Nice quit day with our cousins Jordanna, bret, foster and zevi today… i think we’re cousins.. .. though at last count we’re 12th cousins once removed… we’re realted by my great-great grandmother in lithuania.. It was nice hanging out with them !

we took a quick walk down to  the river. 

 

 

then drove u to stowe. Ben and jerrys was packed.. so we decided to check out the balloon festival .. 

 

while we waited  for the launch, the kids tried their hand and rock climbing 

 

the weather looked ominous.. with a few showers coming and going. but t made for nice rainbows !

 

we ran into our favorite lizard woman Megan !!!!

 

 

then they started filling the balloons !

 

meanwhile Brett won a chair in the drawing !

 

baloon head !

 

we got home, fed the girls.. then headed ovr to brads.. to celibrate and honor wha would have been our freind Pucket’s 26th birthday. Pucket died a year and a half ago.. 

 

it was good coming together to think of him.. 

 

ok.. time for bed.. 

more tomorrow

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

 

 

We have new visitors. My cousin.. (maybe my 6th cousin ?) Jordanna and her kids Zevi and Foster are in town. Jordanna’s husband Brett comes in tomorrow. Jordanna’s father Mookie grew up in Israel.. his mother Zlata was related to my great grandfather who came from Lithuania..  We recently met/re-met these guys  at a big family passover in April.. they are on their way to Montreal.. so we’re happy to have them for 2 days here on their way.

The kids are great .. they are both super curious and interestign people. we had fun hanging out tonight.. We’ll also see them tomorrow. 

 

By strange coincidence.. Jordanna was also my friend Jay’s son’s debate coach at UT Austin .. she’s the one that sent me the news that Jay had died.. such a small, small world !

 

ok.. gotta sleep. More tomorrow

nite all., nite sam

-me

 

ps. I got this picture today from my friend Florian in Germany. I tried using his GF Katja’s microwave for a science experiment 2 weeks ago.. She made a voodoo dollof me to keep me away from her microwave in the future !

 

Just back from a really nice dinner with John and Lauren.. Really great hanging out with them. They gave us a guided tour of Waterbury,. Just two towns over.. but I hardly know it.. Such a cute town !

 

John proudly showed us the cazy art peice he made for one of the churches.. It’s called ‘Tree of Hoop’.. and it’s made of painted bike rims.. with names like ‘Hoop springs eternal’

weird but fun.. .. 

i mena the art.. not john..

ok .. I mean john too 

 

 

 

we walked with their dog nn the trails down by the river. It

s the first time I saw the rebuilt state offices after hurrican irene .. 

 

beautiful moony night

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

had a work meeting which i took this AM despite vacation.. was good to check in on things in Germany..

The DIane and I packed and took off for  hike. We stopped by Jimmy’s to see if he wanted to go.. but he wasn’t in

Our goal was to go to Molly Stark’s Balcony in the Appilachin Gap… . we got pretty far down the hintingon road and saw a sign that the road was closed… You have yto appreciate rural vermont roads to understand how wierd it is to close  a road like that.. there is no ‘going around’.. anny thing to get around the block would mean an extra hour of driving or so…

 

We were not to be detered.. we decided we’d take a differnt trail up the side of Camels hump. We chose forest city trail.. which is really nice.. not that steep.. and near a stream.. 

 

 

 

We hiled up to the top to Montclair Glen lodge… we camped there in 1983 in April with 3 feet of snow. 

 

on the way down, I couldn’t  resist jumping in the creek.. it was cold !. I’ll spare you the pictures !

 

 

on the way down (and up) we found this cool old steam boiler … perfect place for a samstone !

ok.. getting sleepy so I’ll quit there (and its’ onluy 3:30 PM !)

nite all. nite sam

-me