Sunday, September 8, 2013

1: Frederick to Northampton, Massachusetts

It's been the best kind of late summer day to begin our Maritimes adventure. "The sun is warm and the air is cool - the perfect Finnish summer day," as my mother would say.  First stop was Poughkeepsie, NY, to have a quick visit with our friend, Isabella Johnson, Vassar class of 2016, who also gave us a tour of the campus (my first visit to any of the Seven Sisters).  We've known Isabella since she was born. Seeing Vassar through her eyes was an eye-opener for us; the little girl is gone; she's grown into a competent, confident woman. Her peers know it, too. They made her a dorm counselor and prospective student tour guide...as a sophomore.

 I love that Vassar's public bathrooms are all gender-neutral.  Below, one of Vassar Library's reading rooms; it's a long way from Frostburg State College.




A room to herself!


Spryte, as usual, wasn't all that thrilled with our departure preparations.  I was using our dining room table as a staging area for my stuff, and she nested right on top of things for several days before we left.  I will be "wearing" her on many of my outfits.




















We're staying at a B&B Deborah Pendleton recommended, the Starlight Llama.  It was the first B&B in Massachusetts to go off the grid, and it's a wonderful hippy-dippy/Mr. Natural/liberal kind of place. Elizabeth Warren bumper stickers on the Prius, of course. (and llamas and peacocks, goats and chickens, some friendly dogs and two emus, solar panels, wood stove heat, etc.)  It's in the middle of nowhere; stars abound!!

This is the view from our bedroom window, a nice change from Frederick Avenue.


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