Yep, I took a gazillion photos, and I’m going to inflict them upon you share them for days and days.
There were wildflowers everywhere. Alongside the road, the parking lots, the trails on Ascutney…
Daisies, bluebells, clover, and some I can’t ID right off the bat. Wonderful!!
Filed under Flowers, Photography, Travel
Back in LA, it’s clear as a bell during the day and cloudy, gloomy, and foggy every morning (“May Gray” has turned into “June Gloom” – IYKYK) but last weekend in Vermont there were some wonderful clouds almost every day.
I just wish that it had been a little bit more cloudless at night. Those stars the first night were spectacular!
Filed under Photography, Travel, Weather
I truly love having a window seat on an airplane when traveling. It’s a complete mystery to me why every single person on the plane has their window shade down every second. How can you NOT be looking out the window?
But I’m always in the middle seat these days, for reasons. Except for today.
We didn’t know it at the time, but there was an accident on the freeway leading to Logan International in Boston, causing a HUGE traffic jam and causing several folks on our flight to miss the flight. So some folks back in economy seats got the option to upgrade to Business or First Class, and took it. One of them was the guy who had the window seat in our aisle, so he boogied up front to luxury, while I got to shift over to the window and The Long-Suffering Wife and I got some elbow and leg room with the empty middle seat there.
I might have taken a lot of pictures.
There were some impressive thunderhead storm cells building up over the upper Midwest, so the views were great, even if the turbulence was not appreciated by everyone.
But c’mon folks! If we’re that jaded about these kinds of views right outside our windows that we can’t be bothered with, maybe we don’t deserve to make it when all is said and done.
I love binging “Ted Lasso” reruns as much as the next guy, but I can watch them any other time, without all of the lagging and breakups. Look at the reality that’s waiting for you if you care to look!!!
Filed under Flying, Photography, Travel, Weather
It was a lovely day, clear, sunny, not too hot. Our final full day in Vermont for this trip, and I once again wanted to get to the top of the observation tower on top of Mount Ascutney. Not hiking one of the base-to-summit trails of three or four miles and about 3,000 feet in elevation gain, I did the trail from the upper parking lot, 0.7 miles and about 300 feet in elevation.
Piece o’ cake, right? What, 20-30 minutes up? 15 back down? FOOL!!!
True, a lot of the trail does look like this:
But A LOT more than I remembered looks like this:
So 1:19 after leaving the parking lot, with the nice park ranger asking if I would like her to take my picture and did I need oxygen, I was there!
It was clear enough to glimpse Mount Washington, 115 miles away.
It then took me 35 minutes to get down, taking care to not shatter a leg, twist an ankle, or go ass over teakettle over the side of a ravine. I survived!
Who knows if I’ll be able to do this again in five or ten years, but on THIS day I was triumphant!
Filed under Photography, Travel
Here’s your small town…
i.e., Springfield, Vermont
Here’s your parade, specifically the Class of ‘74 “float” for our 50th anniversary reunion.
Yes, I walked the two-mile parade and pelted small children and grandmothers with soft, gooey Tootsie Rolls that had been sitting out in the sun too long. It was fun! (Not sure what the Vegas odds are for us being able to do it again in ten years for the 60th. Or for me being able to walk tomorrow morning.)
Our reunion tonight was relaxed, calm, loud, and full of hugs and catch-up conversations with classmates whom I generally haven’t seen in 5, 10, 15, 20, or 50 years. It was wonderful! ❤️
Filed under Photography, Travel
The sounds of robins and cardinals off in the trees. a little bit of breeze swishing through the branches.
A spot in the shade on the balcony outside our room, an incredibly comfortable Adirondack chair.
Adds up to the best nap ever!
Filed under Photography, Travel
It’s been a long day of travel. Between staying up very late last night tying up loose ends at work before I clock out for five days, and getting up early this morning to get to LAX, getting picked somehow for the full public pat down and groin grope by TSA, a flight that left an hour late, and then a three hour drive from Logan on a bunch of very dark, two-lane state highways through New Hampshire, it’s now 01:42 local EDT, and I’m glad I don’t have any commitments until tomorrow night. Tomorrow might be a “crack o’ noon” sort of day.
My favorite bridge on I-93 North, just as you emerge from the Williams Tunnel, was all lit up!
And getting to Vermont was magical – the back parking lot at the Hartness House is dark and there were one hundred bazillion stars out, as well as CLOUDS of fireflies out in the trees!!! ❤️🪄
Filed under Photography, Travel
Time to cross the continent once again to see friends and old stomping grounds.
No doubt, shennanigans will ensue!
Filed under Photography, Travel
No, it’s not my goat.
I just happened to be standing there watching the parade when the guy with the goat came by.
Isn’t that the way that it always seems to happen?
If the goat guy was hanging out near you, wouldn’t you take a picture? Maybe even try to get a selfie with the goat?
Filed under Critters, Photography, Travel
Ventura Pier
It’s funny the things you remember five years later about a set of pictures. Well, maybe “funny” isn’t quite the correct word…
Filed under Critters, Photography, Travel
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We Love The Stars Too Fondly 