Arriving in North Carolina was a welcomed relief! Visiting with family members I do not see very often is always fun. Unfortunately though, they were also busy attending school or work. I am fortunate enough to see those days in a rearview mirror as a retired person!

My sister did take a day off from work. With her help we added another layer of silicone on the front cab lights. No way was I going to have any leak from those lights between now and arriving home in a month! 

We enjoyed a walk at Crabtree Creek Trail in Raleigh. Plenty of turtles and some birds were seen. The most exciting was a red-tailed hawk fledgling. Another birder happened to tell us the nest location. There was the fledgling standing at the nest’s edge! About 10 minutes later we returned to look again and show another birder the nest and fledgling, yet the bird was not in sight! I don’t think it flew. I think it was behind the sycamore tree trunk and just out of sight at that moment. Of course, I wished I had my camera with a long lens …. Darn!

We enjoyed lunch and time together. Another discovery, leftover Indian food gets spicier … what was a spicy 2 when first eaten was spicier the next day, but still delicious!

The next day my van was repaired. A back cab light was ordered after the Oklahoma tornado incident and this North Carolina dealership was the only one with the part. Good thing Raleigh was on my itinerary! Now the only repairs to do when I return home: replace passenger side mirror, fix scratches and dents. I truly am so fortunate to have moved the van per my host’s recommendation. My van would have been totaled during the tornado if I had not. Instead, the tree came down parallel to the side of the van and not through the windshield and motor!