the view from ludlow

Owls Head-10th Anniversary Trip

2012-02-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

For the tenth year, the Paces met the Brownlies at Owls Head in Mansonville, Quebec to ski, tour the area, and just enjoy each others company. Had usual, we enjoyed the good food prepared by Janet and Joan along with evenings out at the Lodge. For the first time, rather than journeying through the Eastern Townships, we decided to visit Jay Peak in Northern Vermont to see the newly developed water park and hotel facilities there. Had a great time viewing the "Pump House" activities (see photo below). Alas, this will probably mark our final trip to Owls Head for skiing as our mutual legs, knees, and body aches seem to have reached that point where skiing is no longer that "rewarding". But, who knows, the other attractions of the Eastern Townships may still draws us back. A few photos of the trip are available by clicking here.

Skyping with Douglas, Veronica, and Emilia

2011-12-18T15:07:00.001-05:00

Since we won't have a chance to see Douglas, Veronica, and Emilia again until mid-January 2012 (they'll be spending Christmas and New Years in Mendoza, Argentina), we had a little visual chat with them today via Skype. Pictured above is Janet as she talks to Douglas and Emilia in Athens, GA. A couple of other scenes are depicted below with Veronica and the rest of the Athens contingent. It's great fun to see Emilia as she grows and to witness that growth electronically since we can't be there. Each time we Skype with them we can detect new growth; this particular visit involved the display of her first signs of a tooth!

Wonderful Thanksgiving in Athens

2011-11-30T11:54:00.001-05:00

We journeyed down to Athens, GA for the Thanksgiving holiday to visit with Douglas, Veronica, and - of course, Emilia. On our way down we stopped to visit with Jube and Mary Ann Stryker in Doylestown, PA. The trip down was pleasant (which wasn't the case for the return journey - believe what they say about Thanksgiving traffic!).

While in Athens, we spent most of our time with Emilia. My, but she has grown! Veronica and Douglas are wonderful parents - and Veronica is one fantastic cook. We never had to worry about the quality of our meals. Douglas is doing a great job with his new grill (even had an extra special grilled cheese sandwich from his grill).

Veronica and Douglas served a great Thanksgiving dinner for all of us, including Melina and her family.

Since they will be spending Christmas in Mendoza, Argentina, Douglas and Veronica decided to purchase their Christmas tree early and decorate it.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. For some photos (mostly of Emilia), click here.

Herb Celebrates 90th Birthday

2011-11-14T13:28:00.001-05:00

A week before the actual day, 19 friends of Herbert C. Pace, Jr., met at Cal's in West Springfield to celebrate Herb's 90th birthday. With a large contingent from the Rochester area and from Springfield, Herb had a chance to review his many gifts (for some reason, everyone seemed to think he needed gin) and orate on his interest in reaching a 100th birthday. Everyone had a great time and, per Herb's plan, were leaving their calendars clear for a similar dinner in 2021.Prior to the historic event, we, along with Allan, decided to renew our acquaintance with the Quadrangle museums and library in downtown Springfield.

Photos of both events are available by clicking here.

Our First Snow and a New Fireplace

2011-10-27T15:59:00.001-04:00

After many years of hauling wood (our boys well remember the efforts), we finally decided it was time to switch to a gas insert in the fireplace. So today we had Proctor Gas arrive with our selected gas fireplace, install it, and, of course via a new remote, turn it on. It's going to take a while to get used to the gas version of a wood fire but, with the first snow fall today of the season, it seems to make sense. Photos of the installation are available here. Below is a picture of the front year birches bent out of shape from our first wet snow of the season.

The Gang Takes a Tour of Portsmouth, NH

2011-10-25T13:28:00.002-04:00

In lieu of its usual long weekend in Gotham, some of the Gang of Eight decided to go to Portsmouth, NH in late October to view the sights there. You can see some of the photos of the tour, especially our visit to historic Strawbery Banke (no, it's not misspelled), by clicking here. The Almonds, Kneebones, and Paces stayed at the Sise Inn, wandered all over Portsmouth (on foot), and, of course, took a look at the Kittery, ME shopping outlets (the women did the clothing saloons while the men concentrated on the Trading Post). As usual, we did find time to consume some food and wine. It was a fun trip.

Stephen Comes East to Rescue Pace Homestead

2011-10-19T15:08:00.009-04:00

Stephen flew in from Park City this October to help the "old folks at home" deal with their home, especially winterizing it, repairing it, and, overall, cleaning up some of the outdoor mess and the cellar.

In particular, Sephen was able to stack the half cord of wood lying outside the wood shed, clean the garage and breezeway roof of pine needles, fix the ailling garage doors, help prepare the garden area by the fireplace for the "hopefully" forthcoming propane tank for our new gas fireplace, clean up the inside of the garage (which, IMHO, was just fine-I knew where everything was in the mess), and begin the process of cleaning up the cellar (the remainder is for his hopefully next Spring visit).

In his idle time (about a half an hour), he did try to help us learn how to use our HD TV remote; this problem was fixed when Jeffrey came up and showed us how to properly use the device.

All in all, it was a very pleasant experience, even though I now have to relearn where items are in the garage and cellar. I was able to prevent my desk and workbench from being impacted by this clean-up spirit.

In addition to work on the home, Stephen also participated in the audio upgrade at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium and managed to take two photos of the upgrade and a play rehearsal.

Quite a talented guy!

Emilia - Really Eating Now

2011-10-14T13:19:00.000-04:00

By October, Emilia was eating "real" food. Here are a few photos of the result!

Wonderful Surprise for 50th Wedding Anniversary

2011-07-19T21:53:00.002-04:00

For our 50th Wedding Anniversary we enjoyed the company of our three sons, our lovely daughters-in-law, Barbara and Veronica, and our wonderful grand-daughter, Emilia. But what really came as a total surprise was the anniversary party that our boys (I mean men) managed to put together at the Putney Inn in Putney, VT, on Saturday, July 9.

We were told to pack a bag for an overnight stay (I thought the time had finally arrived when they had decided it was time for the old man to go into a nursing home!). But to our joint surprise and amazement, we were taken to the Putney Inn. When we started to walk into the dining area, suddenly we saw friends who we hadn't seen in years along with some of our dear friends from Ludlow.

The Brownlies had come down from Canada, Mary Ann Stryker had come up from Doylestown, Leslie and Marge had come from the Cape, Herb and Shirley came up from Southwick, Allan came up from Springfield, and the Almonds and Kuntzs travelled from Ludlow.

Both Janet and I were simply dumbfounded; I think we both had tears in our eyes when we realized what was happening.

To be with friends and family as we celebrated 50 years of marriage with the young Emilia there was just a marvelous experience.

Stephen and Barbara and Douglas and Veronica and Emilia left us for an overnight stay at the Inn with friends who had shared many of our 50 years.

You can checkout some of the activities and impressions of this memorable day by clicking here.

Our sincerest thanks to everyone for making this possible, especially Stephen, Jeffrey, and Douglas who made it all possible, along with the help of Allan.

Our Caravan Tour

2011-07-02T15:42:00.001-04:00

WE enjoyed a great tour of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana in early June. We took a Caravan tour that include, in sequence, the Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore monuments in western South Dakota, the Little Big Horn Battle Grounds (Custer's Last Stand), Billings Montana, Sheridan and Cody Wyoming, Yellowstone And Grand Tetons National Parks, and ended in Salt Lake City where Stephen picked us up for a stay with Barbara and Stephen in their new home in Park City. Haven't had time to work on the photos (776 of them!) but did manage to put together a short book of memories you can access by clicking here.

Hail and Violent Rain Hit Ludlow

2011-05-27T20:46:00.000-04:00

While Northern and Central Vermont were getting hit with historic floods, Ludlow has been on the edge of very rainy weather. Today, after a day of 80 degree weather, we had a hail storm along with severe lightning. Pictured above is the hail by the side of the house.

