Only One of Hundreds

Welcome to a Florida Key.... beautiful downtown Cedar Key, Florida. In back of the camera is a rather modest port & marina. Cedar Key is the second port to open in the state. It is located just 1/4 mile off the Gulf Shore, probably 75 miles North of the Tampa Bay area. Cedar Key is a very quiet island town of 750 full time residents and as you can probably guess, the "downtown" businesses are either restaurants or souvenir shops. Other than tourism on a small scale, the town's main business is the harvesting of various shell fish, Stone Crab Claws (yum), Little Neck Clams (double yum) and Oysters (triple yum). A pound of Claws will cost you $6.00. 100 Clams $15.00 - do the math, that's 15 cents a Clam. I didn't get to sample the Oysters... YET.

The 750 full time residents I mention does not include the pelicans and various other shore birds that seem to be thriving everywhere. I would guess the locals call this "Pelican Pier".

The tide is out and everything, everything on the bottom is absolutely covered in Oysters.

The day we were there we had mostly sunny skies, a 15mph wind off the Gulf, and 58 degree temperature. It was very cool making it a pleasant to walk around. Hey! We're in Florida, on the coast, in a tourist town. So what do you do? Well, if you're Becky... even though you have goose bumps, you eat Ice Cream!

What's Florida Without An Orange?

So... here in Citra, the last of this year's orange crop is yet to be picked. As I understand it, the trees get a 2 month vacation before they begin to blossom again in February. We have only been in Florida for a week or so - I couldn't tell ya if the "The Orange Shop" in Citra is a small, medium or large orange producer but here's a quick look at the behind the scene's operation. The bins in the background are all slam full of Navels.

The Navel oranges in their orchards are bigger than the grapefruit they produce. The fruit in these gift boxes that are covered in paper are grapefruit.

When you buy one of these bags of Navels (for about $14.00), you get a second one free.

Most of their crop is transported out of state. Now I know that the oranges you buy at your local supermarket are really fresh and juicy but have to tell ya... there's nothing like picking oranges from the tree, having them squeezed, bottled, and chilled on premise, and drinking fresh orange juice on the spot.

I don't know how companies like Minute Maid, Tropicana etc. can claim "fresh hand squeezed" orange juice because it doesn't taste anything like the fresh picked, squeezed, chilled orange juice we have been drinking.

We can't wait for February when the trees begin to blossom with the 2010 crop. I'll make sure to include a post of that - too bad I can't include the fragrance.

Home Sweet Home - Florida Style

Last entry to my blog was from the lake house in Swanton, MD.... and 4 inches of snow. We headed South on December 1st. Our first stop was in the Raleigh NC area to visit one of my Daughters, Cari, my two Grandkids Haylee and Nick, and my future Son-In-Law Jeff. We will see them all again pretty soon as the Wedding Bells are about to ring. And Jeff, there are a few things about your bride to be that I thought you should know.

When Cari was about 8 months old, I had her lying on her back on the bassinet as I changed her diaper. Well, I had things all cleaned up and was ready for a new diaper which was on a shelf under the top of the bassinet. In the two seconds it took me to look at, reach for, and get a diaper, Cari managed to PUSH herself right off the head end of the bassinet, and head first onto a tiled floor. Fortunately, she was mostly wedged between the wall and the end of the bassinet, so her fall was slowed considerably. But she did land on her head. The other thing you should know is that Cari NEVER crawled on all four - FORWARD. Instead, she preferred to crawl in REVERSE, and she was very good at it. I wonder if those two revelations are somehow connected? Hummmmm. In any case, exactly on her first birthday, she stood up and walked across the room (FORWARD thank God) as if she had been walking for a couple years!

Our next stop was "an overnight er" in Point South, SC pictured above. Pictured below... Spanish Moss anyone. We started seeing the moss here, through Georgia, and into Florida.

And here is where our trailer will spend the winter. Grand Lakes RV & Golf Resort in Orange Lake, Florida. This is the largest RV Park we have stayed in so far. Must be 100 acres. Very well manicured and maintained. RV sites are typically about 30 feet wide, these sites are easily 60 feet across. There are several large club houses with plenty of table for bingo or Texas Hold'em tournaments etc.. There are pool tables, ping pong tables, lounge areas and an activity schedule that fills each month should you care to indulge. The North end of the resort is on the shore of Orange Lake. There are boat slips and fishing pier but it must be the time of year - the lake level is low, hardly enough to float a boat. Perhaps some winter rains will fix that problem. And just like every other park we have spent time in, we have terrific neighbors - so far we've shared a meal with Joe and Lynn, and have met several others. Thanks George! He spent 4 hours with me trying to dial in our HD DirecTV dish.

