The American Toads have returned – this one lives on the path out to the driveway and the car. I have to watch where I’m putting my feet, and have faith that it hides somewhere where I won’t step on it at night!
Toad Season
Coming and Going
This weekend was the memorial for one of my fellow former teachers. There were two columbines freshly planted in the flower bed of the Weathersfield Center Church, where the community gathered to remember her life; among other things she was noted for her love of gardening. She taught in our school, was a poll worker at elections, was active in the Historical Society, serving as president for a number of years, participated in Green-up Day, and that only scratches the surface! She lived long enough to welcome a great-grandchild into her life with joy, so there were four generations at the service.
Then today, at the same venue, we had a baby shower for a young couple in town – with a lot of the same people attending, although not nearly as many. One of the activities was potato printing or painting onesies for the impending infant – this child will start their life well dressed!
So while it is with sadness that I recognize the departure of someone so important in our community, it is with joy I await the arrival of another of the next generation.
Forsythia
This has been an amazing year for forsythia in New England! Usually this far north, the buds freeze, and only those protected under snow give blooms. This year, everything is blooming! The above photos were taken while I was in New Hampshire last Tuesday; the ones below are from Vermont.
I’m not a huge fan of pruning forsythia this harshly; I love the flow and grace of a more wild plant. Clipping to increase bloom or keep it out of the way is fine, but don’t go too far!
May Waterfall
The local waterfall, photo taken the first day of May.
I have so much catching up to do – I’m going to see if I can at least get through what I have stored through this weekend!
Completed Child’s Sweater, and Associated Travel
I completed the above sweater (to go with the hat previously done), sewing on the button Monday morning and then hopping in the car to drive the set, along with a couple of other items, over to Portland, Maine, for the Friends School auction. Hopping in the car was all well and good – but the battery wouldn’t start it! So I transferred what I’d planned to take to Portland to the camper, and drove that instead.
I was also able to visit one of the Quaker Knitting Goddesses; we drove around together, and ate ice cream, and stopped to visit another couple of friends and hear about their trip to Ireland. Then I headed to New Hampshire, and another Knitting Goddess; we went out to dinner, then spent some time in the house where she’s staying – on a farm, full of artwork; we conversed later than we should have, but it was a good visit.
In the morning we went to where the house she’s hoping to buy is, on a lake, to meet with her realtor and an electrician. It’s a cute house, small but with a large screened porch facing the lake; I was going to take photos but the heavens opened, and thunder crashed, and lightning flashed – but as long as nothing awful happens to stop the sale, I’m sure I’ll be back there! After that, we went to brunch with yet another Knitting Goddess; I’ve not really visited with her since before Covid, and it was great to compare notes and catch up. Back to the temporary house, and I headed for home in the early afternoon.
Yellow Comes to Vermont, and Trip Statistics
Daffodils are blooming, and forsythia; I don’t have a photo because the one I’m currently looking at is also in pouring rain! Again.
At the end of a trip I like to wrap up the numbers – this year (not counting the eclipse part) saw the Roadtrek driven 4,897 miles, through parts of 18 states, over 33 days – although many of those the camper didn’t move. Longest day: 696 miles. (There were many days when the camper didn’t move, as I was focused on visiting.) Five of my driving days I was able to keep it under my ideal of 300 – 350 miles a day, but four days were well over 500. $1148.65 spent on fuel. $0.00 spent on lodging – the one time I stayed in a campground where one is supposed to pay (a whopping $10) the employee waved away my money, saying I couldn’t have used that much electricity!! Well, no, I didn’t even plug in – but I was willing to pay that modest amount for a quiet, level and safe place to park for the night. Mostly I was moochdocking – parked with friends and relations. MPG: only 13.7, not as well as I traditionally have done with the Roadtrek, but probably trying to push it and make time hurt the fuel efficiency. I spent too much time going 65 this trip; it’s happier at 55 – 60. I often track what I spend on food, but didn’t this time. I ate a few meals out – and took some of my hosts out for dinner – but mostly I ate food from the refrigerator and cabinets.
If there is anything else you want to know, feel free to ask!
Spring Roadtrip 2024 – on to the ECLIPSE!!
Does it count as the end of the trip, when I only spend one night in my own bed? No, I guess not! I got home Saturday, went to Quaker worship Sunday morning, then left for Jericho, Vermont where my sister and brother-in-law live – and which was on the path of totality for the eclipse. I was not the first to arrive, or the last. The table was set for twelve for dinner.
