How would YOU feel??

Tonight we went to the local American Legion for dinner ("a tour of Italy") ... an opportunity to meet the "locals" and get a story or two (although this blog is certainly missing those great human stories lately isn't it!!).  

For quite some time I've been anticipating someone asking me when I'm due, but tonight a different "situation" presented itself ... we were given the senior citizen (62 and older) rate for our dinner ~ no questions, no identification requested, just given!!!  HMMMMMMM   I was seriously stunned, like I wrote, I expected the when are you due question but not this!!

Anyway, we are in Deering, NH still and likely will be for a few more weeks (although we are looking at a campground in New Boston today).  In Deering is the "Tom Rush Forest".  Tom Rush is our favorite folk singer and he used to live here.  He donated 300 acres of his property to The Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests.  There is a You Tube  video of Tom singing his I Remember song ~ it's pretty funny and one most of us at this age can truly relate to!  Watch it if you get a chance and need a laugh.

We've been spending time at Pat and Beth's.  Arlo and Snoopy are getting along famously and Arlo comes home absolutely exhausted and it usually takes him an entire day to get rested and back to "normal".  They are pretty darned funny to watch with their constant antics.  

Over the winter (and especially one major ice storm I guess) Pat and Beth's yard suffered great damage - trees down all over the place.  Patrick bought a chain saw (and all the gear that goes along with it) the other day.  So Patrick, Rick and I had at it for three hours or so. We did make a "dent" in the project but there is so much more to do!  I am still aching from that workout ~ tough work for an over weight "senior citizen"!  AND I was working on a quilting project last night and managed to sew through my finger (with the machine)!  Not too smart huh and typing is a challenge today for sure.

Today is another cold rainy day here in New Hampshire.  UGH.  I'd rather sit out in the sun and read a book than stay in the coach reading!  Hopefully the "weather man" is correct and there is only one more day of this nastiness.

another saturday night ....

This afternoon I spent some time with my cousin Cheryl and her husband and many friends.  Cheryl and I haven't seen each other in years (other than funerals, and several years ago at my Dad's 80th birthday party).  Weren't we just so "adorable" in the photo above ~ yeah it was taken a couple years ago!  Thanks for a great afternoon Cheryl and Don ~ I really had a nice time and it great to spend time with you and "catch up".

The other day Rick and I went to see Bethie and Princess Paige.  Grampa fed Paigie in the same chair he used to rock Patrick in many years ago!  I hope it brought back many good memories.

Look at Paige looking at me - I think she likes me!!!

AND, the other day while we were riding (heaven forbid we should walk) around the campground look what I found!!!  I was so excited, I haven't seen one in several years!

That's it for tonight folks - I'm off to never never land - it's been a long day and when I got back to the campground my gate card key didn't work so I had to leave the car up by the office and the gate and walk to the coach (in the dark of course because it would make far too much sense to have a working flashlight in one's car wouldn't it) and to top it all off I left the book I'm reading in the car - I can't possibly walk back up there for it ... 

Wifi - ya gotta love it .. yes?

This morning I posted a blog post that I had started last week (uploaded the photos then at least) and intended to complete and post last Friday morning before we left the KOA we were staying at in Dummerston, VT (they had wifi there which was great because our satellite was blocked by trees).  Well, I obviously never got around to completing the post.  We left that morning to go to a marvelous rustic, wooded campground in Springfield, VT (Tree Farm Campground).  Now this is MY kind of campground - Candy you would LOVE it as well.  I will post pictures of our site at the end of this one.

While we were in Springfield we visited the local Elks Lodge (as well as the local Moose Lodge), but no rv room at either.  What wonderfully friendly lodges they were.  

