Note: When I last left off, it was Sunday and I wanted to send the update before the day was done. I now take up with the end of that day.

Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday afternoon - Bruce and Rita pulled into the driveway as I was finishing the removal of bugs from eight different states, and I stopped to greet them. Bruce was looking tired, but in high spirits and we went into the house and visited while having a beer. He was tired enough to go to bed, so I finished washing the RV and then Rita and I had a pizza and visited until 9:30. She too was tired from the ordeal and I needed to feed Zack and then shower before retiring, so excused myself and went to the motor home for the night.
Monday morning - Shortly after rising, I fixed my coffee, let both Zack and Zoey out, and then went into the house. Bruce had been up since 7:00 and Rita got up shortly after. They were having coffee, so I sat in the living room and joined them. Rita had dug out some recent photos to share and Bruce explained as I went through them. Before we could finish, the visiting nurse and a social worker showed up to check on Bruce. They examined him and then talked about medications, dos, and don’ts for the week. Both were very pleasant and helpful to Bruce and Rita, leaving after about 45 minutes with instructions for them to call if they needed anything.
Bruce is really tired from all of the procedures and his stay in the hospital, so he naps for a couple of hours in the afternoon and then is ready for bed by 8:00. We did a lot of visiting, discussing our times in the Air Force and people we both remembered, along with other discussions about childhood and memories of the past. Rita and I visited after Bruce went to bed and then I excused myself and went out to shower and make the bed with clean linens. I did two loads of wash while Bruce was napping and Rita ran some errands, so needed to get the clean clothes put away before I went to bed.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I awoke to heavy rain this morning, but it didn’t last too long and is still warm. I fixed my coffee, checked my emails, and then went in to visit with Bruce while Rita went shopping for groceries.
When Rita returned, we all had some lunch and then I played with Zack before we too went shopping while Bruce napped and Rita put things away. I managed to spend over a hundred dollars buying a relatively small amount of groceries. The prices are higher by 20 to 30 cents or more for the same item back home, but then I expected that, without competition unless you drive 30 miles to a larger town.
We returned, put the groceries away, and then played for a while. I visited with Bruce and he felt like he needed to get up and move around, so we took a walk. He has a path cleared to the back of his property, wide enough for his truck to collect the firewood he has cut. The property is a thick forest of many varieties of trees, more deciduous than evergreen. Some of them are starting to change, so the feeling of fall is in the air, even though it is still in the high 70s and low 80s. Their property is long and narrow, so it goes back more than two or more football fields and is about as wide as one. There is 7 ½ acres and the clearing and house were already there when they bought it. Bruce had the house raised and a full basement dug for a new foundation. They have also completely replaced the exterior and fully insulated the house. New insulated windows had just been put in and were awaiting trim and paint. Bruce and his sons have done most of the work and he likes to keep busy, hoping to finish the house while he still can.
We didn’t make it to the very back of the property as Bruce became tired and needed to go back and get on his oxygen. As I understand it, the fluid wasn’t in his lungs, but chest cavity surrounding the lungs, collapsing them, and making it difficult for him to breathe. The doctors made a hole in the side of his chest, drained the fluid, put in some powder that was to help the lung adhere to the chest wall, and then sent him home. The hole is still healing and that is part the soreness and pain he is dealing with.
While Bruce napped, Rita and I had a chance to talk and get to know each other a lot better. She is a wonderful person and I doubt if she has a mean bone in her body. We have many of the same beliefs and discussed everything from current events to religion, and things inbetween.
After dinner, we watched slides that Bruce had taken while he was in the service, along with some of family and their wedding. Rita had to find a slide projector for the show and called many people and places. They are like antiques now and hard to find. When they are located, usually the bulb is burned out and replacements are almost nonexistent. She found one that usually isn’t given out on loan, but she told them of the circumstances and they let her borrow it. We didn’t have a screen, but a white wall would suffice. As an old teacher, I had working knowledge of slide projectors, so was put in charge of operating it. Before we could get started, the nurse that had been out the day before showed up with a projector and screen, plus the high school returned Rita’s call and had one she could use. We were now projector “poor” and had a screen. These were the carousel type and we now had an extra tray to load so we didn’t have to wait between trays.
It was a good thing we had two projectors because while the nurse had checked to make sure the bulb was good, she didn’t check to see if the projector actually worked, and it didn’t. It wouldn’t feed or turn the carousel, so each slide would have had to be put in and removed one at a time.
We watched the slide show and it brought back a lot of memories for the both of us. He had a couple of slides of us in our class A uniforms that made is feel really old. I really enjoyed seeing the wedding slides as I didn’t know Rita before they were married and the photos of Bruce’s mom and brothers and sisters triggered my memories of being in the house and treated like I was a family member.
After viewing all the slides, it was 10 O’clock and Bruce needed to sleep, so I excused myself and went out to shower and watch a DVD in the motor home, going to bed before midnight.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I had decided that it was time for me to head home, having had an excellent visit. I had planned on taking several days and take back roads home, but Bruce being in the hospital didn’t give us the time I had planned, and stayed a bit longer than I thought I would.
We visited more and then had lunch. The nurse mentioned that it would probably be better to have many small meals during the day, rather than the three usual meals. Bruce’s appetite has been off, so he doesn’t eat much at any meal. But today, he was eating more and feeling better. He lost about 40 pounds during this episode.
While he laid down for a nap, I played with Zack and then got the motor home ready for the road. I had to catch Zoey as she was really enjoying the freedom of roaming around outside and chasing squirrels and wild turkeys. She came out of the woods when I called her, but instinctively knew not to come all of the way to me, so went under a trailer and meowed at me. I coaxed her close with a turkey feather and then grabbed her. She didn’t complain as this is a little game she plays when she wants to control the situation. I put her in the motor home and then went to see if Bruce was awake yet.
He was napping in his chair and still asleep, but Rita woke him so we could say our goodbyes. Once he was fully awake, we went outside where Rita took some photos of us together with my new camera. I took a couple of photos of them and then we said goodbye, probably for the last time. It was all I could do to keep the floodgates closed, as I knew it would just make him feel bad.
During many of our visits we had discussed the prognosis and he has accepted the inevitable. He and Rita had thoroughly discussed the options, and other than being constantly sick from more chemo, which would only give him possibly another 10 to 12 months, he opted for being active and having a normal quality of life for the few months he has left. They had second and third opinions, but none of the doctors could promise any more than one to six months.
I admire Bruce’s strength and resolve as he is at peace with the decision and they have made all the necessary plans for the end. He doesn’t complain and gets no pity, which is the way he wants it. It’s harder on those of us that will continue on.
By two O’clock, we were on the road and I had charted a path that would take me to Superior/Duluth and across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana on US 2. Although there isn’t a lot of side trips or sight seeing, I had never been that far north and wanted to see what the land is like. After filling the tank near Bruce and Rita’s in Arkdale, I drove Hwy 21 to I-94 and went north. The terrain changed to more hills and rolling fields of corn and potatoes, and as an additional bonus, the trees are starting to show their fall colors. I hope to see more before I get into the flat plains of Dakota and eastern Montana.
We made it through Superior and Duluth, stopping along a railroad track to spend the night. I had driven 271 miles and it was now 7:30 PM. We had stopped to play at two different roadside rests and I played with Zack one last time before fixing my dinner and watching a tape. I rummaged through all the DVDs and VCR tapes that I had with me and found one of my mother’s and my trip back east during the summer of 2001. It was a tape made from the C size tapes I used in my Sony camcorder, so the entire trip wasn’t there. It ended with Fourth of July at Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and The Badlands. It brought back a lot of fond memories and I have promised myself to find and convert all of the tapes I have to DVD so I can enjoy and share them.
I went to bed around 10:30 and was only awakened three times by passing trains.

