Vermont 2000

July 3, 2000 - Family Fun

This was the first full day of Evans. My Uncle Chuck and Mom aren't the best of friends and having them both together is a treat. My Aunt Ginny brought all the diaries that my Grandfather kept while he was alive. It was great reading through the entries "Took Chuck for inoculations. Dropped new bomb on Japs." "Went to funeral. Went bowling." "Bad hangover"

Mac is quite the host and he makes each meal an event. Table cloth, placemats, everyone sitting together. Even for breakfasts we all sit together. It's really sweet.

Mac and Ginny gave up their wonderful bedroom for Jules and I. I had a great sleep and feel better than I have for a few days.

Mac made a clam-bake for everyone; littlenecks, steamers, shrimp, lobster and corn. Although I didn't go for the bivalves, the rest was wonderful.

High Point - Eating steamers (Julie) Metal detecting with my Aunt and Uncle in the cellar (Laurie)

Low Point - Deer flies (Laurie) Smashed bugs on head (Julie)

July 4, 2000 - da ferth

Mac went down and bought fresh doughnuts for breakfast for everyone. Not that we had only doughnuts...eggs, sausage, bacon, juice rounded out the meal and our bodies.

Mac shot off his starter cannon in honor of the 4th and to get relief from all of us begging him to shoot the thing. Huge boom! It was definitely worth the nagging.

Jules, my mother and I walked over to a cemetery near here. Jules and I loved the name Thankful that was given to several generations of girls. Couldn't come up with a nickname for Thankful though, so I guess that's why the name lost popularity.

The family played Scruples in the evening. Interesting to see how well we thought we knew each other.

July 5, 2000 - Civil Servants

My mother cooked a wonderful breakfast of fresh blueberry pancakes. After breakfast Jules and Dede exercised and I took a nice walk down the dirt lane across from Ginny's house. It was the first time since I've been here that I wasn't deluged with Deer Flies the second I stepped outside.

Jules and I went into Andover to the Vermont Country Store. Souvenirs for Jake and Scott, lotions and potions for Julie, some laundry stain remover for me.

I had asked Julie if she wanted to have a Civil Union ceremony while we were here in Vermont. We read a story about the process while in Maine and were worried that the County Clerks here in Vermont would be less than thrilled to help us. Ginny offered to call the clerk and figured out what we needed to do and who would be nice. Chuck, Sue, Dede, Julie and I went down to the Chester County Clerk and registered as the 2nd Civil Union in Chester. We have to have a Justice of the Peace perform a ceremony to make it official.

Chuck and Sue made enchiladas for dinner and Jules rounded the meal out with Cuervo Gold margaritas.

High Point - Walking in the woods without flies bugging me.

Low Point - worrying about the reaction of local clerks

July 6, 2000 - The Girls from Ames Hall

Julie and Dede decided to find a way to recycle all the cans and bottles we've been generating. The recycling efforts here in Vermont are much less than in any other state we've visited. In spite of a $.05 bounty on each bottle, most find their way to the trash can.

Our next event was a trip to my mother's college, Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. We started by making a wrong turn, but this just extended the adventure. Poultney, VT is a poor little town that seems to be struggling to turn into a college town. Green Mountain College has turned from a 2-year women's college to a 4-year coed college. Dede was a bit shocked to see that the dress code of 1954 had been left behind. "I don't like this at all," was her reaction to a young man with greasy dreadlocks.

We made our way to Dede's dorm, Ames Hall and talked to a couple of girls who were current residents. Dede sang her old dorm song to the girls to illustrate how far they had come.

"We are the girls from Ames dorm
Lots of pep and lots of form
Lots of style and lots of grace
Never a curve that's out of place
We always dress in the latest style
We greet the boys with a great big smile
You'll be the luckiest guy of all
With a girl from Ames Hall
We Ames to please"

Dede and Julie made their way to the forth floor of the dorm to see Dede's old room. From the description, the rooms had not been cleaned or repaired since 1950, so Dede was able to enjoy her college memories without being shocked by change.

Pizza from Wicked Good Pizza finished off the day. Delicious!

Quote of the day:

"5th letter of the alphabet and what you would call the things you eat on if you had a bad lisp."

