Day15 – Church with the kids

Phil and Carly are attending a church at Bentonville. Praise the Lord. Answered prayer. They appear to be happy there. Hopefully they will be absorbed and become a part of the family.

The service was good. The pastor was good and made some interesting points about leadership and the ease that sin can affect it. The text came from Samson and Delilah.

Just an interesting observation. This church spent some money quieting the auditorium. I did not hear a page turn, a chair move, or even an occasional cough or sneeze. Sound good? But I also did not hear the occasional amen, or hallelujah, or laughter at a joke. It reminded me of teaching. When I taught a very small class, the class was very quiet. But, the jokes did not go over very well, the question and answer sessions did not extend the lesson, the class just didn't run as smoothly. I had always attributed this to the smallness of the class. But, I think now it is the noise factor.

Lectures and sermons feed off the response of the audience. The occasional "Amen" encourages others to be more involved. Laughter is infectious and causes others to laugh. I think that the noise factor actually encourages the audience to listen more intently, just to see what they are actually missing. If the sound deadening in the room is so well done, the laughter is not there, the "amens" are not evident, and the quietness allows our minds to drift off subject. There needs to be a balance between noise and quietness, but I personally did not like "not hearing" those Bible pages turning.

Arkansas is hot. So, the kids put on their suits and filled the pools. That gave Grandpa a chance to man the hose. I am a deadly shot. Heh, heh, heh…

We had deep fried fish for supper, cooked in one of those outdoor turkey fryers. No sweat, except for the thunderstorm that suddenly materialized over the back yard. We finished inside while discussing the size of the fireball above the fryer when a sudden downpour dumped on the hot grease.

After everything was said and done, all I could say was, "It was a great day." Thank you Lord.

Day14 – 11 hours to Arkansas

Well, typically, we don't travel for 11 hours straight. We got up on Saturday morning to leave. Now, I normally have my phone set to go off at 4:30 am so we can get up and leave for Men's Prayer Breakfast. It was still set, so we awoke early. I think it was still dark when we packed the vehicle. What took so long, I don't know, but we finally got off at 7 am. Good old Tim Horton's provided a cup of needed java and something sweet to pump up the bod.

The trip was basically non-eventful. We just traveled as fast as possible. It was hot and I didn't think the AC was working as efficiently as it should have. Con sent her son her first text as we approached the center of Missouri. I have patience. I have patience. I have patience.

We arrived 12 hours after leaving Tipp. The kids were just about to go to bed, so we were able to give kisses and hugs and read them a bed time story before retiring. It was great.

Day13 – Beeline to Bethel

There is actually a joke there. Bethel school district, which is my previous employment, has a mascot of the Bethel Bees.

Decision time. We have been on the bike for over 2500 miles. The behind is a little sore. The rides are getting hotter. We want to get to Arkansas without any problems. I have seen forecasts that suggest rain. So, we have decided to pick up the Jeep and continue our trip.

So, we are making a beeline to Bethel. At the Tipp City house, we have a garden. It has not been seen for 13 days. I had asked a couple of friends to take as needed. Well, they did not. So, we had about 14 ears of corn that needed to be cooked and eaten. We ended up giving them away.

The Jeep had a squeak when we last drove it. I thought it might be a wheel bearing. The problem was how do I fix it on Friday night or Saturday morning. Enter the Lord. We tried to make it squeak. It would not. Apparently, the Lord did not want to stop us from leaving for Arkansas.

We stayed at the Tipp house and planned to leave the next morning.

Day12 – Through the Finger Lakes on US 20

The first place we passed of any note was the place we were going to stop for the night. We did not stop there, because it was so late, but we had called. The place is called The Brae Locke Inn. When I called to see if they had room, they did. We could get a king size bed with a fireplace for only $199. Since the temperature outside was hovering around 90, I did not think we needed the fireplace. Their only room cheaper was the double bed without the fireplace, but they did not have a laundry. When we drove by we found out why the price. It was a beautiful cabin resort type inn overlooking the lake. I did not regret the decision to not stay there..

We stopped in Auburn. It has a beautiful lake, Owasco, where we took a few pictures. Again, you will have to wait until I retrieve the camera to see them. Take my word for it, they are beautiful.

While we were walking out on a long pier to take a picture of the town, we were looking down into the water. It was very clear. Con asked if there were any fish in the Lake. I kidded with her and said of course not. Then she remarked, "then, what is that?" It had to be about 15 lbs, about 30" long and dark, not a catfish, some kind of preditor. I only wished I had my rod and reel right then. Of course, you can't fish from the pier, but it was huge.

We saw each Finger Lake from the end. When we got to Canadagua Lake, we went back to the place where we had eaten a couple of years ago. We found the place, but the other restaurants had failed and were closed up. It was actually sad. Kind of a statement of times gone by.

We did find a new little lunch restaurant and ice cream parlor. It was pretty cool and the prices reflected the obvious clientel that were not in our league. $25 for a salad and two cups of soup is a little steep.

OK, we did not do so well with the price of lunch, but you would be proud of Con for the room we got that night in Penn. The first place we stopped; it was a new Holiday Express, they wanted $150 for a single. And they had only one left. Next door, literally only 5 feet, there was a Super8. It was a little grimey. And there was a bar directly in front. Con asked to see a room. We have not seen a motel room from the 30's but I think this was built then. The room could not have been bigger than 8x8. The bathroom sink was at the end of the bed, so if I wanted to cool my feet in water while sleeping, it could be done. We did not stay.

