THE BIRTHDAY MONTH HIKING VERMONT

8 Jul:  Another lovely day for a late start.  The temperature cooled into the 50s overnight.

7 Jul:  We forgot to update the blog because it rained this morning.  Ron walked to Aldi for frozen mango, then we both walked to Walmart to get Shoe Goo for Ron's shoes and Gorilla Glue for the grey bag, which is coming apart at the seams.  Cynthia had a zoom call from the spine surgeon in Florida, Dr. Cantor, who uses a sonic knife to remove excess bone from the spine, a less invasive procedure that heals more quickly.  He explained Cynthia's spondylolisthesis (click here) of L4 and L5 to us and advised against any surgery as long as she can minimize her pain.  We are delighted beyond words.  Then we walked by the Yellow Deli which is closed for renovations until 2033, and ate salads at the Hop'N Moose Pub (click here).  Just before dark Ron decided to walk again to Walmart for Almonds now that his waist is a trifle smaller.  Since our latest visit to Pritikin, we both focus on our pelvic tilt (click here) while we walk to keep our spines in good alignment.

6 Jul:  Ron had everything packed to change lodging, so we left the bags in our room while we hiked Kent Pond.  Our legs were tired, so we did not cross the stream.  We were delighted to discover Sugar and Spice is open for lunch.  Unfortunately, the chef did not follow instruction for no cheese in the egg white omelets.  Next time that happens there, we send it back.  We are in Rutland for four nights, planning to return to the Inn on Friday.  The new insurance at the Inn restricts stays to 13 days; otherwise it is considered long-term rental and the rates go up.  Every thirteen days through August we will spend a few days in Rutland.  We walked on city sidewalks to two different grocery stores for our supplies.  Pacemaker test today 9 pm.  5.99 miles.

5 Jul:  Thank God for another good night of sleep.  We have been much too much short of sleep.  After another delicious breakfast, we hiked again around Kent Pond including rock hopping to cross a small stream and continuing uphill farther than yesterday, 3.0 miles.  Ron is nervous about overdoing it on Cynthia's newly healed torn tendons, but so far we have avoided that bullet.  Big news, Oke came to visit and delivered a whole new batch of sudokus for Ron.  It was great to see Oke and find his speech much more understandable.  The effects of his stroke are less frustrating to him.  Tonight we made several round trips on the entrance of the Sherburne Pass Trail, going up is steep.  Maybe by the end of August we can make the climb to the ski run again. Tomorrow we have to vacate the Inn for several days due to insurance limitations against long-term rentals, i.e. two weeks or more.  We should be able to return and stay 13 days at a time provided my pacemaker continues to function well enough to keep Dr. Dougherty happy. 5.47 Miles total

4 Jul:  Happy 4TH times 250!  Ron is reflecting with some sadness that his best friend, Don Stalcup, and his uncle Lawrence were both born on July 4th and passed away in the last few years.  Thanks be to God that they both lived good lives and influenced Ron positively.  Cynthia adds that Ron influences her positively.  Eighteen years ago on March 2, Ron started his Appalachian Trail Hike at Springer Mountain, GA.  In July, Cynthia picked him up in Rutland and brought him here, Killington, VT.  Today, we hiked on the AT!  Our feet felt weird and our legs felt weak.  We hiked 2.5 miles, crossing streams, and traversing boulders.  It was a very successful hike; we are still able to walk. At the end of this day of walking about, Cynthia has a total of 5.11 miles, closing all the rings on her Apple Watch.

3 Jul:  We "slept in" a little this morning, arising at 7 AM and getting onto the road before 9 AM when the temperature was already over 88 degrees.  Ugh.   After all the early morning and late nights, we are both dragging, not to mention the extreme heat.  Still, the ride was comfortable and quick.  2nd Ave W to R on Winter Street to R onto I-95 a couple of exits to MA 2 W for 37 miles to exit 90B and MA 140 N for 9 miles to MA 12 -> NH 12 for 40 miles through Keene.  New Hampshire tells you that a turn is coming up after you are in the wrong lane in heavy traffic.  Fortunately I knew to look for several turns in Keene.  At Walpole, NH we found NH 123 W to cross a bridge into Vermont and US 5 briefly, I-91 for 5 miles to US 5 again and VT 103 for 30 miles into Ludlow.  I was expecting to see a place to eat near a deep gorge, but that must be a different route.  (Route 4 Quechee Gorge Bridge.)  We turned onto VT 100 in Ludlow and rode past the several beautiful lakes along that road until turning West on US 4 for 10 miles to the Inn At Long Trail, where Murray and Page greeted us warmly and provided our room for three nights.  

2 Jul:  Ron awakened at the perfect time this morning and Cynthia awakened not long afterwards, 5:15.  It looks like we are on schedule to get an earlier start so that the sun light from the east will be blinding for a while.   We arrived at Linden Ponds to see Maggie at 10 AM and were very pleasantly surprised to discover that 99-year-old Maggie is still vital and active and has progressed with her ability to use her arms and hands immeasureably since we last saw her two years ago.  What an amazing testimonial to strength of will power.  We left at 2:30 so that she could go listen to scheduled music and rode through the usual heavy Boston traffic to the Hampton Inn in Waltham, surprisingly less expensive than everywhere else near Boston.  Once settled in there, Bob picked us up to visit his wife whose mind is dying because of all the radiation it took to kill her cancer.  Rachel was surprisingly more alert and conversational than I had understood.  Her problem is new memories and understanding, not old ones.  Another huge surprise, Bob introduced us again to his daughter Aletta and husband Richard.  Cynthia needs a new feduciary and Aletta is one so we talked about finances until I asked Richard about AI.  Then we talked about AI for a while until it was time for Bob to take us to dinner nearby at Zhu (click here), where I had Mandarin Curry dish that was fine and fun.  Consequently we didn't get to bed early enough although the day was wonderfully rewarding to see so many fine, fun people.  Route MA 3 N 6 mi to I-93 N 3 mi to I-95 N 16 mi to exit 43B Totten Pond Road, R on Winter, L and L onto 2nd to Hampton Inn.

1 Jul:  Ron awoke at 3:30 AM to pack up with a plan to leave very early, except we didn’t.  It was raining.  But, we were rolling out of the hotel parking lot before eight AM for the ride around New York City towards Boston.  We made it as far as Brooklyn.  Did you know there is a Brooklyn in Connecticut?  I didn't.  Todays ride was far less stressful than anticipated.  We rode from the hotel west on NJ 36 a mile to reach US 130 N for 4 miles then merged with US 1 N for 4 more miles and took a left lane exit onto NJ 18 N for 7 miles to pass Rutgers University, cross the Raritan River and turned L onto River Road for 4 miles, whereupon we joined I-287 N for 50 miles to turn R onto I-87 and continue on I-287 around NYC and across the Tappanzee Bridge (now renamed for Mayor Andrew Como).  Then came confusion because my directions said to take exit 9A onto the Hutchinson River Parkway, but exit 9A in New York was for US route 9 and in Connecticut after I took a pass on that instruction there were a couple more 9 exits before the Hutchinson River appeared overhead.  It would have been a mess of confusion if I had fallen for one of those earlier 9 exits, but I picked the correct one and we proceeded onto a very rough road for a mile until we crossed into Connecticut and the road became very smooth and well maintained, the same Merritt Parkway I was hoping to find in such good shape.  We continued thereon until reaching an exit under construction that took us onto I-91 N smoothly into Hartford and the early exit to go over to I-84 E which segued into I-384 E until we exited interstates onto old US 6 through the lovely Connecticut countryside and small towns.  We stopped when fatigue dictated, and that was Brooklyn, CT.  The hottest temperature shown on the bike temperature gauge was 101 and it read in the 90s most of the day.

The Oneth of June - Rolling North Towards Vermont.

This fun photo was taken on 3 Jun 2022.

30 Jun: There is no thirty oneth, so todays post concludes June.  Tomorrow, we ride towards Boston, then onto Vermont to hike. How far will we get this year is in question because we await the call from Texas to return and replace the pacemaker.  We now test said pacemaker with a little remote gizmo the 6th of every month, so we keep traveling month by month, hoping that the battery will last longer than was estimated in January when the doctor said we needed to return in June.

29 Jun:  Ride towards Boston.  Nope change of plans; Jerry S. says that he and Cathy will be pleased to see us tomorrow, so we are going towards to Wayside, New Jersey today.  The closest hotels are crazy expensive ($500+).  But we found a Doubletree twenty miles away for two nights.  Now, to endure the heat wave being forecast, with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees.  

