August. We escaped the heat in New Hampshire by going to Houston

31 Aug, Monday: The drive to the Toasted Yolk for breakfast did not present a problem, despite morning rush hour with kiddies back in school. Foodified, Cynthia's mammogram in the Woodlands was next followed by lunch at Pappadeaux. We spent the remainder of the day at the Montgomery County Library perusing land records for Person, Edgecombe and Granville, North Carolina

 

30 Aug: Up "early" to attend worship at Grace. The new pastor is appreciated. Her sermon was a thoughtful call to ponder our response to death. The choir anthem was magnificent; Lutherans do know how to sing. Sunday brunch at the Walden Yacht Club was excellent as usual. After arriving home, we sat for an hour in our Sunday-Go-To-Meetin' clothes, being too-much-over-full from brunch. When changing clothes, Ron realized that he forgot to pay for brunch; we called and were reassured that they'd get even next weekend. Since the outdoor temperature was a pleasantly cool 83, we changed into walking wear to walk the first of two 4.5 mile walks today, one now and one this evening. Whew! 83 degrees without shade in this humidity is still hot. Jon drove past us on the return trip, noticed his mother's anguished look, and returned to give Cynthia a ride home (especially appreciated as she had neglected to apply sunscreen and was burning up. Ron finished his walk talking on the cell phone all the way.

 

29 Aug: Linda B: Sorry we missed your 24 Aug comment that was made to a now deleted page. We will watch carefully for further comments and approve immediately (see your comments on 7 August, too). Thanks for liking the butterfly watercolor. Lake Conroe appears peaceful; even the boats are moving slowly or they are anchored. Fall weather approaches. The temperature is cooling down . Our fall schedule is taking shape while we stay occupied with our computers, the evening walk to the Caddy Shack for dinner and the nightly 4.5 mile walk to the fitness center.

 

Linda posted:

	Love the butterfly picture.... We'll be thinking positive thoughts for your surgery tomorrow, Ron....I hope the prep is more fun than the prep for colonostomies...Linda on Untitled		on 8/24/15

 

28 Aug: Where did the 27th go? Ron was awake 6:30 AM and typoing (great new word) emails on the dock as per picture (on this blog below the 24th). Now that the sun is up and blinding, it is time to wrap up outdoors and proceed with James Lea indoors. The weather has cooled allowing us to enjoy dinner on the patio this evening followed by our 4.5 mile walk.

 

27 Aug: Another day of James Lea and Volume 6. There are just so many fun things to do in life once a person discovers a passion or two. Since Ron discovered his groan (oops groin) yesterday, today he voiced a new description of the one painful part of the operation. The doctor used a pneumatic roofing gun to install two stitches in the femoral artery. Interesting that Dr. Salmon Arain has been able to hide himself from Google. Cynthia is delighted that the house is cleaned and most maintenance is done. Ron will be happy when we get back to the motorcycle - hmm, the old Beemer is in the storage locker and the weather is cooler. Maybe I should put a new battery in and ride to recovery. Our 4.5 mile walk was uneventful.

 

26 Aug: What a shock it was to walk out of the hospital into hospitable weather, "cool" and pleasant, especially as temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees nearly every day since we left Vermont. We can only assume that Ron's heart is improved. (He cannot feel any difference.) Dr. Arian is really nice and combined the angiogram with placing two stents to improve blood flow through two constrictions in the right coronary artery and a branch. However, there were reasons to postpone opening the blockage in the left anterior descending for a month, so stay tuned for part two. After parts 1) and 2) are done, the doctors will decide how to remedy the atrial fibrillation (or it could be atrial flutter). So we may have a whole series lasting all season. Ron was discharged by nine AM, and Sam (of Sam's Limo) drove us home. Ron & Sam enjoyed a marvelously philosophical conversation. (Cynthia doesn't hear - lucky girl.) We walked into a house was filled with house cleaners while painters worked outdoors. We escaped by walking to the Caddy Shack restaurant for lunch, surprising the wait staff by our appearance. Ron is doing great although his groin is a bit sore. (Ron always wondered the groin is located; now he knows and opines that groin and groan are similar for good reason.

Thanks to everyone for the outpouring of love and support!

 

25 Aug: The hotel shuttle delivered us to the hospital where Ron was whisked into a fashionable backless blue gown and yellow socks. Rose, the nurse, shaved his chest hair, took vitals, and an EKG. Another nurse, Emilia, inserted an IV talking and laughing, Ron was talking and laughing, Cynthia was laughing, too, despite being unable to hear the stories. Everyone was having a fun time. A later EKG reported Ron was in the midst of a heart attack which made us all laugh; Ron (the athlete) has normal slow pulse combined now with atrial fib made a mis read on the EKG.

 

Finally, at 12:00 high noon, Ron was waved off to OR by his new best friends/nurses and returned at 3:30 PM bearing two new medicated stents in two formerly blocked arteries: the right coronary artery is now opened with a large stent; and a peripheral blocked artery (unknown before today) is now open with a smaller stent. Those newly opened arteries are gushing good! He will return in a month to repeat the same procedure in the left anterior descending artery. Once that remanding artery gets open the cardiologist will do either ablation or cardio version on the atrial flutter at some point.

 

Ron is looking great; he has been fed but he must lay flat without moving for a few hours. Thanks to Oke (Inn at Long Trail), Ron has lots of Sudokus to keep him occupied during this time of inactivity. If all goes well he will be dismissed mid morning. Thanks to everyone for the emails and text messages of support. Jon enlisted prayers from over a hundred friends FaceBook. Linda wondered if Ron will need rehabilitation therapy??? Hahaha. Ron rehabilitated?? Hahaha! Happy Ron sends thank you!

 

24 Aug: Ron again awoke at 4 AM, laid abed until 4:40, and commenced his day with too little sleep. IMMEDIATELY after realizing that atrial fibrillation can perhaps be exacerbated by caffeine, Ron cut that stuff out. The puzzle is that he awakens easily and early and can function well without coffee !! Isn't life strange and wonderful; thank God. Packed and prepared, that's us n's. This is practically unprecedented, that Ron is packed & has ALL his PILES of junk and papers organized. (Well, there is just a tiny bit of recycling left to rinse and dry.) James Lea awaits, and today's focus is Joseph Henderson, a neighbor and son-in-law. Jon drove us to the medical center at 1 PM; we will over-night at the Hilton for Tuesday's 7:30 AM appointment at Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute. The Houston medical center has one million employees making it one of the largest in the world, drawing patients world-wide. Compare it to a city with the population of a million people.

 

23 Aug: It's again my favorite day: TODAY. Once again we made it to the church on time and enjoyed the sermon and singing. Two exceptional singers were seated right behind us, "singing us." Love how Lutherans learn four part harmony at their mothers breast. We beat the Baptists out of church and into the Walden Yacht Club early to get a window seat for Sunday brunch, too. The staff is very considerate, and Ron shakes hands with everyone there, just like "sharing the Peace" at church. It's a beautiful day on Lake Conroe; no worries about getting cold outside. We spent the day in the air conditioning again (always too strange to wonder how people coped with the heat before air conditioning; then stranger to realize that some people still lack air conditioning; no wonder violence is rampant in some sections of the city - if you can't sleep, you get cranky and irritable). Ron's James Lea focus this morning was John Graves, a neighbor and son-in-law.

