May 31, 2011. Artemas, PA. Almost Complete.

After one load to Goodwill and another to the re-cycle, our new life at the farm will begin.   I am thrilled with our progress.   Now the farm looks like home, not our weekend place in the country.    The pictures are all hung, also the family photographs.   And the photos that were sitting on the table in the library are distributed around the house on various chests and tables.  The laundry room is certainly unusual with family pictures gracing the walls.  It is spectacular.  I might even iron!!

Of course, we are not perfect.  The Internet man could not fix the dish, but he will return tomorrow  to bring a new dish.  Evidently, the storm zapped it.  And Pete is working on our electrical problems as we speak, so soon we will be perfect.  When the weather gets cooler, we will burn all our trash, then we will be done with organizing and get on with our life.

We arrived at noon on Friday, and now the house is in order.  Only Ken's two desks need his attention.   It has taken us four days to make sense out of our mess.   I am interested with the compulsion to get things in order.  We visited a friend who is 86 who had not organized her space for twenty years  and here we are, working like crazy people all day to put our place in order.   Perhaps seeing her unkempt home when in Galveston has spurred us along to a state of   calm.  Anyway, I am pleased with our progress.  Now we are done!!

May 30, 2011. Artemas, PA. Friends.

By Saturday evening, we were done in, but we  still working to organize the stuff in the house, when in walk our friends Diana and Gary, just to see if we had arrived at the farm.   After meeting and greeting, they suggested that we stop work and come to dinner at Rocky Gap Resort, which we did.  It was just what we needed.  Nothing raises your spirits than seeing old friends.

Then last evening we dined with them again, but this time on the deck of their home in the country, just a mile up the road.  The evening was beautiful and we watched the sunset while eating Fahitas.  Now they must return to the city so we must cook for ourselves but it was a lovely break from our efforts, to talk and laugh and recall all our happy days together.  Their youngest son goes to college in the Fall.  How does the time pass.

May 29, 2011. Dickie Creek Farm, Artemas, PA. Work, Work, Work.

Our list is getting shorter.  Even I am amazed with our productivity.   The screen porch is empty of all stuff except porch furniture.   All the pictures have been hung on the main level and most on the lower floor.  I ran put of picture hooks but Diana D.  gave me some tonight so I will finish tomorrow morning.  All the cases from our trip have been packed away.  Ken has the TV running, also the DVD and  CD machines working well.    So we are making real progress.  I have three bags of stuff to donate to Goodwill, plus the coffee table and rug.  And I have  boxes ready for Texas, Mississippi and Nova Scotia.

Now after completing the picture hanging tomorrow morning, I will begin to organize  the drawers for both Ken and me.  It is a big job, but it must be done.  We have our old farm clothes in one place, and the condo clothes in their old chests, which means we are all mixed up.  Soon I will meld the two together, which will mean that we will not be able to find anything.

Now, the real question is what is driving us to get organized.  We arrived on Thursday at noon and have worked every day until midnight, getting this place in order.  By dinner time tonight I could not get up from the chair at dinner.  It is a very interesting question.

May 28, 2011. Artemas, PA. Troubles, Troubles.

 This has never happened to us before.   Everything at the farm looked wonderful.  The fields and the woods were lush with foliage.   But inside the house, not much was working.   No Internet connection via our satellite.  The company will be out on Tuesday to check the dish.  No television, using our new portable satellite dish.  It worked for about fifteen minutes last evening.  Today, Ken moved the dome and brought the cable in through the window, and now we are up and running.  And the water was not running when we arrived.   A quick re-set to the circuit breaker and all was well.

No hot water too.  Thursday evening there was a terrible storm, with another one last evening.  We have two bathrooms without light, plus no hot water at all in the house.  Of course, with a holiday weekend, no electrician will be able to come out for a service call until Tuesday.  But we do have electricity, thus  air conditioning.  Ken reminded me last night when going to bed that our house did not burn down in the bad storm, neither did it blow away.