28 Jun;  Worship at Tidings of Peace, Lunch and Dinner with Shenks, punctuated by the video of their shenanigans on the trail.  Kevin says he recorded whenever it looked like there was a good possibility of injury.

27 Jun:  tour of the SCS Museum, hang sign on Archives Door, GPS stolen, Arrived Dry in York, PA.  SCS Meeting,  When you see an outline like today, you can understand why Cynthia calls Ron the word smythe. 

26 Jun:  What happened to the 25th. Today we shipped a box back to Texas with just enough of Cynthia's clothing to make it possible for Ron to pack up everything onto the motorcycle easily.  Then we rode to the Archives and spent the remainder of the afternoon there finding not much despite Stacy's expert help.  Finally at 4 PM we left (were kicked out) and rode beautiful less traveled roads suggested by Stacy all the way to Essington and our Clarion hotel.  Westtown Road wound its way through very scenic areas through the town of West Town all the way past Street Road to a second intersection with Street Road.  Ron made the mistake of turning left and realized his mistake when crossing Westtown Road again.  After a 180 we were back on track and eventually found PA highway 352 that took us through more natural beauty into downtown Chester (not so beautiful) and eventually into Eddytown and Essington to our hotel.  And to think that we did all this at rush hour without major traffic hassles.  Thanks and THANKS, Stacy.

25 Jun: Cynthia wasn’t feeling up to par with allergies and stayed in the hotel while Ron researched in the Chester County Archives. 

24 Jun:  Cynthia's cough is sounding like Ron's did ten days ago.  Dean says that a cold lasts only ten days, which is about how long Ron has been coughing up chunks of phlegm.  We are about to leave for the Archives at 9:17, without much hope of finding anything significant.

23 Jun:  The oneth of June zoomed into the 23rd.  It is raining and the weefee is sick with a head cold or allergies.  Ron spent the day watching windshield wipers on cars and working on Rambo genealogy to help out Sistah Dear.  Surprise, surprise, the well-documented Ancestry tree that he has been appreciating and copying is owned by someone we've met before, Donna S.

22 Jun:  After a slow morning, we are happily fed and at the library doing research.  Well, we were until 4:30 when the alarms went off everywhere, including Cynthia's watch.  A tornado warning was issued urging everyone to take shelter.  Ron was disappointed because he had just started working on the 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle available to patrons.  We got on the bike and happily arrived at our hotel, dry.  Cynthia is very thankful to be pain free; she discovers movement is the key, thanks to synovial fluid.  It helps to pray and be grateful.  She thanks God believing!

21 Jun:  Happy Father's Day!  Cynthia sent good wishes to the world.  We are thankful for this great day in every way.  The weather is so pleasant we enjoyed a morning walk through the neighborhood, Ron remembered a nearby trail and checked it out.  We walked the trail that led through a short woods together tonight for her total of 5, 10 miles.  Ron is transcribing documents.  Cynthia is helping a Rambo researcher.

20 Jun:  We enjoyed our research at the Chester County Historical Museum (click here).  Ron took more than a hundred photos of their "vertical files about Rambos, including newspaper clippings dating back to 1823.  We enjoyed perfect salads for lunch at the Tomato Shack (click here).

19 Jun:  Us two Rolling Stones traveled less traveled roads from North East, Maryland through Chatham and Downington to Exeter, Pennsylvania.  Coatesville was interesting, showcasing closed factories, blocks of shanty row houses, and a few mega mansions along PA route 82.  We arrived after forty-one plus miles at the Suburban Studios, an experiment (for us) of a six-night stay at a budget hotel. The nearby Ron’s Original Bar and Grille (click here) had a book size menu.  The broccoli was delicious but very salty. 

Unfortunately, Ron is unable to describe the route, other than going North on MD 272 into Pennsylvania and then following the GPS on bigger roads than he would have preferred to go through Chatham and Downington to end up on US 322 into Exton.

18 Jun We awakened eager to go to the Cecil County Historical Society (click here) in Elkton, but delayed too long, which allowed the rain to thwart our early arrival.  We are sitting, waiting, hoping that the rain will stop earlier than forecast.  It did, and we were quite pleased with our experience there.  Cynthia sent them a copy of her book, The Spirit in the South.

17 Jun:  We checked out of the hotel late and enjoyed an absolutely beautiful ride across the Maryland farm country landscapes through Hampstead and Pylesville to cross the Susquehanna on US 1 over the Conowingo Dam.
Route: MD 85 N to I-70 E to MD 27 N (21 mi) to R on MD 482 E (5.3 mi) to R on Hanover Pike (0.5 mi) to L on Gill (0.1 mi) to R on MD 833 E/ Black Rock Rd (1 mi) at circle 3rd exit on Lower Beckleysville (0.5 mi) -> Mt Carmel Rd (2 mi) to R on MD 137/ Mt Carmel Rd (8 mi) to R on York Rd (0.1 mi) to L on MD 138/ Monkton Rd (6 mi) to L on MD 138 (3 mi) to sharp right onto MD 23 S (2 mi) to L on Madonna Rd (3.5 mi) to R on Mt Horeb Rd (1.5mi) to L on MD 165 N (6 mi) to R on MD 543 S (4 mi) to L on MD 440 E/ Dublin Rd (6 mi) to L on US 1 crossing Susquehanna (9 mi) to R on MD 273 (9 mi) to R on MD 274 to Westminister, R on MD 272 S to Comfort Inn & Suites North East

16 Jun:  Another good night's sleep and another good morning ktogether.  We have a busy day planned, lunch with cousins and dinner with Jim and Joni.  Then we go to sleep again.  Yippee.!!  Great to see Lisa and Wayne again, great to see Jim and Joni again, great to eat twice at the Siler Diner.  But then we blew it by going to bed late again.

15 Jun:  Cynthia is scheduled to return today.  Yippee.!!  After three hours of delay, she is finally en route.  Ron spent the afternoon in the hotel working on another generation for Robert Rambo, all the way to people born this century.  Oops, this is the 21st century now; I meant the last hundred years.  Since Cynthia arrived at BWI at 7:30 instead of 4:30, Jim and Joni couldn't join us for dinner at the Silver Diner (click here).  We enjoyed our meals including Quinoa and Pineapple Pancakes and a bowl of edamane.  Their menu is quite an encouragement to enjoy healthy foods.

14 Jun, Sunday:  Bummer, Rachel and girls canceled their visit to Grandmother.  Cynthia had a great day despite that disappointment.  Ron awakened after almost enough sleep and walked around the block early today, 8:30 AM.   He sent Robert Rambo e-mail to Sistah Carol and showered, shaved and did laundry.  After that he might be able to write long-neglected postcards or work on James Lea, but instead he mended socks.

13 Jun:  Cynthia was welcomed with beautiful flowers and ferried around to eye doctors by son Jon.  We enjoyed dinner with daughter Julie and her Lamar this week.  Cynthia is in keyboard heaven with a larger IPad that functions beautifully.  It is too hot to walk outdoors because the outside temp feels 100, so she walked the aisles at Walmart and on Jon’s Nordic Track.  Ron walked around the block again.  The hills on Akers Road seemed much harder today, especially the first one that slowed him to plodding speed.  

12 Jun:  Cynthia rescheduled return is now Monday 4:20 PM.  (Let's hope she has better luck than on her flight to Texas.)  Ron is following through on the original plan to take the bike in to Bob's for new tires.  They were quick: in by 8:30 our by 10:45.  He will take James Lea to keep him busy until the mechanics have time for his bike.  Route West Falls to MD 27 S to L on Gillis Falls to R on Watersville Road to L on MD 144 to R on  Pfefferkorn to R on MD 32 S to L on US 1 N to R on Guilford to Bob's.  On the return, Pfefferkorn was not easy to see, so Ron turned on MD 144 W and stayed on it all the way to the Shell station in Mt. Airy.

11 Jun: Ron is up, exercised, breakfasted, and organized daily pills early.  Then he spent a couple of hours looking at news and watching interviews.  Around noon he finally got out the door for a 3.5 mile walk around the block (without getting lost).  It was hot and his shirt was soaked after the last mile without shade.  Jim was off and gone to work before 6:30 this morning but was highly motivated, so we installed the 80-pound bicycle hitch onto his Bronco.  Ron showered before dinner and was clean to enjoy a lovely meal of chili cum curry, fresh sourdough, steamed potatoes and salad.  If Jim and Joni keep feeding me like this, I might never leave.

