Sadly, five weeks after we arrived back home, we lost Blotch to an aggressive tumor in his sinus cavity. Thankfully, we were home when Blotch was feeling his worst and he died in Ali’s arms. You can see photos of our beautiful Blotch and read the entire story on my personal blog HERE.

Update 11/3/04: Blotch has surgery yesterday afternoon and they found a growth in his upper sinuses. It is either a fungus or a tumor. A fungus might be treatable depending on how bad it is. A tumor would be treatable, but the treatment would only cause extensive and prolonged suffering for Blotch and would likely not cure him. We won’t know for 5-7 days what it is. He’s home now and very comfy, sleeping off the anesthesia in Ali’s room with her right next to him doing her school work. She’s a good nurse.

We still have some photos to post from the trip and will do that in the next few days.

The snows will be coming soon here in Maine and we’ll be winterizing the RV this week in preparation. We’ve already had several nights below freezing. Our next trek will be around Easter.

UPDATE: Blotch is still hanging in there, but after two more days of refusing to eat or drink, and refusing to take his medicine, we’ve had to put him in the kitty hospital so they could put him on an IV. Now I know why that little voice in my head was telling me, “Go home! Go home!”

Ali, Frank and I attended the Campground Massacre tonight. It’s like a haunted house…but is at a campground. It was okay. I’m glad the workers weren’t allowed to touch us.

There was one area that had a toilet covered with fake poo. I said, “Wow! That’s the scariest thing I’ve seen all night!” While my mouth was still open, water squirted out of the toilet and hit me right in the middle of my face. Everybody else thought it was a scream. Yeah…um, ha ha. In case you’re wondering, yes, it was clean water.

Richard opted to stay in the RV with Max. When we returned, Max said, “Didja go to the scary house?!” He wanted to go see some monsters but we told him no. Then he said he wanted to see “that witch outside.” Must have been talking about the cranky lady working in the campground store.

We’re heading to another Renaissance Faire tomorrow, all decked out in our costumes. We’ll try to get someone to take a picture of us all together so we can post it here.

A stocky officer, courtesy of the state of Georgia, said, “Ya need ta move your vehicle. It’s blockin’ the road.”

I wanted to ask him about the other half dozen RVs that were right in front of me, and I really wanted to mention the fact that it was just a road leading into the campground and there wasn’t anybody else on it but RVs, but I know when to keep my mouth shut.

“Yes sir,” I said, and gave him a smile. He didn’t return it.
We spent a wonderful day at Stone Mountain today, just outside of Atlanta. It was educational…and just touristy enough to entertain the children. The children learned all about how the mountain was formed (magma formed a huge dome that rose out of the earth) and also learned how to dip candles. We watched a pie eating contest (that was hilarious!) and ate in a restaurant that throws your rolls at you. If you don’t catch them, you don’t eat. We watched a really cool 4-D movie. In case you’ve never been to one, it’s a 3-D movie that also assaults your body. You feel blasts of air, water misting on you, rumblings under your seat and more. We loved it. Max liked it, except the part where a snake jumped out at the audience. He wouldn’t wear his 3-D glasses after that.

We visited the candy store that has lots of neat stuff. You know you’ve gone overboard when at store clerk’s eyes get wide and they ask, “Uh, how many children to you have??”

We visited an old plantation home that was beautiful and also stopped by the petting zoo. Max thought the goats going poo poo was the funniest thing! “Brown marbles!” He liked the pigs and sheep, too. We posted a few pictures online HERE.

We spent the entire day there and, within five minutes of leaving, Max was sound asleep. We used the atlas to get out of town instead of mapquest and that was a mistake. It took us an hour and a half to go 20 miles. We won’t get to our new campground until around midnight. Oh well…at least Richard’s driving. I’m going to take a nap myself.

1. If I “drop” my train on the ground over and over again, my brother, Frank, will pick it up over and over again. Heh…

2. If my bottom gets too hot in my car seat, I can pour my chocolate milk down there to cool off.

3. Goldfish Crackers look really pretty after you mush them into a million pieces and throw them on the blue carpet.

4. I can trick my sister, Ali, into letting me out of my car seat by telling her I have to go potty…when I don’t.

5. Whenever I fall asleep, I wake up in a different state! How does that happen?

1. There’s an abundant crop in North Carolina that changes color with the other fall leaves. I wonder what it is?

2. I never knew North Carolina beaches were so pristine! They should run ads for their beaches on television in the dead of winter in Maine…just like Florida does.

3. When Southerners see a Maine license plate in the grocery store parking lot, most of them will stop and say, “Maine! Wow!”

4. If I want to tease Richard, I just have to lean toward the dash board, frown, and say, “What’s what weird noise?”

5. If you try to make your children do something educational on the road, they’re going to find a way to make you wish you hadn’t.

Mom and Dad made me look out the window while we were driving through North Carolina today, saying I could learn more doing that than I could playing my Gameboy. They made me make a list of five things I learned by looking out the window.

Here they are:

1. Arlie’s is having a sale.

2. Ballantine is running for governor.

3. There is a coin show on Saturday and Sunday.

4. It’s 80 degrees outside.

5. Jim’s Pawn and Guns is hiring workers.

We stopped by a local shop and bought the children some goodies and also picked up some postcards for our friends and family back home. We then drove to the grocery store to pick up supplies for our Beach BBQ tonight. We’re having baby back ribs, chicken, baked beans, corn on the cob, and Texas toast…in remembrance of where we all lived before we moved north.

We’re leaving in the morning and heading south once again. Where will we be sleeping tomorrow night? Check back here to find out.

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