Big Fork Arrival, October 9

    Today we followed David to the Subaru dealer to have Maura's car serviced and then we took off for Big Fork where we have rented a BIG house. The hills were covered with snow just outside Missoula, but the sun came out and the temperature rose as we drove into the Flathead Valley. We stopped for groceries near Polson at a Harvest Foods. Flathead Lake was stunning in the sunlight.
   We are renting a 5-bedroom house on Route 35. It has two levels. You walk in the upstairs level into a large living room with comfy chairs (all recline) and a gas fireplace. The kitchen is large and well equipped. Best of all, there are 2 stoves and 2 refrigerators which will make it much easier for Nick to cater the Open House that we are hosting on Sunday.

   Our master suite is massive with a king bed, a sitting area with a gas fireplace, a bathroom with 2 dressing rooms, a sauna and also a big tub in a kind of weird raised altar-like area.
    Across the living room are two other bedrooms with a shared bathroom. Also upstairs is a small dining area and a small sitting room. There is another bathroom and a laundry room with the second refrigerator which we will use as a prep area.
   There is a large deck with lots of patio furniture and a high-topped patio table with a firepit in the middle. It overlooks the backyard which is a large green lawn.
    Downstairs are 2 tv areas, another bathroom and 2 bedrooms. We have picked one for Nick which has an office area right outside of it. The second tv area downstairs has a huge projector tv with more comfy reclining chairs and 4 single beds. So, the house is massive - 6,600 square feet.
   We got settled in and had a relaxing evening sitting in "our" bedroom sitting area with the gas fire.

Missoula October 5 - 8

   We arrived on  Saturday, October 5 in time to see David before he went to work. We met the new pup, Dutch, who is adorable and already pretty well trained and very mellow. After Maura came home from her wedding dress fitting (!), the three of us went shopping for dinner and also stopped in to QuickPaws where David works and he showed us around. Later, we had a nice meal made in their hot pot.

    On the 6th, we all did various errands. David and Mark went to pick up David's wedding suit (!), changed a propane tank and brought back delicious lunch bowls from Five on Black. Maura and Barbara went downtown shopping. First, she showed Barbara her work place and her office. We looked for shoes for Barbara (didn't get them then) and looked for something warm for Maura to wear over her wedding dress. At the third store, we were successful and she got a bolero sweater. Barbara and Mark went to Dillard's in the afternoon and Barbara finally got her wedding shoes. Later, Maura's cousins - Phil and Connie came over for dinner, a la Mark. He did speidis on the grill, roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts and Barbara made a salad. We got yummy cupcakes at Bernice's Bakery. We all had a lovely evening.

    On the 7th, David and Maura went off to work and we ran errands - got the Clarity an oil change and got food for dinner.
    On the 8th, we had rain. David had a hiking day with 8 dogs and he took Maebe with him. Before the rain, Barbara and Mark took Dutch up almost to the first switch back. We gathered lots of supplies to bake for the Open House as Jecca, Mark and Barbara will do the desserts and Nick will do the rest of the food. Mike, Nancy, Ted and Bev flew in to Kalispell and will spend 2 nights in Whitefish.

T Roosevelt Nat'l Park, October 3, 2019

   After eating in our room, we took off for the morning to tour Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We stopped in the visitor center first and got some cards/postcards to send. It was rather cloudy and chilly, but we saw animals almost immediately.

   Our first top - prairie dogs and then several coyotes came running to hunt them. (The prairie dogs sent out the alarm and none were caught.) We also saw some killdeer. (birds)
   We drove through the campground where we stayed in the past by the Little Missouri River with all the cottonwood trees.

   We saw several herds of bison and a herd of wild horses. We took several short walks, but most trails were rather slippery and wet.

    We took a break in town at a pretty terrible cafe, the Cowboy Cafe, where the owner inflicted her political views on us - anti- immigrant, anti-liberals etc etc. We laid low, ate and left.
    When we returned to the park, the sun had come out and the light was amazing. We saw lots of wildlife and took a few more hikes and took lots more photos.

Snow! October 2 - St Cloud to Medora, N.D.

  Today was the longest travel day of this trip so far (about 500 miles). We got up early in St. Cloud, Minnesota and drove to Medora, North Dakota, at one of the entrances to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a place we have visited previously in summer and when camping. It is our first really wintery and cold day, too.

   We stopped for lunch in Bismarck - an Italian meal. We wanted something hot, so Barbara had minestrone soup with salad and Mark had a fettucine Alfredo.
When we came out of the restaurant, it had started to rain. But, then....we hit snow and slush. For a while the visibility was poor and the flakes were huge. We got gas and groceries in Dickinson as there is no grocery store in Medora and most of the restaurants are already closed for the season. A few miles out of town we saw a car flipped in the median and sheriff's vehicles on the scene.
   We are at the Rough Rider Hotel which seems very nice. Barbara took a brief walk around the very small town in the snow.  There were only 112 people in only 27 families recorded in the 2010 census. (It is estimated that it has gone up to 128 people now!) Of course, the populations swells in the summer with the Medora Musical and because of the national park.

