Wonderful Summer
As August begins to wind down, the usual sense of gloom and doom that I've had so often in recent years is not quite so desperate as it has been. No more worries about the cold, ice, and snow - WOOHOO! But.........the reality that we will be away from our children and grandchildren is beginning to seep in and I struggle to fight off thinking about the sadness that will set in when we say goodbye to those precious little ones.
One memory that I will carry with me and keep close in my heart is the family weekend we had a couple weeks ago. Cathi and Louie were in Vermont for a visit, and spent a night in our "guest accommodations" (aka the garage!), and Lauren, Josh and Penny spent the weekend tent camping here at Lake Champagne. Tim Jr., Katy, Lucy and Abe joined us all for a family cookout at our campsite, and we had an amazing time watching everyone laughing, playing, and just enjoying each other. Lucy and Penny had a wonderful time playing together, and watching those two interact just melted my heart! Our neighbor was kind enough of to take a family picture for us, and this is one that will be cherished always.
We also were able to capture an adorable moment in time, with Auntie Cat and her nieces. It's hard to tell who was having a better time - until the collision between the 2 little girls, that is!
Auntie Cat and her little minions
We've also spent a couple of times a week visiting with Tim Jr., Katy, and the kids, helping out where we can, but mostly so that we have the bonding time with the kids. We haven't been able to spend as much time with Lauren, Josh, and Penny, due to not being exactly centrally located between Montpelier and Chicopee. A choice we had to make because of the size of our rig and availability of campsites long-term. Massachusetts isn't known for being big-rig friendly, unfortunately. We're hoping to get a seasonal site where we are for next year, which will lower our costs considerably. We've been able to spend a little time with Cathi this summer, but never nearly enough. All things considered though, this summer has been truly been a Wonderful Summer
We've done some tourist-y things while we've been here: a visit to the Shelburne Museum, a gondola ride up Mt. Mansfield at Stowe, a trip to a granite quarry, a trip across the southern part of Lake Champlain on a cable ferry to visit Ft. Ticonderoga, Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, and numerous motorcycle rides on the back roads of Vermont. We still have a few more little trips to take, but not sure where yet. And, of course, we keep looking for the ultimate Vermont Creemee!
We'll be here in Vermont until September 10th, and then we hit the road for real! We'll spend 4 nights in Lake George, NY, 6 nights in the Poconos, 2 nights in the Lancaster area, and then 2 weeks in Gettysburg, while Tim takes his RV Maintenance and Inspection course. From there, we become true nomads: a few nights in Ohio somewhere after a really long drive from PA, then off to Howe, IN to visit the DRV factory to have some warranty work done, as well as have a 3-season door installed on the ramp of the garage so we can use it as a deck and not worry about escaping kitties. From Howe, we drive down to the Louisville, KY are for 2 nights, and then we keep working our way south. We'll spend a few days near Pensacola, FL so we can have a little R&R, and also visit the Air & Space Museum in order to drop off 100 year old pictures taken by George Upton Favorite Sr. when he spent time in FL training as a "lighter than air" pilot just after World War I. From Pensacola, we head east towards the Jacksonville area so we can get our rig, truck, and motorcycle registered, and then get our FL licenses. At that point, our transition will truly be complete - no more NH ties at all! After that, it's off to Davenport to our winter home in central FL..........and NO MORE SNOW!!!
One memory that I will carry with me and keep close in my heart is the family weekend we had a couple weeks ago. Cathi and Louie were in Vermont for a visit, and spent a night in our "guest accommodations" (aka the garage!), and Lauren, Josh and Penny spent the weekend tent camping here at Lake Champagne. Tim Jr., Katy, Lucy and Abe joined us all for a family cookout at our campsite, and we had an amazing time watching everyone laughing, playing, and just enjoying each other. Lucy and Penny had a wonderful time playing together, and watching those two interact just melted my heart! Our neighbor was kind enough of to take a family picture for us, and this is one that will be cherished always.
We also were able to capture an adorable moment in time, with Auntie Cat and her nieces. It's hard to tell who was having a better time - until the collision between the 2 little girls, that is!
Auntie Cat and her little minions
We've also spent a couple of times a week visiting with Tim Jr., Katy, and the kids, helping out where we can, but mostly so that we have the bonding time with the kids. We haven't been able to spend as much time with Lauren, Josh, and Penny, due to not being exactly centrally located between Montpelier and Chicopee. A choice we had to make because of the size of our rig and availability of campsites long-term. Massachusetts isn't known for being big-rig friendly, unfortunately. We're hoping to get a seasonal site where we are for next year, which will lower our costs considerably. We've been able to spend a little time with Cathi this summer, but never nearly enough. All things considered though, this summer has been truly been a Wonderful Summer
We've done some tourist-y things while we've been here: a visit to the Shelburne Museum, a gondola ride up Mt. Mansfield at Stowe, a trip to a granite quarry, a trip across the southern part of Lake Champlain on a cable ferry to visit Ft. Ticonderoga, Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, and numerous motorcycle rides on the back roads of Vermont. We still have a few more little trips to take, but not sure where yet. And, of course, we keep looking for the ultimate Vermont Creemee!
We'll be here in Vermont until September 10th, and then we hit the road for real! We'll spend 4 nights in Lake George, NY, 6 nights in the Poconos, 2 nights in the Lancaster area, and then 2 weeks in Gettysburg, while Tim takes his RV Maintenance and Inspection course. From there, we become true nomads: a few nights in Ohio somewhere after a really long drive from PA, then off to Howe, IN to visit the DRV factory to have some warranty work done, as well as have a 3-season door installed on the ramp of the garage so we can use it as a deck and not worry about escaping kitties. From Howe, we drive down to the Louisville, KY are for 2 nights, and then we keep working our way south. We'll spend a few days near Pensacola, FL so we can have a little R&R, and also visit the Air & Space Museum in order to drop off 100 year old pictures taken by George Upton Favorite Sr. when he spent time in FL training as a "lighter than air" pilot just after World War I. From Pensacola, we head east towards the Jacksonville area so we can get our rig, truck, and motorcycle registered, and then get our FL licenses. At that point, our transition will truly be complete - no more NH ties at all! After that, it's off to Davenport to our winter home in central FL..........and NO MORE SNOW!!!
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