Beginning the goodbyes

While we love traveling on the road and seeing new sights, there is a deep satisfaction in landing for a lengthier stay and seeing old friends and making new ones.

At my last game of pickleball on Saturday I was asked by my favorite pickleball partner, Kathy, to share our emails to stay in touch.  She are I make a wicked team and I'm already looking forward to our three month stay next year and playing with her again.

behind every good man is a woman

Our neighbors, Jim and Kathy, have become fast friends and this has been a tough summer for her.  She has had cataract surgery and then surgery for her eyelids.  Nine days after we leave she will have both knees replaced.  They have been busy remodeling their motorhome to create a cozy cocoon in which to heal and installing a ramp for when she leaves the physical rehab after the surgery.



Then there's our other neighbor, Lee, on the other side of us.  He makes it a point to stop and visit a little each day, sometimes with his dachshund, Lexi, sometimes alone.  We will miss his sharp sense of humor and melodic voice when we leave.  He shared the cranberry Nantucket pie from his sister and then I had to try and make it.  It was such a hit at our little gathering of the "hood" that I made a larger version of it for our farewell potluck.

I've learned that even though we don't see the kids during the year, I really like having the more frequent contact with them during our stay in the area.  I feel I've really gotten to know them better as a result of it.

Gracie found the purr-fect lap with Kiersten and her talented cat scratching techniques

Emily suffers the humiliation of being skunked at cribbage.  I warned her not to take Left Brain as a partner.

During our visit this year we were fortunate to meet up with Tom and Kay, who we hadn't seen for about a year and a half.  This is the best part of the travel...running into friends you've made on the road and swapping stories of where we've been and what we've seen.

Our spot in the park is quiet and shady, a welcome relief from the heat of the summer and it will be difficult to find any place that surpasses this park for its comfort and friendliness.

But onward to new places we must go...because it's simply who we are and what we do.  There are new people out there waiting to be friends.

Long Live the Queen