This past week I turned 62. WooHoo, I’m 62. Well, now what? That’s THE
question at the moment.
Since arriving back home I feel that I’ve settled in to the same old same old.
I really don’t like that feeling. Yea, I know its okay to sit still for a while
and listen for the next step but I certainly don’t want to sit still too long.
So for my 62nd birthday I wanted to visit a National Park so that I could
purchase my very own Life Time National Park Pass for only $10. I feel that I
have arrived! Thanks to an overnight trip to Mammoth Cave I now have in my
possession that special pass that honors me for being old. I’ve had an AARP
card for some time now. Not the same. The National Park pass gets me outdoors.
When we visited Acadia a few weeks ago (really, only a few weeks ago?) it cost
us $20. to ride though the park. The Shenandoah visit was $15. Now I have this
nifty little park pass that gets me in any National Park FREE. Not only that,
three (3) other adults can get in FREE with me, regardless of their age. How
great is that! Now I can listen to my favorite wind chime – the rustle of the
leaves in the treetops or as they are falling, dancing on the wind, we can
wonder at the spring wildflowers and try to remember their names, go sled riding
and make snow angels on the golf course near the cabins, play games on the
screened in cabin porch to escape the summer heat, walk through the woods
kicking the fallen leaves, kayak on the lake, search for the woodpecker that we
can hear but so seldom see and so much more.
I have this nifty little pass…. Anyone want to come along?
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sleepless in Covington
So I dug out a pair of ‘farm socks’, socks I never thought I would wear in public again, socks I should have thrown out when I left New Hampshire but didn’t, and we stayed on the road one more night.
We left Hagerstown MD and headed for Shenandoah National Park. Jerry had hiked through the park back in May and my BFF, Karen and I visited with him for about a week and kept ourselves busy doing Trail Magic along Skyline Drive.
One more night on the road, one more night in the tent. We had decided to camp which worked out well because there were no lodge rooms available in the park. I had the camping equipment in the car since the end of July. We might as well put it to use one more time. We camped in the Big Meadow Campgrounds. There were the usual deer, fun to watch. The weather was mild. The sunset was once again beyond words.
As a cold front blew through in the middle of the night and I could hear leaves hitting the rain fly and slide down the sides of the tent I realized that when I had set up the tent I did not look up to check for any dead limbs that might be hanging from the trees above us. It all worked out well, nothing but leaves ended up falling on the tent. We slept well.
A middle of the night visit outside the tent revealed a heaven full of stars. The Milky Way was visible, as always a wonder to behold.
As the promise of dawn broke, we broke camp and except for a stop or two to view the sunrise we spent the next 10 hours in the car headed towards home and the family.
So now I am sleepless in Covington. The once normal sounds of the night are new again, our bed much too comfortable.
We left Hagerstown MD and headed for Shenandoah National Park. Jerry had hiked through the park back in May and my BFF, Karen and I visited with him for about a week and kept ourselves busy doing Trail Magic along Skyline Drive.
One more night on the road, one more night in the tent. We had decided to camp which worked out well because there were no lodge rooms available in the park. I had the camping equipment in the car since the end of July. We might as well put it to use one more time. We camped in the Big Meadow Campgrounds. There were the usual deer, fun to watch. The weather was mild. The sunset was once again beyond words.
As a cold front blew through in the middle of the night and I could hear leaves hitting the rain fly and slide down the sides of the tent I realized that when I had set up the tent I did not look up to check for any dead limbs that might be hanging from the trees above us. It all worked out well, nothing but leaves ended up falling on the tent. We slept well.
A middle of the night visit outside the tent revealed a heaven full of stars. The Milky Way was visible, as always a wonder to behold.
As the promise of dawn broke, we broke camp and except for a stop or two to view the sunrise we spent the next 10 hours in the car headed towards home and the family.
So now I am sleepless in Covington. The once normal sounds of the night are new again, our bed much too comfortable.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
On the way home - perhaps
Is it time to go home when you run out of clean socks? Or do you just buy new ones?
Sunday was spent on the road once again traveling from Bangor PA to Hagerstown, MD. We were welcomed by Ann and Tom with opened arms. Their daughter Laura, aka L.T. hiked with Clair back in ’03. We first met Tom when he summitted with the kids then. Ann we met at Laura and Matt’s wedding 5 years ago. They also graciously took Jerry in for the night as he passed by their place back in June.
