Nomad Life - Day 210

With on final work day before my trip began, I knew I had to be productive.  In anticipation, I was awake at 0615 (before alarm) and started teleworking.  At 0800, I ate breakfast at Kim and David's (they were still staying out on the Eastern Shore).  Otherwise, I continued to telework until 0930, when I departed Falls Church so I could visit my dentist.  Outside, it was clear and sunny, with temps at 73 F.  I headed towards Alexandria, following back roads through fancy neighborhoods.  For some reason, there were lots of strange Google Maps directions but the end result was that I arrived at my dentist's office at 0955.  This visit didn't require a lot of extensive work but I was very glad to have an appointment before I departed for my trip.  After getting finished and saying goodbye to Richard, I left the dentist's office at 1045.  Hoping to get some outdoor exercise before sequestering myself back inside, I drove to nearby Green Spring Gardens and, starting at 1055 began a two mile walk.  There was a lot of "Spring Cleaning" and gardening going on (the "FROGS" were out in force) but the trails were mostly clear of other people.  I was surrounded by countless Spring blossoms and the loud songs of many birds.  The shade of the trees made mostly shielded me from the warm sun.  Finished with my walk by 1145, I drove to a nearby bank and got cash for my trip - during my last cruise, the ship ran out of small bills for tipping the tour guides but I'm ready this time!  At 1155, I began my drive back to Kim and David's house (far less confusion on the routing).  Arriving just before 1230, I resumed teleworking - I did take one more break in the early afternoon to eat lunch.  Starting at about 1430, I started working intermittently so I could sort through a lot of my personal items that were scattered around in the Subaru (and roof top carrier).  Kim had graciously granted me an area where I could spread out the contents of all my bags - this allowed me to assemble a cohesive group of personal items for my vacation.  Ultimately, I managed to get mostly packed by the time it got dark and I had time to do some repacking of the car.  Once I felt like I was at a good place, I returned my focus fully to telework (I had monthly reports to complete, some out-of-office tasks and communications with colleagues).  At 1835, I officially finished up my work week and month.  I spent several more hours finalizing packing, making dinner, doing laundry and wrapping up personal projects that will be on hold for the next month (some more website updates, Notre Dame volunteering, calendar updates and itinerary updates for my daughters).  Somehow, I made my step goal for the day by only packing and walking around in the house and to my car!  At 2130, I was ready to wind down for the night.  Before going to bed, though, I did some reading, Duolingo and puzzles - later, I watched new episode of a streaming service series.  The lights went out at 2300.  Vacation, here I come!  

Nomad Life - Day 209

This morning, I slept until 0630 (alarm needed) and then started teleworking.  At about 0730, I went down to the kitchen at Kim & David's for breakfast.  Sadly, I missed being able to say goodbye to the David...  Immediately after getting done with this meal, I returned to work.  Meanwhile, Kim was teaching a piano lesson (lots of good music).  After my meetings ended and Kim's lesson was done, I got to visit with her until she had to leave for work (1130).  I continued working, with a short break for lunch (stayed in the condo).  Like yesterday, my cell signal was wonky all day.  Fortunately, it didn't appear that I missed any important calls.  I teleworked until 1545 and then got ready to depart from Kim & David's home.  I'd been invited to a whiskey tasting party in DC by my friend, Amanda!  By the time I got in my car, it was VERY hot (high 80s to low 90s F) and sunny.  When I drove to the nearby West Falls Church Metro Station, which I used a few times during my last visit, I encountered horrible roads and major construction in the area of the parking garage.  Fortunately, I still managed to find a place to park and got on an eastbound Orange Line Train pretty quickly (1600).  I rode the same train all the way to Metro Center and then switched to the Red Line.  When I arrived at the NoMA / Gallaudet Station (1640), I started to have a strong feeling of Deja Vu.  The reason for this became quite obvious when I passed the El Presidente restaurant, where I'd met Amanda, Bridgette and John in early September.  It was still very sunny and warm and I started to sweat as I walked to Union Market.  Since I'd made good time getting to the area, I had a chance to explore and do some birding.  By 1655, I found the Minetta Tavern DC - it would have been very hard to locate without my Google Maps because it was in an alley.  I made my way upstairs to the (very fancy) Lucy Mercer Bar, where I met up with Amanda and John.  Since the event didn't officially start until 1700, I was one of the first guests that had arrived for the Milam & Greene whiskey event (celebrating a new business relationship between Minetta and the whiskey distributor).  I didn't realize when I arrived, but it was also the anniversary of the 62nd birthday of Chris' (Amanda's dad and my friend) - this eventually led to some good stories.  Along the way, I tried several cocktails that featured Milam & Greene bottles: "Ladybird Manhattan" (Very Small Batch Bourbon), "Pinewood Derby" (Rye), "Resolute Revolver" (Provisions Bourbon).  All of them were delicious!  At the end of the evening, I also tried a "Paper Plane" and a "Gold Rush".  With these drinks, we also had fancy appetizers: steak tartar, foie gras, deviled eggs with caviar, cheese puffs, etc.  During the evening, I met several of Amanda's work colleagues.  I'd only thought I'd be there until about 1900 but, instead, stayed in the bar until about 2130.  By then, a lot of other patrons had arrived to enjoy the swanky and classy cocktail lounge. After saying goodbye to Amanda and John, I walked back to the Metro Station, passing lots of National Guard and DC police officers.  Next, I rode back to the west on Red and, later, Silver Line (after switching at Metro Center).  At each stop, I walked to the next car - this was something I'd done over the years to make sure I reached my step goal. I had to get off the Silver Line at East Falls Church but then caught the next Orange Line to West Falls Church Station (arrived at 2215).  I decided to continue walk for more steps because I saw some sports fields lit up nearby.  There was no rush - Kim and David had left for the Eastern Shore while I'd been in DC.  However, it turned out that they had forgotten something and Kim started calling right at that time.  She had a lot to explain about the trash can in the back of her house but (like I'd seen for two days), my cell signal was poor.  As a result, the instructions transitioned to text and I had enough time to finish my walk and 10K step goal. Back at my car, I returned to the house and, without much difficulty, took care of the trash issue (done at 2240).  I should have been tired but spent a good bit of time reading, working on Duolingo exercises and planning for the next day of packing.  I went to bed at 0005 and fell right to sleep.  It's hard to believe that I've only got one more day to get ready for my month-long trip!

Nomad Life - Day 208

Last day of Nomad Life hotels for a while!  This morning, I woke up at 0530 (before alarm) and started teleworking.  At 0630, I tried to go to breakfast in the Lobby of the Best Western (Springfield) at but the staff took an additional 15 minutes to set up.  Fortunately, I was there first and beat everyone else into the queue that immediately formed.  The food was worth the wait fortunately...  After my meal, I went to the Fitness Center and spent 20 minutes on the stationary (recumbent) bike - I logged four miles.  Returning to my room by 0720, I resumed teleworking.  My Wednesday schedules are usually busy and I stayed online until 1230 (late checkout approved).  Taking up a break from my job, I spent about 20 minutes printing out items in the lobby of the hotel.  After that, I departed from Springfield and headed east to get a haircut at my old barber shop (1255).  On the way, I joined a work telcon.  Meanwhile, my car was showing temps 80's (it felt like 90s).  It may have been this situation that caused me to have intermittent cell phone signal.  I kept trying to rejoin the telcon and was mildly successful.  At 1330, I arrived at Rose Hill Barber Shop, where I used to get my hair cut for more than 10 years.  There was no line but the prices had soared (probably double the cost of my regular cut).  Oh well - I needed the trip...  Afterwards (1345), I got back in the car and joined another work telcon for a short time.  Meanwhile, I drove (via I-495 and I-66) to Falls Church.  My friend from Notre Dame, Kim, had graciously offered to let me stay with her and her husband (David) until I trip began a few days later.  Even better, they offered to let me leave my car in the parking spot for their condo.  I arrived at their house by 1415 and, after greeting one of my oldest friends, I resumed teleworking.  Kim had to leave for work before 1500 helped me put together a (late) lunch.  For work, I stayed online until 1615 (8 hours completed)  Beyond that, I worked on several projects I'd hoped to complete before my trip began: website updates, blog catchup, photo backup and travel prep.  Kim and David got home by 1730 and I thought we'd make some dinner plans.  Instead, Kim suggested that we drive (in convoy) from Falls Church to McLean so I could see their (rental) condo.  We'd talked about this a few times before but this was the first time it had worked out.  After driving along busy city streets (lots of traffic, construction, etc.), we arrived at a nice looking building.  Before long (1845), I was inside and taking a tour of their wonderful condo unit.  At 1905, Kim then went to a condo-owner meeting while I drove David back to their house.  On the way, we stopped at Giant to pick up some beer (I chose a Fair Winds Brewery Kolsch).  We arrived at Kim and David's by (1930) and we ate a light dinner.  As usual, David and I had a good conversation.  And, when Kim returned, she joined our discussion.  In the end, I stayed up much later than I'd expected, due to our good talk.  Once I made my way to the guest room, I did some reading and Duolingo - bed time was at 2245.  Glad to relive lots of good memories from many years of friendship!  

