Barre, Vermont

We're just back from a few days in Central Vermont, visiting with an old high school friend.

There's a new small-dog park in Barre. Bobby and Eloise met a little poodle mix and had a wonderful time playing.

The next day, cream tea on the lawn at Perennial Pleasures in East Hardwick:

http://perennialpleasures.net

Miss Eloise got a new harness a few weeks ago. She can get out of this one, too.

July 8th Was Bobby's Birthday

15 years old!

We've been together since he was a tiny puppy. Now his kidneys are gradually failing, his vision is limited and his hearing is selective. We take one day at a time. He spends mornings sleeping or acting confused, later in the day rallies, orients himself, and plays.

(with Eloise).

WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? - Official Trailer [HD] - In Select Theaters J...

We saw this in Amherst last night--very highly recommended, especially if you grew up on Mr. Rogers, or even if you didn't.

Very timely. (He was a lifelong Republican--shows you what they have come to now.)

Fourth of July in Vernon, Connecticut

Happy Fourth from Eloise!

We went to the lake and met a lot of cousins.

Marty the Corgi is totally cool. They threw sticks for us and we ran around like crazy.

(Bobby stayed home with Auntie because it was so hot.)

We did get pretty hot, so we had to drink a lot of water and take a break in the shade under the picnic table.

South Hadley: Protesting

Today I went to two vigils, one in North Hampton and then on to Belchertown. Good-sized crowds for small New England towns--around a hundred at the first one, probably about three hundred in Belchertown. But here in the "happy valley," we are preaching to the crowd, with one car out of two beeping with approval as they passed.

Once, a woman near me said in surprise and consternation, "That man just gave us a thumbs down!" Are we in just a bit of a bubble?

I'm feeling very discouraged every time I think about the world outside our bubble.

We are in the middle of a heat wave--it feels hotter here than it did in the southwest. Comparable temperatures and a lot of humidity. Even with the air conditioning on, the dogs enjoy the cool stone floor of the entry way.

Day 23: South Hadley, Massachusetts!

Bobby here.

This morning when it was time to get in the car again, I had just had enough. I lay down and went limp. Mrs. D. picked me up, and I growled at her. She put me in the car, and I growled some more.

All the time, there is Eloise sitting in her car seat, doing that "I'm such a good girl" thing that she does. Well, I wasn't the one who peed on the hotel furniture back in Arizona. Just sayin'.

But finally, here we are at auntie's house, where I know my way around. Whew. Not a day too soon.

Day 22: Victor, New York

We played touch-tag with a rainstorm most of the way from Cleveland to the Rochester area, and now have settled in for the last night on the road--for awhile, anyway. Tomorrow night we will be in western Massachusetts.

Things to bring the next time: 1) Towels to dry off dogs after pit stops in the rain. 2) A compass. Most directions begin with, "Head north on ... " In an unfamiliar town and with clouded skies, who knows which way north is?