Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Driving Down Memory Lane in Connecticut



Driving today was totally in rain and fog. The worst weather day we have had all summer. We took I-95 North to my old home town of Gales Ferry, Connecticut. This time, we didn't need the navigation system. The muscle memory in my driving hands took me over the New London Bridge, down Rt. 12, and onto the familiar back roads of Gales Ferry and Ledyard. Driving down Whale Head Drive was just like it always was....I knew each and every turn like the back of my hand.

My first stop, and I still remembered how to get there, was Abbott's in Noank for a freshly cooked lobster. It was great, and the place had not changed one bit.
This is the Mystic Aquarium where I worked every summer during high school and college. This place had changed a great deal, but still one of the best aquariums around.
Of course, I had to stop by my old high school. I jumped out to get a photo....another spot frozen in time...
The last stop of the day was at our old house at 20 Maid Marion Dr. The house was empty to my surprise. The solar panels were gone from the back, but most everything else looked pretty much the same except that the house looked pretty run down. As soon as I stepped onto the back porch, memories of throwing rocks into the woods for our dog Lorie came rushing back. Then peering into the woods, I remembered the long hours of hauling the chain saw and axe back into the woods, and dragging out cord after cord of wood to keep the house warm while Dad was at sea. Of course, when Dad came home, it was our favorite(?) pastime to hike into the woods looking for "prime rib" to cut, and then taking turns in splitting wood with the axe and stacking the wood.....ah, what fun.

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