At the next exit was a TravelLodge. It was going to cost us $99 for the night. So, I asked if they gave any discounts. When he asked what did we qualify for, I said, AAA and military. Suddenly, it only cost $55. Not bad.

If you have been following this blog, you know we can tell the great places to eat, by the number of cars in the parking lot. Since we didn't want to go anywhere we ate there. Let's see. We were the first in the restaurant, there was only a waitress who did the cooking and she didn't know we were there for the first 5 minutes. But, I ordered the Steak and Cheeze hoagie as I wanted it and loved the meal. Well, we lucked out.

Day 11 – Gotta make mid-NY

Off to VT and points beyond.

If you have never taken 101 out of Manchester and across NH, you need to experience it. Nice windy roads that climb into the Green Hills and White mountains. It was a great ride. At the top is Hogback Mountain Pass. Of course, there is a look-out. We stopped and I got at least one shot. The weather was very hazy and I doubt the scenery is very good. Actually, I left the camera on the bike, so you are not going to see anything for at least a week.

We took the back roads around Sarotoga Falls. This time I left MAPI in the map mode and just drove as I thought it would work. Now we were traveling on Route 20. Did I mention that US Rt 20 goes from west to east coasts. The road is nice, wide, yet only 2 lane.

We had traveled a number of miles. We are beyond the big cities, but the projected spot we were trying to make was still a long way off. It is hot, very hot. With a protective motorcycle coat on, it is actually very warm. Not to complain, but the rider behind me was starting to get a little cranky. So, we stopped to literally use the air conditioning in a convenience store/gas station. The destination was still a long way. We needed to get some miles under our wheels. So, I suggested the unthinkable; we take the NY turnpike.

You should have seen the look. But, it had understanding behind it. So, onto the freeway we went. It really wasn't too bad. No slowing down, so we were not so hot. The miles just started melting away.

One thing happened for which we don't usually prepare. As we passed some construction workers laying down another layer of asphalt, I felt my right eye burning. Trying to blink it clean, did not help. You can't just get out a hanky and wipe your eyes and I was getting blinder as we drove. Finally, I just could not see through the right eye and told Con, "I have to stop."

Not to scare you, but I was scared. Stopped on the breakdown lane on a freeway with big trucks passing you at 65 mph is not my greatest desire. After I wiped my eye with a Dunkin' Donuts napkin, everything was OK. The only thing I can think that happened, is that a drop of the tar actually made its way in the air stream past my windshield, under my face mask, behind my glasses and into my eye. Wow, unable to see on a motorcycle at turnpike speeds. THANK YOU LORD.

OK, we made it to Utica before grumpy started complaining about showers and laundry and eating and whatever. We pulled off and drove into a new Holiday Inn Express. The manager was nice. But he also wanted $135 for a single room. And he only had 10 left and they would be gone shortly. And he did not have any laundry facilities. That was the straw… We went across the street to Best Western.

Not new, but the rooms were only $55. She put us up near close by. And there was a laundry! Not bad, huh?

We ate big that night. Wendy's was next door.

Before the lights went out, we got a call. Not normally do we get a call while on a motorcycle trip. Alan called to ask if we were OK. Did we get wet? No, we stopped before any rain. When I saw the news, I realized why he called. Right after we got back from Wendy's, (early evening, around 5pm) it started to rain. The rain was associated with a huge front over all of NY that included numerous thunderstorms and hail and strong winds and lightning and… We had completely missed it. God got us off the bike at the perfect time. THANK YOU JESUS.

We slept well that night.

Day10 – Con’s sick.

Yepp. She woke up, did some knitting, walked around the room, and promptly threw up. Well, actually, she asked me for a bag. Do you know how hard it is to find a bag in someone else's home at 6 am while not trying to wake the dog or anyone else for that matter? OK, I found a trash can, but Con wants a bag. Back to the kitchen. Finally, I find the baggie drawer and a new Zip-Lock. That is when I heard the sound. You know, that gurgling, belly emanating, gut-wretching groan. Uh-oh, too late.

Fortunately, she had emptied the wet cloth bag. Well, I tried.

Dawn awoke. I asked for a thermometer. It was 99.8. The Beaulieu's offered to keep us another day and I gratefully accepted. Con slept for another 6 hours.

That night Alan had a driving duty for the teens at the church. Nice idea. The teens go out after VBS and visit and invite the families that came. His group had a great time. We, on the other hand, got to go out for steak. Oh, the sacrifice we make.

Well, Con must be feeling better, because her sliders and mashed potatoes were gone when we left. And the ice cream treat I was eating suddenly disappeared. Tomorrow, we leave for the second time. Well, literally, we would be leaving for the third time. (Metaphorically speaking, that was meant for Michelle.)

Day9 – Freeport first then back to Manchester

Well, we had to leave Topsham. But, a visit to Freeport and LL Beans should be productive. When we came on Saturday, the place was smashed. Toooooooo many people for me. Monday morning, before the campers are up, I figured that the gad-zillions of people that are normally there will still be in the tent. Monday morning there were only 3 million there. I know, I counted them all.

We lived in Freeport for a year. We lived there when it was a little town with groceries, pharmacies, general stores, hardware stores, etc. Now, it looks like an outside mall. And our short walk around confirmed that they have been busy adding new buildings with more mall outlets. We finally found the outlet for Beans. I was hoping to pick up a new, but used rod. Con wanted a new pair of jeans. No such luck. Nothing there for either of us.

