Eclipse-d

Did somebody say eclipse? Have we already forgotten about it? Seems like everyone saw it except us.  We were driving in Florida and didn't know what time it was supposed to be. Was it just cloudy or a partially blocked sun?

But we do have photos of eclipse viewings in Wisconsin, New York and Washington DC. In New Jersey they had an eclipse and an earthquake!  And an after shock.  And a blizzard. Hard to top that.

We were also in Florida for the snowstorm here, that turned out to be mostly rain and ice, so we're glad we missed it. We stayed with friends, in hotels, fancy and not so fancy, but the latter turned out to be more our style.  Coming back, we drove four eight-hour days in one week. That's lots of driving, but that's what you do on a road trip. We had a good book to listen to, Manhunt, the search for Abraham Lincoln's killer.

There were some firsts – first time in the Outer Banks, first time in Charleston, first time in the Everglades, first time on the Florida Keys. Wait there's more. We played pickleball with John and Marilyn for the first time. Fun.  And we have seen the future. It's called Buc-ees. Picture a gas station with 137 pumps and a convenience store bigger than Walmart. Coming to your location soon.

Recommendations? Key West was wonderful, with the exception of one loud and wild street. Mary was planning on moving there for a month at least. The Everglades was special; we really do parks well. Not sure we'd go back to the Outer Banks or Charleston, but at least we can check them off our nonexistent list.

John and Marilyn were great hosts. They are emerging from some health issues, but the key word is emerging; those health issues are past tense. Good meals, card games, walks and swims, and hours of conversation.

We also stopped in Hobe Sound and had a couple of hours of chat with cousins Sarah and Hope and her partner Bob. We reminisced about Greenwich, but also traded stories of house purchases and renovations. Everyone is well.

One more stop. Asheville, North Carolina to visit a college roommate.  Again, walking, talking, eating and card games.

We finally arrived back in DC for a night with Joe and family, and they treated us to rain-check Easter meal that we missed. Joe was still getting over jet lag from a week in China with his new best friend Janet. We arranged for Thomas to spend his vacation week with us in Pittsfield, so the next day we headed home, shortly after Margaret and Andrew also took off for Pittsfield. When we stopped at a rest stop on Rt 87 in New York, I heard someone call out "Dad!" And surprise! There were Margaret, Andrew and Simon. What are the chances of that?

On our way, we checked into Facebook when we could, and there was a mystery. Jen posted something about needing moving boxes. I wondered. Then I checked. Indeed, their trip out to Colorado was more than just a vacation, it was a house hunt. They put an offer down and are preparing to relocate to Denver. That's huge.

Our first day back was rainy and cold, but today, just like Camp Grenada, the sun came out and we played outside.

We spoke with Annie and Sankar who were on their first hour of a 24-hour train ride, back to Sankar's hometown of Thanjavur, in time for him to vote in India for the first time. We thought 24 hours was long, but they told us they were contemplating a 60-hour train ride next, up to the foothills of the Himalayas!  Hard to top that one too.

Conclusions from our trip? We were reminded about how big this country is, how different it is, and how there's room for everyone. There's hope.

I love ending a letter on hope. Love from up here.