6-16-17

HOME AT LAST

HOME AT LAST

GREAT GOD

I'M HOME AT LAST!!!

ORIGINAL QUOTATION

BY

MARTIN LUTHER TOZZI

 

But first, my last stop..............

Arrived at the Brusman ranch around noon on the 15th.  Budda thought "Bitchin Betty" would give me false information on finding Fords Colony so he gave me some different directions and told me not to pay attention to Betty when she told me to turn.  I followed his directions and went by the correct entrance.  Betty laughed and called me a dummy and told me never to pay attention to a human and override her directions.  Fully chastised, I turned around and meekly followed her directions back to Budda's home.  After a beer and some conversation Diane made some sandwiches and we chatted for awhile and then a one hour nap took us right to cocktail time.  Diane made a wonderful dinner and Budda provided copious amounts of Cabernet and all was good.  Sleep came easily and morning to quickly. 

Diane was playing golf with the ladies so Budda took me on a tour of parts of Williamsburg.  A real highlight for me was to watch a demonstration of old time glass blowing where you could talk to the artisans as they performed their work.  It was a great two days reconnecting with the Brusman's.  Friday morning I had planned to cross the James River and ride back roads to Wilson NC but weather reports were calling for rain and I just wasn't ready for another rain ride.  We said our goodbyes and I was on the road to the James River Free Ferry which runs every 30 minutes.  I lucked out and got to the ferry about 0815 so only had a short time to wait and then about a 20 minute crossing.  On the other side I directed "Bitchin Betty" to go directly to I-95 S.  Once I go on the interstate I had about 120 miles to go so I set the cruise control at 75 and away we went.  I arrived back in Wilson around 1050 and stopped by the club to say hello to my golfing buddies who were just about to tee off on # 1 at our normal 1100 tee time.  I got to the house and my daughter and granddaughter came over with balloons to welcome me back.  I unpacked the trailer and motorcycle and crashed.

I would just take a moment to thank all who put up with me for a day or two.  It was great seeing y'all and reconnecting after so many years.  I hope we all are able to get together again in the future. 

June 12, 2017...Coffee and donuts at Shindogs and then it's time to leave because I have a hard 10:00 time on the Cape May Ferry.  Took some pictures but didn't want to leave.  Hugged Mimi, John's sister.  She is a magnificent woman and takes great care of her brother John.
The ride to Cape May was pleasant but then it started to get hot and they kept us sitting outside for a long time.  The ride over to Lewes Delaware was nice but once off the ferry it was really hot with a lot of traffic.  Arrived at The Charlotte Hotel B&B around 1600 and after a cocktail was directed to The Mallard for dinner.  It is also where you meet up with your boat driver for the trip to Tangier Island.  The Mallard served up a delicious seafood dinner and then it was a walk back to the Charlotte Hotel, a little TV and early to bed.
June 13, 2017...The Charlotte served up a gourmet breakfast and an interesting chat with the owner on the history of Onancock.  At 0900 I was off to catch the boat to Tangier.  I was the first to arrive at slip #10 and Capt. Mark Crockett was already there with the Joyce Marie II, a 36 foot long Chesapeake Bay Deadrise Fiberglass fishing boat that can carry 25 passengers.

The first thing I noticed was that Capt. Crockett is one tall drink of water but a great guy.  He always has a smile and a good word for everyone.  We sat and talked while waiting for the passengers to arrive and we seemed to share the same politics.  Folks started arriving and then two ladies showed up and didn't have reservations and Capt. Crockett had to tell them he didn't have room for them.  As they were leaving he had two cancellations and called them back.  They were very happy.  As he collected their money he asked if they were coming back the same day or staying overnight.  When they told him they were staying overnight he asked where and they gave him the name of a place.  He said there was no such place on Tangier Island but they were sure there was because they had reservations.  Now, Capt. Crockett was born and raised on Tangier Island and there is only 727 inhabitants on the island but he said no more, got everyone loaded aboard and off we launched for the hour ride to Tangier Island.  As we got off the boat Capt. Crockett said the boat leaves for the mainland at 3:30 sharp.  As you come off the dock the first thing you notice is the friendliness of the islanders.  Most everyone gets around on golf carts, scooters or bikes.  Every time you pass an Islander they smile and wave.  The main streets are narrow, a little wider than two golf carts and the other paths are even smaller.  I stopped at the four brothers and rented a golf cart for the day and proceeded to make my way around the island.  As you can see below, this is one of the main streets.




