Month: May 2012

Thursday, 31 May 2012 DAY 40 MOON 2 WAXING 71%
Went rollerblading with Viena. Walked along the Ogunquit Beach. Went boogie boarding in the North Atlantic Ocean, clear and cold. $15 to park on the beach or $5 to park if you want to walk 200 meters. The beach is sandy and very wide at low tide and not wide at all at high-tide. We were there as the tide was going out. Lots of beach. Ezra and Viena were able to play in a little salty pool that was the remains of the tide that heated up wit the Sun. We played tag on the wide beach. The wind and clouds threatened but stayed away for the most part. Houses on the Spit like Galveston or Surfside. We made a fire and ate lots of smores to celebrate Dad-Dad’s birthday.

Wednesday, 30 May 2012 DAY 39 MOON 2 WAXING 64%
Today Viena crashed on her bike. You can only prevent so many things. We are in Maine at Moody Beach 1000 Trails. The rains ceased up later in the day. We had a fire and cooked hot dogs and smores. Went on a stroller ride with both strollers. Ezra fell asleep on round one. Viena fell asleep on Round Two. Bike to the little playground and played tag. Another boy who used a rolling walker joined us with his elder black caregiver who reminded me of my own Dad-Dad who passed some 20 years ago. Wow, it has been that long. Ezra played well with the boy named Jacob – watch out shovel.

Tuesday, 29 May 2012 DAY 38 MOON 2 WAXING 57%
Drove to Kittery, to the trading post to buy camping supplies like a big camping stove. I also bought some jackets to to keep me warm and dry for our days and nights in Canada. The freeway noise from HWY 95 can be heard all the way to our campsite day and night. We did not notice the 1st couple of days, but once the rains stopped, the sound increased. Home Sweet Home! We are going to sleep well with our double-wide sleeping mat floor and double -wide sleeping bag. We unpacked during a non-rainy time. Now we can see our stuff again. Use it or lose it.

Monday, 28 May 2012 DAY 37 MOON 2 WAXING 51%
Woke up in a barn in Connecticut. Ezra and Sam are still asleep. We went to the Pomfret Memorial Day Parade. Small, very small, but exciting. Said our Goodbye’s to the Buttner Family. Natalie had her lemonade stand set up , so we left Pomfret with lemonade in our bellies. Great visit with the Buttners. Drove through Boston and visited MIT campus. Impressive. Watched sand volleyball being played on the campus. Viena swang in the Red swing. While driving, I missed the turn to leave Boston which took us another hour to leave. I had to wake up in the middle of the night to attach the rainfly. So much for staring up into the sky. Our campsite is in the wooded trees. Unpacking tomorrow. Camping at 1000 Trails Moody Beach Campground in Maine.

Sunday, 27 May 2012 DAY 36 MOON 2 WAXING 44%
Went to church. Natalie asked the question “If babies have no sins, why do they need to be baptised?” and “Can you transfer Baptisms?” Slept in the barn.

Saturday, 26 May 2012 DAY 35 MOON 2 WAXING 37%
Viena was struck in the head with a big wooden swing. We went hiking to Murray’s parents house. The hike was along the airline Trail. We had to watch for ticks and poison ivy. We saw some frogs. Went along the audubon trail. The pool was a needed relief on this hot day. We made a fire and prepared some smores. Murray and I moved the fire rings. Prepared the barn for sleeping. Flew the helicopter in the barn.

Friday, 25 May 2012 DAY 34 MOON 2 WAXING 30%
We played with Sam the whole day. The house is very old and very big and located next to a private boarding school, where children are sent from all over, everywhere, even Asia. All the students looked especially happy on campus. Ezra rode his bike and Sam “rode” his bike to campus. Very beautiful We had a picnic in the middle of campus with school still in session. Played on the pirate ship and the big swing. A guy was mowing the yard. I gave the kids rake to help rake up the yard.

Thursday, 24 May 2012 DAY 33 MOON 2 WAXING 23%
Arrived at Murray’s. He was right. Their house is in the middle of a kitchen remodel.

I will try. I will try, but Ezra is running around this morning attacking everything. “Ezra stop Yelling!”. “Ta Da”. “Ta Da!” Ezra keeps beckoning like a magician who has just pulled a bunny out of a hat … I said, Just pulled a BUNNY out of his hat. “I’m hungry!”, Ezra mentions, no more than 10 minutes after we left McDonalds. No worries, Dwana packed the oatmeal to go. So off we go with the day. We have been travelling now for almost one month. This seemed like a good time to start a journal since yesterday we had a sighting of some sort of critter in our van. We did not catch the critter, and Dwana and I only shared a brief glance. She thought it was a cricket turned wasp. I thought it was a daddy long-legs spider, but thicker and bigger. The critter, insect, alien, stowaway showed up as we crossed into Connecticut and was last seen inches from Ezra’s head and then disappeared into Ezra’s carseat. Viena has been singing alot. She loves her new haircut, and her Hello Kitty doll she saved from New York City. Liberos gigantium humeris insidentes.

Wednesday, 23 May 2012 DAY 32 MOON 2 WAXING 17%
We drove past New York City remember this picture. Arrived in Connecticut. Stayed at a hotel in Danbury Connecticut.

Tuesday, 22 May 2012 DAY 31 MOON 2 WAXING 10%
Washington DC during the day and then drove through the night after Viena and Ezra fell asleep.

