Sun, Apr 28, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Celebrated 31 years together yesterday.  Went to the ballet to see the beautiful production of “Sleeping Beauty” accompanied by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.  Wonderful to see the physicality and grace of these dancers.  They make it look so easy.  After the ballet we went out for dinner.  A really nice day!

  

Tue, Apr 23, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Drove Mike to the Washington University complex of medical buildings downtown. It was pouring down rain.  Forest Park Parkway had a lot of standing water.  Dropped Mike off and then parked in the Euclid Garage across the street.  Was supposed to meet him outside the building.  But this complex is so huge, I couldn’t find him. I finally went up to the 11^th floor where his surgeon’s office is and hoped he’d eventually show up.  He did.  He got scoped and got a clean scan.  Yay! He'll be scanned twice more before we leave for Florida. We watched golf at Augusta National last weekend.  Tiger did so well on Thursday and Friday, even though the weather was terrible.  He made the cut when a lot of other players didn’t.  But he ended up 16 over.  Augusta National is so beautiful!  Our nesting birds are doing well.  I thought the robin abandoned the nest.  But Mike felt inside the nest, and there were 3 eggs in there—still warm.  So, she’s still on the nest. Life is good!

Laura, Mike, and me

  

Sandy and I playing rummy cube

My brother, Ron

Tue, Apr 9, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Well, our deck has been taken over by a nesting sparrow and a robin.  The sparrow is nesting in our little bird house on the deck and the robin is nesting atop our light on the deck.  A robin nested there last year—maybe it’s the same one.  She had such a hard time building the nest because it was so windy.  All her nesting material ended up on the floor of the deck.  But, she didn’t give up.  The nest is a little messy, but she got it done.  Now both she and the sparrow are sitting on eggs. 

The sparrow's nest.

The robin's messy nest.

 

Mon, Apr 1, 2024:  New Albany, MS, to St. Louis, MO:  Left New Albany at 8:10 this morning under cloudy skies heading for I55 and Memphis.  I55 going through Memphis is a real CF—especially since there’s a lot of construction right now. Going through the construction areas, I just took my time and figured everyone else could just kiss my grits.  After getting through the mayhem of Memphis it’s just an easy drive through rural Arkansas and Missouri.  At Sikeston, MO, we fueled up, had lunch, and Mike took over driving.  We pulled into our driveway at 3:00 under sunny skies.  And 82! 

Sun, Mar 31, 2024:  Dothan, AL, to New Albany, MS:  Left Dothan at 8:30 this morning.  I drove until just south of Birmingham where we stopped for some lunch and then Mike took over driving.  Pretty cloudy today, but warm and no rain.  Another 7-hour day.  We checked in to our hotel at 3:30.  Trying to talk Mike into flying down this Fall and then renting a car.  But it’s going to be a hard sell.  We wouldn’t even need to take luggage since we have lots of clothes in the fifth wheel.  Anyway, it was 80 when we pulled in here.  Tomorrow, we leave for home.

 Boat Ride to Indian Key

Florida Keys

 

Sat, Mar 30, 2024:   Ocala, FL, to Dothan, AL:  Left Ocala this morning at 8:30.  Only about 6 miles on I75 and then north on 27.  Much more peaceful drive.  When we leave Ocala on Rt 27 we pass many beautiful horse ranches—one more fantastic than the other.  Beautifully landscaped and gated entrances, acres and acres of green pastures dotted with massive live oaks draped in Spanish moss, surrounded by miles of brown or white flat-board fencing.  And of course the beautiful horses.  And this time of year, all the wild flowers along the roads and in the median are in bloom.  A riot of color.  A beautiful day weather-wise also.  Sunny with a few wispy clouds.  I drove for 3-1/2 hours and then Mike took over.  78 here in Dothan—and also in St. Louis.

The beautiful water gardens created by Monet in his Giverny home outside of Paris.  The inspiration for his Water Lily collection.

My favorite.  His home is in the distance.

  

Fri, Mar 29, 2024:  Glades RV Park to Ocala, FL:  Left this morning at 9:30.  This is the shortest driving day, but it took us 6-1/2 hours!  Traffic was terrible!  Florida’s Turnpike was backed up getting on to I75, and I75 was backed up all the way to Ocala.  Plus there was a lot of traffic in all the little towns on Rt. 27.  Then we realized it’s Good Friday.  A lot of people off work.  But it was a beautiful day.  Sunny with not a cloud in the sky.  No humidity.  77 here today.  But it’s 76 in STL. 

Door County - Lake Michigan

Oscar the handsome bulldog.