Woodstock ..

This was a post I'd started (well uploaded photos for) about a week and a half ago (gotta upload when the uploading is good!). These are some shots of our afternoon in Woodstock, NY. Getting there from where we were staying in Elizaville, NY (really about 30 miles or so away) was quite a chore because the GPS (aka "smarty pants") got us totally lost and headed about 40 miles north of where we should have been before I figured out we were way off track!

I'm not sure what either of our expectations of Woodstock were but it wasn't what I thought for sure - I didn't expect the commercialism for starters. Plus it was rainy (of course) and not great weather so that didn't help much in a crowded crowded walking town. So, I guess the bottom line is ~ "been there, done that".

Above is Rick's Woodstock Town Hall shot and below, the Blues Brothers outside some (another) tee shirt store!

For whatever reason I've had a fascination with labyrinths for some time - I thought we should have made one at the house in Whitman after the pool came down - heck it was nearly made for us with the 30' perfect diameter already there!

Well along the way into Woodstock we passed a church (St. Gregory's) that I thought I saw a sign about a labyrinth, so when we left a couple hours later, we pulled in and there was in fact one there. As well as the labyrinth there was a gorgeous, peaceful garden you could go through to get to the labyrinth. As anyone who knows me realizes, the church aspect of all this is a bit over the edge for me in fact would make me run the other way, but the labyrinth well I just had to be there!

Rick sat it out in the car while I took a few minutes to enjoy. It was just beautiful. Why couldn't I ever design beautiful, peaceful places like this when we had a house?

Chad - how about one of the photos below that is a shot of the gate with the terrific angles, looking at the church with the same angles! Did Mom do alright? Critique it for me - please. Speaking of Chad, he and Amy will be homeowners on Thursday - after a long fought battle they are finally closing on a house in Abington.

Rick, Arlo and I arrived back in Plattsburgh late this afternoon after our whirlwind trip back to MA. We are leaving here tomorrow to head back to MA again - sort of heading backwards from our original "plan" (this maybe why we try NOT to make plans!?!?). We'll be there for at least a week - I have to have a "procedure" done on Friday and we will remain there at least until we get the results sometime next week. After which we will re-think our plans depending on those results.

In spite of all the chaos while we've been in Plattsburgh - two tows, broken laptops, awful campground we really enjoyed the area and would love to return (to a different campground) to RELAX and explore the area and enjoy the lake - this was obviously not the trip to do that.

Speaking of which I haven't done a post since our travel to the FMCA rally - the one that was scheduled for August 12-16. We got there around 11:00 on the 12th, paid our fee to get in and was told the vendors (the reason we were there) opened at 2:00. Well 2:00 came and there was NO activity around that "hall" so we inquired - OH NO the vendors don't open until the 13th! For heaven's sake why doesn't FMCA put this stuff on their website. We traveled miles to get there, paid for a ferry, burdened Elisha with Arlo ... UGH ... that was more of the Plattsburgh saga!

But like I said, we really liked the area and I'd love to return here - another time .... plus, my Elisha is here!!

THE Peck Family Christmas Barbeque

Isn't that a nice photo above of Rick and Sir Arlo?!?! (taken, by the way, at Jon and Shirley's house during the Peck Family Christmas Barbecue)

Yes, I know it is August and you may be wondering what the hell is this woman referring to a Christmas event? Well the loooooong story is ... going to be told at the end ... maybe. Now for the photos of this year's event.

Below is a photo of Chad and Amy (guided by Sir Arlo in the water) using the "rowers" to propel the row boat around the pond ....

Brother Jon and brother in law Charlie (aka "Chuck") (sister Candy's husband) solving the problems of the world ~ or hopefully relaxing and enjoying the day.

Sister Candy and I solving our own world problems .... well there were no problems out there but we sure were enjoying our time .... and yes, that is Sir Arlo to the left of the canoe. The problem here is that whenever I went out in the canoe with anyone Arlo became quite agitated and HAD to follow. Well Sir is a great swimmer to be sure, but sometimes it is just fine for me to have a moment or four away from him ... much to his dismay. And when the clock chimes three seconds off he goes in pursuit of ME .... Well I, on the other hand, have to worry that he can not and should not swim/chase me around a pond because he certainly will get worn out and I will have to rescue him. Being that I can't swim, the rescue is certainly doomed. Bottom line here is that someone (nameless of course) should be watching Sir more closely on shore because we all know that he (Sir) will be chasing me soon!

Above is Charlie reading a poem from a book that my Grandmother wrote many years ago. There are poems in there for some of us grandchildren as well as a few Christmas poems - it seemed appropriate that Charlie read one .... Thank you Charlie.

Each year at the Peck Family Christmas we do a "yankee swap". This is so so so much fun. For those unfamiliar with this event ... it goes something like this .. everyone brings a gift. We all draw a number and the swap begins with number one and proceeds with each person taking a gift when their number is "called". Well after you open your gift you can keep it OR exchange it for someone else's gift (this is where it gets so much fun). Obviously, the person who has number 1 has no one else's gift to exchange, so at the end number one has a choice of ALL the gifts there! Does it all sound crazy and complicated - or crazy and FUN?

Below is Richard decked out in his holiday finery and a lovely garden ornament that he selected - but didn't end up with - Elisha (daughter of sister Candy and her husband Charlie) has it and it is in a lovely spot in HER garden as we saw the other day.

Below is Andy (soon to be new father) (son of brother Jon and his wife Shirley, whose house this party was held). The gift Andy selected was a candle in the shape of a cupcake ~ that he truly had no interest in, and he is trying valiantly to have someone else be delighted with the candle as he balances it on his shoulder to remind those behind him of what a lovely gift it might be!!

Below is Shirley opening a lovely selection of DVDs, as well as microwave popcorn (if I remember correctly).

