Some gentle words for today!
While America figures this all out, I'm going to continue holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of me in traffic, saying good morning, being patient with a server, and smiling at strangers, as often as I am provided the opportunity. I will not stand idly by and let children live in a world where unconditional love is invisible. Join me in showing love and respect to someone who may not necessarily deserve it. Find your own way to swing the pendulum in the direction of love. ❤️
After we departed Baddeck, we spent several days traveling and settled in an area in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, to set up house keeping for a few days. Too many days of traveling in a row becomes way too many days in a row of travel.
When we entered Canada it was NO big deal—didn’t even ask if we had weapons or stow-aways so expected the same when we came back into our own country. Boy, was I wrong. They asked me to stand to see if the face on the passport was the one in the passenger’s seat. THEN, we were boarded and he headed straight to our bedroom and bathroom. Looking for stow-aways, I suppose. Because of his disappointment, he opened the frig and had a heyday asking about produce, when and where it was purchased, and picked up my treasured home-grown tomatoes (of which I could eat my weight) and said he’d need to toss them. I was up and outa my seat like a shot and stood face to face with him begging him to please spare my treasures to which he agreed. He asked me to cut them in half (what could be hiding in there?) so I did AND ate them on the spot. While he was inside our coach, his partner was looking into our car. Glad we didn’t make their day. Canada’s check-in I expected to be difficult and thought USA’s would be easy. Au contraire.
When we entered Canada it was NO big deal—didn’t even ask if we had weapons or stow-aways so expected the same when we came back into our own country. Boy, was I wrong. They asked me to stand to see if the face on the passport was the one in the passenger’s seat. THEN, we were boarded and he headed straight to our bedroom and bathroom. Looking for stow-aways, I suppose. Because of his disappointment, he opened the frig and had a heyday asking about produce, when and where it was purchased, and picked up my treasured home-grown tomatoes (of which I could eat my weight) and said he’d need to toss them. I was up and outa my seat like a shot and stood face to face with him begging him to please spare my treasures to which he agreed. He asked me to cut them in half (what could be hiding in there?) so I did AND ate them on the spot. While he was inside our coach, his partner was looking into our car. Glad we didn’t make their day. Canada’s check-in I expected to be difficult and thought USA’s would be easy. Au contraire.
Bill's flying high!!! He bought wine and was carded! He's grinning from ear to ear! 🍷
We hiked Bangor Forest and have NO idea what this is near the turning leaf. If you know, please enlighten me. There are leopard frogs here that resemble this unidentifiable thing. Wanted to poke it and see if it moved but didn’t want to hurt it if it is the frog and if a fungus, didn’t want spores flying around. |
| Bangor City Water Front |
 |
| South Twin Mountains Lake
Got quite a few "busies" taken care of while in Bangor then off to Gorham, NH, our hub for visiting areas nearby.
|
 |
| New friends, Debbie and Carl. After we made each others' acquaintances, it was only a few minutes till we felt we'd known them forever. Aren't they cute! |
 |
| B & Me without enough layers READ THE SIGN!!! |
Long story, as most of mine are, a boating friend on Isle of Palms sees our location on Find My Friends, and said they have boating friends who are also currently RV-ing and the 4 of us were geographically close. I got in touch with them and they came into the "forest" where we were, met, went out to play tourist, and had dinner together.
We went to the top of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the NE US, 6288 feet, dragging new friends, Debbie and Carl with us. This mountain is known for its erratic weather. The ranger told us that the only building at the top had to be secured with chains into the rocks because the wind is so strong. I thought they were kidding. I guess I'm the only joker. This is the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.
After that escapade, the 4 of us did a bit of hiking to waterfalls that they knew about. There's something about waterfalls and sunsets that can't seem to satiate me.
The morning we left Gorham, I needed to get in just one more jaunt through the woods. I don't ever want to live in the country but I DO love the woods, the smell of decaying limbs and leaves, the cacophony of tumbling brooks, symphony of our feathered friends, the rustle of leaves as a chipmunk flees my big size 8's. Told Bill I was just going to walk the campground and would be back soon. Would've been a woman of my word except I saw a clearing with a sign--Shelbourne Basin Trail--so off I went. The trail was rocky and rooty and a gradual steady incline. Then...I heard rushing water over rocks...and picked up my pace. I took so many pictures and like sunsets...they're difficult to delete. The water, in photo, looks sort of tannic but it, in 'real life' was crystal clear.
