back in that "Toddlin' town"

Erie, PA, is just over half-way from Scarborough, Maine, to Chicago. We left Maine at 7:00am on Saturday, in about 21 degrees, with snow pretty much everywhere….a LOT of snow everywhere. We had a tough time making right turns, because the snow was piled so high at the corners, thanks to the snowplows, we couldn’t see if anything was coming. Made for some excitement when pulling out of Starbucks.

By midday, we were in New York state, where it looked as though there hadn’t been snow in years. Everything was pretty much dry….as we were driving past Herkimer, New York (like, of course we’ve all heard of Herkimer, right??) a little blue Subaru drove past. She gave us a honk and a big wave. We wondered if we had something hanging out of the truck or something, but as she passed, we saw she had a Washington license plate! So we honked and waved right back. First Washington license we’ve seen since Idaho!

I talked about the Mass Pike, Ohio and Indiana turnpikes before, but it bears repeating. Massachussetts has good highways and decent service areas – as long as you like McDonalds. Ohio has the prettiest service areas anywhere. Clean, spacious, absent McDonalds – instead they have a pizza place and Burger King. Okay, it’s still fast food, but no Big Macs to be found. The grounds around the Ohio Turnpike are beautifully groomed, as though they have a grounds staff that actually does the work – not a weed to be seen. Great job, Governor Kasich! You may not have been a super wonderful Presidential candidate, but you sure can govern the state of Ohio’s interstate highways!

We arrived in Chicago around 2:00pm on Sunday….while we were going over the Chicago Skyway (can I just say how much I hate that thing? It’s just so freaking H I G H) we got a text from Becky, asking us to pick her up downtown (saving her an uber ride). So we got off the expressway and drove Big Red (our name for the truck) through DOWNTOWN Chicago traffic on a 65-degree, sunny day. Everyone who lives in Chicago was walking downtown that day, I promise. Took three tries to get through one light, because of the pedestrian traffic. However, we made it through, picked up Becky and got back to her apartment around 3:30.

So here we are, back in town. Today we hit Costco for groceries and took some clothes that we will never wear again to the GoodWill box. Driving shock – after time in Maine, where EVERYBODY drives a big truck, we’re back in the land of tiny little parking spaces. (and we’re not going to mention the street parking where we get to parallel park Big Red among the little Smart cars) 

February 18...gotta be fit in Maine!

Okay, so you have to stay fit to live in Maine….

Down jacket…well, yeah, it’s 20 degrees outside

Boots – well, yeah, there’s 24 inches of snow…

Shorts??? Duh, Mom. I’m going to work out…………..

So, this morning at 6:30 we stamped the snow off our boots and took off for home (via Chicago)….the first thing we noticed was the size of the snow drifts…..for the last 3 weeks, we’ve pulled ‘waaaaayyyy out into the street, because you can’t see over the 6-foot snow piles at the corners of the streets. Well, obviously, Massachusetts didn’t get hit with the same snow storm, since their corners are about 12 inches high.

We drove south from Maine into New Hampshire, where we were greeted with my favorite (and scary) state motto: “LIVE FREE OR DIE” IN New Hampshire. Okay, I get the message, but they print it out in really scary letters, like it’s a threat…. Live Free , or D I E …..

Anyway,we entered the Massachusetts Turnpike, stopped and got coffee and breakfast from McDonalds (read a prior post about the Mass Pike and McDonalds)….Massachusetts looks like they took advantage of federal tax $$, because the turnpike is lovely – except for every overpass, which is ridden with tons of huge, tire-killing potholes. (See my issues with Mike Pense, prior post). On the bright side (for those of us who are readers – that’d be you, Virginia Wagner) – we went through Lowell, Mass, which is where one of Spenser’s  adversaries lives.  As we drove through the western suburbs of Boston (okay, the whole freaking state of Massachusetts is a suburb of Boston, let’s face it), we saw a bunch of folks ice fishing and otherwise skating, playing, etc., on the ponds. Kind of like a Currier and Ives picture, only a la 2017.

Traveling by car through New England is interesting, as regards to the highway/control pass system. In Maine, there is an EZ Pass lane, and you just drive through, at highway speed. No slow down, nothing. In Massachusetts, you have your own lane, but you have to slow down to 10 mph and creep through. In New York, you have to go through a booth, as if you were throwing coins into the basket, and then the light turns green and lets your through…..So, Maine gets the prize for easiest travel.

So we are getting used to having a BIG truck. While I’m having a difficult time learning how to turn, Bob’s having a hard time, too. Hmmm …..this is a first for him. He’s never NOT been able to see the right corner of his vehicle. Welcome to my world! (If I didn’t know better, I would think there IS no right corner of a vehicle – I’ve certainly never seen one.) While we were in Chicago, we’d go to Costco or Target – when we came out, we’d just look for the biggest vehicle in the lot – that’d be us. However, in Maine, EVERYONE drives a big truck. We’re just one of 20 F-150’s or larger. Made us feel right at home.

As we left Massachusetts and entered New York state, we entered the Erie Canal system. I guess I never realized just how long the Erie Canal is….we traveled alongside it most of this afternoon, finally leaving it at Buffalo, where it enters Lake Ontario. Really fun to see – we passed a number of locks, which are, of course, not in use this time of year. But still, it reminded me that I’d really like to cruise the great circle some day.

A fun thing happened while we were driving past Herkimer, New York. (Like anybody ever heard of Herkimer, New York)….we were driving along, and we heard a little “beep, beep.”  We looked over, and there was a little blue Subaru, with a lady waving at us….as she passed us, we saw that she had a Washington license plate. So we honked back and waved like crazy. This is the first Washington license we’ve seen since we left Idaho! Felt like home. (Well, kinda.)

So, tomorrow we’ll get back to Chicago. We left Maine a week early…..we had a “no snow” window, and Jocelyn came down with the stomach flu yesterday ….so, clearly, the time was right to leave New England! I will miss Ross and his family. It’s tough to say good bye…..

BUT….we will be in Chicago for Miles’ 11^th birthday on March 1 (and Happy Birthday to Sabien  on the same day)…..and then we’ll be home in the middle of March. I’m looking forward to cooking on my own stove and seeing everyone again. 

Snow here, snow there....snow everywhere!

Amid the blizzard of 2017…We have read the snow reports of the big snowstorm in Western Washington….up to 10 inches in some places. I was really impressed (but not all that sorry to miss it) until last night. Here, in Scarborough, Maine, we are under a blizzard watch. (I’m not at all sure what the difference is between a “Storm Watch” and a “Blizzard Watch.” I think it’s the wind speed.) So, just to make you feel better about your 6-8 inches, here are a few pictures of our morning so far…the second pic is of the patio. I guess we won't be sitting around the fire pit any time soon....that's the lump on the right. As you can see, the snow is up to the seats of the chairs, in a protected spot, so no drifting.

This picture is of the truck when we first got here….and the truck this morning.

I do like snowy Maine, but I’m happier when I am inside, taking the pictures. Taking a walk (2 times round the block is .8 of a mile) is more work in heavy boots, hats, two pairs of gloves and down….and freezing legs because I didn’t bring any long underwear. (Yes, a little cheese with my whine, please.)

We’ll be leaving Maine on the 22 or 23, providing the snowstorm has passed. Right now, they are predicting snow every day until Monday, which gives it 2 days to melt off the roads……….we’ll see. We must be in Chicago by March 3, since we are babysitting for 3 days while Rebecca goes through some more training classes (good to get a few more letters behind her name).