& Then I Bought an RV!

Cooking 250 lobsters for folks is a big deal....but one comfortable to Biddeford-Saco Lodge in Maine where it is normal and annual. Duchess and I spent 5 days near here, and became enamored of the Lodge and its people. We met PGER (Past Grand Exalted Ruler for the non-Elks) Amos McCallum....what a neat guy!
We joined in cooking 250 lobsters for 125 people....yeppers, they ate 2 each....including Duchess. I had a steak.
This is what 250 lobsters look like when placed on bags of veggies.....The bags contain: an ear of corn, some "Steamers" (mussels in their shells), an onion, a hot dog, and potato... The lobsters are covered by more seaweed and then the fire lit and they "bake".....The entire meal was delicious. Everything came out just right!

They can buy lobster (1.25 lb. here for about $5 each.....

Duke

A multi-million dollar mansion located in Somes Sound, Mount Desert Island, ME. We saw this from our tour boat.
The bay outside Somes Sound was hosting a sailboat race of some length.Lovely day, lovely sights. Loved Cranberry Island and its museum.
This is a shot of Northeast Harbor where we boarded the scenic boat. The craft in front is a Nordic Tug (brand, not occupation...actually a trawler live-aboard type.) Out further, in background, were some 100ft + yachts.

While hundreds of these islands were populated in the 1800s, now only 14 host year-round residents. The trades have gone away....salted fish (they had no refrigeration), ice-cutting, etc.

Duke

New Hampshire....White Mountains....Turning the motorhome around in a parking lot when what to my surprise should I find but this pair of oldies. The Crosley is easy (yellow!). I had a distant relative who once roamed the U. S. for most of a year in one, sleeping in the back. The 3-wheeler, I cannot recall....Anyone???

Duke

The 5 hour trip to Crawford Notch and back was great. We climbed about 1500 feet, often on the side of a mountain. Here is the view of the notch from our dome car as we sat in Crawford Station.
A picture, on the way down, of Frankenstein trestle. The place, and a nearby mountain were named after a local resident of the time 150 years ago.
In the yard by N. Conway station was this assortment of engines and cars...including a snow plow, old engines, a steamer, and old wooden passenger cars. For those not train buffs, the circular pit with a track across is called a roundhouse, and it was used for turning trains to back them off in a new direction. They are very rare today.
Having grown up with a local rail connection behind my house, I am familiar with little steamers....This was a nice trip and a beautiful way to spend a day in the mountains.

Duke

Conway Scenic Railroad....5 Hour trip to Crawford Notch and back...We ate in the dining car...great meal....Here is a mural from the ceiling of the 70 year old car.
We rode most of the trip in the dome car with a marvelous view.
Duke and Duchess at lunch!

A bit costly, but really fun and a trip back in time with a guide who told stories of the mountains, the people and the events of this line. Lovely day!

More pics of the cemetery....Just enlarge them to see details. Some are quite hard to read.
This one is labeled: "?.P.DeLand"....he may have been the 1st "Paul"...
The age of the cemetery is easily noted when one looks at the small, mostly faceless stones left by folks to honor long-forgotten family members. Such a shame that even stone is lost to us in 100 or so years.
I know at least one other family member, Rob DeLand, has also visited this cemetery.

I actually stumbled upon it after talking to a priest and a minister in the area who had no clue where it might be. I was leaving, discouraged...and returning to the main road when I noticed the small cemetery alongside the road. There my bride spotted the 1st DeLand tombstone, and then with help of grandson Scott we located a number more and the obelisk shown in another post below!

Duke

My family lived here in West Rutland for decades. This is the section of the cemetery where a number are buried. The cemetery is just off Rt. 4, about 4 miles West of Rutland, VT. The two stones together (Dark one on left is Rufus...light one on right is Lucy, Rufus' 1st wife) are Rufus and Lucy (Alvord?) DeLand. He was my great, great, great grandfather. He lived to age 90.
A side of the obelisk which has the name DeLand on it. This is for a daughter who died.
The obelisk. The thing celebrates Joseph A. DeLand, apparently a son of Rufus...
In all stupidity, I left my records at home which march me thru the family history. I'll flesh this all out later.

The amazing thing is to go to this little cemetery....just off a main road where it is quiet and many are resting eternally. There, in stone, is a part of my family and my history from many years ago.

It somehow is comforting to see the reality of your family history. Reaching back to my roots made me feel quite good.

Duke

Smugglers Notch....this road labeled by sign as "Not for RVs, and NO SEMIs" means just that. At the top it is steep, winding, and less than 15 feet wide with switchbacks all over!
Then, just a few miles further on....after a LOVELY lunch at "The Shed", a microbrewery, we encountered the original Ben and Jerrys factory and stopped to enjoy some really rich butter-fat ice cream. $21 for three cones.....

Such is the life and price of the tourist!

Duke

Ferry from NY side to VT (Plattsburg-Champlain Islands. Across Lake Champlain. LOVELY. This is sister ship we met during 11 minute crossing. We did round trip.
Then we looked uplake toward Canada, and there were at least 100 sailboats of mostly larger sizes on the lake....magnificent sight!

This is lovely country, and I believe we could live here in the Summer....but a bit remote. Few food places, and few shopping places.

Duke

In New York...Lake Owasko....One of the Eastern Finger Lakes of New York. Our Friends Bud and Mary Jane have a Summer home which is fantastic. We visited. & We went for a ride on their "Cobra" bow-rider boat. Here is friend Bud...Capt. of our venture.
Here is Mary Jane, his lovey wife and hostess who kept us entertained for our entire visit.
Here is grandson Scott on a tube...following our boat. He rode it for a long time, obviously wearing out his physical self. Then he came aboard and Bud got to do the thing all we adventurous folk do...he "opened it up" and we sped across the lake at 50 mph!!!!
Life is good, ours particularly!

Thanks Bud and Mary Jane for a marvelous overnight!

Duke

Bud and Mary Jane we met in Grand Cayman last year.... We on our 15th anniversary...they just enjoying time off. Now we went to visit their Summer home on a fingerlake in New York....This is their deck and screen room.
This is the view of their marvelous home from above in the parking area.
The home viewed from the lake where we went for a ride (pics to follow)...
Loved our time and our wonderful friends!

Duke