10 Jun:  We both slept well although separately.  Ron got distracted by genealogy all morning, including a stint with James Lea.  Jim came home early to transfer his John Deere tractor from home to the business; Joni went shopping for salad fixings and got wet going out the door during the storm to pick up grandkids at a school bus stop.  We enjoyed a lovely dinner of salad, grilled chicken and sourdough bread.  Cynthia reports losing her I-pad, her car and her protein drink during a busy day.  All three surfaced again and the nice lady at the Verizon store showed her how to use her phone to "Find My I-pad."  She also showed Cynthia how to reset the I-pad that refuses to scroll for her.  So the challenge is whether Cynthia will make notes about it or practice it a time or two.  After she practices, she can delete this question.

9 Jun:  The very sad news is that Cynthia's flight was canceled at 11 PM after she spent the entire day waiting hopefully.  Poor dear slept only about five hours last night.  Ron went to the office with Jim to insure that his mother's WiFi could be restored, thereby enabling her medical alert device to work.  Once Jim's confidence in that outcome was firm, we enjoyed a long, gorgeous motorcycle ride over the hills and through the woods in central Maryland.  Ron's motorcycling confidence and skills are still shaky, but Jim was willing to wait at every STOP sign until Ron finally caught up.  A very good time was had by all the survivors.  Dinner at the Mt. Airy tavern with Jim and Joni was delightful, especially since we were assured that Cynthia had finally made it to Texas and was being ferried to Oscar's Bistro by her son Jon.

8 Jun:  Cynthia will get on the airplane at BWI at 11:30 and arrive safely in Houston by late afternoon, God willing.  Ron will ride to Silver Spring, Maryland to see if he can find old friends at home.  Later in the afternoon, he will ride out to Mt. Airy to visit with Jim and Joni for a few days.  The day did not go as planned for either of us.  Cynthia was still sitting in the airport at 7:30 PM due to airplane problems.  Ron found Nick at home and talked for an hour while we waited for John to return with Faith.  Dale and Harry have both passed away.  Irma said that Jerry might have some variety of mental health issues relating to aging.  John was quite animated and appeared to be healthy although quite thin.  All in all good visits with Nick and John and later with Jim and Joni at dinner.  Route: MD 170 W to I-195 W 4 mi (terrible pavement bumps) to I-95 S 13 mi to MD 198 W 2 mi to MD 29 S (Columbia Pike) 3 mi to R on Musgrove 0.2 mi to L on Old Columbia Pike 0.4 mi to R on Randolph 1 mi to L on Billington 0.3 mi to R on Laurie 0.1 mi to L on Montclair 0.1 mi to L on Downs 0.3 mi to 1316.  return Downs to Montclair to Laurie to Billington to L on Randolph 1.5 mi to R on New Hampshire N (MD 650) 13 mi to R on MD 97 (Georgia) 8 mi to L on MD 144 3 mi to R on Woodbine 4 mi to L on Gillis Falls Road 4 mi (be sure to wait for stop light at low spot) to R on MD 27 0.5 mi to L on West Falls Road 0.5 mi 5604  This choice of roads was excellent; not a lot of traffic with nice scenery.

7 Jun:  The plan is to arise whenever we wake up, pack and ride across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (click here) and up I-97 to the Baltimore-Washington airport Country Inn and Suites hotel.  On the way out of town, we again ate yummy salads at the Seedbol (click here).  It was a long, slow, hot ride in a lot of traffic.  Even crossing the four mile  long bay bridge was slow at 40 mph, but at least there were no cross winds.  Upon arrival at our hotel, Ron laid down in bed while making several unsuccessful phone calls.  Dean called back an hour later to report that he was feeling fine despite the long afternoon yesterday.  Janina was the one who suffered in the heat yesterday.   Cynthia adds:  Thanksgiving is on my mind!  Not turkey and dressing, but thanks be to God for so many blessings, like surviving a motorcycle ride that started on 10 March in Texas, leading to Miami for seven weeks at Pritikin, traveling the Atlantic seaboard islands north to Rehoboth Beach, DE, and the ride today to Baltimore MD.  I could complain about the horrendous bumper-to-bumper traffic, endless traffic lights, getting cut off by drivers changing lanes, and the 86-degree temperature.  BUT, life is so good, that I should be whipped if I complain!  I am so very thankful for Ron's MIT mind that safely navigates our journeys and has traversed over a million miles without a significant motorcycle accident.  We have arrived safely at the Baltimore airport for my quick trip to Texas tomorrow.  And I am very thankful for Jon, who will pick me up in my car filled with fuel!  Most of all, thank God, our strength, shield and buckler!

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song. (Psalm 28:7)

6 Jun:  Will Dean be recovered enough to see us today, or will we have the same question tomorow?  Aha! Dean was indeed well enough to see us!  We had a great, but hot, visit on their patio, and we stopped for a huge bowl of delicious vegetables at the Seedbol restaurant on the way home.  Today we finally repeated the pacemaker test as ordered by Dr. Dougherty, and we walked to the beach 1/2 mile along the highway to Cullen Street to beach.

5 Jun:  We fell asleep before 9 PM, but awakened when Ron got up to brush his teeth, and didn't get back to sleep until midnight-thirty.  Yay for traveling with our own oatmeal.  We enjoyed the hotel’s cooked oatmeal but we were slow to pack and got under way by 11:30.  It was a bit hot but not windy, so the ride was pleasant through the bucolic fields of the Eastern Shore.  The route towards the hotel changed quite significantly from the route towards Dean's house.  We rode north on US 13 for 40 miles into Maryland, R on US 113 N to a R on DE 90 E (interestingly narrow and seemingly remote) to a L onto MD 528 through Ocean City, Maryland, then along the dunes -> DE 1 another 20 miles into Rehoboth Beach.  We had a few good ocean views, mostly from bridges.  It was a very nice and pleasant ride.  We ate immediately, immediately next door at the Rehoboth Tap House.  Their salads were very good.  Ron then rode to the Grocery Outlet for bananas, blueberries and raspberries.  No surprise that he recognized all the businesses near the condo we rented two years ago.  We enjoyed a long walk on the beach close to sunset.

4 Jun:  Breakfast at this Hilton Garden Inn in Kill Devil Hills was the worst.  Despite having a full house, there were very few breakfasters, the menu was very limited, and the chef was unwilling to hear of modifications.  Cynthia became very frustrated with the whole ordeal; Ron quickly decided to eat oatmeal in the room.  The ride went quite smoothly, north on US 158 with far less traffic than yesterday, R on NC 168 -> VA 168, R on VA 168 business (to avoid $1 toll), R on I-64 towards Va Beach, R on VA 13 Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel (click here).  That is one long, long bridge with two tunnels for ship channels and a pair of high bridges for another ship channel.  I've been amazed before that all this was done by local residents without help from state or federal funding.  Apparently the $16 toll per vehicle is enough.  The rest of the trip was usually through flat farmlands of the Eastern Shore.  We found cheap rates for a Hampton Inn in Exmore, Virginia.  There were good reviews for the Exmore Grill, but I disagree with the reviewers; the vegetables came straight from a can, the rubbery pancakes from a stale box, and only the egg white omelets were reasonable albeit very thin.

3 Jun:  Today we pack up and roll north on two ferries!  We were out the door, packed and rolling by 11:15, stopped at Sub Tropics (click here) for a veggie sub to eat on the ferry, and negotiated winds, bridges and traffic through Morehead City until we found ourselves on a highway practically deserted.  The rest of the day was on roads less traveled, except when we got off the ferry at Ocracoke Island.  Gosh talk about crowds of tourists.!!  The Hilton Garden Inn at Kitty Hawk is now huge, and our room has only a sliver of an ocean view.  At least we were able to walk out onto the Kitty Hawk pier while the waves were smashing violently onto the sands below.  We both agreed that we like visiting in the off season much, much better than when everyone else is here.  Somehow it doesn't seem like motorcycle riding when you spend 3 and 1/2 hours on ferries.  On the other hand, the several high bridges were remarkable, especially the one that began oriented due west into the setting sun and gradually curved around to the northeast.  Thankfully winds were light.  Traffic in Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills was maddening including one idiot who nearly succeeded in hitting us after first shoving his way perpendicular into the lane next to us.  Route US 70 N to NC 12 N (2 1/4 hour toll ferry to Ocracoke Island, 1 hour ferry north from island), to US 158 in Nags Head with crazy busy traffic.