We'll take a walk through and take some night pics of the decorations some of these folks have. I am sure ours will expand before too long.

We have been here about a week now and really haven't gotten around too much yet, but will. Our air card doesn't do a very good job out here so bear with me. I don't know if I can post this thing or not. I'll find out right now!

Do I Still Fly?

........that's a question a friend of mine asked recently. The short answer is YES to private flight, NO to commercial flights except in dire circumstances. That was the short answer. Here's the long one....

When I was 10 or 12, and bored out of my mind in mid summer, a friend and I would occassionally ride our bikes to the local airport and watch the little airplanes take off and land. I leave it to your imagination what fantasies filled our minds as we hung on the chain link fence at the end of the runway. On one of these trips we rode over to an old, abandoned, empty hanger. Not much to look at in there, but around the back of the building was the find of the summer.

picture courtesy of Boeing Aviation

What we found was the fuselage frame of a "taildragger". Aircraft you might be familiar with, like the Cessena, are classified as "trike gear", that is, two main landing gear and a nose wheel. Taildraggers have the two main landing gear and either a "skid" or a very small wheel under the tail - hence the name. Taildraggers were widely used earlier in aviation, and were the aircraft of choice for the barnstormers of that era. Got away from the story there... sorry. I use this picture just to give you a flavor of what we found and what became my favorite toy.

The engine, wings, landing gear, and skin of the airplane were all gone. All the instruments were missing and all that remained of the seats was a rotting plywood base. But the throttle control, "stick" and rudder pedals were all there. And that was all a 10 year old boy with too much imagination for one person needed. Sitting in the cockpit, I couldn't see over the instrument panel - well I could because there was no fabric, cowling, or engine blocking the view. Well, you know what I mean, right? So my first job was to fix that seat and I did that with bits and pieces of lumber, sheet metal scrap and an old tarp I found. Now, sitting there I could reach the rudder pedals with my feet and the stick with my right hand, and the throttle with my left hand. A broom stick became my machine gun. I wanted some "instruments" to help me when I was in the clouds and definitely wanted to know just how fast I was going. So I measured the the openings with twigs and snapped them off at just the right diameter, later that night at home, I drew an air speed indicator, and a couple of gauges with an arrow on them. Don't recall what they were suppose to be but I hated those holes in the panel - so I filled them up.

Next time at the airplane I was by myself. I got my instrument panel fully equipped, propped the tail up with an old gas can, got my machine gun tied down and was ready for takeoff........

And I could fly... as fast as one could imagine. That was pretty darn fast. I had brought a lunch with me that day because I knew it was going to be a long flight. I'll never forget sitting there in that WWII fighter of mine doing loops and spins and shooting down the Red Baron. I also remember how good the ride back to the base was, eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I ate it with one hand never letting go of the stick with my other hand.

That airplane and I shared many flights together and I was sure that if it had feeling, it would really have appreciated its second life with me in the air.

My love of flight continued for many years. I joined the Air Force and spent four years accruing over 2,000 flight hours mostly to and from Viet Nam - but that's another story. After discharge, and four years of college, I took flying lessons and once I had my "ticket" signed up for aerobatics training. I trained with one of the best in the San Francisco Bay Area - Amelia Reid (no kidding on the name) at Reid Regional Airport in San Jose, CA. My qualifications for aerobatics opened a whole new life in the air and over the next several years, I spent more time in the air flying inverted than I did straight and level. Each type of aircraft a private pilot wants to fly requires a "check out". In total I was checked out in Cessina C-150's, C-152, C-152 Aeobat, C-182, Beechcraft Sundowner, (all trikes) and a number of taildraggers - namely the Citabria, Decathelon, Super Decatheon and my absolute favorite, the Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 open cockpit bi-plane.

I haven't flown in years now and between then and now, have lost track of my flight log book. I believe I logged about 370 PIC (pilot in command) flight hours. Whether I was flying aerobatics solo, or had a passenger, those earlier days of static flight in back of the dilapidated hanger would come vividly to mind and yes... that's exactly how Immelmans, Loops, Aileron, Snaps and Barrel Rolls felt then... and now!