 

22 Aug: Thanks to Steven for driving to Walden to have dinner with us at the Yacht Club and entertaining us with his exuberance at being hired by, not just one but, two companies. He is excited to be moving into his new apartment and has already found a roommate. (Let's hope the roommate is a good'en.) One of us over-ate, the other was comfortably full. Not willing to sit back and enjoy big bellies, we changed into our Hoka Ones for a hike (aka steam bath) through Walden for 4.5 miles during daylight; it was "cool" and overcast today.

 

21Aug: We have had an exciting day sitting at our computers, walking to lunch, and driving to the UPS to get papers notarized for a power of attorney in case Ron becomes incompetent. Ron quickly noticed the gotcha, "no ending date if he should suddenly become competent." Cynthia reported all of this to Sistah Carol along with word that Ron is fine but she is having symptoms. Sistah Carol replied,

"I didn’t know anyone needed papers to be incompetent. Here I’ve been driving without a license for years! I guess my family tree is one big yolk. I could have warned you that sooner or later you would develop symptoms from living with Ron, but Mother brought me up to "mind my own business".

" How can you have stress when you are homeless, unemployed and have no car to drive in traffic? Sounds like a perfect life to me."

"Ron was always Mother’s perfect child. I have no doubt he will jump this hurdle of surgery, too. Ron had the best teeth, and best smile. He was never sick like Dale. He didn’t streak naked through my 8th birthday party like Dean did. Ron’s feet pointed straight forward when he ran, not pointed to the side like a duck (Me & Dean). Mom and Dad always watched me like a hawk and corrected everything I did and Ron got away with murder. He and cousin Jimmy ate all the pills from the nurse’s kit I got for Christmas and all the grownups thought it was funny. I fully expect Ron will skate right through this surgery and be back to hiking soon." (Ron says if the pill supply had lasted, they probably woulda fixed his arteries.)

Thanks to Carol for the laughter!

Jon posted photos of a few of Cynthia's paintings and drawings from the 70's and 80's on FaceBook today making it easy to copy to the blog:

 

20Aug: It was to be a big day with Steven visiting us for dinner, but his truck is in the shop and we don't know if he will be able to make it. Ron discovered this morning that he is a distant cousin to James Stewart, the movie star, through his common ancestor, William Armstrong & wife, Flora Campbell. Sistah Carol explained to me how she is identifying snippets of DNA as Graham family, other snippets as Overturff family, etc. It is absolutely amazing; Ron will have to write an explanation for the Swedish Colonial News and other cousins. Cynthia made fat free bread and fresh fruit salad for dinner. Mmmm. Ron discovered a neighbor walking with precious cargo and invited them to visit Cynthia. Baby girl is just adorable, even Ron liked this baby.

 

19 Aug, Wed: Another day of running errands starting with breakfast at Magnolia Diner (egg white veggie omelets, no surprise there) and then to Lake Conroe Medical Center where they ran an EKG on Cynthia to check out elevated blood pressure. (Ron thinks it is just TOO AMUSING that he has the condition and Cynthia has the symptoms.) Back in the auto, Ron asked about the appointment, Cynthia explained, "I was given an EKG... OH!OH!OH!!! I forgot to have my blood drawn!!!!" She whipped that car around and drove back to med centre and ran back inside so the Nurse could draw blood! Awarelessness (Ron's newest word to describe Cynthia sometimes). Too funny.

 

I saw rain drops on my window, Joy is like the rain.

Laughter runs across my pane, Slips away and comes again.
Joy is like the rain.

I saw clouds upon a mountain, Joy is like a cloud.
Sometimes silver, sometimes gray, Always sun not far away.
Joy is like a cloud.

I saw Christ in wind and thunder, Joy is tried by storm.
Christ asleep within my boat, Whipped by wind, yet still afloat,
Joy is tried by storm.

I saw rain drops on a river, Joy is like the rain,
Bit by bit the river grows, 'til all at once it overflows.
Joy is like the rain.

 

18 Aug, Tues: This is a good day; we woke up and Thanked God for those good things. Ron is pleased with progress on Vol. 6 and James Lea; Cynthia is happy about completing the Leas of Caswell County, NC YDNA spreadsheet, and she made bowl of fat-free potato salad. How good is that!! Lotsa pickle relish included. Our big day is but a week away at Hermann Heart and Vascular Hospital. Woo hoo! We are ready to be back to daily hiking. Hiking on the concrete left Cynthia's feet sore; time to break out the Zheng Gu Shui and Voltarin again. After this quick update, Ron will again walk and talk to the fitness center and back. (How many miles, Cynthia?) Oh, Cynthia is already treadmilling away. I'd better get moving.

 

17 Aug: Out and About in our new Hoka One shoes to LabCorps, to Cynthia's appointment with Bambi in Tomball, to dinner at Mia Bella's in Vintage Park, and to Kroger's Market shopping for food. At 8 PM we walked the 4.5 miles round trip to the Fitness Center and back. Even though the Hokas are awesomely cushiony & comfy, concrete underfoot hurts us. It was another good day.

 

16 Aug, Sun: Imagine! We weren't late for worship (9:00 instead of 8:30). Pr. Diane Roth's sang Beautiful Savior (beautifully) in her sermon; it was marvelous; the congregation sang like a choir of angels, lovely. Jon accompanied us to church and to brunch at the Walden Yacht Club; Roxanne and Barb met us at the club. Ron entertained the family with new words like "awareless," to describe Cynthia. Cynthia found a funny FB post written by a pastor: "i will no longer attend sports events" followed by the reasons people give for not attending church: seats are too hard, they always ask for money, don't like the same old anthem, people are hypocrites, stuck up, etc. I won't send my child either: when he is an adult he can choose the sport he wants to play."

 

 

 

15 Aug, Sat: Bright and early, our favorite Great Blue Heron flew hither, thither and yon. Yesterday, he flew to and fro. Early birds, early boaters beat the heat, thithering, hithering, yonning to and fro.

 

 

14 Aug, Fri: We worked. Significant progress is being made on Volume 6 and James Lea. The Lea YDNA XLS spreadsheet is being revisited. Ron walked after dark when the temperature cooled enough he did not melt on the golf course. We slept.

 

13 Aug: Cynthia had an appointment with Sasha after breakfast at the Toasted Yolk and Ron shopped for new black Hoka One shoes. Ron wore (with great pride) a new MIT shirt gifted from his beloved ( the old one had a few little holes in need of mending). Cynthia was the only person (all day) who laughed at the labels left on the shirt and shoes! Why remove perfectly good tags that shout new look? Aluminum foil stuck all over her head was funny! Ron looks perfectly Ron.

 

12 Aug: Since it was so much cooler after a tiny shower last night (accompanied by huge thunder and fierce winds), we opted to walk to dinner. At 98 degrees we didn't even work up a sweat in our half mile (despite a real feel of 111 degrees). More progress on Volume 6 and on James Lea, more progress on other misc. projects. Now if I can just remember to have Clarence send me this years mail.

 

11 Aug: We heard thunder once this afternoon, but no rain yet. Big trip out and about today, to the safety deposit box, the storage locker, and lunch. Once Mary told Ron that caffeine might exacerbate atrial fibrillation, he has cut out the coffee and cola. It may be healthier, but he still puzzles about falling asleep after meals now. After dinner the sky darkened ominously, the wind howled. It is a dark and stormy night.

