Exciting Day

The alarm went off at 5:30, but it was almost 6 until we got up. I dressed and ate breakfast in front of my laptop reading e-mail. I packed my swimsuit and a towel in a duffel bag. I also put in hiking shoes. We were in the car ready to go by 6:30. We followed the GPS as long as we could, and it got us close to Lake Gunterville State Park. Our first activity was the nature walk, and it took us a bit of searching to find the place where it started. But we were there before the guide. At this point I got out my hiking shoes only to find that I had forgotten socks. So I walked in my flats. I also left my purse in the car, forgetting that my camera was in there. The guide was very knowledgeable and pointed out many edible plants along the way. We ate green briar (caffeine-like), American beauty berries (a lovely pinkish violet), sourwood (really sour), ginger, mountain mint (a little strong) and one other. At the end of the trail was an old cemetery. It was about 175 years old. There was a lot of poison ivy near the trail but I seemed to have avoided it. After the hike, we went to the lodge for line dancing. It was already in progress. Chris took pics while I participated. Then we caught the shuttle to the beach for the tug-of-war. But it did not start on time and we had to leave for lunch which was served at noon. Somehow we ended up near the front of the line. There was coleslaw, rolls, baked beans, green beans, pork barbeque, mashed potatoes and pecan pie. We sat with a couple Chris knows from work and had a delightful conversation. From there we went to a large ballroom set up with chairs. The general said a few words, then handed out medals for the winners in tug-of-war, horseshoes, fishing, and volleyball. Then came a long list of doorprizes, mostly gift certificates. Finally it was time to go home. When we got home, I put up my foot with ice on it. Maybe hiking and line dancing were a little much for my recovering ankle. Later I got up to check e-mail. I got one from my parents' neighbor saying my mom had choked on her sandwich and was taken to the hospital. I got out my phone, but it was dead, so I plugged it in to recharge. I used Chris' phone to call my dad, but there was no answer. Then I called William, but he hadn't heard, so he headed for the hospital. I Skyped Kurt, who hadn't heard, to get Faye's phone number. He called her but didn't get an answer. From there it gets fuzzy. William found Mom and Faye and Dad at the hospital then called me. He went back to the house to get her things. Dad went home to rest and Faye prepared to spend the night with Mom. The Dr put her on a liquid diet until a swallowing test could be performed. After all that excitement, finished my e-mail and got more ice for my ankle. I sat in the recliner with my Sudoku book. The first few went fast, but I made a lot of mistakes on the 5th one. Suddenly it was 11pm and time for bed.
* The quilt was hanging in the lodge and the emus were inside a fence on the way to the beach *