Gail
and Denvy
More than 50 Years and Counting
More than 50 Years and Counting
Year
Fifty-Three - 2022
It was time. This spring was the time, after the peak of the pandemic and before we were not young enough to
complete an around the entire country trip. We bought a camper van and headed south mid March stopping wherever we could find a family member or friend from our past. The van was a luxury vehicle for us, a Mercedes Benz, which made the 15.000-mile drive and 63 overnights a pure delight. Our route took us to friends in northern California and Nevada, to a cousin in Salt Lake and a
brother in southern Californa, and to a sister, friends and relatives in Arizona and New Mexico. Then it was to another brother and sister and relatives in Texas, on to Arkansas, the Gulf Coast and a nephew in Florida, rolling up the coast to visit friends along the way to New York and Boston and in between. Then we passed through Canada to visit some nieces, on to Michigan, around St Louis, through Minnesota, the Dakotas, and back through Montana and Washington. At home in time to plant a late garden and remove a heap of overgrown weeds.
Over the past several years Gail and I have dealt with health issues totally unrelated to COVID as we have been very careful and keep up to date on our vaccinations. Gail's ablation in June stablized her heart beat and allowed her to return to some of the outdoor activities. My aches and pains from approaching the age of 80, have decreased, and my visit to the cardiologist relieved us of any concerns regarding my heart. We feel blessed as we continue to full life with all our own joint and minimum medicine.
The summer was hot, dry and long after a cool wet spring. Fall came late as did the rain. All this added up to almost no tree fruit, apples, pears and cherries. Strawberries, raspberries, and marionberries were plentiful, and blackberries and grapes flourished.
Avis and Gary came by for a week in October. Thanksgiving Day returned to a pre-pandemic routine with the McGarveys, the Zhang-Troyers and Marc's family here for a meal. The grandsons, Dominic and Riley have been running cross-country and by the end of the season they led each of their teams as the ones with the fastest times.