Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas – aka New Jersey – anymore.   It was a year ago when this remarkable journey began with those immortal words “Bill you’ve done a great job, just don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”  Just like that I was unemployed.  We were in the process of purchasing an RV, the one we own today and know as Graybeard.  Months of turmoil followed as we struggled to empty and sell the house.  The highs and lows came like the shots from a machine gun in rapid fire succession.  Add to the mix my knee replacement and the complications that arose from that which almost derailed everything.

Then came that day in December, Christmas Eve to be exact, when this wonderful, fantastic journey began in earnest.  All too well do I remember the next day when we sat, trapped by high winds, in the parking lot of the visitor center at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  No heat, no food, no water.  Family was waiting for us in North Carolina for Christmas Dinner but we were not going anywhere.   At last the ban was lifted and away we went.  New to driving a Class A, my hands were clenched on the steering wheel as I battled the gusts on the bridges and made my way through tunnels that seemed oh, so narrow.  Welcome to full-time RV living.

Since that time we have lived up to our motto to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before.  The states have rolled by under our wheels:  North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, New Hampshire and today here we are in Maine.  The campgrounds have been as varied as the states:  from those that have been absolutely breathtaking to we’ll never go back there again.  We’ve been privileged to make so many new friends from all walks of life.  Each and every one has added to and enriched our lives in ways untold.  The journey on the road of retirement has been exciting and rewarding to date and it is far from over.

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas – aka New Jersey – anymore.  And so we’re not.  Today we bid goodbye to Massachusetts and headed north to the great state of Maine.  We followed our normal routine for moving out and so by the time we were packed, fueled, and had the car hooked up we were on the road by 10 am.

The traffic was light, the roads smooth, winds on occasion but nothing that caused any concern.  Mile by mile rolled by and then there it was, the sign we wanted to see.

Another sure sign that we were in Maine was the ever present road signs that warned us

to watch our for the possibility of a moose on the road.  Oh yea, this is not New Jersey!

Speaking of a moose, today was also great in another way as well, Barbara was able to finally fulfill a wish of hers that she has had since we began this journey.  Today on our way to our new home we stopped to see Lenny the Chocolate Moose.  Lenny resides at Len Libby Candies and Gifts in Scarborough, Maine.

 

Here is Barbara with her idol, yes, it’s Lenny the Chocolate Moose!

Here’s Lenny himself in all his glory.

And the facts about Lenny are

We were also told that Lenny gets a fresh coating of chocolate each year to keep him looking spiffy.

Along with Lenny there is now a mama bear and her two cubs.

And the bear facts about the mama and cub bears are

So there you have it, the bear truth and nothing but the truth about Lenny and the bears.

It was back on the road again and time to go home.  Home being where we would be for the next two weeks.  In due time we were there and here it is Pumpkin Patch RV Resort.

As always Home Is Where We Park It and so here is our new home for the next 2 weeks.

So it is, we are definitely not in New Jersey anymore.  Probably never will be again either.  We continue to travel along, hand in hand, singing our song, enjoying every minute of every new day that God blesses us with.  A year, yes, it’s been a year since this journey began.  Pinch me please sometimes it just doesn’t seem real.  Yet it is as real as real can be and it is still wonderful, exciting, challenging, and fulfilling.

So day is done, we’re settled in, and night has embraced us with its darkness.  We had a great day, a day of fulfilled wishes, a day to be together and enjoy each others company.  We hope you had a great day as well.  Did you?  If not, why not?  Each day is yours, never forget to craft and mold and make as you wish.  PS in the coming days we’ll be going back to two historic parks we visited while yet in Massachusetts, that being Bunker Hill and Lowell.  Now a closing thought for each of us to think upon:

So that’s it for now.  As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Today being Sunday, time out to give thanks to God.  One of the issues we continue to face while on the road is finding a church to attend on Sunday mornings.  Once again we were unsuccessful, so I turned to a TV service.  While it was stimulating and provided food for thought, it just wasn’t the same as being a part of a worshiping congregation.  Ah well, we’ll continue to look wherever we go.

When we awoke this morning we were undecided as to what to do.  Correction, make that I was undecided.  Barbara wanted to go to Bunker Hill to get her Passport To Your National Park book stamped.  All I kept thinking was another day of driving?  Bottom

line, I am so glad she pushed the issue.  It was another exciting day of discovery.

However, before we get to Bunker Hill, we’re going to go back to Lexington, Concord, and North Bridge.  For this story we went to the Minute Man National Historical Park.  Here we are in the parking lot with the ever-present Benny the Bison.  The Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the opening battle in the American Revolution.  The park protects 970 acres in and around the towns of Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord.

This is the plaque regarding the visitor center at the beginning of the walkway to the center.

This is the walkway leading to the visitor center.  It is about a 4 to 5 minute walk one way.

This is the actual visitors center which is operated by the National Park Service.

Inside the visitors center there is a theater where a 25-minute multi-media show, Road to Revolution is shown.  This award-winning, multimedia theater program gives an excellent introduction to the historic events of April 19, 1775.  This is a picture of the inside of the theater.