 

10 Aug: The big re-birthday for the back half of Ron's heart is scheduled for August 25, a catheterization to access the situation and hopefully install a stint or two to give Ron (the Energizer bunny) even MORE energy. So now we have to spend two weeks indoors avoiding the 100+ degree Texas heat out there; lots of time to finish a couple of projects. It is amusing that Cynthia's originally scheduled return flight to Boston is Sept 4. We just might make that flight if God and the doctor are willing. Ron is nearly done with Volume 6, and James Lea is progressing nicely. This was the third evening Ron went for a walk after dark.

 

9 Aug: Because incredibly vicious flames were cascading from the kitchen oven in Heaven, an alarmed angel reported that to God and asked, "What on earth are you cooking?" God answered simply, "Texas."

Yup! KRBE posted a photo of Houston, Texas as a planet nearing encounter with the sun.

Yup!! Summertime.

Last week we discovered that summer worship service begins at 9:00 AM (instead of 8:30), so today we were able to sleep thirty minutes longer. Pastor Jim had a marvelous message: "Life is unfair!" After service we joined Bill and Merry for brunch at the Walden Yacht Club. Ron worked with Bill years ago in the Florida Keys. Now Bill and Merry live 45 minutes from here, and Bill works with our new next-door neighbor After brunch they came to the lake house to see Ron's cardio report with multi-colored PET scan pictures. The view of the lake is lovely (although Ron likes it better when Cynthia is sunbathing in bikini).

 

8 Aug: Lake Conroe, Texas:

7 Aug: We are still sweating it out in Texas; today's high was 109 degrees in some areas of Houston, with more of the same forecast for the weekend. Thanks to friends and family for phone calls and email, thanks to Walter, Pam, Bill and Marissa. After a light dinner at the Walden Yacht Club, Ron is working once again on Volume 6. We expected the surgeons to call with a date for surgery, but no such luck.

6 Aug: Yup, we are in Houston SWEATING, walking to/from the Cafe on the Green. Actually, we sweat dining outside because the restaurant was filled with martini night followers. The outdoor temperature is hitting 100-103 consistently. Cynthia wears a sweater inside the house because the A/C is cranked down to 68 degrees. We are waiting for a phone call from the surgeon with the date of the surgery. It will likely be soon - perhaps next week. Ron has completed his financial updates, Cynthia is immersed in DNA reports and Sudoku. The lake views are quite marvelous: the water sparkles like diamonds.

5 Aug: Yup, we are in Houston as we speak, at Cynthia's house on Lake Conroe actually. This sudden change of plans came about after Ron became short of breath while hiking vigorously uphill July 17th, the day after Cynthia's birthday. We haven't said much to many since because we don't want worriers to worry (after all, Ron isn't worried). This is particularly true for the pessimist of the Beatty family, Sistah Carol. (Don't worry dear.) We've seen the doctor, he has run a PET scan; the problem is atrial fibrillation, the heart is NOT scarred, so there has NOT been a heart attack. Treatment options are limited due to Ron's blockages and ischemia, so another surgeon will be calling us in a day or two to set up an appointment for an angiogram and likely a catheterization to poke holes in the blockages and insert stints. (Dr.Sal Arain is one of five surgeons in the country who do this, and the other four are his buddies.) Ron agreed to this IMMEDIATELY after Dr. Gould said that the surgeon is very talented and hasn't lost a patient yet. Ron tells Cynthia that at present only half of his heart works, so he can only love her with half of his heart. Maybe soon he will be able to live her with his whole heart. Imagine how active Ron might be if invigorated by a fully functional heart. WoooHa !! Ron has been on the blood thinner Eliquist 5mg for about a week, and Dr. Gould prescribed half of a Metoprolol 25mg to lower Ron's heart rate just a little. Upon leaving Ron quipped, "So what if this causes my heart to revert to normal." To which the good doctor answered, "Then we resume the program" with a smile Flight to Houston began with early rise at 4:30, drive (thanks Pat!) to Rutland Airport (hassle because Cynthia's ticket was not in their system despite the phone call to the Jet Blue Supervisor yesterday afternoon. The wait was a short ten minutes to departure after the hassle. We landed in Boston four hours ahead of flight to Houston, and we were disappointed the VIP lounge no longer accepts AX Premium members. Ohhh well. At least we were on time, it didn't rain, and son Jon picked us up promptly to enjoy the heat.

 Apparently these first days of August disappeared same as the first few days of September this year.
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July, Happy Birthday month

28 Jul, Tues: We hiked to the ski run very slowly and moderately taking a lot of time to rest. Plans have changed. We will not be able to spend the rest of the summer in Killington. We are packing tonight through Thursday, leaving boxes and the motorcycle stored with Pat until fall, departing by 5:00 AM on Friday to the Rutland airport for the puddle jumper flight to Boston Logan Airport for a connecting flight to Houston. The temperatures in Houston are horribly hot.

 

27 Jul, Mon: Regardless of good intentions we don't get out the door early to beat the heat. At 11:00 AM we were off and moving (slowly) up the Sherburne Pass Trail to the sinkholes and return for a short two hour hike. Ron's trail maintenance is looking good. Cynthia had PT and learned two new exercises. Dinner at Southside Steakhouse was interesting: the mashed potatoes had no fat. A deer ran across the road in front of us.

 

26 Jul, Sun: Hot, humid and sticky, icky sweaty. Despite the heat we hiked to the meadow and back by 3:00 PM just in time to shower and dine in Killington at Choice's.

 

25 Jul, Sat: We went shopping! Our morning was spent in Rutland buying necessities and two tools. We ate a moderate lunch at Sugar and Spice before hurrying back to hike at a more measured pace up the Sherburne Pass Trail. We have needed to rest more often while hiking. We meet so many interesting hikers on the trail and at the Inn, I think I surely will remember their names and stories to add to the blog, but I don't.

 

24 Jul, Fri: The temperature reached a high of 71 degrees, very few bugs were bothering us on the five miles to the ski run. Thank you to John and Kelly, a delightful, fun, couple for joining us at Choice's Restaurant in Killington, VT for dinner. (2)

 

23 Jul, Thurs: An early morning appointment with the dentist was followed by shopping until the saddlebags were filled. In the afternoon we hiked to the sinkholes and back feeling quite worn out. Ron rode the bike to the AT trailhead on Route 4 to cut try to remove a tree fallen across the trail. After lopping off a large branch the tree was still immovable. What a marvelous surprise when Trillium and her husband John walked into the Inn. They were in this area to see their daughter at camp and made special plans to visit us.

 

22 Jul, Wed: The weather has been gloriously cool. We hiked five miles to the meadows.

 

21 Jul, Tues: We haven't hiked up to Deer Leap and onto the Long Trail Northbound this summer until today. The first half mile of rocky trail re-shaped by Hurricane Irene was as hazardous as we remembered. Showers were forecast at one PM and another at five PM; at noon thirty rain fell for thirty minutes or so, but after donning our ponchos we sallied forth through the mud onto a very poorly maintained Long Trail. Ron hiked on past several streams while Cynthia turned back. Our laundry soap was put to good use.