The Vermont Elks main goal is support of Silver Towers Camp.  Well, as it happens my sister was a counselor there many years ago.  It was at Silver Towers that she met her future husband ....  When we visited the Springfield Lodge they were having a "macaroni and cheese" cook off whose proceeds were to benefit Silver Towers.  It seems so often like such a small world and the connections one has to others just are so far reaching.  Needless to say, we returned to the Lodge to partake in the fund raiser.  Candy, I so wish you could have been there with us.  Above and below are a couple pictures of the "event" - hopefully you can click on them to enlarge so you can see the collage of Silver Towers - please forward to Sandra if you desire (I don't have her email address).

Also, in our travels around the area (yes we did put on many enjoyable miles) we came across this "historical marker".  As I've mentioned before, Rick has a great interest in planes (and particularly military planes) so this was particularly interesting to him.

Below, are a few pictures of the old factory buildings in Springfield.  It appeared to me that Springfield was at one time a very lovely, thriving town.  Now, sadly it seems like a town that was wounded and no one even bothered to try to heal it.  There are so many abandoned old brick factories, and lovely old buildings in the downtown area that are just crumbling away.  We have seen so much of this in this area - it is so distressing.  Also, we have noticed lately the roads we are traveling on are just a mess - particularly route 5 in Vermont.  I got very annoyed and frustrated thinking about the state of these roads and the fact that we are building roads in a country that would prefer we not be there .... oh don't go on that rant Tracey ~ don't go there.....

I believe it is the Black River that runs through town.  Check out how it goes under these buildings!

One of the days we were there we headed over to Claremont, NH (12 or so miles east) to do a few errands.  We took the "long way home" (quoting Nora Jones???) and came across this pretty water fall along the side of the road in Ascutney, VT.  Nice??

And this great looking moose fella - looking for you Candy??  Nice ass on him huh!

And finally, views of the campground area.  Our site during a relaxing fire!  Darn I love a nice campfire.

Down one of the "hiking trails" there was this lovely, quiet pond - with this pretty home across the way (way across the way).

This is a fish camp club's clubhouse or something there - not to mention outhouse!

As you can see, the beavers have been very busy beavers in the area!

We are in Hillsboro/Deering, NH now for some weeks.  Today we went and played with Princess Paige (aka Paigie Pie, Muffin Face) and will be spending lots of time there in the coming weeks etc.   Too cute that grand baby ... so smiley and happy she is with a very calm and loving Mommy.  Patrick was at work so we didn't get to see him playing with Princess. We did, however, get to feed and rock her in the chair that Patrick's Mom and Dad fed and rocked him in.  So nice, so good, so wonderful these grand babies ....  

to Brattleboro we went

When we were in Dummerston for a few nights we went over to the Elks Lodge in Brattleboro.  Rick had been there before, I had not.  What a gorgeous property they have.  It has been a lodge since 1927 (I believe was the year they told us).  Prior to that it was a private home owned by the owner of Estey Organs that used to be in Brattleboro.  I was familiar with Estey because my Dad was a pipe organ freak.  Above and below are photos of the pipe organ that is in the Lodge - there is only one other like it in the world.  

The staircase going to the second floor has beautiful spindles in perfect condition, although two were missing, the ones that are there are so pretty.  The staircase going to the third floor was not as pretty, by any means, as this one.

The fireplace in the front room (which I assume was probably the "formal parlor") is another outstanding part of the house.  Check out the details in the photos below.  Again, this was in perfect condition.

This fireplace was in one of the bedrooms on the second floor ~ a child's bedroom I guess from the looks of these tiles.  Again, in perfect condition.  

D'OH

Yesterday we finally got the bikes out and rode to Springfield, VT (where we will be "moving" to tomorrow for four nights).  

Along the way we passed Santa's Land UGH ... I guess I probably went there as a kid but I don't remember.  As we often do we used it as a photo op for the bikes!  Rick felt certain the photo below is where the elves live!

So to Springfield we went.  "Home of the Simpsons".  Springfield, VT is the town that won out over several other Springfields to premier the Simpsons movie.

Other than that  Springfield seems to be a very nice little town - sort of "artsy" but like so many we've seen there are lots of vacant buildings in the downtown area.  So so many we've seen in our travels.  

