For some time now since Rosemary discovered me on an internet search, we have been keeping up a conversation, sometimes based on my writing about ideas, issues and reflections on the times.  I have quite a collection of her thoughts and responses but delight mostly in her description of being a Jew amidst the troglodytic Dog-Patchers who surround her.

I am bringing this up because Rosemary and Jeff’s house was the last we stopped at on our way down 81 towards home.  They live on almost the top of a very high hilly road up a mountain from the main street of Buena Vista which she disparages as Dog-Patch.

They were in the midst of upgrading their downstairs bathroom into a hot-tub kind of whirlpool bath.  She appreciates this kind of modernization because, still only a kid, she has problems with her knees and looks forward to soaking in such a modern invention that would surprise some of her neighbors in “Dog-patch”.  We were the beneficiaries of the modernization in that we got their bedroom and could avoid the steps leading down.

Jeff is in Security while Rosemary is a Colonel and Chief of the Department of History in Virginia Military Academy – one of the two women Department Heads including female students in that Academy. These two exemplary individuals who have made accommodations with each other’s needs split the use of bedrooms because Jeff sometimes is on the night shift and needs to sleep in the morning. 

Did I mention that they have cats?  Gordon and Dina have one cat, Doodles, whom I have written about.  Doodles, is a solitary home-bound cat that had a companion who died a short time ago.   But Jeff and Rosemary have not only their elderly cats but visitors who take advantage of the “animal” entrance in their kitchen to sample the varieties of food left out for felines.  Of course the news of this bounty had reached the neighborhood cats and also the raccoons who regularly sampled the provisions provided. The Bailers merely had visits from grand-dogs.

Carol is sensitive to cat dander and hair so we were thankful that we were allowed to exclude felines from Jeff and Rosemary’s bedroom.  We had a nice stay.  Like the Bailers in their northern mansion whose downstairs theater provided comfortable seats, we snuggled up on the couch in front of the large screen and watched a movie in their cold downstairs family room.

Our motor trip which is likely to be our last such venture, was made into a happy journey because of the hosts who made our stay so pleasant. Thanks to all.