The Countdown Begins – Again!

I fully intended to produce a blog post in February and share a wonderful trip to Florida to celebrate my Uncle Howard’s 92nd birthday and cajole with my cousins. Life got in the way.

I have been accepted as an honorary sibling in the Estes family. I’ve been invited to the annual birthday reunions for the past decade although I have not been able to attend each one. There are rituals that must be respected: the Thursday get-together at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, the Friday evening Seafood Extravaganza at the Officer’s Club, the Saturday miniature golf game, the Birthday Dinner, the amazing Sunday Brunch at the Officer’s Club, and the evening card games. There are also long walks on the beach every morning, when the siblings are free to dig deep into general or personal topics and where the real bonding happens. We missed Elizabeth this year. As long as Uncle Howard keeps having birthdays, we will unite in Melbourne, Florida.

Shortly after I returned home, we welcomed our great nephew, Hunter, from North Carolina. We were intent on showing him as much of Northern California as possible in our two weeks together. Pete taught him to turn a pen, to make a soufflé, and brushed up his skills on a motorcycle. I taught him a proper table setting and talked him into a roller coaster ride he won’t soon forget! The guys went fishing, shooting, and flying. We toured the Sutter’s Mill – Marshall Gold Discovery Site, the American River Trout Hatchery and the California Railroad Museum. We took a solemn walk across the Foresthill Bridge and discussed the Notes of Hope to help folks who may be considering suicide. From Lake Tahoe’s shores and the Heavenly Ski Resort Gondola to San Francisco and the surrounding area, I hope we gave Hunter the vacation he deserved.

Hunter’s last two days coincided with another small family reunion in the gorgeous Oakland hills. Danielle Soltis McKee and Conor McKee, our houseguests for a year, returned to California for a visit. We were included in their vacation plans! The bonus? Ruauri George! (I call him R.G.) This 10-month old bundle of joy stole my heart. While the guys went out for the day exploring the sites, I had the pleasure of extended time with Dani and R.G. My heart was full.

Shortly thereafter, I became ill. It wasn’t the simple winter sniffles. I’m really quite adept at self-care, but all over-the-counter medications and all old-family remedies weren’t enough. I self-diagnosed a sinus infection and severe bronchitis. I gave in and made an appointment to see a bonafide medical provider. I got three new prescriptions. By the end of the month I felt a lot better!

In March, I was again sidetracked by another fun and fabulous distraction. I rented a Cruise America motor home and took my two sisters to the Pacific Coast. We had a welcome stowaway: my granddaughter! We celebrated the sisters’ birthdays (two weeks early) and St. Patrick’s Day. It was pure joy watching Azalyah play amongst the trees and along the beach, throwing the ball for Roscoe, the mutt, and hearing the routines of the local Coast Guard Station at Duran Beach, Bodega Bay State Park.

It was while we were camping and mostly oblivious to the escalating fears related to SARS Coronavirus-2, otherwise known as COVID-19, that a good chunk of the state of California promulgated the Shelter-in-Place orders, closing schools, malls and retail stores, gyms, restaurants and bars, and a whole host of other “non-essential” businesses. We awoke on our last camping day to a notice that our campground was closing at noon. (It was a good excuse to save the pump-out for Pete!)

There were new rules for hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, in fact for all congregate living facilities. Visitors were no longer allowed to accompany patients, or to visit family and loved ones in care homes. After consulting with the leaders at Hanot Foundation, I decided to keep Kim with me until after her actual birthday.

When it was time to return her to her residence, I had feelings of anxiety and ambivalence. When would I see her again? Is she at any greater risk in her large residential facility? Would she understand the “No Visitor” policy and would she adapt? Her Day Program was closed so what kind of activities will be provided?

Eight (8) weeks hence and I’m happy to report that Kim has adapted very well. I’ve spoken to her several times by phone, but I am excited to try video chat and to enjoy a modified picnic visit though the porous iron fencing.

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April and May flew by! I’m not sure why. I was either a couch potato consumed by the media coverage of the pandemic and politics, or I was feverishly exercising trying to avoid a muffin-top midline. I spent a fair amount of time learning about low-glycemic nutrition and applying this knowledge. That was until Pete spent six days in the hospital (for a planned last procedure). I made cookies and cakes every day for his care team.

And now, we are counting down the days until we can rejoin our boat. Reverie is currently in Rochester, New York. We expect to travel there in mid-July and we know that we will find items to fix while recommissioning. We’re not yet sure of our course because currently the Canadian border is closed. Our goal is to move Reverie from New York to somewhere on lower Lake Michigan and stage her there for the next season.

If this was an ordinary year, we’d continue south on the Illinois River, the Upper Mississippi, the Ohio River and down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. This year the Corps of Engineers has scheduled major lock repairs on the Illinois River. The repairs are expected to be completed in late October. It makes no sense for us to wait for the opening, then hurry our descent down the river systems and miss out on many of the midwest river highlights. Another winter storage is planned so that when we resume in 2021, we will cruise the rest of this amazing adventure, and close our Loop in 2022.

Who knew we’d spend four years doing this?!