Thursday, September 17, 2009
I didn’t get up until 9:30, so had my coffee and a donut, wrote the above log and then studied the map to see how far I would get today. We didn’t depart until almost 11:30 and I will drive until dusk and then stop of the night.
We drove through Minnesota and the terrain changed from forests lining both sides of the road, to rolling farmland of crops. I caught a glimpse of lakes, but for the most part trees growing so thick that you couldn’t see beyond obscured them. I won’t see a change in the scene until I enter the northwest part of Montana where the mountains reach for the sky.
We drove into North Dakota, stopping in Rugby, ND, which also happens to be the geographical center of the North America, where we found an RV park for the night. We had driven for 8 ½ hours, covering 395 miles. I tried to get the dish to lock onto the satellite, but there were too many trees, so I’ll have to try again tomorrow at a different location. I was able to dump my holding tanks, which were approaching full, and fill my fresh water tank.
I listened to a book on tape while driving, and looked at the passing farms and small towns along the way. We stopped at a couple of roadside rests to play and for me to get a soda and use the bathroom, but otherwise drove the entire time. I am next to a gas station and will fill up in the morning, check out the monument for the center of North America, and then continue west across the plains and into Montana. I am keeping my cruise control set at 60 and 65, depending on traffic and the speed limit, but have hit quite a bit of roadwork that causes me to slow and or even stop for construction work.
I had some dinner, showered and then went to bed earlier than normal for me.

