More April Activities

 Sunday, April 12, 2020

Bruce and I took a walk along Rock Creek.  We wanted to see how the work on the Purple Line was going.  We really miss walking along the trail that will someday be the completed Purple Line.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

We took a walk through our extended neighborhood.  Started out walking through the Grace Episcopal Graveyard.

Note:  Added later in the year.  After the George Floyd murder and riots, Cancel Culture forced the removal of this tombstone.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Went walking today at the American Chestnut Land Trust in Prince Frederick, MD.  Lots of people out hiking.  Not much else to do, but it is easy to get out by ourselves on the trails.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Window visit to Dad.  I received some birthday presents from Dad.  Isn't the wrapping great!  Thanks, Debra.  He gave me some really warm slippers and this neat RV sign.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Happy 47th Anniversary to Us.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

We have been visiting a lot of cemeteries and graveyards.  It's a very peaceful place to take a walk and sometimes learn some history.  Today we visited Rockville Cemetery and the grave of a famous baseball player from this area, Walter Johnson.

There was a flyover here in Silver Spring today by the combined Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds.

It was their way to make us feel a little better during this stressful time.  They flew along a portion of the Beltway.   Unfortunately, the phone camera couldn't do much to catch the pass and the incredible sound as they went overhead.  Even the police stopped for a few minutes to watch the event.

101 years and Food that's Fun

 April 1, 2020 - April 5, 2020

On Saturday night April 4, we did an appetizer dinner.  Wings, poppers, bacon-wrapped chestnuts, creamed stuffed strawberries.  Food has become way too important during Covid.

Who would ever believe the times we are living in.  Sunday, April 5 is Dad's 101st birthday.  What a milestone and we can't even be with him to celebrate.  What we came up with was a celebration outside his window.  On Wednesday I made some posters we could hold while we sang Happy Birthday to him.  

Bruce and I, Mark and Anita, Chris, Candice, and Brandon all stood down below his window and wished him the best birthday we could.  He had a cake from Aspenwood and sent down some pieces for us to share.  Considering the times I guess it was certainly noteworthy.

On Saturday night April 4, we did an appetizer dinner.  Wings, poppers, bacon-wrapped chestnuts, creamed stuffed strawberries.  Food has become way too important during Covid.

Eagles, Old Farms, Graves

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Road Trip Day.  We decided to go to Port Tobacco today.  Pulled into the site and realized we had visited there a year or so ago.  Actually, I think I had mixed up the name with another place I wanted to visit.  If was probably a good thing we had visited here before because it was probably closed.  We drove on down the road to a park called Port Tobacco River Park.  It had a few short trails so we decided to walk a little.  The first trail we walked abruptly ended with a roped off area for nesting eagles.  Thought how interesting.  Made a right turn to continue our wald and saw a viewing platform with scopes on them.  We were looking up at a tree and assumed we were looking at an abandoned eagle nest and what do we see but the head of an eagle.  We were so excited.  A local walked by and gave us some information about the nest.  She told us there was an eagle cam on the Calvert County site.

Just driving on down the road we found the Chapel Point State Park.  This is an undeveloped public recreation area in Charles County, MD.  According to Wikipedia, in the early 20th century, Chapel Point had an amusement park with facilities for roller skating and social functions and played host to the first Charles County fair.  What we found there was an abandoned farmhouse, several collapsed buildings, some old (possibly tobacco) barns, and other outbuildings such as a chicken coup.

The Beginning of the End - If we had only known.

 February 14, 2020 - March 13, 2020

Writing this after the fact I once again realize how much we take for granted.  If we had only known what the future was going to look like I wonder what we would have done differently to start out this year.  The first thing is to try and remember to take at least one picture so we know where we were and when.  One gets so involved in the moment and you are sure you will remember the details.  Well, we don't remember the details, at least not anymore, if we were ever good at that.  That being said we did have some notes on the calendar so here goes.  We went to the Lodge for Valentine's Day Dinner.  I do remember that it was very nice as always.  Poor Jax did not get a clean bill of health at his last Vet appointment.  He is suffering from a dental problem.  He is reabsorbing his teeth.  He has already lost several and they want us to have the rest of them pulled.  He will still have the small ones, but it is something that has to be done.  So he went to the cat dentist on February 18 and back again for a follow-up on February 25.  We went to Tobys Dinner Theather on February 19 to see Kinky Boots.  What a fun production.  

On Friday, February 21 we did a road trip and had breakfast at the Silver Diner in Columbia, and later we joined Mary Cawley, Bob Lawson, Pat Robertson, and Betty Walker for crabs at the American Legion in Silver Spring. 

 

 On Tuesday, February 25, we did a road trip.  Ended up in Baltimore following a historical lead.  Found John Hanson.

 

March was filled with appointments.  I had a brain MRI scan on March 2, and Spine Thoracic scans on March 4.  Doctor visits with Dr. Kathleen Berger (neurologist) and Dr. Diggs (Primary).  Fortunately, there were no surprises and just future visits to keep an eye on things.

We went to Delaware Park with the Retired Members Club on March 10.  Mary Cawley joined us for its trip.  On Thursday Bruce and I went to Maryland Live.  He received a card telling him he was eligible for a free gift.  He chose a cute set of coffee cups.  Only had to stand in line with a hundred or so people to get them but I am glad we did.  This was the last open thing we did for a long time. 

Rumors of this Covid Viris were out but no one expected the impact it would have on our lives.  We were literally standing in line wondering what was going to happen.  Well basically for us the next day was day one of a long time of staying home and restricted movement of any kind.  The beginning of mask-wearing, social distancing, too many sanitizing chemicals, virtual Dr. appointments, no toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or disinfecting wipes.  Long lines to get into stores, temperature taking, and any number of other things.  The worst is no social life.  Everything was canceled.  Our water exercise, yoga, meetings, even small affairs with friends and family.  Silly us, we thought it would only last a little while.

Elvis

Monday, February 10, 2020

Retired Members Trip.  Tribute to the King at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater in Lancaster, PA.  Excellent food and a wonderful show.

 We even had a personal goodbye on the bus.

Brandon's Concert

Thursday, February 6, 2020

The first instrumental concert this year.  How we enjoy seeing Brandon participate in the band.  So many people show up for these concerts, Brandon's school had to borrow the gym at Sligo Middle School to accommodate them all.