Nomad Life - Day 207

Day Trip to DC!  After repositioning from Central Virginia, I had an opportunity to head into the City to get a new ID badge and visit with my work colleagues.  To make this happen, though, I had to remember all the lessons I'd learned during more than 10 years of living in Alexandria.  So, I got up at 0500 (before alarm, I guess because of the anticipation) and got ready to depart.  I would actually have left immediately but had to wait for the breakfast at the Best Western (Springfield) to open at 0630.  And they were late...  After scarfing down my food, I left the hotel (0645) and drove to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station (Park & Ride garage).  Fortunately, I was able to get on a DC-bound Blue Line Train that departed at 0700.  At the King Street / Old Town Alexandria Station (0710), I changed to a Yellow Line train and then continued on to L’Enfant Plaza (arrived at 0730).  It was only a short walk to the Security Office and I was the only customer at that time - as a result, I completed all the required tanks and got my shiny new ID badge by 0830.  During this window, my tentative plans with my cousin, Elizabeth H, fell through (she was feeling sick).  Fortunately, I'd texted a colleague (Thais) about my arrival (but almost no one else) and managed to meet up with her in the same building.  It was great to see her!  I did learn that she was planning to retire very soon - that will definitely be the end of an era...  Together, we took a Shuttle Bus over to the Navy Yard (left at 0845).  Thais showed me where to enter the building and then took me to the cubicle area where our project team now works (they recently changed office buildings after many years at L'Enfant).  For several hours, I mingled with my co-workers (including my outgoing client) and attended meetings in-person.  It seemed like everyone was very glad to see me!  Since I didn't want to get stuck in the city by staying too late, I said goodbye to everyone at 1145 and departed the building.  By then, it had gotten very hot (low 80s) outside but I was pleased to see that we had another wonderfully sunny day.  During the morning hours, I'd tried to coordinate with several people to meet for lunch - in the end, I made plans with Bridgette C (daughter of my late friend, Chris) in the U Street area of the city.  After entering the Metro System again at Navy Yard, I took a Green Line train to U Street (arrived at 1205).  As I was exiting the turnstile, I noticed a sign that explained how I could add my WMATA SmarTrip card to my Apple iPhone wallet - this will greatly improve my experience and keep me from getting stuck if I forget a "hard copy".  With that task completed, I walked to Busboys and Poets (located on 14th Street) - Bridgette joined me there at 1225.  For over an hour, we ate a great lunch and caught up with each other on life and work.  I'm very glad we were able to meet!  After saying goodbye at 1335, I walked (via 14th Street) to McPherson Square.  My main goal was to cut out a Metro train transfer but I also thought it might be nice to visit the White House.  A few times, I even thought about how it might be nice to stop by Ford's Theater (to watch events connected with the Lincoln Assassination on this date) or even head back to Waterfront (to visit the Titanic Memorial on the anniversary of the collision with the iceberg).  In the end, though, I just kept on target...  When I arrived at the latter location (1400), I found the area in front of it and the nearby Lafayette Square were under major construction.  I assume this was due to the upcoming 250th Birthday of the USA.  There were a few protesters but they weren't very enthusiastic.  By then, it was even hotter (high 80s) so I was looking to get out of the sun myself.  I walked a bit farther west to reach the Farragut West Station - on the way, I actually saw a Farragut Statue.  After boarding a westbound Blue Line train, I got stuck with some track delays.  Because I wasn't certain about how long it would take me to get back to my car, I actually got off the train at Pentagon City for a "bio break".  Ultimately, I arrived at Franconia Springfield Station at 1450 and was back at my hotel room by 1505.  Since I hadn't finished my telework day, I spent a bit more time online, taking care of work projects.  All of the running around, heat and extra work in my comfy room made me feel sleepy and I ended up taking an hour long nap (1700 to 1800) after work.  Actually, I might have gone longer but Mollie called...  Along the way, I skipped dinner and spent time watching movies.  At 2130, I went to the Fitness Center to work out again.  This time, though, I only rode the stationary (recumbent) bike for 20 minutes (4 miles).  Finished with my day at 2200, I returned to my room for some more movies and only went to bed at 2330.  Altogether, today's work trip into our Nation's Capital was a success!

Nomad Life - Day 206

After several weeks of getting to visit with my daughters, the time had come for me to return to a more traditional Nomad Life.  This morning, I was awake at 0545 (before my alarm) and started teleworking from Mollie's apartment.  I got to say goodbye to Mollie and Alex when they departed for work (0730).  As they were departing, I got to see a cabinet that Alex had made for his classroom (it looked good).  During the next few hours of teleworking (lots of meetings), I also age breakfast (snacks), did laundry and made arrangements for lodging during the following few days.  Lunch was leftover rice (Mollie had made it for me), smothered in some delicious vegetable soup.  At 1330, I logged off of my computer, packed up my car and took Maple for a walk.  She was really good for me and I was reluctant to return her to the apartment and her crate.  The weather was overcast (with sprinkles) and the temps were in the mid 70s.  After logging one mile, I departed Fredericksburg at 1400.  Using some surface streets, I reached I-95 and headed north.  Even though I was going against the flow of rush hour drivers, I still encountered lots of traffic (most was near Quantico, Occoquan and the I-495/I-395 merge) - as a result, the drive to Springfield took longer than I'd hoped.  On the plus side, the weather improved during this time.  When I reached the area near my hotel, Best Western (Springfield), I somehow got lost because I incorrectly understood my Google Maps.  Eventually, I reached the lobby of the hotel, checked into my room and was able tor resume teleworking (1520).  Along the way, I thought about leaving for some outdoor fun but, in the end, decided to stay in my room because it had gotten so hot.  Fortunately, the hotel had a Fitness Center and I planned to maximize use of the equipment after my work day was completed.  That time arrived at 1710 and then started working on my Nomad Life blog.  At 1800, I attended Monthly Knights of Columbus Meeting (via Zoom).  Along the way, I skipped dinner.  After a bit more work online (finances, travel planning, blog entries), I went to the Fitness Center for a workout (2000).  First, I walked a mile on the treadmill and, after that, I rode the stationary (recumbent) bike for 40 minutes (8 miles).  My workout was completed by 2115 and I returned to my room for movies and reading.  Bed time at 2245.  Hoping my repositioning will make tomorrow's required visit to DC easier (crossing fingers)...

Nomad Life - Day 205

I had a second weekend day with Mollie!  In anticipation, I was up at 0630 (no alarm set) and did some blog catchup before Mollie was awake too.  It was 0800 before I saw my daughter and, when she came into the living room, we talked for a bit.  I learned that she had a hair appointment and I realized that this gave me some time to go to Mass.  After locating a Parish in downtown Fredericksburg and saying goodbye to Mollie (0815), I drove to St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.  I arrived just before the Mass began (0830).  Unfortunately, I had trouble parking (the church lot was packed) - in the end, I left my car in front of a nearby home and was a bit late entering the church.  The service was interesting, with at least 10 altar servers, several Latin prayers (including the Credo) and a good Homily.  Overall, the church seemed very "fancy" to me.  When the service ended, I left the church (0935) and walked back to my car.  By then, it was already 65 F, with higher temps coming towards the city.  Next, I drove back towards Mollie's house.  As always seems to happen, I found myself on US-1...  However, I realized that I was hungry and that I should have a good opportunity to find some breakfast food.  Sadly, this ended up being a bit harder than I'd hoped.  After striking out on several other choices, I stopped at the Valero near Mollie's house.  In the little store they had at that gas station, I was able to pick up some low priced and healthy (banana!) snacks.  As I was checking out, the clerk gave me a new loyalty card - not sure I needed another one...  By 1000, I was back at Mollie's apartment and discovered that she had just returned from her hair appointment.  Since she apparently hadn't eaten either, Mollie made eggs for the two of us (I ate my banana). After our mail, we started getting ready to go out for the day.  Realizing that Noon was approaching and I was running out of time for one of the bonuses, I ended up doing my morning Duolingo in a rush.  This slight delay led Mollie to ask if I actually was going to be ready soon (!).  Wrapping up this silly habit, I joined her in the car.  We'd toyed with bringing Maple on our outdoor excursion but, in the end, decided against it.  Instead, we departed Mollie's apartment at 1150 and drove east.  Mollie and I had talked about adding a new site to our Virginia State Park Challenge list and we'd figured out that neither of us had been to Caledon State Park.  Like several other units of the VA State Park system, this one was also about 40 minutes from Fredericksburg.  The drive gave us another chance to have a nice talk.  With minimal traffic, we arrived at the Visitor Center parking lot at 1230.  We used Mollie's State Park pass to gain free entry and parking and then went inside the VC.  From the displays and a friendly Park Ranger, we learned about the families that had lived on the property since the mid Seventeenth Century (some relatives of George Washington were included).  Mollie expressed interest in getting in part time or volunteer positions - we'll see if that idea goes anywhere.  On the property, there was a "Salamander Meander" event scheduled to begin (about 30 minutes later) but Mollie and I decided no to join it because she didn't have waterproof boots.  Instead, we started hiking on trails in the park.  We had a paper map but this was only a little helpful - sadly, there was a lot of poor signage.  The trails, though, were very well maintained.  Another bonus: the weather was wonderful (60s and sunny).  Along the way, Mollie and I tried to estimate the age of the trees.  She told me they looked really old but I thought they were newer.  Later, we learned that many of the trees we'd seen (Poplars) were around 300 years old!  That'll teach me to argue with my Dendrology trained daughter!  Eventually, we managed to make our way to a pretty Potomac River view.  Mollie had brought some Belvita sandwiches and we ate these while sitting at a nice picnic table in the shade.  During the break, we made plans for the route we planned to walk back to the car.  This decision ended up taking us on some different trails.  Initially, we headed towards what we thought was a boardwalk (we were wrong and cursed the map again).  After that, we went through some wooded areas on mountain bike trails.  During this time, I believe we passed an old homestead but there was no interpretive signage.  Another highlight: we encountered some interesting birds.  After wandering around the wood fof a while, we ended up on a service road at the end and came out in an area where there were some maintenance buildings.  It wasn't intentional but this error allowed us to access the Potomac Heritage Trail before we got in the car.  Our five mile walk was done at 1500 and we both agreed we'd had good time.  Even better, this was my 30th Virginia State Park (out of a bit more than 40).  Afterwards, we departed and backtracked towards Fredericksburg.  We noticed something (near Caledon State Park) called the "Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail" and agreed that we'd try to walk that someday in the future.  During our drive, we debated where and what to eat and then finally decided to get some late lunch at Wawa.  In the iconic Mid-Atlantic lunch stop, we made sandwiches to order and got a really good deal on the food.  With "lunch" in hand (1535), we headed back to Mollie's.  After we arrived, Mollie warned me that Alex needed to use the Guest Room for a Game Night.  With this in mind, I skipped relaxing and taking Maple for a walk and, instead, tried to catch up on more work before Alex returned from Beaverdam.  I was still working (at 1800), trying to get my work done when Alex arrived.  At that point, he told us that Mollie had the evening wrong.  Oh well, I'm much more caught up on blog entries!  Meanwhile, Mollie made dinner for everyone but, since I was still full from the late lunch, I ended up skipping dinner.  During this same time period, Mollie sewed another seam rip in my hiking pants.  She's very handy!  By 1815, I'd finished my work on the computer and joined Mollie and Alex in the living room.  While they watched a "documentary" (on the lives of people with Autism and Asperger's), I went through all the magazines that had arrived at Mollie's over the last few months.  In the end, I left only a few for her (she told me she might use them for a school project) and threw out the rest.  At 1905, I went walking with Mollie and Maple in the neighborhood.  The weather was still very nice and the extra steps took me to more than six miles of walking for the day.  Back at Mollie's apartment, we found some ticks on the dog and this led to everyone getting a shower to make sure we hadn't also picked up any.  As a result, it was almost 2050 by the time Mollie was ready for a to watch something else on the TV.  She told me we needed to have another movie night and, because she said I would like it, Mollie turned on a film called "K-Pop Demon Hunters".  Alex even watched with us and, I must admit, it ended up being mildly entertaining.  It was also long, though, and we weren't done with the movie until 2220.  Even though I was actually really tired, I didn't go to bed until 2300.  Very glad I made a return visit to see my daughter!