2 Jun:  On this day, we pack, we walk, and we secure reservations on the Cedar Island Ferry for tomorrow.  We walked further on the beach than normal, then to the sub shop to eat.  Cynthia is beyond elated because she is sleeping and walking without hip pain.  For dinner we ate salads at Roma's pizzeria before walking the very windy beach.  Ron continues working on Volume IV.  4.80 Miles

1 Jun:  On this momentous occasion, the halfway mark of 2026, it is 9:40 AM, and we are thinking about getting up.  The June blog now has a title.  Ron has three important jobs.  At four PM, Ron has accomplished everything on his list.  The doctor's office said his Pacemaker is in the Yellow range, no emergency, just caution, and it is time for increased testing.  We walked the beach hoping to eat lunch at an outdoor restaurant, but it is closed on Monday and Tuesday.  Cynthia walked to Circle K and spent $3.09 on an XL cup of coffee for tomorrow and Wednesday.  We are expecting great-grandchild #14 in November; Eric and Emily already have a two-year-old little girl.  We had reservations at the Island Grille again.  The surf was glorious on our second beach walk tonight, and we had fun dodging the high tide until Ron got caught.  4.68 Miles

MAY BIRSARY: Together Is the Best Place To Be

Birthday Boy with the ramainder of birthday cake

31 May, Did you notice?  Today is the last day of May; but for some of us it is Trinity Sunday!  We worshipped at Shepherd of the Sea Lutheran Church, a six-minute walk from our lodging. We liked the warm, friendly, small congregation that used traditional worship liturgy.  Cynthia noted that her AMD vision is becoming more blurry. With our clothes changed, we walked the beach, we enjoyed the dock swing, and we rocked in the pier chairs, and we admired the intracoastal waterway leading to the pier. Ron is editing Volume IV. Cynthia is pondering what to title the June blog. We walked the beach a second time, dodging high tide except for one wet foot. 4.24 Miles. What do I name the June blog? Tomorrow, tomorrow, it's almost tomorrow! 

30 May:  This is a SLOW SLOW SLOW DAY.  At high noon, we are low energy.  For the other partner in this enterprise, it was a lovely day to luxuriate in bed until noon.  Then we walked to the Sub Tropics (click here) for a foot-long veggie sub, which was very good, and a medium walk on the beach. We ate lunch at the Corner Diner, enjoying a large serving of grilled flounder and veggies.. There is so much flounder we brought a Togo box home. We walked the beach a second time, despite a windy chill, dodging the high tide. We took the boardwalk up from the beach at the Island Grille, rembering our walks from times past on the beach to get to the restaurant. 3.6 miles. After the morning beach walk, the observer, who will remain anonymous, noticed the energetic  partner:

29 May:  And it is another day we are excited to wake up, although we were quite late, arising at 10:00 am, and ever so thankful for a long, refreshing night of sleep.  Now that breakfast is done, Cynthia's exercises and a walk are the next order of business.  We walked along the beach to the fishing pier (free for pedestrians), and espied enough bikinis to keep Ron happy.  On our return along the beach, Ron spotted a pod of dolphin, certainly four that were highy visible, maybe six or eight all together, but no more bikinis.  Ron walked to Food Lion for fresh fruit, etc.  Our highly anticipated dinner at the Island Grille (click here) did not disappoint, a delicious meal of salads and blackened flounder.  Afterwards, we walked in the direction of the Sands Resort Condominiums but were stymied by dead ends.  Backtracking, we stopped to chat for a few minutes with Joe and Elaine, a very entertaining couple with backgrounds at BC (Boston College), Georgetown, Duke, and military brathood.  The index for Volume IV is completed; the book totals 512 pages.  Editing the last few chapters is the next step.  We walked 4.19

28 May:  Yes! Joy Oh Joy!  We walked 2.2 miles to the Food Lion and back for nominally fresh fruit, and Cynthia chose instant coffee to avoid coffee grounds.  It was pure joy to not have any hip pain.  Our lodging includes a microwave, a bar refrigerator, and a coffee maker, so our cooking choices are limited.  (Ron notes that we avoid cooking to avoid dishes.)  We do great, cooking oatmeal with fresh fruit in the mornings.  For lunch, Cynthia ate an apple, a few grapes, spinach, broccoli and a baked sweet potato.  We ate snapper for dinner this evening at Amos Mosquito.  Ron is very happy to report that the indexing is going much faster than he imagined possible.  4.81 miles walking... 12,604 steps. 

27 May:  We have reservations for a room with a King sized bed at the Caribbe Inn (click here), which is supposed to be a rather unusual small hotel, nicely kept and run by a delightful couple, Mike and Sarah.  What a big surprise!!  They were able to give us the King bed room for seven nights at $115 per night.  It is a small room with older appointments, but perfect for us.  Oh Joy, Oh Joy.  Maybe Ron will finish the index for volume 4.  Dinner tonight was at the Island Grille, a hot spot for locals because the food is the best.  We remember this restaurant, not vividly, although Cynthia does remember walking a dark alley with power lines everywhere.  Once she saw the building, memory returned of delightful evenings with the solo waitress.  The yellowfin tuna was the best ever eaten.  Cynthia is also happy because her hip pain is mostly gone until she lies down for any length of time.  Once up, and after getting synovial fluid moving in the joints, she is good for the day.  The key to happiness is having a grateful attitude.

26 May:  We are up, and Ron called the library to discover that their copy of Van Stille's manuscript is older than Ron's, so we don't need to stop there.  We also don't need to go to the LDS Family History Library since they are only open from 10 am to 2 pm on Tuesdays but close during any week with a holiday.  Consequently, we can go straight to Ruby Tuesday for lunch before heading north up the Atlantic Coast.  Who knows how far we will get this afternoon.  Cynthia would like to find a simple beach cottage for ten days to finish the index on volume Four and to walk.  Ron wanted to find a nice room with an ocean view for $125 per night.  We settled on a Doubletree hotel room at twice that cost but located the Caribbe Inn where we can walk daily for three nights at $125 per night.  Unless they have a cancelation, we will have to leave and take a couple of ferries to Ocracoke Island (click here) and beyond.

25 May:  Ron joined Hans on his typical morning walk through town looking for loose change that falls from the sky every night.  Cynthia and Audrey surprised us by honking instead of running us over after they visited the church where Audrey and Hans worship.  Right at the crack of noon, we were on the bike going north on US 701 towards Tater, North Carolina where we ran into a miles long traffic jam and wet roads.  Ron opted to get off the bypass and take the business route through town, which went quickly.  We continued east on US 76 and found even wetter roads as we arrived in Wilmington, NC by two PM.  Fortunately the rain had stopped but our GPS misdirected us, so we had to scout around to find the Hilton Garden Inn hidden a mile away behind other buildings.  We searched on-line and found a Ruby Tuesdays only six miles from the hotel.  By three PM we were happily seated and eating lots of salad.

24 May, Sunday:  Rain is forecast and the skies turned greyer and greyer as we approached Hans and Audrey's house.  As we rode through Loris, a few small raindrops hit us and wet Ron's glasses, but we pulled into the driveway dry and happy.  Audrey welcomed Cynthia into the house and suggested that Ron park in the barn.  Before he got back to the bike, the heavens opened up, and a deluge poured out on Ron, who was immediately drenched, but did manage to ride the bike into the barn quickly.  Audrey found him a towel, and we sat on the patio enjoying the rainfall while we waited for Hans to return home from a trip to Lowes.  Despite short notice, Audrey was able to find salad fixing (including home grown lettuce) and noodles to fix us appropriate to our diets.

23 May:  After so many days without ice cream of any flavor, Ron decided to walk to Trader Joe's for sorbet.  It was good but not impressive.  Immediately afterward, Clark and Elizabeth again picked us up in the Tesla so that Cynthia could again have a front row seat to see what self driving entails.  (You just select a destination from prompts and punch a button to make the car take you there.)  Lunch with Mary, Clark, Elizabeth, Cheryl, Tom, and Dick at Ruby Tuesday's Restaurant in Lexington reminded us all of the good old days.  We have all survived despite the outrageous slings and arrows of Old Man Time, so we thank God for survival.  Clark continued to give Cynthia Tesla driving lessons on the way back to our Hilton Garden Inn.