We had a wonderful evening and a great bed. Ann sent us off with a packed lunch.
We headed west - towards Kentucky.
Sunday was spent on the road once again traveling from Bangor PA to Hagerstown, MD. We were welcomed by Ann and Tom with opened arms. Their daughter Laura, aka L.T. hiked with Clair back in ’03. We first met Tom when he summitted with the kids then. Ann we met at Laura and Matt’s wedding 5 years ago. They also graciously took Jerry in for the night as he passed by their place back in June.
We had a wonderful evening and a great bed. Ann sent us off with a packed lunch.
We headed west - towards Kentucky.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
6/1
MA, CN, NY, RI, NJ, PA all on Saturday.
Today we head to MD to visit friends who graced Jerry with Trail Magic as he past through oh so many months ago.
Today we head to MD to visit friends who graced Jerry with Trail Magic as he past through oh so many months ago.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
All Aboard !
All aboard! The sun came out this morning - for about 20 minutes and then it started to rain again. So we opted for a 2 hour scenic train ride across the Cape. So we drove across the Cape to board the train that took us across the cape to where we are staying before it returned across the Cape to the place where be boarded the train so that we could get off the train and return to the town where we are staying and where we just visited on the train. Hmmm…
We learned some things about the Cape, Cranberries and Historical Characters. The one thing they did not talk about was what looked to me like a homeless encampment just outside the train station. There were tarps and lean-tos nestled in the trees and bushes. Okay, the whole issue of how this all fits together for me has been just under the surface and I really have been working on keeping it there. Just for a little bit longer. The New Orleans experience is still fresh, the Emergency Cold Shelter is starting to gear up again. As we have been traveling and visiting the different towns that ‘make it all happen’ by offering all kinds of stuff to buy and enjoy – ‘money makes the world go ‘round.’ Wait, I think this is another blog. It will surface soon, I’m sure.
On the way back we did go in search of the National Sea Shore and we found it. What beauty! - The power of the ocean, the size of the dunes - breath taking!
It is so good for us to be here. We are grateful.
We learned some things about the Cape, Cranberries and Historical Characters. The one thing they did not talk about was what looked to me like a homeless encampment just outside the train station. There were tarps and lean-tos nestled in the trees and bushes. Okay, the whole issue of how this all fits together for me has been just under the surface and I really have been working on keeping it there. Just for a little bit longer. The New Orleans experience is still fresh, the Emergency Cold Shelter is starting to gear up again. As we have been traveling and visiting the different towns that ‘make it all happen’ by offering all kinds of stuff to buy and enjoy – ‘money makes the world go ‘round.’ Wait, I think this is another blog. It will surface soon, I’m sure.
On the way back we did go in search of the National Sea Shore and we found it. What beauty! - The power of the ocean, the size of the dunes - breath taking!
It is so good for us to be here. We are grateful.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sandwich Anyone?
10/6
From Bar Harbor to Sandwich MA. 6+ hours of driving down the coast for a while and then through Boston, in and out of the rain – don’t even want to think about driving Boston again anytime soon.
We arrived at Sandwich late afternoon. Thanks to serendipitous connections we are staying at a small home on Cape Cod. The home is delightful, full of character and hints of the people who own the home. (I’d like to get to know them better.)
We don’t have a feel for the area yet. Last evening by the time we scouted out a place to eat and bought some things for breakfast today it was dark and starting to rain. The TV was not enough to hold our attention and so we turned in early once again. After about 10 hours of sleep we woke to more rain. And then more rain. At the moment we are ‘sandwiched’ in. The name of the place we’re staying is called ‘by-a-brook’. Actually it is now ‘in-a-brook’. The rain, over an inch, has the brook up over the road and surrounding the house. The yard table and chairs, toys, plants – all in-a-brook. Not being use to this we called the owners just to see what we should do. Their comment: ‘At Cape Cod the water goes in and the water goes out.’ Apparently high tide and lots of rain just happens.
So at the moment we have no where we have to be, no one we have to see. It’s all good! Perhaps it is the best thing that can happen. It will give Jerry a time to give his body some much needed rest. It is going to be a long slow process one that is hard to give in to.