The storm last evening was fierce.  It was the worst storm I have ever experienced.   Rain and wind and hail, along with thunder and lightning, all so loud that you can not hear anything else.  But we weathered the storm.  And I will shower in the farm house tomorrow.

May 26, 2011. Gassaway, West Virginia. A Great Drive.

Highway 77 is a wonderful highway, right through the valley into West Virginia.  Often, we drive right north on Highway 81 to Winchester, then take 322 to Hancock and then on to the farm.  Today we went the GPS way, which takes us north at Wytheville on 77, then  north through the center of West Virginia on 19, back north on 79 up to Morgantown, finally east on 68 to the farm.    It has been a pretty drive.

Highway 81 takes you right up the Valley, east of the mountains, so it is very pretty but the traffic is fierce.  It is constant trucks, almost like a truck convoy, so we elected to drive on a less travelled road even though most of the roads were interstate highways.  Again, we drove for five and one half hours and after a good night sleep and a good breakfast we will be at the farm by noon.  Then we will begin the hard work!!

May 25, 2011. Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Pavilion.

It is a beautiful spot, right beside a creek in the middle of a dense forest.   The owners of The Buckberry Creek Resort have built a beautiful open pavilion with a corner fireplace along with various sitting areas close to the creek.  The temperature by the creek in the forest was 78 degrees.  When we left our room at the top, it was almost ninety.  We were counting on shade and cool, once we got into the forest.

Now we are  walkers but we are level walkers, while the hike from the resort to The Pavilion was right down the mountain.  Fortunately they had placed the trail in such a way that we were able to handle all the switchbacks on the way down, but it was still a steep hike down to the creek.  Ken and I were enjoying the creek noise and the bird sounds, relaxing in the Adirondack chairs just placed for our enjoyment but wondering how on earth we would get ourselves up the steep climb when a wonderful thing happened.  We heard a motor,  then a vehicle appeared and a young man from the resort offered us a ride up to the top on a secret road up the other side.  Whew.  We were delighted to jump in the truck.  But we loved sitting by the creek.

Buckberry B

Buckberry A

The Magnolia State

May 24, 2011. Gatlingurg, Tennessee. A Wonderful Spot.

Our little home up in the trees is lovely,  called The Crows Nest and decorated with many crows.  We have a large lamp made of a ceramic crow, and a small cabinet on the wall with outlines of crows on the door.  In addition, there is a crow sculpture on top of the refrigerator.  It is all quite charming and rustic but equally modern and tasteful.  We are enjoying it.

Last evening, I took a restful bath in the large Jacuzzi tub, which was fine until I was ready to get out.  The back of the tub, which was comfortable for resting due to the steep slope,  gave you nothing to push against to get out.  Of course, I was up to my armpits with water.  And Ken was concerned because the step down from the tub to the floor was steep and he did not want me to slip.  Fortunately, the tub was wide enough to turn over, which I did, so once I was on my knees, I was soon back on dry land.  Today, I will have a shower.

Perfect weather, here in The Smokies.  Cool breeze, warm air.  Later in the day we will walk in the woods...maybe.

May 23, 2011. Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Great Camp of the Smokies.

It is called The Lodge at Buckberry Creek.  We like it, but getting here was quite a trip.  We elected to drive  the scenic route.  Unfortunately, I was driving almost the whole way through the mountains, all on very windy narrow roads.  It seemed to go on forever, but finally Ken took over when my two hours were up,  so he drove the rest of the way to the resort.  The lodge is new but built in the rustic style so it is quite comfortable.  Actually, there are three separate buildings, one the office and dining room, one larger older building and finally, the one we call home.

We live in The Crow's Nest, up three flights of stairs, but overlooking a high mountain, above the level of the tops of the trees.  It is everything we might want and need.  And we brought three bottles of wine.

Gatlinburg is a center of crafts and musicians, so perhaps we will check it out one day but after today's drive through the mountains, we might just stay here at the lodge and enjoy the clean air and the countryside.  One thing for sure, we will depart a different route!!

May 22, 2011. Gadsden, Alabama. Traveling.

