Weekend with the Bros……

The ferry from Orient Point, LI to New London, CT

Not having seen my brothers for almost two years I drove up to MA (in the new wheels), music blaring. I stayed at Brian and Pat’s - sleeping behind the drum set in their somewhat cramped apartment. It was great to see them. We drove up to southern ME one day and roamed around lots of coastal backroads, listening to the Grateful Dead all day. A good time was had by all. 

Big Ray Arrives…..

The month of July whizzed by and another lifestyle change - from single to married. Ray arrived on the evening of July 28. It was a tough 4 hours of traffic accidents, blinding rainstorm and flash floods, and the outer edge of rush hour thru NYC to get to the airport. I settled in at the cell phone lot (which I’ve observed are always in difficult to find locations). Got the call from Ray that he was readily for pick up and joined the barely crawling traffic headed for the terminal.  An hour and a half later I finally found him among the crowds, and we happily headed for home. 

On the Boat Again….

Ray has jumped right back into the boating scene himself. He is resurrecting his beloved Hobie 28 catamaran - cleaning and repairing it while waiting for a new mainsail. Meanwhile, he had 3 offers to crew in a local sailboat race. A nice ego boost to feel wanted. 

Finally, ready to launch!

Actually, the “resurrection” involved much more than usual, along with my assistance. Vowing to not “get involved,” I ended up working alongside ray to sand down both hulls, apply two layers of resin and fiberglass cloth, then more sanding to smooth everything out. It was a hot, messy, sweaty job, but when compete - very durable and quite good looking.

Wait!…. Dental Emergency….

A week after he arrived from CR, Ray had to return briefly due to a “dental emergency.” In mid June he had implants installed in his upper jaw. This entailed drilling metal screws into the jaw and waiting about 8+ months for the gum to fully heal around them before permanent “teeth” are installed. Unfortunately, the temporary teeth the dentist put in fell apart and left him with big gaps in his upper jaw, and a noticeable speech impediment. 

We decided it was more economical to return to CR for repairs rather than find a dentist here to take on the necessary work, with correspondingly expensive bills. So, Ray left on an early morning flight to San Jose, where the dentist’s office provided transportation and accomodations (for a fee) and did the necessary repairs. He is spent a full one and a half day in SJ before flying back to the States. 

Much better....

 On the Boat Again…

Peregrine sails again....

As soon as Robin left, the sailboat finally launched, which involved several days of cleaning, putting on sails and rigging. First, we had to purge a colony of ants that had taken up residence in the bilge. Although we managed to eliminate the main nest, the rest of the summer included our little hitchhikers accompanying us on every sail. Hardy little f**ckers! Amazing that every  spring we do this Kathy and I forget how it’s all done - despite documenting with notes and photos that we inevitably can’t find! After all that anticipation and hard work, getting out on the water, putting up the sails and enjoying the sounds and motion of the sea makes it all worthwhile. We call ourselves the "Senior Sabre Sisters," for good reason. (Sabre being the type of sailboat)

KB catches the sunset

Sociability……

It’s very easy for me to get caught up in a social whirlwind here. Just living in the campground I continually run into friends/neighbors and easily spend hours chatting, along with the random get togethers for communal picnic dinners and campfires. I feel an urgency to be in touch with my NY friends that I only see during my few months here. It’s already well into August now and I still haven’t even connected with a few important (to me) friends. I view my time in the US as very important. I love living in CR, but my friends and family connection here are equally as important.   

I have deliberately been taking out a few days for myself to lay back and just hang out, reading, napping, caching up on bills, phone calls, cooking and  generally doing as little as possible. I find that changing lifestyles from CR to the US takes a lot of energy, and I get into a hyper energy state, that eventually results in burnout and stress. So kicking back every now and then is well worth it. 

Maintaining the "Fleet".....

Aside from Peregrene, that I share with KB, Ray has a Hobie 18 catamaran, we also have a couple of paddle boards and several kayaks. The bottom of the Hobie was starting to wear through to the fiberglass from years of running up on the sand and rocks, so we undertook a few days of fiberglass repair. Unfortunately, we chose the hottest days of the summer, so it was a constant race to finish up the laminate before the resin set. Between getting a new sail and its new bottom, the old Hobie is ready to fly again.

Might as well repair the rudders, too

And the ding in  the paddle board

Brand new sail! and a happy camper!

Time to unwind

 Catching up on Americana…

Returning to the States is always a culinary (sometimes unhealthy) delight. Half and half in coffee, chewy toasted, buttered bagels, sweet corn on the cob, spicy pulled pork BBQ, and the occasional Burger King whopper with cheese fulfill my gastronomical desires.

Welcome to New York

Mouse Turds and Memories…….

Besides the food, the real treat is to connect with old friends and life on eastern LI. This season began with opening up the RV, which had been dormant for almost two years. No serious problems, very few mouse turds, and lots of memories as I sorted though clothes, housewares and miscellaneous stuff left over from my last stay in 2019. As always, I found a bag full of unnecessary clothing and “stuff” for donation to Goodwill. 