Friday, September 18, 2009
In the morning, I readied the motor home for travel and had some playtime with Zack before driving to the monument depicting the center of North America.
After taking some photos, I had a hearty breakfast at the café on the same corner as the monument, and then played with Zack one more time before driving west.
As we left North Dakota and entered the eastern plains of Montana, the terrain seemed to become more rolling, but still remained crops and farmland for as far as the eye could see. Driving the smaller, less traveled highways is less stressful than the Interstates, but heading due west causes a problem as the setting sun is directly in my eyes. The strain of trying to keep the sun from blinding you and still watching the on coming traffic takes a toll. I finally had to find a place to spend the night.
I found a pull off for a historical information sign that had a ton of space and was empty, so set up for the night. I showered and fix myself some dinner before retiring for the night.

Editors note: neither web site on the center of North America is correct on the monument location. It is currently in the parking lot of the Cornerstone Café, which is on the southeast corner of the intersection of US 2 and SD Hwy 3, and only flies the Canadian and American flag.

Saturday, September 19, 2009
After making my coffee and taking Zack out for potty and a short play period, we got on the road again. We were just east of Havre, MT, so were soon driving through town at a slow pace. Havre is a small town that has history and is known for its underground city. It is supposedly like the underground of Butte, which I wrote about a couple of years ago, but I have yet to tour it. It is also an Amtrak station for the train running east and west in the northern climes of the U.S., which is the closest passenger train station to Helena. I am amazed that Helena has a busy train terminal, but there isn’t a single passenger train servicing it.
We were soon out of Havre, driving south on Hwy 87 to Great Falls. We stopped at a roadside viewing area, read the posts, and took a few pictures before heading on. The country starts to change as we approach Great Falls and as soon as we drove through town and headed south on I-15, we left the rolling plains and were in the mountains. I drove straight to the Lincoln RV Park to store the motor home and unload the contents into the Jeep to take us home.
Zoey was perfectly happy to stay under the couch and continue sleeping, so I had to drag her out and put her in the car. She rode all the way home in my lap while occasional looking out the window to watch the landscape pass by. Zack could tell we were home and was getting anxious to run free.
We arrived at the cabin around 1:00 PM and Michele was there so we visited before I unloaded the Jeep. Joe came at about 6 PM and we all had grilled hamburgers for dinner. I showered and then we visited until about 10:30 before I had to go to bed and get some sleep. Constant driving for three days tends to take a toll on my rest, so I needed some extra sleep.

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Nothing like a good nights sleep in one’s own bed, not that the motor home bed isn’t comfortable, it’s just not the same.
I had managed to load everything into the Jeep and bring it home, except the food items and contents of the refrigerator, so I had inadvertently forgot to bring my coffee cone and filters home. I improvised and used my espresso maker to brew a cup of coffee.
Joe, Michele and I visited, played with Zack and generally took it easy all day long. Joe grilled some chicken breasts and we made sandwiches for our dinner. After watching a couple of television shows, they had to pack and make the trip back to town so they could begin their workweek.
Zack, Zoey and I were home and alone in the peace and quiet of our paradise once again. After watching a couple of television shows that I had prerecorded, I headed for bed and another good nights sleep.