So now, it’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring ….
Later in the day – Jerry woke up ! We stopped in at the library to check our email, a coffee shop where Jerry got an ice cream cone and a coffee then rode down the Cape a little. Eventually we ended up on a beach for a short time. Three weeks ago I was on the beach in NC today in MA. After Jerry’s rest he seemed to be walking better but is no where near the ‘let’s take a walk on the beach’ stage.
Appropriately, we picked up a Sandwich for supper and took it back to our safe little home where once again the brook was within its natural boundaries. We however, are not. All is good!
From Bar Harbor to Sandwich MA. 6+ hours of driving down the coast for a while and then through Boston, in and out of the rain – don’t even want to think about driving Boston again anytime soon.
We arrived at Sandwich late afternoon. Thanks to serendipitous connections we are staying at a small home on Cape Cod. The home is delightful, full of character and hints of the people who own the home. (I’d like to get to know them better.)
We don’t have a feel for the area yet. Last evening by the time we scouted out a place to eat and bought some things for breakfast today it was dark and starting to rain. The TV was not enough to hold our attention and so we turned in early once again. After about 10 hours of sleep we woke to more rain. And then more rain. At the moment we are ‘sandwiched’ in. The name of the place we’re staying is called ‘by-a-brook’. Actually it is now ‘in-a-brook’. The rain, over an inch, has the brook up over the road and surrounding the house. The yard table and chairs, toys, plants – all in-a-brook. Not being use to this we called the owners just to see what we should do. Their comment: ‘At Cape Cod the water goes in and the water goes out.’ Apparently high tide and lots of rain just happens.
So at the moment we have no where we have to be, no one we have to see. It’s all good! Perhaps it is the best thing that can happen. It will give Jerry a time to give his body some much needed rest. It is going to be a long slow process one that is hard to give in to.
So now, it’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring ….
Later in the day – Jerry woke up ! We stopped in at the library to check our email, a coffee shop where Jerry got an ice cream cone and a coffee then rode down the Cape a little. Eventually we ended up on a beach for a short time. Three weeks ago I was on the beach in NC today in MA. After Jerry’s rest he seemed to be walking better but is no where near the ‘let’s take a walk on the beach’ stage.
Appropriately, we picked up a Sandwich for supper and took it back to our safe little home where once again the brook was within its natural boundaries. We however, are not. All is good!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Questions
Jerry’s Questions from today: ‘Why are these maps so hard to read? Where are the white blazes?’ ‘Did the last six months really happen or is this all a dream?’
I say: ‘If this is a dream, at the moment it’s really a fun one.’ We once again woke up at the Katahdin Inn and Suites in Millinocket. We even managed that without a wake up call from Jay at 5:30 – thank you very much. (Jerry had fallen asleep at 8:15 last night.) We headed down to the simple breakfast the motel offered. There we met again the parents of another thru hiker. Talk about instant camaraderie! There were also two other men there who were planning on hiking today. They asked Jerry some of the good questions. ‘What was the best part? At did you enjoy the most? How did you get your wife it let you do this?’ I find it interesting to listen to Jerry talk about his experience. There is excitement, reverence and just a sense of surprise that’s it is over.
After breakfast we headed out of Millinocket, down I-95 towards Acadia National Park. We bought a park pass and drove the Loop Road. Jerry will not be in to walking for some time again, I’m sure. It was beautiful, once again beyond words -the water, the mountains, the trees. Following the road we ended up in Bar Harbor. Many years ago Clair worked there at a gift store. We looked for the store but could not locate it. We did a little walking – I walked, Jerry hobbled. We were thinking about a whale watching tour but decided against it. We decided to stay the night in Bar Harbor and head for Cape Cod on Tuesday.
Following the lead of our good friends we used a coupon that we found in a cheap stay magazine that you can pick up at rest areas. $79 isn’t exactly cheap in our world but we thought we’d go for it although you never know what you’re checking in to. Well, we circled the building twice before we found our ‘coupon room’ number. The # was on the outside wall behind the employee’s entrance. Down the narrow ‘walkway’, through the employee entrance, up the steps, pass the bookcase, we found the door. So here we sit. The room has ‘no view’ thus the coupon room. But wait, there are trees, a bird house, a bird feeder – grant it we have to go out and around the building to see the water but – its dark out no one can see the water at the moment. The room is twice the size of any motel room I’ve ever been in and much larger that the two room cottage the 5 of us stayed in a couple nights ago. The bathroom is about the size of a normal motel room. Dark brown toilet and tub. The tub is bigger than any I’ve ever seen before. Talk about being able to stretch out! A sky light above the tub I’m sure adds a lot during the day – at night it just seems to reflect… Anyway, what a hoot this is!
