Day 11 June 8

We checked out of our motel in Webster Springs (we would spend our last night in West Virginia at Dave and Judy’s beautiful home on the farm). Judy drove Brenda and me to Black’s Chapel cemetery where many of my father’s family (Lanham) are buried. Since my last visit, my late Uncle Beryl, the husband of Aunt Gladys and the father of Nancy Jane, was buried there. The cemetery has been well maintained of and, in this spring season, looked especially beautiful when we visited.

We then drove to Cottle, a small community where Judy grew up. She showed us her family home where she told us how she used to play and sled as a child and then visited her sister’s home and the homes of many of her friends.

We stopped at a nursery and produce stand, where I bought several jars of salsa made with ramps. I can’t wait to taste them. I really wanted to bring some canned ramps home to share at a church potluck. (For those who may be unfamiliar with this notorious vegetable, a quick Google search will fill you in on the lore and legend attached to the ramp).

That evening, the family gathered at David and Judy’s for dinner (Judy is a great cook!). After dinner, David took me out on his 4 wheeler (a sort of ATV about the size of two motorcycles strapped together) into the hills and woods where I used to play above the farm –and many places I had never been before as a child. He has a wonderful farm dog (I wanted to take her back to California) who ran ahead to us up and down the hills. We needed to stop in the woods on top of a ridge for a few minutes for the dog (Abby) to rest and for us to admire the view.

David and Judy are planning a trip for next year to Alaska. They have a big travel trailer expect to travel all the way from home, through Canada and on to Alaska. We thought that we might even head north next summer to meet them there, we’ll see….