 |
| The intrepid adventurers, dressed for cold |
28 Feb: Another crazy busy day!
27 Feb: Exercise classes begin at nine AM, and our schedules are crazy busy. Cynthia had a two hour physical to determine that she likely has a pulled or torn hamstring. Her personal trainer sessions begin tomorrow.
26 Feb: 6:00 AM labs, doctor appointments, lectures. Cynthia passed the cardio stress test, proof positive she is still alive. We expect to be kept so busy having fun that we will be unable to update the blog much, and the daily routine is quite regimented: eat, exercise, exercise more, listen to lecture, eat, listen to lecture, walk a bit, eat, listen to lecture, and work on the intricate new wooden jigsaw puzzle whenever Ron finds ten minutes free.
25 Feb, Sunday: Cynthia arose at one AM again. Yuk. Ron returns today. Yay! We start our Pritikin Longevity Program (click here) today. Ron is looking forward to eating everything in sight. route: N on US 1 into Florida City, L on Krome Ave (FL 997) N past US 41 to US 27 S to 87th Street S to Pritikin
24 Feb: Cynthia arose at 5:15, ready to do stretch exercises and eat. Guests at last night’s dinner table joined her again today. One is a Methodist pastor; two are interested in discussing faith, and the other one is a social worker. Cynthia thinks she is catching a cold from the A/C fan. She tried napping but that didn't work. Ron enjoyed the day with Greg & Cindy. We went for a walk and discussed the hurricane, etc. They provided Ron with lots of good food that was Pritikin perfect, much of it from their garden.
23 Feb: We stopped at the Oasis Visitor Center (click here) on US Highway 41 in the Everglades to watch a video about Seminoles wrestling alligators and another one about water conservation in Big Cypress swamp. Ron dropped off Cynthia at Pritikin before he continued to Big Pine Key (click here) for a quick visit with Greg & Cindy. They postponed their dinner in order to feed Ron and enjoy his company at dinner; such nice folks. Their Florida room is repurposed into a much roomier guest bedroom; very nice. Cynthia’s hamstring is better. route: Collier Blvd S to L on Tamiami Trail (US 41) S to Miami then negotiating the city streets, esp. Flagler Ave E and 87th Street N. From Pritikin Ron rode 36th Street E to Palmetto Express (FL 826) toll road S to Don Shula Expressway (FL 274) toll to Ronald Regan Turnpike toll to US 1 S in Florida City and, blinded by riding directly into the setting sun, over all those bridges to Big Pine Key. Traffic was backed up on all those toll roads at 3:30 but flowed freely into the Keys and to Big Pine.
22 Feb: dinner in Naples with Dave and Annie. Annie prepared a fabulous feast. Ron ate until he was merely full instead of his usual way too much overfull. The ride to Naples was simplicity itself: L on Airport Ave E to L on Avenida Del Circo 0.4 mi N to R on Tamiami Trail (US 41) 0.6 mi S to L on Center Road 2.5 mi to L on Jacaranda Blvd 2 mi N to I-75 S to Naples to Collier Blvd and Comfort Inn (not the best lodging). We were able to avoid traffic getting to Dave and Annie's by taking Collier Blvd N to L on Immokalee Rd W to R on Tamiami Trail N to R on Wiggins Pass and R and immediate R.
 |
| Ron & BD on beach |
 |
| Owls manikins |
 |
| T'nother owl manikin |
20 Feb: Jan and Dorothy drove us to breakfast at Keke's Cafe (click here), which made excellent omelets for us. The 19 miles to Venice, Florida was simple and easy and overnight (or two?) with Drew & BD. We attended an very interesting Audubon lecture on owls. route: R on Honore to L on Bee Ridge Road to R on I-75 S to exit 200 for FL 681 S to US 41 S to L on business 41 to slight R onto Rialto S to any L 1 block to Nokomis.
19 Feb: 14 miles to Crystal River for lunch with Tom and Dot, 140 miles on I-75 to dinner in Sarasota, FL, a classic guitar concert, and an overnight with Jan and Dorothy, surrounded by boxes of books as they are packing to return to New England. route: S on N. Williams 1.4 miles across bridge to R on W. Donnellon Road 7 miles to L on N. Citrus Ave (CR 495) 7.8 miles to R on US 98 N/ Suncoast Blvd 3 blocks to L on NW 6th Street to Crackers for lunch w/ Tom & Dot. S on US 98 13 miles to L onto US 98 (Ponce De Leon) to R on I-75 S to exit 213 / University Parkway, 1 mile to L on Honore Ave 1 mile to R on Longmeadows 0.7 miles to R on Hadfield Dr. to L on Hadfield Greene.