The homes appear to be narrow and tall.  Occasionally some run into trouble.

There is a beautiful church on the island which I visited and said a prayer for my good buddy John "Shindog" Shinnick who is having some serious medical issues.  I also included in my prayers a three year old boy who is the grandson of my good buddy, Marshall Dildy. 

 I had a great lunch at Lorraine's and then drove my cart over to Spanky's for some really great ice cream.  After that I continued to drive around the island taking in the sights.  Shortly before 2:00 the sirens at the Volunteer Fire Department went off and the ambulance drove off and stopped just before the church above.  On the left side of the street there is a medical center and apparently a boy or young man had been injured and they were preparing to medivac him to a hospital on the mainland.  The chief of police was standing out by the ambulance and showed me a detour to get around the ambulance.  We chatted for a few moments and I was off again.  Now it was getting to 2:45 and the Capt. had told us be there by 3:30 or be prepared to stay the night on Tangier Island so I turned in my golf cart and headed for the dock.  Shortly after arrival at the dock the two women who were supposed to be staying overnight at a B&B showed up at the boat.  The reservations they supposedly had were not for Tangier Island but some other totally different place.  We all had a chuckle about that.  And then along came the Joyce Marie II to take us back to the mainland.

After we loaded everyone aboard I joined the Capt. in his cockpit and off we went.  I had lots of questions which he happily answered.  I was actually saddened somewhat by my visit to the island.  The islanders have a beautiful life style but sadly, it is slowly slipping away from them.  The younger generation is leaving the island and 30 years from now there may not be a Tangier Island.  It will be a sad day but I fear it is coming and it doesn't appear there is anything to stop it.  It was a great return trip and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time with Capt. Crockett.  I got off the boat and one of the folks kindly gave me a ride up to the Charlotte Hotel.  I had a great dinner in the B&B restaurant and then headed for the rack and a good night's sleep.

6-14-17...Woke up this morning and packed up and started carrying all my gear down to the motorcycle.  First thing I noticed, some dirtbag had run into the back of my trailer and left a good ding and didn't have the intestinal fortitude to leave a note or some other notification that he had damaged the trailer.

I had a great breakfast at the Charlotte, checked out and drove down to the docks to say goodbye to Capt. Crockett.  He came off his boat and we talked for a few minutes.  I really felt like I had made a new friend and he was a special friend who, based on his upbringing had a somewhat different slant on life but at the same time we agreed on what makes a man a man.

Capt. Crockett, thanks for the time we spent together and I hope sometime to be able to return and visit with you.

From the docks I headed for Route 13 and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel.  It was a very pleasant ride, especially across the bridge's.  There was a nice, cool breeze but no heavy winds.  I arrived at my college buddy's home around noon.  Pete and Diane had a nice lunch ready for me and we sat and chatted for an hour and they I took a one hour power nap which didn't add any power but sure made me feel better.  Worked on the blog for awhile and then we had cocktails and sat out a thunderstorm and Peter cooked a pork tenderloin while Diane prepared potato salad, slaw and fresh tomatoes with mozzarella cheese and herbs.  Dinner was delicious with fresh fruit and ice cream for dessert.  Following more conversation, I'm blogged out and ready to retire for the evening.

Hope all had a good day and Cleary, watch out.  We're coming for you.  Good night all.  

6-11-17....I arrived at John "Shindog" Shinnick's, my good Marine Corps buddy's house in Barnegat Bay NJ on Friday the ninth.  John is going through some serious medical problems and it is very debilitating but he attacks with vigor and his spirits are high.  I was supposed to stay Friday and Saturday but when I saw him it was obvious we wanted more time together so I extended all my reservations for an additional day.  John's sister Mimi is an angel.  She comes over every day and cooks and does everything around the house.  Friday night John took us to a fish house that was absolutely fantastic.  After some clams as an appetizer Mimi had lobster while John and I had a Monk fish Francaise that was absolutely wonderful.  Saturday afternoon we traveled to John's sister-in-law and her husband Jim O'Brien who live right on the ocean.  We had cocktails and great conversation and Jim grilled some great salmon.  By the time we got home, everyone was shot so we said our good nights and crashed.  Sunday  morning John made French toast.  I went to work cleaning up the bike while he went to church.  In the afternoon John, Mimi and I traveled to Greg Shinnick's house.  Greg is John's son, a Naval Academy Grad and now has his own financial management business.  A good number of family members were there and Greg was cooking baby back ribs on the Green Egg.  It was a very nice afternoon and soon Shindog started to feel it so we took some pictures and then headed for the ranch.

