GPS).   MA-2 W to I-95 N to MA-225 W to Carlisle Kimball Farms to retrieve "wallet" and more ice cream.  MA-225 W to I-495 S (eventually) to MA-2 W to exit 90B, MA-140 N -> MA-12 N into New Hampshire, and NH-12 N to Walpole, NH, L on US-5 cross river into Vermont N on I-91 to VT-103 W much further than expected to VT-100 N past all those beautiful lakes to Killington & US-4 W to the Inn at Long Trail (click here)

June is transition between Smooch birthday & SmoochSmooch birthday

Cynthia enjoys costumes, Ron doesn't

30 Jun:  Mee beloved Weefee returns, and we scurry off to Vermont for hiking.  Her flight departs IAH at 9:52 AM, arrives BOS at 2:45 PM to her beloved Smooch!  Ron hopes to get moving early in order to visit Maggie in Hingham on the way to Boston Logan by 2:44 PM.  Excitement builds in Texas with good flying weather to Boston. Cynthia arried on schedule and called the hotel to send a shuttle.  Ahhh! Life is good! Well!  Cynthia arrived at the hotel to discover Ron at the front desk, unable to check in because he left his credit cards at Kimball Farm after buying contraband ice cream.  (He is caught.)  A phone call solved the problem.  They found the cards, now he must return and eat another ice cream cone!  The route to the airport was MA-225 a few miles to Kimball Farm in Carlisle, then MA-225 to the very busy I-95 circumferential around Boston (formerly Route 128) (but Ron continued south another 4 miles on I-95 instead of switching to I-93 N as was needed) then N on I-93 to exit 7 for MA-3 S to exit 36 Derby St E to MA-53 N to Linden Ponds Way to visit Maggie for an hour.  Leaving N on MA-53, Ron turned on Pleasant Street as before and trusted the GPS, but the GPS cannot be trusted to pick a good route.  It picked a route through downtown Quincy to get to a point on Quincy Shore Drive instead of the more pleasant route Ron used a week earlier.  En route to the airport, Ron used the left exit off I-93 to the airport, a better choice, and this time he was ready for that left exit onto MA-1A N to the Hilton Garden Inn.

29 Jun:  Cynthia sawher ENT Dr. at 9:00 to get her old hearing aids recalibrated, then checked out of the condo before one and shipped a box to Killington.  Then to a pedicure and manicurist, to the Woodlands to pick up a prescription and to return the rental car before finally spending the night at a hotel by the airport.  Mission Accomplished in Texas by 4:45 PM.   The beloved weefee is ensconced at the Houston IAH Hampton Inn, with shuttle ordered for 7:30 AM tomorrow, and she is sleeping early.   Ron and Margie drove  to Nashua for a relaxed afternoon luncheon with Bob & Rachel and Sock.  It is wondefully satisfying to visit with friends from college.  After returning to Sharon, NH, Ron packed the motorcycle ASAP and returned on the same roads to Carlisle (123, 124, 119 & 225) to sleep out one more night before returning the sleeping bag & tent to Dave.  

28 Jun:  Ron and Margie hiked in New Hampshire on Ted's Trail up North Pack.  Cynthia had Dr. appointments at 10:00 and 4:00 for thyroid tests, and a dental appointment at 2:00 with Dr. Nunn.  (This info is for the IRS.)  All of the boxes are back in the storage unit with a mental note to Cynthia to get it organized and cleaned in November.  And KABOOM, after using the credit card at the doctors office, the card holder with credit cards is missing.  She raced back to check, nada there.  Credit cards are cancelled, new ones ordered.  At least the new drivers license is already coming.  Later she discovered the lost wallet and credit cards in a zippered compartment of her very own purse.  Isn’t life fun!  Oooohh, when available, hubsand Ron usually performs a second search to discover such overlooked items.  Ted's Trail was a "good" hike, up over lots of rocks and roots to a several good vistas out over New Hampshire's mountain greenery.

27 Jun:  Cynthia successfully renewed her drivers license at 9:30 in Hempstead, Texas, followed by lunch with friends Carol and Sandy.  Whew !!  Now that anxiety abou eyesight can be put to rest for a few years.  In the evening, Jon and Tina took her to see Roxanne’s newly remodeled bathroom, and they all went to dinner at Jason’s Deli.  Ron awakened at 5 AM, thought the clock read 6 AM and rode 15 minutes to Peterborough, only to be dismayed that Shaws grocery would not open for another hour at 7 AM.  Fooey, so he made the best of the situation by walking into downtown Peterborough to use up that hour.  He was pleased to acquire blueberries, bananas, and pretzels before the rain, forecast to arrive at 8 AM.  But at 8 AM the forecast was set back an hour - and similarly at 9 AM and 10 AM.  Ron was eager to ride north to Concord, NH to see Beanie and Eddie, but scattered rain was falling along the route.  At 11 AM, just as Ron was deciding to go despite the forecasts, the rain began in Sharon.  It soon stopped, but began again two hours later, again just as Ron was deciding to go.  Finally at 3 PM he gave up that notion and waited for Margie and Richard to return.  Margie wanted to walk, so Ron got in a second multi mile walk.

26 Jun, Sunday:  Ron enjoyed both nights camping out at Rick's over the weekend before returning to Margie’s on those same roads (10, 119, 202, 124, 123).  Margie asked Ron to keep her Maine Coon Cat (click here) company by sleeping indoors, or at least on the screened-in back porch.  Ron thoroughly enjoyed the back porch, being both closer to the bathroom and free from mosquitoes on those nocturnal forays.  Romeo (the cat) seemed to enjoy Ron's presence although he remained cautiously out of reach.  In Texas, Cynthia worshipped at Grace Lutheran, followed by brunch at the yacht club with Roxanne, Jon and Tina.

25 Jun:  After lots of conversation with Margie and Richard, Ron rode to Gill, Massachusetts to visit Rick & Sherry for the weekend.  Ron asked for Rick's help to get the motorcycle onto the center stand in order to measure the oil level.  (The engine needs to be on the centerstand, fully warmed up with the fan running for one minute before it is turned off.  Then after another minute the oil level is checked.)  Immediately after that, Rick suggested that they canoe on the Connecticut River in flat water behind a dam.  Ron was very nervous being in a racing profile boat on the river (narrow and shaky).    We did not fall in and didn't even get very muddy.  Meanwhile in Texas, Cynthia is attending the birthday party for one-year-old great grandson, Noah.  25 toddlers! The noise is a whole lotta loud!  Ron's route: New Hampshire highway 123 south to L on NH 124 W to L on US 202 S/W to R on NH 119 W to L on NH 10 S -> MA 10 S 5 miles to Main Street in Gill.

