Kristin and Kimberly

Yesterday I drove to the east coast to deliver a patio set for my brother. It was quite an experience driving in such heavy rain, then bright sun, then heavy rain, then bright sun. This is the summer that the rains are here to haunt me.

From Kimberly

On the way home I stopped at P.T.'s house to pick up the mail they have been collecting for over two months and was delighted that Kristin and Kimberly were home. Kristin is my granddaughter and Kimberly is her daughter. Yes, do the math. Kimberly is my great granddaughter. Time flies.

From Kimberly

Kim has grown quite a bit since I last saw her and she is developing a nice personality. She seems to be a delightful baby. I'm sure you'll be seeing more of her in my blog as time goes on.

Home again.....Home again!!!!!

Yes, home again and it feels WONDERFUL. It's hot. It's humid, but there is SUN everyday. JOY!!!

The Friday we were in Hingham we had a day of rest as the weather didn't permit us to do much else. Rain like you wouldn't believe! There was a pond between the camper and the street and everything was mushy. Even when it wasn't raining, the dogs came back from their walks soaking wet and again the motorhome started to get that smell assocviated with constant dampness.

Saturday was a much better day and Helen and I took the Quincy ferry into Boston and the Aquarium. It was a good day; the weather was very nice, the water calm. The aquarium was very interesting but we were a bit amused that the focal point of the whole aquarium, the huge, multi-level central tank, was a typical Florida reef. There were no cod, stripers, or bluefish. Instead, there were jacks, tarpon, snappers and other reef fish as well as several large turtles. Homesick anyone? On the way back we stopped at The Lobster Pound where we had our last meal of real fried clams.

Sunday was moving day as we spent our allotted time at Wompatuck. Each family is allowed 14 days of camping a year and our 14 days were up. I asked if we could extend as the park was only 1/3 full, but the management refuses to consider such a thing. Better to have much of the camp empty then have someone pay for extra days. Thus, we moved back to Ricky's. I was able to fix a few minor things on the camper.

Monday was a trying day. When we got back to MA, we found that an old family friend had passed away on July 21st. The service and funeral were planned for this Monday. We made arrangements to pick up Aunt Marie in Brewster and take her with us. To this end, I left just before 7:00 AM bound for Cape Cod while Helen took care of the dogs and got herself ready. I stopped back to pick her up and we headed for the service in Braintree. Charlie Harrington lived a long and fruitful life and he was surroinded with a large, caring family. Besides his three daughters, his sister-in-law and a number of her children came down from New Hampshire. It was a bitter-sweet reunion for us with Debbie Harrington Fisher who was out Junior Bridesmaid at our wedding. The whole Harrington clan was very friendly and thoughtful, After the funeral we all swarmed back to Charlie's house where a caterer had set up enough food for a lot more people than were there. It was not a sad occasion because Charlie would not have wanted that. He was held in great esteem by all and it was comforting to know that he did so well for his 95 years. Recently he has deteriorated because he lost his beloved Ellen several years ago. Helen and I were very fortunate to arrange a meeting between him and Aunt Marie just a few weeks before. We hate to lose Charlie, but are thankful that our travels brought us back in time to celebrate his life. Helen drove Aunt Marie back to Brewster, making a side trip to spend more time with her aunt.

Tuesday was another nice day and we chose to take a Cape Cod Canal cruise out of Onset. I haven't been to Onset in years, but it used to be a favorite spot of the family for the July 4th fireworks. We boarded the Viking for a three hour cruise, with thoughts of the Minnow in the back of my mind. The day was warm and the cruise delightful. The comentary was most interesting and although I spent a number of summers in that area, I learned a great deal about the canal and the area. On the way home we passed through Carver and Plympton and tried to visit an old friend, Bob Jacobson. He was not at home, but we talked with his daughter, Jennifer. She told us that she now runs the house with her husband and kids and that they built a new addition with a father-in-law appartment upstairs. Jennifer claims her dad is doing very well.

Wednesday was another off day. Helen attended to matters on her own, including another visit to her father's grave while tende to the dogs and the motorhome. We had nothing more that we wanted to do and were biding our time until Wednesday night, when we were finally able to get together with Rick and Linda for supper. Oh Boy!!! Chinese food at the restaurant in Norwell. It was great.

