Home all day!

This is turning out to be a really nasty cold. I did go in to see the PA at our doctor's office early this morning, just in case it might be early flu. I've heard the Tamiflu only works if you get it very early, so I didn't want to pass up the chance. So far, all the symptoms are throat and upper respiratory, with no fever, and I hope that's all it is.

I'm going to try to at least get my laptop battery checked out tomorrow and maybe take it to see if there are electrical problems with it.

We got a lovely early Christmas present today - a Garmin GPS unit. It'll be fun to play with and see how bad lost we can get with that. 8^) Thanks!

These are two more of the sculptures from the Riverwalk (John's pictures today). The two arms on the first one move in the wind - just the kind of thing I love.

 

 

From the desktop

The laptop has blocked me out completely for now. Tomorrow, it's off to get the battery checked, and then possibly to the Geek Squad again to check for hardware/electrical problems. And then maybe to the Dell catalog. We shall see.

What a lovely day it was today! There is an outdoor sculpture exhibit along a quarter-mile stretch of the Riverwalk. John has been wanting me to see it and to take photographs. The pieces are great, and fun to photograph. And then my camera battery decided to quickly run out (I had just checked it, too). But it was a nice walk in any case, and we both took lots of pictures.

This afternoon, the Chattanooga Symphony was giving the first of its Chamber Concert series - a smaller orchestra with a smaller schedule in a smaller venue. Anyhow, it was an all-Mozart program, and just wonderful! We really enjoyed the hall, the music, and the informality. There will be two more concerts this season, and we'll look forward to them.

Just late today, I've started getting a raspy throat. I hope that just means a sore throat, and nothing more. I haven't been "sick" in a long time, and really don't want to start now (or any time, for that matter).

These are a couple of the sculptures from the Riverwalk.

 

 

 

Day off

I'm taking a day off today. Hope your day was a good one.

Throw a pie at the computer?

We just had a little rain off and on today - and the temperature was up to at least 72 this afternoon - warmer than in the house. It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow. We shall see....

The laptop spent the night at the "hospital". The guru started checking it out this afternoon. Again, of course, it worked just fine for him. He did say that he thought the power plug was loose and that laptops were notoriously picky about having a full power source.

When I got it home, I started it up on battery power, and it came right up. And I used it until it went to automatic hibernate, then carefully plugged it in. Again, it started right up. So the doc may have made a good diagnosis. We shall see.

Later on it was slow starting again. John think it's probably a hardware problem, and might be caused by a bad battery. I'm going to take the battery out tonight, and see if it happens then. The problem didn't start until I put the battery back in.

But, drat!, we had gotten a Dell flyer in the mail today, and I had already picked out a new laptop - lighter and with Windows 7. Oh, well...

Soupy Sales died today. He was 83. Nobody else did the pie-in-the-face schtick like he did!

 

Still ailing

I'm posting early today. I may be leaving my laptop at the "hospital" for diagnosis. Once it boots up, it seems to work fine. But it's taking longer and longer to get to that point. The Guru says "it might be a hardware problem, and I don't do hardware." John (who was a hardware guy) says, "that's what they all say". So we shall see...

This baby is nearly 5 years old, and it may just be time for a new laptop with Windows 7 (just issued today). John says I just want a new toy. Not true (at least I don't think it is). LOL

Tomorrow looks like an all-day-rain event, so we enjoyed having an extra day of sunshine today.

The photo today is another FLWright detail from Kentuck Knob.

 

Decisions

John got depressing news about his hand yesterday. The doc doesn't think it is growing new bone as it should. He (the doc) wants to wait another three weeks, and then, if it's not much better, go back in, rebreak the bone, and put in a plate for fixation. Personally, I wouldn't want to wait that long, and suggested that John just call him and tell him to schedule the surgery. His rowing is already over for the season, and that would give him just that much more time to recuperate before spring. He's thinking about it.

Allan got back from New York today. He's still so enthusiastic about his music - this tirp was partly to get some lessons and see some of his music friends. He also did some lawyer work, and that helps pay the bills.

Today's picture shows one of the FLWright details at Kentuck Knob.

 

Fall weather

I spent the morning getting caught up with Vicki about the wedding weekend. The newlyweds are on their honeymoon - to be back in a few more days.

The laptop is still acting up. I keep finding other ways to get into the computer, but it's never a sure thing. I am going to take to our local computer guru to check out, and hope that he can diagnose and fix it.

These few days have really showcased the lovely fall weather around here. And the trees are even starting to change. The color is coming a bit later this year, but I hope it'll be a good year.

Jean's been really sick for about a week or so. She saw the doc this morning and got some antibiotics. She doesn't have pneumonia, but they did take a culture. That'll take a while to get results. Flu wasn't mentioned.

This the front entrance to Kentuck Knob - definitely a Frank Lloyd Wright design.

 

Sunshine!

We had some frost this morning, but the sunshine was gorgeous all day. It does make life smile.

After Walmart this morning, I took my laptop to the "Urgent Care Facility". Naturally, when the 12-year-old-looking guy at the Geek Squad turned on my laptop, it jumped right up for him. Don't you hate it when that happens. He turned it on and off several times, and it worked every time. But at least it didn't cost anything, and I can wait a while before buying a new one. Of course, it was slow starting up again for me once I got it home, but the sweet baby did finally let me in. It's still working, but I'm handling it with kid gloves (and writing the blog early today - just to be sure).

One more photo of this Kentuck Knob sculpture - this time with John for scale.

 

Not a happy evening!

Today started out beautifully. We slept late, and the sun is shining. We managed to do almost nothing all day long. John took two naps, and I got the laundry done. We even finished up the leftovers for dinner.

But after supper, I tried to get on my laptop, and it didn't want to talk to me. Oh, dear!!! As best as we can tell, everything is connected. But after the main light comes on, nothing else happens...it just sits there with a dark screen.

I'm on John's computer tonight, and will take the laptop to the Geek Squad tomorrow. Oh, dear, this does not make me a happy camper.

But I am able to share one of John's photos of a sculpture at Kentuck Knob. He got much better pictures than I did, so I am glad to show it to you.

