We had a wonderful time with family and friends in western PA. We exchanged gifts with my sister’s family as we won’t be back that way for Christmas. Jay and Chris once again housed us for days and it was time well spent as mourning was still playing a key role there and close friends are necessary. We journeyed East to New Jersey to visit with the young ‘uns for the final time before the end of December. Saying goodbye and giving one last hug to our new grandchild was heart wrenching and neither of us could hold back tears. On our final day at Lake in Wood, Jerry stated he would pick us up at 5 and we would meet Cheryl and we would all go to for dinner one last time. Little did we know that he foiled us when we arrived at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Mindy and Kevin and a great home cooked lasagna meal was had. Great friends are priceless. The next morning we had all packed in anticipation of leaving when we realized the bedroom slide failed to come in. Nothing, Broke, No Noise, Nada. I got out the large rachet and cranked it in by hand. Much to my chagrin I had awoken that morning with the flu. It was all I could do to move let alone deal with the slide. Thank goodness for Robin’s penchant for all things mechanical. Finally, we crossed the Mason-Dixon, heading for Dixie and sunny skies. On the road for about four hours and could only make it to Winchester, VA as the body was giving way to misery and discomfort. Driving wasn’t easy either as my eyelids felts as if they weighed in by pounds. Candy Hill Campground proved a welcome respite. The next morning I drove to Walmart for onions and vinegar and it was all I could do to muster that much. As I lay and watch television, Robin made turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, creamed cucumbers, and a pumpkin pie as we dined on a veritable feast for Thanksgiving Day. Feeling gulity, I mustered enough energy to help her clean up. The next morning we headed for points South again.

Saturday was our last day at work in the Gnome Cafe. Plans were to work breakfast and lunch and the close by 2 pm. This would give us preparation time for the big Halloween dinner and party being held later that evening. By 9 am. the snow started in a drizzle and in an hour, everything was white. At noon, there were at least four inches. The snow was wet and heavy and you could begin to see branches bow due to our late summer and an overabundance of leaves still on the trees. Directly before closing the power went down and clean-up was not an option. Things had gotten severe in a short time such that traction on the paved roads was nearly impossible, golf carts were rendered useless, the we took on blizzard-like conditions. It soon became apparent that the great Halloween party and any subsequent evening activities were going to be cancelled. The park was full this weekend so this came much to the chagrin of all residents. However, this act of nature could be blamed on no one. We left the cafe and headed back to our rig only to find a 40′ long tree had broken and placed itself across the top of our roof, rendering the rear slide out useless. Things continued to worsen and the crack of trees breaking outside sounding much like a shooting range. Sounds were ominous and every few seconds another loud “crack” would sound and you had to look to see if anything around you was going to come down nearby. We fired up the generator and I was wise enough to load up the water tank so we would be fine for awhile. I began thinking however, that it was one thing if I couldn’t move the bus, but another if the truck should encounter damage and we be without any transportation. It was then that we decided to move it to the main parking lot, safe from the possibility of more falling trees. Lock it into four-wheel drive as no one was going anywhere without it. In fact, the heavy and now ten inch blanket was making even four wheeling a bit unnerving. Driving to the parking lot I found many vans, and cars spinning in place, trying desperately to make their way out somehow. Where they were going was a surprise to me as the main road outside the park was even more of a disaster than the manicured ones inside. I spent much of the evening towing people out of their misery and into the parking lot whereby they could get a bit of traction. We parked our truck and started walking back to the motohome. While we were gone another problem posed itself. A large limb went thru the front of the grille, knocking off our hood covering that houses the wiper apparatus, fluid tanks, and other mechanical instruments. How fortunate we were that both tree fallings happened while we were not at home. We hunkered down for the night, found one channel on the TV as the cable system went out and started to return emails. It’s been four days now without water, the electricity was restored yesterday, and the damage to the park and units in the thousands. But the skeleton crew is doing yeoman work in restoring as much as possible. We had planned on leaving early this week but are still awaiting a backed-up insurance adjuster. We’re doing our best at lending a hand with anything needed. Sure our plans are altered but being retired, there’s no time table. Shortly we’ll head for the midwest and visit some old friends we haven’t seen in two year. More on our travels shortly. Enjoy the slideshow.

Ann Bakker. She was both crystalline and mercurial. Her beauty, her shimmer, simply dropped out, leaving us all with only cold clarity. We met Ann a year and half ago. She is the wife of Jerome, my supervisor, who has become a friend. We grew close over this recent twenty months. We laughed, we cried, we visited, we dined. We cajoled with each other, whined and complained, and in turn, rejoiced at all we were thankful for. We grew to be true friends, those that you would do the unthinkable at the drop of a hat. Yesterday, life was stolen from Ann’s body. Her family suffered a week of misery by this unannounced fate.  She was a youthful fifty-two. We are cheated, all of us. For the personnae that she embraced, was not enough. The last time we encountered Ann we were leaving the park for our trip west. She was walking her beloved Samson. Jerome rode along with her. As our eyes met theirs, we laughed. A practical joke was fielded, and without words, glances were enough. We all burst into laughter. That’s how it was with Ann. There is a reason far beyond my thought process for this “void” life has surrendered unto us. In time, we will learn this. And Ann’s purpose in our lives, the fate of our meeting, shall be rejoiced in ways too numerous to calculate . We love you, sweet Ann.

My photo pays homage to Ann’s spirit. It was taken at the 2010 Halloween party in the cafe. I chose it for this was she; witty, quiet but fun. You can see the enjoyment on her face at the height of her “Jerome” season.