Atlanta with Dennis and Mark, Jan 27 and 28

 We had about a 4 hour drive from Asheville to Atlanta. Before went to Dennis and Mark's we went to one of their neighborhood restaurants, Bantam & Biddy where we had lunch.
  As always, the four of us had no trouble chatting the afternoon away as we have lots to talk about. And, Dennis's mother, age 100, recently died, so we talked about her life, too. We had planned to attend her service in Bridgewater, but storms prevented that.

  We went to Roxx for dinner and then stayed up chatting some more.
  Mark R was not feeling very well, so we decided to leave at mid-day, actually a day before we had planned, but it seemed sensible for Mark R to relax and get better, not to mention us possibly catching it.
   As always, it was a great visit with them.

With Sage in Asheville, Jan 25 & 26

  We had a short drive from Morganton to Asheville where we are staying at a Country Inn & Suites there. It is very nice.
  Sherah dropped Sage off to us at 2:30 in downtown Asheville. The three of us walked to Mellow Mushroom for a late lunch. Then, we drove back to the hotel. Sage loves staying in hotels - explores everything and so enjoys opening doors with the key card.

   Then we went to her Tai Kwan Do lesson which was interesting to watch as last year we saw one of her earliest lessons. She now has her yellow belt and has made such progress. She seems very loved by the instructors, too. During this class, she earned a stripe on her belt which pleased her no end and she loved being able to perform for us.

   Then we went back to the hotel and swam and swam which she enjoys no end. Then, reading (The Shy Butterfly on Nantucket and a Judy Moody book, both of which she had packed.) We also had a very nice Skype session with Nick and Liz. Sage is very excited at the impending birth of her baby brother.

   The next morning, we had fun having breakfast at the hotel and then we took Sage to school at Leicester Elementary, which is a good 25 minute drive. She had an early release day. So, we went to Tops Shoe Store in downtown Asheville and she tried on lots of shoes and we bought her a pair of very bright sneakers. She loves bright clothes!

  Next we went to The Noodle Shop, a restaurant recommended by Cole and it was excellent. Later, we went to see Paddington 2 and ended the day with more swimming and more reading.
   The following morning, we had another good breakfast and Sherah picked Sage up at the hotel at 9:30.

Morganton with Cole, January 23, 24

  We drove from Washington, D.C. to Morganton, N.C., in about 7 1/2 hours. The weather, which we expected to be rainy, was sunny and bright all day. It got to 66 degrees, so...time to switch out our winter clothes.

  We met Cole, our grandson, at Wisteria Southern Gastropub where we each had very good meals. He told us about his college plans and brought us up to date on his life. A wonderful young man.

Museums and a day with Lizzy, Washington, D.C. January 22, 2018

  A wonderful day with a lot of walking.

  The drama in Washington today has to do with a government shut down that was being voted on in Congress. (They voted to keep the government funded for another 3 weeks - what a way to run a country.)

  We walked from our hotel to the Renwick Gallery, a Smithsonian museum of contemporary American craft, a museum we have never visited before. So glad that we visited as it was quite amazing. It is in a beautiful building, the first in the U.S. expressly built to be a museum.

We will definitely return.
  The special collection is "Murder is Her Hobby" about the work of Frances Glessner Lee, (1878-1962). She was interested in forensic pathology, but did not embark on a career until she was 52 after her brother's death and her inheritance which allowed her to develop her interest in how detectives should examine clues. She was friends with the chief medical examiner in Boston and she endowed Harvard's Department of Legal Medicine. In the 1940s and 50s she hosted semi-annual seminars in homicide investigation and presented the "Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death," exquisitely constructed dioramas of actual crime scenes, complete with working windows and lights. Students had 90 minutes to examine the scenes. Some of her dioramas are still used today.

  Then we walked to the National Portrait Gallery to meet up with Lizzy S who is pursuing her M.A. at John Hopkins. As it is Restaurant Week, we walked to a fabulous Spanish restaurant, Jaleo. It was an amazing meal, complete with flan for dessert.
 

 Afterwards, the three of us strolled through the National Portrait Gallery, another museum we had never visited. It also warrants a return visit as it is very large.
 

One of the temporary exhibits was about Marlene Dietrich, focusing a lot on her work against fascism and her work entertaining the troops, as well as her influence on style and film. Another temporary exhibit was about American workers. Then, we went to Pain Quotidien for tea (and pastry). Then, we walked back home with Lizzy walking partway with us.
  We figure that it was a 5-6 mile walking day.