 

Busy Saturday

We headed down toward Atlanta this afternoon to visit with Matt & Amanda and see their new house. They're so excited about it and having fun getting things put together. Still lots of boxes sitting around and empty space, while they get walls painted and make all those decisions. Glad it's them and not me!

Then we went on into the city for Vicki's son's wedding reception. Things got complicated, as always, but the happy couple is well and truly married. We finally found the reception site, which had been changed at the last minute. I don't know the whole story, but I guess I'll get it next week. We did have a nice buffet dinner. We were really glad we had gone - it was a very small event (25-30 people), and very few from Chattanooga and the groom's "side".

Of course, we got lost getting back to I-75, and got into the end-of-the-game traffic (GA Tech vs VA Tech), but we managed to blunder our way onto the interstate going the right direction. We got home about 11, and are really tired. Looking forward to sleeping late in the morning with nothing special to do (I hope - haven't checked the calendar yet).

Today's photo is another sculpture from Kentuck Knob.

 

Chilly Friday

The weather guys are talking about a possible frost in the next ocuple of nights. But at least there's going to be some sunshine. And I'd still rather have temps in the 50s than in the 90s.

I kept the gallery open today. Vicki's son is getting married tomorrow in Atlanta, and she had the rehearsal to deal with today. At least there's something good going on in her life right now.

John and I went to the symphony tonight. It was a really good concert - all Tchaikowsky. A great pianist played the 1st Piano Concerto, and then the orchestra played his 5th Symphony. Both were quite good. At least we finally had a good evening out this week.

Neither of us has to get up early in the morning. YEA!!! We will be heading to Atlanta in the afternoon. We're going to visit a bit with Matt & Amanda and see their new house. And then we're going to go to Vicki's son's wedding reception. We'll come back home when that's over.

Today's photo is one of the many pieces of sculpture at Kentuck Knob - a Frank Lloyd Wright house near Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

What was he thinking?

We have had four evening events planned for this week. So far, we're 0 for 2. The disappointing organ/flute concert was the first.

Tonight, we went to our photography club meeting/program. The scheduled speaker is a local professional photographer. He is one of the really good ones - built his own plane to use as a photography platform, and has published a couple of superb books of his photographs. We have an autographed copy of one. We were really looking forward to seeing another program of his work.

His program tonight was a film about two recent trips he had taken. What he showed amounted to not-very-good home movies - the kind you used to suffer through after Aunt Hortense and Uncle Oscar had been to the Grand Canyon. The only thing better was that everything was in focus - the editing and choice of shots was probably comparable. Another disappointment was that this excellent photographer didn't seem to use his considerable skills in this project - background control, depth of field, editing - especially editing. Too bad - way too bad - and also a shame.

We felt like he had a new toy (a HiDef videocamera) and wanted to show off what it could do. Also he wants to market himself as a videographer for trips and travel/tour companies and wanted to try out his new product. His efforts were definitely lost on us.

I guess we're getting to be a pretty tough audience.

And MY photograph for the day is an abstract of some ornamental grasses.

 

Dark & dreary

I forgot to mention, the appliance repair guy came yesterday afternoon - and I don't have to get a new dishwasher - at least not yet.

I'd been using the "temp booster" to get hotter water, and he said that that was something that would tend to stick and malfunction. So I'm going to quit using that and see if that works. He said to be sure to run the hot water to the faucet in the sink, so the water would already be hot when it reached the DW. Also, he cleaned and adjusted other parts as part of the service call. He did say that if something else failed on it, I would have to get a new DW, because it wasn't worth spending a lot of money on to fix. Sounds like a plan to me!

What a gloomy, yucky day - it literally has rained all day. Even the weather guy tonight said it was the "heaviest drizzle" he'd ever seen. We can hear it coming down from inside the house, but nothing shows up on the weather radar. Oh, well.....

I just have to post these lovely yellow flowers from Ohiopyle on this dreary day.

 

Friends of the Library

It was a lovely day today, but I spent it all inside.

I was at the studio/gallery all day, talking and schmoozing (as usual). But I did also get some "working" painting done - getting some color on my business cards. Nothing exciting, but necessary.

I stayed all day because I had a Friends of the Library Council meeting at 4:30. No point in going home - just to come back later. I've agreed to be the Vice-Chairman of the Council for the upcoming year. I'm not sure what all is involved, but I guess I will be more active in policy decisions. I did make it clear that I would not, under any circumstances, take over the Chairmanship for the following year.

The rain started up again this evening, and looks to continue all day tomorrow.

Today's photo is an early sign of fall in Ohiopyle State Park.

 

Rainy October

It's rainy and gloomy here. John went to the Y with me instead of walking on the Riverwalk. The cards were pretty average. Interesting in that I had maybe 8-10 hands with a void. That's pretty unusual.

Tomorrow will be a long day - but at least I get to sleep "late" (at least for me).

Today's photo is a closeup of the Ohiopyle Falls in PA.

 

Not even with Bach

I did the usual Sunday thing most of the day - breakfast, paper, laundry.

We went to an organ/flute duo recital at a local church tonight - met up with Allan, John & Sylvia. This is an old downtown Episcopal church, and the nave/sanctuary is incredibly beautiful - all done in patterned brick and wood and stained-glass windows. I'm going to have to back sometime to talk to somebody about the building and its history.

However, we hated the music. They did do one Bach piece, but the other four pieces played in the first half of the program were atonal and dissonant and ear-grating (to my ears, anyway). John, Allan, and I left at intermission - couldn't face another hour of that. Fortunately it was a free concert. We went out to eat at Sticky Fingers BBQ, and then came home.

John's now watching his two Tennessee pro football teams - the Titans and the Colts (with Peyton Manning).

Today's photo is of John taking his pictures at Ohiopyle State Park, PA

 

Nice and cool!

It certainly did cool off today. I doubt it ever got above the predicted high of 66.

John was out early. He was part of the timing crew at the Chattanooga Head Race. Despite the gloomy weather and the fast-running Tennessee River, they had the biggest field ever - so it was definitely a success in that regard. He didn't get home until nearly 6 p.m.

All I did today was go to the funeral service for Vicki's mother. It was a very small group - only family - and was a lovely tribute to Geet. I think she would have liked it.

