The Sea Calls

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Dear Family, Friends, and Fans, We have been motoring around Massachusetts (so I will finally learn how to spell it) and loving it. The leaves are still colorful but are being blown right off the trees. After enjoying our days on Cape Cod, we headed to Foxboro...hoping that someone would give us free tickets to the Pats vs. Skins game. No one took pity on the California Condor, but it is a very modern arena with no end zone seating. We couldn't get in at the campground there due to a big Halloween Todo, so we went to nearby Bellingham which was quiet. Kathy & Steve had told us about WaterFire Providence so we decided to go for it. We left early as we couldn't figure out the parking for our beloved 24' motorhome. This annual event is held in downtown Providence from late spring to fall, with Oct. 27 being the last of '07. It has brought out crowds of 250,000 per night so we were a bit cautious. Fortunately, for us, the weather wasn't the best as rain was predicted (and the weatherman was right). We were told by a parking lot attendant that we could park on the street in a 2 hr , 2 space area as the police didn't mark tires on weekends. Knowing that's not the case in Carmel, we threw caution to the wind and rain and did it...hoping we would have a home on wheels to return to. We piled umbrellas, rain ponchos,etc. into a bag and took off towards what we hoped was a river; there are 3 so we thought we had a 33.3 chance. This is a very old capitol city and we enjoyed our sightseeing. Already set up all along the rivers were braziers with wood piled on them and covered with plastic. They are tied to buoys and gondolas (just like Venice) are pushing people up and down stream under umbrellas. Also like Venice there are many small bridges over these rivers. Under these bridges were small boats loaded with extra wood to keep the fires burning. Volunteers wearing all black kept a watch from boats and even cleaned up litter as they waited for darkness to set in. Meanwhile on the river bank spectators began to gather in raincoats & umbrellas; music was playing from speakers set along the canal. Venders set up tents & food and more people gathered along the walk. We sat on a park bench where we began talking to a most interesting man. He was local; had even gone to RI Institute of Design and was a photographer turned watercolorist. He told us all about everything and wished he could paint Timmy. He has been doing a lot of dogs lately, but he thought Timmy would make a good model. We found out how he met his wife of 61 yrs and how they had traveled across country 8 times. He was obviously lonely, but very sweet. Ah, I do digress! When it was dark a small boat carrying a torch started downstream and began to light each brazier. Soon all 100 fires were ablaze and music was dramatically coming out of the darkness. It really was a sight to see. I tried to take pictures but they don't do it justice. After lingering a bit longer we decided to walk back to our
motorhome. As we said "good-bye" to our new and only friend in Rhode Island, he handed us one of his watercolors of WaterFire and said to take it home to remember the experience. We thanked him with hugs and hand shakes and left carrying it under our arm, protecting it from the rain although it was framed & had glass. Again, the human experience is the one we will cherish. During the previous events he told us that people would be dancing, bands playing, and more of a First Night atmosphere. The Water and Fire Gods were smiling on us as we returned to our motorhome...just where we left it. We did a 3 meals in 3 states again. Breakfast in Massachusetts, lunch watching a baseball game in Rhode Island, and dinner in Connecticut. There's nothing to it. Great news from home...Jeff has returned from his south sea voyage. He is safe & happy to be on Carmel's Terra Firma. love, DWT

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