January’s Ups and Downs

Helen and I had plans to travel to Florida to escape the winter cold and start the New Year off right. We made campground reservations and began packing for an early January departure when things took an ugly turn. My Mother’s health began to deteriorate quickly.

Mom lived in a nursing home and was remarkably sharp for someone who lived to 97. Nevertheless, as sharp as her mind was, arthritis had taken quite a toll on her body. She has been confined to a wheelchair since she arrived at the home in 2022. Mom received excellent care, enjoyed the company of many visitors, and loved watching the birds at the feeders outside her window. Suddenly, Mom began to weaken, losing the ability to speak clearly, and passed away on January 9th. Mom’s death was a “down” for our entire family—three children, 10 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

My Mother was a lovely and gentle person who devoted her early adult years to caring for my brother, my sister, and me. Mom was very active in our church, always volunteered as a room mother at our elementary school, served as a Den Mother for my Cub Scout den, and cheered loudly at every sporting event. She had many friends, though she outlived most of them, including every member of her high school class. We miss her greatly.

After wrapping up the necessary funeral details and planning a Memorial Service for later in the spring, Helen and I resurrected our Florida trip and left Knoxville on January 15—first stop, Cherokee, NC, one of our favorite places. We were greeted by a light snowfall on our first day there. We enjoyed three relaxing days there, as well as a very lovely sunrise on the last day.

Our original plans called for three days in Charleston to visit Collin, Austin, and our granddaughters, but to salvage most of our reservations, we ended up spending only one night there. Collin, an Indiana University alum, had secured a ticket to the National Championship game in Miami and drove down with another IU grad. We didn’t see Collin, but we had a great evening with Austin and the girls. Shortly after we left Charleston, our granddaughter, Bennett, went to her first high school formal with a handsome young man named Sheppard. They looked so fabulous in the picture I received later, I had to share it here.

Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, FL, was our next stop. We have camped here at Pelican’s Roost Campground three times before and, if we’re lucky, we will have a waterfront campsite. Mother Luck smiled on us again, this time—Campsite 11 on the water. Originally, we made reservations for 14 nights. Because the start of our trip was postponed, the waterfront sites were filled for the remainder of the 14-night stay. Helen asked to be notified of any cancellations. We felt that the severe weather to our north might slow down some of the Snowbirds heading south; sure enough, it did. We were allowed to stay in Campsite 11 for two weeks, plus two more days in the third row. Definitely an “up.”

One “down” hit when we connected to the campsite water connection. No water would flow from our faucet on the hot-water side for three days. The campground manager recommended an RV Mobile Repairman, who came and replaced a frozen check valve on the back of the water heater. It’s good that the repairman (Gerald) was a small person because he had to snake his way through the storage compartment to reach the water heater. I asked him to check the wheel bearings while he was here. They were in good shape (”up”).

Pelican’s Roost faces a main channel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Navy and commercial ports in Jacksonville. Enormous Navy vessels and commercial ships pass in front of us throughout the day to entertain us. I love seeing the decks filled with sailors coming home after a long deployment. They hang over the ship rails and wave at all of us standing by to wave back (big “up”).

Mayport Beach is a short walk from the campground and is a lovely stretch of water. The sunrises and sunsets have been exceptional during our visit, and I’ve posted a few here.

Helen and I will leave Mayport on Thursday, 2/5/2026, and Ease Along to Orlando. Abby, our California granddaughter, will compete with her cheer team in the National High School Cheerleading Championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Walt Disney World. Readers may remember that her team won two years ago when Abby was a freshman. Keep your fingers crossed for another “up.”

This post will be shared on the Monthly Wrap-Up hosted by my bloggy friend, Natalie the Explorer. Mortimer says to get on the ball and visit her well-written blog, which takes readers all over the world.