Today's photo is another pothole near the river at Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

A Long Friday

We were up in the 80s today - out ahead of the weather front. We've had a couple of waves of severe thunderstorms going through this afternoon and evening, with more rain due later on tonight and in the morning. And the high tomorrow is predicted for only 66.

I hope the rain finishes early. The graveside service for Vicki's mother is to start at 11. The rowing club is hosting the Chattanooga Head Race tomorrow (a rowing regatta - competition between mostly college teams). There will be timed races all day long. John had worked in the timer's boat for the last several years - and he'll be doing that again. At least it's a nice big boat - out of the weather, and with real bathrooms on board. The last weather report tonight guesses that there will be just a few showers in the morning, and then no more rain.

One of our artists, a sculptor, had the opening reception for her show this month. It's been quite traumatic. Not only because of Vicki's mother's death, but this woman (though quite talented) is a self-centered, scatter-brained, drama queen. Every day this week, she has said she was going to be at the gallery by 9:30; Vicki or I would be there; and she's show up about 3 or later. She's wanted to do things like paint the walls and refinish the floor or buy new carpet, etc., etc. It's been quite an experience. She had a good crowd, and we finally ran them all out about 8:15 (it was due to be over at 8). And I was home before 9. Anyhow, it's now over - and we don't have to do this particular event again any time soon.

Today's photo is of a pothole in the stones along the river in Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

Congratulations, President Obama

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President Barack Obama this morning. This is the statement that Pres. Obama sent to his e-mail subscribers. I wanted to share this.

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Friends of the Library

I got some work done for the Friends of the Library today. The annual meeting is next month, and we had some fliers printed up to distribute. I got that job. I couldn't believe I didn't know how many branch libraries there are and where they are located.

Fortunately, the internet takes care of such things. The library web site provided not only names, locations, days and hours open, but maps. And so I furthered my education, located and visited the branches, and got the fliers handed out.

I do feel better about serving on the Council of the Friends - at least doing something concrete and seeing the branches.
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Remember to get up early in the morning so you can see the plume from the impact of our rocket hitting the moon. Impact is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. ET.

Blank

I'm drawing a blank tonight - so only a photograph today.

Youghiogheny River, Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

RIP Geet

Vicki called this morning to tell me her mother had died. It was not unexpected - she had been unresponsive, in the nursing home, and with Hospice care. But it's still hard, and all that paperwork has to be dealt with. I spent the day at the shop/gallery, and probably will be there a good bit of the rest of the week. There will be a small family-only graveside service. Geet was a special lady and will be missed.

Today's photo is some yellow flowers from Ohiopyle State Park.

 

Monday all day

I guess we're really home. Monday was Monday - all day long!

Swimming, coffee, Walmart, chat with Jean, bridge, and leftovers for supper.

Swimming is always good, and we had a big group continue on at coffee. Walmart was about usual, and chatting with Jean was fun, too. She'll be gone for her fall weekend, so we won't talk for a while. The cards were mediocre to yucky. Oh, well - we were gone so long, we weren't in contention for high this quarter anyway.

The ribs were almost as good tonight as they were last night. And we have one more meal, plus some for the freezer.

We got almost two more inches of rain overnight. Today it was just cloudy.

I guess Alison and Joe got home okay, and Sarah is back at school. John goes to PT and the doctor again tomorrow. He's hoping to get some idea of whether or not he'll be able to row any more this season.

Today's photo is of the Ohiopyle River in Pennsylvania.

 

Surprises

It's cool here, and I love it! We did a rack of ribs tonight, and they were SO good. Allan, John & Sylvia came over to share, along with corn, black beans, and salad. John does a really good job with the meat on the grill - even though it was raining some.

The upcoming week looks pretty normal. John does have his two PT visits, plus another visit to the orthopedist on Tuesday morning. This weekend is his rowing club's big event, a regatta. It's the first such event of the season, and usually draws a pretty big crowd from over the east. They'll be doing a lot of work Saturday and Sunday. He's usually on one of the timing boats, so he'll be able to do that job.

I got a nice surprise tonight. Did I mention that on the trip I somehow managed to lose the battery out of my laptop. I really hate to admit that it was probably gone for about a week before I missed it. I always use the laptop plugged in, and I guess I just never picked it up in such a way as to feel that big gap where the battery should be. And then it was a matter of trying to figure out where it might have gotten lost. Sighhhhhh.

Then we remembered that the laptop had been knocked on the floor under the table, next to the fixed bench, on the barge boat. It was dark under there, with a black battery, so it might have gotten overlooked. I got in touch via e-mail with the management of the boat company, who said one had not been reported found. Then I remembered that I had the phone number of the on-the-dock guy with the boat company. I called him a couple of days ago to tell him about the problem. He said he and the boat-cleaner would check around again.

He called tonight to say that they had actually found the battery. Will wonders never cease!!!! I said he should let me know how much it cost so I could reimburse him for the postage. He told me to assume that it had cost $10.00, to give that to my favorite charity, and consider us even. How great is this!

The only down side of this is that a replacement battery cost so much, that I was considering buying a new laptop rather than just replacing the battery. John's now smiling about the fact that now I don't need a new laptop. It's always good news and bad news, isn't it.

Today's photo is the Ohiopyle River in Ohiopyle State Park, PA.

 

Home again (one more time)

We were in Western South Carolina, south of Anderson. We drove down on the interstate through Atlanta, but came home today through the mountains. John was afraid with Georgia playing at home that I-85 would be crowded. Clemson was playing at Maryland - so that wasn't a problem. Plus it's been a gorgeous day, and a beautiful drive. It takes about an hour longer, but well worth it. If you look at the map, we took US 76 through Clemson, SC, to Hiwasee, GA - then turned north to pick up US 64 in North Carolina, and drove that along the Ocoee River (with all the rafting and kayakers) over to I-75 north of Chattanooga, and then on home. Not really a bad drive.

We stayed with the folks until nearly noon. We went to the auction to benefit one of the Mennonite schools in their area - lots of interesting stuff. They stayed to eat and watch the auction, but we just headed on home. They bought a bunch of stuff - a stool for Sue to do a needlepoint top; Sarah got a game; Randy bought a couple of loads of gravel for his shooting-clays club; and Alison bought a hand-quilted quilt (it was gorgeous - I had looked at it).

