It was not part of my original travel plan, but I returned to Florida last December because my 93 year-old father was in failing health, suffering from congestive heart failure.

My father, just two weeks before he died.

My sister Barbara and her husband Dave had moved in with him nearly four years prior so they’d be there when he needed them. This was perfect but, as his health declined, it became very trying, as anyone who has ever been a caregiver can attest. Together, we cared for him and made him as comfortable as we could until he passed in late January. Dad died early in the morning on January 27, the same date as our mother 15 years before.

My father may have been only 5’-6” tall but he was larger than life to those who knew him. He could converse on any topic, was very opinionated on politics, and was one of the funniest people I ever knew. I loved him dearly and will miss him always.

Although Dad’s ashes were buried with Mom’s in New Jersey, we had saved a small amount and on Dad’s birthday in March, we wrapped them in his favorite cocktail glass (he drank a Manhattan every day of his adult life) and dropped them in the water off the end of the dock.

Barb and I sharing a moment as we dropped Dad’s ashes off the dock at sunset on his birthday.

I decided to stay another four months to assist Barbara as she sorted out Dad’s estate and arranged for the sale of his house. Every drawer we emptied brought a wave of wonderful memories of growing up with great parents through hundreds of snapshots as well as insights into their relationship through cards and letters they’d shared and saved.

Living all this time in the house with Barb and Dave, I was able to spend more time with my sister than I had since we were kids. We get along really well and had a great time. We were always in agreement, whether it was Dad’s care or what to do with his house and other assets. I have an amazing family and we all get along great and truly enjoy each other.

My cats liked their time in Florida as much as I did. After six months in the motorhome, Tillie and Cleo loved having all that room to roam around and they absolutely loved the screened-in porch. It’s where they spent most of their time, stalking lizards and occasionally breaking through the screen to catch one. I’ve promised them both (Yes, I talk to my cats and they understand me. Don’t judge!) that when I’m done with my travels, I’ll buy them a house with a screened-in porch.

Tillie (right) and Cleo (left) enjoying the screened-in porch.

I celebrated several holidays with family members I normally wouldn’t have. Christmas with cousin Mickey and her family and New Year’s Eve with Barb. It’s her birthday, which made it even more special. St. Patrick’s Day is Dave’s birthday and he loves to participate in the local parade and Easter was spent in Nashville with twelve women (including my daughter Michelle who I hadn’t seen since Thanksgiving), celebrating cousin Pam’s birthday.

Christmas dinner with cousins in West Palm Beach. L-R: Jack, Mike, Don, Mickey, Josephine.

Celebrating Barb’s birthday on New Year’s Eve.

Dave celebrating his birthday in the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Twelve women celebrating cousin Pam’s birthday in Nashville, TN. Standing L-R: Linda, Katy, Sarah, me, Michelle, Barbara, Elaine, Debbie. Front row L-R: Lori, Pam, Jacqueline. Krista took the photo.

I was surprised to find that no one country line danced in Nashville so I did it by myself and taught my sister Katy a dance listening to Casey Edgar at Rippy’s Bar & Grill. Click the image for a video sample.

Over the winter, I made two trips to New Jersey without the motorhome: once to help my best friend Diana as she recovered from a heart attack and then for Dad’s funeral. I even had some friends come down to visit from New Jersey.

Visiting Diana in New Jersey while she recovered from a heart attack in January.

Country line dancing friends, Andrea and Tom, stopped by for lunch at Johnny Longboats while they were on vacation in January.

My dear friend Mark and I at Guanabana’s during his vacation in March.

I took advantage of the time I wasn’t living in the motorhome to have some repairs and service work done. I had a cracked windshield so I arranged to have it replaced. Florida insurance laws state that insurance companies cannot charge a deductible on windshield glass so mine was done for free, saving me at least a thousand dollars. Score!

Windshield being replaced right in the driveway.

I also took the motorhome in for general service work: oil change, check transmission and brakes. When I had the front end aligned in New Jersey last November, they told me I needed to have my rear sway bar bushings replaced so I got that done at this time. Servicing something as big as a motorhome requires a dealership that sells and services large fleet trucks. My coach is built on a Ford chassis so I took it to Wayne Akers Ford in West Palm Beach. They kept it for a week so they could work on it in between other vehicles that customers would need back the same day. I didn’t mind because I was living in the house. I suspect that at some point in my travels I may break down and will face a situation where the cats and I need to find someplace to go. I’ll worry about that if and when the time comes…after all, “Tomorrow is another day.”

I even did a little sewing project for my Aunt “Sis.” She has been knitting and crocheting items for everyone in the family for many years. During my stay this winter, she made me an afghan to match my new decor in the motorhome. I wanted to do something for her so I made her new cushions for her rattan chairs. She picked the fabric and I whipped them up!

The afghan my Aunt made is a perfect match for my sofa.

Sewing with this view is certainly no hardship.

The finished cushions… I hear she just L-O-V-E-S them.

I’d gotten pretty comfortable in the house over the months but it was time to move on. Although I was living in a nice house on the water in South Florida, I was itching to get back to my vagabond lifestyle. In fact, after just one week back on the road, someone asked me how it felt and I said, “Wonderful!” It’s hard to explain just how content I am living like this. Most people just don’t understand. But they don’t have to…I’m the only one who has to “get it.”

With views like this from our dock, I guess you’d wonder why I wanted to leave.

On May First, I waved “Goodbye” to Barb and pulled out of the driveway, heading farther south to the Florida Keys.

Saying “Goodbye” and hitting the road after four months at Dad’s house in Florida.

Upcoming post:

The Florida Keys.

My name is Lindsay Reed and I’m a photographer and retired graphic artist with a passion for both lighthouses and road trips. I am living as a full-time solo RVer in my 31 foot Coachmen motorhome and plan to spend the next few years traveling the U.S. and Canada photographing not only lighthouses, but everything else there is to see in this wonderful land. I hope you enjoy my blog and will follow my adventures in the months and years ahead.