Kennebunkport & Harvard Reunion

See the family resemblance?

My brother, Rick, eleven years younger than I, is a special person in my life.  I was a sixth grader when he was born in 1958.  Growing up in a household which required that both parents worked full-time, left a lot of the household chores and childcare duties up to me.  He jokes that he didn't have two parents...he had FOUR!  Dad, Mom, and two older sisters...  

Ellis County Courthouse, Waxahachie, Texas

When he graduates as the Valedictorian of WHS, class of '76, I am beyond ecstatic that he is accepted to top-notch colleges with scholarship offers all over the country.  

Harvard University

He choses Harvard, which gives me an opportunity for my first visit to the Northeast.  It is my first time to fly on an airplane, ride a subway and see 'The Rocky Horror Show'.  I sleep in his small room, while he bunks on the couch in the common room.  Occasionally, he sneaks some food from the cafeteria for my dinner.   

The Big Apple

Even though it is January, winter break, we decide to take the train to NYC where we visit the Metropolitan, the Empire State Building, the Staten Island Ferry, the Guggenheim, a Broadway musical: "Ain't Misbehavin'", the Statue of Liberty, Greenwich Village.  

Rice University

After graduating with honors and a degree in physics in '80, he attends Rice University in Houston, where he graduates with two degrees, a Masters and PhD in EE.  

JPL - Pasadena, CA

His first job is with Jet Propulsion Labs, Pasadena, California. 

Library, Cal State Northridge

After a few years at JPL, he eventually decides that teaching is more to his liking, becoming a tenured prof at Cal State Northridge in '07.

A group of his Harvard friends from Quincy House, the BLD - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner club, gathers for reunions around the country every few years and he generously invites us to join him this year in Kennebunkport, Maine.

He reassures us that it is a very casual event, and since we are acquainted with Rick and Scott, we accept the invitation...on one condition!  Only if he will tag along with us for a couple of weeks of camping in Maine, NH, Vermont, and Massachusetts! 

A few of the BLD begin to assemble

Upon our arrival, we meet the group of almost thirty at the Kennebunkport Inn for drinks on the deck complete with overstuffed chairs and sofas and fireplaces.  

The Rowdy Bunch

Then, we wander over to Tia's Topside across the bridge in Kennebunk for dinner.  I am please to announce that OUR table was voted the loudest, most raucous for the evening.  And a good time was had by all!

Mi hermanito, Rick, y Colony Inn

Mike and Kris, talking about hers and Dave's move to the Austin area!

The pool at the Colony Inn

Saturday evening, we congregate at the Colony Inn overlooking the bay for drinks.   

Rhumb Line Resort Clambake

But, the main attraction is a clambake the Rhumb Line Resort, the Admiral's Platter, complete with steamed clams, lobster, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and strawberry shortcake...authentic and scrumptious!

Cheers!

Kennebunkport is a quaint fishing village, and summer home to lots of Bostonians.

I gots to get me one of THESE!

Famously, the Bush Compound is located there.  

Bush Compound

No, we did not catch a  glimpse of them, although the Texas flag was fluttering in the breeze...was Dubya somewhere on the island?   

Ah, THERE he is!

For the 'foodies' in the group, Arrows Restaurant in nearby Ogunquit is a delectible choice for Sunday dinner!  'Arrows is the flagship restaurant of James Beard Award Winning Chefs, Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier and has been named 14th in "America's Top 50 Restaurants 2006" by Gourmet Magazine and "One of America's 10 Most Romantic Restaurants" by Bon Appetit.'

Arrows Restaurant, Ogunquit, ME

'Arrows is a true country restaurant in the tradition of the French Michelin 3 Star destinations.  At Arrows the old world traditions are celebrated:  proscuittos and charcuterie are ...created on premise, fish of all types are prepared in the onsite smoke house, breads and pastries are created by a master pastry chef.  Cheeses are taken from curd to finished product in the kitchen and mushrooms, cranberries and fiddleheads are foraged from the surrounding woodlands.'