Before we got on the bike, a lady approached us to ask us for advice. I said that we probably not the best source for information. It seemed she wanted to know what helmet we would advise. I was able to let her know about our Shoei and suggested that an Aria was also a great helmet. In the middle of Freeport….

The trip to Manchester was short and to the point. We were trying to make time, but we didn't want to go the same way. Instead we took a couple of back roads north of Portsmouth. That led us to South Berwick, where we got a lunch at the Johnson's restaurant. Meal was good, but I wasn't expecting French fried shrimp in my shrimp roll. I thought it would be like a mayonnaise dressing on the shrimp. Their cole slaw had a definite garlic flavor. I was a little taken back by that also.

We were hoping to have supper with the Beaulieau's and Phaup's. But when we arrived, Dawn had an emergency, and Alan would not be in until after 9. So, we gave the Phaup's a call. They were overjoyed to see us and immediately asked us over to their house.

We took off for the Phaup's and enjoyed every minute with them. Con stayed back with Bonnie while Dick and I went south to pick up Audry, their daughter. Then we met back at the house. The travel time with Dick was great. He is an avid fly fisherman and we swapped stories for the entire trip. When we got back to the house, Dawn had come over also and stayed for dinner. It could not have been a better evening.

Tomorrow, we leave for Ohio. Actually, we decided to not travel to Maryland. I just didn't like the idea of traveling on the freeways, through big cities from Boston to Washington D.C. It just didn't make me want to go. So, we have decided to go home first.

Day8 – A day in Topsham

Meet Bill and Jenny Holloway.

So, it is 25^th of July. The Holloways are planning a small gathering tonight for Paul. Sister, Beth and her family should be coming. A good neighbor and friend of Beth's will be there. Paul invited a couple of friends from when he was a kid.

We got up and wanted to go to church. Con suggested the Navy chapel. Jenny suggested a church in Brunswick, Main Street Baptist. We decided on the latter. Actually, God probably was trying to help us. You see, when we got there, the first person we met was the Navy Chaplain from the base. Apparently, the base is closing, the pastor for Main Street Baptist was on a vacation, and the Navy Chaplain was filling in and bringing his entire congregation. If we had gone to the base, we would have missed them. Service was good, the chaplain had a good message on Christ's resurrection. What I noticed was that we were greeted, or welcomed by about ¼ of the people there. They all stopped to say Hi.

We got out of church and went across the road. It was the hospital where Phil was born. We got a picture of the hospital and another of the church before leaving. It was a blast from the past.

When we got back to the Holloway house, I had to get some pictures of the house. So I went out front to take some pictures. The house is literally on the side of the hill that faces the Androscoggin River. Itself is on a hill compared to the river. On the opposite side of the road, there is the river. There are two bridges that cross very close to Holloways, the swinging foot bridge and the "Black Bridge."

The Black Bridge got its name from an old Sequoian Indian chief by the same name. This bridge sits directly below the railroad bridge that spans the river. Since the chief was objectionable to the coming of the Iron Horse, he took the name of Black Hater. Ergo, the Black bridge. Now, if you believe what I just said, I can sell that same bridge to you for a very smart sum. You can make your first million by charging crossing fees.

The foot bridge is a walking bridge. It might swing still today, but I am too scared to cross it. A few years ago, they needed funds to fix and repair. A fund raising effort was put into place. We got a picture of the stone that Jenny and Bill got for their contribution.

The picnic was great. What I was really impressed with was the love that the kids had for Bill and Jenny. It was obvious in everything they tried to do for them. And it was returned. Bill made sure that the corn shucks were kept for the horses. Candy was in the M&M dish. Beth had to take a couple of hamburgers that weren't cooked. Oh, she had to take the buns too. Bill and Jenny are very generous, and not just with food.

Paul is very proud of what he has done out west. He supplies electricity to his house by siphoning water from three springs into a pipe with a turbine that generates the electricity. All his extra power goes into a hot tub and the water is constantly hot.

We ended the day talking about old memories and swapping stories. A great day, all told. But tomorrow, we'll be off to Manchester again.

Day7 – We love Me.

If you have ever visited or lived in the state of Maine, you know that they make fun of the state's abbreviation, ME. So you will see signs like Fish ME, Camp ME, Travel ME, Visit ME. Ergo, we love Me.

We lived in Maine for 4 years while I was stationed at Brunswick Naval Air Station. I accepted the Lord as my savior during my first deployment. Master Chief Bill Holloway was my division chief and led me to the Lord. We became good friends and spent many days at their house in Topsham.

We left in very low cloudy weather. But the traffic was not really busy, at least in the beginning. As we approached the ocean, the weather started breaking and apparently, the traffic started increasing. I decided to take the toll road north, just to get north of Portsmouth and into Maine. Saturday morning is not the time to travel north. Apparently, everyone in Boston and Connecticut travel to Maine for the weekend. They were all on the freeway.

As we approached Portsmouth, the traffic was at a standstill. Well, if I am going to travel 5 mph, I am going to try Route 1. Actually, it was pretty easy. A number of stops, a couple of turn-arounds, but at least it was cool. The bridge across the river was cool. It was old, but sturdy. Off to the west, you could see the big bridge, with stop and go traffic stopping and going. I was happy.

The trip through Wells, York, Ogonquit, Falmouth and Yarmouth travel was slow, but fun. The number of names with a maritime theme, Captain's Quarters, Bos'n Rooms, Sailor's Cove. It was interesting. Of course, we did not gain time, but it was worth it. As we approached Portland, I decided to get back on the freeway. Bill and Jenny Holloway were expecting us early afternoon. We wanted to visit LL Beans in Freeport before we arrived.