Easter Weekend at Mt Washington

2011-04-24T21:46:00.001-04:00

In keeping with our Easter tradition, Janet and I journeyed to some place in the area where we'd never been before - this time for a brief weekend visit to the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. While the weather was bit iffy (it snowed driving up and we never did see the peak of Mt. Washington), everything else worked out perfectly. The hotel, originally built in 1902 by a gentleman named Stickney (who happened to own the Pennsylvania Railroad), houses a lot of tradition. It was also the site of the creation of the International Monetary Fund as a result of the Bretton Wood Conference in 1944. At any rate, we had a very pleasant stay - the employees never stopped asking if everything was all right. We even found time to visit the motel where we had had honeymoon stay, almost 50 years ago. All told, it was a great experience. You can see some of our photos of this adventure by clicking here. If you're interested in the hotel's history. click here.

Emilia's First Easter

2011-04-20T14:02:00.000-04:00

The Latest Pix of Emilia

2011-03-31T13:44:00.001-04:00

Emilia as of March 21, 2011 - what a beautiful baby!

A Visit to See Emilia, Our New Granddaughter

2011-03-07T21:53:00.002-05:00

In late February, we drove down to Athens, GA, to visit Veronica and Douglas - but most especially to see Emilia, our granddaughter.

Emilia was born January 24. She was a pre-me and didn't leave the hospital until the week before we journeyed down to visit.
What a beautiful baby!
Veronica's mother from Argentina was also visiting while we were there so it was a real family affair.
Rather than ramble on and on about Emilia (her middle name is Janet) I'll let the photos describe this beautiful baby.
Just click here to see the photos.
Needless to say, Emilia is the apple of our eyes.

Our Ninth 'Season' at Owls Head

2011-03-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

In early February, we joined the Brownlies in Apts 211 & 212 at Owls Head for our ninth year in a row of skiing, eating, touring, and renewing acquaintances.

We had excellent weather (no need to shovel our cars out from our usual snow storms).

In addition to great food prepared by Janet and Joan, we also enjoyed our usual dinners at the auberge and a fantastic lunch at the bakery in Mansonville.
For more photos, particularly of our tour the Abbey of St. Benoit, take a look at a few photos by clicking here.

Burlington First Night 2010-2011

2011-01-07T15:55:00.000-05:00

Pictured above, very comfortably seated in Sweetwaters on Church Street, are the New Year's revellers enjoying a break from the many musical programs they saw during their annual First Night trek to Burlington with the Kuntz's and the Salerno's. As usual, it was a fun evening. The only "disappointment" was the ride back - there wasn't any snow storm for Kevin to get us through.

A Wonderful Christmas With Everyone

2011-01-07T15:24:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed a thoroughly wonderful Christmas holiday as Stephen and Barbara, Jeffrey, and Douglas and Veronica were with us in Ludlow for a perfect holiday.
While we lacked the snow for the boys to tackle Mount Oddfellow (there was a scant amount of coverage but inadequate to their needs to conquer such a peak), everyone enjoyed a fruitful Eve and Christmas Day - along with our usual Christmas Eve Dinner.
The Boys (the men) managed to help stack some logs as well.
It was such a pleasure to see Veronica open the gifts for the baby, see below:

To see, click here for a brief slideshow.

Community Christmas Celebration Dec. 17

2010-12-11T15:58:00.000-05:00

Ludlow and the Black River area will enjoy a free "A Community Christmas Celebration" at Ludlow Town Hall's Auditorium on Friday, December 17 at 7 pm.

The program will feature four different student group performances ranging from a Clarinet Choir to a Jazz Band, all made up of local students from Black River High School and Ludlow Elementary School. The 6th grade class from LES will lead a sing-along to end the gala event.

Bruce Farr, a local creative writer and commentator, will read the famous poem by Dylan Thomas, "A Child's Christmas in Wales". Supporting Bruce with the reading of this tale of youth and a remembrance of Christmas will be Tony Masteler on the guitar.

Broadway and TV writers and authors Stan and Jane Hart will offer their own seasonal play, The Lottery Ticket, and Constance Wilcox will lead the Ludlow Community Handbell Choir to open the performance.

There will be a surprise offerring during the celebration that will add to the spirit of Christmas.

George Thomson will tie the entire event together acting as program emcee.

"This will be a chance for FOLA to thank the people for supporting us and to offer everyone a chance to celebrate this holiday with family, friends, and neighbors," said Ralph Pace, FOLA chairman. He indicated that the event was free and open to all to attend.

The Community Christmas Celebration will be at Ludlow's Town Hall on Friday, December 17 at 7 pm. The event is free to everyone. For information, call 802-228-7239.

Pace Elders Meet in Putney

2010-12-11T08:26:00.001-05:00

Some of the Pace Family elders met for lunch this past Friday, December 10, at the Putney Inn in Putney, VT. Herb and Shirley, Barbara and Jim, Janet and Ralph were joined by Allan Nelson for a pleasant reunion.

Tuscany 2010

2010-10-27T15:38:00.001-04:00

There will be many memories of our trip to Tuscany but, for me at least, the photo above will always summarize how I felt about a visit to such a marvelous world of the old and the sort of new.

The trip, consisting of the Almonds, Kneebones, Moores, and Paces, began with our flights from Boston to Zurich, hence to Florence. We enjoyed a brief but exciting two days in Florence where he had a guided walking tour through the magnificent Uffize and Accademia Museums. Our tour also included some lovely sidewalk cafes where we indulged in some great vinos, gelatos and pastries.

From Florence, in rental cars (2 of them), and with the guidance of a Tom-Tom loaned by Frank Heald, we took an unusual scenic tour of Florence as we headed for our eventual designation in San Andrea, an area just outside the walled city of San Gimignano.

We stayed in a lovely villa that reflected the stone work of the area; 4 bedrooms with en suite facilities, huge dining living room, and a view of San Gimignano and its tower that was trulu amazing.

Naturally we spent several days just touring through San Gimignano (a note to self: remember to arrive early to find a parking space). As with many towns in Tuscany, the most immediate view of it were its towers, now greatly diminished in number through the years. The towers were essentially the Tuscan version of a castle moat; Tuscany was the scene of many medieval and Renaissance battles, especially as Florence sought hegemony over the area.

Our second actual guided tour was of Siena, the ancient rival of Florence. Siena is divided into 17 neighborhoods or contrade that were vitually self-supporting entities, having their own churchs and political organizations. Twice a year the contrades would meet in the main piazza and conduct a horse race in which each contrade was permitted a single entry. This is reenacted in the Spring in Siena. The duomo of Siena is classic Renaissance construction. One of its highlights is a library of medieval manuscripts donated by a Renaissance pope.

We managed to find an excellent restaurant in Siena where I was able to rediscover wild boar along with an excellent Chianti.

We ventured to Volterra (allegedly a place that currently has something to do with the teenage vampire series). It, too, was a walled city that once was a major Etruscan site. After a very satisfying lunch (lunch was our major meal of the day), we toured the Etruscan museum and then the city itself.

Probably our favorite location was found in the Chianti hills, the village of Radda. It is small, isolated, and not yet discovered by the tourist trade.

Our last night in the villa was highlighted by a special dinner prepared by our hostess, Barbara.

It was a great trip (even our return flight to Zurich feature great views of the Alps). More photos of the trip are available by clicking here.

It's Mr. and Mrs. Now !

2010-10-23T15:49:00.001-04:00

Douglas and Veronica tied the knot on Thursday, October 21, 2010 in Athens, Georgia. They plan on a more formal ceremony sometime in the future but, as of now, they are Mr. and Mrs. And we couldn't be any happier!!!