Washington, D.C. January 20, 21st

  We left NYC easily, it being a Saturday. We missed the Women's March in both NYC and in Washington, too. And, the weather was great for driving. (It got up to the low 60s!...such a change in temperature)

  We are staying at the River Inn in Foggy Bottom on 25th Street where we stayed 3 years ago when we got completely snowed in. We have a very nice room with a little kitchen. So, after parking, we walked to a Whole Foods and got the fixings for dinner and for breakfast.
  On the 21st, we strolled to Georgetown, just a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We walked along the Potomac. It is nice to have warmer weather. We stopped at Trader Joe's to get the fixings for lunch and dinner. In the afternoon we watched the Patriots play the Jaguars in one of the playoffs, although we are also trying to keep an eye on the Australian Open as we prefer tennis to football.

Last full day in NYC, January 19

  We decided to have a quiet day. We started by doing our laundry. (Free here.) Then we walked up 40th street to Muji, a Japanese store where Mark bought a shirt and Barbara bought 2 sweaters as we are a little short of shirts and....we liked them and  were a bargain, too.
   We went to the Drama Book Store where we ran into a Nantucketer, Eddie Yankow, who is here for an interview for a directing school in Luton, England. What are the odds? Then, a quick sushi lunch on 39th Street. We had hoped to meet up with Alex K, but she is in the midst of moving and we were having a quiet day.

Mark, Weldon, Patti, Barbara

For dinner, we walked to up 7th Avenue to around 55th Street where we met Patti and Weldon at a Greek restaurant, Molyvos. We had not seen Patti since they were married in 1984, so almost 34 years! It was so nice - conversation never lagged and the meal was great. (Lamb shanks, salad, moussaka, roasted vegetables, roasted chicken and wonderful spreads and bread.)

Hamilton! January 18

After another great breakfast, we walked to Bryant Park and watched the ice skaters. (Another cold day)

Mark in the sun at Bryant Park

Skaters at Bryant Park

Barbara in Bryant Park by frozen fountain 

Then, we got in touch with Weldon and arranged to meet for lunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We took the subway there. (An amazing building) We didn't see much art as we ate lunch with Weldon in the cafeteria and chatted for a long time as the three of us can do.

We knew that Weldon was giving us tickets for a show, but....when he came out with prime tickets to HAMILTON, we were stunned and speechless. An unbelievably generous gift for helping him edit his memoir of the 60s and 70s, something we enjoyed doing.

   So, after going back to the hotel for another free dinner, we walked to the Richard Rogers Theatre on 46th Street and sat in the FOURTH row, CENTER and saw Hamilton which lived up to all the expectations. Innovative, energetic, poetic, funny, thought-provoking, poignant. The set was, of course, amazing.

The choreography was unlike any we have ever seen. The use of both men and women in scenes was wonderful, regardless of gender, such as playing soldiers. The costumes added to the performance as well as to its sensuality. And, of course the singing and acting hit it out of the park. We did not see all of the original cast, but their replacements were absolutely stellar. It was truly a stunning experience and one we will remember for the rest of our lives. And, it was probably the most generous gift we have ever received from a friend which was humbling.

MoMA, Seth Meyers Show, January 17

After a hearty and delicious breakfast at the hotel, on the 17th, we did a lot of walking in the cold. (20 degrees or so before factoring in the wind. And, it turned out to be a wise decision to come a day early as New England got quite a bit of snow). We walked to NBC building where we got standby tickets to see the Late Night with Seth Meyers show.

   Then, we walked to MoMA which we have not visited in over 30 years. What an amazing collection.

They carefully labeled artists who are no longer allowed into the United States because they are from countries that Trump has banned.

   Then we walked back to the hotel, had their free brunch (!) instead of dinner, and walked back to be at NBC by 5:00 for the show. We were #5 and 6 in line, although one in front of us did not show up. We stood there for over an hour and then they let 14 of us in. Metal detectors, up the elevators into another waiting area where the non standbys were escorted into the studio first. We made friends in line with Joyce, a retired worker at the NY Supreme Court. She goes to a lot of shows and had seen the Megyn Kelly show that morning.
   At any rate, we were in the last row, but center and the seats were very good. It's a fun thing to do. A very good comedian "warmed" us up for about half an hour and then the band played. Seth Meyers's opening monologue was excellent, focusing a lot on Trumps "s...hole" comments. The first guest was Sean "Diddy" Combs who was very funny and in touch with the crowd. Then, a Welsh actor, Luke Evans, in a new series, "The Alienist" came on. He was also funny and personable. Finally, Nicole Sullivan, another SNL veteran came on. It was clear that she and Seth Meyers were friends for a long time. During one of the breaks, Meyers came into the audience and that was when it was clear how good he is - answered questions from the audience both sincerely and with humor. It was a very fun evening.

