What can I say? I have been remiss with regard to my posting of photos and news of our travels and there is so much. So I will apologize in advance here for the vast number of photos, over late fall, winter, spring nad into summer.
Some key news: We have converted a Dodge Ram Promaster van into a camper van named Vanna White.. Aside from dirving, this vehicle is entirely off the grid, with a refrigerator, microwave, shower, hot water, sink, fresh and gray water tanks and more. Here's a link to a playlist that includes a few short videos about the van, and one longer video I will mention below. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKlmLdYP9y6xuQahy4hwEtR0SSXULFvD6
And so with van life I have tried out new ways to cook things to make it easier to clean up.
Here's a link to my newest cooking video: scrambled eggs and black beans in the microwave: https://youtu.be/dM6mwvGWwJA
And here's a link to my most recently poetry reading online, along with Eileen Cleary. The video begins right where my reading starts: https://youtu.be/XMnafjwt32Q?si=MYCRy5ekHHQaI3x6&t=244
Here are a few highlights of these past 8 months:
Late November/early December we went to Detroit to check out an electric camper van. It was 20 degrees at night and we froze, but lived to tell the tale.
December: Claude flew to CA to rent an electrified Dodge Ram Promaster, with 165 miles of range.
January: We purchased an internal combustion engine Dodge Ram Promaster (20 plus feet long) and mostly Claude (with some help from me) designed and implemented a camper van conversion, over the next few months.
February 2024: We took our annual trip to Craftsbury outdoor center, and did find snow to ski on.
March 2024: We took the dock down on Bear Island and moved the houseboat back to the dock.
April 2024, We drove the van to Williston VT to visit friends and share in the eclipse.
April 2024: We took the van on an 11 night holiday to visit friends and attend memorials and boon dock at the C&O Canal national park in western Maryland, about 110 miles west of DC, and on the Potomac river.
May 2024: We were fully operational at Bear Island, still making trips back and forth between Carlisle and Meredith.
July 2024: We took our annual trip to Cape Cod.
Oh and I'll be reading poems online with Eileen Cleary. Friday Aug 2 at 7 PM Virtually. Here's the info:
Join Zoom Meeting 7 PM Friday Aug 2
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5112338153?pwd=0IhJE3yRtsagu64MKhTC0R1put8VH0.1
Meeting ID: 511 233 8153
Passcode: dQH2G2
As alwasys, we would love to hear from you.
Carla
Oh Peaches!
My peaches bloomed and my two varieties showed up in July. I picked early to defeat the birds.
Thanksgiving Highlights
Detroit, Grounded RV
We took this trip to Detroit to visit an electric RV startup. We rented it for one night but the heat ddidn't work while it was 20 degrees outside. Still it was a nice adventure.
Mastadons?
Detroit City
Flying Back to Boston
Sculpture on board
Hiking Southern NH in December
Dennis Brennan Band Plays Boston Harbor Distillery in Decemver 2023
Bluebirds in December
Mass Central Railtrail in Weston. Goes into Newton Now
Breakfast in December 2023: When Cranberries are still in, you make fresh Cranberry sauce
Walkill valley rail trail in Kingston NY headed into Rosendale, NY
Kingston NY
Bridge across the Hudson St Park Poughkeepsie
Soujourner Truth Statue and Marker
Returning From NY to Boston, December 29, 2023, including biking on the Harlem valley railtrail
Monday January 8, Snow in Carlisle, MA
Skating on Warner's Pond January 2024
Poetry Readings
Concord Sleepy Hollow Cemetary and Judge Nancy Gertner Speaks
More Snow in Carlisle, January 2024, my ski trail at the house
Frozen Skating Pond in Littleton MA February 6, 2024
Groton Center for Music.. magnificent acoustics and architecture
Friends and Jazzin Central Square
MIT
First Van Modifications: Adding Windows -- this is the first window, and notice the sheet metal Claude removed
Craftsbury VT February 2024
Sunlight through a prismatic windown in the bathroom at our cabin
Ski from the cabin at Craftsbury
Savoy MA
Spring Flowers
More Camper Van Work Photos taking Vanna White on the Road
Maiden Voyage: Eclipse Trip
Bike Ride on the Return: New Hampshire's Northen Rail trail
11-Night Trip through NY, NJ, MD, DC and back
National Arboretum
UU Church, DC
Walking Through DC
Hirschorn
Storm King
Driving Home, a Spotting Cybertruck in April
Gaining Ground Farm Concord, MA
Poetry Reading in Contoocook/Hopkinton, NH
Traveling on the Lake
JP Celebration April 2024
Back on the Lake
Ashland and Bobby Keyes at Farmstand B&B, Chocorua NH
Back on the Lake
Rebuilding the Swim Platform
Our swim platform failed this year, and Claude rebuilt it. It's wonderful.
More lake
Franconia Bike Week
Tamworth with the Van
Billy Wylder band at Farmstand B&B, Chocorua
White Lake State Park, Our Bench with a view
A Hike in May
Downtown Keene, NH
A Trip to Clark Museum and Savoy MA to see friends
At the Mail Dock, Bear Island
Birthday Flowers, Monarch Caterpillar, Other Critters (turtle, toad)
More Lake, Including Trips to Three-Mile Island Camp
we volunteered this year to give housboat tours at 3-mile island. We also had to replace our twelve-year old Outback inverter/charge controller system ater 12 years when it conked out. the old system cost around $5000 while the new one cost around $700.
More Lake
Dock Garden
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Cooked in the Solar-powered Houseboat for 4th of July
More lake, startign with 4th of July fireworks landing in the lake
Trip to Cape Cod
Miscellaneous photos
Miscellaneous poems