October set a record for rainfall and 2004 was the wettest year on record in Louisville. December was extremely cold with several snowfalls including one of fourteen inches with temperatures as low as five degrees below zero. The Louisville National Weather Station reported fifteen days with "some" sunshine in December, January and February, meaning there were seventy-five days with no sunshine at all. The winter was cold with rain or snow most days and the skies were so dark we left lights on in the motorhome all day so we could see to read or eat.

The Dutch Star made it fine and kept us "snug as a bug in a rug." We added an "extend-a-stay" adapter on the motorhome's LP tank and connected a portable 100-pound LP tank that the campground refilled when it ran out. In addition to our furnace we ran a catalytic heater that uses very little fuel. Our motorhome is well insulated and has dual pane windows so keeping warm was easy.

I taped a thermostat controlled electric heat tape to the water hose and wrapped it with foam insulation and duct tape. It never froze all winter. We kept the holding tanks closed and when they got full we dumped and then drained the sewer hose to keep it from freezing. Our basement is warmed by the furnace and our remote thermometer showed it never dropped below forty-four degrees.

So why were we in Louisville all winter instead of Florida, Texas, Arizona or California like our fulltiming friends. It was mostly for medical issues and partly for family. In September I had a round of checkups and a CT scan that showed no reoccurrence of cancer. After my cancer surgery in 2002 I had radiation therapy that destroyed blood flow in my good jaw and now I needed major oral surgery. My doctors recommended hyperbaric oxygen therapy to restore blood flow and my insurance company, Blue Cross / Blue Shield, disagreed with medical advice and refused to pay. After fighting an appeal for 2 ½ months with statements and records from five doctors, BC/BS agreed to pay. My treatments finally started on December 20. Five days a week for four weeks I went to Jewish Hospital and was slid in a coffin type chamber about 6.5 feet long and 2.5 feet wide with a clear plastic cover inches from my face that allowed me to watch television.

Once the chamber was sealed 100% pure oxygen was fed inside and pressurized to three time normal atmosphere pressure. If you have flown in an airplane you know your ears pop a couple of time as the airplane gains altitude or descends to land. Well, my ears popped every ten seconds during the ten minutes it took at pressurize the chamber and again every ten seconds during the ten minutes of depressurization. Each treatment took ninety minutes and after each session my head felt like a balloon and my eyes were foggy. The pressure forces arteries and capillaries to grow and after twenty daily treatments I was ready for oral surgery that went well. Then I followed surgery with ten more daily treatments.

My surgeon gave me an antibiotic to prevent infection and about ten days later my lower digestive system became infected and stopped working. I never knew an antibiotic could kill good bacteria. I tried to treat myself (big mistake) and after twelve days I ended up at an immediate care center where they ran tests and sent me to a gastro specialist. I was put on three medications and after two more weeks I was almost back to normal. With a run down body I then came down with a terrible head cold and sinus problem. But as I write this I am feeling great and ready to get back on the road.

Linda had an annual routine physical and a series of tests and her mammogram showed spots or thickened areas on one breast and under her arm beside the breast. More tests were inconclusive so she sought the advice of a specialist and actually ended up with two women's breast specialist. Louisville has one of the best women's center in the country with the latest and greatest test equipment and Linda was lucky to get an immediate appointment. After much testing it was determined she "probably" does not have cancer. The doctor could not do a biopsy because the affected area is in blood vessels and they want her to have followup tests in four months.

My treatments were at Jewish Hospital and Linda was being seen at Norton Hospital one block away. Sometimes we drove in together, kissed and wished each other good luck, and went to our respective hospitals.

During this time we were visiting my parents twice a week who were in very poor health. My mother passed away February 19, twelve days after her 90th birthday. My father, age 94, is in a nursing home. We had to work our visits to them around our medical appointments because it was a 100 miles round trip.

But everything was not gloom and doom all winter. Steve and Nancy Gardner, new fulltimers, picked up their 2005 Dutch Star at Tom Stinnett RV next door to our campground and they camped with us three days. The Gardners are recently retired and sold their house and are looking forward to traveling fulltime. We wish them the best. Other new fulltimers, Mike and Kathy Tanner from Michigan, stopped at our campground and we enjoyed meeting them. I think they had been fulltiming three days when we met them and we wish them the best too.

We also enjoyed being close to many family members who still live in Louisville. Linda's daughter Amy is getting married in August so Linda spent a lot of time with Amy helping plan her wedding. Linda's eight year old granddaughter Emily spent several nights with us and she is always inquisitive and eager to learn. Linda taught her to do simple stitches on her sewing machine and then more complicated stitching. After a few minutes they shopped at a fabric store and back at the motorhome Emily cut and sewed a skirt all by herself. Linda lives for those moments.

Well, we did do just a little bit of traveling in March. We drove to the Newmar RV manufacturing plant in Nappanee, Indiana and took a tour to watch motorhomes being made, then we talked to two people from the sales department about non-standard options that make a motorhome a home. But that will be another story.

We want to thank the many people who sent emails this winter expressing concerns about our problems. Those emails were certainly appreciated.

We are Back On The Road!!!!!