Trees Still in Foliage Mode at Whispering Pines

2010-10-18T09:57:00.000-04:00

Douglas and Veronica In Boston

2010-09-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

Douglas and Veronica met us in Boston following their professional conference in Woods Hole on September 16 for a couple of days of fun. One of the highlights was Douglas having the opportunity to revisit his place of birth, 21 Lawrence Street in the South End (pictured above with Veronica and us). We also took in the musical "Wicked" at the Opera House and had a very pleasant - if noisy - dinner at Casa Romero in Back Bay (pictured below are Douglas and Veronica at Casa Romero). The rest of the time was spent shopping. It was a fun time for us to be with both of them.

Ralph Loses High Bailiff Race

2010-08-28T09:05:00.000-04:00

For the second time, Ralph decided to enter the race for High Bailiff of Windsor County. The first time, in the Presidential election of 2008, he was a write-in candidate. In a nip-n-tuck election, he was just barely beaten by a 23,000 to 72 vote. This time, he decided to have his name printed on the Democratic ballot. The result was 3211-1346 defeat. According to reports, Ralph is considering a third run in 2012 on either the Tory or Whig ticket.

Janet Takes Stenciling Class at Fletcher Farm

2010-08-22T09:41:00.000-04:00

In August, Janet participated in an arts and crafts class at Fletcher Farm dealing with stencils. She, along with several Ludlow friends, enjoyed learning more about the art form and producing some fine art for the home at Whispering Pines - and elsewhere. Some photos of her week at Fletcher Farm are available by clicking here.

Wonderful News from Athens

2010-08-03T20:32:00.000-04:00

We received a marvelous phone call from Douglas and Veronica. Veronica is pregnant! Hope to see them when they come up to Woods Hole, MA for a conference in September. Just wonderful news!!!

Janet Exhibits Quilt at Billings-Marsh National Park

2010-07-31T10:23:00.001-04:00

The Billings Farm and Museum of Woodstock opened its annual quilt exhibition this past Friday. Janet Pace of Ludlow was one of the quilters selected to exhibit their art. This is Janet's second quilt to be exhibited at Billings. The quilt type, Nick Knack Paddywack, was described by Janet as follows: "In 2008, I finished making a redwork quilt celebrating the cats in my life. Then, because our family has almost always had a dog, I decided to do a quilt in memory of all the dogs I have known. I picked a pattern from the 'Buggy Barn' series, started it in one of Country Treasure's classes, and slowly finished it this year. The stacking, cutting and piecing - or general craziness, as the creators call it - was a fun challenge. I had it machine quilted by Sherrill Gould (Filament Formations), who did some wonderful custon quilting; and now it's ready to be hung beside thje redwork cats." Photos of the exhibition are available by clicking here.

Douglas Pops the Question!

2010-07-18T21:40:00.001-04:00

Douglas asked Veronica to marry him on Saturday, July 17, 2010. She said YES! We are so happy for both of them. Plans will be forthcoming when the lovely couple make some plans. Right now we're all just very happy that there are plans to be made.

Journey to Mountaintop for VSO Concert

2010-07-10T14:54:00.000-04:00

We journeyed with the Kuntz's to Mountaintop in Chittenden on July 9 & 10 for a VSO concert, great fireworks display, and very interesting and very electrified home overnight. In adition to a great concert, the fireworks display against the Green Mountains was absolutely outstanding. Kevin and I had some interesting "experimentation" with the lighting in the lovely home we rented for the evening. The following day we when into Rutland for the Farmers Market. A small number of photos are available for the Mountaintop venture by clicking here.

Birthday Celebrations

2010-05-25T12:06:00.000-04:00

Janet and Ralph celebrated their 75 and 76th birthdays this year with a sojourn to Lake Morey Resort (located between White River and St. Jay in VT). We had a great time touring an area we had always talked about. In addition, we had time for lunch in Montpelier at Sarducci's-always wanted to go there and tour the Rock of Ages site in Barre. We even had time to drive a bucket of golf balls at the resort's driving range. Dinner was very quite at the resort; there was only one other couple there. The resort even misplaced its keys to the wine cellar on the first evening; this meant the wine for the following evening was gratis. When we returned to Ludlow, we were lucky enough to arrange dinner with some local friends at Sams. All in all, it was a very nice, pleasant, and enjoyable way to celebrate our twin birthdays. Photos of dinner may be seen by clicking here and photos from Lake Morey are available by clicking here.

Mother's Day from the Boys

2010-05-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

Devi At Home

2010-04-05T21:13:00.000-04:00

Devi has a tough life. As soon as finishes her dinner, she joins us for cocktail hour. As may be guessed from the view above, she expects additional treats (normally two carrots). Following her two carrots, Devi will rest her head on one of our knees in the hope of receiving an additional treat or two. When she realizes that such treats will not be forthcoming, she simply adopts a prone position, resigned to the fact that her feeding has terminated for the day - except, of course, for her treat after her evening walk.

8th Year at Owls Head

2010-02-14T14:57:00.000-05:00

For the 8th consecutive year, we journeyed up to Owls Head in Mansonville, Quebec for a week of skiing and other pleasures with John and Joan Brownlie of Ontario. While Janet's activity was restricted as she recovers from her fractured wrist, she did manage to do some snow shoeing. In addition, we all enjoyed some wonderful dinners at the mountain's lodge, in Mansonville, and in Magog. All in all, it was a very pleasant week. A few pictures are available by clicking here.

A Quiet Christmas in Ludlow

2009-12-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

Christmas was a quiet event at 1 Whispering Pines this year. With Stephen and Barbara moving into a new home in Park City, Utah and Douglas and Veronica visiting Veronica's folks in Mendoza, Argentina prior to an excursion to Patagonia, it was left to Jeffrey and us to celebrate Christmas. Which with did with quiet elegance - especially in light of Janet's dislocated and fractured wrist. All in all it was a peaceful and relaxing time for us. We had enjoyed the entire family at Thanksgiving. A few photos of Christmas at Ludlow are available by clicking here.

A Christmas Card from Ludlow

2009-12-12T10:53:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Janet & Ralph (double click pix below for better view of card)

. . . and click here for a 30 second view of 2009 for the Pace's.

2009 in 30 Seconds

2009-12-11T10:37:00.000-05:00

The following is a 30 second clip put together for CNN's iReport covering the major events in the Pace family of Ludlows major activities in 2009 - click HERE.

Family Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T09:30:00.003-05:00

This Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday for the Paces. Stephen and Barbara, Jeffrey, and Douglas and Veronica helped us celebrate the event. Even the flights from Georgia and Utah managed to be ahead of schedule. We celebrated Thanksgiving with a non-traditional (but excellent) loin of beef. The following evening most of the family enjoyed tempura and sushi (both Stephen and Ralph, however, avoided the sushi). And our final dinner was prepared by Veronica, featuring a fantastic Pastel de Choclo Chilean dish in the Pomaireware she and Douglas gave us for the event. Stephen and Douglas managed to trim some bushes (can't have them coming home and not doing some yard work). Even the Devi had to make some adjustments for the event, being evicted from her usual place of rest to new digs downstairs. Barbara led an interesting discussion about healthcare as the family, as usual, solved all the problems of the world sitting around the fireplace. We even managed to take in craft shows in Weston and at Black River High School while the "kids" hiked up Okemo. It was a really nice holiday. Photos are available by clicking here.

Beautiful Gift from Dave Ginsburg

2009-10-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

We recently received a beautiful gift from Dr. David Ginsburg, currently at UCLA. It was a book entitled, "Menorah Under the Seas". Dave was a colleague of Douglas at the University of Southern California where both spent considerable time doing marine biological research at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The book describes a dive made by Dave on the first night of Hanukkah. Since they were at McMurdo during the height of the Antarctica summer, there was essentially no darkness at night. Dave found a unique way to "light" the traditional Hanukkah candle in the darkness 80 feet under the icecap. It was a wonderful story, one that we are grateful he shared with us through this very beautiful tome.

