I was back in Yarmouth, Maine. I'd somehow ended up there, at of all places, the Rowe School, Yarmouth's school for kindergarten and first graders. I was outside at recess with the kid's and the staff. When, from way over across the driveway and the baseball field, a thick cloud of pure white something, came rolling toward the school. It was only about ten feet high. With what looked like the consistency and opacity of shaving cream, it crept over cars, through the jungle gyms of the playground.
The staff and I rushed the children into the school and we watched as the cloud stopped just short of the doorway. It's volume decreased as a few minutes went by, and residue covered everything. Cautiously, we stepped outside to figure out what was going on.
For some strange reason I asked if anyone had tasted it. And, surprisingly a few people had. One person said it tasted pretty good. So, I dipped a finger into the foamy cloud and tasted it. It was pretty good. It tasted something like super fluffy cake mix. I have no idea why, but the woman who said it tasted good smiled at me, and said, "The whole world is about to change again!" At that exact second, I opened my eyes in the tent...
* * * * * * *
As I looked up through the screen the undersides of the tallest tree branches were illuminated! But there was no shining source. I saw light reflected but could not see from where it came. I sat up and twisted around onto my knees, grabbing the camera. I thought maybe there was a fire nearby. Maybe the folks at the house had stayed up late around a fire pit. I checked my watch. It was 2:59 a.m.
Now, whatever the light source was, sat about twenty feet above the treetops. I set up the camera to take a long exposure shot, placing it on the backpack so that it wouldn't move. For some reason I couldn't get the damn shutter to stay open more than a second. (Of course!) By this time, a dim light could be seen above all the trees.
"The moon!" I said. "But, wait, that's the north..." Besides the moon was well into its waning phase and hadn't even risen yet. I was baffled. The light on the trees turned from white to a golden yellow and flickered for another minute or so then very slowly faded, with only the stars appearing again. I had shivers all up and down my spine. All the expected thoughts passed through my mind: A meteor? A ufo? Some kind of fire ball? Headlights from another road? But why would it have been under the trees when I woke? And, what kind of light is only reflected but shines from nowhere?
Even now, days later, I shudder a bit remembering it. Somehow, I tied the experience to the dream. But, I have no idea if they were related. It was truly an unexplainable event. I think it was natural somehow, but cannot fathom what it might have been.
After an hour or so, I slipped back to sleep. When I woke up, I recorded this, forgetting to mention the light...
The tent and tarp were all I had to take care of--simple set up. I packed up and hit the road...
When I got to Keene I was excited to finally reach a town with amenities. There was a mall-like area. I hadn't checked the map for the town layout and mistakenly thought that Route 9 which turned into Route 101 (where I would need to walk to continue on my plan) ran through the middle of the downtown. I was already all the way across town and leaving it, before I realized that I should have taken a left and stayed on 9 to hit the downtown, and would have then needed to walk back to 101. There were no signs indicating where the center was (or I missed them if there were). So, it was on to Marlborough. It saved me time, but cost me breakfast...
Another hit and run--yellow swallowtail.
I placed him on a guardrail post (my adopted sanctuaries for injured insects).
Panorama of Minnewawa Brook.
Main Street Marlborough.
Marlborough was another quaint and quiet town. It was quite obviously a suburb of Keene, having very few stores. I found a little general store called Jai Food Market. The owner didn't have the kitchen working, because the oven was broken. So, I found a sandwich and a Gatorade and ate them in the cool confines of a wooden booth. She said they had no Wi-Fi, but I checked anyway and piggybacked on an Xfinity signal. Once online, I was finally able to check out the things I had only guessed at.
I also found a place on the map, called Zeppelin & Kaleidoscope, a vegetarian cafe only one block further down Main Street. The name stuck out for me, because many years ago when I was drawing up a business plan for an internet cafe in Portland, Maine, Zeppelin & Kaleidoscope came up in my searches for other cafes that also offered free online services. It was one of the few such places in the Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont area. Starbucks had not yet conquered the world, and been associated so heavily with internet services.
My idea was different anyway, in that the place I had in mind would have offered business, art, and music areas for visiting or local executives, artists and musicians to rent or use, along with small laptops for people to use if they didn't have one with them. I still think it's a good idea and may update the plan and try again someday. It would have been pretty cool, with vintage furniture, oriental rugs, fireplaces, couches and comfy chairs. In fact, if anyone thinks this sounds cool, contact me--I will need to start putting new irons in the fire when I get back to Maine. Anyway.......
I walked there, wishing I hadn't eaten the sandwich and instead had waited to try "Zep & Kal's" food. When I got to the place it was empty except for one man reading a book at the small sunlit table area inside. I just grabbed a mango juice and one of their raspberry tarts, then took seat. There were no outlets which was a bit disappointing. The staff was friendly, and the place was set up much like a Starbuck's might be, though on a smaller scale.
I was able to relax a while the temperature outside rose to about 85 degrees F. I worked online for a short time and then processed pictures, but became frustrated when my USB card reader (the second one I'd bought) kept failing to connect. This had been a problem in the past few weeks, but now it was getting worse. The NextBook is a great tablet; relatively fast, good at multitasking, excellent at finding hotspot signals, and reliable.
Unfortunately, the fact that it connects mechanically (rather than through Bluetooth) to a keyboard, which has the standard USB ports was the issue. My card readers were standard USB and needed to send information through the keyboard's sometimes iffy contacts into the tablet. The tablet itself has a mini USB port that nothing fits into. It would come to the point where, in the next few days, the keyboard's ports were actually frying my SD memory cards (what I use to store pictures and videos from the camera on). That hadn't begun yet, but the situation with not even get information from those cards was becoming a really big pain in the ass.
