The second half of our trip started when we got off the Ferry in Boston. I saw Frank meandering down the pier enjoying a stroll by the water. That's what I love about the guy, he has such a calming spirit. He took us straight to Andy's childhood home so miss M could meet her Grammy Marcia.
She also got to sit and play with her Uncle Jeff for the first time.
And she met her soon-to-be-official Aunt Alicia.
We went back to Frank's house after that so M could meet Pam. She had set up her son's crib to make M feel at home. We both welcomed the site of our own bed and the promise of a sound sleep.
On Sunday morning the power went out at Frank and Pam's house. We had spent most of the time leading up to that listening to the media coverage of the hurricane. We needed a change of pace so we took M to visit a family friend. As wind and rain pummeled the area, we took detours and sometimes had to drive off the road to get around downed trees. Finally we made it to Nancy's house to say hello.
We decided to get back to their house. Frank, D and I took a walk around the neighborhood. Branches and leaves were strewn everywhere. There were some downed trees and the entire division had no power. Generators buzzed.
Irene added a crazy dimension to the weekend. We wanted to get around more, maybe do some touristy things, but we also didn't want to get caught in a bad spot. The worst place proved to be the one open Dunkin' Donuts in Franklin (I spent 45 minutes in line for four coffees and some donut holes). At least we got to see D's family and share the joy of miss M. Monday we somehow managed to sneak in a quick visit with the always enjoyable Shannons. I hate not having any photos from that part of the trip; they are always so great and uplifting.
The last night brought one final stop at Grammy Marcia's house. M crawled all over the place and was mesmerized by the things one always discovers at their Grammy's house. Marcia was delighted. It was a big day in many ways...
We packed up and said our goodbyes (always too soon). We promised to bring our gal back next Fall when we head out there for Jeff and Alicia's wedding.
Luckily Ping caught us right before we left. She stopped by with M to say hello quickly. One last great Aunt for miss M to meet and then the trip was complete.
Well technically the trip wasn't complete until we stopped in the North end (on the way to the airport) for Regina Pizza but I have no photos of that so I will end with Ping and M and miss M.
She also got to sit and play with her Uncle Jeff for the first time.
And she met her soon-to-be-official Aunt Alicia.
We went back to Frank's house after that so M could meet Pam. She had set up her son's crib to make M feel at home. We both welcomed the site of our own bed and the promise of a sound sleep.
They both took time to soak in the baby energy.
Hurricane Irene was menacing the east coast and Pam and Frank were preparing the house for anything. I wasn't sure what to expect, this being my first hurricane and all. They battened down the hatches at home and the guys went to pull the boat from Buzzard's Bay. D's heart ached that they couldn't take it out on the water.
Back at the ranch, miss M was exploring everything she could find. Her one ultimate goal was to connect with one of the three elusive cats that whizzed by every now and again. She never got close enough.
On Sunday morning the power went out at Frank and Pam's house. We had spent most of the time leading up to that listening to the media coverage of the hurricane. We needed a change of pace so we took M to visit a family friend. As wind and rain pummeled the area, we took detours and sometimes had to drive off the road to get around downed trees. Finally we made it to Nancy's house to say hello.
She was also without power but had candles everywhere. Admittedly, M was more taken by the full length mirror than anything else but we enjoyed the visit and even got to reconnect with Alan and M.
The storm kept coming. We stopped by Marcia's to say hi. She had power but a few trees in the backyard had come down. Jeff had been on the phone with Frank when something major happened back at their house. We returned to find their neighbor across the street had lost a 60 foot tree. It was completely uprooted.
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| Dig D standing next to the roots on the left side of the photo |
We decided to get back to their house. Frank, D and I took a walk around the neighborhood. Branches and leaves were strewn everywhere. There were some downed trees and the entire division had no power. Generators buzzed.
Irene added a crazy dimension to the weekend. We wanted to get around more, maybe do some touristy things, but we also didn't want to get caught in a bad spot. The worst place proved to be the one open Dunkin' Donuts in Franklin (I spent 45 minutes in line for four coffees and some donut holes). At least we got to see D's family and share the joy of miss M. Monday we somehow managed to sneak in a quick visit with the always enjoyable Shannons. I hate not having any photos from that part of the trip; they are always so great and uplifting.
The last night brought one final stop at Grammy Marcia's house. M crawled all over the place and was mesmerized by the things one always discovers at their Grammy's house. Marcia was delighted. It was a big day in many ways...
We packed up and said our goodbyes (always too soon). We promised to bring our gal back next Fall when we head out there for Jeff and Alicia's wedding.
Well technically the trip wasn't complete until we stopped in the North end (on the way to the airport) for Regina Pizza but I have no photos of that so I will end with Ping and M and miss M.