Shindog & The Dancin Bear

Shindog, Toz & Jimmie Shinnick, John's grandson and a 2nd Lt. in the Army

Greg, Shindog's son and a Naval Academy graduate, Shindog, toz and 2ndLt. Jimmie Shinnick

So, it's now close to 10 PM.  I have a long day tomorrow including a trip of 85 minutes on the Cape May Ferry.
Hope everyone had a good weekend and we'll see you around the block.

6-9-17...Today was one of those heaven or hell days.  I got a call about 8:00 AM from Brad Hvolbeck, another Nichols college buddy.  We played football and lacrosse together and also went on the first Nichols College summer European studies tour together.  Anyway we set up a meet in Greenwich for 10:00 AM at the Delamar Hotel restaurant.  It's funny, when you haven't seen your friends for a long time you expect them to show up looking just the way they did so I was expecting to see Brad in his burgundy MGA that very rarely ran without a lot of help and wearing his Catholic Charities overcoat.  So he shows up in his Mercedes, impeccably dressed but he was quick to let me know that his dress and demeanor was not for me.  Later in the day he had an appointment with a Chinese gentleman to sell him a multi-million dollar home.  As soon as we sat down for some coffee he became the same good natured, fun and friendly Brad Hvolbeck that I knew in Conant Hall.  I was expecting that he might have some very smelly cheese that he might attempt to secrete in the radiator of my motorcycle as someone did during my absence from Conant for a holiday many years previously.  We had a great time reminiscing and I got him to promise to attend our 55th reunion.  Brad walked out to check out my bike and we took some pictures.

All to soon it was time for me to hit the road for my next stop which is Barnegat Bay NJ and an old flying buddy, John "SHINDOG" Shinnick.  John and I are not only Marine brothers, we are brother brothers.  We started out in the Marine Corps together and over the years were stationed together.  Our kids knew each other and we are just very close.  But I digress, first I had to get there and it was the ride from hell.  You've all read about my experiences in the rain but today beats all.  I rode from Fairfield to Greenwich CT at 9:00.  Traffic was a little heavy but no problem.  I left Greenwich and traffic was light but then five miles from the George Washington Bridge traffic ground to a halt and it was 1hr, & 45 min to cross the bridge.  Shortly after the bridge there was another 30 minute jam.  Then when I got to the Garden State Parkway there was an accident and we were in bumper-to-bumper for another 45 minutes.
I am adding NJ to the list of states I will never again visit.  Not only the traffic but every toll booth they charge me triple what a car pays.  I've asked numerous times because with the trailer, my bike is not as big as a car but they say they count axels.  The NJ roads are in such bad shape the state ought to be paying you to ride on their roads.  I am sending the NJ Dept. of Transportation my next chiropractic bill.
Good night Gov. Christy.  May your fat body jiggle to little pieces that get expelled from you Governor's limo and fill some of the potholes on your less than adequate roads.
Good night to y'all.