When we got to Freeport, we went to our old house. If you didn't know, we lived for a year in Freeport. So, we got a picture and then went downtown.

Those of us that are older and still have our memory, Freeport has changed. Freeport is a "Mall" city. If they put a roof over the town, you would think you had stopped at the local mall. And the mall was Christmas full. People everywhere. Not today, not now.

It was good to pull into Brunswick and then to Topsham. Bill and Jenny are very gracious. It was good to see them. Their son, Paul, was there for a reunion. I had to ask Paul how old he was. In his 40's. The reason why I asked was because the last time I saw Paul, he was only belly-button tall. I feel old.

If you are reading this, say a prayer for Bill and Jenny. They are well into their 80's and feeling their age. Bill actually has a pace maker and a defibulator implanted in his chest. So, if the pace maker doesn't get his heart back on rhythm, he gets a shock treatment. He said it has gone off about three times since he had it implanted. Wow.

Their house is a menagerie of antiques and dolls. It is almost exactly like it was 30 years ago. It has 3 stories and there are things stored in every nook and cranny in the place. I know, I had to find the molasses.

Night came shortly. The evening was cool and refreshing. The bed was covered with teddy bears, but after they moved over, we had a great sleep.

Day6 – Beaulieau’s

We stayed last night at the Best Western in Manchester, South Willow street. The lady at the desk was super nice. She set us up. She knew what we needed. She gave us a great rate. And she pointed us to the laundry. I am not sure if she knew her business really well, or she smelled something funny when we came in. I did notice a wrinkling of the nose.

When we got up the next morning, we started the house keeping. Blog, electronic chargers, finish the laundry. (Have you noticed that carrying cell phones, ipods, netbooks, and mp3 players all require maintenance that we never did in the past? We traveled and we would steal as much ice from the ice machine as possible, but we never had to make sure the cell was charged. New world.)

The continental breakfast was now normal. Had waffles. The guy that invented the rotating waffle iron for motels, must have made a bundle. Not only do they make a great waffle, they are fun. (If you haven't experienced this yet, you gotta have the waffle. Can you just hear Donkey in Shrek. "And in the morning, I'm makin' waffles." Bet he was hoping to use a motel waffle iron that flips.)

We decided to sign up for another night and gave Beaulieau's a call. This is a super family. Dawn and Alan have been good friends since the 70's. They have six children, all home-schooled. I can't believe their youngest, Michelle is now high school age. Alan is an economics speaker and travels all over the states to address companies. I think they like his New England accent mostly. But he must know what he is talking about, or they wouldn't have him back. He is published and we got his book last Christmas. Of course, he wasn't there. He was in Florida. That is what you get when you arrive unannounced.

Dawn is a crafter. JoAnn Fabrics would be proud if Dawn endorsed them. You have got to see her crafting room. There must be 3,000 boxes and trays with little stars here, little beads there. Stamps, you know, the little wooden blocks with some cute little design or saying; there must have been a thousand of those. Paper of every kind, shape, size, and color.

And that is not the only thing she does. She is a mother, a home school teacher, and a crafter. She actively works as a Sunday School teacher for the rug rats. Now she is looking to possibly teach or aid in the special needs area at the Christian School. She also has an ongoing project to start a business providing tea parties for little kids. Can you say busy, without breaking sweat thinking about her day?

So, here we are in their kitchen, catching up on lost times, cracking jokes about the rain on the trip. Dawn gently asked me to turn around. Yep, it was raining. But, it was time to leave. We had decided to drive to Maine on Day7 to see the Holloways. I will just go out and grab the rain suits and….

When we got to the Beaulieau's, it was nice out. So, the helmets were left on the bike. I think I forgot that during the whole afternoon of rain. At least they were upright and not upside down. We did that once while in Florida. Never trust Florida weather. We had stopped at Tom's, Connie's bother in Tallahassee. We hooked the helmets on the bike. When they hang on the hooks, they are upside down. Three hours later, we had literally a helmet full of water. It took a couple of days to dry them out.

On the way back to our room, we stopped for supper, Famous Dave's BBQ. Great food. Way too much. There went my diet. (Actually, my diet went away somewhere on Day1.) When we got back to the room, there was no watching TV. No movie, no shower, no reading, no blogging. I just died.

Day5 - Our Day

Day5 – Our day.
We left the Chairvolotti’s on a beautiful morning. That is if you like a stormy sky. But the weather looked great to the south and that is where we were heading. So, as we approached Burlington on the freeway, the traffic came to a screeching halt. You have to be kidding me. A traffic jam on the Interstate in northern Vermont.
Almost 1 hour later, it finally breaks free. There is nothing there. No accident. No construction. Nuttin’ honey. But, the guy that drove down the breakdown load to pass us… He was there. Right behind acop with a pad of paper in his hand. Ahh. Justice.
OK, decision time. It looks kind of clear in front of us. So, we decide to push on at freeway speeds. Just outside of Burlington, there is a rest area. I need to powder my nose, so we stop. We also think it might be wise to bring in our rain suits. It only took about 5 minutes and it was pouring again. OK. We wait.
Now this rest area has free WiFi. So, I get the Mini to work on the blog. Con is reading every vacation land handout that is produced in Vermont. After all, we have time. In the mean time, a bunch of people stop as they all do. During a small lull in the rain, I walked out to the bike with netbook in hand. Suddenly, I am approached by this burly looking guy in leathers. “Hey, are you looking at the weather?”
Now, why didn’t I think of that? So, back inside and www.woaa.gov is accessed. After a couple of clicks, I am looking at the weather radar. Guess where the weather is? Yupp. Right over us. The rest of New England looks fine. That was enough for me, we packed and got back on the bike.
We started this day’s blog by saying “Our day.” So, to make a long story short. We traveled to Manchester NH, found a motel. Got off the bike. Washed clothes. Caught up on the blog and pictures. Looked at our email. Ate a fantastic steak and cheese grinder with bakalava for desert. Went to bed early and got up this morning. Charged all the electronics.
This was “Our Day.”

