Day 52 – Brattleboro, Vermont

Boy, did we do a tour today!  I don’t think that there’s a square inch of southern Vermont that we haven’t seen, even some we really didn’t need or want to see!  When they checked into the KOA yesterday, they got a little pamphlet on what to see and do in the area, including suggested tour routes.  They all looked good to Don, who immediately saw a way to combine two of the routes to maximize their sightseeing potential.  So, this morning we piled into the truck and went down into Brattleboro town to kick off the first route.  We drove through some small villages, each oozing with New England charm, each with a Congregational Church that was founded well before Mission San Buenaventura.  But soon we made a discovery that the pamphlet had omitted; the road we were directed to follow lost its pavement, and became a rutted, bumpy dirt road.  This resulted in obvious displeasure on Geri’s part, and a source of concern for Don.  Our maps and pamphlet gave little or no indication of where or when we might get back on a paved road, and we bumped along for many miles. 

Don finally tried to engage Garmy’s assistance in getting us back to more civilized road, and she was happy to comply by leading us across a picturesque covered bridge and on a route that took us bumpily nearly into northern Massachusetts.  Well, the scenery was nice, anyway.  We finally were directed onto a road that had a real

State Highway

number and real pavement, and got us headed north, away from Massachusetts.  We reached highway 9, which runs from Brattleboro to Bennington, and stopped in the little town of Wilmington for lunch at the Wahoo Eatery, a fast food shack on the outskirts of town.  Geri and Don said the food was quite good, and I got a few tidbits, though I had been given lunch before we left.  They couldn’t resist finishing off with milkshakes (Geri’s was blueberry).  There was a good sized crowd there, including several friendly dogs whose acquaintance I made. 

After lunch, the decision was made to head west to Bennington, a town on the western border of Vermont.  This state is so small, it takes less than an hour to drive across it!  The main attraction in Bennington, at least for Don, was the Battle of Bennington Memorial Tower, which stands on a hill overlooking the town.  I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it!  It’s very, very, very tall!  Don says it’s 306 feet in height, and commemorates a battle in the Revolutionary War in which an army of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts citizens defeated a British army composed mostly of Germans.  No, really, that’s what he said!  Anyway, it was a big deal in the War, and the people of Bennington decided, about a hundred years later, to build a monument.  They sure built a big one!  Don took an elevator ride up to the top of it and took some pictures; Geri preferred to stay on the ground and look at some of the displays, which included the big stew pot that the British army used to cook dinner for the troops in. 

We headed back from Bennington, and took a turn up north to cover some more of the sightseeing route from the pamphlet.  We went by some areas that are great for skiing in the winter, like Mount Snow (sounds like a natural, right?), and viewed several more picturesque little villages.  We stopped in one called Newfane to stretch our legs and take some pictures; Don found some monuments listing the local people who had served in various wars, and was amazed to find that such a small village had contributed the services of forty young men in the Viet Nam War!  I’m not very knowledgeable in this sort of thing, so I’ll accept his judgment on it.  I made an attempt to enter the Church so that I could say my prayer for all good dogs, but they didn’t have a doggy door.

We made it back to the coach, and Geri went shopping up at the little store in the KOA office to get some things for folks back home.  Don and I did the blog out on the picnic bench again, and I got some good visiting in with passersby.  No dinner tonight, just snacks, as a result of their overdoing it at lunch.  We’re on the road tomorrow, heading for somewhere in New York.  I’ll let you know where it is when we get there!  Ciao, friends!

Day 51 – Brattleboro, Vermont

I’m told that we’re in the state of Vermont; I’m really glad that Geri and Don are able to discern exactly where we are, ‘cause all of these states look the same to me.  They’re all really green and woodsy, with houses hiding in the trees so that you can hardly see some of them.  It’s all very pretty, don’t get me wrong, and it’s much better than West Texas.  At least they have lots of grass here.

We got off to a little later than usual start this morning, principally due to Navigator Geri’s decision to research her Mountain Books just before we were going to leave.  Her studies indicated that the route that Don had chosen would effectively replicate trying to take the coach to the summit of Mount Everest, or at least McKinley, several times before reaching our destination.  Don thinks she’s still smarting from the backlash she got five or six years ago when she planned a route through Pennsylvania that incorporated a number of steep grades that eighteen-wheelers consciously avoided.  He hasn’t let her forget that she had neglected to consult her Mountain Books when she picked that route. 

So, we proceeded north on a I-89, a lovely freeway, until we hit I-91, another fine road, and proceeded south until we got to Brattleboro.  We checked into a very nice KOA Park, and got a nice, wide, grassy site with all the needed utilities.  After getting the rig set up, we loaded into the truck and went down the road to Brattleboro.  Don and Geri had been here before, maybe fifteen or so years ago, and Don remembered the town as sort of down-at-the-heels, needing some revitalization.  Well, I guess they got it; the downtown area is very attractive and busy, lots of apparently thriving businesses, and some beautiful older homes in the area near the business district.  Looked pretty good to me! 

We drove up a road along a river near the town, and found a covered bridge that our pamphlet said was the longest covered bridge in the state that was still in use.  It was very narrow, and so could serve traffic one way only, which meant that you had to wait at the end of the bridge until you could see that there was no traffic coming through from the other end, then scoot through it.  We did that, and wound up on a road called

East West Road

, which we figured was different from

West East Road

.  The road took us to a very small community called Dummersville; Don said that we’d have to look tomorrow to find Dumville.  We soon found our way back to the KOA, stopping first at a farm stand where Geri and Don shopped for some goodies, including some watermelon for me. 

Dinner was some wonderful ravioli that we had brought from home, resulting in some outstanding plates for me.  After dinner, Don and I went outside to the picnic table, set up the TV that we had gotten from Mike in Winchester, brought the computer out to the table and worked on the blog.  I could get used to this!  Don says we’re going touring in the countryside tomorrow, which is always fun.  He says he’s not posting any pictures tonight, but will put a bunch up tomorrow after our tour.  Hope you enjoy them!  Ta-Ta for now!

Day 50 – Weare, New Hampshire

Kind of a nothing day, as far as I was concerned.  Yeah, had a nice walk with Don, including a friendly encounter with an older woman in a golf cart.  I was hoping she’d offer me a ride up the hill from the grassy area that we were in, but no such luck.  There was a lot of personal maintenance (showers and such) and vehicle maintenance (tank dumps and lighting fixture repair) going on in the morning, but nothing exciting. 