We enjoyed a glass of wine from a bottle that I picked up in NJ around the end of July and have been carrying around with me ever since. Headed over to dinner where I had a blueberry daiquiri and some beef stew made with Bar Harbor Ale. Who is this person I’ve turned in to?
So here is MY other question that I’m sure someone out there can answer: somewhere in scripture it says something like ‘good measure being filled up, pressed down and flowing over’. So this has been my feeling today but I’d like to know the complete statement to know if it fits the way I feel it does.
I say: ‘If this is a dream, at the moment it’s really a fun one.’ We once again woke up at the Katahdin Inn and Suites in Millinocket. We even managed that without a wake up call from Jay at 5:30 – thank you very much. (Jerry had fallen asleep at 8:15 last night.) We headed down to the simple breakfast the motel offered. There we met again the parents of another thru hiker. Talk about instant camaraderie! There were also two other men there who were planning on hiking today. They asked Jerry some of the good questions. ‘What was the best part? At did you enjoy the most? How did you get your wife it let you do this?’ I find it interesting to listen to Jerry talk about his experience. There is excitement, reverence and just a sense of surprise that’s it is over.
After breakfast we headed out of Millinocket, down I-95 towards Acadia National Park. We bought a park pass and drove the Loop Road. Jerry will not be in to walking for some time again, I’m sure. It was beautiful, once again beyond words -the water, the mountains, the trees. Following the road we ended up in Bar Harbor. Many years ago Clair worked there at a gift store. We looked for the store but could not locate it. We did a little walking – I walked, Jerry hobbled. We were thinking about a whale watching tour but decided against it. We decided to stay the night in Bar Harbor and head for Cape Cod on Tuesday.
Following the lead of our good friends we used a coupon that we found in a cheap stay magazine that you can pick up at rest areas. $79 isn’t exactly cheap in our world but we thought we’d go for it although you never know what you’re checking in to. Well, we circled the building twice before we found our ‘coupon room’ number. The # was on the outside wall behind the employee’s entrance. Down the narrow ‘walkway’, through the employee entrance, up the steps, pass the bookcase, we found the door. So here we sit. The room has ‘no view’ thus the coupon room. But wait, there are trees, a bird house, a bird feeder – grant it we have to go out and around the building to see the water but – its dark out no one can see the water at the moment. The room is twice the size of any motel room I’ve ever been in and much larger that the two room cottage the 5 of us stayed in a couple nights ago. The bathroom is about the size of a normal motel room. Dark brown toilet and tub. The tub is bigger than any I’ve ever seen before. Talk about being able to stretch out! A sky light above the tub I’m sure adds a lot during the day – at night it just seems to reflect… Anyway, what a hoot this is!
We enjoyed a glass of wine from a bottle that I picked up in NJ around the end of July and have been carrying around with me ever since. Headed over to dinner where I had a blueberry daiquiri and some beef stew made with Bar Harbor Ale. Who is this person I’ve turned in to?
So here is MY other question that I’m sure someone out there can answer: somewhere in scripture it says something like ‘good measure being filled up, pressed down and flowing over’. So this has been my feeling today but I’d like to know the complete statement to know if it fits the way I feel it does.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
And EUREKA made it !
Jerry called me from the summit at 1:06 on 10/02/10.
He, with the support of friends and family, accomplished his goal. I cannot put in to words how proud I am of him and how grateful I am to all who supported him in any way – prayers, days of hiking together, phone calls, notes, just knowing that you all were standing behind him rooting him on, helping him live his dream. A special ‘Thank You’ to Jay, Judy and Miguel who accompanied him up the last mountain. Jay made it to the top once again as he did with Clair in ’03.