18 Feb, Sunday: Dunnellon, FL: Rain, again the forecast was correct.
17 Feb: Dunnellon, FL: Rain, the forecast was correct.
16 Feb: We awakened in Mexico Beach and were delighted with the view from the balcony. We are disoriented despite a great night's sleep. The hotel is completely remodeled with new paint, new furnishings and new appliances. Rain is forecast for tomorrow and Sunday, so we asked for two more nights, but they did not have any vacancies or cancellations until the moment we turned in our room keys. We had planned to go to Lake Wales, but rain is predicted for Sunday. Instead, we drove south, continuing on US Highway 98 uneventfully until we came to stalled traffic due to an accident that shut off the highway in both directions close to Perry, Florida. Ron followed other drivers taking a parallel road. A while further on, firefighters were putting out a trailer fire on the shoulder of the road. We then exited US 98 at FL 121 N, but continued instead on County Road 336 to a R on Co. Rd. 40 into Dunnellon, FL and a left at Powell Road to a left at N. Williams Street to our Comfort Inn. Police were out in abundance upon our arrival in Dunnellon at five PM due to a shooting threat at the middle school. We checked in to the hotel and headed out for dinner at Miss Sweetie's cafe. Bummer, she was closed, likely due to the shooting alarm. The middle school was across the street and a lot of traffic was creating congestion. And the traffic? This is a small town, everyone came to investigate. Thankfully, it was only a threat, and there was no identifiable source. We shopped for groceries, returned to our hotel and ate oatmeal and fruit. Rain is forecast for tomorrow. We will sleep in!
15 Feb: So what day is this? The year? Where are we? Oh, yeah, Pace, Florida! After breakfast, we quickly packed and boogied off to cousin Martha’s fabulous home where she lives with her daughter and son-in-law. It was wonderful to see Martha’s bright, cheery smile and enjoy the interesting conversation and camaraderie. We had a Valentine’s Party with heart-designed cups, plates, and napkins. How fun is this! We ventured forth to have an early dinner at Ruby Tuesday and drove on Highway 98 towards our next hotel south of Panama City at Mexico Beach, but the traffic was horrendous. We are delighted with the hotel makeover after Hurricane Michael decimated the Gulf Coast region with wave surge of 15’. We WILL return to the hotel! Route: Davis Road (FL 291) N into Pace, 1st R on Diamond, 10 blocks to R on Floridatown Road S to L on Parkview, R on Bayview, R & L to Bayview Terrace. retrace route to S on US 90 across water to L on Scenic Highway (US 90) along east edge of Pensacola across Texar Bayou to L on 17th Street, then around rotary and over bridge on US 98 into Gulf Breeze, immediate R on FL 399 to Pensacola Beach through the Gulf Islands National Seashore (wonderful) and back to US 98. Here we made a BIG mistake AGAIN by staying on US 98 with interminable stop lights and stop-and-go traffic backed up for 3 miles at every light. NEVER, EVER take US 98 across the panhandle instead of FL 30 (which is great) through to Mexico Beach. We stopped at Walmart for blueberries and bananas as we rode through Panama City. As we rode the final 50 miles to Mexico Beach at dusk, we saw a raccoon sprint across the road about fifty feet ahead of us and saw several individual deer standing close beside the road as we rode by. We were very relieved to enter the safety of Mexico Beach and to see our El Governor Resort Hotel (click here) ahead. They gave us a Valentine's Day special rate reminiscent of pricing before the hurricane.
14 Feb: We enjoyed our morning visit with Pat before leaving Denham at one PM driving I-12 E to I-10 East into Mississippi, then MS 607 SE to US 90 East and a gorgeous drive on the Gulf Coast highway to Biloxi, MS. We stopped for lunch at IHOP and should have taken I-110 north to I-10 east as US 90 east of Biloxi was devoid of scenery and filled with rush hour traffic and stop lights. We were close to Mobile by the time we resumed travel on I-10 East, and it was dark by the time we arrived at the tunnel under Mobile Bay. Driving on that high-speed highway in inky, black darkness was not pleasant for Cynthia. Our Comfort Inn was right off I-10 in Pensacola at FL Highway 291, Davis Road. Great that there was a Dennys within walking/ shuffling distance of the hotel. Cynthia's pulled hamstring seems to be better for all the rest sitting on the motorcycle.
13 Feb: Lafayette, Louisiana. Ron slept like a baby through the night, uninterrupted! He won the points for the first "I love you" of the day, and Cynthia won points for the first Happy Valentine's Day, oops that isn't until tomorrow?? She asked Ron, “Will you be my Valentine?” He asked for the job description. We are 52 miles from our destination near Baton Rouge and I-10 traffic logjam has cleared. We arrived at cousin Pat's duplex before noon and she took us out to the Salad Station for wonderful, huge salads. We talked genealogy, etc. for many hours until lack of sleep caught up to Cynthia first and Ron soon after. Route: I-10 E to Baton Rouge to I-12 E to exit 12 at LA 1026/ Juban Road S to round-a-bout to Buddy Ellis Road E 1.2 miles to a stop sign, R on John L road to R on Palmetto Lake Ave to immediate R to Palmetto Lake Court and cousin Pat.