We went to the top of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the NE US, 6288 feet, dragging new friends, Debbie and Carl with us. This mountain is known for its erratic weather. The ranger told us that the only building at the top had to be secured with chains into the rocks because the wind is so strong. I thought they were kidding. I guess I'm the only joker. This is the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.
 |
| And here's the chained down building |
After that escapade, the 4 of us did a bit of hiking to waterfalls that they knew about. There's something about waterfalls and sunsets that can't seem to satiate me.
The morning we left Gorham, I needed to get in just one more jaunt through the woods. I don't ever want to live in the country but I DO love the woods, the smell of decaying limbs and leaves, the cacophony of tumbling brooks, symphony of our feathered friends, the rustle of leaves as a chipmunk flees my big size 8's. Told Bill I was just going to walk the campground and would be back soon. Would've been a woman of my word except I saw a clearing with a sign--Shelbourne Basin Trail--so off I went. The trail was rocky and rooty and a gradual steady incline. Then...I heard rushing water over rocks...and picked up my pace. I took so many pictures and like sunsets...they're difficult to delete. The water, in photo, looks sort of tannic but it, in 'real life' was crystal clear.
Several times I left the trail to go down and play in the water that was a tad "refreshing".
 |
| Tiny Little Mushrooms |
Didn't want to turn back. The air was wonderful and not another soul or sound out there but for woodsy music. I was 2 miles up the trail following the river bed and checkout time was noon. I ran back down the trail--it just made me want to do that (and it felt so good), and when I got to our coach, Bill thought check out was at 11 and he'd done all my jobs and his, too, that have to be done before leaving a park. I'm still pining for that hike. It was like paradise and I want to go back.
We went to Sugar Hill to Polly's Pancake Parlor that our niece referred us to. When I posted it on Face Book, seems like everybody knew about it and had been there except for us. This was the view from our table. Looks like the cloud's kissing the mountain top.
They make their own maple syrup and grind their grain. We called ahead and am glad we did. Arrived at 9:30 AM and there was standing room only at the front door. They serve buckwheat, gingerbread, cornmeal, whole wheat, and others that escape me. Cornmeal sounds awful but it was outstanding! Just enough crunch to recognize the grain. Think that was our fave. Each server prepares the pancakes for her tables. How they take orders, cook, and serve sounds hard but being a server's gotta be one of the hardest jobs! She told us she has nightmares about doing all that. Sure hope she's in college because being in the restaurant business is endured only by the young. I hate it so when I see women my age working as servers. Breaks my heart. They should be out playing at that age.
Franconia, NH, is on the western side of the White Mountains and the beauty, peace and quiet of the area is unsurpassed. We visited Franconia Notch State Park where we did a bit of hiking for a couple hours to see the Flume Gorge and then rode the tram up Cannon Mountain. When we got home, we ate cheese, fruit, and crackers, and called it 'dinner' and were in bed AND asleep by 8 PM. We are wild and crazy in our retirement.
Last year on our trip out west we longed to see a moose but alas.... Supposedly they abound here but the tram engineer told us that we could see them a couple hours before daylight (well, that's not gonna happen!) and a couple hours after dusk. They're nocturnal and we didn't know that. Other animals eyes glow in the dark but not the moose. The night's dark. They're dark so a not-so-cautious motorist could run into one if it's crossing the highway. They and their (up to) 1500 pounds, crash through the windshield and land on the roof, crushing it and those who are in the car. They actually have a "moose doctor" in town and when I heard that, was thinking a vet to patch up the moose but he's a trauma surgeon and patches up the victims. So in one day, Bill saw 2 moose--photos to follow.
 |
| He snagged this one at the Pancake Parlor |
 |
| This beaut was at the Flume Gorge Visitors Center |
Isn't this the most darling man you've ever seen. We're on a trail dressed in our hiking grubbies and this little bow-tie clad gentleman is shuffling toward us. I HAD to tell him I loved his bow tie (nobody wears ties anymore but love seeing a man in a hand-tied bow tie) and asked him he minded if I took his picture. He was delighted.
 |
| Franconia Notch State Park |
 |
| Sentinel Pine Bridge built from the pine by the same name |
 |
| Interesting hollowed out pine tree |
 |
| View from tram going up Cannon Mountain. Echo Lake below. |
Hoping for a long ride tomorrow. Haven't had our bikes out since Block Island, RI. Have put many miles on our tootsies but are eager to hop back in the saddle.
Bill and Laura
Kindred Spirit III
Monaco Dynasty Motor Coach
http://kindredspiritiii.blogspot.com/
864-525-5236
Monaco Dynasty Motor Coach
http://kindredspiritiii.blogspot.com/
864-525-5236
Thornton, NH
No comments:
Post a Comment