After getting the morning work done, we would get ready to go out for the day. First I had to get things gathered together. We took an extra sweater, hat, gloves and purse. Then I made up sandwiches, fruit and sometimes cookies or other things. All this was put in a larger bag that we named the Belly Bong Bag. Next I loaded a folding chair and bird feed into the car. She would say, “hurry up and get things ready before someone comes.” Then I had to lock up things. Off we went as she said, “This is worse than taking a baby out.”

One of our first long trips was to the Wild Animal Park. We got an early start and went on the monorail first and then we went to all the other areas. It took us all day; as we had to rest often and then go on to another area. It surprised me how much energy she had and needed to see everything.

One day, while we were at the park, she asked for a sandwich and I looked for the food. I couldn’t find it, so looked in the car. It wasn’t there either. Must have forgotten to pack it. As we drove back to the house, she said, “You don’t know how to take care of old people.” She really was very forgiving but always had the last word.

Sometimes we took long trips up to Lake Elisnore to visit her stepmother, Sula, who was younger than Ruby. They both had been teachers and had known each other since living in South Dakota about fifty years ago. Later we would drive back along the cooler coast. The views were very pretty as we ended up in the park at La Jolla enjoying the waves and a beautiful sunset. That trip was about 150 miles and tiring. Ruby would entertain me with dialect stories as we drove, and tell me about the old days. Whenever we saw red cars she said that was the one she wanted and especially if it was a sports car.

As time went on, we wouldn’t go as far, probably just to the park. One time she saw the merry-go-round and wanted to go on it. The man running it helped her up on a horse and around she went, holding on. Just like the old days.

On a hot Labor Day, I talked her into going on a harbor cruise on the Invader. It lasted for two hours and was very interesting. Lots of days we just enjoyed watching the boats go by from either Harbor or Shelter Island. I believe she enjoyed getting out so much because there were lots of years she had to stay home and take care of her husband. Now, being free again to go places and not wanting to miss a thing, off we went. As she said, "We both were travelers."

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Miss Muriel