22 May:  Elizabeth, Clark and Dick joined us for breakfast.  Ron walked to Walmart for vitamins and berries

21 May:  We rode from Athens to Columbia, South Carolina following old route 378, stopped in McCormick, SC for lunch, and were quite surprised by a sudden, quick, brief rainstorm at St. Peters Drive in Lexington.  We ducked underneath a big tree and walked to a store in the light rain that followed and waited for half an hour for the rain to quit, then continued on to the Hilton Garden Inn in Irmo.  Clark, Elizabeth, Dick, Mary and Cheryl joined us for dinner at Ruby Tuesday in Lexington.  Thanks to Clark and Elizabeth for driving us.  Ron rode shotgun on the way there and insisted that Cynthia ride up front on the return to see how self-driving works.

20 May:  Athens, GA .. a quiet morning with a delicious spinach and salmon salad at Hilltop House and a lovely afternoon visit with cousins Sharon and Quint.

19 May:  Angi and Michael hosted us for a delicious dinner last night.  Today we rode to Athens, GA.

18 May:  Oh, my!  Cynthia got three hours of sleep when we arose to meet Danielle, Camille and their dad for breakfast at 6:30 AM.  Our time together was all too brief, but wonderful.  From there, we returned to our hotel to take care of things, packed up, and rode to Sandy Springs, GA, to make the statement, "Together is the best place to be" in Ruby Tuesday's restaurant.  We ate way too much.  Now we will overnight at Michael and Angi's. 6497 days.

17 May, Sunday:  We have been together 6496 days, Or 17 years, 9 months, 14 days, excluding the end date.  Or 213 months, 14 days, excluding the end date. Almost 24/7.  After leaving the security of Pritikin menus and fitness trainers a week ago, we are on our own, scavenging for food as we travel north.  We spent two wonderful days celebrating Ron’s 79th birthday and our fifteenth wedding anniversary on Hutchison Island, one of Florida’s barrier islands.  The mother sea turtles are nesting, so we had to be careful walking the beach and close our drapes at night because they need darkness.  It was astonishing to see five huge pelicans with vast wing spans hovering in an updraft of wind, like drones.  We visited the effervescent former Pritikin Medical Director, whose passionate interest in longevity is at the cellular and molecular level now.  The three of us dialogued about how to bring about change, to wake people up to make better food choices to allow enjoyment of longevity.  We visited a cousin and his wife, who surprised us by praying for the President.  That was a very pleasant thing to hear instead of the raging hate.  She made wonderful whole wheat sourdough bread.  We visited a 93 year old cousin who was praying he would see us once again before he died.  He was so happy to see us.  And now we have arrived in Perry, Georgia to visit my two grand nieces, Danielle and Camille at 6:30 AM tomorrow for breakfast.  The best news is that I am walking great without pain!  The platelet rich plasma therapy in my torn hip tendons worked.

16 May:  "Together is the best place to be" according to the tee shirt at Surcheros (click here).  And together we enjoyed a fun afternoon with our distant cousin Don in Brunswick, GA; great conversation about genealogy, cemeteries, DNA, hobbies and AI before we boogied out to lunch.  Don drove us several miles into town in the comfort of his Cadillac, which car he doesn't drive often.  Afterwards we drove to the cemetery to visit Doris' grave; she passed last Christmas Eve.  We said our goodbyes (with hugs) and returned to the Comfort Inn for the night.

The intrepid travelers, seated, belted, and ready to ride.

15 May:  We had a lovely breakfast with three other pastors.  One pastor is Cynthia's longtime friend from Iowa, a medical doctor and missionary.  The other two missionary pastors are parents of the current pastor in charge of college age youth at a local congregation.  Steve and Melanie ride their Honda Goldwing on trips with a minimum distance of 1000 miles (to get out of Florida or Nebraska).  After breakfast we rode north on the barrier islands on A1A.  The best scenery was on Flagler Beach where we had great views of the breakers for miles and saw several flights of pelicans floating on updrafts over the dunes almost motionless as they sped towards us.  Closer to Jacksonville, we rode west on FL 206 to I-95 and then to Brunswick, GA.  Our stop at the Georgia Welcome Center proved helpful in getting reservations for the night, plus we met the most delightful young woman whose dad had her on a motorcycle while she was still in diapers.  We are so very thankful for this pleasant day.  No matter what life brings, choose to have a gratitude attitude.  I think of Corrie Ten Boom in a Nazi concentration camp thanking God for the lice, or St Paul, imprisoned and beaten.  I choose to have a merry heart.   

14 May:  We spent a very lovely day with cousin Monte and Ellen in Port Orange, FL enjoying the most delicious and nutritious food. Mmmm!  Ellen's whole wheat sour dough bread is divine!  They grow many of their own veggies.

13 May:  The ride through the Barrier Islands was lovely; we arrived at Monte and Ellen's spacious home for a two night visit.

Ron, final gasps of a wave that threatened him

12 May:  Ron's birthday and our anniversary... the ANNABIRSARY!

Ron and Cynthia photo taken by Dr. Fruge

11 May:  We left Pritikin early enough to take the scenic route by Lake Ocachobee en route to Jupiter, FL to visit Dr. Fruge.  She is doing a million things now besides having a concierge wellness practice that goes so far as FaceTime exercise sessions with her patients.  We finally said our goodbyes around 5 PM, rode across the inlet and onto barrier islands for a while before coming onto the mainland for several miles following A1A back onto the barrier islands to the Nicholson Shore Resort for our anniversary.

10 May, Sunday: HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

9 May:  We celebrated Ron's birthday at Pritikin!

8 May:  We had doctor appointments with gold star lab results.

7 May:  Oh my gracious.  We walked a total of 5.33 miles throughout the day.  That is too much.  Ron did extreme cardio!  Cynthia had a fitness class with a personal trainer and we had three lectures.  Ron knows the topics so well he could give the lectures.  Cynthia is organizing her saddlebag for Monday's departure.  She is hopeful for a pleasant Mothers Day by packing early. 

6 May:  Another good day in paradise.  Ron had help from two other Pritikin guests to finish the jigsaw puzzle in record time.  He did his cardio after dinner in two installments, 20-minute interval workout followed immediately by a 22-minute steady state.  One would think that his legs are getting much, much stronger.

5 May:  Pritkin celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a festive, colorful dinner with mahi and bison tacos; we wondered where the mariachi band was.  We did a lot of exercise today; Cynthia had a fitness class and Ron is always moving.  The PGA temporary units are being torn down.  Cynthia is looking forward to the next part of the travel but she is also sad to be leaving this healthy and safe place for her torn tendons and back issues.  Ron is close to completion of this 1000-piece puzzle.

4 May:  Moving Day.  Our villa is going to be remodeled, so we are being moved next door to the Gary Player villa.  We packed everything before breakfast.  Our new unit is much smaller.  Both of us have been doing workouts.  The puzzle is proceeding quickly, 1000 pieces.

3 May, Sunday:  We have never been more well-protected.  The President arrived last night; security outside was extremely tight.  Our morning walk was pleasant despite the crowds.  We saw endless numbers of Secret Service police.  Cynthia is hopeful to get LDL below 70 by eliminating fruit after lunch and not eating fruit first or alone.  "Fruit needs Friends."  Ron started the new puzzle.

2 May:  It was wonderful to sleep late.  Ron participated in the Stretch Class before we watched part of the PGA tour and continued our jaunt through the golf grounds for exercise.  Then chaos erupted when Cynthia could not find her purse.  She thought she hung it on a hook in the restroom.  We searched everywhere before assuming it was gone. The faith-filled PGA sentry told Ron that Cynthia would find it.  And just like that, Sophia, the wait staff manager, motioned Cynthia to the patio where the purse was sitting on a lounge chair.  Cynthia hugged the manager and the sentry. 

1 May:  Wishing everyone May baskets of bountiful blessings.  We are at Pritikin for eleven more days.  Ruthie gave Ron a new puzzle to do

April in Miami

30 Apr: This has been a great month! We lovee Pritikin and what it does for us. Our days are so crazy busy that we forget to blog. Tonight, we met with Frank for several hours and with that good understanding of Cynthia’s spine and tendon issues we have a plan for pain management and healing. ZZzzzz Good night. 

29 Apr: Ron is delighted that he lost two pounds despite eating huge quantities of food! He is working out on the arc trainer and walking, too.  Cynthia had an excellent fitness session and iced her shoulder. We received tickets for the PGA event on May 2. Today is day 20 post PRP. 

