It was a difficult and embarrassing trip north

     I guess I should have suspected that when we got a very late start the first day due to a broken slide-out that the trip north would be ill-starred. Day 2 was fine with an enjoyable lunch with the Wegners and the Looses. 

     Day 3 started pleasantly enough. We got an email that morning from Jackie Fare to the effect, "I see that you are going to be passing through Newburgh. You have to stop and meet us for lunch." It would make lunch a bit late, but we happily agreed. 
     First we needed a fill up. I remembered that there was a service station next to the Lickdale, PA campground, and I planned to fill up there as we left. Unfortunately, even though I drove through the small facility, I did not see a diesel pump. Oh well, I'll stop at the next station along our route on I-81. A half dozen exits later we had still seen no gas stations. It was very hilly country which endangered my remaining fuel. Finally, when prompted by a low fuel warning, I decided to get off at an exit that promised to have a village big enough to support a gas station. We drove south for five very hilly, twisty miles with no luck. We asked and got turned around. As we returned almost back to I-81, we came across an accident scene where three heavy duty wreckers were trying to put an 18-wheeler back on its feet. We stopped so Durelle could open the door and ask the policeman where to find diesel. He said, "Seven miles north." So we continued anxiously seven miles north. Sure enough, there was an easily accessible diesel pump, and I took 114.9 gallons...a new personal best!
     Safely back on the road, we headed for the "Orange County Choppers Cafe" in Newburgh. Away from the restaurant a short distance there was a cul-de-sac where I was able to circle and park next to the curb. After lunch John guided me as I made a sharp left turn to clear a shiny, black BMW that was parked in front of me. I cleared the car, waved good-bye, and headed out. Then came the sickening sound as the right rear of the bus scraped the left front corner of the BMW. We waited for the owner to arrive from the next door construction site. He was a twenty-something HVAC installer with his first nice car. "Distraught" does not begin to describe his state. After we had spoken with each others' insurance companies, he calmed down and returned to being a personable young man. The fault was totally mine. The car was unoccupied, and John was on the other side of the bus, his job done.
     By this time it was too late to make it to Sturbridge as planned so we accepted the Fare's hospitality to stay at their place in New Windsor. While there, John got out his can of rubbing compound and removed almost all sign of the scrape. We parked in their driveway and, after a plate of bacon and eggs, headed for Maine. Sturbridge was too short a day, so we elected to go to the Famcamp at Hanscom AFB. The Famcamp is off the north end of the base and outside the gate. Although we should have known better, we were suckered in by the signage on I-95N that led us to the south gate of the base. That just meant that we would have to drive through the base. After showing an ID and explaining our situation, we entered the small base. The problem came at the north guard house. Like all bases today the roadway was blocked by security devices.  They have a sharp, left-right-left chicane that can only be negotiated at very slow speeds. The passageway is defined by four foot tall yellow steel bollards. I was exiting the last turn when my lower right front corner hit one of the bollards. Of course it took the Air Policeman an hour to complete all the paperwork. He said, "Don't feel bad. We get five to ten of these a week!" I suggested that perhaps a re-look at the procedure might be in order. My mistake was that I should have nudged that big Bradley air horn and waited for them to pull some of the bollards. Two incidents in 24 hours and my insurance company, USAA, might be having second thoughts about their 56 year customer.
     When we arrived at the Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort at around four, there were many old friends that welcomed us and helped us get set up for the summer. There is more to do than for just a one night stand. At our first Maine Happy Hour of the season we finally relaxed. The campground was full, so our view was not as expansive as usual, but the sea breeze and cool air was more than enough.
     It took us five days instead of four to get here, and my poor driving dinged the bus TWICE. But we are here and happy to be in such a nice spot with such helpful friends.

We are on the road!