Day4-To the Land of the Unknown

Day 4 and we are off to northern Vermont, to see the Chairvolotti’s. The reason why this is the Land of the unknown is because we have only a small clue as to where they live. You see they left, but I did not get their address. Me, the all-knowing electronic guru just assumed that I would be able to call his cell and make contact. We tried that a couple of days ago. But, it appears that Tom’s cell phone belonged to his employer and he no longer had it. Fortunately, someone there was able to call me back to let me know at least that.
Ok, what is the small clue. We knew that Tom was going to work for the Vermont Department of Natural Resources at the Fish Hatchery on Grand Isle on Lake Champlain. That is it. That is all we knew. So, we googled. I don’t think that DNR gave me any useful results. But under google maps I was able to find Fish Hatchery Road on Grand Isle. So, I got the satellite view and found the hatchery, but no Tom. We decided to just put in that address, and perhaps someone will know the new hire.
When we got up on Day4, we left early, sort of. Both Neen and Gordon had to go to work. So we decided to leave at the same time. The drive up Lake George was beautiful. Full of curvy roads that followed the western shore. Lots of beautiful homes and camps. But as we approached the northern end of Lake George and the southern end of Lake Champlain, we had to cross the Hudson.
The Bridge Was Out. THE BRIDGE WAS OUT. But, they had a ferry. A ferry? I have a few experiences on a ferry. What I remembered was wavy, and rolly, and a decking made of grating. No place for a motorcycle. So, when I got up to the guardhouse, I got off and asked. “Is this safe?” She reassured me that lots of bikes go across. And the deck was solid.
So, with stomach in check, I rolled onto the ferry. Of course, where we were parked, the bike naturally leaned to the left. In addition to that, if you put the kickstand down, it leans farther to the left. I could just see the bike tipping over on its side. So, I balanced it straight up all the way across. While we were on the bike, a guy came over and asked us if we wanted our picture taken. Well, yeahhhh.
So, we made it to Grand Isle, but the weather looked bad. We found the only place to get something to eat and went inside. 30 seconds later, God sent a reminder what Noah had experienced on that first day. It came down soooo hard. We took about 1.5 hours to eat a hamburger. We are only 1 mile away from Fish hatchery Road.
A couple of other bikers, walkers and others made it into the place to wait out the storm. We had a good time watching it pour. After it sort of stopped, we paid our bill and asked where we could stay for the night. No choices, unless we went back to Burlington, an hour backwards. The weather did not look good.
So we drove to Fish Hatchery Rd. There is a museum or historical building there called the Gordon House. We went in and looked for a live person. Introduced myself and said I was looking for Tom Chairvolotti. That person had no idea who he was. But another lady came out from behind a closed door and said she thought there was a new hire at the Fish Hatchery and suggested we ask up there. Well, that was good news, at least a possibility.
Up at the fish hatchery, things started looking up. We met a gentleman by the name of Sean. He was very helpful. He knew Tom and indicated that he would find him and tell him of our arrival. Yippee. Then he suggested we go to his house and he gave us directions.
Tom and Sheila are super people. They love the Lord and they love their children. When Tom got home we reacquainted ourselves and he called Sheila. OK, you have to realize that I am looking at the sky and wondering what I am going to do tonight. So, I begged. “Tom, please can we sleep on your floor tonight?” Of course, Tom was gracious, overly so and gave us his bedroom and made our stay most comfortable.
Sheila made it home in just a few minutes and we got to see the kids. Maddeline, Jack and Audry were super. They are some of the best kids we have ever known. (Except our grandkids, of course.) Sheila had been shopping and brought home a slew of peaches. The Chairvolotti’s are still in the moving stage, but I was amazed that they had a garden planted already. It was put in within 3 days after they arrived. Simply amazing. I was about to see how this was possible.
Later we had pizza. Then Tom took us to the fish hatchery for a personal tour. But Sheila remained behind. By the time we got back, she had cleaned, peeled, and baked two pies. Wow…
For me, the fish hatchery was phenomenal. This system is industrial strength. Huge numbers of fish are hatched and stocked all over Lake Champlain. The process requires monitoring and strict adherence to rules to maintain proper hygiene for the fish. Just to see hundreds of thousands of fish in these tanks was a sight to behold.
I can’t thank them enough for putting us up at a time that I was truly worried what we would do. They are super people. Day5 we travel to Manchester NH.

Day3 - Meet Neen and Gordon

Day3 cont.

OK. We are back online.
As you might have guessed, it just seemed a little improper to blog while we were visiting. So, I just posted the pictures and wrote today. Actually, this is really Day5. We were visiting yesterday also. But more about that later.

