Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Back in Virginia-Celia Comes to Visit

September 11 – October 31, 2016                                Most Recent Posts
Greenfield Mountain Farm
                                   I Get the Runaround on the Way to Waterfalls and to Spring David
and Charlottesville, Virginia                                          Abrupt Early End to Our Delaware Water Gap Visit

 

Note: if you didn’t see the last waterfalls in the Delaware Water Gap due to my difficulties with Blogger, the link is in blue above.

 

We leave Dingman’s early Saturday morning and arrive back in Virginia on Sunday September 11 after two unusual for us 200 mile days.  David continues to recuperate and meet with his doctor and have blood tests taken.  Finally on September 21st,  he is able to start his 9th cancer treatment which requires weekly infusions in a hospital.  This takes 6-8 hours each Wednesday and has put a stop, at least for now, to our going anywhere but Virginia and Florida where his doctors are. We will stay in Virginia for at least a month to make sure this treatment works out for him before moving on south.

By the 21st,  he is well enough for the new treatment but does not have his stamina and strength back. He seems much more frail than he has at any time over these past nearly 5 years living with a cancer for which there is no cure. We are hoping time will allow his body to fully recuperate. 

 

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During September I do manage to take a hike in the Shenandoah National Park on the Rose River Falls trail but amazingly I forget to bring my camera with me and had to take all the pictures with my Galaxy S5 phone and it takes terrible pictures in my opinion.  Nearly all my pictures of the lovely water cascades and the rocky 5 mile hike turned out too dark or too bleached out almost to be seen.   If any of you have an S5 and can tell me any tricks to taking good pictures with it I’d appreciate your help.  I must be doing something wrong here since I’ve never seen any phone pictures as bad as these.

You can see the falls sort of but it’s not much of a selfie.  If you want to see a much better set of pictures of this beautiful Shenandoah Hike, which is one of my favorites,  here are links to two previous hikes.  One in June of 2015 with David and me and one in  July of 2015  with us and Carrie and Matthew that was dated wrong and when I tried to fix it in Blogger messed up my last post from Delaware Water Gap and published this old one over it.  But it’s still got great pictures even if it now looks like their visit happened in November of 2016 rather than July of 2015.  In future, I’ll just stick to Live Writer.

 

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The trail follows all along the Rose River with falls and cascades the entire way.

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Pennsylvania’s portion of the Appalachians has nothing on Virginia’s portion in terms of rocky trails.

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Big as a dinner plate.

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On to October when David is feeling well enough to order all the components and over the course of the month install them so we can tow Ruby 4 down and take our chances.  Honda doesn’t approve but our mechanic thinks we should be fine since she has a standard transmission.  It is a costly chance since all totalled we spend $2600 on Blue Ox components including the Patriot braking system.

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Also during our weeks here we of course do the regular eye doctor, dentist, dematologist visits. 

 

But the best thing that happens in October is a visit from Carrie and Celia.  Celia is 4 1/2 months old when she comes to visit her grandparents and see the farm where her mother grew up.

Be prepared, too many cutie pictures.  Like her Grandma, she likes her Pooh.

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On the day they arrive we stroll down to the downtown mall with Carrie’s good friend Kate and have lunch with Kate’s parents, my friends Pam and Keith and with Pam’s childhood friend Marion who is visiting them.

In order from the left front of the table that’s Kate, Pam, Celia, Carrie, Keith and Marion.

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Celia likes strolling and socializing.

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Back at the farm the duo pose in the farmhouse living room.

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And in the Farmhouse Kitchen with Celia wearing one of her Great Great Great Aunt Carrie’s bonnets with the brim folded back so we can see her sweet face.

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In the afternoon, baby and bonnet make it out to the front porch swing.

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She poses in her grandpa’s arms.

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After all that posing, she’s ready for a nap in her Pooh Pj’s in her mama’s old bed with a quilted comforter and Care Bear sheets.  What ever happened to the Care Bears?

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Their visit is all too short, just two days.  On the way home Celia gets to see but not taste her first Bruster’s ice cream.  Carrie has one scoop of pumpkin on top and on the bottom is JAMAICA ME CRAZY!   Whoo Hoo!.  Really convenient for traveling between our houses that there is a Bruster’s right on the road we take from Charlottesville Virginia to Severn, Maryland where they now live.

 

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But this is my very favorite picture of my two favorite girls in the whole wide world.

