Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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The start of something Maine

Flying at sunset.

Flying at sunset.

After flying through and over a line of heavy storms, heralding Hurricane Arthur,  we landed at the Portland airport last night.   And this morning we visited the Portland Head Lighthouse. (Click on any photo to see more detail.)

 

Portland Head Lighthouse before the storm.

Portland Head Lighthouse before the storm.

We got there early in the morning before the rain started.  But there was misty fog out in the harbor.

Foggy morning.

Foggy morning.

Also located on the grounds of  Fort Williams, aside from the beautiful lighthouse, was the remains of the Goddard mansion, built in 1858 by Mr. Goddard who made his money in logging,  it was purchased by the Army and housed married officers in 1896.

 

Mansion memories.

Mansion memories.

It must have been an amazing house in its day.

Days gone by.

Days gone by.

We also spent a lot of time just looking out at the ocean…

 

Weekend sail.

Weekend sail.

…as we drover up the coast and stopped for lunch at the Lobster Shack.

We were hungry.

We were hungry.

 

Then we headed to Bar Harbor to watch the 4th of July fireworks.  We sat for almost two hours in heavier and heavier rain, along with a few thousand of our closest (and wettest) friends.  Just when we thought we couldn’t sit in the increasingly cold and heavy rain the fireworks started.  They were amazing, it was worth the wait.  There’s something about being with so many people, faces raised to the sky, drops of rain falling on our cheeks, to make you appreciate the fact we live where we do.  The fireworks seemed close enough to touch.   The children in the crowd clapped and cheered.  So did many adults.  We forgot we were soaked to the skin.

Day one in Maine has been magic.

 

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday America!


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World Cup memories

I can’t watch the World Cup without thinking of a warm evening in Tuscany.  In July of 2006 we were in Italy and for three nights stayed at a beautiful old villa.  Since we were the youngest couple in the group we were assigned a room on the third floor.  The one with the tower and the great view overlooking the valley filled with olive groves below.

 

Italian villa

Italian villa

One evening, after a day spent in historic Sienna we climbed the tower stairs with a bottle of wine and a bag of ripe sweet cherries to watch dusk overtake the valley.  We listened to the cries of joy floating up from the houses below each time Italy scored and watched the valley turn rosy then dark.

What wonderful memories.   Today as the USA plays in the World Cup I might watch some of the game.

But my heart will be in Tuscany.

sigh....

sigh….


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Katie scores

Katie here.  My mama was going to have me show you around the yard today cause some stuff is really blooming pretty.  But she got busy trying to clean up the basement and forgot.  She even forgot that I was upstairs (I don’t do stairs, it is not princess-like) and she was downstairs for a long time.  But then I howled.  That brought her right up and she took me down there with her while she finished up.  I guess she made a nice bedroom down there but it isn’t really my taste.  I like a king sized bed.  With lots of pillows.  Of course.

But I digress (I get my wandering mind from my mama).  While she was down in the basement doing basement stuff I started barking hysterically and jumping around trying to see out the front window, and my mama could tell I was serious!  So she ran up the stairs and guess what?  I was right!  There had been someone on my front porch!  And the evil mail truck had been in my driveway!  HA!  I scared it away, yes I did, before she got all the way up the steps.  But the mail guy left a box!  For me and mama!

 

Something smells good!

Something smells good!

Well, we had to open it right away because it was from my boyfriend Reilly’s mom.  And whenever we get a box from her it’s full of good stuff!

I'll share some with you mama. Maybe.

I’ll share some with you mama. Maybe.

 

Look at all the loot I scored!  OK.  Some of it is for my mama, but it’s mostly for me! ME ME ME ME!  Reilly’s mom sent us some stuff to take on our next camping trip!  Bug spray and treats and food and stuff!  And she sent my mama some beautiful music to listen to on her way to that job thing she goes to every day!  AND a shirt to wear that says she’s a Sheltie MOM!  So everyone will know when we’re camping.  Not that I ever let her out of my sight when we’re on an adventure, but in case she gets lost they’ll know to return her to me!

So I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to Reilly’s mom Bree.  Check out her website, or her  Etsy store.  She makes the most pawsome stuff!  My mama just loves everything there!

Thank you Bree!  And hug that Mr. Reilly for me too, so he remembers he’s mine!

Love,

Katie.

My own cow! Thank you Reilly!

My own cow! Thank you Reilly!


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Update on truck safety legislation

We received an update email from the Truck Safety Coalition.  Part of it is below.  I wanted you to know what is going on since you’ve supported me through this roller coaster that is safety legislation.

 

“As you know, on Thursday June 19, the Senate began consideration of the FY 2015 Transportation Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill as part of a package of three appropriations bills.  Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), filed an amendment to the THUD bill which would protect the Hours of Service (HOS) rules governing rest periods and the amount of hours truck drivers may work each week. Joining Senator Booker in cosponsoring the amendment were Senators John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod C. Brown (D-OH), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Brian E. Schatz (D-HI), and Chris S. Murphy (D-CT).

