Memorial Weekend

In honor of Memorial Day and all that I love about Grampa and my connection to him, and his connection to my Great Grandfather and the Ellis River Valley, I offered to take him to see one of his sisters - either the one in Portland or the one in Boothbay.  He chose the one in Boothbay, Verna, who will turn 98 in Sptember.  It was a beautiful drive there, and he told me stories of the old days - back when it was a whole day's trip to get to Boothbay and that from Hallowell on or so it was all dirt roads.  He taught me the "short cut" around Augusta, so we traveled right down the Kennebec (seeing how I was up in the Gorge of the Kennebec last weekend when I took my Outing Club whitewater rafting, it was a nice full circle to be down where the Kennebec meets the sea or so).  He took me out to lunch where we sat in Adirondack chairs outside and ate take-out lobster and clam rolls so Abram could crawl all over the deck and get some energy out - and then we went down to East Boothbay to Verna's son's boatyard to see if we could find him.  Unfortuantely, he was not around, but we checked everything out, gave the little man a bottle and then headed back to Peru.  It was a special day, one I will not soon forget.  

They were so happy to see one another.  Grampa brought her a couple of magazines and two old pictures of them when they were little, when they took a team of oxen for some walk in the woods.  He asked Verna if she knew who that was, and she said no, and then he explained it was her, her sister, their brother Harmon and him - and she answered, "Oh I am sure we were right in the middle of it."  When Grampa told her who I was (in relation to Adam Patrick, my great grandfather) and asked her if she went to school with Walter (my grandfather) she answered, "No, I went to school with Dolphinium" (she had the name right, but I don't - it is a Lithuanian name, and she always went by Dolly - she was my Great Aunt Dolly).  98 years old and with two sentences about Adam and Walter Patrick and she remembers which one she went to school with. Sharp as a tack and sweet as can be.  She absolutely LOVED Abram and was just so pleased for the company.  It was an awesome day.

Abram was his typical charming self - he smiled and waved and was such a good little guy.  Great Aunt Verna's walker was the true highlight though - should have seen him ramming that all over the place and grabbing onto the wires.  Verna asked if Abram would sit on the little seat on her walker while she was using it to walk behind as she walked us to the elevator - although now I wish I had tried it, I told her I wasn't sure he wouldn't fall.  Wouldn't that have been a picture - Abram sitting on the seat as she pushed him and herself down the hall.  She honestly is still living and loving life. 

Another thing she said that I loved was when Marlin said something about how well they were doing - you know, for their age, etc - and she said, "I think it was our rugged upbringing.  There wasn't much on that farm we didn't do."  And that she speaks of the farm I have coveted and admired my whole life makes it all the sweeter.  Like Jim said when we were first getting together, "This union has been in the making for 80 or more years."  I do believe I was meant to know these people, and I love knowing them.

When we got back from Boothbay, I hit the woods with the dogs and Abram.  It was PICTURE perfect - cool, breezy, clear and dry - friggin awesome so be so green and no bugs!  The dogs were on fire.

On Sunday morning, Abram, the dogs and I hiked Speckled in Peru - it was beautiful.  It is so nice to be able to let Abram out of the pack up there and see him explore around him.  Winter is the bomb, but Summer is simple.  Bug dope and sunscreen and we are good to go.

Speckled Summit

A shot from the after-Boothbay walk - this sweater was knit by my godmother for Abram - and it matches his eyes to perfectly.  Can't say more about how awesome the weather was for this walk : )

Top of Speckled - Camelbak refuel.

Friday's walk after school - to celebrate the weekend.  I have put together a nice little loop of mostly snowmobile/ATV trails and a little Concord Pond Road - about a 70 minute loop with some good climbs.  That's Sugarloaf of Dixfield in the distance (to the right of the little clearing).  Can't complain.

Kids on the AT this weekend for service learning and trail work - must be Spring or something - gotta feed the black flies : )