6-8-17...Golly Gee, who'd a thunk there could be two days of sunshine in New England in one week.  I am never going back to NH, VT, or ME.  They have nothing but rain.  As soon as you cross the border into Massachusetts, somebody up there turns off the faucet  But, I leap forward too quickly, Bruce and Carol are the penultimate hosts.  Bruce climbed out of bed early in the morning to cook breakfast.  He had so many suggestions including Russian caviar on toast points or English muffins.  We decided the English wouldn't mesh closely with the Russians and decided on scrambled eggs, toast, juice and coffee.  Too soon it was time to hit the road heading towards my alma mater, Nichols College in Dudley MA and a get together with Bill Pieczynski the VP for Advancement, Molly Thienel director of Alumni & Parent Engagement and Susan Veshi who cracks the whip over us lowly scribes ensuring we get our material in on time and that it be fit to print.  I digress here because I think Bill should recommend me for an Honorary Doctorate.  You tell me smarties, how many people can spell his name correctly?  Not only that but when I met he and Molly I told them I could still pronounce and spell Lake Chug or Webster so here goes....Chargoggagoggmanchauggaggoggchaubunagungamaugg.  That's probably worthy of an Honorable Doctorate in foreign language studies.  It's meaning in American Indian is...you fish on your side, I'll fish on my side and nobody fishes in the middle.  Thank you Bill, Molly and Susan for taking time out of your busy day to show me the new buildings on the campus and for lunch and my Nichols hat.  As I was getting ready to depart we took pictures of Bill and I and Susan and I.  I took my glasses off for the picture and set then on the rear seat of the bike.

After the picture I jumped on the bike and apparently forgot to put the glasses on.  I got down to Henri Davids place in Old Saybrook CT and noticed my glasses were missing.  We looked all over but found nothing.  Luckily Henri had a spare pair of glasses and they worked well so I am now using them.  Henri and I had a beer and he showed me all his beautiful cars in the barn but all too soon I had to climb back on the bike and head out for my evening stop.  Tomorrow will be another interesting day with a drive through New York City on the way to Barnegat Bay and a visit with Shindog, a very great Marine buddy.

6-7-17..Thank you God there is some sun in the Northeast.  Started the ride from Kittery Maine to Chestnut Hill Mass about 0900.  It was a little cool but the sun was out which was amazing to see.  I was riding to chestnut Hill to have lunch with Irv Frankel, an old Marine buddy and a battle hardened leatherneck with many combat missions in the bars of Marble Mountain Vietnam and Iwakuni Japan as well as forays into the "O" club at Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico.  He is a fine teller of stories but most of all, a great friend.  Irv took me to a great lunch.

too soon we had to part as I was heading to Falmouth on Cape Cod to visit and old college friend and his wife, Bruce and Carol Haslun.  They have a gorgeous old colonial home right in Falmouth and I arrived just about the cocktail hour so we partook of the same out on the patio in the sun and it was delightful.  Then they took me on a little tour and to dinner at a quaint old pub in downtown Falmouth.

All to soon it's get the blog published and get to bed because tomorrow is another riding day over to our Alma Mater and then down to Old Saybrook CT for a visit with a great college friend, Henri David.

So goodnight all, it was a good day.  Hope for some more of them. 

6-6-17...Had a great time visiting Bill and Nan Stanek.  The forecast for todays ride is supposed to be 85% chance of rain and a high of 48 degrees.  We took some pictures and then it was time to go.

The ride started off cold but no rain.  As I got close to the interstate to head south it started raining.  I got about 10 miles down the interstate when there was a great racket from under the center of the bike.  I stopped but was unable to determine what was causing the noise.  Called AAA and they sent a wrecker and took the bike back to augusta and Northern Country Motorcycles.  They found that of of the four bolts holding the driveshaft in place, two had broken and one was loose causing the drive shaft to make a great racket.   Three hours later I was back on the road in a downpour that lasted the entire 100 miles I had left to go.  I arrived safely and the cocktail was extra good tonight.  Tomorrow is supposed to be a better day.

Good night all.

6-3 to 6-5-17...Got caught up in events and failed to blog for a couple days.  Sat. the third we drove from Orford NH back to White River Junction because Katie's oldest, Owen who is 13 was playing Lacrosse.  So Bry and I went to watch him.  It was overcast but luckily no rain.  After his game was over we said our goodbye's and headed back to Orford.  On the way, Bry took me to this dairy farm.  They have between 450 and 500 Holstein cows and everything is automated.  The amazing thing is that all the cows know where to go and they amble around and wait their turn to go into the stall where their udders are automatically washed and then the milking machines are hooked on.  When the cow has been milked the stall opens, she steps out and another steps in.  Then they go to another station where a machine scratches their backs then they go to another location where they feed and lay down and sometime later back to the milking station.  Their are separate barns for birthing and then a separate barn for the heifers to grow.  It was really amazing.  Went out to a great place for lunch followed by a nap and then Suzie made another gourmet dinner and we watched Stanley cup finals hockey.
Sunday morning turned out to be sunny and nice.  Bry made waffles for breakfast and we said our goodbye's and I was off again to Littleton NH to visit Pete and Millie Smith.  Pete was a friend and classmate from college days.