Clue given by Ginny to describe the name Edith (Piaff)

July 7, 2000 - Union

Julie and I stated the day with a great walk down Blanchard Road. We talked about what we would say to each other during the Civil Union ceremony and warmed our cold feet.

The family that rents Ginny and Mac's house during ski season came to visit. Really nice people. It was interesting to see their reactions to a house that they have known for 15 years. The kids were all right at home and immediately fell back into the games that they play each winter.

At 10:30 we left Ginny and Mac's house for 90 Kirk Meadows Road. Ginny, Jules and I had tried to find the house the evening before and got close but we didn't know exactly where we were going. We also did not know who or what we would find. I had spoken to our Justice of the Peace briefly on the phone, but we had chosen him because I liked the sound of his name. We hoped that he would be OK with the idea of performing a Civil Union ceremony, and he said he was on the phone, but reports in the papers of people quitting jobs and being angry made us nervous.

When we arrived at the house we saw that a Justice of the Peace sign had been placed by the side of the road, and the healthiest gray cat you've eve seen was sunning herself on the ramp. Matthew and his parents came outside to greet us, and all our worries faded. The McDonald family could not have been kinder or more welcoming. They brought chairs out into the beautiful garden, and Matthew did a wonderful job with the ceremony. The man with the nice sounding name had an even nicer personality. I will remember this day in a special way because of the wonderful way we were treated by Matthew and his parents.

Julie and I spent a couple of hours looking at land in Vermont, but didn't find anything great. Spectacular descriptions in real estate magazines, ended up being just OK.

My cousin Jill arrives tonight and I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

July 8 - Maxin and relaxin

This morning, like each morning before in Vermont, Mac made us all a deluxe breakfast. Jules and I kicked back all morning then took a trip to the perennial gardens in Andover. Like so many small businesses on the east coast, this garden business was started when neighbors saw what a great gardener this guy was. He has taken 22 acres of woods and turned half of them into beautiful gardens.

Naps, reading, short walks, good food.

July 9 - Jenny Brook Farms

Jules and I left (after breakfast) in search of two things, land to buy and a place I could take a short walk. We headed first up Andover Ridge Road and soon discovered that this area is the site of $75,000 per acre lots. Next!

We found a sign for a Forest Service campground and followed the road past our dream home, Jenny Brook Farms. This home site was built in the 1870's and has been restored beautifully. A pond, river behind the house, terraced gardens, a beautiful old barn. If only it had been for sale.

We took a great walk in the Weston Forest Service campgrounds. Moose tracks, snakes, vermin and pretty wildflowers.

In the evening Mac made lamb chops and we played the name game with Mac, Dede, Ginny and Jill.

We'll be sorry to have to leave Vermont without having found a piece of land to buy. It's a great place.

July 10 - VT to RI

After (another) Mac breakfast we cleaned, packed, and left for Rhode Island. We missed a turn on the way and spent about an hour and a half driving back and forth between Massachusetts and Rhode Island on the 95. Three gas stations without maps and we called Ginny in Vermont for help. En route we realized that we had forgotten Angie's dog food in Vermont. Crisis! Mac came to our rescue by following with the chow.

Once in RI we gave Angie a bath then let her play with the neighbor’s dog, Kendall. Danny and Barbara have moved into my grandmother's old house and it is much nicer to see her old house filled with life. Last year when we were in RI, I couldn't bear to go in my grandmother's house. Now I can look over and remember her and remember the fun I had in that house.

Mac made dinner for Julie and I and I went to bed early.

Low Point - being lost and unable to buy a map

High Point - sandwich from Lisai's market

July 11 - Beavertail

We headed to beautiful Beavertail so Julie would not be branded with the shame of missing out twice. Lunch at the deli recommended by my Uncle Chuck and a few more souvenir shirts for the boys.

We arrived at TF Green at noon for a 2:00 PM flight. I tackled getting our loads of luggage to the counter while Julie returned the rental car. Because I'm disabled, Alamo bought our car to us instead of making us travel to the office when we arrived. Jules had no idea where the office was and had to rely on her impeccable intuition to find her way. I got in the airport and looked immediately for a Sky Cap. One came and helped me get the bags to the ticket counter. When I offered him a tip, he refused.

