Leonard Cohen Concert in Austin

Halloween night in Austin!  Dinner with Cass!  The Leonard Cohen concert!!  What more do I need to say?  Here are a couple of my favorites from him.  First, a classic.

This next one is the epitome of my sweetie.  Love it.

The man is pure genius.  Everyone should listen -- and enjoy each moment of his poetry and understanding of the world -- both spiritual and temporal.

A Personal Rant

(NOTE FROM DEBI --- A few people have voiced concern over this entry by mistaking my sarcasm for reality.  Anytime you see quotes on here, this is someone else's statement, not mine.  I was trying to make a point with what was being said TO me, not by me.)

With the election only a couple of weeks away, I still have not made up my mind who I am going to vote for and this has some friends shocked.  Why?  Why are you all so quick to decide?  And why are you trying so hard to get me to vote one way or the other?

I am doing my  homework.  Period.  I am not voting on a pet issue, but on what will be of the most benefit to society as a whole.  Isn't that what we all should be doing?  I am not taking what anyone says as the truth because I know it isn't.  They all lie or stretch the truth for their own purposes.  If you believe that your candidate does not do this, think again -- and do some fact checking, because I am stating an absolute fact.

As for my FB Friends and their continuous barrage of items posted to sway me one way or the other, I need you to understand a few things.

To those who are pushing for me to vote because of your Christian beliefs:  Stop.  As I said before, they all lie and so have lost the "moral" edge that you are pushing.

For those of you who are "ex-Mormons", your overwhelming pushing of your ideals is driving me nuts.  Do you not understand that you have lost all credibility with me?  It was you who went into people's homes and bore witness to them that you knew the church was true and that they needed to be baptized.  I was one of those people.  I believed you.  Then you said it was "all a lie" --- that you were "misled".  And now . . . . I am supposed to believe that you have it all figured out again.  Of course you are not being "misled or manipulated" this time around.  Right?  How can I trust you again?  The hypocrisy of it all is mind bending to me.  Oh -- and of course, the opposing candidate is NEVER given the luxury of changing their mind -- really???  Give it a rest.  I am done.  If you wish to unfriend me over this, so be it.

I am not active in church for a reason.  Ask any of my family members and they will tell you that this exact hypocrisy that I am speaking of was the reason I left.  You, my friends, have not eliminated it from your lives -- you have merely moved it and are now pushing your new church.  Stop, please.  You have merely traded listening to one set of "old white guys" to a different set of "old white guys" -- both corporate and both determined to get your attention.  One is a group running a religious organization and the other is a group running the media and various corporate interests.  It doesn't matter that you have a new side you have decided to vote for, you are once again being "misled" by believing everything you hear without any research on your own part.  If you cannot face up to that then you did not learn from your past in which you were so "vulnerable".

I did.  I listened to you the first time.  I believed you.  Now you tell me that you were "mistaken".  As the old quote goes:  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  It is not going to happen.  So please stop trying.  If I believed you once and you tell me you were "wrong", I can never believe anything you say again, as you had such an impact on me and so many others on your first shot.  I hope you remember that always - not just that you were "misled", but that you "misled" so many others and then turned and spit in their face.  And now you are spending all of your time telling us how "wrong" we are.  Really?

Thank you.  I guess in the long run you did do me a favor.  I am a smarter, more thorough person now.  I pay very close attention to what I am being told and doing my own research to validate it.  Actually, your "changing of your mind" has been a benefit in a way - as I am very careful of what I do and do not believe from others.  And I will vote for the nation as a whole, not for your pet issues.

2012 Texas State Fair - Chinese Lantern Festival

We purchased tickets to The Adams Family at the Music Hall at Fair Park during fair week.  The tickets also give us admission to the fair and so we go early in the afternoon so that we can walk around and enjoy the festivities.  One of the unique attractions this year is the Chinese Lantern Festival. We purchase tickets for the evening session and walk through it before the play starts in order to enjoy it all lit up.  Everything you see in these pictures are LANTERNS.  It is full of color, beauty, and playfulness.  Truly fun to wander through the different scenes that have been set up.

There were a few additional lanterns made just for this show.  Check out the Texas Longhorns!

These are all placed out on the water and the reflections add to the magic of it all.