Millie made a beautiful lunch including a Rhubarb pie which is my favorite.  Pete has been a competitive bike racer and bikes all the time so he showed me his stable of bikes which is very impressive.  Both are doing well and at the time he is getting the camper ready for a trip to Anchorage Alaska to visit their son.  To soon I had to say goodbye and continue on to my destination which is Industry Maine and the home of Bill and Nan Stanek.  Bill is an old Marine Corps compadre from back in the early 70's.  We played football for the Marine Corp Readiness Training Group at Cherry Point and won every game including the Marine Corps Birthday Bowl and then went to Camp Lejeune to play the Champion team from Fleet Marine Forces Atlantic and won that championship.  They were about to fly us to Hawaii to the All Marine championship when there was a fuel crunch so the Marine Corps frowned on sending a transport aircraft for a football game.  Instead, we went to Fort Bragg NC and played the Army's championship team from Fort Bragg and beat them 7 to 6.  At that time we hung up our cleats forever.

6-5-17  Today is overcast and dreary.  We just came back from breakfast at a nice restaurant on the lake.  Bill and Jan's place is on the lake and very secluded.  It's really beautiful.  It will be a slow and peaceful day and then I'll take them out for dinner somewhere this evening.  Tomorrow I'm off to Kittery Maine.  It's forecast to be another rainy day but by now I have webbed feet and can handle any amount of water.  Another nap might be in order this afternoon followed by a pick-me-up cocktail before dinner.  Hope y'all are enjoying the heat in Wilson and at the beach.  Have a great day.

6-2-17....This morning I am departing Katie and Davy's place in White River Junction VT and heading to visit another college friend Bry Beeson and his wife Suzie in Orford NH.  Before I do that though I am taking Liam, Katie's middle son to school on the motorcycle and then we are going to have breakfast at the King Arthur Café and Store and after that Katie is taking me to Davy's folks home to show me how they make maple syrup. 

From there I rode around beautiful Fairlee Lake and through some beautiful countryside to get to the Beeson reservation which is way out in the boondocks but absolutely beautiful.  Bry had some signs up to assure that I wouldn't get lost.

After we chatted for awhile he took me on a John Deere four wheel drive mountain climber and proceeded to give me a tour of his 375 acre estate, all the time telling me  to be aware of bears and snakes and this is the black fly season and limbs fall from trees and they are widow makers and a whole lot of other good information that I really needed to know to make my day.  And we're out there without any guns.  I miss my grenades and at least a good bayonet.  Then we stopped at Mud Turtle Pond and that made the trip most worthwhile.

 The pond has to be eight to ten acres in the middle of nowhere and just so quiet and peaceful.  I wanted to pitch my tent right there and spend the night but it's bad tick season so I gave up on that idea plus I had no tent.  We got back to the homestead where Suzie had a wonderful lunch waiting for us followed by naps and cocktails prior to departing for the Lyme Inn and a wonderful dinner.

It was a really nice day and I thank my host and for that matter all my hosts for putting up with me for as long as they had to.

My latest hosts, Bry and Suzie Beeson.  And with that concludes my reporting for the day.  If you have any problems with this reporters reports please take it up with the editor and you probably think he gives a s__t!!!

Good night all.

6-1-17....Yesterday I left Burlington heading for White River Junction and a visit with Katie and Davy Kitchel and their three boys Owen, Liam and Sebastian.  Would you believe it, the sun was out and it was a beautiful ride through the Vermont countryside.  I stopped in Stowe Vermont at the Alchemist Brewery because Katie had told me that Davy really likes their Heddy Topper beer (8% alcohol) and people come from all over to buy it at $12.50 a four pack.  So I picked up two four packs and naturally I had to sample some of the product.  The bar maid and I struck up a conversation about my travels and I might have still been there today sampling but for the necessity of getting to White River Junction.  Now to say the Kitchels live off the beaten path is a misnomer.  There is no path.  You have to make your own.  It was three miles of dirt roads and steep hills but once you arrive you are rewarded with a most beautiful view of I believe the Green Mountains.  There home is right outside Hanover NH and Norwich VT and the home of Dartmouth college.

