Bean town Adventures

Melrose, Mass

 

We have been spending time with my sister Nancy and her husband Karl. It has been real quality time.

On Sunday, we went salt water kayaking in the Anisquam River north of Gloucester Mass. That was lots of fun. Libby and I had traversed this river once before in Tarwathie, but we did it with the tidal current. In the kayaks, we paddled against the current. It was hard! At times we did zero knots made good.

Too ad that we didn't take a swim when we were in San Diego. Then, we could say that we wet ourselves in both oceans on the same trip.

On Monday, Nancy drove us in to Cambridge on her way to work. Then Libby and I had an urban day. We went to the Harvard Museum of Natural Sciences in the morning and to the MIT Museum in the afternoon. For me, the MIT museum was the better of the two. It focused on engineering, and things of interest to engineers.

Thanks much Nan and Karl.

 

 

Great Times, Great People

Melrose, Massachusetts

42 27.118 N 071 03.406 W

 

In these days we are blessed with plenty of friends and fly to visit. First up upon entering Massachusetts, was Greenfield. We spend the evening and morning with Stephan and Lori from the vessel Twin Spirits. At least that's the way Libby and I think of them. In reality, they sold their boat a few years back. They spent time land crushing in an RV, their RV was destroyed in a fire.

Anyhow, we have missed Stephan and Lori so it was wonderful to see them again. They took us to their local contra dance group last night. This morning, we went out for breakfast and the local farmers market. Stephan spotted a beautiful used accordion in the window of a music store. "isn't that what you have been looking for Dick?" he said. Yes it was. I wound up buying it. I miss making music on the boat. I tried several other instruments without success. An accordion has always been my favorite. But it has been 45 years since I played it; I have some relearning ahead of me. (Apologies, I fort got to take any pictures from that visit.)

We drove past my boyhood home in Medford, Mass and also the home of my grandparents. I was surprised that just seeing those places triggered some memories, it has been 63 years since I was there.

Now we just arrived at the home of my sister Nancy and her husband Karl.

We also hope to see Bob and Sandra from the vessel Carpe Diem before heading north.

 

Windhall Brook

Windfall Brook, Londonderry, Vermont

43 09.499 N 072 40.009 W

Sometimes it is amazing how strongly weather affects ones attitude. Yesterday was one of those splendid days when nobody would consider a negstive thought about anything. The temperture was cool, the sky was blue, the humidity was low. A slight breeze rustled the leaves. The views of the mountains were splendid. Visibility must have been at the maximum.

Itwas the kind of day when Libby and I revel at eing out on Lake Champlain. But yesterday we were in the car and we navigated Vermont's Route 100. 100 is the road that winds down Vermont's cental valley. The green Mountains were on our right, and other mountains on our left. Traffic was negligible. The whole thing was lots of fun.

The extent of the damage lingering from Tropica Storm Irene is amazing. Every where we looked repairs were underway. Sme of the repairs may be because of the more recent flooding. It seems like every time we crossed the river, it was on a brand new bridge. Amazing.

The National Forest Service camp site here is very nice. Lucious lawns and a babbling brook set the ambiance. Most Forest Service campgrounds we visited this year were simple, self maintaining, and staffed only by a volunteer camp host. This place though had lots of fancy buildings, dedicated vehicles, and numerous employees. Quite an empire.

Repeating History

South Burlington, Vermont

Yesterday was our anniversary.  48 years ago yesterday we were married in Fayetteville, NY.  48 years ago today, Libby and I set out on our honeymoon.  Our plans were vague, our heading was toward Maine.   Today, Libby and are are setting out again.  Our plans are vague, our heading is toward Maine.

Dick and Libby, July 24, 1965

In 1965, we drove a Ford Falcon (named Gert) and we towed behind us a teeny-tiny camping trailer something like the one in the picture.   Our budget was modest because my summer job paid only $1.15 per hour.  I recall that we saw Eastern New York and Vermont for the first time, and that we were very impressed.   I also recall that we wanted to go to Acadia National Park, but instead we found so many fun things on the coast of Maine that we never got there.  We were especially charmed by Boothbay Harbor.   (In two subsequent vacation trips, we targeted Acadia, but never got there because once again we found too many fun distractions on Maine's coast.  In December 1993, we finally got to Acadia but when we got there it was freezing cold and we were the only people there.)

Teeny tiny trailer\

1960 Ford Falcon wagon, looks like Gert

In 2013, we drive a Ford Taurus, and we have a tent instead of a camping trailer.  We are also likely to get to and beyond Acadia.   We'll hit VT, NH, MA, and ME.  We are also attracted to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and the Saguenay Fjord in Quebec.   However, we're a bit gun shy about Canada because expenses there are so over the top.  I checked on camp sites in those provinces.  It would cost us $40 or more per night to tent, or $120 or more per night to stay in motels. (In the USA we paid an average of $7 per night to camp or $55 per night for motels.)

I'm trying to research whether or not wilderness camping (not in a camp ground) is allowed in those provinces.  I haven't found anything yet.

Nature or Nurture?

South Burlington, Vermont