Budless Buddy Return

Yesterday promised a little bit of pain to pay for the long weekend of fun down in Vir..gin…Aye…A – the drive back.  At least I had my regular co-pilot back in her proper seat and the weather promised to be fantastic.  We awoke in the Maryland house of one of the Panamanian mafia.  They provided a fantastic brunch and even better company.  There never seems to be enough time with friends and this fantastic couple define that feeling – just great people.

Totally Confused GPS

I decided to take a chance heading out on the trip.  I’d heard there was this new road that provided almost a direct connection to I-270.  It was so new that it didn’t appear on our GPS.  It turned out great but I felt bad for my GPS which was totally confused and showed us travelling over road less fields and forests.

Civil War Re-enactors

We needed to refuel shortly after entering Pennsylvania so I took advantage of the proximity to Gettysburg.  My wife was fortunately asleep when we turned off the highway and passed the huge Outlet Mall or we might still be there.   I stopped off and found this cherished Civil War battlefield had undergone some major changes since my last visit.  The old visitor’s center has been demolished and replaced by a brand new one near Culp’s Hill.  I eventually got my bearings and made my way to Cemetery Ridge where we found a re-enactor camp out going on.  I thoroughly enjoyed the quick glance around before I got back on the road.  My wife was a good sport about the detour, not knowing she had slept through the Outlet Mall.

The Actors Mingling With Tourists

Me Looking North Along Cemetery Ridge

Looking the Other Way With Little Roundtop (rocks above pine trees) in Distance

The rest of the trip went extremely well although the latest generation of truck drivers think their semis belong in the left lane when climbing mountains.  The temperatures fell and the trees lost first their leaves and then even their buds as we headed north.  Thanks to satellite radio I listened to the entire Red Sox game which began in Pennsylvania and ended in New York.  Clay Buccholz continued his awesome start with a near no hitter in a Red Sox win.  The hated Rays did not manage a hit against him until the 8^th inning. 

Clay Spinning his Gem

I later learned that he probably would have made it but fell victim to the well chronicled Red Sox conjurer – my sister’s sister in law.  The Red Sox are prone to curses and fell victim repeatedly last year to this potent necromancer.  She had promised that she wouldn’t prognosticate anymore since her eerie predictions of last year.  She apparently felt bad that no one was talking to Clay (old baseball tradition) and shortly thereafter the no-hitter was lost.  She had promised no more Red Sox cursing but even an off hand comment apparently was potent enough to once again curse the Sox, dammit.

Spinning her Nefarious Web Again!

We got home in almost record time, even with the Civil War diversion.  We quickly unloaded our gear, including some of the cake making apparatus (I continue to be haunted by wedding cakes) which we were ferrying north.

We jumped back into the car one last time to recover the last piece of the missing family – Buddy the Wonder Pooch.  He was enjoying another sojourn in the canine heaven – my sister’s place.

Tackled by Buddy Upon my Arrival

Buddy was typically enthusiastic upon our arrival.  He’s only been there a few days but had outgrown his collar and totally traumatized my sister’s cat.  Even though my wife and I were semi-exhausted from the long day travelling we gratefully spent some cherished time with my sister’s family.  She made one of our mother’s signature recipes – Sheppard’s Pie and totally outdid my mother – it was so good.  The company was even better.  My sister’s husband “reluctantly” revealed his sister’s spell casting against the Sox.  It was the kind of evening I wished could go on and on.  It seems like we started and ended the day that way – I feel totally blessed with family and friends.

Buddy the Counterclimber Has Not Changed

Woke up this morning to 31 degree temps - definitely not in Virginia any more!