Today marks the end of what I have grandly called “my last big road trip.”
I am in Sarasota, Florida visiting my cousin Rosie who is from the Alaska side of my father’s family. A slight digression into family history is probably appropriate. My dad grew up in a Jewish family in Berlin. He left Germany in 1938 with his brother Ben, his mother and stepfather. They managed to survive and eventually all made it to Argentina where my father lived out the war with his mother and stepfather and my Uncle Ben basically disappeared. I’m really not sure of the exact circumstances but after the war my Uncle Ben turned up in Texas married to my Aunt Kay. A few more twists in the road later and my dad met and married my mom who grew up in a traditionally orthodox Jewish family in Minneapolis and my Uncle Ben changed his name to Rose (with an accent egu) and moved to Alaska where my cousins grew up believing that their father was French Catholic. but as I said I digressed.
My cousin Rosie and her husband Bob have recently moved to Sarasota where they live near their daughter Sue and Sue’s husband Kevin and with their sweet german shepherd dog Treasure. Treasure is really sweet with beautiful eyes but truthfully has been an absolute bitch to Jerry. Jerry has done his best to tolerate and endear himself to Treasure but to no great avail. (Yet). Yesterday Jerry was treated to an afternoon at an amazing dog park without Treasure. The first part of the dog part was a pretty regular pleasant fenced dog park but then at the back of the park there was another double gate that led to a paved trail that was still fenced on both sides that led to a beautiful beach.
Tomorrow I will be heading up first to the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area and then back up and over to Pensacola. I enjoyed Pensacola at the beginning of the trip and have a reservation this time for a few days right on the beach. The weather is predicted to be sunny with a high of 60-65 and a low of 36. From Pensacola will be heading to New Orleans where I have a reservation for a few days of good food and dog parks .
I am on my way home. I still have approximately 3500 miles left to go and at least another two weeks of adventure to experience. I am actually still looking forward to the remaining experiences but starting to look forward to getting home to the Oregon Coast.