What are these two doing in an airplane??

Jon's family is getting bigger

24 Jun:  Cynthia had a haircut.  Margie invited Ron to make her house his base of operations, so Ron borrowed Dave's camping gear to continue camping at Margie and Richard’s.  It was indeed lovely to see Margie and Richard again.  They are looking good and taking good care of themselves, and threading their ways through the individual issues associated with aging.  Route: MA 225 N to R on Canal Street N -> NH 124 N to a R on NH 123 N to Jarmany Hill Road.

23 Jun:  Ron camped at Dave’s, but he has no Verizon signal to call people.  Yesterday's visit with Richard convinced Ron that Richard will enjoy postcards much more than visits, so that freed Ron to spend the entire day with Dave & Kris including two multi-mile walks.  Cynthia’s ENT removed the Earlens and refunded the purchase price because they are not working for her.  She has a busy schedule of appointments, plus getting hiking equipment shipped to Vermont, SCS shirts shipped to Carol and Dean. 

22 Jun:  Cynthia flew from Boston to Houston, leaving Ron without adult supervision.  He rode with her on the shuttle, into the airport and held her hand across the security barrier as she walked to TSA Precheck.  Now, that’s an awesome, incredible, amazing Smooch!  I love you!  Great weather for departure and arrival.  Yikes, airline descent air pressure was painful on ear drums.  Ron's afternoon began well enough with a stop at Trader Joe's to get chocolate for Richard and a bag of frozen mango for lunch.  However the visit with Richard was depressing since Richard is living in his imagination, can no longer converse and seems to consider visitors unwelcome burdens.  The ride to Carlisle went well except for the blinding sun, and Dave and Kris were very welcoming - but we stayed up talking far too long into the night.  Ron is very happy to be sleeping in a tent.  MA 1A S to MA 3 N to L on Sorrow Drive, left lane for MA 28 N/ North Station to cross Charles River Dam, first L to Memorial Drive to L on Western Avenue to Arsenal Street to R on Arlington St and R on Coolidge Hill Road.  After visiting Richard,  L on Greye -> Arlington St., L on Aberdeen, R on Huron, around rotary to Concord Pike and MA 2 W then R on MA 225 N to Curve Street in Carlisle.

21 Jun:  The forecast is for dry weather for our ride across Connecticut to Hingham, Massachusetts to visit Ron's exercise guru Maggie before riding into Boston.  Maggie had a terrible accident in her wheelchair.  She was crossing a street in the Linden Ponds complex when a 97-year-old driver failed to stop at a stop sign and hit her, breaking her spine in three places and cracking her pelvis entirely.  She is now confined to bed without the ablilty to get into a wheelchair and remain independent.  After giving up in despair for a month or so, she regrouped and is now interested in writing a book of suggestions to make nursing homes places to live instead of places to go to wait to die.  AttaGirl Maggie.  Our route was surprisingly pleasant despite Northeastern traffic and interstates.  I-84 E past Waterbury, Connecticut to exit 27, I-691 E to Meridan, exit on Connecticut 66 E through Middletown, merging with US 6 E and then with I-295 to exit 2B which merges with US 1 North then left on MA 1A  to a Ruby Tuesday at an Outlet Mall in Wrentham.  After filling ourselves full of salad, we continued on I-495 S/E to exit 33A for I-95 N to exit 26 and I-93 N to exit 7 for Massachusetts Highway 3 S towards Cape Cod to exit 36, Derby Street and MA 53 N to Linden Ponds Way.  After a lovely visit with Maggie, we continued North on MA 53 to a R on Pleasant Street -> Commercial Street -> North Street -> Pearl Street to a L on Evans Street, L on MA 3A to a R on Southern Artery, L on Sea Street, L on Quincy Shore Drive with lovely views of the Bay.  Back on MA 3 feeding into I-93 N to exit 16 for Logan staying L to get on I-90 E (toll) to MA 1A to HGI - except that I missed the little sign in the tunnel that pointed to the left exit onto 1A, so we toured the airport looking for a way out.

Hudson w/ baby brother

20 Jun:  One more overnight in Danbury.  We are looking for a different hike today, except we crashed.  Cynthia slept all afternoon. Grandson Brett and Jen announced the birth of a second son, eleven pounds!  Our granddaughter Zoe and Jack announced their engagement to be married 10 June 2023, right after their college graduation.  Zoe will continue higher ed; Jack wants to play pro soccer goalie.

19 Jun, Sunday:  Happy Fathers Day to all fathers everywhere!  Now that we have eaten breakfast and eaten  RX pills, it is time to discover where we can get in a good walk in the vicinity of Danbury.  We walked on the road (US 6) a mile west to Farrington Forest and enjoyed a lovely, serene walk in the woods there.  Ron enjoyed his dinner of red potatoes and the show by Music of Cream (click here) at Daryl's House (click here) in Pawling, New York.  The performance started at 7 PM (after the band checked the sound system at 6 PM - a delightful preview of their ability.  The show was very, very good, but still did not measure up to the 2005 concerts by the Cream at Prince Albert Hall.

18 Jun:  We left Jim and Becky at 11:15 AM, on schedule, despite a forecast of rain at 9 AM, to ride to Danbury, Connecticut.  This route is trivially easy: US 11 N to R on PA 29 S/E to L on I-81 N to exit 182 to Ruby Tuesday first (in Moosic, PA), then back on I-81 N to I-84 E to Danbury, Connecticut later.  Ohhh noooo!  that Ruby Tuesday has been closed for several months, - - - but we were able ot order great salads at Nonno's Pizza & Family Restaurant next door.  Ohhh Nooo #2 - - - The winds and cold were quite trying all day long, especially northbound in the morning.  Cold and winds continued all afternoon until we arrived in Danbury at 5 PM, half frozen and worn out.  Days like this make Ron question if he really likes riding motorcycles that much.  We enjoyed a nice dinner of salmon, veggies and potatoes at the Hilton Garden Inn restaurant, and our waitress was delightful.  Then Ron discovered that Trader Joe's is just beyond the neighboring wooded lot and sashayed out for grapes, blueberries and frozen mango.