Around noon, I got my lunch and they headed into Concord, the State Capitol.  I was content to snooze through most of the afternoon, owing to the excitement of the last couple of days.  They got back a little before five, and told me about their afternoon at the Capitol building.  They had learned quite a bit about how the New Hampshire State Government operates.  They found that the Legislators get paid $100 per year for their services, and that they are in session about half of each year.  They were also told that the State had very little debt and produced a surplus of funds every year.  Don wanted to know if the services of the Legislature could be rented out the other six months of the year, ‘cause California could really use their help.  When they were going into the elevator to head up to the upper floors of the Capitol, a man got on with them, and said that he hoped that they enjoyed their tour.  They think it might have been the Governor.  When they were at the Senate Chamber door, Don went up the stairs to the Visitors’ Gallery to take a picture of the room.  When he got into position to take the shot, he found that there was someone standing at the podium, waving at him; Geri, of course!  They stopped by the Secretary of State's Office, where Michelle Bachmann had just filed her declaration for the primary election; Geri was quick to assure them that neither of them were planning to run.

They said that they learned a lot about New Hampshire history, and felt that the people of the State should be very proud of their heritage and their responsible attitude in this era of fiscal crisis in many states, including our own.  That last doesn’t mean a heck of a lot to me, as I’m not at all familiar with what a fiscal crisis looks like.  If it means I don’t get fed on time, then it could be a problem. 

Don fixed up some frozen tamales, with a topping of canned chili beans; not a masterly production, but good enough to quell the hunger pangs.  The plates were very tasty.  We’re hitting the road tomorrow, think we’re heading for Vermont.  I’ll let you know where we wind up!

Days 48, 49 – Weare, New Hampshire

Let me first apologize for failing to offer a posting last night, though I have to observe that it wasn’t my fault at all.  The reality is that my typist/editor, upon whom I rely heavily to put the blog together, was in a very foul mood last night, and was less than cooperative regarding the blog.  When I, rather timidly, asked him if it was time go to work on doing a posting, his reply was at least in part unprintable, but included something to the effect that I should find a dog with smaller paws to help with the typing.  In short, he was less than helpful. 

In his defense, as he is one of my best friends, Don did have a lot to be upset over last night, and I kind of understand his aversion to blogging.  It’s really not something you should do if you feel negatively about the world.  Let me tell you what engendered this ugly mood on his part.  We left the RV Park in Winthrop around eleven, heading down State Highway 202, through rolling hills and picturesque New England villages, not making very fast time, but savoring the beauty of the countryside.  We arrived at our chosen New Hampshire campground, Mile-Away RV Park, around four in the afternoon; the girl at the desk assigned us to a back-in site near the lake, and Geri, in the truck, led the way to it.  Except she didn’t quite do what she intended, going one lane too far, requiring Don to make an extremely difficult turn through some trees and brush in order to return to the needed route.  Once positioned in front of the assigned site, the services of the next-door neighbor, a former truck driver, at the front of the rig and Geri at the rear to guide Don into the site without taking out trees or damaging the coach.  A great deal of backing and filling later, the coach was in place.  But the site was too short to allow room for parking the truck!  As it turned out, that was not the main concern; when Don had completed all the hookups, he went to check the power panel in the coach and found that we weren’t getting any power from the receptacle.  Checking the receptacle, he found that it was hooked up incorrectly, and was incapable of delivering power to the rig.  Geri called the office to report the problem, resulting in our being reassigned to another site.  Don had to disconnect all the utilities, pull in the slides, and get the rig ready to move, which we did, with some more problems in getting turned around properly to enter the new site.  This didn’t sit well with Don, and I can’t say that I was alone in receiving his negative vibrations.  We all went quietly to bed without further discussion of the matter.

This morning, Geri went to the office to let them know that we were pulling out of there; the owner offered to move us to another location that was more to our liking, so Geri and Don investigated the offered sites.  They found that the sites lacked cable TV, and weren’t situated in a way that would allow satellite reception.  We called a nearby RV Park, and found that we could get a pull-through there with all facilities; Geri immediately reserved it, and we got ready to move.  We were underway before noon, though Don and Geri were disconcerted to find that Garmy didn’t have locating information for the new Park.  Geri found the Park on her iPhone, though, so she was selected to lead the way in the truck.  Unfortunately, the smartphone info wasn’t really all that smart, leading us down a rickety road with untrimmed trees swishing against the rig’s roof, until the road finally ended without revealing an RV Park.  Geri’s harsh interrogation of a passing US Postal Deliverywoman divulged the true location of our destination, and we proceeded there without further problem.

Things were comparatively peaceful after that.  We made camp at a nice, wide pull-through site, got set up for living quickly, and took off for a tour of the area.  Don got the truck washed at the little hamlet of Weare, where he took a few pics.  We then headed into Manchester, and found it to be an attractive city with a lovely downtown area.  A little shopping done, a little wandering around, then back to the campground to fix dinner, which was a grilled ham steak and yams.  I always like that meal, ‘cause I get most of the yam skins, which are really good. 

So, things are back to normal, we can count on getting a nightly posting out, and Don has resumed his usual good humor.  We consider ourselves blessed.  See ya tomorrow!

Day  47 – Winthrop, Maine

Well, we’re in another place you’ve never heard of.  I’ll tell you why in a little bit.  We got out of Hermon this morning about eleven, under heavy clouds and a gentle rain, after having made it through a night of thunderstorms that sounded like artillery (not that I’ve ever heard artillery).   But it was loud.  Don got up pretty early, just to watch the lightning through the windshield.  Geri followed soon after, and so did I.  Our preparations for departure were done kind of slowly, ‘cause we didn’t have a long run scheduled for today, and we didn’t want to get to our new RV Park before regulation check-in time. 