Monday, 21 May 2012 DAY 30 MOON 2 NEW 0%
Mega Bus into New York City.

Like I said. We had the city to ourselves. The rain had scared all the freaks away. We became the freaks. Times Square was amazing. Where are all the people? Big gust of winds would come flying through the streets in between the sky scapers, blowing through the squares marked by time – a marking we will remember.

ZERO VISIBILITY. HERO THISABILITY. Dwana and I felt like SuperHeroes after pulling off the caper of running with two small children through the city.

We had a wonderful day walking around in the rain. The good news … rain frightens most people, so we had the city to ourselves. We just had to be careful not to be poke in the eye from opened umbrellas walking along the street. New Yorkers were jealous of Ezra and Viena’s raingear.

Sunday, 20 May 2012 DAY 29 MOON 1 WANING 4%
Washington DC.

Saturday, 19 May 2012 DAY 28 MOON 1 WANING 10%
Washington DC. Visiting Marcus. Bike Ride around the Capitol.
Happy Birthday Brother Cayce

We had the misfortune of travelling in Washington DC during brother Cayce’s … um um 35th birthday. Wish we could have been there with you.  Here was my salute to you brother Cayce.

Friday, 18 May 2012 DAY 27 MOON 1 WANING 17%
Lake Gaston North Carolina

Thursday, 17 May 2012 DAY 26 MOON 1 WANING 24%
Great Smoky Mountains. Slept near Asheville, North Carolina.

Wednesday, 16 May 2012 DAY 25 MOON 1 WANING 31%
Mississippi. Alabama. Slept at 1000 Trails in South Carolina.

Tuesday, 15 May 2012 DAY 24 MOON 1 WANING 37%
Departed at sunset. Drove through the night. East Texas. Louisiana. Mississippi

Monday, 14 May 2012 DAY 23 MOON 1 WANING 44%
Spent the night in West Columbia.

Sunday, 13 May 2012 DAY 22 MOON 1 WANING 51%
Spent the night in West Columbia.

Saturday, 12 May 2012 DAY 21 MOON 1 WANING 58%
Spent the night in West Columbia.

Friday, 11 May 2012 DAY 20 MOON 1 WANING 65%
Spent the night at Jerry and Dylan’s in Houston.

Thursday, 10 May 2012 DAY 19 MOON 1 WANING 71%
Spent the night at Jerry and Dylan’s in Houston.

Wednesday, MOON 1 WANING 78%
Spent the night in West Columbia.

Tuesday, 8 May 2012 DAY 17 MOON 1 WANING 85%
Spent the night in West Columbia.

Sunday, 6 May 2012 DAY 15 MOON 1 FULL 100%
Spent the night at Jerry and Dylan’s in Houston

Saturday, 5 May 2012 DAY 14 MOON 1 WAXING 95%
Spent the night at Jerry and Dylan’s in Houston

Friday, 4 May 2012 DAY 13 MOON 1 WAXING 88%.
Eat and leave. Visited one more Charolais Cow Ranch owned by the McCoys outside of Cleburne. Oh, the memories of Cleburne. The memories of where I am. The realities of life and where life places you. The image of who you are and who you are to become. The memories of goodbye farewells. Dreams. The tickets. Cleburne and the final stand of where I was and the muteness of my Dad, who knows, who remembers, but remains mute and stoic waiting for life to go on. Even now. The bus is on the way home and my fate is my own will, waiting for me to decide as clear and uncluttered as free showers at evening while driving along the highway.

Thursday, 3 May 2012 DAY 12 MOON 1 WAXING 81%
The sun rises brightly and without defense in the faraway East. I went on a run after the day at the museum and went to see Cousin Traci. Dad-Dad surprised me by showing me the original painting of Mason Locke Weems Parson and the Cherry Tree at the Fort Worth Museum. So many ideas. So little time it seems. But what if we had a 36 hour day. Called and emailed college friends Nick and Nicole. I just noticed the similarity of names. And where would be my old college roommate David. And why am I so blessed. Eating at the Cracker Barrel.

Wednesday, 2 May 2012 DAY 11 MOON 1 WAXING 74%
I woke up in College Station. Another day of beef. Flags at half mast. We traveled the facilities of Texas A & M. Observed the experiments of cows dealing with nutrition and conception. A talk about the drought and the number of cattle. I was hazed with having to wear a pacifier around my neck since this was my first year of the tour. I can only imagine the hazing that occurred 30 years ago. I had to give a speech and used the words Bud-Wisecus merged with Miller Litecus and what do you receive. “Look in the mirror” Most of the Cattlemen responded. We drove to Dallas. Stayed up way to late, but I was able to grab a 2 hour run to Lake Worth. What an interesting run. The lake was low and had no real views. Only a few lake houses and the road appeared to be used by people who wanted to off load furniture and other trashy household items.

Tuesday, 1 May 2012 DAY 10 MOON 1 WAXING 68%
Escaped on the Cattleman’s Tour with Dad-Dad. Early in the morning we left with ham and cheese Kolaches from the Brazoria County Fairgrounds. We drove and visited 3 ranches today. Quite a sight! Such a learning area. Amazing and historical. Hard to believe that so much efforts goes into putting meat on the table. I need to write about it and then some – the goats, the girls, the hay The legacy on Manso. The land. The stories of the people that worked the land, The roads. The back roads. The beauty of the pasture. The grass lands. The drought. The pastures of what work needs to be and why you can. The trees – lonely. A river bend.