Another one that was done especially for the United States show.  The contrast of the statue and the pagoda creates an interesting visual.  Don't you agree?

New England - Days 9 and 10 East Coast and Home

Good morning!  It is an awesome fall day in Maine and we are excited for our journey to continue.  From this point forward, we no longer have any lodging reservations and so it goes to say -- no final destination for tonight.

First things first - we drive back into Portland to visit the Standard Baking Company.  This little shop just oozes with incredible aromas and atmosphere.  Stacks of bread, piles of cookies, and plates of pastries are everywhere and the little bell on the door never stops ringing.  The only place to sit is a small bench up front used for people waiting on their orders but we take our drinks and scones over to it and sit down to watch while we imbibe.  We are fortunate enough to overhear a conversation between the owner and the photographer of the their recent cookbook, Standard Baking Co. Pastries, which was just being published.  I definitely want this book when I return home.  With our breakfast finished, we take our package of freshly baked gingersnaps and depart.  (Sneak - I have the recipe for the cookies - oh my.)

It is time to drive again and our first stop is . . . .  drumroll please . . . . The Portland Breakwater Lighthouse.  Yay!  These wonderful edifices hold the same romanticism to me that the bridges do and so I am looking forward to visiting a few of them.  This one was built in 1875 and it still flashes a white light every 4 seconds to this day.  It is not open to the public but you can walk all the way up to it as the grounds are easily accessible.

From here it is just a short drive to the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse.  It was originally built by the government and owed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1897 following complaints of ships running aground. The granite breakwater which makes it accessible to us today was not in place until 1951.  It is open on select days, but only during the summer and so we are not able to go inside.  Sad.

Our next stop is in Cape Elizabeth and the oldest lighthouse in the state.  It was built in 1879 and appears on many "must-see" lists.  It is now owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth and features a museum in the Keepers Quarters.  It sits along the shores of Fort Williams Park and the whole setting is perfect.  The iconic Portland Head Lighthouse is definitely high on my favorites list.

From the grounds at Portland Head, you can look across the bay and see the Ram Island Lighthouse in the distance.  It is not open to the public and is accessible only by boat so this is as close as I could get.  Still -- I COULD see it.

The next stop on the lighthouse trail is also in Cape Elizabeth where the twin towers are located.  If you go down to the end of Two Lights Road, near The Lobster Shack Restaurant,  you are able to see both of them at once.  They are approximately 300 yards apart however both are either privately owned or on private property and so it is impossible to get close to them.  While at this location, we walk down to the shore for a few minutes to breathe the salt air and savor another small moment.

Our map has indicted that there is a little pub nearby.  Yes, we actually did download all the microbreweries along our route into our maps.  Call us pitiful or resourceful -- we enjoy it.  Saco, Maine provides us with Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery.  It is around noon and so we stop in to say hi and check out the place.  At one time this area held one of the largest number of cotton mills in the states, employing over 9000 people at its peak.  The pub is in an abandoned mill that has been renovated and we think they did a great job of retaining history and making it a fun new place to go.


After a nice history-filled chat with the bartender it is time to hit the road again.  We have brought a written lighthouse "crawl" with us and next up is the Goat Island Lighthouse.  Following the directions takes us to Cape Porpoise where we are able to view the lighthouse from a distance.  The present building was constructed in 1859 and is accessible by boat only.  Neither the grounds or the lighthouse are open to the public and so once again we have to be satisfied with a view of it.



The viewing location we had been directed to also includes the Cape Pier Chowder House/Cape Porpoise Lobster Co.  As we are standing outside looking at the lighthouse, a truck pulls up and starts unloading fish to be packed in salt for storage.  We were able to watch the packing and ask questions.  The truck is full of fish and as they tip it the fish just pour out through a little door into the blue barrels while salt is added to each layer.


















There are lobster boats and cages nearby, but the fisherman are not out today.  I had originally tried to get on a lobster run this morning, but the weather was keeping the fishermen home and so it was not available.

We had been looking for an authentic chowder house and were hungry so jumped on the opportunity to try this little gem out.  What a delight!  I select my live lobster from a tank and it is lifted in the colander that is suspended over the tank.  The cook then takes the tongs and moves the lobster from the colander to the large kettle of boiling water and closes the tank.  A short time later, it is retrieved and served to us whole.  Mister then has to dismantle it and offers me small pieces that are amazingly tender and yummy.  These are lobsters that were in the ocean within the last couple of days -- so fresh and you can still taste the ocean in them.  This is the only way to have lobster.  Honest.

