Day 37: Anacortes Washington-York Beach, Maine... PAU!

Scott is a goal-setter. More than anyone I know. He writes them down. He sets them with enthusiasm and accomplishes them with joy and confidence. He always has. And probably always will. It is who he is! He makes lists and fills in boxes on workout sheets. For goodness sakes, he writes book reports even now when a teacher doesn't make him! He is an inspiration to me and the kids and others too I'm sure. As solid as the granite we passed in New Hampshire today! ...and I'm not just talking about his legs!  ;)

New Hampshire is just like Old Hampshire, but new.  (haha, I read that today!)

When our kids were little I would rediscover the beauties of the world through their eyes. They'd laugh with glee when leaves fell all around them. They'd delight in chasing birds at the beach. They'd be astonished finding a turtle when snorkeling. And I've always found that glee, delight and astonishment watching God's creations through Scott's eyes. I loved always seeing the smile on his face as he came up the road. This trip has been a great adventure in sharing that wonder of God's bounties in this little sliver of our country that we traveled. Yesterday we attended church at the Lebanon Ward in New Hampshire and the closing hymn was How Great Thou Art. I had tears in my eyes while we sang it and Scott did too. Our joy is full.  :)

P.S.  I drove all the way across the country!

And now we get to drive back home...together. :)

Day 36 - Easy to like Vermont

We biked through the heart of the Green Mountains & the rest of Vermont today on Hwy 4 (it's a skinny state).  At Shelburne Pass we crossed the Appalachian & Long Trail near the Killington Ski Resort.  Sections of Hwy 4 have been completely redone since Hurricane Irene (Aug 2011) severely damaged this part of Vermont (all of the state experienced major flooding).  For the third day this week we were affected by thunderstorms. There was a tornado watch for Vermont & New Hampshire (and much of the east coast) so we hunkered down in the early afternoon.  Thoughts for the day:

1. It is difficult to bike miles quickly in Vermont because:
• most of the road shoulders are crumbly, 
• the great scenery at every turn forces you to slow down (unless a thunderstorm approaches..),
• the need to maneuver to get decent pictures avoiding the power lines,
• the constant rolling hills are tiring
2. Vermont is the 2nd least populous state (Wyoming is the least).  We haven't seen any real towns - just villages.  Woodstock, VT is the quintessential cutesy, New England village and tourist area.  I admired a wildlife picture exhibit at the local art show.  The photographer was a former dairy farmer who turned his love of nature into a new profession.  (There are currently about 1,000 dairy farms in the state compared to over 11,000 in 1947.)  Thanks Wikipedia - it must be true.
3. The weather forecast looks great for Monday with no rain & NNW winds that should push us all the way to the Atlantic.

 

 (YouTube video attached shows flooding at this bridge)

 Civil War Monument in Woodstock, VT

 Hikers paradise

a green state

 side road before Hwy 4

Irene flood damage

Day 36: I LoVermont! :)

"New England is quite as large a lump of earth as my heart can really take in." -Nathaniel Hawthorne

Driving through windstorms of falling leaves today made me reflect on our time living in CT and how I loved driving the winding tree lined roads. Beauty at every turn. But also the challenge we have now as we make our own route, working our way to York Beach, ME (and moving north and south as much as east!) I remember the funny joke I heard years ago about asking an old New Englander how to get someplace and his response is "You can't get there from here!"  Hmmm I get it even more now than I did then!  ;).     Their other funnies I remember: 

"We have two seasons, winter and the 4th of July!"  :)

"In New England we have 9 months of winter and 3 months of darned poor sledding!"

I'm not really sure who reads this blog, but I do know of one high school friend who said to look out for anything with her family name back here.  I found relatives with a farm and private street not far from where her grandfather lived. Thanks for following the blog, Janet!  ;)

The storm chased us all day and finally made us hunker down for the night!

 Make that 4 pairs of sunglasses!

Day 35 - New England

We left New York with good views of the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks, a Hudson River crossing near its source at Newcomb, NY, and a 10 minute ferry ride across Lake Champlain at Ticonderoga to officially enter Vermont.  My legs would feel better tonight had we stayed at Long Lake all day (thanks again Schindlers), yet we needed to push on since we plan to finish this thing by early next week.  Thoughts for the day:

1. I would like to spend more time at Ticonderoga, NY.  The area is full of history, waterways, hiking trails, and natural beauty.  
2. Vermont definitely has a different feel than the other states we have visited.  No billboards; smaller, more personal feeling farms; narrow but uncrowded roads; green, green fields, and mountains (or at least rolling hills) in every direction.
3. Kathryn has given me a great anniversary present these 35 days, supporting so I could do this ride - she is wonderful.

 Just need a skier in the wake at Long Lake

 Little League field in Newcomb, NY

 Blue Ridge Falls, NY

 Vermont Church

Bicentennial Park, Ticonderoga, NY

Day 35: these days are lovely...

Today is our anniversary... 34 years! 

It started with Judy making us a great hot breakfast. I can't remember the last time I had a breakfast that good!  Then Chuck took us on a boat ride on Long Lake. We were spoiled! It was hard to leave ... but we did... 

New York has been lovely. We are just ahead of all the fall leaves turning to their full glory. Scott is just riding too darn fast! 

We crossed Lake Champlain on the ferry at Ticonderoga and were welcomed by rolling hills of Vermont farmland. And more cows!

These are lovely days filled with charming homes, neat organized productive farms, quaint lake villages where people drive their boats up to the market or a friend's dock, values respecting Mayberry towns with tall steepled churches and prominent libraries, and history of our country that brings to mind familiar names from somewhere in my early studies.

Oh... and for anyone else who is counting: today we're up to 9 flat tires!  ;)