So... to interpret the long answer for you... YES I still fly (wink wink).

Can't leave the lake without showing ya this.....

Popcorn anyone? Now how many folks do you know that have their own Popcorn Machine in their own Home Theater Room? Well, here's a few pics of some folks I know that do. By the way, the screen is roughly the same dimensions as the 9:16 aspect ratio of wide screen 1080i HD projection system. The units of the ratio are in FEET! Yes, the screen is roughly 16 feet long by 9 feet high.

And here's what the "theater" looks like. All 12 seats are full leather recliners with foot rests and cup holders. Only 12 seats? No problem, this theater has room for expansion. Here's a little better view of the seating. This is the tier with 5 seats. The tier above accommodates 7 seats... with a double wide "love seat" in the center, Does it look comfortable? You bet it is!

The theater is equipped with the latest technology in HD projection and the sound system will rock your socks. I watched a NFL football game here today. When a pass is thrown you can't help but put your hands up to catch the ball. This is really a great addition to a fabulous home.

Deep Creek Lake, Swanton, MD

The fog was thick as thieves this morning but about an hour after sunrise, here's what we saw out the back windows. The lake was crystal clear and the surface was like a mirror. The foliage is way beyond peak now but the far shorelines are just beautiful none the less. (click on picture for the larger view)

We have been in the lake house for just over a week now. And even though we have approximately 10x the living space we have in our trailer, Becky and I seem to bump into each other quite often - mostly in the kitchen. We are enjoying the place no end - especially the view out the back wall of windows. Saw four deer in the front yard this morning and we see all sorts of Canadian Geese bobbing in the lake.

The trip to Swanton is too far for the kids to make for Thanksgiving considering they only have a four day holiday - but this big ole house will be filled none the less. My nephew, his wife, 3 kids, and friends, along with one of my nieces and her boy will be joining us. They are all "locals". Becky has already started the shopping list and judging by it, thank God this place has two ovens. One thing for certain, this young man is going to be cooking a Turkey. If a HAM is on the list, so be it! I hope it fits in the smaller second oven.

Uncle Henry's Pots and Pans

For those of you that don't know.... my Brothers, Sister and I are "restaurant brats". The Rainbow Restaurant in my home town, Pittsfield, MA was first opened somewhere in the 1930's (a guess) by my Great Grand, and Paternal Grandparents. Before too long, my Dad, then Uncle Tommy, then Uncle Henry all joined my Grandparents in running the place. My parents, and Uncle Henry's family, lived above the restaurant in two side by side apartments until our families grew too large. My Great, and Grandparents lived in a house on the restaurant property. So if I wasn't IN the restaurant growing up, I was ON TOP, or ALONG SIDE of it. When we outgrew the little apartment, my parents and Uncle Henry and Aunt Millie bought a duplex just a half block down the street.

I was probably about 8 or 9 years old when I really began hanging around the restaurant in earnest. I mean, all my cousins hung around when we could - it was a cool place to grow up! When I think back, it was the kitchen that enticed me the most. That, and running up and down the hallway between the tap room and dining room. But the kitchen was really, really cool. Uncle Henry ran the kitchen and my Dad and Uncle Tommy ran the bar and dining room. I loved to watch Uncle Henry and the others work, especially when it got busy. I grew to know that was a time for me to keep my mouth shut and to stay out of the way. Uncle Henry actually started to let me help out a little, sweeping floors, helping Phillipe peel onions, going down to the ice machine in the cellar with Tony the Blind man... "where's the light switch I'd ask him?".. I don't know was his reply along with a long laugh. I finally found the switch, but every time we'd go down there, I'd ask him anyway - just to hear him laugh. He was a great guy. We had our "routine". One of my other duties was to listen to Uncle Henry shout "BAR!". That was my signal to carry a customer food order out to my Dad behind the bar. There were plenty of "routines" in the restaurant.

Back to Uncle Henry! "Want to wash the pots and pans Johnny?". A bit of a preface here for those of you that don't know what a typical double pots and pans sink layout is . They were made of stainless steel and were each roughly 30" wide x 30" long x 28" deep. To their right was the landing area from the dishwasher and to their left was a drip pan. From the floor to the rim of the sinks was probably 48" or so. The rim came up to about eye level for me at that time.