We headed down the I-95 toward Augusta, finally heading in a homeward direction for the first time this trip.  We had arranged to meet Marie somewhere near where she was performing, in Monmouth, for dinner tonight.  Unfortunately, when we called her, she had thrown her back out and was in a pretty painful condition, so we had to call off the dinner meeting.  We carried on, however, to our preordained destination, a park called Augusta-West Lakeside Campground.  An interesting thing happened on the 95 shortly before we turned off it, something we’d never seen before.  There was some road work being done on the highway up ahead, and ample notice was provided that the left lane was closed ahead.  Naturally, most of the vehicles moved over to the right lane, except for some Poo-Poo Heads who charged ahead in the left lane, knowing that they could likely squeeze in ahead of the pack and gain a few minutes.  This attitude apparently infuriated the driver in the pickup ahead of us, who we had just let in from a side road, and was towing a large trailer.  In a move to counter these interlopers, he moved his rig into the left lane and left it there, keeping pace with the right lane traffic and effectively blocking the end-runners who piled up behind him.  Don was apparently in favor of the guy’s tactics, as he maintained a position in the right lane just behind the blocker’s rig, to allow him to move back into line whenever he wanted to, but not allow anyone to move into our lane.  We all thought it was pretty cool.

So, we pulled into our new campground, got assigned to a site that had not chance of a satellite signal, a pull-through that we’ll have to back out of, in a park that has no cable.  They don’t even have a brochure to tell you about the campground!  Don was also displeased to find that our site had a water hookup that apparently didn’t have any water piped to it.  Oh, well, we carry a lot of water with us, so we’ll use that.  When we got set up, Don took me out for a walk in the woods near the park, kind of interesting, but very wet from the rains.  I don’t like to walk through wet leaves, they’re kind of icky.  But we got to do some exploring, and I got to stretch my legs. 

Touring and shopping came next.  We got into the truck and headed down to Monmouth, a few miles south.  It’s a small New England type town, lots of old homes, some fixed up, some not.  In the middle of this otherwise fairly nondescript town is a magnificent building called Cumston Hall, constructed in 1900, which contains the town library and the theater that Marie will be performing in.  Don took a photo, which I’m sure he will post.  It’s very surprising to see such an attractive structure in a modest New England town, and I’m sure that it’s a great source of civic pride. 

We retraced our route back to Winthrop, where Geri and Don did some shopping at the local supermarket.  Back at the rig, Don cooked up one of his famous chicken dishes, while Geri and I went out and socialized with some of the humans and dogs in the park.  After dinner, lacking the TV, we listened to some Sinatra on the iPhone/iPad connection, with the help of the little amplifier/speaker that Nikki got for us.  Good entertainment!  Don and I got the blog put together, and we all turned in at a fairly early hour.  We’ll be out of here in the morning, I’m sure, probably headed for somewhere in New Hampshire.  I’ll fill you in tomorrow, sleep well!

Day 46 – Hermon, Maine

Weatherwise, not a really beautiful day, heavy high clouds with continuous threat of rain, though it really didn’t.  But nice enough to do some touring, which we did!  After breakfasting, walking, doing some minor maintenance and cleaning, we hopped in the truck and headed east toward the coast.  In an hour or so, we were in Bar Harbor (or Bah Hahbah, as the locals call it), fighting our way through the hordes of turistas, many of whom were passengers on a huge cruise liner docked at the pier.  The town is a huge collection of tourist shops and restaurants and, to my eyes, didn’t have anywhere near the charm and beauty of Belfast, Camden, or even Bangor.  We didn’t stop in town, but found an entrance to Acadia National Park and started cruising around the shoreline.  It’s a really beautiful place, with grand views from the road and parking areas.  Geri pointed out that there were hundreds of floats offshore, marking the location of lobster traps.  We stopped a spot called the Thunder Hole, where the waves go crashing into a large slot in the rocks, producing a noise sort of like muffled thunder.  I enjoyed stopping there, particularly because I got a lot of attention and petting from the people around us.  There was a big, black Newfoundland there, also, but he wasn’t getting anywhere near the attention that I was.  Maybe people were afraid of him. 

We cruised through most of the park, enjoying the sights, and we were happy that we hadn’t tried to do it in the coach, ‘cause some of the overpasses would have made it a lot less tall than it is.  Eventually, we got to the Visitor Center, where we had to stop to get the Passport stamped.  What Passport, you ask?  Who needs Passport to go to a National Park?  Well, it’s not really a Passport, it’s more like a record book to show which Parks you’ve been to and when you were there.  I think they’ve been carrying the thing around with them for at least twenty years, and they’ve got stamps in there from all over the country.  Don told me that he put the stamp from Acadia on the same page as one from Sagamore Hill, New York, President Theodore Roosevelt’s home, which they visited in 1999, before I was born.  These guys have really gotten around!

We headed for home after we left the Park, and I got a chance to snooze a bit.  When we arrived back at the coach, I got my dinner while Don searched the internet for clues as to where to get some good lobster bisque in Bangor.  His research took so long, though, that by the time he was finished, they didn’t feel like going into town for dinner.  Instead, they went down to the little restaurant next to the RV Park, and had lobster and crab rolls, plus a little blueberry pie desert.  They told me all about it when they got back, but I wasn’t really that interested.  I got my usual treats, did the blog, and hit the hay.  I understand that we’re finally pulling up stakes here tomorrow, heading south.  Guess they figured out that they can’t go much further north, without Passports (real ones, that is!)  I’ll let you know where we wind up.  Ciao, baby!

Day 45 – Hermon, Maine

Everyone up pretty early this morning, Geri leading the way.  Breakfast, short walk, then into the truck and up to Old Town and the house again.  There were some more workmen making repairs when we got there, and some more showed up shortly after that.  Geri caught sight of the lady who lives next door, and she and I went over to make friends with her, which I was able to do most easily, as she professed a love for Goldies.  Don was running back and forth between the two contractors, answering questions and getting information, Geri was enlisting the neighbor’s aid in looking out for the house while it was vacant, and I was reveling in all the attention that I was getting from Paula, the neighbor. 

The work was finally done, and we closed up the place and headed back to Bangor and home for lunch.  We rested up for awhile, then Geri and Don took off for a shopping binge, including some stuff for the coach, some food for me, and some goodies for themselves.  I continued to rest.  When they got home, Geri took me out for a nice walk around the RV Park, while Don cooked up some dinner, something he hasn’t done for awhile.  When we returned, we had the aroma of his famous meatball soup wafting through the air; he soon served it up, to the delight of all of us, as I got some good bowls to clean up afterward. 

