Unfortunately I won't be able to post pics of today's trip as there is no WiFi where I am tonight, but we're finally in Florida, the Sunshine State!
We broke through the border this morning around 11am and were to Susie's house in Leesburg, FL around 12:30 this afternoon.
It was great to visit with her and her daughter, Kelly, who I haven't seen since I was 8, probably! It always amazes me to hear she and mom had been friends since 1963 - there's such comfort in old friends.
We had a great lunch and a hard time pulling ourselves away from Susie's new puppy, Katie, a 4 month old white West Highland Terrier. She's lucky we didn't smuggle her into the car with us on our way out!
Back on the road a few hours later, we made it to Pat & John's house in Parrish, FL around 6pm tonight, just in time to eat again. Dad had requested Pat's famous "chicken braid" for dinner and it was just as good as we remembered :)
Not too much to report from the road today - our trip is winding down and I think we're both feeling the impending "now what" when this is all over. Pulling off I-75 tonight getting into Parrish, there was definitely a heavy void for Dad. All the routines they followed, all the plans they had made for their winters in Florida would all be different.
But, like I said, there's comfort in old friends and, here at Pat & John's house, not only is Mom all around us with the embroidered napkins and the pillows she made for the couches, but she's with us through memories only these friends shared and I know we're both happy to be spending the first Florida night here. (Even if the promise of 70 degrees and sunny was a sham! It's cold here!)
We'll get on the road mid-morning tomorrow, heading to visit Dad's sister, Ginny, for lunch, and then on to our final destination in Naples.
Until then...
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