It is late Sunday evening, almost Monday by all counts. Ten more minutes and the clock strikes twelve, or it would if I had a grandfather clock - it is on my bucket list. Nothing strikes the hour in my house, although when I was growing up we had a cuckoo clock. I always enjoyed that, but as with everything, over time you fail to notice the hour being struck and being delighted by things that once made you smile.
I am feeling pretty good, tea in front of me - relaxed. The dishes done, laundry washing, catching up on things that need to be done, but not necessary things, things that are important only to me, like meeting a couple of game goals.
Monday is quiet. I can stay up if I want to tonight. I have had a very productive day shopping and getting food in the house, picking up Dad and taking him with me to check out the new supermarket. He needed nothing but still came home with things he needed.
Our trip on Friday up to Vermont was fun. I must say, we took the road we hoped to take, but along the way, and really early along the way I took a right - I know what you are thinking, and you would be correct - the trip was full of rights last time, but this time it was reverse so once again we journeyed into the unknown.
I knew pretty much right away, when I came to a house that looked like something took the whole front wall off of it and dropped a meteor or something on it's roof. The contents of the home were still visible through the missing wall.
I pulled over to look from the parameters of the road. Thomas joined me, and neither one of us could figure out what had happened. It was fun making up stories about what could have happened. We took some pictures and headed on our way.
Down the road and around the corner from the smashed house there was another great photo opportunity and Thomas and I gladly took advantage of the situation.
Not really knowing the way but sensing the direction to go, rather than the one that will take you away from your destination can be fun. Not knowing where on Earth you will come out is even more fun, coming out where you want but not expecting to be there so quick is okay as well, and that is what happened to us. We came out a few blocks from the center of Bennington, so I went with it and continued on my merry way.
It was before 4:00 when we drove past our destination and journey up the road to check out sights unfamiliar to us. Bennington sure is quite the little town and by little I mean it is thriving with all the businesses you could imagine, and traffic to boot!
Thomas was looking at it from a living perspective at that pint in our ride. I am not keen on multiple feet of snow in the winter so he can dream all he wants! If I ever move again it will be where there is no such thing as winter, cold or snow!
We headed back towards our KFC destination ready to devour a bucket of chicken to mark an end of a month like we marked the start of the month. I would say this entire month felt longer than the whole 4 months put together for me somehow. It is really strange.
We finished up our dinner and headed out of town via a different route once again. I decided to take a road, by chance that used to be traveled regularly by us to go visit our cousins up by Mount Snow before I knew of the shortcuts to avoid the heavily traveled roads. It was nice seeing familiar landmarks which have lost their familiarity but still feel like home.
We had driven, on our way out of town, by the river which was very empty of water and very full of rocks. Not a good sign. There was nowhere to pull over and get the shot that I wanted so I got the brilliant idea to travel to another road I know past the Readsboro turn across from Sleepy Hollow Road.
It is a beautiful road and one which has a beautiful full river. I was curious to see how full that river was, considering how empty the one we had passed was. Though the trees, plants and vegetation were green and lush, I was concerned.
Before we hit the river, we had to stop at the Searsburg Dam. Thomas saw a picture he had to have. I parked the car and we walked back pretty far, as I had to find a safe place to park. It was nice walking down the country road bordering the water. Dad waited by the car while I accompanied Tom on his high jinks.
We finally made it past the water and the cool rocks on the side of the road, snapping pictures along the way, trading the camera back and forth.
At last Thomas made his destination. He risked his neck edging along the outside of the chain link fence and was seriously contemplating going over the fence on the return trip, but I bullied him out of it.
He got some pretty cool shots, standing next to the sign that warned of rushing water when the light flashes and the horn blows. Fortunately we did not have that experience!
He passed me the camera after I had him take a shot of the date stamp and the ladder on the other side of the dam.
He was also kind enough to get a picture of the two large rocks in the water since there was no way I was scaling the fence over or along side of it after the way I had been feeling all day!
The journey and the company had helped me to forget how bad I felt when I woke up in the a.m. and how I had continued to feel up until this point of the evening.
I don't know if it was the country air or the distraction of memories of days gone by, or perhaps just the new memories we were making that evening the three generations of Gallants.
Dad waited patiently as we made our way back down the road, it was so beautiful on the Dam, but we were still not at the river and I was curious to see how it was faring.
The last time, and everytime previous that I had seen it, it was a deep and wide amber river. Something told me that I was going to be sad.
Just looking at the visible receding shoreline as we walked back to the car was a bit of preparation.
We drove on and talked about trips gone by, the river, the scenery around us and dinner. It was still fairly early and yet the sky was beginning to darken as we drove along looking for the photo ops we knew were waiting just about anywhere.
I was always ready to step on the brakes and pull over at a seconds notice.