Excellent mullet sighting while waiting for our flight to leave. I think this may have been a want-to-be Euro mullet (see Mullet II classification) because of his very tight clothing. You could tell his religion without trying.

Interesting seat companions on the flight from Providence to Nashville. We have an 18 year old girl who splits time between her Dad in RI and her Mom in Nashville, and a newly rich 40ish gay man. He sold his dot-com company to the Gap 9 months ago and has just purchased a second home on the Cape. He's returning for his mother-in-law's funeral and to sell her place in SF. He figures he can sell her house in SF and clear 2.3 million.

Our flight from Nashville (via LA) to Sacramento is also stopping in Tulsa, OK. Our flight this leg is full of interesting characters. There is one (non-disabled) woman who used a wheelchair in order to pre-board. Sounded like a good scam until she got seated next to a woman with severe dementia and her drunk son. The woman was very combative when she boarded the plane, but the combination of Goldfish crackers and the high dose of tranquilizers her son gave her have calmed her right down. There are also gobs of kids flying from one parent to the other. I'm willing to bet that anyone would rather have Angie as a seatmate than most of the other passengers on the plane.

Nashville airport wins as the airport with the most through security checks for disabled passengers. Providence wins as the airport who knows how to and not to, deal with assistance dogs.

Turns out our diversion through Tulsa was because of a sick passenger. Southwest handled the whole thing in a wonderful fashion. "We're stopping long enough to get gas and directions." was the party line. On this leg the woman with dementia has talked her son into getting her carry-on bag. Her bag is like Fibber McGee's closet, packed with random paper, bottles of pills, empty toothpaste tubes, huge bottle of Listerine, loose credit cards and more. One bottle of tiny pills spilled and the son crawled under the airplane seats in an attempt to gather up all the lost pills. Mom then spent the next three hours curling her hair with an invisible curling iron, and begging her son to let her off the boat. "They don't have adequate life preservers!" Finally the drugs took hold and she fell asleep. When we landed in Sacramento Mom refused to leave the plane. Well, now we were in an ice cream shop and they were serving us free ice cream and milk shakes, so you can see how she would want to stay.

Ronna picked us up at the airport and Jake helped load the tons of luggage into the house.

Quote of the day: "Gosh, she's kind of flushed. I've never given her this high a dose, but she was driving me crazy." - by the son of the woman with dementia

June 12, 2000 - Reality check

The pool contractor has left a mess. The phone is broken. Plants are dead. Garbage is overflowing. Mail is stacked up. But the animals are happy, thanks to Mary; and Jake took good care of the house in spite of a hectic work schedule.


Trip Road Kill Log
Porcupine - 7
Deer - 1
Chipmunk - 1
Duck - 1
Muskrat - 1
Cow (blind) - 1
Skunk - 4
Frog - 1
Salamander - 1
Beaver* - 2

*It's illegal to shoot beaver in Vermont, but if you shoot them then toss them in the road...

Maine Trip Blog

June 23 - Capital Idea

We managed to see 5 state capitals in 1 day: Sacramento, Phoenix, Austin, Nashville and Providence.

High Point - cranberry-apple juice spiked with vodka on the leg from Nashville to Providence (Laurie), working out at the Capital Athletic Club before leaving Sacramento (Julie)

Low Point - Arriving in Providence RI at 10:30 and being told that the Marriott can not find our confirmed reservation.

June 24 - Crash of the Cone-heads

Only 2 state capitals today, Augusta and Providence. The drive to Harrington, Maine was beautiful and went by quickly. We bought groceries in Ellsworth, where we met a woman on the waiting list for a CCI dog. Angie was the first "real" Service Dog she had seen in the flesh.

The house and the property are more beautiful than the pictures. Acres of balsam forest on one side, Flat Bay and a tidal marsh on the other. The house was built in the 1800's and the floors rock and roll along the paths of centuries of use.