17 Jun:  Jim has recommended another good hike, starting at a Weiser Forest parking area off Pennsylvania route 54 E (via  highway 61 S/E and 487 N).  The Roaring Creek Trail was a flat gravel road on the ridge overlooking the lake.  At first we traversed fishermans trails to the waters edge and enjoyed views of the mountains across the lake, but when those trails faded into obscurity, we climbed to the ridgetop road and continued for two miles to the site of bridge construction.  On return we rode through Shamokin, which is an interesting old mining town.  Back in Selinsgrove, Perkins again served us egg white omelets, and for dinner, Jim and Becky cooked us very, very tasty grilled salmon and corn on the cob for dinner.  (Nevi was eager to finish uneaten corn off the cob.)  They are encouraging us to visit again and often.

Ron and Nevaeh

16 Jun:  We awakened too warm in the middle of the night, which caused us to awaken late.  (The comforter is suitable for minus degrees.)  After our exercises, we hustled out the door and onto the motorcycle to Perkins for egg white veggie omelets; they did a good job.  Then we stopped at Giant for groceries and rode a whole host of tiny PA highways to Ricketts Glen State Park (click here).  Since we started hiking at noon, we were justifiably nervous about the prospects of rain at 4 PM, but the hike was everything Jim and Becky said.  Waterfalls and more waterfalls despite the miniscule size of the stream.  This trail is not for people squeamish about "exposure," and Cynthia hyperventilates when the trailside dropoff becomes significant.  We hiked two miles uphill and saw both of the 47-foot high falls before good sense dictated that we save Cynthia's composure by returning.  The forecast of significant rain & possible hail at 4 PM was a contributing factor.  The same route on southbound return was quicker than the northbound version: US 11 N to L on PA 54 N to R on PA 642 (which had too many big bumps) to L on PA 42 N to R on PA 118 to the parking area.  On the return, we turned into Sunbury on PA 147, crossing a different bridge over the big, wide river.  Jim and Becky treated us to a lovely dinner (under threat of rain) at the new Midtown Bistro (click here), and Nevaeh, the sweet Old English Sheep Dog, led us all on a pleasant walk around the neighborhood at dusk.  She is a quick sniffer.  Now, as I finish this blog entry at 10 PM, the thunder has arrived, but apparently no rain.

15 Jun:   We left the Doubletree in York on I-83 north to a Ruby Tuesday in Harrisburg, PA where we again found an excellently well run establishment with a great salad bar.  It was hot and the bright sun caused Ron to miss a couple of turns and wander through more of Harrisburg than intended before he finally got back on US 322 to a R on US 22 N along the Susquehanna to Duncannon, a town known to all AT hikers.  (And only hikers would stay at the Doyle hotel (click here), but nearly everyone likes the food and the bar.)  Immediately after crossing the river bridge, we turned R on US 15 N on the opposite side of the river with great views.  R on PA 61 S across the river into Sunbury and the GPS guided us to Jim and Becky's house.  Jim had great suggestions for a hike tomorrow and informed us that rain is not forecast to begin until 4 PM.  

Momma Bear and the Flower Girls

14 Jun:  We loved our visit in York with Mary Lois and family.  We arose, ate breakfast and looked at the color radar, which galvanized us into immediate action as a big storm was due to descend upon us momentarily.  In the fifteen minutes it took us to get the motorcycle in motion, a very light rain began to fall, but we arrived at the Shenk Embassy 95% dry.  The first big shock was the transformation of the cluttered, decrepit, dirty garage into a clean, comfortable, modern living space, well appointed and nicely decorated with photos of family and inspirational Bible phrases on all walls.  It was terrific to see Mamma Bear's video slideshow of her AT hike to complete the Trail in memory of Papa Bear.  Youngest Flower Girl, 16-year-old Hannah, is a talented artist; we enjoyed her book and many drawing.  The slideshow and video clips of the Boys hike was similarly enthralling.  Kevin dropped by for lunch.  Kevin now employs two of his sisters in his web design business.  Wendy and ?? also came for lunch, as did Keeshon.  (Autumn and Keeshon work for the school as mentors for 13 to 16 year olds.)  Austin surprised me by giving me a big hug before I saw him; he is no longr the string bean hiker that I met years ago; he is now a married man with two very active youngsters in tow.  The girls had prepared salads and baked potatoes, so everyone was able to eat until Ron was full.  After lunch we walked over to the new school, so radically different from the previous two times we've been there.  They held classes last year and have seven operational classrooms.  I shot a couple of baskets in the gymnasium.  It is now a Christian school )(click here), and some of the parents prefer a Christian education for their children even though they themselves are not Christian.  It is always uplifting to visit the Shenks, and this time was no exception.  They fed us dinner and bid us fond farewells until we meet again.

13 Jun:  No rush, but we need to check out of Doubletree and ride to York, Pennsylvania to see Ron's hiker friends, the Preacher Boys and their mom.  Ron has OD'ed on traffic and decided not to go into Philadelphia.  Cynthia shipped her dress back to Texas.  It is hot, and we are weary.  We backtracked to the Ruby Tuesday for lunch; King Street south to 2nd Street north to L on Delaware 2 west to R on DE 7 to Ruby Tuesday.  After a satisfying and filling lunch of salad, we continued on DE 7 N/W to merge with  DE 41 N/W to merge with US 30 W around Lancaster to R on I-83 N to the Comfort Inn.  We arrived a little too late to visit today, so Ron went out to Weis grocery for bananas, blueberries, and lettuce.

Anticipating the wedding

Cynthia speaking

Cynthia speaking with gestures

The wedding re-enactment

12 Jun, Sunday:  Because Ron was so late getting to bed, poor Cynthia did not get sufficient sleep.  We awakened and breakfasted with several of our Rambo cousins before boarding the tour buses for a ride over to Gov. Printz park (click here) for the farmstead dedication (click here), the primary reason for this event.  We are keynote speakers at the Rambo Reunion.  Cynthia delivered a beautiful speech on cue about 11 AM.  Click here to see a video of her speech (you have to click on the little arrow).  Then she motioned Ron to come forward, but he thought the speeches were to be before lunch indoors and was entirely unprepared.  Still, he got a hearty laugh and a few comments from his obvious confusion.  Rob Rambo then presented a marvelous re-enactment of Peter Gunnarson Rambo recalling his courtship of Brita.  This was followed by the reenactment of the wedding ceremony with Rev. Kim-Eric Williams officiating, followed by a lovely song by Emily Tepe, Iva.  Thereafter, we all walked across the park and grounds to lunch at the Corinthian Yacht Club.  Ron again indulged in several lenghty discussions with genealogy cousins again.