The truck was loaded and the condo was tidy when we met Christina, Andrew and the girls for brunch at the yacht club.   After a delicious meal, we were on the road by 12:15.    Ken drove his allotted two hours, followed by me for another two, and soon after one more change of drivers, we stopped for the night north of Birmingham.  I am so impressed with the choice of motels in these smaller cities and towns.    We are in a Comfort Suite, with a sitting area and a desk.  Wonderful facilities for $80.

Now we have less than four hours to drive tomorrow.  Our route will take us along a small scenic way,  right through the Smokey Mountains, ending at Gatlinberg.  The day was hot but in the car it was comfortable so we enjoyed the day.  Now Ken is trying to find his cork screw so we can enjoy a relaxing glass of wine.

We are always torn when we say goodbye to the family.  Our stay in Jackson was lovely.  On the other hand, we love to get to the next place.    So here we are, hitting the road once again, and enjoying it too.

May 21, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Afternoon Swim.

Backyard pools are so nice.  Linda, Christina's Mother,  invited us over to swim in her pool, so after Molly's nap, we took her up on her kind invitation.   Just Kate, Molly, and Christina and I went to swim.  Ken hates getting into cool water and Andrew was working in the yard, and Mary Frances was not feeling too well.  The day was hot and sunny, a perfect day for a swim.

Molly was the first one in the water, followed by Kate.  Christina was forced to get wet, as Molly had to be looked after, but it took me a while to get used to the cool water.  Linda's pool is mainly in the shade, which in the heat of the summer is great, but at the beginning of the summer the water is cool.  It was a pleasant swim for all, once you get used to the temperature.

One thing was brought to my mind, and that is,  I still miss our own pool.  It is so pleasant to swim in your own private back yard.  I would love to have our Franklin Street pool somewhere else.   But...you can't have everything!!

May 20, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Recital.

It was  a surprise to discover such a high level performance.  The evening was billed as a ballet recital but it wasn't really that at all.  It was a full blown ballet, with a story and a narrator and several stars, along with the various groups of students.   There was a Queen and a wayward girl and gorgeous colorful costumes.  But the most impressive thing was that all the dancers performed perfectly, each dancing to their own level.  It was a huge task to choreograph all the groups, but then to link the whole together was quite a feat.  I was very impressed.

And of course, Kate and Mary Frances danced their parts very well.  Mary Frances was a bluebird and Kate  a servant to the queen.  Both girls have improved their ballet so much, that even a novice such as me was impressed.  It was so much fun to watch the whole show, but especially watching the girls dance.

Who would have ever thought that Jackson was a main center for the ballet.  Two major schools of dance are housed here, both of which have a permanent company of dancers.   The school that the girls attend takes it's task seriously, requiring hair pulled back and  full leotard all the time.  The teachers work the girls hard, which certainly showed in the recital.   It was a top level production, from first to last.  I loved watching , and more importantly, the girls loved dancing in the show.  Molly can't wait to put on her own costume.

Neighbors

Ready to Dance

May 19, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. Broken Bones.

Sarah is thirteen and was looking forward to a summer of activity.   Six weeks of the swim team first, followed by camp, with her focus on Volleyball.  The rest of the summer to be spent at the lake, swimming, water skiing and kayaking.  But no more.

She fell and broke her right arm, both bones of her forearm.   The arm was set by surgery, but did not require pins, even though her arm was in a very peculiar angle.  By manipulation and x rays, her arm is in the correct alignment.  Now she must be still for a few days, until she gets a hard cast, which she will keep for eight weeks, to be followed by four weeks of a light cast.  The forearm is tricky as the bones rotate as you turn the wrist, and she is growing, so they want to be sure that her bones are well healed.  So no water sports for Sarah in the summer of 2011.

It could have been worse.  A broken bone would have been more cumbersome, or she could have hit her head on the rock that tripped her up.  Now she will find a bit of gold through out this summer.  She has started out on the right way, suggesting to her Mother that she would become much better with her left hand dribbling.  I am sure she will find other things too.

