Walked out of work today just before 6 into a beautiful fall afternoon. Maybe it was the weather.. or soemthing about the light.. but   something came over me as I got in the car. There are times like this when Sam’s presence.. or maybe his absence.. comes over me so strongly that it’s like a spell. It’s a funny mix of sad, sweet and quiet.. that lasts for an hour or so. I can actually feel it in my body.. it’s like a warmth right above my heart. … I had an errand to do on the way home.. but by the time I hit Richmond, I was deep in that spell.  I often talk to Sam when I’m alone in the car.. I don’t know if he can hear me.. but I do it for myself today ‘we’ talked about the town.. As I drove the 3 miles from Richmond to Jonesville I remembered Sam back into this place.. 

 Like k here where we’d wait for our place in the 4th of July parade…

Or the Boutin’s old place where we’d go to see the crazy Christmas lights

Or Everett’s where we bought a pie once.

I can picture passing Sam on his bike here

Sam came with me once when we were helping rebuild this barn.. since he died, we’ve had two memorial concerts for him here.  

Here’s Robin’s mountain.. the backdrop for our neighborhood.

This is the Williams.. There son Jerrod died in 2001.. I remember thinking how unthinkable that would be…

And here’s the old Jonesville store.. we all used to walk there to get ice cream on hot summer days. Our friend Dan is reopening the place into a cool hippy cooperative.

And.. here’s the rope swing where all the kids used to spend summer days. I remember coming home one day from work and seeing Sam doing a back flip off the rope .. thing was.. he had a cast on his arm.. he’d just broken his elbow. Worse yet, he decided to tell the orthopedic surgeon about doing the flip when we went to get the cast changed.  I remember  that I got in trouble for that.

here’s the winooski where we’d all tube or canoe or kayak..

ANd.. of course.. here’s home..

As I pulled into the driveway the sense passed, the dogs needed attention, I had to get dinner going.. I wanted to talk to Gabe.. Life resumed .. it was now again..
And now it’s late..

Nite folks Nice riding with you Sam.
-me