To St. Cloud, Minnesota, October 1

  Today was a driving day. We left Racine at 6:30 a.m. after some coffee and drove about 340 miles to St. Cloud, Minnesota. We had a lot of rain and quite a lot of traffic. For a few minutes, while Barbara was driving, there was lightning and a deluge where visibility was about zero. Yesterday, it was in the 80s along Lake Michigan and it dipped today into the low 50s. Time to change from our summer luggage to the winter luggage. We pulled out flannel and jackets!
   We are staying in a rather dingy hotel, a Travelodge. After checking in, we headed toward town. We ate at a Pho restaurant where we each had soup. Then we took a short walk along the Mississippi River by the Munsinger Gardens.

Racine, Day 2 - Sept 30, 2019

  

Later, we drove to North Beach and walked, barefoot out to the rather flooded beach. (They have had a rainy September) It was nice and warm and people were enjoying the beach. Then, we drove to Wind Point Lighthouse, built in 1880 to protect the point on the north side of Racine harbor. At 108' tall, it is one of the tallest on the Great Lakes. We sat for a bit by the water's edge.

   Today was initially foggy as warm weather arrived. Eventually, it got into the 80s, but not for a bit.
   We went shoe shopping in the morning, but didn't find what Barbara was looking for. Then, we found a diner where we had breakfast for $10! Barbara had oatmeal because her stomach was queasy and Mark had the 3-egg, pancake special.

   We went for a nice walk around the harbor, watching people fishing and boats going in and out of the narrow channel into the very protected harbor. They do have to get the boats out before winter.
   Then, we went to Pico's Mexican restaurant. Barbara had a burrito bowl and Mark had chicken with mole sauce. It was very good and....only $20 total

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To Racine, Wisconsin, Sept 29, 2019

  We realized last night that we needed to arrive in Racine, early enough to visit the Racine Art Museum because it is closed on Mondays, the day we had planned our visit. So, we left Elyria 

before the sun came up and drove about 400 miles to arrive in Racine early enough to spend part of the afternoon at the museum.

   Most of the drive was in rain. Mark drove around Chicago which had a lot of construction and traffic jams, despite it being a Sunday. (Jecca and Willy were also driving in rain back to Concord after going to a wedding in Maryland)

   Joanne Polster recommended that we visit the Racine museum for its crafts which is why we decided to stop here. She used to visit it when she worked for an arts and crafts council. It is a very accessible museum of only 2 floors and not large galleries, but has one of the largest craft collections in the U.S. The exhibits were about the 1969 "Objects: USA" exhibit in Washington, D.C. "which launched a new chapter in contemporary craft" according to their pamphlet. It focused on huge shifts in craft - the scale, materials, topics, and intent. It pushed the envelope in the craft world as it combined craft with fine art.

 We thoroughly enjoyed the museum and are grateful that Joanne pointed it out to us.
    We were really hungry when we were done with the museum and the drive, and went to an Irish pub that dates back to the 1880s where Barbara had an Irish stew and Mark had a reuben. Then, we checked into the Hilton Harbor View on the docks and then took a drive, still in the rain, to check out the beach and various neighborhoods on the water. The city seems very livable and beautiful.
   Next stop - the hot tub for the bones/muscles!

Binghamton to Elyria, OH, Sept 28

  Today we drove 385 miles in good weather until the last 20 minutes.
  We left Kathy and Jay's around 9 and stopped at Wegman's on the way out of town for some fruit and a few snacks to add to the ones Kathy gave us.

   The drive in western N.Y. was beautiful, although the leaves are not in full fall foliage yet. We are staying at a Country Inn & Suites. We went to a supermarket for salad and a rotisserie chicken. Before digging in, we went into the hot tub to rest our bones and muscles for a bit.

Binghamton, Day 2 September 27, 2019

  Today was another lovely day after a chilly start.

  Kathy and Barbara went shoe shopping (for the wedding.) Barbara found a few that she liked, but all the shoes she liked were a half size too large. They also went to Michael's to get a gift card for Sage who turns 11 next week. Mark went to the Honda dealer while they shopped to figure out some of the car's bells and whistles and how we can use the bluetooth to listen to audible books from the library. The car was only recognizing Mark's phone, even though Matt had given us a lesson that day before. While there, Mark charged the car.