 

20 Jul, Mon: Sore and tired muscles moved much slower this morning. The gorgeous weather beckoned and we responded to the lure with a 4.6 mile hike round trip to River Road. Thundering Falls had a lot of water. Less elevation gain.

 

19 Jul, Sun: OhMyGoodness!!! We are very proud of ourselves after hiking eight miles (heading W on Route 4 to the AT southbound trail) up to Jungle Junction, and then down Sherburne Pass Trail. Ron worked very hard on trail maintenance. The sky darkened, rain drops fell and Cynthia bounded down the mountain so fast the poncho carrying Ron could not catch her. Breathing issues.

 

18 Jul, Sat: We hiked five miles round trip to the ski run where we were surprised and delighted to see our new friend Jeff from Austin, TX; he snapped the photo of us sweaty, but happy (above).

17 Jul, Fri: Six mile hike to Pico Peak; dinner at Choice's Restaurant in Killington. First day of breathing issues.

16 Jul: Ta DA!! It is birthday time! Cynthia was treated to a shot of cortisone for bursitis in her IT band in the hip. She took a Girl Day at the Spa while Ron hiked and painted white blazes. She loves her fleurs. Ron hiked to Coopers Lodge, painted white blazes, sawed trees, and became very tired after an eight hour hike without food.

15 Jul: More trail magic: We bought breakfast for AT thru-hikers Lightning, PorkChop, and TicToc, all of whom started early in April (2nd, 3rd, 4th). Two of the three are Thrus in disguise; his hair is short, her hair looks marvelous. Only PorkChop looks the part. James Lea resumption will be satisfying because the notes outlining next steps are very thorough. We over ate today leaving Ron with a lot of stomach distress. He hiked four hours after we returned to the Inn from physical therapy.

 

14 Jul: It looks to be a gorgeous day for a Great Hike, and so it was! We bought breakfast again for Obiwan and SmokeBreak, poor guys had to listen to ten minutes of "Ride like Ron" philosophies. We started hiking a bit late, 12:48, and hiked industriously up to the ski run, 2.5 miles. Each review of Volume 6 uncovers more and more problems needing work.

 

13 Jul: We bought breakfast for Obiwan, SmokeBreak and Feris, AT thtu-hikers who are also hiking the Long Trail as a bonus addition. Obiwan is a physical therapist who told Cynthia that a cortisone injection is NOT a sustainable "cure" for any problem, but rather "cures" the pain, allowing a window of pain-free opportunity to do the exercises needed to ACTUALLY effect a cure as much as possible. Lunch at Sugar and Spice was a double treat: we met Jeff from Austin, TX who joined us for our early lunch and fun conversation about hiking and camping. Today's physical therapy with Maureen was scheduled for 1PM. Afterwards we shopped for groceries, and Ron brought two bouquets of beautiful fleurs to surprise Cynthia!! Happy Birthday Sweetie ... month, actual date is 3 days hence. Ron's felt a bit bloated and uncomfortable, and his hands are still not free from pain, so he hiked up to the ski run without attempting trail maintenance. Strange that he didn't realize that the discomfort in his hands could be related to the absence of the Glucosamine and Chondroitin that he usually takes twice daily. Ron is finally done with Desktop Tragedy restoration and is becoming motivated to resume James Lea and Volume 6.

12 Jul, Sun: Trinity Lutheran Church is next door to the Crosby House, so we weren't late for worship. It is always a marvelous feeling to be "home" in our father's house!! Immediately after church we began the ride to Killington. Because of the sun and heat and recent rains, the corn looked like it grew two feet. Really!! We arrive in Hanover, NH in time for brunch on the patio at the Hanover Inn, across from Dartmouth Campus. Despite a temperature of 89 degrees, we enjoyed a nice breeze and watching a sweet young thing with interesting head gear of a plastic bag filled with ice. It did indeed look like a hat with transparent tail. Over dinner at the Inn at Long Trail, we met AT hikers Obiwan, SmokeBreak, and Faris.

11 Jul: We did indeed appreciate the ambiance of the Crosby House. Breakfast was delicious. Rachel, our hostess, is quite delightful. The ride to Keene was very pleasant and quick although we did stop at a Hannover's grocery to buy some bread, pretzels and protein bars for lunch. It was wonderfully pleasant to spend the day with Beanie and Eddie. (Ed is resuming running and training and has discontinued memorizing Scrabble words after achieving a high ranking in state tournaments.) They drove us past their newly purchased home; move-in will happen in two weeks. Pappagallos Restaurant did a good job of feeding us. 

10 Jul: The temperature was chilly as we began the day's ride from Killington to Brattleboro, Vt. for the weekend. Once we reached a lower altitude, it was hot. We rode directly east on U.S. 4 into New Hampshire where Ron soon stopped to remove the accursed (because mandatory) helmet. (He has taken to telling people that he believes that helmets CAUSE accidents, due to fatigue, overheating, substantial diminishment of sight and sound.) The pleasant journey through iconic New England villages was like being in a movie (on NH highways 120, 12A, and 63). We were delighted to travel amongst picturesque white church steeples rising into the blue sky, green fields and forests dotted with red barns and an occasional covered bridge, shimmering lakes, rivers, and rippling creeks. We arrived in Brattleboro, VT about 4PM to check into the Crosby House B and B before meeting Eddie, Beanie, B.D. And Drew at Luca's Italian Restaurant in Keene, NH.

9 Jul: This is the weekend we have to vacate our room because it was previously booked. We spent all morning cleaning and packing up to store our boxes in Pat's car. After a nice lunch we hiked to the sink holes, returned to finish laundry and packing. 

8 Jul: We did make it to physical therapy, the bakery, market and on to Sugar and Spice for lunch. When we returned we had time and energy for a hour hike starting at three PM. 

7 Jul: We had great plans for a big hike but the rain started at noon. We worked on computers. 

6 Jul: Ouch!!! Cynthia's physical therapy days were changed. We missed it. We took the bus to Killington and the Gondola to the peak to hike down mountain to the Inn. It was a terrific six mile hike; Cynthia was able to see the large trees Ron moved off the trail. 

 5 July, Sun: Hiked to Jungle Junction plus for a great seven mile trek. 

4 July: Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July remembering to be thankful for the joy of living in this marvelous country blessed with freedom. 

 3 Jul: Cool temperatures make glorious hiking weather. Today's pleasant seven mile hike took six hours. It is good to see the trail drying up in most areas. Cynthia was astonished to meet four AT hikers at breakfast who have been slack packing the entire A.T., spending nights at hotels and B and B's. Evidently they arranged shuttles ahead of time. This, being a holiday weekend, most people on the trail today were day or weekend hikers. A family of "new WalMart hiking poles" was celebrating the ten year olds birthday. Two A.T. Hikers showed up at Jungle Junction looking like the real thing: thru-hikers! We drove to Choices Restaurant in Killington for dinner and experienced an hour wait and conversation with some Iowans. The food is always good. The ride home was chilly enough we turned the fireplace on briefly. 

 2 Jul: We arrived at the bakery in Rutland in time to buy several loaves of fat free bread, visit Tops Market and still reach the physical therapist on time. Our good fortune in timing held allowing us to arrive five minutes before closing at Sugar and Spice for lunch and get back to the Inn to have a two hour hike. Whew!!! 

