We set out this morning on a walk/hike and started along the Erie Trail, which goes around Stump Lake. After going a little way, we decided it was too muddy to continue in our athletic shoes, so we walked around the loops of the campground that we hadn't gotten to yesterday.
The park is very full, but there are still a number of unoccupied sites. Many of them are basically just parallel parking with an electrical outlet. The few we saw in use were occupied by tenters who had put their tents in the woods above the spaces, which they were using just for parking.
We saw a red-headed woodpecker near our site, but it disappeared before we had a chance to take a photo. Darn! It had a cute red topknot.
The highlight of our day was a visit to Mentor, about 45 minutes north and a bit east of the park. We arrived at Peggy's house about 3:00 p.m. after driving through a few patches of light rain. Peggy had suggested the possibility of taking a cruise on the Goodtime III, but the weather forecast included thunderstorms, so we dropped that. Of course we didn’t actually see any storms, but the visit at the house worked out very well.
When we got there, we were introduced to Chance, a very friendly dog who belongs to David, a young man who has been staying with Peggy since his senior year in high school, when his parents moved away.
Shortly after we arrived, Brian and Karen came in and then Aunt Helene. Brian and Karen have been married three years now, but this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her. Brian and Karen seem made for each other. She is outgoing and positive. While we sat and talked, she was knitting a blanket square for charity and seemed to be making good progress.
We sat around in the screened in porch and enjoyed chatting. Peggy caught us up on all her grandchildren, bringing out a photo book from a trip to Disneyland. Peggy and the kids had their pics taken with all the Disney characters! Peggy has managed to retire finally, a little at a time. She's technically on call on an "as needed" basis, but the business is so slow that she hasn't worked since last December. She's still keeping very busy of course, volunteering with Hospice and Meals on Wheels and traveling and playing dominoes with friends.
A bit later Allen stopped by with Bobby, one of Peggy’s grandkids. He brought his DS and a cheerful smile. Unfortunately, Allen also brought the news that his older son, Don Michael, was in the hospital with a recurrence of collapsed lung (called Spontaneous Primary Pheumothorax). Evidently since he is a tall young male, he's in a group at higher risk. He's going to start college in Akron soon. Allen and Missy are hoping that a treatment involving less invasive surgery might prevent recurrence.
Peggy had some fresh sweet corn she picked up at a stand earlier in the day. We shucked it while we talked. Aunt Helene seems to be doing well--especially for a 90-year-old. She still drives her Cadillac around and goes to church several times a week.
Peggy served a delicious dinner of barbecued pork sandwiches, parsley buttered potatoes, corn on the cob, and salad, which we all enjoyed. Later we played Mexican Train and had ice cream with fresh peaches and fruit for dessert. Altogether it was a delightful visit.
Peggy was leaving this morning at 5:00 a.m. for a vacation trip with friends, so we especially appreciated her taking the time to fix dinner and entertain us. Thanks, Peggy!
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