Once my summer job ended in early October Kathy and I along with Buddy dog hooked up the trailer and headed off for a few days in Maine and a visit to Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor.
We had a great few days there and the fall color was spectacular. We stayed at the very nice and well kept Smugglers Den Campground just outside of Bass Harbor.
Maine is a beautiful place and we plan to return there for more exploring in the future.
I spent another great summer, my third one, working at Green River Reservoir State Park near our house here in Vermont. I am looking forward to a fourth summer this year.
We also enlarged our garden once again and Kathy spent many hours doing gardening and taking care of the flowers, apple trees and shrubs on the property.
It was a good summer and our garden produced lots of fresh food and salad stuff along with enough to put away for winter enjoyment.
It has been close to a year since we have posted so there is a lot to catch up on.
We took a second trip to warm up with a visit to Florida. We also got a free side trip to Boston due to weather in New York and a shortage of fuel. Once we landed in Boston it was announced that we would be staying there for the night. Fortunately there was a travel agent on our flight that pointed out to the airlines that we were not in Boston due to weather, but rather due to a shortage of fuel to continue to circle New York while waiting for a landing slot so our hotel was covered. They put us up at the recently restored and beautiful Omni-Parker House. By the way, did you know there is a Walgreens in Boston that has a Sushi Bar in it.
In Florida we stayed at The River Ranch Resort which is in the middle of nowhere between Vero Beach and Lake Wales. It was a great week that included a visit from Kathy’s brother Jim, good eats, reading and an air-boat ride. Kathy got the prime seat on the air boat. Also there was a heard of Buffalo that passed by our cabin every morning and afternoon. We also visited with my brother and his wife for a day and a had wonderful sea food lunch.
It as a great week and our trip home was without delays. Of course we came home to cold and this…
Could it be Torey or Kerry or maybe Sidney…Noooooooooooo it’s a big day for Hadley…
Hadley is six years old today and is our favorite six-year-old granddaughter…
It’s fun…
Scouring…
Here is wishing you another “BEST DAY EVER” and we hope our package gets there soon. Call me and I will tell you whats in it…
Love you
Granddad, Nana, Buddy and Charlie
Happy Birthday to Leigh
You have come along way on life’s journey…
.
We hope you have a great day and that the men in your life make you their princess…
Love,
Dad and Kathy
On The Way
For the third year in a row we left the Far Frozen North Land which is Vermont to bask in the warmth of San Antonio, Texas. We left Vermont in a snowstorm and returned to sub-zero weather, but enjoyed the 70 and 80 degree weather in San Antonio.
Kathy’s sister Mary and her husband Mike again joined us for part of the time we were there and as always it is fun to spend time with family. We stayed at the Hyatt Wild Oak Resort for the second time and really enjoyed all it had to offer:Â heated pools, hot tubs, gym and good food.
Our first adventure was a visit to a Japanese Tea Garden that was built in the Quarry District. San Antonio found a unique use for the quarries after the digging was over. The garden was started in 1917 and during World War II it was renamed The Chinese Tea Garden. It was not until 1984 that the name was changed back.
Tea Garden
Tea Garden
Tea Garden
Tea Garden
The Koi ponds were being cleaned while we were there so the fish had been removed and most of the ponds were empty which was a shame because as you can tell from the pictures they were large and would have added to the visual experience.
Kathy and I returned for a second quick visit and a delightful lunch at the Jingu House.
Of course you can not go to San Antonio without a visit to the Alamo so Kathy and I headed downtown for visit to this historic site.
Alamo Grounds
Alamo Grounds
Alamo Grounds
We took a trip out of town one day with Mike and Mary to historic Gruene (pronounced Green), Texas, for a look around and a great lunch at the Grist Mill. While there we visited the Gruene Hall which was built in 1878 and is the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas. We also did some window shopping and some real shopping in several of the unique stores there.
Inside Gruene Hall
Inside the hall there were walls of photos of many current stars who played there long before they were stars. It was interesting to see how some of them looked 20, 30 or 40 years ago.
When we were in San Antonio a year ago we visited several of the old Spanish missions and this year Kathy and I made a return visit to Mission San Jose, the largest and best restored and visited two more that we had not gone to a year ago. They were built in the early 1700’s along the San Antonio river.