It didn't take long before just that happened. For a change we did not see any wild life save a couple of birds but I am fuzzy on that. No missed Eagle shots this trip, I am sorry to say!
We all got out of the car for these river shots, but Dad did not go down the rocky hill. I almost went swimming, gaining momentum as I tried to get down the hill, my brakes not working.
I let Thomas get some of the more adventurous shots while I explored the rocks on the way up the hill.
I was pleased to find some sand stones and a little bit of driftwood which I decided to bring home to commemorate the occasion.
When I was walking toward the car, I happened to take a picture of the sky and this is what I saw above my head. I knew we had 5 to 10 minutes before the rain was going to be coming down. I hurried further up the road, knowing that what I was looking for would soon be in front of me.
The rain began to fall, but not down pour as I continued on my way. I had a destination and route in mind but I had to give in to the masses, that consisting of Dad and Tom begging me to go straight up to Somerset Reservoir instead of left further into the National Forest where I was hoping to spot a moose.
You drive over this bridge on the way around the reservoir. There is a giant hill you drive past, only it is not a hill, it is the walls holding the water in if you can believe it!
It is massive. Much larger than I realized until I saw the pictures which Thomas took of it.
I am sure on a sunny day it is a sight to behold, as it was on a cloudy and rainy evening. Thomas didn't last too long outside before the rain began pelting its hard and biting drops onto his bare flesh.
I am feeling pretty good, tea in front of me - relaxed. The dishes done, laundry washing, catching up on things that need to be done, but not necessary things, things that are important only to me, like meeting a couple of game goals.
Monday is quiet. I can stay up if I want to tonight. I have had a very productive day shopping and getting food in the house, picking up Dad and taking him with me to check out the new supermarket. He needed nothing but still came home with things he needed.
Our trip on Friday up to Vermont was fun. I must say, we took the road we hoped to take, but along the way, and really early along the way I took a right - I know what you are thinking, and you would be correct - the trip was full of rights last time, but this time it was reverse so once again we journeyed into the unknown.
I knew pretty much right away, when I came to a house that looked like something took the whole front wall off of it and dropped a meteor or something on it's roof. The contents of the home were still visible through the missing wall.
I pulled over to look from the parameters of the road. Thomas joined me, and neither one of us could figure out what had happened. It was fun making up stories about what could have happened. We took some pictures and headed on our way.
Down the road and around the corner from the smashed house there was another great photo opportunity and Thomas and I gladly took advantage of the situation.
Not really knowing the way but sensing the direction to go, rather than the one that will take you away from your destination can be fun. Not knowing where on Earth you will come out is even more fun, coming out where you want but not expecting to be there so quick is okay as well, and that is what happened to us. We came out a few blocks from the center of Bennington, so I went with it and continued on my merry way.
It was before 4:00 when we drove past our destination and journey up the road to check out sights unfamiliar to us. Bennington sure is quite the little town and by little I mean it is thriving with all the businesses you could imagine, and traffic to boot!
Thomas was looking at it from a living perspective at that pint in our ride. I am not keen on multiple feet of snow in the winter so he can dream all he wants! If I ever move again it will be where there is no such thing as winter, cold or snow!
We headed back towards our KFC destination ready to devour a bucket of chicken to mark an end of a month like we marked the start of the month. I would say this entire month felt longer than the whole 4 months put together for me somehow. It is really strange.
We finished up our dinner and headed out of town via a different route once again. I decided to take a road, by chance that used to be traveled regularly by us to go visit our cousins up by Mount Snow before I knew of the shortcuts to avoid the heavily traveled roads. It was nice seeing familiar landmarks which have lost their familiarity but still feel like home.
We had driven, on our way out of town, by the river which was very empty of water and very full of rocks. Not a good sign. There was nowhere to pull over and get the shot that I wanted so I got the brilliant idea to travel to another road I know past the Readsboro turn across from Sleepy Hollow Road.
It is a beautiful road and one which has a beautiful full river. I was curious to see how full that river was, considering how empty the one we had passed was. Though the trees, plants and vegetation were green and lush, I was concerned.
Before we hit the river, we had to stop at the Searsburg Dam. Thomas saw a picture he had to have. I parked the car and we walked back pretty far, as I had to find a safe place to park. It was nice walking down the country road bordering the water. Dad waited by the car while I accompanied Tom on his high jinks.
At last Thomas made his destination. He risked his neck edging along the outside of the chain link fence and was seriously contemplating going over the fence on the return trip, but I bullied him out of it.
He got some pretty cool shots, standing next to the sign that warned of rushing water when the light flashes and the horn blows. Fortunately we did not have that experience!
He was also kind enough to get a picture of the two large rocks in the water since there was no way I was scaling the fence over or along side of it after the way I had been feeling all day!