The rest of the evening was spent in discussions on where we were headed when we left Bangor; Geri called a long-lost cousin in Biddeford, only to find that he was leaving on Saturday, so we wouldn’t be visiting him.  She then called Joanne, to get the number for our friend Marie, who is doing Summer Stock near Augusta, and got more whining about her pool problems.  When Geri did get ahold of Marie, she was enthusiastic about our coming down for the Saturday performance, even though she wouldn’t be in it.  So, maybe that’s our target for Saturday. 

Before signing off, I need to point out to one of my faithful followers that Geri and Don did take the time today to pay a visit to one of our most prolific and popular authors.  She will find a photo of Geri adorning the front of the residence in the photo gallery.  I hope that she is pleased with the pic, and that my Aussie friends Alice and Cooper continue to be the well-behaved little pooches that they have always been.  Just kidding!  Hope to do some touring tomorrow, will let you know what happens!

Day 44 – Hermon, Maine

I think we live here now.  During our walk this morning, Don signed us up for I don’t know how many more days.  OK with me, I really like it here.  There’s lots of friendly people, the grass is great, and the weather has been fine.  I’m sure that they have other reasons for staying on here, but that’s not really my concern.  I’ll just enjoy it as long as it lasts.

We got our morning chores done and hit the road for Craig (David) and Jane’s house in Old Town again.  When we got there, a couple of workmen were busy fixing some things, and Geri put me outside to get me out of the way.  Unfortunately for me, some mosquitoes took a fancy to me and started a meeting on my snout.  I immediately went to the door and begged for help.  Geri saw me, came out, and chased the skeeters off, then let me in.  I was very grateful.  They were nasty!  I hung out in the house for the rest of the time we were there.  The kids (how old do they have to get before they’re not kids anymore?) were flying back to Arizona this afternoon, so the party broke up early and we went back to the Pumpkin Patch to do laundry.  Don spent most of the afternoon doing some small repairs on the coach, and planning to get the rig into a local shop for some additional work.  I just kind of hung out, enjoying the lovely weather and taking a couple of walks with Geri.  Dinner wasn’t much, some leftovers from the fridge, a few crumbs for me. 

Don’t know what’s happening tomorrow, maybe the coach will go into the shop and we’ll do some touring.  Or, maybe not!  Anyway, I’m ready for a little excitement.  Whatever happens, I’ll give you a full report!

Day 43 – Hermon, Maine

Short blog tonight, my typist just stumbled in the door and he’s not really up to doing a lot of work.  He and Geri just got back from a monster seafood feed at a posh resort hotel in the hills, with Craig (David) and Jane.  Jane’s birthday was the reason for the celebration, and Geri was in such a celebratory mood that she polished off a two pound lobster (with a little help from Don).  We spent the day at their house on the lake, near Old Town, and I inspected every nook, cranny and closet of every room to ensure freedom from small animals.  The house is very lovely and spacious, with a beautiful pool, enclosed in its own building.  Don says that he’s going to recommend that Joanne put up a building to enclose her new pool, just to get another contractor involved.

They didn’t remember to get any photos of the house today, but we’re going back tomorrow, and we’ll get some then.  Don says it’s time to close up shop and go to bed.  I’m not in a position to argue with him.  I’ll be back!

Day 42 – Hermon, Maine

I have to admit that I was a little tired and lazy this morning; hanging out with Max yesterday took a lot out of me, and Don was sort of taunting me for moving slowly on our walk this morning.  “Young fella really wore you out yesterday, huh?”, that sort of thing.  That’s OK, I didn’t see him running up and down hills and splashing around in the creek yesterday.  Hey, when I feel tired, I don’t care who knows it, just give me awhile to rest up, and I’ll be ready to run and roll again. 

As it turned out, this was a good day for resting, as Geri and Don really took their time getting ready to head out this morning, and didn’t really get rolling till almost noon.  We took the truck through Bangor and over the river to Brewer, where we pulled into a Toyota dealership.  And who should come walking out the door but Don’s son Mike, who, it turned out, was up here consulting on a technical problem they were having.  I was really pleased to see him, ‘cause he’s always been very nice to me every time we’ve visited.  The three of them went to a little restaurant down the road to have some lunch, and afterward they came out to talk to me in the truck.

After Mike left, the rest of the day was spent in shopping for one thing or another, giving me a chance to get a bit more rest and relaxation in my private compartment.  When we got back to the rig, I got my dinner and some treats, and resumed my relaxation therapy.  Geri and Don went down to the little restaurant near the office, and, it turns out, were soon joined by Craig (David) and Jane, who had just flown into Bangor to inspect their old house, which has been rented out for awhile but is now vacant.  Geri told me they had a very nice meal together, and that we would be going to their place tomorrow.  She also told me that, as they were approaching our coach in the truck, they saw a pack of three Goldies, including a white one, running wild through the RV park, unescorted.  When she and I went out for our evening stroll, we met the woman who lives with the Goldies.  She told us that she had left the dogs in her coach when she went out for dinner, but somehow they had gotten out, and were having a wonderful time running all around the park when she got back.  Hmm.  I’ll have to pay more attention to how that door operates, in case I feel the need to go for a walk when they’re not around. 

So I hear that tomorrow we’ll be going up to David (Craig) and Janes’s house to see if we can help them with anything.  I’ll offer to patrol the house to make sure it stays free of squirrels and chipmunks.  Should be a nice day, I’ll let you know how it goes!

Day 41 – Hermon, Maine

Whooey, what a day!  Lots of excitement and surprises!  Yeah, nice walk this morning, early lunch, into the truck, off we go.  That’s where the fun begins.

We drove for a little over a half hour down the coast to a little town called Belfast.  We didn’t go directly into town, but found an address on the edge of town and pulled into a long driveway and up to a house.  Don got me out of the truck, and I immediately sensed something familiar about the scents I was picking up; I soon found out why!  Out of the house and bounding right up to me came my old friend Max, who lives next door to us in Ventura!  We were overjoyed to see each other, and happily conducted our mandatory identification checks, though they weren’t really necessary.  Following Max out of the house were his folks, Bill and Nita, and I was more than pleased to see them, too.  They are really nice people, and have always treated me with kindness and respect.  I knew that they had a home in Maine where they go every year to spend the summer and fall months, but I had no idea that we were finally going to visit them there.  What a wonderful surprise! 