Cynthia blessing wreath in Peter Rambo's memory

11 June:  We awakened and breakfasted early because Cynthia is always nervous about the schedule - and the clock in our room was an hour early.  Our RAMBO Reunion events included a a tour bus ride to the Swedish American Museum (click here), then Gloria Dei Church (click here) (where Cynthia blessed a wreath and we ate lunch), followed by the Kalmar Nyckel Museum (click here), and finally Holy Trinity Church (click here) in Wilmington.  Cynthia and Ron spoke about DNA at the Stiddem Society dinner this evening.  It was a long, full day followed by a couple of lengthy discussions for Ron about genealogy.

10 Jun:  Goal: Check in to Doubletree in Wilmington for reunion.  We awakened at a reasonable hour, ate a leisurely breakfast and departed before noon.  Intended route is DE 1 (toll) N to DE 7 N to Ruby Tuesday on Limestone Pike, then somehow to the Doubletree as the GPS suggests.  Cynthia is ensconced in our room, with dinner in her tummy, ready to sleep.  We must arise and try to shine at six AM.  Rain is now forecast for Sunday   Ohhhh no! - (Cynthia's words, Ron is unconcerned.)  The GPS took us a route that Ron had intended to avoid: Delaware 7 S to a L on DE 2 E into the streets of Wilmington, R on 8th Street S to L on King Street to the hotel.  Wilmington traffic is really quite light and manageable.

9 Jun:  We packed up and checked out by 11 AM to visit Dean & Janina until mid-afternoon, but stayed longer when they decided to feed us a late salad & veggies lunch.  We left about 3 PM and stopped at the Ruby Tuesday in Milford for additional salad before continuing north up DelMarVa to the Hilton Garden Inn in Dover.  Ron wanted to exit early to avoid the toll into Dover, but got confused by the road signs and ended up entering Dover Air Force Base instead.  The gate personnel straightened him out so that he easily found Delaware highway 10 and US 13 through Dover.  Route was simply Delaware 1 north to business 1 into Milford, L on Buccaneer to Ruby Tuesday, then US 113 North back onto DE 1 to Dover AFB exit 95, then DE 10 N to US 13 N through Dover to the HGI.

Dean, Cynthia and Ron (guess which is Cynthia)

8 Jun:  We slept in until 7:30 and drove over about 11 AM to spend the day with brother Dean & Janina.  Janina provided us all a tasty luncheon of lots of veggies.  The afternoon was spent in pleasant conversation since the weather was really too hot to be comfortable outside.  Ron and Cynthia thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Beatty family scrapbook Janina has created with photos from Dean and Carol.  Janina again prepared a lovely salmon dinner on her new Foreman Grill although the new grill is apparently inferior to the old one.  Ron went for blueberries and gasoline after dropping Cynthia at the hotel and was out past dark.  Janina opined that the druggies are the ones out after dark, and that description fits the people Ron saw shopping.  And here it is 11 PM again.  Goodnight.

7 Jun:  We left Jim & Joni's by eleven AM and stopped at Bob’s BMW in Jessup to order a new bike.  Jim has convinced Ron that the R1250RT model is due for redesign and replacement in the near future and that model is so popular that it disappears from showroom floors before it arrives.  Our new bike is not yet in production but should arrive in six to eight weeks.  At that time we will still be in Vermont, so Ron will boogie down to MD and switch out the bikes.   When Cynthia dismounted at Bob's and removed her helmet, she realized she was missing a hearing aid.   Cynthia checked the floors at Bob's without finding the hearing aid, so we returned to Jim's (40 miles) and  scoured the house, walked the same steps, and found nothing.  Bummer.  The rain that was forecast for 3 PM arrived on schedule while we were searching.  We remounted the bike and headed east toward Lewes, Delaware, hoping that the rain had passed us bye.  No such luck, we soon ran into light showers that persisted for 50 miles until the merge onto I-97.  At times the showers were somewhat heavy, but we kept our speed up and stayed dry.  Ron was very relieved that the rain stopped for our ride on I-97 and for the ride across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (click here).  The wind was strong enough to create whitecaps on the bay below the bridge and white knuckles on Ron's hands.  We were able to enjoy dinner in Easton, Maryland at Ruby Tuesday!!  We are very happy that Google can still find Ruby Tuesday Restaurants that are open.  When we arrived at our Hampton Inn in Rehoboth, Delaware, we searched our luggage but still found no hearing aid.  And this is the aid for Cynthia's "good" ear that hears better.  Since it was already dark, we told Dean we'd see him tomorrow.  Our route from West Falls Drive was MD 27 South briefly to L on Gillis Falls Road E to R on Woodbine Road S crossing I-70 (in light rain) to L on MD 144 E to R on MD 32 E all the way to L on US 1 N to R on Guilford Road E and Bob's BMW.  After our return to Jim's, we skipped Bob's BMW and continued E on MD 32 to merge onto I-97 S to a left exit onto US 50 E (which crosses the Bay Bridge) and enters Easton, Maryland.  Then R on MD 322 S a mile to Ruby Tuesday.  Return N on MD 322 to a tight right on US 50 S/E to L on MD 328 E to Denton, MD and R on MD 404 E to R on DE 36 which joins DE 16 E to R on DE 1 S to the Rehoboth Hampton Inn.  Delaware does not require helmets for experienced motorcyclists, and Ron is looking forward to riding without that uncomfortable nuisance.

6 Jun:  Bob's BMW is closed Mondays.  Will we wear out our welcome with Jim & Joni?  Apparently not; we didn't even awaken until after they went to work this morning.  (The pretzels did their job last night.)  We walked 4.3 miles round trip to the Buffalo Road, enjoying beautiful weather and a beautiful day in Maryland.  After Jim and Joni returned home, we rnjoyed another great dinner with them at the Mount Airy Inn.  How fun to see several geese with their goslings waddling to the lake. 

