Jim

I seriously need to finish up my last post. I forgot a few items on the Jim list. Those who knew him should have been wondering how I could have forgotten these items.

The continuing list of Jim

• Jim was a chocoholic. He loved dark rich chocolates, milk chocolates and those wonderful fancy rich deserts.
• Coffee Houses were a passion of his. If he wasn’t home I could often find him with the newspaper in hand sitting at Twiggs. He often said to me it is not the coffee, it is the atmosphere. Later he admitted it was both. His favorite? A decaf mocha single with a chocolate chip scone.
• He loved his Saturday morning runs with his running buddies, Brian, Henry & Barbara. Running and smoothies were the beginning of most Saturday mornings.

If any of you, the readers of this blog want to add your own, please do.

Ginny, Frank, Janet

After spending a little over a week with my sister and her husband in Northern New Jersey it was time to move on. I had a very relaxing week, sitting on the front porch and enjoying the day. Ginny has always been my big sister, more importantly, despite our differences we have developed a strong friendship over our many years together. When Jim first went into the hospital a week and a half before he died, Ginny was the first person I called. Within a few days there she was in San Diego, helping-supporting-creating a diversion. She has a marvelous sense of humor and can always make me laugh. We have traveled together, shopped together, played scrabble together (although she whines when she wants to win, just saying, Ginny), kayaked and camped. It is so important to have her in my life and I am glad we are more than sisters. Ginny, thank you.

The View From My Campsite in Willington, CT

Since I have last posted I have made my way to Maine. I spent two nights camping in the cute little RT. I found my second favorite campground of the trip in CT. It sat on this spring fed lake and my campsite looked right over the lake. There were places to explore and most importantly I got to take my first lake swim of the trip. I love lakes. Although I was just passing through this state, I really enjoyed the brief time there.

There is so much of our early American History out here. I have found myself stopping to read the historical markers. I never seem to get as far as I anticipate in any given day because I get diverted so easily into exploring areas that look interesting to me.

Currently I am in the great state of Maine. My first big mistake of this trip was thinking I could easily drive around Boston on a Sunday morning. I think everyone from MA was heading to the Maine coast. Although the coast was my first intention, I soon decided my vacation was not about sitting in traffic, I can do that at home. So the first car deprived road I saw, I took. I ended up entering Maine by way of NH. Sometimes it is good to come in through the back door.

Sunset on Moxie

The Camp on Moxie

Three nights I went totally incommunicado, no cell phone, no Internet, no nothing and spent three incredibly gorgeous days visiting with my friends Missy and Dan on Moxie Pond in the northwest woods. Moxie is really not a pond. It is an 8 mile long lake. There are summer camps scattered around the edge of the lake. One of these camps is Missy’s and Dan’s. I could have spent weeks there. Each morning I got served breakfast on the porch. Waiting for wildlife to show up. My favorite were the loons. I love them. Their calls are marvelous and they are such a beautiful bird.

Dan picking Blueberries.

Not all the time was spent relaxing. I swam, jet skied yet mostly I relaxed. The second day we conquered Mosquito Mountain. The reward at the summit were delicious wild Maine blueberries. We scrambled around the low lying bushes and ate our fill. Then we filled an empty water bottle with them and had blueberry pancakes the next morning for breakfast. Yum!

Missy & Janet

I met Missy hiking with the Sierra Club in San Diego. We became immediate friends. We have known each other for many years. Now we live across the country from each other. The distance does not seem to matter. Our friendship has remained alive and strong. Two years ago she got married to Dan. I came to celebrate their wedding on Moxie Pond. It was so much fun.  Dan is a very nice man and a great addition to her and my life. Missy and I continue to explore our lives together. We tend to have deep, intelligent conversations. We also have a lot of fun together. Over the past three years she has stood strongly beside me and Jim. I am very glad we met. She is an important part of my life. I am hoping for more good times at Moxie. I am thankful each day for friends such as Missy.

Yesterday, Wednesday I sadly departed Moxie and drove to southern Maine. I am now visiting Mary at Sebago Lake Maine.  I got my third lake swim of the trip in yesterday. I just love swimming in fresh water lakes. More to come on my stay here.

I have so much in my life to be thankful for. Each when I wake up I lay in bed and consider this. Each day. I give thanks.

missy, Dan, Janet

On the right side of my blog there is a link to more extensive Photos of My Journey. Not all of them are up yet and not all of them are labeled. They will be completed as i get to them. Enjoy.

Loon

Blueberries