On the Road Again

No, it's not a Willie Nelson song.

We beelined for New Hampshire to go to funeral services, get medical checkups, meet our financial advisor, deal with legal issues, get the Puffin spiffed up before heading out again and try to spend as much time reconnecting with friends we'd not seen in a long time. So yeah, we needed to get back on the road to get some rest...

Bri Amrol says I can break anything. It's true. The above damage is minor compared to the dent in my ego. Additionally, when it happened we were in Littleton, MA trying to head to Henniker, NH where we were going to stay through the month of June. We had to wait 7 weeks in Texas to get the Puffin a new axle and once we did, it took a lot less time to screw it up.

We arrived at a campground in Littleton, MA where we were guided to our site. Entering the driveway, the ground was steep and the rear feet were dragging dirt and gravel. Thanking the guide person, I backed out and then safely into the site. The rig is 43 feet and doesn't belong in some parks despite what managers of the campground tell you - they're not the ones paying your camper restoration fees. That night we had dinner with an old friend, Joe Mario (thanks for treating us), and were trying to beat the rain the next day that was expected.

The campground exits onto route 2A, which is pretty narrow and the exit is on a steep downslope, where boulders line each side. A wide swing was in order, but although I was lined up on the left side of the exit, a car pulled in and swinging to the left was out of the question before turning right onto 2A. It was pouring and I clipped the dining room slide out section. But the brand new axle system we had installed in Texas was now perpendicular to the rig direction and the U-bolts that hold the axles were sheard off. Bri's right. I can break anything.

There were no less than 4 mammoth tow trucks to haul us up to Henniker, but the owner said he could replace the U-bolts and we'd be on our way. So we opted for the repair and we pulled into Henniker at 8pm and yes, the weather hadn't broken. Exhausted and pissed off, we crashed and burned, knowing Bri would be over in a couple of days to deliver her famous, I told you so look.

So now we get to relax.

We were constantly on the go, from one appointment to the next and woke up and went to be tired. Relaxing is overrated. The bright spots were meeting up with family and friends, spending time and hanging out.

Dave & Carole are friends from NH. Actually, I worked with Dave at Home Depot and things clicked from day one. He and Carole have been camping long before Julie and I and they spent a week camping with us in Henniker. We had the good fortune of being able to celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary, which was pretty special. Unfortunately, Finnegan, their dog was unable to join us that night, but was happy to see Carole when we got home. Sorry, no pictures.

Angela (above image), is my youngest daughter and she married Patrick a couple of years ago. We spent a day with them in Hampton Beach, looking at the Sand Castles, then out for dinner. They live in Seattle, WA and were back on the east coast for a baby shower - theirs! The shower was hosted by Angela's mom in CT and it was really nice. Our travel plans after leaving NH is to make it to Seattle around the time of the baby's birth. This is a really cool time for me and words don't come easily, but excited would be one of them. You'd think I was having the baby.

One night, we drove to Nashua to meet up for dinner with Tom & Yvette Mercurio and Karen Young. I've known these people for a lot of years. Tom and I went to high school together and Karen I met in Boston (she's married to Joe Mario), in the early 70's. A lot of interesting adventures with all of them and Julie joined in when we were dating 12 years ago. They like her better than me.

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Amy Small, Carrie Bertolino and Julie spent a day together at the Premium Outlets in Merrimack, then we had dinner at Tortilla Flats. I listened as they recounted their adventures, Amy, as Julie's college roommate and Carrie's as a work colleague from a long time ago. It was fun to witness, as laughing was a big part of the night.

And then there's my grandson...

One of Julie's favorite photos is when they shared a laugh and a moment in front of their dad's house in Amherst, NH several years ago. Andrew is the youngest of the Pfeifer kids. He busts my chops about being old, often times (and there's been a lot), introducing me as his grandfather. We spent a lot of time with him this last trip to NH and if I were to tell the truth (Andrew says that'd be a first), he's more like a brother than a brother-in-law. He's a good guy, but since I lack common sense, what do I know? Someday, ask about his car protection services of how he loves Justin Bieber.

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Our first stop on our next trek was Boothbay Harbor, where we camped with Dave and Carole. Everyday was filled with too much food, too much fun and way too much ice cream.

We spent an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens which is an incredible place. You could spend several days exploring the trails, the flowers, plants, Fairy Village and the Trolls. Trails are well marked, allows access for handicapped people and even has shuttles. There's restaurants and cafes, restrooms a kids play area and a lot of cool sculptures. Typically we ended the evening with a campfire, recounting the days fun.

The #*&!~@ Fidgets!

We took a Whale Watch & Puffin Tour. We set sail on Cap'n Fish's at 1PM and returned around 5:30 PM. We saw humpback whales. Our guide told us they were snoozing. The two we saw were coming up for air every couple of minutes, would arch their backs and then dive, leaving their tails to disappear into the sea. In a fantasy, the whales are in cahoots with the tour. Somehow the Skipper signals the whales and then on cue they do their thing. We hung out in that area for about 45 minutes. I imagine they lit cigarettes after we left and wondered what their cut would be. Actually, it was pretty amazing. The captain maneuvered his vessel pretty darned close so you could make out the tail markings.

We then headed off to Eastern Egg Rock, where the Puffins nest. They're really small and we thought they were much larger. Their predators are other birds, which surprised me. They're monogamous and typically mate for life, returning once a year to raise a single chick. The tour had food (don't try the hotdogs), beer and wine. On the way back to port, we saw dolphins, jellyfish and the beautiful coast of Maine. So glad we did this!

Number Nine

It's all about Ted Williams. In my opinion he was the greatest left hand hitter ever. People will argue stats, seasons, world series and the like, which is fine. But since it's my opinion, no others count, so there you have it. And like all other mature and reasonable Red Sox fans, I show my admiration by sporting a baseball hat with "9" on it and the Sox logo on the back.

Carole kept asking how old the hat was and why I keep wearing it, as it's filthy. Did I ever try putting it into a washing machine or dishwasher? And then it was on. Julie said she was after me to do something about it; it was disgusting! Nothing I could say or do would change their minds - my loyalty to Williams and the Sox was evaporating and in a fit of anger (purely manufactured for a cheap laugh), I crumpled it up with my ice cream cup and threw it in the garbage can. If ever Ted's frozen head can be cloned into a full body, I can apologize. Until then, it may be time for a new "9". Carole felt awful, watching me sobbing uncontrollably and bought me a Puffins hat to apologize for causing me such emotional harm. This is one of those stories that will garner great memories and a lot of laughs.

This is the Ice Cream place we ended almost every day at! It's where you'll find #9.

We took a road trip to Bath, found a nice place for lunch and walked around the town exploring shops. And after that we headed to Baileys to put our feet into the Atlantic! Although no pictures, it was worth the time and effort.

Abbott Village

Abbott Village is small, very small. But it's beautiful. The attraction here is all about the outdoors and at this time of the year, ATV's are where it's at. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and boating are huge also as the lakes and rivers are in abundance. Balsam Woods campground was our last place to spend a couple of days before heading to Canada. Of note, Moosehead Lake is the largest in New England... about 119 square miles. We went to Abbott Village bakery... sooo good we were high on sugar for hours. Lunch was on the southern shores of Moosehead Lake, which did not disappoint.

Next stop, Quebec, Canada!