June 13, 2005

Moved east yesterday to Hartford, NY, a rural town close to the VT border. My sister's home sets high on a hill with spectacular views to the mts. I am backed in next to the house protected from the daily T-storms and any winds. The pool is just a few steps away and we are huddled into some bird-loving spruce trees. The grass is soft and welcoming on my bare feet. It is still hot and humid generally initiating a T-storm every afternoon, cooling the air for only a few mins. My grandson, Colin who is 12 is with me. He enjoyed his first ride in the motorhome as we rolled and weaved over from Alpine Lake. I watched him duck his head as we passed under a low overpass. I told him how I had learned years ago during my coastal sailing experiences to not look up as the tall mast passed under the bridges. The same rule applies to this mode of travel. The sign states 13'6" clearance, one has ato trust it is correct and don't look up! My plan is to just rest for a few days and then begin cleaning inside and out, waxing and doing laundry. The mundane tasks of upkeep lurk ahead this week. I will be pulling my kayak, Namaskar, out of storage here too. I look forward to getting out on the nearby lakes.
Going backwards in my story thus far to April 21st: Unfortunately, I was not able to connect with a few additional friends in the New Bern area so we rolled on up to Emporia VA where we encountered more strong t-storms that night. I had a few repairs that needed to be made in Bearfoot. I made a half-day stop at Crisp RV Center in Chocowinnity, NC. The work was carefully done by competant, cheerful people and I was out of there at noon for the short trip to Emporia.
The next day the storms brought in cold air from our northern neighbors and Sebastian and I went on to Christopher Run Campground on Lake Anna, VA. We were given a site in the woods but leveling Bearfoot was next to impossible. They have few level sites on the hills there. I was given a choice of 3 other sites. I tried each one but there was no way without planks and blocks which I don't carry. The last site was doable but required my sewer pipe to run under the MH to the dump pipe on the other side. It's a good thing I carry lots of sewer hose. The next day, a friend from MA joined us for 5 days. It was really nice having company aboard. Parting was a sad time on many levels.
April 30th, I moved over to Brian and Marilyn Sumner's home in Goochland, VA. Their drive way and separate garage lend itself perfectly to Bearfoot's bulk. I do need to be guided in and out though because of the closeness of the trees. Brian offers his expertise and we manage to position Bearfoot without any damage. The Sumner's have generously allowed me a safe haven before. Christmas Eve '04 was one of those times. I was unable to drive Bearfoot due to a recurance of an on-going eye lid problem. My eyelids are another story going back to 1997 when I began suffering from burning, itching and dry eye symptoms. The symptoms worsened when driving, reading or watching TV. When driving, I felt I needed to sleep so I would pull over, close my eyes but then wasn't sleepy. A few miles later, the same thing happened. Doc's concluded I was suffering from common dry eye and prescribed otc eye drops. The symptoms continued to worsen until 2/1/98 when I stopped driving altogether. My marriage of 27 years ended and my eye condition became nearly unbearable. I sought help from specialists at institutions such as Duke, ECU as well as neurologists, opthhalmologists and others. Finally, I saw a doc associated with Harvard Med School in Boston the summer of '98. By that time, I was unable to drive, read, cook, use the phone, write a check, watch tv or walk without guidance. The NC Assoc. for the Blind visited me and provided training so I could care for myself safely. They also provided books on tape and planned to train me with a white cane for walking about. Neighbors called to check on me and to pick up my groceries. Another dear friend came to read to me. I spent much of my time meditating and scribbling in a notebook. It was a time of pain and darkness, of unimaginable frustration, sadness and fear but it also was a time of incredible growth for me. The interesting thing about this condition is when I sing, my eyes open therefore I sang a great deal. In fact, I found I could drag my kayak to the creek in front of my home in NC, slip it into the brown brackish water, climb aboard while singing the entire time. I sang every song I know plus I sang my story in the Native American tradition. I kayaked nearly every day and became a familiar figure on the estuaries connecting the Neuse River near Pamlico Sound. I was almost resigned to being unable to use my eyes ever again when the doc from Boston diagnosed my condition as BEB (Benign Essential Blepharospasm); one of a family of Dystonia diseases. www.dystonia.com Long story cut short: I went to UNC, NC to receive Botoxin injections in the muscles of my eyes in Nov. '98 and within 7 days was able to use my eyes for the first time in nearly a year. I held a Thanks-For-Giving Party for my friends and neighbors. What a celebration it was! The treatment wasn't and still isn't perfect but I could live a better life. I just couldn't drive or ride my bike for another 4 years. The stress in my life was greatly reduced and I found a new doc in Richmond, VA. I drove again in '02. Obviously, I am doing well now since I am writing from this big rig.