Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Back on the road again...

My sister and I enjoyed a weekend road trip to go visit our mother to celebrate her birthday.  On our way there, we needed to stop and grab a bite to eat.  One of the things we love to do when we make these trips is to find a restaurant that we've never been to before.  This trip we found two.  The first one was the Bridge Side Grille in Sunderland, MA.  Delicious food and reasonable prices.  If you're ever in that area, be sure to give them a try.

Once at mom's house, we enjoyed each others company, shared stories, played Scrabble (I won!), opened gifts and sang mom the birthday song so she could make a wish and blow out the candles.  I made her a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and it was yummy if I do say so myself!

After our visit it was time for our long ride back home.  Again, we needed to stop and "re-fuel".  This time, we found Shepard's Pie Restaurant in beautiful Quechee VT.  Click on the photo link on the right side bar to visit their website.  It is the VT mountains with a hot air balloon image.  We were very much impressed with this find.  We shared chicken quesadillas and nachos.  Absolute food heaven!  The quesadillas had caramelized onions, thick slab bacon bits, cheese, fresh spinach and cooked to perfection chicken.  They were drizzled with this scrumptious mayo based sauce infused with lime.  Mmmmmm.  After my hazelnut coffee, we said our thank you's and good bye's and we'll see you soon's and headed back on the road again.

I love road trips, don't you?

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Darkness before dawn...

November 17th, 2012

In the wee small hours of the morning, life seems so simple and perfect.  A sort of calm and quiet that you can't find anywhere else when the sun is up above the horizon.  I awoke this day in those wee small hours.  Not by accident, but by appointment.  If you are a star gazer like me, you'll understand what I mean.  The Leonid meteor shower.  According to Astronomy Magazine, as well as many other star gazing information hubs, this astrological event was due to peak at pre dawn hours this very morning.  Tempted by the prediction of 12-30 meteors per hour, I was ready and quite willing to forgoe sleep on a Saturday.  And so it was.  In flannel jammies, slippers and my bathrobe wrapping me up, I ventured out into the darkness.  This isn't easy in the suburbs.  With street lights and building spot lights, it is hard to find a good dark viewing spot.  I should have prepared this spot yesterday.  By positioning myself in the shadow of the garage and the giant pine tree, I knew I had my front row seat.  Once standing in my spot, I looked up into what was one of the most beautiful skies I think I've ever seen.  My eyes immediately found Orion, who I thought was ironically facing the wrong direction if he were to shoot any of the meteors like an asteroid game out of the 80's.  As Leo was behind him, the meteors had the total element of surprise.  I kept my eyes focusing mainly on Leo as the meteors were due to radiate mostly from this constellation.  The Leonid meteor shower was named after the constellation Leo the Lion.  I saw only one.  I was not disappointed.  I did decide to stay out a bit longer in hopes of seeing a few more until this noise not too far off in the distance gave me reason to head back inside to the safety of the house.  I wasn't the only one out in the darkness of dawn.  Have you ever heard coyotes bay?  An eerie sound when you're all alone in the darkness.

December 5th, 2012

I took this picture about three years ago and just felt like adding it to this post.