So... do I want to wash pots and pans? Heck yes! That would be fantastic. Some of those pots were so big (20 and 30 gallon) that I could play hide and seek in them. I know because I did. Uncle Henry says we need to get you set up and with that he produces a wooden crate and a length of rope. Uncle Henry says, I am going to be getting busy pretty soon and won't be able to watch you so what we'll do is stand you on top of the crate so you can reach inside the sinks... And here's the part that I have sketchy memory of, but I swear I remember seeing "The Count" standing over by the bread station muffling laughs and whispering to a few waitress who were also smiling... I asked "Uncle Henry... what is the rope for?". I am going to tie one end of the rope around your waist, and the other end around the drain pipe! But why? God Bless His Soul, Uncle Henry says.. listen, those sinks are deep. If you should fall in, all you have to do is pull yourself back out with the rope!

Made perfect sense to me!

And so it was, I don't know how many times I did it but distinctly remember several or more times.. I would ask Uncle Henry if I could wash the pots and pans and he would always say yes. I would slide that crate out from under the sinks, tie the rope around my waist and the drain pipe, climb up on that crate and get busy. I never gave it a second thought, but would see guys from the bar, standing in the hall near the men's room, looking into the kitchen, laughing and returning to the bar. I think it was "Emma" (a waitress) that finally told me what was going on.

My Dad was only home on Monday and Tuesday nights and rarely smiled except for when watching The Melton Burl or Red Skelton Show on TV. But I swear, to this day I remember the incredibly warm feeling I got when my Dad would walk into the kitchen to pick up an order, look at me standing at that sink with that stupid rope tied to my waist... and smiling at me.

In case you haven't figured this out yet, let me enlighten you. Uncle Henry was the prankster of the family. Considering my very early fascination with the kitchen operations, and that I lived literally right next door to him the first 10 years of my life, I was exposed to many of his pranks and as time goes by, I will try to recount some of them in this blog.

Good Morning Deep Creek Lake............

...first note.... for whatever the reason, sometimes you can click on the pictures for a full screen view, other times not. I'll figure it out some day but until then... these pictures are clickable.

After a pretty long, exhausting, nerve racking day Sunday getting the trailer "winterized" for our one month stay at my Sister's lake house in Maryland..... this is what I saw the instant my eyes opened. The clouds were as dark and ominous as they appear, but the sun shone through a small break in them, illuminating the shoreline hills just on the other side of the creek channel. I snapped this first picture before I was fully awake.

A moment later I saw the rainbow just a bit more to the North and snapped this picture. I know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I am sure you understand, having said that, these pictures are no where near as beautiful as the actual scene was. Altogether - awesome!

But what of that opening line... a pretty long, exhausting, nerve rack..... etc. etc.. In the spirit of enjoying a good laugh at myself let me pick up on a story where, with the trailer in tow, I arrive at the end, at the DEAD END, of a very narrow residential street with the closest side street about 1/3 of a mile in back of me!

I think it was in my last post that I was congratulating Becky and I for the great job we did backing that rig into a very narrow spot, literally, in the middle of the woods. Well... hold the applause! My only option was to back that 53 foot long rig up that narrow street, parked cars, nerves racked, locals looking out their doors - was that a movie camera I saw? I could just see it now... the unwilling star on America's Funniest Home Videos!

With Becky in back of me warning off any oncoming cars, I began the process. I would get it backed up 10 or 15 feet, lose sense of which way to turn the steering wheel, and begin to jack-knife the trailer. Pull forward to straighten things out, back up 40', pull forward, back 30' pull forward.......... well, you get the picture! Finally a guy comes out of his house... were those tear streaks down his cheeks? "I drove tractor trailer for 30 years... can I help you?". I looked at him, eyes glazing over, and said, well.... as long as you are here! After about 1/2 hour we finally got that trailer backed onto a side street and he suggested that he would get his car and try to locate the house / street we were looking for. He looks out his car window and says "Stay right there - don't move... we'll be right back!". So he and Becky take off in one direction, and then the other. Finally they found our destination and Becky and I drove to it.

Once there, we unloaded, unpacked, unplugged, winterized and hit the road for the lake house - about an hour away. When we got there (here) Becky's face went blank... she had left the key in her other purse. You got it... the one back in the trailer. So off we go to get the key. And then back to the lake house. All together, we actually crossed the Continental Divide FOUR times that day. The next morning I wanted to go out on the back deck. I grabbed the sliding glass door handle and pulled it open - without unlocking it. The dammm back door was unlocked. I could have saved two and a half hours of driving, and two Continental Divide crossings if I only took the time to walk around to the back of the house and checked the doors!

