Lost & Found: The Final Chapter

Sunset at Lake Powhatan

December 25, 2012

After much reflection over a long period of time, I have decided to end this blog.  I woke up at 4:30am yesterday to this realization and even started composing this, the final chapter.  I have thought about stopping several times, but then I would meet an unknown reader with some praise for it and would do another one.  Not this time. 

In the "About Me" section on the lower right is the explanation of why I started this in the first place and a lot has change since then.  Several times I tried to change the picture of my first rig and I just wasn't able to do it.  That was a sign that the end of this was near.

Today's rig - GMC, Burg and Eagle

Back then I had the Chevy Silverado, the dragon red Vespa and Howhee, my first home-on-wheels.  Now there is the big GMC 3500 dually, the Burgman 400 scooter and the Jayco Eagle travel trailer with a fireplace!  Then I wanted to travel all the time.  Now I am a snowbird spending the winters in Sarasota, Florida and the rest of my time in Asheville, NC.  Then I was disillusioned with Unity church and my perceived lack of sympathy from most of the people there.  Since then I've realized it was more my perception than their behavior.  Now I am part of the Jubilee! community in Asheville and get my soul fed consistently from Howard Hanger and the other Jubilants.  Then I was feeling very lost and there was no "normal" anymore.  Now I feel found and normal again, or as close to normal as I can get. Then I was traveling alone and hoping to find a loving travel companion.  Now I have two very fine, loving companions: Lynn and Tinkerbell. 

Lynn and Tinker at Jubilee!

This web log began on November 20, 2009, thirteen months after my wife LaVerne passed away from lung cancer.  Her death was one of the greatest losses I have ever endured.  With her I lost my best friend, my partner in life and my lover.  I also lost my desire to work, my ability to concentrate and therefore whatever mental agility I once had to work with groups.  So, I had lost my business.  A couple years prior I had lost Pancho, my beloved blue heeler-border collie pal. 

During a visit to daughter Barbara and her family, we went to see the movie "Up" for my birthday which struck some deep cords in me.  The story is about an elderly widower unhappy with his life when he decides to travel and pursue a lifelong dream.  The next day I rode the Vespa on the Blue Ridge Parkway and decided that I wanted to travel.  And so "Fred's Travels" and this adventure began. 

Travel stickers on Howhee I

Along the way I have found new friends, rediscovered old ones, seen many beautiful plants, birds, animals, forests and streams.  I have drank lots of delicious brews and eaten more good food than I'm able to recall.   So now I am found once again.  As the lyrics of Amazing Grace proclaims, "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see." 

Thanks to all my blog followers over these years.  I hope you found something here to make your life just a little bit better.  Perhaps I'll do another blog at some point.  I'm open to the inspiration and will just have to wait and see. 

Until then, Bon Voyage!  Oh yeah!

The pony tail project continues...

St. George Island Redux

Apalachicola has been a traditional stopping place for several years now.  It was my first big getaway after LaVerne died.  I stayed at the Sportsman Inn on the bay and brought the Vespa on a trailer.  The peace, quiet and oysters have brought me back ever since and I always stop by the Sportsman to reminisce. 

Last year we stayed at a commercial rv park near Carabelle and never even made it into Apalach.  This time we stayed at the state park on the island and thoroughly enjoyed the wood, birds and sound of the ocean.  It is such a relaxing place and the weather was warm, unlike last year.  We had fires everyday, plenty of great oysters and lots of rest. 

We went to The Grill for lunch one day where I had the seafood gumbo and Lynn had fried shrimp.  She swore they were the best she'd ever had and I believed her after trying one.  The gumbo remains one of my all time favorites. Tupelo honey can be found everywhere so we had to bring some home.

This poster was too good to pass up.  Wish I had room to hang one on my wall.  It reminds me of a beer incident last Saturday night when L and I went to the Sarasota Brewery to watch a Carolina basketball game and enjoy some craft brews.  It was a last minute decision to go there after planning to checkout a new place named World of Beer.  I decided to wear my new Greenman Brewery tee  shirt to advertise my favorite beer.  While sitting at the bar enjoying ourselves, I felt a tap on my shoulder and a man said "I was just there recently!"  And so began a very lively conversation with Terry and later his wife Amelia, fellow beer lovers.  They had toured all the breweries in the Asheville area and were quite knowledgeable of other beers including Moose Drool.  We hope to see them again.  Real nice folks!

While in Apalach we stopped by the Gibson Inn to have a look.  A beautiful old place with lots of character.

My friend Myra Wiggins Grant had suggested we see it.  Would love to stay there sometime or at least lounge at the bar for a while.

After returning from town we found a note on our door step reading "WE WERE HERE".  It was written on the back of Roger & Margarete Perry's card!  They were our neighbors and co-camp hosts at Lake Powhatan this summer. So Lynn called them and found out they were visiting a son in Pensacola and took a day trip just to check out the campground.  Unfortunately were weren't able to see them but were pleasantly surprised that they had just happened across us so far from NC.

When I first saw this star fish while walking the beach I thought it was dead and I was going to bring it home.  But when I picked it up it started a slow wiggling motion and I quickly put it back.  What a gorgeous little creature!  In all my years of beach walking I don't ever remember seeing one.  What a treat!

When we arrived at Sun n Fun last year we had some oysters left over so Lynn's sister Deb and her husband Walt came over and we finished them off.  We had such a good time that we agreed to bring a bushel next time and so we did!  Although we arrived later than hoped for and it took forever for me to setup the trailer, we finally got to share the delicious treat with Deb, Walt and other friends here.  I took no pictures, though, as I was too busy shucking and slurping!  Maybe next year...yeah, right.

This high speed internet connection is sooo nice!  Picture uploads to the blog take seconds instead of minutes, so I'm inspired to blog more once again.  Lynn's daughter Meghan arrives tomorrow night for a visit of several days so I hope to get some good pics and post them here. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving in Virginia

Thanksgiving at the Crowder's was a huge success again this year, with lots of fun, frivolity and of course good food and games.  Our sincerest thanks to Barb and Trey for hosting such a large group for several days.  This year we were also treated to Trey's award winning chili!  That guy sure can cook!  And Barbara sure can bake!

This year we were all very pleased to have Derick's girls with us, Leah and Lauren.  Lauren is 13 now and the eldest of my grand kids.  My how time does fly...

Patrick and Tinkerbell had a good thing going this time.  They were seen together often and enjoyed each others' company tremendously. 

Houston is quite the ham.  And he is learning to play the trumpet.  I was very impressed with his short recital and applaud his skill and patience. 

The girls enjoyed a beauty parlor day doing each others' nail.  Patrick was just a spectator for a little while. 

I'm very thankful for my loving family.  And I'm grateful for their support of my wandering lifestyle.  Now that I have a fast Internet connection, I hope we can Skype once in a while in addition to phone calls, emails and facebook.  Better yet, I hope they'll come to sunny Florida for a visit. 

My love to you all!  Papa Fred