Gang of 8 Does New York

2009-10-26T22:42:00.002-04:00

For the first time since 2005, the Gang of 8 (the Almonds, Kneebones, Paces, and Thomsons), joined back to New York for a pleasant and "challenging" long weekend.

After our usual stop at the Troy Diner, we enjoyed a pleasant Amtrak ride into the City. We stayed at the Midtown Club Quarters, had dinners at La Grenouille and the Water Club. Tried a little "mod" living by going to Brandy's Piano Bar on 84th Street (great fun). Did a long morning tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art. Took in a play (the Paces saw a wonderfully moving West Side Story while the others saw Jersey Boys). We had our usual brunch at the Algonquin followed by a tour to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center (see the Gang of 8 above). Pixs of trip at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmZ1.

On way back to Ludlow, we stopped at "The Man Of Kent" , a bar in NY State that several of us had always wanted to stop at but never had the time. It was great fun.

First Snow of the Season

2009-10-13T08:39:00.000-04:00

After taking a foliage picture yesterday, we awoke to the first snow of the season this morning. Janet took these photos. It was the earliest snow fall we can recall.

Fall Foliage Scene in Ludlow

2009-10-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

Visit to Doylestown

2009-10-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since we last visited Maryanne and Jubie Stryker in Doylestown but we finally made our way down to Bucks County to help Maryanne "celebrate" her 70th birthday. It was great to renew acquaintances with the Strykers. We even had a chance to visit with Skip and Dee Burcaw in their new home. Pictured above are the Strykers and Paces having dinner at the Water Wheel in Doylestown.

Driveway Gets a Small Facelift

2009-09-17T13:32:00.004-04:00

We finally decided the driveway needed a little cleaning up and refreshing. So we had a load of surefire surepak dumped and spread out and repaired the drain at the front entrance to the porch. Still needs some touching up - but it should last for another 10 years (unless we have another torrential rain that rutted out the old driveway). A few more photos of driveway are at share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmZX.

Andrea Sings Songs from WW II

2009-08-19T08:54:00.002-04:00

We journeyed down to the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA on Monday to enjoy the music of Andrea Marcovicci, our favorite cabaret singer, as she performed her program of love songs from World War 2. It was a marvellous experience. For those not familiar with Andrea, she not only has a beautifully compelling voice but is a great story teller - with both wit and ease. Accompanied by a pianist and bass, she sang such memorable songs as "We'll Meet Again", "White Cliffs of Dover", and "Sentimental Journey". Her program was well-researched and her commentary almost as much delight as her singing voice. It's such a delight to listen to such a performer sing songs where you actually understand the words. We were very pleased to discover the Colonial Theatre in downtown Pittsfield, a nicely restored theatre from the "old days".

At Last, Summer

2009-07-28T09:28:00.003-04:00

After what seems like days of rain and otherwise damp (even chilly) weather, it looks like (and feels like) Summer has arrived. The dahlias are opening earlier than usual, the monarda is as tall as an elephant's eye, and the hummingbirds are visible again. Hopefull, this will last long enough to call it a real Summer.

WHY . . . a repeat from 2007

2009-07-24T11:38:00.004-04:00

The following was written in my personal blog in 2007. Every once in a while I still wonder why . . .

"Every once in awhile I reach that point where I've just got to get something off my chest. Living during the regime of "W", I guess, promotes the need.

Why are we so damn afraid of adding a nickel to our gas tax so that we can address the critical maintenance needs of our highways and bridges?
When will this country realize that transportation is a vital national requisite supporting our capitalistic structure - not something that has to be profit-driven in itself?
For that matter, why are we so afraid of considering nationalized health care programs?
When will we have the sense to recognize - in spite of the NRA - that the right to bear arms does not necessarily include semi-automatic weapons or grenade rocket launchers?

There are a few other items I might mention but I'll be temporarily happy if just one or two of the above are honestly addressed by us."

Say Farewell to the Moores Again

2009-07-23T22:44:00.002-04:00

Linda and Darrah Moore paid Ludlow a visit during their trek from Florida to Vermont. We were able to get together with them several times and renew old acquaintances. The night before they left the "good country" to begin their return journey to the South, via Connecticut, the Kneebones invited them along with the Almonds and Paces for dinner. It was great to see them again, and Linda will be assuming a familiar role as she plans our bus tours in Tuscany in the early Fall of 2010.

We Must Be Getting Old!

2009-07-09T20:55:00.004-04:00

It took a card from Allan to reminder us that we were celebrating our 48th wedding anniversary. The guys (got to stop calling them the boys) remembered by calling us. But we didn't remember! Well, we had lunch at Applebee's and called it a celebration (met the Kneebones there so that constituted a public gathering to honor the occasion). We're both planning to remember the anniversary two years hence - if someone will remind us with sufficient lead time to prepare!

The 4th at Coolidge Festival

2009-07-04T15:27:00.003-04:00

We intended to spend the bulk of the day watching the parade and viewing the various sites at the Coolidge farmstead on the 4th of July. However, the ever persistent rain changed our plans and we settled for lunch at the Pot Belly. Janet did get a chance to greet a "friend" at Coolidge.

Papa Pace on Facebook

2009-07-01T22:46:00.002-04:00

Trying to keep up with the "social" networking stuff that seems to abound now, Ralph created a Facebook page for anyone who is interested. It can be directly accessed via www.facebook.com/papapace. When you get there, you can also access a TW3 (That Was The Week That Was - TV show) page by searching for "TW3" or clicking the TW3 button. I guess this is progress.

Gathering to Honor Allan's 70th

2009-06-20T08:05:00.003-04:00

Janet and I met Allan along with Herb and Shirley at Chez Albert in Amherst (MA) this past Thursday to honor Allan's 70th birthday. Over some fine wine and a very pleasant lunch, the old timers enjoyed good company, discussions of future activities (Allan is planning a two-week train ride to the northwest which will be highlighted by a Vancouver to Toronto trip), and, fortunately, very little about our health. We forgot to bring a camera - which at our advancing ages was probably a benefit.

Garden Club Holds Plant Sale

2009-05-30T10:45:00.003-04:00

The Ludlow Garden Club held its annual plant sale May 30 to raise funds for some of its operations throughout the town. Janet contributed both annuals and perennials to the effort. Not sure how many people purchased plants but there were certainly quite a few garden club members active, as may be seen from the above photo.

Janet Receives Flowers from Boys

2009-05-23T22:35:00.005-04:00

On here return from her visit to Georgia to visit Douglas and Veronica, Janet was welcomed home with a gift of flowers from Stephen, Jeffery, and Douglas. It was a Mother's Day gift from her three "boys".

Birthday Trilogy in VT-MA-GA

2009-05-22T10:54:00.011-04:00

It all began with a "surprise" birthday gathering at 1 Whispering Pines as friends honored Janet and Ralph for their birthdays (technically, May 14). It was a fun evening with the usual suspects that made the 75th birthday bearable. Some of the crowd at this festivity may be viewed by clicking here.

Following this celebration, we journeyed to Springfield where we had dinner with Marge Baker, Herb and Shirley Pace, Barbara and Jim Boland, Arlene "Smithie" Haeseler, and Allan Nelson at the Storrowtown Tavern. It was great to see my siblings and friends again.

Following our get together in Springfield, we then commenced our drive down to Athens, GA to visit Douglas and Veronica in their new home. Enroute to GA, we managed to take the time to drive part of Skyline Drive in VA and tour the Luray Caverns (quite impressive). When we reached Athens, we were treated to a special dinner with Douglas and Veronica that was a treat from all three boys (men!). We enjoyed a second party where we met some of their friends from Argentina along with our fantasy football member, Jack Frost, aka Scott.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit in Athens - and even managed to make a positive connection with their dog (after a bitting start).