Bill and Nita gave Geri and Don a tour of their home, while Max conducted a tour for me.  Their home is very lovely and large, and you can tell that they’ve put a lot of work into it.  Nita has a huge quilting room over the garage, with all her supplies and work tables, Bill has a library and art work room, and there are decks all around the house overlooking the big grassy areas, forests, and streams nearby.  It looks like a really friendly and comfortable place.  Max and I sat close by while our folks had a nice lunch and talked about our trips to the East Coast and what was going on in Ventura in our absence.  Geri and Don told them about our friend across the street, my Temptress, Debbie, who was making news with her work on behalf of some mobile home park tenants who had their gas supply cut off due to needed repairs, and were unable to cook or shower, with no hot water.  We all agreed, including Max and I, that she was doing something really worthwhile for people who needed help badly.  Not hard for me, she could never do wrong in my eyes.

After lunch, we did a tour with Bill of the rest of the property, and Max and I went wading in the stream below the house; felt really good.  Max is a lot like me, not a PlayDog, sort of serious, but able to have fun by doing things with our people and earning their love and respect by being responsible and friendly to others.  We really enjoyed each other’s company today, and I know that Geri and Don were really happy to get together with Nita and Bill. 

We all got into the Perryman’s truck, Max and I in the back, and we did a tour of the town of Belfast, which looked really neat.  We all got to walk out on a little pedestrian bridge that crossed a river whose name is not pronounceable, even to a human.  Then we went further down the coast to a little town called Camden, which was quite attractive.  We had to stay in the truck while our folks did a walking tour of the town, but we needed some nap time anyway.  They came back an hour or so later, telling us about the river that ran under part of the town, even right under some of the buildings, the lovely harbor and the beautiful Library, plus the great treats that they bestowed on themselves at a local confectionary.  They obviously had a great time there, and I found myself a little envious at their privilege of being human.  But, being a dog has its advantages too; we don’t have to work forty-five years in order to retire. 

We had a tour of Camden’s nice neighborhoods, including a farm with some funny-looking cows, then proceeded back to Belfast to Nita and Bill’s place.  Max and I got our suppers there, and we all said goodbye to our friends and headed back to the Pumpkin Patch.  Back at the coach, Don and I put the blog together, had some snacks, and hit the hay.  More adventures tomorrow, will keep you informed!

Day 40 – Hermon, Maine

A routine departure from our home at the Wild Duck, though Don said it was a little tight negotiating some of the turns in the road out of the place.  When we got out to our hookup point, outside the park, a couple out for their morning walk stopped to ask us some questions about motorhoming.  Geri and Don replied with their usual positive attitudes about the travel style, until the man asked about fuel mileage.  Don tried to take the Fifth Amendment, but finally had to admit that moving your home and your car along the road was costing about 7 miles per gallon.  Don’t know if they were calling their local RV dealer that morning; kinda doubt it. 

We headed north on I-295 for close to an hour, until we were stopped by a toll booth, which meant that we had been dumped back onto the I-95.  The 295 had been, for the most part, a fairly smooth and gentle roadway; returning to the 95 reminded us that our tolls were probably spent on digging new potholes.  We made an entirely successful fuel stop at what we presently believe is the only true truck stop in the state, in a little town called Fairfield.  If you went by the highway signs, you wouldn’t even know it was there.  Don was pleased to have a full tank, at last. 

After a lot of discussion between Geri and Don, it was decided to try to get into a RV Park called the Pumpkin Patch, just outside of Bangor.  This decision evolved out of comparison of rival Parks’ site sizes, location, WiFi offerings, and other criteria.  In the end, however, it seemed to boil down to who had cable TV in case we couldn’t catch the satellite.  Geri programmed Garmy to guide us in to the Pumpkin Patch, but, unfortunately, was on the cell phone when Garmy told Don to take an offramp from the 95, leading us on a path that may have been a mile or two shorter than the recommended route, but kept us on narrow, poorly maintained rural roads for over ten miles.  All was forgiven once we got there, though, as the Park looks to be a very nice one, with lots of grass for me, fun places for walking, and big, roomy sites. 

After we got set up, we headed into Bangor for a look-see.  We found it to be a very attractive small town, with a lot of older, well-maintained buildings in the downtown area, theaters and interesting shops and restaurants, many examples of spectacular church architecture, and some lovely residential districts.  Looks like a fun town!  Don got hung up looking for a memorial to the USS Maine, the ship whose demise caused the start of the Spanish-American War, searching for it in a lot places that it wasn’t, while Geri kept telling him that she thought she had saw what might have been the memorial just as we entered the downtown area.  When he finally took her cue, they were able to pull up right in front of the memorial, where he took photos of the bow filigree and crest that was salvaged from the hulk; I’m sure he’ll post one. 

We returned to the coach to do our dinners, which consisted of leftover clams and French fries for them, and some pork with my kibble for me.  Geri took me out for a good walk afterward, very enjoyable.  I think we’ll have a good time here.  Worked with Don on the blog for awhile, got some treats, went to bed.  So did they.  See ya in the manyana!

Day 39 – Scarborough, Maine

A little role-reversal this morning; Geri and I were up and around well before Don was, having breakfast, making coffee, watching TV.  He arose just in time to counsel Geri on the proper amount of coffee beans to grind.  Looking at the beans in the grinder, he proclaimed that the coffee would be too weak; she should add three more beans.  I thought she was going to throw the grinder at him. 

Don and I had a good walk, including an excursion on a trail out to a point in the marsh that borders the Park.  I had tried to get Geri to go with me on that trail last night, but it was a no go.  When we got back, Don did a minor repositioning on the coach, as one corner of the slide had been rubbing intermittently on a nearby tree.  That done, we climbed in the truck and headed north to Freeport for a visit to the L.L. Bean Flagship Store.  We got there in good order, and they got me out of the truck to watch them eat some lobster rolls for lunch, without a bite for me.  It’s my understanding that many dogs in this state live on a steady diet of lobster, and that it’s very good for them.  Well, at least I got a lot of attention from passersby, and had a meeting with a fellow Goldie, a very pleasant individual.  I was placed back in the truck, and they went into the store for quite awhile.  Don finally came back to the truck to keep me company, and Geri followed a little while later, with her cargo of purchases. 