May 18, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. Objects.

There is a small Persian rug just inside the door of our condo here in Jackson.  The colors have some blue and brown and white and is very pleasant to the eye but not dramatic.  Every time I look at that rug I smile, because that rug is the first Persian rug we ever purchased, just at the time when we were "doing" our little home for the first time with something other than used furniture.  We purchased it when living in our first home on Lancaster Drive.  It has been with us ever since, in every home.

Every object in our home has it's own history, known mostly to me.  I couldn't possibly relate all the stories.  Who would care?  But someday, I will tell the girls about that little rug, and perhaps, when they walk over it, they will smile too.

May 17, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. Medical Services.

When you move from one town to another, you must seek out new medical services, so you talk to friends,  look up doctors and dentists, and one by one, you end up with good professionals who are competent and who you trust.  One option for us was to keep our doctors and dentist in Bethesda, and just drive down from the farm for an appointment, but we selected a different path.  Once we sold our apartment, we wanted to be gone in every sense of the word, not returning several times a year.

We thought and we talked and finally decided that the only place where there were excellent facilities and ease of appointments was Jackson Mississippi.  In other places we live, it is a forty-five minute drive to the doctor and when there, you are dealing with a small regional hospital.   The Mississippi School of Medicine is housed in Jackson, so the services are excellent and the population is small, so we chose to use Jackson as the spot where we will meet the medical community.

Today we will begin.  Ken and I both have appointments with Dr. Cotton, a Cardiologist, where we must take in our medications plus a long list of medical procedures.  Now the problem will be that I , by design, do not recall  the date of any of my difficulties.  At my age, they will think I am losing my memory, but really, I have just blotted out from my memory anything that is unpleasant.   But they will not believe me.

Tomorrow I meet my new Internist.  It will be interesting.

May 16, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Goslings.

There are several pairs of Canada Geese on the reservoir where we live.  When we arrived, we were delighted to see four goslings swimming along between their parents, all in a row.  They were small with light color fluffy feathers.  That was ten days ago.  How quickly they have grown.  Now they are darker and almost as big as the adults but with smaller wings.  They still swim along in a row, always between the parents.  It is a lovely sight.

This morning Ken spotted four new goslings, much smaller than the last ones.  No doubt about it,  they are very cute.  But I bet all the permanent residents are not as pleased as me.  One pair of Canada Geese at the farm was charming but ten pair makes for a big mess, so I suspect something will be done about these geese, unless they migrate north.  But I like seeing the little goslings.  Just clean up the mess.

May 15, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. Troubles, Troubles.

Within ten minutes  I received two calls.  The first was from my sister-in-law Wilma who lives in Brandon, Manitoba with Ken's younger brother Keith.   Keith had been successful with his treatment for melanoma and was cancer free for six years, until now.  His latest scan showed spots on the brain, lungs and liver, and the call was to tell us that the cancer had returned but now in the three different spots.  In addition, Keith has pulmonary emboli which he was shedding.  Not good news.

The next call was from my brother Dave to tell me that my sister Carol had been taken to the hospital with shortness of breath and a persistent cough.  At first she was taken to the closest place, a clinic in Chester, but the next morning she was moved to the hospital in Owen Sound, in the cardiac care unit, where she remains to this day.   She has had at least one heart attack and perhaps too and we know there is damage to the heart.  But we don't know how much and we don't know what caused the attack.  We know it is not good.

Troubles, troubles.  I guess it is our age.

May 12, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. A Language Problem.

I was speaking English, and the man in the restaurant was speaking English, but neither or us could understand what we were saying to each other.   It was un-nerving but true.  Ken and I were in Mayersville,  in the heart of the delta, an area made famous by the blues, when we stopped for lunch at the only restaurant in town.  It had a sign outside that read "Hot meals every day".  So in we went.

It took me three times of trying to place my order, but I was  stumped when he asked me a question which I could not understand.   I had to ask him three times to repeat his question, but I still had no clue to what he was asking.  Finally I called for Ken, who on the first request understood that the man wanted me to tell him whether we wanted the fish sandwiches on bread or a bun.  So Ken said "a bun", and we were home free.

