April 1, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
Can it be spring already? It doesn’t seem like it,
what with snow falling lightly at the moment and well over a foot of
snow still blanketing most of our back yard and ice patches in the
drive. The hummers haven’t yet arrived, though we don’t look for them
until around tax day. Looking back at the calendar for this past
winter, we discovered we were busier than we had realized—and we have
lots to remember about the past three months: a fledgling duplicate
bridge group here in the mountains; a very short trip to Florida; a
month in Arizona; a short trip to ER; a surprise birthday party for
Hughes’s 70th; and a whirlwind visit from a Ohio friend.
WINTER
TRAVELS
Perhaps we are getting softer as we’ve aged. Or
maybe the winters have been colder/windier/snowier as a result of
climate change (or as the science scoffers snicker, “global
warming,” as
in the phrase: “Global warming? Hah! Tell that to the folks in
Nederland who had one of their coldest winters on record.”). Whatever
the reasons, we’ve taken a more serious and active stance in favor of
heading out of the mountains during the December–April period and
seeking warmer climates. This winter we ventured to two warmer spots:
FLORIDA. Destin, to be exact, in the
middle of February for a week of fresh air and sun on the whitest
beaches this side of Zanzibar. Canadians we had met some years ago told
us it’s a favorite winter getaway spot for Canadians from the eastern
part of the county. The Travel Channel boasted Destin as a hot
destination for spring breakers seeking sun, booze, flesh, and
widespread heavy duty partying. We thought we’d give it a shot.
We lined up our airline tickets, made reservations
at the Wyndham Beach Street Cottages, reserved our rental car, and
packed lightly for a week of pre-spring break fun old persons’ style.
What a cluster we ran into. The Friday we were to leave, American
Airlines said, “Sorry, but Dallas is shut down and we can’t get
you into Pensacola for at least a day.” The next day we found that we
could get to Dallas, but Pensacola was closed due to snow!!! So, we
arrived on a beautiful Sunday, two days later than planned. (When we
asked the fellow at the car rental in Pensacola how much snow fell
yesterday that closed the airport, he smiled and said there were “just
a few
flakes,” but not really enough to make air travel dangerous. He had
been surprised the place was shut down.)
Our accommodations were cozy and comfortable, just
across the street from the white sand beach (along Old Scenic Highway
98), which we walked almost everyday, though with a jacket/sweatshirt:
the temperatures were rarely above 60° in spite of clear skies.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed walking the shore looking for shells (not many
around here), shooting pictures of the birds, and enjoying having the
beach pretty much to ourselves.
We rented bicycles to ride an outstanding bike trail
that parallels Scenic Route 30A
east of Destin, passing through the villages of Santa Rosa, Grayton,
Watercolor, Seaside, and South Walton—about 20 miles each way. (Forty
miles is relatively easy when the path is level and smooth, and not
more than 10’ above sea level.) Along the way we stopped at Grayton
Beach State Park to walk the beach and stretch our legs. Lunch at The Shrimp
Shack in Seaside was a delight worth returning for: we relished
their scrumptious royal
reds (with corn on the cob and fingerling potatoes) and cold beer
at an outside table watching the light surf and shorebirds poking in
the sand for their own lunch. It was one of several outstanding meals
we had. The village of Seaside
was bustling with activity in spite of the cool weather. Art galleries,
a fine grocery, and other tourist shoppes were another excuse to do
some walking before completing our bike ride.
We spent a leisurely day driving around
Choctawhatchee Bay, through small non-tourist towns quite different
from the glitzy high-rise areas along the coast. At Turkey Creek Park in
Niceville we walked on the boardwalk next to the river for
a close-up look at wildlife and vegetation deep in a swamp area. In
warmer weather we might have glided by canoe, kayak, or inner tubes, or
simply gone swimming at one of the several beaches. On this day,
however, the air was a bit cool and we encountered few other walkers.
As we passed over the Destin Bridge on the way home, we stopped for an
early dinner at Dewey Destin
Seafood Harborside, an out of the way, yet well known shrimp shack
where the boats still tie up. Their delicious steamed shrimp dinners
were also served with corn on the cob and potatoes. Dewey Destin is
another local eatery we’d return to on a future visit.
