It was a sunny August morning, and my husband, Neil, and I were staying at our three-season cottage in New York State’s Adirondack Park. I was recovering from a hip replacement and had a 10:30 appointment with my orthopedic surgeon at our local hospital, 90 minutes away. Fighting other health issues as well, I was tired of rushing to doc-tors. My super-punctual husband tried to keep me on a tight schedule, so we made every appointment with time to spare, despite all the driving. But on this morning, I was moving even slower than usual.
Neil tapped his watch. “For the first time ever, Aline,” he said, “we’re going