Our drive continues through the Kennebunks and down into Ogunquit.  The pristine white sand beach here is 3 1/2 miles long and recognized as New England's best.  It is owned by the town and so has been a public beach since 1888.  What a smart move by that state legislature to have seen what might happen if the land was bought up and privatized.  As a result, everyone gets to enjoy this beautiful place.

Winding our way down the east coast, it is not long before we bid farewell to Maine.  The small towns that we stopped in along the way held charm and a definite "fishing" feeling.  As we crossover back into New Hampshire our first stop is in Portsmouth.  I LOVE this town!  It reminds me of the Boston area and is just as strange to try and drive around in.  After circling the downtown area several times, we find a spot to park and walk around the town square.  The North Church stands out with its beautiful white steeple and red brick walls.  This alone makes the town feel small and friendly.

We stop in at Portsmouth Brewery for some quick fluids and the place is absolutely packed.  It takes awhile to even get a seat.  We share a table with 6 other people, enjoy the drink, and depart to continue our walk around town.






As we are walking down the street, I spot a lady in a window making fudge and cannot stop myself from going in.  It is Kilwins Fudge and the place smells divine.  The fudge is completely hand paddled and I am learning so much.  We watch and talk for awhile before purchasing some maple fudge to take along with us.  Now I want to go home and make some.


We find the car again and are once again headed south and back into Massachusetts.  We spot another brewery on our map and so make a detour to Ipswich to check it out.

It is a Friday night at dusk and when we drive up there are quite a few people outside and it looks like they are having a tasting.  We park, get out of the car, and walk up like we belong there.  People ask us what we need and it turns out that it the brewery is closed but that they are having an employee party.  We tell them that we are from Dallas and they invite us to stay, have a beer, and tour the place.



They are packed in this building like sardines and explain to us that they are in the process of moving to a larger location.  We agree completely -- we can barely walk through the aisles and cannot comprehend trying to run the machinery and work here.  In addition to their own beers, they contract out for other brewers and also do sodas.  This is one busy place.  Jim, the Brewery Operations Manager is working on a batch and invites us up to the platform to watch as he checks temperatures, quantities, and adds the hops.  I love having opportunities like this and am delighted to climb right up.  He shares great information with us about the beer and his own philosophies.  This is such fun and a night I will always remember.

After several hours of conversation, education, and general all around good times we come to the conclusion that we are done driving for the night.  They guys give us great recommendations for dinner and a hotel and so after saying warm-felt good-byes we are on our way.  A quick stop at the Arbor Inn Motel to book a room and then we go down the road to the Stone Soup Cafe for dinner.  The food is great but goodness there sure is a ton of it.  We should have shared an entree.  Who eats this much?  I barely put a dent in my plate but Mister enjoyed his mussels until there were just drops of juice left.

After our meal, it is back down the road and some much needed sleep.  This was such a fun day.

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The sun is up and it is our last day in New England.  Since we are back in Massachusetts and do not fly until this afternoon, I mention that I would like to visit Lexington.  It is not too far away and so Mister agrees and after a little research we are on our way.   Our first stop is at the Ride Studio Cafe for some breakfast.  This is a great little coffee shop that Mister found out about.  It is also a bike repair/sales store and most of the clientele are bikers stopping in either before, during, or after their rides.  The coffee shop part is impressive to Mister as well as they grind the beans for each cup as it is ordered.  Me?  I'm so very impressed with the pastries available and while we are here several people come in just to purchase the pastries alone.  Cool place.

Now for some history lessons.  This is one of the things I love about New England the most.  It is so rich with history and I learn so much each time I visit.  I was either a terrible student in my youth or I have simply lost much of what was once learned.  Whichever it is -- I love learning it now.  We start our walk on the Battle Green, the place where the American Revolution actually started.  To know that all of the people that we read about in history books also stood in these same places gives me a sense of wonder and respect.  This rock monument stands in remembrance of Captain John Parker and the statement he made to the militia on April 19, 1775 just minutes prior to the first shot being fired.