I think my aunt will be pleased to note that the tablecloth was hers, as were the beautiful oil lamps. And when I arrived, one of her sons and his wife were there; another, with wife and son arrived shortly after I did. And then a family of four, parents from California and son and wife from Montreal. Ahhh – the advantage of carrying my house with me! The cousins took the spare bedrooms and the couch, the old friends stayed in a nearby motel, and I had my own bed in the Roadtrek.
Then April 8 – and the eclipse. Bruce, from California, is an eclipse follower; this was his third. We had a delicious breakfast of blueberry (from the yard) pancakes with maple syrup and jams, also produced here, and fruit salad. People visited, and early in the afternoon we went to a neighbor’s house where the party was happening. They have a large field, for excellent viewing – and the only clouds were high cirrus, so the view was unobstructed. Our hosts had decorated t-shirts for all of their family – I wish I’d gotten a photo of one of them! There were lots of pot-luck nibbles, and lots of pairs of eclipse glasses, and lots of friendly and mooching dogs. (Mooch pooches?) In addition to our group, there were probably 25 others – all in a celebratory mood. Only one couple miscalculated – they got stuck in traffic about 30 miles short, and went and found a bar with outdoor deck from which to watch, before coming on to the house.
I don’t have good enough camera equipment to actually get a photo of the event, but here is what it looked like otherwise.
These were taken during totality:
And then the sun returned!
That rock was the viewing platform for several people.
And someone had made eclipse cupcakes, too –
Then it was back to the house, and more visiting, and a light supper of a wonderful mushroom soup and bread, and four flavors of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. One family was planning to leave right after the eclipse – but watching all the red on all the route planners, and seeing that it was going to take at least half again as long, they opted to leave early this morning, instead. Wise choice! By late morning all the visitors had left, and now I’m about to.
April Waterfall
Spring Roadtrip, 2024: Baltimore to Vermont, and HOME! (For a minute, or two)
Parked in the parking lot of my cousin’s Baltimore condo, I started a trend! When I first arrived, I was the only one backing into a parking space (because my bumper can overhang the end of the sidewalk, and the nose doesn’t stick out as far); by the next evening the next several cars were aimed the same way. I spent a couple of days visiting with my cousin; my nephew and my aunt also came by to say hello. Good to see everyone. I mostly knitted, cooked some – and we binge-watched Bridgerton. On April 5 I went to Towson, where I had parked the kayak, picked that up, and admired the blooming flowers in the yard.
One of my favorite routes is up through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; as I progressed north, there were few leaves on trees, and the forsythia were blooming.
I arrived at my friends’ in Bennington at about bedtime; I did nothing more than remove the kayak and crawl into bed. The next morning was for visiting; one couple in the family compound has purchased an Airstream trailer, for horse shows and camping and eventual retirement; we had to talk about that. Then breakfast with my architect friend, and of course interesting discussions of architecture! But she had things to do in the afternoon, and I needed to get home.
I’d been warned that my driveway might not be driveable, because of the recent heavy wet snow, and I wanted to be sure I was home well before dark. Leaving Bennington, I went out past the airport; they have a very large bird.
Because the neighbor had driven up the driveway, it was mostly melted under the wheels when I drove the camper in, and I was able to drive all the way up. But this is what the car looked like!
Spring Roadtrip, 2024: Errands around Richmond
Easter Ape? Bigfoot Bunny? This character was hanging around the neighborhood where we went to pick up a stool. Today’s April 1st, and it was a busy one. I spent the morning doing laundry and showering, and then we went out running errands through the afternoon. Picking up the stool mentioned was the first. We also went to the stall my friend runs with another fabric artist in an antique mall (Buckingham Antique Mall, so they are JAM at the BAM). There is a variety of collectibles, especially antique sewing machines and old quilts. We met a customer there, who bought a solid, simple machine for her elderly mother, who wants to do quilting.
Then we went a little way down the road to The Thrifty Quaker, a second hand shop run by the Quaker Meeting we worshiped with yesterday; all profits go to local non-religious charities. I found a long sleeve cotton shirt in my favorite buttery yellow; we also walked out with a pile of 10 cent books. After that we headed to Aldi, so I could do a little grocery restocking of the camper. Then back to the house, where I trimmed my friend’s hair, loaded some things into the camper in preparation for leaving in the morning, and cooked dinner (salmon, white and sweet potatoes, asparagus, avocado). In between other things, I worked on knitting the current sweater.
I will pull out in the morning, after I pull in my electric cord, load the kayak, eat something. But tomorrow is another day – cloudy and warm, which will be fine for driving.
A Year of Kayaking 