San Jose
San Jose
San Jose
Mission San Juan was founded in 1731 and became a regional supplier of agricultural goods and other products including wood, cloth, iron and leather.
San Juan
San Juan
The last mission we visited was Mission Espada which was also founded in 1731.
We also visited the King William historic district which consisted of a delightful walk along tree-lined streets and the San Antonio River while looking at the old large (really large) mansions that have now been mostly restored.
Cat on Gate
Along the river
House in King William District
After our walk we had a great lunch at a small Mexican restaurant in the district that was recommended by the staff at the Hyatt.
Our last attraction in San Antonio was the Witte Museum and its collection of South Texas history and culture. Part of the museum was closed for construction and renovation, but we enjoyed the part that was open.
Restored south Texas cabin
Freight Cart
Indian Rider
Texas Long Horn
Cattle Drive
Ranch Wagon
Returning home to sub-zero temps and snow was a sad end to our warm and wonderful trip. Although the good part was returning to our critters and seeing how happy they were to see us. They also acted very needy for a few days… I guess we are lucky to have been missed.
This is what we returned to…
Front yard tree
View through back door
Merry Christmas to family, friends and all
We hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends as you celebrate, gather, join or just enjoy each other for the day.
Here are a few pictures of winter on Hardwood Flats.
Throughout our lives many of us ponder what our purpose or place in life is…and I have found mine.
It is not what I thought it would be, it is not some lofty goal or a life filled with good deeds. I, apparently, was meant to be a”Boy Toy”…and not in the usual definition or sense of the phrase. I am a “Boy Toy” for an over active Springer Spaniel (aka Buddy) and he knows my place in life. I am the yard walker, the game player and the ball tosser. Chasing tennis balls launched from the ball chunker is his favorite activity. In good weather we do this 4 to 6 times a day with 20 to 30 chunks each session. He averages about 120 yards round trip per toss which adds up to between 2400 to 3600 yards per session and this means he runs well over a mile per session. It’s not a bad job in good weather, but as I type this with an outside temperature around 2 degrees I think of what it takes to do this in the winter, layers of clothes, face mask and snow goggles and of course we do not do it as often or as long in this weather, but we still do it. We also play inside games with various toys and work on his command skills, us to him…him to us…his to us are clearly understood. We know what he wants when he drops a ball or his dinner bowl in our lap. He will also bring us his bone in the evening when it is time for it to be stuffed with peanut butter. Another adventure for him in the winter is the leash walk. I try to take him on two a night during the frozen season and Kathy and I try to walk the neighborhood 3 to 4 times a week with him. He has a great life and we…well, we enjoy being his toy…
So, if you have ever thought of being a “Boy Toy” be careful, very careful what you wish for.
Granddaughter Elena turned one on November 19th so Neil and Lori had a party for her. There were about 14 adults and a whole herd of kids.
Chilling with Papa Ross
It was a great and well-behaved party.
Elena also had her first real Thanksgiving day dinner complete with turkey and stuffing. Neil spatchcocked the turkey (similar to butterflied) and Lori made a wonderful cornbread sausage stuffing, turnip and white bean mash, and turkey gravy. Ross cooked brussels sprouts with garlic and red pepper flakes, Kathy made the cranberry sauce with star anise and a squash pie. Lori also made a yummy and pretty apple gallette with whipped cream.
In another first, Elena has been walking while holding on to someone’s hand, the coffee table or a push toy for a while but after dinner we were all amazed when she turned loose of the coffee table and walked about four feet to the chair her mother was sitting in. It was a very fun Thanksgiving!
Grand kids are smart, busy, energetic, good-looking, polite, and exhausting…
Recently Kathy and I spent several days with Leigh, Chip and Jason in Maryland and a few more with Torey, Kerry and Hadley in Virginia. We had a great trip that included play time in the park, mall and yard with Jason and a soccer game, pumpkin carving and apple picking with Hadley.
Park Fun…catch me if you can…
Apple Pickers
Score
Soccer here I come
It’s fun…
Tunnels are fun…
We had a great visit, but these kids are active from get up to bed time and just watching them in motion is exhausting…maybe even more than our own kids were to us at a young age…of course we are older now and that may impact it…
Before closing I should include Neil, Lori and Elena in this post, but since they live much closer we do see them more often. Elena is almost walking, she has taken a step or two and will walk behind a toy with a handle.
Our Second last Place 