The town has what appears to be a nice bike path along the river and hopefully I will get my bicycle out while we're there and use it .. we shall see however, I've taken it out of the trailer at all stops (except Bernardston, the last stop where it barely stopped raining the entire time we were there) but can't remember the last time I rode it!

Today it's off to Keene for an oil change and to stock up on Starbucks - we're out as of this morning and I am not a pleasant woman without my Starbucks fix in the morning.  It is suppose to, you guessed it, rain today!  Seems like a good day to do this errand stuff after Rick gets up and functions.  Sir, well he's ready to go at any moment ~ as soon as he sees me reaching towards the hooks that hold the keys, he's up and heading for the door!

moving forward, ever forward

Today we traveled a whopping 30 miles or so.  We left the campground in Bernardston that I so enjoyed ~ lovely, green grass site, very quiet (no kids, no planned activities just peace and quiet) lovely woods next to the campground property for Sir to romp in and a lovely little brook babbling (yes, babble, babble, babble) through the campground ~ just plain and simply "my kind of place" but close enough to "things" to make King Richard a happy fella (I think).  

Oh yes, we arrived in Dummerston, VT (just outside Brattleboro ~ birthplace of yours truly oh so many many years ago and baby sister not so many years ago).  We are staying at a KOA here.  We've pretty much avoided KOA's as much as possible.  They are usually quite nice but they are always grossly over priced.  We were discussing this today after Rick asked how much the site was a night, why it is that KOA's feel they can charge what they do - Rick decided it was because of the name and the expectations the brand name carries with it?!?! Me, I think it's just greed, plain and simple greed.  Anyway, here we are. There is a campground a mile down the road where we've stayed in the past, but they are not open yet for the year!!!  I won't even start with that rant, I'm sure it is getting old.

Yesterday in Bernardston was a very very productive day for us.  I spent quite some time cleaning a very neglected coach interior - very very neglected.  I had sort of kept up with the laundry (without doing sheets and blankets) with the washer/dryer in the coach because the laundry room at the campground left a great deal to be desired (as Mom would say!). There are often times that campground laundry areas can be "calming" (yes do call me crazy or whatever you think fits) but here's why I feel that way ... when I am all done I feel like I've really accomplished something, and there is usually a book exchange in the laundry area and since I've been reading a trashy romance novel every week or so that is a good thing.  I am still, however, searching out the book about the Amish teenagers and their year "off" before they "accept" their Amish way of life.... anyone out there know the book?  

While I was cleaning inside Rick was going like "the hammers of hell" outside doing maintenance and upkeep "stuff" and getting the specifics of the new batteries we need to replace soon - two out of eight isn't so bad now is it!! Plus Sir got to spend lots of time outside being a total goof because the neighbor people weren't home so he wasn't a threat to anyone!

After "chores" were done we headed out for one last little time in the area. As we enjoy doing we came upon a local establishment owned (recently - well they bought it four years ago) by a young, local couple.  We just love these places, hearing the owners stories and so admire the hard hard work they are doing to attain their dream of owning their own place, being their own boss(es).

Case in point ~ "Smitty's Pub" on Chapman Street in Greenfield.  Now, I think we all know, Rick is not shy about having his photo taken (especially when it involves standing next to or hugging up to a very attractive female).  So, obviously the photo above is King Richard, he is with Shelby (as in, as she said "Mrs. Smitty's Pub").  

The photo below just cracks me up.  The owners (Dan and Shelby) have a young daughter.  As Shelby told us, they don't like her to be in the "bar" but one Sunday they had to come in (the bar is closed on Sundays so the family can have some family time) to do something at the bar. The daughter wanted a task, so Shelby gave her gloves and a scraper and told her to go along and scrape the under side of the bar - hence the note posted below - isn't it priceless! Needless to say, said daughter has not done that chore again since that particular Sunday! Talk about a spunky, don't mess with me kind of kid huh!  YOU GO "SAM, THE BOSS"!  But, check it out ~ it's signed "Love Sam, the Boss"

You may wonder, what on earth is the next photo.  Me too!  