Well.... I've got about five weeks to recuperate before worrying about backing that trailer out of the driveway we left it in. And I will be leaving a trail of bread crumbs from there to the Interstate when I do!

A Vacation At Home...

I really don't know what else to call this week in an RV Park in Central PA - it reminds me of an ordinary "Vacation At Home" week. Becky and I haven't been out and about a whole lot, just catching up on some maintenance issues, laundry, house...errr trailer cleaning, and walking through this incredibly beautiful park. The whole park looks just like the picture. What was interesting was backing the trailer into a space that was more narrow than the width of the trailer with the slides out. When I saw the site my heart lept, thinking to myself (or maybe I said it out loud)... sure, if this was a 22 foot travel trailer, no problemo. The site itself is generous in width, but the sweet spot, where the trailer had to go was very narrow. In the picture above, that one tree that looks like it is growing right out of the top of the RV is actually butted up against the left side of the trailer and the living room slide extends beyond it. There was no room to move the trailer to the right because of the sewer connection which is in the shadows. I couldn't back in any further because when the slide out was extended, it would be crushed by the tree. So the front of the trailer is dangerously close to the roadway.

By the way... this was the first time that Becky and I backed in without help from anyone. And I must say, we did good!

Mrs. Scarafoni and the Gasoline Powered Lawnmower

Becky twisted my arm to tell this ONE story - and while I am writing about my hometown, Pittsfield, MA, I decided I would. So bear with me....



I guess the year was 1956. I was about 12 years old when my Dad surprised me with a beginning of summer present... a Gasoline Powered Rotary Lawnmower. I mean this was the katz pajamas - state of the art - landscaping marvel. We were the early innovators of Evelyn Park. By the way, here's the house I was raised in most all of my teenage years - 24 Evelyn Park.

I could very well have charged my friends five cents a piece to take a turn mowing my lawn with that incredible machine. So the chore of mowing the lawn was a pleasure. And to get fifty cents in payment was icing on the cake.


Very early that summer my Dad asked me to take a ride with him. He drove to Mrs. Scarafoni house which was deep in a very aged residential area about 2 miles from our house. I had seen Mrs. Scarafoni at my Great Grandma and Grandma's house many times and really, I wasn't sure if she was a relative or not. I can remember thinking she was about 110 years old. Doesn't matter - all my Grandma's friends and my folk's friends were just as tight as family.


So Dad stops in front of her house and says "I want you to mow her lawn every week this summer. Don't bother her, just mow the lawn and I will pay you $1.00 each week". A few days pass and I told my Dad I was going to mow her lawn today. He said good and that he would give me $1.00 when he got home from work.


"But Dad.. aren't you going to drive me there?".


The answer was NO... "the lawn mower has ball bearing wheels so you can wheel it there, mow the lawn, and wheel it back - that's why I am paying you $1.00 for mowing such a little lawn."

What the heck.. no big deal and so every week that summer I would push that lawn mower the 2 miles back and forth, and every week my Dad paid me $1.00. It was toward the end of summer when my Dad came home one day hopping mad - at ME!


He started yelling which always preceeded the spanking - he had hands like a catcher's mit and had a way to spread the force over my butt. The balling out went something like this....

"I have been paying you $1.00 a week, every week this summer because you kept telling me that you were mowing Mrs. Scarafoni's lawn. I picked her up at your Grandma's house and gave her a ride home ... and what do I see? A jungle... NOT a lawn... A JUNGLE! What do you have to say for yourself... and by the way, you're grounded for a month and will not get a penny allowance until you pay me back all the money I have given you!"


BUT DAD! I HAVE BEEN mowing her lawn. I HAVE.


He says "Get in the car - we'll see about that". And so we drove over - my Dad stopped the car and started yelling again. When I could I said... this is NOT Mrs. Scarafoni's house Dad - THAT one is, pointing to her next door neighbor's lawn which was manicured with my famous cross cut pattern.

My Dad rarely laughed ... but on this occasion, he roared.

"The Hot Dog Ranch"

The Hot Dog Ranch is located on Linden Street in Pittsfield, MA (my home town). In days gone by, THDR was a neighborhood bar room with a few tables and booths. It really wasn't the kind of place you would bring your family to. Not that it was rowdy or grungy, but it tended towards them. They served "sandwich type" food - including hamburgers AND HOT DOGS.