On the corner of the Green, this Lexington Minuteman statue of Captain John Parker has stood since 1900.  Even though there were not any minutemen in Lexington at this time the nickname has stuck for this statue.  Parker's men were called Militia.  There is an actual 'minuteman' statue in Concord but that is for another trip.

As we stand at the statue and look across the Green - this magnificent church with it's resplendent foliage stops us in our tracks.  I actually sit down on the Green and just take it all in while Mister photographs the memory.  The whole place is peaceful and yet buzzing with activity at the same time.  There is a group of soldiers with some type of activity going on at the corner that is drawing quite a crowd, but yet the reverence of the area is maintained.

There are three buildings here that I wish to tour and so I walk up to the Buckman Tavern to purchase tickets for the tour.  The tour does not start again for awhile at this location and so we are told to go to one further up the road first and it starts in 45 minutes.  With a little bit of time to kill, we walk up a path to The Old Belfry.  Our pictures of it didn't turn out, but The Old Belfry has been in various locations in Lexington since 1761 and the phrase "sound the alarm" meant to ring the bell.  It is still rings each Patriots Day at 5:30 a.m. on the dot.  From the top of the hill we can see another church steeple in the distance and once again are struck with the serenity of the area.

The Hancock-Clarke House is our first stop on our ticketed tour.  This was John Hancock's childhood home and was where he and Sam Adams were staying on the night of Paul Revere's ride.  The home was a very simple one and yet quite elegant for that time period.



Our second stop is the Buckman Tavern which sits across the street from the Battle Green.  It was built around 1690 and was the first Public House in Lexington.  When the militia were training on the Green, it was a favorite gathering place.  This building heard and saw so many things that it would be so amazing if the walls could talk.  Oh my.  The people that were here and the words that were used to create this great democracy of ours live today in our constitution.  It makes one think about what they were willing to sacrifice for what we take for granted today.  I am not sure that I am thankful enough.

 I cheat a little on the no photography of the house and peek in the kitchen window for a shot.  Is this not the coolest kitchen?  I am not saying that in any terms of modern day - but in astonishment over it.  Everything took so much time and yet they were able to prepare wonderful meals.  Once again, I think I take all the wonderful kitchen appliances and gadgets that I own for granted.  I forget to be thankful for them and remember that not all people had such ease back then and many today do not also.



We finish our time in Lexington with a tour of the Munroe Tavern.  We are glad that this is on the tour because it is obvious to us that not everyone was with the rebels as not everyone is able to agree on anything today either.  We wanted to hear the other side of the story and it was done very well.  The Munroe Tavern became the headquarters for the British troops and was also used as a hospital for their wounded.  When I was a young adult in Bigfork, I made a friend who was from England.  On the 4th of July her husband (who was American) would tell the kids that this was the day that "Daddy's people beat Mommy's people".  He told it like a joke but I will never forget her response of, "that is not the way our history books tell it."  I  remember that today as I am reminded that perspectives are always different.  We choose which perspective we like the most and call it "right" and to those who select a different perspective -- well they are "wrong".  Food for thought for me today.

It is now time for us to end our wonderful trip to this part of our country.  I have loved absolutely all of it and do not wish to leave.  I could move here easily -- but I do have favorite spots of course.  The Boston area will always hold my heart but I have fallen in love with Vermont as well.  Perhaps someday I can come and play here again.

We drive into Boston, return the car and take the subway to the airport.  Our time is over.  Here is one last shot to remember the beauty and history of this great place.  This window belongs to the church on the Battle Green in Lexington.  See you in Dallas.

New England - Day 7 and 8 Mostly New Hampshire

Happy Anniversary to us!  Two years together and still friends - most of the time. (smiles)  We start the day with a good old-fashioned breakfast at the Miss Lyndonville Diner.  It is definitely a local scene and we enjoy every minute of it.  The sign on the wall causes me to giggle and yet makes perfect sense if you look around.








We are driving south towards Franconia Notch State Park and today is supposed to be our COLOR day.  It starts out great and I am so excited as we are driving the Kancamagus Highway and it is listed as a scenic byway offering "splendid vistas, vivid color, and all the glory of Mother Nature."  Everything we read ahead of time told us to take this route and so here we go.  Fingers crossed.

