Roadtrip

“I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night?

Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning?

I almost think I can remember feeling a little different.

But if I’m not the same, the next question is,

Who in the world am I?

Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”

From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carrol

Since Johnny’s diagnosis it’s felt like Alice’s first trip down the rabbit hole, as she lost her footing and her world spun out of control.  Just like Alice we have been catapulted into another bizarre cancer misadventure so this week we decided it was time to reboot.  We took a long weekend and went to Indian Mountain State Park.  The park is located in the town of Jellico, Tennessee just across the Kentucky border. It’s a scrappy old industrial town with some beautiful architecture – but as with all small towns there were several abandoned store fronts.

The land itself was an abandoned strip mine that Tennessee reclaimed and turned into a 200+ acre park for recreational use.  The ponds are well stocked and the trails were easy to walk.  And it gets a lot of use from locals and travelers alike.  We met two families from Cincinnati (traveling with 8 dogs between them) while we were there.  The trip was just what we needed.  But as always it was too short.

We had yet another small victory, Johnny’s CEA (tumor marker) number is now at 6.6. The staff at the Zangmeister Center is very pleased with his progress.  We won’t bore you too much with vacation photos, but here are a few.  And please keep in mind the cancer research fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/9svgbdys

Rose was more interested in the ducks than having her picture taken

Out for one of many walks

Lounging