5 Jun: Sunday:  We spent another day with Jim & Joni by sleeping late, breakfast in Mount Airy, followed by a 2.7 mile walk of the historic community.  This is the highest point east to the ocean, started by a need for steam engines to cool after climbing to this high point.  The hills were steep walking today, too.  Jim showed us the fascinating Mt. Airy railroad tunnel (click here) that was built in 1901 by the B & O RR to bypass the highest elevation with a half-mile tunnel (still in use, now underneath a shopping plaza).  Also fascinating to learn that Maryland 144 was formerly US 40, the first National Road (click here) (east to west).

4 Jun:  We expected to spend all day with Jim & Joni, always a fun couple to visit.  Jim is on top of everything motorcycle, and informed Ron that BMW is preparing to retire the R1250RT in favor of a 1300 CC model that will probably have "bugs" to work out.  That news motivated us to get serious about trading our motorcycle for a lighter weight BMW 1250 RT ASAP.  Consequently after a hearty breakfast at the Mt. Airy Inn, we rode to District Harley (and BMW) in Gaithersburg to look at one there, but the only one available there was sold before it arrived.  The R1250RT models are in demand and scarce.  After we returned, Jim loaded us all up into his Jeep and took us to the Potomac River where we hiked on the C&O Canal Trail for 2 miles and saw a huge Great Blue Heron.  The Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Frederick, MD had a terrible salad bar, one of the worst we've ever seen at a Ruby Tuesday.  

3 Jun:  We are packed to leave Waynesboro, VA, after a large salad at Outback Restaurant, and ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, and arrive at Jim & Joni's in Mt. Airy, MD sometime this afternoon.  Thank you Outback, Josh Hughes, manager, and Tonja Michelle, waitress for outstanding service   We NEVER EVER dreamed an Outback could meet our cardiac dietary restrictions! WOW!  Our route was simplicity itself: US 250 East to the Parkway North to US 340 in Front Royal through Harpers Ferry (familiar !!) to I-70 East in Frederick, MD to MD 27 North a few miles to West Falls Road and Jim and Joni's.  Jim had warned Ron of new rock on his driveway and met us to provide smoother passage for Cynthia and the luggage, leaving Ron to bounce and bump over the rocks solo.  Wonderful to see Jim and Joni looking so healthy and happy again.  Jim had cooked us a veggie dinner that was wonderful (especially the small boiled potatoes) and included barbequed chicken.  Despite eating a lot of pretzels, Ron awakened several times through the night.

2 Jun:  Ron REALLY must get "serious" about packing today.  And indeed he did, plus a hiking trip and getting drenched in a severe thunderstorm.  Ron looked up Crabtree Falls (click here) (as suggested by a housekeeper) and also found the Blue Ridge Tunnel (click here) in Nelson County, VA, so he knew where the Afton Post Office is located.  As he returned from his quick hike up to see the flowers again at Jarmin Gap, he thought that the ten minutes to Afton to mail post cards wouldn't make a bit of difference, despite the thunder that he had heard and the black skies to the north and west.  And it didn't matter much until he ran into a smattering of raindrops as he neared the first exit into Waynesboro, so he made the quick decision to get off the interstate onto Delphine Avenue.  What he did not remember is that that street heads straight north and has no places to seek shelter for two miles.  Ron remembers no worse deluge than the second one to hit him, which immediately drenched him thoroughly.  Ron was able to enjoy seeing wind blowing the rainfall at a 60 degree angle.  There were a couple of times that he couldn't even see the street in front of him, but he did manage to get to the nearest Speedway station and wait there for 20 minutes until the rain nearly stopped before continuing.  Strangely, despite being soaked, he wasn't chilled.)

Lookie the tall mountain laurel

1 Jun:  Only two more days before packing and riding - it is now time to begin the packing process - after we go hiking.  The hike was very, very satisfying but also very, very HOT.  We rode to Jarmin Gap and commensed hiking north, down at first to the pleasant little stream, then up and up and up for a long, long way into marvelous clouds of white and pink flowers, mountain laurel (click here).  Once we arrived over the crest of the mountain, Cynthia stared briefly at the trail downhill and decided to let Ron go it alone.  He did, and we both remembered that in a previous year, on a similar hike, Cynthia had made the same decision and Ron hiked alone that day also.  Today was much, much prettier with the blooms even more magnificent than earlier.  Oops, Ron spent his day working on genealogy, with satisfying results but zero progress on packing. 

Hurray, Hurray for the 12th of May

You may kiss the bride !!

Flashback to May 2011

1 Jun:  Only two more days before packing and riding - now time to begin the packing process.  Cynthia sees an echo on this blog!  

31 May:  And Cynthia woke up in sunburn pain after a fitful night.  Her big plan for the day is an ice cold shower and a pedicure and manicure.  Ron is spending the day reviewing genealogy photos, except for walking periodically, and walking with Cynthia to the salon.

30 May:  We did indeed hike someplace today!  We hiked again from McCormick Gap up past the microwave towers to Beagle Gap and back.  Today this hike exhausted poor Cynthia, who sat in the sun too long on tractor seats atop the mountain, talking to first a solitary male through-hiker named Radio, then on the return trip, to a 63-year-old through-hiking couple from Iowa who were entransed by our lifestyle.  Much fun, but too much time in the sun for Cynthia.  We invite all these through-hikers to join us in Vermont at the Inn at Long Trail for a free dinner.

with a nice view

29 May:  OK Folks, Today is the day for a big hike!  God willing, no fog, or rain, or sore feet!  Ohhh!  Did we have fun on our 4.1 mile hike from Beagle Gap, making new friends, Darla and Doug.  They already eat as we do and joined us for sweet potato and veggie dinner at the Outback Steak House.  

28 May:  Hopefully a good nights sleep now, starting yesterday at 10:30.  Annnnddd….  One of us is still sleepy on the 28th of May!  Ron took the bike to the car wash first, then to Wayne’s Cycle Shop to have the front wheel balanced, an hour long process.  Cynthia worked on her talks.  Congratulations to Grand Niece Erika, who graduated Summa Cum Laude and was accepted at law school, and to Grand Nephew Kyle, a HS graduate accepted at SIUEdwardsville.  

