"Today is a Good Day to Drive!" .....Van-Go

We arrived at Jill's in GlenAllen, Virginia and have been getting aquainted with Silas and Stella. Silas is just four weeks old and already trying to pick up his head and is more and more alert. Stella, in her twos, is a barrel of laughs and such fun. She took a while to warm up to us, but now we are part of her day. She plays piano and xylophone with "Uncle" Will and has tea parties with Aunt Kathy. We attended a birthday part for the girl next door with the family. We met one of the old women who told us this story: She worked at the nursery at the church for many years. One day she was out showing some yound children how to dive. Later that night a mom called her. The mom's son had told her that the lady "died", she "died" right into the water! Kids! A big yellow butterfly stayed around for about five minutes. Stella got up real close and looked at it. She put her finger out to touch it and it flew away. Nate picked up Stella and put her on his...

We woke to a cool morning with the area to ourselves. A meaadow crowded with milkweed awaited the butterflies. We sipped our coffee overlooking the Shenandoah valley hidden below a layer of clouds. We sat knowing a whole world was down there and we, feeling like beings from a different world, were observing them. We enjoyed a morning constitutional around the quiet picnic area. And ended with walking up and down steps for about ten minutes. The birds and squirrils scampered about and called to their friends. One squirril jumping from one tree to another scrambled as the dead branch he landed on fell to the ground. He managed to stay in the safe haven of the canopy. Deer grazed on dew moisten grasses and spotted fawns kept close by their mothers. We had our breakfast, got our map stamped at the visitor center, watched the intro movie and prepared to depart. We had lodged at the overlook where in the early 1900s visitors could stay, but today we felt privledged as now the historic lodge...

We departed Pittsburgh after dinner with Jayne about 6pm and started our trip on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Sommerset and from there we continued on windy back roads. We found a great nightspot pulloff on route60 just a few miles outside Berlin, a quaint little town. Are Snyder Potatochips still manufactured there? After our movie we had to change the sheets as they were soaked;, must of had the window open during the recent downpours in Pittsburgh. This morning Will woke up way early and worked a few puzzles. Kathy got up at the ususal 6:30-7ish and we continued south through Cumberland, Maryland. We pulled in at lock 73 along the Chesapeak & Ohio Canal National Historic Park and walked along the remains of the canal, had breakfast and watched the trains. The roads are two laners, curvy and up and down hills weaving through the countryside. There are lots of hardwood trees and we pass through some of the Green Ridge State Forest. Outside of PawPaw,( Wonder if there are PawPaw b...

The last four days we have been sitting with Aunt Flo. She died early this morning in the wee hours. Flo was the one in the middle of the Mulvihill sisters. She was funny and witty and she saw the humor in life's everyday events. About ten years back we moved her and George to North Carolina to a neat little townhouse. Shortly thereafter George died. When we would visit she would surprize us with homemade vegetable soup. Those that knew Flo would understand the humor in that; she did not like the kichen, cooking or anything about it. Around three each day we had cocktail hour. Beers were our usual. Flo was a fantasic artist designing and painting her own watercolor greeting cards. Each one was unique work of art. We have kept everyone she ever made us! She sold her cards; most of her sales went to her Red Hat group. She was a perfect Red Hat Lady; she said what she wanted, did what she wanted and was a really neat old lady. Going out to the ponds to feed the ducks was a special eve...

July 7, 2006 Will had slept lightly checking on the comings and goings of vehicles through the night. We woke and dressed in time to see the sun sneak behind a low cloud. Mist rose from the water. A lone fishing boat drifted partially hidden in the mist. We walked out to the fishing pier to have our coffee. Fish jumped leaving ever widening rings to disturb the calm of the water. Too soon it was time to leave. We drove the back roads toward our destination stopping to see an alternative overnight spot at a state gamelands area along Neshannock Creek. We arrived at our dentist a few minutes early, better than last time when we arrived late. Kathy was first in the chair. How well, Dr. Cagno knows her. He left her time to settle in then gave her a nice double shot of novacane. Then talking all the while he took out the old fillings and put in the new,and fixed the chipped tooth. He constantly reminded her to breath. Before she knew it the ordeal was over. Will's turn in the chair. He ...