There is no end to the restaurants along the Emerald Coast. To complete our
dining experience, Capt.
Dave’s on the Gulf, a short walk from our condo, provided good red
snapper and a fine view overlooking the Gulf (while the sun was out).
The concierge at the resort recommended the Ocean Club, which turned
out to be pricey, formal, and noisy. The seafood was okay as
was
the service, but
it is highly overrated and way overpriced for those who are looking for
a
friendly relaxed atmosphere, excellent fresh food, at a reasonable
price.
On the day we returned to Pensacola for the return
flight home, we walked along the nature trail of the Naval
Live Oaks section of Gulf Islands National Seashore, area set aside
by President John Quincy Adams as a national tree farm to provide live
oak lumber for early naval vessels.
Though our planned vacation was cut short by really
strange weather, our visit was enough to recognize the
numerous fine opportunities for bird watching, photography, dining,
camping, and, in warmer weather, fishing, diving, sailing, surfing, and
other water activities. The five days was enough. However, we had come
to relax and, in spite of what
folks there called the coldest winter in their memory, a chance to be
outside in relatively (for us) warm weather without crowds that would
show up for spring break in a few weeks.
ARIZONA.
Last winter we enjoyed our three week road trip to Arizona so much that
we decided to return. This year we spent a month visiting new areas
(including Death Valley, Lake Mead, as well as
parts of southwestern Arizona), and seeing family and friends. We spent
the first two weeks camping with cousins Ken and Carol before venturing
off to visit friends in Patagonia, Tucson and, on the way home,
Albuquerque. Judy won the 46 and up age group (!) in a Nogales race. We
went birding
at Patagonia State Park, sighting the first Arizona
woodpecker of the year and the fabled, rare, and elusive elegant
trogon. We rockhounded for pyrite and rhodochrosite near
Nogales. We picked through derelict buildings and cemeteries
in the ghost towns of Rhyolite
(Nevada) and Harshaw
(Arizona), and toured the surprising Scotty’s Castle at the north end
of Death Valley. We dry camped in an isolated area of southern Arizona
that looked like the Serengeti but without the zebras and wildebeests.
We escaped another poisoned dog tragedy thanks to the quick action of
Jim and Sandy in Marana (Arizona); we dodged a winter storm watch
along 1-25 on the return trip home thanks to Anna Marie in Albuquerque;
we avoided a more serious heart attack by getting Hughes to his Boulder
doctor,
and eventually into ER for stent implants the day after we arrived
home. And we discovered Desert
Trails, the most customer-friendly and reasonably priced RV park
just west of Tucson where we’ll return next winter for a more extended
stay. A more complete account of our month in the southwest
along with lots of pictures can be found on our website.
AROUND HERE
Gotcha! The
day before we left for our Arizona trip, Judy caught Hughes completely
off-guard with a surprise 70th birthday party. At 6:30, in the middle
of the evening TV news, a group of neighbors and friends from town and
Boulder (including Michael and Cindy!) barged in the front door,
ignored the barking dogs, put a goofy party hat on his head, and sang
“Happy Birthday.” At least, that’s how he remembers it. Judy had
successfully pulled her every-twenty-years sneak attack. She had
ordered the birthday cake and bought the beer a couple of weeks before.
A friend from town helped by stopping at the local pizza parlor to pick
up the extra
large pizzas with various toppings to satisfy everyone in the
crowd of about 25. She got everyone to come down the driveway, maybe
the last 50 yards without headlights (?) and gather at or near the
garage
for a full frontal attack. It worked. Hughes got his surprise (not a
heart attack) and Judy was delighted and relieved to have pulled it off
so well.
Duplicate Bridge.
After almost giving up hope of finding more than a couple of other
bridge players here in the mountains (so many people don’t even play
cards anymore!), with the help of like-minded fanatics, we were able to
gather eight bridge players who agreed to monthly evenings or
afternoons of duplicate bridge. We began cautiously in the late fall to
work out a smooth set of procedures. This winter, we had monthly
gatherings—until the inevitable happened: people left town for winter
travels (including us). We were able to get a reliable substitute (and
a good player) to sit in for one of the group who spends all winter and
early spring in Arizona.