27 May:  Forecast is for rain and thunderstorms all day long.  We might have to resort to walking the floors of the hotel twenty times.  Ron walked in installments including stairs.  He called Bob's BMW and discovered no need to go there for service or trade in.  Rebuilding or replacing rear shock costs more than $2,000 and takes 3 months.  They have no R1250RT bikes to sell.  The good news is that Ron was able to get dinner reservations for Daryl's House Club on June 19 to see the act "Music of Cream."

26 May:  Today.  We woke up, exercised and computered before riding  the bike to hike.  The fog was so thick in the mountains, a wise Smooch returned to the hotel, turned around immediately at the end of the Interstate exit.  Cynthia is enjoying good light, thanks to a new higher wattage bulb and Ron.  Our only exercise for the day was a five-block walk to Martin's grocery for frozen mango and pretzels.

25 May:  We did it! Yay for us!  We hiked McCormicks Gap to Beagle Gap and back, 5.3 miles!  Did I mention we are tired and starved?  We returned to the bike around 2:30 in the afternoon feeling and seeing more moisture in the air.  We did meet and talk to several through hikers.  I guess the bubble must be approaching.  Ron is still organizing and incorporating the photos he took in North Carolina.

24 May:  Everything looks very wet out the window, but the puddles are quiet.  Maybe Ron should go out to wash the motorcycle.  Hey, the forecast & color radar is radically changed, and we can go hiking today.  Question is: How wet and muddy are the trails?  Answer is that the mist and fog were still quite unpleasant despite appearances through the window.  The rest of the week looks good for hiking.  But !!  Cynthia doesn’t do muddy trails, so she will hike tomorrow!  

23 May:  Today it is Ron's turn to worry: Charlotte said she'd be working this morning 7:30 to 3, but the desk is unattended.  (Worrying stopped when Ron discovered Daniel hiding in a darkened office, purportedly on a conference call.)  Rain is forecast for this afternoon, so we'd better dig out our rain gear.  HA, we didn't need it since we began noticing rain drops as we neared the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We made a U-turn and headed back down the mountain to spend the day in the hotel.  The real bummer is that Outback doesn't serve lunch midweek.  Ron stayed awake until 2:30 AM putting a James Anderson plat for 641 acres into his James Lea Grants and Deeds platplotter app - which conclusively confirms the location of Lawrence Bankston's earlier property on Richland Creek.  (This is Waaay Exciting for those of you unfamiliar with the passion for genealogy.)

22 May, Sunday: The clock is ticking, the Rambo Reunion in June is approaching.  But, we have ten days to do the exercise that we have neglected for an entire month of constant travel and research.  The downside is the 90 degree temperature.  The familiar guard at the National Parks entrance station asked where we have been.  Our hike was delightful, but we did not find those three miles easy.  Still, we did much, much better than the first time we came here in 2009.  A highlight was running into 5 through hikers, names unknown.  The Outback Restaurant held true to their promise to provide us with large salads and baked potatoes.

21 May: The Hampton Inn, Roxboro, NC has a delightful dining staff person who is Miss Bella, a joyful, happy woman who calls us Mr. and Mrs. Oatmeal!  Love to you, Miss Bella!  Ron spent the morning taking pictures of books in the Person County Library, then we enjoyed a wonderful luncheon conversation with Michael J. at Brookland Eats again.  At one PM we loaded the motorcycle and transitioned to Waynesboro, VA to hike the Appalachian Trail until early June.  We are elated to discover our sweet Charlotte, manager of the Comfort Inn, is well and healthy!  And the Outback Restaurant has baked sweet potatoes with steamed veggies.  Life is good!  Our route was again simple: US 501 north out of Roxboro, turning right (east/ north) on US 29 and following that nearly to Waynesboro except for short legs on VA 6 (north & east) and US 250 west.

20 May:  oofta, it is midnight:30, and Ron is now somewhat exhausted.  After waking up this morning, off we went to the Person County Recorder of Deeds to look for more neighbors to the Leas and Bankstons.  Then a fun lunch with Randall Lea and wife at Brookland Eats (click here), then Ron rode over to Yanceyville to look for more deeds at the Caswell Recorder of Deeds.  Most peculiar (to Ron) was that the Caswell County Courthouse does not allow visitors to bring any electronic equipment into the courthouse.  None.  The guard said that Ron could bring a camera into the Recorder of Deeds if they allowed it.  The clerk there said that she could allow it if the Sheriff allowed it.  Ron then asked the guard if he could exit a different door to go to ask permission of the sheriff, whereupon the guard, a sheriff's deputy, walked in to talk with clerk and came back to tell me I could take my camera in there.

19 May:  With a late checkout, we are back in the NC State Archives for the morning, followed by a meeting in Hillsborough with the County Deed Recorder at two PM, then onto Roxboro, NC Courthouse and Library.  We consider our three days in Raleigh a great success.  Mark, Orange County Recorder of Deeds, has been busy and sent me the link to his site that links to many Lord Granville deeds.  Dinner at the Colonial Inn was less than a success.  Their chef could not imagine a single thing to feed Ron without oil, butter, fat or cheese, so he bought pretzels and sourdough bread from the local grocery, Weaver Street Market (click here), highly recommended.  We followed the GPS directions on nothing but tiny roads without having any idea where we were except to know that most times we were heading due north.  Our route was simplicity itself: we rode south on Dawson Street to I-40, turned west and stayed on I-40 until exiting onto Old Highway 86 which turns into Churton Street and we parked right beside the Recorder of Deeds office.  Mark has been busy since our last visit, and he won reelection by a 65-35 margin.  We then continued N on NC 86 to R on Walnut Grove Church Road to a L on NC 157 N to R on US 158 to the Hampton Inn

18 May:  The blog becomes a bit repetitious when we spend all day every day inside the North Carolina State Archives.  Ron looked at another 50 wills and estate papers.  Have you ever tried to read faded old handwriting and scribbles?  Cynthia ran out of things to amuse herself, but at least she didn't get into the wrong elevator again.  At 5 PM we again rode to Vidrio's for the identitical dinner, but this time it cost $68 instead of $41; we liked the previous waitress better.

