wrapping up

it's time, and past, for me to finish with the east coast.
with both jacob and kate at work tim and i occupied ourselves with a drive along the coast, stopping to watch a fishing boat unload, hit the beach and lunch at voodoo grill in mystic.

this is the lighthouse museum in stonington.



we were able to walk along a public area, watching a boat dock and unload while several local purveyors were on hand to take the fresh catch away to their kitchens. we've seen several memorial sites in our travels. family names are often, sadly, repeated on these plaques.

romance aside, we do enjoy taking long walks along the beach. we clambored atop a rock pile, dodging the tide, trying to keep our feet dry. we laughed, picked up rocks, relished the sounds. a good day.
i was surprised by all the outside work being done. no pictures...
in addition to the fishing, we saw men shingling, painting, doing general construction. yard work. lots of leaves being moved and i should have taken a picture of the equipment - a large (waist high and wider than the guy pushing it)fan on wheels, a small pickup fitted with a tall wooden box and a hose unit that came over the top to the front bumper - think vaccuum cleaner on steroids!!

our flight to newark the next day was low and slow giving us plenty of time to ogle the estates of the rich and famous because we were on a prop jet. we swung north in a slow arc before making our way back south to jersey. i was surprised by the mountainous (yes, mountainous) terrain studded by open grounds surrounding mansions, compounds really. turrets, winding drives, tennis courts, it was all there. the pools ranged from simple rectangles to the more popular amoeba.

taking off from providence, the above-ground pool preference seems to be round (rather than oval). on my first trip, helping kate drive out to join jacob, i flew out of providence and at that time was amazed by the number of backyard pools i saw during takeoff. it hasn't changed.

i also saw a woman washing her windows, an ambulance with lights flashing waiting in someone's driveway and maymanymany people raking leaves.

do other people enjoy takeoff and descents as much as i do??

can you tell i had a great time??

still vacationing

we had the pleasure of kate's company on monday as jacob was at work. we joined him for lunch in the charming village of deep river. the feast delivered just that! homemade breads and pastas, local veggies, eggs and poultry were served up with what food channel enthusiasts would recognize as respect for the ingredients. yummy doesn't do it justice.
we also had a chance to see where kate works as we wound through the back roads around westbrook and clinton. it is such a picturesque driving experience. i love to wind through these areas. the houses and stone fences capture what most of us perceive to be the essence of quaint new england. then you come across names like misquamicut, pequot, nehantic, uncas and pawcatuck scattered in amongst upper mills, saybrook and ingham hill reminding you that connecticut wasn't always the yuppy bastion it is today.
we then spent some time wandering around the grounds of the castle built by william gillette an eccentric actor credited with creating the iconic image of sherlock holmes with his pipe, cape and deerstalker hat. the extensive grounds included a train, several bridges and outbuildings and trails that have been added for the convenience of tourists.
the castle perched atop bluffs over looking the connecticut river. we agreed that it would be a delight to wake to that vista each morning.


tim found a spot by the pond for a quick nap. although overcast that day,the weather was perfect for walking. we finished the day with a quick run through the grocery store and a pot of mussels, a salad and warm bread with shrimp and pasta for supper. mmmmm

day's end in boston

we finished our walking tour and took a ferry across boston harbor. you can see old north church sandwiched in amidst the skyscrapers. looking across at it, who doesn't hear the thud of hoofbeats and the vigilant promise of 'and i on the opposite shore shall be'?? my hat is off to the city planners who have kept that view open for the rest of us.
i do wish i had taken pictures of the marvelous windows along pub street. easily 5 foot high, they opened along tracks at table height, like a bifold closet door, across the front of many pubs and restaurants. it seems a shame that you can't get pictures of everything
i'll apologize for the poor quality of this shot of a lovely, green park complete with fountain and loggia covered walk that was - you'll never guess - our parking garage!! (i took several when i realized how dark they were going to be, hoping that one would be useable. the sun was still shining but at street level it was already 'dusk'.)(do the best you can.) our parking ramp's park covered a small city block and reached 6 levels underground.
the boston folly - i mean tunnel - has often been in the news but i didn't realize how much underground construction is done in that city. again, kudos to the planners and engineers who have found a way to preserve this heritage-rich city.

