16 September 2015

Followed by Chree in the Prius, took Delores down to her home away from home (Green Mountain Garage) for some more fixing, i.e., installation of high temperature spark plug wires.  Returned to Fern Lake to pick up the Tacoma, trailer, and Kubota.  Decided to be daring (Danger is my middle name.  No, that’s not right!  Unsafe at any speed is my middle name.  I’m so confused…) and took VT 125 up (and I do mean UP) over Middlebury Gap and down (and I do mean DOWN) the other side.  Made it, but not sure the Tacoma will ever speak to me again.  Got to Calais at 11:30, unloaded, and immediately turned around (in the Prius) to head back to Brandon.  Picnicked along the way in Granville Gulf, a very scenic section of VT 100.  Got back to Green Mountain Garage at 2:30 to find Delores was ready to go.  Chree headed south to visit with Tasi and Rachel overnight in their Williamsburg, MA apartment.  I headed north with the dogs, returning to Calais via Burlington and East Montpelier as, even with all 8 cylinders firing away, there is no way Delores could ever make it over the mountains or up Bayne’s Hill (which the Tacoma needed 4WD to ascend with the trailer and Kubota).  Delores ran like a champ the whole way!  Got back to Calais at 5 and settled in for the duration.  Steve and I went to the Positive Pie Restaurant in Plainfield for dinner.  Good, but not as great as previous visits.

15 September 2015

Took Delores back to Green Mountain Garage to have the leaking brake caliper replaced.  That done, spent most of the afternoon loading up for the logging trip to Calais.  Found that the new chainsaw chain I just bought is supposed to be sharpened with an ¹¹/₆₄″ file instead of a ³/₁₆”.  Bizarre!!!!  Chree and I also finished cleaning the basement, removing several cubic yards of planer shavings and lots of dust.  Then we went for a final (?) canoe ride around the lake, which now is 16″ below the top of the dock and a balmy 77°.  Weather today was about as perfect as it gets!

14 September 2015

Oh why, oh why does Delores hate me so?  Was doing pre-trip checks this morning and discovered that the inside left rear tire on the RV had an air pressure of only 20 psi, i.e., she was a flat.  So called Green Mountain Garage and was told they don’t do flat tires, but to try Rouse Tires in Middlebury.  The person at Rouse said there were some customers ahead of me but to bring ‘er on in.  Major loss of power during that 10 mile journey, same as I was experiencing last year when two of the spark plug wires were disconnected.  When I got to Rouse, having filled the leaky tire to 70 psi before leaving Fern Lake, the tire was again flat and copious amounts of smoke was pouring from that area.  A quick inspection revealed that the brake caliper was leaking fluid onto the hot rim.  Rouse’s found a bad valve on the flat tire, easily and inexpensively repaired, but they don’t do brakes.  So called Green Mountain Garage back and begged them for an afternoon appointment, laying stress on being the owner’s (Chuck Munger) neighbor.  Limped down to Brandon, with the brake pedal going all the way to the floor the two times I tried to slow down, with emphasis on the word “tried”.  Unsafe at any speed, that’s me.  Green Mountain didn’t have the brake caliper… for some reason they don’t stock parts for 1995 F-Series Ford vehicles.  Roy, their new mechanic, found that two of the spark plug boots were torn and burnt / melted.  Green Mountain also didn’t have a set of vintage 1995 high temperature spark plug wires.  Put the needed parts on order and  Roy put some electrical tape on the spark plug boots, used a set of vice grips to pinch off the leaking brake line, added some brake fluid to the system, then Delores and I hobbled back to Fern Lake for the evening.  Did I mention that my middle name is, “Unsafe at ANY Speed”?

13 September 2015

After bed and breakfast, Chree and I drove over to Chatham, NH… which was quite a challenge as the Prius’ navigation system didn’t have that town in its database.  We finally found Kate & Nate’s place (Chree’s niece and husband, whose wedding we attended in Fryeburg, ME last summer).  Stopped there for an hour to admire their 6-week old daughter, Savannah Pearl, tour their house, and see their maple syrup production facility.  Then fought with the navigator once again (ended up back in Fryeburg at one point and knew that wasn’t right) trying to get to Charlestown, NH via the Kancamangus Highway, which would have been a lovely drive had the sun been out.  Had a nice late lunch with Chree’s sister, Anne, and retrieved my Sperry Topsiders (don’t ask).  Then headed for Salisbury, arriving in the midst of a downpour (the only one encountered all weekend… of course).  Quickly loaded up the dogs, returned to Fern Lake (still raining), unloaded (still raining) and… the rain stopped.

12 September 2015

Dropped off the dogs at Lynne and Perry’s mid-morning.  Lizzy and Shlomo immediately started a contest to see who could be the more hyperactive.  Chree and I then drove over to NH.  Do you remember that old Vermont saying, “You can’t get there from here!”?  Well, that pretty much describes the route from Salisbury to North Conway.  Stayed at the Eastman Inn, a bed & breakfast on the outskirts of town.  Late afternoon, went up to the Glen House in Pinkham Notch to attend a fund-raising event for the Mount Washington Observatory, which included a champagne toast at sunset on the summit observation deck.  In the picture is Brian Fowler, MWObs President, giving his toast as the sun goes down behind him.  Pretty spectacular, huh?!?!  A fun evening, in spite of the weather.

11 September 2015

Chree and I went up to Burlington to do errands and review our plumbing fixture choices at the Granite Group in the morning, have lunch with Alverta, and begin the kitchen cabinet design process at Lowes.  On the way back to Fern Lake, Chree and I agreed that we didn’t like the kitchen designer we had been working with, and will start over with someone else at a different Lowes.  Marty and Merry came up for a dinner of Scallops Newberg and other delights (a significant change up from the usual Delores fare… thank you, Chree).

10 September 2015

Frank, Fran, Chree, and I spent an hour late-morning seeing an exhibit at the Middlebury College Art Museum.  The Tarrios departed after lunch and I went down to Pittsford to retrieve the Kubota.  After dinner, Chree and I went over to Glen Peck’s house to see some lighting design ideas that he wanted us to consider.