MADE IT!!!!

 

Made it to Greta and Zach's home. It is beautiful here. Take a look:

Just pulling weeds, drinking good coffee, and enjoying Zach and Greta. Wednesday is the one year anniversary. I am full of thoughts..sadness..and still the shock.

Pema helped this morning..(It is on a daily message called FIrst Sip)

An Offering from First Sip… Transition by Pema Chodron Aug 31 Life is a good teacher and a good friend. Things are always in transition, if we could only realize it. Nothing ever sums itself up in the way that we like to dream about. The off-center, in-between state is an ideal situation, a situation in which we don’t get caught and we can open our hearts and minds beyond limit. It’s a very tender, nonaggressive, open-ended state of affairs. To stay with that shakiness — to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge — that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic — this is the spiritual path. Getting the knack of catching ourselves, of gently and compassionately catching ourselves, is the path of the warrior. We catch ourselves one zillion times as once again, whether we like it or not, we harden into resentment, bitterness, righteous indignation — harden in any way, even into a sense of relief, a sense of inspiration. ~ Pema Chodron

Backroads of Maine

 I've been on backroads for two days. It has been fun and beautiful. Except it seems like tailgating is a thing here. And, guess what? The trees are already changing. Not a lot but just a hint of fall. 

I am enjoying blue skies, and moderate temperatures.  Yesterday I stayed at artist's home.  She told me about a good swimming lake.  I spent most of my time there. Her place was close to road and noisy.  I sat in the sun, swam and even saw eagles. I got up this morning and drove back to the lake and had my coffee there and went for another swim.

So....now I am at an alpaca farm. My host greeted me in golf cart and showed me around the place. I have a lovely spot to camp..even a stocked fire ring with wood. (and an outhouse..which is such a treat believe it or not)

Here are some alpaca facts for you

• they are a member of llama family and even giraffes
• they don't have top teeth..only back molars and bottom..see funny photo
• these are all males..sexes don't mix except for mating
• their necks are very strong
• they all have different haircuts in this bunch..one looks like a poodle!
• great wool..which wicks moisture and keeps warm

So cute!!

I bought some wool here for my  pal Karen who is a good knitter. I am trying to knit but my fingers are STILL numb and it is hard. 

I have a great camp spot. It is on grass next to a pond and has a fire ring all stocked with wood. 

This is my last Harvest Host for awhile..Tomorrow Greta's and Zack's home!!!

Lobsta Roll!!

 I made it to Maine!! I am now at Sea Escape Cottages on Bailey Island. (another Harvest Host site)

I didn't know this but Greta told me that it was here that there was a great white shark attack. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/us/shark-attack-harpswell-maine.html This is a grisley story..so you need to brace up to read it. I am not going swimming here!!

But it is lovely here..quaint little cottages, big lawns, hammocks and a view of the ocean. Ruthie and I have had a great time walking and playing around here. 

I walked up the street to a cafe and got a lobsta roll for dinner. Not cheap but yummy. 

Here are a few more sights from the area..

Tomorrow I will head north to an artists house to stay and see her studio. Then the next night an Alpaca Farm. I was going to go to Greta's but she isn't home until Sunday so I figured I might as well keep exploring. 

Ruthie is doing awesome!! 

Thank you for reading this..and especially for your comments!!!

Yesterday and Today

I will start with yesterday. Driving from Conn. to New York was a beautiful green drive. So many trees and it is so green here! I stayed at Rony's home, another new friend from my trip to Sweden. She and her husband bought this old home and property from the man who wrote the script for the movie Philidelphia..and he bought the property from a chicken farmer. It has a huge chicken house and an older home they have fixed up I have included photos because she has done such a beautiful job fixing it up. Many antiques. Greta would love it.

 Ruthie liked to drink out of the toilet.

What a Cute NY doggie!         
   

Today:::

Took off from Hurley NY and am headed to Stony Creek Farm   in Swansea 

Mass. I will arrive in Hiram on Saturday because Greta and Zach will not be home until Sunday. It was a hard drive with lots of lane changes and traffic especially in Providence RI.

