It’s been a while…

We left Michigan in late October, traveling easily and gently south.  A coddiwomple, if you will.  The past few months in Michigan were tumultuous – very challenging and emotional for us.

Our destination for the first month or two was Camp Blanding in Starke, FL.  The last stop prior to Camp Blanding was Fort Novosel (aka Fort Rucker, AL).  We enjoy the small campground – welcoming and peaceful.  Our last day prior to pushing on was Halloween.  Bill was working on the rig and climbed up onto the bed of the truck.  He lost his footing, falling backward off the bed onto the pavement.  His main landing gear happened to be the back of his head.  (I think he just didn’t want to hand out candy to the Trick or Treaters – just to keep it for himself.)  This prompted a quick trip to the nearest emergency room to check on the ER staff and doctor – and allow them to check him out.  We were happy to report that everyone was very nice and the ER doc had very neat stapling skills to keep Bill’s brains where they belong.  Bill was able to come home that evening in costume – as a ghoul with a head wrap.  We decided to stay at Fort Novosel a couple of extra days just to make sure we didn’t need to check on the ER staff again.

We arrived at Camp Blanding and received a call that Bill’s brother Mike was in the hospital and not in good shape.  At that point, we had been on the road more than a week.  We spent the next day setting up camp, doing laundry, and packing.  We got up early the next day, left our house in place, and drove to Oklahoma.  When we got to Edmond, it was very apparent that Mike was gravely ill.  We were blessed to be able to spend two days with him before he passed.  This was really tough – we just lost sister Jeanne in August, and Mike was Bill’s last sibling. Our return trip to Camp Blanding was a little slower, and we decided to change our winter travel plans and stay at Camp Blanding as long as we could for the winter.  We needed some time to decompress and heal.  About that time, we learned that a dear friend from Osprey Cove at Naval Station Mayport had died in a car accident on the way to winter at the Cove.

We attended a celebration of life for Bob in January at the Cove.  While there – we checked on and were delighted to be able to get reservations back at the Cove for the rest of our winter stay.  February found us on the road – moving a couple hours east to Mayport.  We were back among very dear friends – like a balm to our soul.

February was a happy month for our family – Beth and Chris and mom joined us in North Carolina as Walter and Alyssa finally had their lovely wedding ceremony (just a little past their 2^nd anniversary!).

We left Mayport on May 1 and charted a direct route back to Heart of the Forest RV Park in Wellston, MI.  Shortly after we arrived, Beth and Chris came to visit for Mother’s Day and to do some work on the airplane.  On the last day of their visit, Bill received the Wright Brother’s Master Pilot award from the FAA.  It’s an award for achieving 50 years of being a pilot and being safe.

We have been back in Michigan for a month.  It has been filled with Dr visits and taking care of all of our Michigan business.  The campground has new owners, and it is a joy to see all the new changes.  Here’s to the rest of the summer/fall season in Michigan!