I left Pittsfield to join the Air Force at age 17-1/2 and lived mostly away from there since. But without exception, upon returning, and before anything else... I would go to the Ranch and pick up some dogs for my Mom & Dad and whoever else happened to be at my folks house. Typically 30 or 40 wit everything.Becky and I were at The Ranch a few days ago. The new owners have really done a great job renovating the interior. They separated the space with 3/4 walls into a bar room, a dining room, and the kitchen.

I hesitate to call the dogs "chili dogs" but I guess that is as close to a description as there is. And it their hot dog that has has kept the doors open since the 1920's. I personally have been eating their hot dogs since I was old enough to be out and about town on my own, roughly since 1956. Here's an order of four.

As a teenager my friends and I would eat six each and would go a few more if we had the money. Back then the dogs were $0.25 each. Now $1.15 - and still worth every penny! I wonder how many The Travel Channel's "Man Verses Food" Adam Richmond could eat? I am going to bring The Hot Dog Ranch to his attention in an email.

These little pups are roughly one half the size of a regular hot dog. "Wit Everything" get you mustard, onions, and the sauce - and I will stop calling it "chili" because that undoubtedly leaves you imagining the wrong taste. Words fail me in trying to describe the taste. It's like... what does a banana taste like? Well.. it tastes like a banana! Their sauce has been a guarded secret since day one, and through what I suspect has been four different owners, it remains a secret. Becky is pretty good at dissecting ingredients from a recipe but so far hasn't figured it out. She did detect one of the spices in there. As always I will describe it as "the taste of my hometown".

Camping on the Mohawk

Yesterday I mentioned that we were camping for a few days on the Mohawk River. Here's our rig with a waterfront view of the river. The Mohawk, which extended nearly all the way to the Great Lakes, was a main water highway through the lands of the five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Mohawk Indians in particular traveled down it in their canoes, bringing furs to trade with the Dutch.

Well anyway... we had a tough day yesterday and I was "sleeping in" this morning, at least trying! At about 6:30am, my eyes opened wide to a symphony of HONKS . A "squadron" of Canadian Geese decided to let us know that they had arrived.

Once I got my coffee perked, I went outside and sat on the picnic table and enjoyed the music and sights.

One final thought... those geese had better rest up fast, get pointed South.... and get the flock out of here. With morning temperatures in the 20's and 30's, those feathered friends haven't much time to get to greener pastures.

Headed South.....

Yesterday we "overnighted" in Oakham, MA. Oakham is about 30 miles North of the Mass. Turnpike.... so LOLA, our navigation system must have figured our route from NH something like this.....

If I route them down I-93 to I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) and then North on Rt 67, they will have to backtrack back up North 30 miles..... So instead of that I will route them directly South into Oakham from the North. Sounds good when you say it fast but I have to tell ya... we hit every little town... every residential street... every (near) alley between NH and Oakham, MA. What a route! Anyway, we made it.

Today we drove from Oakham, MA to Troy, NY. We will be here for two days visiting with our #2 Daughter who lives nearby. Just across the MA state line in Pittsfield which is my hometown The campground, and the site we are parked in, is right along side the Mohawk River. Beautiful park but due to freezing temperatures, they will be closing on Sunday so we will have to move on. We wanted to stay a week or two but there are no parks within 100 miles that remain open.

That's about it for now....

Overnight Stay in New Hampshire...

We had an overnight stay in New Hampshire while some warantee work was completed on our trailer. If you are ever in or near Conway, NH and need some work done on your rig... don't hesitate to go to Trafford's RV. Friendly, honest, hardworking, very knowledgable folks. Darlene and Clayton ROCK.

Please click on the pictures to see a full value view. Look close any you'll notice those slanted white streaks... a SNOW shower in the mountains. It didn't last very long but it's the first snow Becky and I have seen in many years.

Granite mountain tops are everywhere in the White Mountains Region. Rugged and beautiful. Nature at its best in New Hampshire.

Good Bye Maine.. See Ya Next Year

It seems like 3 weeks... but it has been 3 MONTHS and it is time to say good bye to Maine until next year. Leaving tomorrow in forecasted snow showers. If you ever get the chance to spend a little time in Maine... don't miss it! I have been around the world several times, visited a dozen countries, have seen 6 state, and 2 world's fair but brother... I have never seen anything quite as beautiful as our own State of Maine. Double click the picture for a full screen view.