I did as much as I could while the sun lazily crossed the sky. The day actually heated up more (as with the day before), reaching 90 degrees even after the sun was not directly above anymore. But, I had to move along, if I wanted to cover more territory and find a sleep spot that night. So, I thanked the Zep & Kal crew and ventured out again...
The plan was to reach Dublin by nightfall. The intensity of the heat and the thickness of the humidity immediately began to take a toll on me in a similar way as the day before. The hills were also getting steeper and longer...
Ugh! Eight miles is nearly three hours. I'd already walked six miles that morning.
A cute little park with a gazebo on the edge of town.
I also came across this very rare patch of Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale).
There were no seed pods or I would have pilfered a few and add them to my seed collection.
The thing that is so unusual about this poppy is its color. Orange is not a common color for poppies
especially, this bright-hued Olympia.
Someone's private sugar house. I liked the shape and size. Would make a nice cabin.
My golly, what a long freakin walk! It was all uphill until I got to past the sign for Dublin...
Then, finally, and mercifully, the road leveled out along a marsh section which went on for about a mile...
It always interests me to see lakes, ponds, and marshes so high up in the mountains. Sea level was a good two to three thousand feet below me. This area in particular (the area around Dublin) was very pleasant; not as hot, with a lot more water to see. I'd only caught glimpses the day before, but I really got to enjoy the benefits of one of these lakes in only another three miles or so...
Part of the Howe Reservoir.
Yellow water lilies (Nymphaea) just about to make their lotus blooms.
Then it came into view! Dublin Lake, with the majestic Monadnock Mountain reigning over the whole glorious scene...
Dublin Lake and it's royal Mount Monadnock in the distance.
A single large house about a mile away, built into the north nook of a cliff.
What a view they must have!
I remembered my mom's account of Monadnock, from an email a few days earlier; a story I had never heard her relate before...
When I was in high school in South Weymouth, MA (1958-1959) I was active in the high school age church youth group, Christian Endeavor, at our church, Old South Union Congregational Church.
Every year on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, when there was no school, all the Christian Endeavor youth groups in Massachusetts would take buses to Jaffrey, New Hampshire where we'd start our climb of Mount Monadnock...
Mount Monadnock
Perhaps groups from other states were there as well...not sure about that. We'd bring our lunch, disembark the bus at the foot of the mountain, climb to the top, eat lunch, then come back down. I did that every fall for a couple of years before we moved to Southboro, MA.
Ha... just now when I looked it up, I found out that Christian Endeavor was founded in Portland, Maine...son-of-a-gun...talk about coming full circle.Indeed, many circles were being completed. I had drained the last of my Gatorade many miles back, and this seemed the perfect time to get a drink. I found a place where I could actually get right down to the rocks along the water's edge.
Although lake water is probably cleaner than stream water. One should always be cautious about drinking it. I observed swimmers in the area and made the decision to imbibe. I drank two full bottles and stored another for later...
Here is a little video of my much needed rest at the lake. I even considered camping there, but there was no level ground...
While enjoying the cold clear water - which tasted wonderful! - I made friends with a little tent weaver who seemed to have made the right choice and stayed out of the road. I lifted him off of the rocky ground and let him walk around on my hand for a while. These little guys really are quite cute, with their fuzzy bodies, tiny suction cup feet and big eyes. When it was time to go I left him on a blueberry plant. He seemed interested in it. I hope he get the chance to form a cocoon develop his wings and fly away at some point. Told him what the Spark has told me several times now, because it seemed to fit: "Keep walking forward...and you will fly"...
It was a winding road in an "S" shape and into town...
A cemetery by the lake, lit by the late afternoon sun.
The Dublin Public Library.
Just as Jeff had mentioned, I found Yankee Publishing in the middle of town and left a business card on their door. They have not responded...
That's cool! The benefits of living in a small town.
I also thought this was interesting. A UCC Church, with a very welcoming message.
This is my clumsy attempt to marry two pictures.
With a bit more effort, I think I could have eliminated the exposure difference.
Give some idea about the design: a simple New England Church.
There were plenty of great houses in town. The following two were both for sale by the same company. Looking for a big old house to turn into a B&B? ...
Pretty clear how most of this town was leaning in the upcoming election. Unlike New York and Connecticut, I'd seen no Trump or Hillary signs...
A restored house.
I found this especially cool. The Baha'i Historic Dublin Inn.
It is a Baha'i center for meditation and worship..
I was hungry even though I'd eaten the sandwich earlier. So I stopped in at the Dublin General Store and bought the best pastrami and swiss sandwich I can recall ever eating. Maybe it was just the place, or the day, or eating at sunset on their front porch, but it really was great.
The sun was down now. I was tired and really wanted a good place to rest my weary bones. Full and happy, a bit drier, and rehydrated, I continued on...
Ok, who it the silly man yelling at these these poor creatures?
I posted this on Facebook to see if people would find a resemblance to The Old Man of the Mountain;
the unfortunately, now-fallen and missing emblem that New Hampshire decided to put on everything.
Some folks just called it pee--buggers! Ha! But most got it.
I found a spot just beyond Carr's Store gas station. It was very much like the last place, except up on a hill, more private, and much less buggy. I settled in and fell asleep easily.
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