Thursday we were off to Florida. Fittingly, I woke up to rain on the roof and we had some rain as we departed. In Connecticut we encountered a downpour. We settled for the night in White Haven, PA. Heading south Friday Helen did soome of the driving. As luck would have it, she was driving when we caught a really bad storm. Heavy rain and gusty winds had Helen wondering if the motorhome could tip over. It was wild and wooly for quite a while, but she finally passed through. Friday night we spent at the Mayberry Campground in Mount Airy, North Carolina. This is the home of Andy Griffith and everything around here is based on the Mayberry RFD theme. LLoyd's Barber shop, Aunt Bea's Cafe, and Opie's Candy Store are examples. It was an interesting area and we may pass this way again.

Saturday we headed out later than normal and tried to get as far as we could. Again the rain dogged us mercilessly. As we got closer and closer to home, it was decided that we'd run all the way no matter how late we got home. We hit heavy rain from South Carolina all the way home. In Georgia the rain was so hard that many cars and trucks were pulling over to the side of the road. While I was driving, the diesel engine developed the same problem as we had last November, so I'll have to change the oil ahead of schedule. In fact, we got 5 gallons at Walmart in case I have to do an emergency oil change on the road.

We got home close to 12:30 AM Sunday and took in only the bare essentials, milk and coffee for the morning. Now that I'm home, I'm in worker bee mode as there is so much to be done. First I had to change the oil and filter on the motorhome. Empty much of the motorhome. Take the cover off the pool and get that working. I took the Lincoln to Brooksville to get oil sample bottles at CAT and when I came out, the car wouldn't start. I got a jump and dashed home. The A/C wouldn't work and it didn't have enough power to lower the windows. Near the house, I tried to use the wipers and the car almost died. As I pulled into the driveway, it did die, but I was able to coast into the garage. I forgot that on out last day here, Helen went to Walmart for some last-minute items and the car failed then. I drove up and jumped the car to get it home. AT the time, I just put the charger on it because I didn't have the time to fix it before vacation.

A new alternator fixed that problem. As long as the pool level was down, I decided to drop the level some more t0 do some pool maintenance. The pool is now filling and the dogs should be in it this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll be heading to Palm Bay with patio stuff for Rick. It's a set that Linda bought but it would be hard for them to get down in the car. It fit in the back of the Jeep with room so spare. That's about all for now.

Back in Hingham and it hasn't changed!!!

Yesterday Helen and I had a pretty good day meeting a friend from 40+ years ago. She certainly has aged! I'm not sure what I expected, but I know I seldom recognize the old man that looks back at me from the mirror each morning. Actually, Cathy looked good. She seems to be doing well and has her life under control. Health is okay and that's all we can ask for. Did I mention that Cathy was in the Miss Wareham Beauty Pageant of 1964? No, Then I probably didn't mention that Helen was in the Miss Quincy Pageant of 1962. I'm just the type of guy who attracts beautiful women. There's also Barb, from the Miss Iowa State Pageant of 1951 and Rita, who was so close to becoming Miss Bronx in 1949.

On the way back to MA from ME, we encountered the formidable drizzle and some fog that makes it ever so dreary. Driving down Route 128, we were about to pass the exit for the Mass. Pike. I thought how easy it would be to veer off to the right and just head for home. The dismal weather has taken a lot out of me this vacation, but I'm not alone. Back at Wompatuck State Park, the campground is still mostly empty. We hear on the news that businesses and resorts are cutting prices and adding incentives to get people to part with some of their money. We stopped at one restaurant in Auburn , Maine and spent $22.00. With my receipt, I got a coupon for $5.00 off on our next visit! They were really trying. The food was great and the service excellent, but they need more patrons.

We have a few thing that we want to do here in southeastern Massachusetts, but a lot depends on the weather. According to the lates report, Saturday and Sunday will be the only rainless days in the next two weeks. UGH!!!!

I'll cry more later on.

Maine coast in the Sun

From Maine

From Maine

This is the better view in the daylight, from the campsite we had on Sunset Point. Unfortunately, this was a travel day, so we didn't get to see too much of the area.

After we got to the next campsite, Ellsworth, Maine, we took a ride down to the ocean along one of the many peninsulas that form so many picturesque inlets. What amazed is the juxtaposition of multi-million dollar mansions next door to a run-down and cluttered mobil home.

The Saga of the Lobster Trap

Several years ago, while visiting Newfoundland, Helen purchased an authentic Newfoundland lobster trap. It had been a working piece of equipment and it showed. Two years ago, in Maine, Helen sought a smaller replica lobster trap to use for decorating purposes indoors. We looked and looked to no avail. We saw several that were being used as decoration in businesses, but none for sale. Later, I found a source on line and ordered one. Months went by with no delivery and I called. The woman in charge assured me that it would be shipped promptly. Nope! More months went by and several more calls were made. After almost a year, I canceled the order. By the way, the midget lobster trap was about $50.00 US, plus tax, shipping and handling.

