Nine days ago -- it seems so long ago, and at the same time seems like yesterday -- we set out early in the morning of a heavily overcast, cool day to drive to an old haunt of ours in New Hampshire. Uncertain whether the trip would be too difficult for two 85-year-olds determined to celebrate our 67th wedding anniversary in the same manner we usually share our mutual passion for the out-of-doors, and whether we would encounter difficulties crossing the border from Quebec to Vermont.

The drive was uneventful, and it was pleasant. An opportunity for two people who spend virtually every minute of every day together, to talk companionably about all manner of things; nostalgic and of the present. Our little dogs slept quietly beside us for most of the trip. They were, in fact, sterling companions throughout the entire trip. Making no suggestions/recommendations of their own, simply submitting to our decision-making and appearing to thrive wherever we went.

There was a tedious wait at the border. A line-up of vehicles waiting to enter the U.S. from Canada. Only one of the customs booths was open, and the line of vehicles moved slowly and haltingly forward. Then another booth opened and suddenly we were only six cars from the border official and soon we were being asked for our trip itinerary, our passports and our Covid inoculation records. A brief and pleasant enough encounter, and once we were cleared we made directly for the first Vermont rest stop we're so familiar with.

It's a well-maintained area, thoughtfully laid out with picnic tables and manicured lawn. If we'd arrived a bit later in the season we would've seen thyme in the lawn, in bloom and smelled its fragrance as we walked along with Jackie and Jillie, all of us enjoying the opportunity to stretch our legs and diaphragms in the fresh mountain air. It was cool and windy and overcast, but nothing took away from the pleasure of walking among the lovely old specimen trees thriving there; oak, maple and one of the larges elms we've ever seen. As well as a splendid viburnum in bloom. 

There, we had our clementines, bananas, hard-boiled eggs and sandwiches. Jackie and Jillie shared their own egg between them. They'd had their breakfast before we left home, we hadn't eaten anything, and it was about 1:30, so a somewhat late 'brunch'. Tea and coffee sealed off our leisure relaxation and then we were off again.

When we crossed from Vermont into New Hampshire we knew it wouldn't be too long before our journey was completed. Reaching Franconia Notch, the weather was so socked in, dark heavy clouds had settled deeply over all the mountain summits. We knew where they were, which they were, but they were obscured in deep cloud, a not-unusual situation there.

It took but another half-hour or so, the Waterville Valley awaited us and so did our hosts neither of whom we've seen for several years thanks to the pandemic. They're like old friends, so like old friends that they are indeed old friends with whom we were glad to share reminiscences along with the latest family news they were bursting to share. A good start to a week away from home.