Don't bring a gun to a snowball fight!

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Recently there have been fierce winter storms in some areas of the United States. In the aftermath of the storms a bunch of people in Washington DC organised a snowball fight on Twitter, so the locals could venture out after being cooped up in their houses during the storm. The snow was flying around good style when one cop suddenly took exception to how he was faring, who knows, maybe the snowballs were too tightly packed! Anyways he pulled a gun on his snow flinging tormentors, as you do I guess, only problem being that several people filmed at the moment he lost it. Oops, I don't think that kind of behaviour is entering into the Christmas spirit...

Well anyways, dear reader, I ain’t packin’, except for my bags when moving between towns! But I’m glad to be back in the United States to celebrate Christmas with family. To recap briefly from the previous journal, I caught an early morning bus from Quebec City to Montreal, after saying goodbye for the time being to my host. Then I hopped on the greyhound for the journey south to Burlington in Vermont. It’s just a short commute, and a large slab of time was spent at the U.S. border as the officials verified our papers were in order. After chilling at the Burlington terminal for a few hours, I was delighted to see my sister and her family, and they drove me a short distance to Nan’s place. This wonderful woman recently lost her partner of sixty years, and is approaching eighty years old. Nevertheless, she was delighted to host the family. She is a bit hard of hearing though, and was surprised the kids didn't want to sleep in her bed anymore. We were talking one morning and Nan misheard my sister. Nan asked if she wanted to sleep with her, to which my sister replied no. “I will, Nan” I ventured helpfully. That comment got a laugh from my sister!

The family of my sister’s husband are tight knit, and folks are mighty serious about Christmas celebrations in the United States. In Vermont it’s rare see a house that doesn't have Christmas lights, and there are also lots of mangers on display. We even saw an excavator just off the road, lit up like an unusually shaped Christmas tree! We spent Christmas Eve at one family member’s house, and Christmas day at another. There were so many presents, and the Christmas trees up to the ceiling. The kids were in danger of getting RSI opening up all their presents! We had a terrific time with wonderful food to celebrate the festive season, and I'd like to offer thanks for the generosity and warm welcome from my new friends in Vermont. We took the opportunity to take the kids sledding at Casey's Hill in Underhill, and had heaps of fun on the hill. There were heaps of stacks, screams and video footage of the kids having a great time. It was great fun, and even Uncle Tom had a few runs down the hill!

We spent three days with the family in Vermont, and then drove back through New Hampshire to my sister’s home in Maine. It was back home where my brother and his new partner drove out to pick me up. There was a slight drama on the way when their car slid off a neighbour's driveway at slow speed, but they were kindly towed out by the neighbour so all is well. We drove to their home in Portland, which is the capital of Maine. It’s a great experience seeing family again, and my brother and sister have both been living in the States for more than fifteen years. My brother is doing better than I expected, and is happy with his new partner. This news will come as a great relief to the rest of the family back home in Australia. He has invented a new board game called Tenekar and is busy finalising the rules. Remember you got to read about it here first! He has also invented AquaSkis, if you fancy walking on water. The population of Portland is around 70,000 and the city has a strong culinary reputation. A lot of chefs come up from Boston and New York for lifestyle reasons, so the locals are able to enjoy the benefits of top class food while living in a relaxed atmosphere.

We went to see the new James Cameron movie Avatar, which was immensely enjoyable. The movie was followed by a meal at a local Japanese restaurant on Portland Harbor. The Mainers are a relaxed and confident people, and my brother believes the city of Portland has all he needs for a good lifestyle. At the same time the residents avoid the maddening crowds that come with living in a big city. Mind you, Portland is relatively close to two of the most important cities in the States, with Boston only two hours south on the bus, and a trip to New York City taking seven hours. New England is the oldest part of the United States, with the first pilgrims arriving from England in the late 1600s. The region is full of history and has a great sense of established identity. Of course I've enjoyed the bonus of catching up with family during my visit and the mail is, basically all of you should be here now!

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King J

As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

Family chrissy in Vermont
The family has two christmas trees surrounded by gifts. One for the kids and one for the adults.

Jeffersonville in winter
A small town in Vermont, a State famed for it's natural beauty.

Portland, Maine
A fashionable area in the state's largest city.

Let's play Tenekar
My brother and his partner contemplate the next move while playing his original board game.

Downtown in Portland, Maine
Captured in unseasonally warm weather for winter.

AquaSkis
My brother's invention is subject to copyright.