Westport to NYC, January 14, 15, 16

On the 14th, we went to Westport to visit Ted and Bev. On the 15th, we drove to Logan to have our interview for Global Access. Afterwards, we all went to an Irish pub in Bristol, R.I. for dinner.

Aidan's Pub in Bristol, R.I.

  On the 16th, we drove to New York City to stay in the Staybridge Suites where we have stayed before. It was an easy drive and the hotel let us check in early. We walked to Times Square and back and had our "dinner" at the brunch the hotel offers for free.

Concord with the Hutchesons, January 12, 13

We arrived in Concord one day after Otis's 15th birthday. He is a freshman at Middlesex and on the ski team. Otis has had one flying lesson in his quest for his flying license.

Otis at his first ski race 

Hank is in grade 7 and we took him to one of his basketball games because Jecca and Willy were teaching.

  On the 13th, we went with Willy, Hank and Otis into Boston to the Auto Show at the Convention Center. It was a lot more fun than we had anticipated. We focused on plug-in hybrids, but enjoyed the entire show.

Heading off Island, January 11

We left Nantucket one day early because of wind warnings.

sunrise in Nantucket Sound

We have had Maggie for about a month, dog sitting while the Hutchesons went to California for Christmas. She was happy to be back home. Boats have been running on a reduced schedule as ice in Hyannis harbor has moved the buoys. We were #3 on standby and were lucky to get aboard.

Ice in Hyannis Harbor

Ice Breaker in Hyannis

Week in Missoula, Part 2

   On Sunday, our last full day, we started off with a lovely walk with David and Maura to Kelly Island on the Clark Fork River. The dogs had a blast and we all got pretty wet! It was a lot of fun.

A week in Missoula, Sept 24-Oct 2

  We started our week by going on Monday to pick up our next car. It is a Subaru Crosstrek like David’s.  Monday was a quiet day. Maura had the day off, we had a lot of wash to do, too. Mark made a lovely chicken soup and salad for a light meal.
   The next day, Tuesday, we drove around town as the sun came out. We drove around and took some photos from one of the hills outside town. We bought David a new phone to replace his old and cracked one. We went to the Good Food Store, which we love and had a nice lunch and got the fixing for a nice fish dinner. We also hiked up 1.5 of the switchbacks behind David’s house with Deniro and Maeve - whew! Mark and David went back to TMobile to work out the kinks in the phone and to get it up and running.
    Wednesday was sunny and beautiful. We took the dogs on another walk up the Jumbo trail behind Maura and David’s house. It is quite the climb! Then, we drove to Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge outside of Stevensville in the Bitteroot Valley. It is about 25 miles south of Missoula. The refuge is alongside the Bitteroot River. The first spectacular bird that we saw was a soaring golden eagle. On the way in, we saw lots of dabbling ducks, the majority of which seemed to be coots, but there were lots that we did not identify. We saw lots of nuthatches, including the Pygmy nuthatch, a new bird for us. We took about a mile long walk through the forest and came across several white-tailed deer very close to us. We saw lots of woodpeckers, including downy woodpeckers and flickers. Mark heard a pileated but we did not see it. We came across a fly fisherman who had seen it, though. We saw quite a few birds across the river that we could not identify, but there was also a magnificent and very still bald eagle perched on a branch. We saw a striped bird that may have been a sage thrasher, but we are not sure. (Could have been a fox sparrow?)  We were pretty sure that we saw a Western Wood-Pewee, but again, without help, we could not be definite. And, we also were pretty sure that we saw mountain chickadees. And, on the way out, we saw an osprey perched. We see a lot of magpies which are also beautiful birds, but not much appreciated here. We stopped at the visitor center and Mark got t-shirt and we got a little bird guide for David and Maura. We stopped in Stevensville for a bit to eat at a cafe and then drove back and picked up a pie from Bernice’s Bakery, which  is rather famous.
      We were supposed to get 2 pies - a peach and a strawberry/rhubarb to take to Ken and Terry Olson’s but the bakery made a mistake and gave us a really large peach pie in a glass dish that has to be returned. So, we took just the strawberry/rhubarb one to the Olson’s and left the peach one home. That was a bit of a mistake because, it turns out that Ken doesn’t like rhubarb! But, we had a lovely evening. Terri made homemade chicken and dumplings and salad from their organic garden. Barbara got some beautiful cards made from Terri’s paintings. She had one (Trillium) recently accepted for an exhibition in Bigfork.
     On Thursday, we took another hike up Jumbo behind Maura and David’s house. It was a lovely sunny day. We take the dogs and work on Deniro’s leash training. Then, we took a bird walk A- to the Maclay Flats by the Bitterroot River just south of Missoula. We took a really nice 2 mile walk through the Ponderosa pines, grassland and along the river. Afterwards, we went shopping at Costco to leave Maura and David with a supply of things like paper products, olive oil, some meats. Mark made a very nice dinner of steak, baked potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
     On Friday, we started our day with our biggest hike up Jumbo yet - up to the third switchback. Mark went further than Barbara did. (We forgot the hiking poles and Barbara started to feel a little unsteady - it is steep and high and the trail is sometimes quite close to the edge. Anyhow, it was challenging and we feel quite accomplished. After that, we went into downtown Missoula to walk a bit. Again, the day was sunny and warm - our last, I am afraid, according to the forecast.
      Saturday turned out to be a nice day, just 20 degrees colder. We went with David and Maura to the wonderful outdoor farmers’ market in Missoula. It is so tempting to just buy, but.....as we are leaving.... Then, Maura and Barbara shopped for clothes at a lovely store. Maura got a beautiful blue silk dress for a family wedding as well as a gorgeous pair of dress boots. Meanwhile, Mark and David strolled and moved the car a bit closer. David and Barbara took the dogs up to the first switchback in the afternoon and in the evening we all went to Top Hat for dinner and then to the university campus for a performance of the Missoula Symphony. We had terrific seats and saw three pieces in the theme of Starstruck. The first piece was from the movie Vertigo, composed by Bernard Hermann. The second was a complication of violin concertos from Erich Korn who composed a lot for Hollywood. The soloist was Mayuko Kamio- excellent. The last piece was great - The Planets by Gustav Holst.