Continuing our story.  After Paul Revere and William Dawes left Lexington, they continued their ride toward Concord to warn the Patriots gathered there.  They were joined before long by Samuel Prescott.  However, they did not get much further before they were stopped by a patrol of British Regulars.

Though the three men were detained by a patrol of British Regulars, Samuel Prescott was able to elude them and continued to Concord to warn the Patriots gathered there.  They, in turn, gathered on the surrounding hillside to watch and observe as the British Regulars entered Concord.  Once in Concord, the British Regulars begin their search for the reported military supplies hidden there.

 

Watching from the hillside and now seeing smoke rising over Concord, the Patriots believe that the British Regulars are in the process of burning Concord to the ground.  They begin their advance on the British Regulars and meet them at North Bridge. This is a painting of the North Bridge that is in the Visitors Center.  And this is the restored

North Bridge as it looks today.  This is where the Revolution really began on this unassuming bridge.

This statue, at the far end of the bridge above, marks where the Patriots stood and faced the British Regulars.

This monument, at the near end of the picture of the bridge, marks the spot where the British Regulars stood.

On this bridge the militia men confront the British Regulars, who fire and kill two colonials.  The militia commander orders his men to return fire.

This is considered an act of treason against the British government and would become known as the shot heard round the world.

The British Regulars regroup and begin their retreat back to the safety of Charlestown along Bay Road.  But the battle is far from over.  As they struggle back to Charlestown militia ambush them time and time again.  By the time the day was over and the British were back in Charlestown the British count 74 dead and 174 wounded soldiers.  Colonists have 49 men dead and 41 wounded.  The war for freedom has begun.

There is so much more that could be told.  Let me encourage you, make time yourself one day to come and visit the various historical sites in Boston and the surrounding area.

I, for one, was overwhelmed as I stood on the North Bridge and pictured in my mind the battle that raged there that day.  Would I have dared to stand in opposition to the British?  Would I have been willing to sacrifice perhaps even my life on the bridge that day?  I would like to think that I would have.  More though then the questions that came to my mind was the overwhelming sense of gratitude and respect that overtook me as I stood there and remembered the sacrifices made there that day for the freedoms that we all too often take for granted today.   Yes, these past days have humbled me and renewed within me in a new sense of patriotism.

So now the day is done and night has come.  Time for dominoes and time to start packing since we are moving out tomorrow.  It’s been a great day as we traveled along again, hand in hand, side by side.  We hope you had a great day as well.  In closing a thought for each of us:

So that’s it for now.  As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

 

 

 

 

 

A Good Day For Catching Up – Well What Else Do You Do When It Rains?  We decided last night that today would be a day for just hanging out in Graybeard.  We based this on the weather report which called for rain beginning around noon time on Saturday.  So, this morning we just laid around in bed neither of us anxious to get out from under the warm and inviting covers.  But the time came when we finally had to get moving.

Up for breakfast Barbara discovered a new recipe, peanut butter pancakes.  We both thought why not give it a try.  Neither of us were disappointed.  Along with juice and coffee, the pancakes made for a great breakfast.  I’ll take them for breakfast anytime!

The rain?  Right on schedule.  Along with the sagging temperatures it was obvious the day was going to be cold and dreary.  Time to plug in the electric heater.

So let’s get caught up on our travels yesterday.  Yesterday we went to Lexington, The Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord, North Bridge Visitors Center, and North Bridge.

We started at the Lexington Visitors Center. Here’s Barbara and Benny the Bison.

What we learned beginning here follows.  April 19, 1775 was a day that would forever be remembered as the day that the colonists began their journey on the road to independence.

In April 1775, British Regulars planned a surprise attack on the Patriots stockpile of military supplies in Concord. Why was Concord chosen as the depot of the Patriots stockpile of military supplies?

 

 

Plans in place, on the eve of April 18, 1775, British forces began a march from Cambridge toward Concord.  Their singular mission was to destroy the ammunition depot in that town.  The British, however, were not successful in their plan of a surprise attack.

Paul Revere learns of the British plan to cross the Charles River and march on Concord.  A man hangs two lanterns in North Church to alert colonists, using Revere’s code:  one if by land, two if by sea.  The following is one of the lanterns actually hung in the belfry of Old North Church.

Revere crosses the river, mounts a strong horse, and races to spread the alarm.  He takes a northern route.  Another rider, John Dawes takes a southerly route.

 

They arrive first at the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington to alert Sam Adams and John Hancock that the regulars are out.  They knew the British would take them as prisoners if they stayed there.

The militia in Lexington were headquartered here at the Buckman Tavern.

Our militia was led by Captain John Parker.  This sculpture called the Lexington Minuteman Statue is often referred to as the Captain Parker Statue as he led our colonists onto the Battle Green to stand in defense of their native rights.

This is where it all began, Lexington Battle Green was where the British Regulars and our militia faced off on that fateful day, April 19, 1775.

This flag pole on the Battle Green marks the place were 700 British Regulars stood facing our militia who in this picture were assembled on the Green back toward the church steeple.

This boulder called the Parker Boulder marks the place where our militia some 77 men strong stood to face the British Regulars.