Snow on the mountain

This is Stowe on the left & Killington Basin on the right.  Notice there is still snow on the top of the mountain.

This is the Kitchel homestead and what a beautiful home it is including the breathtaking views of the mountains from their deck

Katie and Davy put together a fantastic dinner and then we sat up until midnight solving all the worlds problems.  It was a fun evening.  Let me go back a little.  As I was riding this route to White River Junction I got a call from Lou Stroller wondering how I was doing with all the bad weather we were having.  Thanks so much Lou.  Then I was about three miles from my destination when I received a call from "Batman" Cenci.  Apparently he had been conjuring with the weather gods and they let him in on some secret info that a very bad electrical storm with hail was about to strike our area.  I thanked him but was not concerned because I was so close to my destination.  Katie let me park the motorcycle in the garage and a short time later we left to take her oldest, Owen to lacrosse  practice.  The storm erupted with lightning and hail the size of basketballs, well, maybe small marbles, but very dangerous with a deluge of rain. I was so thankful to be in a car.

"Batman", thanks so much for the heads up.

This morning I surprised Owen and took him to school on the motorcycle.  He thoroughly enjoyed it and as we were approaching the school he was waving to all his friends so it will be interesting to hear how his day went.  Then I met Katie at the King Arthur Café and Store and we had breakfast.  The King Arthur Flour Company has been in Davy's family for hundreds of years and was just recently sold to the employees.  Then I came back to the house and spent a couple hours cleaning up my bike after the many days (7) that I have been riding in the rain.

Now it is cocktail time and then we are going out to the kids favorite hamburger joint.

One note....Davy has a Tesla fully electric car.  Katie took me for a ride in it.  The acceleration was better than a cat shot off the USS Nimitz.  One second I was sitting in the front seat.  the next second the bottom portion of me was sitting in the front seat while my head resided in the back seat.  It was a hoot.

Well good evening all, it's cocktail time.  

5-30-17...Good morning to you all.  I'm at the Cenci's in Burlington VT and what great hosts they are.  Had a fantastic salmon dinner and great conversation catching up on all our classmates.  I want to add a bunch of pictures here that I previously had not been able to download from my phone.  I think they call that technically challenged.

This is George Pagnotta, a college classmate in Brewster NY where we met for breakfast.

This is from my home town, Brookfield CT.  It's a small, colonial town and the only reason I show this is to see the flags on every telephone pole for Memorial Day.  You don't see that many places in the South but all the small towns I've seen so far in New England really do it up for Memorial Day.

Above is a small park in Brookfield that was dedicated to the Veterans.  They made bricks for everyone they knew of and I was able to find mine.

I attended

I attended grade school at a Catholic school in New Milford CT. which was about seven miles from my home and another small colonial town.  the town has the above beautiful Green.  The bandstand is still there from when I was a kid.  On Sundays martial music and polka bands would play and people would sit all around the band stand.  That is the same tank I climbed all over as a seven year old.  The big beautiful colonial home was the home of our family doctor, Doctor LaTaif and he made house calls.  I went to school with his daughters one of whom became a judge in New Milford and unfortunately passed away a couple years ago from cancer.

My granddad used to take us kids on Friday nights to the movie theatre above to see Hopalong Cassidy and they always had a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Ah, those were some great days.  I'm sitting in the house enjoy the warmth and watching the rain outside.  I think I must have pissed off all the gods.  The rain gods have dumped on me every day I've been on the road.  The sun god has turned his back on me.  The golf god is the only one smiling and that's because he doesn't have to watch my poor attempts at playing golf.

Funny story......As I arrived at the Cenci's they were in crisis with a bat flying around the downstairs.  They thought they had him isolated in the dining room with all doors closed.  Well you know, when you have bats in your belfry you call the Marines.  My original plan was to use a grenade or maybe bayonet the bat.  I decided against 12 rounds from my M-14 rifle for fear of the resultant holes in the hardwood floors and took the broom Anne handed me and dispatched the bat.  Gene swore the bat was still alive.  He took the bat outside and tried for the longest time to resuscitate him.  Gene was not aware that Marines are very thorough when dispatching the enemy.  Everyone enjoyed a cocktail shortly thereafter.

