Jimmy B's Blog: It's A Wonderful Life

A few minutes after crossing over the line from NY to CT I was picked up by Cool Breeze and whisked off to Huntington Mass to celebrate 2 birthdays and a house warming on Sat Aug 22nd.

The parties were combined and the theme was Gilligan's Island. Marissa, one of the two birthday girls is Marianne which happens to be the name of the other birthday girl and hostess at the party. I had to explain to a few that I was Castaway having swam from my deserted island to Gilligans with Wilson and the gift box.

In the box is a basket, in the basket is salt, bread and wine presented as a house warming gift as Maris was to close on her first house two days later. Very few understood the basket but at least within this post you have received a giant clue.

We had an absolutely wonderful day and I was sooooo thankful to have all 3 daughters and grandkids to enjoy it with. Such homely girls I know, but I lovem dearly...and even like them!

My awesomest friends Marylou:

and Phil put me up for the weekend. Maryl has the gift of hospitality and it shows as hers is the favored place among neighbors and friends on the lake.

Sunday off to church, rendezvous with big sis then back to Ct where I left off.

Big Sis Diane certainly received an initiation as we entered the woods late forcing a night hike to our campsite next to Ten Mile River.

Di admitted setting up her tent once and camping in her back yard. Perhaps she should've tried a second time as some of you laughed at my deflated tent bahaha:

First day hiking was a big one as we headed uphill. You remember Cool Breeze, now meet Scout:

The ladies had a grand time gabbing their faces off while I scooted ahead listening to a book on Audio Audible (luv it).

Of course you know what road kill looks like:

Just in case you forgot, ahahaha! While those are caused by cars and trucks you may not have seen that caused on the trail by dehydration and/or malnutrition; trail kill. A close call for ole Sparky were it not for Scout:

We enjoyed some great views and great weather:

You might be wondering why the name Scout. It came to me within the first couple of hours on the trail. If you think Girl Scout at heart, you're partially correct. You wouldn't have known she was one of the cool few who actually owned an IH Scout but even that's not it.

Think Scout from Harper Lee's classic To Kill A Mockingbird. While the movie does a great job capturing the essence of the novel, the book gives a far better look at and description of the young girl Scout who btw has a brother Jem. Scout has a an incredibly advanced vocabulary and indeed our Scout has no Scrabble match. In the book the 9 yr old is absolutely curious times 10, sees her Father's hand in and throughout as our Scout sees the hand of God creating a limitlessly intricate and interconnected home for us to live in. Scout was finding all kinds of things Cool Breeze and I were passing by:

Scout did a great job keeping a great pace, it seems all 3 siblings inherited DOD's strong legs.

Most of the Ct trail skirts the famous Housatonic:

Famous for at least 2 reasons, 1 good, 1 bad: the good for fly fishing, the bad; PCB contamination thanks to the old General Electric plant up north.

Ct has a beautiful section of the AT:

Whether in the valleys or on the ridge:

Next to a farm:

Or in a swamp:

While I understand why some would question His existence while so much evil abides I simply find the faith in the odds of evolutionary theory inconceivable.