   After a lunch with Jay, Kathy, Mark and Barbara took a 4 mile walk along the rail trail. It was summer weather and we were all hot. Mark bailed on the final 1/2 mile, (it was not a loop), Barbara had blisters and Kathy was limping from her inflamed Achilles! (Darn getting older!)

    Then we had a lovely meal of roasted corn/fennel soup, speidis and salad. We all tried to eat less than we had the day before. We stayed up and chatted all evening. Nice day.
 

To Binghamton. September 26, 2019

   Today we left Bridgewater around 9 a.m. and drove to Binghamton. We stopped outside of Oneonta at a barbecue place, Brook's.

    We arrived at Kathy and Jay's where we are staying. Around 5, we went to Linda Smith's house where there was an old "neighborhood" reunion. All the Smiths of our generation were there - Linda,  Jerry from France, Diane, Bob. Also there was Bob Robusto and Tina Smith. Jerry came over for a Peace Corps reunion in Denver and then went with a friend to Yellowstone and then to NYC before she flew back to France and Jerry came to Binghamton. The Smiths will have a big gathering of the clan this weekend.

   There was a lot of laughter around the table with everyone involved which was heart-warming and wonderful. The food was good, but it was the joy that was so impressive.

Bridgewater, Day 2, Sept 25, 2019

   Today was another lovely day. Alice had P.T. in the a.m. and was put through her paces by Moises. Sandy went out to shop and Barbara had a lovely time with Alice. Cal and Mark went out to get new surgical stockings for Cal and also went to the lumberyard to get lumber for rebuilding the deck off the kitchen which Rob and a friend are going to tackle.

    Later, Ted came over with a delicious lemon/poppyseed loaf for the folks.
    Sandy made a nice meal of pork tenderloin/potato/veggies.

    After dinner, we went to see Matt and Maureen Huberman's new house in Taunton. Mark had been there in the summer (helped with some painting), but Barbara had never been there. We met the 3 chickens that came with the house and we gave them a whale print made by Nicci Aguiar as a housewarming. We didn't see Maureen as she teaches voice one day a week at a local center.

Westward to Wedding! Sept 24, 2019

 

We  left the island on the 9:15 a.m. steamship and the weather was so beautiful that it was hard to leave! We spent over a week packing and planning to leave because we have to be ready for several seasons of weather AND a wedding! It is our first big road trip with the Clarity, so it will be interesting to see how we do on hybrid mode.

   Today we stayed in Bridgewater. Alice has been home from the rehabilitation facility for a week and was impressively moving right along with her walker.  Both Cal and Alice looked really good and, of course, happy to have Alice at home

. Marryand John were both there on the back deck when we arrived. And, then, Ted and Bev showed up, so it was very merry. And, later, Jackie also dropped by. Mark made a nice steak/potato/salad/veggies dinner. Sandy came in later after running errands.

Brooklyn Day 5, 3/23/19

  Today was our last full day in Brooklyn.
  We took the subways to the DUMBO area. The weather was blustery and there weren't a lot of people around. We found an old restaurant for lunch where we had a nice meal, but felt a bit pressured by an overly persistent waiter.
   Then, we caught the subway and went the entire length of Manhattan, all the way to Inwood Park, because we had been invited to the home of Ciaran, Kate, Ella and Mable. By happenstance, as we tried to find out way walking to their apartment, we ran into a woman who knew the area and was walking the same way. Throughout conversation, we found that she actually knows Ciaran and family! Small world even in NYC!
    We had a wonderful chili, made by Ciaran, and cake made by the girls. We had a tour of their amazing apartment with wonderful views from the roof balcony. It was great conversation. They had all seen the Ferryman and knew some of the actors, not to mention the story as Ciaran grew up in the area where the Ferryman was set. We heard fascinating stories of Kate's work as a voice/dialect coach with actors on Broadway. She worked on all the major plays of the season with the exception of the Ferryman. The girls gave us a potholder that they made. They raise money for water projects in Africa. It was a memorable afternoon - great food/company/conversation.

Brooklyn, Day 3 3/21/19

  Today was a totally-Brooklyn day. We hopped on the subway and spent the entire day at the Brooklyn Museum. We "did" 2 floors and then took a break for lunch at Lincoln Station Cafe. (Mark raved about the cheeseburger and Barbara had a kale salad.) Then, we went back to the museum and "did" some more and took a coffee break, too.
  There is an impressive amount of women artists in the Museum, although that included a Feminist Art Exhibit. We lingered over Judy Chicago's permanent installation of a 'last supper' featuring 39 plates and table cloths devoted to women from myth and history. Every plate was done to represent each woman's vagina and personality. It was quite arresting.
   We were also taken by the large Della Robbia that was recently restored.
   We spoke with two women art restorers who were working on huge Assyrian tablets. The apprentice was taking off old plaster with a tiny dentist-type instrument. So painstaking.
   It is a great museum.
   Afterwards we got some more take out and came home to eat. We walked about 5 miles today - museums do require a lot more walking than one expects.