5-29-17...I've been so busy running around the last couple of days I failed to
make any entries in my blog, so here goes a catch up.  I have a bunch of pictures to add but having trouble downloading them from my phone.  I'll get to it I promise.  These past couple of days have been extremely nostalgic. 
After having breakfast with George Pagnotta I started riding the back roads in and around my hometown of Brookfield CT.  When I was growing up Brookfield was a sleepy little village of 1200 people located very close to Candlewood Lake which is a very large man made lake.  The town is about 50 miles from New York city and so in the summertime the size of the town almost doubled and during high school and college summertime was a gangbuster with parties and trips across the state line to Jimmies in Brewster.   The drinking age in CT. was 21 but NY state was 18.  We were a very short distance to the state line and so there were many trips over the line to Jimmies and other party locations.
On Saturday I had lunch with Linda Nohe Fernand, my high school sweetheart and first love.  It was fun catching up on all that had occurred in our lives and where we were today.  After lunch I got up with Fred and Linda Morlock and rode up to their house for a visit.  Fred and I were high school friends and every time I came back for a visit I would always stop and visit Fred.  From there I went back to the hotel.  There is an Outback Steak House right next to the hotel and Pete Ganio, Tommy Greene and Gene Previdi, all high school friends, joined me for drinks and catch up.  In the summer of 62 Pete and I jumped in my new 62 Chevy Super Sport convertible, put a cooler of beer in the back seat and drove 56 hours non-stop to Hollywood CA where we worked for the summer.  I was a page boy on the Queen for a Day show and Pete worked for Dan Blocker. Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza.  It was a great time and on the way out we drove the length of Route 66 which was pretty new at that time.  The rest of the time was spent riding around town seeing the old homestead and homes of friends and revisiting lots of great times.
Yesterday I left Brookfield and rode up to Colebrook Ct and had a three hour lunch with George Bodycoat, a boyhood friend from Brookfield.  I had seen George a couple of times in the past 15 years and every time we get together we have a blast reliving our younger days and all the pranks we were involved in.  I left George and rode the backroads through some fantastic scenery to Pittsfield Mass.
I want to mention something that was very pleasing to me.  As you go through these small colonial towns almost every home is flying an American flag.  In Brookfield as I rode on RT-25 from Brookfield Center to Brookfield, about three miles, there was an American Flag on every telephone pole along the route.  It was very inspiring.
Got to run.  I'm off to Burlington VT and a couple days with Gene Cenci.  They are calling for 90% chance of rain so I'm donning the rain suit.  It's also cold, 53 degrees.
Until the next entry.............

5-26-17...This morning I got together with George Pagnotta, a college classmate and good friend.  We had breakfast at a very nice restaurant in Brewster NY and spent a couple hours catching up classmates and our lives since graduation in 1963.

After breakfast George gave me a ride back to the motel and we said our goodbye's.  For the first day since I left Wilson we have no rain.  It is overcast but dry.  I hop on the bike and I'm off to my hometown of Brookfield CT.  I spent the rest of the day just roaming the back roads of Brookfield, New Milford Washington Depot and then it started looking pretty menacing weatherwise so I beet feet to the hotel I would be staying at in Danbury.  Luckily there is an Outback Steakhouse attached to the hotel so I could cover the motorcycle and stay in for the evening.

Tomorrow I will be getting up with old friends from high school days so I'll get a good nights sleep tonight.

 

