So we spent the night in Dayton and ate dinner at a TGI Friday's.....back to boring ol' regular life....
We visited the Air Force Museum in Dayton on Monday morning. Looked at all the WWII war birds and then went to peek at the bird dog they have hanging by the Viet Nam era airplanes. They have a new section now for rockets....it was pretty interesting. I think I must have been tired or something - just couldn't get too revved up about the airplanes.....
I wanted to go home. It was time. We got back in the car and headed west. We still had 600 miles to go and I was anxious to put those miles behind us. I listened to my iPod for a bit - first time since Phil arrived in Maine last Friday. First song was All That We Let In by the Indigo Girls. Second one was A Song For You by Leon Russell.....
Dust in our eyes our own boots kicked up
Heartsick we nursed along the way we picked up
You may not see it when it's sticking to your skin
But we're better off for all that we let in
I love those lyrics...
Let's see...I was gone from home for 26 days. I traveled over 4600 miles through 22 states. I spent time with one of my oldest and most precious friends, Mena. I witnessed the marriage of her oldest son - I've known him since he was a tiny baby. I spent time with some of my newest friends - people I met on an internet forum and have gotten to know pretty well, I'd say. I say that because when I finally met them face to face, there were no surprises - just really good people and people I want to see again.
Driving home, I looked over there at my partner...the guy who lets me be the free spirit I so need to be. I'll never forget what my friend Lois Brown said to her son, "Kid! I wake up in the morning and go to work at my shoe store downtown. And when I look out of that window at Main Street I see heaven!"
I want to be that happy all the days of my life...
So Phil...thank you for letting me take this trip. I'm sure you didn't understand why I needed to take it - maybe you even wondered if it would take me away from you forever...but you've always been so good at allowing me just enough freedom to be me. Thank you. Thank you.
Visiting all those places I lived as a child...maybe I was checking to see if there was something I left behind. But, you know what? There wasn't. All of those things I lived through - in all of those places - they were just bringing me here to this place. I love my life. I have a great life.
So Phil, for you:
I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for my life - you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
We were alone and I was singing this song for you -Leon Russell
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Saturday - Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania
Saturday morning, Jim H. came down from Wolcott VT and met us for breakfast. Jim is a Purple Board member who missed our fly-in for lobster chowder because he was driving home from Pittsburgh PA that day. We had a great visit. Thanks, Jim, for making the trip. We enjoyed it very much!
We drove from Montpelier down through Rutland, Vermont and over to Lake George, NY then down through Albany and over to Syracuse. We visited the house I used to live in as a child in Camillus, New York, a suburb of Syracuse. I was surprised and pleased to find our old neighborhood was in remarkably good shape 35 years later….it was good to see it all.
From there we drove south to Skaneateles, New York….it is one of the more beautiful places on this planet. I would move there in a heart beat. We even visited the Skaneateles Aerodrome….great grass runway!!!
From there we went south to Danville, Pennsylvania. Phil wanted to see another of my childhood homes….on Old Berwick Road in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It has taken a beating over the past 35 years and looked very, very different from when I lived there.
We poked around Bloomsburg for a little bit then headed out I-80 toward Dayton.
Mom, those pictures at the top are of downtown Bloomsburg and there is one of the former Dixie's Starlight Gardens....memories.....they're so great.
Time to Leave Biddeford
We made plans to meet our brother-in-law’s sister for lunch in Freeport on Friday. We had a lot of cleaning and packing to do before we left….so we got an early start with laundry and cleaning. Phil fixed the loose screen on the upstairs window of the house we were renting and repaired the sliding glass door I had been unable to lock the entire time I was there. He’s funny – loves to fix that stuff…….
We stuffed our car full of stuff…..I don’t know where it all came from……really! Lunch with Lee was delightful. Lee lives in Brunswick and also has a house on China Lake up near Augusta, Maine. She is a photographer and a maverick like me – I love her dearly.
We left Freeport and headed west on 302….over to New Hampshire. The trees were on fire with red and orange and yellow – every direction you looked the view was just magnificent. I didn’t take pictures of it….there was just no way to capture the beauty of the scenery. You just had to be there. Our day ended in Montpelier VT where there was no room at the inn….seriously. It was parent’s weekend at the college there and all the hotels were booked. We finally found a room at the “no tell motel”….thus the pictures you see on this post….it was a scary place (think Bates Motel)….Phil was so disgusted with it he put on his jammies and went to bed as soon as we got in. I had wine and Rolo’s for dinner….
The bed was one of those squeaky ones with creepy sheets…..it was a very long night for me with Mr. Wiggly wiggling there next to me all night long.
Tuesday – Wednesday – Thursday -- More Beautiful Days
I don’t think we could have asked for more beautiful weather! Indian Summer came to
On Wednesday morning we headed north up to
All of a sudden it was Thursday…..our last full day in
Monday – Alone at Last in Maine
Phil and I were alone at last after a very busy – but very fun – weekend. Monday morning we woke up and decided it would be a good day to drive up to
After the Lobster Chowder Feast
Most of the Purple People flew home Saturday afternoon after the feast. I made sure everyone had a bag of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in their airplane before they left. That left Andy, Laurie and Christopher and Mark and Terri with us for the evening and overnight. We decided more lobsters were just what we needed and I made one more trip to the lobster pound. We cooked up lobster, corn pudding and salad and opened a bottle of sparkling wine. It was delicious and we had a great time visiting.