Day3 we left late. I mean really late. It was a nice motel. The Ramada right on the water. (no, our window faced the traffic, but the price was a little stiffer on the other side.)
When we arrived, on night of Day2, we were pooped. I may have said this already, but we decided to eat cheap. We slept like babes. We got up and worked on email and the blog. Took a real long shower and slowly packed.
When you go into a nice motel, they have a cart that you can use to move your baggage. Since we packed a number of things, I got the cart. What was really cool, was to see others packing their bags. Here we were packing a motorcycle. But in the baggage cart competition, we won. Our cart was much fuller than theirs. Heh, heh!
I know that I commented about the continental breakfast at Super8. Perhaps I should say the skimpyness of the continental breakfast. Well, you should see the spread that the Ramada Inn put out. Wait, you can’t see the spread, because they didn’t offer a continental breakfast. They offered a complemental coffee in the lounge, but no breakfast. Yes, even though the cost of the Ramada was almost twice the Super8, no breakfast. Now, in their defense, they did have a 4 star restaurant next door that we could have gotten an omelet for about $9….
So, about 5 miles down the road we are looking for the local Friendly’s or Perkins for breakfast when we pass a diner whose parking lot is jammed. Now, everyone knows that a restaurant with a full parking lot is either the only one in town, or they serve great food. We made the U turn.
When we got inside, the place was called Connie’s Diner. Now we know that it was the right place to go. The place is decorated like the 50’s. It has pictures and 45’s plastered all over the walls. (For those of you that are not 55 years old yet, a 45 is a round disk about the size of a CD with a hole in the middle about the size of a silver dollar. This record would sit on a platter and play sound. It spun at a speed of 45 revolutions per minute, hence the name 45.) The restaurant had great food, great service, great atmosphere, and really friendly people. The only bad thing was when we found out the name of the Place was Connie’s, I told the waitress that my wife’s name was Connie, but she wasn’t the owner. She did not laugh. I thought it was funny.
We got some great pictures. The one that was taken in the store had bad lighting, so I will have to edit it when I get home. I will include on this post the pictures that are viewable. The outside shot is pretty good and clearly shows it belongs to Connie. The menu and history are good too.
Well, we told MAPI to direct us to Neen’s . Told it to not take highways. No sweat, should be there about 2:30pm. Well, the back roads were pretty, but they kept getting slower and slower. No problem. We just called Neen and said we would get there a little later, perhaps 3:30. Then the rain came, so we stopped at a local McD’s and had a fry. Better call Neen and tell her 4:00 pm. Then we got back on the road and it really looked bad. Better hit another McD’s and eat lunch. Oh, and we called Neen again to tell her, maybe 4:30pm.
Well, the storm didn’t let up that fast, so we called again. It started looking like an ETA (estimated time of arrival) of about 5 pm. So, the weather let up and we were back on our way. Then, out in the middle of the booney’s, I am running low on gas. Better stop and get gas and call Neen. Told her I think the ETA will be about 5:30pm.
Then MAPI turns us onto this tiny, wini, little road. I am not going to play the 25mph game again. I can get us there faster than that. (Did I mention that I was once a navigator?). So, I found an east-west road that led to a major north-south road that would take us to her city. But, the east-west road led us into downtown Saratoga Springs at the height of rush hour. So our speed dropped to an average of 2 mph. The motorcycle is now constantly kicking on its auxiliary fan to keep from overheating. Unfortunately, I don’t have one.
Finally, the traffic breaks and I am to start picking up speed, only to miss my turn to the north. So, I make a U turn barely missing a Toyota. Now the speed is getting up to 50 mph and we are finally making headway to their city. Wait, what is that sound? It is a siren from an emergency vehicle. No sweat, he passes and goes way past me.
Just as we enter the southernmost portion of the city that Neen and Gordon live in, we cross the very freeway that I have tried so hard to stay off. Only to face the traffic coming to a standstill. Everyone is braking and I can see way up the road that very same emergency vehicle at the scene of an accident. NOOOOOOO. I crank the wheel to the left, spin tires, throw stones and enter the freeway. 15 minutes later we are driving into their driveway. Only another 45 minutes late.
Neen and Gordon are a cool couple. They very patiently waited for our arrival and graciously accepted us. Gordon is a carpenter and very proud of his work. He has done some amazing things and kept us in stitches with tales of his job. The next morning he showed me his work shop and made me envious of his tools.
Neen is a lawyer lady. She does the research and preparation for the lawyers that she works for. She has three grandchildren which she is very proud and loves to “Grandma” them. I watched her put away the dishes and cooking utensils. Each had its special spot and direction in the drawer. That exactness is exactly what her lawyers need and I can see how important she would be to their success.
Their house is an antique show place. The furniture was special and well cared for by carpenter’s hand. It made me think of our savior, the carpenter, and his care he has for his creation.

Day3: On to Neen's

We are off to Nini's. Actually, her name is Martiena. We just didn't know how to pronounce it.

Since we are visiting, I am going to simply upload a bunch of pictures and I will talk about the trip tomorrow.

Day2: Where are we again?