During on return trip to Vermont, we stopped at the Natural Bridge in VA and took in the evening performance of the Universe's Creation. The next day we stopped at Gettysburg to view the battlefields and the magnificent film outlining the history of that three day battle.

Due to an "act of God" following this - a stone cracking the windshield, we had to head back to VT. The entire GA trip is photographically captured here.

Easter Visit to Portsmouth

2009-04-13T14:04:00.006-04:00

Following our normal Easter weekend habit, we decided to visit Portsmouth, NH to visit some of its historic sites and, especially, to revisit the scene of many a family vacation meal, Warren's Seafood Restaurant in neighboring Kittery, Me. Pictured above, Janet is consulting her map as we view (very briefly) the historic area in Portsmouth known as Strawbery Banke [sic]. We stayed at a lovely inn, the Sise Inn near downtown Portsmouth. On Sunday we drove along the New Hampshire shoreline to Hampton Beach. It was a good weekend, despite the cold weather. Janet would like to return to Portmouth to check out some of its boutique shops in the restored downtown area.

Three Weeks in Costa Rica

2009-03-25T13:41:00.009-04:00

With the Brownlie's and the Kuntz's, Janet and I journeyed to Costa Rica to participate in a two week tour of the natural wonders of that country (where I previously worked thirty years ago), covering the end of February and first week of March. Following the fantastic tour of Costa Rica, we enjoyed its 'pura vida' with the Brownlie's and Kuntz's with a week's stay in Nosaro, a small beach community favored by surfers.

During the Elderhostel program, we toured, among other things:

Irazu valcano
Rafted on the Puerto Viejo River (see above)
Visited a pineapple plantation
Stayed in and toured a tropical rain forest
Took a fantastic boat tour in some wetlands
Checked out butterflies
Participated in a crocodile boat tour
Did a great deal of birding
Hiked an active volcano (Arenal)
Hiked hanging bridges near the volcano
Spent time at a Pacific beach national park (met some monkeys)
Travelled to a 7,500 ft valley (needed heat at night)
Toured San Jose, the capitol

All in all, it was a marvelous tour where we encountered more birds, butterflies, crocodiles, monkeys, and hummingbirds (where they go to winter) than we knew existed. Pictures of the Elderhostel portion of our stay may be seen by clicking here. Some of us even indulged in full body massages et al at an Arenal spa (I decided to have a "gentleman's facial" - it was great!).Following the Elderhostel program, the three couples flew from San Jose to Nosara, a small beach community, used mainly by surfers, on the Pacific. We enjoyed a lovely villa, and save the one night when we ran out of colones (Costa Rica's currency) and ate in, sampled a wide variety of foods in area restaurants.

When we were not enjoying the pool that came with the villa, we managed to swim in the Pacific (avoiding the surfers), watch magnificent sunsets, go deep-sea fishing (hooked a 100 lb sailfish but lost it as we attempted to bring it on board), safely traverse a 6 1/2 mile zip line that ran between 1,000 and 500 feet off the ground (check out this web site for an idea of the zip line we used by clicking here), and just plain relax. Photos of this portion of our tico trip may be seen by clicking here.

Owls Head - February 2009

2009-02-14T11:06:00.008-05:00

For our 8th consecutive year, we met the Brownlies at the Apartments at Owls Head in Mansonville, Quebec for some skiing and just plain conversation and relaxation. As may be gathered from the above photo of the Brownlies and Janet in a hot tub, it involved some serious relaxation. The first two days of skiing were fine but the final two days were judged to be non-skiing days due to rain. Nonetheless, we visited a new town in PQ (Knowlton) and returned to visit the Abbey of Benoit on Lake Mephremagog (photo below). We spent a good deal of time discussing our forthcoming sojourn to Costa Rica; naturally, John and I resolved the problems of world while the ladies ponder their wardrobes for Central America. A few more photos are available by clicking here.

A Valentine Surprise

2009-02-02T16:04:00.003-05:00

Normally, especially in Winter, our driveway serves a functional purpose - but little else than that. However, today, when Janet looked out our front window towards the driveway, she discovered the unexpected. The trees that run along the driveway were decorated with cloth, stuffed hearts, put there by someone unknown to us. We discovered later that a friend, Jean Eggleston, had also had Valentine hearts placed on her property. Jean did discover that a Nancy Hogge had selected certain people to adorn their properties with the hearts. Below is a very brief movie of what our driveway looks like.

Reindeer Keeps Head Above Snow

2009-02-02T13:06:00.003-05:00

The reindeer (electronic, that is) that we placed by the lamp post is just barely able to keep its head above the two feet of snow we've managed to accumulate. Above and below are a couple of day and night photos taken by Janet that reflect the creatures dilemma. If we receive any new snow in the near future, our reindeer may become an electronic statistic.

"A Case for Smile" - Janet helps Kids with Cancer

2009-01-17T14:53:00.005-05:00

The Black River Quilting Group, meeting at the United Church of Ludlow, recently conducted a workshop to create pillow cases to be donated to "A Case for Smiles", part of ConKerr Cancer, a nonprofit making pillowcases for sick children up to 18 years old. These pillow cases will be taken to Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon, NH, an area center for the collection and use of the creative and imaginative pillow cases. Shown during the worshop are. from left to right, Janet Pace, Ginny Kottkamp, Lynne Croswell, Beverly Owens, Roberta Piper; and seated: Kay Predom.

In 2002, Ryan Kerr was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer. ConKerr's founder, Cindy Kerr, began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face. He loved it and she began making pillowcases for other children with cancer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

In 2008, Ryan lost his very brave battle with cancer but the pillowcase project - now a not-for- profit called ConKerr Cancer - has grown in amazing ways. In just two years, Cindy and thousands of volunteers have provided over 53,000 pillowcases to sick children in hospitals across North America and in South Africa. School groups, sewing circles, church groups and fabric stores have all pitched in and are making pillowcases for the kids.

A quote from one dad shows how a little pillowcase can make a big difference to a young patient, “Things came to a head for my daughter last night when she refused to let anyone touch her. I think she just had enough poking and prodding as a child can stand. Well, the child life specialist brought her one of your pillowcases and since then, she has been more cooperative in letting the medical team access her IV and conduct diagnostic testing, she actually has become attached to the ‘magic pillowcase’.”

ConKerr Cancer has had a profound effect on the families we have already reached, and we are deeply committed to providing even more pillowcases – and smiles! – to sick children everywhere.

First Night in Burlington, 2008-2009

2009-01-02T11:28:00.004-05:00

For the second year in a row, we joined the Kuntz's and Salerno's as we participated in Burlington's First Night to welcome 2009. The various programs we took in covered everything from French-Canadian rock to monsters of Vermont. Banjo Dan was a personal highlight. Of course, we did have to seek nourishment (pictured above) at Sweetwaters on Church Street. We avoided the usual parade since the wind chill temperature hovered around -16 degrees F (the walk back to the hotel tested our ability to endure Arctic conditions). Naturally, the entire proceedings had to begin with lunch at La Provence in Brandon. It was a very pleasant (although at times chilling) experience. Below is a photo of the group (sans Janet, the photographer) as we prepared to venture forth into First Night activities. And to the side is a pix of Banjo Dan's group.

Ralph Wins NFLarvae 2008 Trophy

2008-12-30T09:19:00.003-05:00

After being an "also ran" for a number of years playing fantasy football, Ralph finally won the Super Bowl championship in Douglas' NFLarvae fantasy football league, winning the super bowl game by a margin of 133 to 84 over Adam Marsh's Six Packers. Normally, NFLarvae winners just get bragging rights but Douglas, in response to admonitions from his father, finally created a trophy for his Dad.

Red Skies Over Ludlow

2008-12-28T21:48:00.003-05:00

A very rare red sky at dusk was featured over Ludlow that we thought was worth recording.