Heart Attack.
Hughes’s cholesterol caught up with him this winter, in spite of his
Lipitor regimen. He left for
Arizona with a typical cold that seemed to hang on throughout the trip.
Bike riding and other forms of exercise caused some discomfort in his
chest that felt like “walking pneumonia” (whatever that is) he recalled
having in college. When we got home, he called his internist the next
morning for an appointment for some “magic potion” that would make the
pneumonia go away. After listening to his breathing, his doctor ordered
an EKG. After looking at the results, the doctor put him in a
wheelchair and
pushed him directly across to the main hospital emergency room and into
the hands of a good cardiologist who reaffirmed the original diagnosis
(heart attack) and put him at the top of his priority list for an
afternoon operation. He placed three stents into a completely blocked
artery. He later explained what he did and that he has two more areas
that will require stents before Hughes can count himself “out of the
woods.” Unlike twenty years ago when he would have
required open heart surgery, Hughes’s recovery has been nearly a
non-event: a week of no driving or lifting, modest exercise, and a
couple of new medications (Plavix, a blood
thinner, and a blood pressure
reducer, etc.). Today he’s feeling 99% normal. (What is the other 1%?
It’s hard to tell.) The moral of this story: Get your body inspected
regularly. (Don’t you do that with your car?) An annual EKG is a must.
A good internist or family doctor is also a must, as is a good
cardiologist. When suggested, have a stress test. Exercise. Lose weight
(Hughes is still waging that war). Eat well. Pay attention. Contrary to
some opinions, 70 may not be the new 50.
Good Manners.
Lucy and Judy completed a six-week course in doggie manners. Just like
kids and school, there is often a disconnect between behavior at school
and behavior at home. Lucy was a star in class with the other dogs, yet
still has not mastered the art of quietly and calmly greeting visitors
at the door, or ignoring cars that pass while walking on the side of
the road, or coming when called even if there’s not a treat waiting for
her when she finally does come. She still has some work to do before
Judy feels comfortable placing her in the dog therapy program at
Boulder Community Hospital. However, Lucy (the slightly taller one with
the tail) is as
loving and fun to watch
as ever, and she and Bella have bonded as closely as dogs can. Together
they boost our spirits.
A Mini-Marathon.
Dick Sanders, our Shanghai Rummy guru from Ohio, drove out to Denver on
business in February and called to ask if we’d like to play some
Shanghai. We said we’d love to see him. He drove up from Denver about
noon. We ate lunch, finished six games (Sorry, Dick, that we were
not good hosts), and caught up on all the family and Toledo area news
by 5:00 o’clock when he had to leave. Now that was a whirlwind visit!
Continuing Stuff.
We’ve enjoyed several more house concerts in the area during
January and February. The most interesting performer was Nathan Rodgers, the son
of Canadian Stan
Rogers and nephew of Garnet Rodgers. His
voice and style and intensity reminded us of Stan’s
performances which we have long enjoyed. He also demonstrated his skill
as a throat singer, specializing in the Tuvan and Mongolian styles. You
can find all three of the Rodgers family on YouTube. Hughes continues
to play with McGinty's Wake,
though winter travels and illness have interrupted the rehearsal
schedule from time to time. Judy knits
baby hats at an very rapid pace for newborns at
Boulder Community Hospital. It’s one of the few
things she can do while riding in the RV or watching television. Hughes’s
Mystery Book Club not only
continues to read a variety of interesting mysteries, but we also sat
through the film version of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (a
Swedish film with subtitles), one of the most grimly chilling and
intense films
we have seen, and a reasonable adaptation of the book the group enjoyed
last year. Judy continues running
well (winning her age group in a 5K/3.5 mile race in Nogales in March)
and Hughes has kept his Tuesday “shift”
at the Visitors Center when in
town.
As you can see, it's been an interesting winter, one
that we are not likely to forget.
Hughes and Judy