         We are precisely 700 miles north of Hanahan. Yesterday was 310 miles, as planned; today was 390, which was not. Yesterday we got away at 1350! It was hectic and confused. From Thursday until Sunday the bus was in the driveway being loaded. Then I pulled the slides in so that I could back it out into the street where it could be level enough for the refrigerator. We heard a strange noise, and shortly thereafter, as I was turning on the propane, I discovered a half of a phenolic roller. So, Monday morning I called the shop so they could order the part. The part was $2.70; express, overnight shipping was $63.00, and the minimum one hour labor rate was $108.00. But, I was able to pick up the bus and leave there with the Jeep in tow about 1130. Then we finished loading the bus... mostly the refrigerator. Cindy was a magnificent help. Without her, we wouldn't have left until Wednesday.
     We arrived in Enfield, NC at 1905...310 miles in 315 minutes. Today we met the Wegners and the Looses for lunch in Marshall, VA where 17 meets I-66. It was a wonderful reunion with our first AirForce neighbors and mentors from 1960 and Cindy and Mark's next door babysitter from 1964. This morning we decided to make reservations ahead so we nailed down Lickdale, PA and Sturbridge, MA.

     For Jackie; here is the requisite picture. The bus turned 60,000 yesterday, so our total on class A's alone is over 350,000 miles. We'll be in Maine on the Friday before the fourth.

Cindy's Charleston

     While I've been sitting here whimpering and waiting to get headed north, I have not been making pictures or activities that would be blog fodder. My last picture, for heaven's sake, was of a gecko! Fortunately, we have a daughter who works on the edge of Charleston's historic district, appreciates the history of downtown Charleston, has a page designer's eye for composition, AND who loves to chalk up ten to twenty thousand clicks on her pedometer. So here are a half dozen or so of her most recent pictures. I'll start with one that has been on the AP wires of late...The Mother Emanuel church.

     Next is the Huguenot Church.

     And finally, Saint Philips.

     Charleston's nickname, as you may recall, is, "the Holy City". Sharing Cindy's walking around the district is the clip-clop of horses or mules pulling the many guided carriage rides throughout the city.

     Since this is about peak season for the blooming of the crepe myrtle, she took a couple of pictures of them.

    In addition, she took a picture of one of her favorite window boxes on King Street.

 I'll close with one of the iconic tombs in one of the local cemeteries. Remember John C. Calhoun?

     She may correct me, but I believe that all these pictures were taken yesterday.  I think that they represent an fine set of shots from one stroll around our city. By the way, the pictures were taken on Durelle's and my 56th anniversary!

Rest In Peace, Baxter

     He did the best that he could for as long as he could. Many remember that he wasn't expected to handle the stairs in the motorhome last year, but he managed somehow. He began to struggle in the start of 2016. Phenobarbital handled his seizures, but it was a prodigious effort for him to get to his feet.
     In the past month he could (would) not get up to go to his food or water. We had to place it between his paws. Because of my recent back surgery, I could not help him up. 

Fortunately, when he had to go out, Durelle discovered that clipping his leash to his collar usually provided enough additional motivation to get him to his feet. In the past few weeks his bladder was no longer able to last through the night. For all the time that we had him he would let us sleep in as long as we wanted, so for him to start that pitiful bark at four or five in the morning was totally out of character. During the day he was stretched out asleep and oblivious to the world. Occasionally he would rouse himself enough to rub the sides of his face on the floor to scratch the growths on his lower gum lines, but that was almost the extent of his activity.
     This was not the Baxter we knew and loved since 28 September of 2009. That Baxter was a loyal and adventuresome companion for thousands of miles in the motorhome.

     He was the typical Golden. In his eyes there were two categories of people: those he liked and those he hadn't met yet. There was never a shortage of volunteer dog walkers at the campground if we were going to be away from the bus for any length of time. He loved RVing in Maine.

     He had had a tough life during the eight or so years before we adopted him. He was picked up by an animal control officer in Hartford, CT with an embedded BB and a torn ear to show for his adventures. The Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue league rehabilitated him and we were the lucky adopters. You can be sure that the subsequent half of his life was spent in the role of pampered dog.
     So, today we made our last trip to the vet with him and left with a gnawing emptiness softened only by the knowledge that he is waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge. Dr. Lerma and his staff were both competent and kind. One of the techs rounded up a chocolate frosted doughnut! Baxter ate "the whole thing" one bite at a time. I got a chuckle when I said, "Chocolate is bad for dogs". Baxter went out in style

C-17 Day

     The paper gave us a heads-up that at 0700 this morning there were going to be thirteen C-17s taking off to go support a mass training jump at Fort Bragg. I got up hoping that the chosen runway this morning would be the one directly in line with our house. At 0650 as I was rounding up the camera, a lawn chair and a mug of coffee, the first four took off, and I missed them. Over the next twenty minutes the remaining nine took off, never close enough together to appear in the same picture. And they did not use the hoped for runway. Nonetheless, I got a few nice shots including one with an ibis in the foreground.

