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Archives-January

Where we've been while you were sleeping.

The last days of the Adventure !  Here is what we wrote earlier, with conclusion on the Adventure page. For stories prior to this, visit our "months" of travel pages (on left).  Click any picture to see it enlarged (a few do not) and then use your "Back" key to return to the current page. Also see our slide show of more pictures that are not in these pages.

January 4 - 7: From Miami to Cleveland

On Friday the fourth of January, I set my phone alarm to 3:40 am. At 4:15. Brother Glenn and I were off to Miami to see our father with coffee, goodies, computer and camera. We had an easy drive, light traffic all the way with some light rain showers (it was 49 degrees when we arrived in Miami and the wind was picking up). We arrived at my Dad’s place at eight, a little early to startle him with our appearance but early enough to catch him before he disappeared on his morning walk and trash pick up. Glenn knocked on Dad’s door and Dad started laughing at the sight of him. Apparently Dad did not see me until he opened his door in his long johns and he started laughing more and said to give him a moment to put his pants on. Then he was all questions as to why we were there. We started talking while he got ready for his day and then ate breakfast. I started the slide show of the family events of the last few days, followed by another 1400 pictures of The Trip. Around noon my lifelong friend, Melanie Y., came and we sat under the Ficus Tree (Banyan) and talked. She, is another, that I have considered my family (a cousin) since my childhood. She and I have remained the best kind of friends and before The Trip talked almost daily by phone. We were thrilled to get this unexpected time together. Then Dad and Glenn joined us and I had Glenn take some pictures which Dad enjoyed before Melanie had to go back to work. Glenn and I started to make sounds of leaving at 2 and Dad sent us to look at the camping gear in his storage. Glenn found a big stainless steel pot to be used over the fire, I found boy scout patches and leather tools; we piled it into the back of Glenn’s truck. By the time we actually left it was three o’clock. We drove up the Florida Turnpike making a brief stop at my brother Brian's and Wendy's home in Jupiter. There Brian loaded us up with the vegetables from his garden and fruits from his tropical trees. Mighty nice to get lettuce out of the garden in January! We arrived back at Mark’s at 7:30 that night.

Ralph & I slept well and awoke to a beautiful blue sky and the reflection on the lake Mark and Robin live on. Ralph acquired a cold after some congestion. He made us egg-in-a-hole for our breakfast and then went off to buy a cold treatment. I worked on the Christmas web page. I could look up from the computer and see the beautiful lake and with all the luxuries of home at my fingertips - another great camp! My nephew, Craig P. stopped by on his way back up to Florida State University and we admired his new cymbal to go with his great drum set. I went to the house for the baby shower for Ulrika and Ralph went off with Jesse and Mark. At 2 o’clock my Mom, Jean P. arrived with my sister, Linda K. Then the guest of honor, my sister-in-family, Ulrika P. and her Mom, Eva, arrived and two friends, Joni H. and Barbie W. Robin was a wonderful hostess and we had some great laughs, especially when Eva A. was so quick to “get” anyone in a game where the word “baby” can NOT be said. Her listening skills were keen. Ulrika unwrapped gifts and we enjoyed a fabulous cake Robin baked. That evening was a beautiful sunset over the lake. After feeding the horses and getting some things ready for our departure the next morning, we went to the house for showers and the movie Shrek 1 and popcorn. Jesse could narrate almost the whole movie!

On Sunday we were up at 6:30 by way of the phone alarm again. We packed the final things. The sun came up to a lot of fog which remained for several hours. The fog was so thick it was a slight drizzle. After we were loaded we took down the horses’ high line and cleaned up and let the horses graze before loading them. At 7:30 we followed Mark, Robin & Jesse up Hwy 19 to Traveres and Billy’s Café. There Glenn, Ulrika, Evelina and Mattias met us and we sat at a large table and enjoyed a great breakfast. I ordered French Rolled pancakes (like a thick crepe) and Ralph ate a cheese and tomato omelet. We had another great time with Mark and Glenn’s family before getting our last group hugs and going our separate ways. They were off to church and we were on the road again - this time for home. I was teary eyed with leaving my family. North on I-75 we drove. At 12:45 we were in Valdosta and I placed a call to Judy R. saying we’d love to see her. Judy has been a friend and riding partner as well as trail clearing partner in North Georgia for years. While we were on The Trip she moved to Valdosta where she has a sister. She arranged to take us to her sister’s farm for awhile and visit. We even let the horses out into a paddock for some stretch time though Jur seemed to want to be in our laps. Then I made sandwiches and sat down to our slide show. Zan (Judy’s sister) joined us and she and Judy asked lots of questions and I told many of the stories. Zan said: “how can people NOT acknowledge there is a God” when seeing His great works of beauty in creation. And this is but a dim reflection of His! I’m forever grateful that I was granted this time to see some of it, both in the landscape and in the people. It was 4:30 before we were on the road again. At 6:30 we pulled off at a rest stop on I-75N just outside of Tifton, GA so Ralph could take some more cold tablets and let Gizmo drink and water. There we found the free RV dump station we had heard was available. How great to get our sewage dumped on the last day! Ah, the little pleasures of life! :-) At another stop further up the road to get diesel, Ralph got to talking to a man who, it turned out, restored old boats. Well, that led to showing him the pictures of The Cigarette which he found very interesting. What are the odds of that? We pulled into our driveway at 11pm to the sound of very loud running water and an extremely flooded back yard. A pipe had split from the cold a few nights before, fortunately on an outside wall. Ralph shut down the water for the night. Ah, home sweet home.

Now the Conclusion to our Trip.