Hoisting the Trike and Racing Lewy
Which reminds me… we are still in limbo about our home situation. That uncertainty makes it hard to fully “move in” to our sweet Forest Knolls house. Most of our belongings are still in storage from our touring days. We love being here — deeply — for as long as we can. What comes next? We honestly don’t know. Maybe we can stay. Maybe not. And then what?
But first things first: one day at a time.
Austin was joyful! Coby’s birthday was celebrated in high style with an Escape Room adventure (brilliantly organized by our wonderful daughter, Nora). If you’ve never done one, imagine being locked inside a story where you have exactly one hour to solve riddles before time runs out. We barely made it — and laughed the whole way through.
We did have one tiny hiccup: James forgot one extra day of medication. I panicked — briefly. Then I improvised. I split a day’s meds over two days and supplemented with Midodrine drops (for low blood pressure) that I brought back from Germany, since they’re not available in liquid form here. Liquid works much faster in sudden blood pressure drops. Yes, it costs about 150 euros for three tiny bottles — and yes, your donations quietly make things like that possible. You keep James steady on his feet more than you know.
We made it home without incident. Family time is food for the heart and soul. Thank you for helping make these trips possible.
Back home, glowing — but no time to waste.
Last week after working in my friend’s garden here in the valley, I told James I’d ride my mountain bike up Mt. Barnabe and be home a little later. He looked sad. We had spent every minute together all week… and here I was heading off again.
So I said, “Let’s ride together.”
What if we take the trike up the steep private road? We can always walk back, I told him.
His face lit up.
It had been raining for days, but that day broke open — warm, sunny, perfect. We climbed… and promptly ran into the private gate I had forgotten about.
Well. I was determined. James was less sure. Lewy has dented his adventurous confidence. But — we hoisted that trike up and over the gate. Yes, we did.
And we were rewarded.
The road was rough — broken pavement, gravel, slipping tires. The trike fishtailed in places, but James powered through. Both of us smiling. For moments, it felt almost like the old days.
At the top, endorphins high, we dared a short descent on dirt before deciding discretion was the better part of valor. The sun was low. The trike was sliding. We turned back heading down the mountain the same way we came— more slipping, more laughing, entirely worth it.Conclusion: the trike needs beefier dirt tires. And while we’re at it, a larger, more readable display screen for easier control of pedal assist.
This trike has been one of the greatest quality-of-life gifts in this chapter. And we could not have done it without you.
Your steady support fuels more than equipment. It fuels Mexico visits. Austin adventures. And next up, we hope to visit James’s brother in La Quinta near Palm Springs in March (borrowing Coby’s car for the road trip).
Lewy advances in subtle ways. We see it. We feel it. But we are racing it — keeping quality of life front and center.
Thank you for keeping us moving.
Thank you for keeping adventure alive.
Thank you for helping us choose life — fully — in the middle of it all.
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