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David has reacted very well to this new treatment which is unfortunately an infusion which takes 6 to 8 hours every Wednesday but by Sunday October 30, 7 weeks after we got back, we are cleared to head to Florida.  This will be a trip of 726 miles which we have to do in two and a half days in order for him to be at the Cancer Center on the next Wednesday morning.  

It’s been a long 7 weeks in Virginia, about double what we usually spend for routine medical check ups.  We still can’t go anywhere but Virginia and Florida but we are hoping that may change by the end of winter.  We’re glad to be back on the road.

Next post coming to you from Florida.

20 comments:

  1. So very, very happy that David's treatment worked out well.

    You baby grand is adorable, and the pics of her and her mommy are so great.

    I'm thrilled you are closer to a caught up date on all your posts. . .somewhat. Safe travels to Florida, although I'm sure at the date of this posting you are already there.

    Will be interested to hear how the four down project worked out. Good plan actually.

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  2. Sounds like you had a long couple of months, but nice to hear some good news. Celia is adorable!

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  3. Oh, I bet it was nice to get a grandchild fix :-) She is getting so cute!! Love her in that bonnet, how cool you've saved all of those older clothes and quilts.

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  4. I am in awe of David's stamina, and you too. Also happy to hear you are on the road again, even if a long drive. Do you two take turns behind the wheel? FL doesn't seem like a bad place to spend the winter, especially on the east coast. I'd think about it but can't afford their camping prices.

    Best part about being "home" had to be Carrie and Celia's visit. Always too short, but extremely special. Celia has such an expressive face. That last shot says it all.

    Hope to hear soon how life is in FL. Be well.

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  5. Celia is a beautiful little girl with a lovely smile. All the best to David and the continuing treatments. They don't often slow him down, but once in a while I guess he needs to take a major break. Have a safe trip to Florida.

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  6. What a beautiful, happy little Celia!! Hope you'll get to enjoy her again soon!

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  7. She's an adorable baby!

    I figured it must have been an editing thing. I don't know what the time limit is for editing on Blogger, but if you edit a blog after a certain point, it ends up showing up as a new post, even though the comments themselves are also preserved, with their date and time stamps.

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  8. I love that last photo, but the one of David holding Celia is a keeper also:o)) So glad you got to spend some time together and also happy the treatment is allowing you to head south even if it is only FLORIDA!!! Hope we catch up with you somewhere this winter. Safe Travels....

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  9. So glad to hear that David has reacted well to the new treatment and that you have at least been given the go ahead to travel to Florida. Hope things continue to progress well throughout the winter.

    Celia's is beautiful and boy has she ever grown. I love that last photo of her and Carrie as well. A definite keeper!

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  10. Sorry David didn't do well with the first treatment, but sure am happy to hear this new one is working well and David isn't having any bad side effects.

    Your granddaughter sure is a beautiful little one.

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  11. So glad David's treatments are working. Celia is sure a cutie:)

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  12. Celia is absolutely adorable! And very photogenic. :-) Love the photo of her with Carrie, and the photos of David holding her. And she's so sweet in her great-great-great Aunt Carrie's bonnet. So very glad to hear that David's new treatment is working well and that you guys are back in Florida for the winter. Lots of kayaking ahead!

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  13. Must agree that your phone's camera is no where near as good as your Canon - although much better than no pictures from the one who missed the hike completely. ;)
    I must say I was impressed with the quality of the Blue Ox products for 4 down towing, however I must add that I was NOT impressed with their documentation &i instructions. If you do this yourself, plan on extra time and many phone calls to them - very unexpected contrast from their stellar reputation.
    Certainly Carrie & Celia's visit was the high point Virginia, and your pictures show them off wonderfully. It was such a pleasure to see our dear daughter experiencing the joy of being a mother to a baby girl of her own.

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  14. That's great news on how well David's treatment is working!

    Celia likes Winnie the Pooh like her grandma? Just goes to show the Honey Pot doesn't fall far from the tree! :cD

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  15. So glad to hear that David's new treatments are going well:) Two states is better than not being able to travel:) There is always a silver lining:)

    Celia is beautiful and the photos are so darn cute!

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  16. Happy David's treatment is going well. Celia is so dear. What a sweetie!

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  17. Carrie and the baby look so happy!! What a special time....

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  18. I am way, way late in reading this lovely summary of some of our visit! The pictures and the comments make me smile. Celia is beautiful, cute, adorable and photogenic thank you very much :) She has more hair now than then! Can't wait to see you for a week in less than a month! Yippie!

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  19. Celia is so adorable and being in her grandpa's arm is so sweet.
    So happy to hear David's treatment is going well.

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