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Summer has arrived in DeKalb, Illinois...another beautiful day...and at least for the foreseeable future, my last. In the morning, SAM and ME are walking and rolling West to the small village of MALTA...then on to the bit larger town of ROCHELLE...then another shift further West to the large town of OREGON, Illinois, where we look to spend the night...DeKalb to Oregon: some 35 miles.
A bit much after 4 days layoff. We plan to leave at sun-up - about 5:30 am - , giving us 14 or so hours to complete the distance.
The home of Rita...my marvelous hostess (and sister to Carol's room mate, Ruthie) for the past few days.
Please say HELLO to the family of: (l. to r.)...ROSEMARY (MOM); son PAUL, Paul's wife, NANCY; daughter RITA (my hostess); daughter RUTHIE. Both Rosemary and Ruthie are "residents" along with Sister Carol.
Paul and Nancy have offered SAM and ME to stay over in their home in the city of GALENA, ILLINOIS (across the Mississippi River from the city of DEBUQUE, IOWA.
SAM and ME will be walking into Debuque, Iowa within the next few days...and look forward to visiting with Paul and Nancy.
Please say HELLO to FRANCIS...I have had the pleasure of having Francis on my right hand during meals taken at the Nursing Home...she usually offering me her dessert...I, instead, offering Francis hugs.
Carol and Ruthie - and their two partners - in WII BOWLING competition...one of the many activities going on nearly non-stop at the Nursing Home.
My last look at the Nursing Home as I walked back to Rita's this evening. Before darkness comes to DeKalb, I must take down our tent - which has been erected in Rita's back yard all day - , and pack up SAM for tomorrow morning early departure.
Have taken advantage of being in one place for 4 days by giving SAM a thorough going over, including installing shelving and COLD POUCHES for keeping a couple sandwiches and up to 6 ice-filled bottles. Also added two plastic boxes of a size to receive a one-gallon milk carton - which we will eventually fill with water when we walk the long empty spaces of North Dakota and Montana in a couple weeks.
The new blister medication arrived this morning...was immediately applied...and this evening, all blister pain is gone...and no blisters opened up...but rather, have remained closed and are now dried skin. The medication ... Benzoin Tincture ... was applied AFTER most of the healing was already accomplished by this (nearly) 80 year old body.
In retrospect, we can honestly say healing took place in 5 days...applying only Antibiotic Cream covered by a large compression bandage. The Lymphatic System seems to be working on all cylinders.
Found a light-weight chair yesterday, which I purchased to carry on SAM. We had been gifted a similar folding chair in Columbia, North Carolina...which turned out to be too heavy to carry over the steep West Virginia mountains.
SAM seems ready to continue. I (ME) am back fit as a fiddle...both physically and mentally. We have a bit over 2,000 miles to reach the Peace Arch in Blaine, Washington...
New ETA (expected time of arrival) is now October 31, 2013. This will require a most ambitious effort, walking and rolling at least 30 miles every day.
Should be a kick in the tush !
Good to hear you are doing ok
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