Playing Catch Up......

Procrastination and Retirement are an odd couple to say the least. You would think that a retiree would have plenty of time to get things done. Well, Becky and I are retired but I procrastinate with the best of them. I haven't figured out yet how it is that I cannot find time to do all the things that I want to, or that needs to be done. I'll worry about that tomorrow.

In the mean time, last month Becky and I went out on a 3 masted schooner called The Heron. Johnny Depp has a movie coming out next year called "The Rum Diary" or some such. A character in the movie, Sanderson, owns a schooner and as it turns out, it is The Heron. The boat is 100 feet long and accommodates up to 30 passengers. The skipper, wife, and 12 year old daughter live on board. They spend their summers here in Rockport, Maine, taking folks out on 3 different sailings a day.

We went on the "Lobster Roll Lunch" sail. At about the turn-around point, the first mate serves, well, what you see pictured here. The name of the sail tells it all.

Just about this time of year, they sail The Heron to the Bahamas and offer 3 sails a day to the folks down there. Back and forth. The Capt'n sailed about an hour and a half North along the coast up to Belfast, turned around, and sailed back South to Rockport. I am not sure how fast we were going when he laid the boat into the wind in the picture below, but we were definately moving.
In all it was a 3 hours sail on an absolutely beautiful day and this is my favorite picture of the trip.

Brocolli-Rabe

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of a Brocolli-Rabe Sandwich and my favorite Niece. Brocolli-Rabe is a bitter, leafy Italian vegatable that is typically sauteed in EVO, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather today in the supermarket... right there... right next to the Brocolli....fresh BROCOLLI-RABE (BR). Honestly, I have never prepared and cooked BR but do remember watching my Mom do so.... and I do remember the smells that filled the kitchen. And so I gave it a shot. Here's what I did. If anyone can recommend a better way... let me know! BROCOLLI-RABE: SACCHETTI STYLE (for two bunches)

Get a large pan 3/4 full of heavily salted water going on the stove. While you're waiting for it to come [almost] to a boil, trim off the long, leaf-less stems of the BR.

When the water is about ready to boil, put all the BR into the water and let it sit in there for maybe 5 minutes. This will eliminate some of the bitter taste. Of course, if you like really bitter BR, then omit this step. Drain in a culander and reserve some of the salted water.

Meanwhile sliver up maybe 8 cloves of garlic and soften it up in 1/4 cup of EVO in a large sautee pan. Add salt and red chili pepper flakes.

When the garlic is softened, add the BR and a bit of the salted water to the sautee pan, cover the pan and turn occassionally. The BR is going to cook for about 10 minutes during which time test for taste and moisture and tenderness. Add EVO, salt, red pepper flakes according to your taste.

ABOUT 2 MINUTES INTO THE COOKING PROCESS I KNEW I WAS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT BECAUSE THE SMELL OF MY MOM'S KITCHEN FILLED THE TRAILER.

I guess there's no way to say this without tooting my own horn... but dammmm... it came out "just like Momma use to make".

TRY IT... YOU'LL LIKE IT!

I almost forgot the most important part... how to eat BR! It's best to put it in the fridge overnight. Pile the cold BR onto your favorite bread, sprinkle with white vinigar, a few shakes of salt and away you go! Of course if you have a niece like mine, who brings you "Pinot Gregio" vinigar... all the better!

Patchy

The fall foliage show is a little late this year. We will be leaving Maine in a week so I thought I'd go ahead and post a few pictures while the posting is good. Some of the areas you drive though are absolutely breath-taking... but trying to capture them requires luck and a break in the clouds.

Red's Eats..........

Home to probably the most famous "Lobster Roll" in New England, Red's Eats has been featured on both The Travel Channel and The Food Network. A toasted split top hot dog bun, more (well, a little more maybe) than one Lobster's meat, and drawn butter or mayo on the side. That's it! And YES - they are good! And YES - from 11:30am to 7:00pm during the summer there is always a line.

Here's a picture of a couple of Lobster Rolls, drawn butter, and an order of onion rings Becky and I had at Red's last month... or was it the month before. No matter. Not pictured are two cups of lemonade.