Nomad Life - Day 204

When I woke up this morning (0615, before alarm), I felt sore from the workout the night before.  Thinking that I'd be soon departing (as I'd discussed with Brenna), started getting ready to depart.  Meanwhile, Brenna was still sleeping...  When our departure time (0800) for Mr. J's Bagels arrived, it was clear that the plan was changing.  Trying to be efficient, I packed up my car and spent some time working on travel planning, taxes, reading, Duolingo and puzzles.  Along the way, I heard from Mollie that she had an emergency with Maple (her dog) and might not be home in Fredericksburg at the time I arrived.  As a result of this development, I decided to delay my departure from Harrisonburg until it was more convenient.  At 0830, Brenna was finally ready to go to breakfast and I decided we could drive together (since I was staying longer).  Outside, it was another wonderful day, with temps in the high 50s and lots of sun.  Instead of going to the "normal" Mr. J's (located near the JMU Campus), Brenna took me to the one on the west side of Harrisonburg.  No matter - we got the same tasty food!  I ordered (at 0850) a bagel sandwich on a "maple syrup bagel", with Taylor Ham and a side of breakfast potatoes.  Brenna got something similar but with bacon.  We both enjoyed the food and ambiance (Mr. J's is kind of a family tradition).  We finished eating at 0915 and then drove a short distance to Hillandale Park so we could go for a walk.  Brenna introduced me to the Friendly City Trail and we logged three miles on the paved trail.  We also had more good conversation - I knew I'd miss this benefit of Dad-Daughter visiting...  During this time, I got more updates from Mollie - she said she wanted to meet up in Beaverdam (near where Maple was getting some vet care) and offered an opportunity to go kayaking on Lake Anna.  I was very excited to hear about that!  Brenna started to develop a blister (in her flip flops) and (at 1045), we agreed to return to Brenna's apartment.  After double checking that I wasn't forgetting anything, I said goodbye to my daughter.  We had a wonderful week together!  By 1100, I was in my Subaru and headed east (on back roads and US-33) .  The temps had risen to 70 F and it was still a wonderfully sunny day.  As I drove, I noticed signs for the "Spotswood Trail" - this was the first time I realized it was close to the route used during the early Nineteenth Century expedition I'd read about in a book recently.  I crossed the Shenandoah at Swift Run Gap and continued east on US-33).  At one point, I noticed signs for James Madison's Montpelier (his home) and decided to get off the four lane US Highway to check it out.  To reach the landmark, I followed VA-20 into rural Orange County.  Along the way, I passed lots of signs about the upcoming "Gerrymandering" ballot initiative; actually, I've been seeing those for weeks but this area seemed particularly divided on the subject.  At 1215, I arrived at Montpelier and was surprised to find out they had a "fee free" day!  Montpelier was hosting an event called "We the Kids" but they told me everyone was welcome.  Immediately, I called Mollie to ask if I could tarry in that area and she said it was OK because she still wasn't done with her dog.  For the next hour, I explored the house and the grounds, learning a lot about the fourth president.  From several points, I got wonderful views of the Shenandoah ridge in the distance - what a beautiful panorama!  I toured the home and even met some reenactors (Mr. Madison and Colonel Monroe).  Before departing, I paid my respects at the family cemetery, where there was a big obelisk in memory of the Fourth President and Father of the Constitution (a smaller stone memorialized his wife, Dolly).  By 1315, I was on the road again (temps 72 F) and drove, by a series of zigs and zags, to Beaverdam (the route was VA-20, VA-629, US-522, VA-208, VA-652, VA-601, VA-715, VA-739, VA-800 and VA-684).  During this transit down the western side of Lake Anna, the gas prices were ridiculously higher than I'd been seeing elsewhere.  On the positive side, traffic was light and the weather was still wonderful.  Near the end of my journey, I passed by the historic train depot in Beaverdam.  Mollie and Alex had told me about it several times but this was the first time I ended up near it.  At 1415, I arrived at the home of Alex's parents by 1415 and spent some time visiting.  Despite hours of care and attention for Maple, Mollie and Alex were still worried about their dog.  As a result, there were some delays in the afternoon plans with my daughter.  In fact, I thought everything might be canceled.  However, at 1600 (with kayaks fully loaded in Alex's truck), Mollie and I departed for Pleasants Landing (located on the southeast corner of Lake Anna, near the dam).  About 20 minutes later, we launched our kayaks from the Marina there and then spent time paddling on the water.  The weather was still wonderful (albeit a bit windy) and we were treated to signs and sounds of so many cool birds (Bald Eagle and Osprey among them).  After about 75 minutes (2.5 miles),  we wrapped up my first paddle of the season and re-loaded the kayaks in the truck.  Since it was nearly 1730 by that point, I suggested we get some dinner at the Marina's restaurant: El Gran Patron (Mexican).  We got seats on a patio outside and enjoyed enchiladas.  I even got a margarita!  We continued our nice conversation - it was great to see Mollie again.  We finished our meal at 1820 and headed back to Alex's parents' home.  While I unpacked the truck with Alex and visited a bit with his parents, Mollie went to get some (cheaper) gas nearby.  After saying my own goodbyes, I waited for my daughter at the exit of Alex's parents' neighborhood.  When she drove by (1920), I followed her in the direction of Fredericksburg (Alex stayed with his parents so he could complete a household project he was working on).  Maple came with our little car convoy.  Somehow, Mollie took me on back roads (with the last part of the drive being on US-1) all the way to her apartment.  This was a pleasant, mostly traffic free route with an opportunity to watch a beautiful sunset.  We arrived in Fredericksburg at about 2000 and Mollie set up the TV for us to watch a movie.  After learning that I'd never seen "Twisters", we started that film.  I was surprised that it wasn't horrible, although I told Mollie I still like the original better.  The wine we had while watching the movie made it a bit better, though!  At 2200, we wrapped up our evening together and, after I went to the guest room, I did some reading and Duolingo before bed (2300).  It was a wonderful day of great weather, breakfast & walking with Brenna and paddling & movies with Mollie!

Nomad Life - Day 203

Last full day with Brenna (tears)...  As usual, I got up at 0630 (with alarm) and started teleworking.  Brenna joined me in the living room at 0715 and it was nice to visit with her (and make plans for the evening).  My daughter departed at 0815 but, meanwhile, I kept working.  Along the way, I ate breakfast (snacks) and, later, lunch (leftovers).  Through the full day of telework, I never left the apartment - this really sucked because the weather outside was wonderful (60s, sunny) again.  At around 1630, I wrapped up my work week and ate an early dinner (leftovers).  I had just started working on a photo backup project when Brenna arrived home.  I'd thought we'd be getting ready to go out for our afternoon activity but she decided to take advantage of leaving work early to focus on some personal business. Meanwhile, I kept working on my blog, photo storage and later watched a new episode on my streaming services.  Finally (at 1730), we departed (in Brenna's car) for the Sentara RMH Wellness Center.  Brenna has been raving about the facility and asked (nearly every time I've visited) if I would like to have a workout with her.  Today was the day!  We arrived at 1745 and I had to agree with my daughter - was a VERY impressive facility, with a fitness track, extensive equipment, lap pool, children's pool, lockers, etc.  After registering as a guest and getting a tour (from my daughter), I began walking with Brenna on the large indoor track (1800).  It was nice to exercise with Brenna but she didn't stay with me for long.  For my part, I kept moving for about forty minutes - by the end, I'd completed two miles (20 laps).  Along the way, I encountered a man (with noise canceling headphones) who was loudly singing songs as he walked along, seemingly oblivious to the rest of us.  When I finished my step goals, I moved on to a nearby stationary (recumbent) bike.  Between 1845 and 2025, I rode 8 miles in 40 minutes.  For some reason, I had to work very hard to reach my cycling goal.  During this time, I also watched CNN, which had non-stop live coverage of the approaching Artemis II landing.  At different times, Brenna came by to check on me and, at one point, she gave me a towel to dry off the sweat.  She also texted me several times, updating her own workout progress.  With my biking complete, I got ready to go swimming in the lap pool.  Unlike what was required (a lap lane reservation) when I visited the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in Vermont, I was able to just chose a lane and get started.  I then spent 45 minutes doing laps and managed to complete 48 lengths (0.75 miles).  This was a drop off from my old 50+ stamina but I was pleased to have been able to get through an entire workout of the pre-Nomad Life variety.  When I was finished working out (2015) and quickly got changed so I could meet Brenna in the lobby (2030).  When we departed, I thought we were going straight back to her place.  However, Brenna mentioned that Jesse had driven down to eat dinner in Harrisonburg.  He had already arrived at a nearby Cook Out restaurant and we joined him (2045).  Since I'd already eaten dinner, I only ordered a milkshake, which turned out to be more of a thick ice cream - I could barely drink it!  Armed with some good food, we visited with Jesse until almost 2200.  As we were wrapping up, there were suddenly LOTS of college kids arriving to quench their munchies.  After saying goodbye (because we were all tired), Brenna drove me back to her apartment.  After arriving (2215), we immediately said goodnight.  However, I did some light reading and Duolingo before finally heading to bed at 2245.  Feeling very good about my workout at Brenna's wonderful gym!