1 Jul: Happy Birthday to my beloved WeeFee, SmoochSmooch (and as she frequently reminds me, her name IS CYNTHIA). The month started wonderfully well; the female half of the congenial foursome at the next breakfast table raved about our beautiful 17th century wedding pictures. Ron enjoyed meeting AT hiker FurBall and her mom at breakfast. FurBall is hiking with dog and hiked for 24 hours (almost) yesterday to "celebrate" her birthday. She plans to sleep a lot today.

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June, Too Soon to be June!?

Saw three times, rotate once. Ron at work.

30 Jun:

 

29 Jun, Mon: A cloudy morning, rain through the night, convinced Ron it is the perfect day to saw fallen trees lying across the trail. By two PM heavy rain hit near the Inn with light rain where Ron was working. After removing seven very large trees, returning at hiker midnight, he was very surprised to find the trail down mountain more sloppy than going up mountain. His very sore body is not a surprise.

28 Jun: Where does the time go?? Rain, rain & more rain promise to keep us from hiking for the next several days. Pat has offered us the use of a car, and Cynthia eagerly accepted; we go to pick it up when Pat leaves work today. THANKS Pat. Ron found five puzzle pieces on the floor, so the zebra puzzle needs to be done again. Oke is supplying Ron with Sudokus, so Ron now has a compelling avoidance activity to occupy precious time. Cynthia's feet have been fine, no pain, no problem; what an incredible relief. Maureen, the physical therapist, is excellent and is now working on Cynthia's hip pain & piriformis muscle. Ron has reduced the immensity of the Desktop Tragedy from 15000 files to 628 by restoring files to the originating directories, incidentally also removing duplicates. Hiking and trail maintenance continues to be our primary goal here. The food is excellent, the staff ditto, and Oke and Reggie are pretty fun. More later.

27 Jun: Sat: Our hike was delayed to after lunch, but we moved with lightning speed up to the ski run and back before the rain hit. Floods are promised. Dinner at Rosemary's Restaurant was marvelous. The Salmon filets were delicious.

26 Jun, Fri: Great, fun hike to the ski run back in time to shower and drive to Killington for dinner at Chef Claude's "Choices" restaurant. We had forgotten just how awesome the meals taste especially the veggie couscous in curry sauce. The swordfish was an epicurean masterpiece. From there we joined the "I Ain't Dead Yet" Reunion of Killington residents from thirty , forty, and fifty years ago. Funny, no one remembered us. Hahaha! To three men, Ron said he and Oke were kindred spirits. Three times the immediate response was, "Oh, you don't wear shoes, either?" Oke was an affluent character who arrived here from Connecticut in the late sixties driving a Morgan convertible, liked the place, took off his shoes to live barefoot, and grow marijuana for a living.

25 Jun: Physical therapy day followed by lunch at Sugar and Spice.

24 June: Wed: 7 Mile hike beyond Jungle Junction

23 June: Physical Therapy followed by shopping and a hike to the sinkholes

22 Jun: Time flies once again. Ron has finished "IMPOSSIBLE" jigsaw puzzle (of tightly knit herd of zebras), finished "Desktop Tragedy" (equally daunting computer puzzle), and is again using the computer with internet. Trail maintenance will resume later this morning after the trail has a chance to dry after the heavy rains last night, so this daily post will be brief. Approach-avoidance is the word of the day; Ron has never willingly resumed a big project after dropping it for a couple of months, and the current projects are no exception: 1) Vol. 6 of the Colonial Records of the Swedish Churches, 2) James Lea, James Lea, and James Lea of Caswell County, North Carolina in 1790; which one married a daughter of Lawrence Bankston?, and 3) updating Rambo genealogies (very cold on back-most burner).

 

21 June: Despite heavy evening rain last night Ron ventured forth with his tools. The Green Mountain Club is interested in his hours.

Relaxing in the sunshine on the ski run

20 June: 7 mile hike for Cynthia while Ron continued working on the trail.

 

19 June: Friday was a good day for hiking five miles to the ski run and back

 

18 June: Rain was not forecast. We planned to hike after physical therapy. The forecast changed; Accuweather said rain! it looked like rain. Oh, well, Instead of hiking, Ron worked on a very challenging jig Saw puzzle. Cynthia puzzled over her current manuscript. The sun came out! We shoulda hiked!!! A very long time ago, In June of 1980, Mrs. Iowa America was the third runner up in the National Mrs. America Pageant in Las Vegas.

Mee WeeFee in Jun 1980, a beauty even then

 

 

Alumnae honoree WeeFee likes this photo of Ron in suit

17 Jun, Wed: The sun is shining and we are off to hike. Cynthia likes this photo of Ron in a suit.

16 Jun: Physical Therapy day! Lunch at Sugar and Spice and driving home in the rain. Oke found a tough jigsaw puzzle for Ron. Oh boy!!!

15 Jun: Mon: Ron hiked 8 miles accomplishing a lot of stream bed maintenance. It was supposed to rain but did not pour.

14 Jun, Sun: Another beautiful day, another great hike, and the Sherburne Pass Hero cleared the log from the trail! "Give me a lever, and a place to stand, and I can move the earth!"

13 Jun, Sat: Awesome even: we were on the trail by 10:30 AM for a six hour hike and trail maintainence, of course!!!

12 Jun, Fri: The Five Mile hike to the ski run was indeed pleasant. Ron was proud of his trail maintenance.

11 Jun, Thurs: The temperature reached a pleasant 70 degrees with no rain as we rode to Rutland to see the physical therapist and the orthodontist. Cynthia lost her retainer. Kids! Ron started hiking at 4:30 PM returning at hiker dark. Kids! Ron bought a new toy for his new passion: a one pice trowel and garden fork. Kids!

10 June: Rain through the night caused a delay to hike until 3:00 PM. The trail is a muddy mess. We are watching the news of the escaped convicts some 2.5 hours NW of us with interest. No doubt the intense focus on an area near the prison will bear fruit today. Yellowbuttons for Cynthia's Texas friends:

9 Jun: already. We dodged the rain this morning by waiting until noon to get onto the motorcycle and take Cynthia to the PT (Physical Therapy/ Physical Torture). Maureen again did a marvelous job of finding and treating ankle and hip. Cynthia is feeling much improved. (Now if we could only fix that typo on her birth certificate ...) Ron shopped at WallyWorld for groceries and managed to get everything except yard tool/ stream-bed maintenance implements. Work on the Desktop Tragedy continues. Twisted turns out to be a very quiet, soft spoken guy, so we recommend you read/ view his blog. Apparently Ron's back is no longer tolerating even light raking. Trail Maintenance Addict will just have to suffer withdrawal.

8 Jun: It is rainy this morning; Ron intends to hike regardless; Cynthia is more sensible. Ron is again wondering where the time goes. Amazing that a techie can spend so much satisfying time restoring files and removing duplicates from a "Desktop Tragedy." Today at breakfast we finally met hiker twisted, a very nice, soft-spoken guy who is taking a rainy day zero here. We will let you know more about him soon. We did get in a couple of hours hiking early this afternoon.