The journey and the company had helped me to forget how bad I felt when I woke up in the a.m. and how I had continued to feel up until this point of the evening.
I don't know if it was the country air or the distraction of memories of days gone by, or perhaps just the new memories we were making that evening the three generations of Gallants.
The last time, and everytime previous that I had seen it, it was a deep and wide amber river. Something told me that I was going to be sad.
Just looking at the visible receding shoreline as we walked back to the car was a bit of preparation.
We drove on and talked about trips gone by, the river, the scenery around us and dinner. It was still fairly early and yet the sky was beginning to darken as we drove along looking for the photo ops we knew were waiting just about anywhere.
I was always ready to step on the brakes and pull over at a seconds notice.
It didn't take long before just that happened. For a change we did not see any wild life save a couple of birds but I am fuzzy on that. No missed Eagle shots this trip, I am sorry to say!
I let Thomas get some of the more adventurous shots while I explored the rocks on the way up the hill.
I was pleased to find some sand stones and a little bit of driftwood which I decided to bring home to commemorate the occasion.
When I was walking toward the car, I happened to take a picture of the sky and this is what I saw above my head. I knew we had 5 to 10 minutes before the rain was going to be coming down. I hurried further up the road, knowing that what I was looking for would soon be in front of me.
The rain began to fall, but not down pour as I continued on my way. I had a destination and route in mind but I had to give in to the masses, that consisting of Dad and Tom begging me to go straight up to Somerset Reservoir instead of left further into the National Forest where I was hoping to spot a moose.
We stayed ahead of the rain for the most part, until we finally hit the reservoir. I got in two pictures from just outside the car when Thomas jumped out and ran over to get a couple of better shots. I took a picture of the road we took on our way to the look out spot and was surprised by it.
It is massive. Much larger than I realized until I saw the pictures which Thomas took of it.
I am sure on a sunny day it is a sight to behold, as it was on a cloudy and rainy evening. Thomas didn't last too long outside before the rain began pelting its hard and biting drops onto his bare flesh.
I love these last three pictures which Thomas took. Especially the top two. He is getting to be quite the little photographer.
We might have to keep our eye on him! He really does have an extraordinary eye. I am thankful that he gets out with us and has been enjoying and getting into photography!
We backtracked as the lightening flashed around us. We were on the edge of the storm and I planned on keeping it that way as much as possible.
We finally made it back to the highway. The temptation of Sleepy Hollow Road was ahead of me. I crossed the busy highway and popped across the street.
Unbeknownst to me in the seven years that I had last been on this road, I am sad to report that it is closed and no longer a through way. Never again will I be able to drive down that beautiful road from Readsboro, past the cemetery and with a nice view of the windmills. I had to turn around, since I was hoping the "Not a throughway" sign was like the ones in New Ashford and Lanesborough and just there to keep out the traffic. Not so!
No bid deal. I turned around, recalling the bears I had mistaken for large dogs one summer day years before, whom I had watched as they left the road and walked into the woods, stopping to look at me from the safety of the woods as I looked at them from the safety of my car.
We made our way up to the Readsboro Road, some noticeable changes but for the most part it remained the same. I love that road. It is such a nice road to drive. I really got into it, hoping to see a moose, knowing from years of hoping that it was a pipe dream! I have yet to see a moose in Vermont, save those paper mache ones, or the stuffed purple one I bought a million years ago as a souvenir.
We ended up somehow at the base of Mt. Greylock so what is a girl to do but take the road which is in front of her. My Dad reminisced about his days on the mountain before being called to Vietnam and we followed the lightening up and over missing the rain some more, until we got to where the road turns back down into Lanesboro.
The visibility on the hairpin turn was iffy, but I am a pro. The lanes are clearly marked. My biggest concern was whether or not the gate would be open as it was dark and after 8:00 p.m. by this time. I couldn't remember so I figured we would either be locked in or make it out, either way, what would be would be.
We arrived back at my house without further adieu. I still had to fill Dad's pill containers for the week and we had already brought everything over to his house before we began our journey. He took his meds and I filled the containers, grabbed some food for him to bring home and made the journey back to normalcy.
I was feeling the pain from earlier, accompanied by some serious stiffness so I had Thomas help Dad in with the last of his things and we journeyed the 5 minutes back home, me at least remembering to pick up the tea for morning.
All and all it was a darn good farewell. We all had a good time and even though the road we traveled wasn't the one we thought we would be on we took all that we could from it and left the rest behind us, just like life.
I can tell you that I slept like a rock and didn't even wake up until well after 10:00. I did resort to medicine, but all it did was make me wake up every hour religiously until about 6 a.m. I made it over to the market but never made it back, since I got dizzy and had to make my way back home where I fell asleep for six hours no problem!
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