Hard work fun

Hiked to top of humpback rock near Waynesboro, va on blue ridge parkway. Last time I was here was 40+ years ago. Last time I remembered the view.  This time I'll remember the climb.

Escape from new England; clouds over land.

We drove in Rhode island, Connecticut, new York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania today. Heavy traffic most of the way. Crossed the Hudson River on the Tappan Zee bridge (new york city skyline in the distance) and the new York state thruway.  Shortly thereafter we picked up a piece of metal in the left rear tire. Got up a ramp to safety.  Very lucky. Changed the tire. Half hour later we were on our way - to open spaces visible from the highway. Mass tpk and NY thruway very intimate.

Below - last images of new England.  We missed the mills in Rhode island, but did stop for a stroll across the Boston commons, atop the subterranean parking garage there.

Boston commons 1630: "this looks like a good place for a wading pool."

Boston commons now.

Nyet doggie

the reversing falls in St John, NB are just downstream of the huge Moosehead brewery. Downtown is old, with green squares and fantastic brick and stone facades marching down the hill to the harbor.  Cargo ships lay at anchor on the horizon in the bay of fundy. They leapt to prominence in the slanting rays of evening sun.

Crossed into Maine, the USA, at Calais. Border guards looking for fruits and hard liquor. "What's the weather like in Oklahoma? Be sure to visit east bay."

Visited East Bay (the easternmost city in the country. And St Andrews (lighthouse pictured on distant spit below). We followed low tide along the coastal drive.

Spectacular suspension bridge over the Penobscot Narrows.  Wish I could tell you where.

Belfast, Me. Lobster on the wharf just like you always knew it could be.

We stopped in Portland for lunch today at a diner on the wharf. Found a very old Unitarian Church and relaxed in their gardens.

Next stop shb to take cross sound ferry to orient point, long island and stay on south shore, but we couldn't find lodging that didn't say nyet doggie. So it's the I-95 corridor for us. Boston tomorrow.

PEI - shingles to spuds

Wood shingles meet asphalt on the streets of Charlottetown.  Most siding shingles are painted, and it is easy to imagine Vincent van Gogh staying under one of these roofs. 

The shingle at Argyle beach just after low tide.

With a nod to David Hockney, the north coast view on the east part of the island scenic drive.

Sailboat, dead man's pool, Charlottetown, PEI

We walked out on this beach at low tide. Later, walking in town, I discovered that my sandal straps had turned to sandpaper. Ouch.

Very steep metal steps down to the beach. Nice facilities in the provincial park (shown here) which was set off from the neighbors by white posts and cable.

Coming home from the beach we were happy to see the local Lions club selling fresh cooked lobsters at roadside. Add some fresh green beans and voila. Dinner.

Bam Burger gets our vote for best in town.  The restaurant was filled with bags of new pei spuds waiting to be french fried.

Beaches PEI

First stop - Tea Hill beach on the south shore. Tide was out. Way out. Very nice but no toilets. Fetched the dog out on the flats.

If you are ever in the mood to build a villa on the hill overlooking fields and the deep blue . . .

Next stop, Singing Sands. The sand squeaks, the surf pounds, and there are beach bums everywhere. (Nice ones) You can jump off the bridge between the piers and let the swells carry you into the lagoon. Never seen anything like this.good beach showers.

Then, back to the north shore. See the crowds? Campground here. No lifeguard. (Take your dog on the beach)

Pink lemonade PEI

Our neighbor; up the block from our vrbo in Charlottetown.  The special tuesday was pink lemonade for 25 cents. No charge for bubbles.

Victoria park is a few blocks away.  There is a boardwalk next to the sea. Beauty lies in all directions. Though the heat may be setting records, no one will complain about the summer because winter lasted till June.

We came a long way to find a prettier place than charlevoix, MI.

New Brunswick has no ball of twine . . .

At 1282 feet, the world's longest covered bridge is located in hartland, NB, over the St Johns river. Its just 20 miles or so down river  from the french fry capital of the world (looks like fields of green plants with white blossoms surrounding a trucking concern) and an hour upstream from grand falls, NB.

This bridge was just upstream from the covered bridge. I found it to be the more attractive.

One small peek at the grand falls. There is a zip line across these falls, which in spring carry 90% of Niagara's volume.

And lastly, at Baie Verte, the pottery and art of Ghita Levan. We are bringing some home with us.

little high points - edmundston, nb

260 years ago the Brits kicked some folks out of new Brunswick, sending them to Quebec, Maine, France and Louisiana. Today, Aug 15, is the acadian observance here in NB. We celebrated last evening at Frank's pub in edmundston where the music was excellent, with a very talented lead singer practicing her craft, covering janis joplin to adelle, and the nachos, though mild, were fresh and good.