Ken thinks I must speak slowly to the natives of Mississippi, especially when I am in a small rural community inhabited by mostly black people.  The food was great and the price was right, but next time I will speak very slowly and pay close attention to the words of the proprietor.   Or maybe next time I will have developed a Mississippi accent.

May 13, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. A Special Dinner.

It was everything a three and a half year old could want.  Parents and grandparents and no big sisters, dining in a Japanese restaurant, where the food just kept coming.  Molly loved it.  Being an only child suited Molly...at least for the one evening.

We ordered quickly and the soup arrived immediately.  Molly ate two portions.  Actually, she drank two portions, hers and Andrew's,  eating  soup the Japanese style of eating miso soup from the bowl.  Soon the salad arrived, followed in order,  dumplings then chicken on a stick.  Finally, Molly's dinner came in a box, with a variety of food, which she proceeded to eat the whole thing, including the cabbage.

We even indulged ourselves with dessert.   And we got home before the big girls arrived from their rehearsal.  It was a very special dinner, with just Molly.

Sandbags and Levees

Mississippi Rising

May 11, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Big River.

The Mississippi River is flooding.   The river continues to rise.  Today, Ken and I went to see what it looks like with the river so high.  Directly, we drove to Vicksburg and followed the river north.  For a spell just north of town, we drove right alongside the river, with the railroad tracks between us and the river, except the track was already under water.   Soon that road will close, as the river is still rising.

It is a mighty river now.  As we wandered north through the delta,  parallel to the river,  on several occasions we walked up on the levees to see the height of the water.  The most interesting part was that on the levee side nothing was happening.  No sand bags, except around all the electrical installations, just normal farming activities.  In the river towns, all the Casinos are closed and in Greenville whole areas close to the river are under water.  It was quite a sight.  These folks have great faith in the levees.

We tried to drive along the Yazoo River but the road was under water by many feet.  It is a question of Mother Nature taking charge.

May 10, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. Schuckers.

It is everything you want in a neighborhood restaurant.   It is close to home, perhaps a five  minute drive.  The place is beyond casual.  And the food is surprisingly good.  Tonight we were late shopping as we got caught up in an interesting glitch with our Verizon service for our new IPad 2, so it was past eight when we headed home.  Ken felt like fish so on the way wondered if Schuckers would be open for dinner.

The answer came quickly when we drove into their packed parking lot.  People were eating and drinking and hanging out with their friends.  A live  group were playing music loudly inside,  so we elected to sit out on the large deck along with  many other folks.  We sat at the bar and drank beer and ate oysters, with gumbo to follow.   The evenings are beautiful in Jackson so we enjoyed sitting on the deck soaking in some local color.  So nice to have a funky restaurant close to home.

May 9, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. A Sunday Morning Walk.

The grounds here at our condo are beautiful, well maintained with lots of variety in the plantings.  After a Mother's Day breakfast of bacon and English muffins, Ken and I went for a walk all around the grounds.  We walked along the shore, watching the ducks and geese as we went,  and admired all the flowering shrubs.  Our knowledge of the local trees and bushes is poor so we must invest in resource books.

The day was perfect for a walk.  Three folks sitting on their patio were enjoying the outdoors too.  Two men were in bathing suits stretched out on lounge chairs in full sun getting a tan while the lady was reading a newspaper smoking a cigarette.  They spoke very pleasantly to us as we walked by, but we did wonder why they were working so hard on cancer both from within and without.

After our return to our condo, we took two chairs over by the water under the tree and enjoyed looking at the water as we drank a glass of water.   Neither of us knew what tree we were sitting under.  But we still enjoyed the view.

The Vegetable Garden and Haircut in the Shadows

May 8, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Hair Cut.

