Home at Last

OK, so I took some pictures on the way south but somehow or other my camera has gone MIA. I know that it made it to Sanibel because I took pictures crossing the causeway! And I'm sure it made it inside the house. But where it is, I can't say. I can find everything else--but not my trusty little camera. So, you will have to do with narration and no pictures of our trip. The above picture is a picture our daughter took the day before we left.

Tuesday morning was crazy. We had a 9:00 meeting with an insurance man, then went to the Post Office to mail some boxes for Karen. Then to Salvation Army to drop yet another load of stuff we would love to keep but didn't have room for. Then home to load the remnants of a water bed into the Escape--wooden sides, drawers etc. The bed was not ours! It belonged to Bill who lived with us the whole 35 years we lived in this house. We didn't know he was getting rid of it until the day before the move. So it all had to go to the landfill. Karen and Chuck went while I did the last minute vacuum job and cupboard checking etc. When they got back, we loaded Karen's stuff into the car and took off for the Detroit airport where we dropped her. Then on over to my brother's to drop a box of stuff for my niece. (more on my brother in another post)

We got back to Findlay about 4:30 and started packing everything into the car. Fingers were crossed the entire time but everything made it into the car just as the raindrops started to fall. At 5:15, we said goodbye to Bill, got into the car (with a few tears being shed) and headed south. We drove through rain showers but nothing serious.

Chuck drove first but I took over just outside of Cincinnati. I have to admit--I don't like driving at night. I don't like driving through large cities. I don't like driving in the rain. But wouldn't you know, all three things took place. The night driving wasn't so bad and I have driven through Cinci before but just as we hit the city limits with nowhere to go except straight ahead, the heavens opened up and POURED!! Needless to say, I white knuckled it through the city. It finally let up before we hit the bridge. I stopped at the first rest area in Kentucky and let Chuck take over. We only went about 5 miles though when we decided to stop for the night.

We were on the road at 6:45 the next morning and drove without incident all day. We made it to Gainesville, Florida where we spent the night. We both were awake early the next morning and hit the road about 7:30. Again, the drive was without incident and we arrived on Sanibel about noon yesterday.

The first thing we did was turn on the air conditioning! Then we unloaded the car and unpacked a few boxes leaving most of it for today. We went to Jerry's, a local grocery store which also has a very good restaurant--killing two birds with one stone. So, after dinner and grocery shopping, we headed back home to crash!

Today involved more unpacking, trips to the post office and bank, and out to CROW to pick up cages, say hi to everyone, catch up on the news, tour the new hospital, and get some work assignments. On the way home from CROW, I did stop by the beach to remind me of why we made this move. All I did was see the waves, smell that salt air, and hear the birds and surf and I knew. I was home!!