After a relaxing morning at Jayne's we prepared to depart in the roadtrek. We stocked some food, put away clothes, set up the van for travel and were off. We made our way up route 56 and surprized Cliff on his boat. The zipper on the main opening of the canopy was broken and between the three of us we got it fixed. Will sewed the top and bottom so it cannot come off the teeth again. It was fun sitting on the boat with the sway and rock. We continued north and drove along the South Shore Road at Lake Arthur and agreed to stop at the Bear Run Boat Launch among the pick-up trucks attached to boat trailers. Will fixed himself a healthy meal of veggie stirfry and ground beef; Kathy settled on some popcorn. We watched a movie as darkness overtook up. Boaters and fishermen came and left as we drifted off to sleep.

We spent the morning setting up our new blog site. Keeping family and friends in the loop of our whereabouts and doings is fun and it will be great looking back during our rocking chair days! Then it was off to the hospital to visit with Aunt Flo. She is 86 and not doing so well. We drove to he other side of the world as we refer to the South Hills area of Pittsburgh and arrived at St. Claire Hospital to find that she was discharged yesterday. Will paid our $2 parking fee and we called around to find Flo had been moved to Kane Regional Center just a few miles down the road. We found Aunt Flo resting dressed in an exercise outfit! They had given her physical therapy that just zapped all her energy. While we were there the breathing therapist arrived and left her with a breathing tube that Aunt Flo referrs to as the peace pipe. She had no energy to even hold the tube up to her mouth. We all have to mature, to grow old, to slowly feel that we are out of control. Aunt Flo still has her wit...

Maria gave us directions to drive to the marina where their boat is docked. We made it there in less than an hour with no problems. The last part of the drive is through a beautiful golf course. A fansy restaurant comes next followed by lots of expensive homes along the river. At the end of the road is a gravel drive leading into River Forest Marina. We past a few house boats up on blocks that are for sale and continued to park at the pavillion. Maria came out to meet us. She had stayed out on her boat all night by herself in the thunder storm. She had thought that the booms she heard were fireworks. She showed us the nice clean port-a-potty, the pavillion with picnic tables, refridgerators, microwave, and grill. She said they are planning to build restrooms with showers and plan to put in wireless innernet. Maria pointed out the trail that leads up to a waterfall. Then we walked down to the dock. Maria's boat, Our Greaat Escape, is at the far end. She pointed out that all of her f...

Happy Independance Day! Flags fly. Red, white and blue colors are on everything from napkins to clothes. The Pittsburgh fireworks put on by the Zambelli Brothers of New Castle, Pennsylvania were fantastic. They went on for a good fifteen minutes booming and flashing the sky with sounds and colors. It was not like the old days where each firework was anticipated, appreciated and enjoyed from the poof of the rocket going up to the last ember of ash falling toward the ground. Today it was like a finale going off for the entire show. The bursts of color ranged from white to deep blue and by the end some views were lost in smoke. Music blared filling the listeners soul with patrotism. From "The Star Spangled Banner" to "Coming to America" the rockets darted upward and burst into magnifient colors to thrill the crowds scattered around Point Park and sitting in front of their TV sets. CNN tells of different rockets: The space shuttle Discovery launched at 2:38, North Kore...

We arrived at Sueann's about one o'clock. Everyone showered and prepared for the wedding shower at Sueann's friend's, Susan. Sueann left early and called giving us directions as she drove. We arrived half an hour later. Susan greeted us at the door. She has a beautiful home. Susan is a quilter and lover of tea. The wedding shower today was a tea party of sorts. Everyone introduced themselves and told how they knew Sueann. Everyone is happy for her and glad she has found someone to spend her life with, Don. Sueann opened her presents, Kathy took a photo of each person with Sueann and her present. Susan served a peach punch that was heavenly. Sueann said her thank you and Susan invited everyone to the table for "crumpets" and tea. She had four different teas prepared sitting on the buffet in exquisite tea pots each on a warmer. The table was covered with bite-size goodies from cheese wrapped olives to sweet coconut cake. The guests ate and chatted. Sueann's ...