Jerry’s body is somewhat beat up at the moment but he is dealing. We decided to take an extra day of rest here in Millinocket before moving on to – who knows what. For the moment we are free and on our own. Never before experienced this feeling. We’re thinking of taking a few extra days to enjoy the autumn colors of New England and to reconnect before heading home.
Emotions of the day –
Gratitude – for the fact that he was able to accomplish his goal and remain in ‘somewhat’ good physical shape. – for the wonders of natures that he saw and was able to appreciate. – all who supported him from family and friends, fellow hikers, trail angels, operators of the hostels, those who are able to smile and offer a kind word to these seemingly homeless people.
Pride – what a man I was blessed with! - experiencing on some level the joy, struggle, frustration, wonder that he felt. – hearing what other thru-hikers had to say about him with a sense of respect in their voice.
Wonder – as he wandered. Still having to ask him the question ‘why?’ Not in a negative sense but just wanting to know – the ‘why?’of it all.
Love – never felt more connected to Jerry.
Today, after rest, laundry and just hanging out we headed back to Baxter since we are now the proud owners of an annual Baxter State Park Pass. Just to see who might be summiting today and waited with some families who were waiting for their children. Talk about instant connections.
Again there were three moose a Stump Pond and a lot of people with their very fancy cameras.
The most interesting thing was the sounds that came from Jerry almost every time he caught a glimpse of the mountain – giggles of delight, groan of pain and discomfort, sighs of disbelief, sighs of wonder, the question ‘Did I really do this all is it all a dream?’, sounds of awe and wonder.
Tomorrow we’re planning on driving over to the coast to see what we might see – and be grateful for it.
He, with the support of friends and family, accomplished his goal. I cannot put in to words how proud I am of him and how grateful I am to all who supported him in any way – prayers, days of hiking together, phone calls, notes, just knowing that you all were standing behind him rooting him on, helping him live his dream. A special ‘Thank You’ to Jay, Judy and Miguel who accompanied him up the last mountain. Jay made it to the top once again as he did with Clair in ’03.
Jerry’s body is somewhat beat up at the moment but he is dealing. We decided to take an extra day of rest here in Millinocket before moving on to – who knows what. For the moment we are free and on our own. Never before experienced this feeling. We’re thinking of taking a few extra days to enjoy the autumn colors of New England and to reconnect before heading home.
Emotions of the day –
Gratitude – for the fact that he was able to accomplish his goal and remain in ‘somewhat’ good physical shape. – for the wonders of natures that he saw and was able to appreciate. – all who supported him from family and friends, fellow hikers, trail angels, operators of the hostels, those who are able to smile and offer a kind word to these seemingly homeless people.
Pride – what a man I was blessed with! - experiencing on some level the joy, struggle, frustration, wonder that he felt. – hearing what other thru-hikers had to say about him with a sense of respect in their voice.
Wonder – as he wandered. Still having to ask him the question ‘why?’ Not in a negative sense but just wanting to know – the ‘why?’of it all.
Love – never felt more connected to Jerry.
Today, after rest, laundry and just hanging out we headed back to Baxter since we are now the proud owners of an annual Baxter State Park Pass. Just to see who might be summiting today and waited with some families who were waiting for their children. Talk about instant connections.
Again there were three moose a Stump Pond and a lot of people with their very fancy cameras.
The most interesting thing was the sounds that came from Jerry almost every time he caught a glimpse of the mountain – giggles of delight, groan of pain and discomfort, sighs of disbelief, sighs of wonder, the question ‘Did I really do this all is it all a dream?’, sounds of awe and wonder.
Tomorrow we’re planning on driving over to the coast to see what we might see – and be grateful for it.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Where do I begin...Part II
So Judy and I headed for Baxter State Park Wednesday morning after our visit to the Millinocket ER to meet up with Jay, Miguel and eventually Jerry. We found Jay’s car and knew that they were on the trail to meet Jerry. Judy and I started down the trail. We spent a lot of time looking at the mushrooms, fern, and trees. I learnt about ‘trail trees’ from Judy. Trees that the Native Americans pruned in such a way to point to water sources. We ate our lunch sitting on canoes by Grassy Pond. The weather was beautiful the company suburb – Judy, fresh air, beautiful scenery, a lovely pond the size of a large lake in KY. Who could ask for anything more – except that Jerry and company to walk by. We ate and talked and rested on the overturned canoes (they were on land in case anyone was wondering.) We decided to start walking again and made it about a total of 2 miles in before I caught sight of EUERKA! What a sight! And what a hug! The moment I was looking forward to for a long time…..
