One last....

….sunrise over the ocean.  One last dolphin sighting.  One last walk on the beach.

The dolphins were fairly close as they let me walk with them down the beach.  They were playful as some of them breached and slapped their tails.  What a treat!!

There were fewer and fewer people on the beach for the sunrise as the week progressed.  There was one young man however who always arrived a few steps ahead or behind me each day.  He was a runner.  The last day I found him just sitting on the sand with his camera.  My hope was that he hadn’t hurt anything but was enjoying things from a different perspective.  Sure hope his pictures turn out.

We decided, after watching the sunrise to head for home a day early.  We’ve been gone about 9 ½ weeks and it was time to return to the nest.   We got a later start than usual.  Traffic was heavy the first part of the day and it was rainy the latter part of the day.  We made it home safe and sound with yet another adventure under our belts.

For these and all our gifts, we give thanks.

August 3

Should have ended it when it ended.

That was the way I felt last night when I was trying to get to sleep in the Virginia Beach KOA Campground.  It was your typical couple hundred site campground.  Mega RVs, medium RVs, 5^th wheels, pop-ups, tents of every shape and size, cabins, deluxe cabins and super deluxe cabins.  Anything you could want.  The only thing was that you were not allowed to sleep in your van or car – go figure.  We managed to get through the night, although I think I fell asleep about 4:00.  Jack blew the bugle about 5:00 so that we could leave by 5:30 and get him to the airport by 6:00 in time for his 8:00 flight.  So we lost one Coaster to USAir.  The rest of us headed South to Virginia Beach where we connected up with more relatives for a week  of fun and frolic.

So now it is August 6^th.  My how time flies!  I’ve managed to get up every morning for sunrise and one dolphin sighting.  The weather is the weather – somewhat wet, sometimes sunny.  Had good food and a night at a restaurant last e evening.   Some people when to visit Yorktown today.  Since we were just there for 3 days last week I decided to stay back.  Thinking of jeans, long sleeve shirt and the beach.  A different combination.

It Happened on Wednesday !!!

 I had taken the longer scenic road in to Yorktown instead of I-64.  Met up with the guys along the way.  Found my way to the Victory Memorial which was on the top of a hill.  It kind of makes me wonder – the official beginning and end of the route were at places close to the water but  nowhere near where a person could dip their bike wheel in to the water – which is suppose to be the tradition.   While I was waiting for the guys I wondered around town for awhile and ended up sitting by the waterfront.  There is a beach where people were swimming in the river.  As I sat and watch the kids a thought came to me.  The guys would be dipping their wheels later in the day.  But wait a minute I was a part of this team also (I think, at least in my head).  I realized that it would not be a good idea for me to dip the front van wheels in the water, so I dipped my feet.  And I took a picture also.  I only wish I had done the same on the day we started the adventure.  Guess I have to go back and do it all again (NOT!)

At preset we are guests of Grace Episcopal Church in Yorktown.  There is a house next to the church that is used for meetings, Sunday School, etc.  When it is not being used they open it up to bikers.  Even though there were fresh linens on the bed last evening we all chose to sleep on our air mattresses on the floor.  

Since we do not need to be anywhere until Saturday we are staying over another night in the warmth and dryness of the house.  There was another biker here last evening Dave from Portland.  He had just gotten back in December from serving 2 years in the Peace Corp in Africa.  Interesting guy to say the least.  He was headed back to Richmond VA in order to ship his bike home and begin a trip by bus and train up the east coast in order to visit friends.  It was a rainy morning so Jerry and I offered to drive him to Richmond.  It was about 90 minutes each way but time well spent.  At least on the way there.  On the way home we tried for about 45 minutes to locate a grocery story.  By the time we did we were both pretty tired cranky and needing to get out of the car.  But it is all good now.  Jeff and Jerry are at the Pub again.  The sun is coming out and I’m, thinking of a walk.

I hope I’m able to reflect on the trip a little more as time goes on but for now this is all I have.

Thanks for following along with me.  Thanks for your support and prayers.  Stay tune for more updates since this blog is not just about the bike trip.  The bike trip just happens to be what my life has been about for the last 2 months.  I'll probably be back 'on the move' tomorrow.