The photo is of Joe (Alison's fella), Alison, Sarah, and Sue.

Friday from South Carolina

We went to the Y early this morning, and then headed to South Carolina. It was the usual 4+ hours, but wonderfully uneventful - even through Atlanta.

We're in the motel in Greenwood, SC, tonight. It's been fun being with the kids and grands. We are truly blessed - they are all so great.

We went with Alison and Joe to see the Star Fort at Ninety Six, SC. This was the site of one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War - a siege battle. It was one of the last won by the British, but weakened them so much that they withdrew from the southern "back country". Which, of course, led to the American victory at Yorktown.

Sue fixed a terrific supper - with all the stuff that Alison never gets in CA - turkey, macaroni and cheese, fresh(frozen) corn-off-the-cob, etc. All great. John has now crashed, and I'm getting caught up on the computer.

Tomorrow, we're going to go to a Mennonite auction with the group, have some of their BBQ for lunch, and leave for home shortly after that.

Thursday

We've had our haircuts and feel SO much better - probably even look better.

We've been loving the parks programs on PBS - We missed #3, but did record it. We've been to so many of the places mentioned. And we both said, as the lady in last night's program, it's not only so special that we've been to such wonderful places, but that we've done it with each other. We know that that's a true luxury and what makes them even more special.

John saw the therapist again today, and she said his hand was looking good. That was a boost for him. He's really having to use a lot of hand cream (unusual for him) as that yucky skin continues to slough off.

What a glorious day it is again today! Temperature in the low 70s, low humidity, and lots of sunshine. We went to our group lunch, but we were the only ones there today. I didn't check beforehand - so now we'll have to find out what's happened to everybody.

We're going to head to the Y in the morning, and then get back on the road. Alison and Joe are due in to SC tonight. We're going to go see them, spend one night, and then come back home.

The unknown yellow flowers were in Ohiopyle State Park, Pennsylvania.

Proud grandparents

This was a really routine day. It was great getting back to the gallery and getting caught up on all the news. I was even home in time to chat with Jean.

Plus, as they said on the weather report tonight, this was a "Chamber of Commerce Day" - the kind we should be able to bottle and save for midwinter or midsummer. We had a high in the low 70s, bright sunshine, and low humidity. What a treat it was!

I did some work on my photos from the trip. I'll be ready to start posting some soon. But tonight, I want to start by sharing photos of some proud grandparents with their grandson.

 

 

A Day for Doctors

There was good news and not-so-good news from our multiple doctor visits.

The good news was that I saw my radiation oncologist today for what turned out to be my last appointment with him. I'm 4 1/2 years out from my breast cancer treatment, so he's no longer a factor in my followup. I will continue seeing the surgeon following my annual mammogram.

The not-so-good-news is about John's hand. The nurse took the cast off. The pin had gotten embedded in the cast, and came out of the fracture. It was over 3" long, and had been placed from the knuckle length-wise through the center of the bone. The fracture is still displaced and has not healed very well. The doctor says that, after 4 weeks, there should be some healing there, and there is no movement there. But, on x-ray, to us, the fracture looks pretty much the way it did before the surgery. Dr. L said that if he had seen it earlier and that there had been no healing, he would have recommended additional surgery. He is not recommending that now - at least as long as healing eventually does take place. Even though it will not be an optimal result, assuming the fracture does heal, John will be able to use his hand almost normally. I specifically asked if he would be able to grip the handle of his oar. The answer to that was yes.

In any case, he was sent directly to a hand physical therapist where a fitted splint was made, and he was started on an exercise regimen. He is to go to PT twice a week for four weeks, with the first return on Thursday morning. Dr. L wants to see him again next Tuesday, when he'll also probably have his third PT session.

We're disappointed, of course, but we'll have to see what happens from here. John's glad to be out of the cast, and says it's not hurting.

A more regular Monday

And now it's back to the regular routine - mostly.

It was great to get back to the swim class. John walked on the treadmill, and we both enjoyed getting caught up at coffee. We picked up the accumulated mail, and spent about an hour getting through that. And it'll take lots longer to get the magazines at least skimmed. The bills are all taken care of, though.

John has talked to the motel's insurance company, and we've started a file folder for the paper that will quickly document the accident. He'll see the orthopedic surgeon here in town tomorrow morning.

It was great getting back to bridge, too. The cards weren't all that great, but, again, it was good to get caught up with all the folks there.

I hope everybody else is enjoying the Ken Burns series on PBS about the National Parks. So far, there has been only one site where we haven't been - the Devil's Tower. We've seen it in the distance, but not "up close and personal". It's nice to learn the chonology and history of the parks' formations, too.

Scatter-shots

We've had a glorious day in TN today - in the 70s with fairly low humidity - lots of sunshine. Lots of surfaces in our house were covered with mildew when we got home - and we did have the a/c on - just turned up fairly high. The basin in the de-humidifier was full, of course, and it had cut off. Even John's car was all mildew-y. Yuck!

I'd love to have a big HD TV this week for the Ken Burns programs on the national parks. I know that'll be lovely. Remember how we thought that it was so great to see Bonanza in color??

Walmart was a breeze this morning - didn't take as long as I had feared. And the wash has been done and put away. It's been really quiet otherwise.

Alison & Joe will be in South Carolina for a week - arriving next Thursday. We'll be going over there for at least an overnight sometime while she's there. We'll wait until after John sees the doc on Tuesday before we make any decisions as to timing. John's sure the doc will take an x-ray, say it needs more time, and leave the cast on for a few more weeks. We shall see. I see my radiologist on Tuesday for my annual visit to him. I don't expect anything unusual there - but it's always something to worry about.

Matt & Amanda have bought their first house and moved in over the weekend. I'm sure we'll stop in to see them on our way back from SC - just for long enough to oooooohhhh and aaaaahhhh over the new home. They're so excited about it.

Home again!

We left Norfolk about 6:30 a.m., and got home a little after 6 p.m. - a long day, but it's always nice to know that "home" is waiting for you at the end.

