Lutz, FL

Wednesday (9th) we got up at our usual tardy pace, so it was 11:15 again before we were back on I-75 headed towards Atlanta -- which turned out anticlimactic. We followed the advice of son Scott and the campground owner and headed directly down I-75, right through the center of town. Lew simply kept plugging away at a steady 55, mostly in the second lane from the shoulder. No slowdowns, just the famous heavy traffic. Soon "civiliation" thinned out, and so did the traffic. After we stopped for a brief but leisurely lunch, we continued on about halfway to the Florida border, where Bobbi suddenly became bored. She consulted her books and directed Lew to get off at exit 127, where she rented a site at the Twin Oak RV Park close to the interstate, west of Elko GA.

Twin Oaks was a basically clean park. The clerk was very offended when Bobbi inquired about the condition of the bathhouse, and indeed it did turn out to be clean -- but certainly not exceptional. And the fixtures and decor were a bit outdated. But certainly it was an above-average park, nothing objectionable except a bit of a walk to the bathhouse.

The next morning (Thursday the 10th) was hardly different: on to I-75 at 11:15, a small lunch at North Valley, and by 4:30 Bobbi was tired. So she directed Lew to the Ocala North RV Park, where she rented a site on the edge of the park. The park obviously catered to long-term renters, who took up all the sites near the bathhouse. We had to park nearly two blocks away -- certainly an advantage for fitness. And the edge site was conveniently across the road from the dog walk -- and we did. Again, the rest rooms certainly were clean, but no match for the Michigan State Parks.

Friday (11th) was another routine repetition: up not quite so late, back on I-75 by 10:15, so we pulled into son Scott's driveway in Lutz a little after noon. No one was home, but we shoe-horned the Airstream into the back corner of the driveway and unhitched. We were preparing to go to a nearby gas station we had just passed, but Scott came home and let us into the house.

Scott showed us around, and we properly admired. They had managed to get a pleasant, large but reasonably modest 30-year-old house with a tiled roof and fenced in rear yard. Everyone had their own room, and Scott had his precious music equipment and books. Su had her (concrete) gargoyle in the corner of the back yard, obviouly a future garden. Su arrived shortly after Scott, and the grandchildren (George and Brian) later after school. The boys were all excited to welcome the dogs, and the dogs were equally excited to be welcomed.

Scott was eager to take us out for supper at a nearby Italian restaurant. But unfortunately as we got ready to go, Smokey slipped getting into the van, and injured his left hip, though we did not realize at the time. When we returned after supper, Scott and the two boys were eager to take the dogs and I for a walk. But on the way back, we noticed that Smokey was limping badly, favoring the left hind limb that had slipped getting into the truck. Because of his hip dysplasia, Bobbi and I were very apprehensive that he had damaged the joint. Lew dug out a supply of a NSAID that the vet had given him for last summer's trip and gave Smokey the first dose.

Lew slept very poorly Friday night, very concerned about Smokey's hip and using his medical training to visualize all sorts of potential damage to the joint. By dawn he was a wreck, all of his PTSD symptoms from last winter having returned.

Saturday (the 12th) we let the dogs into the back yard to urinate and defecate -- and play. Smokey seemed significantly improved over the previous night, actually playing and running a bit. But after Bobbi and Lew had breakfast, Lew began a flurry of email writing, trying to locate reliable veterinary service. Fortunately the owner of the Airstream list lives in Ocala and has considerable experience with dogs. After some difficulty locating her new email address, Lew was able to send her a post. She responded quickly with two referrals whom she said were exceptional canine orthopedic surgeons, and Lew was a bit more relieved. He also let the dogs into the back yard again in the afternoon, where Smokey ran, jumped, and played with considerable enthusiasm. So clearly the situation was not an emergency, and Lew began to relax a bit more.

Meanwhile, Bobbi and Su went grocery shopping for the Airstream. And then Bobbi hunkered down with her football obsession. After a modest supper, the football continued, and Lew caught up on his email + this blog.