We are leaving Rochester on October 13. Part of our preparation for leaving is getting in last minute visits with people we haven’t seen on this trip and taking in some culture as well. We saw Vietgone at  Geva Theater on Saturday. To say more would require an entire blog post. We found it difficult but well done and an excellent production. Our friends left at intermission. We are going to another Rochester Philharmonic concert and taking our grandson Josh. Dinner before with the Humms and Josh. Numerous other luncheons and dinners as well.

We actually have the first month of travel planned. Since we are meeting people as we go and have appointments for work in Red Bay, we were forced to back into a schedule. I even have made reservations for every one of those nights. We are staying in everything from commercial parks to state parks to Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Host sites. Our ultimate departure from Red Bay will be driven by the completion of work we are having done. My only problem is building a route west from Red Bay that we haven’t taken yet, that avoids the Natchez Trace Parkway – just because we have done it so often – and gets us to Las Cruces and Albuquerque NM. I also want to avoid the New Orleans area and stop in Livingston TX too. Oh yes Dora, a name from the past, has moved to the Dallas area and we need to go there to make a stop as well. 

I have been reading some of my posts from the past just to refresh my memory of routes, places and failures. Looking back I realize that our previous coaches had more show stopping failures than GeeWhiz. Our first coach, Goliath, had to be towed twice in 3 years. The Southwind, G2, never did have to be towed, but it had its share of failed parts as we traveled. We actually almost ripped the receiver off the frame in Alaska. Today all of those stories are great fun to tell as we sit around and share experiences with other RVers. If you want to see the old blogs you can read them here by looking at the archives in the left column. To see the ones before October 2017 with the pictures use xctraveler.blogspot.com Even earlier writings can be found in the menus at the top of this page. 

I am looking forward to getting back on the road. I hope we can keep our commitment to ourselves to enjoy the travel and find new and interesting places to explore. We sat recently with friends who are contemplating an 8 week cross country car trip and came to us to discuss logistics and routes. As we discussed routes and ideas for travel I kept coming back to the idea of themes, some would call them bucket lists. Highways to drive, state capitals to visit, parks to see etc. I thought about one cross country drive and how much one could see and how much more would be missed. Travel in January and February really leaves out much of the country north of I 40 – some would say I 20. We talk about the 3,000 miles from coast to coast but we tend to ignore the 1,500 miles from Laredo TX to Duluth MN. How many places must one cross the Mississippi to say you have really seen it. We have driven much of the river’s length, but that leaves out the vast plains and mountains to the west and the stretch across the mountains to the east and on to the coast. In looking at my routes and maps I realize that in over 20 crossings we still have barely scratched the surface of this great country.

Sunday we weren’t going to Canada. Monday I cleared the App and tried again and it worked. Carol called the test provider who finally emailed the negative test result. Immediately Carol called and emailed the family in Canada to let them know we were coming. We packed, prepared lunch for the drive and rolled out at noon, which was our original plan. Dinner with her 98 year old aunt and cousins Robbie and Marilyn in Hamilton. Overnight with Marilyn and Tuesday we drove to Toronto where we had a visit with Michael and his daughters – and grand daughter. Then off to Leslie and Harvey where we had a splendid time talking and eating. We spent the night and after breakfast we were off to Rochester, back across the border. 

It all seemed very brief, but it was a wonderful reunion with those we were able to get together with. We missed Mitch who was deep in business and Shelley – Marilyn’s daughter – who also was working. Talk about a whirlwind couple of days. 

Border crossings at the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge were really non events. The Canadian official had to wrap his head around Texas Drivers License, California plates and covid tests from Rochester NY. Then he asked the routine questions and waved us on. Returning to the US was even easier. 

We are filling our calendar with social and cultural events between now and our departure on October 13. We attended a performance of the Rochester Philharmonic last night. Everyone showed proof of vaccination and wore masks. It was the first performance in Kodak  Hall at Eastman Theater in 18 months. The conductor, Andreas Delfs,  was giving his debut performance as Music Director and the young soloist, Benjamin Beilman played Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto, the standing ovation brought him back to play an encore, familiar but I don’t have the name. It was fantastic to be back in the hall and attend a great performance. On October 7 we will be back in the hall for another concert before we leave town.

In the mean time we have tickets for “Vietgone” at Geva Theater and dinner beforehand with Victor and Joyce again. There too we must show proof of vaccination and wear masks to attend. We are prepared to go through the requirements so that we and everyone else can feel safe as we re enter the world after lockdown.

In the next weeks we will be seeking our booster shots to provide us with whatever additional protection is available. Oh and high potency Flu shots as soon as they are available.

I am sorting out some feeling that caught me by surprise during services. Carol and I have sat in the same pew area of the same synagogue for so many years we cannot remember ever sitting anywhere else. As we sat in an adjacent pew because of the set up for streaming the mixed media service, I contemplated the empty pew. I thought back to the days of sitting there with our boys, my parents and Carol’s and aunts and uncles and friends and acquaintances. some of whom we only ever socialized with during the holidays. Saving seats was an endless topic of conversation, at one time we claimed an entire pew. The entire section of pews was empty. The people who belonged there were not present. I know that many were staying home and attending the streamed service on Youtube.  Still I missed their presence.

Our children and their children are not in Rochester and their mode of worship is different from ours. There is no right or wrong, just different so that even if they were nearby they probably would not choose to sit in these pews.

So many others are no longer with us. I open my email with a kind of dread each day as I watch for postings from Brighton Memorial Chapel with yet another loss. As I contemplated this thought; Rabbi Stein talked about witnessing life from two sides. We pray “thank G-d for bringing us to this wonderful day” and we pray “thank G-d for our having survived an illness/accident/dangerous travel” My Jewish readers will recognize these as shehecheyanu and birkat hagomel. We seem to spend life suspended between these two points. 

All of this thought brought me to tears I have not experienced in some time. I really really miss those who are gone. I miss the presence of those still with us who for good reason chose not to be physically present. I miss the physicality of the community that has been our home for more than 70 years. 

I need to thank the Rabbis, Peter Stein and Rochelle Tulik for using their sermons to bring new understanding of where we are today and where I am as well. I know that they devote much thought to these words. They need to know that they reached at least one member of the congregation.