We have a fabulous time getting to know these fine people who have scattered to locales all over the nation.  Attorneys, CEO's, cardiologists, a pathologist, a neurologist, bankers, CEO's, teachers, and college profs, along with a couple of toddlers, teenagers, and senior citizens (Mike & I).  They are so welcoming, warm and genuine.  I understand why Rick never wants to miss one of these gatherings!

Nancy, Rick, and the Seniors at the Colony Inn

View of the Colony Inn from the beach

The Berkshires

Hidden Valley Campground, Lanesborough, MA

Hidden Valley Campgrounds in Lanesborough,  just north of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is appropriately named!  After a few wrong turns, we eventually pull into a lovely, hilly, wooded campground.  Our campsite is very spacious and landscaped beautifully with an English garden setting of flowers, boulders covered with moss, and towering trees with songbirds and chipmunks galore.

Chippy, the Chipmunk?

After a short nap, we get ready for our evening at Tanglewood for the Anne-Sophie Mutter/Andre Previn violin & piano concert.  Sadly, Previn is not able to perform due to a severe arthritic condition. 

Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood

The Ozawa Hall is a joyous experience!  Built in 1994, the 1200-seat concert hall, with its wood interior and overhanging balconies, is famous for its acoustics and architectural excellence.  It was built in honor of Seiji Ozawa, a Japanese conductor of the Vienna State Opera and music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The concert includes works by Mozart, Schubert, Previn and Saint-Saens.  Such virtuoso talent!  They perform 'Summertime' from Porgy and Bess as their encore tune!  Perfection for a summer evening in the Berkshires!

Cheshire Reservoir on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail

Adams, MA...end of the trail

We explore the area and discover an eleven-mile rail trail from Pittsfield to Adams.  On Wednesday, we take off on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail which winds its way along the Cheshire Reservoir and the Hoosnac River.  The trail is paved, 10 feet wide, fairly flat, and shaded for much of the way.  We pedal past marshes with egrets and  blue herons, old mills with waterfalls for power, and great vistas of sailboats and fishing boats on the Cheshire Reservoir.  Success!  We made it all the way to Adams, a 22-mile round trip!  Whew! 

 

The Hancock Shaker Village, 1791-1960, has been faithfully restored and maintained for the enjoyment and education of the public.

Their mission is to bring the Shaker story to life and preserve it for future generations. There are historic Village buildings, the farm, woodlands and gardens to visit.

Water turbine demo

Throughout the day, demonstrations of the water turbine, blacksmithing, and Shaker songs are given.  There is an 18-inch diameter water turbine which replaced the 20-foot water wheel in the mid-1800's.  Since the Shakers embraced technology, the water turbine was state-of-the-art for that time.

There are over 10,000 Shaker songs in existence.
Three 'sisters' and one 'brother' delight us with their renditions of 5 songs, one which includes dancing!  The Shakers were highly criticized for their dancing and loud religious services!  

The American Shakers were a celibate, religious, communal community, founded by Ann Lee, Manchester, England in 1734, and established in America in 1774. Societies were in seven states.  Their basic tenets included:  Purity of Life, Confession of Sin, Consecration of Strength, Time and Talent.

The round Stone Barn is an iconic building at the Hancock Shaker Village

Their Beliefs:  Duality of the Deity, Father & Mother God, Immortal Life, Progress of the Soul, Faithfulness, Lawfulness, Equality of the Sexes, Equality in Labor, Equality in Property, Temperance in all things, Justice and Kindness to all.

The Shaker Motto:  'Hands to work, and Hearts to God.'  Mother Ann Lee

Our visit is an appropriate orientation for Thursday's 'Borrowed Light' performance at Jacob's Pillow.  There are 8 women and 8 men, all costumed in black, flowing costumes.  The backdrop is black with lighting coming chiefly from the left side and sometimes front of the stage, creating dramatic shadows. 

Choreographed by Tero Saarinen, its inspiration was the Shakers, using only original Shaker music.  The work itself is not about Shakerism, but rather community and devotion. 