 

Senator Booker’s Amendment was introduced as a response to the language inserted into the bill at committee markup (Collins Amendment) which would increase the truck driver weekly work week to over 80 hours while a study was performed on the HOS restart provisions.  The Booker Amendment would strip the Collins Amendment of its language to suspend the restart provisions, and prevent an increase in truck driver work hours, while preserving the study.

 

We have now learned that the THUD bill has been pulled from the Senate floor indefinitely due to unrelated issues on other legislation, and we need your support to ensure that when the THUD bill returns, if a vote is held, the Booker Amendment will have enough support to pass.  It will likely be a very close vote.  In addition, Senator Blunt (R-MO) has indicated that he may offer an amendment, identical to the Collins amendment, to the Senate Commerce Committee’s piece of the surface transportation authorization bill.  Right now, we are unsure when the Commerce bill will come up for vote.  But, as you can see, this dangerous anti-safety language will not be going away, and it is imperative that we keep the issue of truck driver fatigue in the media and public eye.”

 

This delay adds another wrinkle in the fight for safety.  It’s difficult to keep our issue in front of the Senators for an extended time and the trucking interests have deep pockets and will be in the Senators’ ears constantly.   I’ll keep you updated when I hear more.  Meanwhile, if your Senator is listed above having cosponsored the Booker bill, please take a moment to call him or her and let them know you appreciate them trying to save lives on our roads.

And thank you very much for your support.

 


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Active retirement

A few weeks ago, while driving north for the Great Camping Adventure with Katie, I noticed a car.  We passed each other a few times.  It was the same make and model and even color as my car.  But that’s not what made me notice it.  What was special about the car was this:

Adventure mobile

Adventure mobile

Perched on the top were two kayaks, on the back hung two bicycles.  It seemed to epitomize the kind of retirement I hope my husband and I have.  The kind where you explore and enjoy and especially stay active.

I glanced at the couple in the car once when they passed me.  Seemed to be people pretty much like myself.  I wished them well and forgot about them.  Until I pulled into a fast food drive through line and saw the car parked next door at another fast food restaurant.  So once I got my taco I swung over there, parked, walked over and snapped the picture.  Turning I realized the couple was sitting at an outdoor table looking alarmed.

So I walked over to them, smiling, and told them I wanted to be them when I grew up.  Old enough to be retired, young enough to enjoy it and off on adventures every weekend with your life partner.    She smiled, pointed at her companion and said “Him?  We just met a few months ago!”    Then we all had a good laugh.

But in my heart I still hope I get to have that kind of retirement.  The kind with two kayaks on the roof, two bikes on the back, two voices laughing in the front seats.

Happy trails everyone.

Follow the road.

Follow the road.


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WordPress Photo Challenge: Between

Finding Shakespeare.

Finding Shakespeare between these hills.

During a recent warm summer evening, as dusk settled among the hills and along the Huron River, Shakespeare walked.  And I was lucky enough to witness it all.  The University of Michigan presented “Shakespeare in the Arb 2014, As You Like It,” an outdoor interpretation where characters run through meadows and down hillsides sorting out their love and angst in front of a few hundred enthralled peasants — us.

The audience moves between scenes.

The audience moves between scenes.

Rather than changing the set on stage between each scene the whole production, along with the audience, moved to beautiful new locations within the Arboretum.

 

Contemplating his next move.

Contemplating his next move.

And, as the audience moved through the woods or across expanses of meadow carrying their chairs and blankets we often came across characters from the play or were entertained by magical music that floated across the tops of the trees.

Discussing strategy.

Discussing strategy.

 

I hope you enjoy these photos of the action between scenes.

Musical joy.

Musical joy between scenes.

For more entries to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge:  Between, click on the link above, or check out a few of my favorites, here, here, here and here.  Or here.

I hope you enjoyed my evening with Shakespeare.  I know I did!

 

Onward.

Onward.


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Update on Hours of Service debate

The debate continues on the floor of the Senate.  As you know there is a Transportation Spending Bill that will be voted on soon, and attached to this bill are many amendments.  One of those is the Collins amendment that would roll back safety provisions of a rule issue by the Department of Transportation just last summer.  The Collins amendment was worked out in a subcommittee without benefit of public comment or any scientific study, brokered by the trucking industry.  Yesterday the Booker (Senator, Democrat, NJ) amendment was introduced on the floor.  You can hear Sen Booker’s passionate introduction here.  It is sixteen minutes, so I understand if you don’t watch it all.  What struck me is his common sense, and how he understands that this is a complicated issue.  That a rule that took years to research, held six public comment periods, heard from 100’s of thousands of stakeholders, used the science of experts, should not be rolled back without study in a private subcommittee unseen by anyone.  Here’s a short article that talks about the introduction of the Booker amendment.

I’m told the debate over the Booker amendment has been tabled and will continue Monday.  I don’t know when the actual vote will happen.  Please let your Senators know that you support the Booker amendment.  And if your Senator is cosponsoring the amendment,   New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez, West Virginia’s Jay Rockefeller, Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal, New York Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Massachusetts Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, California’s Dianne Feinstein and Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, please please call them and say thank you.   They will appreciate your support.   I believe there were others as well, Senator Booker lists them at the beginning of his speech.

And in case you missed it on YouTube,  here’s Whoopi Goldberg’s reaction to this issue.