It started as a way to save money.  Andrew cut his own hair.  He did it in the bathroom, using his  old clippers which had no guard.  In order to get both sides even, he just kept on clipping, so that,  eventually , he was almost bald.  And the back was totally bald because it is difficult to see the back of your head without a mirror.  Andrew loved it but the ladies of the family objected.   Finally, after much discussion, Christina agreed to cut Andrew's hair in the backyard.  Ken contributed to the process by giving Andrew a new set of clippers complete with all the sizes for a proper cut.

This afternoon was the day.  Molly was out with Linda, the other grandmother, so we all trooped into the backyard to watch Christina cut Andrew's hair.   A lot of hair was cut off.   But I must say, Christina did a good job.  Now Andrew looks spiffy and certainly is not bald!!

May 7, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Furniture Store.

We walked into the furniture store looking like  poor relations.  I was wearing my Road Kill Cafe T shirt, in an extra extra large size that reached mid thigh so perhaps the young man thought we had no business walking into this nice store.   I asked if they had any Queen sized head boards.  Not the whole bed but just the head board.  He said "no, we only sell the whole bed".   We almost left, but Ken wanted the rest room, so the young man who told us no, directed us to the restrooms, which were at the back of the store.

Ken and I met after our bathroom break and Ken suggested we just look at the beds anyway.  Another young man saw us hesitating and came over to offer his assistance.  He informed us that any of the beds which are shown as a full bed can also be sold as component parts.  In other words, on any of the beds, we could buy just the head board.

After chatting with the pleasant young man, he showed us all their beds, and how to attach the headboard to the bed frame.  We decided to buy the whole bed.  I asked if he was on commission and I was surprised with his answer.  He said, "I only get paid when I sell something.  I am on 100% commission".

Now I wonder about the first salesman.

Moody Gardens in the Mist

Galveston Misc

Galveston Houses

May 6, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. The Natchez Trace.

The speed limit is 50 mph, all the way from Natchez to Nashville.   Yesterday we drove a small part of the way home to the condo.  It is a lovely quiet drive.   The road is excellent with wide swatches of grass on either side of the highway, with high trees behind the grass.  And everything was green, thanks to the rain, the abundant rain.  It was the opposite to the drive to the ranch in Texas, where all you saw was brown, due to the lack of rain.

In the olden days, the barges down the Mississippi River would unload their cargo at New Orleans.  But the barge driver was forced to walk back up north, so The Natchez Trace became the best road for returning to pick up yet another load on the next barge.  It was a dangerous walk.  Eventually it became a road,  then a National Driveway, so now it is beautifully maintained the whole way.  For long periods of time it becomes boring, but for an hour or so, it is a delight.  Once we drove from Jackson to Tupelo on The Trace, which was just a bit too far, but yesterday, at the end of our drive from Galveston it was lovely.

May 5, 2011. Jackson, Mississippi. Driving Again.

We drove on the roads less travelled.  It was worth an extra hour.  Our route took us from the south-west corner of Louisiana at an angle, to Monroe, driving on good roads but roads that had very little traffic.  It was pleasant and scenic and we still arrived at the condo by 1:00.   We were surprised at the amount of lumbering in that part of the state.  The trees were big and the farms looked prosperous.  There were houses along every highway and they all looked neat and tidy.

After taking our belongings into the condo, we went to have tea with Christina and the girls, sitting outside on the furniture Andrew just gave to Christina for her birthday.  It is always exciting to see the girls even though we had only been gone for a month.   Today was ballet lessons, so we got to see them dressed like ballerinas and I must say, they look beautiful.  In ten days we get to attend their dance recital.  I am excited to see them dance.  But for now, we will enjoy the wonderful weather in Jackson.

May 4, 2011, Natchitoches, La. Galveston.

Galveston looks marvelous.   The homes have been spruced up and painted  after Hurricane Ike in 2008.     When we lived there, the city was full of big old oak trees.  The drive into the island down Broadway was spectacular, due to the oak trees and the palm trees and the very wide street.  The hurricane killed 80% of the oak trees  but left the palm trees, so now the place looks a bit sparse.  The good thing is that you get a better look at the lovely old homes.  Years ago, all you saw was the big houses.  Now you can enjoy the little ones too.