Nomad Life - Day 202

Before I arrived in the Shenandoah, Brenna had asked if I could chaperone a Field Trip at her school.  Of course, I eagerly accepted!  Today was the day for the event and I was up at 0630 (no alarm required).  Unfortunately, I had a very fitful sleep overnight.  I believe the temps in the apartment (and the clothing I'd wore the night before), along with the couch I was sleeping on, created the issue.  Regardless, I started teleworking as soon as I was awake.  Brenna woke up shortly after I did (0700) and got ready for work.  She gave me more details about the Field Trip and then departed for the school (0815).  Meanwhile, I continued teleworking (meetings).  At 1045, I took a break from my job and headed to a nearby Walmart for a gas fillup (1055).  Immediately after that, I picked up lunch (to go) at Wendy's (1100) and then drove to Brenna's school.  Starting at 1115, I spent nearby four hours volunteering with Brenna's class.  After I joined my daughter, we (along with nearly 25 students, four teachers and the other chaperones) got ready to head to the nearby Harrisonburg Children's Museum.  Once again, it was a wonderful day of weather (high 50s, rising into the low 60s, and sunny).  Through each step of the Field Trip, the kids were very enthusiastic (singing songs at times).  We walked about a mile from their school to the museum and then had a wonderful time exploring the exhibits.  Brenna assigned me to shadow three young people through the Theater Room, Arts & Crafts Room, Airport Room (complete with control tower, regional jet and TSA screening area), Hospital Room, Farm/Barn Area (crops and Farmer’s Market), Kitchen Room and assorted other locations.  I was very impressed with the way the kids played with all the “Grown Up” tools!  Most of them seemed to enjoy my presence, with some trying to validate my identity as the dad of their teacher.  On the way back to school, we had to climb a big hill and the kids all started singing "Golden" (from the "KPOP Demon Hunters" movie, with it's "Up, Up, Up!" lyrics).  Soon after that, I got the most hilarious image of Brenna that I’ve ever seen (sadly, no camera ready).  During a shortcut through a city park, the kids broke into runs, rolls down hills and unbridled exuberance,  My daughter was an island of calm stability amid the chaos!  It was clear that those kids love their teacher and I could tell that the feelings are mutual.  After saying goodbye (and getting hugs from) the students, I departed for Brenna's apartment at 1445.  On the way, I bought snacks at Walmart (1500).  At the apartment, I resumed teleworking.  Brenna got home at 1730 and we talked more about the field trip - I told her I hoped we could have a relaxing evening in the house and she agreed.  For some reason, though, Brenna then went into her room to "rest" and I didn't hear back from her for a while.  To pass the time, I watched a new episode on my streaming services.  Since I'd already gotten nearly three hours from walking with Brenna's class earlier in the day, I only had one mile left to reach my step goal.  For this reason, I went walking in Brenna's apartment complex parking lot (1910).  In the end, I got the last mile completed (10K step goal achieved).  Meanwhile, Brenna texted to ask if we could get takeout from Vietopia and I agreed.  Soon after that (while I was still walking), she went to pick up the food.  She returned home at around 2000 and I joined her at her apartment soon after that.  I found her watching an episode of "The Rookie" but, before long, Brenna asked if we could watch a movie.  I suggested one called "As Luck Would Have It" that I thought she'd like.  For the next few hours (with minor interruptions for other conversations, eating and Brenna's calls with Jesse), we enjoyed the film.  One minor interruption was when Brenna and Jesse laughed at me because I seemed to be a huge fan of Hallmark Movies.  I replied that I had been doing "research" on so I would know what to share with my daughters when I visited.  The movie finally wrapped up at 2215 and I said goodnight to my daughter.  For the rest of the evening, I did some more reading and checking on the news.  It was finally time for bed at 2315.  What a great day of volunteering with Brenna's class!

Nomad Life - Day 201

Another day in Harrisonburg with Brenna!  I was up at 0630 (alarm required) and started teleworking immediately. Brenna came out of her room at 0715 and we talked for a bit while she got ready.  For breakfast, I ate snacks and leftovers - I then said goodbye to Brenna when she departed for work (0815).  For the rest of the morning, I teleworked and then ate leftovers for lunch.  Along the way, I did another load of dishes for Brenna and folded some more clothes.  At 1345, I left Brenna's apartment to do some errands.  Outside, it was pleasant (50s) and sunny.  First (1400), I topped at Home Depot to get items (trash bags, fabric softeners).  Next (1410), I dropped off items (including Brenna's wiped iPhone) for recycling at Staples.  On the way back to Brenna's, I took a call from Viking (Ezra) and ended up creating a new itinerary for Egypt and Jordan in late 2028 through early 2029 - we'll have to see if anyone wants to go with me!  I arrived back to Brenna's before 1430 and resumed teleworking.  During one brief break, I set up a shade (curtain) for Brenna's back door.  When Brenna got home (1645), I stopped teleworking and thought we'd be departing for Edinburg (where Jesse lived).  However, she told me she didn't feel well and went into her room to rest.  During this unexpected break, I thought about going for a walk but wasn't sure how much time I had.  My hesitation ended up being a mistake because there was never another opportunity (and I never got anywhere near my 10K step goal).  At 1745, Brenna told me she finally felt well enough to depart for Jesse's home.  Prior to that, though, she insisted on stopping at McDonalds (so she could get a soft drink).  Once we finally got out of Harrisonburg (US-33), we used I-81 and, eventually, US-11 to reach Edinburg.  As usual, there was lots of scary traffic for Brenna to contend with - this was probably even more exacerbated because I was her passenger...  When we arrived at Jesse's 1815), we discovered that he wasn't home and I thought about taking a walk nearby with the remaining sunlight.  However, he drove up just as I was lacing up my hiking boots.  For the next 30 minutes, we toured Jesse's home - he (and Brenna) had made lots of changes since I visited the last time.  Along the way, I helped Jesse move some furniture (yard, patio, side tables, etc.) he'd picked up from Facebook Marketplace - he knew just where to put these items and it improved the home even more.  During this work, we got into an interesting conversation about a wall hanging related to the local area.  At a local yard sale, he'd found a map which had a small note about "George Washington surveying the Fairfax Line".  This led to me looking up (on Wikipedia) information about the Fairfax Line and the discovery of the Fairfax Stone (located in West Virginia).  This inspired me to go looking for more slices of Americana on my Nomad Life.  Brenna talked again about how she didn't feel well but, with hydration, she eventually felt well enough to depart for dinner.  At 1915, we rode with Jesse to a much anticipated restaurant (Brenna and Jesse had told me it was "the best") - it was called Pizza Bella and it was located in a strip mall in Edinburg.  Despite this inauspicious start, the the food ended up living up to the hype.  We ordered a large garden salad, 10 boneless wings (teriyaki), a gyro (with fries) and a "meat lovers" pizza.  Initially, I thought this was too much food.  However, we somehow ate all of it.  Along the way, we had more great conversation, mostly about the future, and I told some funny stories related to my work.  When it was time to go, there were no leftovers!  Afterwards (2130), we headed back to Jesse's home; Brenna wanted to stay longer but Jesse admitted that he was tired and had been planning to go to his parents' home for the night.  Reluctantly, Brenna steered us back towards Harrisonburg (2145).  Like we'd seen on the way north on I-81, the traffic was just as frustrating and scary.  Happily, Brenna made the roughly 30 minute drive without incident.  After we returned home (2230), we said goodnight and I spent time reading and doing Duolingo exercises.  I finally went to bed at 2330.  Very glad to visit with Jesse at his home and adopted town!

Nomad Life - Day 200

Brenna woke me up with bright lights and coffee making at 0630.  Since I'd gone to bed so late (due to getting carried away with a good book), I hadn't even set my alarm...  As a result, this was an uncomfortable awakening.  Reluctantly, I started teleworking and did my best to continue the small talk until Brenna departed (0715).  In my unusually tired state, I still managed to power through the whole day teleworking.  Meanwhile, I ate a light breakfast (snack foods) and lunch was a short stack of pancakes I made in Brenna's kitchen.  At times through the day, I did chores (laundry, dishes, minor household repairs, etc.) for Brenna.  After getting done with my work day (1645), I worked on my blog and caught up on reading and puzzles.  Brenna got home at 1715 and seemed glad with the work I'd done around her apartment.  Like me, though, she was also very tired.  Despite the fatigue, she started making dinner (ground turkey burgers) in her air fryer - I tried to help her (in improving the consistency) and we were mildly successful.  Jesse arrived at 1750 and showed a lot of concern for the cooking of the poultry (because he is always in Ultra-Run mode, he is very knowledgeable about food).  We all talked for a while about their upcoming (pre-engagement) couples counseling and I wished them well.  At 1715, Brenna and Jesse departed to meet with the counselor.  Meanwhile, I worked on my blog a bit longer before departing myself - I wanted to find a good place for a walk nearby.  I should note that I'd been procrastinating all day about doing errands Brenna had mentioned - with the decision to seek out some steps towards my daily goal, I had (once again) postponed the shopping trip.  Recalling a walk I'd done (with Brenna and Jesse during my last visit to Harrisonburg) at Lake Shenandoah I drove to the nearest parking lot for the trail system.  The weather was still very pleasant (temps in the 50s but clear and sunny).  The parking lot had signs about paying a fee for activities on the property but I checked all the other cars - no one had any indications they'd followed the parking rules.  With the remaining light I had, I ended up completing two full circuits of the lake.  Along the way, I encountered lots of birds and a few deer - only a few other people were nearby.  I was finished with my walk at 1945 and made my way back to Brenna's house (arrived at 2000).  Discovering that my daughter and her boyfriend weren't back yet, I thought I had correctly predicted 2030 as the time that their counseling would end.  While waiting for them to return, I worked some more on my blog, did some reading, Duolingo and puzzles.  Jesse and Brenna returned at 2015 and were laughing when they told me their counseling had ended about 45 minutes earlier.  They confessed they'd been "watching me" (using the "find my phone" app) and knew that they had time to go grocery shopping without me realizing that they weren't still with the counselor.  Excitedly, they showed me their bags of groceries (they'd had time to shop while I was walking) - My daughter informed me that I would need to judge two different dessert offerings they planned to make for me: Brenna would make low sugar brownies from a box and Jesse would create homemade healthy "cheesecake".  At first, I told them I was uncomfortable being the middle of such a competition but Brenna insisted.  In the end, I admitted that both offerings were really good and told them it was too tough to find a winner.  In passing, I did note that Jesse had to come up with his own combinations of cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, graham crackers (etc.) - "Giddy Brenna" was definitely on display after this - she joked that she'd worked hard too.  Later, we sat together on Brenna's couch and watched YouTube selections (mostly from "Wreck it Ralph").  Meanwhile, I drank a few of Brenna's old "Twisted Teas" (they were VERY old).  We had lots of laughs but the tiredness from the morning wasn't getting any better...  Jesse finally departed at 2215 and Brenna said goodnight to me soon afterwards.  Before calling it a night myself, I read some more but finally went to bed (on Brenna's couch) at 2330.  Feeling good about the opportunity to help out my daughter, get to know her boyfriend better and spend time in cooler spring air!

