Yaba, Daba, Doo………….
“Never curse a fall….the ground is where humility lives” …………………..Yasmin Mohaged
Well, we skipped the prairies, but went from the mountains to the oceans this week. After having multiple Airbnb guests for six straight nights for the Columbus Day Peak, and spending weeks of watching THE POND have more apples in it than water (we are in an official drought here on the Greens, even Bernie says it is dry)) , we scurried out of town to head for the coast.
Our route to the Maine coast took us through most of north central New Hampshire, where we usually go only under the cover of darkness. This is a Vermont joke…but now I see good reason. After being sheltered from the Trumpsters here in our liberal bastion, we encountered literally hundreds and hundreds of the Devil signs throughout New Hampshire and on the central part of Maine (it seems it gets less when you go further south- maybe the healing effects of the sun). It was a stark contrast to the beauty and serenity of the brilliant mountain colors everywhere we went. We bought some tape and taped our mouths shut, so as not to risk any potential sexual molestation by the devotees.
In magnificent sunshine and temps approaching 70 ( I dug my shorts out and reached for a bit more summer), we drove to the Maine coast at Bath and spent the night, then spent two days winding down the coast to York. Great time of year with kids back in school and tourists at a minimum off the beaten path, where our homing devices take us. Being fairly entrenched in the aging process, it was refreshing to find ourselves the youngest people around wherever we went…us and the walkers and the wheelchairs ….……..boy –are we fast.
We spent one night at a Marriott in Bath (points) and then found another dog friendly cottage outside of Kennebunkport (we are retroactively loving the Bushs). The first night we had a nice king bed, which was fine for the 3 of us …but the 30’s era depression cottage on night two had something between a single and a double, so Lucy had half and Jenn and I had half…..by two a.m.- I simply pushed a sound asleep Jenn to the floor and Lucy and I did pretty well for the rest of the night. So, it was basically three days of walking quiet beaches, hiking in the great north woods, driving through mountain and ocean vistas in bright sunshine and doing the Maine lobster-roll tour. Lucy LOVED the beach ,springing around like a dervish, in and out of the surf and then crashing for hours in the car from her “play-hard, sleep hard” lifestyle.
We returned on Thursday and Friday I reluctantly took my aching back to see the country shaman; a woman Jenn had found for her even more ailing back. Vickie practices Integrated Positional Therapy (really, it IS Vermont, after all)….in a two hundred year old one- room schoolhouse on a dirt road no one can find- in the mountains of Shrewsbury. She is an attractive and funny woman…..which made it pleasant to have her try to find places to weave her fingers deep into my tissue and chakras (or some such shit). Not sure if it helped, but it was enjoyable lying on her bed in the woods in the late afternoon autumn light …..it’s possible that it sounds sexier than it was, but…..
So, we have had our last two scheduled guests of the season the last two nights. The first were two men and a dog…witty professionals from upstate NY, here for one of them to be in a cross fit competition. This was our first alternative lifestyle couple (is this politically correct?), and I think we passed the test, even taking care of their very dainty dog while they went to dinner (she refused to leave the room whilst they were gone). Then last night, we had two women from Minnesota that sounded like they came straight from Fargo or Prairie Home Companion. They were very excited to be here and traveling through the ALL the northeastern states. Quite the contrast. The fellows were quiet, urbane, restrained, traveled with one sheik small bag, and very cautious about how much they did or took on (had to get home to weekend chores after the competition). The gals were uber-exuberant, couldn’t decide whether to head north or south the next day, not wanting to miss anything (they are going to do both!) and came in with eight pieces of luggage for ten hours here. They ate car food on paper plates in their room and drank a box of wine. I think this represents the chameleon-like life the of the innkeeper…no?
Well- it’s going to be a fine week here- heading up to near 80 mid-week- so we need to get out now and search for more leaves. On the dreaded countdown now- with four weeks until the flatland return…ugghh…oy…ugghh..).
Lots of pix again this week. Hope you enjoy and do more autumnal things.
Your humble correspondent,
Stub