We are delighted that dear friends, Linda Tucker Brandt and her husband, Frank, meet us for dinner there before the performance!  

 

Dolores, Frank & Linda outside the Ted Shawn Theatre, founder of 'The Pillow 

'Shaker music uses the simplest means to achieve extraordinary levels of beauty and emotional intensity. The forms are most often short and binary, employing the melodic idiom of modal English folksong.  We perfom in the traditional Shaker manner:  voices alone without instrumental accompaniment or embellishment.  The composers of these pieces were ordinary Shakers, encouraged with the community to express their spirituality in song.  Many thousands of these songs were notated by the Shakers, but until recent years only a handful were known outside the community.  In two cases- 'Repentance' and 'Verdant Grove'- we believe 'Borrowed Light' represents the first performance ever outside the community, and the first in over 150 years.'  Joel Cohen, The Boston Camerata Music Director Emeritus.

The Inside/Outside Stage with the Berkshires for a backdrop

' "The Pillow" is a treasured 163-acre National Historic Landmark and home to America's longest-running international dance festival.  Thousands of people visit the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts to experience more than 50 dance companies, 200 free performances as well as talks and other events.'

We will return later in the month with my brother, Rick.  The Berkshires have become a favorite destination for us!

               

Washington, D.C. on the 4th of July

Celebrating our nation's B'day, the 4th of July,  in Washington, D.C., is a 'bucket list' event!  The excitement is almost too much to bear!  But, as we approach Smallwood State Park, it is with anxiety and trepidation...huge trees uprooted, downed power lines as well as rows and rows of utility trucks with linemen repairing them.  The staff at Smallwood gives us the bad news.  A severe windstorm a couple of nights ago, has resulted in 5 million people being without power.

The park rangers suggest we relocate to nearby Cedarville State Forest in Brandywine, Maryland.  Thank goodness, they have power!  It is a CCC camp which always makes me smile since my dad was in the CCC in Gilmer, Texas, in the 30's.  It is a lovely campsite!

Branch Avenue Metro stop is less than 20 miles away, so we grab our 'smart cards', head for the station, find a parking spot, load up the cards, and we are off to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was widely distributed throughout the colonies and read to the public. The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the wording of the Declaration was approved on July 4, the date of its signing was August 2. The original July 4 United States Declaration of Independence manuscript was lost while all other copies have been derived from this original document.

The National Gallery is nearby, so we spend an hour in the French Impressionist galleries, of course!

On Tuesday, we head to the Library of Congress, which was closed for ten years, 1987-1997, for extensive renovations.  The Greek revival building, the largest library in the world, had fallen into disrepair and had been especially abused by tobacco use: cigars, cigarettes, snuff, chewing tobacco...all had left their ugly mark on this beautiful edifice.

The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States of America, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in four buildings in Washington, D.C., as well as the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and number of books, with an estimated 838 miles of bookshelves.  

The Main Reading Room - Library of Congress

July 4 dawns clear and hot!  Mid-afternoon, we take off for the Mall!  The crowds are already gathering, so we are delighted to find a shaded park bench near the Washington Monument! 

 

We people watch and try to stay cool until the fireworks display begins around 9:15 p.m. It is spectacularly beautiful and worth the wait!  

After the grand finale, we discover that accessing the Metro is a madhouse, with huge crowds surrounding the escalators.  So, we decide to hang out at the Navy Memorial fountains for a while.  Finally, we head for the escalators, still crowded, but doable. I am very impressed with the politeness of the crowd, no shoving, no rudeness...I then realize, hey, I am no longer in SoFlo!  Young folks are giving up their seats for older people...nice!  As for those who are fearful of riding subways with the 'riff raff'...so much for that stereotype!

As we search for a Target to purchase a few items, we are delighted to stumble upon a Costco!  Sigh....We love this area and will be returning in the future for a longer stay.  Its convenience to the Metro is perfect for exploring DC.