The rain during the drive today varied from mildly annoying to "I can't believe I'm still driving in this stuff!" Mostly that was because there was never any place to pull off. Sometimes the rain was incredibly hard, and others it was just the very thick spray kicked up by the cars and trucks. We took a fairly good lunch break at a Cracker Barrel, so the almost 12-hour drive wasn't too bad. It was mostly interstate. We stopped the last time for gas in Knoxville, and there was just light rain after that - and no other problems with the roads.

We drove over 4,000 miles on this trip - and that was considering that we had lots of days when we weren't driving at all. We did four really long days, and the rest was in shorter stretches.

I've got the laundry ready to do tomorrow. I hate going to Walmart on Sunday, but I'm going to go early tomorrow - there is nothing in the refrigerator! And then I pick up the mail on Monday - that'll take ages to go through. But it's still good to be home!

Heading home

Finally back on the internet for a good session. This has been a long, but very good trip. We've spent time with loved ones; seen new places and things; met new people; and learned lots. Sometimes we just manage to get a bunch of good stuff into one package. But we're ready to be on the down side and headed home.

We left Crisfield about noon today and headed down the Delmarva Peninsula. We crossed over and under the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It's a great piece of engineering, and good to drive. We got settled into a motel in Norfolk and gave Jesse a call.

We took him out for a steak and a beer, and some catch-up about his life in the Navy. He's such a sweetie - and looks great!

With some suggestions from Jesse, we've figured out a different route home (I-85 to I-40 to I-75), and plan to tough it all out tomorrow (weather and traffic conditions permitting). It looks like we're in for some rain, but hopefully it won't be too bad. We do know the area fairly well, so we can always bail out if need be.

Tuesday - Crisfield, MD

Terrific Elderhostel day! We started out with a second talk by a native Crisfielder/city councilman/hospital charge nurse - a very knowledgeable and entertaining guy. Next, he took us on a walking tour of the area, with visits to the only soft-shell crab packing plant and hard crab picking plant left in Crisfield. The industry has declined substantially. It was fascinating to see how these delicious foods are prepared for market. After lunch, we had a tour of the Tawes Museum (the sponsor of the program) and then a talk by a Museum volunteer. This D-Day survivor showed us how a crab pot works. He also has set up a model of a crab shanty with "pens" holding live crabs. We got to see a crab in the act of shedding her shell - coming out of the old hard one into the new, much larger soft one. This shell will harden in a few hours if the crab is left alone. It's really a fascinating life cycle, and we were shown so much of it.

Unfortunately, after all that, we didn't have soft-shell crabs for dinner. Dinner was good, but land-based. 8^( , We were told that we weren't through getting crabs for meals, so our hopes are high for that.

There was also the news day about the Elderhostel name change. It's changing to Exploritas. WHAT???? How stupid sounding is that?!? And according to our coordinator, the programs will now be open to anyone over 22 years of age. It's going to make for a lot of changes in programs. They are obviously abandoning the previous target consumer of older and retired folks, and heading for a younger demographic. It'll be interesting to see the comments, the fallout, and the results of this new direction for the program.

No internet connection! AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Sorry folks - won't have much internet for the rest of this week. But...

Crisfield, MD, is a delightful little fishing town. And I will make you miserable by telling you that we have had crab in one form or another at every meal except breakfast. It's been really tough to take.

We took a boat trip to the tiny Tangiers Island yesterday, and will be going to the even smaller Smith Island tomorrow. Learning all about the Chesapeake Bay and its ecology and bounty.

I'll check in when I can.

Six states

Today was a six-state day!

Maine - woke up in Lewiston. The overpriced motel didn't even have a free breakfast. But we got a pretty good one at a local cafe a few exits down the Maine Turnpike.

New Hampshire - only 17 miles - but we did help their tax base a bit by stopping at the state liquor store with its own exit on I-95.

Massachusetts - we found Marjorie with no trouble. What a joy it was to give her some big hugs! She looks great - just a few grey hairs among the dark ones. She has a wonderful tiny apartment (although bigger than Alison's), obviously built in an attic. It has a turning staircase to get up to it, and low ceilings. She has it fixed up really nice. Anyhow, it was fun to catch up on family news. Her Mommy and all the rest of the family (except Ricardo) are still living in the Redondero and doing well.

We ate a nice lunch at a little Italian place around the corner from her apartment, then walked her back home. Pictures will come later. We found our way out of Boston OK, and headed west on the Mass Pike.

Connecticut - we thumbed our noses and gave a one-finger salute at the UConn exit.

New York - we managed to traverse a corner of NY and the Tappan Zee Bridge without incident.

New Jersey - we got onto the Garden State Turnpike, heading west and south into the sun.

It was a long day - we didn't stop until 6 p.m. And we had one of the best meals we've had along the road at a little local diner. But we did have the nice break in the middle of the day. Tomorrow will be an easy one. We may drive down to Cape May, NJ, or we may just wander along the upper eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Friday - Grand Manan to Lewiston, ME

We got checked out of the Marathon Inn this morning, and drove around the island some more on our own. The ferry left at 11:30 for its 90 minute trip to the mainland. Another couple left at the same time we did, so the time passed quickly with nice folks to talk to.

When we got to Black Harbour, we headed on down the road toward the border crossing at Calais, ME. No problems there, either. We finally got on to I-95, and pretty much sailed south to a stop in Lewiston, ME. Dinner was a definite come-down. John had a good meal of fried clams and scallops. I had a lobster roll (who can leave Maine without having had lobster), and it was pretty much tasteless. Granted, I'm not a big lobster fan - blue crabs are SO much better and tastier. But anyhow - I did have the required lobster.

John's doing well with his hand. Although he found out tonight that he can't write enough to do the crossword puzzle in USA Today.

We'll be making arrangements tonight to meet up with Marjorie in Boston tomorrow sometime. For those who might not know, Marjorie was our exchange student from Venezuela in the mid1970s for about 9 months. She's living in the US now, so it'll be a real treat to see her.

Thursday, Grand Manan

We had another great day today - out on the boat again. John had gone for a walk with some of the others, and I went to find a pharmacy to pick up some stuff. I found some great gloves! I guess they're usually used as liners, and they looked like children's gloves. But they were very stretchy, and surprisingly warm. Plus they came 4 to a package. So John got to have one on his "good" hand. It wasn't nearly as windy or as cold on the boat today, but I was still very glad for the toboggan hat and the gloves.