Quote of the day: "You girls sound like you're up from the south"

High Point - Arriving at the house

Low Point - Call from Jake to let us know that the contractor has decided to change our agreement and plaster the pool MONDAY! Grrrrrrrr

June 25 - Ladies of Leisure

Since it was Sunday, we felt compelled to take a Sunday drive. We headed north and went as far as Cutler, then meandered about along the shore on the way home. I figured that we could take a short cut across the bay at low tide and thus prevent miles of backtracking, but Jules wimped out and insisted we drive on the road instead. I saw tire tracks across the tide pools so I know that this route is used by locals.

We had lunch at Helen's restaurant and took in the local color. Jules had the crab roll and I opted for the deluxe (with lettuce and tomato) “hamburg”.

On the way home we visited a blueberry barren. This is the California equivalent of visiting a mowed alfalfa field.

The clouds have rolled in and it has gotten cold enough to justify a fire. The only thing missing is a moose at the kitchen window.

Interaction of the day:

Jules: Are we in the right place?

Neighbor: I don't recognize you. Where are you supposed to be?

High Point - Sunday drive (Jules) Exploring the woods and finding a field of wild blueberries (not ripe yet) (Laurie) Dinner (Angie)


June 26 - Democrats revenge

We started early for the Canadian border, heeding my mother's advice that "it's too far to go". We arrived at the border in an hour and a half (including stops).

In spite of Julie insulting the border patrol officer, we were allowed access to the Roosevelt Campobello Provincial (NOT state) Park. We took a tour of the Roosevelt summer cottage, and saw the dock where Franklin D. Roosevelt was taken off the island when he was "struck down with infantile paralysis". It can't have done him much harm though, because it was only a few years later that he lied to Rudy Krebs and didn't give the service men a raise.

The beaches and views from Campobello Island are stupendous. The Bay of Fundy is known for the large number of whales that feed there. We looked and looked and finally met 2 women who had heard a whale spout, and 1 man who met someone who had heard that people saw a Minke whale just yesterday. Good enough for us. Check the box, and move on.

We crossed back into the US after assuring the US border patrol that our rental car was not stolen. Next stop the 45th latitude. Yes, right here in Maine you can be at the same latitude as Southern France, China, and thousands of other places. We also saw the Easternmost Mexican food restaurant and the red beaches at Perry.

Dinner (pizza) at Big Fat Johns Wife. We arrived home to find that some over zealous Mainer had mowed down all the beautiful wild flowers that surrounded the house. It now looks like we are renting a house on Pebble Beach. Not horrid, but not the same.


High Point - Picnic of Fish and Chips on Campobello Island

Low Point - Mowed flowers


June 27

We awoke at 6:00 to the sound of a tractor mowing the rest of the wild flowers. Jules talked to the tractor driver who said he had been hired by the owners to mow the entire property. True to his word, all 50 acres have been cut to the ground. The trees, at least those too big for the tractor to push over, and granite boulders survived, but other that that the property looks like a new recruit at boot camp.

We started the day with a great breakfast at The Sea Hags, a restaurant run by a mother and daughter "from away". We had planned to go canoeing right after breakfast, but our conversation with the owner sent us in another direction, Beal's Island. The older Sea Hag owns a great house on Beal's that used to be the town grocery. Above the grocery is an apartment that has always been used by newlyweds, until their own house was built. The older ladies in town still like to visit the apartment and "remember the day". The apartment overlooks the harbor and rents for $300.00 per week. A great place for a future visit.

While on Beal's we also visited the younger hag's place, a boat dock named Fish Hawk. The ship, the Fish Hawk was anchored beneath the pier when it went out of commission. This place is one of the few pier houses that doesn't discharge sewage directly into the bay and instead uses an incinerator toilet. Hag told us that when she bought the place the Realtor told her SHE could never live in the place because she's from away, so "we don't want YOU dumping sewage into the bay and ruining our clams". Seems feces from those born and bred in Maine are just a touch sweeter than those from outsiders. Makes you want to have a big bowl of chowder, doesn't it?!

After touring Beal's we went to Cathance Lake and rented a canoe. This beautiful lake is dotted with "camps" but we only saw 3 people the whole time on the lake. The trout swimming around our boat were big and cheeky. When we went swimming one pecked my leg. Around 4:00 we started hearing loons, first one, then calls started back and forth across the lake. What a surreal experience, alone in a canoe, not a person in sight, loons crying in the distance. As we pulled back to shore a thunder-storm hit. The storm lasted only the 45 minutes it took to get home. The rain left and we enjoyed an evening bar-b-que.