We arrive at Franconia Notch and stop at Cannon Mountain hoping to ride the tram up the mountain for incredible views.  Nope --- we cannot even see the top of the mountain due to clouds and so we have to punt.  After a few minutes in the car with maps and books, we decide to drive past our original destination and see some of Maine and then drive back to where we should have been for the evening.  Then tomorrow morning we will backtrack back to here and try again.  It seems longer than it really is and so off we go.  It is raining now and the view is definitely limited.

In Conway, New Hampshire we stop at Tuckerman Brewing Company only to learn that they are not open for walk-ins except during tour hours.  Dang.  For an anniversary day, we sure are running into obstacles today.

We stay westbound and arrive in Naples, Maine around lunchtime.  We have passed many lakes and ponds and have laughed ourselves silly trying to determine just how they decide which is which.  These are some of the largest ponds I have ever laid eyes on.



Bray's Brewpub is in Naples and so that is our stop for lunch.  They have a lobster roll on the menu and I mention that I have never tried one.  Well -- that makes our order for the day obvious.  They are so delicious but also very rich.  I am glad we are sharing this lunch.

The bartender tells us about the Songo Locks just down the road and so we head that way after lunch.  The locks connect Sebago Lake to Brandy Pond and Long Lake and are the only ones remaining from over 30 of them built in the 1830s.  They are still operated by hand from an operator who hangs out in a small shed near the controls.

It is time to turn around and head back to Fryeburg via a trip around Sebago Lake and cross country up to North Conway.  We stop to do a little shopping as I need a raincoat since the weather has changed.  We find a Columbia store and I am able to find the perfect coat as well as a few new shirts before they close.  The Moat Mountain Smokehouse is our sleeping quarters for the night.  Yep -- we have a room over the restaurant/bar.  It turns out to be very quiet, simple, and amazingly comfortable.

Mister has made reservations for dinner at the White Mountain Cider Company in Glen, New Hampshire.  It is a wonderful evening and so nice to be able to celebrate our two years of marriage this way.  The food and service is excellent and makes our evening topnotch.

Mister:  I look forward to another great year with you.  Thank you for loving me.

Lady


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I look out the window and see the sun.  After yesterday that is a great sign.  We are going back to Franconia Notch today and I so want to ride the tram up the mountain.  First stop though is the Jackson N.H. Bridge (nicknamed the Honeymoon Bridge) which was built in 1876.  It has been kept up with fresh paint and I love the red color.

Driving the Kancmagus Highway today is quite different and oh so pretty.

When we reach Cannon Mountain, we buy our tickets for the aerial tramway and start our ascent.  The temperature drops rapidly and by the time we reach the top it is quite cold and the ground has been dusted with fresh snow.  We really didn't pack for this weather and so are not sure just how long we will be able to walk around outside.  We start down the path along the ridge of the mountain and love the views.  It is so worth the cold.

After our walk, we stop in the lodge for a nice hot chocolate and take seats at the window to bask in the views for as long as we can.

Look at the colors!!!  Oh my.

The tram ride down is chilly but goes quick.  I try and get a picture of Mister with the colorful background but once again the camera is not near as good as my eyes.  I wish it was able to capture exactly what I see.  Perhaps it is the dirty windows.

When we reach the bottom, we set our sights on the Flume Gorge just down the road.  The 2 mile walk to the gorge is full of color and both natural and man made items of interest.  Eye candy day!

This is a nature walk, but at least one man made item has caught my eye.  It is the Pemigewasset River Bridge and is that wonderful red that I love so much.  It is still in use today as is the walkway beside it.    Built in 1934, it is one of the younger bridges that we have visited on this trip.


As we are walking along the path my inner child pops out and I have a desire to play in the leaves.  I had this thought that they would just slowly rain down on me -- so silly -- they came right back down in the same clump they were thrown in.  I still had fun though.  I look like the Pillsbury Doughboy all bundled up in my coat over my heavy sweater - I bet I could easily roll down that hill.



Continuing along the path, we come to a wooden walkway that hugs the rocks along the creek and we start to climb up the gorge.  It is so pretty and amazing in that it is all natural.  It was discovered in 1808 by a 93-year-old woman who was out fishing.  She went home to tell her family and no one would believe her at first.

The waterfall at the top can be heard in the quiet between the rock walls.  We continue up the walkway marveling the chance we even have to visit this place.  I love the many shades of green and the flora that is growing from within the walls.