Nomad Life - Day 199

After a night on Brenna's couch, I woke up early (0630 with alarm) and started teleworking.  I got to spend a little time with my daughter before she left for work (Teacher Work Day) in Harrisonburg (she departed at 0815).  Meanwhile, I stayed at her apartment to continue teleworking.  My breakfast was snacks, which I used to power through several meetings.  It was actually a rather slow work day after lunch time - I made a "Nomad Life" meal with food from my car that I prepared in Brenna's kitchen.  Despite the slowness, I continued working, with no breaks until 1700, when Brenna arrived home.  After she got ready, we departed for Shenandoah National Park (with a quick stop for gas) at 1745.  To reach the hiking trailhead I had in mind, Brenna drove east (via US-33) until we could enter the park at the Swift Run Gap entrance.  We used my lifetime "America the Beautiful" pass to get inside and then drove about 10 miles north of US-33.  We ultimately stopped at the Appalachian Trail parking lot at Milam Gap.  While exiting the car, I noticed that Brenna hadn't worn good shoes and had no coat, which was kind of surprising (because of the lower temps).  Undaunted, we left our car (1815) and started hiking towards the southeast.  Initially, this took us from the trailhead, across Skyline Drive and onto the blue-blazed Mill Prong Trail.  The whole area yielded some good memories (it was one of my first-ever AT hikes), birding opportunities (so many Eastern Towhees!) and funny photo opportunities (Brenna almost fell into a creek we crossed).  We didn't see another living soul (or animal) but continued to be mindful of the decreasing daylight.  Through it all, we got some exercise and good Daddy-Daughter time.  After turning around at the beginning of a large descent (about one mile from the car), we re-crossed Skyline Drive and walked towards the northwest on the AT.  On the west side of the road, we passed a rocky outcropping that allowed for some great sunset photos and selfies.  We ended up walking nearly another mile before turning around; we reached the car (after about 3.5 miles of walking completed) at 2000.  By then, it was nearly dark and the presence of a lot of deer nearby made both of us nervous about potential animal encounters during the return drive to Harrisonburg (this was, after all, where Brenna had actually hit a deer a few years ago).  As a precaution, Brenna drove VERY slowly on Skyline Drive, much to the chagrin of several other guests to the National Park.  Since I'm her dad, though, I was glad that she was being careful - we avoided catastrophe and were able to turn our attention to dinner plans.  This ended up being a difficult conversation because of the lateness.  Brenna insisted that we shouldn't stop anywhere that was within 30 minutes of closing (to avoid being rude to the staff) and that ruled out a lot of restaurants.  At one point, I just pointed to some fast food locations we were passing (near US-340) but Brenna rejected them ("not healthy").  Eventually, we stopped to check on a Brewery and Burger joint but learned they'd already closed (at 2000).  The place that I'd been wanting to visit (an Italian Restaurant, located near Massanutten, we'd patronized before) was actually open but the debating and (stopping at other places before we finally reached it) soured both of us on the place.  Instead, we drove into Harrisonburg and stopped at Applebee's for dinner.  We arrived at 2045 and were both relieved to find that they stayed open until 2300).  Once seated, we looked over the menu and it started yet another debate - luckily, I was able to convince Brenna to order from a "Two for $25" menu.  Despite my daughter's report that this wasn't going to be a good deal, in my opinion, the food (salads for both of is, rice and "Mexican" chicken for me, cheeseburger for Brenna) was very good.  I even had a "Hurricane" drinks (Brenna thought that was funny).  After our walk, it was nice to relax and keep talking together.  We were finally done eating at 2155 and made our way back to Brenna's apartment.  Both  of us were very tired by then so didn't linger in conversation for long.  We said goodnight at 2230 but then I got very caught up in a book I'd been reading ("Shaman") while laying on Brenna's couch and didn't actually go to bed until 0030.  It was wonderful to spend so much time with Brenna this evening! 

Nomad Life - Day 198

Another weekend day!  This morning, I was awake at 0630.  Sadly, it was raining outside and I (again) had to give up on ideas of walking on the nearby New River Trail.  Instead, I spent time reading and working on Duolingo and puzzles.  At 0745, I went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Super 8 (Fort Chiswell).  Beyond that, I worked on my blog and updated information related to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (recorded my miles and was impressed by the results).  After packing up my car, I left Fort Chiswell at 1015.  By then, the temps were 55 F and it was raining steadily,  Armed with research I'd done earlier, I drove north on I-81 (lots of crazy drivers and heavy truck traffic) until I was able to exit on to VA-177.  This route allowed me to arrive at St. Jude Catholic Church by 1100 - just in time for Easter Sunday Mass!  The church parking lot was packed and I felt very fortunately to find a seat in the back of the sanctuary (outside the glass doors).  The service featured a very young priest, lots of young families, pretty piano music (although it was unfamiliar music for each prayer), lots of altar boys and deacons, very few icons/statues.  Overall, I was impressed!  I left the church at 1200 (even though the service was still wrapping up) so I could continue north to Brenna's home.  I used VA-177 to get back to I-81.  By then, the rain had stopped while I made my way (with lots of traffic) through Salem and Roanoke.  As usual, there was the regular (annoying and nasty) truck behavior - I haven't missed this drive...  Fortunately, the number of vehicles thinned out to the north of Daleville and I had a rather easy drive (with good speeds) as I drove towards Lexington.  Even better, the sun came out from behind the thick clouds.  After a LOT of effort, I made it to an area near the I-64 merge (Staunton) that featured a lot of speed cameras.  Feeling quite hungry by that point, I stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel (1340).  Because it was Easter, there was (understandably) a long waiting list.  When I told Brenna I might be delayed (and gave my location), this led to some funny phone calls - she thought I was at the same Cracker Barrel as she was (in Harrisonburg).  I eventually got to sit down (1350) but there was a long delay for the food to arrive.  Despite these (First World) frustrations, I enjoyed a delicious meal of Hash Brown Shepherd's Pie (with a hash brown crust, pot roast meat, fewer potatoes than usual).  I also had some nice (very warm) biscuits.  The food was very rich!  Finished with my meal 1500, I drove north on I-81 until I could exit the Interstate to the south of Harrisonburg - from there, I drove a short distance (via back roads) to Brenna's.  When I arrived (1530), I found Jesse waiting to greet me (along with my daughter).  We did some visiting for a little while and then got changed and left to visit the nearby Cross Keys Battlefield.  Neither Brenna or Jesse had ever been there and I was glad to see that they enjoyed this first site contained within the Harrisonburg, Cross Keys and Port Republic Battlefield parks.  From signage nearby, we learned that an important battle was fought in the area on June 8, 1862.  This conflict had significant repercussions for the Shenandoah Valley and the Peninsular Campaign (to the east).  We were treated to lots of walking on some well maintained trails - we also got pretty views of Massanutten and Shenandoah NP.  It was breezy and cooler (50s).  More importantly, though, Jesse was recovering from a long distance race (he'd competed the day before).  He was uncomfortable but was a trooper!  Next, we moved our car to the little hamlet of Port Republic, where another battle took place the following day (June 9, 1862).  In this area, we found the site of a covered bridge (burned during the battle), a cemetery that included a stone marker for a CSA soldier who died in 1862 (perhaps during the battle?).  Eventually, we moved to the area near the "Coaling", which was a tall hill that sheltered Union cannon emplacements until the guns were overrun by persistent Confederate soldiers.  We climbed to the summit of the ridge and got some very nice views of the Shenandoah Valley (and City of Harrisonburg) below.  At the base of the hill, we found a historic Episcopal Church that featured pretty Easter Decorations.  With our outdoor time completed, Jesse drove us back to town, where we visited the Capitol Ale House for dinner.  After arriving (1945) we ordered appetizers (salads, pretzel, artisanal cheese, sausage) and began to have a rather entertaining conversation about things that made Brenna laugh.  I got some local beers and later ordered a brownie dessert (Jesse and Brenna shared it with me).  We were finished at 2100 and returned to Brenna's apartment.  After a bit more visiting, we said goodbye to Jesse (he had to drive back to his home about 30 miles to the north).  In all the excitement, I  never made my step goal for Sunday (dang).  With the day coming to a close, I spent time reading and talking with Brenna.  Bed time (on Brenna's couch) finally arrived at 2330.  What a great Easter Sunday - excited to spend the week with my daughter!