Christmas 2008 at 1 Whispering Pines

2008-12-26T16:21:00.007-05:00

The Paces enjoyed a very pleasant Christmas. Jeffrey and Douglas came for Christmas and we enjoyed phone conversations with Barbara and Stephen from Salt Lake City and Allan who was spending the holiday in NYC. In addition to good company, Janet provided a marvellous Christmas Eve dinner. Douglas' friend Scott drove up from Rhode Island on Friday; the two of them managed to do some serious sledding on Douglas' nemesis, Mount OddFellow (see photo below). All in all it was a fun, yet peaceful and relaxing holiday. Photos of our Christmas are available by clicking here. Additionally, a very short "Conquest of Mt Oddfellow" may be viewed by clicking the icon below.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Putney Inn

2008-11-27T17:59:00.003-05:00

Allan came up from Springfield and joined Janet, Jeffrey, and Ralph for Thanksgiving 2008 dinner at the Putney Inn in Putney, VT. We all had too much to eat; nonetheless, we managed to do a good job cleaning our plates. We enjoyed a very pleasant meal with good company.

Janet Prepares Christmas Centerpiece

2008-11-21T16:26:00.004-05:00

Janet and Beth Almond attended a Christmas display workshop at Bushey's today. The result of her efforts is seen above. Janet is pictured with her display in the dining room below. It will make a beautiful centerpiece for the Holidays.

Pace Ponders Recount in High Bailiff Race

2008-11-06T11:15:00.009-05:00

Following an extremely close race for High Bailiff of Windsor County (see local results below), Ralph Pace decided to concede the race as "the honorable thing to do". Pace did indicate that he was seriously thinking about seeking the office in 2010. "Much will depend on whether the County institutes the new position of Sheriff of Nottingham," he noted. Pace said that "Robin and his merry men had already been in contact with me on this issue."

He said his only disappointment was that "I had to return the royal purple robes I rented for the position. They looked so cool!"

Pace indicated that having your name on the printed ballot apparently was an advantage he overlooked.

Gang of 8 Storms Boston

2008-10-28T22:02:00.007-04:00

While the New York Gang of Eight hasn't attacked Gotham in several years, it did do some groundwork to ready itself for the next venture into The City - it invaded Boston for a weekend late in October.

The Almonds, Kneebones, Thomsons, and Paces journeyed to beantown via Dartmouth Coach and settled into some reasonable quarters at the Westin at Copley Place. Following lunch at the Top of the Hub, we readied for our duck boat trek under the command of Colonel Duck-Tape and his aide, Lt. Colonel George Thomson. It was a marvellous land/sea view of Back Bay Boston, the North End, the Charles River, and the Esplannade.

We returned for a planning session at Bar 10, then the group ventured into the North End for dinner at Lucca's. This was followed by a highly cultural event, a Mamet comedy dealing with the difficulties of being a lameduck President in the play "November".

The next day, based on intricate plans prepared by the ladies, we assembled on Boston Commons and began to retrace the Freedom Trail. This included a number of historic churches, cemeteries, the old State House, Fanueil Hall, the Greenway and Harbor, and Quincy Market. It was here that we decided to have lunch at Cheers (not the original one). We had the good fortune to meet Curtis, a young lad probably from New Orleans who might be attending MIT (who took the group photo above).

We had a second expedition to the North End for Italian ice - gelato. Naturally it was incumbent on us to test the various concoctions offered. As may be observed, susan Kneebone decided it was necessary to do some close-up photography of the items to ensure that they satisfied Massachusetts health requirements and meet the needs of the group.

Our Saturday night dinner, naturally following a second planning session at Bar 10 in the hotel, was in Back Bay at one of our old haunts, Casa Romero. All enjoyed a good Mexican dinner with supporting beverages.

That evening, at the suggestion of our now-Florida-based friends, the Moores, we attended a second cultural endeavor at the Charles Street Playhouse, "Shear Madness", a tale of homicide and wicked doings where the audience selected the criminal.

On our final day we split into two groups to do our museum trekking; the Thomsons went to the Science Museum while the rest of us went to the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Some selected scenes from these various cultural endeavors may be seen by clicking here.

It's rumored that the gang may find itself back in New York next year - only a rumor, of course!

Ralph Runs for High Bailiff via Write-In

2008-10-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

"Ralph understands the important role of a high bailiff in Vermont government. He has a background that neatly fits the demands of the position." With these words Congressman Peter Welch helped kick-off Ralph Pace's write-in campaign for High Bailiff of Windsor County.

Pace, a Ludlow Democrat, announced that he will seek the post of High Bailiff in Windsor County via a write-in campaign.

He indicated that "it would be a tough job to run as a write-in candidate, especially when an Independent will be on the ballot for the office." He added that he had been urged to seek the post by a number of friends who believe he would be a good candidate for this position.

The High Bailiff's principal function is to exercise those activities which the county sheriff is "incompetent" to do, namely, to arrest the sheriff if circumstances require that action. The High Bailiff then fulfils the function of the sheriff until a replacement is named. High Bailiff is a positon unique to Vermont in the American political structure. It is based on medieval legal systems and currently exists elsewhere only on the Isle of Man.

Pace noted that he felt his understanding of medieval history made him a natural candidate for the post.

He wryly added, "I think the current political contests need a little levity added. Somehow, our politicians have lost their sense of humor."

Pace writes a blog, Black River Today, and is co-anchor of a weekly televised news programs on LPC-TV, 'That Was The Week That Was'.

A Sausage Making Party

2008-10-19T09:23:00.004-04:00

No, this is not some obscene event transpiring!

This is a sausage making event that hostess Dianne Krupp and Ralph had always wanted to make and finally decided the time had come to do so.

Dianne purchased about 9 pounds of pork which we then ground up (twice), add the vital herbs and seasonings, and then stuffed in casings to form our own, homemade sausage. (As a footnote, nine pounds of ground pork makes a lot of sausage.)

Pictured below are scenes of Dianne and Ralph at work and finally celebrating the ultimate achievement of consuming their culinary work of art. It was very good sausage.

Additional photos of this event may be viewed by clicking here.

A Journey to Barnard

2008-10-15T20:37:00.005-04:00

Today we drove up to Barnard, VT with the Almonds and Kneebones to partake of lunch at the Barnard General Store, enjoy the foliage in Barnard, and enjoy the foliage in the ride up and back. It was a great day, almost cloudless, bright blue sky, and beautiful foliage, even if slightly past peak. Above is a picture taken of Grasshopper Lane in Cavendish, a road less travelled. Below are the Almonds, Kneebones, and Janet at lunch in the General Store. A few other foliage pictures may be viewed by clicking here.

Fall Arrives at 1 Whispering Pines

2008-10-14T16:07:00.002-04:00

With the arrival of Fall, Janet has installed someone to guard us from the ravages of the season. Hopefully he'll be visible for awhile before the snow covers him.

Ludlow in the Fall

2008-10-08T14:04:00.004-04:00

On a beautiful Fall day, it's hard to ignore Ludlow's singular foliage scene. Below is the front yard at 1 Whispering Pines. Our maple closest to the street turned suddenly, within just several days.

A New (well, sorta new) Car for the Paces

2008-08-28T08:44:00.007-04:00

After 12 years of reasonably good service (but terrible gas mileage), we traded in the Explorer and purchased a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. While it has 13,000 miles on it, we hope it will last another 12 years (or until we stop tarvelling!). It lacks some of the features of new cars but should serve our basic needs for long distance trips (and when Janet refuses to let me drive her car).

Family Gathers in Brattleboro

2008-08-01T22:54:00.002-04:00

On Friday, The New England section of the Pace klan (Barbara & Jim Boland, Herb and Shirley Pace, Ralph, Janet, and Jeffrey Pace and honorary klan member, Allan Nelson) gathered for lunch at the Riverview Cafe in Brattleboro. While we forgot to take any photos of the event, we nonetheless enjoyed a very pleasant meal and each others' company. Everyone was in good spirits. It was great to get together.

