On the Road Again

Just a quick note to let all of you know that we are back traveling again! Kevin, Louise and Floyd.

My dad, Floyd, and I started off on the new travels on November 1st, with Louise joining us via the airport in Kansas City a few days later, after a month long visit with her mom and dad in Southern California. On our way out to Kansas City, dad and I stopped over at a friends house just outside of Lawrence Kansas. We had a delightful overnight visit with this former fellow worker gaining an invite to check in with "family" if we are ever back in the area. Cool. Then with a hop, skip and a jump we were in Kansas City, Lees Summit, and Grain Valley. I have a cousin and her husband that live just east of Kansas City which we all wanted to see and get further acquainted. And, we did, very much so with their warm hospitality. We thought it would be a visit over a long weekend, but instead, life happened. My dad became quite ill, pneumonia, requiring hospitalization for almost a week and a half, nine days to be exact. Our three or four day visit in the area became 16 days! Fortunate for all of us, especially my dad, he recovered quite quickly and well, just a little weak still. About a week after discharge a follow-up visit with a doctor indicated that he was pneumonia free, didn't need the extra oxygen any longer and was still able to travel. Whoa, that was a close one for him and for us. We had determined that if we had needed to we would have turned around and went back to Denver for the winter, closer to his primary care and his in-state medical coverage. But, as he was getting better, so did his interest regain to continue to travel. I am happy to report that there is no problem with memory this morning when his eyes popped open with an exclamation question expecting a positive response, "So, this is the day we hit the road?"

As I fast forward 30 years when I will be his current age, I wonder if I will be as full of life as he is, even as the brain and body slows down and capacities diminish. In the midst of confusion at times, he is still noticing the unique rock formations and striations in the bank side of the road cutouts and the fallen fall leaves and their color and texture, to name two items of continue interests.

Although his daily care is now quite consuming, he remains a pleasant gentleman with a more-than-confident peace with quiet faith in Christ, rolling with the flow of life, even if it meant he needs to stay in a hospital room not remembering how long he in for, or for what ailment. A week after this most recent stay, he didn't even remember he was in the hospital. The rest of us that have a more solid memory can learn from him to let go, live in the present moment, continue to trust others and look for the best in them, and, yes, tend to one's own faith and keep your sense of humor and use it often, which by the way, he does.

In the next blog, I will share with you some of the places we have visited this past month, namely the Eisenhower home and museum in Abilene Kansas, the Truman home, museum in Independence MO, and his farm house in Grandview MO. Also, did you know that there is a large, world-class museum honoring the fallen soldiers of World War I, in downtown Kansas City? Pictures are coming as soon as I download them from my camera, so stay tuned! Oh, I almost forgot to let you know about our transportation woes, which are just as much of the whole story of our travels. As dad and I traveled to Kansas City the truck started shifting rough. A check of the fluids showed a quart and a half low, and a check of our trailer showed signs of spray. Yes, you already guessed it. We needed to invest in a fully rebuild transmission. I still love my Ford XLT F-250, but that love costs me dearly, now requiring us to scrutinize our spending in ways I may not have done in the past. Perhaps that is good. Well, I am told that Ford made design and manufacture improvements in the parts including a double clutch and beefed up parts, so the good heavy duty Metric transmission is now even better, designed for heavy towing, to assist us in our future journeys. Now I am done for tonight. Good night.