17 May:  We were a tiny bit chilly as we rode the bike the six blocks to the North Carolina State Archives, but Cynthia froze inside.  Note to Cynthia, wear a sweater!  We had a fun day, despite the chill.  Our friend Gaye no longer works there.  Bummer!  Cynthia took the B elevator to the basement snack room on the second floor, and she failed to notice she was on a different elevator to return to the second floor.  The elevator door closed, but the buttons would not respond to any further action.  She kept pressing buttons and stood there, locked in an unresponsive elevator. Then she read a sign on the wall, Staff Only.  It was key operated and dark.  She finally pressed a button with an R on it that opened the door.  At five, we were hungry and discovered a nice restaurant that has fed us before, Vidrio (click here).  Cynthia remembered eating there as soon as she saw the decor.  Ron only remembers walking upstairs.  The executive chef came to talk to us and did a good job for us again.  We will most likely eat there again tomorrow.

16 May:  Monday we make the transition to Raleigh to stay at the Hampton Inn about a mile from the NC Archives.  Oh, joy!  We found a Ruby Tuesdays restaurant only 14 miles from Raleigh.  Delightedly full, we left the restaurant despite a forecast of an imminent severe thunderstorm, rode straight towards an ugly black turbulent sky, and turned before finding raindrops to arrive dry at the Hampton Inn Downtown.  The rain came within minutes after we unloaded our luggage.  Wish us luck at the archives on Tueday.  Ron still needs to figure out what to look for while we are there.  At least he compiled a list of names to look for wills.  Our route included a missed turn.  We left Myrtle beach by the route that Hans had suggested, N on Harrison Rd to E on Grissom Parkway, L on US 501 N to R on SC 31 N to L on SC 9 N to L on US 701 N  L on NC 410 N, L on NC 131, L on NC 87 .4 mi to R on Tar Heel Ferry Rd 1.3 mi to L on River Road (rough) -> Tabor Church Road to L on NC 53 (missed a turn) and got onto I-95 for the last 20 miles.

15 May, Sunday:  We had a fabulous day at Brookgreen Gardens created from an original 48,000 acre rice plantation, eventually turned into four plantations by 1932, when a sculptor named Anna Hyatt Huntington purchased all four as a home for her life size sculptures. Tomorrow we ride to Raleigh.  Ron still needs to prioritize his research interests there. 

Springmaid pier in moon light

Same view during daylight

14 May:  We are scheduled to visit Hans and Audrey after breakfast until about 3 PM, when Cynthia gets her cure - manicure.  It took nearly an hour riding to US 501 west (N on Harrison Rd to E on Grissom Parkway - stopping at Walmart for packaged salad) then to SC 31 N to SC 9 N to US 701 S 1 mile to Hans and Audrey's house.  We enjoyed a tour of the garden and orchard - Hans has quite the green thumb.  Then Audrey added some home grown lettuce, radishes and corn to our salad mix & spinach for delightful salads for all.  We were sent home with the leftovers.  Hans is a good storyteller and has a host of interesting experiences and stories.  Two PM rolled around far too quickly, and Cynthia insisted on leaving promptly so as to get her nails done.  Audrey showed me the color radar about then with lovely reds and yellows in the vicinity.  We did run through one cloudburst, a veritable downpour, for a few minutes on SC 9, and the car ahead kept up speed, so we didn't run into whatever we couldn't see ahead of us.  It was honestly raining so hard that all I could see was a black haze ahead of us that had been a black pickup truck before the rain started.  All's well that ends well and Cynthia was on time for her manicure.  Ron then shopped at Food Lion for blueberries, grapes and pretzels.

13 May:  Another day just like the most other days, except that we enjoy our ocean views, ate salad at the hotel restaurant, and walked out the Springmaid pier to take a video for great grandchildren.  After dinner, we enjoyed a long walk on the beach and the neighboring Myrtle Beach State Park (click here) boardwalk.  Ron is making a little progress on James Lea.

12 May:  Happy Annibursary to mee beloved WeeFee.  Happy 75th birthday to my beloved Smooch!  Isn’t love grand?  Here we are eleven years later still over the moon in love!  Up, exercised and oatmealed, we were almost ready to walk when Ron looked out the window to see one very wet pier.  Hans and Audrey have recommended Brookgreen Gardens (click here), $18 admission for seniors, but it is too wet to enjoy a garden tour today.  Next restaurant to try is Magnolias on 26th (click here), supposed to have a good salad bar although reviews are mixed.  Instead we stayed inside all day and used our computers mercilessly.

11 May:  Schedule has us moving to the Doubletree at Myrtle Beach for five days (including our annibursary) with an ocean view.  Duncan joined us for a very pleasant hour of conversation over breakfast.  Our ride was pleasant and uneventful except for a very windy ride over a very beautiful, very high bridge leaving Charleston.  We simply stayed on US 17 the entire time from Charleston to Myrtle Beach and followed the GPS to the Doubletree without problem and discovered there that they did indeed have a room with a view for us.  Cynthia was astounded that this one SC highway was absent the lumps and bumps she has grown weary of in SC.  Ron called Hans upon arrival, and we enjoyed good conversation with Hans and Audrey and good food at Angelo's Steak and Pasta (click here) a few blocks from our hotel.  And here it is too late again, another night = Goodnight.

10 May:  We spent the day with Duncan, subject to a couple of interruptions.  We breakfasted together at the hotel.  We, Ron and Cynthia, had already eaten bowls of oatmeal in our room, so we were not too upset when the waitress brought an omelet made with egg yolks despite our repeated order for egg whites.  When Cynthia asked to have the omelet redone, the cook declared the kitchen closed.  Duncan was called away to take his wife for a covid test (negative) and rejoined us for lunch at Ruby Tuesday, salads all around.  We then rode over to Duncan's house and met the three dogs, Woof, woof and woof, before riding with Duncan to Folly Beach (click here) for a nice long walk on the beach.  Unfortunately, Cynthia's feet were not up to that length of a walk barefoot, and some of the shells became quite uncomfortable to her feet.  (Ron knew his feet were too tender to walk barefoot.)