Shopping completed, we took the scenic route back south to Portland, stopping for another treat for them (Classic Custard).  We did a driving tour of downtown Portland, finding some very attractive areas near the Port, and some less attractive areas in the commercial center of town.  Like Norwich, there are some remarkably attractive residential areas near downtown, older homes that have been beautifully renovated.  We made a stop at a park near the center of the city, to let me stretch my legs and do a little rolling; I was cautioned not to bother the men who were sleeping on the benches and on the lawn of the park.  They didn’t appear to have any dog treats with them, anyway.  We returned to the Old Port area, parked the truck, and did a little walking tour of the area, which is populated with a variety of shops, bars, and restaurants.  It was a busy place, lots of foot traffic, and loads of friendly people who liked good dogs.  I got to meet a lot of them, and encountered another well-mannered Goldie, who was obviously the apple of his humans’ eyes. 

Back in the truck, we skimmed through a few more sections of town, then proceeded south again toward our RV Park, where the Wild Ducks were out in force.  You have to be careful driving through here, ‘cause the ducks have the right of way, and there’s a lot of them.  Geri gave me my dinner, Don gave me my after-dinner treats, and they were out the door to get theirs.  They were gone for nearly two hours, and came back raving over their fried clam dinners, where even the French fries and cole slaw were great, and moaning over the quantities of food they were forced to eat, apparently at gunpoint.  They even brought two boxes of food back with them!

So, another quiet evening in the coach, a little TV, putting the blog together, and getting my Going-To-Bed cookies.  Hope your day was good, too! 

Day 38 – Scarborough, Maine

Up bright and early, anxious to get on the road to a new adventure in a different locality, prepared to meet any hardship and prevail in order to achieve our goal; well, that might describe somebody.  We had our usual obligations, like my morning walk, and Don tried to take a shower, but was repulsed by the need to deposit quarters for hot water.  We finally hit the road just before noon, up the I-395 toward Massachusetts, where the I-240 took over until we hit our old friend the I-495, which eventually took us to the dreaded I-95. 

We had planned a fueling stop in Lowell, where all of our guides said there was about the only truck stop on our route.  Arriving in Lowell, the truck stop was not immediately evident.  We finally found it hiding about a mile down the road from the highway, cleverly disguised as an ordinary gas station, with one pump for diesel fuel.  Don flubbed the entry on the first try, and we had to go around on a multi-block detour for a retry, which was successful.  Then, much to his consternation, he found that the pump was subject to the $75 limitation per purchase, which was one of the reasons we switched to truck stops a long time ago.  After the second batch of fuel, he gave up in disgust, and we left with just over half a tank. 

After paying $12 for the privilege of driving on New Hampshire’s and Maine’s pot-hole ridden highways, which served to keep me very much awake, we finally pulled into the Wild Duck Adult RV Park a little after four.  Geri noted the name of the place, and asked if it was X-Rated.  Don wasn’t sure about that, but said that we would most likely find out pretty quickly.  He said that he wanted to go to this place because it was in Scarborough, and he really wanted to go the fair.  I have no idea what he was talking about. 

This is another very pretty park, very woodsy, and with cable TV.  Two days without TV has Geri climbing the walls, and even Don is thankful for it.  He’s also thankful for the good shower facilities that are nearby.  He fixed some hot dogs and Bush’s Beans for dinner, and I got to clean up some bean plates; not bad.  Tomorrow is L.L. Bean day for Geri, and whatever is left over for Don; I’m hoping for some good walks and a little entertainment, not to mention some on time meals.  I’m easy to please!  You can expect a full report tomorrow evening.  Till then, be good!

Day 37 – Lisbon, Connecticut

Pretty much my day off.  Another nice walk with Don in the morning, got to do a lot of rolling in some pretty wet grass.  Didn’t look too good when we got back to the rig, minor scolding from Geri.  Lots of low-key research type activity on computers and iPhones for the rest of the morning, then my lunch time, and they were off to somewhere, leaving me to nap. 

They made it back late in the afternoon, having done some shopping at a local Target, and then rolling over to Foxwoods Casino for an afternoon of Money Machine Manipulation.  They weren’t too thrilled with the results, no bragging.  They had apparently eaten at the Casino, as there was no cooking going on, no plates for me, though I did get some of Geri’s leftover roast pork from last night’s dinner.  Good stuff!

Evening was spent planning tomorrows trip up to Maine, making calls to interested parties, and feeding me my normal evening treats.  A slow day, but I need one now and then.  Travel day tomorrow, I’ll let you know how it goes!

Day 36 – Lisbon, Connecticut

That major surgery known as a Tickectomy must have taken a lot out of Don yesterday, ‘cause he didn’t get up until after eight this morning, most unusual for him.  Geri and I were up a bit earlier, but not much.  The entire morning was kind of slow moving until Don got off the computer and got ready to go for our walk.  This park is very woodsy and pretty, sort of like Worden Pond, but much smaller.  Right in front of our rig is a large, grassy field, great for running and rolling, and there are lots of options for places to walk and investigate.  There’s a pond that’s stocked with fish for kids to fish in, a little golf course, a beach area next to the pond, and a little brook running along the edge the park.  The only thing I found bothersome was a garbage can disguised as a clown figure near the beach; I don’t know why, but I just objected to the way it looked.  Anyway, Don and I had a very nice walk, exploring the nooks and crannies of the park, checking out the bathrooms and other facilities, and doing some running and rolling (me, not Don).

Geri insisted that we do some cleaning before we left the coach, so Don got to clean up the dashboard and instruments, Geri did some vacuuming, and I cleaned my paws.  We had a little lunch then, and loaded ourselves into the truck for a shopping and sightseeing expedition.  The shopping didn’t take long, some minor equipment for the truck and the coach, plus an ATM stop.  We went into downtown Norwich, which is built on a hilly area between two rivers, and found it to be very interesting.  Most of the buildings are very old, at least by our West Coast standards, and the streets are narrow and laid out kind of haphazardly.  I watched Don trying to make his way through the town, and it wasn’t pretty.  But you would round a corner and find a really beautiful old building, nicely maintained, amid others that were vacant, some crumbling, others vacant and for rent.  The downtown area looks like a place that was once very prosperous, but is now sort of on the skids.