Sunday morning shortly after breakfast Andy and Laurie hit the road with Christo looking forward to a nap during the ride back home. Andy was a wonderful help on Saturday hauling people back and forth to and from the airport. I would have been in a world of hurt had he not driven his van up for the weekend. Thank you so much Andy for all of your great help.
After Laurie and Andy left, Mark and Terri and Phil and I took a walk on the beach. It was a beautiful day – warm and sunny. We decided to drive up to
Late that afternoon we watched Mark and Terri depart from
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
First Annual Purple Lobster Chowder Feast
After days of peace and quiet - Friday found me in a panic to get a whole lot of things done. First of all, Phil was scheduled to arrive at Manchester NH on a Southwest flight at 6:40 in the evening. The number of people coming to visit for lunch on Saturday had increased to 18 - and I had lots of chowder making to do...
I spent the morning grocery shopping and making a trip to the lobster pound. I came home and cooked up a triple batch of lobster chowder...glad I made all those cookies in advance.
My friend, Av Shiloh, from Philadelphia called me Thursday evening and asked if he and his family were still welcome for the weekend festivities. Of course they were! I even had room Friday night to let them stay with us. Av and family were flying up in Av's Comanche and he insisted on stopping at Manchester to pick up Phil - saving me a 3 hour round trip to get him. They called me when they were ready to depart Manchester for Biddeford Airport and I got in the car and drove down. I was waiting out there at a tiny little airport in the dark...all of a sudden I saw the runway lights come on (runway lights can be activated by an airplane's radio - for those non-aviators out there) so I knew Av was near. Pretty soon I saw his airplane enter the downwind leg and I watched from the ramp as he touched down. Hugs all around...Av brought his wife Irena and his twin sons Andre and Alex. We went to Olive Garden for a late dinner then came back to the house and crashed.
Saturday morning was BEAUTIFUL - it was going to be a great day! I anxiously awaited the arrival of Andy and Laurie and Christopher - they were driving up from Boston...the rest of the guests were due to arrive around 11 am at the airport in Biddeford...so there was much to do to be ready for lunch. What a great day we had! The first group in were Dave and Linda, Bob and Steve, and Jamie and Lisa. We got to see Bob do one of those fabulous landings we all do when we know half the world is watching... ; )) Nice one, Bob!!!! Shortly after we got back and started eating chowder, Mark and Terri called to tell us they had arrived. Poor Andy had to go all the way back to the airport to fetch them and Adamb arrived in the meantime...
We had a fabulous time sitting on the deck in the sunshine visiting...
Our first annual Purple Board Lobster Chowder feast was a big success!! Thank you so much everyone for making the effort!!! Phil and I enjoyed every one of you...
(Back row, left to right: Irena, Av, Terri, Mark, Adam, Bob, Phil, Linda, Dave, Jamie, Lisa
Front row, left to right: Steve, Andy, Kim, Alex, Andre - Missing: Laurie and Christopher)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thursday - Last Day Alone
Wednesday was a cold and rainy day. I spent all morning and part of the afternoon baking cookies for my company this weekend. After that I took a nap then ventured out to the grocery store to buy some brown rice to eat with my asparagus...
Today the weather man promised sunshine. I woke up to rain, but by noon the sun was shining so I decided I better walk to the far end of the beach for the first time since I've been here. The clouds were looking somewhat ominous at that end, but I wasn't too afraid. I couldn't believe how messy the beach was - covered with sea weed and odds and ends...it has never been like this any time I've been here before and I can only imagine the tropical storm brought lots of crap to shore with the rain and wind. Perhaps it is because of the time of year...I've not ever been here quite this late in the season. So that, combined with me taking my walk while the tide was high and wearing only flip flops for the 6 mile round trip, made for a long walk on partially eroded beach. The water is COLD, but I took off my shoes and walked near the water line anyway. Much easier walking down there...
It started to rain as I reached the far end and I turned around and walked as fast as I could the other direction to try to outrun it. That wasn't working, so I sat up on the covered porch of a vacant beach house and watched the surf...I was the only person on the beach today. I saw only one other person working on a house. When the rain eased a bit, I started walking again, this time closer to the sea wall side of the beach - until I came upon the decaying body of a dead seal....ICKY!!! Sorry, no picture of that. I went back to the water after that...it felt cleaner down there.
Made it back safe and sound and now the sun is shining brightly again. Chilly wind today, too. It is definitely autumn in New England! No sea glass out there either...but I may have been walking too fast to see it. I'll go back to the rocky part of the beach this afternoon at low tide and look for more sea glass...
Tuesday - Flying with Andy
On Tuesday, Andy R. flew up to Biddeford and picked me up at the airport! It was my first flight in a low wing airplane (other than old warbird trainers and the P-51). It was pretty fun. Andy was exactly as competent a pilot as I imagined he'd be - very relaxed in the airplane - very smooth - no surprises.
We flew up the coast to see the area where I'm staying from the air, then farther north almost to Brunswick and back down to Sanford for lunch at the Cockpit Cafe. I think I may have talked Andy's ear off...I haven't been around people for a few days and I found I had a lot to say.
Thanks, Andy, for a great day in the air. Looking forward to this weekend with all of the PB people!
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