High Point - Canoe trip (Jules/Laurie). Playing with black Lab, Calvin at the canoe rental place (Angie)

Low Point - Driving on Beal's Island (Jules). Jules had to give up the driving after a local honked at her for driving too slowly and stopping in the middle of the road.
The first 5 minutes of the canoe trip (Laurie).

June 28 - Quiet Urp

Today we left Cutler harbor at 9:00 A.M. for a trip to Machais Seal Island. We had talked to Capt. Andy on Monday afternoon and again Monday night regarding taking Angie on the boat with us. He had never had a dog on board, never heard of a Service Dog, and the idea of a crazed dog yapping and scaring away the birds was not his idea of fun. I assured him that Angie would behave and told him that if anyone complained I would pay for their trip. He was still nervous.

Angie, Jules and I boarded the skiff at the "sand beach" in Cutler and road out to the Barbara Frost, the boat we would take out to the island. Angie had to jump aboard the boat from the bobbing skiff. Seems like no biggie, but this was a three foot jump UP to something she wasn't sure about. It only took minor coaxing to get her to do it. Once aboard she tucked under the bench and we waited for the other guests to come over.

The Capt. is a native Mainer who works as a commercial fisherman during the winters and runs a tour boat during the summer. If there is another person as passionate about Maine, birds, wildlife or nature, I'd be frightened to meet them. Capt. Andy got so excited about spotting birds that several times he left the helm to run back and announce a sighting. "Look a male eider!" "Oh my God a myrr!" The other birders were almost as excited and kept asking about species and telling about "the time I saw a _______" I know how other people feel when I talk about dogs. "Blah, blah, blah, Ginger."

After about 30 minutes one of the other guests announced, "Hey, there's a dog on the boat!" "A Puffin, a Puffin!!!" We saw Auks, Razorbills, Myrrs, Eiders, Puffins, Terns (common and some other kind) and even some Sea Gulls. Very cool.

By the time we arrived at the island Jules and I were both seasick. We opted out of the skiff ride over to the island and I slept while Jules wretched. I slept so well that I didn't realize that I was getting a wicked sunburn. When the Capt. got back to the boat he decided to extend the trip and I thought Jules was going to cry. I'm thinking that he can make extra money by helicoptering out the sick passengers. In spite of the heaves, it was a beautiful and wonderful trip.

Back in the harbor, Angie got off more smoothly than she got on, and Capt. Andy was very proud of her behavior, and of his being brave enough to risk a dog on board. "Tell all your friends that Angie was the only dog I've ever had!" Now you know.

I did laundry in Machais while Jules heaved in the park across the street. After a few hours rest we were recovered enough for dinner. Tonight we ate at The Sea Farer's Wife, a great place in Jonesport. Huge amounts of food for a great price. Next door is The Old Salt, the place the locals eat.

High Point - The start of the trip to Machais Seal Island (Jules). The excitement of Capt. Andy (Laurie) Playing with Happy (yellow Lab) on the beach after the trip (Angie)

Low Point - Being sea sick

Eavesdrop of the day (heard at the Sea Farer's Wife)

Customer: I'd like a glass of wine.

Waitress: We don't serve alcohol, but you're welcome to bring it with you.

Customer: (annoyed look)

Waitress: There's a market about a mile and a half down the road. You can go get some and bring it back and drink it with dinner.

Customer: I'm not that desperate, yet.

June 29 - Communing with the Natives

We started the day by taking a sea kayak trip. Our guide was a third generation Maine guide who just purchased a Canoe and Kayak company, Sunrise Canoe and Kayak. He knew all about the area, building lobster traps, places to explore, and more.

We left out of Bucks Harbor and paddled around Bar Island and Yellow Head. I realized that the "short cut" I had wanted to take a few days earlier, was indeed a short cut, but it went to Bar island, not the mainland. It was a beautiful day. Harbor seals bobbed near where we kayaked and eagles and ospreys flew overhead.