The residential areas nearest the downtown area were something else; block after block of magnificent old, huge homes, most of them in fine condition, almost all of some architectural significance.  It’s really quite a show; it looks like some outside money has come into town and spruced up the better residential districts, but has not had much effect on the business end of the city.  We all thought that these parts of town were the most interesting points of interest in Norwich; there really aren’t a lot of historical structures or other touristy things here.  The City’s web site has a section on Visitor Information, listing things that visitors should see while they’re here; the number one attraction listed is a Dog Park.  We didn’t go there.

We did drive down the road along the Thames River, toward New London, and a few miles out of Norwich we saw something strange; it was a huge complex of old buildings, all in an advanced state of decay, fenced off from the road with big no trespassing signs.  It must have gone on for a mile or so!  Don and Geri had to stop to try to find out what this was; I was glad that they pulled off the road next to an old Cemetery.  Don got me out of the truck and he and I visited it while Geri researched the deteriorating mystery facility on her iPhone.  I like visiting old Cemeteries, the old headstones have interesting odors, the grass is usually nice, and they have a very peaceful feeling.  Don noted that most of the people buried there died before the State of California was admitted to the Union.  He found something that really interested him; it was the grave of a couple, John and Lucrezia Brewster, who were shipmates of Don’s many-greats Grandfather on the Mayflower.  They had apparently relocated from Plymouth fairly late in life, and had resided and died nearby.  Don went to take a photo of the monument, only to find that his camera batteries had died (as often happens).  He had to get Geri to bring her iPhone over to the graveyard to get some pics.  Geri, meanwhile had discovered that the mystery facility behind the fence was once a State Mental Hospital, encompassing some 900 acres, that had been closed back twenty years ago or so, and was up for sale by the State.

We returned to the coach, where I got my dinner, then headed up the road to Marlborough, where we met Geri’s Goddaughter, Donna, at a restaurant where the three of them had their dinner.  They don’t get to see her very often, and they always enjoy it when they do.  She came out to see me in the truck after dinner, and she was so nice to me that I think that she was falling in love.  I have that effect on a lot of ladies. 

Back at the park, we listened to our favorite TV shows on the radio, put the blog together, and turned in fairly early.  I think we’re staying over another day here, as I hear talk of a place called Foxwoods; I think there are a large number of the wondrous money machines there.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

Day 35 – Lisbon, Connecticut

Well, kind of an interesting day; not so much for me, but for Geri and Don.  I hear it started kind of early, with Don up a little after six, but you couldn’t prove it by me; I slept in until almost eight!  Geri was up before I was!  I guess yesterday’s activities had taken a bigger toll on my energy than I thought.  Don took me out for a very good walk after my breakfast, and we met another Goldie by name of Griffon, who was the same age as me, but had about thirty pounds on me.  He was a really nice guy, very friendly, and his human guy said that he had been hit by a truck a few years ago, and had his leg broken.  He had been well patched up, though, and got around really well. 

When we got back to the rig, Geri was busy cleaning the carpets and Don had to take some of the rugs outside to clean the dog hair (mostly Gracie’s) off them.  I guess he got a lot of hair on his clothes while he was doing this job, as he had to change clothes afterward.  As he was putting on his pants, Geri noticed that he had an ugly red spot on his upper leg, and asked him what it was.  He said that he thought it was a skin tag, and it didn’t bother him.  She looked more closely at it, and found that it was a huge tick that had attached itself to his thigh, and was looking very well fed.  She asked him how long it had been there, and he replied that it had been at least a week and a half.  She went a little funny then, not knowing whether to laugh or be mad, but she made it clear that something had to be done about the thing, immediately.  Don was forced to agree, and said that as soon as we got to our next stop, he would get some medical attention.

We got the rig ready to go, and departed our spot at Worden Pond to head west to Connecticut.  A little over an hour later, we pulled into DeerHaven RV Park in Lisbon, which is right next door to Norwich.  We were assigned to the Big Rig spot in the park, which is plenty roomy and very pretty, with lots of trees.  Unfortunately, those same trees make it impossible to capture our DirecTV satellite.  Don even moved the coach after our initial hookup, but was still unable to get reception.  They finally gave up on the TV, and went into Norwich to find a tick removal specialist.  They were gone for several hours, past my dinner time, even.  When they got back, Geri was kind of giggly, and I thought it was just that she was very happy to see me.  After we all had dinner (leftovers), though, she called her friend Laura in Long Island, and I got the real story. 

It seems that Don had been sort of Patient of the Day at the Urgent Care Center that they went to, causing a lot of unbelieving looks and snickering.  Like when he was checking in, he was asked what his problem was, and he answered that he had a tick, while blinking his eye.  Geri had to intervene, and explain that he had been bitten by a tick, which was still very much attached.  When the nurse asked where he had been bitten, he answered, “In Rhode Island”, which Geri again had to clarify.  It apparently got worse from there, when the attending Doctor asked him about when the tick attachment occurred, and found out that it had been more than a week and a half ago.  He wanted to know why Don hadn’t done some about it sooner, to which Don replied that it didn’t hurt, he didn’t know what it was, and it wasn’t a real bother to him.  The Doc kind of shook his head and walked away, muttering to himself. 

So the Urgent Care Facility brought all the power of medical technology to bear, and came up with their secret tick removal serum, otherwise known as Dawn Dishwashing Soap.  Once the area was smeared with this elixir, the miscreant tick was easily backed out of his feeding hole.  Geri asked that she be awarded the corpse, for possible identification in case Don died of Lyme Disease; Don was more interested in taxidermy.  It sounds as though this was somewhat less than a serious situation, and everyone, including Laura, got a good laugh out of it. 

So, TVless, and with only a XM radio, an iPad and an iPhone, plus a computer for communication and entertainment, we managed to entertain ourselves for the rest of the evening until bedtime, which came fairly early.  We hope your evening was at least as good as ours!

