April, 2018--My Summer begins

January to April, 2018

After a few months of doctor's and veterinarian's appointments, Daisy and I took off for an easy trip back to Ft Worth to visit Aunt Louise.  She was doing better and surprising Suzanne and the Hospice nurses with her daily vital sign readings.  I told her my heart rate and blood pressure should be so good.  I was sure Aunt Louise would recover from this latest round and be back to her old self again soon.  

(Me and Aunt Louise two years ago)

 So I stayed for a few weeks, kissed her goodbye and promised to return at the end of my summer tour.  I never expected that would be the last time I would see her.

(Joby at 92)

My next stop was to Shreveport to see my 94 year old cousin, Joby.  She is  still working, full of great energy, keeps a lovely garden,  and has a superb outlook on life. 

(Kim, two years ago)

 I was expecting to see cousin Kim as well.  Kim usually drove from Houston several times per month to check on Joby and we were expecting her when we got the call that Kim had been admitted to the hospital with severe stomach pains.  It was worrisome but neither Joby nor I expected what would develop.  A few days later, I said goodbye to Joby and headed toward New Orleans.

In less than a week I called to see how Kim was doing when Joby gave me the unbelievably sad news that Kim had died of stomach cancer--a condition she never knew she had until it was too late. 

It was with a heavy heart that my summer started.   I had first met Kim in 2014 while searching for the Lambert family,  and we had bonded immediately.  She was enthused about my nomadic life and promised to go with me on a trip to Alaska when she retired.  She was only a year away from retiring from her law practice when the cancer struck.  If I get to Alaska I will take her memory with me.

Sister Mary flew into New Orleans to join me for a trip to the Virgin Islands.  It had been almost 3 years since my last visit.

 

(Mary and Me)

And it had been a year since the devastating attack of two category five hurricanes that swept through the islands.  I wanted to see how my son Tom was faring and what recovery had been made on the island of St. John.

(Kim, Mary, Me and Tom)

Tom and his first mate from the Sadie Sea picked us up at the airport.  Tom warned us that a lot had changed since my wonderful trip there in 2015.

The beaches were beautiful,

tourists were slowly coming back, 

sailboats were arriving to drop anchor and stay awhile, but things were different.

We played tourist with the best of them.

These guys survived the storms,

and so did the chickens that appear everywhere looking for a handout.

Mary and I were looking for 10 stress free days just lolling in the sun,  Then Mary got word from her husband Jim, that the volcano was starting to come alive and was spewing hot molten lava just a few miles from their home outside of Hilo.  Before it had barely started, this summer was becoming one for the memory books.