Most homes have a garage at the back of the yard, with an apartment built over the garage.   They are  cute.    I do not know who does the painting, but the paint jobs are top drawer.   Even the gates and fences are beutifully done.

When the oak trees died, some clever person hired an artist to sculpt statues out of the stumps.  As you drive around very slowly you see a dog leaning on the fence, a mermaid, two herons,  a bear,  a big rabbit and many more.  It is a perfect example of what can be done with a disaster.

Between 1900 and 1960 Galveston lost population, so all the old homes built after the Civil War were left in place with no push to bulldoze them to build new high rise apartments.  Now you get to see these beautiful homes all fixed up and looking wonderful.

May 3, 2011. Galveston, Texas. Day After Day.

Every day is a wonderful day.  Yesterday we crossed over on the ferry to the Bolivar peninsula, the area that received the direct hit from Hurricane Ike.   Dolphins accompanied us on the journey along with the laughing gulls.  We visited Joyce and Robbie at their lovely home on the canal, very close to the Intra-coastal canal.  Their home has been all spruced up and restored from the damage from Ike, and now it looks like a new home.  Many homes have not been rebuilt so the neighborhoods look a bit sparse.  Our day was lovely, talking and eating and  enjoying ourselves.

Today Marilyn and Richard and Tupin came down for the day from Houston.   Again we talked and talked, ate lunch at our apartment, walked the beach in the afternoon and dined in another great restaurant,"Willie G's" with the five of us and Alice Anne.  We all knew each other from years ago but you would never know we had not seen each other for years.  It was great sport.

It has been one wonderful day followed by another wonderful day here in Galveston.  But this will soon end.  After lunch with Alice Anne and the DeGroot's tomorrow,  we will depart the island and begin our journey to Jackson.  Now Ken and I just must visit Marilyn and Richard in Colorado during the summer.  Perhaps in the Fall of 2012.

May 2, 2011. Galveston, Texas. Alice Anne.

Alice Anne is a good friend.  We met in 1964, when we both moved into the same apartment complex close to the Medical School,  Alice Anne a pediatric resident and Ken a resident in internal medicine.  We have been good friends ever since even though we moved from Galveston in 1970.

Once when she was visiting us in Nova Scotia, we drove down to Brier Island, specifically to take the boat trip out to see the whales and the puffins.    Every motel was full, except for one room with two beds, so we took it.  Alice Anne was so keen to see those puffins that she was willing to sleep in the same room with us.  First thing the next morning, we were up bright and early to catch the boat at 7:00 only to find that the trip was cancelled due to fog and heavy seas.  Alice Anne has yet to see her puffin.   Perhaps next time she visits us we will plan to stay in Brier Island two or three days, so the weather can clear up.

We have had a wonderful time here with her, touring the island and hearing of the destruction done by Ike.  But the best part was seeing her  home, all light and bright and lovely.  You can't beat good taste and money and you can't beat getting together with good friends.

May 1, 2011. Galveston, Texas. My Cousin Diane.

Diane has been important  throughout my whole life, but now she is important only in my memories.  She died in Vancouver on Friday.  Until recently, she appeared to be in good health, but she collapsed at the swimming pool a week ago.  After surgery, she seemed to be recovering, but she died in her sleep, at age 81.  Now the number is shrinking, who can discuss with me my parents, Auntie Ila (her mother), Grandma Houghton, Mrs. Carleton, Uncle John (her father), and all the other great aunts.

I will miss her in my life.  She was unfailingly polite and pleasant with a great sense of fun.  She lived with us in Vancouver, when she was at nursing school and what a family we were.  I was 14, Carol 16, Dave 19 and Diane 21.   With my Mother,  along with the three lively girls, no one could tell us apart on the phone.  Great frivolity and spirit in the house.  When we were kids, Auntie Ila would send us Diane and Mary's clothes so it was great fun to open the wonderful clothes, newly outgrown.  We go back a long way but now she has gone.  I will miss her.