28 Apr: We walked a lot, almost five miles. The PGA opens tomorrow. We'd see mighty impressed with the village of temporary A/C rooms set up on the edge of the golf course. 

27 Apr: Cynthia and Ron are approaching their 15th wedding anniversary, and she received this message from Ron, a copy of a post from 25 Dec 2016 filled with love. Aaahhhhhh! “ From Ron's Christmas card: To me beloved wee-fee, "I couldn't be happier - than with you. I love how lovely you are-- appearance, heart, and soul.  I love how happy we are together-- and wouldn't change a thing about you-- even if I could. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and many, many more. Love, Smooch. ”

26 Apr: Sunday. We did indeed have a marvelous day. 

25 Apr: Today, we are saying goodbye to Karl, Rosemary, and Didme. Wah!   The cooking class was delicious, chocolate cheesecake!

24 Apr: Some of the loveliest people are here this week!  We walked to the golf instructor's school this morning,  then walked again tonight. In between walking, we had three classes and greatly enjoyed our fellow Ptitikin participants. Everyone got a big hoot of Ron's explanation about doing exercises before we get out of bed. He showed them the exercises and got a huge round of applause!  

23 Apr: Cynthia's LDL increased a bit, and HDL decreased this week. 

22 Apr: Corrie's birthday. 

21 Apr: Cynthia had early morning labs: she lost a pound, but her BP is slightly elevated. We met a delightful man named Daniel, an MD from north of Miami.  He and Ron are out walking. Three weeks are left before we begin our journey north.  We had a lovely day; a special time sitting in the patio with a gentle breeze, grateful to be here. Ron did Tai Chi.

Ron only last a few minutes at the Tai Chi class; too much choreography

20 Apr: Ron successfully completed the pacemaker test. Cynthia started personal fitness training again.  The hip pain is considerably lessened. 

19 Apr, Sunday:  Ron’s Pacemaker test is due today.  We had a very lovely conversation with Karl-Erik, a psych professor, at lunch.  He is such a nice guy, and the lunch was marvelous.  We also met a lovely Turkish woman.  Such fun. We especially enjoyed the salmon-stuffed mushroom and the warm berry pie.  We are fed a tremendous variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and I OVERATE. 

18 Apr:  Our days are busy!  Ron had two tough workouts on the Arc Trainer and is enjoying humongous salads for lunch.  Cynthia is in the inflammation stage of PRP, which means it is normal to be sore.  This process is slow; it will take 3-six month to strengthen the gluteal tendons.  But she is an adult and can do tough things.  

17 Apr:  Cynthia had platelet-rich plasma therapy one week ago today; she is doing swimmingly great, but she must continue to rest and do easy movements.  Ron completed two puzzles and is amazing folks by lifting one off the table and returning it to the table intact. 

16 April… I accidentally deleted the entire month of April posts. Yikes.  We are so crazy busy, all is well.

10  Apr:  We hired a driver to take us to Fort Lauderdale for Platelet Rich Plasma therapy for Cynthia's torn gluteus medius and minimus tendons.  The prescription is rest for two weeks.  

1 Apr:  Our Pritikin days are very busy, so the blogging is quite limited.  Ron checked today and discovered that we first visited Pritikin in April of 2017 and again in September.  Ditto for 2019.  We skipped 2021 because of East Coast Covid over-reaction and visited again once in 2022 and once in 2024.  So this is now our 7th time to enjoy the health education, food and company at the Pritikin Longevity Center.  My cardioversion was in Philadelphia 2015 and caused my heart to stop for 15 seconds.

Two Rolling Stones En Route to Pritikin

Ron & Cynthia at the Oscars, a great SUNDAY OFFERING

31 March is end with a new beginning tomorrow! We had a fabulous day today beginning with Cynthia’s labs at seven AM, Cardio, Strength, and fitness classes. Our luncheon was Mindful Eating, Blood Sugar Control, and a lecture with Frank that lasted all afternoon. 4.55 Miles

30 Mar: It rained most of the the day. Cynthia shipped her right hearing aid back to Texas to get a new receiver wire on it. Ron continues to make great progress on his puzzle, and we are forging ahead increasing more muscle mass. With the rain today, we had only one outdoor walk.

29 Mar: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit…? Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Do you not know that diseases are preventable? Listen to the verse, it is especially inspiring because it frames your body not just as something physical, but as something sacred—worthy of respect, care, and PROTECTION. Listen to this scripture and keep it in your hearts. Most people don't really hear the advice to take care of their bodies until the doctor gives a warning. Honor God by taking care of your precious body so your doctor gives you gold stars on your labs like Ron. 5.53 Miles. Pastor Cynthia Forde

28 Mar: With three exercise sessions, a lecture, two walks, and three meals, Cynthia is busy pondering the impossibility of people realizing they can prevent disease.  zzzzzz Good night!  4.37 Miles. 

27 Mar: Ron is making progress on the puzzle; Cynthia is making great progress on exhaustion after four fitness exercise classes today.  We had a great lecture on osteoporosis.  The food is fabulous. The sunset was glorious. 3.67 miles.  

  

26 Mar: Cynthia had three fitness classes today, plus lab results which were excellent except for a recent spike in blood sugar  NO MORE I CE CREAM! We are fed so much delicious food!  2.45 miles 

25 Mar: Morning comes too soon!  After Core strength classes and cardio5, Ron had an appt with his cardiologist and received gold stars on his labs.  We had our Dexa scan labs and analysis; learning we have work to do this coming year!  Cynthia lost a pound of muscle because of inactivity this past year.  Cindy and Greg,  friends from the Florida Keys, were scheduled to visit us here this afternoon, but we didn't hear from them. And Ron is making progress on a challenging puzzle   3.0 miles 

24 Mar: And all too soon it was morning! Immediately after breakfast, we had strength training followed by forty-five minutes of cardio with Ron rocking out to old rock songs, getting his heart rate up to 138, and delighting the rest of the class.  3.6 Miles 

23 Mar: Immediately this morning was lab check time. Our results are returned on Thursday. Included in the lab check is the fitness check. Cynthia logged twelve plus minutes on the treadmill. Athlete Ron did eight minutes because of his knee injury.  We both passed all the other fitness tests, and we are logged into the same level fitness classes.  We spent an hour with the nutrition counselor learning about Pritikin's reversal to the early stringent, medical program, reducing cholesterol dramatically, and getting folks off blood pressure meds. They take your BP meds away the first day. This is not a spa.   No cheese at all, no desserts, but they do have NICE CREAM. The plant based buffets are fabulous.  Ron is very interested  we had a good walk despite the intense sun.  3.81 miles 

 22 Mar: The ride through the Everglades was most enjoyable, especially stopping to see the alligators.  We arrived in time for a late lunch and spotted friends we have met here before.  

21 Mar: We had a great restful sleep! The hotel has Original oatmeal. Yay.  We might go for a hike. And we might not go for a hike. We opted to work on our electronics.  Ahi Tuna Dinner tonight at Cynthia's classmate Annie's was fabulous. We overate big time.  

20 Mar:  The morning was spent with Drew and BD; we left about 2:30 and arrived at our Naples, FL hotel at 4:30, immediately ready for a lovely snooze.  Waking up hungry, we discovered there are no restaurants that can feed us. We played the game Frogger walking in the dark for 25 minutes to a Super Walmart with no sidewalks and a street under construction. Cynthia watched for alligators after seeing the alligator pit near Drew's house.  Ron had a heavy bag with apples, yogurt, bananas, raspberries, and blueberries, and still managed to hold Cynthia's hand returning through the construction site the way we came. We won! The traffic didn't kill us after all.  Saturday we will have dinner with Cynthia's Northwood classmate Annie 

19 Mar: Ron and Drew flew to a fly-in brunch; Drew is Ron's MIT alum and a pilot.  BD and I walked and talked.  BD showed us the alligator nesting area near her home. When the guys returned, we walked to the famous Venice Beach and Pier, just in time to watch a fisherman catch a bull shark with a rope and hoist the floundering shark up and over the railing.  Drew made fabulous Turkey chili for dinner with Chardonnay.   

18 Mar: Arrived in Venice, FL for two nights  

17 Mar: The temperature at check-out time is forty-five degrees that translates to thirty-five degrees on the motorcycle. We have a three- hour ride to Crystal River where we visited Ron's old friends from years ago.  Cynthia was bundled up in all of her heated gear and three pairs of gloves  She lost two right-hand gloves while trying to adjust her the heat The ride was pleasant because of little traffic and smooth roads  We are half a whole wheat Subway sandwich gutted, toasted and filled with veggies for lunch: Cynthia ate a hot Spinach salad with mahi mahi while Ron ate a redfish sandwich and baked potato for dinner.  He greatly surprised Cynthia with a Hampton Inn stay for the night at Brooksville, FL. Yay! They have real, hot oatmeal for breakfast.  