There were power plants on each side of the river. One in Maine and this one in NB.

There are a series of Notre Dames in towns along the trans Alaska highway. This one overlooks port road, eglise and Canada roads in edmundston.

Detail of wood sculpture at the hotel de ville, edmundston.

Quebec city

Shops and shoppers in ile de ville - old town. Quebec. Lots of galleries eager to see Americans with the strong dollar in their pockets. All of the shop keepers in quebec city speak English this trip and the prices really are reasonable compared with our last trip.

This is the feeling up on the plains of Abraham. A beautiful park setting with the musee de beaux arts. We were disappointed that the Inuit display we had seen there before is not a part of the permanent collection. We visited two such galleries in an attempt to find a purveyor who we have concluded is located in Montreal. we should see good work in Charlottetown.

We rested in this park with the river and old town at our feet and government buildings at our back. We found a pub with an open window for an early dinner. As many such places, there are two halves. One with video gambling and one with tourists eating mediocre food. 

We saw montmorency falls before leaving Quebec city. They drop about 90 feet farther than Niagara, and are the most popular tourist destination in Quebec province.  There is only one river crossing at quebec, so we had to go all the way back west around the city.

Seneca has no falls

Seneca falls, NY. Birthplace of women's equality movement. Emotionally powerful national monument with free admission.

Buildings for sale on fall street. Parking is available. Buildings with lovely facades. Canal runs right through town.  Ate a burger at the sequestered pub.

Not the hotel.

Not Seneca falls. Tehannik (sp) falls down hear Ithaca. Beautiful. We had finished our wine tour and had yet to encounter Ithaca traffic.

Niagara has the falls, but Buffalo has the wings

Niagara falls. Get married, see the falls. Mid century romance. Canada got best view of the falls, best micro climate for gardens, best Terra forming even if due to historical accident. All the crowds and the off site parking make it hard to marvel with untrammeled toes. Wouldn't do the mist voyage unless it was 103F.  Would consider a zip line across the face of the upper falls. Come on Donald!

American side under construction. All else (streets) looks like business as usual.

Bring the rain

Watch the toes.

Anyone up for a group dousing?

As it happens, we are in buffalo, NY this evening. (Technically Amherst, but they seem not to brag about themselves. Also, as it happens, when in buffalo, Duff's is the place for wings.

In case you are wondering, I had to cut my gut from the pic.  Too many micro brews.

the road, Sudbury to toronto

lots to recommend the McMichael collection in kleinburg, Ontario. Canadian group of 7 painters,  modern voice of first Nation, Baffin island, nice parklike setting and a small kennel. Toronto Friday pm traffic started about 50 miles out, erasing the temporary glow we had from our lunch stop at charming Parry bay, which at one time had longest trestle bridge east of rockies.  Lill's diner served them up seriatim, testing our traveling patience in the best way when the food came out hot and fresh and cooked just right.

PM pancakes and sweet cherries

 Main street, charlevoix mi. Full of charm. Drawbridge goes up on the hr and half hour for pleasure craft leaving the harbor. Did I say lots of charm? A middle class haven.

Edge of town, charlevoix.

Sault Ste Marie bridge between two cities of the same name. Staying here tonight because we lacked the trust to book a room in charlevoix.

We took a brief sojourn to harbor springs- a place seemingly frozen in time in its proximity to the ultra rich.

Stationary object

I've become a stationary object to kids of a certain age, but their parents are not yet aghast at the possible consequences of a collision. That will come with age. Right now this object is at the peak brew pub in traverse city, about to try the siren Amber ale and waiting for some great lakes caught battered, fried walleye.
Today we saw what parts of sleeping bear dunes nat'l seashore that were still open following a Sunday tornado off the lake. Lots of trees down and no electricity in many places. Leland was untouched, and very busy. For okies, the temps in low 70's was ideal.

Osage county

Osage County
Oil on board
16" h x 20" w

Judged by contemporary standards, I have a long history in Osage County.  As a young attorney fresh out of law school, I rode in the back of a Cadillac automobile, leaving tulsa early in the morning on a friday, accompanying the ranch foreman and the trustee (my boss)of the Chapman Barnard McFarland interests into the Osage; bouncing over the open range to settle surface damages for well sites, watching cattle inoculated and branded in the open pens and chutes, and eating beans and cornbread with the cowboys in the bunkhouse at the ranch headquarters.  In those times there were no road signs identifying the county roads.  There were no buffalo.  Up near the creek large, impressive red stones lay on top of the ground.  Here, my recollection.