Janet's Quilt Displayed at National Park

2008-08-01T09:04:00.007-04:00

Janet's quilt, "A Purrfect World", has been honored by the Billings Farm & Museum, a National Historical Park located in Woodstock, VT. It was among the 37 quilts from Windsor County selected for display at the museum's 22nd Annual Quilt Exhibition, running from August 1 through September 21.

According to the exhibition announcement, "A jury of three experienced quilters surveyed each quilt and judged overall impact, effectiveness of design, color, fabrics, and technical skills" in selecting the quilts to be displayed.

Her quilt is of various poses of cats, a subject always warm to her heart.

All In A Day's Work

2008-07-29T09:58:00.003-04:00

It's nice to see that some of the bees have returned to fulfil their annual obligations. Pictured above is one of them doing its thing on a globe thistle in the front yard. Due to the unusal weather, lots of rain, even the dahlias are blooming earlier than usual. To get an enhanced view of the photo, simply place your cursor over the pix and double-click (sometimes a single click is enough).

Janet Joins Race for the Cure

2008-07-27T21:50:00.003-04:00

Pictured above are five Ludlow area women who joined the "Race for the Cure", part of the Susan G. Komen fund raising effort to combat breast cancer, held in Manchester recently. Well-over a thousand men and women joined the race and walk. From left to right, they are: Joann Milza, Jackie Hunt, Kay O'Hare, Dianne Krupp, and Janet. Estimates place the participant count at well over 1,000.

Devi Recovers From Surgery

2008-07-25T22:40:00.006-04:00

Devi is pictured resting as she recuperates from her recent surgery. It seems that in her youth in Tennessee, when she was neutered there, the vet used stainless steel "thread" to close the incision. She probably disappeared into the Tennessee wilderness between the neutering operation and the time she was supposed to have the stitches removed. Consequently the stainless steel remained in her. When we took her for her annual exam, the vet spotted this and advised on their removal.

The Garden in Bloom

2008-07-18T16:06:00.004-04:00

Due to the rain we had early in the summer, the flowers are in full blossom. Even the dahlias are in bud (one actual has opened). Janet took these photos to highlight the hanging baskets on the porch and the lilies.

TW3 Receives Local TV Award

2008-07-05T11:02:00.004-04:00

It may not be an OBIE or a TONY but it was nice to receive the above award for the TV news show that Leo Graham and I do over our local public access news show on LPC-TV, Channel 8 (on cable). TW3 is a fun show to do and, while CBS hasn't asked us to replace Katie Couric as its news anchor, both Leo and I get a real kick out of doing a half-hour show each week.

More on Fundy-Nancy's Lecture Snippet

2008-07-02T12:36:00.004-04:00

This is just a very brief snippet of Nancy Sears opening lecture on the Bay of Fundy's geological development. Unfortunately, this blog site only supports video under 100 MBs - consequently, the heart and soul of Nancy's introductory comments has been severely curtailed. I will have a more comprehensive version of it (two and a half minutes of uncut narrative rather than this 22 seconds) on a dvd of the elderhostel.

Elderhostel at Bay of Fundy

2008-06-29T13:56:00.008-04:00

In late June, we enjoyed an Elderhostel trip to New Brunswick, Canada, to take part in a course on the Bay of Fundy (world's highest tides) and the "Saints" of New Brunswick. Prior to arriving at St. Martins, NB, where the Elderhostel program was centered, we took a slight detour to see some of the Maine coast we either hadn't seen for some time or had never seen. We started with a return (for Janet) to Boothbay Harbor. From there we continued to Camden where we spent the night at a lovely old B&B.

From Camden we drove to Campobello, the island where the Roosevelt family summered. It's an international park maintained by both Canada and the US-although it is technically in Canada. This is where FDR suffered polio; the play, "Sunrise at Campobello," dramatized this event. Pictured above is Janet standing by the lighthouse at Campobello; the island is about eleven miles long and offers a view of Eastport, ME - the eastern most place in the US.

We then returned to the US via the town bordering Campobello, Lubec, where we spent the night.

From there we drove to St. Martins for an interesting Elderhostel program on both the Bay of fundy and the "Saints," the cities of New Brunswick on the bay named after various saints. Below is a photo of the Elderhostel group studying a cave on the edge of the bay in St. Martins, NB.

Following a five night program we returned home via York Beach, ME. Try http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmTM&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5 for a slideshow of available photos of trip. Some videos are also attached at the end of this posting (.avi movie format). These are just snippets but will provide some remembrance of the bay and our fearless leader, Nancy.

TW3 Celebrates 1st Year With Coffee Mug

2008-06-13T12:48:00.003-04:00

TW3 (That Was The Week That Was), the local weekly TV news show co-hosted by Ralph and Leo Graham, celebrated its first year on the airwaves with a coffee mug. The mug will be offered as a fundraising device to those who want to support the local public TV station, LPC-TV, for $25. If you'd like one, simply contact Ralph with your name and address (and, of course, a check for $25 payable to him). You'll receive the cup in about three weeks after we receive the order along with a letter of acknowledgement for tax use. Incidentally, you can view some of the weekly news broadcasts on-line at http://lpctv.org/taxonomy/term/14.

Devi Gets A Wardrobe Addition

2008-06-13T12:39:00.004-04:00

Pictured above is Devi wearing one of the several kerchiefs designed by Janet to enhance her (i.e., Devi's) wardrobe. As may be gathered from the photo, Devi is very turned-on by the addition.

Strolling of the Heifers

2008-06-08T15:33:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, June 7, we traveled down to Brattleboro, Vt, to see the 7th annual "Strolling of the Heifers," a Vermont version (in much slower motion) of the Running of the Bulls. According to the local paper, over 45,000 people watched the parade. It was great fun and certainly mirrored both the agricultural and cultural traditions of that part of the state. It was especially interesting to see the number of people who used the opportunity to complain about the continued existents of the VT Yankee nuclear plant just south of Brattleboro. Below is a quick movie taken with Janet's little digital camera. You can also view a slideshow at share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmS7.

Douglas and Veronica Visit Ludlow

2008-06-01T08:54:00.003-04:00

Douglas and Veronica took time off from their research efforts at the University of Georgia to visit us in Vermont for several days - after attending a friend's wedding in the city. While here, they toured Saint Gauden's National Monument in New Hampshire, went kayaking with Jeffrey (managing to survive being locked out from the old Explorer), and just stayed around Ludlow and environs. Douglas found time to clean out the woodshed. Prior to leaving for the airport, we all had lunch with Allen at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. It was great to see both of them. Some photos of the visit may be viewed at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmSq&emid=sharview&linkid=link5.

Janet Opens Porch for 2008 Season

2008-05-17T11:21:00.003-04:00

Janet, pictured above in her favorite location, officially opened the 2008 summer season in Ludlow as she readied the porch at 1 Whispering Pines for the forthcoming "warm weather" season.

Janet Takes New York at 50th Columbia Reunion

2008-04-28T13:36:00.003-04:00

Janet attended her 50th graduation class reunion from Columbia-Presbyterian in New York in April. While Janet was taking part her college festivities, Ralph was walking the hard pavement of New York. Both enjoyed dinners at several of their City favorites, the Sea Grille at Rockeller Center and the Russian Samovar on 52th Street. Pictured above is Janet with former classmate and still friend, Leslie. Below is a photo of Janet and Ralph at the Sea Grille. More photos are available at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmSI. They also enjoyed a wonderful matinee at Avenue Q (it was hard to tell the puppets - or muppets - from the humans).

Signs of Spring

2008-04-18T09:08:00.002-04:00

For awhile it looked like we might never see those marvelous signs of Spring that seemed to have been missing even with the technical advent of the season. But, miracle or miracles, we finally are seeing the crocus in blossom, the appearance of daffodil stems, and a temperature that is 45 degrees above freezing.