Lunch at Melanie's Chowder House in Machias. The best food we've had in Maine. Before we left we made plans to return for a dinner.

We had been invited to game night by the owners of The Sea Hags. Every Thursday they invite the locals to eat the left over deserts (for free) and play games. This Thursday Clifford, a native of Jonesboro, was the only true local. Marion, has been here for 10 years, but is "from away", the other guests were actor friends of the younger hag who live in LA, and their sister from New York. We ate apple crisp and laughed until our sides ached. Clifford was as Maine as they come, and although he's retired, he might consider renting himself out to tourists.

One of the best parts of game night was seeing the first live mammal, other than Angie or a chipmunk, since we've arrived in Maine. A huge skunk was poking around right outside the door.

High Point - Sea kayaking (Jules) Game night (Laurie)


June 30 - Downeast with the Dickson's

Since this was our last full day in Washington county we decided to kick back a bit. We slept in and puttered until around 10:00, when we decided to go and visit our neighbors. These were the people who we had first met when we arrived (actually we arrived at their house first) and they had asked that we stop by. Before the doors to our car were closed the front door was opened and we were invited inside. It turned out that the house we were visiting was one of the first 3 that were built here on Oak Point (ours was #2). Katherine, the mother of David who we had met earlier was a direct descendent of one of the early pioneers in Harrington and she told us her entire family history and the history of all the other families in the area.

To Julie's delight, David's wife had actually spent a year in California. Not just in any part of California, but in Redlands! They waxed nostalgic over Redlands High School and the glory that is Redlands. She then showed us her wonderful art. She is a painter who specializes in comparative religion and culture. The huge piece she was working on incorporated the ancient religions of Mesopotamia. Very cool.

David offered to take us out on his boat, but the weather today was stormy and we're leaving too soon to take him up on his offer. Maybe next year.

We headed next to Connie's Clay of Fundy, a great local pottery shop. Then to a local Maine basket-maker. The basket maker and his friend, who was hanging out with him, had such thick Maine accents that it was hard to understand them. Worth the price of a basket just to listen to them speak. Next we headed to Cathance Lake to indulge my fantasy of having a "camp" in Maine. We looked at several great properties that were for sale, but left without making a down payment.

Dinner? Melanie's Chowder house again. Wonderful food! Tonight we had a HUGE family from Ohio as dining companions. They were very unsatisfied with Maine as a state and kept bemoaning the fact that they could have stayed in Lake Superior longer. Jules and I both agreed that if we had acted like anyone in the group of HUGE Ohio-ites, our mothers would have told us to "Sit there and enjoy yourself...or I'll know the reason why!" Our mothers were right.

High point - tea with the Dicksons

Low Point - the voices of the HUGE people from Ohio

July 1, 2000 - Good-bye Maine

Last morning in Maine. We took a walk to Eden, the house that used to be owned by Katherine Brown's (Dickson) sister. Eden was a wonderful house on the north side of the point. Unlike many of the older houses here this one was built with lots of huge windows that looked out over the bay. Katherine's sister was an artist and she used Eden as a studio when she worked for the WPA.

We drove south on Route 1 and decided to stay at the Newagen Inn in Southport (near Booth Bay Harbor). The Inn was built in the 20's and is still filled with the grace of the pre-World War II era. Large lawns sweep down to the sea on both sides of the point. There are two pools, one fresh water and one salt water.

We had a great dinner at Robinson's wharf (crab and lobster rolls) and went to bed early.

July 2, 2000 - Greeting the Inland Empire

We left Newagen Inn at 9:00 after a good breakfast overlooking the bay. We continued our drive down Route 1 to the base of Maine, stopping in Freeport to visit L.L. Bean. Freeport is a shoppers Mecca. There are outlet stores for every company that you can think of and Bean's is the largest. We left a few hundred dollars in Freeport then headed inland towards Vermont.

We arrived at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Weston Vermont around 5:00 P.M. Dede, Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sue, Ginny and Mac were there to greet us. The house is around 200 years old, but has been redone and is in great shape. Beautiful view to the woods and pond below.

Record number of times the sentence "I have/had a dog just like that." has been heard in one hour - 4 at LL Bean in Freeport Maine