 

Ordered by the British to lay down their arms and disperse Captain Parker ordered the militia to Stand your ground.  Don’t fire unless fired upon. . .”  Captain Parker finally orders his men to fall back and disperse.

This is a picture of Lexington Battle Green taken where our militia stood facing the British Regulars.  The distance between them was a muskets distance in essence the effective range of the muskets that were in use that day.

A shot rang out, who fired first is not really known.  But British Regulars and militia responded with fire.  This was the beginning of the American Revolution.  By the time it was over eight militia were dead and nine were wounded.  Only one British Regular was wounded.

This is a diorama of the battle that took place that day on the Lexington Green.

The Revolutionary War Monument, the oldest Revolutionary War Monument, marks the burial site of the remains of 7 of the 8 militia who died on April 19, 1775.

This is the Minute Man Memorial dedicated to the militia men who stood to defend their native rights.

The British Regulars were not deterred and continued their march toward Concord and North Bridge.  That’s what we will cover tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more of our nation’s history.

As I reflected on all that I saw that day one truth rang clear to me, freedom is not free.  I am who I am today and I am able to enjoy the freedoms and lifestyle I do because of those who were willing to stand in defense of their native rights that day.   Today I can do what I do because beginning that day all gave some, and some gave all.  I thank God each day for those who are willing to stand to defend the freedoms we all enjoy each day.

Let’s call it a day now.  Night is all around us and the hour is growing late.  We had a great day, an easy day, a day spent together enjoying each other’s company.  We hope you also had a great day with someone special to you.  In closing a thought for all of us to ponder:

So that’s it for now.  As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Today was going to be another day of sight-seeing.  Today would be Lexington, Concord and the American Revolution.  Since these locations were much closer to home we had no need to rush out this morning.  Therefore, we took our time, got things together, and finally off we went.

But before we get to today, let’s go back to yesterday and finish up our tour of Salem.  Salem, as I hope you have gathered by now, is much more than the witch trials.  Salem is witches, and ocean ships, making waves through literature, settlers, pirates and trading.

Yet, when one thinks of Salem it is true that they almost always think of witches.  This for

a fact is the event that Salem is most known for during 1692.  What caused the hysteria?  What were the circumstances leading up to it?  Many believe it began with the Reverend

Samuel Parris, who became Salem Village’s first ordained minister in 1689, and was disliked because of his rigid ways and greedy nature. The Puritan villagers believed all the quarreling was the work of the Devil.

In January of 1692, Reverend Parris’ daughter Elizabeth, age 9, and niece Abigail Williams, age 11, started having “fits.” They screamed, threw things, uttered peculiar

 

sounds and contorted themselves into strange positions, and a local doctor blamed the supernatural. Another girl, Ann Putnam, age 11, experienced similar episodes. On February 29, under pressure from magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, the girls blamed three women for afflicting them: Tituba, the Parris’ Caribbean slave; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, an elderly impoverished woman.  The following is a picture from the Salem Witch Museum Tituba teaching the young girls.

 

All three women were brought before the local magistrates and interrogated for several days, starting on March 1, 1692. Osborne claimed innocence, as did Good. But Tituba confessed, “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.”

This is a dramatization of one of the trials based on actual records from that day.

With the seed of paranoia planted, a stream of accusations followed for the next few months.  The result was that in only three months’ time 19 innocent people, 14 women and  men, were hanged, and one man was pressed to death.

The following is a picture of an in-floor mural with the names of those unlawfully charged and killed.

It was a time of hysteria, when courts believed in the devil, spectral evidence and teenage girls. Following the trials and executions, many involved, like judge Samuel Sewall, publicly confessed error and guilt. On January 14, 1697, the General Court ordered a day of fasting and soul-searching for the tragedy of Salem. In 1702, the court declared the trials unlawful. And in 1711, the colony passed a bill restoring the rights and good names of those accused and granted £600 restitution to their heirs. However, it was not until 1957—more than 250 years later—that Massachusetts formally apologized for the events of 1692.

The question now becomes What has been learned from the Salem Witch Trials?  The witch trials represent more than just a creepy moment in history: they stand for the terrible victory of prejudice over reason, and fear over courage – a contest that has been replayed, with different actors, again and again since 1692. Modern witch hunts include the roundup of Japanese-Americans during World War II, the pursuit of Communists in the ’50s and today?  The Salem witch trials are a vivid illustration of what can happen when individuals, communities, even an entire country are overtaken by mass hysteria.  The Salem Witch Trials and what fueled them need to be remembered so that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated today.

So we are at the end of our day.  Tomorrow I’m going to bring everything up to date, in particular what we discovered today.   Today was another remarkable day of discovery, of standing where history was made, and learning of the patriotism that brought about the freedoms we enjoy today.  Once again we traveled the road of discovery hand in hand, side by side, enjoying our time together.  We hope you had an equally great day as well.  If not, then remember there is always tomorrow.  In closing, a thought for all of us:

The Past cannot be forgotten, changed or erased

However, the lessons learned

Can and should prepare us for a better tomorrow

So that’s it for now.  As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before