16 Mar: It is raining in Panama City Beach.  We have 127 miles to ride to Perry, Fl, but it is raining there, too  Hmmm!  We waited until the rain stopped ar eleven AM and rode to Mexico Beach to see the remarkable reconstruction from this community devastated by a hurrucane.  We stopped on Port St Joe's peninsula, Hunt's Oyster and Seafood Bar, for hot Seafood Gumboj (to warm Cynthia's frozen fingers), and red snapper. It was very cold riding!  We stopped for the night close to Perry, Florida. 

15 Mar: At noon, we had lunch at Ruby Tuesday's to get our veggies and took off for Panama City Beach by one PM  Ron stopped several times so Cynthia could walk for five minutes.  The Comfort Suutes hotel is surorusingly nice after the last one.  Ron thought it would be fun to get lost walking the 1.25 mile to Uncle Ernie's Seafood Restaurant.  We made it just fine, but Cynthia accidentally ordered Grouper Imperial AND lobster tail.  The food was delicious  and we made it back to the hotel without  getting lost, too  4.04 miles 

14 Mar: Oh, joy! Oh, what fun! We slept late and walked to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch.  The crows were making lots of noise in a nearby tree, Cynthia learned how to pronounce cacophony correctly.  Ron knows everything. We are at work on our electronics; Ron will shop for necessary fruit for our morning cereal and we will go for a long walk in the Mississippi sunshine  

13 Mar: We spent a lovely morning with Pat, walking for thirty minutes, and packing to begin the second leg of the ride to Miami.  The ride along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is always a delight, but today, more so, because the traffic was not too heavy. Many of the once palatial coastal homes were destroyed in the hurricanes a few years ago; some have been rebuilt, but the developer's touch is evident with many rental units having taken their place. Biloxi is now more commercialized. Ron found a wonderful seafood restaurant that has been in business for a hundred years, and we ate Cajun seafood gumbo, red rice and beans, and parsley potatoes with grilled redfish.  Cynthia ate three hush puppies.  Arf!  We walked on the white sand beach and marveled at the vastness of the Gulf Coast waters sparkling like a trillion diamonds in the sunlight. We are lodged in Pascagoula near a Ruby Tuesday restaurant!  We walked a total of 4.48 miles... 11,729 steps.  

12 Mar:  Our travel this year is "play it by ear."   In January, the electrophysiologist told Ron his pacemaker has six months of battery left, which is an approximation.  Once the battery number is up we get a different notification which will be more precise. Therefore, we are traveling as long as we can until we get a phone call. Also, our plans for hiking in Vermont are questionable; the inn is up for sale,  and they no longer have long-term guests. They will only be open four nights a week.  Today, Pat drove us to an audiologist who repaired Cynthia's hearing aid, then to the post office and we treated her to lunch at Jason's Deli.  Ron loves Jason's Deli and the free ice cream cones.  We walked for thirty minutes.  

11 Mar: Baton Rouge, LA  Cynthia is relearning how to pronounce Louisiana, New Orleans, Atchafalya and Avoiyelles from a life-long Louisianan.  It is vastly different from the Texas drawl Cynthia is accustomed to.  Ron is helping Pat with her Stille ancestral line,  while Cynthia walked for forty minutes. We will do another overnight.  2.32 miles. 

10 Mar:  At 6:52 AM, Cynthia woke Ron from a deep sleep!  He was not happy; we must be out of the condo by eleven. Now, the day begins as usual, but two very tired Smooches are up to exercise, eat, and load the bike for the first leg of the ride to Miami.  We left Montgomery at eleven-thirty AM. We arrived in Baton Rouge to lodge with a cousin eight hours later.   2.54 miles. 
 
9 Mar: We worked, we packed, we shipped the box to Pritikin, and we unloaded more stuff at the storage locker.   I deleted my earlier post so I don't recall what I wrote.  

8 Mar:  After worship, we had a lovely salmon brunch at The Oscar's, followed by a brief walk until it rained, and then we must begin the big push to be able to leave on Tuesday.  Except, a nap was important, and the MIT review arrived with articles about AI and the NGS journal carried interesting articles, too. We did indeed manage a walk and a quarter (rain). So here we are at dinner time, and we begin our work. Cynthia spotted Ron's handiwork on her bathroom mirror yesterday, and today it was posted on the coffee table! Note the ice cream spoon addition from Cynthia!  3.66 Miles  (almost 10,000 steps, getting back there!) 

7 Mar: Unfortunately, we didn't sleep much last night.  Ron was obsessing about the TSA agents working without pay; Cynthia was experiencing continual back pain.  Thunderstorms are forecast for late today.  We started out for our walk experiencing tiny sprinkles, but thinking it was ok to continue, we did just that, until big raindrops fell causing us to turn into the parking garage.  The rain stopped,  allowing us to continue walking the Breakwater.  It is a lovely walk, with four or five Great Blue Heron, a good-sized flotilla of ducklings, and several large ducks of another type.  Today, several yellow pollen patches lined the inner banks.  And just as we returned, so did the rain. Ron decided to nap, and Cynthia thought that was an excellent idea, too. It was very pleasant listening to the thunder and rainstorm, but we did not fall asleep.  2.15 Miles. 

6 Mar:  Ron awakened at 6 am, quietly did his exercises on the bed in the spare bedroom (still clean from Marvin & Carolyn's visit two weeks ago) and ate breakfast before 7:40 when he awakened Cynthia.  At 8 AM he was out the door and on the bike towards Woodlands BMW for the warranty replacement of the driveshaft.  And this will need to be done every 36,000 miles.  (Yes, we have that many miles on this bike already !!)  BMW was all done by 10:30, so Ron stopped at Jason's Deli for salad bar (and free ice cream cones) on his way home.  Now he has returned to preparations prior to leaving in four days, early next Tuesday, starting with entering receipts and routes into his spreadsheet.   Cynthia had the car washed and filled with fuel, went to the bank to reorder check blanks, picked up the comforter from the dry cleaners, and prescriptions from the pharmacy. Despite the morning activity, we managed two thirty minute walks today!  We thinks there is an afternoon nap in our futures. Naps are good medicine.  3.64 Miles 

5 Mar:  We drove the car to the storage locker and unloaded much of Cynthia's stuff and then to Oscar's to have dinner with Larry & Dawn.  Another mandatory stop at Walmart for walnuts and Vitamin A (for the eyes, as recommended by cousin Dorothy).  Oscar treated us well as usual, feeding us salmon, salads and rice.  Larry and Dawn evidently also really enjoyed their meals. 2.43 Miles. 

4 Mar:  MEDICAL, ENT at 10:30 AM.  This was Ron's opportunity to go through all his piles of paper looking to separate 1) things to go with 2) things to go to storage, 3) recycling, and 4) etc.  He had good success with a pile of papers to photograph, receipts to enter into his spreadsheet, and recycling.  Since the next four days are supposed to be cloudy and rainy, when will he find bright enough light to photograph documents? 3.37 Miles. 

3 Mar:  MEDICAL.  Cynthia has a doctor's appointment at nine-fifteen with an ENT and the wellness doctor at noon.  We will meet Samantha and her family at three-thirty.  Well, the doors were locked for my ENT appointment.  I called, and they said the appointment was in College Station.  I was very annoyed they failed to tell me that when I made the appointment.  Thankfully, a different ENT near Jon’s house worked me in tomorrow.  We had great fun with Samantha and Adam, and their two precious boys.  More fun, Cynthia’s nephew called tonight, and we enjoyed a great visit about their son interviewing colleges for next fall.  We hope to connect as we travel the next few months. 1.21 Miles. 

2 Mar:  MEDICAL  We rode the motorcycle to the medical center in the Woodlands for Cynthia to get trigger point epidural injections.   Next we dropped off recycling at Target and ate lunch at Jason’s Deli.  The TP injections felt great for six hours until the lidocaine wore off.   1.51 Miles. 

1 Mar, Sunday:  After worship, Jon joined us at Oscar’s Restaurant; we ate poached salmon and plates of vegetables.  We came home to nap, but we didn't fall asleep.  1,83 Miles. 