We got to go whale watching again and saw another group of whales thrashing and playing - maybe 25 this time. Actually sex play - not mating, but the North Atlantic Right Whale males are just oversexed, and are ready at any time. Just amazing! And we looked at some of what they call the Dark Side of the Island. Not many people live there because there are high cliffs that fall straight into the sea. Grand Manan is really lovely!

We had grilled scallops, basmati rice, sweet potato, and leeks for dinner tonight. The food here has been spectacular! I'm dreading getting on the scales when we get home. But the clothes still fit. And I even got a new t-shirt today in a MEDIUM!!!!! I haven't worn one that size since I can't remember when!

We packed up after dinner tonight. John got our tickets for the ferry tomorrow, and we'll be on the 11:30 a.m. ferry heading back into the US. We'll probably stay somewhere in Maine tomorrow night.

Wednesday on Grand Manan

We've had a lovely day today - a boat trip to some of the small outer islands. We got off at one which is usually unavailable to visitors. It's owned by Bowdoin College and is a research station. It is one of the few (or maybe the only) nesting site of Leach's Storm-Petrels. (Doesn't that sound knowledgeable???) But there are some 30,000 - 40,000 nesting burrows for these birds on this little island. There are only two caretakers there now, and they let the folks who run this Elderhostel come ashore a couple of times a year. The birders were thrilled, and John and I and some others just enjoyed the boat ride and the walking through the woods. The guides showed us a burrow site, reached in and brought out a 5-week-old baby. The parents were off foraging for food, and wouldn't be back to the next until dark. The baby was used to being handled, so wasn't agitated. It was just starting to get some feathers, but was mostly covered with incredibly soft, dark-colored down. That was a treat - even for us.

We stopped at the Grand Manan Museum on the way back and had a nice walk through some of the history here. I also found a warm toboggan hat at a "dollar" store for $3.00, so my ears will be happier on our longer boat trip tomorrow.

Another great meal (pan-fried haddock), then a quick bus ride out to the northern-most point of the island to see the sunset. There was some nice light, but mostly there was a cloud-bank along the western horizon, so not much great color.

Tuesday in Grand Manan

Today was a little quieter. The planned activity was an all-day birding excursion, which we opted to skip. We did go on the small free ferry to the adjoining island with the group - but we were in our car (with another couple who elected to join us), and had a nice time driving around, looking at a few birds, picking up neat rocks. The woman who was with us, Barbara, was a geologist, so she told us a lot about the rocks we saw. Also I found out how to pronounce a word I had only seen in print before...Chalcedony. Basically, it's a red rock, and is pronounced "kal SAID o nee". See - we always learn something new - even if it's unexpected.

I got Betsy's socks mailed to her, and we visited a local knit shop. (suprise!). I bought a couple of skeins of New Brunswick yarn (lucious with lanolin) at $5.00/skin, plus a few odd balls of left-over yarns from the "free basket", which the owner insisted we raid. Great fun.

Supper was another triumph from the sea - salmon this time. Plus I got a load of laundry done.

All in all, a very satisfactory day.

Monday, Grand Manan

A lovely long day today. We spent the morning touring the local marine resource center and the fishing wharf area - the boarded a motor-sailing vessel for a whale-watching afternoon.

We had sack lunches and enjoyed them while motoring with the wind (hence warmer) and in sunshine. After an hour or so, we found whales! Lots and lots of whales!!!! There are only about 400 Northern Right whales left in the entire world, and there were maybe 40! in the group we saw today. They were basking and napping and playing and sounding and having what was probably group sex. It was an incredible experience! There were also some fin-back whales in the vicinity.

Unfortunately, we had not brought my long lens - so no close-up photos for me. And John's battery ran out, so he didn't take as many photos as he had hoped. But we did use up as many pixels as we could. In the meantime, the captain had gone to only sail power so as not to disturb the whales with our engine noise. She (!) was a terrific ship-handler and did a great job maneuvering in and around the whales, keeping us in close proximity to the group.

After an hour or so, the activity slowed down, and we turned to head back to the North Head Harbor. Unfortunately (again), it had clouded over and we were headed into the wind, so it was VERY cold. We put on all the clothes we had brought, and even huddled under some blankets they had on board. But it was still after a hot shower back at the hotel before I warmed up some.

On the voyage back to the harbor, we came across 2-3 humpback whales, feeding and playing. One did a tail flick, dived, and then did a full breach out of the water. What an incredible sight!!! And such a terrific climax to a super whale-watching trip.

Another great meal of cod, rice, broccoli (I got John's, of course), and carrots, with the most obscene 3-layer, 3-variety, chocolate mousse for dessert.

The program after dinner was a slide show by the guy who is doing to lead the bird-watching hikes and walks tomorrow. Interesting, especially to the hard-core birders in the group. But I'm afraid John and I both dozed a bit during the evening.

From Grand Manan Island, NB

After getting lost in Bangor, ME, again this morning...(OK, now if you're through laughing, I'll continue)... we finally got on the right road toward Calais, ME. That's the border crossing we were taking to get into Canada. Once we finally got out of town, it was an uneventful and pleasant drive. I must admit that while driving through the Maine woods, in the fog, in the middle of nowhere, I was somewhat aware of the possibility of a moose hurtling out onto the road in front of me. But no such excitement!

We got to the Blacks Harbour ferry landing in plenty of time, and got on the appropriate ferry for the 90 minute ride. Again, an uneventful trip. The only problem was the thick fog that kept us indoors and unable to see any of the scenery along the trip.

New Brunswick is on Atlantic Time (an hour before Eastern Time), but at 10:45 AT (9:45 ET), John's already snoring away.

This wonderful Marathon Inn doesn't have a level floor in it or more than a 60-watt light bulb, but the rooms are big, the ceilings are high, the food so far is great, there is a wrap-around veranda facing the water with Adirondack chairs, and there is wireless internet access in our room. (We're in the Annex - the building to the left in the photo - attached by the veranda.) And they're going to make us go out whale-watching tomorrow. Aaaawwwww...

Back to the internet!

Finally - internet access!

Clyde, NY, and (surprisingly) Seneca Falls, NY, did not have internet access at their boat docks. Of course, Clyde didn't have much of anything - except for two gorgeous peaches at their Thursday afternoon farmers' market.