In Yarmouth, Nova Scotia a few days ago we saw them again as decorations and I again looked for one to buy. We had little luck until I stumbled on one in the window of a souvenir shop. It was a decoration and not for sale, but the sales lady called the boss and asked if he'd sell it. They quoted me $65.00 ($55.00 US) and I bought it. We never actually saw one on display for sale..........until now.

Yesterday we arrived at the Hospitality Woods Campground in Ellsworth, Maine and I went in the office to register. The office doubles as a small curio shop and there near the desk was not one, but two midget lobster traps identical to the one I bought. Oh, they were a bargain you can be sure. Having one already in the motorhome you can be sure they were cheap, at least by comparison. $24.99 US! Should I get another as a spare??? The coffee mug is in the picture to give you a sense of it's size.

From Maine

BACK IN THE US OF A

We got back into the States yesterday morning after spending an evening with our friend Lorena and her family in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Between Yarmouth and Fredericton we stopped for two days in Truro, Nova Scotia to see the tidal bore, a large wave that travels upstream as the tide comes in. We we're disappointed that our "wave" was only about ten inches high. Other people in the campground went on a tidal bore raft trip on another river and caught a bore twenty-nine feet high. They got soaked with muddy water, but enjoyed every minute. Helen and I will have to catch that next trip.

In Fredericton we "camped" at the nearest Wal-Mart along with half a dozen others. In our visit with Lorena we met her daughter, Keri Ann, and SIL Rob. Of course we've seen them several times before and always enjoy their company. This time we met Lorena's sister Hazel and find her to be as pleasant as the rest of the family. She has that quality of feeling like an old friend even though we had never met.

Next,it was off to Maine. We passed through the border patrol area and were stopped and searched, as was the camper ahead of us. In fact, the going was kind of slow as the agents seemed to be more careful with everybody. We availed ourselves of cheap fuel(compared to Canada prices) and stopped to plan ahead. We opted to head toward bar Harbor, picking a campground in Harrington, Maine. The Sunset Point Campground is situated right on the coast and we had a beautiful spot. Well, it would be beautiful if we could see. The fog and rain have found us again!

From Maine

From Maine

All was going well until Helen got to thinking about the Border Patrol search and the amount of time one officer spent in the bedroom with the door closed. In fact, the other agents asked him if he was moving in. With the rear slide in, there is not a lot to check, but there was the cabinet with Helen's jewelry. Helen had to check, and she found that two of her pieces were gone. She was irate! And, that is putting it mildly. She has absolutely no recourse. She can't really accused the guy because we were not in there with him and it would be her word against his that the pieces actually existed. She stewed all night and composed a letter to the port officer voicing her complaint, but she will never see those items again nor will she be compensated. It's late in the morning now and she has calmed down......a little.

It's supposed to clear up this afternoon, so we should get a nice sunset. Tomorrow it's off to a campground closer to Bar Harbor where Helen will do her part to keep the shops open for another year.

Busy around Yarmouth

We've been having a grand time in and around Yarmouth. We visited the Cape Forchu lighthouse. Watched the CAT ferry come into port, and later leave. Of course we did some shopping and went out to dinner.

From Cape Forchu

From Cape Forchu

From Cape Forchu

From Cape Forchu

From Cape Forchu

Today we went to an Arcadian restored village and had a very good time chatting with the people there. It's run a bit like Plimouth Plantation, with the people in dress of the age, which was not too long ago for Arcadia. One woman we chatted with is the grand niece of the founder of this area and she gave us an excellent presentation. Everything is working, so the kitchens are operating. We had molasses cookies at the first house, but the woman was already working on more food for the "staff". In a second home split pea soup was in the works.

I couldn't help but feel a little aged myself as I recognized a stove similar to the one my parents had when I was a kid. I also recognized the treadle sewing machine and the wind-up Victrola.

Later we talked with a man who gave us a lot of information about boat building and lobster traps. He showed me how to build a lobster trap and even gave me some netting to use. A demonstration of an early gasoline engine was very interesting as well as the salt drying of cod and pollack. Salt cod is another thing I remember from my past.

From Acadia

From Acadia

From Acadia

From Acadia