But I made it here and it is a lovely farm. The animals are rescue animals or old animals in need of a home. Lots of horses, cows, sheep, goats, and tiny horses. I realize that the other campers here are Trumpers and I didn't quite like the conversation. I will hang out with Ruthie. 

I can relate to this!! Being old and kind of broken..

My New Friend

 I am catching up on my blog today...I am now in Norwalk Connecticut . I am staying at a new young friends beautiful home in a old tree laden neighborhood.

I met Kara on a art retreat Greta and I took in June. It was in Sweden and was ever so perfect and dreamy. You can see for yourself. 

                                     https://www.jansdotter.com/aland-workshop-retreat 

We did a lot of fabric stamping and created a book

My little presentation at retreat..what I made

On the last day of the retreat we all shared the books we made and I shared about my plans for this trip in the van.   Kara and a few others offered their home to me. Today I am going to another friends home in New York. 

It was a good stop. This town is on the coast and is quite lovely. I wanted to go to the beach but found out things are not so public here. To park at the beach is $150 for the day for non residents. In Greenwich,  a very affluent town, it is $350 a day to park if you are not a resident. 

So..think I will just do a drive by and look at the ocean.

Kara's home built in 1880

Kara

Herr Kelly and Frau Kelly and ME!!

Nikki, Joe and Me

 

I made it to Bloomburg PA yesterday.....My destination was the home of my former principal Joe Kelly. 

A few stories about my time working with  Joe. He was the American principal at JFK School in Berlin, where I was the librarian for 2 years. When I arrived I entered a library that was ugly, dirty uninviting, plus there were no instructions on  how to manage the library. What I needed was passwords! 

My aide was Ana Rose who immediately hated me. I also had another German aid named Lutz. Ana Rose did all she could to sabotage me. She told me Lutz had a condidion and could not clean..and cleaning was not in her contract..So it was up to me to clean. Now this library was HUGE...65,000 books which is unheard of for a school library. 

I totally flipped the library..painted the posts different colors with "read" in many languages, got red leather sofas, put in magazine racks, flowers, plants, posters and painted a break room green and it became the LGBT meeting room as well as the craft club. The library now rocked! Ana Rose hated it all. So I scheduled a meeting with Herr Kelly and asked  him to ask Lutz in German if he was too ill to clean. He wasn't..Ana Rose made it all up. So she was banished to the copy room. Thanks Joe.

One more thing..JFK school was is big deal. (joint venture with US and DE Embassy's) On the day the Berlin mayor was to visit (who was Gay BTW) someone informed me that the new aid was downloading porn in the middle of the library..where the mayor would be walking through. Once again Joe had to bail me out of this pickle. The aid was fired. 

Joe and Nikki

So as you can see we had a lot to talk about. We all LOVED Berlin. We talked about our favorite restaurants, the trains, the beer, the lakes, and what an amazing experience it was. 

I don't think I have ever been in a more perfect house and perfect yard.  The huge lawn didn't even need a sprinkler system. It rained about 3 times while I was there so I can see why no sprinkler system is needed.

They fixed me a lovely dinner, breakfast too. 

It was a most wonderful visit. 

             Love, Frau Rybus 

Squirrel Hill

 Today I drove into Pittsburg. It was a sterring wheel gripping situation. I crossed a bridge I guess..but don't even remember. 

I am at Seth's home here in Squirrel Hill. Seth spoke at Tom's memorial and is a long time friend of Toms.  What I love about being with Seth is that he talks about Tom. He also cries when he talks about him. 

It was so soothing to my soul to have someone talk about Tom. It happens so rarely in my life now that I yearn for it. He talked about their back to the land days..chopping wood, making apple juice, planting big gardens and of course the days of archeology. I think those were pretty fun filled days..if you get the drift. Check out the sign in the photo..."Impaired Clearance" 

See if you can find Tom..hint...he is holding a cigarette. I wish I knew him then. But we probably wouldn't have hit it of..I think he was wilder than I was.