9 May:  Today we transition to Charleston, SC after breakfast with Clark & Elizabeth at our Hilton Garden Inn at Harbison.  First we stopped at Sam's Club and were able to fill our tires with the additional 3 lbs of air they each needed.  The traffic on I-26 was not particularly obnoxious, so we stayed on it 80 miles to SC 27 W, then US 78 S but turned early onto an old version of the Orangeburg Road.  After a couple of "blind" turns at T intersections, Ron stopped to put our destination address into the GPS and followed it to SC 61 which was bordered by live oaks that delightfully shaded the roadway.  Middleton Place (click here), Magnolia (click here) and Drayton Plantations were all very appealing, but a Ruby Tuesday lunch was overdue for mee diabetic WeeFee.  Incidentally, it was cool enough that Cynthia wore her heated gear the entire ride.  If we hadn't missed the "final" turn for SC 61, we would have ridden straight to the hotel.  However, the trees have grown large enough to obscure that overhead sign, so Ron rode over a couple of bridges unnecessarily, to Charleston and back.  The hotel is the Riverview Cambria.  The river is a mile away, so the view is a minature.  Immediately after checking in to the hotel we buggied to the nearby Ruby Tuesday and stuffed ourselves full.

8 May, Sunday: Happy Mothers Day!  Our last day and last Ruby Tuesday meal here in the vicinity of Columbia, SC.  It was again a delight to dine with Dick, and Clark and Elizabeth.  We did miss Mary and hope she is over her fever, missed Tom and Cheryl and hope they had fun whereever they vacationed, missed Grreg and Donna and hope they enjoyed Mother's Day in Minnesnowda.

7 May:  Another day in Irmo, SC and another Ruby Tuesday meal is anticipated, God willing.  After digesting breakfast for a bit and mending one sock, we walked across parking lots and medians to the building formerly housing Ruby Tuesday and returned.  It is peculiar to see so few cars in the mall parking lots.  We also came right up all six flights of stairs to our top floor room without pause (as opposed yesterday when we walked the hall after each flight of stairs).  Time to go to Ruby Tuesday to meet Dick.  Ron is discovering that he can eat a tremendous salad at Ruby Tuesday, but not four days in a row.  And we did also join him to walk around the mall at 4:30 PM, fun, fun, fun.  The mall was much, much busier at 5 PM. 5.7 miles today.  We are exhausted  

6 May:  Again up "early," we are breakfasted, pilled and ready for more extensive exercise before Ruby Tuesday again at 1:30 PM. Outdoor temperature of 85 degrees and bright sunlight convinced us to walk the floors and stairs of the hotel three times and use the fitness center, which was surprisingly nice.  It is wonderfully nice to see Dick multiple times, but also quite a disappointment that he can no longer walk well.  We walked again achieving a total of 5.6 miles.  Tonight we need to be abed earlier. 

Dick, Mary, Ron, Liz & Clark

5 May:  A wonderful time was had by all the survivors at Ruby Tuesday in Lexington as shown in the picture to the left.  Ron has gotten absorbed in genealogy while answering e-mails both of the last two nights.

4 May:  Rock Hill, SC… Nice hotel, rude staff, and horrid breakfast.  Since there is a Ruby Tuesday on the corner, we were in no hurry to get on the road and enjoyed a huge salad first.  Without a computer to plan a route, Ron used his GPS to find South Carolina route 121/ 76 for many, many miles to US 176 South and eventually US 76 East through Chapin to Irmo and the Hilton Garden Inn, in Columbia SC.  Ron enjoyed SC 121 thoroughly with its light traffic and few towns; Cynthia abhorred the multitude of lumps and bumps she experienced as passenger with a sensitive back.  We probably traveled an extra 25 miles wandering as we did.  We arrived at 4 pm and by 6 Ron was recovered enough to ride over to see Dick, then Clark before buying bananas, grapes and pretzels at Kroger.

Drew in foreground (enlarged)

3 May:  After saying good-byes to Nancy and Roger, we rode back to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch, then on to Lake Wylie and were surprised to find Drew and BD visiting Mary and Ed !!  Ed had a fantastic roasted vegetable dinner already prepared for us.  Then Anna and David stopped by separately to say their hellos and be congratulated on their year-old marriage.  Ed even managed to take a group photo of u all (after David left).  And Yaay, we arrived at Rock Hill, SC to the nicest Comfort Inn we have found to date, with a Ruby Tuesday restaurant right around the corner.  Route:  I-26 south to US 74 East to wandering all over Forest City looking for the Old Tryon Historical Society and back on US 74 to Gaston, North Carolina whereupon the GPS directed us onto many unfamiliar roads until we came to SC 557 and SC 49 which magically brought us within hailing distance of Ed and Mary's front door.  This time we looked but still didn't find the main entrance to their gated community, so we parked next to the unmanned gate station close to their house.  Oops, I had intended to leave Ashville on Alt 74 and my directions were not specific enough; had we done that, finding the Old Tryon Historical Society (click here) would not have been so impossible.

Smooch, SmoochSmooch & Falls

Ron, Cynthia, Nancy & Roger

Roger is looking for fish.  Ron inspecting eyelids.

2 May:  Roger and Nancy drove us out NC 280 to Etowah and then US 64 to Penrose so that we could all hike the three mile loop to see the Triple Falls (click here) of the Little River in the DuPont Forest southwest of Hendersonville.  Afterwards we all enjoyed terrific luncheon salads at Ruby Tuesday and then an even better dinner close to home at 131 Main (click here) in Biltmore Park.

1 May:  Hurray, hurray for the 12th of May, Ron's birthday and our 11th wedding annibursary.  We rode from Athens, GA to Asheville, NC to visit friends Roger and Nancy.  We went for an immediate walk on one of the trails in their wooded subdivision.  Route: Business 78 E 1 mile to L on Hawthorne Rd N 1.6 mi to R on US 129 S towards Winterville, exit 100 N on US 29 N 24 mi to L on GA 327 N (Bryant Park Rd) to R on GA 51 E (Starrs Bridge Rd) to L on GA 17 N (Broad St) merge onto I-85 N cross river to L on SC 11 N past Tamassee 30 m to L on SC 130 N -> NC 281 -> US 64 E through Brevard -> NC 280 to Ruby Tuesday (I missed this last turn, so we stayed straight on US 64 until we got to I-26, not a good alternative).  After stuffing ourselves at Ruby Tuesday, N on I-26 3 miles to exit 37, NC 146 E then immediate R onto Schenck Pkwy/ Ramble Way, R at Promenade Dr to R on Hallett Court.