7 Jun, Sunday: Amazing!!! We started hiking by 10:30 AM and managed to go uphill all the way to the trail junction (Jungle Junction) with nice rest breaks and no foot pain; with the downhill return, todays hike totalled 6.4 miles in 6 hours. It was a beautiful day with a 65 degree high. Nice to see the trail drying; stream-bed maintenance does work. The borrowed saw was not a multi-purpose tool; it might be fine for whacking off vegetation along Kent Pond, but it is intended to saw lumber, not trees. Today we met a nice couple who had to give up a Long Trail hike due to his knee problems: Movin' On and Thin Mint.

6 June: National Trail Days. Ron was doing trail maintenance on the Sherburne Trail while Cynthiaplugged along to the ski run with black flies biting us no matter what repellent we use. Five miles round trip. Woo hoo!

5 June, Friday: Physical therapy began this morning. Cynthia's foot is rapidly improving after the cortisone shot; the ankle swelling has greatly diminished. Ron is almost finished fixing the desktop tragedy. Short one mile hike

4 June: Thurs: We hiked two miles because the trails are so wet.

3 June: Quiet time allows Ron Geek Time; thankful for IBook on her IPad, Cynthia reads a book a day. Recent recommedations: The Power of Habit, The Nightingale (great historical fiction), Born Survivors, Stalin's Daughter, The Last Train to Memphis, Child Bride, Autobiography of Jerry Lee Lewis, All the Light We Cannot See (Best Fiction), Malala, The Girl on the Train, Hope (tragic tale of abductions) and re-reading Frank McCourt's autobiographies. Apart from Frank McCourt's excellent books, the biographies were stomach wrenches: it is sad so much talent produced such wasted lives. Our swordfish at the Southside Steakhouse was very good (They have zero fat sourdough bread).

2 June: See comment for June 1th!

June 1th, Mon: My new book, "Three Rainy Days in a Mountain Cabin Eating Chicken, Turkey and Tuna On Irish Soda Bread With No Hope of Escape Because We Ride A Motorcycle," is certain to become a best seller with an Academy Award winning movie on the horizon.

 

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AnniBirsary Month of May

31 May: Merry May has run away. All too soon it's June. Rain is forecast for the first two days of June. Ron found two hungry hikers and fed them a hearty meal besides donating Aqua Mira for their water treatment as they continue hiking the Long Trail. Ron is working on the giant puzzle Okie brought him. Hiking at one PM won't happen because the rain won't quit.

30 May: Delightful breakfast conversation with Fancy Feet & wife & two attractively dressed Long Trail through hiker girlies followed by a six mile hike round trip through Gifford Woods. Oh, boy, the rains came after dinner. Ron wrote a script to repair a computer glitch while Cynthia progresses reading a book a day thanks to IBook on her IPad.

 -29 May: Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Twisted is in Massachusetts already or soon. Several others should be app4oaching. "Orange Crush" is in the 100-mile wilderness, and it is time for Cynthia and I to hike today. We hiked nearly to the ski run today, but Cynthia's left foot is still painful. The ankle brace helped for a while, but then became part of the problem. Ron is quite puzzled that his stream-bed maintenance is not withstanding the flood of leaf debris on the trail this year.

28 May: Imagine ! Cynthia has been seen by the Orthopod for her sprained ankle, scheduled physical therapy starting next Friday, eaten another good breakfast, and dropped by Thundering Falls to see them fully falling after yesterdays several downpours. Next up is to hike although rain is predicted at 1 & 2 today. Ron has the notion that he can reposition loose rocks to impede water flow and soften the trail (and has begun that project). The cortisone injection into the top of the foot was indeed excruciating but thankfully brief and followed by immediate relief. We kept our hike to a minimum (the sinkholes) to avoid over-exertion on the treated foot. It seems peculiar that we've not met more hikers on the trail or at the Inn.

27 May: We are up at 8:30, breakfasted, and hiked sooner since thunderstorms are forecast to begin at 3 PM. It was another hike up the Sherbourne Pass Trail to the sinkholes. Cynthia's foot is again a problem, but we continue to thank God for whatever still works. Thankfully, family and friends in Houston are dry and safe amidst the devastating floods that have hit Texas. Ron is eager for the rain forecast to help him evaluate his stream-bed maintenance. The short hikes these last two days have been a blessing to his abused body; he has no good sense, and in the past, over-use of the rake has caused him severe and lengthy shoulder pains.

26 May: Another lazy morning although we did get to breakfast sorta early for us - 8:00. All we've accomplished by noon-thirty is that Cynthia has a 7 AM (?!!) appointment Thursday in Rutland to have her foot examined and Ron called Tanya at his storage locker in Illinois to find out the size check to write for the year's rent. Now we are again bellied up to the bar eating lunch prior to today's hike (which never got started; Ron was suddenly very tired at 2 PM and slept for an hour). Inobservant me just noticed the sign: "Irish Diplomacy: The ability to tell a man to go to hell in such a way that he actually looks forward to the trip." Another sign: "Beer: so much more than a just a breakfast drink." A late-afternoon trip into town got the check into the mail (Rutland pick-up is 6:30) and resupplied diet coke and French bread.

25 May: Where does the time go? This is our third night at the Inn at Long Trail, and things are mostly back to normal, although I did forget to leave a tip at breakfast today. The plan was to eat (we did) and then to hike up the Sherbourne Pass Trail. We did, but Cynthia's foot started complaining as we crossed the road, so we quit early, an easy day ... except that Ron decided to retrieve Murray's saw from the woods and hiked 2.5 miles uphill to resume trail maintenance until nearly dark. It is never exactly comforting to notice that darkness is increasing just as the first few raindrops fall. Cynthia had already eaten, so Ron returned the saw to Murray and asked to borrow his machete tomorrow.

Thundering Falls when not generating hydro-electric

24 May: Today's hike was a bit easier; we commenced at the lodge of Gifford Woods State Park and hiked across the new pedestrian bridge over the lovely small waterfall and along the wooded shores of Kent Pond past Mountain Meadows and through the pine forest to Thundering Falls (which was flowing well). By the time we returned to the Inn, we were both quite tired, and Cynthia's feet and back were complaining. As has become our routine, Ron applied Zheng Gu Shui and Voltaren with a gentle massage. Cynthia's back complained through the night, causing her to be easily awakened (i.e. Ron was unable to sneak out of bed early - not that he wanted to, his body needed the rest after excessive trail maintenance including removing several tree-sized branches that were blocking water flow and causing the trail to become a perpetual water-logged, boggy mess).

The Inn at Long Trail is below Deer Leap (those grey-white rocks)

23 May: 2 AM and Ron was sleepless, so he got up, Jetboiled coffee, and added Isopure chocolate protein powder. After shuffling paper for a couple of hours and organizing the junk we shipped to ourselves here, he returned to bed for a couple of hours. We arose earlier than usual because we wanted a longer hike and showed up for breakfast already by 7:35, greatly surprising Wannie and Pat; breakfast was excellent, as always. We hiked up the Sherbourne Pass Trail all the way to the ski run. The weather was great, and Cynthia's feet felt very good after the hike. We are hopeful that this is a continuing trend. (Sorry, no such luck, only temporary relief.)