more of boston

we saw our fair share of cemeteries - this one included benjamin franklin's parents, john hancock, paul revere and 'mother' goose. stones were found piled on top of several markers replicating the idea of stone cairns. the artistry of the old markers is breath taking but i admit i have a limit to how many i want to visit
this statue marks the entrance to a 'green' which abuts old north church.







it's spire is visible behind the outstretched hand but didn't photograph well..

our tour route took us to paul revere's home,(his workshop was in another location) (this was their courtyard garden) wound through pub street, little italy, (several blocks of aromatic restaurants), faneuil hall/market where we lunched in a basement sea food dive. delish!
this is the organ from old north church. we enjoyed seeing the family boxes which in their time were available for a price. several were quite well padded. our family's practice has always been to come early and take the last row - a privilege we may have had to pay dearly for to outbid the latecommers.
i appreciated the graceful blend of history and contemporary life evidenced by this bridge. of course, the other extreme exists too, including a ruth's chris steakhouse in what had been the old city hall, graced by a statue of benjamin franklin, the first statue cast in 'common' clothes (as oppossed to classical robes).
i'll finish tomorrow with the harbor, and a few leftovers. i do regret the many wonderful photos i didn't take......

boston

tim, jacob and kate at the boston commons.
speaks for itself, wouldn't you say?
wandering around beacon hill.
we had a fine day to stroll through the streets of boston - a day where one could entertain the idea of global warming. we followed the freedom trail, enjoying the sense of locals going about their business enmeshed with names and places from our grade school lessons. a self-paced tour we were able to browse through an interesting bookstore, stop for a pretzel, dawdle as we pleased. we watched as services ended at king's chapel, established in 1689. paul revere recast its bell in 1816 and it is still rung every sunday to announce services.

where to start?!

they always say to begin at the begining....to be kind i should skip this first installment but it is just too good a story. we're on the plane - well into our flight - when tim goes to retrieve something from his computer bag. no computer. my mind flashes back to the announcement i heard as i sat down after exiting the security checkpoint. "would the passenger who left a laptop...." and my immediate reaction of "what kind of idiot walks off...." so we're laughing. he didn't hear them say they were removing the laptop.....
he made a couple phone calls when we landed and it should be waiting in the lost and found when we return to omaha.

the flights were unremarkable. i think, though, that the mysteries of flight are challenged by the delicacy with which the pilots manuever their crafts on the ground.

the descent, and subsequent take-off, at newark was wonderful. glimmering serpentine waterways. fields of velvet and corduroy. countless baseball diamonds - countless!! the empire state building, brooklyn bridge and statue of liberty!!
i saw central park. i saw an incredible array of shipping containers at the docks. i saw ferries and tugs and laden barges making their way through the sound.
i watched sky and water compete in mimicry as the wakes left by various vessels mirrored the skiff of clouds hanging on a low horizon. other clouds sat like whitecaps against the surface of the water that reflected blue in the morning sun.

my family can attest that i'm not one to crane my head and gawk so i am thankful to have had the window seat both times and took full advantage of the privilege.

jacob and kate are well. they've done an excellent job with plans and preparations. we ate a delicous saag paneer cooked by jacob that first night. delicious omelets to get us on our way for boston the next morning,and that will be the next post - with pictures.

conundrum

i was about to pack my computer and decided to post - a reallyeallyreally quick post.
tomorrow at this time we plan to be in connecticut. we always look forward to these few days with jacob and kate. boston has been pencilled in for sunday, which i find delightful. we'll accommodate work schedules for the next couple days finding plenty to do around the area.
it sounds like the weather will be perfect so i am packing accordingly. let's hope their right!! packing can be a challenge as is, add in unknowns for weather and activities.... let's just say i rearranged these piles several times.yes, let's just say that.

do you think he knows there's something up??

old things new

several years ago my sister-in-law, leslie, passed along some of grandma helen's glassware. i've enjoyed having and using it. these particular pieces held makeup brushes and compacts.
manufacturers being what they are, one of my standard products changed in shape and size recently and i had to reconfigure my storage/display system. (i like things accessible but neatly 'away')(i like having a reason to use these things)


they have a new home, again, courtesy of leslie.
we visited in early october and after discussing several possible uses for it she sent me on my way with this charmer.

everything tucked neatly away. thanks, leslie!!