     While I was sitting there in my bathrobe waiting for the next aircraft, I snapped some other miscellaneous shots. Here's one of a daytime moon with a magnolia blossom in the foreground.

     Another ibis was making his way along the bank.

     And, there was an alligator lying in wait along the same bank.

     Progress reports on the back and the bus:
          Bus...some will recall that we almost had the Jeep come loose again on the way home last summer. The base plate has been checked and new attachment pins (pintles?) have been ordered for the Jeep. Instead of a new residential refrigerator, we decided to just spring for a new door for the Dometic. We are also replacing a non-functional radio. As we get closer to departure, the bus will be washed, waxed, and detailed inside. This is probably its last hurrah.
          Back...I'm wandering around without a cane for most of the time.  The only time I use the walker is when I climb out of the bed at night to go to the bathroom.  I feel like a bit more security is called for then. My gait is impacted by the neuropathy almost as much as by the back. I can stand, unassisted, for only a few minutes until back pain takes over. The back brace is some help. Driving does not seem to present any problems.
     We moved here in 2004 and have yet to spend a summer here. As we transition from spring to summer in Charleston, it's clear why we are longing for another Maine summer with great views, great food, and great friends.

Six Weeks Post-Op

     Springtime in Charleston means flowers. In our case it means that the magnolia tree we planted ten years ago is maturing nicely. As beautiful as the individual blossoms are, they are very short-lived...just a couple of days. To make matters worse, they turn an unattractive shade of brown. You can see both stages of the blossoms in the pictures below.

     Yesterday I saw my back surgeon, Don Stovall, for a six weeks check. They took several X-rays. He's happy with the progress of the bone-knitting process. I still can't do much of anything in the way of bending, lifting, or twisting for two reasons: it is prohibited and it hurts. I was given the go ahead to drive. So, this morning we ran a couple of errands with me driving. Everything felt perfectly normal. This afternoon I will make a solo run to a doctor's appointment in the Corvette.
     The next check is a three month check on the 27th of June. At that time I can expect a release to go to Maine. Does that mean we leave on the morning of the 28th? I wish. We'd like to get to Maine before the 4th of July. Durelle would love to make a New Hampshire stop to see Madeleine who will be four months old. I saw her in February, but Durelle hasn't seen her yet. The itinerary is still being discussed as is our start date.
     I am getting by with just a cane most of the time. I do depend on the walker for getting out of the bed in the night and when my back is tired at the end of the day, especially if I have been active at all. To be honest, I spend most of my time in the recliner reading. I just finished a 1200 page volume that claims to be the complete works of Arthur Conan Doyle, the father of Sherlock Holmes. Durelle does a diligent job of getting me on my feet on a regular basis. I am back to doing some meal preparation, but I have to use a back brace and a stool. Bone growth at my age is not quick, I can't complain and we are both looking forward to a summer in Maine.

Solar Power

     As anticipated in my 15 Mar post, we are now on line and generating power. SCE&G installed the bi-directional meter yesterday.

     I will be paying a fixed amount each month to Vivint Solar, but the reduction in my electric utility bill should be greater than that amount. Anyway, that's the plan.
     Yesterday was a tough day on my back. I had two doctors' appointments: PCP in the morning and neurologist in the afternoon. That meant a lot more walking than usual plus climbing into the Jeep a few time and sitting in the straight chairs provided in the waiting rooms. Then I had go out back to take the pictures of the meters so that Vivint could remotely enable the system with my help on the mounted control panel. When I had finally collapsed in the recliner for what I hoped would be the last time for the day, Durelle said that the cloud formations were a good photo-op. They were late afternoon cumulus build ups whose cloud tops were illuminated by the already set sun.

     All's well in Charleston with daily alligator sightings on the bank to the retention pond in our back yard.