I don't mean to sound as if I am complaining (well... in fact I am) but the lunch you see in this picture along with 2 cups of lemonade cost us $40.75! It really is sad, and of course we could have opted NOT to eat there but what the heck. "But What The Heck" is exactly why the new management (Red's adult kids) can charge what they do. Tourists are going to stand in line for an hour and order up lunches like this because they are tourists and when you're on vacation...."WHAT THE HECK!". Red's is earning over 5x their costs and that is... what's the word? Gouging? It is also taking advantage of the hard work their parents put into the business over that past three decades.

YES... Red's serves up a good Lobster Roll but certainly not the best! We found a place in a little town (Thomaston) not far from where we are parked - The Thomaston Diner that serves up and equally good Lobster Roll for $6.95.

Red's Eats... once is good enough!

And So It Begins.....

With only 10 days left before our departure from Maine... Mother Nature is finally beginning to show her colors.

This pond is a favorite place for the kids to go "ice skating". It won't be long kids!

Stopped, waiting for a construction vehicle to pass through, we couldn't help but notice the beauty right above us.

We hope to return to these locations just prior to departing Maine in hopes that the color will deepen and spread more uniformly.

I Just Plain Ole STOLE This

I admit it right up front... I took this from one of those emails being passed around. The email compares American Kids to Italian Kids... here's one of the comparisons...

American kids: Will come over for cake and coffee, and get cake and coffee. No more.

Italian kids: Will come over for cake and coffee, and get antipasto, wine, a pasta dish, a choice of two meats, salad, bread, a canoli, fruit, espresso, and a few after dinner drinks.

It occurs to me.....

.... that I might have gotten the cart before the horse in this blog of mine. Some of you may not know what a "5th Wheel Trailer" (i.e. RV) is all about. Becky and I are living full time in a 37 foot, 16,500 pound "5er". It takes a 1 ton pickup to tow it. Here's a picture of the entry side of the RV, parked in a very relaxing park on Chesapeake Bay. It is equipped with dual air conditioners (one with a heat pump), a propane fired forced hot air furnace, 50 amp AC electric service and really, all the necessities (and then some) for "full time living".

Here is a picture of our kitchen. It is fully equipped including a four door refrigerator / freezer, Convection / Microwave oven and an Island with pantry storage underneath. Becky has adapted very well to the galley kitchen and cooks up just as big a storm as she did in our "stick'n'bricks" house. In back of the sink area we have a high efficiency clothes washer and dryer hidden in the vertical cabinetry. The dining room table is out of picture to the right. The king bedroom is up the stairs in the background and the full private bathroom is to the right just before going into the bedroom (the bathroom door is open in this picture).

And here is a picture of our "living room". When the TV is not on, it disappears into the cabinetry. The electric fireplace looks as real as any fire you have seen. It can be "lit" with or without the 1500 watt heater turned on. We are finding here in Maine at this time of year that the heater does a great job taking the chill out of the air. The couch conceals a standard size air ma tress bed.

Under the living area, and accessed from outside are three storage areas commonly referred to as "the basement". We had to let go of nearly all our possessions but were able to hold onto a considerable amount of personal items. Naturally it took some amount of adjustment moving from a house into the confines of RV living - what really makes it work is the great relationship Becky and I have.

Peek-a-Boo.....

Here's Becky peeking from behind The Caretaker's Shed at the Pemaquid (not Permaquid as I scribed in my last post) Lighthouse Park in New Harbor, Maine.











The shed from the inside looking out. The Town of Bristol maintains the park. The park occupies about 60 acres with expansive views of the Altantic Ocean.









There are a dozen picnic tables along the shoreline dispersed among Sea Pines, boulders and very well maintained grassy areas. Serene yes, gorgeous views yes, steeped with history yes, inspiring yes, but I warn you..... no matter what month, day or time you choose to visit the park - WEAR A JACKET!


I cannot imagine feeling "warm" in this park without a few layers of clothing. That constant breeze (WIND) coming off the Atlantic will raise some bumps - goosebumps!

It is an incredible place to spend an afteroon, to review your awe of nature, or to find it for the first time.





Although the lighthouse is no longer occupied by a keeper, there is a one bedroom apartment which can be rented in that building. One other building in the park is a Fisherman's Museum. These tools look as though they would be better used by Vincent Price in a movie called Toture of the Undead.














Ohh by the way, there is a working lighthouse which flashes its white light every six seconds. Image that! A Lighthouse Park with a working Lighthouse.


Go Figure!