We got back to the dock at Seneca Falls about 4 Friday afternoon. We all had showers on the boat, and got ready to go out for our final dinner. Which turned out to be a huge bust! We went to a highly recommended restaurant in a hotel across the street from the dock. It was lovely, and elegant. We placed our orders. Then, after over 45 minutes, only Ann's soup had been served. And we decided to leave. They did comp the soup, but with no explanation as to what had happened to our meals. We got the car and went looking for pizza. We finally got some great pizza, but again, the service was interminably slow. We went back to the boat, and just got packed up and went to bed.

This morning, we left the dock about 7:45 a.m. and took Ann & Al to Syracuse to pick up their rental car. They're going to wander around the Adirondacks for a few days before they head back home. We headed out for our longest day of driving. I did most of it, but John did drive some of the more rural stretches. The rain all through Massachusetts didn't help any. At least the traffic was minimal since it was Saturday. This 580+ miles took us about 10 hours (with lots of potty stops).

We had decided to press on to Bangor, to have an early start tomorrow, getting to the ferry in Blacks Harbor, NB. Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding a motel room. A number were full, or wanted lots of money. We wound up in an expensive place after all (Courtyard Suites) about 7 - but it's a lovely, very comfortable room. We did go out and got a good simple dinner, and picked up some stuff at a local drug store.

We'll get an early start in the morning. The Erie Canal trip was really fun - and we had a good time. I'll probably write more of a specific review with recommendations later on.

If it's Wednesday, it must be Newark, NY

We're docked tonight in Newark, NY. They provide great services for boaters (and I presume for bicyclers) - and all free. There's a shower, bathrooms, a washer/dryer, and internet service. I kept asking about charges, and the dockmaster kept saying "Welcome to Newark!" I'm sure this gives them great 'press' throughout the boating community. It was great to get a load of wash done. We've been gone for 10 days with nothing getting washed. I'm sure everybody else appreciates it, too.

John's doing fine. The swelling in his fingers is almost completely gone. He says holding the cards at bridge makes his hand hurt, but he works through that. I think I said he already has an appointment at home with an orthopedic hand specialist when we get back home.

Another good meal tonight - these small towns really have some good local restaurants. We haven't had to eat at a chain yet (except for the first morning when we didn't have shore power and had to eat at a McD's). We're going to eat up leftovers and "doggy bags" we've brought back for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

PS: Joe, thanks for the great research!

Tuesday

Last night we stayed in the charming village of Pittsford, NY. What a wonderful place this would be for bicyclers to stay. There's a B&B (I think), the Canal Lamp Inn, right on the canal, the tow path runs west all the way to Buffalo, and eastward to Newark. Then there's a short break before the final run east to Albany. The canal is lovely through there. We had a nice dinner last night at a Greek place, then breakfast this morning at a creperie (Yum!).

Today, we went west as far as where the Canal crosses the Gennessee River, south of Rochester, and then turned back east. We're stopping tonight at Fairport, NY, another lovely village. There was a classic car show on the opposite side of the canal from where we're tied up, with a local band that played until 9 p.m. I finally found some long-sleeved t-shirts for me, but not before I got some sunburn on the back of my neck and my forearms. (I can go to the beach for a week in July with no sunburn, but....) We had a marvellous dinner at Joey B's just a few minutes' walk from the boat - scallops for John & Al, pork filet mignon for Ann, and shrimp/feta cheese/spinach for me. Excellent food! And we're going to check out a local diner for breakfast in the morning.

We have had such gorgeous weather, chatted with some lovely people, and found great food to eat. Except for the obvious thing with John's arm, this trip has really lived up to expectations. There is a busy train track that runs just on the other side of the tow path from the canal. But that's really kind of nice to listen to at night.

Plus there is an internet connection available here.

Labor Day - 2 p.m.

Just a few minutes of free WiFi dockside in Pittsford, NY. Don't know if I'll get back on or not. All is well. John's able to drive the boat. Beautiful canal going - lots of bicyclers on the tow path. Until next time.

Day 6 and 7 - on the boat

Sunday morning - 9-6-09 - Aboard Freedom. Not too bad a start yesterday. The guy who got us started on the boat was just the "boat guy" (Jerry). He took us through the first lock out of Seneca Falls, and then watched while the guys took us through the second one. Then Jerry abandoned us! Oh, dear.....

We did three locks after that - one on the Seneca Canal, and two (25 & 26) westbound on the Erie Canal. We stopped later than we had hoped at Lyons, just below Lock 27. Unfortunately, we were too late to get a tie-up place where there we could reach a power source. So no overnight power.

The VFW in Seneca Falls had been having a BBQ chicken dinner sale at noon on Saturday, and we loved that idea. We ate those for our dinner. And we had some lights (off battery), but no hot water. We weren't too dirty, so that's okay. And we had enough light to play bridge.

We walked into town this morning looking for a local cafe for breakfast, but nothing to be found on a Sunday morning. We wound up (would you believe?) at McDonald's. I tried to get internet access back at the boat - just across the canal from McD, but it doesn't reach. I could pick up two signals, but both protected.

We're not going to try to go nearly as far today, and we'll get to a power source to tie up. And maybe find some WiFi.

We have found a sort-of distressing lack of information. Jerry didn't show us how to work the range, so we had to call him to get that info (cell phones work!). The information about the towns don't seem to be too accurate - as to where there are power sources or eateries. Plus there's a discrepancy about what we've paid for the boat and what they advertise in the brochure - by enough to definitely want a refund and explanation. We'll have to talk to the business people when we get back.

It was right chilly last night, and we broke out the jackets and sweat shirts. Surprise! John couldn't get into any of his long-sleeved shirts or sweatshirts, or his nice South Carolina jacket. He did bring his rain suit, and that jacket has adjustable cuffs, so it worked.

Sarah, you'll have to get Grandpa a new CofC sweatshirt (size L). I had to cut the cuff off and open up the seam a bit of the right sleeve, so he could get some wear out of it.