05-25-17...The weather reports along my route for today were not good but I was hopeful that it might not be as bad as reported.  As I got underway I said a couple prayers for Marshalls grandson who is suffering from Leukemia and asked if it wasn't too much of a burden maybe he could help out with the weather.  For awhile I thought my prayers had been answered.  It was overcast but dry from Bowie to Chestertown Md., about 60 miles.  Then it started misting and I thought maybe he was testing me because it started to clear and I actually saw blue sky.  As I crossed the Delaware Memorial bridge it started misting again and as I got on the Jersey Turnpike the mist turned to rain.  Nothing worse than riding a motorcycle at 70 mph in the rain with 18 wheelers passing by leaving large clouds of spray.  That's what I thought but th en I got on the Garden State Parkway in NJ and was promptly in bumper to bumper traffic for 45 minutes.  On top of that we come to a toll plaza and there has to be ten entrances but get this, your on a motorcycle, visibility is much less than 100% and there are hundreds of cars behind you ready to roll right over you to continue on.  I'm looking for the cash booth but all I can find is E-Z Pass and correct change only and the toll is $1.50.  I can't find a cash booth so out of desperation I choose a correct change only booth.  Next I find their collection system doesn't take bills.  All I have is three quarters and a number of dollar bills.  I toss in the three quarters and notice a sign that says violators picture will be taken so I smiled and drove on.  I finally made it to Heidi's Inn in Brewster NY around 1730.  Tonight was a two cocktail night and a great New York Pizza both of which I did not need but they sure made me feel better and the pillow is telling me it is now time.  I'm meeting an old college buddy George Pagnotta for breakfast,
Good night all.

5-24-17...Today was a better day.  It was overcast but never rained.  Today is a local day in and around Bowie MD where I lived for 20 years while working for Westinghouse Defense.  I started out by dropping over to the Bowie Golf course where I played most every Saturday and Sunday for 17 years with the same foursome.  The greenskeeper and the Pro were really good friends and they were both there so we chatted awhile about what everyone was doing.  from there I rode over to McLean VA to meet a college friend Louis Stroller for lunch at the Wildfire Restaurant in the Galleria at Tysons Corner.  Lou said to say hello to all our college buddies that I will see on this trip. 

 

  After a great lunch we said our goodbye's and I headed over to Falls Church VA to visit my 82 year old brother.  He was a Naval Academy Grad and flew for the Navy for 27 years and now he is in the initial stages of Alzheimers.  We had a nice visit and now I am back at the hotel lamenting the next leg of my trip.  I am off in the morning for Bear Mountain NY and a Friday morning breakfast with George Pagnotta, a college buddy.  The weather guessers say there is a 90% chance of rain all along my route so it looks like another day of rain in the face.  One of these days it will clear up.  So ends the second day of my trip with hopes for better weather.  Driving the beltway and highways around DC, Maryland and Virginia sure make me appreciate the solitude and quiet of the back roads that I normally ride on these trips.  Y'all have a good evening.

5-23-17...Got up at 0600 to check the weather.  UGH!!!!  It's a terrible forecast but as usual, the forecasters don't say 100% rain, they leave it at 90% giving you the slender hope that you can slide into that 10% of clear air that is devoid of rain.  I'm getting ready to depart when my oldest daughter and two of my grandkids, Jack and Selah arrive to wish me God speed and happy travels, all the while rushing in out of the rain.  Jack steps out on my deck and assures me the rain has slacked off.  Jack is a very intelligent teenager who has just completed the requirements for Eagle Scout but I will never provide him a recommendation if he desires to be a weather forecaster.  Now I am looking at unloading the motorcycle trailer and packing it all into the Cadillac and getting on the road.  But no, I can't let the grandkids think their granddaddy is a wussy.  So I jump on the bike and proceed to my first checkpoint which is Scotland Neck.  The route I have is six hours long through the back roads and farm country of NC, VA and MD.  Two hundred feet down the road the bike is already soaked,  you can't see out of the windscreen and as I press on I am seeing signs to beware of high water.  The rain continued non-stop for three hours and then abated to a drizzle for the rest of the trip.  As the rain slowed Bitchin Betty (my GPS) took over to further ruin the day.  I don't know if it might have been her time or she was just irked at me but she put me on some back roads that I believe are still uncharted,  I enjoy riding the back roads or our nation as long as they are hard surface but she put me on some deer tracks that further deteriorated into squirrel and raccoon tracks.  As a matter of fact, two of the squirrels gave up and went home.  But, to cut to the chase, I made it to Bowie MD by 1730.  Tomorrow is local visiting family and friends in Bowie and Falls Church  and the weather is supposed to be without rain.  The following day is a long one with travel to Bear Mountain bridge and you guesses it, 90% chance of rain most of the way up there.
Didn't take any pictures today cause all there was was rain.  Not the best first day but I'm sure things will get better,