Wednesday night Jay and Miguel camped and Judy, Jerry and I opted for a motel room.
Thursday morning we headed for the park. Expectations were high! As we pulled up to the gate the ranger excused herself to take the daily weather report. She came back with the news of ‘2/3 of a perfect storm was coming in’. ‘Never in 5 years of working here have we had this situation’. So we continued back to the campsite to meet the other two. Two deer crossed the road. On the way we past Stump Pond – a Pond full of stumps, thus the name. As we passed the pond there were three moose grazing in the pond. What a treat!
When we reached the campsite the thru hikers had gathered around Jay’s fire. What next? Nothing to do but wait. Some of the hikers were running low on food. We emptied our food bags that were in the car, laying things out on the hood of Jay’s car. The hood became like an altar. The hikers were happy.
So now, we’re waiting.
Jerry had developed a pain in his right hip. He was having a hard time walking. So when bad weather moved in perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. The original plan was to summit on Thursday. The weather gods had other plans. The ranger at the gate said that they were predicting 2-5 inches of rain and winds of 70+mph. The mountain was closed. No ifs, ands, or buts. Friday brought the same news. The mountain was off limits. Winds of + 70 again. Heavy rain. There was a report of a tornado in town here with trees down. Judy and Jay had gone out for a walk and experienced the high winds and heavy rain in person.
Oh, but wait, let’s back up to Thursday evening when the 5 of us spent a night in a tiny two bedroom cabin with a small bathroom. Ah, the night sounds. When Jerry got up in the morning he wanted to go for a walk. His hip was still bothering him. We walked for about 30 minutes. He was in pain. And tension was increasing when he considered if he could actually finish the hike. Since we knew it would not happen on Friday we decided the best thing was to revisit the ER this time with Jerry as the patient. The personnel were great. The doctor ordered x-rays. They decided there was no bone damage either to his hip or his right elbow – oh, didn’t I mention that, bursitis had set in after a fall a couple of weeks ago. Leaving a very sore elbow trying to work a trekking pole. The doctor said that a few days rest would be great but he also knew that Jerry wanted to finish. An anti-inflammatory med and some Tylenol to hold him over, Jerry left with the assurance that no permanent damage would be done if he did in fact finish on Saturday.
Friday was a down day, a day or rest, laundry and recuperation.
So, here we sit waiting to see what the weather will bring tomorrow. There is a rather large collection of thru-hikers also waiting at Baxter. We’re the lucky ones. Besides an okay motel room (actually two) we have family and friends here to support us. GO EUREKA!
Wednesday night Jay and Miguel camped and Judy, Jerry and I opted for a motel room.
Thursday morning we headed for the park. Expectations were high! As we pulled up to the gate the ranger excused herself to take the daily weather report. She came back with the news of ‘2/3 of a perfect storm was coming in’. ‘Never in 5 years of working here have we had this situation’. So we continued back to the campsite to meet the other two. Two deer crossed the road. On the way we past Stump Pond – a Pond full of stumps, thus the name. As we passed the pond there were three moose grazing in the pond. What a treat!
When we reached the campsite the thru hikers had gathered around Jay’s fire. What next? Nothing to do but wait. Some of the hikers were running low on food. We emptied our food bags that were in the car, laying things out on the hood of Jay’s car. The hood became like an altar. The hikers were happy.
So now, we’re waiting.
Jerry had developed a pain in his right hip. He was having a hard time walking. So when bad weather moved in perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. The original plan was to summit on Thursday. The weather gods had other plans. The ranger at the gate said that they were predicting 2-5 inches of rain and winds of 70+mph. The mountain was closed. No ifs, ands, or buts. Friday brought the same news. The mountain was off limits. Winds of + 70 again. Heavy rain. There was a report of a tornado in town here with trees down. Judy and Jay had gone out for a walk and experienced the high winds and heavy rain in person.