Several months ago after I completed the quilt I made for Princess Paige I decided (DAH, how silly of ME) that I should really get back into sewing, because I have far too much time on my hands and it is not only allowing me to pack on the pounds, as my Mom would say "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" so .... When we were in Deland, FL there was a terrific quilt shop around the corner (walking distance in fact) from the Lodge we were staying at.  I spent a few hours at that quilt shop choosing, arranging and rearranging fabrics for this great "wall hanging" of flip flops.  Well after about a gazmillion hours I finally completed the top.  I went to put it on the wall in the bedroom where I had planned for it to go ... DAH, it was too big for the space!!!  Mensa candidate that I am, I never bothered to measure - why bother, it was a wall hanging for heavens sake of course it will fit there! NOT! As Rick so gently pointed out to me "you're a seamstress, how could you not measure?"  I put the project in a basket and let it be for a while.  Then we got that steering wheel table I had wanted for so long, and decided it could be a "topper" for that ... so below is the "completed" project.  

I am amazed at how lax I have gotten in the quality of my work ... trust me when I say, this finished project would never, ever have been acceptable in my previous life.  I'm not sure why it is now, but so be it I guess!  Lucy, you would be horrified!

So, in closing ... this evening we were out for dinner (using a gift certificate from one of my very favorite sites where you can get $25. gift certificates for as little as $3.00 sometimes, but always for $10.00 ~ you've just got to LOVE IT).  The local veterinarian was there having an adult beverage and a burger. His "philosophy of the day" was ... 

"don't put onions in home made baked beans" .... you know why????

???

????

????

It creates tear gas!!!   

OHHHHH   BOYYYYYYY   I didn't make it up ~ Doctor Ben did.

Good night folks!

happenings in the Greenfield area

We arrived in Bernardston (next town to Greenfield), MA last Tuesday (I think!).  We've put a lot of miles on the car ~ no motorcycles, it is too darned cold ~ why oh why didn't we stay south.  Not to mention that there is a frost predicted for tonight.  Joshua just called and foolishly I asked about the weather in Havelock, NC ... yeah, it is 80 degrees at the moment!!!!

Yesterday we went to the nursing home to "visit" with my Aunt (my Dad's sister).  I fed her "lunch" while we were there.  Alzheimer's is one nasty, vicious flipping disease.  So damned sad to remember what a vibrant, fun, full of life woman Auntie Gert was just a few years ago.  We were going to have dinner with my cousin this evening but I'm not having a great day so hopefully we'll do that tomorrow before we leave here on Tuesday and head to Brattleboro for a few days, then who knows where after that.  Many campgrounds aren't even open yet in these parts.

On Wednesday or Thursday we went out route 2 to the tiny town of Florida where there is an Elks Memorial.  Pictures above and below ~ check out the mountains (Berkshires) in the background, outstanding huh!

Below are two more photos taken in Florida of the Berkshires in the distance.

Below is a photo taken from outside an Italian restaurant here in Bernardston that we stopped at the other day.  Up and up the driveway we went to this gorgeous location at the top.  What a fabulous piece of property they have.  I can't quite imagine it in January but then again, we will never ever be there in January so all I can do is imagine how it would be!

Coming down the driveway leaving the restaurant we passed the scene below.  Any guesses what it is?  Yes Kim, John, Candy and Charlie etc. know - anyone else?

After the restaurant stop we continued along and thankfully came across the scenes below.  It was nice to be back in VT and see this.  I swear the big guy in the second photo is asking Rick what the heck he thinks he's doing.  Apparently, that is the area where the newborns and moms go.  Doesn't look nearly as pleasant as the lucky ones in the field does it.

Apparently Sir was so worn out from his lovely ride, or he was so grateful to Rick for taking him out for a ride (not sure which) he crashed on Rick's chest ~ sound asleep there for about 45 minutes!  Tough life for that dog isn't it!