More About Snow

2008-02-29T16:06:00.003-05:00

Pictured above is our rear deck as of the end of February; that's apparently also the end of the weatherman's winter statistical period. At any rate, Vermont had its biggest snow accumulation, over 100 inches, since the early 70's. Unfortunately for us, while we were away skiing we had both snow and rain resulting in a frozen surface that's impossible to shovel. And we have another foot allegedly coming tonight (2/29/08). Below is the view from our media room of the front porch.

Paces Enjoy 6th Year at Owlshead

2008-02-17T09:52:00.003-05:00

For the sixth straight year, we met the Brownlies at Owlshead in Mansonville, PQ, for a week of skiing and fun. The snow was excellent and the company, as usual, most pleasant. When not skiing, we were either relaxing with a book by the fireplace or travelling to our "favorite" spot in Mansonville, the Vale Perkins General Store. Janet is pictured above on Panarama Trail with the peak in the background. Below, John and Joan Brownlie, along with Ralph, are pictured outside the Vale Perkins store, the source of some food and wine. While Southern Vermont was receiving rain, Owlshead was blessed with powder snow. Additional photos are available at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmRm.

Now . . . about Winter inVermont

2008-01-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

We've all seen the romantic symbols of Vermont in the Winter - sleighs drawn by horses going up to a candlelit inn, etc. - but how about a few facts that you also have to live with occasionally. How about having a fuel company that thinks you have a 500 gallon oil tank? Great, until you realize that the tank is only 275 gallons and that you just ran out of fuel as the temperature hit -3 F degrees and the house was at 54 F degrees (even the dog was getting cold). Then, when you take the dog out for a walk, the trip down the driveway can be very sudden as the 80 pound Lab manages to get you into a cross-country skiing mode - minus the skis. Yet, I have to admit after spending those years walking through the dirty Manhattan mush and slush on a cold Winter's morn, the sight of clean white snow is very appealing.

New Years 2008 at First Night

2008-01-03T08:33:00.000-05:00

Along with Kevin and Patsy Kuntz, we traveled up to Burlington to take part in its 25th anniversary First Night program to usher in the New Year. It was a great way to enjoy the many faceted entertainment opportunities afforded by the First Night program (we saw the VT divas singing songs I personally had trouble understanding the lyrics, a comedian, several blue grass groups - I loved the Banjo Dan group and The Tea Company, plus two fireworks displays). Church Street was ablaze with holiday lights and the parade for the event was simple but alot of fun. Aside from returning to Ludlow in a heavy snow storm (thanks to Kevin's driving skill, we managed to bypass a trafic tie-up coming into metropolitan Ludlow), it was a great and sane way to usher in the new year. Some more pixes are available by clicking here.

Christmas 2007 at 1 Whispering Pines

2008-01-03T08:14:00.001-05:00

The whole gang was here for Christmas: Barbara and Stephen flew in from Salt Lake, Jeffrey come up from Rockingham, and Douglas from Athens, GA. On the Thursday following Christmas we had a chance to celebrate Stephen and Barbara's recent nuptials with a dinner at the Castle (Jeffrey was unable to make it due to the weather and work). Above is a picture of the group at the Castle. As usual, we had some fun gifts from the stocking stuffers on Christmas Eve including a "potato" pistol and a cardboard tree that, over the course of the holiday, actually grew. The boys (the men!) also helped out by geting rid of the voluminous snow deposited from our new standing seam roof. Janet also was introduced to more hi-tech stuff, getting a video teleconferencing device and Zune.

Holiday Elderhostel Boston Trip

2007-12-21T08:47:00.000-05:00

Janet and I enjoyed a brief Elderhostel trip to Boston in mid-December. Staying at the Midtown Motel, the group took in the Christmas performance by the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, saw "White Christmas" (a take off from the 1950 movie, "Holiday Inn") at the Wang, toured the Christian Scientist Mother Church, had dinner at Elderhostel headquarters, toured the fantastic collections at the Museum of Fine Arts (especially the Eygptology collection), and. of course, managed to do a little "unnecessary" Christmas shopping at several of the urban shopping malls in Back Bay and Copley Square. All in all, we had a great time. Pictured above are some of the folks attending the Elderhostel; below is a photo of the Mother Church of Christian Scientist. For some other photos, click here.

First Winter Storm Hits Ludlow

2007-12-04T12:42:00.001-05:00

Starting Sunday night through Monday, Dec 3, we experienced our first snow of the season, totalling about 9 to 10 inches. Devi has thoroughly enjoyed discovering the snow as may be seen from the above photo of me trying to manage her during an outing.

Thanksgiving in Georgia

2007-12-01T08:36:00.001-05:00

We journeyed down to Athens, Georgia to enjoy Thanksgiving with Douglas and do some sightseeing at the Un. of Georgia, Douglas' lab, and the town of Athens. We also had time to help Douglas (the primary chef) in the preparation of a 17 lb bird for the occasion - which he shared with three of his co-workers.

During the T-Day celebration, we also watched, as is required of a Douglas visit, USC handily defeat Arizona State. It was fun to spend time with Douglas and his co-workers, who were from Argentina and Brazil, especially as they tried to engage the fall pasttime of football.

A photo slide show of the visit is available by clicking here.

Pictured below is a photo of Douglas in action at the lab where he is currently doing research aimed at understanding the nature of a particular parasite that attacks the human body, particularly affecting people living in Latin America.

Ludlow Group Enjoys Paris Trip

2007-10-20T08:36:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday, October 10, the Almonds, Moores, and Paces flew to Paris for a full four days of sightseeing. It was a fun trip and for most of the participants their first view of the city of lights.

Day 1 - we bought Metro tickets and wander up to the Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower to the uninitiated) and had our first sidewalk cafe lunch near the tower as we dealt with jet lag. That evening we travelled to the Ecole Militaire area to enjoy a very small restaurant, P'Tit Troquet. It lived up to its name, the little cafe, as it could seat only twenty people. But it was most enjoyable as everything ordered was prepared from scratch.

Day 2 - David and Darrah left early to catch a train to Normandy to tour the D-Day beaches and American cemetery, all of which they thoroughly enjoyed. The ladies and Ralph took a walking tour of La Marais (the marsh) section of the city to view the old homes and buildings used by the nobility. Pam, our guide, provided a detailed background to the history of the area. Following the walk, we stopped for lunch and then went to Musee de l'Orangerie to see Monet's huge oils of water lilies. The guys returned on an earlier train from Normandy so we went to an Italian restaurant then took a tour of Paris by night (the illumination tour) that was great. This was followed by a trip to the Moulin Rouge. After standing in line for an hour, we finally were seated, amongst the mob of other tourists, for a very long show. Got back to the hotel after 2 am.

Day 3 - This was the day we saw virtually everything in Paris. We had arranged a private tour called the Best of Paris with Sophie, a sophisticated and charming young lady. Our itinerary included Notre Dame, the Lourve (with Sophie's fantastic narratives), lunch on a lovely restaurant boat as we plied the Seine, followed by a tour of everything imaginable in Paris from the Champs Elysee to the Place de la Concorde. Of course, the Eiffel Tower seemed to be everywhere we went. The evening concluded with a dinner at La Tour d'Argent.

Day 4 - At Darrah's urgings, we set out on our own walking tour of the Ile St. Louis to discover an ice cream source that was famous. We had a pleasant walk throughout the area, enjoyed the ice cream (although we still think Ben and Jerry's is the top), and returned to the hotel to be picked up by Marie for a private tour of Versailles. Versailles was a magnificent experience with its beautifully manicured landscapes and majestic chateau. We enjoyed our "last supper" at Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower.

All in all, it was a great trip. Even the flights were tolerable. Below are some of the highlights of the long weekend in Paris (a fuller version is available as a slideshow by clicking here).