Oh, but wait, let’s back up to Thursday evening when the 5 of us spent a night in a tiny two bedroom cabin with a small bathroom. Ah, the night sounds. When Jerry got up in the morning he wanted to go for a walk. His hip was still bothering him. We walked for about 30 minutes. He was in pain. And tension was increasing when he considered if he could actually finish the hike. Since we knew it would not happen on Friday we decided the best thing was to revisit the ER this time with Jerry as the patient. The personnel were great. The doctor ordered x-rays. They decided there was no bone damage either to his hip or his right elbow – oh, didn’t I mention that, bursitis had set in after a fall a couple of weeks ago. Leaving a very sore elbow trying to work a trekking pole. The doctor said that a few days rest would be great but he also knew that Jerry wanted to finish. An anti-inflammatory med and some Tylenol to hold him over, Jerry left with the assurance that no permanent damage would be done if he did in fact finish on Saturday.
Friday was a down day, a day or rest, laundry and recuperation.
So, here we sit waiting to see what the weather will bring tomorrow. There is a rather large collection of thru-hikers also waiting at Baxter. We’re the lucky ones. Besides an okay motel room (actually two) we have family and friends here to support us. GO EUREKA!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Where do I begin to tell the story.....Part I
10/2 –We (Jay, Miguel, and myself) took off Monday morning, Sept 27th, about 5:00 a.m. Headed to Bangor to meet up with Judy. We arrived at Judy’s late afternoon. Enjoyed a delicious dinner of Katahdin Potato Soup and salad. Next morning we headed out again about 5:00 a.m.. Headed to Bethlehem, N.H. to pick up the van. The guys at the farm assured me that they had all the pigs moved out of the van and that it was ‘sort of’ cleaned up. We arrived in time to use their picnic table for lunch. The van started up the first time after sitting for about 3 weeks. The mess I had left looked like the pigs could have made. It was good to see the guys at the farm again but it was also good to put that chapter behind me. Then off to Millinocket, ME. Judy and I were in the van and Jay and Miguel in Jay’s car. The men were hoping to get to Baxter State Park in time to camp there for the night. They made it with 10 minutes to spare. Judy and I planned on whimping out at a motel. We felt that was the better choice. So the 10/2 = 10 states in 2 days. But then wait; let’s add on the 4 states that I did with Karen 2 days before this journey began. What a whirlwind.
ER – the new season. So Tuesday night Judy and I are in a motel in Millinocket. We were probably the only two people there. Somehow the driving on I-95 in the dark with on other traffic and checking into this deserted motel we felt like we had entered the twilight zone. Oh, well. It was fairly clean. We had a light supper at the Chinese restaurant connected to the motel. Again we were the only ones there. Judy and I hit the sack early. We were planning on meeting up with Jerry the next day. Around 1:00 a.m. I woke up, my tongue was swollen and I felt like I was having trouble swallowing. This had happened a few days earlier also so I kind of ruled out the Chinese food. I decided to sit up for a while. About 2:00 Judy woke up and I asked her to go to the emergency room with me. The swelling was getting worst and I was worried that if I waited it might affect our plans to meet up with Jerry later that day or that my airway might close up. So with the help of our GPS we found the hospital (in a roundabout way). The nurse and PA were wonderful. They agreed that I was probably having an allergic reaction of some kind. I came away with a prescription and a sore hip. By 3:30 we were back in bed.
Stay tune for part II
ER – the new season. So Tuesday night Judy and I are in a motel in Millinocket. We were probably the only two people there. Somehow the driving on I-95 in the dark with on other traffic and checking into this deserted motel we felt like we had entered the twilight zone. Oh, well. It was fairly clean. We had a light supper at the Chinese restaurant connected to the motel. Again we were the only ones there. Judy and I hit the sack early. We were planning on meeting up with Jerry the next day. Around 1:00 a.m. I woke up, my tongue was swollen and I felt like I was having trouble swallowing. This had happened a few days earlier also so I kind of ruled out the Chinese food. I decided to sit up for a while. About 2:00 Judy woke up and I asked her to go to the emergency room with me. The swelling was getting worst and I was worried that if I waited it might affect our plans to meet up with Jerry later that day or that my airway might close up. So with the help of our GPS we found the hospital (in a roundabout way). The nurse and PA were wonderful. They agreed that I was probably having an allergic reaction of some kind. I came away with a prescription and a sore hip. By 3:30 we were back in bed.
Stay tune for part II
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