Likes: 
Back from vacation
Just spent an amazing two weeks in Ohio.....the Hocking Hillls area. The timing turned out to be perfect for me as I had just started a prednisone taper, so i felt good the whole two weeks. We stayed in a cottage at Hocking Hills State Park. It was gorgeous, reasonably priced, and all newly remodeled. Two bedrooms, a full bath, a living room/kitchen, gas fireplace in the living room. Also a large screened porch. The kitchen was fully equipped. Our daughter came for 4 days with our adorable granddaughter. Little Lila had a blast in her walker...up and down the porch and all through the cottage. So much fun! She is just. on the verge of walking. A day or so after they left, her daddy sent us a video of her doing a mini ballerina dance across the full width of the room to retrieve a musical stuffed animal. So cute. That walker will be passe for sure now!
The state park is full of handicapped accessible trails...most ending in a lake or a waterfall, or beautiful vistas and cliffs. I was able to handle up to 2 miles of trails every day. Could have done more...but family squashed that idea. Spoil sports! My daughter enjoyed getting an hour or two a day to run trails and ride her bike while we happily did "Mimi and PaPa duty!".
The second week, we decided to give kayaking a try. We went to Lake Hope National Park....about an hour away. The Lake is beautiful and has no development at all, and no large motor boats...just small electric motors at most. There was nothing but car top boats when we were there. We were on the water for almost 6 hours. My husband is a photographer and fisherman. His idea of kayaking is to paddle to a cove and then spend hours photographing or drowning worms. i like to paddle most of the time. So we were both happy. I stopped to eat a packed lunch, and then took lots of breaks to rest or read a book....all the time in sight of Bob. We were so blessed with the weather. Could not possibly have asked for any better.
We got to indulge our other favorite pastime as well...antiquing. Ohio is noted for pottery and I got the most gorgeous set of graduated matching bowls at a fabulous little antique shop on the most gorgeous farm. But ... even better...we spent an hour with the owners of the farm and antique store in their outdoor gazebo. They were both such nice people and fun to talk to. I was chatting with Lois, and thinking how compatible we were. I asked her what she had done before she retired. Amazingly....she was a library assistant in a high school!! No wonder we felt so comfortable together! We talked about their farm. They used to raise and sell Christmas trees. That part of the business is done with...but they still have a small heard of 25 sheep. I think she said they were called Jacob sheep....as they are a breed from biblical days. Lovely mottled light brown wool. Lois says they used to shear them ... but now they have some Amish young men to do the job for them. They also have a llama of all things. Lois says they have not lost a sheep to a coyote in the time they have had the llama. She says he is extremely protective of "his" flock!
As for the antique shop itself....it was the cutest little white clapboard cottage, right behind their lovely old farm house. As it turns out, it was originally a "summer kitchen". I had heard of summer kitchens, but had never really seen one before. It was so cute. Would love to have one in my back yard!
That was really a magical day! There is certainly one good thing about a chronic disease. it makes the good times especially sweet!lll
Jacquie (aka Lifelong Booknut)
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