Sunday evening - docked at the Macedon Landing west of Lock 30. A lovely day cruising, with a stop for a good lunch in Newark, NY. We had to have help docking here at Macedon landing because our bow thruster wasn't working. Al found out later that a belt had slipped - and it's working now. The others are happily sipping adult beverages, I have a workable, but slow, WiFi connection, and we'll find something for supper.

Life is good!

Day 5 - followup

Thanks for the kind wishes for John. The broken bone is actually in his hand - sort of the continuation of the little finger bones along the edge of his hand. Anyhow, he's in a good sturdy cast. He carried on like a trooper today, and we did all we intended to do (Corning Glass Museum, Glenn Curtiss Airplane Museum, a winery, dinner). But at 9, he admitted to having some pain, took one of his pain pills, and crashed. He even asked me to set out one of the pain pills so he could take it in the middle of the night (he can't open the bottle with only one hand).

I left a message for our family doctor today to make him an appointment for followup and pin removal as soon as we get home. And they've already callled with the information. The orthopedic who did his shoulder repair doesn't "do hands", but there's a new guy in the practice who specializes in hands - and that's great! I've e-mailed the surgeon in Binghamtom and gave him the particulars so his office can get the records to Chattanooga by the time John goes for his appointment. Isn't the internet wonderful!

John has Medicare and a supplementary policy through retirement, but presumably the motel's insurance is going to be paying for this. I don't know how they're going to work that out. I guess we'll notify the two insurance companies when we get home, so they can take care of it.

He's planning on being able to help with the driving after the boat time. I don't particularly like the idea of his driving in any tricky traffic, though - with only one hand. We'll see how it goes.

We went to a really nice restaurant for dinner tonight - sat out on the deck. It was cool, but pleasant - right on the Keuka Lake shore. Unfortunately, the fact of the meal didn't come up to the sound of it on the menu. The wine was too sweet for their tastes (they all like really dry wines). The server was slow getting to us, and the food was WAY too long being served. She said they had given two of our dinners to somebody else. We said to just serve the two they had ready. Mine (which came a bit later) was not correct, and Al's was the last to be served. The server did comp for my meal, but it still wasn't a great experience. Oh, well. Lunch was great at a small-town cafe called "Chat-A-Whyle". How can you NOT like something with that name! We love places like that. This one had the BEST clam chowder and sticky buns. Yum!

We start the canal trip tomorrow. The weather has been gorgeous, and there's even a huge full moon tonight. More smiles today!

Oh, yes - I did take some pictures, but with my phone camera. And, sorry, I don't know what to do with them now. I'll get some more on the boat when I get the REAL camera out.

Day 4 - Shit happens!

Shit really DOES happen! And, of course, at the most inconvenient time and place.

John slipped in the shower this morning, and grabbed at the grab-bar. He caught it only with the little finger of his right hand - with immediate pain. But he didn't fall. He thought he had dislocated it and it had popped back into place. I taped the ring and little fingers together, turned in an incident report to the motel manager, filled a zipper bag with ice, packed up the car, and with me driving, headed down the road to our next stop. This included mostly visiting with one of John's and Ann's cousins.

We left John at a walk-in clinic in town and the rest of us went to the cousin's house. John called - x-rays showed that he had a broken bone in his hand. They were contacting an orthopedic surgeon in Binghamton, NY, who would probably plan to do surgery on his hand. Well, wonderful!!!!

I left Ann & Al with the cousins and went to pick up John and take off for the 20-mile drive to the hospital. I can say that the people at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton were wonderful to us! We kept telling them - we're just starting on a long vacation. And, no, we weren't planning to head right home. And, no, John didn't want to stay overnight in the hospital. And, yes, they could do the surgery, but no, he didn't want to stay overnight.

They really were so helpful and solicitous and accommodating. They took him off to surgery at 5 p.m., and the surgeon came back out to talk to me at 6:15. He couldn't do a closed reduction, so wound up doing an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), with pins and cast, of what they term a "Boxer's" fracture. I saw the x-rays, and the bone of his little finger in the hand (metacarpal?) had a diagonal break and the ends overlapped.

In the meantime, Ann & Al and Bob & Anita had come to the hospital to see how things were going. Then B&A drove A&A around the area, and they all went out for dinner.

John was finally released from the hospital and we got back to the motel to meet the others about 9:30. A&A went out to get us something eat. Now, everybody else has gone to bed, and I'm getting the news out.

We do plan to continue on with our trip. Granted, John won't be much help for a while, but we'll do fine. We didn't have too much planned for tomorrow, and he'll be able to get some rest on the canal boat. I know it's really going to bother him most in the next couple of days, though. The surgeon wants him to be seen in about 10 days for a followup x-ray, so we'll see what we can work out about that. And then he'll see an orthopod at home to see about getting the pins out.

We really weren't looking for this kind of excitment. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh

Day 3

We're still having gorgeous weather - highs in the 70s and lows around 50 (my favorite weather!). We drove a bunch of interstate today, so I did more of the driving. And I got to drive through all the wonderful construction zones. BTW, avoid Wilkes-Barre, PA, on I-81 - It took more than 30 minutes to go 4 miles. John's SO sweet - he always "lets" me drive through the construction stuff.

After lunch, we took off on some back roads. We got lost a couple of times, but still saw some pretty countryside, and got to the Syracuse airport right on time to pick up Ann & Al (John's sister and BIL). We hadn't seen them since last September, and we always have a good time together.

We're in a little town south of Syracuse tonight, then will head to another little town near the PA line to visit with one of their cousins for the day tomorrow.

Questions to research: We've seen a lot of churches that has something like "Sons of the Brethren" in their names. That was a new one on me. Does anybody know about that? (can't find much in google). Also, I noticed a town in PA called "Loyalsock". I found a Wikipedia article about the town, but can't seem to find out how it got its name. Help!!!

Now it's time to crash!

Day 2

We left Morgantown this morning, and drove into PA. We stopped to take some photos of the waterfalls at Ohiopyle State Park - a lovely place, with perfect early morning light.

We went to see the FLWright houses Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater in SW Pennsylvania. We'd been to both before, but they are so wonderful. Glad we decided to make a return visit. We also stopped in Johnstown, PA, and went to a museum with history of the Johnstown Flood. What a tragedy that was!

We'll be picking up Ann & Al tomorrow afternoon at the Syracuse airport.