Up the Connecticut River

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Dear Watchers of the Blog, If you thought I was raving about Mystic Seaport, wait 'til you hear me on the subject of Essex! This is such a perfect New England town. It only has 1 traffic light, a roundabout, and lovely old, very old homes. Plus, it is situated on the Connecticut River and was a major boat building port. It was here that the British landed and burned all 25 boats that were docked or being built for privateers. These privateers were enlisted
to aid the defense of our young country in the War of 1812. We took a boat trip up river, embarking from the same pier that the British had landed on. Our focus was slightly different, however, as we were leaf peepers, bird watchers, and folks out enjoying the sunny day before winter sets in. We had a great portable lunch from a local deli and we just sat back and listened to river lore. It couldn't have been a more perfect day (except we saw no eagles, only an empty aerie)...herons, swans yes, but the osprey have gone south to winter in South America without the kids. The kids fly away for a few years, and return, but mom & pop return annually to redecorate these quaint perches, an osprey condo, but it's waterfront property. We ended up staying 4 nights in E. Lyme as there was so much to see and do. Lots of Halloween decorations everywhere! I really do think the Mid-West and the East Coast celebrate Halloween more than we do in CA. A beautiful modern church St. Mathias was next door to the campground so we walked through the trees and attended a lovely Mass and remembered many loved ones. We are now at Sturbridge, MA and have journeyed back to 1790 where we walked and talked to villagers as they carried out their tasks of farming, milling logs, and got a glimpse of another New England from long ago. All of these living history museums, be it Plimouth Plantation, Mystic Seaport, or Sturbridge all bring the history of our country alive and accessible. It's great to see school field trips on location. We will be here for a few days (because this campground is open year long) and then will head back up to Portland, ME to meet up with 3 of the Svihuses who are coming out to see a sailing boat. More on that later. For now, it's time for cribbage. love, DWT

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