Down The Road

Full Circle has been sold. We bid farewell to the boat and waved good bye to the excited new owners as they headed down the road towards southern New York and New Jersey! They may even keep the name because they, like us, used to own a Bayliner before. We hope they have fun and catch lots of fish.

What's Different About This Photo?

Belt, zipper, pockets, shoes...real clothes, what a concept! It's been over 3 months since he has been able to wear them. 

To top it off, he was headed out to work and repair a motorcycle (with a bit of help from friends).

Congratulations Dave on yet more firsts!

Life is starting to return back to normal for us.

The Eagle Has Landed

Wow, it sure was calm on Eagle Lake! Dave sat on the dock at the boat launch ramp doing his physical therapy exercises while I kayaked. We didn't want to leave the tranquility!

Defiant Dave

Hope Town cruising friends David and Catherine (S/V Solitaire I) came from their home in Montreal down to Ticonderoga to visit us. Our tour of the area would not be complete without a trip up Mt. Defiance to see the spectacular view of the beginning of Lake Champlain and Ft. Ticonderoga. What a feat it was for Dave to conquer the steep path up the hill from the parking area to the summit overlook. With the helping hand of David to guide him, he made it without his cane (in fact he hasn't used his cane in 4 days!). Looking out over the waterway was well worth the effort.

Going back down the hill is even more scary though, and the two Davids held onto each other tightly. We had met some fellow motorcycle riders while at the overlook, and one of these kind gentlemen asked Dave if he wanted assistance on his other side and helped him get back down. What an accomplishment!

As we got in our truck to leave, the motorcyclist walked over to us and started opening up his wallet. He explained that he usually only does this for kids, but after hearing about Dave's accident, he knew Dave deserved this....and handed him a lucky $2 bill. Once again the generosity of others brought tears to our eyes, and I told him we were going to frame it.

Back in the valley we scrutinized Dandy, our Abaco Dinghy wooden boat project. We're trying to decide whether or not it should go back to Hope Town.

Then it was time to celebrate the day by exploring the northern end of Lake George in our skiff. Now here are some happy mariners that were glad to be back on the water!

Thank you David and Catherine for everything and we're so glad you got to witness another one of Dave's firsts...defying the odds and making it to the summit.

The Firsts Continue

Dave may not be able to write yet, but he can now weedwack! It takes awhile with his Franken-hop (his cane is almost obsolete!) and he wears his arm brace, but thanks to the harness, he can keep the yard edges neat. This gives him such a sense of accomplishment.

Plus, did you notice that he has real sneakers on? They may have velcro instead of laces, but it's the first time in three months he has been able to to wear anything but Crocs. He even says he is almost ready to start wearing jeans instead of sweatpants. Hopefully the weather will get warmer so he can go right to wearing a swimsuit! We're definitely ready for some water therapy.

Speaking Of Full Circle...

Yes, that's a for sale sign on it. Since we have barely used the Bayliner and certainly won't this season, we thought it would be best to sell it (especially since it ran great on our test drive last fall). On the other hand, with all the rain we have been having, maybe we better keep it as an ark!

Modify and Adapt

This weekend is the antique motorcycle rally at Rhinebeck. Every year Dave rides a classic motorcycle around the grounds, since admission is free for anyone that rides through the gates on a bike 35 years or older. It's a great way to see all the bikes and displays around the huge fairgrounds. This year of course, is a challenge because of his injuries. Thanks to Kevin though, Dave will be able to join in the festivities.

This is a Honda Trail 70 that Kevin modified for him. None of the changes are permanent. Notice the hand shifter so he doesn't have to use his left leg. Instead his leg, that still doesn't bend enough to get up on a regular foot peg, can rest on the extended peg.

The throttle can be used more by pushing it than grabbing on to a twist grip.

Kevin even installed a basket for any small purchases he may make along the way and a custom cane holder!

Dave should be able to adapt to these modifications, especially since the bike is so low to the ground. He says he feels like he has come full circle, because this is the bike he started out on when he was a kid!

No Pain, No Gain

Today was Dave's first day at physical therapy. He had a very positive experience and he now has exercises to do for his arm/wrist/hand, and his leg. The therapist is giving him help with his leg since the the exercises that the doctor gave him were so intense, that there was no way he could do them, even if he hadn't been injured. If he does all that he has been instructed to do four times a day, he should show much improvement and will only need to see the therapist once every two weeks. Then she will take more measurements to see how his range of motion is coming along. This will show how hard he has been working. Right now the focus is on improving his range of motion, because without that, there can be no strengthening. Sounds simple to me. Then again, I don't have to work and push my broken bones, muscles, and tendons, until the pain makes me nauseous. At least he knows that he cannot hurt anything now and it is okay to push himself. The road to recovery is a rough one, but even after this first visit he can see and feel a difference!