It's been a while

Barn with the original sign at the entrance to Little Lyford Pond Camps

It's been nearly a month since I last posted. We've been traveling since August 19 and some of the places we've stayed have had no internet access. At other spots we've been so busy I haven't had a chance to post.

Right now we're at Ferry Beach, a UU camp on the coast of Maine. Dick is a vacationer and I'm taking a course on Aging and Saging. Mostly we're discussing the inevitability of death and how to prepare for it. It sounds depressing, but it's actually been very interesting. There are about 20 of us in the discussion group and the leader, a retired UU minister, is very well informed and skilled at group facilitation. The course is scheduled for the mornings and the afternoons are free to spend at the beach or relax on the porch. I've been doing a lot of knitting both during the discussions and in the afternoons. I haven't finished any projects but I've made a lot of progress on some baby sweaters. I'll be posting photos in the next day or so.

Last week we were at Little Lyford Pond Camps, a relatively new AMC property about 15 miles north of Greenville, ME, in the 100 mile wilderness near the Appalachian Trail. It's a former fishing and hunting camp deep in on logging company property.

Our cabin, Red Quill, was one of the newest on the property. We were told it had been a falling down shed that was carefully rehabbed by the AMC carpenter. It was furnished with two beds, a table and chairs, a small sink with cold water, propane lamps for reading and a wood stove that proved very useful when the temperature dropped precipitously over night.

Breakfast and dinner were served family style in the dining room. After breakfast each day the staff set out a buffet of lunch fixings which we used to prepare trail lunches. Each day Dick and I went on a hike and then spent the afternoon reading and relaxing in the sunshine or on the screened porch near the camp library. Although we did not use them, the camp provides canoes on all of the nearby ponds. Guests can hike or mountain bike to a pond and then take a canoe trip.


The first few days of our travels were spent at Poko-Moonshine Camp in the Adirondacks of New York State. We had a mini reunion there. Chuck, Sara, their four children and Jackie joined us. Counselors provided activities for the children and there was plenty for the adults to do as well. Chuck and Molly climbed four mountains to earn Poko patches. Carl, Becca and Katie rode horses. Dick and Molly took a mountain bike ride. There were also opportunities for swimming, boating, archery and arts and crafts. I'm hoping a family reunion at Poko will be a yearly event and that next year Chris and Becky will join us with the twins. Joshua, Raquel and Twigg would be most welcome as well.

The Other Coast

DH and I have been in Arcata visiting with Chris, Becky and the twins for nearly a week now. Every time I'm here I'm struck by how different it is from New Jersey. For one, we don't use a car. The market and the Plaza are within walking distance of the house. There are sidewalks everywhere so it feels safe to walk. We've been fortunate this visit with the weather. it's been sunny and warm every day.

This photo was taken yesterday. The Plaza is in the center of town and is a gathering spot for residents and the many transients who come to Arcata in the summer time. On Saturdays the Plaza becomes the farmers' market. DH and I wandered through this morning and the produce was amazing. Everything is locally grown and looks so fresh and delicious.

There is tremendous emphasis on lowering one's carbon footprint. While here DH and I recycle and compost more than we do at home. We reuse plastic bags when we go to the market and we carry everything home in a backpack. In fact, here the market charges if you don't bring your own grocery bags.

I guess what strikes me each time I am here is how accepting people are of differences. Arcata is a university town and there are plenty of well educated, upscale folks, lots of students and many people who appear homeless and panhandle on the streets. They all coexist comfortably, something I don't think would occur on the east coast, at least not in my town.

That said, while I enjoy it while I'm here, I'm always happy to get back to the hustle and bustle of New Jersey. As Dorothy so aptly said, "There's no place like home."

Back from France

We're home now and still recovering from jet lag. Waking up at 3:30 AM really doesn't do it for me especially when I have to work all day. It was a wonderful trip, walking from village to village. We have lots of photos, but they need to be sorted and labeled. That will take a while.

Re: knitting. All the pieces of Sonnet are done. I just need to sew them together. I'm not confident of my finishing skills so I have been procrastinating a bit. I'll post a photo when I've gotten it together. I did find really nice buttons in a small yarn shop in Amboise and it will feel good to have French buttons on my sweater.

Retirement is six more working days away. It's such a great feeling; a weight lifted off my shoulders. The VP offered me the opportunity to continue on an hourly basis doing those parts of the job I like best. I took her up on it.

We're still waiting for the twins to arrive. I was so surprised they weren't born while we were away, but it's a good thing my daughter-in-law is carrying them nearly to term. The risk will be lower the longer she can hold on to them.

Getting Excited

Dick and I leave for France on Friday. We'll be joining our daughter, Jackie in Orleans and will be walking from village to village in the Loire Valley. Dick has worked for weeks figuring the mileage and searching the internet for small hotels or B & B's. He's lined up all the walks and the accomodations for the first 10 days. Then Jackie will go back to Paris and Dick and I will continue for a few more days on our own.

We've done this kind of trip before using an outfitter that booked the hotels and ferried the luggage. This time we will be carrying everything we need on our backs. I've carefully selected things for my pack and it weighs about 17 pounds. I think we will manage fine.

It's a strange time for me. My last day of work is October 12 so I will work two more weeks after we return home. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up. The powers that be at the agency are already campaigning for me to stay on in some capacity doing home studies or staff training or both. I will be negotiating with them when I come back. I'm so ambivalent. I want some time off to play but doing a bit of contract work would sure help pay for my health insurance. I have to COBRA for ten months and it is really expensive!!

I'm hard at work on Sonnet. I've finished the second arm hole and am nearing the finish of the front shoulder. It's almost time to decrease for the neck. I don't think I will finish before we leave (I have to do the sleeves) and I won't be bringing it to France because everything I bring I have to carry. I'm going to bring the sock project instead because it's small.