Day 34 – Tuckertown, Rhode Island

Wow, did it rain last night!  No thunder or lightning, just a lot of rain beating down on the roof of the coach, so loud that I had trouble sleeping.  Don said that he did, too.  Didn’t seem to bother Gracie or Geri, though.  The result was a very late start on the day, not much happening before eight or so, and very little after that.  Geri took Gracie and I out for a short excursion, just as the people down the way were heading out with their two Black Labs, one a strapping young man, the other a three month old puppy.  A funny thing happened; when Gracie saw the big Lab, she went kinda nuts, and started barking and howling, while lunging so hard on her leash that she tore it out of Geri’s hands.  She went running at the big guy, yapping wildly, and started cavorting around him in a strange little dance.  It was like she was really glad to see him, like a long lost lover, and still kinda mad at him for leaving her.  He wasn’t at all sure about her intentions, and was loudly requesting his master to keep him safe from this potential predator.  The man’s wife took the puppy back into their coach to keep him from any possible trouble, while I tried to follow her to introduce myself.  Geri wasn’t really happy about anyone’s performance in this melee, and let it be known.  We were both chastised firmly, and Gracie was kept on a very short leash afterward.

Later, Don took us out for a longer walk, and we were both under orders to behave ourselves.  He never had to yell at us once, and we all had a good time.  When we got back to the coach, Geri and Don started their planning for the next stop on the trip, which appears to be in Connecticut, not far away.  Seems that they have another friend they want to look up, and there is potential for dealing with the money machines that they are so fond of.  When they had taken their planning as far as they could without getting into a serious disagreement, they got Gracie and I into the truck and we all went over to Joanne’s. 

Joanne had gotten back from her trip to West Point a little earlier, and was in the midst of saying goodbye to Marie, who was leaving to head up to Maine for her summer of theater.  I was happy to get to see Marie again, as she treats me with great affection.  Once she had departed, our people, including nephew Matt, assembled at the pool to engage in further discussions on the incompetence of contractors and pool people, and to figure a way to drain some of the water from the pool, which was overfull due to the rain.  I watched as Don maneuvered a hose out of the pool, pulled it down the hill, and then put it in his mouth, apparently sucking on it.  I thought it looked a little strange, but it apparently had the desired effect, as water started coming out of it.  I was doing my own inspection of the pool deck when I noted that there were some interesting piles of dirt just beyond the deck, sprouting some vegetation.  I decided to look a little closer, and wandered into what was really a mudbath, created by the rains.  I immediately realized that this was a problem, and attempted to extricate myself from it.  Unfortunately, with each step, I sank a little deeper into the mud, until I was immersed in it halfway up my legs.  I heard a lot of shrieking and whooping from Geri and Joanne, and I immediately surrendered myself to Geri, ‘cause I knew that she would know what to do about this problem. 

Anyway, I got a good hosing down and was banished to the veranda until I dried off a little bit.  Gracie thought it was pretty funny; so did Don and Matt.  Geri and Don took off then to do some shopping, and I took a much needed snooze.  When they returned, Gracie and I got our dinner, and the human gang headed out to get theirs.  They came back a few hours later raving about the great Italian food at the place Joanne had chosen.

After some conversation, Geri and Don packed up all the stuff they had left at the house, put me in the truck, said their goodbyes, and made our way back to the Campground.  A little TV, a bit of blogging, and then to bed. 

We all want to thank Joanne for her wonderful hospitality, our opportunity to meet Matt and Marie, and to Gracie for being a splendid hostess for me.  We always have a great time here, and only wish that Buzz could have been here to share it with us.  Maybe next time!

Day 33 – Tuckertown, Rhode Island

I didn’t mention it yesterday, but I must have sprained my left foreleg while jumping out of the truck when we got back to the coach last night.  I let Geri and Don know about it, and they gave me a pill to reduce the pain, for which I was thankful.  This morning, I was still limping, so Don took Gracie and I for a short walk, and I refrained from doing any trotting.  It feels better now, thank you, and I hope it will be back to normal tomorrow. 

We had kind of a lazy morning, lots of reading and browsing on the computer, Gracie and I getting attention whenever and wherever we could, otherwise snoozing.  A little before noon, we all got our acts together and piled into the truck to go to Joanne’s.  I got to lay down behind the front seats of the truck, because of my bad leg.  When we got to Joanne’s, we saw that there was a car in the driveway, which meant that Marie and Matt had arrived last night.  Don opened the door from the garage to the kitchen, and Gracie went storming into the house and up the stairs to the bedrooms, eliciting a great deal of squawking and screaming from the tenants.  She came running back down, very happy about the disruption she had caused.  Marie and Matt came down the stairs soon after, and Geri, Don and I were happy to meet them both. 

We all sat around the kitchen and talked, and I got to sit next to Marie and get a lot of attention from her.  She’s heading up to Maine to do some theater work, and is an aspiring actress and singer.  They talked a lot about musical theater, which Geri and Don both love, and she was thrilled to hear their story about meeting her idol, Bernadette Peters, after one of her shows in New York some years ago.  I could tell they were having a really good time talking with her and Matt, and they made some plans to get together again in Maine.  But the party finally broke up, with Geri and Don heading out to go to a museum in Narragansett, and Matt and Marie travelling to Providence and Wickford.  Gracie and I were left to fend for ourselves, and wound up snoozing most of the day.

When Geri and Don returned, they told me about the South County Museum, where they had spent most of the afternoon.  They said that it had a lot of artifacts from the agricultural side of the area’s economy, and some great photographs of local fishermen at work.  There is a great collection of old printing equipment, linotypes, letterpresses, and a whole bunch of other stuff I never heard of before.  They thought it was a really interesting place, and were glad that they had visited it.  They told me that they had then driven up to Jamestown, which is on an island in Narragansett Bay, near Newport.  They saw a lot of beautiful old homes and a lighthouse that was the third oldest in the country!  They decided to have dinner in Jamestown, and Geri found a review of a restaurant on her cell phone that sounded good.  When they arrived at the restaurant, they found that it was affiliated with the Portuguese American Club in Jamestown, so they weren’t sure what to expect.  But they said the food was excellent, particularly Geri’s dish of mussels and clams with linguini.  Don’s fish and chips were very much to his liking, also. 

Don said that even Joanne would have been pleased with the portion size of the wine served with the dinner. 

After dinner, they raced back to Joanne’s to make dinner for Gracie and me, then loaded us into the truck for our return to the coach.  Sounds like they had a pretty nice day! 

We watched a little TV, put the blog together, had a few cookies, and bedded down for the night.  The big excitement tomorrow is the return of Joanne!  We’ll all be happy to see her, particularly us doggy people.