Wow, we got up. We were going to leave by 6am. We were...
Ok, so we slept in a little. No big deal. Just a couple of hours.
We watched the weather last night. Storms. They had the gahl to forcast storms on our vacation. They even showed pictures of them coming in from Ohio. Ohio, you sent us storms on our vacation. How could you?
Actually, they were only forcasted for 30%. Perhaps we could just adjust our stops.
When we got up, we looked out the window. The bike dust was freshly washed off just a few hours previously. It gleaned in the fog. The light did not reflect the sun, because there was no sun. It was the parking lot lights apparently. Well, I got a shower and so did the bike.
Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. We were in Franklin, PA. Did I tell you that yesterday at a stop in Jackson, PA we noticed an awful lot of motorcycles. Apparently, there was a bike meet at Erie, PA. Suddenly, I got a pang of anxiety, a real no-room-at-the-inn-phobia attack. Here we are, out in the middle of no-where with no place to stay. And we are on the bike.
We had this actually happen to us many moons ago. We drove into an area in NY and went to the local motel for a room. No room. No room there and no room anywhere in the area. We slept in the Jeep.
But what am I going to do on the bike? I could park it and give the seat to Connie, while I took the ground. (I am a real gentleman, yes?). So, in my panic no-room-at-the-inn-phobia attack, I grabbed the cell. I called the local Super8 in Franklin. I probably got the last room. Boy, were we lucky? We made a mental note. Make reservations for a room in Geneva.
So, that brings us back to the motel in Franklin. There is no one here. It is a long double floor motel that looks out on the street. I could have sworn the manager's name was Bates. Did I tell you I have a Batesphobia too?
I digress. After a quick 30 minutes to pack, I am ravenous. I am so looking forward to that standard, motel6 waffles and scrambled eggs. A cup of coffee, a small orange juice, maybe some bacon on the side. Cooked, of course, 3.5 hours earlier and then placed in those cute little warming trays to dry out.
But, nooooooo. Our Super8 continental breakfast consisted of toast, imitation butter, coffee very weak, and a banana. Well, the banana was good.
Our destination today was Geneva, NY. It is located on the top of the Finger lakes, Seneca Lake specifically. Since we are on vacation, we wanted to see the scenic roads. I instructed MAPI, (that is our affectionate name for the lady that speaks to us from the GPS), to take only the back roads.
Wouldn't you think that the makers of GPS devices should put in a drill sargent voice instead of the sappy female voice? Can you imagine? "Hey, stupid, take the next right, you moron." "Hey, you missed the turn. Now you are going to make me recalculate. What are you? An imbecile?
Woops, digression.
So, off we go into the woods. The views are fantastic. Well, at least I think they are fantastic. You see the trees are so close to the roads, we can't see past them. So, we go up and down, left and right, up and down, left and right in some of the most beautiful hills of the Allegheny moutains. If only we could just see...
Oh, by the way, since the roads are wet, the turns are sharp, we are making about 25 mph. MAPI says we should get to Geneva in about two weeks.
Just outside of Oil City, we are climbing this hill. A small dump truck is in front of us. We actually are travelling at 10 mph in first gear, hoping we don't have to stop on the incline. About 10 miles out we see this pretty little yellow sign. "Detour: Road closed. Please return from where you came." When we got back to Oil City, we stopped to ask MAPI where to go. She did not know. But, a truck stopped beside us and asked if we were having trouble. I told him we were lost and needed to get to Bradford, PA. Then he grinned, a front toothless grin. "Just take 8 north and turn east on 36." Then he grinned again. Did I tell you I have a toothless-grin-advice-phobia also?
So, north on 8 we go. At least the road is wider, straighter and slightly faster. In the next town, we were to turn east on 36. No 36. Did I tell you my toothless-grin-advice-phobia is justified? OK, MAPI tells us we can go east on 227 detour and get back on track. OK, so MAPI must know where to go, trust, trust, trust...
Everything looks like it is going well. The detour is not as small a road, we can even see more than 10 feet on either side of the road. Shortly, we join our old road, as we end our detour. No 36, by the way. Then the road gets smaller. The turns get sharper. The road is still wet and often advise us to travel at 25 mph. MAPI indicates 2 weeks again.
OK, I am done with this. We look for a "Road More Traveled". Robert Frost would not mind.
We turn onto Rt 62. It is beautiful. It is 2 wide lanes wide, with berms. You can maintain 55 mph. It winds along side of the great Allegheny river with numerous views and outlook vistas. Because more travel, pavement is drier. (Only a motorcyclist appreciates that.) In Warren, we turn more east and head for Bradford. Still, no 36. Did I mention that my toothless-grin-advice-phobia is justified?
Just as we entered into Bradford, there was a Vistor's center. OK, maybe there won't be a toothless-grin caretaker. The lady was very kind. She suggested taking 59 to Olean. It would be pretty, along side another river and reservoir. We would really like the drive. Really, really. And we could get a cup of coffee at the local Perkins.
Cup of coffee? I had a peice of toast for breakfast. Perkins has muffins, rolls, pancakes, waffles, eggs, omelets, orange juice, sausage, and parsley for decoration. I think I had all of them.
The trip to Olean was everything she said. Beautiful. After all, no toothless-grin. I took pictures, but they are in the bike, in the camera and at this moment, 4 floors down. I will post them tonight.
I started to worry about rain. The clouds are looking a little threatening. We need to keep truckin'. Just a little sprinkle on the way into Olean. Maybe we need to do some reconfiguring. So, we stopped for gas and told MAPI, get us to Geneva, as fast as possible, using major roads if need be. She happily replied.
That would then put us on I-86 going east at 65 mph. Suddenly, our ETA was 4:00 pm instead of two weeks. I liked that. At a rest stop, we stopped to get off the bike. Clouds now look stormy, but clearing in the direction we were going. Should we put on the rain gear?
The decision is no. But we no sooner drove two miles and thought again. So, in the bright sunlight, we stopped on an off ramp and pulled on the rainsuits. OK, we are wearing a t-shirt, motorcycle jacket, blue jeans, rain coat, rain pants on an 85 degree day in bright sunlight. People passing us just glared.
Back on the bike. I am telling Connie, you may tell me "I told you so" if it doesn't rain. Two minutes later, she is recanting. It rains off and on for the next hour. But we are covered.
When we get to Bath NY, we decided to stop. It is starting to pour and they have a McD's. A McFlurry later, the sun is shining and we get back on the bike.
Although we kept the rainsuits on, they were not needed. We traveled though beautiful NY rolling hills between or alongside their stunning Finger Lakes. We rolled into Geneva at about 5pm. Took a couple of pictures. Found a SUBWAY and ate cheap. Early to bed so we could get early to rise.
Remember, we decided to get a reservation for a room in Geneva? That is because of my no-room-at-the-inn-phobia? Well, while waiting for the desk attendant, who was on the phone, to attend to my reservation, I heard this conversation.' "No, I am sorry. There are no rooms available. I don't know what is happening in the area, but there are no rooms anywhere in the area. If something becomes available, I will certainly call you back."
Did I hear someone say, "Praise the Lord." Thanks be to our Lord who is always caring for his children.