Squirrel Hill is a Jewish neighborhood. There are close to 20 synagogues in this neighborhood. Even Dunkin Donuts serves kosher donuts. 

Seth sold his house and rents here..his sweetie is only a few blocks away. The Jewish Center (like the YMCA) is a block away, restaurants  a few blocks away, and a library is close too. I would love to live in a place where I can walk everywhere. In Boise, I can ride my bike most places..

Tomorrow...Eastward to my Berlin school principal's house. 

Lake Erie..Sandusky

 All praise go to google maps..my navigator. I couldn't have made it out of Chicago without its guidance. I must have gone on 5 different highways to get out of town. The tricky part is that you get on one highway then google tells you to get in the left lane..so I try to get over passing semi trucks and fast cars. Then I am on another highway and google tells me to get in right lane..and so it goes. I was so happy when it said keep going straight for 220 miles! Whew..out of Chicago.

Now here I am in Sandusky. (I couldn't help but think of Gerald Sandusky an American convicted serial child molester and retired college football coach) But he has nothing to do with this town. Whew.

I had several hours before checking in my harvest host since I left Chicago at 5:30 AM..A side note: if you are out at that God awful time the only place open for coffee is Dunkin Donuts. 

So Ruthie and I walked by the lake which was pretty industrial and not so clean looking. I asked around to see if there was anywhere to swim..Nope! 

We wandered into town after that. It is a lovely town with  perfect lawns, old beautiful homes and lots of flowers. 

Here is a crazy fact about Sandusky. It was build with roads like the Mason Logo..which is a level and a compass..So the streets are at different angles. 

Ruthie and I are at Fireside Winery camping in van. I had a yummy dinner salad and glass of wine.  Harvest Hosts like the campers to spend at least $25 where they are camped. I checked out a state park in Wisconsin and it was $60. for the night..See why Harvest Hosts is such a good idea. Plus ever so quiet. 

Plus everyone here is so happy..Maybe it has something to do with it being a winery. And no screaming kids either.

 

Tomorrow a shorter 3 hour drive to Pittsburg. Tom and I were there once on a trip we took around the U.S. I will be at Tom's friends home..a fellow WSU grad!, Seth. 

                       That's all from Sandusky Ohio..signing off..

States so far..Idaho...Montana...North Dakota...Minnesota...Wisconson...Illinois...Ohio... 

Evanston

 I am now in Evanston. It wasn't as scary as I thought getting here. Though tomorrow through Chicago will be challenging. I do see some fun things..like this>>Pigmobile???

So here I am in Evanston with high school pal Joanie. She lives in a big old beautiful home, typical of Evanston. It is a lovely neighborhood. I love the gardens and old homes. A short walk took us to a bakery, bookstore and a park. I was reminded of how I loved living in Berlin. I think being able to walk to coffee, and restaurants is a huge plus. Cities just seem so alive to me.

Lake Michigan is huge!! It looks like an ocean and is within walking distance too. Lots of sailboats and the water felt very warm. Swimming and picnic today!!!

Yum..imagine this a block from your house

PP and JJ

  
   

                                       

 Wearing Cubs outfit is Theo the Great..Joanie's grandson.

Cranes...HIppos..Tornados

 I left Larson's Landing as early as I could. Packed up the van..took Ruthie for a short walk or as Tom used to say "a short" and headed out. I didn't even fix coffee. I went to Perkins for breakfast and filled up my thermos with coffee. 

On the road again. !! (thanks Willie) 

I am now in Wisconsin. It is so green and beautiful here. I am in a town called Baraboo. I am staying at a brewery and it is a good thing. Why??? They have a basement..

I was in my van when a loud warning came on "seek shelter, tornado likely". Well sitting in the van wasn't a good idea..so Ruthie and I went to the brewery and they showed us to the basement. Which, by the way, is where they make beer!! The storm passed and we were safe.