Banff to Fairmont Hot Springs, Kootenai National Park, Sept 22

  Today is the first day of fall, but we have had a lot of winter already!
   We drove from Banff to Fairmont Hot Springs to a large resort, quite unlike our usual stopping place, but we booked it to make our journey back to Montana a bit shorter and also because we like hot springs a lot.

    The ride down route 93 was spectacular. While it was not completely clear, it was clearer than any day we have had so far in the Canadian Rockies. We stopped an took a lot of photos of the jagged, snowy peaks as well as of the     River. The colors because of the "rock flour" were amazing and we hiked up Marble Canyon. We quickly rose in elevation and peered down at the river far below in the canyon
    When we drove into Radium Hot Springs, we came across a small herd of big horned sheep. None  huge horns. We got gas and the attendant told us that the herd was frequently in the midst of town. So, that was pretty cool as we had been scouring the hills for a glimpse of them for the past few days - and...there they were! The shots aren't pretty because they were right by a gas station.
     After arriving at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, we had a quick lunch and headed for the mineral hot pool. Lovely after driving. After a nice long soak, we went to the restaurant at the resort and had a nice meal. Then - we donned our white robes and went back for another soak in the hot springs. Ahhh! Heavenly even on a chilly evening.

Fairmont Hot Springs to Big Fork for a night, Sept 23, 24

 We drove from Fairmont Hot Springs down the valley and east back into the grasslands. We crossed the border at another small crossing and got right through, always a relief. Then, we continued back down route 93 and stopped in the cute touristy town of Whitefish where we ate lunch at a Mexican place - tacos/burritos. [Pesca Blanca]Then we detoured a little bit to see Kalispell on Maura’s advice. And, then we drove on to Big Fork. The three areas have a lot more population than we had expected.
   We stayed at a motel in Big Fork, Timbers. David and Maura met us there almost as soon as we arrived and we all went over to her dad’s place. He has a new place in a beautiful area on a big golf course. A lovely 2-bedroom home. The man who he bought it from was a golf fanatic and left Dennis lots of golf-related things, including comforters with golfing icons and even a coffee table that looks like a golf bag below.

    It was our first time meeting Maura’s brother, Jordan. We then all went out to Flathead Lake Brewing Company for a really nice dinner. Then, we drove back to Dennis’s for a little bit and back to the motel.
   The next day, we all met back at Dennis’s and went to Pocketstone Cafe for a huge breakfast. The weather was nice which was nice as the other time we were in Big Fork it was rainy and foggy. Mark and David went out to Echo where Maura grew up. David aligned his rifle.
    Afterwards we all went back to Missoula. We returned our car, a little Nissan Sentra and David picked us up. We get another car tomorrow.