Finally! threw out make up and Tampax
-haven't needed in 20+ years!

Hostess with Mostess….

Almost immediately, I hosted a good friend from FL for a whirlwind week of sightseeing and visiting friends. As well as dragging her to meet friends, we toured the local region, and even threw in a couple of days in NYC. It was a lot of fun, and made me realize 1) what great friends I have, 2) what a beautiful area eastern LI is and 3) even NYC can be pretty wonderful. 

Scenes along the Highline Walk

The Highline is a raised, garden style 
walkway along west lower Manhattan

Newly created Little Island

The Freedom Tower - replacing the World Trade Center

New Wheels!!!!

North Carolina……..

On the BlueRidge Parkway - a favorite place

I arrived in NC mid June for a few weeks with my Dad, and sister and her family. Always my portal into and out the US, Terry and Ron put up with me while I make the adjustment from CR to US living.  I try to jam in as much Dad time as possible visiting him at his new assisted living quarters, and taking some pleasant wheelchair walks and drives through the countryside.

Find a Phone…Oh, it’s at the Dump!

My visit included spending a frustrating weekend setting up a new telephone to replace the one Dad lost. 

Using the “find my phone” app we tracked down Dad’s missing phone to the local transfer station, destined for an undisclosed landfill. This resulted in a long, tedious visit to the Verizon store to pick out and set up the new smart phone. Of course, forgotten passwords, and numerous attempts to either retrieve old ones or establish new ones turned the new phone installation into a full weekend process - as well the need to drink wine after completion of the process. It took two sisters and a 93 year old forgetful mind to battle through. 

Waste Management rings.....

Lots of walks with Dad

The "church" is coming along nicely

Always Car Issues….

The NC visit, was not complete without several old vehicle issues - the story of my life. The painful communal decision to sell my Dad’s car, since he’s not able to drive anymore, arrived. I spent a couple of days carefully detailing his sporty, but very dirty, 2007 VW Eos in preparation to sell. Unfortunately, we found no serious buyers, even after reducing the price, so it will be the temporary back up car for my nephew, for now. Meanwhile, my own elderly 2003 Excursion had developed tire cupping, resulting in a loud, scary, blub, blub sound while driving. Two tires and an alignment later ($$$$) the problem was resolved which gave me much peace of mind for my 800+ mile drive to NY the next week. 

New Wheels!!

PS: In  a bit of an impulse buy, July I traded in my 2007 Honda CRV for a three year old, low mileage  CRV. By far the newest vehicle in my “fleet,” it is a pleasure to not worry about breaking down. Also with satellite radio and lots of modern conveniences I’m quite pleased. All it takes is money!

Living in a Fifth Wheel RV Summers in a Small Campground on Eastern LI 

From this.....

I “graduated” (retired) from Third Grade after teaching for 32 years. Realizing that my entire pension would be spent maintaining my home and paying taxes (10K+) I sold the house I owned for 23 years, and took over my father’s fifth wheel camper. Dad, Ray and I drove it up from Virginia, where Dad and his wife, Gail had spent many summers. As you might imagine, it was a hairy trip through NYC. As of 2011, this has been our summer home on eastern Long Island. Very convenient, because I have a much smaller RV in FL used in January and February in Florida. The rest of the time I’m home in Pavones. It can’t get much better than that!

To this.....

Casa Nueve York

Looking out the back window

Kitchen on the left

Dining area

Living room

Gotta have toys.....

 North Fork Living….

Usually when I’m back on LI I spend some time walking and driving around just enjoying the scenery and taking photos. Long Island is 120 miles long, but only about 12-15 miles across. It splits into two “forks” about 65 miles east of the City. The South Fork hosts the “Hamptons - a series of small villages that have become home to very many wealthy folks, including many celebrities. Many local people whose roots in farming and fishing have been outpriced as property has become prohibitively expensive.  

Unfortunately, where we live on the North Fork, is following that trajectory. Traditional, family owned potato and vegetable farmsteads have been replaced by vineyards, chic organic farms, horse farms and high end housing. But, it is still very beautiful. 

Cart at a local farm stand

Local B&B

Masses still given in Polish

The Atlantic on a cool breezy day

Same breezy day on LI Sound

Our LI Sound north shore is studded with large glacial boulders, high cliffs and rocky beaches. In between the two forks is a large shallow bay with sandy beaches, interspersed with many saltwater creeks. The south shore beaches face the Atlantic Ocean, again with beautiful, vast (but often crowded) sandy beaches, and more shallow bays and creeks. So, I’m including a few local photos here. 

Lots of mellow tidal creeks - great kayaking

Lifeguard stand on Atlantic Beach

LI Sound beach

September grapes ready to harvest

And yes, the winters do get cold, but I'm never there anymore!