Two for the Road: August 2021

Summer 2021 Visit:
Re-Introducing Charlie to the Roschys

It's been a good while since last we posted; several reasons, most importantly is the Pandemic and the complete disruption of life and social interaction. But we have now assumed something of our normal lives--at least until this Delta variant and the stupidity of anti-vaxers shuts us down again.

The week of August 2nd Charlie, our grandson, joined us in making a trip East to visit with family and friends.

It was a lot of fun, if a bit tiring, especially for Sue who had a complete knee replacement on June 9th, but we are very glad we made the trip and had a lot of great adventures.

Our first stop, after an eight hour marathon flight, was John and Bonnie's farm, Anchor Rest, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It's a lovely and peaceful setting, and we all look forward to being there.

Charlie loved seeing and meeting everyone, but says he doesn't want to live in the country. Too much corn and soy beans; not enough civilization.

Our second day, along with John, Bonnie and their granddaughters, Hannah and Betsy, we made the two hour drive to Rehoboth. The weather gods were not smiling on us, and we were greeted with blustery winds, chilly temps, and rain or drizzle.

Charlie was undeterred, and as soon as we were able to unload the car, we made the short walk to the beach.

Charlie dropped his towel, discarded his shoes, and ran straight into the surf--only to be called back by the lifeguards. The undertow was too dangerous and no one was allowed to go out beyond their knees.

Fallback to Funland, the local amusement park.

Hannah and Betsy have been going to Funland since they were tiny, and they were delighted to show Charlie the ropes.

He loved everything, although the Gravitron--a spinning nightmare was his favorite.

Charlie really enjoyed meeting and getting to know his cool East coast cousins--Hannah and Betsy.

And Abby and Evelyn--who along with their parents, Susie & Jerry--joined us all at Rehoboth. (Later we were able to join them to celebrate Abby's 11th birthday & then a couple of days of visiting and getting to know them all better.)

After a couple of days of rain, the sun did come out on the morning we had to leave, but the ocean still remained rough and dangerous,

and even though the lifeguards were still cautioning us not to go out beyond one’s knees, a kind fellow bather showed Charlie how to bodysurf--and we all know he is always up for a physical challenge.

Too soon we had to say good bye to Rehoboth...

but Charlie was in for another new experience—eating crabs. He liked the crab, but thought it was better if Opa picked it out for him.

One of the reasons for our trip was to show Charlie DC. So reluctantly saying goodbye to the Roschys, we set off for our friend Angie’s place in Alexandria.

But first we decided to drive through the city and stop at the Lincoln Memorial. That was pretty easy, and we were able to spend a little time there.

After the Lincoln, we had hoped to see the FDR Memorial, but by the time we arrived the Park Service had turned out all of the lights--a change from times past, making such a visit not easily done.

Angie is a wonderful & loving friend and a great host—she welcomed us with open arms, way past her normal 10:00 bedtime. She entertained us graciously throughout our visit.

We have missed seeing Angie so much. Charlie and Angie became fast friends.

We all had a lot of fun, especially when Charlie tried to teach us some of his favorite card games—interpreting the rules as he went along. Guess who was the winner?