February, nose to grindstone!

Dale, Ron (as Adonis), and Aldona

The photo to the left is from Dean & Janina's wedding. Cynthia agrees Ron was an Adonis, but he is even more so now! 

28 Feb: Bill and Merry are joining us for lunch tomorrow at the Magnolia Diner.  Ron received his second Shingles vaccination. 

27 Feb: The temperature is increasingly warmer. Ron studied Bruce Lee’s life history and shared it with Cynthia the entire length of the Point Trail.  It was an incredible day!  Cynthia had a haircut, mailed three Lea volumes to the Caswell County Library in Yancyville, picked up a proxy paper for Ron. Ron is about one hundred pages from the end of editing the index for Volume Four.  2.57 miles 

26 Feb: It is hard to catch up on the blog when we are so crazy busy we forget.  3.41 Miles 

25 Feb:  Cynthia wrote letters to grandchildren and packed. 1.06 Miles

24 Feb: (looking ahead) 10:00 appt with Dr. C., in the Woodlands followed by an appointment with ENT for new domes on Cynthia's hearing aids. After the drive to the recycling center, we will have lunch at Jason's Deli.  2.28 Miles 

23 Feb: We slept a lot. Cynthia's bronchitis is healing. Ron has the recycling ready to go to the recycling center. 2.54 Miles 

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22 Feb:  lunch with Zoe and Jack, Fyn, Paul, and Cheryl. They served a Spinach salad with spaghetti squash made like lasagne without oil and served a delicious bean sauce on the spaghetti squash. Paul brought his home made sour dough bread. Yummy. 

It was delightful to see Zoe and Jack's new home. 

21 Feb: Ron's cousins enjoyed the visit.  We don't cook, but they enjoyed going with us to the Yacht Club for a delicious meal by candlelight. We don't use or keep sugar or cream, but they enjoyed coffee plain. 1, 74 Miles. 

20 Feb: Ron’s cousins arrive from Iowa. 1.81 Miles 

19 Feb.  We had a good night’s sleep, and the sore throat has improved.  Congestion and cough, not!  I am so thankful I went to urgent care. Ron is busy at his Mac, with his exercises to do.  It is noon, and Cynthia completed her therapy exercises. What can I eat? A protein and veggie smoothie might be good.  Walking will wait a couple days. 

18 Feb: Ron was off early to get the motorcycle serviced. Cynthia will finish cleaning, get the emissions checked on the car, pay the tax assessor, go to the bank, vote, stop at the storage unit, and pick up an RX.  Except! Her phone got a pop-up hoax, which is a little bit like a virus. Thanks to Chat GPT she deleted it. Of course, then everything had to be reset. Almost home, she realized she should have gone to Urgent Care when she was nearby and returned. She has bronchitis with two new prescriptions to take. We are tired.ZZzzzzzz

17 Feb: The grass is greening, pear trees are blossoming, and children are riding bikes on the sidewalks.  Spring is in our steps. We have completed walk #1. Ron spent the day organizing his things Cynthia is helping by staying out of the way. She finished answering Lauren’s twenty questions and gave her two of her children’s favorite recipes for a cookbook Lauren is compiling as a family gift. It is difficult to type so much!  Ron said reading and writing help prevent dementia. Whew.  2.70 Miles 

16 Feb: How beautiful is the morning! 70 degrees. We exercised, ate, and took walk #1. Ron is typing receipts into his spreadsheet with much house cleaning awaiting. Cynthia is experimenting with making her lunch in a blender. Today, she added two kiwi fruits with skins, Isopure protein powder, broccoli, spinach, and a cup of yogurt.  Not many people would like this, but it was a great way to ingest a lot of iron and Vitamin C.  After walk #2, we reached a total of 3.56 Miles. 

15 Feb: The sermon on the Transfiguration was marvelous. We had salmon at lunch at The Oscars followed by a great walk.  3.67 miles and almost 10,000 steps. Yay for us. 

14 Feb:  Happy Valentine’s Day!  Lovely roses, a Valentine's card, and we had a great walk together to the trail!  Cynthia is ecstatic that she walked for an entire 30 minutes without suffering during the walk or afterward.  2.58 miles 

13 Feb:  Walk # 1 is over, so is lunch.  Ron is cleaning, organizing, and recycling, and we completed walk #2.  2.77 miles.  

12  Feb Oh, boy!  We are going to have guests.  Ron started the recycling project by burying compost last night after his usual 4-mile walk.  This particular compost burial was to fill in a hole on the breakwater path where Cynthia has hurt her back after the grass grows high enough to obscure the hole.  We won't know if the hole is filed until the dirt settles next year.  Ron has been so busy reading through Volume 4 to create the index that he hasn't updated the blog much at all.  His first necessity is to list the favorite flavors at Blue Bell on the 10th.

11 Feb:  Cynthia and granddaughter Lauren started a conversation that could become a book.  Lauren opened the conversation by sending Cynthia 20 questions.  The first one took her days to answer because it opened the door to a difficult time in her life.  Lauren will respond and also answer the question.

10 Feb:  Ever since Dr. Beim told Cynthia that he wanted to see her again in three weeks, we have been looking forward to our last trip this year to Brenham because the Blue Bell Cremery tasting room is located conventiently near Dr. Beim's office.  After our medical appointment in Brenham with Dr. Beim we hustled posthaste over to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. Mmmmmm!  We were more relaxed and less frenic than during our earlier visits, so we only ate 11 scoops of ice cream.  Ron's favorites were the pistacho, peachy peach, butter pecan, mocha almond fudge, and happy tracks; Cynthia's were the butter pecan and cherry vanilla (although she complained that cherry vanilla is supposed to be white instead of pink).  Neither of us was impressed by the black cherry or the oatmeal creame pie.  Afterwards, Cynthia opined that the ice cream and tasting room were too cold and that she actually liked eating Kroger's Premium Selection Amaretto Cherry Cordial at home better.

9 Feb:  We are two tired puppies after riding the bike to a financial appointment, followed by Jason’s Deli and two walks.  Addictive behaviors die hard; Ron has been an ice-cream-aholic all his life and has had the habit locked down for 16 years, but ever since he splurged following his cataract surgery, his passion has been reignited.  He even enjoys the FREE soft serve cones at Jasons Deli and consumes four fairly large cones with his salads; he has even stopped ordering a baked potato to insure that he has room for all four cones.  3.59 miles.

8 Feb: We were delighted when a woman told us after worship how much she enjoyed watching our relationship. 2.85 miles

7 Feb:  The weather is marvelous. We worked on computer tasks all day, took a nap, and we took two walks.  Cynthia received many responses to the grandchildren's Valentine's Cards.  Charlotte's dancing was a delight. 

6 Feb:  Last night we both slept well for an uninterrupted 9 hours.  What a relief.  Cynthia's epidural has kicked in and she is now full of p___ and vinegar. (Who me!?  We walked twice today for a total of 2.96 miles. Woo! Hoo!)

5 Feb:  Cynthia had a Women’s Wellness Dr. Appt; afterward, we had oil and filters changed (the Lexus Wellness session), followed by a delicious salmon dinner at the Pizza Shack before picking up meds at the pharmacy.  Ron is helping Cynthia transfer data onto a spreadsheet in preparation for Monday’s meeting with a fiduciary.

4 Feb:  We drove into The Woodlands today in chilly, windy weather to Texas ENT Specialists for Cynthia to get new earpieces (ear molds) for her hearing aids.  It was a fun visit with an eccentric Mom.  On the way to the Woodlands, we noticed a new Jason's Deli that we had never noticed before, just next to the Target and Research Forest Drive on 2854 (Honea Egypt Road).  It was a good restaurant.

3 Feb:  Hi Barb,  Yes, we are neglecting the blog because Ron has nose to the grindstone trying to get Volume 4 ready to go to the publisher.  He is now working on the index, which means he has to read all 400 pages looking for oversights, omissions, errors, typos, and other less-than-perfect details.  Thanks for worrying about us.  See Vol. II above

2 Feb:  MEDICAL:  Cynthia had an epidural in her SI joint.  Ron had an echocardiogram that apparently indicates to the technicians that he is still alive.  Let's hope the doctor agrees.  The assessment on his MyMedical chart at UT Health agrees.  So far, so good.

1 Feb, Sunday:  We enjoyed worship at Grace Lutheran and lunch at The Oscars.  Oscar is so good; he ordered salmon especially for us.