Nomad Life - Day 197

After a busy work week, it felt great to have a full day to explore and get some outdoor exercise.  In anticipation of the adventure, I woke up at 0615 (no alarm clock required).  Before getting ready, I spent time reading, doing puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  Because it was raining, I looked for breaks when it might be possible to load up my car.  I found such an opportunity at 0820 and, afterwards, went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Super 8 (High Point).  Due to yesterday's "Lenten Friday Reset", I made sure to avoid meat.  Once I finished my meal, I returned to my room and spent time researching the MST online, figuring out how many miles I'd previously completed and planning out my drive for the day.  I finally departed the hotel at 1000 - by then, it was partly cloudy and 74 F.  Hoping to resume my Mountains-to-Sea hike from the previous day, I began driving (via NC-68) back towards the town of Oak Ridge.  Suddenly, I started thinking about how close I was to some counties where I hadn't done any birding (the eBird website keeps track at the county level).  For this reason, I made a small detour (via I-73) to NC-65, where I was able to reach a corner of Rockingham County (1010).  Almost immediately, I saw several species of birds - the detour was worth the effort.  Following NC-65 for a bit longer, I intercepted NC-68 (from the north this time) and made my way to Haw River Road.  This reminded me that I'd wanted to research a nearby track (Haw River Trail) I'd seen on maps and road signs...  Before long, I reached Goodwill Church Road and this led me to the parking lot for the Cascades Preserve (arrived at 1025).  Like the parking lot I'd found the previous evening (on the "Beaver" side of the local trail system), the trailhead gave me access to a "walking section" of the MST.  Blessed with beautiful weather, I geared up and headed into the woods ("westbound").  There had been several cars in the lot so I expected to see a few folks out for walks and I encountered some almost immediately.  By then, I had started to wonder at the term "Cascades" because there was almost no water in the little stream along the trail.  Oh well...  A bit later, I came to ominous warning signs about a local shooting range and, right at that time, heard the sounds of loud gunfire.  Obviously, I stayed away from that area...  Instead, I walked all the way (following signs that kept me on the MST) until I reached the point on Pepper Road where I'd started my backtrack from the Oak Ridge side the day before.  There were SO many birds!  From there, the heat started to bother me a bit and I hurried from the main roads and back into the trees.  After a mostly uneventful walk of nearly two miles, I finished up my morning walk (1145).  Very glad I completed the entire trail section!  Just about that time, I heard from Brenna (she had questions about some outdoor activities of her own) and, moments later, I learned about the arrival of a new (grand)-nephew: Baby Levi!  Knowing I would soon lose cell signal, I was careful to take care of all communications and business before starting the next phase of my day: logging as many MST "road sections" as I could!  Initially, I drove west on Goodwill Church Road, which soon became Freeman Road.  I entered Forsyth County at 1215 (birding checkpoint).  At Pine Grove Road, I turned north and followed the pavement until I was able to turn west at NC-65.  During this window, I entered Stokes County (1225).  Otherwise, I continued on NC-65 until I reached the town of Walnut Cove.  At that point, my map and "reconstructed reality" (major rerouting of the road) caused some issues but, fortunately, I was soon able to use South Main Street and First Street (became Old Town Road) to reach US-311.  After a short jaunt back to the east, I was headed north on Tuttle Road, which I followed all the way to the Hemlock Golf Course.  At that point, though, the road turned to gravel and I clearly had entered a more remote area - the road was lined with log cabins and ground hogs.  I completely lost the use of my online MST map and was forced to use my own intuition to keep following the trail.  Fortunately, I made good decisions, including turning right (onto Dodgetown Road) just after the Meadows Baptist Church and then following Pitzzer Road along the Dan (after my first crossing of that river).  At Priddy's General Store, I had to think very hard but, ultimately, chose correctly in following Sheppard Mill to the town of Danbury.  Once again, I crossed the Dan and then got on NC-89, which took me (and lots of motorcycles) to Hanging Rock Park Road.  As the name implies, I soon found myself near the entrance to the eponymous State Park.  The trail disappeared ("walking section") into the woods as I was approaching Moores Spring Road - this terminated a long, frustrating "road section" that measured about 31 miles!  Feeling a bit relieved that I no longer had to track the trail, I drove to the Visitor Center area of Hanging Rock State Park (arrived at 1315).  Almost immediately, I was completely turned off from the HUGE mobs of people in the area.  There was a bathroom shortage (only two for what appeared to be close to 1000 people within line of sight!  I picked up a paper map and looked around nearby.  Sadly, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the people and almost gave up any thought of exploring further.  However, when I moved to a nearby lakeside parking area, I found far fewer folks.  In the end, I actually did a bit more walking on the MST near the (closed for the season) bathhouse - I logged 0.1 miles there.  I encountered some serious birders and then used the limited Internet I had to confirm their suspicious with the Merlin App.  I found some completely ignored (and empty) rest rooms in that area too - whew!  Before long, I was ready to depart and backtracked (on the pavement) to Moores Spring Road, which I used to cross the park (following my paper map) until I was on the western boundary (Mickey Road).  After locating the parking lot for Troy's Falls & Den Cave (on Charlie Young Road), I started measuring a new "road section" of the MST.  This time, the constant "in woods / out of woods" nature of the MST nearby only yielded 2.1 miles but I was happy to be able to track the trail all the way tot he Heaven-in-the-Hills Campground on NC-66).  Once it was clear that I'd be chasing the trail a lot more than before, I only made small attempts to track it.  In the end, I got 0.5 driving miles on Rockhouse Road, visited the historic Rock House (1430), logged 0.2 driving miles on Old Mill Road near Flat Rock and then finished 1.3 driving miles near the town of Volunteer (Bradley Road to Coon Road to Volunteer Road).  Throughout this timeframe, the rock formations on the surrounding mountains were very interesting, as were the many farms and homes that I passed.  Eventually, I started seeing evidence (from signs and certain vista angles) of something called Pilot Knob - this gave me one more chance to finish (driving) a short section of the MST (1.9 miles on Pilot Knob Park Road to Old Winston Road).  Note that some of these descriptions are listed in "reverse direction" (west to east) for the MST.  The ultimate goal of my efforts was the entrance of Pilot Mountain State Park.  When I arrived at the Visitor Center (1500), I lost the MST (did it turn up the mountain?).  Any thought of climbing (by car) the landmark was dashed when I saw signs that the Summit Lot was closed (too many cars).  I did look around in the VC and talked to the ranger but, otherwise, decided to resume my search for the MST again.  The good news about this idea was that there was another unit of the State Park in the vicinity of the closest "road section".  In search of this, I drove into Surrey County at 1520 and started driving on Perch Road.  Along the way, I passed the Home Creek Living Historical Farm.  At 1545, I arrived at the Yadkin Section (Bean Shoals) of Pilot Mountain State Park.  There were a few views from the parking lot there) of the Yadkin River and the MST passed through the park boundaries.  By that point, it was 81 F and I had miles to go before I slept.  After exiting the park, I located the nearby Corridor Trailhead (on Hauser Road) at 1555.  From that point, the MST had great signage and I ended up driving for nearby 30 miles (eventually ending up on NC-268) while only encountering two "walking sections".  Along the way, I encountered heavy (but intermittent) rain.  In the end, I only made one stop - at Friendship Trailhead (at 1640).  When I drove into the town of Elkin, I lost the signage for the MST and had to give up on logging mileage.  But I felt pretty good about what I'd seen and done through the day.  With my MST exploring complete, I headed towards the northwest on US-21.  I'd thought I'd find a good place to turn east to get on I-77 but that didn't happen.  Part of the problem was that I wasn't using any maps because the weather was so nice and I was tired of staring at online information.  With the compass in my Subaru showing that I was heading further and further to the west, I eventually (at the Wilkes County Line, near signs for Stone Mountain State Park) gave up my non-App driving and followed Google (via back roads) to the east.  The route to I-77 took me past a significant number of chicken farms/homes.  Once I got on the Interstate (still in NC), it was only a short drive to the Virginia State Line (crossed at 1745).  By then, I was pretty hungry so stopped for dinner at McDonalds.  Even with my aging mind, I successfully completed my "Lenten Friday Reset".  While eating in the car, I made hotel reservations.  At 1820, I got back on I-77 and headed north.  Brenna called again (making plans for the following day).  As I approached the I-81 merge, I exited the freeway and got on VA-69.  Because it was still raining, I didn't make stops at New River Trail parking lots that I passed.  Just before 1900, I reached my hotel, a Super 8 in Fort Chiswell (located on US-52).  After quickly checking into my room, I got a shower and spent time on the phone with Eileen.  For the rest of the evening, I spent time catching up on eBird entries and doing some blogging.  There was just barely enough time for some reading before I went to bed (2330).  It was a great day in the Tar Heel State and along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail! MST Today = 67.1 miles / Grand Total MST = 109.3 miles

Raleigh Trip - Day 5

When I woke up this morning (at 0615), I was reminded of the fact that it was time to move on from my trip to North Carolina.  Before thinking about leaving my comfy hotel room, though, I started teleworking (in attempt to complete a work day as early as possible).  At 0800, I took a break and went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Staybridge Suites (Morrisville).  With my meal completed, I went to the Fitness Center and spent 40 minutes on the stationary bike ("spinning machine"); in the end, I logged 8 miles!  The cute little boy I'd earlier seen at breakfast (and his mother) reappeared during this window (doing laundry in the adjacent room) - he wanted a fist bump and was very interested in the fitness equipment.  Once I was done with my workout, I went back to my room to keep teleworking.  For the rest of the morning, I only took short breaks (to do my own laundry and to pack up my car).  Meanwhile, outside, there were some sprinkles and nasty looking clouds.  It wasn't nearly as warm as the previous few days had been.  At 1245, I logged off my computer and finished packing up my car.  I felt confident logging off of my computer for the day because my work had allocated 3.5 hours for travel today.  After I checked out of the hotel, I stopped by the Business Center one more time to print out a few more items - the nifty printer they had was a really great amenity this week!  By1300, I departed Morrisville and the Raleigh suburbs.  By then, the temps were at 76 F and the sky was really sunny.  Initially, I used I-40 (waving goodbye to the Raleigh Durham Airport on my way past) and then got on I-885.  Before long, I reached NC-147 and it later became I-40, which I followed that all the way to the Greensboro suburbs.  Upon reaching NC-68, I got off the Interstate and drove south.  I arrived at my hotel, the Super 8 at Highpoint / Greensboro, by 1415 but didn't immediately check into my room.  Instead, I stopped at a nearby Sheetz (first time in a while) and filled up my (nearly empty) gas tank.  Somehow, I made a mistake and added E15 fuel, which is not intended for my Subaru.  It will be interesting to see if there are any negative consequences...  Next (1430), I went next door to a place called City BBQ and completely forgot that it was Good Friday (even though I'd remembered at breakfast time).  Oblivious to this, I ended up ordering and then enjoying some brisket and Texas sausage (with mac & cheese and green beans with bacon on the side).  It was nice to to try some delicious Carolina barbeque before I departed the Tarheel State!  Only after my plate was completely cleared did I realize, to my horror, that I should have had been fasting for a Lenten Friday.  As had happened before in these situations, I immediately "restarted the counter", vowing to do better until the end of the next day.  Fuel and food needs met, I drove across the street to my hotel and quickly checked into my room (1505).  Even though I probably could have stopped working for the day, I logged on to my computer again and was soon caught up on a work project that probably could have waited until Monday...  At 1445, I forced myself to end my work day and switched up updating my Nomad Life blog (I am so far behind at this point...).  More importantly, I began researching the route of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.  (Note - the entire reason why I chose the hotel was so I could explore this icon of North Carolina more fully.)  During this process, I discovered that there were several places (e.g., GSMNP, Asheville, etc.) where I'd already hiked sections of the trail system.  This encouraged me to take full advantage of the nice weather and closeness to a "road section" of MST - I can get a lot of miles during the next 24 hours!  Finally, at 1745, I departed my hotel for an afternoon hike.  My first stop was a park in the nearby town of Oak Ridge that appeared to be located along the trail through town.  I arrived at Town Park by 1800 and was greeted by 83 F temps and sunny weather.  While there, I found plenty of MST signs but also learned that I actually on a "road section" (meaning that the trail only follows the pavement) and that a hiking section was another mile to the west on Linville Road.  With that new information (and a photograph of a map on a billboard), I repositioned to the Beaver Trail parking area and geared up for some hiking (1810).  There were only a few cars in the lot and the weather was perfect for some miles in the woods!  Along the way, I encountered plenty of birds (including some brand new species for my eBird "Life List") and enjoyed walking behind lots of fancy homes.  Overall, I had a very pleasant walk and, by the time I was done, had logged 1.2 miles of MST (2.5 miles total).  Once I was back in my car (1910), I started following the MST ("road section") from the parking lot to the east.  Initially, I used NC-150 and ended up driving through an interesting place called the Oak Ridge Military Academy.  Switching to Bunch Road, I continued east until I could get on Brookbank Road and head north.  The MST then proceeded north until it rejoined NC-150.  Before long, I drove through a little town that identified itself as Historic Summerfield.  I then traveled south on Summerfield Road until I reach the parking lot for the "AYG" trailhead (at US-220).  My MST "road section" ended up concluding at 1935 after 10 miles on pavement).  From this location, my map showed a longer hiking section that followed the shoreline of Lake Brandt - I'll save that for a future visit to the area!  Hoping to locate a place to get some local beers, I drove south on US-220 and soon encountered a Tap Room called Craft City Sip In.  After arriving at 1945, I ordered a flight of beers and then enjoyed some live music (mostly '80s covers).  The venue was very loud and, even though the beer was good, I didn't stay as long as I sometimes do.  Instead, I departed at 1820 and returned to my hotel (via I-840 and I-40, then back roads).  Once I was in my room again (1840), I spent the rest of the evening watching streaming services (new episodes).  Before bed time (2330), I also updated my MST Tracker with all my pre-2026 miles - it turned out I'd completed 31 before I formally started trying to "finish the trail" today.  More tomorrow!  Mountains-to-Sea Trail Today = 11.2 miles / Grand Total MST = 42.2 miles