I met a really nice couple in the basement. It felt so good to talk to someone. This trip can get lonesome. I wonder if others who have lost a partner feel sad seeing couples together.

Ok..onward to the fun part of the day. The International Crane Foundation Discovery Center. Wow..oh wow.  There were cranes there from all over the world. And beautiful wild flowers too. I was lucky I survived almost being eaten by a hippo. 

Here is some crane trivia:

There are cranes who migrate at 29,000 feet..Higher than Mt Everest. 

Some cranes have wattles..and their purpose is to express crane emotions..

Tomorrow...Chicago!!!

(about the hippo...it seemed a bit weird that he was there..but maybe there is some connection to Cranes and I didn't stop and read about it. ) 

Welcome..Go Away!

I was really looking forward to my stay at "Larson's Landing". It was described on the Harvest Host websiste as a quiet and green spot next to the river and that they raised vegetables to sale.

 It is quiet..but haven't seen a soul except the grumpy man who yelled at me to get off his lawn (nextdoor) The house looks deserted.. Not a vegetable in sight..and there are cans with bullet holes in them. I am getting a "Deliverance" kinda vibe. I keep hearing guns go off too...Oh my..Not a welcoming kinda place. 

But it was a long drive today and I am going to stay put..Almost bedtime and I will lock up the van..

Wishing Tom was here...

Dog is my co-pilot

No swimming, drive slow, no parking....

I am going to take a shower1

Time for bed..I love the last lines in this poem..

Welcome the night. Good sleep

is your body’s mending time. In its sweet release,

the fires of worry and anger will be subdued;

and in dreams you may learn to fly above any blaze,

and let your secret self float free

above a new world.

You must imagine and learn to embrace

each and every day.

Miles From Nowhere

 One of our favorite books written years ago is Miles From Nowhere. It is a story of a couple who rides their bikes around the world. It was so long ago that they wore cotton pants, tennis shoes and had no cell phones. The reason I thought of this book is that the hardest part of the journey in the book was cycling across North Dakota..which is where I drove today. It is miles and miles of open grassland. A few cows here and there but basically wide open spaces. (thank you Dixie Chicks) I thought it would never end..but it did and I am in a most wonderful spot.

When I saw the  pride flag I knew I was among kindred souls. And they are. The winery/farm is run by a couple who teach at the University besides running this place. The food is all vegetarian and fresh and the wine delightful.

Ruthie and I are in a big grass field next to a zinnia patch. It is quiet and peaceful. I think we will do alright here!

Tomorrow is a longer day and we end up in Welsh Mn.

So far I have driven around 1,200 miles!! 

HOLY COW!!

 

It's hard not to be braggy on this blog..but I just drove all the way across Montana!! And yes that is a "holy cow" moment for me. It was a beautiful drive...all the way. And now I am in North Dakota at the Fluffy Fields Vineyard & Winery.

Back to yesterday. It didn't quite turn out how I imagined it. My stop was supposed to be at a flower farm. When I finally found it (way up a gravel road) I couldn't believe it..No flowers, dry and pretty darn ugly. So I just turned around and found another place to camp. 

There was a nice spot by the Yellowstone River not far and Ruthie and I set up camp there. We were surrounded once again by fishermen. One man had the biggest two catfish I have ever seen. Kinda creepy looking fish. I was surrounded by fishermen yesterday too at a restaurant in Ennis, Montana. 

So today I drove to this lovely spot..another 4 hours. It is beautiful with a sunflower field across the street. 

There is a nice restaurant here and tonight they have music. Maybe I will have glass of the wine they make here..

In case you are wondering: 

What I am reading: The Sun Magazine, The Correspondent

What I am listening to: A creepy crime novel..

Music: my "happy" playlist plus Pink Martini

What I am doing when not driving: Walking with Ruthie, reading, knitting, and watching a                                                                Netflix download (at night) 

Tonight: I hopefully will be sitting out listening to live music

Thank you for reading this..and thanks for the comments (though I wish you would put your name👀)