22 May: Goodness but today was busy. Paulette made yet another lovely egg white veggie omelet, enlisting Ron's help only for determining when to flip it and for the actual flip. By 10:30 AM we were packed, goodbyed, and motorcycling. (Never mind that Ron missed a turn, Vt. Hwy. 125 skirted the lake for wonderful views.) When Ron noticed Basin Harbor Road, we turned north (to Cynthia's great puzzlement) until resuming our planned route 17 ride over the Green Mountains to highway 100 south, both lovely roads but with some rippled pavement in need of replacement, especially in turns. Although we could not remember the name, Sugar & Spice Restaurant was beckoning us to join them before 2 PM for another breakfast of egg white veggie omelets, this time with blueberry pancakes. At the Inn at Long Trail, Okie greeted us into our favorite room 17, and Owen proudly displayed pictures of newest son, Wesley. Ron first retrieved all three boxes from the Killington Post Office, so it was close to 4 PM when we commenced hiking up the Sherbourne Pass Trail and 5:03 when Cynthia stopped to rest at the sinkholes, delighted that her feet were substantially pain-free. A beaming Brogan waited on us at the bar, Reggie cooked blackened chicken served with Irish soda bread, and Murray is convivial as ever. Life is good, and we went to bed soon after 8 PM. We entirely forgot that Mt. Philo State Park opened today. DRAT, I REALLY wanted Cynthia to see the view despite her owie ankle & foot. Hopefully, a foot and ankle doctor will be able to inject cortisone to help relieve her inflammation.

We enjoyed lovely sunsets and sunrises over Lake Champlain

Lilacs near Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain from Button Bay Point

Gorgeous greens on this island

21 May: 5:30 AM the brainy puzzle addict is at work with the puzzle covering the dining table. Paulette invited us to eat breakfast at their dining table upstairs. We have thoroughly enjoyed this B&B with its fabulous lake view from the guest room bed. The amusing books about Vermonters brought us lots of laughter. "Nope and Yup and other Vermont Dialogues," "The Champlain Monster," and "Humorous Tales" by former governor Deane. By 3 PM the puzzle was complete, and we opted to ride to Shelbourne to see the museum - which closes at 5, so we contented ourselves looking at the books in the gift shop. The museum looks to be well worth visiting with fascinating collections of quilts, dolls, tools, circus, textiles, etc. Outside again, we essayed to walk around the museum and discovered the Bearded Frog, another recommended restaurant, but it did not appeal to us as much as the others.

20 May: The temperature is 45 with a real feel of 43 until 2:00 PM. Our lovely hostess brought Ron a marvelous puzzle, so he has been a busy boy, thoroughly enjoying hemself. Cynthia was working on DNA and edits until late afternoon when the temperature warmed enough for us to ride to Mt. Philo State Park. The park road to the top is not open until Friday the 22nd, so we walked most of the way up the mountain until Cynthia's foot became problematic. She sat while Ron finished uphill to enjoy the views of the Adirondacks. We stopped at the Starry Night Cafe on our return and enjoyed a delicious dinner before returning to the B&B to continue puzzling and DNA until "late."

19 May: Our five mile hike to the Button Bay State Park accidentally turned into a 10 + mile adventure in being lost. Thankfully, we discovered the Red Mill Restaurant, part of the iconic Basin Harbor Club. Michelle, the restaurant hostess, arranged for Erol, Jamaican, to drive us in the golf cart to Button Bay Point so we only had 3.5 mikes to walk back to the B&B. We slept very good!!! Cynthia's feet complained of abuse.

18 May: Button Bay Bed & Breakfast, on Lake Champlain, sounds wonderful - no fast food joints around. Cynthia's labs are done and we are packing to leave before noon. This ride was another pleasant one with several river crossings and lots of lake views. Eschewing the interstate, we continued east on NY highway 146 to old U.S. 4; this took us through Mechanicville and Schuylerville to Whitehall, where we picked up NY 22 to Ticonderoga, NY and into Vermont via NY 185 and Vermont 17 with an immediate turn onto Lake Road (lovely lake views) and Arnold Bay Road, arriving at the B&B around 4PM. Following Paulette's recommendation, we dined at the Black Sheep Bistro, nearby in Vergennes, NY. Their food was great, our favorite in the vicinity.- (This dash is the only way I've found to convince blogsie to leave a blank line.)

17 May, Sunday: Today we rode on many lesser roads to the Hilton Garden Inn in Clifton Park, New York, north of Albany. The GPS took us on some roads without a center stripe, some without two full lanes, and down a lane or two. It was a marvelous day. U.S. Highway 209 seemed to become Pennsylvania Highway 209 for quite a while before resuming as U.S. Highway; this was the best road of the day. The first unexpected turn was onto the Lucas Turnpike, county road 1 into Kingston. There was a surfeit of marvelous old homes/ mansions along Albany and Ulster Avenues. Pennsylvania 32 was also nice with a good road surface and lotsa twisties. In Saugerties, NY we took a right and stayed on U.S. Highway 9W parallel to the RR tracks, less appealing but faster, and found a great restaurant by noticing lotsa cars parked out front of the Pegasus Restaurant in Coxsackie, NY. Eventually we took a left on state road 81, Coxsackle Road. After a good dinner, we rejoined highway 32, crossed western Albany on Osborne Street (county road 154) and arrived at our destination without difficulty. All in all, we enjoyed our nice warm, dry, 150-mile ride through wonderful springtime forests and pasture lands.

16 May: At the Hampton Inn in Matamoras, PA, Ron has been enjoying being lazy in the mornings, sleeping instead of blogging, and today we didn't arise until 9:30 AM, breakfasted at Perkins next door, and were flabbergasted that 3 PM arrived so quickly. After being awed by the Raymondskill Falls in the Delaware Water Gap Nat'l Park, (I know Cynthia took pictures) we hiked briefly uphill (puffa puffa) on the cliff view trail but turned back when we heard thunder. Good thing too, as the rain dampened us and the motorcycle as we returned to Milford on county road 2001. We continued past the Hampton Inn to Two Rivers Grille and repeated our order for tilapia and salmon identical to last night. (The chef remembered us immediately.) Now Ron has figured routes and weather for tomorrow, so it is time for bed. Good Night.

15 May: After breakfast at the Midway Diner, we rode to the Blue Mountain Summit B&B on the AT at PA highway 309 and treated a hiker, Scout, to a luncheon hamburger. Imagine my amazement that he was too full for desert !! Cynthia did not care for the B&B, so we continued on to Lehigh Gap. This view did a lot to quiet Cynthia's fears of that trail. From there we stayed on smaller roads until joining U.S. Highway 209 into Delaware Water Gap. The Appalachian Trail actually crosses the Delaware on the I-80 bridge in Stroudsburg, so we overshot and ended up in Milford and Matamoras. It was too amusing in the Best Western parking lot to ride amongst dozens of formalled beauties on prom night. Upon recommendation from the Hampton Inn staff, we ate an excellent dinner at the Two Rivers Diner.

14 May: Here we sit at the Comfort Inn in Bethel-Midway Pennsylvania. We enjoyed breakfast and dinner at the Midway Diner. In between we rode to Port Clinton to pick up our bounce box. Post Office hours are 12:30 to 4:30 now, so we walked south on the AT through the Reading, Blue Mountain, and Northern railyards and up the stone steps to the bicycle path. It was then that we realized that we have no hiking poles !! (But Jim has promised to ship them to Vermont - and indeed, they did arrive.)

