Travels of Mark and Pat: Sunday

It's a HOT one today and we are "back to being nomads on the road again"! Annette fixed us delicious breakfast sandwiches, Kringle and fruit - Ryan joined us and after one final big washing off the pollen as best as Mark could, we were on our way at 9:30.

We went to Mass as we were truckin' down the road with Bishop Reed in Boston - today is the feast of Pentecost.

Not the best or easiest kind of travel for Mark with lots of traffic (interstates 40, 77 and 81) and very curvy winding roads thru the mountains. And I-77 had a major back-up from construction and eventually down to 1-lane which cost us 30 minutes.

Had a nice chat and facetime with Anne, Liam, Connor and Gibson along the way. Gibson is doing better and the limp is pretty much gone! Anne was telling us about the police officer from Champaign, IL who was killed last week. He had 4 daughters (21, 18 and 13-year old twins). The 18-year old graduated today and she got a base hit in the ballgame when they played against CCHS (boys played that night, too). She got a standing ovation and then left the game. The outfield was full of law enforcement. Sooo sad, heartbreaking and senseless.

Stopped in Max Meadows (where we stayed nearby at Fort Criswell before getting to the lake on May 12th) for diesel and blizzards from DQ. Arrived at the Dixie Caverns Campground in Salem, VA and all settled by 2:15.

At 4, we drove 10 miles to Roanoke to visit my cousin-in-law, Bert and Joanne. Bert was an orthopedic surgeon for many years and an avid biker. In 2008, he was in a horrific biking accident coming down the mountain and left a quadriplegic. Bert was married to my cousin (and bridesmaid at our wedding), Clarine who died in 2015 from glioblastoma (brain cancer). We have kept in touch with Bert over the years and always enjoy our visits. He is such a wonderful guy and inspiration.

In 2017, he married Joanne and we had met her a few months before. Tonight we had an awesome 4-hour visit and delicious dinner (prepared by Bert's nephew and caregiver, Michael). Bert and Clarine's daughter, Karli, husband, Will and darling boys joined us for dinner.