To Drive Where We Had Never Hiked Before

Dad can't go hiking anymore, There was a place I've written about before called Great Ponds Wildlife Conservation that sits about 9 miles from the house. Dad continues to donate to this organization. It was about three years ago he took me and my dog Loki there for the first time. What's nice is the dirt roads they maintain. The gate at the trail head is open on the weekends for cars to drive in to the various hiking only trails. We've never really driven in before, preferring to leave no trace and all those other good things one does in nature to preserve and protect. A couple of Sundays ago, while looking for leaf photos to take, I decided to drive in. I have limited time for my own hobbies nowadays and so yes, I drove in, and down and up and around. I drove to what I thought was the end, knowing the road does not go through to the other entrance for these Wildlands. Then I decided to follow past what I knew to be the last parking lot just to see what was around the bend. The next thing you knew I was driving up and around and up again until I climbed to what was called Mountainview Road. That's when I decided to turn around and go get Dad. We had already been out that morning, running to Tractor Supply for chicken feed and bedding for the coop. We had meandered the long way back, knowing this was pretty much the peak weekend for leafs up here. But this, I knew Dad had to see where this road led. So I went home. He was sitting there, headphones on, listening to whatever YouTube was recommending to him on his tablet. I told him about the road and that he had to come with me. Off we went. Now there was no way we would have been able to do this in the Matrix (I call all the cars by their name), but the Venza, well that was all wheel drive and handled beautifully, especially up the fairly steep hills we had to drive up. We drove back down and up and around where I had just been until we got to Mountainview Road. I told him this was as far as I had gone. Up we went, neither of us knowing what we were going to find.

It was beautiful. The road finally ended but not without some breathtaking views of the Penobscot River. Dad got out of the car, just stood and stared. In all the years of hiking through these Wildlands we had never made it that far. All I could think was, Dad may not be able to hike again, but if we can still get to spots like this, well then that's not so bad after all. 

   

Chicken Update

I knew we were all going to enjoy having chickens. They have provided immense amusement and joy albeit will a little stress tossed in here and there. I don't know how many times Dad walks over to look outside when I'm at work, but I do know on the weekends, it's every few hours to check on the chickens in the run and say hello.
Without going into details we currently have four hens and one rooster. Two Plymouth Rocks, one (little one as I call her) Silver Lace Wyandotte (the three of them are collectively called Huey, Dewy and Louie) and two Ameraucanas (Mr. and Mrs. Brown). We got the Brown's from Dad's nurse Vickie who needed to unload some chickens. We had a Plymouth Rock rooster, raised since a baby chick, gorgeous, but too aggressive for how few hens I have. They say one rooster per 8-12 hens. I get it now after seeing what my rooster was doing to one of the hens. Dad didn't believe me until the one afternoon I was in the living room and heard him yelling very loudly "Hey! Hey! Stop that!" I went in and all he told me was "He has to go!" I laughed. I said 'Oh you see now huh?" Two days later I gave him to a friend who ended up re-homing him to a great family, something we were all happy to hear. The morning after we got rid of him, Mrs. Brown laid the first egg. Her breed is nicknamed the Easter Egg Chicken because of the light blue, green, torquise colored eggs they lay. Once the stress from Big Red (as we called him) was gone, Mrs. Brown was able to lay an egg. That was three weeks ago. The other hens are younger and haven't begun laying yet, but they hopefully will any day now. It has only been 3 weeks and yet we all still get a kick out of checking the nesting box and finding an egg. You know, sometimes it doesn't have to take much to bring amusement and happiness. The chickens have provided both for all of us. I keep joking with Dad next is the pig...

1st egg

       

Serendipity

As you all know my brother PJ and his partner Frank run the LimeRock Inn in Rockland. Over the last 10 years they have been witness to countless serendipitous connections. The stories could go on and on and truly highlight what a small world we live in. 

About a week or so ago, while having a conversation with a couple originally from New Jersey, Frank discovered that they lived across the street from Tuscon School, in Maplewood, where Dad had been a teacher for most of the 30 plus years he taught. A little more digging and come to find out their daughter had been one of Dad's students and he was one of her favorite teachers at Tuscon. They also fondly remembered him from the various teacher/parent conferences. Dad did remember her as a student. He always remembered many of his students, especially the ones that excelled. 

About a week later PJ received the sweetest note from the daughter, along with a few photos taken during a school camping trip. This was 1977, still early in his teaching profession. Dad couldn't have been more than 22/23 at the time. It was a thrill to read her note and to see images of Dad I never knew existed. It highlights the influence we all have on one another and how that influence stands the test of time.