Next we have Kelly (wife of Tim who is Jon and Shirley's oldest son) and her daughters Emily and Hailey. Kelly is holding a gift that she "traded" with someone and the girls have special "kids" gifts.

Next we have my sister Kimberly doing I don't know what after the exchange was over. Behind Kim is Charlie - note the hat on Charlie's lap - this hat has been in the yankee swap for several years and I guess could be referred to by some as the "booby prize" ... every year it comes back - will it be back next year???? hmmmmm who knows!

Now, for the story of the Peck Family Christmas Barbecue (PFCBBQ). As all four of us Peck siblings grew and raised our families and moved distances away from one another it seemed the ONLY time we ALL got together was at Christmas - our family celebration was always the weekend after Christmas so we could have THE day in our own homes and our children would not have to be uprooted from their new toys etc. to travel distances to be with extended family. The tradition was started by our Mom back in about 1976 (???) when they (my parents) had built a "cabin/camp" in the western part of MA. Fond fond memories of those first family celebrations - nephew Owen was a month old and slept in a dresser drawer on the floor in that camp heated by a coal stove - no we weren't there over night in those days - only for the party so there was no neglect of Owen happening - just LOVE LOVE LOVE. The extended family from back then is gone - my grandparents, great aunts, and unfortunately both of my parents. After Mom and Dad built a permanent home in that area the celebration was moved there (obviously) and took on a grander scale ... with my mother ceremoniously pushing the Christmas tree off the deck and into inevitably a large snow bank as soon as the "celebration" ended (that seems to be the constant in my son's memory of the "Peck party" is Boppa pushing the tree out). After my Mom passed away in 1998 the family celebration stopped. I don't clearly remember if we took it up again a few years later or not but I do remember that my son Chad and my nephew Owen felt strongly a few years ago that the celebration should be started again and took it upon themselves to find a place that was mid-way for all of us (from southern New York, northern New York, northern Vermont and south of Boston). The tradition had thankfully started again because these "kids" had strong sense of family ... Rick and I were not here for the celebration in 2007 (that was the year we left on "the big adventure") and unfortunately I don't remember where Chad had planned the festivities that year. The celebration for 2008 was planned for Putney, VT but weather prevailed and the celebration was "cancelled" at the 11th hour (Chad and Amy did have a nice weekend away though before the cancellation call came). Shirley took it upon herself (thank you so much Shirl) to reschedule it as the PFCBBQ for August 1 and fortunately Rick, Arlo and I were around for it and we had an "awesome" time ..... weather was perfect, love was all around and it was just a great fun and loving day. Shirley Peck - YOU rule!

He rules!

Back in business. Rick knew how crazy I was without the laptop, so while we try to figure out whether to repair or replace (repair is about 1/2 the price of replacing!) he bought a monitor! Thank you David for the repair facility info in CA - I suspect that will be the way we go once we are in a place for a while.

So I have two posts loaded with photos I just need to add the text and then I'll post them.

We are still in Plattsburgh, NY at probably the worst campground experience we've had. You name it and it's happened here - including a first for us - backed up sewer! Delightful to say the least! The owners solution was to run a HUGE black hose from our sewer hose, across our yard and down two sites. Of course this black hose has holes in it! Needless to say, we no longer sit out and campfires are out of the question! All for $45./night! UGH. I have to remind myself that it's all part of our big journey and it makes the great campgrounds even greater! It appears we'll be here for a few more nights then we'll be leaving the coach here because I have to go back to MA for a medical issue - another UGH. If all goes well there and we return in a few days we'll be "outta here" on Monday or Tuesday.

Tonight we go out with Elisha to her Tuesday night Trivia, tomorrow is the rally and Thursday we head to MA.

Stay tuned for the other posts I'm working on.

The chaos continues! Yesterday the screen of the laptop died so I can only do blog posts from my phone UGH so we are on blog standby until that is re

AAAaaaaahhhhhhh

Price of two nights in a campground that we didn't stay at ............ $90.00

Number of nights spent at service center ..................... 2

Price of two tows .......................................... apx. $450.00

Price of "repair" where nothing was repaired ............... $300.00

Injection Actuation Pressure Sensor ................ PRICELESS

or $272.80

We're "back on the road again" .......................... PRICELESS

AND, according to Sir Arlo ~ grass under his paws and grass to roll around on ... PRICELESS

"Nuff said"????

Yesterday's adventures .......

started (photo above) .... not even ten miles into our travel .... with yet another trailer tire blow out!!

And ended 208 miles later being towed out of the campground where the coach died! Spent the night in the lot of the repair facility we were towed to and here we sit hours later - 2:00 PM and coach is still not starting!!!

How's your day going?

Update post

We've been doing ........

cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. We spent the better part of Friday washing the coach - including the roof which hadn't been done since - who knows but a very long time. It is a nasty job but someone's gotta do it! It looks great when it's finished, so I guess it is worth it!

Last Wednesday we went to Hudson (about 10 miles north of here). Originally to go to a quilt shop - which was closed! Hudson is loaded with antique stores - loaded. And most establishments seem to be open only Thursday through Sunday! Kind of a wasted trip but the downtown area had these great dog statues - like many cities we've been to have some sort of statue exhibit that is a fund raising thing. Don't know the deal with the dogs but they were fun to look at!

Saturday was the Peck Family Christmas BBQ - I'll post some photos later in a different post, as well as our Sunday trip to Woodstock. Right now however, I have to start "packing up" as we are leaving Elizaville and headed up to Plattsburgh for at least a week. Change of plans (again), we had planned on being there a week then heading over to Essex Junction, VT for a motorhome rally, but I think we're just going to the rally for a day and will leave the coach right in Plattsburgh.

So this is a brief post .... we're outta here in an hour or so.