13 May: We didn't quite get to Port Clinton before the Post Office closed, so we opted to stay at a familiar hotel, the Comfort Inn, and eat at a familiar place, the Midway Diner.-

Four years already !!

I do, I do, I do -- Love you

Happy dancers

12 May, Happy Birthday to the love of my life. Happy Anniversary!!! I love you!!! Leave it to God to improve upon perfection.

11 May: Walt & Pam returned to Ohio, Me Beloved WeeFee returned to Ron.

10 May, Sunday: Jim & Joni led us on a delightful motorcycle ride on this highways of rural Maryland; beautiful.

9 May: I was first in line and Bob's did service the Beemer. Walter and Pam arrived from Ohio late afternoon.

8 May: Jim's birds certainly get noisy at 6:30 AM; we didn't experience that on the trail. Ron is awaiting the (hint, hint) phone call, but sorry to say, his cell pbone has no signal, so is turned off. We are still curious to hear from Rain about Sprinkle. First order of business today is order; Ron tried to pack up EVERYTHING prior to 2:30 PM when he ode to Bob's BMW for 48,000 mile service on the motorcycle.

7 May: Ron was up at 5:30 AM continuing with computer projects. Blog is nearly finished (unless Cynthia has posted more pictures); TrailJournals is nearly done although more remains on the voice recorder; receipts and product information is nearly up to date. Boring, boring, boring. Towards noon Ron picked up sticks to re-awaken himself. When Jim returned in the evening, he suggested a ride, and we zipped along back roads through lovely Maryland scenery decked out in the vivid colors of spring through Frederick, near Hagerstown, to Boonsboro and Sharpsburg to Shepardstown, West Virginia, where we stopped for dinner just before sunset. Jim treated, so I don't know the name of the restaurant. We returned via I-70 with one more stop at Jimmy Cone (closed) and Tutti Fruitti (fat free frozen yogurt). By the time he stretched out to sleep in the tent, it was 11 PM. From Texas, Cynthia reported a stressful day; 1) reroute/ misdirection into downtown Houston while driving to see Sasha 2) early arrival to Mother's Day dinner with children resulted in unintended engagement with her ex - 3) but the end results were fine: 1a) on time at Sasha's 2a) lovely visit with children (& ex).

6 May: Coffee at 4:45 this AM. Wake up call at 5:30, breakfast at 6:08, and airport shuttle at 7 AM sharp. Cynthia reported that security was a breeze since she was cleared in advance. Once in Houston with son Jon, Cynthia lunched at the Toasted Yolk (surprisingly unsatisfactory), was pedicured and manicured, and dined at the restaurant formerly known as the Caddy Shack. Ron rode home the same route at 10:30 and has been sluggish all day. A non-fat yogurt quart from Jimmy Cone didn't help alertness; maybe additional coffee, cereal & Isopure will. Well, yes it did, but the downside was getting up every hour all night. I opted to sleep in the tent and enjoyed being out even though a brief rain and some morning mist left the exterior very wet.

5 May: Coffee at 6:30 this AM. Jim suggested that Ron consider a Yamaha FJ-09 or Suzuki V-Strom (wee or 1000 CC) for his next bike - 200 pounds lighter. We breakfasted at IHOP then shopped for pretzels, protein bars, and gasoline. Joni suggested MD-144 to MD-166 to I-195 to the airport, and that route was gorgeous with so many flowering trees; in one place pink and white flowering trees overlapped in front of a dark red one. Our room (thanks to diamond Honors upgrade) had a jacuzzi and more square footage in the bathroom alone than in most entire hotel rooms. We dined at the nearby Ruby Tuesday and went to bed tired just before dark.

4 May: Ron again slept well until smelling coffee at 5:30 AM and blogged while Cynthia slept. New springh photos below !! We enjoyed a long walk on asphalt and gravel roads over to Buffalo Road and return, unpacked all our possessions to see if a box needs to go to Texas (no), and ate dinner at the Mt. Airy Tavern (trout).-3 May, Sunday: Ron slept wonderfully well until smelling coffee at 6 AM and arose to blog while Cynthia slept. Ron and Jim spent the morning washing five motorcycles. Jim & Joni invited us to Lindsey's birthday lunch at May's Restaurant (think crabs). Newest arrival Elise (Jamie's daughter) grabbed the spotlight by sleeping the entire time. Good food and marvelous company; Ron drank nearly a pitcher of Blue Moon.

 3 May: We are near Mt. Airy, MD, visiting friends Jim & Joni. They prepared a marvelous dinner of barbequed chicken with rice & salad to feed us full. Preparations were interrupted by the running of the 141st Kentucky Derby after hours of pre-race programming. (Ron & Jim preferred pre-race watching "Turn & Burn," the find & fix & sell a collectable old car show; our friend Lee woulda loved that show.) It seemed strange to walk from the garage to house without anything in hand; no backpack, no fanny pack, no water bottles, nothing in hand or on back = indeed very strange. Speaking of strange, you shoulda overheard the conversation that began after we noticed the thumping noises from the drier and Joni explained that her balls were pounding around inside the drier. Joni dropped us off at IHOP when she went grocery shopping. Ron opportunely grabbed diet cokes and pretzels at the Weis grocery next door. Again strange to NOT purchase nuts or peanut butter; we are back on the diet: no oil, no butter, no fat, no cheese. Jim and Joni obviously got an early start to drive 2.5 hours to pick us up at 9:15 in Lickdale, PA; THANKS. We were just packed when they drove up.

2 May:  Our springtime morning ride through the flowering Pennsylvania and Maryland countryside was gorgeous. PA and MD scenery is amazingly beautiful, especially in spring. WOW. THANKS again to Jim & Joni, and Praise God.-

beauties and the beast

You shoulda seen the display across the road

Ain't spring lovely

and they come in white too !!

Deer at edge of meadow (no they are not minatures)

1 May: Lil' Mak picked us up at the hotel about 5:30, and we enjoyed a lovely evening of conversation and great food at the Summit View Restaurant. (We are all stuffed. The restaurant has no web site; it is in Schuylkill Haven, PA.) Popeye has already hiked to Delaware Water Gap. Cynthia and I made the mistake of assuming we could walk to the Appalachian Trail from Lickdale and back without any difficulty. Unfortunately we did NOT know to walk a little farther east to pick up the Swatara Rail Trail, so instead we "enjoyed" a highway walk along busy route 72 for 3 miles to the old historic bridge which carries the AT across the Swatara River. There we enjoyed a sit and snack and met a delightful young man who had just begun his AT hike at the Susquahanna with a 60-lb pack - WHEW. He replied that his "trail name" is Peter for now, and I opined that was a terrific trail name and thoroughly unique. I may have just named a second hiker.

Oh yes, yellow chicadee centered perfectly

Our problems started when we decided to return on the smaller streets east of the river instead of using the Swatara Rail Trail. That weather was beautiful, and that route was indeed lovely. Unfortunately the street signage is no better than the Appalachian Trail; the street we needed (Monroe Valley Drive) was NEVER labeled by any street sign; all the insignificant side streets were named, but not Monroe Valley Drive. We misread Cynthia's iPhone GPS map, missed that turn and walked an extra half mile to the golf club where we were directed to backtrack. By the time we returned to the hotel, ALL of our feet hurt. Asphalt is really hard on us.

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