November 15, 2010. Bessemer, Al. Ezell's Catfish Cabin.

This is why we travel. After eight hours driving in the fog and rain, we dined at Ezell's Catfish Cabin, just down the road from our hotel. The place pleases me. Within minutes of being seated at a booth, a waitress brought us a basket of fresh hot hush puppies along with a bowl of coleslaw for each of us. Nice gesture. Then we read the menu and discovered they serve food from Louisiana although the family came from west Alabama. Their fishing camp on the Tombiggbee River had been serving meals since before the Civil War but it was the 1950's that started the family to move and open restaurants. I'm glad they did. We found them by driving around, and tonight we hit the jackpot. The gumbo was tasty but not too hot. Delicious food. Well worth the drive!!

Driving in the fog is difficult especially when driving through mountains but this morning Ken took it in stride. He drove through fog and rain for his two hours, then when my turn arrived, the fog lifted and the rain stopped for my two hours. The same occurred all day, rain for Ken, clear for me. Even though we were only three hours from Jackson, when we came upon an accident on the highway we called it quits, found a hotel and opened a bottle of wine then went out to dinner. Tomorrow we will arrive for lunch at Andrew and Christina's home to see Kate and Mary Frances and Molly. We are excited to see them.

November 14, 2010. Princeton, W.V. Travelling.

By eleven 0'clock this morning the truck was packed with frozen meat and books. There seemed no reason to not get on the road so we did, driving west on 68 then south on 77, finally a new road to us, #19. Eventually we will pick up 81 in southern Virginia and then it is a straight shot south. During the afternoon it had rained so we decided to stop for the night in Princeton, a busy town in a valley. Almost all day we drove through valleys and around hills, also with more people than we expected. Interesting and beautiful.

Yesterday we gave away an ugly orange chair, and a set a of coach, love seat and chair that once was in the terrace room on Franklin Street. The gentlemen were coming this morning to get the two tables and perhaps take the old coach and chair that once belonged to Andrew's condo. But we left before they arrived. Now Tammy will let them in to get the stuff. I was pleased. Now we are ready to set up the lower level as a TV and an office area. Yesterday we moved the workshop tools and supplies down to the basement under the master bedroom. It was a big job and finally we ran out of energy, so we called our neighbor, Gary, to come and help, which he did. Country people help each other. When we went to pay him, he first refused to take any money because he said that he was just helping us out. I explained to him that we will need him in the future and we must pay him for his services. Finally he accepted payment for his services and I was grateful.

Gaby and Randy stayed only the night. They are a wonderful couple and we enjoyed the visit with them. Today they drove north and hope to be home in Toronto by eight tonight except Gaby left her purse so even though they left at eight this morning, after returning for the purse they eventually left just before ten. We wish them well.

November 13, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Randy and Gaby.

They are coming to say hello to us, here at the farm in the hills of Pennsylvania, arriving in time for dinner. Now this will be their first visit to the farm, and it will be dark, so getting there will be a bit difficult, but they are smart and they use a GPS and a cell phone so we feel sure that eventually they will arrive, sooner or later.

For the past week they have been traveling in the Carolinas, just the two of them, without their two girls. Both Ken and I enjoy getting together with them. Randy is the son of Ken's first cousin Ray, from the Sudbury family, who Ken stayed with when he worked at the mines during college. So we have contact and history. Randy was wise in his choice of a wife, so we have the whole package coming to visit us tonight. They are family and we like them, definitely a good combination.

Charleston has been their home base for the week. It's a place Ken and I explored for retirement and decided the city proper was claustrophobic so we struck it off our list, but we love to visit Charleston. Great restaurants, interesting history and wonderful antiques. In one store we say a small table exactly the same as one that sits in our living room, except in their store the price was ten thousand dollars and I bought it for fifty dollars. It is identical, a liquor cabinet, pretending to be a side table. When you visit me, take care with the small table!!

We are looking forward to visiting with Randy and Gaby, even if it is for a short time.

