Still in Beverly

Yesterday our friends had their yearly Lynch Park cookout.   They started out with breakfast at 7:30.  Menu was bacon, sausage, eggs, home fries, pepper and onions, donuts and coffee.    Lunch was the usual hamburgers, hot dogs and deep fried turkeys, baked potatoes and a large cake.  The cake was an American flag  on one side and an ocean in the middle and an Irish flag on the other side.  All around the cake edge was the family names.  I wish I had a picture to show you all.   This is a family that sticks together and knows how to have a good time.  I envy this, but have always been welcome to the family affairs.

Sunday  June 27th   Today one of our hosts, who lets us park in his yard, is the local Air Force Recruiter.  Well, today he and his mini jet, F-15 were in a parade in the next town over.  It is so cute.    Today we also celebrate his son Steven's 11th birthday with cake, yes more cake, but this one was an ice cream cake.   Today we also remember Irma, the family monarch.   Happy Birthday Irma.  

 Next week at this time, we will be on our cruise.  Waaaahoooo

Beverly. Massachusetts

We are now back home in Beverly, Massachusetts. I could smell the wonderful salt air long before we actually arrived.  I wish I could bottle some up for each of you to enjoy.   It is home,  where I was raised  and where we have our roots.  Bob came from Salem, Ma. just two miles from here. I'll do an entry on Salem , witches, and his mother another day, see any connetion there?    Founded in 1626, the  City of Beverly is one of the oldest communities in the state.  I describe my city as the birthplace of the American Navy, noting that the first ship commissioned by the Navy first sailed from Beverly Harbor. United States Navy  

Hope Cemetery

Thursday      Today we visited the world famous Hope Cemetery in  Barre, Vt.  But first Inez says I must correct a mistake from yesterday's entry.  She says a cow path is a one rutter,  this path we drove down had two ruts.  It's like the city and the country mouse story.  One rut or two doesn't change the story I guess.   .In Barre, we walked  through one of the centerpieces of the town, Hope Cemetery, which is really a sculpture garden. The cemetery as well as the town itself, is a veritable outdoor gallery of sculptures, tucked in the heart of the granite-quarrying center of America.   Hope Cemetery, where sculptor Giuliano Cecchinelli shows off the flower carvings, is one of three graveyards managed by the city. Only memorials made of Barre Gray ( granite )  are permitted there. Other than that, the options for eternal remembrance are wide open. Hope  allows more unusual ones. Along with the usual crosses and cherubs, markers for the 85-acre (34-hectare) park's 10,500 graves include a couple in bed, an oversize soccer ball, an airplane, a race car, and a massive cube balanced mysteriously on its corner.

Barre, Vermont

We are in now in Barre Vermont, home of the most sort after pure granite and home to the Green Mountain Boys.    It's the land of mountains and lush green farmlands, and truck grades 10% and 11%.   I only mention this because my hubby and I are flat landers and our friend Inez, who lives here, calls them hills. The scenery was spectacular, even though our ears kept popping!!!   Inez gave us a  tour today. It was started by a stop at a cider mill and observed the making of this yummy drink. They had a very large keg and provided paper cups for sampling.  We also had cider donuts. Next we were off to the Cabot Cheese house for a free lunch of everything cheese, solids, popcorn,  spreads, and crackers.  After lunch we were of to Ben and Gerry's for ice cream samples.  She took us to see a floating bridge, which was pretty interesting and last but not least a ride down the cow pasture.  Inez has a lot of land and years ago I guess there was a sale of a piece of land to the city with the stipulation that they would always have a " right of way"  through it.  Well, Inez doesn't really use this road but takes a yearly trip down it just to keep her options in tact.  Any way this was a ride from hell.  Just two tracks to keep your wheels in and again the  "hills" and drop off.  But the big surprise was an electric  fence on each side of these ruts we had to stay in.  They we come to a gate, of course electrified, and tells Bob to get out and just grab the wooden handle  to open it.  Now Bob has always had a healthy respect for electricity and I could tell he did think this was fun any more, but we had to go on, there was no way you could turn around.  Inez enjoyed this ride, she is more adventurous than we are.  Can't wait to see what else she calls fun.

Pine Hill Campground, Pa.

Friday and Saturday finds us in the Pine Hill Campground in Kutztown, Pa.  We've stayed here before and the view is always  lovely.   There is a farmers market every weekend which we always go to.  Not only does it have wonderful fruits and vegetables, but has meats, fish, and flowers.   Tomorrow ( Sunday) we will cross over into NY, by way of the Tappan Zee Bridge.  This is the day of he dislikes the most, going through NY.    We have being looking for a campground somewhere between Hartford, CT and the Mass. line, but can't find one.  This is the area we would like to stay in Sunday night.  It just might be a Walmart stop!   We are on our way to Vermont.   Our friend Inez's daughter and husband  are having a mortgage burning party next Sunday and we have been invited.  The husband enjoys golf, so were hoping the weather is accommodating.Catch you later.