home

There are a lot of twists and turns in the road when traveling from Brazil to The Other Side of the Creek. I started at the airport al fresco in Brasilia, flying to Miami, to Boston where I picked up the Dartmouth Coach bus line to Lebanon, NH. The pick up spot outside of terminal B had busses stopping to pick up travelers heading all over New England. As the pick up time drew near, I started to try to pick out the people who would be traveling with me on that bus. As we boarded the bus I found that I was correct more often than not. The men and women seated on that bus were generally, quiet, centered, polite; maybe a little introverted. I felt I was back among my  people.

After the bus ride to Lebanon, I picked up the car for the ride home. Crossing the Ct. River into Vermont, I relaxed a bit. I was home. The next morning I went to the Winter's Farmers Market in Rutland. The usual crowd was there. Women in parkas carrying food in canvas bags. Old men with wild white beards. Young women without makeup, wearing boots and carrying small children. I was happy to be there.

We're going through a warm stretch now. The temperature today is supposed to be almost 70. It is welcome, but also brings with it the usual difficulties of thaws this time of year. Kahle Road has turned to soup. The sump pump is running in the basement. Yesterday I was out digging out the ditches between the house and the hill, attempting to deflect some of the snow melt away from the house.

Life is not always easy here on the other side of the creek. It certainly doesn't remind one of the Garden of Eden like Brazil can do.  But my life here with Allyn seems simple, human and genuine. I honestly don't think I'd want to live anywhere else. I guess that is part of the reason I continue writing this blog.