November 12, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Bedford.

Once upon a time, Bedford was a busy important town, complete with industries, manufacturing and commerce, in addition to being the county court house. It still has commerce and the county seat, but not much is happening. Today we drove up to register for the Green and Clean program. The state encourages agriculture by giving a reduction in taxes if you own a working farm and do not develop the land into houses. This is a new program. Alan has been trying to get us to go up to the county house and register our farm, but of course we have not done it...until now. Except, now the applications were closed for next year at the end of October, but we signed up for year 2012. This is good.

We could not find the court house. Although we have been to Bedford since 1973, we only use about two blocks of the town. The rest we ignore. We knew the court house was new, but we were not able to find the place so finally I phoned the tax office and they gave us directions. Turned out we were right outside. It was very clever. They kept the old buildings at street level and built the new modern building right in the center, so the inside is modern and the outside is old.

While we were driving around lost, we discovered many beautiful old homes. Once upon a time, this town had people who had money. It is a lovely place and I hope it continues to thrive. And we intend to save our taxes.

November 11, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Nostalgia.

The back roads in Pennsylvania are narrow and winding and plentiful. Years ago when the boys were young and we lived in our old rustic/primitive farm house we often went driving at dusk to see the deer. We had favorite roads, roads that always rewarded us with wild animals, deer, rabbits, foxes and birds. This afternoon on the way to the farm, Ken and I drove down those old roads. Not much has changed but the drive is still pretty.

This morning we packed up the car and drove to the farm, leaving the apartment at eleven o.clock, a most unusual time for us. But I must say, the traffic was light and we ate at noon, both rewarding to us. Hagerstown is a restaurant town, but what is most impressive is that it houses a Japanese restaurant that is better than any others we frequent in any other cities. Go figure? The food was excellent and plentiful and we dined at our leisure.

My son David wonders what I am going to do with my self now that I am retired, but I think I will be fine. Ken told someone recently that we are much better at doing nothing than we were in the past and I think that is correct. In the meantime, we will drive frozen Angus meat to Andrew and Christina in Mississippi and spend Thanksgiving with the family. My life will be full.

November 10, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Retirement.

I am retired. Many benefits accrue to me now. Tomorrow afternoon, after meeting with the staff in the morning at work, Ken and I will drive to the farm for the weekend rather than leaving on Friday noon. Then on Monday we will drive to Mississippi to get a head start on Thanksgiving with Andrew and Christina. I am free as a breeze. Ken has booked us into another place in Mexico, right next to our Playa Royale condo called The Palace, an all inclusive resort where we own some weeks, so we will spend all of January and all February in Puerta Vallarta, where the temperature in 85 degrees F.

Actually, I am paid thru the end of the year, then retained for three years as a paid consultant with Long and Foster. Ken and I are thrilled. Actually, Ken is a bit anxious, as he thinks that the only person I will be able to manage will be him and he does not like to be managed. Our task in the immediate future is to get the apartment ready for sale. Ken has already arranged for a mailing service to sort our mail and ship it to us, wherever we happen to be. Soon we will change our residence to Texas and our physicians to Jackson, Ms. It is a whole world in front of us, which we will enjoy.

November 9, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Retiring. 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Coincidence.

Ken and I will wander the world together, now that I am retiring. Tomorrow I meet with Mr. Foster to map out a plan. It is all very exciting, although unexpected. Yesterday I met with Mr. Foster to discuss the office, and explained to him what I could and could not do over the next few years. I offered to retire now or in six months or six years, and he decided that the time was ripe for me to retire now. My friend Gary D. commented to me that someone had to make the call and he is probably right.

The agents are in shock but I believe that things tend to work out well and I am sure they will for the agents and staff. My goal was to provide a stable platform for the agents to work for the next ten years but it was not to be. Starting this July, the wheels started to come off the wagon so now I have done as much as I could to be helpful. Now I think my job is complete. We have had a great run. Now I am onto my next phase as a culinary maid or a world wanderer!!