Brooklyn, Day 4 3/22/19

 Today we had another day devoted to art.
 We met our friend, Weldon, at 101 Spring Street, the home of the Judd Foundation in NY. It involved a tour of the 5-story cast-iron building that Judd bought in the 60s.
   Each floor had a purpose. The ground floor was for exhibiting work. The second floor was his studio. The third floor was a kitchen/dining room. The fourth floor was a living room and the 5th room was for bedrooms. When he and his wife moved to Marfa, Texas, most of their personal items went with them, but he did return to Spring Street periodically to stay. A working artist showed us around on the 90 minute tour. There were less than a dozen of us, so it was very personal.
  The works remained as they were installed by Judd. He identified the building on Spring street as a source of permanent installation, something he later sought on a grander scale in Marfa.
   It was great to be with Weldon because he's an artist and knew all about the art scene at Judd's time. Judd did not approve labels like "minimalist" or even "sculptor." He called his creations "objects" instead. It was very thought-provoking. He did not like furniture to touch walls, so everything stood apart from walls to make them stand separately. We were not allowed to take photos, which was too bad as it's hard to describe the space in words.
   We also wandered by 59 Crosby Street where Weldon rented a huge loft for several years and where we visited him several times.
   Then we went to a little restaurant (Gatsby's) in Soho where we were able to talk for hours and catch up with Weldon. Around 5, we went our separate ways. We picked up a "minimalist" meal for dinner. (cereal!)
   And, when we got "home" we went across the street to Sunset Park to catch the views of Manhattan and the sunset. It was very blustery and chilly, so we did not linger.

Brooklyn, Day 2, 3/20/19

   Today we walked to the 9th Street Station and each got 7-day unlimited ride subway passes. We took the D train into Manhattan. It was a lovely day. We got out at 42nd St by Bryant Park, went to a Whole Foods and got some take out to eat in the park in the sunshine.

   We then walked to 45th Street to the Bernard Jacobs Theatre where we saw Jez Butterworth's amazing play, The Ferryman. It is set during the Troubles during the time of the hunger strikes. It tells the story of a former IRA activist who abandoned it to become a farmer in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It has a large cast, mostly members of the Carney family. Quinn Carney, the activist-turned-farmer, has 7 children. The kids made for moments of comedy and were terrific. Quinn has fallen in love with the widow of his brother who has lived with the Carneys for 10 years with her 14-year old son. Seamus Carney's body, dead for 10 years, was recently discovered. He was executed by the IRA for "making mistakes." Three elders also live in the family - Aunt Pat who is a zealous supporter of the IRA, senile Aunt Maggie Far Away, who has her lucid moments and makes prophesies for the children in those moments and Uncle Pat, an earnest and peaceable man. Three male cousins from Derry visit for the Harvest which is being celebrated. One of them has recently joined the IRA and is full of rage. Quinn's wife, Mary, has taken to her bed for the past years, mostly to avoid seeing her husband fall in love with Caitlin Carney, Seamus's widow. The cast was rounded out by Muldoon, an IRA leader, two of his henchmen and the family priest who is being blackmailed by Muldoon. Whew - so complex, so full of wisdom, tragedy and pain. Family vs politics and which to put first. We were blown away by it. 

     And, surprisingly, we met the Artistic Director of Theatre Workshop coming out the same exit! What are the odds?
    Afterwards, we took the D train home, getting some take out on the way home.
    A wonderful day and a play we will talk about for years.

Set of The Ferryman

Nantucket to Brooklyn, 3/19/19 Day 1

   Mark left Nantucket with the Clarity on the 17th to spend St. Patrick's Day with Cal and Alice, Rob and Sandy. Barbara stayed on the island in order not to miss too many Chorus rehearsals.
    Mark picked Barbara up at the Hyline on the 19th and we drove directly to Brooklyn.
   We are staying in the Sunset Hill neighborhood thanks to a very generous friend. We are in a 4th floor walk-up that was one of the co-ops originally organized by New York Finns. The apartment is wonderful and filled with eclectic art collected over many years. It is on the edge of an almost-entirely Asian neighborhood.

   We were warned that parking is a real issue here, but, in typical Mark-has-the-force fashion, we snagged a spot that we can actually see from the apartment and we got there at exactly the right time. The weekly street cleaning had just been done, so we don't have to move the car until we leave at the end of the week.

    After unpacking, we followed our host's directions and walked down 8th Avenue where we stopped at a noodle place and had soup and brought home some dumplings for the evening. We also got some fruits at a local store. There are no large grocery stores in the neighborhood, but dozens of tiny groceries.