Raleigh Trip - Day 4

With the Technology Refreshment at Raleigh Durham Airport in the rearview, like almost returned to "normal" Nomad Life.  However, I was still supposed to stay in town to make sure that the site was satisfied with our work yesterday.  With that in mind, I got up (with my alarm) at 0630 and started teleworking.  During the morning, I only took one break, at 0800, for breakfast in the Lobby of the Staybridge Suites (Morrisville).  After that, I stayed online until 1300, when Stacy (colleague from the Installation Team) dropped off some pizza that she'd brought from Tony Baloney's in Atlantic City.  I enjoyed it as a delicious lunch - what a treat!  Meanwhile, outside, it was in the low 80s and very sunny - once again, I was tempted throughout the day to depart for some non-work adventures.  At 1515, I knocked off for the day and drove a short distance to hike on the Shiloh Greenway.  This trail, which I'd noticed on Google Maps, was a 1.7 mile trail in a neighborhood to the southwest of the airport (and my hotel).  Once I found a convenient trailhead (1530), I started walking and, eventually, completed the full trail (birding along the way).  At the end of my time in the outdoors, I also walked around in the sports fields - there was a cool Cricket Pitch nearby (it appeared that lots of folks with Indian heritage lived nearby).  During the whole time, the weather was hot (80s) and it was very sunny.  The silence was often broken by aircraft flying low overhead (departure pattern for RDU).  When I finished my walk at 1700, my pedometer said that I'd reached four miles (and my step goal for the day).  Hoping to enjoy some more of the local Craft Brew scene, I drove a short distance to a place called Hoppy House Taproom.  Inside, I found a wall of beer, wall of wine and a wall of cocktails.  Wow!  I started sampling at 1720 and soon filled up the "Untapped" board with my own entries (and cleared everyone else off).  Along the way, I got a free beer (the staff had just installed a new keg) - Nomad Life is good!  While I was trying the different drinks, I did a lot of texting and messaging with my friends.  The venue was very pleasant and I enjoyed everything I sampled. More surprising, though: I got away (tip included) for less than $11!  At 1825, I drove back to my hotel (via the Interstate) and was back in my room by 1840.  Even though I'd already completed my hours for the day, I did a bit more admin stuff for my job before transitioning to personal business.  For the next few hours, I worked on my blog, ordered gifts for friends and coordinated my upcoming travel schedule.  At 2115, I grudgingly changed into workout gear again and went to the Fitness Center to ride the spinning machine (bike) again.  This time, I wasn't trying to add to my step count, only work on my Prouty Cycling goals.  As a result, I logged four miles in 20 minutes and immediately returned to my room.  For the re3st of the evening, I watched a new episode of a streaming service series and then switched to old familiar movies.  When I finally went to bed (2315), I felt pretty good about how I'd spent my week day.  I'll depart Raleigh tomorrow but it's been a good visit!

Raleigh Trip - Day 3

Day two of the Installation Project - where the "rubber meets the road" - in Raleigh!  In anticipation of an early start, I was up at 0600 (with alarm again) and immediately got ready to depart (I wore my "Prouty" jersey).  At 0700, I went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Staybridge Suites (Morrisville).  Nearby, there was a friendly little boy (he kept waving and wanting to give hugs) and his patient mom.  Meal completed, I departed for the Raleigh Durham Airport at 0715.  After joining the rest of our Installation Team (0730), I worked with everyone to swap out old (2010 timeframe) equipment in the Tower and Approach Control.  It was warm inside the building because the temps outside were in the 80s and the sunny was beating down on Raleigh.  Along the way, we skipped lunch (I ate snacks) and we employed some good teamwork.  Even though there was a truck breakdown SNAFU, it didn't hurt us.  One of the highlights of the day was when we went to a section in the Tower Column with a gantry area - from there, the view was spectacular.  Throughout the building itself, there was training going on everywhere.  Our "hands on" work was completely finished by 1415 and we'd even wrapped up all the paperwork by 1530.  The Contractor Lead (Stacy) agreed with me that a job well deserved a celebration.  By general consensus, the entire team drove (in separate cars) to a nearby Firebirds Wood Fired Grill (arrived at 1600).  Once we were seated, I convinced the staff to give us the happy hour specials away from the bar area ($6 wine glasses).  Only about half of the team (including me) took advantage of this offer, though.  When it came time to order, I requested the three course combo for my dinner: Caesar Salad, Grilled Chicken on mashed potatoes, mixed veggies and strawberry bread pudding ala mode.  The Team members were in good spirits and the excellent food made things even better.  Since our project is taking a break (for software patches) until June, everyone was very glad to be finished in Raleigh so they could return home for family time.  Our fun time of camaraderie was finished at 1730) and, after saying goodbye to everyone else, I returned to my hotel (arrived at 1745).  In my room again, I did some more telework until 1900 (I skipped the hotel's "Social Hour").  I probably should have headed immediately to the Fitness Center but then I got distracted by some planning for my upcoming trip to Europe.  So it was very late (2115), before I got around to my daily workout.  In the end, I completed a 1 mile walk on the treadmill (20 minutes) and and then got four miles of cycling done (20 minutes).  By 2200, I'd returned to my room.  Instead of turning on a movie or getting distracted with something else, I did some reading and finished up some notes until I was ready for bed (2245).  Feeling very good about a job well done!

Raleigh Trip - Day 2

Here we go!  I woke up at 0630 (alarm needed) and started teleworking.  At 0745, I went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Staybridge Suites (Morrisville).  With my meal completed, I headed back to my room so I could get ready for my day with the Installation Team.  Meanwhile, the weather outside was sunny and clear, with temps in the 50s.  To me, this was warm and I decided to wear my new company polo shirt.  At 0830, I departed from my hotel and drove from the southeast end of the Raleigh-Durham Airport, through the Terminal area and was able to access the gate near the base of the Control Tower.  Once inside, I met up with the rest of the Team (0845) and we started work officially at 0900.  Even though this was my fifth such trip of 2026 and a lot of the work was starting to seem routine, there were several different people on the Contractor Team.  As usual, too, I needed to liaise with the on-site staff and keep the work moving.  Due to the professionals involved, we started testing earlier than usual and had finished everything for the day by 1300.  I definitely informed everyone that they were like some sort of "A Team".  On my way back to my hotel, though, I found that I had to navigate a maze of confusing roads just to get out of the airport complex.  And, just when I thought the worst was over, I found even more things to "almost mess up" when I got closer to my hotel.  Figuring that some of the problem was due to skipping lunch earlier, I stopped for some food at a nearby Jersey Mike's (ordered at 1340).  The sub sandwich (buffalo chicken, made "Mike's Way") was very good and I enjoyed it inside the restaurant.  When I got back in my car to return to my hotel (1420), I was greatly tempted by the wonderful weather (sunny and temps in the high 70s).  Staying on task, though, I spent the afternoon teleworking and only wrapped up my day at 1700.  This long delay in closing out my work day was mostly due to a follow up call with Brenna and a big phone call related to the Nashville Thanksgiving Plans (I wanted to sign the Contract).  Even after I stopped working for pay, I spent time on my own computer, catching up on eBird and my blog.  At 1815, I went to dinner ("Taco Tuesday") at the Social Hour in my hotel; I tried another R&D Brewery beer (Storm Brew) before I was done eating.  Back in my room again (1900) I did some more work on my blog before changing into my workout gear.  For over an hour, I logged two miles on treadmill (36 minutes) and four miles on the spinning machine "bike" (20 minutes) - I was done in the Fitness Center at 2215.  In my room again, I watched movies until going to bed at 2330.  It was a good day at "the office"!

Raleigh Trip - Day 1

The whole reason for my drive from Hampton Roads to Raleigh yesterday was to resume my Technology Refreshment oversight role at the local airport.  By arriving early, though, I had taken the pressure off of myself to hurry to the hotel.  Even with this reprieve, I was still awake by 0645 (I'd set an alarm) and started teleworking.  It was quiet around Alan and Tammie's home because they are self employed.  For most of the early part of the morning, I prepped for the Install work at Raleigh Airport and started a small load of laundry (to try to erase evidence of the cigar smoke from the night before).  At about 1000, Alan made me breakfast and I said goodbye to Tammie (she had errands to run).  After that, I returned to my computer for meetings that finally ended at 1135.  By that point, Uncle Terry was awake and I had a chance for some one-on-one time with him while Alan was working in his office.  My laundry also finished and Brenna called to ask about my visit with her sisters.  We talked for a bit but I asked if we could reschedule to a time when I wasn't working.  She agreed but then asked me about some ideas for outdoor adventure near her home (she had her Spring Break going on).  I helped her a bit and then turned off my computer.  The morning work I'd done was enough to ensure I'd reach my full hours for the day (because I had 3.5 hours of "credit" dedicated to the transit).  At lunch time (1210), with the weather looking sunny and calm (and with temps in the 70s), I went on a walk with Alan.  While wandering through small groves of dogwood trees and wisteria vines, we completed a circuit of nine holes of the The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation.  There were plenty of interesting birds in the area and I happily recorded them for later entry on the eBird website.  Alan told me a lot of news about himself and his family from the 1970s and 1980s - things, I'd never heard before.  By the end of our walk (1330), we'd logged about four miles.  I told Alan he was like the brother I'd never had...  He must have shared this sentiment because we ended up returning to the patio for more conversation.  Alan later let me have some of his leftover pizza and bruschetta (both good); I washed it down with some sparkling water and chocolate milk.  Tammie returned at about 1630 and was surprised to still find me there!  Before departing, I spent some more visiting with Uncle Terry and he asked that I keep him updated on my Nomad Life (of course I agreed).  At 1700, I finally left Tammie and Alan's home and used some backroads (towards the north) until I reached I-540.  There was definitely some rush hour traffic by then so I couldn't hurry - fortunately, I was only about 30 minutes from hotel.  Along the way, I ended up in Durham County (temporarily).  Eventually, I reached I-40 and turned east again.  At that point, I encountered a major traffic jam but was able to carefully exit the Interstate by skirting the worst of it in a breakdown lane (last 100 yards).  I found my hotel, the Staybridge Suites (it was actually located in the town of Morrisville), at 1730.  Even at that point, the temps were still in the 70s.  As usual at an IHG property, I was able to check in quickly and resume the last little bit of teleworking that remained.  Fortunately, I was able to finish up before the hotel's social hour was finished (1900).  Though I wasn't very hungry, I stopped by for some pasta, some salad and a big cookie.  Even better, the hostess also gave me one of the local beers (from nearby R&D Brewery) they had on tap.  At around this time, members of our Installation Team started checking in with me, reporting they had arrived in the area.  After that, I returned to my room to take care of some personal items (finance, travel planning).  There was even time for me to check out the Business Center - rather than set up my own printer, I was able to all my (two-sided!) printing there.  During this window, I thought about exercising at the Fitness Center but ended up lounging in my room instead.  For the rest of the evening, I watched movies; bed time was at 2300.  Very excited to get started on another week of Tech Refresh in the morning!