Day1: We're Off

The idea of blogging didn't happen until I was already driving. So, I don't have the first few pictures I really want.

We went over what we packed the night before. I was trying not to forget anything. And we wanted to get to sleep early. Well, those two thing led to nightmares. Actually, they were not too bad. I just woke up in sweat. I just sat up straight with a yell. Con shakes me and tells me to wake up. "What time is it? It must be 5am. We have an hour before we have to go. That is plenty of time right?

If you answered that with a yes, you are a man. If you are a woman, you are probably empathizing with my wife, who was throwing back the covers and screaming something about time.

I looked at the alarm clock. I apparently misread the dial by only one.

Well, we shut up the house, turned off the water, closed the windows and crawled on the bike. And we were off only 30 minutes late. One block down the street, I asked Con if she wanted to pray. No answer. I asked again, no answer. The music was playing, but no communication between Con and I. Everything worked yesterday. Not now!!!!

Well, apparently, I just inadvertently hit a button and turned the intercom volume down to almost off. Five minutes and we were on the rode again.

So, I put in the waypoints (directions) for the GPS to get to our first night in Penn. First city on the map was Marion. But, the GPS is telling me to go North. I know better than that. So, I ignore the GPS and start off for Marysville, Southeast.

We stop at Bob Evans for breakfast and I get out the map. Well, I make a small error. It seems that in my mind, I put Marion where Deleware really is. No big deal, it just increased our travel time by 30 minutes.

If you ever go through Monroe, look for the Little Red Caboose Ice Cream Parlor. I wish I stopped for a picture.

In Gallion, we saw a a really cool railroad station. I stopped for this one. Got two pictures.

Somewhere in Mansfield, the GPS actually told me to go in a circle. Yes, it told me to go left, then left, then left, then left. Seriously, it told me to go in a circle. This is not a lie, it told me to go in a circle. Electronics, do we really need them?

The trip and roads were great. Many curves, many hills. Obviously, something a motorcycle driver hates.

Well, we stopped to ask directions, yes, even with a GPS. We got to our destination in the afternoon. Room is fine. Supper was great.

Tomorrow, we are trying to get to the Finger Lakes. The map indicates that most of the roads are scenic. God sure good.

Before You Go, You Have to Pack

Arrrgghhh!
If you didn't know, we have been moving. Boxes everywhere. But Con is getting them put away one by one. In addition, there is the gardens. Weeds everywhere. Connie stepped into the tomatoes at Tipp and she disappeared. The height of the weeds exceeded her stature by gobs. I called the fire department and we called out the dogs. Within a few hours, they were able to locate her. She only needed bandaides for her small scrapes and bruises.
It had just rained, so weeding was possible. I thought about using a hoe, but the impact of the down thrust was minimized by the time the blade hit the dirt. Ergo, no roots. So, to our knees we dropped. Pulling no more that three weeds at a time, we were able to eradicate those pesky plants one handful after one handful. But, the two hours we devoted to pulling became two days and set out trip back another day.
OK. So now we are ready. First task was to tell Connie that she was limited to one bag. That wasn't too bad. My ears are ringing, my nose is bloody but otherwise I am in fine shape.
I have got to put all my fishing gear into one bag. Fortunately, I got a new wader bag and it can easily go in there. Woops, the new flyrod is exactly one half of an inch too long. That's ok. I am flexible. I will just bungy it to the bag. Ooops. Chief Holloway will want to go bass fishing. My rods for spin fishing fit in a 5 foot case. So, I thought Con could put it on her lap for the trip. That is how I got the black eye.
OK. I could buy a new rod that is smaller. A pack rod, maybe 6 peices. I was blessed by people's generosity, and I still had a gift certificate at Gander Mountain. Well, it didn't buy the whole rod, but... That is how I got the other eye blackened.
On the eve of the trip, I tried to dry fit the gear. Con's bag went in, but the Bible, purse and dopp kit had to be wedged into corners. The camera bag had to go, but if I lean in the camera a certain way, it will fit in the speaker storage hole. The batteries and charger can go in the electronic equipment bag. (The netbook has to come. All motels have WiFi now.)
I did not try my bag. I know how to pack. Unfortunately, the next morning during the packing phase, it was slightly bulky. I thought about asking Con to pull a couple of shirts, except I am out of eyes. So, I kicked and prodded. The door finally shut. Yaaahhhh.
We are packed. I wonder if I forgot the underwear....