Gypsies on the move

Well, we are back home, down in our green valley again.  We had a wonderful first, good-sized trip in the Gypsy Wagon and sure enjoyed ourselves.  On the way north we stopped at the P&H Truck Stop in Wells River for lunch and some of that famous Mile High Lemon Pie. Actually bought a whole one to share with our hosts that night.  It was real good but somehow when imagining how it will taste and longing for some and then finally getting to eat some, it just isn't quite as savory as you dreamed it would be. Could be because I have been trying to eliminate sweets somewhat and finally eating pie, it seemed pretty sweet to me !  Was good anyway!

We had a wonderful time with our grandson and wife and the two little ones.  Met our little gr. granddaughter, Alexandra for the first time and got to hold and rock her for her whole nap time between feedings.  Lauren is a sweet little 'big sister' and didn't mind sharing the new baby with us.  It was nice having dinner with them and we had a nice sleep in the Gypsy Wagon.

We left in the morning to go further north to visit cousin Mick and Donna Mae.  We hadn't been to the new house he has built there and after going up and up and up some more we were atop of Barton Mt. at their place.  Only place up there !  The view is breathtaking from the house, the yard and the deck.  It wasn't a blue sky day but it didn't rain and it wasn't beastly hot...just nice.  I got some pictures of the view and other views in the area.  They took us for a ride to show us what it is like in this corner of the world.  We went up on Hinton Hill where one can see off for almost 360 degrees and who knows how many miles away.  Into Canada in one direction too.  SO many mountains and peaks, hills and valleys from up here on this back road.

It always amazes me how different it seems way up in the Northeast Kingdom compared to down here in our section of Vermont.  It is more open up there and it is UP there too !  The majority of the trees it seems are evergreen, spruce, balsam, pine etc. Especially after we go over Sheffield Heights where we are at an elevation of 1856 feet.

I had my first ride on a four wheeler too!  Donna Mae's young friend, Shawn who is about 10 yrs. old and visiting them for a week, gave me the ride.  He was a good driver and very steady and careful with his old cargo.  We took a walk in the woods on the property, looked over the apple trees Mick has rescued from overgrowth in among the evergreens there.  He has cleared some patches to make nice open areas here and there too.  One wonders who planted these old apple trees and just how many years ago!  After we checked out the woods, the chickens they are raising and the big garden we were treated to a wonderful dinner of cod and scollops !  That Donna Mae is famous for her cooking !

Mick and I got to scratching around in a big tin box of old photographs.  This was such fun.  He would try to fool me as I tried to guess who some of these relatives were.  I did pretty well with that !  Then we told old stories and funny happenings of when we were kids. All this as we watched a gorgeous sunset that sent lovely colors across the valleys and right into the big windows facing this glorious view. And now it was getting late.  Down here in our valley we lose the actual sunshine much earlier as we are nestled in between our mountains.

We had to quit the pictures to make time to get in our game of Double King Pead, the old Vermonter's favorite card game.  Our families grew up with this game as a very necessary part of just being around the big table in Grammie Phillips' kitchen any evening, any season.

After a very quiet and peaceful night with some rain toward dawn, breakfast and some more visiting, we set out for the ride home. Stopped on the way, just a few miles from Mick's to shop at a great place called the Evansville Trading Post.  What a conglomeration of goods they have there !  Food of all kinds, clothing, tools, gifts, dishes, household items galore and you name it, they have it !  I bought a nice pair of moccasins on sale at half price.  By this time it had warmed up, really warmed up !  We took some back roads for awhile then finally got on the interstate and came down from the top of the world and back to the good old Black River valley.  We got ourselves all unloaded and things put away in time to make supper of a nice pasta salad and grill some beefalo burgers our grandson had given us.  They were super delicious!!

We were kind of worn out from our travels and really glad to crawl into the big soft bed just before 10 PM.  A great little excursion.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family and to be able to travel so easily these days.  A hundred miles in the 'old times' meant not seeing loved ones who were that far away for long periods of time.  I'm counting my blessings !

Here are some pictures.

Lauren and Alexandra with Mommy and Daddy

"GG" and Alexandra

Part of the view from Barton Mt.

Mick and me skating in a meadow 1955

Mick and me... a few years later !!!