Nomad Life - Day 196

When I woke up this morning (at 0600), I felt sad to be departing from Virginia Beach - I'll miss Erin, Austin and Kiki!  But it's time to go back to work "at the airport"... I spent part of the morning (before anyone else was awake) packing, reading, doing puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  I eventually met up with Erin and Austin (0830) and they talked to me while I loaded up my car.  Before putting my computer away, I took care of a few blog and financial items while eating "breakfast" (leftover pizza).  At 0930, I said goodbye to my daughter and her little family and headed out of town.  By then, the temperature was 47 F - fortunately, it was sunny and clear.  I got on I-264 and headed towards the west until I could get on I-64.  Things looked good, traffic wise, until I reached the Elizabeth River.  Sadly, the clear sailing ended in a massive traffic jam.  By that point, though, I'd decided to make a birding stop in Portsmouth City County so managed to get off the Interstate after a bit of inconvenience and make forward progress while driving north on US-17.  When I reached Victory Boulevard, I noticed that there were lots of speed and red-light cameras in the vicinity and got a bit nervous about everything I was doing.  Fortunately, I believe I reached the Paradise Creek Nature Park without any trouble.  Beginning at 1015, I took a walk along some nice gravel trails through the woods.  Across the Paradise Creek estuary, I could see infrastructure related to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.  The weather had turned very pleasant (i.e., warmer) and I explored a lot of the trail system while using my Merlin App to find more interesting birds.  Along the way, I crossed a wooden bridge (closed "for maintenance") and got to watch two kayakers passing underneath at that exact moment.  Reluctantly, I returned to my car so I could resume my drive to Raleigh - I departed at 1030 and used Victory Boulevard to reach I-264 to reach I-664 and, later, US-13.  This latter road headed towards the southwest and took me close to the Great Dismal Swamp, a place our family used to enjoy visiting back when we lived in Hampton Roads.  Before long (1115), I crossed into North Carolina (Gates County).  From this point, I started recording all county line crossings to make sure I had a record of bird sightings through the state.  As I passed by Elizabeth City, I found myself on a lovely four lane highway, nearly free of traffic!  My route continued on US-13 through Hertford County (1130) until I reached Shortcut Road (AKA NC-11).  By then, the temperature had risen to 55 F.  I pass through Bertie County (1145) and Martin County (1200) before reaching NC-111, which I used to enter Edgecombe County (1215).  Later, I used Shiloh Farm Road to access US-64 and headed west.  I passed through Nash County (1240), locating a "Nashville" on the way.  The temps rose to 63 F before I passed I-95 (1245) and I soon found myself in Franklin County (1300) and Wake County (1305).  After almost an hour, I got off the four lane and took NC-96 and NC-98 into the eastern suburbs of Raleigh.  My destination was the home of my cousin, Tammie, and her husband (Alan) - I arrived there at 1340.  Alan came out to greet me eagerly. with is very surprising since we've never really had a lot of time to visit over the years.  I think he might have been representing the pleasure of his wife (my mom's niece) and father-in-law (my Uncle Terry) but it certainly seemed genuine.  When I went inside their beautiful home, I almost immediately fell into a comfortable rhythm with my extended family.  Uncle Terry (age 91) impressed me by his memory (including being with my mom when she passed away almost 40 years ago) and vibrant personality.  It was wonderful to be around relatives who knew my mother well when she was young.  We spent almost two hours catching up on more than two decades of family stories!  There was some wine and warm intimacy that really made me feel welcome.  As the afternoon wore one, food came into people's minds and we ended up adjourning our reunion for a short drive to a nearby eatery called the Wakefield Grill.  This was, apparently, one of Uncle Terry's favorite places to eat when he was visiting Alan and Tammie.  I should note that he splits time between them and the home of Denise (my cousin) and her husband (Doug).  The food was very good and I had a local beer while we continued our story-time exchange.  Once we finished our meal (1845), we headed back to Tammie and Alan's house.  By then, a cool evening had descended on the area.  I had planned to take a walk but that never materialized because Alan and his neighbors kept me quite entertained with questions and local news.  After it became clear I wasn't going anywhere (2000), I joined everyone on the enclosed porch for whiskey and cigars.  It has been a long time (probably since I retired from the Navy) since I had a good stogie and Alan had several from which to choose.  Wow!  We talked until 2245 and it might have gone one much longer if I didn't have to work in the morning.  When I went to the guest room, a marvelous venue with a huge bed (covered with probably 20 different shapes and sizes of pillows), it took a while to calm down from the "high" I had reached during the discussions.  I spent time reading and organizing for the following day - I ended up staying awake until nearly 2330.  What an amazing day of visiting!

Nomad Life - Day 195

After a restful sleep overnight, I was awake at 0715 and spent some time reading, doing puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  A bit later, I moved out to the living room to work on my blog (there was a "desk" in there).  Erin got up at about 0845 and we visited for a little bit.  My "breakfast" consisted of some more Jelly Belly candies but that was OK.  My more immediate worry was that I realized I'd forgotten about meatless Friday the previous day!  This rarely happens but, when it has, I've "restarted the clock" by abstaining for the subsequent day.  With my mindset adjusted, I checked with my daughter and son-in-law about their plans for the day.  After learning that they both had things to do (Erin had a baby shower and Austin had some important errands), I decided to find a place to hike nearby.  Remembering a conversation that I'd had with Mollie during the previous year, I decided to investigate the possibility of accessing False Cape State Park.  Saying goodbye to Erin and Austin, I headed south from their home (1100).  Outside, it was 48 F, sunny and windy.  On the way, I stopped at a nearby Walmart to pick up an online order (1120).  Next, I ate lunch at Taco Bell, located right across the street.  Fortunately, their ordering kiosk allowed for extreme tailoring of the menu items.  In the end, I managed to substitute beans for meat in all the things I ordered.  I thought about sitting in the restaurant for my meal but, instead, tried to eat in the car.  That ended up being too messy so I held off from my lunch as I continued driving south.  There was a lot of traffic and construction on the way to the Sandbridge area... It's been years since I last visited but memories from the early 1990s (when I had friends nearby) came immediately back into my head.  By 1210, I reached my goal: the parking lot for Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  It was much windier here and lots of people were wearing heavy winter coats and other gear.  For my part, I just wore two layers and started hiking at 1215.  There were a few signs about trail closures as I walked along the West Dike of the NWR but they didn't really make sense until I reached an actual gate.  Apparently, the trails are closed nearby until April 1 - I was just a few days too early to use them.  I'd only traveled about one mile at that point but I still wanted to get to the State Park.  Fortunately, an alternate route - following the shoreline of the beach - was recommended.  Hoping to avoid a lot of backtracks, I bushwhacked from the Dike trail fence across the sand dunes until I reached the beach.  From there, it was a windy walk to the south, with very little in the way of landmarks or border indications.  I met up with a a few folks with backpacks - they planned to spend the night in the State Park in a reserved campsite and I picked their brains on the process and experience.  It sounded nice!  They were not in a hurry (because they didn't have to get back to their cars until the following day).  My situation was different and, after saying goodbye to them, I motored away in search of indications of the entrance to False Cape State Park.  I finally found a sign - it was laying down on the edge of the dunes.  Otherwise, I saw nothing manmade as I hiked.  A few other interesting things I encountered strange "sand fog" that developed along the way and evidence of a huge fish kill (a ranger later told me that the beach had a horrible smell only days before but today was clear and odorless). There were plenty of seabirds; most were chasing the waves but others were soaring in the heavy breeze.  I should mention that I'd been walking with the wind at my back - I could already tell that heading north would be much more difficult...  At 1345, I reached a "state park type" sign for the Barbour Hill area.  My paper map indicated that this trail across the dunes would provide me with access to the Visitor for the State Park so I headed west along the sandy track.  Almost immediately, the wind was blocked by the higher terrain and the warm sun made me feel a lot hotter than I had all day.  There were lots of short, scrubby trees in the area and I soon found myself walking into the campground area.  I encountered several folks sitting near their tents in the shade.  Like the people at the NWR, they were geared up for winter weather.  Meanwhile, I was thinking about removing my jacket...  The number of birds increased and I enjoyed watching them playing on the branches of the tall trees.  I reached the False Cape State Park Visitor Center at 1400 and was pleased to find a large buoy that talked about how I was at the Southernmost Virginia State Park.  The markings also added that I was 1146 miles from Key West.  I looked around in the VC building and eventually encountered a park ranger - she was cheery and helpful and we had a good conversation.  By 1430, I reluctantly made my way back to the beach and started my shoreline walk towards my car.  The tide had started to come in again and there were places where my footprints had been erased by the surf.  It was a lot of work to fight the headwind but I plodded along steadily.  Like the earlier part of my hike, I encountered backpackers enroute to the State Park for the night (more chatting).  At 1540, I had reached the Dune Trail and exited the beach.  This trail led back to the East Dike of the NWR and had a pretty boardwalk with overlook.  When I finally reached my car again, I passed it to walk along the Kuralt Trail that took me to a beautiful estuary.  There were many more birds there and my Merlin App was very busy.  Finished with my outdoor time (nearly 10 miles!), I got in my car (1610) and drove back towards Erin's home.  The timing looked good for me to attend Mass and I decided to drive to St. Nicholas Catholic Church on Little Neck (our family's Parish between 2005 and 2008).  The 1700 Mass, which celebrated Palm Sunday, was a LONG service.  We started outside and walked, with our palms, into the sanctuary - it was a free-for-all for seating.  The music director was clearly invested in performance art - everything sounded beautiful,  However, the service was already the longest one of the year; the Priest's homily didn't help the situation either...  Once Mass was completed (1820), I returned to Erin's house and joined her and Austin in the process of ordering their dinner from Marco's Pizzeria.  Austin was very helpful in getting a meatless pizza ready that had olives, peppers and mushrooms.  It seemed like a very short time later when an actual pizza delivery car arrived with the food!  We sat at the dining room table for a little while but then adjourned to the couch so Erin could shower me with more episodes of "The Middle".  We stayed up together until 2130 and then said good night.  After that, I did some reading in the guest room and finally went to bed at 2300.  After a great hike today and some nice visiting with my daughter, I'm feeling pretty good!