Final Countdown to Leaving

Final Countdown

Date	23 Jun 2025
Total This Camino:	0 miles.
Total All Caminos:	2353 miles
Airplane	$ 1360
Travel Insurance	$ 360

Typical Days Before Leaving

• Wednesday
• Taking my grandson, Jayden, to school this morning.
• Falcon Watching downtown. 
• Tap Dance Practice: Erika introduced us to a five-part dance step today. The most complicated yet. Erika says that we have progressed thru "words" to "phrases" and are now working on "sentences" in a learning the physical expression of tap dancing. When I started, I was thinking about an exercise that would challenge my balance, coordination and responses. Now I am thinking that it is also fun.
• Equal Grounds Coffee Shop: Quite the downpour outside. Glad I'm inside with my ice coffee and almond danish.
• Dinner with Deb and Josh
• Highland Park Neighborhood Assc Board Meeting
• Thursday
• Falcon Watching Downtown: It's Juneteenth holiday, so the Court St Bridge is quiet and peaceful. Walking around downtown, checking out the bridges over the Genesee River.
• Should be going to the YMCA to train, but simply burned out.
• Went to Carlos' for a burger on the grill, and some nice father-son time.
• Perio cleaning complete, so confident that dentally, I am in good shape for the Camino.
• Dinner out with family
• Friday
• Falcon Watch: saw all three juvies at the downtown nestbox, which makes for a good morning.
• Permethrin on the backpack and sleeping bag.
• USCGAUX Ops Patrol
• Rochester International Jazz Fest w/ Deb, Josh and Rachel
• Saturday
• Falcon Watching: pretty quiet day. Not too much out of the juvies
• 4.75 mile GVHC hike in 2 hrs. Lots of hills
• USCG Aux Ops Patrol: lots of training: side tow on a jet ski and man overboard drills and station keeping
• Sunday
• Falcon Watching: the juvies were all at Times Square Bldg, but no flying. One of the adults caught a meal and brought it in to the next box area.
• 4.5 mile Highland park circumnavigation hike (alone) in 1 hr 45 min.
• @ Carlos' for grill and pool fun. Softball tossing with Carlos and Jayden.
• Loaded the gpx track into Google mymaps.

• Monday
• Took my grandson Jayden to school. We stopped for obligatory Bryne Diary (coffee for me, water for Jayden, hashed browns for me, breakfast pizza for him).
• Falcon watch: not much to see
• Washing all my hiking clothes so they are fresh out of the backpack.
• Smoothie and doughnut with sibs, Liz and Anthony, at Tim Horton's.
• Shopping trip for final supplies.
• Notified bank of travel to monitor credit and debit card.
• Primary Day Early Voting
• Deb and I changing our hiking plans due to intense heat in Spain, +100s. Breaking the second day of 18 mi into two 9 mi days.
• Stabbed by carlos's house for quick dip in the pool and some ice cream in The villages. Spencerport
• Tuesday: Launch Day
• Falcon Watch: juvies flying, watchers Carol and Dana watching.
• Gimli to Joanne's for good care while we are gone 
• Final preparations 

Gimli the Wonder Dog

Autonomous Communities that We Pass thru

The Camino del Ebro passes through several communities,

• Catalonia: Starting at the Ebro Delta, the route continues through the province of Tarragona. Towns visited include Deltebre, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Tortosa, Roquetes, Jesus, and Xerta.
• Aragon: The path continues through the provinces of Teruel and Zaragoza. Key towns and cities here include Gandesa, Fabara, Caspe, Escatrón, Quinto, El Burgo de Ebro, and Zaragoza.
• Navarre: The route crosses the southern part of Navarre diagonally, entering via Cortes and leaving via Castejón. Pilgrims also pass through Tudela in Navarre.
• La Rioja: Finally, the Camino del Ebro enters La Rioja and concludes in Logroño, where it connects with the Camino Francés. Other towns in La Rioja along the route are Alfaro, Calahorra, and Alcanadre.

The Stages of Grief

Cosi: Born: 2010, Adopted 2013, Rainbow Bridge 2025

• Denial: Today Cosi's symptoms are just like in the recent past. Just another occurrence in the life of a very senior, but very lovable dog.
• Anger: How could I have missed the differences between now and yesterday or the day before? What was I thinking?
• Bargaining: One more trip to vet urgent care. Something will change or revert or go back to what it was, and we will be home tonight, maybe uncomfortable but at least together.
• Depression: She is not under my feet. She is not there barking. She is not there lying down next to me on the floor as I do my nightly exercise routine. ... I miss having to sidestep from the refrigerator door. I miss hearing her voice below me as I open cans at the kitchen counter top. I don't like lying on the floor by myself.
• Acceptance: I will think about her and her impact on my life as I walk along the Rio Ebro. I will seek closure with Cosi, so that I can open my heart to another dog.