We stop along the walkway so that Mister can work on a shot of the waterfall itself.  It is complicated as each time someone further back on the walkway moves, we can feel it and so he gets movement in the camera.  He tries several times and I think pulls it off quite beautifully.  This picture takes me back there all over again and I can almost feel the mist on my face.  There used to be a huge (10x12) egg-shaped boulder that hung suspended between the walls but a huge rainstorm in 1883 started a landslide that swept it away.  We are walking along at about the same pace as a couple of men and strike up a conversation with them.  They are trying to take pictures of each other and Mister offers to take one of them together.  When he finishes, the offer is returned and so we are treated to a rare picture of us together.  I think it turned out nice and the colors behind us are vivid.  It is so pretty here and I am so glad we retraced our steps and returned to the park today.  (Oh -- check out my little Rudolph nose).

The next corner on the path brings us to the Sentinel Pine Bridge.  This is a covered bridge for the hiking trail over the Pemigewasset River and was built in 1938 over a fallen pine tree.  If you look under the bridge, you can still see the tree.  Now THIS is a romantic bridge.

A little further down the path is an area filled with Glacial Boulders and some are quite large.  We pass one and are fascinated by the fern growing right out of it.

Little streams dot the landscape as we walk and fill the air with sounds of running water and a mist that freshens the nose.  It is absolutely delightful to be here.

A small chipmunk comes over to check us out and is so bold as to even climb up onto Mister's foot for awhile.  Unfortunately, we do not have even a crumb on us to give to him -- or perhaps I should say fortunately, since I know it is not always a good idea to feed wildlife and then make them dependent on humans.

A few shots that are simply breathtaking.

The White Mountains have not disappointed us in any way.  They have only delighted us.

Oh, our stay in the park has been so nice and I wish it would last forever, but the day is moving on and since we have backtracked, we have quite a distance to go still.  Once we are back in the car, I locate a three more bridges to have a quick peek at before we leave New Hampshire.  The first one is the Albany bridge which was built in 1858 for a mere $1,300.00.  Most of us could build one today if that had stayed the same.

The second one is the Saco River Bridge.  It is painted a nice grey with white trim and a red roof.   It was built in 1890 and is still used today and has quite a bit of traffic.  It takes a few minutes to get a chance to check it out.






The final one is the Swift River Bridge and another of the beautiful red ones.  It was built in 1870 to replace the previous one.  It is no longer used for motor traffic, but as a historic site alone.  I have so enjoyed seeing the covered bridges in Vermont and New Hampshire.  They are certainly treasures to hold onto.  There are only a few left of the thousands that were built and I would hate to see these become extinct.

Now, onto the lighthouses.

Pointing the car towards the East, we sit back and just watch the beautiful scenery as we cross Maine towards Portland.  We are not planning a long stay in Portland on this trip as we would like to do several days here and will return another time to do so.  We do make a stop at Allagash Brewery, but they are only open for tours and we have just missed the last one.  Hmmm -- where have we run into that before?  We continue on to Scarborough where Mister has rented us a little cottage for the night.  Isn't it so cute?





We settle in and freshen up a bit since we have had a busy day and search the internet for a place for dinner.  I locate a lovely place right on the water called the Rising Tide and so with the GPS armed and our tummies grumbling we aim that direction.  It is in an amazing location, but is closed for the season.  Dang -- I had even called ahead and the answering machine said they were open.  Oh well.  We look around for awhile at the beautiful harbor.  It really is quite lovely and the sun is just starting to set and I want to watch.  Mister tries to capture it but once again I am reminded that my eyes are better than cameras no matter how good the picture is.

We still don't have dinner and I am really hungry now.  We stop at Bayley's Seafood Restaurant and this is what we were given.  I don't think I have ever been so incredibly let down by a meal.  Frozen, pre-made crap.  I cannot even eat it and so we go downstairs and do something that is very rare for us - complain.  The counter person gives us our money back and we are once again on the hunt for dinner.




We drive back into Portland and go to Demillo's Floating Restaurant and Marina.  It is an Italian restaurant housed in old ferry that has been renovated.  We have a short wait, but the meal is decent even though the service is not wonderful.  Perhaps I  am just tired and cranky by now.  Time for bed.