We are home again after a 1000-mile road trip around New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. One high point was a quick visit to Cape May. The temperature was around 80 degrees and it was sunny. Apart from the fact that this little seaside resort town was completely deserted, it was a perfect summer day.
On the way home we visited my parents in Poughkeepsie. This timed out perfectly so that I was able to wake up in their home on my birthday. I think it’s pretty fitting to spend some of your birthday with the people who actually made it all possible.
We drove back to Vermont slowly, stopping in Hudson, New York to visit their fabled antique shops. That was fun until we realized that everything was priced way beyond our budget for a simple settee to place in front of the woodstove in the kitchen. I’m not sure who buys antiques in Hudson, but it won’t be us. Dave did scoop up a nifty picnic basket at a remote roadside shop on the way back to the Taconic Parkway for just $7.
We tried in vain to have a little celebratory dinner at the Putney Inn on the way home, but it was all booked. “Leaf” season made it a challenge to find dinner at any semi-fancy place so it was lovely to be welcomed at the Parker House when we got home.
Saturday was a wedge of sunny, warm weather between two gray, rainy days. The Harvest concert went really well. Dave led off with support from members of the group Upstream, including Geoff Dates, Kevin Dann and Jed Dickensen. Pete Meijer followed up with a set of original songs. I love the warmth of his voice.
Next, everyone grooved to the Ethiopian rock of Kiflu Kidane and the New Nile Orchestra. And finally, the Gully Boys would have blown the roof off the joint if we’d been indoors.
Thanks to everyone who attended and helped make it happen, especially Tad Nunez at the Hartford Parks and Recreation Department and the kids of the Youth Garden project in White River Junction.
“Over hills and over valleys,
Over mountains, over seas,
Nations shall sing unto nations,
Until nations cease to be,
Unison in harmony.”
Just in case you haven’t been on the receiving end of Dave’s music email list, there is a free Harvest Concert in White River Junction at the Lyman Point Park bandshell behing the town offices on Saturday, September 30th.
The concert runs from noon until 7PM and features The Gully Boys, The New Nile Orchestra with Ethiopian singer/dancer Kiflu Kidane, Pete Meijer, and Dave (Clark) accompanied by members of Upstream. Sponsors include White River Toyota, Blue Mountain Guitar, Randolph National Bank and PointFM 103.1/107.7 Radio.
Food will be available from The Tastes of Africa and The Ott-Dog. One lucky person will win an acoustic guitar, courtesy of Blue Mountain Guitar.
White River Youth Garden Project volunteers will be on hand to help with the parking as well as site clean-up.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to man
