or good times, cold times, and sad times.
(click on images for larger views)
Since we last wrote (Belle Isle State Park), we have been to Verona, VA with our friends Bruce and Carol, Fort Chiswell, VA, Blountville, TN, Gilbert, SC, and now Hardeeville, SC. In between all of this I (Roger) have taken three trips to present to my fellow diabetics how to better control their diabetes.
We have had lots of freeze your butt off cold weather and now that we are near Savannah, GA, very pleasant weather.
And we lost our 4 footed friend and third child, Gabi, to old age and cancer.
Verona, VA
We got a chance to catch up with long time RVing friends Carol and Bruce from Aylett, VA. We met Carol and Bruce camping at one of our favorite campgrounds - Country Waye (now the KOA-Luray, VA). After Mary guided me into a tree branch and we unloaded the dogs (Bailey and Gabi), Bruce figured we might be people they wanted to meet. Bruce and Carol also have a lab, Mercedes, and, as we found out later, Bruce grew up in Southern California like I did. It was inevitable.
We stayed at the Shenandoah Campground near Verona. This used to be a KOA but the management decided that it was too costly to continue. We know from our friends who own the Luray KOA that KOA has been imposing standards on their franchisees to upgrade their campgrounds to minimum KOA standards. The Shenandoah Campground has gotten a little old and utilities and campsite sizes haven't really kept up with the market. Not well suited for big rigs who want full hookups and 50 amp sites. I'm thinking that the required upgrades were too expensive and hence the dropping of the KOA affiliation.
Anyway, Carol and Bruce love Virginia wineries as we do. Our usual get togethers involve a winery tour and this trip was no exception. So off we went to CrossKeys Vineyard for lunch. We didn't do a tasting this trip but did have lunch sitting out on the patio on a warm Fall day.
Fort Chiswell, VA
Our favorite half-way point campground. We were invaded by Canadians and people from the the Far Northeast states who were all on their way to Florida. We are as well, but we are taking a far slower route. Coming in at 5 pm and leaving at 7 am just doesn't appeal to us.
Blountville, TN
We spent two weeks at Rocky Top campground in Blountville, TN. Why? Well it is close (5 minutes) from the Tri-Cities airport and I had to fly places for my speaking engagements. So I was there for a week and Mary was there for 2 weeks. Strange, but November is National Diabetes Month and my organization is busy, busy, busy.
We had a great camping spot but we got buried in falling leaves and experienced some really cold weather. We also had our first inkling that Gabi was starting to have some real health issues. She decided to take a flying leap off the top step and injured her hip. As usual, I was out of town and Mary had to deal with the emergency vet visit. Our neighbors were really helpful in getting Gabi loaded in the car and to the vet.
Our plans were to leave Blountville and head to Asheville, NC for a week but the weather report said - Go South! So we headed to Columbia, SC.
Columbia, SC
We had planned to stay at the Barnyard campground but SEC football displaced us to Gilbert, SC and Mr. Z's campground. A rather funky little place but cheap and right on US 1. I still need to be close to an airport so it worked out well.
What didn't work out so well was Gabi's health. Since her great leap in TN, her appetite had begun to decline and increasingly she would throw-up her food or even water. Gabi has had a mast cell carcinoma growing on her left foot for over a year (a common cancer in Labs) but, because of her age, she was not a candidate for surgery (usually amputation of the limb). So we knew it was a matter of time before this thing invaded other organ systems. Last Friday (Nov. 15th) she took a real turn for the worse. Of course, I had the car as I was off on another trip and Mary had to enlist the aide of our next door neighbor to rush her to the vet. I didn't even have a clue anything was going on until I checked my emails when I landed in Charlotte.
When the ultrasound showed a large intestinal mass and evidence of renal failure, we knew it was time. Gabi was euthanized on Saturday morning. At 13 1/2 she was physically elderly, gray as all get out, but still mentally sharp and all lab. She is missed.
Bye Gabi, we miss you so much...
Anyway, Carol and Bruce love Virginia wineries as we do. Our usual get togethers involve a winery tour and this trip was no exception. So off we went to CrossKeys Vineyard for lunch. We didn't do a tasting this trip but did have lunch sitting out on the patio on a warm Fall day.
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| Lunch with Bruce and Carol at CrossKeys Vineyard |
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| What Shenandoah Campground is famous for - wild domestic rabbits. |
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| Fall in the Shenandoah Valley |
Fort Chiswell, VA
Our favorite half-way point campground. We were invaded by Canadians and people from the the Far Northeast states who were all on their way to Florida. We are as well, but we are taking a far slower route. Coming in at 5 pm and leaving at 7 am just doesn't appeal to us.
Blountville, TN
We spent two weeks at Rocky Top campground in Blountville, TN. Why? Well it is close (5 minutes) from the Tri-Cities airport and I had to fly places for my speaking engagements. So I was there for a week and Mary was there for 2 weeks. Strange, but November is National Diabetes Month and my organization is busy, busy, busy.
We had a great camping spot but we got buried in falling leaves and experienced some really cold weather. We also had our first inkling that Gabi was starting to have some real health issues. She decided to take a flying leap off the top step and injured her hip. As usual, I was out of town and Mary had to deal with the emergency vet visit. Our neighbors were really helpful in getting Gabi loaded in the car and to the vet.
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| Nice trees - all those wonderful leaves landed on the roof and slide toppers. |
Columbia, SC
We had planned to stay at the Barnyard campground but SEC football displaced us to Gilbert, SC and Mr. Z's campground. A rather funky little place but cheap and right on US 1. I still need to be close to an airport so it worked out well.
What didn't work out so well was Gabi's health. Since her great leap in TN, her appetite had begun to decline and increasingly she would throw-up her food or even water. Gabi has had a mast cell carcinoma growing on her left foot for over a year (a common cancer in Labs) but, because of her age, she was not a candidate for surgery (usually amputation of the limb). So we knew it was a matter of time before this thing invaded other organ systems. Last Friday (Nov. 15th) she took a real turn for the worse. Of course, I had the car as I was off on another trip and Mary had to enlist the aide of our next door neighbor to rush her to the vet. I didn't even have a clue anything was going on until I checked my emails when I landed in Charlotte.
When the ultrasound showed a large intestinal mass and evidence of renal failure, we knew it was time. Gabi was euthanized on Saturday morning. At 13 1/2 she was physically elderly, gray as all get out, but still mentally sharp and all lab. She is missed.
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| Gabi and Sam had formed a special bond early on. They used to chase each other around the house. |
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| A favorite pastime in the new motorhome |
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| Gabi helping navigate |