12 Feb: Ron tried to sleep four times, but failed every time and spent the entire night packing and cleaning his recycling. At 4:30 AM, just as Ron had gotten to bed for the fourth time, Cynthia awakened, started the coffee, and announced that we needed to get up. Ron agreed that we needed to leave early, so he forgot about sleep and started doing his exercises. It was a sunny, chilly, and very windy day, and God was willing that we could leave by eleven-thirty AM for Baton Rouge. Highway 105 was not quick, so we stopped in Beaumont for lunch at Jason's Deli. We debated getting a hotel for the night to sleep early but decided to press on onto I-10. Except, the right lane of the interstate suddenly turned into an exit only, and we exited by error. Compounding the problem was that the entrance to I-10 eastbound at that exit was closed, so we wandered around the Louisiana countryside until we found Louisiana Highway 101 that took us back south to I-10. Once back on I-10 east of Lake Charles, the traffic was stop-and-go backed up for miles all the way to Lafayette. We exited Dusen, LA and entered a smoke-filled casino trying to figure out how to find a hotel. Dusen didn't have one, but someone gave directions to Highway 90 which parallels I-10. By now it was dark and this highway had a lot of traffic and stoplights. We reached Lafayette and a Hampton Inn. We will have hot oatmeal for breakfast. But first we will sleep. Zzzz. Route: TX 105 E to Beaumont, TX, R on US 96 access road S to Dowlen Road (first intersection) W 5 miles to Jason's Deli and another great salad bar.!! L on Phelan to I-10 frontage road N to I-10 E towards Baton Rouge, but we encountered parked traffic on the interstate and stayed overnight in Lafayette, Louisiana.
11 Feb, Sunday: The rain has stopped. Ron is packing. Cynthia is icing a pulled hamstring muscle. We moved boxes to storage. Ron is cleaning the condo. Cynthia’s bag is packed, she is showered and ready. NO! The TV is not on. We are not watching the Super Bowl but Cynthia sneaked a peek at the score. Tied 19-19, then the Chiefs won in OT! The big question is whether Cynthia will be able to ride passenger on the bike with her injury.
10 Feb: Rain is scheduled for the weekend. We will leave for Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Monday morning.
9 Feb: Cynthia shipped a box (mostly clothes) to Pritikin, a book to Carol and Bill, and we moved some boxes and clothes to the storage unit. Cynthia was able to secure an appointment for an MRI at two PM on March 1, in Doral, Fl.
8 Feb: Ron spent yesterday cleaning, packing and moving boxes of recycling to the car. We were outta here at 10:00 AM with a stop at Target to drop off plastic bags, then into Spring, Texas with the trunk and car full of recycling. We are so GOOD that we deserved our huge lunch at Jason’s Deli. Cynthia had an appointment with Dr. Birkin while Ron enjoyed chatting with other patients. We dropped off a box of genealogy books at the Conroe Central Library, then shopped at Walmart for reverse osmosis water before coming home. Cynthia ordered Rambo books, plus her revised edition of Spirit in the South for the Conroe library.
7 Feb: The sunrise had a few lovely rose highlights, and Ron sought to get Cynthia's attention by tapping her on the shoulder, but that startled her, she whirled around and shrieked in pain from the aggravation of her injury. The "sciatica" became much worse. After her appointment with Dr. Sharpless, Cynthia is taking a break for a pedicure and a manicure. She picked up her RX.
6 Feb: Chaos continues; Ron is recycling aluminum foil he has saved from foil on baked potatoes in restaurants, plus our foil to bake salmon and potatoes. Cynthia decided cooking is not a good idea, nor is ordering baked potatoes. Ron is dedicated to recycling; he will save the planet single handedly. We rode the bike to the dermatologist; a cheerful guy we like a lot. He inspected Cynthia's body for mole changes and declared the brown spots on her arms and chest are wisdom spots which doesn't make sense; if one had wisdom they would not go out in the sun. He froze five of the brown spots on her chest; the freeze was very uncomfortable. Evidently, the walk yesterday was too much for sciatica; we turned back after reaching the park. Ron walked tonight, Cynthia transcribed James Lea citations from the first of six research reports from Raquel. Slow work!
5 Feb: We took boxes and garment bags to the storage locker, ate lunch at Jason’s Deli, and mailed letters. Cynthia has a doctor's appointment at Eyeland. Less sciatica. Walk 3.0 miles. That was too much for Cynthia's sciatica.
4 Feb, Sunday: Worship and brunch. Our guests were sick and could not attend, but we enjoyed our meal! Ron moved boxes and garment bags to the car. He is organizing his boxes and aluminum foil. Yes, he recycles it. Cynthia did not walk today.
3 Feb: It rained through the night creating lots of puddles on the trail. Cynthia is wearing her hand brace to transcribe citations. Very slow progress. At least her sciatica is improving. We walked 2.5 miles at a leisurely pace, shopped at Walmart for the sweet potatoes and spinach that we forgot yesterday, and Ron walked again tonight. Ron is cleaning aluminum foil to recycle Thursday.
2 Feb: Cynthia needs to post a Feb. photo. She is hobbling around but "successfully" managed to walk, 2.13 miles! Ron had a successful day in the markets. Tomorrow is forecast to be a rainy day, so let's see if we get to Walmart for sweet potatoes and spinach.
1 Feb. arrived and the first day disappeared before we acknowledged it! Ron watched the market reports, did a lot of Sudokus, and shoveled mud from the sidewalk to the compost hole. We ran errands and dressed for dinner at the yacht club with Diane and John. 3.0 miles.
