TravelingMorgansBlog Working our way around the contiguous 48 states in our RV.

30. December 2018

Coming Up To Date at the End of 2018

Filed under: 2018 — Tags: — admin @ 06:45

I want to bring everyone up to date.

Phyllis and I had many marvelous years traveling until her health began to fail. The big issue has been her degenerative disk disease, but knee and hip issues (hip bursa) have also taken a toll.

Our son asked us to share a home with him, and we came to Charleston SC in 2017. Our trailer and pickup have been sold and we now drive a hybrid. We rarely travel by choice. In 2018, our 50th wedding anniversary called for a trip to the North Carolina highlands (the highlight was Lynnville Falls) and a hurricane sent us to Birmingham Alabama. Our son also got married to a wonderful young lady, who was glad we were in the house.

Harpo, now approaching age 16, is still with us and adorable, but not as active or athletic as she used to be.

At the time of the wedding, we also went to see the St James Island Festival of Lights with our daughter and grandson as well as the new bride and groom. See https://travelingmorgans.com/SC/JI-FOL.shtml and select the top video.

Larry’s prime focus has been taking care of Phyllis. He also has worked out hard at the gym (high intensity weight training) and with his bicycle. He is now a lot lighter than he was on the road and in good shape for his age. You might have trouble recognizing him. He likes to say his body does not know how old he is, but someone told his left knee this year and it began to be an issue. As of now he is essentially without pain and able to do what needs to be done. Larry was surprised it healed with his standard care (use of a brace, elevated rest, ice packs, and herbs that promote joint health.

The are many hobbies now that travel is no longer the primary hobby.
Besides the previously mentioned exercise, the old 1949 era Lionel trains now have a place to run (under construction). Wildlife photography in this area is still an interest. Yard work takes time, but I would not call it a hobby. Updating the web site has been slowed down considerably. There is still a lot more material to post, even though we are no longer traveling.

Larry is also looking for some part time work that will provide some mental stimulation or new experiences. So far nothing has turned up.

Please let us know how things are going in your life.


4. December 2018

50th Anniversary

Filed under: 2018 — admin @ 06:38

Phyllis and I wanted to do something to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We considered many things and decided on a trip to an area we had not visited in our days as the Traveling Morgans. We went to the highlands of North Carolina, staying at Blowing Rock NC for a few days. This was close enough to be a realtively short drive. Since our “Home on Wheels” and our diesel pickup have been sold, it was a hybrid car that carried us. It actually averaged over 40 mpg for this trip. It also meant staying in a motel.

We drove to Blowing Rock SP NC, Mt Mitchell SP NC (the highest point east of the Mississippi River), Linville Falls NP, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Grandfather Mtn proved too expensive (it is a private attraction).  Phyllis actually took the 1 mile roundtrip moderate hike to Linville Falls on sheer determination. She has paid for it physically since, especially in the knees.

Linville Falls was the highlight of the trip. Follow this link to a movie I placed on You Tube.  https://youtu.be/dfa4ySx_Lgk

I have not been deligent at maintaining https://travelingmorgans.com due to competition for my time.  Also, Google has made it hard. I have to make the site mobile freindly and qualify as a secure web site (HTTPS instead of http). So the site has required a lot of work for little new materail in the last two years. I will get back to the web site in the future. There is a lot of material I have never gotten up, plus some new material for the Carolinas.

I mentioned competition for my time. Besides getting settled in South Carolina with our son Paul, I have been working hard to improve my health. I now weigh less than anytime in our traveling years (2004-2016).  Once a week I bicycle over 10 miles at relatively high speeds and get a good cardio workout.  I also do high intensity weight training once a week, and get a good workout mowing our lawn with a push mover. Someone has to be a care provider for Phyllis, and I am elected and intend to stay in shape so I can.

I have tried to find some part time work that I can do from our home, but I have not been successful so far.

For fun, I am building a toy train layout. This will not rival the “whole room” layout I was working on before we decied to hit the road, but it will be enough to enjoy.

We will be happy to hear from friends we have met in our travels and friends from our earlier days. Please get back to us.

 

 

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